One Thing Per Day

When I say that my life is a tish over scheduled, I can't help but hear the scoffs from the peanut gallery. Volunteering, concerts, traveling, planning laser tag parties, running, snowboarding....you get the hint. I'm kind of a big deal and may or may not have many leather-bound books. More scoffs, yes I get the hint.

Over time, I've realized that I can't keep this pace. It's not only unsustainable, but I feel terrible when I have to tell someone no.

The new theory is: One Thing Per Day.

I put this to the test on a recent trip to Memphis. The only thing I had planned was to go to the Full Gospel Tabernacle church where the Rev. Al Green preaches. Sidebar: He talked to me during the service. I didn't freak out and it made my day. Squee! The route was planned by bus, met some fellow travelers on the bus and the service was great. While chatting and walking back to the bus with my fellow travelers, we started making plans for the rest of the day. Because I was free to do whatever, the day went swimmingly from there. It was an amazing day and almost entirely improvised.

This lead me to believe that I should do this on a regular basis. Not that I'll be planning spontaneity, but rather plan one thing and let the chips fall where they may. This could lend itself to myriad permiatations: couch naps, days at the beach, adventures in the city where I live. More open spots on my calendar leave plenty of space for life to happen.

Glastonbury Gear Review

Every year, there are may posts of tips and tricks to what to take and what to leave at Glastonbury. As a someone who completed her first Glastonbury, I'm throwing my wellies in the ring to help out those who are in need of advice. Full disclosure, 2013 was a dry year, so some of my choices are wholly dependent upon that. Don't start fretting about the weather until about a week before. If you already have a wide variety of gear, you'll be able to select the perfect set of festival gear.

Footwear

The main thing that is important on festival time is making sure your feet are going to get you through the day and into the night. Standard footwear for Glastonbury is a pair of Wellies. I've worn holes in my heels with the run of the mill Target specials, so I needed something with more cushion and support. Having seen a pair of Boggs in a friend's entry way, I went on a mission. I tried on a store brand pair at a local sporting goods store. Minimal heel lift and the neoprene was a nice upgrade.

I scored a pair of Classic High Daisy Boggs off Amazon. They have handles on the top which makes slipping them on super easy. Even though they are neoprene for a majority, I recommend a pair of tall socks. I used SmartWool snowboarding socks due to  already having several pairs and previous positive experience. Wearing them in both rainy and dry conditions my feet stayed comfortable and at the perfect temperature. They will be a must for next time.

Other things that came in handy

The OfficialGlastonbury App - Not only is it helpful for keeping your schedule, but you can also live stream for those not lucky enough to be in attendance.

Plastic Bags - They not only keep things dry if/when you need, but it makes finding a wallet easy to find in a big bag. Take a few different sizes so you can have everything from a dry t-shirt to your toilet paper dry and ready to go.

Wet Wipes - The catch all when you really need to clean your hands or whatever.

Collapsible bottle - I found this gem at Marks and Spencer, and it came in super handy when I needed to take my Cider Bus cider on a walk. I've used it since at events

Circle Scarf and Bonded fleece hoodie - These were my uniform for the duration and I was warm and dry. If, by chance I go on a wetter year, the hoodie will need a better waterproofing option as it wouldn't survive long in a downpour.

Have your power chord for your phone with you all day. Never know when you can score a few minutes in a recharge tent or other way to power up.

Drawstring Gym Bag - I wanted something that would be light and not entirely cumbersome as I traipsed all over the festival grounds. Word to the wise, if it's rainy everything will have to be in plastic bags, but otherwise it would serve an all weather purpose. 

Sunscreen - The stereotype is that the English rarely see the sun, but after a day out, that situation was proven. Don't be a lobster, it's for the benefit of all.

Sunglasses - This was a tough call, but I had a free pair that had been from a swag booth earlier in the summer and they were more useful than I figured. When it rained or in the sunshine, equally as glad to have a pair of sunnies with me.

Picnic Blanket - Not something I brought, but hats off to Kerry for her brilliance. The blanket she had was plastic on one side, so it made it bearable to sit on the sometimes soggy ground. After getting one myself, it's in the must bring pile for next time. 

Overall, I was happy with all the gear that brought and nothing was too troublesome. The biggest thing was planning around the weather and not hauling too much through the festival all day. The lighter and less bulky your bag is, the better. 

Going San Hyphen, to Make Life Easier

One of the biggest dilemmas I've faced in this whole getting married thing is: What is my name going to be? Will I hyphenate? Will I drop my name or not change at all? The fancy man and I have had the discussion many times with little to no resolution.

This is something that is facing many of my peers as we are getting married later in life than the tradition put out by our parents. Shakespeare may have asked "What's in a name?" but I'm going to say for the record, a whole frakking lot if you ask me. Having a name that is mildly unusual, unpronounceable to some, and not conducive to shortening has left me with an ocean of nicknames. They are all lovely and dear and when I get called each name, it brings up a special time, person or place in my life. It's a living scrapbook in a way. The thought of changing any part of it felt scary.

Debating came to a head when we went to get the marriage licence. It smacked me right in the face like Cher in Moonstruck but to fabulous consequences. When asked to review our licence for errors, I told the clerk that I would be hyphenating my name. She then informed me that I didn't have to. WHAT?! There is an option to just tack on the second surname. With hyphenation, one hast to sign the whole hyphenated last name on anything legal. This also goes for all the hassle of changing all things associated with the maiden name. If the new surname is added with no hyphen, one's legal name can be as it always was, with both, or with the new surname. This blew my mind.

So with that, I'm going to have a 4 word name soon. This is both exciting and a total relief. Something I have agonized over for years (even before the thought of marriage was ever a consideration) was cleared up and tied with a bow in minutes. Major kudos to the clerk at the register's office. She totally rocks.