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December 31, 2017

Bring on 2018

Two posts in the same month shut up.  This will happen more often I hope in the new year.  So this is just an end of the year wrap up thing.  I've spent the last few days throwing things away, organizing things, washing things and making plans for a new t-shirt quilt.  That t-shirt quilt planning has opened up a lot of room in my drawers which will help too as I have new t-shirts to replace them with as well as I want to actually get things completely put away after I finish washing them all.  In respect to the myriad of superstitions that surround Southern Black culture after the next load of clothes I'll be on washing hiatus until the 2nd.  We never wash clothes on the 1st of the year.  I think Grandma used to say you don't want to wash away good luck on the first but yeah we just don't do it.  My mother doesn't wash on Sundays but I wasn't in wash mode yesterday so boo we got one or the other.  I'm feeling better about that organizing thing cause really my room was getting a little nuts. 

We're under a wind chill advisory for another two days so not sure the gym will see my cute behind before the 3rd but I am washing new and old clothes for that process.  Found my lock and remember the combination--good looking out random number memory.  Found all of my gym shoes, one pair had been MIA for a minute, and have a bag to pack everything into so I'll be good to go whenever that is at this point.  But this weather is hella disrespectful so I'm glad that I planned well enough to have food ready through the 1st.  Regardless, this year will be on my own again.  I was sad when my trainer announced she was shutting down her online practice but it makes sense.  This isn't away to get rich unless you push more aggressive pricing methods and can attract a continuous client base.  It took me a minute to find her initially and the site that I found her on folded so yeah fitness online is a weird business.  On the other hand I had seen something before I heard from her that seemed intriguing.  I'll tell you more about it if I buy into it fully but give me a month first and we'll see how it goes.  I've done more meal planning as of late just to see if I could.  Honestly, if I cut out the snacking and think like Elizabeth lol this should be the year that Operation Serena Fine stays firmly locked and loaded.  Keep you fingers crossed for me.

OSF may go better with loose curls so I haven't gotten retwisted yet but I may do that just for convenience for a while.  I'm also ready to go get the edges redone about a month in or as needed cause my hair is not trying to leave my head like that anymore. I think I'm rambling now.  Y'all have a good New Year's Eve and I'll see ya next year.

December 24, 2017

I'm not in Witness Protection I promise

So apparently I was more neglectful than I thought I was with this page.  Y'all the last three months of the year have been high octane hot mess.  I'm going to try to keep these in categories that make sense so I'm not randomly but I can't promise that at the moment.  Let's get into it before I take a nap and say forget it again and boom it will be January.

Work: So in all the ways work can be frustrating and exhilarating it was this year.  I was heavily recruited to do something and after saying no to the first two proposals I negotiated a temporary gain to the salary scale and jumped right on in.  I've in in meetings I wouldn't have been privy to otherwise and have been able to share feedback that wouldn't have come up before either.  Lots of professional development opportunities for me and campus and that is flipping amazing let's just be honest.  It's also meant a crap ton more work and while my classes weren't impacted my normal response time to some things slowed up.  However, I was bright and shiny as much as I needed to be and have a few more major projects to wrap up before I can say I did some great work for you in ten months let's see what to do with it now.  I also got one major project to a point of completion and that ate up literally ten of the twelve months of the year.  It also led to a bit of frustration but hell it's over with in one regard for the moment.  New team is composed to move forward and we'll see how that goes.

Weight: Can technically keep this one short.  I am not back over the start weight but I'm only a few pounds still in the loss category.  The stress of the year meant I dropped the one thing that had been my saving grace over the last two years which had been self-care.  I spoke with my trainer about that  a few months ago and asked for a time out.  We're rebooting next week and I am going to try to spend more time taking care of myself as well.  Everyone is happier when I'm happier.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  A girl needs some support.

Hair: So this one is weird.  I lost a ton of hair during my last take down but remember how I said I was slipping on the self-care? Well this fell into that realm too.  I'm totally responsible for the dry hair just saying girl please and taking a break.  It's still thick and while no gain was had from the last updo I wasn't bald lol.  The shape is slightly better now.  I may or may not put it back into a protective style before classes start but for now I am leaving it down, going to try to wash and style it for tomorrow so I can be cute on Christmas.  Regardless, this is part of the must do better option for 2018.  To that end I'm going to probably revisit some of the things I was willing to do a while back that I forgot about when I said this makes more sense.  Products are great but there has to be some routine that I'm willing to stick to at this stage.  And I may have to give away some more products and go with a plan B.  My hair dryer is great but my hair is too thick to be functional with that thing.  I need one made for thick hair with wider brush or comb options.  The diffuser is nice by my arm is literally mad as hell by the time I'm even half way dry.  Gotta use the next few days to plan some stuff out.

Random: birthday was good, dating is weird, friends are funny and my nieces are flipping amazing--big up to my brother for raising delightful children.  Butter London released polish inspired by the color of the year.  One was the direct color and one was Purple Reign.  Yep I copped that well both of them and a third light purple shade to add to my purple mix.  If it was gel I would have flipped my shit but it's not so my toe nails may enjoy it and I'll consider my finger nails.  Donuts are magical, meal prepping is easier when I'm tired for some reason, love my family and life can be good even when it doesn't seem like it.

Here's looking forward to a productive 2018.