Things I stink at

I am an eternal optimist. It is just the way I am programmed. I don't have to work at it, I just naturally look on the bright side of things. This is true about my self-image, too. I choose to focus on my good traits and try to ignore my weaknesses. This can be good to a point...but I tend to overdo it sometimes. You know when you listen to a conference talk, especially at the Women's session of general conference, and we hear about how as women we shouldn't beat ourselves up? We need to accept ourselves for who we are. We are good enough! Yea, I've never felt like those talks apply to me. If anything, I need to be harder on myself and acknowledge more of my shortcomings!

Anyway, this side of me comes out in my blog. I choose to highlight the good, fun, happy experiences and focus less on the things I struggle with. But then people read my blog and think I'm some superwoman. Wrong! So, I'm compiling this list of things I stink at to help keep me humble and so everyone else knows that I am NOT the bionic woman that I sometimes make myself out to be. (And I am not fishing for compliments here--trust me, my self-esteem is just fine...or maybe too big.) :)

*I am a bad cook. I can follow a recipe most of the time for easy things, but I can't even attempt anything fancy. If you're coming over for dinner, expect something SIMPLE.

*I am even worse at baking. There was a woman in Winslow who made THE BEST chocolate chip cookies. I asked her for the recipe. Hers were soft and chewy...mine were crispy and flat. I swear, I followed the recipe.

*I am a lazy housekeeper. I try to keep things looking decent, but rarely dust and usually only vacuum when there are visible crumbs. Dishes can pile up pretty high before I wash them. I better stop there before I gross everyone out. Yes, this temporarily changed while our house was on the market, but didn't last.

*Andrew and I keep a very detailed budget every month. I can never get it to balance out. Usually I'm only off 20-40 dollars or so, but lately I'll be off by hundreds of dollars and can't explain why. I promise I am not buying designer shoes or luxury cosmetics off the budget!

*I hate confrontation. This can be good to a point as far as keeping peace with others. But I often accept poor quality service or merchandise rather than returning/asking for a refund because I'm afraid of hurting someone's feelings or getting rejected.

*I am not good at doing my hair. It takes SO long to blow dry it and I usually choose not to spend my time on that. So I take the easy way out and either leave it curly or pull it back.

*I yell at my kids over dumb things. Some days I think I'm a really nice mom and then other days I'll just be in a foul mood and get mad about the smallest things. I feel bad for my kids on those days.

*I'm terrible at negotiations. Soooo glad I have Andrew around to help whenever I have to barter with someone. I'd get ripped off every time.

*I don't know how to make a spreadsheet on the computer. Where was I when everyone else learned this skill? They didn't teach it in dental hygiene school and I really feel like I'm missing out on something.

*I am bad at comforting people. If a friend of mine is crying or upset, I have a tendency to try to ignore it or avoid the situation. That's terrible! What kind of friend am I? I realized the other day that part of the baptismal covenant that I have made is to "comfort those that stand in need of comfort." It made me feel bad. I really need to work on that one.

*I am the worst at buying jeans. I have two pairs of jeans that fit the way I want them to fit and probably 10 pairs that are hideous. I think this is a combination of me trying to get the cheapest clothes possible and also not being very perceptive in the dressing rooms. I'll think something looks fine while I'm in there, but then I get it home and IT DOESN'T!

*Grammar. The title of this post is Exhibit A. I know I learned proper grammar somewhere along the way, but it didn't stick.

*Understanding politics. I didn't used to care that this was a weakness. I was ignorant and happy about it. But, now I'm starting to think I should know more about politics and be more actively involved. At the same time, I'm not ready to start listening to Andrew's talk radio stations.

*Fixing things. I wish I could repair things that get broken around the house, but I can't. I can't even plunge the toilet. Andrew was gone for a couple days this week and I had to lock the powder room door from the inside because I couldn't get the darn thing to plunge! Grrrrr.
There are many, many more, but that felt like a good place to stop. It can't get much worse than blogging about the toilet. Sweet.