It’s called a DVR!

Yesterday I presented a workshop at a local High School - “Plan your Career Path”. LOL The irony of it all is that as I’m at a cross roads when it comes to planning my own! Just to give some background of the workshop - the students were asked to assess their values and identify their roadblocks, aka challenges they might face or have to overcome to achieve their goals. Hmm, now I have the option of taking this post in several directions - Dare I comment on the lack of direction that our future generation has. It’s sad and all I can do is shake my head. Or should I take lessons from this class of seniors and just shrug my shoulders and say in an unconfident tone “I don’t know…”

NO!! In fact, I’m sure there is a blog (several) dedicated to breaking down what’s going on (or should I say what’s NOT going on) in the world of Public Education. Let me stay true to the purpose of this blog - My Purpose…

What’s keeping me from getting things done that I need to get done. That damn DVR! Yep that’s what it is. Do you know I watch more TV owning a DVR than I have EVER watched in my life!! OR is it because there are so many great shows on. And why do they ALL have to be on at the same time. Yes, I watch them All - The Apprentice, Survivor, ANTM (America’s Next Top Model), AI (American Idol), The Amazing Race… Just got into watching Medium on Monday’s, and my ALL time favorite - LOST!!! Now, LOST also requires an hour or two of reading discussion forums (www.4815162342.com) because I have to make sure I didn’t miss anything of significance… Let’s not forget taping every episode of Oprah… and the fact that I work for the cable company (www.cox.com) and have the benefit of getting EVERY single movie channel there is. SO needless to say -My DVR is full of crap!! Crap I need to watch. Crap that I’ve watched but have to watch again… You would think that I’d be some big fat girl or something. (Thank you Jesus for my metabolism and my mom’s genes!)

“When Shaune do you find time do anything else?” you ask. Well, it’s not during the commercial breaks because I fast forward right through those. And before you know it… after watching all that crap - the week is over and I haven’t done crap.

My Roadblock = DVR

11 PM Curfew

Okay, so I was SO tired of having fights with Ms. Alarm every morning. She use to yell at me AND tell lies... For some reason, she wanted me to believe that it was 7:30am when it was really ONLY 7. Oh, but I got hip to her game, so I started hitting her in the head until she shut the hell up! BUT she never learned her lesson because she would start yelling again 8 or 9 minutes later. So, I fixed her... In fact, she was fired and replaced with the soothing sounds of this guy named Talk Radio. He didn't yell one bit so I never needed to hit him upside the head. In fact, he just so happened to be so good that he worked his way right into my dreams. In fact, he talked so damn much that he forgot to tell me the time AND on many occasions he never accomplished the task at hand. I hate to inform you, but he was fired too.

So now I'm left with Me. Cause it turns out, Ms. Alarm and Mr. Talk Radio wouldn't bother me as much if I went to sleep at a decent hour. So, starting tonight I've given myself an 11pm curfew.

We'll see how it works out...

MOMMA PARROT

I am a single mother of one - One green bird - A maroon belly conure to be exact. And No, I’m not one of those fanatic pet owners (although my friends my think otherwise). I just happen to be a Momma Parrot.

My Kobi, is a He in my life (however it is quite possible that he can be a she, but paying for blood work is not a top priority for me). Lately “he” has found too much pleasure in rubbing his tail butt up against my foot or knee - similar to the position that a small puppy dog may take un an unsuspecting leg… Initially, about 2 years ago, I thought “O how cute, he’s letting me rub him” (he’s extremely feisty and rarely likes to be rubbed); however now I have some concern that I am contributing to the molestation of a Parrot. He enjoys it a little too much and I question should I allow it to continue in my presence…? He practically lays completely flat with his tail but vertical and “tick ticks pops and jumps” as my foot (yes my foot with sock) rubs… As long as He doesn’t start laying eggs…(well there would be no need for blood work).

I have always said that having the bird is Gods’ way of preparing me for children one day. Within the first 3 months that I had him I guess he was around age 2… I potty trained him using good ole classical conditioning… Positive reinforcement… “Don’t potty on mommies back and you can ride on her shoulder for 5 minutes” 3 years later, he has the potty on command trick down so well, that he actually “holds it” until I happen to make eye contact with him (because he knows that I have to see him go in order for him to leave the cage) and I no longer even need to give him the command (go potty). However, like any two year old, he has his accidents…

This is where my patients is tested… I have been known to curse a bird out a couple times a week. Reasons justified of’course - BITTING (me), SHITTING (outside of cage), SCREECHING (for no reason), YELLING (for my attention), FLYING (because he remembers he’s a bird), and whatever other unsatisfactory behaviors he shows may warrant a curse out depending on my mood. I know, it’s a sad shame. I’ve had friends threaten to call PPS (parrot protective services) on me a time or two. BUT, It’s all done in LOVE. Teehee

Speaking of love, we have our lovey dovey moments too… when he snuggles on my shoulder under my ear and whispers (in his gurgly yest audible parrot voice) “watchadoin” or (in his not so audible chuckle) “mhombhou” - his attempt at “I love you” - No need to go on, the love is there.
He’s in the room ringing that damn bell… BUT he’s quiet. And I’m glad. Since the weekday starts again tomorrow, I better go give him some love because he will be without me for a couple hours after being up under me most of this weekend. But again, I’m not one of those pet owner fanatics…

JUNK OF MY LIFE…

It’s pouring outside… “It never rains in Southern California”
I’m starving and confined to my house because I don’t feel like going out in the rain. This is the second Saturday in a row that it has rained and I have been in the house without anything to eat…well, there is something to eat BUT it’s frozen. And I, unfortunately, go from not hungry at all to Starving. You’d think by now I would have something thawed, but I’ve been so focused on 1. channel changing for the past couple of hours that I did not pay attention to the time and 2. cleaning my room for the 678th day in a row…

Awe, my room. I remember on one particular episode of Oprah, there was some lady on talking about how a person keeps their room is a direct reflection of what’s going on in their life. If this is true - my life is chaotic - and has been for the past um, several years. For whatever reason, I just can’t get it right. Clean. (Well, not unless someone comes to visit… even then, the “clean” is just enough to get by and doesn’t last very long.) And I just don’t understand why OR what it means. The rest of my house is clean for the most part. I clean my kitchen once a week and my bathroom too. Living room is decent on a regular basis… BUT my bedroom is inundated with crap! Crap that doesn’t go… crap that I don’t want or need.

I keep thinking it is because I have “my office” in the bedroom… but that’s not a justification because I have “always” had an office in my bedroom. And come to think about it, my room has always been messy. Even when I was a kid. When I lived with roommates, I would accuse (in fun of'coures) them of coming in the middle of the night and messing my room up. LOL Cause for some odd reason at night, my room doesn’t look all that messy to me. But, at 7am when I need to get ready for work, I want to clean. I can’t take it. Even now, I’d rather sit and type about the state it’s in rather than go in and clean it… Cause at 8pm it doesn’t look “That Bad”.

I have been successful over the past couple of days, with throwing junk away. I swear. I have so much paper. Junk mail. Bills. Invoices/Statements (that need to be shred) and little knick knack crap. Not to mention the clothes that are Everywhere.

I’m going to get it straight though. I have a goal to have it cleaned by…… age 30. LOL I will add it to my list of other things that I would like to get done. Until then, it will just continue to be the junk of my life and contrary to what some lady on Oprah believes - My life Is NOT junk!

L. CHERISE POUNDS

My pen name will be L. Cherise Pounds. I like it.
I’ve always wanted to be a writer… I am a writer, we all are. I mean, I have the poems from teenage love, and so called puppylove heartbreak, but that’s not the writing I’m talking bout. I’m thinking, Sex and the City SJP (Sara Jessica Parker) kinda writing. Man, that must be so ideal. Going out on a date, hanging out with friends, and then writing about it for the world, well NY, to read… You call that a job?? I wish. But, wait, that isn’t even real life. But, I’m sure there are actually writers out there who have that type of set up. I’m on a mission to find my niche… Well, My Purpose.

And this week, no telling what it is. I will re-visit this a later.

MINDING MY PURPOSE
At the ripe old age of 29, I sit and wonder “what the hell” am I doing with me life?
When I was 27, I created a list that I entitled “30 things to do by 30” - BUT, I could only come up with 22 things (I think) to even put down. The parameters being, the list could only contain things that I had direct control over-something I could accomplish without the “help” of someone else (e.g. Marriage is NOT on the list).

Needless to say, two years later, my list is far from completion. Yes, the One BIG thing is done. I purchased my piece (716 square feet to be exact) of California real estate. O and I’ve learned how to make my Grandpas potato salad, and Moms Peach Cobbler… But, Nihongo o hanashimasen… I am NOT proficient in the Japanese language…and with 9 months to go, well let’s just say - “It AINT GONNA Happen!” The list, although it still exists and I revisit it on occasion, It did not fit in. Or should I say, I couldn’t find the time to fit it in… Into my life... Into the time that happens to just continue to pass, while life just goes by…

One of the things on my list was to have an article published. Another, was to have a website… Hmm… Maybe I can sort of just except this simple BLOG…aka Diary… as an all inclusive published article on my very own website. WOW! Now, I can focus on BIG thing number Two - A new car! O, wait… New J-O-B would probably need to come before the job, because I need MORE money first.

Thus, the title of my blog…Minding My Purpose!

I remember something my mom use to say, (as I was a child of inquisitive mind) “whatcha doin?” “Minding my business and leaving yours alone!” She’d reply…