Strange words

I would just like to share two words with you that I find very strange. Oddly enough, they both have religious undertones to them.

#1. Genuflect.

#2. Catechism.

Toothpaste Tales 2

Well, flash forward from August 17, 2010 to February 14, 2011....I opened a new tube of toothpaste, which means a lot of reflection and time for a blog.

I actually am in a really positive spot right now. My reflections of the past are simply that-the past. Not a reflection of where I am now or where I am destined to be. My destiny is defined by my thoughts and my present actions; the past is merely a place to look on to learn from. There are many happy memories back there, and those I cherish and let fold me in their comfort instead of wallowing in sadness. I'm really happy with where I am, so to reflect is actually to figure out what I can embelish and manifest even more great things in an already pretty great life.

Simply put-life is never easy. And it never will be. This last tube of toothpaste took me through one of the lowest points I've been in for a very long time. What did that teach me though, that's the key to all of this. Making mistakes, or having unfortunate happenings "happen", and then picking yourself up and moving forward. Which is precisely what I've always done, am doing, and will continue to do.

After starting this last tube of toothpaste I got a promotion. I'm now settling into the position, learning it, applying things I already knew, and retaining things so I can excel. There are some nuances I would rather not have with this new position, but those people, I mean, those things (oops-a slip!) can only get better! And these next six months I only foresee advances and even better things career-wise.

Lately I've been doing a lot of reflection as to how much energy and time I've put towards my career and how that has paid off, and wondering if I simply neglected to put that same time and energy into my personal life and relationships (of the romantic nature). And I think the answer is that I have-I knew in order to succeed in my career I would have to work, and work hard, be diligent, stay focused, put in the time, etc. I always thought that love would just find me without having to ever work hard at it; when you know, you know, right? But, I realize, with that attitude, what am I attracting to myself? Well, I can answer that-the dopes I've dated in the past is what I've attracted to myself. So, with all of that being said, where do I start? How do I let myself be vulnerable enough to start focusing on myself and attracting the perfect person for me? Because that is also a truth-I've always been scared of getting rejected that I simply don't play the game. I've had moments where I've gotten past that, but nothing consistent enough to actually work through the hardships or pain to get to the pot of gold on the other side, that's for sure. So, I guess this section is a to be continued, as it is a reflection of future, and where I am going during this next tube.

Something else I'm really looking forward to is seeing where my health, weight, and self-esteem are at by the time this tube is finished. I started Weight Watchers four weeks ago and am amazed at the program and how motivated I am to create this lifestyle change. I've lost over eight pounds since starting, and I was actually yelled at by my online tracking tool for losing weight too rapidly! I thought that was kind of funny...apparently I need to consult my doctor and pay a $20 copay to tell me that I'm finally getting healthy and am in a good spot spirtually and mentally, and that because of it I'm losing weight and getting healthy physically as well. The difference this time? I'm applying the WW principles (and channeling Jennifer Hudson all the while) to my life, making the necessary changes, and seeing the results. These results are because of a lifestyle change I made, not a diet.

By the time this tube is over I'll be 31; I'll have gone to Cancun, San Francisco, Istanbul, and possibly Cape Cod (depending on how often I brush the old chompers, that is). How exciting! By the time the tube is over I could have fallen madly in love, lost 50 pounds, paid off my car, and gotten another promotion! That's truly the beauty of it-the possibilities of life are endless! Dream bigger! Aim higher! Life is hard, yes, but it is also full of abundance, and that's what I focus my energies on!

Stay cool, and remember-dental hygiene is no joke. Brush and floss daily.

The End is in Sight

I don't mean to be a Scrooge..but I'm really glad this year is almost over. It's been a tough one, but I think I've managed to get through it with some good memories, and still in one piece.

I'm still not done with my toothpaste tube, but I have been doing a lot of reflection these last couple of weeks. I think back to August when I started it and all that has changed, and I can only imagine what the next couple of months will bring. Thank Goodness I didn't put that toothpaste in my checked luggage when I went to Dubai, right? Phew!

But, in all seriousness, last Christmas was a nice one, but there are a lot of negative feelings and energy attached to it that I really struggled to let go of this year. I never really felt in the Christmas spirit until about a week ago, but that could be partly due to my work trip taking up two weeks of the Christmas holiday. I'll be so thankful once New Years is over, and the last of the monumental moments from last year will be over, and hopefully the memories replaced. I no longer will have to remember being in love with an alcoholic who didn't want to, but always inevitably did, ruin every occasion that could include alcohol in any form. And hopefully they're replaced with wonderful and supportive family and friends who offer unconditional love and support and made the holidays such a wonderful time! The funny thing is, I thought I had moved past everything that happened with Scott, but I realize that I didn't fully go through all the steps that I needed to. It must have been laying dormant, waiting for the holidays to happen so I can complete this break-up properly :)

I'm looking forward to 2011; I usually have very good odd years and usually just okay even years. My aunt thought that was stupid, but I don't really care. I want to change my perception of even and odd years, but I don't think the patterns I've noticed could in any way or should in any way be described as stupid or silly. I could go through the last ten years of my life and show what I mean, but what's the point? I'm trying to change the way I view my life anyways, so it would be pointless. Ha!

To give an update: I have started a new position at work. I'm still feeling it out, as it comes with a lot of change. But, it did take me to Dubai and is taking me all over the world in the upcoming year. Not all of these are confirmed, but it looks like I might go to the following or have a chance to go to the following in 2011: Cancun, San Francisco, Istanbul, Denver, India. So, it should be an exciting year of travel. Here is hoping my luggage never gets lost again though. That whole ordeal is still not over, and I still have not recovered my luggage.

I have kind of let myself go over the last few months. I now see why or how I let that happen, and I am reversing my old habits and negative thoughts with positive ones. I'm in a wedding this summer, and that will be a good timeframe to set a goal for myself, so I'm excited to get started on concentrating more on myself. I "dated" myself for a month, which was a nice change of pace for a while, to not be able to "Facebook stalk" or think or dwell about anyone from the past. It's funny how you really have to train yourself to not get lost in thought sometime. Well, at least it's funny to someone like me who can get caught up in my own mind for long stretches at a time.

That's about all I know. I just wanted to write a quick blog to see what I deemed important enough to talk about :) Ha! Cheers and salud to 2010 and Woo hoo! to 2011!

My Life as I see It

Life can be such a crazy tornado can't it? That's kind of how I have been looking at it lately. I look up to the skies often and just envision a tornado (a safe one albeit) that is always working in my favor. A perfect storm of of possibilities, growth, love, and happiness. That may be some, but I firmly believe that if you ask without any strings attached, believe that you can achieve anything you desire, that you will receive. And I do this on a regular basis. I ask for many things each and every day, and now I just patiently believe that they are happening for me, in my own personal tornado, for me to receive when the Universe feels it is right for me.

So, in the interim between my asking and receiving-what to do, what to do...I realize I don't have many habits, but what I really like are working on projects with friends. I like doing favors and helping. Is that a hobby, because really I just wait until someone needs something or asks me to be a Maid of Honor...which has only happened twice. I'm trying my best to be patient. To some I may seem extremely inpatient, and in some cases I am, but really-if I know something is going to happen, I am the most patient person on earth. It's the figuring out the lessons I'm supposed to learn in the meantime that I need to really start concentrating on.

I am constantly living in my head, which isn't always a fun place to be in. I wax and wane on my own abilities and what I feel I deserve. But, believing in the Universe and my tornado helps me. I struggle with so many negative thoughts, and then when I see something magical happen for me I realize that I truly can earn and deserve anything I put my mind to. It's so crazy to see things happen: like my recent promotion at work. Until June of this year I always thought I was mediocre and really just doing the motions with a little bit of ability behind it. Then I was dealing with a hotel that kept dropping the ball and screwing up the simplest things that I realized, hey, maybe I am good at this. Through that so many positive things were put into motion. I received a promotion that only helped with my confidence, and I feel myself learning and growing so much every day, while still understanding that I am in fact skilled and deserved the promotion.

I am am not attempting to do that with other facets in my life. For the month of November I'm dating myself. I don't do enough for myself, and am constantly just waiting to lose weight, waiting for good things to happen, etc. Well-if I apply the principles with my job to my personal life, I can see amazing results and quickly. Which I'm fully intending to do. By dating myself I am trying to treat myself to things I deem important in a relationship, I'm just playing both sides. I'm finding joy in the little things-always preparing my lunches the night before so I'm not rushed in the morning, relaxing at night with some journaling. I'm thinking about trying meditation next, to really get the positive thoughts rolling. I've also been concentrating on my diet and exercise, so I find myself beautiful and attractive. By shining the light on myself instead of others, or even just one person, I hope to show myself and the Universe exactly what I deserve to be treated like. So far "we" have not done much but I'm hoping to go to a movie this weekend :) (which, sidenote, is so far outside of my comfort zone it terrifies me but I'm also excited to actually do it)

I'm not sure if this post makes sense. There will be no rhetorical questions-I know I can do this, and I'm enjoying my life right now. 30, Flirty, and Thriving. Okay-that's not entirely true. I'm awful at flirting. But, I am 30.

The Toothpaste Tales

I have this tendency to do a lot of reflecting when I am finished with a tube of toothpaste. A tube of toothpaste generally lasts about six months, which is a good check point for me personally. Where was I six months ago? What surprises happened? Where was I lacking? Was there anything I could have done differently? All sorts of questions to ask myself, and it can be quite eye opening.

Today is such a day-I dated my current tube as 3/28/2010. So, a little shy of five months. And what a five months it's been. Where to begin? What do I want to even not mention? Sheesh!

If we go back to March, it takes me to a time of feeling stagnant, of feeling unsure, frustrated, and a bit overwhelmed. At that time I had just turned 30, and had just started talking to Scott again. He would occasionally drink, and I was so frustrated by his inability to just committ to being sober and to committ to being with me. The weather wasn't getting any nicer, I wasn't taking care of myself again, and I think that period was just blah, blah, blah.

Some major events happened during this tube: I moved, my sister and her husband moved, my aunt moved...all within three weeks of each other. It seemed that this moving took up a month of my life, which I found very frustrating. My aunt was downsizing from a house to an apartment, and it wasn't an easy process to be a part or even watch, for that matter. A lot of memories and emotions were stirred during that time.

This tube of toothpaste also went with me to Mexico! Viva! Mexico was a turning point for me, personally. It was a much needed getaway, and also the first time I saw Scott after a very bad drunken episode that landed him in the hospital and in outpatient treatment for alcoholism. It reunited me with my best friend and showed me that he can do it-he can be sober and still have fun and be fun to be around.

After we got back from Mexico it was hard to stay away from Scott. The next two months were spent together on the weekends, either moving me, my sister, or someone else (or so it seemed), or just spending time together and being best friends. I truly felt happy and positive about our future together, and felt that our communication and openness about all that had happened was laying such a solid foundation. If we can get through this, what can't we get through?

The last phase that this tube got me through was July; July was pretty hard month for me. I was working extremely long days in preparation for the annual meeting that I plan. That and social factors, I was really struggling with what to do with life. I was tired and cranky, and didn't want to think about anything but work. But, here was this personal life (ie Scott) staring me in the face and I had to make some decisions about what to really do with the situation in front of me. He made 90 days sober, things were going well, and I was ready to have the conversation about really getting back together and really giving this a go.

Unfortunately, and this is very hard for me to talk about, the alcoholism got the best of Scott while I was in Denver. I figured out he was drinking, and he admitted that he didn't just drink once, but continued to drink. He then decided to issue me an ultimatum; accept his imperfections or forever keep my peace. It wasn't a hard decision once I broke it down to what was really important in my life. And what's really important is that I never support Scott drinking and that I love and respect myself. I have not really spoken to him since.

I'm actually in a really good place for losing one of my favorite people in this whole world to alcohol. I have to realize that he didn't purposefully choose alcohol over me, and that he is just very sick right now. And while I have all but closed the door on having him in my life as I can no longer live my life hoping and waiting on something that may never be. That's definitely not fair to me. I am just concentrating on what it means to close the door on this chapter in my life. I learned a lot of great lessons, and got to learn a lot about myself. I am worth it. And by that I mean, I deserve the very best in life, always. And I deserve to be picky and I deserve to be able to say "no" if someone or something isn't fitting into what I picture for my future. Not to say I am not malleable; I can adapt to a lot of different things. But, I cannot and will not adapt to Scott's addiction. By closing this door, I'm opening up many more, which is exciting.

Now I'm taking the time to love myself and take care of myself. There are a lot of exciting things going on right now that are showing me and telling me that I am moving in the right direction, which is unfortunately away from Scott. But, there is never suffering without reward at the end. And I know that I will be rewarded in some way for all of the love and support I unconditionally gave to Scott for a very long time. Probably much longer than anyone outside of his family had ever given him.

So, as you can see, these last five months were definitely worth reflecting on. So many things happened, so many lessons learned. So many ups and downs. Now I begin to project to the next 5-6 months. What could possibly happen? The possibilities are literally endless. I coudl lose 50 lbs. I could get a new job. I could take the trip of a lifetime. While I can be a bit inpatient at times, for once, I'm trying to slow myself down and enjoy the unknown, because who knows how long I'll be in this exact same spot I am right now. Young, vibrant, carefree and with an infinite amount of possibilities. It can literally change in the blink of an eye, in one chance meeting, or one wrong turn.

I will open up my next Crest Whitening toothpaste tomorrow...let's hope it's a good one!

PS I also quit smoking and am down to about four a day during the week. The weekends are their own beast I'm trying to tame! Woot!

Wanna work out?

This week was a bit different for me. The weight loss challenge ended, and I always go a little nutso, especially since I've been on a diet of some sort for the last three months straight. Starting last Thursday I ate pizza, and then moved into nachos, french fries, wings, and beer on Friday while seeing Loni Love's show in Schaumburg. On Saturday it was all about saganaki (fried greek cheese), prime rib dinner, more nachos, calamari, and a malt. Sunday I managed to restrain myself (yeah right) and ate Cheez Its, M&Ms, taco bell (although there was no sour cream so I made like a baby and threw my taco down and refused to eat it), and a french dip sandwich with french fries. So, just eyeballing those calories, it seemed like I should have had a BIG gain. But, alas, getting back onto the horse first thing Monday prevented that, and thanks to Nutrisystem, I didn't have a gain. I've been putting in some great workouts this week, and while Easter is on Sunday, I don't plan on going too nutso because I have to weigh myself on Monday. Zoinks!

I much prefer routine; if I have a few days off from work I always get a little anxious because I know I won't get my 80 oz of water in, probably won't eat all of my fruits and veggies for the day, and that makes me nervous. The routine I get in during the week is my savior-if it weren't work my job I think I would be well over 200 pounds. Not. Cool. The routine of working out twice after work is also helping me-at 4:30 my friend Kathy and I go to the Deuce to use their gym. After that, I go home and do a Biggest Loser workout video with my aunt. I'm burning probably close to 600 calories or more (I have no idea how many the workout videos are burning), and I feel accomplished and wonderful by the time I'm off to hit the sheets. The next morning I may not always feel so wonderful...these old bones are aching something fierce these last two days. Well, not so much my bones, but my glutus maximus.

So many things have turned into motivation for me lately-the weather (finally) turning nicer, the thought of going to Mexico in seven weeks, a babies laughter, the kittens soft fur..it all adds up to me wanting to do this, for me and me alone, and actually following it through. You see-I've followed it through before and have loved the results. But, then life gets in the way, old habits reform, and then I don't care so much about myself anymore. I'm learning about these cycles I create in my life, and I'm also learning triggers and how to stop them. I much prefer hummus to spinach artichoke dip (is what I'm telling myself), and I prefer a vegetable wrap to a burger (let's see if I can get that one to stick....). I just have to realize that I am not like everyone else-I am me, and I have my own challenges and issues that are unique to me, and if I own them, I can have a happy life. I have many reasons to be extremely grateful, which I am, but this is the one challenge that keeps alluding me, and I would like to win it once and for all. If I never lost another pound, would I be happy with myself for the rest of my life? Probably at times I would; like anyone else I have good days and I have bad days. But, I have the power to change that, and instead of complaining about it, I'm actually doing something about it, which feels great.

All right, it's Good Friday, I'm rambling, and need to get some work done. Eat and be merry this weekend, folks :)

A day late, and a dollar short

Sorry about the lack of an update last week, as per our written agreement (well-I said I was going to blog weekly and then didn't do it, that was the written agreeement...). No one probably noticed or went racing to their computers last week, but I feel bad nonetheless.

The last week has been a rough one for me-I got sick. And when I'm sick, dieting and exercise are the last things on my mind, unfortunately. I all but dropped doing Nutrisystem last week, which is fine, but I was able to stay on track and not really overdo it. I ate a lot of soup and salads, or just didn't eat at all on the days that I was super sick. The sickness is lingering, but I feel much better during the day and now it's just the dry, unproductive coughing that keeps me up half the night that is keeping me down.

The one bad thing about not really caring about my diet for the last week was the fact that if I had just been able to drop a pound or two I could have won $100! GRRR! I came in third place in my weight loss challenge, all because I didn't have a loss. I didn't have a gain, but without having a loss, I wasn't able to keep my second place spot. I guess I can't really dwell on that, and by the end of the week last week I was getting some really good workouts in. It felt great! I was running more than I have in the past, and the sweat pouring down my face felt amazing.

As a side note, I also saw a sneak peek of "Hot Tub Time Machine" this week. That movie was just okay, but the parts that were funny were HIGH-LARIOUS! I think they could have done a lot better job, especially with the 80's references, but overall, if there is nothing else to do on a Sunday afternoon, pop this one in for a few laughs.

That's about all I've got folks-it's way too early to be blogging, but I wanted to be sure to apologize and explain myself before it got to be two weeks, and then three, and then four...and then all of a sudden I am skinny with no explanation whatsoever, because people were hoping to take this joyous weight loss journey with me via my blog. Can't let that happen now, can we? Teehee.

Peace out.

Week 2-A little wiser, a little thinner

This will be a combo blog: Birthday and booty.

As many of you know, I turned 30 on Sunday. Not as terrifying as I had thought it was going to be, mainly because I have the best sister and best group of friends EVER. Tianna had a huge, fun filled Saturday for me, and it all started with lunch at Chili's with friends and family. I have never been surprised like that before-it was so awesome! I got to catch up with all of them, but not for nearly as long as I would have wanted. Isn't that how it always is? From there I was tricked into getting a pedicure, only to have my BFF Becky show up from the Cape! I had just talked to her two days before and bought a plane ticket to go see her! That sneaky little thing :) After that it was hanging out until going to a hotel (I figured that one out because I couldn't find my toothbrush-Tianna had already packed it). Another surprise dinner at Joey Buena's and then onto karaoke and fun! Woot! It was such an awesome weekend, starting with my friend Star flying in from Virginia, to dollar beers and fish fry on Friday, and then ending up with a nice Sunday of relaxation and being older....and wiser.

The diet went okay this week-I still had a loss, but not as big as the week before. But, you also saw all the festivities aforementioned, so my dieting wasn't exactly "awesome". The food is still okay-I hate the rice cereal and will never have that in my mouth again. Ever. The workouts this past week have been dismal...or nonexistent, but that's okay. I'll get back on the horse, not to worry. My two weeks of losses have shot me up to second place in my weight loss challenge, which is awesome and motivating. I'm going to win this battle once and for all!

That's about all I have for now. I am not feeling the best so I can't really do much more at this point. Rest assured the kittens are taken care of, everything is wonderfully peachy keen, and I am going to go watch my Thursday night shows.

Loves.

Week 1 Down!

I’ve decided that I’m going to blog weekly about my experiences with Nutrisystem. I might sprinkle a little “How I’m doing” in it as well, so hold your horses folks 

I have now been on Nutrisystem for one week, today. I had a 3.05% loss in one week, which is fantastic and motivating and exhilarating and any other great word you could sprinkle in there for me! I think that it is a no-brainer system, you follow what they tell you to eat, you eat it, and viola!

My review of the food is that so far, not so bad. I’ve had a few things that I didn’t like (aka nacho chips), and a few things that I love (aka bean and ham soup). Tianna and I are doing this together, and our food tastes are not identical (although we are twins), so there are some foods where we can just say “You eat all of it, no worries here” which is nice. We signed up for the month program where they just send you food, you don’t pick and choose, so we can see what we like, don’t like, etc. We have so much food on our shelves, it’s ridiculous! We signed up for a month, and each got an extra weeks worth of food for free-so there is literally 10 weeks worth of food on our shelves!

My own personal pitfalls are the same, no matter the diet: the weekend. Last weekend I went up North (and got to see you SP!), and I brought food with me, but also knew I was going to cheat a bit, and didn’t stress myself over it. I didn’t go as overboard as I normally would either, so that was great! This weekend I may or may not be celebrating my own birthday (no one will tell me what’s going on-GRRRRRR!!!!!!), and I believe there may be some bad foods involved. And I’ve already started making Sunday brunch plans. But, as long as I keep working out like I have been (60 minutes a day 3-4 times a week, which I would like to get up to 5 days a week), I don’t think this will be anything but a minor set back in this thing called “dieting” for me.

Just to bring it down to a personal level for a split second: This all comes at a good time in my life. As you all may or may not know, Scott and I broke up about a month ago now, and it’s been extremely hard. I’ve been trying to keep the communication at a minimum so that he can concentrate on what he needs to, and I can concentrate on what I need to. And this is one of the things I have let go since we started dating, and I’m glad to be back on track. I still miss him and think about him all the time, but right now he needs to get his life in order and I need to take the time to do the same. Who knows what will happen for either of us down the road, but I’m really trying to appreciate this time I have been given. I set a goal for myself to lose 30 lbs by September, and at this rate, it will be much sooner, which is extremely exciting. Especially since there is a Mexico trip in May that I need to look good for! Yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All right, stay tuned, and maybe I’ll start checking in more regularly. At the very least , I’ll talk about my Nutrisystem experiences at least once a week now 

Peace!

Two Quick Things

#1. I am really sick of hearing sirens and different emergency vehicle sounds while listening to the radio. I think this should be banned and against the law. It's dangerous. And I'm sick of thinking I'm getting pulled over 30 times a day.

#2. My new favorite thing are bento boxes. What a great idea and concept. I think everyone should have one, and I am officially asking for one for Christmas :)
I would post a picture, but this computer hates me :( Google it, seriously. Awesome concept.

K. Nighty night all :)

Merry Thanksoween

Because @bysongasaurus asked so nicely, I have decided to post a little blog for my (un)faithful readers. The only reason I put the -un is because I give them no reason to be faithful.

Since we have spoken last much has happened. At the same time, nothing has happened. I saw "The Hangover". I also have worked 40+ hours a week. I am still raising two cute kittens, and am living in a bedroom the size of a jail cell. I went to a Blackhawks game, and also went to a Brewers game. I watched my calories, and also ate my weight in chocolate. I have gotten accolades and reprimands. I served a room service and got a $50 tip. I've gone to Naperville and Chicago a million times. I also went to Cape Cod for 26 hours to surprise one of my best friends in the whole world for her 30th birthday.

The one thing I have not done is turned 30. That shall wait until March. A few other things I haven't done; I haven't gotten a raise. I haven't watched "The Hills". I haven't had any children. I haven't forgotten my phone number. I haven't peed my pants, nor have I shat myself. I haven't forgotten how wonderful my friends and family are, and I haven't stopped being grateful that I have a job and a roof over my head.

As we approach this holiday season, I would like to ask that everyone be safe, be merry, and have fun. Next weekend is Friendsgiving, so for everyone who is coming, I can't wait to see you. After that, it may be a while as the busy holiday season approaches.

Love to all!

This post was sponsored by Sugar free Red Bull.

I have a blog?!

Why didn't anyone tell me? I would have posted on here months ago! Oh wait...haha!

Sorry for the absence. Life has been crazy and fun, and time consuming.

I'm still on the hunt to the biggest loser. It's an ongoing battle, and one that I will win. It will just take time. No overnight miracles in this city, that's for sure! I got 5th place in the last Weight Loss Challenge and am currently in 5th place again. Ugh! Story of my life!

Since I spoke to you all last I have turned 29, gone to Washington DC and effectively read all four Twilight books. Aren't I exciting? Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes...except SP who didn't really say "Happy Birthday" but instead kept telling me how she drove from Madison home....twice...not sure what that was about :)

DC was great-I went there for work. All I basically did was work, but it's nice to be asked to step in and help out, that must mean they like me :)

Work is crazy. Our meeting is in July, and right now we have a lot of important things to get done; sort of lying the foundation for the rest of the meeting so to speak. I will only "so to speak" since most people wouldn't understand what I'm talking about anyways. Not that I understand what anyone else does for a living either!

Tianna and Aaron's wedding is right around the corner, so preparations for that are going at mock speed. It's exciting and fun! I also refer to Tianna as "Tianna Rowe" as often as possible, because soon I won't be able to :( It's not that it's "sad" it's that it's....sad. Haha! I will just miss being the Rowe sisters is all. But, I'm glad to be gaining a brother (in-law).

Since we last left off I have developed a love for Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice with some Usinger's Italian Sausage. I have kept up with my running..and diet (most of the time). I have read about a gagillion books. And am looking for more (please send my way!). And I continue to have the cutest kittens in the world. So, what more is there to report? Things are great in Southeastern Wisconsin!

Catch up sooner this time, I promise!

Awwww...nuts!

In the great words of the even greater character, Michelle Tanner, I only have to say "Aw, nuts".

I have a nut story. I know that sounds strange, but it has a happy ending and will make more sense if you just keep reading.

A few weeks ago I was at work and opened my bag of delicious Italian Parmesan slivered almonds. Only....they didn't taste right! Well, I was in disarray. These nuts are the only thing getting me through my Southbeach Diet. They are great to snack on, low in carbs, high in flavor. So, I do what any normal american would do-I complain.

I wrote an e-mail to the company, first telling them how fantastic they are, and then telling them that they must have packaged them wrong. Of course, they were very concerned. They asked me to send them both bags (as I had bought two at the time) overnight so they can get to the bottom of this. I spent $47 to get them out to California, and then went to the nearest Pick'n'Save to buy more, as no matter what, they still taste good....just different.

A few days later I hear back from the company, and it turns out they had changed their recipe. They said that most people would not notice the change, but since I eat them so frequently of course I did. I said "Are you calling me fat?!?!"...nah, just kidding. But, they were still very gracious and sent me a whole box of the OLD nuts that I enjoy so much (the last box actually), and it arrived today. So, now I have 12 bags of the nuts, and my $47 back.

And that, my friends, is closure.

For Kelly and anyone who likes to laugh :)

Fantastical

Well, loyal readers-I managed to see quite a few of you this weekend :) And what a fantastical weekend it was!

Thursday after work I took off for up "Norte" and headed to Menomonie ala Nicki's house. We partook (not a word?) in a few beers and had a grand old time that night. Miss P met us out and was a nice little treat to tap off the evenings festivities. The next morning we bummed around, played with Amelia (she ate our dougnuts) and then went to get Alexis from kindergarten. Nicki had a massage at 12:45, so we both took off, her for her massage and me for Steph's house in Prescott. Steph and I caught up for a bit, as Dain was playing around us, and then I had to leave as I had strict instructions to be at Mikey's at 4pm sharp. So, 4pm sharp I walked in the house to find him on the phone with his nephew, talking about Iceland....his nephew was obviously confused about where Mikey was. Haha!

Mikey and I then went to the grocery store and his friend John's house to get ready for Mikey's party. Once we were there we had to go pick up his boyfriend Per's best friend in Plymouth...in rush hour...so we were on the road for two hours. Not fun, but it had to be done. So, we finally get back to John's house and relax and play Mario Kart. Fantastic game, and I think my sister might have played it for the first time this weekend too! How strange!

At around 3:30 am we decide we've had enough of the party (okay, I decided much earlier than that) and went back to Mikey's place to get some needed sleep. We woke up around 12:30pm and plan out our day: Go to Kelly's, go back to Per's....okay, it was more planning than just that, but that is what it came down to! haha! We get to Kelly's around 2:30 or so, and immediately are swept out the door as there are two sleeping children and Kelly could escape! We had a great lunch at the Rosy Clam (or Red Lobster, I can't remember) and caught up for a while. We went back to Kelly's house and visited and played with children.

At about 5:30 we decided to let them eat dinner and went back to Per's house (where I had left my car). By this time I had found out that Nicki's youngest had the flu, so I was not going back there for the evening as was originally planned. Once at Per's I sat in a massage chair for about an hour, watched some TV and played cribbage (the best game ever). Per and his BFF went out to the bars at about 11pm but Mikey and I stayed in and fell asleep watching TV (LAME! But, whatever...we're old). I then set my alarm for 7:30 pm and was pleasantly (NOT) surprised when I woke up at 8:30 am the next day, a full hour later than I had intended. I rushed out the door, beat the alarm system (which gives you 60 seconds to get the F*CK out of the house), and was on the road to Nicki's to pick up what I had forgotten and actually say good-bye to the girls. I then met Jenny in Eau Claire for a bit, and had a quick bite at the food court. I was then on the road and home by 3:30 pm, almost exactly 72 hours after I had left.

The moral of the weekend? You can do it all.

The reason I don't blog...

It is the dumbest reason on this planet, trust me...get ready for it....I hate signing in and going through the whole rigamarole of putting in my username and password. But, now it just remembers me and look how many blog my faithful readers (3...4 of you?) get!

So, I didn't lose any weight this week. Not the end of the world, but still a setback. I didn't dwell on it, mainly because I had so much extra stuff on my mind today. We had a major deadline today and I was B-U-S-Y :0 But, I am also attributing the lack of a loss (is that a double negative?) to two things: TOM (ladies, you can figure it out) and the fact that I was in a contest yesterday. The dumbest (but kind of fun) contest ever known to man: a drinking water contest. Yes, my zest for water rubbed off on my team at work and we all of a sudden found ourselves in a little water drinking contest.

This is how it went down: Everyone at 8am started filling up their water bottles, mugs, really whatever receptacle they had handy. So, it began. I started off slow, but then caught up with a gusto. 100 ounces in and it wasn't even noon yet. At lunch I gave myself a half an hour reprieve, only to start up again with much gusto. Fast forward to 3:15; I'm down by sixteen ounces, but when I finish my current bottle I would have won by four. Kathy already conceded, but I wasn't at my desk when all the conversations were going down. Everyone else thought it was over except for me, because I wasn't there. Then Adam said "Hey Ande, how many ounces are you at?" to which I had to reply, since I took a page from Honest Abe's book, "This will put me at 220", which would give me the win. So, the Dragon, realizing he would lose, went and filled up again to beat me by 16 ounces. Yes, I drank 220 ounces in less than eight hours and still lost by sixteen. Who does that happen to? The reason I was still in it to win it was because the winner did not have to chip in for bagels, which I cannot eat anyways. The ultimate loser (Kathy since she conceded) had to pick up the bagels that we all chipped in for. That is my water story, and that is one of the reasons I did not lose weight.

I think I did lose, but a few female/natural factors are standing in my way. But, watch out next week as I am not messing around or playing games, I am winning! Don't believe me? Huh, punk? No, JK readers, I'm not mad.

Tomorrow my friends at work and I are having a X-mas/Gift exchange party at Pammy's. Luckily, friday night dinners are my cheat time, so I can enjoy some good food and good company. I am making taco dip (obvi), and then I made those oreo truffles, which some may remember from a previous post. I just made them and didn't lick my hands once :) They were messy and they don't look as good as they did earlier this week, but I bought the wrong chocolate except for one stick and was trying to make do. Note to self: Remember the recipe when you go to the grocery store.

This weekend LB comes into town, which is fantastic. She's one of a kind and really good people. Ti and I are both blessed to be able to call her one of our best friends. Ti and her are the best together and really compliment each other so well. I'm just the third wheel, big sister but I'm glad to be included. "Hey, Ti and Lori-someone wants to talk to you on the porch." Don't worry readers, two of you will get that!

I would like to conclude with a rant to mother nature. Ahem (clears throat), now that I have your attention Ms. Nature, I would like to bring up a quick, fun fact....it is record breaking low temperatures and it is unsafe for people to go outside, nonetheless, live comfortably. There was a power outage last night (touche Mother Nature-that wasn't funny) and while it did not affect me, it affected my fellow man, and for that I am outraged. That is cruel and unusual. Furthermore, the pets that must go outside or live outside, actually all animals that are outside, should not be subjected to such inhumane temperatures just so that they can perform their natural acts and get their daily exercise. Please shape up or ship out. (end rant)

Oh, quick question: Does anyone know if Native Americans used to travel south for the winter, much like birds? If not, how did they survive?

Peace!

Day 8

It's kind of weird how cutting out carbs from your life seems so tragic, but now that I'm doing it, I can't think of how I would turn back. I constantly quiz myself to see what I would eat if given the opportunity (it keeps me going), but usually I can't pinpoint anything at all. Lately it's been popcorn or an apple with peanut butter that I could really go for, but even that seems....kind of healthy. Maybe not the popcorn if there is too much salt and/or butter, but really...of all things that is what I would cheat with? I'm losing some gusto here!

On my Myspace page I lost two friends over the last couple of weeks. Normally I would be devastated, but...I dont' know who I lost! Isn't that kind of sad? I have no idea who deleted me or their page (I'm hoping they just deleted their page), and one of them was in my "Top Friends". Oops. I never really log on there anyways, so I guess it's all for not. I should not be concerned about that little fact. I prefer Facebook, but got in trouble last week from one of my aunts for not befriending her daughter (my cousin). Um, this isn't grade school and I don't have to defend my decisions to not befriend your horrible specimen of a daughter. Ick. It made my friday interesting though, so that was nice :)

I realized I did not give a kitten update yesterday in my blog, so I must do that now. Mozzie is growing so fast....well, she's growing taller and that's about it. She absolutely adores closets and bathrooms, and whenever you walk towards either one she will literally beat you there. Every night as I go to bed she races onto my bed, kneads me for a bit (our own private moment) and then takes off, presumably until I wake up six or seven hours later. She's still as curious as ever, and as cute as ever. Tianna and Aaron have taken to calling her "ADD", which is fitting.

Cheddar is just as sweet and as gentle as ever (except when he's trying to hump Mozzie). He loves sitting in my lap, and has his moments where he refuses to let me put him down for any reason. He is the reason I know I will be a good mother, seriously. I know that makes me sound like a crazy cat lady, but whatever...I love my cats, and I will someday make an excellent mother and caregiver because of them. Every night when Mozzie sees something shiny and has to leave my room, he takes her spot and sleeps next to me; I'm not sure if he is there all night, but when I wake up in the morning, he is right next to me, ready to welcome me to my day.

I know people say you love your cats more than they love you, but why are they both right next to me right now as I type? And they always are close to me? Hmmm....I deplore you, could my cats be the exception? I think so....

The crazy noisy kids from down the hall are not as loud as they used to be, but still have their moments. For a while there their mother was playing with them in the hallway! The hallway! They would scream and cry all the way up and down the hallway. One day I finally opened the door and yelled "Hey!" "Hey! You're too loud, get out of the hallway!" to which I got a "Haha. Ok. Sorry." Um, no you're not. Otherwise you would have listened the day before when our neighbor and Tianna told you the same thing. Do not fret, I made a formal complaint.

Oh, before I leave you for the evening I must say this: One of our HR ladies today (I have the pleasure and the privelege of sitting next to HR...lucky me) brought in homemade Oreo truffles today...and I didn't eat a single one! I looked at them, had someone take a bite so I could see the inside, heard the Oohs and Aahs about how good they were, and passed so I could keep up my 100 oz of water at work regimen. Woot!!

Now I will list some of my favorites for you to enjoy:
Lamb by Christopher Moore-everyone must read this
Stomp the Yard-Columbus Short...I need say no more
Italian Parmesan Almond Slivers-deliscious and very Southbeach friendly
My new purple shoes-They will look great all year round, and go with black and brown
JLo and Skeletor breaking up-What does she see in him anyways? Get rid of him already
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner-These two should reproduce once a year (congrats on the new baby)
Broccoli-I now crave it. WTF?
Wedding planning-It is totally fun! I have vowed to be the best MOH ever, and I am happy keeping up my end of that bargain
Walkvest.com-I must get one
Yoga-Everyone should do it, it's fantastic. I have also rediscovered my excellent balance via yoga
String cheese-Fun to eat, and tastes great too


Okay peeps, I'm out. Must shower and go to bed. Adios!

Clever Title

Wow-it's been a long time between posts. I am terrible at blogging I have found out! I appreciate everyone else's blogs so much and forget that some may want to read what's up with me too! Oops. Please forgive me.

So, since we've last spoken I have eaten carbs again, but then swore off carbs again. The reason I ate carbs was for the holidays, and I don't regret that I made that decision. But, once the holidays were over I resumed my previous diet and even joined a Weight Loss Challenge. We do weekly weigh-ins, and I lost the first weeks weigh in by .06%! What the heck? I don't feel like a failure or that I've technically lost anything because I didn't win the weekly challenge, but .06?! Come on now!

I've been down this getting fit road before, and once I get in the swing of things it comes easily and naturally to me. I'm trying to reshape my thinking so that this is a lifetime change, not just a "get to a comfortable weight and then start eating poorly to have to do it all over again" change. I have been doing yoga with my aunt and want to start to look into doing some classes. We did an intermediate DVD yesterday and I was doing poses that on paper, I never in a million years thought I'd be able to do. Along with eating right, I feel so much more energized! Last weekend I was a sloth and didn't have much more energy to be anything but, this weekend, after five days of eating healthy, I was up at 8 and going non-stop all day! What a change!

Work is going to be getting busy here for a bit, which I appreciate. I hate being bored at work. I'm not sure if anyone knows this about me, but I can be a bit of a talker. And when I'm bored at work, I tend to get even less done because I'm chatting all the time, or as much as possible. I know-hard to believe....since that is the only thing I've ever gotten in trouble for in my life! Haha!

Tianna found a beautiful wedding dress on Saturday. Her and I immediately burst into tears the minute she had it on. They then came with a feather/flower connoction for her hair (ala the bird from SATC Movie), and while Ti and Beaky both scoffed, I put it in her hair because I had to see it....it was awesome and gorgeous! Oh my goodness, who thought feathers would look nice? What is funny and ironic about that is this whole time while planning Ti's wedding with her I've said the only thing I want to be able to do is wear a flower in my hair; I don't care about the bridesmaids dress, I'll support any decision, just let me wear a flower. Now Ti is wearing a flower and loves it so much she wants all the girls to do it too! Haha! Other things for her wedding are running smoothly as well-we just had someone over today to put together the invitations, there will be a proof back on that next week. The tasting still needs to be done; If I can, I'll go but I would like to refrain from tasting the food if at all possible. Why tempt fate?

Oh, Ti has been doing the Weight Loss Challenge as well, but she is going to have to be much more careful than me over the next few months as she will not be able to lose as much weight as she was planning on. Not that she was necessairly doing it for the wedding, she was also making a lifestyle change, but her drastic lifestyle change will have to wait until after May 22 :) Which means, less competition for me to win some big bucks! Haha! I think the WLC will help keep her motivated to tone up and live a healthy lifestyle. I just think we're both so grateful for the challenge and our newfound outlook on life and health.

I was thinking about taking a picture of myself every hour that I was awake the other day....I wonder what that would be like. Maybe I will still do that and use it as a blog. I wonder what that would for sure be like at work. Maybe not necessarily a picture of myself, but maybe a picture of my surroundings. That way, people who don't get to see me very much or doing the day would know what I'm doing at any given time....interesting or lame? Input :)

All right, I'm being a chatty Kathie, time to go. Peace and love.

Day 2

So, I went back on the Southbeach diet, as I have let my body slip (again) and I need to get myself back into fighting form. Not necessairly for anything specific, although I react better to that, so I've given myself the goal of looking good in my bridesmaids dress for Tianna's wedding. I have already gotten the "No carb" headache and the "No carb" tinny taste in my mouth, so it seems to be taking. Haha! I don't know how else to describe that. But, I hope to start to notice some new energy in the next couple of days, and if my pants fight just a little bit better, that's all the more motivation for me!

Times are really sucky right now, but I figured out that I can control what happens to me and how I react to things. No more turning to comforts for comfort. I need to be more proactive, more of a doer in my personal life, because as it stands, professionally I do everything and anything asked of me, go above and beyond, but that affects my personal life and it shouldn't. I've always said that I only work to live, not live to work, and maybe my actions aren't actually showing that that is how I feel.

I will keep everyone posted on this...not that anyone else cares, but maybe it will just simply help me to write about it as well? We'll see! Haha!

Friendsgiving

Sorry for the long time between posts! I keep bragging at work that I'm a blogger, but really....I'm not. I just have a blog that I occasionally write shit on...Which reminds me of Mitch Hedberg when he says he doesn't have a microwave, just a clock that occasionally cooks shit.

Anyshaboo....what is new, what is new....Thanksgiving was this past weekend. It has now been dubbed Friendsgiving, but should not be shortened to F-day, as that has weird connotations (thanks to Pants for pointing that out). It was a huge success and is the 5th time we've done it. Mikey, Ti, and I are the only ones that have been at all three, so for everyone else's sake, it's the 4th annual :)

Mikey and Per came with their little dog friday night around midnight. After playing some cribbage and catching up we hit the hay for the long day. Saturday was a whirlwind of running around, cooking, and friends. It was absolutely fantastic and I wish that we could do it more often. But, if we did it more often I don't think it would be as special, so I will just wait for others to arrange parties or weddings and attend them.

Sunday was a great day as well, we did breakfast at the Deuce with LB and Pants, then went bridesmaid dress shopping. Oh, and someone should have told me to shave my legs before we went...just a little sidenote.

It was just such a great weekend, I won't ever forget it. A few highlights that some might understand:

-Ron "Queening" out at the Deuce
-The door actually not shutting behind us
-The dog peeing on my couch :(
-Me getting a bracelet stuck on my arm
-White Elephant
-Aaron not wanting to go to the grocery store alone b/c we all have fun when he's gone...and Pants graciously stepping up to go with him
-Chad realizing gay men are actually fun
-Nick finding out Tianna and I think his wall is tacky
-"Would you lick a bathroom floor for $1000?"

I think that's it...I'm sure I'm missing some highlights, but maybe TR will fill us in?