Today marks the end of the fourth quarter of 2018. Today also marks my 38th post for this year, and I completed #5 (blog at least once per month) on my 18 for 2018 list. I was a blogging fiend this year, and I’m delighted with my progress and consistency which I plan on continuing throughout 2019.
Of the 12 remaining items on my 18 for 2018 list, I completed eight of them this quarter:
#1 Order two birth certificates for myself (contact vital records in California).
#3 Create a Google Photo account.
#5 Blog at least once per month (of course, more would be better).
#10 Try a voice (singing) lesson.
#13 Make an appointment with my eye doctor.
#15 Complete a 5K.
#16 Read Side Hustle: From Idea to Income in 27 Days by Chris Guillebeau.
#18 Plan my 50th birthday celebration.
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Of my 18 items on my 18 for 2018 list, I did not complete four of them, and here are my thoughts on why I think they were not completed.
#4 Lose 18 pounds.
Losing weight this year was clearly not a priority for me. I could blame it on lack of time, but that would be an excuse. At some point, I gained back the three pounds that I lost which puts me weighing in at 158 pounds again. I will revisit this item in 2019.
#6 Plan a trip to New York City with Andrew for 2019.
Since putting this item on my list at the beginning of the year, circumstances arose during the year that put this item temporarily on the back burner. First, Andrew has the opportunity to go on another trip abroad with STA in 2019. He will be traveling to Germany, Prague, and the Swiss Alps during spring break which is when we were supposed to travel to New York. Second, my hubby has shown interest in going with us; however, his vacation time is limited, and he has already allotted two of his weeks of vacation for 2019 for other events. Finally, my Uncle Charles passed away in July, and I want to make a trip to Utah to spend some time with my Aunt Carolyn. Also, I’m not too sure how the summer will play out with Andrew starting college in August. I will revisit this item, but it will not be in 2019 unless our circumstances change again.
#11 Update my LinkedIn account.
I’m not too sure why I could not complete this item. Lack of motivation, maybe? I met with Michelle in April to get a few tips on updating my account, but I did not really do much with it after our meeting. I’m not really active on this social networking site. This may change in the future, but I do not plan on revisiting this item in 2019.
#12 Organize my master bedroom closet.
My master bedroom closet is a thorn in my side. Honestly, my house and all its stuff is a whole tree with several branches full of thorns in my side. In order for me to organize my closet, I really need to organize the rest of my house (maniacal laugh). At the Loyacano homestead, we have too much stuff. I must purge my house of stuff. I will definitely revisit this item in 2019.
2018 was a terrific year for my family and me. We experienced awesome events throughout the year from attending concerts, traveling, interacting with a sloth, to working concessions at LSU football games. I read many terrific books, watched a bunch of super movies and television shows, took an ADR/Looping Workshop, and met one of my favorite authors. I was fortunate to spend quality time with family and friends, cheer Andrew and his swim team on at the State Meet in Sulphur, and celebrate 30 years with my hubby. And, those are just some of the highlights of a year well-spent. I am grateful for our year of blessings of which we had many. Dear reader, I hope before 2018 ends, you will have a moment to reflect on your year of blessings. Happiness!
“As we look to the new year, hold on to what is good. Let go of what is bad. It really is that simple.” ~ Mandy Hale
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!
Our next stop was the Virtual Reality Laboratory where all three of us took turns putting on special headgear to experience a science theme. There were several people at this exhibit, so we only participated in the space station. Afterwards, we ventured through the Energy Unearthed (The Science of Petroleum Exploration) exhibit where there was a collection of rocks and minerals. One of the minerals on display was garnet which is my birthstone. Before leaving the geology exhibit, we passed a fossil of Megatylopus (extinct giant camel). According to the museum, it was found in Oregon and acted similarly to a giraffe. We also walked by the Geology Lab which had a gigantic prehistoric whale hanging from the ceiling. Amazing!
However, the neatest part of this section was the live insects, centipedes, and arachnids on display. My most favorite creepy-crawly was the tarantula, and my least favorite was the Madagascar hissing cockroach. And, just around the corner was Stegosaurus which happens to be my most favorite dinosaur ever. Stegosaurus is also from the Jurassic Period.
Our last activity at the museum was another virtual reality encounter. It was about the evolution of the Internet. As you can see from the picture above, there was a television screen showing you what the person (Andrew) with the headgear was experiencing.
Upon the recommendation of the receptionist at the museum, we decided to eat lunch at Dwyer’s Café which was within walking distance of the museum. Leaving the museum, we encountered a man walking his pig. Yes, a pig! And, it was adorable. After we all petted the pig, my hubby, Andrew, and I walked over to the restaurant. Our lunches were delicious and quite filling, so we walked around the downtown area for a little bit before heading back home.
The Kat Files 