Big Goals (and a little wishlist)...

I think this idea of serious goal making probably all began just about a month ago while driving from Boise to Driggs, Idaho with my daughter Daryn. She's gotten all into this health, fitness, self-improvement stuff lately. No seriously, I am so proud of her!.. and may I add she's done a remarkable job of motivating me as well! Both of my girls, in fact, are such hugely inspirational forces in my life. They completely complete me and never fail to help me remember who I am!

But back to how this all started...

So there we were driving through the less than inspiring landscape between the Western and Eastern sides of the Great State of the Potato when I suddenly learned something of huge value and worth and immediately became extremely INSPIRED. Wanna know what it was? Are you ready?

Ok... here goes. Do you know that if you were offered either One Million Dollars ($1,000,000)... OR just one single penny (.01) which would double in value every day for 30 days, that if you'd chosen the million dollar route you would have been a fool and lost out on over Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000)???!!!

Go ahead, grab a calculator and check it out for yourself!

So that was basically the major premise of the first chapter of Jeff Olson's The Slight Edge. (What an amazing book!)

Now I realize that it would be nearly impossible for most anyone to be able to double their money like that for 30 continuous days (or at least past day 15), but let's be serious, we're not really talking (literally) about money here, right? But the amazing thing to me is that (if it WERE possible) that it wouldn't be until day 27 (right nearly close to the finish line) that you'd have finally SURPASS (BY FAR!) having chosen the "easy way."

Whoa was I ever hooked!

So then I read The Compound Effect, another book recommended by my daughter, which was pretty much along the same lines and equally inspiring.. the basic premise being that "Every seemingly unsubstantial daily task and habit that we engage in naturally snowballs into either big successes or failures over time." Wow, I just totally paraphrased that and ended up quoting myself! Hee!

So just lately I've been on this quest to break down my larger goals into teeny tiny little pieces of every day habitual actions. And everything seems so simple and much more do-able now!

I started out by listing my long term goals (where I want to be 20 - 30 years from now.)

Then I made another list of what I want to be able accomplish within the next year ~ things that will be in accordance with and that will eventually help lead me towards my ultimate goals.

And then... there are 12 months in every year which will each take some major planning, organization and committment in order to accomplish what I need to achieve on my journey.

Finally... I started using THIS FORM to track the things that I need to do on a daily/weekly basis. And has it been so much fun writing out my week's plans. I look forward to doing it every Sunday!

I just LOVE this quote from Jim Rohn, author of the book "The Art of Exceptional Living"...

"NOW is the time to fix the next 10 years." WOW!!!

MY LONGTERM GOALS ~ or "Where I Want To Be in 20 to 30 Years"

1. Be living a healthy, active life.

2. Have enough money to be able to live well.

3. Own a home in a beautiful setting closer to my kids, small enough to manage but large enough for visitors.

4. Have a "10" relationship with each of my amazing family members.

5. Be in a good place with my spirituality.

6. Have substantial outlets for my talents that can be practiced on a regular basis and shared with others.

7. Be able to travel sufficiently enough to see a few parts of this beautiful country/world that I haven't yet seen.

8. To maintain a clear, intelligent, ever-expanding and TOLERANT mind.

9. If not a soul-mate, then at least have one or two really amazing friends that I can continue to do fun, crazy, 20-Something type things with until the day I'm dead, or something...

10. To leave something of value to my children and grandchildren when I'm gone, both financially and historically.

So that may or may not sound like a whole lot to aim for, but to me it sounds huge! It sounds like a TON to me actually. In fact it sounds PERFECT!

Anyway, I know I still have a long, long, LONG ways to go on this journey. But all of a sudden, I am SO excited!!!

SO EXCITED!

P.S.

I would just love for each of my children to be able to bring their families to Michigan to visit Grandma's House just one time before I eventually pack up and leave this place... because there is so much do to and experience here and so much beauty!

*sigh*

Don't just think it...INK IT!

Yard Blog 2014 (A Working Title)...

Well, another spring has found me working tirelessly in my yard. Not that I mind it, for the most part. There is something so amazing about standing back and looking at your work when you're done.

And that's just the "mowing" part...

I won't go into the over 40 hours spent pulling GARLIC MUSTARD out of my woods but I am now on year 3 of what they say can be a 10-12 year process! :(

So anyway... the purpose of this post is personal really. Not just because I want everyone to see my magnificent yard or give me kudos for all my tireless work. :)

Ya know how every year you think you're going to somehow be able to remember what you were planning on doing next year to fix all those tiny little flaws in your yard/garden? Funny thing is though, no matter how much I think I'm going to remember them, I never do! So I'm getting a jump on it this year. Way to outsmart all you little imperfections! haha!

First Stop: Planter Along Back of House
These pictures were taken about two weeks ago around mid-May. I thought I'd already had a plan in place for this area from last year. Wait, in fact I know I did!

I think those were taken sometime in July, so we'll see what happens with the changes I made. So far I see no sign of my Black Eyed Susans! :( But here's what everything usually looks like around May 31st.

Next Stop: Overgrown Myrtle Patch

This area has become a lifelong process to make it into something even semi-pleasing to the eye...
Years ago it was an attempt at a vegetable garden... but that didn't work out.
I think I've finally tamed it enough to be able to manage it... even though every year these little rogue plants pop up and I can never from year to year remember if they every end up doing anything. They look like they are going to become something at first, but then... Anyway, I really need to remember to pluck those suckers out early next spring if they keep succeeding to fail.

The Two Sides of the Garage are NOT Created Equal

I feel like I've been through this for so many years, yet nothing ever seems to work out. I have two sides of my garage with varying amounts of sun, shade, precipitation and drought and cannot ever seem to remember which is which. After some intensive research I think I've finallly found that Begonia's do pretty well in all conditions. So we'll see and I'll let you know...

Left Side

Right Side

Then there's the area that never seems to be able to grow anything, so I think I'm gonna try Begonia's there too!

The Proverbial Picket Fence

Again, I've tried everything here, so we'll see how these Zinnias work!

And while on the subject of side yard... Those planter boxes have been mostly unsuccessful for anything. Now I'm trying decorative grasses which have done really well in my other areas...though they still don't seem to be doing very well here!

The East Side And now on to the side of my house that I consider my biggest success. Two years ago this space was inhabited by two very sickly evergreen trees (and a ton of garlic mustard!) Everything is doing so very well here. New for this year is the azalea bush in the corner. We'll see if it likes it's new home.

Garden

Jalapeno Peppers, Cilantro, Parsley, Chives, Basil, Tomatoes...

Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Strawberries!

So there you have it. This is what everything looks like now (from mid to end of May). We'll see how it all works out so that I'll have a better idea what, if anything, I need to change or add for next year.

Yippee-Ki-Yay ~ Another Fifth Third Day!...

Every year at work on May 3rd we hold a celebration. It's pretty much a non-working day for most people and we just have lots of fun. Every year we choose a different theme... We've had a Luau (2005), a Carnival (2008), a Cruise (2010), and others such as "Willy Wonka" (2006), "Studio 53" (2007), "Blast From The Past" (2009), "Office Olympics (2012)" and "Cinco *Tres* de Mayo" (2013). This year we chose "The Wild, Wild West!"

I typically create the fliers for these events and this year was no exception. (Though it's pretty obvious how they got a little better after I finished my degree!)

Our Bistro (The Chuckwagon) totally outdid themselves with their amazing production of Shishkabobs, BBQ Brisket, Cole Slaw, Pasta Salad, Baked Beans, Grilled Vegies served to nearly 800 people!

In addition they provided Texas Tea, Cowboy Punch and Cactus Juice available in the "Saloon" and Apple and Cow Pies at the "Bakery." (The Cow Pies were brownies :)

I made a bunch of signs to point folks towards the different stations such as the "General Store" where people could purchase Fifth Third gear and spirit wear... and a "Bank" where people could enter into a drawing for a $100 Apple Gift Card by downloading the new 5/3 Mobile Banking App. We also had a "Dance Hall" where all the karaoke and line dancing activity took place.

Besides leading the line dancing (of course :) I think the most fun I had was constructing these "Photo Ops!"

And what a HUGE hit they were!

Here's a group shot of this year's Fifth Third Day Planning Committee AKA my Pardners In Crime...

Anyway it turned out to be a great day and a really "Good Time" was had by all!

Don't Worry... Be Happy!... :)

I wish I would have remembered this on vacation! Seriously!

And yet I spent a great deal of my trip being completely stressed out, about one thing or another.

PARTICULARLY WORRISOME ITEMS IN QUESTION...

My House

Worrisome Item #1: I was pretty sure that my entire house was going to collapse from the weight of the ice in my absence. Either that or flood from all the melting. I was worried that my garage door wouldn't work again and that Cheryl would have to use my broken side door to get into the house, but not before slipping on the ice rink which was in front of it first. I was afraid my old kitty would die while I was gone and that Cheryl would somehow end up having to deal with it.

In Actuality: The house was fine. The kitties were fine. Although I did end up not shutting my kitchen door tight when I left, due to all my angst, so when Cheryl first arrived after 24 hours of my being gone the door to the house was wide open.

Worrisome Item #2: When I got the email from Cheryl telling me about the door, I worried for the rest of my vacation about how exhorbitent my heating bill for the month was going to be!

In Actuality: The bill in question was less than the month before and, in retrospect, realized that realistically the door probably didn't even blow open until Cheryl opened the garage door (which worked, btw.)

The Express Overcharge Debacle

Worrisome Item #3: I felt so bad for Whitney being charged full price on a sweater she'd been so excited to find at 50% off! And since she'd paid cash there'd be no way of getting a refund unless we walked all the way back to the Fashion Show Mall at the north end of the strip! And since we'd discovered this error only minutes after returning home from that very long walk, well, the prospect of embarking on that walk again was overwhelming. And of course to take a cab would completely negate the purpose.

In Actuality: By Wednesday we were rested up and ready for another walk. It was a beautiful day and we were able to see a lot of the sites we'd missed on our first day, including the video marquee of Celine Dion outside of Caesars Palace which prompted us to sit on a bench to discuss all possibilities of seeing her, and then spying the 1/2 Price Ticket Booth right outside the entrance to the mall...

My Car

Worrisome Item #4: I knew the very second that I left my car in the parking at work in sub-zero temps that it most likely wouldn't start when I returned home at 11:00 pm the following week. I'd asked Renee if she could try to start it on the day of my return and then leave a message on my cellphone as to the prognosis. My plan, if my battery was dead, was to just take a cab straight home instead of back to work, and then deal with AAA the next day.

My Cellphone

Worrisome Item #5: Well, as I shared before, my cellphone charger was the only thing that "stayed in Vegas" and when you're traveling is really not the best time to be out of touch, especially when you're banking on an important phone call. Luckily I discoverd it prior to getting to Drigg's so we stopped at the Walmart (where I'd bought my Tracfone initially) in Rexburg to see if I could get another charger. No luck! Charger WAY out of date. So I bought another phone, which after registering it online discovered that the activation (and transference of phone number and minutes from old phone to new) would take anywhere from several hours up to 4 business days. It was Friday and I was flying home on Monday...

In Actuality: I emailed Renee and asked if she could try my car prior to noon on Monday, at which point I'd still be with Daryn (and Daryn's phone) and let me know. She did better than that. Though my battery was dead indeed, she managed to find a couple of (great) guys from work to jump my battery and drive my car around for a bit (which is when they discovered that my windshield wipers were completely inoperable as well, and so replaced THEM too!)... Meanwhile, my new phone (which I love btw!) started working just shortly before I arrived at the airport on Monday for my flight home so basically no problem.

Weather, Travel, Family Scheduling

Worrisome Items #6, 7 & 8: It's always so hard to fly out west and trying to figure out a way to see everybody, and in a way that works well for everyone. In fact, it's nearly impossible sometimes, especially when the weather doesn't cooperate, and best laid plans sometimes just need to be left to chance. And sometimes going with the flow ends up working out just fine.

In Actuality: I was able to spend a wonderful four days with Whitney and her family. Got to pick up Jade from school, visit her gymnastics class, watch her basketball practice and a rehearsal of her upcoming production of "The Wizard of Oz."

I got to play with those three little boys who are growing up SO fast!

I got to attend Whitney's Zumba class (and last through the whole thing!)

We watched alot of fun TV at night! (Including the 2-Night Special of "The Bachelor" that we missed last week and an encore presentation of "Celine's" concert!)

And "Frozen"...

Mom and Alison were able to make the trip up so we got to spend time together with them as well!

Unfortunately, due to the weekend's snowstorm on Saturday and Monday's impending one, Daryn and Jon didn't feel that they could make it to Driggs on their way back from Big Sky with any confidence we wouldn't get snowed in. So I rode to Rexburg with Mom and Alison on Sunday to visit with them at Jon's mom's house instead.

Arm scratching...

Rachel's Snowbunny...

Story Time...

Pears?...

Card Sharks...

It still fits!...

The Bachelor

Worrisome Item #9: Couldn't even believe I was going to miss it in exchange for arriving home in -4 degree weather at 11:00pm and getting up for work at 6:00am the next morning!

Drove to Idaho Falls airport with Daryn, Jon and the girls, making my flight to Salt Lake City on Monday morning as scheduled with no problems. So, on my way home I guess. *sigh*

Flight Delays

Worrisome Item #10: Because well, these are obviously NEVER fun!

In Actuality: Due to "mechanical" problems which would have caused me to miss my Grand Rapids connection in Detroit, I was put up in a complimentary hotel room in downtown SLC. Shuttle driver was super cute. Hotel room was super classy. Weather in Salt Lake City was super awesome (about 60 degrees.) Called Alison, who's insurance office was super close by and so she dropped by after work to watch "The Bachelor" and "Walking Dead" with me on a super-sized HD TV! :)

The next morning, after using the hotel's business center to alert Renee that I'd be back to Grand Rapids that afternoon (as opposed to in the middle of the night) and to ask if it would be possible for her to pick me up from the airport (she could), I helped myself to one of the finest hotel breakfasts I've ever encountered.

Things got even better when I arrived at the airport to find that seat 3B, that I had initially "worried" would be a center seat, which was in actuality in FIRST CLASS!

I think I can now liken "First Class" to getting laughing gas at the dentist's office. It makes ALL the difference in the world!

BTW, I just recieved an email from Delta thanking me profusely for my patience with the delay and giving me an additional 5,000 frequent flyer miles to be added to my account as a "thank you"..

So what did I learn from all of this? There must be an obvious lesson in all of it for sure!