i'm still working on some of the goals that i set last year -- the typical ones. last march i started a diet. not a new concept, but probably a different diet than most people ==> the new tattoo diet. yeah, i made the rules up myself. the ultimate goal is to get 40 pounds off (to begin with). the prize -- a new tattoo (hence the diet name!). i already have the design drawn and ready; i'm just carrying it around until i earn it. of course, i might decide to lose more than the 40, but that would be for more tempting prizes to myself! for the update -- i have 8 more pounds to go! just to keep it in the forefront of my mind, i keep the design for my new tattoo plastered on the wall next to my computer and carry a copy of it in my personal calendar.
i have set up some goals for this year and possibly next, although the sooner i can get them done the better it would be. i'm most anxious to get the diet done (at least the 40 pounds) so i can get the new tattoo prize. the overall list looks like this --
- get the new tattoo (yea!)
- spend as much time w/ family and friends as possible - ongoing
- take more pictures of family, especially of raven
- get 1/2 done w/ masters program
- get a promotion
- start teaching dual credit courses
- get a boob job - or at least investigate further into this option!
- pay off 1/2 of debts - other than house, that is!
- cut my work schedule and maybe just work one job . . .
- simplify my life and my household!
- buy a new motorcycle - probably in 2006, though
summer started off the year by turning 21 on january 3. we had a small family party for her, but i know that she thinks something is missing. for her 16th birthday, i took her to nyc and gave her front row tickets to phantom of the opera. we stayed at the marriott at the base of the twin towers, so most of what we saw that weekend is no longer there. when i started trying to plan something special for her bday, i thought of going to cancun or cozumel. i did some research and found that the hotels there are definitely too expensive at this time of year. then i ran across a deal for lodgings in boulder, colorado, that sounded really neat. i called and made reservations for spring break, but i'm not telling summer. it's going to be her late birthday surprise. i'm thinking of mailing her clues on postcards to see if she can figure out what's up. we'll have to see on that. summer is also starting the year off car-free, as she had a wreck and totaled her 98 plymouth breeze on december 18, 2004. she has a new car picked out and is just waiting on the moolah to bring it home. summer is attending pittsburg state university and is in the honors program. this semester has her in 21 hours, i think. i can't seem to keep up, as she keeps changing her mind on things!
scott is attending labette community college and having a great college experience. he earned all A's during his first semester in college, and he is excited to start the new semester. he has enrolled in 17 hours for this semester, making him a very busy young man. his plan is to become a respiratory therapist and eventually open his own business offering these healthcare services. he will do so well in this career, too, as he has so much experience on being the patient. he has classes 3 days a week, so he also spends time on those days w/ his girlfriend, anna, who lives in the same town as the school. i tease him about doing so well in school b/c he gets to see anna more. kind of like an added incentive to success. after all, if he doesn't do well in school and continue to go there, it will make seeing anna much more difficult!
little raven was 16 months old at the start of the new year and the total center of our universe. she walks, talks, sings, rocks her babies night-night, plays, and learns -- all at an amazing speed. seems like no time when she was the little tiny girl just home from the hospital. now she's growing up and has an amazing attitude/personality. she is certainly going to give her mother a run for her money. i know it's evil of me, but i just can't wait. summer was so hard to "manage" at times and often did her own thing that i think it will be danged funny to see a little "what goes around comes around" kick her in the patootie! i really enjoy watching raven's learning process, as she's very quick to learn new things. we'll see how it continues and the fun we have . . .
ok, so that's my family somewhat . . . the kids (including raven, of course) and i all live together. it's odd now, as we're really more like 3 adults cohabiting rather than me parenting so much. but it's a good situation. now for myself -- a life update. i'm 39, single (divorced), working 2 jobs and going to school. i've gotten some new goals or changed some goals around based on the idea of turning 40 next year. now don't get the wrong idea -- age really means very little to me. i don't think of age when i'm making friends or meeting people -- i just see them for who they are. but looking at milestone birthdays reminds me that our time on the planet is limited -- so i want to get the most out of my allotment! my previous physician once told me that the majority of his patients would've taken better care of themselves if they had known they were going to live so long! kind of dark humor, but definitely funny and true! anyway, i'm making some lifestyle changes to make my life more enjoyable to me -- and that's all it is. i can't imagine any greater prison that being contained within a body that cannot keep up with the mind and/or the spirit.
as for work, i'm working at diamond high school, and i'm loving it. i had thought to get out of teaching last year and was working in the medical field when this position opened. i decided to give it another chance, and this has been a wonderful experience. the school is a new building and very nice, the administration is very caring and involved, the other staff is friendly and fun to be around, and the students are really good kids. i can't imagine what it would be like to never be involved in the education field. i also work at comfort inn & suites in pittsburg, ks, for 3 overnight shifts a week. i really enjoy this job, and i really appreciate my boss there. the job allows me to meet some very interesting people, plus i have quite a bit of time that i need to fill w/ something. so it's not uncommon for me to surf the internet, chat, watch tv, scrapbook, draw, color, write (all kinds), paint, meet up w/ friends, study, grade papers, plan lessons, read and more while i'm at work. makes it feel like the perfect job for me. plus the perks for when we travel are wonderful.
i'm enrolled at pittsburg state university, working on my educational leadership degree (so i could go into school admin). yea! another gorilla degree! i won't be done until the end of summer 2006, but that's fine. i'm not in a real big hurry to get into admin, but i thought this was as good a time as any to go to school. when i'm done w/ this degree, i can transfer my hours to oklahoma university and apply them toward my doctorate, which will probably be my next goal.
the comment about being single -- i didn't elaborate on that b/c i figured it was self-explanatory. obviously, my track record shows that i'm not compatible w/ other humans. maybe i'll work on this goal as well this year!
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