Resolutions recap

New year resolutions. These are tricky every year. You always want to improve, be a better person and I’m no different. I want to be better. But how? What will I really change with each year? Last year I had three resolutions:

1. Take a self-defense course.


Did this one! In January no less. It was helpful in that it made me more aware of my surroundings and gave me some confidence that I could fend off an attacker.

This was our safety jump! We were ready to take on the world.

Which reminds me, this is probably something good to do each year.

2. Sign up for Spanish classes.

Um. Nope. Didn’t do this one. Lo siento. Looked it up, but never signed up. I took Spanish in highschool and really wanted to take a course so that I could talk to people when we travel. We’ve traveled somewhere Spanish-speaking three years in a row and each time I can kind of understand people, but when I attempt to respond – I butcher the language. So instead, I'm a lam-O and rely on my husband to talk to people and translate back & forth. Three years running.

3. Create an Etsy store.

I decided against this one about halfway through the year. I was all geared up about it, but I’m pretty attached to my stuff and I guess a giant wimp. I didn’t want to put my stuff out there and then people don’t buy it. Or don’t like it as much as I do. And the idea of making stuff without knowing the person seemed a little funny. When I’m making a necklace, I’m usually thinking of the person I’m making it for.

So this year. 2010. What will I work on, learn, or achieve? I need to think it over, maybe tomorrow I'll have some ideas.

Hoot Hoot

Guess WHO was hanging out in my garage last night?

Give up?

This little Screech Owl.

It was nutty, I guess he flew in when I came home last night because about 5 mintues later I heard one of the cats meowing weirdly in the garage. When I checked it out, I saw him trying to avoid the cat.

It took forever to get him to leave the garage. I was by myself and one person isn’t enough to shoo an owl out. He flew and landed all over the garage, but refused to go out the open door.


I called neighbors, friends nearby, and then finally called a coworker that we’re friends with – at around 10:30pm. {I knew for a fact that he went out that night, so I was betting that he was still awake when I called.} Thankfully, he came over and with two of us armed with brooms we returned my little buddy to the great outdoors.

The entire time I kept wondering if owls were good or bad luck. The owl was kind of freaking me out because he just kept staring at me. At all times. Creepy.

People/cultures tend to have a view one way or the other. Some say that they are definitely bad luck, but some say they are definitely good luck. Check this out. My husband is from New Mexico and it's common to associate them with witches, that is what he told me while I'm home ALONE.

Hopefully this little dude was good luck*, because he got an eyeful of me and hung around for a while (owl fiasco ’09 took at least 2 hours).

Here’s to 2010!!

-b-

*I could take a Harry Potter stance and just think that he wanted to deliver some mail for me*

Colorful

So, what'd you do for the holidays?

Instead of boozing it up with crazy relatives, we did some household work. The hubby and I FINALLY painted some of the rooms in our house and not only did it turn out great, but it was actually pretty fun.

We have wood floors and most of our furniture is wood, so we thought bright colors would lighten up the place. I think it worked!

I wanted to show you the little color chips, but darnnit the Behr webpage is frustrating me! The names were fun though: vintage orange, mellow yellow, and mojito. Sorry I can't show you the chips.

Entry Before:

Entry After:

Living Room Before:

Living Room After:

Dining Room Before:


Dining Room After:

So much more personality now!

-b-

Purty smell

It's been a while, I've been busy, and well, just haven't got around to writing.





BUT




I smell purty! Santa and I exchanged perfume/cologne this year for Christmas.

Prada Amber

I've loved this perfume for a couple years, but never actually bought it. Now that I have it, I realize I was silly and should've just saved my money a couple years ago and bought it. It smells loverly!


-b-

Where I lack motivation & am whiny

Remember when I mentioned the Houston ½ marathon . Yeah, well now it’s a month away and I gotta be honest – I am seriously lacking motivation. This fall I was pretty good about jogging or working out in some fashion, but December just doesn’t want to join the fun. Seriously, December has just been one month of me being a big ole sick lump.

I think my downfall came when we took a trip for Thanksgiving. We were out of town for a week and traveled to a place where jogging wasn’t really a possibility (really, it does exist). When I got back home I was off my schedule and had to force myself to return to the YMCA.

Then I got a sinus infection. That’s not fun while jogging or using gym equipment, so I took a break.

I ran a 10k with my sister after that cleared. Slowly, but I did it. If you click the photo you might see that my face is BRIGHT RED. During the run I swore that I’d jump back in. I should mention here that my sister kicked my butt (not that it was a competition, but still). She busted out a 8.5 minute mile. I was slugging along at 10.5min miles.

Then a day later I was crippled with a virus from my sister’s kids. I’m officially blaming my slow jog on the virus starting to form. Again, not fun while jogging or using gym equipment, so a break was in order.

Right now? The virus is still lingering and I seem to be having girly problems, and lastly, am so off a workout schedule that I just plain don’t want to. Three strikes.

I’m drawing from the reserves tonight after work and forcing a workout. I gotta get back into things.

A sweet girlfriend of mine sent me1/2 marathon-type gifts (a 13.1 bumper sticker and ID bracelet). I figure that I can’t put the sticker on my car unless I actually make it to January 17th!

Is that enough motivation? Not really.

Pride as motivation? More likely. I talked up this ½ marathon. I don’t want to struggle through it, and then have to tell people that I had a hard time and no fun. The point is to have fun and that requires training your body.

AND I have one of those cutesy jogging skirts that I can wear during the run - it’s not as cute if I’m struggling.

Pride. That'll do.

Imitation artist

Check it out:
Ann Taylor Necklace that retails for $58
My version

Worse Photo, but Better Price (around $10 in supplies with leftover material)

woot woot

-b-

want to win?

Speaking of winning on Daddy Likey's blog...check this out!

She's got prizes up the wazoo right now.

Word.
-b-