I did it

Today makes 30 straight days blogging so thats another thing off my 101 things list. I will still blog but not as frequently.

I did get up today and do a mile with one of the walking tapes. But work was a mess just like it has been for the past 3 days all because of one trucking company. I hope how soon we stop using them.

Family dinner

Tried to sleep in today because I was so tired. I don’t know why but I felt as though I hadn’t slept for a year. Finally got to stirring and did a few things. Check the mail and happily my income taxes were there. I am getting my car fixed next weekend. Also got an invite in there for a friends baby shower next weekend. Of course that is the day I am supposed to get my car worked on.

My aunt called and invited us up for dinner. There was aunt 1 and her granddaughter, aunt 2, her husband and her mother in law and me and Mandi. Dinner was way later than normal. We had mashed potatoes, boiled cabbage, green beans, stuff chicken breasts, macaroni and cheese and some kind of brown rolls. I didnt like the chicken but everything else was really good. Went to see the house aunt 1 is buying, its pretty but I would have stayed in the first place since its paid for and the second place is twice what she paid for the first.

Busy Saturday

I told me self all week long that I was going to sleep in today because I have just felt exhausted this whole week. Naturally I was awake before 7am. I tried to resist but couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up. So far today I have done 3 loads of laundry and hung one of them on the line to dry. I do so love the sight of clothes blowing in the wind on a line drying. I need to do that more often, one because it lightens my heart and 2 so I can save money and gas not having to go to the laundromat. Of course I will have to buy a new line since mine snapped and broke in half. I have done 3 loads of dishes, cleaned out a filing cabinet that apparently was only used to store junk in and not filing. I am going to take it to the dump since its in bad shape anyway. I am trying to declutter and have less stuff. I made a huge bowl of diet jello and a pot of fresh brewed tea.

I have tried to do some form of exercise every day and I have only munched on diet popcorn with butter spray on it. So far this week I have lost 5 lbs. I am sure most of it is water weight but I don’t care as long as the scale is going down. I am using the hand weights I bought daily and trying to move more so its more cardio. I am going to finish the yard mowing today and walk at the park. I have to take the other 2 loads of laundry to the laundromat and take off a load of garbage also.

I have finished up my weekly pogo challenges. I like pogo because its mindless and relaxes me. I did feel guilty about it but I have been reading a book about being happier and less stressed and it said that every day we need to take a mini vacation doing whatever relaxes us. Pogo works for me so who cares that I am not doing anything productive.

Mandi and I went out to eat at the Chinese place. I got the crab legs as usual. Now she is off to walmart because she is bored.

WEirdos

I am giving up on dating entirely. Its bad enough I meet losers in real life now some freak I was talking to online seems to be a stalker. He keeps calling and leaving hateful messages and I am pretty sure he called my job today. I think that he tried to follow me home from work today but I took several side roads and lost him. Why can’t I just meet someone normal and decent. Its not like I am asking for a millionaire model type.

Thursday

When I got home today I didn’t have any Internet connection. I realized I had forgotten to send in the bill. My phone runs off Internet also so couldn’t call. I went to a pay phone and they said they hadn’t cut it off but I paid over the phone anyway. By the time I drove home surprisingly enough the internet was working. How convenient.

Work has been screwed up for 2 days now due to trucking issues. I will be so glad when the weekend gets here. I am exhausted. I did manage to mow half the yard and do dishes today.

Crazy Family

I think my family is addicted to moving. I’ve got one aunt thats moved at least 8 times in the past 2 years and the other aunt has moved 3 times since August. She just bought a place and had a ton of work done to it and now wants to sell it to the first aunt. I think they are crazy. I hate moving and can’t wait until I own a place and can plant what I want and decorate it anyway I want. I will never move once I own a place.

Pictures

My sister sent some old pics of me that they had scanned up. I don’t even remember any of them. Here are a couple. One is my grandmother and the other is me and one of my cousins.

Happy Dance

I got my daughter’s car fixed. And the guy looked at mine and said he thinks its the fuel regulator so its probably going to be about a hundred to get that fixed but thats about all thats wrong with my car. It was an absolutely beautiful day today. Unfortunately I have to go back into the hell hole tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary to Me

Today would have been my 23rd wedding anniversary if we hadn’t gotten a divorce. Normally I don’t even think about but for some reason today I was remember how I felt back then. I was so happy, scared and in love I thought. As more and more time goes by there are more days I regret not working harder to make it work. Sometimes you just get tired of always fighting and never having what you need.

Job Hunting

I have officially made up my mind that I am job hunting. I am going to start spending at least 1 hour a day looking for another job. I deal with way too much stress and responsibility at work for too little pay. I have always known that I make less than anyone else in the office even though I have more responsibility but I didn’t realize how much less until now. Even the fork lift drivers make as much as I do. I don’t mind working for the money if I wasn’t expected to do so much. They keep adding to my job description without adding to my check. Its time to move on.

I hate cars

My daughter’s car died today. I think the starter went out on it. Then my car started acting up. Its like I can’t win for losing. I am so tired of being so broke that if I miss one day of work I am going to be homeless. I just don’t know how you can work every day and not spend money like water but stay broke all the time. I have honestly tried to implement the law of attraction principles but its just like the universe slams me everytime I try to convince myself good things are going to happen. I overcome one thing and 2 more happen. Hopefully the car will run when I have to go get my daughter from her job at midnight.

Hello

I sat up until almost 1am last night reading the latest Dick Francis novel. It was pretty good but somehow it didn’t seem like a true Dick Francis novel. I woke up at 6:30 full of energy and was in a good mood all day until about an hour before I got off work. There is a new aspect to my job that started today and it started with a bang and I am not sure its anything I want to have to deal with on a daily basis. I get tired of dealing with crisis after crisis. Maybe I need to get serious about job hunting.

At least the weather was nicer. It was in the 70’s and sunny today. Absolutely lovely.

The Day After

Well it seems that a lone gunman who was a student at VA tech is responsible. He was a student from Korea. At this time no reasoning why he did it. My question though is why when students were killed in a dorm at 7am and a shooter not found did they hold classes that day? I am sure there will be law suits out of this. I think it was very poor thinking on the part of the administration. I am not racists but I was offended on my way into work today by a radio station I listen to. They were talking about a young black male who was one of the victims killed and acted like he should have been above dying. I think none of the students deserved to die regardless of the color of their skin. I don’t think its more a tragedy that one died than another.

Aside from all that it wasn’t a pleasant day at work. I have spent the past week trying to get test results back on some product I needed to ship tomorrow. I kept trying to find out because cancelling after a certain time involves charges. Naturally they wait until after 3pm to cancel all 3 loads so we ended up with charges for 2 of the containers. I don’t know why they can’t get it together and decided stuff a little faster.

Tragic Monday

It finally quit raining but the wind started. The wind has been so fierce that power lines and tress are down all over the place. At least 2 towns near me are without power. Thankfully I have no been affected. One of the guys at work who has several greenhouses on his property, said that the roof blew off one of the greenhouses this morning. He was going home to see if he could save the plants in there. It was a beautiful sunny day and would have been great except for the wind.

There was a horrible occurance in Blacksburg VA today. Someone went a killing rampage at the college and killed 32 people. The gunman is dead and as far as I know acted alone. I just don’t understand what motivates someone to kill perfect strangers.

Rainy Sunday

It has rained for almost the entire past 24 hours. I don’t like to go places when its raining like this so I am stuck home. I guess the not going anywhere relates back to the major flood we had in WV a few years back and I lost almost everything I owned. I like to be home when its flooding so I can get my stuff if I have to. Having to swim in flood waters was the most scary thing I have ever done that I can think of. I guess I will spend the day blog surfing. I have found some really cool blogs and added them to my links. I am also trying to get my blog traffic up just because I like seeing the stats. On that note I joined Technorati Profile.

On a positive note my sister got a computer so we can talk again. She has been off line for almost 2 months now.

Saturday

I did my taxes and my daughter’s. I was quite happy because I had briefly went and did them mentally a couple months ago and thought my daughter owed $700 when in actuality she is getting back almost that much. My refund is smaller only $300 but still better than paying. Maybe we can take a little vacation between us when we get the money back.

I found out that there is a recall on Listernine Cool Blue Rinse. Naturally I have that here. (find out more at http://www.agentcoolblue.com/) Whats up with all these recalls for contaminated products. The rinse I had here is months old but still affected so now what if I had used it instead of having it in the cabinet. Lets not forget the peanut butter one that affected product for the last 2 years even. Who do they think has this stuff and doesn’t use it. Why aren’t they finding out sooner and telling us sooner.

Peeping Tom

I love reading blogs. I love reading how people spend their time and what they are thinking. I guess that makes me a peeping tom. Everyone has such interesting lives. People are such fascinating creatures in the things they do, the way they behave and how they treat each other. Humans are supposed to be so evolved and at the top of the chain but you don’t see animals treating each other the way humans do. The best human behaviors are carried out in nature but the worst aren’t so doesn’t that mean we are the bottom of the chain instead?

Rape Prevention Tips

It turned out to be a beautiful day today. Sunny and breezy and in the 70s. Work was work. Someone at work sent me these tips and I thought I would share them.

Through a Rapist’s Eyes (No Joke)

This is important information for females of ALL ages .

Please pass it along.

A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1) The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed . They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair . Women with short hair are not common targets.

2) The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly . Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing.

3) They also look for women on their cell phone, searching through their purse, or doing other activities while walking because they are off-guard and can be easily overpowered.

4) Men are most likely to attack & rape in the early morning, between 5:00a.m. and 8:30a.m.

5) The number one place women are abducted from/attacked is grocery store parking lots. Number two: is office parking lots/garages. Number three: is public restrooms.

6) The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

7) Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 year sentence but rape with a weapon is 15-20 years.

8) If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9) These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas , or
other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

10) Several defense mechanisms he taught us are: If someone is following
behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question , like what time is it, or make general small talk: “I can’t believe it is so cold out here,” “we’re in for a bad winter.” Now you’ve seen their face and could identify them in a line-up; you lose appeal as a target.

11) If someone is coming toward you , hold out your hands in front of you and yell STOP or STAY BACK ! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

12) If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes), yell I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

13) If someone grabs you , you can’t beat them with strength but you can by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY VERY HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands - the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can
stand it - it hurts.

14) After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble and he’s out of there.

15) When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible .. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

16) Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings , take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts!!!

You may feel a little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

1 Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans . If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM Toss it away from you….chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4.Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE.

a. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

B) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.

IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP! It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

boring day

Its been rainy and dismal all day long. Work wasn’t bad, I even got to leave early. I had to go to the laundromat and the grocery store. I was out of soy milk for my daily shakes. I was down another .8 of a lb today. I wish weight went away as fast and as easy as it comes.

Day 10

I did not make it to the gym today. I was way too tired. I can’t seem to fall asleep at night and stay asleep. I am going to really try again in the morning though because I can tell my efforts are starting to pay off. I have lost 7 lbs since the beginning of the month.

Work was very hectic today. It started slow but I had to go downtown for a meeting with International Operations that ended up lasting 3 hours. I came back to a ton of work and spent the rest of the day playing catchup. I stayed 30 minutes late even.

It reached 60 degrees today. I will be glad when its back in the 80s like week before last. I don’t like being cold. For those who care it was announced today that Larry Birkhead was the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby.

I did it

I managed to get up at 5:30 and took myself off to the gym. I didn’t want to get up at all. I got there and did 25 minutes on the treadmill at a 3% incline. It was just over a mile and burned just over 200 calories. Naturally after I got done the stupid car wouldn’t start. I had to go back inside and call work to say I was going to be late and call Mandi to come pick me up. Before she got there the car started though so I went on to work. I was 8 minutes late. I did feel much better physically and mentally all day though. It was nice and slow most of the day and then at 3:00 the gates of hell opened up and everything started to happen.

I am drinking my nightly protein shake then I am going to bed since I am so tired. I hope I sleep well since I spent most of last night tossing and turning then got up so early. I am going back again in the morning. Hopefully the car won’t be an issue again.

My Birthday

Happy Birthday to me. I am 39 today. I hope that the next 39 are better than the last 39 have been. We went to my aunts for Easter dinner. She had the prettiest double tulips I have ever seen. I took pictures but I can’t upload on this computer. I guess I will have to crack down and see if I can get mine fixed. I took pictures of the dinner also. We had a good time.

I got a free 11 card reading from Tarot.com for my birthday. I asked it if I would find real love in the next year and got a lot of stuff back that I didnt think pertained to the question at all. The last couple of cards maybe did. My aunt gave me an african violet for my birthday. Mandi gave me a tulip picture. Not the worst birthday I have ever had. I think my biggest birthday desire would be to be in a mutually caring mature relationship with a partner who fits the goals I have described.

Then my cousins little girl kept calling wanting to come spend the night but I told her no because the last time she stayed she had a crying fit and wanted to go home. I had to drive her home at 2am in the freezing cold and ended up having an asthma attack. She was warned then of the consequences of her actions and choose to keep on. I think at 9 she is able to decide how to act.

Gym

I managed to get up and go to the gym today. Its been months since I went. I signed up to tan at 7am all next week so that way I will be motivated to go work out. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and 7 on the elliptic trainer. Its not my all time best but not bad considering how long its been since I worked out. My aunt called today to see if I was interested in renting to own her sister in law’s trailer. Its a 4 bedroom 2 bath for $550 a month for 20 years. I was excited about it until I figured out that was over $130000 for a used trailer so now I think I am going to have to pass. I really wanted to own some place to but I am just going to save up and find another rent to own deal. If I am paying that much I want a place thats more what I want. That place is on a dirt road, no cable or cable modem there at all.

How to behead Champagne

I know I am boring and don’t have a life but some days I wonder about people. I came across this link http://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Champagne-Bottle-with-a-Sword You have to be pretty darn bored to spend time opening champagne bottles with swords. I guess it takes all kinds. I certainly don’t want some drunk waving a sword around trying to open bottles and gutting the guests while he is doing it.

George Clooney

The biggest news around here is that George Clooney was in Tobaccoville yesterday filming parts for his movie Leathernecks. Naturally I found out about this today and not yesterday when he was here.

At work they treated me to applebees for lunch in honor of my birthday. I go the chicken broccoli alfredo. They are so stingy with the sauce we always get extra and its still not enough. My boss got me a basket with violets and greenery in it. Its quite pretty. I love the violets. My coworker got me a bag with a yard flag in it since she knows I have been decorating up lately, some of my drink mixes from walmart, a candle and a stand for the flag plus a balloon. Its was a good day and naturally with the balloon everyone knew it was my birthday.

Kitchen Sink Soup

Today was a better day at work. It was busy as all get out but I didn’t have to deal with anyone’s attitudes today. I am hoping to get off early tomorrow though so I can call about that other job I read about in the paper. There aren’t that many days that are good enough that I would want to stay there if I can find a way out.

I think Mandi has realized I am dead serious about her moving out. She has cleaned house the last 2 days. That is my biggest complaint about her living here is that I do everything and I do mean everything. She doesn’t clean on the days she works because she says she is too tired, then she doesnt clean on her days off because those are her days off. I am tired of putting up with it. She is 22 and makes enough money to pay her own bills so its not like I am putting her out into the cold. I think of it like a mama bird pushing the baby out of the nest.

I came home and my landlord had weed eatered(?) the yard but didn’t mow it. But thats ok since I now have a mower. I took a ton of trash to the dump since I haven’t been in days and days. Went to the laundry mat and dried 2 loads of clothes that Mandi had washed. Finally I come to the header of this blog. I made a big pot of what we call kitchen sink soup. Its basically everything but the kitchen sink. Everytime its a bit different. Today it had hamburger, pasta shells, tomatoes, tomato puree, corn, carrots, green beans, some herbs such as thyme, sage, and parsley. Its enough to last a couple days easily and with the temps supposed to drop down to the low 30s I wanted some soup to heat me up.

Crappy Day

Today was one of those days where I truly hate my job. I spent most of the day covering for other people. I don’t mind working but I get pissed when I bust my ass to do a job that someone has let pile up and give it to me to do in less than an hour. It was already busy as hell with out the added stress. I wouldn’t even mind if they didn’t keep acting like I do nothing. Every single time anyone on the floor has a problem they need fixed its me they come to yet somehow management doesn’t see it simply because I am not an ass kisser. I like my boss but I am just not the type to fawn over someone. I think you should be judged on the merit of your work and how much you actually accomplish. So I came home and spent the evening job hunting. I just have a feeling because I left and the other girl stayed even though I asked if she needed any help that tomorrow I am going to be called on the carpet. I can tell you that if I am it will be my last day there. I won’t go back on Thursday. I have been homeless before and I can be again if I can’t find another job but I am about tired of being treated like shit.

Ok sorry about the rant but its been one of those days.

Day 2

Its just day 2 of my month to blog daily and I almost forgot. Its not like I really have anything to say but I did make it a goal so here goes. I was busy as a beaver at work. We didn’t have any trucks going out but I took off Friday and had a bit to catch up on plus deal with my normal daily stuff. The phone rang last night and it was the man who took my lawn mower last year to be fixed. I truly thought he had just taken it by this point because he took it in Oct and I hadn’t heard a word since then. He brought it by this evening and it started right up. Cost me $35 but well worth it since its now time to start mowing. I guess I need to have more faith in men. He is going to come and till me up a place around the bird bath so I can plant herbs there and also a row along the trailer to plant some stuff.

I spent the evening talking to my cousin and her ex trying to help them get back together. I honestly believe he is the best thing to ever happen to her and I think she has now come to realize it too. I think part of the problem is that our family is so dysfunctional that its hard for any of us to realize when something good actually comes our way. I wish them both the best of luck.

Horoscope for year of the Pig

YOUR FORTUNE IN PIG YEAR

RAT Expect a year of planning instead of achieving. Pig year is a time for Rat to rest, recoup from past losses, and maybe even join the crowd and indulge a little bit. It is best to reserve energy for next year 2008, the year of the Rat, when you start a new fortunate twelve-year life cycle.

OX Anticipate much activity at home and business. Ox is stimulated by extra work and succeeds. New contacts and opportunities appear throughout Pig year that are beneficial. No major difficulties are foreseen. Maybe Ox can stop working long enough to join the party and experience some fun and romance too.

TIGER Your good fortune continues from the previous Dog year. Pig year can bring good business, wild luck, easy satisfaction, and contentment because Pig is Tiger’s dear friend. Pig’s influence brings enjoyment of the finer things in life, but be aware to not overspend or overextend. Think before you pounce and not act on impulse or whim, especially in romance.

HARE Expect a very very nice year because Hare is compatible with Pig (and Sheep). Appreciate the good times, experience emotional security, and feel social contentment. Hare is less nervous and edgy. A good year for marriage or having children. But keep your business expectations low, and accomplishments may be negligible, because Hare would rather enjoy life.

DRAGON Life stabilizes after the challenges of the previous Dog year. Easy travel, light entertaining, and amusing recreation are enjoyable. But caution with finances is recommended because Dragon can overspend. Work tends to be slow, mundane, and perhaps a bit frustrating. So wait until Rat year 2008 when you experience a very fortunate work cycle.

SERPENT Accomplishments may be limited because Pig is opposite Serpent. Plans may be delayed or not manifest at all. Perhaps Serpent can enjoy the leisure and indulgence that Pig year brings, but now is time to lay low and hibernate. Avoid conflicts or lawsuits which will not end in your favor. It may be better to look forward to auspicious new beginnings in Rat year 2008 or Ox year 2009.

HORSE Enjoy the parties and passions of Pig year when you can. But Horse and Pig are very different, so Pig year could bring some uncomfortable circumstances for independent Horse. Difficulties with lazy coworkers and not-to-the-point miscommunication can delay success. And Horse could overspend on nonessential and luxuries.

SHEEP Now is one of the easiest and best years for lucky Sheep. Everything Sheep touches can turn to gold. Good fortune is seen in romance and business. Sheep could even inherit or win money. An excellent year for marriage, engagement, or having children. Take advantage of all opportunities this year.

MONKEY Expect some improvements in your life after the difficulties of the past two years. A fun year to Monkey around and have a good time. Good business advancement, travel, and possible change of resident are foreseen. Still, Monkey’s plans could be thwarted or delayed. Rat year 2008 will be far more fortunate for Monkeys in business and finance.

PHOENIX (Rooster) Pig year is a banquet so join the feast. Lighten up when you can, stop worrying, and try to enjoy life. Your values and Pig’s values are very different so avoid arguments in general. A time to be realistic and more conservative. Anticipate extra work, some challenging responsibilities, and minor career setbacks. But dedication to a career can relieve a financial slump.

DOG Good fortune continues from the previous Dog year. Focus turns to family concerns and friendships. Now is an auspicious time to begin new relationships and expand your circle of friends. Dog can have a great time at all the social events during Pig year. Life is good and Dog can easily enjoy a calm and peaceful Pig year.

PIG Finally! Expect the best year of a twelve-year life cycle. Pigs benefit greatly from the energy of their own year. Good fortune is foreseen in romance, family affairs, and business endeavors. New ventures bring success. Pigs could inherit or find money. An excellent year for marriage, romance, or having a child. Luck is with you throughout the year.

Got this from http://www.susanlevitt.com/.

I am a rat so hopefully the next 2 years will be good for me.

101 in 1001

I started reading about this on a few pagan blogs so went to read about it myself. I thought it was intriguing so gave it a shot. It took 3 days to come up with 101 tasks

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
Go here for more information. http://www.triplux.com/1001/otherlists.asp

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focussed. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

http://www.7is7.com/otto/countdclock.html get a countdown clock here if you want.
http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html go here to figure out when 1001 days will end. In my case its on Wednesday, December 23, 2009
green is in progress
red is completed

travel and tourism
1. Go to the Renaissance Fair!
2. dress the part for the festival
3. Take a one tank of gas road trip with no preplanning. Fill up the car, pick a direction and drive.
4. visit 2 different states that I haven’t been to before.
5. get a passport
6. go to the asheboro zoo (completed 10-28-07)
7. see a warthogs game in person
8. go the the science museum in winston (completed 8-10-07)
9. visit old salem
10. go on a picnic (went on 2 actually in May 08)
11. go to Busch Gardens Williamsburg again
12. go to beach
13. go on a weekend murder mystery trip

family
14. get mandi moved into a place of her own
15. attend family reunion and enjoy myself
15. buy a headstone for my grandmother’s grave
17. Get engaged and/or married (and/or some kind of permanent relationship). ( not real sure about engaged or married, more likely some kind of permanent relationship)
18. have sex every day for 30 days (hasn’t ever happened in almost 39 years but a girl can dream :)
19. meet my half brother Donald. Actually he doesn’t have any interest in knowing anything about this side of the family but it would still be nice to know what he was like.

health and fitness
20. lose 100 lbs -not only hasn't this happened. I have actually gained :(
21. perform in a charity race
22. use pilates dvd 2 x a week for 6 months straight
23. get a mammogram
24. Take a belly dancing class
25. prepare first aid kits for house and cars
26. Get a massage
27. Eat vegetarian for a month
28. get a tattoo

hobbies
29. plant an herb garden
30. Learn to speak Spanish with some level of fluency
31. project 365- read about it here http://www.photojojo.com/content/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/
32. learn 5 constellations by site not counting either dipper http://www.wikisky.org/
33. Learn to sew.
34. learn to decorate cakes
35. Buy a Rubrik’s Cube and finish it.
36. Join a reading group
37. put up a bird feeder and keep it supplied
38. get a bread machine and use it
39. Take a photo and submit it into a contest
40. Take pictures of as many of my 101 in 1001 as possible
41. Catalog all my books
42. Learn to play Texas Hold ‘Em - I bought a strategy guide yesterday- actually learned how to play on Pogo

personal and spiritual growth
43. Take an auto repair class
44. meditate every day for 1 month
45. Ask someone on a date
46. Get an altar set up in my home
47. learn to read tarot cards and use them daily
48. Do not interrupt anyone for two months (I talk a lot more than I listen)
49. Register as an organ donor
50. volunteer in some charity form that I believe in (probably habitat for humanity or a woman’s shelter or both preferably)
51. Participate in and complete a 26 Things project. http://sh1ft.org/26things/
52. Attend six movies by myself
53. write 10 letters to people who have made a positive difference in my life thanking them.
54. Do something spectacular for my 40th birthday!!! well not gonna happen since its already past.
55. Celebrate the turning of the wheel for a full year
56. Learn how to Tie a Tie. http://www.tie-a-tie.net/
57. Compliment at least three people a week for 3 months
58. Go a month without saying anything negative to anyone else.
59. get at least halfway through jaco university
60. pick 5 different countries and spend a month learning about them and top it off with a dinner composed of native foods
61. Do at least one RAOK per month
62. Research 2008 presidential candidates thoroughly and vote accordingly
63. join the bone marrow registry http://www.marrow.org/
64. Double the size of my social circle (of course 2 x 0 is still 0)
65. let go of all the old memories and pain of former loves (may need amnesia to accomplish this one)

entertainment
66. earn every weekly challenge badge in pogo for 2007 (completed 12/27/08)
67. read 50 books from here http://www.randomhouse.com/modernlibrary/100bestnovels.html that I haven’t already read (25 from the boards list and 25 from the readers list)
68. watch 25 movies from here http://us.imdb.com/chart/top that I haven’t already seen - went to Netflix and put the 25 movies in the top of my queue so they will be sent.
69. get an ipod
70. read 15 assorted books from here http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm
70. go to see Black Label Society perform live

home and work
71. Get promoted or get a new job
72. clean my house from top to bottom once a month every month
73. fix one new recipe a week for at least 20 weeks
74. Purge clothes closet - Donate to charity anything that doesn’t make you feel great when you wear it
75. Buy a house.
76. Get credit score
77. Improve my credit score- started deleting incorrect information
78. Do a monthly “27 Fling Boogie” for every room for at least 12 months straight

misc.
79. Keep my car clean enough for one month that I could carry three other people in it without rearranging anything
80. Save 1000 dollars in a savings account
81. Blog for 30 consecutive days (completed 4-30-07 on wordpress blog.)
82. redesign my blog- (1st one done 4-1-07)
83. Sell something on Ebay
84. start to recycle
85. get glamour shots done
86. Go one month with buying nothing but gas and perishables such as milk
87. complete at least 10 things from my lifetime goals list
88. own 3 complete dress up outfits with appropriate shoes
89. get computer fixed and install a cd burner again (bought a new computer)
90. back up all data files on cd
91. either get another car with a cd player or install one in my current car
92. Learn to fire a gun.
93. Learn to drive a car with manual transmission.
94. Complete a state quarter collection
95. Contact/talk to a friend I have not talked to for at least two years. Found one on myspace and called her
96. get a cell phone
97. get a vanity plate for car
98. start writing a book
99. Meet someone famous
100. go to a book signing
101. Make a new 101 in 1001 days list when this list completed

Completed:11

In Progress: 3
Still to Start On: 88