Saturday, January 30, 2010

Don't look at me!!

I have been meaning to update my resolutions with one that has to do with taking more interest in what I look like when I leave my apartment. I often leave in odd ensembles, especially in the winter when I just want to be warm without concern for color combination. To this end I installed a full length mirror in the apartment so I can easily assess my look before departure. There were several reasons for me wanting to make this resolution. First, I sometimes get to work, go to the restroom and find that I am looking a bit odd. Like the top and the bottom do not go together like I thought they did. Or like the picture I took of Eric and I before Christmas. I thought I was rocking a great outfit but, as it turned out, I was looking a little frumpy. Second, leaving knowing you look good is a good boost to the self-esteem, and I can certainly use that boost. Third, you never know who you will run into.

So today all of these came into play. The "to do" list for this morning was: go to the gym and get an estimate on my car for front end damage. I knew it was not really a great idea to combine the two, but hey! I have things to do! So I went to the gym, as I was preparing I looked in the mirror and noticed I had some heavy circles under the eyes, ah yes raccoon eyes. I need more sleep. But what was I to do at that point? So I did my workout, washed my face, threw on outerwear and headed to the estimate place. Of course I get there and the guy doing my estimate is cute. And then another guy in the waiting room starts to talk to me.

The next resolution will have to be about better communication skills, but that is too much at this point.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

It is a new year

So I obviously haven't written for a while. This is because I have been mostly thinking about troubles with work and with Eric over the past months and neither subject is a good one for this blog. But it is again a new year and this, as last year, gives me pause to think about the past and look into the future. I don't really like the person I am right now, so I need to plan a way to become a person who I am more comfortable with. This isn't so easy and I think it is going to take more work than can be elaborated right now. In any case, let's revisit last years goals one last time:
1) Exercise more (3 times a week or more) and lose about 20 pounds so that I comply with the darn BMI for being normal.
2) Be more diligent with my work.
3) Finish my thesis and graduate with my Masters in May.
4) Last year I had a "hospitality" resolution that went okay, but I want to continue with that pursuit.
5) Buy "The Joy of Cooking" and do something with it.
6) For some reason I wanted to start blogging. I do not know why but was able to come up with some reasons for not:
a) I will probably get myself in trouble
b) I will probably offend people
c) I should be working on my thesis instead
d) will I really be able to come up with anything to write about?
but, I guess I will give it a shot and aim to post at least once a week.


1) I did okay sometimes and not okay other times. Moving to Chicago has not been good for my physically. Even though I was running quite a bit for a while, my sedentary job, depression, and good food (I guess) have led to some weight gain. However, I had been the same clothing size since I was a junior in high school, so I guess going up one clothing size in 13 years isn't too bad. But I can stand to lose the weight so I need to do that. This one is going to carry over to 2010.
2) I have done okay with diligence about work. It is helpful to have a job with deadlines that must be met and productivity monitoring programs (monitoring workflow and production is 40% of my job). I could still use a kick in the pants now and then in my personal life to get stuff done, but we will give this one a check.
3) Check.
4) Check.
5) Sort of check. I have not been all that impressed.
6) Laughable. But I did post 28 times in 52 weeks, it could have been worse.

Okay, so this year:
1) Lose the weight!
a) Increase activity by taking walks during breaks - I get to 15 minute breaks, I should get up from my desk and move around during them. I have been doing okay at this since the beginning of the year. I feel like an idiot walking in circles around the food court. But I will feel great in a bikini this summer.
b) Increase activity by joining a gym, taking dance or yoga classes, etc. I am working on finding what will work best for me. And I have two bar method classes to take. Hot Yoga and the YMCA seem to be in my future.
c) Eat better! Increase consumption of soup! Drink plenty of water. Eat more vegetables and fruits.
2) Get back on top of my money. I was super on top of my money when I lived in Lancaster- it was crazy. I went to see my financial advisor and he was wowed. He said, "and you are still single? How can you still be single?" I often ask myself the same question. I must be nuts. Anyway, I just kind of let the finances go in grad school since I was living in the red anyway, why look at the red every month? School was enough stress without sweating every cent in the red I was... though I did sweat my dwindling Mutual Funds until I went paperless. Now I ought not to be living in the red, the mutual funds have rebounded, I need to save for the next round of graduate school and the time I am likely to be unemployed before I return to graduate school. A planned unemployment that I hope to fill with some travel. So I need to slim down the expenses and amp up the savings. I do not really understand the concept of budgeting- I know what it means, I know what a budget looks like, but making it work is beyond me, so maybe I could figure that out somehow.
3) Have more fun! I can't remember the last time I had fun, the last time I was able to honestly say, "I had a great time." It sucks and it will change.
4) See Chicago! I have been living here since August and I have been almost no where. There is no excuse. The question is where to start?
5) Get an Illinois Driver's License and a Chicago library card
6) Study for and take the GRE this spring, apply to graduate school beginning the process in August
7) Find a new hobby. This one is going to be the most difficult, I predict.
8) Improve relationships. Make new friends. Possibly scale off some toxic relationships.
9) Take steps to be more happy. I think each of the above are some of the necessary steps.

That is what I have so far. An ambitious but attainable list.