A little something..

I'm busy as all get out .. but wanted something new for you all to look at.. & this just struck me as rather.. interesting! curious to know how you all do!
My week is going well & as some of you know I've even managed to sneak off & get in some workouts! (YAY)

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain. People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

What Do People Envy About You?

And so the circle turns..

How quickly the focus can change... I don't know if I'm articulate enough to explain the profound way that fate has reminded me that life is a circle.. ( I think one day I'm gonna have to pay Karenna to ghost write my blogs to get the words out better ..)

Since friday - much has happened to change my focus.
My sister & my brand new nephew arrived here over the weekend & there is a real reminder that there is always a New life waiting in the wings, demanding attention & more than able to fill up the space in your heart ...& home!

My waking hours have been filled not with introspection & saddness for others...but a never-ending flurry of activity & noise- & a LOT of STUFF ( gees I forgot how much STUFF new babies need ~lol...)

& time.. they take up allllll your time - this from the woman who sorta didn't quite make it out the door to the gym this AM because spending time with a little person seems to have taken over my whole morning :) Not entirely a bad thing in the big picture I suppose..

So I'll make this quick ,as the boy is waking up from a brief nap... & we're maybe gonna head out for a walk in the sunshine... I'll just say thanks for all your thoughts...I'll have to catch up on your worlds a bit later..
Hope you're all well & continuing to enjoy the "good" momments that life brings

I am :D

Ok.. Big breath..

I'm gonna write this out .. Unfortunately it won't change a thing ..& really wonder if I'm just dragging everyone down into my funk by doing this.. I'm rarely one to write about to much of the 'serious" stuff in my world - because somewhere in my brain I have been taught to "keep those things to myself" that by blabbing about them I'm looking for "oh poor you" that is "selfish" or not "proper"..Great stuff the hard wiring from our upbringing eh?

Ok enough stalling- as I told Suze the other day on the phone when she had the misfortune to ask me "how things are" Do you really wanna know? For you in Blogland.. If not- wander off now - Go find something "cheery" to read!

In the past week in my world a series of things have happened.. One of the girls I work with who has a 5 yr old & has been trying since just told us a week ago that she's Pregnant... Well not anymore. I can't even imagine her pain...
The same day I learned that --I learned that one of the older ladies that works in our dietary ( you know those cute little bustling cheery round ladies) well I had seen her Wednesday serving out the dinner for our pts & apparently Thursday on her days off she had an aneurysm burst & by Friday she was gone.

then to top it off ... Some of you might remember me blogging about a friend of mine I call "Mother May " or "Auntie May".. She was diagnosed with Lung Cancer just mere months ago... Well I got a call from her son while I was at work Mon night & he told me she was in the Hospital & Not doing well- that they had to have her back in there just to manage her pain ; that they had found it was in her bones & they were checking to see if it had traveled to her brain.
So I called one of the other girls I work with & we set up plans to go in & see her
Wed AM.... Paul called me back Tues eve to say she had just died.
Yea just a bit much all at once....
I guess All I can say what has been expressed out here in Blogland by others in times like this.. Hugs your kids, your family & friends . & simply try to enjoy this precious gift we have of "life"

What to say..

Well it's been kinda a difficult week for me...some pretty heavy things goin on .. but I'm getting thru it.
That's why & posted the previous "joke" that my aunt had sent me... how very Ironic that I get told "I'm funny" & it's "my best post ever"..geees Am I really that boring the rest of the time ?
makes ya wonder...
any who here's this then... in keeping with Janel's video.. more people to watch dance! besides, it's on my Ipod & I like it

http://www.webratsmusic.com/" target=blank>
Pon De Replay

Add a video to your site Webratsmusic.com

A story we might all appreciate! .....Tee hee..

Dear Diary;

For my 40th Birthday this year, my husband (the dear) purchased a
week of personal training at the local gym for me.

Although I am still in great shape since my track and field days
some 25 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and
give it a try.

I called the gym and made my reservations with a personal trainer
named Damon, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics
instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. -(YUMM)

My husband seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started!

The gym encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.


Monday;

Started my day at 6:00am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was
well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Damon
waiting for me.

He is something of a Greek god - with blond hair , seductive eyes
and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Damon gave me a tour and
showed me the machines. He took my pulse after five minutes on
the treadmill and was alarmed that it was so fast, but I attribute
it to standing next to him in his gym top and bulging shorts.

I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his
aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring. Damon was
encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching
from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be
a FANTASTIC week!!

Tuesday:

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.
Damon made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into
the air - then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on
the treadmill, but I made the full mile. Damon's rewarding smile made
it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!! It's a whole new life for me.

Wednesday:

The only way I can brush my teeth is by lying the toothbrush on the
counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have
a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try
to steer or stop. I ran over the gym manager in the parking lot.
Damon was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered
other club members. His voice is a little too perky for this early
in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that
is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so
he put me on the stair monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a
machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators?
Damon told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said
some other shit too.

Thursday:

Damon was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his
thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help
being a half an hour late; it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Damon took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking,
I ran and hid in the women's change room. He sent Cheryl to find me,
then, as punishment, put me on the rowing machine - which I sank.

Friday:

I hate that bastard Damon more than any human being has ever hated
any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid,
masochistic gym-jock. If there was a part of my body I could move
without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. He wanted me to
work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want
dents in the floor,don't hand me the *&%#(#&**!!@*@ barbells or anything
that weighs more than a sandwich. (Which I am sure you learned in the
sadist school you attended and graduated magna cum laude from.)The
treadmill flung me off and I landed on the nutrition advisor. Why
couldn't it have been someone big and soft, like an ice-cream salesman
or a fireman?

Saturday:

Damon left a message on my answering machine in his grating, whining
voice, wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing him made
me want to smash the machine with my rolling pin. However, I lacked
the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven
straight hours of the Weather Channel.

Sunday:

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go
and thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next
year my husband(the bastard) will choose a gift for me that is
fun -like a root canal or a pap smear!

No wonder!...

So I have the gall to "wonder" how I manage NOT to do well when we have nights like this!!!
Ok So this eve was a LITTLE over the top even for us! (lol~)-- friends of ours JUST got engaged & Jamie is going to be the best man . Not to mention that Daryll just found out that he's been accepted to the new job he applied for in a town that is 4-5 hours AWAY away from here & he starts NEXT week!!

So we kinda had a big "Congrats & going away Feast"....we all like to Cook so everyone was making SOMETHING ( thank God for having such a big kitchen! )..& we never did sit down -just ended up eating in waves...
Lets see ...
We had Lobster, Dungeoness Crab, King crab, prawns, shrimp, oysters, scallops...& wine we just bottled...OMG!!.. I wonder why we never got to the homemade Caesar salad!!

but I did make the cheese cake out of the EFL cook book!!!!
Bahahaha!! Oh yea - now THAT made it healthy Right??

Can I just title this - *yawn*?

This is gonna a be a fun day - I can tell already... I for some obscure reason I woke up at about 1:30 am & COULD NOT get back to sleep... I dunno maybe it was us going to bed earlier than usual & ummm well being VERY pleasantly exhausted when I did fall asleep at about 10:30-11:00 -- Tee hee ;P
Does this happen to anyone else that sometimes right after.. You fall asleep ...& then wake up a few hours later?? Or am I just weird?

Any who, after lying in bed staring at the ceiling I decide to get up & come down stairs...I started a loaf of bread , cleaned the whole big walk in pantry - mostly cause I got pissy about not being able to find ingredients for the damn bread & then proceeded to catch up on everyone's Blogs...Interesting to see the world of Blends Going UP & DOWN like a teeter totter...VERY nice to see there's more "GOOD" & UPS in people worlds happening right at this moment! :D
Yep this is what I'm doing at 3AM!! Oh yea & throw in snacking - now does that count as yesterday's last meal or today's first?? ~lol

So this morning I'm now staring at my handy bottle of Thermo- whatevers & trying to figure out just how many I'm gonna need to wake my sorry A$$ up enough to go Go GO to the gym!

Wish me luck..... :D

Weekends are dangerous..

Here it is Monday & I'm relieved.. Yea.... WHAT? You say...
Hmmmm well to explain -I'm more than just a little pissed at my self that I yet again let the whole weekend become a series of Free Day moments.
Someone please tell me WTH happens in my brain that says that eating well right up till dinner time means that everything after that is WHOO HOO PARTY time!?! I dunno!... I need to figure out the mental process that goes into this sorta thing if I ever really hope to see decent results- that is the absolute bottom line on this.

I know that this is a pattern I have when I have weekend days off.. Friday I can work-out, be totally ON with eating all day- but then if it's a day off.. Come the eve & we end up "socializing" which usually involves food & drink.. & If I'm off Sat too- well it's the same sorta equation! -Then the hard thing is then Sunday even when I go back to work- I can't seem to get out of the fog & be all gun ho about eating clean- I'd quite honestly hazard to guess that it's some sort of "food induced hangover!!!" cause often I don't really even drink that much if at all ( especially if I had drank the night before~lol) - just the damn rich food!

Now telling me to NOT be sociable isn't gonna work- I'm just not willing to give up everything all the time ..Jamie & I both enjoy cooking & entertaining too much & to be honest with my schedual- getting to relax & "kick back" with friends is an infrequent treat.

Sorry for blithering on about this ... I'm just trying so hard to stay focused & on track this "challenge" .. That feeling like I'm on that slippery slope to Apathy is actually scaring me... I really WANT to do well.. I WANT to really make some changes & look "different" - it's been too long since I've managed to really see anything remarkable ...

Gotta find a way to keep the "damage" to a minimum somehow! *sigh*

Missed YOU all..

Friday was a funny day in my world...our computer was offline for the WHOLE day ..& I realised how much I rely on being able to get on line, look up things or just catch up on the "goings on" in everyone's world - any time I want~ So I can't even imagine going away on an extended vaction-I'd MISS you all too much ~lol
Anywho had a great day...busy, busy since kids have a half day of Fridays & my workout time is shortened -No lollygaging for me! & then we had dentist appointments as well to fit into our timeline & shopping & baseball practice..& on & ON it goes _ oh yea somewhere in there I have to make dinner too!
So it was busy but not so busy that I didn't go find the scale at the gym...
I'm down to 137 :D Yay ME~ So it's nice to find that working at this has Happy resutls!~

Keep up the PMA gang~

Good day!....

Well gang, here we are into week 2 of the Bikini challenge & I'm feeling GOOOOD today! Even after a weekend of eating ...ummm, well ..ah ,bithday food LOL ( I think I had more Pizza over this weekend than I've had in months- simply 'cause it was quick, easy & well frankly portable!! ) I'm think &(HOPE) I'm gonna be down again on weight by the end of the week!

I'm attributing it to "trying" to do T's diet for most of last week & so far all of this one... ( I'm doing a few substitutions - but tracking things on FITDAY) TO be honest this is the first time since last Spring that I've REALLY honestly been eating this clean. Thru the fall & winter,even when I waws eating "good" I got into a habit of telling myself that a low fat chewy granola bar was a good carb choice.... or that whatever everyone else was eating was .."close enough". Not to metion that more often than not my Free day turned into a Free Weekend with WAY too much partaking! ;P ( damn you Stef for telling me just HOW many grams of sugar are in a Vodka Ice!! ~lol)

Anywho this week, I've had my momments where I've been HUNGRY as Jess said...not fun! & gotten pretty damn sick of seeing spinache & frikkin' brocoli at a few points...( shoulda heard me muttering under my breath around work LAST night! ) but doing this even just for the days I work .. I think is doing me good.. I have a feeling if I tried to do this 24/7 I'd turn into a bloody basket case ! I really don't know how Teresa or any one can do this day in & day out for days , weeks, even months on end!! ITS BORING!! bahaha!

Other than obsessing about FOOD I've had a pretty good week been really hitting things hard with my workouts --& really enjoying chatting with Karenna ,Christie,Deb, Lisa & Co in the mornings ( although I'm gonna have to put a time limit on that or do it AFTER I go to the gym - cause otherwise I'm running out of day somehow before I know it! Tee hee! )

I also spoke a couple times today to Suzanne, who I've been worrying about & she's doing ok - they're ruling all the Yucky things out & hopefully it will turn out to be something fairly straightforward to deal with .. but that's her story to tell when the time comes .. In the mean time I'm just glad our dear Blend is doin ok & am once again reminded just how thankful I myself am for all of you out there-- & all the support that we give & get from one another!


Happy Wedsday ALL

**BIG HUGS**

What did I do all Weekend you ask???

Well it was a whirlwind... being that my schedual always changes & I work 3 days on then 3 days off... weekends are a REAL premium! This weekend we had friends to see before they leave to work away for a YEAR .. a soccer windup party & FINALLY my darling Daughter's Birthday PARTIES...Yes 2...you have to have the family one too ya know!

Here's some pics from the girls party ... we made it a whole "Men IN Black" Theme party starting with invitations in manila envelopes with TOP SECRET on them & invitations that had to be read using a mirror ( ya shoulda seen me trying to write THAT ~lol) When the girls got to the house - Jamie & I, who were dressed head to toe in black with sunglasses on, welcomed them to "Headquarters" & handed them their OWN "uniform" a G.I.B. t- shirt Jess & I had made up with Hot pink lettering on the backs (Girls In Black instead of MEN)
We did pizza & watched the M.I.B. movie & them took them to the local Mall for their "Training Assignment" which was a series of tasks in the Mall..( finding & buying sunglasses at the dollar store .. finding Quotes in the GNC store ect... They also had to take polaroid pictures of anyone they thought MIGHT be a possible ALIEN... Tee hee Now that was Fun! -- & the stir it caused in the Mall was Hilarious! Yep- IT was a BLAST they all had such a great time.. it was well worth all the effort & insanity!