One More Thing

I just realized, in looking back over the past several posts, that I haven't mentioned any of the new things I've done recently. As this is something I want to continue to keep documented to encourage myself and just to provoke my brain into remembering new can be good (or just plain ridiculous), I'd like to keep that updated.

So...new things:

First, I've watched several movies I've never seen before: North to Alaska and The Wedding Date. I watched them both within a span of 24 hours and felt like I was watching different versions of Pretty Woman. Weird. ha. Actually, I'd never watched a John Wayne movie all the way through, so North to Alaska was pretty cool. The way John Wayne talks really cracks me up, and it made me realize that Radar's (on M*A*S*H) impression of him is dead on. It's amazing. Cracked me up. Plus it reminded me of Nathan Lane in The Birdcage which makes me laugh so hard I want to cry. See figure 1.

Figure 1:
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Yes.

The Wedding Date was. I don't know how to say it. There were some bits of it I really appreciated. Some things that really made me laugh. There was the truly genius line, "I think I would have missed you even if I never met you." That was a pick up line if I ever heard one, and I've been driving myself crazy with the concept of "every woman is in the relationship she wants." Even if you're single and miserable, that apparently is how you want if it that's how you are...?

My sum up for the movies? Watch North to Alaska, especially if you like John Wayne or just crazy old movies. It was fun. The songs made me laugh, and well, actually, most of the movie made me laugh.

What else? I've been listening to Audio books at work. I love it. It makes work zoom past because I get so engrossed in the books. The Harry Potter series has been wonderful. I get so sucked into the books that I don't notice time or anything. I just type and listen. I'm about halfway through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix right now, and the first 3rd of the book made me want to slap Harry every couple of paragraphs, but now I'm enjoying it.

Beyond that? I'm currently taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. I've actually opened a savings account, and it currently has a fairly decent balance. I haven't had a savings account since right before I moved to Atlanta for college, and having one now is making me feel much more at ease. I also have a budget. I've been dreading working out a budget for a long time. My thing has been to simply pay for anything I knew I needed to immediately after getting my check and then just trying to not overspend the rest of it. Ha. The budget is making my life infinitely easier. I don't have to feel guilty about how much money I'm spending any longer because I have already planned for the purchases.

For instance, Mom and I went to Wal-Mart today to pick up some things. I was able to buy the rest of the yarn I need for the baby blanket I'm making Brian and Hannah, along with the yarn for baby Aria's blanket without having to worry about the money I was spending. I've created a bit in my budget called my Good Fairy Fund, and it allows me to spend money on whatever I need to get or want to get for other people without causing me to wonder if I'll still have the money I need for gas or groceries. I love it. Plus, I'm forcing myself to put money aside for clothes. If I continue to do that, I will actually be able to buy myself some nicer new clothes without ever feeling guilty about the money because I've already set it aside, and I've already taken care of everything else I need to take care of.

Financial Peace University really is doing wonders for my sanity. I haven't worried about money in weeks. It's lovely. And it's a definite change. If you ever get the chance, definitely take the class. Or at least look up the basic principles. It makes a world of difference. :)

Third, my family is throwing our first ever Harvest Party on Halloween. It's the first time we've ever sent out invitations to a party too. That was fun. I put together a real basic invitation and sent them out this week. Hopefully quite a few of the families will be able to come. It'll be small, but it'll be fun.

Well...that's what I can think of currently, but I'll try to do a better job of posting about the new things as they happen. It's nice to see little changes and big ones as they happen.