Drop #28: Volunteer/Intern in my Field

     I am very close to completing this drop.
 
     I have actually had offers to do both of these, I just have been so busy that I lost track of the intern one. I have to call them soon just to give them a heads up that I am available whenever they need me. The other one- the volunteer position- man it's taking forever to finish! It's a position with a psychiatrist at a hospital, and the volunteer office has a million things that need to be done before you can start. It's been about 1 1/2 months now, and hopefully when I call Friday, I will get the go-ahead. Volunteer-office lady takes her job very seriously.

     Sooooo.... Hopefully, when I update this again next week, the title will read Complete- Drop #28: Volunteer/Intern in my Field... (?)

Drop # 13: Have a Successful Garden

      Ah, yes. Finally. It's officially spring! You wouldn't know it, though... There's still piles of snow laying about where it had been plowed off the roads. And oh, yeah.... We're supposed to be getting some snow later tonight! Geez Louise it's nearly April! Regardless, the other day it really did feel like spring... And thus, my mind wandered off to the garden I hope to create. Hopefully if it's nice enough this weekend and if I have the time (which, as the pattern has been going, it's unlikely) I can observe where the sun falls best, rake out the spot, and prepare the compost I started last year for incorporation into some raised garden boxes.

     I really would like a large garden, but time and again I am reading that this is the worst way to begin gardening. I can see how that makes sense, and have to agree that jumping in to a large garden will most likely be an instant turn off and motivation killer. Yet, I can't help but to think back to my childhood, when my father grew a large garden (at least, I think it was large. Perhaps if I viewed it now it would be much smaller than I remember). But, for now, I will do my best to start out small and simple, perhaps with a seperate, window herb garden, and a few plants in clay pots or whatnot as well. So, as of right now, this is what I hope to grow:

Garden:
-Romaine Lettuce
-Tomatoes
-Cucumbers
-Scallions
-Peas (?)
-Cabbage (?)

In a Pot:
-Lemongrass
-Serrano Peppers

Window Herbs:
-Flat Leaf Parsley
-Regular Basil
-Thai Basil
-Cilantro
-Several Varieties of Vietnamese Herbs (It sounds as if all I have to do is buy some at the market and let them grow some roots to get these started, then I can utilize them as hanging plants on the porch)

     I don't feel as if this list is too extensive, as the only plants that are going to need a good deal of upkeep are the ones in the garden. As far as I can tell thus far, the window herbs and potted plants most likely just need watering daily or so. I'm hoping this will be a success. I think I can handle it :-). Will keep this updated, and pics to come as soon as this is well underway.

Drop #33: Jump off a Cliff into Water




Cliffs on Block Island... Obviously I will not be jumping off of these!

 
     This drop is pretty lame.

     I think the main reason why I chose to put this in my bucket list is because I've chickened out of it before (or, more so, I wasn't properly dressed for it). Summer is right around the corner, so the opportunity should present itself sometime soon. I would love to get this over with and cross it off my list.

    I remember a few summers ago, my husband and I met up with some of his friends to do this. We had to walk through some woods, but as soon as we got to the wide opening, there were just cliffs surrounding a large pond. I didn't have my bathing suit but even if I did, I can't say that I would have jumped. The cliffs were probably a good 20 to 30 feet high or higher, although you could easily find a ledge at almost any height in between.

    My fear most likely lies in the unknown; what if I hit the ledge on the way down? Is there something on the bottom I can hit? What if I can't get to the top fast enough because I sunk so deep? I think these are valid questions. Yet, I also need to remember to take some risk in life. I mean, jeez. I don't do much risk-taking. Anyways, my point is that I hope to polish this drop off this summer. Now only if I can work on looking decent in a bathing suit...

Update: Drops 26, 27 and 39

     My Facebook Sabbatical thus far has been a success. Granted, it's only been about five days, but hey- I can only make the days go by so fast! Plus, I have to post either today or tomorrow to show progress on drop 39. I have to say, though, I am really very much so enjoying my sabbatical. How nice it is not to have to pay attention to everybody's sob stories and excuses for not living for the day! I know what you may be thinking, perhaps... Nobody makes you partake in all of the drama that is the world of social media. Well, of course not. Hence the Sabbatical. But, really, just by logging on and going down the 'newsfeed', glancing at what's on the mind of various friends and acquaintances both old and new, I am convinced that whether it is known or not, it does have an effect on your daily do-ings (if you will...). The very first day, I just felt such positive-ness, almost (it felt like) in the form of a sense of relief. I still occasionally feel like logging on, yes. But I am convinced that the longer I continue on my Sabbatical the better I will feel, the more positive I will be, and I don't know that I will even bother with it again. Don't quote me at this point, though :-).

     As far as my organization and an attempt at becoming a neat freak... I am trying. I think this is something that may take a long time to adjust to. I am taking it slow, and have started out with my wallet/purse. I am trying to keep all things that belong in a wallet actually in the wallet rather than pockets, floating in huge purse, etc. It's kind of floundering right now; it has its ups and downs. On a related note, I took my spring break to do the typical clean out the living space routine. My question is... Is it really supposed to stay as neat as when I cleaned it? It's amazing how little effort it takes to really mess this place up. What am I supposed to do, run around with paper towels and disinfectant everywhere?

     And, although the house is currently clean, the basement has flooded from all the melting snow. It's only about three inches, really, but now damp basement smell is coming up into the house. Yuck.

Update: Drop #27: Wean Myself from Social Media

Facebook Sabbatical

     Let's be honest; this weaning thing just isn't going to work. I think there's a good argument in support of technology as an addiction. It's amazing how many times I see people checking thier phones just to see if there's anything to respond to.

     I was listening to NPR on my way home from work one night (yes, I do partake in National Public Radio... I'm a bit of a loser hehe). The guest, an expert on something or another pertaining to this issue- I can find the source if anybody's interested in learning more- was talking about just this topic. Basically, his concept of why people cannot wean themselves from social media or technology may be explainable partially due to our innate desire to not be bored. That is, every time we go to check these things, a little shot of adreneline rushes to our head from the prospect of something special being there, waiting for us to read it. Usually, yes, it ends up being junkmail. However, the prospect that we'll get a message from an old friend, perhaps, or even something announcing good news or fortune. Therefore, when we pick up that device, we are searching for that rush of adrenaline to relieve the boredom. Yes, I can see how this makes sense. I wouldn't attach my name to this theory just yet, but it's plausable.

     So, I have decided that there's no weaning off of social media; I just have to give it up. So, I'm going on a Facebook Sabbatical. This Sabbatical is going to last me anywhere from two months to a year. No Facebook. It's coming off my phone also. With help from others, I have come to the conclusion that although social media is a great virtual 'phonebook' so that you can easily contact someone when needed, it's a horrible communication tool. While it promotes openness of ideas, concepts, and a freedom to share your voice, it does so with undertones of ignorance, hate, and misunderstanding. How easy is it to say things to somebody you would never say to thier face on 'face'book? It's very easy, of course. How many hours does the average person spend a day on social media and the likes? Spring's coming, anyways, and I wanted to start a garden...

     Anyways, starting tomorrow (ironically, Facebook's self-proclaimed 'Day of Peace') I'm done for a while. Ideally, I hope this Sabbatical allows me to take some time to clear my mind and rid myself of the evil-ness that can occur as a result of text-on-a-bright-screen. When it ends, I would hope that the ultimate result would be a minimal relationship with social media, if a relationship at all. So, I might be updating this a lot more now... either out of boredom or accomplishment... Hopefully it's the latter!