101st Post!

Who knew, except for Blogger who keeps count, that I've posted over 100 times in the past 3 years?

As I opened up my account today, compelled to write but having no idea what to say, I got excited by this revelation.

This weekend has been pretty slow - there has been lots of sleeping in, a little work, a little study, and a little shopping (see cute nail polish I decided I needed because of cuteness below) which has been a real treat, since this has been the first shopping trip in awhile that has been for fun without a looming credit card bill. My only real New Year's resolution is to get and keep my finances under control, which means having savings and a budget set each month and staying out of superfluous debt. Imagine my surprise when I've been able to accomplish those things - with a lot of elbow grease in November and December mind you, come mid-January. Of course it's an ongoing goal for this year and all others, and as my favorite preacher (no joke - I have one) Andy Stanley says, it is better to make resolutions about who you will be than what you will do anyway.

This next week it is all about the surveys - surveys, surveys, surveys at work. Talking to S, I inadvertently set three work goals for myself for this week - Getting the surveys to a "good" place (very subjective, of course), setting all the meetings I've been planning to set, and catching up with work I haven't done since the break and being sick. One of the fun things about how my current job has worked out, is that I used to pray to God most nights that I could be an experimental psychologist one day. Sounds a little geeky, huh? Well, apparently it kind of worked, because I am faced at this time in my life with analyzing all these social science results from surveys I help schools administer, and then helping them make changes to their school climate. I am so fortunate to have been given so many opportunities in life to pursue my dreams, even if they are nerdy dreams. So despite the stress of going into each work week trying to do an impossible amount of work on these bad boys, it's a huge privilege and a lot of fun too.

Otherwise this week, I am planning for S' arrival in Beantown (!!!!!!), and doing yoga. Guess what my yoga goal is for the week? To do a side plank (see crazy lady adjacent), and do it well. I asked my yoga instructor who introduced our 'beginners' class to this pose how to get better at it, and she told me to "do a lot of yoga." As if my butt and hips don't hurt enough from the Anusara class I am taking simultaneously to this beginner's class that has obviously ramped up to some sort of boot camp for those with New Year's resolutions to bend themselves silly. But while I failed to even lift one of my feet off the ground in class this weekend, I was able to successfully lift both of them, and only fall once, in the less-embarrassing privacy of my own home, so their is hope in sight.

So nothing much new, though it is T-minus one month until kidney extraction, which I am super happy about. All I can do is work myself into as big a survey surplus as I can, and then go and relax with my favorite people in the world for a few weeks. Ironically, there will apparently be lots of junk food involved in my recovery, and that is 110% okay with me! I have been awfully behind in my 11 books in 12 months campaign, so this will be a great chance to catch up. And no, it does not count that I read Twilight since we last talked. In fact, I think I might have to subtract points for that, ha ha.

I'll be getting to bed now to start out the week right. Have a good week!!!

PS - I don't mean to bash Twilight. S got me this for Christmas, because he said after he heard an adult female colleague gushing about it, he knew it was "only a matter of time" before I was on the band wagon. And yes, I loved reading the book. I didn't feel any smarter after reading it, but it was a sheer pleasure, and let's just say I can't wait for my Valentine's and birthday gifts from S too, wink wink.