No, this is of no relation to my, ummm... driver's license story from 2002. And don't worry, I still can't parallel park. This actually has nothing to do with driving at all. It has to do with looking at the information on your driver's license from when you were 16 and realizing that you don't exactly, ahem, weigh that much anymore. Ok, in reality, who really does. I received some wise advice from friend and roommate Jeremy when he said that we would all look sickly if we still weighed the same amount that we did in high school. To be fair, I haven't gained an extensive amount of weight but no one likes to see casual weight gain. A casual 10, 15 pounds now will be how much when middle age hits? I'm not great at math, but by my calculation, the answer is somewhere in the neighborhood of one million pounds.
I've been holding off on posting about this for a few months because I know weight is a very touchy subject. I'm not trying to draw the ire. Especially coming from someone who has always been considered thin and probably should not be complaining about my weight. But in reality, it's really just a sign of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and lack of concern. In other words, bad lifestyle choices.
It's time to nip things in the bud! While i'm not specifically on a diet, I've been changing my eating habits and added exercise as I can. I've never really been a big soda drinker and don't have a large taste for meat, so largely sticking with water and eating a lot of fruits, veggies, low fat dairy and whole grains comes pretty natural to me. Not eating a ton of dessert is difficult though. So is not eating a ton of delicious tasty white bread and pasta. And white bread and pasta with CHEESE. I like carbs, a lot. I'm just working on changing them all to the whole grain variety.
My preferred method of exercise has been running since it is easy, free, and more fun that using machines. I'll save that gym membership fee, thank you very much. There have been improvements on this front but it's still hard to get motivated to go for a run when I come home from work dead tired. The other day I ate a turkey sandwich in the car on my way home and it seemed to do the trick. Too bad there can't be a turkey sandwich every day.
It has been a few months since I started changing my habits and there have been results along the way. I'm already halfway to my goal, although my end goal is more of a look rather than a number. And let's be honest here, this all has a much more vain purpose. I just don't want to have to get rid of half my closet! Too many things either don't fit anymore, or fit a bit... inappropriately. If it's between buying a new wardrobe that fits or fitting into the wardrobe I already have, I think that's an easy answer.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
#4: Some Scheduled Fun
It's been almost 4 years since Alex and I started dating and we have yet to go on an actual, scheduled, just-us vacation. We've taken some weekend trips to the beach and snowboarding with friends but that is the extent of it. A combination of medical, job leave leniency, and financial issues have prevented us from doing much for the most part. I'm trying to make this year different. I want to focus more on having fun and getting rid of some of this stress. Because I am full of it and turning into a crazy person!
Our first vacation is finally planned (I'll take credit for doing all the planning, ahem.) At the end of May, we are going to Williamsburg, Virginia for a 4 day trip. I'm planning a day or two in the historical areas, a day in Busch Gardens, and maybe a day touring and tasting at some of the local vineyards. The hotel is free thanks to Alex's parents generously letting us use their timeshare credits. Although the timeshare has locations all over the country, I wanted to find a location that was driveable and accepted Saturday check-ins. (I'm still trying to use as few vacation days at work as possible. I'm stock piling for future plans.) Our options were Williamsburg or the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania and we ultimately chose Williamsburg because there are more options in the area. The Poconos sounds fun, but the only thing you can do there in May is hike and I don't think I can take four days of intense hiking in a row. My butt hurt enough after one afternoon of hiking. And what if it was rainy while we were there?
I'm still wishing for a week somewhere warm and tropical but I'm hoping we can do that sometime next spring. I haven't gone on a vacation like that since college! And for those who are counting, that was just about five years ago. Man, time really flies. I need some all-inclusive resort fun. We also might finally take a trip out to the San Francisco area together later in the year. If that doesn't work out, it might just be me again. Oh well, I'll just eat In-N-Out burgers for two! That would not be a problem at all.
Our first vacation is finally planned (I'll take credit for doing all the planning, ahem.) At the end of May, we are going to Williamsburg, Virginia for a 4 day trip. I'm planning a day or two in the historical areas, a day in Busch Gardens, and maybe a day touring and tasting at some of the local vineyards. The hotel is free thanks to Alex's parents generously letting us use their timeshare credits. Although the timeshare has locations all over the country, I wanted to find a location that was driveable and accepted Saturday check-ins. (I'm still trying to use as few vacation days at work as possible. I'm stock piling for future plans.) Our options were Williamsburg or the Poconos Mountains in Pennsylvania and we ultimately chose Williamsburg because there are more options in the area. The Poconos sounds fun, but the only thing you can do there in May is hike and I don't think I can take four days of intense hiking in a row. My butt hurt enough after one afternoon of hiking. And what if it was rainy while we were there?
I'm still wishing for a week somewhere warm and tropical but I'm hoping we can do that sometime next spring. I haven't gone on a vacation like that since college! And for those who are counting, that was just about five years ago. Man, time really flies. I need some all-inclusive resort fun. We also might finally take a trip out to the San Francisco area together later in the year. If that doesn't work out, it might just be me again. Oh well, I'll just eat In-N-Out burgers for two! That would not be a problem at all.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Life Lately
We've been enjoying some free time these days and it has been a welcome change from the normal busy-ness of life. Tax time is over and we're currently taking a *ahem* break from home repairs, painting, and any non-routine house work in general. We've been enjoying a lot of little things. I've been listening to a lot of Avett Brothers and Alex has been applying to a lot of jobs. Things have been going well as they are.
This weekend we finally made it out to Sugarloaf Mountain for a few hours of hiking. It was one of my first times hiking so I have no comparisons for the trip, but it was a lot of fun. Tough. We only did a three mile hike but ended up taking a few of the steeper inclined paths. It was quite a leg workout for me. Today, two days later, my legs are still killing me but Alex is completely fine. Story of my life.
Where's Waldo? I stayed safely at the bottom. Falling rocks! We made it to the top after a quick, steep scramble for some beautiful views of the farms and and hills below.
We (I) have already planned our next hiking trip on the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls. We're definitely going all the way and doing trail A! I just have to get a little more confident in my rock climbing skills.
After the hike, we had a quiet lunch at the Comus Inn located near the bottom of the mountain. I've come back to this place a few times even though it's about an hour drive from our house. The food is good, but the hospitality, views of the mountain, and location among farms keep me coming back. On our way to the restaurant, we had to stop and wait for a chicken to cross the road. Love it!
We made one last stop for a tasting at Sugarloaf Winery and bought a few more bottles. I wouldn't say their wines are at the very top of my list, but they're decent if you stay away from the sweeter end of the spectrum. And it's nice to support local businesses. They are so inviting and encourage you find a table outside and stay for a while. I like to see friendly places being successful.
The next day we awoke bright and early with a long list of to-dos. We washed our yellowish green cars and discovered that yes, at one point they had actually been silver. Sadly they are once again covered in a yellow film. Oh well. I never really cared about the cleanliness of the exterior of my car. I just care that all that yellow stuff has also found it's way up my nose and I haven't stopped sneezing for weeks.
Summer Ale makes the work go by faster! Never mind that it was barely 10am. I spent a lot of the afternoon getting the backyard together and putting in my herb garden. I still have to get a few more plants but those are soon to come. Our neighbor recently replaced his fence and gave us a few extra inches of yard, so I'm taking advantage of it!
We closed the weekend out by making another round of flatbreads. We still had more of the same leftovers so why not? Don't judge my lack of variety! They are tasty!
This is how I now feel after such a busy weekend. And isn't this picture of my little buddy adorable?
This weekend we finally made it out to Sugarloaf Mountain for a few hours of hiking. It was one of my first times hiking so I have no comparisons for the trip, but it was a lot of fun. Tough. We only did a three mile hike but ended up taking a few of the steeper inclined paths. It was quite a leg workout for me. Today, two days later, my legs are still killing me but Alex is completely fine. Story of my life.
Where's Waldo? I stayed safely at the bottom. Falling rocks! We made it to the top after a quick, steep scramble for some beautiful views of the farms and and hills below.
We (I) have already planned our next hiking trip on the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls. We're definitely going all the way and doing trail A! I just have to get a little more confident in my rock climbing skills.
After the hike, we had a quiet lunch at the Comus Inn located near the bottom of the mountain. I've come back to this place a few times even though it's about an hour drive from our house. The food is good, but the hospitality, views of the mountain, and location among farms keep me coming back. On our way to the restaurant, we had to stop and wait for a chicken to cross the road. Love it!
We made one last stop for a tasting at Sugarloaf Winery and bought a few more bottles. I wouldn't say their wines are at the very top of my list, but they're decent if you stay away from the sweeter end of the spectrum. And it's nice to support local businesses. They are so inviting and encourage you find a table outside and stay for a while. I like to see friendly places being successful.
The next day we awoke bright and early with a long list of to-dos. We washed our yellowish green cars and discovered that yes, at one point they had actually been silver. Sadly they are once again covered in a yellow film. Oh well. I never really cared about the cleanliness of the exterior of my car. I just care that all that yellow stuff has also found it's way up my nose and I haven't stopped sneezing for weeks.
Summer Ale makes the work go by faster! Never mind that it was barely 10am. I spent a lot of the afternoon getting the backyard together and putting in my herb garden. I still have to get a few more plants but those are soon to come. Our neighbor recently replaced his fence and gave us a few extra inches of yard, so I'm taking advantage of it!
We closed the weekend out by making another round of flatbreads. We still had more of the same leftovers so why not? Don't judge my lack of variety! They are tasty!
This is how I now feel after such a busy weekend. And isn't this picture of my little buddy adorable?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
#3, and right on time
So, I really need a doctor. I went from my pediatrician, to my university health center, to.... urgent care centers, the ER, and hope. I haven't seen a doctor for a regular check up since I was under the age of 18. Sadly, since I am now old as @*!&, that was about a decade ago. I've also had a few things that I've wanted to discuss with a doctor for a while now so this month I made it my goal to find one.
I found one! It didn't actually take a lot of work. Alex really likes the medical group he goes to (and they've been pretty good to him through all the care he has needed) so I decided to go with the same place. They have 7 doctors on staff so I selected the one with the highest rating. She's an internist, not a family practitioner, which I prefer because they specialize solely in adult care and are much better at diagnostics than family practitioners. I have some odd issues that need diagnosing so I need a good detective! Her patients seem to really like her for that reason.
So I spent some annoying hours on the phone with my health insurance company to switch over my PCP and get a new card and now I officially have a doctor! I set up my checkup but her next available appointment is in mid-May so unfortunately I can't say that I'm all set quite yet. But the wheels are in motion. I'm hoping that 10 years without a physical hasn't been a poor decision on my part. Perfect health... perfect health...
I found one! It didn't actually take a lot of work. Alex really likes the medical group he goes to (and they've been pretty good to him through all the care he has needed) so I decided to go with the same place. They have 7 doctors on staff so I selected the one with the highest rating. She's an internist, not a family practitioner, which I prefer because they specialize solely in adult care and are much better at diagnostics than family practitioners. I have some odd issues that need diagnosing so I need a good detective! Her patients seem to really like her for that reason.
So I spent some annoying hours on the phone with my health insurance company to switch over my PCP and get a new card and now I officially have a doctor! I set up my checkup but her next available appointment is in mid-May so unfortunately I can't say that I'm all set quite yet. But the wheels are in motion. I'm hoping that 10 years without a physical hasn't been a poor decision on my part. Perfect health... perfect health...
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Thing 2: Budgetized
And it feels so good! Or bad... yes, bad.
Now that I have a car loan to pay off, it is time to finally get my act together and create a realistic budget that I won't break in the first week. I did some expense tracking last year and discovered a few surprises ($500 on food in a month? On just grocery stores?? Who ate all that?) and a few not so surprises that needed to be changed. I wouldn't say I had a problem with money before, but my budgeting system was not exactly restrictive.
My goals are:
1) pay off my 5 year car loan in 3 years as I did with my BMW
2) save a set portion of my income each month through an automatic savings plan, rather than just saving whatever was left over
3) reduce my spending on clothing, eating out, and home decor related goods
4) be an all around cheap wad
My new budget is now set. I've added an additional monthly car payment on top of the minimum to pay off the loan in a tad over 3 years. I've also set up the automatic monthly savings plan. Both of those payments will be coming out of my next paycheck for the first time. Oh dear...
I've already stayed in budget on my clothing spending for the first two months of the year, and I technically wasn't on the budget yet. I think at this point I have just about everything I could need in my closet. Also, the combination of my mall hatred, hesitation to shop online, and unhappiness with the current styles at my favorite stores hasn't exactly put me in the mood to go shopping. This must be a sign of a deeper, more serious problem. When a woman loses the will to shop, something must be going on!
Now I must work on my cheap wad tendencies. Just wait until I get hit with my next fee. Even if it's legitimate, I'm fighting the hell out of it!
March 1st starts the budget tracking. Please think of me as you eat your $50 steaks and drink your $100 bottles of wine.
Now that I have a car loan to pay off, it is time to finally get my act together and create a realistic budget that I won't break in the first week. I did some expense tracking last year and discovered a few surprises ($500 on food in a month? On just grocery stores?? Who ate all that?) and a few not so surprises that needed to be changed. I wouldn't say I had a problem with money before, but my budgeting system was not exactly restrictive.
My goals are:
1) pay off my 5 year car loan in 3 years as I did with my BMW
2) save a set portion of my income each month through an automatic savings plan, rather than just saving whatever was left over
3) reduce my spending on clothing, eating out, and home decor related goods
4) be an all around cheap wad
My new budget is now set. I've added an additional monthly car payment on top of the minimum to pay off the loan in a tad over 3 years. I've also set up the automatic monthly savings plan. Both of those payments will be coming out of my next paycheck for the first time. Oh dear...
I've already stayed in budget on my clothing spending for the first two months of the year, and I technically wasn't on the budget yet. I think at this point I have just about everything I could need in my closet. Also, the combination of my mall hatred, hesitation to shop online, and unhappiness with the current styles at my favorite stores hasn't exactly put me in the mood to go shopping. This must be a sign of a deeper, more serious problem. When a woman loses the will to shop, something must be going on!
Now I must work on my cheap wad tendencies. Just wait until I get hit with my next fee. Even if it's legitimate, I'm fighting the hell out of it!
March 1st starts the budget tracking. Please think of me as you eat your $50 steaks and drink your $100 bottles of wine.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Thing 1 - Das Auto
There's a new car in my parking spot (and a lovely new car loan on my credit report.) The title of this post might be a bit misleading because in fact I did not buy a Volkswagen. I briefly considered the restyled Beetle because it looks pretty good now, but then I put that out of mind. No more German engineering for me.
I sold my car because it was a time bomb that has already gone off a few times. Don't get me wrong, I loved my BMW and it was a great car to drive when it worked. But the problem was that when something went wrong with it, I usually ended up spending my entire bonus, or several months worth of savings, to get it running again. The car fell out of warranty shortly after I purchased it so I've been on my own for the repair costs. Yes, it was no ones fault but my own for buying the car. But then again, no car should have as many problems as this one did with the amount of miles that were on it. Long story short, it was a huge headache. The final straw was when it broke down on the side of 495 in rush hour during Christmas break and required a tow across three counties. Luckily I was rolling downhill when the engine cut out so I could drift across a lane of traffic onto the left shoulder rather than stall out in the middle of the road. Fuel pump. Who knew.
Here's a little taste of why it was time to sell this car:
Front brake replacement - $844 <--- this is ok, but why so expensive?
Mysterious dealer "Inspection" - $818 <--- thanks for filling my wiper fluid though.
Rear brake replacement - $783 <--- ditto #1
Engine pulley (2) replacement - $930 <--- why did this break?!
Air intake boot replacement - $191 <--- not to bad I guess
Front bushing replacement - $601 <--- car felt like it was falling apart
Front strut replacement - $953 <--- car REALLY felt like it was falling apart
Front brake replacement - $549 <--- found a cheaper place! no longer care about quality!
I sold my car because it was a time bomb that has already gone off a few times. Don't get me wrong, I loved my BMW and it was a great car to drive when it worked. But the problem was that when something went wrong with it, I usually ended up spending my entire bonus, or several months worth of savings, to get it running again. The car fell out of warranty shortly after I purchased it so I've been on my own for the repair costs. Yes, it was no ones fault but my own for buying the car. But then again, no car should have as many problems as this one did with the amount of miles that were on it. Long story short, it was a huge headache. The final straw was when it broke down on the side of 495 in rush hour during Christmas break and required a tow across three counties. Luckily I was rolling downhill when the engine cut out so I could drift across a lane of traffic onto the left shoulder rather than stall out in the middle of the road. Fuel pump. Who knew.
Here's a little taste of why it was time to sell this car:
Front brake replacement - $844 <--- this is ok, but why so expensive?
Mysterious dealer "Inspection" - $818 <--- thanks for filling my wiper fluid though.
Rear brake replacement - $783 <--- ditto #1
Engine pulley (2) replacement - $930 <--- why did this break?!
Air intake boot replacement - $191 <--- not to bad I guess
Front bushing replacement - $601 <--- car felt like it was falling apart
Front strut replacement - $953 <--- car REALLY felt like it was falling apart
Front brake replacement - $549 <--- found a cheaper place! no longer care about quality!
Fuel pump/filter replacement - $973 <--- 3 days after the previous brake service. ugh.
This was all in two years. And doesn't include other expenses such as new tires and oil changes ($150 each, luckily just once a year) because those are expected. The car also had another rear brake replacement and battery replacement coming up this year, plus whatever else decided to pop up. It was paid off so I tried to keep it as long as I could since paying for the maintenance was less expensive than buying a new car. Lately the car hadn't been driving right again and I know there was something else related to the fuel issue that needed to be looked at. The braking and acceleration were causing problems and I didn't trust driving it.
Solution: sell sell sell!
bye bye
Well, it was actually a trade in but nevertheless, it is now in car land awaiting its unfortunate third owner. The car is essentially in the same condition it was when I bought it (appearance wise) so someone is going to think they got a great deal. Sucker!
I purchased a 2012 Nissan Altima Coupe with 101 miles on it. It has everything I wanted plus some extra features that were a bonus. I also purchased the extended bumper-to-bumper warranty so I don't have to pay any absurd maintenance costs for 6 years. That is the best thing about this car. Or it might be the bluetooth integration for my phone.
Having a reliable car with low expenses has definitely taken a load off my shoulders. It also gets much better gas mileage and takes REGULAR gas! This change definitely qualifies for my list.
12 Things
It's easy to talk about making changes, but it isn't very easy to get the momentum going to actually DO it. Even the best attempts seem to get lost in the activities of daily life, illness, tax season, you name it. Yes, I have been sick for the past month now and I'm currently on the third relapse of the same virus. This time around I was unfortunate enough to get hit with an extra severe double ear infection like none I have ever experienced before. I haven't been able to hear out of one ear for two weeks and the other seems to be working at about 50%. It's weird. I feel like I'm in my own little bubble because I have no idea what's going on around me. I have a greater appreciation for what Alex is going through having lost most of the hearing in his left ear. "At least you have hearing in one of your ears" doesn't seem like a very good response anymore. It sucks!
I've also been busy with my taxes and Alex's Federal, Maryland, AND Virginia taxes (gosh...) so I can get them out of the way before round two. I expect to prepare tax returns for five people this year and I don't want to leave them all until April. Good thing my weeknight social life is non-existent!
So anyways, I really needed to find a way to keep on top of the many things I've been putting on the back burner. This is my plan: 12 months, 12 things. This year I will focus on changing or improving 12 things in my life. I'm not saying that my life is terrible because it isn't. But couldn't everyone benefit from a little organization, a little improvement, a little cleaning up around the edges?
I'd like to try to check one off the list each month, but I don't want anything to be forced so they may come more often, or less. I don't have a list of what they will be, but I have a general direction for a few of them. I know I need a budget and a real doctor (no more Patient First for me!) and I need to solve my dietary mysteries (I think it may be gluten related. Goodbye bread.) I'm hopeful that Alex and I can take our first ever vacation together or if not, at least go on the long weekend trip I've had planned for the past few years. And of course, there's always the new job that has been the elephant in the room.
So now I have my plan, and I'm happy to say that it is already in motion! The post for Thing 1 will be coming up shortly....
I've also been busy with my taxes and Alex's Federal, Maryland, AND Virginia taxes (gosh...) so I can get them out of the way before round two. I expect to prepare tax returns for five people this year and I don't want to leave them all until April. Good thing my weeknight social life is non-existent!
So anyways, I really needed to find a way to keep on top of the many things I've been putting on the back burner. This is my plan: 12 months, 12 things. This year I will focus on changing or improving 12 things in my life. I'm not saying that my life is terrible because it isn't. But couldn't everyone benefit from a little organization, a little improvement, a little cleaning up around the edges?
I'd like to try to check one off the list each month, but I don't want anything to be forced so they may come more often, or less. I don't have a list of what they will be, but I have a general direction for a few of them. I know I need a budget and a real doctor (no more Patient First for me!) and I need to solve my dietary mysteries (I think it may be gluten related. Goodbye bread.) I'm hopeful that Alex and I can take our first ever vacation together or if not, at least go on the long weekend trip I've had planned for the past few years. And of course, there's always the new job that has been the elephant in the room.
So now I have my plan, and I'm happy to say that it is already in motion! The post for Thing 1 will be coming up shortly....
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