36 posts tagged “holidailies”

Well, as it's just about the end of the year, let's see how I did this year with my resolutions and goals.

Resolutions

• Try to post at least twice a week. 
  
• I don't even think I posted once in the month of September.  Whoops.  And I didn't even manage to finish Holidailies this year.
  
• Stay within my budget. 
  
• My budget drastically changed, what with the new job, but so far, so good on that one.
  
• Workout at least five times a week
• This one was going well til I moved and my schedule got all out of whack.  I'd say I got close though.
  
• Stick to my running plan. 
  
• Again, going well until I moved.  But at least I didn't give up.  I came back to it.
  
• Continue to watch what I eat
• This one is going... ok...  See below goals for the miserable details.  I decided to join Weight Watchers to try to keep myself on track.  Running leaves me ravenous, but then I end up eating too much.  There is a happy medium, I just have to find it.
  
• Read two books a month. 
  
• This was possibly the most enjoyable resolution.  I read some terrible books.  But it was still fun.
  
• Spend an hour a week doing creative writing
• I don't even think I did an hour a month.
  
• Spend time each week cleaning the house, rather than letting everything pile up and become disastrous.
• This one is not going too badly, but could probably use work.
  

Goals

• Lose 8 more pounds and keep them off.
• Nope.  Gained about 5 lbs.  I see a 2008 goal here.
  
• Run a sub-30:00 5k
• Only ran two 5ks this year, and the one was mis-measured, I think.  My fastest is still 32:01.  Slow and steady, right?
  
• Run over 100 hours this year
• We have a winner!  I ran 112 hours this year.  That's 4 days and 16 hours.  And considering how dismal the last 4 months of the year have been running wise, it's amazing I did that much!
  
• Be able to run the park path by the end of the year.
• This one came with a caveat that I still live in the area at the end of the year.  Clearly, I don't.  As to whether or not I could run the park path... well, that's up in the air, so let's just say this one was not quite completed. 

I have officially failed at Holidailies.  I blame the internet though.  The internet connection at my parents' house pretty much died and I couldn't really access anything.  I suppose I could have posted in some sort of manner, but really, it wasn't exactly at the top of my list.

I am back home, however.  I can't decide if my cats are happy to see me or if they are just enjoying sniffing everything that I brought home.  I am sure that I brought home a whole lot of interesting smells, what with all the pets at my parents' house.  I had to ship most of my presents to myself, however, and they won't arrive until Thursday.  Kind of takes a bit of the thrill out of it.  But I wouldn't have been able to take them on the plane.  I got a bunch of new pots and pans, which I am very excited about.  I need to clean out what I have and make room for everything.

I finally got sworn in while I was home.  I am officially licensed to practice law!  That was an exciting moment.

It was nice to be home though.  It was good to get to spend time with the family.  I'll see my sister this spring, but I'm not sure when I'll get to see everyone else.  We're talking about a trip to Disney with my aunts and cousins, but whether or not my dad comes for a few days is still up in the air.

I also decided to kick my training into gear.  More running, fewer potato chips.  That plan starts tomorrow.  And then on Monday, I will go out for New Year's, and the plan will have to be re-started, but hey, you do what you have to do.

Well, I've fallen behind in Holidailies again, and I probably won't catch up, but it's been a nice holiday vacation so far, so I can't really complain too much.  I think my Christmas gifts were well received, and I was given a number of nice gifts.  And a good amount of money and gift cards, because people weren't sure what to buy me.  I know some people think that's tacky, as they would rather give you something to unwrap, but I (and my family) are of the opinion that you want to give a gift someone will like, and if you can't figure out what that is, give them the ability to go get something they like.  Of course, we do always pair it with something to unwrap, sometimes something small and simple like a coffee mug, other times something nice.  Or occasionally, gift cards get put into a box and wrapped.  Either way, I have a shopping spree ahead of me, which is perfect, because I desperately need work clothes. 

I also received a bunch of dvds.  Keep on striking, Writers.

And a prompt:  Does your family do anything wacky during the holidays?

I had to think about this one, because what one person might think is wacky, I might just think is normal Christmas.  I don't think there is anything particularly wacky.  The last one asleep always gets woken up by a dog climbing all over them in bed.  And given that my parents have Newfoundlands, that can be disastrous (conveniently, the 185 pound dog won't go up the stairs).

But other than that, nothing wild and crazy goes on here.  (Well, if Mom thinks you need socks or underwear or something like that during the holidays, you will get it wrapped and placed under the tree.)  And while I do think it would be fun to incorporate something totally ridiculous into our holidays, I think I like our traditions just as they are. 

I have to admit, I expected to see a bit more of my family while I was home for the holidays.  I realize this is only the third day I'm here, but I'm home alone, with no car to get me anywhere. 

It's a little weird to sit around in what is essentially someone else's house and have nothing to do.  Right now, I am watching VH1's 40 Greatest Reality Moments 2, and playing online.  Very festive.

I went over to Sts. Peter and Paul this morning for Meg's son's baptism (I'm not sure how many details she wants posted publicly, so Meg, if you want any of this pulled, let me know).  It was a sweet ceremony, and the thing I really miss about that church is how the parishioners really band around each other.  Someone needs help?  They're there.  Someone needs extra prayers?  They're there.  It's just a great thing, and I think it's something you don't see with a lot of churches anymore, especially Catholic churches.  A lot of the other Catholic churches that I've been to have been very anonymous - people come in, they shake hands at the sign of peace, and then they go home, without really talking to anyone.  Sure, at Christmas, they might smile a little more and wish someone Merry Christmas, but I think this church really brings the spirit.  I wish I could find a church like this closer to me.

Today's Holidailies post comes to you from the Pittsburgh Airport, courtesy of their free Wi-Fi.  "Tell us about your strangest or most unique holiday decoration."

That's an easy one.  Well, maybe not easy.  But the first one that comes to mind is the Dancing Santa that lived outside my dorm room sophomore year.  I still had it as of this holiday season, but I decided that since Mary Beth loved it so much in college (she would walk past our door and stop and dance with Santa), that it belonged at her home. 

Other than that, not much strange or unique.  I do love those light balls that you make by drilling (or melting) holes in the bottom of clear plastic cups, then stapling them together, and putting a strand of lights inside, making bulbs poke out through each of the holes.  They look especially awesome with colored lights that will ripple.  Tacky?  Perhaps.  Awesome?  Most definitely.

In less than 24 hours, I will be on a plane on my way home.  I'm not excited about the travel, but I'm excited to not be at work for an entire week, and I'm excited to bring home all the presents I bought.  I love watching people open presents.  I, of course, hate opening presents in front of people because I always feel like I have to have the perfect reaction.

Perhaps that indicates that I've not been getting good presents.

Not that I'm complaining.

So right now, I'm in my last 20 minutes of work, twiddling my thumbs until I can officially go home.  I've rearranged things on my desk, and I've packed away the work that won't need to be looked at til the new year.  I'm choosing to ignore the construction dust currently all over my desk, as I have a feeling that's only going to get worse in the coming days.  I may come back to a desk completely white with dust.

Sounds healthy, doesn't it.

Plans for tonight include packing and getting the house ready.  I've not left my cats alone for this long before.  I've got someone checking in on them, but it's not the same.  I will worry about them, I'm sure.

Next entry to be written from the airport!

I just keep falling further and further behind in Holidailies.  Last year, I had finals, and yet I kept up.  This year, I have a job, which technically should take less time than finals do, and yet I am behind.  But I am determined to catch up.  Two posts a day.  You should feel lucky.

I finally uploaded my White House Christmas photos.  You can find them here.  Really, if you've seen any of the clips on TV from the White House at Christmas time, you've seen these images.  But it was still a very cool experience and one that I may never have again.  I should scan the program they handed out.  It was amazing, prints of these paintings they had done for the event.  Very cute.

Two more days of work til I fly home.  I cannot say that I am excited about traveling around the Christmas season.  I also have never had to pack to go home to my parents' house for Christmas before... or ever, really.  Just when I came home from college, but that somehow didn't seem to count.  And after that, I was living close enough that I only stayed for a day or two and then went back and forth.  It was much easier.  Part of today's goal is to make a packing list.

Oh, and do work.  That thing they pay me to do.

(There is a wall being demolished not 10 feet behind me.  This has to be a health hazard)

Since I’m catching up on Holidailies, here’s a prompt from a few days ago – “Holiday traditions -- from childhood or established recently -- and what they mean to you.”

We have some very basic holiday traditions that continue to change and grow as our family changes and grows.

Every year, on Christmas Eve, we go to my grandparents’ house for dinner and presents.  We being my Mom’s entire side of the family, all the kids and grandkids.  Some people attend Mass that night, some people don’t, and it usually involves quite a bit of scrambling, but in the end, we all end up around one of a number of tables, eating and enjoying each other’s company.  And not enjoying the fact that it’s always about 85 degrees in their house.  That’s what happens with lots of people and lots of cooking, I guess, but I always feel like I should be wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.

After dinner is cleaned up, we have presents.  We all sit around the living room and usually my grandfather and the two youngest grandkids (who are both in college at this point) are put in charge of handing out the presents we have all brought for each other.  Everyone opens presents and oohs and aahs over what they got.  Some people are definitely getting hard to buy for, but it’s worth it when you find that great present.

Christmas morning, Dad and I get up way too early and cantor 7:30 mass.  I bet we’ve been doing this for 15 years, and it is still not easy to get up that early on Christmas morning.  Grandma and Grandpa usually attend that Mass because they like to hear us sing, and then Dad and I head home and force my siblings out of bed.  This year will be different because my brother has moved out and has a house in the same town as my parents, so he won’t be sleeping there on Christmas Eve.  Who knows when he’ll show up.  But we won’t do family presents until everyone is there.   

Dad makes brunch and we all sit around, usually half asleep.  We usually end up popping in a movie for the afternoon and preparing for the evening.  On Christmas evening, some of the family returns, and we add in some friends of the family for Christmas dinner.  This is always a nice leisurely evening where everyone eats too much and has a wonderful time.  It’s a bit bittersweet because it’s the end of the Christmas season, in a way, but it’s a night I look forward to every year.

I have totally fallen behind in Holidailies.  Mostly due to just generally being busy, both with work and my social life.  I've been so busy!

Work is good.  Intense, but at the end of the day, I feel like I'm doing good work.

Went to a Festivus party at Crystal's with Marie and Mary Beth.  Super fun.  The White Elephant gift exchange was a riot.  I definitely think that's a tradition that needs to continue.  Gifts ranged from Habitat for Humanity hard hats to random books taken from work, to rolls of toilet paper.  So much fun to watch.

Now, I have to go clean the house.  But I leave you with a picture of the White House.  More pictures to come.

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Over on Holidailies, one of the things recently discussed as one of the prompts was a request to post charity ideas.  The thought was that a charity would be chosen and Holidailies participants could choose to donate.  Even if people threw in small donations, a number of small donations would really add up.

You may have read my suggestion a few days ago, and there were a number of other great suggestions, including some small local charities, and larger charities like Heifer International and Big Brothers Big Sisters.  A specific charity hasn't been chosen yet, but either way, I think this project has pointed out a lot of great charities that I hope people choose to give to, maybe not during the holiday season but at some point during the year when they have a bit of extra cash and a desire to help someone else out.

What I was very disappointed to see was the number of people who were angry about the fact that this was a Holidailies prompt.  The prompts are optional.  You don't have to write on that prompt, it's just a suggestion.  And there was never any requirement that everyone donate.  Sure, there was a comment that if everyone participating in Holidailies donated $10, think of the amount of money that would be donated in total.  But again, it was never a requirement.  And yet some people seemed to be outraged that this was even suggested.

I understand that not everyone has the money to donate, especially during the holiday season, and I understand that even if someone has money, they might not have any desire to donate to charity.  I have always believed that the holiday season is a time for giving, be it of your money or your time or simply your good wishes towards someone else.  Smile at someone on the sidewalk, for example.  But I guess I don't understand how the suggestion that you donate can cause such outrage. And this isn't an isolated incident.  I know people who find the Salvation Army bell ringers incredibly annoying.  But I think that's more the incessant bells rather than the suggestion that they give money.

I find this kind of attitude disappointing all year round, but I guess I find it especially disappointing during the holidays.