April 2014: Mid-term Update

Given that it's halfway through April, it's time for mid-terms - how am I doing?

1. Running.  To date, I've done week 2 of the couch to 5k training.  It's going okay, although my knee is a little sore.  I'm trying to roll my knee, stretch, and ice it to keep it in shape.  But it's nice to get out and about, particularly given that the blossom is finally coming out, it's warmer but there are still April showers to keep one cool (I am one of the rare people who love running in the rain). 
2. Press Ups.  Oof.  I've managed week one, so I'm behind schedule, but going to be on time from now on - for real.  Honest.  

We are also restarting the Kardashian challenge - albeit we're not doing the multiplier, but we have added a third person so we have an additional layer of peril. 

March Update

1. Physical: Plan (and carry out) workouts for the week. Well, I've sort of managed that. Sort of. Just not this third week of March. And I've not managed to do the exact ones that I planned, but they have made me feel guilty about not working out, so I've done a little more than previously.
   
2. Cultural: Whenever I have a seat on the subway, I have to read my book.  Well, that's not been perfect, but the resolution has certainly made me read more. Of course, I've managed to pick serious books that require a lot of reading and slow going - but they've been phenomenal so far. 
3. Apparent: Wear earrings every day. This has not happened 100%, but I'm definitely, again, wearing them more than normal. It's just not going to be something that I do that often, but I'd forgotten how much I like a few pairs I own, so definitely going to wear those more often.

February Update (2)

Just over halfway through the month!  So, progress has been made on some monthly goals, not so much on others...

1. NBIF - Raging success.  Although, having said that, I'm currently in the throes of my first real "grrrrr I want a drink" moment. For starters: I'm on a train, and, somehow, trains are made for booze. They just are. Or cups of tea. Or both. Plus, a couple of young men next to me have a bottle of spirits each, and are slowly making their way through them, adding generously to their soft drinks. I want to punch them. And this is after surviving (and very much enjoying!) last night's Valentine's dinner with my beloved at what is becoming our favourite local restaurant. What's more, both of us forewent booze.* Additionally, I've managed to persuade a few others to try it, to varying degrees, and some are definitely seeing the benefits. Early mornings are so much better. A colleague told me his ability to do Bikram and focus is massively improved. Speaking of which...
2. Physical - BIKRAM.  None.  Nada.  Done nothing.  But this week I have no early starts, so THIS IS THE WEEK. FO SHO.
3. Cultural - I've actually done this!  Although I somehow managed to choose a month in which there was a double issue, so that makes it a lot easier. Nonetheless, I've not only read the three articles - including some of the super long ones, and not the restaurant reviews! - but more, and gone back and chucked out a million old ones that did not have a minimum threshold of two or more articles of interest.  I've even started reading some of those...
4. Environmental -  I'm not really doing the January Cure each day; it's too much at the moment with super early starts and being utterly exhausted as a result. I have been catching up at the weekends, however, and putting things in the outbox to get rid of (although it would have been handy to know I can start emptying it, which will start with abandon on Monday).  My kitchen looks better thanks to the prescribed clear out, and smells glorious thanks to the prescribed flowers.** The cupboard for my overall project is by no means done, but goodness it's better already. 

So some successes, some work to be done, but I am rather happy with how February is turning out, and I already have ideas on what March's resolutions will be.

* Having said that, the couple next to me were so extraordinarily annoying that I wished I could drink to work up the courage to tell them to bloody shut up.
** Freesias, if you're interested.

February Update (1)

The January Cure (done in February) - or JCDiF, as I handily refer to it - states that, after all that categorizing and listing, you just choose ONE project - one! - to do for the month.  Handily, other things one has to do along the way - kitchen sort out, bathroom shelves sort out, files/paper sort out - are things that were on my list, so that has meant that several projects I listed are going to get done without selecting them.  Phew.

So out of the many, many projects I listed, I've chosen the dreaded SPORTS CUPBOARD to do.  And it is dreaded, indeed.  It's an absolute mess.  The "sports" bit comes in the bottom of the cupboard, where a mass of our sports equipment is jumbled, along with a witch's hat & cloak from Hallowe'en, and goodness-knows-what-else.  In the same cupboard we have:

• A "holiday" box, with various bits and pieces we only use when on holiday or at home - oyster card, foreign money purse, etc.
• An "electronics" box, with a billion cords, plugs, and things for charging things I don't think we own anymore.
• Cushions for our outdoor chairs.
• Bedding and sheets etc. for the upstairs sofabed
• Linens and candles and various other things we use for hosting and the dinner table.
• Wool and knitting needles - WHAT?  I had forgotten I even owned these.
• A hammock I bought in Brazil with a friend in 2000 while there on holiday.  It has never, ever, ever been used.   

In an attempt to force me to do this, I'm shaming myself and putting these up on the Interwebs.  Sigh.  



This cupboard is a disaster. Not honouring the beautiful green lightbulb, that's for sure. I have to say, I don't think it 100% fits in with AT's instructions for how to chose the project - "A project that will make a noticeable difference in either how you use your home (organizing, flow), how something works (repairs) or how things look (decluttering, decorating)" - but it will make me feel better, for sure. TIME TO GET IT DONE

January Update

Well, the monthly projects are continuing, albeit at a slooooow pace.  We went to the Picasso exhibition at the Guggenheim on MLK Day (it just tickled me that it was that day we went to see an exhibition paintings/drawings that were solely black and white). We also finally went to the Met - more updates about that on January 31.  Yes, it's tomorrow.  Ahem. 

The 100 Push Up Challenge continues, albeit a little slower than I'd like.  Luckily, I enlisted the support of my other half in this endeavour - well, actually, he enlisted himself, knowing my failure rate in the past - and that has made a massive difference to whether I actually do the push ups.  Because, as in previous efforts, when it gets to Week 3, it gets miserable and I am inclined to give up.  For example, Week 3 Day 2 consists of five sets of push ups, with 90 second breaks between each set, and the sets run 14, 19, 14, 14, 19.  Yuck.  And ouch.  Week 3 Day 3 is obviously worse.  And January 31's set - FINALLY into Week 4, but that helps with the resolving - is grotesque.