Disjointed

- I'm down to 147!! Progress is being made. This is the first time I've been under 150 in at least a year. I've been working out here and there, but I wanted to see the number go down before it plateaued or came back up.

- Garden planning is still spinning around in my head. I need to measure how large I want the bed to be in order to make lumber or seedling determinations. Also, in order to see some harvest before June, I'm going to try an early crop of lettuce and spinach until planting the less cold hardy things in April.

- I've also got a few starter ideas for the yard/flower beds. We're going to put in edger blocks to keep the mulch in and, hopefully, the dogs out. Then I'd like to pull out the bedraggled mini boxwoods that are in there and put in some creeping phlox (which is evergreen in this area and blooms at least twice a year) in the front and something mid-size in the middle, maybe some azalea bushes or something. I would like to put a shrub that blooms through the summer, though, so maybe I'll mix and match (I don't really care for Encores). Also, the next few weeks are prime tree planting time, and I am so looking foward to putting in a Japanese Magnolia in the front yard. It will take some precision, though, as we have to judge the right distance from both the field lines of the septic system and the power lines.

- Is anybody that drops by here from the Great Plains area? I am going to training the first week in February and have absolutely no idea what to expect or what to pack. I don't have a parka, I don't own a scarf or snow boots, and I've never driven in snow. Am I completely up a creek?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Yes, I am feeling very contrary this morning. It was cold, this has been a long week, and I stayed up way past my bedtime to watch the BCS Championship game (GO SEC!). Plus, I am tired of salads. I had some very filling and tasty salads this week, with homemade dressing, but I feel like a rabbit. Tonight: steak! I haven't weighed myself since Monday (153), so I'm not sure how much progress I've made. I'm stepping on the Wii Fit tonight, and I swear I'll scream if I'm not down a few pounds. But, back to the actual topic of this post...

This year I am starting an honest-to-goodness garden. I had a bucket garden last year that I started way late in the season, but with the moderate success I had (4 huge bell peppers, 3 tomatoes, and a sage and thyme plant that made it through the winter), I am very excited about this growing season. Between our local farmer's market, my coworker's fantastically abundant garden, and our own garden, we should be more than set for this summer/fall.

My hubby has finally found the perfect Valentine's Day present for me: build my raised bed. Since we only have about 1/3 third of an acre of arable land right now and no real hard-core gardening tools (greenhouse, tiller, etc.), we decided to build a raised bed in a pretty unusable strip of ground between the driveway and the house. It's going to be right outside the kitchen door and will be bookended by gardenia bushes, so, hopefully, lots of pollinating going on.

So far, the list of plants to be included is as follows:
- peppers
- tomatoes
- spinach
- lettuce
- broccoli
- kale
- squash
- assorted herbs: thyme, oregano, basil, sage, parsley, chives, and dill

If I have room (doubtful), I'd like to include tomatillos and zucchini. In the buckets from last year, I want to grow mint, garlic, rosemary, and onions.

These are all very lofty goals, and once space is considered, I'll probably be cutting back on something, but I can't decide what. But, hey, dream big. And of homemade spaghetti sauce.

Getting All Resolution-ed Up

So, last year, I said, "No resolutions, I never keep them, it's something I should be doing anyway," etc, etc, ad nauseum (sp? Google doesn't do Latin). And what did I accomplish last year in the way of personal betterment? Zip. Yes, I cooked, but I always cook. Yes, I bought a Wii Fit, but, much like always, it has been languishing under the sofa.

So, this year, I'm going to write them here where I can see them and come back to them at the end of the year. On with the listing!

1. Get in better shape. I've only lost about five pounds so far, and I'm pretty sure the holidays destroyed that progress. Yesterday, I started the South Beach Diet, which my parents accomplished and lost a combined total of 70 pounds, so I know it works. I've already found a pretty awesome cooking website that puts together a whole bunch of recipes broken down by phase.

2. Be better with money. We have some lofty goals for this summer, and even with the 2.5% competitiveness raise I'm getting, it's going to take some work. But, with Dave Ramsey and Quicken's power combined, we shall freaking rock the savings account. Also, the closet. With all the clothes I'm going to buy.

3. Freaking learn how to decorate a house already. My husband and I have realized that we actually have to start watching HGTV this weekend. The horror.

4. Do laundry in a more timely manner. I have a tendency to let it pile up, both clean and dirty. Of course, as I say this there are 2 hampers of clean clothes waiting for me at home. Ugh.

5. Start cooking vegetarian-ly once or twice a week. This should help with both items #1 and #2.

6. Conquer homemade hollandaise sauce. It always comes out funny. Though this may be in direct contradiction to item #1.

7. Use locally grown vegetables when they're in season. They just taste so much better and are usually cheaper than the grocery store. I'm attempting to accomplish this by starting my own vegetable garden and utilizing the two local farmer's markets. (Damn, now the only day I get to sleep past 6 am is Sunday. It ain't the day of rest for nothing.)

8. Finish my two sewing projects. I'm about 1/32 through both of them. I need another writer's strike or something. (SAG, I didn't mean it! You can work it out!)
Keep up writing on this here blog.

God, I sound so old, don't I? Sewing, gardening, cooking, laundry... Gag me with a spoon. Oh, I've got a non-old resolution: Get my good-ass jeans back from my aunt and wear them and heels more often. Because I totally don't have a workplace where that is inappropriate work attire. Nope.

Happy Freakin' New Year!

A Very Good Year

Before I announce my resolutions for the next year (and subsequently set myself up for failure), I am going to give myself a pat on the back for a year pretty well done.

• I made sure I was not passed over for training or field work, and thus ensured a raise.
• Lobbied for and got said raise.
• Found a very cute and very affordable house to start our home in.
• Got to a good place with my parents and my sister.
• Came up with the best present ever for my in-laws.
• Got all insured.
• Won a lawsuit on my birthday.
• Fattened up two dogs and a kitten.
• Restarted writing on this here blog.
• Found out I’m going to be an aunt next summer!

Random

• The TSO concert was a lot of fun, and, of course, rocked my socks off. I have never before seen an electric flying V violin. Note to the female singers: I know you’re trying to portray a rock image, but please rethink your costume choice. I do not need to be able to see up your skirt as you squat on top of a tier pulling on a high note. Nice black thong, btw.

• My office is dead today, and I still don’t have enough leave for me to be comfortable taking off the whole week. Due to the deadness and lack of coworkers, I brought my sewing to work with me. Don’t judge me, there’s only so much internet surfing you can do.

• Speaking of sewing, I have crossed the line of sanity, I think. In an effort to be crafty, I am embroidering my dogs’ names on stockings. I want to do stockings for David and me, but I didn’t come up with the idea until this weekend, which would definitely not be enough time to complete before Christmas. I’m justifying the stockings with the reason of “practice.” That’s why I am embroidering “Ginger” at work in metallic thread. Practice.

• We have gotten all our presents purchased and David is wrapping them at home right now, because my present-wrapping looks like the work of a fourth grader. The only stress is if the presents that we ordered last week will be here by the time we need to leave Wednesday.

• I was told I was beautiful by the quik-lube oil change guy last week. He still charged me $40.

• I made these empanadas for an office party Friday. They were fantastic and not too hard to make. They definitely stood out among all the dips and candy.

• We are furnishing and replacing stuff in our house piece by piece, and it’s starting to finally feel like ours. We still have great need of wall decorations, but slowly, this house is less of a place to stay and more of a home and sanctuary. Next on the list: a new mattress. And, damn, those are expensive.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, many cocktails!

Eight Days Until Christmas!

I have found the secret to maximizing your holiday enjoyment: get your significant other a present they have to share with you. Taking them out for dinner and a movie, getting them a really awesome electronic that goes in a common area (ex. new desktop computer, new Blu-ray player, new piece of furniture, etc.), or taking them on a mini-vacation are all things they have to do or share with you. In my case, I got my husband two tickets to go see Trans-Siberian Orchestra tonight. Not only is TSO one of his (and my) favorite groups, I’m getting a dinner of sushi and a night in a hotel out of this whole deal. Pretty good for his Christmas present, isn’t it?

In other news, apparently I rock at picking out presents for people, or David is either really terrible at thinking of ideas or really lazy. I like to think it’s the first option. I know it’s not laziness, because he’s going to be scouring stores this afternoon to look for the last two presents. This is after I picked out his parents’, sister and brother-in-law’s, grandparents’, two sets of aunts and uncles’, two cousins’, another cousin and his fiancée’s, and his friend’s present. (Wow, that is a lot of apostrophes. I hope I used them all correctly.) And they all kind of rock, by the way. So if you don’t know what to get for a loved one, just ask me. I’m the Gift Whisperer.

And as an addendum to last week’s post, Alex disappeared yesterday morning and scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know how attached I was to my dogs until I thought one of them might be gone. We don’t have a physical fence, just an electric one that keep them in during the day and when we’re gone overnight, so there’s always the possibility of them getting hit. We live on a very rural road (there’s only a house or two past us), though, and they don’t chase cars, so I was never too worried about it. More so, I was worried about them getting shot or attacked. Perils of living in the country. But luckily, she was waiting on the back porch when I got home and was very grateful for the turkey pepperoni in her bone. I’m definitely not looking forward to the “look up and they’re gone” aspect of parenting. This is why my parents kept me on a leash. A lavender one.