#208 - review 2009

back on the first of january i wrote a blog about the upcoming year, 2009. it was kind of interesting to see what i was looking forward to at the beginning of this year. some things happened and others were way off. overall it was a very great year, one of the best so far. despite being unemployed at the moment, i am officially a registered nurse and am done with school (for now). while that was one of the things i was looking forward to, so was getting a job. who knew that the recession and economy would be so bad? the hospitals can basically pick and choose who they want to hire and be really specific, like wanting you to have 3 years of experience. i am not sure where i can get that but i am still trying. back in july i took and passed my NCLEX to get my RN, so i have been seeking work since then. wow, six months and still nothing. while at times it is frustrating and embarrassing, i know that it will happen when the time is right.
my whole family came up to see me graduate from nursing school, which was pretty cool. my sister had the honors of "pinning" me and everything was awesome. finally graduating was a good feeling. after graduation we went on a trip to alaska on a cruise! we drove up to seattle and then took a ship out from there. it was about a week of eating tons of food everyday. we got off the ship in several ports and saw lots of cool stuff. we went to check out glaciers and do shopping in gold rush towns. it was all pretty neat and we were up there for the longest day of the year, june 21, so it was pretty much light out all day and night.
the last awesome thing this year was meeting jeremy, my sweet boyfriend. he has been a great friend and i really can't ask for more in a relationship at this point. things are wonderful and we are having a great time together. i even went to his family's house for christmas which was nice and not awkward at all. we've been together since january and it has flown by really quick. he is the best!

#162 - 2009

2008 is history! overall i guess it was a good year, esp with the election. well i guess it's already 5 days into this year and already i am running behind. i started this post on the 1st, after i woke up smoke-filled lungs and all. i stayed up late playing firework then singing karaoke. it was good times. my dad bought this huge stash of stuff to burn and it took about 4 hours to do so. we put on quite a show with our "paperless" fireworks, which was actually nice cause then there was less clean up. the air was pretty thick with smoke though so i'm glad i don't have asthma.

so what will 2009 bring? shall i start a list? I like lists!

• inaugurating a new president!
• more dodgeball (duh)
• possible trip to whistler for spring break with sister!
• finishing nursing school in june
• possibly a family vacation to Yellowstone
• taking and passing the NCLEX to become an RN!
• hopefully a new, awesome job
• more pay
• another kick ass Beaver football season in the fall

well it's not that big of a list but it's a pretty huge change in my life. i will probably get a better studio, one that accepts dogs. that's one thing i really miss, having a dog to snuggle and play with. i will at least be able to afford a better place. mine right now is perfect but i can't have pets. my lease is up in may so we'll see what happens.

i don't believe in or make resolutions. i constantly try to work on myself, inside and out to become a better person. i don't need the turn of a calendar page to remind me to get in shape or to eat better. i just came back from a 17 day trip home to hawaii where all i did really was eat. i ate anything and everything in sight: loco mocos (maybe 3), ribs (big city!), kim chee fried rice (golf course), various potlucks (with ono food like alonzos steak!), lots of chicken katsu, etc. i'm sure my arteries are not happy. but i am back to cooking and eating for myself, when and where i want. i also have time and motivation to hit the gym, which i didn't when i was on vacation. sure, i did lots of active things like surf and golf but it's not quite the same as working hard at the gym.

one thing i am starting is not shopping. i did this for lent last year, and it worked well. i have a big problem with shopping even though i don't have much money. i will buy things then have to work an extra shift to pay for it. luckily i have made the habit of always paying my credit card bills on time, in full. so i've never carried a balance. i have bad self-control, let me just say that. if there is a huge plate of food in front of me, i eat it. if there is something i want at the store, i buy it. pretty simple. so i am back to not shopping. no going to the mall, stores, REI, online shopping sites or any other possible place i could spend my money frivolously.

so that's what i have to look forward to this year. yipppeeee!