Good times... '10

Too bad I can't title this post "Good times '09," because "Good times '10" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

I had a particularly fun-filled weekend. And week, come to think of it. Well, despite the fact I have been completely lackluster and unmotivated at work. Need to snap out of that slump asap.

So I'll document the fun:

Monday: "Taste tweet" at a local restaurant, where I met some very nice Twitter people and enjoyed a delicious (yet super, super indulgent) meal on the house. And tweeted about it, of course.

Tuesday: Trivia, as usual. After a three-game streak of winning first place, we didn't place at all. Also had a really awkwardly heated conversation which did not end nicely. But emails were exchanged afterward to clear the air.

Wednesday: Went to the doctor for my knee. It was a really unpleasant experience as far as waiting, waiting and waiting, then feeling super rushed when I finally saw the doctor. But I do not have a stress fracture. I'm supposed to go to physical therapy (conveniently located .2 miles from mi casa) and do stretches to heal my IT band syndrome (or IT band tendinitis... not sure if those are the same thing). Relieved to know what's wrong finally.

Thursday: Started my day bright and early with yoga for runners. Went out to dinner with my book club (aka friends) after work. The food was only so-so but the company was tops.

Friday: Started the day bright and early again with yoga for runners. Then went to an early morning tweetup in the lobby at work. Met and talked to some lovely people and enjoyed free coffee and a doughnut. After work met up with the hubs, his coworker and his coworker's girlfriend, with whom we have become amigos, and stopped by a Twitter friend's guest bartending stint for a drink. Ate a highly enjoyable dinner at a great restaurant on the river. Then went back to said friends' apartment for some Rock Band. Till 2 a.m.

Saturday: Slept in a little, cleaned house, did more yoga (I am addicted!) and then my family came to visit! We relaxed and played cards, then headed to THE MOST AMAZING DINNER EVER at Umami Moto downtown. This was an exquisite dining experience at a very trendy Asian fusion restaurant. Everything we ate was absolutely superb. The service was top-notch. We racked up a $250 bill for 6 of us, but enjoyed every last nibble. I am looking forward to my leftover sushi. Oh, then we saw a play at The Rep. It was okay. Hubby didn't like it, but it entertained me enough. Followed by custard from Kopp's! Eat much?

Sunday: (today) Prepared an oatmeal buffet for the fam for breakfast, then all went to church. Primary Praise actually went well! After church ate at Noodles with the fam, then went on a gorgeous 1.5-hour cross country ski loop with hubby at the state park. Hubs broke a ski pole, so for the last 45-minutes he used one of mine and I more or less single-poled it. But we both had fun and it was a beautiful day for skiing.

The one thing that has been both a great enjoyment and also my downfall this week has been the food. I ate at a restaurant 5 out of 7 days! That never happens. I also ate really indulgent things both in and out of the restaurants. I'm pretty sure I gained a good 3 pounds. It was all very enjoyable (and I only paid for 2 of the meals), but I need to get back on track.

The good news is, this week has some fun in store too, including recipe contest and quarterly awards judging at work, a meeting for a fun new local fitness group, a Friday off work and two great friends coming to visit and run an indoor marathon relay on Saturday! I'm also volunteering at the marathon. Oh, and I'm singing on Worship Team on Sunday. That is always enjoyable.

Conclusions:

• It's fun to have a full social calendar and great new friends.
• Eating out is fun and delicious but I feel nasty after more than a day or two of doing so.
• The Twitter community here is really nice and enthusiastic and I'm looking forward to getting to know people.
• Yoga is good for overcoming injury (at least so far).
  

Art

Last night was nice. I went to Gallery Night in the Third Ward with Rachel, a member of my book club who I had never hung out with outside of book club before.

It was nice for several reasons, one being the fact that I feel like I am slowly collecting a handful of friends that I can contact and invite to accompany me on little excursions like Gallery Night. So much of the stifling that I've felt since moving here and getting married has come from the fact that my husband does not share all my interests and, furthermore, is very much a homebody. He doesn't like to go to things like Gallery Night and if I force him to go he gets annoyed and therefore annoying. I'm glad I finally have gotten to know several people well enough that I'm comfortable inviting them out with me. And I hope to deepen these shallow friendships and thereby deepen my roots here.

Gallery Night was also nice because it was inspiring. Had I not spent the day working outside in our yard, creating a garden and enjoying the warmest day so far this year, I would have been painting today. I long to pick up a paintbrush and create. It's on my constant to do list and it keeps getting pushed further down. I need to put it at the top.

Time is such a constant battle in life. "Oh, if only I had more time..." I'll die wishing I had more time. But I shouldn't. I should just prioritize. Just do stuff. Stop talking about it, thinking  about it, writing it in lists, putting it off, pushing it back. Just do it.

And so, in no particular time frame, but sometime soon, I prioritize painting. I am fighting the incredible temptation right now to list out the ten other things I prioritize doing, but I won't because that would detract from my moving of painting to the near-top of the priorities list.

I think I could be an okay artist if I had the time...

Friendship takes patience

As of today, I've lived in Milwaukee (well, Milwaukee area) for about one year minus one week. I moved to the East Side Feb. 2, 2008 and started working at the Journal on Feb. 4.

Although I've lived here for what, at any other stage in my life, I would consider a long time, I still feel like we're just getting settled here.

True, a lot of changes have happened in the past year. But I never thought it would take me this long to feel like I'm just starting to really consider this place home.

I've always seemed to adapt rather quickly to new places and situations. I started at a new school in junior high but found a best friend and other close friends nearly instantly. I went into high school knowing two people. It took me mere days to find a few good friends and a little more than a semester to find the ones who would become my Friends. In college it took me all of one week to find my best friend and grow our circle from there. 

In my post-college life... well, it's been a year and I still feel like I haven't found my "circle" here. Maybe there never will be a "circle," and I'm okay with that, but it has been a hard year not having very many friends.

I have Peter, and he means much more to me than any friend, but I think our contentment with ourselves, coupled with a concentrated focus on wedding planning for our first seven months here, has really set us back in the social realm.

Peter keeps telling me that in the "real world," aka the non-school world, these things take time. I understand that, and I continue to be patient.

Lately I've been feeling more settled and a little more content with our social situation. Sure, we still spend most weekend nights cuddled up on the couch together, but that's mostly because we're too tired/cold/lazy to do anything else.

We're getting to know more people from church on a more personal level. I've joined a book club and a running club (I will meet the members of both this week). I've become much, much more comfortable with my coworkers and I honestly really enjoy their company while I'm working.

It's taken us (me) a while to get to this point, but I'm willing to be patient. I have a feeling that it will all be worth it in the end. God has a plan for us here and I just need to let Him lay it out.