2008 Endless Possibilities

Nothing lasts forever, 2007 included. And now, after reviewing the ruins of what was once 2007, I look forward into the unknown abyss that we call 2008. I apologize for the dooms day feeling I attach to the coming year, but after what I’ve had to deal with during the last 365 days, I think any trepidations I have are understandable.

What do I hope to accomplish this year? Better yet, what will I accomplish and will I fail miserably at? Only time will tell, and there’s a lot of time during 365 days (or 366 if it’s a leap year).

Because I’m running out of steam (did you see the length of my last post?), I will not be categorizing anything. So, let’s get right to it shall we?

Resolutions:

1. Complete 50% of the courses required for my Marketing Management Certificate.

2. Start the Yoga Booty Ballet series.

3. Increase physical exercise (outside of DVD series), to a minimum of 4 hours a week.

4. Clear out 90% of remaining debt load by the end of 2008.

5. Continue reading a minimum of 3 books a month.

6. Limit the number of bought lunches to twice a week.

7. Organize my financial files.

8. Maintain a clutter free work and home environment.

9. Continue visiting with friends and family on a regular basis.

10. Update photo albums and scrapbooks.

11. Blog more often.

2007 Year End Review

2008 is at the door waiting to be welcomed in. And how will I be greeting this new guest? With open arms, that’s how. 2007 was anything but good and if I had my way it would have ended much sooner that it has. I don’t think that anything could have improved the year after the loss of my Dad back in February. Every day I think about him and sometimes it hurts so much I can’t breathe. I never know what’s going to impact me. Lately it’s been “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw. And then there are these small thoughts that pop into my head like when I was decorating the Christmas tree. I stopped and realized that I couldn’t remember ever hearing what my dad had on his tree when he was little and that now I would never know.

A few weeks ago we went to a Memorial Service at the funeral parlor we had the service at. As I was sitting in the room with my Mom and Granny Flo, I could feel the panic welling up inside of me. The urge to run from the building was very strong and only with some controlled breathing did I manage not to give in and avoid a full blown anxiety attack. When we were having refreshments afterwards my side of the conversation was limited to one word answers. I was grateful when the service was over. Now that some time has passed since the Memorial Service I can look back and say how beautiful it was. While it was taking place all I could think of was “Get me out of here”.

2007 was also the year where I let go of a friend. It was time. Who they have become is not the person I once knew. I wish them the best in life and happiness in whatever they do. Ironically, although I no longer consider this person a friend, and at best an acquaintance, they still have ties to my family. I’m not sure those will ever be entirely severed and I have no problem if they aren’t. I have severed my ties and what happens with my family and this friend is up to them.

So, 2007 is nearing the end (as I write this there is just under 12 hours left), and 2008 is a wide open plain of possibilities. I guess that means it’s time to review my resolutions for 2007 and plan my resolutions for 2008.

In 2007, I set 15 goals. Of those, I successfully completed 7. That’s not even 50% completed. So what have I completed and what did I fail miserably at? Okay, here we go.

Completed:

1. Write my Resolutions
Um, obviously completed.

2. Stop using my credit cards
For the most part this was completed. Although I have 6 credit cards I currently only have cards for 2 accounts, and only use 1 card sparingly.

3. Plan my trip to Paris and have the money saved by June
Unless I dreamed of those two glorious weeks in France that took place in September, this was successfully completed although the money wasn’t saved until the middle of August. And, because I’m awesome at saving when I choose to be, only the Hotel was put on a credit card and even that was immediately paid off.

4. Move to a different apartment
Accomplished but not in a way that intended. I moved home after my Dad passed away.

5. Declutter my apartment
Again, accomplished when I was packing up my stuff to move back home.

6: To clean out my email and maintain it
Okay, so this was only completed back in November, but it was completed so that counts.

7: To visit with friends and family more
Definitely been accomplished for this year, but something I’m going to keep working at

Incomplete

1: Be bikini ready by the summer of 2007
Excuse me while I laugh my way to the fridge. This didn’t even come close to happening.

2. Go to the gym and minimum of 3 times a week
I think it’s safe to say that this didn’t happen unless walking from the fridge to the couch counts as exercise.

3. Clear 70% of my debt load
The numbers are significantly lower than the beginning of the year but not quite where I wanted to be.

4. Get a part-time job
This will never work with the hours I put in at my full-time job. It’s all good though since the work has been acknowledged.

5. Limit the number of lunches I buy to twice a week at the most
This was killed a few months ago when the renovations started at work. We didn’t have a kitchen for the longest time, and then when we did it was on the 17th floor, and 2 elevator rides away.

6. Take no less than 3 college course this year
HAHAHAHAHAHA

7. Read no less than 2 pieces of literature a month
HA! I was successful for the first few months before I went on a non-lit binge.

8. Start cooking and using my recipe collection
I can hear my friends laughing right now.

Appearances and Vanity

A few months ago I made a drastic change and I cut off all my hair. My hair went from being halfway down my back to above my shoulders. While I loved the cut at first, I’m now kicking myself for cutting it all off. My hair is back down to shoulders, not quite past them but not at them. It’s an awkward and frustrating stage. My ponytail, while not quite stubby, isn’t the long flowing one I loved. Therefore my solution to bad hair days (a ponytail) is no longer an option.

I want my long hair back. Maybe not as long as it has been in the past, but something definitely past the shoulders. I figure as long as I get it cut every 6 months I can keep it a nice length and it will stay healthy and shiny. And, to my horror, the more frequent dye job will hide these pesky white hairs that are coming in.

I’m 28, I shouldn’t have white hair!

On another note, I encountered a bout of self-consciousness this morning while on the subway. While sitting there reading my book on my last train, the guy sitting perpendicular to me kept looking at me and smiling. I had this sudden fear that I had toothpaste on my face, or something equally embarrassing. I hid behind my book and prayed to get to work quickly to see if my nightmare has come true to avoid any further embarrassment. When I did check the mirror there was nothing wrong.

I think it’s about time to accept the fact that they may just be smiling at me because they want to.

Christmas Shopping – What Fun!!

My shopping drags on slowly but surely. If the fates are kind, I should get everything done on Friday. I’m using some of my banked OT and leaving at 12:30. I will not be staying later then that. I’ve given my team 2.5 days to get stuff to me. If someone comes to me at 12:29 on Friday they will be SOL.

I did manage some small successful shopping trips in the last week, most notably last night when I went to Zellers to check out the kids clothes.

I picked out a really cute pink reversible sweater for Sarah, and a matching purple one for Becca. Both are normally $19.97 but the sale price was listed at $13.97 so I quickly grabbed the right sizes and threw them in my cart.

Later on at the checkout, when the cashier rang them through, they were showing up as full price, not the sale price. I explained to the girl they were on sale for $13.97 and she said that they rang through as full price. I told her I noticed that but the pricing is wrong. She reluctantly calls someone in the children’s department to confirm the pricing and goes back to scanning my items.

10 minutes later they still haven’t called back and I don’t have the time nor the patience to wait for someone to confirm what I already know is true. I tell the girl I’m not taking the sweaters and she cancels one of the sweaters. I asked her specifically if she cancelled both to which she replied “I only scanned one of them”. When she handed me the receipt both sweaters were on the receipt but lo and behold, there’s only one credit. She told me I’d have to go to Customer Service for the other $19.97 refund.

Since customer service was busy I took a quick run back the children’s section to confirm that the clothes were the ones on sale (they were). I head back to customer service and explained to the guy what had happened and told him that I will happily buy both sweaters from him at the sale price rather than stand in line again. Either he wasn’t paying attention, or he was confused, because he looked at my receipt, circled the sweater and a pair of pants I bought Nicky (same price of $19.97), and then issued me a credit for $12.

For once I kept my mouth shut and managed to get two sweaters for a total of $7, instead of $26 sale price, or $40 full price.

Do I have you confused? Here’s the math (rounded up for easier calculations):

What should have happened:
2 sweaters @ $20 each regularly = $40
Less 30% Discount = $12
New Sale Price = $28

What did happen:
2 sweaters @ $20 each regularly = $40
Less refund for one cancelled sweater= $20
Total Paid = $20
Refund for difference of sale price and full price = $12
Total Paid in Full = $8

Oh, to be wanted….

Last night while binding some books, another sales rep came in and was checking out one of my extra cover page designs. We got to talking and he asked if I worked exclusively for my team. When I said yes, he commented on how that was too bad because it meant he couldn’t poach me. It’s nice to be wanted by other teams!

Horoscopes – Fact or Fiction?

While I don’t put much faith in the accuracy of horoscopes, occasionally they will say something that’s uncannily accurate.

The general horoscope for Scorpios today is:

You can tell that some part of yourself that you had thought was broken (or at least damaged) is nearly as good as new. Your powerful energy is part of the reason, but the rest remains a mystery.

This is scarily true. A part of me, the energetic and outgoing part, was lost there for a while. Over the last few months I’ve come to realize that it’s back, and although it’s not at the level it normally is, it’s slowly returning to normal.

For the single Scorpio (that’s me), the horoscope for today reads:

This morning’s about getting warmed up — say hi to someone cute, hand out a compliment or two, have fun with the usual day-to-day. By this afternoon, you’re just getting hotter and hotter!

I’m not entirely sure what to think about this one. All I know is that it’s making me kick myself in the ass for not talking to the beautiful boy on the subway who kept smiling shyly at me on the subway last week. He definitely made my heart flutter.