Where the line?

Have I created a busy life for myself, or am I engendering chaos?

My day-to-day work is stressful and full...and I often spend the day on the computer, wrenching my brain around concepts, rationales, and budgets.

In my private life

• I bowl on Wednesdays. **Update 2** I'm dedicated to finding us a sponsor for t-shirts this year!
  
• I chair a Board of Directors of the best event in town, the Okanagan International Children's Festival.
• I'm a member of the Board of the networking organization Penticton Women in Business.
• I'm going to be directing a short, one-act play for performance the first week of December.
• I'm helping to organize a local congregation's annual Walk to Bethlehem (a 3-day re-imagining of life in the Ancient Near East, complete with children's pageants and anachronisms).
• I periodically write book reviews.
• I (try to) have a social life.
• I'm presenting at BookCamp Vancouver on Friday.
• Oh, and I'm married, and trying to have a relationship that's more than coffee in the morning.
  

Where can I draw the line? What do I prioritize?

Then there are the things that I want to find time to do:

• Work on my book idea with my buddy who lives in Korea.
• Start work on a MBA.
• Catalogue my movies.
• Spend more time studying French.
• Blog more often.
• **Updated** Organize my photos, make albums even.
• **Updated** Learn to use Photoshop.
• **Update 2** I want to get a conversation salon started in town.
  

It has been an amazing Thanksgiving weekend, where my absolutely perfect turkey was consumed by a small group of close friends. I am grateful for the activities in my life, but I do wonder if I should pare them down.

I would welcome your thoughts and suggestions.

Lori

Celebrating the 30s

As I near the end of my own 30s, I have a friend who's turning the big 3-0 today.

What is it about ageing? (I'm not even going to start with the big MLC!) When I turned 30, I was in Korea, so it actually happened when I was 28. 'Twas no big deal. I also grew up with a dad who wasn't mentally old until his health caught up with him -- about 80. Mom was 24 years younger than him, and has still forgotten to age. (So why is it that my sister is all weird about her age? She still tries to tell people she's 29!)

Anyway, back to my friend. This morning I searched for some positive statements on 'women turning 30' and in 10 pages of Google hits, only got 2 that were mostly upbeat about moving out of the 20s. The 'oh no, my life is ending' tune that everyone sings is really just annoying.

People! The 30s are better than the 20s!

Proof #1
People take you seriously now.

Proof #2
You've survived your 20s and no longer need to learn things like how to pay bills, how to apply for a job, how to dump a guy gently. (Okay, so you may need refresher courses, but you've done the 100 levels.)

Proof #3
You'll no longer annoy older people with your "I discovered sex" attitude. We can invite you to parties now.

Proof #4
In this day'n'age, you can continue to do the things you enjoy. It's not like you have to give up rock climbing, beer swilling, and movie collecting...you may just find you prefer a better brand of beer.

Ack. I could go on, but I won't, because I'm finding that I'm the other cliché: a 30-something pontificating on the 20s.

Ah well.

Happy Birthday!

Lori

A Hate-on for Microsoft

The computer here at Kidsfest had a huge crash awhile back...conveniently enough (!!) 10 days before the Festival.

If that wasn't enough, when we got a pretty much empty loaner from the shop, a guy here downloaded the new MS Office 3-month trial onto it...Not my first choice, but I was busy.

Then, a woman came in to do some work for us -- brilliant. I was swamped, and she was going to be of definite use. I put her on the new computer, and then when we opened up the all-new MS Word, it was a completely different interface.

Now, I'm mighty skilled with computers, but it took me 30 minutes of f**king around to find "Save As"! Folks, there's something wrong with that.

Then of course, NOTHING you create in this new version of Office can be read ANYWHERE else, even the last version of Office. You have to realize that, and save everything to a different compatibility.

Then today, I needed an Avery template, to make some labels. If I want one that's compatible with this new version, I have to go through the hoops to have Microsoft check my program, make sure it's valid, paid for, etc. Go to the Avery site, and their downloads aren't compatible, of course.

So now, I'm blogging while I download Open Office on this computer.

The next computer I buy will run Linux.

Microsoft, GET STUFFED.

Lori