Learning from Gaga

I just wanted to tell you that this morning, 

fueled by my Day Zero motivation, I got up before the sun.

I went for a run.  In the rain.

I've told myself every single morning that I was going to do this for about a year.

I failed to get out of bed (on much more pleasant mornings) over 365 times.

But today I actually did.

Somewhere between listening to U2 and singing Lady Gaga to a field full of cows, I realized something.

It's not supposed to be easy.

I know this seems so generic.  But it finally clicked for me.  

If being that fabulous person you want to be was easy then everyone would be fabulous,

and you would have nothing to be proud of when you accomplished something.  

What separates you from your role model?

And with that I'll leave you with a little inspirational music....

Oh and ps.  For those of you who are following my unemployment saga, today I worked for the first time since December last year!  It was really hard minimum wage work at the University where Nick works, but at least I finally made some money on my own.  Hopefully it will cover that lil shopping spree I took myself on yesterday...

Because Bucket Lists Don't Have Deadlines

Today is Day Zero, for me anyways. 

 Because this weekend I started my 101 things to do in 1001 days list.  

I know what your thinking, "Kelly enough with the lists already."   

Loud and clear, blogosphere... 

Let me explain.

Via

I love my bucket list.  LOVE it!  And I'm definitely working on it.  

However, the main problem with a Bucket List is there is no deadline - 

at least for anyone who's not terminally ill or something.
I might live for another 60 - 80 years, (my great grandpa lived to 100 - I got good genes)
 so really, there's no pressure on me TODAY.
Sure I do things when they are convenient for me,
but when is Riding Elephants in Thailand (number 11) going to be convenient?

See the problem?

The great thing about Day Zero is it gives you a deadline.  

We all know how much more we can accomplish when the deadline is looming, 

which is the beauty of Day Zero.  

And the 1001 days is a realistic deadline,

 its about 2.75 years so that gives you multiple seasons to plan ahead, 

but not too many that your goal gets swept under the rug.

The rules are simple : Tasks must be specific, with a result that is clearly defined.

I've pulled some tasks from my original bucket list and put them onto Day Zero.  

I've also added lots of new ones.  

You're welcome to view my Day Zero Project here.

Via

So what are you waiting for?
Get busy!!

We Live in a Cliche British Town

After Ebony and I played in London I took her back up to Sheffield to see my stomping ground.

The weather was grey and nasty and I can't imagine anything more cliche for her visit here.

I mean how predictable is it?!?

The fog and perfectly manicured gardens ...

The Very cliche red telephone box.

Of course she took the cliche tourist picture with it.

Warning : 

Although these look adorable,

 if you visit and try to get your picture inside of one, 

there is a 99% chance that when you open the door

it will smell very very strongly of urine.

There is an 83% that there will be photos of scantily clad women inside.

If you want, you can call them for a good time.

Cliche little village a couple miles from our house.  

Looking even more cliche in the fog.

We had tea in a little cafe / post office.  

Which is also a cliche thing to do in England.

And we said hello to some greedy ducks, who got a little too close for comfort.  

But I really like the awkward skinny black and white duck.

I wish I could have an awkward pet duck.

Since it's black, I'd name it Darkwing Duck.

I'd laugh at it walking awkwardly in my manicured British garden 

and we'd have our own supply of duck eggs, which is on my list.

Or maybe I'd have a goose and call it Silly.

Then it would really be a Silly Goose.

Happy Friday!

My Dog Matches My House

Did I ever tell you about when I volunteered at the pound in Chicago?

I loved it.  Playing with puppies is the best.

But you know what was not the best?

People who give their sweet puppies up -  for stupid reasons.

The pound isn't much fun for a pup.

I think I've told you this before, but my favorite "reason" was...

The dog didn't match my decor.

Yikes!

But isn't Heidi lucky?

See we painted the bedroom to match her. 

So she doesn't have to worry about such nonsense.

Good thing, huh?

Now she can get back to napping.

Do you let your dog sleep in your bed?

I hate it.  I think it's kind of gross.

Except when I'm cold.

She's pretty cozy.  

And I have to admit she's a good snuggler.

OK I guess I don't hate it that much.

Want or Need?

I'm not sure whether this is airing my dirty laundry a lil too much, but one of the biggest fights Nick and I have regularly is on the issue of purchasing a car.  My little American self does not like walking.  Call me lazy if you will but when a 5 minute car ride turns into an hour walk, I really have no desire to get off my arse.  And I can honestly say that our lack of car is seriously holding us back from enjoying the beautiful English countryside.

So, even though my husband says we'll get a car, I'm not sure when, if ever, this is going to happen, so I have started contemplating the purchase of a bike.  The problem is, they are kind of pricey and I wonder whether I will actually use it or I whether I will be just as lazy as a pedaler as I am a walker.  Also, running errands with a bike doesn't seem that appealing because where do I put stuff?  Groceries?  Dry cleaning?  I can't figure it out.

Enter Madsen Cycles.  I first saw these cargo bikes on the lovely Kera's blog.  Even though I thought she was adorable carting her two little boys around in one, I didn't really see the potential for my childless self.



But I keep seeing them around the blogs these days, and so I went to their website to have a little gander.  And it hit me...



The dog, the blue color, the flowers.  I need this bike.  I would take Heidi deep into the countryside and then we would go exploring, sans vehicle.  How cute would we look?  Hey, I could even put my husband in the back - he never learned to ride a bike (sad childhood I know!).  I might cycle him along to a new restaurant since the only one we ever go to is the one within walking distance.  Talk about a date.  Do you think it would be for or against man code to have your woman drive you around in the bucket of a bike?  And I could go grocery shopping without having to pay for a cab.  And I could make it to rowing practice without having to find a ride.  Oh the joy of being self reliant!

Do you want one too?  Madsen Cycles is having a contest where you can win one by linking back to their site.  I wasn't going to tell you because I wanted to up my chances of winning, but I feel too guilty.  Damn you, conscious.

Update: I just read the contest rules again, you have to be in America to win.  Bullocks.

24 Hours Unplugged

The other day, Molly challenged me to go 24 hours unplugged.  

I'm game.  Bring it on.

I knew it would be challenging, but I seriously thought I could do it.

I think Molly tried to go totally gadget free, but I just wanted my computer turned off because that is my biggest problem.  I'm not addicted to my phone and don't really use it for anything but calling Nick, so I didn't have a no phone rule as part of the challenge.  

Here is a break down of my technology free day in response to Molly's breakdown....

7:00 - wake up.
8 - 10:00 receive delivery of new kitchen!!  Woooo hoooo!! 
10:00 - Notice they have provided us with the wrong piece of counter top.
10:13 - Call Nick to discuss this.  He sends me a file with our order on it that he his unable to open.  Asks me to open it for him.
10:14 - Shit.  OK well this is important I will turn the computer on for a minute.
10:15 - Computers on.  Check facebook. 
10:22 - Open email document Nick sent me. 
10:25 - Call Nick back and sort our little problem out.  Should be fine.  Turn computer off and tell myself it will be off for the rest of the day.  Yeah.  Sure.
11:00 - Kitchen fitter arrives.  Talk through plans.  He requests money and tea.  Seriously, the British can't do anything without tea.
11:26 - Take Heidi out for a walk. 
12:10 - Walk past a swing set.  Realize I have plenty of time on my hands since I have no computer and I sit down on the swing and watch Heidi stalk birds in the field.  Then I start to swing.  Like really swing.  Hell yeah!  This is as much fun as I remember it being 10 years ago. I'm FLYINGGGGGGGGGGGGG.  Why haven't I done this in ages!?
12:30 - Arrive home.  Go into new kitchen and it is already looking awesome.  Seriously brings a tear to my eye.
1:00 - Eat lunch.  
1:30 - Iron Nick's shirts.
 2:00 - Ummmm what am I supposed to do now?  Crawl into bed with Heidi and pass out despite lots of banging and drilling and construction noise.  Oh insomnia, I hate you, but you do provide me with the best day time naps.
3:30 - Nick calls and is on his way home. 
4:00 - Nick gets home.  Show him the kitchen and talk to the kitchen fitters.  He is pumped.  
4:30 - 5:45 - I talk to my husband.  Like actually talk to him.  Without any internet distractions. Amazing.
5:30 - Nick asks if I have looked for jobs today.  I tell him no - I am trying not to use my computer today.  This pisses him off.  He understands the point of not doing useless stuff on the computer, but he thinks I need to be looking for jobs.  
5:35 - I turn on the computer.  I check facebook, I read blogs.
5:45 - I look at a few jobs.
5:55 - I introduce Nick to Total Frat Move.  Hilarious.  But such a waste of time.  He thinks my internet addiction really is a problem.
6:00 - Nick gets ready to go to a work party.  He bought new shoes and a new suit and he looks hot.  I actually take the time to tell him this because I have closed down TFM.  I could tell how good it made him feel.  Must remember to tell him this more often.
6:30 - Nick's cab arrives and I make dinner.
6:30 - 7:00 - Eat dinner in front of computer.  Send Molly a message to tell her I failed on 24 hours unplugged.
7:00 - Turn off computer.  Begin painting wood work in hall way.
8:00 - Mom calls.  Cell phone dies mid conversation.  Ugh.  Must turn computer back on to return her call on Skype.
8:30 - Back to painting.  Computer is left on, meaning I sporadically check email and facebook mid paint, but I try not to do it as much as normal.  And I have a revelation.  More on this later.
10:30 - Finish painting.  Take a much needed bath since we still do not have a shower.  Thats OK though, I used Lush products and that makes life better.  
11:00 Nick comes home.  I check my email and facebook before bed and decide that I have royally FAILED at being unplugged for 24 hours.  


And that my friends is my day unplugged.  Really, I wasn't unplugged at all.  But the truth is, this made me more mindful of my internet usage.   While trying to avoid using the computer made me feel slightly anxious at first, I quickly figured out how much my productivity and enjoyment of the simple things in life would increase if I could manage use it less.  

Also noted, when my computer is turned on, I have the urge to check it more and get sucked in.  If it is turned off, that urge is much MUCH easier to resist.


The thing I think I've realized is this:  Using your computer is like eating.  Hear me out.  It's not a sin.  But if you eat too much, that is gluttony, and that IS a sin.  Likewise, using your (my) computer too often for mindless activity is wasting YOUR (my) potential.  From now on, I will make an effort to use my computer mindfully.  

Can you go 24 hours unplugged? 

Today I am a Negative Nancy

I just need to spill my guts today.  I hope you're OK with that.  

I don't know whether it is the changing of seasons here right now, or the fact that I have inhaled a lot of paint fumes lately, but I am feeling pretty down in the dumps.

It might also be the fact that I've lived off mostly microwaveable food for the past 3 weeks, and it is sure doing weird things to my body.  My skin is worse than it was in high school, I feel fat and bloated, have no energy, and let's just say Nick and I would both benefit from this right now.  I'm not even joking.  How do people live like this all the time?  The large lady in front of us at the grocery store the other day was buying Mac and cheese IN A CAN.  I dry heaved.  Literally.  I didn't even know that existed till then.  The good news is our kitchen arrives Thursday and should be fully functioning by the beginning of next week.

Furthermore, every time I look at the doorsteps of our neighbors, which are devoid of any pumpkins or other Halloween decorations I feel kind of homesick.  Reading your blogs with pretty pictures of fall, apple picking, and Halloween decor is not doing me any good either.  I'm jealous and willing to admit that.  

Lastly, the fact that it is currently mid October and Christmas decorations are on sale is making me feel super anxious about life.  I feel like I have been very unproductive this year.  Like my personal world is changing around me but I'm not really making any of these changes happen like I should be, and I need to be a whole lot more active and creative and goal oriented.  I constantly feel like a lost puppy.  The good news is next week I managed to get 5 weeks of paid work, which will be the first work I have had since December last year, and bringing home a little bacon is sure to make me feel slightly more productive.

Do you ever think about how much time you waste watching TV, facebooking, or whatever else your vice is?  I wish I didn't check my email, facebook, and reader every 5 minutes.  My life would certainly NOT be worse off, but I can't seem to restrain myself.  I think it's an addiction.  Does anyone else have this problem.  Better yet, does anyone have a cure for this problem?  

Also, we really need cheap furniture, and there is no Ikea around here slash we don't have a car (did I mention my license is expired in England now, so even though we want one, I can't drive until I pass the super hard British test, which takes months to book anyways?).  Where do you buy cheap furniture thats not Ikea or stolen from your mom (mum)?  Our clothes are currently hanging in cardboard boxes.  It's not working too well.

That's all.  Sorry for writing an essay.

Lean On Me

This video made my day.

ps.  I hope you have someone to lean on.

pss. If you don't, lean on me.

Tower of London

I took Eb to the Tower of London while she was here.

And I think it was her favorite thing.

Australian's don't have old stuff,

so the fact that the tower dates back hundreds of years was pretty cool to her.

Oh and it was her first castle. 

All the King's horses.

The tiniest armor ever.  Next to the biggest armor ever.

If you must know, we made love to this guard with our eyes.

And no, he didn't reciprocate.

Better luck next time.

This guy, however, flashed his pearly whites and called himself,

"a thorn between two roses."

How charming.

The Tower of London is a tourist trap that is well worth getting trapped in.

And I can't say that about every tourist trap in London.

My favorite is the Queen's jewels - they have her crown there.

And oh man is that mature bird BLING.

I also like the torture rooms and the rooms where the prisoners were kept.

But I was too enthralled to take any pictures there.

Since We're On the Topic....

...Of doing ridiculous things to our dogs.

My darling husband

does not believe me when I tell him that we have

 A LOT of things that we NEVER use and for the sake of saving space, 

we should get rid of.

I came across this while unpacking.  

Proof we (he) are (is) hoarders.  

If you must know, it is a "Hound Dog" Elvis wig.

Pun Intended.

See the resemblance?

Yeah, me neither.

ps.  It was a gift.

Harrod's Pet Department - We Had A Furbulous Time!

After a night full of Long Island Iceteas (our drink of choice)

and bumping, grinding and making boys fall in love with us, 

Eb and I were feeling a little  LOT rough Sunday morning.

We didn't make it out of bed in time to see Krystal do her gorilla run (so sad),

but we did have just enough time to make it to Harrod's pet department.

I couldn't wait to share these pics with you, blogosphere.

What's a pet store without pets?!  

I accidentally broke the no photo rule to take a picture of these cute little Bichon Frises.  

They also had baby pekinese pups, and hamsters and gerbils, etc.

If you already have a pup,

for a mere £139 you can get him/her this pet hamper.  

Complete with "pupcorn" and various other doggie delights.

See the Pupcakes book in the back?  It's a dog cook book. 

Eb bought it for me... I mean for Heidi.

You betcha bottom dollar there will be dog food posts appearing on this blog in the future.

Paw-fiterolls at the Pet Cafe.

I'm not gonna lie, I'd eat these.

The Pet fashion department.

Does your furry little diva need a new party dress?

It's Geek Chic.... 

but it makes me feel kind of immature.

"I bone" Seriously?

Just in case you need to dress your doggie up as a the Very Hungry Caterpillar for Halloween.

Roberto Cavalli's line for pets.

If you loved your furbaby, you'd get him a puffer vest.

For only £250 your dog deserves this.

I think I spent too long in this store, 

because by the time we left I decided Heidi needed this collar from Mungo & Maud.

It would match her fur perfectly.

Yup, I've lost my mind.

Last but certainly not least,

the Michael Jackson Chihuahua.  

There are no words.

You don't have to thank me.

I know this made your day better.

You're welcome.

Cupcakes in Notting Hill

While Ebony was in London,
she got really excited about visiting places that were on the Monopoly board.

Apparently in Australia the squares are named after places in London.

Who knew?

One of her monopoly destinations was Notting Hill.

So of course I had to take her there.

And by "had to" I mean Notting Hill is my favorite neighborhood in London,

especially on a Market day, so this was pretty much a no brainer for me.

Seriously, if we ever move back to London, Notting Hill is where it's at.

It's the perfect spot for people watching,
and there is always something to eat (most importantly) see or do.

Eb isn't really into the whole antiques market scene,

so when we passed the famous Hummingbird Bakery,
 and I told her how I often lusted after their cupcakes,

but was far too impatient to stand in their very long line,
she convinced me that we HAD to do it.

So stand in line we did.

And continuing on with our dishevelled homeless theme for the weekend,

we plopped ourselved down on a side street, and devoured this cupcake goodness

while watching the vintage girls, the hipsters and the posh crowd stroll by.

The cupcake was definitely worth the wait.
(which honestly wasn't as long as I thought it would be)

The icing was delicious, cake was good, 

but just a little too far on the dry side of things  

to merit "perfection". 

Still excellent cupcakes though.

It was the ideal Saturday afternoon in London.
I wish you could've been there.

ps.  If you are too far away from Notting Hill to pick one of these up yourself,

Hummingbird Bakery has a cookbook that looks absolutely fabulous.

I think I'll buy it when we finally have a kitchen again.

pss. I know my sparkle blue nail polish is trashy, but I love it anyways.
So there.

An Australian in London

Hello Friends,

So sorry for my long blogging absence! 

I've been getting too busy to blog! 

 ...and then my computer broke (the horror)

The day after we moved in I headed straight to London to pick up my good friend,

Ebony, an ex housemate from Australia, who is on her way to Germany for study abroad.

I was so happy she made the pit stop in England to visit me!

Have I ever mentioned I LOVE guests?

Sorry we look a little rough (homeless?).

It was my first true hostel experience.

And I definitely did not come prepared.

Towel - I forgot.

Hair dryer - I forgot.

Showers - I didn't take many.

probably shouldn't be admitting this publicly.  

But had I known better,

The Walrus Waterloo Hostel treated us pretty good.

Below is the view at sunrise from the top bunk of our room.

I showed Eb all the sights. 

And I hope by the end of it she hearts London too.

Living in the country for the past six months, 

I kind of forgot how the city has a real buzz and energy to it.

I definitely needed the change of pace!

I have lots more of our London adventures to share with you,

but I'll save them for next time.

Just wondering, are you city people or country folk?