weekly writing assignment

I have been a little lax lately with MamaKat's assignments. But lucky for me, this week's assignment coincides with a post I had planned for tomorrow. So all I had to do was move it back a day.

Several years ago, I was sitting down to write my annual Christmas letter and I just couldn't do it! I was in a pissy mood from a pissy year and everything I wrote sounded pissy. Then, when I tried to be more positive, I ended up overcompensating and sounding like a lunatic.

In my desperation to put something on paper, I decided to write a top ten list, and the
TOP TEN THINGS I LEARNED THIS YEAR was born. Here's this year's:

(and yes, I do tend to share too much in my Xmas correspondence. That's why people love me.)

Hello Everyone!

Well, 2008 has flown by and once again it is December. I’m still in Massachusetts, still at the same job, and still living in the Garaje Mahal. On the surface, it may seem like not much has changed since last year. But lots of subtle shifts add up to lots of change. And lots of lessons learned. So cuddle up by the fire and get ready for:

THE TOP 10 THINGS I LEARNED IN 2008

1) I WOULD MAKE A HORRIBLE MOBSTER
This should be a no-brainer. I can’t even watch mafia movies because they upset me too much. Casino, Goodfellas, the Godfather: couldn’t watch ‘em because of the violence. Yet, I still had this fantasy that I had a tough side. I let go of that fantasy this year. I could never whack somebody when I can’t even bring myself to kill a rooster. Oh, I hate him!

2) DO NOT EAT DAIRY BEFORE RUNNING A MARATHON
In 2000, I learned not to eat too much fruit before a marathon. I thought I would be safe with dairy at Myrtle Beach. Nope, not so much. Marathons, to me, embody “running” in every sense of the word. Next time -- pasta?

But, there may be no next time for marathons, because:

3) I LOVE TRIATHLONS
In May 2008, I ran a sprint tri in Hyannis and my outlook on life changed forever. Ever felt like you have been overtaken by forces greater than yourself? That’s how I feel about my infatuation with triathlons. (Though I will never do an Ironman. Let’s not get too carried away) In 2009, I plan on doing a half Ironman, though. (No dairy before hand)

4) DO NOT TAKE VITAMINS BEFORE BED
I thought I would try to be a little more health conscious this year, with the above obsession and all. Trying to eat healthy and taking vitamins. Right before bed. I had pretty much resigned to driving myself to the emergency room at 3:00am after about 2 weeks of intense nocturnal heartburn. Then I spied the vitamin bottle. (Oh.) Since I changed the vitamin schedule, I only wake up when the rooster decides I do.

5) I AM POSSESSED BY THE STENCH OF SATAN
This came as a complete surprise. I thought I was possessed only by goodness and light. But on a trip to Montreal in October, I went on a “haunted tour“ and I learned that Satan smells like…eggs. I thought it was just my love of salads and broccoli that caused this smell to follow me around so. Turns out, the devil lives in my colon! Anyone know a young priest and an old priest?

6) ALL GUYS HARBOR A PRINCESS LEIA FANTASY
This Halloween, I went out to a bar with some friends dressed as Princess Leia. It’s amazing how may pick up lines can be generated that include light sabers, “the force“, or a play on the name Princess Leia. It was a long night. Lesson learned.

7) THIS YEAR, I LEARNED HOW TO WALK IN HEELS!
Yeah, most girls master that one by age 13. Not me. But this year, I figured out that sneaker sizes and heel sizes are DIFFERENT! I couldn’t walk in heels because they kept falling off my feet! All I had to do was buy a smaller size. Better late than never. I feel so grown up!

8) CRASHING EVENTS IS FUN!
Prior to this year, I had crashed weddings, bar-b-ques, birthdays, a Thanksgiving dinner, and a company Christmas party where I knew nobody (except the entertainment). This year, I took it to a whole new level by crashing not one, but two separate high school reunions to schools I did not attend for years I did not graduate. I think crashing may be my new thing. Maybe I’ll get a movie deal out of it.

9) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FEMALE “WINGMAN”
Long story. Just trust me on this one.

10) LOVE HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH MEETING ANOTHER PERSON AND MUCH TO DO WITH EMBRACING LIFE

Let’s just say: life is good and love is bountiful.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYBODY! AND HAPPY 2009!

Addictions

How did it get to be December 29th and I almost forgot to post this month's addictions? (Probably the same way it got to be December 29th and I looked at the corner of my windshield on the way to work and noticed that I forgot to get a new inspection sticker. I don't have time before Jan 1st because of my long work days. I am banking on the idea that cops will have their hands too full with all the New Years tomfoolery (excellent word, eh?) to bother with an expired inspection sticker. I'll take care of that on Friday) But, I will take care of the addictions TODAY.

And be sure to check out Brazen from whom I stole the addiction idea.

In December, I was addicted to:

WALNUTS AND CRANBERRIES
I bought a big bag of walnuts and a package of dried cranberries and I have been eating them in absolutely everything! Oatmeal in the morning. Check. Turkey sandwich for lunch. Check. Salad at dinner. Check. Even a peanut butter sandwich in infinitely better with walnuts and cranberries sprinked in.

EGGNOG
After my unfortunate eggnog incident earlier in the month, I got over it and decided to drink as much of this stuff as possible before it went away.

SCENTED CANDLES
Just because.

TOM HANKS MOVIES
Seriously, have there been more Tom Hanks movies on TV in December than ....ever??? I think there is an underground movement to replace Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" as the face of Christmas with Tom Hanks. Of course, I watched them all. Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Cast Away, I even watched Bachelor Party!
(Incidently, even though it's supposed to be funny, I always get a little teary eyed when Ralphie snaps and beats up the bully. What a bad week he must have had to make him spew out all that profanity! I know exactly how he feels. I DO think its funny, though, that Ralphie's mom just walks off and leaves the other kid bleeding in the snow. Oh well.)

FLANNEL JAMMIE PANTS
It's a good thing, too. Since my birthday is in December, I always get about 5 pair of flannel jammie pants for my birthday. Not to mention scarves, fleece vests, warm socks, and bathrobes. I could open a spa!

JUST IN UNDER THE WIRE!

The Artist's Way

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to see Julia Cameron speak at a holistic health conference. At the time, I had never heard of her. I went to the conference to see Deepak Chopra. But several people I knew had recommended going to see her speak.

She was, in a word, magical. I think it was fitting that the room in which she was speaking was, in fact, and old church. To just listen to her speak and look at the sun shining in through stained glass windows...magic.

To anyone not familiar with Julia Cameron, she is an author, screenwriter and poet amongst other things. But her true spark of genius, her passion, if you will, is her workshops to teach creativity. Most of us feel that creativity is something you're either born with or not. But Julia feels that creativity is something we all have, but have learned to repress. Her workshops go through a series of exercises aimed at rediscovering the creative spark we have learned to snuff.

SHe also has a number of books that mimic her workshops. I have, in the past, started the 12 week program in her book, The Artist's Way, but have never really gotten through. I think I got to week 9 a few times.

Anyway, I am going to open the book again in 2009. And to motivate myself, I'm going to dedicate one day per week on the blog to the Artist's Way. (It's like paying to go to a gym, where I HAVE to exercise to get my money's worth. Now the pressure is on since I have made the goal public. I HAVE to finish)

Plus, it might be nice to share the creative journey with other creative folks out there. What do you all do to ignite the creative spark?

One of the most useful monthly goals I had in 2008 was getting rid of one thing every day for one month. It wasn't just the act of purging, it was the process of truly looking at my stuff, deciding what was important for me, and consciously deciding what I needed and what I didn't. Far from feeling like I lost 30 things, I instead felt like I gained space, clarity, and control in my apartment, my mind, and my life.

In 2009, I decided to take it one step further. I am striving to get rid of one thing every day for a year. It seems daunting, but I think once I get started, it'll be fairly easy. (Or, I hope)

It just seems like we all have so much STUFF. Even someone like myself, who regularly purges and tries to live simply, accummulates way more that he/she needs.

This is especially evident around the holidays. My sister in law started a tradition where her kids fill a box with toys they have outgrown or just don't play with anymore. They leave it out on Christmas Eve for Santa to pick up and redistribute the toys to other kids who will enjoy them more. It's a start. Then, there's J, who on December 26 was going through the plethora of matchbox cars that her 2 year old son had received as gifts from various people. She was removing all the cars made in China, since he tends to put the cars in his mouth and she's fearful of lead paint. SHe had seperated the cars into piles and was looking on the internet to determine their safety: "are toys from Malaysia safe? How about Japan?" She looked up at me and said: "You know, it would be so much easier if he got a lot fewer, higher quality cars. I feel bad taking them away, but really, he doesn't need all this."

That's the other side of the coin. In 2008, I had also said I was going to buy myself things that I just never buy for myself. I was successful a few months (high quality sheets, a nice bike) but then I just stopped. It just didn't seem like I should be buying things to treat myself when I was already drowning in stuff. Buying and purging could go hand and hand, though. Get rid of the stuff I don't need, and replace with one or two high quality items that I will really use and enjoy.

So on a weekly basis, in blogfest 2009, I will be documenting my progress in the journey to simplify my life. Wish me luch

Holiday Safety Tip

Holiday Safety Tip From My 10 Year Old Neice:

"Whenever you ride a skateboard, you should make sure to wear

elbow pads, knee pads, a helmet, and Chuck Taylors."

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Today is December 22nd. The one year anniversary of my bloggie. (And the first day the sun stays out a little longer each day)

When I started this journey a year ago, I really was just looking for a way to document a year of self discovery and growth. I wasn't sure if I wanted to share it with anyone. I wasn't sure if it was the stupidest idea I'd ever had. I wasn't sure I'd continue beyond my first entry.

Now, a year later, I find that both the blog and my life have taken off in directions I never could have predicted. I've fallen in love with triathlons, gotten a work certification I didn't think I would, and started venturing out with friends instead of hibernating every weekend. In blog world, I met people whom I now consider friends and sounding boards. I've understood completely different points of view from my own, laughed, cried, hoped, and celebrated along with people thousands of miles away from me.

Mostly, I achieved the one BIG goal I had wanted to accomplish this year: I found my way back to ME. I feel more like myself than I have in a long time, and I think blogging has a lot to do with this.

Over the next year, I'm planning on making some changes to my bloggie. Many are flagrant rip offs from other blogs I've read out there. (I hope that's ok) Some are just ideas that have been floating around in my head for a while. Overall, I envision specific themes for specific days with more room for participation from readers out there. To this point, I haven't put much thought or effort into customizing the blog template at all. Hopefully, that'll change as well. As well as more pictures and embellishments.

What won't change are the monthly goals, the push for self growth, and the snippets of sarcasm and humor.

Lots of plans, lots of expectations. Lots of excitement to see where things go next year. Come along, won't you?

AGE TO WOMEN IS LIKE KRYPTONITE TO SUPERMAN ---Kathy Lette


This week, I've been coming to terms with the fact that on Monday, I turned 39. THIRTY NINE! Thirty nine is tough because it is one year away from being WICKED OLD. It's not like turning 30 when you're only old in a teenager's mind. It's one year away from 40. Which is really, truly old.

The forties: when insecure men trade in the mini van for a sports car and get an ill-advised diamond stud in their ear. The forties: when insecure women botox and lift their faces until they resemble platypuses from outer space. The forties: when unfit men and women start having bypass surgeries and routine endoscopies. When if you are fit and bad-ass enough to make it to the Olympics, everyone assumes you are on more steroids than a race horse. That's one year away!

Generally, I'm not one of those people who have mini-breakdowns on my birthday. It's only a number, after all. The only other time I ever had a problem was when I turned 35. And that was the newspaper's fault.

I had been perusing an article that was discussing a new trend among clothing manufacturers: they were recognizing that if you didn't want to wear low riders with a thong and a baby tee, there wasn't much else out there unless you wanted to resemble a librarian. Since I had recently been on a clothing excursion and couldn't find jeans that would contain more than 50% of my pelvis or a Tshirt that didn't ride up to rib cage level if I lifted my hands up, I was in full agreement with this article. It's about time those clothing manufacturers woke up! It's about time they started targeting women "between 35 and 45". The problem was the title of the article: "Clothing manufacturers target middle aged women."

MIDDLE AGE???? I believe I stopped breathing for a full 90 seconds before I hyperventilated myself into a full fledged conniption. Then I cried for the rest of the day. (Ok, not really)

This time around, there's no newspaper article, just that number, looming on the horizon. And the thought of being WICKED OLD.

Then, on Saturday, I saw a beautiful sight. I saw the GQ magazine with the picture on Jennifer Aniston on the cover. Jennifer Aniston and the striped tie. She's 39. Almost 40.

If that's what 39 looks like, then I'm okay with that.

I stole this meme from Tutu-girl. I'm in a list making mood lately (even more so than usual) with it being 1) my birthday 2) the holidays and 3) the start of a new year. So any time I come across a pre-made list, I jump on it.

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog
2 Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band - gotta dust off that guitar
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/World
8. Climbed a mountain - Mt. Shast and Mt. Washington
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo-- I can't sing
11. Bungee jumped -
12. Visited Paris -
13. Watched a lightening storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. - I'd like to be able to paint and cook
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. - Maybe in 2009
18. Grown your own vegetables. Need to get my own place, first
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France -
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked. Young and dumb. Not anymore
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort - today, actually.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a Marathon -
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run- in T-ball
32. Been on a cruise -
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - my cousin lives there, now. I should go.
34. Visited the homeland of your ancestors - Ireland
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language. - Spanish, but I've lost most of it
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. Does money have anything to do with satisfaction?
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David -
41. Sung karaoke
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa-
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. - They make you do that when you total a car.
47. Had your portrait painted. That just seems weird to me.
48. Gone deep sea fishing. -
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain I'd like to do that again.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie That would be kind of cool
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen - Christmas in San Francisco
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma-
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp -Don't necessarily want to, but feel I should.
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar - salty
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone -do toes count?
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle -
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person. now I want to hike it
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible- years of Catholic school
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating --I'll stick with growing veggies
88. Had chickenpox. -
89. Saved someone’s life. -
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club -
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee
Feel free to steal

Free Hit Counter

Done: 55
Want to do: 31
Don't necessarily want to do: 14

Maybe I should pick 5 or so italicized items to accomplish in 2009??

the best present ever

There have been a bunch of commercials lately doing a take on the "best present ever" idea. They show kids getting their Atari, a pony, the barbie beach house and then fast forward to today where their spouse or significant other presents them with a Lexus. Maybe funny the first time, but the second time? Shoddy. I don't care how much you want a Lexus. NOTHING compares to that BEST PRESENT EVER when you were a kid.

My best present ever was the Christmas I was 7 years old. Santa Claus brought me a two wheeled bike!!! It was beautiful. It was a blue Schwinn with a flowered banana seat and a white basket that had plastic flowers on the front. It had white hand grips with streamers coming out the ends. In my stocking, I got little colored plastic straws that you put on the spokes of the wheels. I was a very precise child. I divided the straws into colors, decided on a pattern, and laid the straws out so I could put them on the spokes in that precise order. There were more straws than there were spokes, so I could put a second straw on every seventh spoke. (Because I was seven years old) This took me the better part of December 26th. Which was a good thing, because it would be months before I could actually ride the thing outside.

I rode that bike every chance I got all spring and summer. It was the 70's, so it was not unusual to let a seven year old take off on a bike for hours on end with her friends. (In reality, I couldn't go past the hydrant half way down Bruce road, the empty lot on Montgomery Drive, or Kristen's house on Fulton Street. But it seemed like I had the run of the land) Shell's bike had a cool flag, Nikki's bike had sparkly pinwheel thingies on the handlebars, but my bike was the best. It had the best banana seat and I could carry stuff in my basket.

I don't think I've ever received a present since that gave me so many hours of joy. Or such a sense of freedom. From the endless hours learning to ride a two wheeler in the spring, to the races we had in the summer, to the countless scraped elbows and knees from falling off the bike; it was like I had been give a mem0ry-maker instead of just a thing.

This summer, I bought myself a bike for triathlons. I love my new bike. I feel like a little kid again when I ride it. But as awesome as my super lite ,carbon fiber, easy shift bike is now, it pales in comparison to my Schwinn. It was the best present ever. Thanks, Santa.

So after Monday's birthday meltdown, I've been thinking that I really need to learn to be more assertive. Not aggressive. Not cranky. Not passive until I have a melt down. Just more assertive so that people don't have to try to guess what I'm thinking as if a crystal ball were standard workplace equipment.

I had wheelchair clinic today and I made the observation that a lot of parents of disabled children have a tendency to come on awfully strong. Awfully aggressive. I'm guessing its from years of being brushed aside and having be pushy to get their needs met. Generally, once they figure out that we are here to LISTEN (they are the expert on their kids, after all. And even though I have that adaptive technology certification and all, they have WAY more day to day experience with wheelchairs than me) Anyway, it was an interesting observation that when we don't feel like we are heard, we feel we need to get pushy. Or have a melt down.

The folks at the wheelchair clinic, of course, have a much greater excuse for expressing themselves in an aggressive way. I really don't have as much as an excuse.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to do, is after the much needed venting yesterday, is to accept my part of the blame. Maybe that should be on my list of goals for next year...become more assertive.

The big question is: HOW, exactly, do I do that?

birthday meltdown

Yesterday was my birthday. ANd I had a melt-down. Not a melt down over the fact that I turned 39. (THIRTY F***ING NINE! HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?) But a melt down over the fact that once again I got a giant load of work dumped on me. Work that was actually taken off of somebody else's schedule and put on mine even though he had 2 hours of free space in the afternoon and I had no free space, no paperwork time, and once again, no lunch.

I basically started hyperventilating and said "No. I can't do it. I can't. I am not going to spend 13 hours at work when I only get paid for 10. I'm sick of it. I won't do it." And stormed off. And stormed back. To get a patient to try to do some kind of treatment with when I was fuming and about to lose it all over again.

I am happy to report that when you have a complete melt down at work, people respond. The schedule has been completely redone and I actually have not only lunches for the rest of the month, but paperwork time.

Happy birthday to me.

Bah Humbug!

"BAH, HUMBUG!" ----Ebenezer Scrooge

Last week, I was a Christmas lunatic, dancing around in holiday glee with candy canes coming out of my ears. This week, I have done a complete 180. It appears that I was far too exuberant with my holiday cheer. The forces of nature have thus conspired to take me down a notch.Only, I didn't come down a NOTCH. Instead, I went from ecstatic to downright grinchtastic.

It started with the eggnog. I love eggnog! Well, not EGGNOG eggnog. Rather, fat-free eggnog. Which, I guess technically isn't really eggnog but rather eggnog-flavored-skim milk-with-some-kind-of-thickening-agent-mixed-in. Put that way, it sounds positively disgusting, but it's actually DEEEEE-licious! Plus, it's only available around the holidays. So on Sunday night, I picked up a festive half gallon for myself.

I didn't actually get a chance to pour myself a glass of the DEEEE-licous fake eggnog until Tuesday night. That's when I discovered that the carton had a tiny hole in the bottom. I did not notice this on Sunday night. I sure noticed it on Tuesday, though! Because every square inch of my refrigerator was covered in eggnog-flavored-skim-milk-with-some-kind-of thickening-agent-mixed-in. It took me about an hour to clean up.

So Wednesday, on my way home from work, I picked up another carton. This time, I inspected the carton thoroughly before taking it home. No holes whatsoever. I open the carton as soon as I got home and poured myself a tall glass of holiday cheer. Not. It had gone sour. Know what bad milk tastes like? It's exponentially worse with eggnog flavor and thickening agent thrown in. It's downright puke-a-licious! It took me about 4 hours to get the taste out of my mouth.

Then, there was my crapulous week at work. Normally, the population of Cape Cod decreases in December when the snow-birds drive south for the winter. Not this year. This year, they are all sticking around. It's busier now than it was in July! And to accommodate all the extra appointments, the scheduling team has been getting creative. Like scheduling appointments right through my lunch break three days this week! WTF? I mean, you have to manually override the scheduling program to do this, so how does somebody NOT notice I don't get a chance to eat not one, not two, but THREE days in one week? (Don't worry, I DID get to eat. But still!)

At the end of the week, I was tying up loose ends and looking forward to next week's schedule to plan ahead. On Tuesday, we are having a department holiday party in place of our usual monthly staff meeting. But on Tuesday, not only was I booked through lunch, I was booked straight through with patients during the staff meeting/party. How the heck do you block off everyone in the entire department except for ONE person? Did I inadvertently tick somebody off? What's the deal? I just sent an email to everyone on the scheduling team to FIX THIS and went home. Geez!

And then there are the parties. Normally, I am all about parties. They are fun. There is food. Everyone has a good time. The thing about parties, though, is that people drink. And sometimes when that happens, people say or do things they normally wouldn't.

I'll be the first to admit that Drunk Heather does some pretty annoying things. Drunk Heather falls down the stairs. Alot. Drunk Heather steals giant sheet cakes. Drunk Heather texts mildly inappropriate picture messages to her friends until they have to turn their cell phones off.

But Drunk Heather is never judgmental. Or condescending. And Drunk Heather never insinuates that others lives are less valid than hers because they are different. Of course, Drunk Heather is sometimes overly sensitive, so maybe sober Heather needs to let it go.

But there's still the lunch fiasco. And the eggnog. So I feel perfectly justified in complaining and making up adjectives to describe my emotional state.

I fully expect to be visited by three ghosts this week. I'll keep you posted.

Reading other people's blogs today made me feel like I had some company. The general theme being: having a craptastic day.
I feel craptastic. I'm overwhelmed and overworked. And I just may have been lied to in a big way. Craptastic, I tell you!

As part of my master plan, and also as a way to combat the holiday feeding frenzy that has officially commenced, I have upped my gym workouts as of late. The good news is that after only 10 days, I am starting to see some results. The bad news is, my body seems to be redistributing all of its extra fat to a 3 inch area right around belly button level. Like an inner tube.

Well, I did say I was getting in the Christmas spirit. I just didn't want to resemble a WHO from down in Whoville.

Holiday Spirit

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR -- Andy Williams

This year, I am replete with Christmas spirit.

Usually, I am not. Usually, it takes me until around December 17th to get in the holiday mood. For whatever reason, this year I am like a shiny-nosed, pointy-shoed, sparkly clad lunatic.

It started the week before Thanksgiving. I had just worked a ridiculously long day and was grumpy, hungry, cranky mood as I drove home. I was angrilly punching at the radio buttons, grumbling that there was nothing on but commericals. Then, I came across a station that was playing...Christmas carols. "It's too early to start this!" I thought. I cannot possibly stand 6 weeks of Christmas carols. Then I cranked up the radio and happily sang along with the Grinch song at the top of my lungs.

The day after Thanksgiving, pulled out a box of Christmas decorations. "It's too early for this!" I thought. I left the box downstairs in the storage area until last weekend. Of course, I only brought it upstairs, I didn't actually unpack it and spread Christmas joy around the Garage Majal. But I thought about it. Happily.

Then, this weekend, it snowed. I didn't actually go out and run around in the snow, but I thought about it. I had some hot chocolate and sat on the sofa, watching movies all day. Thinking about the snow. Happily.

And today, as I trudged out to my car after another long work day, in the freezing, frigid, frosty weather, I wasn't grumpy. I wasn't cranky. (I was hungry) I was actually kind of glad it was cold, in a shivery sort of way. After letting my car warm up, I punched the button to the Christmas station, cranked up the radio, and happily sang along all the way home.

And I'm thinking of putting up the tree.

Happy happy and merry merry.

Today was K's birthday, and Slacker-Boy's last day back east. I got a quick workout in before work, then after work, had cake and ice cream.

It's been a great last few days, reminding me of the days when the four of us were inseparable, camping and going to the beach. It's good hang out with old, dear friends and tell your inside jokes that nobody else understands but make your intimate group crack up like there's no tomorrow.

We also made tentative plans...New Year's 2009 in Hawaii! Who knows if it'll materialize, but it's certainly fun to dream.

December's here!

How did it get so late so soon?

It's night before it's afternoon

December is here before it's June

My goodness, how the time has flewn!

How did it get so late so soon?

---Dr. Suess

It's December. Hard to believe that the year is ending. November fairly flew. In fact, September, October, and November all fairly flew. When I talk like this, I feel old. So, instead, I'll talk about my November goals:

1) Daily working on projects: that's about a half success. The first half of November was on preparing for an exam, the rest diving into the project box...sort of. I mean, I definitely made some headway, but not nearly the sucess of the decluttering from last month.

2) Listen to all those inspirational CD's: another half success. I listened to half of them. Not bad. Not great, but a little inspirational. Successful enough to finish the rest of them in December.

3) Books: half successful. (seeing a pattern here?) I read 3 books from my bookshelf and HALF of Three Cups of Tea. Why can't I read more than a few pages at a time? I actually like this book? I just can't seem to get into it.

4) Training: I have mapped out the triathlon training plan and reopened the triathlon blog.

5) Bust on the Turkey Trot. Too cold.

6) Movies: check. times two.

7) New towels. Half successful.

8) Certification: check

9) Got used to the schedule. love love love it.

December Goals:

1) Every day this month: I will REALLY drink 8 glasses of water. (it may help to wean me off the diet coke, too)

2) I will read: three more books from the bookshelf.

3) I will buy: as few Xmas gifts as possible. Not so much a nod to the economy as a thought I have had kicking around in my head for a while. Going to go the handmade route this year, hence the project goals last month. I, of course, will get something nice for the kids and I am committed to going in for theater tickets for my parents. But for everyone else, the gift baskets.

4) I am going to finish the CD's this month.

5) I am going to go to: the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. I've wanted to do this for so long, and I have never made it there.