DECEMBER!!!!!!

Hello December. December is typically a busy month for me because of the line of work I am in (college professor). This is because:

1. Finals are usually right in the middle of December.
2. I have somehow taken a role in organizing the graduation ceremony--which is usually less than a week before Christmas.
3. Final grades are usually due a couple of days before Christmas.
4. I have to get prepped to start my spring classes, which begin in January.
5. Christmas! And the family celebrations that this entails.
6. I love college basketball and find myself at men's and women's games at least 3 days a week.

So December is busy, although not necessarily in a bad way. I woke up this morning to a little bit of white stuff on the ground, which was okay by me. It's sort of pretty.

As I mentioned before, I read "The Happiness Project" over Thanksgiving break. I am playing around with ideas from the book and how I want to incorporate them in my life. One change I have made after reading the book is a very simple one. I make my bed every morning. Why does that matter, and why does it make me happier? I love climbing into a bed that is made, but in the past I haven't taken the time to make the bed. I've decided that the 30 seconds it takes to make the bed (which for me is just basically neatly pulling up the covers) is worth it. In a small way, it does make me happier.

And that's the point of the book. Change your life without changing your life. It's a concept that I like. I have a great life, all I need to do is make small changes in my thoughts and behaviors to enjoy it more.

I'm planning to go for a run in a little bit. It will be my first "snow" run of the season. It's not that snowy out, but that crunch-crunch under my feet is kind of enjoyable. It's just a change in atmsophere/scenery, and that's good for me. And I do have all of my ridiculously expensive running gear for winter, so I should get some use out of that stuff.

I should add that I have not been running a lot. I've taught some aerobics and I've been on my spin bike, but running has taken a back seat in the last week. I do feel a bit guilty about that, but I guess I shouldn't beat myself up as long as I'm doing something. The advantage of teaching aerobics is that I get paid for it, and the advantage of the spin bike is that I can catch up on shows from my DVR.

I was giving a lecture in one of my classes the other day, and I was talking about things I do that are ridiculous. So, as I was driving home, I thought of a list of things I do recently that are ridiculous but that I plan on continuing to do anyway:

1. I get to basketball and football games early (40 minutes early when possible) because I enjoy the atmosphere before the game. I almost missed tip off at the UNI-ISU game this week because I had a late meeting. I was so stressed out.
2. I eat about 6-8 frozen waffles a day. There are 10 in a package. Sometimes I eat a whole package a day.
3. I wait until the light goes on--and then some-- before getting gas. I honestly cannot remember the last time I got gas before the light went on. I just never do it. I hate getting gas, so I put it off. And when I do stop to get gas, I am very resentful--like "Isn't it ridiculous I have to put gas in my car? Poor me."
4. I go shopping online, and put stuff I like in the shopping cart, but never order it. It's like a game...if I were to order something from this site, what would I order?
5. I put off using the restroom at work until I am in physical pain. I will have to pee, but I think I don't have time because I feel like I am so busy. I once timed myself though. It takes less than 3 minutes from the time I leave my desk to the time I get back (and that is with proper handwashing). Why don't I just go when I have to? It's not like I'm an ER doctor.
6. I keep my house cold in the winter--62 degrees lately. When I get cold, I take a hot bath. Sometimes I take two hot baths a night. Is this energy efficient? Probably not. Why do I keep my house so cold? I think it's so I can tell people that I keep my house cold. I was very proud that I didn't turn on my heat until mid November. Of course, I sometimes took three hot baths a night.

Well, off to get myself bundled up to run.