My Desk is a Wreck

I am self-employed, and my office is in my home.  This arrangement suits me.  I am an independent creature, with a strong aversion to office politics.  I'm also not a big fan of time clocks, cubicles or dress codes.

Over the years my home office has been a corner of my bedroom, the dining room table, even occasionally it's own dedicated actual room.  Right now it is in a corner of the living room.  I could move it back to Ryker's room, now that he is gone again, but I am not sure I want to.  The living room has better amenities - A/C, TV, sunlight, and PEOPLE!

Right now my desk is a wreck.  Too much stuff, in too little space.  Way too many things "out" that should be "in" or better yet - "gone".  While the corner desk design is efficient, I am kind of sick of having my back to the room.  It feels like I am being punished all day, sitting in the corner.  About 15 degrees to my right is a HUGE window (It's dark, so the blinds are closed in this photo.), so it's not without any view.  A quick 180 and I'm looking at the TV.

I think what is bugging me the most is the half dead desktop computer lurking in the background, taking up desktop space as well as foot room. It still technically "works" but, not well.  The monitor colors everything excessively pink, and then sometimes straight black.  The CPU is LOUD - sounds like a jet engine or something, and it is super s l o o o o o w.  That hunk of metal really just has to go.  It's time has come. 

I have been looking at design ideas.  My ideal home office would be very white (I am a big fan of white space) with bright color accents - something like this .....

Source: bhg.com via Wendy on Pinterest

or this (Without so much decoration.  What are those brass things??)....

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Wendy on Pinterest

What I'm looking for is simple - clean and neat.  I want lots of organizer bins, baskets, and shelves.  The organization tools I currently use are - LAME.  So lame that I don't really use them.  I haven't added anything new to that stack of plastic drawers in at least a year.  Unless you count replacing the printer cartridges as I use them.  I have taken out a row of staples from the box, once or twice.  Other than that - the contents of those drawers hasn't changed in well over a year.  The open bottom drawer - It's full of unused electronic devices, old cell phone chargers, cords, cables and the like - pointless ... Then there is that plastic "in box" thingy that hangs on a wall.  It is jammed with papers and sitting on the bottom shelf of my desk.  It has stuff in there from a couple years ago, and some recent receipts.  I don't even want to talk about the plastic shopping bag that contains my business records for the last 2, or is it 3, years.  Why is it sitting out there for ready access?  I have NO IDEA!

For Christmas my wonderful husband bought be a FANTASTIC new desk chair!  I love this thing!  It is from the Big and Tall collection.  I am neither big, nor tall, but it is one luxurious chair!  It is so comfy, my back doesn't hurt after long hours of sitting, and it leans back when I'm ready to relax.  Best Christmas Gift Ever!

Now I need a desk to match - Not necessarily from a design standpoint, but definitely in function.  The first step is to de-clutter, get rid of that half-dead Dell, file the paperwork, clean out the drawers, blah, blah, boring, boring, blahbity, blah blah...  Maybe by then I will decide just how I want to rearrange my little corner of the world.  I spend a LOT of time here, I really should make it more loveable.

Time is a Thief

Time is a thief.  It steals our babies. While we are busy mopping floors, and making a buck, time sneaks in and steals our tiny ones.  But time is also kind. With just as much stealth, our stolen babies are replaced with cherished friends.  From where I sit, those events happened in the blink of an eye.

We sat at the dinner table tonight, just the four of us, feasting on chicken enchiladas. (Ryker says the best place for Mexican food in Hawaii, is his Mama's kitchen.  That boy has a way with words.) It is probably the last time we will have a Sunday dinner like that in a while.  Ryker is leaving for Utah on Wednesday.  His ticket is one-way.  That doesn't mean he will never be back, just that the return is not yet defined.  He has a place to live, a job, and a pretty good plan for the next year or so.  His future awaits!

As we sat around the table tonight, we started talking about the old days.  It's funny how big changes like this make you think about the past.  Milestones in life cause our minds to look back at the path we took to get here.  When they were small they did funny things and even today they made us laugh.  Those are the unexpected joys of parenting.  The little gems you treasure for a life-time.

When your tiny boy (Ok, so he was never really tiny. He was tiny only in contrast to how he is today.) shows you his amazing new skill, and the most amazing thing about it is the words he uses to describe his accomplishment, it is unforgettable.  Words beyond his years, words perfectly strung together, words that convey more than their dictionary meaning.  Words.  His words have always been amazing, his super power of sorts. (What did he say about my cooking??)  His love of language began early, and continually astounded us.  When he was a newborn I remember staring into his face and wishing he could tell me what he was thinking.  I just knew he had interesting things to say. 

I will miss my interesting, funny boy popping in and brightening my day.  My favorite is when he plays guitar and sings.  There is a depth of soul in his music, that makes me happy to my core.  I love it when the house is full of his music.  He hasn't really lived at home for the last few years, but he has been in and out, except for that 4 month stint in China.  I am grateful he is only going to Utah this time, not China.  My worry level is way more manageable.  I'm not really worried at all.  After China, Utah is nothing :).

Ryker asked what we used to think Quincie would be when she grew up.  That was easy -  a Mommy and an Artist.  She has always had a tender, nurturing spirit.  Her super power is infinite patience with the small and helpless.  She is calm under pressure, never rattled by a crying child, or naughty puppy.  She is patient.  She is calm.  She is selfless and caring.  She loves with all her heart and is the kindest person I know.  If she calls you friend, you are one lucky person.

If Quincie wasn't mothering something or someone, she was doing an art project.  Not much has really changed over the years.  In her free time she is still either making something beautiful, or making someone happy.  The sculpture from her 1st college art class is sitting proudly in my living room.  It's beautiful, and my daughter is amazing.

I love my two wonderful, unique, amazing, talented, awesome kids.  They are very different, but perfectly fit together as brother and sister, son and daughter, in our family.  I wouldn't wish for anything different.  I can't wait to see what their futures hold.  I know it's going to be wonderful!

I am a Nomad

I don't remember the details of the moves my family made before I was the age of 4.  I was born in Yankton, SD and I have been told that sometime during my first year we moved to California for a very short stint in the San Fransisco area.  I have no memory of any of that.  I do remember living in Columbus, Nebraska when I was 2 and my younger brother Rik was born. I don't know how old I was when we moved there, but we stayed in Columbus until I was in 2nd grade, so 7?  I lived in Madison, Nebraska from 2nd grade until 5th grade, then it was back to Yankton for 3 years.

By those calculations, I lived in South Dakota for 1-2 years, a few months in California, then 5 years in Columbus, NE, 3 years in Madison, NE, (a grand total of 8 in Nebraska, does that make me a Cornhusker??)  and another 3 years in South Dakota.  Somewhere in all of this, we spent a winter in Fargo, ND (I know, who winters in Fargo????) and I think we had a small detour into Iowa, but I can't be 100% sure on that one.  At the end of 8th grade it was on to El Paso.

I spent all of high school and 2 years of college in El Paso, for a total of 6 years.  I spent the summer after my Sophomore year in college in Saugus, CA - well not the entire summer, just from the time school was out the end of May until The first of July.  July to September of 1988 I was in Provo, UT.  Sometime during September I drove to St. Louis, MO.  Carl and I were married in December 1988 and we lived there until July of 1992.

El Paso was 6 years, California again for a couple months, Utah for a couple months, and Missouri for 4 years.

In July of 1992 we moved to Colorado.  We lived in Colorado Springs until 1994, then we moved to the Denver area.  We left Colorado for Utah in 1999.

Colorado Springs was 2 years, and the Denver area was 5.  That makes a total of 7 years in Colorado.

We lived in Utah from 1999 to 2005.  Another 6 year stint.  We were in Provo for 1 year, and Eagle Mountain for the remaining 3.

In June 2005 we moved to Hawaii.  Ewa Beach, Hawaii to be exact.  We have been here ever since.  (Oh, well, except for that bit where I was going back and forth to Utah every few weeks for work, and the kids started school in Utah in 2006.  That didn't last long, and by October we were all back in HI again.) That is six years in one state, in the same town.  That is a tie with El Paso.  Unless I move in the next few months, this will be my personal life-time record.


This recollection only hits the highlights - the big moves.  I'm not sure if my memory holds the details of all the individual addresses I have had over the years.  The most time I have ever lived in anyone house is - I HAVE NO IDEA!  I am trying to remember, and figure out which house we lived in the longest, and I think... but I am not sure .. it was the 3 years we lived in the house we built in Eagle Mountain, UT.  I think.... I could be wrong.  I think we were in the house my parents built in Nebraska for 3 year too, maybe .... I might be missing something.

I am a nomad.  I pull up stakes so often, a tent might be practical. 

So where is home? Is it onlne? I have had the same email address MUCH longer than I have had the same physical address.  Is it where I started, or where I have lived the longest, where I am now, or where I was when the most memorable events of life occurred? Yes, yes to all of these, and no.

When I think of home, I think of all of these places, and it all sort of blends into one.  Home is where I am, where the people I love are.  Home can be anywhere.  Home is my heart.  If you live in my heart, you live in my home.  Home knows no boundaries, has no zip code, and transcends time and space.  Home is Christmas at Grandma's when I was 7 and home is today sitting at the dinner table with family and friends.

Home is a state of mind, and not a location.  Home is where I belong, and that is with the people I love, no matter where they are. Home is the Gospel if Jesus Christ, that is the same wherever my travels have taken me.  Home is my heart.

As much as I long for roots, I think the pull of the next adventure is stronger.  I dread the actual process of moving, while I anxiously await the opportunity to explore.  There is no eminent move looming in the near future.  I don't know what the future holds.  With each move I have been happy and I have been sad.  I love exploring the unknown, unpacking and setting up in a new place.  I love finding the new library, meeting new people, and learning new things.  I dread the packing and getting rid of unnecessary things.  My heart breaks to say good bye to friends and family, and leave a chapter of my life behind.  The bitter and the sweet, every time, time and time again, over and over.  It never gets easy, and it never gets boring.  I am a nomad, but I am not disconnected , rather I string a line, that follows me from place to place, connecting them all together.  Each new move adds a room to my home, the home I keep in my heart.

It's Time for a Meeting

I have a lot of work right now, which is good, cause that means I will have a lot of income coming my way soon.  It is also good because it is important to me to have a purpose.  I need goals to accomplish, deadlines to meet, and stuff to do.  I've got plenty of stuff to do!

Large organizations have regular planning meetings.  They have a yearly plan, a quarterly plan, etc. I think I need to have a planning meeting with myself.  I have so many irons in the fire, the demands are varied, and scattered across the globe. I really need a plan.  I think my organization needs some revamping.  My inbox is out of control.  I can't stand it. I HATE to have anything unread, unfinished, or incomplete at the end of the day.

My task list isn't much better.  There are too many carry overs from days past.  Too many items hanging around down there at the bottom without a due date.  Without a deadline, they are in effect, dead.  They aren't going to get done.   They are just going to hang around down there mocking me, "nah nah nah, your work isn't done, look at us, we are still here waiting for your attention". I could just delete them all, or at leas assign them some due dates.

A clone would be nice.  Another me to do the stuff that I don't want to do, or can't seem to find the time to do. But then that clone would probably have some overly aggressive agenda of her own, and would just make the stupid list twice as long.

That's it, I've had it.  Before I do one more thing I am calling a meeting. Everyone has to be there, the president, treasure, secretary  - oh wait, those are all ME! At least the meeting will be easy to schedule - only one calendar to check.

If you're weary, it may not be from what you're doing. Your weariness could be caused by what you continue to put off doing. ~Ralph Marston

Healthy Competition

My friend, Angie, has started this awesome little contest. It offers motivation to stick to your healthy goals for 2012.  I have decided to join in the fun, and I think you should too!  This contest is for everyone, regardless of location or fitness level.  Your goals are personal - healthy eating, regular exercise, weight loss, good habits - it's up to you.

2012 Commit to it Competition

Angie has really designed this program well.  It is based on a simple points system. Points are earned for sticking to your goals, and making healthy choices.  She has created a simple spreadsheet for tracking your daily progress, and started a FaceBook group to provide conversation and motivation among the group.  So far there are 30 people on board!  There are CASH prizes for extra motivation if you choose to pay a small entry fee ($10).  

Come on over, and join the fun!