Daydreaming of Greener Pastures (meaning Ireland)

I'm working, it's raining.  Not the usual California "sprinkles" that barely darken the asphalt, or muddy a dusty car, but real rain.  Big drops, changing direction drops, causing flooding of parking lot drops.  (Reminds me of Forrest Gump and all the types of rain in Vietnam!)  I used to hate rainy days.  But, as I grow up, I have learned that rainy days are some of the best type of days.  They are cleansing, renewing, and all important in this drought-laden state.  But more than that, after spending our honeymoon in Ireland, I cannot get enough of these grey sky, God crying days.  I love that outside my window is a green field of grass, and the grey sky background.  If it weren't for the traffic driving by on the main street outside my office, I could almost pretend I were still in Ireland.  Well, except for the music I have on in my office, that is not advertising for Bon Jovi in June 2013, or the keys on my keyboard being where they are supposed to be.  By the way, if you have never used a keyboard in Ireland, the "@" key and the quotation mark key are in opposite locations, which was really confusing when trying to check my email!

I miss the rolling green hills, the fresh Guinness pints, the accents, the miniature cars driving the wrong way on the wrong side of the road, the sheep with painted butts, the rain, and the beauty when the rain stops for a brief moment and the sky clears and the colors of the land just glow and sparkle with drops of rain.  I miss being on my honeymoon.  I miss the excitement of not knowing what the next town was going to be like (although they were all quite similar).  

And now, I must get back to work, with thoughts of greener pastures dancing in my head... 

30 in 30

Now that I am 30 (and have been since September!), I have decided to set 30 goals that I want to achieve, or at the very least be actively pursuing, before my 31st birthday.

1. Declutter my life;
2. Stop impulse buying;
3. Start saving;
4. Pay down debt;
5. Stop nail biting;
6. Dress for the job I wish I had;
7. Be a better friend;
8. Learn to bake;
9. Take more pictures;
10. Regularly post on this blog;
11. Be a better sister;
12. Volunteer more;
13. Exercise regularly;
14. Eat healthier;
15. Continue to grow my hair out;
16. Take vitamins regularly;
17. Act how I want to feel;
18. Watch less t.v. and be a more active participant in my own life;
19. Have lazy days and don't feel guilty about it;
20. Remember birthdays;
21. Send friends and family snail mail;
22. Clip coupons;
23. Call friends more than texting them;
24. Drink less alcohol;
25. Drink more water;
26. Figure out three things that truly bring me happiness and do them at least bi-weekly;
27. Spend more time with my mom and sister;
28. Stop complaining about my job, and focus on something good that happens at work each day;
29. Scuba dive at least twice;
30. Go sky diving.

The Hotel Blues

Tonight marks my first night away from the husb'd since we were married on October 27, 2012.  I had to travel to L.A. for the night for an early morning hearing on Tuesday morning.  Not. Excited. At. All.  Well, I guess that is slightly incorrect.  I am looking forward to making a court appearance, since they are few and far between for me.  But, I am not excited to stay in a weird hotel in Hollywood, alone, when I have so much to do to prepare for Thanksgiving.  (Tangent No. 1) Chad and I are hosting Turkey Day this year, for 12 people.  We LOVE cooking, and I love playing host, especially to our family.  It will be fun, once I get the house cleaned.  I am a neat freak when it comes to having people over.  I live for the smell of a freshly bleached house.  Well, that is an exaggeration.  But I really do derrive happiness from a clean, organized home. 

To go off on another tangent, (No. 2) I am reading the book "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, and I am completely inspired to begin my own Happiness Project.  The first step for me will be to purge the clothes from my closet and dresser that I never wear but hang on to because I paid for them and can't bear to admit that they were not smart clothing purchases.  My closet is a miserable place.  Besides it being insanely packed full to the point that I am unable to find anything, poor Chad only has about 1/4 of the space for his clothes.  Not fair, I know.  So, my goal for tonight was to clean out the closet. 

Since that didn't happen, as I am now locked in my hotel room, there is one more "to do" on my list that will not get crossed off for a few days.  Such is life.  At least I get a chance to miss the husb'd and when I get home it will be even more awesome to see him and get to spend the evening together.  I really believe absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

Back to my Happiness Project.  I do not believe I am an unhappy person, but I believe I can better appreciate my life and all the gifts and blessings God has given me.  In order to work on gaining a better appreciation for my life, I have decided to try some of Gretchen Rubin's suggestions, beginning with decluttering my home and organizing everything space by space.  The only other goal I have set to date is to work on this blog, because writing is an outlet that I have not actively pursued in quite some time.  I have accepted that I may never be a popular or well-read (if at all) blogger, but at least I will have a virtual diary of my newlywed life. 

So, back to the title - the hotel blues.  Do you ever stay in a hotel and just wonder how many people before you have slept in the same bed, walked on the same carpet, showered in the same shower?  It kind of makes me long for my own bed, slept in only by my husb'd and me, and going on a year now, our puppy, Jameson and cat, Cow.  So, while I'm longing for my own pillow, own bathroom, own blankets and sheets and snuggly husb'd, you enjoy the comfort of your own home, if you are so lucky to be there.

My sweet pup, Jameson, doing what he does best.  I am missing him snuggling by me right now! 

Also missing this man, and those kisses.

Hopefully my next post will be better focused.

My First Blog Post. Ever.

So, I've always dreamed of having my very own blog - a place I can call my own, dedicated solely to my own thoughts, fears, experiences, goals, desires.  Something dedicated to my life, that people may or may not read, may or may not enjoy, but mainly for my own record keeping.  A virtual diary that is public.  Scary, honest, open.

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately, whether it is during a thought process break at work, or at home while waiting for the husb'd to arrive home from a meeting, and I have become so envious of these women who are able to get sponsors and have giveaways.  All for posting about their ordinary, and sometimes extraordinary, lives.  

I've always been fond of writing.  I was an English major at UCSB, and I have always wanted to be a writer.  I dreamed of writing for a magazine, and during a college course on Magazine writing, I tried desperately hard to have a piece published.  It was a very personal piece about my sister, who was born when I was 13 years old, and what a blessing (and a curse) she was on my life.  Looking back, it probably wasn't my best choice for a first piece to have published, but I was proud of myself for my honesty in my thoughts, fears and experiences.  My hope is that this blog will provide a forum for my own honesty in sharing, or at least voicing into cyberspace my thoughts, fears and experiences.  So, here's to me - and my first blog.  Ever.

My Mr. and me, in the photo we used in our Save the Date - I adore this blue couch.