Meeting people and keeping in touch

Hah, two posts in one day from me! Even though I really need to shower and go to the grocery store...

I was reading through Illini_girl's blog just now...and it struck me. She knows a lot of people and keeps in touch with so many! Actually, this struck me before, just never had the gumption to write about it. (or am I just procrastinating instead of getting OFF of the couch!?)

I wonder why it's so easy for some people to keep in touch, but not for others? I always thought I did a good job in the past, or at least it seemed that way. Did I really though? I only talk to 2 people from childhood/HS. When college first started, I thought I did well at keeping in touch, but I guess not. Maybe the other people just got busy? Who knows? I went to Girls State in HS and I met a really cool group there...and we wrote for a bit, but then the letters stopped even though I kept writing. Again, it didn't work.

I think about my college friends--I only had a group of 5 (6 counting me) and two of them have just about fallen off of the face of the earth. I don't get it. I tried and tried, and to me, friendship is a two way street. I'm not really mad at anyone, just disappointed. I mean, when the two moms can keep in touch more than two single ladies...you gotta wonder ;-) Perhaps they've moved on and found "new lives" and I haven't?

I've only made one real grown up friend (meaning: I didn't use school to meet them) and I feel really weird at times, because I don't have a group or even really another couple to invite over to hang out with DH and me.

Work has cliques and perhaps I'm better off staying neutral, especially if I might be promoted to manager or something. But it sucks. The one girl who I was getting tight with--she got fired and now I'm doing her stuff! I have very little social interaction at work. It's a small company, mostly men, and the girls who do work there were all friends with each other in college! WTF?

Most of the time, this stuff doesn't bother me, and I just go about my merry way and do my work and go home...but sometimes it's lonely. Sometimes it'd be nice to have someone to eat lunch with or gossip about the boss with.

There's a part of me that wonders if I've blogged about this before, and if I have, my apologies. Obviously it's still bothering me. :-P

But what is it that some people just want to keep in touch with others? Very interesting question. I better go shower now. lol

A bit better

Whatever funk I was in has seemed to pass. I started cleaning off the deck, in anticipation of planting things in my pots. I emptied all of the leaves out of the pots and flipped them over to drain and dry out. Pretty soon, I can get some kind of flowers or something to put in them, and I have the potting soil I need. I also need to figure out how to separate my aloe plant. It's HUGE! I need to put the babies in smaller pots.

Today, I'm off to RI to see my roomie from college (B) and her kids! I is almost 3 now and A is 6.5 months (I think?). I should know this since he was born the day before my wedding, lol. I bet they are huge! I haven't seen them since late October, at A's baptism. It's going to be gorgeous out so we might go to our old college and walk around. Ha!

Have a great day!

You are what you eat.

DH and I talked about my weight stuff and my food...he pointed out that I do have a tendency to snack, especially at night. The "indulgences" at work do not help, either.

I have started writing down everything that goes into my mouth, just to have a record so that when the scale goes up, I don't think "what happened???" The proof will be right there.

For now, I'm planning on being "good" for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and then for dinner I can have what I want. "Good" means low carb, high protein, lots of veggies and dairy...the way I'm "supposed" to eat. If that doesn't help me lose anything, then I'll re-evaluate the dinner options. Of course, I'll be stepping it up more at the gym, too.

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In other news, DH is feeling a bit better. He realized he has cabin fever and just needs to get out of the house more. He went to his dad's yesterday for a few hours and they worked on their fishing gear and attempted to go fishing. Too many OTHER fishermen made their favorite spot pretty crowded, so they gave up, but DH said it was still good to just get out. Now that the weather is getting REALLY nice, I think there will be more opportunities. Yay!

Tonight, we're actually going out and SOCIALIZING. No joke. My friend from high school, K and her husband, invited us over to play games. DH finds her husband boring, but he's actually willing to go, lol.

I picked up another plant book at the library yesterday. I really need to buckle down and read them/take notes this weekend.

I think work might get even more busy for me. A coworker got brought into the office of Mr. Owner with Bossman and HR. She's in quasi-big trouble, but part of me feels that she did some of it to herself. She opened her mouth, now she has to deal with the consequences of speaking out. I think they might be taking some of her work and giving it to me/my department. I need an assistant.

But on a cooler note, I get to go to a beach-side resort two states away for a trade show next month! Very exciting!

Some more about me, if you don't already know.

Like I said in my little sidebar bio located to your right, I am a newly married twenty something. WHOO HOO, give me a cookie!!!!

I also should tell you I am pretty sarcastic and like to joke around, with a nice dash of self-deprecating humor thrown into the mix.

I am female.

I live in a New England state that has a coastline (and before any of you smarties say that all of New England is on the coast, you're wrong. Vermont is land-locked.). I've always lived here, except for the 4 years I went to college in another New England state...and the roughly 6 months I spent in yet another New England state, living in "the big city" trying my hand being a professional academic and clothes-whore. Both which left me pretty strapped for cash! haha

I have a job. While I would love to be a SAHKM (stay at home kitty mom) that' s just not in the cards right now. Maybe not ever. I do enjoy my job, most days, and I'm finally finding that there are jobs out there that are enjoyable enough and pay enough. All of my post-college jobs have involved books, and that's all I'll say about my current position.

I am trying to "find myself." Yeah, clever, right? I'm finally getting over the wedding high and the post-wedding blues and thinking, "okay, what next?" Most newlyweds either buy a house or have a baby. Neither of those are options for DH and I right now. For several reasons of which I assure you, dear reader, will make for many blog entries down the road.

This has been my life since college. Live in big city. Move back to hometown. Work at famous university for 2.5 mind-numbing years. Meet DH somewhere during that time (almost 1 year into that job). DH gets into pretty bad accident. All life is put on hold while he recuperates, almost to 100%, thank God. I try grad school again for some time, decide it's really not for me. Quit mind-numbing job to take a very low-paying job at a small company, but it's the perfect job for me and my interests. Stay there almost 1.5 years. DH and I get engaged, suddenly realize I need to grow up and make MONEY! I look for a new job, find current (better paying) position. A year into that job, DH and I get hitched (Sept 07). Go to HAWAII on our honeymoon. Consider never coming back except we like our cars and we have 3 cats who miss us. Ooops. Then the holidays come. Now here we are in weird March.

As you see, I've always been on this constant roller-coaster of life. Now I'm at this stand-still. What do I do with myself? I am content in my job (for at least another year or so). No house yet. No babies yet.

During this time that I've been out of college, I haven't really branched out and made any new social networks. I was quasi-lazy and I depended on my friends who stayed in the hometown or close by...but over the past few years, it's obvious that we have all changed. It's sad, but it's reality. Some were just natural grow-aparts, some were fights, some were...I don't know. My friends from college live far away now and have their own lives. I miss them, but again, it's reality. There's no ill-will or anything...it's just time and distance and SOs and kids and jobs and life.

I need some friends, some things to do. I love DH very much, but some times you just need some girlfriends. It is HARD to meet people when you are out of school. I've only made one real friend post-college. My friend C. I am lazy at times and I don't like to do the dirty work and get shy and anxious and all of that. If I want friends and want to be social, I have to bite the bullet and get out there.

I also need to improve myself. Since college, I've gained about 70 lbs total. Gross. I am in danger of becoming a statistic. NO THANK YOU. I am smarter than that. I recently joined a gym and have been going at least 3x a week. Tomorrow is my 3rd weigh-in. Lets see if I lose any weight. I am also trying to change my eating habits. This is hard, esp. when DH is a FOODIE and an excellent cook. I was always a pretty good eater, but got lazy after some time...and I met DH and was like "oooh he likes me! I can get FAT now!" j/k

So that's the inside--diet, exercise, and a therapy session now and then to work on my anxiety--which both fuels me and hinders me.

Outside--I need to work on the social aspect, as I mentioned up-entry. I also need to work on my hobbies and interests. I used to read all.of.the.time. but not so much anymore. I have begun reading at the gym. I also am really crafty--needlework, beading, sewing. I dabble in a lot of things. I started working on this needlepoint wall hanging thing that I had started a few years ago and let fall to the wayside. It's nice to see my progress. Then there are things I want to learn how to do, like more about gardening. We rent a condo with a small deck on the back, so I can grow plants in pots. I would love to have some fresh tomatoes this summer!

The outside is more about personal enrichment, I think.

Okay, that's enough for now. It's 4pm and DH and I have dinner reservations for a belated birthday dinner at 6. Time to shower and get pretty.

Editing to add: One more thing. DH recently got laid off from his hell-hole of a job, so that will definitely be discussed here often, since it impacts both of us. But we're trying to look at the bright side of things.