Hey everyone:
I'm trying to get settled and go to bed early (umm it's already 11:45pm) so I thought I'd sit and write a blog entry. I'll start with the good news first. I'm feeling better! I've had a couple "normal" days so the week has started off nicely for me. I'm not sure if I jinxed anything but I went ahead and got my flu shot. ISU employees get them for free for a period of time and that period of time ends on Friday. Since I won't be in town on Friday, today was the best day for me. My arm isn't even sore so I'm hoping that stays the same when I wake up in the morning.
Gavin and I will be traveling to Waukon on Friday for my aunt's funeral. They are actually calling it a "celebration of life". Gavin is being very understanding about the situation since it will cancel out his trick-or-treating in Ames. Fortunately he'll have an opportunity on Saturday in Ankeny. He's going to be a Steelers football player. He's either going to wear my jersey or one that we have in his toy box that is adult sized. We're still brainstorming how to bulk him up. It's a strong possibility that I'll be duct taping a pillow around him and maybe some towels for his upper arms so he fills out the jersey and looks buff. I was hoping Waukon would have trick-or-treating on Friday night but no such luck. We haven't created our jack-o-lanterns yet either. Anyone have any super duper pumpkin seed recipes? Someone on Facebook made cinnamon pumpkin seeds. I've never heard of that flavor. We always had seeds made with butter and salty seasonings.
I caved in tonight and the heat is running in my apartment. I'm really hoping the wind dies down as I'm scheduled to have class outside tomorrow. Supposedly there were flurries up by Mason City tonight and ice pellets down by Ankeny. I'm not ready for anything but rain to fall from the sky yet. Snow, ice, sleet, etc all need to wait until after Thanksgiving.
That's all I have for now!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
OK, I promise I'll stop posting after this...
I don't know if you've heard about the show Mike and Molly. It's a new comedy on CBS about two overweight individuals who meet at an over eaters anonymous meeting. I watched an episode and it was a bit rough (but what show isn't rough in its first few episodes) but it was interesting and I adore Melissa McCarthy, she played Sookie in Gilmore Girls. Anyway, I haven't been able to catch it since I saw that one episode but a friend of mine posted something on FB yesterday that I found interesting. It was an article about the show and it was very unkind, not only to the actors who portray Mike and Molly but to men and women everywhere who are overweight. I've linked the article below.
Anyway, in response to this article Nicole made a post on her blog that I wanted to share with you. If you have time I would recommend not only reading the Marie Claire article but also Nicole's post.
Marie Claire article:
Nicole's post:
Anyway, in response to this article Nicole made a post on her blog that I wanted to share with you. If you have time I would recommend not only reading the Marie Claire article but also Nicole's post.
Marie Claire article:
Nicole's post:
Recipe: the monster who ate New York
This recipe will make 8 servings of about 355 calories each (not too shabby!)
Ingredients:
2 tbs. canola oil
1-2 c. sliced white mushrooms
1 lb. lean ground turkey or 93% lean ground beef
2 cans tomato soup
2 cans cut green beans
about 5 cups of mashed potatoes**
2/3 c. 2% milk fat shredded cheese (any variety will work)
1/3 c. reduced fat sour scream (or you could use a chip dip if want a little more flavor).
heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Turn heat to medium and add the meat. Cook until browned. Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix in the 2 cans of green beans and then the 2 cans of soup. Pour into and evenly spread across bottom of sprayed 9x13 cake pan.
Mix mashed potatoes (made as directed if you used instant), cheese and sour cream. Even spread over green bean/meat mixture. Bake in oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.
**I usually cheat and use the Betty Crocker Home style creamy butter instant potatoes). 2 pouches is perfect for a 9x13 casserole. They're 80 calories per serving and very tasty. Not to mention all you have to add is water.
Ingredients:
2 tbs. canola oil
1-2 c. sliced white mushrooms
1 lb. lean ground turkey or 93% lean ground beef
2 cans tomato soup
2 cans cut green beans
about 5 cups of mashed potatoes**
2/3 c. 2% milk fat shredded cheese (any variety will work)
1/3 c. reduced fat sour scream (or you could use a chip dip if want a little more flavor).
heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Turn heat to medium and add the meat. Cook until browned. Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix in the 2 cans of green beans and then the 2 cans of soup. Pour into and evenly spread across bottom of sprayed 9x13 cake pan.
Mix mashed potatoes (made as directed if you used instant), cheese and sour cream. Even spread over green bean/meat mixture. Bake in oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until top is lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes and serve.
**I usually cheat and use the Betty Crocker Home style creamy butter instant potatoes). 2 pouches is perfect for a 9x13 casserole. They're 80 calories per serving and very tasty. Not to mention all you have to add is water.
20 pounds and 'the monster who ate New York'
Happy Wednesday all. I haven't had a chance to blog in a while because I've been busy at work (yay) and just haven't been able to find the time to do so at home. Things have been going pretty well here in Michigan. I won't pretend that the roller coaster weather hasn't been just a teensy bit annoying, it's wreaking havoc on my thermoregulation, but if that's my major complaint in life right now things are good.
I had a great weekend. Saturday was the Young ICD (internal cardioverter defibrillator...they're the ones that shock people when they need it)Conference and it was a rocking good time as always. This is the 2nd year I've volunteered and it really is a lot of fun. The department basically rents out the entire event center at the Marriott and they have food, speakers, entertainment, therapaws etc. It is literally a full day devoted to young men and women, along with their friends and families, to hang out with people who have gone through the same thing that they have. After my shift was over, I went out to lunch with a group of women from work to celebrate my birthday. I had an amazing burger and fries and washed it down with pumpkin ice cream (which was divine)! I felt kind of bad about eating so poorly, especially considering the fact that I missed my Saturday morning workout because I was at the conference. However, when I stepped on the scale Sunday morning (very nervously I might add) I was pleasantly surprised. I have hit the 20 pound mark!!
I'm surprised with how quickly it has come off but when I think about what I've been doing it makes sense. Other than for my birthday I haven't eaten out since Labor Day weekend and I don't drink hardly any pop these days. I bought a 12 pack of ginger ale back at the end of September and I still have 6 or 7 cans left in the fridge. I know I don't always eat the best homemade foods ( I somehow doubt tater tot casserole will ever make the list of health foods) but it's still better than eating out and everything is OK in moderation. I have also been really faithful to my exercise schedule. I try and do something most days of the week. I will alternate between in-home cardio and resistance training during the week and then Saturday mornings I hit up the mini-gym at my apartment and get in a really good workout there. I'm definitely able to get in a much better cardio workout there than home. It's just impossible to get in there after work. There are 2 treadmills and they are always being used. I honestly think when I'm done making my crazy student loan payments in May I'm going to get a pass to a real fitness facility, if I could swing it financially now I would it's just no feasible. I have a co-worker who joined the Y and they have a lot of class options which I like. We'll just have to see.
Finally, I was talking to Tasha last week and she was unpacking her groceries. She was telling me all about the good deals she got at the store and then told me her dinner plans for the week. I was totally surprised and thrilled when she told me she was making 'the monster who ate New York' for the kids. Now, I realize that we are probably the only people who have a dinner that is called 'the monster who ate New York' and that saddens me greatly because it is so amazing. People always ask where the name came from. Honestly, I can't tell you. My first memory of eating this dish is back when my parents were married and we were living in Sumner (which was before I started school). Imagine Shepherd's pie and tator tot casserole mating and having a baby. That baby would be 'the monster who ate New York.' I'll post the recipe and you'll have to give it a try. I highly recommend it! Anyway, as I was describing this dish to the girls at work they were all flummoxed when I compared it to tator tot casserole. Not a single person that I work with has ever heard of tator tot casserole...how is that even possible?!?!? Don't get me wrong, I realize that there are foods that tend to be region specific but I didn't think Michigan was so far removed from Iowa that they wouldn't know what tator tot casserole was. Anyway, Julie made it and loved it...I have one convert! Sheena was looking up recipes the other day so I think there might be another convert on the way. Maybe this is why I was supposed to be in Michigan. Maybe my whole purpose was to share the joys of tator tot casserole with the Michiganders (yes, that's what they call themselves).
OK, I should wrap up. I'll add another post with the casserole recipe. Have a great day and rest of the week!
I had a great weekend. Saturday was the Young ICD (internal cardioverter defibrillator...they're the ones that shock people when they need it)Conference and it was a rocking good time as always. This is the 2nd year I've volunteered and it really is a lot of fun. The department basically rents out the entire event center at the Marriott and they have food, speakers, entertainment, therapaws etc. It is literally a full day devoted to young men and women, along with their friends and families, to hang out with people who have gone through the same thing that they have. After my shift was over, I went out to lunch with a group of women from work to celebrate my birthday. I had an amazing burger and fries and washed it down with pumpkin ice cream (which was divine)! I felt kind of bad about eating so poorly, especially considering the fact that I missed my Saturday morning workout because I was at the conference. However, when I stepped on the scale Sunday morning (very nervously I might add) I was pleasantly surprised. I have hit the 20 pound mark!!
I'm surprised with how quickly it has come off but when I think about what I've been doing it makes sense. Other than for my birthday I haven't eaten out since Labor Day weekend and I don't drink hardly any pop these days. I bought a 12 pack of ginger ale back at the end of September and I still have 6 or 7 cans left in the fridge. I know I don't always eat the best homemade foods ( I somehow doubt tater tot casserole will ever make the list of health foods) but it's still better than eating out and everything is OK in moderation. I have also been really faithful to my exercise schedule. I try and do something most days of the week. I will alternate between in-home cardio and resistance training during the week and then Saturday mornings I hit up the mini-gym at my apartment and get in a really good workout there. I'm definitely able to get in a much better cardio workout there than home. It's just impossible to get in there after work. There are 2 treadmills and they are always being used. I honestly think when I'm done making my crazy student loan payments in May I'm going to get a pass to a real fitness facility, if I could swing it financially now I would it's just no feasible. I have a co-worker who joined the Y and they have a lot of class options which I like. We'll just have to see.
Finally, I was talking to Tasha last week and she was unpacking her groceries. She was telling me all about the good deals she got at the store and then told me her dinner plans for the week. I was totally surprised and thrilled when she told me she was making 'the monster who ate New York' for the kids. Now, I realize that we are probably the only people who have a dinner that is called 'the monster who ate New York' and that saddens me greatly because it is so amazing. People always ask where the name came from. Honestly, I can't tell you. My first memory of eating this dish is back when my parents were married and we were living in Sumner (which was before I started school). Imagine Shepherd's pie and tator tot casserole mating and having a baby. That baby would be 'the monster who ate New York.' I'll post the recipe and you'll have to give it a try. I highly recommend it! Anyway, as I was describing this dish to the girls at work they were all flummoxed when I compared it to tator tot casserole. Not a single person that I work with has ever heard of tator tot casserole...how is that even possible?!?!? Don't get me wrong, I realize that there are foods that tend to be region specific but I didn't think Michigan was so far removed from Iowa that they wouldn't know what tator tot casserole was. Anyway, Julie made it and loved it...I have one convert! Sheena was looking up recipes the other day so I think there might be another convert on the way. Maybe this is why I was supposed to be in Michigan. Maybe my whole purpose was to share the joys of tator tot casserole with the Michiganders (yes, that's what they call themselves).
OK, I should wrap up. I'll add another post with the casserole recipe. Have a great day and rest of the week!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
28 and counting!
Well, it's official...I'm 28. I've been getting stumped the last few days when people at work ask me how old I am. I've had to resort to doing math to make sure that I was 27 going on 28 as opposed to 26 going on 27. Anyway, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that 28 is how old I am (despite my unsettling desire to type 29...let's not rush things)! I know that as I approach the awful 3-0! getting older should freak me out but I always like getting older. I'm like good wine, I get better with age!
As a whole, I enjoyed my 27th year. While there were moments of heartache and tragedy there were also a lot of wonderful moments filled with love and happiness. I will never forget the look on my mom's face when I surprised her on New Years Eve. It's priceless and I will treasure that moment forever. I will never forget welcoming Brooklyn into our family and I will always love the day that Dean married Alecia and she became part of our crazy family. I will always remember my 27th year as the year that my sister met the love of her life and he decided to become part of our family as well. And, while it's not a happy moment, I will remember forever holding my mom's hand as she left this world and joined those we've lost before. In all of my years past and ahead I don't know how a moment could ever be more tender or filled with more love than that moment was.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting off a wonderful 28th year. I hope that there is even more happiness and love than 27. I have some goals for the next year regarding my life and I hope to see them pan out. It's a fresh start and I'm really excited to see what unfolds!
As a whole, I enjoyed my 27th year. While there were moments of heartache and tragedy there were also a lot of wonderful moments filled with love and happiness. I will never forget the look on my mom's face when I surprised her on New Years Eve. It's priceless and I will treasure that moment forever. I will never forget welcoming Brooklyn into our family and I will always love the day that Dean married Alecia and she became part of our crazy family. I will always remember my 27th year as the year that my sister met the love of her life and he decided to become part of our family as well. And, while it's not a happy moment, I will remember forever holding my mom's hand as she left this world and joined those we've lost before. In all of my years past and ahead I don't know how a moment could ever be more tender or filled with more love than that moment was.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting off a wonderful 28th year. I hope that there is even more happiness and love than 27. I have some goals for the next year regarding my life and I hope to see them pan out. It's a fresh start and I'm really excited to see what unfolds!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Update on Health
Hey everyone:
I went to the doctor this morning...sadly my regular doctor is out of town so I saw a different one with an open appointment. I didn't want to wait until Thursday to see my usual female doctor. Unfortunately I didn't learn much today. The doctor was not interested in hearing about my fibromyalgia theory. He was certain I have mono or something viral. Mind you, I don't want to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia but it disappointed me that he wouldn't listen to me. My pain was much less today except in my knees. Holy cow they hurt for most of the day but ice and Aleve seemed to help a bunch.
Anyway, they drew blood (a lot of blood) and we got some immediate results back. Once again I'm not diabetic and the mono test was negative. I have to wait until the end of the week for the tests they did for arthritis. The blood draw really made me ill because it hurt when they stuck me with the needle and they took 6 viles of blood. I couldn't distract myself since it hurt and I felt very weak afterward. I walked back to the examination room and ended up on the floor due to feeling faint and sick to my stomach. Thank goodness nurses have good ears and quick reflexes.
Anyway, that's all I know. After 2 sick days, I am more than ready to go back to work tomorrow so I hope I don't wake up stiff or sick. That's all I have for an update....I anticipate hearing that I don't have arthritis on Thursday or Friday. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.
I went to the doctor this morning...sadly my regular doctor is out of town so I saw a different one with an open appointment. I didn't want to wait until Thursday to see my usual female doctor. Unfortunately I didn't learn much today. The doctor was not interested in hearing about my fibromyalgia theory. He was certain I have mono or something viral. Mind you, I don't want to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia but it disappointed me that he wouldn't listen to me. My pain was much less today except in my knees. Holy cow they hurt for most of the day but ice and Aleve seemed to help a bunch.
Anyway, they drew blood (a lot of blood) and we got some immediate results back. Once again I'm not diabetic and the mono test was negative. I have to wait until the end of the week for the tests they did for arthritis. The blood draw really made me ill because it hurt when they stuck me with the needle and they took 6 viles of blood. I couldn't distract myself since it hurt and I felt very weak afterward. I walked back to the examination room and ended up on the floor due to feeling faint and sick to my stomach. Thank goodness nurses have good ears and quick reflexes.
Anyway, that's all I know. After 2 sick days, I am more than ready to go back to work tomorrow so I hope I don't wake up stiff or sick. That's all I have for an update....I anticipate hearing that I don't have arthritis on Thursday or Friday. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
These old bones....
HURT!!! I guess my bones aren't old but they are certainly acting like it!
Hey ladies:
My lack of blogging last week makes me a liar! I kept bring up this site at work during some breaks but it never materialized into a meaningful blog entry. I've had a week filled with peaks and downfalls. I'll start off with the positives since I don't want to be all whiny and full of complaints right off the bat. We had a low-key weekend with a lot of leisure. I didn't have any work hanging over my head or stressing me out. We also got to bop down to Des Moines on Friday night and see LeAnn & Jason. Gavin enjoyed swimming at their hotel pool and we had a great meal at Taki Japanese Steakhouse. I'll never get sick of that place or their orange dipping sauce. I also got to watch Gavin play one of his last 5th grade flag football games. Sadly they lost but it's relaxing to sit and watch him play on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Onto the sucky part of the week and weekend...my body has felt like hell. I felt somewhat achey and out of sorts on Friday and took a sick day. It's hard to explain but I didn't feel right and didn't feel comfortable driving. I never felt dizzy or nauseated but something felt "off". My appetite went back to normal later in the day (thank goodness) so I was able to eat and enjoy my meal at Taki.
Saturday was a different story. I could not get out of bed on Saturday morning. It was really disappointing because I had a goal to go back to Des Moines to do some shopping for Gavin and see LeAnn & Jason again. I continued to rest throughout the morning but did not improve. It felt like every bone in my body hurt and that every muscle in my body was strained. Sitting up or walking to the bathroom was agonizing. I took Ibuprofen throughout the day until I reached my daily limit. Nothing made a dent on the pain.
Today was slightly better but I still dealt with pain off and on. Fortunately it only seemed to affect my lower body and not my whole body. It got really bad right before Gavin's football game but I made myself go to the game so Gavin wouldn't miss out.
I've been in contact with my Mom about my odd symptoms these last weeks and Jon has been researching my symptoms. He sent me a link today about fibromyalgia. I had never considered that disorder before...but the link opened my eyes. In the past I've kind of rolled my eyes at the disorder because it didn't make sense that people would be in so much pain but not have any proof about the disorder in blood work or medical exams. I really hope I don't have it but as of today, it fits my symptoms in a scary way.
Here's information from WebMD in case you're curious.
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/default.htm
I spoke to a family member today that suffers from it and she told me the best way to prevent the onset of body soreness and pain is exercise. My question is...how the heck do you perform quality exercise if your body is out of whack and sore consistently? I guess you really have to utilize the "good" days you have when your body cooperates.
On a different note, I've finished a book this weekend. I read "Madame Bovary". I read it back in high school for extra credit in my AP English class and wanted to revisit it again. It was considered controversial back in the day because the story is set around extramarital affairs by a woman. Thanks to the content we are subjected to today, the story doesn't seem controversial at all. Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. I remember loving the story back in the 90s so I was disappointed. I got my biography of Judy Garland back from my dad in September so I'm starting up with that book again.
Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts this week. I hope to see the doctor today (Monday) so I can figure out what the heck is going on with my body. I'm going to immediately bring up my concerns about fibromyalgia and see what she thinks. I was surprised that my Aunt Patty passed away this weekend. I knew she was declining but still thought she would make it closer to Thanksgiving. I'm just relieved she isn't suffering anymore. It's another realization that life is too short and you need to treasure and love the things most important to your life.
Have a good start to your week!
Hey ladies:
My lack of blogging last week makes me a liar! I kept bring up this site at work during some breaks but it never materialized into a meaningful blog entry. I've had a week filled with peaks and downfalls. I'll start off with the positives since I don't want to be all whiny and full of complaints right off the bat. We had a low-key weekend with a lot of leisure. I didn't have any work hanging over my head or stressing me out. We also got to bop down to Des Moines on Friday night and see LeAnn & Jason. Gavin enjoyed swimming at their hotel pool and we had a great meal at Taki Japanese Steakhouse. I'll never get sick of that place or their orange dipping sauce. I also got to watch Gavin play one of his last 5th grade flag football games. Sadly they lost but it's relaxing to sit and watch him play on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
Onto the sucky part of the week and weekend...my body has felt like hell. I felt somewhat achey and out of sorts on Friday and took a sick day. It's hard to explain but I didn't feel right and didn't feel comfortable driving. I never felt dizzy or nauseated but something felt "off". My appetite went back to normal later in the day (thank goodness) so I was able to eat and enjoy my meal at Taki.
Saturday was a different story. I could not get out of bed on Saturday morning. It was really disappointing because I had a goal to go back to Des Moines to do some shopping for Gavin and see LeAnn & Jason again. I continued to rest throughout the morning but did not improve. It felt like every bone in my body hurt and that every muscle in my body was strained. Sitting up or walking to the bathroom was agonizing. I took Ibuprofen throughout the day until I reached my daily limit. Nothing made a dent on the pain.
Today was slightly better but I still dealt with pain off and on. Fortunately it only seemed to affect my lower body and not my whole body. It got really bad right before Gavin's football game but I made myself go to the game so Gavin wouldn't miss out.
I've been in contact with my Mom about my odd symptoms these last weeks and Jon has been researching my symptoms. He sent me a link today about fibromyalgia. I had never considered that disorder before...but the link opened my eyes. In the past I've kind of rolled my eyes at the disorder because it didn't make sense that people would be in so much pain but not have any proof about the disorder in blood work or medical exams. I really hope I don't have it but as of today, it fits my symptoms in a scary way.
Here's information from WebMD in case you're curious.
http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/default.htm
I spoke to a family member today that suffers from it and she told me the best way to prevent the onset of body soreness and pain is exercise. My question is...how the heck do you perform quality exercise if your body is out of whack and sore consistently? I guess you really have to utilize the "good" days you have when your body cooperates.
On a different note, I've finished a book this weekend. I read "Madame Bovary". I read it back in high school for extra credit in my AP English class and wanted to revisit it again. It was considered controversial back in the day because the story is set around extramarital affairs by a woman. Thanks to the content we are subjected to today, the story doesn't seem controversial at all. Sadly I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped. I remember loving the story back in the 90s so I was disappointed. I got my biography of Judy Garland back from my dad in September so I'm starting up with that book again.
Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts this week. I hope to see the doctor today (Monday) so I can figure out what the heck is going on with my body. I'm going to immediately bring up my concerns about fibromyalgia and see what she thinks. I was surprised that my Aunt Patty passed away this weekend. I knew she was declining but still thought she would make it closer to Thanksgiving. I'm just relieved she isn't suffering anymore. It's another realization that life is too short and you need to treasure and love the things most important to your life.
Have a good start to your week!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Mums and broiled tomatoes
Happy Monday! I hope that you all had a great weekend and are recharged for the new week. I had a pretty slow Sunday. My friends bailed on me yesterday so I didn't end up going to the Appleumpkin festival. I would have gone by myself but seems how gas jumped up to $3.00/gallon I decided to not spend the money to drive that far by myself. After church I decided to check out some of the local places that had seasonal attractions. At one such place I bought a potted mum. I love mums but I have never been very good at keeping potted flowers, or any plants for that matter, alive. Anyway, I've been reading up on how to care for mums online so hopefully I'll be able to keep it thriving. When I got home I transplanted it right away, along with another plant that needed to be repot. Other than making a big mess on my patio I rather enjoyed playing in the dirt!
After playing farmer Nicole I contemplated working out but I was actually pretty sore in the legs from my workout on Saturday so I gave myself the day off. So I settled myself down with a glass of water and watched some football. I caught the 2nd half of the Lions' slaughter of the Rams and the 1st half of the Cowboys vs. the Titans. I have been eating really well but I haven't done any serious cooking in the last week so last night I thought I would. I made garlic-herb pork chops, scalloped corn and broiled tomatoes. It was excellent. I've seen recipes for broiled tomatoes in cookbooks hundreds of times and I've never tried them before. OMG...they were great! Yes, I just OMG'd you! Not only was dinner last night yummy, I have leftovers!
I haven't read anything new in a while so I haven't had much to share. However, I have recently started working on Bram Stoker's Dracula, I figured it's a very appropriate read for the current season. I just hope I can finish it by Halloween. It's very interesting so far but it's been hard to get a good pace going. So far it's all been written as journal entries (I think the whole thing might by written in this fashion)and it's all been about Jonathan Harker's initial stay at the Count's castle in Transylvania. The dialect doesn't lend itself to quick reading. I sometimes have to read a sentence two or three times just to make sure I'm getting it right. It's funny how word reversal can change perception and comprehension so much. Anyway, I'm really enjoying it and I hope to be able to give you a real review before Halloween!
Alright, I think that's about it. Have a great day and week!
After playing farmer Nicole I contemplated working out but I was actually pretty sore in the legs from my workout on Saturday so I gave myself the day off. So I settled myself down with a glass of water and watched some football. I caught the 2nd half of the Lions' slaughter of the Rams and the 1st half of the Cowboys vs. the Titans. I have been eating really well but I haven't done any serious cooking in the last week so last night I thought I would. I made garlic-herb pork chops, scalloped corn and broiled tomatoes. It was excellent. I've seen recipes for broiled tomatoes in cookbooks hundreds of times and I've never tried them before. OMG...they were great! Yes, I just OMG'd you! Not only was dinner last night yummy, I have leftovers!
I haven't read anything new in a while so I haven't had much to share. However, I have recently started working on Bram Stoker's Dracula, I figured it's a very appropriate read for the current season. I just hope I can finish it by Halloween. It's very interesting so far but it's been hard to get a good pace going. So far it's all been written as journal entries (I think the whole thing might by written in this fashion)and it's all been about Jonathan Harker's initial stay at the Count's castle in Transylvania. The dialect doesn't lend itself to quick reading. I sometimes have to read a sentence two or three times just to make sure I'm getting it right. It's funny how word reversal can change perception and comprehension so much. Anyway, I'm really enjoying it and I hope to be able to give you a real review before Halloween!
Alright, I think that's about it. Have a great day and week!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A very delayed update
Hey Everyone:
I've had time tonight to catch up on blogger.com and read everyone's entries over the past week or so. Sorry for not commenting on them sooner. I have a rule with this site....if I cannot sit and give my full attention to reading and writing entries, then I don't bother. Thanks to my recent busy week, I didn't sit down and try to read or write but this upcoming week looks less strenuous so I hope to blog again later in the week :)
I was able to take it easy tonight which helped me accomplish some things around my apartment. Gavin and I rented movies this week so I watched Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". It was our first official scary movie for the Halloween season. I hope to catch the countdown to the scariest movies on a cable channel in the next couple weeks. We've also been watching shows about the top haunted attractions in the USA. I'm not sure if I get to visit any haunted houses this season because my youngest sister won't be visiting Ames this year around Halloween. I'm a pansy and won't go to any by myself. Gavin isn't comfortable with the idea yet so I won't make him go with me. I decorated the apartment finally and used the Halloween lights I bought a couple years ago for the first time. The orange and purple lights are making my living room very eerie and I love it. We also watched "Sister Wives" on TLC and I'm hooked on that show. They only have one episode left in the series. It is such a controversial show and I know most religions are up in arms about how popular the show has become. I may not agree with all parts of the show but the amount of love that all parties have for one another is impressive. Sadly, there are families that practice monogamy that don't prioritize love or value what family offers.
Onto the lifestyle aspects of this entry....I'm not exercising enough. I could be exercising more and I'm not. I wish money grew on trees because the idea of setting up appointments with a personal trainer is appealing. Appealing but expensive. It's become apparent that I need someone to encourage me or work out with me. I know Jon would work out with me but we don't see each other very often during the week. I might consider it after I pay off the debt associated with my recent dental work...but that won't be until 2011. My eating is still out of whack too. I have some good days filled with good choices and other days that involve poor nutrition choices. I think journaling will become a strong possibility in my near future. I'm still very impulsive when it comes to making health-based choices and I need to switch that type of thinking. I'm feeling somewhat better and my mystery illness was more kind to me at the end of last week and over the weekend.
I'll be adding more interesting content to the blog later in the week :) I hope everyone has a good start to the week. I'm ready for the temperature to go down a little bit because I was very sweaty today while watching flag football. I also had to use my AC a little bit this weekend and I wanted to keep it shut off for the rest of the year when I stopped using it in September. Oh well. Have a good one!
I've had time tonight to catch up on blogger.com and read everyone's entries over the past week or so. Sorry for not commenting on them sooner. I have a rule with this site....if I cannot sit and give my full attention to reading and writing entries, then I don't bother. Thanks to my recent busy week, I didn't sit down and try to read or write but this upcoming week looks less strenuous so I hope to blog again later in the week :)
I was able to take it easy tonight which helped me accomplish some things around my apartment. Gavin and I rented movies this week so I watched Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". It was our first official scary movie for the Halloween season. I hope to catch the countdown to the scariest movies on a cable channel in the next couple weeks. We've also been watching shows about the top haunted attractions in the USA. I'm not sure if I get to visit any haunted houses this season because my youngest sister won't be visiting Ames this year around Halloween. I'm a pansy and won't go to any by myself. Gavin isn't comfortable with the idea yet so I won't make him go with me. I decorated the apartment finally and used the Halloween lights I bought a couple years ago for the first time. The orange and purple lights are making my living room very eerie and I love it. We also watched "Sister Wives" on TLC and I'm hooked on that show. They only have one episode left in the series. It is such a controversial show and I know most religions are up in arms about how popular the show has become. I may not agree with all parts of the show but the amount of love that all parties have for one another is impressive. Sadly, there are families that practice monogamy that don't prioritize love or value what family offers.
Onto the lifestyle aspects of this entry....I'm not exercising enough. I could be exercising more and I'm not. I wish money grew on trees because the idea of setting up appointments with a personal trainer is appealing. Appealing but expensive. It's become apparent that I need someone to encourage me or work out with me. I know Jon would work out with me but we don't see each other very often during the week. I might consider it after I pay off the debt associated with my recent dental work...but that won't be until 2011. My eating is still out of whack too. I have some good days filled with good choices and other days that involve poor nutrition choices. I think journaling will become a strong possibility in my near future. I'm still very impulsive when it comes to making health-based choices and I need to switch that type of thinking. I'm feeling somewhat better and my mystery illness was more kind to me at the end of last week and over the weekend.
I'll be adding more interesting content to the blog later in the week :) I hope everyone has a good start to the week. I'm ready for the temperature to go down a little bit because I was very sweaty today while watching flag football. I also had to use my AC a little bit this weekend and I wanted to keep it shut off for the rest of the year when I stopped using it in September. Oh well. Have a good one!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
What a gorgeous day...
Happy Saturday morning all! What an absolutely spectacular day so far. The sun is bright, it's cool and breezy and me thinks it's going to turn into a lovely day! Don't get me wrong, I would prefer that once October sets in the day's highs are not over 65 but I think I can handle 73. I got up this morning and was lying in bed debating whether or not I should get up and workout. I hemmed and hawed for a while thinking, I can just do one of my weekday workouts and then thought, no I should go do more. When 8:00 rolled around I hauled my butt out of bed, got dressed, filled my water bottle and ventured to the mini-gym at the clubhouse. I am so glad I did!
I got in an excellent workout today...the treadmill told me I burned 456 calories and yes, I know those numbers aren't totally accurate but it still made me feel really good. I just did some flat, brisk walking, then spent 10 minutes walking up a hill and then did some jog-walking (you know, jog a little, walk a little). My only complaint is that the treadmill was acting up this morning and would just all of the sudden stop out of nowhere. Thankfully it didn't happen when I was jogging but it was still a bit unsettling when I was walking. After my 45 minutes on the treadmill I did some upper body lifting and some lower body stuff and then finished off with some stretching. Ladies, I have a confession, my balance sucks. As such, squatting and lunges were just a bit embarrassing in front of strangers. I didn't do to bad and nobody pointed and laughed so that's good. Maybe I should work on this. I used to have really good balance because I did a ton of balance activities when I was teaching in the exercise clinic. I should dust off some of that knowledge and put it to use for myself! Anyway, I felt great during my workout and I feel even better now (well, I will once I shower)! So glad I made myself workout. On a slightly unrelated note, I decided instead of eating Captain Crunch for breakfast this morning I should eat something less loaded in sugar (don't want to undo the workout) so I went for the Raisin Bran, which I love. However, just in case you didn't know you should always eat Raisin Bran by the best if used by date. The flakes weren't stale so I dove in but, the flakes weren't the issue. The raisins were hard, and chewy and I think I might have lost a filling :S OK, maybe not a filling but I thought I might. I either need to pitch the cereal or just pick out the raisins....ponder.
I need to find something to do today. I have to clean my kitchen and tonight I'll probably work on a blanket but I feel like I should take advantage of the gorgeous weather. I'm going to the Appleumpkin festival in Tecumseh tomorrow but I need something to do today. I'm going to have to think on this. Anyway, I should go and get cleaned up. Have an excellent weekend ladies!
I got in an excellent workout today...the treadmill told me I burned 456 calories and yes, I know those numbers aren't totally accurate but it still made me feel really good. I just did some flat, brisk walking, then spent 10 minutes walking up a hill and then did some jog-walking (you know, jog a little, walk a little). My only complaint is that the treadmill was acting up this morning and would just all of the sudden stop out of nowhere. Thankfully it didn't happen when I was jogging but it was still a bit unsettling when I was walking. After my 45 minutes on the treadmill I did some upper body lifting and some lower body stuff and then finished off with some stretching. Ladies, I have a confession, my balance sucks. As such, squatting and lunges were just a bit embarrassing in front of strangers. I didn't do to bad and nobody pointed and laughed so that's good. Maybe I should work on this. I used to have really good balance because I did a ton of balance activities when I was teaching in the exercise clinic. I should dust off some of that knowledge and put it to use for myself! Anyway, I felt great during my workout and I feel even better now (well, I will once I shower)! So glad I made myself workout. On a slightly unrelated note, I decided instead of eating Captain Crunch for breakfast this morning I should eat something less loaded in sugar (don't want to undo the workout) so I went for the Raisin Bran, which I love. However, just in case you didn't know you should always eat Raisin Bran by the best if used by date. The flakes weren't stale so I dove in but, the flakes weren't the issue. The raisins were hard, and chewy and I think I might have lost a filling :S OK, maybe not a filling but I thought I might. I either need to pitch the cereal or just pick out the raisins....ponder.
I need to find something to do today. I have to clean my kitchen and tonight I'll probably work on a blanket but I feel like I should take advantage of the gorgeous weather. I'm going to the Appleumpkin festival in Tecumseh tomorrow but I need something to do today. I'm going to have to think on this. Anyway, I should go and get cleaned up. Have an excellent weekend ladies!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday totally sucked...
I don't know if it was just me but yesterday sucked...big time! Work sucked. Julie was gone which means that her workload (4 exercise tests) fell on me. Because of this I didn't get to eat anything during the day and let me tell you, a hungry Nicole is not a happy Nicole. If I had known I wasn't going to get lunch or even get a break yesterday I would have eaten more than an egg and a piece of toast at breakfast. I wouldn't have been so crabby except for the fact that while I was in my tests, 2 of my remaining co-workers did nothing to help out which means the other girl in the lab was running around like a crazy woman trying to cover 3 full clinic by herself. So, when I got back to the lab things were crazy and nothing was done. I got as much done by 5 as I could but I decided seems how I already had an hour of overtime because I worked through my lunch I would just leave some of my data entry for today.
On my drive home from work, which was actually very nice as it was cool, breezy and sunny Tasha called me from the cemetery. She and Karla were out putting a Halloween decoration at Mom's grave. She was crying when she called me and that got me going. I managed to A) not get into an accident and B) collect myself before I got home but I was sort of touch and go for the rest of the night. After working out and eating supper I sat down to watch Glee which was a huge mistake last night. One of the character's dad had a funky heart rhythm which lead to a heart attack and coma that they didn't know if he could recover from. The whole show was about death and God and they were in the ICU and it was just all too familiar. I was sitting there, working on a blanket bawling my eyes out. I literally didn't stop crying the rest of the night. I'm not going to lie, while I was never much of a crier before, since everything with Mom it doesn't take a lot to get me going but I haven't been like this in a while. I seriously cried for 3 hours straight last night. Let me tell you, I was quite a sight with smeared mascara, blood shot and puffy eyes, red splotches all over my face and snot coming out of my nose. Anyway, I got myself under control around 11 and went to bed. However, when I got in bed I couldn't sleep...at all. I spent a lot of time tossing and turning last night. The 5:35 alarm came really early this morning. So, instead of getting up, I shut it off and got an extra 45 minutes of sleep.
Anyway, my eyes are still a bit red this morning and I still feel a little off but so far my Wednesday is better. One of our doctors brought in some fabulous pastries and I figure my lack of calories yesterday totally justified my splurging today! I've also managed to finish up my data entry from yesterday and I have 3 of my 4 exercise tests written up. I'd have all 4 done but Dr. Bradley hasn't given me the last one back yet. Oh well, I can't be too mad at him, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have had the almond-cinnamony goodness of my danish this morning!
On my drive home from work, which was actually very nice as it was cool, breezy and sunny Tasha called me from the cemetery. She and Karla were out putting a Halloween decoration at Mom's grave. She was crying when she called me and that got me going. I managed to A) not get into an accident and B) collect myself before I got home but I was sort of touch and go for the rest of the night. After working out and eating supper I sat down to watch Glee which was a huge mistake last night. One of the character's dad had a funky heart rhythm which lead to a heart attack and coma that they didn't know if he could recover from. The whole show was about death and God and they were in the ICU and it was just all too familiar. I was sitting there, working on a blanket bawling my eyes out. I literally didn't stop crying the rest of the night. I'm not going to lie, while I was never much of a crier before, since everything with Mom it doesn't take a lot to get me going but I haven't been like this in a while. I seriously cried for 3 hours straight last night. Let me tell you, I was quite a sight with smeared mascara, blood shot and puffy eyes, red splotches all over my face and snot coming out of my nose. Anyway, I got myself under control around 11 and went to bed. However, when I got in bed I couldn't sleep...at all. I spent a lot of time tossing and turning last night. The 5:35 alarm came really early this morning. So, instead of getting up, I shut it off and got an extra 45 minutes of sleep.
Anyway, my eyes are still a bit red this morning and I still feel a little off but so far my Wednesday is better. One of our doctors brought in some fabulous pastries and I figure my lack of calories yesterday totally justified my splurging today! I've also managed to finish up my data entry from yesterday and I have 3 of my 4 exercise tests written up. I'd have all 4 done but Dr. Bradley hasn't given me the last one back yet. Oh well, I can't be too mad at him, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have had the almond-cinnamony goodness of my danish this morning!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Seven Pounds...
and no, I'm not talking about the Will Smith movie. I am talking about the seven pounds that I lost during the month of September! I am super excited and can't wait to keep moving forward. Now, I know enough about physiology and weight loss to realize that at some of this weight is most likely water weight fluctuation but I feel pretty confident that I met my five pound goal of lost weight for the month.
I feel pretty happy about September as a whole. I didn't eat out at all, go me! And I think I might have had 3 maybe 4 pops. I thought it would be hard to not eat out but it hasn't been bad. I've just found that I need to have quick cooking meals for the nights that I get home really late and don't want to take the time and energy to make a really nice meal. I've found that some of the healthier frozen dinners (Smart Ones, Healthy Choice etc.) are actually quite tasty, and if you make the entree and pair it up with a salad with lots of veggies on it you get a very satisfying and balanced meal. I've also taken to eating some of the veggie burger type things. I really like the Morning Star spicy black bean burger and they have a tomato basil burger that's pretty tasty. I haven't tried their chik'n products made from chickpeas but my sister and brother really like them. They take all of 90 seconds to heat up in the microwave and they are very healthy for you. I have a really hard time eating things that I don't like. I just figure if it's not good why waste the calories, right? So I'm glad that I've been able to find things that I can cook quickly that are good and good for me.
My exercise schedule is going well. I've been working out 4 nights a week after work and then making sure I do something at least on day over the weekend. I am really happy with how things are progressing. When I first did my new lower body workout I was fairly sore the next day, however, I have gotten past that point and now my muscles feel really good after doing those exercises. I've decided for October to try and get in some work in the mornings and in the evenings. I figure if I alternate between upper, lower and core resistance training in the mornings (it takes much less time than the cardio) and get my aerobic exercise in the evening I'll be able to really balance what I'm doing. I have my exercise schedule for the month created already. Now I just need to stick to it.
I don't know if I've told you or not but my sister Karla has decided to lose weight the same way my brother did. She is taking Phentermine and limiting caloric intake and increasing her light aerobic exercise. She met with the doctor at the beginning of September to do the pre-therapy physical and consultation. She didn't start taking the pill until the 13th because she wanted to be able to celebrate her birthday without worrying about calories. Well, she went back to the doctor on Wednesday and she had lost 26 pounds...in two weeks! My inner physiologist cringes when I think about losing weight that fast but I also know that it's done in a controlled and reasonably safe manner. Anybody who who takes this pill and follows that plan has to go in for monthly physicals with EKGs and blood work to make sure everything is OK.
I am really happy for Karla and I know that by losing this weight, it will make it a lot easier for her to do the things that she needs to do in order to keep losing. Even if she loses 120 pounds she'll probably have another 70 pounds before she reaches her target weight. While I'm happy for her I'm also a little jealous. I will never be able to lose weight that quickly and my 7 pounds in a month seem pretty flimsy when compared to her 26 in two weeks. However, you better believe that this is some extreme motivation for me to keep doing what I'm doing. If I keep plugging away and lose around 5 pounds a month I will eventually catch up with her and Cody. I told them both that I can't be the only fatty left in the family :)
Anyway, I think that's all I have to say for now. I hope that you ladies are having an excellent Friday and have a great weekend!
I feel pretty happy about September as a whole. I didn't eat out at all, go me! And I think I might have had 3 maybe 4 pops. I thought it would be hard to not eat out but it hasn't been bad. I've just found that I need to have quick cooking meals for the nights that I get home really late and don't want to take the time and energy to make a really nice meal. I've found that some of the healthier frozen dinners (Smart Ones, Healthy Choice etc.) are actually quite tasty, and if you make the entree and pair it up with a salad with lots of veggies on it you get a very satisfying and balanced meal. I've also taken to eating some of the veggie burger type things. I really like the Morning Star spicy black bean burger and they have a tomato basil burger that's pretty tasty. I haven't tried their chik'n products made from chickpeas but my sister and brother really like them. They take all of 90 seconds to heat up in the microwave and they are very healthy for you. I have a really hard time eating things that I don't like. I just figure if it's not good why waste the calories, right? So I'm glad that I've been able to find things that I can cook quickly that are good and good for me.
My exercise schedule is going well. I've been working out 4 nights a week after work and then making sure I do something at least on day over the weekend. I am really happy with how things are progressing. When I first did my new lower body workout I was fairly sore the next day, however, I have gotten past that point and now my muscles feel really good after doing those exercises. I've decided for October to try and get in some work in the mornings and in the evenings. I figure if I alternate between upper, lower and core resistance training in the mornings (it takes much less time than the cardio) and get my aerobic exercise in the evening I'll be able to really balance what I'm doing. I have my exercise schedule for the month created already. Now I just need to stick to it.
I don't know if I've told you or not but my sister Karla has decided to lose weight the same way my brother did. She is taking Phentermine and limiting caloric intake and increasing her light aerobic exercise. She met with the doctor at the beginning of September to do the pre-therapy physical and consultation. She didn't start taking the pill until the 13th because she wanted to be able to celebrate her birthday without worrying about calories. Well, she went back to the doctor on Wednesday and she had lost 26 pounds...in two weeks! My inner physiologist cringes when I think about losing weight that fast but I also know that it's done in a controlled and reasonably safe manner. Anybody who who takes this pill and follows that plan has to go in for monthly physicals with EKGs and blood work to make sure everything is OK.
I am really happy for Karla and I know that by losing this weight, it will make it a lot easier for her to do the things that she needs to do in order to keep losing. Even if she loses 120 pounds she'll probably have another 70 pounds before she reaches her target weight. While I'm happy for her I'm also a little jealous. I will never be able to lose weight that quickly and my 7 pounds in a month seem pretty flimsy when compared to her 26 in two weeks. However, you better believe that this is some extreme motivation for me to keep doing what I'm doing. If I keep plugging away and lose around 5 pounds a month I will eventually catch up with her and Cody. I told them both that I can't be the only fatty left in the family :)
Anyway, I think that's all I have to say for now. I hope that you ladies are having an excellent Friday and have a great weekend!
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