week two shopping

i did week two shopping today and have the receipt, so thought i'd tell you about it:

i bought:
pasta, two containers of rice dream milk, oatmeal, prego meat sauce, two cans of vegetable soup, two cans of corn, eggs, broccoli, pie shells, potatoes, and bananas for: $22.00

tonight, we used the other part of the hamburger bought last week, t had spaghetti with meat sauce, i just had a little pasta...not too hungry. 

for the rest of the week, we have a ham that is defrosting in the fridge, that will go with potatoes and broccoli, there is also a turkey breast defrosting.  i don't know what we'll do with it all.  t will have cereal, i will have a packet of oatmeal in the a.m.'s.  for lunches, he will have these chicken corn dogs that he loves...the bread from the ham sandwiches must have had milk in them, so that won't work. 

with the soup, we're planning on using it, with rotini pasta and corn, to stretch it out quite a ways.  this will make a heartier soup and we'll be able to use it more than one night.  Friday and saturday are nights out for dinner, as t's dad will be in town. 

i started my personal training quest this week. only had one session so far, but i have to say, it went well. i definitely was sore the next day, but instead of it being in the usual places where one gets sore, it was in places where quite literally, i had no idea it could hurt. like, my arms and sides only hurt when i bent my arms at a 90 degree angle then, put them out to my sides. strange



anyway, as if that weren't enough, i decided to try Crossfit for the first time. Crossfit is a training "fad" that has hit here really hard. we have them sprouting up all over the place. they mainly go into more industrial type buildings and are minimalist, at best. apparently, the philosophy must be, "you don't need a lot of equipment to make yourself hurt". they have a workout of the day, so each day is different. you are supposedly pitted against only yourself and are trying to "beat" yourself.

Image by Big Titan via Flickr

i went last week and watched t do it. afterwards, he couldn't speak, couldn't get himself in the car, and i had to drive slowly, lest he barf in the car.

for some reason, i thought that i would be able to be better moderated than he, so i decided to go for it this week. it started out with us running 1/4 mile. then we would come back, pick up a weighted ball and throw it onto the mat for our partner to them squat down, pick up and repeat the process. we did this 50 times total. then, we took a 600 pound (o.k. it wasn't, but it felt like it) medicine ball and threw it to our partner. they took that, got on the ground with it, and were supposed to kick their legs out behind them, do a pushup on the ball, then jump up, pick up the ball, throw it to their partner. we were supposed to do 50 of these as well. oh, did i mention we did this cycle three times? after the first one, i seriously thought i was going to quit. i did the next cycles, until the end....then i left my partner on her own, while i sat and watched in amazement.

the whole thing lasted 30 minutes and for crossfit, is the longest workout they have. some weeks, they are 20 minutes, some weeks they are 10. it definitely is for those that want to get in shape....and i'm sure, so sure, it would do it quickly. however, in my opinion, not really for someone that wants to have a really good time working out. was i glad i did it...yep. am i glad today, when i need assistance sitting down...maybe.

the menu

this is a run-down, basically, of what we ate last week.  we are starting anew today, so grocery trip is in the making for today.

remember, this week was a little different, it was the starting week, and t and i eat different things.  i venture to say it would be easier if we at the same things?  i don't know

• spaghetti and meat sauce.  we already had the spaghetti and sauce from a gift package.  so, i took 1/5 of a package of meat and made it.  it was more than enough.
• two nights of mashed poatoes (not the flakes...the real mashers), hamburgers (using the another 2/5 of the hamburger, and corn
• we went out one night, had every intention of using some of our extra $40, and our friend bought us dinner.  no, we didn't tell her we were saving money, or anything.  but there, we split the dinner at Olive Garden. i think i mentioned before, that i used to think it was dumb when i saw couples that split things....it's just more ingenious than anything.  we split the spaghetti and meat sauce, i got the soup, we ate breadsticks, i gave back maybe 1/3 of my 1/2.  it was plenty!!!
• one night he had hamburger, rice, and carrot sticks. 
• he drank Kool-aid all week, i drank water, like i usually do.
• yesterday, we went to a birthday party where they had soup and cake

over the course of the week, we spent $48.73.  granted, like i said, we used a lot of what we had.  for the majority of the week, i ate, rice and shrimp or fish, which i was thrilled with. 

for lunch t ate ham sandwiches with red onion and pickles, instead of eating out.  many of the things we bought, we ones that will keep us going in weeks to come, so this will "replenish" what we ate out of our own home.  like the rice and things like that.

with the dinner added in there that we went out for, it would have been about $16.00 extra...still way under what we were planning. 

another note, keep in mind that yes, we could have gotten super crazy with the menu.  it may seem really simple and maybe not so exciting to you all.  but, 1.  we are trying to keep things pretty healthy 2. t can't have any dairy in his diet or he will croak.  so, to us, this was really, an ideal week.  are we going to have nights when we have rice and beans, probably, but it's not to make the costs lower, we actually like those things.  literally, when i go to chipotle, i order rice and beans and hot sauce. 

on to week 2!

the redo

last weekend was a redo...of our house.  i know that you have been just dying to see it.  There are no "befores", but just imagine the bedroom, with nothing in it except the bed, the jewelry case, and there were two nightstands in there.  here are the finished products of the bedroom

our bedroom is huge....like gigantic.  we don't like it that way, didn't intend for it to be that way, but that's the way it is.  it seems to be helped by the additional furniture, taking up space, i think

here is the office to the left.  it was filled with glass desks before.  it wasn't collegey furniture, bought it when we got the house, but with all  of our junk exposed, this wood desk set up seems to work MUCH better.  The print on the left reads: "we tend to seek happiness when happiness is acutally a choice".  The one on the right reads: "The future is just a collection of successive nows". 

here is my desk corner.  as you can see, there is a full closet in the room, that door on the ,left is to a jack and jill bathroom.  also, as you can see, we've chosen to use this room as an office, rathe than the intended bedroom. 

if anyone wants to....

HELP!!!

so, sometimes, i'd love to write back to comments...

i do so, but in the comments section.  is this the "right" way to do so?  also, i have another issue.  i don't always seen when someone comments on something until way later.  is there some kind of notification that you set up to notify you when you have comments or is the only way to go about it, to have moderator approval? 

it's working

Image by ashley.adcox via Flickr

well, the $40/week thing....it's worked so far.  i knew we could do it, but i kind of also thought that by mid-week, we'd be eating soup pie with kidney beans and broccoli. 

but we haven't.  yes, some of it has been things left in our freezer that we should have eaten a while ago...but there is nothing wrong with it.  for instance, i've eaten more shrimp in the past week than i have in a year.  which is AWESOME. 

this is not to say that everything has been "normal", but we also have not been starving.  we stopped buying G2 and started drinking more water.  we eat rice, we don't eat desserts, we have been fine. 

apparently, it is even more generous than i thought, as t informed me that we would EACH have an extra $20/week to spend.  but, except for $5 last night, it is still untouched.  so, ideally, if we eat in all weekend too, we'll have $35 in the pot for next week or the week after.  pretty good.  we figured that even if we are spending $320, it is a HECK of a lot less than we were.  i'm not kidding, i don't remember if i told you this or not.  i'm almost embarrassed to do so, if i haven't already.  seriously....we spent almost $1500 one month on food.  TWO OF US. 

do you know what we could have bought with that?  oh well...never mind.  point being, i think we are doing well...being healthy and we did something that i said i would NEVER EVER do.  we shared a meal out last night.  i could never get people that do that.  but it worked.  and it was more than enough food.  it made me start thinking, why did i not do this when i was single?  it is SUCH an easy thing to do to have someone box up half a meal before you start eating it. 

just a new mind-set.  we'll see how it goes

i have to do this

i know, probably no readers are into skating, save the one that i'm talking about, so you will wonder why i'm linking to this post.  it's because it's not about skating, but more about humility and the ability to have fun, at your own expense. 

it is priceless and really makes me smile and laugh when i read it...and i've done so about 10 times today. 

my friend posted it and then posted many pictures of himself, in comparison to t. 

i can't say anything that will give it justice...it's just funny. 

http://firstloser.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/strike-a-pose/

i know you were waiting

two completely unrelated updates...or ARE they?

1.  i mastered the pie.  i haven't tried the "good" one, but made it for mom and dad last night and they exclaimed on facebook this a.m. "you did it".  oh, that picture of the pie from the post before....that was soup pie.  oh, you've never heard of it?  silly you.  it's a pie that looks deceivingly normal, but you can drink it and eat it, all at once. 

2.  went to my first personal training session last night.  it was good, and by good, i mean really good.  i am not dying today...although i am sore.  i think i will feel more tomorrow, but for the time being, i have a really good workout burn. 

tonight, we have a friend that is coming to visit and see the house for the first time.  oh, that reminds me, post pictures of the furniture.  i have some, and they may need to do for now...they are on facebook and terrible quality.  after that, i'm going to a Dr. Wayne Dyer movie presentation.  i guess it's "like" seeing him in person, but you are not...you are seeing him on a big screen instead.  doesn't matter i guess....it's all about his message.  here are a few things that i love about him. 

• "Deficiency motivation doesn't work. It will lead to a life-long pursuit of 'try to fix me'."
• "How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours"
• "Maxim for life: You get treated in life the way you teach people to treat you. "
• "Self-worth comes from one thing - thinking that you are worthy. "

I'm really very excited for this, i love hearing him, love seeing him.  he reminds me of my childhood, as my parents have listened and read him for ages. 

texas cream pie

so, this batch didn't turn out as well as it needed to.  it was runny, but don't let yourself be fooled....i'm making another one as we speak/write.  we will be eating the real, original texas cream pie tonight. 

oh, and by the way, the runny one tastes just as good as the custard one.  what? 

$40 a week!

we are officially becoming Rachael Ray.  o.k., no, we are not.  but we are going to be saving MACHINES! 

we kicked off the challenge today of eating on $40/week.  i know, it's going to be very hard.  we are used to going out to eat at least once, but more like 2 or 3 times a week.  for those of you that do this, you know how expensive it is.  no matter where it is...if it's a "normally" priced restaurant, we do not get out of there without spending $20.00.  No big deal, but over the course of a year...a BIG DEAL. 

i went to the store yesterday and started shopping for this experiment.  i bought: lean hamburger, rice, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, onions, green pepper, wonder bread, 3/4 pounds of deli ham, claussen pickles, cocktail peanuts, country crock and two things of rice milk.

we are giving ourselves $20.00/week leeway, as we know that things come up.   we are not going to hamper our social lives over this, and if we get an opportunity to go out with friends, of course we will.  but for the most part...it's hitting the kitchen at home. 

can someone please help me?

there is a long-standing debate in my family that i think someone can help me with.  there is a bumper sticker type thing on cars.  it's not a square one, per se, but you know, one of those ones that are cut out to the shape of what it is.  to me, it looks like two humping dogs.  does anyone know what this is for?

part two of the day

just some more on why this trainer makes me excited: 

i had seen her in the gym and honestly, first impression....i didn't like her.  i don't know why.  i took a class from her down the road and found that i did like her style.  i then looked at her webpage at the gym and found that truly, she was "made" for me. 


she is a nutritionist, she specializes in people that have had eating disorders.  people that have had eating disorders, seriously have some quirks...i don't care who you are.  it's a different mind-set of how you look at food.  Although i have not had an eating disorder for over 15 years, it still, to this day, affects to some degree, how i look at food.   she also actually listened to me and didn't laugh when i told her that i feel, as well as some other people in my life, that i bulk up when i start exercising. 

and the cost....ugh, yes, the cost.  it IS pricey.  but, i'm more than happy with her philosophy of how i determine how often i go to her.  she made suggestions of how often, and then said we could work with whatever. 

i'm committed and excited, i really can't wait.  starts next Thursday!

the new year

i kind of feel like my year just got started....yesterday. 

i was pain free.  completely.  i'm healed from surgery, i'm healed from that damn muzic bed, and from my back spasm.  you know what that means?  my first work-out! 

Image via Wikipedia

it was awesome.  i am signing up for the colorado half marathon again, this time, with a friend that i met in grad school last semester.  we are run/walking it, which i'm psyched about.  supposedly this will lessen the pain astronomically. 

i also ran into the person that I'm hiring as my personal trainer.   i'm so excited, never had a personal trainer before, but i think i love her already.  i never thought that i would be THAT person that had one, but i figure that she will keep me on track, help me to reach my goals and she's a nutritionist to boot. 

Image via Wikipedia

we are scaling down somewhat on our skating marathons this year, and while we had planned on doing something we have not done, which is take a vacation to somewhere other than Minnesota, we made some other plans and goals along the way. 

1.  we are playing a grocery game.  this game entails us eating on a budget and by budget, i mean hardly any money.  o.k., it's not THAT bad, but really, it will be a far cry from what we have been doing for the past 4 years. 
2.  we are going on a road trip.  we had planned on going to Hawaii, but really, i cannot bring myself to do that and spend that money, when we have things to save for right now, that could be way amazingly better than Hawaii.

3.  we, meaning t, bought new furniture.  we have been living in our house for 2.5 years now.  during this time, we didn't have a dresser.  i have found that it doesn't matter how big your closet is, if you don't have a dresser to put stuff in, it's a mess.  t bought all new office furniture, bedroom furniture, framed some art, it's just going to be a new house.  i love it.

Gene's pt.deux

the pie....wasn't it. 

both of them were eaten, but it just wasn't it. 

yesterday was my birthday and my mom bought me a cake to the office.  we were talking about our favorites, but i lamented....all i could think of was Gene's pie.  i must have squeaked something about it and an angel in the room said, "gene's pie?  i was best friend's with her....i have the recipe". 

after much crying and telling her that she had made my decade....i have the recipe in my hands. 

you bet your ass i'm going home and making this pie

a test of marriage

o.k.  i'm kidding...but who the HECK knew that picking out a freakin bed is so hard? 

t has a bed that we sleep on.  he loves it, i think.  how he picked it out, was: he looked at it...may have laid on it for a second,the salesman told him that the sides wouldn't crush down when he sat on the edges, then he bought it. 

i had a bed too. it's a full size though, not big enough for us...and i love it. 

i don't have TONS of complaints about t's bed, but it is HELLISH on my hips.  and when i move or he moves, the other wakes up, or at least moves too. 

so, t decided to be amazing and we went bed shopping.  we had tried out this one bed called the Muzic Bed by Denver Mattress.  it's a newfangled thing that all the cool people have.  o.k., really, no one has it....i think we are the second couple to really try it out.  we went to the store because his massage therapist told us that her husband, who worked at a mattress store was running a special where you could try this muzic bed and give an opinion on it...after that, she would give you  a  massage for $10 off.  we went to try the bed. 

The bed in the store, while kind of cheesy, due to the fact that you were vibrated by music, was comfortable.  firm, but still comfy.  we were told that a couple had just bought it and loved it.  we went to dinner later in the weekend and met some of t's brother's friends and found out that they were the couple that bought it.  how fateful!

a week later, we went back and t bought it. 

the next morning, we woke up, t's back hurt, and my back spasm was intensified. 

the next morning we woke up with t on the floor and me in the spare bedroom. 

the muzic bed is returning to mattress land this week.  

we have PTSD from the mattress experience.  we ordered a new one, and really, i think we may have made the wrong choice.  these sales people were getting less commission and on top of it, they weren't even the ones being credited and just wanted us out of the store.  he led us astray. 

Image via Wikipedia

we'll see, but who knew this was so hard. 

juni's meme

Instructions: Answer the Current Obession category and then explain WHY you chose that response. Easy enough?

Image via Wikipedia

Book: the little prince...it will always be my favorite. right now, i'm not obsessed with any book. this is bugging me, but i'm trying to find the "right" one right now. i'm halfway tempted to try Twilight....but i know in my heart, it's not for me.

Snack: these potato straw things from costco that t says taste like cardboard. i like them. also, weight watchers mint chocolate ice cream sandwiches


Restaurant: i love fogo de chao. i would like to go there soon.

Beverage: carbonated whatever. i would say diet coke, but it's not the diet that i love, it's the carbonation. i also have a thing with not drinking my calories. i'd rather eat them instead.


Decor: i like simplistic asian.



Actor: edward norton, michael cera, morgan freeman (although,i really find his latest transgressions very gross)


Actress: Ellen page, thandie newton


Movie: i can watch pride and prejudice over and over again,moulin rouge, juno, and stranger than fiction...oh, and my latest fave was 500 days of summer


TV show: biggest loser, the mole, the bachelor

Hobby: crocheting, working out, inline skating

Band: i'm still stuck on Ben Folds and BNL

Image via Wikipedia

Song: Boy with a coin-iron and wine

Meme: Eh -- don't have one.


Blog: the Pioneer Woman



Lover: do i have more than one?


Friend: i will have to copy what juni said....i'm not obsessed with her, per se, but holy cow, i'm obsessed with where our friendship came from and where it has grown to. i may have blogged about it in the past, but it will be a good future topic too.


Quote: "All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy."- Dr wayne dyer

"You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let winds of the heavens dance between you."- kahlil gibran



Peeve: people who make excuses. by making excuses, you are saying you do not have choices. you have choices in EVERYTHING that you do and say.



Sport: i'm excited for skating on the olympics.



Singer: i really like lisa loeb.

Lisa Loeb via last.fm

Gene's

There was a little restaurant when i was little called Gene's. it was on main street in our little town and the "dining" area, was about 500 square feet, at the most. it had a greasy grill, bar stools around the counter and on the two tables that were in there, red and white checked plastic table cloths.

Every year, for my birthay, when my parents would ask me where i wanted to go for my birthday dinner, the answer was Gene's. i would get a shorthorn, which consisted of a bad hambuger bun, some ground beef and sauce, cheese, and onions. but the only reason you really went to gene's was the texas cream pie.

texas cream pie, i don't think, is really even a pie. it's a made up conconction from what i can tell. i have never been able to find a recipe, never heard of anyone else who has had it, it's an enigma.

as time went on, Gene's closed down, and that was the end of the pie.

every year since then, about 28 years, when i get asked where i want my birthday dinner, i answer....gene's.

the woman who made the pie, was asked many times by my mom to make the pie for my birthday, she always declined...fearful that it wouldn't taste the same.

she died this week. my heart and stomach died...

i searched in desparation on the internet for the pie. and for some reason this time, i got a hit on yahoo answers. this person, from my same hometown, was wondering if anyone had had this pie and where you could get it. she had an answer. it's this CPA firm in Austin...it looks like some joke. but, after looking through it, i think i have the recipe. i, in my giddines,showed my dad, for this was his favorite too...he thinks this is it.

as i write...i'm waiting for the cream to cool, the egg white are ready to be whipped, and the pie crusts are all ready.

TO BE CONTINUED...

random dozen again

Thanks Karen


1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?
i don't crave foods a whole lot. if i do, it's a once a year taco bell bean burrito (i know, that's sick, but deal), a good pizza with ricotta on it, or mint ice cream. i would say the mint ice cream thing was the latest....i take care of that through this wonderful company called weight watchers that makes these ice cream sandwiches that are amazing and low-cal

2. M & M's or Skittles?
skittles

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?
not sure...but i doubt it. went to catholic school for 8 years, then when i was 25 converted to catholicsm. so, i have probably read more than a lot of people....but likely not cover to cover

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?
I am up as soon as I am awake.

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?
yes, my grandparents took us to Burmuda when i was about 15 or so. it was a good time, but probably not worth the cost to me. i will likely never go on one as an adult.
6. Who is your favorite actress?
i really like Thandie Newton, but she's not in a lot. she has some soul.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.
ignorance, or maybe the lack of listening

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?
i don't know. probably pretty junkie, but i'm not sure.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?
i found a perfect card one day, and ever since then, it's been a chore to pick cards. it's like i want to buy it for everyone.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?
before may last year. i chopped my hair off...i loved it, but my hair grows so fast, i'd be getting haircuts every other day to make it look good.

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?
Shoes or food.

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?
did i turn off the lights

giveaway!

these girls are doing an awesome giveaway! 



i'm not a big fan of blog giveaways, believe it or not. i find that with many, there isn't a ton of satisfaction doing things you don't have to have SOME knowledge about. This one is good, you have pay attention, you have to actually take some time. it's just good...go there.

the line

as you probably know by now, i find relationships of any kind, fascinating. i'm enthralled by my own, mostly because it's so frickin' easy. 

we end up where we are in life and i dare to say, that most of us did not see ourselves where we ended up or where we are now. maybe we are single and thought we'd be with someone, maybe we are with someone and never thought that would happen, or they are so completely different than we imagined....

if i am thinking of my relationship with t, it usually involves thinking about "the line".  you know, there is that line you cross with people or that you shouldn't cross.  it's dictated in all relationships, and it's typically unspoken.  obviously, i'm not talking mean things...like, we all know that you should not be in a relationship, where people are calling you stupid, demeaning you, etc.  i'm talking about observances, most of which are overt and somewhat obvious. 

t and i say things to each other that maybe most couples wouldn't say. i've never been able to say things to other people that i feel comfortable saying to him, and i'm not sure how that is on his end.  these are not mean-spirited things and to me, most importantly, for the most part, are things that are constructive....not things that will just hurt each other. 

so, the other day, we were getting ready to go somewhere, when i heard exaspiration out of nowhere.  following that came a "why do you have to wear grandma clothes?"  i almost looked behind me (at the wall) to see who he was talking to, because certainly it couldn't be me.  he explained that things with frill detail or ruffles, or flowers, is to him, grandma.  i'll let you know, all of these grandma clothes, are the ones that are in style right now.  the rest of my stuff...is just old.  he explained he would rather have me in t-shirts and sweatshirts, than those.  ( i mean, really?  what am i complaining about?)

at first, i tromped into the closet, started taking all my newer clothes and was going to throw them out.  he came in there, said that i didn't need to do that, that they were fine for work...but that simply, he didn't find them very attractive. 

we got through that, and got onto the perfume.  i got this cool gift from my mom for christmas.  it's a sampler of about 12 perfumes that you can try, and once you decide on one, you can go to sephora and get a whole bottle of what you like.  i took a day, put them on paper, and narrowed them down from there.  then, later, i sprayed some of the winners on, we gave our verdict on some and from there, i was taking weeks at a time and sampling them to see if i still liked them weeks later.  well, apparently one of the scents wasn't as appealing as the first time i had it on.  that too, in t's eyes, was grandma.  i explained that i was trying things and he explained that it was old smelling.  i told him that i didn't think that grandma's wore Dior Addict 2, but whatever. 

now, through all of this, i wasn't upset.....o.k., maybe for a second i was.  but honestly, at the end of it all, it's just opinions.  i have my opinions and have given them to t.  for instance, i'm not a pleated pants fan.  he is.  does it change the way i feel about him when i see him...not a bit. 

where is the line in your relationship or what do you think that the line should be?  should we have a free for all where we have blatant disregard for feelings, should we walk on eggshells and never give our opinions on things?  is there a happy medium? 

the c word

i had the doc appt. today! 

i drove my own self on down to the big city (denver) thinking that we'd just have a little chat and i'd be on my way.  having no idea that he would want to LOOK there today.  but he did.  first off, before i did all that, they weighed me and took my blood pressure.  wooo hooo, lost 8 pounds since i was in there last time and wooo hoo even more, my blood pressure was down to its' own scary lowness that it usually is.  for the past year, it's been in the "normal range", which is WEIRD for me.  typically, i walk into docs offices and they ask me if i'm feeling o.k.?

anyway, while he was doing his looksie there, he said, "well, we got it all, it's totally gone".  WHEW!  and then i asked what "it" was. 

well, yes, it was cancer.  i almost rolled off the table...i'm not kidding. 

SO glad that i went to a "real" doctor....so glad that i got this done sooner than later....so glad that i quit school....and just glad.  :)

random dozen

from Karen on smiling through it all

1. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a cranky-baby-hissy-fitter, how much of a complainer are you?

I am 3 or 4.  I get in my moods about once every year or so, I would say.  I have a week or so where nothing seems to go right, and I vent...then i'm done. 



2. When someone else is talking, do you listen, or are you thinking about what you're going to say in response?

i listen, but at the same time, I think ahead about what the OTHER person is going to say in the future.  its' weird



3. I just deleted 1062 messages from my email account. Do you have any plans for a clean sweep this month--of anything?

not really.  we had a discussion today about my "grandma" clothes today.  i threw out some things that were either too big, or that I would not wear again because they were so worn. 


4. Tell us about your perfume. Was it a gift? What does it remind you of? Do you have a signature scent?

this question is funny, because we also had a discussion about perfume today as well.  i have this one scent, and laugh all you want, it's Brittney Spears Fantasy.  It smells good, but it's a bit too heavy for me.  on the days I don't wear that, I usually wear Pink Sugar by Aquolina.  i love this scent....it smells like cotton candy and a stipper all in one.   i was seriously going to write a post about how i wanted to find a scent a couple weeks ago.  my mom got me this thing from Sephora, that has about 12 samples in it.  you can try all 12 and when you decide on one, you can go to sephora and get a full bottle.  i had put this one on one day and both t and i thought it smelled o.k.  i have now been test driving it, to see if i wanted a full bottle of it.  here it is, a few weeks later, and today, t decided that it smelled like old lady and we needed to have a discussion about scents.  LOL.  it's not old lady, however, it's a bit "signature".  it's dior addict 2.  somehow, i have a problem seeing an old lady wearing anything called addict.  So, all that being said, i guess i'm still hunting for my scent.  i dont know why i don't have one...but my thought is that i haven't found the one



5. What is your best organizing tip for the new year?

throw out crap



6. What is your favorite comic strip?

i don't read comics


7. Do you sleep with a fluffy or flat pillow?

Fluffy



8. What color is your kitchen? Why did you choose that color?

it has a speckley granite with alder cabinets and stainless steel appliances.  i guess a lot of browns. 


9. What’s the most interesting bumper sticker you’ve seen?

there is this one, that i cannot figure out what it is.  it looks like two dogs humping. if anyone knows what this is please tell me.  you will be ending a long standing family arguement



10. Do you prefer an expensive writing tool or whatever is lying around? (Are you a Montblanc or a Papermate?)

i'm an old bic girl



11. What chore doesn’t feel like a chore – you just enjoy it (at least most of the time)?

baking anything


12. If your parents often repeated themselves, what is something one of them said more than once?

if you are not with the one you should be with, get out...life is too short

how do you say.....?

well, i've been waiting for this doctor's appt on the 11th for quite some time now.  three weeks to be exact.  i'm going to post things, but i'm trying to be sensitive to everybody's ears. 

i've been trying to keep things together for the past couple weeks.  The first week after the surgery was hard, but not horrendous.  After the first week, it was o.k., but i had to stay in bed for a bit of that.  i've been back to work for a week now and in that time, i have to say, i'm BEAT.

i don't think that things are right in my body.  do you know what i mean?  i have been fevery, exhausted, and NOT RIGHT (without going into detail).  I've been trying to do the best that i can to just go with the flow, but all i can say, is that i'm so glad for that appt. on monday. 

strength of intention

obviously, as you may be able to tell, i was FREAKING out earlier today with the thoughts going through my head about all that was going on. 

Right after i wrote that, I got a call from my professor, whom i needed to tell i wouldn't be going to school anymore.  it went well, really, it did.  she was very understanding and very human and nice.  let me in on some things, as i was no longer a student. 

i got off the phone and told t that i had done "it" and he said, "are you happy?"  and i said yes, but that i was really worried about the pay for the new job, if i were to get one next school year.  i really would have to do a lot to make that work...i mean, cut out trips, vacations, etc.  yikes.  i was wondering if i had gotten myself into a mess. 

for some reason, i started looking at the webpage of the district where i worked at previously.  i don't know why i hadn't done that before.  it was weird....there was a job listing.  and it was for a social worker on the district level.  what's more is that it asked for you to perform things that unless i had not gone to school for this past semester, i would have NEVER known how to do.  it was strange.  i got online, filled out my applications, etc.  i have a few more things to do, but tomorrow, i'm meeting with the director of HR...he is an old employer of mine. 

i'm trying not to get excited about that particular job, but really in the end of it, it made me think of different options and i found out what i could do if i don't get that job.  how i can make this work...for real. 

not so boring

what i have found, however, in my endeavors, is that the salary schedules that I am looking up for the proposed new job that I would like, are horrendous.  in fact, they make my heart beat faster...if only for the reason that i can't believe that they would pay people so poorly when they are teaching, counseling, and providing services for their children. 

quite literally, if I worked in one of the nearby districts, and also worked summers and holidays at my current job, i would be right at where i am right now in pay.  o.k., so in the district that i used to work in, and that i have the best shot at getting hired and getting hired at a higher rate...i do have to say, their raises are spectacular.  like $2,000/year.  that being said, i don't know if its even feasible to work summers and holidays for my parents and actually be fair in the process. 

it is times like these when i curse this house.  i know, i should be thankful i have one, but seriously, when you start realizing the things that are holding you back....UGH!

what has been going on....

life is pretty monotonous right now.  it DOESN'T make for exciting blogs, let me tell you. 

i'm in the process of doing a whole bunch of things, that will hopefully, in the end, make me one happy person. 

• i'm unenrolling from school
• i'm telling my program director that i'm doing the above
• i'm renewing my provisional license at the department of education
• i'm applying at school districts
• i'm collecting letters of recommendation
• i'm finishing the part of my assistantship that i didn't get to last year, which consists of miles of spreadsheets of things that i'm no longer studying
• i'm working
• i'm sleeping. 

There you go.  i will soon be:

• not going to school
• taking pictures with my new camera and super lens
• working
• interviewing for jobs
• going to fun things
• turning 35

That's about it.  see what i mean?  not so exciting. 

2009 in a nutshell

i got this from du wax loolu today and was glad, as i didn't have that much to say today.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?


bought mice....as pets.  no really, that is literally the only thing i could think of. i did think of saying that i hadn't worried about who i was loving or who loved me, which is also true, however, i'm sure when i was 15 years old, i didn't worry about those things. 

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

i don't really have them, so i can't say that i keep them


3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

yes, a few people


4. Did anyone close to you die?

yes


5. What countries did you visit?

none


6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?

a life...no really.  i would like to have been able to live my life in the second half as i did the first half.  i remember (vaguely) sitting there thinking, "is it really THIS EASY???"


7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

i don't know.  maybe october 22nd as the 2nd anniversary of my dad's transplant.  i don't know that that day will ever go away though.  you expect each year to bring you peace...however, it is startling to find that it doesn't do that for you on it's own

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

making life even easier by being married.  really...


9. What was your biggest failure?

this was a really successful year for me.  i really would say that my only failure was not realizing in advance that i was able to do what i wanted all along. 


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

yes, for the first time, i did. 



11. What was the best thing you bought?

i have no clue...maybe some discontinued toothpaste for t. 


12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

t...he exceeded expectations once again this year.  he is above anyone i know in recognizing what needs to be changed in his life.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

people who were given second and third chances, that continued to let their failure and insecurities get in the way again and again.  it makes me sad


14. Where did most of your money go?

to this damn house



15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

t getting his work award and me getting into school. 



16. What song will always remind you of 2009?

Um. I don't think there is one.



17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder?

b) thinner or fatter?

c) richer or poorer?

Happier, thinnner and richer.  i am happier this year.  i have probably taken off a couple of pounds that i didnt want to know that i knew they were there, (i weighed today...i've lost 11 since starting on my weight loss journey), and richer because i have money in savings!



18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

been relaxed, seen more movies, read more books

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

studying



20. How did you spend Christmas?

at my parent's house in colorado


21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

i have realized, once again, that i am with the person i need to be with


22. What was your favorite TV program?

biggest loser, keeping up with the Kardashians ( i know...so what?), i still have daily hopes that they will revive the MOLE



23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

no.  i might dislike things that people have done, but not hate them



24. What was the best book you read?

Dr. wayne dyer, excuses begone

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

these are not new, but i got a liking for alicia keys and beyonce

26. What did you want and get?

a canon rebel and lense

27. What did you want and not get?

peace of mind knowing that i was in school for what i wanted


28. What was your favorite film of this year?

i don't know...before i saw it, i thought that paper heart would be it, but it wasn't.  i didn't see a lot this year at all....so i don't have an answer


29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

i was here and got a great massage


30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

i have no idea...



31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

oh sheesh, nothing. 


32. What kept you sane?

understanding family



33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

edward norton and anderson cooper. 



34. What political issue stirred you the most?

i was not stirred



35. Who did you miss?
my grandfather

36. Who was the best new person you met?

i met a lot of new people this year.  i would say that Cynthia from school was definitely the most intellectual and interesting



37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

life gives you the chance to do things over and over, you just have to recognize when the right times are



38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

i can't think of one