Lots of things going through my head

I just want to get this all down, especially before I get my shower this morning.  I've been doing a lot of thinking, a lot of reading, a lot of learning and am now trying to figure things out again.

I read that Volkswagen is working on a hybrid Jetta for 2012 or so.  I'm super excited about that, as I'm going to need a new car soonish and I want another Jetta.  And I've been working hard on going more green here and there, and a hybrid car would be awesome.  So now I need to save up money so I can put a huge down payment down, to reduce my monthly payments.

We discovered that the new dental plan may cover my braces after all.  So I need to contact the orthodontist's office and see what they have to say about this new company.  We owe only about $2400, and the insurance would be a lifetime max of $1500.  Which means we would possibly only owe $900.  That would help immensely.  The Dr. is still working on my teeth, and I've seen a lot of progress, but I'm getting anxious to be done, so I can start working on whitening my teeth some.

I was originally going to quit the program I'm in, because they were never able to get a lab for the tox program.  However, I spoke with the department head and he suggested I speak to one of the instructors who also works at the Coroner's office about getting and independent study set up with him.  So that will allow me to continue on, to get my masters, and to keep those student loans from coming due yet.  The department head said that some of the students that have done that have been hired on there, too.  So it may be a foot in the door for me.

I've also been thinking about doing a yoga teacher training course, but with this change in the way I'm doing my school stuff, that may get put on the back burner for a while.  Plus, I really need to get back into shape.  I hate looking at myself in the mirror anymore, so I'm trying to figure out what to do.  I've been speaking with a few people, and I'm changing the way I think.  I thought 20 minutes of exercise each day was enough.  I've been taking to some women in my class, and they mostly say that they exercise for closer to an hour a day.  And these are women that are thinner, so they must be doing something right.

I'm beginning to see that my parent really made things difficult for me.  The portions my mom would put on my plate probably could feed two adults, not one kid.  And they never do anything except sit at home and watch tv.  So I grew up hating exercise and eating a lot.  My mom blamed it on the soda I drank, which probably didn't help a lot, but they would have at least one a day, so I thought it was ok to drink it, too.

Now I'm trying to fix this.  My braces have actually helped me get to a point where my portions aren't so large, because of the initial weirdness and occasional pain in my mouth.  I had a period where I didn't eat a lot, so not eating much feels more normal now.  Now I just need to push myself and do more yoga, work on the stationary bike more, and go running some when it gets warmer.  The cold weather kills my lungs.  Some people suggested I get a bandana and put it around my like a mask and that should help.  But because I don't like the cold, I think I'll stay inside for the winter and try the running thing when it gets warmer and I want to be outside more.

Classes will be out soon, so that will give me time to work on the exercise thing.  Classes don't start back up until about mid January.  And with classes, I'll be able to pay off these few debts we've obtained lately, like my braces, the bed, and the new washer and dryer.  Deferring my student loans a year or so should help us catch up because I'm going to be full time all year, and my husband just recently got a raise.  I also went online at the suggestion of my brother-in-law and found that currently, INGdirect has a savings account with about a 1% interest rate.  So I'm thinking of creating a savings account with them to try to make my money grow faster for that down payment on my future car.

Wow, that's a lot of stuff I've been thinking about, and now a lot of writing.  Best to go get a shower now I think.

Test tomorrow

I have a test in biology lab tomorrow, and I just don't want to study.  I'm so ready to be done with this class, that I've lost my will to go to class and to read the chapters.  I just need to force myself to work on this tonight....

I'm thinking that it's time to just end this program, and see about working for a while.  I know that means I'll have to start paying on my student loans, and that worries me a little.  I'm sure we can figure it out though.

I've been thinking about becoming a yoga instructor, but I'm not sure I should spent the money on that too, with everything else.  However, I would probably love to teach, and at the very least, it would be one expensive class.  On the other hand, the cost of the teacher training is still less than one class up at the college.  So really, it's a lot more tempting just knowing that.  Plus, if I could teach, then maybe I can make a little extra cash on the side of my 40 hours at the hospital.  Making some money and doing yoga at the same time sounds great. 

I was talking to my husband about it and he suggested that I look into specializing in a class for real women, curvy women, women who think that they can't do yoga because they aren't stick figures.  I think that is an awesome idea.  It would bring in a lot of what I have learned about myself through yoga and belly dance.  So I guess what I need to do is hunker down, stop shopping so much, start paying down the little debts we have, and see what happens when my student loans come due.  Maybe I can save enough money to pay for the program out right.  If I don't become a teacher, the worst I've done is spent a little money on something I love, and I am a student at heart, so learning is something that comes naturally when I'm interested in the subject.

In other news, the bed is huge!  I'm so happy with it, even if it is a little big for the room.  But we managed to work things out.  It's nice to be able to have my side of the bed now!  I love my husband dearly, but I don't like feeling squished when I sleep.  Maybe that is due to sleeping alone for over 20 years.

What a crazy week

It was HIM week at work.  This is where we celebrate the hard work we do throughout the year, for one week.  There were a few potlucks, so a lot of food was had.  Some people were emotionally draining, and some others were fun to be around.  So it was a long week, with all that, added into my usual school schedule, and trying to get my braces worked on around all that.

The braces are going well.  My orthodontists keeps saying that I'm ahead of schedule, and I'm ok with that.  This coming Wednesday I need to get my panoramic done, I guess to see if I have cavities and to see if my teeth are doing what they need to.  I'm nervous about the cavities part.  I've never had one, and so I'm not anxious to get one.

I'm getting farther behind in my readings for classes, and I have a practical this Tuesday that I need to study for.  I guess I'll be rather busy tomorrow doing all of that, and maybe I can squeeze in a run or some yoga, too.

Today, my husband and I spent most of the day looking for a new bed.  Sadly, we had been sleeping on a futon mattress and frame.  So it was time for some adult furniture.  We found one, and are financing it, but I can easily afford the monthly payments we planned out so that we pay in the interest free time frame.  I'm excited for it.  It's a king size bed, so that mean we can have our own space, but can cuddle when we want.

Sadly, my car has been acting up once again.  However, this issue is workable until I'm out of school and can make more time to take it in to get it checked out.  And to figure out how much it will cost to fix it, or something else that might be more dire.  Unfortunately, my husband needs a bit of dental work and that is going to be the major issue first.  Then I'll worry about my car's little issue.

So, I'm off to go sleep in my brand new bed!