A Year in Review

As 2009 closes, I find myself looking back at the year.

• I bought a house
• I renovated it
• I moved my mother to assisted living
• I gave my sister a place to crash for a while - she is on her own road to home ownership!
• Still lovin' my job
• Still lovin' my motorcycle
• Majorly lovin' my man (How did I get so lucky??)
  
• I actually put up two strands of holiday lights - get back!!
• Made substantial progress on my debt, still working on it though
• Every single day reminds me how precious my health is.
  

What do I want to do next year??

• Dive, dammit
• Buy a second house (My current one is almost done, what will I do with my spare time??)
• Go to Sturgis
• Eat better, buy closer to home, more healthy
• Ride the motorcycle a lot
• Go back to school for my masters (may not get to this, but it is a good goal)

Oh, and laugh as often as possible. Mostly at myself.

Food for Thought

I have done a lot of reading and have come to the conclusion I must change my eating habits.

I will do my best to purchase as locally as I can, and purchase those things in season.

I think the American people have decided they do not have any control over big business or how our food is brought to us.
But we do.

We vote with our dollars. If everyone decided to buy local and organic (such on overused word), the agribusiness machine would shift and upheaval would ensue. This needs to happen. If we as a population voted with our dollars, we CAN change how our food is grown, and how the people who grow and harvest it are treated. By making a conscious effort to buy only local, and buy from those who treat the animals they slaughter and the people whom they employee with respect and dignity, we can change how the food business runs.

• Buy at your local farmers' market: There are several throughout the metroplex.
• Plant a garden, even small one.
• Buy what's in season, that way there is less expense going into making the produce/product in the first place.

Buying making small changes in your purchases, we, as a whole, can change things.
It's about supply and demand.
If we demand it -with our dollars- it will be supplied.
Hold big business accountable for how they treat their livestock, their employees and you, their customers.
You do have a voice, you do have a vote.

The gift that keeps on giving

For Christmas, John gave me a Nook. I had been drooling over the Kindle and Nook for a long time and I think he did spectacularly on the gift!

Consequently, I was wish list shopping to build my reading list.

So. Many. Choices.

One of the titles I rolled across was "Survival of the Sickest, Why we need disease."

We do so need disease and as a society, we need to become OK with getting sick, slowing down so our bodies can heal and basically exercising our immune systems.

Disease keeps us healthy. Sounds strange, but it does. Us and our species.

Do yourself a favor and rest when you are sick, only take antibiotics when you have no other choice.

Even when sick, you are exercising....

You are exercising your immune system!!

Happy Holidays!

This is to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday. Spend it with people who are important to you and realize that today, now, is the present.

The catalogs found me!

I have moved so many times over the last three years, most all of the catalogs and extraneous mail I used to get went away.

But alas, this holiday season they are back! Amazing how they find me...they are even addressed to me too. I mean, yes, I understand 'mail forwarding' but still....

One that has returned is Dover Saddlery. I have to admit, flipping through it (I cannot seem to resist) brought on pangs of sadness as I looked over all the cool horsey gear and clothing. It reminded me how much I miss it. It also reminded me how expensive it is.

I would like to start riding again, and with my house almost finished, I hope this next year I will have whatever it takes to get to do just that.

Of course I am thinking of renting my house out and buying a new one...The house stuff may never end...

Motorcycle Dilemma

John and I have decided to take a trip to Sturgis, one of the oldest motorcycle gatherings. It is South Dakota.
And yes, we intend to RIDE the whole way.

Considering I love my little Italian Pony, I have a hard decision to make....

Do I sell my beloved Ducati Monster 800 to buy something more fitting to the 4100 some-odd miles that lie ahead of us?

Or do I keep it, and rent (very expensive!) a bike to ride. (this option does not appeal, but rationally I have to keep it on the table).

Lastly, do I buy a cruiser and have two bikes? (Seems outlandish and I can't justify two bikes)

My frugal nature does not like any of these options. Since I also have a problem "settling" I am stuck.

If I could just go do whatever and did not have financial sense, I would sell it and get a BMW F800 ST, which I have drooled over ever since I sat on it at the motorcycle show two years ago...It has just as impressive a price tag...

Sturgis is in August, so I have a little time to think and chose. Gotta start putting the miles in to build up callouses in the right location....

Any thoughts from my riding friends out there??