Confession

While the ticker on the right hand of my page continues to count down until the Tinkerbell half marathon (super super super jazzed about running this race), my training has slipped in the past couple of weeks for a number of reasons, mostly lame excuses. I have been getting in some runs but not quite the length I want or really I guess I should say need. I have committed to getting back to it, although I am fearing the winter months are going to involve many a long run on a treadmill (I HATE TREADMILLS) I tried to go out running this morning and ended up at the YMCA because everything had a nice layer of ice on it, which complicates running.

So I am back at the ymca trying to figure out how I can work the system and get more than a half hour on any given machine (dumb rules, which I understand but frustrate me when I want/need to run more than a half hour). I also don't love running in a confined public space because somehow people are confused, they don't get the subtle hints when I have my ear phones in, am on the corner treadmill facing the window outside that I don't want to talk to them while I run. Apparently this is a confusing concept. They mean well, they just annoy me.

Totally random unrelated note: last night I cleaned my kitchen [I am embarrassed to say how nasty it was] and for some reason I feel much better about life with a clean kitchen. I put my advent wreath on the table and am jazzed for advent to start Sunday.

Anything random you'd like to share?

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?

Give 500

It is time, I am joining up with the joyful abode in her give 500 challenge. All through college and seminary all of my stuff fit in my car, everything I owned fit in my car. Every time I had to move I was forced to go through all of my stuff and determine what I needed and what I could get rid of, it was wonderful, it kept everything in check, I couldn't get too much stuff, I needed it to fit in my car to move. Now that I have "settled" down a bit, i.e. I am not moving every nine to twelve months, I have realized that I have a TON of stuff, some of it is necissary like my bed and couch, other stuff has just built up. I am hoping to give away 500 items by March 1, 2013. (no real reason why I chose March 1 other than it gives me all winter to work on this project.) Feel free to click on the icon above to learn more about the give 500 project.

Anyone else have excess stuff and want to join in the give 500 project?

Fall/Winter to-do list

As I got in my car this morning to head to work and the car told me it was 29 degrees I decided it was time to start creating my fall/winter (they are combined because they are slightly overlapping type - some things are obviously fall and some obviously winter but they are all going on one to-do list). Here is the start of my (probably ever growing) to-do list (in no particular order):

• get a wedding dress
• visit an apple orchard - and eat copious amounts of fresh apples
• go sledding - without it being for work (yes, I do have the world's coolest job)
• learn three new crochet patterns - ones that actually challenge me
• maintain my training schedule
• have a photoshoot in a pile of leaves
• visit a pumpkin patch
• carve pumpkins
• roast pumpkin seeds
• clean out closets and dresser - donate all the clothes that no longer fit or I just don't need/wear
• organize my "loft" space - I have this strange open space at the top of my stairs before you head into either bedroom upstairs and it needs some serious t.l.c.
• finish my Disney 2011 December trip photobook
• finish my 2011 photobook
• finish my 366 in 2012 photobook (super excited about this book)
• start and finish my 2012 photobook
• make a pie from scratch
• go skiing
• give someone totally unexpectedly a Christmas gift
• paint the upstairs bedroom
• have a photoshoot in the snow
• try making 5 new soups
• go snowshoeing
• write at least two letters a month
• go ice skating
• drive around to see the Christmas lights

What is on your fall/winter to-do list?
What am I missing from my fall/winter to-do list?
Do you have any fun winter projects?
How do you keep up your training in the months of ice and snow?

Potential

     I am excited about Saturday. I think I am going to have a seriously wonderful day. I have absolutely nothing on my plan. I have already finished my sermon for tomorrow and have my run in. I have a list of pintrest projects I want to try today as well as massive amounts of cleaning to be done. I love that I have absolutely nothing on the to-do list other than stuff by myself and with the puppies (I am currently dog sitting for a couple friends). I love that I finally have a day to just get stuff done.
    I am hoping to just be able to chill and work on all those projects that I frequently say that I would love to have the chance to do. I couldn't be more excited.

Project ideas today:

• clean
• make headbands
• finish labeling quilts for church
• make bread
• work on shutterfly books
• walk the puppies
• take pictures
• read a book in the hammock
• make muffins
• make a bag