Take Five: Procrastination

Work deadlines, thousands of ideas, a mound of laundry and seeds to plant... But why actually accomplish anything when you can procrastinate on the web... My five favorites this week...

1. http://www.halfpricebooks.com/
   Their 20% sale is this weekend, need (okay, WANT) some new cookbooks, a style guide(maybe Chicago) and some really trashy sci fi (yes I have a problem)
   
   
2. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/05/18/100-amazing-free-wordpress-themes-for-2009/
   Just found out that one of my sites does not display properly on IE (no comment) so, I am taking the opportunity to redesign the site... Wordpress is my drug of choice, so this list is putting me over the edge.
   
   
3. http://justsomethingimade.blogspot.com/2009/05/printing-my-blog.html
   Speaking of blogs, I am thinking I need to make a pdf copy of my blog.. just for peace of mind.
   
   
4. http://foldingtrees.com/2008/10/paper-cake-card-box/
   I don't need it, can't think of any use for it, but I am dying to make one.
   
   
5. http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/29/julie-and-julia-gets-a-trailer/
   Just reread the book (for the 5th time) and am planning to try some new recipes from my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol 1... which I bought at Half Price books last month (and the circle is complete)

Commuter Survival: Week 5:18:2009

Sometime ago, while searching for extra time in my schedule, I realized my commute was potentially a gold mine of unused hours. Normally, I spent the time swearing at other drivers and gesturing like a mad woman, but with my IPOD and a never ending supply of Podcasts, my commute is now, all about uninterrupted listening pleasure.

This week's journey is centered around food, including two new books with historical food perspectives.


Watching What We Eat: The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows (from NPR)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104195001

Food of a Younger Land (interview on KUOW)
http://www.kuow.org/program.php?id=17567

Isaac Mizrahi on Splendid Table (5/16/2009)
http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/

Guess where I will be this weekend... the International Food Blogger Conference

In an effort to expand my horizons, seek out joy and find a new career and life that I love, I have begun taking classes, registering for events and seeking out new opportunities.

So far, I have been to book talks, taken a magazine class and attended a sewing workshop. This weekend, I have hit the jackpot, the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle. I stumbled across this on Brown Paper Tickets and could not believe my luck, that is was in Seattle. I didn't think I just signed up and last week when I looked at the agenda, OMG, every event seems better than the last.

The event is sold out, but you can see the agenda and learn more about the event at http://ifbc.foodista.com/. Even more amazing, there will be Live Video Web Cast of the event.

I am just looking forward to absorbing all the info I can, there are going to be some amazing bloggers and writers, all in love with food.

The Master of Time, I am not.

When asked by a college professor, why I did not wear a watch, I told her that I thought time was a man-made construct created for the sake of keeping me down. She stared at me and not missing a beat, told me to get over myself. Harsh, but years later (many, many years later) as I continue to struggle with time and all its rules, I am finally ready to get over myself.

My constant struggle with time has made me weary while my many experiences with time have made me wise. All leading to the inevitable conclusion, that when it comes to time, you can either be its master, or its bitch. Harsh, but the fact is that the truth often sounds harsh when you have been in denial for years.

Over the years time has taught me the following lessons and now I am ready to put them into practice:

1. There is a reason; there is not enough time to do everything. Because if you are trying to do everything, you need to stop…now!
2. If you do not make time for the things that are important to you, than whose fault is that?
3. If you have time to worry about something, you have time to do something about it.
4. When it feels like time is fighting against you, consistency can be your greatest ally.
5. Watches and calendars are just tools, their usefulness or lack there of, are totally the responsibility of the user.
6. Lying about your age does not make you younger, it makes you a liar.
7. Your time is extremely valuable, so assign it a $ amount and spend it accordingly.
8. When it comes to navigating your time, let your priorities and goals be your guide.
9. Everyone has a 24 hour day, it is not the amount of time, but how you use it that matters.
10. Children and animals know more about the proper usage of time than just about every adult on the planet.