And...by the time you read this, I'll be in a different country! It still astounds me that I can visit so many different, exotic countries with a 3 hour flight from Auckland: Rarotonga, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Australia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Cook Islands...
I'm sort of treating myself with this trip--since I probably will be too worried about money to do much travelling after I quit my job/my contract ends in April, this is my last hurrah.
I also fit in another run before I left. Hope my body is beach-ready!
More details after I return the second week of January.
Friday, December 28, 2012
C25K week 6, workout 2 done!
Today I had to work out early because I had to be ready for a dinner at 8 pm. I ended up running around 6:30 instead of my usual 7:30, and making it a quick one--only ~30 minutes. Man, I don't want to do THAT again! It was soo incredibly hot! And the sun was beating down on me. My face was bright bright red, even after about 5 minutes of cool down and another 10 minutes of stretching.
But it was an OK run, I suppose. I had to do 10 minutes of running, then 3 minutes walking (again, I felt like it was too long), then another 10 minutes. It's funny--when I did my 30 minute run, and long runs before then, it got easier towards the end--the hard part was the first km or so. With these C25K runs, I'm finding it easy to get through the first interval, but really difficult to get through the next few. Oh well. Work out done for yet another day!
Also, everyone I know around my age that wasn't married before now, is now engaged! I am the last one standing...probably forever. :)
But it was an OK run, I suppose. I had to do 10 minutes of running, then 3 minutes walking (again, I felt like it was too long), then another 10 minutes. It's funny--when I did my 30 minute run, and long runs before then, it got easier towards the end--the hard part was the first km or so. With these C25K runs, I'm finding it easy to get through the first interval, but really difficult to get through the next few. Oh well. Work out done for yet another day!
Also, everyone I know around my age that wasn't married before now, is now engaged! I am the last one standing...probably forever. :)
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Log for Boxing Day
It's Boxing Day, and I was determined to not let my two-day Xmas no exercise streak continue. I did two missions on Zombies, Run! in the rain, and completed the Week 6, Day 1 C25K workout. It was not easy, but I felt like the walking intervals were too long (3 min.).
Weeks 5 and 6 of C25K are when $hit gets real. Earlier in the week, you're supposed to do all these smaller intervals of running and walking, but then by the end, they have you running 20+ minutes straight. I have already done 30 min. straight of running, but I have a mental block against doing it again, so I'm easing into it with the C25K runs.
I had an easy day. I bought a snorkel and mask for snorkeling in the tropics next week, and am in the throes of a mess of packing for that trip. I'm bringing absolutely everything. It's nuts.
Weeks 5 and 6 of C25K are when $hit gets real. Earlier in the week, you're supposed to do all these smaller intervals of running and walking, but then by the end, they have you running 20+ minutes straight. I have already done 30 min. straight of running, but I have a mental block against doing it again, so I'm easing into it with the C25K runs.
I had an easy day. I bought a snorkel and mask for snorkeling in the tropics next week, and am in the throes of a mess of packing for that trip. I'm bringing absolutely everything. It's nuts.
Workout and Xmas Update
I didn't end up doing anything for the 24th and 25th--other activities got in the way:
On Christmas Eve, I went to see the Hobbit and do some shopping at the local mall. Courtesy of someone I did a favor for at work, I had two movie vouchers that I used to take me and my friend to the movies. While at the mall, I bought a bunch of school supplies to take with me to the outer islands of Vanuatu when I go next week. In the evening, my friend and I went to a candlelight church service, which is my favorite service of the year. Very meaningful and interesting, because I went to a different kind of church (Unitarian) than I did while growing up. I didn't get home until about 9:45, which meant I lost my running window.
On Christmas, I finished baking one of the dessert dishes I learned in my cooking class, and took it over to a friend's place. We were there from mid-day until about midnight, which also meant that I lost my running window. It was fun, though, and we played Taboo and Cranium and had a nice grill out outside. Everyone liked my dessert, and I have officially conquered the skill of caramelization. Success, though one friend liked it better when I slightly burned the caramel. :)
I'm back at it this evening.
Happy Holidays to all (NOT Merry Christmas as everyone says here, regardless of to whom they are speaking--you might not celebrate Xmas!! :))!
On Christmas Eve, I went to see the Hobbit and do some shopping at the local mall. Courtesy of someone I did a favor for at work, I had two movie vouchers that I used to take me and my friend to the movies. While at the mall, I bought a bunch of school supplies to take with me to the outer islands of Vanuatu when I go next week. In the evening, my friend and I went to a candlelight church service, which is my favorite service of the year. Very meaningful and interesting, because I went to a different kind of church (Unitarian) than I did while growing up. I didn't get home until about 9:45, which meant I lost my running window.
On Christmas, I finished baking one of the dessert dishes I learned in my cooking class, and took it over to a friend's place. We were there from mid-day until about midnight, which also meant that I lost my running window. It was fun, though, and we played Taboo and Cranium and had a nice grill out outside. Everyone liked my dessert, and I have officially conquered the skill of caramelization. Success, though one friend liked it better when I slightly burned the caramel. :)
I'm back at it this evening.
Happy Holidays to all (NOT Merry Christmas as everyone says here, regardless of to whom they are speaking--you might not celebrate Xmas!! :))!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Running Plus Volcano = Death
So tonight I tried something a little different: 2 missions of Zombies, Run! (with zombie chases turned off) plus a Couch to 5K training run, on the way to the summit of Mt Eden and back home.
Uh...yeah. Homie ain't ready fo' all dat.
The running plus climbing the volcano made me winded way earlier than I usually am, even during pre-my recent running phase. Either/or works best.
But I made it. Another hour, enjoying sweating in the out of doors. Before you know it, I'll be healthy and junk. The skies were remarkably clear for Auckland, so I got a great view all the way out to Great Barrier Island. The various peaks of the Coromandel peninsula were even visible! Amazing considering we are supposed to be under a weather warning in a few short hours (conveniently, over Christmas, BAH HUMBUG!).
I need more upbeat workout music, getting tired of my playlist:
Any suggestions? (Yes, I like explicit versions, especially when working out!)
Uh...yeah. Homie ain't ready fo' all dat.
The running plus climbing the volcano made me winded way earlier than I usually am, even during pre-my recent running phase. Either/or works best.
But I made it. Another hour, enjoying sweating in the out of doors. Before you know it, I'll be healthy and junk. The skies were remarkably clear for Auckland, so I got a great view all the way out to Great Barrier Island. The various peaks of the Coromandel peninsula were even visible! Amazing considering we are supposed to be under a weather warning in a few short hours (conveniently, over Christmas, BAH HUMBUG!).
I need more upbeat workout music, getting tired of my playlist:
Any suggestions? (Yes, I like explicit versions, especially when working out!)
An Easy Walk, then another climb
The streak continues. I put in 40 minutes or so last night on an easy walk and my hip felt OK yesterday. Today, however, the soreness continued when I probed my IT band and hip a little bit. Nevertheless, I decided to go up Mt Eden again, taking it slower today. Hope to get back to 10K training soon.
It is very interesting to me that walking briskly and climbing hills could induce pain, but running for 30 minutes straight on a relatively level surface did not.
It is very interesting to me that walking briskly and climbing hills could induce pain, but running for 30 minutes straight on a relatively level surface did not.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Prepping for the Holidays
Time to get my game plan on for Xmas and NYE!
I have trips planned for both. Unfortunately, the weather is looking less than sparkly for the 25th here in the Northland, but I have tent camping at the beach lined up. I finally get out of town for Christmas, and it rains! Noooooo! Sigh. I wish I had the moolah to transport me and my friends to whatever locale happens to be sunny.
Fortunately NYE is in entirely different country, so I'm hoping the weather there is better at that time.
At least I have my money sorted! I've gone through my credit cards and paid off those that are due close to the time I'm away. One less worry! I have about $600 to spend for the rest of the month, not including the $1K savings that I've set aside.
After I'm back, I'll have to start the long, onerous process of doing my US taxes. It will be even more awful this year because I started my taxable investment fund. Lord knows how complicated that will make the forms.
I just calculated that I have made approximately $660 extra bucks from renting out my garage, though! That is awesome and completely passive income.
I have trips planned for both. Unfortunately, the weather is looking less than sparkly for the 25th here in the Northland, but I have tent camping at the beach lined up. I finally get out of town for Christmas, and it rains! Noooooo! Sigh. I wish I had the moolah to transport me and my friends to whatever locale happens to be sunny.
Fortunately NYE is in entirely different country, so I'm hoping the weather there is better at that time.
At least I have my money sorted! I've gone through my credit cards and paid off those that are due close to the time I'm away. One less worry! I have about $600 to spend for the rest of the month, not including the $1K savings that I've set aside.
After I'm back, I'll have to start the long, onerous process of doing my US taxes. It will be even more awful this year because I started my taxable investment fund. Lord knows how complicated that will make the forms.
I just calculated that I have made approximately $660 extra bucks from renting out my garage, though! That is awesome and completely passive income.
Networking Question
I know I'm supposed to network, but how do you do it, really? Especially as I'm going to be looking for a new job soon, I have really tried to make inroads to various groups of people in the US who are doing what I want to be doing.
Last September, a friend invited me to a lunch/tour of an organization that her friend was in. Now, this organization hosts my dream job in the perfect location--only a few hours away from my parents, in a thriving city, etc. The job would be in my preferred field, making a difference, incorporating outreach and scientific collaboration, etc. Everything I could ask for. My friends' friend toured us around the facilities and introduced us to the group working there. They are fantastic, from what I can tell. The people are also really laid back, nice, fun, and casual, but very smart and hard working, on the cutting edge of science. I had a good time while having lunch with these people, and followed up with several of them with emails and LinkedIn connections after I returned to NZ. I didn't mention that I was planning to look for a job (their job!) yet.
Recently, a friend in NZ met one of the people I met in September while she at a conference in our field. He fell ill while there, and she told me all about it. We were sad about it, because he was so nice, and wanted to know if he was any better.
So I wrote an email to one of my new networking buddies at his organization to check up on him and to pass along my well wishes, as well as wish her happy holidays. Was that appropriate? How do you keep in contact with people you've met just once and want to keep in your network? I'm a bit socially awkward normally, so I really don't know if that was even an appropriate gesture.
And at what point do I ask them for a favor, to keep me in mind for any job openings in their organization? Should I move back and then tell them? Or should I start now, four months before I can even entertain the thought of moving?
Last September, a friend invited me to a lunch/tour of an organization that her friend was in. Now, this organization hosts my dream job in the perfect location--only a few hours away from my parents, in a thriving city, etc. The job would be in my preferred field, making a difference, incorporating outreach and scientific collaboration, etc. Everything I could ask for. My friends' friend toured us around the facilities and introduced us to the group working there. They are fantastic, from what I can tell. The people are also really laid back, nice, fun, and casual, but very smart and hard working, on the cutting edge of science. I had a good time while having lunch with these people, and followed up with several of them with emails and LinkedIn connections after I returned to NZ. I didn't mention that I was planning to look for a job (their job!) yet.
Recently, a friend in NZ met one of the people I met in September while she at a conference in our field. He fell ill while there, and she told me all about it. We were sad about it, because he was so nice, and wanted to know if he was any better.
So I wrote an email to one of my new networking buddies at his organization to check up on him and to pass along my well wishes, as well as wish her happy holidays. Was that appropriate? How do you keep in contact with people you've met just once and want to keep in your network? I'm a bit socially awkward normally, so I really don't know if that was even an appropriate gesture.
And at what point do I ask them for a favor, to keep me in mind for any job openings in their organization? Should I move back and then tell them? Or should I start now, four months before I can even entertain the thought of moving?
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Up a Volcano
Last night I continued my streak of daily exercise. I've been running, but needed to give my muscles a break, I thought. So I decided to climb my local volcano, Mt Eden, as I have done in the past. Without trying, I scaled it and got back home in an hour. It usually takes me a little bit longer than that. Last night I was able to climb it in one shot--no breaks at all. I usually have to catch my breath halfway up and at the top. So it is nice to know that my endurance and strength has improved.
For the first time since starting to run, though, my right IT band and knee were hurting last night. I thought only running made it hurt? Maybe it is delayed onset soreness, but I don't know. I will do a short walk tonight just to keep momentum, but make it very easy, just in case.
I did take a few seconds to appreciate and scan the view and sunset while continuing to hike. It is a gorgeous view. I'm going to miss that, and the opportunity to literally climb mountains every day, when I leave NZ.
For the first time since starting to run, though, my right IT band and knee were hurting last night. I thought only running made it hurt? Maybe it is delayed onset soreness, but I don't know. I will do a short walk tonight just to keep momentum, but make it very easy, just in case.
I did take a few seconds to appreciate and scan the view and sunset while continuing to hike. It is a gorgeous view. I'm going to miss that, and the opportunity to literally climb mountains every day, when I leave NZ.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Love NZ's smallness, sometimes
One of my favorite AND least favorite things about NZ is how small it is. I'll focus on the good, today. The opportunities to do great things exist here, simply because there's no competition and at some point, they just need bodies. I've noticed that if you are half-way competent, you get all sorts of crazy awards. This guy I know who would be less than mediocre in the US has won prestigious, internationally recognized awards, gotten a billion in funding, about 12 overseas fellowships, and has been fast-tracked to tenured professor after about 3 years on the job. It is ridiculous--all he does is show up and sound half way smart. I know this guy professionally and personally, and he doesn't give a $hit--most of his evenings and life are spent drinking. There's no way he would have gotten as far as he has if he weren't in NZ...
Another consequence of its tinyness is that when there is a big name in town, there is a good chance you're going to run into them. Take my friend, C, for example. A few weeks ago she ran into a drummer for a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR I'd cut off a finger to hang out with band out at a nightclub, and ended up swapping numbers and getting free tix and back stage passes to his concert.
Another friend parties with the All Blacks, while yet another is close friends with the millionaire owners of the Coffee Club, a majorly successful coffee chain across NZ and Oz.
Yesterday, I had my own run-in with a MAJOR rap star that is blowing up the charts right now, and whose album has been selected for all sorts of top 10 of 2012 lists. Out shopping, I notice that the girl in front of me is totally freaking out, OMG OMG OMG style. I have just passed three african american dudes, which is totally weird enough in NZ for me to take notice, as I have barely seen just one black American in NZ, let alone three all in the same place. (For some reason, African-Americans just don't come to NZ. I don't know why, but they are totally under-represented here, while white Germans are very over-represented. Coming from an area with nearly a 1:1 ratio of blacks to whites, it feels odd here in NZ, and I really miss that culture and diversity around me.)
Anyway, this girl is freaking out about the three dudes I had just nonchalantly passed. I actually thought of asking them where they were from, since they are obviously so out of place here in NZ and obviously fellow Americans, but thought better of it as they were videotaping themselves speaking loudly making fun of the clothes in the store, and smelled of weed. No need to engage...or so I thought. The girl starts practically hyperventilating. She goes up to the shortest dude, and says, "I am your biggest fan...I l-love you!" He is totally awesome about it, and says, "Really? What's your favorite song?" She answers and he asks her to sing it with him. She starts horribly rapping his lyrics at him in a trembly voice. It was hilarious!! I not only didn't know who the guy was, I didn't really care to make an idiot of myself about it.
And then I recognized the lyrics. I had just downloaded this guy's album last week and was listening to it, non-stop! This guy was amazing! So he and I had a decent conversation about New Zealand and the stuff he should see while he was here. The initial fan girl was shooting me eye-daggers, because I was so chilled out and normal, I guess, and had ruined her moment. Ah well, he jetted with his posse (who I later realized was on stage with him during his shows) as soon as he could after the girl got her iphone instagram photo. I think he's used to being bum rushed wherever he goes now and was afraid she'd start a screaming riot.
And all that happened just on a short 15 minute shop in my neighborhood on my way home from work. :)
http://youtu.be/nLCqSMDEQsA
And all that happened just on a short 15 minute shop in my neighborhood on my way home from work. :)
http://youtu.be/nLCqSMDEQsA
Bullying at Work
I'm currently working with a bully. He is kind of a big name in my field, but I think he is using that to intimidate us into doing certain things. The rest of my group is all women, and I think he thinks he is above us. I was stoked to invite him to be a part of my little group (of which I am the head), and was even more stoked when he agreed to help us out on a project. But there have been all these surprises. For example, when he agreed to help, he was coming over to NZ from overseas for a conference anyway. When he arrived, he informed us that he expected us to pay for his hotel and food and all incidentals, etc., even though this hadn't been discussed beforehand. For us, it was more like, oh, you're coming anyway, why don't you join us for this field campaign we are doing, since it is in your area of expertise? But we accommodated him, because he is a big name, and because we truly thought he'd be a big help.
Well, then he got here and went totally rogue on us. Half of his data isn't even useful because he didn't follow our prescribed protocol for collecting the data. In science, you have to have a rationale, a strategy to collect data, in order to compare datasets accurately. So that sucked.
We're writing up a paper based on results, and the rest of us have worked on it since February of this year. Last week, we sent him a nearly finished draft to get some of his edits and input. He's next to last on the authorship list. I ordered the authors based on fairness--who contributed what. For example, I demoted myself from first author because I honestly felt I didn't contribute as much as one of my co-authors. And the last author is my boss, because all she did was come up with the original idea for the project and put up the money for it. The other two women and I (mostly me) did all the planning, writing, data collecting and processing, etc., for the past two years on the project. Anyway, this guy decides to ask for third author rights, even though he did absolutely nothing on the paper until now, and even now all he did was just add a bunch of his papers to the references list and insert citations to his own work. Easily, he contributed the least, aside from my boss. He stated that he helped us come up with the idea and worked hard in the field and therefore deserved it and all sorts of nonsense. It is ridiculous--we came up with the idea of how to do the project on our own, before he even published any of his studies, and easily overworked him in the field--he gave up halfway through one day while the rest of us kept working for another two days.
Because he is a big name, though, one of my co-authors decided to acquiesce to his demand without telling the rest of us. She bumped another author (not herself) down to meet his demand, and the original third author woman was really surprised, as was I. I made my case and I could tell that my co-author felt very persuaded by him. Basically, he bullied her into it. I can't stand that entitlement attitude! Just because he knows we're a nice group of women and he is slightly above us on the academic totem pole, it feels like he took advantage. Not good! In the end, my co-author listened to my pleas to rectify the situation and I offered to take the blame. I guess you could say that I bullied her back into the original order. But that didn't benefit me at all, so I felt justified in it.
Lesson learned: big names = big egos. I just wish the world was fairer. For my part, I'll try to keep it that way in my little corner, no matter what it takes, even if it is to the detriment of my career. Karma has to come into play somewhere, right?
Well, then he got here and went totally rogue on us. Half of his data isn't even useful because he didn't follow our prescribed protocol for collecting the data. In science, you have to have a rationale, a strategy to collect data, in order to compare datasets accurately. So that sucked.
We're writing up a paper based on results, and the rest of us have worked on it since February of this year. Last week, we sent him a nearly finished draft to get some of his edits and input. He's next to last on the authorship list. I ordered the authors based on fairness--who contributed what. For example, I demoted myself from first author because I honestly felt I didn't contribute as much as one of my co-authors. And the last author is my boss, because all she did was come up with the original idea for the project and put up the money for it. The other two women and I (mostly me) did all the planning, writing, data collecting and processing, etc., for the past two years on the project. Anyway, this guy decides to ask for third author rights, even though he did absolutely nothing on the paper until now, and even now all he did was just add a bunch of his papers to the references list and insert citations to his own work. Easily, he contributed the least, aside from my boss. He stated that he helped us come up with the idea and worked hard in the field and therefore deserved it and all sorts of nonsense. It is ridiculous--we came up with the idea of how to do the project on our own, before he even published any of his studies, and easily overworked him in the field--he gave up halfway through one day while the rest of us kept working for another two days.
Because he is a big name, though, one of my co-authors decided to acquiesce to his demand without telling the rest of us. She bumped another author (not herself) down to meet his demand, and the original third author woman was really surprised, as was I. I made my case and I could tell that my co-author felt very persuaded by him. Basically, he bullied her into it. I can't stand that entitlement attitude! Just because he knows we're a nice group of women and he is slightly above us on the academic totem pole, it feels like he took advantage. Not good! In the end, my co-author listened to my pleas to rectify the situation and I offered to take the blame. I guess you could say that I bullied her back into the original order. But that didn't benefit me at all, so I felt justified in it.
Lesson learned: big names = big egos. I just wish the world was fairer. For my part, I'll try to keep it that way in my little corner, no matter what it takes, even if it is to the detriment of my career. Karma has to come into play somewhere, right?
Making Running Fun
I've run the past three evenings, even though I have major deadlines. I just love the Zombies, Run! app! I can't wait to hear more of the story and outrun zombies. I got caught and eaten tonight, though, somehow. I was running for my life, literally, and then all of a sudden: "Items dropped. Zombies distracted." = that means that they've got you.
One way it doesn't work is that I am so focused on not getting eaten that I save up energy in case there is a zombie chase suddenly. That means I don't always run when I'm supposed to (I've also downloaded a Bridge to 10K trainer that tells me when to run and when to do a walking interval), instead I save my running for when there is a zombie chase.
Oh well. At least it is getting me out there. I should hold off a little bit, though--I don't want to over-train. I am going to have to skip my cross training of yoga and pilates and dance for the next few weeks while I'm out of town for holiday fun.
One way it doesn't work is that I am so focused on not getting eaten that I save up energy in case there is a zombie chase suddenly. That means I don't always run when I'm supposed to (I've also downloaded a Bridge to 10K trainer that tells me when to run and when to do a walking interval), instead I save my running for when there is a zombie chase.
Oh well. At least it is getting me out there. I should hold off a little bit, though--I don't want to over-train. I am going to have to skip my cross training of yoga and pilates and dance for the next few weeks while I'm out of town for holiday fun.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Zombies, Run!
Haha. This past week, although I didn't do any running, I did install a few running apps on my phone and transfer some music over. I have exactly one pair of running pants with a pocket, meaning I can use my smartphone while on a run as long as those are clean. This has many, many advantages, and a few disadvantages...
Advantages:
Advantages:
- Several free apps are available to track your distance, time, speed, etc. I tried Nike+ Runner, and it totally bombed on my phone. I tried RunKeeper tonight and it seemed to do OK. This is really great.
- GPS tracking! Lovely.
- Workout training programs are available through the apps. I hope to complete a 10K one.
- You can listen to your playlists on your phone, just as you can your mp3 player.
- You can pay for several apps to make your running life more interesting, such as Zombies, Run! More on that later.
Disadvantages:
- My smartphone is way bigger and heavier than my mp3 player, so I have to wear my one pair of workout pants that has a pocket with it. I don't have a clip or armband yet.
- It is a PAIN PAIN PAIN in the butt to transfer music from my computer to my phone. They suggest using WinAmp for several running apps, but I couldn't figure out how to get my playlists on Windows Media to WinAmp and to my phone. Playlists don't transfer over for some reason, instead I had to find each song in my workout playlist and put it in a folder to be transferred over, and THEN name the list of songs as a playlist. PAIN.
- I can't forward through songs I don't like, or change the volume, as my phone is in a pocket near my waistband on my back.
But somehow I made it through and did a little running this afternoon. I did mostly interval work, though, which feels totally wimpy compared to 35 minutes of non-stop running. I went almost the same distance as I did last Saturday, but walking half of it.
I also tried out Zombies, Run! tonight. It was interesting and fun, and I think I'll keep on using it for fun runs (partly because I paid about $10 for it), but it didn't really motivate me or suit my interval schedule very well. For example, I had to do a sprint interval and just at the end of it, while I was winded, I had to run even faster to get away from some zombies that were closing in on me. The moans of the undead definitely spurred me on for a few minutes, but it didn't exactly fit my workout plan. The rest of the time, I could have just walked and the ZR! program wouldn't have cared at all. It required about 5 to 10 minutes of running, total, I think.
So, all in all, this running thing is pretty fun. No soreness to speak of, just some tightness a day after I run. It is very odd, because I'm usually really sore after any sort of workout, and I'm definitely pushing myself. Maybe I am doing better at correcting my stance and running profile?
Saturday, December 15, 2012
It's beginning to look a lot like summer...
...eeeeeeeverywhere you go.
I've been in NZ for 5 Christmas seasons now, and I still can't get used to it. How can I? It's shorts and t-shirts weather, and I'm supposed to believe that Xmas is only 10 days away?! Nonsense!
Oh but it is glorious outside! Last weekend it was so beautiful out, and I announced to all of my friends that summer had finally arrived! And this weekend it has been just as nice. I wore shorts for the first time since being at home in the US during the US summer.
I miss running, though. I didn't get to this past week, due to 18 hour a day work schedules that kept me in the lab and barely sleeping 3 hours a day. Can you say MAJOR DEADLINES? I could barely think, let alone have energy for a run. I went out for groceries today, and ended up walking my usual running route out of nostalgia. I think I may be getting slightly addicted to it.
I guiltily bailed from work an hour early today (Saturday) to bask in the sunshine, at long last! I went out for food, and I think Christmas finally hit me. The warm weather, music, and sales had me wanting to shop!
The problem is, I'm not getting anyone presents this year. I don't know when I decided it, but that is what is happening. I usually get my mom, dad, sister, and a few close friends in the US and NZ gifts. Firstly, I'm not really talking to my sister (still). As for my mom and dad--while I was researching my ancestors, I made a game plan to try to get a family photobook together and give it to my Dad's side of the family by Xmas, but a crucial piece hasn't been located yet. I hope it does get found. As for close friends, if I see something they'd like, I buy it and send it to them randomly. It seems more natural than casting about for anything barely suitable when forced to by a holiday. I am spending the holiday with a good friend here in NZ, and while in the US this past September, I found something she'd love and brought it back to NZ. I'm saving it for our Christmas trip.
So I'm left with no shopping to do for Christmas.
I'm not a scrooge--I certainly don't expect to receive any gifts, either, and I'm happy to wish people happy holidays when appropriate. (Though it IS a little weird here, how they always wish you 'Happy Christmas' regardless of your possible religious affiliation. Are there no Jewish or other religions in NZ?! It feels so very un-PC to assume that everyone you meet is Christian and celebrates Christmas.) I just am not participating in the shopping craze this year. It feels awesome!
I've been in NZ for 5 Christmas seasons now, and I still can't get used to it. How can I? It's shorts and t-shirts weather, and I'm supposed to believe that Xmas is only 10 days away?! Nonsense!
Oh but it is glorious outside! Last weekend it was so beautiful out, and I announced to all of my friends that summer had finally arrived! And this weekend it has been just as nice. I wore shorts for the first time since being at home in the US during the US summer.
I miss running, though. I didn't get to this past week, due to 18 hour a day work schedules that kept me in the lab and barely sleeping 3 hours a day. Can you say MAJOR DEADLINES? I could barely think, let alone have energy for a run. I went out for groceries today, and ended up walking my usual running route out of nostalgia. I think I may be getting slightly addicted to it.
I guiltily bailed from work an hour early today (Saturday) to bask in the sunshine, at long last! I went out for food, and I think Christmas finally hit me. The warm weather, music, and sales had me wanting to shop!
The problem is, I'm not getting anyone presents this year. I don't know when I decided it, but that is what is happening. I usually get my mom, dad, sister, and a few close friends in the US and NZ gifts. Firstly, I'm not really talking to my sister (still). As for my mom and dad--while I was researching my ancestors, I made a game plan to try to get a family photobook together and give it to my Dad's side of the family by Xmas, but a crucial piece hasn't been located yet. I hope it does get found. As for close friends, if I see something they'd like, I buy it and send it to them randomly. It seems more natural than casting about for anything barely suitable when forced to by a holiday. I am spending the holiday with a good friend here in NZ, and while in the US this past September, I found something she'd love and brought it back to NZ. I'm saving it for our Christmas trip.
So I'm left with no shopping to do for Christmas.
I'm not a scrooge--I certainly don't expect to receive any gifts, either, and I'm happy to wish people happy holidays when appropriate. (Though it IS a little weird here, how they always wish you 'Happy Christmas' regardless of your possible religious affiliation. Are there no Jewish or other religions in NZ?! It feels so very un-PC to assume that everyone you meet is Christian and celebrates Christmas.) I just am not participating in the shopping craze this year. It feels awesome!
Saturday, December 08, 2012
5K Dunzo!
The worst thing that can happen when you are about to start a run happened today--my mp3 player ran out of battery. I can't run without music!!! I mean, I have, but it is a slog, and I've been lagging this past week, so I knew I needed some motivation.
I decided to try out my smartphone on a run. It is too big and heavy to run with all the time, I think, but it may do OK once in a while. I downloaded Nike+ Runner to try it out, and then downloaded Jango to have music. Pandora doesn't work on smartphones in NZ--BLAST IT! But Jango was fabulous. It didn't drain my battery and hardly used any bandwidth. Nike+ was a real loser. It just crashed every time I tried to start my run, but my phone said the app was still open. I uninstalled it as soon as I got home.
Today I went out for about an hour, running at least 37 of those minutes. I did a 6 minute warm up (.7 km) and about 15 minutes of cool down. I was trying to get to 5 km today, but didn't really map it out beforehand. I added a huge hill towards the latter half of my run, running down and back up it. I'd thought I'd have to start walking while climbing back up the hill, but somehow I had enough gas to make it up to the top again. More on how far I ran when I can get mapmyrun to work...
I ran 5.24 km! I did that in those 37 minutes. That's about 8.5 km/hour. Obviously, that isn't very fast. I did have to wait at a lot of stoplights/crossings, but I'm not going to lie--it was a hard one today. But I've done my 5K now! Yayeee!
I want to start adding sprints and intervals to my running to try to get better times. In 2002 or so, I did a 5K in under 30 minutes. I'd love to get back in that shape.
It makes me think that if I continue, I could definitely do a 10K in March with my friend.
If I'm not sore from this one, I'm not sure what is going on. Luckily, I definitely felt sore just after my run.
I also had a manicure and pedicure today, to prepare for summer! It was at a kind of discount place but it was still more splurging and luxuriousness/pampering than I usually allow myself to partake in. Hopefully I can just maintain the red toenail polish for the rest of the season. (My fingernails are already chipped, as I knew they'd be, but I chose a nude color so it doesn't show as much.)
[ETA: This 5k run, although I'm proud of it, was a BAD idea. I have a workout hangover like no other right now. Fever, extremely sore throat, raging headache, and joint pain, to the max. My mono flare up/whatever I have is NOT happy with me.]
I decided to try out my smartphone on a run. It is too big and heavy to run with all the time, I think, but it may do OK once in a while. I downloaded Nike+ Runner to try it out, and then downloaded Jango to have music. Pandora doesn't work on smartphones in NZ--BLAST IT! But Jango was fabulous. It didn't drain my battery and hardly used any bandwidth. Nike+ was a real loser. It just crashed every time I tried to start my run, but my phone said the app was still open. I uninstalled it as soon as I got home.
Today I went out for about an hour, running at least 37 of those minutes. I did a 6 minute warm up (.7 km) and about 15 minutes of cool down. I was trying to get to 5 km today, but didn't really map it out beforehand. I added a huge hill towards the latter half of my run, running down and back up it. I'd thought I'd have to start walking while climbing back up the hill, but somehow I had enough gas to make it up to the top again. More on how far I ran when I can get mapmyrun to work...
I ran 5.24 km! I did that in those 37 minutes. That's about 8.5 km/hour. Obviously, that isn't very fast. I did have to wait at a lot of stoplights/crossings, but I'm not going to lie--it was a hard one today. But I've done my 5K now! Yayeee!
I want to start adding sprints and intervals to my running to try to get better times. In 2002 or so, I did a 5K in under 30 minutes. I'd love to get back in that shape.
It makes me think that if I continue, I could definitely do a 10K in March with my friend.
If I'm not sore from this one, I'm not sure what is going on. Luckily, I definitely felt sore just after my run.
I also had a manicure and pedicure today, to prepare for summer! It was at a kind of discount place but it was still more splurging and luxuriousness/pampering than I usually allow myself to partake in. Hopefully I can just maintain the red toenail polish for the rest of the season. (My fingernails are already chipped, as I knew they'd be, but I chose a nude color so it doesn't show as much.)
[ETA: This 5k run, although I'm proud of it, was a BAD idea. I have a workout hangover like no other right now. Fever, extremely sore throat, raging headache, and joint pain, to the max. My mono flare up/whatever I have is NOT happy with me.]
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Training Run
It was rainy and horribly humid today, but I went on my training run with my runner friends this evening. Another non-runner friend joined, and so it didn't end up being very hard-core, except that it was raining and I've never run in the rain before!
We did about 3 km in 28 minutes or less. I wasn't really paying attention. There were a lot of other people around, so it was a kind of constant sprint then slow down kind of run, with a few walks in there for the other non-runner friend.
Like usual, I had a hard time getting going, but once I was about 1 km into it, all was well.
Even though it wasn't as strict as I expected, I'm glad I did it. Running with friends is so much easier and more interesting. The other half of it is that you're running at a different pace than you would by yourself, and I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to keep up, or that I'd look terribly out of shape, but the trade off is good.
One friend said that she thought I could handle the much longer 9 km race in March with her. We'll see...
We did about 3 km in 28 minutes or less. I wasn't really paying attention. There were a lot of other people around, so it was a kind of constant sprint then slow down kind of run, with a few walks in there for the other non-runner friend.
Like usual, I had a hard time getting going, but once I was about 1 km into it, all was well.
Even though it wasn't as strict as I expected, I'm glad I did it. Running with friends is so much easier and more interesting. The other half of it is that you're running at a different pace than you would by yourself, and I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to keep up, or that I'd look terribly out of shape, but the trade off is good.
One friend said that she thought I could handle the much longer 9 km race in March with her. We'll see...
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Monday Work Out Confessional
Time goes by so fast!
Yesterday (Sunday) I did nothing. I wasn't even sore from my unintended 4.4 km run on Saturday! My muscles were tight on Sunday, and they are slightly tight today, but nothing major. How'd that happen?! I am hoping I have the correct running form and that is why, but I don't know how that happened, because I don't feel like I'm doing anything differently than usual, and usually I have very sore IT bands, particularly on my right side. But this past week? Nope, nothin. Weird.
I moved up my training run on the real race course to Wednesday, so that will happen then. It just made sense since I've hit my goal of running 3 km in 30 minutes, and have done it at least twice now, with no soreness. I am running with a few runner friends on Weds. and hopefully they can push me/advise me/etc. I'm excited to see how I do!
Today (Monday) I am scheduled to do yoga, but work needed me to do something so I missed the class. I was going to go run after work, but I ran into some problems (at work) and I ended up working til 10 pm. I didn't have time to eat enough before going on a run. I would have passed out. I came home and ate dinner just now (nearly 11 pm).
Oh, so it's back to the usual grind today, I guess: I only have enough time/energy during the day for a proper workout or a proper work day. Since my training run is Wednesday, maybe I should take it easy tomorrow (Tuesday?). I don't know.
I was able to fit in a short (20 min.) yoga session tonight after dinner settled, but that was it. It hardly counts, but I'm counting it!!
Treating the blog as a fitness journal is working well for me.
Yesterday (Sunday) I did nothing. I wasn't even sore from my unintended 4.4 km run on Saturday! My muscles were tight on Sunday, and they are slightly tight today, but nothing major. How'd that happen?! I am hoping I have the correct running form and that is why, but I don't know how that happened, because I don't feel like I'm doing anything differently than usual, and usually I have very sore IT bands, particularly on my right side. But this past week? Nope, nothin. Weird.
I moved up my training run on the real race course to Wednesday, so that will happen then. It just made sense since I've hit my goal of running 3 km in 30 minutes, and have done it at least twice now, with no soreness. I am running with a few runner friends on Weds. and hopefully they can push me/advise me/etc. I'm excited to see how I do!
Today (Monday) I am scheduled to do yoga, but work needed me to do something so I missed the class. I was going to go run after work, but I ran into some problems (at work) and I ended up working til 10 pm. I didn't have time to eat enough before going on a run. I would have passed out. I came home and ate dinner just now (nearly 11 pm).
Oh, so it's back to the usual grind today, I guess: I only have enough time/energy during the day for a proper workout or a proper work day. Since my training run is Wednesday, maybe I should take it easy tomorrow (Tuesday?). I don't know.
I was able to fit in a short (20 min.) yoga session tonight after dinner settled, but that was it. It hardly counts, but I'm counting it!!
Treating the blog as a fitness journal is working well for me.
Saturday, December 01, 2012
Saturday Workout
Well, I ran today again! Despite really, really not wanting to. I was supposed to run 2.5 km today. I don't know what is going on, but I'm losing all motivation and have been extremely tired the past couple of days. And my stomach huuuurrrrttsss! It could be those vaccinations, the typhoid pills, or maybe hormones. All, likely...
But I did it! Actually, I meant to run only 2.5 km, but since I didn't put my ortho-k lenses in last night, I didn't catch the street name where I was supposed to turn around, and I blew past it. I ended up running 2.2 km one way...meaning I ran 4.4 km total, and walked another 1 km for warm up and cool down. Yikes! I am betting I am sore tomorrow! 4.4 km of running, outside! It took me 5 minutes to warm up, then 34 minutes to run the 4.4 km, so my running pace was about 7.5 km/hr. (Hmmm...I'm a little hesitant to believe all that. I wonder if Google maps is all that accurate for short distances?) In any case, I definitely did 3 km in 30 minutes. If I'm not sore from today, I'll need to look at upping my game, distance and time wise.
But I did it! Actually, I meant to run only 2.5 km, but since I didn't put my ortho-k lenses in last night, I didn't catch the street name where I was supposed to turn around, and I blew past it. I ended up running 2.2 km one way...meaning I ran 4.4 km total, and walked another 1 km for warm up and cool down. Yikes! I am betting I am sore tomorrow! 4.4 km of running, outside! It took me 5 minutes to warm up, then 34 minutes to run the 4.4 km, so my running pace was about 7.5 km/hr. (Hmmm...I'm a little hesitant to believe all that. I wonder if Google maps is all that accurate for short distances?) In any case, I definitely did 3 km in 30 minutes. If I'm not sore from today, I'll need to look at upping my game, distance and time wise.
Workout Fridays and Sundays...
I'm not sure what to do on Fridays, workout-wise.
I'd been preparing to be Very Sore after my 30 minute run on Thursday evening, but I wasn't sore at all on Friday and I'm not sore today (Saturday). I guess treadmill running is just much easier on the body! I hadn't planned on doing any running on Friday, since I'd be sore. But then I wasn't, and there aren't any fitness classes I'm interested in that day, so I did nothing. In the end, I didn't run because was very very tired--probably from the polio and tetanus/diptheria shots (the injection sites are still sore and achy), and the typhoid pill regimen I started on Friday morning. It is a weak dose of the virus, so my body is probably busy fighting them all off and making antibodies. The typhoid pills have been known to give people some feelings of being ill, and I was definitely a little nauseated yesterday (not 100% today, either).
Sundays are also a rest day with no classes available. I don't think that's good--I want to do something every day!
But for future weeks, I have to come up with a plan for Fridays and Sundays. If the weather is good, I can always walk outside or climb a volcano, I suppose. But what if it's rainy? or cold? I'll have to come up with a plan...
I have to run 2.5 km this evening as per my schedule! This Friday is the big test day, where I go around the race course to check it out. I made a date with a runner friend so I stick to my schedule and push myself to be able to run with him this week.
I'd been preparing to be Very Sore after my 30 minute run on Thursday evening, but I wasn't sore at all on Friday and I'm not sore today (Saturday). I guess treadmill running is just much easier on the body! I hadn't planned on doing any running on Friday, since I'd be sore. But then I wasn't, and there aren't any fitness classes I'm interested in that day, so I did nothing. In the end, I didn't run because was very very tired--probably from the polio and tetanus/diptheria shots (the injection sites are still sore and achy), and the typhoid pill regimen I started on Friday morning. It is a weak dose of the virus, so my body is probably busy fighting them all off and making antibodies. The typhoid pills have been known to give people some feelings of being ill, and I was definitely a little nauseated yesterday (not 100% today, either).
Sundays are also a rest day with no classes available. I don't think that's good--I want to do something every day!
But for future weeks, I have to come up with a plan for Fridays and Sundays. If the weather is good, I can always walk outside or climb a volcano, I suppose. But what if it's rainy? or cold? I'll have to come up with a plan...
I have to run 2.5 km this evening as per my schedule! This Friday is the big test day, where I go around the race course to check it out. I made a date with a runner friend so I stick to my schedule and push myself to be able to run with him this week.
2013 Financial Goals
In 2013, my tentative plan is to move back to the US. JUST as I get settled in and think I have everything sorted, of course I plan to make a huge change.
This move will require quite a bit of capital, but I've started preparing for that eventuality already. I have my first $5K for my first Roth investment saved (YAY!!), and I have another $4K USD to throw at moving expenses (soon to be $6K if all goes well with savings for the rest of 2012), as well as airmiles and another $3K NZD saved for flights. So, I'm going to say that my move is taken care of, financially, at least. I'm not going to worry about it--after all, I have plenty of experience moving now, and I've moved under much worse circumstances: once as a poor college student with a tiny income, once $11K in debt with no job, friends, car, or home, and internationally with no job and very little saved up. I am confident that I got this. On to the goals!
1) Review 2012 spreadsheets and revise budget for 2013. DONE January 2013
2) Save $3K NZD in my 2014 US Trip Fund by April 2013. I do this every year. If I move this won't even be necessary and will be used to help me move and settle in again. I should be able to do this by April. DONE March 2013
3) Increase automatic long-term savings allotment to at least $600 a month: $250+/month (taxable account), $175+ (Europe Fund), and $175+ (House Downpayment Fund). DONE Jan 2013
4) As soon as my 2014 US Trip Fund is complete, I'll split the monthly overages to my Europe, House Downpayment, and taxable account funds to buy Vanguard Admiral shares to get lower expense ratios by the end of the year. NO--moving or salary decreasing :(
5) Review my insurances (will probably cancel my expensive renter's insurance) and financial and will and trust documents to make sure all is up to date as possible. Renter's insurance: CANCELLED as of May 2013; other insurances to be renewed in July; will and trust docs to be reviewed in September when I am home on vacation. Insurances renewed October 2013; will and trust docs need to be reviewed
And, as usual,
6) Track every penny and stay out of debt.
That's it! Six relatively easy financial goals! For the entire year! Everything else I can think of is done. It's just taking care of life from here on out: paying cc bills, monthly savings summaries and tracking net worth, and filing my federal taxes. I have a feeling something will happen to shake things up, but until then: autopilot.
My non-financial goals will be much more difficult to figure out/achieve.
This move will require quite a bit of capital, but I've started preparing for that eventuality already. I have my first $5K for my first Roth investment saved (YAY!!), and I have another $4K USD to throw at moving expenses (soon to be $6K if all goes well with savings for the rest of 2012), as well as airmiles and another $3K NZD saved for flights. So, I'm going to say that my move is taken care of, financially, at least. I'm not going to worry about it--after all, I have plenty of experience moving now, and I've moved under much worse circumstances: once as a poor college student with a tiny income, once $11K in debt with no job, friends, car, or home, and internationally with no job and very little saved up. I am confident that I got this. On to the goals!
5)
And, as usual,
6) Track every penny and stay out of debt.
That's it! Six relatively easy financial goals! For the entire year! Everything else I can think of is done. It's just taking care of life from here on out: paying cc bills, monthly savings summaries and tracking net worth, and filing my federal taxes. I have a feeling something will happen to shake things up, but until then: autopilot.
My non-financial goals will be much more difficult to figure out/achieve.
Friday, November 30, 2012
November 2012 Spend
It was an expensive month! Firstly, it was a 3 rent check month. Then, I went and did all sorts of health checkups that were on my 2012 goal list. I've all but abandoned that list in favor of preparing to employ a different method for 2013, but I saw some opportunities and took them. Maybe a low-pressure type of situation is better for me.
I'm overbudget in Electricity, Eating out, and Charity. For once, I'm not overbudget in groceries (how'd that happen?!).
I've explained charity before...there were just too many great opportunities to give this month, so I took them all!
Not sure what happened with the electricity. Maybe we were home more often than previous months. I may have bought extra power, too.
I saved $600 to my Move to US Supplemental fund, totalling $2,479.08. This should be completed in December, with any luck. Only $520.92 to go and all of my short term goal funds will be complete! $500 was saved to my normal long-term funds. My Europe fund is 27% complete, without me even really noticing the contribution each month! It will only start growing faster in 2013, when I plan on contributing even more!
I spent a lot on medical and other 2012 goals this month: $709.95!
$99 on a mole mapping voucher
$45 on cityhop to get to mole mapping appointment
$60 on my ortho K check ups
$29 on pedicure appointment
$157 on Vanuatu travel check up and vaccinations
$39.95 on Vanuatu malaria meds and probiotics
$125 on follow up mole check up
and
$75 on cityhop car to get to my cooking class
This money isn't included in the monthly budget. It will come out of my $5K Slush Fund when I can calculate the exchange rate.
It feels great to get these goals done!
| Nov 2012 Budget | |||
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount | Balance |
| Rent | $1,260.00 | $1,260.00 | $0.00 |
| Groceries | $396.84 | $450.00 | $53.16 |
| Internet | $44.50 | $45.00 | $0.50 |
| Electricity | $93.58 | $70.00 | -$23.58 |
| Eating Out | $167.50 | $150.00 | -$17.50 |
| Charity | $189.03 | $50.00 | -$139.03 |
| Cell phone | $20.00 | $40.00 | $20.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Misc | $130.50 | $600.00 | $469.50 |
| Savings | $1,100.00 | $500.00 | -$600.00 |
| Total | $3,401.95 | $3,240.00 | -$161.95 |
I'm overbudget in Electricity, Eating out, and Charity. For once, I'm not overbudget in groceries (how'd that happen?!).
I've explained charity before...there were just too many great opportunities to give this month, so I took them all!
Not sure what happened with the electricity. Maybe we were home more often than previous months. I may have bought extra power, too.
I saved $600 to my Move to US Supplemental fund, totalling $2,479.08. This should be completed in December, with any luck. Only $520.92 to go and all of my short term goal funds will be complete! $500 was saved to my normal long-term funds. My Europe fund is 27% complete, without me even really noticing the contribution each month! It will only start growing faster in 2013, when I plan on contributing even more!
I spent a lot on medical and other 2012 goals this month: $709.95!
$99 on a mole mapping voucher
$45 on cityhop to get to mole mapping appointment
$60 on my ortho K check ups
$29 on pedicure appointment
$157 on Vanuatu travel check up and vaccinations
$39.95 on Vanuatu malaria meds and probiotics
$125 on follow up mole check up
and
$75 on cityhop car to get to my cooking class
This money isn't included in the monthly budget. It will come out of my $5K Slush Fund when I can calculate the exchange rate.
It feels great to get these goals done!
The One Where I Ran for 30 Minutes Straight and Got Loads of Immunizations
Well, this past week has been a good one, as far as my health concerns are...concerned. Not for getting much work done, unfortunately, though, because I can't concentrate on more than one area of my life. That doesn't really bode well for me ever having a relationship again! I would have to quit my job and be a housewife to be any good at it.
On Tuesday, I went and had a mole mapping done. It was very quick and painless--took about 20 minutes altogether, and I have (too) many moles! The doctor took pictures of about 15 of them, and two are concerning. They basically just take a portable, powerful microscope and take pictures of your skin with it, and are able to see the 'structures' underneath the mole. The doctor told a story about how the last time he did a voucher deal through grabone (like I did for this week's appointment), about 25% of the people ended up having cancer, diagnosed after a follow-up appointment. The only real way to tell, visually, if a mole could be cancer is to compare changes through time, unless it is very advanced. So since it wouldn't do any good to just have a before picture, I agreed to fork out $125 more bucks ("half-price") to have a follow up after this summer is over. He certainly did a good job of feeding me that line, if it was one. Honestly, I'd be happy if they were all just cut out and got rid of.
Yesterday, I had a regular old doctor's appointment and got HEAPS done. Firstly, I had my travel medical for my New Year's trip to Vanuatu. I needed a tetanus booster, doxycycline pills for malaria, and pills for typhoid. I already had my Hep A and B vaccinations, way back before I went to Thailand. The nurse told me a very scary story about how she contracted typhoid and has never been the same. It is scary to go to foreign countries with strange diseases!! We are all too lucky in our lovely, cushy, relatively disease-free environs.
I also decided to get my adult polio booster, since I was there anyway. The nurse recommended that everyone get one as adults. Got mine over with! One less trip to the doctor.
Also, she told me some interesting info about the length of protections of vaccinations. As most people know, tetanus shots last for about 10 years. Typhoid pills, for ~3 years. Hep A and B wear off after about 25-30 years. The polio booster will last me a lifetime.
I have to take my doxycycline three days before Vanuatu, and for 30 days after. I have to avoid sunlight while on them. UGH!!! What a pain! What is the point of going to a tropical country if I can't be in the sun?? But I guess getting malaria is even more of a pain, so...
I also had the doctor order me a blood test to check up on my thyroid. With all the weight I have been gaining, I have wondered if that is getting worse, or what. He decided to do a full blood work up on me, just to be sure. I sure am falling for all sorts of medical advice lately. I hope it's not all useless and hokey...
Other triumphs of this week include going to yoga yesterday and running on the treadmill this evening at the gym! Treadmill running is a) WAY more boring than outside running and b) WAY easier. So it is definitely a tradeoff. Yoga was okay. I really didn't like the instructor, but my friends tell me she is a substitute, so I will go back and check it out when there is a different instructor. Running this evening, I did the following:
*a 6 minute, 0.5 km warm up.
*Run at 6.5 - 7.5 km/hr for 30 whole minutes and for about 3.5 km! It is hard to get started--the first half km is so incredibly boring and I think about quitting every other second, but after a while I get used to it. I definitely felt like I could go for a bit longer, too, I just stopped because I knew I wanted to get home and eat dinner at a reasonable hour, and 30 minutes was my initial goal, anyway. My highest heart rate was about 170 bpm, which is about where I am supposed to target. I hit 3 km at 28 minutes (first .5 km was at walking pace).
*Cool down for 5 minutes, from 6.0 km/hr to snail walk's pace, til my heart rate declined a lot. Walked home afterward, ~15 min.
*I found out I love running to Britney Spears. Womanizer (139 bpm) and Gimme More (remix) are perfect bpm songs for me!
Weight: 57.65 kg.
After looking at my health records last night (looking for past immunization records to show the doc), I discovered that until 2008, when my last work medical was done, I was stable for at least four years (2004 - 2008) at 117 lb, like I thought in my earlier post. So that is my new target weight. I have about 10 lb to lose! How did I miss gaining all that weight? I blame NZ foods! :)
Blood pressure (at doctor's): 108/58 (I think this is too low...)
On Tuesday, I went and had a mole mapping done. It was very quick and painless--took about 20 minutes altogether, and I have (too) many moles! The doctor took pictures of about 15 of them, and two are concerning. They basically just take a portable, powerful microscope and take pictures of your skin with it, and are able to see the 'structures' underneath the mole. The doctor told a story about how the last time he did a voucher deal through grabone (like I did for this week's appointment), about 25% of the people ended up having cancer, diagnosed after a follow-up appointment. The only real way to tell, visually, if a mole could be cancer is to compare changes through time, unless it is very advanced. So since it wouldn't do any good to just have a before picture, I agreed to fork out $125 more bucks ("half-price") to have a follow up after this summer is over. He certainly did a good job of feeding me that line, if it was one. Honestly, I'd be happy if they were all just cut out and got rid of.
Yesterday, I had a regular old doctor's appointment and got HEAPS done. Firstly, I had my travel medical for my New Year's trip to Vanuatu. I needed a tetanus booster, doxycycline pills for malaria, and pills for typhoid. I already had my Hep A and B vaccinations, way back before I went to Thailand. The nurse told me a very scary story about how she contracted typhoid and has never been the same. It is scary to go to foreign countries with strange diseases!! We are all too lucky in our lovely, cushy, relatively disease-free environs.
I also decided to get my adult polio booster, since I was there anyway. The nurse recommended that everyone get one as adults. Got mine over with! One less trip to the doctor.
Also, she told me some interesting info about the length of protections of vaccinations. As most people know, tetanus shots last for about 10 years. Typhoid pills, for ~3 years. Hep A and B wear off after about 25-30 years. The polio booster will last me a lifetime.
I have to take my doxycycline three days before Vanuatu, and for 30 days after. I have to avoid sunlight while on them. UGH!!! What a pain! What is the point of going to a tropical country if I can't be in the sun?? But I guess getting malaria is even more of a pain, so...
I also had the doctor order me a blood test to check up on my thyroid. With all the weight I have been gaining, I have wondered if that is getting worse, or what. He decided to do a full blood work up on me, just to be sure. I sure am falling for all sorts of medical advice lately. I hope it's not all useless and hokey...
Other triumphs of this week include going to yoga yesterday and running on the treadmill this evening at the gym! Treadmill running is a) WAY more boring than outside running and b) WAY easier. So it is definitely a tradeoff. Yoga was okay. I really didn't like the instructor, but my friends tell me she is a substitute, so I will go back and check it out when there is a different instructor. Running this evening, I did the following:
*a 6 minute, 0.5 km warm up.
*Run at 6.5 - 7.5 km/hr for 30 whole minutes and for about 3.5 km! It is hard to get started--the first half km is so incredibly boring and I think about quitting every other second, but after a while I get used to it. I definitely felt like I could go for a bit longer, too, I just stopped because I knew I wanted to get home and eat dinner at a reasonable hour, and 30 minutes was my initial goal, anyway. My highest heart rate was about 170 bpm, which is about where I am supposed to target. I hit 3 km at 28 minutes (first .5 km was at walking pace).
*Cool down for 5 minutes, from 6.0 km/hr to snail walk's pace, til my heart rate declined a lot. Walked home afterward, ~15 min.
*I found out I love running to Britney Spears. Womanizer (139 bpm) and Gimme More (remix) are perfect bpm songs for me!
Weight: 57.65 kg.
After looking at my health records last night (looking for past immunization records to show the doc), I discovered that until 2008, when my last work medical was done, I was stable for at least four years (2004 - 2008) at 117 lb, like I thought in my earlier post. So that is my new target weight. I have about 10 lb to lose! How did I miss gaining all that weight? I blame NZ foods! :)
Blood pressure (at doctor's): 108/58 (I think this is too low...)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Gettin' Healthy Part 2
Once I've accomplished my goal of running for 30 minutes straight and also running at least 3km without stopping, I'll try for 5 km in 30 minutes!
Another part of all this is losing weight. Since hitting 34 (or, if I'm being real, 33), I have been gaining weight strictly in my belly/hip/butt region even though I haven't changed anything. Imagine an extra five lb of fat all in one place! It's gross. My theory is that my hypothyroidism is getting worse, though my dad said he gained weight at about that age, too, so I may have gotten his genes in that department. Until 33, I didn't have to do anything to maintain my ~120 lb weight--I was always one of those skinny-minnies that everyone hates because I could stuff my face with Ho-ho's and nothing would happen. Not anymore!! For the past ten years or so, I have usually stayed between 115 and 125 lb. I have fluctuated a little in the last ten years due to life occurrences--at 23, I was training very hard for my tae kwon do black belt and gained a lot of muscle weight. I weighed 130 lb at my heaviest. I then went through a breakup at 24 and lost a ton of weight over a very short time period. During that, I was probably 112 lb or so at my lowest--way too skinny (not on purpose, just so emotionally distraught that I couldn't eat. I would try to force myself to eat but really, honestly, couldn't. I ended up having to suck down smoothies to not pass out. It was horrible!).
I'm lucky and unlucky that life events easily influence my weight, usually losing rather than gaining. In the past, I have lost weight extremely easily--I've never actually tried to lose weight in my life until this week. I'm talking, if I do hard fieldwork for two or three days, I can tell a difference in my clothes. I have been very blessed, metabolically. I hope that is still true.
Because of that, though, there's the unlucky part: I have never had to really concentrate on what I was eating, so convenience has always been my answer. Does it cook in the microwave in less than 5 minutes? I'm in! When I moved to California about ten years ago, I slowly began adding more veggies to my diet, just because they were so abundant, cheap, and delicious! Salads were my new favorite thing. I weaned myself off of my favorite soda, Dr Pepper, also in CA. I now only have sugary drinks in alcohol or once a month or less, when I need the caffeine (I don't drink coffee).
I am very lucky, also, because I a) don't really like or eat sweet or greasy foods on a regular basis and b) even when I do choose to pig out on unhealthy stuff, I naturally love low-fat snacks like popcorn or veggie chips, and usually in moderation. My two very favorite snack items are items you can't get in NZ, and there's no substitute here. So I have a built-in barrier to those items, and when I do get to have them twice a year when I go home or my mom sends me a package, I savor their deliciousness even more.
So, in synopsis, the good:
Another part of all this is losing weight. Since hitting 34 (or, if I'm being real, 33), I have been gaining weight strictly in my belly/hip/butt region even though I haven't changed anything. Imagine an extra five lb of fat all in one place! It's gross. My theory is that my hypothyroidism is getting worse, though my dad said he gained weight at about that age, too, so I may have gotten his genes in that department. Until 33, I didn't have to do anything to maintain my ~120 lb weight--I was always one of those skinny-minnies that everyone hates because I could stuff my face with Ho-ho's and nothing would happen. Not anymore!! For the past ten years or so, I have usually stayed between 115 and 125 lb. I have fluctuated a little in the last ten years due to life occurrences--at 23, I was training very hard for my tae kwon do black belt and gained a lot of muscle weight. I weighed 130 lb at my heaviest. I then went through a breakup at 24 and lost a ton of weight over a very short time period. During that, I was probably 112 lb or so at my lowest--way too skinny (not on purpose, just so emotionally distraught that I couldn't eat. I would try to force myself to eat but really, honestly, couldn't. I ended up having to suck down smoothies to not pass out. It was horrible!).
I'm lucky and unlucky that life events easily influence my weight, usually losing rather than gaining. In the past, I have lost weight extremely easily--I've never actually tried to lose weight in my life until this week. I'm talking, if I do hard fieldwork for two or three days, I can tell a difference in my clothes. I have been very blessed, metabolically. I hope that is still true.
Because of that, though, there's the unlucky part: I have never had to really concentrate on what I was eating, so convenience has always been my answer. Does it cook in the microwave in less than 5 minutes? I'm in! When I moved to California about ten years ago, I slowly began adding more veggies to my diet, just because they were so abundant, cheap, and delicious! Salads were my new favorite thing. I weaned myself off of my favorite soda, Dr Pepper, also in CA. I now only have sugary drinks in alcohol or once a month or less, when I need the caffeine (I don't drink coffee).
I am very lucky, also, because I a) don't really like or eat sweet or greasy foods on a regular basis and b) even when I do choose to pig out on unhealthy stuff, I naturally love low-fat snacks like popcorn or veggie chips, and usually in moderation. My two very favorite snack items are items you can't get in NZ, and there's no substitute here. So I have a built-in barrier to those items, and when I do get to have them twice a year when I go home or my mom sends me a package, I savor their deliciousness even more.
So, in synopsis, the good:
- I don't really like cakes or cookies or ice cream--anything sweet, really. I do usually have a square of 72% cocoa chocolate after dinner to finish off my palate, though. Chocolate is not really my thing. I love salty!
- When I have the time and energy to cook or plan meals, I naturally choose healthier foods like chicken breast over dark meat, kumara over white potatoes, low fat or natural snacks over high calorie, high fat, processed snacks.
- I usually lose weight quickly once I stick with a routine.
- I can already run
1.52 km without stopping at a fast enough rate to beat my 3 km time goal of 30 minutes by 5 December. - I can't access my go-to unhealthy snack foods in NZ.
- Summer is coming; with the sun and warm weather comes my motivation to get outside!
- I rarely drink alcohol or sugary drinks. I usually only drink a green smoothie for breakfast, water during the day, and peppermint tea before going to bed. Sometimes I have a banana-strawberry-low-fat milk and ice smoothie, made in my blender.
- I have worked in breakfast, a green smoothie with 1-2 servings of fruit and veggies, and maybe a banana or apple into my daily habits. My dinners usually consist of a serving of white meat/chicken breast, a potato or kumara, and a serving or two of veggies. Usually semi-healthy.
The bad:
- Even with the above, I am slowly gaining weight.
- I gravitate toward sedentary hobbies, like reading or knitting or card playing or puzzle completing or online activities; it is very hard for me to motivate myself to work out or do anything active.
- My gym sucks. It is not air conditioned. I therefore paid for it but never ever go.
- I replace my favorite snack foods with high calorie, high fat, salty NZ snacks that I don't enjoy eating (but they are convenient and fill the salt cravings a little bit).
- I don't eat regularly during the day--I have a tiny breakfast, a very small, late lunch while working, and then a late dinner, then pig out on convenient snack food late at night when I'm starving after not eating hardly anything all day.
- I have mitral valve prolapse and some after-effects of mono (thyroid issues) which I am convinced is the cause of my weight gain and difficulty in exercising. I used to looooove being active--really, I could hardly sit still for the first 24 years of my life; I had an activity every spare minute--but have gotten 'workout hangovers' ever since getting mono.
- When rushed--which is usually--I choose convenient foods for meals. Usually processed.
More goals:
- go to the doctor and get hypothyroidism checked out.
- Run every other day.
- check out pilates and yoga and dance class to bring my workout total up to once per day.
- Look into joining a tennis club.
Goal: Feel healthy, which is nebulous. My ideal goal weight is 117, as that is the weight that I felt healthiest and happiest in my clothes in the past, but that may be too skinny for me now, at my age. I'll try to maintain my weight when I feel like I'm getting too skinny. I think it'll probably be around 120 lb. (I'm currently at about 125, I think. The needle on my scale fluctuates between 56 kg and 58 kg, and there isn't enough fine detail between the tiny marks to tell exactly where I am in that range.). I'll shoot for 120 lb by December 30, when I leave for my island vacation! That means I have to lose between 3.5 lb (if I'm 56 kg) or almost 8 lb (if I am 58 kg). As it is safest to lose 1-2 lb per week and I only have 5 weeks to do this, I hope it's the former!! I'll get rid of my snack foods and find healthier, lower calorie options to fulfill my cravings instead.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Workout Goal, Tuesday
The blog and reminder of the 5K I'm running both really help keep me motivated to workout. I was so tired today I just wanted to crawl into bed at 6 pm without dinner. But, of course, I forced myself to put on my workout clothes and try the run I had planned for Saturday. On Saturday, you'll remember, I was supposed to run 2 km straight and complete 3 km in 30 minutes, but I ran into a friend and I only ran about 1.3 km of the 3 km.
Today I saw my friend again, but told him I had to try to run alone to complete my goal. That is completely counter-intuitive, but I knew I had to try to do it, and I thought having him there wouldn't help. It was quite difficult to get into the run, but after I passed the point where I quit running on Saturday, I just kept going. By the end, I was on a very flat bit of my run, and actually thought I could go even further than 2 km. I quit running after about 2.1 km, because I was close to home and wanted to give my body a chance to cool down. I completed the 3 km in about 29 minutes, so that's great! My first km took me about 10 minutes, the second about 7 or 8 minutes. There must be an incline on the first km (I double back and follow the exact same route). Also, I had to stop at several very long red lights, so that definitely added lots to my time. I ran down the street and back when it turned green man, so I probably added a little bit of distance doing that.
So now I know I can do 2 kilometers straight. I wouldn't say it's easy for me, but it is doable. The 3 km in 30 minutes is highly doable. Tomorrow I have pilates or yoga, then Thursday I try for 2.25 km or more.
I have learned that I need better music! Most of it is way too slow for running. Any suggestions?
Monday, November 26, 2012
Ancestry Research Is Addicting
It started as a favor and idea for a present for my mom and dad, and has blown up into a complete obsession. I'll say it: I'm addicted to ancestry research!
I initially thought that those record database sites like Ancestry.com were complete scams and rip offs. Most of the content is available for free if you know where to look. But since I'm not in the US and can't go to the Library of Congress (or wherever) to look through microfiche, I decided to sign up for their 14 day free trial.
Lo and behold, it has only been a week, but I've been obsessively searching for hours almost every evening. I've found out so much cool stuff about my family and where we came from! I even cracked the barrier that my mom's family has struggled to get past for years--even my grandparents, with all their knowledge of their families, couldn't seem to get past our one ancestor that lived in 1803 in the US. I was able to get back to our ancestors in England in 1559! How awesome is that? I can't take all the credit, though--apparently a book has been written about my family and the author did all the hard work. I was just able to find the author's reconstruction of our family tree online.
On my other side, it turns out that I'm related to Noah Webster, he of dictionary writing fame. Also, one of my ancestors (through Noah) was a founder of and one of the first governors of the colony of Connecticut! (That one was also involved in convicting some poor souls to hangings in the Hartford witch trials, so he is actually not so awesome...but how awesome that one of my family members was there at an event that I learned about in history class in 7th grade! Craziness!). There is also a ton of research on that part of the family, because they were so prominent in history, so this info was luckily available to me, although still took a LOT of hours of searching and research.
I've had such fun doing this that I no longer think Ancestry.com is a rip off. I mean, if it only had the records, that wouldn't be as valuable. But they've really built up the site so that you stay: you construct your family tree, can search other members' trees and contact them, you can see pictures that other people may have put up of your family members (most that you've never seen before!), and you can even order a book containing all the documents and family history that you've found. It's brilliant. I'm seriously considering shelling out the dough to become a member for the year. At the very least, I may gift the membership to my mom and we can both share the password, perhaps!
Meanwhile, I'm super happy that I have some British in me. They have, by far, the most sophisticated accents I've ever heard. The rest of me is German, Swede, and Czech. Go Europe!
I initially thought that those record database sites like Ancestry.com were complete scams and rip offs. Most of the content is available for free if you know where to look. But since I'm not in the US and can't go to the Library of Congress (or wherever) to look through microfiche, I decided to sign up for their 14 day free trial.
Lo and behold, it has only been a week, but I've been obsessively searching for hours almost every evening. I've found out so much cool stuff about my family and where we came from! I even cracked the barrier that my mom's family has struggled to get past for years--even my grandparents, with all their knowledge of their families, couldn't seem to get past our one ancestor that lived in 1803 in the US. I was able to get back to our ancestors in England in 1559! How awesome is that? I can't take all the credit, though--apparently a book has been written about my family and the author did all the hard work. I was just able to find the author's reconstruction of our family tree online.
On my other side, it turns out that I'm related to Noah Webster, he of dictionary writing fame. Also, one of my ancestors (through Noah) was a founder of and one of the first governors of the colony of Connecticut! (That one was also involved in convicting some poor souls to hangings in the Hartford witch trials, so he is actually not so awesome...but how awesome that one of my family members was there at an event that I learned about in history class in 7th grade! Craziness!). There is also a ton of research on that part of the family, because they were so prominent in history, so this info was luckily available to me, although still took a LOT of hours of searching and research.
I've had such fun doing this that I no longer think Ancestry.com is a rip off. I mean, if it only had the records, that wouldn't be as valuable. But they've really built up the site so that you stay: you construct your family tree, can search other members' trees and contact them, you can see pictures that other people may have put up of your family members (most that you've never seen before!), and you can even order a book containing all the documents and family history that you've found. It's brilliant. I'm seriously considering shelling out the dough to become a member for the year. At the very least, I may gift the membership to my mom and we can both share the password, perhaps!
Meanwhile, I'm super happy that I have some British in me. They have, by far, the most sophisticated accents I've ever heard. The rest of me is German, Swede, and Czech. Go Europe!
Monday work out goal completed
Why is it that I can't control more than one area of my life at a time??
Today I fit in a yoga class between work meetings, but didn't get nearly enough done at work. I just became too exhausted to concentrate and ended up zoning out and getting frustrated about a few tiny details rather than moving on. Also, I'm still very sore from dancing after running. I ended up buying both lunch and dinner because I was so tired. I think my workout hangovers/thyroid issues are acting up again. So: workout: check; full, productive working day: fail. I'm so far behind now, the rest of this week is going to suck.
I am glad I was able to go to yoga and fulfill my Monday goal, however. Tomorrow--Tuesday!--is take 2 on the 2 km run without stopping. I'll try to go to the gym, but more likely if it's nice, I'll try to do it outside again. Since my 5K is outside, it is a more realistic experience for the race, anyway.
Today I fit in a yoga class between work meetings, but didn't get nearly enough done at work. I just became too exhausted to concentrate and ended up zoning out and getting frustrated about a few tiny details rather than moving on. Also, I'm still very sore from dancing after running. I ended up buying both lunch and dinner because I was so tired. I think my workout hangovers/thyroid issues are acting up again. So: workout: check; full, productive working day: fail. I'm so far behind now, the rest of this week is going to suck.
I am glad I was able to go to yoga and fulfill my Monday goal, however. Tomorrow--Tuesday!--is take 2 on the 2 km run without stopping. I'll try to go to the gym, but more likely if it's nice, I'll try to do it outside again. Since my 5K is outside, it is a more realistic experience for the race, anyway.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Running goal update
Well, it was beauteous in Aucks on Saturday, so I decided to go running outside instead of going to my hot, humid, gross gym (can you tell I hate it? but it's the only one I can afford...). I planned out what I thought was a flat route, noting where I'd have to stop/start my 2 km run planned for Saturday.
There were several problems with this strategy, it turned out.
1) It wasn't flat. Even though it looked flat, it definitely wasn't. I'm not ready for ups and downs yet.
2) I ran into a friend at the start of my 1 km, also running. He decided to join me and the combination of a) not having music, b) talking to him, and c) running at his pace did me in. By the time I realized I needed to slow down, run at my own pace, not talk, and put in my music, I was nearly burnt out. I made it a little over 1.5 km before I had to walk. I did make my 3 km in just over 30 minutes, though.
I was going to try again today (Sunday), but I went out dancing last night. I am so sore! I'll go to my yoga class tomorrow and try again on Tuesday.
Modified goals:
Tuesday: Run 2 km without stopping. (I have yoga classes on Mondays & Wednesdays, so I'm switching it up to have Mon/Weds as rest days)
Thursday: Run 2.25 km without stopping.
Saturday: Run 2.5 km without stopping.
Tuesday: Run 2.75 km without stopping in 30 minutes.
Thursday: Run 3 km without stopping.
Friday: Test Day! Try out the 5K course, running for at least 3 km of it (or 30 minutes, whichever is longer).
There were several problems with this strategy, it turned out.
1) It wasn't flat. Even though it looked flat, it definitely wasn't. I'm not ready for ups and downs yet.
2) I ran into a friend at the start of my 1 km, also running. He decided to join me and the combination of a) not having music, b) talking to him, and c) running at his pace did me in. By the time I realized I needed to slow down, run at my own pace, not talk, and put in my music, I was nearly burnt out. I made it a little over 1.5 km before I had to walk. I did make my 3 km in just over 30 minutes, though.
I was going to try again today (Sunday), but I went out dancing last night. I am so sore! I'll go to my yoga class tomorrow and try again on Tuesday.
Modified goals:
Tuesday: Run 2 km without stopping. (I have yoga classes on Mondays & Wednesdays, so I'm switching it up to have Mon/Weds as rest days)
Thursday: Run 2.25 km without stopping.
Saturday: Run 2.5 km without stopping.
Tuesday: Run 2.75 km without stopping in 30 minutes.
Thursday: Run 3 km without stopping.
Friday: Test Day! Try out the 5K course, running for at least 3 km of it (or 30 minutes, whichever is longer).
Friday, November 23, 2012
Gettin' Healthy
I have used my blog to hold myself accountable for financial goals for the past 7 years. Now, I need that same help to achieve some of my health goals.
Currently, my goal is to be able to run 3K without stopping in under 30 minutes in the next two weeks (by 5 December). I signed up for a 5K in January so I want to hit that milestone and then keep chipping away at my time while adding distance. In a test last night, I was able to do at least 1.5 km without stopping at a 7.1 km/hr clip, and I once did a 5K in less than 30 minutes, so I know I can do it (although that was over 10 years ago). I'm not in horrible shape--I walk briskly to work 30 minutes a day, in addition to walking for grocery shopping and all my other errands. I climb Mt Eden about once a week--from my house it takes about an hour to get up to the summit and back home, walking as fast as I can.
For now, I'll make a commitment to run almost every other day until 5 December (to give myself time to heal), hopefully increasing my distance and decreasing my time each time. Next goals:
Saturday: Run 2 km without stopping.
Tuesday: Run 2.25 km without stopping. (I have pilates and yoga classes on Mondays & Wednesdays, so I'm switching it up to have Mon/Weds as rest days)
Thursday: Run 2.5 km without stopping.
Saturday: Run 2.75 km without stopping.
Tuesday: Run 3 km without stopping in 30 minutes.
Thursday: Same, but run for a whole 30 minutes, even if I reach 3km before 30 min. is up.
Friday: Test Day! Try out the 5K course, running for at least 30 minutes of it.
Currently, my goal is to be able to run 3K without stopping in under 30 minutes in the next two weeks (by 5 December). I signed up for a 5K in January so I want to hit that milestone and then keep chipping away at my time while adding distance. In a test last night, I was able to do at least 1.5 km without stopping at a 7.1 km/hr clip, and I once did a 5K in less than 30 minutes, so I know I can do it (although that was over 10 years ago). I'm not in horrible shape--I walk briskly to work 30 minutes a day, in addition to walking for grocery shopping and all my other errands. I climb Mt Eden about once a week--from my house it takes about an hour to get up to the summit and back home, walking as fast as I can.
For now, I'll make a commitment to run almost every other day until 5 December (to give myself time to heal), hopefully increasing my distance and decreasing my time each time. Next goals:
Saturday: Run 2 km without stopping.
Tuesday: Run 2.25 km without stopping. (I have pilates and yoga classes on Mondays & Wednesdays, so I'm switching it up to have Mon/Weds as rest days)
Thursday: Run 2.5 km without stopping.
Saturday: Run 2.75 km without stopping.
Tuesday: Run 3 km without stopping in 30 minutes.
Thursday: Same, but run for a whole 30 minutes, even if I reach 3km before 30 min. is up.
Friday: Test Day! Try out the 5K course, running for at least 30 minutes of it.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
So little money, So many charities...
It must be 'tis the season, because oodles of my friends are participating in good causes this month and asking for money.
So I tried to please them all. I've given $15 USD to two separate 'Movember campaigns, $50 CAN to a breast cancer hair charity, $15 to a new charter school organisation, and another $15USD to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy. This is in addition to the usual $25 NZD I give every month to the Heart Association.
I would like to start giving in other ways, though, not just financially. Particularly for the causes that I really am committed to. There may be an opportunity to volunteer at the museum, but I'd have to give up a day a week of work time--it is such a shame that they have such strict rules about volunteering. I wonder if my boss would allow that? Technically, science outreach is part of my job.
I guess I shouldn't commit myself, though, seeing that I am trying to leave! The more I commit here, the more I have to give up when I leave.
So I tried to please them all. I've given $15 USD to two separate 'Movember campaigns, $50 CAN to a breast cancer hair charity, $15 to a new charter school organisation, and another $15USD to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy. This is in addition to the usual $25 NZD I give every month to the Heart Association.
I would like to start giving in other ways, though, not just financially. Particularly for the causes that I really am committed to. There may be an opportunity to volunteer at the museum, but I'd have to give up a day a week of work time--it is such a shame that they have such strict rules about volunteering. I wonder if my boss would allow that? Technically, science outreach is part of my job.
I guess I shouldn't commit myself, though, seeing that I am trying to leave! The more I commit here, the more I have to give up when I leave.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Coldplay High!
ZOMG. I just got back from a Coldplay concert. It was so awesome! We were right up front and Chris Martin kept running around in front of us. So great! They really know how to put on a good, engaging, personal show. While it wasn't "life changing" as I've heard some people describe their concerts, it was pretty effing amazing--confetti cannons everywhere, big balloons, fireworks, surprise stage changes, and light up bracelets that flashed in time with the songs! A magical experience, actually...I was thinking it would be cold, I'd be bored, uncomfortable (we arrived at 5 pm and stood the whole time, til about 11 pm). But that didn't happen. My feet hurt right now but they didn't during the concert. It was the perfect temperature--a little cold and breezy--but in the middle of the throng of people, it was very comfortable, even with dancing and moving around a lot. If it had been inside, it would have gotten very hot. And I didn't get bored--the opening acts (Temper Trap and the Pierces) were really good and entertaining in and of themselves. I don't usually go to big concerts because of my preconceived notions--plus I really like the personal atmosphere of small venues--but this was a great experience. I may actually make an effort to go to more of these now.
...At least, I will in NZ. People are so polite here! In the US, people just shove and push and are generally awful at these kinds of shows. There were a few annoying people, but they were the exception. We were able to arrive at 5:45 and get a spot at the very front, and it stayed pretty relaxed and uncrowded until about 7:30 or so. I had a cider and a very yummy sausage and only had to bathroom it once. Decent portaloos in Mt Smart Stadium, too. Good times!
...At least, I will in NZ. People are so polite here! In the US, people just shove and push and are generally awful at these kinds of shows. There were a few annoying people, but they were the exception. We were able to arrive at 5:45 and get a spot at the very front, and it stayed pretty relaxed and uncrowded until about 7:30 or so. I had a cider and a very yummy sausage and only had to bathroom it once. Decent portaloos in Mt Smart Stadium, too. Good times!
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Obama Wins!
This means I'll be even more motivated to move back to the US. :) Lots of work still left to do, but happy times, America.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Random Thoughts Time
I haven't done a life update in a while. Not since returning from the US in late September.
A few thoughts:
1) The cycle continues. My sister and I mostly got along while I was at home, but things have deteriorated since I left. As they always do. It is, hands-down, the worst relationship I've ever had with another human being. If she weren't related to me, I would have bailed a long time ago. The ups and downs of being close to her are way beyond what I normally put up with from anyone else I've ever let into my life. As in most unhealthy relationships, both the cost of letting her go and the price I pay for staying in this relationship are staggering. On the one hand, she's my sister. She's the only sibling I have, and she is the only person in the world who gets all of my jokes and laughs at them, knows my history, understands exactly what it is like to be my parents' daughter and from the place I'm from, and accepts me exactly as I am. I might as well chop off one of my arms if I cut off my relationship with her. On the other, she infuriates me to no end. I can't understand or support what she is doing to herself, nor am I proud of who I am or what I say to her in my disappointment of her. Watching her make horrible decisions and hurt my parents is killing me.
Our phone conversations turn into arguments almost every time. Unless she purposely does not mention the things that she knows are my hot buttons, we fight. Lately, the list of hot buttons has grown: her 19 year old abusive engaged-after-4-days-fiance, her obesity and lack of exercise or healthy eating habits, her money troubles, how she blows off studying for tests for classes that my mom paid for--that she begged my mom to pay for, and her new habit of smoking even though she has diabetes and our beloved grandmother was killed by cigarettes, not to mention how my dad is on an oxygen machine because of them.
The place I want to get to is this seemingly healthy place that I see my cousins and friends get to when they are dealing with someone that they love who is making bad life decisions. They shrug and say, "It's their life. I'll let her know that I love her and that I'm there for her if she needs me, but I won't butt in." Live and let live. That is what my sister wants me to do with her, as well. I have struggled over the past year to get to that place, and it just doesn't seem to exist within me. Frustratingly.
So after the last fight last week, and after a year now of telling her that I was very, very close to being fed up, after a yo-yo of emotions, and a decade of dashed hopes for her, I told her: "I'm done. I'm sorry. Good-bye."
2) Since I have no financial goals to concentrate on now, I seem to have given all that extra time to work. Great for my work life--I've never been more motivated or worked so hard for so many days in a row--but terrible for life balance. I have skived off doing things with friends for the past three weekends...to work. I do have a very hectic schedule as of late--there are a LOT of deadlines this week--but I also just haven't felt social and I'm avoiding my friends. I think part of it is that I am emotionally preparing myself to leave NZ and am distancing myself. The other half is that I miss my US friends desperately and it's always hard to come back after spending so much time with them.
3) While at my knitting circle, a friend mentioned that my instructor-friend should start charging people to teach them how to knit, as many women were coming up and inquiring about joining us to learn. Of course, we didn't want to start being charged ourselves, so we started talking about what we could do to repay her. Around the circle, one friend could teach her tennis or calligraphy, another cross-stitch or badminton, another writing fiction or meditating, and another ballet or drawing. It came to be my turn to speak and I couldn't think of anything that I could teach her. I was stunned to realize that I have no teachable, valuable hobbies!
So that is what is going on in the background of my money posts. It seems kind of depressing, but, other than a few moments here or there, I actually feel OK about it all (except about the non-hobby thing, I gotta fix that!).
A few thoughts:
1) The cycle continues. My sister and I mostly got along while I was at home, but things have deteriorated since I left. As they always do. It is, hands-down, the worst relationship I've ever had with another human being. If she weren't related to me, I would have bailed a long time ago. The ups and downs of being close to her are way beyond what I normally put up with from anyone else I've ever let into my life. As in most unhealthy relationships, both the cost of letting her go and the price I pay for staying in this relationship are staggering. On the one hand, she's my sister. She's the only sibling I have, and she is the only person in the world who gets all of my jokes and laughs at them, knows my history, understands exactly what it is like to be my parents' daughter and from the place I'm from, and accepts me exactly as I am. I might as well chop off one of my arms if I cut off my relationship with her. On the other, she infuriates me to no end. I can't understand or support what she is doing to herself, nor am I proud of who I am or what I say to her in my disappointment of her. Watching her make horrible decisions and hurt my parents is killing me.
Our phone conversations turn into arguments almost every time. Unless she purposely does not mention the things that she knows are my hot buttons, we fight. Lately, the list of hot buttons has grown: her 19 year old abusive engaged-after-4-days-fiance, her obesity and lack of exercise or healthy eating habits, her money troubles, how she blows off studying for tests for classes that my mom paid for--that she begged my mom to pay for, and her new habit of smoking even though she has diabetes and our beloved grandmother was killed by cigarettes, not to mention how my dad is on an oxygen machine because of them.
The place I want to get to is this seemingly healthy place that I see my cousins and friends get to when they are dealing with someone that they love who is making bad life decisions. They shrug and say, "It's their life. I'll let her know that I love her and that I'm there for her if she needs me, but I won't butt in." Live and let live. That is what my sister wants me to do with her, as well. I have struggled over the past year to get to that place, and it just doesn't seem to exist within me. Frustratingly.
So after the last fight last week, and after a year now of telling her that I was very, very close to being fed up, after a yo-yo of emotions, and a decade of dashed hopes for her, I told her: "I'm done. I'm sorry. Good-bye."
2) Since I have no financial goals to concentrate on now, I seem to have given all that extra time to work. Great for my work life--I've never been more motivated or worked so hard for so many days in a row--but terrible for life balance. I have skived off doing things with friends for the past three weekends...to work. I do have a very hectic schedule as of late--there are a LOT of deadlines this week--but I also just haven't felt social and I'm avoiding my friends. I think part of it is that I am emotionally preparing myself to leave NZ and am distancing myself. The other half is that I miss my US friends desperately and it's always hard to come back after spending so much time with them.
3) While at my knitting circle, a friend mentioned that my instructor-friend should start charging people to teach them how to knit, as many women were coming up and inquiring about joining us to learn. Of course, we didn't want to start being charged ourselves, so we started talking about what we could do to repay her. Around the circle, one friend could teach her tennis or calligraphy, another cross-stitch or badminton, another writing fiction or meditating, and another ballet or drawing. It came to be my turn to speak and I couldn't think of anything that I could teach her. I was stunned to realize that I have no teachable, valuable hobbies!
So that is what is going on in the background of my money posts. It seems kind of depressing, but, other than a few moments here or there, I actually feel OK about it all (except about the non-hobby thing, I gotta fix that!).
Thursday, November 01, 2012
October Goal Review
Guess what? I won't have quite managed to do everything I thought I could in a year. This is becoming abundantly clear, now that we've reached the second-to-last month in 2012 and my to-do list/2012 non-financial goals are "not exactly" five-sixths (10 months out of 12) done. Turns out, trying to do roughly over 50 goals, half of them habit-forming, in a year is hard. A year isn't that long, as it happens. It seems like it is a very long time, but when you really break it down? It is over in a flash.
Also, I'm way better at getting financial goals done than I am personal ones. This is something that I knew, and something that my non-financial goals list was supposed to fix. Unfortunately, I love fixing my money problems way more than I like, say, going to the dermatologist. Plus, those personal goals tend to open a Pandora's Box of new goals. Crossing the first step of a goal off the list cascades into 30 more associated tasks.
I think I'm going to try a different approach next year: one habit-forming or upskilling non-financial goal for each month only, where I have to do something each day for the entire 28 - 31 days. I am giving up on the goals for the rest of the year, other than the ones I've already set up and paid for in earlier months for November (game nights, dermatologist appt., cooking classes). I'll do anyway, like back up my computer. What I tried didn't work. I need a break to regroup and get motivated again for 2013!
October Goals were so-so. After doing so much in September, I kind of lost steam in October.
Non-Financial Goals: Average to poor. 8-10 out of 17
Financial Goals: Yes. 6 out of 6.
October Goals were so-so. After doing so much in September, I kind of lost steam in October.
Non-Financial Goals: Average to poor. 8-10 out of 17
- NUMBER ONE GOAL: Sleep 8+ hours a night. (all month. NO EXCEPTIONS) Nope, didn't happen. I suck at going to bed.
- Dress up once per week at work. (Weeks 1-4) Nope, not this either, although I did about 2/4.
- Use mouthwash every night. (all month) Yeah, I was pretty good about this one, but not every night.
- Attend work out class 2x/wk (from Week 3) Nope, absolutely didn't happen. I ran about 8 times though!
- Write in gratitude journal each evening. Did this one about once every three or four days.
- Do or say one nice thing for or to someone each day. No, but about 4 out of 7 days a week I managed to mindfully do this.
- Get 30 minutes of light exercise 5x week. Yep, I walk to work every day!
Call Voter Reg and get absentee ballot sent to NZ. (Week 1)Yes.Make list of courses to take during my online class session at work. (Week 2)Yes.- Read through camera CD. (Week 4) Ugh. No.
- Read through Smartphone manual. (Week 4) I looked a few things up, but haven't been through it with a fine-tooth comb yet.
Call L. (Week 2)Yes. Yay!Call P. (Week 3)Yes. Yay!- Start making family ancestry book. (Week 4) No.
Outline some questions for family history recording. (Week 1-2)Yes.Contact dermatologist re: cost and mole mapping appointment.(Week 4) $99 for full mole mapping appt. in Nov. Yes.Plan for November cooking classes. (Week 4)Yes. booked and bus route planned out.
Track every penny. (all month)Yes.Call HSBC and see if I can get POD or account changed to Trust. (Week 4)Yes.Research funds and balance portfolio--Vanguard. (Weeks 2 -4 )Yes.Buy funds with Roth IRA $$ from T. Rowe Price. (by Week 4)Yes.When bond fund is bought, figure out a place for $1.5K left in money market.Yes.Save $500 to long-term goals. (Week 3)Yes.
October Spending--Back On Track
After September's blowout, it was nice to get back settled into my routine of non-spending again. I lose all sense of proportion when I go home and have planned to spend heaps of cash. It just never feels right.
Once again, groceries are a big FAIL. That is INSANE! I don't even eat that much, I swear! (I attribute it to stocking up on perishables after being away for a month.)
Ugh.
Income: $3,416.94
Spent: $2,703.95
Left to save to my Supplemental Move Back Home Fund: $712.99, bringing it to $1,825.32 and 61% complete.
Just gotta save about $600 more in Nov and Dec. to finish it off. November is a 3 rent-check-month, so I'm not sure I can do it if I keep up the level of spending I did in October. However, in November I have lots of pre-paid or free activities: two concerts, one of which was paid for in April and I have a free ticket from my friend for the other, and a cooking class. I also have two themed house parties, hosted by friends, to go to--that should be cheap entertainment, just a few beers. I am utterly swamped with work, as well, so I won't have any free time to speak of. December will hopefully be a spendy month if I can help it--it'll be NZ summer and I want to TRAVEL!!! Ah well, we'll see!
Misc spending:
Goods and wants purchases consisted of: earbuds, a new bed lamp, light bulbs, disability insurance fee, dishwash soap, birthday cards, shoe waterproofing, face wash and contact solution, cooking class, and a running hoodie.
October 2012 Net Worths:
NZ: $40,086.87
US: $19,896.69
Once again, groceries are a big FAIL. That is INSANE! I don't even eat that much, I swear! (I attribute it to stocking up on perishables after being away for a month.)
| Category | Spent | Budgeted Amount | Balance |
| Rent | $840.00 | $840.00 | $0.00 |
| Groceries | $618.28 | $450.00 | -$168.28 |
| Internet | $41.35 | $45.00 | $3.65 |
| Electricity | $54.51 | $70.00 | $15.49 |
| Eating Out | $141.90 | $150.00 | $8.10 |
| Charity | $50.00 | $50.00 | $0.00 |
| Cell phone | $60.00 | $40.00 | -$20.00 |
| Medical | $0.00 | $75.00 | $75.00 |
| Misc | $397.91 | $600.00 | $202.09 |
| Savings | $500.00 | $500.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $2,703.95 | $2,820.00 | $116.05 |
Ugh.
Income: $3,416.94
Spent: $2,703.95
Left to save to my Supplemental Move Back Home Fund: $712.99, bringing it to $1,825.32 and 61% complete.
Just gotta save about $600 more in Nov and Dec. to finish it off. November is a 3 rent-check-month, so I'm not sure I can do it if I keep up the level of spending I did in October. However, in November I have lots of pre-paid or free activities: two concerts, one of which was paid for in April and I have a free ticket from my friend for the other, and a cooking class. I also have two themed house parties, hosted by friends, to go to--that should be cheap entertainment, just a few beers. I am utterly swamped with work, as well, so I won't have any free time to speak of. December will hopefully be a spendy month if I can help it--it'll be NZ summer and I want to TRAVEL!!! Ah well, we'll see!
Misc spending:
| alcohol | $ 22.50 |
| entertainment | $ - |
| exercise | $ - |
| fees | $ - |
| gifts | $ - |
| goods and wants | $ 320.93 |
| transportation | $ 8.50 |
| travel | $ - |
Goods and wants purchases consisted of: earbuds, a new bed lamp, light bulbs, disability insurance fee, dishwash soap, birthday cards, shoe waterproofing, face wash and contact solution, cooking class, and a running hoodie.
October 2012 Net Worths:
NZ: $40,086.87
US: $19,896.69
Sunday, October 28, 2012
At Loose Ends on Auto-Pilot
Um. So. I am discovering that I don't do well without financial goals. This much has become clear to me this past week, once I finalized all of my 2012 goals. I am finding it very, very hard to not focus on money, revamp my savings strategies, think about my investments and future, and switch gears to non-financial issues. I need a life, you guys!
I have automated everything that I can. My main financial concern right now is that my roommate hasn't paid her August bills yet. Not exactly a hardship!
I'm totally on auto-pilot, financially. I've honed and saved and strategized. My goals are now long-term, for the most part, and until 2013, I've kind of told myself that I don't need to worry about it. But I want to worry about it. It's fun for me (weirdo).
So I changed things up slightly. For the rest of 2012, my monthly overages will go to a new fund: my Move to the US supplemental fund. I already have $4K USD saved up for the move (and $3K and more than enough airpoints to get me home), but I feel like I may need more. $3K NZD should be doable.
I cut my $10K Non-Financial Slush fund in half to $5K. There was $6100 NZD already in it, so I've moved the $1K and change over to the new fund already. There is no need for $5K NZD for that. The dermatologist appt is $300. The cooking class is $300. The rest of it doesn't require more than $5K by any estimate.
On the other hand, setting up a new life in the US will cost $$. Temporary health insurance, security deposit and first and last month's rent, furniture if I can't find a furnished place, gas, work clothes, moving boxes of stuff to the US, food, a new to me car if my parents need their loaner back, etc. An extra $2K USD to add to my $4K USD fund won't go amiss there.
I guess that is what I will do, then! I wish I could concentrate on other things as easily as I can focus on money.
[ETA: my roommate just paid her August bills. So I guess I have no more money problems? This feels weird.]
I have automated everything that I can. My main financial concern right now is that my roommate hasn't paid her August bills yet. Not exactly a hardship!
I'm totally on auto-pilot, financially. I've honed and saved and strategized. My goals are now long-term, for the most part, and until 2013, I've kind of told myself that I don't need to worry about it. But I want to worry about it. It's fun for me (weirdo).
So I changed things up slightly. For the rest of 2012, my monthly overages will go to a new fund: my Move to the US supplemental fund. I already have $4K USD saved up for the move (and $3K and more than enough airpoints to get me home), but I feel like I may need more. $3K NZD should be doable.
I cut my $10K Non-Financial Slush fund in half to $5K. There was $6100 NZD already in it, so I've moved the $1K and change over to the new fund already. There is no need for $5K NZD for that. The dermatologist appt is $300. The cooking class is $300. The rest of it doesn't require more than $5K by any estimate.
On the other hand, setting up a new life in the US will cost $$. Temporary health insurance, security deposit and first and last month's rent, furniture if I can't find a furnished place, gas, work clothes, moving boxes of stuff to the US, food, a new to me car if my parents need their loaner back, etc. An extra $2K USD to add to my $4K USD fund won't go amiss there.
I guess that is what I will do, then! I wish I could concentrate on other things as easily as I can focus on money.
[ETA: my roommate just paid her August bills. So I guess I have no more money problems? This feels weird.]
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Something I don't understand about business
So...email etiquette. If you send an email to someone and their PA answers for them (MantieChang@massey on behalf of David.Holsbrook@massey), do you write back to both of them? Or just your intended contact? In the future, do you just write to their PA or do you cc the PA?
So confused. I feel so bad for clogging up the PA's email inbox with two messages, but how can I be sure to reach the intended person?
[ETA: the PA has requested that I cc: her on all meeting requests. Problem solved!]
So confused. I feel so bad for clogging up the PA's email inbox with two messages, but how can I be sure to reach the intended person?
[ETA: the PA has requested that I cc: her on all meeting requests. Problem solved!]
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
State of my Savings
I have $29,658.81 in my NZ savings account. I thought I'd break it down for myself. I can't separate it out into funds like at ING, so I do it in my head/blog/Excel!
$10K is my EF. This stays at whatever the interest rate currently is (3.4% today). This stays liquid for emergencies. And Murphy.
$3K is for my 2013 US Trip. I moved it to a 6 month CD*, earning 4.4%.
$6890 is for my House Downpayment and Europe trip funds. It is also in a 6 month CD*, earning 4.4%. (I did some dyslexic transformations in my head when making the cd, and instead of investing the current total of $6980 [$3480 each], I only put in $6890. Whoops.)
$6112.33 is in my Non Financial Slush fund. This will get spent as I tick off my goals, in the short-term.
$666 is in my Trip fund for the balance that is due in January.
$2194.20 is in my Vanguard fund. Once it hits $3K, I'll transfer it over to USD and buy more shares in my taxable investment account.
$726.28 is in my Insurances Fund. For any deductibles or premiums that come up in 2013. I don't think I'll be renewing my contents insurance. It is sooo expensive.
*The CDs are only in 6 month terms because I don't know what is going to happen after April of next year, when my contract is up. I thought it best I have access to as much money as possible at that time, until I know what is happening with my career.
$10K is my EF. This stays at whatever the interest rate currently is (3.4% today). This stays liquid for emergencies. And Murphy.
$3K is for my 2013 US Trip. I moved it to a 6 month CD*, earning 4.4%.
$6890 is for my House Downpayment and Europe trip funds. It is also in a 6 month CD*, earning 4.4%. (I did some dyslexic transformations in my head when making the cd, and instead of investing the current total of $6980 [$3480 each], I only put in $6890. Whoops.)
$6112.33 is in my Non Financial Slush fund. This will get spent as I tick off my goals, in the short-term.
$666 is in my Trip fund for the balance that is due in January.
$2194.20 is in my Vanguard fund. Once it hits $3K, I'll transfer it over to USD and buy more shares in my taxable investment account.
$726.28 is in my Insurances Fund. For any deductibles or premiums that come up in 2013. I don't think I'll be renewing my contents insurance. It is sooo expensive.
*The CDs are only in 6 month terms because I don't know what is going to happen after April of next year, when my contract is up. I thought it best I have access to as much money as possible at that time, until I know what is happening with my career.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
2012 Financial Goals Completed
Completed!
All of my 2012 financial goals as of now are completed. I seriously can't think of another financial task or short-term goal that won't be taken care of by my Non Financial Slush Fund.
Awesome!
Now it's only about wealth-building: getting that taxable account topped up and happy. Retirement, I'm coming after you with the full force of my saving might.
First, I may start looking at increasing my long-term goal allotments. So, warning: Europe trip and House Down Payment Funds, I'm coming after you, too.
Remaining 2012 and 2013 goals should be relatively easy to compose, given all that:
1) For the rest of 2012, save all excess monthly overages in my Non Financial Slush Fund for all those personal goals that have nothing to do with money. If I don't make it to $10K (hint: I won't!), oh well. I've already spent a bit of money while at home, so whatever is left will have to budget into whatever the remaining balance comes to.
2) In 2013, my first order of business is to save $3K NZD in my 2014 US Trip Fund (as per usual; if I move back this won't even be necessary and will be used to help me move and settle in again). I should be able to do this by April.
3) Immediately at the start of 2013: Increase automatic long-term savings allotment to at least $600 a month. That means $250/month to my taxable account, $175 to Europe Fund, and $175 to my House Downpayment Fund.
4) Within that long-term retirement taxable account fund: Save enough to get admiral shares in one of my taxable funds ($10K USD total) to get lower expense ratios. From 0.35% to 0.18% in my Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund would be nice! I will bump up my long-term savings goal to $9K to do so (I already have $3K in the fund).
After reaching admiral status in that fund, according to Bogleheads, I apparently need to get Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund to complement my above fund, or Total International Index fund to own a more complete index fund that is more tax-efficient, or another fund that I discover is most tax-managed or efficient (tax managed funds, maybe?).
After reaching my 2014 Trip fund goal, monthly overages will be applied to this goal.
5) Track every penny and stay out of debt. 'Nuff said.
Now that my main points of business (insurances, will/trust, EF, short term goals, etc.) are taken care of, I'm just on autopilot. And it is glorious!
All of my 2012 financial goals as of now are completed. I seriously can't think of another financial task or short-term goal that won't be taken care of by my Non Financial Slush Fund.
Awesome!
Now it's only about wealth-building: getting that taxable account topped up and happy. Retirement, I'm coming after you with the full force of my saving might.
First, I may start looking at increasing my long-term goal allotments. So, warning: Europe trip and House Down Payment Funds, I'm coming after you, too.
Remaining 2012 and 2013 goals should be relatively easy to compose, given all that:
1) For the rest of 2012, save all excess monthly overages in my Non Financial Slush Fund for all those personal goals that have nothing to do with money. If I don't make it to $10K (hint: I won't!), oh well. I've already spent a bit of money while at home, so whatever is left will have to budget into whatever the remaining balance comes to.
2) In 2013, my first order of business is to save $3K NZD in my 2014 US Trip Fund (as per usual; if I move back this won't even be necessary and will be used to help me move and settle in again). I should be able to do this by April.
3) Immediately at the start of 2013: Increase automatic long-term savings allotment to at least $600 a month. That means $250/month to my taxable account, $175 to Europe Fund, and $175 to my House Downpayment Fund.
4) Within that long-term retirement taxable account fund: Save enough to get admiral shares in one of my taxable funds ($10K USD total) to get lower expense ratios. From 0.35% to 0.18% in my Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund would be nice! I will bump up my long-term savings goal to $9K to do so (I already have $3K in the fund).
After reaching admiral status in that fund, according to Bogleheads, I apparently need to get Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Small-Cap Index Fund to complement my above fund, or Total International Index fund to own a more complete index fund that is more tax-efficient, or another fund that I discover is most tax-managed or efficient (tax managed funds, maybe?).
After reaching my 2014 Trip fund goal, monthly overages will be applied to this goal.
5) Track every penny and stay out of debt. 'Nuff said.
Now that my main points of business (insurances, will/trust, EF, short term goals, etc.) are taken care of, I'm just on autopilot. And it is glorious!
Saturday, October 20, 2012
The Truth About Car Sharing
Sure, car sharing sounds like an amazing idea. Have access to a car without the worries, cost, or hassles of registration, insurance, petrol, maintenance, parking, and on and on and on. Cut down on parking spaces and pollution in the city. But how good is it really?
1. It is not as convenient as you might think.
The gas card is never in the same place. Once it was missing--I found it wedged in a under a seat on the floor once, after several frantic calls to the car sharing company, as I was running out of gas. You can only use the Shell stations, but they don't provide any maps to find them. (Grrr.)
The parking pass is sometimes missing or in the wrong place. I got in once and it was missing. I couldn't get out of the car park at all, not without paying the fine for 'losing' your parking ticket. As it was after hours and I couldn't get out, I had to miss a dear friend's birthday dinner.
At the car sharing company, you have to book during work hours, and you have to know exactly when you will use the car and how long it will take. I like convenience, so I usually just book for an entire day. It allows me that convenience I'm used to with a car and it ensures that no one will be using the car when I want it. But that is more expensive, which brings me to...
2. It is still expensive.
I paid about $200 to be a member of the car sharing service for a year. It allows me to 'rent' a car for $15 an hour til you hit $75. So if you plan on using the car for 4 hours ($60) or more, I book it for 24 hours as it is more cost effective. For a weekend of use, it is $150! I have to pay $300 in excess (deductible) if anything happens.
3. You have no control over the space.
Most people love their cars and treat them as an extension of themselves. It is another storage area--music, emergency supplies, favorite sunglasses, mp3 cords, GPS, etc. You have to bring all of that stuff with you and take it out of the car each time. You set your favorite radio stations, have the seat and mirrors set where you like them, but they all change when you car share.
Not only that, you have no idea what other people are doing in the car. I got in once and it smelled like terrible BO. Gross! Another time it was really dirty. Also gross.
4. You really can't do much.
They allow you 100 free kilometers, then they charges 25 cents a km. That isn't as far as you may think...you can go 100 km in an hour and a half quite easily. For the cost of 24 hours, they should allow you more like 250 km. Then it would be a great option for overnights and weekend road trips (Coromandel! Bay of Islands! Tauranga!), in addition to tooling about town.
5. What happens when things go wrong?
Once I came back with the car and another random car was parked in my designated spot. What to do? If I parked elsewhere, I'd risk being towed and get in trouble with the car sharing service, and the next person wouldn't be able to find the car. I had to wait around for a tow truck to come and tow the person, which became a total 3 hour ordeal because the first tow truck didn't fit in the parking garage. The second tow truck couldn't get INTO the parking garage because they had no parking pass. I had to do a crazy maneuver where I exited the parking garage, giving the tow truck my parking pass to allow him in. The tow truck driver then BROKE the parking garage gate. Finally, I had to wait while the guy towed the car and used my parking pass to leave. Then I got in trouble with the parking people because I let the tow truck driver in the gate with my pass. They almost called the cops on me, said I was a liar, and accused me of letting my friends into the car park for free. What ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?! The car sharing service people were not answering their phones, even on the emergency line.
Once I couldn't find the car. It had been parked on the 8th floor, instead of the first floor's designated spot. How was I supposed to know that?!
Once I couldn't find the car. It had been parked on the 8th floor, instead of the first floor's designated spot. How was I supposed to know that?!
Another time I got in and the tire was acting funny. Very wobbly, and I was supposed to take young kids around on the highway for work. Nope. It didn't seem safe to me. After about 3 hours, the people at the car sharing service came, drove it around, and said it was fine. I had missed part of my work event but wasn't allowed to leave the car. My boss was NOT happy about that. (I noticed the car was replaced after that.)
For all the reasons above, I'm considering discontinuing my membership to the car sharing service and just getting a rental car like I did before the service. I've just had too many incidences where it inconveniences me at a bad time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)