2023’s Last Sunday Sip
From Digital Decluttering Disasters to Daring 2024 Goals – Join Our Quirky Journey!
Welcome back! As we bid adieu to 2023, it's time to pour yourself a comforting cup of your favorite beverage and dive into today's edition, filled with tales of tidying gone awry and unconventional goals for the new year.
Is it Magic or Mayhem?
If it doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it. This was my takeaway from Marie Kondo’s book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” During the height of the Pandemic’s lockdown, I was obsessed with Kondos’ method of tidying up. There wasn’t a box or closet spared in my decluttering spree. Regrettably, this enthusiasm led to parting with items I later missed, like the Christmas candy dishes that would have been perfect for a recent party. These were among the items I regretfully sold at a garage sale.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the lockdown lifted before I tackled my digital clutter – my virtual closet of computer files. Much like a once-tidy herb garden overrun by weeds, this digital space was filled with unnecessary files and bloated cloud storage plans. But sadly, my digital garden was left to its own devices as I had more pressing problems calling me.
The urge to declutter my digital clutter resurfaced during a trip to Florida. With extra time I found myself poking around in my digital cloud. I was both amused and surprised by long-forgotten photos in Google Photos. “I wondered where these photos had gone off to,” I said aloud. This caused a ripple of laughter among my family standing nearby.
A pressing question was lurking in the ether: what else was lurking in my digital cloud?
After returning home from Florida, Chuck attempted to share our new Apple Credit Card with me. This tricky electronic sharing maneuver generated a baffling error message. Sharing the card was denied since we were in a different country or time zone. Chuck was standing directly in front of me. I was sure we were in the same country, maybe not on the same plane, but definitely in the same country.
A deep dive into the depths of my digital settings revealed a forgotten tangle of two Apple IDs and an already active family sharing setup. Resolving this issue and merging my Apple ID with Chuck's family plan was scary, with constant warnings of irreversible actions on my screen. This led to the finding we had multiple Apple Cloud storage plans. We canceled one and merged our plans, sparking much joy.
After conquering iCloud, I was a woman obsessed. Dropbox was dangling out there, waiting to be pruned. Marie Kondo would be so proud! I waded through thousands of files, asking: Does this file spark joy? Hell no! I’m not even sure how it got into my DropBox Folder. “Oh, but look at these pictures,” which I promptly uploaded to my iCloud account. The tidying went on for days!
Finally, I canceled my Dropbox plan. I was bursting with joy, which fizzed immediately when I opened Adobe Lightroom Classic. Have you ever walked into the kitchen after an epic party? Yep, it felt like that. It was a digital decluttering disaster.
For those who don’t use Lightroom Classic, it creates an index, a.k.a. a catalog of all your photos. It is super handy for locating photos, but only if you do your photo tidying while in Lightroom.
The subsequent days were spent in a painstaking effort to sync and recover lost files across my Apple devices. The famous phrase from Bionic Man played in my head: “We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.”
Despite all my attempts, I still have 103 files stubbornly trapped in a perpetual syncing loop within my Adobe Lightroom Classic catalog. While trying to repair this issue, I realized I had an unexpectedly large storage capacity of 2 Terabytes. This seemed peculiar, prompting a further investigation. To my astonishment, I was inadvertently paying for not one but two Adobe plans. "My GOD, when will this digital nightmare end?" Apparently, not for a bit, as my Google Drive is waiting for me like a fat cat waiting to pounce.
So, my dear reader, is my story a cautionary tale or one of inspiration in the quest for digital tidiness?
2024 Goals
As the confetti of New Year's Eve prepares to fall, it's only fitting to unveil my 2024 goals. I dusted off prior year’s journals, reviewed my past resolutions, and couldn't help but sigh. Lose weight. Right at this point, it is hopeless. Exercise more. Please no. Be happy. Well, yes, of course. More digital tidiness? Hell no. This year, it's time for a shake-up!
My Offbeat Goals for 2024:
Operation Fungus Gnat Eviction: My houseplants have become a bustling oasis for fungus gnats. Despite my best efforts, these tiny invaders continue their unchecked festivities. I've armed myself with an arsenal of anti-gnat gadgets from Amazon. Stay tuned for battle updates!
Bird Whisperer Ambitions: Letting a chickadee nibble from my hand has been a secret dream. Chuck fancies petting one, but I’m guessing his dream is a bit unrealistic. As a plan B, how about snapping a photo of a majestic Snowy Owl?
Treehouse Slumber: Since we booked a hobbit house retreat in February, why not go further?
Pushup Challenge: Twenty consecutive pushups – that's the goal. But knowing the universe's sense of humor, I'm adding as an alternative: mastering a wall handstand. Let's see which one sends me to the ER first.
The Thrift Store Jackpot: Inspired by the lady in North Carolina who turned a $3.99 vase into $100,000, I'm on a mission. Find something under $10 at a Goodwill-like store and flip it for $200. I might nail those 20 pushups before this happens, but hey, a treasure hunter can dream!
What about you? Got any quirky or ambitious goals for 2024? Do share!
Upcoming Events You Won't Want to Miss
Hey, if you’ve got something you’d like us to list, let us know. If it fits within our wheelhouse, as they say, we’ll try to list it.
The Michigan Great Beer State Annual Conference and Trade Show - January 10-12, 2024
The Michigan Brewers Guild, Michigan State Extension, and Master Brewers Association of Americas present this annual event. It isn’t just for brewers! This year marks our third year attending. If you are curious, check out our recap from the 2022 conference.
Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Expo 2024 - February 11, 2024, 10 am - 5 pm at Downtown Library.
This fiber-filled day will have a full slate of hands-on programs, demos, and presentations and a lobby full of local vendors. You can learn about knitting, crocheting, weaving, and spinning. Try your hand at macrame, embroidery, and more! Vendors will be on hand selling accessories, patterns, books, dyes, and all things fiber-related! Details.
If you have any questions, please contact aafax@aadl.org.
Curling Fest! February 24, 2024, 8 pm to 11 pm
Curling Fest is Back at The Arctic Coliseum! Curlers will receive instruction from our Curling coach and will get to end their time slot with a scrimmage. All skill levels are welcome. Curlers must be 14 years of age or older. Details.
Building Our Byline
On Christmas Eve, this popped up in my news feed:
It is the cover photo for an article published in the upcoming issue of the LiveLoveLocaMI.com magazine. I promise we’ve got several articles with our editor at Rural Innovation Exchange, which will be published in early 2024, featuring Manchester Underground Music and Art and Michigan Merinos.
Cocktail Time!
Since it is New Year’s Eve, how about a cocktail? I love a good Tom Collins. Not all bartenders know how to make a good one, BUT Collin, the bartender at Casey’s Tavern, is an exception. Hands down, he makes the best. (Maybe because they share a name?)
The simple recipe is lemon juice, simple syrup, gin, and club soda served over crushed ice. But he has a secret I’ve yet to ferret out. I’m no connoisseur, but I think he makes a hybrid and includes lime. I’ve heard cryptic comments from behind the bar, “It's shaken, and use the Hendrick’s Gin.”
Do you have a killer cocktail recipe?
Reading Nook
Why did I pick Malcolm Gladwell’s” Talking to Strangers?” Because it had nearly five stars on Audible and 69,944 ratings. (Disclaimer: I’m one of his biggest fan girls.) He brilliantly blends storytelling with psychology, sociology, and a dash of 'Did you know?' trivia.
While he doesn't hand us a manual for understanding every stranger (bummer, right?) He does leave us pondering the complexities of human interaction and maybe, just maybe, a bit more cautious the next time we bump into a stranger.
It was heavy but EXCELLENT. One of my best reads in 2023.
What are you reading?
Final Thoughts
As we close today's edition, we're reminded that life's journey is often a mix of organized chaos and delightful surprises. Whether it's tackling digital clutter or setting whimsical goals, each step teaches us something new.
Thank you for joining us on this Sunday Sip adventure. Your engagement and support make our Sip community a wonderful place to be. Here's to another year of sipping life's moments, one story at a time.
It is hard to believe it is next week! So glad you'll be there.
See you at the MBG trade show!