I'd like to pause the world, please

Minutes ticked by tonight, each one causing more aggravation at my lack of ability to power down for the night.

Three things occurred to me which made me get out of bed, turn off the Ambiance track and sit down in front of the computer.

1. I've become a slave to the clock and there's never enough time
2. I've isolated myself from the people who matter most
3. I really can't remember the last time I took the time for 'me'

My diligent allocation of energy for projects has led me to stress over spending too much or too little time to complete. 10 more minutes at the gym because I need to hit an hour. 60 minutes to run to the store. 30 minutes to answer my email. 90 minutes on editing. 30 minutes to let the door primer cure.

10 minutes to eat? When in the hell did I get to the point where I was struggling to find the time to eat? I've always got time for food...

Oh, and as I start this post, there's only 330 minutes until the alarm summons me to get out of bed and start the day. This is the kind of thinking that allows me to find myself recalculating the universe only to find the alarm going off while I'm in the middle of solving a problem or crafting a new idea.

Since I've started the move, I have also closed myself off to my friends and family because I needed more time to do stuff. And all this 'stuff' is making me feel hollow. It's been weeks since I picked up the phone and had a good conversation with my friend in Colorado who is preparing for a major move, or my friend in Germany, who is going through a major life change. And my family, who I am normally in constant contact with, gets quick chirps of data in between PT, work and trips to Home Depot.

I have lost touch with myself as well. Several months back, I specifically adjusted my schedule to allow for one Dani Day per week. A day where I saw visions of myself chillin' in a coffee shop then walking Buster in the park. Dani Day has turned into Appointment Day, Contractor Day, WTF is in this box Day and sometimes Work Day...The boundary I worked so hard to create for myself has been eroded and it is no wonder I'm beginning to resemble Oscar the Grouch- right down to the bulging eyes and bushy eyebrows.

So this weekend, I'm declaring a moratorium on remodel work and part of Friday will be set aside for me, even if the house is a mess. I'm killing the power to the computer and then I'll turn my cell phones off...both of them. And, if all I end up doing is sitting on my couch staring out the window in my sweats and tattered slippers over a cup of coffee, I'll let myself be OK with that moment and hit the 'control+alt+delete' inside my head.

Our Edamame Monster

My blog is no stranger to goofy stories about our animals. This one is no different.

Several months ago Jason and I were nestled at the kitchen table over a big plate of edamame. Chomping away at the delicious pods, our animals began to circle and beg, which we are accustomed to. But when Norman started to do his little screamy thing, out of curiousity, Jason sat a piece of edamame on the corner of the table.

In lightning speed, Norman grabbed the soybean and scarfed it. And, just to make sure we saw what we thought we saw, Jason did it again. And again. And again.

Check out the video below for a glimpse into the circus that surrounds us every time we pull the edmame bag out for dinner....

I'll tell you why

I will not go to the dentist for another round of crown work on October 31.

It will interfere with my ability to eat candy on Halloween!

Maybe I should have simply told the bookkeeper that it was not going to work with my schedule.

When I blurted my response above, my zeal for gobbling candy did not go over very well with the dentist office.

"Well....you could eat some candy. You'll just need to be more careful."

"No. I'll just take the appointment on the 7th. Thanks."

I cast my vote today

Because I care. Because I deserve to be heard. And because I believe in the power of one voice.

On my lunch break, as I sat in a chair in in the back of the Salt Lake County Clerk & Recorder's office waiting for my voter card to be programmed, I observed the mix of people around me and I was filled with pride.

I smiled at the Hispanic family who visited the office together to register to vote and while the words being spoken were not those I understood, I identified with the excitement they had for being there.

I watched a middle aged couple standing closely together, filling out their papers to register to vote.

Another man dressed in his neatly pressed pants, shirt and tie walked in the with a beaming smile on his face as he pulled out his ID card and took his place in line.

Polling workers frantically took information and processed new registration cards with smiles on their faces. As voters handed their programmed cards back to the workers they said, "Wait, don't go until I get you your voter sticker," and happily handed the red, white and blue stickers across the counter.

All of us were in that room for a reason. A reason of passion...and a need to be heard.

It was the year 2000 when I was able to fully appreciate the emotions that surround me when I vote. I worked my little heart out on committees working to defeat Colorado Ballot Amendments 21 and 24. After my hard work, I went to the polls, proudly cast my ballot and anxiously waited on election night as the results trickled in. When the votes were counted and I saw the campaigns I worked on were successful, I breathed a sigh of relief and was filled with a sense of pride.

To this day, every time I go vote, my heart swells a little, and I leave with my head held high.

I am thankful to live in a country where I can freely cast my opinion with out fear of persecution. My vote matters to me, the people in my community and to the people of this nation.

So I'm asking you - my friends, family and community members to rise up. Rise up and take advantage of this opportunity to freely cast your opinion on the issues that matter to you.

Late Show: The Sarah Palin Debate Recap