Grandmas are Awesome!

Hello my lovely blog readers!

Today is the last day of my Christmas holidays, so I thought I’d give you a little update before I head back to work.  I spoke with my Grandma on the phone earlier (It’s her 79th birthday today!), and she has been reading my blog.  That is actually pretty exciting for me because computers ≠ her stong point, which means that she must love me A LOT.  I already knew that, but a little bit of reinforcement is always nice.

This is what she had to say:

1. “I don’t know about you saying ‘fat ass;’ what if your students read that?” – I told her that I doubt my students have any idea that I am writing a blog, and even if they did read it, that hearing me say “fat ass” probably wouldn’t be that big of a deal.  Then she realized that my students are 17 (not 6, like hers used to be), and probably won’t be going around copying everything I say.  Then she laughed at herself a little bit.
2. “I liked the part where you wrote about falling and the dogs – where Jax licked your face.” – I am really hoping that she didn’t mean she was happy about me falling down.  I think she meant that it was funny.  I am going to go with that.
3. “I don’t think you are going to have time to write that much when you go back to work.” – she is right; I probably won’t have time for this much writing when I’m teaching/prepping/marking.  I will still be writing every day, but instead of writing an entry or two every day, it might take me a couple of days to complete one blog entry.  It’s funny because I was thinking literally the exact same thing while I was running with the dogs a few minutes before I called her.  Sometimes we are almost the same person born 47 years apart.

Wow, I just did the math on that to figure out that we are 47 years apart.  My Grandma became a Grandma at 47 – I would have to give birth this very second, and my baby would have to get knocked up at 15 for that to happen to me.  Weird.  I don’t think that will be happening.

Making a New Year’s Resolution is Stupid

Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh.  Let me rephrase:  I’m not usually a very big fan of New Year’s Resolutions.  Why?  I find that most people tend to make them because:

a) they feel peer pressure to fit in (everyone else is doing it!)

b) they think they “should” – because they have been told that a new year is synonymous with a fresh start

c) they are unhappy with their last year’s mean, broke, lazy, fat, [insert negative adjective here] selves and want to feel like better people by making a resolution to change

Most people DO NOT make resolutions because they have reached a point in their life where they are ready and willing to make positive changes; they make them because it is a new year and…see reasons a, b and c above.  That brings me back to the title of this post:  “Making a New Year’s Resolution is Stupid.”  If you have made your resolution because of reasons a, b and c, then I stand by my claim.  Not only do I think it was ridiculous for you to make your resolution in the first place, but I really don’t think you have an ice cube’s chance in Hell of following through for all of January, let alone all of 2012.  Gasp.  I know, I know – this paragraph probably made me sound like a heartless bitch, but I’m not one.  Really.  I promise.  If you keep reading, I might just redeem myself.  Maybe.

I don’t hate resolutions.  In fact, I firmly believe we must have goals in order to be successful and fulfilled (and really, isn’t “resolution” just a fancy way of saying goal?).  If you make a goal because you have reached a point in your life where you are ready and willing to make positive changes, then, dear reader, we have a completely different story.  And do you want to know something?  It doesn’t make one tiny iota of difference whether or not you set that goal on January 1st or any other day of the year!

After reading this, I’m sure you can understand my hesitation* in telling you that I have made some resolutions goals (I think I like “goals” better, so that’s what I’m going with!). The thing is, my goals really have nothing to do with the fact that it’s a new year.  Call it what you will:  divine intervention, sheer luck, God, the stars being in alignment, etc., but I like to say the universe has brought me here.  And the universe has brought me to the right time and place for the changes and adjustments I am making.  The fact that it is January is merely a coincidence.

Now – you must be just dying to know what goals I’ve set for myself!  Can I have a drumroll please….

Click Here for geeky sound effect:

1. Write something every day – I met with a lovely lady named Sarah Lynn Kennedy last week who reminded me that I can and should write if that is what I want…and I realized that it is indeed exactly what I want right now!  Most days my writing will take the form of this here blog, but I may also dabble in some creative writing if the mood strikes.

2. Return to running, and run a minimum of three days per week – I started running about two years ago at the gym, then gradually moved to outdoor runs.  I was running regularly from June to October and loving it – I even ran my first two 5k races – when I had to take a break because of my back/leg issues.  Running makes me feel great, and it has the added benefit of burning quite a few calories; I want that lifestyle back!

3. Practice yoga at least three times each week – I have only recently come back to yoga (I think it’s one of those universe things, but I will save the story for another post).  I have already been achieving this goal since mid November, and it feels wonderful, so I want to keep doing it!

4. Reach and maintain a weight of 135lbs or less – this was a goal that I set last February, and I reached 130lbs in April of 2011.  I maintained my weight between 130-135lbs until October, when, as I’ve said before, I was plagued with an injury and my activity levels plummeted (while food intake most certainly DID NOT – can you say holiday calories?!).  I felt fabulous and I looked great at 135lbs, so I WILL get there again!  I actually re-started a healthy eating plan today to help jump-start my weight loss – I will tell you more about it soon!

So there you have it – my “New Year’s Resolutions”  “Lifestyle Goals.”  I really believe that these goals are attainable for me.  Afterall, other than the writing one, I’ve already accomplished each of these goals before.  What do you think?  Have I made positive goals, or did I just prove the title of my post? 🙂

*I’m a wee bit fearful that you might judge me based on my own criteria.  I hate being judged – it almost always shatters my illusion delusion that I am perfect. 😉

Hello world!

I have decided to write a blog.  I am not sure why I felt the need to tell you that just now, since, if you are actually reading this then you must know that already.  I didn’t just decide, though; I have reasons.  I want to write, and I think there might be someone out there who might actually be interested in what I have to say, so I decided on a blog instead of a diary with a little lock on it stored under my mattress.

Here goes!  I am passionate about food and fitness so I plan to focus my energy there.  I enjoy finding healthy new recipes, then forcing my husband to eat them against his will; usually he is cool with that.  Sometimes he is not such a big fan.  Hopefully I can document some of that.  As far as the fitness part goes, I am a newly certified group fitness leader, and I will start teaching my first class in less than two weeks!  Exciting, right?  I am also in the process of becoming a yoga instructor, which I am VERY pumped about – I am looking forward to deepening my practice and sharing the gift of yoga with others.  I hope to share the ups and downs of my yoga and fitness leadership right here on this little blog.  Wish me luck!