It’s a New Year After All…

Posted on January 2, 2016January 2, 2016 by Dusty Roads

Happy 2016! It’s a new Year, a new beginning, a new calendar, a new, well you get the idea.

Did you make resolutions? I did not. Too much of my life is like hanging onto a run away train and I don’t know any way to change that.

Steam in Snow 018e copy

Although I’m told that I work 9-5 Monday – Friday once the busy season starts that kind of goes out the window. Until we get going for this year I really have no idea what my personal time is going to be like.

woman_paper_on_desk

They are adding more staff this year. Most will be starting in February or March and they will be changing the teams so I can’t begin to guess what my work load will be like but glad to have more folks on board.

I got my summary from WordPress about my posts last year. I only added 90 new posts. Well, if you are one of my followers you probably know that already. That’s not very good. Part of the reason was that I was working 7:30 am – 11 pm and weekends for most of the spring and summer and even if I’d had the energy to post a story my mind was too overwhelmed with work to think of anything to write. I try not to write too much about work because I don’t want anything mis-interpreted, good or bad! I love my job but it got out of control last year.

So with fingers crossed that I will have a bit more time here are my hopes for 2016

#1. I’d like to say that I am going to make a real effort to increase my posts this year. If I can’t think of anything to say maybe I can share a picture of Rocky or Buddy.

Buddy 004a

Rockyagain 009a copy

#2. My team gave me a membership to a photography museum and part of the membership is a portfolio review. I am totally an amateur who gets lucky sometimes with my photos so putting together a portfolio that can be reviewed by real professionals is going to be a challenge. But it will make me move out of my comfort zone. So that’s a another goal.

Disney 2012 067 copy

DSC_2101a_edited-1 DSC_1943 copy

#3. No goals about losing weight. By now I know its not gonna happen. Besides, I don’t look so bad for somebody who’s almost ready for medicare but I do have some financial goals.

PhotoPass_Visiting_Magic_Kingdom_Park_7560742758

I raided my savings account to upgrade my time share. It was the smart thing to do but now it’s time to start paying myself back. I feel much better with a healthy emergency fund.

flyingmoney-0603a

And that’s about it for goals..note I did not call them resolutions. So wish me luck and I will wish you all luck with yours too. Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016!

Be Careful What You Wish For

Posted on June 19, 2014June 19, 2014 by Dusty Roads

About a month ago, right before I left for my Tennessee vacation I received a promotion at work. I applied with some hesitation because I was in pretty good place. I wasn’t working very hard and I was making an OK salary. I didn’t have to start work until noon and even then I didn’t have a whole lot to do.

I admit, I was a little bored and I wouldn’t mind the chance to earn a bit more money for those extra things but I was also very aware that I am willing to slow down a bit. I was getting quite a bit of subtle pressure to apply along with assurances that once I mastered the learning curve I’d only be working about 4 hours a day.

So I applied and I got it. Yay! It came with a raise and a chance to earn bonuses. It also came with a fast pace and tons more work. After the first week I really wondered if I’d made a mistake. I was really pushing to keep up and more work just kept coming. I never had a chance to learn the ropes. It was sink or swim and I was dog paddling like crazy.

Now, one month into it I’ve begun to see the pattern. I’ve almost got a hold of the crazy workload. None of it is rocket science. I don’t have to be an attorney to do this job. I just need to keep an eye on the calendar, a lot of what I do is time sensitive. But I am busy and that was one of the things I wanted. And yes, I’ve already made some of the bonuses.

The downside is that I’m really busy. I started out supporting 2 agents and have just added one more who is working in another state altogether. So I’m learning the ropes for a different state. Another learning curve.

I find I am mentally tired at the end of the day. My hobbies, which are cerebral, from photography to reading to writing this blog, have taken a back seat. I just can’t concentrate by the end of my shift. I usually end my day chatting with the senior agent and it turns into a giggle fest because we’re both so tired we’re punchy.

So I apologize if these pages suffer. I’m having a blast with the new job but I’m not sure I’ll be keeping up the every day pace of my posts. 🙁 That makes me sad because I really wanted to meet a goal of posting every day but I guess no post is better than a bad post.

I’ll keep trying but forgive me if I miss a day here and there.

Moderation

Posted on January 24, 2014January 24, 2014 by Dusty Roads

One of my blogging friends recently wrote a post about her annual goals. She goes Birthday to Birthday instead of New Year to New Year. That’s a good idea too that I never even considered. But anyway… this year she chose a word to be her inspiration and guide for the year. She chose a great word…Balance. I’m sure she will enjoy success with a great word like balance. http://learnmoreeveryday.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/another-year-older-a-balancing-act/

If you can find a balance in life or a balance in all things or however you want to think about it, then surely you will have a roadmap for a nice year.

Not wanting to be a total copycat I wondered what would be a word for me if I were to use the same idea. My birthday is right around the corner and although Balance is something I could certainly use I felt another word might be even more appropriate for me. That word is MODERATION.

I go overboard on almost everything I do. Oh my choices and decisions start out good enough. I plot and I plan and then I implement and that’s when everything gets out of hand. I once described my life as feeling like I was on a run away train going 90 miles an hour and all I could do was HANG ON!

I always have more on my plate than I know what to do with.

A perfect example..my blog. I don’t have just one. I have this one which is my main baby, then I have www.dustyroadsphotos.com a companion photoblog, then I have my professional photo web page dustyroadsphotos.zenfolio.com, and my photo card shop, dustyroadsphotos.etsy.com and mustn’t forget flickr.com. Updating all of them takes a lot of time.

Then there’s the posting frequency. I see the traffic drop off dramatically when I miss a day so I set a goal for myself to write a post every day and to post a photo every day. So now I have to try to be creative both in writing and in photography and do it over and over and over again all while working full time and trying to get housework done. Cat hair piles up quickly.

Obviously there’s no moderation in that! 🙂

The other big area that needs moderation is food. Remember the line, I think from the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it they will come”. Well, in my case it’s “if I cook it I will eat it” and I never mastered the trick of cooking for one. It’s just easier to cook in “bulk”. Of course then it can’t go to waste so it goes to my waist instead.

MODERATION…yup that’s what I need in my life. I guess that will be my word for the year. 🙂

What do I hope for in 2014

Posted on January 2, 2014January 2, 2014 by Dusty Roads

What do I hope for in 2014? Oh let’s see…Peace in this world, no more hatred, a cure for cancer, our soldiers home from foreign lands, joy for everyone, no more hunger, no more bigotry, shall I go on? But in my little corner of the world where it’s the small things that I can change I’ll address those little goals and challenges I mentioned a couple of days ago..

Ah yes, those Goals and Challenges.

So here goes.

Lose 50 lbs. (I’ll fit in the tiny airplane seats better, I’ll look better and I’ll feel better.)
Set up a budget (my job change affected my finances so I need to start putting money aside for the extra’s that pop up.)
A photo a day (keeps the camera “TOM” top of mind and will help me continue to improve my skills)
Home Improvement ( the little condo just collects clutter. Time to clean it out, shampoo carpets and maybe get the bedroom painted)
Plan my vacation (I know, that’s what you are all waiting for )
Keep up my blog
Work on friendships and personal relationships so they stay strong and healthy.

So the game plan is…

Health/ Weight Loss

A before picture taken on the first day plus measurements and weight to be updated in a log monthly.
Walk…weather should not be a factor. Start with 1/2 hour daily for month one and evaluate at the end of the month.
Eat healthier. Cut back on carbs and increase salads and veggies and good protein.
Consider buying a bike in the spring depending on progress.

Finances

Open a savings account
Deposit $50 per pay period toward expenses like property taxes and time share maintenance fees .
Pay off the credit card. The balance snuck up over the holidays.
Open a pre paid credit card through AAA for travel and vacation

Hobbies

Take the camera on the walks for my daily photo.
Upload the best of the day. At the end of the week see which photo got the most hits and save it as the photo of the week.
End of the year make a photo book “Best of 2014”
Get a head start on my photo cards for the holidays.
Add more Birthday and special occasion cards to the line.

Home Improvement

Attack the clutter with a vengeance. If it hasn’t been used in 6 months, get rid of it.
Have the carpets shampooed
Paint the bedroom
Get an cabinet or cupboard to organize my photography gear.

Vacation

Pick a location
Plan the vacation
Share the plans here so my content gets more interesting

Blogs

Post daily on Aroundustyroads
Post my daily pictures on Dustyroadsphotos
Work to keep content fresh and interesting by visiting local attractions between vacations.
Increase readership over 2013. No % just an increase will make me happy. At least I know the blog is growing then.

Personal Relations, Friends and Family

Work at the relationship. It won’t stay close if ignored.
Stay in touch with family. Same thing, you can’t stay close if you ignore each other.
Be a friend. Can’t have them unless you’re willing to be one.
Lend a hand when needed even if it’s just to listen.

I think that’s enough to keep me busy for 2014.

Git ‘er Done!

Posted on January 1, 2014January 1, 2014 by Dusty Roads

It’s 2014! Just another day, but it’s not. I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again many more times. The symbolic page turn of the calendar is a clean slate, a new beginning. I can’t help but feel filled with optimism and curiosity about how this year will unfold. The only thing I know for sure is that how I handle what 2014 brings will be up to me.

So as Larry the cable guy says…Let’s Git ‘er done! 🙂

Happy New Year!