New Years Resolutions 2013

Running late as usual, but I've made progress on one.

I've been dismissive of resolutions in the past, and I'm not so sure that they'll hold this time, but I'm more likely to do something if I tell the world that I will, so we'll see how it goes.

On the health front I'm resolving to exercise for the sake of exercise twice a week.  That is to say that I won't count the walking or biking that is part of my commute, or other to get me somewhere transportation, or dance practice which I do to be social, and to be ready to faire.  I may make an exception for bike rides over 6 mi that also get me somewhere.  Since at that point I'm deciding to bike for exercise, and using it to get somewhere, but since I can get to most places in Davis in under 6 mi, and Sac is 13 mi it's not likely to make a big difference.

So far this has been 10 minutes on the exercise bike which I've done for the past 3 mornings.  It's not a lot, but it's better than not doing it.

On the mental side as you may have caught on facebook I would like to become less judgmental.  And I'll start by letting go of the thought that judgmental should be pronounced with a g like jug or good with the way it's spelled rather then the soft g that would be properly suggested by "judgemental" which I understand to be a misspelling.

My problem with this one is that I'm not really sure where to start.  I know that concrete measurable goals are more likely to be accomplished, and I'm not sure how to break this one down. 

I think I'll try spending time thinking about why I'm judging something at least once a week when I find myself being judgmental, and trying to figure out a more constructive response.  I may steal BettyBaker's idea of posting about my progress on this one regularly on facebook. I've managed to make myself do things a couple of times that way.

In the career front I want to have at least one application out to a promotion (either at the CEC or elsewhere) that I want, and think I could get by July.  July will be a year in the current position, and I think I spent too much time in one place in Grants and Loans.  I enjoyed my time there, but it made the transition into this one difficult.  Since I don't intend to retire from the current position this means I should keep myself moving up as much as I can, but I tend to get lazy about this until something kicks me into gear, so this is me trying to kick myself into gear.  This seems vaguely greedy since I have a number of friends who are un or under employed, but I figure I can help everyone more if I have more resources.  There's my Methodism showing.  Earn all you can, save all you can, (something I'm forgetting), to give as much as you can.

To this end I've done some poking at what I'm able to apply for, and what tests are available, but I'll have to put more into it by a good bit unless something decides to fall in my lap.  For those of you who know the state service better than me I'm an Energy Commission Specialist I (TED) and make about $5100/month I'm open to suggestions.


Of course the standard goals still apply. 
Be a good mom, wife, Pryankster, friend, co-worker, and Methodist in varying orders depending on my mood, and take good care of myself, or at least try not to make it too hard for Groblek.

Quiet Welcome to the New Year

I find that my Christmas spirit decided to kick in more in the post Christmas time.  I suppose that's my Methodism showing too.  The stores and radio stations can start playing Christmas music in June, but I own the period of waiting. 

I wasn't feeling particularly Grinchy this year I was just going along like it was normal times.  I quite enjoyed the Holidays, and all the lead up celebrations (even though I do loose some of my Methodist cred for buying into a potluck rather tan bringing something).  But it's now that I find myself whistling carols, and just feeling Christmassy. 

I think some of this is that what is winter to me is later than I think it should be.  This is not me commenting on climate change so much as me commenting on a lack of observation on my part I think.

In my head Christmas is sort of mid winter (I know this doesn't actually mesh with calendars it's just my head).  I tell myself that the shortest day of the year 12/21 should be the middle of winter, so by Christmas we should have had a month and a half of winter, and be looking forward to spring in another couple of months.

But the cold and wet that is winter in my head seems to be starting more in December, and I fully expect it to last into March.  I was standing at the bus stop complaining about the cold I was genuinely cold, and not happy about it, but at the same time the switch in my head flipped saying yep it's okay to be Christmassy now.

In fairness a good chunck of it could be the chance to get my introvert on for a few days.  I left Groblek and Kosh with the in-laws when I came back to work the Thursday and Friday after Christmas.  At first I thought of social things I could do with my evenings, but I let them fall into inertia, and I think the time really alone was something that I found recharging.  So it could just be that I'm more able to be Christmassy after the recharge.

In other news:
Groblek has been getting an amazing amount done with his off time this winter, every day I come home and go wow about something it's great! 

Kosh is becoming explosively more communicative.  It seems like every day he's able to say more, and when we specifically try to teach him something, if he's willing, he picks it up more quickly.  (Will not judge mother in law for teaching him to climb in and out of his highchair... I suspect it was that she has trouble with/can't lift him, and wanted him to use it while she was watching him...).  One example is that he loves to talk about trucks (and trains, and buses) but his tr and f sound amazingly similar.  We've been encouraging him to practice the t sound.  So now he'll periodically do a reasonable t...t...t. fruck. Toddler steps (bigger than baby steps, but also more likely to be distracted)

I think he's just settling back into a normal routine in time for us to mess with it again, but after Wednesday he should have a good long stretch of normal.

I'm looking forward to seeing mom, and my side of the family this weekend and through Wednesday, but I think I'll be happy getting into the normal routine too.

We had a really quiet New Years.  Friends from church do an East Coast New Years so that you celebrate at 9 rather than midnight and everyone can get to bed earlier.  We were looking forward to going, and we'd been encouraged to bring Kosh, but he positively refused to go down for a nap so we decided to stay home, and with the way Groblek and I were yawning by 7 it was undoubtedly for the best.  New Years day involved puttering around the house, and a couple trips to the park. 

It's a good life.