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2010 Goals – Year End Status

December 28, 2010 By

With four days left in 2010, I thought it would be good to review how my goals panned out this year.  I’m counting 66 goals as completed, which lands me at 60%.  I am calling that a great accomplishment!

There are some things left undone that I have decided aren’t important to me any longer and will revise for next year.  Others that are still important (even some that are completed) will be included on next year’s goal list.  I’m not exactly sure if I’ll compile such a large list for 2011 but the challenge is pretty fun so…maybe!

  1. Read a book – something other than a kids book – I’m halfway through Never Let Me Go (still working on it)
  2. Replace the rear breaks on my car
  3. Pay off my student loan
  4. Create a scrapbook of Jack’s artwork
  5. Obtain wardrobe storage for Jack’s room
  6. Reorganize our master closet
  7. Reorganize my side of the bed
  8. Finalize my divorce
  9. Marry David
  10. Travel abroad – Italy in September!
  11. Visit my friends the Scotts in Salem, OR
  12. Stick with an exercise routine
  13. Go bowling with David
  14. Go wine tasting in Napa/Sonoma – April
  15. Get savings account to at least $300
  16. Maintain at least $300 in savings account  - the wedding kind of did this one in…
  17. Have fewer migraines overall this year I did have less thanks to Midrin!
  18. Take Jack to a movie theater for the first time
  19. Buy comfortable heels
  20. Get my tattoo touched up
  21. Research preschools – um, kindergartens…done, now to apply
  22. Attend a concert – Tom Petty in June
  23. See a play or musical – Compulsion starring Mandy Patinkin at Berkeley Rep
  24. Watch five classic movies – From Russia with Love, Citizen Kane, Harvey, The Godfather, Wizard of Oz
  25. Obtain contact lenses
  26. Get a new cell phone – bought a new piece of crap in May
  27. Hire a maid
  28. Go to a theme park
  29. Go camping
  30. Play miniature golf
  31. Eat lunch regularly ongoing
  32. Drink at least one glass of water per day – I didn’t do this every day but I got a LOT better
  33. Finish one of my quilts-in-progress - I didn’t even touch one
  34. Make more money than I did in 2009 got a raise this year, got paid for writing
  35. Save up ahead of time for Christmas gifts – counting this since I didn’t put any on the credit card!
  36. Get my poor car an oil change
  37. Update my resume
  38. Replace my squeaky shoes
  39. Try out teeth whitening
  40. Have my eyebrows dyed
  41. Take a college class – QUIT (David pointed out it doesn’t say “finish”)
  42. Get a nice necklace (i.e. not costume jewelry) – David bought me one for Christmas
  43. Publish my year 3 blog book through blurb
  44. Go skiing
  45. Learn to play poker decently good enough
  46. Catch up on filing at home
  47. Get up to doing 10 push-ups comfortably again
  48. Get Jack potty trained at home – he could poop and pee in the potty as of April!  No looking back!
  49. Get a Dyson vacuum cleaner got a cheaper one with better reviews actually 3/28/10
  50. Buy new undergarments
  51. Catch up on the Heroes series – completed 3/26/10
  52. Replace luggage
  53. Visit Alcatraz
  54. Learn basic yoga poses
  55. Buy cute pajamas
  56. Buy a GPS unit Beth gave me one!
  57. Donate to charity
  58. Obtain nail polish remover
  59. Write & send a letter the old fashioned way
  60. Start saving for a house – we made a plan…
  61. See a chiropractor
  62. Take a dance lesson
  63. Wash my car
  64. Sing at karaoke
  65. Learn how to enjoy relaxation
  66. Ride my bike a few times a month
  67. Floss my teeth every day – I achieved this about 90% of the time
  68. Watch the Firefly series
  69. Be a better blog commenter
  70. Have a family portrait taken – took one at Science Academy, at wedding
  71. Send out Christmas cards
  72. Eat at a French restaurant
  73. Have breakfast in bed – had french toast and fruit on Mother’s Day
  74. Get a professional massage – 4/1/10
  75. Figure out how to get my files off the external hard drive with the weird blinky light
  76. See a movie in the theater with David
  77. See a movie in the theater with a chick friend – saw two!
  78. Have a girl’s night
  79. Bake a (good) pie
  80. Dress up for Halloween – Star Trek costume
  81. Visit a national park or monument that I haven’t been to
  82. Eat at an Ethiopian restaurant
  83. Take Jack to a zoo SF Zoo in August
  84. Find a go-to hiking place – Mt. Tam?
  85. Do something new with my hair
  86. Surprise someone with a flower/chocolate/etc. delivery -  old boss, David at new job
  87. Visit my (paternal) grandparents they came to the wedding
  88. Write a chapter of my life story
  89. Take a friend to traditional tea time
  90. Go ice skating
  91. Assemble a disaster kit
  92. Watch at least one of The Godfather movies
  93. Participate in Project 365 -started but quit
  94. Cook Kase Knoephla based on my Great Grandma’s recipe
  95. Investigate my ancestry/heritage
  96. Get my car (the Subaru) a tune up David did that
  97. Get a mani/pedi every other month or so nailed it!
  98. Wear a dress or skirt once a week – started in Jan, then quit, then almost made up for it in Italy
  99. Finish my photo project for my mom
  100. Set birthday reminders on my google calendar
  101. Set up gift idea tracking lists for friends and family
  102. Attend a blogger-based social event - BlogHer!
  103. Write a bereavement letter to my dad
  104. Put all of my favorite recipes into a binder
  105. Tell Jack I love him every day – ongoing
  106. Tell David I love him every day – ongoing
  107. Write thank you notes that have nothing to do with gifts
  108. Respect my own limits by saying no more often – ongoing, getting better
  109. Daydream about the future – ongoing
  110. Enjoy my life every day – ongoing and succeeded about 95% of the time!
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Halloween with Bat Boy

November 10, 2010 By

Halloween was busy for us this year.  We ended up getting a ton of use out of Jack’s bat costume.  First we went to the Goblin Jamboree at the Bay Area Discovery Museum where Jack rode a pony for the first time, met up with chickens and rabbits and goats at the petting zoo, got his face painted, and experienced a kiddie version of a haunted house.

When we got home I did a little decorating around the house, including trying out these decals I got from Stampin’ Up! (yes, that is self-promotion right there – I am a demonstrator) and putting together these treat bags for Jack’s daycare buddies.

My employer invited all the employee parents to bring their kids in on October 28th so Jack got to pal around with me at work for a bit.  He had been begging to go to work with me instead of daycare each morning, so I was happy to finally be able to oblige him.  He was very excited, but he got over it pretty quickly and by the second hour he decided to hide under my desk.  He did leave me this drawing on my whiteboard (and asked me to write the names of each alien).

Halloween itself was pretty chill.  All of Jack’s parents got together to take him for a spin around the block.  I think Jack likes seeing the other kids in costume more than anything else – he was done with Trick-or-Treating after a block and a half or so.  He then said he wanted to go home and finish his dinner.  We handed out candy for a while and then Jack went to bed right on time.  It was surprisingly easy…how’s that for eerie?

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Truthiness Day 14: Goodbye to you

October 20, 2010 By

Day 14 → A hero that has let you down. (letter)

Dear Dad,

Where do I begin?

When I was a child you were the person I looked up to the most.  You were smart, good looking and talented even beyond music, art, and sports.  My world revolved around you; when my mom told me to go to sleep so that I could wake up and see Mr. Sunshine, I thought she was talking about you.

With all that you had going for you, I don’t understand how you could do the things you did.  You seemed to carry so much life, yet you destroyed that light with drugs.  You then left the evidence behind for me to find and I had to ask my mother, “Why is daddy sniffing sugar?”  How could you pack your things and leave my mom while she was 6 months pregnant with your third child together?  Do you know that she had a panic attack when she came home to an empty house?  You then proceeded to max out the credit card buying things for your new girlfriend while my mom worked the night shift at the gas station to make ends meet…while your girlfriend was being swathed in the fur coat you bought for her, my mom was held up at gun point on more than one occasion.

You were neglectful and reckless.  You left me in charge of my younger siblings while you went out to party before I was even 9 years old.  You nearly drove us off the side of the levee into the river in your VW Bug regularly just so you could get a thrill.  I still can’t get anywhere near the side of a cliff without dealing with panic and vertigo.  I also can’t pick up the telephone without suffering severe anxiety thanks to your yelling at me for forgetting phone numbers when calling Information on your behalf.

Recently I learned that you hit me in the stomach because I left the table without asking for permission.  I was 3 or 4 years old.  I can’t even begin to wrap my head around that one.

I’ve heard a lot of excuses for the things you did, and so much blame has been shifted to others.  I think my grandparents still put you up on a pedestal, believing that you were their golden boy who could never do wrong.

I missed you for a long time after you died.  Now I can’t help but think of how much more damage you would have caused in the lives of others if you had lived past 30.  I barely remember the good things because there is just so much bad to eclipse them.  I wish I could still pretend that you were a good dad.  I wish I still had my hero.

Sincerely,

Crystal

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Truthiness Day 5: Home Sweet Home

October 12, 2010 By

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

I hope to own a house.  David and I have recently started doing our research on buying a home.  We are looking into first time home buyer programs, assessing our credit and our buying power, and checking out listings to get a better idea of where we would and would not live.  We have a real estate agent, a mortgage broker, and moderate dreams.  But we are worried that it won’t happen.  Two years ago the idea of buying a house wasn’t even on our radar.  We have no down payment saved up (although we aim to do that in the next year).  We make just a little too much for a CalHFA loan (which would help with the down payment) but not enough to be saving money for a house at the moment.  And if the market recovers before we are ready to buy, the houses that are currently within our financial reach probably won’t be anymore.

We are both scared shitless because OMG buying a house is a HUGE deal.  We’ll owe hundreds of thousands of dollars to the bank.  We need to make wise decisions and plan and know whether this house will be our home long term or a starter house or what.  We are considering our jobs and the likelihood that we will stay with them, or at least continue to commute to the same area for the foreseeable future.

We want a home.  We want roots here in the Bay Area.  We want a place where we can plan our future and build our family together.

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Unexpected Honeymoon Happenings

September 15, 2010 By
  • Losing my passport in Munich
  • Big food portions
  • Italians speaking amazing English
  • Affordable wine at restaurants (like – 8 euro for a bottle!)
  • Throwing up in a bidet
  • Trannies on the train to Florence
  • Peacefulness of Venice
  • Bad coffee…a lot
  • Bad pasta – just once (they took ‘al dente’ to a whole new level)
  • Getting tons of sleep
  • Watching football at an American bar
  • The terrible American food at the American bar
  • Coming home $1000 under budget

Pictures here.  We had a blast!

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Trip to the SF Zoo

September 1, 2010 By

Sunday Jack and I went to the San Francisco Zoo.  A trip to the zoo was on my list of 110 Goals for 2010 and when I happened to look on the website Saturday I found out kids were free in August.  Off we went for some more mom/son time.  We rented a little push Jeep thingy because Jack “doesn’t like to walk.”  He did like to stand in it, though, and stick his legs out.  Kid likes to give me heart attacks!  At least I got exercise pushing my 40 lb kid around for a couple hours.

The zoo was bigger than I expected and we didn’t get to see everything in our 2.5 hours there but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We took pictures together in a photo booth and Jack posed by this begging giraffe.  Probably only in San Francisco can a kid wear sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt in summer.

Strangely, Jack would not let the photographer at the entrance of the zoo take his picture so there are no pictures of the two of us.  He hid his face between his knees.  I could tell the photographer was getting a little upset that he couldn’t get Jack to cooperate so we had to make a break for it with my muttered apology.  Poor photographer probably wasn’t ready to be tested by Jack’s stubborn willpower.  :P

It was really nice to get two adventures in with Jack over the weekend.  I was a little alarmed when at one point Jack said to me, “Mom, you shouldn’t be a mom.”  I had to gather myself a bit before asking for more information about that statement, and I was relieved when he said, “You are fun and I like you and you should be a dad.”  Hm, okay then.  At least he likes me!

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Wherein I (Blogger)Name Drop

August 12, 2010 By

I haven’t experienced homesickness since I was 11.  That was the summer I was supposed to spend a month with my best friend Kristal down in Fresno-area.  I didn’t last there a week.  The following year I was fine and every year after that I looked forward to that summer escape from my daily life, even if it was mostly the two of us playing pool, eating Kisses w/Almonds and watching bad soap operas.  It’s really hot in the valley in summer, so we didn’t get out much.

Thursday night at BlogHer, in between parties, it hit me again.  I was across the country from David and Jack and wouldn’t see them for days.  I had no one to snuggle with and I was a little out of sorts in an unfamiliar city.  I cried talking to David, called Jack and listened to him announce that he was a magician before fluttering away from the phone, and then wandered around the Hilton…

That was when I ran across Ali sitting in the lobby, and that familiar face from San Francisco made everything instantly better.  Plus (if you’ve met Ali you know) she is the snuggliest, huggiest person ever.  We hopped in a cab and headed to the Schick Party where we were both bummed to NOT be let in because we were so late.  Bummer!  Nevertheless, we waited around outside and were able to meet Angie and Aunt Becky and their husbands, among others that my feeble brain cannot recall at the moment.  (Side note – I had NO idea how best to introduce myself to people…hi, I’m Crystal…um, Ewokmama?  Oh, so you’ve heard of me?  Cool, here’s my card anyway because I bought 500 and I have nothing else to do with them.)  After quick intros, Ali and I headed over to meet up with Countess Mo at an Irish pub.  Mo and I hadn’t met in person prior to this but it still felt like I was seeing someone from home.  It was a very welcome interlude.  When Mo left to chase after a friend, Ali and I wandered back to hang out with Aunt Becky & gang back at the hotel bar where Becky’s husband The Daver and I talked about work and corporate America.  We are Teh Kewl!  Or something.

Not too long after the group headed to bed, Ali and I stumbled into some drunk guy who wanted to party with us “fresh girls.”  Ahahahaha.  Ha.  Countess Mo showed up out of the blue (how does she do that?!) to rescue us because she is totally the mama hen.  She rocks and I luff her.  We took a short trip up to a room where Duchess Mama (I am apparently into the royals) was staying with some other awesome ladies (who were you?  am I following you??) and giggling.  It was funny.  I was drunk, though, so don’t take my word for it.  Oh, that reminds me of a funny story of my actual meeting of Duchess Mama.  It’s good, I promise…

So, we were at The People’s Party earlier that night and the set up was such that there were rugs overlapping on the floor.  Duchess noticed this when her shoe slipped under the overlap.  I immediately pointed out that she could TOTALLY get a free drink for that craziness!  So then she “tripped” over the carpet and the hotel folks swarmed her to make sure she was okay and girly totally got a drink.  Meanwhile the Hilton dudes discussed how best to avoid any future accidents and decided to place two chairs over the overlapping rugs…where a few bloggers proceeded to lap dance.  ‘Twas awesome.  (Did anyone get pictures?)

I can’t really remember what happened after we left Duchess & Co’s room so I will wrap this up.  Suffice it to say that all of this was just one night of BlogHer.  Also, there is a lot missing, like the delicious deli I went to with my roomies, the awesome dinner with my roomies, Nona, and Issa where our Irish waitress showed Issa how to use her iPhone camera, that nap I took in the hotel room, the surprise meeting of Jessica from Oh The Joys in the hallway, and the meeting of Undomestic Diva and Shuggilippo at The People’s Party.

So, yeah, there was A LOT packed into every day of my trip to New York and on this particular day the conference had not even started yet.  Still, it wasn’t so much that I didn’t have time to miss home.  There is always time for that.

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Dating Profile for New BlogHer Friends

August 9, 2010 By
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I met a lot of awesome people last week at BlogHer.  I didn’t get enough time to talk with those I met and I’m guessing there will be some checking out of blogs this week.  I am still recovering from my trip across the country and the conference whirlwind, so details about the trip may be slow in coming.  In the mean time, here is the profile that hooked me up with David nearly two years ago.  It’s a great way to get to know me!

I am always seeking out new points of view on life from others to test my own opinions. I like to examine the differences and similarities in all people. I love to bounce ideas and theories around. I am playful and not afraid of embarrassment, although I dislike being the center of attention. I am a no-nonsense type of girl who goes for what she wants and I’m passionate about the things that are important to me. Yes, sometimes I argue my point even if I suspect I’m wrong. I don’t give up easily!

I often get so enraptured with a subject that I will read everything I can get my hands on about it until I’m an expert. It’s typical of me to read all of the album lyrics and notes prior to listening to a new CD. I am a master googler. I love imdb and wikipedia.

I’ll know I have reached the ultimate in life when I acquire a maid and a cook. I like it when I can pay someone else to do things I don’t like to do; I feel like I’m helping the economy.

I am somewhat impulsive but I usually spend a lot of time planning. I’m contrary sometimes.

I can be reserved at first but if you’re shyer than I am, I might do something outrageous to get you talking. I’m honest to a fault and will answer any question. My answers will probably surprise you.

I hate to wonder if I’m missing out on something that has the potential to be awesome. I am independent and enjoy time alone, but also love the energy of a group gathering. At a party I’m likely to be found in the corner of a room observing interactions or engrossed in a conversation about the merits of various toothpaste flavors and consistencies (cinnamon gel is my favorite).

I’m not much of a cook but I bake fairly well and often. I’ll make you some peanut butter brownies if you prepare the main course. Or you can give me cooking lessons… Dining out most nights a week is perfectly acceptable, as well (as long as it’s not fast food).

I have an amazing son who fascinates me with his passion and his unbridled sense of discovery. He is inspirational and brings out the kid in me. He makes me a better person every day.

for fun:
I love doing just about anything with another person – life is always more fun with friends. Board games, dining out, travel, BBQs, bocci ball… I like dancing around the house (but I’m a terrible dancer) and pondering the oddities in life.

my job:
I’m an executive assistant at a software company. I like the exposure I get to various types of work, the details about the inner workings of a company, and I learn new things all the time. The money isn’t bad, either.

my ethnicity:
I’m so pale I glow. I’m mostly German with a spattering of British and a little part of every other European country that ever existed, except Italian.

my religion:
I’m highly skeptical of organized religion. I focus on being the best human being I can be and don’t feel that I require a set of instructions in order to do that. The Flying Spaghetti Monster is great, though.

my education:
I could never decide what to major in (Sociology, Psychology, Art, Finance, English…so many choices, so little time) and the classroom is set at too slow a pace for me. I prefer to read a book and learn while doing.

favorite hot spots:
It is my goal to eat out at every restaurant in the Bay Area. Okay, I can skip the seafood but I’ll take everything else! I enjoy museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, coffee shops…the Bay Area is a great place for all of those.

favorite things:
I’m an indoors girl generally, but will venture outside for walks or a hike with the right company. I like to bowl. I’m currently having a lot of fun decorating my apartment (retro yeah!). Wine is tasty. I miss the 90s music scene but am adjusting.

last read:
Lately I’ve been reading any vampire book I can get my hands on (anything from I Am Legend to Twilight). Patricia McKillip is my favorite (fantasy) author. I write and read blogs. I eat up Augusten Burroughs. Click Clack Moo gets a lot of play, too.  [Note: I haven't read a book in two years so this part is out of date!)

I’m looking forward to getting to know all my new friends!

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Jack is back (and toys, toys, toys)

June 28, 2010 By

I had a pretty fabulous weekend with Jack.  I am *so* glad he is back from Texas.  The nightmares were really getting to me and I just don’t know what to do with myself when I don’t have someone to take care of!  I get bored.

Friday we went to our first company picnic with David’s employer.  The picnic was held at Coyote Point and it was certainly a beautiful day for it.  Jack was all over the jungle gym and completely wore himself out.  He and I left early (for naptime) while David stayed to participate in volleyball and other team sports.

Saturday Jack and I got out the door early and went to Ross to spend my store credit.  I found a good deal on an 8-pack of games (Go Fish, Bingo, Dominoes, etc. – it’s an inexpensive past time, after all) that are decked out with the Toy Story 3 characters.  Jack got totally excited when he spotted an Iron Man toy (how he knew what it was, I don’t know!) so I just had to get it for him (I get indulgent around birthdays…).  We also nabbed a Transformers blanket.

When we got home I was put to work assembling Iron Man; I nearly broke my fingers trying to assemble it!  No wonder it was so cheap…  Jack loves it, though, and it is now included in the group of toys he takes to bed.  We also played our first game of Go Fish.  Jack didn’t quite get it so…I won.  :P

Speaking of bed, he cleared the blankets off his bed to put the new Transformers blanket down for naptime.  The kid is serious about this blanket, folks.  I’ve had to go into his room numerous times to straighten it out after he tosses and turns and it gets “bunched.”  He simply *must* have the blanket flat and smooth so he can see all the details (even in the dark).  The upside is that if I tell him he has to lay really still so as not to mess it up, he falls asleep pretty quickly.  ;)

Sunday was our big adventure to the movie theater to see Toy Story 3 in 3D.  I had never seen a movie in 3D before and I was absolutely dazzled.  We all loved the movie (and there were definitely some tears near the end).  It was the perfect ending to the series and will definitely become part of our collection once it’s on DVD.  The theater sound system was a little loud for Jack and he got scared, but he was totally fine once he crawled into my lap.  It was nice to snuggle with him while watching the movie and afterward he would not acknowledge that the movie was scary at all.  He has not stopped talking about it since.

When I arrived to pick Jack up at daycare today, he was singing the ABCs to a newborn baby.  He proceeded to tell me he wants a little brother AND a little sister.  I told him to give me more weekends like this one and we’ll see what happens!

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Literary State of Mind

June 15, 2010 By
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I haven’t read a novel in approximately 2 years.  When Jack was an infant, I read pure FLUFF (i.e. Twilight) because I just didn’t have time or energy to concentrate on anything more complex and I only had about 45 minutes each day to read (on the bus).  Before that my interests lay somewhere in the realm of Literature-type Fantasy (Patricia McKillip or George R.R. Martin), Women’s Lit (a la Margaret Atwood or Jhumpa Lahiri) and bizarre biographies (ummm … Augusten Burroughs).  Mommy brain pushed me into fluff and then divorce/starting over made even that impossible.

I need to get back into reading.  I have been wasting too much time on Facebook games that are repetitive and provide no life enrichment.  Don’t get me wrong, zoning out after I get home from work is nice for a bit, especially when accompanied by wine!  But I end up zoning out for much longer than I intend and my daily reading list ends up being Olivia, Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, and Where the Wild Things Are.  There are some really awesome children’s books out there, but I’m a little sick of them, to tell you the truth.

After being pestered by David about it, I finally took action and went down to our local library.  I haven’t had a library card in almost 10 years, so it was definitely time!  I was shocked at how quickly the process was now that it’s all computerized.  It got me excited about the library all over again (when I was a kid, I took a paper grocery bag with me to the library and filled it with novels – those lasted me maybe two weeks).

Anyway, I checked out six books – a mix of memoirs and fiction to warm me up to reading again.  Jack is with his dad in Texas for the next week and a half (*sob*), so I am going to take the opportunity to get reacquainted with the wonderful world of books.  If you know of anything good that I have likely missed in the last four years, please feel free to recommend.  Otherwise I am in danger of choosing books based solely on the appeal of their covers…

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