Adventures in Rachel-land

1. 175 pounds - I lost 10 pounds this month, but I'm not really that much closer to the goal. I continually recommit to this goal. 2. Pay off debt - I'm still paying on it. It's frustrating because it is hard to see any progress, but I know it is happening. 3. Leave the country (twice) -No progress, but if something has to give on this list, I think this is going to be the one. 4. Work on Career - Good, good things are happening. Most days I feel like I am making real progress. 5. Visit 3 museums - One down!! We went to an exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art, and we are planning another trip this month. 6. Treat my husband with respect - It's hard! But we are working on our relationship every day and the return on that investment is huge for me. 7. Take a class - This hasn't made a lot of progress, but I'm hoping to take a class this summer. 8. Decorate Two Rooms - Um...I didn't do anything more on this in March. But I'm on it. Really. Maybe....

Well, I did it. I finally accomplished one of my most concrete goals for the year. Well, almost. Well, actually about a third of the way. But the point is I went to a museum. My husband and I drove over to Dallas last weekend to see the new Matisse exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. It was VERY crowded, and the line to buy tickets was unending, so we just started to wander around the regular exhibit. This tiny little docent promptly stopped us and asked to see our tickets. When we told her we didn't have any, she made us head back to the front of the museum. Can you imagine? I always thought those people were standing around to make sure no one stole or damaged the art, but it turns out they are also there to make sure no one steals free peeks at the Jackson Pollack. So we bought tickets and paid the extra money to get into the Matisse show. Which was very interesting, but we spent more time in the modern art section. Barry finds these things a little boring, but there was this o...

While it can be cool, it can also be very frustrating to have your mental and emotional health and well being completely wrapped around the physical well being of another human being. Who you can't control. For example, if your husband wants to jump out of a plane without a parachute, there is nothing you can do to stop him. Or if your husband wants to eat hamburgers for dinner every night and get bigger and bigger and completely disregard his family history of heart attacks and will not go to the gym or a walk around the neighborhood with you even though he clearly said that he would. And somehow blames daylight savings time for his inability to exercise . Frustrating.

I get restless, or maybe I'm just bored. For as long as I can remember, approximately every 3 months, something has to change. I haven't overly analyzed why this might be. Rather than assuming that it has to do with some defect in my childhood, I'm just going to go with boredom as the cause. This particular aspect of my personality is what caused me to quit my job while I was in college, or break up with a boyfriend, or drop out of school for a semester. Every time I have colored my hair a bizarre shade has been a direct result of that "something must change" urge. The problem is that now I am married, so changing boyfriends isn't really going to cut it. And I have a mortgage and a car payment, so I can't exactly just quit my job. And I'm a professional woman, so drastically changing my appearance is not as easy as it once was. A tattoo? Probably not. The point is that as I get older, that need for change is getting harder and ...

March Update 1. 175 pounds - I haven't lost anything, but I have started going to the gym 5 times a week. And I know that it works. 2. Pay off debt - This isn't very exciting to say I have been paying regularly. All I can do is keep going. I had to buy a new car when my beloved Kelly died, so it is going to set us back a bit. At this point we have adjusted the goal to having half the debt paid off. 3. Leave the country (twice) - I'm still hopeful but this goal is directly at odds with the previous one. And if I have to choose, I definitely am more commited to goal #2. 4. Work on Career - No committee work has actually come through, but I have made some positive steps with my boss. The goal for March is to present a more professional image at the office. Giggle less and wear suits more. 5. Visit 3 museums - No museums in February either, however, I'm justified in that it was a short month. We do plan to attend a Matisse exhibit next weekend, so I'm still working on t...

February Update: Well, 1/12th of my year is gone. Let's see how I am doing. 1. 175 pounds - Well, um. Let' s just say that this wasn't a priority in the last month, but I know it will be soon. I bought a big water bottle, I signed up for a walking challenge, and I registered for a produce bulk buying program. I am well on my way to making February a healthy month. 2. Pay off debt - The tax check wasn't as large as I would have hoped. I have continued paying aggressively and have consolidated so that I am not paying more than 4% interest. I'm making solid progress on this one. 3. Leave the country (twice) -I've been doing research and trying to stash a little money without sacrificing goal #2. I'm going to have to start looking into the best way to travel cheap. 4. Work on Career - I've been agressive on this one as well. I've volunteered for several things at work, and signed up for some professional development and committee work. 5. ...

January 27th, 2007. I got married. I held the hands of the man I love and promised to love him forever. It was the best day of my life. Our families were there, I wasn't stressed about anything. For someone who uses my words incessantly, it is rare when I don't have words to describe something. But there are no words to adequately express my joy. My joy for having a teamate to walk beside me for the rest of our lives. My joy for having a family who so deeply shares my triumphs. My joy for friends who are absolutely positively behind me, no matter what. There just aren't words. So.....pictures. Now on to the rest of our lives.

I didn't grow up in a house that exemplified equality in marriage. While maybe not always in deed, at least in words, "Your Father is the leader of the home". As a result of where I am from, I tend to be a little uptight about making sure 'my rights' aren't being violated. Now that I am in a real life relationship, my black and white views of how things should be are fading into more palatable greys. Am I abandoning my beliefs or just letting go of childish ideals? My husband is considering changing jobs. I'm not overly sure I think that's the best plan. However, he is going to make this decision. When I say that, I feel a little like I am ignoring my feminist beliefs. Of course I told him how I felt. I told him I loved him andI was completely on his team. Then he told me all the benefits he saw out of a move like this. And I told him the negatives I saw. Then we talked about it again, and said all the same things in a new way. The...

I don't believe in resolutions, but it can't possibly hurt to write out what I would like out of the year to come. Goals for 2007 1 175 pounds - I want to have a baby soon, and I want to be in the best possible shape to do that. My 'ideal' weight is 175. I'd like to shoot for that. I was 182 at the beginning of 2006, so I think I can make it. This is only first on the list coincidentally. It isn't the most important thing, and I hope I don't treat it as such. 2. Pay off debt - I owe a fair amount of money from the loss I took at the sale of my house. I want to be completely debt free by the end of the year. With not having any bills, and hopefully a large tax check, I hope I can do that. 3. Leave the country (twice) - I have an old goal of ten countries by the time I'm thirty. To stay on track with that, I'll have to hit two a year from now on. I'd like a honeymoon to Puerto RIco in August and perhaps a trip to Vancouver next Christmas. A lot of ...