I'm not much for journaling

I've recently come to the conclusion that I truly have too much going on inside my brain.  I've never embraced the need for journalizing my thoughts but recent events have led me to believe it would be worth a try.  In my quest to focus on myself this year, the idea of blogging was an unexpected brainchild.  I hope this turns out to be a rewarding concept.

Hello world

August 1, 2011 began what I coined as the "Year of Alys."  Feeling like a rat trapped in a wheel, I decided enough was enough.  I felt that maybe focusing my myself and what I needed in my life would then allow other bearings of my life to correct themselves. It is almost a mantra that I have to repeat to myself in order to stay focused on the goals that I have.

"You must live like no one else in order to give like no one else."  - Dave Ramsey's motto for financial peace.  Another mantra I continuously repeat to myself.  I decided in this Year of Alys that I would personnally do whatever it takes to help get my husband and I out of debt.  Without resorting to my trustly calculator, I guage that my husband and I owe around 25,000 dollars in debt.  Which is 10,000 less than we owed last year around this time.  That was not fast enough for me.  In the o'so wise words of father Eslinger "Patience is a waste of time." And with that in mind I rolled up my sleeves, lowered my neckline and plastered on that pretty smile my parents paid so much for when I was a child.  Desk jockey by day, table runner by night.  Though I'm exhausted, it has already proven to be fruitful in my endeavours. Plus the fact that I've lost around 10 pounds isn't something to be ignored. 

Sometimes I wonder if being extremely busy has caused less stress since I don't have time to focus on it or more stress since I'm both physically and mentally tired.  Either way, it's a trying time for our marriage.  I believe that if we can make it through this without any lasting scars than our marriage should stand the test of time.  To make things more difficult on myself, I've surrendered to the instrinsic art of extreme intense couponing.  It is painfully rewarding and definitely not for the faint of heart.  My idiosyncratic need to be organized has been a blessing during my development of this hobbie, but it also has been a curse due to the time consuming nature that already plagues the world of couponing. 

Many hours of work

- To end the day with a quote:
It is the epitome of life. The first half of it consists of the capacity to enjoy without the chance; the last half consists of the chance without the capacity. - Mark Twain