Rendezvous with the Devil.

One of my goals on 43T was “go to a movie by myself” and it was quite hard to accomplish that. Not because I am afraid to go on my own, I do that a lot actually, but because I’d run into friends while I tried to go on my own the last couple of times. But now, I finally did it. I went to see The Devil Wears Prada yesterday and I had a great time.

I’d read the book some time ago and now watched the movie and I liked it! This came as a surprise to me because I usually like the book better. I don’t want to turn this into a movie review (or spoil everything if you haven’t seen it yet) but I’d like to say that it is a really entertaining movie with lines like: “By all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me” – Miranda Priestly/Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep is brilliant btw, but isn’t she always? She is absolutely amazing as Miranda Priestly. Like all Streep’s characters, it is constructed from the inside out. It's what she holds back, does not show (but subtly hints at), that gives her character humanity and gains your sympathy. She is one of those rare people who is able to convey more with an eyebrow, or by pursing her lips, than with an entire page of dialog. I love her!

I don’t love Miranda Priestly though, but that is personal. She reminds me of one of my former employers too much. The “dragon lady” I worked for always wore designer labels, big sunglasses, Chanel No5, went to 4 hour lunches and soirees in the evenings, and possessed almost the same character traits. There was only one difference: Miranda Priestly actually has a powerful job (demanding fashion editor), my “boss” lived in a dream world and thought she was a very important businesswoman. It was kind of sad to watch actually. There she was strutting her stuff, never there when clients called and never up-to-date on client files. So, she went to business meetings completely clueless. Sad! So glad I resigned.

Okay, I completed my goal and had fun doing it! If you ever want to give it a try, go ahead, it’s not scary and oh there is another advantage too…..you have the popcorn all to yourself!

Organize this!

Two weeks ago I was looking for one of my favourite recipes, but I wasn’t able to find it. Not so surprising since I have recipe boxes and plain boxes full of recipes, folders filled with torn out pages from magazines and newspapers and a lot of downloaded recipes. Over the years I collected dozens and dozens of them. Usually I can find the recipe I am looking for quite easily because there is a system, well sort of, in all that chaos, but recently one of my friends was looking for something and he really made a mess of things. Result: I can’t find a thing! Time to start organizing my recipes I thought.

First I collected all my recipes. OMG, I never knew I had so many. Then it was time to put on my sorting hat while I started to sort out all my recipes into categories, such as salads, side dishes, meat, poultry, vegetarian, pasta, fish and desserts. It’s amazing how much stuff you collect over the years. I was also amazed by the fact that I had incomplete recipes. How on earth did they end up in my recipe jumble? I was even more surprised to find a lot of recipes that had lost their appeal all together. Peoples taste really change over time.

At the moment I am in the process of putting all the recipes on my computer. I found some free Dutch software and it is really great. You can create menus and shopping lists. And as a bonus there is even some nutritional information. Woo Hoo!
There is one downside though; there is a lot of typing involved. It’s a dirty job, but someone gotta do it :) And hey, it’s not all in vain; in the end I’ll have a marvellous recipe finder on my computer. Hurrah......no more recipe chaos!

Happiness Manifesto

Yesterday I changed one of my goals on 43T into practice ‘Happiness Manifesto’ daily. I had seen entries about that goal but I never quite understood what it was all about. So, yesterday I googled it and I liked what I saw. So here is the short version of what I found.

The BBC in the UK started an experiment in a challenged area 22 miles west of London. Six experts, from various fields such as psychology and economics, worked to improve the happiness of people in the Berkshire town of Slough.

On 15 November 2005, fifty volunteers were given the Happiness Manifesto, which they must act upon as part of their daily lives. Simply reading the Manifesto is not going to be very helpful. An understanding must translate into a willingness to experiment, and hopefully something will develop daily in deeds, by way of joyful and focused actions.

THE HAPPINESS MANIFESTO
Do these things for two months and see the difference they make!

1. Get physical
Exercise for half an hour three times a week.

2. Count your blessings
At the end of each day, reflect on at least five things you're grateful
for.

3. Talk time
Have an hour-long uninterrupted conversation with your partner or
closest friend each week.

4. Plant something
Even if it’s a window box or pot plant. Keep it alive!

5. Cut your TV viewing by half

6. Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger
At least once each day.

7. Phone a friend
Make contact with at least one friend or relation you have not been in
contact for a while and arrange to meet up.

8. Have a good laugh at least once a day

9. Every day make sure you give yourself a treat
Take time to really enjoy this.

10. Daily kindness
Do an extra good turn for someone each day.

Most of the above mentioned things I’m already doing but hey there is always room for improvement :)

For additional information, go here

Send a message in a barrel.

A few days ago I bought a funny card to send to a message in a barrel. I wrote something nice on it today, wrote the address on the envelope and tomorrow I am going to drop it off at the post office. I wonder if the card will ever reach its destination. But hey, it’s just a fun thing; even if the card never arrives. When you throw a message-in-a-bottle in the sea, there is also no guaranty that it will end up on a nice beach or something.

For more information: Send a message in a barrel.

43Things

I wrote a few pieces in the past about this site and I like it, but I guess that’s pretty obvious by now.

Lately, however, I see more and more people just posting (mediocre) goals up there just so they can tick them as completed just a second later. I thought the purpose of this site was to write down your goals and share your progress. And when you see a goal you’ve achieved, you can click on the “I’ve done this” button and share a story about how you did it so others can be inspired or learn from it.

Can you win a price when you have the most completed goals, or something? If so, I can post a few average goals too: use a French bathroom (the hole in the ground kind) - not worth it, board a train that’s going nowhere – not worth it, remove the fallen leaves from the grass – not worth it (if there are still leaves on the trees) and so on and so on.

This doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong that people add completed goals to their list, but let them at least write something about it so people can be inspired or learn from it.

New recipes.

Yesterday I was skimming through some magazines and found two new recipes I really want to try this week. So, I gathered some pen and paper and started writing my grocery list. I was really amazed by all the stuff I needed for just two dishes but, hey I can’t have every ingredient of the world stored in my cupboards, now can I? If I had, I would probably live in a supermarket :) Or not, as I discovered today. I only needed 15 things so that shouldn’t be much of a problem; I just had to go to the largest supermarket in my area. Armed with my big shopping bag and list I set out for my great adventure.

As it turned out the largest supermarket wasn’t the right choice. A lot of the things I wanted were not restocked yet, suggestion of one of the guys there: You can always come back this afternoon. Hmmmz… I don’t think sooo! I left the store with only 6 of my things, bummer! Other supermarket, same problem! Only this time I left with none of the other required 9 items. Third store then? Fortunately this store was restocked fully but their assortment isn’t that big; I left the store with another 7 items. I was almost ready to do a happy dance but I still needed two items. Store number 4 then?

Hmm.. I had to think about that first, so I went home and had a little break and drank a large cup of coffee. I needed some caffeine in my system before I could set out again. I already decided that I wouldn’t go to a fifth store. Luckily store number 4 had the last two required items, man I was so happy, I almost did a happy dance right there in the store! But I could contain myself and yelled ‘Yes!’ instead. People looked at me strange and probably thought I was a bit crazy or a weird eccentric person. I’m so glad I didn’t do my happy dance; they probably had me admitted or something.

On my way home I was thinking:
These dishes better be real tasty or else I’ve been on this whole shopping expedition for nothing. Well, I guess I can also see the bright side of this….I had a busy morning for a change :)

Random Acts of Kindness.

While randomly surfing the internet I came across a great site totally devoted to Random Acts of Kindness. You can find inspiration here, but also all sorts of ideas and stories from people doing this.

I found some new things I could do myself, and here they are:

Help a neighbor to weed or plant a garden.

Select some people in your life who you feel need a special lift and send them a gift: flowers, tickets to a special event, or a gift certificate.

Stop for a person waiting to cross the street
Call or write someone you haven’t spoken to in a long time, just to say you are thinking about them.

Purchases a book about kindness, read it, put your initials, city and state on the inside and pass it on.

Call loved ones just to say “I Love You”

Compliment a stranger about something they are wearing

Pick up litter

Include a note or a joke in someone’s lunchbox.

After reading a book you’ve enjoyed, send a note of appreciation to the author.

When visiting a hospital, spend a few minutes with someone who has no visitors.

There is no timeframe here. I do these things whenever I can. I put them here so they might inspire someone else but most importantly, so that I won’t forget them myself.

Try out new recipes I

Oven Fried Chicken

I tried to make this once before, but I was not successful. Or in other words the dish looked how it should look, but it wasn’t what I would call scrumptious. The new recipe is way better, in one word DELICIOUS!. I’m certainly going to make this one again.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups chicken broth

4 halved chicken breasts, bone in, skin removed

1 cup panko (or other seasoned bread crumbs)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup nonfat yogurt

In a large bowl, combine chicken broth with 3 cups ice. Add chicken; chill 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a resealable bag, combine bread crumbs, flour, salt, cayenne, oregano, garlic, parsley, and pepper; shake.
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C . Coat a large baking sheet with vegetable or olive oil spray; set aside.
Place yogurt in a medium bowl. Remove chicken from broth. One piece at a time, dip chicken into yogurt, then place in bread crumb mixture and shake. Place breaded chicken on baking sheet. Spray tops of chicken with vegetable spray. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutritional information: 402 calories

I’ve been quit for……

2 Weeks, 2 Days, 18 hours, 7 minutes and 36 seconds (16 days). I have saved € 21,10 by not smoking 301 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 1 hour and 5 minutes of my life. What I already predicted became a reality. The second week not smoking was much harder. Because I felt physically better then the week before the cravings and urges to smoke grew and kept growing. At one point things became so bad that I found myself out the door and on my way to the supermarket. Outside however things improved rapidly. The urge subsided and instead of ending my short walk at the supermarket I took a long walk in the sunshine. I think things can only get better from this point.

Make a difference day(s)

All over the world there are Make a difference days. In The Netherlands there will be a Make a difference day on the 9th and 10th of December. It is party time and every one is invited, you too. You can do all sorts of things to make the world a better, nicer and happier place. But of course you don’t need to wait till the party starts; you can start changing the world every day….. so how about today?

43 (small) Things you can do:
1. Send someone a small gift anonymously
2. Make contact with that ‘strange’ neighbor
3. Is someone alone? Strike up a conversation.
4. Help old people with chores.
5. Buy flowers or plants to brighten up the street.
6. Organize a spring cleaning in your neighborhood.
7. Say something really nice to someone.
8. Visit a home for the elderly
9. Invite that unknown colleague to lunch.
10. Say Hello to everybody today.
11. Welcome new neighbors.
12. Give something away, that will make somebody else happy
13. Donate money to charity.
14. Really try to listen when people tell their story.
15. Offer to baby-sit.
16. Give clothes or magazines to a shelter.
17. Order (anonymously) dessert for someone else in a restaurant
18. Go grocery shopping for a sick neighbor
19. Compliment 3 people on one day.
20. Invite your grandparents for a drive or a boat trip.
21. Give old clothes to charity.
22. Invite your mother-in-law to do something nice.
23. Take a dog from an animal shelter for a walk.
24. Give somebody a ride.
25. Say Hello when you enter the bus.
26. Buy two donuts and give one to a homeless person.
27. Give your unused train ticket to someone else.
28. Send someone a nice card.
29. Go for coffee in a home for the elderly and take a pie with you.
30. Give your newspaper to someone who can’t afford one.
31. Leave flowers on a grave of someone you don’t know
32. Today, try to listen instead of talk.
33. Become a volunteer.
34. Collect litter in your neighborhood.
35. Become a blood donor.
36. Chat with the cleaning lady at work.
37. Plant flower bulbs in a public place.
38. Refill the stapler of a colleague.
39. Put a nice note in the pocket or bag of a friend.
40. Let somebody else go first
41. Take a ‘forgotten’ friend out for the day.
42. Have a garage sale and donate the proceeds to charity.
43. Surprise someone…serve breakfast in bed or deliver a breakfast basket.

Grappig hoe anderen je kunnen inspireren.

Op 43Things zijn er een aantal mensen die leren koken of leren een aantal recepten volmaakt te koken. Dit is een echte bron van inspiratie. Het lezen over het gebruik van verse ingrediënten, het mengen van niet alledaagse producten, heeft mijn zin om te koken weer aangewakkerd. Natuurlijk kook ik nu ook, hoe moet ik anders eten, alleen kook ik eigenlijk iedere twee weken precies hetzelfde. Tis een soort van eten in een kringetje geworden. Het gekke is, dat ik eigenlijk van koken hou en ik een grote database met recepten heb die ik nog nooit uitgeprobeerd heb…. Jammer toch! Tijd om daar eens verandering in te gaan brengen. Tijd om al die recepten, stuk voor stuk eens uit te gaan proberen :)

I have been quit for:

4 Days, 18 hours, 47 minutes and 33 seconds (4 days). I have saved € 6,02 by not smoking 86 cigarettes.

But I'm having a very hard time. The last few days I got sicker and sicker. Not only got my gums infected but also my jaw. If it don’t clear up soon I will need a root canal or something like that. Half of my face is twice the size of the other half and it hurts like hell. I got some fever to go with that so it all fun on this end …. NOT :(. I got some ibuprofen today and some bactericidal mouthwash. I sure hope it will help… I don’t want a root canal.

I’m finally doing this

I have been quit for 1 Day, 19 hours, 42 minutes and 35 seconds (1 days). I have saved € 2,29 by not smoking 32 cigarettes. I have saved 2 hours and 40 minutes of my life. Not that long… but as is said, I’m doing it. Yesterday was really bad; I felt sick and had a fever. On top of that my gums are infected. Pain on top of the fever….. oe, quitting is so much fun. Today I think the fever is just related to the infection and has nothing to do with the smoking cessation. I’ll have to wait and see I guess.

I’m a bit behind with the Quit Smoking 101 lessons but I gonna read 2 of them now.

* Lesson VI is all about the quitting date, supplies and way of thinking.

* Lesson VII contains tips for the first week. Hmm.. just found out that sore gums can be part of the nicotine withdrawl. Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms Cravings to smoke, Irritable, cranky insomnia, Fatigue, Inability to Concentrate, Headache, Cough, Sore throat, Constipation, gas, stomach pain, Dry mouth, Sore tongue and/or gums, postnasal drip, Tightness in the chest.

Of all the things I could get, I have to get that :( Oh well, this nasty feeling will pass. Haha… you see, I’m learning from the lessons (stay positive)

Today is D-day

I still have some doubts about quitting but I know I want to do this, have to do this, may do this and above all will do this. Umm, doubt is maybe not the right word to use here. Don’t get me wrong, I want to quit….. I just wonder if it is the right day. But if this isn’t the right day, will there ever be a right day. I guess not, so I go on as planned.

I’ve read that it is easier if you quit when you go to bed because when you wake up the next morning you already have some non smoking time under your belt. So that is what I do. Tonight I smoke my last cigarette.

Btw: Quit smoking 101 – lesson V was all about quitting aids such as the patch and gum. I don’t intend to use them (I go cold turkey) so this lesson was not very interesting.

Quit Smoking - lesson IV

Stay positive. Think of the benefits you will enjoy after you quit. Benefits of quitting tobacco are unlimited! Here are some benefits expressed by others:

• Every breath I take feels so clean and refreshing
• I'm not tired during the day...yet I sleep like a rock at night
• I have more stamina, endurance, and confidence
• More cash in my pocket
• My clothes don't stink
• I'm not ashamed of smoking anymore
• My anxiety level has gone way, way down
• I can breathe!
• I'm working out like a champ
• I am in control of ME
• No more coughing
• I'm eating better--I used to substitute cigarettes for food a lot
• I can smell again
• My complexion is much better
• My heart feels relaxed...like it can do more work with less effort now
• Less heartburn and indigestion
• More respect for myself
• No need to worry about attending events where I can't smoke
• My house smells good! My car smells good!
• No more fear of fire caused by smoking
• I spend money on my health now, like working out at a health club
• My sinus problems are gone!
• My allergies and asthma have improved
• I don't feel like a hypocrite
• I can sing again!
• No more time wasted smoking
• Whiter teeth
• Fresh breath
• Sharper thinking
• Pride in myself
• No more guilt about exposing family and friends to secondhand smoke
• Confidence in my ability to achieve whatever goal I set for myself

Quit Smoking 101 – lesson III

Lesson 3 is al about the health risks of smoking. There are a lot of pictures of blackened lungs, cancers and bad arteries. There is also a lot to read about all the cancers you can get. No really new material or things I didn’t know about.

No assignment to do today. Or exploring the medical side of smoking must count as an assignment. Well, I’ve read all the nasty stuff, so I guess I’m done for today!

Quit smoking 101 - lesson II

Start writing.

A quit smoking journal is a tool that's worth its weight in gold. Your reasons to quit are a great way to get your diary underway. Use it also to answer some questions:

• If you've quit smoking before, what worked well for you and what didn't? I have quit before but I don’t know what helped me then. Candy? Water? Liquorice? I guess it was pure willpower and strength. And the people around me helped and supported me a lot. Nowadays a lot of people don’t even know I smoke again so I will not get their support. I’ve to do this more or less on my own. Maybe I just have to rely on my own willpower. I know it is strong enough to overcome the worst shit.
• What improvements and changes can you make? I don’t want to eat and snack so much. The last time I gained 20 kilo’s and I did not like that. It has taken me along time to get that weight off and I want to keep it off. So this time candy as little as possible and exercise more… so I have to increase my exercise schedule.
• What will be your most challenging situations, and how do you plan to handle them?
Because a lot of people don’t know that I smoke, I’m used to not smoke on a lot of occasions. Most challenging will be when I meet one of my ex b- friends. He and I used to smoke a lot when I we where together. We still meet on a regular basis and last time he already noticed I smoked less then I used to. I can expect some comments from him. I probably won’t see him for a while. When I’m more confident as a non-smoker I’ll meet him again and explain what my reasons for quitting are. I know he will understand :)
• What can you do to change your environment to promote breaking the associations you have to smoking? Get rid of ashtrays, lighters, everything that has to do with smoking cigarettes, tobacco.
• What do you like about smoking? Nothing!
• What do you hate about your addiction? The addiction, the dependencies, the feeling that I must smoke, get tobacco, light up.
• What benefits do you envison in your smoke free life? I will smell nicer, have more energy, breath more easily, like food more, smell and taste more, enjoy life more, feel better, feel free, stop coughing, save money, don’t feel so stressed all the time, be relaxed, healthier, prettier (my skin will improve).

Set your quit smoking date: September 1, 2005 That is within 2 days. So I took the advice. I didn’t pick a quitting date weeks from now!

Quit smoking 101

I received my first lesson just a few moments ago. The focus of today’s lesson is on thinking about why you want to quit smoking. Why do you want to quit smoking tobacco? What are your reasons? Making a list of reasons for quitting is the first step toward successful smoking cessation.

My list:
* I don’t want to be a nicotine junkie anymore.
* Cigarettes taste disgusting.
* Smoke stinks and so do smokers!
* I want more energy.
* If I don’t smoke my hay fever will improve.
* Why do I want to ruin a perfectly healthy lifestyle by smoking?
* My skin will improve just as my sense of smell and taste.
* I hate that constant coppery, ashy taste in my mouth.
* I want to be able to relax and not always feeling in need of something.
* I hate getting smoke in my eyes.
* I don’t like to smoke or be a smoker!
* I don’t like the stained teeth and fingers.
* I don’t want to get sick!
* I don’t want to cough in the mornings.
* I want to be as healthy as possible
* Smoking cost too much
* I don’t want to sponsor the state by paying tobacco taxes.
* I don’t want to worry about being able to smoke
* I don’t want to stand outside because I can’t smoke somewhere
* I don’t want to feel like a loser.
* I want to be free

Stinkende stokken III

Okay, ik ben er inmiddels achter dat ik niet zo’n moeite heb met het stoppen op zich, maar meer met het gestopt blijven of, anders gezegd, het niet meer gaan roken.

Met gemak maak ik de zoveelste “laatste” peuk uit en ga er volledig voor er nooit meer 1 op te steken. Dat gaat heel lang goed. Ik kan de volgende dag uit bed komen en helemaal niet het idee hebben dat ik er weer 1 MOET opsteken. Ik ben zelfs trots op mezelf dat ik geen behoefte aan roken heb. Ik voel me meestal lekkerder, frisser en beter.

Dat gaat lang goed, maar dan (op een gegeven moment) komen de eerste gedachten weer mijn hoofd binnensluipen. Ach, als je het niet redt dan kan je straks toch altijd nog wat te roken gaan halen. Je hebt nou al zo lang niet gerookt, dat is eigenlijk toch al best goed. Je hebt nou toch al weer bewezen dat je zonder kan. Pffff…. Dat nicotinemonster is echt een bitch en ik een slappe hap. Want iedere keer verlies ik het gevecht. Ga ik toch weer naar de winkel voor een nieuw pakje shag/sigaretten. Gek word ik er van. Ik heb gisteren even gekeken wat die nico-pleisters kosten en daar schrok ik toch wel van € 37,--. Dan zeggen ze wel dat je niet naar dat bedrag moet kijken, want dat zou je ander immers oproken…. ik zou wel heel lang kunnen roken van 37 euries hoor.

Maarja, ik geef nog niet op. En zo lang ik probeer te stoppen is er nog altijd een kans dat het me lukt. Doorgaan met roken kan altijd nog. Nu probeer ik het via Quit Smoking 101. Gedurende 10 dagen krijg ik per e-mail informatie over hoe te stoppen en vooral over hoe de eerste week door te komen. Wish me strength, courage and wisdom!

15 theme songs for myself

#11 Keep on movin' - Five
I hate to admit it, but this song always gets me up when I’m really down.
I woke up today with this feeling
That better things are coming my way (way)
And if the sunshine has a meaning
Telling me not to let things get in my way
When the rainy days are dying
Gotta keep on, keep on trying
All the bees and birds are flying (ahh ahh ahh)
Never let go, gotta hold on in
Non-stop ‘til the break of dawnin’
Keep on movin’ don’t stop rockin’ (ahh ahh ahh)
Get on up when you’re down
Baby, take a good look around
I know it’s not much, but it’s okay
Keep on moving anyway

#12 Greeneyes - Coldplay
In honour of my own green(/grey) eyes :)
That green eyes, yeah the spotlight,
shines upon you
And how could, anybody, deny you

I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter, now I’ve met you
And honey you should know, that I could never go on without you

#13 Video - India Arie
Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don’t
Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won’t
Depend on how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul
I’m not the average girl from your video
and I ain’t built like a supermodel
But, I learned to love myself unconditionally
Because I am a queen
I’m not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I’m wearing I will always be ……………..me!
I’ve learned to love myself… and it feels great.

#14 Everything - Alanis Morissette

I can be an asshole of the grandest kind
I can withhold like it’s going out of style
I can be the moodiest baby that you’ve ever seen
And you’ve never met anyone
Who is as positive as I am sometimes
I am the wisest woman you’ve ever met.
I am the kindest soul with whom you’ve connected.
I have the bravest heart that you’ve ever seen
And you’ve never met anyone
Who’s as positive as I am sometimes.
Like most people I can be everything… good/bad, down/up, high/low, positive/negative. You name it, it’s in here somewhere. Guess I’m human :)

#15 If only I could - Sydney Youngblood
Everybody all around the world, stand up all my brothers
Joining our hands, united we’re stronger
Fighting for peace, caring about our loved ones
Trusting ourselves, sharing our feeling, believe me

If only I could I’d make this world a better place
If only I could I’d make this world a better place
Oh believe me, believe
Believe me, believe, if only I could
If only I could…. With a little help from the good people here on 43things…………. I can!.