Is it just me, or do the dictionary.com definitions of introvert and extrovert seem to be… lacking?

Introvert = shy? Hmm, really? That seems too cut and dry. And definition #2 makes them just sound self-centered!

Outgoing? Social? That is it?

This is why I am asking for your definitions and which you relate to more! These are the black & white definitions I have always thought of for introverted vs extroverted in my head, but I think there is so much more going on than that. 

I keep running across references to this book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (another possible definition – introvert – quiet?). And I keep running in to introvert/extrovert references in the research I am doing for work (office design). It’s really making me interested in doing more research on my own! But, I haven’t. So I don’t have anything to share with you yet. Except, this quiz (click link and scroll down) which will give you an idea of if you are introverted or extroverted. 

Like I said, I always thought extroverted = outgoing, always busy, full schedule, and introverted = keeping to yourself, not very social, always alone. The thing is, neither of those close-minded descriptions fit me. I am very independent and love love love my free time, but I also keep a somewhat busy social calendar, love chatting with new people, and making new friends. I am not shy at all, am rarely embarrassed and it’s hard to get me to shut up. Yet I have days, and weeks (like this one!) where I just want to chill at home with my husband, and only see my closest friends. So where do I lie on their scale? 

I would say I am mostly extroverted, with a bit of introverted in me too (Hey – peeps who know me in real life – what do you think I am?).

But, I am 13/20 for that quiz (which I highly recommend) – meaning I am more introverted. According to one quiz. Hmm. (Or maybe, ha ha)

The Gnu Bars Giveaway winner is #16, Gingerfoxxx! Gingerfoxxx, please email me your mailing address (to kilax@ilaxstudio.com) and I will get the sampler pack sent your way!

Steven bought this awesome tropical trail mix a few weeks ago. And I picked all the fruit out of it (picked around the tree nuts). 

I assumed me doing that was sort of annoying, so I bought individual bags of the things I would want in my ideal trail mix - banana chips, pineapple chunks, golden raisins, dried mangoes, and cocktail peanuts. I think the only thing missing is chocolate chips!

Gosh. Now I really want to add some chocolate chips.* 

It seems my trail mix is all about the sweet tastes with a slight hint of salt. Is your mix on the sweeter or saltier side?

*I actually wrote this post last Sunday. I added chocolate chips on Wednesday – no bueno. Chocolate chips not necessary.

In MWF Seeking BFF there is a statistic quoted that 28% of Americans know none of their neighbors by name. Honestly, I am surprised the percentage is not higher. We were close to a family in our neighborhood, but they moved to Albuquerque a few years ago. I was pretty bummed. We did a lot together. The husband and I would even run and race together!

 We haven’t developed relationships with anyone else, to date. More often than not, I am knocking on their door to ask them to turn their music down, not to give them a plate of cookies.

We have actually had many neighbor issues, but I try not to write about that stuff here. It just makes me even angrier.

I had to fill out some security forms at work and I was supposed to write down the name of a neighbor who knows me well. I had no one to write down. So they had me list the name of our neighbors who moved. That made me feel kind of lame.

I am wondering if anyone else is in the same situation as me?

We have a ton of favorite recipes but are always on the lookout for new ones. Surprisingly, we do not peruse any of the cookbooks we have (two shelves full!):

We mostly tend to run across recipes online or get recommendations from friends. Steven can usually read a recipe and tell if he will like it or not. I am somewhat decent at it. Somewhat.

What I am wondering is how the heck I got so many cookbooks. I doubt I bought more than 10% of those. People really like to give cookbooks as gifts (and I did ask for some of them). But they just sit there. On our shelf. Looking nice (I hope). Hey, that’s what books do, right?

I found this little gem when I was looking through the papers at my grandma’s house last Friday:

I have an architecture degree (I am not licensed though) and yeah, our industry has been hit big time. A lot of people from college are unemployed or working in entirely different fields (<– which I think is totally okay*).

I have a non-traditional architecture related job, and work for the federal government. It was not my intent to work for the government**, but I am very happy that I do. 

*Just because you get a degree in one thing does not mean you have to be that ONE thing. IMO.
**The opportunity kind of fell in my lap!

Steve and Steven on the subway – this is the only picture I could find on my blog with coffee cups in it, ha ha. 

Can you guess what I woke up craving this morning?

Just kidding! I don’t drink coffee. It really upsets my stomach. But I have been thinking a soy chai latte from Starbucks sounds good since last night. Maybe that is in my destiny for today. 

Sometimes I feel like everyone drinks coffee except me (and Erin) so I am curious to hear what you all say. 

If you don’t drink coffee, do you drink something else that is caffeinated?

Image from this hilarious auto resolution generator – check it out!!!

I am kind of in the pointless camp* – I think we should be striving to better ourselves year round, rather than thinking about it once a year. 

But! That doesn’t mean a few ideas have’t popped in to my head about things I really need to work on improving more. So maybe these are my pseudo resolutions? Am I changing camps? Hmm.

1. Take better care of my hair – get it cut every 6-8 weeks. 
2. Pay full attention to people when they are talking to me. Less distractions – quit doing what I am doing to listen. 
3. Work on my anger problem. Technology mishaps really make me angry these days – a deep anger I can feel in the pit of my stomach. This is ridiculous. 

Short and simple. 

Bonus Question!

What is something that was not a resolution of yours for 2011, but you think you did really well at?**

I did a really good job this year of making and sustaining friendships. I am a bit in the loner camp***, and am really independent. I’ve had a hard time staying close with people throughout life – I keep in touch with no one from high school, and hardly anyone from college. But this year some of my existing relationships really flourished, and I made some new ones. This makes me feel like I have been missing out on friendship until the last few years. Spending time with my close friends makes me feel so good. There is a special love and support between friends… I just feel lucky to have found that. 

Wow! CHEESY OVERLOAD!!!

*I didn’t make any last year, but I did make running goals (which I will go over tomorrow!).
**Sorry for the weird sentence structuring/ending in a preposition. 
***What is it with all the camp references? 

Our “exterior” holiday decorations are only actually visible from the exterior – an electronic candle in each window and a wreath. The decorations are actually inside the house. 

We never had lights or anything on our house growing up. Probably because we lived back in the woods and no one would see them!

I love running through my neighborhood in the dark and seeing everyone’s holiday lights, and those funny blow-up things that people put in their lawns. Some people really go all out!

If you have kids, what will you tell them about Santa?

Of course, I thought of this because we started watching Miracle on 34th Street last night, and in the movie, the little girl does not believe in Santa (at first). 

I remember thinking Santa was real when I was growing up. But I don’t remember when I found out he wasn’t. I was a pretty naive kid so it probably took me a long time to figure it out.  Maybe when I was 8ish? From someone at school? Who knows! I don’t think one of my siblings told me. 

Speaking of siblings, my older brother made me this nice video with a special message from Santa just for me! We thought it was pretty funny so we had to make a few more videos last night, like this one for Steven, and this one for Data. 

Usually, I am pretty good at it, and make an effort to remember people’s names when I first meet them (I usually come up with a trick to remember their name).

However, I was at Whole Foods a few weeks ago with Erin, and very* randomly ran in to two coworkers and could only remember one of their names! AHHH!!! I was a bit embarrassed! Granted, I do have hundreds of coworkers, but I should have known that one. 

Then, last week at the Rotary Santa 5K, I saw a coworker and could not remember his name until after I introduced myself, chatted, then said goodbye. And at Thanksgiving I could not remember our friend’s parent’s names (who I had met a few times before). 

I hope my memory is not starting to fail me already!

*I live far away from that Whole Foods and they do too. What are the odds?!