Sunday, January 8, 2012

I did an amazingly smart thing, and put off my full teaching schedule until next week. Tomorrow a relatively busy day awaits me, but I will still be able to come home, clean, organize, and practice before I drive myself too insane.

I can't believe my full schedule is starting back up again. My resolution for this year (if you want to call it that) is to remain together and peaceful. Prioritize the right things in life, like my relationship, my violin, my space, my students, and my sanity. (This is in no particular order.) Making sure the house is picked up at night is a wonderful help. I wonder how long I can keep this trend going...

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Ahhhh, the anxiety dreams are FINALLY subsiding. I am now officially on vacation mode, without the worry about what I'm currently falling behind on. They've been varied - having to tell students bad news about their prospects is a theme, as well as unexpected travel at the last second. Finally last night I dreamed I was on tour with a local band. We were playing and singing and making awesome music for a super appreciative crowd. It took lots of planning and making of to-do lists, but my brain seems to think I am appropriately caught up enough to enjoy things that should ACTUALLY be my dreams.

I am currently doing a successful job of puttering. I'm making lists of things to do around the house, and I'm getting exercise and plenty of sleep. I'm slowly adjusting back to eating right, and adjusting my outlook to one day at a time, instead of fretting about things that are months in the future (my usual MO.) Today, for instance, I went for a morning run (huffed through much of it, but it counts), caught up on all my email (there are but SIX emails in my inbox right now!), and put the Christmas decorations away. I've been imagining things that by most standards could be New Year's Resolutions, but I think are just added to a list of Ways to Make Myself More Well-Rounded, which has been my goal as a human in general since I graduated from Northwestern. Craftiness is on the brain, and while I've got my knitting basket staring me in the face, and my best bud giving me crochet lessons very soon, I find myself obsessed with finding new projects. I want to know how to paint something. I want to be able to look at an area of my apartment and know how to wave a magic wand. I want to be one of those people who looks at the couch and thinks, "Hmm, needs a revamp. Better stitch up a few throw pillows." And then to make the leap and say "Ooh, how about using those jeans I was going to throw out because of the rip in the thigh?" That's some serious leveling-up crafty ability.

Then I look at a site like THIS, and I think "Well, crap. I can't sew, I have no materials to measure or properly cut my material, and I don't want to think past three steps for something." That's when I go back to videos of talking cats.

However, I do feel like I can take on the task of making my own pushpin board out of all of the bazillions of used wine corks from over the years - I'll have to let you know how that goes. It'll have to wait, because this just happened:



This also reminds me that I have that little tabletop tree to take down. Eh, I'm on vacation, right?

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Thoughts on 2011

January 1st is the day of reflection for me. I think December 31st is supposed to be the official Reflection Day for most people, but scurrying around running errands and then BARELY losing an epic game of Trivial Pursuit kind of ate up the day for me. So time moves forward, and as usual, I get to stuff late.

All in all, I would rate this year in the upper good range (didn't know there was a year-rating spectrum, didja?). Thanks to iPhoto helping me organize photos by dates, and iCal retroactively saving most things, I'm able to remember a few highlights from this year:

-The whole year has a theme of me getting fed up with myself and the way I fail to maintain my own health. I felt huge, uncoordinated, sluggish, and on top of that I was still trying to figure out my fairly constant stomach issues. The revelation of eating a little less in the way of grains gave way to a happier digestive system that could suddenly handle dairy without any issue. That was a good victory.



Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and slivered almonds is a pretty amazing treat.

-In late February, we discovered a wet and unhappy kitty that appeared to be trapped on our back balcony in the freezing rain. We let it in, dried it off and gave it some food. It stayed the night with us, even snuggling up on our bed, and I'd be lying if I said we weren't the teensiest bit disappointed that we found its proper owner the next morning. It was then that we decided we needed to add to our happy little family.



Buster and Zelda have changed the entire feel of the house, and have given us wonderful creatures to bond with. Also, when Hubby and I talk to them, we sound like idiots.

-I was able to see my wonderful, beautiful friend Stacey in March, finally checking out her new digs in Salt Lake City. Also managed to surprise my amazing friend Kellen at his graduation in May - that was a good time.



She's freaking cute.

-No pictures on this one, but I danced my first live belly dancing show in April. I'm officially hooked, and must do this again.

-It was a fantastic summer, not particularly filled with money, but good music and good family trump all.



YMA is an amazing summer music camp, set at the picturesque Willammette University in Salem. We stay there for two weeks, and the kids get a wonderful musical experience while escaping the rest of the real world, who for the most part considers them geeks and outsiders. The amazing faculty at YMA lets them know that the geekiness pays off big time.



The first (hopefully annual) family reunion from my mother's side of the family took place directly after YMA, and I was able to re-meet all of my eleven cousins from that side, most of whom I hadn't seen in over ten years. Also gave me time to hang with my awesome niece, who is still as much of a joy and wonder as the day she was born.




By the time I got to the Oregon Coast Music Festival, I was spent and ready to get home, but still managed to enjoy some seriously beautiful sights. I was really, REALLY over traveling at that point.

-Now that I've finally seen some progress, I can officially announce to all that I've been on Weight Watchers since May. It's turned out quite well for me. After so much time of not understanding food or my relationship with it, a combination of WW and running has really begun to transform me. The visual result is pretty great, even though I'm only part way through my weight loss, and the physical result is astounding. For the first time in my life, I feel STRONG. I feel some physical insecurities have begun to fade away.

So, for the sake of comparison, here's my proverbial "before" picture, taken right before I started the Weight Watchers program:



And a few months later, after completing my first 5k race (with the support of my wonderful friend Marya):



It's not a side-by-side just yet, but I'm the most shocked by the difference you can see in the face. I truly feel as though I am doing something good for my body. I took the holidays off of exercise and diet (not enough to gain anything back, mind you), and I felt my muscles crave a good kick in the butt. I started my running regimen again recently, and feel the relief running through my body. The quest to become healthier, as it turns out, is a noble one.
***
As I look ahead to 2012, I'm quite optimistic for the year. I've got great musical plans lined up, another crazy and wonderful summer, and plenty of surprises to come my way. I try real hard to be a better human being every day, and I'm convinced more and more that this is the main reason of being.

A Happy New Year to everyone. Here's to the best year we can work for.