Time for Myself Updates

This is very overdue - but it has been an on going focus.  So even if I'm not posting about it I've still been actively making it focus.   So here is the summary for a number of missing months.

August - The big one was Stonehedge.   I've wanted to see this since I was in grade school.  On my trip to London, I made sure we included this.  My niece was abivolent about going but understood I wanted it included.   She was not impress - I was.   Although it is just a bunch of rocks - it rocks!   very cool and I'm glad I went.  This was on my bucket list!
The little one for August was going to Cave of the Mounds.  This is another spot I've wanted to see for a long time.  I'm not sure why - but its been on my Wisconsin bucket list.   After camping at Governor Dodge State Park we made a stop on the way home to see the Cave.  It was not spectacular but I did enjoy it, and I'm glad I went.   I would go again - and make some extra time to explore the trails above ground.  

September - Two little one - but they fit the idea of Time for Myself almost perfectly.   The first was volunteering at Ironman Wisconsin. I used to do more things by myself and this was good to have the day to myself.  I had the opportunity to contact the niece, nephews, and/or sister's family - but I choose not to, and just keep it solo.  Volunteering for this type of stuff makes me happy - I do love the free stuff (shirt, food,

etc) and I love seeing the athletic power of an everyday person completing something as challenging as an Ironman.  The second thing was choosing to skip book club in September and instead go see the Captain Philips for free.  First, I love movies and my frugal side especially loves free movies, and second the book club group had been growing tiresome to me.  The original September host had to cancel and asked me if I could host - I am so glad I choose not to accept hosting.  It would have frustrated me - at a very low level - but it wears away at that threshold of what you can put up with.  And the movie experience was near perfect.   This was a late preview - they had already had many previews in our area - so that meant there were not a lot of people.  At some of these previews its jammed with every seat taken and often times jerks are taking saved seats while people are getting popcorn, etc.  It has happened to me in the past and that is highly frustrating -- anyway there was none of that going on this night.  The movie was great (Oscar buzz) and seeing it in a theater enhanced the experience.  The big screen helps, but also the crowd reaction to key scenes enhances the watching experience.  It was a great choice for me personally to choose the movie over the book club.    

October - Another small Wisconsin/Milwaukee bucket list item - the Whitefish Bay Pumpkin patch!  This was added to my list many, many years ago.  My mother first told me about it.  It used to be one gentleman in Whitefish Bay that carved hundreds and hundreds of pumpkins - they would be on display near the WFB Library and you could drive by.   Now its become a mini fest with food and bands.   The night I went it was cold and I got a hot cider to sip as a walked around.  The band was good.  Overall a night night.  I'm glad I went and will be back.  Next time I'll probably coordinate with friends.




November - this was another month with 2 small time for myself events.   The first was walking through the Milwaukee Holiday Lights after a book club dinner at John Hawks Pub.  It was a nice walk - with good friends - on a crisp, cold night.  The only thing that could have made it better would have been a little snow on the ground.  Many of the lights are cheesy and snow would have improved them.  This had been another item on my Milwaukee bucket list.  And again - nothing major, but something I wanted to do and with this challenge I did it.   The second event was seeing the Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) movie on my terms.  I saw it early Sunday morning - 9:15 am show -- not sure why that timing

greatly pleased me.  I'm guessing because to many that was 'too early' for a Sunday morning.   I got to see it opening weekend -but did not have to be in a overcrowded theater.   And I really enjoyed the movie - it made me tear up at several points.  I've read the books but its been a while so the movie was fresh.  I now need to reread the books - and have already requested it from the library - should get it before Christmas.

So the overall is - these things are still happening, which is a very good trend.  I need to be good to myself and these little things do make a big difference.  

I have a few things targeted for December - with a little luck you'll actually read about close to when they happen and need to wait a couple of months.