A-Z

Since I don't have much to talk about today, I stole this from Go East Memphis Mama.
Play along if you'd like.

A. AREA CODE : 330

B. BED SIZE: Queen.

C. CHORE YOU HATE: Vacuuming.

D. DOG'S NAME: Stewart.

E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: Coffee!

F. FAVORITE COLOR: Red.

G. GOLD OR SILVER: Silver.

HEIGHT: Just barely under 5'7''.

I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: Piano... just a little.

J. JOB: Supply Management.

K. KIDS: Not yet.

L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: A house... with my fiance.

M. MOM'S NAME: Caryn

N. NICKNAME: Crick.

O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: When I had to have my gallbladder removed.

P. PET PEEVE: Tardiness.

Q. QUOTE FROM A MOVIE: Oh geez, I don't know...

R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY: Righty.

S. SIBLINGS: 2 older brothers, a younger brother and younger sister.

T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: 5 a.m. - waaaay too early!

U. UNDERWEAR: Yes?

V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: Peas.

W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: I'm generally not late. See my pet peeve.

X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: Chest... knee... I think that may be it.

Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Tacos.

Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE: Elephants?

Weekend, Wedding, And A Surprise

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Mine was kind of busy, but that's ok. We spent time with family... moved our new refrigerator into our kitchen (ALL by ourselves... yeah, fun) and did some major laundry. Tuesday is M's birthday and I have a surprise up my sleeve that I am so excited about!! Since M doesn't read my blog and really doesn't even understand what a blog is, I can share my plans with you.

I am inviting M's closest friends to a winery outing this Saturday. He knows we are going to the winery Saturday, but he thinks we are just meeting one other couple and not celebrating his birthday. M is very laid back and never wants anyone to go to any trouble for him and this includes on his birthday. So I invited his closest friends to get together and so far, 19 people are planning on attending, including 3 of his friends who live almost 2 hours away. He is going to be so surprised to see everyone. I can't wait!

In other news, our wedding plans are up in the air. Our Mexico trip is booked and we are still going... that isn't changing. We had a long talk with a few different family members and even with the family drama that has been going on, I'm having serious second thoughts about not having my family there on my wedding day. If... IF we did decide on having a ceremony here at home, it would be small and only be immediate family. My parents have a beautiful yard and several acres. If we do decide to go this route, we will have a small ceremony in their backyard. Afterwards we can have our very informal party.

Needless to say, I'm a little conflicted about this right now and M and I still have some talking to do. Bottom line is, we are both having a hard time not including our families into our wedding plans. I don't want to look back and regret it. My dad and stepmom have been against the wedding in Mexico from the beginning. Even though my mom and M's mom have kept quiet, I know it hurts them a little that they won't see us get married.

However, I have made it clear that I do want this to be simple (and M agrees)... I don't want a church wedding or a big reception. I am ALL about a very simple, laid back wedding. So there's some thinking to do on that.

Nothing to report on the weight loss front. The scale is not budging and I'm considering only weighing in twice a month.

Have a great week!!

It's Okay Friday

I haven't been posting much because work has been kicking my @ss this week. There's a lot of changes going on around here and I'm trying to keep up.

Anyway, onto It's okay Friday.

It's okay to...

Give your boss the finger behind his back when he tells you to "handle" someone else's messes.

Go out for a drink at the winery right after your workout.

Say exactly what you want to say even though you know feelings are going to get hurt. Sometimes, it just needs to be done.

Eat a little chocolate most days... even though you are trying to lose weight.

Be confused as to why so many people are obsessive about the show Lost.


Happy Friday!!!

Keep On Keepin' On

I am down 2.2 lbs... good news after the 3 lb gain last week. I have been drinking insane amounts of water, obviously that is helping.

I had off Thursday-Sunday and I'm paying for it now with all of the work that has accumulated. The amount of emails in my inbox was overwhelming yesterday morning. But it was so worth it to have a four day weekend! Although, Thursday didn't start off so well... I got some news that put me in sort of a funk (M called from work to let me know what was going on). One person I work pretty closely with accepted a promotion with another division within the company. His current position is one that I would be interested in, but news came out Thursday morning that his position had already been filled with someone who is currently in the same position as me - it was a promotion for her. I was put into my current position last year (it wasn't a choice, I was told that was the way it was going to be) and told it was a great career move for me and although normally it would have been a promotion, with the current economic uncertainty, it wasn't going to be at that point. Imagine how I felt when I found out there was a promotion in my group and it wasn't me! I had a long talk with my boss yesterday and even though I still am not sure how I feel about it, a few things were cleared up. At this point, I can only continue to do my best while exploring any other options that may come a long.

Other than that... it was a relaxing weekend. M and I got massages on Friday and went to lunch and did some shopping. We bought our wedding bands, too. Later, we went out for a few drinks. It was such a nice day. Saturday and Sunday were spent relaxing and hanging out with family.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend.

In other news... how do you all feel about the health care plan that was passed? I am very much against it, but that may be a post for a different time.

So Very Proud...

To call you my brother.

My big brother is the one on the motorcycle that is on the left in this picture. He is escorting Officer Kerstetter of Elyria PD to his final resting place.

Officer Kerstetter was fatally shot last week while responding to a call.

What a sad week for police officers. Rest in peace.

Just Like A Tattoo, I'll Always Have You

This blog is inspired by Tara.

Tattoos... ah, I love them. I have six. I would like more, but I need to show a little self control. And yes, it's true, they are addicting.

Here is one of mine...

This is a tattoo I got with my best friend. It means loyalty. We were inseparable and had been through a lot together. I was the maid of honor in her wedding. I also was there for her for the divorce that followed and she was there for me when I broke off my engagement (which is a whole different post!). She was the peanut butter to my jelly, the cheese to my burger, the peas to my carrots... scratch that, I don't even like peas. Anyway, you get the point.

For my birthday several years ago, we got the crazy idea to get these matching tattoos.

THEN she accompanied me to Las Vegas. That's where it all went downhill.

My dad and stepmom were paying for me, my siblings and our significant others and a few friends to go to Las Vegas to be there when they renewed their vows for their 20th anniversary. My ex fiance was going as well, but then he became an ex. So I was going solo until my parents said, "Hey, you should invite T to come along! We'll pay for her hotel and flight, too." Wonderful. I was so excited and so was my best friend, T.

As difficult as my stepmom can be, I'm so appreciative of this. I needed it and so did T.

The whole time we were in Las Vegas, T complained. About everything. First it was our room. Since my parents were paying for 14 people to go, they had to stick with rooms that weren't too expensive. So we stayed at the Flamingo. The rooms we originally had were kind of gross, but they corrected it and did upgrade our rooms when they found this out. But T would not shut up about how bad the original rooms were (and although they were kind gross, they were NOT as bad as she made them out to be). We hung out with my oldest brother and sister in law a lot of the time and T was always complaining about what we were doing and how it was too hot outside. She was also texting her new boyfriend almost constantly and would give me the quiet treatment if I talked a little too much to my sister in law. She complained about all the walking we had to do at the Grand Canyon and how awful the lunch was there. You get the point.

By the time we got back and I dropped her off at home I was so irritated with her. She did not even say thank you to my parents for paying for her trip.

T sent me an email the next day and told me how I ruined her trip because I did not pay enough attention to her and I spent too much time talking to my sister in law. She also said she did not feel comfortable the entire time because she was not a part of the family. I assure you, she was treated like family the entire time we were in Las Vegas.

I was pissed.

Some not very nice emails were exchanged to which other things were brought up and eventually I just didn't want to deal with anymore. She never did apologize. The closest think I got was "I'm sorry you made me feel this way." What?! She never did say thank you to my parents, either.

A few years later, we talk to each other every once in awhile via Facebook. But that's it and I'm ok with that.

Anyway, I guess moral of the story is to be careful about getting matching tattoos with someone. However, I can't say I don't like my tattoo... I still love it. And I think the word loyal describes me well.

What tattoos do you have?

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. I'm off tomorrow through Sunday, so have a wonderful weekend!

Vent

I am having a rough week.

First, after weighing in this morning... there is still a 3 lb gain. I honestly have no idea why. I certainly did not over eat enough to gain 3 lbs. In fact, there was no over eating at all. I have been sticking to 1500 calories and have been going to the gym. All I know is that it sucks.

On top of this, my parents are upset about my wedding plans. Okay, I should clarify. My mom is happy for me... but my dad and stepmom? Not so much.

In the beginning, my stepmom told me what a great idea it is that M and I are going away to get married. Less expensive, less stress, etc. Now, she takes every opportunity to tell people how unhappy they are about it. Oh, and my dad is "hurt" he won't be walking me down the aisle. This is where I should mention, he didn't even pick up the phone to congratulate me on my engagement. It wasn't until we celebrated my stepmom's birthday a month later that he said something to me about it.

Here is the thing. I have always bent over backwards to to try to please my dad and stepmom and lately, they find something wrong in everything I do. I should also mention the fact that my mom and dad do not get a long at all. Seriously. It's that bad. They can't even be in the same room without fighting. Do you see how a traditional wedding has the potential of becoming a disaster? They have been divorced for 23 years, and frankly the way they act (mainly my dad and stepmom) is ridiculous. It's ridiculous that after that many years, they can't be civil to each other. You would think they would be able to put things aside for one day, but I have no confidence that would happen. I would spend the entire day worrying about who is uncomfortable, who is going to argue with each other, etc. That is a huge reason for my decision to not have a traditional wedding.

In addition to that, M and I would be paying for the wedding. Right now, there are so many other things we can use that money for, the biggest thing is fixing up our house so we can sell it in the next year or so. We have already put quite a bit of money into it this year and that is only going to continue. Weddings are so expensive and I can't justify spending $20,000 or more on a wedding (for ONE DAY!) when we can use that for other things that are going to benefit us in the long run.

I have been trying to include my dad and stepmom. I told them about the resort and sent them pictures. I emailed my stepmom a picture of my wedding dress. All that was said was "that's nice." Not once have they asked any questions or even pretended to be excited for me. This makes me not want to mention another word about it to them. I know that is not the right attitude to have, but it's the way I'm starting to feel. My stepmom also thinks it is ok to put my sister in law in the middle of it.

I feel like this is such unnecessary stress. M and I shouldn't have to explain our decision to anyone, yet we have and we're still getting crap for it. I'm not a selfish person, but I feel like I get to be a little selfish when it comes to my wedding. This is about M and I and no one else. We aren't having a wedding for my parents. It's about the two of us and no one has the right to be telling us what we have decided is the wrong way to do it.

I'm done venting. Hope you are having a better week than me!!

Rest In Peace

Some of you may know, my brother is a Cleveland police officer.
News of any police officer's death is extremely saddening.

Thomas Patton, a Cleveland Heights police officer died on Saturday while chasing a suspect. He was only 30 years old and in good physical condition, yet his death is listed as a "cardiac incident." Scary.

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/87642282.html

Rest in peace, brother.

How In The...

EFF do you gain 4 lbs over night?!

I swear I did NOT over eat and I have been working out.

This just puts me in a bad mood.

A Few Things...

Senator Roy Ashburn from California recently announced that he is gay. This is surprising to many since he is a fierce opponent of gay rights. He has continuously voted against proposed gay rights laws and said he did so in order to vote in a way his constituents wanted. Now he is being called a hypocrite.

Wait a minute here, let's back up. A hypocrite? I say great job, Senator.

What a novel idea... not voting the way YOU want, but voting the way your constituents would want you to vote. After all, these people elected him to office. Senator Ashburn is not a hypocrite, he is doing his JOB. More senators should do the same.

However, Senator Ashburn, not so good on your recent DUI arrest, not so good.

Moving on...

If I hear one more "I'm getting out of the way if there is a Toyota behind me" crack, I may just smack someone. It's not funny anymore. Especially KS at work who thinks it's hilarious to tell me that she isn't riding in my Camry anymore. Shush.

Yep, Toyota screwed up... but honestly the acceleration issue is rare and this means Toyota still has some of the safest vehicles on the road. It's not like others such as Ford, GM, etc. haven't had major recalls for safety issues. Since when does Toyota have to be the only car company that makes no mistakes? I think the media has blown this way out of proportion.

I don't know about you, but I am so ready of the weekend!!

Fine, I Will Post It

Here it is...
(This is for you, Monica. Ha!)


The dress fits perfectly right now... but you better believe it will need to be taken in before October because I will be losing more weight. This picture doesn't even really do the dress justice, but it is the only one I have. You can't possibly see the detail on the dress in this picture. Don't even ask about what is going on with my hair. She was demonstrating different things, i.e. sticking a ton of bobby pins in my hair.

Speaking of October, WE BOOKED OUR MEXICO TRIP!! We went with Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa and we booked it for October. I can't wait!

I Lost .8 lbs for the week. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but a loss is a loss, right?

Hope you are all having a fabulous week.

THE Dress

Well, kids... I bought my wedding dress.

I had no intentions of buying a dress. In fact, the one I posted a while ago here was what one I was definitely going to get. I was just going to look at dresses to get my sister in law to stop bugging me... and also to see how similar styles (to the one I already picked out) looked on me. But then I found THE dress and had to have it. So much for the $99 dress. I am still debating as to whether or not I want to post a picture. I may wait a while to do this. The dress is currently at my mom's house so M isn't tempted to peek, ha!

Here is the bridesmaid dress we picked out for my sister in law...

With her hour glass shape, she looks fantastic in this dress!!

Let me just say, trying on wedding dresses is exhausting!!! Some of them are so darn heavy. And the HUGE slip they have you put under your dress?? I got rid of that after the first dress!

We will be booking our trip to Mexico this week. I'm so excited!

In Case You Were Wondering...

1. I am fluent in American Sign Language. - LIE - I did take 2 years of ASL in college, but I am by NO means fluent.

2. I cried like a baby when M proposed. - LIE - I laughed. I was too happy to cry.

3. I had a frog named Muffler that I won a frog jump with when I was just two. - TRUTH - this one is the truth. I'm the youngest ever to win the grand championship for the city frog jump.

4. I took ballet lessons for 14 years. - LIE - I did take ballet lessons growing up, but not for 14 years!

5. I once fell off a bar stool at Put in Bay and got knocked out... so I was life flighted to the hospital. - LIE - This actually happened to my sister in law. Scary! Yes, Rachel, you are correct, some crazy things happen in put in bay!!

6. I am the only one of my siblings that has not had a baby yet. - LIE - My two older brothers and my younger sister have kids, but my little brother is still holding out with me on this one...

7. I have previously been married. - LIE - I have been engaged before, but that didn't last long.

Tomorrow is my Friday off. Excited! My sister in law and I are going shopping. Although I have decided on my wedding dress, we are still going to look. Since I will be ordering it online, I want to try on similar styles to see how they look.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Another Award

Yep, I was given another one, from Tania at The Road Back To Being Me and Miss Haneefa at Black Girl Gets Fit - the Creative Writer Blogger Award. Thanks girls!

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.

2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.

3. Link to the person who nominated you.

4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.

5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.

6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.



I nominate all of you for this award.



Now... here are some lies and one truth. Can you guess which one is true?



1. I am fluent in American Sign Language.

2. I cried like a baby when M proposed.

3. I had a frog named Muffler that I won a frog jump with when I was just two.

4. I took ballet lessons for 14 years.

5. I once fell off a bar stool at Put in Bay and got knocked out... so I was life flighted to the hospital.

6. I am the only one of my siblings that has not had a baby yet.

7. I have previously been married.

Happy Hump Day!

Crazy People At The Gym

Have I told you lately how much I don't like the gym? It's awful, but I have my workout buddy to thank for making sure I get there every week, several times a week. Without her I think I would just peace out fairly often. (Thanks K. Spaid!)

I have a love/hate relationship with the elliptical - ok, let's be honest, it's a hate/hate relationship, but I digress - but it seems to be what burns the most calories for me. So, without fail, I find myself on the elliptical every time couting down the seconds until it's over. Have you caught on that I find nothing good in this? Well, to make matters worse, the last several times I have been toughing it out on my friend, the elliptical, there is one woman in particular who always ends up on the machine next to me. She drives me crazy. One, she is a maniac and I cannot believe that she has not broken one of the machines yet. Two, she talks on the phone while she is working out about issues I don't need to hear about. Yesterday it was about her mom and how she needs to see a psychiatrist because she thinks she has mental issues. Excuse me, WTF? Then, when she is not on the phone, her iPod is BLARING. Even with my iPod on, I can clearly hear hers.

Dear Crazy Elliptical Lady,

PLEASE don't even bother bringing your phone with you to work out. I mean after all, if you can't take 45 minutes out of your day to work out without interruption, then maybe should reconsider. Do you really think it's appropriate that everyone hears your conversation about your crazy mom or your medical issues? Furthermore, do you really think the person on the other end of the line wants to hear your huffing and puffing in their ear? Also, why is it necessary for the people next to you have to hear your music over their own? I get it, you like the songs on your iPod. Well, I like the songs on MINE, too. I don't want to hear yours, thanks. And I would like to point out that it is not necessary to flail about while on the elliptical. You are seriously going to end up hurting yourself or someone else.
One more thing... can you PLEASE choose one of the other 10 machines that are not rightnext to me?! Kthx!

I'm hoping I don't see her again tomorrow.

Do you have to deal with crazy people at the gym?

I'm almost to the 10 lbs lost mark. This means I can start thinking about booking my massage. Yessss!

Stupid

This world is ever changing and faster paced every day. I get that. I'm all for making life easier by doing the simplest of things.

But really? Why must people email/text/blog like they are idots??

When a Facebook status says this: "i will come c u since u wanna cook food and i ain't doin nuthin else..."

Really? Come on. This isn't 150 characters or less. When this is done in emails is when it REALLY bothers me. I kind of can understand texts that are shorthand, but yes, I am THAT girl who types out every word and uses correct grammar in all of my texts. But other than sending texts, there is no reason to type like an idiot.

For God's sake, USE proper grammar!!