Amazing things will happen, I'm telling you

It's all so good. One thinks of the last two years wasted as nothing but a learning experience indeed. A veritable "how not to SETTLE in any part of one's life" guide. Why bother with mediocrity and/or subpar anything in your life? Toxic people, job that sustains you financially but you lose your SELF in the trade off, unkind, unfocused, passionless people? I just don't have the time. There is just too much great stuff happening now. I'm blessed beyond measure, this I know :)

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This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, in each orbit, the moon reaches this closest point to us, called perigee. Once or twice a year, perigee coincides with a full moon, as it will tonight, making the moon bigger and brighter than any other full moons during the year.Tonight it will be about 14 percent wider and 30 percent brighter than lesser full moons of the year, according to Spaceweather.com. Well, I don't know about all that, but I do know that it was brilliant to see and I loved the clear night sky.

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Sorted out taxes, all finished. Did Chelsea's 2010/2011 FAFSA (her student financial aid package form), pulled credit reports to see where we are financially, so it's a good financial start to the year. Always good to know where you are in the beginning before you make any drastic or big changes. Feel very optimistic :)

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Having caught up with MD friends online and writer friends elsewheres, my sister and mother for Tampa and lunch, hearing from babychick, being able to have uninterrupted intertubes time, all in all today has been glorious! February looks to be right what it celebrates - Friendship month, I'm reconnecting with mine and I hope you are able to do so with yours :)

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" but if you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen." Conan -- quite possibly the best true thing I have heard in years. Learn from it, especially the being kind part, it matters even more than the hard work. Have a brilliant brilliant :)

Just passing through - it's been a while.

I've been trying to start this post for the last two weeks. I have actually started and then deleted 3x. Something always gets in the way. Time constraints for the most part, but then they say if something is important to you, you'll MAKE time for it. I had my first days off in a while planned on savoring them by doing things I want to do. Getting back up to speed on emails, blogging, catching up with friends, maybe seeing a movie, (Sherlock Holmes for the 2nd time- such a good movie- Downey Jr. already starting the sequel) and then taking my parents out to dinner. Sleep has been lacking as of late so sleeping in was just decadent and worth every second of the daylight lost.
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CONAN - What an absolute class act. I don't care what NBC does now, I really only watch How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory anyway and they are ABC shows. Last night's ending of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian was classic. If only it hadn't have been Will Farrell, who I can't stand, it would have been perfect. The song was a great fit and to see Conan playing up there classic licks on the guitar was amazing. I will miss him. I only really watch him and Craig Ferguson, so now, it looks like I am going to have to stay up even later to get my late night goodness.
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Won 4 tickets to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure two park/1 day passes - ended up giving them to the daughter so she and her sorority sisters could have a day of fun as I am working so much anyway, also worth it, because I got text messages and thank you's and pictures of roller coasters sent to me, all during the day to let me in on the fun :)
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The Golden Globes - although I am glad the German dude from Inglorious Basterds won an award, Tarantino as a whole was ignored again. Alas, he is the movie world's bad boy and is paying for it over and over again. he's an acquired taste and maybe the Hollywood Foreign Press just doesn't have the taste buds for him.
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I was completely immersed in music over my weekend. Local, national, old videotapes, cd's, tapes, and radio. It was glorious. It never really occurs to me just how central music is in my life's priorities until night time. Last night, I watched some old videotapes (yes, videotapes, not even a dvd, of music videos we recorded in 1992. That tape was not even the oldest we own. It was fun and seeing how I had to get up this morning at 6 to get ready for work it was a nice way to still get the music without being in the city and braving traffic on a Friday night. In the past week especially, music really hit home, every song I heard seemed like it had a memory attached to it, Johnny in the car singing Journey's"Don't Stop Believing" (long before GLEE got to it and butchered it), Lou with his hands in the air imploring us to like Violent Femmes "American Music", L and I with Stevie Nicks "Stand Back", Mallorie and I driving weekends to DE with MB20's "Push", laughing literally out loud whilst being in awe of all that is the little fireplug that is Rob Danzig and "Mother". I was in the grocery store and The Sundays "Here's Where The Story Ends" came over the speakers. Surprised I was. yes, Music makes my world go round. and twirling away, I couldn't be happier.

Plans, Goals, Holiday Madness - 2010 it's going to be intense!

I wanted to wish everyone a Brilliant New Year! has it really been a whole year? I have not been posting very much this last week as I have been taking overtime at work, family is home and obviously, the Holidays. (I don't know why I capitalize Holiday, it just seems right, L, my sister, the editor, will no doubt yell at me when she returns from South Carolina tomorrow.) Chelsea came home for Christmas and Winter Break, she leaves for St. Pete tomorrow to spend some time with a sorority sister and then she is back to Florida Southern College to lifeguard at a swim meet, then she and the boy (I call him that because I don't know what exactly he is in the great big scheme of things) are going to Disney, and then she is back home till the 11th, when another friend from MD, comes down to stay with her at the college for a few days. Then, in February she is back off to MD for a quick trip to see friends. L is going to London in May, and I have plans for Kentucky and Dallas/Ft Worth as well as some day/weekend trips here in FL. My reunion is also this year and is in Lima, Peru in April. Am trying to work the budget and vacation dates accordingly. This is going to be a big year of travel for this family - can't wait! The Planner is filling up quickly and it's only the 1st of the Year!

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The job is good, I enjoy what I do, the people I work with, the money could be better, but with some OT every once in a while (and they offer it non stop) and bonuses on sales ratios, I think it's looking very good. The point is - I am happy, and as most of you know, if I'm not happy, it really doesn't matter how much $ is thrown in my face.

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The last vestiges of Christmas have been put away at the familial home, except for me bagging up the tree, now sitting in the garage, for another year, I have to bring the rest of my presents back to my house, but other than that, it business as usual. The GBC at my house that was supposed to happen on Boxing Day got postponed to this coming weekend as I had overtime instead. I am excited though to start the GBC of my bedroom, lots to go through, sort, donate and/or throw out. If I don't love it, used it in the last 6 months, or it has no relevance to my life in 2010 onward, it's gone.

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I wouldn't usually post personal personal stuff but find that if I do post something it does inspire me more to accomplish it because I've told someone other than my immediate family so here goes, these are just a few of 2010 goals:

Financial: 1.) Get Roth IRA set up 2)Max out my 401K match by December - right now I am contributing 2%, max match is 6% 3.)Open Christmas account - I know I go crazy every holiday, so this year I want to be uber prepared. 5.)Set aside $ for Fall 2010 tuition/sorority surprises that we didn't account for in 09.

Physical: 1.) Now that I have insurance - get full Physicals for both Chel and I, all dentists and Dr.'s appointments made in January for throughout the year. 3.) Get back on Program

4)Every month get rid of one thing. January is going to be Sweets, no candy machine at work, no gas station packs of jujy fruits, no movie candy at movies etc.

House: 1.) GBC the whole house - my room first. 2.)Have the Maid service come twice this year to do one fell swoop huge clean 3) Remember the filters, batteries for smoke alarms, light bulbs changed as needed, not waiting till we only have one light in the chandelier. 4) The front porch light and outside garage lights installed

Pocketful of Poses: 1) You had forgotten about the business, right? I know, because it seems like so had I this last year, so big focus on the business - marketing especially, I am having cards made up, little flip books, (my sister made 3 of them, on for each genre of photography I engage in - portraiture, live music/entertainment/Disney and general stock (buildings, flora, fauna etc.) and they were awesome, so I want some more of those done. I may have an ad in the two local newspapers to see what business that attracts, and of course word-of-mouth- friends will be asked to suggest me when others need a photographer.

So, there's some of them, I'm sure you have yours as well. Good luck!

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I guess what this first post of the year really should sum up with is that we have all the possibilities in the world in front of us, it's really up to us to decide where, how, when, and why we do things with those possibilities. I'm on the right track and don't foresee veering off. I hope your journey brings you great things this year as well.

HAPPIEST OF ALL NEW YEARS Y'ALL - HAVE A BRILLIANT BRILLIANT.