Why routine is important

I recently lost my keycard for work. I have absolutely no earthly idea where it is. My best guesses? Somewhere in the library or the city dump. Luckily, I can get a new one for $5 and no one really cares. But still, it's embarrassing.

Why did I lose my key? Because I didn't follow my routine. I didn't put it back in the exact same place that I always put it and now it's gone forever.

I've always had fairly strict routines in my life, doing certain things in a certain order and following a pattern. We all do it, but I think sometimes that I take it a little far. I can remember being 5 or 6 years old and having a routine that I set for myself for getting ready for bed. Even at work, I follow a very careful routine with each job I start. I always thought I was kind of weird, but now I realize that it's actually a fairly essential survival skill that I've developed.

The fact of the matter is that I'm an extremely disorganized person, no matter how much I'd like to pretend I'm not. So the only semblance of organization I can get into my life is a routine by which I can keep track of what I'm doing and where I'm putting things. Without that, all is lost. I find a remote control in the bathroom or the keys under the cat (both of which have actually happened).

And now that I'm killing myself in school, my routines are even more important. For example, earlier this summer when I was getting ready in the morning, something threw me off my routine and I got all discombobulated. By the time I got to school (for my 7-hour class), I realized I had forgotten to brush my teeth! Who does that? I mean, seriously, what grown, responsible adult forgets to brush their teeth.

Me, apparently.

So to keep from losing anything else or completely disregarding my personal hygiene, I'm embracing my love of routine. It's a crutch I can lean on.

The eternal hunt for motivation

I am afflicted with a horrible disease: laziness.

My body, when at rest, tends to stay at rest. Which is a huge problem. Exercise and physical activity aside, I just tend to not do things. This morning I wasted a good five hours of time that I could have spent being productive.

Granted, I wasn't sitting around watching TV; I was sitting around reading. (However, due the the questionable intellectual value of the book--though funny--it doesn't actually qualify as time well spent.) But I should have been dusting or vacuuming or washing dishes or anything other than what I was doing.

And it seems like the less I have to do, the less I want to do. Back when I was struggling to get everything done for class and work and take care of my husband, I had all sorts of things I wanted to do and spent every minute of my day trying to fit in my to-do list. Now that I have some extra time on my hands, I have no drive. My laziness overtakes my soul.

Unfortunately, one of the symptoms of laziness is procrastination. So while there are at least 100 things I know I should do, I don't do them. For example, last week I was all proud of myself for closing my personal bank account. Yeah, be real proud there, lazy ass, because it only took you TWO YEARS.

After I wasted my morning, I thought, "How am I ever going to be able to have kids? I can't even get my act together when it's just the two of us." I made myself feel better by telling myself that I'm just banking my lazy hours now so that when I can't be lazy years from now, I'll feel better about it. (Hey, don't judge, it made me feel better, even if it is completely crazy.)

So for now, I'm going to try to find the cure for laziness: motivation. I'm sure it's in my house somewhere. Maybe if I clean up a little I'll find it.

Or I could finish my book...

Things that make me question your sanity

Sometimes the amount of idiocy in this town is overwhelming. Today it came to a head.

WARNING: Extreming venting follows.

Here is a brief list of behaviors that make me question your sanity. I have witnessed all in the last week. Please stop.

• Walking barefoot in downtown Bloomington in the middle of the day while carrying a pair of shoes.
• Making a left turn while your right turn signal is still blinking.
• Standing on a street corner letting your dog bark at/lunge at passers-by.
• Taking the screen off of your sliding back door and propping it up in your front door.
• Trying to return an opened tube of toothpaste to Target.
• Wearing a "romper" that you bought in the junior's department to work at the age of 28.
• Pulling up to a drive-up window, putting your car in park, getting out of the car and walking up to the window (seriously?).
•  Putting real flowers in that stupid vase in your VW Bug (maybe not insanity, but definitely poor taste).
• Trying to put the bumper of your car (which fell off after an accident) in your trunk. Hint: THE BUMPER IS BIGGER THAN YOUR TRUNK!

That's just a snippet, but it feels good to get that off my chest.

Summer has arrived

I don't know why, but it seems like every year we go straight from winter to summer with no decent spring. Either that or I just don't like spring and refuse to admit its presence (which actually seems more likely).

This weekend it became pretty apparent that summer is here, complete with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. On Friday I had(?) to stop at Oliver Winery and had to suppress some serious envy over their gardens. I've always had a black thumb, so seeing flowers in bloom makes me thoroughly appreciative that there are people in the world who are good at it.

I was even finally forced to pull some shorts out of my drawer this morning so we could take Penny Lane to the park. It was then that I realize how alarmingly pale I am. We're talking one shade above transparent over here. But I'm hoping a combination of some sun time and some self tanner will help rectify the situation. Plus, given how much Penny enjoyed the sun, it looks like the shorts are out to stay.

While we were at Bryan Park, we came across a mulberry tree near the tennis courts. The fruit is beginning to ripen and fall, staining the path a deep purple. Again, summer has arrived...

New recipes

I tried out a couple of new recipes tonight, and they were both delicious. So I thought I'd share.

First up, for dinner: Tilapia and Quinoa with Cucumbers and Feta from Everyday Food.

It was absolutely delicious. I haven't been a big fan of quinoa so far (I've tried a few recipes that all ended up mushy), but this definitely changed my mind. It was the perfect summer meal. Light and healthy.

Then I made Fast Raspberry Scones to take to my class tomorrow morning.

Who doesn't love the taste of a fresh raspberry? It's one of those summer flavors that I love to miss. There's something about that sweet-tart flavor and the crunch of the tiny seeds that screams sunshine, something that can only be enjoyed during the hot, humid days of Indiana's summer.

Here's a start

I've started this blog as a way to remind myself about the simple joys in life. Expect to hear about my adventures in cooking, (failed) attempts at crafting, my nerdy love of books and whatever else brings me a little joy.