Late Goal Update

This is late because I was only just getting back from vacation on the 1st!

1. Work: make at least one presentation. DONE.

2. Work: write an article.  Working on it.

3. Work: leave the old job as best as I can and rock the new one.  Old job departure is this week!

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.  No, I'm even farther from the wagon with all the traveling I've been doing.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.  Florida totally didn't happen.  This may not happen this year.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon. I am still scheduled for the Tri Aggieland next weekend BUT I got very very (very very) sick on July 4th.  I lost 11 pounds in just a few days and I am still feeling very weak and run down.  I will see how I improve this week but there is a possibility that I will DNS this.  If it were a 5K it would be one thing, but a full sprint tri in Texas heat on almost no training and a week after a serious illness.... it may not be the greatest idea.

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.  Not this month, and given that I think I'll lose my pool membership when I leave the job, probably not this year.

8. Workout: Go climbing. Not yet.  Maybe this is something I could look at after the new job starts.

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.  Weight on January 2 it was 152.6.  Weight on June 1 was 147.2.  Full disclosure: weight on the first day back from vacation was 152.6.  I was upset but not surprised.  However I hit 142 during the sickness and weight this morning was 145.  It may be possible that I can try to come back from this illness at a lower weight.  I will try.

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  Red.  But this was a known issue with the trip.  This month will be red too, given that I will not be working for half of it.  But August everything should change for the better.

11. Life: Improve the garden. Not this month, being gone.  We have been getting a TON of peppers, though, including bell peppers which I'm really excited about!  The lettuce and spinach have unfortunately burned up, but I'll look at a fall planting.  It looks like the carrots and beets are about ready - need to do another planting of that too.

12. Life: Go camping.  YES!  Stephen F Austin SP in March, Martin Dies Jr SP in April, Choke Canyon SP in May.  We didn't camp on our vacation but we did do several hikes including Bluebonnet Nature Center in Baton Rouge, and Orlando Wetlands Park and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
13. Life: Read or listen to at least 2 books per month.  Only one official due to travel.  Lots of dirty secrets.

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.  YES!!  EPIC!!!

15. Life: Make stained glass things. Not yet.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.  Yes!  Got more great shots on vacation ranging from (lots of) birds to alligators to sunsets to beach landscapes.  I am really pleased with a good number of the shots I got and I continue to feel like I'm growing!

Goal Update

1. Work: make at least one presentation. DONE.

2. Work: write an article.  Working on it.

3. Work: **another midstream change** Leave the old job as best as I can and rock the new one.

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.  No, I've fallen off the wagon this month.  I haven't turned into a total sloth, but I've definitely been wandering around directionless.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.  Not yet.  Looking at you, Florida.  In June.  Hot.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon. I am still scheduled for the Tri Aggieland in July.  I will plan on being better prepared for that!

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.  Not this month.

8. Workout: Go climbing. Not yet.

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.  Weight on January 2 it was 152.6.  Weight on May 1 was 148.4.  Weight this morning was 147.2.  I did have a week this month in the 146's (before my conference, sigh), so pleased with the downward trend.  Next month I have vacation AND conferencing, so it will be tough.  I need to try to make smart choices but I also want to enjoy myself and give myself a little pass.  

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  Red.  Ugh.  Water heater went out and apparently my child's teeth are a freaking hole-riddled mess.  On the plus side, the mortgage companies managed to track down the lost payment (that had cleared, punks).  And in August I'll be starting a job that should make green MUCH more achievable.  

11. Life: Improve the garden. Everything is growing nicely but nothing new happened due to all the rain.

12. Life: Go camping.  YES!  Stephen F Austin SP in March, Martin Dies Jr SP in April.  Brazos Bend got cancelled due to the Tax Day Flooding, so we went to Choke Canyon SP in May and it was lovely!
13. Life: Read or listen to at least 2 books per month.  Hit it right on the nose with only 2 official books this month.  The dirty little secret level is pretty epic, though.  I need to find a better way to track those.

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.  Not yet, but it is paid for now!

15. Life: Make stained glass things. Not yet.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.  Yes!  Got more great shots in Choke Canyon with a rented 200-500 and a rented 105 macro lens.  Lens rental is COOL!!  Also got a few neat shots around the neighborhood and in Austin.  I've been shooting weekly at the very least and I feel like I'm growing, which is all a girl can ask for.

Goal Update

1. Work: make at least one presentation. DONE.

2. Work: write an article.  Working on it.

3. Work: get involved in "the community".  Not yet.

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.  I got back on my bike this month and also managed to both swim and run in preparation for the tri.  Not quite what I'm looking for yet, but progress.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.  Not yet.  Looking at you, Florida.  In June.  Hot.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon.  Well, I was scheduled for the CB&I, but it got cancelled.  I am still scheduled for the Tri Aggieland in July.  I will plan on being better prepared for that!

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.  Sorta.

8. Workout: Go climbing. Not yet.

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.  Weight on January 2 it was 152.6.  Weight on Mar 30 was 149.4.  Weight on May 1 was 148.4.  I know I should be pleased because it is trending down, but it is tough because I got as low as 146.6 before I went to my conference.  I'm going to hit it hard again in May (after my birthday), because I feel like that loss is right there for the taking.

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  GREEN, bitches.  Thanks to a little help from our tax return, which I used to pay off 2 debts so hopefully it'll be easier to be green in the coming months too!

11. Life: Improve the garden. Everything is growing nicely but nothing new happened due to all the rain.
*** I've decided to combine the camping goals into 1 and make them more generic.  And I'll go ahead and slap a reading goal in the new #13 since I'm tracking that anyways.***

12. Life: Go camping.  YES!  Stephen F Austin SP in March, Martin Dies Jr SP in April, scheduled for Brazos Bend SP in May!
13. Life: Read or listen to at least 2 books per month.  Hit it right on the nose with only 2 official books this month.  We'll just bypass the 13 dirty little secrets.

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.  Not yet, but it is paid for now!

15. Life: Make stained glass things. Not yet.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.  Yes!  Got some beautiful photos that I'm really proud of in BBNP, and also had fun shooting in Martin Dies Jr SP!

Goal Update

I am going to be out of town on the first, so I'm writing this up a few days early.

1. Work: make at least one presentation. DONE.

2. Work: write an article.  Working on it.

3. Work: get involved in "the community".  Not yet.

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.  Not yet.  But I've continued with P90X3, plus managed to get myself both back on the road for a run about once a week, and back into the pool once a week.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.  Not yet.  Looking at you, Florida.  In June.  Hot.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon.  Signed up for the CB&I and also the Tri Aggieland.

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.  At least once a week, yes.

8. Workout: Go climbing. Not yet.

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.  Weight on January 2 it was 152.6.  Weight on Mar 1 was 151.4.  Weight on Mar 30 was 149.4.  I've seen some real progress this month and I am pleased.  I was *particularly* pleased that I didn't gain any back on the wedding weekend!  

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  It is tight but I'm pretty freaking sure we will still be in the green at the end of this month.  Preeeeeetty sure.

11. Life: Improve the garden. Got 5 half wine barrels from a friend that I want to plant tomatoes in.  Hopefully when I'm back in town next week.

12. Life: Go camping in Brazos Bend State Park. Not yet.  Maybe mid April?

13. Life: Go camping in Huntsville State Park. Not yet. But we did go camping in Stephen F Austin State Park and it was awesome!

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.  Not yet, but I'm paying it down.

15. Life: Make stained glass things. Not yet, but I finally started talking about it again with Preston.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.  Yes!  Got some more fab pics this month and right now at this very moment I'm at a workshop in Big Bend where I GUARANTEE you I'm getting more!

Not a goal, but I read or listened to 6 (official) books in February!  I also read 6 romances that I didn't track on Goodreads, for a total of 12. ;-)

THE AQUARIUM HAS FISH!!!  6 of them.  3 lemon yellow cichlids and 3 frontosa.  I LOVE THEM!

Goal Update

Let's start by saying that this post was mostly written as things happened over the course of the month.  There is no way I'd have the mojo to actually do this today otherwise.

An update on yesterday's post: the doc finally called me back after I called a second time and basically had a hysterical sobbing fit on the phone with a nurse who then upgraded my call to "urgent".  (She was actually very helpful, got me calmed down, seemed to care.)  Unsurprisingly, I'm to discontinue the pill.  She also has ordered an ultrasound for me, and I'm to call her in 7 days if things haven't... stopped.  (They won't have.)  I am feeling better about all of that - just an acknowledgement of a real problem is very helpful for me, in terms of giving me the patience to jump through whatever hoops are necessary.

Now, on to the previously written goal update.

1. Work: make at least one presentation. DONE.

2. Work: write an article.  Still working on it!

3. Work: get involved in "the community".  Not yet.

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.  Not yet.  But I've continued with P90X3, plus managed to get myself both back on the road for a run about once a week, and back into the pool once a week.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.  Not yet.  Looking at you, Florida.  In June.  Hot.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon.  Signed up for the CB&I and also the Tri Aggieland.

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.  Not often enough yet, but yes!

8. Workout: Go climbing. Not yet.

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.  Weight on January 2 it was 152.6.  Weight on Feb 1 was 151.6.  Weight this morning was 151.4.  I got as low as 150 and I think that is closer to the truth, but .  It started going back up yesterday, even though I didn't change anything other than my mental state.  It was a difficult month due to MawMaw's death and 2 unexpected trips to Fredericksburg and hormone stuff.  I can't eat as well while traveling as I'd like, but I did focus on not overindulging and I am really pleased with how that went, overall.

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  Well.... I focused on it.  I watched very carefully while we careened into the red. Sigh.  The 2 trips to FBG killed it, and then my car needed a repair.  It would be worse if I wasn't watching it, I know.  But it hurts to work for something so hard and have it not work out.  The other day in a fit of frustration I went ahead and registered for both of my upcoming professional conferences, since the budget is already blown this month (they are reimbursable but that never happens in the same month as the expenditure, so it always makes budgeting for them a bitch).  On a positive note, we did MUCH better with our food budget.  We can still do better with our shopping budget, but it improved as well.  March is a new month.  I will not stop trying.  We need to take these gains and carry them forward.

11. Life: Improve the garden. Got the last box built, and the planted things are thriving!  In March I need to get dirt for those last 2 boxes and plant some more things!

12. Life: Go camping in Brazos Bend State Park. Not yet.  Maybe early April?

13. Life: Go camping in Huntsville State Park. Not yet.  BUT I do have camping reservations in March for Stephen F Austin State Park!

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.  Not yet, but I'm paying it down.

15. Life: Make stained glass things. Not yet.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.  Yes!  That is the good that came out of the FBG trips - great pictures!  I've gotten on Instagram and added a widget to the sidebar so my new stuff will be easy to see.  I'm also posting some of my favorite old stuff because I like it, and I like the idea of having one place for the stuff I'm really proud of.

Not a goal, but I read or listened to 7 (official) books in February!  I also read 8 romances that I didn't track on Goodreads, for a total of 15. ;-)

And the aquarium has a thermometer and I've been working with the water to try to get it just right for fish.

I signed up for a race in March, but canned it at the last minute when Z got sick.  Good thing it wasn't a goal!

All in all, I'm pleased with this month, except for the whole plunge into depression thing.

Mishmash

This weekend has been a mishmash of things.  Lots of things.

Friday we headed to Fredericksburg so we could comfortably make it for Saturday's service.  We called when we arrived and were told not to come by the house because it would be too stressful.  So we didn't.  We went to a nice catfish dinner in Kerrville and were back to the hotel for an early bed. 

The next morning we got up and headed into Fredericksburg.  We brought our funeral clothing with us so we could tool around Main Street without worry about getting dirty, and figured we could change at the house.  We were told to come over at 2.  I said we would love to catch up with family if anyone arrived earlier, please text us.  After a nice morning on Main Street, plus a beer, plus a nice lunch, we headed over.  Everyone was already there, and the first reaction we got was "You aren't going to wear THAT, are you?"

We went and changed and on the way back out to the car carrying our street clothes, JaMIL handed me our Christmas presents and told us to open them at home "since we wouldn't be coming back".  I wanted to make sure that I hadn't misunderstood, so I said, "Oh, I hadn't realized we weren't coming back" and she said, "No, you aren't."  So that was clear.

That really hurt my feelings.

Then we all headed over to the service which just got on my nerves.  There was a butterfly release, which is beautiful in theory, since Mawmaw loved butterflies.  But it just made me sad to think of them trapped in those cards for days, and a good third of them died.  Yick.

Mawmaw's butterflies.

Then we hung out and watched the slideshow in which everyone gave ME shit for how many pictures there were of us/Z in it.  I didn't put the thing together.  For the record.  I got a text AT WORK on Wednesday asking for pics, so I just pulled down everything I had on Facebook and sent it over, low quality and all.  Should I feel bad that either the organizer didn't ask other folks OR that I've taken lots of pics with my kid and Mawmaw???  Fuck that.

Other people were heading back to the house.  Where we weren't welcome.

So we changed clothes at the funeral home and headed back to Main Street to get drunk.  An aunt and two cousins joined us for a wine tasting and a glass of wine before heading back to the house, where they were welcome.

"Drinking" candy!

Then we went to dinner, where there was some nice classic live music.  Z built a fabulous vase out of wine.  Darn, I don't have a pic on my phone.  Hopefully I'll remember later!

"Whoops!  All the icing ACCIDENTALLY ended up on my fork!"

Then we all headed back to Kerrville.

The next day we got up and headed to Enchanted Rock where the line was INSANELY long.  

Scratched that idea and headed to Llano for lunch instead.  After that my parentals headed back home while we explored the dam before also heading home.

Feather on the dam.

Rocks near the dam.

Looking over the dam.

I have managed to not really gain any weight, though the trips have hindered me losing it, I think.  I didn't work out properly last week.

Yesterday I stayed home to get us unpacked and do laundry and get groceries, etc.  I also went for a run.  I was wondering if the Piney Woods run where I ran for 30 minutes straight and survived was a fluke, but it wasn't.  I managed 30 minutes again.  Apparently P90X3 is quite good for my short term endurance!  I'm not fast, but I'm surviving, which I wouldn't expect, honestly, on zero run specific training.  This morning I did P90X3 Accelerator, and the goal this week is back to counted eating and daily exercising.

Oh, and to stop and smell the roses and be glad I'm alive.

Smelling the roses.

Goal #16

A few good photos from this weekend's adventure.

Goal Progress

1. Work: make at least one presentation. DONE.

2. Work: write an article.  Started working on it!

3. Work: get involved in "the community".  Not yet.

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.  Not yet.  I've been focusing on P90X3 and diet in January, but I'm starting to realize that I need to get my butt in gear for triathlon season.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.  Not yet.  Looking at you, Florida.  In June.  Hot.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon.  Signed up for the CB&I.

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.  Not yet.

8. Workout: Go climbing. Not yet.

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.  I noticed that I never officially declared my weight, but on January 2 it was 152.6.  Weight this morning was 151.6.  One pound down.  That is a sustainable rate, though not exciting, rate for me.  I restarted using MyFitnessPal and have been focusing on eating well and exercising daily and hitting a 10000 step goal.  I feel better and my pants are fitting better, and both of those are more important than the number on the scale.

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  January is one of those months where we know we'll be in the red because of tax stuff.  However, without the taxes, we'd have been close.  If you also deleted the travel, we'd have been green.  Overall I was pleased - I felt like we were more aware.  But it killed me to watch these huge expenses turn the month red.  And we still can do better.  It is worth remembering that having people over is expensive, though we could have done it cheaper.  Traveling will always be expensive.  And taxes, don't even get me started with the taxes.  One other note: we have a variable part of our income that usually deposits on the last day of each month.  I'm deciding to change the date in our budgeting software to make that the first day of the next month for every month except Dec 31/Jan 1 (because I want to know how much we make in a year) so that it makes it easier to actually budget for what we have, instead of what we GUESS we are getting.  Ideally I'd like to budget as if that number was always going to be zero so that that income could be extra and go towards savings, but we aren't there yet.  One step at a time.  I logged into Mint this morning and adjusted budgets until we were slated to be green for the month.  Now we just need to stick to the plan.

11. Life: Improve the garden. We did get out into the back yard and do some cleaning, and got the lawn guys in for a mid-winter mow.  Yesterday we made a trip to Home Depot and I bought ALL THE THINGS and got about half of them planted.  Updates to follow once the rest are in the ground.

12. Life: Go camping in Brazos Bend State Park. Not yet.

13. Life: Go camping in Huntsville State Park. Not yet.

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.  Not yet, but I'm paying it down.

15. Life: Make stained glass things. Not yet.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.  Yes!  Preston actually got some really cool photos for my presentation and in Boston, and I'm really pleased with the backyard session I did this month with the bubbles.

Not a goal, but I read or listened to 7 books in January!  Also not a goal, but the aquarium is set up and running, hopefully fish in February!  Also not a goal, but I did race once in January, so if I wanted to do one-race-per-month year, it isn't off the table. ;-)

Quick Trip to Beantown

Vinyl wall at airport = hours of fun.

We made a quick trip to Boston this past weekend so I could cross number one off my list of work goals: to make a presentation.  And I am soooooo relieved to say that it went really well!!  There were 190 people there!  And one of the memes from my slideshow made it into a group on Facebook and has gotten 166 likes and 12 shares!  That is the most active level of professional feedback that I've ever gotten from a conference, and I am really gratified and thrilled.

Convention center floor.

My slide!

There was also some tooling around Boston.  We arrived on Friday, had an afternoon lobster roll, then headed over to the convention center so I could get all checked in and meet the professor that I work with for my side job.  Then we headed to the Children's museum for dollar night, and that was good, but by the end we were all fried.

Her very own lobster roll.

Breakfast with Brestha.

The next day I conventioned while P and Z went to the Science Museum.

As a side note, apparently we are not understandable in Boston.  Preston got a receipt for "Brestha", and I got a coffee for "Emmbra".  Awesome.

That is one very expensive lobster!

 Sunday I presented and conventioned while P and Z went to the Aquarium.

REAL ice skating!

Monday we all headed North to walk a bit of the Freedom Trail, get breakfast at Caffe Vittoria, and then head over to the Boston Commons for ice skating and duck pictures.  Then back towards the hotel via the Boston Marathon finish line and one last lobster roll.  Then to the airport to head home!

As close as I'll ever get to this finish line.

It has been a whirlwind and I'm exhausted!  I'm taking Friday off and making it a 4 day weekend in which hopefully the last of Christmas comes down and some fabulous relaxing takes place.  In the meantime, it is back to the grind, and I'm going to focus on daily exercise and eating well so that I can get the trip poundage back off.

5 new pennies for the collection!

Next Year's Schedule

Soooo.... I didn't make it a goal to do at least one race per month, buuuuuuut...... let's just say I want to get something in in January so I don't concede the possibility from month number 1 like I did last year. ;-)

I'm thinking the Piney Woods TrailFest 5K.  I did this one back when the kid was a super-shrimp.  My first and only trail race, and I definitely wanted to do more.  So... yeah, I think so!

I also went ahead and signed up for the CB&I Tri this year since it sells out so early.  So that is in stone.  The rest of everything is up in the air, but I filled in the sidebar with the frontrunners so I can help myself to remember the research I did!  It is looking very 5K heavy - perhaps the goal needs to be to finally get consistent so I can get faster again!

2016 Goals

Heh, do you think I can continue the theme and come up with 16 goals for 2016?  Let's see....

1. Work: make at least one presentation.

2. Work: write an article.

3. Work: get involved in "the community".

4. Workout: Train for something in a focused way.

5. Workout: Get at least one not-in-Texas race.

6. Workout: Do a triathlon.

7. Workout: Get my butt back in the pool regularly.

8. Workout: Go climbing. 

9.  Life: Lose 20 pounds.

10. Life: Focus on conscientious spending.  I'm going to define it better this year.  What I mean is that I want to finish each month in the green.  HOWEVER, I already know that that won't be possible every month, for example June when I already know P is going to miss several weeks of work, so the ultimate goal is to end the YEAR in the green.

11. Life: Improve the garden.

12. Life: Go camping in Brazos Bend State Park.

13. Life: Go camping in Huntsville State Park.

14. Life: Have an epic Disney vacation.

15. Life: Make stained glass things.
16. Life: Take fabulous pictures with the awesome new camera.

I may have been slightly cheating with splitting the camping into two parts.  I considered a reading goal - I read 52 books in 2015, which is a nice round number of one per week!  But I read because I enjoy it, and I don't want to fall prey to selecting books for length/easiness of reading rather than just because I want to read them.  So no goals there.  Although maybe I should set a goal to begin doing better reviews of books, since looking back on last year I already can't remember why I rated some things the way I did!

Anyways, there they are, and I'm excited to get going!  Onward!!