Lo and behold, we both won!

Although it’s only day 2 of  4 Weeks of 7 am classes and movement at this point is painful, I’m happy to be active again. There’s a huge class of people all sweating and grunting it out together (and having a girlfriend who is amongst the sweaty folks makes it even more fun). It takes me back to the days of high school and college basketball. The group aspect part not the girlfriend on the team part.

Good times.

Should I take before and after photos of myself pre and post boot camp?

I live around a bunch of bike shops but I really get a kick out of doing shit mah damn self.

Stay tuned!

Jessie and I are enrolled in a 10k running “university”, where we will get together every Saturday morning for 3 months with other runners to train for a 10k in April called Bridge to Brews. They tailor a training plan for the goals you are trying to individually accomplish and then you run with other people each week that are at the same pace as you. Pretty nifty and I’m pretty excited and proud of Jessie for  wanting to commit to running together.

Also this year I’m running Hood to Coast again in August!!!! I will run faster than last year. That is my goal (get my pace close to 8 min/mile. Right now I’m at 9:30ish/mile)

Other Goals/Resolutions for 2012:

Bike More. 
Since selling my car in October, I have yet to really get my bike in road condition. I need fenders and new tires and my own air pump, not to mention a wrench or two. This will make me more transportation independent and I’ll like that feeling. 

Hike More.
Portland and the surrounding area is effing beautiful and has an abundance of really great hiking trails. Jessie and I are going to do more day hikes (including every hike in our urban park, Forest Park), at least one over night backpacking trip, and hopefully work our way to having a good gear supply to eventually tackle the Pacific Crest Trail. I want to hike it all! I like how I feel when I’m in nature and aware of the world outside of the sidewalks, buildings, and roads.

Play Basketball More.
It’s practically the best sport ever and I’ve played my whole life. It’s a source of tension release for me and just plain FUN. I live about 100 yards from an outdoor court and know of some open gyms around the area where I can hoop it up with others.

Make My Family A Higher Priority.
I’m going to call my Mom and Dad more regularly and actually tell them about life, my feelings, etc. And maybe try to visit each of them a couple times. Both my parents thrive on hearing from me, yet I don’t seem to call enough. Also, I’m going to make an effort to stay in touch with my brothers and sisters better.  

Eff the Debt.
I have one last debt to pay off and I will be DEBT free. Seriously. No car note. No credit cards. I’m.so.close. I’ve learned my lesson with living outside of my means and confusing love with my finances. Keep them separate, people, and make sure your partner pulls their own financial weight. It will make your future better.  

Volunteer More.
Last year I did some random volunteering, but nothing too consistent. I’m going to build on that and get plugged in to the Parks and Recreation Dept in Portland. Maybe do some outdoorsy volunteering, maybe some youth sports volunteering. My giving spirit needs an outlet and I think others can benefit from my loving, caring, giving nature. I’m aiming for one volunteer event per month.

I love the beginning of the year because I can reflect on the amount of personal growth that has occurred. I’ve learned an immense amount in the professional world, in the dating world, and in the world of being independent. 

Here’s to 2012!! It’s going to be a good one!

I’ve just turned into a Christmas elf. Seriously. I’ve been very busy due to my typical procrastinating style. You see, this year, I’ve decided to craft/make most of my Christmas gifts. Not only am I saving money, but I’m spending alot of time thinking about the people I’m making things for. It’s kinda neat.  Since multiple of the recipients of my gifts frequent this here blog, I cannot tell you what I’ve been making. We can just leave it at gifts. I’ve been making gifts. When they’ve all been given, I will post an entry of them in all their crafty glory.

Being creative and artsy recently has been so amazing. I can tolerate a cut and dry banking 40 hours per week. I can stay up late and wake up with some energy. My mind calms down. My stride seems smoother. I don’t stress about money or changing careers or finding the true meaning of life. The answers aren’t out there, folks. They are all inside. Find what makes you feel alive and good and whole. Then the details, the minutia,  don’t matter quite so much.

Funny how that works.

Hmm.

Oh, here’s my tree. Merry Christmas Everyoneeeeeeeeeeeee.

just for the record.

I want to drift off to a quiet slumber. I can never just drift off.

I want to solve all my discomforts.  I can’t even pinpoint them.

Fluttering. Floating. Making me uncomfortable.

That grass over there, it looks a lot fucking greener than this grass over here.

But I just turned around and remembered that grass back there. When I was over there, this grass I’m standing on over here looked a different shade of green.

Huh.

I want to chase it all. It all. It all.  It all.

*sigh*

I want to sell my things and travel the world by backpack, with my dog and cat on a leash.

I want to move downtown, blocks from work and live in a tiny apartment in a tall building and have every amenity  a stones throw away.

I want to climb a corporate ladder, following the rules, being the star, being the power, making the money.

I want to move into a yurt on acres and acres of untouched land and plant a garden and paint things and learn to play a guitar better.

I want to go to Africa and work at a school or an orphanage.

I want to drop this banking gig and go back to school to be a counselor or social worker of some sort, where I’m proud of the contribution I’m making to humanity.

I want to transfer to a branch that’s close to my sister and sister in law. I miss them.

I want to, again, sell everything and build a tiny house in Oklahoma on a piece of land my Dad owns. Then come up with millions of crafty, etsy ideas that my Dad can use his handy work and carpentry skills for and we can be a father daughter duo. I miss him.

I want to move home to Texas, goof around with my brother in his gararge and go thrift store shopping with my Mom and walk around candy cane park when the sun isn’t scorching.  I miss them.

I want to be so selfish and do only what I want. Allthetime.

I want to sacrifice everything and give it to the people/family that won’t always be in my life.

Can the gap ever be closed?

holla.

Tonight I drank alot of wine at a work function and staggered home via bus. Yet another reason I LOVE NOT HAVING A CAR. No buzz driving, because although necessary, it can be somewhat dangerous.

In other news, Occupy Portland continues to protest downtown. Although I work in a bank, 3 blocks from all the big corporate banks, which were all protested and ALL shut down at some point today, we were ignored. Big fat ignored. So that is hella awesome. This is the first time I’ve been glad that we don’t have a big national marketing campaign. It was a fun day of hearing news updates, watching the protesters march a block away, and watching the police march all around in their riot gear. Watching from a safe distance is fun.

What else…hmmmmmm. Oh. I’m running Hood to Coast again next year and couldn’t be more excited. My girl persuaded me into joining a running training program at a local running store. She joined too, as well as lots of her friends. It’s going to be fun to have a scheduled time to run with other people at my pace, or a pace I strive to meet. It will also be pretty awesome to have a specialized training schedule plopping into my inbox every day. Holla. So, my Hood to Coast goal is to run at an 8:30-9 minute mile pace. This year I ran at about a 10 minute mile pace, so I have some time shaving to do. Since I have, oooooh, 9 months to get ready, I think this is achievable.

I need to fix my bike so I have more than the bus for transportation. That would be nice. I just need an airpump and some fenders and maybe some new tires. I’m not sure what constitutes needing a new bike tire. I think mine are about 30 years old though. Seriously. Dry rot may be an issue. Any advice on good rain/commuter tires?

Okay, I’m done rambling. I’m so damn good at it though.

I will not be able to continue planning my world domination/takeover if I cannot keep my effing eyes open. I’ve spent 8 hours SOLID in IRA training at work today. Not just learning complicated, meticulous things, but learning how to teach other people complicated, meticulous things? Yeah, it is exhausting. Someday soon, I will hopefully be spending 8 hours doing something I truly enjoy. Like making arty collages or gardening or blogging or taking pictures or playing basketball or playing with my attention deprived chihuahua/terrier. It’s 8:30 and I’m going to bed. I’m giving in to the pulses that are pounding in my temples and to my 10 lb eyelids.

To Do Soon (besides sleep):

fix my bike tire. this will help with my transportation.
buy groceries. maybe if I ate like a normal person and not an Occupy Portland spaghetti monster, I’d have more energy.
write.
make one of the trillion artsycrafty things on my list.

Maybe I will do ALL of these tomorrow. After sleeping 10 hours. I think after sleeping my 3 thing list won’t be quite as daunting.

sleep tight beeches.