The best tip I can give are to not go on the weekends. Here are a few others:

1. Avoid the long lines at the parking lots by parking at the South
Hill Mall and taking the Pierce Transit Shuttle. Ride Pierce Transit’s
“Fair Express Bus” for just $1.50 each way or $3 round-trip. Plus, up
to four children, 13 and under, ride free with a “fare-paying”
passenger. Express buses run often and conveniently drop off and pick
up at the Fair’s Blue Gate
http://www.thefair.com/puyallup-fair/visitor-info/getting-here.php

2. Mark out the entire day. This is a huge event and it takes no less
than 5 hours with children in tow.

3. Kids 5 & under are free.

4. Pack snacks. Fair food is expensive! I feed my kids before we leave
an then plan on one meal and one treat. Which still amounts to about $40.

5. Next year, buy a ticket pack from Fred Meyer. It was $31.95 for 2
admissions, 6 ride coupons (1 coupon per ride instead of buy all those
little funtastic tickets for $1 each and giving up 5 tickets per ride)
and $12 in food vouchers.

4. Consider the Dizzy Pass: The Dizzy Pass ($25) is valid Tue-Thu
(Sept. 9-11) and Mon-Thu (Sept. 15-18). Includes unlimited Funtastic
rides and $3 worth of game coupons. *Great for the school-aged*
crowd. Excludes Extreme Scream.

6. Plan your day before you arrive. Read the schedule and make a plan
of what shows you or the kids want to see (the draft horses, Let’s
Pretend Circus, Pig Races, Trout fishing, etc) then you can prevent
walking back and forth around the ginormous fairgrounds.

7. Give your kids their money when you get there. I have found this
limits the gimmes when they know their allowance right away.

8. Wear walking shoes and bring jackets. The Fair is in the Puyallup
Valley which can be windy in the fall.

Mamikaze can usually be found writing at Life On the Run.

He was a big man, wearing a big Hawaiian-themed floral shirt with parrots or macaws or something on it, I can’t remember, and he wore a smile so genuine it was hard not to smile back.

In his left hand was a folded piece of orange paper triangle, which looked to be quite used or worn even though I knew not what it was used for. It had some sort of ink on it, some kind of writing. It looked like a talisman.

My then-boyfriend (now-husband) looked at me and I looked back, and we both looked up from our steaming hot noodles and coffee at the Sikh man in the green turban who had the world’s most irresistible smile.

“Tell fortune?” he asked, taking a seat across from us, uninvited.

Uh-oh, I’d thought. Con man about to rip us off, sounded the blaring alarm bells. Loke, who was always better with the firm but polite declining, started shaking his head and waving his hand in a dismissive manner. I just had a sort of confused confounded look on my face, I think, half my brain was trying to think of a way to help Loke get this fortune-teller away from us and the other half wanting to help the man out. Maybe he really believed in his, erm, craft. Most certainly he had bills to pay like the rest of us. Perhaps even three hungry kids at home?

“No no, thank you, no thank you,” Loke said, waving a hand over the talisman indicating we were not interested.

“Seriously, I tell fortune. I can see you are going to get married soon!” the Sikh with the talisman said, smiling that annoyingly happy smile again. I found myself nodding, agreeing, charmed. Loke maintained his stance.

“No no, thanks,” he repeated, shaking his head although he had already cast his eyes down at his bowl of noodles, a little embarrassed because the restaurant we were eating in (we call it a “coffee shop” in Malaysia although there’s a lot more than coffee to these establishments) was deserted and we were the only patrons. So we were causing quite a scene among the two other tables which were occupied by the coffee shop owners, and the various noodle and rice stall owners who were trying not to notice a Sikh man and his charming smile suddenly sitting at a table where a Chinese couple was trying to have dinner.

Wasn’t Loke a little intrigued though? How the heck did the fortune-teller know we were getting married?

Oh, the engagement ring. Damn I’m slow.

“I can also see you are going to be a very happy couple. You ARE already very happy, I can see,” he smiled even broader, shaking his head from side to side as if to emphasize our obvious state of happiness with undisguised disbelief.

Loke was chuckling in polite but fake amusement and then he shook his head. But he said nothing else to dissuade the man.

“And I can see you are going to be very successful in your job, young man,” said the Sikh, his smile a little less broad now. He seemed even a little more serious. I looked at the crinkles at the sides of his eyes and a few strands of greying hair sticking out of the sides of his turban. He suddenly looked tired and old. He must’ve been walking all day, asking to tell people’s fortunes from coffee shop to coffee shop. I made up my mind. So what if we didn’t believe in this crap? It made for good entertainment. Clearing my throat, I spoke up.

“How successful?” I asked, putting my chopsticks down, not wanting to be rude, eating when our guest was not eating himself. He might’ve even been starving.

“He will go very far. You will leave this country,” he said, lowering his voice. His stare shifted from Loke to me. I felt the first stirrings of goosebumps.

I looked at Loke and he was still nodding or shaking his head, I can’t remember, but I knew he was getting a little annoyed but could not say anything since I’d taken over with my “okay, I’ll bite” stance.

“And what about me?” I asked.

“You…you are a very lucky woman,” he said, stroking his talisman with his thumb. “You are also a very kind woman.”

I blushed.

“You have a very kind heart. But your mouth,…”

I stopped blushing.

“What?”

“You need to be careful of your words, Miss. You must learn to…not say what you think.”

Lokes was beaming now and I could see his interest was piqued. 

For 20 minutes, we sat and listened as the Guru told us about our own characters. At the end of the 20 minutes, he charged us RM50 for the session. At the time, we’d expected to be ripped off, but when he told us RM50, it was a little much still because hey, it wasn’t like we invited you to sit down with us.

It also seemed at the time that he had somehow split us open and looked inside, but were talking about people we’d never even met. I thought some of the things he’d said about me was inaccurate. For example, he told me my sister and I were not really as close as I’d imagined or fantasized it would be. He also said that Lokes was an intensely proud man, which at the time, did not seem accurate.

It’s been almost ten years now since that fateful evening, an unremarkable incident that has somehow stuck with me all this time because for RM50, which is about US$15, this man had managed to read Loke and me like an open book. And not just Loke and me ten years ago. He had pegged us for what we would be ten years later. 

Some will say this is self-fulfilling prophecy. Others who are inclined as the Guru, would believe something else. I believe that I’d always known all those things about me, it’s just that I had a hard time admitting to them. That like my engagement ring and the fact that Lokes drove a nice car with a Microsoft tag, he had used all these cues to take stabs at who or what we were or will be. He was a good observer.

No, he was one of the best.

These last few weeks have taught me to be a better observer of myself and my family. That if it took a total stranger to see me for who I am, something was wrong. I should not need to hear it from a random person, albeit one with very specialized training. It’s like one of those game shows where you’re asked to say what your spouse’s or child’s favorite color is or favorite dish is, and you wished suddenly you hadn’t called in. What’s worse is, what if your spouse can’t even tell what your favorite color or dish is? Yes, I will strive to know myself and my family better.

And if all else fails, I will attempt to locate a Guru. Or perhaps do what many Americans do and locate a psychologist!

Read more of Jennifer Tai’s writing at The I’mPerfect Mom or enjoy her photos at www.jennifertai.net. If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for Tea Leaf Journals, email jenn[at]theimperfectmom[dot]com.

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This is step 2 in The Bloggy Chiropractor 3-step program, in which we work on correcting our blog/life balance.

For the first part of this journey, you were told to take a 2-week blog vacation.

Did you do it?

If yes, good for you!  Now we can get down to the rest of the readjustment.

If no, I’m sorry but I have to tell you that you DO NOT PASS GO.  DO NOT COLLECT $200. GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL.  And by “jail” I mean, step 1.  You should be ashamed of yourself.

For the rest of us,

Now that you have some perspective, and maybe even a clean closet, it’s time for step 2.

During the bloggy vacation you might have found that it was uncomfortable at times.  You found yourself with a few minutes and nothing to do and your instinct was to turn to the computer… but wait! You’re on vacation from that!

This discomfort is good, because it means that you are RETRAINING yourself.  Your old (BAD) habit is to turn to blogging all the time.  You are creating new (GOOD) habits in which you refocus on life.

You know you’re on the right track when you have an hour before bed and you decide to pick up the house… plan dinner for tomorrow… read a book… use that dusty old treadmill… 

Once you get to this point, you’ll remember how it was that you USED to get things done. You did them.

You are on the path to recovery.

In step 2, we will reintroduce blogging while keeping it from becoming an all-consuming life-sucking creature.

There are two options for doing this.  Choose the one that feels most comfortable for you. 

Option 1: scheduled blogging

In option 1, we set a firm schedule for blogging and stick to it.  Maybe it’s every evening from 9-11pm.  Or in the morning at 6am.  Or during the kids’ naps for an hour.  Whatever makes sense to you; the trick here is to set a schedule (write it down! post it!) and then follow it.

Option 2: blogging within guidelines

Option 2 is more flexible, less rigid, but possibly more risky.  It can easily morph into out-of-control, addictive blogging, so watch yourself.

In this option, we prioritize blogging by setting clear guidelines about when and how much we blog. 

For example, “I blog for no more than 45 minutes each day,” or “I may only blog if I’ve exercised and the dishes are done,” or ”I only blog when I’ve accomplished three items from my to-do list for the day.” 

The trick is to create guidelines that are: 

Explicit - it should be absolutely crystal clear when you can and cannot blog.  Nothing wishy-washy like, “I’ll blog when I have most of my stuff done.”

Realistic- set guidelines that you can actually follow.  Although it would be nice to say that we’ll only blog after we’ve done EVERYTHING on our to-do list, if your list is like mine, that’s just not gonna happen.

Making yourself accountable

For both of these options, the trick is in policing our own behavior.  As you and I both know, we wouldn’t be in this three-step program if we were good at that! 

First off, write down your guidelines and post them in a visible place.  Tell your family members so that they can keep you accountable. 

Remember that list of things that you need and want to do, that you made in step 1?  Keep that list!  Hang it next to your guidelines!  Each and every time you find yourself sneaking over to the computer, look at the list and pick something else to do besides blogging.

© Jenny Blackburn. All Rights Reserved.

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Catch more of Jenny Blackburn’s humorous anecdotes on being a mom, a woman, and a whole lot crazy at Absolutely Bananas. If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for “On Blogging,” email jenny[@]seattlemomblogs[dot]com.

Without further ado, here are my scintillating interview answers:

1. Where do you live and how long have you lived there? Where did you grow up?
We live in on the Plateau. Hehehe. I know. I know. So snotty to say the *finger quote* Plateau *end finger quote*. Imagine mommies in matching tennis whites, perfectly whitened teeth, frosty platinum highlights, having Botox parties saying with pursued lips, “Pla-teauuuuu.” (By the way, I’m not one of those mommies.) Or is it better to say Sammamish? I know it sure as Sam Spade isn’t when you are trying to relay your address over the phone. Sa-mam-mish. “Sha-mame-ash?” The operators ask. No, Sa-mam-mish. “Sta-beam-itch?” Sigh. S-a-m-m-a-m-i-s-h. You know. Near Issaquah. Cue crickets.

So, we have lived here 3 years this month. We came from the Bay Area. I know. Hiss. We got sick of the schools, the real estate, the smog, the traffic, of everything in California. So we trotted online and used a splendiferous tool to find our “Best Place.” Surprise! Seattle popped up. We decided to be brave. My husband took his job with him and we found a realtor. We searched place to place on the Eastside, with a trusty file of every school’s test scores, comments from PTA board (yes, being a former PTA president I emailed every PTA board of every school and neighborhood we looked at), and Seattle Times Ranking. We’ve never looked back.

I grew up in the Bay Area, Livermore to be exact, went to Berkeley and met my husband there. I then started my life with my him, a former Army captain and infant son, first for a few brutal months in the Ozarks (Missouri) which made this California girl from Berkeley twitch with the Confederate flags, gun racks, sewage lagoons, and amazing amount of stray dogs dumped near our apartment. Then it was off to the interior of Alaska for four long years. Fairbanks! Best and worst place I’ve lived in my life. The Northern Lights, the moose, the midnight sun, and the 2 hours of daylight in winter. I survived 67 degrees below zero with two small children. Shiver! I put booties on my dogs so they could go outside to pee. I sprayed water on dry, powdery snow just so my kids could make snow balls and snow men. I survived six long, cold winter months homebound alone with a toddler when my husband was deployed to the Sinai Peace Keeping Mission in Egypt. Alaska gave me the greatest gift of my daughter born one cold October morning at -30. I wouldn’t trade Alaska for the world, but when we got out of the army, we went home. Meanwhile, in California, real estate had sky rocketed as had crime, traffic, and inferior schools. We hung on for 5 years, then ended up here. We LOVE it!

2. What’s your blog about and why did you start blogging?
My blog is a kitchen drawer. It is ill-defined and often stream of consciousness. I do blog politics and I should get out right now I am probably the only agnostic Republican, former Army Lieutenant, in Seattle that supports gay marriage, environmental issues, the Iraq war, and animal rights that wishes the Republican religious right would get out of her party. However, I highly respect others’ opinions and love when people respectfully stop by to stir the pot at my blog. I also mommy blog about my 3 children–a lot! I blog about my period and dreams of uterine ablation–a lot. I blog about my metro sexual, computer geek of a husband and his sexual harassment and white socks. I blog about my kids’ competitive swimming since it consumes our lives. I blog incessantly about my love of anything cocktail or made from Cabernet. And, yes, my friends, on occasion I blog about the craziness that is living on the Pla-teauuuu.

I started blogging in 2006 because my husband blogged and the bugger was always stealing my material. I would make a joke and the next week it would be on his blog. I would have an idea and magically it would be on his blog. I think it might have been his way of getting me to start blogging. I called him an Idea Succubus, but finally gave in with this first set of blogs.

3. What are your most and least favorite parts about blogging?
My favorite part of blogging is hands down meeting friends I might never, ever have met without my blog. Rural central California, metropolitan Los Angeles, teeny islands off the French channel, British babes, small towns in the Midwest, humid Florida, and yes, my friends spread all over the Northwest. They listen to my drivel. They come in droves when I need back up. They make me realize I am not insane for how I feel. And best yet, they call me on my ideas and make me often re-think what I believe. My blog is filled with people who found me through my words, not from where I live and who I know since I have never told anyone about my blog, including family and friends. Those people have sometimes discovered me, but I don’t promote my blog to people I know willingly because I want to be free to write about my nonexistent sex drive, sometimes crappy mothering skills, my marital woes, my incontinent dog, and my politics without sympathetic looks at the next PTA meeting or family holiday dinner.

My least favorite is the stress of blogging and keeping up readership–being a slave to my blog. Then in comes the high school part of women blogging: worrying about popularity and who likes who, who takes offense or misunderstands what you stay, the drama, the bitch slapping, and the trolls. Sometimes blogging turns into a Jerry Springer sideshow act. So with stress and drama, I habitually have nervous breakdowns every couple months and take a month off.

4. What does your spouse/significant other/family think about your blogging?
My husband absolutely loves me blogging, even when it’s used as a tool of public therapy and, yes I admit, blackmail in our marriage. I let people weigh in. Nothing is sacred. One sister who discovered my blog is a big supporter. Never comments, but emails me so I forgive her. My biggest fear would be my parents and my MIL, who I haven’t spoken to in 4 years, discovering my blog.

5. What goals, if any, do you have for your blog?
Goals: Hmmm. More friends, more comments, and more readers, in that order. I recently had a milestone where I was able to pay for a whole meal of Chipotle burritos off the proceeds of my blog. Whooo-hoo! Maybe next year I’ll spring for extra guacamole. A girl’s got to have dreams, my friends.

6. What topic would you never discuss on your blog? (Yes, discuss it now!)
Honestly, there is nothing that is verboten. I dislike my husband’s wardrobe, I share it with you. I have no sex drive and moan about it all the time. I voted for George Bush and admit it. I have child molesters in my family and I freely discuss it. My kids do something horribly embarrassing? Odds are it shows up on my blog. I even blog sometimes on the toilet. My husband’s vasectomy failed and is a frequent subject. Sorry too much info? I have no filter when it comes to my blog. None.

7. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Hands down, I am a dog person. We’ve had our 2 rescued dogs longer than our children. Grendel is 14, survived cancer, and still putters on like a puppy most days. $2000 in one month’s vet bills later, I wouldn’t trade her for the world. The other, Sebastian, is my hero, my ferocious defender, my friend, my spider eater, my shadow. It will be soul-shattering when they die.

8. What’s your favorite coffee drink? (This IS Seattle Mom Blogs!)
My favorite coffee drink is a bit embarrassing since it does show my addictions to caffeine, fat and sugar: Venti Italian roast brewed coffee, 2 shots espresso, splash of cream, 1 equal, with whip cream. Num! Starbucks will make it for me, but it’s better when my husband makes it.

I noticed this interview is pretty long. Oops, did I forget to mention that my readers call me “Windy Douchehole?” Yep, I am known for being Windy. Love me or leave me.

Many Regards,
Scout’s Honor

Thank you, Scout, for your, er, ummm, candid interview! We expect no less!

Meanwhile, Wendy is being less candid at her blog, Let the dog in! You can reach her at wendy(ahhht)letthedogin(doggit)com where she promises to be more candid.

Have any of you seen “Mad Men” on AMC?

What about “Swingtown” on CBS?

I’ve been watching both of them lately and dude let me tell you, the ladies on that show are being sexually harassed left and right. “Mad Men” is set in the 1950’s where there are typing pools and secretary’s who are working at an office for the sole purpose of finding a husband. Once you get married and have babies, the ladies no longer work out of the home.

Swingtown is set in the 1970’s, and although it’s twenty years after “Mad Men”, the show also portrays women staying home after they are married. One character on the show recently reentered the work force after her husband was fired from his job. She wasn’t there five minutes before her butt was grabbed by the boss.

He grabbed her butt. Totally out in the open for all to see. When she looked at a coworker for support he just said, “get used to it”.

Get used to it? That so wouldn’t fly in 2008.

Except, would it?

How many women (and men) out there are being sexually harassed? And how do you know if you’re being sexually harassed? I would constitute any situation that makes you uncomfortable is well, unacceptable. You know if someone is doing or saying things to you that aren’t right. I would say that being touched by a coworker in any way is inappropriate.

You’ll know if you’re being sexually harassed.

According to Seema Goswami, the author of “Woman on Top: How To Get Ahead At Work” you might try saying to an overly physical coworker; ‘I’m sorry, but would you mind removing your hand from my back. I know you don’t mean any harm, but it makes me a bit uncomfortable.’ If he stands too close to you in the lift (elevator) or presses up again the back of your chair, don’t just edge away. Turn around, look him in the eye, and say, ‘I’m sure you don’t realize it, but you are crowding me. Do you mind standing back a little? I’d really appreciate it.’”

It is best to remain non confrontational and away from others.

Seema Goswami says that odds are, if this person is harassing you they’ve done it before. She suggests that you discreetly ask around to see if others feel the same way you do.

My mom always taught me to write things down. Get a notebook and write down when anything fishy happens. Make a note of the day, time, and what was done/said. You might want to even write down what you were wearing and what you said. Just to avoid anyone saying that you were “asking for it”. Better safe then sorry.

Take this information in with you when you meet with your local Human Resources department. Make sure they know what your complaints are, whether they be inappropriate touching, dirty or racist comments, or flat out being told you won’t get a promotion unless you wear shorter skirts and lower tops.

You HR department should know how to deal with this. They may take the offender aside and have a confidential discussion with them. They may hold a company wide “harassment training” to remind everyone of your company’s policies. If this isn’t a first offense, they may just terminate the offending employee.

Seema Goswami has a list of ways to cope with sexual harassment that I would like to pass on in closing:

• Speak up if you feel that the office has been sexualized.
• Articulate your concerns in the most non-confrontational manner possible. The idea is not to go on the offensive but to lay down boundaries of acceptable behavior.
• Ask around discreetly and find out if anyone else has been targeted by your harasser. If you have to register a formal complain, their corroborative evidence will help you build your case.
• Take a colleague or sympathetic senior into confidence so that you have reliable witness to stand up for you when it comes down to your word against his.
• Keep a detailed diary or journal relating the incidents of sexual harassment as they occur. If you get any offensive or suggestive e-mails, save them to produce as proof later on.
• Clamp down on the hysteria. The more reasonable you seem when you relate your version of events, the more likely it is that people will believe you.
• Don’t confuse the company with the individual. Just because one person has made life miserable for you, it doesn’t mean that the company is at fault. If those in authority act against him swiftly and firmly, then absolve them of blame and move on.

You don’t have to put up with being sexually harassed. Ever. Stand tall and firm and get it taken care of before you are forced to wear short skirts and get your butt grabbed just so you can put food on the table.

Isabel is a pseudonym for this Seattle-based blogger. She’s been working since the day she realized soda and lip gloss weren’t free. Isabel became a mom in 2006 and continues to work full time, outside the home, since diapers and mortgages aren’t free either. You can read far too much about her personal life at hola,isabel.

If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for “Double duty. One paycheck.”, email Isabel at holaisabel [at] gmail.com.

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Let me clarify — this was a non-residential retreat, meaning there were no overnight stays. It was more like a 9 to 5 thing.

So, I didn’t speak for the hours I was at the retreat. No one did (except for Sharon).

“There are times when silence has the loudest voice.”
— Leroy Brownlow

Well, even that’s not exactly true. There was the guy who told us where the bathrooms were and to not eat in the speaking hall and who introduced Sharon. And there were the people who I signed in with. I could talk to them.

At retreats, I learned, this practice is called Noble Silence. It’s described as a quieting of the body and voice that can help cultivate a calm and peaceful environment and enhance concentration and awareness.

During one of her talks, Sharon asked us how the not-talking was going. (It was a rhetorical question.)

Then she told an anecdote about being on longer retreats, for seven days, ten days, three months. During these retreats, students talk to the teacher during their one-on-one interviews. She said that almost everyone comes into their one-on-one interview and freaks out about not talking.

“I don’t think I can do it!”

“My partner doesn’t think I can do it.”

“My coworkers have a betting pool on whether I’ll last.”

Everyone laughed.

(It’s okay to laugh.)

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention…. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.
— Rachel Naomi Remen

After two days, I found the not-talking refreshing. It was a relief to not have spend all that energy advertising myself and making small talk. It gave me space to connect to the underlying energy between people and beings.

So now I’ve started trying to bring more silence into my home life.

I know, right?

How is that possible with two kids five and under?

I call it Begin with Silence… I try to start the day, and all my interactions, with the intention of silence. For me, at home, my goal isn’t so much as to not talk as it is to become aware of how much I talk and my motivations for talking. For me, it’s about listening, to myself and those around me.

Thus, every other day, I begin with silence…

Instead of calling out, “Time to eat!” I walk over to my son, smile, and gesture to the kitchen.

* * *

After hearing myself ask, “Did you have fun playing with so-n-so?” I recognize my desire to connect with my son and to hear his point of view.

* * *

When I start freaking out and feel a tirade coming on (usually when I am hungry and trying to make food while my children clamor around me, climb on the table, or hurt each other), I tell myself, “Stop talking. This won’t do anyone any good.”

* * *

I could teach my kids about counting to 1000 for all the times I say their names with a chiding tone, “Mi-caaa” and “Or-LAN-do.” Cutting those exclamations out of our day is a huge relief.

* * *

Instead of telling my older kid to leave my younger kid alone (then why don’t I leave the older one alone?!), I recognize my desire for harmony in my home, and scoop up my older son with a smile.

* * *

Orlando, who is newly five, responds really well to my silences — the times when I am centered and in touch. When I am quiet inside, he can feel it. He actually whispers back to me with this little dopey smile on his face. Not saying words is nothing compared to making this connection.

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Read more of Stacy’s sincere and silly missives about parenting from the heart at Mama-Om. If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for “Crazy Much?” email stacy[@]seattlemomblogs[dot]com. I’d love to hear from you!

The beautiful painting is by smallandround. Used with permission under creative commons license.

Pricing starts at $110 for 1 hour massage + child care.  And they are currently offering a $20 discount for first-time clients.  If you try it, leave a comment and let us know what you think!

1. Where do you live and how long have you lived there? Where did you grow up? My husband and I live in West Seattle with our two-year-old son and two manic cats. I have lived in Seattle for the past seven years and before that I lived on a tiny island in the Pacific called Saipan. Saipan is a gorgeous island with temperate weather and jaw-droppingly stunning sunsets. But I’ve made Seattle my home now and I don’t mind the rain one bit. I’ve lived all my life with fierce typhoons–light sprinkling is nothing.

2. What’s your blog about and why did you start blogging?
My blog is called “Kirida,” (www.kirida.com). The word “kirida” means favorite child in my native language, Chamorro. I started blogging in 1999 and I was Blogger’s 1,000th blogger. I was a junior in high school and I needed to have an outlet that static pages like tripod, angelfire and geocities couldn’t provide. There’s only so many midi’s and lightning bolts a 17-year-old can take! I shut down for a while before starting back up in 2004. Since then, I’ve blogged about college, pregnancy, marriage, motherhood and Javier Bardem love. Swoon!

3. What are your most and least favorite parts about blogging?
My favorite part about blogging is connecting to people in ways I wouldn’t be able to in my day-to-day life. I’ve blogged about personal issues like connecting with other mothers or losing touch with friends and whenever I’ve felt utterly vulnerable in these confessions, I am flooded with warmth and high-fives and reminders that I am not alone. I’ve also made several genuine friendships thanks to my blog. Bloggers are just awesome people to have around, both online and off. My least favorite part about blogging has to be the trolls who leave vitriolic comments because they can. Thankfully, most people who visit my blog play nice.

4. What does your spouse/significant other/family think about your blogging? My husband loves it. At first, I think he was feeling a bit orphaned by the amount of time I spent blogging or reading blogs, but he’s seen the true benefits. We met our real estate agent thanks to a blog reader and I have received some pretty sweet swag thanks to my blog. My other family members love my blog because they can keep up with my life in Seattle. My mother doesn’t understand blogging at all and thinks this whole “internet” is way too public. So I just tell her that my blog is an online dedication to the Virgin Mary and we keep it at that.

5. What goals, if any, do you have for your blog? I would like to post more videos. I have an awesome Flip Video camera and I need to unleash its magical powers.

6. What topic would you never discuss on your blog? (yes, discuss it now!) I would never discuss my in-laws or my workplace. Politics are also off-limits only because I don’t think I can do a proper job discussing it. I prefer to keep my blog light-hearted and funny. I prefer to talk about bedroom antics, old Nickelodeon my flabby stomach, issues where I am a definitive font of knowlege.

7. Are you a cat person or a dog person? We have two cats. My husband brought a cat into our marriage so by default, I’m with the felines.

8. What’s your favorite coffee drink? (this IS Seattle Mom Blogs!) I love white chocolate mochas with whipped cream. Whenever the barista asks if I want whipped cream, I yell, “YES!” before taking it down a notch with, “Yes, please, thank you.”

Thank you to you, Mona, for sharing a bit about yourself!

On other news, Wendy is still blogging at Let the dog in! and letting her dog in, and out… You can notify her of any prizes she might have won at wendy(aht)letthedogin(dawt)com.

I know there’s a lot of fun stuff to do here.  So why is it that half the time I find myself totally without ideas?  Fortunately there are some local sites dedicated to helping parents scope out the best of our local possibilities.

The next time you have visitors from out-of-town, a birthday party to plan, or are just looking for something new to try, check out these great local sites.

1) Little Kids, Big City (http://www.nwsource.com/column/little-kids-big-city)

Blogger Lora Shinn is a veritable treasure trove of great ideas for restaurants, wading pools, and more.

2) Savvy Source (http://seattle.savvysource.com/) 

Local mom Bethany Dunn shares a wealth of info on fun things to do in our lovely city.

3) Mamaspod (www.mamaspod.com)

This is a great hands-free option for the mom on the go!  Tune in as three local moms dish on what’s great (and not so great) to do in Seattle and the east-side.

4) Parent Map (http://parentmap.com/)

No list would be complete without including Parent Map, the must-visit source for up-to-date listings of events and resources.  Sign up for the weekly e-newsletter, which shows up every Thursday chock full of suggestions for weekend fun!

Did I miss your favorite website?  Leave a comment and I’ll add it!

© Jenny Blackburn. All Rights Reserved.

Catch more of Jenny Blackburn’s humorous anecdotes on being a mom, a woman, and a whole lot crazy at Absolutely Bananas.

This is step 1 in The Bloggy Chiropractor 3-step program, in which we work on correcting our blog/life balance.

For the first part of this journey, the bloggy chiropractor prescribes that you take a MANDATED blog vacation of a minimum of 2 weeks.

WHAT!?!  you may gasp, TWO WEEKS?! I CAN’T DO THAT!

I’m here to tell you that you can.

And you should.

It’ll be good for you.  Seriously.

I know because I did it.  

And now I’m here to walk you through it.

Why a blog vacation?

Taking at least two weeks off from blogging is the natural starting place on this journey because it gives us a little thing called perspective. It’s really, really hard… impossible, even… to have perspective when we’re down in the trenches of bad habits.  It’s only when we come up for air and start living life again that we can see clearly.

I am mandating two weeks (minimum!) because we need at least that long to really get perspective.  One week is too short.  And although four weeks would be EVEN BETTER… let’s be honest. If I told you to take a month, would you?  I didn’t think so.

How to take a blog vacation

But what about my blog?!

The easiest way to take a blog vacation is to just stop blogging- cold turkey- for two weeks.  I honestly think that for most of us this little blip in our blogging activity would go relatively unnoticed in the grand old blogosphere.

However.  If you’re too scared to do this (like me!) another option is to sit down for a couple of hours and write out enough posts to carry your blog through during the time that you’ll be actively NOT blogging.  Set the posts to go up automatically and then don’t look back.  Trust me, your readers will never know that you’re not really there behind the curtain.

But what will I DO?!

Now, before you kick off your vacation, I want you to write out a list of all the things you’ve been wanting and needing to do. 

…organize the closet
…submit an article for publication
…start an exercise program
…research a new camera
…read that one book
…sign up for salsa dancing lessons

We all have those things that we’ve had on the back burner for a year or two or twenty… write them down!  Star the ones that you’re excited about.  Decorate your list using markers and stickers and fancy paper.  Get excited about the possibility of GETTING STUFF DONE! 

Now post the list on the fridge or (better) over the top of your computer screen. 

Note: This in no way is meant to imply that you should accomplish everything on your list during the 2-week time period.  The list is merely a means to remind you of ALL THE OTHER THINGS that you can do instead of blogging.  You know, in case you need reminding.

What about the rules?!

Ok, for those of you who need RULES, here they are.

While on bloggy vacation there shall be:

1) No blogging
2) No checking your stats
3) No reading comments
4) No checking your reader.  Don’t even THINK about looking at it.
5) You can choose a few of your favorite blogs to read.  You may not comment on these blogs; however, as you should ONLY be reading them for enjoyment.

Now, in the words of the sneakers, JUST DO IT.

Then check back in two weeks to read Step 2!

© Jenny Blackburn. All Rights Reserved.

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Catch more of Jenny Blackburn’s humorous anecdotes on being a mom, a woman, and a whole lot crazy at Absolutely Bananas. If you have questions, anecdotes, or topics for “On Blogging,” email jenny[@]seattlemomblogs[dot]com.