Thursday, March 17, 2011

Two Spectacular Reasons to Celebrate!

First:


Some mommy friends of mine asked me to ditch work today and hit the Cock-n-Bull in Covington for green beer. Which sounded fabulous - but I have a buttload of work, and a skeleton office crew with which to complete it. Oh, and a phone interview - wish me luck! Is everyone wearing green?

And the second:

Happy Blogoversary to Me!

Yes, my friends, 4 adventure-filled years ago, I started this blog as a way to share, vent, deal with life, and today...that hasn't changed. A lot has changed in my life - kids in school full time, Mom and sister moved out, brother moved in, I started working full time...and this blog has remained a way for me to document my progress through life, as well as share with anyone who feels like reading. It's helped me keep track of my goals, my successes, and my failures. And I appreciate all of you who have stuck with me, or just joined the journey. Yay for 4 years!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

8 Things: Excess

I've read several posts about Lent, and what people are giving up for Lent, if they are. I don't observe Lent, but an interesting post on MagpieGirl got me thinking: For a girl who would like to live a cleaner, more meaningful life, I have a lot of crap, and giving up something would not be a particularly bad idea. She does mention that the first step is to become mindful of the excess, and that is definitely something I need to do. I find myself just going along day to day, understanding that I'm stressed and feel frazzled and full of brain-trash, but not sure as to why. Perhaps taking a look at the "too much" in my life will help me clear out that trash.

1. Shopping. I was thinking the other day that I don't go shopping nearly as often as I used to, and in part that is true. I don't spend hours at Target or Michael's, but I do stop at the grocery way more often than I need to, which makes for excess: excess food in the freezer and pantry, excess spending of money I don't need to spend, excess time spent at the grocery store. This morning I stopped on my way to work to pick up salad for lunch. I got salad, and yogurt, and 400 other things I didn't need. I should have just packed a pb&j.

2. Paper clutter. The desk I got for Christmas, that was to be used for bill paying and homework, is covered in paper clutter that I need to actually go through, file, pay, look at...This was the clutter I got that desk to avoid.

3. Body clutter (a much more pleasant term, as coined by Flylady, than fat). This, of course, is ongoing issue, and I am tackling it.

4. Reusable shopping bags. A very odd thing to have too much of, but I get them and forget about them. Need to just keep them stashed in the car, and write myself a note. On my forehead. In Sharpie.

5. T-shirts. Another odd one, but I have them for every charity event I've participated in, concert I've gone to, schools, activities, blank workout tees, sleeping tees...honestly, I have more than a drawer's worth. I hate throwing away the commemorative ones, and I like using the blank ones to exercize. And I'm a big girl, so the shirts take up a lot of room.

6. Craft supplies. I do have too much, I know it. It's a disease. That said, I haven't bought anything new since...January? That's a start, right?

7. Volunteer stuff. This is also something I'm working on. I've done away with one of my volunteer activities, and another will be over as soon as the school year is done. That will leave me with Girl Scouts...and the myriad little things that pop up from time to time. How do you say no when you can't do stuff at school during the day, and nobody else seems to be helping? Another disease. One too many of us tend to suffer from, I think.

8. Excuses. I'm too tired, I forgot, I'm not smart enough, not enough time, too much to do, they'd never hire me, blah blah blah. Enough.

I guess I'll start with the first two - giving up the excessive shopping and paper clutter for Lent. I'm too tired to deal with the rest for now (grin.)

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lalalala

I find that is my standard title for a blog post I make when I just feel like rambling. Like today - I spent the day in the following way:
-woke up too early considering the late hour at which I went to bed. Drank too much coffee and got a stomachache, but very much enjoyed finishing the book I was reading, the second Sookie Stackhouse novel. Good fun. And my stomache feels better.
-put away some laundry, then ran errands - delivering Pampered Chef from my recent party and Girl Scout cookies. Which I really need to stop eating. Thin Mints are very addictive; even when I don't want to eat them, I do. Ran to the grocery to do the weekly shopping, and get Mom's stuff. She hurt her back this week and is having some major trouble functioning. She is getting an MRI tomorrow - hopefully whatever it is can be fixed quickly and with little complication.
-Got home, put away the groceries, and took out the sewing machine to (finally) sew my daughter's Girl Scout patches on her sash. Yeah, I'm the leader and my daughter is the last one to have her patches sewn on. Sadly, that is the only thing I've used my sewing machine for in a year. I need to get together with my friend A again; she always inspires me to sew.
We finished watching the Firefly series on Friday night, and watched the movie Serenity again last night (my son wanted to see it.) I am really sad - it was over too fast. It was really such a very good show, why on earth did they cancel it. Also, and I will apologize in advance for any sensitive males out there - I am about to start objectifying again - it was truly a very aesthetically pleasing show. Males and females both. Nathan Fillion was the captain, and you all know my thoughts on him. But the character of Jayne (my husband's favorite,) played by Adam Baldwin, had biceps the size of tree trunks that I just want to lick. And the doctor, Simon. Never thought much of him...until he was shirtless in the final episode, and in the movie. Oh. My. Goodness. Sean Maher, my dear, dear man, you have the finest sculpted torso. I must share with my lovely readers the glory that is your naked torso, for their own mental health, of course.

Seriously, did you even guess that that was hiding under all those clothes? Such lovely definition, beautiful tapering, sigh. I wish it was a better picture, but our sweet Sean has not spent much time posing. Thank you, kind Joss Whedon, for gifting the female watchers of the series with such a sight.

I thought I was done with the Pokemon when my son outgrew it. Unfortunately, he decided to share it with the Girl, who has become quite the fan. Of course, they spend hours playing the Pokemon, watching the Pokemon, sharing cards...and not fighting. I guess I will not dis the Pokemon.

Still looking for a new job. I applied recently for a position in which I am really desperately interested. Please send good, successful thoughts that the hiring manager call me for an interview. I think I will do well in an interview with this gentleman. He reminds me of my husband.

Speaking of the husband, he has kindly made dinner for me again - gumbo. Not my favorite, but he likes it, and I don't have to cook. This weekend has been a lazy one, lacking exercize or healthy food, but I do have a new workout DVD to try tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to getting back in a groove. You all have a spectacular Sunday!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Thank*full Thursday and some updates

I've been blogging more regularly over at my Sparkpeople blog, keeping it relatively updated with my healthy changes progress. Which is going pretty well - I've been trying out new workout DVD's, and while the weight is not falling off (eating habits have something to do with that,) I feel much better than when I started. That said, the creative ideas are just not a-flowin' here, hence the lack of timely updates.

But...some things I'm thankful for this week:

1. Firefly. And more specifically, Nathan Fillion. I watched the movie "Serenity" a few months ago with my husband, and decided to watch the series, and it rather rocks, which makes it a very sad thing that it was cancelled. Of course, I am not the first person to think that way, as is evidenced by the mass of fan websites, petitions, and Firefly references by Sheldon on Big Bang Theory. Mmm...Nathan Fillion. At least we still have Castle. He is such a fine Canadian.

2. My alarm clock, which diligently wakes me up each morning at 5:30AM to work out.

Yeah, not so thankful for that.

Coffee, though. Very thankful for coffee.

3. My public library. Such a wide variety of workout dvd's. Exercize is more fun with variety. And I do love the "reserve by computer" feature, which I use often. I think I may have rhapsodized about that before.

4. The books I've been loving this week, namely:

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz

Not one intellectual giant or classic among them. Sometimes you just want something to enjoy. And I love these Kim Harrison books - they take place right here in northern Kentucky, and although it is an alternate reality she is describing, the characters do go to real places in the metro Cincinnati area. Lots of fun. Have to thank my friend E for recommending those.

5. Girl Scout Thin Mints. Not exactly fitting in with the healthier lifestyle, but they have been helpful this particular week, if you catch my drift. Helped me keep my temper in check.

And now, the bed for which I am ever thankful is calling my name. I will leave you with someone about whom to dream.