Great quote

From a new colleague:

"Most of my life is mind-blowing dumbness mixed with brief moments of genius..."

I hear 'ya buddy.

Sammy's new collar

We are trying something new here at 806 Carpenter. We have a new cat door. And with the parade of varmints that have entered my apartment since I moved in (various cats, a curious squirrel and one very stubborn opossum), I opted for the lockable variety with a magnet-activated latch to let in only the black and white, long haired, feline kinds of pets. Tonight was it's debut, including the new collar Sammy now needs to sport to activate said magnetic latch. He's a bit iffy about the door but has tried, at the very least, to exit. Coming back in is not going so well.

Anyway, when I got back from a short errand tonight I called Sammy (and Jak, like I usually do when I get home) and I heard the telltale bell of Sammy's collar...plus an additional noise, a new sort of metallic dragging noise. Around the corner comes Sammy, with my dinner spoon, attached to his collar.

Apparently the magnet is not very discriminating.

No photos, unfortunately as I was laughing too hard and Sammy hates cameras. And I couldn't bear to see what kind of racket he'd make as I tried to get a shot of it.

Vision and Mission

I'm just coming off a weekend retreat for Do Good Consulting, (my sister's firm that consults for non-profits) where we spent heavy time working on things like mission and vision statements. It occurred to me, during this time, that my life changed rather radically recently and although I moved--with seeming purpose--to Chicago, I have felt somewhat directionless for awhile now. With new people and new experiences lately, I realized it was as good a time as any to come up with a personal vision (and mission) statement.

So, my new vision is this: stability while maintaining my independence. Stability both financially (which is what I was originally thinking) but also emotionally (since I often doubt my abilities). My mission, then, is to starting to network here in Chi for solid work in the place I now live, perhaps think about therapy to address some negative attitudes, while not caving into a full time gig for either (financial or emotional stability). I want to move toward more confidence in myself, which is why I want to learn some new things, too:

1. Crocheting. I want to re-learn how to crochet. I was taught last year, during the holidays by my aunt, but have since forgotten. I'm going to start crocheting with her, now that I live here again, once a week (or every two) in December. So, we're off!

2. Chess. I learned this, a long time ago, with Dave but he would kick my ass so quickly that I never really got it, or liked it. So I have a friend here who also wants to learn and I'm going to learn to kick his ass.

3. Tennis. Haven't played since I was a teen, at best, but Julie Jones introduced me to it a couple of weeks ago and I absolutely loved it. I am signing up for lessons starting in January. With Julie, hopefully.

4. Motorcycle riding. Tracy and I have always wanted to learn, I have a helmet and the motivation. So in the spring, we are taking lessons here in Chicago. Yeehaw.

5. Web design and programming. This is something that came out of the retreat--Do Good needs it, and it would make me more valuable in my industry. I need to learn, have for awhile, but the time is now. Looking for classes.

6. Journaling. Well, I ought to write more on my blog. So here I am.

It's my vision for the year, not necessarily life. I just need to have some direction for myself for awhile. I'm documenting this so that in a year I can re-read all this and see where I'm at. And 6 new challenges--I think this is enough for the time being.

Check back to see how I'm doing.

How to Make Smoke in Photoshop

A handy trick: How to Make Smoke in Photoshop