I love to cook- no secret there. My grandmother was an amazing baker, and my Mother has always been creative and edgy in her cooking style. This is probably where I get it from- my yearning to experiment and make gourmet dinners at home. Accompanied by a bottle of $5 wine, a great home cooked meal can turn an upside-down day right-side up.
One thing I have learned though is planning is essential! You can't easily make all these delicious meals and recipes you find without the proper ingredients. So throughout the week I think about what I want to eat NEXT week. I grocery shop accordingly and viola! No xanax (did you know that word is a palindrome? huh me neither! so cool! I'm a nerd ok keep reading) needed because we don't have fresh rosemary because you NEED fresh rosemary for the potatoes, and Ah! dang now the whole damn dinner is ruined! Insert: crying, breakdown, hysterics--horrible, horrible, horrible! --> So planning really does help.
I have knocked the number of meals I cook (from scratch) down to about four per week. So four nights I cook, and the other three- well Sammy there is tuna in the pantry, and a frozen pizza- you know where the stove is. It's sink or swim and sometimes I just don't have it in me. I need to relax too damn it. As much as my pursuit to be Wonder Woman has not expired (and never will) even the boss lady needs a coffee break! Or a day off...Right? RIGHT!
So I have a new attitude about this year. The past 365 days of 2010 did not make my life hell without some valuable lessons learned; that I am actively putting into play for this year. I know, I know New Year's was almost a month ago. Hey, in my opinion it is never too late. Plus, I have been doing these things since Jan 1, this is just the first time I am writing them down together :)
So here are my resolutions:
1) Don't stress over minor issues.
2) (Continue to) Plan Ahead, and repeat #1 (DON'T STRESS)- take each day as it is, and know that tomorrow is brand new. Good for reinventing yourself, or giving something that you didn't succeed at the first time a second try. As long as I try my best, and plan accordingly things will be A-OK.
3) Be more outgoing. I have been so introverted this past year I have almost forgotten who I am . While I have made some great friends here in Houston so far, I still feel so disconnected from this city and people. I have been so focused on accomplishing the tasks at hand that I have become.... quiet. My mind is working, but my mouth has come to a skreetching halt. Yes friends I know- SHOCKING! Me of all people am not a quiet person. But in retrospect at times while I was in a room with more than, well me and Sam, I sometimes would just listen. Absorb. I guess the world was spinning so fast I haven't had the energy to participate. Well that sure as heck is going to change.
4) Be Healthy & Happy. What would a New Year's Resolution list be without something to do with losing weight or being healthy? Not a list at all darn it. So yes, every year millions of people vow to lose massive poundage and eat only carrots and water. I am not one of those millions. I believe that health is a state of being and way of life. You are either healthy or you aren't and it isn't only measured by your pant size. One of my coping methods of not having my mom and sister, family, or friends here with me in Houston is that I totally threw caution to the wind and started eating everything in sight. Houston has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the world!! So what does that mean?? To take respite I have hundreds of THOUSANDS of eateries, cafes, bistros, wine bars, and taquerias to indulge in. Not to mention the completely dangerous Crave, gourmet cupcakery. So I inevitably put on a couple pounds and though it isn't the end of the world, and my clothes still fit (mostly), I wasn't feeling my best. In effort to reduce the amount of whispers saying "Jeez, Kim has gained a little since she left last year" I started getting back on track BEFORE the new year (in October 2010) and have been doing well! I feel better and look better. So my goal is to continue to be healthy by eating a balanced diet of sweets- just kidding! Healthy fare, and to exercise regularly. I have done well by hitting the gym 4 times a week, and trying new things to put a little punch in my workouts. I am really enjoying it too. I have to say that I am a better person, spouse, and employee when I make fitness a priority. After all shouldn't it always be a priority? It is so easy to get caught up and fall victim to fatigue (and couch potato syndrome), but if I push through I always feel better. I relieve stress, which goes back to #1, and clear my head so I can continue on my journey without feeling like I am a drone.
5) The last and final thing on this year's list is to Bring Joy To Others. During our move I came across and read a note that was sent to Sam from one of his fraternity brother's mother. His fraternity brother was killed in Afghanistan serving in the United States military. We attended the services together last year, and though I didn't know James, I could obviously see how deeply he had touched the people he had spent his life with. It is always sad to lose someone, even more tragic and when they are young. In her note, Jame's mother talked about how in the movie "The Bucket List" they ask two questions: Did you find joy in your life? AND Did you bring joy to the lives of others? She said it was clear that James loved what he did in the military, and had found joy for himself. She also said it was clear that James had brought joy to so many people including the brothers of Zeta Sigma Delta. Through the years I have lost friends as well, and the loss continues to make me thing about mortality and how we only have so long here on this precious earth. We have only so much time with our family and friends, and to make a difference in whatever ways we wish. I am not going down a morbid path. I just want to make sure I live my life with meaning. I want to live so that I am constantly seeking joy, and bringing others joy too. Whether it be through a smile to a homeless stranger, helping a friend in need, or making someone laugh for no reason at all... to bring them joy will bring me joy too.
So now that I have my pretty little list, its time to put it in to action.
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