Vices

Holy schmolly!  Has is really been 3 weeks since I last posted??  Where does the time go?  It felt like I had only skipped one week.  It is almost December.  It is almost 2009.  Where am I?  Where do I stand?  What is it about this time of year that makes me so damn reflective?

I met with nutrition lady today.  Her name is Melissa.  Finally.  The day I have been waiting for...not to sound cheesy or anything but she is the one that lit that fire under my butt the day I met her (which was about a month ago).  We talked about all kinds of interesting facts about nutrition.  I have been reading about RAW food nutrition like crazy.  She gave me books and books.  I do not know yet where this is going.  I mean, I do not know if I am ready to run out and start my own nutrition and fitness consulting business.  What I do know is I am ready to make a huge change in my diet.  I want the energy benefits with the added bonus of lovely skin.  Plus, it has been described as going raw as the most amazing experience in the world.  Now, I wouldn't go extreme (100% RAW) but I would like to try going 75-80% RAW.  I am sponge right now learning as much as I can, but eventually I am going to have to pull the plug and take the plunge.

Anyone who really knows me, knows I have a strange love affair with cereal.  I eat the lovely stuff for breakfast and quite frequently have it again for dinner.  Well, I have started by cutting that out.  Since I love cheese...I am going to try goat cheese (since supposedly it is easier for the body to break down that cow's milk).  I was also trying to make changes this week by eating fruit for breakfast and having an avocado/tomato sandwich for lunch but THEN someone brought this scrumptious chocolate birthday cake to work and I broke down and had a piece.  A  BIG piece too. Damn sugar.  AND then, on the same day, I had Wendy's quarter pounder with french fries for dinner.  I just had to go an cancel my hard work out. But hey, at least the french fries tasted like crap.  That should teach me from rebelling again.  After the way I felt afterward, I shouldn't be craving fast food again like that for a long time.

So like the rest of the world, I have vices. Shopping and sugar definitely have to be my top two.  Whenever I am alone...I want to shop.  Charlie is out tonight bottling beer with my brother and what is my strongest urge?  TO GO SHOPPING!!  It is so weird.  I do not need anything.  But just because I am free to do whatever I want, I want to go do the one thing that is most forbidden in my little world.  My brain starts thinking of all kinds of things I want and think I have to have right now.  But the truth is...I do not need it now.  I think it is a good thing that I am conscious of this now.  Because now I can consciously control this energy.  So far, I am not shopping.  I am sitting on my couch blogging with my cutie little dog curled up beside me.  Life is good.

Running is still going well.  I am supposed to run 9 miles tomorrow.  I have this amazing little running group.  They help to push me farther than I ever thought I could go.  I am trying to decide if I should run the Turkey Trot Thursday morning.  I did it last year and although I was alone-I liked it.  But it isn't easy getting up at 6am when the rest of the world is sleeping.  Do I really want to go through that again?  Sigh.  Decisions.

Happy Halloween!

Last weekend was the Halloween party.  We went as Mummy and Deady.  It was a hit.  We didnt win the prize though.  We were jipped by Dawg, the bounty hunter and his lovely wife.  Oh well.  Maybe next year!



I slacked off quite a bit this  week.  But I am gearing up for another intense 2 months starting tomorrow: Nov. 1.  The weekly mileage will be increasing to double digits.  Holidays are coming up.  I am going to start going to painting classes (I joined the Kingwood Art Society).  Paint a nursery. Bootcamps.  And I have this insane notion that I will always stay in control.  Stay on top.  I know. Definitely insane.

Back on Track

I feel like I am back in a groove again. I have a renewed interest in fitness and nutrition. I went to a birthday party 2 weeks ago and my friend is working on obtaining her license to become a personal trainer. I checked out her book and my interest is peaked. The thick book actually looked interesting. But I dismissed the thought as another Jenny fad, and after researching it some more, I decided not to pursue it.

Since that party, I have been reading about different nutrition plans and I found one on adding green smoothies to the diet. Now what is a "green smoothie"? It is a blended drink with spinach, banana and any fruit of your choice. Although it may look gross, it tastes just like the fruit you added to it. I drank it all week and boy did I get looks at work. I found it entertaining.

Tonight, at boot camp we had a substitute instructor. She was so cool. She is what I envision fitness trainers to be. She was very fit and knowledgeable. She teaches classes to pre-teen girls to boost their self esteem and educate them on nutrition and taking care of themselves. What an amazing way to make a difference. Especially with the high pressures of growing up in Kingwood. I am definitely inspired.

So I had an inkling to go for the personal training path but then I talked myself out of it (after the birthday party 2 weeks ago). Then tonight happened again, I meet Melissa (the boot camp sub), and now I have another strong urge to go for it again. Is this the universe giving me a nudge? I feel all lit up inside. Now seriously, if I am going to do this, I have to keep up the work outs. I can not be a trainer and be out of shape. If I am going to preach what I teach, I have to be the example to follow. If I really want this, I will do this all the way.

And speaking of signs, a lady at work wants to hire me to paint her daughter's nursery. The art always keeps coming. Even when one door opens, like the day care project (I was laid off so to say), another one always opens. I still need to start the drawing of the little boy. I hope to start this weekend. I need to start this weekend. I have to get back on track. I can do this.

Top 10 Things I Learned from IKE

Well, another long hiatus.  Hurricane Ike really knocked me off my rhythm. But I am slowly coming back.  Here is what I learned while being out of power for 13 days.

1. You really can live without technology.  I did not miss TV at night.  Playing scrabble and board games at night was fun.  We would eat outside until dark and then play games by candle light. I will miss that.


2. Kids do play outside.  I went for a run one night and I was amazed at all the parking lots filled with kids playing soccer, or football.  And many just riding bikes.  And the people on the greenbelts.  Everyone was outside.  It was beautiful.


3. Fans are a wonderful invention.  I actually did not mind sleeping with the window open with no air conditioning.  But the hard part was not having air move.  I sweat buckets.  And the night I had with the little fan, was such a happy night's rest.  Since we have recovered, I went out to buy battery operated fans.  It will be the one thing I will not go without next time.


4. Hubby turns into a bear during power outages.  My happy-go-lucky husband is a force to be reckoned with no power over 3 days.  I will be shipping him off to his family in New Jersey the next time a hurricane threatens Houston but he does not know this yet.  Hee hee.


5. Family is a beautiful blessing.  Charlie's family pitched in to buy us a generator.  They blew me away with their kindness and generosity.  I will always be grateful for their sweet thoughtfulness.


6. Go easy on the freezer.  We threw away so MUCH food.  It was ridiculous how much we hoarded.


7. Our house did not flood.  Our complex had over 2 feet of water, but not a drop touched our building.  And the river crested to 25 feet.  I need to buy rubber boots.


8. Next time we go bike riding after a storm, I need to bring a camera to document the adventure.  It was so much fun dodging trees and jumping branches.  Like a video game!


9. Gizzy can bark all night long at Mom's.  I have never been so embarrassed  of the behavior of our baby.


10. I missed sleeping with Charlie and having connection.  Since the power went out, it was too hot to sleep next to each other.  I thrashed and flopped to cool off.  Charlie had to sleep downstairs to find the coolest part of the house.   So we had to sleep separately.  I missed his little butt in our own comfy bed. I only appreciated him more once we were back in the townhome again.

So, yes, we are spoiled.  We have a new appreciation for power.  Now the economy is crashing.  But slowly the world is coming back together again.  I am still running and doing the boot camp.  Getting up at 4:55am isnt happening anymore though.  I am just going to the 6:30pm one instead.  Which I enjoy because I get to work out with the Continental group and they are a hoot.  Still gotta work on the eating though.  One of these days, I will be ready to focus on diet.  And I will start by longer eat Taco Bell.

Raining in the Living Room

Yes, for real. I came home from work today and found it raining in our living room. Our toilet cracked. How does a 30 year old toilet just crack? Beats the heck out of us, but it can and it has happened. Oh, and what a mess it brings. Sigh. Fun stuff. So tomorrow, I get to go shopping for a toilet. I should do a photo documentary of our toilet adventure.

We found out this week that Charlie will not be graduating until December 2010. 2 more years. I am happy that there finally is an end date. It feels good to know. Like the light at the end of a tunnel. Too bad Charlie does not feel that way. I believe 2 years will come and go before we know it and I will enjoy this time as time I will get to spend with him.

Ah, and politics war has begun. It is tough to be so liberal in a conservative state. I am definitely a minority here. I try to be open minded and hear the Repubican's point of view. I watched the Republican convention last night and it didnt do anything for me. All I heard was, military, military and more military. Sigh. It is going to be a long road to the election.

I joined a boot camp this month. Been getting up at 4:55am, 3 times a week. So now I am working out 5-6 times a week since I still have to keep up with my running training. Besides for a small injury that crept up 2 days ago. The working out part is not so bad. Now the diet part, oh, the diet part. That is hard. I get on the wagon, fall off the wagon, jump back on the wagon again. I am not giving up though. I did like the energy I had this week when I ate rabbit food. So there is hope for me yet.

Another drawing...

Well, I missed last Friday's post but we went out to celebrate me finishing another drawing. It was only on the drawing board 8 months. Tee hee! Next up, I want to do a memorial piece for a 18 month old boy that died of cancer last year. I need a short break from animals. And I would love to see the look on my friend's face when she sees it. It should be a nice surprise!

Guess who is BACK?

Back again. Jenny's back. Tell a friend.

Not sure why the long drought. But nevertheless, I am ready to start back up again for my Friday night rambles. We went to a wedding last weekend in New Jersey. It was beautiful. In the mountains, 78 degrees. It was so nice. We were stranded in Newark for a couple of days while trying to get home. That part was not so fun. But we made the best of it. We decided to go into Manhattan Sunday night and visit our buddy Sean, and that is where we watched the USA relay race live, when they beat those smack talking Frenchies. To hear the bar go crazy gave me instant goosebumps.

We had to go through Austin to eventually get home. I had to push a day of work to later in the month. But we made it back. And all is well again. My aunt Claire had a heart attack this week. Gave everyone a real scare. She is okay and recovering nicely. Thank goodness!

I am supposed to run 5 miles tomorrow. Yes, you read that correctly. The part I am worried about is I havent been able to keep up my conditioning runs this week. So I hope all goes well. I stayed home tonight from going to the Astros game so I can get to bed early and have plenty of rest tomorrow and I sure hope that rest will pay off.

Happy 4th of July!!!

One of my favorite holidays!  I just love watching fireworks.  We are in New Braunfels right now staying in condos on the river.  It has been such a relaxing break.  I have been keeping up with my running here (YAY!) but not so well on the eating healthy part.  Today we went swimming, took long lazy naps, watched the boys play football, grilled burgers and then topped the night off by watching fireworks.  :)  It has been such a beautiful summer!

Tired.

Well, I guess I hit my first slump of my exercise streak. I did not give up and I still went to the gym, but man, I really had to dig at finding the motivation. We went to Washington DC last weekend and both Charlie and I had very little sleep. I am curious, if the lack of sleep, is what caused my slump or drinking coffee twice in one week (I hardly ever drink coffee). Or could it be the 2 beers I had at the concert? It could be any of the above or all of the above. I just hope this tiredness gets out of my system soon...otherwise, training is not going to last much longer.

So what amazing things did I learn this week? Well, I read an article on raw foods and learned that cooked food is addicting. That is such an abstract concept to me. Cooked food is not good for the body. I am trying to be open minded but I just cant figure out what the pros are on that one.

I must say, I am enjoying the cooking aspect more than I expected I would. The www.e-mealz.com has done wonders for our dinners. It tells me exactly what to buy. The meals are super easy to cook, quick and very tasty. I love that I can just leave the directions for Charlie and he can help with meals too. Except for tonight, he just was not feeling well, and I know all too well how that feels.

Well, since I am so tired, I am headed to bed early for a Friday night. Till next time...

Happiest day of the year...

I overheard a girl at work today say that the first day of summer is supposed to be the happiest day of the year.  It is also the longest day of the year (and my brother's wedding anniversary...Happy Anniversary, Bro! ).  Summer solstice.  It makes me wonder.  Who decided that this was the happiest day?  Isnt that a rather personal, and a relative decision?  It makes me picture, this little person, who stands up and declares, today, is the happiest day of the year, and everyone agrees and says, "Excellent, so be it!"

Although, I did laugh my butt off at work.  So it was a rather happy day.  I had a decent workout, and a nice walk with the hubby. I had the stomach flu this week, so after going through that misery, I cant complain about too much.  I am just happy to be ALIVE!  :)

Friday the 13th

Another long week, and I am happy the weekend is here.  Nothing really new.  Still running 4 times a week.  Been able to put in a couple of hours on the art.  I am going to start painting the day care tomorrow. Life is good.  :)

Back to reality again...

We came home this past Sunday, and I was ready to come home.  We had a wonderful time but it was so nice to just have one more day to sleep in our OWN bed.  We were able to start the week refreshed and ready to go.

Oh, but what a long week it was...I made some big changes in my lifestyle.  I joined a gym.  I worked out 4 days this week.  I am still trying to run a full 30 minutes.  It is definitely taking longer than expected, but I am not giving up.  I also (this is a big one) did not eat out all week.  That was the hardest act for me to follow.  It has helped to have a friendly competition with Charlie on who can save the most money by not eating out this summer.  The deadline is Labor day.  So far, I am beating him by $7.00. Go me! I just hope this challenge gets easier.  Making my lunch every night is taking some serious discipline.

We are also planning to cook more at home, with the weekends as a time to eat out if we so choose.  This week went well.  So far so good.  All we have to do is just keep it up.  :)

Cayman, baby, Cayman!

We are officially in the Cayman Islands!  It is so gorgeous here.  It is just what we need.  It is going to be a long hot summer, working our butts off and Charlie going to school full time.  I am just soaking up every minute of this...

The condo we are staying in is nice and clean.  The family we are staying with is absolutely wonderful! Charlie and I have been snorkeling like crazy, playing tennis every night and believe it or not, I have still been able to keep up with my running.  Today we spent the day out on the boat snorkeling and playing with the sting rays.  We had a delicious lunch on the beach and then napped on the boat on the way home.  Yesterday we went to a sea turtle farm and we were able to pet live sea turtles and have wild birds eat out of our hands.  The sunsets here have been breathtaking and the best part is...we still have 4 days left of this paradise. 

The gang (there are 6 of us total) has gone out for a sunset walk and I have stayed behind to keep up with this blog.  Marta, the lady who has graciously let us stay with her family has asked me if I am still keeping up with posting in the blog.  So I wanted to write a quick little post just to stay with it, so I can at least keep up with something that I said I was going to do.  So here it is...live from Cayman Island. Ciao for now!

Countdown to vacation!

1 more day until my vacation starts! I am so excited! We are going to Cayman Island for about a week. I am so ready for a getaway. Okay, so on now to goal talk. I feel like the lady on the old SNL skits and CAW-FEE talk. So, goals are still going. I am still using the planner. And I am still running. Although that has been a rough start. Really rough. But I am not going to give up. Must keep going. I photographed 2 birthday parties last week, and it went really really well.

Slacker.

Don't let the title fool you...even though I haven't been writing in my blog on my usual day, I have not been slacking off. I starting running again. I ran 4 days this week. I had my ups and downs but I am just so proud that I am out of the starting blocks. AND I started another drawing as well. And this weekend I am going to start painting the daycare. I know it has only been one week and that I do not have the longest track record but it is definitely a good start. Why all of this motivation, one might ask? Well, it just might be the haircut I got last week. I had my lady cut it just below my chin. Or maybe it is my pretty pink planner, so far, it is getting used, and daily too!  :)

We will leave for Cayman in one week. In one week!!! I am so excited. Although, we just discovered it will be cut short for a few days, nevertheless it is a well deserved break. Vacations are always well deserved! A time where we can all be true slackers...

Chicky Change.

Wow! I did not realize so much time has passed since my last post. And Charlie tried to tell me...whoops!

So what is new?

Mom has left for Tucson for her annual vacation. She will be gone 2 weeks.

I scored an awesome second job. My friend's sister has built a new daycare building and GUESS who is going to paint it? This place is huge and I will get to paint something creative in all the rooms. My first room is the movie room and I am thinking of doing a Drive-In theme, with movies under the stars.

Man or woman was not designed to sit around and do nothing. So why is it so damn easy!!! I must get off my rump! And when I finally do, it feels good to do manual labor, to accomplish something and to get your hands dirty...

Speaking of doing, I bought a new planner this past weekend. And as Charlie jokes, I am motivated all over again...at least for another 3 weeks. I have visions of working on my 101 goals all over again. This planner is pink. And so pretty. So time will tell.

I am feeling the need for change. Like a little chicky poking out of its shell...slowly but surely the cage sets her free. That chicky, my friend, is me. I need to change...one poke at a time. And I think this change is going to start with a new hair-do this Friday. What is it about hair? You change your hair, you change your life.

Oh, if it were only that simple.

Wow! Record Broken...

Wow, thanks for checking out my artwork everyone.  I have a record of 50 hits in one day.  That is just so cool!  You have all just motivated me to start on the next one tomorrow.  Thank you for that!

Well, we just got the good news.  No merger for Continental.  Woo hoo!  It should be a happy day at work tomorrow.  I am looking forward to no more "doom and gloom" lunch conversations about merging.

We went to the I-fest today for Jenn's birthday.  It was so fun.  The band Taj Mahal played while the sun set into the horizon.  It was a beautiful night.

We had our community clean up day yesterday and our first dodge ball game ever.  I am so sore today.  It was such a good weekend, even though I am hobbling around in pain.  :)

Ta da! New Artwork!

This drawing was done for a lady at work. These are her daughter's dogs, and at the beginning I was not crazy about drawing them with sunglasses, because I just love putting all the detail into the eyes. I really dragged my feet with this project. To my surprise, I had some fun with those sunglasses and made the most of it.

I am still backlogged. I have a long list of drawings I need to complete. Eventually I will get caught up...and at least I am drawing again. :) Please feel free to comment with any feedback...positive or constructive.

Merger.

Well, the big news this week was the merger. No more hiring. No more initial classes. Work is a little somber right now. Nobody really knows what is going to happen. Only time will tell. So the best thing to do is just take it day by day....

I have to go finish my drawing so this blog entry will be short.  I will write more next week.

Slowly coming out of...

THE FUNK. I am still not working out. Not eating any better either. But today I had a wonderful lunch with a friend of mine that was over 3 hours. Time just flew by. I had such a nice time. I was not even hard on myself for not getting everything done I needed to get done on my only day off.

I started a new drawing yesterday.

My class graduated this past Thursday. I already miss them.

I biked 27 miles in Galveston this past weekend. My butt hurt for 3 days.

Charlie registered for school. We are officially broke.

I played catcher for the first time in our softball game. AND I actually enjoyed it.

New job is going well besides the fact I have been low on energy all week.

I am just chugging along slowly and surely.  I am checking out a new gym tomorrow.  I know working out will get rid of this funk in its entirety.  I just feel it.

In a funk..

I hit the first funk of 2008. You know, that heavy, blah feeling that follows you around and you are just not motivated to do anything. Including write in a blog. Or doing any artwork. Or caring about my goals. Usually when I hit this stage, I don't care about the consequences. I eat junk food. No desire to exercise either. It just feels like a hopeless down spin.

But there is always light at the end of tunnel. This wont last forever.

My class graduates tomorrow. I think it might have something to do with it. A chapter closing, a new one beginning. It is always frustrating to be new. Overwhelming. All this information bombarding you at once. Not sure where to begin to sort it all out. I come home from work and feel brain dead. Meaning all I just want to do is zone out and not think. Which is funny because being a flight attendant, and saying "Chicken or Beef" 300 times a day was also making me brain dead. I yearned for some sort of challenge. That said, it really makes this saying true,"Be careful what you wish for!" But all kidding aside, this challenge really is the best thing for me right now. I just haven't been challenged in so long. It is kinda like a hard workout, it is not a bad thing and it only makes you stronger, but boy, it sure hurts like hell for a few days!

Moving to Tuesdays...

I guess the blog update has a new home on Tuesday. I dont have much to ramble about this week. I worked most of it until today, which was spent running around like a mad woman doing my errands. Dog got groomed. Taxes completed. Groceries. Goodwill. Pretty uneventful. But that is a good thing. Office is all set up. I should take a picture of it. :) I even have an official name plate sitting right out side my cubie. Which feels so cool.  Now all I need is my own parking spot....hmmmm.

My class graduates next week and then it is full steam ahead. And a new chapter is about to begin...

Happy Belated St. Patty!

Yes, yes, I know. I missed my first Monday of my blog writing. This will not be the norm, I promise. I had unexpected company come in on Sunday and of course, we went out for St. Patty's day. So yesterday was not a day to sit on a computer. Charlie and I actually went out this time. I had a really nice time, SOBER, might I add. I was designated driver. It was a blast people watching...and there were some interesting characters out that night.

For some reason, I have been really grouchy these past few days. Ever since I started working on my taxes. Talk about a Debbie downer. Work is going well. On Monday I was able to spend the day on my new position. Love it so far. And the rest of this week is going to be testing in a metal tube. (Classroom in an airplane) So it is going to be a long stretch until Easter. We finally did our grocery shopping tonight. I am ready to get back on track with eating healthy again.

And since this blog is about my goals. I am struggling with my focus. The books I am reading suggest focusing on one thing at a time until it becomes established. But it is difficult to choose only one. Here are the ones I want to work on. De-clutter. Work on my art every night. Cook more at home. Save more money. Run/workout 5 times a week. Eat healthier. They are all important to me. Problem is, my energy is so spread out, that I am not successful with any of them. So my decision is: indecision. And I am not happy with that either. So I need to figure out a plan soon. Time is a ticking and every moment is precious.

I got the job!

Yes, you read that correctly, I got that office job I wanted. I now have my very own office...actually it is a cubie...but it is still mine, all mine! I interviewed last Thursday, they told me on Friday, and I was able to start setting up shop today. And on top of that, I still get to finish teaching my class. So I literally have the best of both worlds. I teach my favorite subject this week, First Aid, for the very last time. Today, a flight attendant trainee came up to me after class and told me what a wonderful teacher I was. What a bittersweet feeling! I am so excited to be part of a new team...but I will so miss the teaching life. Sigh. Maybe one day I will be back....

The update on my Honda. They paid for half. So I am still a loyal customer. Now, I would of been a raving customer if they paid for the who she-bang. But, for now, I will just settle for being satisfied customer. Doing my research saved us over 500 bucks. Whew. Thank goodness for that. My CRV is running great now. (Knock on wood.)

Today was such a wonderful day. I am actually looking forward to jumping out of bed tomorrow to go to work. Call me crazy! The daylight savings time is sure a tough adjustment to get used to. So much for me getting up early. I have no idea when I will accomplish that goal. One of these days...I know.

Rainy day Monday

A cold front came through today. And so came the rain. I took my car to the shop since the "Check Engine" light came on again today. Second time this year. And we have only had 2 complete months in 2008. This time I did my research, and discovered that Honda put a malfunctioning throttle unit in the 2nd generation Honda CRVs. I am hoping that this will mean Honda will pay for it. My customer loyalty is on the line. I hope to find the verdict tomorrow.

My class starts tomorrow. Class 2 of 2008. I am so excited to teach. This could be my last initial class ever. SO, I will enjoy every moment of it.

Lacy wants to go to Vegas for her birthday. I want to take Charlie. He has no itch to go. First man ever, I think, in the history of men, who could care less about going to Vegas.

I got the stomach flu last week. It was evil. So last week was basically worthless. But alas, it is a new month. Wait! It is the ground hog day of March! (3/3) So that means I have evaluate my goals and where I stand (one of my 1001 goals).

The Deepak Chopra lecture was amazing last Friday. He came out in red sparkly glasses and bright red sneakers (tennis shoes!) He was an engaging speaker. He mainly talked about his new book, The Third Jesus, and everyone in the audience received a copy of the book. It was so liberating to go there alone. I left feeling my spirit had been renewed. I definitely need to regroup and refocus on those goals. Which reminds me, the Eckhart Tolle webcast is on and I have already missed the first 30 minutes. I am off to go check that out....

I finished, finally!

This week, I finally finished Luke, the 15 year old yellow Lab. The lady who commissioned me to draw him, loved it. Feels good to have this monkey off my back. :)

Charlie bought me new roller blades for Valentines Day. Finally, no more old school clunkers. I bought myself a new MP3 player as well. Profit sharing checks come out on Valentines Day every year. It is like Christmas all over again.

Still no word on the new job. It hasnt even been posted yet. And believe me, when it does finally post, I will write all about it.

Still working on getting up early...not much luck yet. Going to try to go to bed earlier tonight. I am hoping it will get easier. Just hoping. Sigh.

Weekends and holidays?

Well, it seems like much has happened in a week. I might be changing jobs. Nope. Not from being a flight attendant, but from being an instructor. There is an opening to work in the Regulatory and Compliance department. I would be writing and updating the flight attendant manual. That part might not be so exciting but the part of investigating accidents and incidents on the airplane would be. It would be a 12 month pull. So basically, I remain a flight attendant, but I will be working in an office. I would learn tenfold. And I would get weekends and holidays off. Weekends and holidays. I just love the sound of that. And if they cutback on jobs, they will always need a person to write manuals. (That is, if that big merger happens...but of course, it is not.)

So I am going to apply. They announced the position today. This also means, I would also be giving up teaching. That part will be tough to let go. And I will be giving up the photography job. That was never a guarantee though...and that would only be for a couple of months. So this changes the name of the game. Should I still join toastmasters to learn public speaking? I will not be dealing with people anymore...so is this still worth pursuing?

This will be something to think about.

The job is supposed to start March 1. So if I get the job, I will know something soon. I will keep you posted. What ever will be will be.

I get knocked down!

Well. I have not wanted to write in the blog because I have not been proud of the fact I have not finished anything I have started. Maybe it was just too much too fast? My 30 day trial of waking up early lasted 3 days. My self portrait project also needs to be restarted. But hey, at least I am keeping with this goal of writing in my blog at least once a week. :)

So I should focus on the positives. I have been juicing at least 6 times last week. It has definitely given me more energy. Now I know why spinach made Popeye so strong. But I find that familiar side of me becoming bored with this project already. I am going to research some different combinations. I would like to overcome this part of my personality.

I also ran at least 3 times last week. I have signed up for the March 8th Bayou City 10k run. It has been a rusty beginning since the half marathon but I am sure I will be up to speed in no time. I have given up sweets for Lent, and that has been also been a tough one. The cravings have been horrendous and I hope they start to fade away. Charlie is doing it with me so that is helping me more than he will ever know.

What have I learned so far in the first 11 days of this month? I am not going to change overnight. I tell Charlie, my motto is from that song from Chumbawamba, "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never going to keep me down!"

I am going to treat the getting up early like a baseball team on a winning streak. My goal will be to make the winning streak 30 days. Now this might take all year, but I am going to do this so I can cross it off my list.

I have been doing some more reading too. I would like to highlight the biggest points I have learned.

1. Sing on the top of your lungs when you are alone in your car. It makes your voice stronger.


2. There is a man in Alburquerque who lives on under $4,000 a year comfortably. I found the article interesting and inspiring (although I would never follow his extreme, I admire his self discipline.)


3. Too much time is spent time looking at the grass in other people's lawns that we dont see the diamond mine in our own yards. (From Earl Nightengale: Take the Lead)


4. I missed teaching. I am glad to be back. I am still shaking off the cobwebs though. I learned today, people will say to my face they dont like me because I am a mean. (I did not let people cheat on their testing.) I shall not take this personal. It's just business and I will not take it to heart. That was my challenge of the day and probably will be for the month.

Welcome back to the training center, Jenny.

Day one: Wake up early trial

Ok. So I failed on the first day. I was supposed to wake up at 5:15 am. I did not wake up until 6:15am. But I have some pretty good excuses lined up. Ready to hear me out?

1. We went to the birthday party of our friend Brandon this weekend in Austin. We sang karaoke until the wee hours of the morning. I went to bed close to 4am. It was a blast! My voice was hoarse all day Sunday. Does this mean I can cross this goal off my list? I am undecided, because it is easy to sing in front of friends....but strangers? That is a different story. Maybe I should just modify that goal...


2. The GIANTS. Need I say more? I was so pumped up last night. It took me awhile to calm down and go to bed. Best Superbowl game ever for me! It was so awesome. And the fact we won $450 in our football pool is gravy...just gravy. :)

Okay, so maybe I only have 2 excuses. But damn it! They are big ones! I was just a wee bit sleep deprived. Not the best time to start this trial, but nevertheless, I still tried.  So, here is the new plan. I woke up at 6:15am this morning. Tomorrow, I will wake up 15 minutes earlier, 6:00am. And then 15 minutes earlier the next day...and so forth, until I can get to 5:15am. And that is when the 30 days will begin. Baby steps to victory! Who is with me?!

Oh, and if you have been wondering about the self portrait project, I am still going strong. I just need to upload those. I will get to them soon. Promise.

The end of January

This month flew by, no? I did not get called out today. Whew. I got to spend another day at home. Today was a free day. Charlie and I went to see the movie Juno. I really liked it. Not a typical, selfish, "Oh, I am preggers, whoa is me!" kind of movie. You gotta go see it. Then Charlie and I spent about an hour at the half price bookstore. I took my old unused books to sell and they gave me $24.50! That felt so good. But then I turned around and bought $12.00 worth of books. One book is called 52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity and Streamlining Your Life. I definitely have a book addiction. But at least I applied one of my 101 goals of selling at least 5 books, before I buy one. I get a pat on the back for that one.

I walked the dogs. The wind was alive today. Roaring through the trees. Literally. I love walking through the greenbelt this time of year. There is something about not hearing the roar of all the air conditioners on the entire block. There is a stillness in the woods that is endearing. And when the wind blows, there is an aliveness I cant explain.

I did some grocery shopping tonight and I bought all the fruits and veggies for my juicer. Why oh why am I semi-scared to try it? Part of me fears I am going to hate it. I really want to eat healthier though. So I must do this. As I am checking out, I stare at the computer screen and watch the price pop up at every bleep. Bananas. Cilantro. Spinach. Yes, I am mesmerized. Until I see my blueberries pop up at 2 for 10 bucks. Yes, you read that correctly. I freeze. I think to myself, should I be one of those annoying people in line that say, "WHOOAAAA, that is not the price of those blueberries....can we have price check on those blueberries!" And as I say this, people give me evil eyes in line behind me. But man, if I don't speak up, I will sacrifice a big fat 10 dollar bill. I decide to split the difference. I go to the shopping bag, and pull out one of the containers of berries and tell the lady to take one off because I did not know they were so much. And of course, she does the dreaded price check BUT as a result she changes the price of the blueberries to $1.50 each (as I originally saw them). And what do you know? It was not the end of the world AND I did not see any dreaded evil eyes behind me. In fact, the eyeballs were quite busy checking out those tabloids. Thank God for Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie. I am so happy I spoke up.

It was a good day.

Weekly update.

Wow, I cant believe a week has gone by.  I wanted to write tomorrow instead but to keep to my goal of writing in this blog at least once a week, I am committing to doing it now.  Although most of my week was spent flying, I do have some highlights to post.  Charlie and I had a really nice dinner at Phuong and Jason's on Saturday.  They had invited other guests and we really had much in common.  They were really into movies and had the same dry sense of humor that Charlie and I appreciate.  Phuong cooked a wonderful meal.  She really is amazing hostess, no matter what she says.

Sunday, I was off to Portland, but then I was in bed with the worst headache.  I slept most of the day.  I bet you are wondering, what happened to my self portrait project.  I had to start all over.  I was sick for a week and hated the pictures I took.  I never thought sick could look so scary.  I need to get over that and move on with it.  Being sick is just part of real life.

On Monday night, I was sent to Phoenix.  They put us in a hotel downtown and the Superbowl craziness had already begun.  The convention center across the street was holding a media convention and there were media peeps everywhere.

I have family that lives pretty close to the airport in Phoenix and I gave them a call, worried that it was too much trouble for them for such a short layover but of course, I worried for nothing. My Uncle came out, picked me up, and I had such a wonderful time.  I thought my cousins would be too grown up to want to hang out with me but was I ever wrong.  We ate pizza, looked at photos, played video guitar, and colored with crayons.  Time just flew by. They are such a beautiful family.

Now I am home.  Still on call for tomorrow though.  I did not get called out today and I was able to do quite a bit around the house.  I am hoping I get the same opportunity tomorrow.   Mom, Charlie and I went out to eat tonight at a yummy Italian restaurant.  I made a monthly plan of menus for February, so I thought we could splurge just one more night.  I got my juicer ready to go, and I am starting to get psyched for my early wake up calls.  I have decided the date I will begin my 30 day trial of getting up early is February 4th.  And I am almost pretty sure it will be 5:30am.  Oh, and I will post some new pictures tomorrow. Oh and one more thing...I registered Charlie and I for the half marathon next year.  Yes, it is official, we are doing it again.  :)

Finish Line.

So here it is! Charlie and I running across the finish line at the half marathon. Actually, it is more like hobbling! Charlie is wearing a white and gray baseball cap and I am wearing a black sweatband.Check us out! You will see us about 20 seconds into the video.

 

Okay, so I have been doing a lot of reading on eating more fruits and veggies. Writing back and forth to my friend Alyssa about the benefits of cutting back on animal products. And lo and behold, what do I see on TV today but a special on Montel Williams on the importance of eating fruits and veggies. Is that not a collaboration of the universe leading me in the right direction or what? But do I listen to the messages? Well..sort of. I have brought a bag of fruit with me on this 3 day trip I have started. But then on the otherhand, I just ate some amazing BBQ next door to the hotel in New Orleans. I am a work in progress. When I get home, I am dusting the cobwebs off my dad's old juicer. And although, it is a slow start,there will always be room for improvement. So one might wonder, where is all this coming from? It is another book I have been reading called "Eat to Live" which is not about becoming a vegetarian per se, but about eating foods with a high nutrition density. So far, it has been very inspiring and it has me eating better as a result of it.

So I am on this easy trip. Tomorrow is supposed to be a hard day, but really, it wont be tough with the loads so light. I am to go MSY-EWR-IAH-SAT with a short short night in SAT. Now I know why my friend Phuong (another flight attendant) calls me all stressed out of all these airline mergers. Because it is the favorite topic among crews. We had a maintenance delay and that was the favorite topic of discussion. It drives me nuts because everything is speculation. SPECULATION PEOPLE! But oh, everyone seems to want to torture each other with the ideas of what can happen and how miserable we will be. That said, I did actually hear of some combinations I like. So at least if it is going to happen, I am going to focus my energies on the best case scenarios and not the worse case ones. Ask me in person about these combinations if you are interested, so I dont reveal these secrets to any airline spies. (wink-wink)

Oh so the cold I had became worse. I was so miserable the next few days. But I feel much better today. Good thing my colds only last 2-3 days. I dont have the patience for them to go much longer. We were able to go to the Foo Fighters last night. Oh my GOSH! Amazing show. The lead singer really knows how to put on a show. Little ole me, with my short attention span, if I dont recognize a song, I am off in la-la land. But not with this guy, he had my attention front and center, even with songs I had never heard of. We were in the Toyota Center arena (which does not have the best sound construction) but even that did not seem to matter. The stage stretched across the entire floor and the lead singer of Foo Fighters made those in the rafters (which is where we were sitting) feel as if they had front row seats. I loved it! Even feeling under the weather...I had such a great time! If they come to a city near you, you wont be sorry if you go. It was worth every penny. And it was funny how relaxed the night was. I was scheduled to work so we did not buy tickets. Luckily I landed at about 6:30PM. On the way home from Charlie picking me up from the airport, we decided to go straight there, buy tickets at the door and avoided the $25.00 convenience charge by doing so. We got there right on time since the show started at 8 and ended at 12. Everything went perfectly and we had a blast. Needless to say, we were very happy campers. It was a very good night.

Go Giants!

Wow, I did not realize so much time has passed since my last entry. Sheez. Where does that time go? Well, today is the Giants game, so I am all decked out in my gear (actually it is Charlie's gear). I am starting to come down with a cold...but I am still fighting it. That, or I am in denial about having one. At least I am not flying. Its hard flying with the sniffles. All those boogers get backed up in the ears and it HURTS like the dickens when descending.

The rest of my vacation was very productive. I got caught up with a friend of mine that I had not talked to in over 2 years. And before you know it, it was a 3.5 hour lunch. Time always seems to be suspended when you have a good time. I got all the Christmas decorations put away. I was treated to a massage and lunch with my mom. Wrote that first letter to my Grandmom. Cleaned off my desk so that I can write again. Started on my pile of receipts to record for my 2007 taxes. The doggies were walked and although I still havent run since the big marathon day...I am hoping to start again next week. I am considering signing up for the Bayou City 10K in March. But my biggest hurdle of all, I have started on my art projects again. I have been working 1 hour minimum a day. If I want to do more I can, but it has to be at least an hour.

I am a fan of Jerry Seinfeld. And I found this article on what he did to become a better comic. It is very simple. Every day that he took some time to write jokes, he made a big RED X on that day on the calendar on his wall. You will see that these red X's make a chain. The object will be to not to break this chain. So I am going to make a chain with my artwork and if I break it, I will start all over. How long can I make a chain? I will have to set a personal record.

And another kudos to us last night for saving money and avoiding a fatty diet. I wanted to go out and this urge was something fierce. Hooters for some wings with beer so we can also watch the Rockets vs. Spurs game. Then to catch the movie Juno afterwards. Easily we would of dropped 50 bucks. But, we opted to eat in and watch the game at home. And I worked on my art while we watched a movie on Showtime. It was tough to do, but it is more important to do this than satiate my inner child for the moment and go into debt. That, and I also really did not need to attach those deep fried buffalo wings with special sauce to my inner thighs.

Well, the kick off just happened so I better concentrate my energies on the game. I will download some more pictures soon. I have to start over on my self potrait project, because I missed Friday and Saturday's photo. Ah, que sera!

Angel lady

So I went to an meeting called "Angel Circle" today. Basically it is 12 people who gather around in a circle and talk about where the energies of our society is headed and the changes taking place in our world today. The circle is headed by a lady I like to refer to as "The Angel lady" because she receives messages from angels. I know it is "out there" for some but I am open to many things people normally would block out. I find these things very interesting. Anyway, the coolest coincidence occurred. First let me give you a background story...

I returned last Friday from New Jersey with Charlie. As I took my jacket off, my ID badge fell out of my pocket. When we got off the plane, I was trailing behind Charlie looking for my ID. He exited security and I followed. When we got out of the employee bus I still am searching for my darn ID. I get a phone call on my cell from a gate agent who had my ID. We planned to meet at departures so that I could get my ID back.

When I get to the employee lot, now I can not find my car keys. Charlie is getting frustrated with me. I sense his frustrations and now comes Niagra Falls. I finally find my keys and we jump start my car. So when I finally meet Lori, the gate agent, I am pizza faced. What a first impression I give!

So fast forward to today. I go to the meeting and sit down next to a woman who says she knows me but we cannot figure out how we know each other. After a series of questions we discover that she is the same agent who turned in my badge. Isnt that crazy?

It was such a nice day. We had Chinese food after our meeting. The next one I will attend will be in April. I went to a Holistic net working meeting last week with my mom where the Angel Lady was the speaker. She gave the outlook according to the angels in 2008. I will eventually post the notes so I can see how the year progresses according to this point of view. Very inspiring experience and I am definitely looking forward to what is to come. Life is good!

Intro to Toastmasters

Tonight was my first meeting at Toastmasters. I bet you are wondering why in the world I am even interested in joining. Well, as most of you know, I went to the training center last year so that I could be home more with Charlie. At first, I was petrified at getting up in front of a crowd. But slowly, it began to get easier and easier. It has slowly turned into a high that I can only describe as "superstar". Let me explain.  The flight attendants who have been flying awhile, well, most of the time, they are trying not to count the tiles in the ceiling. But the new ones coming in, they can make you feel like a "superstar". They want to hear every story. They laugh at most of your jokes.  They hang on to every word  you utter.  That said, I feel I have only scratched the surface. I have only had one class in college on public speaking. And all I can remember learning is how to sweat balls. The training center does not give any special training on how to speak.  So, I feel I have so much to learn.

Enter Toastmasters.  Ever read Jeffery Gitomer's books? He has these great little colorful books filled with cartoons and witty sayings on how to improve yourself. This particular book, Getting Your Way, gives you tips on how to speak. One of his tips is to join Toastmasters. I had to do a search on the internet to find a meeting in my area.  There are 2 of them and one was tonight.  I have to admit, I almost chickened out. I didnt know what to expect. I am glad I decided to do it.  The people were very nice and welcoming. They start out with the business aspects of the meeting and then they go into the speeches. They begin with short impromptu talks around the table and then 2-3 people of various levels of experience get up a present a prepared speech. The first speech was a very advanced speaker who told us a fascinating story of his history. The second speech was a first time speaker who had only been a member 1 month. She was a cute girl from Russia who talked about her life. There is another meeting Friday morning and I thought I would check out as well.  Then I will decide between the two which one I will join.

And although I am scared out of my mind to do this, I think this is a weakness I really want to master. I can only see it as doing wonders for my life. Get ready for me to cross another goal off the list! :)

Recovering.

Well, in the past week, I got in from a four day trip (Ontario-Indy-Sacramento) and the next day I hopped on a plane to NJ. I have to admit, getting on another plane was the last thing I wanted to do when I got off work but I am so glad I did. I had a great time! The weather was nice. I fell in lust with the deli sandwiches with extra oil and vinegar. I never understood the connection until I landed in Newark and Charlie took me to a local deli. I cant seem to find a sandwich here in Houston that measures up to what you can find in Jersey.

We had a nice visit with his Grandparents. Then Fab, his cousin, took us to a nice Sushi restaurant and we met his Fiance, (who was the absolute cutest.) Fab thinks there are crazies out there out to get me, so for his sake, I will protect her name to save the innocent. We had a wonderful dinner at his parents the next night. We got to see our niece Kaitlyn who will be one year old tomorrow. She was such a ham. She loves to dance to the country song, Honky Tonk, as she girates her hips. Danny's kids have grown so much as well. Charlie was kept very busy. Poor thing came down with a nasty cold though, I could tell he was having a rough time keeping up with everyone. All of this in the matter of 3 days. :)

Yesterday, was the half marathon. It is the first goal I am able to officially cross of my list. It was absolutely, without a doubt, the hardest race I have ever done. The first 10 miles were easy, it was the last 3.1 that were the longest miles of my life. Charlie and I have been hobbling around the house since we finished. But we crossed the finish line together...in 2 hours and 55 minutes. But hey, we can finally say we have done it. And I am not quite sure yet if I will do it again...the pain I have caused my body has not been a fun side effect.

So now I have one more week of vacation. I took my car into the shop today. 700 bucks down the drain. And then there was Charlie's books for school today. Ouchie. But now I get to practice, goal #14...and repeat the mantra, there is always enough, there is always enough. Good practice, eh?

Antsy day.

I am sitting here in Sacramento with a 17 hour layover and I am antsy. I have so many options but am unable to make a solid decision. I guess writing in this blog is some kind of decision. Strangest thing happened. I am sitting here relaxed eating my salad when a wave of nervousness came over me. I lost my appetite. Where the heck does that come from? I would like to get to the root of it. I am reading another book called Find Your Focus Zone. It is so interesting! It talks about how TV sucks your energy and makes you feel drained. Sometimes it feels like ADD is an epidemic in today's society. This will be explored better when I do my 30 day, no TV, trial. Just looking ahead to what is to come. I didnt bring my USB cord so I am not able to upload my pictures. But I plan to when I come home. Stay tuned.

Cha-cha-cha-changes!

So I have been debating and debating about when I am going to start my 30 day wake up early trial. It has been decided. I am moving the trial to February. It is tough trying to pick a time to consistently wake up while I am flying. For example, I was just given a 4 day trip with 5am check in's every day. One on the west coast, the next on the east coast, and then back on the west coast again. So if I were to pick a time to wake up at every day, like 5 am central time...that is 3am on the west coast. Psychologically, that is just not gonna work. So it would be best just to wait until February, when I am back in the training center, and I have a consistent schedule.

So the goals I am going to work on in the meantime is:

1. Run the half marathon. This is in 8 days. Jan. 13, 2008. I am running it with Charlie. I have been training since July but the most miles I have run is 8. The race is 13.1 miles. Im just a wee bit nervous.


2. Work on this blog weekly. I am not committing to writing in it daily since with my job, I dont always have access to a comptuer. I am going to aim for at least 4-5 days a week. One of the biggest responses I have received so far is that I write too much. We all have busy lives and we have to do what is best for us. So I dont mind if you only read the first sentence. Carry on.


3. Continue using cash only. This one has been working great. When I go to a restaurant, I am suddenly more conscious of how I spend my money. I am already saving more than ever before. So far so good. Now, I just need to cook more at home and save even more. :)

Well, I leave tonight for Ontario, California. I will be on the road again for the next 4 days and then I get to meet Charlie in New Jersey. And when I get back, I will be home sweet home for another week. Life is good. I plan to use that time to get the house put back together from the holiday aftermath.

Another lazy day

Another lazy day with not much to report. These pictures were actually taken by Charlie. We were down in the garage doing the laundry. He leaves for NJ for the week tomorrow without me. So I really just wanted to some spend time with him before he leaves. We went to walk the dogs and I finally got the kitchen cleaned (with ALL the holiday party dishes finally put away). And that is pretty much it of my uneventful day. At first, I found myself getting upset. I had my list of things to do and it was 2pm in the afternoon and I had not done a thing. But then, I have to remember to live in the moment.

My dad passed away almost 10 years ago. If you told me tonight, that tomorrow, I will get to spend one more day with him. Would I be upset that I did not get to do anything on my "things to do" list? Heck no! I could care less about it. That really help put things in perspective for me. There will be time to do what needs to be done. Sometimes, I just need to step back and appreciate what I got. So I did. And I do not feel the least bit guilty about it.

Home sweet home.

Wow, I feel like I havent been home in forever. And it is COLD here! I am not used to coming home to a cold Houston. We have the fireplace going on right now. I have so much to do before our NJ trip, but today I took it easy. I will be ready to hit the ground running tomorrow. We had a lovely day today. We went for lunch at Raffas with my dear friend Phuong. I stopped by my Mom's for dinner. I am still trying to decide my wakeup time for my trial. I think I am going to wait one more day to start. Just because I want to recover from flying and then start fresh. Yeah, that sounds like a plan. One more day. :)

My pictures of the day is Gizzy sniffing out in our backyard and the sunset that we had only a few minutes later. It's SO good to be home. Sigh.

Day one of 1001.

Pretty anti-climatic I must say. I am in Washington DC and I am a nut to stay up way too late last night. I had a 4:30am wake up call today and a 4:00am (eastern time) wake up call tomorrow. That should help me in getting a jump start to my 30 day trial of waking up earlier. Ha! I have been taking my photos like a good girl, and will be posting them tomorrow. I did my workout tonight and stayed on the treadmill for an hour while watching the Biggest Loser (which is very motivating to watch when working out, I must add.) So far, it has been a productive start to 2008.Now, why do I want to do a trial on getting up at the same time every day? Well, I discovered a few interesting facts on the subject. Take a look at the magic of waking up only 30 minutes earlier a day. Did you know that only 30 minutes a day will equal to 182.5 hours in a year. That’s more than a month of working full-time (40 hours per week). Double it if you save 60 minutes a day, and triple it if you save 90 minutes a day. For me the savings can be monumental. And if I decide to get up only 90 minutes earlier, that’s like getting a free bonus year every decade. I can use that extra time to get those things done that I always feel there is never enough time to do (ahem, like my friggin artwork!)

Now I have always believed that you were born with a gene that makes you either a night owl or a morning person and there wasnt anything one could do to change that. It was like fighting mother nature if you tried to change it. But now the tides are turning. After reading this article, How to be an early riser, I think I have discovered the secret: self discipline. Ack! Is that it? Well, gee, I wonder where all that self discipline goes when you are deep under the cozy covers at 5am in the morning? But apparently, everyone has some ounce of self discipline inside them somewhere. If you can hold your breath, then guess what, you have self discipline. So there is HOPE for me yet. Woo hoo!Self discipline is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets. My self discipline muscle has shriveled up over the years. Hence, my attempt to making the habit of getting up early is to be my first trial of the year. I am hoping it will pave the way for the others. If I can do this, then all the other goals will become only that much easier. It will open up extra hours in the day, every day to do everything else I want to do. Now if I could only decide on what time that lovely hour will be. Hmmmmm. This will be soon to be determined.