New Years Goals 2009 Revisited

So, last year I made a list of long and short term goals.  I posted them on my web site not just for my benefit, but also in an effort to encourage my readers to make realistic long term goals. So, let's take a look and see how I did:

• Seek out more bee people. Find the short fat awkward people who don't fit in and dance with them. I know they are out there.  Mission accomplished. I think I need to make this a goal every year.
  
• Make a little birdhouse in my soul. Continue with this web site and blog. I'm not sure anyone is reading anymore (I haven't gotten much feedback to the blog) but if maybe someday, one person stumbles across it and finds some solace, some sanctuary here, then I'll consider this resolution a success. In fact, as long as I keep the blog up I will.  Mission accomplished. I haven't gained a lot of readers, but the ones I know about mean so much to me and make everything worth while.
• Believe that life can change and I'm not stuck in vain! This is a tough one for me, especially as I get older and have to face my future with some sense of realism, but without a defeatist attitude. I need to remind myself that I'm too old to be a rock star, but still young enough to maybe play a song on YouTube or maybe even do a coffee house someday.  Mission accomplished. I haven't done anything with music this year, but I have made other changes in my life. Done 5ks, taken charge of other things in my life that were wrong. It's getting better all the time.
• Make every day the best day ever! Make plans, and even though sometimes things don't always go as planned, remember to make the best of it either way.  I didn't always succeed on this one. Working on my attitude is still something that I need to do.
• Continue making short term goals, and updating them as I cross things off. My current list is:
  
  • Make crabs for the ELC. Done
    
  • Make interactive map of how the FL land mass has changed for the ELC. Done
  • Toilet train the cats. Done (well, for Maggie, anyway, the rest are on their way)
  • Finish Timmy and start book. Not done. I need to make more time for creativity in 2011.
  • Get new tattoo. Not done. Not sure why I haven't done this yet, I really wanted to. I think this one relates to still not taking enough time for me.
  • Get promotional material (brochures and magnets) for David's business printed and distributed. Done. Not just printed material, we also have t-shirts for sale for his business now.
  • Learn a song on the banjo and post a video to YouTube. Not done. As with Timmy, the book, and my tattoo, I seem to have a harder time accomplishing the goals that are solely for my benefit. Got to work on this one in 2011.
  
  
• Continue making long term goals and do all that I can to work towards them. Done.  I haven't crossed anything off this list, but I've worked really hard at the gym this year, which is a major step to being able to physically accomplish some of my more physical long term goals, so I am very proud of that achievement.
  My current long term goals are:
• Appalachian Trail with Joy, Christmas 2010 (at least the part around north GA-North Carolina)
• Summit Kearsage. It's kicked my butt twice so far, I need to show it who's boss.
• See a cock-of-the-rock in its native habitat.
• Sing karaoke. Unashamed, despite having been begged never to go near a microphone again ever (I mean that literally -- my ex posted an MP3 on the internet when we had a band, and someone clicked the link to listen to it and immediately called me, all the way from England, to beg me never to go near a microphone again, ever.)
  
• Touch Marty Marquis' hair.
  
• When I was a kid I saw a tv show about a museum in Japan that had a big animatronics collection. I'd really like to find and visit that museum.
  
• Hike down the Grand Canyon.
  
• Get the rest of the stamps for my National Park Passport.
  
• Write a book.
  
• Sell another photo or other piece of my own artwork (and go to the museum somewhere in Utah that has the first photo that I sold.)
  
• See a Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko in its natural habitat (Madagascar)
  

Next post: Goals for 2010

A Taste of Tuesday

So, I really wanted some fruit with breakfast today, but didn't want 2 carbs, so I decided to make an omelet with some fruit on the side. My dad taught me how to make omelets a long, long time ago. Every weekend for about 3 months, I would claim that I "forgot" what he had shown me, and had him make me one while I watched. I thought I was putting one over on him, but in hind sight, I think he, like I now, just really liked making omelets.

I few years ago, I took my Hiawassee Mom shopping at the outlet malls, and I found the greatest omelet pan ever. I think it is truly the key to making perfect omelets. It makes me happy to make omelets using this pan not just cause it's cute, but because it reminds me both of my dad and my Hiawassee mom:

It is insanely cute, and has a matching omelet turner-over thingy

But I digress. There really isn't a recipe for omelets. I just spray the pan with Pam, then put in what ever  I find in the fridge. This particular day, I used:

• Egg whites
• Frozen veggies (carrot, broccolli and cauliflower mix) thawed
• Cabot 50% Pepper Jack cheese

Put every thing in the omelet pan. Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, flip and cook other side for about 3 minutes. Serve with fruit on the side, or, if you are PMSing, a bag of Pepperidge Farm Double-stuffed Chocolate Milanos. 

Event update!

If you chose not to GOYB this weekend, here's what you missed! (Click to enlarge pictures.)

A big green... worm.. I can't remember
what Heather told me it is... I'm a bad master naturalist!

A Red-shouldered hawk

A really tiny Ring-necked Snake

The divine miss Heather with a stick bug.
We saw lots of stick bugs today!

We walked a total of 7.5 miles, and it felt so great that we're gonna do another long walk on December 19. Join us, you never know what cool things you'll see, but I can guarantee that you aren't going to see them if you stay at home on your couch!

Race update!

I did my 7th race today. I had my best time ever, even beating the one that wasn't really a 5k! Here are the results of the last 7 races:

• December 11, 2010 (51:43.9, 16:41/M)
• November 20, 2010 (1:02:36.7, 17:53/m)
• November 13, 2010 (53:45.2, 17:20/m)
• October 2, 2010 (51:57) (Note -- this race doesn't count. After the race all participants received a message stating that the race organizers messed up the course and it in fact was not a full 5k, which explains the really good time.)
• September 12, 2010 (57:44 18:37/m)
• July 3, 2010 (56:25:35 18:12/m)
• June 5, 2010 (1:03:20 20:26/m)

As usual, my cheerleader and photographer was there to document it all for posterity.  

As usual, here I am being a
goof at the starting line.

David amused himself by taking
pictures while he waited for me to return.

This is my buddy Dave from the gym
crossing the finish line.

This is me, coming in last. But, in my
defense, it was a very small race. It was my
best time by 2 minutes, so I was happy.

The only thing that kind of bummed me out a little was before the race, I was in the parking lot of the park. Now it's 6:30 on a dark, wet Saturday morning, I was wearing my little running shorts, doing stretches. And this guy handing out fliers for an upcoming race starts to hand one to me, then he laughs, looks at me with a look of disgust usually reserved for people who are caught raping puppies, and says,  "Oh, YOU aren't a runner." I told him that am in the race, and he gave a half-hearted apology, but I still kinda wanted to smack him. But on the other hand, as I've mentioned before, I get a ton of support from the people who actually matter (David, the rest of the family, real runners like Dave and Alison from the gym, and the folks from Runner's Depot who are always super nice to me when I go into the store) so I didn't feel bad for long, and I kicked butt today, so I'm happy.

Now to face my next, much more daunting challenge: Holiday Shopping... Noooooooooooooooooo

True Testimonial and Event Update!

Here is proof positive that my GOYB theory is good for your attitude! Here are actual before and after photos:

Before: David and Heather, sitting on
their rockers,  clearly unhappy. 

After: David and Heather on a
DeeMotivation Swamp Buggy ride!

Heather, clearly much happier not being in a rocker, and
showing off a Butterfly Orchid

How much more proof do you need that you should be coming out and playing with us?

Taste of Tuesday

So, my assignment for Thanksgiving is to bring the green bean casserole. I couldn't find any mushroom soup in the store that didn't have HFCS and other icky stuff in it so I decided to make my own. I also got real fresh green beans. Luckily, before I started making the soup, Heather gave me some pointers. So, to make the green bean casserole I followed the basic recipe on the French's can, but here is my recipe for home made cream of mushroom soup:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fresh sliced baby bella mushrooms
• Light cream 
• Chicken broth
• Chopped garlic
• Chopped onion

Directions:

1. Stir fry the garlic, onion and mushrooms in a little bit of oil. Heather suggested olive oil, which I don't like the taste of, so I just used regular vegetable oil. 
2. If needed, drain the mushrooms on a paper towel. 
3. Take 1/2 the mushrooms, 1/4 cup chicken broth, and about 1/4 cup cream and puree in a blender. Repeat with the other 1/2 of the mushrooms.  If you have a bigger blender than I do, you can puree all of the mushrooms at once. 
4. Spice the soup as needed. I used a little garlic salt to brighten up the taste a little.
5. If you are just going to eat the soup, heat it till warm. If you are making casserole, follow the instructions for that.

Event Update

If you chose not to GOYB this weekend, here's what you missed at Goodwin Wildlife Management Area!

 A really pale red shouldered hawk.

 A herd of roseate spoonbills.

A herd of wood storks. These were very cool. Both Heather and I noticed that there was something about the lighting today that made them appear really really white where they were white, and really really black where they were black. They reminded me of the saddle shoes I wore when I was a kid.

Me and Heather being goofy.












Hope to see you on the next event!