The end of May 2015

I have to say: I was quite surprised to see that the step that I took towards Financial Fitness helped me in the Physical Fitness department, sort of.  By taking my credit card out of my wallet, and having already spent all my grocery money and all the money allocated to “Miscellaneous”, I didn’t have the funds available to just “stop by the Shopette” on the way home from work which meant that I couldn’t succumb to the lure of Haagen Daas chocolate ice cream or a bottle of moscato.  You definitely think a little differently when it’s just not there.  I have $100.91 in my checking account and $100 of it is slated for a bill that will get paid on the same day that my next paycheck hits.  This will enable me to get to that “Zero Dollar Budget” on the day that it resets for the next round.  The $.91 will just get carried over and plugged into the budget for the next pay period.

On a slightly different note, I didn’t unplug from Facebook.  As a nightshifter, I spend my nights off going to the gym, going to the grocery store, and…and…and, really, nothing else.  NOTHING is open in the wee hours, especially on week nights.  Plus, even if I did want to dive into some home improvement project, I don’t think my roommate would appreciate the noise at 3am.  So, I’m going to allow myself the indulgence but my rotation back to dayshift will be quite different.  Though, knowing that I’ll be putting in availability for a higher number of hours at the part time might derail any of those home improvement projects but, goodness knows, I will have ample time very, very soon.  Like, in 339 days.

Also contributing to my Financial Fitness is ebay.  I purged my wardrobe of a few gently used items and listed them for dirt cheap.  They’re still quite good but, being that they don’t fit, it’s not doing me any good by having them in my drawers or closet.  I have tons more to list on ebay.  It’s all piled in the room that is my “office”.  Eventually, I will get it listed or donate it to Goodwill.  In the meantime, I watch the pennies increase on the items that have bids on ebay.  Ten items currently listed; three have already ended and sold; seven remain—all with bids that end in the next day or so.  It’s a good way to end the month.

The Last Year in This Phase of My Life

I spent the last five days in Ventnor.  It was intended to be my annual birthday vacation and it was supposed to be as fun as previous years.  It wasn’t.  It was boring.  There wasn’t anything that I did there that I couldn’t have done at home.  Granted, there is a boardwalk that gives me a straight down and back or up and back route to walk but, again, boring.  I’d much rather walk loops around my neighborhood.  The other reason that it was boring: well, there wasn’t anything to really do besides shop and I don’t *need* anything.  Buying things just adds to the stress of my upcoming retirement so I limited myself to a few things that I thought would be useful additions: three pairs of pants and a necklace/earring/bracelet set.  And coffee.  Lots of coffee.  From Starbucks.

This Sunday is my birthday.  #39.  The last year of my 30s.  Who’da thunk?  While I was in Ventnor, I couldn’t help but reflect on quite a few of those years; specifically, the ones that I’ve spent in the military and what I’ve done in that time.  Did I make a mark?  I think so.  Did I do something that I loved and had a passion for?  Absolutely not.  Can I use this last year—345 calendar days, but who’s counting—to help someone else not spend 20 years doing something that they don’t like?  I know I can.  On the flip side, I *have* spent the past nine years doing something that I really enjoy: helping customers find the right fit at Victoria’s Secret.  You can really tell if you have a passion for something when damn near every conversation can get turned to that subject.  I LOVE helping customers find what fits them.  I really don’t care if it’s a VS item.  I prefer that it be ‘cause it helps me keep my job but I’d rather see them in a style that fits perfect rather than one that fits “pretty well.”

Because it is my last year of my 30s and my last year in the military, I’m using these milestones to track things a little differently.  I want to focus on three things: Mental Fitness,  Financial Fitness, and Physical Fitness.  I know, it doesn’t sound all that different that what I’ve been doing all along but herein lies the difference: If it doesn’t help the one, it better help the other.  No more spending idle time on facebook.  I want to make a difference in the lives of those who know me.  I want to deepen the friendships that I already have and cultivate them into relationships that really matter.

My first step in the Financial Fitness:  I removed my credit card from my wallet.  This is big for me.  I always had it there as a safety net so I never really had to comply wholly with my budget.  Now, I will be forced to.  No more “covering the difference with my credit card.”  I already have an emergency fund in place--$1000—for anything that might actually constitute an emergency.  Those are so rare though.  Most things can be planned and budgeted for; and that’s my goal.

For my Physical Fitness: I will just be continuing on the track that I began last year when I quit grains and sugars.  I lost 20lbs between September 2014 and March 2015 but hit a plateau.  Sugar crept back in so I’m, again, making a concentrated effort to eliminate it.  I will also continue hitting the gym on my nights/days off but I plan to work out a specific, goal oriented plan with a trainer friend of mine.  And it won’t be a one-month plan but a one-year plan.  I want to map out where I plan to be by the time I’m 40.

I will provide updates and progress along the way in hopes that I’m able to inspire one other person to do something similar.  I know I’ve been inspired by many friends’ blogs.  I hope I can do the same.

Veteran's Day 2014

  Yesterday was Veteran's Day.  My facebook feed was showing all kinds of "Support Our Troops" memes and messages and it got me to thinking: "I wonder how many Americans don't know someone who has served."  Almost a reverse of six degrees of separation.  Obviously, everyone who knows me, knows someone who is in the military.  I'm friends with a lot of current and former servicemembers so I know their friends know someone who has served.  But, when you get down to the numbers, we are really a very small population.
  I looked up some of the numbers for military personnel.  There are just over 1 million serving in Guard, Reserve, and Active Duty for all services.  There are 19.6 million veterans (i.e. no longer serving); 9.3 million of which are age 65 or older; and 1.6 million (of the 19.6M) are female.  The population of the United States is more than 316 million.  At least according to the last census.  That probably doesn't count all the folks that have entered the US in the past four years so let's make that an even 320 million.  So that means that less than half a percent of the United States population is serving its country.  Half a percent.  Not 5.0%. 0.5%...less than that.  And that nearly 20 million?  Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?  It equates to 6% of the country's population.  Not even 10% of this country knows what it means to directly serve and "write the blank check."
  Let's do some comparing now.  In 1945, somewhere between 12 and 16 million served in the United States military.  Now, you can say that they had to but a vast majority felt compelled to serve.  Do you know what the country's population was in 1945?  I had to look it up (like all the other numbers here).  140 million.  Which means that anywhere from 8.5% to 11.4% served their country and families were bigger then so the ripple effect was that much larger.
  The real unfortunate thing is that I can't, in good conscience, recommend someone join right now.  I worry for where this country is going and for the use that the members of the United States military are being put to.
  Learn a trade.  Take up carpentry or become an auto mechanic.  At least you'll have better control over your future.

18 months and life to go.

Feeling a bit melancholy this evening.  Probably because I've got an opportunity to slow down a bit and not be in fast forward during my days off in order to get everything done before I have to be at work again in three days.  I had a glass of wine—my first in nearly a month—and, man! did it hit hard and fast.  I guess that’s what happens when you give up grains and sugar for a month.  One glass of Riesling and you’re done. 

Anyhow, I've noticed that there is one fella at work that I’m attracted to.  Not that I can do anything about that.  I try to stick to the policy of not shitting where you eat as I've gotten older—shat where I ate when I was younger and it bit me in the ass—and it’s done me well...so far.  Not to say I wouldn't consider dating this fella if he expressed an interest but why add MORE stress to my workplace.  My job as an expediter does that well enough.

Been occasionally having the pity party for myself due to being single but mainly because I just have no social life in general.    12 hour shifts suck.  3-2-2 schedules on 12 hour shifts suck.  Working with a bunch of folks that I can’t really become friends with sucks.  Working with 95% men sucks.  Only because they can’t really relate and I can’t really relate and the folks that are my age have a thousand kids or are married and nobody is available to just get together and just go see a movie or go shoot some pool or do whatever.  I don't want to talk about their kids.  I don’t want to talk about their exes.  I don’t want to talk about my cats.  I just want to get together, forget about work, and shoot the shit, while having a good time.  Rant, rant, rant. 

Okay, new topic.  Ever look at a really ugly person who is dating someone and think: how did they find someone to date them?  I mean, I know I've got my flaws but damn!  Is my personality that bad that nobody would want to be around me?  That it wouldn't compensate for whatever conventional beauty I don’t have?  You know...someone may not be gorgeous but you don’t notice because they’re super funny or super nice or whatever.  I mean, I’m totally human.  I have my flaws.  I’m not gorgeous but I’m not such a epic monster of a personality that nobody would want to date me.  Maybe it’s the work schedule.  Damn, I need to retire!  I need a regular schedule.  I need to not have rules about who I can and cannot date.  If I want to date, get nekid with the 25 year old down the way, why not?  18 more months.  They board for E-7 now.  I’m not making it.  My career has been too all over the place to make Master.  I think I can look forward to just retiring in 18 months.  I don’t think I’ll really have to make that big decision of “Do I stay or do I go?”  18 more months.

Time for another glass or Riesling.  Peace out, all.

Vacation--June 5th, 2013

I succeeded in jogging the full length down to the south end—that street is Fredricksburg.  It turns out that’s the city line between Ventnor and Margate.  I’ll have to look to see just how far that is.  I walked, jogged, and did calisthenics on the way back.  I did pushups, lunges, side squats, mountain climbers, and some step-ups.  It felt good; taxing but good; all that after having a cheddar and broccoli omelet--a very good start to the day.

After that, I showered up and walked south down Atlantic.  That’s where I discovered the city boundary.  I kept walking south through Margate--all the way to Lucy the Elephant.  I bought Mom a t-shirt and a hat for me.  I meandered across the small parking lot to the Rooftop Bar at Ventura’s Greenhouse.  The food was really good.  I had a shrimp salad and a mudslide.  The only downside was after I got cash from the ATM—the menu said Cash Only—the server told me that they accept credit cards.  This was frustrating because there was a $3.50 surcharge for the ATM.

There was another success today—no sunburn despite the jog this morning or the walk this afternoon.  Winning!  Time to watch the CMAs on TV.

Vacation--June 4th, 2013

I think God knew that I would risk more sunburn yesterday if the sun was shining so He brought about rainstorms from late Sunday night til mid-day yesterday.  I stayed in and reminded myself why I don't subscribe to cable--too many damn commercials!  Then Mother Nature REALLY made her presence know come evening time.  I LOVE getting up every two hours to check and change things.  Not!!

Breakfast ws tasty and filling pancakes.  Time to reslather my chest w/sunscreen and head out.

I walked all the way to Rhode Island Ave.  It's a bit passed the new Revel Hotel/Casina but I'm not sure how far.  I stopped at Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and had a great tasting burger.  After that, I headed down to Arkansas 'cause I forgot to turn on Michigan Ave.  I made a stop at Wilson's Leather to see if they had tablet covers--they didn't but it was fun to look around.  I also stopped at Jockey when I saw they have a new way of bra sizing.  They measure the volume of the breast to determine where you're at--numbered 1 thru 10--then they measure band size.  It seemed really interesting.  I'd be curious to see if it affects other companies.

Wound my way back to Arkansas Ave and headed back down the boardwalk.  Hung in the room for a bit then changed into my suit for some tanning on the beach.  Maxed out after an hour or so, I returned to the Inn and changed for dinner.  There's a new sushi restaurant on the blockso I went there.  Had assorted tempura and dessert was a mango flavored gelato dipped in white chocolate and drizzled in dark chocolate.  It was quite good.  Now, just hanging out in the room until my freshly washed hair dries and/or cable bores me--whichever happens first.  Then it's off to bed.

Vacation--June 2nd, 2013

Some of this might be duplicated from my previous post but this is my journal entries from the week that I was on vacation.
After a fun week of shopping and tasty food--things that I wasn't able to do while deployed--I spent three hours at Heather's Holistic Health.  I got a facial, a full massage--which was NOTHING like the one that I got on base while deployed, thankfully--and a pedicure.  My toenails are cerulean blue.  Then, after a quick stop at Wawa in Smyrna, I headed to New Jersey.  There was a detour to the Hamilton Mall where I picked upa couple dresses and a couple pairs of shoes.  Got to the Carisbrooke Inn just after 6pm.  Checked in and then unpacked my sneakers so I could get in a quick walk down to the south end of the boardwalk.  It's three miles round trip.  It felt good to get some miles in.  More on my walking endeavor in a bit--my habit of typing has left my writing muscles weak and I need some recovery time or this will be completely illegible.

I actually slept in til 8 this morning.  I originally woke up at 5am but that just seemed too early to get up.  Had a great dream that had Hugh Jackman in it.  That was a fun one.  Although the dream was great, I felt like I had missed out on an opportunity for an early morning walk by not waking up at 6:30am like I have been for the past week and a half.  Tomorrow I will probably just get up when the sunshine coming through the windows wakes me up.  Breakfast was yummy French toast, sprinkled w/powdered sugar and layered w/sliced bananas.  Yum!  I've started drinking green tea so, after one cup of coffee, there was a couple cups of green tea.

After breakfast, I changed into my workout shorts and tank and set out southbound for another walk to and from that end.  Made a short pitstop when I go back to Little Rock Ave but set again.  Once that was complete, I headed north this time.  In the distance between light poles, I did lunges, side squats, and walking on just the balls of my feet.  When I ran out of non-bouncing exercises, I did pushups, one arm pushups (those definitely need work), one leg squats, plie squats, and leg kicks (to the front, side, & rear).  I turned back at Raleigh Ave.

My workout complete, I changed into my bathing suit and headed to the beach.  I did slather most of my body w/sunscreen.  I say "most" 'cause the parts that I missed are all too obvious. :(  The weather was perfect for sunburning.  It was sunny but breezy so you wouldn't even notice just how much sun you got.  The water was freezing though.  I went in to my ankles.  It wasn't even up to 60* yet.  I spent about an hour at the beach and then came back to the room and took a shower.  I then got my face on and headed north to Atlantic City.  Lunch was coconut shrimp at the The Rainforest Cafe.  No shopping though.  I'm gonna be here another four days--plenty of time for shopping later.

I got changed again when I got back to the Inn.  This time into one of the five dresses that I brought with me so that I could dress up for dinner.  Started the meal with a delicious seafood salad--fresh seafood in some sort of lemon vineagrette.  The entree was capellini with chunks of crab and dessert was creme brulee w/coffee.  More yum!

As the hours progress, my sunburn looks worse and worse.  :(