10 in 2010 revisited

A quick look back at my "10 in 2010" goals...

1 - Utilize the library - No buying books! - Accomplished!  Surprised??  I am.  

2 - Enough Cooking Already! - Let Nic cook dinner at least two times each week. - Hahaha major FAIL.

3 - are you hYped? Complete an intense 60 day workout challenge. - Completed as promised.

4 - are you ready to run? Run at least 15 miles per week and complete 4-6 half marathons. - Major check! 4 half marathons and 1 full.  12 races completed total.

5 - do you really need that? Get organized and get rid! - We sure did!  But more can always be done.

6 - figure out your future - do it! - errr, well - I didn't do what I had in mind.

7 - use your phone! Call my friends and family more often.  Pretty sure I failed at this.  And I think my friends would agree.

8 - Cash budget - save some major $$ - CHECK! And we took it one step further and spent it all on our wonderful European vacation!  Hey - that is what savings accounts are for, right?
9 - Do a handstand! - Turns out I am deathly afraid of breaking my neck and a handstand could lead to just that.

10 - Do a triathlon?????  I am going to have to think on this goal a bit more. - Nope, but I threw this goal on the list really late in the year because I realized my "10 in 2010" was only a "9 in 2010"

Hey - 50% accomplished isn't so bad, right?!

I have a few goals in mind for 2011, but have to wrap my mind around them a bit more before I share.

ten in 2010

Number 9 - by December 31st, 2010 I will be able to do a handstand (read that right?  HAND, not HEAD) without the assistance of a wall or a person.

Attempt number 1 (a few days ago): I got into the "tripod" position for about a second before Maia decided that knock me over...  I hurt my head. Do I really think that my skinny little arms will be able to hold up my body by the end of the year? Probably not, but it will be fun to try!

At our game night this weekend, some little kid decided to show me up and did a handstand right after I told him my goal...what a punk.

cash budget

One of our goals for 2010 is to get a handle on our budget.  Nic and I have always talked about setting up a budget, but we are all talk and no action.  Until now.  We have big plans for the projects we want to do, the savings we want to have, the toys we want to purchase, but kind of need a little cash on hand in order to complete/get anything.  Why does it always come down to money?  Normally we have been able to save up a bit of money, only then to have a car break down or to give in to an impulse and buy a toy before we really should...

In the beginning of January we began talking about trying out a cash budget. Our friends Ben and Debbie did this a few years ago, not sure how it worked out for them, but we decided to give it a try.  So we sat down and figured out what expenses we could really control and set a monthly budget.  {The bills that we can't really control will continue to be paid online (mortgage, insurance, phones, etc)}.  We ended up with the following categories for our cash budget:

Groceries

Household

Entertainment

Cars

Pets

Nic 

Kier

We give ourselves some fun money each month.  So if I want my lens, I am supposed to save up enough on my own before I buy it.  {Crap - this could take years!}  Since I drive so much for work, gas is not included in our cash budget.  At the end of the month, if any money is left over in each category, that is supposed to go into our savings account - that is besides the money that is set aside for us and the pets (we only buy pet food about every three months).

If we continue to stick to this budget, we will be able to save up quite a bit of money each year!  And this is on top of our savings in ING (to which we contribute to every week).  By May, we could should have enough money to actually start working on the basement instead of just dreaming of it!

The ultimate goal is to be able to live off of one salary with the other going into our savings.  I don't know if we will ever get there, but you won't know if you don't try...

ten in 2010

I think we all know that I H.A.T.E talking on the phone.  HATE IT.  But, since I live the friggin' deep south, I really have to start calling my friends and family more.  You all agree right?  Because if you don't, then I won't call you - and I will be happy. But I am sure I would be far more happy hearing your sweet sweet voices. I started last night by actually answering my phone when Nancy called.  You see I totally dodge calls, and then when you call so many times that I have to answer, I pretend that my phone was dead, or on silent, or that Maia ate it.

(I really don't dodge or screen any of my calls (well, some of them I do, but NONE of yours) despite what Maddie thinks)

happy new year!

So is it twenty-ten or two-thousand-ten?!  Maybe just ten??  Hope everyone had an amazing night!

Nic and I went to Festivus Party III last night for a bit.  Was a good time!  We then headed over to our friends for an hour or so and rang in the New Year around 11PM.  Nic had to work at 5 this morning...

Now it's time to finish up my ten in 2010...four goals left to figure out...

pizza and pinot

So I am sitting here listening to NPR and sorting through my dresser and closest searching for clothes to get rid of, (that's right, I am starting early on my ten in 2010 goal number 5!), and I just heard and ad for some restaurant in Iowa City and their "pizza and pinot" nights.  How delicious does that sound!?  I wish I had heard what restaurant this is for...  Maybe this could be my ten in 2010 goal number 7 - every Friday night at the P-S household will be a pizza and pinot night.  You likey?

future...

Ten in 2010 goal number 6 - figure our your future!

Should I go back to school and get a masters?  Then do it.  Do we want to expand our family...not this year!  Should we move back to Minnesota?  Move further from Minnesota (more likely than the previous option, sorry!)?  Stay put?  Career change for Nic, for me?

I am generally happy where I am at in life.  I love my job, but it has its days.  I love the life that we have made in Washington, but miss our friends.  I am good with our three furbabies, but wonder if we just shouldn't have kids now and get it over with.

I feel like I need more, but don't know what the more is yet...

get organized & get rid

I would consider Nic and I pseudo minimalists.  We are not fans of little trinkets around the house collecting dust, tons of clothes hanging out of our dresser drawers that we never wear, papers laying around the house for days before being filed or otherwise taken care of.  We are not fans of all this stuff, but I didn't say we are not guilty of all these things.

So 2010 is our year to get organized and to get rid of the things that we no longer need or want.  Do we really need seven hammers and two ice fish scooper things?  Do we really need to keep that bill, or could it be shred?  When is the last time you wore that shirt?  Am I really going to fit into my 11+ pairs of skinny jeans again?  Well of course I am - but why not buy new jeans when the time comes?  Those four muffin pans - really?

Ten in 2010 goal #5 - get organized and get rid.  It is going to feel so good when this goal is completed!

breaking up

So my "are you hYped" goal for 2010 is a little excessive.  So, I am breaking it up into two separate goals.  The first will be completing the 60 day challenge at the Y.

The second goal will now be - are you ready to run?

Raise your hand if yo know the man in this photo...

I think we all know him as Gorham, my high school track coach.  Oh how I loved running on his distance team.  Back in those days we'd work out for hours, HOURS, after school and run for ever.  If Gorham ever said "today we are going to run a long 6" by golly, we'd run that probably 7 mile run with smiles on our faces...well maybe not smiles, but still.

But, did you ever know that Gorham was also my elementary gym teacher??  Oh how I hated him back in those days.  How dare he make me run 1 mile in gym class! You know what, he hated me too.  Maybe not me specifically, but elementary aged kids + mean Mr. Gorham = NOT A GOOD MATCH.

Isn't it funny to look back on situations like this?  I once hated to run for the man, and several years later signed up and PAID to be on his track team.  And that was the best decision I ever made.

Gorham always encouraged us to keep running throughout our lives, and after a few year hiatus (read, after a few years of being REALLY LAZY), last year I got back in the game, like really got back in the game.

So, goal number 4 for ten in 2010: "Are you ready to run?"
In 2010, I will strive to run at least 15 miles per week and run 4-6 half marathons this spring/summer/fall.  A few options include:
May: Fargo Half
June: Washington RFL 10k
July: Red, White, and BOOM (Minneapolis)
August: Rock N Roll Half (Chicago) or Mora Half Marathon
September: Boulder Half
October: Des Moines Half

I am really sad that I won't be able to run the Grandma's half in June as that is one I had hoped to run every year, but duty calls and I have to work that day.

What runs are you planning on doing in 2010?

are you hYped?

Losing weight, working out every week, eating better - these have to be the top new year's resolutions every year for a majority of the population.  And what happens?  People work out for a month, maybe two and then fall back into their normal routines.  Who has time to work out anyway?

Nic and I have been getting to the Y pretty consistently for the past month or two, and are loving every minute of it, right Nic?!  Beginning in January (of course) the Y is offering a new program for those who really want to make exercise and proper nutrition a priority in their life - and who want to push themselves to new limits when it comes to working out.  hYped is a 60 day challenge that is going to be intense!  Like so intense, you have to sign a waiver and promise you are going to commit to doing the entire challenge and not wimp out half way through.

So beginning January 4th, Nic and I will be working out four days a week in a group setting with a trainer for 60 minutes.  On top of that, we have to do an additional 90 minutes of activity every week and keep a food journal.  And we are going to finish!  Wimping out is not an option.

ten in 2010 goal three - Complete the hYped program and continue to workout on a regular basis for the entire year.  This includes training for 3-5 half marathons in the Spring/Summer and maybe, just maybe, another marathon.

enough cooking already!

My number two goal for 2010: Enough cooking, already!  Hand over the kitchen apron and spatula at least two times per week and let Nic do the cooking!  Bonus goal - keep my mouth shout and hands off while Nic is cooking.

10 in twenty-ten

Has anyone started thinking about setting goals for 2010 yet?  Not resolutions, those only last 2 weeks...  The other day I was listening to NPR (okay, I do that every day) and there was a lady on there talking about a year where her husband and she spent money on only the necessities in life.  I thought that sounded like a pretty neat challenge...  After talking with Nic about this challenge, we decided it'd be pretty tough just to jump right into that goal, but are discussing how we can do something like that - within limits...

This conversation got me started thinking about goals for 2010.  How many goals are too many to set for one year?  I've seen some people set 101 goals in 1001 days, so 100 is way too many for 2010.  25?  Let's keep it realistic at 10.  Ten good quality, challenging goals in 2010.

Here is my first goal, and possibly the most challenging:
1 - Do not buy any books - utilize the library where books are F-R-E-E (that spells free, credit report.com....)

Now, I've better get going...gotta run to Barnes and Noble quick to buy about 52 books!

(I wonder how much we spent at BN last year?  I think I am going to figure that out - could be quite scary!)