What Was I Supposed to Remember?

I've come to the realization that I need to take a class, or read a book, on memory improvement.  How is it that I can remember four social security numbers, account numbers, login's and passwords, countless birthday's, anniversaries, football stats from 2009, grades from college the first time around, my ex-bosses kids turtles name and my first cell phone number, but I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast two days ago or that the laundry needs to come upstairs from the basement.

Why is this?  Am I the only one that seems overloaded, overwhelmed and generally overwrought? 

There are days that I wake up in the middle of the night and find it necessary to write down what popped into my head, because I know that if I just rely on my memory to remind me in the morning, I will forget it...only to remember it after a deadline.

I start each year fresh with a new calendar (or several) and rewrite everything that I put down when I got the last calendar six months ago.  I think that's a mom's necessity.  I need to see everything in writing so I'll get calendars that run from July - June and then from January - December, just so I cover all bases.   I keep my Outlook calendar up-to-date; I keep my Google calendar up-to-date; I set reminders and reminders of reminders.

When we went on vacation over the holidays, I was lucky enough to be able to work remotely so I didn't need to use any vacation time.  I would love to take another vacation where I could just put work away. I don't remember the last vacation where I didn't work. As I'm sitting here writing this during the quick half hour to myself, I swear I will have no recollection tomorrow morning of what I actually worked on in the office today.  (For the record: two press releases, copy for a web ad and two print ads, budget work, edited three pieces of marketing collateral, and research and a plan on how I can get our staff to actually follow our social media presence.)  

If anyone reads this and knows of a good book on memory improvement or organization, let me know.  Would love to share it with all of my friends, since I pretty confident we are all in the same boat.

New Beginnings and Hope

It's been seven months since I actually put 'pen to paper'.  I've tried; believe me, I've tried.  I have a book that is half written; blogs in my mind that I could have started; notes on my phone that are just incoherent ramblings.  It most certainly hasn't happened because as a family have just been really busy.

2014 brought us multiple surgeries, an end to a baseball career, a new driver, successful and not-so-successful football seasons, job loss and job gain for both Doug and I,  the boys successfully and nearly completing 1st semester of their junior years in college and high school and my passion led to taking thousands upon thousands of pictures.  In five short days, we will hit a milestone and be parents of a legal, drinking aged adult.  How is that even possible?  I feel like it was just yesterday that he was born during the coldest week of the year in 1994.  

I chuckle, to myself, when I think of all the things I could have accomplished when I was off work for eight weeks.  I completed probably a quarter of the list.  I guess I was just tired and didn't bother.  I regret that now.

I'm finally working for a company that compliments my education and professional background.  Doug is working for company that thrives to do good.  Shawn and Ryan will complete their junior years and move into the next year of school.

People are astonished that I read over 120 books in 2014.  Frankly, I am too.  Plain and simple; I enjoy it.  I hope to match that in 2015.  

In 2015:

I hope to finish my novel; and my photography book. 

I hope that our careers are finally headed in the right direction.

I hope that Ryan finds a college he loves, as much as Shawn loves Ripon.

I hope FAFSA comes through again.

I hope that Shawn starts his senior year of college and finishes strong in 2016, with his degree in hand and job offers on the table.

I hope that we are hospital visit free in 2015.  The trend started in 2010 and hasn't yet stopped.

I hope we take bi-weekly trips this winter to our home away from home and get in all the riding we can.

I hope the sports programs are successful and finally get the recognition they deserve.

I hope, this last year of planning Gridiron Fest, results in the most successful Fest to date.

I hope we find more volunteers for the program, so we can really enjoy Ryan's final year playing for Hale.

I hope our families, friends and their families stay healthy.

I hope to finally get off my butt and get in shape.

I hope to win the lottery.

I hope that in three, six, nine and twelve months I can look at this blog again and realize that these "I hope's" resulted in "I did's".