Hobbit-ish Potpurri: The Countdown Is On!

Hey Humble Readers...

So, remember all that stuff I got done on Monday?  LOL!  Well, apparently I overdid it.  Yesterday was a complete write off in terms of getting my big ol' backside off the couch.  My energy levels yesterday allowed for exactly two things... cooking supper and going to see Harry Potter. 

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Harry Potter was great!  It's been at least a year since I reread the book, so there were a few spots where I was left going 'huh?', but overall, I thought that they did a good job of it.  The director definitely caught the desperation of the whole situation.  There were a couple of jacka$$es in front of us who were killing themselves laughing at the end (and if you've seen it, you know the part I mean)... while I'm trying not to cry.  Funniest thing... there was a spot where I ended up being startled pretty good (yes I jumped) by something on the screen, and apparently the Halfling got freaked out too.  He/she jumped inside me and then couldn't chill out.  Hilarious!

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My mom is on the road today, driving 12+ hours by herself, through the mountains so that she can be here with us tomorrow.  I would greatly appreciate any prayers and good thoughts you could send her way, for safety and easy travels.  Thankfully, the road conditions look good, and there isn't much snow expected on her route today. 

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Today is my day to get the last of the last things done.  I'm going to finish decorating the house for Christmas (it's never taken me this long before!), going to get a haircut this afternoon, hit the grocery store, and do some tidying up around the house.  Tonight I just want to relax with my Beloved and not obsess about things that aren't done. 

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I know this isn't a great attitude to have, but considering that I've been pretty good through this GD mess, I'm letting myself have a few things today that I haven't allowed in a long time.  Chips, a donut (not a Krispy Kreme, but as close as I can get) is scheduled for dessert tonight, and I have a Co.ke Zero in hand as I write this. 

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Barring some sort of crazy rush on the L&D ward in the next 18 hours, this is my last post before our Halfling joins us.  I hope all of you south of the border have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  And be safe if you go out on Black Friday... no shopping casualties allowed!  :)

Making Progress... aka "Why Nothing Ever Gets Done Around Here"

Good Evening Humble Readers...

I have had a fairly mellow day. And. while this may be the most boring post I have ever written, I enjoyed every minute of it!

I did my workout ('walking for weightloss' dvd... don't let the title fool you, it's the workout that makes me sweat), ordered a piece of cookware that I have wanted for ages but never got around to buying (I'll share more when it arrives), and puttered around on the computer.

I decided that it was time to get cracking on one or two of my 2010 to do's... I'm starting small, with things I used to do that I have gotten out of the habit of doing.

First up, I am happy to report that in the last week, the bed has been made 5 out of 7 days! Woo hoo! (how pathetic, right?) Let's see how long it lasts.

Second, I spent some time working on a menu for this week, so that we can do the grocery shopping tomorrow evening. I thought this was going to be a quick task. *snort* Not with my penchant for distraction.

I mapped out the week, and decided that I wanted to try a couple new recipes this weekend. So I went to my cookbook cupboard...

This is what my cookbook cupboard looked like after this stack of magazines fell on my head.

It appears that over the last year or so, I have accumulated a crapload of magazines, all with recipes I wanted to try. They just end up shoved into my cookbook cupboard. So, I decided that it was time to do something about them.

After muttering a few not so nice word under my breath and checking to make sure there were no bruises or lacerations where they hit me, I started going through them. Any recipe I want to try, I tore out. When I got through them all (two hours later) I had a full recycling bin and a stack of new recipes to try less than half an inch thick. Yay!

So all this round-about rambling is to draw your attention to a new feature in the left hand column. That's what's on for dinners this week in the hobbit hole. Let me know if you're planning on coming for dinner. I'll set an extra place.

To Do's for 2010

Happy New Year Humble Readers!

And happy 200th post to me! (I can't think of a more appropriate day to celebrate it.) I guess I've rambled a lot in the last year. I am so incredibly thankful for this space and this community. It has given me a vent for my stresses and support through what has become a longer journey than I ever expected. It has also brought me wonderful friends. Thank you so much, all of you.

2009 is over, and while in many ways it was a good year, I have been looking forward to this fresh start. It's a time to let the past go, and to look ahead.

This hobbit has a confession... I have never been good at resolutions. My mom was good at them. She woke up one morning and decided that after 20 years, she was done with smoking. And she was. She decided to lose weight, and in a year she lost all she needed to, and had maintained it long enough to get a gig as a Wei.ght Wa.tchers meeting leader. She's got mega will-power.

But I am not my mother.

What I am good at is lists. I have always been a list person. I love that little rush and wave of accomplishment that I feel as I cross something off my list. So, this year I have decided to not resolve anything. Instead, I'm writing myself a 'to do' list. That way, maybe I will accomplish what I set out to do.

1. Turn off the TV - spend less time in front of the idiot box.
2. Read 75 books - down from my prediction for 2009, but up from my actual reading total
3. Focus on small weight loss goals - 5 pounds at a time and celebrate each victory
4. Make the bed more days than not - make Mom proud
5. Create & keep a managable housekeeping schedule - take better care of the hobbit-hole
6. See all the Oscar nominated films before Oscar night - must make sure to request that night off
7. Write more! - for at least 10 minutes a day, blog, character sketches, writing excersises, anything
8. Become more active - again, at least 10 minutes a day.
9. Eat better - not even so much for weight loss, but to keep my IBS in check
10. Learn to cook Thai food - just because
11. Make sure that my Beloved knows how much I love, cherish, and respect him - Everyday
12. Finish decorating in the living room - bare walls are annoying
13. Set up and regularly utilize a home filing system - no more stacks of paper!
14. Get back to menu planning - I used to do this every week, and I need to do it again
15. Make the spare room practical - organize, clean, and no more waiting for a baby!
16. Paint the bathroom - I'm sick of lime green (it came that way... ugh!)
17. Put up new curtains/blinds - I hate the white horizontal ones we have
18. Do something, anything with our photos - photobook, scrapbook, whatever
19. Get pregnant, stay pregnant, have a baby - in my dreams
20. Be less hard on myself.
21. Enjoy Life!

Ok, so not all of them are really 100% measurable, but I think having them written here will help me to keep them in front of me. I plan to revisit this list often, and to keep you all posted.

What's on your to do list this year?