Things are finally settling for us here in Boise. Last weekend, we moved into our new house and we are enjoying unpacking...well, kind of. It's nice to have our things back and every time I open a box, it's like Christmas. But, man - we have a lot of stuff (and by "we", I mean me). I could have swore we had a garage sale to prevent me from thinking that.
My job is wonderful. I work with fun, fun people who share my wacky sense of humor, enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning and find it relaxing to share our frustrations with each other. I really enjoy what I'm doing and it's nice to know that what I do every day is helping make life easier for people who were dealt a bad hand. I met a little girl the other day who literally lit up the room when she walked in. As I was talking to her, I realized how remarkable she was, despite the struggles she deals with every minute of her life. It's those moments that give me the motivation to do what I do.
Grant is doing a remarkable job at his internship. Last month, he was involved in a conference call with a writer from SNL who personally complimented Grant's work. Needless to say, he was pretty stoked that day. He's also doing well in school, even though it's the boring core classes that he has to get through before the more exciting ones come around. But he gets compliments on everything he does and I think he's going to go really far with his career.
Even more good news is that we finally get to bring Cow Dog home! We were lucky enough to find a house to rent that will allow us to have her here and I am so excited to have her back. We'll bring her back with us from Thanksgiving, which can't come soon enough!
Even MORE good news...my good friend, Darcy, and her husband, Adam, had their baby last weekend! Jack Oliver Pingel is his name and he's just as darling as I would have expected. I can't wait to meet him on one of my frequent trips to Eastern Idaho.
There's no doubt that I miss Coeur d'Alene. My family, friends and the little things that I forgot I loved so much. BUT...I think this new life is promising and I'm working so hard to make that come true.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Crisis avoided
...so the interview went well. Very well, to be honest. The next day they offered me the job and the following Monday I started my new job as Fundraising Coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Snake River Chapter). I hit the ground running, taking on a pretty significant amount of work for my first few days and finishing out my first week in Ammon, ID where I watched how a "Fill-the-Boot" event works. The job is fabulous. I work with fun people who have enough faith in me to drop a project on my desk and know that it will get done. The job requires a lot of travel, which is fine by me since I am pretty unfamiliar with Eastern Idaho and this will help fix that. I am so, so relieved to have found something - something that I really am confident that I'll do great at. If I do say so myself!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Patience and a bottle of tums
It's been 46 days of unemployment. Six and a half weeks of sleeping in, facebooking too much, counting pennies and searching ...searching ...searching for employment. A month and a half of dwindling self confidence and listening to the news tell me how difficult it is to find a job. AS IF I DON'T KNOW. As if I can't see the numbers in my bank account getting smaller.
It's all about patience and having a bottle of tums nearby. But my patience is running thin and my bottle of tums is almost empty. And I can't afford to buy more.
I've applied for approximately 75 jobs at this point and learned that most businesses don't have the courtesy to even acknowledge your application. I have had nine interviews. I've been told that I'm overqualified, underqualified and one that said they couldn't hire me because a piece of paper told them that I am an "at risk" employee. AT RISK. Because obviously I am one to lie, cheat and steal my way through life.
Today I had an interview. The second for this particular position. I put my heart and soul into it; even spent an hour of my birthday ironing out my uber-professional skirt suit. It went well - not great - but well enough that I see a glimpse of hope that my phone will ring sometime between tomorrow and Friday with an offer I can't refuse. Please, puuuuh-lease don't let there be a rejection email instead of that phone call. I would really rather not have to resort to selling my organs to afford some ramen.
It's all about patience and having a bottle of tums nearby. But my patience is running thin and my bottle of tums is almost empty. And I can't afford to buy more.
I've applied for approximately 75 jobs at this point and learned that most businesses don't have the courtesy to even acknowledge your application. I have had nine interviews. I've been told that I'm overqualified, underqualified and one that said they couldn't hire me because a piece of paper told them that I am an "at risk" employee. AT RISK. Because obviously I am one to lie, cheat and steal my way through life.
Today I had an interview. The second for this particular position. I put my heart and soul into it; even spent an hour of my birthday ironing out my uber-professional skirt suit. It went well - not great - but well enough that I see a glimpse of hope that my phone will ring sometime between tomorrow and Friday with an offer I can't refuse. Please, puuuuh-lease don't let there be a rejection email instead of that phone call. I would really rather not have to resort to selling my organs to afford some ramen.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Monday, July 6, 2009
Ready....Set....Go!
Okay. So it's been awhile. A long while. There are so many stories, so many changes, so many things that I've failed to keep you updated about. And just as my good friend, Darcy, likes to explain things in a list format, so will I:
1. We're moving. This is probably the biggest news I have and most worthy of the number 1 news story. In August, we'll be relocating down South to Boise...and it's for sure, mostly. While we don't have a place to live yet, we'll be headed down there in a couple weeks to scope out some options, and based on the 30-40 new postings every day on Craigslist, we're not too concerned about finding a place to live. The hard part is finding a place that will take Jersey, regardless of her charming attitude and dashing good looks. The harder part is finding a job, which leads me into....
2. I'm on the job hunt. After giving my 3+ month notice back in April, I started this awful, daunting process of finding a new job. There are a few prospects here and there - one really great one that was foolish and turned me down - and I'm just working on getting my foot in their doors. I'd love something that doesn't nail me down at a desk all day, but at this point, I'm willing to look at all my options. I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible...and saving up in case that turns sour.
3. COLPLAY (live). On Saturday, we're heading over to the Gorge for the Coldplay concert, which is the one concert I've wanted to see for a very, very long time. AND, I've never been to the Gorge, so this should be an all-around crazy-cool event. There will be pictures...and several of them.
4. Lewis....is the dog that our neighbors abandoned when they packed up and moved to Alaska. To make a long story short, we somehow managed to temporarily adopt him and give him some much-needed attention. He's a darling dog, but unfortunately has been so neglected that he has very little training, except for "sit", which he does well if you have a treat in hand. He's a digger, an excited/scared pee-er, a jumper, a leash-puller, a barker, a whiner and a non-fetcher...but we're confident that with the right people and right training, he would be a great dog for a family. He just needs some serious work. The plan is to call animal control, who will then take him to the Humane Society where he will get the training he needs to be adopted into a wonderful family. Even with all of his faults, we're happy that we were able to take him in and help him get the new life he deserves.
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5. Grant's acceptance into SCAD. With all of his amazing talents, Grant was accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design, a very prestigious school in Savannah, Georgia. I couldn't be more proud of him. It's quite impressive that a 2nd year student from North Idaho College was accepted into one of the top 10 graphic design schools in the country. He plans on starting the program online while we live in Boise, while also taking a few of his basis classes that didn't transfer from U of I (arrrrgggghhhh) at BSU and then moving to Savannah to finish up next year. So in August of next year, I will be either living in Savannah with him or in Boise by myself. EEK!
6. Allyson Rae Kline. Born at 9:11pm on July 1st, she came into the world at a very small, but healthy 5 pounds, 14 ounces. I am so happy for Shannon and Keith and only a tiny bit jealous ;) She's a beautiful baby girl and a wonderful addition to their family of three. Hunter will make an excellent older brother and I'm anxious to see both of them grow up! As a side note, KMC ran out of jello the night of Ally's birth....can you believe that??!! A hospital with no jello??? That's just ridiculous.
Also, congrats to Sarah and Dan who welcomed baby Alyse in early June. Another beautiful girl!
7. I'm a Local celebrity. Well, not exactly, but that's what I've been called several times leading up to the 4th of July. As the "fantastic fireworks coordinator" as I was called in a recent news article, part of my job entails posing for pictures with a variety of businesses who contribute to the fireworks fund. Therefore, my photos were sprinkled across the news section starting mid-June...and you better believe it, my mom has kept them all. I was also featured in the Local section's "In Person" article, where they interviewed me and asked all sorts of questions about my job and my life. It was pretty cool, although I'm a little confused as to why they picked me. Nonetheless, flattered.
8. Other. I feel like every list should have an "other" category. So along with the news above, life continues. I'm really anxious to move and start fresh, although sad to be leaving my family and friends back in CDA. I'm sure I'll come home on a regular basis, and Coeur d'Alene will be a much-loved place to visit. For now, I wake up, wrangle the dogs, shower, primp, chug my Slim Fast, and face each day knowing that life is sure to bring new twists and turns, but it's all about how you make the most out of it that matters.
1. We're moving. This is probably the biggest news I have and most worthy of the number 1 news story. In August, we'll be relocating down South to Boise...and it's for sure, mostly. While we don't have a place to live yet, we'll be headed down there in a couple weeks to scope out some options, and based on the 30-40 new postings every day on Craigslist, we're not too concerned about finding a place to live. The hard part is finding a place that will take Jersey, regardless of her charming attitude and dashing good looks. The harder part is finding a job, which leads me into....2. I'm on the job hunt. After giving my 3+ month notice back in April, I started this awful, daunting process of finding a new job. There are a few prospects here and there - one really great one that was foolish and turned me down - and I'm just working on getting my foot in their doors. I'd love something that doesn't nail me down at a desk all day, but at this point, I'm willing to look at all my options. I'm trying to be as optimistic as possible...and saving up in case that turns sour.
3. COLPLAY (live). On Saturday, we're heading over to the Gorge for the Coldplay concert, which is the one concert I've wanted to see for a very, very long time. AND, I've never been to the Gorge, so this should be an all-around crazy-cool event. There will be pictures...and several of them.
4. Lewis....is the dog that our neighbors abandoned when they packed up and moved to Alaska. To make a long story short, we somehow managed to temporarily adopt him and give him some much-needed attention. He's a darling dog, but unfortunately has been so neglected that he has very little training, except for "sit", which he does well if you have a treat in hand. He's a digger, an excited/scared pee-er, a jumper, a leash-puller, a barker, a whiner and a non-fetcher...but we're confident that with the right people and right training, he would be a great dog for a family. He just needs some serious work. The plan is to call animal control, who will then take him to the Humane Society where he will get the training he needs to be adopted into a wonderful family. Even with all of his faults, we're happy that we were able to take him in and help him get the new life he deserves..jpg)
5. Grant's acceptance into SCAD. With all of his amazing talents, Grant was accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design, a very prestigious school in Savannah, Georgia. I couldn't be more proud of him. It's quite impressive that a 2nd year student from North Idaho College was accepted into one of the top 10 graphic design schools in the country. He plans on starting the program online while we live in Boise, while also taking a few of his basis classes that didn't transfer from U of I (arrrrgggghhhh) at BSU and then moving to Savannah to finish up next year. So in August of next year, I will be either living in Savannah with him or in Boise by myself. EEK!
6. Allyson Rae Kline. Born at 9:11pm on July 1st, she came into the world at a very small, but healthy 5 pounds, 14 ounces. I am so happy for Shannon and Keith and only a tiny bit jealous ;) She's a beautiful baby girl and a wonderful addition to their family of three. Hunter will make an excellent older brother and I'm anxious to see both of them grow up! As a side note, KMC ran out of jello the night of Ally's birth....can you believe that??!! A hospital with no jello??? That's just ridiculous.Also, congrats to Sarah and Dan who welcomed baby Alyse in early June. Another beautiful girl!
7. I'm a Local celebrity. Well, not exactly, but that's what I've been called several times leading up to the 4th of July. As the "fantastic fireworks coordinator" as I was called in a recent news article, part of my job entails posing for pictures with a variety of businesses who contribute to the fireworks fund. Therefore, my photos were sprinkled across the news section starting mid-June...and you better believe it, my mom has kept them all. I was also featured in the Local section's "In Person" article, where they interviewed me and asked all sorts of questions about my job and my life. It was pretty cool, although I'm a little confused as to why they picked me. Nonetheless, flattered.
8. Other. I feel like every list should have an "other" category. So along with the news above, life continues. I'm really anxious to move and start fresh, although sad to be leaving my family and friends back in CDA. I'm sure I'll come home on a regular basis, and Coeur d'Alene will be a much-loved place to visit. For now, I wake up, wrangle the dogs, shower, primp, chug my Slim Fast, and face each day knowing that life is sure to bring new twists and turns, but it's all about how you make the most out of it that matters.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
It's March 9th, for goodness sake
I know that I live in North Idaho voluntarily and that I really shouldn't complain...but 5 inches of snow on March 9th is unacceptable. And when I wake up to the 3 more inches that are predicted over night, I'm going to be angry.
In other news, life has been a bit insane lately. Work has been so overwhelming and I can't decide if I'm just a giant wuss or if I really do have too much on my plate. With the economy in the crapper, our staff is having to take on more work as opposed to hiring more help. Which is great when I think about all the neat stuff that I can now add to my resume: grant writing, sales, event management, budget management, graphic design (kind of), and really, really fast envelope stuffing. I'll have to think of a cooler way to say all of that, but you get the idea. It's great experience for me that just keeps adding up, but I am afraid that my head is about ready to explode. I hate that I can't concentrate 100% on anything because I'm constantly jumping from one project to another. But, hey, such is life...and it's starting to iron out a bit, so I think I'll hang on for a little longer.
Junior Miss has started again this year - a great group of girls once again. 23 of them to be exact and so far everything is going really great. I'm also helping my dad organize a German homestay soccer group that is coming this August. Yeah, I keep busy.
Our friends Joe and Kelsey just got an adorable new puppy, so we've been enjoying watching her (Juneau) and Jersey become very close friends. Sometimes I wonder if they don't secretly hate each other, but I've been told that biting ears, necks, feet, etc. is just how dogs play. Regardless, it's been nice to have another dog around to keep Jersey entertained...I mean there's really only so much that us humans can do.
Last on my list to report is that I am going on a mini-vacation here in a couple weeks. My mom and I are going to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Eugene. It will be so nice to get away for a few days and see them...and the pups of course! I'm definitely envisioning an IKEA trip while we're down there!!! :D
Okay - over and out. And let's hope that Mother Nature stops crapping on us sometime soon.
In other news, life has been a bit insane lately. Work has been so overwhelming and I can't decide if I'm just a giant wuss or if I really do have too much on my plate. With the economy in the crapper, our staff is having to take on more work as opposed to hiring more help. Which is great when I think about all the neat stuff that I can now add to my resume: grant writing, sales, event management, budget management, graphic design (kind of), and really, really fast envelope stuffing. I'll have to think of a cooler way to say all of that, but you get the idea. It's great experience for me that just keeps adding up, but I am afraid that my head is about ready to explode. I hate that I can't concentrate 100% on anything because I'm constantly jumping from one project to another. But, hey, such is life...and it's starting to iron out a bit, so I think I'll hang on for a little longer.
Junior Miss has started again this year - a great group of girls once again. 23 of them to be exact and so far everything is going really great. I'm also helping my dad organize a German homestay soccer group that is coming this August. Yeah, I keep busy.
Our friends Joe and Kelsey just got an adorable new puppy, so we've been enjoying watching her (Juneau) and Jersey become very close friends. Sometimes I wonder if they don't secretly hate each other, but I've been told that biting ears, necks, feet, etc. is just how dogs play. Regardless, it's been nice to have another dog around to keep Jersey entertained...I mean there's really only so much that us humans can do.
Last on my list to report is that I am going on a mini-vacation here in a couple weeks. My mom and I are going to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Eugene. It will be so nice to get away for a few days and see them...and the pups of course! I'm definitely envisioning an IKEA trip while we're down there!!! :D
Okay - over and out. And let's hope that Mother Nature stops crapping on us sometime soon.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
More information than you ever needed to know.
1. I have worn a toe ring on my right foot since I was a sophomore in high school. I have only changed it once, because the first one broke. I'm pretty sure that my toe will be permanently disfigured if I ever take it off.
2. I have never had a cavity but I very rarely floss.
3. I once was told that I might have cancer. Turns out, second opinions are VERY important. I thank my lucky stars every day that my first doctor was wrong.
4. I absolutely, 100% believe in ghosts. I'm not scared of them, but I truly believe that they are out there.
5. I also believe that everything happens for a reason. That whole "Butterfly Effect" thing...yep, I totally get it.
6. I love public speaking. I'm nervous for about the first 2 minutes, but then I have a blast with it, as long as I know what I'm talking about.
7. I have jumped both on and off of a moving train. I would highly recommend either if you're up for an adrenaline rush.
8. I often have dreams where I get really, REALLY angry and scream at random people. I wake up out of breath, sweating profusely, and terribly confused. I think it's how I release tension because I very rarely get that angry.
9. I have seen "House Bunny" in the theater and laughed ridiculously hard. Not proud of it, but it's true.
10. When I was about 16, people told me that I looked like Julia Stiles. I saw it then, but not so much now.
11. I drink way too much Diet Pepsi and not enough water.
12. I have a dent in my skull from when I was about 3 days old and my brother dropped a music box on my head. He was trying to wind it up for me and it slipped out of his hands on onto my face.
13. I once had a Kinesiologist who told me that I was harvesting anger towards my brother (because of #12) that caused me to have tendinitis in my right knee.
14. My family took a cruise to Alaska in September 2006 and my brother proposed to his girlfriend. I now have the coolest sister-in-law that I ever could have asked for.
15. My favorite memories with my best friend are when we worked at TCBY in high school. Sometimes I still wish that we worked there together.
16. I am really bad at staying in touch with people. It's one of my least favorite things about myself.
17. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is go garage sale shopping. Bright and early is the only way to go.
18. I love watching movies. Popcorn and diet pepsi makes the experience even better.
19. At my preschool graduation, I tripped down the bleachers when they called my name to get my diploma. And it's all on video.
20. It drives me crazy when people are rude for no reason. I also get really annoyed with constant negativity.
21. Big Bird was my absolute favorite person (yes, person) when I was little. He's still pretty near and dear to my heart.
22. I am really awful at video games. Anything more complicated than Super Mario Bros. and I'm lost.
23. My dream job would be to own a bakery/cake shop.
24. I would love to go on What Not to Wear. Please nominate me. :)
25. I am a total crybaby. And it just keeps getting worse with age...
2. I have never had a cavity but I very rarely floss.
3. I once was told that I might have cancer. Turns out, second opinions are VERY important. I thank my lucky stars every day that my first doctor was wrong.
4. I absolutely, 100% believe in ghosts. I'm not scared of them, but I truly believe that they are out there.
5. I also believe that everything happens for a reason. That whole "Butterfly Effect" thing...yep, I totally get it.
6. I love public speaking. I'm nervous for about the first 2 minutes, but then I have a blast with it, as long as I know what I'm talking about.
7. I have jumped both on and off of a moving train. I would highly recommend either if you're up for an adrenaline rush.
8. I often have dreams where I get really, REALLY angry and scream at random people. I wake up out of breath, sweating profusely, and terribly confused. I think it's how I release tension because I very rarely get that angry.
9. I have seen "House Bunny" in the theater and laughed ridiculously hard. Not proud of it, but it's true.
10. When I was about 16, people told me that I looked like Julia Stiles. I saw it then, but not so much now.
11. I drink way too much Diet Pepsi and not enough water.
12. I have a dent in my skull from when I was about 3 days old and my brother dropped a music box on my head. He was trying to wind it up for me and it slipped out of his hands on onto my face.
13. I once had a Kinesiologist who told me that I was harvesting anger towards my brother (because of #12) that caused me to have tendinitis in my right knee.
14. My family took a cruise to Alaska in September 2006 and my brother proposed to his girlfriend. I now have the coolest sister-in-law that I ever could have asked for.
15. My favorite memories with my best friend are when we worked at TCBY in high school. Sometimes I still wish that we worked there together.
16. I am really bad at staying in touch with people. It's one of my least favorite things about myself.
17. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is go garage sale shopping. Bright and early is the only way to go.
18. I love watching movies. Popcorn and diet pepsi makes the experience even better.
19. At my preschool graduation, I tripped down the bleachers when they called my name to get my diploma. And it's all on video.
20. It drives me crazy when people are rude for no reason. I also get really annoyed with constant negativity.
21. Big Bird was my absolute favorite person (yes, person) when I was little. He's still pretty near and dear to my heart.
22. I am really awful at video games. Anything more complicated than Super Mario Bros. and I'm lost.
23. My dream job would be to own a bakery/cake shop.
24. I would love to go on What Not to Wear. Please nominate me. :)
25. I am a total crybaby. And it just keeps getting worse with age...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
I got bling
Okay, let's just set the record straight now and clarify that NO...I am not talking about some fancy, shiny diamond ring on a certain left-hand finger. Oh, poo.
BUT...I am talking about hair bling. Oh yes, it's shiny, it's gold and it's fabulous. I went and got a haircut yesterday and when I saw the sign that said, "Hair Bling: $2 per strand", I couldn't help but ask what the heck hair bling was. Apparently I am really out of the loop in hair trends because hair bling "is like, so in right now." Against my better judgement, I walked out of the salon 30 minutes later with four strands of gold hair bling shining like the dickens.
And now I'm the talk of the town.
Okay, not really. But it's actually quite cute. It's not permanent but I am going to look fabulous for 7 - 10 days.
BUT...I am talking about hair bling. Oh yes, it's shiny, it's gold and it's fabulous. I went and got a haircut yesterday and when I saw the sign that said, "Hair Bling: $2 per strand", I couldn't help but ask what the heck hair bling was. Apparently I am really out of the loop in hair trends because hair bling "is like, so in right now." Against my better judgement, I walked out of the salon 30 minutes later with four strands of gold hair bling shining like the dickens.
And now I'm the talk of the town.
Okay, not really. But it's actually quite cute. It's not permanent but I am going to look fabulous for 7 - 10 days.
Friday, January 9, 2009
To the coward who hit my car
You suck.
I understand that parking lots in Coeur d'Alene right now are covered in ice and we haven't seen the markings on the pavement for about 2 months now, but it really doesn't make sense for you to hit my car where you did without being a complete moron. I don't really know where it happened because you hit the passenger side front fender and since I usually enter through the driver's side, it could have been weeks ago when you violated my vehicle and I just never noticed until last night when I was at 7-Eleven getting a Slurpee. Damn you for ruining what should have been a really good night.
Now, I could go on and mutter some explitives that explain my frustration with you and what I hope happens to your car in the future, but I'm not going to because I am a better person than you. If I had been the one to hit your car, I would have most certainly left a note apologizing and given you my contact information so that you could scream at me over the phone even though I was nice enough to leave you with some mode of reconciliation.
I will tell you that I strongly believe in karma, so I hope that the adrenaline rush you felt when fleeing the scene was worth it.
To conclude, let me leave you with some words from my dad. Words that I never thought I would find useful until the day I saw what you did to my car:
"May a thousand camels feast on your nether regions."
I understand that parking lots in Coeur d'Alene right now are covered in ice and we haven't seen the markings on the pavement for about 2 months now, but it really doesn't make sense for you to hit my car where you did without being a complete moron. I don't really know where it happened because you hit the passenger side front fender and since I usually enter through the driver's side, it could have been weeks ago when you violated my vehicle and I just never noticed until last night when I was at 7-Eleven getting a Slurpee. Damn you for ruining what should have been a really good night.
Now, I could go on and mutter some explitives that explain my frustration with you and what I hope happens to your car in the future, but I'm not going to because I am a better person than you. If I had been the one to hit your car, I would have most certainly left a note apologizing and given you my contact information so that you could scream at me over the phone even though I was nice enough to leave you with some mode of reconciliation.
I will tell you that I strongly believe in karma, so I hope that the adrenaline rush you felt when fleeing the scene was worth it.
To conclude, let me leave you with some words from my dad. Words that I never thought I would find useful until the day I saw what you did to my car:
"May a thousand camels feast on your nether regions."
Friday, January 2, 2009
2008 is so last year
It's hard to believe that 2009 is already here and that today I had to switch out all my old calendars and start back at the very beginning of a new year. I'm not sure that I'm quite ready for all of this but it seems as if I have no choice. 2008 has come and gone and now it's time to see how well I did in meeting my goals that I set last January:
Just to follow the trend and set some goals for myself, here we have it:
Raechelle's 2009 List of Things to Accomplish
1. Average 3 days at the gym per week. I would say 4 but I have to account for the holidays in which I spend an average of -2 days per week.
2. Finish Twilight. Okay, so it's taken me about as long to read the book as it did for them to make the movie. It's a good book, I'm just lazy. And sometimes the TV forces me to stop reading and pay it some attention. If I'm really good, I'll read the second book but I'm not optimistic enough to actually list that as a resolution.
3. Spend more time with my Grandparents. Seriously, Raechelle. You're a horrible person if you fail at this two years in a row.
4. Take a week-long vacation. Ah-hem. PAID vacation. Somewhere warm and amazing.
5. Become more open to ideas and suggestions. This will be difficult and I'm fully prepared to throw a tantrum or two while in the process. But this is one of my biggest weaknesses and something that I need to get over and take less personally.
6. Make a life-changing decision. I really have no idea where I'm going with this, but I feel like at 24, you should be prepared to do something that will drastically change your life. There are a few things that I hope fit in this resolution, but plenty of opportunities out there that I'm really just unaware of. I hope to make decisions in my life that open up doors and send me in a direction that is right for me.
I may add to this list, but for now it's all I want to say. Thank you to everyone who made 2008 such a great year.
- Continue to stay in shape - A
Since my college graduation in December 2006, I've lost 20 pounds. That is a huge accomplishment for me and I'm going to go ahead and give myself an A and forget about the last few weeks of chocolate and zero time at the gym. The gym just might as well close for the month of December - who works out when there are so many sugar cookies to eat? - Redecorate my Living Room and Bedroom - C
A limited budget makes this a fairly difficult task. I did, however, purchase a new bookshelf for the living room which helped me get rid of tacky garage sale shelving. I added a few green plants, a new rug and rearranged a couple times for optimal tv viewing, and I can say that I'm much happier with how it looks than I was last year. I also bought a new dresser off of Craigslist and added some curtains to the bedroom, so there were minor improvements made there. Still a long way to go. - Pay off credit cards - B
I successfully paid off 2 of my smaller cards which helps more than I anticipated. I did some research and got cards that have low APRs and good rewards, so at least I'm gaining something by being in debt. - Buy a new car (only if #3 is a success) - A
Well, I didn't totally climb out of debt but since my poor Jetta died, I was forced to go out and make my very first car purchase. It's a great little car and the payments are affordable so it's really a win-win for me. - Fly to California to meet my Italian Roomies - B
Okay, so I flew to California but meeting with the roomies didn't quite work out. Too many schedules to organize and not enough vacation time to make it work. But I did get to spend the weekend with my cousin and enjoy sunshine for a few days, so it was totally worth it. - Get a promotion or new job - A+
Early in 2008 I got a pretty sizeable raise and in the Fall I was promoted to a Manager status. Oh, and I got an office. Pretty exciting year for me, career-wise. - Teach my dog to walk on a leash (eek!) - C
This may be hopeless. She does okay but we have to be pretty strict with her, which is hard for me. She is too dang cute. - Develop better relationship with my Grandparents - F
I'm horrible. I love my Grandparents dearly, but I just seem to forget to include them in my life as much as I should. I see them on all the regular holidays but rarely call them up to say "hi, how are you doing?" I really, really need to be better at this. Period. - Read a book or two (I would say more, but this needs to be realistic) - A
I read 2.75 books this year (no, I haven't finished Twilight and yes I'm still at the same spot I was before Thanksgiving), which is 2 more than I thought I would get to. Nothing of major note, but at feleast I shut the TV off and stuck my nose in aw books. - Make cakes for all major holidays and birthdays (not counting New Years. oops) - D
Besides a few birthday cakes here and there, I failed miserably. However, I have a Kitchenaid now and should be rockin' like Betty Crocker now.
Just to follow the trend and set some goals for myself, here we have it:
Raechelle's 2009 List of Things to Accomplish
1. Average 3 days at the gym per week. I would say 4 but I have to account for the holidays in which I spend an average of -2 days per week.
2. Finish Twilight. Okay, so it's taken me about as long to read the book as it did for them to make the movie. It's a good book, I'm just lazy. And sometimes the TV forces me to stop reading and pay it some attention. If I'm really good, I'll read the second book but I'm not optimistic enough to actually list that as a resolution.
3. Spend more time with my Grandparents. Seriously, Raechelle. You're a horrible person if you fail at this two years in a row.
4. Take a week-long vacation. Ah-hem. PAID vacation. Somewhere warm and amazing.
5. Become more open to ideas and suggestions. This will be difficult and I'm fully prepared to throw a tantrum or two while in the process. But this is one of my biggest weaknesses and something that I need to get over and take less personally.
6. Make a life-changing decision. I really have no idea where I'm going with this, but I feel like at 24, you should be prepared to do something that will drastically change your life. There are a few things that I hope fit in this resolution, but plenty of opportunities out there that I'm really just unaware of. I hope to make decisions in my life that open up doors and send me in a direction that is right for me.
I may add to this list, but for now it's all I want to say. Thank you to everyone who made 2008 such a great year.
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