Small Town Living

Who would've imagined that I'd be back living in a small town again? As a teen I was forced to move from the hustle & bustle of a large city; to a small quaint town...population 2400. The change was enormous, not only did people dress differently, they acted differently. For a "city girl" like me the change was astounding. I couldn't believe the closest mall was a mere hour and a half away. I didn't know that town basically shut down at 6PM, except for the token gas station...it was open until 9. I was forced to live somewhere I felt trapped and limited at a time in my life when all I wanted to do was break all the limits and be free. So you can understand the skewed view I had as a teenager of living in a small town.

As time has gone by, I am once again living in a small town. I've come to appreciate all the benefits of living in a small town. All those things that I saw as hindrances growing up I now enjoy. For example, I don't have to wait in a giant line up to buy anything. When we go out for dinner, we are seated immediately and the fact that the pharmacist knows my name and will help me when I have a question. Knowing that I can go to the grocery store and they will have exactly what I am looking for. That I can go to the butcher and he'll give me free bones to take home to my dogs. Also being involved in all of the community events, and knowing that we are all working towards making our town a better place to live. I love that random people will chat with us about anything. I love that we can ask for directions and learn something new about this place. It's just such a great feeling living in a small town. I now come to see why people do it.

Now that I am older and hopefully a little wiser I can see all the benefits there are to see about living in a small town.

Happily Ever

I had a friend tell me once that she and her husband don't live together. I was horrified at this statement as it so nonchalantly rolled out of her mouth. I couldn't believe how casually she felt about their living arrangements. I couldn't for the life of me wrap my head around it...and then I moved in with my significant other. And completely understood why they live apart. Please don't misunderstand what I am saying here, I am just saying that I now understand why my friend and her husband live apart.

I find it ironic how as we grow up all we want to do is find that someone special, move in together and live happily ever after. The part that "they" (being the ever knowing gods) fail to mention is that before 'happily ever after' happens, there is the "adjustment" period. All women out there reading this know exactly what I am talking about. The toilet seat that use to always be down, winds up never touching porcelain again. That stash of chocolate that you use to keep in your fridge is never there when you need it. It seems as though you now have a fraternity of boys living in your house. Everything that use to be nice in your home is either broken or now contains something that looks like cheese. Is it a huge adjustment? You bet your ass it is. Is it going to get better? In time I believe it will.

It's these particular times that I long for my 1000 sq. ft. condo. When I would put something down (like the toilet seat) and miraculously it would still be down the next time I used it. But then I am shaken back to reality and realize that there are some good things about my new living arrangements. Like the fact that we see each other every night. We get to discuss the events of our day over a home cooked meal; sitting out on the deck enjoying each other’s company. We get to laugh at the same silly things the dogs do, it's all these things and more that make living together worth it.

I don't know how other couples have dealt with this, but we're both trying to make more of an effort to be less demanding and more conscience. For those of you who know us both, you will know which characteristic each of us is working on. Has it been successful, partially yes. We still have a long way to go but hopefully in time this "adjustment" period will be over so we can enjoy our 'Happily Ever After'.

We Found it!

We found it, after months of searching and the debacle of the last house…we finally found it. Our very own dream (for now) home, we had given up on looking for about 3-4 months. After our dreams had been shattered we were forced to pick up the pieces and start over again. It actually happened by chance, my significant other and I had been out looking at the small town of where we were hoping to buy a home looking at the show homes and came across a builder that we had never heard of before. We were greeted by a very nice older woman, who reminded us of our grandmothers. She was so nice, patient and sincere, we were wondering how she got into this business. We asked the dumb question of “Do you have any homes with a 2-4 month possession?” Luckily enough she was kind enough to take us to see a few “spec” homes that were in the process of being built. The first one backed onto a nice pathway, which was nice however the house was a little small. The second one was just a plain ‘No’ and the last one seemed to fit almost all of our criteria. It was a two storey home, with a larger lot, nice exposure, good open layout and plenty of room to grow. We were excited about a house...finally.

The next step was to put an offer in, with it being a new house we were very limited in the time we had as there were some changes that we wanted to make, for example we didn’t want white walls and maple hardwood throughout the whole main floor. With time being a factor we were in touch with the builder ASAP. To our dismay they rejected our first offer but eventually we were able to come to an agreement and within days the house was ours.

The feeling of excitement that was flowing through our bodies was amazing, we finally found our house. I can't explain to you in words how excited we both were, now the only thing standing in our way was to sell my condo. With the housing crash in full swing I must admit I was a little worried that we might be sitting on it longer than anticipated. I think the real estate gods happened to be looking down on us as my condo sold in 4 days...yes I said 4 days! Now my only worry is that "technically" I will be homeless for 2 weeks. The possession time between the sale of one place and possession of another is 2 weeks. I'm really not too worried about that, I'll find a place to crash for two weeks until I can get into my dream home.

It's weird how things work out when we least expect it to, we weren't sure if we were going to be able to find a house (at a reasonable price), sell my condo for a heft sum and FINALLY get to move in together. But it all worked out in the end...now to find out how us living together will work...

Marty

It was 5 years ago yesterday that my cousin Martinique died in a tragic car accident. I remember it like it was yesterday...

It was a Sunday morning and I awoke crying shortly after 7AM; I woke up my significant other (at the time) and said something is wrong. He consoled me and I went back to sleep, thinking that I had just had a nightmare. I still remember it as if it just happened...In my dream I was standing beside my sister crying, at first I thought something had happened to my brother but shortly after that he came up to us and put his arms around us both as we continued to cry...and then I woke up sobbing in my sleep. There are very few people who know this except for my mom and a few selected family members.

After waking up for the day, I called my mom to chat as we normally do every weekend. I told her about my dream and how I was worried about "The Kids". Meaning my brother and sister; but they were fine so I continued about my day. As the day went on all I could think about was my dream, I talked to my significant other (at the time) and we didn't think anything too strangely of it, until bedtime arrived and I got the phone call about Marty missing and possibly being in a car accident.

My first immediate thought was of my dream and then I was hoping and praying that it wasn't about her...phone call after phone call to everyone that she knows uncovered nothing. It wasn't until early Monday morning that it was confirmed that she had passed away in a car accident. I got the phone call and remember thinking if I don't get out of bed, then it can't be true. Sadly it was on the news and in the papers, there was just no escaping it and finally on Tuesday morning I made my way over to my Aunt's to help with the funeral arrangements...

To this day, it still brings tears to my eyes to think that her life was taken so tragically and that I hoped she had experienced everything that she wanted to. But I still think back to my dream that morning and after discussing it with my mom, we came to the conclusion that she came to say goodbye. After many years of missing her it dawned on me that in my dream my brother was standing between my sister and I and I happened to look at a photo that is still hanging on my fridge and there in that little photograph at Marty's funeral is the pose that was in my dream. Coincidence?? I don't know??

I don't dream of her too often, but on Sunday night I dreamt of her again. It was August 10th, five years ago...we had buried her and then like magic she showed up, out of the blue. I asked her where she had been and that everyone thought she was dead. She just laughed her little girl laugh and said "I was never really gone". I showed her the headstone and the articles and that she had to notify everyone immediately; again she just laughed and said she would. After waking up I once again called my mom to tell her about my dream and it was a pleasant thought that she was coming to visit me to let me know that she isn't really gone, but instead is always with us...

Every time I hear the song ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera, I think of her...when it first came out she called me and told me to listen to this song. I told her I would but in true ‘Marty’ fashion she held the phone up to the speaker for the whole song so I could listen to it. She was just so funny that way. I still miss her, I miss her little girl laugh, I miss her smiling face. I know she's in a better place but there are times that I still wish she were here to call me and make me listen to another song that she likes over the phone...

Shattered Dreams

It's still been three months since it happened and we're still feeling the effects. Neither of us saw this coming; we were living in a euphoric state of mind...

The boyfriend and I had just finalized the dishwasher choice for our new home and were ecstatic to get to the builder to let them know the good news. We also had ulterior motives as we wanted to see if the blue prints had come in yet. Upon our arrival we still had the giddy look on our faces; you know the one new home owners get when they've completed all of their "shopping" tasks. That look was quickly replaced with complete and utter horror when the builder said to us "...we've been meaning to call you guys to discuss a change." The boyfriend I quickly glanced at each other wondering what they meant; neither of us changed anything??

After pulling us into an office and in our persistence they explained to us that the house we chose couldn't be built on the lot we picked. Reason being was because the architectural guidelines had changed and the builder wasn't made aware of these changes. The previous statement is partially true because had the builder done their due diligence they would've known that the house they sold us, that I put money down on and had done all the "shopping" for was not allowed to be built there because it didn't meet the guidelines.

This information would've been so useful before I invested 3 months of my time. Not only was I emotionally attached as I had everything picked out. What do you mean by everything you say? Well if you've ever built a new house before; you know after signing the purchase agreement that you have 21 days after that to go and meet with the electrician, the flooring people, the lighting company, the appliance people, the paint people, the cupboard people and let's not forget the railing, the windows, the door knobs, the doors, the counter tops, the counter top height, the cable outlets...this list could go on...they all have people associated with them because these are all choices that have to be made. So needless to say we were both pretty pissed off because some of these people don't work on weekends forcing us to miss work and make these choices.

After the madness wore off we tried out damndest to get a house plan to work. Unfortunately the builder presented us with house plans that were somewhat thrown together. Despite our efforts we were forced to walk away from the deal and here we sit three months later and still no closer to our dream home...

I think the reason it hit us so hard was because not only were we buying a house, but we were making that first big step together. Moving in together, it was the first big step for our future. Now we are forced to start over but with a bit more perspective under our belts. So our journey continues with our gained knowledge hopefully our dreams will no longer be shattered but fulfilled.

We have started looking again and it seems that there is nothing out there that comes close. Have our standards gone up? Yes. Will they ever come down? We're not sure...

My Independence Home

***Just a note, that I wrote this a few months back and just found it the other day...thought I would post it anyhow***

It took me 29 years to feel that slice of independence that everyone kept telling me about. Although I left home at the ripe age of 16, I moved in with my Aunt; prior to that I had only lived with my family. After only a year and a half of living with my Aunt, I moved back home to try living with my parents and siblings again…that only seemed to last a short period of time and low and behold I got a place of my own. I was 18 and bartending, I figured with the tips I made that I could afford to live on my own. I think I spent about two weeks of living alone when a friend and co-worker asked if she could move in with me. Hesitantly I agreed and that began my love affair of always having a roommate. 


Year after year I would move in with someone new; some roomies lasted longer than others...but still I didn't know what it truly meant to live alone. Until I finally did it; I bought a place of my own and decided I would not let anyone move in with me and I would learn to love living alone.

At first I didn't quite get it; it was so quiet. I will admit I was a bit lonely as there was no one to talk to...but as time went on I learned to love it. If something was a mess, it was because I made it. If something was missing, it was because I misplaced it. I loved this new found freedom of "making it" on my own. I felt so liberated.

For almost 3 years now I've been living alone, but recently my boyfriend and I purchased a house together. Exciting, yes. It’s all I can think about, I honestly can't wait until we move in together. Part of me is scared because we've both lived solo for so long, we have certain routines. But part of me is happy because we'll now get to see more of each other. I know that we'll have that awkward stage of wanting to kill each other, but that will pass knowing that we've both contributed to the purchased of this new home.

While it is sad that I must sell my 'Independence' home, I feel good about it because I know another chapter of my life is beginning. So for now I must bid adieu to my 'Independence' home so that I can move into my 'New Chapter' home. Besides experiencing the joys of living alone in my 'Independence' home; without it I would've never gotten the chance to move into my 'New Chapter' home. So for that...Thank you 'Independence' home.

There's No Place Like Home

What a great day. That is all I can say about today. It was the first un-official day that spring has arrived. I was able to brave the day in capri's and sandals...yes I said sandals.

I had the pleasure of meeting my mom today, which means a trip to the North end of the city. Considering I reside in the South end of town; it's a bit of a trek. But no matter how long of a drive I still make it, there's something about going back to the old neighbourhood of where you grew up. Don't get me wrong, we didn't live in one house forever...in fact we moved so many times I stopped counting how many schools after 21. But no matter how many times we moved we always seemed to be just down the road from where we started. Funny how that happens eh?

Anyhow, like I was saying going back to your old stomping grounds seems to bring all the memories back. I like that it's familiar and I like that I know all the shortcuts. I also like all the big trees because all the neighbourhoods in the North end are established. It's been around the longest and yes, there are some parts of the North end that are pretty run down...but overall it's pretty great. I lived in the North end practically my whole life and when I decided to move to the West end of the city, it was a very big change. I had to get to know all the neighbourhoods again and find all the shortcuts and basically find all the things that I needed again. I felt like I had moved to a whole new city, even though I was 25 minutes away from home. The West end move only lasted for about 3 years; then I made my way back to the North end for about a year and a half until my brand new condo was completed. Did I mention that the condo was on the South side…the far South side? We're talking 15 minutes away from the airport South side. I had to make the transition of getting to know this side of the city...AGAIN. I wasn't completely upset because there were a lot of new shops for me to discover. Three years later I'm still here and enjoying it, but there is still a soft spot in my heart for the North end. It doesn’t matter how long I've been away from there I always feel so comfortable when I go back.

There have been a lot of changes since I was last there, but they're good changes…new stores, new buildings, new neighbourhoods. It's all nice to see the good changes. Despite all my feelings for the North end, I don't anticipate moving back there anytime soon. It's just nice to get back there every now and again.

Paradise in the Oddest Place

Who would've thought we would discover a small piece of paradise nestled away in the hustle and bustle of the big city? It turns out taking the dog for a nice evening walk can really uncover a lot of hidden gems.

It started out as the usual routine of walking the dog, peering into the backyards of others (purely to get landscaping ideas) and nonchalantly catching up on our days activities. We decided to take the dog to an area that she hadn't been to before and maybe even hit a garage sale or two on the way. As we made our way through the row houses and the cookie cutter houses, we came across a path. Normally a path all by itself wouldn't warrant a change of direction, but it was the mature trees and slight glimpse of a small road that caught our eye. We decided the garage sales could wait and we would take this unknown path to see what lay beyond the trees...

Once we turned the corner, we both knew we weren't in Kansas anymore. At first we were uncertain what lied behind the trees, but we walked a bit further and then we saw them. In the clearing we could make out 3 acreages, yes acreages in the heart of the city. We couldn't believe our eyes, with this discovery we decided to proceed down the tree lined roadway that somehow got us to the 'Twilight Zone'. As we continued on our little excursion, we soon discovered not 10, but 20 acreages hidden away. We're not talking tiny acreages either; from what we could tell some of them were 20-30 acres in size. All I could think was "…This is unbelievable."

Once the shock wore off, we proceeded to do more "investigating" and it turns out from what we can gather, these houses were built in the late 70's, early 80's. We thought back to when the owners initially purchased 20 odd years ago...and wondered who would’ve predicted these out of the way acreages would someday be a part of our ever growing city?

As the night sky started to grow darker we decided to leave what we now call "Our new favourite place in the city", we couldn't help but smile and think to ourselves...what a lovely hidden gem. Then we turned the corner back into the cookie cutter, row houses and reality. I guess paradise really is where you least expect it.

Coming of Age

I was able to catch the tail end of one of my favourite movies on TV last night. It was the one where Molly Ringwald gives Judd Nelson one of her diamond earrings...c'mon anyone who was a teenager in the 80's will know this one! If you guessed The Breakfast Club, then you are right!

Not only do I own this movie; guaranteed I will be watching it if it's on TV. There is just something so magical about that movie, could it be because it's one of my many coming of age movies?? I stop and I think back to that particular era of movies and am surprisingly able to name all of them. Pretty in Pink (Own it), St Elmo's Fire (Own it), The Breakfast Club (Own it), Flashdance (Own it), Footloose (Own it) and last be definitely not least Dirty Dancing...sadly I own this one too. Anyhow my point is, these movies played such an integral part of my life, probably in many others' lives as well.

At that time they really pushed the envelope, nothing like they do now days. But maybe that's what the charm was about them; they conveyed the message they needed to without overdoing it. All of the characters, whether it was Dirty Dancing to St Elmo's Fire seemed to have an innocence about them and we could all relate. I really miss those types of movies, you know the ones where you already know the ending but you still watch it because the characters don't know what's going to happen. I don't know it just puts a smile on my face thinking about it...

Not only will these movies forever be in my heart, but they will forever be in my movie collection.

Snow, Snow Go Away...

Ugh! That was my first thought this morning; more snow?!?! Where in the hell is this weather coming from? Just a few weeks ago I was getting excited knowing that spring was making a comeback.

How disappointing to see all this white stuff; this far along. I am craving for the days when I can put away my scarves, gloves and boots. I honestly can’t wait until the sweaters and other layers of clothing are packed away for the summer.

I went to pay my ball fees today and found out that the season will start on April 28th; yes, 20 days from now! With all this snow on the ground I am very doubtful that we will be out there swinging the bat and throwing the ball around. How can I pull my ball bag out now and get excited? Ho, hum! I know that I will muster up the excitement to pull the ol’ ball bag out, but it’s hard when the weather is so yucky!

Cleaning House

Yuck is all I can say. I hate cleaning, I hate it so much that here I sit complaining about it...we all know what I am really doing...procrastinating!

How much I despise cleaning, yet it’s in my blood to be such a clean freak... Damn family genes!

How does one find the time to enjoy all the things in life and still have a clean house? I realize all the moms are out there reading this and pretty much telling me to get a life...and a part of me wants to agree with them. The problem with that is that I want a clean house too; yes I want it all.

I just can’t seem to find the time to clean or maybe I just don’t want to find the time to clean. I honestly get sick of cleaning; it drives me nuts. Just when I think I am done; there in the dark corner is a dust bunny...taunting me, letting me know that I’ve missed it in the initial sweep of the floors. I tell ya, I just don’t know how moms find the time...kudos to them. I’ve let the cleaning go because I just can’t find the time or energy and it’s getting pretty gross. If I am cleaning something it’s because I can’t stand it and it’s just creeping me out.

Let me set the record straight though before all you moms lay judgement on me...I may reside alone; but I have weekly visitors twice a week. I get them on weekends and once during the week. They are furry, messy creatures and pretty much pop in and then pop out...not before leaving a mess of hair, slobber and toys all over the place. I’ve just stopped cleaning hoping that maybe it will miraculously get done...but no such luck.

I dust on Tuesday only to be dusting again on Thursday; vacuuming...that’s a joke! Why even bother?!?! The hair is so matted into the carpet I’m afraid to move the furniture to see what the carpet use to look like. I’ve also noticed that my once pristine couch and loveseat are starting to show a tinge of darkness... My coffee table...well it’s scratched all to shit and looks like it’s a used lint roller. I guess I just get so frustrated that I live alone yet my place is a disaster.

And people wonder why I don’t entertain??? Too much cleaning!

Thawing Out

A collective "Ahhhhh..." is coming from the mouths of all the people outside enjoying the beautiful spring-like weather. With the grass starting to peek through the snow and the days getting longer and longer; it's no wonder that there are more and more people outside these days. It seemed like such a short time ago that I was pulling out my winter coat and dreading the first snow fall. But here we are a short 5 months later anticipating the arrival of spring.

What is the most exciting to me at this time of year? It's not the longer evenings or the increase of sunshine; it's actually the light layers that we get to wear for such a short period of time. I know that sounds stupid but that really is true; I love getting into my car and not having to warm it up or scrape the windshield. The things that really seem to bug us about winter; I prefer to just turn the key; turn up the music, put on my sunglasses and just drive. I love the freedom I feel when I'm driving and I don't have a jacket constricting my movement. That is true heaven to me..I know it's a simple pleasure but it's my simple pleasure.

Another thing that I love about this time of year is that not only are the animals waking from their hibernation; but so are people. People that I haven't seen in ages. I've been trying to wrangle seeing all these 'hibernators' this month; I have an appointment almost every week this month! I know I'll be busy, but it'll be nice to catch up with them.

Hopefully the warmer weather will stay for awhile and not only bring the birds, flowers and other creatures back...but also the friendships that have been frozen over our long winter.

To See or Not to See...

So it's been a total of 11 days since my cataract surgery and here I am in front of the computer with what I feel is no difference since the surgery day. In fact if I were being totally honest I think that my eyesight is worse than it was when I went in. Which makes me very sad because I went in thinking it would help to improve my eyesight; which is the reason everyone gets any surgery with the hope that it helps to improve whatever it is that ails them? For me it's something that makes me even angrier because I can't control it; I can't tell it to get better. All I can do is hope that the things I do strengthen it. For now it's something that I can't really NOT think about as it is after all my eyesight; something that we use every day and will continue to for the remainder of our lives. I know it's not the end of the world for me, as I may end up getting glasses and that may make a bit of a difference; but for now I just want to be sad for a while about it.

I know that I am usually the one who is pretty optimistic and that there is always a silver lining somewhere in the far off distance...but I just need to wallow for now. I don't mean to be feeling sorry for myself but with all the other people I know out there and they all have wonderful success stories; I feel as though this surgery has been a complete and utter failure. Not only did it take time out of my work life; but it took time out of my social life. And yes, I know it could've been worse...I could've lost my eyesight all together. But to me, not being able to see and the thought of possibly having to give up playing ball...makes me want to just sit down and cry.

For now I will continue to just do what I do with it and see the eye doctors to see what their input is and also to just keep trying to get better. Maybe I am just one of those people who heal very slowly and miraculously one day my eyesight will improve...just like that. Realistically I know that won't happen, but I guess I just need something to 'hope' for.

I know that I will come out of this "funk" and realize that I have so much more to be thankful for...but it's like Terri Clark said in one of her songs..."I just want to be mad for a while".

House Arrest...the Good Kind.

Here I am at home and have been since January 31, 2008. I've left twice and both times I was driven to my destination. I recently got cataract surgery and have not been able to live the life that I have become so accustomed to...driving being the thing I dream about most. Luckily for me, I am on the mend and healing well. The day after my surgery I went in for a 6:45AM appointment and was given the green light that there was no infection and it's healing well. The only problem I have with that is that my sight is not back to what it was or noticeably improved. I know it hasn't even been a week yet, but I am quite impatient as you can tell from the title of this blog. I am in quite a rigorous schedule of drops and pills; that should calm down 7 days post-op (which is my new word of the month) But it's still annoying to not be able to watch TV for too long, or read for too long or go on the computer for too long. I mean how many things out there can you do with your eyes closed??

Tonight I am going to go on a trial run just down the road to see how my driving is, as I have class tomorrow night and have to drive myself there. I've had a few offers but I live so far from everyone that it seems a little bit of an inconvenience...and I am also so damn independent...god forbid I actually rely on somebody! I know I sound a little ticked off, but I just have to keep myself entertained for the next week and a half. So far I have been pretty good...I have a 'To Do' list and it's about 3 pages long of stuff that I know I have to do but never seem to have the time. Here I sit with all the time in the world and I feel great for being able to work through about 20 things so far. Did I mention that I have only really been mobile since Monday?? Yep, I've been busy. But I tell ya, when everyone else is doing their spring cleaning I will have already done mine. LOL

Anyhow I am going to try and be a bit more patient and enjoy the time I have off because I believe just a few blogs ago I was complaining that I had no time. So here I sit...letting my patience get the better of me when I should be embracing this time off and thanking myself for getting all of my 'To Do' things done.

Now where can I go to get a few things welded together?? Don't laugh this really is on my 'To Do' list. LOL

Resolutions, Resolutions, Resolutions

Everywhere you go, people are making New Year's Resolutions. I guess it's that time of year when we all decide that a new year is upon us and despite our better judgement we still make these "promises" to ourselves that we'll do this or do that and honestly in my opinion if we aren't already doing something close to it in our lives then the chances of us sticking with it are slim to none.

I feel compelled to jump on this bandwagon; with a few adjustments of course...I will not be saying that I am going to lose 20lbs; or not eat chips (I save that for Lent!); or do more charity work. In my opinion these so called New Year's Resolutions are to help us become better people so maybe if we all looked at ourselves a little more closely we may see something that we would like to work on changing.

I do honestly want to lose 20lbs; however instead of saying that I am going to lose 20lbs but such and such date; I will make a resolution to choose healthier foods OR pass on dessert. Something that is actually attainable and I won't feel bad should I not have lost the weight when the date comes around. Another "Resolution" might be that I would like to get back to the gym as I do miss the exercising and how good I felt afterwards; not purely to lose weight. I seem to be on a little bit of a roll...let's see I'll list some more...Here's one that'll blow a few people out of the water! I will try and incorporate wearing a skirt once every two weeks; working my way up to once a week. I wouldn't want to fail right away now would I! (LOL) Also I would like to dress up a little more; I mean when shopping or running errands on the weekends. Right now I sneak out of the house in jeans a t-shirt and sweatshirt; I still feel a little sloppy when shopping and think to myself "I can put together something better than this!" Another one is maybe to read a bit more. I do enjoy a good book every now and again and should really get more reading in. Yes, these are my "Resolutions." In fact I am getting a little excited at the thought of starting these.

Hmm, it seems now that I've written it down I just may have to stick to it as other people will be reading this and I can't really just write it down and not follow up now can I? Now these are what I call good "Resolutions"; I mean really they are just like anything else that you want to incorporate into your life...start slow and work your way up right? I feel good about writing these down and getting it out there for the entire world to see; I just may actually not let them get out of control and feel good about the person that I am with a few minor tweaks...who can't use a few minor tweaks every now and again eh?

I hope everyone else's "Resolutions" are just as good if not better than mine and I hope that you will all be excited to get started on them as I am.