palace of winds

In January, I made a few goals for the year. Now that we’re nearly three months in, I thought I’d do a little review:

• Post more than last year. I’m doing pretty well with this one! I wouldn’t say I’m kicking its ass, but this here’s my eleventh post of the year, and in 2009 I only had 16 total. So, yay for me.
• Read more; keep track of it. My goal is two a month, and I’m right on track. I’m also mostly remembering to write about them right after I finish reading (SO much easier than trying to remember details later) — sometimes I save the post ’til the end of the month, but I’m jotting as I go.
• Take more pictures. I DID just take pictures for a friend’s wedding last weekend (it was actually kind of a terrifying experience; So. Much. Pressure.), but — I’ve been kind of failing at this one. Well. Sort of, I guess. I don’t know — I’ve done a few rounds of pictures of the pony, at least! Anyway, I’d like to do better in the next three months.
• Travel. I didn’t expect to’ve gone anywhere this soon — but I did kind of expect to know where I’m going this year. Planning fail. I’ve had a zillion books out of the library and Joe & I have talked about it a bunch, but I don’t feel like we’re any closer to making a decision.
• Start cooking again. FAIL. I have eaten a lot of salads this week, from my very own fridge, but I haven’t been planning and shopping enough. I did do a little cooking when Steph was here, and had left-overs for a while after that, but mostly I’ve been sucking at this.

So, I’m going to give myself a 2.5/5. Well — that seems a little harsh. 3/5. Room for improvement; I confidently predict I will be at 5/5 when December rolls around. Also! I haven’t done any of the things I said I probably wouldn’t; can I count that as a victory too?

I’m not one for big New Years Resolutions. Let’s face it: I’m going to do what I want, regardless of having (or not having) a defined goal. Even I can’t make myself do something I really don’t want to (so, those of you who know me, rest assured: it’s not just you).

Anyhow, I feel like I can have a few modest goals for the year. Not Resolutions; just goals.

• Post more than last year. This one should be pretty easy; apparently I only had 16 posts in 2009. Shame on me.
• Read more; keep track of it. Can’t compare this one to 2009 since I have NO idea how much reading I did. So, this year, let’s say: 24 books. Two a month. That seems do-able. I won’t even cheat and count the one I finished at the very end of 2009. (Though it was really really good! The Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood. You should all run out and get it and Oryx & Crake and read them — Oryx & Crake first.)
• Take more pictures. I have a nice camera and like using it. So I guess this is more a reminder than a real goal.
• Travel. This is a little bit of a cheat, I guess, because I already know I’m going to be traveling this year. But I like checking things off lists (hi future self!), so I’m putting it here anyway. I really need to get started figuring out where I’m going to go — doing masses of research to prepare is a big part of the fun for me.
• Start cooking again. I’ve totally fallen off the cooking-at-home bandwagon in the last year or so, and that’s sad. I love to cook, and it’s tastier and cheaper than eating out. I just need to balance it with riding, and I know exactly how to do that: PLAN. I need to start making weekly menu plans again.

So, there we go. That seems like enough to be going on for now. Well — that and this, which is the list of stuff-I’d-like-to-do-but-probably-won’t:

• Website facelift. I like coding, I do, but the thought of updating WordPress and re-learning their whole system (and anything new) just makes me want to go lie down for a nice little nap.
• Write about Peru. I have this sort of fantasy (tied in with the WordPress upgrade above) about making a travel subdomain, or just one for Peru, separate from this main part of the site. And I would lift stuff from the journal I kept, and spiff up some of my pictures, and finally have a nice online recap for your viewing pleasure.
• Write fiction. DO NOT GET EXCITED. There’s a reason this is in this category and not the one above. Or, rather, many reasons; lack of time and discipline chief among them.

Okay, there we go for real this time. Happy 2010, y’all. My real hope for my own is that it’ll be better than the last third of 2009; shouldn’t be hard.

1. Where did you begin 2007?
   At my parents’ house, with my fam and Bryce and Allison. Our family New Year’s tradition has always been to get loads of fun appetizers and stuff ourselves silly, and play games or watch movies, and then my mom falls asleep while we wait for the ball to drop and we try to cook up something silly, like setting off the fire alarm to wake her up.
2. What was your status by Valentine’s Day?
   I’m assuming this is a relationship question, so — single. More importantly, that was in the middle of that horrid cold snap when I didn’t go out to the barn for two weeks because I wanted to keep all of my fingers and toes. So I was pining for ponies.
3. Were you in school (anytime this year)?
   Nope. I did spend a week in San Diego at a work conference, where I did attend many of the educational sessions. And partake of much of the less-educational alcohol.
4. How did you earn your money?
   Sales Assistant-ing at an investment firm.
5. Did you have to go to the hospital?
   Yes, to visit my grandma. And play in the closets with Alex.
6. Did you have any encounters with the police?
   …perhaps.
7. Where did you go on holiday?
   Peru! And the usual visits to San Fran. And that conference in San Diego.
8. What did you purchase that was over $1000?
   A sofa & chair set — gorgeousness. A trip to Peru. A horse. I’m much more frugal than this all makes me sound!
9. Did you know anybody who got married?
   A cousin.
10. Did you know anybody who passed away?
    Distant relatives.
11. Have you run into anybody you went to high school/primary school with?
    Yes, weirdly! A few weekends ago, a guy I was in band with. Oh, and an ex-best-friend (who I hadn’t seen since ninth grade) over the summer.
12. Did you move anywhere?
    Nope.
13. What concerts/shows did you go to?
    Uhhh…
14. Are you registered to vote?
    Yes.
15. Who did you want to win Big Brother?
    Yes.
16. Where do you live now?
    In an apartment in a lovely little 40’s brick building. My living room is the most awesome red, and I have a little turquoise hallway. Thank you guy-who-lived-there-before.
17. Describe your birthday.
    I had to work, but my mom came to take me out for lunch, and brought flowers and a big platter of cookies (my great-grandma’s chocolate chip oatmeal recipe). Did the usual fam thing on the weekend — presents and dinner out. We went to Brenda’s, which was delicious. While we were there the light drizzle turned into a downpour, and we waited in the building’s lobby while my dad pulled the car up to the curb.
18. What’s one thing you thought you’d never do but did in 2007?
    Let it go (for the most part).
19. What has been your favorite moment?
    That? Is an impossible question for what’s been a really huge year.
20. What’s something you learned about yourself?
    I am really committed to this whole horse thing.
21. Any new additions to your family?
    Everett
22. What was your best month?
    September, if I have to pick.
23. What music will you remember 2007 by?
    “Hey There Delilah” - Plain White T’s; “Party Like a Rockstar” - Shop Boyz; “Umbrella” - Rihanna; “Rehab” - Amy Winehouse; “Breathe In Breathe Out” - Mat Kearney; “9 Crimes” - Damien Rice; Mika’s “Life in Cartoon Motion” album.
24. Who has been your best drinking buddy?
    Jo
25. Made new friends?
    Yes.
26. Best new friend?
    Everett (though what an unfair question!)
27. Favorite Night out?
    The night of my Investment Banker. You know, that’s another one for #18. I so should’ve called him. I also really loved the nights out on the boat — snugged up in the little compartment below-deck, still half-dizzy drunk, lulled to sleep by the gentle slap of waves.

From Kathy:

Write fifteen statements
Intended for different people.
Not all to friends.
Never tell which one is to whom.

1. Please stop calling like that. Seriously. Please.
2. You were the first person who ever told me I was beautiful. You probably didn’t mean it, but it’s almost four years later now and I still think of it.
3. I’ve given up. I wonder if you’ll ever notice.
4. I loved the way you looked at me while I laughed.
5. I so owe you.
6. I think I’d forgive you if you asked. But I still wish we’d never met; you’re the worst thing that ever happened to me.
7. I don’t know what I’d do without you.
8. Sometimes I picture having you over for afternoon tea. I want to serve you chai and coffee cake.
9. I wish you’d share it with me.
10. If I let myself think about it I’m so scared I can hardly breathe. I wish I could help you see that it could and should change.
11. I can see why she’s jealous.
12. The whole pouting act? Not remotely cute.
13. It hasn’t escaped my notice how unfailingly thoughtful you are. Thank you.
14. It drives me crazy, never knowing when you’re just being polite. So many well-intentioned lies are worse than potentially hurtful truths. There’s no trusting you.
15. I wish you’d invite me.

9 lasts

1. cigarette: In college; a clove while making the trek down to Barnett for my Judaism class. Sweet cinnamon on my mouth and a brief spate of blissful dizzy, and then I spent the rest of class wishing fervently for a toothbrush. I never was a smoker, though; that’s the only pack I ever owned.
2. beverage: I’m having a big old mug of chai right now.
3. kiss: Alex-roo, Wednesday night. His chubby little cheeks demand kissing.
4. hug: Yar. One of my family members, Wednesday. I don’t remember who was last. Mel, I think.
5. movie seen: Serenity! Just last night. :D
6. cd played: Uh. Man. Now that I have YME, I don’t really play cds like that. I’m listening to Kings of Convenience right now, though.
7. song listened to: I…have no idea. I just started listening so I haven’t actually *heard* anything yet.
8. bubble bath: Oi, *bubble* bath? Probably…a month or two ago. I took a bath with epsom salts…earlier this week? Last week? For my back, informing me I’d lifted too heavy the day before.
9. time you cried: Uh. I dunno. It’s been a while. TAKE THAT, birth control!

8 have you evers

1. dated one of your best friends: Nope.
2. skinny dipped: Alas not.
3. kissed somebody and regretted it: Eh, not really.
4. fallen in love: Nope.
5. lost someone you loved: Yes.
6. been depressed: Yep.
7. been drunk and threw up: Nope.
8. ran away: Not like ran-away-from-home in the kid sense. There was the time Steph and I hid from a certain someone in her room… Does that count?

7 states you’ve been to

California (and, incidentally, one week countdown to SF, woo!), Louisiana, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Alabama, Tennessee, Iowa

6 things you’ve done today

I should’ve waited and filled this out later in the day…

1. Dreamt of getting ready to go to Ikea with my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and Jocey. Jocey wanted a white couch she’d seen there, and a few other things I can’t remember. Somewhere we’d gotten a red pickup truck for hauling all the purchases.
2. Eaten berry waffles with slices of banana and a drizzle of maple syrup.
3. Made lunch: a big spinach salad with carrots, cucumber, and red peppers, and more carrots for dipping in a bit of leftover hummus.
4. Gotten a call from my third boss-sort-of-person that he won’t be in today either. All Rachel all day, woo. S’gonna be a quiet one.
5. Finished Arthur & George — good stuff.
6. Finally ordered those Veronica Mars t-shirts from TWOP/Glarkware. Such good timing for the offer, t-shirt people!

5 favorite things in no order

• Fresh cherries
• Epic emails
• Sunshine
• Horses, oh sweet god I miss them
• Great hugs

4 people you last talked to

1. ‘Earwax’
2. Jo!
3. Some woman in the restroom
4. People at the movie…

3 wishes

1. Career epiphany
2. Tinyhouse
3. A pony

2 things you want to be when you grow up

1. An adventuress
2. Financially stable (not…that I’m not now — but it counts, right? I want to remain so)

1 thing you regret

1. Not going to London.