Monday Blahg: Blah, Indeed

This past week has been discouraging in many ways, and I don't handle discouragement very well.

-The writing/editing has practically been non-existent.

-I'm fairly sure that I'm not going to meet a deadline I made for myself regarding the website/blog I want to start soon.  And by the way, it has been brought to my attention that I need to clarify something about this website/blog.  It is NOT going to be a single's website. I've had several people refer to it as a single's website, and I'm not sure where that miscommunication occured.  I thought I had been pretty clear that if single people are the only people who visit, read, comment on, and can relate to the blog I'm hoping to start (dare I hope, next week?--if all the stars align), then I might as well just forget the whole thing.  I'm a single person, yes, and I'm writing from that perspective, but with the hopes that people with other perspectives will give them to me, to the other readers.  I want it to be a community, a place where many different people from different marital, etc. backgrounds can find common ground and unity.  I want it to be a place where we can encourage one another and find ways to minister to one another better, all with the single purpose of glorifying God.  I know it's going to be a rough start, getting others involved, and sometimes I get discouraged about that.  Sometimes I want to just drop the whole idea, but I know this vision is something God gave me.  I can't allow discouragement to keep me from trusting and obeying, and eventually seeing God's work come to life.

-I do owe on my taxes.  It's not nearly as much as last year, and it's managable, but it's still a discouraging amount.  It's even more discouraging because I was hoping to get a little something back this year.  And while I LOVE my jobs, I'm starting to realize that it's not financially responsible for me to keep doing things the way I've been doing them.  That saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"?  Yeah.  I can relate.  I'm going to start looking into getting something full time, which I don't want to do, but I can't keep working myself half to death and barely making it from paycheck to paycheck.  Plus, it's killing me to have work take out extra money on every paycheck, and I STILL end up having to pay out of pocket when tax time comes.  I'm not doing my taxes incorrectly; it's just that being single and having four jobs doesn't make for a happy tax season.  So hooray.  I love my work, but unfortunately that's not good enough anymore.  I just hope I don't end up working in a prison box padded cell cubicle.

-The running is going a little better.  I got back up to 4 miles, which is a far cry from the 13.1 I want to accomplish this year, but it's better than last week.  I could barely manage 2 miles last week, for whatever reason.  I need to kick it up a notch, soon.  I need to actually start training--not that I have a race date in mind yet, but I might as well be prepared for anything.

-The diet is going well, too.  Can't complain there.  I even get marshmallows  and chocolate from time to time. 

-God has been faithful this week to remind me of my weaknesses.  I've had a rough week.  I've been broken in several different ways.  And I figure that's kind of where He wanted me, where He wants me.  Sometimes we have to be broken before we can be healed.  It's not a happy place to be, but I know there's always mercy in the struggle.

Happy Monday!  I'm hoping this week is better than the last!

Monday Blahg: Pansy Ankle...among other things

Phew!  Last week was busy.  I had my first day off in two weeks yesterday, and it was MARVELOUS! 

Things I accomplished last week:

--Finished reading a book (second read-through) AND wrote a review on it.
--Successfully began my diet/exercise regimen, restricting extra calories so I'd get a good start on things.  I think I went a little too low on calorie intake this week.  I lost about 5 pounds, which is too much, even for the first week.  So that means I get to eat more!  Hooray food!  I also hurt my ankle (just a little) while running (it was just really sore/achy).  I badly sprained that ankle about 8 years ago, and apparently my ankle is now a pansy.
--I started and finished knitting a scarf for "The Princess" (7 yr old I watch), who requested a "purple, yellow, red, green, and blue" scarf.  I asked her if she wanted a rainbow scarf.  She said, "Yes.  So NO pink, because pink isn't in the rainbow."  So I found some rainbow yarn (w/out pink) and made a scarf.
--I made a spreadsheet that will hopefully help me keep up with my writing and editing, as well as my efforts towards getting published.  I'm not sure this spreadsheet is the best format, but it's a work in progress.
--I kinda sorta cleaned my room, but not really.  I utilized the "shove everything under the bed" method. 

Things I want to try to accomplish this week:
--I plan to contact a couple people about the website I'm working on.  I need their help if it's going to happen, so I've got to be proactive about talking to them.
--I plan to contact someone about recording a music project--and will hopefully set a time when I can actually get something recorded.  I need a deadline to work towards!
--I plan on completing the second read-through of one of my friend's books.
--I plan on starting another scarf for "The Diva" (the 10 year old).  She has requested light blue and yellow.
--I plan on beginning the tedious process of editing my second novel.
--I plan on continuing the diet/exercise plan, making adjustments as needed.  My ultimate goals in dieting this year are first to get back to the weight I was before I started gaining again, AND to learn how to maintain that weight.  I'm trying to determine an average of how many calories I burn each week, and compare that with the average calories I eat in a week.  These numbers need to be pretty close, because I'm tired of the dieting yo-yo.
--I plan on going to one of those running stores that measures you for shoes and evaluates your running style to see what kind of extra support you need.  My old shoes are cheap and just aren't cutting it.  That might be one of the reasons my ankle keeps being a pansy.  If I'm going to run a half marathon this year, I'm going to have to start taking better care of my feet.  Can't have my ankle pansying out on me around mile 12....

So, with the things I want to accomplish, I realize that sometimes things just don't go as planned.  There are going to be things that happen this week that I don't expect, for which I can't plan.  There are going to be interruptions and things that deter me from completing my tasks.  I just want to have a written guideline of things I hope to accomplish (all the while keeping in mind that my true Hope is in God).  I also hope that posting them in a blog helps me feel a little more accountable to someone.  I don't think I'm going to accomplish all my weekly goals EVERY week, but I'm going to put forth an honest effort.  It's just that God's often got His own agenda with what He wants to do with my life, so I've got to keep an open mind about what I do with my time.  One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be more flexible.  (Good luck with THAT, Ruth.  Stop talking to yourself in your blog, Ruth.)

What are some of your goals, dreams, plans, hopes for 2012?

Happy Monday, and may your ankles be strong.

Monday Blahg: Planning

I'm late in getting this out, but not as late as you might think.  I've decided that the Sunday blog I was writing and posting on Sunday will now be the Monday blog that I will probably write on Sunday night and post on Monday.  It's still going to be a bit of a weekly sum up, but hopefully a little more focused on the goals I have for the week.  And since I recently discovered that I kind of like listing things, so I think the Monday Blahg will usually be in list format. 

--Still working on getting my room cleaned.  My roommate's sis is coming on Friday, so that gives me a deadline.  I don't like deadlines, but they help.  I mean, I either have to get my room cleaned by Friday, or shove everything under my bed.  ...or just keep my roommate's sister away from my room for an entire weekend. 

--Worked TWO birthday parties at the drop-in center.  They were fun, but I think I'm too old for that sort of thing.  I was on my feet for more than 6 hours, and I'm FEELING it today. 

--This week, I'm hoping to get finished with all the written plans of stuff I hope to get done this year.  I don't know if it will help me, but I think that getting those things written down WITH workable deadlines will give me something to work towards.  I don't want to spend all my time planning, but taking a good week or so to do it might prove more beneficial than three weeks of just sitting around wondering how I'm going to figure everything out.

--Started my diet today.  I have gained about 20 pounds back instead of the 15 I was thinking.  But I was a little too thin before, perhaps, and so I'm just aiming to lose that 15.  I just want to get back to that comfortable size six.  It's really a financial decision more than anything else.  I can't afford to buy new pants, and the ones I have are really tight now.  So I have to lose weight so I can keep fitting into my pants!  Diet day one wasn't hard, but I have a ways to go.  I'm hoping to start a weekly running/exercise routine that will help me burn off those 15 pounds pretty quickly.

--Monday is down!  Congratulations, and may your Tuesday be awesome.