standing on the precipice

Well, folks, it's New Year's Eve. The day when Champagne is drunk, people are kissed, and resolutions are made. I've never really been a New Year's resolution sort of person. I figure, my goals are my goals, whether I make them on January 1st or September 20th. One thing that my wonderful husband has taught me, however, is that writing your goals down makes you more likely to achieve them. So I figured it would be a good idea to write down ALL of my current goals in one place, so I can refer back to them throughout my process of achieving them.

12.30.13 -- progress report

Yeah... this week was not so good. With all of the stress related to our new car purchase and the traveling (and overeating) for the holidays, I didn't run AT ALL. Failure. Even Rosetta Stone is judging me-- "La femme court." it says. OK, OK! I GET IT! This week is a new week though. My goal is to do a 30 min run every weekday this week, rest on Saturday, then do my scheduled 6-mile long run on Sunday. Oh, and let's not forget that I'll be signing up for the marathon at 12:01 on January 1st! It's gonna be a good first week of the new year.

whirlwind weekend

Well, after much drama, gnashing of teeth, and hurry-up-and-wait last week, C and I took off on Friday morning for Maryland. "Maryland?" you say, "What's in Maryland?" Other than crappy cell service (what's up with that, Maryland?), there happens to be a big and wonderful Carmax dealership in Maryland.

That's right, friends. C and I are officially minivan owners. And woo wee is she pretty!

Black Pearl, in all her glory

12.23.13 - progress report

As promised, I'm no longer doing my weekly weigh-in. It was really focusing on the totally wrong thing, so I'm cutting it out. Case in point: I was completely useless last week, and weighed-in this morning at the same weight that I have for about a month now. Not indicative of anything. So I'm kicking it to the curb.

no-spend january

Erin over at Love, Fun, & Football posted last week about doing a January spending freeze, and it really made me want to join in! Although it may seem ridiculous, I was really disappointed in myself that I only paid 53% of my take-home pay toward my student loans this past year. I often joke that C pays for us to live, and I pay Sallie Mae. Well, apparently I pay a lot more people than just Sallie Mae.

12.20.13 -- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $42,931.37

an atheist's view on christmas

On my way to work this morning, a car in front of me had one of these magnets on it, and it inspired me to write a post on my thoughts about Christmas.

the day my life turned into a law school hypothetical

Yesterday was a joke. A joke, I tell you. It was the day that I learned that all those hypotheticals that we discuss in law school aren't as farfetched as they seem.

12.16.13 -- weigh-in

Apathy is starting to creep in...

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.
Week 11 (11.04.13): no weigh-in (sick)
Week 12 (11.11.13): 192 lbs.
Week 13 (11.18.13): 190.5 lbs.
Week 14 (11.25.13): 188.5 lbs.
Week 15 (12.02.13): 188.5 lbs.
Week 16 (12.09.13): 189 lbs.
Week 17 (12.16.13): 188 lbs.

i. love. kettlebell.

Last night was my third kettlebell class at Indy Downtown Boot Camp. I really hope that soon I stop feeling too sore to go more than once a week, because I really love it. Nothing makes you feel like a badass like swinging around a kettlebell.

year of austerity fail, life goal success

I'm making really good progress on my "30" by 30 list. Shortly after making the list, I bought an iPhone. I'm also well on my way to paying off my student loans. The other two items on the list have been silently stewing in the back of my mind, though.

12.09.13 -- weigh-in

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm doing this right...

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.
Week 11 (11.04.13): no weigh-in (sick)
Week 12 (11.11.13): 192 lbs.
Week 13 (11.18.13): 190.5 lbs
Week 14 (11.25.13): 188.5 lbs
Week 15 (12.02.13): 188.5 lbs
Week 16 (12.09.13): 189 lbs

attitude is everything

As discussed previously, C and I bought some new appliances while they were on Black Friday sale. [As a side note, we saved a GIANT amount doing that. It was pretty much like buy 2, get 1 free.] Well, I got a phone call yesterday saying that they were ready to be delivered!! Yay!!

i can't believe i'm saying this out loud...

Have you ever had an idea that you know is crazy, but the longer you think about it, the more convinced you get that it will be easy/fun/not crazy? I'm having one of those moments this week.

cyber... tuesday?

This weekend has been kindof expensive. I cashed in on some ~50% off yarn deals on Black Friday, and on Sunday C and I bought a new washer, dryer, and refrigerator (Black Friday sale plus a 10% off coupon, thank you very much!). I peeked around yesterday to see if there was anything in particular that I "needed," but fortunately there was not.

12.02.13 -- weigh-in

No weight gained over Thanksgiving week, so I consider it a victory!

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.
Week 11 (11.04.13): no weigh-in (sick)
Week 12 (11.11.13): 192 lbs.
Week 13 (11.18.13): 190.5 lbs
Week 14 (11.25.13): 188.5 lbs
Week 15 (12.02.13): 188.5 lbs

drumstick dash 2013

Today was the Drumstick Dash! It wasn't quite what I hoped it would be (speed/amount of running-wise), but it was still fun. Good to hang out with my sister, and good exercise for me. LORDY was it cold though!!! Yeesh! Here's my day in pictures:

a sigh of relief

And not just because today's the last work day before a 4-day weekend.

I've been struggling with The Year of Austerity more than I thought that I would be. I think it's because I know that at the end comes a baby, and that's kicking some nesting instincts into high gear (FSM help me when I actually start nesting). That trip to IKEA on Labor Day weekend sent me into a bit of a financial tailspin for awhile.

11.27.13 -- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $44,275.71

new year's goals

Seriously, how did it get to be that time of year again?? My friend Meagan suggested to me and Ashlye that the 3 of us make mileage goals for 2014. My goal is 365 miles. I figure if I can average a mile a day, I'll be doing AWESOMELY!

11.25.13 -- weigh-in

It's a little sad how a number on the scale can make or break my mood. Well, today, my mood has been made :)

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.
Week 11 (11.04.13): no weigh-in (sick)
Week 12 (11.11.13): 192 lbs.
Week 13 (11.18.13): 190.5 lbs
Week 14 (11.25.13): 188.5 lbs

why i love my husband

Just a regular conversation with my husband on a regular Friday afternoon. (p.s.- the start to this conversation comes out of nowhere, as you'll see)
 

the one about depression

I'm not even sure where to start this, but I know that I have to get it out. So I apologize in advance for what is sure to be a rambly post.

random musings

Things that I think about but don't warrant a post of their own:

1. There's floor on my floor! C has finally started putting down the floor in the nursery guest room. Oooooh... preeeeettttyyyy.... :)

a libertarian's view on the holidays

We Libertarians get a bad rap sometimes. You know, because we expect people to take care of themselves instead of having the government take care of them. Usually this gets extrapolated into us being heartless bastards who don't care about anyone but ourselves. However, that's not it. It really means that we don't think that the government should be dictating what causes our money should go to.

11.18.13 -- weigh-in

Woo Hoo!!!!!

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.
Week 11 (11.04.13): no weigh-in (sick)
Week 12 (11.11.13): 192 lbs.
Week 13 (11.18.13): 190.5 lbs

how i met your father (part 3)

You can read Parts 1 and 2 of the story here and here...

I waited a couple of months, and then I decided I was ready to get back in the saddle again. (Like I said, I wasn't real sad about this breakup.) I went with eHarmony again, because dammit they have good marketing! I was buying what they were selling, as it were.

It was slow going at the beginning. It's hard to find atheist guys in the middle of Indiana, and after having dated one, I didn't want to go back. Eventually I got matched up with someone who I actually wanted to go out with. His name was Coby, and he lived in the same suburb that I did. The catch was (there's always a catch), he was younger than me [ick!] and still lived with his parents [double ick!]. I gave it a go though. He was a very nice guy, and we went out a couple of times. He apparently wasn't feeling it like I was though, and he just stopped returning my calls one day. ok fine. Moving on.

the feva

This week has been kindof rough. Baby fever is back in full force, and I don't see it going away any time soon. Only 8 months until I can start trying for a baby... yay? Man that seems like too long from now. If only the thing with my Nigerian prince had panned out, then I'd be a millionaire!

Because I have nothing to say today other than I want a baby N.O.W., I'm going to leave you with this song (which always gets stuck in my head when I think of how I have baby fever).

(I also maybe have Michael Buble fever...)

getting fit vs. getting skinny

I've been on this weight loss journey for about 3 months now, and I still haven't lost 10 pounds yet. While I'm disappointed about this, I'm not nearly as disappointed as bodymedia is.

home again, home again, jiggety-jig

C came home yesterday after almost 2 weeks of being gone. First he had a work conference, and then he flew to California to buy a motorcycle. [He sold his old motorcycle to do it, so it's Year of Austerity approved.] We've never been apart from each other for this long (well, we have, but that time *I* was the one out having fun), and it was not a good time for me. Especially since I was sick and had a puppy to take care of. Blargh. Oh well. He's home now, and I'm NEVER LETTING HIM LEAVE AGAIN. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

11.11.13 -- weigh-in

Getting back on track:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.
Week 11 (11.04.13): no weigh-in (sick)
Week 12 (11.11.13): 192 lbs.

uninspired

Sorry I've been sort of persona non grata 'round these parts, folks. Between being sick and taking care of the puppy by myself, I'm just one worn out momma.

i got broooonchitis

ain't nobody got time for that!

happy halloween

This was my Halloween night. Pretty perfect in my opinion.

Enthralled by Lady and the Tramp

the moment of truth

C is out of town for business for the next couple of days, so the puppy and I have the house to ourselves. What that used to mean for me was bingeing. I would make a pound of spaghetti and meat sauce and eat it all in one sitting. Make a meal for four and eat it all myself. Order a large pizza and inhale it without a second thought or a single piece leftover.

10.29.13 -- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $45,401.58

10.28.13 -- weigh-in

AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's all I have to say about that.

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.
Week 10 (10.28.13): 193 lbs.

my very own nigerian prince

I got the most awesome email sent to my work account today.

perception

There is a psychiatric disorder known as Body Dysmorphic Disorder. It occurs when people see flaws that don't exist when they look at themselves in a mirror.

While it's not a psychiatric disorder, sometimes I feel like I suffer from anti-BDD. When I look in the mirror, I don't see myself as I actually look. Then when I look at pictures of myself, I am disgusted by myself in a visceral way that I can't quite describe. There is a phenomenon that explains why this reaction occurs for most people, but I don't think that's what's occurring with me.

little miss crankypants

C just got on the treadmill and ran farther and faster than I can, even after 3.5 weeks of c25k. No warm-up or anything; just got on the treadmill and ran a half mile. No big deal.

I know it's not a competition with anyone other than myself, but I can't help but feel discouraged. For a self-professed non-runner (thanks to his pigeon toes), C sure can run. Now I feel bad for feeling this way. Grr. 

if at first you don't succeed...

...rip it out until you get it right.

healthy break

So since I've started this whole 52 lbs thing, my friend Ashlye and I have been reasonably dedicated to taking what we call "healthy breaks" at work, every hour on the hour. We just get up and walk down the hallway, no big deal, but it's good for our mental health. (Humans just are not made to work 8+ hours a day sitting at a desk.)

10.21.13 -- weigh-in

No good news to report here. I gained 0.5 lbs this past week. Sad :(

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.
Week 9 (10.21.13): 192.5 lbs.

my boys

This was a good weekend.

10.18.13 -- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $46,371.00

the itch is back

OMG do I want to knit today. Found some yarn for the shawl my mom wants for her birthday. Better buy it soon so I can actually have it done by then!!! If only I weren't so slow. I still need to finish the gifts for C's friends. I really want to start on that blanket. Sigh. So many projects, so little time. Fortunately for me, I don't think I have anything going on this weekend other than a hair appointment on Saturday morning.

Now if only I could figure out a way to knit while walking on the treadmill... :)

tmi post (sorry)

This week is an interesting week for me. On Monday, I had my annual exam, and I had my doctor take out my IUD. (woah) This is the first time since I was 15 that I haven't been on hormonal birth control. (double woah) It's weirding me out a little bit. It's like I told the MA at the OB/GYN, it's so bizarre to be at a point in my life where pregnancy isn't something to be avoided at all costs. It's just a mental switch that I'm going to have to do.

Don't get me wrong, C and I are not yet trying for a baby. We're just using the 1950s condoms-only birth control method. And I'm not going to lie, I love having sex with condoms. SO much less messy. I could really get used to this!!

happy birthday weekend

This past weekend was my friend Ashlye's son's birthday, and there ain't no party like a 2-year-old party. :) I took a LOT of pictures of him opening presents, but here's some fun ones from the party.

10.14.13 -- weigh-in

More progress this week! I love being able to see results for my efforts:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.
Week 8 (10.14.13): 192 lbs.

bodymedia

I'm not going to lie, I really like this BodyMedia Fit Coach. It's hokey, but it really does make me feel proud of myself.

how i met your father (part 2)

You can read part 1 of the story here...

So concentrate I did. I finished up my last semester of 1L (mercifully) and celebrated the return of a break from school. I was single and spending all of my "free" time at school or studying, so I was feeling a bit disconnected from society. I decided that I wanted to join an atheist group. A lot of the reason that people join churches is for the social aspect, so I figured this way I could get that without the god crap. I was really pretty nervous about joining. I lurked the meetup page for quite a few weeks before I gathered the courage to go to a meeting.

i made it... barely

Yesterday was the first day of Couch-to-5k, and boy did it kick my ass. I felt reasonably ok while I was doing it (as ok as one can feel while running, anyway), but afterwards... woo boy. I did an appropriate cool down... more than the C25K app even asked for, since I had to walk from the canal back to my office (with a much-needed rest in the people mover) and then from my office to my car. My vasovagal syncope never fails to rear its ugly head in situations like these though. On my drive home, I started feeling... prodromal. I didn't exactly feel like I was going to faint, but I felt like if I had to stand or walk anywhere, that I would.

evenings unplugged

We haven't had internet since Sunday night [insert Comcast rage here]. And, man, is it annoying. Especially since we don't really have cell service in our limestone bunker of a house. (first world problems, I know)

sick days

Last Tuesday was my birthday (hooray!), but last Wednesday-Friday I had an unfortunate case of gastroenteritis. I made it to work on Wednesday, but Wednesday night brought fever, aches, and chills, so no work for me on Thursday or Friday.

Despite having intermittently working internet (Comcast rage), I managed to catch up on How I Met Your Mother. Now I can watch it live tonight for the first time since the first season! I also got some knitting projects finished up.

10.07.13 -- weigh-in

Big progress made this week. It's amazing what happens when you actually are aware of the food that you put into your mouth:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 7 (10.07.13): 193.5 lbs.

what just happened?

I'm sorry, I don't run. What on earth have I done?

good friends, good weekend

This past weekend C and I went up to Chicago to celebrate my birthday. For anyone who knows either of us, this is likely surprising to you. I hate Chicago (give me NYC any day of the week), and C hates cities. However, there were a couple of places that I wanted to go that are only in Chicago, and we both have friends who live up there.

It was true to The Year of Austerity in that we didn't spend a whole lot of money to have fun. We went to brunch with my friend Julie and her boyfriend, which was super fun! Then we went to a fancy knitting shop [side note: I'd never actually been to a yarn store. It seemed like an outing fraught with danger.] and walked around awhile. Then we went to Flor (with a detour at a baby store) and to The Spice House. The only thing we actually bought was brunch and 2 jars of spices at The Spice House.

09.30.13 -- weigh-in

I'm not afraid to admit it-- I fell off the wagon this weekend. I knew I was going to start something big on Monday (today), so I just let everything fall apart. Fortunately, I only gained 1 lb:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 6 (09.30.13): 196.5 lbs.

09.27.13 -- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $46,618.88

unpopular

*Warning: I'm going to run my mouth a bit. Feel free to ignore this post if you find it offensive. I'll be back to my normal, boring ways tomorrow.*

interminable sweater-- FINISHED! **updated**

I finished my sister's sweater!!! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. I've been assembling it since Sunday... here's some time-elapsed photos:

09.23.13 -- weigh-in

Happy beginning of fall, everyone! It's a wonderful type of chilly here. Today's weigh-in day, so here goes:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.
Week 5 (09.23.13): 195.5 lbs.

how i met your father (part 1)

I got this fabulous ring from C for my birthday (so what if I picked it out) commemorating the three important dates in our relationship thus far. For most married couples, those dates would be the date of their first date, the date of their engagement, and the date of their wedding. However, C and I are not your typical couple. And here, kids, is the story of how I met your father:

renovations

So the nursery guest bedroom is coming along quite nicely.

predictability

I wouldn't call myself a yo-yo dieter... well, maybe I would. I've started to lose weight more times than I can explain to you. It always follows a predictable pattern: lose a lot, gain some back, lose a little more, then move into starvation mode.

Let me stop you right there. I am NOT starving myself. Far from it. I'm not even counting calories or anything, so I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing even counts as dieting. However, the human body is just not made to lose weight. It's not evolutionarily adaptive. Our ancestors never had to worry about being overweight, so during a time when less food is coming in, the body automatically tries to hold on to all those pounds as tightly as it can. Who knows when you'll kill the next wooly mammoth to eat?

fangirl

Last night my sister and I went to the Michael Bublé concert, and IT. WAS. AWESOME. Needless to say, all of my squees firmly planted me in the fangirl camp. Man I love Michael Bublé. Enjoy :)

09.09.13 -- weigh-in

Another Monday, another weigh-in day. Here's today's stats:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.
Week 4 (09.16.13): 195.5 lbs.

don't read if you're easily offended

I'm almost surely not going to use this blog as a platform for my religious/political/social beliefs on the regular (although who knows, the day is still young), but this article really struck me and I wanted to share.

My Abortion, My Miscarriage, and My Right To Have My Own Feelings

09.13.13 -- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $47,506.63

Today's payday, which means it's loan payment day!

hold the phone

Although I'm not pregnant and I don't have any children, I'm still absolutely obsessed with Zulily. It's really kindof a problem. I'm reasonably good at not actually buying anything, but not because of any superhuman power that I have. Most of the time I absolutely do not need whatever I'm lusting after, and their shipping... oh their shipping. First of all, you have to pay for it. Second of all, it's SOOOO SLOOOOOW. However, I keep looking like a junkie looks for a fix. I did finally get rid of the daily emails and the app on my iPad because the temptation was just too much. Now I only look on there when I think about it (which is significantly less often than it used to be).

the itch

Knitting is one of those things that comes and goes in waves for me. I can put all my stuff down and not knit anything for weeks, but then there are days like today where all I want to do is knit. I want to knit, and I want to knit all day, and I want to knit everything. I've been adding stuff to my Ravelry queue all morning, because I'm finding it impossible to concentrate on anything else. (Worst. Employee. Ever.)

scales

Here's where I rant a little bit about scales. So this morning I step on the scale and it says 196.5. There is no earthly reason why I should weigh 2 lbs less than I did yesterday. I think it's just punking me because yesterday was my weigh-in day. Grr.

09.09.13 -- weigh-in

I am loathe to post this today, but since this is my accountability, here goes:

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.
Week 3 (09.09.13): 198.5 lbs.

Ugh. I suck.

sunday smile

Got this email today :) :)

Oh happy day!!

 

 

unpacking

So C and I moved into our house a year ago on Labor Day weekend. We almost immediately started renovating it, so a lot of our stuff stayed in boxes for longer than I would have liked. I'm one of those people that when you move, stuff gets unpacked right away, so the fact that I was physically unable to unpack (because we had no kitchen, etc.) made me crazy.

before and after

The wall is done. Hooray! It looks awesome. If any of you Indianapolis kids need drywall/plaster work done, call Frank Blankenship. He's a hundred kinds of wonderful.

 

binding off

Having so many knitting projects in progress is beginning to wear on me. The long weekend was a good opportunity to get closer to finishing my projects. The dish towel I'm working on needs more yarn, so I ordered some more yarn for it. ($12-- Year of Austerity be damned) Then I really cranked on my sister's sweater. This sweater has been torturous a labor of love. Making adult-sized clothes is a lot of work. And my sister's a small person! I am perilously close to being done with the sweater, and I'm so excited about that.

umm...

Yeah, so we've already discussed how I'm not very patient. I had another impatient moment this weekend.

09.02.13 -- weigh-in

Well, I'm posting this a day late, but I did weigh in yesterday.

Start (08.17.13): 199 lbs.
Week 1 (08.24.13): 196.5 lbs.
Week 2 (09.02.13): 198 lbs.

humble pie

So apparently my debt snowball plan isn't going to work out EXACTLY as I'd hoped. When I paid off that loan on Monday, I thought it was going to satisfy my minimum payment. Not so much. When I logged in yesterday to see if my payment had posted, I was greeted with this:

day 2

So I'm starting off my 52 Pounds in 52 Weeks campaign with a bang. Last week I bought a bike to put under my desk at work, so no more excuses!! It took a little bit to figure out how to position the pedals and my chair and me so I didn't hit my knees on the desk, but by yesterday afternoon I was cruising. Fortunately, I just got a little fan to put on my desk, so I'm not TOO sweaty :)

 

accountability

So The Year of Austerity isn't only going to be about money; it's going to be about food. The truth is, I eat way too much and I weigh way too much to be getting pregnant. Before law school, I was much thinner. Well, I may have been artificially thin when I started law school because of all the drama of the preceding summer. But seriously, look how thin:

08.26.13-- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $48,898.82

and so it begins

I've been a little quiet here lately-- mostly because there's nothing really to report. Things have been going along smoothly, and I've been patiently waiting to hear whether or not I have something to be excited about.

fini!

Seriously, how big are his feet?!

I finally finished those damn socks, and they look pretty good if you ask me! I could point out all the flaws and imperfections, but for my first go at it they're pretty impressive. C is wearing them to work today, because he loves me.

Lesson learned: perhaps knitting with size 1 needles isn't for me...

control freak

So here's where I let my freak flag fly: I love Excel. I love everything about it. It is a magical program that I only use to like 15% of its capability. The thing I love to do most in Excel? Budgeting. Especially amortization schedules. They're awesome.

Now that my Sallie Mae loan is gone, all my money is going toward my law school loan. Now I may not have learned much in college, but I did learn about the compounding property of interest. I'll never forget how amazed I was that by splitting a loan payment into 2 and paying twice per month instead of once per month, you could save a lot of money in interest! As a result, I'm not about to sit idly by and just make one larger payment per month. No sirree.

pride

So last night C and I had a discussion about our financial situation. Current debt/expenses and income. Always a joyous topic. :) Basically the crux of the conversation was "how can we get out of debt even faster?" Where my pride comes into play on all this is that I'm the only one who has any debt (aside from the mortgage, which is a joint asset). Granted, I don't have all that much debt. I just have my student loan and my car. No credit cards or anything, which is a plus.

rearranging

C and I moved into our house last September, and we've been renovating it ever since. It was built in the 50s and had been vacant for 5 years before we bought it, so a lot of things were outdated and/or in need of repair. We tackled the kitchen (and adjoining laundry room) first. Completely gutted it and installed new cabinets, countertops, and floors. [Side note: never do a kitchen renovation yourself unless you LOVE washing dishes in the bathtub for 6 months.] We (and by we I clearly mean C) then extended said floors into the rest of the house (except the bedrooms and bathrooms). New drywall and paint in the main room, and new trim everywhere. There are still projects that we want/need to do, but the place is looking pretty spiffy.

As a result of all of this turmoil, the state of our unpacking is... marginal at best. Oh sure, the house isn't strewn with boxes or anything, but the front bedroom... well.... there might be some boxes (and extra furniture) in there. C's friends from college and their kids came to visit a few weeks ago, and the 5-year-old looked in there and said "Do you NEED all this stuff?" No, Luke. No we don't. It was sort of the slap in the face that I needed to want to get things more in order instead of just shutting that bedroom door and pretending that it didn't exist.

this just happened

Well, I think the whole point of the list of goals was to give me some medium-term items to work toward. Clearly I'm not very good at making things be medium-term.

30 by 30

I feel like doing a 30 by 30 list is something that a lot of people do. It occurred to me yesterday that I had nothing even resembling this when my friend Meagan suggested that I replace my baby-focused goal(s) with other ones. I still get my planning fix, and I can chill the F out for a hot minute. Given that with the current plan, I'll have my first baby while I'm 30, I can turn this into a "All the crap I want to do before I have kids/get pregnant" list. I have NOWHERE near 30 items on this list though.

Without further ado, here's what I've got thus far:

sallie mae is a dirty whore

Seriously, when I ask you what my payoff amount is, FUCKING TELL ME!

This is what I was greeted with yesterday when I logged into my account:

THIRTY-ONE CENTS!??!?!?!??!

 

Murderous rage.

wishing

I've been a planner for as long as I can remember. I'm happiest when I have a tangible goal and am actively working toward achieving it. As such, I'm not always very good at living in the present. I am always anxiously waiting for the next thing on the horizon-- that moment when I achieve my next goal. When I was younger, my mother would chastise me. "You're wishing your life away, Marcie!" she would say.

cautious optimism

This weekend was a very interesting weekend.

delusional

I've determined the emotion I felt when I saw that negative pregnancy test-- hope. Hope that the coin flipping around in the air made C decide that he wanted to have a baby after all. Hope that there was a reason that he bought 4 pregnancy tests, telling me "You'll use them." Hope that when he took me out to dinner last night to celebrate my loan payoff he'd say, "Hon, you've done such a good job thus far. Let's not wait anymore."

Alas, such hope was unfounded. If anything, I think it reinforced his opinion that he doesn't want to have a baby yet. So much for that.

conflicted

I've heard that taking a pregnancy test is a surefire way to know if you really want a baby or not. If that's true, then I'm not sure what last night says about me.

08.02.2013-- loan progress

Undergrad: $0
Law School: $49,714.84

Today is a momentous day. I have finally given the old F-U to Sallie Mae. It's one of those days that simultaneously felt like it would never come and snuck up on me.

C has something special planned for tonight. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm sure it will be fabulous. Assuming, of course,  I can stave off my old friend Nausea long enough to have a good time!

debt snowball, part 2

Now that I've made the last payment on my undergrad loans (WOO HOO!), it's time to look at the second portion of my debt snowball.

so close

So, this happened this morning.

It'll post on Friday, and then I'll be DONE with Sallie Mae. WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

hysterical

A couple of weeks ago I started feeling a little nauseous. Not all the time, but at random times throughout the day. Then my period was late. I have an IUD so my odds of getting pregnant are REALLY low; I was confused by not really concerned. My period started, and I was still feeling kindof sick. Then I started to get really weirded out. Oh lord, I thought. I'm having an hysterical pregnancy. This is it. I've really gone 'round the bend now. They're going to have to commit me.

heart, melted

I got to meet my old coworker's little boy last night. He killed me dead.

four years

In another life, today would be my wedding anniversary. You see, I was supposed to get married on July 25, 4 years ago. I normally don't commemorate this day, or even remember it, but I've been thinking a lot about my dress lately.

paying for college (link)

I was reading through my Blogger feed this morning when I came across this gem from Jill at Baby Rabies. I thought it was an appropriate post to share on this blog, so enjoy!

http://www.babyrabies.com/2013/07/beyond-studying-the-pride-that-came-from-paying-for-college/

video killed the radio star

I used to love reading. Love it! I would spend hours sitting on the couch or in a chair reading one book after another. Not anymore. Why not, you ask?

Because of this:

surgery day

Grover had his neuter surgery today. From the moment we got him, getting him neutered was never an option for me (although C was a bit more reticent). All those admonishments from Bob Barker to get my pets spayed or neutered apparently had an effect.

t minus 2 weeks and counting

2 weeks from today, this:

friday funny

I heard this on my way to work this morning, and it KILLED me. I support her sentiment :)

Note: the audio is NSFW. Video is benign. Enjoy!

survivor guilt

I recently got a new job, which meant I was able to quit my last job. Without giving too many details (and opening myself up to defamation charges), my last job was hell on earth. Oh sure, there were good points. There was a group of people in the office who I liked and am still friends with. It offered me a stepping stone to my current position. It gave me a (small) paycheck. I believed in the mission of the organization. The good points pretty much end there though.

restraint

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that patience is not my strong suit. I blame part of it on the fact that I'm an uber-planner. Once I get an idea in my head, I don't let it go. It takes over all my thoughts until I either get what I want or plan it to within an inch of its life. I'm not entirely unlike Veruca Salt...

knitting as a respite

So I'm a knitter. I started knitting shortly after I finished studying for the bar as a way to fill my newly-found free time. At first I started out simply-- I made a (really horrible) scarf for my sister. Bless her heart she actually wore it despite the HUGE mistakes.

happy hump day!

In celebration of making it halfway through the work week, here's a gratuitous picture of my puppy, Grover. Enjoy :)

how i do it

Most of my followers on twitter and friends in real life are attorneys (hi attorney friends!!). I know if I were them, I'd wonder how I'm pulling off this crazy stunt, especially without a BigLaw salary. [Spoiler alert: My salary isn't even CLOSE to a BigLaw salary. I bet I make less than the JANITOR at a BigLaw firm. Sigh.]

the green-eyed monster

One thing I've noticed lately is that people my age are starting to get really nostalgic about their childhoods. Perhaps it's that we're getting close to the age of procreation, or perhaps it's just that we're reaching the point in adulthood where we long for the simpler times that youth provides. Either way, I had to laugh the other day when a twitter friend posted the following tweet: "Do they still make learning games/tv shows for kids like Magic School bus or Carmen Sandiego? I feel like I was smarter w/them than I am now" (Note: Magic School Bus is available for instant streaming on Netflix. Watch it. It will make you happy.) I have thoughts like this often and lament the dearth of educational programming for today's children. I'm turning into one of those crotchety old women who starts stories with, "Back in my day..." :)

07.15.2013-- loan progress

Undergrad: $862.60
Law School: $50,230.89

the beginning.

I've been enamored with the idea of starting a blog for awhile now, which is surprising given my general unwillingness to have an online presence. There's something cathartic about writing, though, and doing it in a public forum has a way of making one reflect on one's feelings in a way that private writing doesn't. I've been told by multiple therapists that I have a penchant for catastrophizing, so perhaps this exercise will assist in maintaining some perspective.