Seattle = dog, Portland = cat*

Seattle, 2013.

Unexpected stop in Spokane due to thick fog in Seattle. Duh.

4 Days, 3 Nights, Airbnb studio apartment in Capital Hill.

Some seafood, some tea, lots of coffee, a bit of beer, tastes of wine.

Played Battleship and Heads-Up.

Walked up and down hills and hiked around parks and piers.

Arguably more homeless than Chicago. One drunkard was looking for a "man to love" him. (record scratch)

Slept about 9 hours/night. 

Saw fish tossed at the market. Took a ferry to Bainbridge Island. Rode the monorail. Took in some open-mic comedy. 

Fire roasted bagels. Russian sauerkraut pastries. Mussels and clams. Rumbles are like scrambles. Fish tacos. Homemade potato chips. Local vegetarian pot pie. 

Drove 2 hours to Ellensburg to meet my great aunt and uncle for the second time and my dad's cousin and her husband for the first time. 

Family is great!

Volunteer Park

Water supply

Chia cow outside of a shop that sells locally sourced prepared food in refundable containers

Remedy Teas

Seattle Coffee Works

Bedlam Coffee

Boat to Bainbridge

Stopped along the Pass to Ellensburg.

Seeing sun for the first time in days.

Meeting family for the first time.

*A review I read that compared the two cities said that Seattle is the "dog-person" city while Portland is the "cat-person" city. I'm so glad we chose the one we did! And we saw a lot of dogs! They are allowed in every shop, mall, public place you can imagine!

Proper Attire Required

Last night I took a Black Car (via Uber!) for the first time. I was headed downtown to The Aviary to have some posh drinks with people I didn't know, crashing a party I had no business attending.

The cabbie driver remarked civily when a cabbie cut him off and I said:

"Between the cab drivers and NPR being on their pledge drive, I bet you aren't having much fun."

He laughed. I laughed. We arrived. He opened the door. I got out looking confidently confused in black tights and high-waist-ed shorts (What character was I playing? Maybe a chic hipster who wears the same designer shorts year round and only adds/removes layers.) I joined an already cramped, already drunk group around an array of special drinks with special equipment to boot.

I got The Luau which is ginny-liquor over frozen dippin-dots made from green tea.

And the Ford's Model Tea which is a booze medley served in a tea cup next to a clear glass pot of bergamot on dry ice. The pot being "not for drinking, just for aromatics."

They took the pot of dry ice away from our boisterous table (as well as a tall North American reed from another person's drink), others took the check, I took a seat in another black car and arrived home to a very normal, yellow-cab-n-cubed-ice life feeling very silly in my black shorts... and very fun!

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Swearing in Front of Mother Teresa and Pants-ing the Pope

What a RICH weekend. It was so full of wonderful things!

I've told you before that I grew up in a small town in Indiana and lost someone special to me as a teenager. My parents moved from my childhood home to Southern Indiana when I graduated college. My younger brother went with them. I had rarely returned to my hometown, but now my brother is back living there. This past weekend we returned just in time for a real, Midwestern fall.

My brother invited the Mr. and me to come to an outdoor party/concert/camp-out. We are choc-full-a activities from here until November, but this was the first invitation my brother extended so we didn't want to miss the opportunity. We first had lunch with my Grammy a few towns over, laughed at the stupidest things and then headed to Small Town, Indiana.

Does anyone else ever return to their hometown and it almost feels dreamlike? I feel that way. I recognize things and it seems real, but it's all totally different. Like I'm trying to remember my childhood after a head trauma.

My amnesia faded in and out as we drove through the heart of town. "The post office hasn't changed." "There used to be a coffee shop there." I'd remembered turns right as we were upon them. Thankfully, the Mr. had a good reaction time and was patient with my sporadic, "turn left NOW" commands.

We turned into my brother's drive knowing that the house he lives in was once inhabited by my high school boyfriend's parents. After the accident. My boyfriend never lived there, but I did stay the night there once to house sit and watch their dogs. It was surreal to walk back into the house with different furniture, different dogs.

My brother then took us to the shop where he works as a landscaper. I'd never seen where he works and the building was pretty new. It was so well put together and clean - especially for a group of guys who get dirty for a living! I'm so proud of him!

As we were leaving I noticed two crosses in the ditch and sputtered out half of a question before stopping myself. I hadn't recognized the intersection because the landscaping office was new to the corner. I also hadn't been back to the site of the accident in probably 8 years. One cross was original and the other was new and decorated with a pen and ever increasing signatures, but both to the same end.

We talked about the striking coincidence of it all without lumps in our throats. My brother is living and working where tough memories were stale and visceral, like fish fry garbage. He said he had unsettling dreams about it, but that they have stopped now. I hope he's been able to rewrite those areas with his own happy life. That the wood and paint in both places are just architecture.

The Mr. and I had so much fun this past weekend. It was our first time camping together in a tent. We listened to music by a high school friend. We had pulled pork around a campfire, breakfast links in a bay window, and pizza in a pub (Maddy, it was my first time at the Barbie hotel!). We hugged our host and hostess, thanking them for the 10th time. We hugged my brother a little tighter and longer than our welcome hug.

A while ago, the Mr. and I helped a coworker of my brother's who was given a raw deal. That coworker is doing a lot better now. We got to meet his whole family at this camp-out - in-laws, children, the works! They were all so kind and appreciative. Everyone was. Most of them are self-proclaimed red-necks who would swear in front of Mother Teresa and pants the Pope, but my brother has a good group of people around him and I'm thankful he's got "family" close.

Stephen Fry Hates Florida, Q & A

I saw this quiz on a girl's blog. Since this is "Answer The Unasked" I'm going to answer questions that weren't asked of me.

The blogger of origin is an entertaining writer but we have 0% in common:

She's single and always minglin'; I am married and always looking for ways to do less socially.
She's lite beer and fireball shots; I'm craft beer and go to bed before 10 (fireball shots must happen after 10, because I don't see them).
She's from Florida; I'm a yankee who thinks Florida is a swamp-dungeon-o-trailer-doom.

Recognize this awesome dude from Top Gear? He toured America and speaks my mind, people! The whole series is on Netflix! Go watch instead of reading this boring post!

So some of these either/or questions will be lost on me.  Let's see how out of touch I am!


iPhone or Droid: I have an iPhone but am intrigued by the Windows phone. My Mr. is super techy and thinks the iPhone is on it's way out. I think he may be right. But I'm legally required to stand beside him in his defection.

NSYNC or Backstreet Boys: Man, lady, guitar, bass, cello... triangle. That's music. A bunch of boys with headsets and no instruments? That's - at best - a talent show.

Being forced to delete Facebook or being forced to delete Twitter: Facebook. If my Grandmother wasn't on FB and I needed it for work, it'd be gone. I could live without both, however.

Fireball or Miller Lite: Nothing lower on the menu than a Red Stripe. It's like a right of passage. Call me pretentious, but I think you grow up, get a 401k, upwardlly change jobs a few times and write off domestic beer that indicates calorie/color/body with the letter L-I-T-E. Bing, bang, boom.

Full House or Family Matters: Family Matters. Its the least of the two evils as I can't handle looking at Danny Tanner now that I've seen his stand-up and if I hear "how rude" one more time...

Dumbledore or Gandalf: Dumbledore 1.0., because Richard Harris is the sh!t.

Dying Easter eggs or Carving pumpkins: I did both of these handicraps a few years ago for the last time. I'm an all-season Grinch when it comes to crafting. I'll gladly drink spiked cider at your fall carving party or a mimosa at your egg party and fumble my way through poking holes in everything. Because, tis the season.

NFL or NCAAF: NPR*

A hangover forever or sobriety forever: The latter. I actually think about this all the time.

January or July: July, because I live Canada-adjacent and January is just the beginning of seasonal depression and 'the-city-doesn't-have-enough-money-in-the-budget-to-properly-plow-the-roads-so-go-get-yourself-some-four-wheel-drive, Chicago'!

Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus: I can't hear you through this foam finger.

Shark Week or Fashion Week: Both. Yay! Something I don't hate! Although I don't follow either of them, so maybe that's why I like them.

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or Saved by the Bell: Fresh Prince. Geeze. Maybe my choice of 90's TV shows is indicative of me listening to too much NPR.**

Britney or Christina: Christina. I think she got her life back on track quicker and that shows maturity. I also thought she was way more talented. But no, I'd never buy either of their music.

Burrito or Burrito Bowl: Bowl. Cause forks are for people who care about the shirt they're wearing.

Reading blogs on your phone or reading blogs on your computer:  Computer.

Angelina or Jennifer: Team Everyone Get a Grip On Their Own Lives And Butt Out Already.

Doug Funny or The Rugrats: Thank God I didn't have cable growing up.

An open mouth chewer or a heavy breather: I've been told I'm the latter, so I chose that. I've tried to will people to chew with their mouths closed before by staring at them without blinking. It just makes it worse because they start talking with their mouths full to ask me why I'm staring.


Now you!

--
*I'm an asshole. I see this now.
** Have you heard of their program called Code Switch? It's all about race in America. Maybe my White Guilt is picking the programming.

Andersonville

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The Mr. and I are trying to make a point to go out to eat more. Rather, to date more. I usually like cooking at home but have not found joy in it lately. We also get so bogged down in the usual evening routine (walk dog, feed animals, walk dog, make dinner, work, watch the news, walk dog, clean up dishes/floors/laundry, bed) that we sorta don't connect with each other. 

So last night, I returned to Andersonville with said Mr. 

I was there on Tuesday buying art (see Instagram feed) and pastries. I thought it was so cute and we'd both been interested in returning to that fun little neighborhood (some say it's Uptown, some say it's Andersonville) ever since we attended a going away party at Hopleaf*. 

So we did the trek in afternoon traffic to Big Jones. I had the shrimp and grits and Mr. had the salmon. I usually don't go for shrimp because of the "vein", but trusted this place to clean them properly. They did and I had a great, cheesy dinner. We both enjoyed cocktails. I'd recommend the Mr.'s drink to anyone. It had chamomile infused gin in it! (Not on the online menu.) 

We were the sole patrons on their outdoor patio until another couple, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, joined us. They were given complimentary glasses of champagne but chose to give them to us as they weren't drinkers. So... cheers!

Next date night will be at Atlas.

--
*I just now see that they have a 'no-kids' policy. Must remember that one for the next time I want to guarantee a baby-free date!

Remember This Thing?

I "gave up" my 26th birthday last year for charity:water. They've pooled (haha!, get it... pool?) our money to help build a well and educate a village on public health in Nepal! 

A big thanks to those who helped us reach our goal. THANK YOU :)

Now, who wants to go visit our well?

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

But can't win either, 'cause I'm no racer.

But I did have a pretty good time and made pretty good time at last weekend's Race to Wrigley.

And deeeeeen, I had a giant mimosa and passed out for 2 hours.

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday!

I take it back

What I want for my birthday is to have drinks with these 4 dudes.

Tipsy Tuesday: I Like to Name-it, Name-it

Our local wine club is holding a naming contest for it's next Rosé wine. All I can think about are pink-related names.

I'm considering submitting them anonymously because I am:

a) not trying to get black listed from future events for my weirdness
b) the last few times I gave creative input to someone they ditched my ideas and came up with their own, so what's the point?

Because I'm 49% proud of myself, 49% shameless and 2% milk, here are my suggestions:

Inspector Jacques Chambroucin

William Holden Me Back

Shave Your Legs

Good Pink Wenceslaus

The Blushing Bastard

Bohemian Rose City

Penny Marshall Lang

**Update**

Maybe the makers of this wine would like some of my cheeky names!

Seen here first, from here.

Traveling is Hard, There is Such a Thing as Too Much Pink and other first world problems.

As aforementioned, we were in Massachusetts this past weekend (roughly 4 days). For fun and to not require too much reading or writing out of all of us on a Monday, I'll give you advice alongside my vacation photos. 

Photo: At O'Hare after getting up much earlier than normal.

Advice: You may not be able to control your wake-up call, but you can control your attitude about it. You can also control your husband's attitude about it - if you are sickeningly sweet to him and sing songs about vowels (A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Yyyyy!) he's bound to perk up or at least go cross-eyed for the camera.

Photo: One of two dollhouses in the house we rented.

Advice: Beggars can't be choosers. If you are staying in a house for free, you cannot get mad about staying in a child's room that has more pink than the inside of a shark's mouth (and somehow gives you a corresponding feeling). 'Twas the kinda pink (ceilings, carpets, walls, dollhouses) that gives everything in it an unnatural hue. 

Photo: Berkshires- A river/creek runs through them.

Advice: Soak it in. The quiet is so pure. No wonder celebrities who have mentally cracked go here to rein in the crazy.

Photo: Short-horn cattle

Advice: If you approach them, the cattle may bolt. Act like this was your intention and blame it on the Amish cattle being camera-shy.

Photo: Me in front of Mt. Greylock after my own celebrity break-down. 

Advice: Sometimes (all-the-time) on trips I get grumpy/irritable/sad/overwhelmed/crazy/sick-in-the-digestive-system about 2 or 3 days in. I think it has something to do with how inefficient my digestive system is, being a middle child, and being a woman from a family of awesome people who have achieved greatness (degrees out the wazoo from places like Yale, MIT and Princeton and brilliance to match, for instance). It's a weird combo, but competition and constipation get the best of me.

After 2.5 days of 21 adults, 4 children under the age of 6, and 2 nights in the pink room of perpetual shark sorrow, I broke. The Mr. took me on a walk and let me whine and cry it out. Such a good Mr. he is. My advice for you, if you get sorta overwhelmed, is to take a break by yourself or with someone you trust and get away from your get-a-way. 

I read a book that my Grammy loaned me for a few hours and sat down to talk the stock market with a smart-but-approachable uncle of mine for an hour. I felt both smarter and validated for it.

Photo: Walk/hike in the mountains.

Advice: Get some fresh air and physical activity while on vacation. Burning some calories and doing it with a group can be a bonding and uplifting experience.

Photo: Albany airport. Flight delayed (a total of 4 hours). 2 expensive glasses of wine.

Advice: Just like the beginning of this trip, one should be reminded that travel is not easy and to expect bumps in the road. We were patient and calm and tried to make the best of it. We decided that our expensive glasses of wine were worth the potential calming effect they could offer. They also helped lubricate the letter we are sending to break it off with United and hopefully get some sweet alimony in the divorce. (United = the worst. Officially. They have stranded us too many times.)

Photo: Wine shipment from August Hill Winery.

Advice: Have a wine company ship you wine. Seriously, it just come right to ya and when you get home from a trip it's waiting for you, with open arms. 

Do you have any weird problems with travel? Do any of you ever feel like you need a vacation from your vacation?

What We Can Learn from Wine: The Economy

According to this article in The Atlantic, the market for fine wine is taking a downward turn just like the world economy.

The article sites the Chinese as being a gauge for economic and consumer trends. China has been on the upswing for wine consumption, namely French varieties and status labels. As my cousin Mary Oakley would say, the Chinese are buying up wine in exhibition of "face". They choose traditionally expensive wines from France and buy from major suppliers with well-known, expensive products. This gives them the insurance of getting a great wine all-the-while impressing those that come to dinner or just see the bottle sitting on the shelf. Like having an impractical car in the garage.

While Mr. S and I were in Napa, we learned that the Asian cultures are much more into wine now than they used to be. Some of the wineries had large export markets going right to Japan and China. They claimed that Asian cultures were getting into wine they way a teenager would - breaking into their affluent parent's wine cellar and taking the fanciest bottle (my words, not theirs). Since France is known for wine, French wines are the equivalent of a bright pink bottle with rhinestones and a blinking cork.

BUT. Relatively recent inclusion of California wines into European tastes tests prove that American wines can be just as impressive as (and in some cases, more so than) their French grandparents.

Now, this article only mentioned that the Chinese weren't buying as much French Bordeaux as they used to, and that they are branching out to other regional, French wines. Is the article leaving out American wines to make a point on the instability of wine sales? Are the Chinese just not as hot on American wines...  yet? Or am I just overly patriotic of our wines and therefore should support the wine industry and buy local :)

Purple Toad from Paducah, KY. I got this wine from my parents when they visited Paducah. 

A plug for buying local: Wine is traditionally stored and shipped in heavy glass bottles. It takes more oil and resources to ship wine from Australia or Chile than it does from California. And if you live in the Midwest, it takes more oil to ship from California than it does from Illinois. Support your local economy, U.S. regulated working conditions, lower carbon emissions, and lower fuel usage by buying local.

Let the Personal Integration Begin!

Dear Diary,

If I am going to integrate my blogs and only have one of them on which to dump my brain, you'll have to be prepared for posts like this - 

1) Coffee on the porch this past weekend at 7 AM, before the day got really hot. I'm reading my kindle touch. It was a birthday present. And the coffee is decaf french press. Decaf because that's what I have and honestly I don't drink as much caffeine as I used to. It's nice to know I am not dependent on it.
(Advice: Break habits or addictions when you can. Prove to yourself you are flexible.)
Beverage Pairing: Coffee, decaf.

2) Pasta salad (made by me) on a bed of organic spinach (grown by the neighbors - thanks Bob and Josie!). Their little daughter brought it up to me to share. I asked her if she like spinach and she said no. I assumed I'm getting her 2nd choice, but I'm not mad.
(Advice: Eat your greens. Or eat someone else's greens.)
Bev Pair: Green juice, like Naked's Green Machine.

3) I wore a fishtail braid yesterday. This is my first time wearing one and doing it myself!
(Advice: Get out of your hair rut by trying a new style before you cut it all off.)
Bev Pair: Water. Hydrate and your hair and skin will thank you.

4) I went to Home Depot yesterday to get some plant supplies. I love their garden section. It feels like a cheap thrill to walk around in the pallets of pansies. I texted a bit with my brother who is a landscape expert to get some free advice :) I bought:
- spikes and twine to hold up my tomato plants
- pots to re-pot a hosta
- marigolds to ward off bugs from my other plants (the poor massacred lettuce!)
- a succulent for my desk at work
(Advice: Take time to stop and smell the roses. Even if they are Home Depot roses.)
Bev Pair: Lemonade. I saw a lemon tree at the Home Deep and wanted to buy it badly. 

5) I wore a suit today (am still wearing it) because it was our company's annual meeting. Yes, the suit is cream. I feel like I'm in a 70's movie or I'm Chloe Sevigny.
(Advice: Always dress over the occasion slightly if you are are unaware of the protocol.)
Bev Pair: White wine. Don't you dare spill on that lovely white suit!

all pics are mine except this one.

Get ready for more integration, Diary.

When in Doubt, Say Thank You

Let me first of all thank you all for visiting my blog on Tuesday. This past Tipsy Tuesday was an overwhelming success with high pageviews and high commenting (for me, anyway). So, thank you!

It's nice to be thanked. Its nice to have something given to you or done for you that is worthy of a "thank you".

So if someone give you a compliment, say thank you. Don't refute them with "Oh, this old thing?" or "I'm worried it's too salty."

If someone gives you a gift, say thank you. Not "It's not my size/color/taste".

If a stranger holds the door for a line of their friends and then you happen to squeak in at the back, don't fumble back and forth on who should walk through first. Don't waste their time, just keep walking and say thank you. (Or hang back so there isn't that awkward moment of indecision.)

If someone wishes you a happy weekend, don't get into a drawn out explanation about why it's not happy. These sorts of valedictions are usually indicative of the end of a conversation. Say thank you and throw a "same to you" on the end if you're feeling spritely.

And one more thing. Stop apologizing so much. If you didn't do anything wrong ("sorry you have a head cold" "sorry I coughed into the phone" "sorry I ordered the salmon"), then don't apologize for it. Your apologies lose their oomph if you wear them around like stick-on mustache.

THANK YOU

I'm not sorry :)

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Tonight I am running a 3.5 mile race with some teammates from my company. It's nearly 90 degrees in Chi-town today, so after the race we'll have some sandwiches and cold beer (and water, of course!). I'm looking forward to the team building!

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Flip-It Friday: A or B

Let's take this Friday really easy. I'll do my part by only making you choose between two choices: A or B.

A. Pink

B. Purple

I did a hot pink on my toenails and a lavender on my fingernails.

A. Tea and Downton

B. Red Bull and Hunger Games

I chose A. I don't like energy drinks (did you know a girl died from them!!) and am not into pop-lit or its subsequent films.

A. Tea and Red Velvet Cheesecake

B. Coffee and Red Velvet Cupcake.

I chose A. The tea is green and the cheesecake is red. I couldn't even eat it all!

A. Choose not to post a photo where your eyes appear glazed and droopy (allergies?).

B. Post that photo, despite how you look, cause it's your birthday and this is just how you LOOK.

I chose B. Unfounded confidence. Hey mom! Notice the birthday scarf? To keep my neck warm!?

A. Don't tell anyone it's your birthday and expect everyone to leave you alone.

B. Tell everyone it's your birthday and expect them to hand you the world on a string.

C. Don't tell anyone it's your birthday and expect them to hand you the world on a string anyway.

D. Don't tell anyone it's your birthday. Hope few good things happen. Try not to expect the world on a string. Be pleasantly surprised with surprises. Practice "Happy Birthday Week" instead of just one day.

D.

Thanks to my friends who knew and congratulated, sent SomeEcards, text and emailed. Thanks to my husband who enlisted the neighbors to make it special while he was away and told me to TreatYoSelf! after he got a Chase Bank alert that I spent some major dollars online shopping at ASOS.com. Thanks for the cake, the sidewalk chalk message and for depositing the flowers, Josie. Thanks to my family for the phone calls, texts, picture texts and giggles. Thanks to my dad and Maddy for helping me to reach my charity:water goal in the nick of time!

Tonight, hopefully, I round out the treat myself week with some awesomeness at Good Friday church service. I've had some very touching experiences the past few years on Easter weekend. Its not that it's a "treat" per say, but it does conclude my 6 weeks of being alcohol-free. It's a treat to know that I've sort of cleansed from that, hit a mini-milestone, and can have a glass of wine on Sunday if I want!

So, what are your A,B,C, or D choices? What are you doing for Easter? Did you give up anything for Lent?

Tipsy Tuesday: How to Be a BOSS on Your Work-From-Home Day

Here's how to make the most of your day of working from home:

1) Sleep until 8:30 so you are welcoming the day. You've got your work cut out for you. (Or rather, you cut it out yourself 'cause today "you da boss!").

2) Then get dressed and take the recycling to the big bin a few miles away. Remember you live in the ghetto. They don't give you blue bins on your own curb. You can't even pay for them. The earth thanks you.

3) Go to a matinee. Even matinees are $10. Suck it up. You have "see a movie solo" on your bucket list, so start scratching it off. 

4) C'mon, you paid $10 to see this PG flick. Don't you dare pay for popcorn. Make a batch of stove-top, homemade cinnamon kettlecorn and smuggle it in. Bring a hankie for your fingers.

5) Hit up the thrift store. Spend $3 on this awesome bowl. A nice display piece for tea or candies for my upcoming tea party. Play Nat King Cole on Pandora while you wash up your thrifty goodies.

6) Take pictures of things in the room to avoid writing the piece you've been avoiding all day. Have cup upon cup of tea but use the same tea bag cause you're soo thrifty. Work until well past dusk to get everything done. Feel proud of yourself. Turn on Downton Abbey. Yes, you are behind, but you can still catch up. Make sure everyone sees this spoof on Downton Abbey called Downton Arby's. Thanks, Uncle Rol!

What did you do today?

Giving Up or Trading?

I've heard that when we forfeit a habit, we really just replace it with another habit.

Instead of going out for a smoke, we snack.
Instead of snacking, we shop.
Instead of shopping, we ... read? Maybe this is where it comes full circle and we smoke again. Ha!

Since we are in Lent, I've given up alcohol until Easter. It's easy to stick by my commitment when I'm not socially busy, but I will have some trials in the next few weeks including a wedding, my birthday, a dinner party, a potential reunion with a friend, another book club and the return of MadMen.

(*gulp* in trepidation and irony)

Since I'm looking at this as 40 days of deprivation, I'm wondering if I can substitute with something else to make me feel like I'm not missing out.

I love beverages (as you may know by now) but sparkling water can only carry me so far.

So I ask you, what would you do/drink in place of giving up alcohol? Did you give up something for Lent? Do you find that when you give something up you end up indulging in something worse just to keep your sanity?

P.S. It should be easier to comment than ever! I took off the stupid word-encryption thing and made the comment page another screen so that it would load more quickly. Notice a difference? Now you have no excuses!

Cool graphic about what, according to Twitter, people are giving up for Lent. Some of my favorites that are tiny (i.e. not many people are giving them up): Gossip, Bacon, My Job.

How to Enter Modern Day Survival Mode/Advice I'm Giving Myself

The modern woman worker adult person sometimes just has to pull up their britches and keep on trucking. We often get overstimulated rather than under and let me tell ya, it's overwhelming.

Survival mode: Being so bogged down with stuff to do that one has to trim the fat in their day and decide what really needs to be done. Out of the options of fight or flight, put up your dukes. 

Some of you might know this as "finals week", "end of the quarter", "the publication goes live in x hours", "grades are due", "the G8 is coming to Chicago", "callbacks" or  "sh*t hit the fan".

All Photos via Pinterest. 

I've been busy lately. I've picked/torn/filed off all of my nails (after just painting them this past weekend!) from writer's block. We've had leftovers for dinner (which usually are only reserved for lunch) even though we have many fresh-meal options. I am only running a fraction of what I aspire to each day.

So how do we survive it all?

Here are my tips for surviving survival mode, keeping your friends/family and not looking homeless while doing it.

Health and Beauty Maintenance

- Stretch your hairstyles. Wash as little as possible and look up fun ways to do a bun to save you time in the morning. Say hello to more sleep.
- Don't get down on yourself if you don't stick to your usual workout routine. As long as you get moving everyday, let that be enough. Sometimes your time cannot be stretched. Let is go and catch up on the treadmill time after your deadline.
- Wear your glasses. Hide the eye-bags.
- Have a week's worth of work outfits ready in case you sleep in. You can still get dressed in the dark/with your eyes closed when you know what pants/shirt/socks go together. Plus, this will keep you from making a game-time decision to put on a "desperation outfit". You know you've had one.
- Keep a pair of nude/black/neutral shoes at your desk. I used to tote my shoes back and forth to work since I use public transit and commute in flats/Merrells Mary Janes. Now I keep all of my non-flashy pumps at work. I have an entire shoe drawer and I'm so lucky to have it.
- Get enough sleep. If you're stuck on a problem, go to bed if you can. Chances are you'll have fresh eyes and a clear head in the morning.

Friend and Family Maintenance

- Think twice before emailing/calling/texting. You're in survival mode and what comes out of your mouth might not be what you really mean. Think things through twice and even ask a 3rd party if what you're saying makes sense. You can always say "I'll get back to you" and think it through when you have a chance to slow down.
- Keep the appointments you've made, but make no more. You don't want to appear anti-social and you also don't want to keep piling on the obligations. Freeze your Calendar.
- Look a week/month ahead to see where birthdays are coming up. Use Facebook or your mom's memory to help you get them all mapped out now. Use an online service to help you send a card - at least - or have your significant other/roommate/mom remind you.

Media Maintenance

- Turn the TV off. Just do it.
- If you are chewing off your fingernails in frustration, try putting on some mellow music. Distract the immediate (medical term, I'm sure) part of your brain so that your deeper conscious can sort through a problem. I guess it works in classrooms too. Might I suggest Ron Pope's "Shoot Out The Lights".
- Close your email, turn off your phone. If you don't need these two things for the task at hand, then they are distractions just laying-in-wait. Give yourself a window of time when you can check them both and then turn them back off/log out.

Head/Heart Maintenance

- Be kind to yourself. Reward yourself for milestones or the job completion. Let yourself have a treat, but be wary about making food a reward. You're not running as much as you should, remember? Choose a low-cal popcorn, one piece of candy, as much sugar-free tea as you like, allow yourself to buy that book on Amazon, spend too much money on a candle at Anthropologie (it smells like "good boy"!), or just take a break and walk around in the fresh air.

Then get back to work.

Ok, long winded. Now you tell me. What do you do when in survival mode?