Catalyst

Way Too Much Going On

2012-01-30T12:27:00.002-05:00

So.......where has the time gone??

Short update:

Hubs ended up in the Heart Institute of our local hospital for 3 days. 2 scans, an ultrasound, 1 stress test and finally 1 heart catheter later we discovered he doesn't have anything wrong with him except high blood pressure. He's on meds and it's coming down nicely.

I, too- have it and decided that I may want to actually do something as soon as possible so I trotted off to the doctor. I'm now on the same meds Hubs is on, but a lower dose. Fun times.

Looks like I am completely out of excuses, eh?

I'm very busy and important. How can I help you?

2012-01-16T10:59:00.003-05:00

Things have been crazy. The Hubs apparently had some serious chest pain that he failed to tell anyone about, and it kept continuing until I found out about it last Tuesday. So off we went to the after-hours clinic, only to be sent to the Heart Institute of our local hospital. He spent Tuesday evening, Wednesday and most of Thursday. They tested for enzymes to determine if he had had a heart attack (thankfully, no) they did a heart ultrasound, 2 Myoview scans with a stress test in between, and then a heart catheter. After all of that - which was negative - he came home on blood pressure meds. I am happy he's fine, but that was a rough couple of days.

Now I'm tracking my BP, because it's HIGH and I'm going to have to do something about mine before I end up there, too.

The SAS are absolutely charming. Ruthless trained killers are just a phone call away.

2012-01-02T14:05:00.003-05:00

So, hello! It's 2012 - a brand new year, sparkling with possibilities.

I just polished off a bowl of stuffed pepper soup - it was wonderful. Seriously. I'll post the recipe the way I made it (not the way it was written, of course, but lovely just the same).

Made it to the grocery and picked up loads of things - obviously, since I spent a little over $150. Good lord. But I grabbed lots of fruit, and things for healthy lunches and dinners.

Lifted weights today, and have been eating OK. I was in the basement folding clothes and Flo Rida's Good Feeling came on and I couldn't help dancing while I worked. Too funny - and that's the first time I've heard that song. Gonna have to download it.

I'm making grilled Caribbean steak and roasted potatoes for dinner. Cherry cobbler is baking right now. It's cold and snowy and wintry outside. I want something warm and yummy.

I seriously do not want to go back to work tomorrow. Ick.

This is Terrence. He's in charge.

2011-12-27T21:31:00.002-05:00

I feel pretty good today - a bit stressed out, but OK. It's end of the year and I work in the financial industry. And tomorrow is the last day to get things processed so it falls on the 2011 tax year. Should be a shitload of fun and giggles. (probably not)

I had a good breakfast - 1 scrambled egg and a clementine. Wasn't hungry until lunch, and then I had some leftover bbq tofu and a big salad with carrots and green peppers. The tofu was.........ok. The salad was good, but HUGE. I had a string cheese and another clementine mid-afternoon. Yet another clem later on. I love those tiny little things. Took a Greek key lime yogurt with me, but never got to it. Lots of water, and one small coffee. Grabbed a sandwich on an Arnold's thin for dinner, with a side of low fat cottage cheese and a small handful of Wheat Thins. Lots more water and I feel much better. This weekend was freaky - but I blame that on really bad food choices. I feel more focused and controlled now. Probably because I feel alot better after feeling so crappy.

It's about bedtime for me. I'm gonna curl up with the Kindle and then crash. Tomorrow is going to be LONG. Really long. I need to be prepared.

Bubbling

2011-12-26T14:02:00.005-05:00

Good lord - I have been a total slacker. Actually, I have been busy....but not so busy, I think, to not blog. Oh well, a new season is upon us. And almost a brand new year. What to do with that year?? I have some ideas.

Right now, Christmas is over and I'm ready to strip down the tree and get it out of the living room. I know it's only December 26th. But really, that thing takes up ALOT of space. Kid got a new keyboard which is set up in his room. It is full of gadgetry and digital-ness. I did two of the lessons programmed into it last night and it was fun! I enjoyed it....I hope he takes to it. But, like his mother, he doesn't like to do things he isn't good at right off the bat. I am so bad.

I woke up this morning, ready to be rid of the crap junk food and all the soda. I was in the mood for real food, fruits and veggies and..salad! I'd kill for a big salad filled with veggies and deliciousness. I have tofu in the fridge with a sweet and spicy rub on it. I have a homemade bbq sauce on the stove and the house smells like heaven. Barbecue heaven. Of course, the boys will not touch the tofu, but that's OK. I can take leftovers for lunch tomorrrow, and I'll be perfectly happy.

I have had the scale in the living room (on the carpet) and have been weighing myself and generally feeling crappy because my weight was up. Way up. Then, after about 3 weeks of weighing myself that way, I realized that the scale was now on carpet instead of tile. Hm....might that have an effect on the scale? Probably. Definitely. So, I moved it back onto the tile floor, zereod it out and stepped on it. Yup - 10 pounds difference. Not as bad as I thought and really, 7 pounds down from the highest weigh in recently (and ever, really). I am an idiot. Hubs was freaking too, because he thought his weight had gone way up. He's gone up a bit, but not as bad as he thought. Stupid carpet.

I've been reading (and re-reading) Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live books. Interesting concept and I believe alot of what he's saying because it makes sense. I've been trying to add more fruits and veggies into the mix. Now I just have to get moving again.

My asthma was a little active last night....but I think that had alot to do with the junk and general bad habits of the last few days. I feel.......uncomfortable. Like I have too much packed into myself, if that makes sense. Again, it's the crap diet I've been partaking in for the last few days. I got up this morning and had a whole grain Arnold's pocket pita with Naturally More PB and some sliced banana. A good lunch and a few clementines and I'm starting to actually feel good again. It's amazing how fast it happens.

Off to the grocery. We're running out of everything. Somehow, we went from being a family that drank very little milk to going through a gallon in about 4 days. Odd. I need some yogurt, some more skim milk, and salad fixin's. :)

Hope you Christmas was wonderful, and the remainder of this year is good. The new year is always full of promise and opportunities. I plan to use it wisely. Besides, it's only 4 more months until I turn 46. Ack! My 46th year is going to be the best on record. I believe it.

The Night Before

2011-10-16T20:28:00.003-04:00

So, yes, life seems to have gotten in my way.

I've been working a ton of overtime (still) and have been busy doing alot (of nothing) in the last few months. I've got a ton of things I need to get working on. I have 2 tests to finish before the year end for certification at work. I have my eye on the job listings, because there may be an opening on the team I've been wanting to work on for awhile, now. Gotta keep the options open.

And at some point, I'm just going to have to take the first step, and then the second and so on, until I'm where I want to be - instead of hoping that I wake up one day, magically thin and healthy again. Wouldn't that be LOVELY????

I am feeling kinda of blah today. Not sure if it's the weather (possibly), the food (probably) or just me (more than likely).

My dust mite allergy is acting up like crazy, so I need to tumble all the pillows in the dryer to kill the little S.O.B.s. And I have a mountain of laundry to do, but I can get through a couple days before having to really start in on that. What I need most is to get my ass in some kind of forward motion and work out in the morning, so I can start feeling better. It's just a never ending cycle - I don't work out because I feel like crap, and I feel like crap because I don't work out and eat right.

Basically, it all comes back to me. Duh.

Challenge - Day 3 recap

2011-08-03T22:24:00.001-04:00

It was a decent day, but I was really tired all day long. And here I sit, blogging.

Off to bed........I'll update in the A.M.

sweet dreams...............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Challenge - Day 2, the recap

2011-08-02T22:38:00.002-04:00

I stopped at the store tonight and bought some frozen fruit. I want a smoothie in the morning, but could not take another with the overripe banana in it. Ack. I got some frozen peaches, and a few bags of tropical mix - pineapple, mango and strawberries. I think I'm going to use that in the morning.

I plan on taking one to work, for my mid-morning snack. We have a great fridge I can store it in. I'm thinking melon and maybe a scrambled egg for some protein in the a.m. Probably with some wonderful sriracha sauce. Heaven.

Right now, it's bed time - which means it's "night-night" for the poodle: peanut butter in his Kong toy. He pretty much lives for it.

Sweet dreams, my friends!

Challenge - Day 2

2011-08-02T06:44:00.003-04:00

Up a little earlier this morning. I'm having a bowl of canteloupe. I love summer - at least when I can find decent produce. I have yet to find a yummy tomato..........but I'm on the hunt.

On Sunday I bought a HUGE package of chicken breasts. I grabbed a multitude of baggies and got to marinating. 2 breasts each of the following: sesame and ginger, Hawaiian, and barbecue. Then I threw 1 in buffalo marinade. They soaked in the yumminess overnight and then I carried them out to the grill last night and cooked them all over charcoal.

I fed two pre-teen boys and a very hungry post-ride Hubs, and I had a piece with a salad. I still have leftovers - which I had planned. I will probably take some for lunch today, with a salad. It's a yummy meal and easy to take along to work. And it's gotta be figure friendly, right???

I am off to start the getting for work process. I really need to win the lottery.

Challenge - Day 1

2011-08-01T20:18:00.003-04:00

Partial fail on day 1. How much does that suck? I ran really late (go figure) and threw some things in the blender for a smoothie. Took it with me and then forgot I had it at my desk. About three hours into the morning, I remembered I brought a smoothie...........and it was nice and warm. Ick. No picture either, because I left my phone at home, too. It was a rough morning. Anywho.............here's the recipe.

Sunshine Smoothie
(based on t BFL recipe)

1 can diet Sunkist soda
1 (6 oz) container yogurt (orange or lemon are best and vanilla works, too)
1 C frozen fruit of your choice ( I favor pineapple, peach, strawberry and mango)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 clean blender :)

Add the first 4 ingredients to that clean blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall frosty glass (or in my case, a sport bottle) and enjoy!

I love to use orange yogurt and pineapple. It's by far my favorite combo. But the peach is yummy, and the strawberry goes nicely with the orange, too. I had banana this morning. It was overripe so I cut it up and froze it last night but, sadly, it was way, way too much banana. Ack.

I soldier on tomorrow!

Challenge

2011-07-31T20:31:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the beginning of my latest great idea. I have a hard time getting breakfast in and thought maybe, if I changed it every week, a challenge would be fun and might help me get things moving. So, tomorrow begins the BREAKFAST challenge. I'm going to upload and share my breakfast ideas and maybe try some new things out. We'll see how it goes.

Trying to forget anything as intriguing as this would be an exercise in futility.

2011-05-30T08:10:00.003-04:00

Happy Memorial Day.

I have been in a mood for junk food. Seriously. All I have wanted is carry out and salt and fat and.....*sigh* It's that time.....you know? Ick.

Kid has been complaining about tummy issues. Not sure what's going on there, other than he's been sneaking sodas and eating a load of crap - wonder where he gets that from?? I have fruit and good stuff from my lastest groccery run. We had some tortilla chips and general not-great-for-you stuff, too.....but once it's gone, it's gone. I have got to get a handle on things.

I have a test to work on for the old job, and the earlier I get it done, the happier I'll be. Then it's only 2 tests left and I hope to have them done prior to the December 15th deadline. They're kinda tricky and really, really boring. In the long run, it's going to be good to have this under my belt.

Off to get the laundry moving and things done. How terribly exciting.

Can I borrow your towel? My car just hit a water buffalo.

2011-05-28T07:42:00.002-04:00

We have been swamped at work and it has been late nights all around - which gets me home around 7pm, and by the time I've scraped together something dinner like I have to hurry to get things done so I can go to bed and do it all over again. It's like that movie Groundhog Day, but not nearly as funny.

Up at 7:30 on a Saturday. I am getting ready to head to the shower, and then it's off to the grocery, get some laundry done and then some wine tasting event my friend wants to go to. I don't even like wine, but I'm all for adventure. Let's do it.

My breathing is pretty darned good. I can climb the 8 flights of stairs (they're short) in the parking garage and while it about wipes me out, I can still breathe. Progess is progress.

We leave for DC in about 3 weeks. I can't wait!! What am I most excited about? Taking pictures. I am a dork.

I'm off like a dirty shirt (another 80's movie reference - I'm full of them today!) Hope your day is wonderful and I will catch you all up on the day's doings later on.

Up and At 'Em

2011-05-02T06:25:00.003-04:00

I am awake! I tried to go to bed early last night. I was in bed by 10! But the phone rang around 11pm. Our friend from Houston called to tell us the Bin Laden news. Great - can I go to sleep now? And Kid was up multiple times. He should be really ready for bed by 10 tonight. He's going to be toasted.

I'm having a bowl of Fiber One cereal and contemplating what all needs done this morning. Dishes? No. Laundry - yeah, I should probably swap that out. I need to roust Kid, pack lunches and get everyone moving.

Today is going to be a good day! I feel it may be helpful to be optimistic. Probably can't hurt, right?

Evening Shade

2011-05-01T20:05:00.002-04:00

Grilled burgers and hot dogs out on the patio tonight. It was perfect outside. Strawberry shortcake for dessert. Dishes are done, laundry is (still) moving and I'm ready to call it a day. I didn't get most of what I wanted done worked on today, but it's OK. I got some things done. I got my weekly groceries bought and unloaded. Spent some time outside. Hung out with my family. Definitely good enough.

I added some new links to the right, of blogs I've recently come across. Thought you might enjoy them too.

Hope your night is wonderful! We have to be up extra early, starting tomorrow. I have to be in the office by 8am instead of 8:30....but the hope is to get out early the rest of the week. I hope it works.

Good night!

Rough Night

2011-05-01T10:00:00.003-04:00

Kid was up off and on all night, and I am beat. He's fine - I think he has a tendency to snack right before bed, and suffers for it.

I am up and have dishes washed. I made myself a bagel thin (the everything kind) and am having a "snack plate" of mango, banana and blackberries.

It is gloomy today and I hope it clears up so I can get some things done.

Evening Time

2011-04-30T19:39:00.003-04:00

I am so done. :) I am ready to settle in and watch some movies. I made chicken enchiladas (shredded chicken, canned chopped green chiles, and cream cheese), cooked some burgers and chicken tenders on the grill (intentional leftovers!) and snuck is a really short walk. I have the latest Harry Potter movie - which I saw in the theater, but I love HP! - and The King's Speech. I'm ready to sit down and relax for awhile. I've been reading a really fun series of books and I'm on book 4, I think. One more left and I'm going to need new material.

We went to Lowe's today and bought more mulch for the front beds. Still lots to do out there, including trying to install some decorative edging to keep the cedar chips out of our neighbor's yard.

Looking forward to unpacking my sewing machine and trying my hand at it. I'm kind of excited to try something new. I have some craft books waiting for me at the library and I need to get there to pick them up tomorrow. I'm feeling a little more creative, which is a very good sign.

I'm off! I picked up the makings for a sundae bar when I was at the store today, and I'm looking forward to that tonight, too. Hubs is out with his good friend tonight for a little bit - and I'm ready for him to come home so we can hang out. I'm so domestic.

Long Time Gone

2011-04-30T08:47:00.003-04:00

Everything was crappy last week - I had a birthday and it was not a happy one. It was OK, as far as birthdays go, I suppose. But it was one of those that really made me examine where I'm NOT in my life........and I had a hard time dealing with it. Plus, it kind of felt like no one gave a shit. The guy I share an office with got a card signed by the entire team and I got nothing. Our birthdays are 11 days apart. Right.

I'm over that.

I went to the specialist last week. My lung capacity was at 64% - which is borderline severe. With meds it was 74%. So, I'm on Singulair and Symbicort. Fun times. Back in two weeks for a follow up. Lots to do in the house, too, because I'm pretty much allergic to everything. Gerbils, guinea pigs and hamsters? Yes. And dust mites. Seriously allergic. Now, I have to clean and purge and thin the herd. Should be a blast.

On the menu tonight: chicken enchiladas. *sigh*

Strawberry chobani for breakfast and then it's laundry and cleaning. At least it's sunny and gorgeous outside and I have the windows open. And think of how active I'll be all day! :)

Start It Off Right

2011-04-18T07:10:00.001-04:00

BLTA for breakfast. That's right - I just had a bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich for breakfast. Welcome to Monday!

Wasted

2011-04-17T09:03:00.002-04:00

I ate a small piece of brownie yesterday, and it about killed me. I got super-sleepy afterwards and had a terrible taste in my mouth. The only thing to do? Nap, of course. A waste of the entire afternoon. Not that it really mattered - it was crappy out yesterday. Cold and windy.

Today, I see patches of blue peeking through the clouds. And even though it's still a little (lot) breezy, it's beautiful.

I am feeling better. Still coughing, and still wheezing a little, but I'm feeling like I want to do something and not just lie around like a lump.

A week from Tuesday, I see specialist for my asthma. Finally. Going to do the testing and whatnot and see if we can get it under some kind of reasonable control so I can start the LONG process of building my cardio back up again. It's scary how out of shape I've gotten. Seriously. On that front, I no longer can make any excuses or continue to put it off, because this WILL KILL ME if I can't do something NOW. What choice could I possibly have???

I have noticed a ridiculous trend in how I feel if I eat a lot of anything wheat-based. I'm trying to decrease my intake while still allowing me to live a reasonably sane life. I have gone totally caffeine-free. Go, me! No soda, no coffee, no tea. That tea part is HARD! And I'm trying to really amp up the fruits and veggies.

I'm having a breakfast sandwich - egg, 2% cheese and 2 slices bacon (300 calories) plus a heaping helping of strawberries and raspberries. I am in love with fruit! We are going shopping today, and I have laundry going already. It's going to be a good day!

Progress

2011-04-15T07:35:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling better. Finally.

Having a quick breakfast - I have to be at work by 8:30. I'm having a breakfast sandwich with 2% pepperjack. Yummy. I made overnight Irish oats with peaches in the crockpot last night, so I have weekend breakfasts, too.

Got some ironing done and laundry moving. Did some dishes. Looking forward to the weekend and getting some things cleaned up and finished off. Sounds fantastic.

I have a specialist appointment next week - and I'll have to fill you in on that later.

peace, out!

ER

2011-04-12T11:21:00.003-04:00

So, I spent 4 hours in the ER last night. My breathing was getting worse and worse and I started running a fever. They took me back and got my stats - my temp was 102.2 but even worse was my blood pressure at 188/120. Holy moly. The staff gave me 2 breathing treatments (which helped but did not eliminate the issue) antiobiotics and steroids in an IV and meds for home. I'm "better," but not BETTER. I stayed home today.

I can add better housekeeping to my never-ending list of things to work on. I also have to call an asthma doctor because this is getting out of hand. I am also seriously looking at tweaking my eats to reduce the amount of gluten and red meat I'm getting. Amping up the veggies and fruits, and reducing the amount of processed crap. Does this sound remotely familiar????

I'm having a cup of tomato soup and doing laundry. Off to browse some blogs - I've been a little out of the loop lately.

Hot and Steamy

2011-04-10T16:25:00.003-04:00

It's 81 degrees here today...........and I am sick. Wonderful timing.

Back to work tomorrow, but my little vacationing teamies will be back, so I should actually survive this week.

I feel like I could put my head down on the laptop and go right to sleep.

The roof is done! It took 3 days - and is fantastic. We finally got a second estimate (from another one of the companies we called) the day after the company we hired finished the roof. Idiot.

I have survived the last two days on Mucinex, juice and Edy's Peach bars.

I want to go back to bed.

Gloomy Sundays Get Me Down

2011-04-03T12:02:00.002-04:00

Good, um, morning? Not really - it's NOON!!! But I'm still trying to gear up. Ugh. Benadryl hangover.

Made Belgian waffles (our usual Sunday breakfast), watched the end of the movie Casino, and am getting my list together for the grocery store.

Lots to do today - vacuuming and laundry and cleaning and whatnot. Kid and Hubs are off tomorrow, so I can go to work extra early and get the drop on what waits for me. There are 4 of us that do my job, and 2 of us are off next week. Of course, I'll be there! Lucky me. It could be heart attack inducing.......but I just want to get through it in one piece. This is the last time this will happen - I hope.

I am outta here. Dishes await, and does the endless To-Do list I have.

You'd think they might want the work.

2011-04-01T21:24:00.001-04:00

So, we called 4 roofers and we got...........1 estimate in the last 3 weeks. One. ONE. Seriously. What the hell? Apparently, roofers can be choosy.

So, it looks like we go with the guy that actually got back to us. Go figure.

Work is OK, but next week may very well kill me.

At this point, I just want to get through it.

Proposal

2011-03-21T19:01:00.002-04:00

We got our first roofing estimate: $4600 for the house and garage. Waiting on the other 3 companies we called to weigh in.

I'm betting it's going to end up being more like $5500 by the time we're all done.....but it needs to be completed a.s.a.p. Seriously.

Took a walk at lunch time with my manager - and tried not to cry. OK, it wasn't that bad. My legs are still super sore from Saturday, though. Ugh. I am envisioning a long HOT soak in the tub tonight.

I better get to getting dinner around. I am really hungry!

Outta here, peeps! Have a restful and relaxing night!

Dragging

2011-03-21T06:55:00.003-04:00

I am up, but moving slowly. I have a tasty cup of coffee, a big glass of water and a BLTA for breakfast. Yep. I'm eating a bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich for breakfast. I only had roma tomatoes (because they were the least expensive in the store) and I used 2 slices of center cut bacon, so it's not SO bad. I'm getting ready to pack a lovely, healthy lunch for today. It'll all work out in the end, I'm sure.

Slept OK last night - I was only up once. Hubs has mentioned more than once that my nighttime breathing is bad. I should probably do a sleep study at some point.

My legs are still sore from working in my front flower beds on Saturday. Ugh. That alone should prove how out of shape I am. I also walked the dog two miles that day....so I'm sure that might have some impact as well. But I pulled all the plants out of the bed, and weeded all the way along the front of the house. We're going to put down some weed guard and then just put planters out under the picture window. Then I can plant whatever I feel like each spring and sort of mix things up. Variety is nice. :)

I also want to start a small garden in the backyard, and at least plant tomatoes and bell peppers - green and red - and maybe melon? Or cucumbers.

Off to pack lunches, get Kid up and get my day in motion.

Have a wonderful, productive, healthy and happy day!

Wind It Down

2011-03-15T21:13:00.002-04:00

Tuesday is coming to a close. It's 9:15pm and I am toast. :)

I made dinner, walked the dog, washed all the dishes, did a load of laundry, ran the vacuum and cleaned the living room. All of that in just under 3 hours. Not too bad, I don't think.

I made burgers, green beans and some mac 'n cheese for the Hubs. Nothing earth shattering, but it was fine. I'm in need of new meal ideas. The only problem lies in the Hubs eating habits - he isn't a fan of veggies.....but I suppose I could substitute in a sliced apple or something to fill out the plate. He is a born low-carber. Well, for the most part, anyway. He has a seriously bad sweet tooth. But maybe the fruit would help with that?

Work is finally evening out. I'm getting out pretty close to on-time now, which has been a pleasant change. Daylight Savings Time is kicking my ass in the mornings, but it's starting to work out. I just have to force myself to get upright and start moving. I need a coffeemaker.

I am getting ready to head towards bed - which includes jammies and some face-to-screen Kindle time. *sigh* How I love my Kindle.

Have a fabulous night! Sweet dreams!

Sunday Funday

2011-03-12T23:08:00.002-05:00

Grocery shopping tomorrow!

Making list, cleaning the fridge, and straightening the kitchen. I'm ready for spring- I want to open windows and scrub, scrub, scrub.

I think on the agenda for tomorrow is plotting out my calorie bank, making a general ledger of what I like to eat, and maybe subbing in some grab-and-go options. I'm bad about breakfast on workdays.

Buying a coffeepot tomorrow, too.

Yum.

Go With the Flow

2011-03-12T21:46:00.004-05:00

I've had a busy day. First, I should probably mention that I have been, um, not blogging for forever. I'd love to say that I've been housecleaning and working on more important things, but to be honest, I was just avoiding everything. I've been reading a lot - clean eating books, fiction, biographies, fitness mags, etc - but I've been stuck. Seriously stuck for about a decade if I'm being honest again.

More honesty - harder on me, than you, I hope.

I keep reading and investigating and hoping I find something that might be easy. Something that will make me want to to it and will help me lose about 17 pounds in 10 minutes. In all reality, I know that will never happen. I want to not have to put a lot of effort into it. I want it to be easy and simple and I want to brim with motivation and focus and a desire to DO IT. I do want to, I just find a million excuses to derail myself. I keep trying to pinpoint why...and I'm sure it's there somewhere. I just don't want to know.

Better Day

2011-01-21T06:35:00.003-05:00

I feel even better! Yay! I'll probably still be ready for bed around 7pm, but it's getting better.

I made some dippy eggs and whole grain toast for breakfast. I'm bad about eating the egg - I dip the toast in the yolk and then toss the rest. I know, I know. I'm horrible. I'm just not a fan of egg whites, but I'm trying. I'm actually going to eat these. I may also round up some fruit. I have some lovely Anjou pears relaxing in my fruit bowl across the table, there. They look like they're good to go.

Work today, and then the weekend. Thank goodness. Meetings on Monday for a huge project that I'm in because it's something that I helped in screwing up. Oh, yes, I'm right on the ball. This is what happens when I have too much crap to do and half a million people climbing up my backend pulling me in a hundred different directions. I was thinking about posting for a new position, but I'm still waffling. I don't even know if she has posted it yet. I may talk to her about it - but really? Right now all we seem to do is clean up messes.

Typing on this laptop is always a challenge. It makes me CRAZY.

Started the new Keith Richards books last night and it's pretty funny. I need a rock and roll life.

Back At It

2011-01-20T19:36:00.002-05:00

I was back to work today and breathing better. Not great, but everything wasn't a constant struggle. I am, however, ready for settling in for bed. It's a bit too early for that.

I downloaded The Eat Clean Diet book by Tosca Reno for my Kindle yesterday. I read alot of it already, and will probably settle back in with it clutched in my fingers again tonight before bed.

My eating was OK today - I packed lunch and snacks, but didn't get to much of it. I'm really digging yogurt, for some reason. And I want fruit. Lots of it, too. Sadly, this is not the best time of the year for fruit. I'm sure I'll survive.

Work has been stressful, and I feel like I'm floundering around without a clue as to what I am doing or why. I hope it gets better, or I'm in trouble.

I'm off to relax. I need some downtime before tomorrow rolls around.

peace!

Still Long Lost, But On the Mend

2011-01-18T06:36:00.003-05:00

Second doctor said, "Nope, not pneumonia - but we'll treat it like it is 'cause you're awfully close to it."

That visit came with x-rays, and spot in my lung that looked a little inflamed and, well, kind of like pneumonia to me, but I'm not a doctor. Either way, I got what I needed - Levaquin (ugly stuff) and Prednisone (necessary for me to breathe). I am feeling about 800% better today, but in the last 24 hours, I've taken ALOT of medication.

My appetite is back, so I'm giving it whole grain toast with Justin's Maple Almond Butter (jury's still out on the AB) and some OJ. And a glass of water. Have to drink lots and lots of water.

Off to catch up.

Pneumonia: Like a Long Lost Friend

2011-01-17T08:55:00.003-05:00

Well, enemy, really.

My pneumonia is at an all time high. Yesterday, I had that AND the flu. It was fantastic (not). I slept about 176 hours and seemed to come out of it a bit around 11pm. The flu - not the pneumonia. Oh goodness no. That's hanging on for dear life in spite of antibiotics, Mucinex, and loads of vitamins. It needs to go away, now, because I have to work tomorrow.

So, besides lying in the couch or on the bed dying, not alot has transpired. Except all the fun that comes for an asthmatic with pneumonia and the flu. You can probably imagine.

I'm upright for the time being, so I might want to shower. I'm sure I smell like a rose.

What are you, the Church of St. Bastard?

2011-01-15T21:52:00.002-05:00

My child has been talking non-stop for HOURS. He's jacked into the PS3 with his friend. It's almost as bad as a 14 year old girl and a cell phone. Scary.

My sinuses are draining like a mother____ and it is annoying as hell. Make it stop. Yes, medicine has been ingested, for all the good it's doing.

My father-in-law said at lunch today that he thought the Packers would beat Atlanta. I was skeptical (but always hopeful). Watching this game may be the death of me.

Feeling generally crappy - I'm tired and my food today has SUCKED. Back to the drawing board. I really need the price of produce to drop significantly. I may have to start growing my own, lord help us all. That should be a real hoot to see. I should probably start now - yes, it will probably take me that long.

I signed up for Netflix tonight - I watched "Eddie Izzard at Wembly" and "The Proposal." I can't help but LOVE Ryan Reynolds. *sigh*

Off to ingest more screaming hot tea, and maybe take a bath. I'm ready for bed.

Thursday is the new Friday

2011-01-13T07:11:00.002-05:00

I am off work tomorrow and Monday. Much needed down time.

Eating breakfast, packing lunches and trying to get motivated. I really need to work (seriously work) on getting to bed earlier and getting up earlier.

Breakfast is a multigrain bun with an egg, some turkey and a little pepperjack cheese.

Off to get Kid up and around!

Seriously

2011-01-12T19:43:00.002-05:00

Worked my backside off today. Well, metaphorically, of course. Both the manager and the second-in-command were out today leaving (lord help the team) me in charge. It was wild. I ran everything fine, kept them updated on volumes and got them out really close to on-time. Score! And no real meltdowns until I discovered that the other STPE that left early today pretty much did nothing today. Oh, she irritates the crap out of me. (That would be Senior Technical Processing Expert, which is my "official" title)

I am still trying to decide if I want to post for a job that would be a promotion. I am still undecided - but I pretty much did it today.

I inhaled a bowl of tomato soup with some Ritz crackers. I'm stuffed and beat.

My Kindle calls to me.....I must heed the siren's song. :)

Sick and Tired and Stressed

2011-01-06T11:39:00.002-05:00

Woke up to a kid with 103 degree fever this morning. Could it get any better? Seriously - I am piled with work and I have to be here at home. It's not that I don't want to take care of Kid - I love him more than anything - and I want him to get better. I was just hoping Hubs would call in so I could work today. I went in at 7am, and Hubs called work to tell them he'd be in late. I tried to knock out all my had-to-do things this morning, set someone up to handle my preferred client paperwork and jet back home. I'm going to be a giant ball of anxiety by the time I get to work tomorrow. Thankfully, they are hiring one more Technical Expert (which is what I do) and maybe the load will lessen a bit. Keep your fingers crossed.

I am making another pot of sauce and have a long list of things I can get done at home today if I could focus. I'm off to round up lunch ad then start on the housecleaning. My life rocks.

Lame!

2011-01-05T21:03:00.003-05:00

I am so lame that all it takes is no sleep (or a few rough nights), about 2 hours of OT every night and a serious love for my new Kindle (and the Dennis Lehayne book in it) to sidetrack my posting. Ugh. At least I'm eating decently, and while not working out every night, I have been crossing off the 3 things per day that I add to my whiteboard on the fridge.

Last night it was kitchen cleaning, Christmas tree removal and laundry. I was able to cross off all three - pretty good, considering I didn't get home until about 7:30pm - and was in bed by 11pm.

Tonight will probably be earlier than that, as I just got home around 8:15pm and I am BEAT. Seriously.

I made some spicy marinara sauce yesterday morning before going to work and had that over whole wheat pasta for din-din. It was by far the best sauce I've made yet. I'm so proud of myself.

Off to merge with the Kindle, grab a glass of milk and settle in. Tomorrow is looming on my horizon with more overtime and stress. Life is grand.

Fail

2011-01-03T20:45:00.002-05:00

I didn't get a picture of lunch, today. I had a big salad full of veggies and some poppyseed dressing (about 2 T). Lots of water, a few mini hershey bars, if I'm being honest. A lot of stress. But I'm finally home (worked way late) and I'm having some ham and bean soup w/cornbread. I live on the edge.

Today you're like that guy from The Karate Kid.

2011-01-03T07:17:00.002-05:00

I didn't get up as early as I wanted - but I did get up after just two snooze hits, so that's progress. Especially considering I was up off and on until at least 2:30, thanks to a child that didn't want to sleep. I probably wouldn't have minded TOO much - except that this was Day 2 of this crap.

Made breakfast for Hubs (a few strips of bacon and some fresh pineapple), packed his lunch and made my breakfast. This morning I'm having an Xtreme Wellness High fiber tortilla by Ole Mexican Foods (with a whopping 12 grams of fiber!) filled with a veggie egg scramble and a bit of pepperjack I shredded this morning. On the side, half a sliced Pacific Rose apple - my favorite apple.

Took my supplements and I've had two big glasses of water. I don't think I drink enough water, so I'm trying to get more in.

I have to pack my lunch and Kid's lunch and get us out the door....so I better get in gear. Have a GREAT day!

Lunch Time!

2011-01-02T19:11:00.004-05:00

After shopping I came home and worked on getting food around for everyone. Hubs had a martial arts lesson scheduled, so he had to eat quickly and head out. I threw together some hot dogs (someone had to eat them) and topped them with chopped onions and mustard for him, onions and ketchup for Kid. I ate a wrap with bananas and blackberries, and a few Triscuits.

Went to an outlet mall where I scored this Calphalon beauty for less than $30! And an apple corer, as well.

Then , it was home and time to throw on dinner. I had a barbecued chicken breast, a lovely baked sweet potato w/cinnamon and some green beans cooked in a tiny bit of bacon with onions.

I need to change the sheets & pillowcases on the beds, and might go back into the basement for a little pre-bedtime stretch. I am also thinking about spending a little quality time with my Kindle and a steaming cup of Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea. I get all warm just thinking about it.

Resolutions- A Day Late

2011-01-02T12:22:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I know. I'm a day late posting my New Year's Resolutions. With a capital R - because....well, I don't know why. It just is.

I have a few things I would like to do this year. Usually, I come up with some things on New Year's Day, and then just as quickly as they came to mind, they are forgotten. Maybe WRITING THEM DOWN in a place where I -not to mention OTHER PEOPLE - might actually see them again will assist in getting it accomplished.

So............here are a few of the things I'd like to accomplish this year:

I want to run a 5K. Seriously. I realize that I am ridiculously out of shape and over 200 pounds (say what???) but I'm going to try.
Rack up over 100 miles on my bike this summer
Get outside at least once a week for some sun and me time. Maybe with the dog if it's not too cold.
Get my asthma under some kind of control
Learn to eat and enjoy more "natural" foods.
Seriously kill my soda/sugar/caffeine habit (addiction, if I'm honest)
Spend more time with family and friends doing something other than eating
Take more pictures
Blog more regularly
Enjoy life more - and stress less

Wow, that all just sort of poured out. Guess I'm more ready for change than I thought.

What's with today,today?

2011-01-02T11:53:00.006-05:00

As promised, I'm blogging! Lucky you, right??

Got up this morning reasonably early. Early enough to do grocery run without feeling pressed for time. I read labels, perused the offerings and made some good decisions, purchase-wise. At least I was mindful.

Before shopping, I had this:

Water Joe - caffeinated water! Plus 2 fish oil caps, 2 vitamin D caps, a multi vitamin and a Super-B.

At Walmart, I bought:

protein bars (for Hubs)
whole grain/low carb wraps (2 kinds)
whole grain hot dog buns
a can of Redi-whip to top sugar-free jello (15 calories for 2 T - not bad)
leaf lettuce
mushrooms
various lite cheeses (including laughing cow)
an enormous bag of beautiful oranges
sweet potatoes
apples
blackberries
truvia (thought I'd try it for berries)
various supplements (fish oil, cayenne)

I did not buy anything food-like in any of the interior aisles. Bonus! Good for me, because I usually load up on crap there. I purposely stayed away.

Hubs is doing a modified low-carb. He likes it and he can easily stick with it as long as I don't bring junk into the houses. He gets his sweet fix from fruit. Imagine. What a brilliant idea.

I will upload photos when I get the chance. I am on my laptop (which I am not fond of) and usually only upload photos on the desktop. I may just bite the bullet and go get the cord, jack into the laptop and do it.

Eating lunch and waiting for football to start:

1 low-carb wrap (70 calories/12g fiber!)
3 oz deli sara lee chicken (heated) (60 cals)
1/4 c grilled red pepper/green pepper/onion mix (30 cal)
1 thin slice muenster (70 cal)
1/4 c blackberries + half a small banana sliced (60 cals)
4 triscuits (90 calories)

Probably about a 400 calorie lunch. Not bad, really, especially for me. It was sorta also breakfast - all I had this morning was the water and supplements.

On the list:

laundry

cat box cleaning

changing the beds

maybe a shopping road trip to Fremont's outlet mall

walk the dog

upper body lifting

assembling lunch ingredients for tomorrow

take down the darned christmas tree!

(anything in red has been accomplished!)

Off to surf and read and eat my lunch. See you soon!

Committment

2011-01-01T16:20:00.004-05:00

I am feeling pretty crappy today, and it's 4:21pm. Since I just had a brilliant idea about 37 seconds ago, I'm tabling this today - but I will be doing it tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will snap, record, blog and post all my food and drinks for the day. All the ugly, all the pretty, all of it. Heck, for free I'll even throw in a little self-awareness. I'm feeling generous.

Motivation

2010-12-30T21:44:00.004-05:00

I've said it many times: shopping for pants is an excellent motivator.

I am not a big shopper. I don't really like it much, unless I'm shopping for the the husband (we'll call him W.) or Kid. Then, sure. But not for me. Ack. It's awful. And the lack of apparel available to someone my size (20) is so ridiculous - and the styles all seem to be made for a woman in her 60's most of the time - that it totally sucks all the fun out of it. I always think I'm gonna come home and shop online, but that kinda sucks, too. So, I guess I'm going to work out tomorrow morning.

Can I eat too many clementines in one sitting? Because I just ate two.

Sorry - I got distracted.

It's Alive!

2010-12-09T07:45:00.002-05:00

I'm still around. I have been getting between 6 and 12 hours of overtime every week so far. It's been fantastic (not). I am stressed out. I slept pretty good last night, though. I really need to get some time to finish something. Anything, really. Just to be able to say "Hey, that's DONE!" I still have shopping to do, presents to wrap, a shit-load of things going horribly wrong at work, and a cold. I am a lucky girl. I am, I suppose. I'm upright, and breathing and can move (mostly) - so that's good, right?

Gotta jet - it's almost time to head to.........work! It feels like I just left that place. That probably isn't a good sign.

Spring Fever

2010-11-21T13:37:00.003-05:00

I believe I may have Spring Fever - in November. Hm. I have windows open, and it's a little damp and windy outside. I have stripped the beds and started laundry. I am trying not to watch the Green Bay game, because I almost always come very close to having a stroke when they play Minnesota. I'll probably cave and park in front of the TV at some point. I can't stand not knowing.

I am really, really dragging today. I'm always sort of tired. It's weird. No matter how much - or little - sleep I get, I feel the same. And what is even stranger, I can lie down and go to sleep in seconds and sleep for hours in the middle of the day. I think there's something wrong with me.

I have to grocery and laundry and clean today. Tomorrow, it's back to work - and it's jeans week until January!! - and I feel like I may have gained some ground. I do have to speak to my supervisor because one of my team members (same job I have) told another team member I said some rotten things about her (which I didn't) and made her cry. And then she did it again yesterday. So we are going to nip this little evil bud before it blooms. I can't even express how much I hate shit like that. And what I like even less is that she is the super-Christian and we all have to watch our language around her because she's easily offended. Mm-hm. Yes, that makes perfect sense. Post on Facebook about your church and your family and your beliefs and then go in total opposition to what you're babbling about and LIE. Oh, you have no idea who irritated and pissed I am right now. Instead of confronting her - because my temper may get the better of me - I'm going to try going through our manager and see what we can do about it, if anything. All I know is that part of her issue is out of my control and I didn't say the things she's attributing to me (and another co-worker). So, she can bite me. Unfortunately, I think my pissed-off-ness may be a bit transparent, because she's really kept to herself yesterday. I can't imagine that she would think it wouldn't get back to me. Is she really that dim?

SO............anyway.

Lots to do, so I better get to doing. Hope your Sunday is wonderful.

Spelunking

2010-11-17T07:29:00.003-05:00

I have been really busy the last few weeks, messing things up and being in a whirlwind of remarkable chaos. We are so overloaded at work.....but I think I may see a break in the clouds. Some of my duties are being spread out to others, so maybe that will assist me in not having a mental collapse every day.

I got up later than I wanted, but still in enough time to sneak in my first full circuit work out. Low weight, 8 reps of everything: overhead press, flyes, bench press, weighted squats, lunges, bench V's, lat pull-downs, and bicep curls. Did some ab work, then swapped out laundry, packed the lunch for Hubs, got Kid up and I need to feed him. Then it's shower, dress, and head out the door. Notice feeding me isn't in there yet? Yeah.

I got up in the middle of the night (as usual) and snacked on some crackers because I was crazy hungry. It didn't help. AT ALL. In fact, what it did do was make me sick to the point of....sick. It was acky. I may have cured myself. Being vomitous in the middle of the night is no good for anyone.

I better get to getting. Keep it moving today. Keep it positive and share the joy. Life is good.

Cake or Death?

2010-10-18T07:57:00.003-04:00

Nothing like a little death in the family to make one start to take stock.

My aunt passed away this last week, and I have the viewing and funeral over the next few days. It was unexpected - tho she had been battling colon cancer for awhile. But it wasn't the cancer that was the culprit. She fell and hit her head and didn't know how badly until it was too late.

Fast forward 3 days and she's gone.

I'm more upset and worried about my uncle than her. She wasn't the nicest person - she's family, true - but she was horrible to my mother the last few years my mom was alive, and she's been really rotten to her kids....so while I am sad that she's gone because she's family and the last living link to my dad, I'm more sad for my uncle, who has no idea what's going on. They were married for 58 years. Can you imagine?

And maybe this post makes me a bad person. Maybe because I'm having a hard time weeping for someone who was mean and spiteful most of the time indicates a shortcoming in my personality. I'm Sicilian - we hold grudges. I can't help it - I blame genetics. But at the end of the day, she was family.

So, maybe it's time to get to it, if I'm going to do it. Get to making better choices. Get to making myself a priority instead of the last thing on the list behind the laundry and the cat box.

Changes

2010-10-10T21:27:00.003-04:00

Things are moving and changing and I'm feeling weird.

I've been swamped at work (seriously, you have no idea) and I need to do something. Mostly, just so I can hopefully not want to collapse at the end of every day in a big heap of exhaustion. Ugh.

I've been indulging in Mountain Dew (ick) and Coke products and junk, junk junk.

I'm drinking a LOAD of caffeine to try to stave of being worn out and tired....and all it does is make me MORE tired. Love that.

So.....................stay tuned. I'm really going to put some effort into something here. Wish me luck.

Monday - September 20

2010-09-20T07:42:00.002-04:00

Breakfast:

Omelet (1 egg + 2 T mushrooms (chopped) + 1 T onion (diced) + 2 T cheddar (shredded very finely) + 2 oz turkey sausage (crumbled) )
water, water

Snack:

vanilla chobani + 1 C raspberries

Monday, Monday

2010-09-13T07:47:00.001-04:00

I've had about 2 bites of a "fried" egg sandwich (w/sriracha, thank you) and 6 raspberries. I need to finish breakfast.

So far, I do not have to go out of town this week for work.....but things may change. I just found out Friday that I would also be processing Death Claims.....so the fun is growing. I need one more thing to do - Lord knows, I don't have enough to keep me busy.

I gotta get to getting, but I'll update at lunch - if I get to take one.

Ugh.

We Interrupt Your Usual Scheduled Program....

2010-09-08T22:21:00.003-04:00

Because I've had the following things happen:

1. I've had to work Saturdays for so long my head has fallen off
2. I worked over 10 hours LAST Saturday
3. I got a promotion at work
4. More OT during the week (up to 14 hours OT so far)
5. Heading into my second week of out-of-town training @ Chicago office next week
6. 3 newbies to train/mold/beat to death
7. 10 more starting next week
8. hateful co-worker that I will not kill. I will not kill. I will not. Kill.

so............yes. I've been MIA and DOA and could probably use an MBA before it's all over.

But I will survive. And maybe I'll hang a disco ball in my office, just for fun.

Bacon

2010-08-08T09:52:00.003-04:00

Slept crappy, as usual. Ugh.

Made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast for Kid & I for breakfast. He's hacking and coughing and snotting.....so today should be great.

I'm ready to go back to bed. I think medical help may be warranted soon, if the sleep thing doesn't get on track. It's all the bathroom visitations. I swear, I can go darn near all day at work without a potty break....but I have to go about 4 times at night. What on earth is going on?? And, now this is really weird, I keep smelling cigarette smoke. At work, in the middle of the night, while I'm washing dishes. It's bizarre. No one in this house smokes, so I am without a clue.

Lots to do - laundry and cat boxes, Hubs has a lesson scheduled @ noon, I need groceries and some walking to fit in. Poor dog and I haven't walked in forever. It would be nice to get outside in the sun for a bit.

Dodging a bullet.

2010-08-07T23:15:00.003-04:00

I am not going out of town for business next week, thank goodness. The company I work for is consolidating all their processing for loans and distributions into the facility I work at, which means HUGE changes, challenges and madness. My poor manager has to go Tuesday, and my counter-part and I were supposed to go along, as well, but someone with a brain decided it might be a tad too soon for it to be 6 days after the announcement. I think I may be up for a promotion, my manager is about to come unglued (which I am frantically trying to help her avoid) and I'm working enough overtime to qualify as 2.5 jobs instead of just 1. And I'm not sleeping (more than usual - or would that be less???) and I'm beginning to develop a relationship with Mountain Dew and I really want to break it off.

I've been working 6 days a week, at least 8 hours (sometimes 10) and I think the end may finally roll in sometime between December and maybe February, depending on how this whole "team building" thing pans out. Lord, help me.

Kid and I are heading to bed, Hubs is out for the UFC fight w/friends and I just want to sleep for 3 days. Kid was having lots of nightmares with yelling and crying out last night, and now he has a head cold. I got to sleep (for more than an hour) sometime around 3am, and was back at work at 6:50am for a full day of distribution processing, fire putting out and training the newest newbie who seems to be rather....not bright. Let's just leave it there.

I'm ready for football season to be here, Sundays on the couch, and weekends that don't mean just one day off, and cooler weather with less humidity.

Off to bed. Nighty-night, bloggies!

What else floats? A duck! A duck floats!

2010-08-03T07:33:00.002-04:00

Here we go!

Made the second half of the protein pancakes. Got hubby out the door on time (whew!) and Kid is languishing on the couch, praying for a natural disaster to get me out of work and him out of camp. That will be Thursday. Still, he must be asleep, because ESPN is still on and that child has never been interested in sports on TV. Except maybe football.....a little.

Anyway, I have a large protein pancake that I'm going to doctor up. I have a baggie full of spirulina I would love to try.....but I'm trying to work up the nerve. Have you seen how GREEN it is?? It's freaky. And it smells like lake water. Uck.

I also have some maca - which I already tried and liked. It's fine. I usually use it when I have a peanut butter and banana sandwich, which is a new thing. I sprinkle maca over the PB, then cinnamon and a very light drizzle of honey. Add in thick slices of sweet banana and it's almost like dessert - but it's breakfast. I love it. I recently saw a post for some sort of french toast/banana sandwich thing on another blog and I am going to have to try it. Maybe on a Sunday, when I have the time. I just giggled when I typed that. I usually run like an idiot on Sundays. Oh well, I'll jam it in there somewhere.

Off to finish getting ready for work. Will post eats later. Have a fab day!

July 4th - Brookfield Zoo

2010-08-02T18:29:00.000-04:00

Parkview Cycling Festival - 7/31/2010

2010-08-02T18:25:00.002-04:00

You've just got two empty coconut halves and you're banging 'em together.

2010-08-02T12:34:00.003-04:00

Lunch time - finally.

Super busy with loads of overtime going on. Worked Saturday - again - and then went to El Azteca for dinner before hitting the Parkview Cycling Festival downtown for the Pro/Cats 1 - 3 race. Took alot of photos (I'll upload some later) and wandered about. Had a nice time just being outside and taking pictures. Spent Sunday running errands, washing dishes, making beds and trying not to fall alseep standing up.

Got up and around this morning. Made myself the Golden Pancakes from the Body for Life book for breakfast. Had an Oh Yeah bar for a snack around 10:30am, and now it's lunch. How exciting. Todays fare:

(2) pickled eggs (one will probably be snack later - I LOVE these)
smoked turkey on f/f wheat w/leaf lettuce, onions, tomato slices, pepperjack cheese and spicy mustard and....
orange slices on the side
iced tea w/sweet 'n low

I have no idea what I am making for dinner.....but....I'm thinking extra lean ground beef and taco seasoning may be involved. There's a great taco-pasta thing in the BFL book and it's really quite delish. Boys can have nachos, I can have the pasta.

Hubs wants to ride tonight, so no staying late. I will be OT'ing it Tuesday and Wednesday. Supposed to go out for dinner with my girlfriend Nikki on Thursday,but I may have to (need to) work late. We'll see how it goes.

Off to read and eat and then back to it.

Sunday - Winding down

2010-07-25T19:24:00.003-04:00

Here's what I got done:

grocery shopping
bathroom cleaning
some laundry (it's a work in progress)
warmed up fried chicken for lunch
roasted round steak w/potatoes and carrots
loaded spaghetti sauce
burgers and fries for the boys
and dishes

that's alot. I may still walk le poodle. My spaghetti sauce is still simmering, but was made with an eye to use for lunches and quick meals. The round steak is for tomorrow, in case I get hung up at work.

I bought some Dr. Krackers crackers and tried one today. Yummy. I'm going to go hard boil some eggs, so I have portable protein for work. I want to take a soak with a Dorothy bubble bar from Lush later on. And then, bedtime.

One day at a time.

random shots

2010-07-25T13:08:00.003-04:00

Sunday - Up & Moving

2010-07-25T12:09:00.003-04:00

I'm finally getting to breakfast - at noon. Ugh. I slept OK last night - if you don't count getting up at 1am and eating a brownie while watching TV. Yeah, I know.

I made an old standby that my mom used to make for supper sometimes. I can't recall ever having it for breakfast as a kid. But it reminds me of her, and it's comfort food-ish without being really heavy or fatty. I took a handful of frozen hash browns (the cubed kind) and added it to a small skillet sprayed with Pam. Cooked until they browned and got a little crispy and added about a quarter of a small onion, diced and cooked until the onion was tender. Beat one large egg + 1 white and poured over the potatoes and onions. Flipped when it was about cooked through and I have it on a Spongebob plate, because I'm lame. :) But I love it.

I have my grocery list put together. Hubs has mentioned multiple times that he wants to eat better (then acts like he has no control over it) and should get more exercise (yet doesn't). Even Kid said last that he thinks he eats too much sugar. He ate three pieces of b-day cake at the party last night. He needs to get a handle on it - but we all do.

He is going to go with me for grocery shopping, so he can help pick out his snacks and lunch items. He takes his lunch to day camp every day, and maybe getting him involved will help him some.

The agenda:

Walmart/Meijer/Kroger for groceries
Co-op for Boar's Head lunch meat and other pantry items
Laundry
Clean bathroom
Clean living room
Grill burgers for lunches
Whip up some pasta for lunches
Make roasted round steak w/potatoes and onions and carrots (yum!!)
Walk the dog
Sleep

wow. That's alot. But at least it's out there and I know what I have to do. Now, I just have to get started.

Stretching It

2010-06-23T11:48:00.005-04:00

Or...stretching ME, rather.

Hubs ran me through some stretching exercises last night. I am super-tight and have not been sleeping well. I feel stressed and pulled and overextended. My tailbone has been a serious source of pain for the last few days, because every time I stand up from my office chair, pain radiates up my back, through my hips and onward. One, my chair is crap (but it's the only one available) and two, I think I am so tight and non-flexible that it's causing me problems.

And..............

I have hit the soda wagon hard lately. I've been really run down and, as mentioned earlier, not sleeping well. When I get home from work I'm about half-dead and I just want to grab something easy to eat and crash. Of course, I'm also working an absoulte shitload of overtime and I"ve been dreaming about work. Gee, wonder why I can't sleep. My overstimulated brain can't take it anymore; that, coupled with all the caffeine and sugar from the junk food, has thrown my poor body and mind for a loop.

This morning I grabbed a travel mug of beautiful and delicious iced coffee on the way out the door. Packed a decent lunch (no more fast food - gag) of saurkraut and a smoked bratwurst (diced into the 'kraut), a chobani yogurt (blueberry - heaven) and a container of raspberries, which I plan to eat ALL of by myself. I love them. And when raspberries get a little warm, it's almost like eating sunshine.

I'm back to water and hoping that the work computer platform system thing comes back up at some point soon so I will be allowed to get some work items done and maybe even go home while it's still considered Wednesday.

I love my job. I'd just like to see a little less of my office. And a little more of my bed.

Journal Tuesday - Oh the joy.

2010-06-01T07:28:00.001-04:00

I'm up! I kept hitting snooze this morning, which just makes me more tired in the long run. Today should be hell on wheels at work. Usually, it's insane the day after a holiday, and we're STILL short-handed. It's gonna be FAB!

I still have to get Kid up and around (which does not bode well for the day), pack his lunch (leftover pizza), pack my lunch (leftover grilled szechuan bbq chicken) and find something to shove into myself for breakfast. Ugh.

So, let's get to it! Have a wonderful day! I'm gonna plaster this big, ridiculous smile on my face and roll with it. How bad can it be??

Serpentine, Shel! Serpentine!

2010-05-31T15:58:00.004-04:00

To be honest, what I've been doing is avoiding.

Dodging. Side-stepping.

I've felt very....."non" lately. I've been sleepy and yet haven't slept well. I've been taking Benadryl in the middle of the night to knock myself out and then I'm foggy for the next 15 hours. Until, of course, bedtime rolls around. Then I'm wide awake again. Weird. And I haven't even been having any caffeine. So, I can't blame that, though I'd love to. At least I could pin-point it. What it comes down to is (mostly) this: i just don't want to DO anything. I think I'm going through one of my mild depression phases. There are periods of time (this one was LONG) that I feel great - or at least good. I get up and do laundry and wash dishes and go to work and (for the most part) function. Then there are these times - where I can lie on the bed in Kid's room and watch tv and do absolutely nothing for hours. And nap?? Oh god, can I nap.

I'm honestly, finally, at my wits end with myself. It's driving Hubs up the wall - and I don't think he realizes it's ME that's annoying him so much. I'm not pulling my load. I go to work every day. I take Kid to school, I cook dinner (lots of dates w/the grill lately) but it's been HOT (which I hate) and I've felt lethargic and really un-motivated lately. I was doing really great with being careful and aware of what I was eating. Last night, I ate a cheese ball while watching Oceans 13 until 1am. Most of a beef & onion cheese ball. Ugh. I did have it with whole wheat crackers....and that's a laugh, isn't it?? Hysterical, really. I am a mess.

I'm trying to screw my head on straight and pull myself out of this a bit. I know that if I worked out (walked and weights and cardio, etc) it would breed energy and motivation. The problem is finding the drive to start or a direction to go in. I'll try tomorrow. At this point, it's the best I can do.

So, my choice is "or death?!?"

2010-05-23T11:56:00.002-04:00

We've run out of cake.

I'm actually down this morning, in spite of the small amount of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia (heaven!!) I had last night. Huh.

I got up at around 6:30 this morning and took Le Poodle out for potties and then I headed right back to bed to sleep in with the Hubs. Kid was up around 10am, as was I, to watch my usual Sunday morning fare: Antique Roadshow. I usually watch that while I take my vitamins and wash whatever dishes are left over from last night and make breakfast. This morning, I got a burr up my you-know-what and also tore the silverware drawer apart and washed everything in it, including the inside of the drawer itself. I feel a little better now. I also started laundry and made Kid breakfast (1 scrambled egg, cinnamon toast and a few half strips of bacon) and breakfast for myself (1 fried egg on sandwich thin w/2% american cheese and sriracha, a small bunch of grapes and a little bowl of frozen cherries) and got Hubs off on the road bike for some meditative ride time. He needs it.

I also stood in the kitchen and watched the P90X infomercial. There is something about that thing that I like, oddly enough. It makes me WANT to work out. Maybe that's it.

I'm hoping that after breakfast and laundry-swapping, Kid and I can walk Le Poodle and get a little exercise in. Besides, I'm in the walking challenge at work and I need the mileage.

Off to read and munch and get ready for walking. Enjoy the day!!

Misty Morning

2010-05-22T09:25:00.001-04:00

It's foggy and cold and damp outside. None of which I am particularly fond of, unless it involves cozy blankets, my bed, the dog and the husband.

Hit WW this morning and I have lost 5# with them, and almost 9 overall so far. Started the walking challenge @ work, so Poodle and I have been getting in some quality time together recently. I think we may get a little more in today - I haven't walked him in a few days and could use the steps.

Off to make a quick breakfast and then it's SHOPPING. Kid needs a new wardrobe because he keeps growing, and Hubs needs some new jeans. As do I, but I'm not sure that I will be able to find any on this trip. I'm not sure they stock my size in the stores we're going to....and I hate to spend money only to lose more weight and need smaller pants. I mean, I'd love that.....but I hate wasting the $$, you know??

I'll log food later because I really need to track. Catch up with you later!

So I can run about, in heels, and not fall over.

2010-05-15T10:24:00.004-04:00

I've been walking the dog and we have a little circuit we do. Usually takes us about 40 - 50 minutes, depending. For awhile, I've wondered how much ground we're covering and I happened to find an old pedometer (need to set up the two new ones I now have - is the universe trying to tell me something??) and added it to the hip for yesterday's walk. The result:

2.1 miles!

SO much better than I thought. Wow!! I'm even MORE motivated to walk it now because I thought I was a real slacker and was only doing, like 1 mile or less. Go, doggy! I'm hoping to get in some more walking today, plus a lot of errand-running and getting-things-done. Definitely some walking, though, because it is beautiful outside. I love sun!

Did I leave the gas on?? No, I'm a squirrel.

2010-05-15T09:51:00.000-04:00

I had weigh-in this morning. Hung with D., an old friend and now a co-worker, too. He's doing the whole Weight Watchers thing as well, so it's kind of nice to see at least one familiar face when I go. I was up and out of bed without alot of thought this morning - just do it. It's sunny and beautiful today and I drove home ( 0.6 pounds lighter) with the windows down and the Better Than Ezra CD loud. Gotta take Kid out to this small town about 20 miles north of here and then out to an Amish market for flowers for the m-i-l for (late) Mother's Day-Birthday gifty. Also, Barnes & Noble for GC, and maybe Catalpa Tree Shop for general browsing. Catalpa Tree is this great new age/spiritual bookstore that has the best stuff - jewelry and ritual items and books and music. It's itty-bitty but the people who run it are fantastic. If you're near Grabill, Indiana you need to stop in and visit them. They totally rock and there are no strangers there. It always seems like you've known them your whole life.

I have loads of dishes to do and some food-like thing to come up with - I'm hungry! Have a wonderful day and I'll update when I get back around here. :)

Crackerjacks

2010-05-09T19:50:00.002-04:00

Still kicking it.

Lived through the birthday (# 44!) and scored a new pair of purple Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Sweet baby Jesus how I have wanted purple chucks. For forever. Or so it seems. LOVE.LOVE.LOVE.

Kid is still among the living and seems to be bouncing back - while slowly - but back nonetheless.

I really want to go to bed, and possibly find a reasonably tasty recipe for cabbage. That makes total sense, no?

Still doing the WW thing - thankfully. I've not been perfect (as my recent + 1 lb. weigh-in attests to) but I'm getting better. I did eat some Starburst candy chew things at the arena football game today. Probably bad.

I'm heading out to the grocery store for a few things I forgot the last time I was there. Seriously. Even when I have a list, I forget to put things on it. Argh.

Have a good night! I promise to be more.......um.......better. More better. Yes.

:)

Darkity-Dark-Dark

2010-04-18T13:30:00.004-04:00

I've had a few wicked days. We got called from school on Friday that we needed to come about Kid. Seems he threatened to harm and/or kill himself online to a school friend on Thursday night, and then threatened her not to tell. So........we met with the Guidance Counselor and the Principal and took Kid home. After much trolling of the kid's website we've let him be on (omgpop.com), we discovered he's been talking to some girl that's 14 and has herself listed as "bi" on her webpage for that site. Great, so not only is she questionable in her sexual orientation (although I sort of chalk that up to being more shock factor than anything else, but who knows?) but she's NUTS, too. Lots of talking about killing herself and how she's so very, very punk rock and emo. Whatever. Kid, who is 10, has been trying to get back in this girl's good graces for a week and she has proceeded to not only shit all over him, but continued to pick at him and tell him what a worthless friend he is and how she's going to come for his soul. Uh-huh, crazy girl. Consequently, he has been removed from that website and is on lock-down until we get things straightened out. At least he did tell us, after LONG talks about his feelings and his online world, that he doesn't really want to do any of the things he said, he was just feeling sad and out of control about this girl. *sigh*

Wowza.

I allowed him (under my constant supervision and high security measures) to set up a facebook page so he can talk to family and school friends ONLY. He found one of his omgpop friends (and above reference crazy girl) and sent friend requests which he knew he was not supposed to do. I removed crazy's friend request (hello? Weren't we just here two days ago), reminded him that he was not to talk to anyone other than those outlined, and if he absolutely could not abide by that, all privileges would be revoked. He tried to say goodbye to another girl from that site, and SHE proceeded to say she'd kill herself and he couldn't leave her, etc. Where do they get this shit from? I swear, this is the training ground for all the shit girls put boys through during the teens and into their 20s. This is a prime example of what girls do that makes me insane. I hate that shit. I signed on to the other site (omgpop) and this same girl instant messaged me. Big mistake on her part. I unloaded about the "killing myself" crap and told her it was neither cute nor funny - and definitely not something to lie at someone's feet and tell them you'd do this to yourself for attention. I also let her know that this was the precise reason he could not talk to her or use that site anymore. C'mon. Seriously? Where is this girls mother???????

Hey, mom, check on your kid for crying out loud. Any idea what she's (or he's) doing??? What they're putting out there for public consumption? Do we really need to make this all some kind of Gossip Girl/One Tree Hill/The Hills tween drama constantly? Can't you just not be crazy for awhile?

Argh.

So, anyway, we're going to see "How to Train Your Dragon" (again) with Kid's best friends from school. I have laundry piled up to the sky, and lots to do, but right now my focus is all on him. As it should always be, to be honest. And I am so far up his backside right now, that he can't do much of anything without my being involved. And that's probably better for him, too, in the long run.

I missed the annoucement.

2010-04-12T12:29:00.003-04:00

I must have somehow been out of the loop on the global canned pumpkin shortage of 2010, because I can't find a can of pumpkin anywhere. And, like an idiot, I keep looking! I may run to Meijer tonight - there has been talk that the elusive creature has been spotted on shelves there.

Got up and had oatmeal for breakfast w/a little PB stirred in, and possibly a small handful of Cascadian Farms Honey and Oats granola. Packed my lunch (sloppy joes on an Arnolds, sweet red pepper strips, a banana and an orange the size of my head) and headed to the office. Ack. I really want to hit the lotto so I have more time for stuff. Just random, general things, but none of which includes working.

I just ran downstairs and grabbed some extra pepper strips (yellow and orange) and a little paper cup of FF ranch for dipping. Huge ice water, too.

Off to read before I have to head back to work.

Sundaze

2010-04-11T20:25:00.003-04:00

Got up at a decent hour and did a little grocery shopping (for protein products). Went to lunch with the bestie, Tim, and then back home to beach myself. We went to this fab little Greek place with an owner that comes to every table and talks to you and seems like he absolutely LOVES life. I had braised beef w/mashed potatoes and Greek green beans and a salad that was to die for. It had chopped cucumbers and tomatoes and red onions and it was piled a mile high. I forgot to order my usual lemon rice soup. I had a little less than half the entree, most of the salad, a few bites of the beans and a HUGE glass of iced tea. Yummy all the way around. And coma inducing. Did I mention that???

This morning, I had Cascadian Farms Heart Morning breakfast w/skim milk and then, a little later on, an orange the size of my head.

Tonight, I made sloppy joes for myself and had that on an Arnold thin, plus half an enormous baked sweet potato w/cinnamon and some ICBINB spray. I made burgers for the boys w/fried potatoes.

Walked the puplet for 45 minutes at a pace that was a bit more than I thought I was capable of for that length of time. I still have 4 points left for tonight, even with the lunch, and I am quite full and very not hungry.

Gotta run games back to the video store and I think I may run and pick up some canned pumpkin to add to my oatmeal in the morning. I have half a sweet potato that I'll probably take with lunch tomorrow when I go back to work (gah!) and maybe a little sloppy joe meat and.....I don't know. I'll figure out in the morning.

Outta here! Have a wonderful Sunday night and I'll see all of you in the morning.

Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning...I can't tell.

2010-04-10T12:28:00.002-04:00

I joined Weight Watchers yesterday. I need some sort of structure - which is funny, because I can guarantee you, I'll fight it all the way. I'm really going to try to use this a little more efficiently and more often, as a resource and as a way to vent a bit. I know Hubs, while he is all for the WW and the fitness and all, won't want to hear me talk about it. He just wants me to do it.

I'm horrible at tracking, and since I already know this much about myself, I'm going to try to do it religiously. I'll also be tracking my weight, so we can all see where I am - as if you care! LOL I care. That's all that matters.

Hubs is out of town at a martial arts seminar and will be back home sometime tonight. It's just Kid and me and a mountain of laundry today. I tackled the mountain of dishes this morning. I'm getting ready to run another load downstairs, and I really, really need to work in the front garden beds and pull the vast field of thistles out of the bed. I'm not the best gardener....but I'm trying desperately to learn to love it. Much like everything else in my life right now.

I finally had a bra fitting last night, and I was wearing the right size. Fantastic. It's a size that is, of course, hard to find. Not because I am, um, stacked. No, that's not the problem. But I did score 4 Bali bras at Macy's for $68 + tax. They're having their buy-two-get-two thing. I really needed new ones. This is sad, but part of my motivation to lose the excess weight (besides becoming more healthy and fitter) is shopping. Well, not shopping, but being able to fit into clothes I LIKE as opposed to clothes that FIT. It seriously sucks.

I'm off to do something lunch-like and get things back in motion. Have a great Saturday!

It's like being nibbled to death by ducklings.

2010-04-09T08:19:00.002-04:00

Good morning!

I'm finally getting some food in me. I've been hungry for awhile now and am just getting to breakfast. This morning it's Dannon Blueberry Greek Yogurt. It's a bit of a dry mouthfeel, but it's yummy. I just drink alot of water with it. :) Some yogurt is like that for me.

I cleaned cupboards yesterday and found some things that expired 2 years ago! You can tell how often I poke around in there. I also cleaned out all my spices and tossed anything that I knew had been there more than 6 months. Consequently, I have quite the grocery list waiting for me. I just keep adding to it. Now, some spices that I tossed, like ground mustard, I'm not sure that I will replace because I never use it. I had about 4 different kinds of barbecue seasoning, none of which I liked very much. I really need to get around here and see if I can find some rub recipes that I can mix up and then store. I wonder if I can store spices in the freezer. Would that maybe help keep them a it fresher, longer? Hm........

I really need to do something today. I've pretty much whittled away the last three days doing alot of nothing - Facebook, TV, etc. - and need to get my ass in gear and get somewhere.

Honestly, I'm only postponing the inevitable. And, I'm making the inevitable alot more work. I just can't put a finger on WHY I keep putting it off. OK, I probably could. I can, actually. But just like the inevitable, I don't want to face it. I've typed it, said it, thought it multiple times. I am much like my parents were with the "some day" thing. Some day, I'll get to it. Some day, I'll get there.....and I keep thinking "this is the last fill-in-the-blank-with-an-event that I'm going to go into fat" So, for example, every year I say, "I'm going to really do something and then by my birthday I can be down X number of pounds!" And then January turns to March and then suddenly it's April and my birthday is 10 days away..........and I'm still exactly where I was when I thought/said/journalled/typed that to begin with. Ugh. I frustrate myself. Why can I not make myself DO something? It's like I can't focus on it because.............because.........if I focus on it, it's real and it's a problem and I have a million miles to go and it's going to be hard and what if I can't? Seriously? I can't because I won't try. Because I'd rather eat that spinach dip (the whole thing) than try to make a decent decision for once in my life? What in the fuck is my deal?

Sorry.

I took my vitamin D this morning - I feel amazingly better when I take it. It, for me, is a noticeable difference when I don't have it. And I've had my water (also a big thing for me) and my multi + 1 fish oil + 1 fish/flax/borage oil capsule too. I still need to get my Super-B in, tho. I'll get to it. I feel like my breakfast is mostly just taking supplements. Agh.

Off to read (briefly) and then maybe I can get to thinking about doing that infernal Biggest Loser Jillian workout DVD I bought 6 months ago and never unwrapped. It's almost too much to think about. See?? Told you.

Tuesday Morning Blast Off

2010-04-06T09:13:00.002-04:00

Had the plumber here at 7:30am this morning. He's gone and I've had a little breakfast. I had some Hodgson Mill pancakes, made from a mix, and they were pretty good. And filling. This is the first time I've used this mix. Here's what I think:

Fluffy and a little toasted nut flavored. Great with blueberries mixed in (I had some frozen berries I had thawed in the fridge) and an overall good breakfast. Two pancakes is plenty filling. One serving makes 6 to 8 pancakes. I made 6, and they're HUGE. I'd definitely buy this again, but I tend to only make pancakes once in awhile, and during the week it's too time consuming....but the weekend? Absolutely.

Next time, I'll make 8 much smaller pancakes and maybe try more fruit mixed in. The blueberries were big, and I scattered them over the pancake in the pan instead of mixing them in as directed. I just didn't want the batter to be blue, I suppose. Why that was issue, I haven't a clue.

Had a killer bout of heartburn last night. I finally fell asleep around 11:30. Slept like the proverbial dead. I should have, after the night before, when I was up half a dozen times because I had to use the bathroom. I'm trying to get more water in during the day, so I don't drink quite so much at night. It's funny that I have to go multiple times in the night, because I can go for hours during the day and only make one potty break. *sigh*

I'm off to work on laundry. I just realized that I have pancake batter on my t-shirt. I am a mess.

Easter

2010-04-04T21:49:00.003-04:00

The "menu" for today sounded like this:

boneless skinless chicken breasts & steaks on the grill
salad
fruit salad
maybe some veggies
a "relish" tray(mostly fresh veg)
and assorted nibblies

the real spread:

boneless skinless breasts cooked to rubber ball texture
steaks grilled to charcoal level
salad = 7 layer w/full-fat mayo
salad = potato salad w/bacon (see above)
potato chips: bbq + regular
dessert = one enormous coconut cake, some kind of odd mousse thing, and ice cream
sodas as far as the eye could see
one little tray of fresh veggies w/ranch dressing
and a tray of oddly shaped (and partially mangled) cheese cubes of mysterious origin

Yes.

For dinner tonight, I made extra-lean burgers for the boys w/no oil baked french fries (which they didn't even notice, they just ate them) and a (turkey) bacon/lettuce/tomato/avocado sandwich on high-fiber/low-cal bread for me, with some fruit on the side. I've had enough processed shit to last me a lifetime. And I feel all funky and half out of it. Ugh.

On the up-side, I walked the pup for about an hour tonight, so maybe I undid some of the damage just trying to navigate through the minefield. I swear.

Out of the tub and getting ready for bed, but I wanted to check in and maybe read a few pages before turning in. I get to "sleep in" tomorrow, because I'm the only one that has to work tomorrow. Hubs is home w/Kid and then I am off the rest of the week. Lord have mercy, I need those days.

Why does early have to be so EARLY?

2010-03-30T16:57:00.003-04:00

Got up at 5:45am, walked the dog, made breakfast for HUbs and Kid, sent one to work and the other was delivered to school and I got myself to work (mostly) on time. I am a zombie. I didn't fall deeply asleep until sometime after 2am (and Benadryl #3) and am FRIED. Deep fried. And crispy. I'd love myself dipped in chocolate if I wasn't too tired to dip.

so...........

Hubs is weight lifting tonight and I'm going to try not to stick my head into a pan of chocolate cake. That should be easy, because we don't have any. Cake. No cake. Thank god.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day, I need to find an outlet for what little creativity I have left inside me, and I'm ready for bed now thank you.

*sigh*

Not your best choice.

2010-03-26T12:26:00.002-04:00

Well, not MINE anyway.

I had a bagel thin this morning, with a little schmear of weight watcher's cream cheese and about half a cup of tea. That was around 6am. I've been starving all morning. I just ran downstairs to the cafe and grabbed a bowl of beef and noodles and a very small cup of LF soft serve ice cream. It's Friday....live a little.

I really need to remember to get myself a salt and pepper set for my desk.

Speaking of my desk, my hate-filled and unpleasant office sharing co-worker is heading upstairs to a new position. She got a new job, somewhere, and will be leaving me. Oh, the horror. She was gone for 4 days and the only thing I noticed was it was less frigid in my office from being frozen out all the time. She's not pleasant. And she obviously does not like me. But she doesn't really like anyone, so I try not to take it too personally, even though some of it is, naturally, personal.

Off to surf and read and relax before getting back to the tedious task of auditing work items and a spreadsheet. Too much fun for one person, to be sure.

Divide and Conquer? Occupy, maybe, but conquer?

2010-03-24T22:23:00.001-04:00

I saw a woman on TV once talking about weight loss and goals and here was her suggestion:

Make a goal = I will walk every day this week.

divide that goal in half = I'll walk four days this week

then in half again = I'll walk two days this week.

Makes it easier to do, you don't take on too much at one time, and if you reach that one small goal you're more likely to make a slightly bigger one and reach that, too. It all snowballs. Seems...easy?

I walked the poodle tonight - I walked, he peed on everything in sight. Thank goodness he doesn't pick up anything in his mouth....but it's like he's part bloodhound. He loves the scent trail. And dead stuff. Yes, anything icky. He's such a very unpoodle poodle.

Tomorrow is carry-in birthday day. We're having Panda Express (marginal Chinese food) + cupcakes. Honestly, do we NEED the cupcakes? Well, it IS a birthday, so I suppose there has to be something cake-like. And I am the one designated to get them. It was either cupcakes (portion control!) or cake. You get the idea.

Gotta get up earlier, because Hubs needs to not be late tomorrow and it all supposedly hinges on when I get up. I know, it doesn't make much sense to me, either, but I'll roll with it. What choice do I have?

Who said there was a deadline?

2010-03-24T07:39:00.002-04:00

So, I have about 34.952096 seconds to post this before I have to muster Kid up and around, dress him and myself and head us both out the door. Crazy.

This morning has consisted of:

2 loads of laundry
putting one basket of laundry away
ironing three shirts for Hubs
pressing my dress pants for work
taking 1 Super-b, 1 Multi, 3 Vitamin D gel things, + 2 fish/flax/borage gel caps
2 glasses of water
1 PB + chocolate chips cookie (bad! naughty!)
cold shower
washing dishes
tightly holding on to the last thread of sanity and patience that I have left

Apparently I have to get up at 5:30am so no one else sleeps in too long. Not sure how that works....but OK. Maybe, and this may be crazy, if everyone loaded up and headed to bed at, say, sometime before midnight....then we might not oversleep in the morning and lie in bed til it's too late.

I know. It's crazy. Me too. We're all crazy.

Blarg.

Right, it's the SPRING festival. Well, you tell me then.

2010-03-22T17:13:00.002-04:00

I wish that I could find raspberry and pineapple and pomegranate Chobani in my neighborhood. There is not a retail outlet in a 120 mile radius (I looked) that carries those flavors. How is THAT possible?

I'm stressed out and I want cake. I won't have cake....but I still want it.

I'm trying to come up with something yummerific for din-din and am at a total roadblock. Ugh.

But I leave work in about a minute and a half...so there's hope. :)

Who ever heard of an evil giraffe?

2010-03-17T12:23:00.001-04:00

Today it's Chicken Pad Thai for lunch. Another Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer thingie and it's really good! I'm defintely going to have to go to Meijer tonight and buy some while they are on sale. Perfect for the freezer at work.

I'm struggling for things to do at work. We're either buried or bone dry. It's killing me....and makes me want to sleep. But I always want to sleep.....except for when it comes time to go to bed. Then, not so much.

Off to surf and read and catch up and then back to "work." Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to sneak out early today. It's BEAUTIFUL outside.

I was dead at the time.

2010-03-16T12:16:00.003-04:00

I was on the moon.......with Steve.

Yesterday went well until the end of the day. I had a munchie-attack (a.k.a. boredom) and went in search of junk. I was thwarted by myself, though, so it wasn't so bad. I ended up having a mug of cocoa (hershey's drinking chocolate of some kind) and really only had half before I was ready for bed. Out like a light.

Today, I had 2 soft, yummy corn tortillas filled with 2 scrambled eggs + black beans and salsa. It was delish. And an orange.

I'm lunching right now - Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer Orange Zest Chicken. It was HUGE pieces of chicken breast, sugar snap peas, diced red & green peppers and rice. It's really good. I don't usually do the whole frozen meal things.....but I may need to start. 17g of protein, 4g fiber and only 300 calories. I'm rounding it out with a banana and a small bowl of salad from the cafeteria w/a couple cherry tomatoes, a little diced HB egg, and red pepper strips. About 1 T of dressing, maybe, if I'm lucky. I may not need it after all, but can save it for a snack. I also have a Yoplait Key Lime yogurt waiting for me too. I love yogurt.

All in all, I feel pretty pleased with myself. Let's hope it holds. I'm only concentrating on one food decision at a time and it's worked thus far.

Need to find some way to make salmon palateable. Any suggestions? I'm thinking patties, and maybe baking them instead of frying. Might be OK for me. I can always cover it up with ketchup...but I need those Omega-3s.

What's to think about?

2010-03-14T19:34:00.003-04:00

I cooked lunch for tomorrow already. I threw some diced green pepper and onion in the skillet. Stirred in some black beans and added a packet of taco mix + water. I have some corn tortillas to put it in, or I could just eat it as is. I didn't have any canned corn or I'd have added that, too.

I made pork chops for the boys. Mac and cheese for Hubs, green beans for Kid. I had ham and bean soup over corn bread.

This bouncing back and forth for Daylight Savings Time sucks, big time.

I talked with Hubs about heading back to Weight Watchers with our annual Health Benefit from the company insurance. It would be out of pocket, but then reimbursed. I'm waffling.....as usual. I should just bite the bullet and DO IT. Ugh.

I stopped at Lush tonight and got some yummy bath stuff. I have a Hippy Chick, a Honey Bun and an Avobath bath bombs. Oh, and a Butterball, too. I love their stuff but it's soooooooooo expensive. Boo.

Have a good night and I will plan posting and journaling for tomorrow. Gotta dream big.

You're majoring in a 5,000 year old dead language?

2010-03-11T11:30:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling much better, thanks to the Levaquin. Still a little coughy, but much better. And since I quit taking it, no leg pain! So, yay! Still forgetting to hit the Advair in the morning. I swear, I need to go to bed at about 8pm in order to get up early enough to get ANYTHING accomplished.

Managed to get a load of laundry (sort of) done. Got a basket of laundry put away, too. I'm on a roll.

This morning, we had Panera bagels, provided by one of the account teams. Yowza - they're HUGE. I had a half a blueberry with LF raspberry cream cheese. It was delish.

Off to actually WORK as opposed to play online - and before I get caught.

I am such a REBEL.

Not a cold...more like the plague.

2010-03-07T12:36:00.000-05:00

I do not have a cold....well, not anymore anyway. I have pneumonia. It must be March. This Fall, someone remind me to have the freaking pneumonia shot, please. I'm back on Levaquin. Day 2 and I'm feeling MUCH better, but still not very energetic.

I'm wondering if post-pneumonia would be a good time to undertake tweaking the way I've been eating, since I've pretty much been a food free zone for two days and have lost 4 pounds - though I'd hardly recommend it.

Loads to do today, and at the rate I'm going, I might get 2 or 3 things sewn up today.

I thig I hab a code

2010-03-03T12:32:00.001-05:00

I have a cold. Snotty head, cough, feeling blech. Took Mucinex last night, which kept me up half the night. Took it this morning...and all I want to do is sleep. Weird.

I'm having vegetable soup and a grilled cheese because I feel like crap.

I just want to go home and I can't. I hate my life. Today, anyway.

Panic! And not at the disco, either.

2010-03-02T12:55:00.003-05:00

minor panic attack over something that, so far, hasn't caused an issue.

I'm in a holding pattern waiting to see what happens as time goes on.

Ack.

One of my greatest phobias, but probably nothing a Xanax can't cure.

Just admit that I'm right and we can get on with our lives.

2010-03-01T13:01:00.003-05:00

How I hate when Hubs is right. Dammit all.

I had a decent protein-y breakfast this morning, held me nicely until 11am, when I had a cherry pie Larabar (forgot to post that) and now I'm having a veggie + protein filled lunch and I swear I'm stuffed already....and I haven't eaten the cottage cheese, the oranges or the other half of my sandwich yet. I'll just keep the orange and sandwich here and nibble. I'll store the CC in the fridge.

To sum it all up, this darned prtein thing makes me feel much better. I'm not as sleepy (yet) and I feel pretty good, overall. Let's see how things stand when 3:30pm rolls around - that's around the time I go all zombified.

Food!

2010-03-01T12:46:00.003-05:00

8:30am:
1/2 C low-fat cottage cheese + sliced peaches
water, water, vitamins, etc.

11:00am:
cherry pie Larabar (love!)

12:40pm:
smoked turkey on FF whole wheat + 1 slice pepperjack + red pepper rings + jalapenos + lettuce + tomatoes w/a few orange slices on the side

small side cup of low-fat broccoli salad

1/2 C cottage cheese

(I'll upload photos when I figure out how to email them to myself)

Ridiculous

2010-02-28T12:45:00.004-05:00

Levi - sleeping (though I don't know how) on the old DVD player.

He's not the brightest bulb in the strand, if you know what I mean. But he's sweet....so that kinda makes up for some of it.

Titus - a.k.a. The Wonder-Poodle. Oh, how I love him.

And Desmond....Keeper of the Window.

You're a superb manager, Joe. Superb.

2010-02-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

Up early-ish. Burning a CD for cleaning and laundry because I need a soundtrack, dammit. I have ALOT to do today, and Hubs is already on his way to pick up the rest of the crew and head to Indianapolis. Kid has to shop with me today, which should be fun for both of us (not). Maybe I can trick him into picking out some healthy (meaning less processed) snacks. Right.

I had an omelet for breakfast:

1 egg, beaten
splash of skim milk
1 slice american cheese (don't judge)
sriracha all over it (swoon!)
2 slices bacon (extra crispy)
vitamins + 2 glasses water

I know, the bacon??? Really! What was I thinking?? Oh yes........that I was getting a bit more protein in this morning for the sake of research. :) Don't judge! We're going to grocery today, so I'm going to pick up some turkey bacon or fake bacon or something. I need more eggs, too. I'm really trying to plan more protein heavy meals for breakfast and lunch, so maybe I don't have the mind-numbing slump from noon 'til 6pm. We'll see how it goes.

Poor Levi spent the night on the porch, the stupid cat. He loves to run out there everytime the door opens. He thinks, apparently, that he is the great urban jungle cat. Not so much. He's a bit tubby, and he could probably hunt if he had to.....but I think he would prefer his kibble when it came right down to it. He's not very motivated. Gee, that sound terribly familiar.

Off to get laundry moving. Kid's already plugged into the PS3, where HE thinks he's going to be all day. Little does he know.

Have a good day, bloggies! Read on!

I don't need to explain my art to you, Warren.

2010-02-27T11:35:00.005-05:00

I"m having oats in a jar this morning. In the mix:

1 C water
1 C old-fashioned oats
half a banana
about 1 T chopped pecans
1 T Bob's Red Mill Multi-grain cereal
sprinkling of butterscotch chips
1 nearly empty Naturally More peanut butter jar

yum-i-licious.

I got up way too late today. I need to get laundry in order and moving. I also have on the agenda a run to the co-op for chia seeds and a few other things, plus maybe a run to Vitamin Shoppe to see what they have. I need protein powder for Hubs, so Walmart is more than likely on the list, too.

It's cold and snow covered outside, but pretty. I may take the poodle-kins for an around the block walk. It wouldn't hurt either of us to get outside for 20 minutes.

I might load up the slow cooker tonight with some steel cut oats. Maybe with peaches. Mmmmm

Back home and settling in for the night.

A roadmap of my day:

Walmart - misc. grocery items
Vitamin Shoppe - chia energy bar to try, plus a bag of Goji berries
the co-op - bag of chia seeds, some prepared quinoa to try, a Divine Grape kombucha to test and a few random other things.

Came home just in time to unload, change clothes and head out for dinner with my in-laws. We ended up at a wings place and it was OK. Not earth shattering or life altering....but alright. I had a prime rib sandwich with horseradish sauce and swiss. It was not bad.

I'm going to try something on Monday, and in place of my usual carb heavy lunches I'm subbing in protein and more complex carbs. Just to check my energy levels. I feel great in the morning, but I get very, very sleepy come 1pm and it's a battle the rest of the day to function.

Hubs is heading to Indy tomorrow to meet some martial arts guys, so Kid and I are home together. That probably means lunch and maybe dinner out, so I'm just going to wing it tomorrow. I will have probably eggs for breakfast and maybe some fruit. We'll see how it goes from there. Hubs wants to me TRY the higher protein, more veggies, less breads/pasta thing. And I'll give it a shot. Can't hurt.

Off to indulge in a cup of steamy cocoa and watch the end of the Harry Potter movie that's on. I love those movies (and books) and I'm already looking forward to bedtime. :)

Gee, more snow. How original.

2010-02-26T21:22:00.003-05:00

I forgot to add, earlier, that it's snowing again. Not alot...it's only at the annoying stage. Not anywhere near the I'm-not-leaving-the-house stage.

So..........I got Hubs Zombieland last night, of course he watched it today. I decided it would be a really good idea (ha!) to walk to the video store to return the DVD. Right. I loaded up the poodle and off we went into the freezing rain/snow/crap falling from the sky and hoofed it about a block or so to the store. Poodle peed on everything within his leash range and I remembered halfway there that I never took my Advair this morning. Thankfully, I had my inhaler in my pocket because I have learned that I can't rely on my memory of where I might have left it last. We only did that once. I seriously thought I was going to die.

But let's look on the bright side: At least it was movement. And it was outside, so, bonus. And the dog didn't become a popsicle and I didn't die. I claim victory.

There's no food in your food.

2010-02-26T12:51:00.005-05:00

Just finished up lunch and ready to "get back to work." Funny, considering I ran out of things to work on around 10:30 this morning. And sad because it makes the day go sooooo sloooooooowly. Ack.

Hubs is still moaning, groaning and banging around thanks to the bad hip. Multiple Ben-Gay applications, heating pads, ibuprofen and rest and he's minutely better. This should be a load of fun.

Today was fish day at work. I love the fish here - probably because it's deep fried and really bad for me. But it's FISH! Right??

I'm heading down for Mountain Dew #2 because I am about to go completely unconscious. Thank all the carbs for that. I really need to pack my lunches.

Home for the night - finally!

Had my "year end" performance review. I got a fantastic review and the Annual Incentive Performance bonus. Plus a merit raise. Sweet! I've been there 5 months now and while I like my job.....I love (most of) the people there, it's got loads of room for moving to other positions and the company really encourage healthy eating and living. I have a gym onsite and a fabulous cafeteria with a huge and awesome salad bar, along with a deli section, a grill for burgers and the like....and even a full entree area that rotates lots of homestyle dishes. I can't complain.

I made boneless pork chops for dinner tonight with super-sweet corn. I made a bag of broccoli for an extra veggie side for me, topped with a little olive oil, parm + black pepper. It was yummy. I'm trying to be more aware of what I'm grabbing at the grocery, and would like to eliminate the dreaded HFCS from our diets.....and really pare down the sugar overall. It would be most beneficial.

Now, it's winding down to the end of the evening. I'm having a toasted sandwich thin with a little Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter (which is really more like chocolate butter) and a few butterscotch chips. Then, I'm off to soak in the tub and read my newest issue of Fitness magazine. I kept forgetting about it.....and remembered to fetch it from the car while I had the poodle out for business.

Overall....a decent day. Made even better by that raise and review. While the money is fantastic, and I'm hapy I HAVE a job, the praise from my manager was the best. I left feeling strong and capable, smart and talented, and like I am better than I thought all along. What a great gift.

I hope this isn't an emergency, I only brought one bottle of vodka.

2010-02-25T12:24:00.006-05:00

I have been MIA. Seriously.

The problem is that I do not spend as much time online as I used to - not because I'm doing fabulous things in exotic places with beautiful people...because I have a shitload of things to do at work and at home that don't involve typing on a computer. Besides, I just get distracted and I end up on Wikipedia looking random articles up.

In the last few weeks, we've had a brush with a parasite that induced sanitizing the house and washing every article of clothing in every closet...and then some.

I colored my hair....which is OK. I'll adjust eventually.

I've been spending time with some girlfriends - which is weird for me because, generally, I have a hard time being friends with other women. I'm weird. I don't deal well with the whole I'm-going-to-come-on-to-your-husband thing....combined with the we're-sisters-and-women-have-to-take-care-of-each-other!! thing. Call me crazy. I'm good with guys. We can talk about movies and books and sports (sports being football) and bands and guitars and all kinds of stuff. I have no idea what girls talk about. Thankfully, the women I'm friends with at this stage in my life SEEM normal. Time will tell. I'm sure the same has been said about me. Well, probably not the
normal part....

Hubs is home in traction because he thought it was a fab idea to try to squat 350 pounds. Yeah.

I'm really needing Spring to get here because the Hubster needs to have some bonding time with his mountain bike before we all lose our minds.

And Kid is going to probably have a heart attack tonight because he's been banned from Xbox, PS3 and the computer. How will he survive?? I don't care - I'm going out tonight. I just wish I wasn't on anti-biotics so I could have a drink (or 9). At least there's good music, good friends, and I'm outta the house. Indeed.

"You're going to wear the shirt of the band you're going to see? Don't be that guy."

2010-02-14T13:15:00.005-05:00

I just had a very nice veggie chick'n sandwich w/pepperjack cheese and spicy mustard. It was yummy. A few fries on the side and an orange for dessert. I feel full.....and, a little something different, I don't feel like I need something sweet. Weird.

We went out with my in-laws for dinner last night to Qdoba Mexican Grill. It was OK. I prefer Chipotle, but it was fine. Both Hubs and Kid were less than thrilled with it.....and I ended up picking up buffalo wings around 9pm for a late night snack. They were thrilled with those. Of course.

I went shopping last night, which as we all know, is an exercise in ridiculous futility. I hate shopping. I'd love to shop, if I could find clothing I actually wanted to wear, as opposed to buying something because it mostly fits, it is reasonably work appropriate and its cheap. I'd rather (and would) spend $100 on something that looked great and that I really loved. However, I'm not there yet.

I've been horribly unfocused, and I also have not been doing my online reading or blogging like I should. I really need to start making myself more of a priority. Easier said than done.

"We come to this planet in a search for intellgent life. Oops! We made a mistake!"

2010-02-11T07:28:00.002-05:00

I got...well, not ALOT done....but some things done yesterday. Kid's room took up the better part of my day. I emptied his closet and Swiffered in there. I deodorized and vacuumed - twice - his carpet. Cleaned & reorganized his bookcase and toys. Ripped the bed apart and washed all the bedding and put new sheets & pillowcases on the bed, and scrubbed every available surface with Windex.

I ran to the co-op last night in search of Amazing Grass, but they don't carry it. I have to go across town if I want it.....or order the sample pack for $3 and have it delivered. I guess it depends on how impatient I am.

I made goulash (which is somewhere on this blog, but I'll repost the recipe anyway), taco meat and was going to make ham & bean soup w/cornbread when Kid finally (after 10 years) decided to taste the goulash and wanted that for supper. It's WW friendly (I used to follow Core, which I guess has changed names and basics in the interim) or at least I think so. Maybe I'm wrong.

I'm getting back to basics today. Gonna pack my lunch with a Pacific Rose apple (seriously THE BEST apple I've had in ages), a banana, some clementines, a sandwich (or goulash!) and maybe a yogurt. I do not get anywhere near the recommended serving of fruits & veggies.....so I'm gonna take a serious stab at it today. Plus....with all the house-bound-ness and general urge to snack, my weight has (again) taken on a life of it's own. Yipee.

Off to start the car and get Kid to school. Sad to say, I'm looking forward to getting back to my desk. I am lame.