Eating That Elephant

In my ongoing saga of constantly feeling a tad bit behind with technology and yet wanting it to be super efficient, I didn’t want to have to check my Facebook page all the time.  I wanted it to *tell* me about my friend’s status updates.  So here is what I did.

First, I have a twitter account, and I installed twhirl so that my friend’s twitter updates pop up on my screen – discreetly – and then go away.  I can easily take a look at what happened while I was gone by opening a window.

But then everyone moved to Facebook and I felt boring because I was never updating my status or whatever it is called.   So, first, I made it so my twitter updates would show up on Facebook by adding a simple Facebook application: http://apps.facebook.com/twitter

Next I wanted to see my friend’s updates….so I followed these instructions, which unfortunately had a few glitches.  First, they reference the “minifeed” in facebook which no longer exists.    So instead, you’ll want to follow Facebook’s new instructions for generating your feeds.    Second, they say to use your main twitter ID to post your own Facebook updates to your twitter feed.  Apparently with the new Facebook feeds, there is a lot more data there, and everything on your wall, or at least way too much (e.g., “SoandSo has accepted your friend request”) was getting posted to my twitter stream which was annoying.   So, I routed all of that through my “dummy” twitter account which means that my twitter friends won’t see it all, just me.

Then, to post any status updates I type into Facebook as twitter updates, I used http://fb2twitter.com/ .

So now that you are all lost – here is the end result:

– I can post from twitter, twhirl, Facebook, and even Jott (now that is a complete ‘nother story) and it updates both twitter and Facebook; plus, I don’t have to go to Facebook to see all my friend’s updates – they show up on my desktop.  (I’m too cheap and too old I suppose, to have them show up as text messages on my cell 🙂

For the last 2 weeks I’ve been meaning to experiment with Gluten-Free banana and/or squash bread.  Today, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet as I stared at my poor sad little yellow squash and wrinkled apples, the last of my summer CSA share (other than the intensely spicy celery, which the guinea pigs are sloooowly making their way through).

I looked through all kinds of GF recipes on the web, and all of them seemed to be comprised primarily of sugar.  Finally, I branched out and found this recipe by Elise, and modified it to fit the ingredients I had.  The result was excellent.  My son and hubby both thought they were as good as or better than wheat muffins I’ve made in the past.

Here’s what I used.  These are called “Kitchen Sink” muffins based on the ole’ “Everything but the kitchen sink” saying; you basically can use whatever vegies/fruit combination you have, and whatever add-ins appeal to you, and adjust the liquid accordingly.  For the flour, experiment with whatever brand of GF flour mix you have; the one I have is no longer in production.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together or beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly, then stir in shredded fruit/vegetables.  In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture. If needed, add a bit more flour or milk until batter is a thick gloppy paste. Fold in the add-ins.

Put muffin papers into pan. Use a spoon to fill the muffin cups close to top edge. Bake on the middle rack until toothpick comes clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.

I recently participated in a swap of altered coasters through The Creative Underground.  We haven’t seen the final creation yet, but here’s a sneak peek at my contributions:

Front: Skinny Dip is part of the original coaster, which was part of the swap instructions.  The background was stamped and collaged out of crumpled tissue paper. The diver and words “Dive In” are printed on vellum, sealed with Diamond Glaze, and collaged on.  The beads for the splash were attached with Diamond Glaze.

Back: The flipflops are again part of the original design; The saying was printed on regular paper and then rinsed to create a more subtle effect.  The woman’s necklace was attached with Diamond Glaze while still on the string and then the string was removed.

I wanted to collage with an image printed on vellum, looking for that soft, image through the vellum look, but quickly ran into snags.  First, the color would run when I applied the collage glue (I was using Mod Podge, and had already run out for more supplies so didn’t want to find a waterproof collage medium).  Second, the vellum would curl as soon as it hit the liquid.  I tried rinsing the image, but too much of the color was washed away.  I finally found the following technique.

First, print your images in reverse onto vellum if you will have it show through from the back.  Print extras for test copies.  Let this dry completely.

Next, before cutting out your images, cover the ink with a layer of Diamond Glaze or SU Crystal Effects, and let dry.  Then cut out the images.  If there are parts you would like to have faded, experiment with leaving them uncovered, and rinsing thoroughly in water to see what effect you get.

Take your cut out images and soak in cold water while you prepare your collage canvas.  At first they will curl into tight balls; after a few minutes they will relax into limp pieces.   Don’t over soak or your Diamond Glaze will wash off and the ink will begin to run. Now they are ready to collage.

After applying your collage elements, if you still have curling or wrinkling around the edges that you don’t care for, cover the image with plastic wrap or a piece of a plastic bag (the one that all of the supplies came in worked well :), and roll with a brayer to flatten.

Results may vary; I have only tried this with one printer and type of vellum, specified below.  You can also use this the Diamond Glaze to project paper images for right-side-up collage.

Materials used:

• HP c7200 Photosmart printer with regular ink
• Inkjet Vellum (from Office Depot)
• SU Crystal Effects
• Mod Podge Matte

Pictures coming soon 🙂

I did it! I made it to the top of Horsetooth Rock today (including 45 minutes of yoga in the middle which saved me). I’m so proud of myself (but also exhausted). It was *tough* – I’m probably not going to be able to walk tomorrow 🙂

We left at 7am and got back at 10:40, and that was with a fairly fast pace.

We didn’t actually do our Yoga on the rock – we did it about 2/3 of the way up the trail. This was for effect 🙂

I’ve been talking about it for years.  I interviewed my family months ago.  And finally, I have actually started to write.

The oddest thing is happening.  You know when you read a book after having read the back cover, or having heard some of the punchline you shouldn’t have, and you are reading eagerly wondering when some event will happen and how?

That’s how it feels writing.  My memory is not great, so as I’m listening to the interviews with my mom, I know there is juicy stuff coming, though I can’t quite remember what it is.  Similarly, with my own memories.  I will recall something I’ve not remembered or thought about in years, and then the memory will end, like having to close the book mid-chapter.   It’s tantalizing and yet frustrating.

I wish I could write as fast as I read!

We’ve decided to do an at-least 3 week trial of being gluten-free. (Only for my son and I). We’ve been gearing up for it for a couple months…and oddly, it’s almost anti-climatic now because there are so many substitutes available.

Today I was looking around at restaurants since a friend invited him to Chick-fil-a, which, surprisingly to me, has a gluten-free menu. My son’s response? “No, it’s really not all that healthy. I’ll stay home and have something that is tasty and healthy too.” (Apparently, buying the gluten-free, chocolate covered donuts was a very strategic move on my part. They are fabulous, by the way, although probably not healthy at all. Shhh – don’t tell, we have to do this in stages).

I thought I would collect some of my “finds” here. Note that these are often pretty far outdated – but they will at least give a general idea.

One tip I saw somewhere was always ask for the gluten-free menu – even if you know what is on it. They do prepare it differently sometimes.

Gluten-Free Dining Out: Is it Safe?

Taco Del Mar Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free Items (2004)

Wendy’s

Denny’s

Carrabba’s

Boston Market :: Restaurant :: Nutrition :: Make Your Meal (Note: ingredients and allergens, not an actual menu).

Cold Stone Creamery

Outback Steakhouse

Chick-Fil-A (click on nutrition, then on gluten)

The water of the recently-filled lake shimmers in the morning sun, and despite the crust of sand and dirt on my kayak, my heart swells. Something in me calms and rests as I pull out with soft paddle strokes. I decide to go east this morning, instead of away from the sun as I usually do, in order to get a closer look at a shadow – what might be swans or brown pelicans. They are “just” backlit versions of the usual white pelicans, but are beautiful nonetheless and one lets me get close enough to see the black on his undersides. A great white skeleton of a tree looms along the shore, it’s size doubled by it’s reflection. It’s stunning, though I’m disappointed that no wildlife is using it as a perch. However, around the next bend is a cluster of four roosting white pelicans. All I needed was patience. I regret not bringing a camera. It’s the stuff that inspires writers and artists, both of which I see myself as in theory though reality seems to constantly in the way. A passing thought occurs to me – if only I could write while I was in the kayak.

As I paddle back, almost ready to rejoin the world, I start to wonder how it is I’ve done no writing other than blogging, while saying it is one of the main activities I want to focus on. A constant and never-ending wave of tasks and responsibilities looms over me. It feels futile to fight the tide, and to be honest, I’m getting tired of strategies that get me excited but don’t seem to help, and therefore never last (of course).

I do know I “waste” a lot of time. Yet, there is only so efficient one can be, and how does one judge importance? Should I resist the urge to sit and stare at the multitude of butterflies that my son has raised, in order to clean the house? Should I forego wine and chocolate with friends, over the discussion of a thought-provoking book? Both strategies would feel unfair and counterproductive. (How can one be a writer without pondering the beauty in butterflies and discussing books?)

I also do quite a bit to take care of myself. I have to, out of self-preservation. Perhaps, though, there can be some efficiency and balance found there, as I do often berate myself for staying out longer than meets my needs. Time spent on email is another area that both brings me important things and also has a lot of waste that could perhaps be reclaimed.

(As I return to the car I see a man going for a morning walk while conducting business on his cell phone. Already forgetting that I was just thinking of something along the same lines, it seems ludicrous at first and I have a moment of judgment before the empathy kicks in).

What I do know is that trying to solve this problem completely before starting on the next, of becoming a writer, is very unlikely to be feasible. Somehow, despite how much I would like the world to work in well-defined and completable parts, I need to find my balance within what is.

Some people put little “tickers” in their signatures, that say how old their baby or child is, or how many days left until some important event. I’m thinking I would be really motivated if somewhere there was a ticker saying how many emails are in my inbox (the goal being to bring down the number). Nothing like people seeing inside your house to get it cleaned up…

I am making good progress on my email inbox, though. It was over 300 and now is down to only 33. Of course I had to do some, ahem, creative refiling. I took the blogs I read to heart, and figured, “Would I really act on email from back in 2007? Probably not.” So I moved those out of the way, deleted a bunch, and have been slooooowly getting the total down each day.

We’ll see!

I read a post today where someone pointed out, the goal is not to just organize your email, but actually act on it. Oh yeah. I have forgotten that!

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I manage, or fail to manage, my email. I’m quite good at somethings – I have a high percentage of my email filtered into folders already, and although I’m a bit addicted to reading them instead of doing real work, I do have a system and just need to make myself use it.

However my inbox constantly is overfull and weighs me down. The problem is that I use it as my memory, todo list, a “pile of hugs” (as Merlin Mann would say), and I’m sure other uses that I’m going to notice when I start going through it.

One basic problem is that if I move actions out of the inbox, I know they will get lost. I’ve been on the net hours and haven’t found a solution! Everything says, “just remember them”, or “put a reminder in your todo list”. I have reminders in my todo list to go read the folders that I’ve pushed them into – I still don’t do it.

The bigger picture, though, is training myself not to do as much with email; to let things go, to change my habits. I got a lot of info out of the Inbox Zero series (there is a good video that summarizes it). It says to keep your inbox for stuff you haven’t read (and get it to zero messages each night). As it suggests, I’ve changed my “auto-check” interval to an hour. I’ll see how long I can handle that before I freak out and change it back! But the general idea is the less time you spend scanning, rescanning, re-postponing what you need to do with email, the better.

One of the biggest habits I need to change is “only read email when I am going to deal with email.” I like to read email like getting a connection fix – but it has a high cost. First I don’t always get that connection fix, and second, it leaves several emails un-decided in my inbox.

Another biggie for me is that I tend to use email (mainly the obsessive reading of groups folders) as an avoidance – mainly I’m avoiding thinking hard and making decisions. Instead of expecting myself to be someone I’m not – someone that can focus for a long period of time – I’m thinking I need to start having short, productive “sprints” where I focus on what I really need to do, and then take a real break – instead of a “browse email” break.

What I notice when browsing through my email is that I truly don’t know what to do with many of my emails. I won’t be able to remember them, but there is no clear action right at the moment. Some of them, I want to let “gel” but worry that if I move them elsewhere, they will get lost.

On the other hand, I’m also noticing a lot of timesaving from a trick that the Inbox Zero page pointed it out – using quick responses (less than 5 sentences) or a question for more info to “pass the ball” back instead of holding it in my court.

Another, “well duh”, that has been helping me is – changing subject lines!!! I don’t know why I didn’t think of this. So, for example, I posted a question to a tech support forum and asked for email notifications. The notification sat there – but it has an attached “todo” item. So instead of being titled, “notification of response for topic on such and such a board” I changed the title to the actual todo-item. I kind of wish I had another field to edit…but subject will do OK. (at least until I reply 🙂

Speaking of “duh” moments – one last tip. Music!!! I usually forget to play music when I’m working, but wow, it helps me stay on task!