Hello ladies! I'm sure that you're not going to be able to read this on Thanksgiving but when you get back to the Internet I thought you might like a blog to read...especially since I've been AWOL since last Friday. This was a really crappy week at work, we were short staffed and because of the way the work fell, I had a crazy busy week with a lot of work and the other girls had pretty smooth sailing all week. It's not their fault or mine it's just the way the dice fall sometimes. If I had blogged earlier in the week it would have been all bitching. Instead I wanted to wait and blog today when I would be in a better mood.
While doing an EKG on an older clinic patient (I believe he was 46 ish) I was able to have a very insightful conversation about Thanksgiving or lack thereof. I asked what his plans were for the Holiday and he was commenting on how people don't appreciate Thanksgiving for what it is. He felt that we, as a society, have very obviously shifted the meaning of Thanksgiving from a day to be truly thankful for the blessings we have in life to a day that is the start of the Christmas season. I had never really thought of it but I kind of have to agree. Almost every patient that I asked about their Thanksgiving plans (and I'm talking young, old and in between) talked only of the shopping that they were going to do on Friday. It made me a little sad to hear how people talked about the holiday. While I realize that I can't change the way that we as a culture view Thanksgiving, I could work on the way that I thought of the day. So, instead of talking about all of the negative things that I wanted to earlier this week, I am going to list the things I am most thankful for in life. Enjoy!
Having a job. There are days when I want to murder my co-workers and strangle small children but I have a good job at a great hospital and and learning so much and making fabulous connections!
Having a nice home. Even though it is way too far away from the people that I love, I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in at night.
Being me. There are days when I desperately want to look different or have more gumption. There are days when I want to be more outgoing and fun. However, I love being me and am truly thankful for the experiences I have had that have shaped the person I am today.
It might sound weird but I am so glad for technology. I can't imagine how much harder it would be to live so far away without cell phones, digital cameras, video recorders and the internet. Even if the use of said technology sometimes makes me cry it's a wonderful, wonderful thing.
My wonderful friends. I don't know that I could ever say enough about the people who are willingly a part of my life. I couldn't get through the days without knowing that there are people out there who choose to love me!
My fabulous family. I don't know how I could get through the days without knowing that there are people who will love me unconditionally. We don't have the same luxury of choosing our family like we do our friends. Regardless, I am truly blessed here.
Ok, I could go on and on with my list but I hit the big ones. Thank you ladies for being my friends and being there for me always! You're rock stars! I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving with lots of family, friends, good spirit and good food! Have a great weekend!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Whew...what a Friday!
Happy Saturday ladies! I know that my blog title is about Friday but I simply didn't get a chance to blog yesterday. What a crazy day yesterday! Let me tell you, if every Friday started with a 5 a.m. wake-up call announcing the arrival of a new little niece or nephew, it would be so much easier to get out of bed. Needless to say, I have a new niece! Brooklyn Marie was born yesterday morning @ 3:42 in Charles City. She is 9lb 6oz and measures in at 22 inches. She has what I would consider an above average head of black hair and is doing wonderfully. She is very long legged and has the chubbiest cheeks. I think she looks like an alien, because all new-born babies do, but she is going to be very beautiful in two weeks when I finally get to see her! I guess all of the other kids are very happy to see her. Hailee is especially elated that she has a pink baby, not a blue baby. She really wanted a little sister. I guess she told Grandma that when Brooklyn gets bigger, 'she's going to be just like me, but with black hair!' I can't wait to meet her ladies!!
While there was happy baby news on the home front, there was sad baby news on the work front. I mean, not really sad, Sheena and her baby are both doing alright, but Sheena's doctor called her yesterday and told her that her urine test showed elevated protein (stress to the kidneys)so yesterday was her last day. I was very sad because I really like Sheena and I'm going to miss her when she's gone on maternity. I'm glad that her doctor finally put her off, she's been struggling for a few weeks now but it was very sudden. On the plus side, it won't be long until we have another baby! You know, for someone who doesn't want any babies of her own, I sure do like babies!!!
Speaking of me liking babies and kids in general, I had a very interesting/uncomfortable conversation at work yesterday. So, the day was winding down and we were all in funny moods because of the baby craziness, when Ryan, one of the nurses in our cath lab came in. He's a good guy and we all get along with him really well. Anyway, he asked me if I was going to see Brooklyn this weekend and I told him no because she was in Iowa when he suddenly says, 'oh yeah, that reminds me that we were talking about you this weekend.' WHAT? I tend to get very uncomfortable when people start talking about me. So I asked him what was said to know if it was an innocent or scary we were talking about you. Apparently when he was hunting with his buddies Todd and Paul last week his friend asked if he knew any single girls at work. He said that everyone he worked with was married except for Staci and he wouldn't do that to his friend. I guess then they started talking about hunting in Iowa and all of the sudden Ryan was like, 'Oh shit. Nicole is single.' AHHHHH!!! So he told his friend about me and while he was apparently interested he needed to know if I liked kids or not as he has three. I was still trying to decide if I was OK with Ryan trying to hook me up with his buddy, when Julie's all, "She likes kids, just doesn't want any of her own." So Ryan gets all excited to tell his friend that I like kids. He starts telling me this guys life story and when he starts talking about the kids, he tells me that one of them is 14. At that point I told Ryan to put the brakes on....how old is this dude? I guess he's in his mid 30s, Ryan didn't know his exact age. I'm not opposed to seeing someone in his 30s but a 14 year old might be interesting. Anyway, I told Ryan the the idea of a blind date appalls me and if he's serious about me meeting his friend then he better come up with something that we can do in a group so that I can meet this guy before a date would even be considered. Of course at this point Julie jumps in and says that I was just talking about never having seen a hockey game and that would be the perfect set-up...why do I get the feeling my co-workers thing I need a man?!?!? Anyway, nothing was decided yesterday but Ryan was all 'we'll keep in touch!' Thanks.
OK, here are my concerns with this idea:
1) I am super private about my personal life. I don't reveal much to those outside of my close friends/family. If we should meet and it should progress, I don't know that I like the fact that one of my co-workers is buddies with the dude I'm seeing. I know guys talk to their friends about stuff, so do girls and I would never get upset by that but I just am really uncomfortable with the fact that Ryan might know things. However, I have no concern at all that he would ever say anything to anybody at work. I trust him to be discreet.
2) I'm afriad that my ego might get hurt. I don't know what Ryan told him about me specifically but I've found the most men are not neccessarily thrilled to find out that their blind date is a big girl. Now, if Ryan told him and he was cool with that it's not an issue. But how do I ask Ryan if he told the dude I was fat. AHHH!
I guess those are my only real concerns at the present. What are your thoughts ladies?!?!? I'm interested in your opinions.
OK, that's it for now. I have to get hopping to get all of my stuff done today. Have a great day and I'll chat with you later!
While there was happy baby news on the home front, there was sad baby news on the work front. I mean, not really sad, Sheena and her baby are both doing alright, but Sheena's doctor called her yesterday and told her that her urine test showed elevated protein (stress to the kidneys)so yesterday was her last day. I was very sad because I really like Sheena and I'm going to miss her when she's gone on maternity. I'm glad that her doctor finally put her off, she's been struggling for a few weeks now but it was very sudden. On the plus side, it won't be long until we have another baby! You know, for someone who doesn't want any babies of her own, I sure do like babies!!!
Speaking of me liking babies and kids in general, I had a very interesting/uncomfortable conversation at work yesterday. So, the day was winding down and we were all in funny moods because of the baby craziness, when Ryan, one of the nurses in our cath lab came in. He's a good guy and we all get along with him really well. Anyway, he asked me if I was going to see Brooklyn this weekend and I told him no because she was in Iowa when he suddenly says, 'oh yeah, that reminds me that we were talking about you this weekend.' WHAT? I tend to get very uncomfortable when people start talking about me. So I asked him what was said to know if it was an innocent or scary we were talking about you. Apparently when he was hunting with his buddies Todd and Paul last week his friend asked if he knew any single girls at work. He said that everyone he worked with was married except for Staci and he wouldn't do that to his friend. I guess then they started talking about hunting in Iowa and all of the sudden Ryan was like, 'Oh shit. Nicole is single.' AHHHHH!!! So he told his friend about me and while he was apparently interested he needed to know if I liked kids or not as he has three. I was still trying to decide if I was OK with Ryan trying to hook me up with his buddy, when Julie's all, "She likes kids, just doesn't want any of her own." So Ryan gets all excited to tell his friend that I like kids. He starts telling me this guys life story and when he starts talking about the kids, he tells me that one of them is 14. At that point I told Ryan to put the brakes on....how old is this dude? I guess he's in his mid 30s, Ryan didn't know his exact age. I'm not opposed to seeing someone in his 30s but a 14 year old might be interesting. Anyway, I told Ryan the the idea of a blind date appalls me and if he's serious about me meeting his friend then he better come up with something that we can do in a group so that I can meet this guy before a date would even be considered. Of course at this point Julie jumps in and says that I was just talking about never having seen a hockey game and that would be the perfect set-up...why do I get the feeling my co-workers thing I need a man?!?!? Anyway, nothing was decided yesterday but Ryan was all 'we'll keep in touch!' Thanks.
OK, here are my concerns with this idea:
1) I am super private about my personal life. I don't reveal much to those outside of my close friends/family. If we should meet and it should progress, I don't know that I like the fact that one of my co-workers is buddies with the dude I'm seeing. I know guys talk to their friends about stuff, so do girls and I would never get upset by that but I just am really uncomfortable with the fact that Ryan might know things. However, I have no concern at all that he would ever say anything to anybody at work. I trust him to be discreet.
2) I'm afriad that my ego might get hurt. I don't know what Ryan told him about me specifically but I've found the most men are not neccessarily thrilled to find out that their blind date is a big girl. Now, if Ryan told him and he was cool with that it's not an issue. But how do I ask Ryan if he told the dude I was fat. AHHH!
I guess those are my only real concerns at the present. What are your thoughts ladies?!?!? I'm interested in your opinions.
OK, that's it for now. I have to get hopping to get all of my stuff done today. Have a great day and I'll chat with you later!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Reading for Pleasure!
Hey Ladies-
So reading for pleasure rules. I'm currently reading about one book per week. I've been primarily reading Jodi Picoult material.
A few weeks ago I read her book "The Tenth Circle". It's about a teenage girl that is raped by her boyfriend and her boyfriend is murdered. It's very interesting because the father is a comic book creator in the story, so comic strips appear in the book. It wasn't my favorite book by her because the characters go up to Alaska so the story drags a little bit.
I also read her book titled "The Pact". A long-time couple are found after attempting to commit suicide together. The girl dies, the boy survives. This story actually held my attention well. The couple actually grew up next door to each other so the families are very close. The story takes a twist because the boyfriend is charged with homicide rather than considering the situation a double suicide attempt. The story behind the violence is quite interesting.
After reading a lot of her novels, I switched gears and read "The Neverending Story". It is one of my favorite childhood movies. I read the book when I was a teenager but never enjoyed it as much as the movie. The book has much more detail and the character names can get crazy. As an adult I was able to comprehend all parts of the book so it was an excellent read. There are two movies actually and the book combines "The Neverending Story" and "The Neverending Story II".
I'm currently reading Jodi Picoult's "Change of Heart". It's about a family that is devastated with murder. A handyman murders a little girl and her father (a policeman). The criminal displays eerie religious powers while in jail and people start to think he's Jesus. He gets a lawyer because he wants to be an organ donor after he's executed for his crime. He can't get lethal injection though if he is going to donate his heart. He wants to be hung. Here's the twist...the family that lost the little girl and father will be the family receiving the heart. The criminal wants the remaining child to receive his heart and surprisingly it's a perfect match and size (despite him being an adult). The remaining child has a heart problem that requires a heart transplant. They are currently in court battling over the right of him being an organ donor and not being executed with lethal injection.
Next on my list is the biography of Judy Garland. Wizard of Oz triggered that interest. Plus I've heard that her childhood was very messed up so that intrigues me too.
We should consider all reading the same book sometime and do a little book club thing....what do you think?
So reading for pleasure rules. I'm currently reading about one book per week. I've been primarily reading Jodi Picoult material.
A few weeks ago I read her book "The Tenth Circle". It's about a teenage girl that is raped by her boyfriend and her boyfriend is murdered. It's very interesting because the father is a comic book creator in the story, so comic strips appear in the book. It wasn't my favorite book by her because the characters go up to Alaska so the story drags a little bit.
I also read her book titled "The Pact". A long-time couple are found after attempting to commit suicide together. The girl dies, the boy survives. This story actually held my attention well. The couple actually grew up next door to each other so the families are very close. The story takes a twist because the boyfriend is charged with homicide rather than considering the situation a double suicide attempt. The story behind the violence is quite interesting.
After reading a lot of her novels, I switched gears and read "The Neverending Story". It is one of my favorite childhood movies. I read the book when I was a teenager but never enjoyed it as much as the movie. The book has much more detail and the character names can get crazy. As an adult I was able to comprehend all parts of the book so it was an excellent read. There are two movies actually and the book combines "The Neverending Story" and "The Neverending Story II".
I'm currently reading Jodi Picoult's "Change of Heart". It's about a family that is devastated with murder. A handyman murders a little girl and her father (a policeman). The criminal displays eerie religious powers while in jail and people start to think he's Jesus. He gets a lawyer because he wants to be an organ donor after he's executed for his crime. He can't get lethal injection though if he is going to donate his heart. He wants to be hung. Here's the twist...the family that lost the little girl and father will be the family receiving the heart. The criminal wants the remaining child to receive his heart and surprisingly it's a perfect match and size (despite him being an adult). The remaining child has a heart problem that requires a heart transplant. They are currently in court battling over the right of him being an organ donor and not being executed with lethal injection.
Next on my list is the biography of Judy Garland. Wizard of Oz triggered that interest. Plus I've heard that her childhood was very messed up so that intrigues me too.
We should consider all reading the same book sometime and do a little book club thing....what do you think?
Steps for Success Are Done....Finally!
I am going to finish the "steps for success" that I've been working on since...September!
16. Be a self-starter.
Hmm...how to relate this to weight loss? Well one way to look at it is to consider where the motivation needs to stem from. People may tell you that you need to drop some pounds but the source is more motivating when YOU decide to make a life change. Some people don't even listen to doctors when weight loss is suggested because adverse health affects haven't started. Often something needs to trigger you personally so you take a step in the right direction. It may be a pair of jeans that no longer fit as nicely. Perhaps your blood pressure has gone up. Maybe you can't fit your butt into amusement park rides as well anymore. I always have to include that last one because I want my butt to fit in roller coasters again!!!
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
This makes me immediately think about my diet habits. There have been all kinds of diet fads over the years. Don't eat any carbs. Don't eat white flour or sugar. Only eat meat and protein. Allocate points to all your food. Only eat pre-packaged food that is overpriced. There are all kind of options for getting your eating back on track. Not everything will work, we are very aware of that. All of those diet fads made me realize and accept the fact that you shouldn't restrict yourself from foods. Anything can be eaten as long as it's eaten with moderation.
Even exercise experimentation can play into this. Maybe you try an exercise class and decide it's not for you. Maybe you try another and find out that it rocks. There is a fantastic exercise program in Ames but it mainly utilizes kickboxing. It makes me worry because my hamstrings are injury prone. I obviously haven't made the decision to try it yet. I made a decisive decision to buy a treadmill because I knew that surface was best for preventing shin splints.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Good one!! Human beings love to blame others. I often use Gavin as a scapegoat. I often like to blame my job/workload. Heck some people just blame their genetics and tell themselves they can't do much about their weight. But you need to consider all your actions (or lack of action) because everything contributes to the wonderful caloric imbalance in our lives.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
I've already started to look back on my life and wonder what things would be like if I were thinner and more active. I regret that my summers aren't more fun because Gavin deserves to all kinds of fun stuff when school is out. I'm sure I'll do the same in my 30s or 40s if I don't make a significant change to my life. Plus the older I get, the more difficult it will be lose the weight.
I'm also chicken in regards to trying exercise classes through Ames Park and Recreation. I'd also like a consultation on weight lifting but I don't want to look like an idiot since I'm a Kinesiology major. I'm still considering Weight Watchers too (Yea, I know what you're thinking). But I hate returning to that place due to past failure. I don't they'd recognize me or anything. Out of previously attempted avenues, I did like Weight Watchers the most.
20. Take good care of those you love.
So if I'm not making good food and activity choices, what kind of example am I setting for Gavin? I need to make healthy meals not only for myself, but for him. He's approaching that dangerous age of adolescence and activity levels can decrease for kids at that age. I'd rather have home cooked food become a habit and a treat rather than eating out.
Instead of sitting at the computer or watching tv, we can go for a walk. In the winter, we can grab the sled and go sledding. There is a skating rink in Ames...why not take the lad ice skating? (My tailbone is cringing at that)
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.
So LeAnn, what do you think Mom truly thinks about our lifestyles? I wouldn't say she isn't proud of us since we are ever so accomplished but I bet she worries or has concern about our health. I want to make the changes for myself first of all but it would be nice to show my mom (and other family and friends) that I can make goals, stick to them, and meet those goals successfully.
Well those are all the steps to success provided by Jackson Brown, Jr. Most seem to be quite valid for our endeavors.
16. Be a self-starter.
Hmm...how to relate this to weight loss? Well one way to look at it is to consider where the motivation needs to stem from. People may tell you that you need to drop some pounds but the source is more motivating when YOU decide to make a life change. Some people don't even listen to doctors when weight loss is suggested because adverse health affects haven't started. Often something needs to trigger you personally so you take a step in the right direction. It may be a pair of jeans that no longer fit as nicely. Perhaps your blood pressure has gone up. Maybe you can't fit your butt into amusement park rides as well anymore. I always have to include that last one because I want my butt to fit in roller coasters again!!!
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
This makes me immediately think about my diet habits. There have been all kinds of diet fads over the years. Don't eat any carbs. Don't eat white flour or sugar. Only eat meat and protein. Allocate points to all your food. Only eat pre-packaged food that is overpriced. There are all kind of options for getting your eating back on track. Not everything will work, we are very aware of that. All of those diet fads made me realize and accept the fact that you shouldn't restrict yourself from foods. Anything can be eaten as long as it's eaten with moderation.
Even exercise experimentation can play into this. Maybe you try an exercise class and decide it's not for you. Maybe you try another and find out that it rocks. There is a fantastic exercise program in Ames but it mainly utilizes kickboxing. It makes me worry because my hamstrings are injury prone. I obviously haven't made the decision to try it yet. I made a decisive decision to buy a treadmill because I knew that surface was best for preventing shin splints.
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
Good one!! Human beings love to blame others. I often use Gavin as a scapegoat. I often like to blame my job/workload. Heck some people just blame their genetics and tell themselves they can't do much about their weight. But you need to consider all your actions (or lack of action) because everything contributes to the wonderful caloric imbalance in our lives.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
I've already started to look back on my life and wonder what things would be like if I were thinner and more active. I regret that my summers aren't more fun because Gavin deserves to all kinds of fun stuff when school is out. I'm sure I'll do the same in my 30s or 40s if I don't make a significant change to my life. Plus the older I get, the more difficult it will be lose the weight.
I'm also chicken in regards to trying exercise classes through Ames Park and Recreation. I'd also like a consultation on weight lifting but I don't want to look like an idiot since I'm a Kinesiology major. I'm still considering Weight Watchers too (Yea, I know what you're thinking). But I hate returning to that place due to past failure. I don't they'd recognize me or anything. Out of previously attempted avenues, I did like Weight Watchers the most.
20. Take good care of those you love.
So if I'm not making good food and activity choices, what kind of example am I setting for Gavin? I need to make healthy meals not only for myself, but for him. He's approaching that dangerous age of adolescence and activity levels can decrease for kids at that age. I'd rather have home cooked food become a habit and a treat rather than eating out.
Instead of sitting at the computer or watching tv, we can go for a walk. In the winter, we can grab the sled and go sledding. There is a skating rink in Ames...why not take the lad ice skating? (My tailbone is cringing at that)
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.
So LeAnn, what do you think Mom truly thinks about our lifestyles? I wouldn't say she isn't proud of us since we are ever so accomplished but I bet she worries or has concern about our health. I want to make the changes for myself first of all but it would be nice to show my mom (and other family and friends) that I can make goals, stick to them, and meet those goals successfully.
Well those are all the steps to success provided by Jackson Brown, Jr. Most seem to be quite valid for our endeavors.
Day 7...
well technically it's day 9 but I haven't had a chance to blog about day 7 yet. Day 7 is the first time I've stepped on the scale since I've gotten back in the swing of things...lost 1 pound. I do realize that this is well within the normal fluctuation point but I'm not going to worry about that. I was really pleased with how my last week went in regards to eating. I cooked at home and ate well. The only time I didn't cook was Friday night when I grabbed a pizza but I figure that by doing well all week I've earned the right to have a treat on Friday evening. I'm sticking to my not eating out this week and it hasn't really been difficult to do. I've planned my menus and made sure that I was making things that I would like to eat. I know that I've only been on track for about 7 days but I'm taking this 1 day at a time.
Last week was all about resetting my eating habits. This week I'm focusing on adding exercise back into the mix on a regular basis. In the past I've always tried to exercise 3'ish' days per week. I've realized though, that that's crap. The time length and intensity of the workouts makes it possible necessary to workout everyday. There is no reason that I can't take the time to do a 20 minute workout once every day. Right now I'm coming home, heading straight to my room and changing and coming out and working out. I'm trying to eliminate distractions. No phone calls, no checking my computer for messages...nothing! If I want to reach my goals, and I DO want to reach my goals, I need to really commit to making this happen. Again, it's only day 3 since I've added the exercise back in so I don't want to get all cocky but like I said, taking it 1 day at a time and I feel really great!
Alright, I Jenny's last post she talked about honesty and she made a really good point. If I can't be honest with myself and you, I can't be honest with anybody. So, here are some honest observations for you all.
-Like Jenny, I don't like the way I look. I've never had a real issue before but when I gained back the weight I lost I started to feel really bad about my appearance.
-I will never be comfortable dating at my current weight. I think about it sometimes and I just don't think I would ever think that the guy would be into me because of my weight. I know that I'm a catch but I can't get over my appearance. If I can't, how can I expect any man to?
-I started doing my Dance Workouts for Dummies video again and I'm whipped when I'm done with the 20 minute workout. The workouts are not that difficult. It's a sign that I need to get my butt in gear.
-I turn to food for too much. When I'm bored, sad, lonely, underwhelmed...basically I turn to it for companionship which is really, really bad. I'm not happy here but I can't use that as an excuse to eat myself to death. I need to find better ways to deal with my unhappiness.
OK...I think that's good for today. I actually need to go grab some lunch. Have a great day ladies!
Last week was all about resetting my eating habits. This week I'm focusing on adding exercise back into the mix on a regular basis. In the past I've always tried to exercise 3'ish' days per week. I've realized though, that that's crap. The time length and intensity of the workouts makes it possible necessary to workout everyday. There is no reason that I can't take the time to do a 20 minute workout once every day. Right now I'm coming home, heading straight to my room and changing and coming out and working out. I'm trying to eliminate distractions. No phone calls, no checking my computer for messages...nothing! If I want to reach my goals, and I DO want to reach my goals, I need to really commit to making this happen. Again, it's only day 3 since I've added the exercise back in so I don't want to get all cocky but like I said, taking it 1 day at a time and I feel really great!
Alright, I Jenny's last post she talked about honesty and she made a really good point. If I can't be honest with myself and you, I can't be honest with anybody. So, here are some honest observations for you all.
-Like Jenny, I don't like the way I look. I've never had a real issue before but when I gained back the weight I lost I started to feel really bad about my appearance.
-I will never be comfortable dating at my current weight. I think about it sometimes and I just don't think I would ever think that the guy would be into me because of my weight. I know that I'm a catch but I can't get over my appearance. If I can't, how can I expect any man to?
-I started doing my Dance Workouts for Dummies video again and I'm whipped when I'm done with the 20 minute workout. The workouts are not that difficult. It's a sign that I need to get my butt in gear.
-I turn to food for too much. When I'm bored, sad, lonely, underwhelmed...basically I turn to it for companionship which is really, really bad. I'm not happy here but I can't use that as an excuse to eat myself to death. I need to find better ways to deal with my unhappiness.
OK...I think that's good for today. I actually need to go grab some lunch. Have a great day ladies!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wow, I dropped the ball on this....
Hey Everyone! Happy Monday!
I am screwing up my sleep schedule further by working after midnight tonight. I am not quite tired enough to sleep yet so I wanted to blog and do some reflective thinking. I was reading some past entries and realized that I never finished commenting on the "21 Suggestions for Success" by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I made it to number 10 but then stopped blogging for awhile. Whoopsie!
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
Well this suggestion is quite easy to comment on. I think a human should always be striving to make improvements in his or her life. Even when we all lose our desired number of pounds and become regularly active, we'll still have something we want to improve. It's just the way human beings are but it's important to pick the right battles. One key word in this suggestion is "constant". We have good intentions and goals for our lifestyle changes but we can all agree that we are not sustaining or constantly working toward our improvements. We have to remember that when the going gets tough....we gotta keep going!!! Things personally get mentally difficult for me especially when I'm trying to make my lifestyle changes.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
I immediately think about my self-worth when I read this suggestion. I don't have the greatest self-esteem and therefore don't think I deserve certain things in life. Or sometimes I "punish" myself for not being my best self. Fact of the matter is, we deserve the best. We deserve a quality life, quality friends, quality significant others, quality support, etc. I also consider this suggestion when it comes to spending money in order to change my lifestyle. When I bought my treadmill (which is collecting dust), I had decided that I needed a quality exercise experience. I had thought that a quality experience would help me latch onto consistent exercise bouts. I've obviously struggled with this but I still have my quality equipment in my possession and I will return to using it regularly. The same pertains to spending a little more perhaps when shopping because you want quality ingredients. Other people want quality feedback or information when they use a dietitian or personal trainer.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
Oh so true!! I've realized this fact as I've gone through college and moved further into adulthood. I've sat back and reflected on my childhood/adolescence and really wondered what the hell I was thinking at times. I was often unhappy because of the type of clothing I had, the brand of stereo I was given, the kind of car I drove, etc. I personally think I was unhappy because I didn't realize what a great family and group of friends I had. I really took many people in my life for granted. I miss having a large circle of friends so close to me. I'm actually quite afraid for 2010 because more of my friends in Ames will be leaving. I also miss having my family closer but it also makes the time together during visits that much more fun and special. The realization that I have fantastic friends and family has actually helped me perk up when I've been really down about my weight, social life (dating), or other issues. It reminds me of a quote from "It's a Wonderful Life"...."No man is a failure that has friends."
14. Be loyal.
Be loyal to yourself and others. I tie this to the Golden Rule because you get what you give in life. I need to be loyal to myself and keep myself in check when it comes to monitoring goals and making progress. If I let myself cheat (even minimally), I'm not being loyal to myself or the weight loss process. A great challenge is to start the weight loss journey but an even greater part is sticking to it.
15. Be honest.
Honesty is the best policy. When it comes to my food choices, I really like to lie to myself. I tell myself that breaking one rule or ignoring my goals for a day won't hurt my overall weight loss very much. WRONG!! Sometimes I even think...my health isn't being affected THAT much so I'm okay with my weight. Am I deluded? I hate how I can be complacent about something as important as my health. Yes my health isn't horrible right now but that could easily change. Who knows how much additional weight could trigger more diabetic tendencies in me? Colon cancer runs rampant in my family...what is are my diet and exercise levels doing to combat that? I'm going to be honest with myself and list a few facts that will keep me realistic about my health.
--I do not like how I look right now. I appreciate that I can find nice looking clothes but I'm especially not happy with how shirts lie on my midsection.
--My lack of regular physical activity has caused me to get winded easier. It's embarrassing to walk up stairs and be breathing heavily, especially in a Kinesiology building.
--I'm becoming more and more indulgent with my food choices. When it comes to setting goals, I need to not visit Hyvee more than once a week. It's been ridiculous lately. The same goes for eating out of the house. I need to curb that bad habit too because it's bringing extra calories into my life (and Gavin's) and also throwing off my budget.
--I honestly don't think I can date and enjoy it until I've made progress with my lifestyle changes. I'm not happy with myself and it comes through my self-esteem.
--I honest to god think I have an addiction to food. I think about it way too much. I've been rewarding myself with it. I run to it when I have negative emotions. Sigh.
I strongly suggest you consider listing some facts that you can be honest about so you can push yourself on the right track. If you can't be honest with yourself, the desired changes won't happen and if they do, they won't be sustained. Pessimistic but true.
I will write about 16-21 in another blog this week. Have a good Monday!
I am screwing up my sleep schedule further by working after midnight tonight. I am not quite tired enough to sleep yet so I wanted to blog and do some reflective thinking. I was reading some past entries and realized that I never finished commenting on the "21 Suggestions for Success" by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I made it to number 10 but then stopped blogging for awhile. Whoopsie!
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
Well this suggestion is quite easy to comment on. I think a human should always be striving to make improvements in his or her life. Even when we all lose our desired number of pounds and become regularly active, we'll still have something we want to improve. It's just the way human beings are but it's important to pick the right battles. One key word in this suggestion is "constant". We have good intentions and goals for our lifestyle changes but we can all agree that we are not sustaining or constantly working toward our improvements. We have to remember that when the going gets tough....we gotta keep going!!! Things personally get mentally difficult for me especially when I'm trying to make my lifestyle changes.
12. Commit yourself to quality.
I immediately think about my self-worth when I read this suggestion. I don't have the greatest self-esteem and therefore don't think I deserve certain things in life. Or sometimes I "punish" myself for not being my best self. Fact of the matter is, we deserve the best. We deserve a quality life, quality friends, quality significant others, quality support, etc. I also consider this suggestion when it comes to spending money in order to change my lifestyle. When I bought my treadmill (which is collecting dust), I had decided that I needed a quality exercise experience. I had thought that a quality experience would help me latch onto consistent exercise bouts. I've obviously struggled with this but I still have my quality equipment in my possession and I will return to using it regularly. The same pertains to spending a little more perhaps when shopping because you want quality ingredients. Other people want quality feedback or information when they use a dietitian or personal trainer.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
Oh so true!! I've realized this fact as I've gone through college and moved further into adulthood. I've sat back and reflected on my childhood/adolescence and really wondered what the hell I was thinking at times. I was often unhappy because of the type of clothing I had, the brand of stereo I was given, the kind of car I drove, etc. I personally think I was unhappy because I didn't realize what a great family and group of friends I had. I really took many people in my life for granted. I miss having a large circle of friends so close to me. I'm actually quite afraid for 2010 because more of my friends in Ames will be leaving. I also miss having my family closer but it also makes the time together during visits that much more fun and special. The realization that I have fantastic friends and family has actually helped me perk up when I've been really down about my weight, social life (dating), or other issues. It reminds me of a quote from "It's a Wonderful Life"...."No man is a failure that has friends."
14. Be loyal.
Be loyal to yourself and others. I tie this to the Golden Rule because you get what you give in life. I need to be loyal to myself and keep myself in check when it comes to monitoring goals and making progress. If I let myself cheat (even minimally), I'm not being loyal to myself or the weight loss process. A great challenge is to start the weight loss journey but an even greater part is sticking to it.
15. Be honest.
Honesty is the best policy. When it comes to my food choices, I really like to lie to myself. I tell myself that breaking one rule or ignoring my goals for a day won't hurt my overall weight loss very much. WRONG!! Sometimes I even think...my health isn't being affected THAT much so I'm okay with my weight. Am I deluded? I hate how I can be complacent about something as important as my health. Yes my health isn't horrible right now but that could easily change. Who knows how much additional weight could trigger more diabetic tendencies in me? Colon cancer runs rampant in my family...what is are my diet and exercise levels doing to combat that? I'm going to be honest with myself and list a few facts that will keep me realistic about my health.
--I do not like how I look right now. I appreciate that I can find nice looking clothes but I'm especially not happy with how shirts lie on my midsection.
--My lack of regular physical activity has caused me to get winded easier. It's embarrassing to walk up stairs and be breathing heavily, especially in a Kinesiology building.
--I'm becoming more and more indulgent with my food choices. When it comes to setting goals, I need to not visit Hyvee more than once a week. It's been ridiculous lately. The same goes for eating out of the house. I need to curb that bad habit too because it's bringing extra calories into my life (and Gavin's) and also throwing off my budget.
--I honestly don't think I can date and enjoy it until I've made progress with my lifestyle changes. I'm not happy with myself and it comes through my self-esteem.
--I honest to god think I have an addiction to food. I think about it way too much. I've been rewarding myself with it. I run to it when I have negative emotions. Sigh.
I strongly suggest you consider listing some facts that you can be honest about so you can push yourself on the right track. If you can't be honest with yourself, the desired changes won't happen and if they do, they won't be sustained. Pessimistic but true.
I will write about 16-21 in another blog this week. Have a good Monday!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A good chuckle
Hey ladies...
I'm sorry but I laughed my ass off this so I had to share. Not even relevant to weight loss.
I'm sorry but I laughed my ass off this so I had to share. Not even relevant to weight loss.
Potentially great resource...
Happy Wednesday ladies! So, I was too speedy and got all of my morning and early day work completed by 11:00 today. This is good because it means that I'm being productive but it's bad because then I have nothing to do at work. Now, you might be asking yourself, "what does being bored at work have to do with our weight loss blog?" The answer, it gives me time to surf the net and stumble across new, fun websites!
Lately, I've been trying to keep track of my caloric intake. My ultimate goal is not to be a devoted calorie counter but to just have a better sense what's what in nutritional breakdown. Since I haven't been feeling well, I've been drinking a lot of tea and lemon water both of which I sugar, not heavily but calories are calories. I was trying to determine the caloric value of sugar when I stumbled across this website that I think could be a really great resource for someone who is trying to get an overall impression of his or her diet. If you're interested in tabulating your diet and exercise you should check out livestrong.com and create a daily plate.
I can count and you can count so getting daily caloric intake isn't that difficult or even time consuming. What's problematic is when you want further breakdown. It takes a lot of time and effort to manually calculate nutrient percentages and how many calories come from them. I've tried using online programs before, such as the Mypyramid application from the government and have hated all of them. My issues with these programs are always the same.
Problem 1: they are often times very restrictive from a food list stand point. I remember being so frustrated using Mypyramid for Dr. Franke's class because so many of the things that I ate weren't available so I had to fudge the facts. This is one of the first sites that I've ever used that has had everything that I've tried to enter. They even had the cough drops that I ate, which are 15 calories apiece if you're interested!! They also have extensive listings of restaurant foods so you can still track if you eat out.
Problem 2: None of the free programs ever incorporate exercise in with the diet. This program does. Not only can I track daily, weekly and monthly caloric intake and nutritional breakdown of my food, on the same page I can track daily exercise. Even better, my remaining caloric intake immediately changes to reflect calories burned in exercise.
Problem 3: Websites like this are not friendly for the home cook. I don't know that this site will be much better than the others. While I want a site like this to have everything, it's not going to happen. What I would really love is for a site like this to have a place where I can enter a recipe and then have it spit out the nutritional information for me. Short of that happening I guess we have to just breakdown dishes to the best of our abilities.
While there are things that I like about this website there are things that I don't like immediately and probably things that will come up as I use it more...let's face it, I've spent all of 1 hour exploring it at this point.
Things I don't like 1: it's slow. I don't know if it's the website or my Internet connection at work. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt right now.
Things I don't like 2: While I do like that it took my sex, age, height, weight, activity level and desired weight loss per week into consideration when calculating my daily calorie goal, I feel like they need to work on their formula. I realize that I'm a big girl and will drop pounds faster in the beginning than a skinny-minny however, there is NO WAY that I should be eating 3000 calories per day, which is what the calculator told me to eat if I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds/week. I had to set my goal at 3 pounds per week to get it near 2000 calories which is where I should be right now. As I start to lose that 2000 limit will come down but for now, 2000 is at a level where I will still lose if I stick to it. Because of my background I knew right away that the estimated caloric intake was much too high, I'm afraid that others who aren't as knowledgeable in this area will be lead astray.
Finally, there are a few things that I really do like about this website that I want to briefly point out.
Things I really like 1: there is an online journal. Not only can I track my calories and exercise, I can do any journaling that I like on the same page.
Things that I really like 2: the weight tracker that they use is a line graph, you enter the date and your weight and it makes the graph. I love a good line graph over time because it is usually very representative.
Things that I really like 3: this website seems very user friendly and I like user friendly technology!
Things I really like 4: there are a lot of breakdown over time options on this website not only for calories but also exercise. I like seeing graphs and representations because it makes something like time spent doing an activity so much more tangible.
OK, I'm going to stop now and go play around on the website some more because there is more to explore. I hope that you're having a great day ladies!!
Lately, I've been trying to keep track of my caloric intake. My ultimate goal is not to be a devoted calorie counter but to just have a better sense what's what in nutritional breakdown. Since I haven't been feeling well, I've been drinking a lot of tea and lemon water both of which I sugar, not heavily but calories are calories. I was trying to determine the caloric value of sugar when I stumbled across this website that I think could be a really great resource for someone who is trying to get an overall impression of his or her diet. If you're interested in tabulating your diet and exercise you should check out livestrong.com and create a daily plate.
I can count and you can count so getting daily caloric intake isn't that difficult or even time consuming. What's problematic is when you want further breakdown. It takes a lot of time and effort to manually calculate nutrient percentages and how many calories come from them. I've tried using online programs before, such as the Mypyramid application from the government and have hated all of them. My issues with these programs are always the same.
Problem 1: they are often times very restrictive from a food list stand point. I remember being so frustrated using Mypyramid for Dr. Franke's class because so many of the things that I ate weren't available so I had to fudge the facts. This is one of the first sites that I've ever used that has had everything that I've tried to enter. They even had the cough drops that I ate, which are 15 calories apiece if you're interested!! They also have extensive listings of restaurant foods so you can still track if you eat out.
Problem 2: None of the free programs ever incorporate exercise in with the diet. This program does. Not only can I track daily, weekly and monthly caloric intake and nutritional breakdown of my food, on the same page I can track daily exercise. Even better, my remaining caloric intake immediately changes to reflect calories burned in exercise.
Problem 3: Websites like this are not friendly for the home cook. I don't know that this site will be much better than the others. While I want a site like this to have everything, it's not going to happen. What I would really love is for a site like this to have a place where I can enter a recipe and then have it spit out the nutritional information for me. Short of that happening I guess we have to just breakdown dishes to the best of our abilities.
While there are things that I like about this website there are things that I don't like immediately and probably things that will come up as I use it more...let's face it, I've spent all of 1 hour exploring it at this point.
Things I don't like 1: it's slow. I don't know if it's the website or my Internet connection at work. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt right now.
Things I don't like 2: While I do like that it took my sex, age, height, weight, activity level and desired weight loss per week into consideration when calculating my daily calorie goal, I feel like they need to work on their formula. I realize that I'm a big girl and will drop pounds faster in the beginning than a skinny-minny however, there is NO WAY that I should be eating 3000 calories per day, which is what the calculator told me to eat if I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds/week. I had to set my goal at 3 pounds per week to get it near 2000 calories which is where I should be right now. As I start to lose that 2000 limit will come down but for now, 2000 is at a level where I will still lose if I stick to it. Because of my background I knew right away that the estimated caloric intake was much too high, I'm afraid that others who aren't as knowledgeable in this area will be lead astray.
Finally, there are a few things that I really do like about this website that I want to briefly point out.
Things I really like 1: there is an online journal. Not only can I track my calories and exercise, I can do any journaling that I like on the same page.
Things that I really like 2: the weight tracker that they use is a line graph, you enter the date and your weight and it makes the graph. I love a good line graph over time because it is usually very representative.
Things that I really like 3: this website seems very user friendly and I like user friendly technology!
Things I really like 4: there are a lot of breakdown over time options on this website not only for calories but also exercise. I like seeing graphs and representations because it makes something like time spent doing an activity so much more tangible.
OK, I'm going to stop now and go play around on the website some more because there is more to explore. I hope that you're having a great day ladies!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Day 1...
Happy Tuesday ladies. I hope that you're both having a nice start to your week. I would be having a much happier time if I could just shake this icky cough/congestion in my chest. I shouldn't complain because there are many who are much sicker than me but it's hard to be objective when you don't feel the greatest. And while all I really want to do is take a nap, I've decided to blog instead!
Confession time:
I finally stepped on the scale...ick! I haven't stepped on the scale in a while because when the needle isn't going the way I want it to, I'm less inclined to do so. It was bad. I am officially back at the weight I was when we started blogging last fall. This is not good. That means that those wonderful 25 pounds that I lost are all back...AHHH!!! OK, confession over.
Question: Why did my 25 pounds come back?
Answer: Because I have no discipline. That's it. It's the only reason that I gained the weight back.
Solution: WORK ON SELF-DISCIPLINE!!
Game-Plan: Keep plugging away 1 day at a time.
Today, for all intents and purposes is day 1 for me. Let's face it, I'm right back where I started so I need to treat this as the beginning again. Here are some of the things that I've started working on...again.
-NO pop. At this time I am not drinking it at all. I need to stop craving pop and the only way to stop the cravings is to completely cut it out.
-NO eating out. I've gotten back to making a menu, planning meals, paying attention to portions etc. This is becoming easier because I have no money to spend on eating out! I will save eating out for rare occasions!
-STOP night time snaking! This is a hard one for me. It's night, I get bored, I eat. I need to not use eating as a form of entertainment. I've put up some motivational reminders in the kitchen on the cupboard door and the fridge so that I am less tempted to snack inappropriately.
-GET my ass moving. You know, the last thing I want to do when I get home from a long day at work is do some more work. However, I have to. I need to get back into the habit of exercising most days of the week. I was doing really well for a while. It's dark when I get home now so walking outside isn't an option...I don't feel safe walking alone by myself in the dark. That means I either need to use the exercise facility at my apartment complex or use the treadmill here at work. I also need to work on flexibility. I've noticed that I'm getting really tight in my lower back and it's because I never work on flexibility anymore. I think I might start getting up 10 minutes earlier and stretch.
-START journaling again. I need to start keeping better tabs on what I'm doing. I haven't journaled since March...MARCH!! So, I broke out the journal last night and started writing again.
Alright, that's what I've got so far. Along with my game plan above, I've also asked a few more people to help keep my in check. My sister and I are going to start cooking together twice a week. One night I'll pick the recipe and one night she will. That way, we know we're eating in and it will help us incorporate more variety into our meal plans because we both cook very differently. My mom has also decided to help me too. She's going to call me a few times a week to just check in on progress. I figure she's knows better than anybody what we're going through. She's lost almost 100 pounds and has kept it off for years. She fluctuates but she always gets back down.
OK, my lunch is over in a few minutes so I should finish up. Good luck with your week ladies. Stay healthy!!
Confession time:
I finally stepped on the scale...ick! I haven't stepped on the scale in a while because when the needle isn't going the way I want it to, I'm less inclined to do so. It was bad. I am officially back at the weight I was when we started blogging last fall. This is not good. That means that those wonderful 25 pounds that I lost are all back...AHHH!!! OK, confession over.
Question: Why did my 25 pounds come back?
Answer: Because I have no discipline. That's it. It's the only reason that I gained the weight back.
Solution: WORK ON SELF-DISCIPLINE!!
Game-Plan: Keep plugging away 1 day at a time.
Today, for all intents and purposes is day 1 for me. Let's face it, I'm right back where I started so I need to treat this as the beginning again. Here are some of the things that I've started working on...again.
-NO pop. At this time I am not drinking it at all. I need to stop craving pop and the only way to stop the cravings is to completely cut it out.
-NO eating out. I've gotten back to making a menu, planning meals, paying attention to portions etc. This is becoming easier because I have no money to spend on eating out! I will save eating out for rare occasions!
-STOP night time snaking! This is a hard one for me. It's night, I get bored, I eat. I need to not use eating as a form of entertainment. I've put up some motivational reminders in the kitchen on the cupboard door and the fridge so that I am less tempted to snack inappropriately.
-GET my ass moving. You know, the last thing I want to do when I get home from a long day at work is do some more work. However, I have to. I need to get back into the habit of exercising most days of the week. I was doing really well for a while. It's dark when I get home now so walking outside isn't an option...I don't feel safe walking alone by myself in the dark. That means I either need to use the exercise facility at my apartment complex or use the treadmill here at work. I also need to work on flexibility. I've noticed that I'm getting really tight in my lower back and it's because I never work on flexibility anymore. I think I might start getting up 10 minutes earlier and stretch.
-START journaling again. I need to start keeping better tabs on what I'm doing. I haven't journaled since March...MARCH!! So, I broke out the journal last night and started writing again.
Alright, that's what I've got so far. Along with my game plan above, I've also asked a few more people to help keep my in check. My sister and I are going to start cooking together twice a week. One night I'll pick the recipe and one night she will. That way, we know we're eating in and it will help us incorporate more variety into our meal plans because we both cook very differently. My mom has also decided to help me too. She's going to call me a few times a week to just check in on progress. I figure she's knows better than anybody what we're going through. She's lost almost 100 pounds and has kept it off for years. She fluctuates but she always gets back down.
OK, my lunch is over in a few minutes so I should finish up. Good luck with your week ladies. Stay healthy!!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
A Day of Femininity
Hey Ladies-
Well yesterday was my day off. I did go into work for a small period of time (kind of pissed that I even went to my office). Gavin wanted to play with a professor's son but they barely played. I could have stayed home and gotten more done I think.
We slept in and I did some cleaning here at the building since it's my duty to keep the hallways clean. It's been more difficult since people are constantly tracking in leaves. Gavin is helping a little more with the cleaning because he's trying to save up some money. I did the majority of the cleaning this morning...gotta love hauling a heavy industrial vacuum up and down stairs.
Gavin and I got our hair cuts yesterday at the beauty school here in Ames. I wanted a little more length cut off. Now when my hair gets just a little bit longer I find it annoying. I cannot believe I had it down to my shoulders last year. I got ambitious and also had them wax my eyebrows and upper lip. The upper lip situation in my family (primarily my Mom's side of the family) scares me to death. The only person that should be working on a mustache in this household is Gavin. I am really pleased with my eyebrows. I have a hard time tweezing the outsides of my eyebrows so they've always been thicker than desired. They really shaped them up nice and it didn't hurt horribly. The upper lip waxing was more painful but I expected that. It was tolerable though but I was rather red for an hour or so.
I also treated myself to an hour massage with my friend Leah. She's been my massage therapist for years. Michael would treat me to them about once a month when he was alive but after he passed away my visits to her became very infrequent. I considered my massage yesterday to be my "birthday massage". Her prices have gone up this year so it will take me even longer now to save up for the next one. She's got magic hands though. I realized yesterday that I had a huge knot in my right hamstring and she worked it out in no time. Stupid hamstrings. I'd curse them but they're pretty important for walking so I better be nice.
Gavin and I ran to the mall too. He wanted to look at the video games at Game Stop. Oh by the way, he didn't have school yesterday or Thursday. I wasn't letting him play hooky. My only intention at the mall was to get my watch batteries replaced and to look around the Hallmark Store. Both of my watches had their batteries conk out days apart from each other and I've been going nuts not having a watch on my wrist. Some things at the Hallmark store were very alluring too. They have a musical Christmas decoration thingy (Peanuts theme) on sale when you buy Hallmark cards. They have a different one every year....usually snowmen singing, etc. This year they have Snoopy playing a piano with Woodstock sitting on the piano. I love Charlie Brown stuff but I passed it up. I then found stuffed Peanuts characters that played music or recited verses from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. They had Linus!! He's my favorite character. The stupid thing cost $13 so I put it back too.
We parked by JC Penney so we had to cut through it when entering and exiting the mall. On the way in, I noticed that a ton of purses were on sale. One section caught my eye. It was the Nicole Miller purses and they are a larger style. I'm pretty sure it's the colors that caught my eye because most of them were pretty non-traditional. All of them appealed to me actually because the blue was pretty, the mustard-colored yellow looked cool, and the orange was eye-catching. I ended up buying myself a purse too and went with the orange one. Technically it's apricot in color but it looks orange. I still don't love large purses but now I can carry my coupon book with me and I think my large digital camera can fit too.
We are trying to clean and perhaps hang some more things on the wall in the apartment today before our "game night" at 6pm. I have so many things I want to get done and I'm quite unorganized so far. At least the hallways are clean in the building. Happy Saturday!
Well yesterday was my day off. I did go into work for a small period of time (kind of pissed that I even went to my office). Gavin wanted to play with a professor's son but they barely played. I could have stayed home and gotten more done I think.
We slept in and I did some cleaning here at the building since it's my duty to keep the hallways clean. It's been more difficult since people are constantly tracking in leaves. Gavin is helping a little more with the cleaning because he's trying to save up some money. I did the majority of the cleaning this morning...gotta love hauling a heavy industrial vacuum up and down stairs.
Gavin and I got our hair cuts yesterday at the beauty school here in Ames. I wanted a little more length cut off. Now when my hair gets just a little bit longer I find it annoying. I cannot believe I had it down to my shoulders last year. I got ambitious and also had them wax my eyebrows and upper lip. The upper lip situation in my family (primarily my Mom's side of the family) scares me to death. The only person that should be working on a mustache in this household is Gavin. I am really pleased with my eyebrows. I have a hard time tweezing the outsides of my eyebrows so they've always been thicker than desired. They really shaped them up nice and it didn't hurt horribly. The upper lip waxing was more painful but I expected that. It was tolerable though but I was rather red for an hour or so.
I also treated myself to an hour massage with my friend Leah. She's been my massage therapist for years. Michael would treat me to them about once a month when he was alive but after he passed away my visits to her became very infrequent. I considered my massage yesterday to be my "birthday massage". Her prices have gone up this year so it will take me even longer now to save up for the next one. She's got magic hands though. I realized yesterday that I had a huge knot in my right hamstring and she worked it out in no time. Stupid hamstrings. I'd curse them but they're pretty important for walking so I better be nice.
Gavin and I ran to the mall too. He wanted to look at the video games at Game Stop. Oh by the way, he didn't have school yesterday or Thursday. I wasn't letting him play hooky. My only intention at the mall was to get my watch batteries replaced and to look around the Hallmark Store. Both of my watches had their batteries conk out days apart from each other and I've been going nuts not having a watch on my wrist. Some things at the Hallmark store were very alluring too. They have a musical Christmas decoration thingy (Peanuts theme) on sale when you buy Hallmark cards. They have a different one every year....usually snowmen singing, etc. This year they have Snoopy playing a piano with Woodstock sitting on the piano. I love Charlie Brown stuff but I passed it up. I then found stuffed Peanuts characters that played music or recited verses from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. They had Linus!! He's my favorite character. The stupid thing cost $13 so I put it back too.
We parked by JC Penney so we had to cut through it when entering and exiting the mall. On the way in, I noticed that a ton of purses were on sale. One section caught my eye. It was the Nicole Miller purses and they are a larger style. I'm pretty sure it's the colors that caught my eye because most of them were pretty non-traditional. All of them appealed to me actually because the blue was pretty, the mustard-colored yellow looked cool, and the orange was eye-catching. I ended up buying myself a purse too and went with the orange one. Technically it's apricot in color but it looks orange. I still don't love large purses but now I can carry my coupon book with me and I think my large digital camera can fit too.
We are trying to clean and perhaps hang some more things on the wall in the apartment today before our "game night" at 6pm. I have so many things I want to get done and I'm quite unorganized so far. At least the hallways are clean in the building. Happy Saturday!
Jingle-bell Rock...
I know that this is an odd title considering that we just celebrated Halloween and I feel strongly about not celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving but I just got quite a shock. So, my downstairs neighbor, you know...the 20 something Marines vet who listens to hard rock and rap all of the time??? I think I've mentioned him before with his smoke wafting up to my place. Anyway, our apartments are not terribly sound-proof and when we play music a little loud I can hear his and I'm sure he can hear mine. I woke up around 6:20 this morning but wouldn't let myself get out of bed. I was just thinking that falling back to sleep would be impossible (at 7:00) when all of the sudden I heard some seriously loud Christmas music coming from the apartment below me. He was not only listening to Christmas music but he was pulling out some of the classics. The first song was none other than Bing Crosby...BING! I love it! I didn't know that anybody else in my age category listened to Bing (I have his holiday album and it's amazing)! Needless to say once Jingle-bell Rock came on I was a goner and had to get up. I thought I was the only person who liked listening to Christmas music this early...apparently my neighbor shares my affinity for the holiday stuff (which is good as that is ALL I listen to from thanksgiving to Christmas)!
Anyway, I didn't really know much more today. I'm anxious to read Jenny's blog when she get's it up and will probably have some real blogging to do tomorrow. I just wanted to share my early morning surprise with you! Have a great day ladies!
Anyway, I didn't really know much more today. I'm anxious to read Jenny's blog when she get's it up and will probably have some real blogging to do tomorrow. I just wanted to share my early morning surprise with you! Have a great day ladies!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Yum...
I don't know how you feel about applesauce but I really enjoy it. Now, I wouldn't consider myself an applesauce aficionado or anything, however, I do have very particular ideas about what applesauce should be. If it's homemade, I love it to be sweet with lots of cinnamon and spice and it should be warm and a little chunky. If it's store bought, I won't buy anything that has added sugar...I just don't like the sweetness in this style. Anyway, Mott makes the most wonderful no sugar added individual cups in a variety of flavors. Blueberry used to be my favorite but it might have a little competition. At a recent sojourn to the grocery store, I stumbled across the new cran-raspberry applesauce and it is very tastey! I especially like the little cups because they are a good for me and easy to bring snack to work. I always love finding new things that are yummy and healthy!
Besides finding my new applesuace things have been pretty slow this week. I have been eating in and am very excited that soup and casserole season is upon us once again. I love this time of year because some of my favoite foods are so weather approptiate. I think I might make some homemade chicken and noodles this weekend! On the down side my mamma is not feeling well. I finally convinced her to go to the ER on Tuesday night. She had been running a high grade fever for 3 days even though she had been taking meds for it (it was 104 when I talked to her), chills, body aches etc. They told her that she doesn't have H1N1 but that she has atypical pneumonia which means that she has everything but the coughing. They put her through 1 round of IV antibiotics and the hooked her up to some IV fluids (she wasn't drinking and got super dehydrated). They sent her home with some oral meds and she's feeling a little bit better...whew! I was tempted to go home and make some chicken soup for her :)
Alright, I don't have much more to report. I hope all is well and thay you're staying healthy! Take care and drink lots of fluids even if you aren't sick! Hydration is a key to staying healthy!!
Besides finding my new applesuace things have been pretty slow this week. I have been eating in and am very excited that soup and casserole season is upon us once again. I love this time of year because some of my favoite foods are so weather approptiate. I think I might make some homemade chicken and noodles this weekend! On the down side my mamma is not feeling well. I finally convinced her to go to the ER on Tuesday night. She had been running a high grade fever for 3 days even though she had been taking meds for it (it was 104 when I talked to her), chills, body aches etc. They told her that she doesn't have H1N1 but that she has atypical pneumonia which means that she has everything but the coughing. They put her through 1 round of IV antibiotics and the hooked her up to some IV fluids (she wasn't drinking and got super dehydrated). They sent her home with some oral meds and she's feeling a little bit better...whew! I was tempted to go home and make some chicken soup for her :)
Alright, I don't have much more to report. I hope all is well and thay you're staying healthy! Take care and drink lots of fluids even if you aren't sick! Hydration is a key to staying healthy!!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Happy Tuesday!
Ladies, I would first like to start off by apologizing to you for being a blog slacker. I do realize that I haven't written anything in 2 weeks and that's just not right! Assuming that you forgive me, and you're such lovely ladies I can't imagine that you wouldn't I shall continue my blogging today!
I'm sad to see October go. I love October so very much but this year it didn't even feel like we had one. There were rarely any days of perfect October weather, you know what I'm talking about..cool, sunny, crisp and amazing. Instead we got a whole heaping dose of wet, dreary and dismal. Oh well, we've had a few really nice days lately so maybe November will be the October I wanted!!
Things have been going well lately. For some reason, and while I don't know where it came from I refuse to question it, I have had a lot of inspiration towards the cause as of late. I've been doing a lot of cooking at home, menu planning and good eating. I'm like Jenny though, I've got to get the salt cravings under control. I can handle sweets but the salt cravings are very hard to control some times. I've found though, that instead of looking towards things like chips and other salty foods when I'm having these cravings that I can substitute fresh veggies. I really like sliced cucumbers with salt on them. I know that the salt decreases the healthfulness but I figure if I'm craving salt would I rather it be on some fresh veggies or some fried chips. I'm really working to find ways to include the things I enjoy in my diet but keep everything on the healthier side of the line. I know that this is the only way for me to have success.
Ladies, I must admit one serious issue. My battle against pop is not going so well. Last year I went for 2 months without any pop, now I'm lucky if I can go 2 days. I need to get to a point where I simply don't allow myself to buy it. I don't know why this is so hard but has been a big struggle. As of right now that is my primary concern. I need to stop with the pop.
Alright, I know that this hasn't been the most enthralling blog that I've ever written but I need to get back to work so I'll have to amaze and inspire you with a blog later this week! Stay strong and good luck getting back into the swing of things ladies...we can do this is we just stick together!!
I'm sad to see October go. I love October so very much but this year it didn't even feel like we had one. There were rarely any days of perfect October weather, you know what I'm talking about..cool, sunny, crisp and amazing. Instead we got a whole heaping dose of wet, dreary and dismal. Oh well, we've had a few really nice days lately so maybe November will be the October I wanted!!
Things have been going well lately. For some reason, and while I don't know where it came from I refuse to question it, I have had a lot of inspiration towards the cause as of late. I've been doing a lot of cooking at home, menu planning and good eating. I'm like Jenny though, I've got to get the salt cravings under control. I can handle sweets but the salt cravings are very hard to control some times. I've found though, that instead of looking towards things like chips and other salty foods when I'm having these cravings that I can substitute fresh veggies. I really like sliced cucumbers with salt on them. I know that the salt decreases the healthfulness but I figure if I'm craving salt would I rather it be on some fresh veggies or some fried chips. I'm really working to find ways to include the things I enjoy in my diet but keep everything on the healthier side of the line. I know that this is the only way for me to have success.
Ladies, I must admit one serious issue. My battle against pop is not going so well. Last year I went for 2 months without any pop, now I'm lucky if I can go 2 days. I need to get to a point where I simply don't allow myself to buy it. I don't know why this is so hard but has been a big struggle. As of right now that is my primary concern. I need to stop with the pop.
Alright, I know that this hasn't been the most enthralling blog that I've ever written but I need to get back to work so I'll have to amaze and inspire you with a blog later this week! Stay strong and good luck getting back into the swing of things ladies...we can do this is we just stick together!!
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