The World Starts Up Again Today

Everyone’s back to work, school, normal.  

I milked the holidays right to the end: jogging pants and quiet; mainlining garbage TV online; too much food and drink; long drives for no reason except I like driving. More of this.

A New Year Planetary Update – we kicked off 2014 with a new moon on the 1st, then on January 3rd there was a meteor shower, the Quadrantids – 1 of the 3 richest showers of the year.

Below are a few photos, but there’s not much to report so far this year.  So far.  This is going to be a big year, I can tell… I’m about to get a big dose of ‘careful what you wish for’. Can’t wait.

Here’s to a strong start to your new year!

xo Keri

***

One of the last photos of my ponytail. Ponywhisp.

Started to use Facebook more, friend me.

I pick up a minivan today.

I went to 3 different places, they all looked like this.

It’s probably because of this blog tag – jogging pants.

BFF hang.

Ahh Casie xo

We built our blogs together. Are you following her? You ought to – CasieStewart.com

Got my file structure in order for the near year.  It included this annual blog event, ‘Make a new Picasa Photo Folder Using the New Year’.

Seems meaningless, but as a professional documenter, it was, a moment.

Now to do this.

 

 

 

It’s Been a Great Christmas Break

I slowed the pace way down and have accomplished little, it’s been nice.

A lot of jogging pants, too much food, lots of daydream time, no newspaper deadlines for a week, zoning out to garbage on the internet, big screen TVs and ordering food. Doesn’t take much to make me happy huh.

I’m also wrapping up my “2013 Christmas BFF Tour“, so a lot of laughing, cackling, and home cooked meals.

I’m driving a 2014 Chrysler 300 C AWD.

I have it the whole holidays too, 2 weeks. I like this thing. Review coming in January.

This photo by Suzy.

Champagne and making lists.

Productive fun.

Really. My BFFs are mega-nerds too.

We swap stats, charts and blog tricks, one stop on the tour included a Power Point presentation.

My beloved nerd herd.

I installed all the new sidebar art. Each section should now refresh about 10 new times.

Still more work to do over there, but good enough for now so onto the nav bar now, and the ‘About’ pages.

The week ahead: it’s back to usual at the newspaper; try to finish up all blog renovations here; a couple short road trips; and film a few videos, brush the rust off.

And get a haircut. Inches gone, past my chin, a short bob.

This year, I’m taking this first week of the year to ramp up, then be ready by the 6th, as opposed to what I usually do, full steam ahead on the 1st (Wednesday).

Because after studying the rhythm-of-a-year,  then drilling down to the rhythm-of-a-week (documented here), there’s no point in going against the flow. With new year’s day falling on a Wednesday, no one will switch their brain on until Monday, a week from today. 

TTY Thursday, have a great New Year’s!

xo Keri

Night.

PS – I got another job today! Starts in the new year. It’s a good one. Not ready to share just yet. But guys, guys!

kk bye

 

 

Got Sucked into the Traditional Media World

Which is still pretty different than the new media one… best way I can describe it: less time online and more IRL.

And cut-throat harsh big time. Yesterday 200 people got fired from my newspaper, you may have read about it in the news. That’s the 3rd round of mass-firings I’ve now made it through, helps that I’m a freelancer.

And also, turns out that being an auto journalist is all-consuming, more of a lifestyle than job, really. I’m full steam ahead into it, and last week it tipped over sorry; I caught it last tonight, that’s where this tweet came from.

Things from this week:


Latest OCD song is such a happy one – “Pay Day” by Classified.

Anything you read by me in the last 2 weeks, was probably written to this. It’s in my ears right now.

I’m writing blog posts, and next week’s column (about product planning). Last week’s column got 112 comments holy crap, highest ever.  There’s a lot of anger, haven’t yet decided how I’ll respond.

Last night I talked on the phone for FOUR hours. Four.

I probably talk on the phone more than most (here and here), but still, that’s a lot even for me.

Laughed for at least half of it, jacknifing neighbour-distrubing laughs, it’s like everyone I knew was mega-funny yesterday (for a visual, here’s an old video of me laughing really hard).

Jogging pants are addictive eh.

It’s PR company Chrismtas party week, have another one tonight, after the Canadian launch of the new Audi A3.

You into these EOS lip balms yet?  The application method is what makes them amazing.

kk I have to get back to deadlines, TTYL

 

 

Saturday Night Big City Girl

Hi hi from home. I’m being quiet, blogging, listening to a radio feed coming out of a dance club in Woodbridge.

Whirlwind week woah #w

That’s it guys, 2013 is OVER. More detail on why here, but basically: everyone mentally checked out this weekend, the next 2 weeks are spent tidying yearly loose ends and Christmas parties, then blink it’s New Year’s, then here we go again.

Wanted to make it a good-end week, and it was: my KOD column mini-series on speeding tickets went over well; sold a big blog post; not to jinx it, but this editing help is going ok; confirmed, my new upscale jogging pants can be worn anywhere; my inbox is zeroed; and congratulations to a good ending for OOK Incorporated.

Closed my laptop lid last night at 9, been quiet ever since. Phone is on silent face down, lots of time in my couch nest, did a ton of Life Admin, and daydreamed the day away.

Imagination time is so important,
that’s where this all comes from.

Looked forward to making this all week – a real-life collage.

Ahhh making collages is so soothing, as I’ve said.  This is for a security post.

Painted my nails.

Tried something I saw online – first, cover your fingertips in glue -> paint your nails -> peel away the mistakes -> reveal a crisp manicure tada.

Nope, finicky and way too time consuming. Back to the old system – paint nails -> Brillo pad off mistakes > add clear coat.

Hey remember that video, about painting my nails, “Dropped & Caught my Nail Polish“?

Probably not, because my point is, that video surprised me how poorly it went over. Here, I’ll re-embed it.

Come ON.

Yes my otherworldly reflexes, but mostly, that this moment was caught on camera.

Filmed a Michelin tire drive event on Wednesday – race up to a plastic pad covered in ice, and fly around, nice.

Even found time this week to crush it at the casino.

Still have a video in my mind:

“How video poker strategy, is similar to a strategy that’s used to win at life”

Worked on my dance skills.  I actually quite love to dance. I invented a style years ago, been refining since.

Bottom left not bad symmetry, top right needs to be tighter, and bottom right oh, where has my back arch gone.

Imagine if one time, at a party…

Shuffle quietly across the floor, sneak a nod to the DJ, he mixes in a 20-second beats boom beats, out comes a whirlwind routine that includes flips aaaaand end POSE hold 1,2, melt away.

Me this week.

mmm may be wearing that fleece too much.  Blogging makes you notice things.

Next week ToDo’s includes booking cars into the new year, and finalizing my 3rd Annual Christmas Extravaganza. I figured out my exact plan on Tuesday, hard part is done, now to put it into action. Next week’s column is about data mining with Google, about how we shop for cars online. Oh and have to do my taxes, they’re due soon friendly reminder.

kk that’s it, TTY Monday, have a great rest-of-weekend.

 

 

kk I’ll blog the show tomorrow

After meetings all afternoon and producing, no time to blog today sorry, tomorrow. I have a fresh front page all about the auto show half-drafted here, but I just hung up on my last work task it’s 9pm, and ahhh now the week is complete.

Now it’s quiet Friday beer out reflection time. And writing editing instructions.

Do you even know how long I waited to type that sentence.  I’m getting editing help!  This list of 100+ videos-to-make is about to finally come to life WOAH… as I was typing that sentence, my neighbour started laughing so loud.

kk have a good start to your weekend TTYT

…

One more thing, this is me on the way out the door tonight.

I have discovered a new level of jogging pants.

Bought them last week, I needed a plane/travel uniform.

When I was paying I felt a bit like a jerk, like really am I doing this, Lululemon stuff is up there… but YA buddy I am, already saving up for more, and I understand Lululemon now, oh I get it. The comfort of my jogging pants, but I look much crisper and presentable.

Get ready to see these a lot, I can tell I’ll have little to no willpower against these.

[jogging pants blog tag]

 

UPDATE – Sunday 1:30 pm

What am I doing, I’m supposed to be testing Monday-Friday blogging only. The auto show will be tomorrow’s front page (for real this time).

Sunday’s are supposed to be off.  You have to stick to the schedule for it to work.  Doing the same thing days in a row does not come naturally (except on a different level I’m amazing at that, but in the way I mean here, nope horrible). Doesn’t help that I like when it’s frantic, the game of squishing 8 hours into 4. kk back to crossing off my Sunday list TTYT