2007 off to a running start

It's a new year and I'm sitting here half wondering whatever happened to 2006 because it came and went so quickly.

I've been busy the last few days working on my jewelry - I have 5 pieces done and a 6th on the way. The design process is different now that I'm making to sell, because I'm not just making one-off pieces to wear myself. I have to make different pieces that are not only cohesive, but serve different price points - necklaces, bracelets, earrings...I have to go back to Bamiyan to pick up some more findings...and softflex...and more beads, of course.

Needless to say, my new year's eve was a quiet one. My mother cooked up a seafood feast and invited my uncle and his family over. After cleaning up in the kitchen and playing with my baby cousin for a bit, I went back to work, not even noticing that the new year had come and gone until 6 minutes into it. It was a weird new year's too because I'm not accustomed to hearing the pitter-patter of rain against my window pane this time of year.

I finished up around 2:30am, read a bit and then went to bed...only to be awoken this morning when the phone rang around 10:30. I don't know how I'm going to get up for work tomorrow because I've been sleeping late and sleeping in for the last week.

I went to bed last night thinking I'd go for a run today as I'd called ahead to ask and they were open from 10 to 2. I woke up though and my resolve had weakened. I was feeling lazy...but when I heard that it was unseasonably mild - 10C - I knew that I better haul my butt out to the gym because I otherwise wouldn't leave the house. Sad, I know, but I've been working!!

Anyway, I'm glad I went because I had a good run - I didn't quite break 5K, but I was close. I'm not sure whether or not to abandon the program because I average about 4-5K on each run. As the program progresses, the running portion of the sets gets longer...and I've been stuck on Week 4's W1/R6 set for a while now. I haven't gotten so comfortable with this set yet that I can progress to Week 5's W1/R7...cramps are a problem for me...and the thought of Week 7's W1/R10 just about takes my breath away - and not in a good way.

I spent the rest of the afternoon vegging about - I watched a few hours TV and did some laundry and spent some more time with my beads.

Now I must prepare myself for the new year ahead. This first week back at work should be fairly quiet. My performance self-appraisal at work is due on Friday and I DREAD them. So it'll probably take me the rest of the week to muddle through it. My mandarin classes start up again on Saturday so I'll have to start listening to my CDs again - I resolve to listen to them in the car on my way to and from work, like I've been meaning to but haven't. (I'm a lazy student - but I got an A in my last course!) Then of course, there's my business to see to. I've also signed up for a jewelry design course using 3D software that starts the end of the month running twice a week in the evenings.

The job market will likely be more active in the new year so my hunt will be more serious. In the midst of all this, I have to maintain my gym routine...and somehow find time for dating again.

I've always been fairly goal-oriented. I went to a university with a co-op program, so when I was on a study term, I'd focus on school, and only when I was off on work term did I really make the effort to flirt and have fun and date. Same thing happened when I was studying for my CMA - I had no patience or time for dating. Now that I'm mostly over my ex, I've decided it's time to date again...but dating isn't fun for me. I don't have the patience for the get-to-know-you stage. I find it tedious. But it must be done. So I will do it. I have a date Wednesday and on the one hand, I'm looking forward to it, but on the other, I'm dreading the initial awkward conversation. UGH. (I'm terrible. I know.)