The Blog With No Name

…with my sad little blog? It’s been so neglected. And here I am, writing the clichéd “oh my poor neglected blog” post too.

I could track my goals for this year – lose some more weight, feed the troops better, reduce clutter. How to measure is the question – the more quantifiable the goal, the better chance of success.

So:

• I want to lose 18 pounds. This will, I hope, be accomplished by doing a new exercise routine, and continuing to improve my diet.
• I want to make one “new” meal per week. It’s an extra win if it’s in the crock pot.
• I want to clear 25% of my file cabinets out and scan/shred the contents (that is one half of a lateral drawer).

We Shall See…

School is back in session. The daughter is is eighth grade, and will, I hope, soon be in the jazz band. The jazz band rehearses at 7:00 a.m. Getting her there on time is going to be, um, interesting.  The boy has a new teacher, who looks like she’s 14 (everybody looks like he or she is 14 to me now), but who seems to be on the ball and has placed him so that she can keep an evil eye on his desk. She does not allow messy desks! Yay!

The booster group at his school seems to have attracted a few new and potentially-really-active people, so we are trying to think of ways to give them some meaningful work but not so much that they run away in terror. Ideas?

The paper budget at her junior high school has been cut by 2/3. PAPER. As in, NO PAPER. So in addition to lunch money, it seems I might be buying cases of paper to donate to the school as well. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY.

Hey, other than that, it’s been a great day. Weather finally turned warm, we went to the pool, had lunch with some friends, every day should be this way.

I’ve started using Google Reader to follow my gadget/tech/personal finance blogs. Wow, has it cut down on the time it takes me to see what’s interesting! More time for Facebook (arg). This is just a crazy month so far, thankfully it’s almost over! I still have these things to do:

• Junior High School PTA Bylaw Revision
• Breadbaking Demonstration
• Jenny Lind Chapel Budget for 2009
• Arrange a certain social event for March
• (too too embarrassing) put away the blankety-blank Christmas decorations!

Today is the day I get the by-laws done, if I have to stay up to midnight!!! Wish me luck!

I admit it – I am bad with money. Bad with budgets, bad with controlling impulse spending, and so on.  I will focus on fixing this in 2009. In light of that, I was greatly amused at the small print in the middle of the packaging for a small stocking-stuffer gift I got for Christmas. I bet you can figure out what I’m talking about…

I’ve been assimilated into the Borg, I mean Facebook. Yeah, that’s it. Pretty amazing how people you haven’t seen in umpty years pop out of the woodwork at you. Sort of like, um, here too.

I also have a new cell phone. A Centro. Free from Verizon after I get their little debit card dealie. I LOVE MY NEW PHONE. This convergence stuff is beginning to seem cooler and cooler. My phone, my checkbook register, my shopping list, my to-dos, all on one small (really small!) so-far very sturdy, device. LOVELOVELOVE.

Making Light. Where else could I read this (particularly #4)?

Fortunately for me, my drug is legal. I neglected to buy coffee last week, and had none to drink for two days.  The difference in my mental outlook, now that I have some, is astonishing.

I had a one-hour tutorial today with the owner of “my” gym. I now have A PLAN – one machine for each of the six major muscle groups, plus abs and cardio. I know the proper form for each machine, and how many reps and sets (12 and 3, generally). Woot! I am implacably quelling the urge to go looking for JUST THE RIGHT weightlifting log to print on index cards, or put on my Palm, or whatever. I will use a plain old notebook (with a small fountain pen however). I’m hoping that a change in the routine will get me out of the rut I’ve been in this spring.

July 2001 to June 2008

Originally uploaded by hoyameb.

Here she is, starting kindergarten a few weeks before her fifth birthday, and now off to junior high school (complete with attitude, can’t you tell)!

• My in-laws live in Cedar Falls. Great portions of Cedar Falls are now under water. My in-laws’ house may be in that category. Oy.
• My daughter’s new principal phoned us just now to let us know that she will be in all possible advanced classes. YAY!!!!!!!! Cannot EXPRESS how much this has been worrying me.
• Went to a baseball game last night. Kids are now old enough (!) that they can walk around the stadium (in the case of the daughter, with her posse) by themselves. Wow, we actually got to watch the game!
• Fireworks following the game (the home team won, but the enemy team was a Cubs farm team – oh the tangled loyalties…) – why is it that “Sweet Home Alabama” goes so perfectly with fireworks?