Wordless Wednesday: Cause and Effect

On Monday, this ...

Led to this ...

And this ...

Which led to $1900 of damage to our SUV, a demolished lamp post, 

and the perfect example of cause and effect.

Three Things Thursday ...

Run Love - This afternoon, Dizzle's school is hosting an Open House to give the children a chance to meet their teacher, check out the classroom and drop off their supplies before the first day of school.

In addition to the $18 million worth of supplies we need to bring, Dizzle's teacher asked us to fill out a questionnaire, so that she could learn a little something about each student. One of the questions was, "Can you recall a moment this summer that made your child proud?" Not wanting to assume, I asked Dizzle to tell me what she was most proud of this summer.

Her reply? "Running the 5K and being in Runner's World."

Yup, at age 6, my kid is a runner ...

How do you say it? - My arrival in Seattle for Hood to Coast, once again proved to me that NO ONE knows how to say my name. I bet you're thinking, "Sure I do. It's said Ton-ya."

And with that you'd be 100% wrong. Only one person has ever said it correctly upon meeting me. And he fessed up to practicing beforehand.

So, let's clear this up right now.

My name is Tonia.

Pronounced: TOE-KNEE-AHH

Got it? Probably not. That's why most people call me T. Or TMB. Or if you happen to be my oldest friend, Moe.

Responsibility - Sometimes being a grown up sucks. That is all.

Three Things Thursday, Goals Edition ...

I've always been the type of person that does well with goals. I attribute that to the fact that I tend to see them as endpoints with a predetermined route. They are not suggestions. Or wishes. Or dreams. Instead, they are my finish line and I just need to do the things along the way to make it there. And although I have many goals for 2011, they all fall into one of three categories.

Personal:

• Clean up my diet - I lost 70 pounds in 2004 and other than during pregnancies, have maintained quite well. But, my diet sucks. (Seriously. I ate 48 600-800 calorie cupcakes in 2010). I am a notorious calorie counter. I know how much I need each day to maintain my weight, but I often use up those calories with low-quality foods (i.e. sweets). And I am done with it.
• Eat no more than 25 cupcakes - This really goes with the first one. I know I can't go cold turkey from cupcakes, so instead, I am cutting my quota in half.

Financial:

• Pay off our consumer debt by the end of the year - As I mentioned before, J and I have gone to a cash only budget. It has been working and is helping to show me that all the things I thought I NEEDED were really just things I would LIKE to have.
• Spend $0 on clothing - A few months ago, I whittled my wardrobe down to 35 items (running gear excluded). And have LOVED it. I have everything I need and I have zero unused items. (And we all know I have more than enough to run in ...) Because of this, I feel like I can make it a year without spending anything on clothing. However, this is not to say, I won't get any new pieces. I probably will, but they will either be given to me or purchased with a gift card.

Running:

• Run 2,000 miles - This one seems kind of daunting, but not impossible. In 2009, I ran 921 miles. As of this morning, I have run 1797.87 in 2010 (and I have 10 more on the schedule). I figure if I managed to add 880 mile this year, I can surely add 200 in 2011.
• Run a sub 1:55 half marathon - I should have this one in the bag, but it is going to be more of a mental challenge than a physical one for me. All of my current PRs from the 5K to 10 miles put me under this time. I just need to believe I can do it.
• Take 30+ minutes off my marathon - I have yet to have everything go right on marathon day and my PR reflects it (4:49), leaving me to believe that shaving a half hour or more off my time is not only possible, but realistic. I mean, really. 5K PR puts my goal marathon time at 3:43:24 and my half marathon PR puts it at 4:04:43. It's going to come together in 2011.

if I could change one thing ...

When someone asks me if I have any regrets or if there is anything I would change in my past, I have always said no. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason, both good and bad. I have faith that I am exactly where I am meant to be at this very moment.

And if we are being honest, I am amazingly content with my life. I have a loving husband, three beautiful daughters and an amazing support system. There really isn't much I can complain about. Sure, some days are stressful and sometimes things don't go my way, but all-in-all, I am blessed. We all are.

But being blessed doesn't prevent you from being stupid. I will admit that I have made some dumb choices in my life. I've focused on the wrong things. I've stressed about things I can not change. I've gotten caught up in commercialism. In having the latest and greatest. The biggest and the best.

And that last one? Well, that's something I am committed to changing.

I remember being 18 years old and getting my first credit card. For the next four years, I was a credit card company's worst nightmare. I made a few small charges each month and paid off the entire balance WEEKS BEFORE the due date. They NEVER made a cent off of me. And in return, I was rewarded with an excellent credit score.

I remember how I used to make purchases. I was a poor college student who only bought what was NECESSARY. I always thought before I swiped. If I didn't have the money in the bank to cover what I was buying, I didn't get it. So, if that meant that I ate cereal or mac and cheese at every meal because that was all I could afford, I was cool with that.

Until yesterday afternoon, I couldn't really pinpoint when that mentality changed. I knew it was sometime after graduation and before Dizzle was born, but the exact moment alluded me. But, in my ongoing purging, I stumbled upon my "wedding portfolio" (the book I used to plan my wedding).

Inside the book was the final bill for our wedding. Not the dress. Or the favors. Or the photography (which was free by the way). Or any of the costs leading up to the event. Just the total price of the wedding and reception.

$6091.

$6091 that was put entirely on a credit card. $6091 that I am probably still paying for.

As soon as I saw that bill, I remembered that moment. (And it instantly became the moment I would go back and change.) J and I had to pay for the wedding somehow and our credit cards were the only way we could at the time. And I'm pretty sure that when that charge hit, we became "OK" with carrying debt. It almost seemed like a necessary evil. I think I've known all along that it's not, but when you are carrying debt it becomes easier to justify more debt.

I really wish we could go back 6 years and change our spending habits. I wish we could return all of the items we wasted our hard earned money on and get a refund. But, it doesn't work like that. Instead, J and I are actively choosing to break the cycle. We have kicked the credit cards to the curb. We have set a strict budget. And if we can't pay for it in cash, we can't pay for it at all.

I know it's going to be hard to change our habits. And I know the "unexpected" will happen. But, I also know that I am extremely driven and when I set my mind to something, I find a way to make it happen. This will be no different. I refuse to let it be.