Habit Formation

Dear Friends and Family,

Because I've always been interested in habit formation and my finger nails are bitten to nubs and there's an article floating around on habits, I've decided to...

Stop biting my nails? Nope. Start doing laundry.

Yep.

Here's my current routine. I come home. I divest myself of my "pockets" - wallet, watch, glasses, keys, camera, etc. I hang up my coat and put my gloves away. I take my phone upstairs with me and plug it in. I change. I put a pin in my hair. I come downstairs for the evening.

New routine. Same as above. Except, after I put a pin in my hair. If I'm home at a reasonable hour, as in we didn't go out for dinner, I sort through the laundry and bring a load down to wash. I load the washer and set it to clean. I put the laundry basket on the stairs to take up later in the evening. I am downstairs for the evening. Resume former routine.

Sometime in the evening when the load is done I transfer it to the dryer and set it to dry. This is new.

When I head up for bed, instead of just walking up, I bring the laundry basket back up and load the laundry on the floor (from the sorting) back into the basket. Resume former routine of brushing teeth, etc.

I think it's got a shot at working. But, what about the laundry that's now dry that needs to be taken out, folded, brought upstairs, and put away? I've asked Mr. mouse to keep that part afloat for now.


Cheers!
mouse

02.28.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 141.4

I gained 2.2 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

Ouch. It hurts to write that.

Yes. We went out for dinner on Sunday night. Yes. I ate some birthday cake. Yes. I dreamt of ice cream.

No. I'm not convinced I deserved to gain 2.2 pounds.

Before I overreact, I think I should give it another week to see how I do this week. If I lose, then I'll assume it's a fluke. If I don't, then I'll assume I need to readjust.

Things I'm already considering - how do I make sure I'm eating food? I'm eating mostly food, but the baked potato chips they have at work are not food. I can pack my own potato chips which are food.

No. No overreacting. Vitamins. Milk. Water. Track.

See you next week.


Cheers!
mouse

02.27.12: February Almost Gone

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a long list we needed to get through on Saturday that included sledding, a nap and a birthday party. That's ambitious. Fortunately, P fell asleep on our way out to the snow. We played in the snow for a little bit before P decided the hill was "too fast" for her. And, made it to the birthday party in good time. Phew. Disaster averted.

Sunday was a much less ambitious day until Mr. mouse decided he wanted to go sledding again. I'm not sure if he wanted better photos or to get P over her fears or what but he was insistent on going. P was trying to be a good sport, really, but you could tell she really didn't want to go. So, I offered up the park as an alternative, which brought a whole new level of happy to our P and a whole new level of ticked off to Mr. mouse.

P and I had a wonderful time in the park followed by a happy lunch and a good nap. Mr. mouse? He worked off his anger doing errands. We all went out for a happy dinner.

I don't think he realizes how hard she tries to say yes to him. I think he presses his luck sometimes. I know I do as well. But, yesterday, I had no interest in sledding either so I was more than happy to vote with P on the matter.

And, since my spring allergies are starting, I am aware we may have lost our last photo shoot of the winter. But, I'm okay with that.


Cheers!
mouse

Mouse Winter Cabin Time

Dear Friends and Family,

Some people would look on the five years I spent at the Mouse Winter Cabin as a waste of time. I didn't necessarily move my career forward. I didn't necessarily move my relationship forward. I didn't necessarily accomplish anything huge.

But, I think it was the best five years of my life. I had a chance to grow up. I met Mr. mouse straight out of school. And, I wondered if I would ever resent the fact that I never had a chance to be me. I would always be half of us, to a degree.

Those five years were a chance to be me. To grow into who I am today. I still saw Mr. mouse every weekend and I still talked to him every night, but it was still a chance to be me. And, I'm eternally grateful I had that opportunity.


Cheers!
mouse

Happiness Map Revisited

Dear Friends and Family,

It's the last week of February. How did I do on my three goals of eating right, spending time with family, and spending time with friends?

Well, I've been trying to eat right. And, I'm happy with my weight loss. I guess I continue on that for now.

On spending time with family? I've been doing that and I like doing that so I guess I will keep doing that.

On spending time with friends? Less successful. I have a trip planned to see my sister. I invited my mom to see P. But, frankly, it's a pain in the neck to schedule and then manage a calendar. I think I need to replace this one.

There's traveling which we do have lined up for later this year. And, there's work. I can either focus on current work or my idea. Perhaps, that'll be my goal for March - progress on the idea.

Okay. New Top 3 for March. Eating Right. Time with Family. The Idea.


Cheers!
mouse

Bus Day

Dear Friends and Family,

P is home with pink eye so I am taking the bus to work today. Thankfully, it's not snowing or anything so it should be a good day. I'm looking forward to the down time.


Cheers!
mouse

02.21.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 139.2

I lost 0.2 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

0.2 lbs. I'll take it.

First, in isolation it's 0.2 lbs. A loss is a loss.

Second, in context, it's 2.0 lbs over two weeks because I had a 1.8 lb loss the week before. And, 2 lbs over 2 weeks is fine by me. Better than fine, truth be told.

Third, in additional context, it was a miserable week from a Weigh Watchers perspective.

• Monday, we went out to buy P's Valentine's Day gifts and our milk and ate at the supermarket food court for dinner.
• Tuesday, we ran into traffic on the way home because apparently it's all the thing to eat out on Valentine's Day. We ate at the airport for dinner.
• Wednesday, there was an event at school to meet P's teachers. We ate at fast food Chinese for dinner.
• Thursday, there was an accident on the way home. We ate out late and unplanned.
• Friday, it was lunch with a girlfriend and Mom's Night Out Happy Hour.
• Saturday, it would have been a Chinese New Year party we bailed on.
• Sunday, it was the first of several Restaurant Week meals we have over the next ten days.
• Monday, it was fortunately a day to breathe.

See? In context, losing any weight is a testament to sheer luck. Hopefully this week will be a little less hectic because I really don't need any more 26 point disappointing hamburgers this week.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Tired. I woke up at 3:13 AM thinking about my weigh-in. Sigh.

02.20.12: Monopoly Money

Dear Friends and Family,

After a crazy week, I needed a quiet weekend.

Saturday, we did the usual morning routine of getting P fed, exercised, and read to. And, we went for a little walk looking for a present for my sister who is due in May.

The afternoon was spent in the laziest way possible. Mr. mouse took P for a walk and I climbed into bed and took a long afternoon nap. I needed that after the week. Really. Every day this past week was something. A nap was just what the doctor ordered.

Sunday, we went for a walk in the park. We fed the geese and the ducks while successfully avoiding the overly eager squirrel. I'm still edgy around squirrels after the squirrel incident (there was an angry mommy squirrel protecting her nest in the power meter box). Then, P napped while Mr. mouse did grocery shopping and I read book 2 of the Hunger Games.

We finished off the day by going out to dinner. P did well, but not as well as she used to. I think we need to go to some new places. She does well in places she knows. New places tend to try her. Time to continue expanding our horizons.

And, now, it's Monday. Hopefully it's a quiet week at work. I need a quiet week at work. I really do.

The title of the post? Oh. On Sunday, I looked at how our accounts were doing and we're a third of the way to retirement. It's not real money since I can't go out an spend it tomorrow and there's no telling what it'll be worth when we do retire. But, it's money that still made me happy.


Cheers!
mouse

Live Another Day

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Friday and after a most stressful week, I live to work another day.

We had another round of "cost reduction" yesterday. And, I know at some point it'll be my turn. But, yesterday, it was not.

We were estimating how many rounds I've seen in my career. And, the current guesstimate is approximately a dozen.

I'm getting too old for this. I just want to curl up in a warm bed and wait for spring.


Cheers!
mouse

Found Money

Dear Friends and Family,

Found money. You can't rely on it. You can't plan for it. Nonetheless, if you find it, don't complain. It's still money.

Mr. mouse found some money recently. No, not money on the street or a wallet or anything like that. We got a check from an account because he had been withholding dollars to pay for P's school. And, now that we've paid it we get it back. There's some tax advantage I don't fully understand. Nevertheless, if you find it, don't complain. It's still money.

Now, I just need to wrap my head around what to do with it. Do we think of it as regular income? Or we think of it as extra income? Ultimately, that helps me decide if we save the money or if the money is available for spending. If it's regular income, then I'm okay keeping the found money and using it to offset Mr. mouse's January paycheck withholding. If it's extra income, then we should save 90% of it and find a way to tighten our belts to make up for January.

I think it's regular income. We paid for school. We're getting that back. Like an income tax refund.

Even if you can't rely on it and can't plan for it doesn't mean I don't like found money. Yeah for mouse.


Cheers!
mouse

Hallmark Holidays

Dear Friends and Family,

I must have written about this before since the title auto-filled.

P came home with a bag of loot. It was nothing like the bounty that her toddler teacher bestowed on her last year, but evidence that the Hallmark holidays continue to thrive. And, last night, if we had any doubt, it was erased when we saw the army of cars headed in for dinner.

Traffic was through the roof.

Fortunately, we didn't have plans. So, I slogged through the traffic and met Mr. mouse at the airport. We had a delicious dinner of sandwiches and salad and then played with P in the playground before heading home. We had the place to ourselves.

So, despite the unexpected traffic, we had a lovely evening.


Cheers!
mouse

02.14.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 139.4

I lost 1.8 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

Now, that's what I'm talking about.

Actually, that's a little disconcerting since I thought I'd be lucky to eke in any loss whatsoever. I'll take it. Because, I'm not that ungrateful wretch who's never satisfied. But, it does raise the bar for next week.

What it really does is remind me that although my progress was slower than I wanted for the first month, I am making progress. This will work if I continue being focused and trying my best.

13X. I'd love to say good-bye to the 140s forever. But, somehow I think I'll see it on the scale a couple more times before I get solidly into the 130s.

Plan for the week? Track. Vitamins. Milk. Water.


Cheers!
mouse

02.13.12: Happy Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Where do the weekends go? Oh, I know. I downloaded The Hunger Games for "free" and it took a good piece of the weekend to read through it. I think I'll have to pace myself for the next book. As it is, I need to wait until March 1 to download it since this is a Amazon Prime free thing.

Saturday, we took P to the park to go sledding, but there wasn't enough snow to sled down the hill, so we walked around in the snow instead. P has fun getting pulled by Mr. mouse and me. And, she attempted to pull Mr. mouse on the sled which was quite funny. At some point, she almost fell asleep on the sled while I was pulling her, and that's when we decided it was time to finish up. She had this groggy look of I'm not sleeping, I'm just resting, pull me some more, what's going on, on her face.

Oh, and she took a tumble down the stairs trying to walk in her snowsuit and boots, but I won't spend a lot of time on that here. Suffice it to say, I think it scared her more than anything else. And, it scared us as well.

Sunday, we took P to the museum to see the dinosaurs. But, she had no interest in them. Instead, we spent the afternoon playing in the family play lab with the drums and the pretend corn and the microscope and since we got in for free, it wasn't a bad use of the afternoon. Now, if we had paid $30 for the three of us, that would have been a different story altogether.

And, now, it's Monday. And, it's half way through February. How am I doing against my three goals?

• eating right
• spending time with family
• spending time with friends

Let's see. This weekend we went to a Mardi Gras party. That was a good time with friends. We had dinner with Auntie Janet which is more time with friends. We went to the park and the museum which is time with family. And, we'll see how the weigh-in goes tomorrow. The eating wasn't stellar, but it was within the bounds of acceptable.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: First day without a nap on Sunday. P was tired by end of day, but she made it through without a meltdown. In hindsight, I should have let her sleep at 2 when we got to the museum.

Being a Parent

Dear Friends and Family,

Work is getting precarious - as, it always seems to at some point. This time it feels more complicated because, in addition to my job which feels uncertain at best, the company feels precarious and uncertain at best. This alone makes it more complicated than before. But, on top of that, because P is at school and her eligibility is tied to my work, it feels SO much more complicated than before.

Still, after working through all of the possible combinations, I think the best course of action is to leave her at school. I say this because I don't want to transition her twice in two years - seems like a lot to ask of a two-year-old - unless I have to. I'd rather transition her once, ideally when she's four, but if it makes sense earlier or later.

Perhaps I'd be more willing to do it if one or more friends were willing to make the move with her. Then, I'd feel better about it not being as disruptive.

Nonetheless, for now, I'm knowingly leaving her at school. I am knowingly working towards my idea. I am knowingly leaving myself exposed to getting laid off or having the company close on me.

I am knowingly doing all of this. Yet, I will try not to be surprised when all of this shocks me in the end.


Cheers!
mouse

Pertussis aka Whooping Cough

Dear Friends and Family,

On Tuesday, we got an email from school that one of P's classmates had a confirmed case of whooping cough. On Wednesday, the school got a list of required actions from the County Health Board. Pick-up yesterday was somber. I'm not sure what the mood today will be.

P's got two of her five doses of preventative antibiotics in. The first she took with sad faces with me. The second she took with chocolate sauce with Mr. mouse. (I think he's vying for favorite parent status.)

Wish us luck. So far it seems a little surreal - like when we went through swine flu. But, in my head, I know whooping cough is more dangerous than swine flu.


Cheers!
mouse

Blank Mind

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Wednesday and not much is coming to mind.

Work is work.

Weight Watchers is Weight Watchers.

We've made some plans for March to see friends so that's progress on that front.

And, time with P and Mr. mouse is good.

Just waiting for a light bulb of sorts to go off in my head.


Cheers!
mouse

02.07.12: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 141.2

I lost 1.2 lbs since my weigh-in last Tuesday.

1.2 in a week? Hurray! 1 pound in the past four weeks? Boo!

This is the point last time when I got discouraged and quit tracking.

But, I'm going to try and think about this in a bigger frame. The first month is throw away data. You have a huge loss followed by, well in a perfect world, huge losses. But, in my world, a whole lot of nothing. But, I lost this week. And, if I can lose or stay flat, that's still better than gaining.

So, I will continue to drink my milk, drink my water, take my vitamins and track my food this week in the hope that next week I have more good news to share.


Cheers!
mouse

02.06.12: Being Anti-Social

Dear Friends and Family,

With a February of social engagements looming in front of us, and desperate for a good weigh-in, and unsure of my will power, and unsure of P's ability to stay away from the screen, we passed on the Super Bowl party last night.

Instead, we spent Saturday doing the last of the party clean up. And, because the weather was nice, P got to go for a walk with Mr. mouse.

And, on Sunday, we decided to go to the Science Museum, even if it was a gorgeous day outside. P loved the science museum. I can see us being regulars there which is 100% okay with me. And, I can see us getting a membership when she turns 3. She's free for now, so the break-even on membership is a lot higher than once we have to pay for her.

Sunday night, we read and played flash cards and took a bath and passed on the Super Bowl party. And, although I missed the food, I'm okay with this morning's weigh-in. So, I can't complain. Although, unlimited chips and salsa and guacamole and pizza and wings and Diet Coke would have been fun too.

I think one year I planned ahead and had chips (pre-portioned) and salsa and a Lean Cuisine barbecue chicken pizza and all the Diet Coke I could drink, and it felt good. Perhaps that'll be my plan for next year's Super Bowl.

It's not easy to forgo eating today for eating tomorrow. But, somehow, I can't see how I'll make goal without some sacrifice or change in behaviors.

Now, I need a plan for next weekend's Mardi Gras party.


Cheers!
mouse

February

Dear Friends and Family,

Looking at my happiness map, I've got a couple of options for what to focus on in February...

• eating right
• organizing the house
• doing tasks
• doing nothing
• spending time with family
• sleeping
• spending time with friends
• travelling
• working
• saving for retirement

Yep. The 10 primary activities that ultimately lead to a happy mouse.

That's not so bad. And, it all falls under four umbrellas.

1. financial security
2. intellectual challenge
3. being relaxed
4. when things look good

Top 3 for February (or until I revisit this). Drum roll, please.

Eating right has to be on the list. I need to do this and it takes time. It's, sadly, not overnight.

Organizing the house. We've made a lot of progress on this front. But, I feel like I'll be neglecting other things if I spend a lot of time here, now.

Doing tasks. Actually, our to do list is pretty stable at the moment. So, I'm not feeling a compulsion here.

Spending time with family. Always a good go to top 3. I'll keep it on the back burner and see what else pops.

Spending time with friends. That one has potential. Huh. I need to think on this one.

Travelling. I don't feel like I've got the time or the money to think about this one now. I'll wait until later in the year when we're recovered from the holidays and the IRA contributions.

Working. This one is one to think about. I think I should let the latest round of changes soak in. I have a new boss starting in a couple of weeks. I think I'll put this on the watch list for now, but it's not a priority.

Saving for retirement. This one also has potential. If I wanted to tackle this one, it's not going to be fun. I know we could be saving more. But, we're saving a lot and we're enjoying life. If we save more, in a way, we'll enjoy life less. I don't think there's a ton of fat to cut. I do think the one area we could cut back on is eating out. And, given the focus on eating right, I think that'll happen naturally without us spending a lot of time focused on this arena. There are two things I need to stay on top of - watching the investments and making sure we don't stockpile in cash. We need to be investing our dollars, not holding them in cash. So, work to be done, but not a new priority.

So, where does that leave me?

Potential Top 3

• eating right
• spending time with family
• spending time with friends

There you have it. After much agonizing and rationalizing. My Top 3.


Cheers!
mouse

February

Dear Friends and Family,

It's February. It's one month into the new year. Time slips by faster and faster.

Where do I want my February to go?

I'm not sure. It would be easy to set up four things on a to do list and then do one each weekend, but things like Weight Watchers take time.

I'm going to go all Dr. Seuss on you - there's a book I bought for myself at one point and in it he refers to The Waiting Place...

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

So, my goal for February is to figure out:

1. specifically what I am waiting for
2. what I need to do to shorten the waiting time to as short as possible so I am ready to hit the gas when I am done waiting

That is my goal for February.


Cheers!
mouse

Barely Black is the New Black

Dear Friends and Family,

After an almost record January, the mouse family is back in the black, barely.

Our 12 month rolling average is positive again. Happy dance time. Well, at least for today.

I know. It could all be gone in an instant. But, for now, it feels good to be making progress on the retirement front. I don't have grand ambitions. I don't have giant needs. I'm not overly aggressive. I just need slow and steady progress.

Here's to 2012 maybe turning the corner on The Great Recession. Maybe.


Cheers!
mouse