Past Weekend

A long weekend has gone by, another month is almost past. Thunderstorms still hail down and spring has started to turn to summer.

I did some grocery shopping and stocked up on some good food for the week. We barbecued one day which allowed us to have a plate of food without cooking yesterday. We did more major spring cleaning of another room, which resulted in less clutter, more trash to take out, and a cleaner space. The front windows were installed and look great, the storm door arrived and we will set up a date for installation. I ran a 25K relay on Sunday morning and we all got finishers medals. My time wasn't too bad for my leg of the run.

There is more to do, more to clean, and plans being made. There seems to still be a lot going on and that's how it should be.
TT

Ricky, the fish

Poor, Ricky, the beta fish didn't make it through yesterday. I came home and his little bubbling fish tank was no more and neither was he. Actually, Jay was off yesterday and cleared the entire area by the time I came home. It looks really odd in the tiny space without it being taken up with the tiny structure that Ricky inhabited. Jay bought the fish for the grand kids, promptly named him Ricky, and then had to feed him and change out the water in the tank.

From what I could tell it was natural causes. We had the little guy a long time or at least what we think is very long for a beta fish. We haven't told anyone yet. The grand kids don't know but I'm sure we will all get past it soon enough. Jay says he isn't getting another one. This is just one of those things that happen and we are going to have a much harder time taking care of our very old dog. Poor Tobi girl has gone blind although she still prances out in the middle of the yard in the rain. She's adjusted very well for such an old girl and yes, it's an actual prance.

I didn't mean to start writing about a fish, or a dog. You come to realize how long you've had these pets around when you see a small space that is vacated. Seems we aren't doing so well in the pet department.

TT

Give it another go

Here it is a new week. It's almost funny that the weekend when I have the most free time is when I can't seem to keep up. I guess that is why I attempted this commit to change of routines during the work-week of Monday through Friday.

I kept myself very busy during the weekend while I had a 5.5 mile run, made it to the Magic Shop to take some photos and attended the book reading by a local author that wrote a YA book that featured a magic shop inspired by ours. Sunday was a complete spring cleaning of the bedroom. It was a total wipe down for dust on every piece of furniture while curtains were washed, along with windows. Carpet was vacuum, even to the extend of moving the bed and nightstands to get every last dust mite. New pillow, bedspread and sheets were ordered to arrive Tuesday. Ceiling fan and light fixtures didn't get forgotten, either, and are shining all that brighter.

So after I worked away the weekend it's time to figure out what the goals should be for this week. I'm a little more motivated today since I've found there is some type of balance within it all. Things can change, albeit slowly, if you stay with it. So I'm giving it another go this Monday through Friday. It's time to organize myself quickly. That is another key. Don't spend too much time thinking about what the goals should be. Take down your first thoughts and go with it. It's only for five days.
TT

Week of Change

I started out this week with the idea to make some afternoon changes in my routine from Monday through Friday. I wanted to break out of a rut and routine that was unproductive, uninspiring, and making me less than happy with how I was spending my time between work and free time.

My main objective was to make a conscience effort to do something different than what I was currently doing. I wanted to change it up but knew if I tried to do anything too drastic, too soon, it wouldn't work.

I decided to pick a couple of things I could do in that time frame and set up simple goals for the entire week. I knew what it would calculate to each day but didn't it necessarily mean anything if I did less one day or the other. It was about doing something other than what I was currently doing.

So, here it is Friday after I started and I can take a look at the overall outcome. One of the goals I set up wasn't touched at all. I could say it was an epic fail. I could shrug and say I might as well give up. I could, but I did work on the other goal. I can't say I met the entire goal which could be another fail but that really wasn't the objective of this entire experiment. It really wasn't a fail since I'm not having that feeling of being in that unproductive rut after these few days. I have more work to do on this and these goals but for a first time try, I did pretty well.

I will say it hasn't been easy. I could easily go back to that old routine but this idea of making me think to do something else has made a difference. I have a little more to show for my time. I feel a little better about how it was spent. That was the objective of this week and although I didn't touch one goal and was just under reaching the other it proved to work. It's going to take a little more to keep it up but it's baby steps, and not talking about epic fails, but keeping the true objective in mind. Take it slow and steady. Round one done. Let's keep at it.
TT

Some Subtleties

There was some real effort made yesterday afternoon. Actually, the efforts are continuing all this week but yesterday was a  productive day in comparison to the few other days. At this point I can see where there is a defined ebb and flow of how progress is made in trying to make these few simple changes.

This isn't an exact science and thank goodness for that! If I had to stick to some pre-conceived, pre-measured, pre-calculated theory, I would have a hard time even thinking I could make it work much less start to getting any of it done. It wouldn't be the way to go and I don't think there are too many people that could get past the idea of attempting it that way. No. I didn't have any way-out there formula when I came up with this idea. It was simply a common sense approach to making things better.

Ruts are no place to be. Routines are all well and good if they are working for you but when you get to the point to know something isn't work it's time to change. Nothing drastic, nothing to far out there. That might work after major life experiences but in the day-to-day simple is how to go. It's been a mellow wave of not much to notice going on so far. Things are being done differently but with such subtleties you might not notice. It's probably why it felt as if there was more effort yesterday than any of the other days. And that can be a good thing.
TT

Taking the Small Steps

I've made the smallest steps possible for progress through this five day goal setting expedition. I haven't exactly been going at any of this with any type of force to making these goals early. I've probably put myself into a position that I will have to put some real muscle into getting them all accomplished in my five day time frame. I can see myself cramming on the last day in order to get the tasks done.

That isn't really the point of this whole experiment. The idea isn't to scoot along and then bombard at the end to save the finish. But I can't even say it has been a lost cause, either. I may not be hitting these goals as hard as I could, or should, or would, but the small steps count when they are going in the right direction. I've made the smallest amount of progress on these particular goals but I have made changes that effect the overall purpose of this week of doing differently.

They say to take the small steps. Crawl before you walk and walk before you run. Then they say to start over and try it again. Small steps don't seem so much when it's all your taking on a five day journey. The results won't always be exactly what you thought you were starting out to accomplish. They may be less than the actual you had in mind when you started.

The key is to keep taking the small steps the entire five days no matter the final results. I may not be able to check off every bullet point of goals I set up at the beginning of this week. It doesn't mean I'm not working toward the end results. They say change comes slowly and I have a couple more days to go. So far so good. It isn't going to change the world, even mine at this point, but it is making a difference and that's the point. Small steps can get you anywhere you want to go if you just start taking them.
TT

Short list

I made myself a short list of goals for the five days this week, Monday through Friday. I put up some simple and not too far-reaching ideas of things that would be good to get done. It's only been one day and I've had a hit and a miss. Since the goals can be cumulative for the end of the week but worked into smaller increments each day, it should be easier to maintain and get something done each day.

Changes are tough and these aren't even that big a deal. It's only when you have ingrained some bad habits into your daily routine for so long that it becomes uncomfortable to do them differently even if you don't like the fact that you are doing them. I'm talking about how hard it is to change those comfortably bad things you've been doing and not the new changes you're trying to put into place.

I'm not sure why it's always easier to go with the flow of whatever you've already been doing for so long even if you know it isn't any good than changing it for what you know is better. It is such a stubborn, hard-headed dilemma to put yourself in. It would be much more logical to change for the better yet that comfort of falling into the same old routine always seems to be easier.

Work for it, buttercup. Who said change is easy? And why shouldn't you work just a little harder to make some changes for the better. Because you know they are and think of the new adventures that will come from doing something new and better. How much better will the overall feeling be when you are not thinking of how you should change things?

It's a short list of goals for only five days. Yesterday, I had a hit and a miss. It sounds like I'm about on track. That's the way these things go.
TT

Ghetto no more

We started our refurbishing of the front of the house project. Actually, we are more than started. We have ordered the two windows that will replace the old aluminum single glass windows with the new up-to-date, fancy-schmancy, energy efficient product of the ages. We have also ordered the Security Front Door, not to be confused with a Storm Door, which is the beat the glass with a bat and can't break it door that is higher priced. We have the paint to apply to the entire front railings and trims that will make the entire front entrance less 'ghetto' as Jay called the entire area.

This project was his idea. I didn't realize with all the improvements we have done to the house that the front was looking like a house from the 'ghetto', but obviously I wasn't paying attention. The area was in need of a good paint job. Those two front windows are the last on the bottom floor of the house that we haven't replaced. (We still need to replace all the upstairs windows, but let's leave them ghetto for a few more months - after this project is finished would be good timing). I guess I like the idea of replacing the flimsy iron second door on the front with the fancy-schmancy and pricey security door which will be more intimidating. When it's all done, it will be a big improvement.

We are waiting now for the windows and doors to come in and be installed. I think that means I need to get to sanding down the railings and trim. There is paint that needs to be applied. Like I said, it's Jay's project. I'm just not sure how much sanding and painting he will actually do, but it will look so much better than ghetto when it's all done.

It better.
TT

Fly by

I don't remember where I left off. Does it matter? Ummm. I immediately glance over at my calendar as if it's my point of reference for where I am. It's just about the middle of the month. Is that the gauge?

It's a pretty good idea of how things have been going lately. Very quickly. I am here and then there in a few seconds flat. It seems that way. I mean, it must be true since the calendar says so. But the good news is that it's Friday and almost my weekend. I will fly through the work day and need to arrange myself properly to see what the agenda holds.
TT

Five-Five

May 5th.

5/5 - Cinco De Mayo - Everything is coming up fives today. Does that mean a 5-miler? That might be a good approach for today. Five miles might be a good number since today is so full of fives, fives, fives. It's easy to say that now when I can't head out and do it this moment. I'd be happy to do it now. We shall see how it goes later this afternoon when I have the time. But I think I'm putting that number in my head or it was in my head and I will use the number.

I got the download for the new Nike+ application. It isn't out for mass consumption and actually I was picked as one of their beta testers. I scanned through it very quickly and will need to take a little more time to see all it offers. It looks like the running tracker is still pretty much the same so I can still use that with little effort or change but it has more options that I need to take a look-see of all it provides. I guess then I get to let them know what I think. Maybe I should come up with five things I notice about the appl. That would fit right in for today with all the fives.
TT

Two Days done

May 3rd.

Monday came and went as they always do. There wasn't much that happened that wasn't out of routine. It's was a cooler day than expected, it drizzled some rain in the morning, but other than those things there wasn't much to set it apart from any other Monday that comes along.

Here is the one thing that might kick it out of the norm. Even after getting some work done after work at home, I geared up and went for that run I thought about doing that very morning. I didn't let the time and attitude slip into a nightly coma and overtake my sensibilities. I actually made it through a good 3.5 - 4 miler. Add that to my list and I have a two day stretch going on here.

I know. Not much. But today is only day three of the month and I have two runs in. Starting one run at a time.
TT

In-between now and later

May 2nd.

It's early Monday morning and I'm ready to head out to work. I've flipped my manual calendars on my desk at home to reveal this new month of May getting started. I'm sure all my electronic devices have already flipped themselves over. In any case, it's all a new ball game now. The slate of last month is cleared. I started out yesterday with a good 5 mile run and plans are for at least a 3 miler this afternoon.

I have a lot of day in-between now and then. I know how things can change in a instant. I tried to hide behind the thought I needed some motivation yesterday to keep it all going. I don't know if I was looking for long term or just short but I realized it can only be found by doing the thing I think I need motivation to do. Nike's slogan sort of has it right. Just do it. Keep it up. Let's go and get it done.

I ate myself some cake yesterday along with the rest of the menu of Filet Mignon, Shrimp Scampi with homemade pasta and grilled asparagus.

Working some of this off might be considered motivation for today.
Just do it.
TT

Let's go

May 1st.

It's a Sunday for this first day of the new month. May Day. A festival of Spring, cause for celebration, and let's eat cake. Not this instant, of course. The cake is for later.

I started off with a five mile run for this fifth month of the year. I started the day earlier sitting in front of my laptop searching 'motivation' as if I could breath it in from the internet. I only got as far as a few lines of offerings. The first was explaining there were two types of motivation, another claimed 6 types, and yet another said the magic number was four types. I realized at that point in my brief summary readings that if there were so many types of motivation, why was it so hard to keep it going? I learned just enough from those sentences to be dangerous, if motivation can ever be considered that. I also realized I was wasting a perfectly good morning sitting reading instead of going out and chasing down my motivation. I mean, what was I doing sitting in front of a computer trying to find something that can only be found by doing the thing you think you need motivation to do.

Do I ever think about motivation when I'm doing the things I want to do? No. So why search for it. The only way to find it is to do it. So I did. Five miles worth of motivation and soon comes the celebration, and then cake.

Actually, we are celebrating Dante's birthday today (his birthday is Tuesday) and I found an old recipe that called for squares on unsweetened baking chocolate. I hadn't used that in years upon years ago. So here is the cake...I wasn't kidding.

Let's go. Eat cake!
TT