A Likely Story!

Who Needs Sleep??

Apparently not me!  I  planned to take a 45 minute disco nap - slept for 3 hours and have been WIDE AWAKE  since 9pm. Slept thru dinner too.

Upside? It's so quiet and peaceful in the house and a random siren has coyotes singing the blues.

nnsd!

On The Road To Happy

For Mother's Day, I gave my Mom and a friend's Mom a copy of The Happiness Project

I read Gretchen's blog at the beginning of her quest and ran across the finished project in book-form right before Mother's Day. It got me thinking about happiness in my own life and what really makes me happy.

So I created a spreadsheet (nerd!) this weekend and realized I liked using vibrant-festive colors in my spreadsheet way more than completing the spreadsheet...so....yay for realizing my love for color.

Moved on from the spreadsheet to a handwritten list...which made me realize that lists written in black fine-tip ink are not as happy-inducing as colored markers. Efficient, yes. Happy, not so much.

Breaking it down even simpler, without any writing of any sort, I decided to do ONE thing each day that makes me happy. Just one thing. With two parts. The "What" that makes me happy. And the "Why" it makes me so.

Friday 

WHAT - Taking a long drive to deliver/mail overdue presents.

WHY - Feeling of accomplishment. Wanting to be a better friend. Making others happy. Enjoying the views Colorado has to offer on a sunny day.

SATURDAY

WHAT - New towels & bath rugs from Home Goods.

WHY - New colors that I normally would have never picked. Nicer texture (much softer than my 6 year old towels). Cozy up my bathroom.  They were all on sale too - an added bonus!

SUNDAY

WHAT - Scotch Eggs & NBA

WHY - Have you ever HAD Scotch Eggs? You should! As for the NBA part, I fell out of watching Basketball last year cause I stopped going to bars to get my sports fix and I don't have a TV. And today I decided it was time to let a little NBA love back in my life. 

So really, nothing earthshaking, dramatic or uber-expensive was needed to provide my jolt of happy du jour. Just the little things. More to the point, maybe focusing more on the little things and not letting the bigger things in life have so much power over me?

Will track this experiment for the next couple of weeks and see where it goes. Want to join in? Be my guest!

And I know what you're thinking...why the sudden need to be happy or feel happy?  Cause there's been several non-happy/less-than-joyful/totally unpleasant events in Kathyland as of late so I'm trying to balance everything out while being as transparent as I care to be in a public venue.

So...tell me...what makes YOU happy? :-)

Times Like This...

I'm glad I have a private blog that no one has access to.

It helps.

The House

If I were asked to name the chief benefit of the house, I should say: the house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.

Gaston Bachelard - "Poetic Spaces"

Amazing Doesn't Even Come Close

This post might end up sounding like a greeting card on steroids. No matter. Some people are worth it.

Often overlooked in life is the difference one person can make in your life. And when I say difference I mean 'earth-moving-soul-shattering-life-changing-difference". Where slowly and surely over time, this person becomes such an integral part of your life that you really can't remember what life was like before they existed cause really, why would you want to?

They don't do anything grandiose or over-the-top. It's subtle. It's their smile, a warm word of encouragement, the pride they show in your success, the laughter with which the bonds of friendship are cemented, the inspiration they exude that makes you a better person. It's not about them, rather it is ALL about you. The genuine caring. The honesty. And the love.

Before you know it, they're firmly attached to your life and nothing will ever be the same.  The days become months become years.  And life is good because of them. Very good. Extremely good!

If you're lucky, you'll cherish every moment. Learn from them. Grow because of them. And never take a single second for granted. Because it can all end in a heartbeat.

Like many people, I have problems with 'the endings'. Not a fan.  And when it's someone that's touched my life immensely, I almost feel like my world is ending. Cause in a sense, it is.

Which brings us to this week. The week of the long goodbye. The fond farewell. Except in this case, it's more of an excruciating 'ripping your heart out and stomping it on the ground' farewell. An understatement, to be sure.

"A little too dramatic" you might be thinking?  I'd reply "No way - No way in hell". If you knew this person that I know, you'd feel the same way. And you wouldn't be alone...far from it.

So...goodbye for now. Not forever, but just for now. For the 5 days a week I got to learn from you, laugh with you (and sometimes at you), share with you (wings, anyone? howsa bout a cookie?), plan with you and did I mention laugh with you?

It was the most magnificent of times that I was so very honored to experience and doubly honored to be a part of. And I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Please don't ever forget me cause I'll never forget you.

xo

 

For All The Romantics Out There

This? Awesome!!!

S & J Wedding Proposal

 

That Was One Weird April

Wrote this post 3 times. Deleted it 3 times.

If at first you don't succeed?

The month of April was a bitch. 

2 ER visits.

Threw my back out. 

1 week bed rest.

Pain pills and muscle relaxants that can be soooo good one day, then the following week turn against you with a vengeance. 

A loving but stern no-nonsense conversation from one of my dearest BFF's (Brian) about how I needed to change my life around and do it quickly.

Personal setbacks. Medical setbacks. Professional dissapointments. Professional triumphs.

I gave up Cola. Drank gallons of water. Joined a gym. Started eating healthier.

Started feeling better.

These days, I crave water when I'm thirsty. I bring my lunch to work. Clementines are the BEST snack ever. I eat smaller but healthier meals more frequently. Eat less meat.  I go to sleep earlier. I look forward to the gym.

I changed. Change is good. At least this change is good.

So. That's what's new in Kathyland.

Rut

Happy Friday. Happy April. Happy New Beginnings.

I've not been online much this last week. Normally I'll check Facebook or Twitter or a favorite blog or two during the day and definitely at night, but this past week? Not so much.

I'm at a 'what now / what next' phase in my life. I'd gotten myself into a rut in a lot of areas and it's finally hit me that I need to break out of these collective ruts. Spending time online is a huge part of that, so this past week I tried limiting myself to 1 hour online when I got home. Instead, I read. Watched movies. Exercised. Organized. Interacted.

It's not enough. Maybe it's a combo of Spring Fever, things I want to accomplish, restlessness and just being at a crossroads in life, but something feels missing.

You know what I mean?

Not to say that anything's wrong with my life. I love my life!! Absolutely adore my job and super duper adore all the 'OMG-beyond-amazing' friends I work with and opportunities I have. Over 3 years into this job and I can't wait to go to work everyday and miss work/my work friends when I'm not there.

I'm happy with my current residence and while it's not my 'own' place, it's manageable. It close to where I need to be and the sunsets from my back patio are stunning. I've been here 6 months and hope to stay for another 6.

My truck had a major tune-up last week (over $1,000) and at 131,473 miles I'm hoping it lasts in the 175,000-200,000 range. I'm saving to pay cash for my next ride. Every now and then I think it would be nice to have a brand new fresh-off-the-lot car to call my own....but I don't want car payments. 

Last week was my 1 year anniversary of getting debt free. It's a feeling I love and want to keep. If anything, I'm about to get even stricter with myself and how I spend/save/budget. I'm a loyal Dave Ramsey fan and read his books/listen to his podcasts all the time.  What I haven't done...that he says you need to do...is have a cash budget. Starting today, I'm that person that takes cash out of the credit union on payday and lives on that amount. Once it's gone, it's gone.

Frugal can be fun. Cash is king. Debt is dumb. I should have been doing this since the night I got debt-free, but I didn't. I thought I knew better. I don't. So I'm starting over.

Thinking this might be the jolt to get me out of my rut. This and paying more attention to my finances instead of leaving them on autopilot. I want a house. A laptop. A new-ish car. Right now they're all wants but one of these days they will be needs. And when that day comes, I want to be prepared. I also want to be prepared for the unprepared, the surprises, the 'Murphy's Law' part of life.

I'm also considering starting a business. In the past I've done professional organizing, time management consulting, recruiting consulting. All passions of mine, all things I would honestly do for free. Which is a sign I should do them for pay :-)

So. That's where I am in Kathyland and that's what's new with me. 

What's new with you?

 

 

3 Re Weekend

The last 8 months have seen lots of change in my life. 

Since last September, I've : Found a new place to live (closer to work), moved out of the room in the house I shared with my buddies Brian & Tim, fell and tore my meniscus the week before I moved, was on crutches the month prior to surgery, had surgery, had P/T post-surgery, had several personal issues mixed with the ice and cold that Winter brings and tossed in with a side of  my life as I know it.

I needed a break and decided to get away for a long weekend. A weekend just for me, only for me, where it was all about me. A getaway to Relax, Reflect, Restart. I wanted to retreat to a place that was quiet. With a comfy bed. With down comforters and pillows. With a huge soaking bathtub and lots and lots of hot water. I was craving warmth and comfort and peace and quiet and coziness.

So 2 months ago I added a vacation day to my normal Friday/Saturday day off schedule and this past Thursday I checked into to my private getaway before I left for the 14th edition of Ignite Boulder. Which was an awesome start to what I hoped would be an awesome weekend.

Initally, I'd hoped to make it an internet & cell-phone free weekend and my cell was actually off for most of Friday. However, as I turned it on late Friday night to see if I had a call from my Dad, I was surprised by quite a few texts/voice mails regarding something beyond my control but something that I wanted to be made aware of. It was all good and led me to realize that sometimes it's better to have everything in moderation rather than all or nothing.

My weekend's been AMAZING. I've slept more than I have in ages and the quality of sleep has been superb. This Winter has been particularly hard on me (mentally, physically, emotionally), so much so that all I crave lately is warmth in my surroundings. Toasty warmth with no shivering :-) This weekend there's been long stretches of time when I've been so content it's like I'm in heaven...it's that perfect!

Every now and then, you have to listen to yourself, really listen, and give yourself what your body and mind and soul need to be 100%.

Solitude combined with down comforters, spa-like surroundings, lots of hot water and knowing that I'd budgeted enough to pay cash for my weekend made for a wonderful long weekend.

In less than 12 hours I will have checked out and I'll be back to work and back to my life as I know it.

What I took away from this getaway is a renewed sense of what I need to be happy. A quiet space (animal free, kid free, roomate free, noise free, cold-free) every now and then is crucial to my happiness. And until the day comes when I no longer have to rent or share living spaces, I might need to stage a get-away every 6 months or so.

Granted, this might sound trivial and even petty to a lot of people, but it's what I need in order to be happy. Some people go shopping, some people take drugs, some people skydive naked. I like cozy, warmth, peace and quiet.

Sometimes the little things can make the biggest difference in your life.

3 Years But It Seems Like Yesterday

Dearest Michele (Auntie Chele) -

It's been 3 years this week since you left.  Not a day goes by that you're not thought of and missed greatly.

So much has happened - Tommy & Jen  got married, Matt moved down to San Diego to live with Tommy & Jen, and this past week Brian moved down to SD to be closer to Tommy & Jen and Matt.  You've a granddoggie - Page. She's adorable and uses Brian as a pincushion.

Of course you know all this...heaven gives you a front row seat on our lives. Or at least I would like to think so.

Life goes on, but it's just not the same. And never will be.

Miss you so much -

xoxo

Kathy