Hello 2014

     2014 came in calmly for me, actually it came it while I was sleeping.  For Christmas we flew home to MO and OK to spend time with family which is always good.  Our flight out of Kansas City left at 0600 and we were staying about an hour away, our alarm went off at 0345 so that was a long day.  We took a short nap at home so by the time 1000 rolled around I was out!  I got a few Happy New Year text but I didn't even hear them, I was so out!  It's nice to see everyone's pictures from New Year's parties and sometimes I feel a twinge of envy for those gatherings but then... by the time I got home I was just burnt out with people so it was fine that we laid low :)
     
     This last year has been full of changes and it has been good.  I ended my active duty orders (much sadness to my bank account), started my MSW, started an internship,  and we GOT ENGAGED!  So like I've been doing these past few years I look back into the blog archives and found my 2013 goals of the year... let's see.  They were:
     -apply to MSW programs     DONE :)
     -take more vacations             not to the point I wanted but we did go to Lake Tahoe and the holiday visit to MO and OK
     -work out more often            I sort of did this :P  I have been doing better but lately have not so I need to start that back up again 
     -eat healthier                          this isn't consistant but I am pretty aware and try not to overdo it with unhealthy stuff.  I have gotten into essential oils and I'm enjoying that addition to my healthy goals
New for 2014
     -I'm carrying over: take more vacations (get out more even locally), work out more often, eat healthier
     -stay on top of things: school work, paperwork, house stuff
     -not only eat healthier but maintain my mental health also
     -do a better job in keeping in touch with people!
     -stay local in shopping and eating
     -get more involved in the community (actually I don't know when I'll have time for this but who knows ;)

I think that's a good list!  I got my first semester grades back and I starting off with a 3.950 GPA :)  All A's except for 1 A-! Go me :)  Classes start back on Tuesday and I'm back to work on Monday. ugh 

Shane is going to be working nights so he's getting on that schedule.  We get back from vacation with a few days for us and he's getting on a night schedule :( Yeah military life but he will be retiring this year, that's the plan, and then we will move to the city.  Down sizing will be interesting.  He's been in this house for, I think 8 years, so we need to down size a lot!  The plan is to move to the city for my last  year of school and hopefully after I graduate we could be moving somewhere else :)  So 2014 is going to be full of changes also but change is good, it keeps us on our toes!

Hard Charging into 2013

After a nice little holiday break, it was back full force into work!  We didn't do anything special for New Year's, we were lazy and I was tired from work.  
We had our drill weekend so we had a lot of prep work for that.  We had an exercise on Saturday up at the VA Hospital with some of the civilian agencies.  Have I mentioned it's been COLD!  It was 7 degrees at one point of the exercise and yes... we were outside the whole time :(  I had many layers on, but my fingers and nose was hurting.  I got home and took a hot bath, then a hot shower and went to bed.  Being outside in the  elements all day really wears you out.  Sunday was not so stressful and we were not outside all day but it was long and busy.  Then right around on Monday back at work.  A majority of our full timers were working on an air load plan.  So it was busy busy this whole last week also.  No rest for the wicked ;)  I would NOT want to be the one backing up those trucks and trailers onto the plan!

That finished up mostly on Wednesday and so Thursday we had a much deserved half day :)  Which worked out perfectly because we had a winter storm hit about 3 that afternoon and I would of had a terrible commute!

So Friday, while it snowed and snowed, I caught up on laundry and did some cleaning!  Fun times I know.  I also managed to get Sami to the groomers so it was a productive day.  Shane tried to take advantage of the free military ski day up at Powder Mountain but it was like 2 hours to get from the mouth of the canyon to the resort... which is ridiculous.  He tried and looking at the road conditions and the visibility from the resort cams he came home and had a lazy day.

Saturday bring us some sun and more snow on the ground.  Sami loves going out and hoping threw the snow!  I can't help but smile at her obvious enjoyment, even though I'm freezing!

I'm ready for the sun shine and some warmth!

Anyhoo with a new year brings new and updates on resolutions.  So here we go....

Again, I'll be continuing a lot of these into 2013.

Be More Earth Friendly I can always improve on this.  I do try to more local goods than not, and I pay attention to what I am buying and where it comes from.  This is hard and it's a major commitment and it will be a resolution until I die I think :P
Stay focus on my goals 
Goals for 2012 were: continue with my MPH, take a kick ass vacation, and work out more often. 
-so the whole MPH thing went to the way side due to program accreditation :( BUT I applied to MSW programs at USC and UofU.  I'm waiting to hear back from the U but was accepted to USC.  I'll know for sure if I'm going to be  a Trojan or a Ute by May! 
-no real vacations were taken :(  we did go back to MO and OK for Thanksgiving and we brought Sami home with us. that was nice
-work out more often.  hmmm this was hit or miss.  i did really good leading up to my fitness test in October but since then, nada.  So on Monday it's back to the grind of working out.

What else can I add to this....
Eat healthier we get lazy with our jobs, and we are tired by the end of the day.  I've already started working on this but on the weekend prior to grocery shopping I make a menu for the week, so I'm buying specific items for planned meals and not a lot of junk.  This is also helpful with $ and less waste!
Also, eat less meat.  Cut down on meat meals, and when I do buy meat but the good stuff (antibiobic free etc.)

I think that's good :P  If I have too many I won't keep track of them!

On a sad note.  After Mom and Dad got home, they had to put Guiselle down.  They think she had a stroke or something, one morning she was out of it, didn't respond to Mom and Dad and had lost control of her bladder.  She's chasing geckos and squirrels in heaven till we make it up there!  She is a great dog and brought a lot of smiles, and love to the family.

A little catch up on a rainy day

So it's been raining all day, already did some homework so I figured I'd try to update this little ol' blog of mine.

First off: resolutions for the New Year.  Looking back to my post last year I'm probably going to carry over a majority of my resolutions.
Be More Earth Friendly I can always improve on this.  I do try to more local goods than not, and I pay attention to what I am buying and where it comes from.  This is hard and it's a major commitement and it will be a resolution until I die I think :P
Stay focus on my goals My goals last year were: get my own place, start on my Masters degree, take a kick ass vacation somewhere in the world, try to be a vegetarian.  I did really good with staying focused!
I did get my own cute little apartment in Salt Lake City, I currently taking my third class toward my MPH, and I did try to be a vegetarian.  The kick ass vacation.... umm, had some work trips to Ohio and went to Missouri for Christmas.  I'm thinking those don't count :P
Goals for this year: continue with my MPH, take a kick ass vacation, and work out more often.
I so need to get in shape!

I think that's good enough for the resolutions.  We'll see how well I do with these!

Codi wasn't a big fan of getting geared up for Christmas since we were going to Missouri, but like a normal parent, Shane made him participate in decorating the tree, putting up lights, and of course taking pictures.  There was also one where he is rolling his eye, but this sarcastic smile was better! LOL

This was the tree at Shane's parents house.  We also had stockings stuffed to overflowing!  We (Shane and I) were brought coffee in bed so we'd get up so we could open presents.  I would like to note that #1 the sun wasn't even up yet and #2 the youngest "kid" was 19 years old I believe!  There was NO need to be up that early to open presents when there are no children younger than 5 in the vicinity!  Needless to say we spent all morning opening presents.  I felt very welcomed due to I had my own stocking and presents, I made out pretty well too!  After presents, Shane and I took a nap! 

We had one night that we went to a local bar so Shane's friends in the area could all meet up.  Granted, with it being the holidays it's a little difficult.  I got to meet some of his high school friends, and there was a mechanical bull there so the boys had to play.....

Overall the trip to Missouri and down to Oklahoma to visit family and friends was good.  Busy but nice to meet everyone, and also see my family (it's only about a 4 hour drive to my family down in Oklahoma from his folks house).  We returned back to Utah still liking each other after our travels, so that's a good thing too!

I really wanted to see the downtown lights for the holidays but with our schedules and traveling it wasn't looking too good.  I was happy to see the lights still up after the new year so one night we did a quick detour to walk through and see  the lights.  It was also a bonus going this late due to lack of crazy crowds!

When we were taking the above photo, a tourist (had a thick accent) said, "Oh facebook photo".  I guess this self portraits are now deemed FB Photos! hahaha

So.... that's the end of the year update that is late in coming :P

Back to me

For the past month and a half my life has been hectic.  I've moved into a new place, Mom came for a visit, worked pretty much every other weekend, bought furniture, had furniture delivered, and then put that furniture together, house sat, and even battled a head cold.  After working this past weekend and house sitting once I got home Monday after work I was just drained, physically and due to that was mentally toeing the line to depression.  When I get exhausted and overwhelmed it's just a minute or two before depression is knocking at my door wanting to come in.  I know this, I know the signs, I know my thoughts are increasingly getting depressed and negative. 
I choose not to allow this to go any further.
I woke up this morning planning to go run before work, BUT with the stupid time change it's still dark out when I got up.  So I just hit snooze for a good hour and half.  Not a good start to fighting my depression.
Then work started off rough. 
My coworker was going to be a few hours late and I was covering doing MA work.  No big deal but the first patient was a type of patient I hadn't dealt with before.  Things were needed to be set up, medication found, syringes and needles put together.  Now I know my way around a needle and syringe (I was a immunization tech for 10yrs) but I was not trained on the specifics of what was needed.  I HATE not knowing something, being unprepared, and just all around looking like I failed in this area.  But things worked out, they always do.  I just hate not being prepared :(  After that hiccup the day settled into it's normal Tuesday. 
But that hectic morning, took me out of my mental negativity and gave me a mental jump start back to normalcy.  Not sure why but it worked.
I got home and changed and went for a jog.  This is the first time I have roamed the streets and got to check out some stuff (even if it was while running).  I went town bound (it's down hill) and appreciated the old houses and the little places that I never really get to notice while I'm driving to work.  I eventually had to turn around and head back uphill but I just walked back :)
Came home and made some spinach/cheese ravioli with some fresh carrots and garlic alfredo sauce.  Yep, I'm sticking to the no meat thing. 
Is it helping me feel better and battle my negative moods?
Who knows but I am feeling better, lighter and even more aware of my food. Plus I'm having fun experimenting in the ways of cooking :D

Making the Leap

Since I've moved into my own place I've attempted to make the leap into a no meat diet.  No, I'm not a non-shaving eco freak but I do want to be healthy and I want to make less of a negative impact on this great earth. 
It's been a weird and challenging change.  
Going shopping and keeping the no meat thought in mind was interesting the first time.  You realize how much processed food is out there, how MUCH you get (not conducive to a single diner), and well.... I even laughed out loud at myself walking the ailes in Wally World.  I thought "oooh tuna is a quick meal" DUH... tune is meat! LOL 
When Mom was out she pointed out that I give a lot of thought to my purchases.  I guess I do.  Even before this change I would try to buy local, things that were more earth friendly, and well... whatever is a lesser of two evils.  So unfortunately when I go shopping by myself I spend a lot of time thinking, picking up objects, looking at the ingredients etc. before dropping it in my cart.  I don't like shopping, but I do like feeling good about my purchases.

I'm also getting comfortable in the kitchen.  I realized tonight that I'm not a follow a recipe to the letter type of gal.  I started off with a recipe but then winged it as I started cooking, I would smell a spice.... Yep that smells like it will go, how about some feta.... why  not?!  Cut up some fresh organic carrots, broccoli, with some pasta, garlic and wha la! Dinner!  It was fun and the wine didn't hurt at all:)

Talking to a friend tonight I informed her of this new change in my life.  She made sure I wasn't becoming some psycho tree hugging hairy hippy (I assured her I wasn't) and then she gave me a virtual pat on the back.  I then told her about my vegetarian recipe hunting frustration the other night... everything looked like mush! Gross!  This friend runs a farm and I helped out this past summer and one night after helping out on the farm we had the most wonderful dinner!  Everything was fresh!  We had fish that was caught in their pond! Awesome!  I want to eat like that on a regular basis.  There was no need to add all this extra stuff, the food it's self was flavorful on it's own.  So, she's going to hook me up with some ideas and some recipes.  Once again, when we are open about our lives... others want to help, relate, and just share in the experience. 

Eating this way takes time and planning.  I just can't have the minute meal and I'm good to go.  Fast food is not part of the vocabulary.  Granted there are some good microwavable vegetarian dishes out there, I've tried them, but I want to stay away from that as much as possible.  Today for lunch at work I had a microwavable meal but it was udon soup with tofu and other seasoning....we had some left over croutons that I tossed in and I was good :)

Unfortunately work is a challenge.  We always have treats: chocolate covered pretzels (big ones), mini candy bars, apple streusel... and that was just today! Ugh... so tonight I'm going to make sure I have some healthy snacks that I can take to work and when the chocolate calls... well, I'll answer once but that's it!

Good bye 2010!

What a year!  Last new years I was was hitting up Waikiki and then watching the fireworks with Shan from my apartment high rise!  Today I'm in snow covered Utah, with a stable job, living in Marcia and David's basement (for just a little longer).  

This past year I spent 2 weeks in India. Took a long time moving out to Utah from Hawaii, spent some quality time with the fam, saw some good friends, got to chill in Chicago for a wee bit and even worked on a farm.  AND that's just the highlights of the year :P  I've had my downs but my ups have DEFIANTLY outnumbered them this past year!


Well, I was looking at my blog for my resolutions for this past year and I couldn't find them?!  Hmph... so I grabbed these from 2009 to see how things are going.

be more earth friendly-Still working on this one and will till I die.  It's a little hard when you are living with others, and doing a lot of traveling but I'm doing what I can. :)

stay focused on my goals-well... what are the goals for 2011?! Get my own place, I'd like to have an AWD vehicle too, get started on my Masters, take a kick ass vacation somewhere in the world, try to be a vegetarian.  yes ladies and gents you read that last one right! When I get my own place I'm going to attempt to be a vegetarian.  I've been thinking about this for awhile, for a number a reasons.  At work we have a lot of lunches catered due to the drug reps (that's a whole other post) and I usually get the vegetarian dish and they are pretty good.  So we will see on that one!

exercise more-I've been doing good on this one BUT I could do better.

I had a resolution about not jumping into relationships too fast, or trying to "help" guys.  Not a resolution that needs to be carried over.  I'm so done with that part of my life.  Truth be told, I am really enjoying not being in a relationship.  Since being in Utah I've gone on a handful of dates and that's been just fine by me.  No hurry in this department :)

live in the moment, don't fret about the future-I think I did very well with this one in 2010! I'll do even better in 2011!!!

Now for some new ones:
      -get more involved in the community/volunteer etc.
      -take some classes for my own enjoyment (dance, some sort of art thing, cooking... whatever floats my boat)
      -once I get my own place, eat healthier and even try to to be a vegetarian
  
I'm feeling good about 2011.  It's a fresh start, a clean slate, and I'm ready to go!