Technology Meltdown

I’m having a technology meltdown. I’ve always considered myself to be fairly tech savvy ( I keep singing "I love technology" from Napoleon Dynamite... you should too as you read this)  I work from home, can navigate my computer with ease, upload social media, newsletter programs, various e-mail accounts…  So I figured an I-phone would be the next logical step. It has everything I need in a phone, and it is supposed to be user friendly, and my Droid was a breeze….

I’ve had less than 12 hours with my phone, and frustrated doesn’t even begin to cover it. I’m mostly mad, because there is this thing, this inert thing that makes me feel so inadequate and incapable… I can follow instructions, I can figure out that when I push the e-mail button, it will probably lead me to set up my e-mail account… however after 2 straight hours of typing/retyping my e-mail address and password, double, triple, quadruple checking for any typos or errors, and the phone still wouldn’t acknowledge my existence I was ready to throw in the towel. Furthermore, the Apps were frozen, stuck on the perpetual facebook download… so close, and yet so far.

I’m not going to lie, there were tears, there were cusswords, there was a lot of shaking of said phone around (poor Toby, seeing his mom have a meltdown/ essentially throw a tantrum) I felt totally helpless. What more can you do that type in the username and passwords that you know to be correct over and over and over again? I finally gave in, and went back to the store… and of course, right on cue, I try to show tech support the issues I’m having, and magically all the passwords work, and aps are downloading left and right, and I look like the biggest tool on the planet. Technology 1, Tayler 0. Furthermore, after I leave the store again, I realize that the 4 hours spent without a phone so all of my pictures/videos/contacts could be transferred, of the some 1,300 images and videos… only 400 were transferred… and as for my contacts, I am missing 2/3rds of them… oh and the ones that I do have, have been entered in 3 times. Dear technology universe, why do you hate me?

What happened to intuitive, and user friendly? Maybe it’s because I’m not a MAC person… but I’m trying… and still, I only have one e-mail account up and running (can it still be considered a work phone if it is physically impossible to set up your work e-mail to sync?) I’m trying to manually enter the other 2/3rds of my contacts, and am planning a rather pleasant reunion with the techies who promised me that in 4 hours all of my pictures would transfer no problem (seriously, did you even check the number. 400 is not 1,300…. Do I need all the pictures, no… honestly most of them are of my bulldog… but I haven’t sorted through the keepers/ non-keepers, and I would like that option.) I’m especially peeved because when I went to pick up my phone 4 hours later, they realized I was missing 2/3 of my contacts, but then decided they couldn’t put them on without deleting all the pictures/ starting over “and we’ve been working on it all afternoon” their response was “well it’s a phone, there is only so much we can do”… It’s an iphone, I thought it was limitless as far as phones go…and I’m not asking for it to perform brain surgery… I’m not even asking it to play videos or for that little Siri character to talk to me… I’m asking for photographs and phone numbers and e-mail accounts that already exist be transferred from one machine to another… In terms of cell-phones, this is elementary…. And you’ve been working on this all day?  Have you really? Again, did you even check the progress… because the phone was not plugged into anything when I got there, and you should have realized sooner that my contacts didn’t transfer/ that I’m missing almost 1000 photos!

And my feelings of sheepishness and incompetence continue, as all of my I-phone savvy friends are asking me what the hell my problem was. One friend said “dude, your grandma could use this phone” (I highly doubt that is true) sigh… I am not smart enough for my smart phone… oh and my electric toothbrush randomly decided it would stop holding a charge and dye beyond repair… sigh…. At least I’ve figured out the Pinterest App….

Maybe it's working...

I’m working late tonight… which is actually sort of a sigh of relief… Event nights mean I get a little bit of time to play catch up… so while the dog is napping, e-mails are being replied too, finishing touches are going on the holiday cards… schedules are being planned out, classes are being choreographed… and I am uninhibited by the clutter of home and the feelings of “well I should be scrubbing the tub right now.” (ok, maybe I should be worrying about “working” but the event is going swimmingly…)

Just when I think I’ve over-committed, work actually becomes a place of repose… my bosses are out of town, my projects are up to date… the event upstairs is running itself… and I’m celebrating the end of another 40-hour work week.

As the month rolls on, and the holidays approach, I’m really realizing how blessed I am with my life. I have bouts of loneliness from time to time, and the normal everyday stresses and worries… but essentially I’m living my dream, and I’m only 26. For the longest time for me “making it” meant getting a bulldog, teaching yoga, and writing…. And here I am, baby bulldog in tow, teaching yoga two different places, and writing this blog. It isn’t everything, but it’s something, and I’m really happy doing it.

Somehow my life is nothing I thought it would be, and everything I thought it would be at the same time… I am definitely having some new adventures and experiences… I taught my first class at the new studio this morning, and I was so energized, and inspired. It is such a beautiful space, and I finally feel re-connected to a community. In the past seven days, I’ve taken six classes, and taught three, and I honestly feel like I cannot get enough yoga in my life right now.  I’m also doing things I never thought I would be doing like shopping online for baby clothes (not for me, for my niece!)  and researching things like “How to keep a bulldog’s tail pocket clean and happy” (no joke… ) I’m trying to juggle having a life in there somewhere, and I think it is mostly working… Mostly. I joined a monthly wine tasting group, I went to a holiday party last night with friends… I’m penciling in dinners and karaoke happy hours…lining up yoga retreats, and booking vacations.   I’m still missing coming home to a special someone,(besides Toby, obviously)  but I’m trusting, and letting it go (really trying to).  My dad has been encouraging me to think about all the positive things in my life before I go to sleep at night… maybe it’s working. =)

questionable fashion, or time saver?

Yesterday was the type of day where I stayed in my yoga clothes ALL day… It was a Monday, and my first day off in a while, and since I was book-ending my day with yoga classes, it seemed sensible just to wear them all day. My time is valuable, and as a woman who seems to spend an inordinate amount of time doing laundry, I figured, what is the point in changing? Was I stylish? Not exactly… did I have several errands to run, absolutely… but sometimes it is rather freeing not to give a damn, and just go for it. I half expected Stacey & Clinton to pop out from behind a bush somewhere as I walked around McMinnville telling me me I’m on What Not to Wear… brown yoga pants, bright orange running jacket, black down vest, red leg warmers, pink sock… rubber shoes… ok, it was pretty bad, but I just couldn’t muster up the motivation to change. Why spend all that time primping & prepping and folding and unfolding, and changing, when after a few hours out and about, I was just going to change right back?

I’m sure my clownish yoga fashions are probably not helping me find a boyfriend… but even so, I still have a hard time justifying the change of clothing. If it were any other day but Monday, if I were actually going into Portland, if I had an important meeting… then yes, by all means, I would put on something else… But not on my free day… I think that makes me low maintenance (I’ve been told that is an attractive trait right? Now if only I can get guys to see past the leg warmers) So I walked to the bookstore, went into the bank, the wine shop, the veterinarian’s office, the pet store… all while dressed somewhat like a homeless yoga clown… and I’m ok with that.

I was working an event on Sunday at work, and I was reminded just how comfortable I was in my own skin. It was a sorority function, and I have nothing against sorority girls, in fact I have several friends who were/are sorority girls, but there I was, in my holy jeans, flannel shirt, and hipster hair cut… and it was like mixing oil with water. Short skirts, skin tight dresses, long flowing hair, plethora’s of makeup…. And that is all good and fine… but it is so not me. I can dress up with the best of them, and my make-up collection takes up several drawers in my bathroom. I love sparkly outfits, and getting fancy. I have more lipstick than I know what to do with. But I’m also perfectly comfortable putting on my Dansko clogs, a pair of jeans, and my down vest. I like being practical, and comfortable…. And more often than not, that leads me to my tee shirts and jeans. Am I in a fashion rut? Maybe…. Does it matter? Not really. Because I am perfectly ok with who I am. Did I feel a little frumpy in my flannel amongst all the mini-skirts & mascara… a little bit, but as a woman on the go who is trying to wrangle a puppy, teach yoga, and just keep it together… mini-skirts and high heels don’t often fit into my fashion line up. Maybe some day… but for now, I’m perfectly content with my hot pink socks and my red leg warmers, and my busy, but happy lifetstyle. And hopefully my questionable fashion days aren’t preventing me from meeting the guy of my dreams.

Time Management

So time management isn’t exactly my strong suit. I’m a procrastinator for sure, but over the past few weeks I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with my schedule. This is slightly terrifying since I’m starting a second job this week…

Today was the opening day for 4 Elements Yoga Studio, and I am thrilled to be filling in for a few classes this month before starting to teach there twice a week in 2012. I’m also going to be picking up a few hours in their retail store (super adorable things!)… which means I need to start managing my time a little better.  I just tend to get overwhelmed when my lists get too long, and when I find myself with only one real  day off per week, I find it hard to balance the things that need to get done, with the things I want to get done.  And then I get paralyzed and end up doing none of the things I really need to do…I know I write about this all the time…

I realized last week, that sometimes the things that fall off the top of the priority list, are actually the things you should be doing. And so on Thursday afternoon I left work early, ignored the piles of unfolded laundry, and the dishes in the sink, and I went for a run in the sunshine. It was pretty glorious. More often than not, I tend to neglect exercise, and I think “oh I’ll do it later” or “well this is more important that  going for a jog” but its only a matter of time before this way of thinking leads to a lazy life style… and considering that I know a lot of pet owners who are beginning to resemble their various pets… I am slightly terrified of people thinking that about me. Not to mention the fact that I just booked a trip to Las Vegas in 6 weeks, and I know that my body is not anywhere close to being Vegas ready. So I put on my shoes, and cleared my head, and let all the other priorities drop for a bit. It felt great.

And this morning, even though once again, my list was long, and the errands were many, I got up early and headed to a yoga class… because I’m discovering that when I take the time to do something good for my body, it puts me in a better mind set to get everything else done. Dishes in the sink? No problem. Piles of laundry, bring it on. Snuggling with my puppy & being lazy… ok, because I’ve already taken a few moments to make sure that my mind & body have been active. Taking an hour for myself actually motivates me to spend time working on my other projects… and I hope it is something that lasts. I’ve still got my lists, and my day planner, and my sticky notes, and a few piles of things to do… but at least I know that I’m taking care of myself, and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

Autumn in photos

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns". ~George Eliot

Fall Soundtrack

Sometimes  you just need to drive. It know, its not great for the environment, and with gas prices what they are, its not great for my budget… I’m not sure where it stems from… maybe living in the middle of nowhere for a good chunk of my life… but I find driving to be rather soothing. Today was a perfect fall day, crisp, dry… the colors are finally starting to pop on the trees… and I found myself with a two hour commute to a meeting. Blissful. The sunroof was open… the playlist was set, and I spent the entire time singing to myself and clearing my head.

I have a very distinct fall soundtrack… I’m not exactly sure why, but every year around this time I am drawn to the same few albums. I also have a stellar autumn play list, that is filled with sort of haunting and cozy music… every time I play it I am tempted just to start cooking stews and curling up with a pile of knitting. All the songs really resonate, and are somewhat haunting. I realized after playing it all of last fall that there is a really interesting mix of love songs, and breakup songs intermixed throughout… sort of perfect for the Fall of 2010… maybe it was a bit of foreshadowing. Either way, it is deliciously moody… and I kind of love it.

If I don’t have my playlist handy… here are a list of albums than I’m constantly returning to this time of year.

She & Him Volume I & II.

This has nothing to do with my ridiculously huge girl crush on Zooey Dechanel. (has anyone watched The New Girl?  I’m pretty sure we would be best friends.) I think her voice is fantastic, and kind of vintagey sounding. Truth be told, I listen to these albums in all seasons… but they seem to fit in with the fall particularly well.  I saw She & Him in concert last October…and I loved their overall energy… 

Dave Matthews: Some Devil

Ok I know, I know… its his solo album… and the whole thing is a little whiney sounding. That being said it has that wonderful moody quality that I love in my music this time of year. I mean come on, doesn’t “Stay or Leave” just break your heart a little? It also has my all time favorite line “Wake up naked, drinking coffee. Making plans to change the world, while the world is changing us. You used to laugh under the covers, maybe not so often now… the way I used to laugh with you was loud and hard.” 

Ray Lamontagne : Till the Sun Turns Black  & Gossip in the Grain

These might actually be my dessert island cds…  These are the type of albums that make me want to curl up next to the fire with a snifter of brandy (and I don’t even drink brandy) and just write poems. Barfly gets repeated over and over again on my morning commute, and “I still care for you” gives me chills every time I listen to it. 

The Decemberists: The Crane Wife

I don’t know why, but “Sons and Daughters” just makes me want to go to an orchard and pick apples. 

KT Tunstall: Acoustic Extravaganza

I love this album. It is playful, and irreverent, and beautiful. Great belt it out in the car songs… and every time I listen to this, it makes me with I could play the guitar. 

John Mayer :Heavier Things

This album came out the fall of my Freshman year of college and I still adore it. As douchy as John Mayer can be, this is one of my all time favorite cds. The only song I tend to skip over is Daughter’s, and that is only because it was overplayed on the radio. Clarity is often on my yoga playlist, as it has the perfect rhythm for Sun Salutations, as does Split Screen Sadness… and hello once again with the perfect mix of moodiness. “I called… because… I just…. need to feel you on the line… don’t hang up this time.”

It might not be the perfect fall line up… but its my perfect fall line up. (haha, maybe this is why I’m in such a funk… my music is too mellow and whiny…. But I dig it)