RJ is rafting somewhere in Tennessee this weekend, which means no car for an entire weekend.

Gulp.

There’s something about not having a car that really makes you want to go out and do stuff. Stuff that requires a car. In a city that lacks decent public transportation, is known for its high crime rates and afternoon thunderstorms, and is a balmy 100 degrees nearly every day, it seems I’m up for quite the challenge this weekend. However, despite the lack of reliable transportation, I’m kicking off my weekend lock-in with quality time on the couch, On Demand TV, and my work pager (I’m on call – blech!).

My goals for this car-free weekend of fun include finishing the last Harry Potter novel, catching a flick with my dad, baking cupcakes, pretending to be a bike commuter, and running on Saturday and Sunday (mostly because I can’t drive to the gym to escape this awful summer heat).

Anyway, after catching up on my favorite blogs and vlogs this evening, I decided it’s high time I finally put The Quirky Social Worker to good use and start blogging. I mean, what was the use of having my husband build a fancy blog for me if I never use it? So one of my major goals for this weekend is kick-starting this blog.

To jump start my blog, I’m going to dust off my handy dandy Joy Plan Workbook courtesy of Stratejoy’s Joy Equation. I invested in the Joy Equation when my husband was laid off in April but never committed to it. There have been a lot of super stressful things going on since he joined the ranks of the unemployed and lately I feel myself slipping into a dark place. While I will spare you the details, let me say it hasn’t been fun.

So here it goes. Day 1, post 1. Wish me luck!