Wednesday 31 December 2008

2:47 a.m.

I did a few big things this year, but I can’t think of many smaller ones this time.

Some time around April, I became a vegetarian. I’m still learning about vegetarianism and making one change at a time. For example, I’ve recently begun only buying shoes that are not made with leather. I’ve decided to be a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, at least for now. I want to work on things like cutting out leather and making healthier dietary choices before I restrict my diet further.

Robert and I started volunteering for Alley Cat Allies over the Summer. We had been procrastinating on getting physically involved, but when the situation came up at Meadows of Chantilly, we knew it couldn’t wait any longer. We did a couple of trappings and we helped build shelters and feeding stations. We also ran the booth a few different times at various expos and conferences. I would love to volunteer more, but most of the opportunities are in the office (in Maryland) or at times when we‘re both busy.

I also (re)started college in August. In December of 2007, I decided to go to college. I initially decided to teach English, but then I realized how homicidal I would be after dealing with teenagers every day. From there, I decided to become a veterinary technician. At least, until I realized that I would strangle the first person that wanted to declaw their cat. I decided that I would work with people and volunteer with animals after that.

That’s when I settled on nursing, and it’s also when I applied for school. I took one class, Orientation to Health Care, during the first eight weeks. When the class was winding down, I found out that I would have to dissect a fetal pig in one of the prerequisite classes for nursing. I realized that I could never compromise my morals to get a career in anything, so I decided to change my major to Business Management with a specialization in Health Care, an Associates degree that would stand on its own.

Before I could officially change my major, Robert decided that he wanted to go back to college for a double masters this coming August, so I tweaked my major a hair more, to an Associates degree (Business Administration) that will allow me to directly transfer to a specific four year college upon completion. The following Bachelor’s degree will be Business Administration as well, only with a specialty. I haven’t narrowed that down yet, but it certainly won’t be economics or accounting!

4:49 a.m.

I’ve been thinking about what’s happened in the past few years. In August of 2005, I quit smoking. In November 2006, we moved out of a dangerous neighborhood and into one we fell in love with. In December of 2006, I came across a disturbing picture (while trying to name a specific type of monkey in our pictures) that led to me the beginning of my education about animal testing.

In 2007, I learn a lot more about animal testing, and I began learning about other forms of animal abuse, like declawing cats and chaining dogs. I also started learning about the cruelty in the fur industry. It was also in December that I made the choice to go back to college.

Then, of course, there was this year, where I became a vegetarian, Robert and I started volunteering, and I actually started college.

6:02 a.m.

I’ve mentioned internet celebrity gossip, notably (maybe only) around this time last year. In 2006, internet gossip took up most of my time – and I didn’t even find it interesting. I decided that in 2007, I would cut down on it and not read everything I came across. That was successful, so I decided that in 2008, I would cut way down and only read what seriously interested me. Success! I can’t remember the last time I read ANY article that wasn’t worth my time. So it didn’t just work on celebrity gossip, it worked on other things as well. I guess I got a bonus.

9:55 a.m.

I’ve decided to give up drinking alcohol in 2009. It’s not a big deal, though; Robert and I drink twice a year – IF that. Neither one of us believe in getting drunk, or even buzzed. Personally, I don’t like having my senses dulled. We’ll still use alcohol occasionally cooked in a meal, I just won’t drink the stuff. It’s pointless; I’d rather spend the money on cds.

10:03 a.m.

As far as I know, 2008 has been a rotten year for pretty much everyone, including myself. It seems that the harder I try to take care of myself, the worse I get. I’m in terrible health compared to this time last year, even though I’ve been making healthier decisions. I even weigh almost twenty pounds less than last December.

I know that 2009 has GOT to be better than this. I’ve already begun to feel much more motivated and focused than I have during the year. Here’s hoping that my energy will pick up soon, too!