kapachino

Category: personal

  • Bragging Rights

    I can’t let this week pass without commemorating an achievement that I’ve been striving for for years and which may possibly never happen again.

    I grew up around sports. I played them, my brothers played them, and my dad and my brothers watched them. I always knew that when I got married it would be to a man who likes watching sports, not because I do (I enjoy watching a game occasionally, but not as a routine), but because that’s what I was used to from the men in my life.

    All that to say: the men in my family are serious about sports. They border on obsessed. My aunt is the same way with football, but my mom and I just enjoy it as part of our family culture.

    Nowadays, we have certain rituals. Every year we create a pool for the college football bowl games and we make our picks. The winner gets this gorgeous, custom-made trophy:

    Then we pick the NCAA basketball tournament, and whoever had the trophy last has to mail it to the new champion. Being the winner also gets you permission to gloat and serious bragging rights.

    Well, friends, my time has come.

    Yeah, I totally won! My brother said something along the lines of it being “shameful” that since I only watched a handful of games the entire season, but he’s just jealous. I don’t want to think about the number of hours he spent all football season researching his picks, only to lose shamefully to a girl. And anyway, I don’t think I watched ANY games. Impressive, don’t you think? :)

  • Ten On Tuesday: No More Coffee

    I decided to jump back into Ten on Tuesday this week. These questions are hosted by Chelsea and written by Molly.

    1. Is there a band/artist that you HATE?
    I can’t stand listening to screamies in general. I have a special hate for Linkin Park because of some bad memories with an ex-boyfriend, and Nickelback or any band that sounds like them fills me with anger.

    2. What do you do when you get a gift that you do not like? How do you react?
    Pretend I like it and try to think of a particular thing about it that makes it a good gift and tell them so. It was most likely a sacrifice for that person to give it to me, and I want them to feel appreciated. I rarely return gifts.

    3. How is your work office/cubicle decorated?
    It’s a communal space and we all just kind of grab whatever computer station is available. So basically, I don’t get to decorate it. Examples of what I look at on the wall behind me at work: Board of Nursing contact info, intravesical chemotherapy powerpoint, intercom list, and what to do in case of bomb threat. Inspired yet?

    4. Do you use all of your vacation every year?
    I absolutely do; vacation is one of my favorite things. Right now I’m saving mine up for maternity leave which is practical but not very fun at the moment.

    5. Did you have a real or fake Christmas tree?
    We cut down a real one from a Christmas tree farm, and although I enjoyed that experience I admit that I really want a fake, pre-lighted tree. I just couldn’t stand all the needles everywhere.

    6. If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?
    It’s really hard for me to think about what to eat when I’m not particularly hungry, like now. But as of this moment I think I’d choose a cheesy, tomatoey pasta.

    7. Do you bite your fingernails?
    No, but I keep them very short. I couldn’t stand the unevenness of bitten nails.

    8. How many cups of coffee do you drink each day?
    I used to enjoy 2 cups every morning, but it started wreaking havoc on my stomach so I cut back to a once a week indulgence. Sadly, the last time I drank coffee (and a very weak cup at that) I was extremely jittery for hours and had terrible indigestion. So for now, coffee is out.

    9. Do you have a nervous tick?
    I was just talking about this with my family last night! One of my brothers bites his nails and the other one plays with his hair. The only quirk my parents could come up with for me is that I stick my tongue out when I’m concentrating. I don’t think that really counts as a nervous tick though.

    10.  How often do you vacuum?
    Most of our house is wood floors and I rarely vacuum it, but I sweep it several times a week due to dog hair. The bedrooms get vacuumed probably every few weeks. Not often enough, probably.

     

  • My Happiness Project: January

    As I mentioned in my resolutions post, one of the things I’m doing this year is reading Gretchen Rubin’s book The Happiness Project and creating my own based on her method. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, there is a chapter for each month of the year and each month is about a different area of life. Then you  make resolutions for the month based on that area, and it is all supposed to work toward a happier life.

    January’s focus is vitality, or boosting energy. To summarize Gretchen, when you have energy everything is better and easier so it makes sense to start with this. I realize that I should have read the chapter before January 1st so I could start on my resolutions right away, but that didn’t happen. So I’m a little behind this month, but that’s okay. It’s a work in progress.

    My January resolutions:

    1. Walk at least one of our dogs twice a week (more if possible)
    2. Start exercising (yoga or swimming) at least once a week
    3. Seriously purge and declutter
    4. Create a command central binder
    5. Accomplish three nagging tasks

    As you can see, my resolutions relate to physical and mental energy. Everyone’s needs are different; notice that I didn’t include anything about getting more sleep, because I already get a lot and that’s something that I’m really good at. I’m especially excited about the organizing & decluttering, but I better get working!

    I’m so excited about this project. Have any of you read the book or created happiness projects of your own?

  • Currently In January

    New year!

    Current Book(s): I’m reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and am loving every word. I can tell he’s one of those authors that I’m going to make a point to read all his stuff.

    Current Playlist: Lots of audiobooks for now, but this month I’m going to try to spend more time listening to worship music.

    Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I don’t know what possessed me, but for some reason I started following People Magazine on Twitter and now I’m becoming a little bit obsessed with celebrity gossip. The other day I correctly named Hugh Hefner’s new fiancé from memory and my husband did a double take. “Who are you?” he asked.

    Current Color: I just bought these shoes the other day, and I realized that olive green is the perfect color for shoes. I love them.

    Current Drink: For the most part I’m just concentrating on getting enough water, but the other day I decided that an Orange Crush was exactly what I needed. I downed that thing so fast, and I hardly ever drink soda. Since then David has kept our fridge stocked with it, although I haven’t had the same craving since then!

    Current Food: At this point I’m still dealing with nausea that hits me out of nowhere, so I have to be careful what I eat. For breakfast every morning I have two pieces of buttered toast or oatmeal and a huge Red Delicious apple or yogurt. Anything apple flavored, actually, tastes good. I will make an entire meal out of applesauce these days.

    Current Favorite Show: I’m usually only ever watching one show at a time through Netflix, and these days it’s Mad Men. I’m a few episodes into season 2 and enjoying it.

    Current Wishlist: I’m really quite content with what I have these days, although I still could use a few new pairs of boots. Oh, and I would like to find an all-natural mascara that actually works.

    Current Needs: I need to start working on my happiness project, which will include exercising (lightly) and decluttering. More to come on that.

    Current Triumphs: I know I’ve mentioned this on Twitter and probably here too, but y’all, I’m actually good at starting IV’s now. I haven’t had to ask for help in weeks, and today a patient called me a pro!

    Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Bills! It is amazing to me how the medical bills keep piling up. Just when I think we’ve gotten them all, another one comes in. We are focusing hard this year on paying off our debts, and hopefully these will be knocked out within a few months!

    Current Celebrity Crush: The other week I got sucked into a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. (I mean…who am I becoming??) I had only seen glimpses of the show before, and now, unexplainably, I have developed somewhat of a crush on Kris Jenner, the girls’ mom. Yes she may be ridiculous sometimes, but she’s also kind of fabulous…right?

    Current Indulgence: First trimester is a bit rough, so I’ve been lax with myself on some things. I’m eating gluten and carbs when I feel like it (not as often as I used to) and I’m eating meat every once in awhile, nothing too crazy, and usually it’s because someone else cooked it for me. I also go to sleep between 7 and 8 p.m. every night which is fantastic.

    Current Blessing(s): My husband who runs all my errands,

    Current Outfit: I completely fail at taking pictures of my outfits, but I’m wearing a chunky beige striped sweater, skinny jeans, and knitted boots. The sweater David bought me for Christmas, the jeans were a great find at Target, and the boots (more like slippers, but who’s judging?) I’ve had for years.

    Current Excitement: By the end of this month I’ll be out of the first trimester!

    Current Link: Do you know about Grooveshark? Listen to almost anything online, just search for it. You can also create playlists.

    Happy January, and happy 2011!

  • Resolved, 2011

    I’m not exactly sure what this year will be like, expecting a baby in July and all, so instead of making a lot of specific goals like I usually do (which is usually fairly effective for me) I’ve decided to go with two big ones that should affect every area of my life.

    First, actively seek the presence of God.

    I feel like I’ve drifted from this in the past year, spending so much time focused on myself and my struggles. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to pray constantly, to really study the Bible, and to think about spiritual things often. I’ve thought about how I can get back to this, and what I’ve come up with are a few specific things that, in my experience, cause me to feel more connected to my faith.

    • This year, every third book I read will be faith-based. It could be a memoir, a study, or even Christian fiction, but when I read about God I feel closer to Him.
    • I will try to always have some sort of Bible study going. Whether this is with a group or on my own, I need to have some dedicated time to spend learning about God.
    • I will spend more time listening to worship songs. Music gets into my soul, and it can change my thoughts and attitude.

    Second, take on my own Happiness Project.


    Several of my friends have read the book by Gretchen Rubin, and they recommended it so highly that I obtained a copy for myself last year. There is a chapter for each month with a different focus, all eventually to help you be happier with your life. Last year I spent too much time being depressed, and I want this to be the year of happy. So I intend to read a chapter of this book each month and do my best to carry out its intention.

    Then there are the other things I’d like to accomplish…

    Mainly I’d like to have a healthy baby, but that’s out of my control for the most part.

    I’d like to get back to exercising regularly, although that will mean more swimming and yoga and less running and biking.

    I’d REALLY like to get our house fixed up before having a baby, and that will be a huge focus of my time until then, but I know it might not happen completely due to time and money. Still, we’re going to try.

    I’d like to get back to blogging regularly, taking more pictures, and at least attempting to edit them.

    And then there’s my list of 101 goals in 1001 days, which I’d like to continue to make progress on.

    That’s it I think! Here’s to a happy, fulfilling 2011.

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