Ankeny Updates

I finally took some time tonight to wander the property and house to take some photos.   I think I'll start with the garden.   One half of it is really taking off and flourishing.   The other half (planted with seeds) is not doing so hot.   Mental note for next year.

We have it fenced in so the rabbits and basset hound stay out.   As you can see, the tomatoes are freaking tall. 

Many of the flowers are now small green tomatoes.   I only planted the BigBoy hybrid variety of tomatoes.  

The cucumbers are taking off too and starting to crawl up the lattice we set up.   There are a few flowers so hopefully we have some cukes soon.  

This is the "dud" side of the garden.  Two rows of green onion and two rows of carrots are massive fails.   We have maybe two successful carrots growing and two tuffs of green onion.   Boo. 

Just another view of the garden...

A project completed by Gavin and Jon.   We had an extra garbage can in the basement (used to store dog food) and decided to try and lower the water bill.   Some of the storms in June have produced a lot of rain water for watering the garden.

The next pictures are the updated status of the house now that our large furniture is now in place.   I'm really proud of the basement.

The treadmill and the love seat fit nicely.   Gavin's been spending a lot of time down here since it's really cold. 

We moved our shelf down in the basement to store all of the DVDs and such.

Our TV also found a new home in the basement.   It's not connected to the dish yet (it may not ever be connected to it).  It's nice having Gavin's Xbox down here and out of the way in the living room.

Nothing in this room has changed expect for larger and more frequent piles of dirty clothes.  I'm just happy that I have a washer and dryer that don't require the use of quarters.  It's also nice to not have to wait for another tenant to get their clothes out of the machine so I can finally use it. 

This is the living room with 3/4 of a basset hound.  She followed me during my photo shoot and I'm suprised she's not in more pictures.   I didn't add anything to the living room.

Just another view of the living room and the entire dog.

It's not a dresser and it's not a chest of drawers.   It's a "chesser".  The nifty feature of this piece of furniture is the center.   The square portion is actually a cabinet-like space that allows me to stick things inside the chesser that I'd typically put on top (jewerly box, perfumes, etc.) 

This is the wonderful new king-sized bed.   My back loves it.  I'm sleeping better.   I never make my side of the bed so I'm sure you can figure out where I sleep on it. 

I have a lot of things to try and get done in the next weeks.   I need to be out of the Ames apartment by July 31. 

• Get the rest of my belongings out of my apartment, especially the kitchen
• Prepare for Saturday's garage sale
• Clean the Ames apartment (blah)
• Organize my office area in the Ankeny home
• Reorganize the kitchen in Ankeny and create a pantry in the basement

I should put exercise, eating better, and other healthy habits on that list too.   Sigh.  Those aspects of my life haven't gotten a jump start.  By writing this, I've also realized that I neglected to make my next counseling appointment.  Whoopsie.  I'm proud to say that we've been putting more thought into meals.  I've remembered to set out meat to thaw for some wholesome meals.   We've recently made cranberry pork loin, pot roast, grilled, etc.   Sadly portion control wasn't necessary enforced.  

I guess that's enough for now....another update soon to come!

Not a big fan of PAIN!

I'm having a hard time buckling down to do anything super productive at work thanks to my back.   I figured I'd whine about it in the blog.   I gave in and have involved the medical community.  I go back tomorrow and will visit with the neurosurgeon again.  Apparently if I have something major like this, neurology has to be involved since they were involved last year with all the back shenanigans. 

I spent a lot of time this morning being pissed at myself.   I bet I could be 30 lbs lighter right now if I had stayed on track with Weight Watchers and boosted my physical activity.   My back would probably be much happier.   I actually think I'm more upset about that than the constant pain.   I'm so grateful to be relatively tolerant when it comes to pain.   I'm able to stand and walk so that's fantastic.   I'd have to say my pain is around a 10 when I lie down, bend over, or sit.   When I stand up or walk, it's only a 2. 

I'm also worried because I'm depending on my body to cooperate so I'm useful and helpful for the rest of the move.  I need to be sorting, packing, and preparing and not being able to sit and bend over is very problematic.   Frustrating!!!

Anyway....just wanted to vent some disappointment and frustration before my work day gets underway.   I'm hoping it storms soon so the temps drop.   I've had enough 90 degree temperatures and heat index spikes.

Another Much Needed Update

Greetings again:

It will be interesting to see how long this blog is....I'm having some pretty nasty back pain so I'm not sure how long I can sit up at the computer.   A lot has been going on in regard to work and the upcoming move to Ankeny.   Summer Youth Fitness is starting its third week.   I'm about 90% pleased with how things are going.   I've had some drama with some employees unfortunately so I'm trying to implement some managerial tactics to promote harmony in the work place.   I'm afraid one of my situations will last most of the program and affect a friendship between two of my employees and it all stems to different teaching philosophies.   I'm also unhappy with the work ethic of some of my aquatic teachers.  It seems that if I'm not in the pool area watching, they tend to slack off and the quality of lessons diminishes.   Blah.  

We've moved more of our belongings down to Ankeny thanks to Jon bringing his Jeep up to Ames.  I need to take a lot more there during this week and during the weekend so things are emptier before the movers come on June 29.  I'm also anxious to see how much this move will actually cost so I can start using my savings for other expenses I have in the summer months. 

Jon made some big purchases recently to benefit the cohabitation situation.   We now have a "chesser" in the main bedroom.   Chest of drawers + dresser = chesser.  It's much taller than a dresser and was very much needed so we had enough dresser space between the two of us.   We also have a new bed.   We went to the business looking for a queen set but now own a king set.   It's so odd having so much space in a bed.   It doesn't move when someone shifts their weight or leaves the bed.   It's also very tall and fits the room nicely.  We expected it to look to large but I think it compliments the room.   The salesman had a good point...the bedroom is for sleeping anyway, who care if the bed takes up a lot of space.   It's still nice to have a walkway to the closet and in front of the chesser.   I'll post pictures soon. 

I was able to see my counselor last week so we had another good talk.  I don't think I really learned anything new.   She really agrees and reinforces a lot of things I say in the conversations.   I'm still trying to work on things I do for myself but it's been tough lately with the move approaching and the stress of Summer Youth Fitness.  I want to read so many different books but haven't had the time or energy to do so.   Exercise is non-existent.   Blah.  Gardening is fun though....the garden is doing well and we have flowers on the tomato and pepper plants.   I wasn't meant to raise carrots or green onion.  They are growing poorly. 

In addiition to Gavin and I joining Jon's household, another dog will be joining the house too.  We are fostering a basset hound for a little while.  His name is Nash and he was born with the glaucoma gene so he's unfortuantely blind.   They are running out of foster homes in the area so we were asked to help with Nash until he is adopted.   Jon's floorplan will also help with Nash's safety.   He's supposed to move in on Saturday or Sunday when all of his vetting is complete.  He is being neutered this week.  He's pretty good and does remarkably well considering his disability. 



I guess that's all for now.   I'd appreciate any happy thoughts you can send my way in regards to my back.   I've loved that it's been better since last year but I've had occasional pain every once in awhile that stops me in my tracks.   Tonight's pain is the worse I've had in awhile and it's sticking around longer than usual too.   Here's the kicker...all I did was bend over in the shower to adjust the water temperature.   Right then I had horrible pain and my back gave out.   I could understand if I was picking up a heavy box or something but bending over slightly???  Grr.   Fact of the matter is that I need to lose weight and I've gained some back.   This is my body's way of telling me to get back into gear with my weight loss because my poor vertebrae and interverebral discs are suffering badly.  

Enjoy the start of summer tomorrow!!!

End of May Update

Greetings again:

I'm winding down for the night and actually feel pretty tired.  I'm hoping to be nestled in my bed quite soon.   It wasn't a full day of work for me but I did clean the hallways and complete my manager duties for the apartment building.  It's amazing how cleaning can be a workout and work up a sweat.  I'm just glad to have all that done before I leave for Waukon.

That being said...I'm very excited to go home for the extended weekend.  It's going to be busier than I like but it will be fun celebrating, seeing family, and having fun.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a trip to the boat for some blackjack.   Fingers crossed but not holding my breath.   It sounds like my Mom is fairly organized for my sister's graduation party so I'm hoping Friday night and Saturday are pretty straightfoward. 

I was given the opportunity to read the first too books in the "Fifty Shades" series.   I was skeptical at first since the book was getting so much press and attention.   I had heard the book was sexual and somewhat graphic but still figured it was like those romance novels that you seen with the Fabio and some tormented woman on the cover.  Holy cow was I wrong.   The author of the book was quite ballsy when writing the series and I was often surprised by what I was reading.   Well done lady.  I read the first two books in the series in less than a week.  It says a lot when you can sit and read 10 chapters in one sitting.  I can definitely understand why conservative groups are upset about the book though. 

I'm also happy to say that I finally used my gift certificate my Dad gave me to have my car detailed and waxed.   The Fusion looks very purdy.   I'm hoping I can keep the inside and outside looking spiffy for awhile.  They also did a good job of getting rid of the cigerette smoke smell.  I'm sure it may return but I appreciate the temporary fix.   It still irritates me that the dealership did such a good job of hiding the fact that a previous driver smoked.   Bleh. 

Tomorrow is Gavin's last day of sixth grader.   I'm sure more of the teenage agnst will be appearing this summer.  He's still excited about our move.  We'll have a lot going on in the next thirty days in regards to packing and having actual movers arrive.   I'm very excited to not pay rent much longer.   Woohoo!

I guess that's it for now!

Counseling Session Part I

Greetings!

So I started off my week in a proactive fashion and went through with the counseling session I scheduled at an office in Ames.  I set it up through the Employee Assistance Program that Iowa State offers its employees.  I had expected to be nervous and worried about the appointment but I really wasn't.  I was really comfortable talking to her (I picked a female counselor...it seemed odd to talk to a guy about all this). 

She took time asking about my family, my past, and all that relevant information.  I went into it thinking I wasn't going to learn anything new.  I've been telling myself for months...years that I know what I need to do and I know all the facts about weight loss.   I have to admit some of her questions for me were quite hard.  The first tough question was "If you had three wishes, what would they be?"   Another difficult question asked what I did for myself on a regular basis to relax and replenish myself.   One of her main conclusions at the end of our hour together was that I'm a "yes" person and that I'm not putting myself first very often.   She thinks that I'm using food as my tool for relaxation and comfort because I no longer use or have other sources.   I had never thought about it that way.   She is correct, I don't really utilize my hobbies anymore.  I don't play tennis anymore.  I really don't get together with friends anymore for Ladies Night Out.   I do try to read for pleasure but that's not very consistent.   She said it's no wonder that I turn to food at night because it's become the consistent source of comfort and endorphin-release in my life.   She gave me some homework/questions to think about before we meet again:

• What am I going to consider adding to my life to bring me pleasure and relaxation?
• What am I feeling prior to eating at inappropriate times? 

I was very impressed with her understanding.  I know she's paid to not degrade me or make me feel stupid but she did a good job refering to the science of overeating and how a person can become addicted to food.   She recognized my education and knowledge and really helped me realize how my past and present situations seem to be sabotaging my health. 

Another great visual she presented was that of a glass of liquid.   She made me think about all the "straws" that are depleting me in terms of my energy and attention.   There is a straw for Gavin, ISU, Jon, immediate family, friends, the Red Cross, and any other responsibility in my life.  She said for every straw that depletes me, I need to have a source replenishing my energy, providing attention, and renewing my sanity in life.   I really don't have many sources for that.   And the sources I do have are not being utilized very well.  

I do want to see her again but it won't be for weeks since her schedule is very full and she has time off for a wedding.   It will give me several weeks to do some thinking and make some simple changes.  

On a completely separate note....here is a picture of the complete garden.   I didn't take any pictures of the garden with the fence erected around it but Jon did set one up to ensure the basset hound doesn't get in and dig.  We do have the occasional rabbit in the yard too so I wanted them to have reduced access too.   I bopped down to Ankeny tonight to water it.   It needs to grow faster.  Ha.

That's it for now! 

My Biggest Enemy...My Big Toe

Greetings:

I had planned to blog on Friday but I'm glad I did not.   I was so emotional on Friday and unhappy about a few things.  I'm sure that blog would have been a long rant of self-pity and anger.   I've had off and on issues with the toenail on my right big toe.  Well it got real irritating last week so I called the doc Friday morning and they got me in to look at it.   The doctor went back and forth about trying to work on it.  Her first choice was for me to go home for another week and soak it three times a day in episom salt to try and get the nail out myself.  I had tried that and could not get the toe to cooperate.  Luckily she was willing to numb up my toe and cut it out after some discussion.   I had a repeat of the dentist though.  She could not get my toe completely numb so sadly I felt more of the procedure than I wanted to.  I would have prefered to feel nothing of course.   After about ten minutes, she was done and half my big toe nail was gone.  Holy crap it was sore all of Friday and even on Saturday periodically.   Apparently I'll have a normal looking toenail in about 9 months since it will take that long for the missing side to grow back completely.  It's going to creep out those poor gals at the beauty school when I get some pedicures but TOUGH LUCK!  I have pictures but I'll keep those to myself.  They're a little nasty. 

I've also had some weird bouts of vertigo.  I spoke to the doctor about it too and they checked my blood sugar.   Blood work was fine.  I've been able to pinpoint when it happens so that's helpful.  I typically wake up with it whether I'm standing or still lying in bed.  If I make really quick movements (e.g. standing up quickly) I get dizzy.   I'll feel a little unsteady periodically but the really bad dizziness only occurs in the previously mentioned situations.   I'm hoping it will pass but I'm supposed to see the doctor again at the end of the week of the vertigo continues. 

On a very good note...we planted the garden today!!  It took maybe a few hours (including the trip to buy tomato and pepper plants).   We planted four hills of cucumbers, eight tomato plants (better boy hybrid), three pepper plants (yellow and red), green onion, carrots (short and sweet variety), and radishes.  I'm the most excited about the cucumbers.   We sadly found out that we'll need to cut down a tree that Jon planted several years ago as it's splitting down the center and rotting.  A good storm could actually knock a significant part of it down if it's windy enough.   Jon's bummed since trees aren't cheap and he did some nice landscaping around it.  However, it's removal may allow for us to extend the length of the garden next year.  I'm not sure what else I would plant but I'm sure we could add more veggies to the plot.

I have a lot of summer camp work to do this week.  I'll be hiring more life guards and aquatic instructors.  Thankfullly a couple emailed me this week asking to apply for the jobs.   Whew.   I have a mandatory meeting for all the employees on Wednesday.   I also need to sit down and do some finance/budget planning for the program too.  Exploring the budget always stresses me out because I want to keep the program affordable for families but I don't want to run in the red by the end of July.   Sigh.  I'm also starting a summer independent study with a student tomorrow morning.  He's a dual major with the department and was unable to take a required PE course in the fall.  It conflicted with a mandatory athletic training course.  Fortunately I taught the PE class before so I offered to work with him over the summer since I have to be at work often anyway.   If he had to wait for the official class again, it would throw off his graduation an entire year.  Not cool.   He's incredibly smart and diligent so the class should be a piece of cake. 

Onto some personal stuff...I'm meeting with a counselor tomorrow to discuss my eating habits and binge eating.  When going to the doctor, they of course always check weight and height.  I've gained a lot of my weight back.  And I knew this....I could tell by how my clothes are fitting, etc.  Iowa State provides resources for employees so I decided to check into it.  I get to visit with a professional three times for free.  Why not give it a try?  It's been very frustrating this time around because I know that my age makes my weight status more critical.  I'm no longer able to say that I'm overweight and still able to function well.  It's affecting my cholesterol, stamina, sleep, mental health, and maybe even this dizziness crap.   I'm not sure what to think about tomorrow's appointment but why not give it a whirl?  It's driving me nuts that I have a challenge in my life that I've not been able to attain for years.   Teenage pregnancy?  Did it.  College?  Made it through.  Graduate school?  Not a piece of cake, but accomplished my goals.  Losing weight and make my life healthier?  Seesaw back and forth every time I try it.  Blah!

Anyway...that's enough for now.   Hopefully this doesn't reek like self pity.  I hoped that waiting a couple days before blogging would prevent that.   :)

It's May....Hallelujah!!!

Greetings!

I'm hoping to complete this blog entry tonight but I'll admit I'm fading fast.  I've felt sick most of the week and slept poorly.  I've also been eating poorly, not exercising, and Weight Watchers has been on the back burner.  I'm fairly confident that my poor sleeping and illness is related to the poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.  I just don't get it....I'll have spurts throughout the day of "you are going to work out later today" but by the time I get home I'm bushed and unmotivated is an understatement.  I'm scared that I've gained a lot of my weight back.  Major blah!

A positive event in life is the end of the spring semester.   It was wonderful to complete grading and submit my final grades for both institutions last week.   Surprisingly I gave the most Fs and Ds ever this spring.  Student motivation seems to have taken a dive.  So many are happy with just doing the minimum too so I was also surprised by the amount of Cs I assigned to students. 

I have been working on administrative tasks for the summer camp program.  I'm almost done hiring.  I'm still short on life guards and swimming instructors.  I haven't had many apply and those that have applied have expired certifications.   You'd think they'd check the dates on their cards before applying.  Perhaps they thought I'd not notice.  With the Office of Risk Management cracking down on all youth programs, I don't dare let things like that slip by.   I've been organizing meeting materials for the mandatory orientation I'm holding next Wednesday for all employees.   I am also training many in CPR and First Aid too.  We currently have 100 kids enrolled in the program and I'm willing to let a few more register.  I'm curious to see how many parents send in forms toward the end of the month.   Many forget to send in the forms or forget about the program until right before June and expect to be enrolled without an issue.   Sigh.

I'm also working one-on-one with a student that had a major class conflict this past fall.  The student is an athletic training and physical education major.   He had a class for both majors at the same time in the fall and one of the professors was not willing to work with him.  I taught the class a couple years ago so I figured I'd work with him for six weeks so he could complete the credits.   I have to be on campus often anyway so this is one of my good deeds for the summer.   I'm also trying to show the new professor that it's appropriate to go out of your way sometimes to help students.   There have been interesting politics with the new professors too but that's another entry for another day. 

I'm anxious for my youngest sister's graduation party later in the month.   It will be fun to hang out, see family, help out Mom, etc.   It will be nice to have a long weekend for some fun.   I have to go home the weekend before too for a wedding.  I wish I was more excited for it and the related festivities but I don't.  I feel very out of the loop with that group of friends.  

Ok, I think that's all for now.  My big goal is to get back on track wifh my health.   I obviously need to make that into more specific smaller goals.   I wish I wasn't so impulsive with my food choices.   I'm actually thinking about making an appointment with counseling on campus since they have dieticians on staff.  I think it's free for faculty.  :)