Long time no post

What a crazy month, right? Well, T-minus nine days or so until 2008 and I haven't been this excited for a year to end since the horrid 2002. The year I was unemployed since May, got into two accidents and totaled my car, my cat and father died, and I had panic attacks aplenty. Granted this year was WAY better than that year, but this year reminded me how annoying life can be sometimes. I do have a feeling, however, that it's all about attitude and when you get wrapped up in the gloom, it's hard to shake it. In other words: slipping into that "soothing" bath of negativity has been far too easy lately. I think the only way I can turn it around is the milestone that is the new year. Not that I expect life to suddenly become amazing once the clock strikes midnight, but sometimes it takes that trickery of the mind to turn over a new leaf. I mean why do you think we have New Year's resolutions?

My resolutions in the new year are as follows:
-To complete more of my creative projects
-To build my brand and create an online portfolio
-To maintain my attitude about good health in a number of ways: good food/less restaurants, and exercise via a combo of more shoveling (ha!), pilates, and using my new twist step machine John got me for Christmas (are you calling me fat?? haha j/k)
-To continue to work at being a kind, supportive, understanding girlfriend which, in essence, means: work on the communication, aka arguing ;)

Number two on that list is in direct relation to current happenings at work. Without going into details, I'll relay the analogy I explained to my sis this morning: Working at this agency is like being with a boyfriend who I know doesn't love me anymore...yet I cannot leave him for fear of being alone, so I simply have to wait for someone better to hopefully come along. And in this analogy, the boyfriend is more like a pimp who pays me. Because obviously the real Katie would immediately leave someone who didn't love her. But 'immediately' isn't an option in this monetary scenario. It's just very frustrating, disappointing, and sad to know that I am in an environment where appreciation and loyalty are totally bunk. Yet I have to stay with this pimp who, ironically, could throw me out on the street at any second. Until, of course, something better comes along! Hence the second resolution ;)

Wow...so I was pretty honest up there...playing devil's advocate here: I am grateful I have a job, I am grateful John is in a good place, I am grateful I have the talent and wherewithal to find happiness outside of my profession...something I wrote about awhile back. In the new year I will NOT dwell on the pimp-whore analogy, I promise! I'll do my job and do it right because I don't really expect any less from myself. Not even when I have little to gain.

So moving on to quick updates...

45. I did indeed make two of Z's recipes this month: lazy salmon rolls and the Z burrito :) Last night I made a quick squash risotto. My fourth recipe of the month will be the kale dish.

68. I've been eating chocolate and candy like it's going out of style...so I guess I'm hoping for some more snow in '08?

77. I handmade 40 Christmas cards this year! Surpassing my previous years' numbers by a long shot! I took a few pix, so maybe I'll post them sometime. But I received several fab comments; I think my favorite was "you should really sell these badboys!" Nice.

82. I have to postpone my 401K increase :( This is the year I'm supposed to save for my proximate future and recent unexpected events are putting my more distant future on hold a bit.

To conclude! MERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS!!! Sorry this post wasn't very Christmassy...pimps up, ho ho ho's down??? Above all else, as long as we all have a safe and happy holiday, the rest is just icing on the cake!

Do you remember...blah something blah December

Happy Advent Times! It's a new month and here are some new pieces of listual information...I totally made up a new word! In other news I tagged all my posts...I know that's excitingly awesome right?

45. I know at least two recipes I will make this month...thanks to Z's weekend of fab food!

50. Atypical food: KALE because I googled "Good winter vegetable" and found this inspirational blog. Tasty stuff!

51. Guilty pleasure: Per my mom's suggestion, I'm taking a holiday dispensation this month. However, I have something a little unorthodox (and personal) in mind, so I'm going to see if that pans out. In any case, my first eating out experience since I gave it up in Nov was a Sourdough Boy Combo at George Webb's on Sunday night while the Bears were losing on the tiny tv above John's and my booth. Loverly.

64. I've been thinking about it and I think I'll kinda tack on "ORRR the Grand Canyon" onto the attempt at a Vegas Trip. I'm not sure how likely either of them are, but it's a step closer to crossing #64 off my list! Besides, I REALLY want to do that Grand Canyon Skywalk!

77. 8 more Christmas cards were constructed this weekend!

81. As of this past Friday, one of my incoming checks that provide the cash for the $250 that goes into my savings will no longer be available, SO I have to reshuffle my budget and see if I can still throw that money in there. WILL I GET A RAISE THIS YEAR??? Guhhhhhhh.

85. And speaking of work, two groups of concepts needed work these past couple weeks...nothing too exciting though.

To conclude, here's a short To-Do list:
-Finish up Christmas cards
-Collect all of the addresses I can (thanks Monica!)
-Bell ringer this year??? (not enough time, oh well...)
-All online Christmas shopping
-All brick 'n mortar shopping
-Analyze the ish out of my Bust Out Your Pinking Sheers list because I have AH item crossed off and, being a so-called artist, that doesn't fly with almost one year down on this list.