Happy Saturday! Oh boy, did it feel good to sleep in this morning. I think today was the first time in weeks I’ve slept past 9AM and I feel rested for the first time in a long time. I made the decision to cut down clubbing to just Saturday nights. That way I’ll be saving money, getting extra time to be productive, and of course a better night’s sleep.
Today is the birthday of one of my oldest and best friends. Happy Birthday Vera!
New Year’s resolutions, a month later
I know that we’re already way beyond New Year’s, but I’m just now starting to think in terms of the year ahead and the things I want to accomplish. Better late than never, as they say, and so here’s some of what I’ll be working on in 2011:
The Move
First of all, there’s the move. As I mentioned in my last Crossroads piece (check it out here), I’ve decided to shift my focus away from selling the house and towards finding a new job west of where I live. I figure if I can secure something in a school that will be navigable from where I’m going to be living, then I’ll have more time to pay debt down (including the mortgage) and save money. I also wouldn’t have a time limit as to when I’d have to be rid of my house. I can commute there from here in the meantime and move when the timing is better. Besides, I wouldn’t mind being out here one last summer (can anyone say “Johnny Driver?).
My Health
Then there are the health issues I need to take care of. I finally started by making a long procrastinated appointment with the dentist, which is a start. After quadruple gum surgeries last year, I’d stayed away from the dentist which is not a good thing, and so this time I’m planning on following through.
I also promised myself earlier that I would start making appointments with doctors and there are at least three more doctors I need to call, which I will begin doing this week. Though I’m healthy, for the most part, my age dictates that I need to take care of things before they happen.
Kicking the Habit
I want to stop smoking, too! For those who know me, the image of me without a cigarette in my hand would be strange. I’ve been smoking since late high school, and I’ve tried to quit twice since then, to no avail. In fact, I was downright ornery the last time I tried to quit, and it wasn’t pretty, but I’ve been thinking about it for awhile and an experience yesterday got me thinking about it again.
On my way to work, a fellow teacher passed me on the highway. I didn’t think anything of it until she gave me a jingle later in the day. She had seen me smoking in my car! After admonishing me for what seemed like an eternity, she got serious with me and it made me think. Obviously, there are so many reasons for quitting. I actually hate the fact that I smoke, but I dread the struggle that will surely come with quitting.
It’s funny, but in my mind, it doesn’t bother me too much when I’m in situations where I can’t smoke. My ex didn’t smoke and whenever he was around I’d smoke way fewer cigarettes than I normally would. When I drive with my carpool buddy, I don’t smoke, and of course I can’t smoke during the school day. In fact when I went to Canada last year, I only was able to smoke about three of them in five days and it wasn’t that bad.
So I just need to find a way to do it. I’m not sure if cold turkey is the right way, and I’ve thought about trying that pill that’s supposed to help. I heard it can have nasty side effects, and a doctor offered it to me just three months ago, but I do know at least two people who it helped. Then there’s the gum and the patch, which would be an expensive trial, but of course if they work then it’ll be worth it. What I need to do is keep it in the front of my mind and get to a point where I can choose a quit date. Stay tuned…
Making Money
I’ve stated before that my next goal in life is to be able to support myself through writing. The money I’ve made from it has certainly increased in the past year (still smoking at over 2K hit a day!), so much so that it generated a 1099 for 2010. But what I make from writing is not nearly enough to sustain me or even make my life easier, as all of it goes to take down my debt. In order to get there I have to become more focused.
This is where my mind gets confused…I’m trying to focus and decide how to best capitalize on my writing abilities. I think that keeping this blog is a good place to start and hopefully it will be evolving into a genuine portal to help me branch out. In the spirit of keeping things short, I will save my thoughts on this for another time, for I’m hoping to solicit your opinions on the matter.
So these are some of the things I want to work on in 2011. I think it’s enough to keep me occupied and of course working to better one’s life is always a worthy goal. Again, stay tuned…
Most Intriguing Associated Content Writer for 2010 in the category of Music
Yesterday I received my award for Most Intriguing Music Writer on YCN and it’s an accomplishment that I’m very proud of. The award is part of a program run by fellow writer Charlotte Kuchinsky and the winners are nominated and voted on by a group of YCN writers. I want to thank them and Charlotte for bestowing this on me. I am truly honored!
Well, I think I’ve said quite enough for one day. As always, thank you for reading and have a great weekend!
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