So Glad It's February . . . . .
I'm happy that it's
February. Not that January wasn't a good month but it just seems like
January is the first month of three that seem to drag on in the beginning of the
year. February is not much better in that regard but I can be an optimist,
I suppose. I tend to always compare my life to 'how things were one year
ago today'. Looking back, this year is much better and I am happier.
We've had some nice
gatherings with friends so far this year and, again, it brings me to realize how
amazing my friends are. My
friend Jeff has returned in January from his first contract of working on
ships. We got him on board working last summer and he was aboard Holland
America Line's Zuiderdam sailing to Alaska, through the Panama Canal, and
then wintering in the sunny Caribbean. You can check out his travel blog here.
It's been good to catch up with him now that he's back in Seattle and we'll be
hanging out tomorrow (Friday). Yay!
Aside from that, life has
been pretty routine. I try to find the value each day in having such a
routine life. Granted, most of the elements in the routine are positive or
healthy, it begins to feel monotonous. Working out is by far the best part
of it. I've continue to rigorously study my French materials as well as my
work certification materials at the coffee shop on weekends. I'm now
debating as to if I will extend my Paris trip by one night. Timothy has
done so with his New Orleans trip so at least this would even the ante a bit in
regard to our collective vacation day balance.
Work is going well
also. It is that time of the year when we get our final sales figures from
the prior year and are able to calculate our final incentive payout.
Admittedly mine will be very good this year. It will feel great to pay off
my credit card in full, contribute nicely to my IRA, and then actually begin a
petty savings fund for unexpected costs in the near future. It will also
be a nice cache for when I buy a place.
I hope that you are all
having a wonderful new year so far!