2011 Resolutions

Before getting into my plan for the new year, I'll give a quick overview of the last few days of my glorious week away from work. My mom and I continued the theme of procrastination. We had some great meals and did lots of unnecessary shopping. I got some good finds at Wallace's in their clearance holiday section. Although we never got around to cleaning out closets or taking down our Christmas decor, I did complete the ironing that I've been promising to get done at my parents' house since I was staying there in August.

Some countertop samples

We also went out and looked at some options for countertops. We both love the look of marble, so we got a couple quotes and are considering the options. There is a lot to consider: natural stone or solid surface (like corian), durability, availability, price. If my mom and I choose the same thing, which is likely, we might get a break in the cost.

On Thursday I came home to some disappointing news: Jord told me there was water in the basement. I freaked out and ran downstairs to make sure all our stuff was safe from getting wet. I guess the combination of frozen gutters and the foundation separating from the driveway let some water through. Fortunately it was confined to one small area and away from all the storage. So my dad brought over the shop-vac and some fans and Jord got everything under control. In the spring we'll have to do some work to try and prevent this in the future.

Church pew from QC Times listing

Early on Friday we followed a lead from the QC Times for a church pew. It sounded promising, but as you can see from the picture, the modern style isn't exactly to our taste. We'll just keep looking! Since the weather was nice, Jord got outside and took down the Christmas lights and cleaned the new picture window. Our New Years Eve was similar to years past. Greasy appetizers, alcohol and movies. This might sound pretty depressing to others, but this is just one holiday that neither of us get too excited about. At least I was able to stay awake until the ball dropped this year!


Jord cleaning windows - what a nice husband!

I'm absolutely dreading going back to work tomorrow, but I'm determined to be more positive this year. My other resolutions are typical: get healthy, go to church more often, save money, cook dinner. I'd also love to find a job that is fulfilling and interesting. I attempt the same list, plus or minus, each year and always fail. I guess I'm the eternal optimist at the beginning, and somewhere along the way I start a downward spiral. Maybe this year will be different: I always said that I was just waiting for my life to start, that my life was always temporary while we were in Chicago. Now that we're home in Davenport, hopefully I can accomplish my goals once and for all.