Tech Week

Tech Week for Grease is underway.

See you when I crawl out from beneath it.

--End--

I LOVE Snow!

I grew up in the Snow Belt. Now I live in South Jersey.

We don't get socked in here for 5-6 months or solid snowy greyness. So, when we do get a significant snowfall (as is forecast for later today), it's a treat.

It makes me want to sing.

Enjoy the whiteness, Greater Northeastern US. And stay safe!

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Nervous

For the record, if you're anticipating surgery or you suspect you have any kind of illness ... there are a wealth of resources available on the Internet.

WebMD, in particular, has TONS of great information.

However ... never read the risks/complications section. Never. Ever.

Ever.

For those who don't know, here's a quickie update. I'm due to have sinus surgery on February 10. This will mark only third third time I've had to undergo general anesthesia in my life*, so I'm apprehensive. I'm assured by my doctor, other folks who've undergone the procedure, and (yes) the Internet that my life will be transformed for the better after the operation.

Never ever read the risks/complications section, remember?

Only I did just that. Seems this "procedure" puts me at risk for losing my sense of smell/taste, blindness, brain damage, death -- just to name a few.

I'm scared. I don't like the way that feels.

My OCD/control freaky tendencies are also nervous about being out of commission during my three-week recovery period.

I guess this is my "talk me off the ledge" request for hugs and support.

*Tonsillectomy in '79 and breast lumpectomy in '03.

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Now That I'm 40 (plus)

This isn't my birthday. That's in April. Nor will it be a particularly landmarky birthday (43).

But this blog post (hat-tip to Adrienne) seems timely to me right now. I don't know why, but I seem to be in a pendulum-swing mental state lately -- oscillating between "It sucks to be getting old" and "This is a great hunk of life to be living." Plus ... there's the whole new-year-relecting stuff that happens.

So ...  in order to focus more on the positive ... here is a bunch of

Great Stuff About Being 40 (plus) That I Didn't Know or Couldn't Do at 20

1. I know how to dress for my body.
2. And have a hairstyle that suits both my features and my lifestyle.
3. I can cook. Really quite well. Even when there's "nothing in this house."
4. I have grown up.
5. My amazing kids
6. Running 3 miles, walking 60 miles, driving 1800 miles: knowing I can even if I think I can't (or don't want to)
7. Discovering acting, stage management, theatre
8. My wonderful dog
9. Understanding that my worth is not determined by others, especially men, especially based on my looks.
10. Knitting
11. Being married -- learning how to be a wife, lover, partner, confidante, buddy
12. Renewing my relationship with my brother
13. Teaching, finishing my Master's -- working toward a calling, rather than a job
14. Female friendships
15. Travel
16. Finally learning how to look good in a photo
17. The ability to plan, host and pay for a great party
18. Contact lenses
19.  Letting go of deep-seated insecurity and fear
20. Trusting my own opinion
21. My kids ... cannot say this enough times
22. Discovering makeup and dangly earrings
23. Doing my own taxes
24. Knowing how to complain effectively, especially to authority
25. How to drink safely
26. Patience
27. Social confidence in any situation
28. Learning when it's worth it to cry and when it's not
29. Being ok with not being liked by everyone
30. Knowing how to wear heels
31. Having enough resiliency to know that heartbreak never leaves us, but that life goes on and gets better anyway.
32. Understanding the difference between healthy and thin
33. The white streak in my hair
34. An awareness of the quality of the media I'm consuming
35. Knowing keyboard shortcuts
36. Sex is neither the be-all nor the end-all, nor is it embarrassing
37. No one really cares what your GPA or class rank was
38. Pretending to be someone else is a hobby, not a cover-up
39. In the real world, it's good to be a nerd.
40. Putting up as many holiday decorations as you want because you own the property
41. There are many kinds of normal
42. I am strong
43. But it's also OK to be weak and to let others help

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So, I'm an ENFJ

Not only am I an ENFJ, but I'm apparently a somewhat extreme case.

Out of the 16 possible Jungian Myers-Briggs personality types, I'm an Extroverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judger

I prefer Extroversion to the tune of 89 out of 100. I'm a 12% on the iNtuition (over Sensing) scale. Feeling (over Thinking) is rather pronounced at 75%, and Judging (over Perceiving) is 56%.

The scales work like this:
100% --------0%--------100%
I------------------------------E

So, the bigger the number, the more strongly you exemplify the characteristics of your letter typology.

But, what does that mean?

ENFJs are characterized by strong external focus -- thinking about, reacting to, and trying to fulfill the needs of others. Approximately 3-4% of the work fits into this type. More than any other type, ENFJs have strong people skills, making things happen for others and being encouraging. Apparently this often leads to us neglecting our own needs and spending important and necessary time alone to recharge and center and reflect. We tend to sacrifice ourselves for others. We may have strongly-held beliefs, but often refrain from expressing them so as not to interfere in others' development (Joe would probably disagree with this particular point).

We like to be with people and are fun to be with. We like things well-organized, but can tend toward fussiness (who? me?) We become unhappy when forced to deal with logic or facts, and we enjoy planning more than achieving (Joe has never understood my tendency to plan trips, home remodeling projects, etc that I've no intention (or financial wherewithal) to actually tackle.). We avoid conflict and often sweep things under the rug to avoid it. We blame ourselves when things go wrong and take too little credit when things go right.

We tend to be attentive lovers, but need affirmation and someone who is attentive to our emotional and physical needs (since we're so externally focused and neglect ourselves).

Obviously these are generalizations, but again and again (I've taken this assessment numerous times in my life, and while the results vary slightly in retaking) I find that they are an eerily accurate representation of how I approach the world. Your mileage may vary. Do you think the above sounds like me?

Joe took the test, too (he's an INTJ/P (his J score was a 1, and his strongest tendency was only a 25, so he's a far less extreme fellow). I'm eager to have my kids go through it and see what happens. knowing their types may give me better insight into how to parent them effectively without butting heads so often (ah, the t(w)een years!). ENFJs also tend to be smothering and manipulative, so I'll have to watch that. And, apparently it can be difficult to be the child of an ENFJ because of our "hands-on" approach to relationships.

If you want to learn more about your personality type and maybe gain some insight into how you relate to others, take the test here. It's very quick. Answer instinctively without deep analysis of the statements. You can then go here to find out more about the characteristics of your type.

I find this stuff fascinating. (maybe it's a reflection of my tendency to better understand others?) I hope it didn't bore you too terribly.

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