Last year my daughter and I raced over to Barnes & Noble to get new 2021 calendars only to find out that we had to pay full price for them. That wasn't fun. We expected that on the last day of the year we would have been able to find new calendars for the next year at 50% off their regular prices. I can't remember where we ended up, it may have been that we waited a few days and went back to Barnes & Noble when they did have their calendars and planners on sale. I don't remember, but I do remember the calendar I bought because in May 2020 my sweet dog George, a red/brindle colored Miniature Dachshund, had passed away. The calendar I bought honored and reflected my genuine love for the dog. It was called "Hot Dog Yoga - The Happiness you Longggggg For" it was simply amazing! Little red dogs doing basic and complicated yoga stances, and the descriptions were too funny. Oh, George would have loved it.
So, I grabbed the calendar from the closet just now, after thinking about throwing it out, but not bringing myself to do so. I looked at each month slowly and intentionally so I could reflect on what took place each and every month. It's amazing what you don't remember when people ask you what happened over the past year. If I had not written it down on a few of the more memorable dates, I literally would have only remembered people's birthdays, anniversaries and perhaps their day of death. We had a couple this past year that were really sad, but only for us, because each of the wonderful people in my life who passed were Christians. They are celebrating the new year in real style.
Here we go, what took place in 2021 that is worth remembering? To start off with, I weighed 26 pounds more last year at this time than I do now. Wow, that's a total of 52 pounds lost since August 3, 2020. In early February I freaked a man out (online) when I wished his young daughter happy birthday. Why people don't realize what they post in previous years won't be seen in more recent years and why they happen to think that what they post will only be seen by those they know personally, I have no idea. I think the man has learned a bit about posting about his family. I am glad I could be of assistance with that. LOL...poor man. Also in February, I began my study for the SIE (Securities Industry Essentials) exam, which I didn't pass in April, but did in December. Good start, rough spring and summer, but let me tell you, the deed is done!! I am SIE certified.
In March, besides being my son's birthday on the 22nd (Turn about is fair play, I figure I should let the man get even with me...go ahead Tex...wish my son a big day, we're good) I also started an 8-week course with a great clinic that did light treatments for weight loss and the red lights also reduced my body 8%. It was amazing!! I wish I could afford to buy the $15,000.00 machine and just keep it here at home and climb into it, wrap up with the light pads and zap myself into skinnihood. That would be a-mazing. I may have to think about getting one and letting friends use it. I started and stopped KETO in April, it just wasn't working for me. I decided a semi-keto thing was better. I do that still, and I'm not unhappy with it. I'm not thrilled to still be 20-22 pounds over what my goal weight is, but it's getting there. I know that when you're older and when you have less to come off it gets harder and harder. One day at a time folks, one day at a time.
May was good. I changed banks back to using my credit union where my car is financed. They are closer to home and just seem a bit more friendly. That, and I didn't have to wear a stupid mask to go into the bank. I dropped the others like a hot potato. I don't wear masks because they don't work. When I was FORCED to wear one to take the SIE exam in April I bitched about it, and pulled it down under my nose. It was a sheer and see-through type anyway, but they didn't care. It was a mask. They met their damn mandate. It's all stupid. May also found me looking for teaching jobs since it didn't look like I would be working in finance without the SIE exam being passed. Yuck and pooey.
OMG...June was cool. I tried Botox for the first time! That's weird for me. I think I like it, and I'll do it again in a couple of weeks. It lasted over 5 months, that's not bad. I don't have to be beautiful but if I can be I will be. June found me using the vibration plate more, walking more, getting the bike out, and really just doing more outdoor activities. I gave up the horse, so I needed to fill that time with something else. Walking it was! I was averaging 12,000+ steps a day, eating right, and really just being as healthy and happy as I possibly could be. I wasn't working outside of the house, but knew I would be in the later part of the summer. I tried to enjoy myself as much as I could, and again, study as much of the SIE as I could.
July and August were filled with job interviews, working temp jobs for the Express Personnel. I love Kevin, my employment agent at Express. He finds me fun and exciting jobs for sure. I worked for an ad agency, and I worked for a lawyer for a minute. The lawyer wanted to hire me, but he didn't offer benefits and since I knew I was going to go into finance when the SIE was complete I decided not to take him up on his offer. I also thought I would be moving to Scotland in the late fall or early 2022, so that was on my mind as well. If I could find a good position in finance there that wanted to help me move to the land of Heather, that was the ticket -- until it wasn't. No Scotland for me.
August-September I worked as a teacher at a certain district which shall not be named. I was a middle school English teacher, and there was a problem with me not wanting to wear the mandated mask. I had not only a doctor's note stating I didn't have to, I had a letter from my preacher stating that we, as Christians, are against covering the image of God, and no one cared at the employment level until I threatened to sue. I was allowed to not wear the mask for medical exemption, but days later I was asked to leave under strange and mysteriously uninvestigated reasons and circumstances. Days and days went by and they had no answers as to why I was being asked to stay home on administrative leave. Eventually in October I was told I would be allowed to stay home and be paid through the semester, which by the way ended about an hour ago. I am no longer under their thumb, though they still owe me for my last check - - so I won't really say anything too disparaging until I get that money.
October, November, and December were FILLED with more than hours and hours upon hours of self study in the SIE world. I was determined to pass the test and I was FLAT OUT crushed in November when I did not pass it. I missed it by literally ONE question. When you pass they don't tell you what your score is, but when you fail they tell you. I would rather have bombed it, tanked it, than to have missed by one stupid question! I took it again a few weeks later, and passed. I knew I knew the answers. I just got nervous during the test. God was GREAT and helped me recall the actual answers. I was pretty sure I passed with a passing score of around 85-88, but I'll never know. I just tallied up the ones I knew I knew. Other than cramming and forcing puts, calls, options, futures, equity, debt and debentures into my skull's fleshy tenant, I basically worked out, ate well, baked well, played with grandkids and watched OU football. It was a good year to be sure.
What's next? What's on the horizon? Well, I'm still praying for the man I've been praying for since 2019. He's been experiencing a bit of a physical and mental setback, so he's been on my mind and spirit for about six months. I'll continue to lift him to Jesus and see his full recovery I hope! That's #1 in my heart right now. There are no goals really, just to continue to lift him, and hope to hear more from him as to how he's doing. I passed the SIE and accepted a position with a finance company as an insurance advisor for now, but will continue to interview and seek permanent and full time employment in finance advisory, finance consulting, but I need to be trained to do that. I am now studying the Series 66 and then the Series 7 test guides so that I can pass those and be absolutely desirable for some fantastic investment group such as Fidelity, Chase, Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, you know, those types. I have my ears to the ground and my prayers to the Lord. It will happen.
Weight wise? I'll lose 20-22 more pounds, tone up, tighten up, pump it up, and be really strong soon. I'm hoping to get a downstairs apartment soon so I can jump rope and not scare the neighbors. I have to go outside currently to do it. I really don't mind because the neighbors take bets on when I'll stop; it's fun to help one or the other out from time to time if I know what's being bet - - especially if I can get in on the action too! I'll keep the smile plastered to my face, listen to Celtic worship and Celtic Worship. You have to know those are two different things. I will learn to play guitar perhaps - - and if not, I will pretend that I do. I'm OK with a little fantasy - - or even a big round bellied bearded one, as long as he's smiling and swinging his kilt around in the air. Woot!
Happy NEW YEAR!!
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