Ha. At least one of my resolutions wasn't to blog regularly....
Since last we spoke, here's how the resolutions have been going:
1. Jam of the Week
This has been almost completely abandoned. It's hard. Also, I'm too obsessed with podcasts to take the time to do this too. As for the podcasts, you should listen to the Rachel Maddow Show, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Doug Loves Movies, the Savage Lovecast, and Greg Proops' The Smartest Man in the World. DO IT.
2. Pin-Up Shoot
This is still happening. Twice. In a few weeks I'm having one done for fun. Then later this year the same photographer will be doing the poster for my graduate project. Maybe I'll write about how that's going. I probably won't remember.
3. Three NYC Trips
Did you know that travel takes money? Me neither! Hasn't happened yet. It might? Don't hold your breath.
4. Monthly Real Date with D'Paul
We're not good at planning. The closest we get to planning is buying a groupon, forgetting about it, and rushing to use it on a date the day before it expires. That counts as a plan, right?
5. Do weekly body work (meditation, yoga, dancing, stretching.)
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, about this one.....
So far in 2011, I have:
- run or worked out everyday for 8 days (once)
- gone out for a 2 mile run and quit after the first mile (once)
- run one 6K race without stopping (once)
- taken one Zumba class
- purchased 6 Xpose fitness classes, attended 0
This is pretty pathetic. That's about one month's worth of exercise, slightly longer if I actually took the Xpose classes. I should probably actually do this one.
6. Eat more vegetables
Nope. Probably less. But I do like asparagus now.
Actually, a re-examination of my plan says I've been far more successful with this one (sort of) than at first glance. Remember how I said I would take the first five days of each month and eat no meat? I've actually done that for the first 6 months of the year! Sidenote: it's undergone a bastardization though. Have I eaten meat at any time during vegetarian week? No. Have I gone through an entire vegetarian week eating minimal vegetables while eating carbs almost exclusively? Yes......
7. Go to the AVAM
Let's refer back to #4 and see how this will go. I bought a living social coupon for it. That coupon expires in July. I will probably go to the museum the day before it expires.
8. Dress up and feel hot.
Completely and totally achieved. I've been feeling cocky as hell. Because I am sexypants. So there.
9. Take an hour, once a week, and clean the apartment.
This one has been really hard because in order to clean the apartment, I would need to clean off this pile of crap that's laying around everywhere to actually find the apartment I wish to clean. Next question please.
10. Record a song
This was intended as a mid-season replacement resolution for when I failed at something else. D'Paul and I have talked about it. We'll see how it goes. I envision this happening in the fall, if ever.
11. Eliminate any of this as needed.
Done and done.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Fell off the blog update wagon!
Time for a New Year's resolution update. I haven't been on here in a little while, so let's just call the song of the week for the last 2 months Lady Gaga's Born This Way. I loves it.
I ran a whole lot a few weeks ago, and then stopped. I need to start again, since I'm running a charity 6K in a few weeks, and I'd like to make it to the end.
I have maintained vegetarian week each month! It's getting easier each time, but I still end up craving delicious animals at the end of the week. D'Paul and I have made some serious commitments to eating more ethically. We are only drinking organic milk from grass fed cows. The effects of the additional hormones in conventional milk are too scary to continue courting that threat.
We're doing the whole organic, free range, grass fed, uber ethical path for all of our animal product consumption. Health and animal cruelty are concerns of ours, so this is going to make us feel a lot better about the food we eat. I hear you saying, but it's so much more expensive! I can't afford to eat like I do now if I follow all those rules. To this I say, that's the point. We can't afford to eat the same amount of meat as we used to, and that's a good thing. We're getting more creative, eating healthier, and making a much smaller environmental impact. Winning!
I have done well on and off with the cleaning. Things were terribly busy with school, life, and work for awhile and I totally failed at keeping my life in actual order. Things in my house are picked up now, but I have to do some hard core deep cleaning. And laundry. Laundry is going to need to become a priority REAL SOON, or I am going to be walking around naked before too long. I have the day off tomorrow and Saturday, so I'm taking tomorrow to make things happen. I have a meeting with school, another one with the artistic director of Iron Crow, and some time to do laundry and homework. Saturday I'll take the day off.
We're talking about scheduling the next NYC trip after D'Paul takes the bar in July. This will be an eating tour of New York! We have a gift certificate to Buddakan that they sent to apologize for the debacle last time, so we'll eat there again. We may look into Colicchio and Sons, Brasserie les Halles, and any other suggestions we receive in the meantime. Where do you like to eat in the city? What have you wanted to try? Help us plan our trip!
I ran a whole lot a few weeks ago, and then stopped. I need to start again, since I'm running a charity 6K in a few weeks, and I'd like to make it to the end.
I have maintained vegetarian week each month! It's getting easier each time, but I still end up craving delicious animals at the end of the week. D'Paul and I have made some serious commitments to eating more ethically. We are only drinking organic milk from grass fed cows. The effects of the additional hormones in conventional milk are too scary to continue courting that threat.
I have done well on and off with the cleaning. Things were terribly busy with school, life, and work for awhile and I totally failed at keeping my life in actual order. Things in my house are picked up now, but I have to do some hard core deep cleaning. And laundry. Laundry is going to need to become a priority REAL SOON, or I am going to be walking around naked before too long. I have the day off tomorrow and Saturday, so I'm taking tomorrow to make things happen. I have a meeting with school, another one with the artistic director of Iron Crow, and some time to do laundry and homework. Saturday I'll take the day off.
We're talking about scheduling the next NYC trip after D'Paul takes the bar in July. This will be an eating tour of New York! We have a gift certificate to Buddakan that they sent to apologize for the debacle last time, so we'll eat there again. We may look into Colicchio and Sons, Brasserie les Halles, and any other suggestions we receive in the meantime. Where do you like to eat in the city? What have you wanted to try? Help us plan our trip!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Week #5 (and everything you missed from Week #4)
Week #4 Jam of the Week
I'm just getting around to posting this one. I cleaned up my apartment while listening to it and it sparked a whole week of listening to Jason Mraz, which equals a happy sunshiney musical outlook. Hooray!
D'Paul and I have been very good at going on dates this past week. We had dinner at one of our favorite spots, Woodberry Kitchen, last Saturday and it was super yummy as always. PS - I dressed like a pretty lady and wore my contacts and make up. I am getting better at this! Then, when the snow hit and it seemed silly to leave the house we had dinner at the Prime Rib for their restaurant week special! It is right in the lobby of our apartment building and also very delicious. Much more traditional than Woodberry. I wore a little black dress, heels, and lipstick on a Wednesday night. What a wild and crazy social butterfly lady I am!
Living Social had a great discount this week and it helps with my resolutions too. They offered tickets at half off for the American Visionary Art Museum, so I bought them, and I will go! Today marks the first Sunday of my vegetarian five day challenge for February. Woo. So far, so good. D'Paul and I are heading out for a run tonight. And when I say out, I mean up to the gym in our building.
In other news, I have made major progress on another of my on-going goals: financial stability. In the next year or so D'Paul and I will be moving out of our apartments and looking for a home that holds us both, our kittens, and our stuff. Whether that will be buying right away or renting remains to be seen. However, given the financial planning that goes into buying a house, I figure that I need to be planning NOW (if not years ago.) So, this week I paid off my car, set up a high interest savings at my bank, sent in direct deposit paperwork to the payroll people at work so they send what used to be the car payment into the new account, ordered my credit reports (one of which has already come in and is perfect,) and organized a savings plan. This may seem like a lot, but so is a 20% down payment on a house. Especially in Silver Spring, where D'Paul wants to live so we can be close to his family and DC. We have a lot planned in our future, we don't need to be worrying about whether or not we get a good rate on a mortgage loan. Also, 20% of a house that costs 300K is 60K. Think about the prospect of having to come up with that in cash and you'll scramble to plan too.
And apparently, my life is to be an indie rock video this week. Enjoy JOTW #5 - Down by the Water, The Decemberists
I'm just getting around to posting this one. I cleaned up my apartment while listening to it and it sparked a whole week of listening to Jason Mraz, which equals a happy sunshiney musical outlook. Hooray!
D'Paul and I have been very good at going on dates this past week. We had dinner at one of our favorite spots, Woodberry Kitchen, last Saturday and it was super yummy as always. PS - I dressed like a pretty lady and wore my contacts and make up. I am getting better at this! Then, when the snow hit and it seemed silly to leave the house we had dinner at the Prime Rib for their restaurant week special! It is right in the lobby of our apartment building and also very delicious. Much more traditional than Woodberry. I wore a little black dress, heels, and lipstick on a Wednesday night. What a wild and crazy social butterfly lady I am!
Living Social had a great discount this week and it helps with my resolutions too. They offered tickets at half off for the American Visionary Art Museum, so I bought them, and I will go! Today marks the first Sunday of my vegetarian five day challenge for February. Woo. So far, so good. D'Paul and I are heading out for a run tonight. And when I say out, I mean up to the gym in our building.
In other news, I have made major progress on another of my on-going goals: financial stability. In the next year or so D'Paul and I will be moving out of our apartments and looking for a home that holds us both, our kittens, and our stuff. Whether that will be buying right away or renting remains to be seen. However, given the financial planning that goes into buying a house, I figure that I need to be planning NOW (if not years ago.) So, this week I paid off my car, set up a high interest savings at my bank, sent in direct deposit paperwork to the payroll people at work so they send what used to be the car payment into the new account, ordered my credit reports (one of which has already come in and is perfect,) and organized a savings plan. This may seem like a lot, but so is a 20% down payment on a house. Especially in Silver Spring, where D'Paul wants to live so we can be close to his family and DC. We have a lot planned in our future, we don't need to be worrying about whether or not we get a good rate on a mortgage loan. Also, 20% of a house that costs 300K is 60K. Think about the prospect of having to come up with that in cash and you'll scramble to plan too.
And apparently, my life is to be an indie rock video this week. Enjoy JOTW #5 - Down by the Water, The Decemberists
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Week #2 Wrap-up and JOTW #3
This week I actually did the body work I've been saying I would do. I did my NYC Ballet dvd and bought my Body by Bethenny dvd. This morning I did a little of that one too. I can't stand the gym in my building. It has no oxygen and smells like stale rubber. So, until it warms up outside, I'll be doing videos in my apartment. Hooray!
D'Paul and I made our date for the month. We are going out for restaurant week next week and we will dress up and try something delicious on the cheap.
I continued to clean my apartment, AND I had new floors installed. Originally, they were old tile floors from the 70's (which was impossible to clean) and now it's a much more modern laminate that will be easier to clean and won't show dirt as much when I am unable to do the cleaning. I was owed an upgrade from the management company and I'm thrilled with my choice.
I also continued to dress up and feel hot! I went out. ON A WEDNESDAY. WEARING MY CONTACTS.
The jam of the week this week was excellent. I continued to eat more vegetables, but when you take into account the amount of crap I ate along with them, I don't think my efforts count very much. On the plus side, the semester hasn't even started yet, but I finished the first round of reading for existentialism. Nerd Power!
And so, I will leave you with the jam of the week for this week. I was able to resist making this the JOTW for 16 whole days. I cannot wait anymore. Enjoy!
D'Paul and I made our date for the month. We are going out for restaurant week next week and we will dress up and try something delicious on the cheap.
I continued to clean my apartment, AND I had new floors installed. Originally, they were old tile floors from the 70's (which was impossible to clean) and now it's a much more modern laminate that will be easier to clean and won't show dirt as much when I am unable to do the cleaning. I was owed an upgrade from the management company and I'm thrilled with my choice.
I also continued to dress up and feel hot! I went out. ON A WEDNESDAY. WEARING MY CONTACTS.
The jam of the week this week was excellent. I continued to eat more vegetables, but when you take into account the amount of crap I ate along with them, I don't think my efforts count very much. On the plus side, the semester hasn't even started yet, but I finished the first round of reading for existentialism. Nerd Power!
And so, I will leave you with the jam of the week for this week. I was able to resist making this the JOTW for 16 whole days. I cannot wait anymore. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Week #1
We’ve completed the first full week of 2011! I have to say that I think I’m doing well so far! Of course, we all do well with our resolutions for the first week, right? Thus far I have:
Identified my Jam of the Week
We already covered this. It is George Michael’s Too Funky, which is just exactly the right amount of funky if you ask me. I love it.
Eaten way more vegetables!
I decided I’d handle the vegetable eating by being an ovo-lacto vegetarian for the first 5 days of each month (starting on the Sunday.) It’s hard to achieve such a non specific goal like do “more” of something. What does more mean? So I decided more vegetables = no meat for awhile. I can do an all or nothing kind of thing, but I don’t want to be a full time vegetarian. A full 60 days this year should do it. And I stuck to it! Only 55 more days to go!
Miscellaneous!
I also dressed up and felt as hot as one possibly can whilst they are harboring a horrible cold. I did my hair every day. This is progress.
I also spoke to D’Paul about going out on our date. We will schedule that in the next few days.
I took about 3 hours last night and cleaned my apartment. There is still a lot to do. I may spend more time in there tonight.
I also need to do some body work tonight. My cold has finally gone away to the point where I feel good enough to work out.
As we near the end of the first week, and all I really have to do is one work out, I feel pretty freaking awesome about this! So, to prepare for week #2, here is the jam of the week! It's Anjulie's Boom. Get obsessed with it right now.
Identified my Jam of the Week
We already covered this. It is George Michael’s Too Funky, which is just exactly the right amount of funky if you ask me. I love it.
Eaten way more vegetables!
I decided I’d handle the vegetable eating by being an ovo-lacto vegetarian for the first 5 days of each month (starting on the Sunday.) It’s hard to achieve such a non specific goal like do “more” of something. What does more mean? So I decided more vegetables = no meat for awhile. I can do an all or nothing kind of thing, but I don’t want to be a full time vegetarian. A full 60 days this year should do it. And I stuck to it! Only 55 more days to go!
Miscellaneous!
I also dressed up and felt as hot as one possibly can whilst they are harboring a horrible cold. I did my hair every day. This is progress.
I also spoke to D’Paul about going out on our date. We will schedule that in the next few days.
I took about 3 hours last night and cleaned my apartment. There is still a lot to do. I may spend more time in there tonight.
I also need to do some body work tonight. My cold has finally gone away to the point where I feel good enough to work out.
As we near the end of the first week, and all I really have to do is one work out, I feel pretty freaking awesome about this! So, to prepare for week #2, here is the jam of the week! It's Anjulie's Boom. Get obsessed with it right now.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year, week #1
This week I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian! I will eat more fruits and veggies (like that clementine I just ate) and avoid animal flesh. This helps the planet, saves my cholesterol, and saves me some money at the grocery store. Tonight I will be having dal for dinner! Maybe D'Paul will make some roti for me?
And here's our Jam Of The Week! It's George Michael with Too Funky
And here's our Jam Of The Week! It's George Michael with Too Funky
Friday, December 31, 2010
Best of Me
This semester got the best of me. In all ways. I got all As, which is lovely. I also didn't write a damn thing that didn't have to do with class (Exhibit A - I started writing this 11 days ago. I will finish before the end of the year.) So, in the non-judgmental spirit with which this blog was conceived, I present my thoughts on how I'd like 2011 to go.
Eleven in 2011!
1. Jam of the week
I have found that when I'm walking around feeling good I tend to have a great song in my head. It provides a soundtrack to life, and keeps one moving at a buoyant pace. In 2011, I will adopt a new energetic awesome song to propel me through the week each week. If you want to know what it is at any given point, just ask.
2. Pin-Up Shoot
This one is already in the works! It's been awhile since I had my pin-ups taken, and it always makes me feel awesome. The photographer is manna sent from retro heaven, check out her work! I bought two single look shoots, and I'm taking the lovely and talented Anna Banana with me to shoot for the day. We will be gorgeous and have lots of fun, all while experiencing a lovely self-esteem boost.
3. Three NYC Trips
I already started this (because who doesn't want a leg up on the resolutions before the year even starts!) D'Paul and I spent the last two days in NYC. It did not go as planned at all! But we are a scrappy bunch, and we powered through any obstacles (customer service disasters, boots with missing soles in the slushy snow, and a thoroughly frocked schedule) and had fun anyway. I stayed in Maryland for damn near all year and NYC feels like a foreign country at this point. And with a foreign country so close, why shouldn't I visit more often!?! SO. Two more trips before 2011 ends.
4. Monthly real date with D'Paul
I'm in an excellent relationship and things are awesome. Hence, to avoid the creeping onset of complacency that befalls many long term relationships, we will plan at least one official date each month. We go out to eat dinner all the time. We never plan it. I figure, if we plan an adventure for Saturday the Sunday before, we'll have something to look forward to all week long. And I *might* remember to shave my legs. No promises.
5. Do weekly body work (dancing, stretching, yoga, meditation)
I'm laaaaaaazy, and that's bad. I have a reasonably lucky body structure and metabolism; this contributes to the laziness because I don't necessarily gain a thousand pounds when I eat like a mad-woman and lay around after the fact. And, yes, I have to admit, I feel better when I get up and move, after I begrudgingly do so. Therefore, I will dance more (which I like,) stretch more (which feels good regardless,) go to yoga (because it's obviously good for me even if it's THE HARDEST THING EXCEPT FOR RUNNING (which I'll also continue,)) and meditate (because the mind is also part of the body that deserves time and attention.) Bully for me.
6. Eat more vegetables
Yes, they are an important food group. No, not just potatoes.
7. Go to the AVAM
I have lived in Baltimore for 10 years (this coming August) and I've never been to the American Visionary Art Museum. It sounds great, and everyone I know loves it. I will go enrich my life. Maybe I can take D'Paul there on a date (and to Little Havana after!) See, everything is already coming together.
8. Dress up and feel hot
I have made great strides in being adorable in the last little bit. I have sexy 1960's Italian film noir femme bangs. I look great when I put forth effort. I should do that more often. It would help if my dear D'Paul loved me less when I have bed head and refuse to put on more than a t-shirt, but alas, he loves me just the same scruffy as beautiful. We all have a cross to bear. I'll just have to work on the superficial stuff on my own.
9. Take an hour, once a week, and clean the apartment (listen to jam of the week?)
My apartment is great! You'd never know it. It's modern but still homey, quite hip, and arranged very tastefully - and if I ever put anything away or vacuumed, you might see that. So, once a week I'll get up early and pick up a little so that cleaning doesn't ever turn into a task that requires bravery and a full day off of work.
10. Record a song
I like to sing. I'm pretty good. I have yet to get into a recording studio and lay anything down that will last forever so that I can show off to the grand-kids. At this point I have some home movies, and a recording of my recitals of questionable quality (the recordings are of questionable quality, not the recitals.) So, since I have a big music project coming up in the next year, I'll save some dollars and buy studio time. Nothing I've ever done requires a lot of musicians. It really should be quite achievable. I just have to freaking DO IT. So, I will.
11. Eliminate anything on the list as need be.
I will feel free to eliminate any of this that begins to stress me out. I have no need for that. In 2011 I need to relax and be good to myself. The moment that any of this is working counter to that ultimate goal, it goes away. I'm looking at you vegetables...
Eleven in 2011!
1. Jam of the week
I have found that when I'm walking around feeling good I tend to have a great song in my head. It provides a soundtrack to life, and keeps one moving at a buoyant pace. In 2011, I will adopt a new energetic awesome song to propel me through the week each week. If you want to know what it is at any given point, just ask.
2. Pin-Up Shoot
This one is already in the works! It's been awhile since I had my pin-ups taken, and it always makes me feel awesome. The photographer is manna sent from retro heaven, check out her work! I bought two single look shoots, and I'm taking the lovely and talented Anna Banana with me to shoot for the day. We will be gorgeous and have lots of fun, all while experiencing a lovely self-esteem boost.
3. Three NYC Trips
I already started this (because who doesn't want a leg up on the resolutions before the year even starts!) D'Paul and I spent the last two days in NYC. It did not go as planned at all! But we are a scrappy bunch, and we powered through any obstacles (customer service disasters, boots with missing soles in the slushy snow, and a thoroughly frocked schedule) and had fun anyway. I stayed in Maryland for damn near all year and NYC feels like a foreign country at this point. And with a foreign country so close, why shouldn't I visit more often!?! SO. Two more trips before 2011 ends.
4. Monthly real date with D'Paul
I'm in an excellent relationship and things are awesome. Hence, to avoid the creeping onset of complacency that befalls many long term relationships, we will plan at least one official date each month. We go out to eat dinner all the time. We never plan it. I figure, if we plan an adventure for Saturday the Sunday before, we'll have something to look forward to all week long. And I *might* remember to shave my legs. No promises.
5. Do weekly body work (dancing, stretching, yoga, meditation)
I'm laaaaaaazy, and that's bad. I have a reasonably lucky body structure and metabolism; this contributes to the laziness because I don't necessarily gain a thousand pounds when I eat like a mad-woman and lay around after the fact. And, yes, I have to admit, I feel better when I get up and move, after I begrudgingly do so. Therefore, I will dance more (which I like,) stretch more (which feels good regardless,) go to yoga (because it's obviously good for me even if it's THE HARDEST THING EXCEPT FOR RUNNING (which I'll also continue,)) and meditate (because the mind is also part of the body that deserves time and attention.) Bully for me.
6. Eat more vegetables
Yes, they are an important food group. No, not just potatoes.
7. Go to the AVAM
I have lived in Baltimore for 10 years (this coming August) and I've never been to the American Visionary Art Museum. It sounds great, and everyone I know loves it. I will go enrich my life. Maybe I can take D'Paul there on a date (and to Little Havana after!) See, everything is already coming together.
8. Dress up and feel hot
I have made great strides in being adorable in the last little bit. I have sexy 1960's Italian film noir femme bangs. I look great when I put forth effort. I should do that more often. It would help if my dear D'Paul loved me less when I have bed head and refuse to put on more than a t-shirt, but alas, he loves me just the same scruffy as beautiful. We all have a cross to bear. I'll just have to work on the superficial stuff on my own.
9. Take an hour, once a week, and clean the apartment (listen to jam of the week?)
My apartment is great! You'd never know it. It's modern but still homey, quite hip, and arranged very tastefully - and if I ever put anything away or vacuumed, you might see that. So, once a week I'll get up early and pick up a little so that cleaning doesn't ever turn into a task that requires bravery and a full day off of work.
10. Record a song
I like to sing. I'm pretty good. I have yet to get into a recording studio and lay anything down that will last forever so that I can show off to the grand-kids. At this point I have some home movies, and a recording of my recitals of questionable quality (the recordings are of questionable quality, not the recitals.) So, since I have a big music project coming up in the next year, I'll save some dollars and buy studio time. Nothing I've ever done requires a lot of musicians. It really should be quite achievable. I just have to freaking DO IT. So, I will.
11. Eliminate anything on the list as need be.
I will feel free to eliminate any of this that begins to stress me out. I have no need for that. In 2011 I need to relax and be good to myself. The moment that any of this is working counter to that ultimate goal, it goes away. I'm looking at you vegetables...
Wish Me Luck!
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