How deadly ARE the Seven Deadly Sins? I mean really...

I'm experiencing about half of the seven deadly sins with this announcement. 

The Order of Dreams

I have many dreams.  While this statement could be true about the visions my sub-conscious creates during those blessed times of R.E.M., what I'm really talking about is life dreams aka goals, aspirations, what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up kind of dreams. 

I really want to do a triathlon. 

I really want to learn how to play Gershwin's Concerto in F, Shostakovich's 2nd piano concerto and Rhapsody in Blue. 

I want to finish traveling to all 50 states.

I want to see England - all of it.

Here's the thing I realized though.  I'm 33 years old.  Some of these dreams are going to have to go on a list of prioritization. 

Do I WANT to do this?  No.  I really would like to think that I could just chase after all my dreams all at once. 

But I get to have some dreams now.  I get to live out my dream of being a mom.  I get to have my dream continue of a great marriage.  I get to interact with really awesome teenagers on a daily basis, prepping them for college and life.  And I get to chase my dream of "becoming a writer." 

The writing one has moved way up the list, in part because I have joined a writer's group that meets every other week and I have the external motivation to write.  Lots.  Every day.

However, I had the realization last week that chasing this dream meant giving up another, at least for now.  The triathlon had to be moved.  Training for it and trying to write just didn't work.  I was too tired from the heightened workouts in the morning to be able to write at night.  And it was truly making me sad. 

I'm working on my physical fitness in other ways, trying for an overall improvement.  I've taken to riding my bike more to get places when it's just me, in part for the fitness aspect and in part because the economy/gas prices/I just can't make enough money issue. 

So how to order dreams?  For me, I had to go with which ones were pulling at my heart strings the most - which ones were causing me sadness for not chasing - which ones I just knew I needed to work on now. 

Will I get to all the other ones?  I don't know.  But I'm loving the chase right now. 

What?!? A new post?!?

I have completely dropped the ball with this blog.  I remember that I have one, but it just hasn't worked it's way to the top of the priority list for a while. 

Summer was crazy and fast.  I was in charge of girl's camp and hand sewed 23 owls for the girls there, along with all the thoughts, food planning and prep, etc.  Someone once asked me if prom or girl's camp was easier.  I think girl's camp could be, but for me it wasn't.  I had leaders who wanted to be the girls again, sneaking out at 2 or 3 in the morning to scare the girls, etc.  However, I heard from many of the girls that it was their favorite girl's camp ever (even from the Laurels who knew better...) so I consider it a success and worth it.

I started the summer really hitting the workouts well.  I hit a PR in the Summer Games 5k and was feeling amazing and then really did a number on my ankle playing volleyball (AGAIN!!!)  and was back to square one, again.  I'm tentatively planning on participating in this triathlon because I have always wanted to do one and I think I could do this one.  I don't have to register until the week before though, so I'm not completely committed.  But with this in mind I'm really paying attention to my nutrition again, pushing my workouts HARD (just ask my legs today) and making getting up at 5 am completely worth it.  I don't just want to maintain, I want to improve.

I'm also chasing my other passion with determination - writing.  Since moving, I have found a few ladies who are also chasing this dream.  We have a writer's group every other week, pushing, questioning, complimenting and improving our writing.  I'm going to attend two different writer's conferences in the next few months, taking advantage of the chance to hear from professionals, push to get to my goal of publication and quit pushing this back with a someday attitude.  Sure, I'm only 33 and have a lot of life left, but these are goals that I have had that I have let be taken over by other things (pinterest, facebook, tv shows) - things that aren't worthwhile. 

I'm going to try to keep track of what's going on here, but if I have 30 minutes left at the end of the day before I collapse from exhaustion, it's got to go to the book.  Don't worry, you avid readers.  I will be asking for some favors in reading it when I get it to a point where you aren't going to be annoyed at the plot gaps, incomplete characters or things that just don't make sense.  And if you really don't want to read it, also don't worry.  I'm not going to ask anyone who isn't completely gung ho - you all have busy lives as well :)