Tremendous Blondette

So, I took this quick version of the “true color” test–another personality type indicator thing. There are 4 colors: Blue, Green, Orange, and Gold.

I am Blue. After reading the descriptions of each, it makes sense. How many of these things do I need to take to tell me what I am? duh.

Link to the test: http://www.truecolorscareer.com/quiz.asp

Descriptions of the 4 Color Types

True Colors

There are four colors assigned to the four personality types in the True Colors system. They are as follows:

Orange represents energy, consuming physiological potency, power, and strength. Orange is the expression of vital force, of nervous and glandular activity. Thus, it has the meaning of desire and all forms of appetite and craving. Those with Orange as a Primary Color feel the will to achieve results, to win, to be successful. They desire all things that offer intense living and full experience. Orange generates an impulse toward active doing: sport, struggle, competition and enterprising productivity. In temporal terms, Orange is the present. Orange thrives on adventure and appreciates spontaneity.

Gold is the body’s natural perceptions. It represents a need to be responsible, to fulfill duties and obligations, to organize and structure our life and that of others. Those with Gold as a Primary Color value being practical and sensible. They believe that people should earn their way in life through work and service to others. Gold reflects a need to belong through carrying a share of the load in all areas of living. It represents stability, maintenance of the culture and the organization, efficiency, and dependability. It embraces the concepts of home and family with fierce loyalty and faithfulness.

Green expresses itself psychologically as human will in operation: as persistence and determination. Green is an expression of firmness and consistency. Its strength can lead to a resistance to change if it is not proven that the change will work or is warranted. Those with Green as a Primary Color value their intellect and capabilities above all else. Comfort in these areas creates a sense of personal security and self-esteem.Green characteristics seek to increase the certainty of their own values through being assertive and requiring differences from others in intellectual areas. They are rarely settled in their countenance, since they depend upon information rather than feelings to create a sense of well-being. Green expresses the grounding of theory and data in its practical applications and creative constructs.

Blue represents calm. Contemplation of this color pacifies the central nervous system. It creates physiological tranquility and psychological contentment. Those with Blue as a Primary Color value balance and harmony. They prefer lives free from tension… settled, united, and secure. Blue represents loyalty and a sense of belonging, and yet, when friends are involved, a vulnerability. Blue corresponds to depth in feeling and a relaxed sensitivity. It is characterized by empathy, aesthetic experiences, and reflective awareness.

In terms of mating/marriage the color types are matched as such:

blue/green and orange/gold.

Shocking, eh?

After my first sip I can already tell that I made the coffee (The Roasterie “Holiday Blend”) a bit too strong. This is vacation. I’ve only checked my work email twice this morning since arising (it’s now 10:05am) . I’m still dreaming about work for 90% of the night, but maybe that will ease over time.

Dancing around my apartment in my jammies to Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape” is highly amusing to me but not to my cat. She sat on the corner of my desk and stared in horror as I twirled, kicked, and bounced about (all braless! Did you know you can mix ballet, funk, and awkward?). I would never harm her! Didn’t she see the “cat lover” mug?

I find myself bubbly, but bored. I’ve searched for gym bags (narrowed down to 2 or 3 choices), bar stools (my folks have an IOU out for a couple bar stools for my apartment), and I’ve started the dishwasher. I’ll do laundry throughout the day. I think by the time January 2nd rolls around, I’ll have gotten through the backlog of laundry. Doing laundry really isn’t so bad–but folding, hanging, and putting it away just plain sucks. I’m not even sure I have space for so much clean laundry!

Purple, Green, or Platinum? I really like this one even though it’s the more expensive bag. I just can’t decide on a color.

This lovely bag may fit in a locker better than the other. Or not? Color and price are right. It has a pocket for stuff and place for shoes–but so does the Adidas bag.

Actually, I don’t have time to wait for a bag to be delivered, so Tammi and I are going shopping tonight for new bags. We’ve both been disgusted with ourselves and know we need to crack the whip (OUCH! my ass hurts just thinking about it) and get back to exercising. For me, it’s my best form of stress release and the only thing that’s ever managed my anxiety and evened out my mood (which means it could help ease those panicky dreams about work .) I know my body pretty well; I just struggle with listening to it sometimes.

I’m simultaneously blogging, working, and doing some pre-shopping research for my items. (yes, I have ADD.) As I typed in “Dicks’ to the Google search box in my browser, I was a bit curious as to what Google Suggest would pop-up at me. Low and behold, Dicks Sporting Goods was the first *whew*.

Woohoo, Yeehoo
Woohoo, Yeehoo
Woohoo, Yeehoo
Woohoo, Yeehoo

Tonight I saw “Atonement.” I will blog about it later. Until then, to tide you over, I posted another old short story from yesteryear.

A Good Bottle of Jameson’s

Isn’t it strange
How we move our lives for another day
Like skipping a beat
What if a great wave should wash us all away
Just thinking out loud
Don’t mean to dwell on this dying thing
But looking at blood
It’s alive right now
Deep and sweet within
Pouring through our veins
Intoxicate moving wine to tears
Drinking it deep
Then an evening spent dancing
It’s you and me
This love will open our world
From the dark side we can see the glow of something bright
There’s much more than we see here
Don’t burn the day away
Don’t burn the day
Don’t burn the day away

Is this not enough?
This blessed sip of life, is it not enough?
Staring down at the ground
Oh, then complain and pray for more from above,
You greedy little pig,
Stop, just watch your world trickle away
Oh, it’s your problem now
It’ll all be dead and gone in a few short years

Oh, just love will open our eyes
Just love will put the hope back in our minds
Much more than we could ever know
Oh, so don’t burn the day away
Don’t burn the day away

Oh, come sisters, my brothers,
Shake up your bones, shake up your feet,
I’m saying, open up and let the rain come pouring in
Wash out this tired notion
Oh, that the best is yet to come
But oh, while you’re dancing on the ground,
Don’t think of, oh, when you’re gone
Love, love, love, what more is there?
‘Cause we need the light of love in here
Don’t beat your head, dry your eyes, let the love in there,
There’s bad times but that’s okay, just look for love in there

And don’t burn the day away
Look, here are we,
On this starry night, staring into space
And I must say, I feel as small as dust lying down here

Oh, what point could there be troubling
Head down, wondering, “what will become of me?”
Why concern? We cannot see but no reason to abandon it
The time is short, time, that’s all right
Maybe I’ll go out in the middle of the night,
And take your hand, look in your eyes, my love
All good things must come to an end sometime

Oh, but don’t burn the day away
Don’t burn the day away

Oh, come sisters, my brothers,
Shake up your bones, shake up your feet,
I’m saying open up and let the rain come flooding in
Wash out this tired notion
That the best is yet to come
But, oh, while you’re dancing on the ground
Don’t think of when you’re gone
Love, love, love, what more is there?
‘Cause we need the light of love in here
Don’t beat your head, and dry your eyes, let the love in there
The bad times, well that’s okay,
Let’s just look for love in here, yeah

Just let the love in there,
Oh love, light up

http://nancies.org/music/lyrics/pig/

Every day I think about things I shouldn’t. Not just once or twice, but on a regular basis throughout the day. I like my job–I like it a lot. I thrive on the pressure and the stress and I revel in the problem solving, creativity, and the analytics. I genuinely enjoy my coworkers (past and present) and feel very lucky to share my days with them. Oh, sure, I get frustrated and a lot of time the line between laughter and tears is rice paper thin, but it’s life. I find myself thinking: When did I become this career woman workaholic? And why do I like it? Why is it I have only a cat (although lovely and fluffy) waiting for me at home? When is it time for my job to stop being my life? And how do I get there?

You see this crazy man decided not to breathe
He turned red and blue – purple, colorful indeed
No matter how his friends begged and pleaded the man would not concede
And now he’s dead you see the silly man should know you got to breathe

But oh God
Under the weight of life
Things seem brighter on the other side

Perhaps some of this is due to seeing the differences in the lives of my friends and even my coworkers. And when I find things outside of work that I do enjoy, why is it that they fade faster than frost on a sunlit window? I feel like life teases me with possibility–and I’m a hopeful person, but I’m constantly waivering and trying to balance soul, heart, body, mind, and ambition.

Pick me up from the bottom
Up to the top love everyday
Pay no mind to taunts or advances
I take my chances on everyday
Left to right, up and down love
I push up love love everyday
Jump in the mud
Get your hands dirty with
Love it up everyday

All you need is
All you want is
All you need is love
Everyday

This always makes me feel lighter. Everyday.

One Catherine Leas reflects at the end of each year on all the things she thought she would do with the 365 odd days that fill the waning year. She knows she will be lucky to achieve her goals for the year–never 100%, always valuable.

The first remarkable year in her life was 1986. She was 5. She made paper chains and hats from construction paper. She dug tunnels on the beach and her blonde hair sailed in the ocean breeze. It was Christmas at Pajaro Beach, California. The pictures show a happy girl; “Quintessential Katie” she calls herself. There was shiny red garland left to make her think Santa Clause had found her in her condo by the sea. She knew the truth, but she played along.

Years followed; up and down life traveled. Catherine grew. Unfortunately, she grew horizontally too.

The second remarkable year in the life of Catherine Leas was 1997. She was 16. Beautiful and tragic both–a year that forever weights events that grew to shape the woman she became (weights, grew and shape are no accidental word choices.) This was the first full year her mother had been remarried. This was a year when she took her misery and said “no more.” She learned that her will was strong and she lost weight. She saw her dad (she hasn’t seen him since) and her brother graduated high school. She started marching band (a nerdy goal, but a goal none-the-less.) She sat vigil with her family on her grandfather’s death bed for 1 long week in September. She sank into a depression that would not ease until 3 years later when she was in college.

College. She learned how to be social. And how to take shots. It took her 5 years, and that last bit was intense, but she learned her strength.

The third remarkable year in Catherine’s life was 2005. She was 24. Enough was enough one day. She said goodbye to M&Ms and the couch and hello to salads, Subway, and the North Kansas City Community Center. She said goodbye to 70 pounds. (yeah, I know, wow, huh?) She wondered what color was her parachute and while she tried to figure it out, she helped weekly as a caregiver for her grandmother–recently diagnosed with dementia. She took an internship with an advertising agency and hoped to gain something valuable.

In 2006 she learned what it meant to work full-time. And she made a few mistakes along the way.

The fourth remarkable year in this one woman’s life was 2007. Remarkable indeed. She set New Year’s Resolutions times three:

1. Take a class.
2. Travel to one of those places I’ve been wanting to visit.
3. Get back into a regular workout pattern. (aka revert to healthier habits)

Well, #1 didn’t happen. Perhaps it will carry over to 2008.
#2 happened! Catherine finally went to Seattle and New Orleans (she went to Indianapolis too, but it doesn’t count because she didn’t really care.) (in 2008 her goal is to visit the east coast and Savannah, Georgia and plan a trip to Europe.)
#3, well, the regular workout pattern did not happen. She did work on her eating habits several times.

What did happen in 2007? Oh so much. 2007 was a very full year.

3 jobs–all within the same company, 1 month-long fight followed by a drunken truce, several deepened friendships, 1 meaningful kiss, a coffee table, several pairs of new shoes, art and picture frames, a new car.

Each day teaches a lesson. Each year captures who we were and who we are. I can look to each year and see how I have changed and grown. I am so different, yet still me. I won’t predict 2008, but I know where I want to go. Will I get there in 2008? Maybe not, but it could be another remarkable year none-the-less.

Some of you may know this, but I guest blogged the other evening over on Tammi’s blog: tamssmat.com

Check it out! http://tamssmat.com/?p=45

1. you can polish off the giant salad
2. your wrist hurts
3. you have been converted to a true “texter”
4. you still only say “idk” for kicks because of the commercial with the little girl and the grandma (“idk my bff jill” or “idk my bff rose”)
5. you’re spread too thin
6. you ate meat after 3 months without it
7. but it hurt your stomach and you realized you can go without
8. but you might start eating fish
9. You never liked fish–until you hit your 20’s
10. your hair turned wavy round about the age of 21-22
11. then it got less wavy (maybe it was the hair color? you were sporting “sangria” colored hair at that age)
12. you’re too lazy to make your capitalization consistent
13. the star atop your Christmas tree is too heavy so it leans to one side
14. you love to sprawl and squish
15. this morning, you flipped someone off at the 9 hwy exit of 169 while listening to Christmas music
16. you’ve still got about 4 things to finish for work before you go to bed tonight
17. you started a post about anxiety but your power went out
18. you take the power going out as a sign
19. your cat jumped on your back while you were eating your giant salad
20. you contemplate and worry about things like “what if I am alone and start choking?” “what if I were to get rear-ended by a speeding car while driving across a bridge?”
21. you think this is the best number–other than 3.
22. you like the odd ones
23. numbers, animals, and people
24. you think the Paseo Bridge is scary.
25. you’ve cried more in the past 3 months than you have in the past 5 years
26. you have oh so many thoughts
27. you’re planning to take a day off work to bake cookies
28. it makes you feel productive and it makes people happy
29. you like making people happy
30. sometimes that means sacrificing your own happiness
31. you like your eyes

I’m eating turkey.