Life is kicking along...in a good way.

I'm going a little crazy today. I don't know why. I'm just having trouble focusing. I guess you can't help that sometimes. Mostly, things are going really well. I really have very few complaints about my life, even though I bought a car without thinking and am living on a crazy budget all of a sudden. It's kind of an adventure...surviving without money. I'm digging it so far, but it's only been 2 weeks. Talk to me about it in 2 months.

My main goal is to keep putting money in savings and NOT rack up crazy credit card debt by doing so. If I can get to my bonus and tax return doing these two things (and that means making it past Atlantic City, DC, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas), I will be a champion in my own eyes.

Oh yeah, and while doing that, I'm trying to lose even more weight and take on a new role at my company while simultaneously doing the job I do now. Holy wow, it seems like I'm taking on a lot. I read on facebook the other day "If it scares you, you might want to think about doing it" or some such stuff. (That's not verbatim.) I believe that's what I'm doing with the second half of this year.

It's been a pretty awesome year with Dylan and reveling in all that being in love stuff, but I guess I was finally ready for new challenges, so I'm taking on the world. On top of the financial goals, the health goals and the work goals, I also want to volunteer! And organize my house, getting rid of things I don't need anymore. I'm supposed to tackle clothing tomorrow. I think it'll make getting dressed in the morning a lot easier if I'm not sifting through a million things to get to the clothes that fit and look good. It's the borderline stuff - the stuff you can pair with other things and have it look alright - that is going to be tough to deal with. I don't want to pare my wardrobe down so much that I only have a few outfits. But at the same time, if it doesn't fit, I've got to get rid of it and get a new one! Or get something else that's even better. Either way, I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

And maybe once all that money is saved up, and my credit card is free and clear, I can go on a little shopping spree and get myself some nice new clothes that fit well and are good quality. I'm thinking good stores + sales rack = the way to go.

Not even thinking of all the things I want to get for my house. I just wish Dylan was done with school sooner so we could start our dual income life. It's going to be a lot easier to afford things like vacuum cleaners and ironing boards and Dutch ovens, when I'm not the only one paying rent and utilities. I know it won't be perfect, and I know life will be an adjustment no matter what, but I'm really looking forward to building my life with him.

And of course, it has a hell of a lot more to do with waking up next to him each day and snuggling up to him each night than it does to do with splitting expenses. It's just a nice bonus, and I think once we're both working, we can have a really good life together. I'm excited for that day to come.

I have always had a hard time coming up with a 5 year plan, but I think I'm close to finally being able to come up with one! With work, my relationship, my goals...the stars are aligning, and I feel like the road in front of me is actually clearing up a little bit and I can see where it is that I'm going. That is, instead of just going day by day, week by week, and hoping I end up somewhere I want to be. Not that that hasn't worked out well for me these past few years! Nonetheless, I'm happy to say I'm in a good place, and working on making it even better. Here I go :)

Life is HAPPENING, people.

This is another little blurby excerpt, written after I reviewed Charlotte's and Studio L'Amour in Chicago. I promise more quality blogging once vacation is over. Then, it's back to real life!

That's about it for my yelp reviews. Glad I got those out of the way. I'm sure with my parents coming, and us traveling all around god's creation PA, we'll experience lots of new dining and entertainment establishments and before long, I'll have tons more to review. I wonder if I'll become an elite any time soon. I don't know what it takes to actually become an elite, but I'd sure love to be invited to their special events. That'd be snazzy, and it'd give Dylan and Susan a chance to hang out some more! I'm so glad they got along when we hung out on Saturday. She declared she loved him! In Susan-terms, that's a ringing endorsement; she doesn't give that out easily!

Life has been so good lately, I'm hoping that my upcoming vacation (starting in just 26 hours!) lives up to the lead up! I have a good amount of work to do tomorrow, and am hoping I can maintain my focus and not check out the second I realize the end is in sight (i.e. NOW). I have a lot of cleaning to do tonight, too, so I'm going to get some good music queued up on Spotify and ATTACK. Vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, washing windows, wiping down counters and sinks, lots lots lots. Hopefully, my apartment will be ship shape by the time my parents come by, whenever that may be!

SO EXCITED FOR LIFE! I might not be writing for a while, but I'll be back in June, fo sho. I'm going to join the challenge in June, and see if I can do it!

Awesomeness Turned Anxiousness

I had a wonderful night last night, but a very anxious morning today.

Last night, I came home around 6 and talked to my brother for about a half hour. We don't talk on the phone very often, but last night I questioned why that is. It's not that we don't get along. I could talk to him for hours! We just don't find occasion to call each other that often. I must make a mental note to call him more often.

While on the phone with Josh, I made baggies of the (censored for Dylan) I got Dylan for his birthday. Josh had an idea to draw pictures of the (censored for Dylan) on the bag, but make them looks like Dylan. I did ones in four different colors on four sandwich ziploc bags, and put glasses on all of them to make them look like Dylan! I think he'll appreciate the little extra touch there.

I sent a picture of the baggies to Josh after we got off of the phone and one to Alex since she was with me when I bought the (censored for Dylan) yesterday. Then, I wrapped Dylan's other presents, the (censored for Dylan). I know he got me two sets of really awesome tickets (the chamber orchestra and Wicked), and a surprise trip to NYC for the shebang, but I think he'll like the presents I got for him as well.

After that, I settled down with a glass of wine and my computer, only to have Dylan call me a few minutes later to let me know he'd arrived. We went to Wawa and got the most wonderful $16 feast - two 10 inch subs (one Classic California with bacon, turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper jack and guacamole, the other a Buffalo Chicken Cheese Steak), a giant bag of salt and vinegar chips and chocolate milk for Dylan. We then went to the liquor store and picked out a really cute bottle of wine...I don't remember the name, but it came in a cylindrical bottle that was super adorable.

We headed back to my house, and ate and drank while watching New Girl. Then Dylan started to feel not so well, so we went to lie down on the bed, while watching The Office and 30 Rock. Afterwards, I got him some water, and snuggled him lots to help make him feel better, then suggested he sleep over at my house, so I could take care of him properly. After a couple disastrous school night sleepovers, where I didn't want to get out of bed for the life of me, last night went pretty darn well. After I set Dylan up with a big bottle of water, we both snuggled into bed, and turned out the big light. He watched anime cartoons and I read Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series, that I'm JUST LOVING. We laid like that for 45 minutes or an hour, then shut down and turned off the lights. He told me he was feeling better, which made me happy, and we were asleep not too long after.

Before I knew it, I was rousing and it was light out and then my alarm went off. I still snoozed a couple times, for sure, since it was so nice to be in bed with him. But when 6:30 came, I was up and at 'em. Within 20 minutes, I had done my hair and makeup, eaten breakfast and checked the weather. I came to kiss him and see if he wanted to get up with me to drive me to the train and go home or stay sleeping. He said he'd like to sleep more, and it really was the sweetest thing for me to tuck him in and kiss him goodbye, after I'd dressed and packed. I made it to the train in plenty of time, breaking into a wide grin as I walked now and then, remembering my sweet boyfriend back at my house, keeping my bed toasty warm. How I wish I could go back there now and surprise him with a hug and kiss. But alas, I'm responsible.

I've made it almost to the end of this entry, and only talked about the happy things in life so far. I guess that's ok. The things I was anxious about this morning included that my train pass hasn't come for next month yet (but I looked it up and found out that it just got mailed on Tuesday - it's Thursday today), and that I ran my credit card up almost as much as I paid it down last paycheck ($400), and after my rent check and my bachelorette party check this pay period, I only have another $400 to put towards credit card, Dylan's birthday meals and movie (easily $150), plus dinner and breakfast with Josh and Kristi and anything I'll need to buy in Chicago. The kicker is I only get paid one more time between then and the next trip to Chicago, when I'll get paid on Friday the 25th, while I'm in Chi-town. I guess I'll just have to pace myself as much as possible, maybe put $250 towards my card this time, and see if I can be frugal in Chicago this weekend. Maybe Dylan can pay for the movies next week or chip in for Iron Hill.

Other miscellaneous things making me anxious: checking in for my flights this weekend, getting through the airport alright, packing my bag sufficiently, getting to the airport with enough time, getting the letters out to my dad before this weekend, keeping my house clean when everything's been so busy and I have guests coming tomorrow night, getting Dylan's mom's jacket back to her in good condition, reading all the millions of magazines I have, losing weight...and OH- the dress I gave to the cleaners to have their tailor look at on Saturday morning, that I STILL haven't heard back about yet. I have no idea when they will get back to me, if they'll be able to do anything with it, and if, thank heavens, they are, what it will cost. BIG SIGH. I need to calm down. I will drink my iced coffee, listen to my jazz, and focus on how happy I was to see Dylan this morning, how lucky I am to have an awesome job to come to everyday, and how nice I feel in my silky blue dress and pearls.

Is it OK to be Lazy?

I usually have to have had a very rough day, or be very tired to not do much when I get home. If I don't have plans after to work to meet someone for dinner, drinks, or the like, I'll usually have a bunch of things planned to do after work. I find that if I launch into tasks directly after getting home, then I get them done. I just can't stop moving. Occasionally, I'm able to relax for a little while, then start doing what I need to do, but for the most part, I need to GO GO GO, or I'm at a loss for the evening.

Such as last night. I came home, and while wearing a sweater seemed like a sound choice at 7AM when it was only 50 degrees out, it was a little hot walking home from the grocery store at 6PM when it was 75 degrees out. By the time I arrived home, I was sweaty and a little tired. All I wanted to do was bask in the air conditioning and watch some television. And that I did. But I didn't feel good about myself. Not that I was actually angry at myself, but I just felt...normal, I guess? I bet a lot of people come home at night and watch television and eat carbs and dessert. And I guess I was kind of ahead of the game. I went grocery shopping! I cleaned the cat littler. I did my dishes after dinner. I wasn't a complete waste of space. But I didn't accomplish all the adult tasks that I feel keep me on track to being responsible and having a clean apartment and making myself feel complete.

I guess it's because I don't have a lot of time on the weekends to do chores and tasks around my house. I am sure it'll be different when Dylan and I live together, and we can be in one house, with him doing homework and me doing housework. I hope that it doesn't create problems, but it seems like it will actually solve a lot of problems. And make me really, really happy. But I think because now our weekends are so fun and joyful and consist of us entertaining ourselves in various ways, we don't focus a lot of our weekend time on getting stuff done, which we might want to start doing as we get older. Maybe when that day comes, I'll feel less bad about being lazy on weeknights, because I'll feel like there will be time to do all those "adult" things I need to do coming soon.