I've been waiting to write this blog for quite some time. At 8:30am, I stood in front of my committee (and other colleagues/faculty) and gave my presentation for my thesis. I only spoke for about 30 minutes. Even Gavin got to sit on my presentation but didn't seem too enthralled, imagine that. After my presentation, I was asked questions by my committee. My committee situation was rather complicated. The exercise psychologist has been living in his home country of Greece for the past year but was in Washington D.C. the past few days so he participated over speaker phone. The exercise physiologist on my committee had a family emergency recently and is not in the state of Iowa so another exercise physiologist sat in his place. They asked me questions about my analyses and basically told me what I did wrong in certain places. I left the conference room for awhile so they could discuss things without me present. They approved my thesis on the condition that I make some necessary changes. The changes will be made over the next week and hopefully I can finalize my thesis before the end of June (adding a table of contents, final edits, fixing those necessary stats, formatting margins/tables, etc.).
Kathi has mentioned over the last year that she wants me to measure all the children in my study again. I really didn't think this was feasible over the summer because I need to make money in order to pay rent, bills, and basically survive financially. I couldn't devote the time to measure those kiddos unless I would be paid. Today Kathi announced that both Matt and I would be paid an hourly wage for 12 weeks through the summer to work on data collection and working on other loose ends. I don't think my boss will be back for a long time (since she lives in Texas now) so Matt and I will do her "ISU work" in her absence. I'm happy that I'll have more steady income this summer.
I spoke to the chairperson in our department today and he stated he would like me to help with lecturing in the fall IF the budget will allow for it. My boss will be a faculty member at a different university come August so her void needs to be filled at ISU in regards to classes that prepare future PE teachers. We do have current grad students and one previous student that helped this past semester but they want to organize things better and probably consolidate more responsibilities into fewer positions. I need to NOT get my hopes up about this because like I said before, the budget is not finalized for the fall. It was very nice though to hear of the interest for my teaching skills. And dammit...my hopes are high even though I tried to remain neutral about my possibilities. I'm still going to search for other job opportunities of course since I cannot depend on having a position at ISU.
Also received word that forestry greenhouse is providing more work for me, if I want it. It's simple work and pays incredibly well. With the combination of Kathi's work and the greenhouse work this summer, I should be working 40 hours or close to that amount each week this summer! It's such a relief that we won't be living in poverty. Like usual, I plan to save to prepare for those times when money is tight or I have to deal with large bills. Being that my future is still uncertain in regards to employment, I still cannot make progress with home hunting.
Yes I'm thrilled to be almost done with the thesis process and excited to enter the realm of finding "real employment" but I have other things that exciting me as well. I'm excited to have a better routine at home. I'm excited to exercise more regularly. I'm excited to prepare more homemade meals not live my life around convenient foods. I'm excited to be more social. Instead of trying to find time to hang out with friends and family....I can also make that a more regular part of my life. Maybe I can find that man of my dreams now instead of being buried in work and wishing I already had him in my life. I'm excited to make personal improvements, parenting improvements, and live the life I've desired for quite some time.
Thank you two for all your support as I've worked my way through the last year. You listened to me vent about my issues and gave me encouragement in a genuine manner. I really do have great friends and family in my life and I owe much of my success to the support I always receive from those that care about me.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Tastey recipes with lots o' veggies!
Zucchini Rounds:
1 small to medium zucchini
1/4 flour
1/4 milk
1 egg
1 Tbs. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp each parsley flakes, black pepper, garlic powder (not salt)
2 tsp salt
Shred zucchini and place in a colander. Add 2 tsp salt, mix well and set over a bowl for no less than 20 minutes (the salt pulls the excess water out of the zucchini). After 20-30 minutes, squeeze water out of zucchini. In a bowl combine flour, milk, egg, and seasonings, mix well. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Add drained and squeezed zucchini to batter and mix. Heat a non-stick pan on the stove to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, spreading the batter out evenly. I usually do 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of my pan. cook on one side until browned and then flip. These look like thing pancakes when done. Serve hot!
Broiled Tomatoes:
This recipe is simple. Adjust ingredients for desired serving size. It is also best to use large tomatoes.
Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and place a wire cooking rack inside. set tomato slices on cooling rack. Top with seasoning of choice (I like salt, garlic powder and lemon pepper but you can use whatever seasoning you prefer)and mozzarella cheese (or cheddar, or jack, or feta...again whatever you like). Pop in oven under your broiler until the cheese is hot bubbly and melted...eat carefully because these can be VERY hot fresh from the oven.
1 small to medium zucchini
1/4 flour
1/4 milk
1 egg
1 Tbs. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp each parsley flakes, black pepper, garlic powder (not salt)
2 tsp salt
Shred zucchini and place in a colander. Add 2 tsp salt, mix well and set over a bowl for no less than 20 minutes (the salt pulls the excess water out of the zucchini). After 20-30 minutes, squeeze water out of zucchini. In a bowl combine flour, milk, egg, and seasonings, mix well. Add melted butter and stir to combine. Add drained and squeezed zucchini to batter and mix. Heat a non-stick pan on the stove to medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, spreading the batter out evenly. I usually do 2 or 3 at a time depending on the size of my pan. cook on one side until browned and then flip. These look like thing pancakes when done. Serve hot!
Broiled Tomatoes:
This recipe is simple. Adjust ingredients for desired serving size. It is also best to use large tomatoes.
Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and place a wire cooking rack inside. set tomato slices on cooling rack. Top with seasoning of choice (I like salt, garlic powder and lemon pepper but you can use whatever seasoning you prefer)and mozzarella cheese (or cheddar, or jack, or feta...again whatever you like). Pop in oven under your broiler until the cheese is hot bubbly and melted...eat carefully because these can be VERY hot fresh from the oven.
Goals, Jokes, Prunes and Recipes...
Happy June ladies! It's hard to believe that the summer is upon us once again but it is. I know I said way back when that fall is my favorite time of year, but living in the moment I have to say that early June is striking my fancy as well! I love the smell of lilacs and other flowers, the rain storms, all of the baby ducks and geese running around my place, fresh veggies, warm days and cool night...I could go on but I think you get the point.
Now, onto business. First, I just have to say that I have not been honest with myself and that means that I probably have not been honest with you either. As far as our lifestyle change has gone, I have not been doing well. I haven't been exercising as regularly as I should (if I even get much at all) and I have been eating out WAY too often and not eating properly when cooking at home. The weight that I worked hard to lose is coming back. I haven't gained it all back but I am at risk of that happening if I don't make some changes. I really would like to get back in the swing of things. I am already off of pop again (really, caffeine in general) and have been working on getting enough water and other hydrating beverages in my diet. I am going back to making a weekly menu and will be sticking to it. I am going to put a concentrated effort into not eating out. While there are things that I like and will get on occasion, I really want to focus on home-cooked meals. I am also getting back into the exercise. I don't know why I ever get off track here. I always feel so much better when I am working out regularly. I sleep better, have more energy and just feel happier...yay for endorphins! I worked out on Sunday night and plan on doing a treadmill workout tonight. I've actually been thinking about asking one of the ladies that I work with if she'd like to work out with me after work. That way I have a little bit more accountability. I'll let you know how that goes!
Onto my random bits of knowledge for today. Did you know that prunes are a wonderful snack idea? I stumbled across an article that showed that prunes are beneficial in many ways including:
1. The polyphenoids can help boost bone density (all girls need help there).
2. They're heart smart: the flavanoids help reduce inflammation in the arteries which will help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. They are jam packed with good stuff including iron, potassium, fiber, vits. A, C, E, and B complex.
So yeah, even though you might feel like your grandma, next time you're at the store try grabbing a box of prunes and give 'em a try (assuming that you like prunes...you never know with you Smith girls)!
I do have a recipe for you ladies but as always, I'll post it in another link to keep this novel from getting any longer. This is a recipe starring one of my favorite veggies zucchini!
Now, last but not least, as promised in my title, here are some really bad jokes to brighten your day! Enjoy!!!
What do you get when you cross a cobra tamer and a playwright? William Snakespear.
What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman? Frost bite.
Why did the man put cheese on his computer? He wanted to feed the mouse.
What kind of dog can jump higher than a building? Any dog. A building can't jump!
Now, onto business. First, I just have to say that I have not been honest with myself and that means that I probably have not been honest with you either. As far as our lifestyle change has gone, I have not been doing well. I haven't been exercising as regularly as I should (if I even get much at all) and I have been eating out WAY too often and not eating properly when cooking at home. The weight that I worked hard to lose is coming back. I haven't gained it all back but I am at risk of that happening if I don't make some changes. I really would like to get back in the swing of things. I am already off of pop again (really, caffeine in general) and have been working on getting enough water and other hydrating beverages in my diet. I am going back to making a weekly menu and will be sticking to it. I am going to put a concentrated effort into not eating out. While there are things that I like and will get on occasion, I really want to focus on home-cooked meals. I am also getting back into the exercise. I don't know why I ever get off track here. I always feel so much better when I am working out regularly. I sleep better, have more energy and just feel happier...yay for endorphins! I worked out on Sunday night and plan on doing a treadmill workout tonight. I've actually been thinking about asking one of the ladies that I work with if she'd like to work out with me after work. That way I have a little bit more accountability. I'll let you know how that goes!
Onto my random bits of knowledge for today. Did you know that prunes are a wonderful snack idea? I stumbled across an article that showed that prunes are beneficial in many ways including:
1. The polyphenoids can help boost bone density (all girls need help there).
2. They're heart smart: the flavanoids help reduce inflammation in the arteries which will help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. They are jam packed with good stuff including iron, potassium, fiber, vits. A, C, E, and B complex.
So yeah, even though you might feel like your grandma, next time you're at the store try grabbing a box of prunes and give 'em a try (assuming that you like prunes...you never know with you Smith girls)!
I do have a recipe for you ladies but as always, I'll post it in another link to keep this novel from getting any longer. This is a recipe starring one of my favorite veggies zucchini!
Now, last but not least, as promised in my title, here are some really bad jokes to brighten your day! Enjoy!!!
What do you get when you cross a cobra tamer and a playwright? William Snakespear.
What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman? Frost bite.
Why did the man put cheese on his computer? He wanted to feed the mouse.
What kind of dog can jump higher than a building? Any dog. A building can't jump!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
It's hard to believe...
but exactly one year ago today I was sitting in my bedroom with no furniture, eating Subway (because I didn't know where any grocery stores were), and surfing the interwebs on stolen Wifi. Yes, you guessed right, today is my one year anniversary since moving to Michigan!!! AHHH. I can't believe how fast the time has flown yet drug along slowly. I have to admit, living in Michigan hasn't been as bad as I thought but it's definitely not the place I want to see myself in five years (sorry Michigan, you just can't compare to my beloved Iowa)!! Anyway, this post isn't going to be totally devoted to my first year in Michigan so I guess I should move on!
I don't have much to report as far as my diet and exercise are concerned. I've been doing well with the eating but I'm still not exercising as regularly as I should be. I need to get back into it, once I do it will be easy to stick with it. I guess the moral of the story is that I just need to get my butt off the couch. Ok, gotta jet. This was abreviated but I'll write more later (and I will most likely be posting some excellent eggplant and zucchini recipes)!
I don't have much to report as far as my diet and exercise are concerned. I've been doing well with the eating but I'm still not exercising as regularly as I should be. I need to get back into it, once I do it will be easy to stick with it. I guess the moral of the story is that I just need to get my butt off the couch. Ok, gotta jet. This was abreviated but I'll write more later (and I will most likely be posting some excellent eggplant and zucchini recipes)!
Frustration....
I'm currently killing time because I'm at a standstill with my thesis. It's due to be sent out today to my committee. I was on the ball yesterday and had corrections/edits completed by 10am to send to my advisor. I also asked some general questions too so I had expected at least one email back but didn't receive anything. I also call my advisor daily but she's been unable to be reached by phone....considering it's shut off. It's 24 hours since I sent all my information to her and I still have received no communication! I'm starting to worry. I also hope that nothing is wrong (family emergency, illness/injury, etc) but I think her cell phone would still be on if that was the case. Grr.....
On a more positive note, I'm very happy to kickstart some healthy habits again now that my thesis is close to done. Here is my list of things to restart (gradually):
1) use of my treadmill with the running program with the intention to work up to daily use
2) start using some concepts of Weight Watcher's again like counting points for a week or two so I get my portions and appetite in check
3) being to use my car less and my bike more often (but this may be tricky when Gavin has day camp during some weeks in the summer)
4)reinstate the eating-out 1-2 times a week rule
5)early to bed and early to rise....fix my sleeping habits
So those five areas are my general plan to improve my health and lifestyle in the summer months...I've kept using my thesis as an excuse even though I should not have been using any excuses at all. I will have more stresses when it comes to searching for a job, packing, finding a new place to live, etc but if I start including exercise and smart food choices now, they should fit in with the stress easily. Heck, they should help me handle my stress and hopefully reduce it for me.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents for now!
On a more positive note, I'm very happy to kickstart some healthy habits again now that my thesis is close to done. Here is my list of things to restart (gradually):
1) use of my treadmill with the running program with the intention to work up to daily use
2) start using some concepts of Weight Watcher's again like counting points for a week or two so I get my portions and appetite in check
3) being to use my car less and my bike more often (but this may be tricky when Gavin has day camp during some weeks in the summer)
4)reinstate the eating-out 1-2 times a week rule
5)early to bed and early to rise....fix my sleeping habits
So those five areas are my general plan to improve my health and lifestyle in the summer months...I've kept using my thesis as an excuse even though I should not have been using any excuses at all. I will have more stresses when it comes to searching for a job, packing, finding a new place to live, etc but if I start including exercise and smart food choices now, they should fit in with the stress easily. Heck, they should help me handle my stress and hopefully reduce it for me.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents for now!
Monday, May 25, 2009
What a wonderful day...
Happy Memorial Day ladies!! What an absolutely wonderful day to have off of work. The sun is hot, the breeze is cool and I just spent the last few hours hanging out a beautiful park just off my route from work. I was going to try fishing but I'm a bit strapped for cash right now and by the time I get my license, the gear that I need to stock my tackle box, bait and pay my fishing fee (yes, you have to buy a license and pay a fishing fee)I would spend an awful lot of money for a one-day excursion. So I decided to grab a book, my iPod, and a camp chair and catch some rays. What a wonderful way to spend a lazy day!
Anyway, I've been doing well with my eating and pop drinking lately. I'm not really drinking pop anymore (I splurge a few times when it sounds good but I've started drinking more water and milk to replace my caffeinated devil). What I haven't been doing is exercising regularly. I was doing really well when I was using the treadmill right after work but now that the weather is getting better I can't fathom staying in the basement at work for an extra 5 minutes let alone an extra hour. Well, I think I have a solution. The park that I was at today is just off the route that I take home at night. It's a nice park with paved walking trails that are scenic and hilly. There seem to be a lot of people who use the trail so I wouldn't be worried about being in the middle of nowhere by myself and it's in a nice area so I feel safe. I hope to start going there after work to do some walking. I really want to kick things back into gear and I think this would really help.
Anyway, I don't have much more to share today...I'm starving and need to think about food of some sort. Have a great day and I hope the long weekend was wonderful for you both!!!
Anyway, I've been doing well with my eating and pop drinking lately. I'm not really drinking pop anymore (I splurge a few times when it sounds good but I've started drinking more water and milk to replace my caffeinated devil). What I haven't been doing is exercising regularly. I was doing really well when I was using the treadmill right after work but now that the weather is getting better I can't fathom staying in the basement at work for an extra 5 minutes let alone an extra hour. Well, I think I have a solution. The park that I was at today is just off the route that I take home at night. It's a nice park with paved walking trails that are scenic and hilly. There seem to be a lot of people who use the trail so I wouldn't be worried about being in the middle of nowhere by myself and it's in a nice area so I feel safe. I hope to start going there after work to do some walking. I really want to kick things back into gear and I think this would really help.
Anyway, I don't have much more to share today...I'm starving and need to think about food of some sort. Have a great day and I hope the long weekend was wonderful for you both!!!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
My tummy and waist line are happy!
I love this time of year for a myriad of reasons. The weather is getting so nice with some consistency, I get to break out my comfortable work clothes (capris!), it smells amazing with all of the flowers that are in bloom including but not limited to lilacs and I can once again get fresh produce of high quality without spending an arm and a leg.
There is a little country market down the road from my apartment and all spring, summer and fall they offer locally grown produce (some of which they grow themselves)that is so good and less expensive than the stuff I would buy in the grocery store. It is so nice to have garden grown tomatoes and cucumbers! Its amazing how much easier it is to eat well when fresh fruits and veggies don't cost roughly the same as a brick of gold. I cannot wait until they get more produce in and I can start eating salads and salads and salads (can you tell that I like salads?)! When I stopped in the other day to grab tomatoes and cukes, they also had squash and zucchini and eggplant...can't wait to get into those also! Anyway, sorry for rambling on about my excellent veggies but I just ate a sliced up cucumber for lunch and it apparently went straight to my head!
Anyway, the last few days have been good. I've been eating well and I might be getting on the treadmill tonight after work...although it is so nice out I might actually go home and walk outside (not as intense but the scenery is infinitely better)! I hope you ladies are enjoying this beautiful weather and taking advantage of dry heat! Keep up the good work, stay strong and keep rockin!
There is a little country market down the road from my apartment and all spring, summer and fall they offer locally grown produce (some of which they grow themselves)that is so good and less expensive than the stuff I would buy in the grocery store. It is so nice to have garden grown tomatoes and cucumbers! Its amazing how much easier it is to eat well when fresh fruits and veggies don't cost roughly the same as a brick of gold. I cannot wait until they get more produce in and I can start eating salads and salads and salads (can you tell that I like salads?)! When I stopped in the other day to grab tomatoes and cukes, they also had squash and zucchini and eggplant...can't wait to get into those also! Anyway, sorry for rambling on about my excellent veggies but I just ate a sliced up cucumber for lunch and it apparently went straight to my head!
Anyway, the last few days have been good. I've been eating well and I might be getting on the treadmill tonight after work...although it is so nice out I might actually go home and walk outside (not as intense but the scenery is infinitely better)! I hope you ladies are enjoying this beautiful weather and taking advantage of dry heat! Keep up the good work, stay strong and keep rockin!
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