This blog is officially done....I started my new one.
http://newjenny32.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 24, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Endings and Beginnings
Well this will be the last entry for this blog. I am going to start a new one. Feels cathartic to start a new blog if I'm restarting life in a sense.
The next blog will have the same themes though so don't plan to be wowed by anything overly creative. I'll still focus on weight loss, exercise (which should be increasing), new recipes, etc.
I'm still wrapping my head around all the changes that are happening too so I'm hoping to be more grounded the next time I blog. It will likely start in December.
The next blog will have the same themes though so don't plan to be wowed by anything overly creative. I'll still focus on weight loss, exercise (which should be increasing), new recipes, etc.
I'm still wrapping my head around all the changes that are happening too so I'm hoping to be more grounded the next time I blog. It will likely start in December.
Friday, October 17, 2014
Falling Off the Wagon...a little bit
Greetings:
It's Midterm Week! And I'm actually organized and on-top of the extra duties I need to perform for both institutions this week. All my midterms have been turned in for ISU and I'm waiting for my DMACC students to finish their online midterm exams tomorrow. I usually have to scramble on Thursday and/or Friday of this week. I don't miss that!
Next week will be slightly stressful as one of my classes is providing a health fair for a local elementary. Even though this happens every semester, it's always a struggle to organize and makes me nervous.
Weight loss was 'meh' last week as I only dropped 0.4 lbs. I wasn't shocked though due to some food choices. I gained this week which was further confirmation that I need to get it together and be mindful about eating choices. I went from "eating better tastes awesome" to getting sick of my food choices and wanting more variety. The variety usually leads to less healthy foods. I am on a mission to buy some zucchini today or tomorrow as sauteing that for a meal is delicious.
I finally finished the book Emma. The end of the book was decent and slightly predictable. It is way too long. Jane Austin could have made her point easily with about 100 less pages in the story. I am now working on the remaining portion of The Kite Runner. I do want to read Gone Girl too but it was a little pricey on the Kindle. I may just borrow that one from the library. The movie was great. One of the best movies I've seen in a theater in a long time.
I finally got information about the billing for my accident in August. I am grateful for having decent health insurance. I need to have LaCrosse and Waukon re-submit some things so my insurance processes the services as "in-network". I've been playing phone tag with people in the last days. They always call when I'm teaching. I had guessed my ambulance trip was $1000 and I was almost right on the money.
Happy Friday!
It's Midterm Week! And I'm actually organized and on-top of the extra duties I need to perform for both institutions this week. All my midterms have been turned in for ISU and I'm waiting for my DMACC students to finish their online midterm exams tomorrow. I usually have to scramble on Thursday and/or Friday of this week. I don't miss that!
Next week will be slightly stressful as one of my classes is providing a health fair for a local elementary. Even though this happens every semester, it's always a struggle to organize and makes me nervous.
Weight loss was 'meh' last week as I only dropped 0.4 lbs. I wasn't shocked though due to some food choices. I gained this week which was further confirmation that I need to get it together and be mindful about eating choices. I went from "eating better tastes awesome" to getting sick of my food choices and wanting more variety. The variety usually leads to less healthy foods. I am on a mission to buy some zucchini today or tomorrow as sauteing that for a meal is delicious.
I finally finished the book Emma. The end of the book was decent and slightly predictable. It is way too long. Jane Austin could have made her point easily with about 100 less pages in the story. I am now working on the remaining portion of The Kite Runner. I do want to read Gone Girl too but it was a little pricey on the Kindle. I may just borrow that one from the library. The movie was great. One of the best movies I've seen in a theater in a long time.
I finally got information about the billing for my accident in August. I am grateful for having decent health insurance. I need to have LaCrosse and Waukon re-submit some things so my insurance processes the services as "in-network". I've been playing phone tag with people in the last days. They always call when I'm teaching. I had guessed my ambulance trip was $1000 and I was almost right on the money.
Happy Friday!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Another Loss and a Stressful Conference
It has been another hectic and very busy week. First things first....I lost another 2.2 lbs which was a nice realization on Wednesday. I'm trying to keep the correct frame of mind because things are always easier in the beginning since the body loses water weight and the guidance from WW is easier to adhere to in the first weeks/months. I am hopeful that my elevated physical activity in the past few days will contribute to another decent loss on Wednesday.
The university hosted a conference yesterday (Friday) and today. The annual conference rotates each year to different locations. It was at our location back in 2009. Different issues back then but it was a stressful time as well. The lead person for the organization is the polar opposite of me and others in our department that tried to help organize the event. We had a year to work on putting everything together (and using notes from 2009) and it was still somewhat of a mess. I am further irritated because a couple of us busted our butts to be helpful and make things work as well as possible. Others that were part of the process weren't as helpful and it almost seemed beneath them to lend a hand yesterday and today. One faculty member barely interacted with the conference despite being at meetings for months and suggesting a lot of the crap that didn't allow it to function well. I am grateful that ISU reimbursed me for my registration fee (professional development) because despite paying full price, I didn't get to attend one key note speaker or workshop event. I barely got lunch yesterday. Hopefully if it comes back to us in five or so years, I'll once again forget about my irritation.
I finished reading the Julie & Julia book this week. Eh....it was OK. It kept me interested and I did read the book quickly. A comment was made in the movie about the amount of cursing in her blog. If it was similar to the novel, I could see why Julia Child wasn't thrilled about how she wrote about the recipes and cooking process. I don't mind swearing but I was surprised why she swore in some parts of the book. I am still working on Emma. It is a dull book. It is sadly turning me off of the classics. Come on Jane Austin...I wanted better from you! I need to read more during daylight so I can work through some non-Kindle books too.
Another somewhat busy week ahead of me....I am helping with a pre-game meal again for the football team. I am actually leading this meal (Sloppy Joes). DMACC students are taking their midterm exam on Monday. Thankfully, I don't think I have anything going on next weekend. I think I get to stay home. I probably just jinxed that.
The university hosted a conference yesterday (Friday) and today. The annual conference rotates each year to different locations. It was at our location back in 2009. Different issues back then but it was a stressful time as well. The lead person for the organization is the polar opposite of me and others in our department that tried to help organize the event. We had a year to work on putting everything together (and using notes from 2009) and it was still somewhat of a mess. I am further irritated because a couple of us busted our butts to be helpful and make things work as well as possible. Others that were part of the process weren't as helpful and it almost seemed beneath them to lend a hand yesterday and today. One faculty member barely interacted with the conference despite being at meetings for months and suggesting a lot of the crap that didn't allow it to function well. I am grateful that ISU reimbursed me for my registration fee (professional development) because despite paying full price, I didn't get to attend one key note speaker or workshop event. I barely got lunch yesterday. Hopefully if it comes back to us in five or so years, I'll once again forget about my irritation.
I finished reading the Julie & Julia book this week. Eh....it was OK. It kept me interested and I did read the book quickly. A comment was made in the movie about the amount of cursing in her blog. If it was similar to the novel, I could see why Julia Child wasn't thrilled about how she wrote about the recipes and cooking process. I don't mind swearing but I was surprised why she swore in some parts of the book. I am still working on Emma. It is a dull book. It is sadly turning me off of the classics. Come on Jane Austin...I wanted better from you! I need to read more during daylight so I can work through some non-Kindle books too.
Another somewhat busy week ahead of me....I am helping with a pre-game meal again for the football team. I am actually leading this meal (Sloppy Joes). DMACC students are taking their midterm exam on Monday. Thankfully, I don't think I have anything going on next weekend. I think I get to stay home. I probably just jinxed that.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
A Good Week
I had a good restart to the Weight Watchers as I dropped 3.4 lbs last week. I still need to boost physical activity on some days. According to my activity tracker, I am supposed to aim for at least 2 activity points a day. (basically the extra I earn after I reach my baseline for activity each day)
I am working extra this weekend and actually earned 9 points on Friday due to working 13 hours. I worked 8am-6:30pm yesterday (Saturday). I am back at DMACC today and should be working until 4:30pm. I thought the weekend would be a drag but it's gone pretty well. For a few years now, I've usually taught the second Friday session from 5-10pm. Due to some very large class sizes, they are wanting a lead teacher and an assistant for some of the sessions. I was the lead Friday night and I assisted yesterday and today. It's neat seeing the content and style of the other instructors for this coaching authorization program.
I'm doing well with avoiding the vending machines and being mindful about how I'm snacking. We went out for lunch yesterday at a local deli-type restaurant. I got a healthy sandwich (thank goodness for honey mustard) and only a cup of Wisconsin cheese soup. It's been easier to be mindful about portions this week. It's still challenging at night to not want to continually eat when watching TV. Counting points has helped because I'll pick better food choices at night or use the correct portion so I'm not violating my points for the day.
The upcoming weekend may be rather busy too as a state association for PE, health, recreation, and dance is hosting their annual convention at ISU. I'm nervous because it is no where near as organized as it needs to be. I'm not a doctor but I am confident the president of the association has ADHD. Meetings are a mess. He's all over the place. The promotion and advertising of the event has not been logical. The convention usually has great attendance when it is at ISU but due to advertising issues and the web site not going up quickly, there is concern for attendance this time around. Other "politics" are causing problems too but I won't get into that. I just don't want the president to through ISU under the bus if he's not happy with how things turn out.
I found out yesterday that the location of the YMCA will be changing in Ankeny. It is currently connected to a middle school. They are going to move it to the DMACC campus and have it associated with our Student Services building (already has recreation areas in it). Supposedly DMACC faculty may be able to use it for free or a reduced fee. It will take awhile for the change though because construction hasn't even started. I'm still puzzled as to how they'll add on to the building to build the pool and other activity spaces. I have wanted to join the Y but the cost is more than I anticipated. They use your income to determine your price. Yes, I make a decent amount BUT I still have school loans and such and that quickly depletes my monthly salary. I wasn't happy with the 24 Hour Fitness place because of the type of equipment, space, and how busy it always was.
Update done!
I am working extra this weekend and actually earned 9 points on Friday due to working 13 hours. I worked 8am-6:30pm yesterday (Saturday). I am back at DMACC today and should be working until 4:30pm. I thought the weekend would be a drag but it's gone pretty well. For a few years now, I've usually taught the second Friday session from 5-10pm. Due to some very large class sizes, they are wanting a lead teacher and an assistant for some of the sessions. I was the lead Friday night and I assisted yesterday and today. It's neat seeing the content and style of the other instructors for this coaching authorization program.
I'm doing well with avoiding the vending machines and being mindful about how I'm snacking. We went out for lunch yesterday at a local deli-type restaurant. I got a healthy sandwich (thank goodness for honey mustard) and only a cup of Wisconsin cheese soup. It's been easier to be mindful about portions this week. It's still challenging at night to not want to continually eat when watching TV. Counting points has helped because I'll pick better food choices at night or use the correct portion so I'm not violating my points for the day.
The upcoming weekend may be rather busy too as a state association for PE, health, recreation, and dance is hosting their annual convention at ISU. I'm nervous because it is no where near as organized as it needs to be. I'm not a doctor but I am confident the president of the association has ADHD. Meetings are a mess. He's all over the place. The promotion and advertising of the event has not been logical. The convention usually has great attendance when it is at ISU but due to advertising issues and the web site not going up quickly, there is concern for attendance this time around. Other "politics" are causing problems too but I won't get into that. I just don't want the president to through ISU under the bus if he's not happy with how things turn out.
I found out yesterday that the location of the YMCA will be changing in Ankeny. It is currently connected to a middle school. They are going to move it to the DMACC campus and have it associated with our Student Services building (already has recreation areas in it). Supposedly DMACC faculty may be able to use it for free or a reduced fee. It will take awhile for the change though because construction hasn't even started. I'm still puzzled as to how they'll add on to the building to build the pool and other activity spaces. I have wanted to join the Y but the cost is more than I anticipated. They use your income to determine your price. Yes, I make a decent amount BUT I still have school loans and such and that quickly depletes my monthly salary. I wasn't happy with the 24 Hour Fitness place because of the type of equipment, space, and how busy it always was.
Update done!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Restarting Weight Watchers for like the 100th Time
Greetings:
I was up early today (and yesterday) so I better use this time before church for productivity. I think I have a plan for the pace of my blogging. Whenever I plug-in my activity monitor to charge, I'll sit down and blog. I'm supposed to plug it in once a week so that may help with frequency and consistency. I keep thinking that things will slow down and I can find time to easily blog and do personal things, but nope. By the end of this week, I'll be knee deep in grading due to some assignment due dates creeping up.
Jon and I went to Weight Watchers this week. I am happy we did for various reasons:
I was up early today (and yesterday) so I better use this time before church for productivity. I think I have a plan for the pace of my blogging. Whenever I plug-in my activity monitor to charge, I'll sit down and blog. I'm supposed to plug it in once a week so that may help with frequency and consistency. I keep thinking that things will slow down and I can find time to easily blog and do personal things, but nope. By the end of this week, I'll be knee deep in grading due to some assignment due dates creeping up.
Jon and I went to Weight Watchers this week. I am happy we did for various reasons:
- the meeting leader has changed and she's not even close to annoying as past leaders (some are very dramatic...I'm sure people like that but ugh)
- I feel like I have a handle on the fall semester and it will be easier to be mindful about bringing lunches to work and making meals at home
- I think if I take a few weeks to get the eating in check, it will be easier to boost the physical activity. Most days I am moving plenty due to tasks at work but I need to make that consistent throughout all seven days of the week.
My first weight-based goal will to be to drop 15 pounds. I am hoping to do this by Halloween. (Always fun to pick a date that's associated with candy, right?) Fifteen pounds will bring me to a weight that I see as a significant checkpoint in the process.
One thing that bugs me is that I wish I was a better cook. I do struggle at some point with making food at home because I only make a few things well. And some of those food items aren't the most healthy due to the amount of butter, gravy etc. I'm not great at tweaking recipes. I am hoping to stumble onto some more recipes (like usual) so I can create a variety of food options. I think that will keep us from desiring restaurants so often.
On a different note, I am doing well with reading for pleasure. In the past month, I read the original story of The Wizard of Oz. I have always wondered how the book differed from the movie. Many of the details are different and I can see why they put certain things in the movie and left out other details. I am currently reading Emma. It's OK. I may need to take a break from Jane Austen and Jane Austen-like authors for awhile after this book. I don't know if I've read too many of the classics lately and I'm getting "blah" about them or if I've read the really good ones and I'm now into the average books. I also purchased the Julie & Julia book on my Kindle last night. I watched the movie (again) and decided to see what the book is all about. So far it's a pretty good read but I learned the real Julie Powell's life went downhill after the fame of her blog, book, and movie. I almost want to read a biography about Julia Child too. And no, I won't be whipping up any French recipes.
I think that qualifies as a sufficient update!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Overdue Update
Greetings:
Never good when you check your blog and you see that you haven't written since July. Whoops.
I'll keep the past events concise and maybe in chronological order.
End of July: the summer camp ends and ends on a great note. I made a lot of notes about the program so I can change some parts of the Parent Handbook and better prepare my staff in 2015 for participant behavior issues. The amount of issues we had related to bullying was ridiculous. It is pathetic that in 2014, children cannot be kind to each other and have to act like little jerks.
Beginning of August: finally, a vacation! I was enthused to escape Central Iowa for awhile and spend time at home. And yes for some reason I have been dying to wander the House on the Rock for years. Not completely sure why I like that attraction so much but I do. I am pretty sure that everyone that reads this blog is already aware that our simple canoe trip didn't end up so simple. I am pleased that I have a mildly sore foot at this point and numbness. It could have been a lot worse. I had thought about blogging about the event in more detail but I don't like thinking about it anymore. I tend to think about "what if" when I play through the afternoon in my head too much. It still scares me that I could have been in bigger trouble if the water had been deeper when I tripped and got caught under the canoe. I'm holding off on another doctor's visit because I know it just takes time for nerves to "wake up" and function correctly. I am a little surprised that I cannot feel more of my leg at this point.
End of August (work): my meetings and orientation process at the beginning of the semester went well for the new graduate students. I am pleased with our new TAs. I teach my ISU classes on MWF and have the after school program on Tues/Thurs. I had hoped for more prep time on Tues/Thurs but those days have been filled in with walk-in appointments, scheduled appointments, etc. I already feel like I'm scrambling to complete tasks each day. I am teaching the Monday night class for DMACC again as well as the online class. I am already less than impressed with some of my DMACC students due to their communication and ability to come to class or participate in class. Sigh...I keep reminding myself I need the money to pay off more debt.
End of August (personal): it was nice to visit NE Iowa for Czech Days and see some family before diving into a hectic semester of work. I had high hopes for harvesting a lot from the garden but the garden did suffer from weather earlier in the summer. We've had a small collection of tomatoes but most are still in the garden and green. The cucumber plants produced a little but it was nothing compared to last year. The only veggies that are doing well are the green pepper plants. It doesn't look like I get to use my canning system this year.
September: it's been fun watching Gavin play football. His team is doing OK. I am happy that I can view quite a few games this season. It helps that 9th grade plays on both Thursday and Fridays, depending on the week. In 8th grade, he only played on Thursdays and that constantly conflicted with the after school program.
And not to sound like a broken record, a big goal is to boost my physical activity levels. We are eating out more often again too which is a bummer. I feel drained when I get home and making a meal is typically not appealing. Thankfully we are entering crock pot season again so I'm hoping to use that to crank out more home-based meals.
Here's hoping to another blog entry in September!
Monday, July 7, 2014
The Holiday Weekend Passed Too Quickly...
I have to admit that I was very bummed that today was Monday and another week was set to begin. It was lovely to have down time and take it easy this weekend. I was unhappy that I needed to work Thursday night as it would have been fun to view the annual fireworks in Ames. I wish they would have fired them on July 4th rather than July 3rd.
We attended the Fourth of July parade on Friday. Shrug, it was OK. I'm just happy I didn't get completely fried. I only sunburned part of my leg and my neck. We went back to Ankeny later in the day and played some tennis. I've missed tennis. It was a fun time and a good work out. I earned 14 activity points on that date due to all the walking and my activity levels in the afternoon/evening.
The weather didn't really motivate us to do anything great on Saturday so LeAnn headed north in the middle of the day. We ran errands in Des Moines. Sunday was low key too.
Our garden is officially toast I believe. It's been too wet and flooded too often. The tomato plants are dying. The pepper plants may have some hope as well as cucumber but everything else is looking pretty sad. Makes me mad as I put a lot of time and $$ into the venture. We'll need to do raised beds next year because our garden simply lies too low. We could add more dirt too but that could be expensive. It's supposed to rain and storm this week too so the hope of anything drying out well is diminishing.
I will be moving my office this week. I am dependent on an employee in the department to help with it. He better honor our appointment tomorrow because I need to get started ASAP if they want my office ready for a new faculty member. I am sad to lose my office as in a way it's a status symbol. I was important enough to have an office with professors. I will be located in a lab now that isn't visible. The secretaries will actually be irritated because most people cannot find the lab. They'll probably have to help people locate me in future semesters. It's supposed to be temporary and I'll likely have a new office by 2016. Our building simply does not have enough room for the necessary amount of employees. The renovations cannot start soon enough.
The summer camp will be wrapping up shortly so I need to start walking around the building and locking up areas. I am eager to go home, eat a good meal, and relax. The second part of a nifty documentary airs tonight on National Geographic. (It's about the 1990s and all the historical events that affected our country.) It doesn't seem like that long ago but we're talking 20 or so years.
We attended the Fourth of July parade on Friday. Shrug, it was OK. I'm just happy I didn't get completely fried. I only sunburned part of my leg and my neck. We went back to Ankeny later in the day and played some tennis. I've missed tennis. It was a fun time and a good work out. I earned 14 activity points on that date due to all the walking and my activity levels in the afternoon/evening.
The weather didn't really motivate us to do anything great on Saturday so LeAnn headed north in the middle of the day. We ran errands in Des Moines. Sunday was low key too.
Our garden is officially toast I believe. It's been too wet and flooded too often. The tomato plants are dying. The pepper plants may have some hope as well as cucumber but everything else is looking pretty sad. Makes me mad as I put a lot of time and $$ into the venture. We'll need to do raised beds next year because our garden simply lies too low. We could add more dirt too but that could be expensive. It's supposed to rain and storm this week too so the hope of anything drying out well is diminishing.
I will be moving my office this week. I am dependent on an employee in the department to help with it. He better honor our appointment tomorrow because I need to get started ASAP if they want my office ready for a new faculty member. I am sad to lose my office as in a way it's a status symbol. I was important enough to have an office with professors. I will be located in a lab now that isn't visible. The secretaries will actually be irritated because most people cannot find the lab. They'll probably have to help people locate me in future semesters. It's supposed to be temporary and I'll likely have a new office by 2016. Our building simply does not have enough room for the necessary amount of employees. The renovations cannot start soon enough.
The summer camp will be wrapping up shortly so I need to start walking around the building and locking up areas. I am eager to go home, eat a good meal, and relax. The second part of a nifty documentary airs tonight on National Geographic. (It's about the 1990s and all the historical events that affected our country.) It doesn't seem like that long ago but we're talking 20 or so years.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Human Beings Perplex Me
Greetings:
I'll start off with a positive...I am six pounds lighter. We went to Weight Watchers tonight and the scale was kind to me. I've been super active at work in the past weeks so it's nice to see that all my activity is paying off. I could still be eating better though...always something to work on.
Onto the reasoning behind my entry title. I am really sick of there being rules and procedures at my work place and people choosing when to follow those rules and regulations. My summer program is not the only program that uses the pool in our building. Another popular program uses the pool in the mornings and evenings. A couple of the life guards for my program also work for that program.
Earlier tonight, a life guard called me because a child had thrown up in the pool. The program's head life guard (not affiliated with SYF) decided to try and take care of it himself. Apparently the unsaid rule for that program is the pool cannot close. They'll lose too much money. Luckily the life guards that work with my program have a conscience hence their phone call. They asked me to contact maintenance so the pool could be treated. I contacted the pool people on campus.
My decision to help out (and do the right thing) is going to cause a shit-storm in the morning. I know the director of that program is going to have a fit because the pool may need to close for a bit or even be drained. Then again if they had called the right people from the get-go, the issue may not need such a major fix. I am dreading work tomorrow. The director is so mean and gets angry when anything negative happens with his program. I'm confident that he may even deny someone threw up because it wasn't the head life guard that initiated the maintenance request.
I emailed my boss about the situation tonight so I'm hoping that helps him understand my involvement. I am confident he's going to have a voicemail waiting for him or the director will show up in the morning in a rage.
End of rant!
I'll start off with a positive...I am six pounds lighter. We went to Weight Watchers tonight and the scale was kind to me. I've been super active at work in the past weeks so it's nice to see that all my activity is paying off. I could still be eating better though...always something to work on.
Onto the reasoning behind my entry title. I am really sick of there being rules and procedures at my work place and people choosing when to follow those rules and regulations. My summer program is not the only program that uses the pool in our building. Another popular program uses the pool in the mornings and evenings. A couple of the life guards for my program also work for that program.
Earlier tonight, a life guard called me because a child had thrown up in the pool. The program's head life guard (not affiliated with SYF) decided to try and take care of it himself. Apparently the unsaid rule for that program is the pool cannot close. They'll lose too much money. Luckily the life guards that work with my program have a conscience hence their phone call. They asked me to contact maintenance so the pool could be treated. I contacted the pool people on campus.
My decision to help out (and do the right thing) is going to cause a shit-storm in the morning. I know the director of that program is going to have a fit because the pool may need to close for a bit or even be drained. Then again if they had called the right people from the get-go, the issue may not need such a major fix. I am dreading work tomorrow. The director is so mean and gets angry when anything negative happens with his program. I'm confident that he may even deny someone threw up because it wasn't the head life guard that initiated the maintenance request.
I emailed my boss about the situation tonight so I'm hoping that helps him understand my involvement. I am confident he's going to have a voicemail waiting for him or the director will show up in the morning in a rage.
End of rant!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
And Now Things Start to Get Hectic!
My busy season is officially upon me as the summer program started at ISU this week. In total, the program has been running for 29 years now. It is my fourth year as acting director. I am proud to announce that I have figured out how to kick start things appropriately so necessary trainings, hiring practices, etc. take place with less issues. We've had a couple issues in the last days but nothing major. Right now we are dealing with a kid that peed their pants. And a language barrier exists between the parents and myself so it's been fun figuring out a solution.
We had our garage sale this past weekend. Mother Nature didn't help much with the torrential downpours and opening it again on Sunday didn't fair well. It was nice to get rid of stuff from the basement though. I still need to run boxes and items to Good Will or Salvation Army at some point. I thoroughly enjoyed the Japanese Steakhouse meal as well as the trip to the local casino.
My ISU summer course starts on Monday so I should be working on my prep for that....I'll likely put some hours in on Friday so I'm good-to-go for the week of lectures. I'm glad I checked in with a secretary today because I thought my class ran til July 31. It's actually done on July 24th.
DMACC is going slow and steady. Midterm takes place already next week.
Due to the increase in work this week, I am kicking butt with my activity levels. My activity monitor is lighting up nicely by the end of the day. My eating isn't as great though. It's irritating because in the beginning of the day I think "I need to lose weight and be better about my choices today." By the end of the day I easily give in to my cravings and don't think much about the nutritional value of my choices. I wish my morning frame of mind would stick all day. My clothes aren't fitting as nicely either which worrisome and it makes sense based on my weight. It's gone up.
I wish I could put the same passion I put into my job into my weight loss desire. I don't understand why this has been a difficulty for about 15 or so years. Grr.
Time to walk around and check on 110 children.
We had our garage sale this past weekend. Mother Nature didn't help much with the torrential downpours and opening it again on Sunday didn't fair well. It was nice to get rid of stuff from the basement though. I still need to run boxes and items to Good Will or Salvation Army at some point. I thoroughly enjoyed the Japanese Steakhouse meal as well as the trip to the local casino.
My ISU summer course starts on Monday so I should be working on my prep for that....I'll likely put some hours in on Friday so I'm good-to-go for the week of lectures. I'm glad I checked in with a secretary today because I thought my class ran til July 31. It's actually done on July 24th.
DMACC is going slow and steady. Midterm takes place already next week.
Due to the increase in work this week, I am kicking butt with my activity levels. My activity monitor is lighting up nicely by the end of the day. My eating isn't as great though. It's irritating because in the beginning of the day I think "I need to lose weight and be better about my choices today." By the end of the day I easily give in to my cravings and don't think much about the nutritional value of my choices. I wish my morning frame of mind would stick all day. My clothes aren't fitting as nicely either which worrisome and it makes sense based on my weight. It's gone up.
I wish I could put the same passion I put into my job into my weight loss desire. I don't understand why this has been a difficulty for about 15 or so years. Grr.
Time to walk around and check on 110 children.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Tis Planting Season
I've been excited to plant things in the past week so our flowers get a good start in addition to the garden. The flowers were the first to go in and have survived a major thunderstorm.
We have planted about 75% of the garden at this point. We've decided to plant the following this year:
I spent some time today painting one of new rain barrels. We plan to have four on the back of the garage (in the garden). We have two large barrels and two medium barrels. One of each will be on each side of the garden and will be connected to the gutter system. It was nice not using the hose much last year and having more barrels may prevent us from having to use the hose at all.
We have planted about 75% of the garden at this point. We've decided to plant the following this year:
- pickling cucumbers
- normal burpless cucumbers
- roma tomatoes
- big beef tomatoes
- jet tomatoes (not familiar with variety, going on a whim)
- beets
- carrots
- kohlrabi
- chives
- dill
- sunflowers
- zucchini
- parsley
We haven't planted the cucumbers or zucchini yet as we I'm trying to grow some seeds inside and transplant them later. I am hoping to can tomatoes, beets, and carrots. I'm also going to try and make pickles. I got a canning set for my birthday last year so I better start watching some YouTube videos to learn the skill.
We still need to add dirt to our raised beds. I am using one to grow the herbs and sunflowers. I am using a second to grow more carrots and beets. I'm curious to see how they do in a raised bed versus the actual garden. The third raised bed (primarily in shade) is for rhubarb.
I spent some time today painting one of new rain barrels. We plan to have four on the back of the garage (in the garden). We have two large barrels and two medium barrels. One of each will be on each side of the garden and will be connected to the gutter system. It was nice not using the hose much last year and having more barrels may prevent us from having to use the hose at all.
That's the basic update about the spring changes in our household. I'll do another update soon about work and such.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
New Goal....How Long Can I Avoid an Airplane?
Greetings!
I should be waist deep in grading tasks but my motivation is lacking. I graded for most of today at work and I will be doing the same tomorrow. Wahoo. I didn't get as much done as I wanted over the weekend. Apparently Internet isn't free in fancy hotels which I think is a huge hypocrisy. Oh well. I'll catch up, I always do.
My trip to St. Louis was less than stellar. My anxiety about flying was ramped up more than usual. I was fine the last two times I went to Michigan. I don't know if the work association was connected to my worry but the days before I flew out were not pleasant. I had a weird flight arrangement. I had to fly to St. Louis through Minneapolis. Weird but not as bad as my coworker as she had to fly through Atlanta. I arrived early to the Des Moines airport but our plane was late arriving at our gate. We had further delays when we were on the plane and waiting for take-off. I was supposed to have a suitable layover when I arrived at Minneapolis so I could walk to my next gate with ease. Nope. I arrived with four minutes before my next flight. They were making announcements when I got off the plane that gate doors were shutting for my next flight. I had to sprint with carry-on luggage. I had to be quite the sight. I've seen people sprinting in an airport before and never thought much about it. They all have my sympathy now as the process sucks.
The irony is the delay I had when I was on the plane for St. Louis. They held our take-off because the plane had to be de-iced. It was snowing heavily. Luckily they hosed down our plane and we headed south. Missouri was dealing with very severe weather and we landed during a tornado warning (supposedly). Most of the trip down was plagued with turbulence. It wasn't pleasant. At first I thought I would be fine but the last half an hour was rough. I am shocked I didn't throw up. A few people did and they ended food/drink service early because the flight crew couldn't handle the bouncing on the plane. I was grateful to get off the plane, find a cab, and get to my hotel room.
The conference was OK. I'm glad I attended in the sense I will have proof of professional development and may earn a raise in the next year. I did a few new things with some workshops and sessions. A couple sessions I really wanted to attend were canceled. Murphy's Law. My colleague and I went on a very long walk around the arch and through downtown St. Louis. At first it was for exercise and eventually we were looking for a specific Italian restaurant. It was in a high rise so we were walking by it during our search. We got to the restaurant and it was incredibly fancy. I was sweaty and in jeans. A basic meal was about $55.00. We went back to the hotel restaurant.
I left the next day around 6am so I could get to the airport and through security quickly. I thought the airport would be more busy but it was a quick process. My cab driver was quite the weirdo. He was foreign and kept talking and humming to himself the entire ride. He acted like he was speaking to the road and it was bizarre to say the least. I have never been so uncomfortable in a taxi. The flights back home were decent. I sat next to a naughty kid on my way to Minneapolis. She wasn't really naughty. She was antsy and bored. Her mom instantly fell asleep after boarding. She kept yanking on the seat in front of her and pulling a stranger's hair in the process. The flight did bum me out because I couldn't get the seat belt to fit. All of my other flights were fine seat belt-wise. I had no luck on this flight and for the first time EVER, had to ask for a seat belt extender. Sadness.
During the past couple weeks I read Jane Eyre and enjoyed it for the most part. I am fairly sure I read it years ago in middle school or high school. I didn't remember a thing about it. My recent Kindle purchase is Wuthering Heights. I need to read some tangible books after this as I have a stack to get through.
I am making progress with hiring folks for my summer program. One issue: hardly any females have applied. I prefer to have a male leader and female leader for each group. I think it makes parents feel better knowing that each sex is represented by a leadership position. I have a couple assistants that are female but they cannot be leaders. I am hoping a few more apply in the next weeks so I can adequately prepare for June. My payroll for May is odd so I had a meeting with a secretary today to plan for the process. Turns out I've been paid inappropriately in past years and we don't want to repeat history this year. Pay day in May might be a little scary. (Faculty can only make a percentage of their standard pay in the summer. I've been paid too much in past years between May-July.) I refuse to work for free in May and the work has to be done before June. Quite the predicament.
I think that's enough of an update! I feel better now that our garage sale has a set date. Summer can hurry up and approach!
I should be waist deep in grading tasks but my motivation is lacking. I graded for most of today at work and I will be doing the same tomorrow. Wahoo. I didn't get as much done as I wanted over the weekend. Apparently Internet isn't free in fancy hotels which I think is a huge hypocrisy. Oh well. I'll catch up, I always do.
My trip to St. Louis was less than stellar. My anxiety about flying was ramped up more than usual. I was fine the last two times I went to Michigan. I don't know if the work association was connected to my worry but the days before I flew out were not pleasant. I had a weird flight arrangement. I had to fly to St. Louis through Minneapolis. Weird but not as bad as my coworker as she had to fly through Atlanta. I arrived early to the Des Moines airport but our plane was late arriving at our gate. We had further delays when we were on the plane and waiting for take-off. I was supposed to have a suitable layover when I arrived at Minneapolis so I could walk to my next gate with ease. Nope. I arrived with four minutes before my next flight. They were making announcements when I got off the plane that gate doors were shutting for my next flight. I had to sprint with carry-on luggage. I had to be quite the sight. I've seen people sprinting in an airport before and never thought much about it. They all have my sympathy now as the process sucks.
The irony is the delay I had when I was on the plane for St. Louis. They held our take-off because the plane had to be de-iced. It was snowing heavily. Luckily they hosed down our plane and we headed south. Missouri was dealing with very severe weather and we landed during a tornado warning (supposedly). Most of the trip down was plagued with turbulence. It wasn't pleasant. At first I thought I would be fine but the last half an hour was rough. I am shocked I didn't throw up. A few people did and they ended food/drink service early because the flight crew couldn't handle the bouncing on the plane. I was grateful to get off the plane, find a cab, and get to my hotel room.
The conference was OK. I'm glad I attended in the sense I will have proof of professional development and may earn a raise in the next year. I did a few new things with some workshops and sessions. A couple sessions I really wanted to attend were canceled. Murphy's Law. My colleague and I went on a very long walk around the arch and through downtown St. Louis. At first it was for exercise and eventually we were looking for a specific Italian restaurant. It was in a high rise so we were walking by it during our search. We got to the restaurant and it was incredibly fancy. I was sweaty and in jeans. A basic meal was about $55.00. We went back to the hotel restaurant.
I left the next day around 6am so I could get to the airport and through security quickly. I thought the airport would be more busy but it was a quick process. My cab driver was quite the weirdo. He was foreign and kept talking and humming to himself the entire ride. He acted like he was speaking to the road and it was bizarre to say the least. I have never been so uncomfortable in a taxi. The flights back home were decent. I sat next to a naughty kid on my way to Minneapolis. She wasn't really naughty. She was antsy and bored. Her mom instantly fell asleep after boarding. She kept yanking on the seat in front of her and pulling a stranger's hair in the process. The flight did bum me out because I couldn't get the seat belt to fit. All of my other flights were fine seat belt-wise. I had no luck on this flight and for the first time EVER, had to ask for a seat belt extender. Sadness.
During the past couple weeks I read Jane Eyre and enjoyed it for the most part. I am fairly sure I read it years ago in middle school or high school. I didn't remember a thing about it. My recent Kindle purchase is Wuthering Heights. I need to read some tangible books after this as I have a stack to get through.
I am making progress with hiring folks for my summer program. One issue: hardly any females have applied. I prefer to have a male leader and female leader for each group. I think it makes parents feel better knowing that each sex is represented by a leadership position. I have a couple assistants that are female but they cannot be leaders. I am hoping a few more apply in the next weeks so I can adequately prepare for June. My payroll for May is odd so I had a meeting with a secretary today to plan for the process. Turns out I've been paid inappropriately in past years and we don't want to repeat history this year. Pay day in May might be a little scary. (Faculty can only make a percentage of their standard pay in the summer. I've been paid too much in past years between May-July.) I refuse to work for free in May and the work has to be done before June. Quite the predicament.
I think that's enough of an update! I feel better now that our garage sale has a set date. Summer can hurry up and approach!
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Slow, Boring Weekends are Fantastic
Greetings:
I am currently participating in a "catch-up" session of Netflix viewing. We've had a couple DVDs laying around for weeks so I watched "Beaches" earlier and am currently watching "Dead Poets Society". Years ago I saw most of "Beaches" on cable and realized it was one of the lead chick-flicks of our era. And after watching it in its entirety I can confirm it is quite the chick-flick. But it was a decent chick-flick. Too early to comment on "Dead Poets Society" but apparently I'm an oddball for never have seen the movie.
I've been able to read on a regular basis at night so I did complete Little Women and I had forgotten much of the story. It was pretty decent even though it's "old school" and sometimes difficult to read due to the vocabulary. I finished reading Madame Bovary a couple nights ago. I read this book in my advanced English course in high school and got extra credit for an exam. I did not remember the story line at all so it felt like a new read. The main character makes the story difficult to read because her decision making is stupid and it's impossible for me to feel sympathetic. Her suicide at the end doesn't even make me feel bad for her. Ironically one of the discussion questions at the end of the book asks "Do you feel empathy for Madame Bovary throughout her struggle with marriage and monogamy?"
The Health Fair my health studies students provided went very well last week. I had one group of students go way over and beyond with their preparation. They spent hours making 380 "mind jars" for students. (Small water bottles, syrup, and glitter that creates a snow globe effect so a student can relax and calm him or herself with a visual.) The school was very pleased with the event and do to the set-up of the district, we may go back to the district in the fall and present the next Health Fair at the other elementary school. I worry too much about the health fair event each semester because I'm worried the lack of work ethic I'm seeing in most classes will weasel its way into that major outreach project.
The financial class I'm taking is going very well and I spent part of day restocking my cash envelopes for the month of April. Gavin and I made a major shopping trip to Target too and he was surprisingly patient as he helped me organize my coupons. Kohl's had a nice sale on running shoes and athletic shorts so he's set for clothes too. I'm grateful we didn't need to run down to Des Moines.
I'm halfway excited and halfway dreading my trip to St. Louis next week. Due to a change to the PE program catalog (helps students plan out their four years), quite a few students dropped my aquatics course. They didn't drop it because they should....they dropped it because they could and it was convenient. Sigh. Anyway, I wish I would have known about this because I could have extended my trip to St. Louis. I could have left on Wednesday and attended an extra day of the conference. Sigh...again. I feel silly for only attending the conference for one day but some professional development is better than no professional development. I'm also not thrilled about sharing a hotel room with a colleague and like usual, I'm not thrilled about flying.
Time to write Grandma a letter!
I am currently participating in a "catch-up" session of Netflix viewing. We've had a couple DVDs laying around for weeks so I watched "Beaches" earlier and am currently watching "Dead Poets Society". Years ago I saw most of "Beaches" on cable and realized it was one of the lead chick-flicks of our era. And after watching it in its entirety I can confirm it is quite the chick-flick. But it was a decent chick-flick. Too early to comment on "Dead Poets Society" but apparently I'm an oddball for never have seen the movie.
I've been able to read on a regular basis at night so I did complete Little Women and I had forgotten much of the story. It was pretty decent even though it's "old school" and sometimes difficult to read due to the vocabulary. I finished reading Madame Bovary a couple nights ago. I read this book in my advanced English course in high school and got extra credit for an exam. I did not remember the story line at all so it felt like a new read. The main character makes the story difficult to read because her decision making is stupid and it's impossible for me to feel sympathetic. Her suicide at the end doesn't even make me feel bad for her. Ironically one of the discussion questions at the end of the book asks "Do you feel empathy for Madame Bovary throughout her struggle with marriage and monogamy?"
The Health Fair my health studies students provided went very well last week. I had one group of students go way over and beyond with their preparation. They spent hours making 380 "mind jars" for students. (Small water bottles, syrup, and glitter that creates a snow globe effect so a student can relax and calm him or herself with a visual.) The school was very pleased with the event and do to the set-up of the district, we may go back to the district in the fall and present the next Health Fair at the other elementary school. I worry too much about the health fair event each semester because I'm worried the lack of work ethic I'm seeing in most classes will weasel its way into that major outreach project.
The financial class I'm taking is going very well and I spent part of day restocking my cash envelopes for the month of April. Gavin and I made a major shopping trip to Target too and he was surprisingly patient as he helped me organize my coupons. Kohl's had a nice sale on running shoes and athletic shorts so he's set for clothes too. I'm grateful we didn't need to run down to Des Moines.
I'm halfway excited and halfway dreading my trip to St. Louis next week. Due to a change to the PE program catalog (helps students plan out their four years), quite a few students dropped my aquatics course. They didn't drop it because they should....they dropped it because they could and it was convenient. Sigh. Anyway, I wish I would have known about this because I could have extended my trip to St. Louis. I could have left on Wednesday and attended an extra day of the conference. Sigh...again. I feel silly for only attending the conference for one day but some professional development is better than no professional development. I'm also not thrilled about sharing a hotel room with a colleague and like usual, I'm not thrilled about flying.
Time to write Grandma a letter!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Good-Bye Spring Break
Sadly the week of freedom is almost over. I got most of my goals accomplished for the week. I didn't spend as much time at work as I had planned but I'm justifying that because it's Spring Break for Pete's sake. ***pause***
I took a "small" break so we could run and get Gavin from his class and it ended up being a break that lasted hours. The good news is that I got quite a bit of work done and I watched ISU win their game against the North Carolina Tarheels. I didn't get all of my grading done yet but I made a good dent in it over break. My health class (both sections) are providing a Health Fair to a local school on Wednesday. I get incredibly nervous because I'm relying on these students to do a great job. A couple groups are already presenting issues with their choice of content to share with elementary students. Other groups were planning to give candy out to kids...at 8am....at a Health Fair. Sigh.
I am sure everything will go well on Wednesday but I'm a worrywort about these things.
On a sad note, Jon's grandmother passed away on March 19. She was almost 97 and had been dealing with health issues for years. Her death was expected this week and we've tried to be a help to Jon's mom and dad. The visitation and funeral service were simplistic but fitting. Jon's dad is now pretty sick with an upper respiratory infection so he'll need extra care this week so Jon's mom is busy...which I think is helping her feel "normal" even with her mother gone.
I used a lot of time this week to do some personal tasks since it's becoming more and more difficult to fit things in with my work schedule. Thanks to a nice federal tax refund, I was able to put new tires on my car. A couple of trips during winter weather in past months made it obvious that I had more traction. I was also able to order two pairs of glasses and hope to have those in a couple weeks. My prescription hasn't changed ever but I like having a few choices when it comes to wearing glasses. My "sturdy" pair is scratched and not appropriate to wear to work. Now I'll have a few choices and I may actually keep a pair at work in case I lose a contact lense in the pool. I also put a nice chunk in my emergency fund.
I am giving a supplement a try with my weight loss. Alli is a product that's been on the market for awhile and is the only FDA-approved supplement associated with weight loss. I've wanted to try it for awhile but the price has scared me a bit. I received some coupons for the product and had a conversation with my doctor about it. Since I'm no longer taking meds for my gallbladder issue, it's safe for me to take the daily pills. Essentially, the supplement is taken three times a day with each meal but only if the meal includes fat. The pill prevents about half of the fat from a meal to be absorbed in the intestinal tract. The supplement + better food choices + physical activity is supposed to boost weight loss in a safe way. It's not supposed to be used for the long term. I'll give it a go for a month and see what I think. The only negative side effect happens if you eat a meal that has a ton of fat. You'll be in the bathroom a lot apparently.
I guess that's it for now.
I took a "small" break so we could run and get Gavin from his class and it ended up being a break that lasted hours. The good news is that I got quite a bit of work done and I watched ISU win their game against the North Carolina Tarheels. I didn't get all of my grading done yet but I made a good dent in it over break. My health class (both sections) are providing a Health Fair to a local school on Wednesday. I get incredibly nervous because I'm relying on these students to do a great job. A couple groups are already presenting issues with their choice of content to share with elementary students. Other groups were planning to give candy out to kids...at 8am....at a Health Fair. Sigh.
I am sure everything will go well on Wednesday but I'm a worrywort about these things.
On a sad note, Jon's grandmother passed away on March 19. She was almost 97 and had been dealing with health issues for years. Her death was expected this week and we've tried to be a help to Jon's mom and dad. The visitation and funeral service were simplistic but fitting. Jon's dad is now pretty sick with an upper respiratory infection so he'll need extra care this week so Jon's mom is busy...which I think is helping her feel "normal" even with her mother gone.
I used a lot of time this week to do some personal tasks since it's becoming more and more difficult to fit things in with my work schedule. Thanks to a nice federal tax refund, I was able to put new tires on my car. A couple of trips during winter weather in past months made it obvious that I had more traction. I was also able to order two pairs of glasses and hope to have those in a couple weeks. My prescription hasn't changed ever but I like having a few choices when it comes to wearing glasses. My "sturdy" pair is scratched and not appropriate to wear to work. Now I'll have a few choices and I may actually keep a pair at work in case I lose a contact lense in the pool. I also put a nice chunk in my emergency fund.
I am giving a supplement a try with my weight loss. Alli is a product that's been on the market for awhile and is the only FDA-approved supplement associated with weight loss. I've wanted to try it for awhile but the price has scared me a bit. I received some coupons for the product and had a conversation with my doctor about it. Since I'm no longer taking meds for my gallbladder issue, it's safe for me to take the daily pills. Essentially, the supplement is taken three times a day with each meal but only if the meal includes fat. The pill prevents about half of the fat from a meal to be absorbed in the intestinal tract. The supplement + better food choices + physical activity is supposed to boost weight loss in a safe way. It's not supposed to be used for the long term. I'll give it a go for a month and see what I think. The only negative side effect happens if you eat a meal that has a ton of fat. You'll be in the bathroom a lot apparently.
I guess that's it for now.
Friday, February 28, 2014
The Last Weeks Have Been Numbing....Literally
Well I'll explain the title first. Since Monday, February 17 I've had a weird loss of sensation and numbness in my left index finger. Everything else on my hand is fine...just the finger is acting up. I woke up and noticed it felt funny. I thought I slept on it wrong. Nope. I bit the bullet on Wednesday and went to the walk-in clinic to get a professional perspective. The doctor was stumped but we are trying a two week Aleve regimen to see if there is some inflammation that is making a nerve unhappy. I thought I had some improvement yesterday but it was just the fact my hands felt frozen and cold. The numbness was back when I warmed up at home.
I forgot to mention a really cool financial program Jon and I are participating in through our church. It's called Financial Peace University and it's coordinated by Dave Ramsey. I've known a few people/couples in past years that have used an envelope system for managing finances. The program calls to the fact that you do have to use automatic withdrawal, online payments, and checks to pay for some bills. For other areas, you are to use envelopes to manage cash. I will be using an envelope for my personal spending money, groceries, and eating out. I've also created envelopes that allow me to save month-by-month for my car insurance, Gavin's needs, etc. The program's premise is that it's helpful to feel actual money and see it change hands. It's very easy to swipe a debit card or credit card and not truly understand the debt it may be creating. March will be our first month trying the envelope system. I'm excited to get rid of more of my debt and be more efficient about the process.
I see other perks developing from our involvement in the financial class. It is going to cause us to shop using a grocery list. If I only have so much cash to use on groceries and eating out, it will help prevent impulse purchases. I'm even trying to be more mindful about left-overs and meal planning as the amount of food we waste is crazy. If we have a better handle on shopping and food preparation, it will affect our health and weight loss too.
One of my stressors is a professional development opportunity that I should be attending in April. It is the national convention for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. It is in St. Louis. My main concern is the funding I have through ISU. I thought I had more funds available for professional development but as of now I have $315.00 and I don't know how far that will go. I'm a slacker though and haven't scrutinized airfare options yet. On the plus side, I can share a hotel room with a colleague and she's paying for that with her professional development funds. I'll probably just make up the difference and use some of my tax refund to support the trip. I want do more professional development on a regular basis so I'm teaching my classes well and it's a significant portion of my annual evaluation each year.
Thanks to Mr. Taxman, I'm paying into the state this year. Fortunately, I am getting my typical federal refund. It's going to help me set up a money market savings account (for the financial class), buy new tires soon, pay for some of that St. Louis trip, save up for Gavin's driver's education fee, and pay off more debt. I will probably stash some away for vacation in August. We plan to go to House on the Rock and bop around that part of Wisconsin and NE Iowa for part of a week in August.
I'm in a mental slump right now because I have to stay in Ames until 10pm tonight because I"m teaching a portion of the DMACC coaching authorization seminar. I shouldn't gripe though because it's good money. I only teach it once in awhile but it gets old. Teaching for 5 straight hours is never easy but depending on the class dynamic, things progress quickly. I hope I didn't just jinx that. I'm also the "hodge-podge" instructor as I have to cover topics that are mandatory but don't fit on other days very well. I teach about moral development, cognitive development, social-emotional development, some legal information (liability/negligence), and physical development. Oh yes, and I have to cover hazing. Considering that it is supposed to snow this afternoon and/or evening, I am hoping I can easily drive home afterwards. I am thrilled to sleep in tomorrow and we really don't have much planned at all for the weekend.
Time to go teach!
I forgot to mention a really cool financial program Jon and I are participating in through our church. It's called Financial Peace University and it's coordinated by Dave Ramsey. I've known a few people/couples in past years that have used an envelope system for managing finances. The program calls to the fact that you do have to use automatic withdrawal, online payments, and checks to pay for some bills. For other areas, you are to use envelopes to manage cash. I will be using an envelope for my personal spending money, groceries, and eating out. I've also created envelopes that allow me to save month-by-month for my car insurance, Gavin's needs, etc. The program's premise is that it's helpful to feel actual money and see it change hands. It's very easy to swipe a debit card or credit card and not truly understand the debt it may be creating. March will be our first month trying the envelope system. I'm excited to get rid of more of my debt and be more efficient about the process.
I see other perks developing from our involvement in the financial class. It is going to cause us to shop using a grocery list. If I only have so much cash to use on groceries and eating out, it will help prevent impulse purchases. I'm even trying to be more mindful about left-overs and meal planning as the amount of food we waste is crazy. If we have a better handle on shopping and food preparation, it will affect our health and weight loss too.
One of my stressors is a professional development opportunity that I should be attending in April. It is the national convention for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. It is in St. Louis. My main concern is the funding I have through ISU. I thought I had more funds available for professional development but as of now I have $315.00 and I don't know how far that will go. I'm a slacker though and haven't scrutinized airfare options yet. On the plus side, I can share a hotel room with a colleague and she's paying for that with her professional development funds. I'll probably just make up the difference and use some of my tax refund to support the trip. I want do more professional development on a regular basis so I'm teaching my classes well and it's a significant portion of my annual evaluation each year.
Thanks to Mr. Taxman, I'm paying into the state this year. Fortunately, I am getting my typical federal refund. It's going to help me set up a money market savings account (for the financial class), buy new tires soon, pay for some of that St. Louis trip, save up for Gavin's driver's education fee, and pay off more debt. I will probably stash some away for vacation in August. We plan to go to House on the Rock and bop around that part of Wisconsin and NE Iowa for part of a week in August.
I'm in a mental slump right now because I have to stay in Ames until 10pm tonight because I"m teaching a portion of the DMACC coaching authorization seminar. I shouldn't gripe though because it's good money. I only teach it once in awhile but it gets old. Teaching for 5 straight hours is never easy but depending on the class dynamic, things progress quickly. I hope I didn't just jinx that. I'm also the "hodge-podge" instructor as I have to cover topics that are mandatory but don't fit on other days very well. I teach about moral development, cognitive development, social-emotional development, some legal information (liability/negligence), and physical development. Oh yes, and I have to cover hazing. Considering that it is supposed to snow this afternoon and/or evening, I am hoping I can easily drive home afterwards. I am thrilled to sleep in tomorrow and we really don't have much planned at all for the weekend.
Time to go teach!
Thursday, February 20, 2014
*insert a well-thought out title*
Greetings:
Sadly I had hoped I the blog entry would be written hours ago but I successfully distracted myself with other tasks around the house. I was advised to leave work early today due to the thundersnow and crazy precipitation. It really wasn't THAT horrible but it was nice to get home early as Gavin was dismissed two hours early. I don't think he'd want to walk home in the slushy mess. The half-day allowed me to catch up with some laundry and prepare a wholesome dinner in the crockpot. We had chicken taco chili for supper. I made some pistachio pudding too but I'm waiting to ensure it sets. I've never had it before...let's hope it's wonderful.
Jon and I are trying to be more regimented with Weight Watchers but with that being said, we didn't go yesterday to weigh-in. I am seriously contemplating using the online program alone. I really don't care for the meetings. The leader is just too much. I really don't see another time of the week to attend that works with my schedule either. Sigh. Either way something needs to kick for my motivation because it is L-A-C-K-I-N-G. I've undone my weight loss from last year. Some clothes are fitting more tightly. I really need to dive head first into some changes.
On a different note, I may be attending a conference in April in St. Louis. I'm still contemplating. I need to find someone to cover Swim & Gym for me. Most of me really wants to go because I really want to do more professional development on a regular basis. I'm also attending a conference in March too but it's located in Ames. The St. Louis conference is for AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance). The conference in March is called the Risky Business Conference. Experts speak about the latest health concerns for youth. I just need to organize some information so I can make an official decision for the St. Louis venture.
I have been reading more (thanks to the Kindle). I read The Help since we recently watched the movie on the dish. Like usual, the book is better than the movie. I am currently reading Little Women because I remembered enjoying so much in my teen years. I also want to read Why Teach? In Defense of Real Education but I don't want to buy it on my Kindle. I need to walk my butt into the Ames Public Library and borrow it soon. I've read a sample of it though and it should be interesting. It hits on the consumerism aspect of post-secondary education and how the business of college is changing the educational process.
With Gavin now being 14, we need to figure out when to get him to a DOT station so he can try to take his exam for his driver's permit. I want him to have that first because I sign him up for driver's education this summer. Then again I may wait even longer before I sign him up for that. We'll see. When the weather isn't so cruddy, I am going to take him to some parking lots that are close to Saylorville Lake. The parking lots are huge and usually vacant so it will be a nice place for him to practice. I'm sure I'll find some logical blacktops and gravel roads too.
OK, that's enough for now. Hopefully I can boast some health-related success next time.
Sadly I had hoped I the blog entry would be written hours ago but I successfully distracted myself with other tasks around the house. I was advised to leave work early today due to the thundersnow and crazy precipitation. It really wasn't THAT horrible but it was nice to get home early as Gavin was dismissed two hours early. I don't think he'd want to walk home in the slushy mess. The half-day allowed me to catch up with some laundry and prepare a wholesome dinner in the crockpot. We had chicken taco chili for supper. I made some pistachio pudding too but I'm waiting to ensure it sets. I've never had it before...let's hope it's wonderful.
Jon and I are trying to be more regimented with Weight Watchers but with that being said, we didn't go yesterday to weigh-in. I am seriously contemplating using the online program alone. I really don't care for the meetings. The leader is just too much. I really don't see another time of the week to attend that works with my schedule either. Sigh. Either way something needs to kick for my motivation because it is L-A-C-K-I-N-G. I've undone my weight loss from last year. Some clothes are fitting more tightly. I really need to dive head first into some changes.
On a different note, I may be attending a conference in April in St. Louis. I'm still contemplating. I need to find someone to cover Swim & Gym for me. Most of me really wants to go because I really want to do more professional development on a regular basis. I'm also attending a conference in March too but it's located in Ames. The St. Louis conference is for AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance). The conference in March is called the Risky Business Conference. Experts speak about the latest health concerns for youth. I just need to organize some information so I can make an official decision for the St. Louis venture.
I have been reading more (thanks to the Kindle). I read The Help since we recently watched the movie on the dish. Like usual, the book is better than the movie. I am currently reading Little Women because I remembered enjoying so much in my teen years. I also want to read Why Teach? In Defense of Real Education but I don't want to buy it on my Kindle. I need to walk my butt into the Ames Public Library and borrow it soon. I've read a sample of it though and it should be interesting. It hits on the consumerism aspect of post-secondary education and how the business of college is changing the educational process.
With Gavin now being 14, we need to figure out when to get him to a DOT station so he can try to take his exam for his driver's permit. I want him to have that first because I sign him up for driver's education this summer. Then again I may wait even longer before I sign him up for that. We'll see. When the weather isn't so cruddy, I am going to take him to some parking lots that are close to Saylorville Lake. The parking lots are huge and usually vacant so it will be a nice place for him to practice. I'm sure I'll find some logical blacktops and gravel roads too.
OK, that's enough for now. Hopefully I can boast some health-related success next time.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Off to a Good Start....Professionally
As the title states, the new year has started off on the right foot in regards to semesters starting up for both ISU and DMACC. No major complaints with work despite my schedule being very busy most days. I am teaching three classes for ISU, two for DMACC, running Swim & Gym, supervising three student teachers, supervising the grad students that teach, and some other miscellaneous stuff.
Health-wise I am not off to a good start. Both Jon and I aren't pleased with eating habits and activity levels. Lots of work to do....need to officially dive in.
Thanks to receiving my Kindle for my birthday, I've been reading more for pleasure. I read A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel and really enjoyed it. It's the book that was used to create the movie "Simon Birch". The book is much different but they did a good job making the movie. The boy (Simon Birch/Owen Meany) lives into adulthood in the book which is quite different than the movie.
I also read the short story related to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I was surprised it was a short story and so basic. It's quite different than the movie so for once I can say the movie is better than the book.
Last night I finished Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which yes was also developed into a movie. The book is very similar to the movie. The main difference relates to the daughter (Sandra Bullock in the movie) and the fact she isn't kidnapped by the Ya-Yas but is alone in a cabin reflecting on her childhood and her upcoming wedding.
I am working on two Stephen King books. The Talisman has been a tough read so far. I started The Wind Through the Keyhole which is a new addition to the "Dark Tower" series. It's been awhile since I've read the series so I'm hoping I can make sense of the book. It's not attached to the end of the series but would be between books 4 and 5 chronologically.
I have some Beth Moore books waiting too. She writes religous books and almost all her books were free one day through Amazon so I bought 6 of them.
Gavin started up with basketball. He's on B team and has played two games. He's still a little rusty but there is still another month of practice and games. When Swim & Gym starts, I'm not sure how many games I'll be able to attend. Games are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Mondays. Blah.
Ok....back to watching reruns of Roseanne!
Health-wise I am not off to a good start. Both Jon and I aren't pleased with eating habits and activity levels. Lots of work to do....need to officially dive in.
Thanks to receiving my Kindle for my birthday, I've been reading more for pleasure. I read A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel and really enjoyed it. It's the book that was used to create the movie "Simon Birch". The book is much different but they did a good job making the movie. The boy (Simon Birch/Owen Meany) lives into adulthood in the book which is quite different than the movie.
I also read the short story related to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". I was surprised it was a short story and so basic. It's quite different than the movie so for once I can say the movie is better than the book.
Last night I finished Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which yes was also developed into a movie. The book is very similar to the movie. The main difference relates to the daughter (Sandra Bullock in the movie) and the fact she isn't kidnapped by the Ya-Yas but is alone in a cabin reflecting on her childhood and her upcoming wedding.
I am working on two Stephen King books. The Talisman has been a tough read so far. I started The Wind Through the Keyhole which is a new addition to the "Dark Tower" series. It's been awhile since I've read the series so I'm hoping I can make sense of the book. It's not attached to the end of the series but would be between books 4 and 5 chronologically.
I have some Beth Moore books waiting too. She writes religous books and almost all her books were free one day through Amazon so I bought 6 of them.
Gavin started up with basketball. He's on B team and has played two games. He's still a little rusty but there is still another month of practice and games. When Swim & Gym starts, I'm not sure how many games I'll be able to attend. Games are on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Mondays. Blah.
Ok....back to watching reruns of Roseanne!
Monday, January 6, 2014
Bring on another semester...
I am wrapping things up for the day before I head out into the frigid cold. I'm curious to hear what the Fusion sounds like when I try to start it in a little bit. My game plan was to update and change my syllabi for the semester for both institutions. I was successful. I even worked on my online courses a bit too and worked ahead for the semester. My class sizes for DMACC are rather large so I'm curious to see how many people drop in the first week.
I am becoming more motivated to spruce up my office at ISU and make it more personal. I've never asked to paint it and I'm not about to do that yet. I want to try and do something collage-wise with pictures of Gavin so I can be more boastful of my offspring when people are in my office. I have so many extra pictures of him at home. I need to figure out a cute way to present the pictures though. (Yes I've been scanning Pinterest for ideas). I never had a lot of creativity or craftiness working for me so I doubt I'll be blessed with any this week.
I am truly pleased that my stressed demeanor just melts away over the holiday break. I am truly enthused and excited to start the spring semester. I have great ideas for all my classes. (especially the class associated with educating future health teachers)
I'm also excited for my millionth pursuit of changing my lifestyle. Right now at this moment I'm thinking "eating better and exercising more? piece of cake. I'll start tonight." What sucks is that I'll get home and laziness or indifference will kick in and my line of thinking will switch to "mmmm breaded cheese balls and sitting on the couch.....I'll work out tomorrow."
I should probably go to Weight Watchers and see what I weigh. It will depress me but I need to know where I'm starting from. History repeats itself!!
Anywho...time to pack up and head back to Ankeny. Yippee.
I am becoming more motivated to spruce up my office at ISU and make it more personal. I've never asked to paint it and I'm not about to do that yet. I want to try and do something collage-wise with pictures of Gavin so I can be more boastful of my offspring when people are in my office. I have so many extra pictures of him at home. I need to figure out a cute way to present the pictures though. (Yes I've been scanning Pinterest for ideas). I never had a lot of creativity or craftiness working for me so I doubt I'll be blessed with any this week.
I am truly pleased that my stressed demeanor just melts away over the holiday break. I am truly enthused and excited to start the spring semester. I have great ideas for all my classes. (especially the class associated with educating future health teachers)
I'm also excited for my millionth pursuit of changing my lifestyle. Right now at this moment I'm thinking "eating better and exercising more? piece of cake. I'll start tonight." What sucks is that I'll get home and laziness or indifference will kick in and my line of thinking will switch to "mmmm breaded cheese balls and sitting on the couch.....I'll work out tomorrow."
I should probably go to Weight Watchers and see what I weigh. It will depress me but I need to know where I'm starting from. History repeats itself!!
Anywho...time to pack up and head back to Ankeny. Yippee.
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