Friday Five - Like a Love Song, Wii Dance, and Revisions

1. I - I love you like a love song, baby. And I keep hittin' repeatpeatpeatpeatpeat. Oh, Selena Gomez. The first time I heard this song, I didn't get it. At all.

2. But it kept coming up on Just Dance 4 for the Wii (we won the Wii in a raffle at a benefit!), and suddenly I was addicted. I am determined to get a perfect score on this song, as well as Call Me Maybe, and Maneater. But I am a terrible dancer. It's still fun though!

3. My revisions are done and turned in to my editor! The changes weren't TOO major, but they took some time, and I'm pretty happy with the result. So now I wait. I'm getting good at the waiting.

4. Anyone watching The Voice this season? We skipped the last couple seasons, but with the judge switches, we decided to give it a shot and we're hooked! Blake is hilarious as always and there is some serious talent out there! I already bought Savannah Berry's version of Safe & Sound (she's from Houston, y'all!) and I have my eye on a few others.

5. Some of you may remember my 2013 good eating/fitness goal I set in January, and I did really really good! .... until my book deal. And I admittedly have done a little too much celebrating. And once you taste that sugar, it's hard to knock it again. BUT I've joined a DietBet for April and I'm getting back on track! How are your goals going this year?

New Year, New Goals

Every year I say I won't make resolutions because I'm afraid I won't stick to them, but I do have some goals in mind this year. And the best motivation to stick to them is proclaiming them publicly! So here goes...

1. Writing: For the month of January, my goal is to write 1k words a week. I know most of you can write that in an hour, but my average is in the 200's per hour, so I have to be realistic and set a goal I can actually reach. Next month I'll see if I need to stick to it, or if I can push myself more.

1-2. Finish first draft of WIP by the end of April.

2. Health: I start every year with good intentions, but somehow over the last six years, I've put on 30+ extra lbs. Pathetic, yes. BUT the scale is finally starting to go backwards, and with the clean slate of 1.1.13, I'm happy to say I'm making major lifestyle changes. I haven't had bread, pasta or sweets since LAST YEAR!! So what if that was only four days ago, it's happening and I'm doing it! I'm staying strong until the weekend of my 30th birthday at the end of February (there will be cupcakes!), then picking back up again.

3. Fitness: No longer a paying gym member, I've devised a home workout calendar I may actually stick to. It's a hybrid of Turbo Fire, Hip Hop Abs, free weight workouts clipped from magazines, and I've started power-walking two miles a day (while listening to audiobooks! I'm not a great book 'listener' so half the time I don't know what's going on, but it's a nice distraction from the reality that I'm getting exercise haha). I've printed it all out on a calendar and check off each day. Great motivation to see those check marks!

4. Selflessness: Maybe it's a symptom of being an only child, but it's extremely easy to be me-focused. And the fact that this is the fourth goal I thought to type and not the first proves that I need to work on it. I want to be more considerate, pray for the needs of others above my own, and learn to help where I can.

5. Thankfulness: I am so so so fortunate for the health of my family, to be surrounded by people I love, to be able to drive a functioning vehicle to the grocery store any time of day or night and hoard food under a protective roof with heat, air conditioning, and plumbing. I take all of this for granted far too often. There should be no complaining, only thankfulness.

Of course there are lots of other things I'd love to happen this year, but those are the biggies that I have control over. Are you setting any goals for 2013? How are you staying motivated to stick to them?

I'd Rather Be... Kayaking?

I caved! Handy has wanted a Kayak for YEARS, and I finally said, "Oh, okay. Fine." And then what came out of my mouth next surprised both of us...

"But I want one too."

Say wha???

Here's what mine looks like! The Tarpon 100 in Lime :) And I have a pink and black life jacket!

Handy's is, of course, a little longer and camo colored.

We've been trying to go every other day or so at the lake down the street. It's quite the workout! At first I wasn't sure I could handle it, but it's not nearly as difficult (or as dangerous) as I'd thought. It's actually a little bit fun. THERE. I said it. My arms are getting stronger! My shoulders and abs are sore! It's a nice feeling.

It's peaceful too. A quiet chance to brainstorm--I stash a notebook in the cooler in case I'm suddenly struck with an idea that I have to write down.

What about you? Doing any fun outdoor activities now that the weather is warming? Do you find it a good time to brainstorm too?

Is There a Sign on My Forehead?

Maybe some little sprite affixed a sign to my forehead that says "I'm already down. Please make me feel worse about myself."

Who on EARTH asks you to your face if you are pregnant?  WHO does that?!  Within the past year, I've had two people say something to me.  The one last year was flat out "Are you pregnant?" to which I, no doubt looking horrified, answered, "No way."  Then she tried to cover her rear by saying I just had that "glow."  Really?  You ever heard of the sun?  And from the time I had met her to when she asked me, I had maybe gained 5 pounds over the course of a year... (the first year of my cubicle job... mmhmm)

Then yesterday this other lady, ALREADY turning red before she even speaks, says, "Did I overhear you saying you were buying paternity clothes?"  Okay, first of all, what are "paternity clothes"?  And second, if she means clothes for a baby boy, how the HECK does she think I look pregnant enough to even know what I'm having. And third, I was NOT talking about any sort of clothes regarding said mythical unborn child. 

I almost had a meltdown.  Hubs, as well as several friends, have reassured me that I in no way look pregnant and those people are off their nut.  Nice try, but the damage has been done. 

It's not only dangerous from a "you could be completely offending their self-image" standpoint, but they have no clue what I have or haven't been through.  My best friend had a miscarriage last year, and several days later, a friend had emailed her to catch up and asked comedically casually "So, are you pregnant yet?"  Bad move.  This sent her spinning deeper into mourning and she couldn't talk to that friend for a while.  It was a relatively innocent question, but you never know, and you should be careful about potentially sensitive subjects like that.

All that being said, I was angry that I already had plans last night and they did not involve working out.  But TODAY!  That will be a much better story.  I will channel this negative energy from misunderstandings by way of idiocy (that's a little harsh... but deserved at the moment) into the second wind of my health kick, and I shall adopt my strategies I planned to introduce in June, effective immediately.  These being no candy and a dramatic cut-back in wheat products (In addition to the continuity of May's strategies: limited dairy and no eating after 7:30pm which have both actually been going quite well). 

There were a lot of health related New Year's resolutions out there this year.  How are y'all coming on those?  I pretty much weigh the same as I did January 1, unfortunately. But hey, at least the scale isn't going the other way.  And we still have over half a year left!!! 

Wheew

2010 Goals Progress:

Writing progress: Agent research!

Weight progress: Feel like I'm gonna die

Bible in a year progress: Genesis 12-14, Psalm 6

Wow. I'm still coming down from my first personal training session ever. I had no idea I was such a wimp...especially in my legs. I seriously, could just lay down on the floor right now and not get up until tomorrow. And I know I will be sore beyond words tomorrow when I have to do at least 30 minutes of cardio, and worse on Friday...which is when I'm supposed to do all that I just learned...AGAIN. I can't even think about it. But, it will be worth it in the end. Not that there will be an end. It will be worth it...eventually!

Well, I got some great feedback on my Teaser Tuesday posting of Still Loving Ghosts. I love that your curiosities are kicking in, and I believe I just may tease you again with the second half of that first chapter on next Tuesday! I'm encouraged to focus on this WIP and see where it takes me.

The inspiration for Still Loving Ghosts came mostly after reading Sarah Addison Allen's THE SUGAR QUEEN. It's one of my absolute favorite books, and the ideas in it just fascinate me! That's when I knew I had to try my hand at magical realism, too.

I have to run to my writers guild meeting, but thanks all for the lovely comments, and happy wednesday!