workouts!

did 15 minutes last night and 20 tonight of the 30-day shred... i think it's called "shred" because it shreds your knees, ouch! Walking to class in the rain/in pain should be interesting, lol.

Off to get my edumakation on :)

procrastination time!

I just found this amazing list via Kirtsy.com, called "100 Skills Everyone should Master."  The highlighted ones are the things I've mastered (or done) thus far in life! And for good measure, a picture of fatty mcfatty, Finn...

1. Set goals
2. Keep a plant alive
3. Care for a baby:
How to Hold a Newborn Baby
The Five Ss from The Happiest Baby on the Block will soothe most fussy babies
4. CPR-- well, in 4th grade
5. Feel confident naked
6. Interview for a job
7. Bake a birthday cake
8. Use a fire extinguisher
9. Use a compass
10. Express condolences
11. Tell a joke-- albeit poorly
12. Remember names-- working on mastery of this one, ouch!
13. Sharpen a knife
14. Dump a poisonous friend-- work in progress
15. Check your oil and tires
16. Relax/Meditate
17. Apologize
18. Be polite
19. Get a good night’s sleep
20. Dress appropriately for the situation
21. Type- 80 to 90 wpm, thank you very much!
22. Fight fair
23. Read-- always!
24. Ask for exactly what you want--- this one is HARD.
25. Trap a rat or mouse
26. Basic stretches and/or yoga poses
Yoga Sequence for the Novice (Thanks, Kelli)
27. Heimlich
28. Please a partner sexually (I'd like to think so) (also, sorry mom and dad, if you're reading this!)
29. Tell your partner what you want in bed
30. Shine your shoes
31. Make your case in writing
32. Tie a scarf or tie (bowtie too):
Scarf Tying Guide (Thanks, Louise)
33. Jump a car
34. Mix a signature drink
35. Delegate
36. Make a simple meal for company
37. Give a neckrub
38. Drive a stick
39. Ride a bike
40. Swim- like 39, not well... 
41. Use chopsticks
Chopstick Etiquette (Thanks, Mindy)
42. Make a new friend
43. Build something simple (ie: shelf, desk, treehouse)-- i love my power tools!
44. Change a tire and put on snow chains (thanks, Toni)
45. Give a toast
46. Make a perfect egg
The Great Fried Egg Tutorial (Thanks, Tara)
47. Speak in public:
Public Speaking Made Easy
48. Improve your mood
49. Simple mending (Thanks, Maureen)
50. Travel light:
Rick Steve’s Packing Light Tips (Thanks, Sandy)
51. Steam vegetables
52. Negotiate
53. Be a good listener
54. Be alone comfortably-- this is HARD but it's getting easier!
55. Select good produce:
List of seasonal produce generated by state and month
Locavore App for iPhone (Thanks, Samantha)
56. Maintain your weight:
The Steve Ward Diet
57. Build savings:
The Wealthy Barber isan accessible book that teaches the basics of personal finance
58. Say no/disappoint someone
59. Use a drill
60. Flexibility/equanimity in the face of the unexpected
61. Make small talk
The Rich Resonance of Small Talk by Roxanne Roberts (Thanks, Pamela)
62. Skip a rock
63. Set personal boundaries:
The Relationship Two-Step by Martha Beck
64. Organize your home
65. Deliver a eulogy:
How to Give a Eulogy
by Tom Chiarella
66. Shuffle a deck of cards
67. Dance socially
68. Know a second language
69. Win the affection of a dog or cat (see above pic)
70. Write a quality love letter
71. Play one card game well- does solitaire count?
72. Eat healthfully
73. Create a budget
74. Take a decent photo
75. Order the wine
76. Know what makes you happy
77. Flirt-- not so much...it's hard!
78. Make a good first impression
79. Write a thank you note:
How to Write a Thank You Note by Leslie Harpold
80. Find a perfect gift
81. Assertiveness
82. Arriving on time
83. Make a little kid laugh
84. Kiss well (i think so?)
85. Make a good mix tape
86. Tie basic knots:
IWillKnot.com
87. Dress to flatter your shape
88. Build a campfire
89. Change the subject
90. Acquire or shed a habit
91. Treat a hangover:
Hangover Cures by The Morning News
92. Be a good judge of character
93. Season a cast-iron skillet
94. Give a compliment
95. Accept a compliment
96. Contribute in group situations
97. Judge yourself by your own yardstick
98. Calculate the tip:
Michelle said this in comments, and it’s what I do too: Simple trick to calculating a tip. Move the decimal over one place and double that total. So, if your bill is $100.00, it would be $10.00 x2 = $20. Or if your bill is $5.23, your tip should be .52 x2= $1.04
99. Ask for a raise (Thanks, Amber.)
100. Build a shelter

Good reader suggestions:

-Do a load of laundry
-Keep your living space clean (Thanks, Megan)
-Write legibly (Thanks, Robin)
-Choose a good mate (Thanks, Pamela)
-Ask for help (Thanks, Mavis)

Hmm, not half bad. What about you, dear readers? What are things you want to master?

first 2010 post!

Let me start off by saying I don't know wtf is up with the photos... I tried a new layout and it messed up all the html somehow :( Granted, I don't think anyone else reads this right now...

That aside, HAPPY 2010, whoever is out there!

Everyone makes New Year's resolutions, but I'd wager to say that most of us fall very short of accomplishing most of them. This year, I'm going public with my goals, hopes, and my "one little word" that I'll be striving to achieve.

Drumroll please...

• My one little word this year is "presence."  Basically, I'm going to be working towards having a better presence, in everything I do in life, both online and off. A lot of my goals for 2010 are based on achieving a greater presence, which I think will come from feeling and looking much better about myself and my life!
• #1 goal- staying accountable to my goals through blogging at least twice a week. Hopefully I'll also develop an audience (thanks to the movie Julie/Julia for inspiring me!)

More goals:

• Ideally, I would like to get my weight down to about 105-110 lbs (I'm at 127 now, meh)... and if not that low, certainly much more in shape. No more being winded hiking across campus, work on a flatter tummy and toned thighs. 
• Get my thesis done in stages, rather than stressing the week before it's due. I'm an awful procrastinator, so this may be tough. However, I think having a good advisor will certainly help with this.
• Save money by eating in as much as possible and trying to pick up either a regular job or just gigs on my days when I don't tutor. Also, only buying food that's on sale, only replacing clothes if I absolutely need to, cutting out cable, etc.
• Nurture my creativity and my hobbies.  This is a big one for me. If nothing else, I need to scrapbook and crochet more often, and sing as much as possible when I'm at home to keep my voice somewhat in shape still. I also want to keep reading inspiring and creative blogs, like Apartment Therapy and Hostess with the Mostess!
• Limit my contact with people who truly don't contribute anything positive to my life, and try to increase contact with people who add good things and make me happy to be around! I think that this and losing weight will be the two most difficult goals, but at the same time, I think they'd be the most beneficial in the long run.
• Drink more water and moisturize FAR more often to get my skin lookin stellar!

that's it for now... time to hit the books for this online class. more goals to come in part 2!