A special thankful thursday

Yesterday was Veteran's Day here in the U.S. I attended a Veterans Day program put on by the local AFJROTC (Air Force Junior ROTC). Joshua is a member of this special group. I snapped several pictures but found a few to be my absolute favorites. In the first is pictured two of my favorite veterans...my hubby and my brother-in-law. The others are other veterans whom I do not personally know, but I am equally thankful for. I know I'm a day late...but I didn't get online at all yesterday and instead spent the day with family.








Thank you to ALL of our vets! Past, present, and future!! We owe you everything!

Perfect present for women?

Alright...I happened upon this lovely little trinket while browsing through another blog and couldn't help myself but to share it here!!!
Yes, they're Vulvas!! Wear your vag around your neck? I'm not sure I'm THAT into female empowerment or whatever this is supposed to symbolize. Ugh! I guess it COULD be used to finally show your man where your clitoris is..but REALLY!?!?! And get this!! Each one is personalized!! You send in pictures and then its crafted to suit you!! O.M.G!!!!

I'm speechless and DEFINITELY making sure this is NOT on my Christmas list!!! Your thoughts? Perfect gift for the feminist in your life? Sign of your individuality? Learning tool? Or kinda creepy?

Just this side of full....

I've been doing better about working out these most recent weeks. And I might have found something even better!!! I've been eating better. And by that I don't mean healthier, necessarily, just smarter. Typically I eat at a pace somewhere between average and hurried. Here of late, I've been slowing down. I've enjoyed conversation while eating and taking it easy. This has helped because I've been more able to gauge when I'm getting full. And so my habits have changed, instead of stopping when I'm full...I stop just shy of full (so that two or three more bites would fill me to the top of my gauge). I've still been more than satisfied with every meal and it seems to be easier not to snack between meals. I'm hoping this will lead to me craving less and less over time and that "nearing full feeling" will come quicker and quicker, making worries over portion control a thing of my past.

Let the transformation commence...

So out of necessity more than anything else, my children now have cell phones. Ugh! We got them for them on Friday and gave them the phones on Saturday as an early Christmas present. The funny thing is, it seems that ever since they've been on them almost non-stop! It was hilarious watching Hannah try to text with three people at once. Ha! I DID get them to turn them off for a bit yesterday, during church. I told them absolutely NO phones on at church!!! And thankfully, they adhered without any conflict.

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On the weight loss front, things are going well. The Hubby went out of town last week, but I managed to behave myself and not eat out every night. hehe I've resumed exercising on the Wii with EA Active. But I have to be honest with you, its been more than two weeks since I even stepped on a scale. I'm thinking maybe this morning I'll brave that front. My clothes have been fitting a little better and so I'm not too nervous about what that little digital read-out will display, but any time you step on the scale when you know you're still vastly overweight is a little unnerving. I've been choosing water over most any other drink for a little over a month now, which will help for sure! Thanks for your continued support!

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Well, it would seem that I'm drawing a blank for the time being, so I'll sign off and wtach Doogie Howser, M.D. on Hulu. Gotta love the internet! hehehe

Gimmicks

Do you ever get tired of hearing gimmicks? I am at home most days, and usually there's a television on in the room I'm entertained within. All day I hear commercials for EVERYTHING! And I sure get tired of hearing all the gimmicks!! One of the local news stations does something called "deal or dud". They test out various products and then report back on the authenticity of their claims.

I want to see a series of "Deal or Dud" segments with all these weight loss products! I mean REALLY people, who are we kidding but ourselves? Most of these things maintain that with good diet and exercise you can achieve the desired results. And we all rush out to grab them hoping they'll be the next "wonder-product" and make a thin overnight. But we're skipping over the fact that if we just maintained a balanced diet and exercised, we'd likely achieve these results without said "wonder-product".

So yesterday I did pretty well overall.

Breakfast: Single serving instant oatmeal
Lunch: Tuna salad w/o crackers
Supper: Homemade chili w/ two pieces of cornbread

Exercise: stairs, 10 reps (I count one rep as 1 trip up+1 trip down)

"Kinda weak moment:" 2 strawberry margaritas..it was a VERY trying day! hehehe

I was originally going to walk outside for my exercise, but there were storms throughout the area, so that put the ka-bosh on that idea.

I'm trying to avoid fast-food altogether and instead just make things at home to eat. If I feel the need for something quick, then I need to plan ahead..make stuff...freeze it..and carry on. Yesterday that worked out well, since I'd made the tuna salad on Sunday and it was already in the fridge.

One rung at a time...

Weight loss is a tricky thing. I think any of us that have set out on this venture have made the maiden voyage a hundred times over!! We keep promising ourselves this time will be different, yet we continue with our insanity.

In recent days I have discovered that our Wii is broken. It won't turn on at all. I haven't taken the time to fix it, I've just redirected my energy into studying and finishing up my medical transcription course that much sooner. This weekend I won't be doing any tech support with it either. We're going out of town so the hubby and son can hunt and I can just get away from all this craziness that lives in this house, at least for a couple of days. I know having the Wii out of commission is stopping me from getting back to EA Active challenges, but it doesn't have to stop me from exercising on a whole.

We have several tools at my disposal to use to exercise (a nice neighborhood to walk in, a treadmill, weights, chairs, resistance band, etc...). So in the Wii's downtime I guess I'm just going to exercise the good old-fashioned way...without the help of a video game. hehe I know what you're thinking...I'm going to have to research how that's done, seems like ages since we didn't rely on something else to tell us how to do everything. hehe

I'm doing a better job right now controlling my portions. I haven't eaten BOTH Lean Pockets in one sitting (my son has, but I have not!). For lunch today I made myself some tuna salad and ate it with some salad crackers. I have just enough to fill me up, and then put the rest in the fridge, like a good dieter! hehe

The hubby will be out of town next week Monday through Friday if all goes as planned at work, so that's when it'll be especially hard to keep up the portion control and avoidance of fast foods, but I'm going to do my best to keep my goals in mind. This month, October, I want to lose 10 lbs. It doens't seem like that much, but considering my wedding anniversary is this month, as well as Halloween and all the parties that ensue because of such, it could get tricky again.

Thanks for all the support! Things are looking up in my little world. =)

**Side Note**
I got all my pictures and digital scrapbooking junk moved over to a regular desktop computer updatirs, so now I can relax in that way in peace without dealing with electronic narcoleptic fits.

Support

A little over a week ago my husband came home with groceries. This is really nothing of note, as he usually is the one who buys the groceries. He came into the bedroom with a package of Lean Pockets. He stated that he got them for me to have for lunches, but he had one request. He asked that any time I wanted one, I eat just one and then wait a while. If after waiting a reasonable amount of time I was still hungry, then and only then have the other one in the package. I somewhat understood this, as I've been known to eat both of them out of the package in once sitting without blinking an eye. He's trying to help me in this attempt to regain my figure of past. And I have to say I prefer him going about it in this way rather than nagging or complaining.

I have had minimal successes in the past couple of weeks, which is better than none, I guess. I am battling horrid seasonal allergies and migraine headaches. Both of which make it difficult to maintain a normal routine. Most of my days consist of waking up, taking some allergy meds, doing some studying, taking a nap, more studying, shuttling the kids where they need to be, some mindless playing, then off to bed again.

The naps and my heightened importance of studying make any sort of exercise regimen hard to enact. If I forgo the allergy meds, then I develop the headaches and find concentration WAY hard to maintain. But the only way I seem to be able to stay awake all day is NOT to take the allergy medication. Sucky catch-22!!

So I guess all things considered, my small victories aren't so bad. And the sooner I finish my medical transcription coarse then the sooner I can start working and have one less stress to weigh on my already too heavy self.

Thanks for allowing me some venting.

Another day, another pound?

A I go through my daily routine in the fall, I try to motivate myself to include exercise in the motions of the day. I have fallen hort of this here of late. I am still FAR TOO overweight for my liking, and not losing anything much to write home about.

But I DO have support! I have friends and family who support me daily, I have a husband willing to do whatever I need to get me motivated and keep me there!! I should be having greater successes. But I think I'm jhust taking it all for granted. This week that is changing!!

I'm starting another 30-day challenge on the Wii EA Active. I'll let you know what all it requires me to do and if I'm having any great troubles or celebrations to speak of.

Thanks to all for hanging in there with me!
~Dorsey

Wake-up call

A few weeks ago I took my daughter to get shots and an athletic physical. During the coarse of all this they took her height and weight. My twelve year old daughter is five foot eight inches tall and weighs 145 pounds. She looks fantastic!! She's much more muscular than I was at her age, and even older. I was always more "lanky" when I was younger. But what struck me about this is that my daughter now weighs the same as I did when I met my husband, over fifteen years ago. I am currently more than 110 pounds heavier than that, and I have been for the better part of this last year. That is a hard thing to admit. And not a hard thing to admit to others, but mostly to myself. I have truly "let myself go" and not done much of anything about it.

I am in NEED of a wake-up call!! I HAVE to stop eating the wrong foods! I HAVE to make myself exercise! I HAVE to re-take control of my life!

I have started, as stated before, a medical transcription program. I am a third of the way through it, and one month in. At this rate I'm hoping to be done in 2 - 2 1/2 more months and get working!! This is a BIG step towards conquering my own life. But my health is also in need of rescuing. Sadly, I know only I can take on this mission. As much as I know my husband would help in ANY way I asked him to, he cannot "fix" this situation. Don't get me wrong, having his help will be an insurmountable positive influence.

I am grateful to all of you for your continued support. I hope in two year, when I plan on going on a cruise with my family, to be 100lbs thinner.

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My children are making me smile daily! My son is in AFJROTC at the high school and loving it! He's planning to ask a girl to Homecoming this week. I pray she says yes, as I SO want him to experience the elation of having his feelings returned by a girl he likes. He's really come into his own with regards to his confidence. He also chosen this year to go to a lock-in at the church in lieu of going hunting opening weekend. This was taking place at a church that we just recently started attending regularly. He didn't know a lot of people there and had only been around some of them twice before (Sunday school the week before, and confirmation classes on day that week). I was elated!! And when he carried the cross to the front of the church before the service dressed in his ROTC uniform, I'm not ashamed to say I got a little teary-eyed. My son is 14 years old, and becoming quite the man.

My daughter, who I mentioned at the start of this posting, is doing equally well. She is doing phenomenally in school! I think she just might be getting that cell phone at the end of this six-weeks. She hasn't picked her extra-curricular specialty yet, but she's mulling over several of them. She has become interested in the opposite sex. YIKES! She's not allowed to "date" yet, but she's definitely intrigued by boys. She met a boy at the lock-in that is 16. Ugh! WAY too old for her! For the time being we've set a limit of 1-2 years older than her. And yes, although my dear hubby is more than four years older than myself, at her age (TWELVE) two years is about the most. The reason for this is maturity. I am aware that girls mature faster than boys, but one thing is that girls who date boys much older than them find themselves advancing to the older boys' sexual maturity level. And seeing as how I DON'T want her being sexually active in JUNIOR HIGH for sure, I'm instilled this restriction. So sorry, 16 yr old Adam, but she will NOT be your "girlfriend" for some time.

Well, I need to get back to my studies so I can get to bed at a reasonable hour and get up in the morning and make a healthy breakfast then hit the workout first thing.

Take care friends and thanks for always being there.

I think I can...I think I can...

yes, yes I know!! I made a promise to blog more often and I totally dropped the ball! Ugh! Summer's are just near impossible!!!! Most of my time is spent chasing my kids around trying to get them to help clean the house, or telling them that there IS food in the kitchen and I'm NOT going to Wendy's or Chick-Fil-A to get them lunch because there's "nothing to eat here."

We've been on a vacation, sent the kids off to the relatives for visits, and had out fun around here. And all this while I've STILL been searching for a freaking job, to no avail!! I even applied at Target and never heard anything back. Ah well.

So the hubby talked to a friend of his that does medical transcription at home and she recommended a few schools that are online AND credible. I looked into them, found the one that wouldn't send us into financial ruin AND had job placement assistance, and signed up!! Yep, its back to school, sort of. I'm doing it all online and hopefully in about 3-4 months I'll be able to be working and making money. Because then I'll get my car BACK!! (His excuse for why he takes the car to work every day is that as soon as I get a job and start making the payments I can have the car back.)

And on the weight loss trail...well, I'm doing alright. I haven't gone past my peak, but I'm not doing as much as I could either. With having taken control of my professional future recently, I'm looking to take better hold of my physical future too. I'll be making sure I schedule time to work out every day and eating out less.

So I guess in closing, all I can say is that I will TRY to keep this blog up more in the coming weeks. School starts in about a week and a half for the kids, so I'll not have them under foot quite as much, which should free up some time.

Be well friends!

Hard workin' holiday!

So rather than our usual fun and frolic plans for the 4th of July holiday of heading out to a friend's place and partying it up, we chose to divert from that course of action this year. This time we went down to N. Austin to help our my brother-in-law and his family. They just bought a nice house on some acreage and needed some assistance with the work to be done.

We got there and were thrilled to learn that they had just gotten INDOOR plumbing, well toilets at least, a few days before. There were no indoor showers however. They had an outdoor shower set up by a tree in the backyard. So every evening we would all brave the freezing water coming from the hose and take quick showers. (In the day the water changed from this icy "goodness" to near scalding hot. I found this out one day when I went to try and spray my hair down to cool off from the heat. OUCH!) Apparently before our arrival, the only toilet was a lovely place they named "poop rock". Can't say I'm not glad I missed that!!

We took our pop-up camper down there and set it all up Thursday night. Yet, we never slept in it once. They had a large camper there already where they'd lived before they got furniture delivered to the house. But it worked out alright overall. It gave us a quiet place to retreat to at night and plenty of cool air conditioning. I also took the opportunity to clean our camper all up. My mother-in-law, knowing we had a camper, got us a set of camping dishes. Too bad she didn't bother to ask if we needed then as we already had a full set in the camper of the exact thing she'd purchased. Ah well, its the thought that counts. Right?

Over the course of the four days we were there we put up walls, installed a shower, put in an attic fan, dug holes with a jackhammer (only about 4 inches of top soil and then solid limestone below), filled in holes, painted trim and doors, installed a dryer and vent, put in insulation (in the walls AND attic), installed wiring/wall outlets, and helped lay a slab for the hot tub. The last job was truly the MOST daunting, in my opinion. We got started on it around 9:30-10:00 at NIGHT. Which was honestly better than had we done it in the 100 degree plus weather we were blessed with by day. We had a cement mixer, 56 80-lb bags of concrete, an a tractor to work with. We marked out the setting and leveled it as best we could for the pad. Then we had Kyle (my hubby) in the tractor (taking the cement from the mixer to the pad location), Me operating the mixer (tilting it whichever way was called for and holding it in position), Brian (my brother-in-law) on the dry concrete bags (pouring 4 bags at a time of concrete mix into the mixer), Shawna (Brian's sister-in-law) on water detail (adding the necessary water to the mixer, spraying it down between loads, and spraying down the tractor), and Jamie (Brian's wife) on spreading duty (using a garden hoe to spread the cement in the tractor when I dumped it, and also spreading it into the form when it was delivered to the pad). The whole process took us until 4:00 IN THE MORNING to complete. And even still we ran out of concrete and just had to try and settle for what we had. We ended up pulling from the middle to the outside edges and trying to make a path of about two feet all the way around. Later on Brian is going to go back and add either rocks, sand, or more concrete to the middle section before moving the hot tub into position.
We were EXHAUSTED by the time we left! But it also felt good to get in there and do some good hard work. We'll likely make more trips there this summer and fall, as it is going to be a while before its all done. Most of the time there Josh, Kyle, and I spent helping out with various projects that needed tending to at the given time. Hannah helped by provided the valuable babysitting services for all the non-working age children that were there (three boys ages 10, 9, and 7, as well as one girl age 5).
I also found when we got home, actually discovered it after the cement party that I was covered from waist down in chigger bites! Ugh! It kept waking me up both nights/mornings itching like crazy. Once we got home we all took nice warm baths/showers and applied nail polish to our bites. I still work up several times itching. So I grabbed the keys, hopped in the car, and headed to Walgreens in search of some hydrocortisone cream and/or some anti-itch spray. I found both and got both! So now I'm all slathered up and set. And I think I might even be getting sleepy enough to drift back off to dreamland for a couple hours before I have to get Josh up to mow the yard.

What we did...

Alright, I realize I'm a little late on my Father's Day post, but hey..things have been hoppin' around here! =)

For the big day, I got up and made a brunch of chocolate gravy and biscuits. Then the hubby and I Facebooked some (and totally made a spreadsheet for Farm Town, because we're JUST THAT COOL!), the fam went to the pool for a bit, we played Lord of the Rings (we being hubby, the boy, and myself), and then I made a yummy yummy dinner of Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo!!!

And I'm going to share that last bit with you today! Every time I tell people about this (and they're eaters of salmon and spinach) they drool profusely and beg me for the recipe. hehe I got it from a Pampered Chef Cookbook (Cooking for Two & More) and it IS that yummy!

So here's the recipe AND a step by step pictorial for everyone.

Salmon & Spinach in Phyllo
Prep Time: 20 minutes (which is pretty accurate without taking all the pictures)
Total Time: About 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Basil Oil or Olive Oil (I use a garlic olive oil)
4 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
8 sheets (9x14 inches) thawed, frozen phyllo dough
Nonstick cooking spray
2 skinless salmon fillets (4-6 ounces each), about 1 1/2 inches thick
2 Tablespoons garlic and herb cream cheese spread (I use laughing cow cheese wedges)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove stems of spinach leaves and coarsely chop.

Heat oil in Saute Pan until hot.
Add spinach; season with salt and black pepper.

Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.
Remove spinach to paper towel.
Squeeze out all excess moisture; set aside.

Lay one sheet of phyllo on large work surface and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place second sheet of phyllo over first, pressing sheets together to seal. Continue laying down and spraying phyllo sheets to create a stack of four sheets of phyllo. Repeat with remaining phyllo and additional cooking spray to create another phyllo stack.

Spread each salmon fillet with 1 Tablespoon (or 1-2 wedges) of the cream cheese spread and top with half of the spinach.

For each phyllo bundle, place salmon, spinach side down, on phyllo stack about 2 inches from bootom of edge of short side. Flod long sides of phyllo in toward center. Gently roll up phyllo from bottom to top. Using a bread knife, make three diagnobal slits across the top of each bundle.

Place bundles on baking stone, seam side down. Spray bundles with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 11-13 minutes or until centers of salmon register 130 degrees F and phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yields 2 servings!
I always make extra since we LOVE having this for leftovers the next day. We always serve with steamed asparagus and rice pilaf, and this time we had a nice 2007 Reisling to drink with our dinner.


Hint: In order for the spinach to end up on the top, the salmon is placed topping side down. Once rolled, the spinach ends up on top. To easily measure the temperature of salmon wrapped in phyllo, insert a meat thermometer horizontally into the center of each phyllo pocket.

Nutrients per serving:
Calories 450
Total Fat 21g
Saturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 80mg
Carbohydrate 36g
Protein 27g
Sodium 560mg
Fiber 3g

If anyone else tries this I'd LOVE to hear how it turned out for you! It has become the main thing hubby requests for any "holiday" (birthday, Father's Day, Valentine's, anniversary...) and since its done in under an hour that is not at ALL difficult to accommodate. I just love how its REALLY easy to prepare, but looks all fancy schmancy. hehe

Venting

Headaches SUCK!

That's all.

~Dorsey

Summer Slump

I realize that my summer blogging slump really started more in the Spring than Summer, but ah well. I have been busy, I guess. Mostly house and kid stuff. By that of course I mean trying my damnest to clean this house at least to half of my hubby's standards and taking the kids for rides in the car and to the neighborhood pool.

My computer has recently come down with a new ailment. Where it used to have issues charging, now it would appear as though it is narcoleptic. For no apparent reason it will just shut down. I usually have a 2-3 second warning...nothing moves, mouse stops working, and then the screen goes black! Here as of late I have taken to waving at the screen when I see the warning signs. Well, that or I flip it off. Neither seems to be helping. So hopefully after I find a dream job and finish paying off the new car, I'll be able to get a sweet new laptop. But that'll probably be more than a year or two from now. Ugh!

Another thing that's been on my mind is divorce. No worries, peeps!! Not me!! I just know an increasingly large amount of people who have been, are getting, or are contemplating visiting the Big D (and I don't mean Dallas). It has gotten me wondering some things. So many times, I hear that people just feel like they can do better. They settled and they're tired of putting up with it. But I know at some point, they did NOT feel like they were "settling" for anything. At some point they said those words, and believed them...."till death parts us...I will love you forever...etc..." But when asked what I think about all of it, I keep coming back to the same question for them. I ask, "Do you WANT to work it out? Or do you just want out?" I firmly believe that if deep down you don't WANT to work it out, then you won't. Things will NOT get better.

A while back, Hubby and I went through a MAJOR rough patch and it just about did us in. But we BOTH really WANTED to work it out. So we did. We talked about things even if they were painful to the speaker OR the listener. We never went to professional counseling because we didn't feel we needed it. I believe that counselors help you to talk about things you wouldn't on your own. This was never the case. There was a lot of cleansing crying, but very little yelling. We just talked about everything! Why is it that someone you pledged your life to one day, days, months or even years later you feel nauseated talking to about your feelings? When and HOW does that happen? I don't understand it, honestly.

I'm concerned for my friends who are going through, have gone through, or are considering these life events. I think of them often and hope they find peace and happiness in whatever their decisions. Believe it or not I even pray for them all. Nightly I pray for everyone. Friends, family, acquaintances, people I have never met or might never meet, and my enemies...

I gotta say...sometimes I just wish I understood more, but at the same time, I'm happy I don't at the same time. They're right...ignorance IS bliss! =)

Be well friends, and know I think of you all often. And I'm going to try to get back to writing here more.

SO much to tell!!!

So the last time I left you all, I was sporting a new haircut and still searching the near un-gettable deal on a convertible!!

Friday night my loverly daughter, Hannah, celebrated her 12th birthday with a sleepover. We had hot dogs, cake, movies, and more. She had a great time and had about 4 other girls here. Luckily, NO major drama moments! (Which is saying A LOT with that many 11/12 yr old girls! hehe)

I didn't have time to bake her a cake,
so we picked this one up at Albertsons.
(She picked it out)

Saturday I went to a tea house in a nearby town and it was DIVINE!!! We had finger sandwiches, scones, fruit, and plenty of hot tea in pretty and dainty little china tea cups. I went with some moms that I've been bowling with a time or two. Here's a couple of pics...

The table before everyone got there

The birthday girl =)
LOVE her hat!!!

The Grand Tea presentation
fruits and desserts on top,
scones in the middle,
finger sandwiches on bottom

All of us in front of the loose teas

And last, but certainly NOT least....I GOT MY CAR!!!!!! I left the tea house and went to Dallas Dodge to check out a car I'd sent an email request with offer in on the day before. When I got there, the gentleman I'd spoken with before was busy with some other customers, so he handed me to another salesperson. I looked at the car, drove it, sat in the back seat while she [salesperson] drove it (to check the real comfort the kids would have), and then started to hammer out a deal. As I was talking with them (Korneljia, the salesperson, and John, the used car general manager) I explained that I knew I'd have to get a job to help make the car payments. John mentioned that they were looking for a night receptionist. Hmmm...I replied "I could do that job, I could do that job well!" So I took their offer home to discuss it with Kyle. On the way home, I determined that is THIS didn't work out I was giving up on the whole thing. Get the damned Intrepid's transmission fixed and just drop it! So he and I wnt round and round. We looked at the NADA site online to compare values, we argued prices, we talked jobs...etc... We decided on Monday that I would first call the other dealership and ask about the car we'd been keen on until then (a hard top convertible) and see if he could work any better deal. Nope! He wasn't willing to budge. So I went back to Dallas Dodge armed with my resume. I gave them my resume (should hear something this week about an actual interview), arranged for them to pick up the Intrepid from the mechanic's shop (instead of us having to tow it in ourselves), and agreed on a price. Then I went to get Kyle and we got all the i's dotted and t's crossed! Here are pictures of my new car, a 2008 Chrysler Sebring Convertible, Touring Edition....

When I brought it home, my son said..."Oh are we trying out another one?" I simply replied.."This ain't a test drive, boy!" He smiled so big I could almost see his molars. hehehe

And my hair works GREAT with the top down!! hehe No tangles even!!

Hair today, sore tomorrow...

So for some time now I have toyed with the idea of cutting my hair SHORT! And anyone who's known me for a couple of years knows that I flip flop all over the place in regards to my hair. I'm constantly tired of the style I have it in or the color of it overall. Well, yesterday I bit the bullet and did it. A few days ago I'd gone to the grocery store and picked up every hair magazine I could lay my hands on. Then I proceeded to cut out pictures of hair styles I liked. (I do this EVERY time so I can show the stylist what I want, be that color or cut.) I had about 15 different ones that I'd liked ranging from short short to medium length styles. So I put them all out on the kitchen table and began the process of picking. It goes kind of like when you're at the eye doctor and he asks you, option one or option two, one or three, and so on...I narrowed it down to two pictures. One of them I liked how the top and sides were cut and styled, the other on for the length in the back. So off I went to Regis Hair Salon armed with my photos and credit card. Luckily I got a gal that also has short hair (for some reason if I'm getting a short haircut I always like it better when the stylist also has short hair, I guess I trust them more with these styles). She did a fantastic job and even the gal behind me at the salon that was getting her hair straightened commented that she thought it looked really cute. Cool! So here's what it looks like...



On the workout front, I'm on day 6 and EA Active is telling me to rest today. So I will probably just see about doing some walking on the treadmill or maybe break out a little Wii Fit for old time's sake..hehe But I'm doing well with the weight loss and getting a little less sore every time. Yesterday I even completed the whole circuit without having to stop to wheeze and syke myself up to finish the run.

Well, I'm off to make breakfast. Hubby requested oatmeal since the boy is out with a friend today (my son's the only one in the family that doesn't like oatmeal). Be well friends and if anyone else is doing EA Sports Active please tell me what YOU think of it!

Some people on Facebook have commented that it would appear as though I'm wearing a nurses' cap when in fact its the window behind me. So here are some altered pics w.o the window/nurse's cap:

How a Wii game brought me to my knees...

So years ago when I was in Jr. High school I was put on the track team. I begged to be put on the hurdling team and could sprint the crap out of ANYONE else on the team!!! But they said I "jumped wrong" over the hurdle. WTF?!?! I cleared it didn't I? So I was put on the relay team. I trained with everyone, and part of our group training was long distance running, at which I SUCKED!!! Even then when I had about 6% body fat and looked SMOKIN' hot!! heheI just didn't have the endurance I needed to run long distance. So the day of the track meet comes up and I head to the high school with the rest of the team. We're all getting warmed up and its our turn up for relays. We had to do one lap around the track on each heat...I took off like a bullet and we came in first! I was third to run, not starting, not anchor...not bad. I finished that race and was jazzed!! Then the coach told me I was up for the race after next. What?!? That's the long distance race? EIGHT times around the track?!?! Um, WHEN did I agre to THIS?!?! So I ran it...and heaved...and finished it...LAST! When I crossed the finish line I dropped to my knees. I thought I would DIE right there on the track! My sides hurt, my chest hurt, and I was sure I'd never walk again, much less run. That ended my track career right then and there.


Fast forward to yesterday...I went out and got my copy of EA Active and thought it would be a really cool way to beef up my lacking workout routine. I put it in the Wii and started it up. Before I even got to the workouts I was liking this more and more than Wii Fit. I was able to put in my own weight (I didn't lie and went with what I'd weighed that morning), AND I picked how my character looked!! No ballooning Mii for Mommii!! hehe And I was VERY encouraged when I stepped on the balance board and it didn't say "Oh my!" I started the workout with walking, then it asked me to run. Aw shit! I'm screwed!! I got through that and did pretty wll on the other exercises. But when it got BACK to running again, I thought I was going to DIE! I swear I had flashbacks to that jr. high track meet when I just wanted to finish the race and then be measured for my coffin. I noticed my vision started to blur half way through the run, though that MIGHT have been because I was tearing up and beginning to cry. I'm SO happy no one was there to see me, point, and snicker at my increasingly evident shortcomings.

I finished the workout and was intent that if I DO stick with this it will DEFINITELY help me reach my goals!! And I do have to say I enjoyed the workout better than Wii Fit. Even today when I went back to it. I was still sweating up a storm within the first five minutes, but that's what I needed to do!!! I'm confident that sticking with this as a routine every day and sucking down the gallons of water that I crave after each workout session will have me dancing on poles in no time...ahem, I mean looking svelte and sophisticated very soon. =)


I still haven't found my perfect car, but I have several different salespeople out looking for me. And they all know that I'm serious and have TIME to make a decision. So I will continue to shop.

Car troubles...

Well, as I stated before, the car is in the shop. But in this process a co-worker of my hubby's suggested instead of putting the $2000 into a car that probably isn't worth that fixed, why not get a new car? So the hubby called and told me to start researching another sedan. I swallowed hard and took it initially. But the more we talked the more I got my nerve up. I was about to get SCREWED and NOT in the style I like!!

Years ago dear hubby and I said that when the Intrepid died (and this is pretty damn near close now, we drive cars until they die...) we would replace it with either a convertible or a Jeep Wrangler. And now I was being asked to research another sedan, which is neither of the previously agreed upon vehicles. I shared this with him over the phone. And after some more discussion he agreed upon a convertible...a Chrysler Sebring Convertible.

He had some VERY specific guidelines for what he wanted though. With the automotive industry being somewhat in the slumps right now, we were hoping to play upon their desperate desires to sell a car as often they have played upon our emotions when purchasing a vehicle in the past.

Well, after 2 days worth of searching, I'm not a lot closer to my goal. I've ticked off more than one salesperson, I'm sure. A few have told me that my demands are just NOT possible. So I continue to look. If, after a decent amount of time, we are not able to procure my convertible, then we will go get the Intrepid from the shop, tow it home and keep looking. Luckily we have three cars...a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 Truck, a 1991 Chevy Cavalier, and a 2002 Dodge Intrepid. We have recently replaced the spark plug wires and done some home tune-ups to the Cavalier to get it road worthy again. I went yesterday and got the tags updated, today my goal is to find the front license plate (and reattach it), and get it inspected. So even without one car, we are not handicapped to sharing a vehicle. Meaning I have the car salesperson's worst enemy on my hands...time and patience.

Here's a picture of the car that I'm looking for...(but not specific to color)

The look with the top up

Top coming down

Top down

the inside with top down

I'm also going to check out the Toyota Camry Solara Convertible, but not sure I'll be able to get the same deal on price with one of those. If anyone knows of a convertible that will somewhat comfortably fit a family of four...PLEASE let me know. I like the Sebring because with the bucket seats in the back it offers a little more comfort. A mustang might as well be a two-seater for our family and I just am not a big fan of the PT Cruiser. Any suggestions?

Moving a little slower today

Well, I'm not gallivanting about town this morning for sure!! This weekend we headed out to the in-laws and got about 1/2 way there when the car's transmission went OUT!!! Ugh! So we called a good friend to come pick us all up and bring us back home, called the in-laws with our regrets, and planned for how we were going to get the car home/to the shop. Kyle ended up buying a $100 tow chain and I got to tow him down I-20, I-635, I-30, and then home the back way. Ugh for sure!! I was SOO stressed pulling the car home and dealing with the assholes that felt the need to flip me off because I was only going 40MPH on the interstate. I'm in the right lane d**khead!! Go around me!!

This morning we get the call from the shop with the diagnosis. Yep, needs new transmission. This means about $1900 out the door and to the mechanic. Ouch!! Hubby called and told me to be frugal, which I guess is his nice way of saying "Don't go shopping/spend any money!"



I AM going tomorrow and getting a copy of EA Active for the Wii though...but I have CASH! So no need to charge that. I first really got interested in it when I saw Sammy, aka Alison Sweeney, showing it to Ellen and talking about how this is what she's using to get her baby weight off and get back into shape. It looks a little more intensive than Wii Fit and I certainly am glad to find something else to do. And this "game" has running, kickboxing, a 30-Day challenge, and lots of other activities. And I like that it has a leg strap so you have a place to put the nunchuck that can gauge when you're running and such a little better. Looking forward to it! And thanks to Renee for confirming it comes out tomorrow for me!

Well, I'm off to clean the house and stay away from shopping. hehe

New paths and old beginnings

I am happy to report that I had a WONDERFUL Mother's Day weekend!! We played in the water, drank our adult beverages, and soaked up all the sun we could. I took lots of pictures, but as per the request of some of my loved ones, I've decided not to post some of them. I can't see the harm in several of them, but then again..I don't want to step on anyone's toes with my actions either. Here's one of my son that seems to sum up the relaxation just perfectly!


One night we all sat in a semi-circle just a matter of yards from the water's edge and sang any song we could remember at least one verse of and danced around about the beachy area. My mother was out for that evening, but for the rest of our time there she seemed to stay in her camper for the vast majority of the day. It did sadden me some. She was continuing on the same path she always had, over-doing it one evening/day just to throw herself into such a state that getting out of bed before afternoon became near unbearable.

I've been doing well with my dieting efforts lately. The weight isn't falling off by any conjuring of the imagination, but it IS coming off. Slow but sure wins this race, right?

I have wondered here lately, with some of my dealings with several people in my life over these 34+ years, what makes people seemingly pigeonhole themselves into distinct categories. Do you know someone who constantly seems to be the victim? Another who is always smiling and trying to keep the peace? Another who naturally takes on a parenting role? The pot-stirrer? The drama starter? The wise one who merely sits back and observes but has the advice of the ages in their eyes?

I feel fortunate to have, at one point or another, come into contact with all of these types. And I consider myself fortunate because without all these various types (and more) coming through my life I wouldn't be the woman I am today.

I have taken up bowling with a wonderful group of moms. Now only afew of us ever clear 100, but we sure do have a hell of a lot of fun!! Here's a picture of this past week's enjoyable night out.

That's me in the middle on the bottom =)

Mark all as read...

Its hard to do that, honestly. I feel like I'm letting down my followers as well as the people that I follow. But its been a LONG two weeks and I just don't think I could catch up to 502 new blog posts.

My sister and I have almost gotten my parents completely moved out of their house and into her home. MY mother is NOT doing well with the transition though. She is lamenting over the fact that they are now "homeless", which is something they could not say about themselves for quite some time. But the way I feel about it is that it could be a LOT worse. At least they have kids they can lean on in this time of their lives. Neither my sister nor I are destitute, and we have room for them in our respective homes for as long as they need the roof.

I've been doing well with my weight loss, staying on track for the most part. I haven't seen any huge drops in numbers, but I just need to recommit to working out to get that happening. The hubby wanted me to get him up this morning at 6am so he could start running again. Alas, I got up at 7:15 to get the munchkins out of bed and then came down to check email, put money in my daughter's lunch account, and dear hubby lays next to me still, softly snoring. Maybe tomorrow morning will work out better. *wink*

This weekend I'll be going camping!! Yay me!!! Well, actually yay family!!! Every year, for as long as I can remember, my mother's family meets at Lake Somerville (a lake near Bryan-College Station, TX) and camps for 3-4 days for Mother's Day weekend. The time is spent playing in the water, having adult beverages, laughing and telling stories, and just enjoying the time together. For the past several years we have had a large float that is anchored a little ways off shore for all the adults to lay on for the majority of the day (usually Saturday) and drink and laugh upon. Most everyone gets there Friday night or Saturday morning and leaves Sunday afternoon. Saturday nights we pool our foods and barbecue at one person's site. Sunday morning the guys usually make breakfast (with again pooled ingredients) and serve all the mommies. It is wonderfully relaxing and something I look forward to every year!! I'll be sure to bring back plenty of pictures this year to share with everyone!

Well, I'm off to start my Monday with a bit of exercise. I think I might even make some breakfast for the hubby and I. Be well friends and I'll try not to get so far behind now that things are calming down a bit.

FYI, I STILL have my "trench" and the tree is almost dead.

Flashback Friday

1979

What girl DOESN'T love race cars as a kid?!?!
(I'm the blond)

What every mother wants...or why I wish my son could join the army now

So yesterday I had a pounding headache. I didn't bother even LOOKING at my backyard. THIS was a mistake!!! When my son came home from school, with his cronies, I began to hear clanking sounding. I turned towards the direction of the mystery noise (it wasn't a pipe bomb..whew!) and saw a wheelbarrow and three teenage boys wielding shovels and assaulting my backyard. WTF?!?!

I looked up some more and saw a large hole forming. Again...WTF?!?! My son came in and told me that they were digging because they wanted to...and were interested in digging a trench. Ah yes! THAT is what I thought my backyard needed...a trench, to hide from the invading Plano people, I'm sure (as that is SUCH a problem here in the N. Dallas suburbs)! With every clink of a shovel onto the wheelbarrow my head had little tiny explosions going on inside. I informed my darling son that if he was SO interested in digging a hole, why not dig UP the tree that had grown on its own next to the house and replant it in this sinkhole (aka trench).

He and his buddies then turned their attention to the tree and started "uprooting it". After they had replanted it, he came in to share his pride.

The boy: Mom, we got the tree moved. We put it in the middle of the dog crap land mine.

Me:(thinking: of course he did! You wouldn't want a trench in hte middle of a mine field.) my reply: Where?!?! NO BOY! You were SUPPOSED to put it in the hole you already had dug up!!!

This morning I peered outside and saw the tree down on its side. So obviously I needed to fix their replant. Its a nice tree, I just didn't want it growing its roots under my house and screwing with my foundation.

I walked outside and immediately went to where the tree had been moved. Hmmm...seems kind of shallow. So I placed it upright, stepped on the roots and tried my best to shove it back into the hole. It fell over again while I went to inspect the area where it originally resided. Ah ha! That explains it. The hole left by the boys where the tree USED to be COULD HAVE BEEN DUG BY MY CHIHUAHUAS!!!! It wasn't even 1/2 a foot deep!!!! Oh yes, that tree will die soon.

I took some dirt (clay) from the wheelbarrow and packed it into the replant hole and pounded it down so that it would stay upright. So far, so good. I didn't even need to install supports to keep the tree up.

Then I went back to look at the "trench". OMG! Words cannot describe! Here's pictures of the "damage".

The downed tree

The reinstated tree

The hole where the tree USED to be

The "trench"

So you tell me...think he'll make it to his freshman year of high school?