(I absolutely meant to take a picture yesterday and add it to this post. Then we were running late and I didn't get to it.)
Where do you call home?
ha ha ha.
If you've followed me for any amount of time, you know that we basically have a home everywhere at this point.
I have an Alaska driver's license, with a Colorado address on it, and I live in Pennsylvania. We could start with that.
The short version: I grew up in Pennsylvania, married into the military, moved to Alaska for 4 years, moved to Missouri for one year, moved to Colorado for 4 years, moved to Wyoming for 7 months, and moved to Pennsylvania in December. We'll be in Pittsburgh for about 18 months and then it will be onto the next location.
We just sold a house in Colorado, we own a home that we're renting out to tenants in Wyoming, we're currently renting a house to live in while we're in Pittsburgh, and we also own a house in Pennsylvania that we're trying to flip and sell.
One of our dogs is from Kentucky, the other is from Minnesota, and our 8 month old baby was born in Wyoming.
I think that may cover it?
What jobs have you held and what do you do now?
I did the usually smattering of jobs while in high school and college (baby-sitting, waitressing, etc).
I was a substitute teacher for 2 years, one year in Pennsylvania and one year in Anchorage.
I was a 4th grade teacher for 3 years in Alaska.
I was a 2nd grade teacher for 1 year in Missouri.
I was a 4th grade teacher for 4 years in Colorado.
I quit my job last May, had a baby in July, and now I'm staying at home with him. Quitting teaching, having a baby, and moving twice in one year made for a verrrrrry tough 2018.
What secret (or not so secret) talent do you have?
I have a near-photographic memory. It's a pain at times because I will stew over something that happened years ago, but it's helpful when Scott asks where something is and I can randomly remember a glance I gave an object in a box in the basement weeks ago.
What accomplishment are you most proud of from the past year?
Making it to 2019 feeling okay, after all the changes in 2018. I mean, surviving with my mental health in tact and, while I feel very different than I did a year ago, I feel okay. It's becoming annoyingly repetitive in my own mind, but the whole I moved twice and lived in 3 different states in 7 months+had a baby thing is getting old as my narrative. But I don't know what else to say about the last year.
What is one concert or show you'd like to see?
I wouldn't.
I've been to concerts, I've been to shows, etc. I just don't care?
I do love The Nutcracker and would really enjoy going to see a production of it every Christmas season.
If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Some type of Asian noodle dish. Like a pad Thai or a bun bowl, with a side of crab rangoon. The best pad thai I ever had was in Missouri and the best bun bowl was in Colorado Springs.
Favorite place to go on vacation?
I like to vacation in warm places or during warm times of year. Packing up cold weather clothes is counterproductive, I think. We went on a cruise and while we got horribly sick, it was nice and warm in Central America.
What's something that is calming to you?
Cleaning. Organizing. Throwing things away. Also, Pilates and reading.
I borrowed this from Rebecca! (who borrowed it from someone else :)
Showing posts with label About. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About. Show all posts
March 27, 2019
March 22, 2017
A very long survey.
(Copy/paste is not my friend today. So this is blue.)
1. What are your nicknames? What you do like to be called? I have no nicknames. Most often I just hear Mrs. Darhower over and over (and over) again all day long.
2. What books are on your shelf begging to be read? Red Rising. Been sitting there since Christmas. Also, Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst.
3. How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like? I don't really. There's an interesting answer.
4. What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep? Toss and turn? Try to get up and do something productive? I read and that puts me to sleep real quick-like. Or I online shop and/or get up and do something productive. I rarely allow myself to toss and turn, but that almost never happens anyway. One problem I don't have is a sleep problem.
5. How many days could you last in solitary confinement? How would you do it? Probably awhile, having been through several deployments and I spend all my at-home time mostly alone.
6. Do you save old greeting cards and letters? Throw them away? I'll save them for a month or so until I start going through paperwork and then I toss them. I'm not making a binder full of Christmas cards.
7. What is your dream career? Eh. I want to say I'm doing it? But I always wanted to be a college professor. Professional dog-petter probably isn't a thing.
8. When making an entrance into a party, do you make your presence known? Do you slip in and look for someone you know? Do you sneak in quietly and find a safe spot to roost? Stay as unassuming as possible and desperately look for someone I know. And usually I dread the party for the three days leading up to it and try to think of a way to get out of it.
9. What is your strongest sense? If you had to give one up, which would it be? Smells really bug me so that probably is my strongest. Other than that, you can't taste if you can't smell, so...I'll say what Angi said and give up my sense of direction. It's practically worthless anyway.
10. How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? Several. But just because I stand in front of people all day and like to know that I (kind of) look okay. But if I'm at home, rarely.
11. What’s the strangest thing you believed as a child? That thunder was the sound of clouds hitting together. I just assumed that for an embarrassingly long time.
12. What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up? Blogging. Or candy corn. Or Rose Gardner mysteries.
13. Who performs the most random acts of kindness out of everyone you know? My husband. He insists we buy dinner for random people in restaurants. That's the kind of person he is.
14. How often do you read the newspaper? Which paper? Which sections? I don't read a newspaper. I watch the news like a fiend though. This is why I won't give up cable. It plays from 5am-7am and from 5pm-7pm every day in the background.
15. Which animals scare you the most? Why? Rattlesnakes. Self-explanatory.
16. Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage it head-on? I like to do my research and prepare in advance.
17. What was the most recent compliment you’ve received and savored? Well, I cheated and asked my husband. He said I'm a good dog mom, a good cook, and a good house cleaner because I get "all the crevices". There we are. I know things would not run in the household without me. Scott can deploy and I can manage but I don't know if it'd work the other way around. He takes care of a lot of things, but food/cleaning/laundry is all me.
18. What is something about yourself that you hope will change, but probably never will? I've been trying to convince myself to start getting my brows shaped. I like my thicker, more natural eyebrows and I'm always afraid someone will ruin them.
19. Are you a creature of habit? Absolutely yes.
20. Are you high maintenance? Explain. Absolutely yes. This would take too long.
21. When was the last time you really pushed yourself to your physical limits? A few weeks back when I had to help more the old furniture out of the living room. It wasn't pretty. Also, when Scott made me help him lift the 400 pound double-oven into place. Or when I had to help haul a refrigerator down the flight of stairs and then haul another one up the same set of stairs. 20 open-air deck steps that are wooden and wobbly.
22. Do you have a whole lot of acquaintances or just a few very close friends? Why? Both. I have a few friends I talk to every day, both via text and online. Other than that, I have acquaintances all over the world thanks to the army, but it's hard to keep in touch. .
23. Are you more inclined to “build your own empire” or unleash the potential of others? Who wouldn't want to build an empire?
24. What’s a strange occurrence you’ve experienced but have never (or rarely) shared with anyone? I don't know what kind of answer is expected here.
25. What do you think about more than anything else? Currently...a few things. But I've really focused in on not trying to play God in my own life. It's a struggle. More often than not, though, I'm thinking about my dogs. So much so that my coworker tried my dogs' names as my computer password at work one day when I wasn't there. (My password is not my dogs' names.)
26. What’s something that amazes you? How life moves along and a lot can happen without you even realizing how much you've gotten through and accomplished.
27. Do you prefer that people shoot straight with you or temper their words? Tact goes a long way. As does professionalism. Also, if it's not helpful, it's usually hurtful.
28. Where’s your favorite place to take an out of town guest? Ha. To our home on the prairie.
29. What’s one thing you’d rather pay someone to do than do yourself? Pedicures.
30. Do you have a catchphrase? Not really. I say "indeed" and "ah, got it" a lot. And my dogs know my voice when I say iloveyoumylittlefluffernutter. I say that a lot.
31. What is one of your most cherished memories? Any homecoming ceremony after a deployment.
32. How and where do you prefer to study? Let's call this "grade papers". I grade papers between 5-9am, always with coffee and a good show on in the background.
33. What position do you sleep in? My side.
34. What’s your all-time favorite town or city? Oooo..tough. We were really fond of Palmer, Alaska. Alaska was an inconvenient place to live, yes. But that small town was nice. I love Boston though.
35. What are the top three qualities that draw you to someone new? When they do what they say they're going to do, when they ask questions as well as talk about themselves, when they're generally kind and friendly to everyone (not just me).
36. How has your birth order/characteristics of siblings affected you? First-borns are thought to be high-achieving and I struggle with perfectionist tendencies. Also, I've always been bossy, but not particularly independent. I've gotten better at independence, but I'm also introverted in that I like being alone (and I'm 99% sure I have one of those highly-sensitive personalities), so independence has grown on me.
37. If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be? I plead the 5th on this.
38. If you could restore one broken relationship, which would it be? Probably childhood friendships that went by the wayside after high school and college. I'm generally pretty good at making friends where I am and I love my Co Springs friends, just like I loved my Alaska friends and my Missouri friends. The army has done me a service by bringing these relationships into my life.
However, it'd be nice if I had the kinds of friends back home that Scott has. I do have friends in PA that I love to see when I can but we'd have to go home for that and we've not done that for awhile.
39. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? I never wanted a different name because I figured I'd never settle on the perfect one. People do spell it wrong and that's annoying.
40. Do you believe ignorance is bliss? Why or why not? I kind of learned that the last deployment. There were things Scott and I didn't tell each other because him knowing that the township in Pennsylvania was threatening to fine us over "too high weed-growth" outside our house there...or me knowing that something else went wrong in Afghanistan...none of that moves the needle. I believe there's things we just need to absorb and get past on our own.
And yes, sometimes there's things I'd rather not know.
For example, I don't check my work email on the weekend.
41. What do you consider unforgivable? Using the last K-Cup. Eating my leftovers. Taking food off my plate.
42. Have you forgiven yourself for past personal failures? Sure. I don't like to dwell on things that can't be changed.
43. How difficult is it for you to forgive someone who refuses to apologize? I think the issue is that the person doesn't believe they have anything to apologize for and that's not anything I can change. I can usually forgive ignorance, if this is the case.
44. Do you hold any convictions that you would be willing to die for? Indeed.
45. What three fictional characters best represent you? I'm really not sure. If you have any ideas, please send them my way.
47. What was the best news you ever received? Getting my first real job. I remember the phone call well.
48. How difficult is it for you to be honest, even when your words may be hurtful or unpopular? I don't go out of my way to tout my opinion about things that may hurt others. It's just unnecessary. However, I've never really cared about being popular, so if someone doesn't like me over the fact that *insert whatever here*, that's not something I can change. I'd like to think that we can find other common ground, though. While I don't want to be actively disliked, I've never felt a compulsive need to be liked.
49. When did you immediately click with someone you just met? Why? Well, my husband was like-love-engaged-married at first sight. A friend here in CO because we hate the same things. And blog friends are really easy to sort into "yep we click" and "no we don't click" pretty quickly.
50. When do you find yourself singing? Never.
Feel free to copy/paste! I got the survey from Angi.
1. What are your nicknames? What you do like to be called? I have no nicknames. Most often I just hear Mrs. Darhower over and over (and over) again all day long.
2. What books are on your shelf begging to be read? Red Rising. Been sitting there since Christmas. Also, Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst.
3. How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like? I don't really. There's an interesting answer.
5. How many days could you last in solitary confinement? How would you do it? Probably awhile, having been through several deployments and I spend all my at-home time mostly alone.
6. Do you save old greeting cards and letters? Throw them away? I'll save them for a month or so until I start going through paperwork and then I toss them. I'm not making a binder full of Christmas cards.
7. What is your dream career? Eh. I want to say I'm doing it? But I always wanted to be a college professor. Professional dog-petter probably isn't a thing.
8. When making an entrance into a party, do you make your presence known? Do you slip in and look for someone you know? Do you sneak in quietly and find a safe spot to roost? Stay as unassuming as possible and desperately look for someone I know. And usually I dread the party for the three days leading up to it and try to think of a way to get out of it.
9. What is your strongest sense? If you had to give one up, which would it be? Smells really bug me so that probably is my strongest. Other than that, you can't taste if you can't smell, so...I'll say what Angi said and give up my sense of direction. It's practically worthless anyway.
10. How many times a day do you look at yourself in the mirror? Several. But just because I stand in front of people all day and like to know that I (kind of) look okay. But if I'm at home, rarely.
11. What’s the strangest thing you believed as a child? That thunder was the sound of clouds hitting together. I just assumed that for an embarrassingly long time.
12. What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up? Blogging. Or candy corn. Or Rose Gardner mysteries.
13. Who performs the most random acts of kindness out of everyone you know? My husband. He insists we buy dinner for random people in restaurants. That's the kind of person he is.
14. How often do you read the newspaper? Which paper? Which sections? I don't read a newspaper. I watch the news like a fiend though. This is why I won't give up cable. It plays from 5am-7am and from 5pm-7pm every day in the background.
15. Which animals scare you the most? Why? Rattlesnakes. Self-explanatory.
16. Are you more likely to avoid conflict or engage it head-on? I like to do my research and prepare in advance.
17. What was the most recent compliment you’ve received and savored? Well, I cheated and asked my husband. He said I'm a good dog mom, a good cook, and a good house cleaner because I get "all the crevices". There we are. I know things would not run in the household without me. Scott can deploy and I can manage but I don't know if it'd work the other way around. He takes care of a lot of things, but food/cleaning/laundry is all me.
18. What is something about yourself that you hope will change, but probably never will? I've been trying to convince myself to start getting my brows shaped. I like my thicker, more natural eyebrows and I'm always afraid someone will ruin them.
19. Are you a creature of habit? Absolutely yes.
20. Are you high maintenance? Explain. Absolutely yes. This would take too long.
21. When was the last time you really pushed yourself to your physical limits? A few weeks back when I had to help more the old furniture out of the living room. It wasn't pretty. Also, when Scott made me help him lift the 400 pound double-oven into place. Or when I had to help haul a refrigerator down the flight of stairs and then haul another one up the same set of stairs. 20 open-air deck steps that are wooden and wobbly.
22. Do you have a whole lot of acquaintances or just a few very close friends? Why? Both. I have a few friends I talk to every day, both via text and online. Other than that, I have acquaintances all over the world thanks to the army, but it's hard to keep in touch. .
23. Are you more inclined to “build your own empire” or unleash the potential of others? Who wouldn't want to build an empire?
24. What’s a strange occurrence you’ve experienced but have never (or rarely) shared with anyone? I don't know what kind of answer is expected here.
25. What do you think about more than anything else? Currently...a few things. But I've really focused in on not trying to play God in my own life. It's a struggle. More often than not, though, I'm thinking about my dogs. So much so that my coworker tried my dogs' names as my computer password at work one day when I wasn't there. (My password is not my dogs' names.)
26. What’s something that amazes you? How life moves along and a lot can happen without you even realizing how much you've gotten through and accomplished.
27. Do you prefer that people shoot straight with you or temper their words? Tact goes a long way. As does professionalism. Also, if it's not helpful, it's usually hurtful.
28. Where’s your favorite place to take an out of town guest? Ha. To our home on the prairie.
29. What’s one thing you’d rather pay someone to do than do yourself? Pedicures.
30. Do you have a catchphrase? Not really. I say "indeed" and "ah, got it" a lot. And my dogs know my voice when I say iloveyoumylittlefluffernutter. I say that a lot.
31. What is one of your most cherished memories? Any homecoming ceremony after a deployment.
32. How and where do you prefer to study? Let's call this "grade papers". I grade papers between 5-9am, always with coffee and a good show on in the background.
33. What position do you sleep in? My side.
34. What’s your all-time favorite town or city? Oooo..tough. We were really fond of Palmer, Alaska. Alaska was an inconvenient place to live, yes. But that small town was nice. I love Boston though.
35. What are the top three qualities that draw you to someone new? When they do what they say they're going to do, when they ask questions as well as talk about themselves, when they're generally kind and friendly to everyone (not just me).
36. How has your birth order/characteristics of siblings affected you? First-borns are thought to be high-achieving and I struggle with perfectionist tendencies. Also, I've always been bossy, but not particularly independent. I've gotten better at independence, but I'm also introverted in that I like being alone (and I'm 99% sure I have one of those highly-sensitive personalities), so independence has grown on me.
37. If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be? I plead the 5th on this.
38. If you could restore one broken relationship, which would it be? Probably childhood friendships that went by the wayside after high school and college. I'm generally pretty good at making friends where I am and I love my Co Springs friends, just like I loved my Alaska friends and my Missouri friends. The army has done me a service by bringing these relationships into my life.
However, it'd be nice if I had the kinds of friends back home that Scott has. I do have friends in PA that I love to see when I can but we'd have to go home for that and we've not done that for awhile.
39. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? I never wanted a different name because I figured I'd never settle on the perfect one. People do spell it wrong and that's annoying.
40. Do you believe ignorance is bliss? Why or why not? I kind of learned that the last deployment. There were things Scott and I didn't tell each other because him knowing that the township in Pennsylvania was threatening to fine us over "too high weed-growth" outside our house there...or me knowing that something else went wrong in Afghanistan...none of that moves the needle. I believe there's things we just need to absorb and get past on our own.
And yes, sometimes there's things I'd rather not know.
For example, I don't check my work email on the weekend.
41. What do you consider unforgivable? Using the last K-Cup. Eating my leftovers. Taking food off my plate.
42. Have you forgiven yourself for past personal failures? Sure. I don't like to dwell on things that can't be changed.
43. How difficult is it for you to forgive someone who refuses to apologize? I think the issue is that the person doesn't believe they have anything to apologize for and that's not anything I can change. I can usually forgive ignorance, if this is the case.
44. Do you hold any convictions that you would be willing to die for? Indeed.
45. What three fictional characters best represent you? I'm really not sure. If you have any ideas, please send them my way.
46. In what area of your life are you immature? I'm bad at money or dealing with things I don't want to do. I will put off phone calls for eternity. In fact, there's one I've been avoiding for 2.5 years now.
47. What was the best news you ever received? Getting my first real job. I remember the phone call well.
48. How difficult is it for you to be honest, even when your words may be hurtful or unpopular? I don't go out of my way to tout my opinion about things that may hurt others. It's just unnecessary. However, I've never really cared about being popular, so if someone doesn't like me over the fact that *insert whatever here*, that's not something I can change. I'd like to think that we can find other common ground, though. While I don't want to be actively disliked, I've never felt a compulsive need to be liked.
49. When did you immediately click with someone you just met? Why? Well, my husband was like-love-engaged-married at first sight. A friend here in CO because we hate the same things. And blog friends are really easy to sort into "yep we click" and "no we don't click" pretty quickly.
50. When do you find yourself singing? Never.
Feel free to copy/paste! I got the survey from Angi.
July 28, 2015
Are you a Maximizer or a Satisficer?
Remodeling this house has taught me a lot about myself.
Gretchen Rubin said something in her podcast a few weeks ago that really struck me: Are you a maximizer or a satisficer? You can read an article on the subject here but, in short, a maximizer must examine every choice from every angle in order to be sure the best decision is being made. A satisficer will make a decision as soon as they find the need is met.
This can apply to almost anything and I can see traits of both types of decision-making in myself.
Gretchen gives the example of the wedding dress in the article I linked above. I, for example, tried on about 3 wedding dresses, and went with the one I originally assumed I was going to get. I felt no need to try on all the dresses I could find. I was satisfied and I think this comes from knowing that there will always be something perfect out there that I didn't choose. I loved my wedding dress. If given an infinite amount of time, could I have found a better one? Maybe. But I only had about 2 weeks to make a decision. Wedding dresses need to be ordered quite far in advance.
Putting all of your time, energy, and money into finding that perfect something is draining. You're better off just being satisfied with a good choice instead of seeking out something that may not exist. This also goes back to "time is money" and I'm willing to pay for convenience and just suck it up once in awhile.
So, a maximizer devotes a great deal of time and energy to making perfect choices. A satisficer just really likes to get things done. I used to be a maximizer. I grew up with maximizer parents so I naturally became one too. There's nothing wrong with being a maximizer. It's just tiring. Buying a car would take months. Buying a desktop computer back in 1997 took years. I just naturally took on those maximizer characteristics and brought that into my marriage. I wanted to find the perfect towels, the perfect rug, the perfect pillows. And then I noticed I would always see something I liked more somewhere else when I wasn't looking for it. Better pillows at Homegoods after I'd JUST bought them at Target, the perfect rug at a friend's house, etc.
Scott is a satisficer. After a few years of marriage, he has turned me into one too. I can't say when this happened exactly, but it was probably when we moved to Missouri and walked into a Toyota dealership in Kansas City and walked out with a new truck 3 hours later.
Scott is a satisficer to the umpteenth degree. He knows how to fix things, solve problems, and get things done as quickly as possible. Remodeling this house has been the biggest lesson in how important it is to just get over myself and be a satisficer.
I learned that when in Lowe's and Scott asks me what carpeting I like, I should just pick one because that means he's willing to replace the bedroom carpet, like today, and I want a new carpet and anything would be better than the carpet that is already there.
When Scott says, "Hey, let's go pick out countertops today", I don't hem and haw around about it. I show him what I like, he shows me what he likes, and we make a decision. Because I wanted new countertops in an almost desperate kinda way.
Therefore, a few weeks ago, we started talking about what projects I (Kristin) would like to accomplish on the house over the next month. I said my priority was the guest bedroom floor because I use the guest bedroom (previously known as the unicorn room) as an office space and a Pilates space and I really, really can't deal with the carpet anymore and we have the laminate already bought and waiting to be installed.
He said he'd rather do the tile on the entryway floor first because that's what people see when they walk into the house.
Any cosmetic change to this house is, in my opinion, a necessary one, so I wasn't going to deter him.
The day after he returned from his deployment we went to Lowe's and he told me to pick out a tile. He was silently offering to dedicate the weekend to laying and grouting tile (with my help, of course) and I was not going to let this opportunity escape. I'd never even glanced at tile before. But I walked up and down the aisle at Lowe's at 8am on a Saturday and picked out one I liked. He liked it too. We bought it. We had glass/ceramic accent tile (backsplash material) already at home so we matched them up as closely as possible. We chose a gray porcelain and I absolutely adore it. It will go in both bathrooms too.
By Saturday afternoon, the tile had been laid and then we grouted it on Sunday night.
Often times, people really seem to question my decision to live way out here, in this house that needed so much work. Co-workers, friends, family...I get the side-eye a lot when I mention where we live and how much land we have, etc. I usually explain it by saying that we lived in urban developments for 5 years and Scott wanted land and you can't find land in town and we're remodeling the house and it's nice and quiet out there. That's all completely true, but the real reason I'm okay with all this is because Scott is 100% a satisficer. But that would take a lot longer to explain and I'd probably get some weird looks.
You probably see this question coming, but....are you a maximizer or a satisficer?
Gretchen Rubin said something in her podcast a few weeks ago that really struck me: Are you a maximizer or a satisficer? You can read an article on the subject here but, in short, a maximizer must examine every choice from every angle in order to be sure the best decision is being made. A satisficer will make a decision as soon as they find the need is met.
This can apply to almost anything and I can see traits of both types of decision-making in myself.
Gretchen gives the example of the wedding dress in the article I linked above. I, for example, tried on about 3 wedding dresses, and went with the one I originally assumed I was going to get. I felt no need to try on all the dresses I could find. I was satisfied and I think this comes from knowing that there will always be something perfect out there that I didn't choose. I loved my wedding dress. If given an infinite amount of time, could I have found a better one? Maybe. But I only had about 2 weeks to make a decision. Wedding dresses need to be ordered quite far in advance.
Putting all of your time, energy, and money into finding that perfect something is draining. You're better off just being satisfied with a good choice instead of seeking out something that may not exist. This also goes back to "time is money" and I'm willing to pay for convenience and just suck it up once in awhile.
So, a maximizer devotes a great deal of time and energy to making perfect choices. A satisficer just really likes to get things done. I used to be a maximizer. I grew up with maximizer parents so I naturally became one too. There's nothing wrong with being a maximizer. It's just tiring. Buying a car would take months. Buying a desktop computer back in 1997 took years. I just naturally took on those maximizer characteristics and brought that into my marriage. I wanted to find the perfect towels, the perfect rug, the perfect pillows. And then I noticed I would always see something I liked more somewhere else when I wasn't looking for it. Better pillows at Homegoods after I'd JUST bought them at Target, the perfect rug at a friend's house, etc.
Scott is a satisficer. After a few years of marriage, he has turned me into one too. I can't say when this happened exactly, but it was probably when we moved to Missouri and walked into a Toyota dealership in Kansas City and walked out with a new truck 3 hours later.
Scott is a satisficer to the umpteenth degree. He knows how to fix things, solve problems, and get things done as quickly as possible. Remodeling this house has been the biggest lesson in how important it is to just get over myself and be a satisficer.
I learned that when in Lowe's and Scott asks me what carpeting I like, I should just pick one because that means he's willing to replace the bedroom carpet, like today, and I want a new carpet and anything would be better than the carpet that is already there.
When Scott says, "Hey, let's go pick out countertops today", I don't hem and haw around about it. I show him what I like, he shows me what he likes, and we make a decision. Because I wanted new countertops in an almost desperate kinda way.
Therefore, a few weeks ago, we started talking about what projects I (Kristin) would like to accomplish on the house over the next month. I said my priority was the guest bedroom floor because I use the guest bedroom (previously known as the unicorn room) as an office space and a Pilates space and I really, really can't deal with the carpet anymore and we have the laminate already bought and waiting to be installed.
He said he'd rather do the tile on the entryway floor first because that's what people see when they walk into the house.
Any cosmetic change to this house is, in my opinion, a necessary one, so I wasn't going to deter him.
The day after he returned from his deployment we went to Lowe's and he told me to pick out a tile. He was silently offering to dedicate the weekend to laying and grouting tile (with my help, of course) and I was not going to let this opportunity escape. I'd never even glanced at tile before. But I walked up and down the aisle at Lowe's at 8am on a Saturday and picked out one I liked. He liked it too. We bought it. We had glass/ceramic accent tile (backsplash material) already at home so we matched them up as closely as possible. We chose a gray porcelain and I absolutely adore it. It will go in both bathrooms too.
By Saturday afternoon, the tile had been laid and then we grouted it on Sunday night.
This is a terrible picture. Better ones to follow.
Often times, people really seem to question my decision to live way out here, in this house that needed so much work. Co-workers, friends, family...I get the side-eye a lot when I mention where we live and how much land we have, etc. I usually explain it by saying that we lived in urban developments for 5 years and Scott wanted land and you can't find land in town and we're remodeling the house and it's nice and quiet out there. That's all completely true, but the real reason I'm okay with all this is because Scott is 100% a satisficer. But that would take a lot longer to explain and I'd probably get some weird looks.
You probably see this question coming, but....are you a maximizer or a satisficer?
December 10, 2014
Bandwagon blogging (in real time!)
I kind of pride myself on not being willing to stress myself out over blog-related stuff. Does that sentence even make sense? I don't really join a lot of link-ups or write special posts or do anything sponsored because deadlines stress me out and I have enough of them at school. This is purely a hobby, so I try to make it unstressful and relaxing. However, here's the survey that's been all over the internets and it's been probably two years since the last time I did something like this. So, why not?
4 names people call you other than your real name:
1. Mrs. Darhower (I think this counts)
2. I also answer to "Excuse me?"
3. Kirsten
4. Kiersten
People are dumb.
4 jobs I've had:
1. Warehouse worker at a school supplies factory
2. Bartender/waitress
3. Field Trip Coordinator for the Alaska State Fair (an interesting experience…)
4. Teacher
4 movies you've seen more than once:
1. Almost any Christmas movie
2. Inglorious Bastards
3. Pride and Prejudice (while I'm not a fan of the book, the Keira Knightley version of the movie is in my collection)
4. Little Women (again, this doesn't fit with my normal interests, but I watched it a million times when I was little and I still have it on VHS)
4 Books I'd Recommend:
1. Delicious!
2. Big Little Lies
3. The True Confessions of Charlottle Doyle
4. The Wilder Life
4 places I've lived:
1. Pennsylvania
2. Alaska
3. Missouri
4. Colorado
(isn't this my life story?)
4 places you've visited:
1. Boston/Maine
2. North Pole, Alaska
3. St. Maarten/Anguilla
4. Belize
4 places you'd rather be right now:
1. Boston in the fall
2. On summer vacation
3. Somewhere with perpetual summer
4. But, more often than not, I'd just really like to be at my old school in Alaska
4 things I don't eat:
1. Meatloaf
2. Salmon
3. Mayonnaise
4. Cauliflower
4 of my favorite foods:
1. Pizza
2. Mint Concrete Mixers from Culver's
3. Any kind of Mexican food
4. …and probably pizza again
4 TV shows I watch:
1. Homeland
2. The Walking Dead
3. The Affair
4. The Following
4 Things I'm looking forward to this year:
1. Christmas vacation
2. Making more progress on the house
3. Hopefully having my family visit Colorado
4. Summer vacation
4 Things I'm always saying:
1. Fed-fed? (to the dogs)
2. Hurry up (every time a kid asks me to do something)
3. What are you doing? (my substitute for When will you be home? to Scott)
4. Can we turn the light off? (every time Scott turns on an overhead light)
And because picture-less posts are boring.
4 names people call you other than your real name:
1. Mrs. Darhower (I think this counts)
2. I also answer to "Excuse me?"
3. Kirsten
4. Kiersten
People are dumb.
4 jobs I've had:
1. Warehouse worker at a school supplies factory
2. Bartender/waitress
3. Field Trip Coordinator for the Alaska State Fair (an interesting experience…)
4. Teacher
4 movies you've seen more than once:
1. Almost any Christmas movie
2. Inglorious Bastards
3. Pride and Prejudice (while I'm not a fan of the book, the Keira Knightley version of the movie is in my collection)
4. Little Women (again, this doesn't fit with my normal interests, but I watched it a million times when I was little and I still have it on VHS)
4 Books I'd Recommend:
1. Delicious!
2. Big Little Lies
3. The True Confessions of Charlottle Doyle
4. The Wilder Life
4 places I've lived:
1. Pennsylvania
2. Alaska
3. Missouri
4. Colorado
(isn't this my life story?)
4 places you've visited:
1. Boston/Maine
2. North Pole, Alaska
3. St. Maarten/Anguilla
4. Belize
4 places you'd rather be right now:
1. Boston in the fall
2. On summer vacation
3. Somewhere with perpetual summer
4. But, more often than not, I'd just really like to be at my old school in Alaska
4 things I don't eat:
1. Meatloaf
2. Salmon
3. Mayonnaise
4. Cauliflower
4 of my favorite foods:
1. Pizza
2. Mint Concrete Mixers from Culver's
3. Any kind of Mexican food
4. …and probably pizza again
4 TV shows I watch:
1. Homeland
2. The Walking Dead
3. The Affair
4. The Following
4 Things I'm looking forward to this year:
1. Christmas vacation
2. Making more progress on the house
3. Hopefully having my family visit Colorado
4. Summer vacation
4 Things I'm always saying:
1. Fed-fed? (to the dogs)
2. Hurry up (every time a kid asks me to do something)
3. What are you doing? (my substitute for When will you be home? to Scott)
4. Can we turn the light off? (every time Scott turns on an overhead light)
And because picture-less posts are boring.
September 11, 2013
Whatever Wednesday...err, Thursday
1. Our dishwasher is broken. I called last Wednesday. I called again on Saturday. A repairman is coming on this SATURDAY.
We have this knack for finding the world's worst property managers. It took them 6 days to decide what to do. Because I suppose broken dishwashers sometimes fix themselves, and all.
2. I have a problem and it's called paisley.
I bought new bedding for the guest room over the weekend.
Which reminded me of the pillows I've bought recently.
Which reminded me of the blanket and plates I've had for awhile.
Which reminded me of my new-ish placemats.
Which made me excited for the new planner I've ordered....in paisley.
3. I've been using Burt's Bees facewash for sensitive skin and I love it. Best facewash I've ever found. It barely has a smell, so you know it's cleaning, not just scrubbing and leaving residue.
4. I think Scout is going to be a superhero for Halloween. I'm going to make him a cape. Alright, I'm going to buy him a cape.
5. Are you watching Breaking Bad? It's about to give me a heart attack. On that note, Dexter was super boring on Sunday. Expect for Quinn/Deb. I like them together.
6. *THANK YOU to everyone who is joining in with our Skirtember Challenge! The 2nd link-up will be on Monday (and yes, I am still wearing skirts...most days).*
7. I am half asleep/barely functioning. I haven't worked this hard since...maybe 2010? Being a first-year teacher (again) is no joke.
We have this knack for finding the world's worst property managers. It took them 6 days to decide what to do. Because I suppose broken dishwashers sometimes fix themselves, and all.
2. I have a problem and it's called paisley.
I bought new bedding for the guest room over the weekend.
Which reminded me of the pillows I've bought recently.
Which reminded me of the blanket and plates I've had for awhile.
Which reminded me of my new-ish placemats.
Which made me excited for the new planner I've ordered....in paisley.
3. I've been using Burt's Bees facewash for sensitive skin and I love it. Best facewash I've ever found. It barely has a smell, so you know it's cleaning, not just scrubbing and leaving residue.
4. I think Scout is going to be a superhero for Halloween. I'm going to make him a cape. Alright, I'm going to buy him a cape.
5. Are you watching Breaking Bad? It's about to give me a heart attack. On that note, Dexter was super boring on Sunday. Expect for Quinn/Deb. I like them together.
6. *THANK YOU to everyone who is joining in with our Skirtember Challenge! The 2nd link-up will be on Monday (and yes, I am still wearing skirts...most days).*
7. I am half asleep/barely functioning. I haven't worked this hard since...maybe 2010? Being a first-year teacher (again) is no joke.
I'm not going to see a weekend again for a very long time.
(Just keeping it honest...I'm glad to have a job again!)
May 9, 2013
Thursday things.
(Edited to include some pictures since I was able to get some coffee shop internet.)
New House.
1. I left my eyeliner in Wasilla. Do you know how many times I've had a chance to stop and buy eyeliner over an 8 day drive? Once. But not before I went a week without it.
2. I thought about writing an April Fitness post just to keep track of what I'm doing. Then, I realized that this is a turning point for me. I've worked out maybe twice in the last 10 days (cardio), but I have been planking and doing some leg circuit workouts in hotel rooms.
I care about being in shape, but something clicked when we left Canada. I don't feel this overwhelming need/compulsion to "control". (I wrote about body image issues back in February/March of 2012). I think that a big part of why I spent so much time at the gym in Alaska was that I had no control over that place. And the only thing I could control, therefore, was myself. This is a deep topic, but it is what it is. I just know that I haven't felt the compulsion of a late-night candy binge in a week. One more thing we can blame on Alaska, right?
3. Speaking of diet, my job was horrendous for my diet and was another thing that left me feeling out of control. I would get there in the morning, after a completely sensible breakfast, and just want to eat candy. And I'd usually give into that craving by 10:30am. It's not that I don't like teaching. It's that, for some reason or another, that job left me feeling out of control and like I needed sugar to make myself feel better.
4. Still not used to the time difference. I called my mom thinking if it was 1pm in Missouri, it was 5pm in PA. (It wasn't.) then I thought, "Oh, it's only 4pm, because it's a 3 hour difference, not a 4 hour one. (No.).
Then I realized our families are only one hour ahead of us...because we're back in the land of real time now. Not 4 hour difference mystical time.
5. My stand mixer is somewhere on a barge or a truck or something. Does anyone have a non-dough-hook pizza dough recipe?
6. We're off to PA in a brand new Toyota truck! Expect a picture overload when I have Internet again next week! Or when I hijack it from family. Whichever comes first.
New House.
1. I left my eyeliner in Wasilla. Do you know how many times I've had a chance to stop and buy eyeliner over an 8 day drive? Once. But not before I went a week without it.
2. I thought about writing an April Fitness post just to keep track of what I'm doing. Then, I realized that this is a turning point for me. I've worked out maybe twice in the last 10 days (cardio), but I have been planking and doing some leg circuit workouts in hotel rooms.
I care about being in shape, but something clicked when we left Canada. I don't feel this overwhelming need/compulsion to "control". (I wrote about body image issues back in February/March of 2012). I think that a big part of why I spent so much time at the gym in Alaska was that I had no control over that place. And the only thing I could control, therefore, was myself. This is a deep topic, but it is what it is. I just know that I haven't felt the compulsion of a late-night candy binge in a week. One more thing we can blame on Alaska, right?
3. Speaking of diet, my job was horrendous for my diet and was another thing that left me feeling out of control. I would get there in the morning, after a completely sensible breakfast, and just want to eat candy. And I'd usually give into that craving by 10:30am. It's not that I don't like teaching. It's that, for some reason or another, that job left me feeling out of control and like I needed sugar to make myself feel better.
4. Still not used to the time difference. I called my mom thinking if it was 1pm in Missouri, it was 5pm in PA. (It wasn't.) then I thought, "Oh, it's only 4pm, because it's a 3 hour difference, not a 4 hour one. (No.).
Then I realized our families are only one hour ahead of us...because we're back in the land of real time now. Not 4 hour difference mystical time.
5. My stand mixer is somewhere on a barge or a truck or something. Does anyone have a non-dough-hook pizza dough recipe?
6. We're off to PA in a brand new Toyota truck! Expect a picture overload when I have Internet again next week! Or when I hijack it from family. Whichever comes first.
Happiness is green grass and sandals.
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