January Goals

Ok, so I failed miserably in the month of January. 
I had this great idea that I was gonna blog every day in January.
That did not happen.

But it's not my fault.

It's a little my fault.

But not totally.

It all started on New Years Day. (when I actually got up early and went for a run) Back home, there was no power. Later, after my freezing cold shower, I found out the reason... some partiers had collided with a telephone pole on New Years Eve and knocked out all the power. For 3 days. WTF? And why do we still have telephone poles? Aren't the cables all supposed to be underground now?

Anyway, we did get power back but then my computer crapped the bed.  I had to go get a new one. I had been planning on it for a while, since my old computer was really starting to go slow and the battery pretty much was non existent. (It had to be plugged in all the time).  So I had a few days with electricity but no computer until the weekend when I went and got myself a bright, shiny, new Mac. It's pretty and pink! (They call it Rose-Gold, but whatever. It's pink)

And when I was all settled with my new computer (I call her Rosie) and a power source...my mom got a UTI and then my Dad went in the hospital for 3 days and then went back to the ER a week later and then I was....tired.  And playing catch up for the rest of January. (They are both fine, by the way)

So now, here it is. January 31. I have electricity. And a computer named Rosie. And my parents are doing well. And I have a bit more energy.  Well, at least a ready supply of caffeine and sugar.

But most importantly, it's time for my favorite type of ALL blog posts:  GOALS!!!

1) WINTER WARRIOR CHALLENGE: A local running store had the challenge to run outside every day in the month of January. Success!  (to be fair, there were a few days where I didn't RUN, but WALKED- but those were all 6-10 walks so its all good)

2) READ 1 BOOK A WEEK:  DONE!   

3) HANG OUT WITH A FRIEND I HAVEN'T SEEN IN A WHILE: YEP! One of those epic long walks was with my ol' buddy Wheelie and his cool motorized beach chair. On a 50 degree day in January. Good day

4) DECLUTTERING! PURGE ONE THING A DAY FOR 31 DAYS:  SUCCESS! Incidentally, I don't have a lot of stuff. So why do I have so much stuff?  And do I have a weird obsession with getting rid of stuff?

5) GO TO VERIZON AND GET MY DAMN CELL PHONE BILL LOWERED: FINALLY!  I really can use that extra $20 a month

6) GET TWO PROTOCOLS COMPLETED AT WORK FOR PATIENT CARE: Done.  I know...ZZZZZZZZZ. But needed.

7) COMPLETE ONLINE APPLICATIONS FOR SUMMER PLANS: Finished. All I have to do is wait for the response. Fingers crossed!

8) BLOG DAILY IN JANUARY.  Wellll.........



Overall, a pretty damn good month. Especially since I had a quite a few obstacles thrown in my path.
And tomorrow, I will be up early, posting goals for February! 

Or hitting the snooze alarm 10 times. Whichever.

The Big One!

There’s another thing that’s lead me back to the page. Not just a new year. Not just a new decade. (And incidentally, I’ve been seeing a whole bunch of “the 20’s are starting” memes that are making me want to dress like a flapper and drink like Zelda Fitzgerald!)

But there’s another reason I think I should start the new year roaring! I just had a birthday. I just turned 50. Five-oh. Oh, oh, oh. How the hell did that happen? But here’s the thing- I don’t feel 50. I feel like I’m just hitting my stride. And even though I’ve been a bit slack in the self care department over the past year or so, I’m thinking- this should be my best year yet!

I want to tackle year 50 like Jennifer Lopez!

Look for me in the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show, y’all! I’ll be the one driving a Jeep.

Back Again

Years ago, I started a blog. I had no expectations. I didn’t even really know what a blog was. I just used it as an outlet, a way to express some ideas and get my head on straight. I had been going through a rough patch and sort of lost myself for a while.

The blog turned out to be a wonderful way for me to find myself again. Suddenly, I had a voice again. I had thoughts and dreams and plans and opinions that found their way out on the blog.

And I found some friends along the way, people who turned up every day to read what I had written and whose words I would go and read on their little slice of the Internet.

And then I stopped. I ended up doing many other things that got in the way of blogging:  I thru hiked both the AT and the PCT. I started traveling and worked in North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona. I thru hiked the Arizona Trail. And then I moved back home.

In the midst of all that, my parents started having some health problems. I moved home to help them out a bit more. But somehow, as I spent more and more time helping out my parents, I lost myself again. I feel like for quite some time, I have only existed to help everyone else out.

But as we approach the New Year- the new decade! - I’m determined to find myself again. Back at the blog to write down thoughts, goals, dreams, opinions, plans, and new adventures.

It’s time once again to be JEEP GIRL!

The Revival of "Adventures in Grooming"

Several years ago, when I was a much more regular blogger, I had several categories of blog posts. (Yeah! That's how often I posted. I needed separate categories) But today, for some reason, I was thinking about a category of posts I had long ago called "Adventures in Grooming".

The general gist of it was that I am an absolute slob and have no idea how to doll myself up or even how to complete everyday personal grooming tasks that other people do on  daily basis. (really? full makeup every single morning? ) And though the other general gist of the posts was that I was going to try to be a normal person who engaged in activities like waxing my eyebrows, I quickly decided that I enjoyed running around like she-wolf and dropped both the home spa experiments and the blog post category.

I somehow was able to blend in with normal people in society without changing my ways.

But now, I'm closing in on a BIG birthday in 2019. And I'm setting some big time goals (even bigger than my monthly blog goals). I'm striving to feel good and look good and be the picture of health. I've kind of wrapped my head around the idea that maybe part of looking good is putting a bit of effort into it. And though I still kind of like the idea that I put zero effort into my appearance. I'm willing to try some changes.

And so it begins.....

Christmas Cards

As this weekend comes rolling in with the cold weather, I have only one big thing to accomplish: sending out Christmas cards.

I know, exciting, right? For me, well, yeah. I love sending Christmas cards. 

This is not the case for everyone. I have many friends, colleagues, and clients who dread the thought of sending out cards. For them, it's a tedious task that takes way too long. It makes them frustrated and agitated and frankly doesn't have that much of a payoff. And to those people, I say- "Don't send cards anymore." Cards are certainly not mandatory. If they cause you stress, you should certainly eliminate them from your life.

For me, Christmas cards are a joy. I put on a movie (extra points if it's a Christmas movie), pull out the address book and let the fun begin. 

The time I spend writing a little personal note, addressing the envelope, stuffing and stamping is the time I spend reflecting back on all the good times I've have with the recipient. Which is nice. Especially since there are many names in that address book who I haven't seen face to face in years. It happens.  Some people I've drifted away from as life got busy and we moved in different directions. Some people it was a more intentional break. That happens, too. 

Yet even when I specifically decided that I could no longer have somebody in my life in order to guard my own sanity, I can still send them a Christmas card.

For 3 or so minutes, I can remember this person fondly. I can laugh at little jokes we used to have. I can reminisce about things we did. And I can send out the card with good vibes and long distance loving thoughts. Maybe we're not in each other's lives anymore. But for one brief moment each year, we are in one another's hearts. 

So this weekend, I'll be laughing and smiling to myself, sending out friendly wishes to distant friends. And wrapping it all up with a Santa Claus stamp. 

Merry merry and happy happy

December Goals

Last month of the year, and I'm only 5 days behind!  Actually, I'm not behind. I just had to have a couple horizontal days to stave off really getting sick. It worked, thankfully. And now I can sit down in front of a keyboard without feeling like I'm drifting off into space.

So now I need to get down to earth.

December Goals: 

1) At least 8 glasses of water a day: This really should be automatic by this point in my life. But sometimes when I get stressed, I drink Diet Coke like a meth addict inhaling fumes. Time to start chugging more healthy.

2) All State Licenses Renewed: A must complete goal!

3) 3 Books Read and Passed Along: I was successful with 2 books last month, upping it to 3 now.

4) Once Again, Girl's Nite: Gonna try to include some more people this time!

5) Continue with the Marathon Training and Stretching: Keep up the momentum

6) 30 Day Burpee Challenge: I somehow let somebody convince me to do 1000 burpees this month for some kind of challenge. Doable, but those two horizontal days already messed up my numbers!

7) 2 Group Hikes

8) Start Selling Decluttered Items

9) All Xmas Cards sent out!

10)  Kids Day over their Xmas Vacation

Looking Back at November

November was a humbling experience. It taught me quite a bit about overcommitting and prioritizing.  My big, ambitious goal for November was to declutter the storage area over my parents garage. It turned out to be a much bigger endeavor than I expected.

An entire month to declutter  a storage area seems reasonable, doesn't it? I thought so. But I failed to take into account that the storage area hasn't been cleaned or organized in over 20 years. Once I started, the job just seemed to get bigger and bigger. Boxes piled on boxes piled on even more boxes. I went through them all! I divided all the contents into keeps, throw aways, donates, and gift.  (there were lots of things that had never been used) There's a big pile of "sell" items.

The storage unit is now divided into different zones, instead of all just cluttered together.  The boxes are neatly stacked within the zones. Everything is labeled. Anyone looking for well, anything, can find it easily now.

And I'm exhausted.

The good news is that I did accomplish my big, ambitious goal.

The not so good news is that some of my other goals had to take a back seat.

November Goals:

1) Healthy Eating Plan:  About half credit. I kept up with a good eating plan for about 2 weeks. And then the decluttering took all my free time. BOO!

2) Daily Writing Practice: Big Fat Fail on this one.  December's another chance, though.

3) BIG DECLUTTER: Success. Thank goodness! So many trips to the thrift store. So much tossed in the garbage. And a big pile to sell.

4) Side Hustle in Place: No go on this one.  Sigh.

5) Outdoor Activities: Partial credit. Did two hikes. No runs or family thing. But it did rain a lot this month.

6) Read and Pass Along 2 Books: SUCCESS!  I finished Walking to Listen and The Mother Tongue and gave them to two friends.

7) Marathon Training and Daily Stretching: SUCCESS!  I'm actually on track with this one. And I decided upon a spring marathon that looks pretty fun.

8) Continuing Ed Completed: DONE! Yay! Three in a row is making me feel a little better.

9) Xmas Gifts Purchased: Half done. Gonna finish up this weekend.

10) Another Girl's Night: Success. Or a girl's day, rather. Went to the movies with my besties and Shell's daughter.

So about half completed. Not as bad as I thought.  Feeling a little better and looking forward to December goals.