inacove

Tag: Happy

  • Self Empathy (an echo)

    Hello World.

    I have been absent from blogging for a while. Not because I don’t have anything to say (the day that happens, you might as well bring a fly swatter to smash the flies on my body, because I’d be dead), but because I’ve had very little time to sit down and write with purpose. I’ve been jotting things down here and there in notepads, so I hope to put together a good introspective blog soon.

    In the meantime, I thought you (as in, the world) would benefit from this magnificent post by my friend Half Awake called Self Empathy. I’d review it, but I don’t want to add judgment to your experience of reading this. Please enjoy.

    Self Empathy
    by Half Awake

    I have never been into meditation, but today I tried an experiment.

    When I got into my car on the way to work, I sat for two full minutes with my eyes closed an the engine off. During these two minutes, I repeatedly gave voice to the feelings and sensations I was aware of. Each time I felt something I said “I am aware that I …”, where the blank was the sensation I was experiencing. I said things like:

    “I am aware that I am hearing a plane fly overhead.”
    “I am aware that I am stressed about a project I have to work on today.”
    “I am aware of the feeling that I have to go to the bathroom.”
    “I am aware that I enjoyed time with my friends this weekend.”
    “I am aware that despite having a good weekend, I am judging myself for not accomplishing enough.”
    “I am aware of the feeling of the sun shining through my car window.”

    The goal was not to place judgments on any of these feelings or inner interpretations, but rather just to acknowledge them. I found myself wanting to follow “I am aware that I feel …” with “and that means I should…”. I tried hard to veer away from those thoughts.

    At the end of two minutes I felt relaxed, but the real impact was more subtle, and over the course of the day. I acutually found myself more conscious of what I was thinking and feeling, and a bit less reactive in interpersonal situations. It wasn’t perfect, and quite often that awareness came only in retrospect, but it was somehow refreshing to hear the words “I am aware that I” going through my head spontaneously.

    ina

  • Early Bird Special

    This weekend was mellow, lazy, and productive in a minimal way, but productive nonetheless 🙂 Visited my neighbors’ new baby, played UNO and had dinner with them, and spent Sunday rearranging things around the house in preparation of my parents visit next week.

    This morning I woke up at 5am, took care of my emails, did a few stretches, went for a walk in my neighborhood, made eggs for breakfast, showered, moisturized, and watched an episode of Frasier (only the best show ever). I gotta tell ya, waking up early really has a way to set up your day.

    I also felt very lucky to live where I do. I was chatting with a friend who lives in Venezuela (where I’m originally from), and I told him that I would have never gone for a walk before dawn in Caracas. A woman, alone, in the dark? That’s asking for trouble. His response was: heck, a man, not alone, at noon, same thing! There’s just no way to escape crime! It’s just a shame.

    Today also happens to be the day we commemorate a failed attempt to oust Chavez from the presidency. A day when his supporters unapologetically opened fire over an unarmed mass of demonstrators, and then had the balls to say it was the other way around. Things that happen out there are just outrageous and quite unbelievable. [Deep breath] Don’t get me started.

    Anyways, why don’t we end in a positive note? My point is: waking up early is awesome and everyone should try it 🙂 How’s that for a closing? 🙂

    Have a great day, everyone!

    ina

  • Happy Valentine’s Day!

    I’m the first to admit that the purpose of a post like this one is to make everyone else jealous of the fact that I married the absolute sweetest and nicest guy in the world. But why don’t you play along with me and let’s all pretend that this is just a very naïve “oh look what I got! isn’t it nice?” post with no hidden agenda? I appreciate your efforts.

    For Valentine’s Day, I made my love our favorite dinner: fried chicken (deep-fried breaded seasoned chicken breast, cut in small chunks) with french fries (Idaho white potatoes, cut into fry shape and deep-fried). We DEVOURED it. I also gave him a cute card with a little inside joke, and a bag of love-themed M&Ms (not custom, sorry, just the ones they were selling out there for the holiday).

    Now, what he gave ME, I could never top. Here is the parade of gifts:

    A necklace with a sparkly Hershey kiss charm. Brian is a big fan of Hershey kisses, so I think about him every time I look at it. Isn't it perfect???

    A dozen red roses, delivered to my workplace (which made my whole office burst in oohs and awws), and a lovely note that made me giddy all day long (yes, I also cried with the note… it was just amazing)

    Godiva Bon Bons… also delivered to my workplace. My next desk neighbor and I indulged in some chocolaty goodness all day long. Perfect V-Day gift.

    And tonight, to close the ceremonies, we will be heading out to The Melting Pot to have some delicious fondue. Ohhhhh, I can’t wait.

    And I’ll close with a message of love. I say all that jealousy stuff in good fun, but really what I wanted to share with you is this: It’s not the presents, it’s not the jewelry, or the bon bons, or the flowers. It’s the fact that I found someone who loves me so much that he does his best at making sure that I know it. This may mean flowers, chocolates, and an amazingly written note on a random day such as February 14th. But in reality, he reminds me of how lucky we are to have found each other every day when he calls me to say nothing at all, just to hear me talk. Or when he gets up early on a Saturday morning to help me get my car out of the snow bank I drove it into. Or when he brings a glass of water and puts it next to my side of the bed because he knows I might get thirsty before I go to sleep. Or like taking care of the dishes after I have cooked as a thank you for the time I put into it. Or like taking me to a restaurant to eat fondue or Chinese food because he knows I like it, even though he probably won’t find anything he likes on the menu. There are a billion little things our significant others do on a daily basis that don’t come accompanied by a fanfare which reminds us that there is no place we would rather be than with each other.

    So, to all you lovers out there, I hope you had a great Valentine’s day with your loved one, and that you take 2 seconds of your time to turn to them and tell them how your life is so much better because they are in it.

    Happy Valentine’s Day to all.

    ina

  • My Letter to Santa

    I’m inspired by The Serendipitous Librarian‘s entry on what she wants for Christmas and by an NPR story about Hard Times Letters to Santa, to write my own letter to Santa. Yeah, I know, I should be writing to baby Jesus, but Santa needs a little latino love, too.

    Dear Santa Claus,

    My name is ina, I live in Norwood, MA, and my behavior this year has been “average” or as expected. [Growing up, I never felt comfortable telling Santa that I had been a good girl, as that was a highly subjective term and I didn’t want to seem like I was lying!] This Christmas, I would like to ask you to bring me the following:

    • A fun and joyful time with my immediate and extended family during the holidays
    • To continue to give my family and myself great health and positive attitudes
    • The strength to stand on my own two feet emotionally, and not crumble at every undesirable situation
    • A job for my jobless friends, and a better job for those who are unhappy in their current one
    • The brains to figure out alternate sources of income and the perseverance to carry it through
    • Happiness for my friends [This is quite the selfish request, because when they are happy I am happy]
    • As for physical things, you can always check my Amazon Wishist 🙂

    I know that list is quite corny, but the truth of the matter is that I have been really happy for the past couple of months and there isn’t much I need (way to jinx my own life), so I just want things to stay the same (except for bringing happiness and jobs to my friends).

    I hope Santa can pull some strings and make these things happen.

    To all of you a merry Christmas and a very happy new year 🙂

    ina

    PS: Realization: happiness makes for some really boring posts, doesn’t it?? lol!

  • To Kid or Not to Kid… that is the question

    My husband and I have been dancing around the decision of having children for about a year. There was never a question of “whether” we would have children, but a question of “when.” First, he wanted to settle into our new house, I wanted to finish my MBA, and most recently we would like to finish remodeling our basement.

    Well, we settled into the house last December, I finished my MBA in August, and the basement will be ready by year’s end. So, time to start popping them out? Screech! Not so fast. Are we ready for this???

    In an effort to figure out whether we are ready to move on with the baby plan or not, I made it a point to speak to parents all around me and listen for the main warnings. This is what I heard:

    • Your life will completely change
    • Make sure you take a trip before you have kids
    • Enjoy having a social life while you can
    • Say goodbye to selfish desires. From that moment it is all about the kids
    • Day care costs as much as a month’s rent or a mortgage
    • Be ready for strain in your marriage
    • You’ll get your life back when they turn 18, so have them soon so you’ll still be young enough to enjoy your new freedom
    • No more going out with friends on a moment’s notice
    • If you just want to experience motherhood, have only one kid: it’s easier than 2
    • Girls are a pain. Boys are easier.
    • Enjoy not having any ties for as long as you can!

    The more I asked for parents’ opinions, the more I didn’t want to hear them anymore. One parent couldn’t even stay on a positive note after I asked them for “good things” about children. They kept going back to the top of the list and complaining once more.

    Who would want to have children at all after hearing all of this?!

    Discouraged and tired of hearing how terrible having kids is for your personal freedoms and your way of life, I turned to my mother. Her eyes filled up with tears as she explained that the relationship you have with your children is like no other you have with anyone else, and how your children belong to you and you care about them so deeply because they are YOURS. The relationship is simply immensely satisfying.

    Corny? Yes. Insightful? Like you wouldn’t believe.

    I stopped thinking of kids as annoying babies and goo-goo toddlers, and started thinking of them as a family culture. It is really like creating your own mini ecosystem of inside jokes and customs that are only understood and accepted within your own clan.

    I started observing big families versus small families in that context, and I couldn’t get enough of the fact that you can create a better place for your children right within your own home. You can have the family you always wanted.

    Now, I have romanticized this topic a bit, and I am sure that all parents do this at some point or another before deciding to multiply. I have a theory of why we do this. It’s a bit complicated so bear with me here. Here’s an analogy:

    When you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend whom you like, but you’re not in love with, you usually don’t go and break up with that person right away. You stay because there is potential, and you think it’s fair to give it a chance. Now, imagine that God (or someone who has all the answers in the universe) came and told you that if you broke up with that person right now, someone better will come along and you will fall absolutely head over heels in love forever. Would you break up? If you trust that messenger (dude, it IS God), then heck yeah, you would! The problem in real life is that no such messenger ever knocks on our door. Nobody will be able to tell you that if you do something really hard right now that you will be immensely happy forever.

    That’s how I feel having children is, because you don’t just love your children like you love your parents, your husband or your sister; you fall in love with them (I feel like I ripped that quote off a movie). Many others can tell you what their experience is, but who knows what their initial motives to having children were? Who knows what kind of partner they have? Who knows what they are going through? The point is that we must be our own messenger and tell ourselves that it will be wonderful, in order for us to break up with our current lifestyle (which we like very much) and embark on a new amazing journey (which we will love).

    People do say you fall in love. And who can say no to love? Isn’t that all you need? (I know I ripped off the Beatles on that one).

    And so, I have started collecting happy thoughts from happy parents:

    • Yes, your life changes, but for the better
    • My daughter is just so cool, I just want to go home straight from work to spend time with her
    • I thought I wanted more time to go out with friends, but now when I go out I can’t stop wishing I were home with my little man
    • The relationship you have with your children is like no other
    • I love having our own little world
    • Have them soon so that you are still young when they are adults and you can share a grown-up relationship
    • You don’t want them to be “mini mes,” you hope they become a better version of you

    And with that, I’ll close by saying that I have learned a lot through this “research” process, and I am very thankful to be in a loving relationship with a wonderful man whose likeness (inside and out) my children would be lucky to inherit. We’ll be on this journey together, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

    I hope this helps at least one person in their thought process through this tricky tricky subject. Good luck to all!

    ina

    Photo Source: http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/804433/thinking-about-having-a-third-baby

  • Christmas has Arrived!

    For the first time EVER I have decorated my humble abode with the Christmas spirit. I went over to my mother-in-law’s house and ransacked her old Christmas decorations, and walked away with a few neat things.

    Here’s a look at our decorations. The tree is not up yet, since we have no room… I’ll have to figure that one out later on.

    My pride and joy: Snowy bookshelf top
    Simple and understated, yet festive fireplace
    Festive throw on couch, and little Christmas trees on the windows
    Even my bathroom was filled with the holiday spirit!

    Merry Christmas! (allow me to be the first to wish it to you)

    ina

    PS: This is my 300th Post! 🙂

  • Boston Love

    If there’s one thing I love about Boston is the fact that every sight you see is a photo op.

    Here are some of my favorite candid pictures taken with my cellphone camera.

    Enjoy the sights!

    ina

    Cambridge as seen from Boston
    Beautiful sunset
    Prudential and Hancock buildings as seen from the Mass Pike
    Foggy Downtown Boston
    TD Garden (home of the Celtics and Bruins) and Zakim bridge
    the Church at Copley Square
    Boston Public Library
    Artistic view of the Hancock Building and the Church at Copley

  • Mushy Post

    Warning: the following post may contain a proclamation of love for my husband. Read at your own risk.

    Last night I went out to dinner with my husband Brian, my friend Enrique Montoya, and one of my ex-peers from business school, whom we’ll call Dilbert.

    So, Dilbert was interested in finding out more about products and services offered by my old company (where Enrique still works) and my husband’s company, so I set up a fun dinner for the 4 of us to catch up and for Enrique and Brian to spill the beans on what it’s like to work at their workplaces.

    It took a lot of convincing and manipulation to get Brian to agree to come to dinner at all, but I knew he’d have a good time (he’s met Enrique and he likes him). What I didn’t expect was for him to make me fall in love with him all over again.

    He was quiet most of the evening, which is not surprising considering Brian is a pretty shy guy and hates bringing attention to himself (unlike his loud-mouth wife). Sit him next to someone as outgoing and loquacious as Enrique, and you will completely forget he’s sitting at the table.

    Fortunately, Enrique is fully self-aware and made sure to let Brian get a few words in. And that’s when I just sat back and listened to him do something he doesn’t do often: tell people about himself. Well, it was more like talking about his work environment, but it was stuff I hadn’t heard him talk about before with anyone else but me, and I was just in awe. You know it’s true love when you can just look at the person sitting in front of you and you feel like the luckiest person in the world.

    On the way home I told him how sexy he looked talking to others. I think he felt a bit of pride, because he appeared to believe me. That made me happy. It’s so important for me to know he feels appreciated and loved, especially when he gets out of his shell in public (once in a blue moon).

    When we got home, still in the car, we got into a disagreement about one of the things the contractor was going to do in the basement. Here’s a life lesson: disagreements will happen, it’s all about how you both handle them when they arise. The progression of the conversation is hard to explain, since there are a lot of inside jokes in there, but it was sort of like this:

    ina: I don’t want him to do it that way. That’s not what we agreed.
    Brian (after a few attempts at explaining to me why he agreed with the contractor): well maybe you should look up the part online and talk to him, I’m not going to fight him on it.
    ina (almost falling asleep and nearly incoherent): Brian…
    Brian: I know, I know, but I’m not going to fight it.
    ina: no, you don’t know what I’m going to say
    Brian: yes, I do
    ina: no, you don’t… Listen…
    Brian: uh huh…
    ina (same topic, but slightly off a tangent): how are you going to connect your TV speakers?
    Brian: at first they will rest on the table
    ina: and later?
    Brian: I’ll hang them up
    ina: how are you going to hide the wires?
    Brian: we’re going to paint the TV wall area black so the wires are hidden
    ina: oh and who approved that? I haven’t approved that
    Brian: yes, remember that email I sent you with the picture I found online? (picture provided below for reference)

    ina (shouting but laughing a little): right, you Mister I-hate-vague-questions, that email you sent me saying “what do you think?” and then I said “I don’t know what I’m looking at”??
    Brian (almost laughing): yes, and I said look at the wall!
    ina: YES, THERE WAS A RED WALL ON THE PICTURE AND I ASKED YOU IF YOU WANTED A RED WALL! AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAID??? YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR ANSWER WAS?? (at this point Brian is laughing hysterically) YOU SAID “I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT THE COLOR YET”!!! (I cracked up) WHEN DID YOU EVER TALK ABOUT A BLACK WALL??

    At that point we were both laughing so hard we were afraid we would wake up the neighbors.

    We went inside, and I gave him a big hug and told him I loved him. We cuddled together on the couch to watch the news and then went to sleep.

    I don’t know how to explain to you how much this night meant to me. I know he felt it, too. We just felt so happy to be with each other. I can’t wait to live the rest of my life with this man.

    ina

  • A Happy Post

    I haven’t posted something in the “Happy” category in quite a while… It’s time I did.

    I had a nice weekend. After getting over the friendship-loss (check me out! I’m letting go of things already!), I made a firm decision to smile more and appreciate my surroundings.

    I woke up on Sunday and did yoga for the first time in over a year!

    Then got all prettied up and went to Enrique Montoya’s husband’s birthday brunch at the Liberty Hotel in Boston. It was a gorgeous, sunny, chilly day. My toes felt cold in my sandals. The air was just pure and crisp and I soaked it all in. My friend’s brunch was great. There were moments when I just sat back and watched them with joy. They are like a ray of light. Happiest people in the world. Mind you, these moments mostly occurred during my inevitable collapses due to food coma, but the feelings were real!

    Then I went to Natick to buy a wedding present, and took the scenic route home (Rt 27 all the way down to Norwood). I had music blaring so loudly, and I was singing so loudly, that I didn’t notice that my blinker had been on for who knows how long. Now I understand those people in the highway who don’t seem to notice their blinker is stuck: those are the happy people! 🙂

    In the evening I dragged Brian (hubby) to a wedding reception where I didn’t know anyone but the bride and groom. He looked so handsome, and he smiled the entire evening. He was so much fun to be out with, that he made me forget all my problems. Some people say that relationships degrade with time and marriage, but like I was telling Brian last night, I think ours just gets better with time. He agreed 🙂 I love the man.

    We got home, I made him pasta for dinner, and we watched Dexter together.

    What’s not to be happy about? Here’s wishing you all an AWESOME week 🙂

    ina

  • I WROTE A SONG!!!

    I TOTALLY WROTE MY FIRST SONG!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT????? My first song at 29. I guess there’s a first time for everything… even when you’re old 🙂

    You can see the music video and the lyrics here

    hahaha!!! Surprise ending there 🙂

    This music-writing business is HARD. My piano teacher told me to listen to the chords she gave me and try to think up a melody. Unfortunately, my mind is not of the creative kind. I can’t all of the sudden come up with a completely original tune. What I did was take her very mathematical advice: I took the chords, and then created a melody using the notes from the chord. So I basically wrote this song measure by measure. I’m pretty sure that’s NOT how Taylor Swift writes her songs.

    ina swizzle

    Here are the words only:

    Haunted
    by ina

    ♫♪ I’d like to think
    fairies and ghosts exist
    I hear them around
    left, up and down ♫♪

    ♫♪ I hear noises
    in the walls
    get out of my house!
    you stupid mouse! ♫♪

  • Shout Out to Country Music Lovers!

    I have been meaning to say this for a while, but I LOVE places that play the Boston country station (WKLB 102.5 FM) in their establishments!

    The first place to get such a mention is a cafe in Norwood, MA, called Mug N’ Muffin. I always forget they play it, and I get a nice and familiar feeling when I walk in. Maybe that is what subconsciously keeps me coming back. I assure you it is NOT the nice and polite demeanor of the wait staff (ugh, awful awful women).

    The second mention goes to my mailman! I don’t work from home often, but when I do, I hear his blaring out country music from his headphones, and it makes me want to go out and give him a hug. You ROCK, Mr Mailman!!!

    I’d like to say that this is MASSACHUSETTS, people. Country music fan sightings are few and far between. So when we see them, we should give me a little holler 🙂

    ina

  • The OFFiS

    I finally did it! I invited my friends over for a viewing of an Oscar nominated film in the Foreign Language category!

    The OFFiS

    I don’t get to watch the Academy Awards every year, but when I do, they sneak up on me and I end up kicking myself in the butt for not planning ahead and having no idea which movie should win best picture. But what’s frustrated me the most for YEARS is the fact that the foreign films sounded even better than the American films, and there was no way for me to watch them. Until now!

    Netflix has all the nominated foreign films you could want! So I finally decided to take the bull by the horns and set up a glorious recurring movie night with my friends to watch those elusive foreign flicks.

    We’ll start on Sunday, October 3rd, at 4PM, and get together every 3 or 4 Sundays. I made it early in the day so that everyone can get back home at a reasonable hour, and so that I don’t have to provide dinner, which would add cost to the event, which I’m sure nobody would appreciate.

    And so, the OFFiS are born! OFFiS stands for Oscar Foreign Film Sundays 🙂

    Our first film is Departures from Japan. Check out the trailer here

    I’m so excited!!! My soul feels a little bit more fed.

    ina

  • Home is where the ♥ is

    It’s a cloudy morning in Texas. Although the temperature reading is 81 degrees, the wind chill puts it somewhere in the high 70s. Call me crazy, but I was getting goosebumps, so I got a fleece for my legs 🙂 See the picture below.

    Fleece in 80 degree weather

    It feels good to be “home.” The quotation marks are there because I am not from Texas, I’ve never lived in Texas, and this is the first time in my life I’ve stepped into this house. But what makes it home is that my parents live here, that the glasses are the same as the ones I drank out of growing up, that the Persian rug in the living room was the same one we had in our study back home, that the sitting stool in the bathroom is the one that belonged in my sister’s bedroom vanity, and other things like that. I could entertain myself for hours just walking around and pointing at familiar pieces.

    Home is a funny concept. I am from Venezuela, but that’s not really home anymore, is it? Don’t get me wrong, I do get a sense of familiarity and warmth whenever I visit, but I have not lived there for one minute of my adult life, which, in a few years, will outnumber my number of childhood and teenage years. Right now, home is wherever my loved ones are. I can go to my cousin Lara Croft’s apartment in Caracas and feel at home, or visit my mother in Texas and feel at home. Or just go anywhere where my husband Brian is and feel at home.

    When people ask me where I’m from I have two answers for them: if they appear to be intrigued by the accent, I’ll say Venezuela; but if I’m in a different state and they know I don’t live there I’ll say Boston. It’s all in the context of the question.

    I was telling my neighbor Ethel, who is from Pennsylvania, how strange it was that our kids will answer “I’m from Norwood” to that question. She admitted to have marveled at that, too. As parents, we control where our kids are from. It’s a little mind boggling, isn’t it?

    Now I’m just rambling. Procrastinating, I guess.

    If you haven’t visited your home, I encourage you to take the time. Most times it won’t be a place, but people.

    ina

    I’ll leave you with the lyrics to a great song by Miranda Lambert called “The house that built me”. Watch the song on youtube here.

    Miranda Lambert
    ♫♪ I know they say you can’t go home again
    I just had to come back one last time
    Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
    But these handprints on the front steps are mine ♫♪

    ♫♪ Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
    Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar
    I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
    My favorite dog is buried in the yard ♫♪

    ♫♪ I thought if I could touch this place or feeling
    This brokenness inside me might start healing
    Out here it’s like I’m someone else
    I thought that maybe I could find myself
    If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
    Won’t take nothing but a memory
    From the house that built me ♫♪

    ♫♪ Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
    From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
    Plans were drawn and concrete poured
    Nail by nail and board by board
    Daddy gave life to mama’s dream ♫♪

    ♫♪ I thought if I could touch this place or feeling
    This brokenness inside me might start healing
    Out here it’s like I’m someone else
    I thought that maybe I could find myself
    If I could walk around in I swear I’ll leave
    Won’t take nothing but a memory
    From the house that built me ♫♪

    ♫♪ You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can
    I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am ♫♪

    ♫♪ I thought if I could touch this place or feeling
    This brokenness inside me might start healing
    Out here it’s like I’m someone else
    I thought that maybe I could find myself
    If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
    Won’t take nothing but a memory
    From the house that built me ♫♪

  • Things are Fine

    What do you do when things are just fine?

    For the past 3 years I have been looking forward to something or been eager for something to end: getting married, buying a house, finishing school, coming back home from work travels. So what happens when all of those things come and go?

    The answer may be all too predictable: new things take their place, right? But what happens when you truly reach the end of the tunnel or get through the storm, and all you find is peace and still waters as far as the eye can see?

    I am there. I have arrived. No more school. No more work travel. No more commitments. I actually feel relaxed, as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. My friendship hardships have been positively resolved, and I truly have nothing to worry about.

    The one thing that has the potential of ruining the moment: the reconstruction of my basement. But even that is something I’m very much looking forward to. Bring it on!

    Today I’m at the beach with Brian’s company, and it’s quite the day for it. I’m relaxed, I have chocolate cake and ice cream in my tummy, and I could fall asleep any second in the shade of the beach umbrella and warmth of the ocean breeze.

    Cape Cod

    May your weekends be as nice as mine,

    ina

    PS: check out my jellyfish tattoo!

    Jellyfish!

  • A Happy Post

    I have been smiling since I woke up this morning… isn’t that strange? I’m on the train to work right now, and I’m still smiling. Let me tell you what I did this weekend, and maybe you can help me decipher the mystery behind the smile:

    Friday: worked from home. Did laundry, cleaned up the house, watched movies, went to Friendly’s for dinner with my love.
    Saturday: Woke up at the crack of 9am to cram for the Math MTEL test. Took the test in the afternoon. Got back home to Bertucci’s and movies. Practiced piano for a whole hour. Fell asleep on the couch.
    Sunday: Woke up (still on the couch) at the crack of 8:30am. Borrowed neighbors’ SUV to go to Home Depot and rent a Pressure Washer. I spent the rest of the morning cleaning the back deck, front steps, front rock-wall (aka playing with squirty water). At 2:30 I cuddled up to a nice soft fleece and some pop corn to watch the Spain vs Netherlands World Cup Final (GO SPAIN!). Fell asleep on the couch again. Woke up at 8pm to make copies of my passports so I’m ready to get them renewed today at lunch. I also prepared a skirt “outfit” to wear on Monday. Went to bed at 9:30pm, wrote in my little (physical) journal, and went to sleep.
    Monday morning: woke up at 6am, had breakfast on our newly cleaned deck, raked a little bit in the back yard (just a couple of minutes), showered, and got dressed/moisturized as I watched The Devil Wears Prada yet again (for the 6th time in the past week). Made it on the 7:25am train to work.

    I don’t know what it is about that movie, but it really takes me to a different world. I should review it at some point. Actually, I’d really LOVE to read the book. I guess I’m just waiting until things calm down a little bit. I’m on a break from school right now, but it will start again in 2 weeks for just one more week and I’m DONE. After that, I have a couple of weeks of travel for work, and then I have to go full throttle on the basement renovations. I should actually be doing that right NOW… anyways… too busy to make reading a book my priority, as I would like to.

    Whatever the case, I’m so happy right now. I am wearing a well thought-out outfit, I did something different with my hair, and I have plans for today: renew my passports, have lunch with friends (if they are available), and MAYBE do something this evening… although I haven’t really decided that yet… it’s kind of wacky and totally out there, and it’s not that close to my house… so I don’t know if I will… it really does sound kinda crazy… but I have the feeling I would like it. I don’t know… I’ll let you know what it is if I decided to do it.

    Ok, I’m about to get to the station and lose wi-fi signal. Have a GREAT day!!!

    ina

  • A beautiful sight

    Last night I commuted to school after work for the last time. My last class will be a 1-week intensive course, for which I will take vacation time off, during the last week of July. Then, my life calendar will be empty once more.

    Today I crossed out the second-to-last week of class off my countdown doodle on my work white board, and it is a beautiful sight.

    ina

  • A reason to smile about

    If I measured my level of happiness based on how many times I smile during the day, how many times I adopt a peppy attitude towards the little things, or how few negative thoughts come to my mind in the 16 hours I am awake, I’d probably have to conclude that I am not a very happy individual.

    No, this is not another whiny entry on how miserable I am, and how nothing seems to make it better, although I can see why you would think that.

    Reality is that I have not reached that point in the past couple of weeks where I feel comfortable in my own skin. However, I think I have found something that is going to add some joy to my thoughts, some spring to my steps, some rainbows to my days. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I had my very first piano lesson!

    First off, I got the name off of Craigslist, which is a bit sketchy considering mass murderers have advertised there. So I took a couple of escorts with me, and went to meet a lovely Japanese girl who graduated from Berklee College of Music, and who was as delightful as can be – all despite her having exactly the same name as the main singer of a girl pop band in Japan (weird, huh?). She went over the basics and made me play Ode to Joy with the right hand, then with the left hand. I was in heaven! I had so much fun!

    To top it all off, she said I could email her a few songs (by… say, Taylor Swift, maybe?) and she would arrange a piano accompaniment for them so I could sing along to her songs as I played. Isn’t that wonderful??? She also showed me that she has the score to “Because of You” by Kelly Clarkson, of which, of course, I only know the Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson country version. But I told her to keep it in my repertoire to revisit at a later date.

    It was the most fun I have had since my trip to Washington DC for my anniversary. What can I say, it was just a delightful way to get me out of my blues.

    “Thank you for the music!” — ABBA

    ina

  • Guess who touched Taylor Swift

    I got to go to the Taylor Swift concert on June 5th at Foxboro (Gillette) Stadium. It was great, but I had really crappy seats on the floor… or so I thought. At one point in the concert, Taylor came all the way down from the side seats touching, hugging, kissing fans while she made her way to the center of the stadium, where she sang some songs raised up on a platform. It just so happens that my crappy seats were on the second row of the aisle where she passed by. I put my hand out there and I actually touched Taylor. It’s all on tape! Here’s a frame of it:

    Taylor and Ina Touch
    Taylor and Ina Touch

    ina

  • My first month anniversary as a published writer

    ina, author!!!
    I am so excited to announce that today is my first month anniversary as a published writer (crowd cheers and rejoices). To mark the occasion, I wrote a bit about how social media is now an important part of our friendships and they require more care and loving than we initially expected. The link is below.

    Here are all the articles I have written for The Daily Get Up so far.

    Click here to see my TDGU profile, which has all of these links and any articles I may post in the future.

    If you like any of them, I invite you to comment in the article itself. That helps us get more people into the conversation! Warning: it can get heated! 🙂

    Thanks to those of you who have been reading the articles for your support! I do hope you are enjoying them. If you are interested in becoming a contributor yourself, just go to The Daily Get Up website and click on the article called Your Voice Here: Get Published on The Daily Get Up.

    ina

  • Guess who just got published!

    For my first post in an ACTUAL blog/news website, I thought I’d just get over the fear that is the hump of actually submitting something… anything! so I just wrote a cute and witty post based on something my mother always said about earthquakes: that’s just the earth “rearranging” itself. It’s cute when she says it, I hope it came out cute when I passed on her wisdom to hundreds (or tens?… or… a handful?) of readers 🙂

    Mother Earth and Disastrous Wedgies

    I do have to say that it feels strange to be “edited.” The original writing was not much different than what was actually published, but for someone like me, who regards rejection as the ultimate slap in the face, it unavoidably feels like every sentence that got changed was “rejected” somehow. I guess this will be good therapy for my writer ego. After all, I am doing this to learn how to improve my writing. Any personal growth that comes from this experience will be a nice bonus!

    Oh, and as for my last name and clear picture now being out there in the open… well… I guess… I have to get over it.

    Enjoy and stay tuned for more 🙂 Oh, and COMMENT the heck out of the article! (not here, silly, on the dailygetup website! It shows them that you care 🙂 )

    ina

  • Get Up… every day

    One of the great things about blogging is the sense of community. It wasn’t until I started really blogging that I found out about all of these people out there who are writing about pretty much ANYTHING at any time of the day. They read and comment on one another’s posts. There are several places where you can find these interesting blogs, some of which are: 20 Something Bloggers, Blog Explosion, and simply by clicking on other bloggers’ blog rolls.

    It was by the latter method that I found Katie’s blog. Katie is 25, lives in Oregon as a web developer, and writes the most “relatable” and consistent 20-something blog out there. Most recently, she wrote about not having enough confidence to really jump into more serious writing or design. I’ve felt that way too: being stuck with what you’re dealt and being too much of a chicken to do anything about it, but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about writing and having the courage to put yourself out there.

    In her post she mentioned she wanted to submit her writings to a site called TheDailyGetup.com. I admit I had never heard of the site before, but after taking a good browsing, I noticed they were looking for new contributors. Instead of asking why they would want ME, a non-writer who has nothing to say but things that are in her head, I just asked “why not” and sent an email to the editor without giving it much more thought. I included links to some of my most popular posts, gave a little background, and boom, it was done. What did I have to lose?

    Well, just a couple of hours later I got a message from the editor welcoming me to The Daily Get Up roster of contributors, and that he would email me over the weekend with login information to post on their site!

    I am really happy right now. I love writing, and this is the kind of challenge I was looking for! I wouldn’t have been able to do it without Katie’s suggestion, of course. If you like my blog, you will LOVE Katie’s. Check it out here: Special Snowflakes and Other Myths.

    Thanks for the inspiration, Katie.

    ina

  • Old Friends, New Friendships

    I just had the nicest day with my new old friend Os. This post is about old friends who come back into your life after a period of separation and spark brand new friendships the most wonderful and unexpected way.

    This may have happened to you at one point or another, but it happens to me often enough to merit writing an entry about it. My first roommate in college and I rekindled our sister-like friendship after 6 years or not being in touch at all. A friend from Germany, whom I met in a high-school prep course 12 years ago, visited Boston and looked me up to hook back up. And now, Os, a friend from my Venezuelan high school, is in town (and moving to Boston in August!) and looked me up to hang out.

    These situations do not just happen randomly; they require several factors to be present. For instance:

    • Identification of an opportunity to reconnect: somebody has to have a reason to make first contact. They may be in the neighborhood, or they need your help, etc.
    • Having left things on a good note: not having a wall of bitterness to get through always helps
    • Someone’s initiative: one of you has to make first contact, put yourself on the line ready for rejection, and take whatever comes. This is hard to do!
    • A certain outgoingness from party A: if the someone who identified the opportunity is shy or introverted, it might be easier for them to not make contact at all. This is why the right personality is crucial.
    • A certain outgoingness from party B: if the person being reached out to is shy or an introvert, they may be embarrassed by not having kept in touch for so long, or they may be too nervous to revive old feelings, or they just don’t want to outwardly reject anyone, and therefore might not respond at all. So, the outgoing personality trait must go both ways.

    I’d like to think that I have done my part by always trying to say Yes when I’m sought after, and to actively seek people out if the opportunity presents itself. It has been rewarding every single time and I encourage anyone out there to reach out or say Yes.

    It’s just a great feeling to make new friends… even if you were friends already 🙂

    ina

  • I did it!

    I chained myself to my office today after work to buckle down and write the paper(s). The first part took me 30min, the second part 2 hours, and the last part 1.5 hours. It is 10:30pm and I’m getting on the train home. I did it!

    My reward: go to Friendly’s for a late dinner… and maybe some chocolate cake?…………… Shut up! I deserve this!

    ina

  • My house says “it’s going to be OK”

    As I was walking out of my house to the train this morning, I was surprised to see a beautiful flower growing at the edge of my front yard. I took it as a love letter from my house to her new owners, saying that things might be tough right now, but they are going to be OK.

    It’s going to be OK

    ina

  • I’m gonna have to ice skate home…

    … because hell just froze over. You will never guess where I am or what I’m doing. Ok, I’ll tell you: I am at the gym waiting for Brian to come out of the treadmills.

    He finished his guided training session at 7:50pm. I went looking for him at around 8. I found him on a treadmill and he had been walking for almost 7 minutes. So I quietly left the room and decided to catch up on some blog reading out in the lobby

    The sad part is that he’s probably just waiting for me to come looking for him, but I cannot in good conscience interrupt the only exercise he’s gotten since we stopped doing yoga together over a year ago. I figure the only outcome is that he’ll get tired and come out looking for me.

    (he just came out – 30 min later!) I like him so much 🙂 He hates me right now, though 😛

    ina

  • Sunshine after the Storm

    There is no questioning what a rough week it’s been, but you gotta hold on and know that "it’s the storm, not you, that’s bound to blow away" (from The Secret Garden, the musical)

    It’s a beautiful day today, and I am so glad I got out of the house to witness it. Much to my pleasure, as I was walking out of the house, my neighbor was pulling out of his driveway and offered me a ride too the train station. I love nice neighbors 🙂

    It’s going to be a good day 🙂

    ina

  • Curly Hair is Coming!

    Just wanted to stop by real quick to tell you that I have set a date! I’ll be getting my hair curled on March 18th with my fabulous sister-in-law, for whom I have had a ton of difficulty coming up with a name. I’ll think of one soon, I’d love to talk more about her. Anyways: curly hair coming soon!!!!! I should take a picture of my straight hair now, and curly hair later, so we can see the before and after 🙂 yeah!!

    ina

  • Fund Raising

    Tonight, Angela hosted her very first fund raising party, and it was a huge success! We had about 20 people show up and give generously to Angie’s cause.

    We had a ton of food, great desserts, and my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were a big hit! Even my sister, Tina Fey, requested some to take home.

    Angie also set up a silent auction of donated jewelry pieces, and she got $100 in donations from that activity alone! The rest ($350) came from the guests’ incredible generosity in putting in more than the minimum donation ($10) indicated.

    It was just a great time. In attendance were Tori Amos, Charlotte, Erin, Tina Fey, Ethel, and some other friends who don’t have names yet 😛 I was so grateful to all for coming, and for opening themselves to give like that.

    I also made some new friends! Bonus! 🙂

    Great night. Now I just sleep. Zzzzz…

    ina

    PS: Total collected was $501!!!! which put Angela over her 50% mark!!!

  • House is still clean

    I got home at 8:30pm last night, after a pick-up run at Bertucci’s, of course. I was pleasantly surprised to find the house almost just as I had left it! So I went to bed at 10pm in total peacefulness.

    I woke up at 5am and was ready for work at 6am, so I spent the next 20 min tidying up, and now the house is exactly as I had left it! Oh, blissful home life.

    It’s really amazing what an organized and neat abode can do for your whole outlook.

    Have a nice Thursday,

    ina

  • Where did ina go?

    I have not used the computer or watched TV since getting out of work on Friday, and it was AWESOME. I can’t say Christine‘s article recommendation about the "things we could be doing instead of being on Facebook” had nothing to do with it. You can read more on Christine’s views on Facebook here.

    It was pure bliss. My days felt like they were twice as long, and I got twice as much done. It made me feel so good to finally get rid of that rusty soap dispenser and clean the built-in dispenser that still had the previous owners’ soap in it, so we could finally start using it. It felt great to clean the bathroom sink, wash and put away all my laundry, reorganize the kitchen cabinets so we could start using them in a SMART way and stop cluttering the countertops with crap that didn’t fit in the cabinets. I also got to tidy up the whole house. I got all of this done, plus had brunch with 2 friends, and even went to the mall with Tori Amos to buy jeans at NY & CO for just $7.99!!! I also had a great time on Friday at Enrique Montoya’s bday celebration at Club Cafe in Boston. It was just a wonderful weekend all around.

    I recommend turning off the TV and the computer to anyone who will try it, and watch things happen 🙂

    Right now I’m at the gate about to start boarding for the Midwest to visit my company’s mothership. Just going for 1.5 days, and coming back to hang out with Erin, who will be visiting in Boston this week – yay!

    Ugh… I hate business trips. Especially when I have a now-tidy home and a big and warm and cuddly husband I’d rather spend time with. Wish me luck. Deep breaths.

    ina

  • Unexpected Reasons to Smile

    This was Boston’s version of a random act of happiness 🙂 Definitely tickled my funny bone 🙂

    50% off on Income Tax Preparation at Liberty Tax Service (617-445-0202) with Promo Code: 19439

    Happy tax preparation to all 🙂

    ina

  • Gender role, Schmender schmrole

    So I didn’t go to the gym today. Why, do you ask? Because when I got home my driveway was covered in 4 inches of snow. Even if I had wanted to go to the gym, I would have had to drive over the snow, pressing it into ice against the pavement, and just made it harder for myself to remove it later on. And seriously, was I really going to shovel when I got home? I don’t think so. So, in lieu of going to the gym, I shoveled the driveway… broke a good sweat, too!

    Tonight’s workout

    Brian bought us chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner from the grocery store, and got me a dozen roses for our missed ♥ Valentine’s Day ♥ 🙂 He prepared dinner and served it while I finished the shoveling.

    Valentine’s Day Roses

    I love equality in gender roles. I think that one of the important aspects of our marriage is the fact that we just do whatever it takes, whether it is shoveling the driveway or making dinner, in order to live. We don’t stick to a role (he doesn’t *always* do the dishes, and I don’t *always* do the laundry), and we help the other out whenever things need to get done. That’s what 50-50 means. We basically removed the anxiety and frustration of waiting for the other to do a job, and we just both do every job. It works like a charm, and we both feel appreciated and helped. I ♥ my Brian.

    ina

  • Some good work news for a change

    I’m getting a new role in my current company! It’s been in the works for a little while, but it’s official now! I’m working hard core to transition my stuff to the next person in line, and I’ll be starting with a new team in March!

    It feels great, to do something totally different for a change 🙂 It’s the same feeling I used to get when a new school year began: new crisp notebooks, all new school supplies, maybe a new backpack, and the eagerness to do better this time around!

    Let’s see how long the excitement lasts 🙂 YEAHHH!

    ina

  • Thank You – 279 Views

    Thanks to everyone who visited my blog yesterday. I got an unprecedented 279 views yesterday alone. Great milestone!

    Thank you for stopping by!

    ina

  • My Six-Word Memoir

    Always changing; that will never change.

    From NPR: Can You Tell Your Life Story In Exactly Six Words?

    ina

  • Groundhog Day

    Yesterday was Groundhog Day. To some, it’s just a yearly event where the good people in Punxsutawney, PA, celebrate around a groundhog to hear its winter forecast: if the rodent sees a shadow, we’ll get 6 more weeks of winter (which it did this year). To others, it’s a day of reflection rooted in the Bill Murray 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” where the main character, Phil, gets stuck reliving the same day (Feb 2nd) day after day after day. I’m in that latter group.

    What would it be like if my Groundhog Day had repeated over and over? Let’s start with what happened on Day 1:

    • Overslept right through my alarm and had to apply lotion and eat a banana on the train (not the most glamorous situation, take it from me)
    • Go to work and had several productive meetings during the day (they felt good)
    • Had lunch with my sister Tina Fey (it was so much fun)
    • Had a couple more meetings (could have done without these)
    • Rushed home at 5pm but train ran late, so I got home at 6:10, grabbed my left-over soup and rushed to school
    • Got to school at 6:40, warmed up my soup in the dinky dinky microwave for 3 minutes and it was STILL cold
    • Met a couple of people, and ran into some people I hadn’t seen in a while, at the grad lounge (it was crowded and loud, not pleasant overall)
    • Had a great class on Negotiating (very animated class — love it)
    • Ran into a friend from school at the end of class, and we walked to the car together. Turns out we’ll both be taking the same classes this summer and be DONE with the MBA
    • Got home at 10:15, got ready for bed, kissed my LOST-obsessed husband goodnight, and went to bed
    • Got woken up at 3am when Brian came to bed after watching all last season episodes of Lost, plus last night premiere episode.

    Overall, it was a good day! I really wouldn’t have minded having that day over and over.

    If that day repeated itself, I have the feeling I would still oversleep every time (awful start to the day), the meetings would go the same, the lunch with my sister would be a highlight, I’d probably opt for taking an earlier train back home so I can eat before leaving for class, the Negotiating class would be awesome, and I’d love ending the day catching up with my old friend. I might try to do a better job at convincing my husband to come to bed with me at 10pm, but I have the feeling he would have never gone for it, so I’d be doomed to be woken up at 3am for all eternity. It’s OK, though, I sleep like a rock… it wouldn’t affect me much.

    What was your Groundhog Day like? What would you have changed if you could have?

    ina

  • Resolutions

    New Year’s Resolutions are what you make of them. Some people take them very seriously (that’s their to-do list for the rest of the year), and others do them just for fun (let’s see what are all the things I won’t do this year either). For me, they are an excuse to get together with friends and kick-off the year on a good note.

    For the past 3 years I have hosted a “New Year’s Resolutions Party” at my house with all of my girlfriends. The very first year I went out and bought a fishbowl and filled it with colorful pieces of paper with typical resolution ideas. At the party, all the guests (only women are invited) are provided with a notepad and a pen (Heaven knows I have accumulated enough Sheraton notepads from training sessions over the years), and then the process begins. What we do is pass the bowl around, and each person reads an idea out loud. If the idea sounds appealing, the guests can write it down on their notepads and the bowl keeps moving on. What’s great about it is that these ideas spark all sorts of conversations, and you know the party is going GREAT when we even forget who has the bowl because there is so much chatter going on.

    The first two years we would sit on the floor on blankets and cushions, but now that I have a marvelous sectional couch, and a futon I haven’t gotten rid of yet, we were able to sit in a square-shape and have all the food in the middle. It was really great to see friends who had never come to the party before having a great time and connecting with the other girls. I can’t get enough of the sound of my friends having a good time with some of my friends whom they never met before.

    In case you were wondering, here are the ideas that made it into my list:

    • Spend less money on eating out
    • Read more books for fun
    • Go to Church with my next door neighbor (I’m getting a Church buddy!)
    • Go to Zumba class at the gym (recommended by my sister-in-law)
    • Continue going to the gym 3 times a week
    • Get my teaching license
    • Go to a psychic (this one might need revision)
    • Stick to my healthy diet
    • Help more people with finances (on a more professional basis)
    • Get a curly perm (YEAH!!! Will get one done with my sister-in-law in March!!!)
    • Watch less TV
    • Spend more time with my sister, Tina Fey
    • Call my mother once a week
    • Go in business with my sister-in-law (she’s a great crafter, I’m going to help her sell it online)
    • Learn from my friend how to spend as little money as possible in clothes and groceries

    I wish I could think of clever names for my sisters-in-law. One is a very artsy elementary school teacher (that’s the one that I’m getting the perm done with), and the other (younger) is tall and gorgeous and a total free spirit. I think I’ll name the latter Dharma, from Dharma & Greg. But I’m having trouble with the former… I’ll think of something.

    Good luck with your resolutions! I know I’ll need some with mine 🙂

    ina

    This is my 100th Post! 🙂

  • Units of Ina

    I am going to try my best at writing a response worthy of Erin’s post regarding "Unit of Erin" — how many things can you measure in units of Erin? Anything that weighs 106 pounds or a multiple of it, or the number of smiles Erin manages to put on people’s faces throughout the day.

    I have to say that I do have units of ina that I think about often, and that is anything that measures 5 feet. Granted, I’m actually 5’1", but it’s easier to round down and measure things in terms of ina. When I am trying to eyeball how far away something is from something else, I picture myself lying on the ground and I count how many of me’s it would take to connect the two somethings together. This is true.

    Now, for the more philosophical unit of ina, I wish I could say it was equivalent to the number of smiles I purposely try to get on people’s faces, like Erin does, but that would not be a fair account. Actually, you could count the number of people I piss off throughout the day instead quite easily! But that’s a bit negative, isn’t it?

    On a more positive note, a unit of ina also measures bold ideas (also known as stupid, over-the-top, crazy, idealistic, irrational, unrealistic, you pick your favorite adjective). Since I haven’t quite figured out what I want to do for the rest of my life, I tend to use up 80% of my brain power every day exploring new ways to spark excitement and look forward to something new to do. These ideas can come in all shapes and sizes, and most times they are simply enjoyed while they last. One bold idea = One unit of ina.

    These ideas have materialized in several ways:

    Idea: Wanting to become a doctor
    Roots: I watched a lot of ER in 2004
    Actions:

    • I volunteered at 3 hospitals in 3 states, while I was examining the idea of going to med school
    • I bought the MCAT study book (err… never opened it)
    • I read the books "Complications" and "How to Get into Med School"
    • I requested applications from the University of Washington regarding their Pharmacology program
    • I bought "Organic Chemistry" tapes, and studied basic chemistry on my free time

    Idea: Wanting to open my own Coffee Shop
    Roots: I had just moved to Boston in 2006 and spent time at Cafes hanging out with friends, and thought that there was no other place I’d rather spend a full day in
    Actions:

    • Read the "How to Open a Coffee Shop" guide
    • Spent countless hours at a local coffee shop looking through business plans online and figuring out my own strategy to get funding
    • Cut out small business news articles and posted them in my cubicle at work
    • Applied to business school… and got in! (will graduate with an MBA in August 2010)

    Idea: Wanting to move to Barcelona for a year (2007)
    Roots: I’ve dreamed of living in France. Barcelona is close to it, and Brian could learn Spanish
    Actions:

    • Started figuring out a way to save up for Brian’s Spanish program
    • Got quotes from moving companies (I’m still getting spam from them!)
    • Started looking for jobs
    • Went on forums and asked locals what life was like

    Idea: Wanting to become a Teacher (2009)
    Roots: Sick of Corporate America after spending 6.5 years in it, looked for a change. Took a look around and I am surrounded by teachers: sister, sister-in-law, next door neighbor, mother-in-law. I like public speaking and I hear that the money sucks, but it’s a very satisfying career.
    Actions:

    • Started subbing at schools in Greater Boston
    • Started a blog to chronicle the career change journey: Teaching Inanutshelll
    • Took the first teaching test and plan on taking the second one in May
    • I browse teaching job sites to see what I’m missing

    There you have it. That is how you measure in terms of inas: distances and bold (or over-the-top) ideas.

    What’s yours?

    ina

  • I ♥ Boston

    I took this picture on my way to the Copley train station last night, on Boylston Street.

    (click to enlarge)

    Pictured: the Hancock building, the Boston Public Library, and the moon.

    ina

  • An Objective Look

    [Warning: cheesy and “me”-focused entry ahead. Proceed at your own risk]

    I’ve been writing too much about the things cluttering my mind. I think it’s time for a happy and optimistic blog.

    Sometimes we forget how lucky we really are, and it takes for a situation to get worse for us to realize how good we had it before. Do we really have to experience loss to appreciate what we have?

    Here are the things that are objectively great about my life, and I would rather not lose them because I appreciate them NOW:

    • I have a loving family where mostly everyone gets along
    • I have a husband who would do anything for me, and who knows I would do anything for him right back
    • My family is safe, in touch, and they have everything they need to survive and be happy
    • I have a roof over my head and food in my tummy every day
    • I have a brain that works perfectly fine and that has a lot of potential for more development
    • I can see, I can walk, I can hear, and I can feel
    • I am healthy
    • I am free to choose my own destiny and be whatever I want to be

    These may sound basic, but they are priceless.

    I do thank God for so many of the things I have no control over, and for helping me through life, through good and bad.

    ina

  • The Grass is Green on Your Side, Too

    I think everyone should read this post by Erin On Life. It’s very well written, and it was very inspirational.

    The grass is green on your side, too

    ina

  • Met goals for Sunday

    I’m feeling good right now… it’s 8:14pm, and I’m watching the Golden Globes with my sister (Tina Fey) and husband. (John Lithgow just won for Dexter!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!).

    I signed up for a gym so that I could do something fun for exercise: swimming! I already packed my bag. I’m going right after work tomorrow. The gym is only 3 miles from my house!!! I also stuck to a good diet today, so I don’t feel anxious, and I hope to keep it up so that my week goes well (mood-wise). I’m telling you, my mood is indirectly proportional to what I eat: the more fun my food is, the less fun I become.

    The movie “Up” just won for best animated movie!!! We screamed over here… and almost began to cry again just thinking about it.

    Anyways, back to my goals. I also put all the laundry away, planned my meals for the week and went grocery shopping. I’m excited to start the new week! But not as excited to face what is expecting me at work on Monday. Deep breath. I just hope I manage to keep work at work.

    I’m starting school on Tuesday and the teachers have not sent out the syllabus. Every other semester I have emailed the teachers in advance to find out which books we are using and to remind them to send out the syllabus. This time, I’m not in the mood to handhold my teachers. They really should get their act together. Also, the books I have been buying for the past year have been 100% USELESS, so I’m in no rush to get them off the internet.

    Have a good week everyone,

    ina

    PS: MICHAEL C. HALL JUST WON FOR DEXTER!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!! HE’S AWESOME!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

  • Welcome to inanutshelll.com!

    I am proud to announce that you can now reach this blog by going to:

    http://www.inanutshelll.com

    (The crowd goes wild and the Villagers rejoice)

    Special thanks to my hunny for getting the domain name for me 🙂

    ina

  • My 20s Decade

    As I reflected on the decade that has just passed, I couldn’t help but notice that the 2000s (or the "Oughties") were mostly occupied by my 20s. Meaning, that if I had ever wondered what my 20s were going to be like, or what I would accomplish before turning 30, the answer is right in front of me.

    I am 3 short months away from turning 29. No more wondering, no more lists, no more daydreams for what I can do before turning 30. That time is pretty much over.

    So what DID I do in my 20s?

    (not necessarily in this order)

    • I earned a Computer Science degree, with honors
    • I have lived in 4 states: MA, OR, CT and KY
    • I married the love of my life
    • I bought a home
    • I acquired many wonderful friendships
    • I managed to reach my ideal skinny weight (for about 2 weeks)
    • By the end of my 29th year, I will have earned an MBA degree
    • I have traveled to Scotland, Mexico, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Canada
    • I have seen the Pacific ocean
    • I have been to the top of the Sears Tower
    • I have kissed my love at the top of the Empire State Building
    • I have felt, for a moment, what it is like to be truly alone
    • I have felt what it’s like to not be able to live without someone special
    • I am now able to say that my significant other is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and really mean it
    • I have danced in the rain while singing "Singing in the Rain"
    • I bought my very own car, and paid off the loan 1 year early
    • I have made snow angels
    • I have been given a hickey, and I’ve given one
    • I have pulled all-nighters
    • I made a 10-ft tall snowman
    • I have dined at the Rainbow Room on my own dime
    • I have turned heads when I walked into a room
    • I have woken up at 4am just because
    • I have sung a heartfelt song that I wrote myself to my love in front of all our family members
    • I have walked the streets demonstrating for a cause I believe in
    • I have wanted to become a doctor
    • I studied basic chemistry on my free time just for fun
    • I have painted my livingroom green
    • I have a pink computer
    • I have sung alongside a country cover band in a desolate town in Arizona: I just asked, and they said yes
    • I have committed indiscretions that I will regret for as long as I live
    • I have seen all these artists in concert: Kenney Chesney (twice), Barenaked Ladies, Smashmouth, Rascal Flatts, Dierks Bentley (twice), Miranda Lambert (twice), Martina McBride, Sara Evans, Sugarland, Brooks & Dunn, Jake Owen, George Strait, Tracy Lawrence, Gary Allan, Ricardo Montaner, Chayanne, Jimmy Wayne, among others
    • I have gotten drunk and crazy
    • I have gone to Church because I wanted to
    • I have volunteered in hospitals, suicide hotlines, organizing toys, and teaching Spanish to kids
    • I take public transportation to get to work
    • I have been to the Kentucky Derby (infield)
    • I have seen the St Louis Gateway Arch
    • I have been broken up with because I wouldn’t give it up
    • I have interviewed for a job at Microsoft
    • I have hurt others, probably irrevocably
    • I have made some people happy
    • I have been to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle
    • I have laughed until I cried (stole this one from the movie "The Bucket List")
    • I have restored a homeless person’s faith in people who say "I’ll get you on my way back"
    • I have been caught by the police making out in the backseat of a car
    • I have attended the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the Colbert Report, in New York City
    • I have seen Champions on Ice (Michelle Kwon included)
    • I have played DDR at the mall
    • I have beat my entire team (18 men, 2 women) on laser tag
    • I have put myself out there and faced rejection more times than I care to count
    • I have made poor choices
    • Lastly, I have made good choices

    I could sit here and think of more, but just looking at these makes me feel like maybe my 20s weren’t as boring or pointless as I might have originally thought.

    Here’s to the last year of my 20s. Let’s add some more things to this list!

    ina

  • Au Naturel

    I’m sitting outside of the security checkpoint at the airport (going home from my biz trip) because they won’t let me in to my gate with my breakfast in hand.

    Sitting here is quite peaceful, and it begged the question: should I take out my MP3 player and listen to music?

    Then I heard a woman calling out to another saying "Excuse me, ma’am!" as she rushed towards her. When she caught up with her, still walking towards security, she asked her "Do you mind if I ask you where you got your coat? I have seen it twice before, and it’s great!" The other lady responded, with a thick European accent "Actually I got it at the Burlington Coat Factory," and they walked off too far for me to hear the rest.

    It was a nice exchange to witness: two strangers coming together and interacting for the very first time in their lives.

    There is something beautiful about being part of your surroundings and not burying yourself in your own world. At that moment I was glad I didn’t have my headphones on.

    Think about this when you consider listening to music when you are surrounded by people. You may be on your own, but you’re not alone.

    ina

  • How Are You Doing?

    I was thinking about something today. I have a general problem with overall life satisfaction. Never mind that I have a very nice life, I’ve had very lucky breaks and great opportunities, and I have found love. I am going to Heaven, and I’m going crying (that phrase sounds more natural in Spanish… but you get my point).

    So I thought: where is the balance between being completely bored and just hating everything, and being so busy I feel like canceling every single commitment on my calendar?

    Well, it’s really hard to say what would make me “just happy enough.” So I reverse engineered the problem, and started with trying to answer what would be the best response to the question:

    Hey, Ina! How are you doing?

    Ideal Answer: I’m actually doing great! The house is good, nothing more to fix for a while and we got our new couch! I finished the MBA finally, and I’ve had more time to be at home and cook for my husband and me. We’ve been exercising together, too, and we’ve both lost 20 pounds altogether! The kids at school are good. They can give me trouble sometimes, but I just end up sending them to the office. For the most part, I’m having fun with the lesson plans, and I think they are, too. Some don’t like to listen, but I know they know better. I’m also working on this cellphone application with the Google Maps API. It’s neat, although I don’t devote as much time to it as I would like. I’ve been getting together with @na and Rick every couple of weeks for their bookclub, and we just finished reading A Civil Action. I love it that we do Boston-themed books. Also, I’ve been thinking of starting the baby making machine at some point soon. It’s time, I think. I don’t want it to get so late that I’ll start wondering why I didn’t do it before! Also I have been thinking of a new idea for an after school club: a programming club. Wouldn’t that be something? Also I keep going out with the girls every couple of weeks to dinner, or plays, or whatever comes up. It’s good to talk to them and not lose touch. I’m just really busy, but doing really good!

    Wow, that would be a great answer to that question. I took some liberties with reality (such as finishing the MBA, programming with the Google API and being a teacher), but hey, that’s my perfect answer.

    What would be yours?

    ina

  • The Pleasant Life

    I have this idea of what a pleasant life would be like. It’s the life I’m convinced my husband lives everyday of his life. He doesn’t struggle through life like most of us do. He strolls through life. More than stroll, he prances. He’s the happiest person I know. I often wonder what it must be like to be him. Without a worry in the world.

    A pleasant life would be something like this: you go to work to accomplish something that day. You’re not worried about tomorrow, you’re not stressed about how things went today, you just get little satisfactions every day and that is good enough for you. Any additional courses/seminars you have to attend for work are just a part of life. There is really no rush to reach a goal, it’s all about living in the present. You come home, make dinner, do some writing or knitting or reading or whatever you want, and tomorrow is tomorrow. Life is just life.

    I don’t feel that way about my life. I stress out about everything all the time. What would it be like to just live day by day? To live in the present?

    ina

  • Good News and Bad News

    The good news is that my husband and I will be going to the Taylor Swift Concert!!!

    The bad news is that I got greedy and rejected the first set of tickets Ticketmaster selected for me (floor tickets), and was stuck buying tickets in the nose bleeds section.

    The good news is that I tried again and got better seats! (sometimes people don’t complete the forms on time and good seats get released again)

    The bad news is that I got greedy again and kept trying to get better seats, and ended up with 4 sets of 2-tickets to the concert (all in different sections of Gillette Stadium). Ouch!

    The good news is that the best tickets I got are really good and I can’t wait!!!

    Helloooo eBay 🙂

    ina

  • The Paper

    After writing the entry on Procrastination, I went up to my room and read the case for my paper. I wrote some key points on a Word document, and the paper is as good as done. I just need to put the main ideas into full sentences and fill 3 pages (double spaced). I’m sure it’ll be fine. It would be sweet to finish it early so I don’t have to think about it on Monday or Tuesday night.

    This entry is flagged as “Happy,” so let’s all rejoice. My tantrum self seems to be too tired to fight it. Yay for my rational self.

    ina

  • Thanksgiving

    I could bore you with the details of how our first Thanksgiving hosting went, but I’m exhausted. I’ll just say it went as well as expected (some might call it a great success). Turkey was fine (although the extra breasts were a bit undercooked, and they had to go back into the oven), my husband’s mother contributed with 80% of the side dishes, desserts and serving platters (which I appreciated — great team effort). Everybody came, they all had a place to sit (big concern for my husband), and everyone had a great time. I spent a couple of hours last night cleaning up, and this morning I put the clean dishes away. By breakfast time, which is 11:30am in my parents’ world, there was no sign of there having been a 14-people dinner party the night before. I love my husband for helping with the cleaning and being so independently diligent. Couldn’t have asked for a better life partner. We are exactly on the same page and we split the work without even having to discuss it. It’s just a perfect harmony. I just wish hosting wasn’t so stressful for me, personally. But my stress was no reflection on the evening at all, that’s just my own problem.

    What I did want to talk about was about THANKS. At my husband’s house they never say grace, go around saying what they are thankful for, or even do a toast (note: I prefer it that way). In my family, toasts abound, but we don’t really say grace or say what we are thankful for. My mother asked if we should do a toast, but I decided against it. I’m not comfortable with them and didn’t want to make my husband’s family uncomfortable either… so we didn’t. But that didn’t mean I didn’t have anything to be thankful for.

    I am thankful for:

    1. My healthy, loving and caring immediate and extended family. I just really lucked out in having a family that loves one another and whom I can count on to not have any drama or awkward moments in holiday gatherings.
    2. My freedom of speech.
    3. My freedom of decision about my future. I lucked out in finding a partner who supports me no matter what I do, or say, or think, or decide to do.
    4. Not having anything to really have to worry about. I have a roof over my head, I have love in my life, I have a job with a steady income, and all I have left to worry about is what to do with my time.
    5. God’s gift of constant inquiry and curiosity.
    6. My husband. I don’t know what I would do without him, and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

    I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for?

    ina

  • More Little Things

    It would not be a surprise to anyone to hear that my spirits have been down for the past few weeks. I think it’s time for another happy entry that reminds us that Life is Life is Life. It is never perfect, but we have GOT to take a break from our own heads and smell the roses every once in a while.

    Here are a few things going on right now that make me happy:

    • My husband manages to make me laugh out loud even when I am crying. How does he do it?
    • I have great friends and mentors at work who are always willing to lend a supportive ear
    • I am reading a book for fun (“A Civil Action,” bookclub!)
    • Katie at “Twenty Something” referenced my blog in hers. I feel so famous.
    • It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas
    • My hair is getting really long, and it looks nice
    • I can’t wait to see Taylor Swift on June 5th at Gillette Stadium, which, as of 3 months ago, I live 15min away from
    • I still got my health

    I know, I know. That last one was me grasping at straws. Well, I gave it a shot.

    What would be on YOUR list of little things that make you happy lately?

    ina

  • My house is now officially warm

    It is almost 3 in the morning and my housewarming party was a complete success! I spent all day on my feet getting the house ready for tonight and I am BEAT. I could go to bed right now, but my husband, who had a few drinks (he’s not a big drinker, so it didn’t take much for him to be affected), decided that now was a great time to watch the movie Hot Shots. So, I’m here watching it with him. I like drunken hubby 🙂

    As for my fear of hosting, I have to say that I was comfortable today. Hosting is EXHAUSTING but it wasn’t stressful from a social perspective. People kept one another entertained, and I got to catch up with a few people I hadn’t seen in a while. It was definitely lovely.

    I had about 4 match-making schemes planned… Yup, four. I guess my control-freakness was in high gear: sometimes I feel like it’s my job to make sure my friends are happy. I don’t believe any of the fix-ups panned out… Oh well, maybe next time 🙂

    Oh, and the turkey turned out fine 🙂 I’m ready for Thanksgiving! Bring it on!!!

    In case you were wondering, this is the recipe I followed for the turkey. It was done in 2 and a half hours.

    http://foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/do-nothing-turkey-recipe/index.html

    The only difference was that instead of rubbing olive oil on the turkey, I rubbed butter UNDER the skin and some over. Also, I didn’t have celery. One thing I would do differently is I would put an onion inside the bird until it’s done. This is my mother-in-law’s recipe. Take her word for it, she’s a wiz in the kitchen.

    If you came to the party, I hope you had as good a time as I did! And THANK YOU, it was great to see you all!

    ina

  • Congratulations Taylor Swift!!!!

    Taylor Swift Wins Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year 2009!!!

    See acceptance speech here: http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:cmt.com:455288

    I don’t really buy CDs… I’m from the Napster generation, but I have to say that I have purchased Taylor’s CDs from the beginning. The girl is an ARTIST. She writes hit songs like she’s writing the alphabet. She’s just unbelievable. Just when I thought nobody could top Kenny Chesney’s yearly concert palooza, this girl with a guitar and some songs she wrote in high school comes and sweeps it all away. What a phenomenon.

    CONGRATULATIONS, TAYLOR!!!!!

    Here she is last weekend hosting Saturday Night Live:

    http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/taylor-swift-monologue/1173589/

    ina

  • The Little Things, The Little Things, The Little Things

    There are certain things in life that bring me happiness, while there are 100% more things that cause me aggravation. Considering these odds, I thought it would be fair to dedicate an entry to the little things that currently make me happy:

    • I just got an email from Amazon: my book order (for a new book club I’m joining) just shipped: “A Civil Action”
    • My little sister (Tina Fey) loves me enough to want me to meet and hang out with her and her friends
    • I had ZERO scheduled commitments this past weekend, and I feel totally relaxed
    • Today I had a video conference with my old team from when I lived in Louisville, KY, and I could tell they were happy to see me too
    • Today I made my husband’s mother laugh until she cried
    • I have a new obsession to fix people’s financial stability and I’m enjoying thinking up business ideas
    • I now understand that my current career path is not my life passion, which has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders, and I’m able to focus more and be more productive
    • We are almost done furnishing our new house, and I look forward to being DONE in a few weeks
    • Lastly, I am dead tired, and I’m in a really comfy bed with a new down comforter. So warm and cozy.

    What would YOU add to your list of little things?

    ina