Back in the Saddle ... again.

---

 So I'm attempting to start 2022 on a positive note and get back in touch with my creative side.  I've spent far too long telling myself that I'm 'too busy' or just flat-out being lazy and not wanting to deal with my lack of inspiration or motivation... and I just need to stop.  Stop making excuses.  Stop lying to myself.  Stop allowing the laziness and actually embrace my talents.  Just STOP!

And I know most of it is just me being caught up in gaming, not because I have an addiction or anything but I think it's more of the fact that I set too many goals for what I want to do with my characters and then let myself get in too deep.  I have this bad habit of creating entirely too many characters, because I'll see or think of a name that I really like... and I'll have a different purpose for each of them... (I'm such a dork and actually have Excel spreadsheets to document this kind of stuff)

Anyway... but yes, enough is enough.  I wanna create again.  I want to feel that sense of pride and accomplishment in looking at what I just made and really enjoying the process.  I usually don't make resolutions at the new year, because I don't want to disappoint myself, which let's face it, is inevitable.  But I kind of did make those 'resolutions' this year.  I'm committed to actually using the writing prompts that I've been saving up for years (with a little support).  Maybe even write more here as well.  I'm going to open Photoshop more often.  I'm going to make time to exercise and get my heart rate up at least for 30 minutes of my day.  But I'm not going to think of these as resolutions.  They are just things that I'm going to do. 😊

Jumping Back to Fitness...

---

So, first off, today marks the first walk I've completed in several months, as you can see from the image over there on the left.  The numbers aren't great, because I'm so outta shape from being derailed by my neck issues back in February, but it's a start.  I'd actually forgotten that I told my mom we'd start up my morning-walking-routine today, and first thing when she woke up, she reminded me.  I was tempted to just say screw it once again, and start tomorrow, but I ended up making myself get out there and get it done.  And it feels good.  I always forget how good it feels to get that out of the way, first thing in the morning before I start out my day.  So yeah, that's one bonus that has resulted from my mom's visit here this month! 😄  Although now I've worked off everything I had for breakfast, so I may need to look into eating something else to satisfy my slightly-growling tummy.

The best thing was actually being with her on Mother's Day yesterday, though.  That was a first in several years, and a long-time coming.  I'd missed being able to hug my mom on Mother's Day.  We had a relaxing morning and afternoon, before going out to dinner at a local teppanyaki restaurant, called Shirasoni.  It is amazingly delicious, and the "show" that you pay for is always so entertaining and fun!  We all had a great time, along with my mother-in-law & brother-in-law & Reno.  And now we have lunch for today and possibly tomorrow as well, haha.  Anyway, I hope everyone who reads this had a Happy Mother's Day yesterday and you were able to spend some quality time with your mother as well!

That's all I really have for right now.  My mom and I don't have big plans for today, other than getting a few hours in for work, and hitting the grocery store later, then continuing with our Star Wars binge-watching. (her idea!)  At least until the hubby gets home from work, then we're going to have homemade tacos for dinner and catch whatever shows are on tonight.  Until next time!

Got My (Photography) Fix!

---

Well, today has been busy!  The photo above is from the highlight of my day: our visit to the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco, of the koi pond, specifically! (full-view recommended!)  It was so beautiful and so much fun to finally get my photography fix taken care of.  And by that, I mean actually taking pictures with my camera, not only with my phone.  The last time we took a photography trip was last month in Tahoe, but I never really got to use my camera, because of the snow and the precarious conditions that entailed.  Which was for the best, since I did end up slipping about five times. (haha)  But this was great.  And just what I needed!  It wasn't as serene as I'd expected, because there were too many people there, but it was pretty.  One of my favorite things is just being outside with my Nikon, taking photos of anything & everything I see around me.  So I'm happy now. 😁📷

Monotone Monday

---

So I feel like today should be of some importance but I cannot remember why.  I hate when that happens.  It's similar to when you're packing for a trip and you can't shake the feeling that you've forgotten something, no matter how many times you've gone over and over a checklist of what you mean to bring. 😕

Today has been pretty boring.  I finished work about 30 minutes ago, and I'm in the process of washing pots & pans, using the time that it takes to air-dry them as a break, because the hot water tends to activate the numbness in my left ring and pinky fingers.  Hence why the dishes have been slightly piling up, since this issue sprung up about a month and a half ago.  It hasn't gotten too out-of-hand though, as I've been doing small loads when I can.  Although taking a shower pretty much sucks now.

Motivation Granted

---

So... sometime during the last quarter of 2017, we were on a slight 'fitness' kick, spontaneously purchasing the Bowflex Max Trainer M5 that boasts about a 14-minute workout, and the hubby went off and bought a book with a meal plan & training exercises for losing weight quickly, called The 30-Second Body by Adam Rosante.  We were planning to utilize the advice and training in the book after using the Bowflex workout machine for a while... well, as you can probably guess, that plan didn't work out so much, however much I wanted it to.  First off, the machine is extremely difficult to use, if you're not in the utmost shape... which, let's face it, we are not. 😶 I think the highest amount of time I could spend on it was around 4 minutes, without my legs turning to complete jelly.

Anyway, skip ahead several months to now... I get a call this morning from him, saying that he wants to start using the book NOW, because he's tired of the way he looks.  I've been trying to make this happen for a long time, because losing weight is so much easier (and more fun) when you have someone else there on the same journey to motivate you.  So we're about to head out to dinner and look through this book and start planning.  I'm so excited to get started on this!

Though I really wish my consistent headache that I've had for the past couple days is going to start to dissipate soon, because working out in this condition is going to majorly suck. 😒  I've taken meds for it, and it works for a little bit, but then it always comes back.  Sleeping has been the only guarantee to help so far. 

Enough of the negativity though, wish me (us) luck as we start this new journey!!

A Day at the Outlets... & a Scary Surprise

---

So today could have been a really bad day for us.  See... we spent the day out at the outlet mall about 45 minutes southwest of where we live.  We left at around 10:30am.  We did not get home until around 5:00pm.  What do we find out when we pull into our driveway?  We left the damn garage door wide open for the past 6½ hours!!  And the door into our house from the garage was unlocked.  I am so thankful that we live in a nice neighborhood, because everything was still exactly as we'd left it.  We would have known if anyone had come inside the house though, because the alarm was on and we would have been alerted via text message and a phone call if it hadn't been disarmed in time.  But still, that is a scary surprise to come home to... I am just so relieved that nothing happened.

Focusing on Organization

---

So today was a completely exhausting, yet productive, day.  We spent ALL day installing the ceiling-mounted shelf that you see in the photo above.  We still have lots more to do before the garage is completely finished, but it does feel good to have this part done.  Cleaning out and disassembling the existing shelves that used to be against the wall was the most time-consuming task.  Although I did reach my step goal for the first time in about a month, without even trying!  That part feels great, but my feet are definitely telling a different tale.

Temporary Setback

---

So I finished my first book of 2018 this morning!  Ironically, it is the self-help style book that has no relevance to my life (haha) but it was an informative & amusing read that left a smile on my face after every reading session.  (More detailed review listed on the 2018 Reading Challenge tab up there at the top)

Anyway, Jacques will be here all this week doing at-home training classes for work, which will give me a small taste of what it would be like if he worked from home.  Definitely a plus in the gas department, as he wouldn't have to drive those 90 miles every day.  Since I'm slightly 'kicked out' of the office until he finishes at 1PM, I was planning to start up my 4-mile-daily-walk again... but of course, I woke up to find that it's raining heavily outside, with no plans for it to stop anytime soon, not to mention my stomach attempting to kill me. (Nothing to worry about, there's a reason.)  Ugh.