Livejournal is working again!

Okay, so I wasn't denied LJ access for all that long, really just this morning and early afternoon, but I find it extremely frustrating and painful when I wanna get on here and read your entries and write my own only to find myself locked out with no solution other than waiting.

I also wonder if spotty availability is one of the factors that has led so many people to abandon their Livejournals for the greener pastures of Facebook and Tumblr and wherever else it is that people are chronicling their lives these days. If so, that makes me sad, because this place has been a wonderful source of community for me since my first post back in 2005. I'm sure I'll keep this as my blog home until it no longer exists, if only because I'm loyal to a fault and I've amassed quite an archive of entries here. But having no one around as readers and readees, and not having as many interactions via the comment feature means that this place doesn't feel at all like the party that it was several years ago. That however, is not to take anything away from those of you on my F-list who still remain. I have mad love for you all, and you give me reason to continue making the daily LJ visit that has become such an integral part of my morning internet routine.

With that tangent out of the way, onward to my real reason for posting.

Having recently turned 33, and with the end of the year and the retirement of my current boss looming, I've managed to get myself into a frame of mind where I'm reflecting a lot on the past, and also thinking about what I need and/or want in the weeks, months, even years to come.

It's a lot to sort through, if I'm being honest, and so I thought it might be good to organize my thoughts here, and maybe even set some goals and intentions so that I don't feel so overwhelmed when I think about my life and the number of directions I can take it.

Here goes.......


What I need and/or want in the coming weeks:

Sleep catchup.
An ice skating outing
Frosted sugar cookies
Mulled wine
My annual screening of the Muppets Christmas Carol
Sinuses that aren't swollen and crazymaking
Visits to the martial arts/yoga facilities I am considering for classes
Novel writing time
A kiss under a mistletoe
Live music and wrestling
Sanity as a big work project ramps up
An itinerary for Memphis
A massage


What I need and/or want in the coming months:
Game plan for expanding/advancing my role at work or making my next move if I am to stay on a development-related career path
Serious progress in my novel draft
Research on library science graduate programs
Research on cultural/media studies graduate programs
Research on mortgage refinancing and/or short sales
A renewed passport
An itinerary for April's Seattle trip
Live music and wrestling
A hot man who is emotionally available and who actively seeks to show me a good time (Eeeps! I said it out loud and now I can't take it back!)

What I need and/or want in the coming years:
More disposable income
Greater clarity on what I want to be when I grow up
A car
A permanent residence in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle or Portland, please)
A published novel
Trips to cities and countries I've never been
Live music and wrestling
A stable, committed relationship (not necessarily marriage, but not ruling that out)

I'm sure I could continue any of these lists ad nauseum, but I think this is a good starting point.

I may even be able to knock a couple things off my immediate list tonight, providing the Forest Park holiday walk that I'm thinking of visiting offers sugar cookies, and providing I can stay awake long enough after that to watch The Muppets.