Anna Be.

I'll admit it, I'm a little depressed. I came home from the doctor yesterday, got in the bed, and I haven't gotten out for more than a few minutes since. It should have been a simple appointment -- a few tests to clear me for surgery. However, nothing has been simple for me lately. The EKG -- performed four times by two different nurses while I laid there getting more afraid -- was "abnormal". "This line is supposed to go up, but yours goes down," the doctor said. I know the opposite of right is wrong, the opposite of good is bad, and the opposite of up is down. He said the abnormality could indicate I had a symptomless, "silent" heart attack. Yeah, sit with that a minute. I'm 35 years old, and I feel pretty good except for this cranky neck problem, which can be surgically repaired with a little clearance saying my heart can stand the procedure. Maybe, the doctor said, there is another (harmless) reason for the EKG abnormality. I wi...

My anxieties stand in line all day so they can pop out just when I am ready to go to sleep. Tonight the leaders are all the things the neurosurgeon said were potential risks of this spinal surgery. I don't need to list them here in bold letters, and if it weren't so dark and quiet right now I wouldn't be reminded of them. I would rather think of the potential AWESOMES of spinal surgery: no numbness or pain! no lifting or driving for six weeks! a new short hair cut so it doesn't get tangled in my cervical collar! lots of time to read and nap! I am scheduled to have a discectomy with fusion of two cervical vertebrae on May 24. You can see why in the handy-dandy visual aid to the left. That vertical center line is my spine and the black bulge in the middle of it is the offending disc. So far it is only bad enough to cause pain, numbness, and weakness in my neck, shoulder, arm, and hand. Unchecked, it could eventually cause loss of control of my everything. That's wh...

One of the first times I ever got really excited about writing was during high school. The assignment was a research paper for English class; my topic, the relationship between beauty and mortality in John Keats’ work. I still think I’m clever. I had uncovered an interest in collecting research and synthesizing it into a composition. Research papers would continue to be fun for me throughout college, and later I found the same concept in my work as a newspaper reporter. Now, in my second tour of duty through graduate school, writing papers has been the best part, making me wish it could somehow be a career. If you change the terms a little, it is a career to many — academic researcher, freelance writer, essayist. Oh wait, essayist is a little different. It was in the newspaper business that I discovered writing columns, a form akin to the essay. Writing about personal experiences is the most untethered of styles; research and interviews are totally optional. Of course, the tri...

In the interest of open education, I'm sharing this Guide to Free Internet Courses with you! For free! There is an accompanying academic paper which explains the concept of open education, which I will share with anyone interested. But all you really need is this list of resources to get started on your free, high-quality education. An Annotated Guide to DIY Education Online Apple Inc. (n.d.). iTunes U [Application]. Retrieved December 5, 2010, from http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/ From the company known for its pioneering in consumer technology, iTunes has become the standard for digital music management for Mac users. iTunes U applies that platform to educational resources available from more than 800 universities, including Stanford, Yale, MIT, Oxford, and Berkley. Content is also available from museums, libraries, and public media outlets. While the bulk of content is in the form of lectures, iTunes U also supports distribution of slideshows, videos, P...

I haven't been posting about cleaning, because I haven't been cleaning! Too under the weather for about a week. So sadly, I haven't yet been able to witness the cumulative effect of cleaning 45-60 minutes a day. However, I do think the strategies in the book are useful. I prefer to approach house cleaning in short bursts rather than being overwhelmed by the whole process. My favorite parts of the book are the last section which has a checklist of tasks for each room. It's not as if I don't know I need to mop the bathroom floor, but seeing it on the list is that extra bit of nagging that will make it happen.

(Day 2 confirms it -- all I can do in 15 minutes is start a load of laundry and unload and load the dishwasher. These are things that have to be done every day and don't get faster the more you do them. If I live to be 70, I will spend another solid 133 days on this 15-minute task.) Did you know I'm a gold medalist at Olympic Husband Steering? Like when you enter Target and he attempts to veer toward the wrong aisle? Subtle pressure on his arm can wordlessly steer him where you need to go. Also, hand-holding in public may seem super sweet, but it's also an effective method of Husband Steering. I mention this because No-Hassle House Cleaning has inspired me to attempt a sort of mental husband steering! (This might be more effective if it were actually covert, but he may read this and rebel against my efforts.) Spence ( Today's victory: it is easier to clean the kitchen sink/counter/floor when you just did it the previous day! Advice I won't follow again: wash ...

Despite sleeping only four hours last night, I took the challenge and spent a total of 45 minutes cleaning today! The first step was to add a notebook to my maid caddy -- to write down needed supplies or big tasks to remember later. Good advice from the book which also has me a little nervous about cleaning for 45 minutes everyday. This is how it breaks down for today: 15 minutes quick cleaning in the morning: a load of laundry in the washer, wiping a few things in the bathroom, barely started unloading the dishwasher 15 minutes quick cleaning in the evening: another load of laundry, a little folding, finishing the dishes, cleaning the kitchen sink/counters 15 minutes focus on the living room: dusting, decluttering, de-cat-hairing Yes, I am shocked at how little I got done in all that time! I know the effects will be cumulative, but after 45 minutes of vigorous cleaning, that's it??!?! Still, I'm committed to seeing if the house stays a little cleaner after doing this for ...