Not my skillz
One of my favorite things:
taking a walk with my girls after work. It’s such a great way to end the day, and Bella appreciates the change of scenery.
It’s also the icing on the cake when dinner is ready at home, waiting to be devoured: sweet potato and black bean chili! I didn’t have black beans on hand, so I used two cans of pinto-
it smells heavenly.
Little gifts my nana brought over this morning:
+ cake for the Pilot. I had to taste some of the caramel frosting for him (I’m a frosting thief).
Work was pretty good today. Zumba was a lot of fun -I look forward to it each time I teach- and I was thinking about how Latin dancing is a pretty random skill. Of course, I couldn’t go into a Latin club and bust out a Zumba dance, but I could figure my way around 😉 It got me thinking about important and trivial skills I have and wish I had.
Here’s a handful:
Skills I wish I had:
-How to taste wine like I know what I’m doing. You know the moment at a restaurant where they give you a small pour, you’re supposed to “taste” it and nod to the server approvingly to finish pouring your glass? I know you’re supposed to swirl, sniff, all that good stuff, but if the job is somehow given to me, I take a tiny sip and say, “thank you, that’s great.” and the server fills my glass and those at the table. In reality, I’d like to say “if it’s wine, I like it. You could pour it out of a box and it would still be delicious. Let’s just skip that step and fill the whole glass, mm k thanks.”
-Computer know-how. With the blog, usually if I get brave and try to “fix” something, I break the blog and email Cody the web wizard to please fix whatever I did. The first time I installed plug-ins, I was SUPER nervous. It’s funny (sad?) because I took an entire class on building computers and hmtl -had to make a website from scratch- and I don’t remember a single thing.
-Public speaking. Unless I’m teaching, I freak out when I have to speak to a large group of people. I’m thinking of taking a public speaking class just to make myself more confident, or in the case I actually do have to address a large group of people. I’d call it a success if I could do it without getting the sweats and shaking.
-Gliding skills. Still working on it 😉
-I would love to be able to speak as many languages as possible, but for now, I’m working on English, some Spanish and lots of baby sign language with Liv. She’s getting the hang of it- she just started signing “milk” back to us.
Random skills I do possess:
-Negotiation. Buying cars is my forte, but I’m also pretty good with small negotiations or finding a sweet deal. I like to make recurrent purchases online because I’ll get a coupon code and/or free shipping.
-How to tie a tie. My music teacher growing up -I sang in a quartet and he was our director, an amazing man- taught all of us how to tie a tie. He said it was a skill we’d need eventually for one reason or another, and now I’m the fancy event tie-tier for most of the family (except my Tata.. he can Windsor knot like a king).
-Intuition. I have a pretty keen intuitive sense, which often comes in handy. After picking the Pilot up from his first deployment homecoming, we were flying back to Tucson and I had to teach dance that night. I woke up from my airplane nap and told the Pilot, “Our flight was canceled. We have to get a rental car.” And, sure enough, it was one of the very, very rare times in Tucson that it was snowing and all flights were canceled. We ended up having to get a rental car from Phoenix so I could make it to work on time, but I wasn’t stressed because I knew the flight was going to be canceled beforehand. Little things like that happen sometimes, but I can’t predict lottery numbers or anything like that 😉
-Piano. I can play and used to sing, but it’s been a long time. Our piano is currently in the garage, and I was thinking of putting on Craigsist, but can’t do it. It might be worthwhile to fix it up and tuned in case Liv likes to play one of these days. I can already tell she has a voice like an angel- her pterodactyl songs is one of my favorite things in the world, and now she claps for herself, too. I can’t even handle the cuteness.
What are some of your skills you wish you had? Have any random skills?
Kyle can toss a pizza like a boss.
Hope you’re having a great night <3
xoxo
Gina
Have you done the September workout yet? HIIT it up!
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Something to think:
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Hm.. now you’ve got me thinking about my random skills.. 🙂
Random skills: really good dutch blitz player, awesome brownies, good at memorizing random information like work #s, but sometimes I randomly space something I know, like the word “green pepper.”
Random non-skills: backing up cars/general parking, multi-tasking, dancing (no rhythm here).
Omg I love the little baby feet sticking out of the stroller!
Girl I don’t know anything about wine either, I just know that I like it! 😀
You do have awesome intuition. I remember when you shared the dream you had of what turned out to be Livi like a year before she was a thought! I wish I was able to do that.
I wish I had the skills to be at all physically coordinated! I trip over invisible bumps all the time. Random skills: I crochet like a machine, do nails like a boss, and can find a sale online faster than I can blink! Love you friend!!
Don’t be jealous… I have the amazing ability to turn on Top Gun anytime it is on TV and I catch it right at the volleyball scene. Boom! a few minutes of 80’s cheesy eye candy : )
now THAT is talent.
I can touch my nose with my tongue? Lol.
I’m definitely an icing stealer too 🙂 And I wish I could speak Spanish fluently! I am also intuitive too! A lot of my dreams happen in real life and I predict things a good amount. I wish I was good like you at negotiating!
I’m good at languages and can play flute, violin and guitar.. but, piano? nope. I would love to play piano but it eludes me, the two hands doing different things. ARGH. It’s reading the bass clef that confuses me – I never had to do it as a child and for some reason, it does not come naturally at all. Therefore, I envy you. you should dust off your piano and actually play it. Liv would love that.
Oh, and PROCRASTINATION. I’m seriously good at that.
LOL *love* this! I’m so good at it I wish I could add it to my resume :p
The most common reason why you are offered a taste of wine in restaurants when you buy a bottle is to make sure that the wine is not corked, not to see if you like it or not. You’d know if a bottle was corked, it tastes revolting. And it’s also less of an issue now that most wines are screw tops (and also less of an issue unless you are drinking older more expensive wine).
I can definitely relate to the intuitive thing! However, I WISH I could play an instrument.
Random skill: I can roundhouse kick over my husband’s head. He’s 6’1″.
Skills I wish I had: Everything related to dancing – swing dancing, salsa, hip hop, etc. I wish I could even just master the gangnam style dance. lol.
I wish I could do more technically-speaking with my blog and computers, coding, writing code, installing scripts into the CSS sheet without breaking anything! lol
I also wish I paid more attention to my parents’ love of antiques, gardening, sewing…I thought they were ‘boring’ hobbies. Now I only wish I could have absorbed more!
I really really wish I could dance! At all. I have zero dance moves, which makes me sad because I think I’d love it if I wasn’t terrible at it 😉
I also wish I could speak Spanish. My family is part Latino but for whatever reason (probably not growing up near them) I just never really learned to speak Spanish. I can kind of read it but speaking is a whole other ball game.
Things I think I’m good at: Writing is one, I’ve always picked up on different writing styles pretty quickly. I’m pretty good at throwing together random foods and having them taste good. And running! I’m not an amazing runner but I can pick it up pretty quickly.
Did the HIIT it workout this morning–it’s killer! LOVE it, and all your workouts! You are awesome.
I wish I could run fast without feeling tired! And I wish I was more tech savvy!
Hmmm I can’t think of any random skills right now but I’m sure I must have some!
Black bean & sweet potato chili is my absolute favorite chili. I do it a little differently though – I add chipotle in adobo, no vegetable broth and use dried beans (I don’t soak overnight, but let the chili simmer for 3 hours). It tastes so, so good. I think I’m going to make it sometime in the future, but using butternut squash in place of s. potatoes.
You actually *CAN* tell your server “As long as it’s wine, I’m going to drink it!” And they’ll love you for it! I’ve worked in a fine dining restaurant off and on for the last 6 years where we sell a LOT of wine, and I love when diners tell me to skip the whole rigamarole of the wine presentation. Not that I particularly mind doing it, but it actually saves me time if you tell me not to worry about it. When we go out to eat and order wine, we ALWAYS tell them to skip it, and you can see the look of relief on about 98% of the servers’ faces. And IF it does actually happen to be corked, you just tell them next time they come by to check on you, NBD. (And unless you’re somewhere really fancypants, your server will be so relieved not to do it that they won’t even think to judge you 😉 )
i’m so excited to hear this!
I can quote entire Disney movies word for word even if I haven’t seen it since I was a child (I’m 26 now). I can also quote Star Wars: A New Hope word for word including the opening story when the yellow words are running across the screen 🙂
Oh I forgot! I can say my entire ABC’s backwards very fast!
My random skills? I dream about the exact locations of lost items and people I haven’t seen/heard from in ages, then randomly run into them a day or two later. Also, I have a knack for going to Hobby Lobby and finding the items I need on sale for 50% off.
I wish I could learn languages, math, and slick dance moves, but my brain/body haven’t been cooperative so far 🙂
I’m also super intuitive and have learned over time to ALWAYS trust my gut. Like the other night I was the only one in my apartments gym around 1030 at night and I got the creepiest, get out of here now feeling. Even though I still had 2 sets of my last exercise to go I booked it out of there and found out the next morning that an armed man was arrested INSIDE of our gated and secure/in a “safe” area of town apartment area around 11. This isn’t the first time something like that has happened in my life time either. Even my close friend and family have learned to go with my feelings haha, (I realize this sounds ridiculous)
Skills I wish I had: cooking meat without turning it into jerky
Not being passive aggressive (lol)
Accessorizing outfits (I always just say simple is chic, but really I just don’t have an eye for putting things together)
A skill I wish I had – organization! I am completely, 100% unorganized…. and it drives me crazy! I swear I take an extra fifteen minutes every day trying to find my keys, cell phone, wallet, etc.
Random skill – I’m actually a decent public speaker. Being a solo dancer for most of my life, and being a teacher, has given me a lot of confidence. I’m also an awesome researcher! LOL I can find anything if it’s public and online or in a book.
Haha you have inspired me to start drafting a ‘random skills’ post. Thank you! Just so you know, you are one of my favorite go-to blogs to read just to lift my spirits and get me motivated to move my butt!!!
I tried the September HIIT. Kicked my little butt. But I loved it and will try it again tomorrow morning!!
Cathy Trails
Question about the new blog set up. Will you be adding a button to go to previous posts?? On the main page, it shows the current post and the 3 before that, but there is no “previous posts” button to get to posts before those. There is a “Next Page” button below the current post, but it just takes us to the post right before that one, which is already listed below it.
yes, i’ll talk to cody and see if he can fix that
Aww, was the music teacher you were talking about Mr. Lewis? I miss him terribly and will forever treasure my Swingin’ Sister days!! 😀
YES. i still think about him all the time.
I’d like to be naturally handy or be able to just know what works in recipes and what doesn’t
Random skill: I can always always always make my hiccups go away on command. I remember being really upset when I was younger because no matter what they would take forever to stop. One time I got so fed up I just willed it into stopping. I was amazed and thought it was just luck, but ever since then (it’s been a few years) I’ve been able to do it. Awesome. Freaking. POSSUM.
i WISH i could do that. i have the scariest hiccups ever
I love that Latin dancing is your random skill (it kind of is, but a great one to have)! Mine is similar – hula and tahitian dancing 🙂 And I LOVE it!
Ps. Took my first salsa lesson this past weekend and it was so fun! Still need to get those liquid salsa hips, but wow! Such a blast!
xo,
Tiffany
I have crazy intuition too! Not quite as specific as yours haha, but I’ll just get an overall feeling around a person, or at a place, and if it’s not a good one I’ll choose to avoid it. Then come to find out something bad happened.
I also love that quote at the end, it’s something i definitely need to work on. I tend to not like change and/or growing up…but like my dad always says, it’s better than the alternative!
I’m the exact opposite: I cannot negotiate to save my life. Even in situations where I KNOW you are supposed to haggle the price of an item, I usually end up flustered, paying full price, and sheepishly running away. It’s embarrassing, actually!
I’m randomly very good at untangling ridiculous knots (think a million necklaces tangled in a jewelry box). I have no idea where that skill came from, but I guess it comes in handy every once in a while!
ohh thank is a good skill!
Great post Gina! I’m totally with you on the public speaking! I have no problem teaching group fitness but when it comes to speaking to a group forget about it!
Well if you’re so good at negotiating, can you please call Comcast for me and get us a better price?! lol! My random skills are singing, burping (hehe), and I really have a knack for coaching cheerleading.
Skill I wish I had: home organization!
haha cable companies are rough. i had a lot of luck with direcctv but not century link :/
Hmmm I have really good hearing haha like I can hear people whispering lol sometimes it’s a good skill 😉
I’ve heard that the wine tasting thing in restaurants is actually a way for you to tell if the wine has been corked improperly. If the cork is bad, then the wine will taste like a cork (I’m not sure how a cork tastes, but apparently it’s obvious). Fun fact!
Funny, I’m going through a major “What do I want to be when I grow up?” phase right now, and I recently read a bit in Cosmo on a strategy to identify your true passion: You ask those who know you best to identify the objects, trends, experiences, SKILLS, etc. that remind them of you, then look for trends, the thought being sometimes your family members and closest friends see talents in you that you don’t. I added a few items to the list and sent it to 12 people for feedback. I’ve gotten 5 responses so far and it’s been really helpful — it’s reinforced some things I already knew about myself (high achiever, good writer, endless interest in wellness) and highlighted some things I had never given a second thought (strong connection to music and always the person who knows all the lyrics, my not-weird-but-always-different-than-my-friends sense of style).
So far, I’m really glad I reached out for answers, and I feel like I’m closer to finding a career direction that will suit me best. I’d recommend it to anyone who feels like they DON’T know what they’re good at — it’s a really frustrating feeling!
My skills: dancing/picking up choreography; any type of fitness; cooking; being able to “figure things out”
Skills I lack: cleaning; folding clothes; ironing; pretty much any household task-why am I so bad!?!
I want to learn how to tie a tie! I actually know how to tie a bow-tie in fact that’s how I impressed my now-husband when we met at the Kentucky Derby a few years ago…. I tied his bowtie and he made me an old fashion and look at us now, haha!
Ahhh the wine thing, so funny. I’ve been to Napa so many times, and every time we go tasting, my husband, brother-in-law, and their uncle are all into discussing the wine. They ask me what I think, and I always just say “it’s good.” Yeah… I’m not picky, if it is wine I am happy.
same- i haven’t met a wine i don’t like
I wish I possessed the skill to see a picture of cake and not start craving it 🙂
hahah that is beyond skill. that is super power 🙂
I wish I knew how to sew. I could make curtains for myself, hem my own pants… the possibilities are endless!