Rotten Food.

So I have had really bad luck lately with rotten food. First I had a whole gallon of milk past its expiration date. Yuck! And I just had bought it the day before! Tonight when I was really craving a spinach salad I pulled out my spinach and most of it was slimy and it had a funky smell to it. I picked the good parts out and currently the rest is sitting in my trash can. This really irks me. I would like to keep a well stocked fridge but I don't want to throw out food, that is wasting money!I am being torn between the two sides and I hate it! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!

Also a rotten moment, I was introduced to a bunch of head honchos at the office today. It would have been fine expect two of the people told the whole group that they knew my father or mother. I hate this because I know need to wonder whether they think that I got my job because of my parents and I have my parents repetitions to uphold. Don't get me wrong I want to be like my parents but I wish I was only held to me. And I only thought this was a sibling thing.

As for goals, not really much to report I will brush, rinse and wear my retainers tonight. I also went to the gym today and was able to run actually run a full 20 minutes at speed 6.0-6.1. I am going to try to keep this up! It was amazing!

Thats the TOOTH!

So I have decided that by focusing on one goal a week, it might help me accomplish them better. This week I'm going to be focusing on my teeth. Tonight I not only brushed (typical) but rinsed and flossed! Tomorrow I'm planning on doing the two former but exchanging flossing for wearing my retainers. This way I will keep my beautiful movie star smile. I hoping I will be able to keep this up for the rest of the week.

Tonight I also got word back from Chris that Avenue Q works for her, so I booked the tickets. Now all I need to do is wait until said week make reservations at a nice restaurant and go to theater with her. Yea! More progress on my goals.

I did fall back on making my goal weight however, I binged today on food, I had takeout for lunch and I also made a huge super and then topped that off with Zebra Cakes (multiple packages) for dessert. I hang my head in shame. But I have a very decent excuse for not going to the gym though! There was a blizzard and the road was closed. Tomorrow I will go and give myself a longer then normal work out. Also I was thinking that at the end of this month I could look at the progress I made on my goals, not just my weight,and if I'm not making progress write out how I am going to accomplish them.

For example: My Teeth Regiment consists of:
1.Brushing my teeth twice daily.
2.Rinsing once daily.
3.Flossing or wearing my retainers (on opposing days)

I will accomplish this goal by reasonably thinking about said goal each day and making the effort every day. IF this fails, a visual system might be needed.

Enough for now. I have to be up early tomorrow another day of work.

Figure Skating... hell yeah. I'm such a girl.

I am watching ladies figures skating to see who will represent the United States in the Olympics. Yes, I am that much of a girl. I guess I'm just turning into my mother early in life, she loves Art, so do I, she loves coffee, as do I, she likes figure skating again so do I. Like mother, like daughter apparently. But life today isn't just about figure skating. Life today was about getting year goals and week goals done.

This morning I did a quick clean of the apartment. It gets surprisingly dirty very quickly, but a quick scrub of the tub and the sink and pass with vacuum and it magically gets better quickly. By then it was noon and a quick clean of myself this time I was off to explore my town.

It has been a year goal of mine to explore the little town I have moved to. The problem with living in a small town is not everything is open when you want it to be and the entire town is under snowbanks right now. We are in the dead of winter. The museum was open until 3 and so by getting there at 12:30 I had plenty time to go through it. I didn't need that much time. It only took me until 2:30. There were 3 floors, the first a dedication of the people who settled in the area and what they did, farm. It as charming but at the same time, things I already knew. The second floor was Art, there were a few nice pieces, but nothing of quality that I am accustom too. The third floor was my favorite, it was dedicated to the Native American conflict in 1862. I had studied it, so it had more meaning for me. And the architecture of the building was absolutely beautiful. The brick and wood floors were breathtaking.

From the museum, I drove 30 miles to "the big" city to get to a Best Buy where I could return my bad external hard drive and exchange it for a good one. It was not a painless experience but it could have been worse. Plus the roads were still good shape on the way back (it has been raining all day long (1 inch of rain according to the weather channel!) and the temperature was dropping) so I really can't complain, plus I now have my data backed up. My computer won't crash for a couple of years now because I have everything backed up. Haha Murphy's law take that! So yea! First of many year goals accomplished!

When I got back I backed up my computer, rented some movies because I didn't realize that figure skating was on... and then I actually got off my butt and went to run. I really wasn't in the mood, but thank god I did. I have lost a total of 3 pounds from my starting weight so yeah. But I still have a long way, 27 pounds left to go.

Still have a lot left to do on my goal lists, reading through paperwork, settling down with a book and trying to get some more read on it. But I am making progress.
For example going to Theater with Chris, I have picked a show and a date and I just need her to okay it and we will be going! So yeah. And today I called Julie... so I am keeping in touch with them. Hell I am evening planning on a Best Week Ever 2 with Julie, Christine and Amy. Amy so far is not going for it... but we will see. I am doing little things.

Anyway this is turning into a rambling blog. I best just end it now.

Damn External Hard Drive.

So one of my goals for this year was to get my computer backed up. When I was in town last weekend I bought an external hard drive so I could get this done this week and say good riddance to one goal! Well I was able to install it and drag and drop files on to it. It was a breeze. Then the hard drive wanted me to turn off my computer so it could finish installing. No problem. I turned off my computer and turned it back on. Then when I turned off my computer it said the hardware did not install properly. sigh. The hard drive displays for my C drive but not for my external hard drive (F drive). I can't get it boot up. Now normally I would just run over to Best Buy and return it. The nearest Best Buy is oh 30/45 minutes away! Yeah another reminder that I live in a small town. And I'm having serious issues about returning something that has personal files and pictures on it. Uh. yeah. So my Friday night is all planned out. I'm going to be driving into the city just so I can visit Best Buy... and hopefully I can visit Geek Squad with out cost or just return the damn thing and get a new one... but I will want to make sure it is wiped first.

In other happier news, I was able to uninstall and reinstall Itunes without a mishap. I have the newest,latest and greatest Itunes and it didn't give me problems! Maybe the solution to my computer issues is just staying hopeful and praying while dealing with them? I have heard if you do one thing at a time it helps you be a happier person. I would like to test this out on occasion, as a multitasker sometimes I feel like if I don't get things done I'm not successful but other times it feels that i didn't even get to enjoy the activity I performed. For example I had the TV on tonight and I feel like I really didn't commit to the programs... that I was too focused on Itunes or trying to get the damn hard drive to work.

Instead of going on and on ranting about things that no one cares about I'm going to cuddle up in my bed with a book. See you another night.

Goals for this Week

I am lucky enough to have three homes, where I feel welcome and will always have a bed. They are: my parents home, the lake home and finally my own little place in MY TOWN. Well this weekend I went home to my parents place. I love coming home, it gives me a chance to see all my friends, get shopping done (MY TOWN has limited shopping locations)and go to doctor and dentist. As I said I love coming home, but at the end of the weekend I feel more exhausted then when I started the weekend. I suppose it is because I am trying to get so much done that I don't get to actually sit and rest. I am currently watching the Vikings/Cowboys game and enjoying the quite but at the same time dreading the drive back to MY TOWN after it's completion. I will have the two hour drive plus the 15 minutes of hauling all my laundry, sheets and computer up the stairs and then unpack it all. sigh. But while I am resting and enjoying the Vikings lead I will reflect on my goals for this year.

1)Getting down to my goal weight... my weight has been going up and down by a couple of pounds. But I also have not been consistently exercising or eating right. The goal for this week is to exercise for seven straight days.

2)I have been blogging exactly 3 to 4 times a week. So far with that just keep it up.

3)Skin Regiment... haven't started an actual regiment. But dryness and acme are going down. Will keep using new face wash and putting on lotion.

4)Finances...more problems come up then solved. This week I will be dealing with two financial problems and solving them. I will also be finish the Millionaire next door and hopefully moving on to another financial book and moving forward with what I'm going to do.

5)Backing up my computer. I bought a hard drive this weekend and the plan is to have my computer backed up by the end of the week. My first actual completion of a goal if I get it done.

6)Chris saw my goal list this weekend, and that said I wanted to go theater this year with her. I'm going to look at the schedules for this year and see if they have next years up. We can then maybe start to plan what we are going to do.

Those are the goals for this week. Who knows maybe I'll be ambitious and get more done like reading an educational book or getting another movie watched on my movie list.

I Feel Like Carrie Bradshaw

I'm having a Carrie Bradshaw moment. I am sitting in front of my computer, which is situated on my desk, in front of a window in my apartment on the second floor, facing the main street. I could totally be Carrie Bradshaw of the Midwest. love of shoes? Check. Love of designer bags? Check. Guy issues? Well not now, but I have had plenty in the past so I'm counting that as check!

Anyway now that I have had my Sex and the City moment, moving on to my real life since my Big is not showing up any time soon.

Today as yesterday promised was crazy busy. I was in before seven am, changing the schedule, from 8 to 3 I was following around Danielle.... I'm going to stop myself here. It is 10:40 p.m. and I have to be up at 6 am tomorrow. I'm just going to skip ahead to my sidewalk story and come back to work war stories later maybe tomorrow, Friday or for sure on Saturday.

SIDEWALK WAR STORIES

I normally don't shovel the driveway at home. My entire life my brother or father did it for my mother and I. When I moved to MY TOWN, I moved into a historic home with a plethora of sidewalks. My mother proudly presented me with a shovel for when the time came. First dumping of snow (5 inches), I was fine, I hit the sidewalk with gusto and shoveled myself out. Up to Christmas I was fine, shoveling myself out each time. Well, for those of you who remember the Midwest had a little bit of a snow storm over Christmas. I was fine with this because I had traveled up to my parents home and was safely snuggled in there. I knew that my sidewalk at home in MY TOWN was accumulating snow... but I was hoping a neighbor would be kind and shovel/blow it out for me. I returned Sunday after being gone four days to no such luck. I was up to 8-10 inches of snow. No problem right? My Dad had replaced my Mom's shovel with one with a steel tip edge so it would last longer against the concrete. It wouldn't even get down to the bottom of the concrete! The snow had compacted and formed a nice 2-4 inch layer of ice and on top of that snow. I called my Dad in frustration. His suggestion salt and ice chipper. After running to 3 different stores in town I was the proud owner of a 24 dollar ice chipper and a big jar of salt. I am came back determined to win the war with the sidewalk. The snow on top of the ice took me an hour to clear. Then for the next half hour I tried chipping. The ice chipper just bounced off. I salted. I used it all. Still no love. I called my parents defeated. The sidewalk was clear (sort of) and the city couldn't fine me. I was done. 2 Blizzards and a plunge in to subfreezing weather happened. I cleared my sidewalk each time, using my shovel to scrape snow off the hills of ice beneath. It was pain. The ice still was there. The ice had thought it had won, but low and behold I was forming a plan. Yesterday sun and double digits and a forecast for the next few days to be *gasp* above freezing. My coworkers joked about buying shorts. I came up with a battle plan! I bought salt and cleared the remaining gasps of snow the night before. This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn just to make sure I could salt my sidewalks. After 10 hours in the office, I managed to get home. I thought about climbing straight up to sink into a chair, my window of time had past, I would have to fight another day, but no. I kicked the sidewalk first. Gasp. It was slushy... it would come up. A quick run to my 24 dollar state of the art ice chipper and shovel. With a little effort it came up. I could see my sidewalk again. Tear. I rushed to my stairs leading down the hill. They were already clear thanks to sun and salt. Down to the boulevard sidewalk, a lovely wide expanse of sidewalk with great trees planted next to it. Lovely in every other season, but winter when it becomes a sidewalk that is too wide and a pain in the neck because it is close to the road and the plows just throw snow back into your cleared area. It too had some patches of actual concrete. With a little love the area became bigger and bigger. Now I'm not saying that my entire sidewalk is clear, no. The Christmas ice still lingers in some areas but with salt still left in the bag and warm weather through the weekend all I have to say is I might still win the war! (Congrats if you made it down to this part, reading this must have been a drag for you, but clearing my sidewalk and writing this story has given me so much stratification it scares me.)

Being An Adult

Today I got vacinated for the H1N1 flu. I also got a shit ton of stuff to do at work dumped on me. I'm also on the production floor tomorrow, which means I will have to get up at 4:30 to make sure my sidewalk is ready (aka salted) for the sun to hopefully melt off the ice and snow. Then get to work by 6 so I can try to get some production schedules done then head off to floor by 7, be on the floor all day, before going home to shovel hopefully slushy snow. Oh and then go run so I burn off calories. Sometimes being an adult sucks. I would write more but I need to go prep sidewalk and get some cash so I will have money tomorrow for coffee so I stay awake. ;-) I hopefully will have less of a pathetic entry for tomorrow.

The Cut

The problem of living alone is that when you cook and you cut yourself, you have no one to run to get yourself bandaged up. You also have to cook for one which really sucks. But anyway, I cut myself tonight while chopping avocados. I immediately called my mother who promptly panicked. I suppose it didn’t help that I said I was light headed. After determining via the phone, that I properly didn’t need stitches, (thank god! The hospital is the last place I want to end up) I finished up cooking fajitas and was able to eat. But my plans of cleaning my kitchen and waxing the floor are going to be pushed back until tomorrow when I can bandage my hand more against the chemicals. Tonight I am planning on watching the end of Sleepless in Seattle and reflecting on that fact that I am making progress on my goals. It is not fast progress but it is progress none the less.

Yesterday I ran and I also stopped by the new movie rental place in town. I was able to get three movies for only a dollar and seven cents. How amazing is that!? So I was able to watch half of movie list last night. Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum 2 were a blast and very fun to watch. The only problem was the movie rental place did not have the musicals that I want/need to see to finish up my movie list. So Resolution number 12 still stays on the list.

Today I was able to clean my bedroom and my front room. Get gas in my car and go for a nice long run. Plus the gym was pretty much empty and so it was nice to have it to myself for awhile. I came home and promptly cut myself trying to make dinner and yeah the night is going down hill from there. My plan was to do the dishes before bed, but looking at the time, I'm just going to get up early to do it. So the current plan is to make sure my hand is bandaged well and I will wake up early tomorrow to start cleaning the kitchen and finish things up. Boring and a slow night. What can I say my life is that hip.

Nothing but the TOOTH!

Day Four of my project. Today a blizzard came in this evening. It didn't stop me from going to the gym. I probably went five miles on the elliptical and treadmill. I was all sweaty afterwards and had to pass and acknowledge two coworkers. That is one thing I hate about the small town I live in is running into coworkers when I don't want to. I also weighed myself today. I actually gained a pound, probably because I munched way to much last night and didn't run. sigh. There is progress on other goals however. I have read a chapter in "The Millionaires Next Door" so a step closer to two goals. And with a chapter a day i will finish in seven days. I also moved forward in my teeth regiment. I moved my floss from the drawer in my bathroom right next to my toothpaste. I'm planning on making sure I wear my retainers Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Flossing will be done on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My parents spent a small fortune on my orthodontia work and yes I am vain, I want to keep it that way. I'm also planning on calling my friends and caatching up with Christine or Amy this week. So by my count I working on seven different goals. Good progress for a week in.

Day 2 Whining and Progress

Day 2 of the New Year's Project. It is not easy to accomplish goals when you have to work full time. Also not a fun thing to do, when you live in a subfreezing tundra where it gets down to negative -25. All your energy goes into staying warm or making sure your ride starts in the morning. I kid you not this is what my poor car has to sit in outside. And today instead of focusing on accomplishing my goals this year I called my dealership to see if A) I could get a automatic starter to help me and my car out or option B) see if I could get a block heater, which would help my car out more then me. Both were not options because they would void my 7 year warranty. And I will not do that, it has proven too handy already. Sigh. Okay now that my rant fest is done AND I can't get what I want. I have accepted it. Damn American Instant Gratification. It spoils us, so when we don't get what we want it seems like such a disappointment.

After the whole car diabolical, I focused on my goals. I made it to the gym today to get down to my goal weight. I put in a good 50 minutes and I weighed myself today, I have 30 pounds to go. When you think about that in the short term it seems impossible but when I think about it in the long run, I only have to lose half a pound a week to make that goal. I also was thinking about ways I can slim down. One way is to give up soda, I drink mostly diet but switching to a juice at lunch might give me more energy and is a health er alternative. I can also figure out where to cut calories if straight exercise doesn't work. I figure I would give it a month or two to see where I am weight wise before I change another thing.

For my Goal to get my finances in check I have checked out "The Millionaires Next Door" by Thomas J. Stanley. Not only will it count as an intellectual book for my goal to read 12 intellectual books but it will help educate me on what I might want to do with my finances. I am hoping to have it read by the end of January if not sooner.

I also made my list of what I want to accomplish this week around the apartment which includes cleaning, grocery shopping, waxing the floor and the table. Not necessarily fun tasks, but someone has to do them and since I live alone, it has to be me. But it also includes doing something fun around MY TOWN. I am planning on going to the MY TOWN Historical Society this weekend. It is not 27 places to see on the guide, but I figure they would be a good place to start. And maybe I might do the whole 27 places at once because it sounds like there might be a podcast tour to go along with it. So a nice thing to do in the spring, summer or fall but not when it is below zero.

Anyway, I have dishes to do. I will report more on my goals tomorrow.

The Resolutions

Each year around this time I make my new year's resolutions and for the last couple of years one of my resolutions was to journal for an entire year. Each of the past years I have made this resolution I have failed. This year instead of actually writing in a journal, I have decided going online might be easier. Hence this year I am going to blog for a year. But what to blog about... easy my new year's resolutions and my attempts to accomplish them through the year. So with out further a due my resolutions/goals for this year of 2010.

1. Blog. At least 3 to 4 times a week.
2. Improve on water skiing (getting up on 1 and carving)
3. Snow Ski at least once. ( I use to be really good in High School, all conference 3 times running but since my freshman year of college,I haven't gone skiing. Now I will have no excuses not to!)
4. Keep in touch with friends. (email, call, visiting whatever I have to do to keep in touch with them.)
5. Get my fiances in order by March. (Savings, 401k, and credit card)
6. Back up my computer with an external hard drive by February.
7. Budget to frame at least one piece of art by the end of the year.
8. Go to the theater with Chris at least once this year.
9. Keep up a skin regiment
10. Keep up with my teeth regiment. (This means wearing your retainer on a regular basis)
11. Swim in a Waterfall.
12. Watch my too see movie list.
13. Read 12 intellectual books, not counting book club books.
14. Get down to goal weight.
15. Explore my new home town. This means everywhere on the tourist brochure I have picked up.

So here I have thrown down my challenge for the year. Hopefully tomorrow I can start one one of these.