autumn arrangements.

The mind-numbing speed at which every day flies by leaves me continually baffled.  Here we go again, rapidly approaching the middle of another week with a seemingly-unending list of things I would like to do.  As promised, I have compiled a little collection of (not so) secret little hopes, dreams, goals, and plans.  The autumn tends to be my favorite time of year... cool, damp air that brings a strange sort of calm, the sweet smell of wet leaves and rich earth delighting my senses, vibrant colors that make me feel alive.  It is the time for learning, the time for doing, and (oh!) is there so much to do.

I mentioned a few of my most recent goals in an earlier post and I am happy to say that I have made a bit of progress.  I carry my refillable bottle, which has sadly lost its cap, around at work all day long.  My water intake has tripled, at least, and other than the constant trips to the restroom, I am feeling pretty good about that.  After a bit of investigative research, I have a couple new blogger tricks up my sleeve and am happy to be reaching a few more people out there across the cyber-sphere.  I do hope you will join us again soon (yes, you).  I have also set aside Monday evenings for some quality time (okay, and some laundry) at my dad's house.  So, all in all, I am getting a lot accomplished!  Doug and I are attempting to explore some volunteer opportunities in the NYC and Philadelphia areas, so if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

In addition to these minor improvements I have been attempting to make, I do have some concrete goals for this season.  First and foremost, my fitness and diet have taken a serious dive.  Doug and I worked so hard this spring/summer to get into a good routine and I am sad (and maybe a little embarrassed) to admit that two weeks of the back-to-school lifestyle have robbed me of any progress I might have made (and then some).  Late nights have meant no energy to exercise and stress has made it all too easy to grab the sweets and snacks when I should say no.  I am not sure if anyone else has experience with those calorie counting applications, but apparently to lose a pound a week I have to take in less than 1200 calories a day.  Does anyone have any recommendations on how to do that without completely depriving myself of deliciousness?  I am not someone who can survive on carrot sticks and cottage cheese - I need substance!  Yesterday I mapped out a daily diet of muesli (with milk) and strawberries for breakfast, yogurt with granola and an apple for lunch, carrots and hummus for a snack, and a spinach and feta omelet with a side salad for dinner... all measured to small, one-serving portions and I still came in over my budget!  It is such a challenge staying motivated when you feel like you're failing from the get-go.  I really need someone to come kick my butt!  Any takers?

Another goal of mine for the fall is to pay off the money I owe my father.  I borrowed some money (on top of the astronomical student loans) while I was in grad school to pay for school expenses that the loans would not cover.  I am in the home stretch for repaying him, but I still have about $2,000 left to pay back.  I managed to pay off a personal loan and my credit card last spring, so I am feeling pretty good about that, but my goal is to eliminate my private debt by the new year so I can focus solely on repaying student debt (for the next 10 years of my life).  If anyone has any saving strategies they would like to share with someone who is already on a tight budget, I would appreciate the advice.

Finally, I have a dream of getting a piece of my writing published.  I enjoy writing so much and have so much to say and share that I feel like it is time to take things to the next level.  I am not sure what that level is, but I think attempting to get something published is a good place to start.  I have been looking for "calls for articles" to submit my work to and am putting a lot of extra time in on weekends to get pieces finished.  I really appreciate your support here on this blog.  When I see your comments and receive your emails it is such an encouragement for me to keep doing what I love.  Thank you for your support.  I love you guys :)