This is the story of an ordinary Day, one that was Seized.

WIERD AWAKENINGS
My former co-worker is pregnant and I, in some dream reality, am also 'sharing' her pregnancy by being pregnant too. I go into labor and my current manager helps me through it. Just as I deliver, my cervix actually extends out of my body in a cone shape and a brownish mass comes out and then separates into all these little green triangular wiggly living things with short fins on one side. They look like stylized chicken livers in shape. They wiggle around and astound the doctor who doesn't know what to make of my offspring. Neither do I. I awaken at this point and remember that my former co-worker actually is due to deliver her 2nd child in February. Apparently I'm having pregnancy horror dreams for her.

FIRST MOVEMENTS OF THE DAY
1. Stumble out of bed and kick over my cat's water bowl, spilling water onto her dry food, my bedroom's hardwood floor, and onto, and under, my yoga mat.

2. Frantically wipe up the water. Refill the dry food and water bowls.

3. Proceed to stumble into the water bowl again, creating the same mess again.

4. Have major problems with the paper towel roll, unraveling about 1/3 of it.

5. With considerable emoting that rightly disturbs Honey, mop the water on the floor, set the yoga mat aside to clean & dry later, set up the food and water again.

6. As a final touch, just as I finally move onto productive morning activities, I tip over my Q-tip dispenser, spilling most of the Q-tips onto the floor. Yes! Way to start the day!

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GO 'ROUND AND 'ROUND
Despite the morning preparation disasters, I manage to make it into work. Lady Karma, having made a comedy of my early morning, feels sorry for me and graces me with an uncommon work day.

I found myself tackling the I'm Ignoring You Inbox of Distasteful Tasks that Just. Won't. Go. Away. One annoyance after another was quickly polished off until the pile dwindled down to a Level of Peevishness on the Workload Terror Scale. By noon I was feeling invincible.

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY CODE
Years ago, during a slow summer at work, I studied the easy part of a Teach Yourself HTML 3.2 book; today I can recognize some tags and a little of the structure, but it is apparent that the last chapters in the book probably were necessary for full understanding, because for the most part blog source code is very greeky, or perhaps I should say 'geeky' to me. I know some of the notes to the HTML song, but not the syntax, the song itself is beyond my understanding.

Yes, I could pick up the studies again, and have the good intentions to do so, but I'm basically too impatient and task-driven. When I want to do something is when I want to learn how to do it.

So far, I've dabbled with my code and messed up the entry font colors, apparently violating some CSS rule (a new techie word!) and must eventually try to fix it, after my current fun.

My latest interest has been to add a background texture/print to blog entries. I saw someone else do this in their blog so had to find out how. I printed out the blogger's source code and found a section that might apply and tried it. As you can see, I have accomplished Basic Background Code. Yay me!

Just to add a certain syncronicity to the day, I entered this post in my blog, but hit a key and it vanished! This is a re-entry. Karma has ended the day the way it began, with comic klutzyness.

NOTE: I assumed all below except the list itself was generic for these 101 lists, but this might be wrong. I copied the intro from one of many 101 lists I encountered while blog browsing, so if I've unintentionally used your well-crafted words here, my apologies. Please take credit in the comments section.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

ETA: I'll be making some modifications to these goals, particularly the ones like  33.  Post at least 3x per week on my blog ... there's no way I could do this over the full 1001 days. It should have a shorter interval, like . 33. Post at least 3x per week on my blog for 2 months running. So, from time to time I'll be 'dumbing down' the original list to something more realistic. I still have the basic goals.

COMPLETED TASKS WILL BE CHANGED TO BLACK.

MY 101 LIST

My current workplace is like this. My desktop computer at home is acting up,
and wouldn't boot up at all. I guess this was my main concern here, but I'm
not sure about the part about being 'pushed out'.

Part 2:
I'm in a different company that has a chemical analysis lab. It is not my
job to do analysis, but somehow I have responsibility to keep things
running. For some reason, the lab begins to lose chemical technicians and in
order to keep things running I have to do the analysis. Once again I'm
frustrated by this turn of events.

My first career of 11 years was as a chemical technician. I eventually was in charge of the lab in my last situation, but that was ages ago.

Part 3:
I'm working at a place that puts on public events, like seminars. The site
where the event is to be given is in a different building or location. I am
with the man who is scheduled to give the seminar, beginning at 10 AM. The
time is approaching but he is not concerned with being there on time, or at
all.  Again, I'm very concerned.

A few years ago I worked at a Catholic Retreat House where we regularly
booked weekend speakers. I had a secondary role in this but was involved.

Overall, I wonder why all this is coming up in this dream. My current work
at this time is going smoothly and with minimal stress. If anything I'm
feeling a bit in the 'same old same old rut'.

Does anyone have an armchair analysis?

I'm a great follower, so in that tradition, here is my response to the meme on The Tuna News, First Monthly Blog Lines of 2004:

January - 15 entries

Well it's 2004 and already things are looking up.

Thats what I thought at the time, but how wrong on the whole. 2004 was a really tough year.

February - 18 entries

At Last! A photo of Honey on all fours.

Honey, the cat I adopted from a shelter in December, finally began to emerge from under my bed. My blog should have been re-named The Honey Watch. During the month I developed severe bronchitis and out in Arizona dad was in the hospital for pneumonia, both were major themes for 2004.

March - 6 entries

Honey continues to become more casual in my presence. We have a real morning routine going now with her sort of keep me company while I get ready for work.

Thank God for Honey. I move my office to distance myself from office mold and slowly get over the bronchitis.

April - 7 entries

Here are some true stories that had me rolling on the floor:

I feel better, lighten up a bit in the blog, and visit my dad in Arizona.

May - 14 entries

Honey is in her bedroom cat bed watching the birds at the feeder. I've finished another Swiffer Saturday and made a quick trip to the grocery store for a rotissarie chicken and Powerball ticket (280 million). It's the first weekend home after my trip and I finally feel fine.

I feel better, begin allergy shots and get back into the swing of things. My dad is still having health problems but things seem hopeful.  

June - 10 entries

Honey and I are getting along just fine. ... Muy casa es su casa

Honey is now comfortable in the living room with me. On the 6th everything changes; my dad has a fall and breaks his neck, has sucessful surgery, but declines during the recovery. The entire month after the 6th is one long decline and changing status.

July - 1 entry

I have apparently been acting suspiciously of late, which is quite amusing for a person who barely has any life to put on hold.

I struggle to get my new wireless network, laptop, and Norton Internet Security to work right and stop blocking me from websites.  

My dad declines quickly and passes away on the 5th. All the rest is darkness. I try to follow Big Brother but just don't have the heart for it.

August - 1 entry

Ack!  I visit my own blog, and it's full of cobwebs!

Life does not get back to normal. I try with one blog post to get back into the swing of things, but can't. Renovations in my office building begin to aggrivate my asthma and my health starts its own decline. Tensions and misunderstandings happen between family members.

September - 1 entry

Gee, it's been 6 weeks since I promised more than I could deliver. The blog-neglect continued.

Same as above, but worse. I see both my regular doctor and my allergist. They boost my asthma and allergy medications which do not help.

October - 2 entries

Today, for the first time in more than 2 months, I feel healthy. (the first entry, on the 25th of the month)

In early October I travel to PA by car to meet my sisters to bury our dad's ashes. By mid-October I'm having extreme problems breathing. I take a week off from work and the renovations, stop taking an asthma medication that I think is making my asthma worse, and begin a special diet that is supposed to help people with asthma. After this nadir my health slowly begins to improve.

November - 2 entries

I never thought I'd live to see the day!

The above was a comment about Honey, but it applies to my health situation as well. I discovered an oil leak in my auto that was possibly delivering oil fumes into my car (and my  lungs) aggrivating my condition the past months.

December - 6 (old blog) + 5 (new blog) = 11 entries total

It's December, a time of festivities and joy. However, I am fixated on another event, an event I've been dreading since 12/13/03, the day my cat, Honey, came home with me from her Shelter.

The dreaded Vet Visit never happened. I can't. Yet. On the 2nd, my brother died suddenly in Arizona.

New Years Eve I celebrate the passing of 2004 with martinis.

You can see why I did not post much this year. I hope the 2005 First Blog Entries will be a whole lot better.