Aloe-ha!

Got Focus?

2009-08-08T07:31:00.002-05:00

This is getting out of hand. I suck at being a "good" blogger. Mostly because, I've lost focus. I orignally said I was going to use this as a fitness accountability site (for myself) and provide workout tips for others, but, it has since turned into a montage of personal, religous, work-related and over all "life" rants.

So I'm starting over. I'm creating a new blog.

I may keep this one up, for when I feel the need to vent personally about something that isn't necessarily appropriate to post on my new 'professional' blog. I say professional because I intend for it to be business/GIS/career oriented. I just hope I am inspired enough to keep up with it.

You may hear from me here again (assuming there are any of 'you' out there) - but until then, keep tabs of me over at my new home.

Don't Read This Post...Really, I Have Nothing To Say

2009-07-24T21:23:00.004-05:00

Don't say I didn't warn you.

This post is going to be filled with boring ramblings about what I did, or didn't do over the last week.

I'm writing this soley for my own benefit of feeling accomplished for updating my blog.

Really, I have nothing interesting to say.

On that note, if you ignored my warnings and are still reading, here is what I did this week:

Monday - Monday is my day off. It was a long time ago. All I really remember doing is going grocery shopping. Oh yeah. I also went for a kick-ass bike ride/run on the St. Mark's Trail. I did a 10mile bike, and a 2 mile run back to back. It took me 1hr and 8 minutes. The bike ride was 48 minutes, and the run was 20. Averaging a 10min mile running AFTER a long-ass bike ride is pretty good if you ask me. No. I have not yet signed up for the triathlon in September. Don't ask me what I'm waiting for because I'm really still in denial. Don't worrry. I'll get over it and eventually sign up.
Tuesday - Tuesday was also a long time ago. I honestly can say, I don't remember doing much of anything other than editing churches in Nassau County (don't ask). Though, I did behave and go to the gym after work. I lifted upper body, and am still store in my chest & back to this day.
Wednesday - Wednesday. Hump Day. Yes, I'm somewhat immature enough that the phrase "hump day" still makes me giggle. It was my first day in two and a half weeks where I didn't have a meeting scheduled. You'd think I'd be excited. On the contrary, it made for a very boring and unproductive day. I also bet you're expecting me to talk about my workout. Well, sorry to let you down, but I blew the gym/pool off on hump-day!
Thursday - Here is where things get interesting. This is what I remember. Leadership meeting at work = fun. Girlfriend announcing her dissertation was accepted and will officially be a "Doctor" = extra fun. Going to chili's to celebrate said dissertation acceptance = super extra fun. Waking up at 3am to a husband who got sick off of Chili's = super extra NOT fun.
Friday - TGIF Y'all! (BTW - I am anal with the spelling of y'all. Most people think I spell it wrong. I'll go into this some other time). Started the day off with a 3 hour meeting - yes, started. That means 8am - 11am. Especially not 3 cabernets deep. Had a pretty mild day until about 2pm. 2-4pm ended up turning my brain to mush and giving me a headache. However, boss's retirement party was at 5:30. The potential for red wine is what kept me going. And delicious tasting food. So, I had said red wine and said delicious tasting food. Came home, talked to BFF for about 2 hours. Phone died (her father in law called) - ended conversation. Now, I'm sitting, with my glass of cabernet, a PS3 widow, contemplating playing Sims 3 and enjoying some psuedo alone time.
Saturday - Going to convince hubs to ride/run the St. Mark's Trail with me. Monday, there were some sketchy people. Now, don't get me wrong, I could probably easily kick their asses, but some things are just easier (and safer) with a boy present. :)
Sunday - Church (hopefully) then I have a phone date with an old BFF from Colorado. We're going to discuss work related matters - which, I unfortunetly won't get paid for. But hey, that will make me a better person, right?

So, if you're bored, and or offended that I'm not as interseting as you had hoped. All I have to say is:

I told you so.

FYI: For those who actually read and keep up with my blog (which are few and far between) - my current goal has been going *mostly* well. I've only missed 3 days out of the last 10. That's 70% for you math folks. I know I need to start over, in which case, yesterday would have been day 1. Its going to be a long (but rewarding) process.

I Love 80s Music, But I Love the 21st Century More

2009-07-16T19:09:00.001-05:00

Here is why:

You Can't Be a Disciple without Having Discipline

2009-07-14T17:18:00.004-05:00

I amazed myself the other day. I finished a novel (non-Harry Potter at that!) in about 2 days. I didn't count the hours, but I bet if I added them all up it would maybe be less than 24. The last novel I read took me months. I really wasn't that excited about it.

Yesterday, I started a new novel. I will probably finish it before the month is out depending on how much I dedicate my time to it. Then, I started thinking about how I've neglected to read this other book I've been meaning to get into again lately.

A few days ago I came across a blog post on self-discipline. I say this like I just "happened" to find it. Actually, I read Penelope's blog pretty regularly. I highly recommend it if you are career-minded and can handle candid opinions. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, after reading it, my immediate thought was "I need to be more disciplined with my workouts, and this is how I will be self-disciplined again," because well, I have been somewhat of a slacker at late.

However, as the days rolled by, I kept having a nudging feeling (especially while I was enjoying my quite time alone with my novels), that I need to be more self-disciplined about something else that I have cast aside. When I googled the word "disipline" not surprisingly the wikipedia entry came up. So I read it. It led me to another word: disciple

Now, I took enough years of Latin in high school to remember that discipulus means "student." So I started thinking, "Am I really a student of God?" Sure, I believe in God, belive Christ died for our sins, yadda yadda yadda. But, do I really study him? My answer would honeslty have to be no. I probably used to. In college. Back when I was single, took 12 credits of classes, and didn't have any money. I had all the time in the world to devote to studying God (because, seriously, who went to class really). But, as I get older (and thus more "responsible") I seem to have let this aspect of my life slip.

But recently I have been feeling the pull to get back into it. So I need to take action. I need to make time to study God. Afterall, I obviously have time to spend an hour in the gym everyday and an hour or two reading for fun every night (and time to write this blog!), so therefore, I have PLENTY of time to study Him. My problem, actually doing it!

My new goal: spend 30 mintues every day studying God. For a month straight. If I miss a day, I start over! (Just like in high school swim practice "If you miss the interval, the whole team starts the set over!")

As a motivator (you'd think my salvation and relationship with God would be enough) will be to treat myself to a new Bible. My old one was given to me by an ex-boyfriend from college (I contemplated naming him), and still has my maiden name on it. It has tons and tons of writing in the margins (despite the fact my ex told me specifically NOT to write in it), passages underlined, and pictures taped to it. Full of memories. I will never throw it away, but merely archive it, and, when inspired, revisit to see who I was between the years of 2001 and 2009.

Today will be day 1. I think I shall retreat to the porch and indulge myself.

Halfway to 2010

2009-07-13T17:25:00.003-05:00

Since I did a 1st quarter review of my "Resolutions", I thought I might as well do a 2nd quarter review as well. Helps keep me accountable (or at least that's what I tell myself).

Here it goes:

Finish my Master's - Graduated May 2, 2009.
Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) - My current PR is 28:35. You can verify here.
Travel outside of the US - I made it to New Orleans and to Orlando. Do these count?
Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - Still staying stagnat - I should change this goal, because, why the number on the scale is above where I used to be, the number on the tag in my jeans has decreased. Therefore, I consider my progress thus far successful.
Prove to the world that 30 is the new 20 - I'm trying to remember what the heck I was even doing at 20. I'm going to guess gallavanting around Ellis Hall chasing boys. All I know, is that, I am definitely smarter than I was at 20, and, I make more money too. I also think I'm in better shape despite the fact I was swimming 20hrs a week back then.
Become more well-read - In the last week I finished 2 novels. On The Road by Jack Kerouac (which, I loated every second of), and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (which, I obviously loved because I finished it in a weekend). A few girlfriends and I have decided to start a book club. We're open to recommendations for our first book.
Spend more time in my music - I can honestly say I've only opened my violin case once, maybe twice since the last update. Also, I'm not sure I've sat down at my keyboard in weeks either. Not doing so hot anymore.
Get ahead in my career - I am in an interesting situation here. I've had an epiphany about my current position since March. All I can say, is that I'm having more positive experiences lately. I'm going to guess that there is some divine reason for this, and therefore am going to go with the flow for now.
Participate in a triathlon - I'm being a wuss on this one. I can't seem to consciously commit to this. I want to do it, I really do. September 12 is still on my calendar. And, I've been training (kinda). But, I haven't actually signed up to compete. I think part of it is because I know I'll be flying solo. All the past races I've completed I've done with a buddy. I'm slightly nervous to do one alone. Steve will come watch and support me no doubt, but, I like knowing someone actually in the race. But, really. I need to sign up. That will be my goal for July.

Things I think I already knew but needed to hear

2009-07-06T10:41:00.006-05:00

Last week, I had lunch with one of the managers where I work. I've been somewhat intrigued by this person since I started my current job. I'll admit though, that not all of my past opinions of this individual have been positive. I was subjected to a myriad of negative gossip upon the start of my current position, and much of it invloved this person.

However, over the past year or so, I've started watching this person (ok, sounds slightly stalker-ish, but not what I mean). I wanted to see if I could figure out how he "finagled" his way into his current position. Interestingly enough, he is not the manipulative sycophant many people describe him as (or wish he was). He really is just a charming, yet humble, individual who seems to have a great knack for comprehending and establishing working interpersonal relationships with great business-sense. I believe this skill (which I'm really hoping I can learn from him) really helped drive how he got to where he is today.

So, I asked him if we could do lunch. I wanted to pick his brain and get some advice. I learned four tidbits of wisdom that will help me get ahead in my career:

1. Surround yourself with good people. And, surround yourself with the right people. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of shoulder rubbing if it will help you get to where you need to be. You must market yourself and been seen if you want to get ahead. But don't just rub shoulders with anyone. Don't waste time with negative people, even if they are bigwigs. Their negativity could rub off on you, making you less likeable to those who can have an impact on your career.

2. Look for opportunities (projects) that will have a big impact. This can directly relate to #1. If people don't know you, they most likely won't think of you when they need something done. However, if you see a need, then jump on the opportunity to be involved. Don't wait for someone to ask you to do it.

3. Be good at what you do. This falls right in line with the first two. If you aren't good at what you do, your projects won't be successful. People will remember the lack of results, not that you "did your best". Spend the time to learn how to be the best at what you do now.

4. Get supervisory experience**. This will come with time. No one gets to be a manager right away. But, the sooner, the better (I'm guessing). This is one thing I currently lack in my career. I haven't had any opportunities to supervise. I have however, had plenty of project management experieince, in which, I did have to directly work with others and manage their work. Not quite like being a supervisor, but, still holding myself accountable for others' results.

So after all this, he suggested we meet again in a month. I had yet had any time to absorb anything he said. I wasn't even sure I had paid enough attention to what was being said since I felt nervous and out of my comfort zone the entire time. So much so I don't remember eating anything - but I'm pretty sure I downed three big glasses of water. But, apparently it sank in as I wrote this entire post on it. I agreed to a second lunch, but I think I sounded somewhat hesitant about it. Like I said, I hadn't really figured out if I got anythign out of it until later. So, I will reconfim this week, and go ahead and schedule it now so I can make it a priority.

I may just have a mentor here....something that has been absent from my professional career since leaving NCS. I'm looking forward to learning more, and I have a ton of stuff that I want to ask now. Next time, I won't be so nervous - hopefully, and, I might actually eat something.

**Between you and me, I hope #4 is in my very near future. My boss retires at the end of this month, and, I've applied for his job. I'm really going to have to turn my charm on over the next few weeks.

The Big Easy

2009-06-29T15:42:00.008-05:00

Early yesterday evening we got back from New Orleans, LA. It was more fun than I remembered it to be, and just as beautiful as every. Vieux Carre is truley one of the places that everyone from the U.S. must visit at least once. It is filled with so much beauty, history, ghostly encounters, and just plain fun. Even the famous VooDoo Queen Marie Laveau has a beautiful tomb. Extremely creepy? Sure. I felt like I might be cursed just by taking photos of it, but, it was too beautiful to forget.

It saddened me that the city doesn't take better care of their historic cemeteries. Ok, I realize, they are flat broke and then some due to Katrina. But, the dilapidated tombs made me feel sorry for the people who rest inside of them. Did they realize that after hundreds of years of being laid to rest that the world would soon forget and not care about their lives? I guess however, the fact that these tombs still exist at all is a miracle. Another creepy thought would be if a hurricane DID take out these cemeteries and dead bodies and skeletal remains ended up floating around the French Quarter. The city would for sure be cursed, if it's not already.

On a lighter note, the food was just as fantastic as I remembered it. Cajun hot sausage, jambalaya for breakfast, red beans and rice w/ andoulle sausage...makes me hungry just to think about it. Too bad I ate way more than my share of food. At least the majority of it was fresh food versus fast food. Although, I ate more than my fair share of fast food as well. And, can I just say, I think my body is rejecting fast food in its old age. I cannot stomach it, and haven't been able to for about a year, no matter where it is or what I get. Its guaranteed that within an hour of consuming that devilish food I get a wrenching stomach ache that makes me wish I could be a temporary bullimic. Yet, I don't seem to have learned my lesson, as I just had McDonald's for lunch today. And, yes, my stomach felt like crap until about 4pm today. I really just need to lay off the juice!

So, I think I will have a new goal of avoiding fast food whenever possible. I don't eat it all that much. I'm no junkie. But I do have a hard time denying myself when we're on the move and my stomach feels like it's about to implode if I don't give it food. Get a salad you say? Well, I'll admit that while most fast food joints have come a long way in attempting to offer healthier alternatives, not all fast food salads are created equal. Generally, you end up with a brown, wilty, almost moldy bowl of iceburg lettuce with two tomatoes and sliced carrots. I'd rather take my chances with the tasty burger and fries thank you!

We'll see how it goes I guess.

What's up D.O.C.?

2009-06-24T18:02:00.004-05:00

I didn't make it to the pool today. Right around 5pm, I got a raging headache. It came out of nowhere. I drank plenty of water today as well - I had about 2.5 liters. Dehydration is no excuse. So I used my headache as an excuse to go home and pour myself a glass of cabernet.

I've had a good week. In fact, I've had a great week. Not something you'd expect from someone who worked on their day off. My week is only going to get better. We're leaving for New Orleans tomorrow. I leave work at noon. I will get to see my mom, her hubs, and my brother, Drake. I have not seen Drake since our family reunion in 2007. He lives in Japan, and, I'm pretty sure he's never coming home.

I hated Drake as a kid. He annoyed the crap out of me. Always in my way, following me around, trying to get me in trouble. Typical boy. Not to mention, since he was "the youngest" he got away with EVERYTHING. When I got in trouble, I had to stand in the corner with my nose touching the wall. My mom would even come check. When he "stood" in the corner, he was allowed about a 4 foot radius in which he could fart around. And, if a cat came walking by, well, watch out. "Time out" turned into "Cat Torture Time."

I always had to baby sit him, and, while I liked being "responsible" I secretly wished they would take my brother with them. One time, he threw my mom's sewing scissors at me. He was 4, I was 11. I was livid. As livid as a 5th grader could be anyway. I remember wanting to hurl those scissors back SO hard!

We never really connected until we were "adults" - and the Vancouver trip was pretty much our first "adult" encounter with each other. He was 20 in the summer of 2007. Its weird to think he'll be 23 this year. I met Steve when I was 23. Seems like such a short time ago I was still living behind Woody's off Laurel in Fort Collins.

23.

When I was 23, I was certain I would be married and have 2.3 children by the time I was 26. I didn't get married until I was 26. I still haven't had any children. I'm 30.

Reminscing about my early 20s makes me miss my Colorado friends dearly. I'm reminded about Poudre Canyon and going sunbathing on a rock over the Poudre River. Remembering the sunrise hike up Greyrock we took to only spend over half our day getting lost hiking down (Ange & Molls, I still remember Psalm 24) . Praise God for those days.

I could use some of those days. I recently reconnected with one of my CO friends, she's living in the UK. Its amazing how much changes in such a short time. I can only imagine what my brother will be doing when he turns 30. Maybe by then, I'll have my 2.3 kids.

I have a lot to be thankful for and I often forget it. I am bad about taking the every day things for granted. I remember I did an exercise once where I was supposed to write down EVERYTHING I was thankful for. I got bored and stopped after 2 journal pages. I got the idea.

So, thanks be to God for my brother (Drake Oscar Crane, USN), and for my husband, and for my kitties, and the rest of my (our) family and friends. And for my job, and our house, and for the freedom to be able to have a house and a job. I'll stop there, lest I bore you with the myriad of "thanks" I need to give. :)

Never Been a Fan of Lobster

2009-06-20T21:29:00.006-05:00

I feel the direction of this blog might take a turn. I know I am supposed to be using it as a psuedo-workout log. But you know what, I can't make that kind of committment. I need the freedom to write about whatever I want - which, I pretty much do anyway.

So - quick workout update:
Monday: Biking (20min), Running (15min)
Tuesday: Legs/abs (lunch)
Wednesday: Swimming (45min)
Thursday: Upper body (lunch)
Friday: none
Saturday: Hauling beach gear back & forth in the sand in 99 degree weather.

our umbrella village

Yes, I said BEACH!!! Best beach day of the season (so far). I love going to the Cape (that's Florida-speak for "Cape San Blas" to all you non-locals). Slightly upset we didn't pick up some live shrimp. No bait fish in the entire ocean.....excluding the mini dead mullet I "caught" in my cast night. I was unable to catch my dinner. Sad, sad day.
I did see a giant sting ray which was pretty sweet. No, I did not catch that in the cast net thankfully!

boys on the MEGASTATION aka "U.S.S. Sofina"

Oh, and did I mention I got sunburned? It looks like I have a white bathing suit on when I'm naked. No joke. I am usually OCD about sunscreen, but, I think with the grossly hot temperatures compelling me to hang out in the water (and sweat off my sunscreen) highly contributed to my lobster-esque color. Oddly enough, my face and arms are sunburn free. Can't say the same about my legs, back, stomach or chest.

me in my new beach hat - $2.50 at Target!

Does this mean tomorrow I'll be tan? Wait - I'm Irish. I don't tan. Skin cancer here I come!

Ah well - the day was a success. I'm going to conclude the evening with a glass of Shiraz and Episode 10 of Harper's Island.

Tomorrow's Goals: Church, Mow Lawn, Clean House, Get Groceries

Next Weekend's Adventure: New Orleans!! I'll be seeing my brother for the first time since Vancouver (2007). Radical!

Where O' Where Have I Been?

2009-06-11T18:56:00.005-05:00

Feel free to point out that I've neglected my blog over the last month or so. Since I generally use this as a tool to keep myself accountable for my workouts you can pretty much guess I haven't really been working out. I've been swimming a little, but not consistently. This is about to change.

I figure, what better way to get back into blogging than to review my New Year's Resolutions?

Finish my Master's - I FINISHED and have officially been awarded my degree!!
Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) DONE!
Travel outside of the US - really not sure if this will happen this year. One HUGE obstacle being that Steve gets next to nothing for vacation. There are still very tentative plans for a cruise the week of Labor Day, but, not sure we can swing it.
Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - I'm pretty stagnant in this currently. I mentioned my workouts have been sporadic at best. Really need to get on goal #9 to help out with this.
Prove to the world (or at least my friends) that 30 is the new 20 - So, I had an ok b-day. I turned 30 gracefully (I hope), and I know I'm probably healthier than the average 30 year old. But for some reason, I seem to LOOK older than I remember...no fair! But I guess I can cross this off. :)
Become more well-read - Still working on this - Currently reading Jack Kerouac's On The Road. Been reading it for several weeks and should be finished by now - been distracted by The Sims 3 ;)
Spend more time in my music - been slacking here as well. However, sounds like quintet will start back up next Wednesday. Better dust off the old violin.
Get ahead in my career - since graduating, I've updated my resume and managed to toss it around at a few places. I'm also working on utilizing LinkedIn a little more. Even though I've read that the average user is in their 40s, I still think it has a lot of good information and resources. Leveraging social media is something I've been working on lately.
Participate in a triathlon - I've been swimming, I've been running, and I've been biking. But, I've been pretty chicken about actually comitting to this whole triathlon thing. There is one in August. I need to bite the bullet and actually register. That will get my butt moving!

First Lunch Workout

2009-05-05T11:27:00.001-05:00

Cardio: 45min Swim - 500cals

Weights: Upper Body - Endurance (3x20 reps)

Food: Breakfast - Total Cinnamon Crunch (190) w/ 1/4 cup skim (23) - 213

Lunch - Bumblebee Sundried Tomato & Basil Tuna (110) w/ 5 Whole Wheat Ritz Crackers (70) - 180

Snack - Fiber One Vanilla Yogurt - 80

Snack - Fiber One Strawberry w/ Almonds granola bar - 140

Total Food: 613 no dinner plans yet - still debating

I made it to the gym over lunch today. It was a VERY speedy workout - but, it was a good endurance strength workout. I did my exercises as if they were compound sets. Basically, I did 1 set 20 reps of chest press, then straight into 20 reps of curls - then back to chest, until I finished 3 sets of each. Then, I took a small break - then went into bent over rows & lat raises. I did this because it REALLY saves a ton of time vs. resting between each set and between each exercise. It also gives you a slight cardio-like boost which is good. I probably should have mixed some abs in there, and I think I will next time.

And, my goal is to still hit the pool after work today. I haven't been at 5:30 before, and I know there is a water aerobics class - so hopefully they don't close too many lanes for it. I guess I'll find out. If it sucks, I'll have to find another way to get some swimming in. Maybe take a longer lunch once or twice a week. We'll see.

As for dinner - I'm going to decide what to make once I get home. I'm not sure what time I will end up getting home. I'm planning on 6:30ish I guess. So, depending on my energy level, we'll either do meatloaf or goulash. Exciting I know.

Anyway, I need to try to get motivated to work some more. I'm stuck trying to build a tracking database. Fun! Only 5 hours left!

Call me Master!

2009-05-04T08:01:00.001-05:00

All I can say, is that it will be great to get into a regular routine again. Granted, while in school, I was in a routine, and while it was the same from week to week, it was far from regular. I like being able to go into work and leave at the same time everyday. I like not having to juggle wether or not to go to the gym or the grocery store because I had to work later into the evening because I had to go to class. I like not having to come home and work on homework instead of doing something more fun, like tend to my garden, do home improvements, or just be lazy and play video games or watch TV. Its going to be nice.

I started my 4-day work week this week. I have Mondays off. Although, for every Monday between now and July I will need to work at least 5 hours. We have two vacations coming up. One at the end of May into early June, and one at the end of June. I will need 70 hours of leave for these two vacations combined. I have 25 right now, and will only earn another 16-20hrs between now and then (not all at once either). But, I can handle 45 hour weeks. I technically did more than that while in school. Just, not all of it was work-related. And, knowing I can do those 5 hours during any time on Mondays is also nice. So, if I'm feeling motivated, I'll go in at 7am. If not, I'll go in at 10. I like having that option.

As far as the triathlon goes, the July 4th Freedom Springs Tri is going to be a bust. July 5th is Steve's birthday. He wants to make a trip to Orlando to go to Universal Studios for the weekend, since we get the 3rd off, and I get Monday the 6th off. We have family down there as well who are our age to hang out with (cousins). So, I need to start looking for other tri's in the area (decently driveable) to train for. This is probably better anyway since, I really didn't have any time to trian the last few weeks with finals, graduation, and family coming into town. I'm hoping to get on the boat this week or next. I've been swimming lately, which is nice. Especially in the summer in Florida. And, while its great, and I love being able to do it - I can't help but still feel some of the negative feelings I used to get in college & HS.

Butterfly day???? UGH!!!! Distance Day??? We'll never finish 7500yds before its time to leave for school!!!

Its nice to know, that if I miss an interval, I won't be required to start a set over. Or have lounge chairs thrown in the pool at me for farting around. And, if I don't want to do butterfly or breaststroke, well, by golly I don't have to! And I won't feel bad about it either!!!

Surprisingly, I'm not as slow as I thought I would be either. I did some 50 free's on the :45 and made them ok. Did some 100s on the 1:45 and made them pretty easily. My only problem is, getting enough yardage in. I've been swimming about 45min and getting about 2500yds in. Its really weird to think, that, 45min is a lot of cardio. And, when I run or bike, I don't do much more than 45-60min at a time. But, 2500yds in the water seems so short! Probably because i'm used to doing anywhere from 3500-7500yds in any given practice. I mean, some of our practices would be over 2 hours long depending. That's a LONG time to be working out. I think an hour is good. I'd like to average 3500+ yards in an hour.

My first day back in the pool, I did 2000 yards. I told Steve my warm up was 800 yards. It was the standard warm up I did while in OK: 200 Swim, 200 Kick, 200 Pull, 200 IM. He said "It takes you 800 yards to warm up? When you're only swimming for 45min?" I thought about it. Yes, it seemed odd. But, my body needed it.

I need to do more sprints, and more distance. I haven't done any sets that require anything over 200. Which, I did 200s (free) on the 3 minutes. I made all 4 of them. Funny to think I used to swim a 200 backstroke in 2:12.

It feels weird saying the swimming portion of the triathlon will be the easiest. But, really - 400 yards, when I do 800 yards for a 'warmup' on any given day, should be a piece of cake.

Tumbalalaika

2009-04-22T18:00:00.005-05:00

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

maybe - just found out the pool near my house is finally reopening. I think I need more time to train since this is my first tri - looking for one in the early fall.

Cardio: 0 today (yesterday I did a quick 2 miles)

Weights: 3x(upper body 4x20, abs 4x20, lower body 4x20) alternating exercises for each of the 3 sets

Food: Breakfast - Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - San Miguel's (B-day lunch today courtesy of the coworkers)

Dinner - Steak with steamed veggies, soba noodles, and ginger sauce (find it here)

Self Confidence: 9

So - another thing to cross off my Resolutions list - #5 - I'm 30 - and I feel pretty good. Although, the reality that I'm a real adult is starting to sink in. And while society says you become an adult at 18, I don't think I really acted like a real adult until around...oh.....age 25 if I'm lucky.

A little over two weeks until graduation. That means less than two weeks to finish my remote sensing project, which, I am having issues with by the way. Thanks for asking. Due to my self denial of taking the class, more or less actually having to do assignments for it, I have backed myself into a corner, pretty much becoming the epitome of procrastination. I actually entertained the thoughts about what would happen if I just decided to blow off the whole project. That lasted a day or three, and well, here I am. Running some crap analysis that is taking forever hoping that I can get a decent enough result to fudge a report with. Lucky for me, I have somehow 'wowed' my teacher with my profound GIS abilities and have found favor in his eyes. I have unintentionally turned into "teacher's pet" with pretty much zero one-on-one face time. As bad as it sounds, I hope this works to my advantage when I turn in my project (if I turn it in......only kidding!).

Because of this project and other random stuff, I have been in a sporadic workout routine. (I just laughed at myself for using 'sporadic' and 'routine' in the same sentence) I've been averaging 2-3 days a week...max. Which, is ok I guess. I'll be running another 5K on Saturday. I don't anticipate a record performance by any means, but it would be nice to stay under that 30min mark.

On a side note - I've been playing a decent amount of piano lately. Well, keyboard if you want to get specific, since, I don't own a piano. I've self-graduated to "Level 2" and one of my favorite songs is the second in the book. You can watch a gal play it here - and, only those of you learning the song, or who know the song, would know where she screws up. I must say, her mistakes are better than mine, since, she is able to keep tempo and plow through them. I haven't gotten to that phase yet, when I screw up, I pretty much have to stop, and restart a measure or two before. But hey, I'm still learning. Either way, its one of the few songs in these cheesy beginner piano books I actually enjoy. If I were to give one critique for her (which, would satisfy my friend's resistance to middle school musical style) is that she pay attention to her dynamics! There are clearly two parts that require a dramatic crescendo, which we do not hear. I am working hard on incorporating those into my practice, and hope that this makes you proud Jenn!

Good News for Me

2009-04-17T13:52:00.001-05:00

I mentioned that I was quietly excited to go off BCP because of the sheer fact that I might loose weight. Well, here is some more good news about being off "hormone therapy!"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30266121/

Uninspired

2009-04-15T12:09:00.001-05:00

Its been weeks since I've posted. I haven't been motivated. I'm not even motivated to follow the 'format' I had set up originally. It would be pointless as I have made zero progress on anything lately anyway.

But, I will tell you the following:

I haven't been to the gym since last Tuesday
I've eaten a slice of cheesecake and have had one brownie every day since Sunday
I'm exhausted from working 12 hour shifts and from working last Saturday (which I volunteered to do)
My brain hurts from thinking about a project that is due in 2 weeks
I turn 30 in 4 days

Despite all this, I was down to 144lbs on Sunday. Going to go to the gym today to hopefully prevent me from gaining weight this week.

I apologize I have nothing exciting to add to this crappy post. Hopefully I can get back into a routine soon enough.

1st Quarter Review

2009-03-31T06:55:00.000-05:00

Since today marks the end of the 1st Quarter of the New Year, I thought I would take some time to review the resolutions I made:

1. Finish my Master's - Still on track to graduate, May 2nd, 2009.

2. Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) - This can officially be crossed off. My split at the 10K was 29:14. Prior to this, my 5K time right around 31:00. I have all confidence that it will continue to get faster as well.

3. Travel outside of the US - still working on this. Currently planning a cruise the week of Labor Day. It's only to Mexico, but, it's a vacation out of the country. Not as exotic as I had hoped, but, should be fun nonetheless.

4. Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - This has been slow going. I dropped a total of 6lbs so far this year. But, I put 3 back on the past weekend (damn those fresh fried sweet potato chips from Springtime Tallahassee). But, I'm hoping to get back on track and then some this week. I was already a pound lighter (of those three) today.

5. Prove to the world (or at least my friends) that 30 is the new 20 - I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a "Birthday Weekend" this year. My b-day falls on a Sunday. People don't come to parties on Sundays. So, I'm thinking, let's go dancing on Friday night, then, maybe dinner and some cocktails on Saturday night so when midnight hits I can officially celebrate. My BFF is looking into coming into town with her hubby, so that should make for a fun weekend.

6. Become more well-read - Slowly but surely this is coming along. I just finished The Mummy by Anne Rice. I'm currently reading On The Road by Jack Kerouac. I'd like to get to some of the books on my bookshelf I've started but never finished. Including Don Quixote, and The Decameron.

7. Spend more time in my music - I've been doing pretty well on this. In fact, recently music has been one of my distractions from doing my work for school. Annoyingly enough, I'm not learning piano fast enough to my liking. I want to wake up and be a pro already. Believe it or not, its frustrating transitioning instruments, especially when the music appears really easy to my eyes, but my fingers can't seem to make it work. I might start taking piano lessons. But, I also really want to find a community orchestra to play in as well. I can do it all, right?

8. Get ahead in my career (kind of goes along with goal #1) - I have applied to a few federal jobs in the DC area (feds seem to be the only one hiring). I need to start networking more with individuals in the private sector of GIS here in Tallahassee. I hate the public sector here (i.e. State of Florida). You can't get promoted unless someone in the higher position retires or dies. However, the public sector isn't hiring much since they are mostly contractors for the State of Florida, and if you haven't heard, we're in a budget crisis. What fun.

9. Participate in a triathlon - I currently plan to participate in the Freedom Springs Triathlon on July 4, 2009. I have no idea what to expect. I think I'm going to go watch the Red Hills Triathlon this weekend. I specifically want to focus on how to do the "transitions" - i.e. water to bike, bike to running. I'll probably just wear my running shoes to bike in and end up wearing my swim suit for the whole thing. I don't have those fancy clip on pedals like some people do - not to mention, I have a mountain bike anyway, not a road bike. I won't be breaking any records, but, I'd like to finish in a decent time. I'm semi nervous, and I wish there was a sprint triathlon later in the year so I can give myself more time to train for it. I might still look into this. But, I should just suck it up and go for it.

Well, there you have it. Q1 in review. So far, I'm pretty happy with my progress. Hopefully, once school ends, I can start focusing on 6 and 7 more. I really need work on 8, and I feel that will be a year long process. But, it will be good for me.

ANTM Season 13 here I come!

2009-03-30T07:06:00.001-05:00

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

Cardio: 2 miles - walking on breaks - 165

Weights: 3x(upper body 4x20, abs 4x20, lower body 4x20) alternating exercises for each of the 3 sets.

Food: Breakfast - Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - Leftover Pizza - 1 million

Dinner - I need to go shopping - maybe grilled chicken salad.

Self Confidence: 6 (i'm mostly feeling indifferent today)

So, I think I'm going to run another 5K in April. But, not specifically going to train for it. Its going to be more for fun, and, I hope I set a new PR - which I think I will since I set a PR halfway through a 10K. Plus its on a course I know very well, Tom Brown Park. A friend of mine is a member of the Junior League of Tallahassee and they're hosting it. Plus, as most races are, its for a good cause.

Beach season is coming upon us. I really want to be in bikini shape ASAP. I hope this new lifting program I'm trying will help with that. That also means its time to start shopping for a new suit. I hate bikini shopping, but, not for the reasons that most women hate it for. For me, I enjoy getting to try on a bunch of different suits. I pretty much know that 75% of them will look horrible on me, but, its fun to try them anyway, just for that 25% chance that one I think will look terrible, will look fantastic. You never know. Like with most clothes, they usually look terrible on the hanger, you really need to put them on to know whether or not you're going to like them. What I hate is the fact that they cost so much friggin money. And, then, even after you drop $80 on a suit, they fall apart or get sunbleached after a year. I have yet to find a suit that holds up over the years. I usually get 2 seasons out of a suit, which, in my opinion, is not long enough for less than a yard of $80 fabric.

Speaking of shopping, I also need new work clothes. Luckily, my birthday is coming up. Every year my mom always gets me some clothes, which is great. But, my main problem lies in finding good quality work pants. I have LLS - long-leg syndrome. Now, many of you may not think this is a problem, and say "Man! I wish I was tall and had long legs like yours!" No, really. You don't. Now, I LOVE being tall, in fact, I'm pretty much obsessed with it, and in fact, I'm not even that tall - only 5'7". In fact, according to America's Next Top Model, 5'7" is short. But, it is quite impossible to find pants to fit me. You see, my inseam is longer than my 6'1" husband's inseam. I need at least a 34" inseam. And that's if I'm wearing flats. If I want heels, I gotta bump that up to 36".

Guess what. Tallahassee shopping sucks. Even places that carry "long" pants are a joke. For instance, Express. I love Express, but their "long" inseam is 33". Yeah, not going to cut it - especially after they get washed once. I'll look like Huckleberry Finn and people will start screaming "Where's the flood?!?" Even stores that generally carry long sizes, such as Gap, Banana Republic, etc, rarely have them in our ant-sized stores. Apparently there are no tall women in Tallahassee.

Shop online you say? Ok. Good idea. However, do you know what a pain it is to buy, and then return things from online if they don't fit? A few years ago I went through approximately 6 pairs of Lucky jeans (and eventually returned them all), and several pairs of J.Crew pants. You see, the length isn't the only problem. How do I know what size I need if I can't try them on first? Size charts are a joke. Not to mention, those Lucky jeans cost me an extra $40 in "restocking fees" - never again will I shop with them online. Even if I do find a pair that fit one year, styles inevitably vary from season to season.

My coworker complains about having the "same, yet opposite" problem. She requires 30" inseams. I tell her to go to a tailor. She says that it costs too much. If only I had the luxury.

So, my game plan is - go to the stores we do have in Tally, and try on different styles of current styles. Then, write down what style and size fit me. Then, go online, and pray that they come in long and hope they still fit the same when I order them. Wish me luck.

Starting Anew

2009-03-29T16:20:00.003-05:00

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

Cardio: 0 (yesterday I burned 762 calories during the race)
Weights: 0
(it's Sunday, and I just finished a race. I'm resting)

Food: Breakfast - Cheese Toast (370)
Lunch - TGI Friday's (too many I'm sure)
Dinner - I have no idea

Self Confidence: 8-9

So. I did it. I ran a 10K. Me...someone who used to always get out of running during cross-training for swimming. Someone who, just a few years ago could barely run for 10 minutes without stopping. And, I did it in under an hour. I finished with a time of 59:23. Don't believe me? See for yourself. I was bib number 418.

I passed the halfway point at 29:14. This is a personal best for a 5K time as well. I can officially cross off one of my goals for the new year.

I didn't get a chance to make my ideal playlist, which would include Beethoven's 9th 2nd movement as my last song so I could be extra pumped while crossing the finish line. That would have been so cool. Instead I was too lazy to time all this stuff out so I put my Aphrodite album on repeat for the whole hour, which seemed to do the trick. And, actually, it never had to repeat. I crossed before it finished.

Maybe one day I'll be as fast as my friend Katie. She finished in 47:47, and the last 5K she did was under 24 minutes. Really though, who am I kidding. I'll never be that fast. But you know what? I can take her in the water any day.

So the 10K is over, and is classified as a success. Time to move forward into the wonderful world of triathlon training. Which, I have no idea how to do. I can swim. I can bike. I just proved I can run. Now, can I do all three?

I found a recommended training plan/schedule. And, its pretty intense. I'll attempt to follow it. We'll see how it goes. I'm still waiting for the friggin pool at Myer's Park to open. They are now claiming April as the open date. We'll see. If I want to follow this 12 week schedule, then my start date would be on Easter.

In the mean time, I'm going to back off for a little while - in some sense anyway. I will still aim to hit the gym 5 days a week, but, I don't plan to run quite as much. My knees and hip need time to recover, so I'll be mixing up the cardio a little. Probably start biking to work again 2-3 times a week. Maybe do some mountain biking through Tom Brown as well.

Also going to mix up my weight lifting routine. I'm going to entertain myself with some circuit training. Specifically, one I found at bodybuilding.com. Oddly enough, its a pretty intesnse circuit - so, while I'll be backing off on cardio, I'll make up for that by doing circuits. Its a workout that some guy wrote for Jessica Simpson - hypothetically. Kind of funny, but, I actually liked what he had to say and am interested in trying it out.

Actually, I bet this workout will kick my butt, and, I bet after a day or two I quit following it. I have a hard time following things like these.....but, hopefully I can do it for ONE week? So, that is my goal this week. Follow this dude's faux celebrity workout. I'll let you know how it goes.

Who would have thought.

2009-03-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 10K

Cardio: Myer's Park Run (undecided on length) - 4 to 6 miles

Weights: 0

Total Calories:

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - Jimmy John's Beach Club (on whole grain bread, no mayo) - 610

Dinner - Tuna and Soba Noodles - 240+100+sauce??

Total Food: 1110 +sauce/seasonings

Self Confidence: 7

I'm getting nervous about running the 10K - mainly because, my hip is still sore from last Tuesday, and, I have to put more miles on my new shoes between now and Saturday. But, I also don't want to run too much this week since I do have to run 6.2 miles this weekend. But, I'm also excited at the same time.

Never in my life have I considered myself a runner. I am a water baby. I'm pretty sure I was conceived by water. We used to run as cross training for swimming, and, I used to put myself at the back of the line and walk at every opportunity. I could barely run 10 minutes in HS. I do remember my fastest mile time was a 7:46. The only reason I finished so fast was because I just wanted it to be over with. The track coach was my English teacher - she tried to recruit me. I told her no way. Plus, I didn't have time for track - swimming was a year round sport. And, I wasn't going to give up any of my time for a sport that I loathed.

I could barely run a mile back then - and forget running 6. When I graduated college I *attempted* to run - mainly because, I needed excercise, and running was free. But, after a 15-20min run around the block (literally) I declared myself done. I had no stamina. I could swim for hours, but I could barely run for more than 15 minutes. Put me back in the water please!

Biking was another thing. I used to bike to class since I didn't have a car in college. Not to mention, we also would bike as cross training for swimming in college. We used to bike about 7.5 miles out to this little lake that a supporter of the team lived on - swim the length of the lake (about 1000 yards) then bike back. My favorite workout ever. I'll never forget the attempt to bike up Horsetooth my freshman year. My friend Emily and I got about halfway up the first hill before deciding we could walk our bikes up the hill faster than we could ride them. So, we got off and pushed. Got to the top, and cruised down. By far the best part.

I also had a friend in college that liked to bike ride. We would go ride for hours together out Overland Trail, over to Bellvue and Laporte. Nice 2-3 hour rides. Also, whenever I got pissed off at my roommate for something, I'd just take off and go ride my bike. It was about as far as I could get away from her (since I didn't have a car). She would of course be all mad when I got back saying that she "freaked out" cuz she didn't know where I was. Which, was, pretty much the reason I would do it.

Here I am today - about to run 6.2 miles, in a competition no less, for fun. I must be on crack. Not to mention, working my way towards the sprint triathlon in July. Speaking of - I need to see if Myer's park pool is finally open. They *supposedly* opened last week - but, this has yet to be confirmed. I'll check when I go for my run this afternoon. Now, I'm wishing I packed my suit, cap, & goggles just in case. A swim would be a perfect thing after a long run.

Change of Plans

2009-03-18T09:30:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 10K (yes, that's right, 10K)

Cardio: 0

Weights: ??

Food: Breakfast: Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal - 160

Lunch: South Beach Diet Turkey Bacon Wrap Kit - 240

Snack: yogurt - 60; orange - 62

Dinner: Thinking Tacos.....not sure on cals

Total Food: 522 +tacos

Self Confidence: 8

So - as you can see from the top of my post, I've decided to man up and run the 10K next Saturday instead of the 5K. I was hoping to improve my 5K time originally. But, thousands of people run in the Springtime Race - meaning, its going to be similar to the Turkey Trot, where it took me *at least* a mile to get to the speed I wanted to cruise at. This is because not everyone is courteous and places themselves in the correct area based on speed. Several people with strollers, dogs, younger kids, you name it were close to the front of the crowd. This requires other runners, who want to go fast, to dodge obstacles and hopefully not trip over leashes while passing around people. So, I figure I'll do the 10K for fun, just to say I did it. Plus, my friend Katie will be running - she's a super speedy 5K runner (did the last one in 23 minutes), but says she doesn't think she can run a full 10K without walking - but, I think she undersells herself when it comes to running - she's modest. So, I'll run it with her and hopefully I can keep up!

Something else new - I got fitted for running shoes. Formally, by a local running store. I was pretty excited about this, as, I had never been told what the correct shoe I needed was by a professional before. However, I'm having issues with these shoes. I ran on them for the first time yesterday - only did 3.5 miles just to test them out. They felt great for the first 20-25min or so. But, then they started to feel like I was going to get a blister on the inside arch of my right foot. No good. Also, after I ran yesterday, my left hip started to kill me - right where my hip flexor is about. It was pretty sore - sore to the point where if I rolled weird in the middle of the night it would hurt. Its hurting as I sit here and type this.

After work today I plan to go and return the shoes. I'm almost hoping a different employee is there - mostly to get a second opinion. My initial thought is that they are at least a half size too big. My heels slip - and I couldn't get them tied tight enough to prevent it. Not to mention, if its a shoe that fits properly, I shouldn't get blisters. So, we'll see.

Another thing I'm going to do (hopefully today) is start seeing a chiropractor again. I really like my Tallahassee Chiro. He's fantastic, and, very preventative-minded and extremely health conscious. I originally went last year for a TMJ episode I had (my jaw went crooked - not fun). But, since my insurance sucked, I couldn't really afford to keep going on a regular basis. But, I have different insurance now, so its more affordable for me to keep up with it - so I'm going to call to make an appointment to become re-established.

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Final Chapter)

2009-03-13T06:16:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K; Freedom Hills Sprint Triathlon

Cardio:

Weights:

Calories Burned:

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwich (with Craisins!) - 338

Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

Dinner - ?? Maybe leftover lasagna?

Total Food: 658+dinner

Self-Confidence: 9

Ok - so, you've made it through the boring stuff, none of which actually told you what makes me crazy. But, the background is important, it will help you understand "why" I'm crazy.

So, in summary - here are 6 things that I obsess about when it comes to nutrition, fitness, diet, and weight loss:

1. I weigh myself daily. Twice, daily. I weigh myself in the mornings, naked, after I emptied my bladder - I do this on purpose because I KNOW that this will be the lightest I will be all day. Then, after I work out, I weigh myself again. This is to determine whether or not I made progress during the day. I figure, if I'm within 1/2lb of what I was that morning, I'm doing good.

2. I get really irritated when people plan fun stuff during my "workout time" - this includes after work happy hours. In CO - my neurotic coworkers would always schedule our happy hours around our workouts. We didn't meet up until 7pm. This was perfect, and a mutual agreement. However, I don't have many fitness freak friends down here (if any) so most of the time, I blow off my workout for a few cocktails and just deal with being pissed at myself later.  One of the many reasons why I haven't maintained my "Pre-Florida Weight."

3. I'll be honest. It annoys me to see overweight or obese people eating fast food or any other unhealthy food.  I scream inside "DON'T THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE KILLING THEMSELVES?" The even more ironic thing is, I don't normally see that unless I'm in a fast food restaurant myself. Hello, hypocrite?? And, I actually HATE when I have to eat fast food. Even though, I relish every second of it. Thus is the dichotomy of Jessica.

4.  Even if I do reach a goal - I feel like I am still the same, and thus am compelled take the goal just one-step further.   For instance, when my goal was (and currently is again) to be 135lbs - and I reach, 135lbs (or 136), I look at myself and say, "Well, it says that's what I am, but, I think maybe I should shoot for 125lbs. Might help my mid-section a little more." Or, if I want to be a size 6, and I reach a size 6, I say "Why stop now, I'm going to shoot for a size 4." I think this is the perfectionist coming out in me - I'm never really 100% happy with where I am, and always think I should do just a little more. I would probably do this until I withered away into nothingness - if my body would let me. I'm pretty sure I max out at 136/size 6.

5. I said I went off BC because it was healthier for my system. Secretly, I am ecstatic because I really really really hope that being off hormones will allow pounds to melt off of me like how cheese slips off overly cheesy pizza. Sure, not getting migraines, and having regular cycles will be great. But, really, getting rid of the extra weight its forced me to have would be worth the trouble. Realistically, I doubt I will see any change. But, I can still hope!!

6. I am a secret binge eater. My worst time to binge is in between getting home from the gym and dinner. I usually get a whole 2 hours to myself, and I almost always come home from the gym ravishing. And, no one but the cats are there to witness my weakness. Some days I'm good and limit myself to a slice or two of Steve's lunchmeat. Other days, I devour boxes of cheese nips and thin mints. I often exclude these from my daily calorie totals to make myself feel better.

I'm going to guess, that there are probably more if I dig around my brain long enough - but I think this sums everything up for now. The moral of this story is, its ok to be crazy and neurotic (you're not the only one) - just do so in moderation, and accept the fact that you are indeed, crazy and neurotic.

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 3)

2009-03-12T06:25:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K; Freedom Hills Sprint Triathlon

Cardio: 2 mile walk during breaks (166)

Weights: Upper Body (chest, back, shoulders, bi's, tri's)

Calories Burned: 166+weights

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwich (with Craisins!) - 338

Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

Dinner - Maybe lasagna (we ended up not having guests over so we grilled up brats and potatoes instead yesterday)

Total Food: 658+dinner

Self-Confidence: 6ish (I felt good until I spilled coffee down the front of my shirt and pants)

As I mentioned yesterday, Dawnetta & Amber directly influenced my overall health and fitness obsessiveness. Therefore, I blame them for all my current neuroses. Just kidding.

Dawentta started not too long after I did. She was blonde, skinny, big boobed and beautiful. I got to know her, and we started hanging out. I quickly found out she was an amazing person, had amazing (and attractive, both physically and personality wise) friends. She was my Lisa Kress of my young adult life. Except, this time I got to be her friend vs. the nerdy girl in the corner she didn't care about. I was honored.

I learned a lot from Dawnetta, mostly about having confidence in myself and how not to be afraid to ask for what you want. Especially when it came to work. But, I also knew she had a personal trainer and took care of herself. At the time, she had a roommate that was pretty obsessive about what he ate and what vitamins/supplements he took. I learned a lot about nutrition from her through her roommate.

As for Amber, she introduced me to the Body for Life program. She completed a 12 week challenge. I have started many, but, never fully completed one. I always end up getting bored and switching stuff around (I have an attention span of a 6 year old when it comes to the gym). However, one thing I did learn from her was how to make fitness a priority. This was something she did well. She had determination and she had a goal. Something I never really had. I just knew I was supposed to go, and was supposed to look a certain way based on what I saw around me.

I too, was jealous of Amber. Jealous of the fact that she did more than I did exercise wise, and worked out longer/burned more calories than I did. Maybe jealousy isn't the correct term. I admired her. And, I wished I had the motivation she had to put forth the effort she did.

I remember our company entered a competition where we measured the number of steps we took with pedometers and such. She of course "out-stepped" us all! She began riding her bike to work also, which, only raised her daily total steps. Something I could not do because I lived too far, and I didn't even own a bike. Unknowingly, she pushed me to do more, but it seemed no matter what I did - she always beat me out. And good for her!

While in most situations, I would get frustrated to the point where I would resent her, this did not happen. Amber is too awesome of a person to resent no matter how great she is. What I liked best about her was that I could identify with her. She is not overweight, and (to my knowledge) never was. Neither was I at this point in my life. Yet, we both seemed to want more from ourselves. And, not just so we could be "hot" (though, that is a great side effect), but, more for our own personal peace of mind. This is something we shared, and, not sure if she ever knew that - but, she does now (if you read this, Amber).

Working with these ladies only made things more interesting. Because, guess what daily topic of conversations would bring?

Scenario 1:

Me: So, what are some good healthy snacks that I can bring to work. I'm bored of yogurt and popcorn?

Dawnetta: I like soy nuts - the lightly salted kind.

Amber: The EAS snack bars are the best I've ever tasted - as far as nutritional snack bars go. Anything with protein will be good for you.

Scenario 2:

Dawnetta: I've been adding flaxseed to my salads and oatmeal

Me: What is flaxseed?

Dawnetta: Its a healthy source of omega-3's. My roommate buys it then grinds it up in his coffee grinder and sprinkles it on things. But, it goes bad fast, so, you have to use it up quickly. I've also been looking into taking Spirulina. Its a type of algae that is supposed to have antioxidant properties.

Me: You're eating algae now?

Dawnetta: Oh, I also just switched from Soy Milk to Rice Milk.......I'll have to tell you about it later.

Scenario 3:

Amber: So I finished my 12-week Body for Life Challenge, and, am now signing up for another one.

Me: You can do more than one?

Amber: Oh yes, you can do as many as you want. I'm also going to start riding my bike to work, but still walk on my breaks too. Just to stay healthy, you know?

Me: Wow. You sure are motivated! Maybe I should spend an extra hour at the gym today....

Amber: Just do whatever makes you feel healthy. Any exercise is better than no exercise.

So because of these two wonderful ladies, I now constantly Google "nutrition," "exercise," and "fitness" on an hourly basis. They were genuinely interested in being healthy vs. being thin. They were also genuinely interested in passing their knowledge onto their friends so their friends could be healthy also. They jumpstarted my current health-conscious lifestyle. And by no means is this a bad thing, because, during my years at NCS and working with them, I hit my lowest weight ever. 136lbs. This, my friends, is my "Pre-Florida Weight."

Part 4 will continue tomorrow - where I will FINALLY sum up my nueroses for you!

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 2)

2009-03-11T06:37:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K; Freedom Hills Sprint Triathlon

Cardio: 30min biking - 233, 30min running - 334

Weights: 0

Calories Burned: 567 (this was taken from an online calorie calculator - I'll update my real calories from my HR monitor tomorrow)

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - South Beach Diet wrap kit - 240

Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

Dinner - Lasagna (made with italian sausage and whole wheat lasagna noodles) and whole wheat garlic bread. - I wouldn't be surprised if this is closer to 700-800s

Total Food: 560 +dinner = somewhere between 1260-1360 (too lazy to do exact calculations)

Self-Confidence: 8

Before we get on with the story, I have a confession:

Last night, after I got home from the gym, I'm starving as usual. I pretty much devoured a box of cheese-nips and ate some pepperoni that was sitting in the fridge (there wasn't enough to make a pizza anyway). So, I'm going to say we'll have to add on approximately 400 calories to my daily total - which - I calculated and my dinner was only around 550 cals. So, my total for yesterday was 550+550+400 = 1500. Still not too bad. Oh yeah, I forgot, I ate 2 thin mints also. Add another 80 - 1580. Now I'm pushing it....

So, here I am. Finally seeing results. Well, my job at Group Publishing was a temporary position. It ended in June 2002. I couldn't find another job. I had a degree in Business-CIS, and I happened to graduate right after the 9-11 tragedy, which spurred the downfall of the Internet and IT industry. It really sucked. All my professors had ingrained into my head that I was worth $45K a year right out of school. So, you can only imagine my disappointment, and frustration, when I couldn't find a job.

I actually don't even remember what I did between July 2002 and March 2003, when I was re-hired for more seasonal work at Group Publishing.

Oh wait. Yes, I do. I pretended I wanted to be a teacher, and enrolled in a Master's Program at CSU for Teaching. That lasted an entire semester. I did however, have student loans I could live off (and now, unfortunetly have to pay back).

After that fiasco failed, I went back to Group. After Group, I tempted for Larimer County doing more data entry BS. It did however, pay a little better. $10/hr.

During this whole job transition between Group/School/Temping I ballooned up again. I hit 167. The main reason for this was that I couldn't afford to eat well, and I couldn't afford to workout. This recession proves it - unhealthy food is cheap. During this time, though, it was generally Steve that paid for the groceries. This also put a strain on our relationship. Me being unemployed was not healthy for us. He too, ballooned up. He hit 198lbs. At the time, he worked in Longmont and commuted from Fort Collins to Longmont. Then, his company moved to Denver, by DIA. He had a 70-mile one way commute. Obviously leaving no time or energy for a workout.

Another family reunion rolled around. This time, Steve came with. Jackson Hole, WY. And, leave it to your family to be brutally honest. My grandmother flat out told me I needed to lose weight. And she was right. Again, pictures surfaced. What was I thinking even wearing a two piece??!! I looked pregnant!

Thankfully, not long after I landed a job at New Century Software, Inc. More data entry. But, better pay, $12/hr, and room for growth. This is how I fell into the GIS industry. I did great work here, and was continually given more responsibility. I was happy that I finally worked somewhere where people recognized I had a brain, and trusted me with more advanced tasks. I even received a raise during my two years there, which, I've never worked anywhere long enough to even be considered for a raise (except Cracker Barrel, which, doesn't count).

The best thing, there was a gym across the street from my work. And, I could actually afford to be a member. So, I joined. Got myself down to the 140s. Steve and I moved in together.

One of the best things about NCS was the people. I made several friends there, some of whom I still keep in contact with. The best thing about these friends were, they were all similar in age, in similar life stages (mid-20s, still building their careers), and had similar interests. One interest that many of us shared was being healthy and losing weight. There are two people in particular at NCS that directly motivated me and fed my fitness neurosis: Dawnetta and Amber.

This saga will continue with Part 3, tomorrow!

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 1)

2009-03-10T11:00:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K; Freedom Hills Sprint Triathlon

Cardio: 2 miles walking (breaks) - 166

Maybe 20min on the bike at the gym after lifting

Weights: Legs & Abs

Calories Burned: 166+biking

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Banana Bread Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - South Beach Diet wrap kit - 230

Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

Dinner - Falafel tonight for sure - last night we did frozen pizza (too lazy to cook)

Total Food: 550 +dinner

Self-Confidence: 9

Confession: I had this post 95% completed. Then, realized I hated the topic, scrapped it, and am now starting over.

Have I mentioned I'm a perfectionist?

This applies to all aspects in life - including my health & fitness.

I am not sure if my neurosis started the day I stepped on the scale and discovered I weighed 170lbs, or, if it occured subconsciously back in elementary school where I was called "High-Pants" because I (supposedly) wore my pants really high.

I have a short waist, and long legs. I have learned to deal with this, and attempt to find clothes that fit, yet mask this condition of mine. This means shopping online for pants (most stores in Tallahassee do not carry 'long' length pants, and, the ones that do aren't long enough. I need a 34-36" inseam. If I want to wear heels, I usually need to go 36").

I am only 5'7". I say only, because, I am also obsessed with my height. I realize I am an above average height for women, but, I also feel sad and insignificant when I meet or see someone taller than me. Then, I miss elementary school - where, I was the girl that got to be at the front of the line because I was tall. Only one other girl I remember was taller than me. Jennifer Dietrich. She only had me by an inch at the most.

Therefore, I almost always wear heels when I go out, needing my 36" inseam pants. This, paired with long tops so that they go down past my hips, thus masking my short waist.

Perhaps this all started in elementary school afterall, where, I once remember we did an exercise where we had to write down what meant the most to us in the whole world. Then, we drew out random cards with everyone's info on them, and had to guess who we thought wrote them. I wrote down "Fitting in."

Lisa Kress drew my card. She was the epitomy of cool in my book. So much so, I wanted to be her. I tried to get my hair cut like hers once, and it ended up a disaster. She had a bob, with long layers. I went in asking for a layered cut, chin length, and, ended up with short short hair, short layers, and nothing bob-like whatsoever.

Lisa Kress correctly guessed that I had written this. Then it was my turn to draw a card. The card I read said "My family" - as did, 90% of the entire class's cards. What an idiot I was. I should have known, that, my family would be the most important. I had failed at fitting in, which, was the most important thing to me.

Or, maybe it really did start when I stepped on the scale and it read 170lbs. Good God! What had happened. I never paid much attention to my weight until after college. I was a swimmer afterall. I needed to eat more than the average person. My freshman year I lost weight instead of gaining the typical Freshman 15. I also had practice 20 hours a week. And believe me, they did not let you dilly dally. Especially in the weight room.

I didn't swim for CSU after my freshman year, but, I did however, continue to swim and workout. I even took swimming as a class for credit (kind of a cop out on my part, but, hey, it was easy). I also took aerobics. I was being graded on showing up and working out. But after college, this consistency didn't really exist.

Now I had to pay if I wanted to workout. Fat chance coming from someone that made $8/hour doing data entry. I didn't even own a car until I was 23. How would I even get to the gym?

I didn't really start taking exercise seriously until I met Steve. I was working down in Loveland at Group Publishing. Steve and company hung out with a lot of (what I considered) really attractive women. Many of them were also younger than me, so, that already put me at a disadvantage. The majority of them were also skinnier than me. Not to mention, around the time I started dating Steve, I went to a family reunion out in South Dakota. I saw pictures of myself from this event and was completely astonished at how gigantic I looked. I decided something had to be done.

Luckily for me, Group Publishing was located in an area condusive to walking. There was this great neighborhood, Namaqua Hills, right behind the building that many people walked during their lunch breaks. So, I started doing 30min walks on a daily basis on my lunch breaks. At times, I would even incorporate squats and lunges into my walking routine.

I also became completely obsessive about what I ate. It was the first time I EVER paid attention to how many calories I was consuming. Let me tell you. It sucked. I hated restricting my food. But, I was determined. My BFF and I would email each other our daily caloric intake and give each other advice. I managed to get down to the 150s. She too, was working hard to lose weight. Granted we had different goals, but, at the time, I think we were both seeing success.

Please come back tomorrow for part 2.

Green Thumb or Brown Thumb?

2009-03-09T07:21:00.000-05:00

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Cinnamon Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - South Beach Diet wrap kit - 240

Snack - yogurt - 60; snack bar - 100

Dinner - not sure yet, maybe falafel.

Total Food: 560 +dinner

Self-Confidence: 8

3 full weeks till the 5K. I need to buckle down on this training. I did some speed drills last week that went nicely. Today, I'm going to run the 4-mile path set up by the Gulf Winds Track Club. As I've mentioned, this course is pretty hilly, and there is one killer hill right in the middle. I'm hoping if I run the longer courses, then when it comes time to do the 5K, it should be a piece of cake.

Tomorrow I'll do some legs & abs hopefully. Maybe do a quick 20min on the stationary bike at the gym - heck, maybe I'll get really crazy and bike to work. Its spring break, so I don't need to go to campus during the week, thank God!

I ended up not getting in any training this weekend, even though I was thinking about going for a swim. Instead, I planted seeds to start a vegetable garden and went tooling around on our motorcycle with Steve. All in all it was a good weekend, just needed one more day off, as usual.

I'm compling a grocery list right now. Since its going to be nice the majority of this week, I have several meals I plan to grill. This week, I'll be doing the typical brats/dogs w/ onions & peppers and grilled potato slices. I'll also be making some grilled Moroccan Chicken. I haven't tried this recipe, but it sounds good. I'll probably pair it with a quinoa risotto that I like to make. Next week maybe I'll grill up some flank steak for fajitas or some tuna skewers. I'm craving cliantro & lime for some reason.

I'm hoping to start a small vegetable garden. I started 6 seedlings each of tomatoes, green peppers (hopefully I can get some red peppers out of it too), cucumbers, and jalapenos. The herbs I did 4 seedlings each of cliantro, rosemary, and oregano. If all goes well, I'll start working on fall/winter veggies. Onions in particular, maybe some regular and sweet potatoes. I also planted some flowers to attract bees (hopefully they grow, started from seeds). I'm pretty sure I need bees to pollenate my cucumbers. If they don't flower in time, then I might plant some Confetti Lantana (which, I might do anyway because I like them). I'm actually hoping we take a trip to the nursery next weekend. I'm pretty excited about it. I just hope my hydrangeas survived over the fall/winter.

"June 9th...I can feel it in my bones"

2009-03-08T08:06:00.004-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: Not sure - I might try to get a swim in at Trousdale since its going to be 80 degrees today.

Weights: 0

Calories Burned: Not sure (might update this later)

Food: Breakfast - ??

Lunch - ??

Snack - ??

Dinner - ??

Total Food: ??

Self-Confidence: 9

This entire weekend I've had an excess of energy. I have the urge to do about 10 million things at once, and wish I had super speed. It would seem kind of random, minus the fact that I've been tracking parts of my health a little more closely than I normally do. If I go into too many details - this post will turn totally TMI - so I'll try to keep it more on the general side.

Long story short:
I'm off birth control pills - no, we're NOT trying for babies (yet).

More details:
BC wreaked havoc on my system - as they do many women I suppose. I don't really know any female that "enjoys" taking a pill daily or changing a ring/patch weekley. My male coworker once said that if they made a pill for men, he would totally take it. And, while IUD's do sound appealing, I was informed by my doc, that, they're not really a good choice for me.

My options were already VERY limited due to my history of migraine w/ aura (aka - raging headaches with what seem to be sunspots that occur before the onset of pain. Good warning sign that one is coming, but, also a let down cuz I have to deal with the migraine). Therefore, I can't be on any form of BC that contains estrogen. Well, that knocks about 75832957 choices down to 3. Yeah, 3. I mentioned previously, that one, was already not an option (IUD), so, now we're down to 2. Of those two....one is made for teeny boppers, because they're low responsibility (a shot every 3 months), and short-term (depo can cause bone density loss...not good for someone pushing 30yrs). Therefore, I'm down to one whole option. The mini-pill.

The mini-pill has been the bane of my existance ever since I went on it 10 months ago. I was hoping, that since it was pretty much the same cocktail you get w/ depo, that I would have the same side affects (i.e. no visits from my Aunt). Yeah, totally not the case. In fact, I experienced pretty much the opposite. Let's just say I put on 10lbs in 6 weeks (mind you, this was *right* after we bought our mountain bikes, so, I had been doing 2 hour mountain bike rides at least once a week, and had been biking to and from work 2-3 times a week). I even counted once, that I worked out 17 out of the last 20 days, and, no change in the scale. That, while devastating to some (more of an irritant to me), was really the least of my worries. The single most annoying part of the mini-pill was having bi-weekley visits from a long lost Aunt who I hadn't seen since going on depo 2 years prior. Yeah, not fun. I thought maybe it would even out after a month or two and things stabalized. But, it in fact, did not. On top of it all, I just felt like crap period (no pun intended)!

So, I talked with Steve. I have been reading up on the "Fertility Awareness Method" - which, is essentially Natural Family Planning. They do however claim they are different than NFP because supposedly NFP encourages absitence during fertile times, whereas FAM says "do what you want! But you might want to use protection on certain days if you don't want a baby" - personally, I don't make the distinction between the two. The terms are interchangable to me, and, if someone wants to correct me, then, they can. Most likely, I'll just roll my eyes, say "whatever" and continue on with what I'm doing.

Anyway, FAM requires reading the signs of your own body, including basal body temperature, and checking "other stuff" which, for the sake of anyone who is squeamish I won't go into detail on. Anyone who has actively tried to have kids and practiced this should know exactly what I'm talking about. Basically, I use the same method those women do, only for the complete opposite purpose.

Back to my high energy crisis - the jist of it is, I was fertile yesterday, probably am today - so, I'm guessing that my high energy is probably directly related to this. Kind of interesting to find out.

My mom swears that, on June 9th of this year, I am going to call her and tell her I'm pregnant. I'm considering getting a puppy that day so I can call her and tell her she's a "grandma" to a new baby!

Fact or Myth, Brains or Brawn

2009-03-05T08:12:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 0

Weights: Hoping to do upper body (2 chest, 2 back, 2 shoulder, 2 biceps, 2 triceps)

Calories Burned: depends on how long I lift

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - Leftover Black bean soup & salad - ??

Snack - maybe popcorn?? - 100

Dinner - going to throw together some chicken/quinoa/veggie dish.

Total Food: not sure - but, everything has healthy ingredients so I'm not too worried

Self-Confidence: 7-8

I managed to keep up with my run yesterday pretty well. It ended up being 4 miles, with a total of a half mine warm up/cool down. I had to walk part of one of my recovery 400s because my knee started acting up, but, it went away thankfully. I ended up burning closer to 500 calories than the original 400 I estimated. At least according to my HR monitor. Probably because my HR averaged in the 160s and maxed out around 180.

A friend of mine told me "You burn the same number of calories walking a mile as you do running a mile"

I am skeptical about this, despite the fact she explained that you're exerting more energy running, but for a shorter amount of time. While the logic seems sound, I find it impossible to believe. Mainly because I've been tracking my own calories during walking/running for some time now, and notice, that even if I do the *same* workout in the *same* amount of time, my calories are never the same workout to workout. I believe this has to do with your heart rate. My theory is that the calories you burn is directly related to what your heart rate is during exercise. I found some information backing this up - though, they don't really mention heart rate. They do, however, mention energy exertion, which, in turn, raises your heart rate:

Fitness Myth: You Burn the Same Calories Walking or Running

Run, Don't Walk - The Truth About Running Versus Walking

Either way, walking or running, any form of exercise is good for you. So, don't take this as me saying "walking is worthless" - but, I feel it is somewhat worthless for me, but only because I set high standards for myself and don't gravitate towards the "less is more" approach to things. This is probably also why I end up with sore knees and shoulders. But, I'm stubborn, so this will probably never change.

You know what - that workout at the bottom of the second link looks like fun - maybe I'll try it out soon.

I'm hoping today I can make it to the gym and do some lifting. I've been pretty inconsistent with lifting lately. Mostly because, I want to keep training/running for this 5K coming up, and, if I miss a day or two, I usually jump straight on the treadmill (or run Tom Brown Park) so that I don't get too unconditioned. But, I know that lifting is essential to a healthy, well-balanced workout. The only problem today is, since I was out of town and missed class on Tuesday, I need to hit the computer lab after class today to complete my lab that was due (which, I received an extension on). Then, ideally, I'd also like to complete the lab assignment that is due *next* Tuesday as well, so I don't have to go to campus this weekend. So, its going to be a battle of brains vs. brawn today after class. We'll see which wins out.

Time to Re-Focus

2009-03-04T13:07:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 7x400 interval training (about 3.75 miles) - around 400

1-mile walk on break (missed morning walk) - 83

Calories Burned: 483

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal - 160

Lunch - leftover steak quesadilla - ??? (more than I'd like to know)

Snack - most likely, none

Dinner - Black Bean Soup & Salad - 660

Total Food: 820 + quesadilla = more than I need

Self-Confidence: N/A

I survived the trip back to West Virginia, and am glad I went. I was afraid people would ignore me or wonder what I was doing there since I never put any effort to keep in contact with that side of my family after I graduated high school. But, quite the opposite occured. Everyone was completely warm and loving, and I enjoyed my visit - despite the circumstances. The funeral went well....as well as one could go, but I really wish my brother had been there. I think being able to experience the love and togetherness this occasion brought would have been very beneficial to him. Although he does plan to come back stateside within the coming months, his experience probably won't be the same. It will however, be a good experience for him regardless.

Now its time to get down to business. I have less than 4 weeks left to train for the Springtime Tallahassee 5K. And seeing as how the last few weeks have been less than consistent, I really need to buckle down. I haven't gotten any good interval/speed training in lately, which is what I am hoping to accomplish this afternoon. I still have a goal of completing it in less than 30 mintues - even with the hills. This means I need to average a 9:30 pace, which, is sounding easier and easier. I think this weekend - after all my "chores" are done - I'm going to go run the 10K route around Myer's park and see what kind of pace I end up with a relaxing run.

Where do I start?

2009-02-27T07:53:00.001-05:00

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 2-miles walking (on breaks) - 200

Weights: none

Calories Burned: 200

Food: Breakfast - Quaker Take Heart Blueberry Oatmeal (160)

Lunch - Chicken Salad Pita w/ Havarti Dill (360)

Snack - Dannon Yogurt (60)

Snack - Popcorn (100)

Dinner - Probably Greek Chicken Pasta - (??)

Total Food: 680 (if I eat my popcorn - I haven't eaten it the past 2 days, so, we'll see) +Dinner

Self-Confidence: 7ish

Ugh. What a crazy last two weeks. I apologize for not posting more regularly. Early last week, I was pretty sick, with ALLERGIES! I hate that bad allergies can make you feel crappy/achy/fatigued like a regular cold would. I don't feel like an allergy attack is a good enough excuse to use sick leave - though, I really really wish I had called in sick. But, even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I took off last Friday and this past Monday from work. Steve and I drove up to NC to visit our new nephew, Declan. He was born January 13, and is SUPER cute. Definitely brought the "baby fever" back.

Needless to say - my training efforts have been little to none. I think I ran last week once, and I can't even remember if I lifted. I think I just ran last Wednesday, and that was it. Tuesday, I attempted to run. I made it 17 minutes into my workout, and, I got a friggin' nosebleed on the treadmill. So, I of course scurried to the locker room. I'm sure if anyone had actually *noticed* they would have wanted to kick me out of the gym. Embarassing as it was, I'm almost glad I was at the gym when it happened, vs. tooling around Tom Brown park - its not like there are bathrooms stocked with tissue readily available along the mountian biking trails. So, that attempt was pointless. Though, I really felt like I was running through mud or wet sand. Not to mention, the treadmill was killing my knees (as usual). Which, is why I'm glad the weather is getting better. Running outside is so much better on my joints. Which, is what I did yesterday. I did a nice run through Tom Brown, but stayed on the paved trail in order to take it easy, and work my way back up to harder training since I've been out sick and out of town. It was VERY slow going, but felt good. Needless to say, I was exhausted afterwards. I didn't even cook dinner - Steve picked up wing-stop. Which, made the run almsot pointless. Oh well.

Now for the drama:

About a month ago, my gpa on my step-dad's side got pretty sick. He was in ICU for a week or so, and they didn't know whether or not he would recover. Eventually, he got better, and was taken of the crazy machines he was on. I never really heard much on his condition after this point. But, Wednesday, I got an email from my stepdad saying he had passed away. Most of the memories I have of him are from when I was around 10 or 11 and when we were still living at PAFB, FL. My gma and gpa would come babysit us frequently, or we would go visit them, as, like many retired people in FL, they had their own little mobile home about 10 minutes away from us where they would stay when they were down here. I'd say overall, my memories of them are plesant. But, since my stepdad & mom split, I don't think I've seen them. This pretty much means I haven't really seen them in almost 20 years....it is really weird to think its been that long. I may have seen them once when I was in HS - but, I don't really remember. Either way, the point of this is, I was never close to him. So, while I am saddened, I don't have the typical reaction that most people might have when their grandfathers pass away. I am however, flying out for the funeral tomorrow. I haven't seen my step-dad since my wedding 3 years ago. I'm pretty sad I never made it out to Germany to visit - but at the time, everything was so expensive, and Steve and I get zero vacation time. I think the recession came too late for that - because now, it seems travel has been getting cheaper due to the fact that no one is travelling! Anyway, I haven't seen anyone else on that side of the family (aunts/uncles) in about a billion years either. So, its going to be weird. But, at the same time, I think it is going to be good - despite the circumstances. They are afterall, still family, whether we're close or not. This will also give me a chance to see my real dad, who has been pretty sick with pnuemonia. He apparently had been carrying the bug for 2 years and went undiagnosed! That in itself is a different story.

3 down...

2009-02-09T09:17:00.001-05:00

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 2-miles walking (on breaks) - 200

Possibly a 3-5 mile run around Myer's Park - depending on school stuff - 300-500

Weights: 0

Calories Burned: 200 +running?

Food: Breakfast - Total Cinnamon Crunch w/ skim milk (213)

Lunch: Black bean & corn salad (231)

Snacks: Dannon light n fit yogurt (60)

Orville Redenbacher's Light popcorn mini bag (100)

Dinner: Fish Tacos (not sure cals, hopefully in the 600-700 range max)

Total Food: 604+dinner?

Self-Confidence: 9

So I'm feeling pretty good today. I've dropped 3lbs since the New Year. I have approximately 9-12lbs to go to make it to my "pre-Florida" weight. I'd like to do this by my 30th birthday if at all possible. Since this is just a little over 2 months away, I think its feasible, so long as I keep up the hard work. This is going to be tough, as next week I have two mid-terms (neither of which I'm looking forward to). At least one is open book, and, the other consists of writing two essays (we were given the questions ahead of time thankfully). For whatever reason, I've always been good at writing provided I have adequate reference information or information outlines. I'm great at project and report writing. Ask me to write something abstract, or anything where I'm required to "think for myself" (for lack of a better term) - I'm pretty much screwed. I'm not good at coming up with stuff on my own - but I'm great at regurgitating facts. So, as long as I have a good outline in my head and have my list of references (which we're allowed to bring with us) I should be ok.

Anyway, school is starting to take a toll on me this semester. Go figure that my final semester would be my most challenging. Also, I've been spoiled since I have access to most of the software I need either at work or at home, however, in this particular class, I have to make an effort to go to the computer lab (poor me I know). Its just annoying to have to cut into my workout schedule to do this. I'd much rather be running than doing homework. So, I think I'm going to use a few hours of annual leave today and take off from work early to head to the lab vs. going after work and skipping my run. This way, I can head over to Myer's park around my usual workout time and attempt to run some hills. We'll see how this pans out. I had problems with my homework on Thursday, but hopefully it works today, and if not, I really hope the TA is around to help me.

Something that I've been involved in that I haven't mentioned much on my blog is my musical aspirations. Currently, I'm playing in a woodwind quintet. For those of you that know me, you know that I don't play a woodwind instrument. So, how can this be? Well, funny enough, I am playing the oboe part, on my violin. Its actually quite fun. I've never been in a non-stringed small ensemble before. The closest I've gotten is during Chamber Orchestra in college where we would occasionally bring in a few winds/brass to play some Correlli or something similar in nature. Anyway, its been quite a fun experience delving into the world of woodwinds. Not to mention, its just great to play again. I wish I could afford private lessons (when you get to my stage of playing they're anywhere from $50-100/hour/week). It was definitely a perk to get free lessons in college, and at times I've considered registering for FSU's orchestra class, but, they meet at such crappy times. Its something like, 7-9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It should be more like CSU's where we met 3-5. Oh well, what can you do. Maybe someday I'll get back into playing in a larger ensemble again and refining my skills. But, until then, I'm enjoying the time I'm spending with "Easy Done Well" (our unofficial name).

Gyms are Gross

2009-02-04T20:00:00.004-05:00

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 0

Weights: Upper Body - two of each muscle group: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
Calories burned: unsure

Food: Breakfast - Total Cinnamon Crunch w/ skim milk (213)
Lunch - Sahara Greek Restaurant (probably a few hundred)

Dinner - Famous Dave's (another few thousand)

Total Food: at least a million

Self Confidence: 8

I came across this article today, and it amused me somewhat:

Exercising Etiquette: Don't be a gym diva

It made me think of some of my own pet peeves that I come across (many of which overlap the article) when I'm at the gym - so here they are:

This is a gym, not Happy Hour - I really really can't stand the Skinny Minnie girls that show up in their short shorts, revealing tank tops, and trendy hair-down hairstyles that come to the gym. I mean, really, you show up, spend 20 minutes doing 2 sets of 8 reps with 3lb weights. What is the point? I honestly think you spend more time fixing your hair and makeup than you do working out. If you want to get noticed, do it at the bar, where I'm least likely to care about your annoying behavior, as stuff like that is expected in bars.
No, I do not need a spot - If I really wanted you to gawk at me, more or less talk to me at all, I'd be the person I mentioned in bullet point #1. And, yes, I am probably stronger than you.
Deodorant is your friend - while sometimes being hot and sweaty can be hot & sexy, if you are smelly - its just plain gross. I realize, sometimes we all forget to swab our pits on the way out the door, but, I'm sure that a nice travel sized stick can fit in your desk drawer, center console, or gym bag. And, by the way, cologne is NOT a deodorant. The last thing I need is to be next to someone on the treadmill who forgot their deodorant, doused themselves in eau de whatever, and get a massive headache. I'd rather smell your B.O. I don't get headaches from B.O.
I'm not interested in laying in your sweat - is it really hard to bring a towel? Even if you forget, there are paper towel dispensers all over. This goes for weight machines and cardio machines. Nothing is more gross than stepping on the treadmill and seeing sweat droplets splattered all over the machine. Ugh, I'm getting nauseous already.

Anyway, I probably notice at least two of those every time I go to the gym - which, on a good week, is everyday. This is part of the reason I hate going to the gym. Unfortunetly, I am not rich and famous and cannot afford my own home gym with my own 24hr personal trainer. So, until then, I have to put up with the public. No pain no gain right?

A Case of the Tuesdays

2009-02-03T18:45:00.004-05:00

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 5-mile run 500

Weights: 0
Calories burned: 0

Food: Breakfast - Total Cinnamon Crunch w/ skim milk (213)
Lunch - Bistro To-Go Salad (360)

Dinner - unknown as of yet - but I think it might be a sandwich from somewhere

Total Food: 573 (pending dinner total)

Self Confidence: this morning - 4, this afternoon, 8

Running today felt great. I really needed it. The hour flew by. I am really excited about how easily running has been coming to me lately. My knees have also been cooperating which has been fantastic. I had been toying around with taking glucosamine, and finally decided to try it. I read up on it, and, the worst thing it can do to me is give me the placebo affect - which, whatever. I guess I've been taking it for about a month now. Most information I've read says it needs about 2 months before any real effects are noticed. So, I guess I'll keep taking them and see what happens. They were BOGO at Walgreen's, so, I have approximately 180 more pills to take (the dosage is 3 a day).

Anyway, this morning totally sucked. I'm out of coffee filters. Therefore, I stopped by Panera to get some coffee. Well, I don't even make it out the door before I spill some on my khaki's. Then, I get to work and go to put my lunch in the fridge, and the container I used to bring milk for my cereal leaked. Milk ALL over the bag. I am SO glad that it didn't get all over the $200 worth of school books in my backpack. I really despise milk, but yet I can't eat cereal without it. The thought of smelly dried milk all over my backpack really freaks me out and disgusts me. I know, I'm weird for not liking milk. I don't like eggs either - oddly enough our neighbor just gave us 60...yes 60 fresh eggs. I better start making more belgian waffles and cakes!

On another note, I am officially a biker chick! I passed the written test with 100% and only lost 3 points on the driving test. Whoo hoo! Now we just have to buy a bike....can anyone say, tax refund?? :) We've been looking at Yamaha V-Star 650s. Should be a good way to start - and, while Steve will probably want to get something more powerful, I think I'm pretty good with a 650. We learned on 125's, so, this is a huge step up. Going to be doing a lot of practcing around Fallschase.

The registration for the Springtime 5K is finally open. I think I'm going to register Steve and I here pretty soon. I need to start running through Myer's park in order to get some hill training in. I think I've said this before....but I mean it this time!

Longing for water

2009-01-30T09:46:00.000-05:00

For January 29th

Training for: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: Running - 3.2 miles (320)

Cycling - 6 miles (240)

Weightlifting: 0

Total Calories Burned: 560*

Food: Breakfast - FiberOne Carmel Delight w/ skim (213)

Lunch - Bistro to Go Caesar Salad (360)

Snacks - FiberOne Yogurt (80), Fuji Apple (80)

Dinner - Chicken Fajita Tacos (890)

Total Calories Consumed: 1623

Self-Confidence: 8

**calories calculated via ontri.com

For January 30th

Cardio: 0

Weightlifting: 0

Total Calories Burned: 0

Food: Breakfast - FiberOne Carmel Delight w/ skim (213)

Lunch - Bistro to Go Chicken Walnut Salad (210)

Snacks - FiberOne Yogurt (80), Fuji Apple (80)

Dinner - Who knows - going to a birthday party!

Total Calories Consumed: 583 +whatever party food I eat

Self-Confidence: 7

Due to birthday festivities, there will be no gym today. But, I did an hour of cardio yesterday and it felt great. Plus, I'm starting to see some results of all this training, so, I'm fairly happy with the way things are going despite me only being able to work out twice this week. But, I guess the only upside of that is the fact that I won't be drinking much (if any) since I have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn to continue my motorcycle lessons. Its going to be fairly chilly tomorrow morning, but, I'd rather it be cold out than hot considering I have to wear jeans, boots and long sleeves. I will most likely be indulging in a nap tomorrow afternoon.

If you haven't noticed, I've started rotating in cycling into my cardio. While I am training for a 5K, I anticipate participating in the Freedom Springs Triathalon in Mariana on 4th of July weekend. It is a sprint triathalon, meaning its a 1/4mile swim (just a little over 400yds - I've competed in the 500yd in the past, so I don't suspect this to be a challenge), 10 mile bike (when I bike to work, its 4 miles each way), and 5K run (I've done a few of these, so I should be ok). While the individual aspects by themselves are a piece of cake, doing them back to back will probably be a challenge. I'm trying to remember what my 500 time was....I want to say it was somewhere between 6 and 7 minutes (or, so it used to be back when I competed). Not sure what it would be these days. I'm patiently waiting for the Myer's Park pool to reopen so I can start swimming again. That is one of the things that I find completely ridiculous about Gold's Gym - they have 3 locations, and none of them have a pool! What kind of gym (in Florida no less) doesn't have a pool? Both gyms in Fort Collins had a pool, and that's Colorado! Makes no sense to me. And, the cost to join the local US Master's team here is ridiculous - they want $50/mo. Sorry, but, for 3 days a week, that's not worth it. I'll go back to getting workouts in my email inbox and swim on my own thank you!

Anyway, my runs this week were more short & sweet warm-up type runs. I think next week I'll run some hills and then do a few speed drills to prepare. The Springtime Tallahassee course is around Myer's park, which is very hilly. In fact, maybe I should just run outside from work over to Myer's park and around to see what its like. Might not be a bad idea come to think of it.

Harleys and Yamahas

2009-01-28T12:45:00.000-05:00

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 0

Weights: 0
Calories burned: 0

Food: Breakfast - Total Cinnamon Crunch w/ skim milk (213)
Lunch - Bistro To-Go Salad (210)

Snack - Apple (80), FiberOne Yogurt (80)
Dinner - unknown as of yet

Total Food: 583 (pending dinner total)

Self Confidence: 8, then 5

I felt good this morning, despite the fact that I was tired. But, I grew happy very fast when a pair of banana republic pants I had bought long ago (back at my peak low-weight since being in Tallahassee) fit me this morning comfortably. There was even a little room to spare around my bum. I had been avoiding wearing them for awhile because I was afraid of the "muffin top" they created, but, today, no muffin top. :) So, I was off to a good start.

Then, I get to work and remember that tonight, is day one of the motorcycle safe rider's course Steve and I had signed up for. I am pretty nervous about this for a few reasons, none of which seem to be logical and typical of someone about to embark on this journey.

Reason one: I've never driven a motorcycle. Yes, this makes me uneasy about this course, because I've heard that many times experienced riders who let their license renewal lapse are forced to take this course. Also, many people that know how to drive one and have never formally gotten their motorcycle license will be in this class.
Reason two: I hate being put on the spot - especially when I don't know the answer. While there are no typical "answers" in this class, I'm horrified of making a mistake and looking like an idiot. Completely illogical I know, considering the entire purpose of this class is to teach people who know nothing about riding how to ride.
Reason three: I can't figure out why I'm not more excited about this. I mean, c'mon, motorcycles are fun and badass. I love going for rides on them. So, why wouldn't I be super extra excited to learn how to drive one? Well, let me rephrase that - I would be super excited to learn how to drive one if I could do it out in the middle of nowhere with only one or two people that I know and feel comfortable with teaching me - like, my dad (in VA). I would love to learn from my dad, as it would be the most uninhibited non-threatening scenario that anyone could possibly imagine.

If you notice above, my calories burned for the day is zero. This is because, class is from 6-9pm tonight, meaning, no gym time. Not unless I want to skip dinner completely (with my neurosis kicking in saying "that might not be a bad idea after all"). And, being as neurotic I am about my food and workout schedule, this does not make me very happy. Not to mention, dinner will most likely be homemade pizza - which while not the healthiest option, homemade is better than take out, as we use turkey pepperoni and homemade whole-wheat pizza crust, or, dinner will be take-out from somewhere. I've eaten out at least once in the past 4 days. It makes me sick just to think about that. Moving on...

I need to find a way to channel this uneasy/nervous/annoyed energy into excitement. I'm really hoping that when I get to class tonight, the teacher will be some uber-cool dude (yes dude, if its a chick, I'll probably feel more intimidated, again, completely illogical), and that everyone in the class will be mostly inexperienced and in the dark as much as I am. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Focus and Try!

2009-01-27T20:13:00.006-05:00

Ok - I've decided that my blog needs a focus, and, I've decided that my focus is going to be my training efforts. I could use the term "weight loss" but such a negative connotation comes to mind when I think of the word 'diet.' Not to mention, I am technically, in training. I will attempt to follow the same format on a mostly daily basis. This includes listing what I am currently training for, what my workouts have consisted of, and what I have eaten for that day. Also note, there will be a "self-confident" meter - this will rate my perception of myself for that day. It will range from 1 to 10, with a 1 being on the verge of me wishing to fall off the face of the Earth, and 10 being I couldn't be any happier to be myself and the rest of the world loves me too! I'm hoping this new format will not only keep me accountable, but maybe inspire others as well.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my new blog:

Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 1.5 miles running, 5 miles biking
Weights: Shoulders - Overhead Press, Upright Row
Biceps - 7-up curls, Preacher Curls
Triceps - Triceps Extension, Triceps Press
Calories burned*: 350

Food: Breakfast - FiberOne Yogurt (80)
Lunch - Panera Bread Caesar Salad w/ whole grain baguette (650)
Dinner - Beef Stroganoff w/ whole wheat noodles (400)
Total Food: 1130

Self Confidence: 7

So, I had a good morning today. I finished my lab assignment, got bored in class, left class, picked up lunch (see, I hadn't been grocery shopping this week yet, which is usually a Sunday chore) went back to work. I ate my lunch, and started cleaning up my work computer. I'm getting a new "box" this week. I've had the same computer since I've started at my current job, and, in all honesty I'm pretty happy with it. But, me being somewhat of a computer nerd due to my background in CIS is never going to turn down the opportunity to get the next bigger and better thing. While doing so, I came across some "must keep" mp3s that were hanging out in the My Music folder - this is a big no-no! So, being the smart gal I felt myself to be, whipped out my flash drive......oh....wait....where is my flash drive?? I had it in class...I disconnected it and put it in my bag.....or, so I remember.....but now its gone. Never found it.

At least I remembered my sports bra today.

Today was my first day at the gym this week (because yesterday I forgot to pack a sports bra!). I was only semi-motivated to go. Mainly because, I had to go grocery shopping. And, I hate grocery shopping on weekdays. It cuts into my "me" time, which, is a rare commodity (ah, just wait till I have kids! That my friends is another post all in itself). Usually, my schedule is:

work: 7-4:30
gym: 4:30-5:30
me time: 5:30 - 8ish (sometimes 7:30)
dinner w/Steve: 8-8:30
8:30-10: Miscellaneous time with Steve

Anyway, lately Steve's been so busy at work, he hasn't had time to hit the gym on a regular basis, so, my schedule looks more like:

work: 7-4:30
gym: 4:30-5:30
me time: 5:30 - 6:30
dinner w/Steve: 6:30-7
7-10: Miscellaneous time with Steve

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my husband and I love doing things with him, but, I really really enjoy my 2 hour of 'me time' everyday. It has been cut to an hour, sometimes 30 minutes. I use this time to unwind, prep dinner, maybe blast my ipod and pretend I'm good at singing, practicing my violin/piano. But, today, grocery shopping cut into my 'me time.'

Anyway, I keep forgetting I'm trying to focus on my training efforts. The gym was good. I'd like to have gotten a little more cardio in, but, seeing as how I had to grocery shop, spending more time at the gym was not an option. My knees felt so-so today. Some of you may know, I've struggled with sports & crappy joints pretty much since my shoulder popped during swim practice in 8th grade. My mom calls them "lax" joints - in layman's terms - I have more 'space' around my joints than I should, therefore, they move around when they shouldn't, making them sore, painful, and quite annoying! I've been diagnosed with supraspinatus tendinitis, patellae tendinitis, chronic rhomboid strain (due to my supraspinatus tendinitis), and most recently, chondromalacia. If you don't know what those are, google them. Basically, the competition gods are against me. Which, if you know me for any period of time you will soon learn I am highly competitive and I HATE losing. And, I especially hate to lose because of some stupid reason like "I can't train because my knee hurts" Ugh, that is the worst. Now, I am not so stubborn that I won't follow doctor's orders, but, I am stubborn enough to where once I start feeling good, you better believe I'm back in the game. I'm sure when I'm 40 and have the knees of a 75yr old I'll regret it, but, I won't regret competing in my first triathlon at 30 years old, that's for sure!

One of my guilty pleasures

2009-01-21T18:27:00.002-05:00

I'll admit it - I can be a nerd at times. And, one of my nerdy qualities other than things such as sudoku and crosswords are brain teasers and puzzles.

Awhile back (probably more than a year ago) my coworker came across this website called "Clue Chaser" - if you want to check it out, you can do so by clicking here. Anyway, ever since we've been collaborating on the different games and puzzles found within. Recently, the designer has published a 3-part clue hunting series, each which build upon each other. Just like a good soap opera, you do have to wait until next week to see the conclusion - only in this case, the "next week" being figurative for "when the next puzzles get published."

Anyway, the 3rd and final series is being published sometime in February. If you're into these kinds of things and are nerdy like me, maybe you'll like it. I will warn you, these are not easy puzzles. The games themselves can take days to weeks to solve - but I think that's part of the fun. Check out the teaser videos for the third and final portion of the current game, and if they seem interesting enough, go to the site and check out some of the sample puzzles, or work your way through games 1 and 2.

This is MY year!

2009-01-02T21:56:00.005-05:00

So, I figure since its the new year, its time to address my "resolutions" or so-called "goals" for the new year:

Finish my Master's **cop out goal - there is no way I won't be doing this - I figure its good to start out small
Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) **I'm already working on this
Travel outside of the US **while a semi-cop out, Canada and Mexico will count - so long as the visit is considered part of a vacation - my real goal is Jamaica, and possibly Japan to visit my brother.
Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight **The South has taken a toll on my health since moving here, and taught me bad eating habits. You can love through food, but, please, make it healthy food!!!
Prove to the world (or at least my friends) that 30 is the new 20 - except I can drink (legally!) **For those of you who don't know, I turn 30 this year, and I plan to enjoy every last second of it - and you all better come to the super sweet bomb-diggity party I expect Steve to throw me (someone might want to let him know about that)
Become more well-read **This was a resolution I had last year, but school got caught in the way, so I only have 5 months of that excuse this year, I need to read more - makes me smarter and more interesting!
Spend more time in my music **Again, for those of you who don't know, I play violin, piano and guitar - well, I'm still semi-learning piano and guitar, so I need to brush up on those skills, and then re-harness my super sweet violin skills, maybe play at church a few times for fun and practice my quintet music regularly! No, Rock Band and/or Guitar Hero will NOT count!
Get ahead in my career (kind of goes along with goal #1) **In essence, find a job that respects my education and my experience. This includes interviewing in potential new locations such as Chicago, Boston, DC, and Upstate NY.
Participate in a triathalon **I write 'participate' vs. 'compete' because, I may or may not already have lined up a team sprint triathalon - if however, one of the gals can't make it, then, I plan to do it myself - in total! Of course, I'll rock the swimming portion, do great on the biking, then, pray I don't die on the running portion (why does it have to be LAST?)

Anyway, I'm sure I'll add to this list, and as time passes by I will get to cross things off, but until them, this is where I am.

Hippie No Ear to Everyone!

So, how's it goin'?

2008-12-02T10:03:00.001-05:00

Its been awhile since I've written anything. I'm not the type of person to blog on a regular basis, though, I do go through phases. Generally, if I don't write anything, its mainly because I'm lazy, or, nothing really exciting has happened lately. Which, I guess is a good thing because that means life is DRAMA-FREE, which is always something to celebrate.

I am however super excited that its the holiday season. I think November/December is my favorite time of the year. While, I absolutely LOVE Halloween and October in general, nothing is more satisfying that decorating my house for Christmas. I've always had good memories of Christmas ever since I was a little whipper snapper and got to be in the Christmas pagents and stuff. Not to mention, Christmas and Easter were always the two times of the year my mom would make me a super fancy dress to wear to church. We always went to the Christmas/Easter Eve services, so it was almost like going out to a formal event as a 10 or 11 year old. In fact, here is a photo of one of the many many dresses my mom made me. I think I was 12. I still love royal blue to this day, (and, it was not surprisingly the color of my bridesmaid dresses).

**Side Note: I am posting this blog from work. Therefore, photo will be scanned and blog will be updated at a later date. Until then, enjoy this fascinating description of my blue dress:

It was long, and royal blue (as previously stated). I think it was some sort of silky/satin material. It had the great long poofy bubble sleeves, typical to the late 80s, early 90s. It was mostly plain in the front with the exception of a lace "V" secion on the front of my (then non-existent) chest. The back, however, had a huge bow above my butt, and under my butt were 3-4 tiers of lacy ruffles!!

While I don't get quite as jazzed up for church at this day and age, there is always the Mainline Christmas formal to look forward to. And, I have yet to find a royal blue dress to wear to this event, though, I its not from lack of trying. I pretty much love bright colors in general. Probably why half of our house is either painted red or filled with red furniture. Our guest bedroom is aqua blue, and, at some point our office will be "Green and Gold" - cheesy enough it will be our "CSU Room," but its mostly to spite all our Seminole fan friends, and to emphasize that CSU is NOT in Boulder, nor are we the Buffalos!! Seriously, I'm going to start responding to that question with "Is FSU in Gainesville?" or, "FSU...they're the Gators right?" Yes, it *is* that insulting.

Anywhoo....the real reason I'm writing anything is because I'm deathly bored at work. No surprise there. Only one more semester until I officially have a graduate degree and can hopefully find a better job where people with higher education actually move UP in the world, instead of ass-kissers and idiots who don't use proper grammar during formal meetings. While its probably not the ideal time to be looking for a job, hopefully someone out there will realize that intelligence AND experience is worth a damn!

Golden Key and Dishwashers

2008-10-30T07:35:00.001-05:00

Two interesting things have been going on lately. I'll do the typical "bad news first" - our dishwasher broke. It hasn't worked since late September. Luckily, we have a home warranty from when we bought our house. So, we call, set up an appointment for Tuesday October 7th (anytime between 2 and 4pm - to which they didn't even show up till 4:30pm). Supposedly, we need a new water pump, so they said they'd order it, and it would arrive in a few days, and the next week things would be taken care of...as in, by Tuesday the next week. The technician even told me they would call by that Thursday to schedule the appointment. Well, the follow up appointment the next week was never made. So, I was patient and waited a full week, called, and apparently the part hadn't come in yet, but was due Wednesday the *next* week (October 22nd). So, frustrated, I accepted that, and made an appointment for them to come out on that day and install the new part. Well, the 22nd rolls around and around 8am the repair office called me saying that a technician was out sick with strep throat. Fantastic. I was sligtly miffed, becasue at this point we were going on 2-3 weeks without a dishwasher (ah, our dependence on technology) - but, what could I do - get mad because someone was sick? Anyway, we rescheduled for Saturday the 25th. I made sure to have them call us before they came over just in case we were out of the house. Well, Saturday rolls around, and we stayed home cleaning house all morning. No call, and no one showed. Around 4:30 - we got tired of waiting, and, went to Momo's for a late lunch/early dinner. I call back Monday morning explaining how no one showed up or called, and, she said that the technician said that they knocked on the door, and no one answered...?!? Why, it is quite possible that they did show up *right* at 4:30 - I was still ticked since I explicitly asked them to call me before they came over. So, once again, we rescheduled for Wednesday the 29th (yesterday) for the "last call" appointment - meaning, they would be there by 4pm since that's when their office closed. Well, yesterday they called me at 1:30 asking if I was at home and available. I told them no, because I was at work, and couldn't take time off until my originally scheduled 4pm appointment. They acted confused, and just said "ok" and then we hung up. Well, I left work around 3:30 to be sure that I'm home well before 4pm in case they try to pull a fast one on me and get there early. So, I hang out. 5:30pm rolls around and no one has shown up. So, I call the office - and of course its closed, so I left a long message explaining that I've been waiting an hour and a half, no one has shown up, they called earlier asking if I was available and I said no, but they implied they were still going to show up that afternoon. So, the office gal calls me back this morning giving me new information. Apparently, someone left the office at 4pm, and told her that they were headed to our house to install the part on our dishwasher. Now she knows they didn't show - and, its starting to sound as if the incident last Saturday with "no one answered the door" is turing out to be bogus. So, we're trying again tomorrow, and she said if she had to ride out there herself with the guy to be sure he gets there, she will!

Now, for the "good news" - about a month ago I received an invitation to join the "Golden Key International Honour Society." I was invited because my performance in grad school put me in the top 15% of my class (to which, I am proud to admit I currently hold a 4.0 more than halfway through my graduate studies). So, I toyed with the idea for awhile, debating since, I knew I couldn't entirely commit to campus organazations since I'm a full-time employee and a part-time student. But, I decided to go ahead and join because, its not everyday someone recognizes your academic excellence. Well, last night was the induction ceremony. Nothing super crazy or fancy, but, it was really cool to be there and see all these super smart people, and get to meet some distiniguished faculty members too. Not to mention, I got this sweet certificate (that funny enough looks almost like a diploma or degree) that I want to frame and put in my office. Its already on my resume, and I found out that the Federal Government will bump you up a pay grade level just for having Golden Key on your resume. I wonder if I could talk the State into doing the same (haha - fat chance). Either way, I'm generally fairly modest about my performance in school - mainly because I find my coursework fairly easy due to the fact I have 5 years of experience in my field, but, I decided that it's ok to be proud of my accomplishments whether or not I think they were "easy" - because, when I think about it, there are people in my classes that scored a D or worse on our first exams, so, not everything comes easily to everyone. Now - if I can just keep my GPA up and make it to graduation with a 4.0, *that* would be sweet!

Its Been Awhile...

2008-05-06T06:40:00.000-05:00

And, a lot has happened since my last blog, but, I just haven't found the time or energy to sit down and type it all out. Here is a condensed version:

Cat slashed my face

Finished the floors (still need to touch up)

Finished the guest bedroom (still needs decor)

My mom came for a visit

She bought us a grill & patio set (I'll post photos later)

Celebrated Cinco de Mayo/Friend's birthday

Sorry for the lack of details...I'll work on posting more frequently as events arise. We're going back to CO for a baptism (we're going to be godparents!) so I'll blog about our trip when we get back for sure. :)

Gotta love animals!

2008-04-13T19:50:00.002-05:00

Our cats are so funny!

Meme: The 5 Things

2008-04-12T17:59:00.002-05:00

So, I have apparently "been tagged" by Christina to list "5 Things you May Not Know About Me" - so, here it goes:

5 Things

I'm a caffiene addict - its gotten to the point where I actually make coffee on weekends. I've just recently started doing this.
I'm so over working for a living and am really ready to just have kids already so I can give up the 9-5 (or 7-4:30 in my world) life.
Excited to earn my master's but skeptical if it will even do anything to "get me ahead" in my career (but, please revert to the previous item for futher detail)
I have a series recording set for "A Haunting" on Discovery Channel - I love watching stuff about ghosts, gouls, spirits. A little jealous I've never encountered one, but, at the same time also very thankful
I fell in love with at least 10 guys (and I fell hard) between the ages of 18 and 23. Thankfully it was Steve who was the last!

And now, I'm supposed to *tag* 5 other people - well, I'll just tag those that I actually know have a blog: Ange from The Taylor Family, Jenn from Sketches of Thoughts, and Asha of So Cheap and Juicy. Enjoy!

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

2008-04-10T16:57:00.003-05:00

Unless the issue is in the front yard...

One day I'm leaving for work, and I notice a huge back-hoe in my neighbor's front yard. Now, keep in mind, he has the corner lot, so, its in the corner of his front yard for the world to see. I also notice a HUGE hole dug out from his yard. That afternoon, Steve went over to go find out what he was up to, and he told Steve that he was putting in a fountain. My first thought was, "A fountain or a swimming pool??"

Then, a few days later I come home, and all of a sudden a mini jungle has sprouted in his yard. TONS of foliage and TONS of flagstone and other rocks had appeared during the work day. Not to mention a DEER on his porch. Now, I'm all for koi ponds and creative landscaping, but, there is a fine line from creating the secret garden vs. a complete gaudy mess. This is what it looked like:

Well, yesterday he finally finished the project - or, at least he says its finished. Hopefully, this is all there is to it. It even includes a lamppost, and a bridge to nowhere!

I guess I just have to be glad that we live uphill & next door to him instead of directly across the street!

So over home improvements...

2008-03-29T11:35:00.002-05:00

So, we finally finished all the "public" areas of our house. Now, we're starting on the closets. And, oddly enough, we may end up having to buy another box of wood unless we can attempt to salvage some cut ends somewhere. I can't believe we bought more than the recommended 10% overage and we're still going to come out a little short. Maybe its because we had to cut each start and end piece, whereas some woods come in random lengths (ours were all the same). But, what can ya do. What's another $50 at this point right?

Anyway, because of our never-ending project, I'm missing a BBQ at the pool. While, as much as I really really really really want to be in the sun with a burger and beer, I would rather have this annoying project finished so I never have to lay glue for the rest of my life. So, I'm making up some chili dogs and then going to eat them (maybe on the porch so I can get some fresh air) then its back to the grindstone. At least we maybe have a total of 60 boards to lay maximum, which, in reality is nothing. And just thinking about finishing up the paint gives me a headache!

Is the week over yet?

2008-03-27T17:04:00.001-05:00

I'm seriously so tired and frustrated its annoying. Luckily, I'm about to make broccoli cheese soup for dinner (with a salad too of course). At least I have some comfort food to look forward to.

Tired & Unmotivated

2008-03-24T07:34:00.001-05:00

Ahh, Monday. Most people hate Mondays, but today I am loathing it for some reason. Generally my Mondays aren't too bad since I have class at 2pm and the lectures are usually short. I'm generally done by 3 or 3:30 depending on whether I stay for the lab session (which, that depends on my mood). Though today I'm contemplating doing the lab before class, then taking off after the lecture. I really need to hit the gym today and then also go home and finish the hardwood in the office. We have about 12 rows left to lay.

Yesterday we were completely worthless. We got up early to go to church, then took off after communion. There were SO many people there that we ended up sitting in the side chapel area and got to watch the service via LCD. An interesting experience to say the least. Then, we hit up the store to pick up goods for a salad I made for our Easter brunch over at a friend's house. Now, Steve and I had given up alcohol for the last half of lent. It was approximately 3 weeks of no-drinking what so ever. Long time for us! So, yesterday was the first time we had cracked open a beer in awhile. Well, 2 beers and a few mimosas later I had a wicked buzz! After brunch, we went home and I passed out on the couch. I woke up about an hour later with a killer headache, no doubt from dehydration - but these were just experiences I wasn't used to. Generally I don't feel such ill effects from drinking, but maybe that's because I particpated in it too often? Its not like I got wasted on a daily basis, but the after work beer was always necessary (especially considering my job and the office where I work, but that's a blog for another day). So, I dunno, I think I'm going to confine my drinking to happy hours and parties/special events these days and see how it goes. Or, unless I have a really craptastic day at work. Now if I can only get over my caffiene addiction things life will be great. :)

Home Improvement!

2008-03-13T16:29:00.002-05:00

As promised, here are a few photos of our home improvement efforts. No, we're not finished, but, we have done a ton so far. Just a few more coats of paint and two more rooms to lay floor down, installing some trim/transitions and we're done!

Bedroom Paint Before:

Bedroom Paint After (still needs one more coat):

Time to Rip up the carpet!

Our living room sans flooring:

The wood!!

My dad laying the glue (the stickiest stuff in the world):

Our first rows:

Finished product!!

Anyway, that's it so far! We will definitely need to get some area rugs, and once the guest bedroom is finished, I'll post some photos of that too!

Painting is Fun!

2008-03-05T07:13:00.000-05:00

So, we also decided to go ahead and paint over our fug purple wall while we didn't have any "real" floors. We got a deep red for our master bedroom. I think its called "Ruby Ring." And, since it had that dark purple faux finish, we had to get some primer. The gal at home depot tinted our primer with the shade of red we were going to use to help get better coverage and also help the red look the way its supposed to. Well, we finished painting it last night, and now our room is temporarily pepto bismol pink!! Again, once we have our computer up and running at the house again, I'll post all of our "home improvement" photos.

We also got paint for the guest bedroom. We're going to give that room a typical "Tourist Florida" feel. Seems like everyone who visits wants it to be as typical beachy semi-tacky Florida as possible. So, we got a super light aqua (Himalayan Mist) 3 of the walls, and then are going to do the wall the bed is against a darker shade of aqua (Fresh Water).

Anyway, painting is fun! I can't wait till we delve into the Living Room, but, there is just so much architechural detail going on there its going to be hard to decide how to do it. And, the way the dining room wall meets up with the kitchen wall is a little awkward, so, we'd have to work something out there as well. Anyway, guess I had better start doing some work today. haha.

No More Carpet!!!

2008-03-04T07:14:00.001-05:00

So, FINALLY around 11:30 last night (way WAY way past my bedtime) we finished pulling up all our carpet, carpet pads and tack stripping. Now, our house is super ghetto looking. But, its all temporary. We'll finally start putting in our floors this weekend. My dad from VA flies down on Friday afternoon. We'll probably spend Friday night doing a little more prep work and then hopefully just get our rears up at the buttcrack of dawn on Saturday and then knock a crapload out. Ideally, I'd like to finish by Sunday or even mid-Monday. That way, I can take some time to rest before I go to work on Thursday. So, me, being the idiot I am, agreed to give a presentation on Tuesday. Well, my dad is still going to be in town. I should have tried to push it back until Wednesday. But, oh well. I'll just go in Tuesday morning, give the presentation then leave when its over.

On another note, we inherited 2 more cats! Our friend moved down to Miami and doesn't have his own place yet (he's staying with family friends). Anyway, his lease in Tallahassee was up last weekend, and two people who were supposed to take his cats fell through. So, his last option was either us, or the shelter. And, so I think we were a much better option. Though, we're probably super stressing them out by first being in a new home, meeting two new cats (one who is a super fight picker) and then ripping up all the carpet and moving stuff around in their "safe room." But, they seem to be pretty well adjusted to our craziness. Their names are Chubbs (yep, a big fatty long haired orange tabby) and Kitty (the only gal in our house, a gray and white tabby). I would post pictures, but, seeing as how our computer and internet access are out of commission this week, photos will have to wait.

Anyway, I'm in dire need of a manicure (carpet work does nothing for your cuticles) - but that will have to wait until after the floors go down. So, probably the next time I write, I will hopefully be posting before & after photos of our house!! All I have to do now is not fall asleep at work today!

I Luuuurrrve Hockey!

2008-02-19T20:09:00.002-05:00

So, this year marked our 2 year anniversary. Two years already (yeah yeah so what if you've been married 10+ 2 years is exciting!)

Anyway, to celebrate - aside from stuffing ourselves at the Melting Pot we took a trip down to Tampa to go to a Tampa Bay Lightning game. Steve's new insurance company (that being, his company's new business insurer) offered us tickets last December. So, of course we took up the offer. Row B baby! Here are some photos:

Interesting....

2008-01-24T07:58:00.001-05:00

blogger.com isn't filtered - nor is my ability to write a blog, but, my blog itself is filtered under "Blogs & Forums"

interesting.....wacky how these internet filter thingies work!

Gotta love grad school

2008-01-17T19:28:00.000-05:00

So, one of our semi-assignments for my GIS in Social Sciences class was to create a webpage. Kind of funny considering I already have this blog (for one), a myspace page and a facebook page. How many pages does one girl need? Anyway, I figure this site could be strictly used for my graduate studies, and a way to build my GIS portfolio. I put a bunch of maps I have published on there. I'm considering putting my research papers on there as well, but before I do I need to be sure to save them as PDFs. I just hope no one tries to plagurize me. Well, at least if they do, I have proof its really mine!

Anyway, here is the site:
http://jes.rogers.googlepages.com/

It really needs some sort of a comment box area....I'll have to look into that

Hippy No Ear!

2008-01-12T08:58:00.000-05:00

So, its been literally a month since I last "blogged." I could use the excuses such as, we closed on our house, moved, travelled for Christmas, I'm starting classes again, etc etc. But, the reality is I have plenty of time at work to blog (gotta love the state) but its FILTERED! And, I can't seem to get the "blog from email" feature I signed up for to work. Quite annoying actually because all my best blog ideas come to me when I'm at work. I could write them in a word doc, transfer to my flash drive, then copy them back when I get home, but, seriously, its just a blog. I'm not even going through all that trouble!!

Anyway, yes, we are all moved in. Still have some organizing to do (i.e. file mounds of papers and figure out what to do with all miscellaneous crap that we seem to have). And we have a ton of space to fill it seems. We have an entire empty "guest bedroom." Eventually we would like to get a king sized bed for ourselves, but, hardwood floors are coming first. And, my grandma is coming down the first weekend in February and are we really going to put her on an air matress? I mean, don't get me wrong she's in great shape and can handle it but still. We've been contemplating a futon or a sleeper loveseat in the "Office/Game Room" so maybe we can look into one of those. But, higher up on the list is a media console table (which is currently our stack of surround sound boxes) and a foyer table & coat rack. I refuse to have mail build up in the kitchen!

Some of the other costs of home ownership that we kind of knew about in the back of our heads but, didn't really put much thought into was yard supplies. We spent $200 at home depot the other day, and pretty much came back with a rake, hose, ant killer, general bug killer and a long squeegie so we can clean the jumbo half moon window over our door. Fun stuff! I contemplated going on an ant killing rampage today, but, its been rainy and might rain some more, so, its a bad time to do it. Those lucky little suckers might get another day, or week if the weather continues as such.

So, my agenda for today consists of searching for curtains for the master & guest bedrooms, buying Harry Potter 5 (I'm re-reading all of the books before I read the last, and the only one I don't own is 5), and then sitting around waiting for the mail to come becasue we're expecting a certified letter today - hopefully. Which, that pretty much translates into either me catching up on project runway and grey's anatomy, or, mopping the kitchen floor & vacuuming. It will probably consist of all of the above.

And, for those of you who don't know, "Hippy No Ear!" was something I wrote to my dad when I was about 5 or 6 which is translated from kidspeak into "Happy New Year." Its been a joke among family and friends ever since.

Winding Down

2007-12-10T06:39:00.000-05:00

So, this is the last week of my first semester of grad school. Is it weird to say that my classes were really easy? It would be nice if the rest of my life as a grad student would be so sweet, but, I know for a fact that there are classes out there that I will need to take that will probably kick my sweet ass. But, so is life. If anything, I've at least padded my gpa nicely thus far. Gives me a little cushion in case those so called "hard" classes really do suck.

Anyway, two more weeks till we close on the house. I'm ready for this to be done with. Because, the day we close is also the day our Christmas vacation starts! Actually, it would be really nice if we could close a day or two early, but, we'll see. Gotta get word back on our loan application this week.

My coffee is ready. I think I'm going to grab my mug and knock out a little reading before class. Easy day today. Presentations. Friday is a final, but, at least its Friday so I have more time to study!

This is Ridiculous

2007-12-03T07:21:00.001-05:00

Its 7:22am, and, NOAA says we have a high of 70 today. Its 71 out!!! Its freaking December people! Ug, I cannot take this weather. It drives me nuts. The fact that we just bought a house down here makes me realize I'm stuck with it for approximately another 3-5 years. We went to Northern VA for Thanksgiving and MAN was it gorgeous! They were actually having a "Fall" and the trees were so colorful and so beautiful. *Sigh* I really miss having all 4 seasons. And, though I know *someday* we will probably end up in upstate New York, it seems like the more we travel back up north or out west, the more I realize how sucky it is to be hot & sticky year round.

Ahhh, Fall on the Potomic:

They accepted our offer!

2007-11-15T17:01:00.001-05:00

Now we just have to hope everything goes smoothly till closing! FINALLY!!

Third Time's a Charm?

2007-11-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

We put an offer in on this house:

http://www.virginiaglass.com/content/listdetail.html/59375855?proppos=25&ag_id=162890&pageclicked=3&RowCount=31&VirtualTourCount=42&startpos=21&endpos=30&ids=55472288,57819175,55157102,56041732,59375855,54589339,52671134,57906447,55686898,59429472&property

Don't necessarily like the dinky lot, but, the location is what sold it. Anyway, the deadline for them to accept or counter is tomorrow morning at 10am. I hope we hear tonight though.

Housing Update

2007-11-10T09:14:00.000-05:00

So, our last offer was flat out rejected. I guess the owner is in some sort of financial trouble (basically, we think they pulled all the equity out of their house, refinanced, and bought a way too big house in Ponte Vedra beach, and now they're paying for it). But, basically they wanted the asking price and that's it. Then, we find out that they're going to take it off the market all together, so, who knows what is going on with them. Sucks for us though.

Anyway, I think we're going to go look at a few more. We're going to check out some townhomes in southwood (a really ritzy community that has a ton of perks associated with it), and also maybe check out some new developments just outside of town to see what they are like. I'm starting to not care anymore about where we live because I'm so fed up with this stupid apartment.

On another note:

Last night we saw Transformers at the IMAX downtown. Granted, not a huge fan of transformers, but, the movie was action packed and it was fun to see it on a HUGE screen. But, I think we sat a little too close cuz it was really hard to make out stuff during the action scenes. Guess we know better to sit in the back next time! haha

I'm exhausted

2007-11-01T05:34:00.000-05:00

And its not just because its 6:35am, although, that is a contributing factor needless to say. Basically, I'm exhausted from house hunting! I thought it would be fun, getting to tour a bunch of houses, having our pick of the litter, but, in reality, its become a big pain in my rear!

First, while there are 57829578429758 houses for sale, only about 1% of them seem to be worth what the seller's are asking. And, of that 1%, about 90% don't have all the elements we want. Granted, people usually do have to weigh pros and cons about certain features, and, unless you build your own house NO house will be 100% exactly what you want if you get down to the details.

Second, our realtor has become slightly annoying. We've already written one contract, which, we were outbid on. Now, we have found a 2nd house we like, and, all he seems to do is keep asing us "So, when do you want to write up the contract?" I don't know what's up with the pushy salesman deal but, what difference does it make to him if we write it up today, tomorrow or the next day? His take is the same no matter what. Now, I understand the longer we wait the more change we have competing bids (since that's what happened last time) but seriously. We're signing our life away here, give us some breathing room!!

Anyway, so about this house. I really like it, but, am of course anxious about spending so much money at once. But, the good thing, is, that this house has the potential to be worth SO much more if we were to take care of a few things on our own. If we could but a few grand in the kitchen, we could see a huge return on our investment. And, of all the houses we've seen, this one has the most elements that we originally hoped to find when we started house hunting:

2-story
2-car garage
Large lot (1 acre)
Large lot = large yard
big kitchen
separate dining room
large master bedroom suite
2 full baths (bonus half bath downstairs)
Laundry area away from main living area (hate listening to the dryer over movies)

So, needless to say, its pretty decent. You can check out the listing: http://www.tallyopenhouses.com/sshow/Realtor%20details.php?id_list=39

But, I think we are going to put in an offer. It needs a new roof, so, we're using that to justify our bid. We decided to put our own roof on if we get it, just cuz, then we'd be the ones working with the contractor when they did it, not the seller's.

Anyway, I had better get ready for work!

It was a success!

2007-10-22T05:48:00.001-05:00

So, I made it out to San Antonio and back. And, the wedding was alot of fun. I gave a crappy speech, which, I had it all planned out in my head but then got up there and didn't think I made any sense but oh well what can you do. I blame her dad for starting my water works going, haha. Anyway, now I hate my BFF cuz she's sitting on a carnival cruise (probably sleeping in at the moment) and I'm stuck here having to go to class AND work! What kind of a friend is she anyway? ;) Nah, she deserves it, and I'm glad she finally has time to relax because, she was pretty stressed there for awhile.

As for me, I'm still recovering from Saturday night. I think I helped pack up stuff from the venue until about midnight, and then headed over to the hotel to pick up her brother, wedding dress & groom's tux. Her bro drove them to their hotel after the ceremony. So, by the time we got back to the house, unloaded everything (which felt like forever) I finally got to bed around 1am. And, I had to get up at 4am to get everything ready and packed to leave for the airport. Stupid FFA requiring you to be there 2 hours early. :P But, I got a nap yesterday, and tried to go to bed at a decent hour, but hopefully tomorrow I will be more caught up on sleep.

Anyway, I had better go pack my gym bag and see if there is anything around for me to eat for breakfast. Peace!

Let the Fun Begin!

2007-10-18T06:21:00.000-05:00

So, today I head out to San Antonio for my BFF's (http://hrbabe.blogspot.com/) wedding this weekend! Its going to be so exciting. I haven't seen her since my wedding, which, is kind of funny in a way. :) Hopefully someday we can visit each other and not have one of us running around all crazy and being pulled in every which direction. I just hope my flight doesn't get delayed, because, we have a 60% chance of thunderstorms today. It really sucks that the airlines have been providing really crappy service these days, because, do you really have a choice when you fly? I mean, I guess I *could* have drivin the 20 some hours out to the wedding, but, not worth it! Well, the wedding is worth it, but, not the time spent driving. So, I guess suffering an airline delay is still better than driving, but, at least when you're driving you're actually making progress in getting to your destination. Oh well. Anyway, I leave at 12:20pm! I'll be in Texas (hopefully) around 3:30! Going to be fun!

Fees, fees and MORE FEES!

2007-10-16T16:55:00.001-05:00

Ok, so, we finally found a house we liked, and last night went to draw up our contract. First off, let me clarify that I haven't been 100% happy with my realtor. He just started out (which, isn't a strike against him necessarily) but, because of that, he is only doing real estate part time. Again, not a big deal, except, he also has a regular full time job. Which, has impeded his ability to put in any time to search for listings for us. I would say that 90% of the houses we've checked out are ones that I found using the plain old internet. The problem there, is, those websites are never updated. So, sometimes, we would see a great one, and, by the time he got around to sending the listing to us, it would already be under contract. :\ Second, we are also in the same social circle as our realtor. So, we've hung out on numerous occasions. We figured if we used him, we know we wouldn't get screwed buying a crappy house or getting left with a crappy deal. While this is true, because we are friends outside of this professional relationship, he has been presenting himself on his "friend" level vs. his "professional" level when we are working. For instance, he's been late on more than one occasion when we've been out to show houses. And, last night, we went to go over the contract we are presenting for the house we liked, and, he hadn't even begun to fill it out. Instead, we sat there for 2 hours pretty much watching him write and check boxes. In my opinion, this should have been filled out before he showed it to us, and we could have just confirmed the information and given him details later.

Anyway, we will be signing the contract tonight. Something else about house buying that no one ever tells you, is, you need more than a down payment amount. Even if seller's are paying closing costs. For instance, we need $385 for an appraisal fee that goes to the lender, then, we need to pay another $300-400 for a home inspection, then, something else our realtor sprung on us last night, a $395 "transaction fee." WTF? I thought transaction fees were only crap you saw when you paid bills online. I guess what I'm confused about is, the "transaction" fee and then the appraisal fee...aren't they considered part of "closing costs" and, with our loan, (FHA loan) the seller is required to pay all closing costs. The home inspection I can live with, because we knew that going into the deal. We're just a little taken aback by the last minute fee our realtor sprung on us. Supposedly it goes to his "company" but, its his company who pays him. So, not very excited about that considering he's our friend. But, oh well. I guess we can't do anything about it, and I have no idea if this is typical or what. But, right now I just hope the seller accepts our offer, because I'm tired of house hunting!

14 min till I gotta take off...

2007-09-24T06:14:00.001-05:00

Thought I would try to get in a quick update before I leave for class. Here it goes:

As far as the house hunting goes....we've probably toured about 10 houses. We have 3 "tentatively" on our list. But, we'll be looking at 4 more this week (hopefully). Figures the ones that we wanted to tour most are the one's under contract. Guess that just means we gotta get the ball rolling fast if we see something we fall in love with. Its a hard process, because we're so anxious to get out of our crappy apartment, but, at the same time, it is a HUGE investment. And both Steve and I have decided we're not going to settle for anything. We're going to hold out until our "dream house" plops in front of us. Well, dream house within our price range that is. We've seen several "dream houses" all the way upward of a cool million. Yeah, don't think we'll be checking those out, though, it is fun to pretend! And something to strive for!

As far as school goes, I think I'm doing ok. Only 3 more weeks before my first exam. Which, they are both *right* before HRBabe's wedding. But, that is a good thing because they I don't have to bother with trying to study for an exam when I should be playing Maid of Honor. I will probably do some chapter readings on the plane, but, otherwise, should be a relaxing time....in the sense of a wedding day! haha

Anyway, that's pretty much it so far. About to head out the door. OH, so, I'm out of oatmeal, and, we got a free "weight loss proten powder" deal from Steve's coworker (we like whey protein). Anyway, it was "Tropical Fruit" flavored, and, I was skeptical about it from the start. Well, I had every reason to be! That crap tastes like that so called *bubble-gum* flavor they used to put in the liquid pennicillin when you were a kid. Its NASTY. And, I even made a smoothie out of it with milk, rasperries and a little bit of the tropical fruit V8. I think I will stick to vanilla thank you!

oh, one last thing....Only made it to the gym 4 times last week. I was striving for 6. But, I guess considering that I haven't really been going at ALL lately, that's not too bad. I want to make it at least all 5 weekdays this week, and if I can get some extra cardio in on Saturday, that would be great. But, we do play softball on Friday night, so I might not need to worry about cardio so much over the weekend. We'll see. Certainly won't hurt me! Only about 4 weeks till MOH day!

Weekend Plans.....Anyone??

2007-09-08T08:47:00.000-05:00

Well, for short update on the allergies, they are still annoying the crap out of me. But, thankfully, they aren't making me lethargic anymore. But, I still can't breathe, and it sucks!

So, last night was our season opener for fall softball season. I was semi-nervous, mosly cuz, I really sucked it up in batting practice last time. I couldn't get a hit to save my life. But, last night I got 3 base hits and even managed to score a run. I had one grounder come to me in left center and I managed to toss it in, but, I don't think we got anyone out with it. But, still, we could have if we had the chance. haha. Unfortunetly, we lost 10-7. But, still not bad for a first game. And, the funny thing, is the pitcher on the other team was our mortgage broker! Steve was the pitcher on our team, and I kept telling him to say "I'll throw you a good one if you give us a good interest rate!" when she came up to bat. hahahaha.

After the game I continuted to be a fatty by drinking several Bud Lights, and then when we got home, we ordered Barnaby's pizza. The game was at 7:46, and we hadn't had time to eat beforehand, so, we semi-drank our dinner. We weren't wasted necessarily, but we had a decent buzz, and, for whatever reason didn't stop on the way home for anything. I didn't want to go back out, and steve wouldn't let me order anything for delivery (becasue of the whole $1.50 delivery charge most places have down here). So, instead we get Barnaby's Pizza, which, is good pizza, but its like, $17 for a large. I'm like, "Umm....ordering dominoes & paying the delivery fee would be cheaper!!" But sometimes there is no arguing with a semi-drunk Steve (or a semi-drunk Jessica for that matter). So, we get it, bring it home, engourge ourselves, then go to bed.

Not sure what we are doing today. I would like to drive around neighborhoods and maybe take a look at some houses, but, for one, I'm not really sure if our realtor has been looking at stuff for us or not yet (he just got our preapproval stuff last Friday, which, he was in Tampa then anyway for Labor Day). But, at the same time, I'm sure if we called him up this morning and told him we wanted to take a look at stuff, he could pull up a few places for us to check out this afternoon. I might go to http://www.zillow.com to take a look at average neighborhood pricings, and then also our City/County's GIS website has a listing of all the school zones, neighborhood flood zones, and property tax info online as well. Might not hurt to do a little research. Mostly, I think we want to stay on the east side of town. No real ties to north or south, though north does have the better school districts, but, central/south is where more of our *social* network lives." But, I'm certainly not going to pass up a good deal just to be closer to friends. I'm sure we'll still hang out, just might not be as many house parties. :)

Well, I should probably start cleaning the house up (er, apartment) a little. And I have to read about a chapter and a half still for my class on Monday. I'd like to get it out of the way with this morning so I can just relax ther est of the weekend. We might play golf tomorrow morning (which, I'm still not sure about cuz we need to go to church). My friend recently got a part time job as "beer wench" as we call her. She drives the beer cart around the course basically. But, becasue she works there, her and her husband get to golf for free, then, any of her friends (up to a certain limit, because, you don't want 10 people golfing one round together, it would take forever) get to play for $25. This particular course costs $70 on the weekends for a round for non-members. So, yes, its a great deal!!! But, Sunday afternoon, we are for sure watching the Buffalo Bill's game. It will be that way every Sunday till after Christmas. Yay for football season. :)

Peace out!

So...yawn....tired!

2007-08-31T05:45:00.000-05:00

So, I felt crappy yesterday cuz of allergies. Therefore, I didn't cook dinner. Steve & I went out & met up with a friend who's wife is out of town and had wings ($.40 wing night at hobbit hoagies). Well, I went home around 8:30, and he went to his friends to play tiga' tiga' woods ya'll ya'll...EA Sports....sorry, I get caught up in the theme song! Anyway, I passed out on the couch, woke up at 9:30, and went to watch TV in bed *slash* fall asleep. Well, I fall asleep, turn off the TV, then Ash keeps freaking me out by thinking he's hearing things. I am a wuss and can't sleep well when Steve is gone (constantly paranoid about something). But, I finally manage, and Steve gets home around 11:30ish I think.

Well, I fall asleep, but, wake up at like 2am. Go back to sleep. Wake up at 4am. Think "I still have 2 hours to sleep!" Go back to sleep. Wake up at 5am to the sound of a cat puking in our bedroom (lovely lovely sound). Luckily, Steve volunteered to clean it up. Finally fell back asleep. Woke up at 6:30.......6:30?!?!? My alarm was set for 6am. It never went off.

A few months ago, the radio on my clock radio stopped working. I HATE the buzz sound on my alarm, so I always woke up to the radio alarm. Plus, it was quieter also so it wouldn't usually wake up Steve. Well, I guess the buzzer part has finally gone out too. I mean, I have only had this clock radio since I started college 10 years ago! Gaw, you'd think a $10 alarm clock would be of higher quality!!

At least I can be scrubby to go to campus. That's one thing I miss about college life. Screw what you wear!! I wish I could be scrubby at work sometimes because, some days I just don't give a poop! haha.

Goals today:

Get registered
Get back in time to take Lokie to the vet (his favorite!)
Workout (if I'm not feeling too crappy, I skipped yesterday)
Go to BB&T for our FHA loan application
Go to the driving range (if its not rainy).

Pretty packed for my "Day Off!"

Myspace Duplicate Posts!

2007-08-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, if you guys read my myspace blog then, read no further. You have already been filled in on the annoyances of my life. Otherwise, if you haven't read my myspace, why, by all means continue!

Part One - I expected Grad School to be fun

So, I got to class early today for a few reasons...one: parking. Parking is horrendous at FSU. EVERYONE who enrolls in even one credit gets a parking pass. Not to mention, they don't have separate parking areas for dorm kids vs. commuters like CSU did. So, basically, if they live on campus, they can park anywhere, which is annoying. Two: I cannot register until Friday. So I had to get a waiver from the professor saying yes its ok to add me to your class. Stupid state employee waiver deal is turning out to be a crock. I have to wait until AFTER add/drop has closed, then I have to physically walk down and turn in my paperwork. Pretty annoying if you ask me, especially if the class is a required credit.

Anyway, I get to class, relieved to be in AC again, and who shows up. A coworker. This *particular* coworker tends to strut around like he is a know-it-all when in fact I know that he really doesn't know jack. That, and, he was snotty to me in an email, after I did what I was *asked* to do by his bosses boss. And, he got snotty because he was in the dark, and he was in the dark because he chose not to show up for a meeting. Needless to say, I'm not to fond of this person. Well, I was pissed because, I'm going back to school so I can get OUT of my job, and get away from these types of people. Now, I have to spend an entire semester dealing with a person I seriously dislike from work. And, its not like I can be rude and ignore the guy....I guess I just have to hope that he doesn't ask to work on a group project or some crap with me. Ug!

Part Two - What annoys me about gym goers:

People who save cardio machines by putting a magazine, water bottle or towel on it *BEFORE* they go into the locker room to change. Yes, the gym is crowded, but you don't have special priveledges.

I realize its a gym, and there will be sweaty people, but, if your stank is permiating into my workspace, then you need more deodorant!!! Just because everyone smells, doesn't mean you can skip the Degree applciation!

Girls who show up in tiny sports bras and mini shorts. They are never there to actually "work out." They are there to strut their anorexic-selves around to show off to the guys. Their "workout" consists of abotu 10-15 minutes of walking on the treadmill, a few crunches, and about 2 sets of 10 curls with 3lb weights. Break a sweat why dontcha!

I've become a slave to Myspace!!!

2007-08-05T13:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes...its very very sad. But, I am addicted to myspace, which, is why I pretty much never post here. Though, I think I might try to start again. I really can't help myself. Aside from attempting to stalk old boyfriends and college friends, it is also where the majority of my fam (and, by fam I mean siblings & cousins...both mine & Steve's) also hang out and post and therefore a great way for me to keep updated in their lives. And, as addicted as I am to it, I'm just way too lazy to try to keep up with this blog and myspace. Not that I've even really posted any blogs over there aside from photos of my new do (which, I chopped it off...only to my shoulders) and pointless yet very entertaining surveys.

Anyway, its probably because nothing too exciting has been going on....rather, exciting enough for me to post about. Though, I guess I have been to San Diego & Vancouver since my last post. Probably could have written about those. But, like I said. I'm lazy. haha. Guess some things never change.

aren't my pink cheeks just so pinchable???

2007-01-23T18:53:00.000-05:00

So, 30 mintues and a whole shower later, my face is still radiating from my "Body Attack" workout. I finally forced myself to go to a class. I've been wanting to try it for...hmm....since it started here, but, I semi got lazy and didn't put much effort into it. Granted, I still went to the gym, but, nothing beats an hour of crazyaerobicmyheartwaspounding cardio. I'm proud of myself.

The only problem now, is, my hair is wet. I hate wet hair unless I'm in some form of ocean, pool or other body of water. Wet hair makes me cold and it also gets all crazy when I sleep on it.

Why don't you blow dry it you ask???? hmm...well, I suppose I could, but, it is pretty damaging to hair and considering I dried it this morning, I want to give it a rest. That, and the fact I'm slowly turning *granola* might have something to do with it....

next thought:

as I'm munching on my granola-ish almonds, I'm realizing that I have unsuccessfully received my return request from Lucky Jeans. You see, I ordered two pairs of jeans from them. They arrived last Wednesday, and, as luck has it (not very *lucky* now are they), they didn't fit the way I had hoped. So, I did what every good customer does and went back online and requested a Return Authorization Number, so I could send them back and exchange them for new pairs that will hopefully fit. So, I did so, and, I was supposedly supposed to hear back "the next business day," and I gave them till Friday, and nothing. So, Monday, I *re-requested* my exchange, and yet, still nothing! I might have to give those bastards a call and tell them if they don't help me I'm sending my jeans back and take my business elsewhere! I heart lucky jeans though so they had better be nice!

The Sunglass Party

2007-01-21T21:56:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes, its true. The Avs crushed Detroit last night, and a sweet victory it was. However, the highlight of the night, aside from our creative concoctions of appletini mixers, alize, champagne and vodkas, was deeming the party, the sunglass party. Not only was it a dance party in my living room, but, we all donned the funkiest glasses we could find. It was awesome. I love wearing my pink target glasses around when I *don't* have a migraine. Its so refreshing.

I wish I would have had a pair of these suckers that's for sure. I wonder if I can find a pair around here, it is the sunshine state after all. I think maybe next time we'll have a sunglass party on purpose. It definitely put my in-house booty shaking on a celebrity level.

Unfortunetly, its becoming close to my bedtime. I have a 25-part skin routine I have to do on a nightly and morningly basis just to keep my zits at bay. What is up with adult acne anyway, I thought puberty ended at like, 17. Anyway, smooches to all my lovelies!

Aloe-ha!

Got Focus?

Don't Read This Post...Really, I Have Nothing To Say

I Love 80s Music, But I Love the 21st Century More

You Can't Be a Disciple without Having Discipline

Halfway to 2010

Things I think I already knew but needed to hear

The Big Easy

What's up D.O.C.?

Never Been a Fan of Lobster

Where O' Where Have I Been?

First Lunch Workout

Call me Master!

Tumbalalaika

Good News for Me

Uninspired

1st Quarter Review

ANTM Season 13 here I come!

Starting Anew

Who would have thought.

Change of Plans

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Final Chapter)

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 3)

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 2)

All Women are Neurotic: This is my story (Part 1)

Green Thumb or Brown Thumb?

"June 9th...I can feel it in my bones"

Fact or Myth, Brains or Brawn

Time to Re-Focus

Where do I start?

3 down...

Gyms are Gross

A Case of the Tuesdays

Longing for water

Harleys and Yamahas

Focus *and* Try!

One of my guilty pleasures

This is MY year!

So, how's it goin'?

Golden Key and Dishwashers

Its Been Awhile...

Gotta love animals!

Meme: The 5 Things

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

So over home improvements...

Is the week over yet?

Tired & Unmotivated

Home Improvement!

Painting is Fun!

No More Carpet!!!

I Luuuurrrve Hockey!

Interesting....

Gotta love grad school

Hippy No Ear!

Winding Down

This is Ridiculous

They accepted our offer!

Third Time's a Charm?

Housing Update

I'm exhausted

It was a success!

Let the Fun Begin!

Fees, fees and MORE FEES!

14 min till I gotta take off...

Weekend Plans.....Anyone??

So...*yawn*....tired!

Myspace Duplicate Posts!

I've become a slave to Myspace!!!

aren't my pink cheeks just so pinchable???

The Sunglass Party

Focus and Try!

So...yawn....tired!