Resolutions

So as I mentioned earlier this week, I had an idea to make a board in my room and post my 2012 goals.  I wanted to have a variety of goals that would not only be serious, but also fun.  And they would be small enough that they would actually be accomplished.  There are a few bigger plans on the board, but I think I was able to break them into increments so it wont be too overwhelming.

Here's what I did. 

I went on Amazon and found a magnetic white board, some chart tape, and some printable magnetic 8x10 sheets.  I got on Word over the past few days while I was awaiting the arrival of the supplies and started jotting down some goals.  Picked a nice font (ok, its comic sans but it was the cutest, yet readable and bold enough to choose from), Lined them up in 3 columns, adjusted the margins and what not.  As the week went on I added more and more little ideas and finally came up with a list I found deserving of my time.

Today, all of my goodies arrived in those cute little smiling boxes and I set out to get the board made.

Goals: Typed and Cut Up, Magnetic Board, Magnet Sheets

I printed out my goals, and used my slide cutter (excuse me, my sisters, slide cutter) to cut them all down to size.  Some of the goals were bigger, some had additional pieces.  For instance, I would like to lose weight, so there are goals in 10 lb increments, I would also like to do things like "Go to the gym every (week) day" but I know I can't do that so they are in rewarding increments like "For a week," "For a month," and "For 3 Months" and so on.

Originally, I wanted to have a side that was for "Need to Do" and a side for "Completed" (thus why I bought the chart tape. Yes, I am a nerd and I didn't just want to draw one. And it was only $2.) But once I got every thing on, there wasn't exactly enough room.  I didn't count them, but there are a lot!

My Goals Board: Complete with all my goals

And I of course hung it in my room where I could see it.

I know, I have some strange things on my walls

So, now you are probably wondering what kinds of goals I set for myself.  Well here's the list, in it's entirety:

• Lose 10 lbs.
• Lose 20 lbs.
• Lose 30 lbs.
• Lose 40 lbs.
• Lose 50 lbs.
• Lose 60 lbs.
• Lose 70 lbs.
• Lose 80 lbs.
• Save $100
• Save $500
• Save $1,000
• Save $2,500
• Save $5,000
• Save $7,500
• Save $10,000
• Visit the Zoo
• Go to a Tigers Game
• Go to a Concert
• Go to a Pistons Game
• Go to a Lions Game
• Go to a Red Wings Game
• Go to Boston
• Go to the UP
• Climb a tree with Mikey
• Go Fishing
• Go Hunting
• Learn to Skate
• Go Camping
• Bike the CRT:
• From Adams to Roch
• From Opdyke to Rochester
• Bike the PCT:
• From Roch to LO
• Go Swimming
• Eat Better
• Pack A Lunch Every Day:
• For a Week
• For a Month
• For 3 Months
• For 6 Months
• For 9 Months
• For a Year
• Go to the Gym Every Day:
• For a Week
• For a Month
• For 3 Months
• For 6 Months
• For 9 Months
• For a Year
• Take Diesel for Walks
• Babysit the Clark Kids
• Go to a Fair
• Go to Cedar Point
• Ride a Rollercoaster
• Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Go to the Dentist
• Drink More Water
• Drink Less Pop
• Write Every Day
• Read More Books
• Learn to Drive my Motorcycle
• Drive my Motorcycle to Work
• Line-Up Track
• Penalty Track
• Penalty Time
• Box Official
• Score Keep
• Head NSO
• Go Skydiving
• Finish Molding in:
• Bathroom
• Bedrooms
• Living Room
• Kitchen
• Replace Storm Door
• Put in Sidewalk
• Install Metal Roof
• Insulate Attic
• Promote Blog around Town
• Visit Mackinac Island
• Visit Greenfield Village
• Visit Henry Ford Museum
• Visit Motown Museum
• Visit DIA
• Drive Motorcycle to Cooks Dairy Farm
• Pick Strawberries
• Go Boating on Lake Saint Clair
• See a Shipwreck
• Visit Hartwick Pines
• Donate to a Charity
• Complete a Charity Walk
• Go Bowling
• See a Movie
• See a Play
• Get Carpets Cleaned
• Paint Doors
• Install Doorknobs
• Plant Flowers

I think one of these goals should also include learning how to make columns or some sort of table in HTML.

So there it is.  My Goals for 2012.  I will try to come back and cross things off as I get them accomplished.  As for my board, I will just be removing them and putting them some where.  I think a lot of them can be used for years to come. Some of them will get done sooner than others and I am sure at the end of the year I might look back and say damn, I missed getting that one.  But I am not going to be sore about it.  I am just going to keep trying to clear them as best as I can. 

Good luck to anyone else that has resolutions this year.  Feel free to share with me some of your ideas as well!

Last Day of Vacation

Today is my last day of my vacation from work.  I know that most of you feel the same way I do about work and are dreading heading back into the office/field/shop or what have you.  I for one, love the company I work for, love the people I work with (for the most part), enjoy getting out of the house daily, and most certainly love getting paid.  But I am sure you would agree that its hard to find the meaning behind it all. Sure, in my job I take checks from customers and apply the payments to the proper invoices, for the service they acquired, for the business that makes something or provides a service to someone else and thus employing others along the way and in the end we all get a paycheck.  But I suppose its only human to want to see some kind of greater good come out of the 2080+ hours we spend each year typing away at a keyboard, pushing a mouse, and shuffling papers.

One of the things I have done recently to fight this feeling of monotony was to become involved in my local roller derby team.  I mentioned earlier in this blog that I had started attending the Ref U! course taught by the Detroit Derby Girls.   I have since completed the course and am now an actual staff member of the league.  I have started working a few bouts, doing NSO positions like Outside Whiteboard, Penalty Box Timer, and Scorekeeper.  It has been fun and exciting so far.  I have met a lot of new people and have been building new friendships all along the way.  It's honestly amazing just how busy derby will keep a person.  I am just a volunteer staff person, without the obligations of mandatory practices, however, in order to make sure I know how to do my job well, I have to practice, obviously.  But its even more than that, its the social events, and the ever changing and evolving business of the DDG.  I came into this thinking that I would get to understand the game better, and that I would get to help out.  For anyone that is out there and looking to get into NSOing, make sure you have the time and the ability to travel. 

Now knowing what is exactly required of me, I now have some decisions to make.  How much do I want to dive into this? Am I happy just wading in the kiddie pool, or would I like to be come certified and eventually work my way up to being a lifeguard? (My apologies for the weird swimming metaphor).  Derby to me right now is still overwhelming.  It seems that any time I have a break from the madness, I start doubting if I want to get back into it again.  But as soon as I show up to practice, the fun floods back and and I am totally geeked all over again! 

I am missing my first, and hopefully only, bout this weekend, and I am sad.   Sad that I will miss watching some of my friends play their first game of the season, and sad that I wont be there for any silliness that goes down or to help Stat Army win the after-party. But part of me knows that if I want to be in control of my own life, and not feel like I am being overwhelmed or giving too much of myself to this crazy sport, I have to say no every once in a while.  I know, you are probably wondering how I could feel overwhelmed when I haven't been around derby much in the past few weeks.  And honestly its more because I have heard the stories of other staff members being burnt out and that is one thing I want to prevent from happening from the get go.  I want to take this at my own pace, and provide as much of myself as I can, but under my own terms and conditions. Its volunteer work. I will do what I can to meet the requirements of my league, but it will be up to me how much more I give.

Sounds crazy right?  I mean how have I gone from super fan to cautious volunteer in just a matter of months... Trust that things happen on a derby league just as fast as they do on the track. Am I happy I got involved? Absolutely!  But I am taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time, one bout at a time, and one season at a time. There is no sense in making this fun job as painful to go back to as my real job.

A New Year, A New Start

I know resolutions are only ever set so they can just be broken, and I'm probably not the first person to say this, but this year feels different. Maybe it's because this could be the last year before the zombie apocalypse/end of the Mayan calendar. Whatever it is, I want to take advantage of this feeling and really get some things done this time.

One thing I would really like to do is write more. And I'm thinking I really don't have any excuses to not write at least once a day. For instance, right now I am writing from the passenger seat of my car as Mikey, Diesel & I are on our way home from up state. Smart phones really are changing the way we live.

While we're on the topic of smart phones, I should really start using my Noom app again. I need to really focus this year on eating better, exercising, giving up soda, and losing weight.

Another thing I want to do is post a board in my room with things I want to do this year, one side for things to do and the other for completed items. Simple things like go to the zoo, household chores like finally finishing the molding, and more serious stuff like losing 10 lbs. And fun things like go to the UP, and to Boston to visit my aunts. Saving some money will also be a nice goal to set too.

So many things to do, and why not have some fun doing it. I hope everyone has a great 2012. Be safe, have fun, be yourself, better yourself. :)

Where Do I Begin...

You are probably used to me saying this by now, but its been too long since I last wrote on this blog.  I have been keeping myself quite busy lately with another blog, Diesel Stomping, where I write about walks that Diesel and I have been going on.  It's been a lot of fun and its getting some good reception.  I have also been attending the Detroit Derby Girls Ref! U course and trying to volunteer my time with them as much as possible.  And last but not least, I am trying to get back into shape again.  Something you can read about in my other blog, Back to Little.

So what's this about the Detroit Derby Girls, you ask?  Well, about two years ago, a co-worker of mine hung a poster for the DDG in her cubical.  We started talking about it, and that led to Gabby and I heading up to Flint one day to check out the Flint City Derby Girls.  That piqued my interest in derby, I had to learn more!  A few months later, Gabby and I headed down to the historic Masonic Temple in Detroit and that's where I fell in love with the sport. 

Masonic Temple Detroit

When you first walk into the 85 year old building, its like you are taking a step back in history. Through the revolving doors, into the magnificent main lobby, and onto the ancient elevators up to the 4th floor.  From there you hand off your ticket, go down a corridor, have your hand stamped and walk through the doorway that opens up to the uniquely designed Drill Hall.  The Drill Hall was constructed with a "floating floor" so that the drill marches would not disturb the rest of the temple, and also give relief to the feet of the marchers. 

There is not a lot of room in the drill hall, unfortunately, but seating is available if you get there early, or you can brave it and sit on the floor in the "suicide seats."   Feeling the rush of the skaters as they skate pass, and hearing the crowd go crazy at every grand slam, is completely worth the experience.  You feel like you are participating in some underground activity like Fight Club or something.  The skaters all have fun aliases and they wear fun uniforms that show of their unique personalities.  And even though they are playing against one another, you can still feel the comradery between them. 

The next season I went ahead and purchased two season tickets.  They were so popular with the fans the season before, that nearly every bout would sell out.  I had to be sure I was going to get tickets!  Of course, that was the season that the DDG moved to Cobo Arena.  They had many more seats available, and I was able to get some pretty good size groups to come with me to many of the bouts.  I was geeked to even start making some friends within the teams and I prided myself on getting "the wave" started at a few of them as well!

Once the season came to an end, I knew what I had to do.  The first opportunity that came along for me to sign up and be a volunteer, I did so!  Would I love to play the game? Sure, but I need to get in shape, and besides that I am a bit of a dork, so why not add my mad number skills to the Stat Army.

I have been taking the course for a few weeks now, and I am really starting to learn so much more about the game.  And let me tell you, watching the game from the inside of the track is amazing!  And on top of that, I am also making new friends.  I am hoping that once I am officially part of the team I can start traveling with them and making some of their appearances as well.  This might just be the chance I get to see this great country before I'm too old to enjoy it! 

As I get more involved in the DDG, I will be sure to check back and let you all know how its going.  :)

Getting Creative

It has been quite a while since I last posted on my blog, which seems to be the norm.  I had signed myself up to make something homemade this year for a few lucky Facebook friends, and just remembered that I have to get on that as well.  I have all this time now that I am not at school, yet I can't seem to get motivated.  Although, I did convince myself to buy a new printer the other day, maybe I can start making some buttons again.  And really, I should get back to making my hemp necklaces and stuffs.  The one thing I do really want to get done is a fan shirt for my derby gal, Joy Stixxx.  I have to get started on that design.  Speaking of design?  Anyone know any good graphic design programs?  I usually make my buttons with MS Paint, but I am starting to have some limitations that I can't seem to get around.  Well, just thought I would get some thoughts out of my head... Thanks for listening.  Follow me! www.littlepitz.blogspot.com

Wintertime

Wintertime.
And the snow is bright.
Seeping through my blinds at night.
Keeping my eyes closed but knowing,
On the other side of my eyelids
Is light so blind.
Wintertime.

posted from Bloggeroid

I Heart My Sarcastic Boyfriend

As some of you may know, I have quite a guy. Every now and again, he will respond with a cute little quip that just serves as a reminder as to why I love him so.

So today, I had to have Mikey replace the breaks on my car, again. Seems to happen too often. Later on this evening, we're watching TV and one of those gushy Kay Jewelers commercials comes on. I chimed in with an "Aw, isn't that cute!" to which my my ever loving boyfriends says under his breath, "So are cars that stop."