Lindsay S.'s Profile

There is plenty of space in life for both! I love books like this - books as objects. First edition, collector's edition, signed, or books that need to be physical books to really shine (pop-up books, texture, etc). But if I'm just looking for something to read? Hello, Kindle app. :)

Another pretty one is Penguin's Great Orwell edition of 1984. One of the few paperbacks I've found that makes for a neat object.

I have a set of three of Anek's prints in my kitchen at the moment - I adore them! And she's a treasure to order from. :)

As an IT person - Please. Clean. Your. Computer. Especially your keyboard and mouse. My worst nightmare is going to answer the question of a person who has a cold or a kindergartener.

No matter how careful you are, your keyboard and mouse are the equivalent of the bathroom door handle. You just touch it and sneeze on it a lot more. Dry skin, hairs, crumbs, sweater fuzzies, general dust... all of this stuff lives under your keys and can eventually become quite gross.

Weekly I do something as simple as running a damp (not dripping!) Clorox wipe over my keyboard, mouse, and desk surface. I'll usually turn my keyboard over and shake it out into the trash bin while it's off my desk. Dust the monitor quick with a swipe of a microfibre cloth, and I'm done in about a minute. Keeps my space clean, me healthy, and the machine happy. I recommend all my users do the same.

The thorough cleaning in this article gets done spring and fall when I generally give my home and office a good once-over anyway.

It depends on who and what's going on. If it's that inevitable last person there (usually the closest friend, or family) and we're looking for something to do with our hands, we'll hit the kitchen and talk over some dishes. But it's never more than one other person - my kitchen can't take it!

I do take them up on other little chores, though. If they want to gather wine glasses, or napkins.. or if they wouldn't mind keeping everyone out of the kitchen. :) No offer goes unappreciated! There's always plenty to do.

The biggest lesson you can learn is: Stay calm. People before you have done it, and they will continue to do it after. (Makes things a lot easier!)

As for discrete skills?
--Troubleshooting/Root Cause Analysis. Not just on your computer, but everything. Getting to the root of a problem makes an incredible difference when figuring out a solution. It also serves as a great bullshit detector if you have to get help.
--Sewing
--Food - both the shopping for and cooking of. Learning how to buy smart and use up all of what you have in a given time period (I'm still quite bad at this one, admittedly)
--the "Rule of Three" for clothing. Cover the bottom, cover the top, and one more large item for polish (jacket, vest, scarf, tie, sweater). If nothing else, you now look like you know what you're doing.
--Communication. Learn how to present well, write well, and talk to people. And take it seriously. Under this umbrella, therapy and/or counseling is an excellent place to learn how to communicate with others on a more personal level. It also helps you learn what others are trying to tell you while communicating unsuccessfully.

"We do what we must, and call it by the best names." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yes, you must go to work. You must clean the bathroom and do your laundry. But there's nothing saying it can't be an adventure.