A Day Well Spent

Here are a few pictures from snow shoeing. The valley was completely fogged in on Sunday and even as we were driving towards Chinook, we kept looking at each other and asking if the other one wanted to turn around and go home. But, I'm so glad we kept driving because as soon as we got into the pass, the fog melted away and we were surrounded by crystal blue skies, bright sunshine and snow covered trees. We hiked a trail we've done before that follows the Naches River. It was spectacular!

A Rainy Snowy Saturday

I'm at work on a Saturday...hence the blogging. I should be doing some actual work, which is why I am here on a weekend in the first place, but I needed a break from InDesign. Regardless of the fact that I'm sitting in my office, I am having an awesome weekend.

Last night Aaron and I went and saw Juno. Run don't walk to the theater and see this movie! Although it's a bit cliche, the script is fantastic, the acting is good and the soundtrack is probably the best part of the movie. I can already picture all my old young life kids frantically downloading the soundtrack. Lets be honest; I would download the entire soundtrack if I knew how to use iTunes.

I also got in a great workout last night and then again this morning which totally made up for the donut I indulged in this morning. Aaron totally got up this morning, made coffee and then went and got homemade donuts from this little shop near our house. Nothing puts me in a good mood like sleeping in and eating donuts and watching Food Network on a Saturday morning. I'm also going to watch the Seahawks game with a bunch people this afternoon. It also helps that I'm getting work done so Monday won't be so stressful. Not bad for a Saturday. Aaron and I will go to church in the morning and then head to Chinook Pass for some snow shoeing. If I hadn't thrown away my stupid ski boots over Christmas, we could have done a few runs...oh well. Pictures to come.

Thursday Used to be My Favorite Day

Not anymore though. I used to love Thursday because of The Office! I am so sick of the Writers Strike. Blah Blah, give the writers their money...but more than that, give all of us TV-addicts our shows! I have sadly resorted to watching youtube clips.

My Thursday routine used to be get off work, go to the gym, make some dinner and then either go to our friends house or have people over to our house to watch The Office. Aaron always calls t.v. shows "my programs," which always makes laugh because it makes him sound like an old man. Come to think of it he has a few tendencies that make him more like a 65-year-old than a 25-year-old. He irons and lint-rolls his pants every single morning regardless if he needs it, he pops rolaids like they are candy and listens to talk radio. Yikes.

Anyway...bring back The Office and my Thursday night routine!

Behavior Becomes Nature

I am reading a really good book right now called, Letters From a Skeptic. One of the points made in the book is that an individuals behavior becomes their nature over a period of time. I have been thinking about this idea in the context of my marriage, my health and fitness and my fears.

If I make an effort to enjoy who my husband is, have patience with him and look for opportunities to spend time together, then it will become my nature to enjoy him and his presence in my life. On the other hand, if I am constantly swept up in his faults and the things that annoy me...then that becomes how I view him regardless of how he is acting or what he is doing. I know some of this is subjective because I have a really great husband who does very little to annoy me anyway, but I still think that so much of a happy marriage comes from choosing it.

I think the biggest area in my life where my behavior has become my nature is in the area of fear. I have a completely ridiculous but very real fear of vomit. I have hated to throw up since I was a little girl and over time it has morphed into a fear of other people throwing up because it would mean that I could get sick and throw up myself. Stupid? Totally...but its still something I deal with. There was a period in my life that going into a public restroom and getting on an airplane were huge sources of anxiety because someone could throw up...

I feel really challenged to change my behavior, so in turn my nature changes. I don't want to freak out every time my future kid barfs because its only going to give them a complex. I'm confident I will give them enough reasons for therapy later in life; their mother losing her shit every time they barf isn't necessary.

So...I have been conscious about my attitude. Anyone have any tips in conquering fears?

A Complaint

I don't want this blog to turn into a big whine fest, but today its unavoidable. Today is one of those days where I wish I would have stayed in bed. As everyone knows, its not wise to blog about your work...we are all familiar with Dooce right?

But today's rant is compliments of my workplace. Every Tuesday morning I have to sit in the most boring two hour "executive team" meetings and listen to people talk about NOTHING!!! The meeting is a waste of time and mostly just an opportunity for my boss to hear herself talk. I think the most frustrating is that everyone sitting around the table wants nothing to do with our boss, yet no one has enough balls to do something about it. No one will take the initiative to go to our board or confront her.

Obviously, I'm no better than the rest because I'm complaining about it versus actually doing anything. I was really having second thoughts about taking the other job because as frustrated as I am, I do love the agency and feel loyalty to it. But today...today I feel like quitting and taking the other job regardless of the fact that its part-time.

On a positive note, I'm going to LA in two weeks for a three day conference and in a month I will be on the sandy beaches of Kauai. I think that's about all the motivation I have to get me through today...

I am a Planner

I have a choice to make about my job...in the next few months. Currently, I work for a relatively large social service agency where I manage the marketing, community relations and PR for the agency. When I got out of college a few years ago, my ultimate goal was to be in the place I am now. I always said I wanted to work for something I'm passionate about. And I am passionate about my job; we provide programs and services to underpriveleged children and families, but I'm not crazy about some of the people I work with. If it was just "quirky" people it would be one thing, but its more of a "hostile work enviornment" situation. Thankfully none of it is directed a me, but you never know when the tables could turn.

Getting to the point...
I had a great meeting with a local advertising/marketing agency this morning. They are interested in bringing me on part-time to work as a project coordinator type person doing most of what I do now but just for a variety of different clients. I think it would be a great move, maybe a little boring at times, but intersting and fast paced. It would be the perfect place to work post-baby. I would work closely with a gal I really like and it would offer the flexibility to do part of my hours at the office and part of them at home.

On the other hand, I am invested in the job I have now and my boss has indicated that I can continue to work in some part-time capacity once I have a baby. While I don't get paid as much as I wish I did, I do have great benefits and I know in the next six months or so I will have the opportunity to take on more responsibilities. The major downside is that I don't really trust my boss. She has done some pretty low things in the past year and she's really hot and cold with people.

So...I have choices to make. I don't want to work part-time until after I have a baby which could be anytime between nine or ten months from now and two years. This is where the "planner" in me comes shining through. If I had it my way I would get pregnant either this month or in July resulting in an October or April birth (don't ask me why those seem like good months, they just do) and I would start working part-time regardless of which job I stick with about two months before I deliver. This would give me time to get things done before baby as well as get used to the reduced salary. But, I don't think my life is necessarily going to just work out that way.

It will be interesting to see how things develop over the next few months. On a lighter note, the weekend is here and I couldn't be more relieved. Even though it was a short week, it seemed long. The last two hours of work have been dragging on forever.

I wante to introduce you to Remington...the cutest bestest dog ever.

Welcome 2008

I am so excited to have this blog so that I can archive my life a little better. I am terrible at taking pictures, journals were always abandoned after a few months and while the same thing might happen to the blog, I'm feeling excited and determined to make a commitment to it.

So...that leads to my resolutions. I haven't made resolutions in a couple years because I haven't cared enough or genuinely thought I would follow through to actually make them. But this year is already different. I want to make some life changes that I have needed to make for a while and I'm hoping that this blog will help me stay on track.

1. Maintain weight and commit to moderation in eating and drinking. I'm at a healthy weight and I do exercise consistently but I also totally over eat. The last five pounds I have fought with for years needs to come off and stay off.
2. Write often in this blog and take more photos. Aaron and I do so many fun things that I want to remember later in life. TAKE THE DAMN PICTURE!
3. Be more dedicated to my job. I have a sweet job and I need to not take it for granted.
4. Be more positive and less critical of myself, husband, friends and colleagues. Enough is enough...
5. Worry less. Honestly, I don't even know how to begin tackling this one.
6. Commit to doing one phantom good deed a month. This blog is one way I want to keep track and hold myself accountable.