Bristol Palin, that is. Girlfriend has a smart mouth.
I'm not going to get into any politics here, but I will admit, I'm a fan of Sarah Palin. However, Bristol (and even Willow) is a little too cocky for her own good.
I don't really watch Dancing With the Stars, but was curious, so I turned on the finale. Ms. Palin made the comment, "Going out there and winning this would mean a lot. It would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there who hate my mom and hate me." CLASSY.
Really? A little harsh. Isn't this supposed to be fun? Newsflash Bristol, it has nothing to do with people hating you or your mom. People didn't want to see you get as far as you did on the show because clearly, you can't dance!
Looks like you need a swift, humbling, kick in the @ss, Bristol.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Gather Up Your Tears, Keep 'Em In Your Pocket, Save Them For A Time When You're Really Gonna Need 'Em
My niece left. She's gone. She turned 18 October 2nd and decided she was moving out of the house. My family is dumbfounded. She met a guy at school (she is senior in high school, but opted for the post secondary option... she takes college courses at the community college and when she graduates from high school in May, will actually have finished her sophomore year in college), dated him for 3 weeks and decided to move in with him. My niece is smart, beautiful, and has common sense (or so we thought). From the outside looking in, you would have thought S had it all... ufortunately, she didn't think so. She won't return her dad's (my brother) phone calls and has flat out said she wants nothing to do with him or his side of the family. That stings. A lot.
At first I felt bad for her. I have always had a major soft spot for my oldest niece. We share a lot of similarities. Her mom and dad were engaged, but never married. Growing up wasn't exactly easy for her. She lived with her mom and visited her dad every other weekend. It was clear that her mom didn't care much about her. Her mom was always moving from boyfriend to boyfriend. At one point, she told S that all she was to her was a child support check. There are other awful things, but I don't care to mention them here. My brother fought and fought for custody of my niece (at a time when things were pretty tough for him financially) and finally won. She always seemed much happier with my brother and sister in law, but at the same time, had the normal chores, rules, etc. and sometimes, she wasn't very happy with it. But isn't that typical? S would still visit her mom from time to time. When her mom actually made time to see her. As a matter of fact, her mom never even called to tell her Happy Birthday... on her 18th birthday! My sister in law has done more for S than her own mother ever has.
I say I felt bad her because I know what it's like to go back and forth between two households that are so completely different. I, too, lived with my mom growing up. I had no rules and basically did what I wanted. On the other hand, at my dad's house, there were rules and certain things that were expected of me. It's conflicting and can be confusing. So as far as that goes, I can sympathize with S.
But now? I'm just pissed. I'm angry that she won't give her dad the time of day after all he has done for her. He calls S every day and every day she ignores his calls and won't return them. I'm angry that she told her mother that she doesn't want her dad's side of the family "bothering" her. Are you kidding me? You mean all of the people who have done nothing but go out of their way to make her life a little easier... the only people she could really count on? All because of a boy. S was mad that she had a curfew and chores at home, so her solution was to leave so she could be with the boy ALL of the time. S was perfectly fine (and still is) with just walking away from her family. I don't get it.
Then there's my youngest niece, E (she will be 4 next month). This is what makes me the most angry. E and S are half sisters. Although, you would never guess that. They have always been tight and E absolutely adores S. As you would expect, E misses S. Lately she has been saying that sissy left her, because she doesn't understand. This Breaks. My. Heart.
I would have never guessed that my niece would ever do anything like this. At first I thought she'd be back in a few weeks. Now I'm pretty sure she's not coming back, at least not for a while. Especially after the comment about her dad's side of the family bothering her (no one even knows what she is referring to).
At first I felt bad for her. I have always had a major soft spot for my oldest niece. We share a lot of similarities. Her mom and dad were engaged, but never married. Growing up wasn't exactly easy for her. She lived with her mom and visited her dad every other weekend. It was clear that her mom didn't care much about her. Her mom was always moving from boyfriend to boyfriend. At one point, she told S that all she was to her was a child support check. There are other awful things, but I don't care to mention them here. My brother fought and fought for custody of my niece (at a time when things were pretty tough for him financially) and finally won. She always seemed much happier with my brother and sister in law, but at the same time, had the normal chores, rules, etc. and sometimes, she wasn't very happy with it. But isn't that typical? S would still visit her mom from time to time. When her mom actually made time to see her. As a matter of fact, her mom never even called to tell her Happy Birthday... on her 18th birthday! My sister in law has done more for S than her own mother ever has.
I say I felt bad her because I know what it's like to go back and forth between two households that are so completely different. I, too, lived with my mom growing up. I had no rules and basically did what I wanted. On the other hand, at my dad's house, there were rules and certain things that were expected of me. It's conflicting and can be confusing. So as far as that goes, I can sympathize with S.
But now? I'm just pissed. I'm angry that she won't give her dad the time of day after all he has done for her. He calls S every day and every day she ignores his calls and won't return them. I'm angry that she told her mother that she doesn't want her dad's side of the family "bothering" her. Are you kidding me? You mean all of the people who have done nothing but go out of their way to make her life a little easier... the only people she could really count on? All because of a boy. S was mad that she had a curfew and chores at home, so her solution was to leave so she could be with the boy ALL of the time. S was perfectly fine (and still is) with just walking away from her family. I don't get it.
Then there's my youngest niece, E (she will be 4 next month). This is what makes me the most angry. E and S are half sisters. Although, you would never guess that. They have always been tight and E absolutely adores S. As you would expect, E misses S. Lately she has been saying that sissy left her, because she doesn't understand. This Breaks. My. Heart.
I would have never guessed that my niece would ever do anything like this. At first I thought she'd be back in a few weeks. Now I'm pretty sure she's not coming back, at least not for a while. Especially after the comment about her dad's side of the family bothering her (no one even knows what she is referring to).
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Picture Post
We finally got our pictures from our photographer. He put them all on a CD and now we are in the process of choosing which ones we want. There are SO MANY! Here's a peak...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
I Can't Tell You What It Really Is, I Can Only Tell You What It Feels Like...
Ugh... the past couple of weeks have been a string of bad news.
It started with my car accident. While it wasn't that big of deal and the other driver was at fault, dealing with Geico insurance was a MAJOR pain. I ended up filing a claim through my own insurance company so I could get started on the car repairs.
The accident also occurred on my way to calling hours for a friend's father.
My 18 year old niece decided to move in with her boyfriend. And no one has heard much from in the past month. She's being selfish, stubborn, and careless and no one can seem to get through to her.
After that, we found out my former manager's dad was killed in a car accident.
Then, two people we know recently found out they have breast cancer. One of them is the daughter of our best friends. This one is hitting me hard.
These are friends who were just recently so thrilled to be a part of wedding party on our special day. She was my bridesmaid, he was M's best man. Friends that would do absolutely anything for us... as we would do for them. M has been friends with this couple since before I was born. And their daughter? Well, M remembers the first day he met her... the day her mom brought her home from the hospital. She is only a year older than I am. She's young and healthy. Her and her husband were going to start trying to have kids. So how does this happen?
On my way home from the gym, I persisted that M tell me NOW when I was on the phone with him. All he said was, "we need to talk later." He finally just told me over the phone... "L has breast cancer." I thought I was going to be sick.
Other than the initial conversations, I haven't talked much to our friends or their daughter. I feel awful about it, but I don't even know what to say... or what to do for them. I wish I could just make it all go away. I feel helpless. I want to fix it.
It started with my car accident. While it wasn't that big of deal and the other driver was at fault, dealing with Geico insurance was a MAJOR pain. I ended up filing a claim through my own insurance company so I could get started on the car repairs.
The accident also occurred on my way to calling hours for a friend's father.
My 18 year old niece decided to move in with her boyfriend. And no one has heard much from in the past month. She's being selfish, stubborn, and careless and no one can seem to get through to her.
After that, we found out my former manager's dad was killed in a car accident.
Then, two people we know recently found out they have breast cancer. One of them is the daughter of our best friends. This one is hitting me hard.
These are friends who were just recently so thrilled to be a part of wedding party on our special day. She was my bridesmaid, he was M's best man. Friends that would do absolutely anything for us... as we would do for them. M has been friends with this couple since before I was born. And their daughter? Well, M remembers the first day he met her... the day her mom brought her home from the hospital. She is only a year older than I am. She's young and healthy. Her and her husband were going to start trying to have kids. So how does this happen?
On my way home from the gym, I persisted that M tell me NOW when I was on the phone with him. All he said was, "we need to talk later." He finally just told me over the phone... "L has breast cancer." I thought I was going to be sick.
Other than the initial conversations, I haven't talked much to our friends or their daughter. I feel awful about it, but I don't even know what to say... or what to do for them. I wish I could just make it all go away. I feel helpless. I want to fix it.
Monday, November 1, 2010
What's Been Going On...
- I ran my second 5K this past Saturday. I was pleased that I even finished... just over 36 minutes. Not great. But I ran the entire thing. I'm just happy with that, seeing as I haven't been spending much time running in the past 2 months. Back in the beginning of September, I finished my first 5K with only a slightly better time.
- I got into a car accident last Wednesday on my way home from work. I was not at fault, but dealing with Geico insurance has made me want to pull my hair out. If you are shopping for car insurance, take note, Geico SUCKS. Long story short, my insurance company is actually going to take care of the estimate/repairs and will bill Geico for it since Geico thinks it's ok to make it completely inconvenient to get my car fixed.
- Pumpkin poptarts are pretty amazing and everything I hoped they would be. My awesome mom found them and bought me two boxes.
- Seriously - have you seen the TLC show Sister Wives??? I was cranking out some thank you cards the other day and they were replaying all of the episodes. I just can't even imagine living like that. Are they for real? How could any woman possibly be ok with their husband "rotating on a schedule" with his other 3 wives? And hello, last I checked, polygamy is illegal in all 50 states.
- I just got done reading Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Awesome. If you like reading, you should pick up this book ASAP.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Pumpkin Pie Poptarts
I love poptarts. I mean, LOVE them. It's pure torture to walk by these in the grocery store and not put a box in my cart (because you know, unfortunately, trying to eat healthy doesn't usually involve poptarts). Nevermind the fact they have pretty much no nutritional value. Nevermind that they have a ridiculous amount of carbs... or the fact that a package of these delicious creations cost me 400 calories first thing in the morning. M shares my love of poptarts, but he is a little more selective with what kind he chooses. Me? Not so much. I don't discriminate. I love them all.
But... I also share a similiar love of ALL things pumpkin flavored. So when I heard about these...
But... I also share a similiar love of ALL things pumpkin flavored. So when I heard about these...
well, you can just imagine my excitement. Pumpkin Pie Poptarts? Uh, yes please! Heaven. I had to get my hands on them, ASAP.
Only, I can't find these things anywhere! I was told my best bet was Target, in the seasonal aisle. I kid you not, I went to 5 different Targets over the weekend looking for these. All of them were sold out. I went to the local grocery store and even crossed my fingers as I walked into Walmart. Nope. Sadly, they are no where to be found. I even called my sister in law to explain the severity of this situation (don't worry, she is used to these types of phone calls from me). She agreed to look around at a few Targets out her way. Nothing. I mean, what gives? Do I need to start hanging out at Target waiting for shipments?
Has anyone tried these? I am seriously considering buying them off of Amazon.com if I don't find them at Target soon.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Honeymooning With My Husband
M and I honeymooned in Riviera Maya. Our resort was absolutely gorgeous. We spent much time pool side with drinks in our hand relaxing. We also jet skied and went swimming with the dolphins - our favorite part of our vacation.
My brother and sister in law went with us. A little odd? Perhaps. Originally we were going to get married at our resort and my sister in law and brother were our matron of honor and best man. By the time we decided to have our wedding at home, with family, our trip was already booked. The four of us had a blast and would definitely go back to our resort for a future vacation.
We stayed at Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa. I recommend it to anyone looking to vacation in Riviera Maya/Tulum area. The only bad part was our ride from the airport to our resort. It was a solid 1.5 hour drive AND the air conditioning in the van wasn't working. But they greeted us at the hotel with wet wash clothes and glasses of champagne. Nice!
I also got my nose pierced when we left the resort for a quick shopping trip in Playa del Carmen.
My brother and sister in law went with us. A little odd? Perhaps. Originally we were going to get married at our resort and my sister in law and brother were our matron of honor and best man. By the time we decided to have our wedding at home, with family, our trip was already booked. The four of us had a blast and would definitely go back to our resort for a future vacation.
We stayed at Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa. I recommend it to anyone looking to vacation in Riviera Maya/Tulum area. The only bad part was our ride from the airport to our resort. It was a solid 1.5 hour drive AND the air conditioning in the van wasn't working. But they greeted us at the hotel with wet wash clothes and glasses of champagne. Nice!
I also got my nose pierced when we left the resort for a quick shopping trip in Playa del Carmen.
I have wanted my nose pierced for a while now but M was so against it. He didn't like the idea at all. Finally I talked him into it - I told him I would wear it for a week and after that I would take it out if he hated it. Wouldn't you know, his first comment after seeing it was, "I really like it!"
I don't have a picture of the actual piercing. M couldn't stand to watch it. I assumed they would pierce my nose like they pierced my ears - with a piercing gun. Not so much. They used a needle and shoved it through the inside of my nose. I was totally not prepared for that and it hurt like bitch! I'm glad I didn't know that before hand, because I just might have chickened out.
Here are a few pictures...
Monday, October 18, 2010
Hey, Is This Thing On??
Testing... 1... 2... 3...
Wow. So it's been almost 2 months since I last blogged. I'm not making any excuses. I didn't have a whole lot of blog material... and I was stressed with wedding planning.
Anyway, I'm back and a lot has happened in the last couple of months. M and I got married and went honeymooning. I got my nose pierced. I also changed positions at my job. I ran my first 5K. And some other exciting things. I'll be catching you up over the next couple of weeks.
First, let's talk weddings. M and I tied the not on September 25 - both the wedding and reception were in my parents backyard. It was perfect and very "us." Neither of us wanted a big fancy wedding... because well, neither of us are big fancy people. The wedding ceremony was for immediate family only. I blubbered through my vows (and remember this post... I never cry). And the "reception" (if you even want to call it that) was very laid back. After the traditional dances - i.e. first dance, dad & daughter, mother & son - M and I changed into a sweatshirt and jeans and hung out with everyone else around the bonfire. It was so much fun. M and I are truly blessed. We have amazing family and friends. Our day was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about it.
I will leave you with a few pictures. We don't have pictures from our photographers yet, so here are a few that other people snapped.
Wow. So it's been almost 2 months since I last blogged. I'm not making any excuses. I didn't have a whole lot of blog material... and I was stressed with wedding planning.
Anyway, I'm back and a lot has happened in the last couple of months. M and I got married and went honeymooning. I got my nose pierced. I also changed positions at my job. I ran my first 5K. And some other exciting things. I'll be catching you up over the next couple of weeks.
First, let's talk weddings. M and I tied the not on September 25 - both the wedding and reception were in my parents backyard. It was perfect and very "us." Neither of us wanted a big fancy wedding... because well, neither of us are big fancy people. The wedding ceremony was for immediate family only. I blubbered through my vows (and remember this post... I never cry). And the "reception" (if you even want to call it that) was very laid back. After the traditional dances - i.e. first dance, dad & daughter, mother & son - M and I changed into a sweatshirt and jeans and hung out with everyone else around the bonfire. It was so much fun. M and I are truly blessed. We have amazing family and friends. Our day was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about it.
I will leave you with a few pictures. We don't have pictures from our photographers yet, so here are a few that other people snapped.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Hi, My Name Is Christy...
And I'm addicted to carbs and sugar.
Seriously, it's ridiculous. If I want to lose this last 6-7 lbs before the wedding, I'm going to need to step it up. Lately, all I want is pizza and or pasta. And skittles - I'm addicted to these, thanks to my coworker...
Seriously, it's ridiculous. If I want to lose this last 6-7 lbs before the wedding, I'm going to need to step it up. Lately, all I want is pizza and or pasta. And skittles - I'm addicted to these, thanks to my coworker...
It's amazing that I haven't gained any weight with the carb and sugar overload lately. Why can't I crave salads like I used to? And why is it that the already made salads (that are way overpriced) that I buy taste so much better than the salads I put together myself??
Starting tomorrow (let's be honest, I already failed for today - I had some of the above skittles, a piece of dark chocolate and a piece of pizza for lunch), the eating like crap stops.
Has anyone tried riced cauliflower? I keep hearing this come up - if you know about it, fill me in, please! Cauliflower is one of my favorites.
And how do I curb sugar cravings? Any other suggestions??
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Just Another Day At The Office
Hi guys. I used to blog, but now I just plan my wedding.
Anyway...
100 Loves post #3 was 7 things I love about my job. Honestly, these days, I'm a little irritated with my job situation... so I am choosing to skip that one.
Speaking of the work place, let's talk about office ettiquette for a quick minute. Apparently, the people I work with don't know what that is.
Here are my 10 commandments for the office (I'm sure I can come up with more than 10, but I will leave it at that for now).
1. Thou shalt not have LOUD PHONE COVERSATIONS about personal things. I don't care that your baby daddy is a deadbeat who doesn't pay child support and is now in jail for stealing your credit card. Really. And neither does anyone else.
2. Thou shalt not belch and giggle about your farting contests with the person sitting in the cube next to you. Seriously, this happens. It was so often that my boss could hear it in his office down the hall (and these people sit in the next aisle over) - he had to call their boss to ask him to talk to them about "having a little class."
3. Thou shalt not clip your nails at work. EVER. Gross.
4. Thou shalt not bring your kids to scream and yell and run down the halls on your day off. Why are you coming to work anyway when you have the day off??
5. Thou shalt not go without caffeine. Putting up with your bitchiness is not part of my job description and I don't get paid enough to do it.
6. Thou shalt not eat other people's food. Just because it's in the community refrigerator, doesn't mean you have permission to take whatever you want.
7. Thou shalt not heat up something in the microwave that the rest of will have to smell all afternoon.
8. Thou shalt not sluuurp your soup. I have an extra spoon if you need it.
9. Thou shalt not dress like your ready to work out. I know we have a "business casual" dress code, but you are taking it a little too far and forgetting the "business" part.
10. Thou shalt not pass off work that's is clearly yours onto others because you don't know how to do it. Ask questions if you aren't sure, but I'm not doing your bitch work simply because you're too lazy to learn your job.
Ahh... I feel better.
Today is the last day of my work week. Have a fabulous weekend, kids!
Anyway...
100 Loves post #3 was 7 things I love about my job. Honestly, these days, I'm a little irritated with my job situation... so I am choosing to skip that one.
Speaking of the work place, let's talk about office ettiquette for a quick minute. Apparently, the people I work with don't know what that is.
Here are my 10 commandments for the office (I'm sure I can come up with more than 10, but I will leave it at that for now).
1. Thou shalt not have LOUD PHONE COVERSATIONS about personal things. I don't care that your baby daddy is a deadbeat who doesn't pay child support and is now in jail for stealing your credit card. Really. And neither does anyone else.
2. Thou shalt not belch and giggle about your farting contests with the person sitting in the cube next to you. Seriously, this happens. It was so often that my boss could hear it in his office down the hall (and these people sit in the next aisle over) - he had to call their boss to ask him to talk to them about "having a little class."
3. Thou shalt not clip your nails at work. EVER. Gross.
4. Thou shalt not bring your kids to scream and yell and run down the halls on your day off. Why are you coming to work anyway when you have the day off??
5. Thou shalt not go without caffeine. Putting up with your bitchiness is not part of my job description and I don't get paid enough to do it.
6. Thou shalt not eat other people's food. Just because it's in the community refrigerator, doesn't mean you have permission to take whatever you want.
7. Thou shalt not heat up something in the microwave that the rest of will have to smell all afternoon.
8. Thou shalt not sluuurp your soup. I have an extra spoon if you need it.
9. Thou shalt not dress like your ready to work out. I know we have a "business casual" dress code, but you are taking it a little too far and forgetting the "business" part.
10. Thou shalt not pass off work that's is clearly yours onto others because you don't know how to do it. Ask questions if you aren't sure, but I'm not doing your bitch work simply because you're too lazy to learn your job.
Ahh... I feel better.
Today is the last day of my work week. Have a fabulous weekend, kids!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Six Quotes I Love (100 Loves #2)
Oops, I'm late on this again...
Six Quotes I love (this was hard, because there are a lot I really like)
1. "Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse 'I Love You.' Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense. Never let your prayin' knees get lazy, and love like crazy."
--Lee Brice, Love Like Crazy
2. "The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is family."
--Lee Iacocca
3. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
--Dr. Suess
4. "So how does it happen, great love? Nobody knows... but what I can tell you is that it happens in the blink of an eye. One minute you're enjoying your life, and the next you're wondering how you ever lived without them."
--Hitch
5. "I have failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed."
--Michael Jordan
6. "Don't be so open minded that your brains fall out."
--??
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Name Changes
When getting married it is assumed that the woman will take her husband's last name.
For a long time, I was adamant about NOT changing my last name after marrying. In fact, I was engaged once before M and this was something the ex and I argued about. There was no way I was changing MY last name. It wasn't even an option. It's been my name my whole life and why should I have to change just because I got married? See, women taking their husbands' last names started back when men owned their wives. It was like transferring ownership from the woman's father to her husband. Since this is no longer the case, I felt the tradition was stupid.
(Side note, I also have a huge problem with being referred to as Mrs. M__ S__ - that's not my name, that's M's name with a Mrs. in front of it! I will make sure I correct anyone who refers to us as Mr. & Mrs. M__ S__ - um, no! I have my own name - it's Christy - thanks.)
I still kind of feel that way, but I have found myself thinking about it more. With less than 2 months until our wedding, I think I have finally decided what I am going to do. While I'm not quite as adamant anymore about not changing my last name... the thing is, I'm proud of my last name. It's been my name for the last 27 years and I don't want to change it now. I've accomplished a lot with it and I'm not really willing to give it up. On the other hand, I find myself actually wanting to take M's last name. I am proud of his last name, too. Having M's last name makes me feel like we are a team. Not that we aren't already a team, because we are, but having the same last name will just seal the deal for me. Also, if we should decide to have kids, it's important to me to have the same last name as my child.
So... there are a few options. Hyphenate? No, thanks. Although, the two last names actually sound pretty good hyphenated, I don't feel like writing all of that out for the rest of my life.
I think what is going to work best for me is to make my current last name my middle name (get rid of my current middle name) and take M's last name... Christy W__ S__. This way, I can have both.
I'm happy with that.
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Only 59 days until the wedding and I still feel like there's so much to do. Invitations went out this morning.
For a long time, I was adamant about NOT changing my last name after marrying. In fact, I was engaged once before M and this was something the ex and I argued about. There was no way I was changing MY last name. It wasn't even an option. It's been my name my whole life and why should I have to change just because I got married? See, women taking their husbands' last names started back when men owned their wives. It was like transferring ownership from the woman's father to her husband. Since this is no longer the case, I felt the tradition was stupid.
(Side note, I also have a huge problem with being referred to as Mrs. M__ S__ - that's not my name, that's M's name with a Mrs. in front of it! I will make sure I correct anyone who refers to us as Mr. & Mrs. M__ S__ - um, no! I have my own name - it's Christy - thanks.)
I still kind of feel that way, but I have found myself thinking about it more. With less than 2 months until our wedding, I think I have finally decided what I am going to do. While I'm not quite as adamant anymore about not changing my last name... the thing is, I'm proud of my last name. It's been my name for the last 27 years and I don't want to change it now. I've accomplished a lot with it and I'm not really willing to give it up. On the other hand, I find myself actually wanting to take M's last name. I am proud of his last name, too. Having M's last name makes me feel like we are a team. Not that we aren't already a team, because we are, but having the same last name will just seal the deal for me. Also, if we should decide to have kids, it's important to me to have the same last name as my child.
So... there are a few options. Hyphenate? No, thanks. Although, the two last names actually sound pretty good hyphenated, I don't feel like writing all of that out for the rest of my life.
I think what is going to work best for me is to make my current last name my middle name (get rid of my current middle name) and take M's last name... Christy W__ S__. This way, I can have both.
I'm happy with that.
What are your thoughts on this issue?
Only 59 days until the wedding and I still feel like there's so much to do. Invitations went out this morning.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Still Plugging Along...
Well, I officially have quit going to my gym. I can't stand it there. They still won't budge on the cancellation, but I'm still going to see if there's anything I can do with my credit card company. If not, I guess I will have to pay the 3 months I have left without going and just suck it up as a lesson learned.
For the next few months, my friend and I are going to focus on running outside more... and when the weather isn't cooperating, I'll run on my treadmill at home. Which, by the way, is OLD SCHOOL. Haha. It's M's old treadmill and it's definitely not like the brand new treadmills in the gym that I'm used to, but it works and I guess that's all that really matters.
Back to running outside. I haven't run outside since my police academy days 3 years ago. But since I'm running a 5K in September, I figured I better get started getting used to running outside. Monday was the first day. It sucked. I think I started out trying to run too fast and it all just went downhill from there. It was like I had to focus on learning to breathe while running all over again. I think I maybe only made it a mile before I had to walk. I'm hoping to do better today.
I received an email from a reader asking why I don't post weekly weigh ins or update my weight loss progress as often as I used to. I will tell you that I am still lingering in the 170's - my weight hasn't really in changed in the last month or so. I started getting very frustrated with this. I still weigh myself every day to keep myself in check. Every day is what works best for me, although I understand this is not for everyone. BUT, even though I have not been losing, I have definitely been losing some inches and toning up thanks to the running. I just feel better (I still hate running, but I'm getting some of the results I am looking for). Even M has been making comments about how I am looking like I am more toned. I no longer feel "fat", but I don't feel "skinny", either. I'm stuck somewhere in between. I don't want to get too comfortable where I am so this week I have really started looking at my portion sizes and I'm trying to make better choices. I usually track my food, but sometimes I may not be as disciplined as I should - so now I am making sure I track everything. The creamer in my coffee, the smart balance butter on my toast, etc etc. I do want to lose another 10 lbs before my wedding, but I'm not going to let myself become obsessed with it. I just want to be healthy. I am going to continue to make great choices food wise and I'm going to continue running and see where that leads me. However, I am NOT going to become so obsessed with weight loss that I don't let myself have a little bit of ice cream as a treat when it's really hot outside, or not forgive myself for eating a hot dog at a cookout. I don't want it to be like that. Everything in moderation.
By the way, I am loving these...
For the next few months, my friend and I are going to focus on running outside more... and when the weather isn't cooperating, I'll run on my treadmill at home. Which, by the way, is OLD SCHOOL. Haha. It's M's old treadmill and it's definitely not like the brand new treadmills in the gym that I'm used to, but it works and I guess that's all that really matters.
Back to running outside. I haven't run outside since my police academy days 3 years ago. But since I'm running a 5K in September, I figured I better get started getting used to running outside. Monday was the first day. It sucked. I think I started out trying to run too fast and it all just went downhill from there. It was like I had to focus on learning to breathe while running all over again. I think I maybe only made it a mile before I had to walk. I'm hoping to do better today.
I received an email from a reader asking why I don't post weekly weigh ins or update my weight loss progress as often as I used to. I will tell you that I am still lingering in the 170's - my weight hasn't really in changed in the last month or so. I started getting very frustrated with this. I still weigh myself every day to keep myself in check. Every day is what works best for me, although I understand this is not for everyone. BUT, even though I have not been losing, I have definitely been losing some inches and toning up thanks to the running. I just feel better (I still hate running, but I'm getting some of the results I am looking for). Even M has been making comments about how I am looking like I am more toned. I no longer feel "fat", but I don't feel "skinny", either. I'm stuck somewhere in between. I don't want to get too comfortable where I am so this week I have really started looking at my portion sizes and I'm trying to make better choices. I usually track my food, but sometimes I may not be as disciplined as I should - so now I am making sure I track everything. The creamer in my coffee, the smart balance butter on my toast, etc etc. I do want to lose another 10 lbs before my wedding, but I'm not going to let myself become obsessed with it. I just want to be healthy. I am going to continue to make great choices food wise and I'm going to continue running and see where that leads me. However, I am NOT going to become so obsessed with weight loss that I don't let myself have a little bit of ice cream as a treat when it's really hot outside, or not forgive myself for eating a hot dog at a cookout. I don't want it to be like that. Everything in moderation.
By the way, I am loving these...
Just for One cauliflower with cheese. I love cauliflower, both raw and cooked. M, on the other hand, does not (he is a very picky eater... I feel like we eat the same dinners ALL the time because he only likes certain foods), so this is perfect for me. And one package is only 40 calories (Zero WW points for those of you who follow that plan)! Sometimes I will eat one of these for lunch along with 100 calorie mini bag of popcorn (which I love, also) if I'm not very hungry after my morning snack.
I hope you are all having a great week - tomorrow is my Friday!
Friday, July 16, 2010
What A Week, What A Week...
Finally Friday... thank goodness!!
I think I will be sipping on one of these later...
I think I will be sipping on one of these later...
It's been a rough week. I was crazy busy at work with new problems that kept coming up and still was trying to catch up from being gone last week. Still not quite there.
In addition to that, we are still having air conditioner problems at home. We were told by the tech who came out on Wednesday that we should just consider getting a whole new air conditioner... starting at $2600. Well, no thanks, sir, that's not happening right now - we have a wedding to pay for this year!
It's also a good thing I had to get something from the basement yesterday morning because it smelled like something was burning down there. It was the dehumidifier. We'll be buying another one of those this weekend, too.
I had to leave work early yesterday because my sister in law called me sobbing. I could barely understand what she was saying. She had an appointment to put their dog to sleep and wanted to know if I could go with her because she didn't think she could do it by herself (my brother is out of town). Of course I went. It. Was. Awful. The dog is a black lab, 15 years old. She could barely walk and kept falling down the stairs. She has lost a lot of weight in the last couple of weeks and she had three big tumors. They sedated her so she didn't know what was going on, but it was just so heart breaking. It was definitely time, the dog really had no quality of life anymore, but it still sucked. I don't even want to think about how I am going to be able to handle this when it comes to my own pets. We told my 3 1/2 year old niece that Samantha is in doggy heaven with the other dogs and they will only have one dog (Louie the law dog... their other black lab that is HUGE) from now on, but my niece still keeps asking where Samantha is.
I'm just looking forward to relaxing this weekend and hoping next will be better than this one!
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! TGIF!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Catching Up
I was on vacation from work last week. So I decided to take a vacation from being on the computer, too. Hence, the lack of posts and comments on your blogs.
It was kind of nice being away from everything. We didn't get quite as much done wedding wise as I wanted, but we did buy the wine... all 7 cases. I think this is a little crazy. That's 84 bottles of wine and we are only inviting about 125 people. Plus, M wants to get two kegs. The way he sees it, you can never have too much alcohol at a wedding.
I also got the majority of the invitations addressed and we watched the example videos our videographer gave us to watch and filled out all of the paper work for that. I'm pretty much done with getting the bridesmaid's gifts. But that's about all that was accomplished. M still needs to get gifts for the groomsmen, we need to come up with a good gift idea for the parents... any ideas? I also need to go see the flowers that have been put together so far. We need to fill out the huge packet our minister gave us. Ugh... it just seems like there so much to do! I really just cannot wait until it is all over. I think every weekend is booked with something from now until the wedding.
The interivew went great - really great. I should be hearing about the job within the next couple of weeks. At the same time, I really have no idea what my competition is like... I just know a lot of other people interviewed for the position. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I think it would be a great opportunity for me career wise.
Our air conditioning also broke last week which was awful - the weather was 95 degrees. Yuck. It's temporarily working right now and will officially get fixed tomorrow. Unlike most people I know, summer is not my favorite season. I cannot stand the Ohio humidity.
Well, I'm off to catch up on your blogs!
It was kind of nice being away from everything. We didn't get quite as much done wedding wise as I wanted, but we did buy the wine... all 7 cases. I think this is a little crazy. That's 84 bottles of wine and we are only inviting about 125 people. Plus, M wants to get two kegs. The way he sees it, you can never have too much alcohol at a wedding.
I also got the majority of the invitations addressed and we watched the example videos our videographer gave us to watch and filled out all of the paper work for that. I'm pretty much done with getting the bridesmaid's gifts. But that's about all that was accomplished. M still needs to get gifts for the groomsmen, we need to come up with a good gift idea for the parents... any ideas? I also need to go see the flowers that have been put together so far. We need to fill out the huge packet our minister gave us. Ugh... it just seems like there so much to do! I really just cannot wait until it is all over. I think every weekend is booked with something from now until the wedding.
The interivew went great - really great. I should be hearing about the job within the next couple of weeks. At the same time, I really have no idea what my competition is like... I just know a lot of other people interviewed for the position. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I think it would be a great opportunity for me career wise.
Our air conditioning also broke last week which was awful - the weather was 95 degrees. Yuck. It's temporarily working right now and will officially get fixed tomorrow. Unlike most people I know, summer is not my favorite season. I cannot stand the Ohio humidity.
Well, I'm off to catch up on your blogs!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Fourth of July
I have to make this quick since I still have a lot to do at work and there's less than 2 hours left until I peace out of this place - for the next week! I'm excited about being on vacation next week. Nothing special. We are getting some things done around the house, yard work, staining the deck, etc., I have my interview, and we need to get some wedding related things taken care of. Nonetheless, I'm happy to be away from this place for a week.
Anyway, 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Not just because I like the parties and the fireworks (which I do), but I also love it because of the deep sense of pride I have for this great country. I get chills and goosebumps whenever I hear the national anthem or hear service men and women speak. I feel truly blessed to live in the greatest country in the world.
As most of you know, my dad and brother are both police officers. I can't put into words how proud I am that they have chosen to serve their communities and country in this way. Likewise, I am so very thankful for the men and women in the military who have chosen to serve our great nation. Their sacrifices bring tears to my eyes.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday. Happy Fourth of July!
Anyway, 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. Not just because I like the parties and the fireworks (which I do), but I also love it because of the deep sense of pride I have for this great country. I get chills and goosebumps whenever I hear the national anthem or hear service men and women speak. I feel truly blessed to live in the greatest country in the world.
As most of you know, my dad and brother are both police officers. I can't put into words how proud I am that they have chosen to serve their communities and country in this way. Likewise, I am so very thankful for the men and women in the military who have chosen to serve our great nation. Their sacrifices bring tears to my eyes.
Have a wonderful and safe holiday. Happy Fourth of July!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Running And Hamburger Helper
Because of my constant complaining, I'm sure by now you are aware that the gym I go to has no air conditioning. Also, to make matters worse, the cardio room is on the second floor where it is even hotter. The gym used to be a church and the cardio room is the old choir loft where there is no air circulation. IT. IS. AWFUL. I have tried to get out of my membership, but since the gym offers a "discounted" price to people who work at my company, a 1 year membership is the minimum. My one year is not up until October. June has been pretty awful as far as humidity goes and July and August are only going to be worse. What really makes me want to punch the owner is the fact that he advertises the gym as an "upscale fitness center." WHATEVER. Anyway, I digress.
Usually we hit the gym right after work and 99% of the time it is hotter in the gym than it is outside. I have off every other Friday (YAY for 9/80 work weeks!) and I try to get to the gym as early as possibly on those Fridays to beat the heat. Last Friday I was there at 8 AM and ran 2.25 miles with hardly any problem at all. Yesterday after work, I could barely get out 1.25 miles before I had to stop.
This is so frustrating, especially since I am going to be running a 5K in a few months... how am I going to train for this if I feel like I am going to pass out from the heat every time I run?? Because it is just going to be even hotter in July and August. I know, you are probably saying, why not just run outside? Sure, I plan on doing that, too... but why am I paying for a gym membership if I can't use it?! You all know how cheap I am, so I'm not even going to pay for something I'm not using.
1. For those of you who run, any suggestions as to how to get ready for this 5K when I am dealing with the heat issue? 2. Would it be completely horrible of me to just call my credit card company and tell them no more charges from the gym (since the gym will NOT budge in letting me cancel) so I can join a new gym? I refuse to pay for two gym memberships.
Second...
I love hamburger helper. I know, I know, it's not good for you which is why I pretty much never eat it. Then, I stumbled upon this...
Usually we hit the gym right after work and 99% of the time it is hotter in the gym than it is outside. I have off every other Friday (YAY for 9/80 work weeks!) and I try to get to the gym as early as possibly on those Fridays to beat the heat. Last Friday I was there at 8 AM and ran 2.25 miles with hardly any problem at all. Yesterday after work, I could barely get out 1.25 miles before I had to stop.
This is so frustrating, especially since I am going to be running a 5K in a few months... how am I going to train for this if I feel like I am going to pass out from the heat every time I run?? Because it is just going to be even hotter in July and August. I know, you are probably saying, why not just run outside? Sure, I plan on doing that, too... but why am I paying for a gym membership if I can't use it?! You all know how cheap I am, so I'm not even going to pay for something I'm not using.
1. For those of you who run, any suggestions as to how to get ready for this 5K when I am dealing with the heat issue? 2. Would it be completely horrible of me to just call my credit card company and tell them no more charges from the gym (since the gym will NOT budge in letting me cancel) so I can join a new gym? I refuse to pay for two gym memberships.
Second...
I love hamburger helper. I know, I know, it's not good for you which is why I pretty much never eat it. Then, I stumbled upon this...
At only 170 calories... heck yes I needed to try this!
But I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. This is more like a snack. I ate it for lunch today and seriously, there's only about 5 bites before it is gone. Not even worth it.
Let's be honest though, I don't really need to be eating hamburger helper anyway, right??
I hope you all are having a fabulous week!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My Birthday And A 5K
I woke up this morning to roses, chocolate, and a card on the kitchen table. Nice job, M! AND, M started the coffee for me this morning. Yep, he's a keeper. So, at 5:15 in the morning, I was thinking, is it too early to eat chocolate? To which I decided, heck no, it's my birthday, after all. So I enjoyed a few pieces of chocolate along with my wonderful coffee this morning.
Then, as I was getting ready to leave, I thought, hmm... should I make this morning a Starbucks morning? Heck yes, it's my birthday after all.
And for lunch... I had a chicken philly sandwhich WITH the french fries. Because heck, today is my birthday.
After work, I'm headed to happy hour with M and some co-workers for dinner and a few alcoholic beverages. I don't normally drink during the week. But in case you didn't know - it's my birthday!
So, I will be paying for this for the rest of the week - I'm thinking this is going to result in an extra day in the gym. But who cares, it's my birthday... right?
Well... I signed up for my first 5K.
This is a big deal, seeing as I once could be heard saying, "I will never run again..." after I was done with the police academy. I am currently only running a little over 2 miles about 3 times a week. The 5K is not until September 11 (which also happens to be the day of my bachelorette party), so I think if I can start getting in at least 4 days of running a week, a 5K in September should be easy breezy. I hope!
Then, as I was getting ready to leave, I thought, hmm... should I make this morning a Starbucks morning? Heck yes, it's my birthday after all.
And for lunch... I had a chicken philly sandwhich WITH the french fries. Because heck, today is my birthday.
After work, I'm headed to happy hour with M and some co-workers for dinner and a few alcoholic beverages. I don't normally drink during the week. But in case you didn't know - it's my birthday!
So, I will be paying for this for the rest of the week - I'm thinking this is going to result in an extra day in the gym. But who cares, it's my birthday... right?
Well... I signed up for my first 5K.
This is a big deal, seeing as I once could be heard saying, "I will never run again..." after I was done with the police academy. I am currently only running a little over 2 miles about 3 times a week. The 5K is not until September 11 (which also happens to be the day of my bachelorette party), so I think if I can start getting in at least 4 days of running a week, a 5K in September should be easy breezy. I hope!
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Fit Train
Hi kids. I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I did.
We took my dad out to breakfast yesterday and then headed back to my parents house to celebrate June birthdays - my older brother, sweet little niece, and myself all have birthdays this month and it was fun to just hang out with the family yesterday.
My actual birthday is tomorrow, but M already gave me my gifts. Here is one of dresses he bought me, I love it!
Don't mind the fact that I took this in the work restroom! Who knew he had such good taste? He also bought me another dress I plan on wearing to my bridal shower.
Which brings me to the weight loss issue. I'm still in the 170's. I want to lose another 15 lbs before the wedding - I need to buckle down (only 96 days!) I haven't lost much weight in the last month or so, but I think the running is helping me tone up. M told a co-worker today about how proud he is of me... that I have been working hard and it's been paying off. It totally made my day. Ok, ok, it made my whole week.
How is everyone else doing with their weight loss/fitness goals??
We took my dad out to breakfast yesterday and then headed back to my parents house to celebrate June birthdays - my older brother, sweet little niece, and myself all have birthdays this month and it was fun to just hang out with the family yesterday.
My actual birthday is tomorrow, but M already gave me my gifts. Here is one of dresses he bought me, I love it!
Don't mind the fact that I took this in the work restroom! Who knew he had such good taste? He also bought me another dress I plan on wearing to my bridal shower.
Which brings me to the weight loss issue. I'm still in the 170's. I want to lose another 15 lbs before the wedding - I need to buckle down (only 96 days!) I haven't lost much weight in the last month or so, but I think the running is helping me tone up. M told a co-worker today about how proud he is of me... that I have been working hard and it's been paying off. It totally made my day. Ok, ok, it made my whole week.
How is everyone else doing with their weight loss/fitness goals??
Friday, June 18, 2010
Cussing And Another Book
It's no surprise that a curse frequently.
My mom is always asking me why I swear so much. She likes to tell me that swearing like a sailor is "not very lady like." To that I say... whatever!
Okay, so I cuss... a lot. When I'm pissed off. When I really want to get a point across. When I think something is really damn funny. There always seems to be a good reason. The F word is my favorite. I guess most of the people in my life have just accepted this, except for my mom of course. Crap, I have 3 brothers who are probably worse than I am. Such a double standard.
My poor niece is only 3 1/2 and knows all of the swear words thanks to my brother, sister in law, and myself. I am aware you may think this is awful, but it's pretty damn hard not to laugh when you hear a 3 year old say, "Come on, fucking animals, play nice together," or "SHIT" when she colors outside the lines. Of course she gets into trouble for it, but it's hard not to laugh the second comments such of these come out of her mouth. But I digress...
What can I say, it's just part of my vocabulary. What do you do that your parents get on your case for?
So, I just finished reading this book.
My mom is always asking me why I swear so much. She likes to tell me that swearing like a sailor is "not very lady like." To that I say... whatever!
Okay, so I cuss... a lot. When I'm pissed off. When I really want to get a point across. When I think something is really damn funny. There always seems to be a good reason. The F word is my favorite. I guess most of the people in my life have just accepted this, except for my mom of course. Crap, I have 3 brothers who are probably worse than I am. Such a double standard.
My poor niece is only 3 1/2 and knows all of the swear words thanks to my brother, sister in law, and myself. I am aware you may think this is awful, but it's pretty damn hard not to laugh when you hear a 3 year old say, "Come on, fucking animals, play nice together," or "SHIT" when she colors outside the lines. Of course she gets into trouble for it, but it's hard not to laugh the second comments such of these come out of her mouth. But I digress...
What can I say, it's just part of my vocabulary. What do you do that your parents get on your case for?
So, I just finished reading this book.
Wow. It's about a woman (Tessa) who is married to a doctor (Nick)... who ends up cheating on her with a patient's mother (Valerie). The chapters go back and forth from the point of view of each woman... the wife, and the mistress. Dare I say I actually found myself at times somewhat sympathizing with the other woman? I'm still not sure how I feel about this.
I am one of those people who has always been adamant about not forgiving a cheater. I have been cheated on once, in college, and broke things off right away. But if M were to do this (don't worry, I'm not thinking that he actually would), it would be a totally different situation. So much more serious. This book really made me think, questioning what I would do in this situation. And honestly? I have no idea. On one hand, I'd like to believe that I would never let anyone treat me this way and that I would be strong enough to move on. On the other hand, I'd also like to believe that I would stay and fight for my marriage.
Relationships take work. This book reminded me of how important it is that M & I don't become so complacent in our relationship that we forget about the small things.
Anyway...
Have a fantastic fucking weekend!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thursday, It's Nice To See You
I know I said I would do better. Sorry. I really don't have an excuse, just lack of motivation, I guess. M has been sick all week and I think I'm catching it now... wonderful, just in time for the weekend. My birthday is next week, so I just better feel better by then!
Well, I am interviewing for a new job next month. Usually, I don't get very nervous about these types of things... but for some reason I am about this one! The position is still within my company and similar to the job I have now, but in a completely different division. I have been thinking a lot lately about where I want my career to go and I have decided if I stay right here in this position in this particular department... I will go nowhere. Last year I was moved over to my current job from another department. I understand why it was done. The company was going through layoffs and in order to save everyone's job, I was moved to another position within Supply Management. I have to say, I'm a little resentful. It feels like a catch 22. I loved my old job, and now? For reasons I won't get into here, I don't like getting ready in the morning knowing I have to go to work... I count the days, hours until the weekend and am just a little irritated on Sundays when I know I have to go back to work the next day. Don't get me wrong, I will always keep a positive attitude and do my job the best I can, but I have to look out for myself, too, and I'm ready for a change. It's time to move on, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Onto other things. Let's talk about the oil spill for a minute. It's no secret that I am no fan of Obama. But that's a different post for a different day.
I say we need to stop this spill and clean it up... NOW (as would most people), right? Well, then wth was with the President's speech to the nation to address this issue? Obama used this as an opportunity to make a point of telling us we need to become less dependent on foreign oil. I don't think that's anyone's main concern right this second. Let's get this oil spill stopped and cleaned up before we start talking about the foreign oil issue! And why would Americans want to contribute to a national energy tax to a government that has not done well in their response to this oil spill crisis?
Sure, BP has a lot of blame in this... but why such a poor effort from the government? God forbid if George W. Bush were still President . He would have been crucified.
Just my two cents. I hope everyone is having a good week!
Well, I am interviewing for a new job next month. Usually, I don't get very nervous about these types of things... but for some reason I am about this one! The position is still within my company and similar to the job I have now, but in a completely different division. I have been thinking a lot lately about where I want my career to go and I have decided if I stay right here in this position in this particular department... I will go nowhere. Last year I was moved over to my current job from another department. I understand why it was done. The company was going through layoffs and in order to save everyone's job, I was moved to another position within Supply Management. I have to say, I'm a little resentful. It feels like a catch 22. I loved my old job, and now? For reasons I won't get into here, I don't like getting ready in the morning knowing I have to go to work... I count the days, hours until the weekend and am just a little irritated on Sundays when I know I have to go back to work the next day. Don't get me wrong, I will always keep a positive attitude and do my job the best I can, but I have to look out for myself, too, and I'm ready for a change. It's time to move on, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Onto other things. Let's talk about the oil spill for a minute. It's no secret that I am no fan of Obama. But that's a different post for a different day.
I say we need to stop this spill and clean it up... NOW (as would most people), right? Well, then wth was with the President's speech to the nation to address this issue? Obama used this as an opportunity to make a point of telling us we need to become less dependent on foreign oil. I don't think that's anyone's main concern right this second. Let's get this oil spill stopped and cleaned up before we start talking about the foreign oil issue! And why would Americans want to contribute to a national energy tax to a government that has not done well in their response to this oil spill crisis?
Sure, BP has a lot of blame in this... but why such a poor effort from the government? God forbid if George W. Bush were still President . He would have been crucified.
Just my two cents. I hope everyone is having a good week!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Homophones And A Trip To Bed, Bath, And Beyond
I can't stand poor grammar, it's one of my biggest pet peeves. I blame this on the fact that my eighth grade teacher was kind of nutty and made us diagram sentences constantly. Even today, I can diagram sentences like it's my job.
This site cracks me up.
I have a co-worker who commonly says, "I seen..." or "We seen..."
Oh no you DIDN'T! It's, "I have seen" or "I saw," there is no "I seen." It drives me absolutely crazy.
Even M occassionally makes me cringe with a text or email that says "I love you, to."
M! I do love you, but how hard is it to add the extra "o" to "too"?!
And yes, I do spell out every word correctly, always - even when I text.
What are your pet peeves?
In other news, M and I finally registered this weekend. The lady at Bed, Bath, and Beyond was very pushy. She was trying to get us to register for a lot of things we didn't even want. She walked around with us until I finally told her we were fine adding things to our registry by ourself and didn't need her help. When we were done I think we had about 53 things on our registry and she told us that wasn't enough, we needed at least 150. I said, well, 53 will have to do because that is ALL WE WANT. I don't think she was very happy with me by the time we were done but I don't like when sales associates are pushy.
This site cracks me up.
I have a co-worker who commonly says, "I seen..." or "We seen..."
Oh no you DIDN'T! It's, "I have seen" or "I saw," there is no "I seen." It drives me absolutely crazy.
Even M occassionally makes me cringe with a text or email that says "I love you, to."
M! I do love you, but how hard is it to add the extra "o" to "too"?!
And yes, I do spell out every word correctly, always - even when I text.
What are your pet peeves?
In other news, M and I finally registered this weekend. The lady at Bed, Bath, and Beyond was very pushy. She was trying to get us to register for a lot of things we didn't even want. She walked around with us until I finally told her we were fine adding things to our registry by ourself and didn't need her help. When we were done I think we had about 53 things on our registry and she told us that wasn't enough, we needed at least 150. I said, well, 53 will have to do because that is ALL WE WANT. I don't think she was very happy with me by the time we were done but I don't like when sales associates are pushy.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Choices
My grandfather passed away and his funeral was a couple of weeks ago. I was asked to come and see him at the hospital before he passed away. I didn't go. I was asked to come to calling hours when he did pass. I didn't go. I was asked to come to the funeral. I did go to that. But let me be clear. I went to be there for the rest of my family, not to pay my last respects, because frankly, I had no respect for this man. I know, I know, you probably think I'm awful.
Let me explain.
I am not dramatic. I rarely ever cry. I am brutally honest and I tell it like it is. Always. When you are looking for an honest answer and an evaluation or plan of attack for fixing something - I'm your girl. So let's be honest. I'm not usually the first person my friends go to when they are looking for sympathy. It's not that I can't be sympathetic, but fixing things is what I'm better at.
Personally, when I'm in a complicated situation or something bad happens, the last thing I am looking for is sympathy. I'd rather get on with it and find a solution to my problem as quickly as possible.
That being said, I have had a few relationships in my life that I considered to be "toxic." Not surprisingly, I didn't have a problem at all when it came to cutting ties in those cases. I'm very confident in my decisions when it comes to these types of situations. One of these relationships was with my grandfather.
When I was in 8th/9th grade, my mom, brother, and I had to live with my grandparents for a few years. As a single mother, there where times when my mom struggled. This was one of those times. My grandfather was an alcoholic - a mean one. He made our lives hell.
You can say/do what you want to me - and we'll deal with that. But when you hurt my family, I'm not very forgiving. The way my grandfather treated my mom and my brother was unforgivable as far as I am concerned. Not only that, but not even once did he ever take any responsibility for things he did/said... he was never sorry for any of the hurt or humiliation he caused. The day we moved out was the day I decided I was done having anything to do with him. I have not, nor will I ever regret that decision.
My grandfather continued to be an alcoholic until the day he died. He treated his family horribly. But for some reason, most people excused his behavior. There are people in my family who cannot understand how I could make the decision to have no contact with my own grandfather.... they say, "but, he's family." Just as they don't understand my decision to cut any and all ties, I don't understand their decision to allow themselves to be treated this way by a family member just because "family is family." Not that I feel I need to justify my decision - but I have had to remind these family members from time to time that just as I made a choice, so did he.... to continue to treat people with no respect. Just because we are blood does not give you the right to treat me (or the rest of your family for that matter) any worse than what I would accept from a total stranger.
Sure, there were times over the years when it would have been nice to have a relationship with my grandfather. But a "normal" relationship with him was never a possibility. It came with a cost, but I did what I had to do to "fix" my situation the best way I could. My grandfather was destructive in my life, my brother's life, and my mom's life. I took a stand, and I have made peace with my decision. I refuse to let anyone tell me I am the one who was wrong.
What about you? Have you ever had to end a friendship/family relationship? Could you do it?
Let me explain.
I am not dramatic. I rarely ever cry. I am brutally honest and I tell it like it is. Always. When you are looking for an honest answer and an evaluation or plan of attack for fixing something - I'm your girl. So let's be honest. I'm not usually the first person my friends go to when they are looking for sympathy. It's not that I can't be sympathetic, but fixing things is what I'm better at.
Personally, when I'm in a complicated situation or something bad happens, the last thing I am looking for is sympathy. I'd rather get on with it and find a solution to my problem as quickly as possible.
That being said, I have had a few relationships in my life that I considered to be "toxic." Not surprisingly, I didn't have a problem at all when it came to cutting ties in those cases. I'm very confident in my decisions when it comes to these types of situations. One of these relationships was with my grandfather.
When I was in 8th/9th grade, my mom, brother, and I had to live with my grandparents for a few years. As a single mother, there where times when my mom struggled. This was one of those times. My grandfather was an alcoholic - a mean one. He made our lives hell.
You can say/do what you want to me - and we'll deal with that. But when you hurt my family, I'm not very forgiving. The way my grandfather treated my mom and my brother was unforgivable as far as I am concerned. Not only that, but not even once did he ever take any responsibility for things he did/said... he was never sorry for any of the hurt or humiliation he caused. The day we moved out was the day I decided I was done having anything to do with him. I have not, nor will I ever regret that decision.
My grandfather continued to be an alcoholic until the day he died. He treated his family horribly. But for some reason, most people excused his behavior. There are people in my family who cannot understand how I could make the decision to have no contact with my own grandfather.... they say, "but, he's family." Just as they don't understand my decision to cut any and all ties, I don't understand their decision to allow themselves to be treated this way by a family member just because "family is family." Not that I feel I need to justify my decision - but I have had to remind these family members from time to time that just as I made a choice, so did he.... to continue to treat people with no respect. Just because we are blood does not give you the right to treat me (or the rest of your family for that matter) any worse than what I would accept from a total stranger.
Sure, there were times over the years when it would have been nice to have a relationship with my grandfather. But a "normal" relationship with him was never a possibility. It came with a cost, but I did what I had to do to "fix" my situation the best way I could. My grandfather was destructive in my life, my brother's life, and my mom's life. I took a stand, and I have made peace with my decision. I refuse to let anyone tell me I am the one who was wrong.
What about you? Have you ever had to end a friendship/family relationship? Could you do it?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Sorry For Being MIA - And A Book Review
I've been MIA lately and I'm sorry. I promise I have been keeping up with your blogs, I will do a better job with commenting and posting my own blogs. Life has just been busy. Wedding planning is still going well - and we found a photographer!! Yay! So I'm not freaking out so much.
Weight loss has been... eh, not so great. I gained a couple of lbs back. But this week I am back at in full force. I'm sick of busting my @ss in the gym for nothing. Speaking of that, we recently found out our gym doesn't have air conditioning. It's awful. I don't mind lifting weights in the heat, but running (or any cardio) is completely miserable. I literally am soaking wet by the time I leave and it's gross. Honestly, I don't think I would have joined the gym back in November if I knew about the no air conditioning. Not sure what I'm going to do as it gets even warmer outside. However, I have kept up with the running. The most I have run at one time is 2 miles... but I have been mostly sticking with 1.5 mile runs and trying to increase my speed a little.
Onto the book review.
I love to read, but haven't had a whole lot of time for it lately. But, I've been hearing a lot of good things about this book...
Weight loss has been... eh, not so great. I gained a couple of lbs back. But this week I am back at in full force. I'm sick of busting my @ss in the gym for nothing. Speaking of that, we recently found out our gym doesn't have air conditioning. It's awful. I don't mind lifting weights in the heat, but running (or any cardio) is completely miserable. I literally am soaking wet by the time I leave and it's gross. Honestly, I don't think I would have joined the gym back in November if I knew about the no air conditioning. Not sure what I'm going to do as it gets even warmer outside. However, I have kept up with the running. The most I have run at one time is 2 miles... but I have been mostly sticking with 1.5 mile runs and trying to increase my speed a little.
Onto the book review.
I love to read, but haven't had a whole lot of time for it lately. But, I've been hearing a lot of good things about this book...
And let me tell you... it did not disappoint. I picked it up Friday and was done with it yesterday morning. I would definitely recommend it!
Hunger Games takes place in a country called Panem. Panem consists of 13 districts - the 13th district was destroyed when all of the districts tried to rebel against the Capitol (the government). In order to deter the people from future rebellion and as a reminder of the control the Capitol has over the districts, "The Hunger Games" are held every year and are televised for everyone to see.
Life in District 12, the poorest district, isn't easy for 16 year old Katniss Everdeen. Her father died several years ago and Katniss now spends her days saving her mother and little sister Prim from starvation by hunting on forbidden land.
Worst of all is reaping day when the government chooses (by lottery) a boy and girl between the ages of 12-18 from each of the twelve districts to compete against one another in "The Hunger Games." When Prim's name is called, Katniss exchanges herself without hesitation to compete alongside the baker's boy, Peeta. The goal of "The Hunger Games" is to survive - to kill or be killed. The last person standing is the winner. As a prize, the winner receives a life of luxury back home and has more than enough food to feed their family.
Slightly creepy, right? This book is classified as Young Adult... but it's GOOD. It's the first in a trilogy. I plan on getting my hands on the next one, Catching Fire, soon! And the third, Mockingjay, is to be released August 2010. You can bet I will be reading that one, too.
If you're looking for a good read, pick up this book!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wedding Plans
Amanda asked about wedding planning. Thanks for stopping by, Amanda. How interesting... we have the same wedding date.
Wedding planning is... well, it's going. I am obviously not the typical girl when it comes to planning a wedding. Honestly, I would rather someone else do it. I find it stressful and a little annoying at times. September 25 is our date by default since we originally planned on getting married in Mexico. We booked our trip for October 2 but then our parents had major issues with us not getting married at home. So everything changed and now September 25th is the date - we are getting married at my parents' house in their backyard.
I refuse... refuse... to spend $20,000 or more on a wedding (and I wouldn't even allow my parents to spend that kind of money, either... I think it's ridiculous). I don't care if some stranger walked up to me and gave me the money, I certainly wouldn't use it for a wedding. Neither M or I want a big wedding. At least for me, I think this has a lot to do with being poor for so long. I worked full time while going to college and while my dad and stepmom did help pay for some of my loans once I graduated (and I am SO grateful for that!!) I had to work my @ss off while I was in school. There were times when I literally only had cents in my checking account. While M and I are much better off now, I am still very careful about my spending. Crap, when I bought my car last year, M basically spent the whole time calming me down - I was ready to have a panic attack every 5 minutes talking about car payments, etc. Even if I had a money tree growing in the backyard, I would still probably freak every time I had to spend a large amount of money.
Anyway, things are coming along. I have 5 bridesmaids and all of the dresses have been ordered. We are only waiting on two more to come in. My dress is ivory and their dresses are chocolate brown... each bridesmaid has a different style dress. The guys will not being wearing tuxes. They will wear khaki pants with ivory shirts.
We are using fall colors and I want the arch to look something like this...
I haven't decided on flowers for me or my bridesmaids yet, but I think I will stick with the sunflower/fall theme. Same for the center pieces. My stepmom and I are going to look at some flower ideas this Friday.
So far we have the minister, DJ, caterer, and videographer (this was my parent's doing... they want pay for a video of our wedding as part of their wedding gift to M and I) booked. The photographer is up in the air. A friend of ours was going to do the photography, but was recently in a motorcycle accident and will probably not be able to do it. I am so incredibly glad he is ok - but you have no idea how stressed out I am about trying to find a photographer with a little over 4 months until the wedding.
Since we will be having a bonfire when it gets dark (I HOPE it doesn't rain!), these are our favors, hot cocoa mix...
Oh, and here are what our invitations look like...
For the bridesmaids, I am buying them necklaces to wear on the day of the wedding. I also bought them these...
I would like to find one more thing for them as a thank you gift. I also have something special in mind for my sister in law (my matron of honor) who is already making plans for my bridal shower and bachelorette party. By the way - I am SO excited about the bachelor/bachelorette parties. We are going on an overnight trip to some wineries in the Geneva area. It's going to be a blast!
So it's all coming together. I still need a bustle/alterations on my dress. All of the bridesmaids will need alterations. We still have to figure out exactly what the guys are wearing. We know where we are getting the wine/beer from, it's just a matter of buying it. M needs to decide on gifts for the groomsmen. M & I need to come up with a special gift for my dad and stepmom who are helping us out A LOT with the wedding. My stepmom is helping me decide on flowers this Friday. And we need a PHOTOGRAPHER!
Did I forget anything? I think I pretty much have it covered. I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. A lot of the wedding planning is already done, but I know there is still so much to do!
Monday, May 10, 2010
I've Got Nothing...
Seriously. I have been in such a funk lately.
What do you guys want to hear about? Any blogging suggestions??
What do you guys want to hear about? Any blogging suggestions??
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
I Made It Through The Challenge...
I haven't been so good at blogging lately. Work has been busy... and so has life, in general.
Yesterday was my last day on the Advocare 24 day challenge. The results? I lost 10 lbs. That's right kids, I'm barely in the 170's weighing in at 179 lbs as of this morning - but it's still exciting. I gained a few lbs towards the end when I started running, but they came off within a few days.
My thought on the Advocare challenge? Well... I lost 10 lbs in a little over 3 weeks. Not amazing, but not bad. I'm glad I did it, but I'm not sure I would do it again. However, I do have to say, I know I lost some inches. I did my measurements before I started the program and again half way through and I was surprised. I have do my final measurements today, but I'm pretty sure I will be happy with the results. Bottom line is, if you eat the way they tell you to eat on this program, you are going to lose weight anyway, even without the supplements. And let's be honest... I did have a couple of cheat days while doing this.
Now, I think I'm going to continue to watch my sodium intake and go back to only weighing myself every 2 weeks. I'm still running... and dare I say, gasp... I actually look forward to it. I've been running almost 2 miles 3 times a week and I think I will stick to that for now and try to improve my speed. I also usually hop on the elliptical for 10-15 minutes. It seems like cardio gets done so much faster with the running and I feel like I have been getting a better work out. No shin splints... yet. I hope I didn't jinx myself!!
Moving on...
Did anyone see the Rielle Hunter's interview with Oprah? What a joke. Not that I really care what Hunter has to say, I was just kind of curious as to the stupidity that would be coming out of her mouth and what kind of comments Oprah would have. What a hypocrite, seriously. I had to laugh when she tried to justify her relationship with John Edwards. Not only is she delusional, but she's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. And the pictures of her from GQ magazine with no pants on in her kid's bed?! Creepy!!
Happy Hump Day everyone!!
Yesterday was my last day on the Advocare 24 day challenge. The results? I lost 10 lbs. That's right kids, I'm barely in the 170's weighing in at 179 lbs as of this morning - but it's still exciting. I gained a few lbs towards the end when I started running, but they came off within a few days.
My thought on the Advocare challenge? Well... I lost 10 lbs in a little over 3 weeks. Not amazing, but not bad. I'm glad I did it, but I'm not sure I would do it again. However, I do have to say, I know I lost some inches. I did my measurements before I started the program and again half way through and I was surprised. I have do my final measurements today, but I'm pretty sure I will be happy with the results. Bottom line is, if you eat the way they tell you to eat on this program, you are going to lose weight anyway, even without the supplements. And let's be honest... I did have a couple of cheat days while doing this.
Now, I think I'm going to continue to watch my sodium intake and go back to only weighing myself every 2 weeks. I'm still running... and dare I say, gasp... I actually look forward to it. I've been running almost 2 miles 3 times a week and I think I will stick to that for now and try to improve my speed. I also usually hop on the elliptical for 10-15 minutes. It seems like cardio gets done so much faster with the running and I feel like I have been getting a better work out. No shin splints... yet. I hope I didn't jinx myself!!
Moving on...
Did anyone see the Rielle Hunter's interview with Oprah? What a joke. Not that I really care what Hunter has to say, I was just kind of curious as to the stupidity that would be coming out of her mouth and what kind of comments Oprah would have. What a hypocrite, seriously. I had to laugh when she tried to justify her relationship with John Edwards. Not only is she delusional, but she's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. And the pictures of her from GQ magazine with no pants on in her kid's bed?! Creepy!!
Happy Hump Day everyone!!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Ugh... People
Warning: This post is going to be a huge rant. If you're not interested, I wouldn't read any further.
My brother's former partner and one of his very good friends, MV, (who was also going to possibly be the wedding photographer for M and I) was involved in a motorcycle crash at work yesterday morning. You can read about it here. It's the postings in the comments section (as well as the comments on other articles relating to this) that are the reason for this blog post.
While MV will be ok, he broke his femur (the hardest bone in your body to break) as well as several vertabrae. He had to have pins put in his leg/pelvis and may need to have back surgery. Really, he was lucky the back injury didn't result in paralysis. He has a long recovery ahead of him, but we are just glad that he is going to be ok.
Before I continue, this is where I should say that MV is one of those officers who loves his job and loves serving his community. He is so grateful for all of it.
I am disgusted by some of the comments that I've been reading on this story, although comments such as these, unfortunately, no longer surprise me. Where has this complete lack of respect for law enforcement come from?! People who hate police officers so much that they feel the need to make ignorant, disrespectful comments on something they clearly know nothing about. It's sad, ignorant, and angering... and this is the exact reason I chose not to go into the law enforcement profession. I have a hard time not losing my temper when it comes to this...
These people should spend less time criticizing and instead, be thankful there are people like MV who chose this profession, serving and protecting regardless of how they are treated because of it.
For the record, MV did not "forget" to put his kickstand up. There was an issue with the spring and it kept falling down as he was riding.
Prayers for you, MV - stay strong and get better soon!
My brother's former partner and one of his very good friends, MV, (who was also going to possibly be the wedding photographer for M and I) was involved in a motorcycle crash at work yesterday morning. You can read about it here. It's the postings in the comments section (as well as the comments on other articles relating to this) that are the reason for this blog post.
While MV will be ok, he broke his femur (the hardest bone in your body to break) as well as several vertabrae. He had to have pins put in his leg/pelvis and may need to have back surgery. Really, he was lucky the back injury didn't result in paralysis. He has a long recovery ahead of him, but we are just glad that he is going to be ok.
Before I continue, this is where I should say that MV is one of those officers who loves his job and loves serving his community. He is so grateful for all of it.
I am disgusted by some of the comments that I've been reading on this story, although comments such as these, unfortunately, no longer surprise me. Where has this complete lack of respect for law enforcement come from?! People who hate police officers so much that they feel the need to make ignorant, disrespectful comments on something they clearly know nothing about. It's sad, ignorant, and angering... and this is the exact reason I chose not to go into the law enforcement profession. I have a hard time not losing my temper when it comes to this...
These people should spend less time criticizing and instead, be thankful there are people like MV who chose this profession, serving and protecting regardless of how they are treated because of it.
For the record, MV did not "forget" to put his kickstand up. There was an issue with the spring and it kept falling down as he was riding.
Prayers for you, MV - stay strong and get better soon!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Thursday Update
Well... the cleanse portion of the 24 day challenge is over. My official weight lost during this time? 5.8 lbs. At first, I was frustrated with myself because I know it could have been a little more had I not had that big disaster with eating/drinking last weekend. But on second thought, I can't be too upset about losing 5.8 lbs in 10 days - that's great! I started off at 189 lbs and currently am at 183.2 lbs. The 170's are so close, I can't wait! I also took my measurements before I started all of this and I will be doing it again this weekend for a midpoint check. I know I definitely have lost inches - I can tell by my clothes.
For the remaining 14 days, I can add in a few more carbs if I want (but my plan is just to keep doing what I've been doing... no bread). Also, the disgusting fiber drink is permanently replaced with the meal replacement shake. So glad to be done with the fiber drink for good.
I ran again at the gym yesterday. Besides just a little tightness in my right calf, I didn't have any problems with it. I guess I will be continuing with the running thing for a while. While I still can't say I like running... getting back into it has not been as hard as I thought it would be. I've been mostly running with a little walking for 2 miles.
In other news, we found our minister. We met with him on Tuesday and I'm getting excited all over again for the wedding. Can't believe it's only 5 months away. I'm taking 3 of my bridesmaids this weekend to get their dresses.
Have a great Thursday, everyone.
For the remaining 14 days, I can add in a few more carbs if I want (but my plan is just to keep doing what I've been doing... no bread). Also, the disgusting fiber drink is permanently replaced with the meal replacement shake. So glad to be done with the fiber drink for good.
I ran again at the gym yesterday. Besides just a little tightness in my right calf, I didn't have any problems with it. I guess I will be continuing with the running thing for a while. While I still can't say I like running... getting back into it has not been as hard as I thought it would be. I've been mostly running with a little walking for 2 miles.
In other news, we found our minister. We met with him on Tuesday and I'm getting excited all over again for the wedding. Can't believe it's only 5 months away. I'm taking 3 of my bridesmaids this weekend to get their dresses.
Have a great Thursday, everyone.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Am I For Real?
Yesterday at the gym something amazing happened. I decided I was going to run... and did.
It's no secret that I hate to run. After going through the police academy, I vowed to never run again. But yesterday, I apparently had a change of heart. I warmed up by walking for about 5 minutes and then ran/walked (more running than walking) for the next 25 minutes, followed by another 12 minutes on the elliptical. I took a look at this for a minute before I left for the gym.
So why all of a sudden did I decide to start running? Well, first, Melissa is an inspiration!
Second, I guess I am just sick of the elliptical. I dread hopping on there for 40 minutes because it is sooo boring!! And what better time to try something new than when you're bored with your current workout?
I think I hated running so much because when I got serious the first time about running, I took on way too much too soon. I had the most awful shin splints and there was no time to recover, I had to keep running if I was going to make through the academy. It was incredibly painful.
For now, I will take on running at a pace that is a little more comfortable. I was surprised at how much I accomplished yesterday running... I was prepared for it to be much, much harder.
Who knows, maybe you'll see a post on here someday about me signing up for a 5k.
Well, let's n0t get too ambitious just yet...
Did you guys see this? I'm sorry, I love Niecy, but a size 10? Really? I'm not even a size 10.
It's no secret that I hate to run. After going through the police academy, I vowed to never run again. But yesterday, I apparently had a change of heart. I warmed up by walking for about 5 minutes and then ran/walked (more running than walking) for the next 25 minutes, followed by another 12 minutes on the elliptical. I took a look at this for a minute before I left for the gym.
So why all of a sudden did I decide to start running? Well, first, Melissa is an inspiration!
Second, I guess I am just sick of the elliptical. I dread hopping on there for 40 minutes because it is sooo boring!! And what better time to try something new than when you're bored with your current workout?
I think I hated running so much because when I got serious the first time about running, I took on way too much too soon. I had the most awful shin splints and there was no time to recover, I had to keep running if I was going to make through the academy. It was incredibly painful.
For now, I will take on running at a pace that is a little more comfortable. I was surprised at how much I accomplished yesterday running... I was prepared for it to be much, much harder.
Who knows, maybe you'll see a post on here someday about me signing up for a 5k.
Well, let's n0t get too ambitious just yet...
Did you guys see this? I'm sorry, I love Niecy, but a size 10? Really? I'm not even a size 10.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Random
Jewelry... I love it. But I do not love wearing it 24 hours a day. I absolutely love my engagement ring. But no, I do not even wear that every second of every day. I take it off to wash my hands, to wash dishes, to take a shower, to cook. I even take it off most of the time when I am at the gym. At first, I wore it, but I realized how fast it was going to get scratched up... so now I don't wear it unless I am only doing cardio.
Thursday, I went tanning after work. Yes, I go tanning. Don't bother yelling at me. I know it's horrible, but I can't stand looking like the color of paste. So I tan twice a week. Anyway, yes, you guessed it, I take my ring off when I get into the tanning bed. Normally, I stick my ring in my purse, but this time for some reason, I put it on the table next to the tanning bed. Kind of stupid, I know. As I was walking out of the room, I turned right back around as I realized I forgot my ring. The lady at the desk asked me what I forgot. When I told her it was my engagment ring, she looked at me like I was an idiot. She's not the only one. My mom has lectured me more than once about how I should never take my ring off. There's a few other people who have made comments about it as well. I don't think it's a big deal that I don't wear my ring every second of every day. Generally when I'm out and about, it's always on my finger. Most people haven't seen me without it. It's mostly when I am at home that I don't have it on. Does anyone else think this is weird?
Onto other things...
I was all set to do another cleanse update, but that's not going to happen. Maybe in a few days. As of Saturday morning I was down 5 lbs. BUT, that was before a night of drinking. I cheated... bad. Last week was my little brother's birthday, so we took him out Saturday night. I originally had plans to only have 1 or 2 drinks. This quickly changed. My bar tab is proof of the stupidity that took place that night. I also realized I cannot party with 22 year olds anymore. I felt awful all day Sunday.
Yesterday we had a surprise party for my oldest brother and my dad - they both have milestone birthdays this month. Although I didn't eat a lot, the food that I did eat was not on the plan.
So, I didn't even bother weighing myself this morning because I knew I would probably just get pissed at myself all over again. I may not have actually gained that much, but I'm sure some of it is water retention since I was also not good at getting my water in this weekend. Don't worry, I am back on track and I won't be getting off track again for the duration of this, which is a little over 2 more weeks.
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Thursday, I went tanning after work. Yes, I go tanning. Don't bother yelling at me. I know it's horrible, but I can't stand looking like the color of paste. So I tan twice a week. Anyway, yes, you guessed it, I take my ring off when I get into the tanning bed. Normally, I stick my ring in my purse, but this time for some reason, I put it on the table next to the tanning bed. Kind of stupid, I know. As I was walking out of the room, I turned right back around as I realized I forgot my ring. The lady at the desk asked me what I forgot. When I told her it was my engagment ring, she looked at me like I was an idiot. She's not the only one. My mom has lectured me more than once about how I should never take my ring off. There's a few other people who have made comments about it as well. I don't think it's a big deal that I don't wear my ring every second of every day. Generally when I'm out and about, it's always on my finger. Most people haven't seen me without it. It's mostly when I am at home that I don't have it on. Does anyone else think this is weird?
Onto other things...
I was all set to do another cleanse update, but that's not going to happen. Maybe in a few days. As of Saturday morning I was down 5 lbs. BUT, that was before a night of drinking. I cheated... bad. Last week was my little brother's birthday, so we took him out Saturday night. I originally had plans to only have 1 or 2 drinks. This quickly changed. My bar tab is proof of the stupidity that took place that night. I also realized I cannot party with 22 year olds anymore. I felt awful all day Sunday.
Yesterday we had a surprise party for my oldest brother and my dad - they both have milestone birthdays this month. Although I didn't eat a lot, the food that I did eat was not on the plan.
So, I didn't even bother weighing myself this morning because I knew I would probably just get pissed at myself all over again. I may not have actually gained that much, but I'm sure some of it is water retention since I was also not good at getting my water in this weekend. Don't worry, I am back on track and I won't be getting off track again for the duration of this, which is a little over 2 more weeks.
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Survey Says...
I stole this from Tania.
Who is your man? M.
How long did you date? We're engaged, is it still considered dating? Probably not... we dated a year before he proposed in January.
How old is your man? He's older than me... by more than a few years. We'll leave it at that.
Who eats more? It's funny because when I tell him I'm hungry he says, "you're always hungry." I definitely eat more often, but he eat bigger portions than I do... so definitely him.
Who said "I love you" first? He did.
Who is taller? We're pretty much the same height.
Who sings better? Neither one of sing very good.
Who is smarter? We are both smart.
Whose temper is worse? Ugh - we both have bad tempers.
Who does the laundry? We both do.
Who takes out the garbage? Him.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.
Who pays the bills? He does.
Who is better with the computer? Me.
Who mows the lawn? Him.
Who cooks dinner? Me. M only cooks if it can go in the microwave. He does grill though, too.
Who drives when you are together? Mostly him.
Who pays when you go out? Usually him, but it all comes from the same place.
Who is most stubborn? Me, definitely.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? He does.
Whose parents do you see the most? We see both pretty often.
Who asked who out? I suppose that would be me. I asked him if he wanted to go to lunch... which wasn't supposed to be a date. But it turned into one.
Who proposed? He did.
Who wears the pants in the family? Haha, I would have to say me. Unless it's something that he is really adamant about, he let's me make the decisions.
I'm off tomorrow so this is like Friday to me. Yay! Have a fab weekend!
Who is your man? M.
How long did you date? We're engaged, is it still considered dating? Probably not... we dated a year before he proposed in January.
How old is your man? He's older than me... by more than a few years. We'll leave it at that.
Who eats more? It's funny because when I tell him I'm hungry he says, "you're always hungry." I definitely eat more often, but he eat bigger portions than I do... so definitely him.
Who said "I love you" first? He did.
Who is taller? We're pretty much the same height.
Who sings better? Neither one of sing very good.
Who is smarter? We are both smart.
Whose temper is worse? Ugh - we both have bad tempers.
Who does the laundry? We both do.
Who takes out the garbage? Him.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.
Who pays the bills? He does.
Who is better with the computer? Me.
Who mows the lawn? Him.
Who cooks dinner? Me. M only cooks if it can go in the microwave. He does grill though, too.
Who drives when you are together? Mostly him.
Who pays when you go out? Usually him, but it all comes from the same place.
Who is most stubborn? Me, definitely.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? He does.
Whose parents do you see the most? We see both pretty often.
Who asked who out? I suppose that would be me. I asked him if he wanted to go to lunch... which wasn't supposed to be a date. But it turned into one.
Who proposed? He did.
Who wears the pants in the family? Haha, I would have to say me. Unless it's something that he is really adamant about, he let's me make the decisions.
I'm off tomorrow so this is like Friday to me. Yay! Have a fab weekend!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
For Those Of You Interested...
Here is an update on my Advocare cleanse.
This is day 3 of the the cleanse. So there have been 2 full days and I have lost 1.8 lbs so far. Yes, I am weighing myself every morning. I'm doing ok with it... I think the hardest part of it has been not being able to drink coffee. That just sucks. I am a coffee addict, so no coffee is making me a little crabby.
Basically, all you can eat on this cleanse is fruit, vegetables, salad, chicken, fish, or turkey... oh, and eggs. You are going for low carb, low sodium, no sugar, and high protein. There is no bread, no coffee, and no dairy. I hate not being able to eat cheese. Other than no cheese and no coffee, I'm not having any other problems.
I don't like fish, or any seafood for that matter, so I have to stick with just chicken and turkey. That's fine with me for now, but I see this getting very boring by the end of the week. The only type of dressing for your salad you are allowed to use is oil and vinegar. I'm ok with this... I found a mix I love that I will probably stick to even after this is all over. For my salad that I eat at lunch while I am at work, I just use Heinz Gourmet Salad Vinegar and skip the oil. M thinks I am disgusting because of this, but I love it. It has no calories, sodium, carbs, sugars... nothing that is bad for you. The biggest problem with regular salad dressings (even low fat or fat free) are the carbs and the sodium.
In the mornings, you drink a Spark energy drink before you eat anything. A half hour later, this is followed by a fiber drink.
Let's talk about the Spark drink for a minute. My sister in law (she did the cleanse, too) swears by it. My brother and I don't have quite as strong feelings for it. It definitely does something, but I don't think it's as amazing as a lot of people do. I am not a morning person at all and the Spark drink does help me wake up a little right away after drinking it. It doesn't give me any kind of ridiculous energy though. I think this just depends on how energy drinks affect you in general. If they work for you, so will Spark. If not... then you probably aren't going to see a huge difference in your energy levels. M also tried it and it did nothing for him... he said he could lay down and take a nap.
The fiber drink is gross. I'm not even going to sugar coat it... my brother and I refer to this as weeds. Because it feels like you are swallowing weeds when this goes down your throat. It is supposed to taste like citrus... but it definitely doesn't. You have to drink this the first 3 days and the last 3 days of the cleanse part of the program (and not at all for the 14 day plan that follows!). Once you mix it with water, you have to drink it right away or it starts to gel and then it is REALLY gross. I'm glad this was my third day and I will be done with it for the next 4 days. For the 4 days in between, there will be meal replacement shakes in the morning.
For snacks in between meals, you are allowed to eat fruits, veggies, or almonds (or any nuts for that matter - just a handful). I have been choosing to eat almonds for my afternoon snack. These actually hold me over for the rest of the afternoon, I was kind of surprised.
You have to take 4 omega plex (fish oil) pills at dinner time and an herbal cleanse packet - 3 vitamins - before bed.
I go to the gym Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. Monday was the first day of the cleanse, and also a gym day. One thing I noticed was that I did not have as much energy as I usually do at the gym. This is probably because I'm not eating as many calories on the cleanse. I was tired all day on Monday. Today I am feeling better, so I'm curious to see how it goes at the gym.
All in all, it's going ok so far. I haven't had the cravings that I thought I would. If I do have a sugar craving, I just eat a cup of sugar free jello (you can also have a sugar free popsicle). You also have to be sure to drink a gallon - 120 ounces - of water a day. This isn't that difficult since I have been trying to stick to 100 ounces a day for a while now.
I took my measurements before I started this and I will be doing it again at the end of the cleanse portion of the program to see if there is a difference before I start the 14 day program that follows.
This is day 3 of the the cleanse. So there have been 2 full days and I have lost 1.8 lbs so far. Yes, I am weighing myself every morning. I'm doing ok with it... I think the hardest part of it has been not being able to drink coffee. That just sucks. I am a coffee addict, so no coffee is making me a little crabby.
Basically, all you can eat on this cleanse is fruit, vegetables, salad, chicken, fish, or turkey... oh, and eggs. You are going for low carb, low sodium, no sugar, and high protein. There is no bread, no coffee, and no dairy. I hate not being able to eat cheese. Other than no cheese and no coffee, I'm not having any other problems.
I don't like fish, or any seafood for that matter, so I have to stick with just chicken and turkey. That's fine with me for now, but I see this getting very boring by the end of the week. The only type of dressing for your salad you are allowed to use is oil and vinegar. I'm ok with this... I found a mix I love that I will probably stick to even after this is all over. For my salad that I eat at lunch while I am at work, I just use Heinz Gourmet Salad Vinegar and skip the oil. M thinks I am disgusting because of this, but I love it. It has no calories, sodium, carbs, sugars... nothing that is bad for you. The biggest problem with regular salad dressings (even low fat or fat free) are the carbs and the sodium.
In the mornings, you drink a Spark energy drink before you eat anything. A half hour later, this is followed by a fiber drink.
Let's talk about the Spark drink for a minute. My sister in law (she did the cleanse, too) swears by it. My brother and I don't have quite as strong feelings for it. It definitely does something, but I don't think it's as amazing as a lot of people do. I am not a morning person at all and the Spark drink does help me wake up a little right away after drinking it. It doesn't give me any kind of ridiculous energy though. I think this just depends on how energy drinks affect you in general. If they work for you, so will Spark. If not... then you probably aren't going to see a huge difference in your energy levels. M also tried it and it did nothing for him... he said he could lay down and take a nap.
The fiber drink is gross. I'm not even going to sugar coat it... my brother and I refer to this as weeds. Because it feels like you are swallowing weeds when this goes down your throat. It is supposed to taste like citrus... but it definitely doesn't. You have to drink this the first 3 days and the last 3 days of the cleanse part of the program (and not at all for the 14 day plan that follows!). Once you mix it with water, you have to drink it right away or it starts to gel and then it is REALLY gross. I'm glad this was my third day and I will be done with it for the next 4 days. For the 4 days in between, there will be meal replacement shakes in the morning.
For snacks in between meals, you are allowed to eat fruits, veggies, or almonds (or any nuts for that matter - just a handful). I have been choosing to eat almonds for my afternoon snack. These actually hold me over for the rest of the afternoon, I was kind of surprised.
You have to take 4 omega plex (fish oil) pills at dinner time and an herbal cleanse packet - 3 vitamins - before bed.
I go to the gym Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays. Monday was the first day of the cleanse, and also a gym day. One thing I noticed was that I did not have as much energy as I usually do at the gym. This is probably because I'm not eating as many calories on the cleanse. I was tired all day on Monday. Today I am feeling better, so I'm curious to see how it goes at the gym.
All in all, it's going ok so far. I haven't had the cravings that I thought I would. If I do have a sugar craving, I just eat a cup of sugar free jello (you can also have a sugar free popsicle). You also have to be sure to drink a gallon - 120 ounces - of water a day. This isn't that difficult since I have been trying to stick to 100 ounces a day for a while now.
I took my measurements before I started this and I will be doing it again at the end of the cleanse portion of the program to see if there is a difference before I start the 14 day program that follows.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Cleansing
I started my Advocare cleanse today and so far so good... BUT, I am totally missing coffee. I am not allowed to have ANY for 24 days and that is pure torture. However, this particular cleanse was a little on the expensive side, so I'm doing everything exactly the way they say it needs to be done. This also includes no dairy (no cheese!) and no bread. Sadface. There is a Spark energy drink to take in the morning... but that doesn't really cut it.
I know several people who have done this and most have lost about 1 lb a day while doing the cleanse part. That is amazing! I hope this kicks starts the weight loss because I have been stuck for about a month now. Of course, I will be blogging about my progress.
My life is becoming consumed by wedding planning... meeting with ministers, caterers, etc etc. I don't like it. What turned into just having my sister in law be my matron of honor has now turned in to having five bridesmaids, and of course five groomsmen. I didn't want to look back and only remember being so adamant about having a small wedding that we didn't include everyone we should have. We're still keeping it as simple as possible.
That's about it... I know, not very exciting. Hopefully there will be something more fun to talk about soon.
I know several people who have done this and most have lost about 1 lb a day while doing the cleanse part. That is amazing! I hope this kicks starts the weight loss because I have been stuck for about a month now. Of course, I will be blogging about my progress.
My life is becoming consumed by wedding planning... meeting with ministers, caterers, etc etc. I don't like it. What turned into just having my sister in law be my matron of honor has now turned in to having five bridesmaids, and of course five groomsmen. I didn't want to look back and only remember being so adamant about having a small wedding that we didn't include everyone we should have. We're still keeping it as simple as possible.
That's about it... I know, not very exciting. Hopefully there will be something more fun to talk about soon.
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