Making Feb. 1 the Offical Start to My New Year

I made the usual list of goals to kick off 2010. I went so far as to set Immediate, Mid and Long Terms goals for myself.

With January coming to a close, I must say I am disappointed with the direction things have taken!

One of my short term goals was to get rolling with the remainder of our renovation, hoping that we could have our upstairs bathrooms redone before spring, and the new garage and studio space finished (at least the exterior) by July 1. I set these dates because I didn't want one to interfere with the other, and more importantly because I wanted things to be in place for a party the July long weekend.


You see, Daryl and I will be celebrating 25 years of marriage this year, and I want to have a party :) His parents are celebrating 50 years, so we actually were planning a combined party weekend. Until someone decided to ask the Sr. Burd's for an invitation list. After a bit of mulling it over, they have let us know they do not want a party. Period. :(

We had the contractor that we hired to renovate the basement quote the baths. His quote came in on the high side. Now, if he had been 50% higher than expected we probably would have said, okay, let's get this ball rolling. But he wasn't. His price is between 75% and 100% higher than we were budgeting and expecting. WOW. I don't think the features that I was requesting are really $500 per square foot. Of course I really won't know until I get another quote, but that process will certainly delay my timeline, and make it more or less impossible to do both projects this year, even if I could find the money.

So no reno + unwilling participants = no party.

Another of my longer term goals for this year is to participate in a photography workshop in Alaska this summer. It will require both $ and a level of fitness that I haven't had for a few years ;-). So to meet that goal I am trying to get fit. D gave me a trial at a personal trainer as a gift for Christmas. I had my first session yesterday, and it is a great feeling to be exercising and looking for muscles under all this flab. I am really surprised that I am not at all sore today, and that has me questioning whether I could do more than what the trainer thinks I can. Once again, this service is much more expensive than I had really thought it would be, and so I am again left trying to decide if this is the right path. I have two sessions next week, and then signed up for a 6 week strength class. February will be my month of fitness trials.

There is one short term goal that I made for myself, that I will finish in January. Reworking annmcraephotography.ca is almost finished. A few final touches and I will be ready to start the advertising process to generate business this summer sports season.

So, with January almost done, and my hopes for new baths, a garage and a party all but foiled, I say move along. February 1 can be the start of my new year.