My legs are going to fall off

Today, I did the first step of the couch-to-5k. Then, I walked an additional mile for funzies. My legs feel like they're going to fall off.

In other news, I read my first non-school book of 2011. It was the Hunger Games, a book recommended to me by a multitude of my students. I have to admit it was one of the most engaging books I've read in a long time- though the only way I can describe it is "imagine if the book Brave New World somehow mated with the less smutty parts of Twilight and the movie Gladiator." I read those 275 pages in 48 hours, though it helped that my students were testing.

I cast on one of my Facebook Five's gift, but I can't tell you who it's for, or what it is. So instead, let me show you some pictures.  


Right before Christmas break, I got this package from Alicia...

 This is what I found when I opened it...

 Here's her card explaining that she got me 24 gifts, for my 24th birthday.

 Here are said gifts...

Each was individually wrapped and while some were things like glue and batteries, which went with other gifts, all of them were exceptionally amazing.

Highlight include:
- Batman stickers - I use them on my student's tests
- A build your own dinosaur kit
- A nightlight that becomes a flashlight
-Almost 2 lbs of red sour patch kids
-Vitamins
- Petosky stone earrings shaped like Michigan

And finally, my favorite gift, because even after living here a year... I'm still a little afraid of my basement, she got me a dinosaur flashlight that roars when you push his tail.  I use it to go down stairs and it warns the gremlins that I'm coming. It was honestly one of the best gift opening experiences of my life.

A New way to do resolutions

So, I’ve been reading message boards last week, and have realized that this is the time of the year where we try to reset ourselves. In this week we make promises to ourselves and others- to lose weight, get out of debt, and just generally be better people. But I’ve been reading for my professional development that this mindset goes directly against human nature, and this is why so many resolutions fail. We don’t generally do well with long term commitments to something. As people, we like to see success that we can measure- we like small wins. So here’s what I’m proposing, that for the next year, I want to live a little more bravely. I don’t think I’m going to do anything huge, but I think I’m going to be a little more adventurous one little nugget at a time. I want to try new things. Maybe even do something things that have scared me in the past.  Here is my "so far" list:  

1. Cook a curry dish that does not suck
2. Do the couch to 5k again
3. Read 6 books that are “just for fun” (1/6)
4. Learn to make my own pie crust – that isn’t tough or chewy
5. Cook pad thai
6. Knit 5 items to donate (0/5)
7. Try a new bread recipe
8. Host a dinner party with at least 5 attendees
9. Lose 10 lbs
10. Go to bed before 11 for three weeks straight
11. Learn to eat pomegranate
12. Give up soda for a month
13. knit something that requires colorwork
14. bake a lava cake
15. Find 15 new recipes to mix in to “the usual rotation” (0/15)
16. add 100 new squares to my sock blanket (5/100)
17. Watch all 100 of the American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies of all time (1/100)
18. Send 20 letters (0/20)
19. Complete my "facebook 5" surprise projects
20. Use mouthwash every night for 3 weeks straight
21. Blog at least 24 times. (3/24)
22. Visit a state I've never been to before. 
23. Deep clean the flat at least 6 times- this should include mopping and washing the covers on the furniture (1/6)
24. Save up for a DSLR camera. ($300/$800)