State of the Resolutions: First Edition

It's about the end of the month and I figured I ought to check in on my progress for my yearly resolutions/goals. (I don't actually have much to report otherwise - life is busy but normal.)

1. Half/Full Marathons

I have not yet run my half and full marathons yet. Waayyyy too early for that. However, I'm officially signed up for Run the Bluegrass half (www.RunTheBluegrass.org) and on a training schedule for the full marathon. The current battle is figuring out which one to do. I'm between a late June one in Michigan or an early July one in Vermont. I think some of it will depend on who I can drag with me.

I may also be doing a Warrior Dash in early June. I've seen these crazy obstacle races before but this one seems more interesting with the addition of jumping through fire (literally) and lots of beer at the end.

2. Household projects


I've done a little bit (like recovering an old lampshade) and scouted out more than anything for things to makeover for the new digs. Not much progress on this one as of yet but there are a bajillion ideas swirling around in my head. I really just need to be patient and get into the space before I embark on most of these things. Big project for the spring will be figuring out what to do with the hideous laminate kitchen cabinets.


3. Experiment in the kitchen


So far I've been very successful in completing my weekly experiment. I'll have to post more details about that later. I haven't been able to spend much time with the bread making, although Corey is a rockstar with it right now. I'm a little nervous about stepping into his artisan baker shadow, but there's hope yet!


4. Budget


I'm failing miserably at this. My biggest hurdle is that since we're getting ready for a move into a new place, there are just so many odds and ends that we need to take care of. I need to calm it down a bit with my excitement for getting to decorate and make this place my home for at least the next 3 years. My new mantra needs to be "decorate in stages."

I guess that's about it for now. Maybe at least one monthly check-in with these goals could be a good way to keep myself accountable.

More to come in a few weeks with the big move!

The Great Purge

There is something about this time of year that lends itself to fits of rampant cleaning and organizing. I think I hit a high today.

(Sorry about the poor quality - it's a cell phone pic)

I know it may look like a disaster, but it's an organized mess. Boxes that were full of junk are now empty so I can use them for the move, and the junk is now either in the trash or in a bag to Goodwill. In the process, I've also been able to pack up move of my office stuff and I realized I need to have a move effective filing system. So that was my project the other night.

Other projects have been sofa-hunting. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be. I also found out that I'm a lot pickier about these things than I originally thought I was. I guess there are some things that I think are worth investing in a bit more than others. I don't trust myself enough to DIY a couch. This is the one that I'm currently leaning towards the most:

Nich, eh? It's on the upper end of our price range but it just may be worth it for the leather (easy to clean and pet dander-resistant) and the warranty protection.

I've also been able to find some great deals on craigslist this week. Since we're lacking so much on living room furniture, I've been trying to keep an eye on the listings. You can't see them in there, but I snagged two nice Lane end tables tonight for only..... $15! These things just need a little love and some new stain. I typically don't like matching end tables, so I may end up using the other in the guest room as a nightstand to break it up some.

I also found some nice lamps and frames this week via craigslist and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Love those deals. I got some fabric from Hancock and I'm planning on recovering at least one of the lamp shades. The frame color is slightly hideous right now, but it's nothing that a little bit of spray paint can't fix!

So those will be my first projects of the year. They may or may not get done before the big move in February. That all depends on how packing goes I suppose. Right now, I need to make sure I'm just keeping an eye on things I'll need between now and then and get rid of what I don't.

I've also been able to keep up with my new recipe of the week. Granted, it is only the first week of the year. My experimental meal of the week was a tomato soup with turkey pesto meatballs and pasta. It was a winner, and I was even able to share with a few friends from college.

Delicious.

Unfortunately I didn't get my planned run in like I'd hoped for. Tomorrow I MUST sit down and get my training plans together for the half I'm already signed up for in April and the full in July.

I guess it's time to relax for a bit. It is the weekend after all.

Late Happy New Year!

...or something like it. As far as I can tell, 2010 was a pretty great year personally. I'm kind of sad to see it go.

Quick recap:
JANUARY - Skiing with friends and family.
FEBRUARY - Moved across town into a nice place/neighborhood.
MARCH - Completed first half-marathon in Lexington.
APRIL - Bought my brand new Mazda 3.
MAY - Met Corey.
JUNE - Big promotion at work.
JULY - Camping trip on the AT with Corey and taking him to TN to meet the family.
AUGUST - Personal record for 5K distance at 27:08 during the Midsummer Night's Run.
SEPTEMBER - Sweet weekend white-water rafting trip in West Virginia.
OCTOBER - Chicago trip with family/Ran Columbus half-marathon/Traveled to DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity.
NOVEMBER - Started training in vibram FiveFingers.
DECEMBER - Accepted into my top choice law school.

As you can see, it's been a good year. I'm going to try my hardest to make 2011 just as good, if not better. Instead of traditional resolutions (which I never could keep up with after about a week), I'm making goals for myself. By being able to achieve the goals, hopefully that will change some of my current behaviors.

1. Run two half-marathons and a full marathon.
Since the second half of 2010 was plagued with injuries for me, I need to focus on getting stronger and healthier for these races. I also need to pay attention to nutrition and consistency. Hopefully, I'll be able to shed some pounds and get leaner in the process.

2. Tackle household projects.

Since it looks like I'll be moving to a new place in February, I've been bit by the DIY bug. Between decorating and making a (town)house a home, I'll be keeping busy. It's also going to be doing it on the cheap, which may be the real challenge.

3. Experiment in the kitchen.

This is a two-fold goal. First, I need to learn to make a good loaf of bread. By hand, kneading and all. I've already tried once so far, and it was okay. But not stellar. It's a work in progress. The second part of it is to experiment with one new recipe or technique per week. Hopefully this will expand my culinary horizons a bit... and I know plenty of people who will be happy to help me test these things out.

4. Make a budget...and stick to it.

I've made up a budget and now the important thing is to stick to it as much as possible. I've even tried to account for the large expenses throughout the year. I need to be a stickler about this, especially when I'll be living off a limited income when in law school.

Those are the big ones. I think four is enough to make a difference in the way I live day-to-day and I'm looking forward to the improvements I can make to myself and my relationships.

I do believe 2011 may be a great year.

Ready to Run

I mean this in a couple of ways.

First of all, I'm tired of being injured. Between a stress fracture 8 weeks before my marathon (hence not training for it and downshifting to the half-marathon) and a bursitis problem for the past week.

Two miles today. I feel like a wuss.

Goal: April 30 -- Louisville Derby Marathon. Let's hope 6 months is enough time to let this heal.

Impulsive

I've been very impulsive lately. Usually I'm a heavy-duty planner, going all out with maps and schedules and budgeting, etc. Not so much recently. And I really, really love it. The last month has been completely full and it's been completely spontaneous and completely incredible. I've also signed more waivers in the last few weeks than I have in a while. Totally worth it all.



Lady Luck has been following me around as well. I have a feeling it has something to do with the company I've been keeping.

And my most recent impulse:

Turning Limes into Pie.

I don't want to really say anything too soon, but I think I've been able to turn my poor June luck around. The summer of 2010 has gotten off to an incredible start. Between meeting new people, having fun adventures in the mountains, getting a promotion at work and possibly checking off one of the big bucket list items this upcoming weekend... I've stayed busy. And it's been the best kind of busy. :)

I need to get back on a real schedule for my marathon training though. I did well last week with early morning workouts, but this week was not so good. Must. Change. This.

And I do believe I have perfected my key lime pie recipe. With an addition of macadamia nuts in the crust and coconut in the whipped cream, it's the perfect summer dish.

Last weekend was Father's Day. It fell on June 20. Six years ago, my paternal grandmother passed away on June 20, on Father's Day. Two years after that, my 13 year old cat died on the 20th. This is one of the bad June days. Luckily, I was able to successfully wish my father a happy day and tell him I love him. I guess I can't wish for much more than that.

Once I complete my bucket list item, I'll post it. I don't want to jump the gun in case the plans fall through. I get excited just thinking about it. :)

June Sucks.

It's officially June. I have a poor history with this month, so I'm hoping it flies by. Luckily, I have some good things planned. I'm officially on vacation this week which was celebrated this afternoon by the pool. I'm driving back home to Tennessee in the morning where I'll get to spend some quality time with family and friends there. And our garage sale. (Not looking forward to that one.) I'm hoping to spend a good day on the lake and a good day hiking on the AT. I miss the mountains.

I'm traveling tomorrow - which is why I'm still awake. I always get a little anxious or something the night before I go somewhere. I'm incredibly OCD when it comes to getting things ready the night before and making sure I'm ready to go.

I have also decided that I need new music. Not just stuff to download - Glee gives me plenty opportunities to get new stuff on a weekly basis. What I really need is something to hook me for a while, much like how the Avett Brothers got me through last summer.