Lian Dolan's Blog, page 33

Event I Will Not Be Attending: A Celebration Of Dentists

Seriously, this came in my inbox today. Nothing personal, fellas and gals, but I think I've spent enough time with you people this year.

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

Do the Work Wednesday #2: Getting Started

One of the most difficult aspects of writing for me is sitting down and getting starting every day. (And, I'm not talking about "writer's block" which I believe to be an excuse, not an actual mental condition.)  But I do procrastinate daily when it comes to starting my work. I've set a  4- to- 5 page per day  goal for February through April. Weekends off for good behavior! And I'm happy to say that so far (this week!) I've hit my target. But…It's taking me a little longer to get my tushie in the chair and get started, leaving me with less time for blogging or any other activities.

Yesterday, I spent two hours cleaning the house and folding laundry before I felt settled enough to write. I'd like to be more efficient, but maybe I need those two hours to mull, ponder, work through story in my head before committing it to paper. We'll see. But as long as I'm sticking to my goal, I can't beat myself up.

What do you need to do to get started to Do the Work? Do you stick to a routine? Set aside a certain time every week? Sneak in time when you get it? Let's talk…

 

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

Chaos Chronicles 504: Momtrepreneur Special !

An inspiring day at ltdLIVE , a conference from entrepreneurial women leads to a theme podcast! Insights and business advice from women CEOs and Founders of taskrabbit.com; Plum District; glassybaby; and Kate Somerville.

Hear more on Chaos Chronicles 504!

Links from the show:

Meet Lee Rhodes of glassybaby :

It began with a light of hope. The glassybaby founder Lee Rhodes was fighting her third battle with cancer and raising her three small children when the first glassybaby was created in 1998.  She was searching for peace and calm and found it when she dropped a tea light in a handmade votive.   She found great hope and healing in its color and light.  glassybaby was born.

When Lee was cancer-free, her friends and family began asking her to create more glassybaby.  She opened a glassblowing studio and the company grew, through word of mouth. People gave them as gifts of love, celebration, consolation, and joy. Visit the glassybaby site here.

glassybaby = good product + good company + good will.

 

Plus, other CEO/Founders with great companies and great stories:

Kate Somerville • Creator, Kate Somerville

www.katesomerville.com

 

Megan Gardner • CEO Plum District

www.plumdistrict.com



Leah Busque • Founder, TaskRabbit

www.taskrabbit.com


Embracing my chaos, Lian

Do the Work Wednesday #1

I announced it on the podcast so it must be so: Every Wednesday in 2012, we'll discuss our Do the Work goals. (You know, if you want and there seems to be some sustained interest!)

This Wednesday, I'm doing the work at the ltdLIVE Conference, learning all kids of tips and tools to make BIG, BIG, BIG things happen. But that doesn't mean Chaos Crew memeber who want to join in the groupthink can't add a comment and tell us what Do the Work means to you.

If you've picked another theme for 2012, by all means, share! We inspire each other.

Embrace the Chaos, Lian

Chaos Chronicles Podcast 503: Super Bowl Food Facts; Debate Mom or Not; Mall Revelations

Hello, Crew. Now Posted: Chas Chronicles 503. Thanks for your patience as I nail down my fiction writing schedule and make that work with recording , editing and posting both The Satellite Sisters podcast and The Chaos Chronicles podcast. I have big plans… but sometimes Small Windows of Time to Execute the Plans!

On Chaos Chronicles 503:

An update on my theme for 2012: Do The Work

Lian Goes to the Mall! I buy a dress, learn a few things about mall shopping and can barely walk back to tmy car!

Food facts for The Big Game! How many portions of Chicken Wings will Americans eat on Sunday?

Debate This: Will I ever be a Debate Mom? The jury is still out.

Helpful Links:

Did you miss my tale of Root Canal Rage on Satellite Sisters? Ah, it's a must listen for those of you who have Dental Issues. Or enjoy Frozen Yogurt. Click here to find the Satellite Sister Podcast.

Looking for business inspiration? I'll be the emcee at this week's conference for entrepreneurial women in Pasadena called ltd LIVE . Tickets are still available. Click here for information and the line-up of speakers including Kate Somerville and Ricki Lake.

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

College Admissions: A View from a Prof

Ah, I can see from the responses that College Admissions is going to be a rich and fertile topic here at The Chaos Chronicles. And, thank goodness, we have so many college profs amongst the Chaos Crew to keep me sane and honest as the next 18 months of my life is circumscribed by the admissions process for my older son.  On Chaos Chronicles 502, I talked to Dr. Nancy Berk — psychologist, stand-up, and mom– who wrote a new guide about the admissions process for parents like me called College Bound and Gagged.

I admitted on the podcast  that I'm trying to keep an open mind about what college my son might attend, but here in California, parents focus in on the Ivies and the UCs. Everything else is the "next tier" down if you listen to the talk in the bleachers. (Okay, I'm exaggerating– but it's close to that kind of mindset! Trust me! The list of "good schools" is shockingly short considering the large number of overall colleges and universities.) I expressed to Dr. Berk that I didn't worry about my son's expectations, it was my expectations that concerned me. How could I keep a healthy perspective when all the parental talk around me is about ratcheting up the stakes?

I loved Nancy Berk's no nonsense advice: Avoid those parents!

I also loved Jennie from Iowa's advice on my blog. So I cut and pasted her response here:

Hey Lian!

Loved the show — here are my thoughts as a) a Midwesterner b) someone who went to a GREAT and unknown college (Earlham College) and c) a professor at a school rated by US News as "an A+ school for B+ students"

a) If people are judgmental, they aren't worth your time…let them live their lives of quiet desperation….as Holden Caulfield would have said,  "You don't need Phonies"

b) There are a MILLION great schools, only about 8 have a "big" name, 30 have a "almost big" name, etc…..AND, there's NO saying that the teaching, learning and peers there will be good. My friends who went to Harvard and mostly teaching-assistants as their Prof's were too busy being important Harvard profs.

c) Having gone to a small, unknown school, I found the disadvantage was only in the first few years out — the alumni circle was less powerful – so whereas my friends who went to Harvard, Brown, Stanford started in entry-level positions, my friends from Earlham were secretaries and worked our ways up. After 2-3 years, it was all our quality, not the name of our school. Also, when people had heard of my school, it earned me extra points because they knew its worth and value (and probably knew I wasn't a "phoney!")

d) LOTS of very smart people are professors and can't all get jobs at those "important big schools." Dare I say, there are outstanding professors even at community colleges and small, unknown schools. In fact, I think you're MORE likely to get a good professor at a "less important" school that cares about teaching more than CV's/Publishing (I'm biased. )

e) Probably the best thing for a kid will be not to be laden with debt.  Being debt-free will go a LOT further than the name of an "important big school"

I am deputizing Jennie from Iowa, aka Ma Schmidt,  to keep me sane on my journey. She's right: I don't need the phonies!  But I do  need  Chaos Crew member and fellow blogger Professor Alan, on my  "Talk Me Down" team. Here's what Prof. Alan wrote in response to Ma Schmidt's comments:

As a tenured professor of a mid-ranked state school in the Midwest, let me "amen" everything Ma Schmidt said.

Thanks, people. Oh, btw, I'm now getting the SAT Question of the Day, and I miss about 90% of them the first try. Even the English ones with the grammar. That's humbling! All those things I sued to know, like Algebra.

Embracing my chaos, Lian

Chaos Chronicles 502: College Admissions; The Golden Globes and Paula Deen

LOOKING For THIS WEEK'S CHAOS CHRONICLES AND CAN'T FIND IT? DID YOU RE-SUBSCRIBE TO ITUNES?  You'll need to resubscribe to  the "clean" version of The Chaos Chronicles at iTunes to keep getting the show automatically. Thanks.

On the Chaos Chronicles podcast 502 this week College Admissions; The Golden Globes and Paula Deen. And…. I'm bringing back the concepts of "guests!' Yes, indeed. After three years of  talking to myself, I'm inviting a few people into the closet with me. It may get a little crowded in there– but it adds to the Chaos, doesn't it?

Click here for more from Dr. Nancy Berk on College admissions or to find a copy of her book

College Bound and Gagged. Got a high schooler? Then you can't escape the impending doom of college admissions. But dont' get crazy, get Dr. Nancy Berk's new book College Bound and Gagged. Dr. Berk is a clinical psychologist, a mom AND a stand-up comic. She's also managed to get two kids into college. So, who better to write a practical, information-filled but funny guide to college admissions. As I start my journey, er, I mean my second-semester Junior year son starts his journey, Nancy Berk is the prefect person to talk me down off the ledge and point me in the right directions. To read more about Nancy Berk, College Bound and Gagged or her podcast Whine at Nine, click here.

psst… I was a guest on Nancy's podcast last week. Click here to listen Episode 74- Juggling Acts.

 

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

Random Thoughts on the Golden Globes

Stuck on the couch with a wicked head cold, I find myself watching The Golden Globes, something I never, ever do. So, it seems like the perfect opportunity for some real time Random Thoughts. It will give me something to do during the acceptance speeches. Here we go. Globers:

Five minutes of Red Carpet coverage reinforces why I never watch Red Carpet coverage. Some reported just claimed she was having "fashion sex" with Bryan Cranston.

REESE!

Wow, NOBODY is laughing at Ricky Gervais. And Elton John really, really doesn't like him. If looks could kill…

The world needs more Captain Von Trapp.

These are the worst intros and the worst acceptance speeches of all time. Is this the norm?

Why even show up if Kate Winslet is in your category?

Now, Melissa McCarthy looks like she wants kill Ricky Gervais after second defacating joke. Tina Fey is in line behind her.

Thumbs up, Channing Tatum, Gerard Butler and Brad Pitt.

Thumbs up, Jessica Alba, Michele Williams and Frida Pinto's yellow diamond necklace.

I wish we got Showtime. Saw one episode of Homeland, then got shut out. Damian Williams is an ACTOR.

Kenneth Branaugh! Good to see you, buddy.

Drew Barrymore's whale movie looks horrible.  Smash looks fab.

Dustin Hoffman is SO bored.

It always shocks me when performers like Madonna, who perform in front of thousands, can't spit out two words in an acceptance speeches. Mad Dog, whattup? But, Holy Cow, she looks amazing.

Downton Abbey– whoop, whoop. But Lord Gratham looks 20 years less stuffy!

I asked my son if he thought I looked like Jodie Foster- cuz people have been telling me that since I was 12– and he howled. Could it be the chapped face and glasses I'm sporting?

But clearly, Jodie's sons are a miracle. From the looks of the two of them, she is both the mother and the father.

Up next, the Jodie Foster Haircut?

Wow, nobody is having "fashion sex" with Nicole Kidman in that Barbarella get-up. I feel sorry for her pint-sized hubby. Ouch.

Finally, Clare Dane's gets off a good speech. Not sure about the red lipstick, but tribute to mom and dad was excellent.

Matt La Blanc, way to be funny, charming and humble. Nice moment.

Followed by a genuine moment by Octavia Butler. It's nice ot see new faces make it into the Big League.

I happened to be in a waiting room at CBS this fall and Octavia Butler was there, too. When she checked in with the receptionist, who had probably graduated from Stanford, the receptionist broke into tears, telling her about her mother and grandmother who had both been domestics in the South. She kept telling the lovely Octavia how much her performance had meant to her.  It was a very touching moment at 4 pm on a Tuesday, just like tonight.

Elton John, still not having a good time.

REESE!!!

I don't care if Woody won. Still Boycotting movie .

Sidney Poitier. Stud.

Helen MIrren's bit isn't working.

But love seeing the Morgan Freeman clips, especially the Electric Company.

Finally, a smile from Elton John.

Now, Angelina Jolie can pull off that red lipstick.

My husband just came in from re-doing the front yard landscaping at 7:30 pm. (Details on podcast)

High concept speech by Modern Family actress and creator. Way to go. Finally a 'written speech,' not a list of meaningless names. See, people? Writers make everything better.

I find the Cheers music on the Allstate commercial very disconcerting.

Mark Wahlberg, wake up! Jessica Beil, lose the dress!

French people keep winning. I think it's time to go back to Freedom Fries. Are you with me?

Tilda Swinton. Actress from another planet.

Why even bother showing up when Meryl Streep is in your category?

Jane Fonda wins whatever contest she thinks she's entered in.

Formidable.

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chaos Chronicles Podcast 501: 2012 Theme? Do The Work

A former cardio instuctor at the gym used to motivate the class by calling out, "You're here. You might as well do the work." She was right. As long as I had bothered to get to class– with kids, a job, a long To Do list of 'more important' items–  I might as well do the work. Her encouragement always made me squat a little deeper and lift a little higher.

When I was thinking about my theme for 2012, the phrase "Do the Work" kept circling through my brain. It seemed exactly what I needed to focus on for 2012. I have another book to write, relationships to repair or rekindle,  one teenager to through college applications and one teenager to get through freshmen year of high school. That's some work there. Not that I can't have fun along the way or that I'll be all work and no play. But the phrase Do the Work seems to fit the effort and intention I need to make 2012 successful, personally and professionally.

Hey, 2012! I'm here. I might as well Do The Work.

What's you theme for 2012?

Chaos Chronicles 501:

Lian's theme for 2012 is Do the Work. What are your professional goals for the year? To comment and be eligible to win ticket for 2 to ltdLIVE, a conference for Entrepreneurial Women in Pasadena on February 1 and 2, click here.

News HodgePodge:

Parenting studies on Preschoolers and their dramatic decrease in Activity time and  How Arguing with Your Teenager provides them with Critical Life Skills.

Your Guide to Eating More Veggies. Click here.

 

Veggie up for  2012. Want to get more vegetable in your diet? Click here for Advice from Cooking Light Magazine

Get Ready, America! Food industry professionals declare 2012: The Year of the Potato

 

Plus,  A To Do List for all: Don't Be Awful.

 

Embracing my Chaos, Lian

Related posts:

2012: I Resolve, Resolution for 2012

2011: Let's Dance

 

11 Signs You're Ready for Season 2 of Downton Abbey

Ah, the wonder of it all. The hats, the accents, the drama, the forbidden embraces, all those servants to do your housework. It's must be Downton Abbey. Season 2 of Downton Abbey starts Sunday, January 8th after months and months of waiting. In preparation, I've done many tasks, including re-watching all of Season 1. I've also prepared in many other ways, as I'm sure you have, too. I believe I'm ready for World War 1. Are you?

11 Signs You're Ready for Season 2 of Downton Abbey

You refer to your checking account as "the entail."

You completed a correspondence course in typing.

You blame Daisy when you burn dinner.

You count the wine bottles in your "storeroom,"otherwise known that wooden rack from Ikea.

You sneer in your best Irish brogue, "It's like a banshee!" whenever the phone rings.

You insist your children refer to you as "Milady" or "My Lord."

You believe your roses will win Best Bloom at the flower show.

You announce to no one as you walk into a room, "The Dowager Countess."

You hum the compelling piano- and- string theme music when you fold the laundry.

You call your unpleasant neighbor as "Thomas" and his ne'er –do- well dog as "O'Brien."

You dress for dinner. Naturally.

Embracing my Chaos, Lian