happy new year!!

Here is the secret, I've decided, to a 'jcrew-esque' outfit ... start with a piece you really like. Then think, "what might I not usually put with this?" Grab whatever that is and stick it together. Then grab a skinny belt. Then go for some tights that you think will look good, but instead, grab the old thick pair from high school, sitting beside them. Okay, its all starting to look surprisingly good. Now for the final layer, grab a color you would NEVER think to put with the outfit you've just created, and there you have it, it's a very 'JCrew-esque' holiday =)

The highlight of my day was pulling my credit report from all three major credit agencies and finding nearly flawless results.  I was excited.  I want to buy a house.

If good credit is sexy (like it says in the banner ad on this page) .... then watch out boys (or I guess, 'watch out GIRLS' would make more sense here)

I know I'm strange.

turning green

If you get a chance, read THIS article.  It's titled, Are you taking frugality too far? and is written about me.  Not really, but it may as well be.  Well, maybe more written straight TO me.  I was raised constantly being reminded to 'save' money (both by setting it aside in a savings account for the future, and by not paying full price for items).  Things like "never pay for clothing unless it's at least 50% off", "don't buy it if you don't need it", "would you rather have this now, or a house later?" and "when you buy something, you're technically never saving it" constantly run through my head.

When I lived at home I did a great job at setting a goal for myself (a self made competition between me and what I knew my friend had saved) of setting money aside for the future.  Now that I'm on my own, my penny pincher tendencies come out.  Some are good, and helpful, some... not so much.  I'll sign up for free samples and clip coupons (I use... most of them), I try to keep the lights off and the heat as low as possible.  I try to be frugal in what I spend on clothes and other accessories.  I try to do research on certain items that I think I can get a better deal on elsewhere.  But I also feel like I'm the type of person who'll save my plastic fork from a work Christmas party and wash it and use it the next day.  Or grab a roll of toilet paper as I'm leaving the hotel.  How lame. But one big thing that this whole frugality thing has done to me, is made me a tightwad to a certain extent, and a little selfish.  I mean, I give some money away... but not enough.  What am I saving all this money for anyways?  Is it going to guarantee my happiness?  No... Now that I know I have the ability to save, why don't I use some of what I've saved to bless others?  I should have the mindset of using my God-giving resource of saving, to eventually give that away.  I want to save money when I am eating meals alone, so that when friends want to get together, I am able to bless them with my presence be there and not decline.  I want to save money on groceries for myself so that I can splurge a little bit and buy ingredients to make meals for Dennis and others.  I want to save  money on clothing and have a goal to buy at least one outfit for someone who cannot afford one.  I've been blessed with so much, and for as often as I think about money, I want to think of it more in the context of how I can use it for others and not how I can become the next Lynchburg Grinch.

Christmas in the air...

I'm really excited about Dennis' Christmas present this year.  I wish I could just say what it is... but alas, I don't want to give away the surprise.  It it ever so slightly 'up in the air' right now, but if it all works out, it will be great.

Euchre.  That used to be an incredibly dreaded word in my vocabulary no more than a month ago.  Especially when I was in high school.  I remember euchre being the only thing my friends would talk about... and play.  There were parties, retreats, tournaments, centered around that card game.  Well needless to say, I was slightly afraid when I heard Dennis start talking about it.  He had begun playing that game with our friends.  The game that, in my mind, lasted for hours and hours and left those non-participants twiddling their thumbs in the corner somewhere watching dust collect on the furniture.  I still don't know why, but this time I gave in.  I guess D has a way of doing that.  So I learned how to play over our Thanksgiving trip.  We played at his grandmothers' house and at my parents house.  I couldn't believe that I actually started to like it (honestly, I still have no idea if that is directly related to not having lost yet), and wanted to play some more.  We played again with some friends this past weekend and I find myself thinking about it!  I want to keep playing euchre!  I guess pigs do fly.

It snowed in the 'burg this past weekend.  It was beautiful.  One of my favorite things is snow covered mountains.  If I can't have the Rockies, please give me the snow covered Blue Ridge.  We also went to Clint's parents' land and got our Christmas tree.  It is... lacking many filler branches, but it has it's own style.  It looks pretty in our house.  Heidi did a good job decorating.  I can't wait for Christmas.  I really just want to go home, but I'm not sure yet how I am going to work that out.  I'm sure it will all come together, I just have no plans right now.

tri

8:00am Sunday May 1st, 2011 ----- downtown YMCA - Lynchburg, VA.

Swim 300m in the pool (I have no earthly idea how far that is)

Transition - do whatever needs doing to be ready to ride

Hop on my bike and ride 25k through downtown Lynchburg, across the James River and into Amherst Co. before returning to the Y by way of a steep climb, right at the end.

Transition - do whatever needs doing to be ready to run

Park the bike and pray my legs are strong enough to crawl...I mean...run 5k.  Thank goodness that's flat at least.

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So I'm signing up for the 2011 Angel's Race that takes place in Lynchburg each spring.  It will be my first, lone, triathlon.  I did the biking portion of a sprint-tri a couple years ago as a part of a team so I am thankful that gave me a little bit of an idea of what goes on in the 'tri world', but to tell you the truth, I'm really nervous!  Mostly about the swimming.  I don't know how to swim.  I mean, I could doggy paddle the entire 300m... but I don't think that would be ideal or very effective.  I'm also nervous about how my legs will hold up.  Last night I went to the gym and biked 8 miles and then hopped on the treadmill to run 2.  After biking, my muscles were SO tight I had to stretch.  I hope that improves.  Like I said, I'm nervous... but I'm also excited about the prospect of completing a triathlon.