Always Thinking Ahead

*Warning - possible risqué content below*

Hello, My name is Tara, and I'm a closet mental-masturbator.

Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that I'm a planner. I love to look ahead and set up goals for myself, I love to organize and write lists. In fact, with me planning takes on such a scope that, more often than not, whether I actually end up DOING what I've been planning for becomes irrelevant. By feverishly planning, I've burned the candles at both ends, and the spark that got the whole ball going burns itself out.

Why am I talking about this? Because it seems that, over the past few weeks, all I've been doing is planning, thinking about things I want to do. Financial planning, weightloss and fitness planning, vacation planning... There must be something in the air, because even Phil, who's a total "live in the now" kind of guy, surprised the crap out of me last night by asking me, out of the blue, what I wanted to do with my life that I hadn't done yet (and that didn't involve traveling, which is too easy).

Financial planning: I've already decided not to buy yarn until Rhinebeck, and it's working out quite well. The propensity towards planning rather than DOING is actually working in my favour on this one. I can look at yarn online all I want, but don't actually BUY anything.

This is a widdle baby goal, however. Phil and I have been debating whether we want to move into a new house or renovate our current one, and have been tossing the pros and cons back and forth for the past few weeks. Again, this whole issue might peter itself out before we decide on anything, but it's still quite the conundrum.

Fitness and weightloss planning: I've been looking at pictures of myself taken over the summer, and I'm not happy. While the baby weight from Maxime was going down for a while, I suspect it's coming back on (I guess I can't really call it baby weight anymore, Maxime being 15 months old and all). I've analyzed the situation at length, and these are the facts:

• I don't exercise. Ever. I'm not going to say I exercise moderately, because that'd be a lie. I've been completely inactive since returning home from Japan. Furthermore,
• I'm not willing to give up my leisure time. When the kids are in bed, I want to sit on the couch and knit, and nothing on this earth is going to deter me from that. Accepting this is key.
• I don't eat right. OK, I don't eat junk food (mostly because I don't want my kids to eat junkfood), but I'm fond of sweets, and my portions have gotten substantially larger over the past few months.

So I've come up with a goal and a plan (surprise!!!). I'm embarking on a healthy eating plan (not a crazy "half-a-grapefruit-for-breakfast-and-broth-for-dinner" diet) and taking up a fitness program. Genius, right???

What's the diet? Reduce my portions, drink plenty of water, go vegetarian for lunch. No alcohol or sweets during the week, and only moderately on weekends.

The workout plan? Since I'm unwilling to give up my evenings, I've only got one option left to me: my lunch hour at work. I checked out a Curves located within walking distance from the office this week, and I think I'm going to sign up. If I can do that 30-minute program, 3 times a week (during my lunch hour), I'll be happy.

My goal? To fit comfortable into these jeans.

Ugh. I bought these before I got pregnant with Émilie and, even at my thinnest, they were tight (they shrank after washing. No really, they DID). They may never become my favourite pair, but I'd like to be able to get them past my knees (which I can't do anymore). I estimate I'd probably have to lose at LEAST 12 pounds to make that happen.

Vacation planning: Phil has to go to Paris for work this Fall. I want to go. Never mind that I haven't finished paying for my trip to Japan (which may enter into conflict with the above-mentioned financial planning). It's Paris, I've never been there, I wanna go.

Plus, Phil and I have racked up a staggering amount of Aeroplan miles (Thank you CIBC!), so I'd like to use them for a family trip. Probably a pipe-dream though (free flights does not equal free trip).

Wow! Well, never let it be said that I don't dream BIG! :)

On the knitting front, I've almost completed the front of Sizzle. Stamina is key now, people. No matter what, I must NOT fizzle on the sizzle! We're entering the dreaded assembly and finishing stage of this project, which is where I usually falter. Gotta keep it up, Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō, Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō.

I also cast on a new pair of socks for some easy commuter knitting. The baby pinwheel, with about 500 stitches on the needles, was just getting to be too much. Unfortunately, as this is destined for the gift pile, I can't show you any progress on that one. Check out my projects on Ravelry if you're so inclined (just not NOW, I haven't put up pictures yet).

Yes folks, I've begun my Christmas knitting. A few nights ago I dreamt that it December 23rd, and I didn't have a single present bought. Not a one. I woke up with a start, and cast on those socks the next day.

Happy Knitting Everyone!