Round 5. And Counting.

It's snowing yet again in the metro area. Shoveling has officially commenced. I was able to get out of the house for about an hour today to run a couple of errands. I probably could have gotten away with not going out, but it was good to be able to see whether I could do it or not. For the second week in a row, I've had business meetings canceled due to the weather - which is getting old, fast.

Apparently it's a good day to finish my taxes.

Enough Already - Sheesh!

It started snowing again today. For the fourth weekend in a row. It's also wicked-cold out there. So cold, that I only went out and shoveled once. I'll pay for that decision tomorrow morning, I'm sure. This snow is SO OLD!! We're not used this "snow staying around for days" thing in Colorado. We usually don't mind a big storm here and there, because USUALLY, it melts away within 2 days and then we can wear shorts again until the next snow fall. But, this is ridiculous! I'm not even a homeowner - I'm just a renter - and I've had to shovel a lot of the white stuff this year. Good grace, I hope when I own my place, I don't have to shovel this much. Ever.

I'm going a little stir-crazy today, can you tell? My family held their monthly breakfast today and I called the parentals to tell then that I wasn't going to make it. They (no, my mom) tried to send me on a guilt trip for not going. Didn't work, though! I stood my ground and said 'Nope - not going to drive in this'. Of course, if a party had been at stake, then I would have been there!! Gotta love perspective!

Ten Words

I was given an assignment by a friend of mine to come up with ten words that start with the letter 'R'. Then I also have to explain why I chose that particular word. So, here we go:

Reason - there is a reason that everything happens. Even the bad things. We may never understand or even know the reason, but it's out there and at some point we will all be better for all of those unexplained things that happen to us.

Right - From the immortal words of Professor Dumbledore, "the time will come when one will have to chose between what is right and what is easy." I think this phrase sums up everything I have experienced in my world over the last 3 or so years. And I dare anyone to argue the point with me.

Rich - We all dream of being rich, but I think that we forget to define the word. It means so many different things. I have realized, slowly, but surely, that although my bank balances dip into the red zone more often than I would like, I am still rich. I have a job. I have a wonderful business opportunity. I have family and friends that I know support and respect me - and even a few that I know love me. I have a place to lay my head at night, a pantry filled with too much food, a car that runs, pets that adore me, and aspirations to motivate me. I am rich in every sense of the word.

Resourceful - It seems that whenever a challenge comes my way, things all fall into place and I end up on my feet. Hmm, maybe I live a more charmed life then I give credit.

Relax - this is certainly a state of being that I am always striving for. Happily, I think that I am at my most relaxed when I am at full speed. I seem to thrive on getting it all done with seconds to spare. I wonder what it's like to get things done ahead of time.

Relations - so many meanings for this particular word, as it relates to me and my life. With family. With friends. With business associates. With lovers. With those who may bless me in the future.

Reflection - I am starting to enjoy looking back on the path that my life has laid. For a long time, it was hard to reflect, but I am learning that there is something real to the phrase, "that which does not kill us, will make us stronger."

Real - I love the song by Trisha Yearwood "Real Live Woman". It's an anthem about how a woman comes into her own and realizes that she has more to give than a lot give credit for, that there is true love out there for everyone and that it's OK to not completely bend and break to unrealistic expectations.

Randy - I wouldn't be honest with myself and all of you if I didn't fess up to my wild side!

Ready - After a few rocky years of discovering who I am and where I want to go in my life, I think that I am officially ready to tackle all that will befall me in my enlightened future.

Sick of Snow

We in Colorado have had it with the whole snow-thing. Enough already. It snowed again yesterday - probably 3-4 inches in my neighborhood. I still haven't shoveled - I just keep driving over it, which is bad, because I'm going to eventually just mush it down and it will turn to an ice rink. How fun would that be?

So Long 2006!

I'm actually a little glad to see it go. I was hoping that 2006 would be my year - and boy was it! A year for many changes, not all of them good. So, now is a good time for reflection and to try and plan a monstrous 2007.

What did I accomplish in 2006?

1. Started my own home-based business. It has gone pretty well - I am #1 in sales for my immediate upline and am currently waiting to hear whether I made top 10 on my district team.

2. Graduated from college with honors - A Bachelor's degree in History with a minor in Political Science. This one was a tough one to accomplish, but I am glad that I did it - AND, no one can ever take away my degree!

3. Got laid off from a job that I didn't really care for - and found an even better one to replace it. This was truly one of the best things to happen to me this year, especially considering that through this, I really learned who my friends are. I'm still in contact with those that meant the most to me.

4. Got rid of a lot of "friend" baggage - again, this was due to being laid off. The true colors of those I thought I knew shone through and I am thrilled to have exited stage right from that entire dramatic production. Although, I got text messages from 1 person in a starring role and another in a supporting role on Christmas Day. The holidays - the most weird time of year!

5. I got to know some other friends a lot better and I am very happy to report that I think these are folks that will be around for the long haul. They are the sort that I share a lot of values with and who are also becoming a great support system - people I know I can count on when it really hits the fan. You know how good of friend you are to someone when you are honored to be on the "short-list" of immediate notifications when their new baby arrives.

And, so, some resolutions for 2007:

1. Expand my business by 50% over the course of the year. I did about $17,000 in sales this year and I would love to see that number double, but a more realistic goal is to increase to about $26,000 - this would be in a ramp-up to try for $50,000 in my third year, something that I truly think that I can do.

2. Pay off all of my unnecessary debt in preparation for buying my own place this year.

3. Nice lead-in from #2 - buy my own place. My dream would be to buy back the house that I once had. I loved that house with it's huge kitchen, porch in the front and yard in the back. But, alas, my income is a far-cry from what it would take for that, so I'll just "settle" for anything with a mortgage that isn't any smaller than what I'm currently renting. (For those that need to know - 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, ~1,000 square feet, and a garage). A pantry and linen closet would be nice additions!

4. Exercise a heck of a lot more. OK, so this one is forced from my doctor, but still, it's a goal. And besides, what resolution list would be complete without the "losing weight, eating right, exercising more" lie that we all write down.

5. Make better use of my time. I've decided that my mantra for 2007 will be "How Bad Do You Want It" and my theme song will be the title of the same name by Tim McGraw. Hopefully, this will help me make some better decisions about how I spend my time - as in, "is what you are doing right now moving you closer to your goals?" If the answer is no, then I need to change what I am doing.

Here's to the arrival of 2007 - MY year!!