Well, I finally started TaeKwonDo today. I pretty much felt like an idiot. It’s been like 3 years since I was last in a class – what was I thinking!?! I attended the North Austin location on 620. I registered, got a uniform, paid, and all that jazz…I was excited. There was even a picture on the wall of my instructor back in Chattanooga, TN (where I originally trained). In fact everything was a lot like my old school. I was right about sticking with an ITA (International TaeKwonDo Alliance) school. This is where things start to turn sour. Class begins and there is practically no students. Topping that, I am the only yellow belt and also the lowest rank attending. A trainee instructor teaches class, and I might add that she has a lot of training left! I am used to the sink or swim mentality but c’mon, this is a school. Not to say she didn’t instruct me…she did, but she didn’t make me feel any better about my long lapse in training or this being my first day at a new school. Perhaps it was all in my head….everyone staring at me, judging me, already assuming I’m one of “those”…you know the kind – they keep advancing but you wonder how. They just seem to go through the movements, it never comes natural to them, and you just wonder why they even bother. I am NOT one of those. I am very detailed. I like to know that I’m doing everything right. I haven’t made it to a rank of sparring yet, but you can believe my forms are exact. And I don’t want to just get the movements right, I want there to be power in them. I want people watching to be a little worried about the day they do give me the chance to spar. I shouldn’t be so quick to judge. It was just day one. And who knows what week night classes may be like. I do hope more students show up. I’m very tempted to try the Leander locale on Monday night. They said I could go to any location with my membership. The Leander offers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which I’ve never tried but would love to give it a shot. I’m definitely not giving up. I’m just a little taken aback….everything on my list was coming so easy. Do warriors cry? Because I felt kinda like crying when I got in my car, but I’m supposed to be training to be a warrior. No…I will learn this, and I will love it like I did back in the day. I just have to get into the swing of things. Prove to them that I do love TKD and that I’m here for the long haul – the lifelong haul. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t give up easily, and I don’t back away from a challenge. You make me want it more! I crave this!!

On another note – I think I might be taking the kayak out on the water next weekend. Me and my roommate for sure – anyone interested in going? The more the merrier! I really plan on going once a month sooooo if you’re really interested you might wanna make a lil club out of it or something. Either way I’ll be out there! Drive over the river and look out for me! 🙂

Ok, I’m going for a run….something I know I know how to do! Still a looooong way from that 5 mile run on my list.

Things getting on my nerves lately – minivans and British accents – go figure!

Ever since I created the To Do List everything has been falling right into place – some without any effort on my part. One of the things on my list is to start a retirement plan. Within a week of compiling the list, I receive a 401K book from my employer. I didn’t even know I was eligible! I’m working on getting that set up which will be nice. I hope to look into some other options sometime next year. On another part of my list was the whole Tae Kwon Do thing. I had already scoped out a school. Like I mentioned in my previous post – I took TKD a couple of years ago and earned my yellow belt. I really liked the school that I attended. It was a member of the International Tae Kwon Do Alliance. I wanted to find a school here that was a member the ITA also, mainly so I would feel that all of the teachings were the same. I decided on this school on 620 (Tae Kwon Do Plus – http://www.texasma.com/) because it’s really close to where I live. I open up the ValuePak (you know what I’m talking about – that envelope full of mostly useless coupons we all get in our mailbox every 2 weeks or so) and there is a coupon for the school I had already picked out! $29.00 for enrollment and uniform! Very nice! To make sure I stick to this and also because it’s the cheapest route, I’m going to pay that plus $74/month for 2 years of training. I can’t believe that’s all it is going to cost me. I am super excited (which has been a reoccurring theme throughout my postings)! First the kayak posting, then the 401K book, and now the TKD coupon – its all falling into place! Life is so good right now in so many aspects. I feel so extremely blessed. I’m sorta starting to wonder if the sky is about to fall out…hehe.

Working Out! Yeah, not always fun, but the results sure are nice. I wanted to focus on some of the things on my list that will take time to actually achieve. One of those being to obtain a killer body. Obviously, I’m not going to go on a few runs and get this one. I started working out shortly before compiling the list. Having been so lazy and inactive for so long (since I moved to Texas – almost 8 months ago!!!), I’ve really been easing into working out. I’ve been running for a couple of weeks now, and last night I started my fluidity (you’ll have to Google this one – but it really does work). The fluidity workout is tough! For anyone who is skeptical, I dare you to just try it – mine if you need. What I love about fluidity is that when coupled with cardio, results can be seen in as little as two weeks! Before I moved to Texas, this was my workout – run and fluidity. I had a good body, but I’m after something a little more than “good.” So, my goal now is to add to what I already know works well for me and that I can stick with. Now that I have bought the kayak, I can add that to my list of active activities. I also want to start Tae Kwon Do very shortly. I’m not sure if any of you know, but I actually took TKD for a summer and earned my yellow belt. I am really looking forward to starting it up again. It was so much fun and very rewarding. At some point, I also want to add archery. All of these activities put together sound good to me! But please feel free to invite me along to any activity you might be doing – running, biking, hop scotch, underwater basket weaving, whatever! – just get me off my ass!! And if you see me around ask me what kind of exercise I did today, yesterday, this week – and ride my ass about it! I’ll thank you if I’m ever on the cover of Fitness magazine. 😉

I am sooooo excited! Ever since I created this To Do list I’ve been excited to start it, excited to finish it, and generally just excited to see what experiences come out of checking things off the list. So, I got a wild hair on Saturday and began to read the craigslist postings on the look out for a kayak. And what do you know – the second time I check someone has just posted one that is EXACTLY what I was looking to buy! Sometimes life just works out so well! 🙂 It’s perfect for learning, in great condition, and though it doesn’t really matter, it’s pink!! I can not wait to get her out on the water. Anybody wanna join me?? I feel so good – doing things I used to only dream of doing. It’s just such an awesome feeling to stop being a dreamer and start being a doer. Ok, I’ll always be a dreamer…but from now on I want to make more of them come true. Big thanks to my roomie Jason for hauling this huge kayak from South Austin…you’re the best!

Here are some pics taken right after getting her home and into the garage – look at what a perfect fit it is for me:

Bryan has turned me onto this ultimate to do list. So, basically I compiled a list of all the things I want to do by the time I turn 30. I dunno how any of my friends feel about that age, but (yikes!) I’m absolutely terrified of it. However, after I made the list, I was reading back over it and thought to myself – “Self, if you can achieve all of or even most of these things, then I don’t think you will feel so bad about turning 30. I mean, look at how much you’ve already accomplished.” Wow! I’m glad I had that talk with myself. I do honestly feel better about leaving my 20’s. So, I have a lil under 5 years to accomplish these tasks. It seems like a lot of time, but I know me – the queen of procrastination. It’ll be a week before my 30th, and I’ll be cursing myself and having panic attacks about being old and life slipping away. But thanks to this to do list, it doesn’t have to play out like that. I’m gonna hang it up in a place where I’ll be forcing myself to look at it on a daily basis and consequently feel bad if things aren’t being checked off. It’s a reminder to keep doing, learning, and simply living (the good kind, not the go to work, go home, go to bed, repeat, where did the week go kind). Also, I’m excited – like really, really excited. Making the list made me stop and think about things. I had to think about what I want in many parts of my life – where I want to go, who I want to be, what I want to experience – the list keeps going. Now I realize that the things I really want aren’t impossible to achieve, they are simply a matter of some effort, time, and dedication on my part. Just knowing what you want is half the battle. I have a clear understanding of where I want to be, and now, I just go do it!

So, here’s the list (I’ll keep you updated when I start to check these things off):

Things to do before I’m 30

PERSONAL
1. Get married
2. STOP picking lips!
3. Take an awesome vacation (Maine?)
4. Get a retirement plan
5. Complete all scrap booking
6. Learn to cook 5 (NEW) dishes well (must be able to repeat with ease)
7. Learn South Austin (as well as I know North)
8. Learn Excel (do CD Lessons)

ART
1. Build an art desk that meets my needs
2. Use large canvas already owned
3. Get a clear understanding of the route I’m going to take with found object art
4. Complete a new dot drawing
5. Finish dot soccer pieces
6. Frame all artwork I own by other artists
7. Sell at least one piece of my art
8. Participate in at least one art show/gallery/competition
9. Take at least one awesome photo shoot per year
10. Start and finish beaded canvas art piece

PROFESSIONAL
1. Find a job I enjoy/love (possibly using degree)
2. Make a salary of at least 35K

MATERIAL
1. Buy a drill press and use it!
2. Buy a Mac (Apple)
3. Buy a canoe or kayak
4. Buy a bow
5. Own a home

ATHLETIC
1. Run 5 miles without stopping
2. Obtain killer body
3. Use canoe or kayak (at least monthly upon purchase)
4. Start Tae Kwon Do
5. Obtain every belt possible in the time frame (TKD)
6. Learn Archery

Blogging. It’s not a new concept to me. I even done it before….sorta (does myspace/facebook count?). But actively having and writing in a blog is very new to me…and very intimidating. However, not scared away too easily, I am vowing to pursue this though it shall be gentle and easy goings at first. So perhaps my biggest question is – “what do I blog about?”. And yes I know – anything goes. That doesn’t mean I want to expose everything nor do I want to bore anyone to tears. I’ll have to tiptoe around until I find my groove. Perhaps my friends who already have found their groove will suggest some tips, topics, guidelines…what have you…in an effort to getting me to the same blogging status. I’m sure that in a matter of no time I’ll be an old hat at this. Here’s to hoping anyway.