November's Dream List

Here is a list of things I hope to get accomplished in November:

• have a clean house when I leave for vacation so I can return home to a clean house
• Have a marvelous vacation
• Register for the Fargo Half Marathon
• Run at least 55 miles
• Participate in at least 6 Group Power Classes
• make dinner reservations for Disneyland in January
• Clean & Organize my loft space
• Make cutout cookies (a tradition on Marc's family that they always decorate Christmas cookies as a family the day after Thanksgiving, it is apparently Marc & I's turn to make the cookies for everyone to decorate)
• Thanksgiving Trip to Wisconsin
• Middle School Gathering
• Mail Christmas Cards
• Get curriculum written ahead of time (I am writing curriculum for our Family Faith Journey at work and I would like to be more than a week ahead)
• buy new running shoes (yes, I am finally committing to it)
• Keep 2012's 366 project life up to date
• Finish my 2011's (yes, you read that correctly 2011, yes, yes, I am way behind on this one) shutterfly book
• Make progress on 2012's shutterfly book
• Finish 2011's (yep way behind on this one too) Disney trip photobook
• drink at least 100 ounces of water every day
• walk at least 15,000 steps a day (I have gradually been increasing this, when I began in September my goal was 10,000 steps, October 12,500 steps - some days these goals are totally easy and other days they take some serious commitment to getting my steps in - will be an interesting challenge while on vacation)
• Begin working on summer 2012's mission trip photo book

What's on your November dream to-do list?
Has November arrived ridiculously fast for anyone else?
Do you have any fun projects you are working on?

New Fitness Class

          This morning I did it, I feel like I can pat myself on the back just a little for a moment. Yes, I am a pastor, yes it  people person, however I HATE going new places/to new things alone! Seriously I don't know why but it seems like the worst thing ever to me. Unless it is a state park or something where I can take Dakota and we can go off and hope to not see anyone. (I love people, but I also love time with just Dakota and me.) Anyways, back to the point of this story, for months (literally months) I have been telling myself that I should go try the group power class at the ymca here in town in the morning, and for months I have been making excuses: I don't want to get up (class starts at 5:40 am and you have to set up your weights and stuff starting at 5:30 am), I don't know anyone, I don't feel like it, blah blah blah insert lame excuse here. Well today I did it! I went to bed early last night (some days a small miracle to be home at a decent hour to go to bed early enough to get up to get to class) and set my alarm for before the crack of dawn.
          This morning as my alarm went off I knew it was time to make a decision, to go to class or not. I couldn't come up with a lame enough excuse to keep me in bed, so I got up, let the dog out (she was not happy to see that it was still dark out and begged to be put back in her kennel before I left), ate a small breakfast, and was off to the ymca. I pulled into the parking lot, there was a handful of cars, none that I recognized (I secretly was hoping that I would know someone), and proceeded inside. After dropping my sweats in my locker I headed into class nervously. People were hussling and bussling setting up weights, bars, benches, and filling out little cards. I had no clue what was going on.
        After all of about two seconds looking around someone recognized me, someone I teach swimming lessons with on occasion (she subs from time to time). I felt like I had almost walked into the Cheers bar off of tv, everyone knew everyone's name and were rapidly catching up on life, after a few introductions, a quick overview from an instructor, we were off and going for the next hour. While confused from time to time, it wasn't impossible to catch on to (which I had convinced myself time and time again that it would be [I Zumba-ed once - I am a rotten Zumba-er]), the work out was wonderful, I am certain I will feel it later, and dare I say I enjoyed the class and look forward to going back again.
         Trying something totally outside my box wasn't as totally awful as I imagined it would be, it wasn't horrible and scary, and while lost for moments at a time, it was totally possible to catch on and I look forward to more group power classes. If I had a sticker chart for myself today I would totally have given myself one for trying something new.


How do you feel about stepping into something new and different?
Do you like group fitness classes?
What is your favorite group fitness class?