Remember that dude on SNL? I always think about that before I write something here.
Let me run through everything briefly to catch up, since I haven't posted since Thursday!
Friday, I went to Cowboy Country and I spent $10 to get in and $5 for post drinking Carl's Jr. Marissa supplied the 2-3 drinks we had. Thanks!
Saturday, I met up with my dad for the UFC fight at Legends Sports Bar in Belmont Shore. I thought it would only cost me $10 to get in, but it was $15 this time. I was going to watch this fight no matter what, so it was spend $15 and some drinks there or spend $45 and some drinks here. Well after 3 beers and a couple appetizers with my dad, the $15 went up to $55. It was at this point where I realized that I have become a little anal about this money thing, because I began to get almost irritated about my wanting that 3rd beer. This money kick has already sank in and it's really only been about a month maybe. It's in the back of every thought now, which I like, and it's beginning to really work! After one more month, I should be able to make better money-spending decision without having to even think! My dad and I even talked briefly about this, and he explained that the Evans clan are the type of people that buy another round if they think it will keep the party going. I guess I am a true Evans, because after the fight, we went and bought some cigars ($20) and walked around 2nd street talking. We stood on the corner simply bonding and smoking some great cigars, then went to La Creperie after it to grab some dessert! I love the ambiance of that place by the way. After this, we split up and he was going to come to my house and decide if he was going to stay the night, as it was already midnight, or go home. I got home and as I did, I got a text from him saying, "Going home. Thanks for a great evening. Love dad." This simple text made me smile like I have never smiled before. I know I mentioned briefly in a previous post about how any semblance of the "love" emotion has never happened, and didn't need to because we knew, but those last two words meant more than any two words I've ever read in my life. I responded with, "Alright. Drive safe. Thank you too. It was great. Love you too." I don't know how long it took him to actually type that and send it, but I'm positive there was a pause on his end, probably to figure out where the 'V' was on the keyboard. Oh, I spent a total of $87 that night, but that night, I would have paid much, much more had I known how great it would have been with my dad!
Sunday, SUNDAY, Sunday! I played in a beach volleyball tournament. I made some sandwiches and packed it up with some water. We tied for 3rd in our pool, but didn't make the playoffs due to our point ratio, but the two teams that finished ahead of us in the pool finished 2nd and 3rd, so we did alright. After this, I spent another $11 on pizza and soda for two, then another $5 on In-n-out later that night. I spent a total of $20.96 for the sandwiches, water and the other two purchases. eek.
Monday was today! I spent $6.10 on all my food and drinks, and $5 for parking for my dance class. I also did a lot of work around the house today. I got to thinking about some of this work I did today too, and came to an interesting, yet obvious, conclusion; It takes a lot of hard work and time to make something grow and maintain it, but it takes less than a quarter of that time to destroy it! Then, it seems to take twice that time to get it back.
Initially, I thought this because I saw some pictures my dad recently uploaded to facebook, that showed my front yard. Pictures from about 2 years ago I believe. The lawn was bright green and great! Now, its bright yellow and dirt! I know how much work he put into that lawn, as well as the rest of the house, and I killed it in NO TIME! I did try to revive it once, but lost interest. That's when I realized the same goes for nearly everything; relationships, plants, pets, personal health, etc. They all take a lot of hard work and time to see growth and maintain, but with a little neglect or lack of responsibility they can all disappear or wither away. Once that has happened, it seems that you work twice as hard to get it back, but it just doesn't respond, which leaves one wondering why! It didn't take this much work to grow it in the first place, right?
There is only one solution that I can think of to counteract the effects of these actions, which is to simply commit to what you want to accomplish, and hold yourself accountable no matter what. Too often we make excuses as to why something got the way it did, knowing full well that we could have and should have never even let it get to this point in the first place. I'm now recognizing why everything is dead, what I did and didn't do, and I'm figuring out what I'm going to do to fix them.
I've already started this process with my financial situation, but it's much deeper than just the pocketbook. Like I said, this applies to everything! My past relationships, my current relationships, my dog, my lawn, my dirty house! It's about priorities, and my priorities have been to be lazy and selfish. Am I supposed to be growing up this fast? Is this the age that people become boring, and life has scheduled fun time? Where I need to make watering the lawn and cleaning the house a priority over drinking and playing ping pong? Man, this blows! Where is Zoltar when you need him?
I will say one thing. When you let stuff get as out of control as my house has gotten, it sure does feel good to be able to see the difference! I mean, what fun is it cleaning a relatively spotless room? You can't even see what progress you made! (Although I do know how nice it is to just have to wipe something down versus scrubbing the hell out of it.)
I will be taking before and after pictures of my house transformation too.
Goal #8: Nurse my house back to strength!
Oh and goal #6, working out 3/week before work has been a work in progress. The first week was one day, the second week was two, and this week will be three! That is all for today.
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okay, mr evans.... you have NO idea what i've gone through to get this damn comment posted! hahahah! i tried to post it on blogspot through my phone. it was a no-go, so i went to facebook on my phone to post a comment on your status that should have been the comment i originally wanted to post on here.... typed it all out and hit continue or submit or whatever, and waited and waited and it said, "you cannot comment on this."
ReplyDeleteWHAT?! are you kidding me?! what do you MEAN i can't comment on this!
so, i actually GOT OUT OF BED, turned on my computer and decided that this blog was definitely worth commenting, and had i not dragged my fat behind out of bed right now, this comment might never have been posted....
so here is the original comment (after having hit "back" on my phone a few times, i found it....
okay so i've been awake since.... ohhhh.... say TOO LONG, but probably spent the last 20 minutes or so trying to post a freakin comment on your blog. BUUUUUUT, being that I"m on my phone and not my laptop, i canNOT post a comment. Gets me suuuuuuper close and then WAM.... SHUTDOWN ooooo BURN!
not gonna lie, got a bit misty-eyed about the whole "talk about your feelings when you feel it" effort you made last night!!! Very great progress for goal #7 (I think it was). That ought to make your dad feel really great inside.... I think that once you hit a stage in your life where you are content, those smaller things (that we so often dread) become important to us (i.e. cleaning the house, watering the lawn, and mowing it, etc. etc.) It's not that we are boring, it's that we are content with so many other things in our lives.... the drinking, the partying, all that.... that may be fun, but it takes priority because so many other things are lacking.... we are trying to fill a void of some sort. Does that make any sense? It may not, and maybe i'm just rambling again, but that whole void thing is usually the case. There's an insecurity (or 10) that we don't want to face, and the selfishness that we have carried for so long, slowly starts to disappear.... we become more selfless, and things actually start getting done. Relationships, i believe, are a little bit different with the amount of nourishment and attention you give them.... you've got to have someone who is as equally committd to making something work, you know? you can't MAKE someone stay in a relationship! I believe that LOVE doesn't fail. TRUE LOVE doesn't fail.... the people do. One person usually ends up wanting something more than the other, and this (eventually) leads to the downfall. Plants, pets, cleaning, on the other hand.... you have a bit more control of. (unless you get a "crazy by genetics" animal or something)
I can't wait to see that grass turning green again.. be sure to post some pictures along this journey of commitment.... and just because it takes time and effor, don't give up on it.... the grass is willing to stick it out through the longhaul, but it can't grow by itself.... so, COMMIT!!!!
=) it will pay off.... and the wonderful thing about TRUE COMMITMENT is because IF for ANY reason it doesn't work out, you don't question what you could have done differently. You KNOW you gave it all you had.... Good luck, my friend!!!!
To long, green stems of grass and satisfying, selfless acts of love!!!! =)
Relationships, i believe, are a little bit different with the amount of nourishment and attention you give them.... you've got to have someone who is as equally committd to making something work, you know? you can't MAKE someone stay in a relationship! I believe that LOVE doesn't fail. TRUE LOVE doesn't fail.... the people do. One person usually ends up wanting something more than the other, and this (eventually) leads to the downfall.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE this statement. Thank you Ashley!! All the reason I continue to love although things have failed!!