Serendipity
I decide to buy a new serger and a friend puts her Viking up for sale. While it took a bit of effort (mostly from another friend), it is now up & running!
I found a 3 part course on raw food in Asheville which starts … this Saturday. I changed my weekend plans (road trip to Mary Jo’s for fabric) so I can attend. It puts a crimp in my road trip budget up to JM’s, but it’s the only class I’ve found that doesn’t involve thousands of dollars and hotel stays/flights. The class is 3 Saturdays over a 6 week period, so it doesn’t affect my trip up to visit JM. Sweet!
I hate that I am committing so much weekend time for the next few weeks, but this is something I really feel like will be useful and it’s something I want to do. I’m just tired of feeling like I have no time.
Then we have the anti-serendipity:
In order for my grandma to have Hospice, she had to be moved out of the Alzheimer’s unit and into the other part of the assisted living facility. Having moved her, they now think she may make too much money to qualify for Medicaid in that unit. So my mom may be forced to move her to an entirely new facility. While that might be best in the long run, I know my mom is feeling a HUGE amount of stress over this.
On the up side, MIL is #3 on the list and there are several units currently being cleaned etc. for new occupants at the senior subsidized apartment complex. It looks like she will be moving by the end of the month!!! YAY!!!!! Would it be mean to hope she’s moving on the weekend of a cooking class??????
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Monday, May 03, 2010
Medical rants
Enter at your own risk
My MIL: My MIL is what we southerners call “bat-sh&^ crazy.” Is she mentally ill? I don’t think I’d go that far (but I’m not a professional), but she is not a fully functioning member of society. She was never firing on all cylinders according to hub, but after a robbery while she was managing a Public Storage facility 5 or 6 years ago, things really got worse. Since then, she hasn’t been able to successfully keep a job or really take care of things.
After the robbery, she was put on Seroquel – either for sleeping troubles or PTSD, depending on when you talk to her. She’s remained on it ever since. Because she’s never had health insurance, she’s bounced around from one organization serving the uninsured to the next, never staying anywhere more than a few months to a year. She’s on all these different medications, and she’s one of these people that just goes along never questioning anything. She also has a propensity to twist things to support what she wants. As an example, she once went to the doctor and her blood sugar was low (she’s diabetic), so they gave her a granola bar and a Coke. She interpreted that as “granola is an acceptable substitute for my morning oatmeal” and “I can drink sugared Coke any time I want.” Remember the time she ate an entire cake in a 24 hour period?
Anyway, a social worker (who she is now taking medical advice from) came out to evaluate her – she is getting an appointment with a local group that serves the uninsured. I hope she can get all this mess straightened out, but if we’re depending on her to have a conversation with the doctor then it won’t be happening. She has loads of health issues, is on loads of various medicines with no consistent medical review – it’s just a mess. I’m not blaming any of the doctors she’s seen – how can you treat someone effectively when you see them once or twice and they don’t provide you with accurate information?
And then there’s the fact that she’s a total bullshi&^er, and over half of what comes out of her mouth is made up – all designed to make her look good. Given what my mom is going through right now with my grandma, I don’t know how she stays sane.
My grandma: Monie has had Alzheimer’s for over 20 years. She has no quality of life – she doesn’t speak, she’s in a wheel chair. The place she is isn’t taking care of her. She was moved to a different area of the same outfit so she could get Hospice, but so far she doesn’t seem to be getting better treatment. Hello, she’s on mechanical soft food (think toddler food) but you send out a plate of salad for her to feed herself???? If my mom didn’t go over there every day, I’m not sure the woman would ever be properly fed or clothed. It’s outrageous.
Needless to say, the stress of trying to figure out (on her own) what to do in terms of where to put my grandmother & how to make sure she gets the care she needs is wearing my mom out. Add my MIL as a roomie, and it’s no wonder my mom is feeling so stressed out. And I’m really worried about the whole thing.
One good thing is that MIL is now up to #3 on the waiting list for subsidized senior housing, so at least she can be loonie in her own place instead of my mom’s.
Enter at your own risk
My MIL: My MIL is what we southerners call “bat-sh&^ crazy.” Is she mentally ill? I don’t think I’d go that far (but I’m not a professional), but she is not a fully functioning member of society. She was never firing on all cylinders according to hub, but after a robbery while she was managing a Public Storage facility 5 or 6 years ago, things really got worse. Since then, she hasn’t been able to successfully keep a job or really take care of things.
After the robbery, she was put on Seroquel – either for sleeping troubles or PTSD, depending on when you talk to her. She’s remained on it ever since. Because she’s never had health insurance, she’s bounced around from one organization serving the uninsured to the next, never staying anywhere more than a few months to a year. She’s on all these different medications, and she’s one of these people that just goes along never questioning anything. She also has a propensity to twist things to support what she wants. As an example, she once went to the doctor and her blood sugar was low (she’s diabetic), so they gave her a granola bar and a Coke. She interpreted that as “granola is an acceptable substitute for my morning oatmeal” and “I can drink sugared Coke any time I want.” Remember the time she ate an entire cake in a 24 hour period?
Anyway, a social worker (who she is now taking medical advice from) came out to evaluate her – she is getting an appointment with a local group that serves the uninsured. I hope she can get all this mess straightened out, but if we’re depending on her to have a conversation with the doctor then it won’t be happening. She has loads of health issues, is on loads of various medicines with no consistent medical review – it’s just a mess. I’m not blaming any of the doctors she’s seen – how can you treat someone effectively when you see them once or twice and they don’t provide you with accurate information?
And then there’s the fact that she’s a total bullshi&^er, and over half of what comes out of her mouth is made up – all designed to make her look good. Given what my mom is going through right now with my grandma, I don’t know how she stays sane.
My grandma: Monie has had Alzheimer’s for over 20 years. She has no quality of life – she doesn’t speak, she’s in a wheel chair. The place she is isn’t taking care of her. She was moved to a different area of the same outfit so she could get Hospice, but so far she doesn’t seem to be getting better treatment. Hello, she’s on mechanical soft food (think toddler food) but you send out a plate of salad for her to feed herself???? If my mom didn’t go over there every day, I’m not sure the woman would ever be properly fed or clothed. It’s outrageous.
Needless to say, the stress of trying to figure out (on her own) what to do in terms of where to put my grandmother & how to make sure she gets the care she needs is wearing my mom out. Add my MIL as a roomie, and it’s no wonder my mom is feeling so stressed out. And I’m really worried about the whole thing.
One good thing is that MIL is now up to #3 on the waiting list for subsidized senior housing, so at least she can be loonie in her own place instead of my mom’s.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Stop the insanity
Yesterday was not a very good day, on many levels. The day began with my doing the first of my “Insanity” workouts. I’d say it was my last but I didn’t finish. It led to the shocking (although why it was shocking I’m clueless) realization that I have lost far more of my fitness level than I realized. It was pretty demoralizing.
I had applied for a job in another department, which I did not get. Granted, the rumor intelligence network had another guy that already works closely with the team as a shoe-in, and I am pretty happy in my current role, but it is still disappointing.
The I realized that careless spending plus a series of continued financial events (car repairs, dead dishwasher, etc.) have led us to add quite a chunk to our debt burden. Hub and I had a serious “come to jesus” about that last night. We must be more vigilant about our discretionary spending!!!
After dinner we went and took a tour of the Y. We were members back when I started this blog. We switched to another gym for a couple of reasons, but lately we’ve been missing some of the amenities at the Y (pool, sauna, hot tub, steam room…) and they have expanded their hours of operation, making it more convenient. Even though it’s a little more a month, given that we aren’t using the current gym at all I think it’s worth it. Even though we are committed to cutting our spending, I think we both realize we’ve got to make fitness a priority. Notice I don’t say “top priority” – at this point any priority at all would be good as it doesn’t even seem to appear on the radar.
Right now I’m just feeling sad.
Yesterday was not a very good day, on many levels. The day began with my doing the first of my “Insanity” workouts. I’d say it was my last but I didn’t finish. It led to the shocking (although why it was shocking I’m clueless) realization that I have lost far more of my fitness level than I realized. It was pretty demoralizing.
I had applied for a job in another department, which I did not get. Granted, the rumor intelligence network had another guy that already works closely with the team as a shoe-in, and I am pretty happy in my current role, but it is still disappointing.
The I realized that careless spending plus a series of continued financial events (car repairs, dead dishwasher, etc.) have led us to add quite a chunk to our debt burden. Hub and I had a serious “come to jesus” about that last night. We must be more vigilant about our discretionary spending!!!
After dinner we went and took a tour of the Y. We were members back when I started this blog. We switched to another gym for a couple of reasons, but lately we’ve been missing some of the amenities at the Y (pool, sauna, hot tub, steam room…) and they have expanded their hours of operation, making it more convenient. Even though it’s a little more a month, given that we aren’t using the current gym at all I think it’s worth it. Even though we are committed to cutting our spending, I think we both realize we’ve got to make fitness a priority. Notice I don’t say “top priority” – at this point any priority at all would be good as it doesn’t even seem to appear on the radar.
Right now I’m just feeling sad.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Insanity: yes, it is
This morning I did day one of my Insanity workout - the fitness test (I was supposed to start yesterday, but I overslept. Ooops). It consisted of eight exercises: you do each exercise for one minute – as many times as you can. There is a one minute rest between each exercise. Let’s just say it was …. Embarrassing. Not that anyone else saw me, but I was dismayed at how hard it was. The program is 60 days – you do a tougher schedule of workouts in the second half than first. I may do the first half twice before I move on. We’ll see. It’s HARD.
We went out to a Vietnamese restaurant last night recommended by a friend. It was great! The boy couldn’t get over the size of the bowl of soup they brought out for each of us. I got vegetable & tofu and have the leftovers for lunch today, plus some leftover stir fry.
I had a green smoothie for breakfast and a piece of peanut butter toast later at work. I am trying to make diet pepsi a “sometimes food”, so I haven’t had any today. I just don’t think it can be very healthy, even if it doesn’t have calories. Tonight I am making chicken adobo – it’s in the crockpot since we are volunteering tonight. I put a piece of “chicken seitan” in for myself. I have no idea how it will react to spending all day in the crockpot, but I figured I’d give it a shot. We’ll put rice & green beans with it.
They had my favorite potatoes in the cafeteria at breakfast this morning – they are boiled then sautéed with some onion & seasoning & have a tiny bit of cheese. They are great in a burrito. I didn’t get any because I knew I’d be starving later and the pb toast would stay with me. Which was a wise move because it’s 20 minutes until lunch and I’m very hungry! I guess you can tell by all the talk about food!
I did some sewing this weekend, which means that come Monday my house was a mess and my cooking wasn’t done. It seems horribly unfair that I either have time to take care of my home & family OR time to pursue hobbies I enjoy, but never both. Sigh. Too bad winning the lottery isn't a serious consideration!!! :-)
Have a good day!
This morning I did day one of my Insanity workout - the fitness test (I was supposed to start yesterday, but I overslept. Ooops). It consisted of eight exercises: you do each exercise for one minute – as many times as you can. There is a one minute rest between each exercise. Let’s just say it was …. Embarrassing. Not that anyone else saw me, but I was dismayed at how hard it was. The program is 60 days – you do a tougher schedule of workouts in the second half than first. I may do the first half twice before I move on. We’ll see. It’s HARD.
We went out to a Vietnamese restaurant last night recommended by a friend. It was great! The boy couldn’t get over the size of the bowl of soup they brought out for each of us. I got vegetable & tofu and have the leftovers for lunch today, plus some leftover stir fry.
I had a green smoothie for breakfast and a piece of peanut butter toast later at work. I am trying to make diet pepsi a “sometimes food”, so I haven’t had any today. I just don’t think it can be very healthy, even if it doesn’t have calories. Tonight I am making chicken adobo – it’s in the crockpot since we are volunteering tonight. I put a piece of “chicken seitan” in for myself. I have no idea how it will react to spending all day in the crockpot, but I figured I’d give it a shot. We’ll put rice & green beans with it.
They had my favorite potatoes in the cafeteria at breakfast this morning – they are boiled then sautéed with some onion & seasoning & have a tiny bit of cheese. They are great in a burrito. I didn’t get any because I knew I’d be starving later and the pb toast would stay with me. Which was a wise move because it’s 20 minutes until lunch and I’m very hungry! I guess you can tell by all the talk about food!
I did some sewing this weekend, which means that come Monday my house was a mess and my cooking wasn’t done. It seems horribly unfair that I either have time to take care of my home & family OR time to pursue hobbies I enjoy, but never both. Sigh. Too bad winning the lottery isn't a serious consideration!!! :-)
Have a good day!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Here
I'm here. I was off work Friday since our team volunteered at the Special Olympics. I fell in a hole. I'm okay, just a nasty scrape/cut/bruise. Friday evening we drove to Georgia to visit my great aunt. Came home Sunday, then I took half a day Monday off since it was my birthday. I got a much needed pedicure.
I think I'm finally caught up on sleep from last week.
The power struggle between the two men at my house continues (sigh). Last night the lawn mower got left in the yard overnight and I threatened to kill everyone and burn down the house etc. I swear, those 2 make me crazy sometimes!!! It always has to be this pissing contest between them. Aren't the teen years great??????
Oh well. I hope to get some sewing done this weekend - I want to do something I want to do instead of chores all weekend long!
I'm here. I was off work Friday since our team volunteered at the Special Olympics. I fell in a hole. I'm okay, just a nasty scrape/cut/bruise. Friday evening we drove to Georgia to visit my great aunt. Came home Sunday, then I took half a day Monday off since it was my birthday. I got a much needed pedicure.
I think I'm finally caught up on sleep from last week.
The power struggle between the two men at my house continues (sigh). Last night the lawn mower got left in the yard overnight and I threatened to kill everyone and burn down the house etc. I swear, those 2 make me crazy sometimes!!! It always has to be this pissing contest between them. Aren't the teen years great??????
Oh well. I hope to get some sewing done this weekend - I want to do something I want to do instead of chores all weekend long!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Normally I do my mom’s taxes, but for some reason she wanted to do them on her own this year. Then she hit a snag, and I said I’d take a look. Tuesday morning I grabbed them from her house, but I was too tired to do anything about them that evening. Yesterday she came over and was going to try again, but when I got home there was a note “Didn’t have time. I’ll be your BMF (best mom forever) if you’ll finish them.” Hee hee. Sadly, I didn’t feel like doing them last night (drinking beer and watching “Dr. Who” in prep for the new season was a MUCH better idea IMO), so I got up a 5 AM and did taxes. Next year I’m doing hers when I do mine – in February!!! I ended up re-doing her fed (which was finished) because I have NO IDEA where she got a couple of numbers.
I did not inherit my mad mathematical skillz from my mom. Ahem.
Made ji gae for dinner last night, which was enjoyed by all, and there’s plenty for lunches. Woo hoo! Tonight I have to get hub to clean out his car because we are driving it to Georgia because we are taking Alma a new recliner for her room. Assisted living places suck. Really. The boy refers to hub’s car as “the garbage can”. We’ll be vacuuming that bad boy out before I go anywhere in it!
I emailed a friend and asked about coming up for a sewing weekend. While I am very excited to see her, can I be a baby for just a minute and admit I haven’t driven that far all by myself in ages? Good lord I feel like some clinging vine “ooh, I can’t go on a trip out of town without my husband to help me drive.” Sheesh. Time to re-claim my independent woman card!!!
I did not inherit my mad mathematical skillz from my mom. Ahem.
Made ji gae for dinner last night, which was enjoyed by all, and there’s plenty for lunches. Woo hoo! Tonight I have to get hub to clean out his car because we are driving it to Georgia because we are taking Alma a new recliner for her room. Assisted living places suck. Really. The boy refers to hub’s car as “the garbage can”. We’ll be vacuuming that bad boy out before I go anywhere in it!
I emailed a friend and asked about coming up for a sewing weekend. While I am very excited to see her, can I be a baby for just a minute and admit I haven’t driven that far all by myself in ages? Good lord I feel like some clinging vine “ooh, I can’t go on a trip out of town without my husband to help me drive.” Sheesh. Time to re-claim my independent woman card!!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Monday night around 11:30 my mom called to let us know she had called 911 because she thought she was having a heart attack. The 3 of us quickly dressed, jumped in the car, and headed for the emergency room.
Turns out she didn't have a heart attack (thankfully!), but they aren't really sure what it was. The doctor wanted to admit her so they could test some more and observe her. Around 4:30 we left to get breakfast and head home. I wanted to wait until she was in a regular room before we left, but the boy was passed out in the waiting room and hub was fading fast, so I felt like I needed to take care of them more than I needed to just wait., but I still hated to leave.
We got breakfast - hub made it to Herbie's but I had to drive us home. Funny - he's the late night person, but when it comes to late night driving, I have to pitch in a lot! We got home around 6:15 and headed for bed. The dog woke me up at 8:30, I left the guys sleeping while I headed back to the hospital. Mom was released and I took her home.
We all stayed home yesterday (except the boy did volunteer) and puttered around and napped. The boy said someone was looking at Jack, so I hope he gets adopted this week!!!! Hub picked him up and went in to look at the chihuahuas - they had just gotten back from getting fixed, he said they were all sacked out.
We are going to Georgia this weekend to visit my great aunt, but hub is staying home since he has to work. :-(
I was planning to take Monday off work (it’s my birthday), but I guess I'll just take half a day - I'll need some time to grocery shop & food prep after getting home.
Anyway, I'm tired - thankfully, today is actually a low key day at work!I went to the optometrist and ordered new glasses. They should be ready in 5 days. She knocked $40 off b/c she felt bad I'd had such a hard time! They are cute and it'll be nice to have a pair I can leave at work and have one for home.
I ordered a workout thingie from an infomercial. I know that sounds cheesy! I just feel like having some structure will help me out – I feel like I’m drifting. It’s a 60 day program. The reason I like this one more than some others I’ve seen is because it requires no equipment – it’s bodyweight exercises only. Right now that sounds pretty good.
My weight is up and seems to be staying that way – right now I don’t want to write numbers, even here. I feel self conscious even thought I don’t think anyone I know in “real life” reads this. Also, I am having my blood work done Friday and my annual check-up next Friday, and frankly I’m a little concerned. Not because I feel bad or anything, I just feel like I need to make some improvement. I’ll keep you guys posted with the results of that.
I started using my heavier kettlebell this morning. Wow! I forgot how much more difficult it is!
Well, that’s all I’ve got.
Turns out she didn't have a heart attack (thankfully!), but they aren't really sure what it was. The doctor wanted to admit her so they could test some more and observe her. Around 4:30 we left to get breakfast and head home. I wanted to wait until she was in a regular room before we left, but the boy was passed out in the waiting room and hub was fading fast, so I felt like I needed to take care of them more than I needed to just wait., but I still hated to leave.
We got breakfast - hub made it to Herbie's but I had to drive us home. Funny - he's the late night person, but when it comes to late night driving, I have to pitch in a lot! We got home around 6:15 and headed for bed. The dog woke me up at 8:30, I left the guys sleeping while I headed back to the hospital. Mom was released and I took her home.
We all stayed home yesterday (except the boy did volunteer) and puttered around and napped. The boy said someone was looking at Jack, so I hope he gets adopted this week!!!! Hub picked him up and went in to look at the chihuahuas - they had just gotten back from getting fixed, he said they were all sacked out.
We are going to Georgia this weekend to visit my great aunt, but hub is staying home since he has to work. :-(
I was planning to take Monday off work (it’s my birthday), but I guess I'll just take half a day - I'll need some time to grocery shop & food prep after getting home.
Anyway, I'm tired - thankfully, today is actually a low key day at work!I went to the optometrist and ordered new glasses. They should be ready in 5 days. She knocked $40 off b/c she felt bad I'd had such a hard time! They are cute and it'll be nice to have a pair I can leave at work and have one for home.
I ordered a workout thingie from an infomercial. I know that sounds cheesy! I just feel like having some structure will help me out – I feel like I’m drifting. It’s a 60 day program. The reason I like this one more than some others I’ve seen is because it requires no equipment – it’s bodyweight exercises only. Right now that sounds pretty good.
My weight is up and seems to be staying that way – right now I don’t want to write numbers, even here. I feel self conscious even thought I don’t think anyone I know in “real life” reads this. Also, I am having my blood work done Friday and my annual check-up next Friday, and frankly I’m a little concerned. Not because I feel bad or anything, I just feel like I need to make some improvement. I’ll keep you guys posted with the results of that.
I started using my heavier kettlebell this morning. Wow! I forgot how much more difficult it is!
Well, that’s all I’ve got.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Nice weekend
I had lunch with a friend Sunday - the kind of thing I never seem to find time for. It was so nice! Sometimes I get so caught up in all the stuff I'm doing, I forget to connect with other people....
The boy has his leaner's permit! That was a big deal for him.
I am avoiding the scale - right now I feel like there is nothing I can do to change my weight, which is a crummy way to feel.
I had lunch with a friend Sunday - the kind of thing I never seem to find time for. It was so nice! Sometimes I get so caught up in all the stuff I'm doing, I forget to connect with other people....
The boy has his leaner's permit! That was a big deal for him.
I am avoiding the scale - right now I feel like there is nothing I can do to change my weight, which is a crummy way to feel.
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Ugh!
It's 1 step forward, 2 steps back sometimes. I was so pleased with the drop on the scale, then a frustrating day with data & Excel, plus the fact that my glasses STILL weren't ready (oh, and they wanted an extra $90) left me in tears by the time I got home yesterday.
I had beer & ramen for dinner. Then I ate the dinner my husband brought home for me. Not the way to lose weight.
It's 1 step forward, 2 steps back sometimes. I was so pleased with the drop on the scale, then a frustrating day with data & Excel, plus the fact that my glasses STILL weren't ready (oh, and they wanted an extra $90) left me in tears by the time I got home yesterday.
I had beer & ramen for dinner. Then I ate the dinner my husband brought home for me. Not the way to lose weight.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Hello again!
Yesterday AM I was very tired and time was tight, so I didn't get in my AM kettlebell workout. I was able to pack healthy food though! I walked at lunch and then went and volunteered at the animal shelter in the afternoon. I was walked by several large dogs in the 90+ degree heat. Talk about wiped out!
I went home, had a quick supper (vegan stuff off the Whole Foods hot bar), took a bath, then had to go back to work for 2 meetings! I ended up getting home at 11:30! Ugh! Not a night owl...
So my plans for getting up this morning and doing a double workout (k-bells and walk) became zero workout as I slept in! Okay, things are NOT going as planned.
The good news is I dropped 2 and a half pounds of that vacation gain and eating is going well. I'm getting in plenty of raw foods (green smoothie for breakfast, raw nuts & fruit for snack, a huge salad for lunch) and I think it's helping me get back to normal.
Even though it's hard work and I don't always know exactly what I'm doing, I feel like volunteering at the shelter is making a difference. And frankly it feels more rewarding than all the political garbage that goes on in our medieval group! Dogs don't have politics - they're just happy to be out of the kennel and going for a walk.
It makes me kinda sad to see them there, but I'm glad it's a no kill shelter. otherwise they might all end up at my house!
Yesterday AM I was very tired and time was tight, so I didn't get in my AM kettlebell workout. I was able to pack healthy food though! I walked at lunch and then went and volunteered at the animal shelter in the afternoon. I was walked by several large dogs in the 90+ degree heat. Talk about wiped out!
I went home, had a quick supper (vegan stuff off the Whole Foods hot bar), took a bath, then had to go back to work for 2 meetings! I ended up getting home at 11:30! Ugh! Not a night owl...
So my plans for getting up this morning and doing a double workout (k-bells and walk) became zero workout as I slept in! Okay, things are NOT going as planned.
The good news is I dropped 2 and a half pounds of that vacation gain and eating is going well. I'm getting in plenty of raw foods (green smoothie for breakfast, raw nuts & fruit for snack, a huge salad for lunch) and I think it's helping me get back to normal.
Even though it's hard work and I don't always know exactly what I'm doing, I feel like volunteering at the shelter is making a difference. And frankly it feels more rewarding than all the political garbage that goes on in our medieval group! Dogs don't have politics - they're just happy to be out of the kennel and going for a walk.
It makes me kinda sad to see them there, but I'm glad it's a no kill shelter. otherwise they might all end up at my house!
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Where do we go from here?
Well, my weight was up (quite a bit) after vacation. I guess that isn't too surprising since I mostly sat on the porch and ate and read books.
I wasn't as active as I wanted to be, but honestly I was just feeling so burned out. It's been a tough year for many small reasons and it was nice to just sit & watch the ocean.
I'm feeling better. I still need to get more focused, but I am feeling more at peace than I was when I left. Right now my focus is to make the time for the things I need to do - like making healthy meals, exercise, and relaxing!
Well, my weight was up (quite a bit) after vacation. I guess that isn't too surprising since I mostly sat on the porch and ate and read books.
I wasn't as active as I wanted to be, but honestly I was just feeling so burned out. It's been a tough year for many small reasons and it was nice to just sit & watch the ocean.
I'm feeling better. I still need to get more focused, but I am feeling more at peace than I was when I left. Right now my focus is to make the time for the things I need to do - like making healthy meals, exercise, and relaxing!
Monday, April 05, 2010
And so I'm back
We made it back from vacation. Sigh. it was nice. it would have been nicer if I didn't need so much of it just to decompress! Also, boy was bored b/c no friends could come. other than that, very nice.
Glad to be home and back in a routine - and away from South Carolina pimiento cheese (OMG)!
We made it back from vacation. Sigh. it was nice. it would have been nicer if I didn't need so much of it just to decompress! Also, boy was bored b/c no friends could come. other than that, very nice.
Glad to be home and back in a routine - and away from South Carolina pimiento cheese (OMG)!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
A trifecta of excuses
Number 1: Time change has totally kicked my butt. I’ve had a hard time going to bed until 10, which has made getting up to exercise a no go. Yesterday I was able to get up at 5:30 (finally).
Number 2: Allergies? Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I had a lousy headache.
Number 3: Last week I was exhausted and worn out and miserable, and I didn’t want another week like that.
Scale remained the same, but with the minimal amount of exercise I did, that’s pretty good.
I am trying to cycle my calories – i.e. have low eating & high eating days, in an effort to move the scale. The results have been mixed: the first day I tried it I felt like crap and went home & pigged out, the second try I did great until after dinner when I had ½ a brownie and ½ a scoop of lf ice cream, and the third time I was starving, work was crazy, and I ate a bean burger.
So I dunno. Maybe I’ll give it a go again next week. Maybe I’ll just try to exercise more.
The week after next is spring break and we have rented a beach house at Edisto. I am so excited! It will be quiet, peaceful, and fun. We’re taking our bikes (it’s an awesome place to ride) and I will probably take my sewing machine and some jewelry making supplies. I can’t wait!
Have a good weekend!
Number 1: Time change has totally kicked my butt. I’ve had a hard time going to bed until 10, which has made getting up to exercise a no go. Yesterday I was able to get up at 5:30 (finally).
Number 2: Allergies? Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I had a lousy headache.
Number 3: Last week I was exhausted and worn out and miserable, and I didn’t want another week like that.
Scale remained the same, but with the minimal amount of exercise I did, that’s pretty good.
I am trying to cycle my calories – i.e. have low eating & high eating days, in an effort to move the scale. The results have been mixed: the first day I tried it I felt like crap and went home & pigged out, the second try I did great until after dinner when I had ½ a brownie and ½ a scoop of lf ice cream, and the third time I was starving, work was crazy, and I ate a bean burger.
So I dunno. Maybe I’ll give it a go again next week. Maybe I’ll just try to exercise more.
The week after next is spring break and we have rented a beach house at Edisto. I am so excited! It will be quiet, peaceful, and fun. We’re taking our bikes (it’s an awesome place to ride) and I will probably take my sewing machine and some jewelry making supplies. I can’t wait!
Have a good weekend!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Not much to report
Daylight savings time is kicking my butt. I’m having a rough time getting up in the morning. Ugh. Weight has stayed the same so far this week. Weather here is lovely. I walked yesterday, skipped Monday, and I’ll do kettlebells and walk this afternoon. Since I’m volunteering tomorrow, I HAVE to get up in the morning.
Daylight savings time is kicking my butt. I’m having a rough time getting up in the morning. Ugh. Weight has stayed the same so far this week. Weather here is lovely. I walked yesterday, skipped Monday, and I’ll do kettlebells and walk this afternoon. Since I’m volunteering tomorrow, I HAVE to get up in the morning.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Doing the Friday happy Dance
TGIF. I am pooped! I swear I feel like I could sleep for a week!
Walking/cleaning up after/playing with the dogs at the Humane Society last night was fun but pretty hard work and tiring. And of course I desperately needed a bath when I got home!
This week I dropped the 2.8 pounds I gained last week (yay!). I’ve have gotten up and exercised every morning Monday-Friday – doing either kettlebells or the 2 mile loop. I have walked at lunch 4 weekdays and walked 2 afternoons after work. Overall, I give myself an A!
It’s supposed to rain all weekend here. I am doing shopping and going out to dinner tonight. Mom and I are hitting the farmer’s market and Costco in the morning but other than that (and getting my toenails painted – it’s that season) I plan to putter around the house this weekend.
I feel the need to be a slug!
Have a great weekend.
TGIF. I am pooped! I swear I feel like I could sleep for a week!
Walking/cleaning up after/playing with the dogs at the Humane Society last night was fun but pretty hard work and tiring. And of course I desperately needed a bath when I got home!
This week I dropped the 2.8 pounds I gained last week (yay!). I’ve have gotten up and exercised every morning Monday-Friday – doing either kettlebells or the 2 mile loop. I have walked at lunch 4 weekdays and walked 2 afternoons after work. Overall, I give myself an A!
It’s supposed to rain all weekend here. I am doing shopping and going out to dinner tonight. Mom and I are hitting the farmer’s market and Costco in the morning but other than that (and getting my toenails painted – it’s that season) I plan to putter around the house this weekend.
I feel the need to be a slug!
Have a great weekend.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Do you follow recipes?
I think of recipes as guidelines rather than instructions to be followed verbatim. This morning I was putting dinner in the crockpot since I won't be home till 7 (work then volunteer at the animal shelter then pick up the boy from drivers ed). Hub is in charge of "making dinner" which means making rice to go with the dinner in the crockpot.
Have I ever mentioned I love my crockpot?
Anyway, I was making curry and I had a new recipe. But I wasn't quite sure about it (didn't sound spicy enough) so I pulled out an old tried and true recipe, then split the difference. Sadly, I'll never be able to replicate it exactly. I do write down my recipes sometimes, but my mom always thinks it hilarious when she calls to ask for a recipe and I ask which version and then begin to rattle it off b/c they live in my head.
I was grating ginger into the crockpot. Until recently I wouldn't have had fresh ginger on hand and would have been stuck using ground ginger as a poor substitute. But I read a tip somewhere about cutting your fresh ginger into 1 inch pieces and then freezing them. Well duh! Why hadn't I ever thought of that? Fresh ginger that's never withered and forgotten in the bottom of the veg drawer. It's the little things that make me happy sometimes.
Warning: MIL Whinge ahead
It's no secret that I'm not MIL's Number One Fan. I find it hard to empathize or have any patience with someone as hell bent on making themselves a victim as she is. (If you wonder how someone like that has a son like Hub, just know that she didn't raise him.)
The Saturday before moving down here she got her prescriptions refilled. In the week and a half since she has been down here, she has established a routine: sleep till noon, crochet & watch tv. She made a halfhearted attempt at seeing a doctor but when she found out where she used to go isn't accepting new patients, she didn't pursue it any farther. Now, this is a woman with health problems, among them diabetes and a broken foot that is healing VERY slowly. And stomach problems. And high blood pressure.
You think going to a doctor and seeing about 1) getting prescriptions set up and refilled and 2) seeing someone about the fact that she feels bad (her foot is hurting plus she's having a lot of body aches) would be a priority. But not so much. Oh, and she's on the new diabetes diet. I call it "a cake a day keeps the doctor away." My mom bought a small pound cake at fresh Market. She had 2 small slices. My MIL ate the rest - in one day. She also drank A WHOLE GALLON of coffee creamer (vanilla, NOT sugar free) her first week of living with my mom. Oh, and she's been busy on a half gallon of ice cream as well.
Now, I am not a medical professional, but in my medical opinion if I were to design a diet which would enable a diabetic to commit suicide via food, I think this would be it. As long as she takes care of what she needs to in order to get this apartment in K'ville, then whatever. But she isn't going to just sponge off my mom's kind nature.
Hub called yesterday & told her she needed to get off her a$$ & start taking care of stuff. My mom agreed, but in a nicer way. I told mom to keep us posted and if she hadn't made any progress by next Wednesday we'll be coming by for an in person come to Jesus.
I think of recipes as guidelines rather than instructions to be followed verbatim. This morning I was putting dinner in the crockpot since I won't be home till 7 (work then volunteer at the animal shelter then pick up the boy from drivers ed). Hub is in charge of "making dinner" which means making rice to go with the dinner in the crockpot.
Have I ever mentioned I love my crockpot?
Anyway, I was making curry and I had a new recipe. But I wasn't quite sure about it (didn't sound spicy enough) so I pulled out an old tried and true recipe, then split the difference. Sadly, I'll never be able to replicate it exactly. I do write down my recipes sometimes, but my mom always thinks it hilarious when she calls to ask for a recipe and I ask which version and then begin to rattle it off b/c they live in my head.
I was grating ginger into the crockpot. Until recently I wouldn't have had fresh ginger on hand and would have been stuck using ground ginger as a poor substitute. But I read a tip somewhere about cutting your fresh ginger into 1 inch pieces and then freezing them. Well duh! Why hadn't I ever thought of that? Fresh ginger that's never withered and forgotten in the bottom of the veg drawer. It's the little things that make me happy sometimes.
Warning: MIL Whinge ahead
It's no secret that I'm not MIL's Number One Fan. I find it hard to empathize or have any patience with someone as hell bent on making themselves a victim as she is. (If you wonder how someone like that has a son like Hub, just know that she didn't raise him.)
The Saturday before moving down here she got her prescriptions refilled. In the week and a half since she has been down here, she has established a routine: sleep till noon, crochet & watch tv. She made a halfhearted attempt at seeing a doctor but when she found out where she used to go isn't accepting new patients, she didn't pursue it any farther. Now, this is a woman with health problems, among them diabetes and a broken foot that is healing VERY slowly. And stomach problems. And high blood pressure.
You think going to a doctor and seeing about 1) getting prescriptions set up and refilled and 2) seeing someone about the fact that she feels bad (her foot is hurting plus she's having a lot of body aches) would be a priority. But not so much. Oh, and she's on the new diabetes diet. I call it "a cake a day keeps the doctor away." My mom bought a small pound cake at fresh Market. She had 2 small slices. My MIL ate the rest - in one day. She also drank A WHOLE GALLON of coffee creamer (vanilla, NOT sugar free) her first week of living with my mom. Oh, and she's been busy on a half gallon of ice cream as well.
Now, I am not a medical professional, but in my medical opinion if I were to design a diet which would enable a diabetic to commit suicide via food, I think this would be it. As long as she takes care of what she needs to in order to get this apartment in K'ville, then whatever. But she isn't going to just sponge off my mom's kind nature.
Hub called yesterday & told her she needed to get off her a$$ & start taking care of stuff. My mom agreed, but in a nicer way. I told mom to keep us posted and if she hadn't made any progress by next Wednesday we'll be coming by for an in person come to Jesus.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
High quality or not, they still feel like problems!
I have what a fellow blogger refers to as “high quality problems”. Not knowing whether your kids will have enough food and a warm place to sleep tonight – those are problems. Are what I have really “problems”? They feel like it.
I went to get a 2nd pair of reading glasses made. First they were put into the wrong frames, then when I got them they didn’t work. Turns out (and this doesn’t make sense to me, but whatever) when I asked for a copy of my prescription at the eye dr’s office, they gave it to me, just not for reading glasses. My insurance covers 1 pair per year, and they are useless. The dr’s office is faxing me a copy of the right things & said just take it with the glasses and tell them it was a dr’s change and they should re-make them. (It’s Wal-Rip, so we’ll see what happens.) But how frustrating! Last night I just sat & cried. Is it really that big a deal? No. But it sure felt like it.
I think it’s just that things are feeling very busy right now. Part of it is that with the boy in drivers ed and not getting home until 7, my mom isn’t coming over (and helping out) and he isn’t having time to help, and a fair bit ends up falling to me. So I got up this morning & walked, then picked up the house, did a couple loads of laundry, re-booted the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen, and colored my hair. And fixed breakfast for the 2 of us before driving the boy to school. Then I got to come to my full time job.
Despite and beer and a couple of baked tortillas with cheese, things are going pretty good. According to Gillian McKeith (on BBCA’s “You are what you eat’) to lose weight you should do 3 30 minute sessions of exercise per day. That seems like a lot, but I think she’s right. She isn’t talking anything extreme – just getting out & walking. So I am trying to do that. Some afternoons I can’t (like today I’m working late & tomorrow I’m volunteering at the animal shelter) and I don’t try to walk at lunch on the weekends (I’m a lot more active on the weekends anyway than I am at my job). But for people with sedentary jobs, I think that makes sense. But if you look at it as 1.5 hours of exercise per day, I can see how you’d want to just go eat a cookie and whimper.
I’m down a bit over 2 pounds so far this week. Woo hoo!
I have what a fellow blogger refers to as “high quality problems”. Not knowing whether your kids will have enough food and a warm place to sleep tonight – those are problems. Are what I have really “problems”? They feel like it.
I went to get a 2nd pair of reading glasses made. First they were put into the wrong frames, then when I got them they didn’t work. Turns out (and this doesn’t make sense to me, but whatever) when I asked for a copy of my prescription at the eye dr’s office, they gave it to me, just not for reading glasses. My insurance covers 1 pair per year, and they are useless. The dr’s office is faxing me a copy of the right things & said just take it with the glasses and tell them it was a dr’s change and they should re-make them. (It’s Wal-Rip, so we’ll see what happens.) But how frustrating! Last night I just sat & cried. Is it really that big a deal? No. But it sure felt like it.
I think it’s just that things are feeling very busy right now. Part of it is that with the boy in drivers ed and not getting home until 7, my mom isn’t coming over (and helping out) and he isn’t having time to help, and a fair bit ends up falling to me. So I got up this morning & walked, then picked up the house, did a couple loads of laundry, re-booted the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen, and colored my hair. And fixed breakfast for the 2 of us before driving the boy to school. Then I got to come to my full time job.
Despite and beer and a couple of baked tortillas with cheese, things are going pretty good. According to Gillian McKeith (on BBCA’s “You are what you eat’) to lose weight you should do 3 30 minute sessions of exercise per day. That seems like a lot, but I think she’s right. She isn’t talking anything extreme – just getting out & walking. So I am trying to do that. Some afternoons I can’t (like today I’m working late & tomorrow I’m volunteering at the animal shelter) and I don’t try to walk at lunch on the weekends (I’m a lot more active on the weekends anyway than I am at my job). But for people with sedentary jobs, I think that makes sense. But if you look at it as 1.5 hours of exercise per day, I can see how you’d want to just go eat a cookie and whimper.
I’m down a bit over 2 pounds so far this week. Woo hoo!
Monday, March 08, 2010
Whole lotta cooking going on
Good lord, I can’t believe I have ignored my blog for this long. Poor little blog, I’ve missed you!
Overall, things are going well. Scale has bounced around a bit, but is headed in the right direction. I did loads of cooking this weekend: meat for the boy to add to vegan dinners (it’s a compromise), I made seitan “pepperoni” (pretty good) and seitan chicken cutlets (really good). That’s stuff that is portioned out and in the freezer for use as needed.
Then of course I made breakfast & lunch foods, as well as some pre-cooking for dinners. Even though I did loads of cooking and cleaning, I feel refreshed after the weekend. Fun things included walking the dogs (the weather was great!) and I did my kettlebells.
The weather seems to have turned and mornings now are bearable and afternoons are in the 60s/upper 50s. Yay spring!
Good lord, I can’t believe I have ignored my blog for this long. Poor little blog, I’ve missed you!
Overall, things are going well. Scale has bounced around a bit, but is headed in the right direction. I did loads of cooking this weekend: meat for the boy to add to vegan dinners (it’s a compromise), I made seitan “pepperoni” (pretty good) and seitan chicken cutlets (really good). That’s stuff that is portioned out and in the freezer for use as needed.
Then of course I made breakfast & lunch foods, as well as some pre-cooking for dinners. Even though I did loads of cooking and cleaning, I feel refreshed after the weekend. Fun things included walking the dogs (the weather was great!) and I did my kettlebells.
The weather seems to have turned and mornings now are bearable and afternoons are in the 60s/upper 50s. Yay spring!
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Snow
Yes, it's snowing again. This wasn't supposed to stick, but it is. Ugh!
Got MIL moved - it was tiring, frustrating, etc, but it's done. Her stuff is back in a storage unit until an aprtment becomes available.
Not too much to say - exercise is going well, overeating still happens, but this weekend was pretty good.
Yes, it's snowing again. This wasn't supposed to stick, but it is. Ugh!
Got MIL moved - it was tiring, frustrating, etc, but it's done. Her stuff is back in a storage unit until an aprtment becomes available.
Not too much to say - exercise is going well, overeating still happens, but this weekend was pretty good.
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