Change of address.

No internet. No cable TV. No coffee table. Yes, we're moving into our new home hence the silence. It's been about a week and so far, so good. Everything in baby steps. I'd love to move into a house that has everything ready but where's the fun in that? heh.

So excuse me while I unpack the gazillionth box marked 'office/bedroom/kitchen/bathroom/anywhere appropriate.'

Hope your days are all happy, happy, joy, joy.

Note to fickle-minded, scaredy-cat self:

OMG why can't I just chop my hair off??? It's just hair. Grab those damn scissors and just DO IT, woman!

Money and Matters

Ever since I traded my 8 to 5 desk job for a freelancing life, I must confess it hasn't been without its highs and lows. And although I've blogged numerous times about the highs outweighing the lows, there are days when the lows are just, well, kinda annoying.

The H and I are both freelancers - him with his design work and photography and me with my scribing - and every month is a roller coaster of 'Ok how much do we have this time?'. I won't lie: There are months where the jobs keep coming in and there are months where we both have to survive on one project. That said, we've managed to keep afloat for more than a year - and we had a wedding to boot!

Yes, I love the freedom and the flexibility of being on my own but I will confess that my hands tend to sweat at the thought of the other F word: Finances. Especially with a new home on our hands (which reeks of adult responsibility, yikes) and our baby plans in the not-so-distant future. So imagine my surprise when a lucrative job opportunity presented itself. It was a high-profile post with the government (let's just say my boss would be a politician). However, it would require me to sign a two-year contract and relocate to (oh yes you would've guessed it) KL. Plus I get to travel. But what honestly made my ears perk up was the impressive basic salary. And that was just 'BASIC' salary, mind you.

I started doing the math in my head - well, tried to do the math anyhoo. The H and I sat down and discussed our options. Could we really just pack up and go? After all our networking here? Fixing up the house? Taking on those projects? Tell our clients, "Uh, buh-bye, sorry" ?

Honestly, of course we could.

And then we started to envision our lives in KL. Both of us working long hours, commuting and me travelling. The high cost of living. And of course, it would mean to put our baby plans on the hold for a couple of years. Would that money be worth it? He asked me, "If you weren't married, would you take the job?"

And I told him, "In a heartbeat." But I continued by telling him that I AM married and while a time ago I would've up and left without a second thought, I know exactly what my priorities are today and I don't have a single regret. And while the allure of the money is indeed tempting, the urge to stay where I am and making the most of what I love is far more appealing. That big, fat paycheck isn't going to let me wake up slow, do what I love for a living while surrounded by things that matter most: My family, my friends, my home and of course, the love of my life: My cat, Blanket. Hahaha, i couldn't resist, sorry. So I decided to turn the opportunity down and I sleep well with that decision every night.

Although I'm not exactly having strawberries and champagne for lunch (eww, why would I want to anyway?) or living it up in a big city, I think my life is pretty damn awesome right not. My bank account may not be bursting at the seams - but I've never felt richer.

Resolutions a.k.a Stuff I'd like to accomplish this year but need to summon the willpower and discipline

I looked back on my older entries to see what new year resolutions I came up with back then and which ones I actually accomplished or stuck to. Wellll....I HAVE started working out more and I finally left my job (ok, so these resolutions took five years to accomplish but hey I got there somehow!). I even had one year where my list included 'drink more milk'. That didn't last a month by the way.

Ergo, the simple solution to increase the probability of sticking to one's new year's resolutions (and yes,I'm starting to sound like the guys from The Big Bang Theory) is to create more realistic, pragmatic and convenient ones. Let's see:

1. Fix the dent in my car: I went to a friend's wedding a couple of years ago and someone did a 'dent and dash' number on my Wira. It's still there, making me look like a careless driver, tsk tsk. I really should get it fixed this year.

2. Travel: I say this every year and I am proud to say, it's the one resolution I've never failed to fulfill. I can cross Vancouver, Canada off my list and this year, I'll be heading to Italy. *check*

3. Do something to my hair: I keep this vague because 'something' can range from a two-inch snip to platinum streaks. Or, thanks to a moment of boredom and too much free time, perhaps something ridiculous like this:
or how about this:
....Ya right, as if I had that much hair. If all fails, I can always go old school:

And I kinda like making a statement:

Ok, I digress...

4. Make a baby: This is one project that might actually be fun, heh heh. No pressure but the H and I have decided it's time to start planning.

5. Improve my Mandarin: Notice how I didn't say, "Learn Mandarin and master it". I'll be happy if I can muddle through a sentence without insulting somebody's mother or horse.

6. Cook better: I don't want to raise a family that feeds on instant noodles and soft-boiled eggs. I'm getting there and I'm actually enjoying myself in the kitchen. Sometimes, I cook in there too.

7. Spend more time with people who enrich my life and less time with people who bring grief. 'Nuff said.

and finally...

8. Drink more milk. Haha kidding. And finally, continuously strive to be more at peace with the person that I am. I find that as I get older, this gets easier. I have a lesser urge to please or impress people and you discover the people who matter accept you just the way you are. If only I knew this when I was 16.

Here goes nothing.

New year, new you.

Thanks to Yo, I've finally stepped out of the Stone Age and changed my blog look. Okay so it's nothing drastic but it's a start eh? Just a heads up that I might be jumping here and there with my blog design so bear with me.

The only big 'oops' is that I didn't know I would lose all my blog comments. More reason for you guys to leave new ones! Happy new year. Here's to change being a good thing.