Climbing the Empire State Building

Ok, not literally, but our challenge in my WW meeting is to climb enough stairs in 30 days to have climbed the Empire State Building. 1576 steps is 53 steps per day for once, 106 steps per day for twice. Steps going down don't count, even if you have to go back down in order to go back up. My building at work has 98 steps from the first floor to the fifth floor (I may have mentioned this before). Just a few more steps and I'll have climbed it twice--except that I expect weekends to be more difficult, and I always take Sunday's off. Anyone want to climb with me?

In other news, my cats are still not friends. I guess that's really not news, though. I deliberately left the door to the basement a little ways open, and sure enough at 4:30 in the morning I heard the sound of cats getting ready to fight. Fortunately that's all they do, make a lot of noise then run. Kitty later smacked me in the face--still not sure if it's because I didn't want to get out of bed or if she was still upset at the interloper.

Also in other news, I'm in a play. I'm in the APL drama club, and I auditioned for "The Mouse that Roared". Not really as nerve-wraking as it sounds, given that there were more parts than people who showed up. I actually got three parts, small ones all. I'll also be helping with costuming again (I helped with costuming on their last--which was also their first--production).

Nursery is a breeze these days--last week we had the most we've had since January began--7. Yup. Seven kids. There are actually about 10 on the rolls, but with colds and travel and everything, I doubt we'll get all of them there on the same week. Kind of nice after the 16-18 kids we had before.

Stake History is pretty much done for now. I'll be sending out reminders at the end of each month so hopefully next year won't be as stressful, but that was a lot easier than I expected. And this year I can keep an eye out for what's going on in the stake and be more pro-active about getting write-ups and details.

Ok, time for the next meeting (hey, it's lunchtime, I'm allowed!)

15 things you might not know about me...

Ok, saw this on my nieces' blog, so now I have to try it too!!

1. I hate it when people spit out of their cars. Yuck!

2. I am a tv-aholic and a food-aholic. Surprising how well those two go together.

3. I am a collector. I collect dolls, Star Wars Toys, random sci-fi show toys, fine art pictures of children, specifically girls, movies, and now tv shows.

4. I don't clean my bathrooms regularly, usually just before someone comes over or when I get too disgusted to stand it anymore.

5. I like to sew and make costumes.

6. I make up stories in my head with characters from my favorite books or movies or tv shows. My mother would get really upset with me when I started acting them out.

7. While I love music, it isn't my life. I know, with my family, that's about as close to blasphemy as you can get, but there it is.

9. I love to dance.

10. I like to take classes on how to be a better person and communicate with people around me better. Latest one: Crucial Conversations from VitalSmarts through work. Very informative.

11. After many, many years of protesting otherwise, I'm thinking at this point I probably won't get married in this life. I just don't see the point, since I probably won't be able to have kids. I've never had a relationship with a man that convinced me my life would be better to have one in it. Sole control of the remote is very important. Plus I have cats, it's not like I'm lonely. And a Home Teacher, so it's not like I have to do without the important things like priesthood blessings and tools and help around the house.

12. I have a testimony of the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You may already know that about me, but just in case I haven't been clear in the past, I really, really do.

13. I love to go out to eat with friends. I used to just go by myself, but after a while realized I just didn't enjoy sitting there with a book. I prefer to go with friends. I have a standing date with the Sister Missionaries each month and it is the highlight of the whole week, usually the whole month (unless I've been visiting family, that kind of wins)

14. I really hate writing documents for work. Or for church. Or for any other reason. I can't even finish the stories I make up in my head, what makes them think I can finish something so boring as a technical manual?

15. I really, really, REALLY love my family. I would do anything for them. I don't live very close to them anymore, but as money and time permit, I do visit them as often as I can. So if I'm not here, that's probably where I am.


Ok, I'm supposed to tag 5 people, so if you decide you want to do this too, consider yourself tagged. Then leave a comment so I know to go read it :)

Christmas and a New Year

I had a very nice Christmas. It was small and quiet, but I liked it that way. I opened presents in the morning, tree shining over me. My two younger sisters had me for Christmas*, always a good thing. I hope I can do half as well when I have them next year :) Books, dolls, and even toys for my kitties! My friend L also sent me a few things--turns out she was my Secret Jedi this year**, also a very good thing. So a year that could have been very sad and lonely--my first in over 8 years not spending it with my sister B--was actually very good after all (bad memories of the first year after my Mom passed away--two brothers had me that year and they both forgot. Or didn't mail on time, or something like that. So I had nothing, and no one remembered me, and not being remembered on Christmas Day really, really sucks).

After presents I let Kitty outside to find that it was snowing lightly.

She likes to try to catch the snowflakes. Later that day I went over a friend's house for dinner. Like I said, nice and quiet.

The week between Christmas and New Year's Eve was also very quiet. No vacation time left, so I went in to work all four days (when the holidays are on a weekend, we only get one day off--next year we only get six holidays off :( ). I was a little put-out that the huge snowstorm that took out parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York completely missed Maryland. I really wanted Monday off too!

For New Year's Eve I went over a friends house. She invited all the local SA from church over for snacks and movies. I brought Avatar, the extra special edition with 18 more minutes in it, and we decided to watch that. I really like that movie. I have to say, though it really was better the first time, when I wasn't aware of what was going to happen. It was a fun time, though. We stopped the movie shortly before midnight so we could watch Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's party (and see the ball drop) so we could toast with our non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice. Then we had to text everyone and wish them Happy New Year. That was kind of funny--and one of my nieces accused me of cheating since she still had to wait 3 hours for New Years :D

New Year's Day I went out and worked in the yard for quite a while. didn't quite complete the 'getting ready for winter' that I should have done two months ago, but the majority of the grass and weeds are gone now. Just one little patch left... Some mulching in March and it should be all ready for spring.

So this year I have three resolutions. I try to do resolutions every year, things to work on, and then do progress reports to myself, usually in May and then again in September. First, this is the year I am going to lose the weight. One pound a week, or 3 (6?) dress sizes by next year. Since dress sizes drop by two, I'm never sure if the difference between 10 and 12 is one or two. Anyway, that's one. Two is to work--at home, at work, and at church. I slack way to much. Three is to be more humble. I always think I'm right about everything; I really need to stop that. I figure there's more scripture study and prayer in my future. I figure that these three resolutions cover all four areas that I try to cover each year: physical, mental, social, and spiritual. I usually do one in each area, but this year I figure the work one counts for social and mental, and the humble one counts for spiritual and mental.

Ok, enough about me for now. We may get flurries again tonight. This morning it was kind of fun to see all that powdered-sugar looking snow everywhere. I didn't eve bother trying to sweep it away, I'm sure it's melted by now.

Ok, I think I'm done now. And kudo's to you if you made it through this really long post!

*my family rotates names--every year we have two siblings, and the following year it rotates to the next younger two until it wraps around to the older ones. Works very well, we don't have to buy for 8 people, just 2.

** Secret Jedi is a fun thing me and a group of friends do every year. Like Secret Santa, but since we all like Star Wars (that's how we met), we call it Secret Jedi. And we mail stuff throughout the month of December, usually leaving the nicest gift for Christmas Day. It's really fun.