25 Things Update

Life has been so great this year that I nearly forgot my quasi-resolutions from the beginning of the year!

Here is an update:

1. Be more positive
   I'd like to think that I am doing a much better job of this. If I had to pick one reason that I've been successful, it's that I have much more realistic expectations - of people in general (including myself). I've also pushed my comfort level with some of the things that I've done and challenged myself. My fear of heights? I repelled into a cave. My fear of deep water? I'm now a certified PADI Open Water Diver and have been down to 40 feet with no problems. 
2. Lose ~13% of body weight (or eat healthier and exercise at least 3x a week)
   I have no idea what I weigh right now and honestly, I don't much care. I think that earlier this year I was so focused on the numbers on the scale that I lost sight of what being healthy is. I started running again, am trying to swim regularly, and I try to eat better. This is not to say that I'm perfect, but I am happier with where I am today than where I was a year ago.
3. Start a few plants from seed for the garden
   Due to that Australia trip, we kind of screwed up the garden.
4. Come up with a new budget and stick to it
   This is a work in progress, but I am happy to report that we are doing pretty well with the budget. We were doing better before SCUBA on this. Turns out that diving is an expensive hobby. Once we acquire all of our gear, we shouldn't be spending quite as much. At any rate, we have a budget. And we also started a new savings goal with Smarty Pig. They earn a fantastic rate (1% APY!) and deposits are FDIC insured. Although we currently have more than enough in our savings account for our Emergency Savings Fund, we decided to take some money and move it to Smarty Pig. We'll be putting 6% of our income into that account and should have our Emergency Fund built up to ~5 months of expenses by early 2015. We will be opening additional savings goals with Smarty Pig for vacations and furniture, which brings me to #5.
5. Get rid of the red couch and chair that I freaking HATE
   We still have them. Unfortunately. I can't wait to give that crap away. I thought that we'd found a sucker someone to take that junk  them, but apparently their apartment fell through. Here is what I want to replace it with: Witiker Brown Reclining Sofa Set. The cool thing with SmartyPig is that you can convert your savings to gift cards and get additional $$ with it. So I could get an extra 7% ($112 off of the couch) if I chose to redeem my savings with an Overstock.com gift card. Not too shabby!
6. Purchase new furniture and decorate downstairs
   That's a work in progress. Downstairs is fairly well decorated. We also ended up with an extra dining room table and some other furniture. In my opinion, it doesn't go that great with what we have, but it belonged to Jay's grandparents, so we will keep it in the family.
7. Put together a time capsule for our house
   I have this, we just need to put it into a closet and cover it up.
8. Blog at least twice a week
   I think I've been okay with this. If I average 2 posts a week, then I should have 104 at the end of the year. I suppose I'd better pick it up in November and December. I have 25 left for the year.
9. Get organized - important documents, books, seasonal items, etc.
   This is also a work in progress. We've finally found a good system for our important documents, but I need to go through some stuff. Seasonal items are in the attic. We're also going to need to find a good spot to stow our scuba gear.
10. Be in good enough shape to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (aka Mount Doom) in New Zealand
    I definitely would have hiked Mount Doom if it weren't for the snowstorm happening while we were there. Next time we'll visit in Summer! So yeah, I think I can mark this one off. 
11. Raise a small flock of chickens for meat (at least six)
    We kind of did this. There are two roosters in our freezer right now and we've decided to cull the last rooster and have nothing but hens. I get to help with the last one. Gulp.
12. Sell some eggs, otherwise we'll be overrun when the new chickens start laying
    Did this! Although these new chickens are kind of slackers. I thought we'd be getting 12-20 eggs a day, but we're getting more like 6-8.
13. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, even though I'm scared of being eaten by a shark|
    Even better, I dove the Great Barrier Reef and became a certified diver. OH. And I even saw sharks while diving. Carpet sharks and a reef shark. And I didn't freak out - it was awesome.
14. Snuggle a koala
    Did this and have photographic proof.
15. Install the heat pump downstairs
    We went without heat downstairs (except for the pellet stove) that I forgot this was even installed! We turned it on earlier this week when I was chilly.
16. Make room in the budget for a cleaning service
    Not sure if we'll do this. We're going to see if we can handle cleaning ourselves with a schedule.
17. Get the crawl space insulated
    This is undecided. We're going to see how we get through this winter to see how badly it really needs it. 
18. Have photos done and send Christmas cards out this year
    In process. We may take photos ourselves or get Laura to do them.
19. Fence in yard
    We are 95% done. Just a few places left that we need fencing.
20. Hatch out some silkie and black/red star mixes
    Did this and are eating them - 11. They were ALL roosters.
21. Say no and not feel guilty afterwards
    I am doing so much better at this.
22. Have an awesome time at the Mardi Gras Ball
    It was a fun time. Next year will be better and less work. We've learned a lot.
23. Can tomatoes from our garden
    No garden = no tomatoes.
24. Print "before" collages to frame and hang in the house
    Still need to do this. When I tried to do this, the computer spazzed out on me.
25. Use at least one week of our time share
    We planned to do this, but then learned that it would be cheaper to use Leslie and Bob's Shareholder status. We'll be going to Puerto Plata with two other couples during the second week of December.

Checkout Dives

This weekend I will knock another goal off of my 101 list.

Forget 6 feet under, I'll be more like 40 feet under. 

We're also camping for the first time in a few years. We set up the tent this week to make sure that we wouldn't look like complete fools in front of our new diving buddies. 

I'm hoping for no cell service this weekend. I need to get away and decompress. 

Life has been stressful this week and I think that the peace of nature will bring me back to where I need to be. Floating along weightless under water is calming as well.

My prescription for relaxation this weekend:  8 hours in the car with my hubby, The Hero of Ages, four trips underwater, campfire s'mores, and perfect fall weather. 

25 Things in a Year - June update

I'll have a post soon about some of the incredible things that I saw and did on my trip. I pushed my personal limits and was rewarded for doing it. Who knows, maybe my next step is skydiving??

I'll be doing a complete update on my journey soon... probably with a few details left out to protect the guilty. ;)

At the beginning of the year, this was my list. Some of these things were to be done around our trip down under, so I have a quick update on where things stand:

1.             Be more positive
Being on vacation for so long has both helped and hurt this goal. I desperately needed a vacation after not having time off for over a year, but now that I’ve been to Australia, all I can think about is how I can move there permanently.

2.             Lose ~13% of body weight (or eat healthier and exercise at least 3x a week)
I was at 8% before vacation, but I put 5 pounds back on during vacation… mostly due to drinking excessively and eating sweets! Now I’m back to a reasonable diet and exercise plan… although it’s taking me a while to get back to the working out portion. I’m still having some problems with jetlag.

3.             Start a few plants from seed for the garden
Some of my plants reseeded themselves! I shouldn’t have even attempted any garden plans this year, since I was gone when I should have been planting.

4.             Come up with a new budget and stick to it
I’ve done a pretty good job of this. We also stuck to our Australia budget, apart from upgrading our flights at the end of the trip, which put us over budget.

5.             Get rid of the red couch and chair that I freaking HATE
Still not yet. Then again, if there is any chance that we are moving to Australia, I’ll live with the stupid couch.

6.             Purchase new furniture and decorate downstairs
See number 5. If I can make my dream a reality, decorating isn’t very high on my priorities list.

7.             Put together a time capsule for our house
I have it, but it's sitting downstairs on my kitchen counter. Still.

8.             Blog at least twice a week
I may catch up eventually. This shouldn’t count for any time that I’m on vacation, so I get a pass.

9.             Get organized - important documents, books, seasonal items, etc.
I’ll get there.

10.          Be in good enough shape to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (aka Mount Doom) in New Zealand
I definitely could have done it, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t good for that hike while we were there. When (yes, WHEN, not if) we go back, hopefully it will be during summer or early spring so that we don’t have to contend with snow. It IS the “ALPINE” crossing after all.

11.          Raise a small flock of chickens for meat (at least six)
Hmm. We’ll see about this. I think that Mouse might be a candidate for the soup pot soon. He’s terrorizing some of our new chickens and he’s attacked me a few too many times. Last time he even left a mark on my leg.

12.          Sell some eggs, otherwise we'll be overrun when the new chickens start laying
I will definitely need to do this. Guess I should order a big supply of egg cartons.

13.          Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, even though I'm scared of being eaten by a shark
Completed! Not to mention my fear of deep water, which apparently I am getting over. Actually, I went scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef AND saw a 4~5 foot white tipped reef shark! We also saw carpet sharks (which Jay tried to pet) during our first dive at Cook Island when we were in Coolangatta. Scuba diving was such an unexpected joy for me, and I am planning to get my open water certification in time for #25.

14.          Snuggle a koala
Possibly one of the most amazing things in my entire life. Her name was Tiger Lily and she was the sweetest thing ever.

15.          Install the heat pump downstairs
It is delightfully cool in our entire house, I am happy to report.

16.          Make room in the budget for a cleaning service
Still working on this one. I’m pretty sure we’re going to do it though. When we got back from vacation, we saw what a mess our house ends up being without us there for 3 weeks. Apparently two cats is enough to destroy a house in no time at all.

17.          Get the crawl space insulated
We’ll see how we make out with having the second heat pump.

18.          Have photos done and send Christmas cards out this year
I need to meet up with Laura Dye to get these pictures done. Although we have so many great ones from our trip, I might have to photoshop Santa Hats on our heads.

19.          Fence in yard
We have the rear privacy fence up. Love the look of it and would like to do the entire yard like this… we’ll see though.

20.          Hatch out some silkie and black/red star mixes
We did and they have turned out to be pretty funky looking! Unfortunately I’m pretty sure that two of them are going to be roosters. So we might be eating a few more chicken dinners.

21.          Say no and not feel guilty afterwards
Doing this more often and I would say that I've been quite successful. The more often I do it, the less guilty I feel. Being on this trip made me remember that I have an awesome husband that I want to spend time with, so I’m trying very hard to not book up all of our weekends months in advance so that we can do more on our own as a couple.

22.          Have an awesome time at the Mardi Gras Ball
I did have an awesome time, although I must say that I was quite happy and relieved when it was all over. I was even happy to clean up the next day!

23.          Can tomatoes from our garden
I will can some tomatoes if we actually get some this year! I might cheat and buy an already potted porch type plant.

24.          Print "before" collages to frame and hang in the house
I’ll do it one of these days. Now my big job is to download all of the photos from vacation… there are HEAPS of photos.

25.          Use at least one week of our time share
We’re booking using our friend Leslie’s Shareholder status, which gets us a discounted daily rate and a sweet villa. I’m still waiting to hear back from some of the people that I’ve invited. Now that I’ve had quite the adventurous trip down under, I’m worried that our lounge-around-in-the-sun-eat-and-drink vacation might be a little boring, so I’m planning to do horseback riding, a diving trip and some whitewater rafting while we’re there.

25 Things - Update on Progress

At the beginning of the year, I posted my goals/quasi-resolutions... here is an update on how I'm doing:

1. Be more positive
   I think that I'm getting there. Honestly, therapy has helped me a lot... I do what I can, try to understand others and their motivations, then let the rest of it go.
2. Lose ~13% of body weight (or eat healthier and exercise at least 3x a week)
   I'm at 5.11% of my body weight. That's progress! I've also exercised at least 3 times a week for the last few weeks. I'll take it.
3. Start a few plants from seed for the garden
   I have the starter seed kit, I just need to figure out when to start the stuff. 
4. Come up with a new budget and stick to it
   I've figured out the budget - next update will tell you if I stuck to it. :)
5. Get rid of the red couch and chair that I freaking HATE
   Ugh, not yet.
6. Purchase new furniture and decorate downstairs
   Also not yet. I have to make sure that it fits with #4.
7. Put together a time capsule for our house
   I have it, but it's sitting downstairs on my kitchen counter. It doesn't need to go in until we finish the drywall in my old bedroom's closet.
8. Blog at least twice a week
   Failing that one. Oops.
9. Get organized - important documents, books, seasonal items, etc.
   Maybe later this year. I'm just happy to have my house mostly in one piece!
10. Be in good enough shape to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (aka Mount Doom) in New Zealand
    Definitely not yet. We leave in 50 days, so I think that should be enough time as long as I stick with those 3x a week workouts.
11. Raise a small flock of chickens for meat (at least six)
    This is gonna be a tough one. Not sure if I'll ever be able to do this.
12. Sell some eggs, otherwise we'll be overrun when the new chickens start laying
    Later this year... probably August or September when the new girls start laying.
13. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, even though I'm scared of being eaten by a shark
    Oh it's gonna happen! Flights are booked, baby!
14. Snuggle a koala
    Also going to happen at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in less than 2 months!
15. Install the heat pump downstairs
    This is finally happening tomorrow! I can't wait to have whole house HVAC!!
16. Make room in the budget for a cleaning service
    Not sure about this... I'm thinking that now that the house is completed, it's a lot easier to keep clean. Also, if we get a normal driveway and make some landscaping improvements, it will be much easier to keep our floors clean.
17. Get the crawl space insulated
    Yeah, yeah. It'll happen one day. Maybe soon. Maybe later. But someday this year.
18. Have photos done and send Christmas cards out this year
    Maybe I should make my appointment with Laura Dye  now so that I don't slack on this one. I want the cats and chickens in our "family" photo. I think that would be awesome! Maybe an American Gothic kinda thing in front of the house. But with Jay in his turnout gear (shirtless with suspenders would be HILARIOUS) and me with a chicken under one arm and a cat under the other. 
19. Fence in yard
    This is going to happen, although not sure if it will happen before or after the trip
20. Hatch out some silkie and black/red star mixes
    They're hatching tomorrow! Squee! :)
21. Say no and not feel guilty afterwards
    I've been doing that more often. Really.
22. Have an awesome time at the Mardi Gras Ball
    I did have an awesome time, although I must say that I was quite happy and relieved when it was all over. I was even happy to clean up the next day!
23. Can tomatoes from our garden
    Gotta plant them first. And put up a fence so that the chickiepoos don't eat them.
24. Print "before" collages to frame and hang in the house
    I started to get some of these together. I need to make this happen.
25. Use at least one week of our time share
    We are planning to take a group vacation to the Dominican at the end of the year, but when I wrote to the timeshare people, they told me that they couldn't confirm a villa for us until a month out. GRRR. So in all likelihood, we will be using another person's timeshare to make sure that we get what we want. I'm quite irked by the whole thing.

Wordless Wednesdays

Wordful Wednesday

I had planned to do a wordless Wednesday post, but it didn’t quite work out. This past week has been particularly difficult. Then again, it's been difficult for everyone.

I feel ashamed to even mention my in-laws in this post, but they do cause me a lot of anxiety and frustration. They (my FIL and 2 BIL’s) have been staying at our home since last Friday, so that really puts a damper on my mood. These aren’t the kind of normal in-law frustrations that people have. These particular in-laws have serious issues and they should NOT be staying at our house. Fortunately, they leave tonight.

On Friday, I learned that a drama buddy from high school has stage 4 adrenal cancer. Karisa is two years younger than me and has two young kids. I don’t know why these things happen to good people like her. Some people have created the Karisification community on Facebook. Please make sure to like it, even if you don’t know her.

Then last but not least, the Newtown Shooting. What can I even say about it? I still feel sick to my stomach. The gun-loving conservatives are saying to arm the teachers. Really? The thought of arming teachers terrifies me… most teachers I know aren’t exactly the type that I would want around guns (nor would they likely WANT to carry a gun). The United States needs to take a cue from Australia when it comes to mental health care and guncontrol laws. 

So light a candle, meditate, say a prayer, hug your loved ones, do something good for someone else.

Woosah

I need some time to unwind and de-stress. It’s been a crazy busy few weeks/months. I’m feeling rundown and stressed out. I love my new job, but there is still a learning curve to contend with. It’s not a difficult job by any means, but it’s pretty different from anything I’ve done before. I’m also the treasurer for a great non-profit, but they are going through some major growth right now, and while that is wonderful for the organization, it’s not so wonderful for me. There are lots of questions and lots of paperwork coming at a time that I need to be sending out wires for grant recipients, plus all of the stuff going on at home. I no longer have any “free time” at work, like I had when we were going through the MTB merger. I also have a board position with the arts council (which I absolutely love and I could hardly call stressful). I’m so overwhelmed at the moment that I just want to break down and scream. Or cry. Or some mixture of the two.

So between the new job, non-profit jobs, the house rehab/garden/farm, being a new-ish wife, and still trying to have some kind of social life and be a good friend, I’m kind of stressed out. I think that what it boils down to is that I need to learn how to say no.  

My NY in-laws (God love ‘em) have a habit of changing their plans every five minutes, so you have no idea what is going on with them until they’re knocking on your front door. Originally, my MIL had planned to visit us sometime while my SIL was visiting from AZ. Okay, that sounds great. Well that plan ended up ridiculously convoluted and I was cleaning like a madwoman after finding out that we weren’t getting my MIL at all that day, but my BIL and niece. Then my MIL and Nana (Jay’s grandmother) decided to come over after all the day after my BIL and niece came over. I consider myself a pretty laid-back person, but I’d like to know when we’re going to be having guests at least a few days (preferably weeks) ahead of time. It would just be nice if I had a little notice and I knew who was coming – and when they were coming, and how long they would be staying. Is that too much to ask?

My SIL Colleen (who is thankfully someone who plans ahead) arrived on Tuesday and is staying for two weeks. Jay is off gallivanting with his buddies at a bachelor party in WV. We are having a great time in his absence – Whino Wednesday at Harry’s on the Green, last night we went to the library, Clayton Farms, and then had an adventure at the auction in American Corner.

I had planned to take Colleen out tonight and show her a crazy eastern shore redneck bar, but we’re going to lay low instead. I really need some downtime. So tonight we’re having a nice dinner, drinking wine, and watching bad tv. Maybe we’ll get wild and have a mealworm frenzy with the chickens.

I can’t wait to go home and relax. I’ve earned it. Maybe I’ll even get a chance to take a bath in our Jacuzzi tub sometime soon.