Author Archives


29
Oct 08

Feeling lucky?

Marginally better today, but still feeling exhausted.

The one potentially exciting thing about today: Leanna and I carved a pumpkin for her apartment’s contest, and it’s being judged today. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place each get a month’s free rent, so we’re really hoping. We went the “kiss-up” route, which is kind of a gamble, but might pay off.

Most Important Tasks

  • Finish front page for client theme (a different one than yesterday)
  • Read an email from a client that I’ve been resisting

The reward

More napping.


28
Oct 08

Productivity seems unattainable…

Meh. Still feeling distinctly like I’ve been hit by a bus. Didn’t sleep well at all, so I’ll probably be working between naps.

Most Important Tasks

  • Finish first draft of front page for client theme
  • Clarify color expectations with another client

The reward

Can’t bring myself to care at this point.


27
Oct 08

Work week… huh?

Had a good weekend, but feel like death warmed over this morning. I’m coming down with either a sinus infection or a head cold, and I’m just glad to be working from home. Too bad self-employment doesn’t provide benefits like sick time. :)

Going to keep it light today and see if the brain fog dissipates after a while…

Most Important Tasks

  • Call the City of L.A. and try to figure out why they’re demanding thousands of dollars in taxes from me (despite the fact that I’m, you know, in Idaho)
  • Finish and launch the new theme for TweetStyle
  • Pay my outstanding bill to one of my designers and get him started on/prepared for the next project (depending on whether or not the client got me their materials over the weekend)

The reward

A nap.


24
Oct 08

Friday, happy Friday

Still alive despite the carrots (and added them to today’s smoothie, too). I can tell you’re relieved.

You might have noticed from my last few rewards that I’m kind of on a crafty kick. I go through phases, and it seems that I am doing the “nesting” thing that pregnant women do, it’s just manifesting in sewing cute little things rather than, say, house cleaning. ;)

My Amy Butler book arrived yesterday, so I got fabric for a project out of that book instead of the hat and booties pattern (which hadn’t shown up yet, so I didn’t know how much to get). I’ll post pictures somewhere when I’m done with it—and unless I screw it up royally, you’ll probably die of cute overload.

Most Important Tasks

  • Get Leanna going on WordPress upgrades
  • Code the front page for TweetStyle based on the design I created yesterday
  • Do a yoga workout should one arrive by 3pm (expecting three DVDs, one from Netflix, two from Amazon, but need to be clean and at the church by 5:30 to sound-check for our big weekend)

The reward

Free time to work on the sewing project.


23
Oct 08

Tricking myself into healthy-baby-incubating

I’m so brave. I’m sure you’ll all be tremendously impressed to learn that I put some cooked carrot in my protein smoothie this morning, despite being irrationally afraid of veggies. This was my mom’s suggestion, and so far, it hasn’t killed me (should probably consider that statement “pending” for 24 hours or so, though ;) ).

I thought I had found the perfect solution to my non-veggie-eating diet with the V8 v•fusion juice—the one where they mix fruit juice with veggie juice (from sweeter veggies like carrots). But with the high glucose levels, my doc specifically told me to lay off soda (which I rarely drink) and juice. So now I’m being more intentional about eating broccoli (the one veggie I like) and trying things like the carrots in stuff.

Truly, I’m six years old.

Most Important Tasks

  • Be available to help Leanna recover her dead hard drive and reinstall everything on the new one
  • Make any requested quick changes on the client theme I’ve been working on
  • Create a layout (design only, not code) for TweetStyle based on the awesome new bird character Pasquale made me

The reward

Buy the fabric I need to make two sets of the patterns I bought yesterday. :)


22
Oct 08

Is it seriously Wednesday already?!

Tired. Got my MITs done yesterday and spent some of my free time reading a book called Active Birth. It provides a lot of information and specific ideas for healthier delivery, and I like that it’s generally positive, as opposed to some resources on natural childbirth that tend to villanize the (generally well-intentioned) medical establishment.

Today I’m going to have lunch with the general manager at my local Christian radio station, to talk about what inspires younger people (in their 20s and early 30s) to donate money. I’m gathering my stacks of Donors Choose cards. :)

Most Important Tasks

  • Prepare for lunch meeting
  • Finish the non-front-page templates for a client’s theme (this will take most of the day)

The reward

Drawing a blank today… Don’t want anything food- or time-related.

….

Okay, a little pondering later, and I’ve decided on the eskababy boots and animal ears hat. Cute, practical, and relatively inexpensive.


21
Oct 08

Back to work

Had a great long weekend visiting with my family and friends. It’s hard to get down to work after all that, but I guess I’ll give it a shot. :)

Found out Friday that my glucose levels are on the high side, which doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me… Time to get that under control. No more massive cake consumption. :) It’s important for the baby’s health, of course, and also because overdoing carbs/sugar is likely to make him bigger, which could mean a C-section, and I’d rather avoid that if possible. That’s pretty motivating.

Neither Daniel or I have historically been “yoga people” (though we both are aware of its benefits) but yesterday I ordered both of us some yoga workouts on DVD.

Mine are for 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and will hopefully help with flexibility and strength for labor and delivery. His are cycling-specific and supposed to help with “mental toughness” among other things—but the catalyst is that guys who beat him on the bike recommended them. :)

Oh, and we finally bought a new mattress set yesterday—it was only a month late for the anniversary present to ourselves that it was intended to be! We were pleasantly surprised by both the service and the prices at Denver Mattress, and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. At some point we’ll need to do the great mattress swap and move our old one to the nursery and the one in the nursery to Peter and Leanna’s apartment.

Most Important Tasks

  • Invoice the client who has a weird accounting schedule
  • Check my music for next weekend’s church services
  • Migrate my church website to WordPress MU for better expandability

The reward

Free time!


16
Oct 08

Wrapping up the week early

Whew. Got yesterday’s tasks done, barely.

I’m learning again the importance of setting goals that don’t assume the involvement of others—the membership plugin didn’t work out of the box, but since getting it set up was part of my task, I was kind of in a bind. Fortunately, the plugin developer offered very quick support (it’s a paid plugin) and it’s up and running now.

I also managed to forget a task I’d promised (don’t know where I’d have fit it in anyway!) so that’s on today’s agenda. Other than that, I’ve decided that a good approach to my blog training course is to add lessons as I do them while launching a new blog. Specifically, I’m not allowed to do anything on the new blog unless I first add a lesson about it. :)

My mom and out-of-town sister are flying in tomorrow (my baby shower is on Sunday and they’re just that nice!) so I want to make sure I’m ready for the weekend today.

Most Important Tasks

  • A bit of client work (finalize an upgrade, and a new header image for a client)
  • Spend at least one hour on a new theme for a client
  • Release my “Bibliophile” WordPress theme from Monday

The reward

Feed reading time!


15
Oct 08

Plowing through

Yesterday was a smashing success. I battered through loads of resistance and came out with my MITs done. I’ve already ordered my book.

I’m on a new idea rampage and have several I’d like to pursue. That’s usually slightly dangerous as I end up dropping things I already am working on, and the pattern repeats about every three or four months, so I don’t actually launch anything.

Accompanying the new idea rampage is the inevitable domain name rampage. So many good domain names available, so little time to develop them all! Must… resist…

In other news, Daniel and I went to KTSY’s donor banquet and listener appreciation concert last night. We picked the days we want to sponsor this year: International Talk Like a Pirate Day (which also happens to be our anniversary) and William Wilberforce’s birthday (last year we did Leap Day and Pi Day). :)

The concert part was excellent. The band 33 Miles played, and despite having a harrowing day of travel, did a great job. I particularly appreciated their emphasis on worship and God—unfortunately I’ve seen many Christian bands who seem like they’re mostly there to have fun, be stars, etc. and God is kind of an afterthought. This was refreshing.

Most Important Tasks

  • A bit of client work (another couple of upgrades, and a requested template tweak)
  • Set up my blogging course on a public server and get membership plugin working with it
  • Spend at least one hour on a new theme for a client

The reward

Two domains. :)


14
Oct 08

Back on the Wagon

Summer Planner
Creative Commons License photo credit: adamjinj

Didn’t even get close yesterday. The theme consumed me (but it was so much fun!) and I didn’t get to the other two MITs at all… so more for today. :( I technically have four MITs and that’s not allowed, so I’m going to get creative to fit them all in.

On the upside, my bedside still looks exactly like it did in last week’s “after” picture!

Most Important Tasks

  • Do the “simple” upgrades and tweaks I’ve already promised two clients
  • Write a master list of all the tasks that need doing on my two big projects (this is meant to keep me from freaking out in the face of what feels like never-ending tasks, which terrify me)
  • Make a little progress on the two big projects, but more importantly, communicate the plan to the clients

The reward

The idea of finishing seems far-fetched but also crucial (if I fall further behind today, I’m toast). Let’s make it something really good and motivational. Scanning the Amazon list…

Ooh, I know! Amy Butler’s Little Stitches. And whatever else I want to get to the $25 Super Saver Shipping threshold.

That’s actually shockingly motivational for me, so I think I’ve hit on a good one (just not a dollar amount I can sustain daily!).