New Shoes

I have the worst time finding shoes that are comfortable on my feet. Where most women swoon over shoe shopping and love to have new shoes, I personally hate it. And when I do find shoes that are relatively comfortable in the store, after wearing them for a couple of hours, they inevitably have me in serious pain. The exception, of course being running shoes, Merrell mocs and Teva (or similar) sandals. That is until this past Summer when I discovered Rockports. Now, Rockport shoes are not the most fashionable shoes out there, they are a little doofy, but they are pretty comfortable and look more professional in the office than my Merrells, so my Rockport driving mocs are what I usually wear to work. But then, a few days ago I was browsing the zappos.com site and happened upon these shoes:




So I bought them. They're not fashionable in the pointy-toe, sling-back, kitten, spiky heel sense, but I kind of like them anyway. I feel so much more stylish in my red suede with croc trim shoes!

I just thought I'd share ...

Reason #5,654 why I love living in New Hampshire

The smell of woodsmoke every time I step outside of my house (because pretty much everyone has a fire going in their fireplace).

Wacky Pugs

Little Fitzie is trying to teaching himself how to lift his leg. I've been cracking up watching him, it's really very entertaining. About once every three or so times he goes out to pee he'll give it a shot and lift his leg so high that he'll end up standing there all wobbly and falling over. It makes me laugh until I cry. So freaking funny.

Good News on the Painting Front

Turns out the Painting Guy will have time to do the kitchen right after he finishes the living room after all. I am so happy! Now at least my downstairs will mostly be done (except the dreaded hallway and the powder room). Got to find someone for those bookshelves though ...

Oh, and

I have to say, I just LOVE that it snows here! It is snowing here as I write this. I'm like a kid that way, I still get excited when it snows.

Yes, It's been a very long time

I just don't know why I'm having such a hard time posting on a regular basis. I think of something to write almost every day, but by the time I have a chance to log in and post, I've either forgotten what I was going to write about, or I just don't feel like it.

Anyway, there really hasn't been anything too interesting to write about, I've just been working and trying to settle into my house and cleaning up dog pee & poop (Fitz knows that he he's not supposed to "go" in the house, he just doesn't know enough to ask yet).

I've finally started the painting process at the house. Painter Guy started today with my living room. I'm painting it Benjamin Moore "Shaker Beige" (HC - 45) with a crisp, white trim. It's a nice neutral sandy beige, a bit warmer and richer than your typical beige. Anyway, I hope I like it once it's done. The kitchen I think I'm going to go with the color I painted my kitchen in Queens last Fall "Straw" (Ben Moore, of course). The rest of it, I'm not sure about. I think I want the hallways just a little darker beige or taupe color to compliment the living room and for the bedrooms (at least the guest rooms) I am thinking of "Philadelphia Cream". At the moment I only have a commitment from Painter Guy for the living room, he's got other jobs to work around -- I guess it's probably a good thing he's so popular, hopefully that means he's good! Anyway, I'm not sure when the other rooms are going to get done, but I feel great that the process has started at least. I still have to find someone to build me some bookcases in the living room though, I haven't had any luck there. I will be so glad when the bulk of this work is done, I think I'll continue to feel a little disoriented until it is.

My one-year anniversary at New Company came and went last week. It's sort of a bizarre feeling, I feel both like I just got here a week ago and that I've been here for forever (how is it possible to feel both simultaneously?) I worked at Old Company for almost seventeen years, so long that it was almost a part of me. Moving to New Hampshire and working for New Company has been such a mental adjustment for me that it really has felt very new for the full twelve months. I'm feeling a little more comfortable now though and hopefully I can relax a bit and start spreading my wings at work some. I spent so much of the past year in total fear that I was going to be fired at any moment, I really need to take a deep breath and get myself out of adjustment mode and to start to assertively move forward.

2006 was a big year of adjustment for me, I really feel like it was mostly all transitional. Now I need to start focusing on the things that have fallen to the wayside while I settled into the new job and the new area. Most notably fitness stuff. I am right now so out shape and so out of balance that I feel overwhelmed with the task of changing that, but I'm never happier than when some semblance of a fitness program is a part of my life.

So, these are the things that I've decided I need to focus on for 2007:

1) Work: Strive to learn, grow, take on more stuff. Full-fill my potential.
2) Physical: Make fitness a part of my life (once I'm working out regularly, try to make running a part of my life again).
3) Home: Get the rooms painted and figure out and schedule other work needed to improve my home.
4) Social: Develop a social network here in New Hampshire.
5) Money: Get out of debt. Wait, I did that last year! heh. (well, I do still have a mortgage). Okay, build a solid emergency fund (well, I do have a savings, but I'll feel more comfortable with more, plus I need some of it for the home improvements). Start investing (in addition to retirement accounts).
6) Dogs: get Fitzie house-trained and somewhat obedient (yeah, right).
7) Recreation: Plan a real vacation (one where I actually go away somewhere and stay in a hotel or something) this year. I think I kind of need one.

That should be enough to worry about for now, sheesh.

My Little Fitzie ...

... went to the vet tonight for his final puppy shots where he weighed in at a whopping 9.5 lbs! He was barely 3 lbs when I got him! He's growing so fast.

How Not To Start Off The New Year

* Have crappy sleep the night before the first business day of the year.
* Wake up late and run around the house like a maniac.
* Leave dirty dishes in the sink and an unmade bed (hate coming home to a mess).
* Leave for work late and realize you need gas.
* Stop and get gas, pull too far away from pump and stand down wind of nozzle on a windy day.
* Pull spraying, drippy nozzle out of car and spew gas all over the legs of your pants.
* Continue to spew gas all over yourself as you try to maneuver over to the upwind side of the nozzle.
* Continue on to work (you're running late after all) with car windows rolled down so as not to pass out from the fumes in transit.
* Sit in your open cubicle and stink up the joint.

I hope this is not an indication of how the year is going to go ...