Happiness Project: April Recap

I am going to be proactive and post this before the end of the month this time.

This month was my month to work on my relationship. I am not sure that I really concentrated on it as much as I thought that I would. I found it hard to work on it in general. It seems like with us, I don't really feel like we have that many hot button issues (other than the smoking). I think that when I think of working on a relationship, I think about working on recurring issues. Those are the things that you either figure out or you don't. I didn't travel that much this month so I didn't really get to work on the goal of connecting better when I travel. That one will have to move to another month.

I also didn't do a great job of having "fun" dinners but we did eat out a lot in NYC so maybe that counts.

I did set up a checking account for us to use on trips and included in next month's goals will be to establish a travel budget :-)

I did let the teasing go a little more than normal but I think that I still need to work on that part.

I think that one of the most important things that I learned this month was about C and travel. Almost every time we go on vacation the first day is really rough. He seems to be in a bad mood from the time he wakes up until the time we get to our destination. Since a lot of our trips involve connections and 4 hr flights, this is not a fun part of the trip. In the past I thought that maybe it was something that I was doing (though I could never figure out what), but on our trip to NYC it hit me. He HATES airports. It has nothing to do with me at all. He just hates the whole process of going to the airport, going through security, listening to all the announcements on the plane, and dealing with stupid people around us. Security in Dayton is beyond ridiculous...no idea why but it is much more severe than any other airport I have ever been in and they regularly just make up new rules (even when I flew every week and would get the same person and didn't have to do whatever it is they claim you have to do at any other airport). I think that the whole thing just sets him off and he is like a child in that once he gets in a bad mood, there is nothing you can do to help it. He usually is snappy (NOT his normal laid back self) and he gets annoyed by little things that I do that normally don't bother him. Once I had this Ah Ha moment, I was able to easily ignore it. I get on edge sometimes, we all do. I am more of the type that will tell him so he knows not to push any buttons but he just isn't.

Sure enough, as soon as we landed in NYC he was back to his normal, joky, fun self. I am glad that I learned this as I think that it will make future trips a lot easier. I will just listen to my music and ignore him and his complaining until we get to our destination :-)

Birthday Weekend

Thanks for all the birthday wishes...and the phone calls and texts...you guys are awesome.

Friday we just went to Lowe's to get the accessories for our bathroom (they finished it!!)

Saturday I went to do a 5K with Ali in the am (that is our 3rd one in 4 weeks) and it was pretty chilly...I did ok in it but we think that the clock was messed up. They didn't have a clock at the start and we both had a minute less on our Nike+ at the end. Oh well, it was for a good cause and it was their first one so they will learn. After the race Ali and I went to the farmer's market here. It is in an old train depot maybe??, anyway, I love these pretzels that they have there...they are huge and they are delicious! We got come mochas and pretzels and then walked around tasting other yummy breads and cheeses. Then the rain came :-( Craig and I went on one more trip for our bathroom stuff and then I spent the rest of the night being sort of lazy.

Sunday was beautiful here!! When we went out to do our bike ride it was 74 degrees and a little over 2hrs later it was 85...that is pretty hot for April here. Don't worry it is back down to 60 today :-) I think that I have talked a bit about the clipless pedals that I have on my bike (sort of misleading since you clip them in but the name has to do with the lack of toe clips like in the old days). Anyway, you basically have a cycling shoe that you wear with a little medal thing on the bottom that clicks into the pedal on your bike and then you have to move your foot in a reverse clicking your heels together motion to get them back out...you can't just lift your foot up to take your foot off the pedal. That means that at every stop you have to remember to do that little foot action or you will be laying on the ground with your foot still attached to the pedal. I tried this last year without knowing what I was doing and I couldn't get my left foot out (got the right one out) and fell to the left hitting my knee really hard on the pavement. I don't know how many of you have skinned your knee since you were 10 but it HURTS and then it dries and cracks when you bend it and hurts in the shower and on top of all that I bruised it really bad. I was just not interested in having that all over again so I was too chicken to try it. On Friday I had practiced the motion to get my foot in and out of the pedal. Sunday I decided that I wanted to ride 32 miles for my 32nd birthday and that I was going to clip in my shoes. Luckily my fear subsided long enough for me to do it and I didn't fall at all! There were a couple close calls when crossing streets and a couple times where I had to stop suddenly that weren't fun but overall, I think that I did really well. When you are clipped in you are 20-30% more efficient then when you aren't. When we started our ride I couldn't believe how easy it was to pedal!! I am pretty excited now to get better on the bike.

After we biked we grilled out that night and then went and got custard...it was a nice relaxing birthday (with a hot 2hr bike ride in the middle).

Happiness Project - Month 3

This month my concentration is on mine and Craig's relationship. It will be our 5 year anniversary of our first date this month and it is also the month of both of our birthdays. I haven't come up with super concrete measurements for this month yet but here are a few.

1. Try to have one "fun" meal a week. We don't eat out a lot so maybe this would be a night where we would eat out or a night where I would make dinner and dessert and we would have wine with it all (something we like but just don't do a lot of).
2. Find a better way to connect while I am on the road. We barely talk because neither of us likes to talk on the phone. I want to come up with a topic each day that would help open up the lines of communication. Sometimes we just don't have anything to say about our days.
3. Establish a checking account that we use for trips and other fun stuff. I think that sometimes I hold back because I HATE having a huge credit card bill. I like to smooth things out throughout the year. I think that having an established account that we contribute to every month will help me not to get so uptight about money on vacation.
4. Let the teasing fly....Craig is a teaser and he is constantly repeating things that I say in a funny voice, trying to tickle me, or making fun of something I say. I often get frustrated with this because I think that he isn't taking me serious. Honestly, I am sure that is not what it means at all and I really should try to be more silly with him...what could it possibly hurt. Maybe I can just try to encourage at a time other than when I am trying to cook dinner (not a good time for tickling) or when I am trying to have a serious conversation.

I think that those things will be enough for now...maybe I will think of more as I go :-)