The End

Tomorrow's my last day of work at a job I was at for two and a half years, which in Amanda time is 500 years. I'm also moving this weekend. That's a lot of change in a two day span. A lot of people get sad over endings and I'm no different. But I'm also really excited about all of the fun prospects that come along with this change. My job has been a deadend gig from pretty much the day I started. Overly qualified from the beginning it didn't offer much in terms of opportunities, growth or pay. It did offer a lot of drama and insight into the craziness of the non-profit world which I know will benefit my future career and has provided the contrast for me to know what that is. But I also know that once I say peace out it will open up so many doors toward the positive change I know I need right now. And the same can be said with my living situation. I've been at the EVB for five years now and a lot has happened there. Most of which I can't discuss in a public blog. But it's suffice to say that it's definitely time for me to move on and the move will also open the doors to the fun stuff. And so I'm really excited about my future and the opportunities it holds for me. And that is the epitome of fun in my book.


Are any of you dealing with any major life changes? How do you feel about them? Do you grab the bull by the horns or cower in the corner hoping they'll go away?

Moving

I used to move quite a bit. But since I've lived in the LA area I've only moved once. Next door. And I have many happy memories here at the EVB (East Village Bungalows). But I am ready to move forward although finding the fun in the actual act of moving items is challenging. So here are a few ways I've come up with to make it more fun:

- Get rid of stuff. It always feels good to get rid of anything weighing you down. And also by getting rid of the old you make room for the new, which I'm excited about. Plus I don't want to move anything more than I have to.

- Reminisce. I'm sure as I sort through the mess I'll come across things I haven't seen since I first moved here five years which will bring back the good and fun memories.

- Dance party. I like to turn any mundane activity into a dance party so it might a good time to go through old CDs and dance party it up one last time in the EVB.

- All else fails have a glass of wine. Every mundane activity picks up the pace with a glass of wine. Or beer. Or shot of tequila!

The EVB

Do you hate or like to move? How do you make the actual moving part more entertaining?

Running

I run. Which is an activity many people don't find fun. Myself included. Sometimes. I know that sounds contradictory. And it is. But there are times when running is exactly what I need and few other physical activities can replace it. Surfing and soccer are usually at the top of my list but sometimes with surfing the getting to a clean beach takes more effort than I have and with soccer sometimes I just don't feel like being social (Hard to believe I know!). So for those kinds of days throwing on my running shoes and simply stepping outside my apartment feels amazing. For awhile I was potentially addicted to running marathons. My first year in California I ran three. There was something about losing myself for hours in monotenous exercise that I needed and actually enjoyed. I say actually because as I'm preparing myself to run the San Francisco Marathon this coming Sunday I can't say I've felt that too many times in the last few months. But when it happens it's this meditative state that leaves me refreshed and ready to conquer all. And that is what I love most about running. The other things I love about it:

1. Keeps me skinny. Hey, I'm not above the superficialness of exercise even if I do it for more than that.
2. Great way to enjoy the scenery. It's amazing what you pick up on when running compared to driving/riding in a car.
3. You're automatically in the club. There's something about runners (more than any other sport I've participated in) that leads them as a collective to talk to anyone else running anywhere anytime.
4. The admiration. This is more of a joke but I've noticed that people are more impressed when you run longer distances than with anything else.
5. Food. You can eat whatever you want but it also motivates you to crave the healthy stuff (Guess that's true about any physical activity but I needed a fifth reason.).



Do you love or hate to run and why? What other physical activities pump you up?

Fun Buster: Money

I'm starting a new post called the Fun Buster because there are certain things that try really hard to ruin my good time. One of those things is money. I've never had a good relationship with that stuff. I grew up extremely poor and my parents' stress and negative attitude toward it definitely became entrenched in my mind so that I'm now 29, have a Masters degree and am barely making ends meet on my starter non-profit job salary. I know that it's a direct result of my attitude toward money so I'm working at changing that so I can increase the amount of dough in my life and as a result fun! How I'm doing it:

1. Listening to the Money series from the Change Your Mind website.
2. Quitting the job I took only because I needed the money. I've realized I need to let go of my need for something for it to appear. As well, that job's been a hindrance to me in so many ways simply clearing that out should work wonders.
3. Saying no. As I said earlier this week I'm starting to say no more to social obligations I don't really want to do. That will now include those that cost more than I can currently afford.
4. Saying yes. I've had a lot of incidents lately I've had to pay for (car problems, a stolen bike that wasn't even mine but I was using) that I suspect wouldn't have happened had I spent less money preventing them in the beginning.
5. Doing fun things that are free. Parks. Some museums. The beach. Taking advantage of my natural resources will help three-fold too in that they'll provide the calmness and open mind I need to receive the monetary abundance that is mine.



Do you have money troubles? If so, how does it affect your ability to have fun? How do you cope?

The Art of the Slow Down

I live in Los Angeles, which is not a location known for its sleepiness. It isn't quite the city that never sleeps (a friend once described it as the city that sleeps in) but there is certainly no lack of activity within its boundaries. And part of me likes that. The undiagnosed ADHD part of me. I grew up in a sleepy little town and longed to escape it from second grade on. It's only been in the last year or so that I've felt this intense urge to slow my life down. Go ahead blame it on my age. And my hormones causing me to want to settle down, create a nest and have my own little chicks. But to be honest I don't yet long for children (and to give ya'll a heads up, may never) nor want to give up my life of adventure. Hell, my adventure's barely getting started. But I do want to stop and smell the dandelions a little more often (maybe make some soup with them). There's a culture of insanity in cities characterized by watches, mass amounts of traffic and constant overstimulation. This past week alone I worked five 9-5 days, met up with the bf (who currently lives 35 miles away from me) three times, played three soccer matches, saw Inception (So good!), checked out a couple apartments, cooked some meals, ate some meals out, went to two bars, went camping up in Big Bear, ran three times training for this marathon (including one 12-miler), fit in some leisure reading and who knows what else I'm leaving out. And this has been the norm for... well, most of my life (even when I didn't live in a city). I've always beeen this active person who enjoys being around a lot of people and staying busy but I may be on the brink of burnout. Which could really put a huge dent in my fun.

There is much to be said for slowing things down. And here are some of the ways I plan to slow things down:
- Quit work. Granted this isn't something everyone can do but I'm quitting my dead end job at the end of next week. This actually has less to do with slowing down and more to do with going to grad school round dos in September and not being able to maintain a normal 9-5 job (which I s'pose in the grand scheme of things is technically slowing down). Still leaving at the end of July will help me slow things down since August will be busy enough with moving closer to UCLA and weddings every weekend.
- More surfing and yoga. These aren't physical activities I feel like I have to fit in like I often do with running (training for marathons requires a certain commitment... a commitment I'm not always thrilled about) or even soccer sometimes. And when I'm doing them it's as if time stops. I always feel big time relaxed and happy after surfing and yoga.
- Say no. I'm really bad at this. Especially when it comes to plans with friends. I know I've said before I have a lot of friends. The bf has a lot of friends. But I've started saying no to things when I just don't have the energy to do something and it feels good.
- Craft more. I used to create such beautiful things. Pieces of writing (which this blog has helped me start getting back into), paintings and other arts and crafts. That's all been put on the backburner but I'm realizing now that isn't healthy for me and so I'm going to use more "me" time to create beautiful things again.



What do you do to slow down your life? Or do you feel that it's impossible?

And it's H-O-T!

There was no segue into summer here in the Los Angeles area. It went from maybe high sixties to high eighties if you're lucky. Actually I really enjoy the hot weather but I know many are in disagreement on this one. I s'pose I'm not a huge fan of sleeping in it (and I'm also not an air conditioning fan so there's a bit of a conundrum if even sleeping naked under a fan isn't helping) or having to work when it's so amazing outside but otherwise I'm in full support of hard core summer weather. Here are my fav fun things to do when it's sweltering out:

1. Surf. It's so nice to not have to don a wetsuit when attempting to hang ten.
2. Canoe/kayak. Lots of jumping out of them and into the water while also splashing the other people involved is a must.
3. Plain 'ol swimming. I don't do a whole lot of this anymore since I took up surfing but anything in the water is a good idea when you're sweating (You may sense a theme here.).
4. Tubing down the river. Much easier than the other activities. You simply sit there. And sometimes (sometimes is often synonymous with all the time) drink beer.
5. Water parks. I haven't been to one is sooooooooo long but I love them.

Okay, I realize all my ideas have to do with actually being out in the heat because I just love being outside no matter what the temperature is. But I know some people like (or need) to avoid the heat so for those of you who fall into that category here are some fun air conditioned indoor activities:

1. Movies. I'm not a huge movie watcher (although I'd like to be but that's a whole other topic) but they keep those places cold enough to hide the melting glaciers in.
2. Arcades. You can be active in air conditioning.
3. Bars. AC and alcohol. Popular hot weather combination.
4. Restaurants. Now might be a good time to visit a new spot or an old fav rather than picnic.
5. The mall. I hate the mall and shopping in general but there are many who disagree with me.



What do you do to stay cool when it's H-O-T out?

No Fun

In a previous post I wrote something about how there are times when having fun isn't always the better option. That got me thinking that there are things that are simply not fun at all. At least I can't turn them into something fun no matter how hard I try. I know for a lot of people that's being stuck in traffic, which is something I've mastered. But for me the following situations are highly challenging to my fun levels:

1. Getting my hair cut. I know that sounds strange. Most people (especially women) relish getting their look updated. But I almost always leave a salon wondering if I'm actually that ugly in real life. I don't know if it's the lighting. Or the mirrors. I was telling a friend about this the other day and she was hysterically laughing at me like I was a comedian. But people I am not joking. Somehow the stylists manage to look good under the same conditions. I actually have to go home and stare at myself in a mirror that makes me look good in order to convince myself that I am indeed a beautiful woman. This explains why I only get a couple haircuts a year.

2. The dentist. Painful. And they're usually mean or at the very least highly unsocial. Not much else I have to say about that. Still better than a haircut.

3. Giving bad news. I suck at it. I'm also not highly skilled in confrontations but am working on speaking up for myself so maybe I'll be having fun with it soon.

4. Breaking up. That goes with the above. Luckily I haven't had to be a part of that in a long time (ending things after a few dates does not count) and hopefully never again. Ugh!

5. Funerals. That's probably a big duh but I needed something else for my list since it isn't as long as I anticipated it being. I s'pose that's good, though since that means I'm having fun doing most other things.



What are some situations that challenge your fun?

Cheer Ups

Spending a good ten years of my adult life mostly single gave me plenty of opportunities to take advantage of my friends love and kindness while dealing with the perils of dating. So last night when two friends of mine were both dealing with some kind of heartache I took a lot of pleasure in being able to be there for them (not at all in the pain they were in). Even though I'm now happily in a relationship I'll never forget what it was like to be single and navigate the dating world, going on date after date not finding anyone remotely worth more of my time, finding someone worth more of my time and then not having it work out after a couple/few months, guys only looking for booty calls, guys wanting to cheat on their WAGs (wives and girlfriends) with me, I could go on and on. If using a fish in the sea comparison I had caught and tried all kinds. The starting over was always the hardest. I got asked on many dates but dreaded most of them. Probably not the best attitude. No wonder it took ten years to find someone worthy. So I could relate to my friends' heartache and remembering there really isn't anything magical you can say or do just saying or doing anything, something is what matters. Knowing that at least if that dumb guy or gal doesn't love you your friends do does help in some small way. So I did what any good friend would do and made one of them bike 12 miles with me while I ran it (hey, I'm training for a marathon and it had to be done), then eat pizza and ice cream, and finally meet the other one for a pint. I know it didn't cure their heartache completely but in their own words, "This is a lot better than staying home and moping, which is what I'm going to do." Here are a few other fun things you can do to cheer friends up (no matter the reason they're down):

1. Send/give a card.
2. Bake them something (not that you want to add weight gain to their woes).
3. Take them out dancing or to a museum or something they enjoy.
4. If there's a breakup, help them burn all reminders.
5. Bring over the art supplies and create something(s) together.


Peeps who are always good for a fun cheer up!

What fun things do you do to cheer up a friend/family member?

July Gloom

In southern Calfifornia (and maybe other geographical regions I'm unaware of) we have this phenomenon dubbed June Gloom where you can pretty much count on every single day of June being overcast (or at least the mornings). In an area where the other eleven months are filled with sun it's easy to overlook one month where it isn't. However, this year Mother Nature took it a bit too far and decided to extend into July. Today's the first day in a month and a half (aside from vacation to Lake Powell) that I've seen the sun before noon and could actually wear a skirt to work. This is exciting to me because I love the sun, warmth, being able to do outdoors activities all year round. I didn't realize until the sun came out in the morning that I didn't fully appreciate the colder, cloudier weather. There are many activities I don't often partake in because they're indoors and when it's beautiful outside I feel guilty spending much time inside. So here are my Top Five Things to do When it's Yucky Outside:
1. Watch movies. I'm so far behind on all sorts of movies from my entire life that I have a neverending supply of ones to watch.
2. Catch up on TV. I don't have many television shows I watch on a regular basis but this year I haven't watched any so I do have some to catch up on if I want.
3. Read books. I can do this outside but sometimes it's easier to finish one curled up on the couch.
4. Play board games. Have some friends over, have a few drinks if necessary and whip out Catch Phrase.
5. Simply do nothing. I rarely do that and sometimes it's necessary.
* All activities can also be done while cuddling up with someone special, which I also highly recommend.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

But not always. Sometimes even I don't feel like having fun. I'm just not in the mood. I have a headache. I'm bloated. I sound like I'm talking about sex here, which technically is a fun activity for a lot of people so I could be. While I'm adament that we should stockpile as much fun as we can into our lives so we can die with smiles on our faces (I'm going to blame the morbidity on June gloom trying to move in on July too) I also know that there are times and places where fun is not always the best option. Funerals is one that readily comes to mind. Although I would like a fun funeral... mixed in with some tears just so I know I'm missed... but mostly fun, bright colors, a keg, dancing, some Twister... okay, again the morbidity. Don't worry, I don't plan on dying anytime in the near future (AKA next 80 or so years) so you have plenty more of this blog to read! The point is that at those times and/or in those places where fun feels out of place don't have it. In most spirituality practices there's emphasis on strife contributing to spiritual growth and while I believe that the right path leading to that should mostly be followed with ease and joy and love (and of course, fun) we often need the contrast of the bumps and roadblocks to appreciate our course or lead us down a different path. And it's only when we stop to contemplate those bumps and roadblocks (which is not often the most fun process) that we feel more fulfilled and confident about our path. Okay, I wasn't intending to give a sermon. It's just one of those days of bumps and roadblocks and the need for a little more warmth and sunshine. So I encourage you all to embrace all life has to offer, the fun and the not so fun and you'll quickly find yourself leading a much more fulfilling life. Happy Friday!

My Bucket List

I haven't yet seen this movie (should probably add it to my bucket list) but have heard good things and even if the movie sucks the concept behind it is brilliant. No one wants to lie on their death bed wishing they'd done things differently. A bucket list gives you a blueprint of how you want to live your life and what you want to experience in it. I've made several throughout my life and can't find them so here's the start of a new one, which I'm filling with all kinds of fun!

1. Travel all over the world (I couldn't pick individual countries; I want to experience the whole shabang.).
2. Learn to play the drums.
3. Learn to play the guitar.
4. Run the Boston Marathon.
5. Enter a surfing contest.
6. Take dance lessons.
7. Take more photographs.
8. Publish a best selling book.
9. Start my own leisure counseling practice.
10. Get my PhD and become a professor.
11. Own my own beautiful home.
12. Own vacation homes/cabins.
13. Work for myself.
14. Touch dolphins.
15. Have my own dog.
16. Find true love.
17. Be happy in each moment.
18. Find the good in everyone and everything.
19. Climb Everest.
20. Learn to sail.
21. Be a stunt double.
22. Write for magazines.
23. Sell paintings.
24. See the 7 Wonders of the World.
25. Spend an entire summer watching a MLB game in every stadium.

When I first made this list (not realizing it was a bucket list) in high school I had 200 items on there and when I randomly found it 7 years later I had so much fun crossing things off. Then, I misplaced it again. But I look forward to crossing the things off that one and the continuation that is here.

New Hilarious Website Discoveries

Since I spend a lot of time at work and since I spend a lot of time at work on a computer and since I spend a lot of time at work on a computer completely understimulated I've had the pleasure of discovering hilarious websites. Many of them are highlighted on the side of my blog including two new additions as of today.

The first is Dear Girls Above Me. This guy discovered one day that he could hear his not entirely intelligent female neighbors having their not entirely intelligent conversations. So instead of being annoyed and angry with them he blogs his response to overheard comments. Both the girls' comments and his responses are ab busting funny and clever. They're also quick reads for those who don't have a lot of time to peruse the internet.

The second is Dear Blank Please Blank which reminds me of thxthxthx but has more general letters to anyone about anything. They aren't always finding the silver lining but most are funny nonetheless.