new year, new goals

last year i had one goal ... pay off my credit cards. and two weeks ago, i did it. as it turns out, it feels pretty good to set a goal and a deadline and then report back when it is actually accomplished. normally i'm not a "new years resolution" person. i feel like if i want to make a change in life i should do it when i decide to make the change, rather than waiting until january 1st. however, i think goals are different than resolutions. and i feel like december 31, 2011 is a nice deadline. so, here they are. 11 goals for 2011. in no specific order ...

1. lose weight (i know, it's on everyone's list. i have a number of pounds to lose in mind, you don't care what it is)

2. save money for a down payment on a house (again, i have a number in mind, you don't care what it is)

3. run a 5k (i know i can walk it ... i want to run it)

4. go through the temple to receive my endowments (and all the daily "goals" that go along with that)

5. take a knife skills class (if anyone has any thoughts on where to do this, let me know! i found a class downtown chicago, but i thought at some point i saw something in libertyville maybe?)

6. take course 1 of the wilton cake decorating classes (just because it seems like something i'd like to do)

7. write a business plan (i have 2 or 3 ideas for businesses that i want to start, i want to write a thorough business plan for one of them)

8. get a foid card, go to a gun club or shooting range (and possibly join one), and look into buying a gun of my own

9. try cooking/baking a new recipe once a month (i'm open for ideas, if anyone wants to send them my way)

10. pay off car (if i pay the normal amount monthly, i'll pay it off about halfway through 2012, so the goal is to pay extra every month and get rid of that debt by the end of december 2011)

11. look into lasik surgery (i've been wanting to do this for a while, and i would say the goal is to "have lasik surgery", but in case it's not something my eyes qualify for, it has to be attainable)

so there it is. these are not the only things i want to accomplish this year, but i feel like these are things i have control over and can complete. keep me honest ... and check up on me!

free at last!

a quick note. i was going to facebook the world and tell them to check out my blog for my awesome news, but then i realized everyone would probably get all excited about some dating/engagement/marriage announcement, and i'm far from that. but, my real news is still super exciting ... to me at least.

today, i made my last payment on my last credit card. and it's been a long time coming. in january i said i was going to finish paying all the credit cards off this year, even though i doubted i could do it. and then i procrastinated the payments, because that's what i do. and then, when i thought it was too late to actually do it, i made a new plan. cut excess spending. cancel gym membership. live frugally (i figured if it was quasi-temporary i could do it). and pay off the credit cards.

c'est fini. like an enormous ball and chain removed from my leg. it feels good to be (more) free. check back in the next couple weeks for new year goals (2011 edition). i'll see if i can make more than one this time.

natalie does nashville

about a month ago i found a really good airfare to nashville. we decided to go. and then the tickets weren't available anymore. and then i found a really great deal on a rental car, so we decided to drive. here's the trip in a nutshell:

{looking a little shiny after the 8-hour drive to country music USA}

leave at 4am friday to drive to nashville. chick-fil-a for lunch. yum. check into hotel (and it was free, i used marriott points). take a quick nap. try to go to jack's bbq downtown. get stuck in the christmas parade downtown traffic. go to other jack's bbq location. enjoy bbq beef. walk to opryland hotel. check out christmas lights and life-size nativity on opryland grounds. love opryland hotel.

{check out those lights at the opryland hotel!}

drive around downtown. visit the state capitol. knock on the door (they didn't answer). see country music hall of fame. lunch and linedancing at wildhorse saloon. walk around downtown. go back to opryland hotel. check out a craft fair there. watch rockabilly concert. see fountains dancing. dinner at santa fe cattle company.

{this capitol is set up on the hill ... it looks so grand sitting up there!}

go to church. go to lunch at bob evans. see rockettes at the opry house (home of the grand ol' opry). dinner at el chico.

{mia & me at the opry house ... that's one giant guitar!}

drive home. it was good times. i highly recommend nashville at christmas time. for real.

(i took lots of pictures ... check out facebook for more)