Dec 28, 2006
Yep, resolution time.
I tend to make the same resolutions every year… organize my house, lose weight, exercise more, write more… And with these vague goals, I find that at the end of the year, I’m in the same place I was at the beginning.
So, I’m not setting these resolutions this year. This year, I’m going to try something different. Studies have shown that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so starting in February, I’m going to devote each month to changing one thing… (Why February and not January? Mostly because I’m taking time off in January specifically to catch up on my poor neglected house enough so that it’s not an obstacle course to get from one room to the next, and to tackle a project that has been nudging my brain.)
Each month I’ll set a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible) that I will work on every day of the month, so that by the end, it will become habit.
These will include using the treadmill overwhelming my living room that has only been used by the spiders, eating healthier, having a house that I’m not embarassed to have guests to, and yes, writing. And hopefully finishing and selling something. And sorting out the job situation to avoid the 14-hour days and anxiety attacks. Cuz those suck. 
So do you have any goals for 2007 and what are you going to do to achieve them?
Dec 27, 2006
But qualified to do my job, too…
Your Language Arts Grade: 100%
Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know “no” from “know.” Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).
Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz
Dec 22, 2006
My submissions queue is a little big right now. There’s a pile of stories I’ve read, written my detailed notes about them, but I can’t bring myself to send any “thanks, but no thanks” letters. Not this week. Probably not much of next week either.
I just can’t bring myself to send the message, Merry Christmas, you suck. And I know that’s not what my TBNT letters say, and it’s not even how I feel. (Really. I’m proud of these writers for trying and for putting themselves out there like that.) But I’ve received my own share of those letters, and I know I can’t help feeling, even though I shouldn’t, that maybe, just a teeny bit, I do suck.
And it’s the holidays and I don’t want to do that to anyone.
I’m a firm beliver on being a princess certain days of the year. (Well, ask T, I’m a princess most days of the year. *grin*). But days like your birthday and Christmas, they’re days you need to have good news and good cheer and warm and fuzzy feelings. So no disappointing letters from me this holiday season.
‘Course, a lot of people probably aren’t gonna like me much come January. Good thing my birthday’s not ’til November.
Dec 13, 2006
My youngest sister moved to the Cayman Islands this morning. It’s been in the works for a while, but I don’t think anyone really believed she’d do it. But her visa came through and the job she’d been offered was waiting for her, so off she went.
I’m vastly proud of her for doing this. For following her dreams, and striking out on her own with no one there to catch her. But I’m gonna miss her.
I did the independance thing fairly young, too. Moved from my parents’ house right after I got my first job, into a house I bought by myself. It was a struggle for a lot of years, but I did it on my own. And a lot of people tried to talk me out of it. Told me I should wait until I got married to move out. Told me to wait until I wasn’t alone to take on the big scary world of real estate. But doing it was the best decision I ever made.
And looking back, years from now, I hope my sister thinks that picking up and moving to a new country was the best decision she ever made, too.
Dec 05, 2006
Well, the two weeks from hell are finally over. The next time I think it’s a good idea to work fourteen-hour days, seven days a week for two weeks, please feel free to kick me in the head. (Although, I am looking forward to playing with the 80GB iPod I treated myself to with the OT pay. )
I did accomplish all of my projects, except for the housework. My poor house looks like it was hit by the Tasmanian Devil… Which really sucks because this weekend, a giant cold front…and snow… moved in. I mean, heck, it’s Canada, I’m not exactly surprised it came, but the timing really didn’t help. I have baseboard heating and I can’t actually get to my heaters to turn them on. Not that I would, because they’d catch all the papers and books on fire. So I’m sitting here shivering. And procrastinating on the cleaning. I hate cleaning.
I have wayyyyy too much clutter. I’ve almost hit the point where I’m just going to start throwing everything out…. like the hundreds of magazines I’ve kept in case I need to refer back to an article (I never have), or the books I’m never going to read again. I’m pretty sure I have every single Silhouette Yours Truly, Harlequin Love & Laughter and Harlequin Duets book ever published. Not to mention the 350 Temptations. Okay, I won’t actually throw out the books, but I think the used book store is either going to be really really happy, or really really pissed.
D’you think there’s a clutter fairy who will come in and organize my house for me? I’m all over paying someone to clean the house, but I don’t think they’ll be willing to dig through the clutter to get to the cleaning part….
Greetings and Salutations. I am Laurie M. Rauch, Owner and Chief Code Nerd of 
