Weave or No Weave

So a few weeks ago my man's sister-in-law sent me an email telling me that my man's sister got a weave. The title of the email was "Sister's Weave". The picture was prefaced with a statement that she looked like a man in drag! Ouch!! If you knew my former in-laws you would know such "love" is common among them! So the story continues with a few follow up phone calls telling me that the weave was gone suddenly...

Apparently the sister was brushing her new mane and it came out! EEK!!! She rushed and had the weave replaced! She was furious that her $200 hair came out with a little brushing. The stylist told her it was because she wasn't suppose to use a brush on the weave and was only to use a pick of a wide toothed comb. I don't know if this is normal as I've never had someone else's hair in with my hair...call me cheap, but I have elsewhere to spend $200!

So she was happily re-weaved and life was grand. As she made plans to come home to see the family for a 4-day weekend (her hubby is in the Army and had a pass), I inquired to the ex-sister-in-law will she be appearing for her visit with weave or no weave?!?

I'm here to report, she showed with no weave!

A few updates...

Before I forget, here are a few updates...

Family drama...that is still going on. According to the last court date a warrant was to be issued that afternoon for the ex-s-i-l. She is allegedly facing charges of: maintaining a drug house; drug trafficking; aiding and abetting; and child abuse. According to my source at the local police station, no warrant had been issued as of last Thursday.

Family health drama...my uncle is out of the hospital as of yesterday. I think it is too soon, but I don't run health care in this nation and we know it is no longer the doctor's decision...it is all up to the insurance companies! He is doing much better, but will need to recover slowly, which I know is impossible for him. I worry about him a lot! :( My aunt's face is supposedly clearing nicely now that she finally went to a doctor and got appropriate treatments for it. Self-diagnosing is only good for certain things, but not flesh-eating disorders. (Not what she had, but still!!!) My other aunt has came down with another cold...she suspects her co-worker who prides herself on never missing a day of work who has been coughing up lungs in between smoke breaks is who gave it to her. And of course since my aunt takes care of the munchkin, you know where those germs are headed next. :( UGH.....

Puppies & strings...I don't recall if I ever updated that post. But the following Monday we learned that there was no danger after all, because the string was found under the coach not coming out of the puppies behind! So much for all of that drama! Maybe we should look a little closer next time before we become undone and start booking ORs!

If there is ever something I forget to update on, please feel free to drop me an inquiry in comments and I will do my best to update as soon as possible! ;)

Watch Out WWs, I'm Coming Back

It has been weeks since I've posted about my battle of the bulge.  Part of that is due to time constraints and part of that is because I was devastated last Saturday when I discovered I had actually gained 5lbs.  :(  I know I wasn't behaving perfectly, but I didn't expect this turn of events.  So last week I went back to WWs, but on my own.  

I can't afford to attend meetings, plus my time is so limited so I decided to start counting points on my own.  So that is where I'm at with the battle of the bulge.  I felt really good about it this week though.  I was within my points Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday wasn't so great...I had fish & chips for lunch.  I did eat the 4 pieces of fish (the cook at the greasy spoon has a crush on me so he snuck me an extra piece of fish with a wink...just what I needed!) with tarter sauce, but only ate maybe 5 fries and only 2 bites of cole slaw and didn't touch the bread and butter.  Then we had to clean out the Explorer Friday night and ended up at Red Lobsters.  I topped my Friday off with a Sunset Passion Colada and then we all shared appetizers instead of ordering meals.  We shared Lobster Pizza, (Lobster) Fondue, and Coconut Shrimp.  I also had one cheddar biscuit and 2 cokes.  :(  

Today certainly was no better and likely a little worse.  :(  I started the day out on a run.  I shared pancakes with the munchkin at 10am.  I never ate or drank another thing until we went for dinner after going to the meat market (BTW, don't go to the meat market starving!  Both my freezers are stuffed to the brim!).  We had chips & salsa and then I had fajitas and I think I drank like 10 cokes....of course the class was three-quarters filled with ice and I was dying of thirst.  I think it was more like 4 or 5, but still....  And 6 hours later (actually, just now) I cracked open some crackers and the crab salad we bought at the meat market.  

I know I'm not perfect and I never claimed to be and this is one of the toughest fights in my life.  So I know I will have ups & downs, challenges and I will win some and lose some.  But my biggest success at this point will be being able to recover quickly when I fall off the WW wagon!  

So Watch Out WWs, I'm Back!  

My contribution to the Big-3 is complete!!

Woo-hoo!!!!!  I picked up my car today!  And I love it....  It is beautiful!  Sleek!  Fast!  Comfortable!  I just love it.  I'm back at home in my car.  I should have kept my original Escape, but that is water under the bridge...I'm just glad that I didn't go over my miles (I had 195 miles to spare!) and that I love my new car!  :)  

I even tried to whittle down the miles today.  Before picking up the car the munchkin and I went to the bank, the post office, my one salon, and the grocery store.  If we would have had time we would have crossed the state line to go to the meat market, but we did that after I picked up my new car!  

Of course I accomplished nothing else today...such as homework, laundry, picking up.  But hey...I bought a new car, face products, stamps, groceries and a year's worth of meat!    Hope you had a productive Saturday too!

Family Health Issues...

Well, my uncle is in the hospital right now.  He is suffering from acute pancreatitis.  This has been going on for 3 weeks now.  We are hopeful that this treatment will help and hopefully this is not turning in to a case of chronic pancreatitis.  :(  Of course, my aunt/his wife, is currently suffering from shingles, poison ivy and some other crazy named thing all on her face...  I swear, when it rains it pours.  

On a separate note, my man got a new job in the kitchen.  Now he is a cook.  He told me he got to make spaghetti today.  Oh man...I miss his spaghetti sauce!  I know it wasn't as good as what I'm used to, but still...I could use some of his spaghetti sauce.  LOL  I am proud of him for getting promoted.  Of course he told me it was weird making so much stuff and it is just like in the movies, his "kettle" was so big, he stirred it with a plastic utensil that is as big as a boat oar and looks just like one!  Isn't that crazy?  And here I thought getting dinner on for my entire family is hard...and there is only around 10 of us!  (I know how many people are in my family, but since there are so many splintered issues going on, I didn't get specific with who may be at the next holiday meal...)

Another hump-day down...now I just have to make it to Friday!  I'm crossing my fingers that I make it!  LOL

Busy Signal

Oh my goodness...busy, busy, busy.  Even at work I'm busy!  I feel like every time I turn around I'm giving off a busy signal!  I actually arrived at work at 7:40am today to make my 8:00am meeting and didn't leave until 5:20pm, with no lunch.  And I actually worked that entire time!  Which feels almost equally shocking to me too!  ;)  

I'm equally busy at home and at school.  The days are flying by...too quickly.  :(  I need another 10 hours each day just to get things done now.  And as I sit here thinking about the coming weeks, I just get busier and busier.  

Of course my stressor now is getting to Saturday without going over my miles.  I'll be very happy getting out of this lease!  It is causing problems even to the bitter end.  

I will try to post as frequently as I can.  Take care of y'all!

My Apologies...

I don't want anyone to think I've abandoned my blog. I've just had a very busy week. I shall catch you up in the next several days with all of the happenings around town a/k/a my life! But the biggest things that have been happening is "mid-term" week. Yes, I only had one official mid-term, but then another class we had pass/fail questions to answer, which to me really was a mid-term thing. So needless to say, I was cramming in things for mid-term week, so that has kept me busy. Now it is over, I'm exhausted and I'm behind in all of my reading because I was working on mid-terms. 5 weeks to go and then 2 weeks of finals and I'm finally off for the summer, which I can't wait for!!

Signed the munchkin up for mixed minors today, so now I have a box of 52...er....50 candy bars in my house for me to sell. Of course the idea that I've already paid for the box kind of deflates the whole fundraising thing for me, but I will take it to work again this year and sell some there. Of course this year I'm going to put it in the kitchen because having it in my office last year didn't work out so well for me! But that does remind me of a funny story that will be a future post in the coming days/weeks.

For now, I'm off to wash my face, read some more for AIL-P and hope I wake up more motivated tomorrow! Love & hugs to my faithful readers....Have a great weekend you guys!

Future Blog Posts...

Since my memory isn't so great anymore, I've added a new feature to my blog.  I'll be listing over to the side titles of future blog posts to remind myself what I wanted to post!  This is more a tool for me than you because I couldn't come up with a place to keep a list of my ideas and I had a great idea of one that it just took me about 3 weeks to remember!  Some of them will be posted sooner than others and I currently only have one item on the list (I can't remember the other ideas I've had recently), but it will grow as I come up with things...

Where did my weekend go????

I know I've been slacking in my posts the last several days, my apologizes, but I think someone hit fast forward on the clocks!! Last week was really busy and really stressful. I felt like I was running so far behind on everything and finally I said to myself, "screw everything, I have to get these things done." So I stopped working on anything else and only worked on writing out bills for one period of time. I discovered quickly that I had 3 bills due the next day, so I had to arrange for someone to hand-deliver 2 of them to their respective stores and 1 I had to call and pay over the phone using their automated system, which cost me an additional $9.95, but better then their $39.95 late fee charge! So now I felt better in that area.

The next area I was starting to feel stressed over was typing up my notes. I'm really trying to get better with my "school work", so I committed to typing up my notes after class (meaning the next day since I get home so late). In order to accomplish this, it has meant typing them up at work. I usually figure this is using my lunch hour since I don't really take lunch hours at work, because I end up working through while I eat at my desk. I think this is a fair trade off, don't you? Well, I hadn't typed up my notes since before spring-break, so I had about 2.5 weeks of notes to type up, so I borrowed a day at work and that is all I did was type up my notes to catch up there. So another area where I was feeling some relief.

Friday night the munchkin and I went shopping! We actually have food in the house again!! This was becoming a major stress area for me, because nothing I hate more than not having the essentials in the house and since by Friday we were out of milk, eggs, butter, bread, pop and popcorn...we definitely no longer had the essentials! So this was finally accomplished on Friday plus it was actually a lot of fun to go shopping with the munchkin. It has been a REALLY long time since we went shopping together. And since I can no longer lift him up in the cart (plus as he says, 'mom, I look dump up here where the babies go') I had to overcome my controlling ways and I let him "help" with the shopping. Well, until we hit the end and my stress level was rising by the time we were checking out of store #3.

Saturday morning we went to see my car guy....you know, for that "surprise car" he had for me! Well, it was a surprise!!! It is my car!!!! It has more than I wanted on it, which means more money, but whatever!! It is totally sweet.... The munchkin and I took it for a test-drive. I haven't felt so at home in a car in a long time. This is my car!! It only had 24 miles on it, it has been in the "sold lot" since it came in to the dealer. He said as soon as he saw it he knew it was mine. I love my car guy, because he was right!!!!! It is everything I asked for plus some! hehe So what I thought was going to be a 30 minute thing Saturday morning turned in to a 2.5 hour thing. But it was well worth that 2.5 hours! So I guess car guy was right...he did have a surprise for me!!! ;) BTW, I pick up my surprise on 3/28!! Pictures will follow, trust me!!

After 2.5 hours at the dealer, we met up with the auntie and had lunch. The munchkin was so good on both Friday and Saturday I was impressed and then I was sad, because I realized my munchkin was growing up... :( After lunch they went to Chica's daughter's b-day party and bowled. Apparently my munchkin loved it!!!! Who knew!!! We will have to go bowling this summer. It is so funny that he loved it, because I have dreamt of our "family" bowling in a few years, so I'm really excited about that and can't wait to tell my honey that I've got something to add to our list of things to do upon putting our family back together! (Yes, we do have such a list! LOL)

So by the time I came home Saturday afternoon and picked up the house (which is still sort of a work in progress even by now~Sunday afternoon) I was not feeling the whole homework thing. You would think then I would become productive elsewhere in my life, but I usually don't! I have some crazy hold-up or something that then just has me sit in a chair saying to myself, "I don't really feel like doing homework. I know I have a ton to do. Basically 2 midterms and I'm behind in my Crim Pro and BK reading, but I just can't do homework right now." I say this in my head over and over and over....then I turn on the TV and kind of lose myself for the remainder of the day or take a nap. Isn't this crazy? Since it was really kind of late to be taking a nap, it was about 5:30pm-ish, and I really had high hopes/ideas that maybe if I went to bed kind of early Saturday night that this morning I would get up really early and hit the ground running. Who is fooling who here....this didn't happen!! As I was having this motivating idea about going to bed sort of early and getting up early I added something to it...what if I filed my taxes tonight so I can make that huge ass down payment on my new car and then I can go to bed early, have my taxes filed, and get up early to get a jump start on my homework! Well, 1 good idea accomplished out of 3 isn't bad!!! So last night I gathered all of my papers and filed my taxes. I'm definitely glad that is out of the way. Plus I love the fact that according to Turbo Tax, my federal return should be deposited the day before I pick up my car....perfect timing IRS! ;)

So, as I sit here early Sunday afternoon doing laundry, wondering where my weekend went I think back at all the areas I'm a little less stressed in after the last 7 days...writing out bills, typing up class notes, stocking up our necessities, bailing myself out of my lease fiasco, and filing my taxes. Now I'm off to deal with another stress area...homework! ...or maybe I'll take that nap today! ;)

Enjoy your Sunday...

& a wake up...

Well, we finally made it through Thursday!  Done with classes for the week, two midterms to do this weekend, babysitting issues arising by the hour, just glad for the weekend to be just mere moments away...

Today I was so sleepy, but I tried to retain some control over my eating...

Breakfast...2 eggs & a slice of toast

Snack...pretzels

Lunch...6" turkey & ham sub on wheat w/provolone & mayo

Snack...2 york peppermint patties

Dinner...Crispy chicken sandwich & loaded potato bites from Arby's & a sweet tea

64ozs of water & 20 mins on the treadmill...

Not too bad.  Of course tomorrow isn't going to be so hot...but I'll do as well as I can!  TGIAF!!!

Hump Day Food Journal...

Alright...not a great day.  I can only hope to do better tomorrow and I need to remember that it could always be worse (trust me!)...

Breakfast...2 eggs, slice of toast

Snack...pretzels

Lunch...taco salad

Snack...pretzels

Dinner...12" meatball sub w/provolone cheese on italian bread (no double meat or cheese!)

Snack...Sweet tea & vanilla cone

Water...64 ozs.

Workout...10 mins walking on treadmill, all upper body machines, 10 more mins walking on treadmill

Craziness on Hump Day!!

Some random craziness that has occurred on this every lovely hump day...

#1) I am NOT a morning person and since I don't go to bed early I set a few alarms to get me up. I set my alarm clock, which is in my bathroom and then I set my cell phone alarm clock, which is on my night stand. Well, the cell phone alarm went off and when I picked it up to hit snooze I dropped it between the bed and the nightstand. It was still going off! So I had to find it, thank god my phone glows when the alarm goes off. I still proceeded to go back to sleep and over slept this morning. So I got up and hopped in the shower with the full knowledge that I wasn't going to wash my hair to save time. Too bad my hands didn't know that!! I proceeded to put my face soap in my hands rup them together and apply it to my hair.......WAIT?! HAIR??!!!...yes, I said hair. Apparently someone wanted me to wash my hair, because I used my uber-expensive face soap on the top of my head. As soon as I sat my hand up there I had that "Duh!" moment. Wrong area of my head. It was suppose to go on my face dang it!! I tried "wiping out" the face soap from my pulled back hair and after more bubbles formed each time I decided I had to wash my hair this morning. Sorry "The CH", I was late due to malfunctioning face soap!!

#2) While working I have a report that I just completed and my cell phone on top because I was texting with my LSBFF. I grab the report to put it away behind me on a shelf and as I begin to slide the report on to the shelf I realize I'm putting away my cell phone not the report. WTH?

#3) I have a bad habit when I'm inter-officing things to forget to write on the envelope who I'm sending it to. This has lead to several items of being sent back to me, from me! Well, I had kept my "problem" under wraps until today. After washing my hair with face soap, but before filing away my cell phone I walked in to my office to see something I sent to the secretary back on my desk with the envelope I mailed it in... This time I sent it to our LPU department. The gig is up! The woman who put it there came in later and asked if I got the stuff she put on my desk. She then asked if I incorrectly mailed it or did that crazy secretary send it down to her on accident. I so wanted to put the blame on the secretary, but then I would feel bad so instead I said...'well, I think it might have been me, but maybe she did it. Who knows....guess it is from too much work!' We laughed together and my "problem" discussion disappeared again. Today is not the day to become more deligent with my envelope addressing......

#4) My car guy returned my call verifying we are on track and asks me to come in this Saturday to get some paperwork done...and then says, "Plus I've got a surprise for you." I say what you are suppose to say when someone says such things, "You do???" (all excited, of course!). His response was, "Yes, I got you a car." Okay.....not what I was thinking because that was the obvious, right? Isn't that your job? Didn't we go over the details of what I wanted when I came in 2 weeks ago? I thought my job was to get my Pin # and your job was to get my car. And this is a surprise? How???? I verified with my LSBFF, before I filed away my phone, that car people are weird.

Alright...until more craziness happens, keep enjoying Hump-Day!!!! :D

Tuesday's Food Journal...

Oh, BTW...

Breakfast...2 eggs, slice of toast

Snack...pretzels

Lunch...small grilled chicken greek salad w/pita bread and italian dressing

Snack...sweet tea and a vanilla cone

Dinner...meatloaf, julianne potatoes, peas & carrots

I did get my 64ozs of water in today & a trip to the gym to walk for 20 mins on the treadmill.

Automated Restrooms...

At work a few months back our building remodeled our restrooms and everything is automated now, including the toilets.  At the beginning several of the women in our office claimed they didn't work, but they did.  You just had to walk away from them before they would flush.  They have became more sensitive the longer we have had them.  At one point there was even discussion about making the building management rip out the new toilets because they just weren't "working".  I used to giggle over these discussions, but now the laugh is on me!

Three times I've started leaving public restrooms without flushing before realizing the rest of the world isn't as plush as my office and I must flush it on my own!  So the next time you see that someone didn't flush, maybe they have plush potties at their office too!

There are several things I think of when I think of bathrooms...Often I think of Dustin Hoffman's line in Meet the Fockers, "When it is yellow be mellow, if it is brown flush it down."  I also think about a former co-worker overhearing another former co-worker saying "shoot it Winchester!"  Actually, there have been several current and former co-workers who talk to them selves in the restroom...so when you think no one is listening...oh yes we are!  And sometimes we are bloggers!  hehe

Longest Day of The Week

So obviously it is another Monday.  It is my longest day of the week!  I'm glad it is over.  I spent three days at home over the weekend doing homework...reading and writing a paper!  Glad that is over and done with!  But now I move on to mid-terms this week.  UGH...thank god it appears they are all take homes!  Sounds like another tight and tiring week....

Hope you had a great weekend and a good Monday.  4 more days & a wake up....  ;)

Opps...before I forget:

Breakfast:  2 eggs, slice of toast

Snack:  pretzels

Lunch:  grilled chicken greek salad

Snack:  pretzels, diet sunkist, fruit snacks

Dinner:  beef stew

Snack:  small shamrock shake, cheeseburger, sweet tea

I did get all 64ozs of my water in today.  I need to pack my bag to workout tomorrow too!  :)

Past Bullies

I hated high school. Actually, strike that! I hated the people at my high school. I actually didn't mind high school itself. I sometimes wished I was a natural female Doogie Howser, MD. I really wanted to skip over high school and go straight to college, but that didn't happen. Sometimes I'm glad that I went through the torture of high school, but sometimes I'm not.

I, of course, was fat in high school too. Not as fat as I am now, but still obese. I had bad acne, bad teeth, bad hair...the list could go on for quite some time. However, I remember one particular incident that has never left my mind and all of it came rushing back tonight at Red Lobster! You know...where this one Catholic good-girl was not eating meat on a Friday! ;) I got there early to reserve a table for us~me, the munchkin & the aunt.

I walk in and the hostess is one of the girls I went to high school with. It has been a long time when I've had to interact with someone from high school. I probably seemed out of it to her because I was shocked to see her still there. I knew about 8 years ago she was working there, but I never would have thought she still would be. BTW, she is not in management, so Red Lobster must not have a "work your way up" program as she remains a hostess/server. Needless to say...we didn't communicate outside of me giving her my name and request for our table. (Which she did screw up....but whatev!)

After I was seated I saw him...one of my bullies. :( This short little fucker was a tormentor of mine. (Sorry, I use those descriptors in the most loving way!) I remember when my best friend and I went to Burger King for dinner one night after some school function. Him and his buddies, who all stood at least a foot above him, were sitting up eating. This BK was a bi-level, so we were on the bottom area and they were on the top. All of a sudden he threw an inverted fry box down at us. I self-internalized the message, which read "You need to call 1-800-321-THIN" which was the 800-# for Nutrasystem. I ignored the box as his aim was off since he was short and pretended like I never saw it.

I've thought about that box and its message and that short little fucker a lot in the past 16 years. I will never forgive him for that, I will never let him know I saw it, thought of it, or anything like that. But most of all...I will always remember that someday I may be thin and his ass will always be short!!!!

I, as usual, didn't acknowledge I knew either of these people and never spoke to them. He was there with his daughter, who must be about 4 or 5, and other Dads & Daughters who were all attending a daddy-daughter dance. I'm happy to report his 4 year old is of average height along with her fellow peers and she is a little over half as tall as him. I did smile to myself and when she wasn't listening to him as they were leaving I commented to my aunt, "How can he expect her to listen to him when she will be taller than him in about six months?!" ;)

Of course the fact that all of these daddies and daughters were going to this "Daddy Daughter Dance" made me wonder...what happens if you are a daughter and you don't have a daddy, for whatever reason? Is this really fair to them? I'm not saying punish the ones who do have a daddy, but why can't we call it a "Parent/Child dance?" Or a "Daddy-Like Daughter Dance"... I just think we are placing a heavy burden on that poor little girl who doesn't have a daddy in her life right now, because not always at the age of 4/5 do you understand why you don't have a daddy and others due...

Fridays during Lent...

Am I the only person abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent? Am I the only Catholic that is still "falling for that trick" (as one co-worker said to me)? I don't know if it is because I'm around all new people this year for Lent, outside of my family, that is, but I appear to be the only person not consuming meat on Fridays this Lent.

Exhibit #1) A week ago today, the first Friday of Lent. We decide to go out to lunch for my co-worker's last day. We go to a more upscale restaurant within our office building because of location and because the leader of the pack is convinced that he gets better treatment there because the "guys know him there". The fact that he gets better and is "known" to the guys could be the fact that he puts away a 5th of vodka a night there, but that is a story for another time. So I comment to someone thought to be going in the group that I hope this place has a special of fish/seafood of sorts because it is Friday. He looked at me funny and asked why and I said, "because I'm Catholic and it is Friday." He responded in the affirmative, so I added "...and it is Lent." His response was "Yeah, I'm catholic too, but I'm not falling for that trick. It is optional." I laughed and said "okay". He later no-showed to the lunch upon which I inquired if it was his heel spurs acting up again...

Upon going to this lunch I encounter a $30 salad for trying to be a good Catholic. I don't know if I previously clued you in on my $30 lunch. I was so not happy, because it wasn't even a great salad! I ordered a Thai Chicken Salad and asked if I could get Shrimp in place of Chicken. The waitperson said sure, no problem. Well, yeah, until I got my bill! My salad was $10, the shrimp was $6. My coke was $3. My side of pasta salad (to ensure that I got my main course salad at the same time as everyone else's lunch) was $3. I'm now up to $22. Add tax and a 20% tip and my bill now totals: $27.98, so I put in $30 and figured my $2.02 could go toward the co-worker's lunch. Now I've spent some coin on meals before and don't usually complain, but when the food sucks, you are the only non-heathen, and you aren't pre-warned that your meal is going to practically double in price exchanging seafood for the meat, then I'm going to bitch about a $30 crappy meal...

Exhibit #2) This morning I had to leave and go somewhere for breakfast. I picked a Bob Evans, which was probably a mistake, but I ordered hotcakes to avoid the sausage gravy that I really wanted! The crabby waitress (some people shouldn't be wait staff and when you are in your 50's or 60's and still crabby because you are a waitress, I suggest you turn in your pencil, your nametag and your hairnet. So I ordered the hotcakes and she asks if I want a side of meet with that. Of course I do, but I'm not carrying sausage links in my pocket until Saturday! So I respond, while smiling~"No, I can't. It is Friday!" She looks at me strange and then I did the whole 'I'm catholic and it is lent.' Do you know what the crabby waitress said and did? You will never guess!! She said, "Oh...[rolled her eyes at me]...whatever." So I ate my pancakes, which weren't all that great (and certainly were not nearly as good as the Pancake House!) waited for my call and left.

But after this 2nd encounter it lead me to ponder: Am I the only Catholic out there falling for this old trick refraining from meat on Fridays during lent?

Pick & Choose

A quick recap of today...

Breakfast:  2 eggs, slice of toast

Snack:  94% fat free popcorn

Lunch:  12" black forest ham sub on wheat w/provolone cheese & mayo

Dinner:  Beef fajitas, strawberry margarita, coke, chips & salsa

Snack:  Mexican Fried Ice Cream

I drank my 64ozs of water today, but I didn't make it to the gym to workout; however, I'm glad I didn't go tonight.  Not because I didn't want to workout and not because I was too tired or sore, but because I had dinner with my LSBFF instead.  Sometimes we have to make choices and tonight I choose to ask her if she wanted to do dinner after class and she said yes!  I was very glad she did.  I had a blast.  I think we covered every single subject out there that we would need/want to cover!

After spending an hour or so at dinner, when I returned her to her car we spent another hour and fifteen minutes chit-chatting in my car!  I made the best choice and the perfect choice.  Thank you my LSBFF for a wonderful night tonight.  Now on to that paper...

PS:  Dani, I thought of you when I ordered my Mexican Fried Ice Cream.  I actually even spoke of you!  ;)

Hump Day...Need I Say More?

I must say other than feeling extremely overwhelmed this week has been a good week so far.  I'm just starting to feel the mid-semester pressure mixed with the income tax pressure.  As we say...too much to do and not enough time to get it all done!  The story of my life...  

Let me recap today's menu plan...

Breakfast...2 eggs and a slice of toast

Snack...Lean Cuisine Frozen 3 Meat Pizza Meal

Lunch...Healthy Choice Fresh Mix Southwestern Chicken Meal

Snack...Grapes

Dinner...12" meatball sub (but no double meat or double cheese!)

Snack...Sweet tea & a vanilla cone

I did manage to get my full 64 ozs of water in today, along with a trip to the gym.  I did 20 mins on the treadmill.  Not much, but better than nothing.  Babysteps....

While I was at the gym tonight I noticed something.  When I went shopping a couple weeks ago I made sure I picked up a couple new workout outfits.  Nothing fancy...just comfortable and short sleeves to make me cooler than my original 2 workout outfits.  So this week I've enjoyed working out in my new workout outfits!  :D  However, as I looked around tonight and made some observations...people working out in jeans and guys wearing hoodies, with the hoods up while running on treadmills.  Did I miss something in workout attire?  

I understand that I'm significantly overweight so I'm going to sweat a little more than the in-shape person, but seriously?!  Running with a hoodie on?!?  Come on people!!!  Your overuse of a hoodie while working out is causing me to overuse punctuation...  

That isn't an excuse

After a pretty great day at work today and before I went to the gym I opted to exchange two pair of workout pants I purchased a couple weeks back before I went up to see my guy.  So I go to the store and say I want to exchange these 2 pairs of pants for a different size.  I'm told it is no problem by clerk #1 and to shop around.  So I find replacement pants, grab two pairs of panties (okay, not really panties...more like stuff 'em and see how much that girdle like contraption can hold!) and go to the counter.  

Clerk #1 is gone and clerk #2 begins cashing me out.  The conversation goes like this:

#2:  Are you a perks member?

j'lynn:  Yes.

#2:  Where did you become a perks member?

j'lynn:  Here.

#2:  Do you know when?

j'lynn:  No

#2:  $84.13

j'lynn:  For two pairs of underwear?

#2:  And your pants.

j'lynn:  I'm exchanging them.

#2:  Yes, but the new pants are more.

j'lynn:  They are the same pants.

#2:  Yes.

j'lynn:  They went up because of supply & demand??

#2:  No.  They are the same price as what you paid for them before.

j'lynn:  And I'm exchanging them.

#2:  Yes.

j'lynn:  And I owe $84.13???

#2:  Yes.  

****after some clarification I was advised that I was only getting $15 back per pair of pants that I was returning.  When I inquired why I was told it was because I didn't have the correct receipt****  

j'lynn:  But the other clerk told me it wasn't an issue.

#2:  I don't know.  This isn't my normal store.  Sorry.

j'lynn:  Can you hold the two new pair?

#2:  No.

j'lynn:  Huh?

#2:  No, we can't.

j'lynn:  Great.  They are the last two in that size.

#2:  I'm sorry, this isn't my normal store.

**Yup, heard you the first time!**

So I decide that I want the two new pairs, so I told her I wanted the new pants and the old pants because I know I have the receipt, I just grabbed the wrong one.  So now my bill was an additional $30.  :(  Then I asked the tell-tale question..."Is that with my perks?"

...

#2:  You aren't a perks member.

j'lynn:  Yes I am.

#2:  Nope.  I can't find you.

j'lynn:  Look me up with my phone number.  That is what everyone else here does.

#2:  This isn't my normal store.

j'lynn:  Okay.

#2:  Your perks expired back in 2007.

j'lynn:  So you mean to tell me that in the last 2 years everytime I shopped I wasn't getting my perks rewards?

#2:  This isn't my normal store, sorry.  (WTF?!?)

j'lynn:  Why wouldn't someone say, 'Oh, I'm sorry, your perks membership expired.  Would you like to reactivate it?'

#2:  I'm really sorry.  This isn't my normal store.

Repeating "This isn't my normal store."  isn't an excuse!!! It doesn't answer several questions when they are all different on different subject matters...   So tomorrow when someone asks me something I'm just going to keep repeating, "This isn't my normal store." How well do you think this is going to work?

They are not so sweet & innocent...

Girlscouts and their damn cookies that is!  My day would have been close to perfect, food wise that is, if it wasn't for these cookies that I bought from Chica's daughter to support her Girlscouting.  What does our money go for other than for them to make more damn cookies?  It is a conspiracy of sorts and a horribly wicked circle of which I apparently partake in each year.

But I am pretty proud of myself for today's intake...

Breakfast:  2 eggs, slice of toast

Snack:  94% fat free popcorn

Lunch:  Healthy Choice Fresh Mix Szechwan Beef w/Asian Style Noodles

Snack:  Apple w/peanut butter & a small shamrock shake

Dinner:  Beef Stew

Snack:  Girlscout cookies & a sweet tea

However, I did drink my 64 ozs of water again today and made it to the gym.  Of course I wasn't able to do as much at the gym as I had hoped and I'm totally exhausted, but I did a total of maybe 12 mins cardio and 2 sets of 15 on each upper body machine.  It wasn't a perfect day, but it wasn't horrible either.  

I wonder...is it better to just lose my mind one day and go nuts and eat the remaining girlscout cookies (we only bought 3 boxes total~~1 for the munchkin & 2 for everyone else, which are the 2 I like!) or slowly eat a few each day?  Out of the 2 boxes I like there is approximately 3/4's of a box left now...I have my suspicions of who I believe is "helping" me eat my girlscout cookies too...she is protected by God so it is all good!  ;)  

Why are Mondays so rough?

Is it in the DNA of Mondays that make them so rough? Ugh... Not only was today rough because it was a Monday, but it was the Monday following spring break. I think it should be against the rules to have to actually participate in anything 100% on a day like today.

But I am happy to report that I actually accomplished several things at work today. I made 2 of my 3 classes and the only reason I didn't make my last class, Crim Pro, is because I was stuck in the restroom until 20 mins in to class. By then it was too late to go in to class. So I missed class, headed to Red Robin and then on home.

Even with the ick part of today being the Monday back after Spring Break I am proud of all I accomplished. ;) For my food journaling for today, it is as follows:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 slice of toast

Snack: 94% fat free popcorn

Lunch: A large grilled chicken greek salad with Italian dressing and pita bread

Dinner: a cheeseburger, onion rings, 2 cokes and a hot fudge sundae.

I did get 64 ozs of water in today. So there is some good in today. Now I'm off to bed to read for AIL-P and fall asleep for another day this week... Good night y'all.

Change...

As we all know, this year has been summed up as a time of change.  With the election of the first African-American president and on his election platform the biggest push was a call for change.  I feel the need on this first day of March to begin incorporating that in to my life as well.  

There are several areas in my life that need change and no one will be able to bring that to the forefront other than me.  So as I begin to embark on this new month change will come.  It has to come!  So I come to you today and say, Change Will Come!!

I'm about to start back to the second half of my semester tomorrow and need to buckle down there.  It always feels like there is so little time and what little time I do have goes by so damn quickly!  So I need to tighten the rope around my time and reign in what I can.  

As our nation is gripped with economic woes, I too am in economic woes as I'm sure all of you are too.  So change must come to my finances as well.  So the belt will be tightened, costs will be cut, expenditures will be limited and change will come back in to my pocket here as well.

The other area that I need to tighten my belt with is my health.  Change must come here as well.  I need to buckle down.  Eat right.  Exercise more.  Become healthier.  Especially since in the last 3 days I've come to find out that 2 more people who I know have been stricken with cancer.  So I must do this for me, my future, to be here for my son, to enjoy life and to be a better person physically and mentally.  So change will be embarked on this front as well.

So, as I start my laundry, pick up my house, go through my papers and work on my homework I do it with a new sense of renewal and with change...

How else will I become motivated if not pushed by my own spirit...

Dedication:  I dedicate this post to one of my bffs as she does her duty across enemy lines...thanks for listening to me Capt. and letting me see where I need change in my life...love to you and watch your six!