Peace & Quiet

It is few and far between these days that my munchkin goes to sleep before me, especially during the week but tonight was the night! So even though I'm up much later than I hoped for I have to enjoy it for all it is worth. So I'm sitting here...tired, but enjoying my peace & quiet. I hope you are too.

Where Is The Time Going Now?!?

Wow! I don't know if I've ever went so long without blogging. My bad. My apologies too! Hopefully it won't be so long between posts in the future...

The last two weeks have been crazy busy and last week and this week I've been sick. Again. I'm trying to do extra things with the munchkin while all of us get a new schedule established. It is definitely difficult thus far and we haven't really hit our stride yet, but each day gets better. Now if I could just work trips to the gym, healthy eating, and some extra hours into the day life would be grand!!

I have to confess that I really thought I would have all of this time on my hands once school and studying was done, but that hasn't been the case. Between work, home, cubscouts, munchkin's school activities/homework, karate, my man, and family I'm finding that I have less time now then when I was going to school. What's up with that?! How does everyone else seem to get it all done?

All Or Nothing vs. Being Normal Again

Yes, I am still floundering over here as you can probably tell. Part of the reason I may still be floundering may be the fact that I hate taking shortcuts. I feel like I'm short changing myself or something. I guess I'm sort of an all or nothing person. I know sometimes that sets me up for failure.

But in an effort to change I made a sudden decision tonight. I know there is no way I can get on top of:

1) all of my personal emails sitting in my in-box, currently 147;

2) all of the tweets I've marked as favorites to go back and read the attachments, it was 250 and now I'm down to 65; and

3) all of my mail and paperwork I'm currently carrying around with me.

So...I'm going to whittle down my emails & my favorites in an effort to get back on top of things. Maybe this will be one of the first steps on getting things back together and getting back to my normal self, because I certainly do not feel normal yet.

Definitely Not Pretty, But It Was To Be Expected

It was almost like I was psychic Monday morning when I got on the scale. I just knew that I was going to have gained and gained a lot during the month of February. For some reason I also knew how much that scale was going to say I was weighing in at and I was only off by .4lbs.

Monday's stats...

Starting weight: 363lbs (7/9/09)

Current weight: 330.4lbs

Results from the last 5 weeks: +11.6lbs

Total weight lost: -32.6lbs

It is what it is and now I have to work back to getting those numbers down again. I haven't done great so far this week, but I definitely am not consuming as many calories I did over the last month. Hopefully that will help me get back on track, because I still find myself struggling. For some reason even though I have more time I'm getting less done than I was when I was working and going to school. What's up with that?!?

Experiencing A Fog Delay

I know you have heard this before, because I know I've said it many times here. I need to get my life together.

I went back to work this past week and it was brutal. The place is in turmoil, which is actually pretty normal. Everyone is angry and since I've been unexplainably irritable and pissy since the bar I really fit in. I received some unexpected news that it appears that work has apparently filled all of the recently vacant attorney spots and none have been reserved for me. It felt like I was caught in a horrible practical joke. I would recommend anyone coming off the stress we all just faced not to return to work the Monday following the bar to work a full week. Go back Wednesday for a short week. Trust me. You will thank me for this advice one day.

Sunday night I tweeted that I was going to attempt to quit smoking Monday. I have not succeeded in this goal, but I've certainly cut down loads, which is a huge thing for me. I may have been more successful if I was just dealing with my return to work this week, but that was not the case. Wednesday night I learned that a dear old friend of mine passed this week, which has been a huge emotional stressor in my life. In addition to this loss, Thursday my fears were confirmed that my work had screwed me by hiring 4 new attorneys without holding one back two months to wait for my bar results. We've actually had 5 attorneys either leave or are in the midst of leaving the end of March, so I had a glimmer of hope when originally it was known that they hired 3 new attorneys but Thursday we were informed they had hired 4 and that all positions were filled. Maybe they are holding one back and not letting anyone know, including me, but there is also a chance that they are not filling that last vacancy. Needless to say this has not helped my anger problem that I've had for over a week now and it has not helped my apparent post-bar blues. Nor has it helped me quit smoking this week...

Add to this rolling ball of crap I like to call my life the fact that mother nature arrived on time this month. Go figure. So not only am I having uncontrollable bouts of anger and depression add a basket full of emotions with a side of flowing tears and it has just been a ball over here.

This all leads to the fact that I have to get my life together. So regardless if I passed or failed the bar, I can't just keep going through each day in this continued fog state with an emotional laden basket full of anger, depression, and tears. In order to do this I need to take baby steps. My initial baby steps are: doing laundry, picking up the house, going grocery shopping for healthy choices, and taking the munchkin to the movies.

Reality Is Knocking On My Door

Last Monday we had another major snow storm. Of course that was the day I was set to head to the hotel to settle in to take the bar. So after chipping an inch of ice from my car and brushing off around 10 inches of snow I made the two hour drive to check-in. I then spent Tuesday & Wednesday being tortured by the State Bar Examiners. I had booked my hotel room for an extra night, so I headed home Thursday morning.

After checking out, I hit up a MickeyD's for a cheeseburger. When I took a bite I realized that I was so achy from stress that my whole face hurt just from biting and chewing a damn cheeseburger. Who could have imagined such a thing... It was crazy!

Two hours later I finally arrived home and just sat until the munchkin got home so we could go to karate and then dinner afterwards. Of course it snowed some more again Thursday night and I had a doctor's appointment scheduled Friday early afternoon, which required me getting up early. So another almost 4 inches freshly coated our frozen tundra Friday morning just to make the drive extra fun.

I went to my new OB/GYN, who I adore, to be told I'm going to definitely need to have surgery. So this will probably be set up for sometime in April. I feel comfortable with him and feel okay with finally having my ever growing cyst removed. Apparently I'm carrying a grapefruit (or a large orange, if you prefer) around. Nice, huh?! Afterwards I went and spent time with my guy, but not before I found a Wendy's to stop by so I could do my makeup in their bathroom. Yes, this is where my life currently is post-bar.

Today was my pampering day. I got my hair "did", had a massage, and my monthly facial and waxing. Since I've been home tonight all I've done is watch TV and chill, but it has all been done guilt-free. This is the best. But since I return to work Monday I definitely need to be motivated tomorrow to get some things done, because reality is knocking on my door...

Just To Reassure You

I am alive...

I survived the bar...

I am pretty sure I failed the bar...

I have not recovered from the experience...

I am not sure if I will ever recover...

There Really Is Only One Thing To Do!

1. Study for the Bar

That's it. Nothing else. This will be my one and only goal for this week and the following week. Don't worry! My long lists of things to do will return in a few weeks, but for now this is all I am focused on to accomplish...studying and passing the bar. Isn't life fun over here in j'lynn's world?!?

Congrats To My Aunt

She finally got a new job. My aunt has hated her job since the first week she took it a couple weeks ago. I can totally relate, because several years ago I was in that spot...I HATED MY JOB and knew it on day #5. So I'm very happy for her and I hope it brings her happiness.

Way to go Auntie...the munchkin and I wish you the best of luck! Love ya!

Following In Her Footsteps...

As was announced by Legally Fabulous, the bar is 2 weeks away from tomorrow. I'm definitely not holding it together nearly as well as she is. There may have been a panic attack Sunday afternoon that she graciously talked me down from on Twitter, which led me to wrapping raw chicken breasts to freeze in an effort to calm the hell down.

So for the next 2 weeks I'm just going to try and hold it together the best I can, get as much done as I can and if all ends well no one will get shanked between now and then... If it doesn't all end well, then I'll be in prison and my degree will work to certify me as the best damn jail house lawyer in the women's prison! It all works out one way or the other...

Congrats To The Packers

Who won the Super Bowl tonight! Way to go guys!! Congratulations!!!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 12

Just getting started: 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

Needs attention: 7, 8, 13

Trying To Heal By Venting & Getting My Space Back

Okay...this is a long ass post and this is all about me and an issue that I just can't get past. I felt like I needed to vent, get it off my chest in order to move on. Yes, by the time you finish reading this post you may call me a judgmental bitch, because that doesn't both me at all. I know I'm a judgmental bitch...I own it and I'm okay with it. If you opt to skip this after a paragraph or so...I'm okay with that too, because this one is for me more than you. So here goes...

I have never held it secret or even quiet that I have major issues with some of my family members, especially my bro and his wife. There has been a long brewing battle with them, especially her. We do not fight even though I have thought of it and sometimes dreamt of it. I know that I'm allowing them to take up too much space in my head, my heart, and more importantly in my soul, so this post is my way of venting and letting it all go. I also know that some of my issue is jealousy, which is crazy, but it is what it is and I'm woman enough to admit it, because in all honesty some of this should be happening for me and it just hasn't happened yet. I know it will happen all in good time, but some of this crap just doesn't help.

Let me give you some background here. My bro and I have never been uber close. There are 8 years between us and light years between our mentalities. I know some of this is because of the way we grew up. My bro is my dad's son. My dad is not really my dad. Before my mom meet the man who would become my dad she had me. I was never given an opportunity to know my real father. My mom didn't even tell my father she was pregnant or that I existed until I was 18 months old. You see my mom was the "other woman" and my father had a wife and five sons from his marriage. I think my mom held long seeded hatred for my father, because when she finally told him that I existed she told him that if one day I showed up on his doorstep to spit in his face and spew my hatred at him she would back me. Um, I'm not sure why I would stand on this man's doorstep and spit in his face or spew hatred at him...it was never his fault as to why he wasn't in my life. That was my mother's choice and neither he nor I had a choice in the matter and we had to live with her choice.

It was always clear while I was growing up that my mother had convinced herself that my dad was my "real" dad. It was also made clear in my mind that my family didn't include me. Things were only done as a family when I wasn't home and it was just the three of them, my mom, my dad, & my bro. It wasn't all sunshine for my bro either, because my mom and dad are very selfish people. They always put the two of them above everything and everyone else, including my bro & I. The next step on the food chain was if the occasion called for a family was my mom, dad and my bro. I was lucky though because I had my Nana & Papa and I always retreated to them. They were my rock and they are who helped make me who I am today.

Once we were grownups and I was married and had my munchkin & my step-munchkin my bro married my x-sil and had a family, 2 beautiful boys. After their second son was born their marriage came to an end. This was sad, because I loved my x-sil and those 2 boys. The year was 2007. On Feb. 16th my bro filed for divorce and moved back in with my parents. I supported him the best I could and even paid for his divorce. It wasn't an angry divorce and didn't turn bad until the end of February, early March, when my bro moved in with a girl before his wife was even served with the divorce papers.

The new girl was kept pretty secretive from the whole family. She always has been. I'm not sure why. No one had ever met her and all that people knew was that she had a son that was born 22 days after my bro's second son. The first time I met this new girl was in April 2007. They drove up to get me after my going away party when I left my job in hell. I was too drunk to drive home so they came up to get me and bring me and my car home. I was told I wasn't allowed to look at her...she drove her car back and my bro drove me and my car back. I paid to fill up her gas tank before they dropped me and my car at home and I was reminded at the gas station and then when I got home that I wasn't allowed to look at her. I was like...whatever! I was drunk and I didn't care. At some point I suspected that the new girl was pregnant and confronted my mom over it. She confirmed that I was right and that the baby was due in mid-December. Um, hello...I can count too and according to my calculations you conceived mid-late March. Within 6 weeks of his filing for divorce.

Christmas time arrived that year and I received a Christmas card from the new girl, my bro, her 1 year old and "new baby" who wasn't even here yet. It was sent from them as Mr. & Mrs. This I found beyond tacky since he still wasn't divorced. I was still in shock that a single mom would move my bro into her home with her less than 6 month old son when she allegedly didn't know him prior to his filing for divorce. (Read: I've never bought the story and suspect that her son may actually be my bro's kid & they were having an affair as my x-sil suspected.) I mean hello...you don't know him. He could have been a child molester. If you want to be an idiot when it's just you fine, but you have a child and you should be more responsible. My bro finally told me the night his 3rd (or 4th depending on who you believe) son was born that they were expecting. Now that takes class, doesn't it?

The second time I met the new girl was at my mom's on Christmas Eve. Baby #3 was 3 or 4 days old (I debate the DOB, but that is just me because I remember him calling me on the 20th and everyone else says it was the 21st...whatever, neither here nor there). This was the same night that my x-sil allowed my mom to have the 2 boys to spend Christmas Eve with the family. There was a lot of hatred on my part that night, because the new girl came and picked up my oldest nephew and took him to their house before celebrating at my mom's. They didn't take my other nephew to as they said "celebrate Christmas as a family." I was beyond livid!! You don't get to pick and choose which of your other children you are going to include in your "new family." Needless to say when they returned to the house, the five of them, and I was holding my pocket baby (nephew #2) I said nothing to her. I didn't even look at baby #3. They left within a couple hours but not before treating my two nephews like crap.

That January my mother had to have surgery on the shoulder she broke at my house over the prior summer. I was doing her grocery shopping when I ran into the 3 of them (her son was in daycare) and while my bro and I stood there chatting the new girl stood there with her hand up next to her eyes blocking her from seeing me and her face turned away from me. (Read: she thinks she is still in high school.) Yes, this was the 3rd time I meet her in the 11 months since they were together.

No one in the family knew they were getting married until my family was at a family wedding and the grandmother of the bride, my mom's 2nd cousin, congratulated my bro to my mom and when my mom asked what she was talking about she told my mom that his wedding license was in the paper the day before. Nice way for your mom to find out that you are getting married. So him and the new girl got married at the courthouse some day in the midst of the drama with my two nephews. So my bro terminated his rights to my 2 nephews and married wife #2 with two new kids.

Fast forward to the email I received last spring of the new girl in a wedding dress asking me what I thought of her dress. This lead to a conversation of my confusion since they were already married and her telling me that they were having a real wedding (read: fake) and the reasons weren't satisfactory in my book. They weren't doing it because they loved one another and wanted to share that love with their friends and family...no, they were doing it because, according to the new girl, "I want to get dressed up and have my picture taken too" referring to my x-sil. That is a mature reason, huh? Then the date of the fake wedding came out and it was for when my munchkin's birthday party was scheduled and it was the day before my munchkin's birthday. Instead of an apology of jacking my son's birthday I was told "Well, I guess you'll have to move your son's birthday."

The day of the fake wedding arrived and the new girl made the mistake of running her mouth at one of my salons and telling my face girl "I fucking hate my fucking fiance. He has ruined my entire fucking life. I fucking hate him." That's love on your wedding day...fake or not. At the wedding where I dreamed of spilling a glass of red wine down the front of her fake wedding dress instead she walked up behind where I was sitting and pulled a chunk of my up-do down and asked if I had my hair done. The only reason I didn't knock her out was because I was sober and I felt a little sad for her...no-one from her family showed up to the fake wedding. And I mean no one....her parents didn't show, her 2 bros didn't show, her grandparents didn't show, no aunts, uncles or cousins either. (Read: See, even her own family doesn't like her.) I do however believe that mother nature showed up to warn them that this isn't the best decision, because there was a tornado the night of their fake wedding. This is a sign y'all...

The next time I saw them was on Christmas Eve where we deduced that the new girl is pregnant again. This normally isn't a big deal, but you see I'm the only grand-daughter, all of my cousins are boys, and none of what my mother considers the biological grand-children had a girl yet so after I filed for divorce and my x-sil was pregnant with baby #1 my bro threw it in my face not in the nicest manner that he will have a girl before me. Um, I think the fact that you are having sex and I'm not greatly increases your chances. So even though my 2 cousins have girls (the one my mom considers biological had a daughter in September and the one my mom doesn't consider biological~her bro adopted him when he was 5 after marrying my aunt~has a daughter who is going to be 15 this year) I know that my bro is adding to his child number in hopes that they have a girl before I do. Again, not hard...I'm still not having sex and don't have a plan for a baby in the next year or two. Duh!

So the latest compilations of crap that has finally broken me with being involved with my bro and the new girl are 3 separate incidents...

Incident #1 when the new girl commented that she would gladly give away her oldest son than the youngest son on Christmas Eve...as that "step-kid" who is known not to be biologically the father's child this hit me really hard. Aren't you suppose to stand up stronger for your child who you are the only real parent in the household to? Not be willing to toss him under the bus quicker than your other children who happen to belong to or have been admitted to belong to your spouse. Yes, I'm very sensitive to this situation and maybe too much too, but this was just uncalled for.

Incident #2 is when I was getting prank calls from the county jail and I called my mom to make sure it wasn't someone in the family and when she called my bro his response was, "I'm sorry to disappoint my sister, but it isn't me." How dare you think the fact that you are not in jail disappoints me. You are an idiot and a jackass.

Incident #3...throwing it in my face how you are moving into a 3,000+ square foot house in a ritzy subdivision while you remind me I'm still living in a single wide trailer. And of course the subdivision is one of the few that I have looked at and hoped to eventually relocate to as the munchkin and I move up in the world with all of my hard work in school, etc. Since I would rather live in a box than near them it has been crossed off my list. So upon learning this news in such a distasteful manner and with the rudeness that only my bro can invoke I have deleted their contact information from my phone and figure the only time I will really have to deal with any of them is maybe on Christmas Eve. So I say...well dear ex-bro and skanky x-new sil you are moving today to your new, rented "luxury" house that you can't afford (I know how much you make and how much your bills are and I do judge, so deal with it) and mother nature is with me, yet again. Because after our blizzard on Wednesday where we received 9 inches of snow, she showed up again today, your moving day, and is giving us another 3-6 inches.

Just another sign I say...a warning sign that this "marriage" is doomed and needs to stop. For God's sake even mother nature is telling you to end it. Duh!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3

Just getting started: 4, 5, 6

Needs attention: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Focus Change...18 Days Till Go Time

With 18 days until the bar my focus must change. From now till the end my focus is getting my shit together for The Bar. So if you don't hear from me...don't panic, I'm not dead...just studying.

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Go & see my guy

2. Write out my shopping list

3. Go shopping

4. Pick up the house

5. Study, study, study!!!!!

6. Do laundry

7. Workout

8. Get my allergy shot

9. Write my guy

10. Get re-motivated

11. Get re-focused for next week

12. Plan out our week

13. Get re-committed to my healthy living

14. Get re-organized

15. Get my shit back together

Blizzard of 2011

Well, we've been hearing the warnings for several days and right on time it showed up. Around 5:30pm this afternoon the Blizzard of 2011 blew into town and now 6 hours later it is still going strong. Actually, just minutes ago sleet was smacking our windows and the wind sounded like maybe a snow tornado had arrived in our yard. Of course according to the experts the best is yet to come...

Since we are set to get anywhere between 10 and 18 inches before this storm finishes I'm just aiming to keep my power & my internet connection for the duration.

If you are in the path of the Blizzard of 2011 stay safe, stay warm, and stay home y'all!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Just getting started: 9, 15, 16

Needs attention: Nothing!!

I Was Unprepared For Today, But Tomorrow Is A New Day

So my plan to start my new schedule today did not happen as I had planned. Even though I went to bed later than I had hoped it was still a decent time. The problem arose when hours later I was still awake. I finally fell asleep close to 3am.

While I was laying there awake, cursing my brain for not allowing me to sleep I never thought to get up and wash my workout pants to hit the gym first thing this morning. Opps!

So even though I was up at a decent time, showered and totally ready to go to the gym I had to wait until my workout pants were washed and dried. Add on to it the fact that I had several errands to run today and I felt the need to get a few things I would have done later in the week completed today in case we get hit with the big storm everyone is saying is forth coming and before I knew it I was walking back in the door at 1:30pm. Of course by then I was starving and didn't even get to crack a book until after 2pm (outside of what I read on the treadmill).

I remain focused and excited about putting this new schedule to work and pulling it off. Tomorrow I will be much better prepared to hit the ground running when I wake up, plus I will have a few more hours of sleep under my belt than I did this morning...or so I hope!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Just getting started: 9, 15, 16

Needs attention: Nothing!!

Ready For A New Schedule

So the schedule I've been attempting to follow has been to get up around 7am, catch up with my on-line life as the munchkin goes to school. Then the plan has been to do some studying, which I always hope will be around 8am, but always seems to happen much closer to 10am. Not good. Then after studying for a while I figure I need to take a shower and hit the gym with the understanding or belief that I will come back home and study some more. Of course by the time I get back home it is like 4pm. Then either I'm whipping up dinner for us so when my aunt and the munchkin get here they can eat before he heads to his next activity (CCD, Karate, Cub Scouts, etc.) By the time they leave it is around 6pm or so and they are usually scheduled to return between 8pm-9pm and in all honesty who is ready to study starting from 6-8pm?!? Obviously this isn't working for me and with 3 weeks left I need to find a new schedule that works better than what I've been trying.

So tomorrow I'm going to try a new schedule of getting up between 6 & 7am, shower and get ready for the gym and my day. Then I'm going to hit the gym first thing before I attempt to do any studying. The last few times at the gym I have been able to read BarBri on the treadmill, so that is where I will start for the day, then come home and it shouldn't be later than 10am by the time I get home to study. This will give me a huge chunk of time before I need to take a break to get dinner. And since I will only be taking a break for an hour or two it shouldn't be nearly as difficult to get back to studying for a couple hours till the munchkin returns home and we get ready for bed.

I'm sort of excited to start this new schedule tomorrow and I'm very hopeful that this week is much more productive than the past weeks...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13

Just getting started: 9, 14, 15, 16

Needs attention: 7

If Only I Could Go Back A Week And Get A Do Over

So today's reality check, which I knew was so going to happen after my inability to accomplish anything last week and my inability to stop myself from putting everything and anything in my mouth except healthy food and water, has spurred me to change my plan of attack. I have to change up my daily schedule because in 3 weeks I'm set to take the bar and if I do not get it together I will be just hitting repeat on all of this crap in 6 months...

More on my new plan of attack tomorrow. Until then, here are today's stats (to be expected)...

Starting weight: 363lbs (7/9/09)

Current weight: 318.8lbs

This week's results: +3.8lbs

Total weight lost: -44.2lbs

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10

Just getting started: 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16

Needs attention: 7, 13

There Is No Other Option Left

Yes, in one week my life and everything I was holding high fell and shattered on the cement floor! I take complete and full responsibility for that fall and the following shattering. I had a strong run for a few weeks and even had a very strong weekend last week, but this week everything fell apart. I made it to the gym on Monday and then apparently everything went downhill starting Tuesday. This was the same day where I had to have extensive repairs made in my home, which were totally not expected. This is also the same day where for over 4 hours I had a bunch of people in my house and I also knew I had to take my munchkin to karate since my aunt's work schedule was screwed up that day. It was also the same day that I spent dreaming of Red Lobster and was rudely denied due to an electrical problem.

Once I had experienced that one bad day it just kept repeating itself every other day this week or so it seemed. Wednesday was the day of the washer problems. I had hoped this would be fixed by the end of the afternoon, but yet again...a denial. I discovered that I would have to wait another week to get that taken care of too. Not what I had planned at all.

The biggest problems I seemed to be facing this week was I was definitely feeling exhausted and was still dreaming about that Red Lobster dinner that I was denied Tuesday. Yesterday I just couldn't seem to get anything moving over here. I felt dead to the world. I so could have laid down and took a really long nap, but I didn't. Instead I made plans to finally get my Red Lobster dinner with the munchkin and my aunt after his karate class so I could stop dreaming about my Sunset Passion Colada and my coconut shrimp! Of course we were in the midst of a little snow storm (1-2"s). I was exhausted before we made it to dinner, so after my two drinks I was totally ready for the bed.

The munchkin and I were in the bed by 9pm last night...I was stuffed and very sleepy with the perfect amount of frozen alcohol mixed in. This all led me to get up very early this morning (hello 5:15am!) and realize that even though I apparently took this past week off I have to get my life back in order or else in just over 3 weeks I will be in some serious trouble and I won't be able to bail myself out of that mess. This is a requirement for me this week. No more screwing around. It is just me, my list and BarBri...we will be one this week and I will get back on that wagon of having my life together. No if's, and's, or but's about it! No more excuses!!!

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Go & see my guy

2. Write out my shopping list

3. Go shopping

4. Pick up the house

5. Study, study, study!!!!!

6. Do laundry

7. Workout

8. Get my allergy shot

9. Write my guy

10. Pick up our pictures

11. Get re-motivated

12. Get re-focused for next week

13. Plan out our week

14. Get re-committed to my healthy living

15. Get re-organized

16. Get my shit back together

It All Started With A Little Blue Puddle

This all started Saturday night after my wonderful bubble bath and right before I went to bed when I noticed a little puddle of blue under the back of my toilet. I discovered that the tank on my toilet was leaking. It was 1:30am Saturday night. Nothing I could do about it and no one to call to help. And it wasn't serious enough Sunday to call my plumber. Um, hello? Paying a plumber on a Sunday? No thank you!

Monday morning I called my other aunt and then my uncle because it wasn't like I was able to afford even a phone call to anyone, because I couldn't pay them when they came out. While talking to them I also mentioned that my washer was having serious issues too. It was making a horrible noise going into the spin cycle and wasn't spinning all the water out and I would have to toss in an extra spin before putting them in the dryer. My wonderful uncle told me to make the necessary calls and they would take care of it. I was relieved...

In between getting this all together Monday morning I put some sausage and sauerkraut over. I was so hungry for it I couldn't wait all day for dinner to roll around. I hit the gym that afternoon and waited and waited and waited for my aunt and munchkin to get here so we could eat! I weighed out my sausage, measured my sauerkraut and sat down to finally eat. Even though I had cooked it all day, it wasn't done enough. Dinner failure. I cooked it again the rest of the night and resorted back to my chips & dips again for dinner. When it was finally done I tried it again. No go! There was no taste. How did I mess up a dish that I've made a hundred plus times? Needless to say I was not happy.

Off to bed I went, disappointed in my dinner, but I also knew I had to be up early for repair guys #1 who were scheduled to be here at 8:00am Tuesday morning. Fast forward to the following morning...repair guys quickly fix my toilet (the tank was lose...who knew that could happen...), so I figure while they are here and since I kept the cost so low I mentioned that it appeared my kitchen faucet had started to leak where the nozzle attached. After a quick look they discover it is more than a little leak...it was also leaking under the sink way in the back too. Of course that wasn't fixable, it had to be replaced. Out of the blue Mr. Fix-It asked me when was the last time I had checked my hot water tank...um, if it had ever been "checked" it would have been before my guy and I split up in '04. So he offers to check it and of course, thank God he did, because it was leaking. God, help me...

So a quote of $1,200 later to replace both my kitchen faucet and hot water tank I figured my day was pretty well shot! Of course this was normally bad all in of itself, but when you also figure that not only did I have to clear out from under my skin so they could replace my faucet I also had to clear out around my back door (a/k/a my laundry and pantry room) and my closet. You must remember...I live in a trailer so every room is small and I have everything packed in tight!! You may wonder why I would have to clear out around my back door, so the guys could drain my hot water tank. You then may ask what my bedroom closet has to do with this mess...well, that's because my hot water tank is impaneled inside my bedroom closet. Convenient, huh?

So four hours and several dollars later, I had the pleasure of putting my kitchen, laundry room, and bedroom back together. I was so excited I could barely contain myself... I did use the opportunity to clean out all of the bakeware I had stuffed under the sink. Seriously, do I need 9 glass baking dishes, 5 of which are the size?! Or 12 cookie sheets?! I didn't think so either. By the time I finished putting everything back together, which of course included sweeping and mopping part of my kitchen floor and my little pantry plus vacuuming my bedroom closet and the surrounding area, it was time to get the munchkin because I had to take him to karate.

Throughout the day I knew I had to take the munchkin to karate and after we would go to dinner with my aunt and every time something went wrong or became much messier than anticipated I just kept telling myself that I could handle it, because tonight I was going to partake in a tall Sunset Passion Colada or two while enjoying Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp at Red Lobster, which I've been craving for a few weeks. Knowing this helped me get through everything yesterday. After karate we headed to Red Lobster just to see that the restaurant was all dark with 3 utility vans outside and a note on the door explaining they were closed due to electrical problems.

I couldn't win yesterday... We ended up going to the China Buffet in town, which was yummy, but since I was so set on my Red Lobster meal nothing was satisfying to me. Of course this caused me to eat more than I should have. And today? Well, now I just sit here waiting for the Sear's Repair Guy to get here to look at that racket machine...opps, I meant washing machine! He should be here between 1pm & 5pm. Of course that means closer to 5pm than 1pm, especially since it is already 2pm...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Just getting started: 17, 18

Needs attention: 10, 11

This Would Be Why I'm Eating Chips & Dips Tonight...

So last night as I was going to bed I realized that my toilet has sprung a leak. This after I listened to my washer make a weird noise all day. Just great!!

Of course this would happen! I haven't worked or gotten a paycheck in over a month. Due to my wonderful work screwing me on not being able to take out my 401K and the IRS making it impossible to file my taxes until mid-February, even if I had my W-2's which I of course I don't~thanks again work!~, I'm totally living...er mooching off my aunt!! I've taken her last 2 checks from her, she's paid my two credit card bills and likely will pay my cellphone/internet bill, and all I have left in my checking account is $150.

Now I get to call two different repair people tomorrow and try to mooch off my other aunt and uncle. FML!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Just getting started: 17, 18

Needs attention: 10, 11