I'm working on this brain retrain where you teach yourself to focus on the good and not the bad.

It's a lot of fun and I can truly see how it makes you feel better. The things I've been doing are simple at best. Checking in on my grandma, emailing those close to me and telling them what they mean to me, buying a child a book, sending my mom a package.

If your not playing along, I highly recommend it. Focus on the good things in your life. The time you have with family, the time you made a teacher say "underwear", the time someone surprised you with a monetary donation for your kid. The time you aunt called to check on you and your kid. The time your daughter made you belly laugh. The time you had cheesecake for your 16th anniversary.

What are you grateful for today?

Week 10 is upon us.

Did I tackle my goals?

PERSONAL GOALS

I wanted to finish my NANOWRIMO novel and I succeeded. It's complete but as of yet, I haven't shared it with a single person. It's too rough. I need to flesh some areas out and I need to tweak a few others. Then and only then, will I let my BFF read it. She'll give me some honest feedback and I'll go from there.

I planned on getting a little more physically active. I planned on walking/running on the treadmill a few times a week. That lasted about three days. What can I say? In my defense, i have a rather active job. I rarely sit at all in the 5.5 hours I am there.

I am not sedentary, but I am not exactly marathon fit either. I am watching my calorie intake and trying to move more and eat less. For now, I am happy with this. Soon the lessons from the lunchlady will end for summer and be replaced by Poolside Perspective. Maybe swimming will excite me more than tread milling.

PROFESSIONAL GOALS

I kicked ass on my ServSafe Certification. I retained useless information about a legthy list of foodborne illnesses and their causes which include things like Bacillus cereus gastroenteritis, Shigellosis and Cryptosporidiosis. Sadly, I haven't been able to forget any of it so now I eat even fewer things than I did before.

MENTAL HEALTH

I have had a few mental breakdowns over the course of the last ten weeks. Some worse than others. I am trying to focus on my blessings as they are abundant.

When my children fight, I need to remember that they are healthy.

When my husband retreats to our room instead of watching TV with me, I need to remember that he took the laundry basket with him.

When the kids at school forget to use their manners, I need to remember that a positive influence is a strong deterrent.

When I am exhausted, I need to remember that I haven't really felt true exhaustion.

When I am feeling lonely, I just need to recall my beach trip.

How are you doing with your goals?.

Let's start with the good news. 

I started the edit on my new book and I am starting to like the protagonist.  I had concerns that I wouldn't be able to, but she is growing on me.  This book is significantly different than the book I wrote last year. 

The main character lost her entire family in a tornado when she was only eight.  The story revolves around her attempts to move forward nearly a decade later.

When this post goes live I will be on my way to the beach with some of my besties.  These women know how to bring me up when I feel down.  I love each and every one of them and I can't figure out why we only do this twice a year.

I plan on walking along the beach a lot this weekend and will update you next week on just how many miles I covered.  I also plan on scrapbooking and partaking in a lot of alcohol so that will most likely cancel out any excerise I get.  LOL




Now for the not so great news... I heard from the editor that threw me a worm last week.  Sadly she was not interested in my earlier book.  I was so hoping that she would give me a chance, but alas it wasn't meant to be.

Am I giving up hope...absolutely not.  I fully expect to receive a lot more rejections.  I am building up my resistance.

Thanks for checking in on me.  I hope to pop by your blog this weekend.

I didn't link up last week and I have no real valid reason why.

But here's the good news...I finished my book.  It's complete and it's only week seven.  Did you hear me...the book is complete.  Now for the bad news....I'm not sure I like it.  Speaking from experience, I need to walk away from it for a little while.  I need to let is sit and then I'll be able to determine why I don't like it.

I like Mandy, the protagonist, but I find her story to be a little choppy.  I need to tie in her need to feel connected with the rest of the story.  In other words, I have some rewrite and edits ahead of me.  But did I mention that the book is done.

Along those same line, I had an agent throw me a worm.  And by worm I mean they asked for the first five pages of my first book.  I'm trying not to get too excited about it, but come on, it's hard not too.  What will be will be, right?

PROFESSIONAL

I'm getting a little bit worried about the fact that we don't have a new employee lined up to work in the kitchen yet.  Since I'm taking over the kitchen (insert chuckle here) we still need someone to replace me. 

There are only three of us there and we really mesh well.  I continue to hope that whoever comes is not only reliable but appreciative of my sarcasm.  Maybe that's too much.

PERSONAL

PTO continues to kick my ass.  I'm trying to be a diplomatic leader but it is clear that I want to tell quite a few people to shut up and deal.  This attitude will not garnish me any new volunteers.  I am reminded that we attract more flies with honey, however, flies carry shigellosis and I'm not sure I want to attract them. 

Anyone know what tracks volunteers?

I'm linking myself up again with Pish Posh's Get Fit Challenge and I am encouraging you all to do the same.

Do you have any left over New Year's resolutions that are nagging at you? Do you find yourself complaining more than rejoicing? Do you need to write more? To whine less? To take your own advice and avoid people who make you unhappy?

Link up with Pish every Thursday. We can encourage each other. We can share our successes and our failures. She's giving away a cool prize and best of all when it ends, you might just be in a better place than where you were when it started.

PERSONAL GOALS

I am pecking away at my book and more determined than ever to finish it before the end of this challenge.

On a similar note, I have found some awesome websites that might just help me with the publishing of my other book. Since thing didn't work out with the NAESP contest I really need to get serious on finding another outlet.

Query Tracker and Agent Query may need to become my stomping grounds.

I was beating myself up about not getting on the treadmill but I decided that walking in our hilly neighborhood is probably even better for me.


PROFESSIONAL GOALS

I KICKED ASS on the ServSafe test and got a 92%. I don't think I have ever gotten a 92% on anything. It was a challenge and I am so happy that it is complete. Certified for five years.


MENTAL HEALTH

I am happy to have the house back. All company is gone. We are not traveling for the Easter holiday. It is just a chillaxin' kind of time. I think I need it. The basement project continues and little by little it is starting to look like a room!

Yeah!

Looking forward to hearing how everyone did this week!

I'm linking myself up again with Pish Posh's Get Fit Challenge and I am encouraging you all to do the same.

Do you have any left over New Year's resolutions that are nagging at you? Do you find yourself complaining more than rejoicing? Do you need to write more? To whine less? To take your own advice and avoid people who make you unhappy?

Link up with Pish every Thursday. We can encourage each other. We can share our successes and our failures. She's giving away a cool prize and best of all when it ends, you might just be in a better place than where you were when it started.

PERSONAL GOALS

My new novel took a back seat to studying this week. I needed to focus. I am still determined and plan on hitting it hard this week! I still feel very confident that I can reach my 50,000-55,000 word goal by May 10th.

I have been ignoring my physical goals. I am trying to monitor my calorie intake, but my physical activity is lacking. My hubby is redoing our basement and has moved the treadmill and I am just using it as a welcome excuse. Shame on me.

PROFESSIONAL GOALS

I feel confident that I did fairly well on my ServSafe test. I am happy it is behind me. I promise to update you as soon as I get results.

MENTAL HEALTH

My mental health is improving. Slowly.

Hubby is home but my house has been invaded with LOTS of company and it is an adjustment to say the least. I am trying to adjust my attitude accordingly.

However, it is still exhausting.

It is still draining.

It still makes me feel like I am not doing anything well.

That being said, I am taking one day at a time and I am trying to enjoy each moment. I tell my kids every morning, make it a good day the choice is yours and I am trying to follow my own advice.

I'm linking myself up again with Pish Posh's Get Fit challenge and I am encouraging you all to do the same.

Do you have any left over New Year's resolutions that are nagging at you? Do you find yourself complaining more than rejoicing? Do you need to write more? To whine less? To take your own advice and avoid people who make you unhappy?

Link up with Pish every Thursday for the next 10 weeks. We can encourage each other. We can share our successes and our failures. She's giving away a cool prize and best of all when it ends, you might just be in a better place than where you were when it started.

PERSONAL GOALS

I'm still plugging away on my new novel. This week it hasn't been on the front burner. However, I feel very confident that I can reach my 50,000-55,000 word goal by May 10th.

I haven't been all that physically active this week. I mean I'm on my feet for at least five hours a day, but what little time I had been spending in the treadmil has dwindled. I did, however, walk 3 miles over the weekend at a benefit walk for my nephew. If you count the 600 I drove round trip I covered a lot of ground this week.

PROFESSIONAL GOALS

My dreaded ServSafe Certified is this Monday and I'd still like to prove to myself that I'm not as dumb as I think I am. That being said, I still need to retain a lengthy list of foodborne illnesses and their causes which include things like Bacillus cereus gastroenteritis, Shigellosis and Cryptosporidiosis.

MENTAL HEALTH

My mental health has been pretty low this week. I wrote about one of the reasons and the other one stems from the fact that my hubby has been traveling more for work in 2012 than he has been home.

It is exhausting.

It is draining.

It makes me feel like I am not doing anything well.

I am not mantaining the house well.

I am not parenting well.

I am not writing well.

I am not even cooking processed chicken well, let alone learning all the acurate holding times.

Here's hoping that once he returns and I get this stupid test off my list that things start to turn around because as of this post, I'm officially getting on my own nerves and that can't possibly be good.

Okay...it's week two and it has been a rollercoaster of a ride.  Do you have a nagging New Year's Resolution that you're looking to complete?  Do you need some encouragement to get you moving and up off the couch?  Do you want people to reassure you that punching random ignorant shoppers at the grocery store is not in your best interest?  Then sign up over at Pish's because we love a crowd.

Let's review...

I wrote an additonal 3,000 words on my NaNoWriMo Novel.  I am happy with where I am at with it and most importantly, I can see the ending.  I can visualize it.


Nothing motivates me more than some fantastic news and it turns out that I might actually be a good writer.  I entered a manuscript in a National contest and I MADE THE FIRST CUT!  My manuscript is in the top 25! 

That alone will get your creative juices flowing! Totally on my way to over 50,000 before the end of this challenge.

I have to admit that I probably didn't get much more active than last week.  I've been on the treadmill less than a handful of times and that was only for 20 minutes at a time.  I've decided not to beat myself up about this for three reasons 1) because I am on my feet for a minimum of 5.5 hours a day; because 2) I am walking a couple of miles on Saturday in support of JDRF for my nephew and 3) because I am spread a little thin right now.

This week I am devoting an ungodly amount of time to studying for my big LUNCHLADY test next Monday, March 26th. 

Questions expected to be on the test...

What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for TCS food cooked in a microwave?

An example of a TCS food is?  A. Dried parsley  B.  diced cranberries  C.  chopped celry  D.  sliced cantaloupe

What can cause histamine to form in tuna?

I'm adding something I want to work on this week and that's my relationship with my kids.  Lately I've been struggling with the way my children treat each other.  I've been struggling with the lack of respect.  My middle daughter angers sooo quickly over just about anything.  She can go from 0 - 5000 in two minutes over something as simple as her sister is singing.  It fries my patience.  Fries it...

So I'm gonna try to work on it... which likily means it's gonna get even harder...

I'm linking myself up with Pish Posh's Get Fit challenge and I am encouraging you all to do the same.

Do you have any left over New Year's resolutions that are nagging at you? Do you find yourself complaining more than rejoicing? Do you need to write more? To whine less? To take your own advice and avoid people who make you unhappy?

Link up with Pish every Thursday for the next 10 weeks. We can encourage each other. We can share our successes and our failures. She's giving away a cool prize and best of all when it ends, you might just be in a better place than where you were when it started.

PERSONAL GOALS

I'd like to finish my NANOWRIMO novel. I'm almost at 40,000 words and I want to get to 50,000-55,000 by May 10th. No excuses.

I want to get a little more physically active. I've been trying to get on the treadmill a couple of times a week, but failing miserably. I feel out of shape phyically and mentally. When I do walk/run in the morning I feel really proud of myself. My goal is three times a week. Let's not get too crazy.

PROFESSIONAL GOALS

I have to be ServSafe Certified to manage the school cafeteria and my exam is on March 26th. I'd like to prove to myself that I'm not as dumb as I think I am. That being said, I need to retain a legthy list of foodborne illnesses and their causes which include things like Bacillus cereus gastroenteritis, Shigellosis and Cryptosporidiosis.

I'd also like to submit a few more billable articles for the newspaper. Lately I've been attending numerous meetings with little to nothing to write about.

MENTAL HEALTH

I have never been secretive about my desire to be praised and adored. It is my curse. My Words of Afirmation love language. This makes life challenging, as taking criticism (even well intended criticism) is exceptionally difficult for me. This makes PTO exhausting as I cannot possibly please everyone. This makes letting people read anything I write terrifying, this makes me suffer from blog comment jealousy.

I need to work on that. Just because someone doesn't like my book doesn't mean they don't like me.

What will you be working on? What will you be cleaning up and making to shine like new?

Stop over. Visit Pish and link up with us. We're going to be in each other's corners spreading enough words of affirmation to drowned out all those negative voices in our heads.