My Review of Q

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Our smallest pack with built-in laptop protection.

Q

Great, compact pack!

By doctorevie from Buenos Aires, Argentina on 4/22/2010

 

4out of 5

Pros: Durable, Comfortable, Lightweight, Attractive Design

Best Uses: Books, Computer, Travel, Commuting

Describe Yourself: Practical, Stylish, Modern, Comfort-Oriented

Primary use: Personal

Got this back last week, and used it for the whole week I was in California.

I really liked the compact style...compact, meaning, you can't really squeeze a lot into this sucker, but I packed a notebook, journal 2 medium sized, non-text books, apple, mandarin, and a scarf into the main compartment, and it still had some room to spare at the top. I didn't like not having total access to this compartment. It only opens up part of the way, which is kind of a hassle.

The middle pocket in front, that zips open or closed like a book, is great, but this compartment opens TOO much. So, my 2 mini bags with my pens and my cosmetics were always in danger of falling out if I zipped it out all the way. I tried sticking both into the pocket inside, but the pocket isn't deep enough. I really liked the other pockets inside this part, and used the zipped up section for my camera and ipod.

The very front pocket I used for stuff I needed to grab, like my wallet, hotel key, car rental key, and passport. That was really helpful.

The bottom pocket was great for carrying my house keys. I imagine I could use that for computer cords and plugs.

Other things I liked: 1) Small, zippered pocket in the back; 2) small, but comfortable straps (m 3) compact size - Most packs look huge on me, and they make me hunch over, 4) computer section for my ASUS netbook was roomy and kept it safe; 5) doesn't take up much room in the seat in front of you on the plane; and 6) worked great with Timbuk 2s Shag Bag, where I kept my phone. Very handy!

Things I wish they would improve: 1) Put some kind of mesh or some kind of fabric contraption so my stuff doesn't fall out of the middle pocket when I unzip it all the way. 2) Total access to main section of pack, so it would be easier to see and get to gear, 3) colors are very...utilitarian. Maybe I'd try the one with the red next time.

Very useful, compact bag! Would buy again.

(legalese)

And I'm Spent...Kitchen Cure Cramming

True to form, I left everything until the 3rd week of the Kitchen Cure program.  Hey, I had things to do!  Like plan the demise of my partner's ex-wife (meeeooooowww...), create a newsletter from scratch, start another blog, and keep up with my classes.

True to form, though, I am up to speed with the program, and my kitchen is the cleanest and most organized it's been in...geez, I can't remember when.  Most of my friends know me as crazy disorganized, but when I clean...I CLEAN.  The problem is that I set such high standards for myself that it takes a lot of energy to get things to where I'm satisfied, so I don't even begin.  Why start if you're going to do a half-assed job?  This weekend, though, I had had enough!


Since we fired our last housekeeper on Thursday, I've had the freedom and space to tear up the place and put it back together again. I just can't do that with someone around. I really go mental. So, starting at 8 a.m. last Friday, I popped in the soundtrack of Boogie Nights (one of my all-time favorite movies that happens to have one of the kickin'-est soundtracks ever) and started slaving away until Sunday afternoon. (Apologies to Marcelo for waking him up at 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning with my can-throwing, backdoor-slamming, and k.d. lang-playing.  I'm telling you.  I get obsessed.)

About a year ago, I had started labeling all the shelves to try to keep everything organized. The upper shelf is all ethnic. You got your Pinoy shrimp fry, miso, mango sauce going on up there.  Lord knows what else was in there.  Then on the lower shelf, I had my canned and whole beans with some canned tomatoes.  These shelving units are so deep that it's easy to lose stuff back there. 

Our placemats and napkins drawer.  From hell.  Why do we even need freaking placemats when we use a tablecloth?   Just seems pointless to me. I never grew up with placemats, and turned out alright. 

Again: From. Hell.  I had purged this drawer a year ago, but there's just too much stuff. 

Under the sink. 

Cupboard under the oven.  Pastas, canned fish, and some sort of canned, fake juice syrup for making alcoholic drinks that we never used, different grains from who knows when, noodles. There were some teeny black bugs lying dead around a thing of white rice. They had gotten in there and had basically pulverized every grain.  SO GROSS.  (And the 3 empleada domesticas that we've had never opened this bottom cupboard, so who's left to do it?  Me! Why are we paying these people to do something I could do myself?  But Marcelo needs his housekeeper EVERYDAY.  I just don't get it.)  Anyway,  I unearthed some groovy, circa 70's, ceramic cannisters though.  I was all over those.

I can't even begin to tell you how many grocery bags full of half-used or expired food products I threw out.  It just made me sad and ashamed to see all of that go straight into the garbage.  What was I thinking?  Problem was that the cupboards and spaces were just full of disorganized crap that I couldn't see anything. And because I couldn't see anything, I kept buying stuff.  Like, I had like 3 packets of ground ginger, 4 bottles of apple cider vinegar, and 3 bottles of mirin.  WTF?!  Look at this horror...

One of the MANY plastic shopping bags of stuff I threw away.  Dried mangoes from the Philippines (totally way expired) and a box of See's Peanut Brittle were among the nixed.  SEE'S!!!!  It's a crime, I tell you.  When you start throwing away the See's, it's the beginning of the end.

My kitchen in the middle of the purge...Doesn't look to disasterous, but I guess you can't see the stuff strewn all over the floor where I was standing taking this pic.

Here come the "after" pictures:
Just down to the essentials...

These are two areas I think I still need to work on, but they're a lot better than what they were.  I pulled out the utensils I use all the time, and put them in one of the groovy ceramic containers that I placed on top of the stove.  They're easier to get to now.  

The middle shelf is where we keep all our teas. That plastic container is a little bit of an eyesore, but it does keep all our miscellaneous tea bags in one place.  It works for right now.  I REALLY need to stop buying cookbooks, though.  Half of those books are mine...the pretty, big ones to the left. 

The former Asian section now holds a lone bottle of oyster sauce (too tall for anywhere else) and 2 things of pasta.  Bottom is all my canned fish, canned tomatoes, and ethnic sauces. 

Under the oven!  Serving platters and stuff we use once in a while:

Remember how the only thing that was organized in this cupboard was the alcohol?  Now lookie!  All my nut butters together, chocolate front-and-center in case of emergency, energy bars in a container...

Silverware drawer.  Even Marcelo contributed by replacing all the crappy silverware with the nicer stuff we had stored. And then he went back to watch soccer.  I appreciated the contribution, though!

This is my favorite part of the whole job.  The vintage cannisters are right in the middle.  So very Marcia Brady with it's floral theme in brown, orange, and lime green.  They coordinate with all the spices and beans, too!  I got the spices all labeled and almost all matching.  I like the idea of having containers that don't match and are all funky, but if I look at it everyday, I know it's going to drive me crazy.  I'll see the containers and not the stuff I need. Plus having them displayed and labled like this makes me feel and look like I'm a cook, like I absolutely need to have ALL my spices organized for when I whip something fabulous up with 1 ingredient.   

The last part of the Kitchen Cure is just to beautify.  I've got plans to paint an accent wall to bring some life to the otherwise non-existent kitchen decor. Maybe a funky yellow or even a crazy orange. 

Important lessons I learned:
1) Keep things organized (so you...)
2) Don't buy doubles of things
3) Only buy when necessary
4) Eat what you got (man, I made so many freaking smoothies trying to use up all my veggies and fruits...Healthy, though!)

Good program.  I'm really glad I did it!  I'm going to tackle my office again!

The Kichen Cure Spring 2010

So, some of you know that I've enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to pursue my certification as a Holistic Health Counselor.  I'm learning oodles!  (Beware: Shameless plug...)To learn more about what I'm going to be doing, check out my personal IIN website!

Part of our education is getting back into the kitchen to learn how to prepare wholesome, healthy food for myself and for Marcelo, but how do they expect me to do this when cooking is a serious source of stress for me because a) I'm missing the domestic gene, and b) I get easily distracted by emails and CNN when I do anything involving the oven.  So, when I found out about this free-a-licious Kitchen Cure program in my inbox, I signed up right away.

I had actually read about this last year, but didn't sign up.  Ha!  I have a housekeeper (as many people do here in ol' Argentina)!  Why would need a kitchen cure?!  Actually, the housekeeper is making my life hell, as nice and helpful as she is in mopping up the floors and doing stuff I hate like ironing, because she just doesn't know where anything goes.  And if I tell her, she turns around and puts it somewhere else where I can't find it. So, my nuts are going in the baking supplies instead of the fridge where they won't succumb to this awful Argentine humidity, my square rubber jar-opener thingie is hanging out with the coffee bean grinder and hand blender. 

And then, there's domestically-challenged moi.  How do I arrange my fridge?  Where do I put all my organic peanut and almond butter I brought back with me from Trader Joe's?  How can I avoid buying 20 jars of turmeric and 15 jars of garlic powder? What the hell is that curled up brownish-orangey thingie in the back of my crisper? And why didn't my crisper keep the thingie crisp? I'm guessing this Kitchen Cure will the be perfect complement to what I'm learning at IIN, which is basically about taking care of yourself inside and out. 

Here's how the monthlong challenge is organized:

Week 1: Clean out Pantry
*Seriously, ask me if I know what is all in here, and I'll tell you that I haven't got a clue.  But isn't the wine area all nice and organized?  :-)   Gotta make the alcohol easy to get to. 

 

Below is PART of my spice and sauces and other-stuff-I-haven't-labeled-and-can't-reach area.  I've got 2 of everything in here.  Help. 

  

Week 2: De-clutter equipment.
'k, so I cheated a little bit and organized the top right part of the photo where my pans are before I took this picture.  The housekeeper had the tops crammed in there all together, instead of nice and anal-y organized in the slots of the handy-dandy organizer I brought with me from Ikea.  But the tool drawer is unedited.  It drives me crazy to just look at it, let alone try to find my pretty olive wood spoon and spatula I got from Greece.  

Week 3: Deep clean and Beautify
Well, it's alright.  The depressing light gray floors, cheap-ass wood laminate cupboards with their crappy plastic handles are utilitarian at best.  I just repainted it white to hide the 12 years of light yellowing , but it definetly needs some color.  I got the bright yellow colander (sp) to add a splash of something to this dreary place.  It's relatively clean.  To get it really clean the way I want it, I'd have to hire 3 housekeepers...or just do it myself...the Filipino American way.  And then you'd be able to clean off the floors.  Until then, here's what it looks like -

Week 4: Restock
Can I fit anything else into my fridge?  That's a negative.  There has got to be a better way, but with the humidity here, things go damp and yucky really easily. I just throw everything in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresh.  It just makes me want to tear my hair out.

 

That's basically the program!  I can't wait to get my (kitchen) life organized!  I'll be posting every week with my progress.  Join me in the fun, if you want!

My Review of Clear Flex Pack

Originally submitted at Timbuk2

Impossibly useful clear zippy pouches in 3 sizes.

Clear Flex Pack

Keeps my junk organized in cuteness

By doctorevie from Buenos Aires, Argentina on 2/17/2010

 

5out of 5

Pros: Attractive Design, Compact

Best Uses: Girlie stuff organization, Tech stuff organization

Describe Yourself: Quality Oriented

Primary use: Personal

I'd been using flimsy plastic, reusable bags that were originally found in my old suitcases, etc. Useful, but unattractive, and way too big. I couldn't find any of my stuff because it was too large. Enter this small pouch in funky lime-aide! Lovely design, the plastic and zipper feel durable, keeps everything compact and organized. I was able to keep my netbook and ipod chargers, my little ipod, 2 sets of earphones, and my two cell phones in there with a camera battery charger. Lots of stuff! I love this product. I'll probably get a larger one to house my old school CD player, Energizer battery charger, and camera with charger.

(legalese)

Junking Relationships

This one's a tough one.

Over the years, I've developed a mantra for relationships that have become too toxic: Love them from afar. Seems cold, right? Doesn't loving your neighbor mean holding them emotionally close to you? Giving them your time, lending them a hand, turning the other cheek? What if, at the end of that meeting, you just feel as if you've been puked on? And what if that person turns out to be the one you're supposed to be closest to, say, a parent, aunt, child, friend? What if you've exhausted all options to improve that relationship, like therapy, talking to them, letter-writing? Turning the other cheek one too many times can quickly lead to an abusive and/or masochistic situation. I mean, you deserve love, too, right? You are your neighbor.

My psychoanalyst gave me a good exercise called "active imagination" to release myself of a toxic relationship. This exercise will be different for every person, but basically, it's imagining that person in front of you, ready to listen. Then, you talk to that person from the heart as if that person were actually there, and telling them your intention of letting them go in peace. Pretty woowoo California, but it has allowed me to move on with my life. I felt at peace afterward.

One of the most helpful things anyone has ever told me is, "I don't have to like everyone." For some reason, that was a lightbulb moment for me. I don't have to like everyone! It's so liberating! I can love someone from afar, wishing them well as a fellow human being, and still keep my dignity by loving myself enough to let them go on their way.

The (Virtual) Junk in My Trunk Part II...E-mails and Projects

Dude. I've got some clutter goin' on everywhere.

The great thing about Gmail is that I can usually find old emails with ease just by doing a search by a person or by subject. Still, I have stuff in my inbox from 2005. Why? I mean, do I really need to keep that delivery confirmation for a book from Amazon? There are some messages that I'd like to keep, but I suppose I could print those out or put them into a file on a pen drive. It's so easy to clean out my in-box. Just highlight all of the entries and hit delete. If only cleaning out hardcopy were that easy!

Now, I always have ideas for projects. I have a ton of beads and wire for my jewelry projects, vintage clothing for my on-line vintage clothing store, my dissertation still waiting for me to edit and publish, scores and background music for my voice lessons and future voice recitals, two blogs, and, now, books and articles about health and nutrition for my courses leading to certification in health counseling. I have TONS of interests. I always think it makes me an interesting person. For the most part, I'm pretty good at everything I'm interested in, but there are so many hours in the day to do all the things I want to do.

So, I've been trying to re-evaluate whether or not these projects still have value in my life. I know without a doubt that my voice classes and jewelry-making are hobbies I'd like to keep. They give me joy, and give me an outlet--along with writing--to express myself in different ways. However, what about my other activities?

Doing the vintage clothing business was fun, but what do I do with the clothing that I don't sell? Hunting for them, transporting them, cleaning, displaying, and photographing them takes up a lot of time, money, and space, so that is going to have to be shelved. However, that doesn't mean that I can't celebrate when I find a vintage piece that is perfect for me.

The dissertation is tougher. I think there are some good chapters in there, but for the most part, who I was when I was writing it is not the same person as I am now. What I want to say is similar, but deeper and maybe more complex that what I am interested in exploring at this point in my life. Having it sit for a while was necessary, though, after having lived and breathed it for 2 years. I just needed a break and a life. Now that I've moved on and have had experiences that have started my asking questions that are along the lines of my topic, it may be time for me to start on it again in earnest.

Last year, I decided to leave psychotherapy permanently because it didn't feel right to me anymore. I still love the theory, exploring it, playing with it, connecting it to different ideas, but I never loved doing psychotherapy, which, I'm sure, contributed to my feeling like a fraud. I felt that it was best for me and my clients to leave. However, once I found this program on health and wellness at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I realize that I don't have to give it up completely. It can just transform itself into something that feels more complete to me. I can't wait to start working with people now.

Keeping my life free of virtual, as well as material, clutter is a daily challenge, but one that helps me maintain a base level of sanity in my over-active mind.

The Junk in My Trunk..and Closet, Desk, Kitchen Drawers, and... Part I

Clutter is in my genes.  For better or for worse, this habit has been gifted to me by parents, whose proclivity for acquiring stuff without purging has seemed to be growing every year.  Friends of mine have been witnesses to my own clutter and disorganization, which reached its zenith the few months before I moved to Argentina. 

Like a good American, I am very good at amassing things I really don't need.    My closets are bursting, and I'm positive there are a few things with tags still hanging on them that I would love wearing if I could only get to them.  I have shelves full of books that I keep restocking through Amazon (that I send to my Dad's house in the States, thereby adding to his disorganization and clutter), because a) I love reading; b) there's always something I'm curious about; c) I hate reading in Spanish; d) I will NEVER exchange the comfort of holding a real book in my hands for Kindle.   I've got papers and articles from research papers past that I can't seem to let go of.      

I have implemented a couple of solutions to help beat the clutter monster, though I haven't quite mastered not adding stuff to my virtual shopping cart.  Unsubscribing to all my favorite on-line stores' update emails would probably nip the problem in the bud, but...but...I'll get around to doing that.  Besides, I enjoy seeing what Amazon recommends for me, and I love seeing JCrew's new line. 

In the meantime, I have gotten pretty good sticking with the "One In, One Out" rule.  So, for example, if I buy a new pair of shoes, I make sure I take one out of my closet to give away.  Same goes for the books and the clothes. I also end up recycling any mail I have by reusing the clean backs of letters as scrap paper in the makeshift notepads I keep on my desk and on the table near the front door, or for printer paper. Usually, I end up recycling more than one article, which is always good for fighting the physical clutter in my life.