2011 Resolutions

Kari and I set out for a 3 mile run this morning, but an off-course-kick-your-bootay hill and and unexpected closed gate changed our course.  It ended up actually being a pretty pleasant run.  We ran down to the river, stopped to stretch on the bridge for a bit and ran home.

Holy tired eyes, batman!  In the end, we ran 2.75 miles in 26:14, averaging a 9:32 pace.  Here's our breakdown ...

Mile 1: 9:27
Mile 2: 9:36
2.00 - 2.75: 7:10 (9:35 pace)

Not bad, considering I was awake until 2 and ate pancakes with zero protein for breakfast.  I'll take it.

Oh - and look at what we were wearing!   I set out in 3/4-length tights, a tank top and a zip-up hoodie, but shed the hoodie when we stopped to stretch on the bridge.  It was warm out today!

After we got back from our run, we showered and Kari packed up for the next leg of her road trip.  Before she left, however, she and I made a quick trip to our local Goodwill.  I was out and about with the Hungarians yesterday and saw some kitchen table chairs that looked like they had potential, but I didn't get them and was having serious not-buyers-remorse.  Luckily they were still there!  I also scored some great deals on serving ware, which I will show you all tomorrow when I have some light and energy to photograph.

We headed up to my parent's house, where Bruce had already brought up the New Year's Pork & Sauerkraut, for a late lunch.

The only time this tastes good to me in on New Years Day.  Any other time of the year it doesn't sound appetizing at all.

The sauerkraut makes the meat so tender and flavorful.

Channel the inner-Dutch in you and try it next year. :) Everyone could use a little extra luck, right?

My dad asked if he could make anything since we were bringing the main dish.  I had one request - "Keck Potatoes".  These are my dad's specialty.

And reallllly simple to make, too.  As my dad was explaining it to Bruce, my sister said, "Be careful, it might end up on the blog!"

It might ...

Some ambience.

Will you judge my mom if I told you that she took the leftover candles off of the Advent wreath and lit them around the house?  She didn't want them to go to waste!

My plate.  I dipped the potatoes in ketchup, which may be a culinary travesty, but I love ketchup!

So ... I've been dodging the big "New Year's Resolution" topic and at this point it's now or never.  I've never really been good at keeping resolutions (here's last year's post on why I always set myself up to fail), but last year I actually did well!  I resolved to look at how Bruce and I were spending money and find ways to cut back.  I realized very quickly that we were spending a LOT of money eating out - so my resolution was to cook more, plan our meals, shop more mindfully of sales at the grocery store and pack my lunches whenever possible.

And what do you know? ... I kept my resolution!  In fact, I made so much progress in the kitchen that this blog of mine has morphed into a full-on food blog over the past five months and I love it!  Who would have thought 12 months ago that I would have found some confidence in the kitchen, that I would have gotten into running again (umm, I ran a half marathon!) and that I would have converted something that I started on a whim to a food-focused blog?  Resolutions rock.

This year I'm going to (gasp!) make more than one resolution.  Again, I am going to be reasonable about my expectations of myself, but still try to push myself to be a better and stronger version of myself.  Here we go!

1. Ordination - I'm sorry I've been zip-lipped about my job search and ordination on here since I passed my Ecclesiastical Council, but honestly there isn't much to tell at this point.  I've been told the search process can take 6-9 months (someone else told me 18 months - 2 years!), but I am being cautiously hopeful and trying to stay on top of my own search.  It is my hope that this year I will kneel down at the front of my church and - through the laying on of hands - be ordained into the United Church of Christ.

2. Finances - Last year I touched on this (and in many ways we had a ton of successes through cooking bulk meals and dabbling in couponing) but I want to take it a step further this year.  I want to make a budget - a REAL budget.  My previous budgets have pretty much included me saying, "Things are tight,  but we'll make it and just can't spend any extra money."  I want Bruce to be involved in this as well, so we're thinking of having weekly or monthly "Finance Meetings" - is that weird?

3. Health & Fitness - Who would have thought that I would have run a half marathon in 2010?  Not me, that's for sure.  I love that I got back into running, but I'm hoping that in 2011 I focus on whole-body healthfulness.  I want to focus more on stretching, possibly dabble in yoga and push myself more with my pilates DVDs.  I want to strengthen my core and maybe get back into cycling?  I love running, but it is really hard on your body and I don't want it to be my only exercise option.

4. Organization - Here's a question for me:  If I'm sitting at my computer when an email comes through and I read it, why can't I respond right away?  Same thing with blog comments and facebook messages.  There is no need for them to sit for a day or two.  I think if I try to keep things more organized around the house and my office, as well, it will be easier for me to keep my email (etc.) life more organized as well.

5. Blogging & Freelancing - I cannot believe how much The Strength of Faith has grown over the past year.  I want to continue to grow and polish the blog, as well as put myself out there and try to find some freelancing opportunities.  When I was in college I was a corresponding writer for a local newspaper and absolutely loved it.  Now that there is time, I want to try to get myself published again.

6. Technology & Life - A friend of mine posted on facebook the other day that she wanted to stop facebooking/emailing from bed in 2011.  I believe her exact words were, "Read a book, woman!"  I have a horrible tendency to bring my laptop up into our bedroom, pop in a disc of Friends or NCIS and have that as background noise while I read blogs and twitter and wait to get tired.  Not good for my REM cycle OR my marriage.  I also think I spend too much mindless time on my computer too.  I need some focus so I can afford to unplug sometimes.

7. Sanity - There's a lot going on right now.  We're in an in-between-time.  I'm getting ready to started full-time vocational church ministry.  I'm still adjusting to life without school.  Bruce wants a dog.  There is no Chick fil A in Connecticut.  I need to learn to take a deep breath, relax and keep my perspective.

There you have it!  My (lucky #) 7 resolutions for 2011.  One of my units this past summer was on the 7th floor and I adored that unit (lots of patients that loved to talk and no one died) so I'm hoping my 7 resolutions are a sign of good things to come.

I hope you all had a happy new year!  Anyone making resolutions?