Ugh

I got my books for next semester today.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed. The pile is about one book shy of the mountain in this pic, I kid you not.

Not sure I wanna do this again.

Would rather start small bonfire to ring in the new year. I'll bring the marshmallows, you bring the stick.

WHOOT!

I got over 3K today. I'm on fire. Love this story. Go me!

That 'tis all. :)

Back to your regularly scheduled program...

Check-In

Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole week since I blogged last. Sure doesn't seem that long. Hope you didn't miss me too much. LOL J Of course, I was busy doing the holiday thing, as I'm sure everyone was. All in all, things were good, even though it hardly seems like December, let alone nearly the new year. I've decided that this year (well, Christmas anyhow) is pretty much just a wash. It came and went by too fast to enjoy, so there's nothing I can do now but wait for next year and hope it's better. J

So, onto the important stuff…this weeks goals. First, I have to say that I'm not entirely disappointed in what I accomplished last week. I wrote more than 3,500 words, but I didn't write every day. And a lot of what I wrote I already know I won't use. But…those words did help me understand my story better, so I can't say they were a total waste. And I also read some, but not as much as I hoped. That said, my goal this week is to finish up what I didn't do last week and then some.

• Get to the halfway point of East of Eden and then some. Like the 2/3 mark, which would be something like page 475. I think. Don't hold me to it. LOL


• Write 1K a day until Jan. 1, then write 2K a day for Romance Divas JaNoWriMo, or whatever they're calling it now. Yep, I'm out of my mind. Nothing new there. :D


• Read and write my Girls on Books review before Thursday night, since I have to work lots this week.


• Xmas stuff put away by next Saturday.


• Call my boss who owns what used to be an equivalent to Curves (and is now not technically open…to the public anyway) to see if I can work out on the equipment, since my treadmill is jam packed with crayons and Hot Wheels cars and God only knows what else. L

What do you have going this week? Have you made your list of New Year's resolutions yet? (I'll post later in the week about mine.)

Let’s Try This Again

A few months back on my other blog, I tried to set weekly goals for myself, but, much like with New Year's resolutions, I gave up after a week. Well, part of this transformation I'm hoping to make requires me to set specific goals and actually keep them, if you can believe it. J So, that in mind, I'm giving it another go round. Except instead of posting them mid-week, I'm going to post on Sunday. This may very well change once the new semester begins in a couple weeks, because unfortunately my life tends to revolve around school when it's in session.

Anyhow, these are my goals for this week:

• Read to the halfway mark in East of Eden. This would be to page 310 and is 254 pages away. Yikes. But it's gotta be done since the book is due back at the library soon. (So are three others I've yet to open the cover on, but I'll worry about them later.) NOPE...CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR
  
• Read half of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This is my second ever self-help-like book. The first was something by Oprah, but since my butt is still huge, I obviously didn't take much away from it. Hopefully this one will be different. Oh, and I'm not counting the books about dealing with unruly children either—I've read more of them then I care to admit since they didn't do a lick of good. NOPE
  
• Read/crit story for Moira. READ, BUT NOT COMPLETELY CRITTED
  
• Write at least 500 words every day. Nope, not a steep goal and not a very productive one either, but it's realistic with all that'll be going on this week. CHECK...KINDA. I WROTE EQUIVALENT OF MORE THAN 500 A DAY, BUT DID NOT WRITE EVERY DAY
  
• Write my review for TGOB as my alter-ego Jolie before Friday morning. Which should be easy since I read that book yesterday. Woohoo! Go me! CHECK!
  
• And last, but not least… Clean, bake (didn't do a thing this weekend), finish shopping, and wrap gifts. Preferably before Wednesday night. CHECK!
  

So, that's what I'll be chipping away at. What do you have going this week other than the holiday mumbo-jumbo?

Christmas Cookies!

Since I will be spending most of my weekend slaving away in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies and other sweet treats (and also not doing so well on the losing weight goal), I thought I'd share a favorite family recipe: my Grandma Church's famous sour cream sugar cookies.

Now my immediate family happens to like the cookies rolled out a bit thicker, because then they end up softer, but they're also delicious rolled out thin and cooked crispy. Let me know if you give them a try. J

Grandma Church's Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 c. shortening

1 ½ c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

4 c. flour, plus extra to roll dough

Cream first five ingredients together, then add flour. Roll to desired thickness, cut, and back on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees until golden brown. Honestly, I don't know long this takes since I usually just keep an eye on them and, since there aren't any eggs in the recipe, taking the cookies out while they're still a little soft is fine. I think they're actually better that way myself. Frost them as desired and then enjoy. :)

Twisted Logic

I've never been one to follow the crowd. Okay, well, I have to a certain degree, I guess, but there are some things in which I just have to go the opposite direction. I don't actually think about it—it's more of a compulsion. A need. An urge so strong I can't help but go with it. I've mentioned this before, but reading—or rather not reading—the Twilight series is one of my most recent rebellious compulsions. I honestly do not know why I don't want to read the books—I just know that I don't and therefore I'm not. I don't why this is, but when it comes to these little moods I get in, there is nothing that will change my mind. And I really mean nothing. I'm seriously as stubborn as a mule. Which is strange as hell, because when it comes to anything else in my life, I'm wishy-washy as all get-out. I can't make up my mind about anything. I whine and complain to no end and then I whine some more (as those who know me know very well).

So, while wondering what the heck is up with my effed-up head, I googled "fun writing tips" and found this. Ironically, it fits in perfectly with the topic of my craziness. Those of us who are writers know the typical suggestions for productivity (as Mr. Kjerulf notes, as well) and those of you who know me know that those don't work for me. I know I'm going out on a limb here—even bordering on making the forbidden "E" words for my lack of productivity—but I wonder if maybe my subconscious mind has went and rebelled the stuff that normally works, much like my conscious mind has rebelled so many other things in my life.

I'll pause here while you laugh your ass off and/or scratch your head. I know I'm a nutcase, but there's something to be said for knowing you're not all there, isn't there? J

Anyhow, I think Mr. Kjerulf's suggestions are good and very fitting to what I've found actually does work for me (on the rare occasions I've rocked out the mojo). There are days (more often than not) when I cannot write at my computer. I need a change of scenery and an escape from the rest of my life (kids, laundry, etc.). When it's just me and my AlphaSmart or a notebook, it's amazing how prolific I can be. Also, I cannot completely "pants"—I need to have some direction, even if it's just a skeleton of a plan. I also find I write better when I'm alone (even IM can be distracting and, yes, I know I'm going to hear about that one, M.) I'm not so sure about the advice about getting feedback as I go, because then I tend to get caught up in revising. I do like the last suggestion of not setting goals and deadlines, but I don't know that that's something I want to get in the habit of, because editors live by them—and, thus, so do writers. Then again, I don't have an editor yet, so… J

Do you have any crazy tricks that work for you, whether it be in writing or getting yourself to the gym. etc.? Have you tried any of Mr. Kjerulf's suggestions? Did this somewhat twisted way of going about writing work for you?

By the way, we officially have a week left until Christmas. Are you ready?

Get SMART

Why have I never heard that acronym (at least in regard to setting goals) before? Have I been living under a rock or what? Please...don't answer that.

In case you don't know what setting SMART goals is all about, I'll tell ya:

• S - Specific. Set specific goals. "Write today" does not count. "Write 1500 words today" does.
• M - Measurable. Set goals that are measurable. "Read more" is not cool, but "Read 8 books this month" is.
• A - Attainable. Set goals that you can actually achieve. "Lose 50 lbs. by spring" is setting yourself up for failure. "Lose 5 lbs. this month" is much more like to happen.
• R - Realistic. Like above, set goals you can actually do. "Never eat chocolate again"...bwaahahaha! "Eat chocolate only once a week" is a still a stretch, but is also a more realistic goal.
• T - Timely. Give yourself a specific time frame in which to achieve the goal and stick to it! This is perhaps my biggest downfall when it comes to setting and keeping goals.

Reading

As I've mentioned, submerging myself in the literary genius of classic novels has long been an aspiration of mine. I remember having this list of must-read classics in high school (not sure where it came from), but the only one I ever managed to cross off was The Grapes of Wrath and that was because it was required for freshman-year English. I actually liked the book, though I'm sure I didn't get as much out of it then as I would now. Knowing that I was able to read Steinbeck without wanting to pull my hair out, I picked up East of Eden from the library and just began reading it this week.

Holy crap, it's a long book. Some 602 pages to be exact. And the print isn't the largest I've read either. It might seriously take me a month to read this book. Of course, I'm sure it'll be worth it, but…gawd. I am not a long book kind of gal. Short and sweet is my preference. The Great Gatsby was perfect in that regard—I could've read it in one night had the kids not haggled me to death, thus, forcing me to spend three evenings on it instead.

Crossing my fingers that it doesn't really take me a month on East of Eden, I'm digging into The Woman in White next. Have you read any of these books? Did you like them? Hate them? Do you have others to suggest?

I Had A Dream

Which was very rudely interrupted by my sister-in-law a couple of days ago. Before she could even get a word out, I chewed her ass for waking me up from, quite possibly, the best dream I'd had in months. You guessed it, ladies: I was dreaming about shoes.

And not just any shoes. Sexy, bend-me-over stilettos that I have never seen before, much less had the pleasure of wearing. Especially with my duck feet and chunky ankles, not to mention sans polish toes. I don't remember the details of the dream (other than that my ex and my grandma's cat were in it), but I do know that I was positively feeling the vapors when I glanced down and saw a pair of heels eerily similar to these on my feet:

How ironic is it that, not only did I find a pair of shoes that looked like the ones in my dream (it's not like they were standard black slingbacks), but that I managed to do so on the first page of my first search? Tell me the powers that be didn't have something to do with that, I dare you. I'm so convinced these babies were made for me that I'd buy 'em…if I had $895.00 to blow.

So, big deal, right? What the hell does the dream or these shoes have to do with "loofahing" my life?

Back in the day (you know, before I went all pear-shaped—thank you, Melanie Carmichael—and developed cankles), I LOVED shoes. I had tons of them. I wouldn't say I had an addiction or anything, but I treated myself on a regular basis. In fact, I still love shoes, but they're no longer a priority, along with a lot of other things that I used to love, and that totally burns my ass. One of the first things I'm going to do when I get that "real" job is buy myself a pair of the sluttiest heels I can find (and afford). Then I'm going to cross my fingers that I don't break my neck trying to walk in them.

How about you? Have you given up such delicacies somewhere along the way? Or do you just have a shoe dependency?

Revelating

Nope, that is not a word. Or at least Word says it's not, but I happen to love it, so therefore I'm using it. I like to be rebellious like that.

Anyhow, I thought I'd start things out by pinpointing exactly what it is I hope to accomplish—ehem, what I will accomplish—in 2009. Grab a cup of coffee, because this could take awhile…

• Finish my degree. I have only one semester and an internship left.
  
• Find a "real" job and finally make $$$ for my family. And a new wardrobe. And a pair of slutty stilettos.
  
• Get healthy and lose weight. A lot of weight. Fifty pounds would be nice.
  
• Read 100 books, including several classics. Follow my progress in the sidebar.
  
• Write. And write. And write.
  
• Revise, polish, and submit something I've written. Then write some more.
  
• Get a pedicure. Don't laugh. That's a biggie on my list.
  
• Organize and keep my house clean. This means doing the dishes every day. I know…craziness. But someone's gotta do it.
  
• Send birthday and anniversary cards to loved ones.
  
• Chat/email with gal-pals at least once a week.
  
• Read to my kids every day.
  
• Play with the kids every day.
  
• Make more time for Hubby.
  
• Cease to wear my pjs out of the house.
  
• Go to church. At least once a month. (Don't shake your finger at me!)
  
• Go to town board and PTO meetings. Become more involved in the community.
  

The Loofah Mission

Welcome to The Loofah, the place where I will be "scouring away the old and bringing forth the new" in 2009.

So, maybe getting rid of the "old" isn't entirely correct, because what I'm really hoping to achieve by keeping this blog is to allow the fun, confident, life-loving person I used to be to resurface again. Somewhere along the way (in the midst of kids, marriage, and college...in that order), I lost her. And, frankly, I'm sick of pretending I'm happy as things are. Now, don't get me wrong--I love my family--but, as far too many people out there know, this person I appear to be on the outside is not who I feel I am inside. Honestly, I don't know who the hell she is other than that she's lazy, indecisive, scared (of too many things to mention), and she's letting life pass her by as she waits for the so-called "right" time to break free.

Well, folks, we all know that there will never be a "right" time. There will always be something that threatens to hold us back and I refuse to give in to it anymore. I absolutely refuse to continue living my life "in waiting". The time for me is now. I am not getting any younger and life certainly isn't slowing down.

Now, I don't plan to use this space to gripe about what I feel I'm missing and what I really want--I plan to use this blog as a journal of sorts in which I let loose, hopefully to the extent I shed the not-so-accurate exterior to expose the woman I am and have always been. Of course, there will be some evolving involved--okay, lots of evolving--as I've yet to perfect any aspect of my life. Except maybe my love of tattooed men and iced mochas, but I digress...

Some hints as to what to expect in the months to come: my journey toward better health, a turn-around of my chronic indecision (aka fear of making the wrong decision, namely when it comes to my aspirations to write), my intellectual expansion (finally fulfilling my high-school aspiration of conquering classic novels and becoming more politically opinionated), my journey toward organization (in other words, keeping my house clean, because, yes, that is a real issue for me), and becoming an overall better person (i.e. a better mother, a better friend, a better employee, etc.).

So, I hope that I don't bore you to tears, but rather show you a side of myself (or several sides, as it may be) that you didn't know existed.