2010 Goals

Since this blog was originally started to track my goals, and since 2009 is over, it's new goal time. So here is what I will work toward in 2010.

• Accrue no new debt in 2010. Doesn't sound that hard, but since Juliet's income is now supporting two people it's harder than it used to be.
• Accumulate savings equal to four paychecks. This may conflict with the no-new-debt goal, and there is some travel dollars that will be spent this year, but what's the point of goals if they aren't ambitious?
• Maintain my current weight.
• Tone my arms before the wedding. They will still have farmer's freckles, but they needn't keep waving after I stop.
• Complete 10 freelance jobs this year. Both to help with the financial goals, and to increase my marketability and learn new skills. Can't grow if you don't stretch.
• Have an awesome wedding. Followed by an awesome marriage!

"I" Have Become "Them"

So today ... total bummer. And lately life has consisted of a streak of not-my-best days. And even though I really try to compartmentalize things so that I am not cranky at people and things who don't deserve it, I may not have been 100% successful lately.

And since I try to be nice and a good person, blah, blah, blah, I'm working on that this week. And it has occurred to me that I might be missing something that would perhaps improve my mood - exercise. My commuting schedule and brokeness have combined to severely limit my gym access, and the fact that it's been in the double digits below zero has severely limited my access to outside. And the holiday fun and yumminess has limited my ambition to do things like workout tapes.

Yes, apparently I am one of those people who gets depressed when I don't exercise. This is a prime example of things about me that have changed in the past decade or so.

Goal Check-In

I originally started this goal as part of my accountability group to stay on top of my goals. Group has since dissolved, but as I am an honest Ginger I am following up on how I did in 2009. 2010 goals to follow soon(ish).

• Lose weight: Pass! I thought my ideal weight was 170 ... as of last week I hit my Weight Watchers goal of 160 (as of this week, I am above that - too much holiday fun). So happiness. Sad that none of my clothes fit (I hate shopping for clothes), but I can take the bad with the good.
• Professional Development: Fail. No formal training occurred. Although I have taken on some new responsibilities (due to some changes in the team) and I am generally happier with work than I was at this time last year, so while I can't honestly call it a success I am not feeling bad about the failure.
• Strengthen connections: Pass? Attended class reunion, keeping up on Facebook and elsewhere ... it's lame, but I am keeping tabs on those important to me. I also intended to blog at least weekly, which is a fail, but disregarding a few time periods it went pretty well. And although I live far from my work friends we are still buds. Next step: friends where I actually live.
• Increase practical fun skills: Pass, I think. Much better cook than I was last year, although I haven't quantified recipes. But less processed food goes into my mouth, so success. This goal was also intended to make me a better knitter - fail. Mostly due to lack of effort.
• I thought I also had a goal to compete in a bike race. I did fail at this, due to my lack of competitive spirit. But I did bike much, and I enjoyed it. And I dragged Boyfriend out with me often (often on the homemade tandem), so that is a double pass.

Overall a good year. Perhaps reflection to follow, but 2010 goals to follow for sure. I just need to figure out what they are specifically. And I need some sleep, as I am rather a tired panda.

Where's Emily Post When You Need Her?

I've been fortunate enough in my life that I haven't had any real close encounters with sad deaths ... only the old and/or sick have left my life. And I don't know if that's the reason, but I really never know what to say to the bereaved. I usually stick with Sorry and then something about prayers for their family. Which, while appropriate, seems inadequate.

And now the new etiquette of Facebook. The past few months have been hard on the loved ones of my friends -- most recently losing a six-month-old child and a father-in-law. Do you express sympathy online? Do you write on the Wall? Send a personal message? Say nothing, knowing that whatever you say online will be even lamer than it would be in person? Does it make a difference if your FB friend is some distance away and you don't see them in person?

Sometimes I say something. Sometimes I don't. Always I pray and send good thoughts. Hoping that's enough. Or as much as it can be.

Since I've been engaged, people have been asking me if I plan to have kids, if I plan to keep my job when I do, how many I plan to have, what names I like, etc. So here's how it apparently goes ... when will you get a boyfriend? When are you getting married? Kids? What's after that -- when will I retire?

But anyway ... On Wednesday, Thursday and a little bit of Friday, a friend of mine had a 31-hour labor. Then they gave her a C-section. This after what seems to the casual observer to have been an unpleasant-all-around nine months.

Friday night, Sister left Nephew in my care for the night. And Nephew decided to have a screaming fit (one hour, then an hour after that ended there was another two hours of fun). He got a nap the next day. Guess who didn't?

So, no, I may never have kids.

Woe Was My Childhood

The Christmas season is coming. And apparently other people have already decorated. Decor is big around here because Boyfriend wants to get "that special Christmas feeling in my heart." So he will decorate. He will.

My tolerance for decorating is about 20 minutes. Maybe. On a good day. This weekend I am heading back to Hometown to help my mom prep her House of Fun (which has a purpose, but I think really the purpose is so she has somewhere to display all the decor shit she has accumulated through the years). And all that accumulated stuff is why I don't decorate. Spent too much time hanging stuff right in the exact spot ... nope, a little to the left ... no, higher ... maybe back to where it was. And the discussion -- would this look better? How about if it were a little darker? Maybe taller?

This is also why I hate planning the wedding. I think I ODed on this type of thing when I was younger. But the advantage is that I am willing to do the grunt work (less discussion).

On Becoming a Grown-Up

On Friday morning it was time to go to work. So I went out to my car, started it and put it in reverse to back out of my spot.

And I went forward.

Because I am extremely observant, I quickly surmised that this was bad. Fortunately I park in the yard, so going forward doesn't equal breaking anything. However, going forward instead of reverse does mean my car is broken. Eventually it meant that I needed some shaft in the transmission fixed.

And car trouble is not new to me. What was new is how I reacted. Instead of calling my parents (who, as you'll remember, live like 300 miles away) to bitch/cry at them (because I know the can't fix it), I called Boyfriend. And he helped me solve the problem. My parents didn't even hear about it until way later.

So now, at the age of 29, I am apparently over relying on my parents to fix my problems. Most of them, anyway.