Alas, dear reader, the 5th month of the year is in the bag. I’m looking forward to the next two months of the summer. I have scheduled a few routine doctors’ appointments. June promises to be engaging with an acting workshop on the first four Saturdays of the month, a local play, a concert in NOLA, and my annual scrapbook convention. In between all the social activities, I plan to spend time with friends and family, exercise, read, and knock out some of the items on my 19 for 2019 list. I’m blessed!
Speaking of my 19 for 2019 list, I have crossed off a couple of items.
#3 Get a colonoscopy. During spring break, I had my first colonoscopy. Four polyps were discovered, removed, and sent off for testing. My test results came back negative; however, my doctor wants me to get another colonoscopy in three years. Surprisingly, except for the SUPREP that I had to drink, the procedure was not bad at all. Next time, I will ask for a different prep because the SUPREP was disgusting, and I vomited the second dose. I strongly encourage everyone who turns 50 (unless you have family history that requires it earlier) to have this procedure done. My friend’s husband put it off until he was 59 and only did it because his father was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. His results came back cancerous and part of his colon had to be removed.
#14 Buy a new bed for master bedroom. Over the Memorial Day Weekend, Rooms To Go had a sale on beds, so my hubby and I took advantage of the sale and bought a new bed. Technically, we bought two beds. We purchased a Serta iComfort king with an adjustable base. However, with the recommendation of my BFF Shelly, we opted for each of us to have our own adjustable base to fit our own level of comfort. Therefore, our king bed is really two Twin X beds pushed together. And, no, neither one of us has fallen into the crack where the two beds meet. We still need to buy a headboard/footboard since our previous bed was a queen.
#8 Read one book a month for self-improvement. This month I read Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam. As most of you know, I struggle with time management; therefore, any chance I get to pick up some good advice on this topic, I’m game. Vanderkam is all about tracking time 
which is extremely beneficial when you want to see how you are REALLY spending your time. We all (myself included) like to say we are busy; however, that is a story we like to tell even to ourselves. I found her “three versions of the self” interesting. She describes each version: “The anticipating self is wondering about, planning, and worrying about the future. The experiencing self is in the here and now. The remembering self thinks back to the past” (Vanderkam, 70). The anticipating self sets our intentions or goals while the remembering self reflects on the fruits of our labor. Our experiencing self follows through or falls through with plans, intentions, or goals depending on the circumstances or feelings in the present moment. My experiencing self gets in my way of taking action on a regular basis. It is pals with FEAR and PROCRASTINATION which has robbed me from realizing a few goals or pursuing a couple of dreams. This is my year to COMMIT, so in order to take more action and waste less time, I need to commit to listening less to my experiencing self, plan the task/event, and execute.
I have always loved the idea of a clean slate; the end of one month and the first day of the next month make me giddy with anticipation. I have many wonderful events planned in June, so I hope my experiencing self is up for some enjoyment and cuts ties with fear and procrastination. In addition, I need to commit to saying “I’m busy” or “I’m tired” less which will make my remembering self happier. Happiness!
“Whether I do anything today or not, eventually I will be on the other side of the next twenty-four hours. It can be filled with “nothing” (in this case, meaningless somethings), or it can be filled with something more intriguing.” ~ Laura Vanderkam, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
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.
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!
Subsequently, I dragged my booty out of bed the next morning, took a selfie of myself making the commitment, and walked for an hour. After walking, I documented my starting weight at 158 pounds. I dug in a kitchen cabinet and pulled out my “pounds to go” and “pounds lost” containers. Diligently, I counted out 18 marbles, dropped them all in the “pounds to go” container, and sat both containers on my kitchen counter. This means that by 31 December 2018, I will need to weigh at least 140 pounds. There is no more “I don’t have time” because taking care of my health is important, and it is time for me to make my health a priority.
This past Thursday, Andrew and I went shopping for school uniforms for the last time. It was the first of the “lasts” that we will experience in the upcoming school year. Soon, he’ll be taking senior pictures and applying for college. While senior year is an exciting time, it will be bittersweet (for me). Andrew is the baby, so my hubby and I will be empty nesters. Thankfully, Andrew will not be going too far away for college. He has decided to attend Southeastern in Hammond to earn his undergraduate degree in Biology. While he could easily live at home, he wants the “college experience” of living on campus. After talking to parents of college-age children and to college students who live away from home, I can see the benefits for him.
Yesterday morning, my hubby and I brought Andrew to the airport, so he could embark on his journey to Ireland, Wales, and London. I will not see my baby again until April 7th. It will be an unusual week being home alone with just my fur babies. I guess it will give me a taste of what it will be like when Andrew goes off to college.
I realize that I am probably one of the last humans on the planet that waited so long to watch Stranger Things. In my defense, I do not have much time to watch television, and there are few shows that I watch alone in real time or with Andrew. He is just as busy during the school year as I am, so coordinating our schedules to watch a couple of hours of television together can be difficult. However, we manage to squeeze in some time here and there for our favorite shows. Andrew and I had finished watching Parks and Recreation during Mardi Gras break, so we decided to start watching Stranger Things. Many of my friends, family, acquaintances, and even some of my students encouraged me to watch it since they thought it would be a show that I would really enjoy. Boy, were they right. Stranger Things is SUPER awesome! I’m obsessed with it. I absolutely LOVE that it takes place in the 1980s. The show is basically about a group of geeky kids who meet an unusual girl with special abilities around the same time that one of their friends vanishes into a mysterious place that is home to a disturbing creature. It is like the X-Files meets the Goonies. The seasons are not very long, so we blew through both of them within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the next season does not come out until 2019. Alas, Andrew and I will just have to watch Beyond Stranger Things which delves into the secrets of the Stranger Things universe, specifically Season 2 and re-watch the two seasons prior to Season 3 premiering next year.![MC900432635[1]](https://katloyacano.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/mc9004326351.png?w=500)
Three weeks ago I assigned myself some action steps for improving my health that I wanted to complete by today. Unfortunately, I did not complete them all. I have been working quite a bit at school and helping Andrew get ready for his upcoming trip to Ireland. Instead of admonishing myself, I am praising myself for the steps that I did accomplish (week 1). After all, I do have until the end of the year to complete this goal.
The Kat Files 