First Friday: My first podcast ever goes live!

Last month I decided to do a series of interviews with people about their First Love and today I am releasing the first installment with my friend Nick!
I decided to name the podcast Durtee Lawndree in line with my blog, because it exemplifies exactly what I want my blog to be about and that is people "airing their truths." I had a great time talking with everyone and am super excited about releasing future episodes.

What I've learned through this first podcasting process:

#1. Interviewing is a learning process and I can only get better
     For those of you that know me, you probably know that when I start talking I can definitely hold me own, but when it comes to sitting with someone, asking questions and speaking with them, my nerves get a little itchy and inflamed. For this first session I had set interview questions because of this fear, which I think worked well for me. My hope going forward is that when I sit down and interview I will be able to sense the interviewee a little better and formulate questions as it goes along.
    

#2. Editing is a learning process and I can only get better
      I've pretty much only used my Garage Band and some Pro-Tools for light music editing, which means I have never been in the position of splicing and dicing a whole conversation.
For this first interview I cut almost 45 minutes down to about 20. It hurt my soul to take out huge chunks of conversation that I thought were interesting and funny. However, I knew that I needed to shorten a lengthy conversation that did encounter some stumbles as well as had information that wasn't necessarily relevant to our conversation.
This part of the editing process reminds me of when I'm editing my own writing and I think... this part is so intriguing and well written and I have to throw it in the garbage. Sometimes I can save the writing for later, but sometimes I can't because it would be too disjointed as its own.

#3. DON'T Interview at a super loud venue like... a coffee shop
      When I was scheduling times with people to meet there was no part of me that realized I needed to account for noise level. This is obviously the mistake of a beginning podcaster. In my mind, cafes are quiet and that's why people are always there studying, right?
In reality, cafes are quite loud with the bustle of the baristas making drinks, flipping book pages, conversations, spoons in coffee mugs, all stuff I realized is white noise that I drown out while working on a project. At least I know I don't have ADD.
Since at this point I don't have a real mic and was using my handy iphone mic, I don't have very much ability to isolate the conversation from the other noises, though I did use a variety of techniques to minimize it. I'm looking forward to getting a mic at some point for this project, but until then it's gonna be up to Carmen, my iphone, to help me with the interviews.

#4. Patience
      As with any new skill it does test a little bit of patience. Editing itself is not all that hard, but getting to know short cuts and accidentally pressing the wrong one, deleting a section and not noticing till later is a little trying. As I edited, things ran more steadily and the process became a little faster. There definitely are still elements that I have to learn like making cuts and transitions a little more smooth, but I'm sure that will come with more editing experience.

#5. Podcasting is really fun
      Though I write a lot and I have finished writing products, I realized there's nothing quite like having a finished sound product. Strangely it felt like I'd accomplished more in this 25 minute segment than in all the thousands of hours I've done writing throughout my life. I'm still not sure why that is.

If you have any comments, questions, concerns, want to be interviewed, want to give me free editorial tutorials, have a mic you want to donate or anything else is on your mind, email me: durteelawndree@gmail.com

Now here's the podcast!
If your browser has trouble loading the podcast go directly to Podomatic and listen from there.

Tame Tuesday: Why I didn't go out last night and liked it

Seattle is a place where there are always things to do. There are literally at least five shows that I could hit up on any given night, a few friends that I'd love to see, a bar I'd like to try a new drink at, a new restaurant opening on the hill that wants for a yelp review - well not by me because I hate writing those damn things, but at least a restaurant I can tell I should eat at yet last night I decided not to do any of those things and stay home.

STAYING IN FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS

Reason #1: Exhaustion 
When I was younger, I thought this was a lame excuse for staying in.  
"Sleep is for the dead!"  "YOLO!" "Life is something that happens when you're not asleep." 
What do I say to those sayings now?    Nonsense! Tomfoolery!

I think we know by this point that sleep is actually essential to living, to being productive, to being healthy, to not wanting to punch out your coworkers the next day, and to not getting tired hunger (the omg I'm so tired that I need to shove a gallon of sugar via as many donuts as possible into my body so I stay awake, paired with a little sugar infused coffee).

I love resting and sleep. I love the way it feels to get in bed and curl up with my laptop and watch a good episode of Scandal or Lost Girl, a semi decent book, or using my phone to play sudoku or solitaire as I prepare for slumber. Then I enjoy those last moments right before sleep while I complete Pranayama breathing exercises for extra relaxation. I drift off into the other world my mind creates. While I'm there I sometimes get to fly, eat glutenous dairy covered pizza's, and I do the splits. It's a great place that I hopefully get to inhabit for 7-8 hours every night.

That place is amazing and I know that while I'm there I'm also helping my body detoxify and rejuvenate after the hard day I likely just put it through. It helps keep me from getting multiple colds per year like all of my friends suffer from as they push their bodies to maximum limits.
This could just be my almost 33 year-old self finally understanding the importance of something so important, but I personally think that it's okay to stay in now and say yes to numerous hours of beautiful sleep.


Reason #2: Accomplishing tasks I've been procrastinating on
How many things do you put off because you'd rather go get happy hour or dinner with friends? There's a bar or club that you just have to go to because they're having a 70's, 80's, or 90's dance night?


I've been known to forego tasks or projects without a hard deadline by believing once again that yolo is in effect and that I need to have more friend time, because being social is shown to be good for your health too. What I realized last night is that a project I'm working on that I had a soft deadline of March 1st, was never realized because I've been busy, busying myself everywhere else.

Last night I decided to dedicate a few hours to finishing up said project - my first podcast ever.
Part of my hesitation when it came to finishing up this project was partly due to there being so much other stuff I could be doing and part came from realizing that I would have to be learning a whole new skill set. Once I immersed myself in the project, I realized the skill set is not actually hard to learn and I very much enjoyed sitting, re-listening, and piecing together the interview I did almost a month ago.


Reason #3: Self Time (Relaxation Time)
This is self explanatory. In a day and age where we feel like going, going, going is the definition of  productivity, even though there are enough studies that tell us this is UNTRUE, it is important to have some self care time.
Some people equate self care time with spa, bath, relaxation time. For people like my roommate and many friends it means sitting down and spending time with a guitar or instrument of choice and playing or writing music.
It could mean journaling, it could mean cooking a meal, or anything that is ultimately very relaxing for you and gives you a chance to feel re-energized.

I should say here that I know a few people who are very re-energized when hanging out with groups of people (those darn extroverts), so if you know that being around people is your thing, spend time with them. I would try to find arena's that are not alcohol centered like playing sports or seeing a sporting event, dinner parties, dancing. The reason I say not "alcohol centered," is that generally, even when it's relaxing you and you're having a good time, it's not relaxing for your body to drink alcohol and that is key here.

Your body has a hard time resting, recovering, and repairing while it is detoxifying alcohol in your system. It's of utmost importance to clear this toxic substance from the body as quickly as possible before doing anything else like caring about your immune system, your digestion, or your motor skills. It takes the liver approximately 1 hour to metabolize 1oz of alcohol. That's not bad you say? Well that would be true if all of us were just having about an ounce of alcohol when we're drinking. The standard drink has between 1-2 ounces of alcohol depending on what you're getting. If you're drinking more than one or two then you're setting your body up for a lot of extra work.
When you have that hangover feeling in the morning it's usually because your body is either super dehydrated or it's having a hard time clearing the alcohol from your system. Either way, tiring out the body consistently is not a good thing in the longterm. To read exactly why hangovers happen, check here.

Reason #4: Catching up on Chores
Most people hate chores, though... I did once have a roommate that really enjoyed washing dishes. For those of us who would rather watch grass grow than scrub the toilet, sometimes we just need to set aside some home time for it.
If you live alone - do it for yourself. Having a clean space tends to make people feel more positive and productive in the long run.
If you live with roommates - respect your roommates and get stuff cleaned. If you don't have a cleaning schedule, now might be the time to implement one.
If you have a family - You're likely not reading my very singles oriented blog, but I'm sure you're cleaning all of the time, maybe don't use your very precious free time for chores. 


Reason #5:  Catching up on your favorite TV shows or your favorite stupid pet tricks
It's okay to sometimes watch your favorite shows. I lived with a lot of TV guilt for a long time living in Seattle. I had so much guilt that I eventually just got rid of owning a TV altogether, which has actually been a great thing. I don't have a TV on in the background anymore to distract me, I can't just sit on the couch and become a cushion like I used to. Now I have to be much more intentional about my viewing choices because I watch online. My favorite thing is that there are a lot less commercials inundating me about fast food, something I hate!
Pick a show or two that you're okay to committing with (if you want to). Don't apologize to me or anyone else for actually liking television, it's not one of America's favorite pass times for nothing. Take one or two hours a week to enjoy these shows. Talk to your coworkers about them around the... are there water coolers anymore? Let's say copy machine, I'm sure you are there more.

Bonus Reason: Save Money
Luckily in Seattle there are tons of free things to do, but sometimes it's hard to get groups of friends to do those free things when costly things like dinner and drinks sound so much better. Pocket some of that money by chillin' at home an extra night or two a week. It's okay, watch that money add up to extra cash for that vacation you can actually take because you stayed in.  

It's okay not to go out. I enjoy it on the regular and even if no one is "seeing" me living, I know that I am.  If you need someone to know you're doing something fabulous in the privacy of your home, that's what social networking is for, go ahead and tell the world! Or at least tell all 564 of your friends!

Feel Me? Friday: 5 Things You Should Do this weekend

It’s almost SXSW and you know what that means?

I don’t care.

I’m sure all the bands leaving for their tours to go down to SXSW are totally worthy bands, are going to have a great time, and hopefully make some useful contacts, but as for me, I’m going to be up here sitting in my bed likely watching another episode of Scandal or Grey’s Anatomy because Shonda Rhimes is a genius.

On that note, if you’re like me and not prepping your bags, instruments, or your liver for what’s to come in Austin this year, these are what I recommend you do while chillin’ in the Pacific Northwest this weekend. Remember I am not The Stranger or Seattle Weekly.

1. If you never go out, go out. If you always go out, go out.

Idea A: Local Radio Station Hollow Earth Radio is putting on their 6^th annual Magma Festival, a “forum for underrepresented sounds and perspectives.” Every weekend for the entire month of March Magma Fest will be dishing up a variety of new and emerging artists via their local space on 20^th and Union and at other venues around Seattle.

Why go to this? My band NighTraiN was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play for this festival in 2010 and we loved it. We felt supported by our local community and I want you, local community, to keep supporting lovely community based projects.

I know a lot of you have already supported KEXP during their pledge drive this last week, but go the distance and really get into the scene by helping out a very small local station on the way to getting its wings!

Check out the schedule for the whole month by going to:

http://hollowearthradio.org/magma#about

If this doesn’t sound quite right to you, just open up The Stranger to music listings, close your eyes, get your pointer finger ready and let it fall. Go to whatever random venue your finger points you to. Not that I don’t love the recommendations, but there’s a lot out there to hear and you might keep hearing some of the same old sounds if the only thing you do is trust rec’s.

Idea B: I’ve heard some people don’t like shows and that’s okay. Guess what? There are a million other things to do in Seattle including, but not limited to:*

1.      Visual Arts – Is there ever a day in Seattle when an art show is not going on? I just told you to pick up a copy of The Stranger, so open it up and check out what venues are near or far from you and go to one. Go by yourself or with a friend. I prefer to go with friends because we can discuss how we feel about pieces and then get sloshed on some wine and snacks later.

2.      Theater or Film – Once again, check your local arts listing. I’ve heard good things about I Won’t Be Ignored at Erickson Theater and La Boheme at McCaw Hall. I’ve yet to get to any theater productions as of late, but perhaps I’ll take my own advice and get to something soon.

3.      Dinner and drinks with friends – When isn’t this a good time. I really want you to see your friends and you want to see your friends too. What’s keeping you from getting out there? Seattle is filled with amazing restaurants and it seems the food scene is only slated to increase. You should start experimenting with new restaurants now before you find you can’t catch up to the endless supply as good eateries and food trucks become ever more abundant.

* Don’t have any money? Don’t make that an excuse. Seattle is a lovely place to live because there are lots of free and low cost things to do. Not only is there first Thursday, a free art walk downtown, but lots of other neighborhoods also host their own throughout the month.

Check Seattle Artwalks for more info http://www.seattleartwalks.org/

http://www.yelp.com/list/things-to-do-for-free-seattle

2. Take at least 2-4 hours of you time.

I don’t really feel like I should be telling you this, but as a reminder you need some you time.

I know sometimes it’s hard to get in this time. You’re busy, so very very busy. I want you to ask yourself  “what am I busy doing?” “Is there anything that’s not necessary?” “How can I re-plan my day so that I have a little extra me time?”

A few ways to get in extra time are pre-planning meals, getting up a little earlier, working it into something you’re already doing, rethinking how you view the things you’re already doing, stop incessantly checking your phone, email, facebook (you know how much time you waste doing these things).

What does “ME” time look like? It looks like you doing something that you want to do. If that means going to brunch with friends, relaxing and reading a book, taking a nice hot bath, watching a movie you’ve been meaning to get in for awhile, going to a car show, writing a song, starting your novel, etc. Take this time to really focus and say, “this time is for me, I’m going to use it to appreciate and pamper myself.”

I have a friend that has made it a point to pamper herself every single day, something I always aspire to, but don’t always achieve. What pampering to her means is if she doesn’t have a ton of time at least getting something small in. 1. Spending an extra 10-15 minutes giving herself a small facial. 2. Using the Steam and Sauna rooms at the gym after a good workout. 3. Taking a bath instead of a shower  4. Meditation  5. Writing in a journal. 6. Getting a massage (when more time and money are available) 7. A nap

*Hey Moms out there. I’m not forgetting you. It is very difficult to get some quality me time when you’re a mom. From talking to other mom friends, the best way to get this quality me time is to setup times when other moms will take your kid(s) and switch off every once in awhile so that you’re not paying the steep prices for child care and you’re both getting the benefits. Let me know other ways you’ve found to get in more spare time!

3. Do something for someone else without expecting anything in return

Want to feel a little better about life and yourself? Do something for someone else without expecting them to do anything for you. This means not keeping a mental tally of this or any other thing you’ve ever done and asking for something later, tomorrow, next week, or years down the road.

You can do this in multiple ways:

1.      Do something sweet for your partner – make breakfast, take them out, make a special “Saturday Card” (cards aren’t just for birthdays and holidays anymore).

2.      Do something special for your friends and family

3.      Volunteer http://www.volunteermatch.org/search?l=Seattle%2C+WA%2C+USA

4.      Smile – this goes a long way here in dreary Sea town.

5.      Let someone tell you their story

6.      Think of more!

4. Don’t check the weather report

Just don’t check it because you already know it’s going to depress you. You already know it’s going to be cloudy and possibly raining, so just make sure to be ready for that, wherever the weekend takes you.  

5. Wake up appreciating being alive

You’re alive and if you’re reading this blog you’ve got access to a computer and you’re literate, at least partially. Be grateful that you have all of this because you are seriously doing better than 90% of the world. Maybe you don’t make tons of money, but can you feed yourself? Clothe yourself?

Just take a moment to realize how great your life is. You might forget it afterward, but at least you’ll have had this moment.

Tuesday with Blammer: The party you just keep missing

Tuesday with Blammer is quickly becoming the party of the early part of the week in Seattle. This gathering consists of primarily Seattle rock musicians along with friends and family and is a tradition started by Blake Madden of the now defunct Hotels and now funked Beach Dick. They’re dudes, they’re going to be a little funky. http://beachdick.bandcamp.com/  It happens one Tuesday a month at various homes around the city. This month it was hosted by locomotive punk band NighTraiN’s bass player, Selena Whitaker Paquiet, at her lovely blue home the Mlkywayhouse in the Central District neighborhood.

This event may have been the best Blammer party yet and here’s why.

The secret to a stellar Tuesday night party is making sure you have a few things in place:

1. Great Food

If you missed last nights party then you missed Vanessa Kaywood’s Creole “vegan chicken” Quiche, Cornbread and Green Gumbo, Selena’s Red Beans and Rice, Vegan Chocolate cupcakes, an incredible vegan chocolate cake (who made it?), some Milky Way’s courtesy of Rich Allen and the nice bowl of cat food next to those. All of those things were amazing; I went back for thirds on that quiche. However, the hit of the night was Dermot McErlain’s Central District Famous Ribs. There was not a single carnivore in the room without sauce marring their once pristine faces. What should have been required were some bibs, as shirts were defenseless against the smooth, rich sauce. These ribs were deadly addictive and need a warning stating that you may never be satisfied by “others” ribs again.

 “Ribs! Ribs! Ribs!” can still be heard reverberating throughout the Central District shadows. Good one McErlain. Good one.

2. Good Company

Who likes to be at a party with people that suck? Not many of us that’s for sure. Maybe Perez Hilton because that means he’ll get a lot of good gossip out of it. As for me I have a particular blend of people I enjoy; smart, sexy, talented, salt of the earth people and that’s what I got last night.

Tuesday with Blammer brings a solid crowd of people that even your mom would want to hang out with. They are friendly and like to dance. For anyone unfamiliar with Seattle this is a delightful combination because generally Seattle is the subdued, thoughtful, timid friend that you always drag to parties in hopes they’ll have a good time and meet someone new, but undoubtedly ends up the weeping wallflower complaining at the end of the night.

What generally happens at these parties is people from differing friend groups are invited but they’re all really cool. You meet them, they meet you, facebook friend requests are sent, you seem them at other parties and then sometimes these friendships turn into real ones.

3. Bands with stellar names that also have of equal quality music to those names

Two bands played last night. It was kicked off by a one night only reprise of Snake Bite, a now defunct band as Sky left to pursue life over on the other coast in New York. Their music is described as “upbeat straight rock with sweet heartbreaking vocals” by NighTraiN lead vocalist Rachael Ferguson. After listening to them, I'm more than a little angry that they're no longer a band. What teases!

The musical section was dotted by BeachDick, a band fronted by Blake “Dick Beach” Madden, with Brendan "Danny Paradise" Malec on guitar and Aaron "Ronnie Reacharound" Voros on drums. A self described surf punk crunkwave band they hail from all over but now live on the eco-friendly streets of Seattle. They had a ridiculous amount of energy and showed it off in some thrift store swim trunks, tank tops, and flip flops.

I actually felt like I was listening to waves lap the shore from a Santa Cruz beach bungalow, waiting for someone to pass the weed. It was good, really good. So much better than I expected.

Listen to them here and feel a wave coming on: BeachDick

4. Someone that will post your every moment to facebook, twitter, instagram, tumblr

After a good party, a lot of people are going to forget what happened the night before and so you need to have some documentation. The easiest way to get this is to have one or more people with some kind of phone- the smarter the better, downloaded apps, hands, and eyes. They will be responsible for taking all the important pics; every piece of food on the table, people eating that food, funny moments, drunk stumbles, knick knacks, and more.

This will all be uploaded to one of the aforementioned sites and blam! Everyone will henceforward know that you 1. have friends 2. they invited you to an awesome party 3. that you had fun on a school night.  

Am I telling you that you should be at this event next time it happens? Well I’m telling some of you, but not all of you. Yes, this is by far one of the best events of the month, but there will be a tipping point where there are too many people and it becomes a loud and raucous party, which is not what we are about.

What I want for you is for you to start your own like minded tradition. Have a dinner with friends. Not just 4 or 5. You already know them! You can do that anytime! Start a dinner that includes 10 or more people; people that maybe you don’t know but a friend does and it might make you feel a little uncomfortable to meet.

I want you to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people and have a damn good time doing it. It doesn’t meet you have to meet a new bestie because I’m sure your bestie is already awesome enough. This is just a chance for you to get out and explore some of the other awesome people in your city, besides it’s no secret anymore that socializing is good for your health and increases life longevity.

I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Madden for starting this tradition, to Chef Kaywood (a real honest to goodness Vegan Chef with mouthwatering food to die for), Miss Paquiet and Mr. McErlain for hosting and cooking some delicious food, all the participating musicians, and all the people that made it out last night for making my early part of the week at the end of the shortest month of the year f’ng awesome. Till next month Blammers!

Creepy mustache dude with a beer cozy + a hot girl

As the deadline approaches

It's getting ever closer to my This American Life submission date and I've only got one thing left to finish - My Resume!
Is there really anything more daunting than staring in the face of resume yet unwritten? Writing out accomplishments and all those skillz that have been accrued throughout the years of work. The only thing I've found more frustrating than a resume is the cover letter to go atop it. Making a cover letter and resume standout in pools of applicants these days is a lot like finding good Mexican food in Seattle, difficult.

Yesterday morning I decided to stare my enemy in the face and go all in because the worst that could happen is I come out at the end with yet another crappy unusable resume, but at least I'll have learned something throughout the process.

I googled at least forty different phrases that I thought might lead me to the description of the perfect resume and what I found at the end of my search is what I found at the beginning that "one size does not fit all." The articles told me that one resume is not enough and that I should have at least five resumes tailored to a variety of positions that I would like to pursue. Many compared it to having different outfits for different job interviews. Would you wear the same outfit for all of them they asked? My answer to this question is "hell yes!"  I know that's the wrong answer, but they are asking me, a girl that can barely pick out my own daily outfits because fashion sense isn't one of my gifts; I barely know how to match black with other blacks. I mean come on... if I can interview in one outfit, then that's definitely what I'm gonna do, but... I do see their point. I decide to think of it in terms of what other people would do and I suppose that means they surely would have separate interview outfits, so I guess this means that I need to start working on a variety of resumes.

Things to know about the resume I'm about to write: 
1. I have decided to "change careers"
Technically I don't know if I'm changing or actually starting. I've been stuck in admin positions for the past few years and it is definitely not where I want to stay it was mostly a place I landed when trying to make enough money to pay off some student loans after college. Now I'm changing to the career field of "writing, publishing, advertising, marketing, etc." in order to utilize my writing background a little more.

2. I don't actually have a varied background in my newly chosen career field so what do I do about the resume. Do I lie? 
Well that was a big question for me as I was writing because what does one do to spruce up a sparse resume?  It was in this instance that I realized I actually did have to rely on transferable skills. These are skills that you have already acquired via all of your other occupations, hobbies, volunteer experience, etc. I decided to create a list of all the skills that I am at least 70% sure I already have and even added a few that maybe I'm a little iffy on (because I'm 100% sure I could learn them quickly if needed). If you need a quick place to find lots of these skill sets checkout ONET.com.

3. I'm not sure if it should be a functional, chronological, or combination resume. 
After reading through a variety of articles for the career changer I decided to go with combination. A combination resume has the ability to show off your transferable skills as well as help you focus on all the practical things that apply to your future career. Going chronological keeps you a little more boxed in because it only showcases what you have already done, while going functional apparently scares some employers off because it looks like you've done nothing.

4. 1 page or 2? 
My previous chronological resume that was getting me no interviews was two pages long and I'm pretty sure that I've had enough career experience at this point to have two pages, but as I said the resume has gotten me nowhere. I decided to google search "best resumes of 2013" and came to this page. All of these beautifully designed resumes are only one page long and are probably getting more interviews than mine, so I decided to stick to a one pager. My favorite is the resume on fabric, I am contemplating getting at least one of those, but for this one I decided to go for design #7.

Once I picked a design I decided it was time to start going for it. I had my old resume in hand and was able to transfer at least a few things over, but for a majority of it I decided I needed to redefine some of the responsibilities I had, using better key words. There are plenty of skills checklists you can use, but here is an easy go to one provided by Rogue Community College.

After some researching and writing I came out with a resume in about four hours. The only thing I realized at the end was I didn't actually finish a writer's resume, I wrote one that's more tailored to Sales & Marketing, which is fine because I do in fact need those five resumes. Sales & Marketing is a direction I'm definitely okay with going, but this leaves me with a vacant writer's resume spot, which I will be attending to today.

This all just means that This American Life is going to have to wait another few days for my application, but my goal is to have it in by March 1st anyhow. By the way, if you know any TAL staffers, please feel free to put in a good word for me!

Anyways, here is yesterday's finished product sans my contact info!  Sample Resume