Resolutions

I always get all tingly at the start of a new year. It's so fresh and clean, no mistakes in it, no ANYTHING in it, just blank newness waiting to be mucked about it.

I know that's rubbish.

And also I've been watching a lot of Doctor Who, which explains the British phraseology. Seriously, if I had a British accent, I'd shut up even less than I already do.

Anyway, like I said, I know the whole idea of the new year being fresh and shiny and new is utter rubbish, because really, there's nothing special about tomorrow. It's just another day. But somehow it's so full of opportunities and choices to be made or not made or unmade or remade. It's just so darn EXCITING.

I am a resolution maker, and this year I have three four resolutions for my brand new, shiny year:

1. Organize. This sounds dumb, but we live in 1200 sq feet, and until the economy turns around, we're going nowhere fast. It's time to take this hodge podge of a house and turn it into a well-mannered, organized home.

2. Get Healthy - I'm little, but I am nowhere near as healthy as I wish I was. Starting tomorrow, I'm exercising, feeding my family more whole foods and no more eating cereal that changes the color of my milk. I may even start to buy *gasp* 2% instead of whole. The end goal here is to run a 5K next December.

3. Read. In 2010, I read 100 books. 100. I didn't set myself a reading goal last year and I read precisely five books. Or so. So this year, I'm cutting the goal in quarters, because I have doula training and work and a BABY. So, in 2012, I'm reading 25 books. At least. And only seven of them can be Harry Potter.

It's funny because there are seven Harry Potter books.

4. Word. As in "The Word". My relationship with God fell to the wayside when I became a mother, but if I want to raise up this little girl in the way that she should go, I need to make sure I am on the way that I should go. I miss reading the Bible every night. I miss the closeness I had with God.

So there it is. Organze. Fit. Read. Word.

OFRW.

Or WORF, if you prefer.

Actually, I do.

WORF: New Years 2012

Projects

I love projects. I love the idea of having an end goal, materials, and a set of directions to get you from start to finish. I think it's the Type A personality in me that I've squished and smothered under years of procrastination and forcing myself to be "artistic".
That said, I'm terrible at starting projects. I have lots of great ideas and plans, but very little a) time b)money c)get up and go. I'm just not motivated in a practical way. I love to think about things, mostly because, in my head, I can accomplish an entirely made-over house for free, and with no effort on my part. Sadly, when I open my eyes, I still have horrific carpet, cheap tile, and a generic Target TV console. It's enough to break your heart, really.
THAT said, I've decided to change. It's my May 6 resolution. I have a whole list of things I want accomplished before Paul and I add to our family (which won't be happening this month, by the way. Thanks a ton, mother nature. Also, I hate you).
Here's my list, in no particular order:

This Bed - I have a love affair with Pottery Barn. It's a secret. I'm not even sure Pottery Barn knows, although maybe it does, because every time I go in that store, all the associates can smell the poor on me and give me the stink-eye. This particular bed is a knock off of one I've been coveting at Pottery Barn for the past forever, but could never find for under about a million dollars. Well, here it is, for the low. low price of "Do it your own self". And $120. The Pottery Barn version sells for at least $1190.

These bookshelves - My current nightstand is a baritone case. With an actual baritone in it. As bohemian as that sounds, it's pretty low on the functionality scale and even lower on the "Wow, it totally looks like you put thought and care into your decor" scale. These bookshelves are small and low enough to be considered nightstands, and they have SHELVES. No drawers though. I have a tendency to make messes of drawers. It's a disease.

This Media Console - Another Pottery Barn item. I have wanted an apothecary table ever since that episode of Friends where Phoebe talks about how evil Pottery Barn is. And maybe it is. But this apothecary table is quite lovely.

There is also a changing table I want to build. Sadly, I have nothing to change on a changing table. Soon and very soon

All these plans are from Knock-OffWood.com. She's fantastic. You should check it out.

Psychosis

Going without facebook blows.

I could end this entry right there, because it basically says it all, but I like to hear myself talk.

I have roughly 2 1/2 weeks left of Lent, and I am about to implode from lack of info about other people's lives. Maybe it's God telling me I need to stop facebook stalking my ex-boyfriend. It's ok though. He's fine with it. And also, I facebook stalk everyone. Even my Husband. You know, the one who lives with me.

I'm a little worried that I'm going to go back to Facebook and find 64 comments from various people, all wondering why I am so rude and haven't gotten back to them. Then all the unrequited comment people will hate me and I will go back to facebook with only six facebook friends. Facebook stalking six people = superlame.

Contrawise, I could go back to facebook in a few weeks to be greeted by absolutely no notifications other than the weird ones that the odd side of my family sends, all along the lines of "Joe threw a feather pillow at you! Throw one back" He's my uncle...so ummm....no. No incestuous pillow fights for me, thanks. I digress. I will go back to facebook to face zero communication, and instead of assuming that everyone knew I was going without facebook, and so knew contact would be pointless, I will assume that no one loves me and will go on a deletion rampage and end up with only six facebook friends.

It really is lose-lose.

I suppose I could be rational and adult about everything, but there's absolutely nothing fun about that.

At all.

Finances

Paul and I have horrific credit. Until a month ago, we had a large debt owed to my parents and three maxed-out credit cards. It's a sad fact that, when we were young (by which I mean a year ago and before), we had an emergency or two, and then proceeded to treat our credit cards like free money on our honeymoon. In case you haven't guessed, this is a stupid, stupid idea, and will land you at the mercy of the Card Services department of whatever institution is issuing you a line of credit. They are generally nice people, I've found, but I still really don't want to talk to them.
However, about six months ago, I discovered the Dave Ramsey plan. I knew the plan wouldn't work for us in it's original form, given that we were living, literally, right at our means. There was zero extra money, and the Dave Ramsey plan really needs a tiny bit of extra money to get it going. However, tax season was looming, and, with me paying estimated taxes and the fact that tax law has really never been nicer to poor folk like us, I knew we could expect a good chunk of change, which would serve as the catalyst for The Great Debt Payoff.
Happily, I was right. We were able to pay my parents all but $500 that we owed them, and they were gracious enough to cancel the rest. With the extra money that would have once gone toward paying my parents, we payed off our smallest credit card and closed the account (I, for the record, do not care that closing a card hurts your credit. There's very little that could damage my credit and make it worse than it already is). The next card is relatively small as well, under $1000. We should have it paid off within the next three months. Following that, we move on to our biggest debt, a maxed-out BoA MasterCard that has been looming over us since our honeymoon. It's due to be paid in full by next May.
We are far from out of the woods, and I sincerely doubt that anyone will extend us credit for the next seven years, but I am taking comfort in the fact that we did something about our debt before we were buried beneath it, and that there is an end in sight.
The moral of this story, kids, is that credit cards are great for building up credit, which in turn is great for buying things like houses and cars. However, it's easy-peasy to see the plastic as free cash and just start throwing it around. Don't.

Recently...

My computer is sadly broken, which means that my only blogging, nesting and/or facebooking moments are going to be caught at work when the baby consents to an actual nap. It's almost the end of January (sort of), and I'm reevaluating a few things.

Coupon-ing. I didn't blog about this, mostly because it is le boring, but I've finally begun, and hopefully it will save my sweet husband and I a great deal of money. My emplyers have agreed to give me their coupons from the Sunday paper (suckers) so long as I agree not to take any of the coupons for baby things...for the baby I don't have. The best discovery so far: EGG coupons!! For EGGS! I have now made myself very sad with my own boringness.

50 books in 2010 - I've already read 11, so I feel like, at this rate, I may have read all 50 of them by May, and then I have nothing to aspire to for the rest of the year. So I am upping the number (again) to 100 books. I also discovered audio books recently, which may be the greatest thing ever. I don't much enjoy listening to music in my car, and the "law" says that I can't read while I drive. But ha-HA to the law, because I can have someone read TO me while I drive. It's my own personal way of sticking it to the man.

Blogging - I rather enjoy this blog. I don't know that anyone besides my mother reads it, but I enjoy logging on and talking abot whatever I feel like talking about, without all the pesky interruptions that come with conversation.

Babies - My husband made the mistake of pointing out the wittle baby shoes when we were in Target yesterday, which is hardly fair. My ovaries are now weeping.

Ah well.

More about the reading

I'm on my third book of 2010, which, as it is the eigth of January, makes me wonder if 25 is a laughably easy goal. At this rate, I should finish around 15o books this year. But I won't. That's just silly. I am, However, upping the goal to 50 books this year. And Dammit, I've lost my point. I had one, but now I've forgotten. Phenomenal.

Libraries! That was it.

I recently found my library card and remembered that there is, in fact, a library only a few blocks from my house. This startling discover came after I spent half th day worrying about how I would afford to buy all these books. Then I remembered: there's a magical place that will just let you take them for FREE.

But not until I pay off my $20 fine. I have a tendency to borrow books and just go ahead and keep them. Forever.

About this whole running thing...

I have a love-hate relationship with running. On th one hand, I love to run. I love the high I get when I run, and the sense of personal accomplishment. On the other hand, my knees were shot all to hell when I did colorguard in high school, and now running makes my knees want to move out and fin an owner who will take better care of them.

Every few months, though, I ignore my knees pitiful cries for mercy and decide I'm going to run. I download music, I put on my running clothes, and off I go. This usually lasts about three weeks before I'm back at square one.

It's the new year though, and I need to be a better person. Which means, really, that I need to get in better shape. I'm teeny tiny, it's true, but skinny does not always = healthy. It just means I don't eat a lot. My muscles are the consistany of ricotta cheese at this point, and I feel like that just isn't acceptable. So, the goal now is, as it always is, to run a 5K. The Ortega River Run is February 27th, and it's as good a time as any to try a 5K, and it's roughly nine-ish weeks away, which gives me time for the Couch to 5K program.

I'm going to try and run tonight. It's supposed to be in the 20's though, and I only own one glove. If I layer though, maybe it will be ok.

25 Books in 2010

I'm not usually one for goal-making. After all, I'm not usually one for goal-keeping, so what's the point? However, I hav decided, against my better judgement, to read 25 books in 2010. It doesn't sound like a lot, but that's roughly 2 1/12 books a month, or an entire book every two weeks.

The reason I know I am probably doomed to failure is that, as with Couch to 5K, I find myself saying "Two books a month? Easy Peasy". Somehow I think this will be more challenging than I imagine. And on the off chance that it isn't and I breeze through 25 books in the next 6 weeks, I'll have to up the ante to 52 books in a year. Or not. But it's a thought. Anyways, here we are.

1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (completed Jan 4)
2. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Completed Jan 7)
3. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (Completed Jan 8)
4. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (Completed Jan 9)
5. Gulliver's Travels (In progress)

Books I want to read this year:

It Sucked, and Then I Cried by Heather Armstrong
Emma by Jane Austen

After that, I have literally no idea. Maybe I'll reread the Abhorsen Chronicles. Is that cheating, to reread?