My 2014 list: January Recap

To help keep me on track with this list, I'm going to do a recap at the end of each month to note what I've accomplished from my list and what I still need to work on. Here's my recap for the 1st month of the year:

I got my side/ribcage tattoo done! I am SO happy with the final result. It wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be but it was definitely uncomfortable and started to really hurt after awhile. Here's a picture:

I've wanted a tattoo of a lion for a while because the lion has several meanings to me: it's the symbol of my zodiac sign (Leo) and it's the emblematic animal of the House of Gryffindor (HUGE Harry Potter nerd right here). The Lion is seen as a majestic animal - he's the king of the jungle! The lion symbolizes strength, courage & honor. More simply, the lion is one of the biggest cats in the world and we all know how I feel about cats :)

I've made some progress on the guitar - I can play all the main chords except F (fuck that chord, no pun intended) without having  to look them up, I learned how to play a few new songs including 2 new DMB songs and I learned how to tune to drop D. I need to work on my strumming and keep practicing at least 15-20 minutes a day.

I finished reading Insurgent (the 2nd book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth). In all honesty, I started reading it before the new year but I finished it this month. I'm currently reading the 3rd and final book in the Divergent trilogy, Allegiant and Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke by Rob Sheffield.



I've been doing some research on Burlington, VT (things to do, places to go, where to stay) and hoping maybe I can go back up there sometime in August, maybe for my birthday. That's definitely a work in progress.

Speaking of work, my job has been extremely frustrating lately but I've been trying to not let it get to me. While I'm looking for other job possibilities, it's not looking too promising. Instead of having the 'fuck this place & everyone here' attitude, I try to tell myself  'do your job, do it well and get through each day one at a time' - that's sort of working for the most part. I wonder how hard it would be to switch careers at this stage... I would have to make some sacrifices but if it means I'm happier and not stuck here for the rest of time, it would be definitely be worth it.


So I can cross off one thing on the list and I've made progress on several other things listed.
I'd say it's been a good start to the new year :)

favorite things

a blog i follow recently posted a list of the blogger's favorite things. The blogger mentioned that she's had an ongoing list of favorite things for sometime now & except for the occasional new addition, her list has stayed the same for years. She also realized that it was something she never had shared publicly. So she thought some positivity would do some good for herself & others who read her blog.
At the end of her list, she encouraged others to comment/post their own lists.
I love this idea. In this day, we are almost always thinking and being told of all the negativity in the world - what's wrong with society, what could go wrong in the world and so on.
So in the midst of the chaos I am currently in, I have stopped to dwell on some of my favorite things - things that make me smile, things that no matter how bad a day I might be having will make me forget about life for a minute or two & enjoy the moment at hand. This is far from being complete, but it's the things that immediately came to mind when I started the list.

Although I can't turn this list into a song, I think Julie Andrews would be proud.

My favorite things:

my cat Lucy
friends
creating things
cookies
baseball
New York City
music
live music
Rock & Roll
spooning
summertime
the New York Yankees
watching TV
beer
wearing a new piece of clothing/outfit for the 1st time
watching & listening to a thunderstorm
laughing so hard you start crying
making people laugh
hearing my mom laugh
free stuff
surprises
Dave Matthews Band
looking up at a crystal clear star-filled sky in the middle of the night
reading/listening to something that really connects with you
reading/listening to something that really inspires you
meeting someone who really inspires you
late fun-filled nights
Joan Jett
coffee
trivia games
finding a quiet, peaceful place in this constantly on-the-go city
taking off my socks & shoes after a long day
getting something ice cold to drink when you're really thirsty
yoga
living in New York City
seeing someone you haven't seen in awhile
pancakes
not having to wake up to an alarm clock
hearing your favorite song come on the radio
diner food
crossword puzzles
upstate New York in the Fall
hugs that make you feel loved
street fairs
pizza
doing a really good job on something and knowing it
discovering new music
writing from your heart & soul
brunch
museums
experiencing friends creating amazing art
taking a day off from EVERYTHING (aka a lazy, mental health day)
tattoos
getting tattooed
mint chocolate chip ice cream
putting a piece of clothing on when it comes right out of the dryer
karaoke
gin & gingers
driving with the windows down & the radio turned up
watching my cat Minnie chase her tail
finally getting to eat a food you've been craving for awhile
people that make me smile without having to do a thing
iced tea
getting a card/letter/gift in the mail
getting in bed when you're really, really tired
being different


I needed that.