2006 was a pretty good year, all in all. For once, I kept some resolutions. Every year, I vow I'm going to get in shape, and for once, I did it. I didn't really make any progress on this goal til May, but I'm about 8 lbs lighter and way fitter than I was a year ago.
I accomplished a lot. I made a bunch of new friends. I did my first Mock Trial, which really solidified my desire to be in the courtroom, specifically on the criminal side. I got to sit in on oral arguments at the Missouri Supreme Court, and met two very impressive and inspiring judges.
I started a new job and actually get to work in the courtroom on a daily basis (well, every day I work, that is). I've gained a lot of confidence. I'm happy with the choices I've made for my life, and that's a good thing.
I went to Washington D.C. and got to catch up with a bunch of old friends. I got to walk through the White House and the Capitol and got my picture taken with Dick Durbin and Barack Obama.
Bonnie Leigh got married and I got to catch up with even more friends at her wedding. Followed a few months later by the Band Reunion. More friends! It's amazing how we've all changed, and yet, when we're together, it's just like old times.
I passed the MPRE, one more step on my way to actually becoming a licensed attorney.
I finally started running and stuck with it! I ran two 5Ks this year. I'm not fast, but I love it and it feels good and I hope it's something I can keep up with.
I think most importantly, I've been happier this year than I have ever been. I can't explain it. I'm not on any heavy drugs or drinking heavily. Actually, I drink significantly less than I ever have. I'm healthier. I'm in better shape. I've found a ton of self-confidence I never really had before, no matter what others might think. I finally feel like I've found something that I'm good at, something that I can do well and enjoy.
All in all, 2006, you were a good year. I hope 2007 is even better.
I guess Christmas is pretty much coming to an end. I have to take down my Christmas tree this weekend. I'll probably start on the ornaments tomorrow. I'd love to wait, but my parents have offered to come over and help me get the tree down on the 1st after they drop my sister at the airport (she's going to the Sugar Bowl, lucky girl). As the tree is too heavy for me to physically move on my own, I do need my Dad's help. Mom will supervise. She's good at that.
It feels like the Christmas season just comes and goes. And yet, Christmas items appear in the stores as early as Halloween, sometimes even earlier. I blame law school. In grade school and high school and even college to a degree, the months before Christmas consisted of learning Christmas music for choral and band concerts, coloring pictures, hanging decorations, taking up collections for those less fortunate, etc. And then, when I entered the workforce for that very painful 14 month period, Christmas again consisted of office decorations and music and parties and general festivities. But in law school, the Christmas season consists of prepping for finals. It's really not very festive. Thanksgiving begins the mad crush of last minute work. (Every semester, I swear I'm not going to put it off, and every semester, I delay more and more.) Christmas sort of exists, somewhere out there. Sure, there are decorations on campus, a tree in the atrium, music, volunteer opportunities, etc. But arching over that is the general sense of doom that accompanies finals.
I love Christmas. I love the lights and the music and the stories. I hate living so close to a major mall at Christmas, but I've learned alternate routes. And I really miss getting to truly experience the season like I could before law school. Thankfully, this is my last Christmas as a law student, so hopefully next Christmas will be much more enjoyable. It will be nice to again look forward to December instead of dreading it with everything I've got.
And with the end of the Christmas season comes the end of Holidailies. A few more entries, and then hopefully, it's not back to sporadic posting. I'm going to try to post something of substance at least twice a week. If not more. Consider it yet another New Year's Resolution
I don't understand how I can feel busy all day, but then sit down to write about my day and realize I've not accomplished very much at all. Where does the time go?
Today, I did enthralling things like pay bills and work on the budget for the condo association for next year as well as try to figure out some sort of a personal budget, as I've realized paying for BarBri review this summer is really going to break the bank.
I really sort of hate money. It would be nice if things still worked on the barter system. Of course, it's not like I have much to barter. So maybe that's not the best plan after all. Besides, I really don't hate money. I quite like money. It's not having it that I hate.
Today, I also made the mistake of giving the cats catnip. I'm pretty sure Cadu has crashed into the wall at least four times in the last ten minutes while racing around the house. Oh, if only there were such a drug for humans.
This is not a very festive Holidailies entry. Sorry, folks.
I drive a relatively new Nissan Altima. Great car. Love it. Never had any problems with it, aside from the giant "HIT ME!" sign that must appear when the car is in a garage or lot.
The service I have received from the dealer, however? TERRIBLE.
My car was recalled. Something about rust. Whatever. So I called and made an appointment to have it dealt with. Four hour process? Fine. Let's do it. So I made an appointment for 10 am today. I get a call last night that my appointment needs to be moved up to 9am. Fine.
I get the car in and Mom very kindly picks me up and we go shopping. Note that the dealer is 35 minutes away from me, and probably equally far from my parents' house. So not exactly convenient, but not terribly far either. We shop and kill time and I get back to the dealer a little after 2. 5 hours later. My car's out in the lot. Great! It must be done.
I go inside and the service guy asks me if I have a little time to sit around. And I glare at him. "You didn't get it done. You didn't even start it, did you? And you now want me to sit here for four hours and wait. No. Give me my keys."
He's all apologetic, offers me a rental car, offers me a free oil change, this that and the other. I refused everything.
Now, that might seem extreme. But just over a year ago, this EXACT thing happened. Car recalled. Appointment made. Work not even started the day of the appointment. So I got a rental, which took an hour. And I had to have the rental back the next day. Which meant driving the 35 minutes BACK to go deal with that, then the 35 minutes home, plus all the time dancing around with the dealership. I wasn't about to do that again.
I informed the service rep that I would be taking my car and going home and would call to make a new appointment, and I expected the work to be done. He offered me a free oil change, tire rotation, etc. I refused again and informed him that I do not get service at this dealership because of the way I have been treated.
I can tell what you're thinking. Two bad experiences isn't awful. But wait. There's more. Two summers ago, I went in for an oil change there. I was working nearby, and so it was convenient. I get a call around 11 telling me the car is done. At noon, a co-worker drops me off to pick up the car. I get the keys, and I think they look funny. But maybe I'm just crazy. I can't see the car in the lot, so I click the lock button on the key remote, listening for the beep. A car honks, and it is decidedly not my car. I go back in and inform them that these are not my keys and where is my car? Oh, whoops. The car actually isn't done and can I wait another 30 minutes? Great, thanks. That was the last time I voluntarily got my car serviced there.
We won't even talk about the terrible way I was treated when I bought the car. Salesman? Awesome. Would love to do business with him again. Financing guy? Total jerk. Treated me like I was an idiot, when there I was writing him a very large check. I think he was pissed I wasn't financing the car.
I really wonder if half the problem is my age. I'm just under 26. I look much younger. I typically go in there on a day off, wearing jeans, a sweater, whatever. I wonder if I'd be treated any differently if I went in from work, in my full suit. Of course, I'm still a woman, and half the time, I really feel like I'm just being pushed around when I go there.
So if you're looking to buy a car and you live in the St. Louis Metropolitan area, do not go to Auffenberg / St. Clair Auto Mall. Some of the dealers are great. I went to high school with at least one of them. I'm sure some of the service people are great. But I have yet to have a good experience there.
As for the recall, I'm making an appointment tomorrow. I have the contact name and number of one of the main service people and will call him tomorrow. He told me to remind him of what happened today and we will reschedule and he will do everything he can to make it right. I don't want any free crap. I just want the work done, I want it done right, and I want to never go back to that dealership again. I considered going to one of the other local Nissan dealers, which I will do if I ever have a problem with the car or another recall, but I figure after the way I was treated today, I am going to just make demands when I make this next appointment and give them a chance to "make it right." And never go back again.
I've been making lists of things I need to do to get myself back on the healthy path. Back to regular workouts and eating well.
I've already decided that next Monday, I"m starting a new running plan. It's simpler than the one I had been following. It uses minutes rather than distance. While I was able to do the distance, I'm not really training for any particular race - right now I'm just running because I enjoy it and because it's good for me. But I like to have some sort of plan so I feel like I'm improving. This new plan will be a bit easier, I think, but most importantly, it will be much easier to schedule. I think half my problem was finding the time and figuring out how much time I'll need. Running by minutes should be easier. Plus, it's a fun challenge. How far can I go in this amount of time?
I have to admit, I'm stupidly looking forward to seeing how many miles I can run in 2007. I'm not even going to try to make a prediction on that one.
Of course, I should go out running today to get ready for it, but my body is just TIRED. I think it's from not eating well and just the excitement of Christmas. So I'll probably TurboJam today (say what you want about those videos, they're incredibly fun and a great workout).
And I need to clean my house. I was gone for three days! How did my house get so gross in three days when I wasn't here? And the cats weren't here? It's not fair. One of those great mysteries of life, I guess.
(Holidailies #27)
I think this picture says it all.
Christmas was a blast. I got so many gifts that were amazing and thoughtful, and others that were totally expected and just as loved. New camera, new camera! Which means many more pictures. Aren't you lucky.
And the gifts I gave were well received. Sometimes, simple is definitely the way to go. Put a little thought into it, and it will be worth it. I realized it was a very book-y Christmas this year - everyone but my brother got a book as part of their gifts, and he didn't get one only because I didn't know what to buy him.
(I'm going to try to catch up on some missed Holidailies prompts tomorrow)
So apparently, people don't believe that my mom really has a bazillion trees in her house. Well, ok, not a bazillion. But technically, there are 10.
(Holidailies entry 25)
It's not even 10:00 and I'm already in bed. Christmas is tiring!
Tonight, we did Christmas with the extended family, as always. Little different this year, because my uncle and his fiancee had to leave earlyish to get home because they're doing Christmas with her family tomorrow and no one wanted them driving late at night. So we did sort of an afternoon dinner. I had brass ensemble rehearsal at 1, which I left early, and then we ate at 2. Then we did presents, then I went back to church for mass, and we all re-convened at my grandparents' house after church for a little bit.
It felt weird. For as long as I can remember, I would spend the end of communion during Christmas Eve services thinking about the dinner and gift giving that was coming. I know, I know, it's supposed to be a time of reflection. But you get hungry! And I realized I didn't have that to look forward to tonight. Because we had already done it.
It was just a strange thing, to do something for years and years and years, and then sort of tweak it, so it's still the same, but just a little tiny bit not the same.
I brought my cats to my parents' house for the holiday. So there are now five cats in the house. But you only ever see three of them. So it's not that big of a deal. Pippin walks around like he owns the place, but Cadu just hides in the closet. I close the door to my old bedroom at night, so he feels safe enough to come out then. He's a big wuss.
And now, I shall sleep, because 7:30 church is very early in the morning. Yes, I get to go twice. So lucky.
(Holidailies #24)
This has been the perfect lazy day. I can't say I did much or accomplished much. And it was wonderful. Oh, I did get a few things crossed off of my to-do list. But nothing of consequence, that's for sure. I'm not sure how I managed it, but I'm actually ready for Christmas ahead of time.
Around noon, I was doing laundry when Ashleigh called and asked what I was doing. When she found out I wasn't doing anything, she asked me to come over and help explore her landlord's house. She lives in what equates to servants quarters over the carriage house, and the main house was built in the late 1800's. Very cool place. But her landlords are out of town, so she keeps an eye on the house and when she went in today, the alarm was going off, and the second floor motion sensor was blinking. So she was freaked and needed someone else over to help her look for axe murderers.
I wondered what it meant that she called me to possibly be killed with her. I don't know if that's a compliment or not.
But we explored the house and were not murdered, so who knows what set off the sensor. Very cool old house though. I would love to be able to afford a place like that. Someday.
Other than that, today has been about chores, and watching Farscape and working on an afghan I started months ago. I just bought a new knitting book and want to start a new project, but I'm forcing myself to finish up all of my old projects before I start anything new.
(And again, caught up on Holidailies. Odds are good I'll fall behind again tomorrow!)
I get myself all caught up on Holidailies entries and then I miss yesterday for no good reason.
Yesterday, I went over to my parents' house. I had to get the oil changed in my car and wanted to drop off some of the food I had bought for Christmas. Dad and I also had to rehearse the music we're singing at Christmas morning church services. I think we've been doing that for about 12 years now. And I still think 7:30 mass is crazy early on Christmas morning. But it's always nice.
I also got a new phone as an early birthday present! I very much like it. It's one of Verizon's music phones, but I don't see myself ever using it for music, since that involves paying for more downloads (though you may be able to transfer over from your computer, I haven't looked into that, plus I don't have the proper cables to do so). Plus I have an iPod. I don't need two music players.
But I'm happy to have a tiny little phone. I couldn't decide between red and green, and my sister got the green one a few days ago, so that settled it. Yay new phone!
Last night, all five of us (me, my parents, and my siblings) went to dinner. We couldn't remember the last time just the five of us sat around a table. It's really rare, with my brother and I in school in St. Louis and my sister up at Notre Dame. Sure, we were together at Thanksgiving, but we were with the whole extended family, and technically at separate tables anyway. It was fun to just get to spend time together. Who knows when it will happen again. It's weird how the things that were the norm when you were a kid, things that you hated, suddenly become these great moments you really enjoy. My parents were always big on eating dinner together. Sure, if you had a good reason to miss, that was ok. Rehearsals, practice, those kinds of things. But if you were home and not deathly ill, you were sitting at the table. Without the television on. And you were going to converse. That was the rule. For the most part, I think we all were ok with it, but didn't think much of it. It was just how things were.
And now, suddenly, it's fun to have everyone together again. Strange how those things change.
