Alicia minus 365

Forgive me....it's been almost four years since my last post (Wow, that sounded almost like the beginning of confessional booth rhetoric!)


I live on the East Coast now.
I just moved in with the boyfriend (of four years).
Collectively, we have 4 cats in our 3.5 bedroom apartment.
I still teach part-time, but I took a new full-time office job with an education company. I create alignment documentation for company products to match them with state standards for the ales department.
I eat too much junk food, and I don't exercise enough.
In one month and three days, I will be a whole year older than my current age.

As a method to take back control of my life (filled with stuff and and obsession with food), I am going to do the following, beginning Saturday, September 1, 2018:

1. Walk every morning (0.5 mile up to 2 miles, depending on weather, body aches, and other responsibilities.
2. Exercise in the fitness center at work every weekday at lunchtime with Alex, my new coworker. She seems super happy to have found a willing workout buddy in the office! My goal is 30 minutes, but if I start with 10-15 until I am ready to do more, that is okay, too!

3. The boyfriend and I are going to try going out to eat only once or twice per week. We do enjoy cooking together, and I think his healthy inclinations and my vegetable-based diet will help to make us both happier and healthier.

4. I want to take at least one training course - in real estate, law, education, etc. to expose me to more ideas, avenues, etc. I have the option in October, which I plan to take.

5. I will remove at least one item in my home and/or storage unit per day. I hope this will escalate to a "remove 2 or 3 items per day" trend. I have too much stuff and it's really weighing me down.

6. I want to do more photography and writing. I'm not sure what will be my main focus, but I have a few ideas.

7. I need to write the script for a revival of an old TV show that I feel has the chance to serve as a connection to the past while shedding light on a very real issue in U.S. society. On any given day, the characters interact in my head and we've been through the same 3-4 "episodes." I think it is finally time to buckle down and put these ideas on paper.

8. I plan to get my health issues take care of, to the best of my ability. The list, so far, includes heel bone spurs, daily migraines (including both cerebral and ocular varieties), an aggravated kneecap, lower back pain, poor circulation, kidney stones every 3-4 years, a uterine fibroid tumor that was embolized in 2016 (I don't think it's an issue any longer), Shingles last year, poor oxygenation of the blood, and an aterio-venous malformation that has already caused one ruptured brain aneurysm.  (I know that if I could get myself the cortizone-steroid shots in both of my heels, I would be able to walk comfortably for the next 6-8 months....which could lead to a huge increase in activity.)

So, my starting tasklist only has these 8 things in it. It's a good start. If you could help me stay focused and motivated, I'd be so appreciative.