And Now Back To Me

30 Day Challenge

2011-04-06T15:12:00.003-04:00

Monday started my 30 Day Shred challenge with Jillian Michaels. I'm on Day 3. I don't see a huge difference yet. But I can do push ups a little easier today. My legs are still killing me, but at least I can walk a little more normal today. I sweated a little more during my workout, too. Not sure what it means, but I'll take it. I'll do my best to keep up with my progress here because it will give me something to keep motivated, along with logging on to myfitnesspal every day. My girls have been a huge help with me in all this. They keep me motivated. Being healthier keeps me motivated. Being in a bikini this summer and every summer hereafter keeps me motivated. My brother's wedding in roughly 72 days keeps me motivated. Seeing my body change keeps me motivated. The almost 12 pounds lost in 10 weeks keeps me motivated. Our fancy dancy sexy night out keeps me motivated. I had one more, but I lost it. I'm ready to do this, and this time, it's serious!

Catch Up

2011-01-12T19:39:00.002-05:00

I had plans of keeping this updated over the summer, but I didn’t. The biggest news that’s happened to me over the past few months is that I lost my job. I’m okay with it because I wasn’t happy. Hadn’t been happy for the past year. I was in the process of fighting the termination but it’s taken so long to get to the final step in the process, I don’t want to do it anymore. So I’m not. It’s not the end of my world. Ethan and I are both doing great.

Over the summer we did family counseling. He was having problems in school and those problems came home with him. Not listening, not following directions, not staying focused; it made me frustrated. I’m sure it was frustrating for him, too with all the yelling and crying and screaming we both did. Our psychiatrist helped us both. More than I realized. It wasn’t until our last few sessions that I was getting it. I make mistakes, Ethan makes mistakes, but I don’t need to flip out about them. What he told me was this: “Stay calm, cool and collected.” Sounds hokey, I know. But it works for me. It’s definitely been awhile since either of us have been completely out of hand. Our relationship is absolutely amazing.

He’s doing amazing in school. It helps that he LOVES his teacher. She’s new this year, but she’s awesome. I hope she will be Ethan’s “Mrs. Manford (my 1st gr teacher that I still remember and adore because she was so great).” His reading level is amazing. He’s more focused now than at the beginning of the year. She loves having Ethan in class. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t like reading and spelling and loves math. WHAT?!?! This can’t possibly be my child!! I have such a hard time getting him to sit down and do his spelling or his sentence or his reading. When it comes to math, little to no stalling at all!!! I just don’t understand it. I love spelling! I love reading! I hate math! Guess some people are better at things than others.

Ethan’s joined Scouts and now that I’m not working I’m able to participate with him more than what I did. I think it’s great because he’s going to learn things he can use for the rest of his life. These boys will always be a big part of who he is and it’s just great.

I started school this week. I finally went back. I'm going to Ivy Tech for nursing. The campus is only 10 minutes away on a good day. I'm going full time. I think if I hadn’t lost my job I wouldn’t have done it. There’s no way I could have done family, school and work and remained sane. Now I’m doing family and school. Yes, I know it’s going to be stressful, but not as much. So far I’m only dreading math. I’m going in with a positive attitude though. My prof seems pretty cool. ALOT better than the one I had UIndy for most of my college career. Gah, what a witch!

That’s what we’re doing these days.

This Sucks

2010-04-17T08:45:00.003-04:00

I used to not mind working Saturday's. Now that Ethan's playing soccer and I'm supposed to be co-coach, Saturday's suck because he plays EVERY. SINGLE. Saturday until the end of May. The suck worse than any other day of the week. They suck worse than my busiest day at work. They suck worse than being broken down in the middle of nowhere. They suck worse than being broke at Christmas. Saturday's suck.

On My Own

2010-04-12T19:22:00.002-04:00

I thought I was going to "participate" in the biggest loser at work. I didn't. Since August I've been going to see a health coach every two weeks. She resigned about 3 weeks ago and I haven't seen her since our last meeting. I hope she's doing well with her new job. I'll be assigned a new coach. I don't want one. It's not that I liked my old one so well, I don't want a new one. It's that the past three weeks without her, I've had more success being healthy than I did with her.
The reason? It felt like a chore to me. If anyone knows me, they know I hate chores. I don't do well with them. So what I thought would ultimately help me, ended up actually hindering me. Now that I don't have anyone to "answer" to, I feel more confident that I can do this. I actually want to eat healthy. I want to exercise. I want to look good. We all want to look good, but I want it more now than I have in the past 8 months. I feel compelled to do all these things. For me. Not for someone else. Which is another reason I'm not going back.
Another reason? I'm happy with my life now. There are things in my life that still need work, but if I focus on them, I can get through it. I had salmon, salad, and rice for dinner tonight. Not on a huge dinner plate, but a small luncheon plate. It was enough. I am content except for the fact that I will be having about 2 oz of ice cream. Only 2 because it's a 6 oz container and I already ate about 1/3 of it last week.
I'm not sure if I've lost any weight, but I feel more confident in my self image. I don't think I look overly fantastic, but I FEEL fantastic. I have vacation in 3 months, and a wedding of which I am an integral part in a little over a year to keep my motivation up and going.
This time, on my own, I KNOW I can do this.

Random Update

2010-03-15T09:03:00.003-04:00

I signed Ethan up for soccer. I still haven't heard anything so hopefully we will soon.
I'm pretty sure I had a nervous breakdown a couple weeks but I worked through it. Luckily Ethan wasn't around to see it. I just realized my family really is there for me and it's an amazing feeling.
My brother is engaged and I'm REALLY REALLY excited about it!! I love him and I love his fiancee. She's super cool and she fits with our family.
Ethan and I will be going to MI for our Spring Break trip in two weeks. I have the ENTIRE 5 days off!!! My brother and his fiancee will be up there for a couple days and then it will be Ethan and me. Excited!!
I'm in a country music listening mood right now so that's what I'll be listening to until I find some other music to listen to. Yes, I like country. Really, I do.
Now that it's nice out I plan on getting my butt up and moving. I have a goal to lose 10 lbs by Ethan's birthday in exactly one month.
I can't believe my baby is almost 6!!!!
I love my apartment. It's messy right now, I absolutely LOVE it.
I applied to Ivy Tech because I FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY decided what I want to do when I grow up...or at least pretend really well to be one. The human body fascinates me. I want to get my hands in it. I want to be in the OR assisting the surgeons. I've decided to be a Surgical/OR tech. I'm really excited about it!!
Ethan is in his "what if?" stage right now. It's fun. "Mommy, what if we had wings?" "Mommy, what if we were robots?"
I'm not picking up any extra hours this summer because I want to spend as much time with my son as I can doing fun things and just spending time together. Last year we couldn't do a whole lot because we had just moved into our apartment and didn't have a whole lot of money. This year I plan on going to Indians games, the Zoo, The Children's Museum, and camping. Plus we'll be going on vacation and I'll probably plan a couple overnights somewhere...cheap.
My cat likes to pee on the floor so we've been putting her in a cage when we're not home. I cleaned the carpets with baking soda, dawn, and H2O2. The smell is pretty much gone. NOW I need to get her fixed.
Ethan and I watch Dirty Jobs together since I record it. He lets me know when Michael says bad words and wants to know if he can say them, too. Don't ask me why he calls Mike Rowe Michael, but he does. We have fun together.
That's it.

YEAH BABY!!!

2010-01-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

SUPER BOWL!!! YEEEEAAAAHHHH COLTS!!! I LOVE MY BOYS!!!

Here I Go Again

2010-01-24T07:36:00.003-05:00

Last year I chronicled my trials, stresses and successes during the biggest loser challenge at work. We're doing it again this year only I've opted not to do it. Not officially at least. I plan on doing everything I did before; watch portion sizes, make healthier choices, be active. The good news is that I've pretty much plateaued on my weight for the past year. The bad news is that I've plateaued on my weight the past year. But I think I'd rather stay +/- 5 pounds that have fluctuated than gain back all 22 pounds I lost. The other good news, I'm 22 pounds lighter than I was last year when I started. I'm determined to lose another 20 pounds. My goal is to lose it by Ethan's birthday...April 15th...and keep going until I'm at a healthy weight. Not what I want to be, which I think will make me look super unhealthy and gross (120-125), but a healthy weight (135-145) and maintain it like I never have before. I'm already hungry and the competition hasn't started yet. Unofficially, I started about 2 or 3 weeks ago and I've lost 3 pounds in the process. I have a Wii Fit and I need to use it more than I do. I need to sweat. I need to get to the gym. I have three places where I can get physical activity so I have no excuse to not do anything. I've done it before and I can do it again. When I go grocery shopping this week I'll be taking a menu with me so I know what Ethan and I will be having over the next few weeks. It will be healthy, it will be low fat, he may not like some of the options I'll be making but I'll be doing my best to make the meals tasty for both of us. Any suggestions, please let me know.
I can do this. I know I can. I just need to stay motivated. I've been going to a health coach since August and that's helped me a bit. I see her once every two weeks and she's helped me stay motivated and get motivated. She's given me good tools, and good advice, and now I think I'll be following the advice better than I have been.
Here I go again, and I'm really really looking forward to being healthy, feeling great, and looking awesome!!

My Costume

2009-10-17T08:02:00.006-04:00

After trying to think of every damn geeky/nerdy show/book/video game/movie yesterday, I finally figured out who I was going to be this year. I'm super stoked about it!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Officer Aeryn Sun from Farscape! I think I'm going to attempt to make her gun and hope that my brother can help me out with the design. I'm also going to attempt to make the leg holster for her blaster. Now I just need to find some kick ass boots and semi-form fitting black pants....

Halloween/GenCon

2009-10-16T12:41:00.002-04:00

Every year my brother has a Halloween party. This year, it's themed. GenCon themed. Scifi/comic book/fantasy/video game/cartoon themed. I have NO clue how to dress. I've been running some ideas through my head, but the ones I THOUGHT would be good, well, they're super skinny and wear tight or little to no clothes. Not for me. I'm thinking Indiana Jones, Elsa from The Last Crusade, Moiraine Damodred, Phedre no Delaunay...but still, not a clue. If any of you have any ideas, and I mean ANY ideas, let me know quick because I'm doing my shopping tonight and tomorrow. I'm excited about it either way.

Smokes For Less

2009-09-05T16:24:00.003-04:00

I haven't had a cigarette for three weeks. I think the past month I was just smoking because it was something to do and I've been doing it for so long. Pretty much off and on since I was about 16 or 17. I started taking breaks at work just to have a cigarette. Not good when you work in healthcare and smell like smoke. Almost defeats the purpose. I was smoking in my car when I didn't have Ethan with me. Then it got to the point where I was smoking on my balcony in front of Ethan. Granted, he was inside and I was not, but still, that began to bother me more and more. I kept thinking, "This is not a good thing. This is NOT okay." I finally waited until he went to bed before I smoked and that was the only time I allowed myself to do it. I finally got to not wanting cigarettes at all and having them taste like ass...more so than before.
I really want a glass of wine...or a beer...but cigarettes taste oh so good with alcohol. So I'm holding off. I really want a cigarette too. But I like not spending my money on them, and being able to breathe and not having breath that, regardless of how many times I brush, still smells and tastes like an asstray. I'm pretty excited that I haven't had one for this long. I think the longest I've gone before is a few days, or a couple weeks. New personal best for me! I WIN....for now.......

Alison-1
Cigarettes-0

Mini Update

2009-07-13T10:00:00.003-04:00

Someday soon I'll be updating this with things I've been doing the past few months...pictures included! I know, right?! I visited my aunt's cabin, I've moved into my own place, I've gone to a kick ass No Doubt concert, and I think that's about it. This month Ethan and I will be taking our annual MI trip and I can't wait. I love going up there like nowhere else.
So soon, eventually, I hope, there will be more posts from me to entertain you. :)

Disney Vacation

2009-05-17T08:52:00.008-04:00

I've been told I need to update and post pictures. So, okay, I will. I'm really bad (in case you haven't noticed) in keeping up with this.

As foretold, I got second place in the Biggest Loser at work. It was awesome. When I went on vacation I kinda fell off the healthy eating and have been off ever since. Melanie, one of my friends at work, and I decided that we would get back on after Memorial Day. It's a good plan. Not that I've been eating like super crap, but I have been eating like crap.

We went to Disney a month ago. I can't believe it's already been a month!!! I may have to break this down into separate blogs...or just have a crap ton of pictures to share. :)

We got there on Friday 4/17 late afternoon, early evening. Ethan wanted to go swimming so that's what we did. It was so much fun. There were two pools, a lazy river, an activity center, and a mini golf course. Every morning the first thing Ethan said to me was, "Mommy, let's go play MINI GOLF!" I think we played every day. There was one day we played twice.

The second day (Saturday) we went to Magic Kingdom. Soooo much fun. We were there I think most of the day. We went on a Lilo and Stitch ride that scared Ethan. He's still talking about it and how much it scared him. Apparently not a good ride for 5 year olds. :P We rode on the Blue Star Line train or whatever it's called that goes over Tomorrowland and into some of the rides. That was fun. There's a speedway ride, too and Ethan got to drive the car. ALL. OVER. THE PLACE. But it was fun and he was happy because he got to drive. He even got a driver's license before we started.

Third day (Sunday) we went to Epcot. It was fun for me but Epcot really isn't for the littler kids so we went back to Magic Kingdom. The cool thing about that is that we had a 3 day park hopper pass so we could go to all the parks in one day if we wanted and then go back two more days!

We went on some more rides at Magic Kingdom the second time (Aladdin's Magic Carpet, Pirates, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse (okay, not a ride, but still cool...and I got an awesome shot of Space Mountain)).

Monday we took a break because two days of walking just totally killed us. Mostly my parents and me. It was a good break.

Tuesday we went to Cocoa Beach. We went the back way so we wouldn't have to pay the tolls. We started at Melbourne Beach which is maybe 30-45 minutes south of Cocoa. We ate lunch and played in the water a little bit then headed to Cocoa Beach. We definitely hit Ron Jon's and were there for about an hour. Ethan got some sand toys, a t-shirt, and a key chain with his name on it. I got a HUGE (2X) pink hoodie. We made our way over to the beach and played in the water, in the sand, and had super fun times.

Wednesday we went to Animal Kingdom and looked at all the animals and cool stuff they have. We even went on an African Safari! We did that one twice in a row. There wasn't a big huge wait, so why not. We saw all sorts of neat animals, plants, etc. Once we were done at Animal Kingdom we went back to Magic Kingdom so Ethan could see the SpectroMagic Light Parade and the Wishes Fireworks show. Both totally awesome and made for a super long day. I don't think we got back to the condo until 11:30 and Ethan passed out before we even got on the bus to head back.

Thursday we took our last break and packed since we were leaving on Friday morning.

Friday we left and Saturday we got home. While we were at dinner on Saturday my mom asked Ethan when he wanted to go back to Mickey Mouse's House (which is what he calls it) and he said, as he cocked his little head to the side to think about it, "7 weeks." We definitely all chuckled over that one.

Now on to the pictures. I have a lot so bear with me. :)

This is the view of the resort from our window

Playing MINI GOLF before heading to Magic Kingdom

On Main Street at Magic Kingdom (check me out 22 pounds lighter:))

Driving on the Speedway...surprised I got a decent picture because it was a bumpy ride

Ethan with Mickey and Minnie

One of the topiary gardens at Epcot (Belle and the Beast front and center; Aurora and Phillip in back)

At Epcot in front of Spaceship Earth

In the play area at Epcot

Lion King topiary garden

Space Mountain from Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse

Mom, Me, Daddy, and Ethan (Mom and I were trying unsuccessfully to get Ethan to look at the camera)

Wearing our Mickey Ears

Playing at Cocoa Beach

Ethan, WALL-E, and me in front of Cinderella's Castle waiting for the parade to start

Ethan and the SpectroMagic Parade

I have A LOT more pictures, but I think this is good enough for this tiny little blog. :)

Final Weigh In

2009-04-05T08:03:00.002-04:00

The Biggest Loser challenge is over at work. I think maybe I got 2nd place. Which isn't bad. There are still some people that have to weigh in, but that's okay. I've lost 22.1 pounds in 3 months. That's 10% of my body weight! I'm so excited.
It was really great being in Michigan with Ethan. We went down to the beach and on the walk back up the stairs, where last summer I was huffing and puffing when I got to the top, this time I wasn't so bad. I didn't realize how much extra weight I was truly carrying around with me until that moment. I'm going to keep going. I want to be healthy, I want to be around for my son. I'd like to lose about 6 more pounds before we head down to Florida. I have cute clothes that I'll actually look good in while we're there. I know one outfit that I'm taking for sure, and what pair of shoes I'm taking, but other than that, I'm just gonna pack as comfy as I can. I'm excited. I think the anticipation of going is settled so deep in me that it doesn't quite seem like we're really going. I know we are, but it won't really seem real to me until we leave.

Rockin' Away!

2009-03-29T11:21:00.002-04:00

So I'm down to a total of 21 pounds lost! I really look like a different person! I'm curvy instead of blobby. My face is thinner. I actually kinda liked what I saw in the mirror last night. It's been forever since I actually felt that way. I was walking around without my shirt on last night, just my bra and scrub pants, and I was walking into my mom and dad's room; their bathroom is before their sleeping area and there's a HUGE wall-to-wall mirror and I just looked and thought, "Holy shit! I look good!" I took a picture, but I'm not gonna share it just yet.
But still, I'm damn proud of myself. If I can lose another 5-6 pounds before we leave for FL that will be awesome. Not quite my goal of 30 pounds, but damn close enough.
I'll be going on a mini vacation to MI this week and I'm pretty stoked. Perhaps Ethan and I will walk to the beach instead of drive if it's nice. We just like to go and hang out; it's fun. I think it's a good plan because it'll get me out and walking around, and walking on the sand will help me, too.
Is it tomorrow yet because I'm so ready to go to MI!!!!

Wonder Woman is a Bitch

2009-03-19T12:36:00.003-04:00

Ethan and I both have air foil kites. His is Thomas...guess who I have?? That's right. Thomas flew like a dream. He was up first so Ethan could fly his while I was getting mine ready. Good idea because Wonder Woman never took off. Oh, she was up for about 20 seconds and then nothing. I was NOT happy today. Isn't kite flying supposed to be fun? Apparently not when your kite wants to be a bitch.

Altoids

2009-03-15T12:39:00.002-04:00

I love music...all kinds...I love being healthy now that I'm actually working on it and not just pretending...I've had 2 cheat days since I've started my healthier me at the beginning of January...I want to be able to run at least 30 minutes and not feel like I'm going to die after the first 5...I'd like to meet someone that thinks I'm special and won't smother me to the point of being obsessive...it's just irritating...I have a shit ton of confidence now that I know I'm worth more than what I used to feel...I still want to be published in National Geographic someday...I want a zoom lens, among many things, for my cameras...I cuss like it's nobody's business when I'm not around Ethan...especially on my drives to and from work...I like to say fuck...shit is my favorite cuss word...I hate drains...pool drains, bath drains, whatever...they freak me out...I love water but I'm also smart enough to know I should respect it at the same time...I deserve nice things therefore I will be buying them for myself from now on...my son deserves nice things and therefore I will be doing the same for him...I am becoming more organized the more I realize how much shit I own and don't really need it all...I might be more excited about going to MI with my BFF's in July than going to Disney for my son's 5th birthday in a month...then again, I'm pretty damn excited about both trips...I don't like heights...I still don't like spiders and don't think I ever will...I want at least one more tattoo so I'm balanced...I love to sing and even though people don't tell me, I know I sound good...I love my job because I get to write my name all day long...I love to write my name...I finally got my long hair cut short and I love it...I have 10 more pounds to lose before I reach my goal of 30 before Disney...I have no ass...it's got a little shelf and then it goes flat...I hate that...Ethan falling asleep on me is the greatest thing in the world...his laugh is one of the most beautiful sounds in the universe...I'm finally making time for myself instead of spending it all with Ethan...it's hard but it needs to be done in order for me to stay sane...When I read a book I fall in love at least a little bit with the main characters...I can entertain myself because I'm so funny...I love the turn off the interstate to go to my BFF's house...I'm too nice...I can be a bitch but no one sees that side of me...I love yoga and I thought I'd hate it...I LOVE going to MI for my vacations......someday I won't live with my parents...there are longer pauses between these Altoids now so I'm done.

Week I'm Not Sure

2009-02-22T07:48:00.003-05:00

It's been almost 2 months since I started the Biggest Loser. I've lost a total of 13.6 pounds which is awesome. I'll probably lose my goal of 30 pounds by mid-April if I keep this up. One of my nurses has even told me I can come look through her old clothes and she has a swimming suit that would fit me. Which is cool because the one I have is almost 5 years old and I need a new one. Once I'm not so sick I'll start exercising. Maybe walking or something small to start. I did get my Wii though! Awesome! I played for 30 minutes by myself one day and kicked my ass. I started off slow with bowling, then tennis, and ended with boxing. Boxing is a workout! I was sweating by the time I was done. It was fun though. Now I need to keep doing it so the pounds will just come off. I couldn't tell I was losing weight until Thursday morning when I went into my mom and dad's room and saw myself in their bathroom mirror. I had on a nightgown that about 2 months ago was pretty tight on me. And then Thursday, it was just hanging on me! Again, AWESOME!

Today I have on a surgical mask so I don't pollute the air of those around me. It's not on right, because if it was, my glasses get foggy, but at least I can breathe with my mouth open and not spread too many germs...or get any more hospital contagions than I already have or will get while working here. And yes, here's a lovely picture of me in what our student nurse Crystal calls my SARS mask:

It definitely doesn't look cute and neither do I...especially with the greasy looking hair and droopy eyes. Feel free to make fun of me all you want. :D

And I got an iPhone. I didn't deliberate much on that one. It's super awesome! Apparently "awesome" is my word of the day.

I've Said it Before...

2009-02-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

...and I'll say it again. I hate being sick. I would much rather be home in bed, puking my guts out and get it done and over with in one or two days than to have to deal with being achy, headachy, sore throaty, snot nosey, and non-breathy for who knows how many weeks. I'd take the puke any, and I mean ANY day of the week, month, or year.

Start of Week 5

2009-02-01T08:23:00.002-05:00

I was bummed last week because I didn't lose any weight. This week I got on the scale and thought, "Just two pounds. I'll be happy with two pounds." And yes, I had lost 2 more pounds! That makes it a total of 8.5 pounds in a month. Not too shabby.
I've already decided with my tax money I'm going to get a Wii (hopefully I'll get one) so I can start having some activity at home...and it's something Ethan and I can do together. I'm thinking about getting the Wii Fit too so i don't have to pay for a gym membership and I don't have to go out in the cold. We'll see how that goes. But I'm excited for it.
And a new cell phone. Mine's all busted on the front screen. I'm debating between the LG Incite and an iPhone. The LG is pretty much like an iPhone without all the super cool aps and $50 cheaper...we'll see what I decide when I go in and get one. I'm really leaning toward an iPhone though just so I can be cool. :)

The Super Bowl is also today and I'll be at work for most of it. I HATE working weekends during football season. If I could afford to I definitely would not work on Sunday's. But at least I have a job and that's all I can ask. Oh yeah, back to the Super Bowl. I'll miss most of the awesome commercials because the good ones happen during the first half and I'll get home when it's almost over. At least I'll be able to watch some of it.

GO STEELERS!

A Funny One

2009-01-26T10:00:00.002-05:00

Last night my mom, Ethan and I were watching Dora before Ethan went to bed. They were going to a party and there were balloons.

My mom looks at Ethan and says, "What color is the red balloon?"

Ethan (as he tilts his head to the side to think about it): "I don't know."

Mom: "Listen to my question; what color is the red balloon?"

Ethan: "I don't know."

Mom: "Listen to my question again; what color is the red balloon?"

Ethan: "I don't know."

Mom: "RED!"

Ethan: "Aaaaahahahahaha!"

Yeah, that's my little boy. :)

Give A Shy Girl A Drink...

2009-01-25T09:15:00.002-05:00

...and watch what happens. I hit the heavy stuff last night. Vodka and Diet Coke. Usually I stick with the lighter stuff, like beer or something with not so much alcohol. I could do it though because vodka+diet=0...calories that is. It was just enough alcohol to get me loose and comfortable and actually introduce myself and have conversations with people I had just met. It was a really fun night and it was nice to know that even though my talkativeness was alcohol induced, I stepped out of my comfort zone and met new people.
I saw old friends last night, too and got to talk to them and catch up a little bit and just shoot the shit.
And I'm laughing right now because I realized I was talking to myself the entire time I was driving home last night.
I enjoy spending time with Ethan, but sometimes it's nice to be an adult and hang out with people my own age.

YAY ME AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2009-01-17T07:48:00.005-05:00

I'VE LOST 6 POUNDS IN

TWO WEEKS!!!!

I'M AWESOME!!!!

I even cheated while we were at dinner last night...sorta. We (the whole family celebrated my brother's birthday) got a spinach and artichoke appetizer and I had a little bit of that. For dinner I had fish and chips and a salad. It was delicious.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

MY BROTHER AARON!

He's 30. :)

And on a totally unrelated note...I LOVE BREAKING BENJAMIN!

Someday I will own their albums and go see them in concert.

Day 12

2009-01-16T13:19:00.004-05:00

I feel much better after my breakdown on Sunday. I yelled and screamed at my stupid ex and cried on my mom because I was hungry. I'm doing better with my eating. It's still hard because I LOVE to eat and I'm used to eating whatever the hell I want and damn the consequences. However, my food choices are getting easier to make. Instead of going for the greasy juicy yummy double cheeseburger from McDonald's while Ethan and I were out on Tuesday, I opted for Subway. Not what I wanted, but it ended up being just as delicious...and healthier for me. :)
And I actually ran with Ethan. Not a whole lot of running, but enough to know that I wasn't winded when we were done. It was awesome! One more small victory for me!
If I ever sound redundant, call me out on it, but I'm SOOOOO freakin' happy I'm doing this! And maybe I'll post a before picture sometime...I'll just have to find/take one. And then while I progress, I'll keep posting pictures and then at the end, do a "slideshow" of when I started to when I reach my final goal...which is more than likely going to be long after the biggest loser challenge is done at work. But I'll do an "after" picture once the challenge is over.

I Want To Cry

2009-01-10T17:05:00.003-05:00

I'm hungry, I'm cranky, my legs are sore from taking the stairs all the damn time. I just want to go to McDonald's or Taco Bell and say, "Fuck this, I'm done!" It's very hard. Especially hard when one of the nurses I work with has already lost 11 pounds. I'm exercising, or at least doing some sort of physical activity at least 5 days a week, eating a whole hell of a lot better than I did, and she's just eating right! Oh, it makes me so mad! I'm not used to eating so little each day and I'm so hungry I just want to cry. I may do that tonight before I go to sleep...it might make me feel better.
My plan is to lose 20 pounds by the beginning of March and then keep going after that until I'm down to about 135-150. Once the first few weeks are done and I see my progress, I probably won't be so much of a whiner (or weiner) and I'll be a little more positive than I am now. Just keep giving me support and pep talks and I'm sure I'll do just fine...because let's face it, a $150 prize is gonna be quite nice if I can win it. :)

Biggest Loser: Day 5

2009-01-09T09:41:00.003-05:00

I've been eating super healthy since Monday. Cutting down on calories, making smarter food choices, being hungry...it's all part of it. But you know what, it's a good change, a needed change. I was less than thrilled with my initial weight (and no, I'm not going to let you know either). However, I weighed myself a few minutes ago and I was so elated!

I'VE LOST 3.1 POUNDS SINCE MONDAY!!!

If I can keep this up, and I know I can, by the end of the competition, I will have reached the amount I want to lose and then keep on losing it.

YAY ME!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-03T07:52:00.002-05:00

Holy crap, it's a new year already! It really went by pretty fast. I moved, Ethan started preschool, we did some fun stuff over the summer that we normally wouldn't have done (gone to the library, went to some movies, went on bike rides, and had fun) we went to events at the Zoo, I got my hair cut short and sassy, we went to the Children's Museum, and I FINALLY got full time at work. I know I have been seriously remiss in keeping my readers (yep, all 3 of you) up to date on my life. I suppose since I made that morning/night only internet time, it's really cut down on the time I spend online. I haven't even done anything with my Facebook and MySpace pages in who knows how long. And I have TONS of pictures to share!!! Halloween, Autumn, Christmas, and just in general. I always have good intentions of getting something more than words up here, but I just haven't gotten around to it...or I'm just lazy. I was going to post pictures on all my networking sites New Year's Eve, but I lay/laid (I'm never sure which one I'm supposed to use) my tired head down with Ethan about 10:15pm and didn't wake up until I had a friend call me after midnight. No ball watching for me this year. But I did exactly what I wanted to do...be at home with my family.

I haven't really made any resolutions yet. I know again, as always, is to take better care of myself. We're doing a Biggest Loser at work so that may be the incentive to get my butt in gear this time. And I think I'm seriously ready to do this. I bought a trampoline for my birthday and Ethan's used it more than I have. Perhaps I should actually use it.

I want a Wii, too like whoa. I've played it a few times at a friend's house and once while I was Christmas shopping. Yeah, Castleton had an area where you could play. It was so much fun. And Ethan can play, too. He's pretty awesome at bowling. He likes to play a driving game too; Penny Racers I think...or something like that. He's not too bad at that one either. I got my mom and dad to play bowling with me and I thought that was just the coolest thing ever. It would be fun to have one because it's something we could do on a Friday night, or just any night to get some fitness/fun time in for the week.

I'm hoping to get Ethan and I enrolled in a Learn to Swim class through Red Cross. There are some places close to my house so I just need to call and see what they have available. Hopefully it's through the week when I'm off work and when Ethan's not in school. I'd like to get him at least knowing the basics before we head to Florida in April. It's a good plan anyway.
And once my Biggest Loser starts, I'll be blogging about that and the progress I'm making in that area. But for now

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Shootin' Pigeons

2008-10-19T15:48:00.003-04:00

My BFF's daughter's 9th b-day party was yesterday. I think I finally realized then just how redneck her husband is. He brought his shotgun out to the farm and he and his brother in law proceeded to shoot clay pigeons. I watched for awhile and then decided to give it a shot. It was just a 20 gauge 3 shot rifle so not much kick. I missed all three of my pigeons. Ah well. And yes, I also realize I may just be a little bit redneck for shooting it in the first place and wishing I had a picture to post so you could see how redneck I looked.

A Challenge for Myself

2008-09-29T17:35:00.002-04:00

I'm realizing that I spend a little too much time online when I'm home. If I worked or went to school, no biggie. But I don't do either of those on my computer. Therefore, I'm going to try and only be online twice a day. Once in the morning and then after Ethan's in bed. I'm really hoping I can do it. More than likely I can because we're so far away from the IQuest base or whatever, that my signal is weak...whatever. But that's my goal.

It's Official

2008-09-15T09:08:00.004-04:00

I have to cut caffeine COMPLETELY out of my life. It's not a huge deal since I really only had coffee on the weekends. It just made me nauseous and I felt like my head weighed about 50 pounds 20 minutes after my coffee was done. I could do the decaf coffee, but we don't have any in my house. And tea isn't so bad. I've switched to Celestial Seasonings Decaf India Spice Chai Tea. It's pretty good. I LOVE it! And it works because it's something hot and sweet in the morning and doesn't make me sleepy.

Not a good idea

2008-09-13T08:37:00.001-04:00

I should not be at work today. I feel like crap. And I just want to go home and go to bed and get some rest.

Another Chapter

2008-09-08T08:47:00.002-04:00

In the ongoing chapter of being a Mommy, Ethan is now going to real preschool. He started last Wednesday and I couldn't help but shed a few tears as I left. He's getting to be such a big boy and not a baby anymore. He hasn't been a baby for quite some time but I still think of him like that sometimes. At least I did. He's always going to be my little angel, but my little is growing up so fast and I don't know if I'm ready for it. Guess I better start because next year, is the big deal...REAL REAL school. Now I just need to figure out where we'll live before he starts kindergarten..........

No Rain

2008-08-29T21:56:00.002-04:00

It's been 6 weeks since I've seen any REAL rain. Rain that lasts for more than 2 minutes. It freakin' sucks. I just want it to rain for about 3 days straight and where I can ENJOY it and not be at work stuck inside wishing I could see it and letting Ethan go out and play in it if he so desires. I know these songs aren't, you know, I don't know what the hell I'm trying to say, but they have the one simple message that it needs to rain...more or less.

I Wish It Would Rain
By Phil Collins

Now I, I wish it would rain down, down on me
Yes I wish it would rain, rain down on me now

No Rain
By Blind Melon

And I don't understand why I sleep all day
AND I START TO COMPLAIN THAT THERE'S NO RAIN!!!!!

Free...Mostly

2008-08-21T00:22:00.003-04:00

I get Woman's Day magazine. It's not for old women...it's pretty cool. Has some quick fixes, how to's and recipes in every issue. There's one issue that I loved. Simply because there was an article on free stuff (or mostly free). I don't know how great any of the other things were/are because I just found the issue again and wanted to see how one thing in particular could catch my fancy. It's a site called www.silverjewelryclub.com All one has to pay for is S&H. No catch. That's it. And when you go to checkout, they'll give a retail value (a ring I looked at earlier today was RV'd @ $60), what you pay($0), and the S&H. I LOVE jewelry. Particularly earrings and rings (even though I don't wear rings so much anymore because they kinda get in the way at work). Sterling silver jewelry with a myriad of different designs and gemstones to go with them. I'm thinking I'm going to get some blue (because it's pretty), citrine/topaz (my birthstone), and maybe some CZ if they ever have it (Ethan's birthstone). So really, go check it out. It's worth it, I think.

And it's another great gift idea for me if you want to get me something and don't know what to get. ;) (sz 5.5 or 6 ring)

Bleh

2008-08-12T15:05:00.002-04:00

I think somewhere in the past few months I have developed migraine/tension/cluster headaches. Not fun. Sometimes I have a shooting pain on one side of my head that, well, shoots pain. Other times it's this throbbing numbing pain that somehow manages to make me want to vomit and lie down and close my eyes. Other times, it's a mix of piercing pain with nausea. This is what webMD had to say about them:

Tension Headaches
People with tension headaches commonly report these symptoms:
Episodic Tension Headaches (occurs less than 15 days per month)
Pain is mild to moderate, constant band-like pain, pressure or throbbing
Pain affects the front, top or sides of the head.
Pain usually begins gradually, and often occurs in the middle of the day
Pain may last from 30 minutes to several days

Chronic Tension Headaches (occurs more than 15 days per month)
Pain may vary in intensity throughout the day, but the pain is almost always present
Pain affects the front, top or sides of the head
Pain comes and goes over a prolonged period of time

Associated Symptoms of Tension Headache
Headache upon awakening
Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
Chronic fatigue
Irritability
Disturbed concentration
Mild sensitivity to light or noise
General muscle aching

And the Migraine List:

Migraines
The symptoms of migraine headaches can occur in various combinations and include:
Moderate to severe pain (often described as pounding, throbbing pain) that can affect whole head, or can shift from one side of the head to the other
Sensitivity to light, noise or odors
Blurred vision
Nausea or vomiting, stomach upset, abdominal pain
Loss of appetite
Sensations of being very warm or cold
Paleness
Fatigue
Dizziness
Fever (rare)
Bright flashing dots or lights, blind spots, wavy or jagged lines (aura)

And one more possibility since I seem to have more of these symptoms throughout the week:

Cluster Headaches
Intense one-sided pain described as having a burning or piercing quality that is throbbing or constant
Pain is located behind one eye or in the eye region, without changing sides
Pain lasts a short time, generally 30 to 90 minutes. But, it can last from 15 minutes to three hours. The headache will disappear only to recur later that day (most sufferers get one to three headaches per day during a cluster period).
Headaches occur very regularly, generally at the same time each day, and they often awaken the person at the same time during the night.

Maybe sometime soon I should go see my MD and see what he has to say about the whole thing. So now I'm going to go so I can watch my son play his pool and sprinkler...with my superb headache that I got an hour ago...bleh.

WOO-HOO!

2008-08-10T18:39:00.002-04:00

Mom and Dad are on their way to Maine for a much anticipated anniversary stay at a B&B in Bar Harbor that the three of us saved to give them for a 30th gift last year. I think they'll be with my Uncle Geoff and Aunt Gerry on their actual anniversary so maybe they'll get lucky and have some Maine lobster for dinner...here's hoping anyway.

I plan on:
1) Having fun with Ethan
2) Getting my room finally put together and taking some stuff down to storage that doesn't fit in my room anymore
3) Not spending so much money
4) Going to the Fair once the kiddies have started school...I'm thinking Wednesday
5) Start walking and eating healthier (this was one of my resolutions and I'm pretty sure it's past time I get my butt up and out the door.)
6) Hang out with my "little sister" Samantha and my BFF Tina if I'm lucky
7) Go back to Central Library because it's a BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL place to spend a couple hours.

That's my plan anyway, whether I do any of it is still pretty up in the air right now.

FINALLY!!!

2008-07-26T17:38:00.002-04:00

I have my wireless internet back!!! A month of having only one computer in the house with internet and today my awesome Dad hooked up the wireless router so I have my computer fully functional once again!!! YAY!!! Can't wait to start downloading songs again! And letting Ethan play his games! And getting online whenever I want! OOOOO, I'M EXCITED!!!!

Vacation

2008-07-26T15:27:00.014-04:00

Every year, at least once, Ethan and I go up to Michigan for a vacation. Usually when we go up I have something to do every day. This year, I didn't have anything planned. To start our week of vacation we went camping up at Indiana Dunes. Not at the state park because by the time we got up there, there were no campsites left. So we found a different one and it was fun. The only thing that sucked was that Randy and I had to set up our tent in the rain. We had no fire on Friday because it was rainy and wet and was rainy and wet all night. We did alright. Ethan and I woke up...well Ethan woke up because it was daylight and we just kinda laid around the tent and hung out outside the tent while Randy slept. We made campfire doughnuts (i burned them...but luckily we had more than one can of biscuits) and decided it was time to wake up Randy. He suggested we go to Chicago so that's what we did. We were only 45 minutes away so it seemed like a good idea. We played tourist...went on a double decker bus ride/tour of the city, took lots of pictures,

Trump Int'l Hotel and Tower

John Hancock Building

Sears Tower from the Bus

went to the Sears Tower Skydeck, took some more pictures,

Skydeck South View

Skydeck North View/Chicago River Y

and then hopped on the bus again and rode around to Millenium Park where we hopped off,

"Sportacus" in Millenium Park

got our free souvenir hat/visor/shirt (we got to pick) and took some pics under the bean.

Under the "bean"

Mandatory self portrait

Since it didn't rain on Saturday night we actually got to camp. We had fire, roasted hot dogs, and made s'mores. Ethan played with his pop gun that Randy got for him at Cabela's and went for a "night hike" with Daddy.

Playing with his pop gun and being like Daddy

Back from the "night hike"

Hanging out at the campsite

Ethan was pretty tired from his busy day so he ended up falling asleep in my chair.

He had a busy day

It did storm about midnightish, but when we broke down camp it was sunny. We hung out for a few more hours and then headed our seperate ways.

Monday and Tuesday we went to the beach and just played and had fun and relaxed.

Baywatch Baby

Check out those waves!

Ridin' the waves

Relaxing in the hammock

Wednesday we went to Grand Rapids to see my friend Emily. I managed to not pay attention to where I was going and missed my turn and thought I was going the right way when I figured out I hadn't gotten to my exit yet. I think I managed to get us about 15 minutes off course. But we made it so everything was fine. We went to John Ball Zoo and then Meijer Gardens. Both were fun places to go. Ethan's not one for watching things for very long. The longest we stayed anywhere at the zoo was in the frog exhibit and the petting zoo.

Poison Dart Frog

Brushing the cow

Meijer Gardens was wonderful! There's a waterfall that's just beautiful, a huge 24 foot bronze horse, and a Children's Garden. We spent about 2 hours there and we all had fun.

Waterfalls

Yep, it's pretty HUGE

Look out!

Come find me!

Emily and Me

Thursday Ethan and I went into Saugatuck, played at the park, had some ice cream and went back to the house to await the arrival of my mom and aunt. Once they got there we went out for dinner. Friday we went into Douglas and had lunch then came back and went to the beach for a little bit...at least I did because I had to come home yesterday. So here I am, once again at work during the weekend and wishing I was still in Michigan with my family. But at least my Daddy has someone to keep him company and talk to in the evenings. It was a great week and I can't wait to do it again.

I HATE Packing

2008-06-23T10:44:00.002-04:00

We're moving in three days to the Big City. None of us in this house have lived in anything but small town rural communities since we graduated college. Granted my stay in the Big City was not quite as long ago as my parent's, but still, long enough. I still have my upstairs to pack. I think it's mostly done but there's just so much JUNK to go through that it's really turning into a pain in my ass. I'm excited about moving because I'll be closer to everything. Family, friends, attractions like the zoo, canal, etc, and work. I'm just glad that I'll get to sleep about an extra 30 minutes on the weekends now since I'll be about 20 mins closer to work.

I can just do without all the packing. If could have a magic wand and just magic it all into the boxes and get rid of all the junk I've accumulated over the past who knows how many years (I found an old electric bill and it's been 4 yrs since I've lived in Indy and an old hospital bill for Ethan), it would just make my life a teeny tiny little bit easier. I can't wait until I don't have to move around anymore.

Misadventures at Work

2008-06-22T18:15:00.004-04:00

It's a Sunday. I'm at work. I haven't been overly busy today. I've read the National Geographic that's all about China...pretty interesting stuff. I've played online, I've taken my lunch break. I helped two nurses figure out what to do to get new parking passes. One of them (one of my very most favorite nurses I work with on the weekends) didn't know her license plate number since she just got a new car and new plates. I told her I'd go check for her because I wasn't busy. And it got me up out of my chair and doing something so I wasn't falling asleep or taking goofy ass pictures of myself with my phone.

As I was walking to the stairs (because that's what I do when I'm at work) I was almost to the guest bathrooms down the hall and I slipped and looked down and there was some water. Not just some water...a SHIT TON of water. Why???? A guy used the bathroom and when he flushed the toilet just kept filling and filling and filling and filling and then spilling and spilling and spilling and spilling. So much so the water was running down into the elevators and into the unit on the other side of the hospital. I'm a nice person so I let the other unit know, "If you come out, be careful because the toilet overflowed." And I got some blankets to soak up some of the water until housekeeping or maintenance could arrive to clean it up.

So here I am, helping lay blankets down on the end unit, talking with one of the maintenance guys, and he's wondering how it could happen, it's unbelievable to him. So I said, "He must have had a lot of shit come out of his butt." He just laughed and said he was trying to be more delicate about it since I was around. I'm only a lady when I have to be. Any other time (usually when I'm not around my son) I'm pretty much a sailor.

When I got back from checking the LP# I washed my feet, my crocs, and traded my work scrubs for some hospital scrubs because I wasn't gonna walk around for the rest of the time with poo water all over myself...vomit inducing right there.

And I'm guessing the water's cleaned up by now but I'll share my picture with you anyway, because honestly, it's kinda funny!!!

the blankets were the "sandbags" against the poo water. the black looking thing down the hallway on the left is the sign for the bathrooms. where the maintenance guy is standing is the "entrance" for the elevators. poo water was all the way to the end of the elevators...there are 4 of them in that area. the double doors lead to the unit at the other end of the hospital.

Animal Fun

2008-05-04T12:10:00.003-04:00

My parents got Ethan and me an Indianapolis Zoo membership for Christmas...I think I've said this already, but it was probably the best thing I received. I mean, a whole year of cool stuff to do, pretty much free for me. I have to pay for the food, which is pretty expensive, and the train ride, but $20 for the both of us as opposed to about $50 without it, isn't too bad. We've been twice in 2 weeks. It's pretty cool. I think once the summer comes around, when there's more stuff going on, it'll be a little more fun than it already is. And I've been researching other zoos so that Ethan and I can go to at least one of them this summer. I'm really leaning towards the Cincy Zoo (www.cincyzoo.org) because it's the closest of them all. And I used to go there when I was a kid and I want to go back. Check out the map to this place!!!It just looks like the coolest place in the world!! Okay, maybe not, but still, it looks super fun. And with my Indy membership I get 50% off admission for each of us. Or I could get what they call the Grand Safari Pass and pay a little extra and get unlimited rides on the train, tram, and carousel. Really, how much more awesome could it get? Let me tell you...how about $10 for an all day pass???? Yep, $10. But that's at the St. Louis Zoo, more like a weekend trip (www.stlzoo.org). (I'd post a zoo map but it won't let me.)
And then there's the Louisville Zoo. (www.louisvillezoo.org) (again, I'd post a map, but I couldn't find one.)

PLUS when Ethan and I go to MI for our summer vacation, I plan on going to Meijer Gardens...wonder if there's a Zoo nearby we can visit? Em, help me out, I know you live there.

So so so many Zoo's from which to choose in the Midwest and I can't wait to visit them all!!!

My How a Month Flies

2008-04-13T16:37:00.007-04:00

I didn't realize that it had been so long since last I posted anything. I know my faithful readers (all 3 of you) have been wondering where I've been. Nowhere really. I just have way too many thoughts in one brain to put them into cyberspace thoughts. More than likely this is probably going to be a shmancy smashup (that's Spanish for Fancy Mashup) those who have children know what I'm talking about. If you want to know, go to Noggin's website and find The Upside Down Show games...I <3 it.))

The past month and a half I have been challenged by my mom to keep my room and upstairs clean. It's gone well for the most part. There were a few days when it went to crap, but I fixed it. I kinda like having a clean living space. Makes me wonder why I never did it before?? Maybe because I was never bribed with things I wanted. Yep, that's right, I'm being bribed to keep my upstairs clean. But hey, it works. And maybe someday, when I'm on my own, I might do the same thing. Keep my house clean, buy that new pair of shoes I've wanted...or a new CD (not so much that anymore because I have my limewire and mp3 player, but it was good example)...or a new DVD...or a night out with friends...something so that I feel the incentive and the need to keep my living space clean, not just for me, but for those around me...mostly Ethan. I don't want him to grow up in a shit hole of a house and think that it's okay.

I'm still reading The Wheel of Time series. I think I'm on book 5. I LOVE them. I'm hoping to have all 11 done by the time the 12th one comes out. I'm pretty sure I'll have them all read because the final book won't come out until Fall 2009. That's still a good year and a half away. And since it's taken me only 3 months (less if you count the time that once I got REALLY started, there have only been a couple days where I haven't been able to read) to read the first five (and okay I'm not done with The Fires of Heaven yet, but i've put a big dent in it), I'm hoping to be done with the 11 that are in print by my birthday. That gives me roughly 7 months to get them done. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do it.

I must be getting older and wiser and not so naive because I'm actually researching the Democratic Presidential candidates. I printed off the issues they want to work on and how they'll get to it. My big thing, I think, right now, is the energy stuff. I'm liking Obama's plan as opposed to Clinton's because he wants to spend three times more than she does. I'm thinking that $150,000,000,000.00 (that's a lot of zero's...and yes, it's billion) is going to go more than $50,000,000,000.00. But that's just my thought on the matter. And I like that fact that Obama isn't taking lobbyist money for his campaign. I don't know, I have LOTS of reading to do before the IN primary, or whatever it is, in May. When I say lots, I mean 60+ pages for BOTH candidates. I've pretty much made up my mind on who I'm going to vote for, but I want to make sure first. And if you're smart, you've figured out who've I chosen as of right now.

I've been spending more time with Ethan the past couple weeks. He and I had a HUGE blowout about two weeks ago. It's one of those times where I'm kinda glad I have my parents around, because I don't know what would have happened. I think I wouldn't have melted down and left (my dad was home or else who knows...i'd rather not think about it, thanks) had my dad not talked some sense into me. I still left, but I knew Ethan was in good hands, as opposed to my angry ones. I stayed away until he fell asleep and had my first true parenting breakdown. It was awful. I didn't hate myself, but I came close. I think just the thought of what could have happened, made me realize that there are other ways besides yelling at Ethan to get my point across. I'm not really sure what they are, but I'm working on it.

We've started doing crafts together so that gives us some good bonding time. Dad has a Bible Study group at the house on Wednesday night and Ethan and I go upstairs and just hang out for about an hour, hour and a half, before it's time for him to go to bed. I made us a craft box that has all kinds of stuff in it. His favorite is the paint. He LOVES to paint. I'm hoping to get more stuff as time goes on, but right now, we're okay with what we have.

I'm going to start looking for apartments soon. I think it's time to be out on my own. The tricky part is finding someplace I can afford. I know it's out there somewhere, I just have to find it and be real intentional on what I want. Not only for me, but for Ethan as well. Hopefully something will happen. But for now, that's pretty much what my life has been like the past month. Not too exciting, but eventful.

The Wheel of Time

2008-03-18T21:34:00.005-04:00

I have become engrossed in the world of Robert Jordan. More specifically The Wheel of Time series. I have become addicted to these books. I just started the third one but they are FANTASTIC. I'm so addicted, I didn't even try and find another book to read after I read the second. I don't want to read anything else until I've read all 12. Well, I may have to because sadly, Robert Jordan passed away in September 2007 and the final book had yet to be written. But a new author has been chosen to finish the last book and I can't wait until it comes out so that someday I can own all of them, plus the three prequel books to The Wheel of Time series.

Thanks to my brother (who gave me the first book for Christmas when I was pregnant with Ethan) I have found a substantial story to occupy my time and keep me interested for months to come.

My Scooter

2008-03-18T21:30:00.002-04:00

Here's what my new scooter looks like. To see how it works, go to www.trikke.com

IT'S HERE!

2008-03-15T07:48:00.003-04:00

My new scooter is here. I was telling my dad on Tuesday that it should arrive sometime that day and it was coming by FedEx. Literally, right after I told him, the doorbell rang and it was the FedEx man! I assembled it, went outside and didn't do so hot on it...unless I was going downhill. I took it to the trail that's in town and tried it there. STILL hard to do. But I got the hang of it...after about 15 or 20 minutes of trying. It's pretty fun, but for someone who's not physically active (but in the process of becoming so) it's really challenging. I can't wait to go out again and do it on Tuesday (I have to work Monday morning) after I drop Ethan off! I'll put a picture up when I get home so you can see what it looks like. YAY!

Jackass Drivers

2008-02-27T08:56:00.002-05:00

Since I've become a mom I've noticed how badly most people drive. It's almost as if they don't get there "right now" the world will come to an end. Bobbing and weaving in and out of traffic is ridiculous. I know I'm not the world's greatest driver, but when I have precious cargo with me, well, I tend to be a little more coherent as to what's going on around me. It's not a race to see who gets there first. It's not a race to anywhere unless you're driving around a track in circles for 500 miles...that's just stupid if you ask me. It would just be nice if people would actually take the time to see what's around them, being careful, instead of rushing to and fro all the time. Stop being so stupid and road ragey and just relax. You'll get there eventually.

Change of Taste

2008-02-23T14:41:00.000-05:00

Recently, I'd say since about Christmas, I've discovered I enjoy chocolate. It used to be the only time I liked it was after I read "The Prisoner of Azkaban." We did secret Santa at work and the nurse that had me got me two kinds of Dove chocolate bars. I wasn't too thrilled about them but I tried them anyway. They were dark chocolate...I don't like dark chocolate...at all. Being the brave person I am, I ate them. One was 70% cocao and the other was just dark. Oh. My. Yummy. Seriously, I am now a HUGE fan of dark chocolate.

The darker it is, the more I like it. Lindt makes a 99% cocao bar but it's SUPER expensive and I just don't have that kind of money to spend on chocolate. Though someday I DO plan on buying it.

They also make 60% cocao truffles that are just absolutely fantastic.

I bought an 80% cocao bar today from the coffee shop downstairs. And yes, I can justify spending $3.13 on it just for the simple fact that 10% of proceeds go to helping endangered species, wildlife habitats, and humanity.

Also, last week I wanted mustard. Just out of the blue. I took a bite of my sandwich at lunch and thought, "This needs mustard." I don't like mustard. I think it tastes too much like dill pickles for me...I HATE dill pickles. But apparently my body said, "Feed me mustard." I wonder if mustard has some kind of something that my body is lacking??? Or maybe it was just one of those weird unexplained cravings I get every once in awhile?

A Project

2008-01-27T09:09:00.000-05:00

I love hands. I've always liked them. I love the differences in them. There are so many different kinds of hands. I took a picture not quite a year ago of Ethan's and his dad's hands with Ethan's on top of his dad's. It turned out really well. I took some at the White River Gardens of my hand and another. They're on MySpace but you can only see them if you're a member. Anyway, I think I'm going to actually try doing a photography project of just hands. Singles, couples, groups. I don't know what I'll do with the pictures once I have the ones I want, but I'm sure it will be just for my enjoyment...or I'll actually figure out something to do with them. So if you ever see me with one of my cameras (I have 4 now (2 digital and 2 film) because Ethan found my other one that was lost...in the couch cushions where my dad and I had looked NUMEROUS times) and I get close to you, don't be alarmed, I just want your hands.

The Farm

2008-01-23T14:36:00.000-05:00

My family has a farm in rural Indiana and I've always remembered it from when I was about seven years old. It's property actually on what used to be the family farm. We have about 11 acres left of I don't know how many. Anyway, when I was seven or so we had a family reunion at the church down the road. And when I say "down the road" I mean about 3 or so miles. There was one part that I always remembered about that day and I wanted to go back when I was older to see if I could find it. There's a creek that runs through the property and it has these beautiful trees just "floating" in the water. The roots are in the ground, and sticking out over the water, and then the trunk goes up from the water. I went there yesterday and I called my dad to see where the creek was. He said it was pretty far back but just my luck, it wasn't as far as he remembered. I made my way slowly back to the creek taking pictures as I went. There was old farm equipment and I was so fascinated by it (I have this wonderful love of history) I took quite a few pictures. Then I found the creek. I found my tree that I remembered from my youth. I actually got brave enough to go out on the roots and take pictures of the creek from the tree. I think once it starts to get warmer I'll make a trip back there, but for now, this is what I captured on my venture (the tree shown isn't the tree from which I took pictures, but it's living the same way):

Giving Up and Starting Over

2008-01-19T15:34:00.000-05:00

I still can't find my camera. I've torn my room apart, I've looked in weird places where a camera wouldn't normally hide. I've grown weary of playing hide and seek with it. I haven't given up hope of one day finding it, but I was tired of going without a camera. It wasn't something I just wanted...I needed it. I know it sounds ludicrous, but this is my therapy. This is what makes my life just a little more sane than it is already.
With that thought in my head, I bought a new camera. A bigger, badder, better one...a Kodak ZD710. Or at least it seems that way to the one I had before it went and got lost. I haven't taken any serious pictures yet, just fiddled with it, trying to get the hang of it. I've taken some close ups of my eyes because I like them and the not quite brown, not quite hazel color of them...maybe a dark amber color. I know there's a place where I want to go take pictures but it's a matter of finding the right spot and finding that exact spot on my own. I started to go there last year about this time but I wasn't quite sure once I got there so I didn't capture anything. I'm just thrilled to have another camera in my hands if I so desire to go out into nature once again and take pictures. And I'm able to capture the moments I get to spend with my family being ourselves.

The End

2008-01-13T16:28:00.000-05:00

Today I bid a fond adieu to the Indianapolis Colts 2007 football season. They lost to the Chargers 24-28. It was a fantastic outstanding game and I hated to see them not win. I won't say "lose" because it was too good of a game for them to "lose." And there's always Super Bowl (sans Colts this year) and the rest of the playoffs to see who plays in that game. I hope so very badly that someone will beat the Patriots and kick them out of the running. Whoever does that, and makes it to the Super Bowl, that's the team for which I will be cheering. Or if the Pats do end up going, I'll be cheering for the other team.
So for now, I say, "Adios mis amigos. I'll miss you until next season...IN THE NEW STADIUM!!!" Which I would love to go to a game there, however, with saving my money this year, I doubt I'll be able to go. Ah well, maybe someday.

One Gallon

2008-01-12T16:29:00.001-05:00

Part of the newer, healthier me is to drink more water. I only drink about 16oz a day, if that. At work I have these gigantic plastic cups that are about 29oz to the top. I've had not quite one of these today and I have never been to the bathroom as much as I have in the past 8 hours. Kudos to those of you that do it on a daily basis because it's hard for me. I think if it build myself up to the recommended gallon a day (that's right, 64oz = one gallon) it won't be so bad. But one gallon a day is a bit of a daunting task for someone who doesn't consume that much in a day. I'm determined to do it though because the more water I drink, the healthier I'll be. And I'm done with the first cup...wish me luck on the second. I'll probably be up a lot tonight visiting the bathroom.......

Here's What I Want

2008-01-12T12:22:00.000-05:00

I want a nice guy who's intelligent, will love me and my son, is funny, gets along with my family and respects them and me, can hold a job and not switch from job to job all the time, can handle his finances, has a nice vehicle, nice smile, hygienic, attractive, muscular, and tall, can lift me up like I'm nothing, will be there when I need him most, won't be over critical of my ocassional lack of common sense, take me places and not make me pay all the time, do things that I want to do and compromise if we can't agree, won't throw a fit if he doesn't get his way. I don't think that's too much to ask. Really I don't. And yes, I want a man. Not a guy, not a boy. A MAN!!!

It's a start at least....

Something About It...

2008-01-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

And by "it" I mean music. I grew up listening to all sorts of music genres. I don't have one particular favorite, I just like music. I listen to whatever my mood dictates. Lately I've been leaning towards the classical area. There's something about it that just makes me relax. I have two classical presets in my car and when I got in my car this morning to come to work I was trying to figure out what to listen to on my way in. I had forgotten that I had WICR (UIndy radio station that plays a lot of classical, jazz, and blues type stuff) on when I came home on Thursday so when it came on this morning, I was okay with it and left it there. I just find it amazing that someone could be so talented as to make music (says the girl who knows how to play trumpet). I can play the trumpet and pick out tunes on the piano as long as they're not too difficult. My family is full of musicians. My dad can play guitar, harmonica, trumpet, and autoharp; my mom can play the dulcimer, I think she used to play violin, and kinda piano; Aaron plays trumpet; I don't know if Annelise can play anything; Adriane plays flute, guitar, and maybe piano; Asher plays guitar, bass, and piano; and Ethan, he's still a bit young to play anything but he shows interest in piano, trumpet, and guitar. I know my uncles play guitar but I'm not sure which ones play and my Grandma can play the violin and piano. My cousins are talented, too but I don't know what they play.
I just find that music can relax me and match my mood. I have chillaxin', classical, motivational (pop type stuff), classic rock, and kid music on my computer so I can pick my mood and go from there. I have a couple CD's that are my "mad" music and tend to listen to those only in the car at full blast when I find myself in a shitty mood. Besides my family, I think music is the most important thing in my life. It defines who I am and what I like...and there's always something for me to listen to on any given day.

2008

2007-12-30T10:01:00.000-05:00

1) Be More Organized
I’ve always been terrible with this aspect of my life. No matter how hard I try, I get lazy with it and go back to my same old messy unorganized self. When I move into my own apartment I can’t be like that. I don’t want my apartment to look like it did when I lived at Greenbriar; especially with Ethan. If I see a mess, clean it up. Living on my own I will be the one responsible for that. Starting now will make it that much easier.

2) Relearn Patience
I used to be the most patient person I knew. I don’t know if it’s because I got older, or something just snapped, but it’s not really there anymore. Mostly I need to be patient with Ethan. Sometimes little things set me off and he needs me controlled in those situations as much as I do. I think if I don’t get so frustrated and impatient with him (and myself) I’d be a lot better at being a mom than I am now.

3) Manage Finances Better
More often than not the past year I found myself needing help with my finances. Every once in awhile I’d be okay, but then it would all go to shit when I got a handle on what I was doing. If I’m going to be independent at any time in my life, I’m going to have to learn this NOW so I don’t get myself in trouble. And with a child, I can’t really afford to play as much as I used to or would like.

4) Take Better Care of Myself
This one is last because I always resolve to lose weight. It’s still a resolution but it doesn’t seem to be as important as in years past. Mainly my eating habits and portion sizes need to change. I need to be more disciplined about it as well; and throw in some exercise for good measure.

These are my resolutions for 2008. I know they won’t happen overnight, nor do I expect them to happen overnight. I just need to be patient and work at them little by little throughout the year and reap the benefits a year from now.

My Favorite Things

2007-12-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

Number one on my list is this; the Tide to Go pen. I bought one with some of my Christmas money. I'm ALWAYS spilling something on myself when I go out to eat. And having a toddler more often than not I wish I had one handy. I'm just glad I had the foresight to get one just for the simple fact that while I was walking into work this morning, I spilled coffee on my white shirt. Only me. I really can't take myself anywhere. I'm like a 3 year old trapped in a 27 year old's body. I've definitely gotten better the older I've gotten, but it's still there.

My other favorite thing is the bottled whipped cream. Not the RediWhip, but the REAL stuff. The Land O Lakes Heavy Whipped Cream. No, not so good for me, but it tastes oh so good. And one squirt usually does me for awhile. And don't act like you don't do it.

Triscuit crackers. They are God's gift to all things cracker. I could snack on these all day. I get almost giddy when I know someone has them and actually puts them out for sharing. Regular and Rosemary and Olive Oil are quite possibly the most divine things I could ever put in my mouth or pair with a delicious homemade cheeseball...Mmmmmm (someone's hungry, can you tell?)

And my oddball favorite thing; stationery. I don't care what it is. It could just a plain pad of paper and Bic pens. I'm happy with it. I've told a few people, "If you never know what to get me, get me stationery." I got a pad of paper from my grandma and aunt on my mom's side for Christmas (different ones of course) but I was REALLY excited about it. And yesterday as I was going through some stuff in my storage unit, I found about 7 different things of paper and it was the most exciting thing to me.

Pet Peeves

2007-12-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

I have two major pet peeves. And it probably stems from growing up in a family of people that are English majors. Okay, no one in my family is an English major, but it sure seems like it. And it seems more so like that lately. I hate hate hate people that use bad grammar. I just want to yell and scream and jump up and down (no, not that bad) and correct them. I think it's most aggravating when it's someone I don't know. I have no problem correcting my friends on their grammar. One of the ladies I used to work with at my t-comm job always asked customers, "Do you have a number where I can call you back at?" Yeah, it's improper grammar. NEVER EVER end a sentence with a preposition. You either don't put the "at" at the end of the sentence, or find someplace else to put it. "I don't have no..." is another of those that drives me crazy. I mean, really really crazy. To the point of actually yelling. Even if it's someone I don't know. I just want to tell them to go back to school and learn the English language...which is not a very easy language to learn.
Bad spelling makes me insane, too. I guess it's because I've always been an excellent speller, and people that don't know how, well it just bugs me. I just read something on my work website talking about their insurance cards but "their" was spelled "there." It's a common mistake I know, and I've been known (just once) to make that mistake. But COME ON!!! Stop and think about it before you type or write the damn word! Or maybe it's a grammar mistake? Either way...
And no, I'm not some snobby smarty pants that'll call you out on your misspellings if I see them. I'm not that much of a Nazi about it all. It's just aggravating, that's all. It's just one of my little quirks I acquired while growing up with my family.

Eggs

2007-12-19T10:37:00.000-05:00

I love eggs. I could eat them pretty much any way they're fixed...except over hard. I love eggs sunny side up, cooked medium so the yolk oozes out of them and I can sop up the "juice" with my toast. Apparently, it's a very rare occasion when I can make eggs like this. Which is probably why I just stick to making them scrambled.
I have 2 eggs left in my fridge and I was going to start making cookies today for the open house mom and dad are having on Sunday. I knew there was something I had to do in town beside mail my cards...guess I'll be making a run to Mom and Pop's Grocery down the road...and by down the road, I mean about 4.5 miles away. Better get on that so there won't be so much to do this weekend while mom's home and I'm at work, unable to help.

The Final Day

2007-12-18T19:58:00.000-05:00

I got all my shopping done today...with the exception of the gifts I need to get for the Manifold Family gift exchange in January. But those can be gotten later so no big deal. It only took me three days of shopping to get everyone done. Thursday, Friday, and today. I'm so glad I'm done. At least I didn't wait until the last minute like I did last year. Last year I went the Saturday before Christmas. That's right, Christmas on Monday, I went out and did everyone the Saturday. Nothing like procrastination to make a Christmas almost not happen. So now I need to get the presents wrapped and keep them hidden from my son so he doesn't think he can open them NOW. AND I need to get my Christmas cards addressed and sent out this week so that people can get them before next Tuesday. Guess it's another late night for me tonight...but it happens sometimes so that's okay. And I love making presents for my family. My sister told me to make her something this year so I'm gonna see what I can do and hope she likes it. I have an idea, so I'll just have to make sure it works for her. I'm sure it will and I bet if she's reading this, she's wondering what it is and I can't WAIT to give it to her. ;)

Two Weeks

2007-12-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

It's been over 2 weeks since I've taken any type of picture. Weeeell, I've taken pictures with my phone, but the clarity isn't as great as it would have been with a real camera. My SLR camera has been with my brother probably since the end of summer. I was taking pictures of a corn field while it was still green and the film wouldn't advance. I had my dad take it to him to see if he could revive it, but no such luck. And two weeks ago, November 3oth actually, I had my digital camera in my hand, I got up, packed for the next day so I could go to the Nutcracker after work, and I have NO idea where in hell my camera is right now. I keep looking in places I think it should be, but it's not there. I'm very much missing it right now. I've even dreamt, twice, that I've found it. I just wish I knew where it is and it's completely bumming me out that it's MIA. Since I got back into photography, I don't think I've EVER gone this long without taking a picture. Hope I can find it before Christmas...

Football

2007-12-16T21:48:00.000-05:00

I believe football to be one of the greatest sports in the world...and I'm sure many people would agree with me. I figured out a while ago that there were pros and cons to the game...mostly the way it's watched. There are those that can afford tickets and those that wish they could afford them, such as myself. Anyway, the one big pro to watching the game live, in person, is the excitement that's there with all those fans, there for the same purpose; to cheer on their team. The cons, the long lines to the bathrooms, the expensive snacks, the parking, the waiting to get out of the parking...but I guess it's all worth it if your team wins. The pros to watching the game at home are the instant replays. You miss something, they play it again, nothing missed. You don't have to pay out the butt for snacks, there are no long lines for the bathrooms, you don't have to worry about parking, and since you're in the privacy of your own home, you can be as loud, rowdy, and rambunctious as you want and no one behind you telling you to chill out or not be so loud. The cons, the excitement is there,but nowhere near as intense as it is in person. Either way, it's still a great game; to play, to watch, whatever. I LOVE MY COLTS!

Pop Princesses

2007-12-15T18:59:00.000-05:00

I like their music...some of it. Others just drive me crazy. In particular, the Simpson sisters. They're just so nasally and breathy when they sing it makes me want to punch them. And Miss Spears is one of those that I can't stand either. Yes, I will admit I have 2, count them 2, of her songs on my computer, but all her others make me want to throw my radio when she comes on. Does she have to sound so much like a baby when she sings??? Grrrr. I've been listening to singers like this all day...not by choice (well partially by choice since I chose the station to which I was listening (that's right, grammatical correctness in a blog; my parents would be so proud)). I just think if a singer is going to be produced or whatever it is, she needs to have a strong consistent sounding voice. For examples; the ladies of Celtic Woman, Nelly Furtado, Bette Midler, KT Tunstall, Alicia Keys...just to name a few that pop into my head.

It's a Start

2007-12-15T13:34:00.000-05:00

I have another blog over on MySpace but I'm gonna try it here and see how I like it. I'm sure I'll like it better because now everyone can see it, not just the people I have on MySpace.
Right now I'm sitting at my "desk" at work and wishing I was elsewhere. It's a regular occurence when I work. I work every weekend, 7a-7p. It's rather frustrating. More so this weekend because I can't go home. Well, I can but it's inadvisable at this point in time simply because it's snowing outside and coming down quite steadily. I love snow, but not when I have to drive in it.
I remember when I was a kid going sledding with my family. It was nothing fancy, but obviously impacted me in some way since I still remember doing it 20 years later. We lived in a tiny little town in southern Indiana, my dad was a pastor at two churches and one of them was in the town where we lived. One snowy day we got all dressed in our winter gear, walked over by the church, past the cemetery, and up the hill at the end of the road. I don't know how long we stayed but it was fun. I don't remember much about the entire time we were there, but I do remember thinking I was going to go in the creek and jumping off my sled while I was on a downhill run. I wouldn't have gone in since my dad was behind me, but still, that's what I thought so I hightailed it outta there. We went home and had hot chocolate and that's what I remember about that day. It's those family times of doing simple things that I remember most about my childhood.