New Years Resolutions

I've blogged before about how I don't like new years resolutions. Because I don't. Any day is a new day to start a resolution. Except this year, I think I am going to break tradition and make some. I might start them today though, ok, be real, I probably won't start today.

 

This is why, last night on facebook a woman that I really respect and appreciate wrote this:

Tonight is the winter solistice, a full moon and a lunar eclipse. The last time this happened was in the year 1658. New energy is arriving... Now is the time to make your resolutions. What are you going to change in the new year?

 

Interesting, right!?

 

I've given some thought to some stuff lately.

Like, am I spending money on things I want or things I need... I've been pretty horrible at impulse buying lately.

Do I want to dine out, or do I need to dine out?

Do I want to get my underarms waxed, or do I need to get them waxed?

Do I want that new pair of shoes, or do I need that new pair of shoes? (including ski boots)

 

Other things to resolve:

Friendships and relationships that aren't benefitting me. By "benefitting me" I mean causing my more stress than they should. I can think of at least 2. I've told myself that I'm no longer communicating with one of them next year, and I even mean in the one-word-at-a-time-way.

 

I've also been thinking about being good to myself. I'm still ironing that one out.

Also, again considering adding "run a half marathon" to my goals... After running a 5K I'm pretty pumped about the idea... my tibia on the other hand, not totally loving the idea. I've even really upped my calcium lately, so I'm a bit annoyed by that.

Colder Boulder

Today, I ran my first ever 5K race.

I was so nervous! I was calling the event "Death by 5K." I had been planning on running it for about a month, but I didn't register for the race until December 2nd (two days before the race). I was bib #1983. I WAS SO BUMMED!! One person later and I would have been bib #birth-year!! AH! I did see the man wearing #1984, I wanted to go ask him to trade but I practiced some self-control... I did not practice self-control when I saw a fellow Hokie. :)

Anyway, it was COLD. I suppose that's to be expected, based on the name of the race. I started out pretty well. After the first mile I was feeling pretty good. Then I saw that I was going to get to run up-hill for a little bit, I wasn't excited so I decided to get behind someone so I wouldn't race myself up the hill. When I hit the second mile marker I started to get a cramp in my right side; but I told myself "you are over 2/3rds of the way there, you don't need to walk, you can do it." I started to focus on my breathing and felt better. Probably 2-tenths of a mile before the 3 mile marker, I felt good enough to speed up a little. 3rd mile marker came and then I passed a women who was cheering for all the runners, that made me smile, I appreciated her more than she realizes. I actually think I slowed down when I got into the field house, I was a bit uncomfortable with all the people that were in there watching for their friends and seeing me. (haha).

Basically, I rocked it. My friends Colleen and Kim also rocked it! It was so so good.

Rational Decisions

Sad news, my roommate moved out today. She needed a home with a yard and after thinking about it we decided it would be best for her to take that option. My apartment is too small for the energy that she had. Best said: she's the perfect dog for me, but I don't live in the perfect place for her.

It's interesting: when I worked at DU our director refused to get a pet policy, he said that it was unfair to the dog to be living in an apartment. When I first moved to UNC, I had told someone from Virginia that I was thinking about getting a dog and they also told me that it was unfair to the dog for them to live in an apartment. Let's just say, I didn't believe them until I tried it... After a couple nights with Philly I knew that it was unfair for her. I had to keep her kenneled all day, so she wasn't getting the exercise she needed. Our couple days together went kind of like this: longish walk in the morning, kennel for 4 hours, lunch time walk, kennel for just over 4 hours, longish walk in the afternoon, and maybe some kennel time before bed (since I went out for a drink last night and kenneled her for about 2 hours), then bathroom break and then kennel again. It was completely unfair to her, and I felt so guilty about it that I knew she needed to be somewhere that she would have more space to run around.

She was terribly fun having her here. I already miss her, my house is quiet (maybe also because it's 24-hours-quiet-hours on campus) and there was no bundle of joy waiting to see me when I got home. But still, it was the most rational decision.

My New Roommate

So yesterday, I got a roommate. Her name is Philly and she's a Blue Heeler mix (one of my RAs is thinking she's mixed with a Border Collie).

 

Anyway, she might not be permanent. She's a guest until Friday and then we'll make a decision about what's best for her. So it's kind of like we're flirting a little and then deciding if we want to be in a committed relationship... :)

 

So far she's pretty awesome. She's absolutely beautiful. She's mostly well behaved, she's a little bit too excited about cars, which let's just say makes her really fun on a leash...

 

She was living next to a co-worker and that family had been keeping her outside, and she was jumping the fence to play with other dogs, or play with his kids. The family realized that she needed to be inside more regularly and they weren't willing to do that. So my co-worker took her in and his parent's will take her Friday if she and I decide that we're not ready to make that next step in our relationship.

 

More information coming...