Fully Stocked

Having travelled full time for work limited the number of nights spent eating and cooking at home.  At any given time, I would have an old garlic, soy milk, and expired cooking sauces in my fridge.  My fridge was really sad during that time, and it was most embarrasing when I didn't have anything to offer but water to guests.  Now that I don't travel anymore, I am able to go grocery shopping once a week.  I couldn't help but feel a tinge of excitement as I stocked my fridge yesterday realizing that this is the first time I have ever seen so much food in it in the 4.5 years I have lived here.  No longer will I have to have refrigerator envy when I see my friends' fridges fully stocked, because now mine is just as happy!

Traffic

This morning, it took me an hour and a half to get to work.  Why is it that Thursday traffic is always the worst?  In lieu of supporting my new years resolutions, I am not going to complain (I have not broken my resolutions since I declared them, mind you).  Instead, I am going to state a few facts:

• Everyday, I spend at least 2.5 hours on the road driving 20 miles each way.  Multiply that by 5 and that's 12.5 hours aka half a day driving through traffic.  For those who have never endured such a commute, it is worse than you'd imagine, so sympathy to similar commuters is much appreciated
• I have the tendency to doze off behind the wheel.  Yes, I have tried blasting my radio. Yes, I have tried sticking my head out the window.  Yes, I have tried freezing myself to death with the air conditioning.  Yes, I have slapped myself in the face and waved my arms in the air while I yelled "stay awake!".  Yes, I have consumed caffeine before and during my drive.  And yes, I have even tried to call friends to keep me up, only to leave them a "Herro, I'm jerg calling falling schleep, bye" voicemail.  Nothing works once I am in the sleepy zone.  I need to count my blessings for everytime I "wake up" right in the middle of steering into another lane because I'm falling asleep
• I think it would bring me a sense of peace and increased patience if I understood why there are days when traffic flows well and other days the freeways are like a madhouse when there's no accident, no closing of lanes, nothing
• I know all the shortcuts to get to work which actually saves me about 10 mins time.  But even then, sometimes my shortcuts are congested without explanation!

New Year Resolutions

I have been slacking off on putting together a list of resolutions because I wanted to avoid feeling like a failure if I couldn't live up to them.  But, a few items have been weighing heavily on my mind, so I wanted to openly declare what I resolve to change in the year of the Dragon.  And even if I am not perfect in my endeavor, I can remind myself that my intentions are true, that old habits die hard, and as long as I continue to try, I haven't failed yet.

1.   I resolve to take better care of myself.
I don't eat breakfast, my workout regimen has dwindled down to once a month, I eat fries like it's going out of style, I don't drink enough water, and I don't get enough sleep.  Enough said.

2.  I resolve to not speak negatively about anyone or anything.
Okay so everyone has to vent or complain once in a while, but at the rate I have been going, I am about to cross the finish line 100 miles before any of my competition does.  Somewhere along the road, I found a pair of negativity glasses, put them on, and haven't taken them off since.  It's time to take them off and see the world in a more positive light, seeking the good in everyone and everything.  "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" is now currently on repeat.

3.  I resolve to stick to my decisions, regardless of the outcome.
I am a people pleaser at heart, but I go about it the wrong way.  I make decisions intending to make someone else happy, but then end up dragging my feet the entire way, which obviously defeats the purpose of why I made the decision to begin with.  If my intention is to act selflessly, then I need to follow through to the end.  No second guessing, no complaining, no regrets.

And there you have it.  Here's to kicking off an awesome new year - the year of the Black Dragon!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I just got back from a 5 day vacation in Maui!  We got a lot of rest and relaxation mixed in with a little bit of adventure!  From lounging at the hotel pool and beach, massages, and trying out new food, to attending a wedding, whale sightings while on a snorkelling tour and ziplining(!) through the trees, there was never a dull moment!  I'll let the slideshow do the talking!  Enjoy!