Fan Girl Wannabe

So I've been musing over what to do about LJ and the great fannish migration to DW, coupled with the great social migration to FB. I'm not a technophobe or luddite, even though tech doesn't always like me back, but I just don't see FB being a decent journaling tool. The timeline and archive will make things a bit easier to find, but no real tagging system, and the clunkiness, and having to put up with the advertising and weekly format changes just all add up to a not-very-user-friendly experience.

I really don't want to have my non-fannish people stumbling into my fannish posts, and I really don't want to filter because I've found that I have collected up a few subscribers over time due to some points of commonality, and I think that's really cool. If I filtered all my "fun" stuff, it would be much harder to make these interesting semi-random connections. And I feel awkward asking strangers for access when I might only want to read one thing, or visit one link. I know some people filter just about everything and then grant access when asked, but how do you know if the stranger who is asking is going to be welcome?

Anyway, it's a new year, so I'm going to try a new thing. I haven't been journaling much in the past two years anyway, so I guess I can resolve to do a little better on that topic. I'm going to keep posting the entirely generic stuff at LJ and link to those posts (not crosspost), but add more personal stuff here. Mainly because I do enjoy hearing the personal things my fannish friends have to say, I appreciate the glimpses into your daily lives and I think I should reciprocate.

I don't typically do hard and fast resolutions - and mostly I commit to things that are more about self improvement than self-flagellation. ie, try one bite of everything offered (which led to a whole new level of foodieness). The past few years' goals have a similar vibe though - a desire for more connection with more people. I think I've done well in the more people department (people from all over, not just one group or age range), but not so well in the deeper connections. Although I have to say that I've got a couple of bright spots on that horizon. A couple of grown up women and a man, all completely outside of work, and all my age or a bit older. That age bit is the strangest because I'm forever making friends way outside of my age range. As a kid, all my friends were adults until I was a teen, and the last few years I've been taking a page from DH and collecting much younger friends (it's a fannish thing mostly). But anyway, I've also become closer with some extended family, so maybe I should be putting that particular goal in the win column after all. However, relationships take work and constant vigilance, so it's not like I will ever say "I'm done!"

I'm also going to try to do something active everyday. I have an actual selection of activities available now: Wii, dancing, yoga, walking (with and without dogs or companions), and in the summer I want to add back canoeing (it's been TWO years since I've been on the water!). Last year I had spurts of activity and stretches of not, but I did add something entirely new (East Coast Swing), and I'm looking forward to taking a couple more dance classes. I might manage an actual yoga class as well.  sun_salutation  is a lovely community and has helped keep yoga in my awareness, and encouraged me to keep at it, but I need to stretch myself (no pun intended). Plus it would be nice to have something to share with the community myself.

For work, I want to get better at finishing things, closing projects, knowing I'm DONE with something so I can really move on.

Financially I need to get my house in order. I've been poking at this for a couple of years, and done some good things, but also have let some bad habits creep in. I'm going to take care of that. I have no excuses for what I've let happen. I am really blessed with good fortune, a good job, and the ability to do better than just pay my bills. So I should be acting a little more adult about that--I should show my appreciation for my blessings by being a bit more responsible and careful with them.  My milestone tattoo was to be a reminder of a particular achievement, but I'm also going to use it as a reminder of this insight. Oooh! I've never posted a pic here. I'll have to fix that.

 

The rest of today is going to be divided between more chores (I split the kitchen with DH, and have half the laundry underway), checkbook and bills, football (go Cocks! go Badgers!).

I also need to get iTunes onto my personal computer, transfer a bunch of the girl's music to her computer, transfer a bunch of pics from her computer, work out her tuition reimbursement for the first semester, and rework my bill payment schedule to align better with my income receipt schedule.  All that may not happen today, but it's got to happen before Jan 15.  That's when the girl goes back to school.

Looking back, I see that I have failed to mention that Rupert is now the tallest person living in our house.  He is also the youngest person.  Somehow, that doesn't seem fair.  OTOH, I have no problem calling him into the kitchen to reach stuff for me whenever I need it.

Rupert and Mavis are going off to do teen stuff after school today, so after DH & I do the weekly Dr checkup at 5:00 (what Dr schedules appts at 5 pm on a Friday?), we can go off and do something like a normal adult couple.  But we'll probably just end up at the Dane again, LOL.  

I know a lot of people are wondering where the heck winter is, but this is totally the type of winter I can deal with.  I like not having to wear 3 layers of clothes.  It's too bad we didn't get this winter last year.  It would have totally saved my library project schedule.

The PM I'm helping down in Arlington Heights called me this morning at 6:50!  He needed a schedule update for a 9:00 meeting.  However, I do get to duck out of work at 3 for the aforementioned appt.

Took Ruby to the shop on Wed afternoon for her 105k miles maintenance.  It turns out that the high-pitched squealing noise was the rear brakes after all.  So, all the normal maintenance (except the recommended timing belt replacement) plus the rear brake pads & newly machined rotors for $251.  In another couple of months, I might go ahead and let them do the timing belt, but first I'll check the records I have to see if it has ever been replaced before.

Next week, I'll spend 2.5 days down in Arlington Heights trying to help out on 3 different projects.  Hopefully shortly after that, I'll get to start up one of my own - as Owner Rep for the Houston County Courthouse in MN (right across the river from LaCrosse).  I am so ready to be fully involved in a project again.  The post mortem I'm doing isn't as complete as I thought - I found out yesterday that the PM is still holding onto a good portion of the files, so any conclusions I've drawn so far are likely to be worthless once I get to look at the rest of the stuff. ::sigh::

I feel really out of the poly loop.  I've quit reading the posts in the yahoo lists I belong to, because the people whose posts I enjoyed most seem to have drifted away.  I realize a big part of my disassociation has to do with the issues of the past year.  I didn't need to add any drama to the year, but it's the beginning of a new year and I'm looking around, going, "huh.  what's next?"

I think I'm ready to verbalize a resolution for 2007 also:  I'm going to strengthen my friendships with my women friends.  Actually talk to them on the phone and go do stuff with them that doesn't involve all of our partners and children.  I realized that the only time I seem to see most of my friends anymore is at parties.  I think that's kind of weird.

Well, less than 3 hours left in the workweek :)  Maybe this weekend, I'll update my journal theme too.  If I'm not too busy undecorating the house.

Yay! Had to weigh one last time this year and Whew! I'm actually 1 lb below pregnancy weight!! First mini-goal accomplished. On to getting into the blue sequins - 3-6 more lbs should do it. Maybe by the time I achieve it, I will have figured out how to post pics, LOL.

Goals for 2006 include painting the entry hall, paying off debts incurred in 2005 because of unemployment and rebuilding the car engine, finding decent health insurance for the fam, visiting my sister in NV, and getting our retirement funds organized ito one coherent plan. Can anyone recommend a good financial advisor?

I hope everyone is safe, happy and healthy tonight and throughout 2006.