Things 264-284: High school

First off, I've missed a toilet post, I know. The thing is, I ran into a little problem: I can't find all the photos I took in Europe.

I distinctly remember organizing them all and writing their locations on the back of the photos. I planned ahead. Then, I filed them somewhere. I just have no idea where.

So, one of my projects this weekend is to go through all the negatives from my Europe photos (because, obviously, I still have those), reprint them all, and scan them into my computer.

This is one of the many reasons I need to keep on top of my 365 project. The more I get rid of stuff I don't need, the more likely I'll find the things I actually want to keep.

Anyway, as my last post was on discarding relics from college, I thought it only appropriate to turn my attention to high school:

From 365 things

The high school graduation cap. Not sure what happened to the gown.

From 365 things

From 365 things

Assorted jewelry and jewelry boxes. And no, don't read too much into me getting rid of a pair of Cubs earrings. I just don't wear earrings too much anymore. The Cubs, however, will never be one of my 365 Things.

From 365 things

OK, this was hard. I was in high school during the height of grunge. And these old Chucks were my standby. I wore these shoes almost every day in high school. They were part of my identity.

But you know what? They're old shoes; not a person. I haven't worn them in more than 10 years. They have holes, and the soles are falling out, and honestly? Chucks really aren't that comfortable.

That doesn't mean, of course, that I haven't started eying a new pair.

Things 252-263: College

It's been eight years since I graduated college. I have to admit that I didn't really love college. Sure, there were some high points (meeting my future husband, a few really great friends, London), but the low points sort of overshadowed everything else (losing yer toes will do that).

But more than the whole illness thing, I never really found my clique in college. There were the sorority/fraternity types (loathed them, although I did marry one), the Midwestern hicks (bigots might be a better description), and the hipsters (pretty much the entire j-school). Although most of my friends probably fell into the latter group, I never really fit in there. The judging, the cooler-than-thou attitude, the obsession with Cat Power. No thanks.

Anyway, given this sort of "meh" feeling about college in general, it's a bit of a head-scratcher that I've saved so much stuff from my college years—stuff I really don't need and will never use again, such as:

From 365 things

These class notes and graded blue books (do college students even use these anymore?). I have no idea why I saved these. I suppose I thought I could look back at the notes in my career. But let's face it: The journalism industry has changed quite a bit in the past eight years, and I seriously doubt any of the brilliant insights within will ever help me out. As for the blue books, I assume I held on to these because I aced some really hard final, which meant something to me when I was 23. Now? Eh.

From 365 things

From 365 things

And these relics from one of my internships. Yes, I learned a lot from my days at Pioneer Press, and the experience likely helped me land my first job. But a denim hat and unflattering photo of me in front of a ginormous, ancient computer probably aren't going to help out my career anytime soon.

I'm sure I have tons of other useless keepsakes from college, some I can easily pitch, other burrowed deep in my brain that I'll never be able to shake. And maybe that's not all bad.

Things 248-251

I keep finding clothes that I no longer wear, but hold on to for silly reasons.

From 365 things

For example, the jeans above used to be my skinny pants. I gained a bit of weight when I lived in Syracuse, and these jeans got too tight. When I moved to Chicago and started walking everywhere, they finally fit again.

I remember the first time I was able to fit into them again. I wore them out to a club when Katie was in town visiting. They were my "skinny" jeans. I rejoiced.

Then, I started getting serious about getting back on track. I started running, eating better, trained for a triathlon, etc. And now these jeans are too big. They're also all frayed at the bottom and getting washed out. And when it comes to fat pants, I have other jeans that are in better shape. So it's time to get rid of the skinny fat pants.

The white shirt above is one I'll always remember wearing to the Taste of Randolph in 2002. I was home for the summer and Chris and I had just started dating. He came up to visit and we went to the festival with Laura and Eric (he was working on Randolph at the time.) Laura took a cute picture of me and Chris, and I brought it with me to London that fall, looking at it all the time because I missed Chris so much.

A few years later, I wore that shirt to the 3rd of July fireworks. Chris and I rode our bikes downtown, and it had just rained. I got mud splatters all over the back of the shirt. After the fireworks, we biked home, and the city shut down part of Lake Shore Drive, so we got to ride down Lake Shore at night, and it was beautiful.

I was never able to get the mud splatters out of the back of the shirt. So I never wore it again. I've saved it, though, for the past few years, solely for sentimental reasons. But I suppose I don't need the shirt. I already got Chris. And I still have the pic:

From 365 things

Catching up

Well hello there.

It's been a while. I've been busy, as always. Traveling a ton. Nothing new there. I've also been slowly picking away at this 365 project. Sorting through things, getting rid of stuff, taking pictures. Doing everything involved in the project, except blogging.

And you know what? I really need to blog. Not just to keep up with this project or track my progress, but to get shit out there. I need to write and share and get advice on everything from music recommendations to parenting help to recipe ideas.

Figuring out where to start up again is the hardest part. Do I attempt to recap all the milestones of the past few months? Just pick up again like I never stopped?

In my job, I sometimes help companies structure a blogging strategy. So I suppose I should know how to do this. If I were doing this for a client, I'd tell them to start with a schedule. You don't have to stick with the schedule forever, or even in the short term, but a regular schedule will help you get up and running.

Personally, I'll let alliteration guide my schedule:

Maya Mondays
Toilet Tuesdays (I'll explain more later)
Things Thursdays
Free-for-all Fridays

So there. Let's see how it goes.

The dog ate more Things (246-247)

Continuing the theme of other people's dogs eating our stuff, today I have two things:

From 365 things

A not-totally eaten, but very slobbery pillow, and a chewed-through futon cover.

A few years ago, my in-laws came to visit and brought their dog Baron. Although he was full-grown, he was still very much a puppy. And like most German Shepherds, he was (and still is, to some extent) slightly neurotic. So when his mom and dad left him in our house for a few hours, he proceeded to eat part of it. Namely, our futon cover.

Chris' parent were kind enough to replace the cover. And of course, I saved the old one because that's what I do best: Save Things I don't need.

I'd like to point out, by the way, that none of these posts about dogs eating our stuff involve our dog, Rosie. That's because she's a sweet, old girl who doesn't chew our Things.

I'd also like to point out that I currently have a bruise with teeth marks on my thigh. That lovely bite came courtesy of my daughter. It was one of the five or so times she's bitten me. Number of times Rosie's bitten me? Zero.

I'd like to take credit for raising such a great dog. But the truth is, we just got really lucky.

Past-Due Things (244-245)

Today's the day. Well, actually, yesterday was the day. I should have logged my 365th Thing yesterday. Instead, today, I give you Things 244-245:

From 365 things

Today, we have green Things. I've held on to these shirts solely to wear on St. Patrick's Day. But in reality, whenever March 17 rolls around, I usually end up wearing a different green shirt for whatever reason. So it's time to let these green Things go.

As far as my little project, I'm gonna keep chipping away. I missed my goal, but I still have a lot of crap to get rid of. Also, instead of lying to myself and saying that I'll post every day or every other day, I need to admit that'll never happen. So I'm going to create a calendar for myself. This will also allow me to schedule my next blogging project that's sure to be a great idea that's impossible to executive (for me, at least).

So it goes.

Things 237-243

From workout clothes to work clothes:

From 365 things

The first group are mostly things I swear I'm gonna wear, but never do. The black dress on the left is one I have actually worn many times because Chris likes it. But the problem is, it's a wrap dress that doesn't wrap so well, and it flies open an inopportune times, which is probably why Chris likes it. 

From 365 things

The group contains a white blazer a co-worker once told me looked like a lab coat (he was right), a sweat shirt, and a white cable-knit sweater that's been through one too many nose wipes.

Things 233-236

Today, we have some workout clothes:

From 365 things

There are three tops that aren't long enough. For being relatively short, I have a crazy long torso. So it's common for shirts to be too short, letting a little belly hang out. And these shirts didn't look good on me pre-baby. So it's time to admit it's not gonna happen. Also, I'm ditching the soccer shorts I wore in high school. See-through white shorts probably weren't a good idea at 15 (although I didn't have a choice at the time), and they definitely aren't advised for a 30-something.

And speaking of working out: Once upon a time, I said that running was way harder outdoors. I'd like to retract that statement. Running inside is harder. At least it was on Monday.

I'm training for the Soldier Field 10 Mile. And now that my training runs are getting longer, I have to take them indoors on weeknights because it gets dark before I can get in my miles. So Monday night I ran the farthest I've gone so far (7.25 miles). And I did it on the treadmill at the gym.

Um, that sucked. For starters, it's hot inside and there's no breeze. When I run outside, my mind wanders and I problem-solve and think about stuff my little brain doesn't have time to think about during work hours, and suddenly I've run 5 miles without realizing it. At the gym, all I can think about is running. And my brain keeps telling me to stop.

Anyway, that's all for tonight. So much catching up to do...

Things 226-232

I have eight days left to get rid of 140 Things. Can it be done? Eh. We'll see.

I rearranged my closet last weekend, and in the process, got rid of a ton of Things. Like all these shoes:

From 365 things

Or I should say, six pairs of shoes and one pair of giant sneaker-pillow slippers. That's actually the second pair of those slippers I've worn out.

In non-365 news, May marks a few milestones each year. We had our fifth annual Cinco de Mayo party last weekend, Chris and I celebrated nine years of togetherness on Wednesday, my niece celebrates her second birthday later this month, and today is the seventh anniversary of us bringing Rosie home. Because she was full-grown when we got her, we estimate she was about three at the time, which means she's celebrating the Big 1-0 today. Happy birthday to my first baby girl:

Thing 225

Another quickie:

From 365 things

Speakers that accompanied a computer I got rid of six years ago.

Things 223-224

Another quick post. Founds these two Things in the office closet:

From 365 things

A broken shower CD/radio, and yet another watch box.

The dog ate my Things (215-222)

Remember Barkley? His was this wonderful, three-legged dog we used to dog sit for Chris' co-worker from time to time. Sadly, Barkley died about three years ago. Not long after, his owners got a new puppy. He was adorable, and playful, and even had four legs. We eventually dog sat him, after moving into the house back in 2008.

Unfortunately, unlike his chill, snuggly predecessor Barkley, this new pup instead ate our house. Our curtains, books, CDs, the remote, our phone, his leash, Rosie's leash, a FlipCam. The list goes on. For some reason, Chris wanted to save the things he ate. I'm not sure why. His owners replaced all the stuff we lost. But I obliged and saved it anyway.

Until this weekend. In my quest to clean out the office closet, I came across the bag full of chewed-up possessions:

From 365 things

We have two hats, a phone, a necklace, a coaster holder, two leashes, and the FlipCam bag.

Now, I will admit that it was kind of cool to go through these again. I mean, just look at the awesome carnage:

Leash one: I'm amazed by his ability to chew in a straight line.

From 365 things

Leash two: Retracted for eternity.

From 365 things

I'd love to see Chris wear this on the golf course.

From 365 things

All these Things are now in the trash where they belong. And that's the nice thing about digital cameras. I got rid of the Things, but I can always look back fondly at the time a dog ate our house.

Things 213-214

Quick post today:

I finally sorted through all of Maya's socks (she had two drawers' full) and packed up the teeny tiny ones. In the process, I found these two things:

From 365 things

I must apologize if anyone reading this bought these for Maya. All I can say is, she's the youngest of three cousins and gets TONS of hand-me-downs. So sometimes, things never even get opened.

During the sock-sorting process, I also found a handful of socks with no partners. I'm going to hold on to those for a week or so to see what comes out in the wash. But except to be seeing some singular socks here soon.

Things 204-212

I finally got a chance to organize the bookshelf to my liking (alphabetically). Although after going through all my books, I seriously considered some Dewey Decimal action. Also? For only having one kid, I own a hell of a lot of books on pregnancy and parenting.

But anyway, this little stack proved to be the only books I could part with:

Things 204-212

From 365 things

There's an old Zagats guide because we have a newer one (which is still 3 years old), an old textbook I finally admitted I was never going to read again, and some books I received as gifts. And then we have a nice assortment of books on wedding planning and surviving the Bush presidency—both things I hope to never need again.

Things 202-203: The beginning of the books

I've started with the books on the bookshelf. But I didn't have time tonight to devote to my plan of attack: Arrange all the books alphabetically by author. Look for duplicates and/or books I know we'll never read again or lend out. Purge.

Instead, I just grabbed two I knew off the top of my head:

From 365 things

The first, a book I bought for Chris thinking it was a "guy" book he'd enjoy. He almost couldn't finish it because it was so bad. Whoops.

The second, a duplicate. When Chris and I started dating, he insisted I get this book by his favorite poet. So I did. And it is a great book, although I really only read his version. And now, nearly nine years later, we're married, live in a little house with a big dog and a fast-growing toddler, and we have still two copies of this book: his all marked-up and dog-eared; mine barely touched. So I'm saving the former and passing on the latter.

That's all for now. More TK.

Long lost blog

It's been a while. As always, I will blame my lack of blogging on being busy. But really, I've been all kinds of busy, mostly travel-related. So far this year, I've been to:

- Orlando
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Kansas City
- Orlando (again)
- Atlanta
- Kentucky

Later today, I'm flying to Charlotte. And then next week, I go to Phoenix.

After that, I'm staying put for a few weeks. Most of this travel is work-related, although a few trips (KC, Kentucky, Phoenix) are mini-vacations.

Despite this travel, I have been working on my 365 project, just not the documentation and blogging portion. Here's the latest:

Thing 188

From 365 things

Cleaned out a filing box...

Thing 189

From 365 things

... add random stuff found in the office closet...

Things 190-201

From 365 things

... and a collection of stuff from around the house. We have some ill-fitting winter hats, old gloves, and tons of baby bibs. Regarding the latter, I get tons and tons of hand-me-down bibs for Maya. And although my first instinct is to save them all for any potential future kids, even if I had 12 kids I'd never need the heaps of bibs we have.

Despite these efforts, I have just 59 days to get rid of another 164 Things. So we'll see. Maybe I'll get there. Maybe I'll come close.

p.s. A little shout-out to my dad, who turns 65 today. Happy birthday dad!

Things 178-187

I had to take a brief break from the office to document these Things. Most of them have been piling up in my Things to give away pile for a few months. I had planned to purge them when taking on my closet. But then there was a coat drive at my office, and I knew I needed to at least pass on the heavy coats during the cold season rather than wait until I get to the closet, which might not happen until summer 2012 at the rate I'm going.

So here we have an assortment of clothing, including three winter coats that are a little old and ill-fitting, and fortunately on their way to someone who needs them:

From 365 things

Things 151-177

I decided to take a little break from the bookshelf of terror and instead focus on the office closet. This is because as I tried to file some things found on the bookshelf, I realized I could no longer open the office closet door to access the filing cabinet. This is quite a process.

Among the many Things jamming the office closet sliding doors is a plastic tub full of random electronic parts. Mostly wires, actually. In fact, of the 27 Things pictured below, about two dozen of them are Ethernet or telephone wires. Amazing when you consider that between the two of us, Chris and I have owned a grand total of four computers over the years. How we managed to accumulate more than 20 wires to connect those four computers to the the Internet is beyond me.

From 365 things

Also included in these Things are wire splitters, a DSL router and co-ax cables. The tub of electronics also was home to an assortment of power cords. What they supply power to, however, is still a mystery. I'm guessing old cell phones and digital cameras. Until I figure that out, though, I'm going to hold on to them.

Things 145-150

Another baby nap, another shelf. Today we have this lovely assortment:

From 365 things

- Yet another Chicago Fire item. This time, it's a photo album featuring team pictures. Chris went to a Chicago Fire fundraiser a few years ago and got all this stuff.
- More cards from my baby shower.
- CD-ROM explaining how to install Ikea kitchen cabinets.
- Wedding invitation from 2009.
- Old reporter's notebook. This one was partially chewed up by a dog we briefly dog sat a few years ago.
- Thank-you cards I wrote and never sent.

And that concludes this installment of "Just how lazy are Sarah and Chris?"
See y'all next year!

Things 138-144

I swear this is still happening. The holidays, people. That, and Maya's walking.

Anyway, here are some more Things, all found on one shelf of the bookcase.

From 365 things

In no particular order, we have:

- Broken Chicago Fire picture frame
- Wrist band certifying that one of us is, in fact, of legal drinking age
- Stack of receipts
- Cards from my baby shower
- Expired Gap certificates
- Ticket stub
- Casino player's card

Most of the Things above pre-date Maya. You know, that walking, sort-of talking 14-month-old kid. Which goes to show how long it's been since I've cleaned off the shelves of the bookcase.

It also illustrates our pre-baby life. One filled with things like casinos, shopping, and events requiring tickets and/or wrist bands. A life I hardly remember. But as awesome as that life was then, you know what I didn't have? Baby wipes in my purse. Greatest thing ever.

Oh yeah, and Maya.