Short and sweet.
Most everything on the to-do list from yesterday is complete! The only things I have yet to finish is reorganizing the craft stuff, which is going to be a slightly bigger job than anticipated since it's going to involve throwing out some things, too.
New bins in the living room, and the video games are now downstairs, which is awesome. We've got a shoe rack in the closet, and it's freaking amazing. I also picked up some new fabric bins to replace my cardboard boxes holding underwear, bras and stuff. Pretty nifty. :) And we ended up donating everything to St. Vincent's since Buffalo Exchange wouldn't take anything (to be fair, nothing was really brand name or "in"), which made me feel pretty good. We even ended up donating three really nice bags, two of them backpacks that were completely still usable.
I still need to go through the remainder of the craft stuff and fill my binders with the ripped out stuff from various magazines and such, which is a project for another weekend, to be honest. We were also successful at cleaning this morning, exercising, and enjoying a great brunch (berry pancakes with pears on the side). Probably won't be off to bed for quite awhile (since I still want to indulge in more video games....), and I'd like to read more tonight, too.
This next week might suck a little, but at least tomorrow I'll get an opportunity to finally see Chris at bowling (in his super-tight full body spandex suit in shiny silver!) and will pay off some bills. Woo!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Organization Therapy
Feeling completely and totally inspired today! With a nod of creative inspiration from Pinterest, a website a friend of mine asked people to follow her on, plus my own stubborn initiative to get organized since moving to this new apartment, I think today calls for a little organization therapy.
I'm definitely one of those people that sleeps better when everything is in its place. Don't get me wrong; I'll definitely leave little messes here and there, but if things are glaringly disorganized, I have issues breathing without annoyance.
Because of this, I've recently been wanting to revamp the closet space Chris and I share. To be fair, I make up 3/4 of the space currently, and am having problems reaching basic essentials on a daily basis: bras, underwear, socks, etc. This just isn't something that starts my day off right. Also, with my (not so recent) addition of a few extra pounds, I've still got old pairs of jeans that need to be gotten rid of. They're not going to fit again, and having them around just make me anxious and takes up too much space.
Weekend mission:
If possible, that would leave us with the remainder of today and tomorrow to indulge in video games, good books, and potentially crepes! Woo!
In other news, Just Dance 2 is freaking amazing, and I'm on day 3 of the extreme workout - already feeling thinner! I think I've also (seriously) lost about 3 pounds since 2 weeks ago (post-holiday stuffing), but that could just be the scale. Who knows.
For me I guess it's not all about the weight (although I know I'm definitely about 15 - 20 pounds over what I should be), but more about the definition. My stomach used to be insanely flat. My hips are much bigger than they used to be, but shaving off some inches here and there should not be a problem. Most of my challenge so far has just been to get up, move around, and burn some calories. That and watching my snacking, which hasn't been too difficult, honestly. So overall, on the way to success!
No other news for those "in the know," and my gut is telling me nothing big will happen any time soon. But, a girl can dream, and, in the meantime, GET ORGANIZED!
I'm definitely one of those people that sleeps better when everything is in its place. Don't get me wrong; I'll definitely leave little messes here and there, but if things are glaringly disorganized, I have issues breathing without annoyance.
Because of this, I've recently been wanting to revamp the closet space Chris and I share. To be fair, I make up 3/4 of the space currently, and am having problems reaching basic essentials on a daily basis: bras, underwear, socks, etc. This just isn't something that starts my day off right. Also, with my (not so recent) addition of a few extra pounds, I've still got old pairs of jeans that need to be gotten rid of. They're not going to fit again, and having them around just make me anxious and takes up too much space.
Weekend mission:
- Bring down the Wii, GameCube and Xbox games from upstairs and put into the current DVD-only shelving.
- Potentially bring down the 1 bin of game guides related to those games (you read that right, just the 1 bin. We've actually got 2 bins of game guides. Eep.)
- Clean out the one full ottoman of games and place in appropriate bins.
- Buy more fabric bins for DVDs - organize into shelving downstairs.
- Potentially buy more fabric bins for coloring books and puzzle books and put back upstairs.
- Go through closet:
- Clean out old sweaters/shirts
- Clean out old jeans
- Clean out old bags/accessories
- Re-shelve/organize if necessary
- Take clothes to second-hand shop for potential cash
- If no cash, donate
- Or put on Craigslist, depending on item
- Buy shoe rack - place all shoes and re-organize safe/important documents in closet
- Check crafting bins for any throwaway items, especially arts bin with old markers/pens/etc.
- Try to consolidate into 4 bins already have, determine what other items needed from here
- Put Lego pieces away (extras that need to go upstairs from all the building I did this week)
- Place Lego sets on shelves/dresser/counter/craft table
If possible, that would leave us with the remainder of today and tomorrow to indulge in video games, good books, and potentially crepes! Woo!
In other news, Just Dance 2 is freaking amazing, and I'm on day 3 of the extreme workout - already feeling thinner! I think I've also (seriously) lost about 3 pounds since 2 weeks ago (post-holiday stuffing), but that could just be the scale. Who knows.
For me I guess it's not all about the weight (although I know I'm definitely about 15 - 20 pounds over what I should be), but more about the definition. My stomach used to be insanely flat. My hips are much bigger than they used to be, but shaving off some inches here and there should not be a problem. Most of my challenge so far has just been to get up, move around, and burn some calories. That and watching my snacking, which hasn't been too difficult, honestly. So overall, on the way to success!
No other news for those "in the know," and my gut is telling me nothing big will happen any time soon. But, a girl can dream, and, in the meantime, GET ORGANIZED!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
How to Celebrate a Birthday
I stayed home from work sick today - waking up with a fever/aching back and head is never fun, and I really didn't feel like dealing with that on top of staring at a computer screen all day. After Chris left for work I passed out on the bed (for 2 hours, amidst waking up several times to the cats fighting each other relentlessly) and finally awoke to stumble out to the living room and "indulge" in the world's most crappy television shows, slipping in and out of consciousness until the early afternoon.
I then awoke to a door opening, people stomping boots outside and scraping shovels. The Laurel Village crew had come to clean off our porch (for the 3rd time this winter?), and the cats were terrified. Later, well after the crew left and I mumbled thanks for not tracking too much snow in the apartment, I found Mishkin huddled in the corner of the tub. I had to lure Mao out from under the bed with crunchy treats, too.
Beyond today, though, the week hasn't been all bad. My birthday was yesterday, and I turned a whopping 25. As Chris's mom was nice enough to point out, I'm now officially a quarter of a century old. I don't feel it, but when I think about it and where I am in my life, I can honestly say I'm happy. Even with some of the ambiguity that's going on in my life right now, I can say I'm proud of where I am, who I spend my time with, and what I spend my time doing. Always good for a 25th birthday. :)
My parents got me this, which took up a good 3 days' time after I received it. They also got me a beautiful ring from Tiffany & Co. (!), with a great engraving that speaks to them being proud of me at this stage in my life, too. Also excellent. Chris made me a fantastic breakfast of pancakes and a freshly brewed latte, which was delicious. He also made blueberry muffins for a late-night treat. I bought myself a new purse from Marshalls, as well as another Lego set. It's weird; this Lego addition didn't really start until fairly recently, when the 3-in-1 Creator sets started making appearances in big box stores. Since then I've mostly built from the instructions, but I think once I get a better organization of my sets/pieces, I might be able to start playing around with my own designs.
Since I had to work yesterday (I took off Monday to have a long weekend, instead), I took a trip down to the Macy's cafeteria and grabbed an absolutely delicious cupcake before the afternoon set in. Sugar rush! We still have some German chocolate cake in the cupboard, so maybe we'll make that this weekend into more cupcakes to share.
The weirdest thing about my cupcake run was the response from everyone else at work. Not only were most people not willing to walk there, but some cited our earlier conversation about New Years' Resolutions as the reason. Now, I'm all for sticking to resolutions. I didn't say they had to buy anything, but it would have been nice if they would have at least shown a mild interest in spending the 10 minutes walking there with me. Also, so many were adamant that they can never eat "that kind of stuff," and that to me is just complete bullshit. If you can't fucking celebrate at least once as part of your goddamn diet, then you might as well slit your own wrists. It just made me so angry - why bother dieting to no avail to look good a beach when you're not happy with your life when it's over? No point. Plus...I couldn't live without chocolate. Just that simple. And I don't think you need to give all that up and diet all the time to be happy with yourself or your body. I think you can have both.
Other than that we've been doing some more cooking, with this week's dish a homemade slow cooker chicken noodle soup. Slow cookers are, quite possibly, one of the best decisions for easy dish prep for leftovers for the week. If you don't have one, get one. Now.
We've been pretty good about our sit-up regimen each night, and except for a few days late, we've also been doing Zumba Fitness. I'm also thinking about picking up Just Dance 2, since I've read and heard rave reviews about it.
I've got a very sweet Mao kitten on my lap now, and she thinks the laptop is hers, so I guess this post is over. God I wish I was a cat sometimes. But then I wouldn't be able to do any Lego construction, so....
Tradeoffs. :)
I then awoke to a door opening, people stomping boots outside and scraping shovels. The Laurel Village crew had come to clean off our porch (for the 3rd time this winter?), and the cats were terrified. Later, well after the crew left and I mumbled thanks for not tracking too much snow in the apartment, I found Mishkin huddled in the corner of the tub. I had to lure Mao out from under the bed with crunchy treats, too.
Beyond today, though, the week hasn't been all bad. My birthday was yesterday, and I turned a whopping 25. As Chris's mom was nice enough to point out, I'm now officially a quarter of a century old. I don't feel it, but when I think about it and where I am in my life, I can honestly say I'm happy. Even with some of the ambiguity that's going on in my life right now, I can say I'm proud of where I am, who I spend my time with, and what I spend my time doing. Always good for a 25th birthday. :)
My parents got me this, which took up a good 3 days' time after I received it. They also got me a beautiful ring from Tiffany & Co. (!), with a great engraving that speaks to them being proud of me at this stage in my life, too. Also excellent. Chris made me a fantastic breakfast of pancakes and a freshly brewed latte, which was delicious. He also made blueberry muffins for a late-night treat. I bought myself a new purse from Marshalls, as well as another Lego set. It's weird; this Lego addition didn't really start until fairly recently, when the 3-in-1 Creator sets started making appearances in big box stores. Since then I've mostly built from the instructions, but I think once I get a better organization of my sets/pieces, I might be able to start playing around with my own designs.
Since I had to work yesterday (I took off Monday to have a long weekend, instead), I took a trip down to the Macy's cafeteria and grabbed an absolutely delicious cupcake before the afternoon set in. Sugar rush! We still have some German chocolate cake in the cupboard, so maybe we'll make that this weekend into more cupcakes to share.
The weirdest thing about my cupcake run was the response from everyone else at work. Not only were most people not willing to walk there, but some cited our earlier conversation about New Years' Resolutions as the reason. Now, I'm all for sticking to resolutions. I didn't say they had to buy anything, but it would have been nice if they would have at least shown a mild interest in spending the 10 minutes walking there with me. Also, so many were adamant that they can never eat "that kind of stuff," and that to me is just complete bullshit. If you can't fucking celebrate at least once as part of your goddamn diet, then you might as well slit your own wrists. It just made me so angry - why bother dieting to no avail to look good a beach when you're not happy with your life when it's over? No point. Plus...I couldn't live without chocolate. Just that simple. And I don't think you need to give all that up and diet all the time to be happy with yourself or your body. I think you can have both.
Other than that we've been doing some more cooking, with this week's dish a homemade slow cooker chicken noodle soup. Slow cookers are, quite possibly, one of the best decisions for easy dish prep for leftovers for the week. If you don't have one, get one. Now.
We've been pretty good about our sit-up regimen each night, and except for a few days late, we've also been doing Zumba Fitness. I'm also thinking about picking up Just Dance 2, since I've read and heard rave reviews about it.
I've got a very sweet Mao kitten on my lap now, and she thinks the laptop is hers, so I guess this post is over. God I wish I was a cat sometimes. But then I wouldn't be able to do any Lego construction, so....
Tradeoffs. :)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
I Think the Cats are Going to Break their Condo...
This past week has been, in a single word, crazy. Not only was work incredibly busy and one night I actually had to stay until 6:40 to get through all my e-mail, but with my manager out of office for a business trip on Thursday and Friday - we had to work through some major testing failures on our own, which is always a trip when the manager's out!
I did get a chance to go see Black Swan with Chris this week, though. Fantastic movie, really. I took some time and read reviews after the movie and was surprised to learn there was so much hatred for the movie. Many people called it contrived, and noted that although the acting was excellent (doesn't that usually make half the movie!?!?), you could tell that Natalie Portman wasn't completely skilled in ballet. Um, what? Were we honestly seeing the same movie?
First off, Natalie Portman trained in ballet for 8 years while younger, and then recently started up, so she does have the training. She fooled most people, anyway, since many mentioned how fantastic her dancing was, including my former-ballet star senior manager. Second, the acting was absolutely fantastic. Originally, the script was meant to capture the nuances of stage productions, but it was changed to ballet upon Aranofsky's request. I think this gave an opportunity to throw everyone out of their element and gave Mila Kunis a great opportunity to give a grittier side of the role. Also, to say that the characters weren't developed enough is part of the story, in my opinion. We're meant to be thrown into the middle of the action of Portman's life, and Mila is one new addition that she doesn't understand and doesn't take the time to do, either. The entire movie is played out so we can see everyone's actions and reactions, but we're really just seeing what Portman sees. We're inside her mind, living out the life she's made for herself, including her interactions with others. Truly, this is a psychological thriller at its finest.
And yes, I agree that the lesbian sex scene was a little graphic. But, we were, to iterate, inside of Portman's mind, and who's mind isn't graphic? And even though I'm not specifically attracted to women, I have to admit it was a great pairing, and still more great acting on both sides.
So, see it if you get a chance. :) It's not a movie I would purchase, or necessarily pay for to see again, but the first time around was great, and really made you think. I would also recommend some of Aranofsky's other films, if you haven't had a chance to see them. Pi is a little mindbender, but definitely worth a watch. Requiem for a Dream is probably one of my favorite movies, since it is another psychological thriller with a focus on what drugs can do to the mind and society. Finally, The Fountain is a beautiful, subtle film, depending on the severity of the physical illness to shine through the gorgeous soundtrack and colorful landscapes the actors are thrown in. I first saw this movie in China, so maybe that was part of its allure, but really it's one of my favorites. I haven't seen The Wrestler yet, but I've heard it's excellent, so it might have to make the Netflix list eventually.
In other news, I had a "get-to-know-you" status at the Northern Campus location of my employer (this is what we call them, truly), in Brooklyn Park, MN. I found out that there are a couple of positions open in on area that I'm extremely interested in, Global Compliance. The role is focused on relationships with vendors and helping them ensure they are always following political, governmental and internally-negotiated rules and regulations. I've spoken to my manager about this, and although I've only been with the company now 9 months, she thinks that she can work with our divisional manager to get the go-ahead for me to apply to this other position. Mostly because there's a potential there wouldn't be any openings for about 2 years if I waited...
So while this might be a small wrench in the NY plan, that can still be a goal. Chris isn't 100% sure on his future with his employer yet, so we'll need to discuss. Plus a move like this could be really good for me, if offered the position. We'll see, we'll see.
Off to Zumba fitness with Chris, finally play more WoW (after a 4 day hiatus, can you believe it?), and potentially go out to dinner with a friend. Beautiful days call for relaxation.
I did get a chance to go see Black Swan with Chris this week, though. Fantastic movie, really. I took some time and read reviews after the movie and was surprised to learn there was so much hatred for the movie. Many people called it contrived, and noted that although the acting was excellent (doesn't that usually make half the movie!?!?), you could tell that Natalie Portman wasn't completely skilled in ballet. Um, what? Were we honestly seeing the same movie?
First off, Natalie Portman trained in ballet for 8 years while younger, and then recently started up, so she does have the training. She fooled most people, anyway, since many mentioned how fantastic her dancing was, including my former-ballet star senior manager. Second, the acting was absolutely fantastic. Originally, the script was meant to capture the nuances of stage productions, but it was changed to ballet upon Aranofsky's request. I think this gave an opportunity to throw everyone out of their element and gave Mila Kunis a great opportunity to give a grittier side of the role. Also, to say that the characters weren't developed enough is part of the story, in my opinion. We're meant to be thrown into the middle of the action of Portman's life, and Mila is one new addition that she doesn't understand and doesn't take the time to do, either. The entire movie is played out so we can see everyone's actions and reactions, but we're really just seeing what Portman sees. We're inside her mind, living out the life she's made for herself, including her interactions with others. Truly, this is a psychological thriller at its finest.
And yes, I agree that the lesbian sex scene was a little graphic. But, we were, to iterate, inside of Portman's mind, and who's mind isn't graphic? And even though I'm not specifically attracted to women, I have to admit it was a great pairing, and still more great acting on both sides.
So, see it if you get a chance. :) It's not a movie I would purchase, or necessarily pay for to see again, but the first time around was great, and really made you think. I would also recommend some of Aranofsky's other films, if you haven't had a chance to see them. Pi is a little mindbender, but definitely worth a watch. Requiem for a Dream is probably one of my favorite movies, since it is another psychological thriller with a focus on what drugs can do to the mind and society. Finally, The Fountain is a beautiful, subtle film, depending on the severity of the physical illness to shine through the gorgeous soundtrack and colorful landscapes the actors are thrown in. I first saw this movie in China, so maybe that was part of its allure, but really it's one of my favorites. I haven't seen The Wrestler yet, but I've heard it's excellent, so it might have to make the Netflix list eventually.
In other news, I had a "get-to-know-you" status at the Northern Campus location of my employer (this is what we call them, truly), in Brooklyn Park, MN. I found out that there are a couple of positions open in on area that I'm extremely interested in, Global Compliance. The role is focused on relationships with vendors and helping them ensure they are always following political, governmental and internally-negotiated rules and regulations. I've spoken to my manager about this, and although I've only been with the company now 9 months, she thinks that she can work with our divisional manager to get the go-ahead for me to apply to this other position. Mostly because there's a potential there wouldn't be any openings for about 2 years if I waited...
So while this might be a small wrench in the NY plan, that can still be a goal. Chris isn't 100% sure on his future with his employer yet, so we'll need to discuss. Plus a move like this could be really good for me, if offered the position. We'll see, we'll see.
Off to Zumba fitness with Chris, finally play more WoW (after a 4 day hiatus, can you believe it?), and potentially go out to dinner with a friend. Beautiful days call for relaxation.
Monday, January 3, 2011
How to Poop in Public
Or, in my case, how to fail.
So I'm at work today. I feel the urge. I head to the bathroom, grabbing my phone on the way. Might as well check my e-mail while I'm in there, right? I come through the door and, of course, there's 1 taken stall out of 6. (To be fair, this bathroom really only has 3 completely usable stalls at any given time; you can only pee in the remaining 3 stalls, which either leak, don't flush properly, or are in the handicapped stall). I get in, sit down, and prepare to wait until the other patron is finished, right? This is how it's done. You get in, you do your business. If there's someone else there, you wait politely (for like 3 full minutes) until they leave to go. If they don't leave within that time, then you have license to get upset. So...get this.
I wait. And I wait. And I get to the point where I almost can't wait any longer. And then I hear it. The flipping of magazine pages. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I thought the idea of me bringing my phone in was bad enough! But no, this woman seems to think the bathroom is a break room. A place for her magazine perusal! My thoughts flash quickly to our team lunch table, where we have stacks upon stacks of these magazines to skim through. Was this one of our magazines?
As I was ready to actually shout out to this woman to leave, reprimanding her for her obvious lack of bathroom etiquette, 3 other people poured in. Of course. So, I figure I'll wait until one goes, flushes, and then I'll make my move and head on out before I have to deal with the Idiot. What happens then? While the bathroom is silent except for a slight rustle of clothing or shoes on the floor?
My phone vibrates. And not just a minor vibration. I'm talking those extremely loud and noticeable vibrations. The kind you hear across a room and think, 'Was that my phone?'
Yes, it was your phone - IN THE GODDAMN BATHROOM. Most embarrassing thing. Ever.
Other than that, I survived Monday quite well. A meeting was set up for tomorrow that might provide some good fodder for discussion, but it would require me explaining the "silos of communication" that exist within the pyramids of command at my place of employment, so I'll refrain for the time being. Another time, another time.
I've never felt so accomplished at 7:30 before...I've eaten a (mostly) healthy dinner, exercised, and am now on the computer, doing my daily research and blogging. Wonderful! I've even rewarded myself with a no-calorie, no-aspartame soda (Coke Zero ftw!) to celebrate.
And now I'm off to indulge in games until Chris gets back from his bowling league (no, seriously, you read that right) and we can read/cuddle/sleep. Let's see how long it takes me to become annoyed with my WoW achievement, shall we?
So I'm at work today. I feel the urge. I head to the bathroom, grabbing my phone on the way. Might as well check my e-mail while I'm in there, right? I come through the door and, of course, there's 1 taken stall out of 6. (To be fair, this bathroom really only has 3 completely usable stalls at any given time; you can only pee in the remaining 3 stalls, which either leak, don't flush properly, or are in the handicapped stall). I get in, sit down, and prepare to wait until the other patron is finished, right? This is how it's done. You get in, you do your business. If there's someone else there, you wait politely (for like 3 full minutes) until they leave to go. If they don't leave within that time, then you have license to get upset. So...get this.
I wait. And I wait. And I get to the point where I almost can't wait any longer. And then I hear it. The flipping of magazine pages. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I thought the idea of me bringing my phone in was bad enough! But no, this woman seems to think the bathroom is a break room. A place for her magazine perusal! My thoughts flash quickly to our team lunch table, where we have stacks upon stacks of these magazines to skim through. Was this one of our magazines?
As I was ready to actually shout out to this woman to leave, reprimanding her for her obvious lack of bathroom etiquette, 3 other people poured in. Of course. So, I figure I'll wait until one goes, flushes, and then I'll make my move and head on out before I have to deal with the Idiot. What happens then? While the bathroom is silent except for a slight rustle of clothing or shoes on the floor?
My phone vibrates. And not just a minor vibration. I'm talking those extremely loud and noticeable vibrations. The kind you hear across a room and think, 'Was that my phone?'
Yes, it was your phone - IN THE GODDAMN BATHROOM. Most embarrassing thing. Ever.
Other than that, I survived Monday quite well. A meeting was set up for tomorrow that might provide some good fodder for discussion, but it would require me explaining the "silos of communication" that exist within the pyramids of command at my place of employment, so I'll refrain for the time being. Another time, another time.
I've never felt so accomplished at 7:30 before...I've eaten a (mostly) healthy dinner, exercised, and am now on the computer, doing my daily research and blogging. Wonderful! I've even rewarded myself with a no-calorie, no-aspartame soda (Coke Zero ftw!) to celebrate.
And now I'm off to indulge in games until Chris gets back from his bowling league (no, seriously, you read that right) and we can read/cuddle/sleep. Let's see how long it takes me to become annoyed with my WoW achievement, shall we?
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Lesson Learned: Always Loot!
After a ridiculous battle of trying to find out which drop quests I did and did not pick up during my World of Warcraft history, I realized that I should probably just start looting everything. Apparently it doesn't matter that I'm over level 80 and can kill most things in under 5 seconds now. It also doesn't matter that I'm trying to complete this equally ridiculous achievement that will eventually give me the Loremaster title on my main character. Ugh. This is more insane than the Chef title. Also, I may not even change it to my primary name when all's said and done, so....
The real lesson learned? Never get hooked on World of Warcraft. Just makes life easier. :)
In other news, today was awesomely productive. Not only did I begin my fitness regime (with a 20 minute beginner session on this), but we went grocery shopping, did our meal planning for the week (slow cooker sausage, corn and potato chowder ftw), did a load of laundry and steamed business clothes, and completed our budget analysis for the past 9 months. I want to explain more about this since I am, quite frankly, so proud.
For the last 9 months, since moving and starting my new job (and, honestly, making a regular salary not based on hourly wages), I've been tracking expenses. Not just major ones, either. Little, piddly, every day expenses. For the most part, this has been hugely successful. After Chris moved we continued tracking, but it was just my expenses/income that we based all our budgeting on. Now, looking forward into January/February, we're going to begin tracking our expenses, and our income. I think I'll still try and budget on one income, but it will be nice to really begin to see where our expenses end up every month and where we come up budgeting more. So far I can see we've been pretty right on for food/groceries, but we originally hadn't budgeted anything for the animals, my car insurance went up drastically since moving here (figure that one out - both downtown locations, and in Madison I parked out in the open, whereas in Mpls I pay an extra $250 every 6 months!), and we (read: I) spend WAY too much on video games and books every month. I always keep things pretty much in check, but it's a weird balance. Some months I spend nothing and others I spend way over. Also, this past year I spent a lot gathering initial crafting supplies and stuff, so that was a lot of investment for a longer period of time.
The reason I did this analysis (which is a fantastically beautiful Excel grid, I might add) was to make budgeting a little easier going forward. From the grid you can see total expenses by year, month, category and specific expense type. You can also see average expenses for each, so it's easier to plan ahead (say, if you're going to move somewhere new making a different amount of money...). So, yeah. Excited about budgeting!
Between all of this we had a fantastic lunch (I'm in love with baguettes and Laughing Cow cheese) and I had time to indulge (become frustrated with?) WoW. So, all in all, pretty successful weekend.
I'm just hoping this next week doesn't absolutely tear me to shreds. Not only are we back on regular business attire from this week forward (there's a way to piss everyone off in the new year), but forecast is due in 7 days (business days - due next week Tuesday). Now, I know this may not mean too much to you, but forecast is a bitch. And not just like something I have to do but don't want to, or something that takes a lot of time but really it's easy. Forecast is akin to setting one foot on fire and then waiting an hour to remind yourself it's on fire, find someone to help you get to the hospital, wait in a lobby for treatment, etc. It takes too much time, is difficult and requires multiple revisions/reviews to complete with any mild degree of accuracy, and is, ultimately, completely and utterly useless. Which is, after all, like many of the things big business chooses to pay its employees to do, right? :)
Beyond forecast, though, this week shouldn't be too horrible. I've got a fancy new side project I want to work on (combining methodology from when I worked at the QRM Center and the needs of our department to capture all steps/processes in our programs) and I still get to eat out a couple days, even with the new year's resolutions. Plus I get to come home after it all, drink hot chocolate and cuddle with cute kitties. What could be better? Probably not having to go to work at all. Yes, that could be better. :)
The real lesson learned? Never get hooked on World of Warcraft. Just makes life easier. :)
In other news, today was awesomely productive. Not only did I begin my fitness regime (with a 20 minute beginner session on this), but we went grocery shopping, did our meal planning for the week (slow cooker sausage, corn and potato chowder ftw), did a load of laundry and steamed business clothes, and completed our budget analysis for the past 9 months. I want to explain more about this since I am, quite frankly, so proud.
For the last 9 months, since moving and starting my new job (and, honestly, making a regular salary not based on hourly wages), I've been tracking expenses. Not just major ones, either. Little, piddly, every day expenses. For the most part, this has been hugely successful. After Chris moved we continued tracking, but it was just my expenses/income that we based all our budgeting on. Now, looking forward into January/February, we're going to begin tracking our expenses, and our income. I think I'll still try and budget on one income, but it will be nice to really begin to see where our expenses end up every month and where we come up budgeting more. So far I can see we've been pretty right on for food/groceries, but we originally hadn't budgeted anything for the animals, my car insurance went up drastically since moving here (figure that one out - both downtown locations, and in Madison I parked out in the open, whereas in Mpls I pay an extra $250 every 6 months!), and we (read: I) spend WAY too much on video games and books every month. I always keep things pretty much in check, but it's a weird balance. Some months I spend nothing and others I spend way over. Also, this past year I spent a lot gathering initial crafting supplies and stuff, so that was a lot of investment for a longer period of time.
The reason I did this analysis (which is a fantastically beautiful Excel grid, I might add) was to make budgeting a little easier going forward. From the grid you can see total expenses by year, month, category and specific expense type. You can also see average expenses for each, so it's easier to plan ahead (say, if you're going to move somewhere new making a different amount of money...). So, yeah. Excited about budgeting!
Between all of this we had a fantastic lunch (I'm in love with baguettes and Laughing Cow cheese) and I had time to indulge (become frustrated with?) WoW. So, all in all, pretty successful weekend.
I'm just hoping this next week doesn't absolutely tear me to shreds. Not only are we back on regular business attire from this week forward (there's a way to piss everyone off in the new year), but forecast is due in 7 days (business days - due next week Tuesday). Now, I know this may not mean too much to you, but forecast is a bitch. And not just like something I have to do but don't want to, or something that takes a lot of time but really it's easy. Forecast is akin to setting one foot on fire and then waiting an hour to remind yourself it's on fire, find someone to help you get to the hospital, wait in a lobby for treatment, etc. It takes too much time, is difficult and requires multiple revisions/reviews to complete with any mild degree of accuracy, and is, ultimately, completely and utterly useless. Which is, after all, like many of the things big business chooses to pay its employees to do, right? :)
Beyond forecast, though, this week shouldn't be too horrible. I've got a fancy new side project I want to work on (combining methodology from when I worked at the QRM Center and the needs of our department to capture all steps/processes in our programs) and I still get to eat out a couple days, even with the new year's resolutions. Plus I get to come home after it all, drink hot chocolate and cuddle with cute kitties. What could be better? Probably not having to go to work at all. Yes, that could be better. :)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Year, New Blog, Yadda Yadda Yadda
I should definitely start adding more Yiddish to my blog posts...resolution #1.
But seriously, welcome to the new blog. The LJ blog was getting a little tiresome, and I was getting a little sick of having the urge to skim through all the old posts on a fairly regular basis, rehashing the past. Unnecessary.
Some new things people may/may not know from 2010:
Both cats are wonderful, and providing great fun for us. They received more presents for Christmas than I think we received as a couple, and have been thoroughly enjoying their new cat condo (complete with downtown views and ample street noise to watch all day).
Cheers to that. Happy new year everyone! Hope it was as grand as mine!
But seriously, welcome to the new blog. The LJ blog was getting a little tiresome, and I was getting a little sick of having the urge to skim through all the old posts on a fairly regular basis, rehashing the past. Unnecessary.
Some new things people may/may not know from 2010:
- Chris and I moved to Minneapolis. We live right downtown, about a 7 minute walk to my work, which is right on Nicollet.
- We got two new additions to our family: two cats, both adopted from the one of the humane societies in the Cities. Mishkin is a (fairly large, heavy) tortoiseshell, and has absolutely gorgeous markings. He's also not very graceful.
- Mao (named after the Chinese word for "cat") is extremely lithe, graceful, and ebony. She is, however, a pig, and makes the most ridiculous noises when jumping on/off/around things.
- I began crafting! I started simple, picking up supplies for making homemade Christmas cards and gifts while on a trip to Michigan with my mom (who was a huge help picking out the right supplies). I only ended up making the Christmas cards, but I'm considering that a huge accomplishment for 2010.
- We began cooking! Not nearly regularly enough, but it's happened nonetheless. Some of our favorite dishes include: eggs baked in tomatoes, potato gnocchi, bacon tortellini bake, Asian-style pork and turkey meatballs (a huge hit at Friendsgiving), whole wheat cranberry scones, and sausage chowder. We've been acquiring many free magazine subscriptions due to my never-ending Coke points, and one of the mags we've been using regularly is Everyday Food, which, while being a Martha Stewart publication, has a surprising number of easy-to-make, easy-to-obtain ingredient-ridden recipes. Definitely worth looking into.
- Truly begin exercising. Not all the time, and not totally hardcore (at least not in the beginning). I don't want to burn out. I'd like to focus on the simple goal of ensuring I do one heart-healthy activity every day, whether it be for 5 minutes or 3 hours.
- Cook a homemade meal every week. We've been pretty good on this one so far, but I'd like to start trying more of the new recipes we've been coming across, and definitely on a more regular basis. Also, I'd like to have the leftovers to eat during the week for lunch!
- Really learn to craft. Not only would I like to begin making personal Christmas gifts for people, but I'd specifically like to work on cross-stitch, papercrafts, and amigurumi! I've already purchased lots of how-to materials and am excited to learn/share more!
- Continue to find/indulge in new music. I've been finding extremely creative ways to find new music that have been pretty useful, so I'll continue to do this into 2011.
- Start completing some video games! I haven't exactly worked this one out yet (did you know if you were trying to complete an 80-hour video game (of which I have many), it would take you 20 hours a week per month to complete? That's a part-time job!), but it will get done, rest assured. I've got a short list of games I'm currently working on that I think I can get done in the coming months: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Super Mario Galaxy, Lego Harry Potter. Also, this doesn't take into account my regular time spent gaming, which is primarily spent on World of Warcraft and The Sims 3.
- Read more! This is an easy one, and something I've been working on especially the last few weeks. I finished my first book today, and have started reading my next already. I'd like to begin poring through our library at full force!
- Share with the world my findings! (This is where you come in...) I'd like to post a fun/creative link on Facebook most days (humorous, music, etc.) and note book and movie recommendations in this blog. Hopefully it should provoke some interesting conversations, eh?
- Finally (and this is a big one), find a good job for Chris. This really does fall on him, but I do feel responsible as I'm the sole reason we moved to Minneapolis in the first place. Part of this has been exploring new opportunities and possibilities for ourselves based on our interests, which lately has led to tons of research into major metro areas that would be good for publishing/editing. Where has that led us to look into? Take a look into the book I'm currently reading and you might begin to have a clue. :) Either way, it's in the early stages and we're just doing research, nothing else. I'll keep everyone posted, so don't worry!
Cheers to that. Happy new year everyone! Hope it was as grand as mine!
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