Goal Progress?

Why yes, there has been some progress with my goals. Things are not going as quickly as planned, but it has not been discouraging...which is actually a little surprising. I haven't updated as much as I'd like, but there is usually only time for it on the weekend. During the week I am up by 6, if not earlier, and don't get home until 6. At that point I cook dinner, then play with Alexander, give him a bath, read or play a little more, put him to bed, clean up the dinner mess, wash or fold any clothes, then finally sit down for a breather around 9 or 9:30. Ivan and I both tend to nod off around this time so we head to bed. The weekend is a time just for us to be together, visit with family and friends, get groceries, and clean house. There still isn't an excuse because I could write something short on the weekends, I just don't feel like it. Boo me.
Even with all of that I am making progress on some of my goals. Luckily my new workplace has a gym so goal number 4 is easier than it was at the beginning of the year. I have lifting weights as well, so although I can't tell as much on the scale that I'm losing weight I can tell by the way my clothes are fitting (and the compliments I'm getting. Yay!). Ivan and I are also eating better and having great tasting food, too. I don't deprive myself, though. If I want dessert I get it, but I don't gorge myself.
Goal 9, painting my dresser, did hit a snag because of the way it was constructed, but I think I've found a solution. Time will tell. The dresser will become part of my studio as a storage piece, so it will need to be completed before finishing my studio (goal 8).
Paying off credit cards has proven to be the most difficult. Not because they're too expensive or we don't want to put money towards them, but because of other issues. Two very unexpected medical bills and 3 expensive car repair issues have prevented us from getting this done as quickly as we could have. Don't worry, we didn't put any of these expenses on a credit card; we paid directly out of our bank account. The problem: that money would have paid off all of one card and about an 1/8 of another. I think we can still get them paid off, though. We had another big chunk come out of our budget for a conference for Ivan. It will be very beneficial and help with his business (That's right! Ivan is starting his own business! I'm sure some exciting updates will happen because of this. I've linked to his blog at the bottom of the page).
Goal 3 is semi-started. I have ideas written and know how I want the story to go, I just need to put it in words. I am working on character designs now. I don't think most authors need that, but it will help me visualize better. I also see stories as movies in my head as I read anyway, so this will help. I have so much imagery in my head for this story. I wish I was better at getting what's in my head on paper. If I could do that then I'd make this a graphic novel.
Other goals? Number 2 needs to wait on Halloween to be fulfilled and I just haven't wanted to do the other goals (1 and 6).
I also realize that I haven't talked about or posted pictures from the 3 day trip, but I just finished getting them off of my camera. The card reader on my laptop was broken so I had to buy one.
So that's the progress. I have been busy; I just need to update more. Thanks for reading!

Ivan's blog: A Better Way of Business

My Path

As promised in my last post, here's a little bit of history about how I got to where I'm at.
Almost as soon as got my first job as a librarian I knew it was not the place for me. I worked with people that I liked and I enjoyed my job, but not the organization. That place may work for some people, but not for me (or the other librarian who was absolutely wonderful and received an academic position right before I went on maternity leave).
I have been applying and interviewing for jobs all over the place for about 2 years and nothing fruitful came of it. I did receive offers, but they were never quite right. I was beginning to lose hope, but found one last ray of hope: going back to school.
I applied to a PhD program and was accepted...with stipulations. I had to go through their masters program even though I already have a masters. When I asked why I had to receive one when I already had it I was told that it would help me learn to do research. I asked for clarification: research as in gathering information or in studying people. I was told I would need one to learn how to gather information. .... Really? That is actually what my entire first masters is all about! Also, there was no flexibility with the masters and it would take 2 or 3 years to get.
By this point I was very frustrated. I want a PhD, I have ever since I found out what they were when I was in fourth grade, and my temper flared when it was revealed that the university really just wanted me to get a masters from them. Surprisingly, my temper waned after only one day of declining the university's offer. I realized that if I didn't get in or didn't find the job I wanted that it was because God had other plans for me. But what were they?
I trolled the job lists and other resources after that, but still found nothing. I wasn't upset or frustrated anymore, but knew that I had to keep looking to do my part and I would know when I'd found what I needed. Just over a month after the PhD fiasco I found a very promising job opening. I prayed about it, applied, had an interview, prayed about it, was offered the job about 1 week after the interview, and prayed some more. I accepted and started the job 1 month later. I have been there for 2 weeks now and love it!
I find more and more positive things every day. I know there will be some disagreements and annoyances, but so far they haven't happened. I am in an academic library with some great people (who play videos games hehe), work closer to home, have better benefits that cost less, make more money, work less hours, have more vacation, and get to wear jeans every Friday (except during the summer when I get to wear them every day!). Those are just a few of the benefits with the job change. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and am already seeing the health benefits of being happier and feeling like I can be myself. I guess this is what happens when you leave things to God and trust that he will lead you in the right direction.

Update Delays

Of course there are tons of excuses as to why I haven't updated in, what, 2 months, but I will only delve into the important ones. I have accomplished 2 more of my goals for the year and they were big ones. The first was a 3 day weekend. We went to Charleston and had a great time, but discovered that it is definitely not a place we'd ever like to live. We do want to live near the beach someday and this was a possibility, but no more. I'll post more on this trip in a few days.
The second and most important goal was to follow my path. It's been a wild ride in terms of this goal, but I think I am on the right path now...one that God has led me to. I now have a new job. I really think it's where I'm supposed to be and I just keep finding more and more positive things with this new direction. I feel like a weight has been lifted and have realized that I was more stressed and unhappy with my previous job than I thought. I think Ivan's supposed to do something new, too, but I'm really not sure what. He's trying to find it out, but is trying not to make a rash decision at the same time. This paragraph will be another topic to post about in the coming days.
I thought I needed to finally post something and have done so. I hope to write more on the above topics soon. Until next time.

My Week

Well, in all honestly, this post is a week behind, but I’m sure you understand how life can sometimes be hectic. These are pictures from the week of March 14-20. I hope to do this once a month…random shots of what happened in my life during the week. Let’s see if I can keep it up!



Walking in to work.



Models for work. So much fun to put together. And my office now smells like one of those little kiddie pools. haha



Skeletons. A contest led to one being named Scooter, but we still call him Bones. The other is Indiana Bones. The names are too similar so we’re trying to think of something else. Perhaps one is a girl.

Picture taken during my run in the park.

Picture taken during my run in the park.

Picture taken during my run in the park. I use the pavilion as my cool down area. Nice and shady!

My desk. Why, yes, those are Mario characters. I use the mushrooms kind of  like Two-Face used his coin…they decide my chooses/reactions. ;-)

What I listen to at work. I really do love video game scores.

Cabinet that serves as another desk top. Lots of books to process for the day.

Dinner. Alice Springs Chicken with Green Bean and Rice Casserole. Nom-nom!

Raleigh making friends with our new office mates.

This looked like too much fun to pass up. I still don’t know if it’s more for Alexander or me. haha From Woot.

Attending a presentation at work. The students used library resources. Yay!!

Attending a presentation at work. This just looked cool and was actually a great visual representation of their topic.

Pretty moon!

Breakfast with my boys. It’s always a great start to our weekend!

Warrior Dash

A friend of mine mentioned something called Warrior Dash today. I had no clue what it was, but figured it was a 5k or some kind of dance routine where you dress like a samurai or crusader or something. It's actually an obstacle course that involves jumping over fire, tredding through water, climbing over ropes & cars, and God knows what else. Here's a link to the website: http://www.warriordash.com/ Since it also has you going through mud I'm not sure if I'll do it yet. Mud? I just don't know if I can handle being that dirty. Who knows, though, it could be really fun. I have a 5k in July and this could really help me prepare for that. Come to think of it, it could also help with my goal of losing weight. I have a few more weeks to decide, but think it needs to be before the wave that friends will be in gets booked. I wonder if Ivan would want to participate? We'll see.

Progress for #11?

I won't  go into too much detail now, but things for number 11 are like a roller coaster. Who knows what or how anything will happen. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to get rid of this goal and I'm definitely not upset about things not happening when I think they should. The past few months have actually been sort of exciting. Hopefully, things will progress and I can actually give a little more information. We'll see what the next few weeks bring. Until then, keep it real. ;-)

Number 7: Complete

11 in '11 list

I've been looking for the Muppet Christmas Carol for years, but could never find it on DVD. I did a quick Google search and found it at Walmart, of all places. Amazing! So #7 is complete. :-) *Bonus: I also got Muppet Treasure Island. Yay!

I think I like these so much because they're based on 2 of my favorite stories and the muppets featured the most are my favorites - Gonzo and Rizzo. I'm so glad that I have these to watch anytime. They make me think of my childhood and the great times I had. I hope Alexander enjoys them as much as I do.

11 in 2011

I often hear about people who want to do 30 things before they're 30 and usually give themselves a year to complete the list. I'm not sure that I could really come up with 30 substantial things to do in a year, but 11 seems like a good number and follows my belief that odd numbers are the best. So 11 in 2011 it is. This isn't any sort of New Year's Resolution, just something I wanted to start and had to wait until the holidays settled down to to it. I made the list this past week so I have until January 23, 2012 to finish it. What's on my list, you ask? Well, conveniently enough, it's listed below.

1. Visit the Georgia Aquarium. - I guess I'm a little behind on this, but I still think it would be fun. Maybe we can wait until Alexander's a little older...his 2nd birthday, perhaps. Completed: October 28
2. Go as Dr. Who #4 (Tom Baker) or Velma Dinkley for halloween. - Ivan doesn't really like the idea of me going as a man for halloween, but I think it'd be hilarious. I did offer that he could go as #10 and I could be Donna, but he declined. I also thought he and Awesome could go as Dr. Evil and Mini-Me and he thought that'd be funny, but next year since he and Awesome already have costumes picked out. Maybe a poll for which costume I should do with a write in option...something to think about.
3. Begin writing at least 1 of my stories. - I have several story ideas that I've written in my journal. I have to start writing one of them, but which one? Hmmmm....Maybe I'll do a post with a one sentence description of each story and let there be a vote. What do you think? Completed
4. Be at least 50% of the way to my goal size/weight. - Why did I say size/weight? I want to be within 1 size of my goal, but the weight could be thrown off by having more muscle than I thought or not being able to get my butt and thighs to slim down (which I'm fine with since I like them hehe). I won't say what the weight or size are that I want, but I'll be losing a significant amount. It'll be a lot of hard work, but I'm already working at it and hoping to do more than I say.
5. Pay off at least 2 credit cards. - I'm not going to give the amount, but with moving expenses, a new baby, surgeries, and the loss of a job within the past 2 years you can imagine the high number. Again, it will take hard work and dedication, but I'm willing to do it (and so is Ivan).
6. Have Ivan give me a spa day. - He spoils me anyway, but a full day of spa treatment sounds wonderful. Completed
7. Find and buy the Muppet Christmas Carol on DVD. - This doesn't sound hard, but I've looked for this for the past couple of years and it's always sold out. I will find it and soon! Completed: February 3
8. Complete my studio. - Until we finish the basement, which is years away, the upstairs room will be my studio. I stopped working on it when I had Alexander (previously mentioned as Awesome), then there was surgery, then a slight, I guess, depression, and so on. I'm getting out of my nonsensical rut, though, and moving on. Time to finish the studio so I can start painting, crafting, and playing again. Completed: November 23
9. Paint my dresser. - My parents brought my old dresser to me. You know the type, cream colored with gold trim? It needs an update...badly. But what color? Completed: November 17
10. A 3 day weekend. - I don't really care if we stay home or go somewhere, but we will have fun and relax. No cooking, cleaning, or having responsibilities. Maybe a 3 day weekend in Atlanta with sight-seeing and pretending to be a tourist in our own city. Or maybe we'll just stay home and play videos games, watch movies, wrestle with Awesome, and eat out for every meal. Who knows, but it will be tons of fun. Completed: April 15
11. Follow my path. - Yes, it's vague to you, but not to me. There will be a public update on this within the coming months. Will I go left or right? I'm so excited to see what this year will bring! Completed: April 1

So that's the list. As the year progresses I'll post more about each and include pictures or include writings and such. Do you have a list of your own? What do you want to do this year? Whatever it is I hope God blesses you and you have as much fun and fulfillment as you want!

Guest Bath Redo

Our guest bathroom was a dark hole at the end of our hall. A brown, depressing vortex that swallowed all that is good in the world. Ok, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but you get how much Ivan and I hated it. The people who lived here before us loved brown because just about all of the rooms we painted brown, including the dining room (our play room) and kitchen.We decided it needed a pick-me-up so we chose a bright green as the new color. Because this is also Alexander's bathroom I wanted to make it further and paint the ceiling a very light blue (I don't have pictures of this, but it's a darker blue than I wanted. Still very fun and bright, though.). Below are the pictures of the transformation, which can be clicked for a bigger image.
The Beginning
  
Not much going on here. I had taken down all of the fixtures and other items to prepare the bathroom for painting. Don't you just hate this color? It's so blah.

Taping, Sanding and Such
  
I finally got everything taped off and the walls sanded. The paint that was on there was a very high gloss and even after tons of sanding it was still glossy. Boo.

What have I done?
   
This was when I realized that the color was horrible. It was way to yellow and would probably look better on some kind of accessory or as a color used to make something pop, not as the primary color. I ran back to the store and got a green that was still bright, but extremely subdued compared to this horrible mess.

Complete!
  
Much better. Put everything back in place and we're done. Yay!

The bathroom looks so much better. The shower curtain and accessories all stayed the same because a) I absolutely love this curtain and b) I only wanted to spend a small amount on the redo. Job well done, I say. We did add 1 thing, though. A basket with a variety of personal care items: shampoo, conditioner, razors, make-up remover, toothbrushes, toothpaste, contact solution, and a few other things. You never know when a guest (or sometimes you) will forget things and need a replacement or substitute.

2011 Goals

I actually have a lot of goals to complete this year. Not really New Years resolutions since I started some around Thanksgiving. One that will really matter here, though, is to start blogging at least twice a month. This will start tomorrow with the guest bathroom pictures that I promised a few months ago. I would upload pics and things now, but video games are calling. Final Fantasy XIII to be exact...a lovely Christmas gift from my husband. I've been putting off buying it because of the cost, but Ivan decided I should have it. Yay! Until tomorrow, friends. :-)

"A goal without a plan is just a wish." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery