So as the end of the year approaches - And i realize that egads I can't remember the last time I made a blog entry perhaps it time to a) make a blog entry and b) set some goals for myself for 2012.
First let's look back on my 2011. The year found me back at my writing, albeit in spurts. It also found me covering another plant's cost accounting position, complete with travel four times, to Aiken, SC from April to early October. This unexpected busuiness (it's the day career and I need it to pay the bills and feed my writing addiction) diverted my attention (and plans to have the restructred draft of my WIP, Unraveled, completed this year. I went to the PSWA Conference in Las Vegas in July (Vegas was hot, but arriving back at KC to 100 degree temperatures plus humidity had me wanting to get back on the plane for Vegas) and had such a blast that I joined the organization and already have plans to go to the 2012 conference. Sadly - 2011 also brought the deaths of two family members, My Aunt Gloria and my cousin Frankie due to cancers in both cases. I've also spent a lot of time this year working on my dehoarding/purging project I've been working on since I had to pack to move to Columbia, MO in March 2010. October brought physical inventory. November and December brought the headache of setting 2012 standard costs. Again - diversions from writing. We had a lot of snow last winter - inlcuding one ill timed blizzard that dumped two feet of snow on Columbia smack in the middle of January month end close. I was forced to work from home on a clunker, loaner, laptop for two days. I have since been declared 'important' enough to have earned a permanent laptop to prevent such emergencies in the future. I saw my sister, Marci, a 'record' three times this year: February for my Aunt's funeral - a trip that brought with it an accident due to inclement weather (it was more or less raining/snowing slush and freezing), June for a family reunion on SE Kansas, and again in November for Thanksgiving. It was a long year but it wasn't the worst year I've ever had. OH! and in August in rejoined Weight Watchers and have as of Monday, December 26 lost 45.8 lbs. This puts me roughly halfway back to my lifetime status (and not having to pay for WW meetins or etools). I also found myself first helping then teaching one Sunday a month at my church in Children's Minsitries, had input into changing the curriculum we were/are now using (one that we had used for over 5 years where I lived/went to church before), and became and offical Bright Lights instructor working with girls age 9 to 13 or 14 on Wednesday nights.
On to thinking ahead about 2012 and my goals for the years.
First I have to wade my through 2011 year end close and our auditors.
Next Bright Lights starts backup on January 18 running through either late March or early April.
We have a costing Kaizen event in February (happily - it is here) to talk over issues that came up with standard setting and processes that need to be fixed so we don't have to go through the same issues again in 2012.
I have secured a ticket via my previous church to see Beth Moore live in Kansas City
I have also made reservations, paid conference fees and airline reservations to go to the 2012 PSWA Conference in July.
We have a family reunion scheduled (I think) in late June (giving me ample motivation to stay on track with Weight Watchers)
Things I need to work on this year/areas of improvement:
Need to establish a set writing schedule so I can slog my way through aforementioned restructure. I stumbled upon Scrivener late last year, love it and am now using it instead of Word.
Need to get on the exercise bandwagon again. My sechedule as well as various aches/pains late in the year have me off what I was doing. No excuses, I'm rethinking some things and have strategies/plans - and a newly purchased Zumba kit so I can Zumba at home withouth having to be reliant on getting out of the office and back to Columbia (I have a 30 minute drive each way). And the spring/summer/fall will bring walking outside (sorry folks, treadmill walking and my heel spur don't get along).
Bible reading/study/memorization/prayer journaling - years ago when I first started teaching children's minsitry God laid on my heart that I can't expect 'my kids' to do something, If I'm not - so I need to get right in that department.
Finishing up the dehoarding/purge process - specifically bookshelf purging, filing photos in albums and carting stuff off (i've got a pile waiting for removal - I've just got to move it).
Shopping for a futon or daybed (leaning toward daybed) for my spare room. Who knows, maybe my mother will actually come for a visit if I have a place to put her.
Staying on track with Weight Watchers. It may take all of 2012 (or longer) to get to that goal (when I lost 104 lbs circa 2005 it took roughly 18 months to get there - so I am expecting a similar timeline with the roughly 90 lb weight loss (beginning on 8/22/11 to lifetime status weight)).
Should be a full/packed year. And i'm looking forward to it.
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