yhd for 2011

yhd ... aka your heart's desire. as i have done in the past as part of transitioning into a new year, i yhd. this is my yhd2011. and because of december's reverb10 experience, yhd2011 feels a bit more streamlined compared to past years -- not surprising given my decision to spend 31 mornings of stream-of-consciousness writing on reflecting and manifesting.

author sonia choquette's your heart's desire: instructions for creating the life you really want is a workbook of sorts with 9 principles. back in 1999, a dear friend, deb, recommended yhd to me because of several life-stuff going on in my life - and when dear friends recommend something, i am going to give it a whirl. for me, i consider this a woo-woo book - a kind of spiritual and law of attraction thing. as stated on choquette's website -

"There are metaphysical laws at work in the universe that bring to us both what we want and what we don't want, depending on our habits of thought and behavior."

9 principles ... deb mentioned the book was like a workbook. (did someone say "workbook"? i'm in.) each chapter includes exercises as part of learning the 9 principles presented by choquette. the principles (in order) include ...

1. focus your desire (bring your dream into focus)
   
2. send clear messages to your subconscious mind. repeat them and make sure they are positive (gain the support of your subconscious mind)
   
3. deeply imagine realizing your goal ~ do it in detail (imagine your heart's desire)
   
4. establish order in your physical environment (eliminate your obstacles)
   
5. open yourself to your intuition ~become aware of synchronicity, etc. (be open to intuitive guidance)
   
6. rein in impulsive behavior (choose to support your dream with love)
   
7. honor the power of your words ~ say what you mean (surrender control)
   
8. persist in your dream (claim your dream)
   
9. surrender to divine power and allow the universe to do the rest (stay true to your dream)

side bar: woo-woo + non-woo-woo = shirlnutkin ... so here is the deal with yhd and me - it has been my downtime when i regroup and a good companion to other non-woo-woo forecasting activities. when i ran my own business for 13 years, i did the non-woo-woo strategic planing, scopes of work, annual meetings, quarterly tax stuff, monthly billings, weekly meetings, project management, and lots of other blah-blah outputs - no nonsense tangibles. then i recall it during the 2000-2001 transition, i co-mingled yhd & non-woo-woo. (it was similar to tyler's how to write your biography 40years earlier, but without the pie and gantt charts. and note to self: blog about my "red book and crazy papers.") co-mingling results? 2001 was a banner year - and i mean MAJOR BANNER YEAR! then 2002, 2003, etc. followed suit. however, since being part of cubeopolis starting in late 2007, i have pretty much been more non-woo-woo with just a few sprinkles of woo-woo. banner is dormant but bubbling. i have decided - it's time for recapturing that banner year feeling!

4Q2010 knocking at yhd2011 ... the last 3 months of 2010 were filled with quite a bit of activity. nutshells for october, november, and december remind me of several highlights - more writing, more reading, healthier decisions and activities, reconnecting, new friends, (re)cubeopolis, shoring up home stuff, and on & on. i discovered (or rediscovered) advanced riskology, reverb10, lessons of a laptop dancer, AONC, healthmonth, CYCCYL, 7habits, cliffieland, projectrungay, and on & on. after finishing up december's nutshell, i realized i was rounding the corner to prep for yhd2011.

initial yhd2011 take ... with that said, below are the 10 areas (as part of choquette's little workbook) to look at in one's life - and here's my initial yhd2011 in order as they appeared for 2010 along with this year's relative ranking ...

• 1_health & body ... this means the sphere of physical health and well-being, including weight loss or gain, beauty, exercise, sport, and recovery from illness
  (past years' ranks - '10 @2, '09 @2, '08 @1, and '99 @8)
  • mindset - be free of health management meds, get more fresh air, eat more organic, mindful of perimenopause, seek more locavore, reverb10 day 18 try (see also creative expression)
    
  • tools - myfitnesspal, president's challenge, healthmonth, yoga, cardio-kickboxing, home cooking, chiropractor, massages, go red betterU, race around the regions, on-line resources, like-minded people
    
    
• 2_finances ... this includes the sphere of income, savings, debt payoff, and money for purchases, adventures, and indulgences
  (past years' ranks - '10 @1, '09 @1, '08 @3, and '99 @5)
  
  • mindset - complete taxes on time, suze orman-ing, eye toward retirement, invest in environmental-related options, be philanthropic, have reliable accountant, reverb10 day 20 beyond avoidance, take weekend get-away retreats (see also work, home)
  • tools - bookkeeper/accountant, eeba, kim foote, the prosperity game, uboc, books, on-line resources, friends/financial advice
    
    
• 3_creative expression ... this includes singing, dancing, painting, writing, healing, intuiting, inventing, building, designing, photographing, acting, producing, filiming, cooking, gardening, sculpting
  (past year's rank - '10 @7, '09 @6, '08 @6, and '99 @4)
  
  • mindset - write short stories, blog with a message (or two), promote and support other writers and bloggers, hone skills for storytelling and improv, cook meals for friends, transform mom's vhs to dvd, participate in the love project, use the watercolors karen gave me, reverb10 day 2 writing, day 6 make, day 28 achieve (see also spiritual)
  • tools - guerilla influence formula, love2011, improv class, mac/apple tools ilife, art class, music, books, on-line resources
    
    
• 4_relationships ... this includes the sphere of love, romance, marriage, divorce, children, parents, relatives, friends, neighbors, partners, and pets
  (past years' ranks - '10 @3, '09 @3, '08 @2, and '99 @6)
  
  • mindset - reconnect with friends, attend family gatherings, long-term/committed relationship with a man, let go of some relationships, time for a house pet, reverb10 day 6 community, day 9 party, day 16 friendship, day 24 everything's o.k., day 27 ordinary joy, day 25 photo, day 14 appreciate, day 15 5 minutes, involvement in/writing about local community, do photo journal type activities, seek like-minded people to support creative expressions yhd (see also creative expression, travel & adventure)
  • tools - facebook, love2011, on-line dating, p2p, race around the regions, 7habits, CYCCYL, other social networks and on-line resources, city's dispatch, paddy's coffee shop, favorite foodie stop-offs, like-minded people
    
    
• 5_work ... this includes where you want to work, what you want to do, how much you want it to pay, whom you want to work with, the environment you want to work in, the rewards you want to receive, the amount of independence you want, and the contribution to the world you want to make
  (past years' ranks - '10 @4, 09 @'4, '08 @4, and '99 @1)
  
  • mindset - reconnect with mission|vision|values, (re)cubeopolis, express creativity, lead a cultural transformation, renew a mission|vision|values from 7habits, help create refinements to internship program, be part of external activities, reverb 10 day 29 defining moment, support aapi activities, discover how/what/where i want to work, feel seamless between life and work activities (see also creative expression, relationships, finances)
  • tools - p2p, 7habits, race around the regions, internal connections network tool, internship program, new employee orientation workgroup, apac, external environmental groups' activities
    
    
• 6_spiritual ... this includes the sphere of personal discovery, healing old wounds, recovering personal power, expanding intuitive awareness, discovering new dimensions, remembering your true spiritual identity
  (past years' ranks - '10 @5, '09 @8; '08 @8, and '99 @7)
  • mindset - practice intuitive awareness, restart reiki, acknowledge synchronicity and signs, be grateful, reverb 10 day 5 letting go, day 10 wisdom, day 11 eleven things, day 12 body integration, day 17 lesson learned, day 24 everything's o.k., day 1 one word, day 2 moment, day 4 wonder, day 8 beautifully different, day 31 core story (see also health & body, special intentions)
  • tools - reiki, meditate, journaling, on-line resources, like-minded people
    
    
• 7_special intentions ... this includes anything not directly covered in the above
  (past years' ranks - '10 @10, '09 @10, '08 @10, and '99 @2)
  
  • mindset - stay in touch with jengyee's family and friends, re-engage in keeping jengyee's memory alive, express through my actions - reverb10 (incl.day 13 action, day 19 healing, day 21 future self) the four agreements, the paradoxical commandments, the paradoxical commandments for government, and the ten rules for being human. (see also spiritual, creative expression)
  • tools - blogging, on-line resources, like-minded people, journaling

• 8_travel and adventures ... this includes travel, sports, recreation, retreat, world exploration, psychic exploration, and new experiences of every kind
  (past years' ranks - '10 @9, '09 @7, '08 @7, and '99 @9)
  
  • mindset - see reverb10 day 22 travel, day 28 achieve, day 25 photo, re-establish reiki to heal others, visit friends in u.s., travel where a passport is required, visit california's nature locales, continue hiking, try two new sports or recreation activities, take weekend retreats, travel to visit/meet like-minded people (see also health & body, finances, creative expression)
  • tools - passport, on-line resources, luggage, journal
    

• 9_home ... this includes buying, selling, renting, remodeling, building, moving, acquiring roommates, decorating, and designing where you live
  (past year's rank - '10 @6, '09 @5, '08, @7, and '99 @3)
  
  • mindset - create and maintain an inviting home to entertain family and friends, create personal space for meditation and reiki, redecorate, garden, reduce number of (simplify) home possessions (see also finances, creative expression)
    
  • tools - books on home decor/creating space, cyccyl, shed, on-line resources
    
    
• 10_possessions ... this includes any and all physical objects and property that may make your daily life more joyous, more pleasurable, more comfortable, more practical, and more fun
  (past years' ranks - '10 @8, '09 @9, '08 @9, and '99 @10)
  
  • mindset - learn how to use mac's multi-media apps, continue auto upkeep, enjoy blogging, honor my journals, reverb10 day 30 gift, day 26 soul food, create a vibrant kitchen/cooking area, have on-the-go-travel items (see also travel, home)
    
  • tools - mac's programs, kitchen utensils, electronic gadgets
    
    

CREATE
vision board
journal cubby
hall of awesomeness
in-home retreat space
game plan for reverb10 day 28 achieve
and
get my GLEE GUM

f|break: hot dogs

fun tips ... from amy sedaris, in her book simple times: crafts for poor people (on amazon, nyt review, web fan site), she carries on her fun and funky recipes and tips - following her first book - i like you: hospitality under the influence. in november 2010 (over here), i looked through her recipes in i like you to figure out something really simple to bring to a cubeopolis lunch event. as a for instance, recipes included carrot coins and toast on a stick.

enjoy a fiber break learning moment with amy sedaris (over here)

for ~ 1:45 min - hot dog cooking on a rake

i can't see without my glasses

ten characteristics ...

servant-leader ... @greenleafcenter our second class (of five classes) is next saturday. the servant as leader is one of several readings among others provided as part of class work -
which includes -

• a suggested frame for thinking about the servant as leader
• a wonderful compilation and perspective of the core message of robert greenleaf
• questions as the beginning of an autobiographical prompt for us to think about our experience of being served and serving
  
• greenleaf's credo and its evolution through three decades
• kent m. keith (current greenleaf center CEO) on the characteristics of servant leadership (with other keith's articles over here)
• ten characteristics of servant-leadership (which also is described by the former greenleaf center CEO, larry spears, in this article)
  

sharing from my class work ... the following is an excerpt from a class wiki page i created yesterday morning. to the extent i may post on this girlnutkin blog some of what i share in class, for the most part, the class wiki will likely be the primary place for exploring the ten characteristics. i am hoping that others in class also will share experiences and thoughts about the characteristics -

PURPOSE OF THIS PAGE - will have links to past blog posts ... specific for my learning and understanding the ten characteristics of servant-leadership. and i came across larry spears 2004 article ... from Leader to Leader, a publication of the Leader to Leader Institute and Jossey-Bass; Spears, Larry C. "Practicing Servant-Leadership" Leader to Leader. 34 (Fall 2004)7-11.

learning the ten characteristics of servant-leadership ... in preparing for the 2nd class on may 7, i am sifting through my blog posts of the past (and as i write them, of the present) to see what expresses the learnings of the characteristics of a servant-leader - and perhaps more importantly, where i may have missed the mark - maybe i didn't listen or seek to understand, i may have been stuck in a day-to-day mentality, etc. also, i read - voraciously. i listen - vicariously. i talk - vivaciously.

LISTENING
[insert link + description]

EMPATHY
[insert link + description]

HEALING
[insert link + description]

AWARENESS
[insert link + description]

PERSUASION
[insert link + description]

CONCEPTUALIZATION
[insert link + description]

FORESIGHT
[insert link + description]

STEWARDSHIP
[insert link + description]

BUILDING COMMUNITY
[insert link + description]

COMMITMENT TO THE GROWTH OF PEOPLE
[insert link + description]

BACKGROUND THOUGHTS FOR STARTING [wiki] PAGE ... i have come to find that many of my previous blog posts/writings at the various blogs i have kept -

• girlnutkin in the BA (since 2010),
• the predecessor blog (nov 2007-oct 2009) relo'd to BA from SD (marking when i moved from san diego to the SF bay area),
  
• its predecessor blog (jan 2006-oct 2007) relo-ing from SD to BA (marking when i first started blogging thinking i'd do so only to document my planned move from san diego to northern california), and
  
• and a separate blog specific to an internship program i had at my business (jan 2006-oct 2007) REALITY: Intern (aka r|intern) ...
  

- - these blogs have sprinkles of what we are learning in class. i can see how my thoughts dovetail or are somehow related to the reading assignments and reflections resulting during from our class reading. and for my current blog (and with the past blogs), each post is a thought i came across - perhaps that morning, the night before, during a conversation with friends, whatever the source - therefore, i don't quite plan my posts. sometimes i may have a little 'backlog', sometimes i'm not in the mood to post, or sometimes i post filler (like about my car woes). therefore, as much as what i post appears random to others, the randomness is simply what i've decided to post for a given day.

teach to learn ... although through the years i have read books related to servant-leadership, quite a bit related to business and self-improvement, and many magazine/newspaper articles infused with servant-leader learning, there is much to be said about teaching to learn. i remember this teach to learn as part of when i was going to college and being tutored, when i chose to tutor folks, as part of 7 habits, and when i hear myself sharing learnings. and needless to say, the most powerful (for me, at least) is the experiential aspect ... when i also may be in teacher mode and realize that i am, in fact, the one learning. i found from a covey tweet -

• 5 reasons to teach: to learn better, to motivate you to live it, to increase your ability to listen, to legitimatize change, and to bond.

posts as related to greenleaf class ... i still maintain the blog label/tag greenleaf for class related posts. and while i thought i might have a post (maybe once every 2 weeks or so) that is specifically and only dedicated to class-related activities, i am seeing that i constantly think and feel (if that makes sense) much of what we are reading and writing as i go through my day (and as i have gone through in my past years). this wiki is a place to organize my thoughts as inspired by the 2nd class reading assignments.

time to do more reflection and reading -
read voraciously
listen vicariously
talk vivaciously

love the author ...

ted chiang ... i was introduced to chiang several years ago by my friend, debbie. she shared stories of your life and others with the quick read of one of the stories - understand (over here).

gifting ... since reading this story and other chiang stories, i have gifted this book to several friends - whether or not one is interested in science fiction. used book story browsing? if it's on the bookshelf, the store will be less whatever number of copies were on the shelf.

a few stories on-line ... turns out, several stories are available at free speculative fiction online (over here) where you can read or listen to a podcast, depending on the story. go. go now. NOW.

recent novella ... i forgot how and why i recently came across chiang's recent novella - the lifecycle of software objects (also on-line) - but i did. and i enjoyed the read - so much that the book may need to keep my books company (must purchase over here). here are a few of the illustrations by christian pearce (over here) in the making part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.

"The virtual world acts as a
global village for raising the digients,
a social fabric into which a new category of pet is woven."

my little addiction ...

books ... i love to read, but more so, i enjoy going to the book store for my down time, especially after some sort of intense information processing - preparing for taxes, researching data, receiving emotional news, cranking on my cubeopolis project, or simply participating in my saturday class.

my retail therapy ... for some reason, walking through stacks, searching for a book or three, and reading book jackets of books i may read AND those that i would normally not read quiets my mind somehow (or maybe just allows me to process information differently - who knows?!).

and along with books, as shared in #10 of my 25 blah-blah things, i've dabbled in the more conventional retail therapy for wallets, purses, or shoes (fluevogs, of course), as well. (fortunately, i have been curbing the purse tendency with my little policy of buy one purse, release two purses.) but i digress.

bookcase buddies ... new, used additions (via half price books) to my bookcase (and nightstands, coffee table, end table, ...) - a somewhat random collection of books - two books which i was looking for, one i've thought about getting, and others that caught my cubeopolis-eye and may or may not be relevant at this time -

• vonnegut's player piano
• brooks's world war Z
• rousseau's the social contract and discourses
  
• magnetic quotes and humor's office wisdom
  
• de bono's six frames
• pierre's the artist in the office

random? ... perhaps. looking forward to seeing which books are keepers and which will be passed along.

observations, perspectives, stereotypes ...

on asian mothers ... last weekend's WSJ article why chinese mothers are superior (an excerpt from amy chua's memoir - battle hymn of the tiger mom) drew quite a bit of attention and controversy - not just in the blogosphere but among cubester friends and colleagues.

i came across the article because of a brief-minute stairwell conversation among cubesters, and as part of a cheeky moment, i mentioned it a fiber break with a clip from modern family. and as part of a separate moment, i thought about my tongue/cheek dating white men post.

bite-sized updates ... here are a few (and yet there are MANY) follow-up resources -

• WSJ's blog comments on the article number more than 400 comments
• chua responds to questions as part of WSJ's idea market comments
  
• gene luen yang's cartoon response on the controversy
• SFGate's article mother, superior? providing more context to WSJ article
  
• PBS interview of chua on her memoir - reactions, reason for writing her memoir (written in about 2 months) - and her closing statement so true ... "it's obviously triggered a nerve."

here is alison stewart's need to know interview clip (over here)
for ~ her 7:25 min interview with amy chua

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

chua:
"generations ... immigrants ... mother ... daughter ..."
"it really captures some truth"
"it's a memoir ... and it's a memoir about
my own mistakes, my pulling back ..."
"i actually wrote this book in a moment of crisis ... my daughter"

my quick thoughts ... i haven't read the book, yet. but my initial reaction - it's a memoir that is spurring dialogue and reactions across many minds. let me read what chua has to say.

other books on the nutkin's shelf and nightstand ... meanwhile, i have quite a bit of books for which i am still finishing-up as part of my self-directed, self-motivated study around topics associated with ignorance, knowledge, and race, as well as cultural context and psychographics - several tim wise books, yoshino's covering, a couple of luis rodriguez books, collection of essays written by asian american and brought together in claire chow's leaving deep water: asian american women at the crossroads of two cultures and garrett hongo's under western eyes.

just #love2011 it! weekly fun throughout the year ...

love2011 or the love project for 2011 ... is yvette francino's brain-child. yvette (who's signed copy of her book (thank you, yvette!) arrived earlier this week) launched the love project for 2011 on new year's day - a weekly assignment designed to give and receive love ... based on a monthly theme. she shared a little tidbit of the brain-child on her new year's eve blog post -

"I'm copying Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project idea. I'll blog and learn about love and write a book about it. ... This one will be completely non-fiction and will not reveal the mysterious details of my own love life. ... I chatted with Gretchen briefly and got her thumbs up for me to go ahead with my project and I have some fun stuff in mind... Prompts for bloggers (similar to reverb10), a "website of the week" segment, themes, videos. Stay tuned for more information!"

weekly resources ... each saturday, wednesday and friday, you can count on the following -

• saturday - the weekly assignment is shared
• wednesday - website of the week feature
• friday - funny post
• throughout the week - "how to's" and other shares

and keep in mind, the weekly assignments are based on a monthly theme. this first month (or two) is self-love.

be curious about love2011 ... here are links for you to check-out about this week's launch of the love project -

• wk1love2011 assignment - new year's positive affirmations via video with an extra credit/bonus assignment of turning something you complain about into something positive
• sample some videos - see several videos of the first assignment of the love project - men and women sharing
• got blog to monetize? - link love 2011 for bloggers who also may be looking for ideas to monetize one's blog
• "how to" segment - a how to use affirmations effectively post, with a simple to follow walk-through example
• wednesday's website of the week - a smattering of "cool sites, products, and blogs about affirmations" as shared by yvette
• more to come ...

to journal it or to blog it? just love2011 it! ... it is never to late to join the love project for 2011. although i am a little late starting-up, my posts/assignments will shortly be rolling out on the girlnutkin blog. if you blog and choose to join, let me know because it can be fun having love2011 accountability buddies! if you just want to follow my weekly assignments, let me know - it's good to know that you may be checking in.

if you don't blog, it's okay - read on ... after mentioning this to friends who love the love project 2011 idea but do not blog, i do believe non-bloggers can also be part of the love project 2011. here are a couple of ideas:

• personal journal ... use your personal journal (e.g., hard bound book, paper notes, private on-line journal, index cards, whatever!) to jot down your thoughts about the weekly assignment. given the first week's video assignment, shy? if you're shy about sharing, you can still create a video for you to personally reflect. or maybe just take the opportunity to do a little self-reflection.
  
• facebook and the notes page ... facebook has a "notes" page that can serve like a journal of sorts. you can customize who can see your notes page - your friends, other love2011 participants, yvette, friends of friends, etc. ...
  
• coffee (or tea) talk, chat amongst yourselves, and scribe ... each weekly assignment will be thought-provoking enough to chat amongst yourselves - from quippy tidbits, to personal experience, to major epiphanies - whatever coffee talk results, talking about giving and receiving love is timeless ... and maybe among you is someone who can shoot a little note over to yvette.
  
• tweet a little ... maybe you are on twitter and you have followers (friends and strangers) who may be interested? let them know about the love project - what you are doing, what your friends are doing, what yvette is doing ...
• photographs ... maybe you love taking photos and it's how you share your thoughts and ideas. part of flickr's 365 or something similar? throw in a little love2011 into your mix. or maybe start your own 365love2011 photo journal.
  
• got other ideas? ...
  

just let yvette and others (and me) know... you're lovin' the love project. drop by her blog - lessons of a laptop dancer - and make sure to let her know how it's going for you, questions or suggestions you have, or ideas for nifty weekly assignments.

lovin' the love project for 2011
(aka love2011)

food stuff for the cubeopolis winter gala ...

lunch me some veggies ... our cubeopolis team's contribution for an upcoming potluck is vegetables.

not breakfast ... no bagels, donuts, muffins, or pastries. (or pancakes)

my go-to source and inspiration ... one recipe (or maybe two) from the amy sedaris i like you: hospitality under the influence fun-tastic book. for each alphabet letter, i selected one recipe.

eeny, meeny, miny, moe ... the following are my pseudo-random recipe selections based on the index. if you have the book, i've included the (page number) and the section in {brackets} of where the recipe is listed. if a veggie recipe was not listed, i picked one, anyway (for non-gala fun). if a letter was not listed, i googly-bingd.

• A is for ... artichokes au gratin, jennifer's (p. 129) because cheese is everyone's friend (except for those who don't eat cheese). {hospitality in action: grieving}
  
• B is for ... baked sweet potatoes or yams (p. 241) because i know this may not make the list if someone else selects sweet potatoes. {jackpot recipes: misc}
  
• C is for ... carrot coins (p. 57) because it sounds REALLY easy. {hospitality in action: a rich uncle comes to visit}
  
• D is for ... rum punch dazzler (p. 262) because my friend piragua posted something on face book about this rum - DonQ Gold - and it's not like i can't make this some other time. {jackpot recipes: misc}
• E is for ... egg and lemon soup (p. 260) because it's the only E recipe listed, i'm sticking to my little rule, and i already know i won't be bringing soup. {jackpot recipes: misc}
• F is for ... fennel and arugula salad (p. 183) because they are vegetables, but i'm thinking other cubesters are tasked with bringing salads. {hospitality in action: and rabbits}
• G is for ... green beans with toasted almonds (p. 118) because see B and because i have sliced almonds still sitting around. {hospitality in action: opening night}
• H is for ... hot nuts, gina's (p. 131) because it's not a vegetable but sounds fun and easy. {hospitality in action: children}
• I is for ... icy dessert (p. 170) because who doesn't like dessert? (maybe i'll add a vegetable. see B.) {hospitality in action: price chompers}
• J is for ... there is no J, therefore, i'm going with jell-o and will choose from the kraft food jell-0 on-line source if J makes the top 5. {n/a}
• K is for ... kourambiethes (p. 232) because i don't know what it is, i want to learn how to pronounce it correctly, and i'm going to guess it doesn't have vegetables. (note to self: make it anyway as part of washing it down with see D - assuming kourambiethes is not a beverage). {jackpot recipes: the cavity hole}
• L is for ... lentil soup (p.259) because i know i am not going to bring soup, anyway (see E). {jackpot recipes: misc}

• M is for ... mashed turnips (p. 241) because i love how amy has this indexed under M and not T (see B, D, H, and what's up with I?). {jackpot recipes: misc}
• N is for ... nonny's rice (p. 240) because the other option involves cockles and clams. {jackpot recipes: misc}
• O is for ... oven-roasted vegetables, dad's (p.242) because it sounds simple and i'm guessing there is something interesting (or not). {jackpot recipes: misc}
• P is for ... peas and onions, gloria's (p. 45) because see C. {hospitality in action: t.g.i.f.}
• Q is for ... there is no Q (see J), therefore, i googled "quick vegetable" and chose quick moroccan vegetable couscous (from epicurious over here) because it sounds simple and tasty. {n/a}
  
• R is for ... roasted vegetables, dad's oven- (p. 242) because see O. {jackpot recipes: misc}
• S is for ... somemores, gimme (p. 165) because i know it's not about vegetables, but i'm gonna make it anyway (for myself and others who will enjoy 'em)! {hospitality in action: gypsy}
• T is for ... toast on a stick (p. 164) because see C (and yes, i know it's not a vegetable). {hospitality in action: gypsy}
• U is for ... there is no U (see J and Q), therefore, i googled "uruguayan vegetable recipes" and chose pascualina (from cooks.com over here) because it has spinach. {n/a}
  
• V is for ... vulgar barbecue sauce (p. 206) because i love the name (lots). {jackpot recipes: fowl}
• W is for ... whipped potatoes with turnips or garlic (p. 194) because the other option was white bean soup (see L). {hospitality in action: cooking for one}
• X is for ... there is no X (see J, Q, and U), therefore, i left it at i got nothin'. {n/a}
  
• Y is for ... yorkshire pudding (p. 237) because two of the remaining three involved cake and the third one was yogurt spaghetti. {jackpot recipes: misc}
• Z is for ... zuchinni fritters, paul's (p. 128) because it's the only Z recipe. {jackpot recipes: grieving}

side bar: section titles where recipes are listed include - grieving, misc, a rich uncle comes to visit, opening night, cooking for one, opening night, children, price chompers, the cavity hole, fowl, gypsy, t.g.i.f., and rabbits.

lunch you some veggies ... i will ask a few cubesters (and anyone who leaves a comment below) -

• select the top 5 choices from the above
  or
  
• a random (or not-so-random) 10 letters of the alphabet.

time's up, pencils down ... of the top 5/10, i will make the final selection - unless one recipe (or letter) is overwhelmingly selected over others. (and that, i doubt. really, i doubt. just sayin')

now ... what to wear for the gala?!

little steps toward branding in cubeopolis

a brand "... is a promise - which must be delivered upon consistently with every interaction." this was shared with me and several other women back in november 2009 at a very fun, intense, and fruitful workshop. the workshop has stuck with me, and i believe that branding (especially in cubeopolis) can help a person determine if a person's target audience is cubeopolis ... is WHO i'm for (my customer/audience) and WHAT i do (my service) really about cubeopolis? can i refine my message? am i focused about WHY i do what i do? what are three words to describe HOW i do what i do? what are three words to describe WHO i am? ... is cubeopolis really who i'm for?

workshop fun ... "turning ideas into brands - a workshop for inspired women" is the creation of christie harper of brand endeavors - a one-day workshop about brand fundamentals where she asks 5 questions for participants to answer and to present - answer's that serve as one's brand platform. she describes her workshop as ...

"This workshop is designed for women who are early-stage entrepreneurs, or who are considering how to bring their various business, creative and social ideas to fruition. In this full-day workshop, you’ll work with other women to explore your ideas, ultimately creating a brand promise that brings purpose and focus to your most compelling idea, whether it is a professional or personal pursuit."

when i took the workshop, i was flirting with the idea of creating a business or of becoming involved with an existing endeavor that would not conflict with cubeopolis and that would support my natural interest in helping people with their professional development and doing well by the environment. the other option - reviving and repositioning my previous consulting practice. as a result, i came out of that workshop with a business idea still needing a bit more clarity, a reminder to update my qualifications, a decision to develop my brand within cubeopolis - mostly as a transition to whatever the horizon brings, and a decision to stay put for the time being.

one year later, stuck on me ... christie's workshop continues to stick in my head. it was transforming, and the women at the workshop were inspiring. and although it has been a year since taking this workshop, i remembered this morning about her blog post a brand with a plan because a friend in cubeopolis will be interviewing for a couple of positions in cubeopolis. my response to her a couple of days ago was something like a bunch of words essentially conveying that there are a couple of questions one can ask one's self - to differentiate what one has to offer - branding and positioning are ways to approach it. not necessarily new concepts but something new to my friend.

personal branding ... several months ago, a colleague at work (aka cubester) expressed frustration about feedback of how she was perceived by some managers. i think she rocks; one manager was kinda meh. what came to mind at that point were christie's workshop and two books i had about branding. a book on personal branding by robin fisher roffer - her book titled make a name for yourself - 8 steps every womon needs to create a personal brand strategy for success (over here). my friend picked up robin's other book - fearless fish out of water (over here) - and loved it. (i haven't yet read this recent book.)

the brand gap ... several years ago, i picked up marty neumeier's the brand gap (over here), which i really like and revisit from time to time. essentially, brands are defined by individuals - it's what individuals say a brand is. below (or over here) is a basically a good chunk of his book (from slideshare). and although it's not directed specifically at a person in cubeopolis, it is relevant and related to personal branding.

The Brand Gap

View more presentations from coolstuff.

(dots: cyccyl, books, categories, coach, cubeopolis positions, l.a.g., branding)

f|break: saturday morning

books ... i read them, (re)read them, loan them out, and leave them in public places.

david sedaris books ... i own them, read them, (re)read them, loan them out, listen to some of them, and haven't left them in public places. don't know him? really?! learn a little over here, listen to a few past readings on npr over here and on the recent book, and choose to agree (or disagree) with others' reviews of his most recent book - la times, npr, powell's, and the guardian.

a little fiber break (a tad over 30 seconds)
appetizer (over here)

enjoy your fiber break (of ~5+ min) with david sedaris
on jon stewart's the daily show (over here)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
David Sedaris
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

"... snail ..."
(heehee)

iCrush: j. safran foer

was sick earlier this week (and am still a bit poo-poo), so i've been playing catch-up on dvr'd shows and blogs. from the bit of a respite i was reminded of a few little crushes

author j.safran foer ... on the colbert report below - enjoyed his first 2 books and will pick up eating animals shortly.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Jonathan Safran Foer
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy