On to the next season...

My break is slowly coming to an end. I did a lot of stuff today to get ready to go back to school. Did all my laundry. Bought a new planner and started filling it out. Scoped out all my professors on myprofessorsucks.com (most of them look really good!!). Packed up most of my stuff. Checked out my Training schedule for this weekend. Changed my meal plan (went from 19 meals to 14 meals a week. 19 was just way too much no matter what the circumstances). And did some last minute shopping. Now I just need to get a few school supplies (notebooks and folders and stuff) and get my books. And move, of course. I'm excited to go back. Excited to get back to class and to see my friends as well as other stuff. I haven't seen my best friend this entire break. :(

But for now, I am uber pumped for tomorrow. My grandma and I have appointments for massages at 3:15. Great way to end my break. I love massages! And then we are going out for salmon (Both of our's favorite!!) for dinner. YUM!

So, I'm off to bed now.

Nite.

blah...

I have been racking my brain the past few days trying to come up with anything to write about on this here blog. But, sad to say, my life isn't exactly exciting right now. I've been sleeping till 1pm, watching my soaps, Dr. Phil and Oprah, playing on my computer and been doing pretty much nothing for the past week. But don't worry, my life will get much more exciting when I get back to school. Do not get me wrong, I am not complaining about being home. I love my home, and my family, and relaxing (and not to mention my dogs), I just don't think you want to hear about my TV schedule everyday. So, here is a preview of things to come:

Things I'm looking forward to:

*Our trip to Fondulac this weekend for an ice skating show. (This means a hotel with plenty

of time to go hot tubbing, and I just got a new suit!!)

*My date with my grandma (Jeani) on Monday! We're getting massages! Yay! Just the thing I

need to finish off my break before going back to a hectic schedule!

*Getting my Financial Aid Reimbursement check. This way, I can do some of the things I've

been waiting for, like getting new tires on my car!

*Going back to school next week. (This means training, starting class, going back to

work, and starting my presidency!)

So until then...

Start off the New Year right!

Have I ever mentioned that I love Dr. Phil and Oprah? Well it is true, and both of today's episodes were very inspiring for those who are trying to get life back on track for the new year. I thought I would share a little bit with you all.

Dr. Phil's episode today was about making New Year's Resolutions stick by using 4 simple steps:

1. Name It & Claim It
(Specificity is key! You need to have a specific goal in mind. Simply stating that you want things to be better won't work. For example, I would like to lose 30 pounds by Spring Break.)

2. Keep Score
(Apply a timeline to your goal and have a way to measure the accomplishment of the goal. For example, I have 3 months to lose 30 pounds, therefore, I will lose 10 pounds per month.)

3. You Can't Control what you Can't Control
(Focus on what you can control and make your goal realistic. For example, you cannot control what the dining halls will be serving today, but you can control choosing the healthier options available and exercising 3 times a week.)

4. Program Success
(Program your resolution into your lifestyle. You can do this by scheduling specific time into your day to work out and finding healthy foods you really enjoy.)

5. Steps & Consequences
(Take baby steps and Penalize yourself when you veer from your plan. For example, if I work out for one hour every day this week, I can buy that new sweater I've been eyeing.)

If you follow these 5 steps, your new years resolutions should stick!


Next, Oprah's episode today was the beginning to her "Best Life" week and she discussed her ever-constant weight issues. And she had some great stuff that I particularly found inspiring.

* Your body does not crave food, it craves love.
- What are you really hungry for?

* Put yourself back on your priority list.
- Schedule time for yourself (massages, etc.)

* Plan your meals
- If you plan your meals in advance, you are less likely to pick up that bag of potato chips.

* Exercise is #1!
- Resistance training with weights
- 30 min on treadmill a day (try singing at the same time)


*Good Questions to ask yourself
- Why are you overweight?
- What are you really hungry for?
- Why have you been unable to maintain weight loss in the past?
- Why do you want to lose weight?

So usually, I do not make new year's resolutions because I feel like if you make resolutions just because it is a specific time of year, and not because you are ready to do so, you will never fulfill them. Therefore, I tend to make resolutions all throughout the year. However, these two episodes inspired me to set a resolution. And since it is still Jan 5, I will call it my new year's resolution. I, like Oprah, tend to struggle with weight. It may not be as severe as Oprah, and most of you are probably thinking "What are you talking about?" but I am a bit more overweight than I wish to be. I don't feel healthy, it harms my asthma, and I'm afraid if I were to go to an audition right now, I would not be as likely to be hired as a performer as would have been a year and a half ago. Therefore,

I resolve to lose 30 pounds by May 31st.

This gives me roughly 5 months to lose 30 pounds, which is only 6 pounds a month. This should be easy. So everyone wish me luck and please provide your support. Hopefully through these 5 steps, you all will be able to accomplish your resolutions as well!

Things I miss:

*Having my own bed
*Having a room where I can go and shut and lock the door
*Ashley Palubicki
*The pasta from The Down Under at the UC
*Class (I know I'm weird)
*American Idol
*RHA
*Cute boys
*The smell of my room
*Having something to do
*Work
*Psychology Class

I think its going to be a good year...

Year 2009 Overview

In 2009, you find yourself connecting with people effortlessly as your warm-hearted actions are acknowledged and radiated back to you in a way you've never experienced before. The confident joy and happiness you freely give to others gives you the innate ability to be productive. For you, kind actions are the way to transformation and success.

This is a perfect time for proud Leo, because you have the desire, drive and power to help society. You realize there's work to do, and you'll give a helping hand wherever you can. You are ready to align yourself with a higher level of awareness, and exhibit a regenerative attitude is about reaping the harvest by submitting to the larger purpose. What you are able to give to others directly reflects the transformation happening within you.

Your heart is in the right place, and you are likely to accomplish all that you set out to do this year. You're developing excellent skills in your own personal transformation process, and you are ready to make the conscious decision to be the best you can be. You feel secure, and the beauty of who you are shines through easily and effortlessly.

Year 2009 Romantic

You feel as if you're reaping the harvest this year in your relationships. Socially, your connections are very positive and your altruistic, visionary personality brings you a great circle of friends. Very strong and intuitive, your sense of self-worth in a close relationship makes it a very loving and secure one -- your main focus for some time now. Your enthusiasm bubbles over as an intimate relationship blossoms, and the challenges of constructive communication become easier and easier.

Energetically, you are uplifted when you choose to be in a relationship and master the art of accepting someone as they are. In the springtime, your focus may shift to marriage as many blessings come your way, giving you opportunities to experience conscious acts of sharing, cooperation and honor. Things may seem to move fast, but if you go with the flow, you'll gain confidence in your progress.

Much healing takes place when you have someone close to share your life with. Reap the rewards, and you will encounter feelings that will become the basis for far-reaching transformation in your life -- and in that of others as well. Leo's need to be in charge is no problem, because you and your partner are energetically and equally matched. Be grateful for the love and growth you are experiencing -- both metaphysically and spiritually.

Year 2009 Career

As you help others in your work, you find balance in your own life and, as a result, financial opportunities arise. You are far from conventional, and this helps you have no fear in starting new projects and developing ways for making a good living.

You are able to make major changes in your career without completely eliminating your current foundation. During the summer, career advancements streamline as greater responsibility and commitment come your way. This is an excellent time to focus on your ideals for social progress, and actualize them in a public sphere.

As a Leo, you have the communication skills required to bring new opportunities for growth. This year, you easily visualize new possibilities and eliminate potential roadblocks. Your co-workers appreciate your leadership skills and respect your ability to bring people and resources together for positive change. You may be conservative financially while learning to carve out ways of meeting your material needs, but you continue to draw greater resources to you to serve the greater good.

Help!

So...as I was saying earlier this week...I am on winter break right now and have been extremely bored. I don't have many high school friends to hang out with at home and my best friends from college are from Winona, MN, Greenbay, and Chicago. Therefore we are pretty spread out and it is anywhere from 2-4 hours to visit any of them. Needless to say, I don't have a lot to do...

So I got really excited this weekend when a few of them came to town and we got to hang out, hoping, *hopefully*, we could find something to do together. Three, 20-year-old girls with no plans for 3 days and guess what we did...

1. Watched fat people on TV
2. Ate fattening foods
3. People watched on a bench at the mall for an hour
4. Searched for something to do until our brains hurt and we passed out from exhaustion.

Granted, we could come up with a few lame things, such as go to the library or go ice skating, but what fun is that?

So here is the question I came up throughout this endeavour.

At 20 years old, is it that there is absolutely nothing to do?

Or is it that nothing is fun anymore?

20 is such a crappy age, no longer a teenager, but not quite yet a full-out adult. The only thing to even remotely do at our age is go to the bars, but we aren't even old enough to do that!

Ponder this question and let me know what you think!

bore⋅dom [bawr-duhm, bohr-] –noun. The state of being bored; tedium; ennui.
Origin: 1850–55; bore 2 + -dom


Boredom
noun
the feeling of being bored by something tedious
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.



Boredom n. 1. The state of being bored, or pestered; a state of ennui. --Dickens.
2. The realm of bores; bores, collectively.

Let's just say...I have a problem with "breaks".