being green

This made my day just a little better.

So excited.

dusting myself off

source

Unemployment Do's
**Do Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred every morning and continue to jog every evening
**Spend as much time as possible outside
**Be a more active blogger
**Jobsearch every day
**Create!

Unemployment Don'ts
**Sleep past 9 a.m.
**Watch X-Files fan videos all day on YouTube (Not that this will be a temptation or anything...)
**Eat my feelings
**Retail therapy
**Complain and feel sorry for myself

Thank you for the kind words and thoughts. I really cannot begin to express how much they mean to me. Sending all of you love from the Mitten...

your friendly neighborhood spiderman

We probably shouldn't go grocery shopping without a very specific shopping list. Otherwise, one of us wanders down the toy aisle...

With great mask comes great responsibility. 

open doors would soon be shut

So...

I'm sitting here on my couch, in a pair of sweatpants, watching The X-Files on Netflix. It's the middle of the afternoon on Friday. I should be a work.

But I'm not.

This morning, I was called into my boss's office and told that my "position had been eliminated." Just like that. Pack your things. You're done. Leave.

I'm stunned. In some ways, this is completely out of the blue. On the other hand, I guess I saw it coming. The corporate big-wigs have been cleaning house at my office for awhile, but I guess I was just naive enough to think that it wouldn't happen to me.

Honestly, I'm feeling a little lost. I've never been unemployed. I've been fortunate enough to work consistently since I was 15. I'm a workaholic. I put in way too many hours. I give 110%. I go in on weekends. I never say "no." It's what I do.

I'm trying very hard to be positive. Despite my love for the job, it has been a difficult month there, to say the least. Changes in management, turn-over like crazy, hectic days, and long hours have left me more than frazzled. I'm trying to look at this as a fresh start, a new opportunity, a chance to begin again.

But it's hard. I'm ashamed. I'm embarassed. Although I was essentially given the "it's not you, it's us" line, I still feel like a failure. I feel like I'm letting everyone down, that I'm not good enough. Feelings of inadequacy that I thought I had finally left behind have begun to creep their way back in. Feelings I have struggled with for years and thought I had finally kicked.

But I'm not going to let this bring me down. I'm not. I'm not a sit-in-my sweatpants-in-the-middle-of-the-day kind of person. (At least as a general rule.) I've applied for a few jobs and I think I'll take a jog in a bit. Kyle and I are going to keep our previous plans of seeing friends in a play tonight. I'm not going to mope, I'm not going to hide. I will find another job. I will be happy. I will succeed. Failure is not an option.

I'm always longing for adventure. Maybe this is it. 

In the meantime, I think I'll see if the FBI is currently hiring. I'm not cut out to carry a gun, but I do have an encyclopedic knowledge of the X-Files. I think this could work.

Thanks for listening. Happy Friday, friends.

signs of spring (in the mitten)

**Lilacs blooming...around our block and in old salsa jars in my kitchen (courtesy of Kyle)

**Dodging puddles on my evening jogs

**Baby robins in the nest outside my office

**Free ice cream at Uncle Cheetah's Soup Shop

**Musicians performing on the sidewalks

life is (grand)

you are beautiful

Yesterday, I was struggling through my evening jog.

Like, really struggling. Muscles were burning in my legs that I didn't even know I had, and I was huffing and puffing like crazy. My cheeks were bright red and sweat was collecting in pretty much every crevice on my body. True story.

I'm by no means a runner; never have been, probably never will be, but I try. I really, really try. My endurance level is slim to nil, but (most of the time) I feel good about myself when I run. Endorphins and all that.

But yesterday just wasn't cutting it.

To be honest, I felt like a clumsy fat ass, even more so than usual.

Then I saw this.

You are beautiful.

I had to pause. Mid-stride, this moved me nearly to the point of tears. How kind, how true, how beautiful.

What a wonderful reminder to the residents of my neighborhood, my city. May it be a reminder to you today.

You are beautiful.

life is (grand)

it's hard to be a dog

Seriously, does this not look like the life?

This guy has got it made.

may goals

Ok, so I know that we're over halfway done with May, but I figure it's never too late to set a few goals for yourself. Sorry I'm so far behind, but hey, if you haven't figured it out by now, that's kinda my M.O.

May Goals
**Pick out a wedding cake. (Am I waaaay behind on this?)
**Seriously check items off our wedding to-do list. (Yes, this is a repeat.)
**Complete Round #1 of purging our apartment and take unneeded items to Goodwill. (This has been a long time coming.)
**Blog more. (More creative posts? Hopefully.)
**Try a recipe that involves tofu. (Got a good one? Send it my way!)

Now, let's see how I did on my April Goals, shall we?
**Send out Save the Dates ASAP.
**Seriously check items off of our wedding to-do list. Work in progress!
**Finish In Cold Blood and start another book.
**Go through my closet.
**Keep on keepin' on with Couch to 5k. Work in progress!

Hmm, not too shabby. I've decided I like setting goals for myself each month. It's nice to have something to work toward. 

Do you make goals each month? If so,  how are you faring with your goals for May?

just a little getaway

Kyle and I are taking a little getaway up north this weekend. We're both taking off work early today, and have Friday-Sunday off as well. This will be the longest vacation either of us have had in a very long time.

The Sleeping Bear

This is a much needed rest and recharge weekend. My family owns a tiny cottage on a lake near Sleeping Bear Dunes. Although the forecast calls for temperatures not much above 50 degrees and rain every day, I'm perfectly content snuggling under blankets and reading to my heart's content.

I'm just so excited.

Do you have any favorite getaways? What do you to to recharge?
Happy (almost) weekend, friends.

'til the landslide brings me down

source

I've been a bit on the quiet-side lately. To be perfectly honest, I've just been feeling down. Frustrated. Uninspired. Defeated. Tired. I just haven't felt like putting much of an effort into anything. 

It's not that I want to give the impression on my little blog that everything in my life is always grand, but I don't want to be a Debbie Downer either. I strive for openness and honesty, but I also value my privacy. I don't want to air my dirty laundry on the Internets for all to see, and I certainly don't want to burden anyone with every little stress that comes up in my life.

However, at this point, openness and honesty are going to win. When it comes down to it, I really just need to vent and decompress.

Lately, I've been longing for a change. An challenge. Creativity. An adventure. My frustration is hugely stemming from stress at work, as well as the huge ball of stress that comes with wedding planning. I won't bore you with the details, but if you have a few spare happy thoughts, to send my way, I'd be eternally grateful.

For now, I'm trying to turn my focus to things that bring me, and others, happiness: The new spring flowers that are blooming down our block. Game night with friends. Bringing leftover Easter candy to the residents at work. Trips to the library with Kyle. Going up north at the end of the week.

I have so many things to be thankful for, I just need to remember to take the time to notice them. Not just on the sunny days, but on the rainy days as well, and always.

If you made it this far, thank you for listening. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of blogging, and I wish all of you a happy spring. Stay tuned!

With love,
Molly