#59 be open to affection/kiss more boys
remember when i said that i received heaping mounds of affection and that i kissed a boy and that, although the directive was to kiss boys plural, i'd stick with the one and thought he'd stick with me too? yeah, that didn't happen.
so, while i'm not going to give up on #59, i am probably going to stay away from it for a bit.
stupid daisun.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
everyone who came before you or day 554
i have a few not very exciting updates. well, there are things on the list, so maybe they're a little exciting.
#24. start paying student loan again. paid it last month, fingers crossed, i'll do it again this month.
#31. pay off credit card. i've been sending $100 instead of minimum for a few months now. this might be accomplished by early 2011.
#48. get new boots. well, i got my old ones re-soled and dyed, so i think that counts. plus, it saved me roughly $100.
#65. water aerobics. i'm now signed up for my 7th and 8th sessions. go sandie and val. after not going for spring and summer, i NEED it.
#80. get manicures monthly. july, august, and september have been polished.
#24. start paying student loan again. paid it last month, fingers crossed, i'll do it again this month.
#31. pay off credit card. i've been sending $100 instead of minimum for a few months now. this might be accomplished by early 2011.
#48. get new boots. well, i got my old ones re-soled and dyed, so i think that counts. plus, it saved me roughly $100.
#65. water aerobics. i'm now signed up for my 7th and 8th sessions. go sandie and val. after not going for spring and summer, i NEED it.
#80. get manicures monthly. july, august, and september have been polished.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
no one's ever watered me the way you do or day 544
#59, be open to affection/kiss more boys.
this one, which always seemed like work and i refused to force it, has suddenly come effortlessly. i've received heaping mounds of affection and lived to tell and have kissed a boy. i know the directive was to kiss boys, plural, but i'll stick with the one :). i think he's willing to stick with me too.
this one, which always seemed like work and i refused to force it, has suddenly come effortlessly. i've received heaping mounds of affection and lived to tell and have kissed a boy. i know the directive was to kiss boys, plural, but i'll stick with the one :). i think he's willing to stick with me too.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
3 part road trip or day 483
#12. go to austin
and go to austin i did. and san antonio. and memphis. it was an 8 day road trip, with rotating passengers, and sadly, a non-working ipod charger. i can break it into 3 sections; section 1: the emily portion; section 2: the emily and richard portion; and section 3: the richard portion.
saturday was spa day at the watermark. we got there early to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. this time i wisely chose the buffet and had delicious french toast, pastries, eggs, bacon, and sausage. plus never-ending orange juice. we were still pretty early once we were done, so emily got a margarita, which they are apparently known for, and i had, well, more orange juice.
we finished and went upstairs to check into the spa. we shared an elevator with an older, sunburned drunk man who stumbled in and then seemed to forget what to do once the doors opened again. as we were standing in line waiting to check in, he caused more trouble trying to buy a bottle of sunblock, not understanding why he needed to wait his turn to be rung up. either way, it was too late for sunblock and him anyway.
we did wait our turn, quietly, and were escorted up to the changing area, given robes (i hate a robe, btw, but at least this one actually fit me), and shown to the relaxation area/waiting room. i sat down on a puffy settee and read about a paragraph of an interview with anna paquin before i was called for my massage. the massage was lovely. 80 minutes, spanish rosemary, no talking. the music was hilariously new agey, but it always is. then back to the relaxation room for some grapes and water before i was taken for my manicure. the manicure was eh. i get better ones at bien assorti at home for less than half the price. but, this was about pampering and the end result was that i had even more massage, my hands were extra moisturized, and my nails were painted. unfortunately, i ruined that in less than 20 minutes. but, i'm not particularly precious about these matters. c'est la vie.
i wish i had taken a picture of the shower stalls. they were like little turrets and you felt a little like you were in a castle. anyway, it was in getting dressed after my shower that i ruined my nails. stupid zipper. i went down to the spa shop to look at over-priced baubles and waited for emily to finish. when i checked out, i was told that my car had a flat, which didn't surprise me, as it looked low the day before. with help from the valets and a can of fix-a-flat, we were on our way to get richard at the airport.
the emily and richard section
the airport is laughably small and we found richard immediately outside. notably, there were no workers in yellow reflective vests telling us to keep moving. that was a reminder that we were not at home. we got richard checked into his motel and moved onto dinner. the plan for the night was to go to a steak house. i had researched them the night before and found a couple that seemed suitable downtown. sadly, we found that neither of them were accessible. so, we decided to head out a bit toward the suburbs where we had passed a mall with a bunch of restaurants earlier. we ended up at a place called the county line, a small chain serving bbq and steaks. locals probably hate it, but i loved it. the decor was busy like a friday's, but it had more personality than that. it was like a roadhouse. (i'm sure it was nothing like a roadhouse, but that's how i imagine it). we got a bbq sampler as an appetizer, which had turkey, brisket, sausage, baby back ribs, and beef ribs. the turkey, sausage, and baby backs were divine. i got a steak and veggie kabob for dinner, with garlic mashed red potatoes (mmm) and an order of homemade wheat bread with honey butter for the table. for dessert i had pecan pie, which was a little disappointing.
while waiting for me to get out of the bathroom, emily and richard made a friend:
i believe his name was mike. he was the restaurant security guard. oh yeah, that was something we noticed: san antonio restaurants had security. we weren't sure whether the be happy or sad about that.
we headed back to san antonio and decided to try to drive by the alamo. we eventually found it, it's very small. during our search, we also found hemisfair park, which contained a space needle similar to the one in seattle. emily looked it up and it turns out that it was erected for their world's fair in 1968. we were very sad that we didn't know about the restaurant in the needle prior to eating dinner, although i did really enjoy county line. we dropped richard off at his motel and made our way back to ours for sleep and more bad cable.
sunday morning, emily was leaving for home, so it was another trip to the airport. we checked out, got richard, and attempted to find some breakfast. this was surprisingly difficult, as restaurants, even those serving breakfast, seem to not open until 11, likely after church. we ended up at the cafe in a whole foods, which turned out to be just fine. afterward, we dropped emily off and headed to walmart for another can of fix-a-flat, just in case. thankfully, we did not have to use it. emily called to let us know her flight was cancelled, but she got a later one and all was well.
richard and i headed to live oak for a wrestling show, which was the original reason for this trip, aside from going to austin being on this list. we stopped for lunch at a fairly nondescript chain, although they did give the option of fries, onion rings, or a mix of both for a side and then onto hooligan's (kinda trashy, suburban bar) for the show. This was ACW's Queen of Queens, so mainly women, with some men's events thrown in for entertainment's sake. i do not pretend to know anything about wrestling, as this was my 3rd show. i can tell you that there was no blood this time, which was nice. i was in the line of fire for that last few matches, namely the main event, where the ladies were literally wrestling against my chair. i'm sure there's a picture forthcoming. basically, it was spending the afternoon in a bar, drinking diet cokes, and watching more people in spandex than the average day. richard had many lone stars and made friends with a guy named bowie (bew-ie). sadly, i didn't think to take a picture.
after hanging with bowie for a bit, we said our goodbyes and headed to austin. and we got kinda lost. not really lost, but we weren't on the right road at all. we were going the correct way. 2 gas station stops for directions, a twix, and lone star later, we made it into austin. we checked in to our motel and headed for yet another off the daisun list, casino el camino. while walking to the bar, we saw an alley cat, which richard promptly (and drunkenly) chased in hopes of catching. this did not actually happen. i had left a facebook message for chad saying i was in town and got a swift response saying he'd meet us. within 10 minutes, chad and his friend, anik joined us for hot dogs and drinks. chad also told me that casino el camino was the sister bar to delilah's back home. nice. we hung with them for a bit there, moved down the street to another bar called the jackolope. after 1 more drink, we said goodbye and headed back to the motel.
in the morning, richard and i headed to juan in a million for giant breakfact tacos. please observe:
delicious, although i ate *maybe* 3/4 of one of those. very filling.
we spent the rest of the day driving randomly. we stopped in a few stores, including toy joy, which daisun described accutately as uncle fun on steroids. they also had vegan frozen yogurt. the flavor of the day was pink lemonade and it was refreshing. we checked out the capital and the university (in a driving by kind of way). we decided to get a jump on traffic, so we left around 4 and headed to dallas (technically, grenville). on the way, oh my god, i was so excited, we stopped at SCHLOTZSKY'S! i couldn't believe my eyes when we first drove into texas and saw that they still have them there. emily hates it or i would've gone already at this point. richard had never tried it before, so i was hoping he'd like it. and he did. i was in heaven. i wanted to get 2 sandwiches, but i knew that would just be bad. so, i settled for 1-my favorite-smoked turkey. they didn't have horseradish, but they did have black pepper potato chips, so it didn't matter. we left, with me in a state of schlotzsky's euphoria, and headed to greenville. i don't remember much that was terribly eventful about the drive except for the fact that greenville was farther past dallas than i had thought and that we had to stop at a lowe's to pee. then it was another motel 6 and probably more random cable tv.
tuesday, we were off to memphis to see daisun. the drive was again, uneventful. i can't even remember what we ate on the way. the main thing to know is that once we got there, these things happened: #1 daisun came to our hotel and picked us up, which was awesome since i'd been driving for 7 days at that point; #2 i had the BEST fried chicken of my life; #3 richard had 2 40s with said fried chicken, and #4 i had the most fun i had had on the whole trip having diet cokes with daisun, his friend scott, and richard at a bar called murphy's. it was a lovely way to end it.
wednesday, we drove the remaining 9 hours home with cheap trick on the stereo, a stop at culver's, and a surprising rush of cool air once in the chicago area. that was a welcome change from the 100 degree days we had been experiencing.
sorry it took me a month to get this up :)
and go to austin i did. and san antonio. and memphis. it was an 8 day road trip, with rotating passengers, and sadly, a non-working ipod charger. i can break it into 3 sections; section 1: the emily portion; section 2: the emily and richard portion; and section 3: the richard portion.
the emily portion
we left chicago on a wed afternoon, narrowly missing the horrendous storms and tornadoes that came thru the area a bit later that day. for us, it was only sunshine and fields of corn. we drove 9 hours to west memphis, arkansas. there aren't any real highlights from that day, except for emily wanting to kill people at mcdonald's somewhere in the middle of illinois and me having taco bell for dinner. oh and watching the video for "are you ready for the sex girls" on emily's phone while driving, somewhere in missouri.
the next day, we stopped at a diner for breakfast that also had a buffet. already we knew we were in the south-the "y'alls" and "darlins" had begun. i, for one, enjoyed it. somehow, i skipped the breakfast buffet and ordered pancakes. the drive that day was the rest of the way to san antonio or about 12 hours. we ate at olive garden in texarana, tx, as is our road trip tradition. we saw a flying saucer gift shop in italy, tx called "starship pegasus". 
sadly, it was not open. but when we pulled in to take the picture, a young man emerged from a shed behind the saucer, gave us his card, and asked us to please e-mail him any pictures we took. the gas station across the street had a sign boasting free samples of the best beef jerky in texas. oddly, i did not go in. we stopped at dairy queen and had a funny conversation with the young girl behind the counter about all the cool things to do in san antonio. the six flags water park and "big movie theaters" were among her list of must do items.
we hit a bit of a snag in the last hour of driving when we stopped at the world's slowest mcdonald's drive thru for professional sodas. i think we sat there for literally 30 minutes. and before you ask why we didn't just leave, it was the kind of drive thru you couldn't get out of once you were in. i wanted to be anywhere but there. the people in the car in front of us were drunk and it seemed like the workers in the store were too.
we hit a bit of a snag in the last hour of driving when we stopped at the world's slowest mcdonald's drive thru for professional sodas. i think we sat there for literally 30 minutes. and before you ask why we didn't just leave, it was the kind of drive thru you couldn't get out of once you were in. i wanted to be anywhere but there. the people in the car in front of us were drunk and it seemed like the workers in the store were too.
the second snag came when we got to san antonio. we arrived at the motel 6 where i had reserved the room and found that our room had been given away. it was frustrating and moods weren't good, but we did find a travelodge for that night, and although it was less than savory, it sufficed and no one perished.
friday morning, after checking out of the travelodge and a quick run to the motel 6 to make sure our room was secured for the rest of our stay, we headed to the "daisun recommended" blue star brewery. we got there too late for breakfast, which kinda bummed me out, but they did have 6 different, housemade craft sodas in their gun, so i couldn't complain. i got fish and chips and had a bite of emily's coconut cream pie. after lunch, we drove around the area and tried to see if there was any fun shopping, coffee shops, etc. we didn't really find anything and soon we were in the suburbs. so we went to target, of course. we also passed this awesome, old ass pizza hut sign:
after getting some fruit, sunblock, a box of wine and 2 liter of coke (for emily) and vitamin water (for me) at target, we decided to check into the motel and spend the afternoon in the a/c. it was 105 degrees out and humid. i had chosen this particular motel 6 because it was one that had a groovy new, mod makeover. it really did look like this:
i spent the afternoon eating grapes, laying on the bed, and watching a "say yes to the dress" marathon (i don't have cable, cut me some slack), and emily went to the pool. we decided to get an early dinner at another of daisun's recommendations, a mexican place called jacala. it was kinda out of the way, but worth the trip. we ended up sitting outside, under a covered patio that was semi-air conditioned by a ginormous, freon pumping fan. that was fine with the exception of the flies. but the ramp into the restaurant looked dangerous and a huge party was arriving, so it seemed like the best option. i ordered the #7-ladies special, which consisted of 2 beef puffy tacos (think masa patties deep fried) and 2 cheese enchiladas. emily had some sort of chicken thing, which she wasn't impressed with. we also split an order of pork tamales, which were tasty. everything we had did seem to be covered in hormel chili, but i didn't mind so much. i finished with flan, which was just fine.
we called it an early night partly because it was really still oppressively hot out and partly because the next day was going to be kind of early. i'm sure emily went right to sleep and i'm sure i watched some questionable show on cable.
saturday was spa day at the watermark. we got there early to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. this time i wisely chose the buffet and had delicious french toast, pastries, eggs, bacon, and sausage. plus never-ending orange juice. we were still pretty early once we were done, so emily got a margarita, which they are apparently known for, and i had, well, more orange juice.
we finished and went upstairs to check into the spa. we shared an elevator with an older, sunburned drunk man who stumbled in and then seemed to forget what to do once the doors opened again. as we were standing in line waiting to check in, he caused more trouble trying to buy a bottle of sunblock, not understanding why he needed to wait his turn to be rung up. either way, it was too late for sunblock and him anyway.
we did wait our turn, quietly, and were escorted up to the changing area, given robes (i hate a robe, btw, but at least this one actually fit me), and shown to the relaxation area/waiting room. i sat down on a puffy settee and read about a paragraph of an interview with anna paquin before i was called for my massage. the massage was lovely. 80 minutes, spanish rosemary, no talking. the music was hilariously new agey, but it always is. then back to the relaxation room for some grapes and water before i was taken for my manicure. the manicure was eh. i get better ones at bien assorti at home for less than half the price. but, this was about pampering and the end result was that i had even more massage, my hands were extra moisturized, and my nails were painted. unfortunately, i ruined that in less than 20 minutes. but, i'm not particularly precious about these matters. c'est la vie.
i wish i had taken a picture of the shower stalls. they were like little turrets and you felt a little like you were in a castle. anyway, it was in getting dressed after my shower that i ruined my nails. stupid zipper. i went down to the spa shop to look at over-priced baubles and waited for emily to finish. when i checked out, i was told that my car had a flat, which didn't surprise me, as it looked low the day before. with help from the valets and a can of fix-a-flat, we were on our way to get richard at the airport.
the emily and richard section
the airport is laughably small and we found richard immediately outside. notably, there were no workers in yellow reflective vests telling us to keep moving. that was a reminder that we were not at home. we got richard checked into his motel and moved onto dinner. the plan for the night was to go to a steak house. i had researched them the night before and found a couple that seemed suitable downtown. sadly, we found that neither of them were accessible. so, we decided to head out a bit toward the suburbs where we had passed a mall with a bunch of restaurants earlier. we ended up at a place called the county line, a small chain serving bbq and steaks. locals probably hate it, but i loved it. the decor was busy like a friday's, but it had more personality than that. it was like a roadhouse. (i'm sure it was nothing like a roadhouse, but that's how i imagine it). we got a bbq sampler as an appetizer, which had turkey, brisket, sausage, baby back ribs, and beef ribs. the turkey, sausage, and baby backs were divine. i got a steak and veggie kabob for dinner, with garlic mashed red potatoes (mmm) and an order of homemade wheat bread with honey butter for the table. for dessert i had pecan pie, which was a little disappointing.
while waiting for me to get out of the bathroom, emily and richard made a friend:
i believe his name was mike. he was the restaurant security guard. oh yeah, that was something we noticed: san antonio restaurants had security. we weren't sure whether the be happy or sad about that.
we headed back to san antonio and decided to try to drive by the alamo. we eventually found it, it's very small. during our search, we also found hemisfair park, which contained a space needle similar to the one in seattle. emily looked it up and it turns out that it was erected for their world's fair in 1968. we were very sad that we didn't know about the restaurant in the needle prior to eating dinner, although i did really enjoy county line. we dropped richard off at his motel and made our way back to ours for sleep and more bad cable.
sunday morning, emily was leaving for home, so it was another trip to the airport. we checked out, got richard, and attempted to find some breakfast. this was surprisingly difficult, as restaurants, even those serving breakfast, seem to not open until 11, likely after church. we ended up at the cafe in a whole foods, which turned out to be just fine. afterward, we dropped emily off and headed to walmart for another can of fix-a-flat, just in case. thankfully, we did not have to use it. emily called to let us know her flight was cancelled, but she got a later one and all was well.
richard and i headed to live oak for a wrestling show, which was the original reason for this trip, aside from going to austin being on this list. we stopped for lunch at a fairly nondescript chain, although they did give the option of fries, onion rings, or a mix of both for a side and then onto hooligan's (kinda trashy, suburban bar) for the show. This was ACW's Queen of Queens, so mainly women, with some men's events thrown in for entertainment's sake. i do not pretend to know anything about wrestling, as this was my 3rd show. i can tell you that there was no blood this time, which was nice. i was in the line of fire for that last few matches, namely the main event, where the ladies were literally wrestling against my chair. i'm sure there's a picture forthcoming. basically, it was spending the afternoon in a bar, drinking diet cokes, and watching more people in spandex than the average day. richard had many lone stars and made friends with a guy named bowie (bew-ie). sadly, i didn't think to take a picture.
after hanging with bowie for a bit, we said our goodbyes and headed to austin. and we got kinda lost. not really lost, but we weren't on the right road at all. we were going the correct way. 2 gas station stops for directions, a twix, and lone star later, we made it into austin. we checked in to our motel and headed for yet another off the daisun list, casino el camino. while walking to the bar, we saw an alley cat, which richard promptly (and drunkenly) chased in hopes of catching. this did not actually happen. i had left a facebook message for chad saying i was in town and got a swift response saying he'd meet us. within 10 minutes, chad and his friend, anik joined us for hot dogs and drinks. chad also told me that casino el camino was the sister bar to delilah's back home. nice. we hung with them for a bit there, moved down the street to another bar called the jackolope. after 1 more drink, we said goodbye and headed back to the motel.
in the morning, richard and i headed to juan in a million for giant breakfact tacos. please observe:
delicious, although i ate *maybe* 3/4 of one of those. very filling.
we spent the rest of the day driving randomly. we stopped in a few stores, including toy joy, which daisun described accutately as uncle fun on steroids. they also had vegan frozen yogurt. the flavor of the day was pink lemonade and it was refreshing. we checked out the capital and the university (in a driving by kind of way). we decided to get a jump on traffic, so we left around 4 and headed to dallas (technically, grenville). on the way, oh my god, i was so excited, we stopped at SCHLOTZSKY'S! i couldn't believe my eyes when we first drove into texas and saw that they still have them there. emily hates it or i would've gone already at this point. richard had never tried it before, so i was hoping he'd like it. and he did. i was in heaven. i wanted to get 2 sandwiches, but i knew that would just be bad. so, i settled for 1-my favorite-smoked turkey. they didn't have horseradish, but they did have black pepper potato chips, so it didn't matter. we left, with me in a state of schlotzsky's euphoria, and headed to greenville. i don't remember much that was terribly eventful about the drive except for the fact that greenville was farther past dallas than i had thought and that we had to stop at a lowe's to pee. then it was another motel 6 and probably more random cable tv.
tuesday, we were off to memphis to see daisun. the drive was again, uneventful. i can't even remember what we ate on the way. the main thing to know is that once we got there, these things happened: #1 daisun came to our hotel and picked us up, which was awesome since i'd been driving for 7 days at that point; #2 i had the BEST fried chicken of my life; #3 richard had 2 40s with said fried chicken, and #4 i had the most fun i had had on the whole trip having diet cokes with daisun, his friend scott, and richard at a bar called murphy's. it was a lovely way to end it.
wednesday, we drove the remaining 9 hours home with cheap trick on the stereo, a stop at culver's, and a surprising rush of cool air once in the chicago area. that was a welcome change from the 100 degree days we had been experiencing.
sorry it took me a month to get this up :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
crack free, suckas or day 458
oh, it's been over a month since i wrote anything. sorry val. i don't have a lot to report, although i did accomplish goal #95, which was to replace my cracked windshield.
not too shabby, right?
i've done more research about green mountain and discovered that the facilities are not accessible. this lead me to more weight loss spas and i found that most of them are also not accessible. what the fuck, man? can a disabled fatty get a break?
not too shabby, right?
i've done more research about green mountain and discovered that the facilities are not accessible. this lead me to more weight loss spas and i found that most of them are also not accessible. what the fuck, man? can a disabled fatty get a break?
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
oh my heart and lungs! or day 419
it's spring which can only mean it's time again for the annual doctor parade. and a parade it is! last week, i had my annual cardiologist and pulmonologist appointments, which were #20 and 21 on the list. my heart and lungs are fine, as i has expected, but it's nice to have hard evidence. plus, i got to put a thing that looked not unlike a nipple clamp on my nose, sit in a weird chamber, and blow into a apparatus to measure my lung capacity and strength. this doesn't happen every day. this week, i went to my muscle speialist, which doesn't fulfill anything on the list, but i thought i'd mention it. i'm apparetnly stronger than i was 2 years ago and more or less have permission to never walk up stairs again if i don't want to. i felt like a wee bit of a failure because i couldn't last weekend at val's, but i was assured that my muscles have been deconditioned since i moved and don't use stairs anymore. when asked if i felt like i needed to, i realized, no. no i don't. screw you stairs!
#12 on the list is to go to austin. i've updated that to in process because i have a road trip planned for the end of june. it will include a spa, bbq, wrestling, and daisun-although not all of these things at once.
#12 on the list is to go to austin. i've updated that to in process because i have a road trip planned for the end of june. it will include a spa, bbq, wrestling, and daisun-although not all of these things at once.
Friday, April 16, 2010
1 song per disc or day 400
not too much to report, but i wanted to update the little bit i've got. #35 was to read 10 books in 2010 (which is not many) and i started my first one this week. it's an uncorrected proof of a book being published next month called "my name is memory". i like the premise, but it might be cheesy. basically a teenage boy remembers all his past lives and keeps falling in love with the same girl, but their love is always thwarted somehow and in this life, he's determined to be together. i dunno. it reminded me of "time traveller's wife", which i loved, so i'll keep you posted.
#93 was to get my computer set up and start downloading music and making cds. it is set up and i've started to download. i've even tried to make cds, but i'm having a problem burning more than the first song on the list. will try to troubleshoot this weekend.
#93 was to get my computer set up and start downloading music and making cds. it is set up and i've started to download. i've even tried to make cds, but i'm having a problem burning more than the first song on the list. will try to troubleshoot this weekend.
Monday, March 29, 2010
i'm writing this in my kitchen or day 381
#94-get internet access at home-DONE! i finally cleaned out my spare room and unearthed my computer. richard gave me a usb cord today and when i got home, i set everything up and was delighted to find that someone close by has an open wifi connection. woohoo! free internet in my kitchen. i will probably try to set this up elsewhere, as the my monitor is sitting on a chair and my mouse and keyboard are on a tv tray. for the moment, it's fine.
#47-buy $300 dream shoes-DONE! and i got them on sale for $222! that plus $10 shipping and my trippen vivennes were at my door in 4 days. they are spectacular.
also, i got a manicure in march, so living up to once a month for the year. this week, i will get my new license plate sticker before the end of the month.
ooh! i've also made food at home a little. last week was polenta with fresh mozzarella, roast peppers, mushrooms and eggplant. i also made a pizza with the same basic ingredients. by the time i got around to eating taht, it was kinda gross though. this week was tacos and tomorrow night, spinach and pico enchiladas.
#47-buy $300 dream shoes-DONE! and i got them on sale for $222! that plus $10 shipping and my trippen vivennes were at my door in 4 days. they are spectacular.
also, i got a manicure in march, so living up to once a month for the year. this week, i will get my new license plate sticker before the end of the month.
ooh! i've also made food at home a little. last week was polenta with fresh mozzarella, roast peppers, mushrooms and eggplant. i also made a pizza with the same basic ingredients. by the time i got around to eating taht, it was kinda gross though. this week was tacos and tomorrow night, spinach and pico enchiladas.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
362 days or day 362
in my last two blogs, i went through the entire list and wrote about what i'd accomplished, failed to accomplish, still have to accomplish, had excuses for why i can't accomplish, etc. here are the numbers:
30 items have been completed
16 items are in the process of being completed
8 items have been attempted and failed and it's OK
47 items need to be started
so there you have it.one thing i accomplished this week is opening a savings account, so i have a whole $20 saved so far!
30 items have been completed
16 items are in the process of being completed
8 items have been attempted and failed and it's OK
47 items need to be started
so there you have it.one thing i accomplished this week is opening a savings account, so i have a whole $20 saved so far!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
where was i or day 358
onward...
53. go to green mountain retreat. this one is one of the huger (is that a word?) ones both because of the cost and the amount of dedication and possible life changingness of it. green mountain is a weight loss spa and retreat in vermont. i found them when doing research on getting myself into a biggest loser type situation, but not televised and, perhaps, less mean and aggravating. it sounds so good. you can stay anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks and it's essentially rehab for dealing with food issues. my plan is to stay for 2 weeks. 3 would probably be better, but it's so expensive and i know myself well enough to know that i'll probably start to lose my mind after 2 weeks anyway. my goal is to be able to do it by october-november of this year.
54. do something real with "fan of the banter". this one is kinda sad. it's been downgraded to tried and failed simply because my partner in FOTB is not really around anymore. there was a brief glimmer of hope last summer when he suggested we apply to do a show on CHIRP, but that never happened.
55. drink 8 or more glasses of water a day. this should be basic and i used to be really good with it. i am reaching for my water bottle as i type.
56. straighten and tidy apartment before it becomes a project. this one i think is a success. i always have things that could be put away, but in my new place, hanging my clothes up is easy, so no more bathroom piles. my kitchen table is still a holding area for items, but with the pantry right there, those items get put away much more quickly than they would've before.
57. buy a skirt. i'm thinking a denim pencil skirt, but we'll see. i might do something a little fancier, since i need something for susana's wedding.
58. find an everyday necklace. i go through this yearly and usually about this time. i want a necklace, although i haven't worn one regularly in many years. i see lots, but none are quite right. i used to have this great green stone necklace. it was just small beads but i loved it. i lost it soon after i got it.
59. be open to affection, which used to be kiss more boys. eh, i dunno. i'm not against it, but it's been a very long time since i met someone i'd bother with. i don't know if that's because of me or them. it's not a really strong desire but at the same time, kissing and affection are pretty nice things. i guess i'm at odds about this one.
60. try to find a new band/music to get into every month. i think i will expand that to also buying a new cd every month. again, this used to be like breathing for me.
61. get drunk once. this one has also be demoted to tried and failed, although i didn't even try. when i made this list a year ago, there was a certain camaraderie involved in this item. that seems to have fallen to the wayside and i don't think i ever really intended for it to happen anyway.
62. eat wendy's less often. this one was fairly easy because wendy's got kinda gross. i do have to eat far less fast food in general though.
63. wake up and get out of bed at least an hour before i have to leave. urgh, hate it. but, trying.
64. pay overdue library fines. i swear, next paycheck.
65. take a water aerobics class. well, since i wrote this, i've signed up for a total of 6. val and i have been going for the last year and moved up to twice a week in fall. woo hoo.
66. learn photoshop. this is another tried and failed. i just don't get it and i've decided that it's ok that i don't.
67. put all loose photos into an album. i'm actually in the mood to do this. i just need some time and some albums.
68. get massages seasonally. from spring 09-winter 10, i accomplished this and plan to do it again this year.
69. get allemande left tattoo. i've been thinking about this lately and might try to do it in may.
70. go to las vegas. ok. hopefully with lisa.
71. do one crazy, random spur of the moment thing that comes up. i don't think i've done this yet. i'll keep you posted.
72. visit traci in england. it would be nice, but too expensive for this year for sure. maybe 2011.
73. organize desk and personalize. done baby, with pictures of miles hunt to prove it.
74. see a blur reunion show. this kinda depends on blur. it looked like they might tour after the shows in london last year, but i haven't heard anything about it in some time. i should go look and see if there's anymore info.
75. apply to sell stuff at renegade. this year might be too soon, both for $ and production, but i will certainly keep it in mind for 2011.
76. make a shadowbox. i did and gave it to lorna.
77. become better with direction. i'm not naturally good at knowing where i'm going, but i'm getting a little better. plus, i added google maps to my phone. when i got lost in pittsburgh, i mean desperately lost, i managed to find my way back to my hotel thanks to that.
78. stop incurring overdraft fees. i went for a couple months without and then i was in the hospital and missed work, so i got below again. this pay period, i did not have one and i'm hoping to start a trend.
79. find a pilates or yoga class that is adaptable to me. i haven't done this yet and i think it would be a nice thing to add this summer.
80. get manicures monthly. i got one in january and a pedicure in february. looking forward to one in march.
81. masturbate more. really? yeah.
82. become a better public speaker. last year, ILL did a presentation for ASID, which was scary, but i did it. we had to take a day long workshop, which was really helpful and i think i mostly conquered my fears. i guess i did alright because i was asked to be a reviewer for presentations this year.
83. pay car off. slow and steady, but it will happen. i think i have 2 more years at the current payment. hopefully, i can get to the point of paying more.
84. go on a serious spa weekend. read 2 blogs ago.
85. go to an indorr water park in the dead of winter. i've missed that for this winter, but aiming for next and again, with lisa most likely.
86. renew plates on time. that's coming up at the end of the month. will write myself a note.
87. join a gym. this would be nice and i haven't looked into it in awhile. will do so after this.
88. advance a level in my job. eh. this seemed more appealing when i was excited about the potential for applying for the head of reference job. the more i thought about it, even as nice as the money would be, i'm happy here in ILL for the moment.
89. start keeping track of food in a journal. i did this and realized after 3 months that it doesn't really make me think one way or another ab out what i'm eating. and i also discovered that even on the days when i went "over" what i should've been eating, it wasn't by very much. so, this is another one that is done.
90. take a random weekend trip to a place i've never been. ok, it wasn't random as such, but i did go to pittsburgh, which is a place i had never been.
91. find a recipe for fudge foldovers and add to x-mas repitoire. i found the recipe, but haven't made them yet. i didn't even made rumballs this year. stupid vertigo.
92. figure out how to make hopscotchies. ditto.
93. get computer set up and make mix cds. i keep saying i'm going try doing that. maybe after work today...
94. get at home internet access. i'm hoping to "steal" wifi in my building, but we'll see.
95. get windshield replaced. seriously. i've gotten 5 cracked windshiled tickets. i should really do this.
96. sit on front patio/back yard. well, i no longer have either of these things, so i guess that's a fail.
97. buy chairs for patio. ditto.
98. buy a new matress. i did and i wish it were a little firmer, but yay.
99. visit kim in indiana. i tried really hard to make this happen, but she seems to be very busy.
100. start thrifting/vintage shopping again. indeed. lorna has asked to do this with me so i think as soon as it's a little nicer out, we'll make a day of it.
101. create 5 things for people before the end of 2009. i did 4. jarvis for therese, luka for shelley, shadow box for lorna, and pasties for saro. i never made anything for eva. sorry eva.
ok, that's the list in (almost) a year review. i've done 30 things and have several more in process. not too shabby. looking forward to doing this in an another year and seeing how much more i've done.
53. go to green mountain retreat. this one is one of the huger (is that a word?) ones both because of the cost and the amount of dedication and possible life changingness of it. green mountain is a weight loss spa and retreat in vermont. i found them when doing research on getting myself into a biggest loser type situation, but not televised and, perhaps, less mean and aggravating. it sounds so good. you can stay anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks and it's essentially rehab for dealing with food issues. my plan is to stay for 2 weeks. 3 would probably be better, but it's so expensive and i know myself well enough to know that i'll probably start to lose my mind after 2 weeks anyway. my goal is to be able to do it by october-november of this year.
54. do something real with "fan of the banter". this one is kinda sad. it's been downgraded to tried and failed simply because my partner in FOTB is not really around anymore. there was a brief glimmer of hope last summer when he suggested we apply to do a show on CHIRP, but that never happened.
55. drink 8 or more glasses of water a day. this should be basic and i used to be really good with it. i am reaching for my water bottle as i type.
56. straighten and tidy apartment before it becomes a project. this one i think is a success. i always have things that could be put away, but in my new place, hanging my clothes up is easy, so no more bathroom piles. my kitchen table is still a holding area for items, but with the pantry right there, those items get put away much more quickly than they would've before.
57. buy a skirt. i'm thinking a denim pencil skirt, but we'll see. i might do something a little fancier, since i need something for susana's wedding.
58. find an everyday necklace. i go through this yearly and usually about this time. i want a necklace, although i haven't worn one regularly in many years. i see lots, but none are quite right. i used to have this great green stone necklace. it was just small beads but i loved it. i lost it soon after i got it.
59. be open to affection, which used to be kiss more boys. eh, i dunno. i'm not against it, but it's been a very long time since i met someone i'd bother with. i don't know if that's because of me or them. it's not a really strong desire but at the same time, kissing and affection are pretty nice things. i guess i'm at odds about this one.
60. try to find a new band/music to get into every month. i think i will expand that to also buying a new cd every month. again, this used to be like breathing for me.
61. get drunk once. this one has also be demoted to tried and failed, although i didn't even try. when i made this list a year ago, there was a certain camaraderie involved in this item. that seems to have fallen to the wayside and i don't think i ever really intended for it to happen anyway.
62. eat wendy's less often. this one was fairly easy because wendy's got kinda gross. i do have to eat far less fast food in general though.
63. wake up and get out of bed at least an hour before i have to leave. urgh, hate it. but, trying.
64. pay overdue library fines. i swear, next paycheck.
65. take a water aerobics class. well, since i wrote this, i've signed up for a total of 6. val and i have been going for the last year and moved up to twice a week in fall. woo hoo.
66. learn photoshop. this is another tried and failed. i just don't get it and i've decided that it's ok that i don't.
67. put all loose photos into an album. i'm actually in the mood to do this. i just need some time and some albums.
68. get massages seasonally. from spring 09-winter 10, i accomplished this and plan to do it again this year.
69. get allemande left tattoo. i've been thinking about this lately and might try to do it in may.
70. go to las vegas. ok. hopefully with lisa.
71. do one crazy, random spur of the moment thing that comes up. i don't think i've done this yet. i'll keep you posted.
72. visit traci in england. it would be nice, but too expensive for this year for sure. maybe 2011.
73. organize desk and personalize. done baby, with pictures of miles hunt to prove it.
74. see a blur reunion show. this kinda depends on blur. it looked like they might tour after the shows in london last year, but i haven't heard anything about it in some time. i should go look and see if there's anymore info.
75. apply to sell stuff at renegade. this year might be too soon, both for $ and production, but i will certainly keep it in mind for 2011.
76. make a shadowbox. i did and gave it to lorna.
77. become better with direction. i'm not naturally good at knowing where i'm going, but i'm getting a little better. plus, i added google maps to my phone. when i got lost in pittsburgh, i mean desperately lost, i managed to find my way back to my hotel thanks to that.
78. stop incurring overdraft fees. i went for a couple months without and then i was in the hospital and missed work, so i got below again. this pay period, i did not have one and i'm hoping to start a trend.
79. find a pilates or yoga class that is adaptable to me. i haven't done this yet and i think it would be a nice thing to add this summer.
80. get manicures monthly. i got one in january and a pedicure in february. looking forward to one in march.
81. masturbate more. really? yeah.
82. become a better public speaker. last year, ILL did a presentation for ASID, which was scary, but i did it. we had to take a day long workshop, which was really helpful and i think i mostly conquered my fears. i guess i did alright because i was asked to be a reviewer for presentations this year.
83. pay car off. slow and steady, but it will happen. i think i have 2 more years at the current payment. hopefully, i can get to the point of paying more.
84. go on a serious spa weekend. read 2 blogs ago.
85. go to an indorr water park in the dead of winter. i've missed that for this winter, but aiming for next and again, with lisa most likely.
86. renew plates on time. that's coming up at the end of the month. will write myself a note.
87. join a gym. this would be nice and i haven't looked into it in awhile. will do so after this.
88. advance a level in my job. eh. this seemed more appealing when i was excited about the potential for applying for the head of reference job. the more i thought about it, even as nice as the money would be, i'm happy here in ILL for the moment.
89. start keeping track of food in a journal. i did this and realized after 3 months that it doesn't really make me think one way or another ab out what i'm eating. and i also discovered that even on the days when i went "over" what i should've been eating, it wasn't by very much. so, this is another one that is done.
90. take a random weekend trip to a place i've never been. ok, it wasn't random as such, but i did go to pittsburgh, which is a place i had never been.
91. find a recipe for fudge foldovers and add to x-mas repitoire. i found the recipe, but haven't made them yet. i didn't even made rumballs this year. stupid vertigo.
92. figure out how to make hopscotchies. ditto.
93. get computer set up and make mix cds. i keep saying i'm going try doing that. maybe after work today...
94. get at home internet access. i'm hoping to "steal" wifi in my building, but we'll see.
95. get windshield replaced. seriously. i've gotten 5 cracked windshiled tickets. i should really do this.
96. sit on front patio/back yard. well, i no longer have either of these things, so i guess that's a fail.
97. buy chairs for patio. ditto.
98. buy a new matress. i did and i wish it were a little firmer, but yay.
99. visit kim in indiana. i tried really hard to make this happen, but she seems to be very busy.
100. start thrifting/vintage shopping again. indeed. lorna has asked to do this with me so i think as soon as it's a little nicer out, we'll make a day of it.
101. create 5 things for people before the end of 2009. i did 4. jarvis for therese, luka for shelley, shadow box for lorna, and pasties for saro. i never made anything for eva. sorry eva.
ok, that's the list in (almost) a year review. i've done 30 things and have several more in process. not too shabby. looking forward to doing this in an another year and seeing how much more i've done.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
half the list after (almost) a year or day 348
i'm a couple weeks early on this, but i was in the mood to look at the list after pretty close to a year later. although i've written about what i've accomplished throughout the year, i wanted to go through all of it. also, i made some of the more vague items more specific. so, here goes:
1. write list. obviously that one is finished. i think it took 2 days.
2. exerbycle 2-3x/week. well, yeah. i've been REALLY bad about that over the last year. my only saving grace is that i have been fairly diligent about water aerobics instead. but, i have the bike and i really should get on it more often.
3. swim a couple times/month. i'm at the pool twice a week and try to spend a little extra time swimming around before class. this one was easier when water aerobics started at 6 and we had time to stay in the pool afterward.
4. put together DJ/band?crafty bazaar. emily and i talked about doing this a few years ago and i'd still like to try. maybe late fall/early winter, before the holidays?
5. lose 10 lbs and keep it off. i ALWAYS lose 10 lbs. i NEVER keep it off. i go through phases every year where i'm careful about what i eat and then i go through phases where i don't think twice. i'm currently coming to the end of a "don't think twice" phase, so we'll see. also, there's green mountain, but i'll talk about that when i get to it.
6. the lose 10-40 more lbs. again, green mountain.
7. renew passport. still haven't done it.
8. write in journal at least 4x/week. this is one that i made mopre specific. before it was just "write more". i'm not sure if i want to write fiction or prose or essays. so far, just writing every week has been good.
9. take a food road trip. i definitely want to do this. i may try to do a mini one in july.
10. write about that. perhaps i will, in my journal :)
11. go to montreal. this one had been to visit A.C. in montreal, but since she's back in chicago, i'll just make it a goal to go. and i'll get a drink with mark jones. maybe it can be the end point for the food road trip.
12. go to austin. there is talk of me and richard doing this in summer. there will be wrestling involved. hopefully not with chad, haha.
13. cook at home 3x/week. this was also changed from "cook more things, more often". that was WAY too vague. at the moment, i'm hoping to start cooking things to bring to work for lunches. frozen stuff is getting me way down.
14. finally have people over for moussaka and not default to ordering pizza. yay, i did this one. i had therese, dan, val, hannah, and lorna over. it was a hit. i had also made moussaka for the work holiday party and was pleased that the ladies loved it. also, moussaka goes well with rice-a-roni.
15. get the ball rolling on scott's care that hopefully can start before our parents are unable to care for him. well, i have some names of lawyers and want to start calling for consultations soon. that part will be easy; the rest, i'm not so sure.
16. discuss that with said parents. i've already told my dad that i'm planning to do this. he seemed happy about it. again, that part was easy. when i come to them with all that they (we) have to do, i'm not so sure.
17. get 7-8 hours of sllep at least 5x/week. i've accomplished this too and i really do feel better. i'd still rather not have to get up early, but it's gotten better.
18. walk 15-20 4x/week. although i don't set out to just take a walk, especially in winter, i realized that between walking from wherever i'm parked to work and then walking around work, i almost always accomplish this goal. in spring and summer, i will return to walking a lap around the building on lunch or a break.
19. put of a one off cover band, ala covers for cover. if i had known that there would be a covers for cover in 09 earlier, i would've tried to be a part of it. alas. if it happens again this year, with the help of lorna and shelley and whomever else, i would like to front a cheap trick cover band. oh yes.
20. go to cardiologist. this is something i need to do yearly. i went in april 09 and have an appointment in april 10.
21. go to pulmonologist. ditto.
22. save $10-20/paycheck. yeah, that hasn't happened yet. pretty much every time i get to the point of being able to save, something dumb happens like i end up in the hospital with vertigo and don't get paid for a week. i am trying.
23. set up payment plans for medical bills. i've got one down and now i need to make a few more calls for the others.
24. start paying student loan again. i really wonder how many times one can use forebearance. i've done it at least 5 times already. my next payment is due on 4/15 and i want to start paying it off finally.
25. get new tires. i did, in august.
26. frame more paper to decorate with. i have a sheet at home waiting to be framed. i haven't put a lot up since i moved. the collage wall kinda took over my decorating time. hey, that's also decorating with paper!
27. go to the haskell free library and opera house in vermont-quebec. i'm hoping to do this when i'm at green mountain.
28. pay off law suit. i don't even want to talk about this one.
29. do more painting. although this one was vague, i actually did do quite a bit. i have a few more painting projects in the works after i'm done with the collage wall and getting the rest of my pictures up around the apartment.
30. clean and organize spare room/assess and organize craft stuff. i did this and it was great. i think it took me a whole weekend, but i got it done and threw a lot of stuff away. i had no idea at the time that i'd be moving anytime soon, but i'm glad i got that out of the way before packing started.
31. pay off credit card. it's a stupid $300 credit card too.
32. move to a more accessible apartment. i did! and just in time for winter too. with the exception of having to take my laundry to be done, this move has made my life at least 187% better. no stairs to deal with, i can access my closets so my clothes actually get hung up, a much more acccessible bathroom, including a grab bar next to the toilet, and a bedroom that fits more than just my bed.
33. be more proactive at work. this one was vague too, but i don't have specific goals, really. i like my job, so getting out isn't a thing. i think i'd just like to continue to make contributions when i can, like help solve problems and suggest priojects (damn OCLC book). i think maybe helping there be more follow-through sometimes would be a good goal. we have lots of good ideas and projects that fall to the wayside, so staying on top of those might be good.
34. be on time more often than not. much like wating well, this goes in phases. i am trying to be on time always and hit the mark, oh, 75% of the time.
35. read 10 books/year. last year, i read 4. that's just pathetic. i miss it and i'm not sure why, especially considering where i work, that i haven't made it a priority. i have overdues, but i should take care of those and get some books!
36. start a blog about something. well, this counts. i'm also considering starting one for a year that details the inappropriate questions i get asked by random strangers. i think i would be interesting to have a record of that.
37. get liver enzymes and cholesterol checked yearly. i got this done in 2009 and for the first time in a decade, my enzymes were normal. take that!
38. go to gyno yearly. yep, went in feb 09 and was fine. also had my first mammogram. all good.
39. buy a tricycle and ride as weather allows. part of why i haven't done this already is because in my old apartment, i had no easy way to store one. now, i have a shed outside my back door that involves no stairs! i'm gonna price them as soon as i'm done with this!
40. get handicap signs for street parking. i put this on off too and i'm glad, sicne i moved. the parking at my new place is so much easier, but i think i may still do it. there are a couple spots that have walk ways from the side walk and if i alwasy got to park at one of those, my life would be again, 187% easier.
41. change sheets more often. basic, but i had to remind myself.
42. try to establish a realistic budget each month and stick to it. i've done well and poorly with this. it's a stumbling block and i'm trying to get better.
43. see 3-5 plays/year. thanks to dave awl mostly, i accomplished 3 in 2009. let's see what i can do in 2010. i'd actually like to go see a broadway production at one of the big theaters.
44. attend 2-3 art exhibits. i should've done better last year, but i don't think i even went to one. for shame.
45. go to pla in portland march 2010. other more important uses of money came up for this year, so sadly, pla got downgraded to failed. it's ok pla, it's ok.
46. visit tom j. in seattle. this was going to be done in conjunction with pla. alas. i will do this eventually. i've never gone to seattle with seattle as the main intention and i think it deserves a looksee.
47. buy $300 dream shoes. in the next month, i can feel it.
48. buy new boots. this one's a lot harder than it sounds. i bought a great pair of motorcycle boots, that ultimately didn't work out for me. i wanted to buy the exact same pair of gripfast boots i have now, but my size alludes me. i'm keeping my eye out, but also thinking i'll get these boots i have now re-soled after winter is over.
49. buy new non-boots. i did that. got a new pair of earth solars in plum.
50. look into taking a rowing class. over the summer, i did find a class, but the cost, the time it was offered, and the accessibility were issues. i tried to find an indoor class using machines and found that they don't exist in chicago. i also looked into buying my own machine and that is where i'm headed. but, it's kind of on the back burner.
51. take more advantage of physical therapy. i think i did. i finally stopped going in august and replaced it with an extra day of water aerobics. it was really good, but started to feel routine and not as helpful. i very rarely do the exercises at home.
52. grow hair out just to see. yeah, no. never again.
ok, i'm getting typing cramps, so i will finish this next time. well start with green mountain...
1. write list. obviously that one is finished. i think it took 2 days.
2. exerbycle 2-3x/week. well, yeah. i've been REALLY bad about that over the last year. my only saving grace is that i have been fairly diligent about water aerobics instead. but, i have the bike and i really should get on it more often.
3. swim a couple times/month. i'm at the pool twice a week and try to spend a little extra time swimming around before class. this one was easier when water aerobics started at 6 and we had time to stay in the pool afterward.
4. put together DJ/band?crafty bazaar. emily and i talked about doing this a few years ago and i'd still like to try. maybe late fall/early winter, before the holidays?
5. lose 10 lbs and keep it off. i ALWAYS lose 10 lbs. i NEVER keep it off. i go through phases every year where i'm careful about what i eat and then i go through phases where i don't think twice. i'm currently coming to the end of a "don't think twice" phase, so we'll see. also, there's green mountain, but i'll talk about that when i get to it.
6. the lose 10-40 more lbs. again, green mountain.
7. renew passport. still haven't done it.
8. write in journal at least 4x/week. this is one that i made mopre specific. before it was just "write more". i'm not sure if i want to write fiction or prose or essays. so far, just writing every week has been good.
9. take a food road trip. i definitely want to do this. i may try to do a mini one in july.
10. write about that. perhaps i will, in my journal :)
11. go to montreal. this one had been to visit A.C. in montreal, but since she's back in chicago, i'll just make it a goal to go. and i'll get a drink with mark jones. maybe it can be the end point for the food road trip.
12. go to austin. there is talk of me and richard doing this in summer. there will be wrestling involved. hopefully not with chad, haha.
13. cook at home 3x/week. this was also changed from "cook more things, more often". that was WAY too vague. at the moment, i'm hoping to start cooking things to bring to work for lunches. frozen stuff is getting me way down.
14. finally have people over for moussaka and not default to ordering pizza. yay, i did this one. i had therese, dan, val, hannah, and lorna over. it was a hit. i had also made moussaka for the work holiday party and was pleased that the ladies loved it. also, moussaka goes well with rice-a-roni.
15. get the ball rolling on scott's care that hopefully can start before our parents are unable to care for him. well, i have some names of lawyers and want to start calling for consultations soon. that part will be easy; the rest, i'm not so sure.
16. discuss that with said parents. i've already told my dad that i'm planning to do this. he seemed happy about it. again, that part was easy. when i come to them with all that they (we) have to do, i'm not so sure.
17. get 7-8 hours of sllep at least 5x/week. i've accomplished this too and i really do feel better. i'd still rather not have to get up early, but it's gotten better.
18. walk 15-20 4x/week. although i don't set out to just take a walk, especially in winter, i realized that between walking from wherever i'm parked to work and then walking around work, i almost always accomplish this goal. in spring and summer, i will return to walking a lap around the building on lunch or a break.
19. put of a one off cover band, ala covers for cover. if i had known that there would be a covers for cover in 09 earlier, i would've tried to be a part of it. alas. if it happens again this year, with the help of lorna and shelley and whomever else, i would like to front a cheap trick cover band. oh yes.
20. go to cardiologist. this is something i need to do yearly. i went in april 09 and have an appointment in april 10.
21. go to pulmonologist. ditto.
22. save $10-20/paycheck. yeah, that hasn't happened yet. pretty much every time i get to the point of being able to save, something dumb happens like i end up in the hospital with vertigo and don't get paid for a week. i am trying.
23. set up payment plans for medical bills. i've got one down and now i need to make a few more calls for the others.
24. start paying student loan again. i really wonder how many times one can use forebearance. i've done it at least 5 times already. my next payment is due on 4/15 and i want to start paying it off finally.
25. get new tires. i did, in august.
26. frame more paper to decorate with. i have a sheet at home waiting to be framed. i haven't put a lot up since i moved. the collage wall kinda took over my decorating time. hey, that's also decorating with paper!
27. go to the haskell free library and opera house in vermont-quebec. i'm hoping to do this when i'm at green mountain.
28. pay off law suit. i don't even want to talk about this one.
29. do more painting. although this one was vague, i actually did do quite a bit. i have a few more painting projects in the works after i'm done with the collage wall and getting the rest of my pictures up around the apartment.
30. clean and organize spare room/assess and organize craft stuff. i did this and it was great. i think it took me a whole weekend, but i got it done and threw a lot of stuff away. i had no idea at the time that i'd be moving anytime soon, but i'm glad i got that out of the way before packing started.
31. pay off credit card. it's a stupid $300 credit card too.
32. move to a more accessible apartment. i did! and just in time for winter too. with the exception of having to take my laundry to be done, this move has made my life at least 187% better. no stairs to deal with, i can access my closets so my clothes actually get hung up, a much more acccessible bathroom, including a grab bar next to the toilet, and a bedroom that fits more than just my bed.
33. be more proactive at work. this one was vague too, but i don't have specific goals, really. i like my job, so getting out isn't a thing. i think i'd just like to continue to make contributions when i can, like help solve problems and suggest priojects (damn OCLC book). i think maybe helping there be more follow-through sometimes would be a good goal. we have lots of good ideas and projects that fall to the wayside, so staying on top of those might be good.
34. be on time more often than not. much like wating well, this goes in phases. i am trying to be on time always and hit the mark, oh, 75% of the time.
35. read 10 books/year. last year, i read 4. that's just pathetic. i miss it and i'm not sure why, especially considering where i work, that i haven't made it a priority. i have overdues, but i should take care of those and get some books!
36. start a blog about something. well, this counts. i'm also considering starting one for a year that details the inappropriate questions i get asked by random strangers. i think i would be interesting to have a record of that.
37. get liver enzymes and cholesterol checked yearly. i got this done in 2009 and for the first time in a decade, my enzymes were normal. take that!
38. go to gyno yearly. yep, went in feb 09 and was fine. also had my first mammogram. all good.
39. buy a tricycle and ride as weather allows. part of why i haven't done this already is because in my old apartment, i had no easy way to store one. now, i have a shed outside my back door that involves no stairs! i'm gonna price them as soon as i'm done with this!
40. get handicap signs for street parking. i put this on off too and i'm glad, sicne i moved. the parking at my new place is so much easier, but i think i may still do it. there are a couple spots that have walk ways from the side walk and if i alwasy got to park at one of those, my life would be again, 187% easier.
41. change sheets more often. basic, but i had to remind myself.
42. try to establish a realistic budget each month and stick to it. i've done well and poorly with this. it's a stumbling block and i'm trying to get better.
43. see 3-5 plays/year. thanks to dave awl mostly, i accomplished 3 in 2009. let's see what i can do in 2010. i'd actually like to go see a broadway production at one of the big theaters.
44. attend 2-3 art exhibits. i should've done better last year, but i don't think i even went to one. for shame.
45. go to pla in portland march 2010. other more important uses of money came up for this year, so sadly, pla got downgraded to failed. it's ok pla, it's ok.
46. visit tom j. in seattle. this was going to be done in conjunction with pla. alas. i will do this eventually. i've never gone to seattle with seattle as the main intention and i think it deserves a looksee.
47. buy $300 dream shoes. in the next month, i can feel it.
48. buy new boots. this one's a lot harder than it sounds. i bought a great pair of motorcycle boots, that ultimately didn't work out for me. i wanted to buy the exact same pair of gripfast boots i have now, but my size alludes me. i'm keeping my eye out, but also thinking i'll get these boots i have now re-soled after winter is over.
49. buy new non-boots. i did that. got a new pair of earth solars in plum.
50. look into taking a rowing class. over the summer, i did find a class, but the cost, the time it was offered, and the accessibility were issues. i tried to find an indoor class using machines and found that they don't exist in chicago. i also looked into buying my own machine and that is where i'm headed. but, it's kind of on the back burner.
51. take more advantage of physical therapy. i think i did. i finally stopped going in august and replaced it with an extra day of water aerobics. it was really good, but started to feel routine and not as helpful. i very rarely do the exercises at home.
52. grow hair out just to see. yeah, no. never again.
ok, i'm getting typing cramps, so i will finish this next time. well start with green mountain...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
massaged, waxed, pedicured, whirlpooled, steam roomed, and full of filet mignon or day 341
yay #89! i took a serious spa weekend! emily and her friend rehka invited me to go with on their trip and since it was on the list and my tax return was on the way, i said, "indeed"! we went to heidel house resort and evensong spa in green lake, wi. it's about 180 miles away and about a 3 1/2 hour drive. here's how i'll break it down:
the setting
it really was kinda in the middle of nowhere. once off the highway, we took county roads that were only named by letters to get to the hotel. once there and after some bad, not terribly accessible directions to my room, i settled in to decompress after the drive while emily and rehka went to k-mart. this resulted in a video of a billy bass singing the filet-o-fish song and 3 jars of pantene pomade for $10!
the room
aside from being kind of a pain in the ass to get to, it was pretty damn good. it was almost a suite, with a sitting room and a balcony that overlooked a lake. the lake was, of course, frozen and snow covered, but that was still kinda pretty, and despite being about 20 degrees out, i did stand on the balcony for a few minutes each day. it was oddly comforting. the bed was king size and had something like 6 pillows and a bolster. there was also a duvet that weight roughly as much as me. that had to go (along with 4 of the pillows) right away. i had a tv that was about the size of my car with cable (alas, no porn). i had a whirlpool tub in my bathroom and although i was too afraid to get in for fear of not being able to get out without assistance, i did fill it up and take a shower with the water whirling around my legs. also, the toiletries were fantastic. and there was room service!
the amenities
i never made it to the arcade, which bums me out, but we did go to the pool and whirlpool after fish fry. there was much debate on the way back to our rooms about how we would dress to walk to the pool, which included me considering putting my pj bottoms on under the skirt of my bathing suit. once all was said and done though, i remembered that i'm not that modest, that i used to take my clothes off on stage in front of people, and i walked down in the suit alone.
the spa day
again, not the most accessible in that it is across the street from the hotel (and in this case, across the street is about 1/2 mile), but once i was inside, so lovely. it is definitely the nicest spa i've been to. my massage was perfect. the oil she used was almost sandalwoody, but milder. she massaged my face, which i love and it rarely happens. i should've gotten the head massage add on. next time for sure.
after my massage, i had lunch in the cafe in my pjs. because i was in wisconsin, i made sure everything i ate involved cheese. in this case, it was a dill havarti quesadilla with roasted veggies. there was also a chai smoothie.
then i waited in the relaxation room for my next appointment, which was an eyebrow wax. the room looked out onto the forest. it was a sunny day and the snow made it really quite beautiful. unfortunately, all of the chairs and chaises in there were really low to the ground. so, i opted to sit on the arm of one of the chairs while i waited. i had made the eyebrow appointment that day and wasn't sure what time it was scheduled. after i had sat on the arm for about 20 minutes, my ass started to fall asleep, so i decided to get up to get my carmex (which i had forgotten to bring with me, if you can believe that). in doing so, my bare feet, which were freshly oiled from my massage, slipped on the floor and i ended up falling off the chair instead. and, because i was in a room full of people who were serenely laid back after massages, i didn't fall gracefully and noiselessly as i usually do. oh no, i hit the chair, which then knocked into the table, which made the framed menu of services fly off and into the wall. right on. but, i was next to a low ottoman, so i was able to recover quickly and not 20 seconds after i did, the girl come out to get me for my waxing.
after that, i went straight to my pedicure. there were massage chairs that tilt and lower for you to get into, plus they could be adjusted forward and back. i got the deluxe pedicure, which included a milk bath soak, brown sugar scrub, and a pepperminty clay mask. i had it finished off with "bold & beautiful" polish (blood red). i also read about carnie wilson in people magazine.
my spa day was coming to an end, so i decided to sit in the steam room for a few minutes. dear me, i love a steam room.
the food
on friday night, emily was hellbent on finding a fish fry and on the way back from k-mart, she found one across the street. it was this funny, northwoodsy lodge, in which we were the youngest patrons by at least 20 years. the fish was ok. the chocolate mousse cake was spectacular. as was my sip of emily's pink squirrel, which was totally my grandma olga's drink.
saturday morning before i went to the spa, i ordered room service. nice french toast and eggs. i just love ordering room service, really.
saturday night we went to the fancy-ish restaurant at the hotel, called grey rock. they were a bit overwhelmed since it was valentine's day weekend and usually things are pretty dead at this time of the year. i had french onion soup with gruyere, filet mignon with mashed potatoes, and aspargus, and chocolate lave cake. the bread selection came with 3 spreads, a garlic butter, olive tapanade, and a cucumber dill yogurty thing. all delish. we attempted to have breakfast at the hotel before we left, but there was a buffet and it was really crowded. since we were in 2 cars, emily and rehka ended up at mcdonald's and i ended up at arby's. i love arby's, especially on a road trip.
so, there you have it. #89. this actually also helps my goal of getting massages seasonly, so i can cross winter off the list.
i just checked and saw that my new earth maryjanes should be waiting for me at home, so that's #47, i think.
the $300 dream shoes will have to wait along with the windshield. i opted to pay parking tickets first and that was a decent chunk.
the setting
it really was kinda in the middle of nowhere. once off the highway, we took county roads that were only named by letters to get to the hotel. once there and after some bad, not terribly accessible directions to my room, i settled in to decompress after the drive while emily and rehka went to k-mart. this resulted in a video of a billy bass singing the filet-o-fish song and 3 jars of pantene pomade for $10!
the room
aside from being kind of a pain in the ass to get to, it was pretty damn good. it was almost a suite, with a sitting room and a balcony that overlooked a lake. the lake was, of course, frozen and snow covered, but that was still kinda pretty, and despite being about 20 degrees out, i did stand on the balcony for a few minutes each day. it was oddly comforting. the bed was king size and had something like 6 pillows and a bolster. there was also a duvet that weight roughly as much as me. that had to go (along with 4 of the pillows) right away. i had a tv that was about the size of my car with cable (alas, no porn). i had a whirlpool tub in my bathroom and although i was too afraid to get in for fear of not being able to get out without assistance, i did fill it up and take a shower with the water whirling around my legs. also, the toiletries were fantastic. and there was room service!
the amenities
i never made it to the arcade, which bums me out, but we did go to the pool and whirlpool after fish fry. there was much debate on the way back to our rooms about how we would dress to walk to the pool, which included me considering putting my pj bottoms on under the skirt of my bathing suit. once all was said and done though, i remembered that i'm not that modest, that i used to take my clothes off on stage in front of people, and i walked down in the suit alone.
the spa day
again, not the most accessible in that it is across the street from the hotel (and in this case, across the street is about 1/2 mile), but once i was inside, so lovely. it is definitely the nicest spa i've been to. my massage was perfect. the oil she used was almost sandalwoody, but milder. she massaged my face, which i love and it rarely happens. i should've gotten the head massage add on. next time for sure.
after my massage, i had lunch in the cafe in my pjs. because i was in wisconsin, i made sure everything i ate involved cheese. in this case, it was a dill havarti quesadilla with roasted veggies. there was also a chai smoothie.
then i waited in the relaxation room for my next appointment, which was an eyebrow wax. the room looked out onto the forest. it was a sunny day and the snow made it really quite beautiful. unfortunately, all of the chairs and chaises in there were really low to the ground. so, i opted to sit on the arm of one of the chairs while i waited. i had made the eyebrow appointment that day and wasn't sure what time it was scheduled. after i had sat on the arm for about 20 minutes, my ass started to fall asleep, so i decided to get up to get my carmex (which i had forgotten to bring with me, if you can believe that). in doing so, my bare feet, which were freshly oiled from my massage, slipped on the floor and i ended up falling off the chair instead. and, because i was in a room full of people who were serenely laid back after massages, i didn't fall gracefully and noiselessly as i usually do. oh no, i hit the chair, which then knocked into the table, which made the framed menu of services fly off and into the wall. right on. but, i was next to a low ottoman, so i was able to recover quickly and not 20 seconds after i did, the girl come out to get me for my waxing.
after that, i went straight to my pedicure. there were massage chairs that tilt and lower for you to get into, plus they could be adjusted forward and back. i got the deluxe pedicure, which included a milk bath soak, brown sugar scrub, and a pepperminty clay mask. i had it finished off with "bold & beautiful" polish (blood red). i also read about carnie wilson in people magazine.
my spa day was coming to an end, so i decided to sit in the steam room for a few minutes. dear me, i love a steam room.
the food
on friday night, emily was hellbent on finding a fish fry and on the way back from k-mart, she found one across the street. it was this funny, northwoodsy lodge, in which we were the youngest patrons by at least 20 years. the fish was ok. the chocolate mousse cake was spectacular. as was my sip of emily's pink squirrel, which was totally my grandma olga's drink.
saturday morning before i went to the spa, i ordered room service. nice french toast and eggs. i just love ordering room service, really.
saturday night we went to the fancy-ish restaurant at the hotel, called grey rock. they were a bit overwhelmed since it was valentine's day weekend and usually things are pretty dead at this time of the year. i had french onion soup with gruyere, filet mignon with mashed potatoes, and aspargus, and chocolate lave cake. the bread selection came with 3 spreads, a garlic butter, olive tapanade, and a cucumber dill yogurty thing. all delish. we attempted to have breakfast at the hotel before we left, but there was a buffet and it was really crowded. since we were in 2 cars, emily and rehka ended up at mcdonald's and i ended up at arby's. i love arby's, especially on a road trip.
so, there you have it. #89. this actually also helps my goal of getting massages seasonly, so i can cross winter off the list.
i just checked and saw that my new earth maryjanes should be waiting for me at home, so that's #47, i think.
the $300 dream shoes will have to wait along with the windshield. i opted to pay parking tickets first and that was a decent chunk.
Friday, February 5, 2010
tax return! or day 329
here are the list items i'm hoping to accomplish this month with the help of my tax return check:
#47 to buy $300 dream shoes. yes, they are in my sight. and in yours too:
#48 was to buy new boots and although i technically did that already, those boots were kind of a fail. so i will buy a new pair of my old boots:
and #49 was to buy new non-boots. this will come in the form of the solar maryjane by earth:
#84 was to go on a serious spa weekend. said weekend had been booked! i'm going to evensong spa in green lake, wi with emily and i'm going to have a lovely aromatherapy swedich massage and then some crazy pedicure that involves more massage, a foot mask, and other things which sound fantastic. i will report back on that next time.
also, #64 which was to pay my library overdues (i know! i know!) and #95, replace my windshield. yay!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
new year or day 313
well hello there. it's been awhile. my goodness time got away from me, didn't it? but, i wasn't all sitting on my ass about it. i accomplished some shit. and had vertigo, so, naah.
in and among moving, holidays, and the aforementioned vertigo, i did manage to check #14 off my list, which was to make moussaka for people and not default to just ordering a pizza. i have attempted 2 other times to have people over for moussaka and we ended up eating giorodano's. not that giorodano's isn't delisious, but it's not me making the food of my people, now is it?
i also got a manicure. i will aim to do this once a month. oh and i exerbycled and started my 5th and 6th water aerobics classes. go me.
in and among moving, holidays, and the aforementioned vertigo, i did manage to check #14 off my list, which was to make moussaka for people and not default to just ordering a pizza. i have attempted 2 other times to have people over for moussaka and we ended up eating giorodano's. not that giorodano's isn't delisious, but it's not me making the food of my people, now is it?
i also got a manicure. i will aim to do this once a month. oh and i exerbycled and started my 5th and 6th water aerobics classes. go me.
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