Wet Laundry

The dryers at the laundromat weren't working today :( All my clothes and half of G's clothes are still wet.   I've been trying to dry the dampest items next to the heater...

1. I've been getting at least 8 hours of sleep every day since I first posted! Yesss. I've been waking up on time and feeling great at work. The only tricky thing has been getting to bed on time (oops, I'm late already!!)

2. I've been pretty good at staying off the internet. I have gone on at lunch time to check my email the past few days and I went on Facebook to wish Stuart a Happy Birthday this morning. It hasn't been easy to stay off the internet. I definitely have a compulsive urge to surf when I'm at my desk.

This weekend I'm going to try and have regular sleep hours. I know that if I either stay up too late or sleep in, I'll have a hard time when Monday rolls around.  Sis is visiting, so I may not be able to stick to this, but I'll try.

So far, though, I am definitely enjoying my "Happiness Project"-inspired resolutions. I feel so much better at work: I can really focus and I get A LOT done in just 8 hours.  "Last Year" I was working 10 to 11 hours and not getting as much done.  I'm also in a much better mood lately.  I think this has to do with working less hours, sleeping well, and getting some exercise (I worked out yesterday morning).

**Today I am Thankful For**
Having clean clothes. Even though my clothes are all wet, at least they are clean and smell nice (instead of like cat pee, which is how they smelled earlier...)

This is the Beginning of my Shoooowww!!

My New Year's resolution is to Take Better Care of Myself.  I'm loosely following Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project, a great and inspiring book/blog.  I'm using this blog to track my progress and keep myself mindful of my resolution. I don't intend on blogging everyday -- but I would prefer no gaps larger than 3 days.

This month, I'm focusing on the following:

1. Jennie the Human -- get 8 hours of sleep every night!
2. Work -- no internet at work except at lunch or after I'm off the clock. This means Facebook, Gmail, and anything else not related to work!

To me, resolutions are about making habits. These are the top two habits I'd like to form that I think will really impact my general quality of life and peace of mind.  I also aim to add 30 minutes of physical activity to my list, but I don't want to push it.  One of the things I have realized about myself over the past (crappy) year is that I tend to overdo everything. I take on too much work, I expect too much from myself, and I end up being disappointed and ultimately depressed. Nevermore!

This past week off has been phenomenal. I had such a great time visiting with friends and just enjoying life. My mind feels clear, I can let go, and just be happy. I want to preserve this feeling for as long as I possibly can.

**Today I am Thankful For:**
My house! I have the best house with 2 beautiful kitties and 1 handsome G. I complain about the mess, but it's comfortable and lovely. I stay warm, the kitties purr, and G cooks. What more could I ask for?!

Hiking in Armstrong Redwoods!

Yesterday, Dale, G, and I went hiking in the Armstrong Redwoods. It was a gorgeous day (which my measly little phone camera can't capture so well) and a great 3 hour hike! I'm feeling sore in the glutes today, haha

Here's a snapshot of the trail map.

Destination: Bull-Frog pond

 

Dale on the way up.I think that's another guy coming back down.

We saw a bunch of nice streams and moss-covered trees.

G resting a the bridge

This reservoir supports the homes, pottery barn (literally), and Ranger stations along the trail.

Still hiking up the mountain. We started at ~200feet elevation and are working our way up to 1600feet. G doesn't look too happy and Dale is in the back.

The top! And time for a break. G brought some awesome cheese and salami sandwiches and a few oranges. Mmmm...

It was a short hike from the top over to bullfrog pond. It was beautiful! complete with fishermen, ducks, daffodils, and bullfrogs.

Heading back down the trail quickly because I have to pee! Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the bathrooms at Bull-Frog pond were closed. That's Dale and G lagging on the trail. Hurry up!

 

What a great way to spend a holiday!

Fun in the Sun

It was a VERY nice day today! I decided to let Spooky out in the daytime to soak up some sun. She was loving it.

Modeling AND watching birds. She's quite the multi-tasker.

Here she's telling Clippy to "Shut Up!" He was freaking out because he didn't know who I was and I think he was trying to convince Spooky to get down from the fence.

Sit around the house = Eat a lot

Breakfast: Life cereal with 1% milk

Lunch: Ritz crackers, peanut butter & jelly sandwich (not shown 'cause I got too hungry and ate it!), a cup of Orange juice. (I just brought the whole box to work)

Dinner: I made a whole-wheat pizza with Colby Jack cheese, green bell pepper, mushrooms, tomato, and spinach. I made the dough from scratch. It wasn't as tasty as the "white" pizza dough I usually make, but it was okay. Al and I had a few slices. This is what was left over.

Snacks: Cranberry juice, tortilla chips, Spicy Doritos, a slice of Colby Jack cheese, an Almond See's Candy that was sitting on Alma's dresser for who knows how long, and 1/2 a baked potato with sour cream and Romano cheese.

I ate a lot today. Especially at night. I think the longer I sit around the house, the more I eat...

Still Messing Around with my Phone...

Ever wonder what an Engineer's cube looks like?

This is my view for pretty much 8 hours M-F.

When I need a pick-me-up, I turn to my right to see gifts from friends, cat pics, a cat toy, and my wallet falling out of my purse! Hey! Get back in there! The cat toy was a gift. I'm the resident cat-lady and everyone knows it...which probably isn't a good thing! The left view is less inspiring: a phone, reference books, and a pile of papers.

My desk is pretty darn clean compared to other people around me. Most people have parts and boxes stacked up everywhere. I took these pictures mainly for posterity. We're moving buildings in a couple weeks. We'll see how my new cube turns out.