Fall Down, Go Boom

Tuesday, January 12. All my grand intentions have skidded to a halt. I have spent the better part of the last 3 weeks sick. Some days, I had more energy than others but I have essentially done nothing to get any closer to my goals. I am disappointed in myself, and have only myself to blame.

I could wallow in my self pity and ineptitude, or I could pull myself up by my bootstraps and pick up the pieces of what I started and make something of the year. After all, it's only been 2016 for 12 days, there are 354 more to go. That, is plenty of time.

I've also been giving some thought to why I am writing this blog. I want people to read what I write, and maybe find a little bit of laughter, hope, encouragement and creativity along the way. I love to write, and tell stories. I want to gain followers and have people comment on what I have written. I want to help people find a way to help themselves to learn to be a better version of them. But that doesn't happen overnight.  In face, it may never happen. I can still hope. I can still share my stories and ideas. I can still leave a legacy of a life well lived, even if I don't have children.

So today I start anew. I will keep plugging away at my goals, dreaming big dreams and sharing ideas. But I am also going to write for me a little more, and an audience a little less. I have no idea if anyone will ever read my words, years from now, in the hope that they might know me better; and I am no longer sure that it matters. As long as I get to know me better, and perhaps entertain a few folks along the way, then I did my job.

There is a Internet meme going around on Facebook, it's had several incarnations, but the gist of it is this:
"It takes real skill to choke on air, fall up stairs and  trip over completely nothing. I have that skill..."
If you know me in "real life", you will know how well this applies to me. One of the nicknames my father had for me growing up was "Grace", because I had none. Unless I am performing, am about as graceful as a giraffe on roller skates. Today's story is a perfect example of this.

This morning, at about 5:45, I was coming down the hill toward my house after walking the dog. The neighbors had done a piss-poor job of shovelling after this last snow, and the mail man had driven up the gutter once again, splashing the already slick sidewalk with slush from yesterdays melt off. This combination created a 30 to 40 foot span of sidewalk that was covered in ice. Mind you, it was pitch black, I am walking downhill (okay, being pulled downhill by the dog), and it's colder than a witches' you know what...

Suddenly, I find myself flailing. I'm going down, and there is no way I can stop myself. There is a car to my right and my elbow catches on it, yanking my arm up at the shoulder as the rest of me continues my decent in what felt like slow motion. And then it was over. There I was, on the cold, hard cement, right arm trapped upwards by the car that caught my elbow, my right leg sticking straight in front of me and my left leg, bent at the knee, and twisted behind me. I had no idea my body could even bend like that.

My first thought was "OUCH!". My second thought was more like a string of explicatives, than an actual thought. I realized then, that I was on the ground, in the dark, without my phone, sprawled on the frozen ground. I was going to have to get myself unfolded, up, and back to the house alone. The dog wasn't going to be much help, she was in a hurry to get inside out of the cold; although she did turn around and look at me when she felt the tug on her leash.

Gingerly I maneuvered my left leg back to the front of my body. I pulled up my pant let to check for bleeding, and when I found none I made my first attempt at getting back up. No luck, I was on ice after all, and I had no traction to push up from a seated position. I rolled over to my hands a knees, which my knee and shoulder protested to, and used the car to pull myself up to my feet. I took a tiny step, testing the knee to be sure I could support my weight, wiped the tears that were threatening to freeze to my cheeks (I didn't even know I was crying before that point), and slowly began to make my way home.

I'm not even sure that I made it five feet. Whoop! My feet were suddenly flying out from under me, and I was making a much more rapid decent to the sidewalk - this time there was no car to slow me down. I landed hard on my tailbone, before falling back and cracking my head on the cement. I laid there a minute or two, trying to decide if I should laugh or cry. The dog even came back to me and licked my face. I think she thought I was trying to play a new game and she didn't understand the rules. She whined, I cried, and together we surely looked pitiful. I felt like the guy in the movies that keeps slipping and falling on the greasy floor, only this time it wasn't funny.

Eventually, I got myself back on my feet and hobbled home. I could walk and there was no blood, so I went to work. As the day went on, the pain started. Now, all I want is some Advil, a hot shower and bath. If there is a lesson to be learned in all of this, its either "never walk the dog without your phone" or, "even if life keeps pushing you down, keep getting back up no matter how much it hurts". Either way, tomorrow we walk in the street, and I take my phone.

Hit the Ground Running

Happy New Year!

Alright, quick overview of where I am and what this month's goals are:

1. Reading - Read a book based on a fairy tale

• I need to do a little research.  Right now I have a book, "After Alice", but I'm not sure that Alice in Wonderland counts as a fairy tale.

2. Better Me - Drink more water.

• Reminders are all set on my phone. Every time the reminder goes off, drink 8 oz.

3. "The Great Tidy Up" - Area 1 - My Desk/Office Area

• This week's Goal? - Get rid of extraneous paper I don't need.

4. 21 Day Fitness Challenge

• My 2016 Fitness Goals:
• Loose 52 lbs by 12/31/2016
• Got to the gym at least 3 days a week for 45 minutes in January
• Be able to say this honestly by 11/27/2016

 #OolaFitnessChallenge

5. 365 Project

• January Challenge

• 
  

New Year's Eve

Tomorrow, the first day of 2016, my adventure to becoming a better, more organized, well read, creative person begins. I also start two more challenges, bringing the grand total up to 5. In addition to reading more, becoming a better me and the "Great Tidy Up", I am starting a fitness challenge with my sister, and Project 365.

The "21 day Fitness Challenge" is through Oola Life (https://www.oolalife.com/).  I love these guys.  My sister turned me on to them this past year, and I have really had a lot of personal growth thanks to Oola. If you have a chance, I recommend taking a look at their website, and reading the book, "Oola, Find Balance in an Unbalanced World", it might change your life.

365 Project, is all about documenting the coming year, one day and one photograph at a time. This is the link to my profile.  There is nothing there yet, but there will be.
http://365project.org/chaneywiese/profile
I'm super excited about this project. I love to take pictures, and I really want to get better at it.  Plus, what a fun way to capture everyday memories!

Today is my hubby's birthday, and we will celebrate with dinner out and maybe a movie. Neither of us are big into loud, crowded parties, and although we love our friends and usually celebrate with them, this year we will be ringing in the New Year quietly this year. R has to work early tomorrow morning, and I have much to do to prepare for 12th Night on Saturday.

Get Set...

Now for the hard one.

"Organize this Mess" aka "The Great Tidy Up".

I have stuff. Too much stuff. Stuff of all sorts, shapes, and sizes. I need to get rid of some stuff so that I can find the stuff I want when I need it.  I admit it, I am not a tidy person. Don't get me wrong, I don't live in filth or anything like that; my organizational style has always been "Organized Chaos" up until now.  I don't want to be like that anymore.  I want my things to have a place, and to be in that place unless I am using it.

This is going to be a year long project, because just like eating an elephant, you can't do it all in one bite. So I am breaking down my spaces into 12 zones.  One for each month. I'm starting with my desk/office area.  I don't really have my own office, but I have claimed a corner of the living room as my space. Right now, my desk is serving no purpose other than to hold stuff. By the end of January, I will have a tidy, organized space where I can write, pay bills, and take care of other household business.

The rest of the year will look something like this:
February - Craft Room
March - SCA Gear
April - Storage Shed
May - Bedroom Closet (Yes, it really does need it's own month)
June - R's Office
July - Bedroom
August - Dining Room
September - Linen Closet/Bathroom
October - Laundry Room
November - Family Room
December - Holiday Decorations

With any luck, and a lot of motivation, my house will be clutter free and organized by 2017.

Get Ready...

Year long challenge number two.

Another Challenge I found on Pinterest. One small change per month. Easy-peasy right?  I think this challenge will be good for me, because while it is a year long challenge, it's also a monthly one. Working on Something new each month of the year?  That is right up my alley.

The change for January is "Drink More Water". I can do this. I am already pretty good about drinking water, but at work I can sometimes get distracted and forget. Then I end up drinking it all at night; you can imagine where that gets me.

I'm thinking about setting a reminder on my phone to go off once an hour while I am at work. When the reminder goes off, I dirnk 8 ounces.

At the Starting Line

As 2015 draws to a close, I am looking forward to a new year full of new challenges for growth and learning. I often have a hard time finding motivation within myself to accomplish my goals, and I find that challenges are often the best way for me get where I want to be. Usually, I am only competing against myself, although occasionally I will take on a competitive challenge just for the fun of it.

I'm starting off the year with three year long challenges, and one thirty day challenge.  The plan, is to continuously work through the year long challenges, and start a new 30 day challenge each month.

First, a reading challenge.  I love to read, but I often but it on the back burner for electronic entertainment. One of my goals for 2016 is to read more and play games on my phone less. I picked this challenge from Popsugar that I found on Pinterest. I think it will fun!