Happy New Year, dear readers! 2019 is a brand new year, and I hope you are off to a terrific start. My year was running smoothly until this morning when I drove over a curb at Southeastern University and damaged two of my tires. Thankfully, I was not too far from the Hyundai dealership where the service technician replaced both tires with new ones and got me back on track. It was an expensive lesson learned about being fully present and paying better attention.
And, that experience segues nicely to the word that I have chosen for my theme this year. COMMIT. In 2019, I want to commit to improving my health, wealth, home, and overall well-being (like being more present). Since I successfully completed the majority of the items on my 18 for 2018 list, I decided to make a 19 for 2019 list. Is it more ambitious than last year’s list? Yes, indeed! Will it increase my happiness? Definitely!
Kat’s 19 for 2019 list:
1. Get a massage.
2. Get eyebrows waxed.
3. Get a colonoscopy.
4. Lose 19 pounds.
5. Go to the gym at least once per week.
6. Run a 5K.
7. Donate blood.
8. Read one book a month for self-improvement.
9. Purge stuff in my house one room/closet at a time.
10. Organize my master bedroom closet.
11. Clear out the front bedroom and make it my scrapbook room.
12. Complete Andrew’s Ireland scrapbook.
13. Organize photographs/mementos.
14. Buy a new bed for master bedroom.
15. Pay off one credit card.
16. Take a voice-over class.
17. Visit Aunt Carolyn in Utah.
18. Participate in NaNoWriMo in November.
19. Create my “List of 100 Dreams.”
Other Plans for 2019:
- On Goodreads I joined the 2019 Reading Challenge, and my goal is to read 50 books again this year. I barely met my goal of 50 books in 2018, so increasing my goal did not seem like a good idea.
- Andrew and I will be attending Comic Con in New Orleans this weekend. I’ll be checking out The Walking Dead actors.
- Andrew and I will be attending Fleetwood Mac’s farewell tour in February. I’m super excited that they included New Orleans on their tour schedule.
- I will be attending my annual scrapbooking convention with my gal pals June 20th-June 23rd.
What do you have planned in 2019, dear reader? Have you made some resolutions or a 19 for 2019 list? If you could choose a one-word theme for this year, what word would you choose? Let me know what your plans are for 2019. Happiness!
“Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.” ~ Marcus Aurelius, The Emperor’s Handbook
In January of 2017, I started listening to Chris Guillebeau’s podcast Side Hustle School. Chris Guillebeau enjoys the freedom that comes with being self-employed and a side hustler. He has written a few books on the subject over the years about his experiences and the experiences of others who prefer to make a living in a nontraditional way. Being my own boss and having more control over my time appeals to me; therefore, when his book was published last year, I decided to read it and see if I could obtain some information that would move me closer to developing my own side hustle.
Yesterday morning, I set up a Google Photo account (#3 on my 18 for 2018 list) to help me win the constant battle I have with my iPhone over storage. Setting the account up was effortless. What I find praiseworthy about opening this account is I can access my photos on my computer which will make ordering photos for my scrapbooking projects super easy. I still need to explore all of the features this account has to offer. One ability I hope I have is uploading photos directly from my account to my blog or to social media. I’ll have to play with it. I’m not tech savvy, so figuring this out on my own is kind of exciting.
I finally did it! I tried a voice (singing) lesson last Monday afternoon and had a blast. Now, Laura is officially my voice teacher. Since I can match pitch and can actually carry a tune, I have decided to take regular lessons. This basically entails going to a lesson once per week and practicing the other days of the week. Interestingly, Laura says I’m an alto. This seems to mean that I can hit some high notes, as well as some low notes; however, not too high and not too low. I like the label, so I’m going to keep it.
Even though I love music and love to sing, I never took any real time to seriously learn to play a musical instrument or to sing. My grandmother tried teaching me to play the violin when I was younger, but stubbornly I preferred going outside to play instead of practicing. Regretfully, I abandoned the violin in 3rd grade after struggling with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and never looked back. Thankfully, I still have the little violin that my grandmother bought me so many years ago. It is one of my treasured possessions. As for my singing career as a youngster, I was in choir for a year in grammar school. I remember performing at the annual school nativity program at Christmas. I really enjoyed it, and I’m not quite sure why I did not continue singing in choir. It probably had something to do with going outside to play instead of practicing.
When I had to renew my driver’s license last year, I noticed that my original birth certificate had faded significantly. I was concerned that I would not be able to renew my license. Thankfully, it was legible enough, and my new license was issued. At that moment, I realized that if I ever applied for a passport, I would need a new birth certificate. I feared that my birth certificate would not be admissible.
This past weekend was super busy, but eventful. I attended a two-day ADR/Looping Workshop in New Orleans (details forthcoming) which was the same weekend as STA’s Homecoming Dance. Andrew attended the dance with Jazzmin, a friend from swim. Along with Andrew’s best friend Fresh and his date Chloe (also Andrew’s good friend), they drove to the Parish Hall at Holy Ghost for pictures and dinner before heading to the dance at STA. They all seemed to have a terrific time, and they looked fantastic all dressed up for the occasion. I cannot wait to see their official dance pictures.
Today marks the end of the third quarter of 2018. We have completed three fourths of the year. The new year is just around the corner. Today is also the 8th anniversary of Comet, otherwise known as Tooty, becoming a member of the Loyacano family. Eight years ago today, Andrew and I rescued Comet as he was dodging traffic on Happywoods Road. We were on our way to school. Personally, I was not planning on keeping him. However, my hubby and Andrew had other ideas. No chip, no collar, no owner to be found. Needless to say, we kept him, and I am happy we made that decision. He brings us so much joy.
Tomorrow begins a new month. I have 12 items to complete on my 18 for 2018 list. I am confident that I will be successful in the remaining last three months of the year. I hope, dear reader, that you are succeeding with whatever goals you have set for this year. Enjoy the remnants of your weekend. Happiness!
The Kat Files 