Goals Update: April

How is April over already?  This seemed like both the longest month ever and yet the shortest. Blame it on the boot and no job.  I really miss working.

1. GET REGULAR EXERCISE/COMMIT TO THE GYM - Obviously not since I was in the boot the entire month.  I'm looking forward to getting back into it in the next couple of weeks.

2. DEVELOP THAT CAREER PATH - I take my CAE exam on Friday.  I'm super stressed and nervous about it.  I really want to pass.  I took a couple practice exams in the last couple of weeks and I was just under the passing rate.  LOTS of feedback from my other study mates that took the test in December said they were the same way and they ended up passing.  So I'm trying to stay positive.  I also had an interview yesterday, so hopefully I can get a job soon.  I really need to get back to working.  There are some advantages to being home all day, but I really miss interacting with people and feeling like a productive human being in society.

3. BE MORE WILLING TO BE SPUR OF THE MOMENT -  Well.... I would like to say I'm trying to do this, but I've been struggling being at home in the boot and without much money.  I'm trying to plan some things in the summer to get excited about.


I also should note that I haven't really updated much about dating - because nothing is really happening.  I've had a couple text conversations over the last month with Guy #2 but it's not going anywhere.  That has been the most frustrating thing - so I'm just trying to move on.  Hopefully getting out of the boot and trying to get some other things going in my life will help spur some dating.

No more boot!

Yesterday was my latest check up with my doctor following my surgery.  Today marks exactly 4 weeks since my surgery date.

The check up went really well.  She gave me to go ahead to stop wearing the boot unless I was hurting or sore.

So Thursday afternoon and evening I went back to regular shoes and today I haven't put the boot on once.  It's been really great to get back to walking normally, especially since walking Samson in the boot was starting to cause pain in my other knee and hip.

My doctor also gave me the go-ahead to get back to the gym (not running or jumping yet) in the next week or two, depending on how my foot feels in regular shoes.

I have a follow up appointment in 4 weeks to assess how the scar/incision looks.

So right now, I feel great.  The only bad news to this whole process was that she had to disrupt the nail bed to remove the entire bone spur, so I won't get my entire nail to grow back.  We'll see how I feel about it when it grows back.  Never thought a toe nail would make me feel so vain. :)

Cheers to getting out of that boot before the weather started to turn really nice.

The 101 Things in 1,001 days Recap

I have to be honest, I lost some energy on this list in 2013.  Having 1,001 days is a long time.  And several things on the list are things I'm not interested in anymore.  My life was very different on July 1, 2011 than it is today.

So here is my full list (because I took the link down) and all the links to the items I completed.  Plus, I've made a few notes on some of them.

1. Inspire someone else to write a list (Melissa, Lauren, and Kimmi all completed lists)
2. Donate blood - The one time I went to do this at a blood drive at my office, I couldn't because I had gotten a tattoo within the year.  I've been meaning to do this before I get my next tattoo and just never got around to it.
3. Make my business official - Honestly, while I still like making cards for myself or for holidays or for gifts or helping a family or friend, I'm not really interested anymore.  I think being stuck out in MD where I wasn't happy, this was more important to me.  Now I have other priorities.
4. Design business cards for my business
5. Clean out/organize my closet
6. Find my signature cocktail - I sort of did this.  I order an old fashioned or a French 75... or I get a beer. :)
7. Find myself the perfect "home"
8. Define my decorating style
9. Decorate that home in my style - I have been trying.  Money plays a big role in this.  But everyone who's been here really likes how I have it decorated, so I guess I achieved this more than I thought.
10. Find my "go to" date outfit - Nope.  Still need that perfect little date outfit. 
11. Have a picnic
12. Find my makeup must haves - get rid of the old stuff
13. Develop a skincare routine
14. Take a cooking class
15. Join a gym that offers classes
16. Throw a party for someone
17. Go skydiving
18. Ride in a hot air balloon
19. Own a DSLR camera - This was an expensive list item.  I still want one, but priorities, Megan.
20. Take a photography class
21. Run a half marathon
22. Host a dinner party - STILL WANT TO DO THIS
23. Take a dance class - and this
24. Get a facial
25. Own a pair of Louboutins - After several outings, I am pretty confident that there are not many opportunities for this.  He only runs up to a size 10 and his shoes run small... so...  
26. Have breakfast at Tiffany's
27. Take surfing lessons
28. Get scuba certified
29. Go to Paris
30. Learn Italian
31. Bake someone a birthday cake - I'm still going to do this sometime soon.  Just need the right time.
32. Create a unique piece of art
33. Go to a concert
34. Watch 26 new movies - one for each letter of the alphabet
35. Make a new friend
36. Go on a first date
37. Take a girls trip - Technically, this happened.  My grade school girlfriends took a weekend trip out to New York.  I think when I added this item, I had a big vacation in mind.  But technically, my trip counted.
38. See the sunrise and sunset on the same day
39. Visit 5 new museums
40. Attend a midnight premier of a movie
41. See a movie in 3D
42. Have my fortune told
43. Try a new food
44. Learn to say "I love you" in 10 languages
45. Learn how to shoot a gun
46. Go to the zoo 
47. Visit the aquarium
48. Make myself a piece of clothing - I want to do this with a skirt... Coming soon.
49. Write a handwritten letter to someone
50. Send a birthday card to each of my family members and close friends - I was SOOO close with this.  I went most of the year and then got busy and forgot.  Ugh.
51. Move to another city
52. Pay off my credit cards - This was wishful thinking
53. Watch 10 movies from the AFI Top 100 list that I haven't seen yet
54. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy
55. Go to Graceland
56. Travel first class
57. Learn 10 new recipes from my grandma - I still want to do this.  And I want to collect them into a recipe book.
58. Make a homemade pizza
59. Learn to drive stick
60. Don't complain about anything for one week
61. Make a snowman
62. Save $10 for every task I complete
63. Go skinny dipping
64. Try 10 new restaurants
65. Make bread from scratch - still want to do this.
66. Stay off Facebook for one week
67. Make my list of 10 places to see before I die
68. Take a picture in a photo booth
69. Grow a veggie garden
70. Ride in a helicopter
71. Babysit Kayla for a weekend
72. Take my parents out to dinner - still want to do this.
73. See an opera - and this.  Plus, I have that great Opera cape to wear!
74. Go on a brewery tour
75. Go to a costume party - and this.
76. Read 10 books recommended by friends
77. See a Broadway play (in NYC)
78. Go to a black tie event
79. Make a playlist of my 100 favorite songs
80. Host a theme party
81. Bake a soufflé
82. Make my own pasta
83. Climb the Eiffel tower
84. Go to an outdoor movie
85. Get a professional certification - SO CLOSE
86. Get another tattoo
87. Go zip-lining
88. Start a holiday tradition
89. Design 10 new invitations for my business
90. Make a "piggy bank" for my task completed deposits
91. Buy a lottery ticket
92. Buy a new mattress
93. Reupholster a piece of furniture
94. Live by myself for a year
95. Find the perfect LBD - Still on this mission.  I'm not sure "perfect" exists.  I have a few black dresses that can apply for numerous situations.
96. Finish a coloring book
97. Create a cookbook with family recipes
98. Have my makeup done professionally
99. Take a pottery class
100. Own a real vintage dress
101. Go paintballing - Maybe this year for my bday!

Goals Update: March

Shame on me for not getting this done.  I had no excuse.  Other than sitting around doing nothing post surgery.

1. GET REGULAR EXERCISE/COMMIT TO THE GYM - Oh, I was excellent at this for the two weeks right before I had surgery.  I had a great routine going.  I would wake up, walk Samson, and then wander over to the gym for about an hour.  I was home well before 11am and still had most of the day to get anything else done that I needed to do.  Then I had surgery.  At my check up last Monday, my doctor told me that it would be about a month until I could get back to the gym - but I think it will be sooner than that.  I have my next check up on Thursday, so hopefully I will be finishing up recovery soon.  I would really like to get back on the gym routine.  When I was going, I stepped on the scale at the gym (those scales are the worst!  Second only to the doctor's office.)  But I had lost about 10 lbs since I weighed myself last - so that was encouraging.  I have been trying hard to watch what I am eating during this time when I cannot get to the gym and have started doing some crunches and stuff that I can in my apartment.

2. DEVELOP THAT CAREER PATH - Well, I am slated to that the CAE certification exam on May 2nd.  Which means, I really have to push the studying for the next three weeks.  I have my flashcards done.  I've reviewed the chapters from one of the books and I hope to really get focused in the next few weeks.  This has been really tough for me because I have been unmotivated to study.  Even though I REALLY want to pass the exam and I know how important it can be for my career path.  Job wise - I've had a couple preliminary phone interviews and one email about a great opportunity.  Unfortunately, that opportunity won't even start interviewing until June/July.  So we'll see.  Every couple of days I job search.

3. BE MORE WILLING TO BE SPUR OF THE MOMENT -  Kind of hard to do without a job and since my surgery.  Nothing really more I can say to that.

A new look

One good thing to come from my home hiatus... a new blog look.  Those of you that use feeder and all those other streaming websites won't see it (I am on the feeder boat) - so peek on over to say hi.  Just thought it need a little refresher.

Also, I realized that while I have been a horrible blogger, I completely missed the goals update for March.  PLUS, my 101 list expired on March 29th!!!  I did not do as many things as I wanted to do, but I'm going to write one final post to comment on the things from my list.

I also hope to have a few more things to write about in the next couple of days.  No dating stories sadly, so don't get too excited. :)

Post Surgery

A little public service announcement to all of you...

if you ever have control over it, when you have to have surgery - GET TWILIGHT ANESTHESIA instead of full blown anesthesia.

Seriously.  While it was a little weird to be awake and talking to my anesthesiologist during the surgery, I had very little recovery time after the surgery.  In fact, all of the terrible feelings I remember from last surgery were gone this time.

My toe surgery was Friday morning at 7am.  I was ready to get it over with and treading the aftermath that I remembered from last time.  Thankfully, I felt great and only had to spend 20 minutes in recovery after the surgery.

Right now I am on limited mobility (no walking Samson, not a lot of activity) until I see my doctor again on Monday.  I was so thankful that my mom was able to come and stay with me until Monday and take care of Samson.  She also had to drive me up to Madison yesterday for a presentation (to hopefully get a job).  And now she is keeping Samson at their place so I don't have to worry about him until I get the OK from the doctor.

I am not really in any pain, which is really nice - but I am sooooo extremely bored it's not even funny.

I should be using this time to study for my CAE exam that's in a month....  yep, I should definitely be doing that.

:)

Hopefully I will have some more updates soon.  Sorry posting has been light.  I don't really have much going on right now.

Hello Out There!

I have completely slacked on blog posting.  No excuses, I just don't have much to talk about.

A few of you that have been bugging me for updates on life have been hearing about it constantly so I wasn't sure I needed to post.  But this is probably still good for reference.

The last I wrote was about St. Patty's day and the last time I saw guy #2.  Since there I have heard from him occasionally, but he hasn't made any move to ask to see me again.  So I'm not really sure where to go with that.  As I learn more about what he's doing, he is incredibly busy.  But there is a part of me still thinking - hey, if he was interested in seeing you, he would do it!"... So, that's where that stands.   Guy #1 is still around sometimes, but its so casual I can barely think about it as dating.  I heard from him last week while I had plans and there have only been a couple of texts since then.

I'm still on match, but nothing has really been progressing with that.  So, yeah.... that's about it from the dating end.  Not going to lie, I'm pretty bummed about Guy #2.

As for my professional life, that's not really progressing any faster than my dating life is.  I have a presentation next week for a potential job, but I don't know what the decision time line is for that.  I've been checking things online and there isn't much out there.  This week has started to set in the panic of realizing that I am not getting any more money coming in.  Yikes!  I did sign up to take my certification exam on May 2nd so I should really be spending this time reading/studying.  I need to stay focused on something!

On some good news (because right now this seems super depressing), I have been hitting the gym while I've been home and keeping an eye on my eating.  I have definitely lost weight, probably close to 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks or so!  It's definitely something I wasn't really focusing on and sort of happened while I was distracted with everything else.  The good news is that it has given me a new sense of purpose for right now.  Keeping on track with the weight loss - IE: Bikini Ready 2014!  Of course, this is going to become challenging for the next couple of weeks because I have my surgery on Friday and that will hinder my mobility for a while.  If I can keep on track with my eating, I should be able to push through that.

So that's all I got for you right now.  No dating, no job, and soon less mobility than ever.  2014 is not shaping up to be the Year of Megan right now...