Say Thanks. And Always Remember...

I got nuthin for ya'll

I'm tired and this class I am in is sucking the life right from my very fingertips. I will be back soon. Have a safe long weekend!

Recipe for Lazy Blogging

Take an answer you gave in your class:

I have an online journal, a secret blog, that my family does not know about. I am not mean and I don’t talk trash or belittle them (much). I simply use it as my place to process my thoughts and feelings. It is useful for me to have my feelings validated by others or to be told I’m completely out in left field. It is my place in the world where I am free to say the things that I am feeling, that I would NEVER say in real life. I would never tell my children that I am tired of being the mom because it would hurt their feelings and they would not know how to process that information. It isn’t that I don’t love my children or want them around me, it’s just that I am mom 24/7, 365. I don’t get a day off. I don’t get a night off. I don’t get a minute off and sometimes, I would really just like to soak in a hot bubble bath for 25 minutes with peace and quiet and no interruption. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t resent my children or husband, I just wish I could shut it off sometimes when I’m overwhelmed.

Then, take the response you got from your instructor:

You are absolutely correct in what you are doing. In fact, you are carrying on a tradition that is very old. I remember my mother, and my Irish grandmother, and my Scottish grandmother would all hang out their laundry and then go over to the neighbor’s fence to ‘chat for a bit’. It was their ‘sanity clause’, which said they needed to take a break before they went nuts. You are fulfilling the same need we all have in a healthy and creative way. Whatever you do, don’t stop! It is what is referred to as a ‘sacred space’.

I think as we study personality, personality traits and how we fulfill our needs, it is good to come back to this point that Stella has made to all of us. Thanks for sharing this with us and opening our eyes to the fact that the internet can be a source of healing.

Lazy blogging at its finest. Night all.

Did I ever tell you about the time my secretary called into work?

She says “Hey, did you get my text message?”

Me: “No.”

She says “I can’t come to work today because I’m in the hospital.”

Me: “holy crap! Are you okay?” I thought she’d been in an accident.

She says “Yea, see, the thing is, ummm, I didn’t know (pause)…I didn’t know I was pregnant and I went into labor this morning.”

Yeah. So goes the life of an average employee.

Call me crazy

but I think corn dogs and low-carb monster energy could be my new favorite meal. Ever.

How did I do it?

Speaking of weight loss, my neighbors have been asking recently how I lost the weight. I started, in earnest, back in September, 2009. As I stated before, I am down 40 pounds. I knew that the key to my success would be to suppress appetite so I began with drinking more water. I started with a bottle of water before each meal. Then I started eating fruit during the day when I was hungry. Probably the most extreme thing I did was count my portions of things like crackers, chips, etc. I kept close track of my calorie intake and stayed within 1200 calories per day. What I figured out, that I liked the most, was that by adding the fruit and some crackers, I was not as hungry during the day and more importantly, I was not starved and feeling ravenous when it was time for dinner.

Weight Loss is Possible

Is there really such a thing as diet pills that work for people? I know that before I finally stopped looking for the magic pill that would melt the fat away, I read up on hundreds of different diet pills, diets, diet solutions, all in an attempt to avoid having to actually work out or exercise in any way. I even tried a couple of over the counter diet pills to see if they would jump start me into weight loss. What I finally figured out was that I needed to work to lose the weight. I needed to make lifestyle changes. So that is exactly what I did. Now I’m down forty pounds and I could not be happier with my appearance.

Skin Issues

There are few things in this world that I worry about. I am an educated woman. I have college degrees. I have a good, stable marriage to the love of my life. We are the parents of three beautiful daughters. I never had problems with my skin when I was growing up. However, my husband had horrible acne when he was a teenager. Skin so bad that he was required to meet with a dermatologist every week. So far we have been really lucky with our children, however, that did not stop me from looking into acne treatments for our daughters just to be on the safe side.

I am contemplating a new computer

And I have been looking at Mac products. I hear they are easier to work with. They have less viruses and are basically better than Microsoft anything. But I am afraid also. I have worked on Windows products for too many years to count. And before windows, I worked in DOS. Yes, I just totally dated myself. However, while I was searching the good old internet for Mac products, I did find plenty to read about macbook memory upgrades and the like. I may be getting ahead of myself here. Just sayin.

I just want one day/night

For the past month my back yard has been under construction. One of those we will get it done in two weekend projects that husbands start that seem to last all summer long.

Then we had band concerts and cheer competitions.

Then I had to travel out of state for two days of training.

Then the kids are out of school next Thursday and every night this week we have had some kind of a function to attend.

And the yard is still not done.

And I just want one weekend that is not full of construction, dirt, people in and out, functions and anything that takes away from me sitting on the couch with a good book and a cup of hot coffee.

Finance Jobs

I have seriously been thinking of changing careers lately. Part of me will always love law and the justice system. The other part of me loves all things Psychology and thinks my name would look good with an Esq. or a Ph.D. behind it.

Decisions decisions decisions. One thing I wish I possessed was any kind of knowledge of the financial sector only because I believe the field would be fascinating. Often times I read articles regarding how to perform a finance job search and I am intrigued and afraid at the same time. I think it takes a certain personality to work in finance. And I ain’t it.

Term Life Insurance

My husband and I were talking about term life insurance this week and what we needed in order to be completely safe if one of is were to die suddenly. There are so many options and plans! I was tired after looking into only a few. I do not believe it should be this hard to find decent life insurance that does not cost us an arm and a leg and our first born grandchild.

I really don't understand the logic behind term life insurance though.

Vacation

Summer is almost here. I cannot believe it. My kids get out of school the end of this month and since they are not spending three weeks in California this year like they normally do, I have to find ways to entertain them. Lucky me. We are going to the Grand Canyon for sure. We have lived in Arizona for five years now and we still have not taken the kids there. I remember it vividly and I was nine when I went!

We are also planning a trip to Knotts Berry Farms or Six Flags. Not sure yet. We have never been to either so regardless of where we end up, it will be a new experience.

We are also spending a week in Utah to see family and catch up with old friends. I cannot believe we have lived in the scorching desert for five years. Wow.

Weight loss battle, it's not a journey. Just sayin

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I have been steadily losing weight since September of last year. I have really cut back on portions, switched to diet drinks if I drink any kid of soda and upped my water intake. I have added some moderate exercise because now that I have lost nearly 40 pounds, I am worried about sagging in all the wrong places. I had briefly looked into the best weight loss supplements when I first started my weight loss journey (don’t you hate it when they say that? It’s not a journey. It’s a battle!) but I decided that I wanted to see if I could do it on my own. And I did.

Thinking of moving? Hire help. Trust me on this one.

Back in 2005 when we moved from Utah to Arizona, we rented a truck and loaded everything we could not fit into our Explorer and our minivan and we made the trek south to the scorching desert. It was a grueling 14 hour drive when you add up that we left three hours late, we had to stop so the kids could use the bathroom. Then we had to stop so the dogs could go to the bathroom. Then we had to stop to eat. And for gas. And for snacks, etc. Now, we are openly discussing either moving back to Utah or further north in Arizona, maybe the Flagstaff area. I promise you I will be checking into a long distance moving company this time because I was so wiped out after the last move that I felt I had not slept in weeks.