Where did 2016 go?

Well, I did it again! 9 months between posts.  I guess that means I've been busy. That's a bit of an understatement. Looking back at my last post, I'm happy to report that I reached two out of three goals from my last blog post.  I completed certification as a firearms instructor, and continued my education in competitive shooting with more advanced classes.  I did not get any traction in the 3-gun arena though; although I am scheduled for a rifle class next month that will definitely bring me closer to that goal.  There's definitely room for improvement in terms of my motivation. A recent instructor course I took from the prestigious and very challenging Rangemaster school taught by Tom Givens required a very high level of performance and it motivated me to practice daily for 3 weeks.  The improvement I experienced in my shooting in that brief time was remarkable but it also burned me out.  I think I am one that requires more balance in my life as shooting that much was hard on me physically and it became work not fun. That's unfortunate but good to know.

Both Jason and I as well as all three dogs are healthy so there is a lot to be thankful for as we head into Thanksgiving weekend.

Jason and I have kept our jobs another year, a feat in the video game industry that's notorious for layoffs.  Additionally, things at work has taken off for me in a way that I am quite surprised by.  I'm helping a video game studio stand up a global data governance program.  This initiative is taking way more than 40 hours a week of my time, but it's given me the opportunity to do some world traveling (I visited Vienna, Austria and Larnaca, Cyprus this fall). Our team spans US to Europe to CIS to Australia.  I haven't visited Asia or Australia yet but a girl can dream! So far I've been thrilled with the progress we've made and am excited to see how far we can go.

This summer, I got swept up into the Pokemon Go craze.  Unlike most, I'm still playing.  I even caught the European pokemon, Mr. Mime, that can't be caught in the US, during my recent work travel to Austria. It's a bit of a love/hate relationship since Niantic, the maker of the game, has not been customer focused and tends to take things away from players instead of adding value. Hopefully at some point either they add value or take something away that pisses me off enough to make me walk away from the game for good.  It hasn't happened yet.  One good thing is that the game gets me out and about, to see landmarks I haven't explored locally, and to walk.  Good things on all accounts. Catch'em All!

Next year I really don't have huge goals.
1) I want to develop a firearms training program that I can live with, that is effective, keeps me coming back, delivers improvement and is trackable and sustainable.
2) I would like to start writing again.  I've been away from it for a couple years and I truly miss this outlet. Reading too.
3) I need more creativity in my life. Writing certainly, but all crafting and home improvements and automation projects.  Creative outlets have stagnated with shooting and PoGo.  Time to balance things out.
4) I'd like to spend some time improvement my home, making things more efficient (home automation) and aesthetically pleasing (landscaping, painting, flooring, organization) and maintained (some tricky sink drain repairs for starters lol).
5) I'd like to improve my physical fitness. As I age, past injuries are coming back to haunt me, and I know improving core strength and flexibility will alleviate some of this. This has been on my mind for some time and I repeatedly fail at getting motivated.  Just do it.  Yes, I know the motto.  Easier said than done.  I get going and then I get sick or injured and I fall away.  Let's hope that I can just continue through and make healthy habits this year that will increase my quality of life after 50!

That's about it. Most importantly I'm happy.  I hope to stay that way.

Where did 2015 go?

Wow, I went more than an entire year without blogging.  That's pretty impressive, or not. lol

Last year included two new jobs, more travel than I've ever done in one year (work and pleasure), my entry into competitive sports, and a brief but scary false alarm regarding breast cancer (the lumps were benign). I made more friends this past year than any other. It's been a whirlwind and most of my hobbies (including writing) were left by the wayside while I pursued new skills related to competitive pistol shooting. What an incredible journey! And it's not even close to being over.

Jason is incredibly supportive, as is my employer, and the competitive pistol shooting community has been the best group of people I've ever met. Finally a place where I feel welcome and embraced by men and women alike. I've met amazing world-class shooters like Julie Golob, Randi Rogers, Ashley Ruark, Bob Vogel, Nils Jonasson, and Ben Stoeger. And shot along side some incredible local talent as well!

My job at Wargaming has been stable and yet daunting with the amount of work ahead of me. I'm excited to be a part of such an impressively high-caliber team of BI professionals. And the trips to eastern Europe are interesting to say the least. lol

2014 included the loss of 2 beloved dogs, Abby and Bosley, and the addition of 2 new dogs, Blake and Dylan. We're fortunate that everyone remained healthy in 2015 and hope that trend continues.

This year I plan on continuing my journey into the world of competitive shooting, taking classes from world-class competitive shooting instructors, beginning the firearm instructor certification process and learning about competitive 3-Gun. Competitive shooting is by far the most expensive hobby I've taken on. But it's also brought multi-faceted benefits in terms of stress relief, confidence, independence, physical fitness, friendship, security, and finally a construction avenue to point my competitive spirit....and my barrel lol!

If you'd asked me in the beginning of 2014, before my first pistol class at KR Training, if I'd be shooting competitively, becoming a firearms instructor and flying across the country with firearms to compete in major matches, I would have laughed at you. I have a llllong way to go to be a really good shooter, but I've done well for the little practice that I've put in so far,  I know that this year is going to have to involve a lot more practice if I want to move up competitively, and I am hoping I can find the motivation to do just that!  

2015 was a blast. I expect 2016 to be no different!