Hi everyone,
It has been a while since I wrote anything on here. I have been busy exercising, eating right and just overall staying busy. I have a 10lb weight loss to show for all the hard work. However this past week was particularly challenging from many angles but now it is time to get back on track.
The week started on Sunday with time just getting away from me so that I was working on a cabinet design until 9pm instead of resting up for the work week. Then Monday morning my baby girl, Dixie (my 13yr, 8mth old black lab) threw up that nasty yellow bile mess and snubbed her food. So I stayed home for a couple hours to make sure she was okay. All was well until I got home from work and we went for our pre-supper stroll. Then the upset stomach issues came from the other end in liquid form. So began a regimen of Science Diet ID canned food along with non-fat, plain yogurt mixed with a little Pepto. This formula worked so that by Thursday all appeared normal. Then Friday morning I gave her a little dry food, a little less canned food, and a little less yogurt and Pepto. Unfortunately this transition was too early and when my sister came to let her out for her mid-day stroll she found the liquid version had returned on my carpet in two places. That led to a trip to the vet which we left with affirmation that all of her vital signs were great and that she just had a bad belly ache. So anti-nausea & anti-diahrea pills it is for a few days. Apparently when dogs intestines get inflamed like that it is very hard for them to get back to normal without assistance. I cannot thank my mom and sister enough for their efforts in cleaning up my carpet.
My emotions were already on high alert all week with the week starting out so busy and then when all this happened to Dixie I feared the worst. Normally I am one to take things in stride but at her age and afraid of her getting dehydrated and such I was a wreck. I was constantly looking up her condition online for assurance that my formula was okay and that nothing serious was wrong but after such an exhausting week I was tired and weak and let the negative thoughts take over. Now she is resting nicely and all is well.
On top of the Dixie stress came a couple of nights of my part-time work, very busy days at the end of the week of my full time job with a big deadline looming this coming week, and more part-time work on Friday afternoon, which is usually my crash and rest time from the busy week.
Needless to say, all of this led to a spiraling downfall of my 2012 Health Plan (what a great test huh?) but today is a new day and I am getting back on track and looking back I didn't do as bad as I could have. My motto has been to exercise regularly (at least once daily) and to eat healthy at least 85-90% of the week. Out of the 15 meals and 10 snacks Monday through Friday, I made bad choices at 4 meals and maybe 2 snacks. Normally that would be 1 meal maximum and all snacks stay on track. Still, I could have totally turned back to my old way of eating, but I didn't. The main thing was that I did not exercise near as much after Tuesday lunch as I normally would. I haven't climbed & descended the stairs at work since Wednesday at lunch.
The worst day was Thursday. I woke up tired, awnry and ready to jack anyone who got in my path. I probably should have stayed home from work but I knew we had work to get done. Luckily I put my ear plugs in, since we're not allowed to wear headphones and listen to music anymore, and worked on drawings for several hours straight. I was craving Chick-Fil-A since it's one of my favorites splurges. When I told my co-worker that I was going out to eat and not walking she decided to go with me. Since I was in such a mood I decided we should go to a real restaurant, not fast food. Carolina Ale House has THE best fried pickle chips around - so there was my appetizer then I proceeded to enjoying boneless wings with honey bbq sauce. But hey, I did drink Diet Coke! ha ha Yeah right, that made up for all of it! NOT! Then Thursday night I went with family to eat at a bar & grill and chose pizza. I chose a small, individual sized "hawaiian" pizza with ham and pineapple. Much better choice than my former choice of meat lovers or pepperoni & cheese with extra cheese and I drank water. And let me say that after not eating bread very often, the crust was FABULOUS! Friday I was on the run from one job to the other so I finally grabbed that Chick-Fil-A I was craving. I ended up only eating a couple fries (they are not near as good as the sweet potato fries I have been enjoying at home) and throwing the rest away from my regular sized combo. Therefore I ended up only eating the sandwich with a diet Coke, which is also better than my previous choice of the large combo with a brownie & regular Coke. Finally for supper, because all of my stress of the week had finally come to an end, I went out with family again to Outback. I ordered well for my main course: filet mignon (the smaller size) and my 2 sides were grilled veggies and asparagus. Not bad at all! If I had stopped there all would have been well BUT the margarita called my name (which I know is FULL of sugar - so totally against my low-carb diet) so I had one of those first then at the end the brownie dessert called my name. Luckily my sis wanted the ice cream part so we had the waitress split the dessert into two dishes, both covered with hot fudge sauce. I ate the entire brownie and oh it was soooo yummy!
I tell you all this because I have learned this week that there are times when life spins out of control and you try to make good choices but sometimes you fail. But you cannot let the poor choices take control of your life again. Now it is Saturday and I had proclaimed it to be a "PJ & Ponytail" day (my official do nothing day) but the weather is nice this morning so I believe I shall get dressed and head out to Umstead Park for a nice long hike. That should help get me back into my new 2012 Way of Thinking. Time to get back on track because THAT is the key to an overall healthy lifestyle! Although I am afraid to touch the scale right now so I think I will wait until next weekend to get on it again!
So GET OUT THERE AND WALK, RIDE A BIKE, or just move anyway you can! It's all calories burned and good for your heart:)
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Just Another Week
Well, this week nothing majorly exciting happened. Just a few changes made, a few bad decisions made in weakness, and some new plans made and began taking shape.
I found that my body did NOT like the low carb menu at first but the 2nd and 3rd day were okay. However my lunch food volume needs to be increased b/c the thought of being hungry shortly after I ate led to me cave when a co-worker invited me out to lunch and to the failure to pack a lunch the next day. Even though I lost some of my control at lunch two days in a row, I stayed on track with my other meals. My energy level was much better this week and my weekday sleepies subsided. GOOD NEWS though is that I walked by a WHOLE BASKET of chocolate chip cookies yesterday without eating any of them! THAT was a HUGE success for me!
When one of my co-workers mentioned walking at lunch time I began investigating where we could walk b/c parking lot walking sucks and our entire complex doesn't have any sidewalks. Luckily I found that the City of Raleigh has a great Greenway system that we can access at 2 different places within 5 minutes of the office plus a really nice neighborhood with sidewalks and parks so we can have a variety of scenery. We plan on starting out with just a couple days a week but if it works out I may try to get out everyday that the weather permits.
I have another co-worker who takes the stairs up every morning instead of the elevator. I'd like to try that next week but will have to put all my stuff in the backpack so I can pull myself up with the handrail while crawling past the last couple floors before I get to the 8th! ha ha But I'm going to give it my best effort! All part of my new health plan - better cardio and improved glutes - ha ha
Now one of my neighbors sent out an email about forming a walking group too for after work. If they're willing to wait until I can walk then I will try to join them too but 7:30 may be too late for them so I don't know if that group will work for me.
Then to finish the week out I ran by my new part-time employer today and picked up the catalogs and my new business cards to start back into the cabinet design business for the 3rd time. For 17 years I was a cabinet designer with the exception of an 8 month hiatus where I ventured back into the world of commercial design and the past year. However my passion has always been cabinets and I always seem to return to that industry. Last year as my 'life changing event' was coming to a close and my new life just beginning, I took on this position as a CAD designer for an industrial engineering firm. It has been a great learning experience and I just had my 1 year anniversary at the company but I miss using my creativity to design great living spaces and the interaction with the clients. So the perfect situation came via one of my co-workers and now I am part of the Heritage Kitchen & Bath team as a part-time designer. The guys that own the place are really nice and this is going to be a REALLY great business venture for all of us.
So, lots of good things are still happening in my life and the changes continue. Have a great weekend and I'll let ya know if anything exciting happens. If not, then it's a weekend of continuing the work on my kitchen, planning my home office, and reviewing these cabinet spec books.
I found that my body did NOT like the low carb menu at first but the 2nd and 3rd day were okay. However my lunch food volume needs to be increased b/c the thought of being hungry shortly after I ate led to me cave when a co-worker invited me out to lunch and to the failure to pack a lunch the next day. Even though I lost some of my control at lunch two days in a row, I stayed on track with my other meals. My energy level was much better this week and my weekday sleepies subsided. GOOD NEWS though is that I walked by a WHOLE BASKET of chocolate chip cookies yesterday without eating any of them! THAT was a HUGE success for me!
When one of my co-workers mentioned walking at lunch time I began investigating where we could walk b/c parking lot walking sucks and our entire complex doesn't have any sidewalks. Luckily I found that the City of Raleigh has a great Greenway system that we can access at 2 different places within 5 minutes of the office plus a really nice neighborhood with sidewalks and parks so we can have a variety of scenery. We plan on starting out with just a couple days a week but if it works out I may try to get out everyday that the weather permits.
I have another co-worker who takes the stairs up every morning instead of the elevator. I'd like to try that next week but will have to put all my stuff in the backpack so I can pull myself up with the handrail while crawling past the last couple floors before I get to the 8th! ha ha But I'm going to give it my best effort! All part of my new health plan - better cardio and improved glutes - ha ha
Now one of my neighbors sent out an email about forming a walking group too for after work. If they're willing to wait until I can walk then I will try to join them too but 7:30 may be too late for them so I don't know if that group will work for me.
Then to finish the week out I ran by my new part-time employer today and picked up the catalogs and my new business cards to start back into the cabinet design business for the 3rd time. For 17 years I was a cabinet designer with the exception of an 8 month hiatus where I ventured back into the world of commercial design and the past year. However my passion has always been cabinets and I always seem to return to that industry. Last year as my 'life changing event' was coming to a close and my new life just beginning, I took on this position as a CAD designer for an industrial engineering firm. It has been a great learning experience and I just had my 1 year anniversary at the company but I miss using my creativity to design great living spaces and the interaction with the clients. So the perfect situation came via one of my co-workers and now I am part of the Heritage Kitchen & Bath team as a part-time designer. The guys that own the place are really nice and this is going to be a REALLY great business venture for all of us.
So, lots of good things are still happening in my life and the changes continue. Have a great weekend and I'll let ya know if anything exciting happens. If not, then it's a weekend of continuing the work on my kitchen, planning my home office, and reviewing these cabinet spec books.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Monday but no Schmunday...
So today started out kinda crazy, but crazy in a funny way, not a bad way. I woke up at 5:58am without my alarm, realizing that my alarm was turned off for some reason. First thing I said was "Thank you Lord for waking me up in time to get to work on time." Little did I know what was in store for me. Made my cup of coffee and set out to take Dixie to the doggie restroom. As soon as I opened the door I could see irregular lighting shining in my front door. When I stepped out I was blinded by some of those bluish colored headlights from the top of the hill. As I got closer with Dixie I could hear the car running. I made the safe assumption that they were a) warming their car up or b) waiting to give someone a ride. I couldn't see if anyone was in the car or not because it was dark. And seeing as how I was in my pjs, with bedhead under my coat hood, no mag light, nor "protection" with me, I chose to stay on my normal route.
As I proceeded through my morning routine I periodically glanced out the window noticing the lights were still there. Well, there was nothing I could do about it with nothing but my towel on so on to finishing the routine. Walking out the front door for work, yep, you guessed it, the lights were still there. Only now it was 7:12 so it was light outside and the car had officially been there for at least 1 hour 10 minutes. So I drove up there and approached it as I saw someone with the seat slightly reclined. First I knocked on the window, no response, then I knocked again, no response. By now I'm thinking "Oh Lord, please don't let this guy be dead and me be the one to find him." So I resorted to pounding on the window with my fist. THAT woke him up. He looked around then looked at me when I said "Hey, you okay?" The most dazed and lost look on his face. He had the "Where the heck am I?" look as he looked around my neighborhood. Then he realized his car was running so he cut it off, headlights still on. So I tried one more time asking if he was okay, once again, no response. He kinda slammed his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes so I left. I immediately called the police to come check it all out.
I sure wish the police would call you back and give you an update but apparently he left before they got here. One of my neighbors saw the police looking around but the guy was gone. Oh well, made for an interesting Monday for me. It's not everyday you find someone passed out in your parking lot with his car running and lights on. He is very lucky that he was conscientious enough to put the car in park before passing out or he would have rolled down a 8-10' embankment, nose first into the ditch. At least I would have known he needed help if I had seen that! ha ha
So part of my 2012 health plan is trying various foods and changing my menu up every week or every two weeks. In the past I have had very successful weight loss for a while then my body adjusted and I got bored, which led me back to my old habits of fried foods, soft drinks, and cookies. Today I began a week long endeavor of fewer carbs and low fat where possible but my main focus is "sugar-free/low carb." I won't say today was easy because it wasn't but my body will adjust as long as I continue. I will say that by eating so many less carbs that I didn't have the 3pm sleepies that I usually have so we'll see if tomorrow plays out the same way.
The problem with new foods means figuring out once again how they all fit in the lunch box. I struggled this morning getting it all in there. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
After work I had to run home for my monthly HOA board meeting so that meant very little time for fixing a salad for dinner, even with all the veggies washed and ready to go. So I chose a low carb, whole wheat tortilla, spread a wedge of Light Swiss Laughing Cow cheese on it, lined it with baby spinach (lots of spinach), then layered some deli style turkey slices on it. Stuck it in the microwave for about a minute, rolled it up and enjoyed. Served with a glass of low sodium V8 juice and you have a VERY easy and much healthier than some other choices I could have made meal.
Now that I am settled in from the meeting I think it's time for dessert: sugar free jello and sugar free squirt whipped cream (just a tad for looks). I even poured the jello into a 9x13 dish so that I could have the cool squares like the restaurants. You gotta make it pretty sometimes so that you enjoy it :)
Now it's time for a little relaxin before bed. Here's hoping Tuesday is as exciting as today was, well, maybe a little more exciting! ha ha
As I proceeded through my morning routine I periodically glanced out the window noticing the lights were still there. Well, there was nothing I could do about it with nothing but my towel on so on to finishing the routine. Walking out the front door for work, yep, you guessed it, the lights were still there. Only now it was 7:12 so it was light outside and the car had officially been there for at least 1 hour 10 minutes. So I drove up there and approached it as I saw someone with the seat slightly reclined. First I knocked on the window, no response, then I knocked again, no response. By now I'm thinking "Oh Lord, please don't let this guy be dead and me be the one to find him." So I resorted to pounding on the window with my fist. THAT woke him up. He looked around then looked at me when I said "Hey, you okay?" The most dazed and lost look on his face. He had the "Where the heck am I?" look as he looked around my neighborhood. Then he realized his car was running so he cut it off, headlights still on. So I tried one more time asking if he was okay, once again, no response. He kinda slammed his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes so I left. I immediately called the police to come check it all out.
I sure wish the police would call you back and give you an update but apparently he left before they got here. One of my neighbors saw the police looking around but the guy was gone. Oh well, made for an interesting Monday for me. It's not everyday you find someone passed out in your parking lot with his car running and lights on. He is very lucky that he was conscientious enough to put the car in park before passing out or he would have rolled down a 8-10' embankment, nose first into the ditch. At least I would have known he needed help if I had seen that! ha ha
So part of my 2012 health plan is trying various foods and changing my menu up every week or every two weeks. In the past I have had very successful weight loss for a while then my body adjusted and I got bored, which led me back to my old habits of fried foods, soft drinks, and cookies. Today I began a week long endeavor of fewer carbs and low fat where possible but my main focus is "sugar-free/low carb." I won't say today was easy because it wasn't but my body will adjust as long as I continue. I will say that by eating so many less carbs that I didn't have the 3pm sleepies that I usually have so we'll see if tomorrow plays out the same way.
The problem with new foods means figuring out once again how they all fit in the lunch box. I struggled this morning getting it all in there. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
After work I had to run home for my monthly HOA board meeting so that meant very little time for fixing a salad for dinner, even with all the veggies washed and ready to go. So I chose a low carb, whole wheat tortilla, spread a wedge of Light Swiss Laughing Cow cheese on it, lined it with baby spinach (lots of spinach), then layered some deli style turkey slices on it. Stuck it in the microwave for about a minute, rolled it up and enjoyed. Served with a glass of low sodium V8 juice and you have a VERY easy and much healthier than some other choices I could have made meal.
Now that I am settled in from the meeting I think it's time for dessert: sugar free jello and sugar free squirt whipped cream (just a tad for looks). I even poured the jello into a 9x13 dish so that I could have the cool squares like the restaurants. You gotta make it pretty sometimes so that you enjoy it :)
Now it's time for a little relaxin before bed. Here's hoping Tuesday is as exciting as today was, well, maybe a little more exciting! ha ha
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Everybody Struggles
Happy Saturday! Today started out rainy, and apparently stormy around 3am, according to a couple friends and my mom, but I slept right through it. Other than doing my normal Saturday laundry I was being pretty lazy. My eyes felt puffy and achy early in the afternoon so I never got started sanding and scraping my kitchen trim again. I did however try cucumber slices on my eyes like you always see on tv. That does NOT work. In fact it made my eyes burn so I turned to a cold washcloth instead. Maybe I cut the slices too thick? Either way the cold water was MUCH BETTER!
So I piddled around the house all afternoon and just felt kind of blah. I realized that I knew exactly why I was feeling like this, all those brownies and fudge sauce and other indulgences from my birthday celebrations. I ate the remaining brownies with fudge sauce for breakfast with a big glass of milk. I know but don't judge, it was skim! So the longer I sat around the more guilty I felt about all that I had eaten. That made me decide to head down to the lake again since it had quit raining and walk at least one lap around. Even if I strolled around it would be better than nothing and I would cover 2 miles.
Turns out the park wasn't that crowded since it was still cloudy and rainy looking. I started out slow, then started speeding up the further I went. Major thanks to Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, the 70s Disco, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and yes, as much as I hate to admit it, even Colt Ford for helping me get up to full speed and into "the zone". At the end of lap 1 I decided to keep going, then at the end of that lap I was still in "the zone" so I kept going. I made it around 3 times, 6 MILES total! I was in disbelief that I made it that far. I stayed in the zone until 1/4 way through that 3rd lap, which is the point that one of the white geese decided to jump out at me. The freakin thing chased me WAY off of the walkway path. I know the people behind me were laughing because I was too. I was trying to figure out if I had enough energy to run away from it if it started chasing me. It was headed towards me with it's neck out stretched and was honking at me! Quick flashes of lying face down in the mud with a goose biting me were going through my head! Luckily it lost interest before I ran into the trees! Slowly I got back up to speed again and I even felt good enough to try a little jogging on the lap 3 before I began my cool down.
I came home and fixed a spinach salad as my main dish with a side of salsa chicken. When I got up from the chair my body was screaming at me so I went ahead and took a long hot shower. I suspect that I may have to spend the night on the sofa because I am not sure I will be able to move when it's bed time!
The moral of the story is that uncontrolled eating of high fat/sugary food after trying to eat right makes you feel miserable both physically and mentally but you can overcome it when you do have weak moments. We all struggle with temptations and slip up from time to time but the key is to realize what you have done and figure out what triggered it so that you can work through the weakness. Then get yourself back on track with your next meal and scheduled exercise time. Don't let it drag you down and back into the same rut you used to be in that got you to that low point. That's the end of my lesson for today :)
Well, I guess I'm going to try to get up and get some Crystal Light lemonade if I can make it to the kitchen! Have a great night everybody!
So I piddled around the house all afternoon and just felt kind of blah. I realized that I knew exactly why I was feeling like this, all those brownies and fudge sauce and other indulgences from my birthday celebrations. I ate the remaining brownies with fudge sauce for breakfast with a big glass of milk. I know but don't judge, it was skim! So the longer I sat around the more guilty I felt about all that I had eaten. That made me decide to head down to the lake again since it had quit raining and walk at least one lap around. Even if I strolled around it would be better than nothing and I would cover 2 miles.
Turns out the park wasn't that crowded since it was still cloudy and rainy looking. I started out slow, then started speeding up the further I went. Major thanks to Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Jason Aldean, the 70s Disco, Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and yes, as much as I hate to admit it, even Colt Ford for helping me get up to full speed and into "the zone". At the end of lap 1 I decided to keep going, then at the end of that lap I was still in "the zone" so I kept going. I made it around 3 times, 6 MILES total! I was in disbelief that I made it that far. I stayed in the zone until 1/4 way through that 3rd lap, which is the point that one of the white geese decided to jump out at me. The freakin thing chased me WAY off of the walkway path. I know the people behind me were laughing because I was too. I was trying to figure out if I had enough energy to run away from it if it started chasing me. It was headed towards me with it's neck out stretched and was honking at me! Quick flashes of lying face down in the mud with a goose biting me were going through my head! Luckily it lost interest before I ran into the trees! Slowly I got back up to speed again and I even felt good enough to try a little jogging on the lap 3 before I began my cool down.
I came home and fixed a spinach salad as my main dish with a side of salsa chicken. When I got up from the chair my body was screaming at me so I went ahead and took a long hot shower. I suspect that I may have to spend the night on the sofa because I am not sure I will be able to move when it's bed time!
The moral of the story is that uncontrolled eating of high fat/sugary food after trying to eat right makes you feel miserable both physically and mentally but you can overcome it when you do have weak moments. We all struggle with temptations and slip up from time to time but the key is to realize what you have done and figure out what triggered it so that you can work through the weakness. Then get yourself back on track with your next meal and scheduled exercise time. Don't let it drag you down and back into the same rut you used to be in that got you to that low point. That's the end of my lesson for today :)
Well, I guess I'm going to try to get up and get some Crystal Light lemonade if I can make it to the kitchen! Have a great night everybody!
Friday, March 2, 2012
Birthdays are Meant to be Special
So, as most of you know, yesterday, March 1, was my birthday and what a spectacular birthday this year has been! So many great friends and family to make me feel so special and loved. I cannot thank all of you enough for all the nice things you did for me and the nice words you sent on Facebook, in texts, and by mail.
It all started on Monday when my mom called and asked what I wanted for my birthday supper and did I want to celebrate on my actual birthday on Thursday or wait until Friday. So I chose Friday because I get off early those days and can take a nap and be all relaxed and rested up by supper. Another reason is because on work days I don't eat dinner until about 7pm and that is WAY too late for some. ;) On Tuesday I checked at the weather and saw that it was forecasted to be 77 degrees and sunny. Well, who can stay at work on your special day with a forecast like that when it is supposed to be the middle of winter? Since it was last minute I couldn't take the whole day off but a friend coerced me to at least take 1/2 a day and come horseback riding with her. Oh what a great time we had from the "appetizer" to the quiche with a candle in it, the wings, and on to the "dessert." We then set off to the barn for a wonderful 3 hour ride. There is something to be said of sitting in traffic on Trinity Road horseback with cars while waiting for the light to turn green so we could cross Highway 54. Not something you see often in Cary. Boy the looks we got! ha ha Citified horses don't freak over cars, trucks, or trains but a leaf blowing in the wind send them to the other side of the road! ha ha
Then it was out with Miss Appel to the mexican restaurant where we gorged ourselves on chips, salsa, queso, quesadillas, and even wonderful leche cake while sipping our larger than normal sized margaritas. Then I giggled all the way up to my bed time about her grandmother calling easy pant her "pants with the rubber in the waist." It made me reminisce about my Grandma Woowoo calling the house electricity "current."
Today work ended up being so busy that instead of leaving at 11:30, I left at 2. That means I only claimed 2 hours of vacation yesterday instead of the 5 I actually took. YAY me - It was a good day to be at work since it turned out to be cloudy and nasty. And when you work in a cubicle with no direct line of sight to a window you don't know what it's like outside anyway!
So tonight was the family birthday celebration. My sister has been taunting me for 2 days by sending me photos of the bag containing my presents, not to mention the text messages saying she had been shopping for somebody and the hour countdown to present time! So I FINALLY got my paws on that bag tonight and it was full of awesome goodies, including a classic "Red Solo Cup" with a candlestick type base si it is more like a goblet.
After indulging in my requested dessert, which was fudge brownies with chocolate chunks topped with vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce (the thick gooey kind), we played Mexican Train Dominoes as a family. Well, if you've never played the game, it can be interesting and VERY competitive. Twice Deddy forgot to clang his last 2 dominoes together and my sister called him on it so he had to draw another tile. There were lots of things said like "Mexcian Freakin' Train" (said through gritted teeth) and Halle-freakin-lujah, birds flew across the room periodically, and I even saw a knife appear a couple times. It can be dangerous playing competitive games with my family! ha ha I did manage a groovy dance rhythm when Terri pushed the train button. Chugga chugga, chugga chugga, chugga chugga. woo woo, chugga chugga, chugga chugga, chugga chugga, woo woo- ha ha ha
Overall a typical Massey family gathering, except there were 2 family names who ALWAYS get mentioned but didn't tonight. Oh wait, that's not right, one did get mentioned because a couple of their kids were in the photo mama brought out. I almost missed it! Well, one family didn't get mentioned! ha ha ha
Lots of great times with family and friends over the last couple of days and a couple more planned out over the weekend. Thank you again for all the birthday wishes! Now it's back to focusing on the healthy eating and working out because before you know it it's gonna be bathing suit season!
It all started on Monday when my mom called and asked what I wanted for my birthday supper and did I want to celebrate on my actual birthday on Thursday or wait until Friday. So I chose Friday because I get off early those days and can take a nap and be all relaxed and rested up by supper. Another reason is because on work days I don't eat dinner until about 7pm and that is WAY too late for some. ;) On Tuesday I checked at the weather and saw that it was forecasted to be 77 degrees and sunny. Well, who can stay at work on your special day with a forecast like that when it is supposed to be the middle of winter? Since it was last minute I couldn't take the whole day off but a friend coerced me to at least take 1/2 a day and come horseback riding with her. Oh what a great time we had from the "appetizer" to the quiche with a candle in it, the wings, and on to the "dessert." We then set off to the barn for a wonderful 3 hour ride. There is something to be said of sitting in traffic on Trinity Road horseback with cars while waiting for the light to turn green so we could cross Highway 54. Not something you see often in Cary. Boy the looks we got! ha ha Citified horses don't freak over cars, trucks, or trains but a leaf blowing in the wind send them to the other side of the road! ha ha
Then it was out with Miss Appel to the mexican restaurant where we gorged ourselves on chips, salsa, queso, quesadillas, and even wonderful leche cake while sipping our larger than normal sized margaritas. Then I giggled all the way up to my bed time about her grandmother calling easy pant her "pants with the rubber in the waist." It made me reminisce about my Grandma Woowoo calling the house electricity "current."
Today work ended up being so busy that instead of leaving at 11:30, I left at 2. That means I only claimed 2 hours of vacation yesterday instead of the 5 I actually took. YAY me - It was a good day to be at work since it turned out to be cloudy and nasty. And when you work in a cubicle with no direct line of sight to a window you don't know what it's like outside anyway!
So tonight was the family birthday celebration. My sister has been taunting me for 2 days by sending me photos of the bag containing my presents, not to mention the text messages saying she had been shopping for somebody and the hour countdown to present time! So I FINALLY got my paws on that bag tonight and it was full of awesome goodies, including a classic "Red Solo Cup" with a candlestick type base si it is more like a goblet.
After indulging in my requested dessert, which was fudge brownies with chocolate chunks topped with vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce (the thick gooey kind), we played Mexican Train Dominoes as a family. Well, if you've never played the game, it can be interesting and VERY competitive. Twice Deddy forgot to clang his last 2 dominoes together and my sister called him on it so he had to draw another tile. There were lots of things said like "Mexcian Freakin' Train" (said through gritted teeth) and Halle-freakin-lujah, birds flew across the room periodically, and I even saw a knife appear a couple times. It can be dangerous playing competitive games with my family! ha ha I did manage a groovy dance rhythm when Terri pushed the train button. Chugga chugga, chugga chugga, chugga chugga. woo woo, chugga chugga, chugga chugga, chugga chugga, woo woo- ha ha ha
Overall a typical Massey family gathering, except there were 2 family names who ALWAYS get mentioned but didn't tonight. Oh wait, that's not right, one did get mentioned because a couple of their kids were in the photo mama brought out. I almost missed it! Well, one family didn't get mentioned! ha ha ha
Lots of great times with family and friends over the last couple of days and a couple more planned out over the weekend. Thank you again for all the birthday wishes! Now it's back to focusing on the healthy eating and working out because before you know it it's gonna be bathing suit season!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tough Days Lead to Healing
Hey y'all - well, the last couple of days have been exciting and tough all at the same for me. Exciting because it's leading up to my birthday - TOMORROW - and tough because I've been healing some emotional pains that I didn't even know I had hidden away. It wasn't until I watched my friend's video memorial of her 32 year old horse, who is now in horsey heaven, that I realized one of the hurts that has been holding me back emotionally from complete healing. But I survived that moment, although this morning I had puffy eyes and stuffy sinuses for a while at work from the tears that flowed last night. However, now I am on the upside and my goals are becoming more and more clear.
I was really tired last night from not sleeping well Saturday or Sunday night and staying up until the wee hours of the morning watching the most AWESOME Daytona 500 I have seen in a long time. YAY E, JR for being so close to the front of the pack and Congratulations Kenseth on an awesome win! So the lack of sleep just brought everything to the surface. That's usually the way it happens. When you're at your weakest point is when all the raw emotions get exposed and conquered so you can heal and move forward.
Making this week exciting are the plans I have been making for the next few days and for my future. Instead of celebrating 1 day for my birthday, did I mention that it's tomorrow? ha ha ha I will be celebrating over the next 4 days in one way or another. But I will not tell you about the celebrations now. Let's just say that I'm leaving work tomorrow at 11:30 for the day for the first adventure/celebration. They'll all be exposed soon anyway because I will either post or blog about them (or most likely both) :)
Still awaiting my new business cards for my return to the world of kitchen and bath design but the anticipation is building. Talked with those folks today and got a really good vibe from them by what they told me. I think they've been asking around about me and my capabilities and are very happy with what they hear. YAY ME! ha ha
On the healthy side of things, I took a really long walk Sunday which made me sore for the last couple days but now I want to go do it again because it felt so good. Mondays thru Thursdays are so hard for me to squeeze in workouts with long work days so I have to carefully monitor what I eat and not cheat at all. So far so good this week! I am so ready for the 8:30pm sunsets so that I can get outside to walk after supper. Today I had a temptation at lunch where for a moment I got in my car, left my parking lot and was heading towards one of my favorite fast food restaurants when one of friends popped in my head and I thought "WWJD." No, not what this normally means but "What Would Jennie Do." See, Jennie is my new friend who is an inspiration for me to get healthy and to really start living again. She has lost 100lbs+ over the last year and is continuing to meet her goals and learning to live her new life. She is simply amazing and has such a different life now than she did prior to this journey. So THANK YOU JENNIE for putting it out there for us all to follow ;)
Okay, Idol is almost over so that means I am late to bed once again so I'll quit jibbering on. Until next time...
I was really tired last night from not sleeping well Saturday or Sunday night and staying up until the wee hours of the morning watching the most AWESOME Daytona 500 I have seen in a long time. YAY E, JR for being so close to the front of the pack and Congratulations Kenseth on an awesome win! So the lack of sleep just brought everything to the surface. That's usually the way it happens. When you're at your weakest point is when all the raw emotions get exposed and conquered so you can heal and move forward.
Making this week exciting are the plans I have been making for the next few days and for my future. Instead of celebrating 1 day for my birthday, did I mention that it's tomorrow? ha ha ha I will be celebrating over the next 4 days in one way or another. But I will not tell you about the celebrations now. Let's just say that I'm leaving work tomorrow at 11:30 for the day for the first adventure/celebration. They'll all be exposed soon anyway because I will either post or blog about them (or most likely both) :)
Still awaiting my new business cards for my return to the world of kitchen and bath design but the anticipation is building. Talked with those folks today and got a really good vibe from them by what they told me. I think they've been asking around about me and my capabilities and are very happy with what they hear. YAY ME! ha ha
On the healthy side of things, I took a really long walk Sunday which made me sore for the last couple days but now I want to go do it again because it felt so good. Mondays thru Thursdays are so hard for me to squeeze in workouts with long work days so I have to carefully monitor what I eat and not cheat at all. So far so good this week! I am so ready for the 8:30pm sunsets so that I can get outside to walk after supper. Today I had a temptation at lunch where for a moment I got in my car, left my parking lot and was heading towards one of my favorite fast food restaurants when one of friends popped in my head and I thought "WWJD." No, not what this normally means but "What Would Jennie Do." See, Jennie is my new friend who is an inspiration for me to get healthy and to really start living again. She has lost 100lbs+ over the last year and is continuing to meet her goals and learning to live her new life. She is simply amazing and has such a different life now than she did prior to this journey. So THANK YOU JENNIE for putting it out there for us all to follow ;)
Okay, Idol is almost over so that means I am late to bed once again so I'll quit jibbering on. Until next time...
Monday, February 27, 2012
A Day at the Park
Happy Monday, even if it is almost over. Yesterday was a beautiful, crisp, cool day here in the Carolinas and since the Daytona 500 was postponed to today, for like the first time in history, I took advantage of it and went for a walk at a local town park lake. I was determined to make myself go around it 2 times for a total of 4 miles. At first I was just going to stroll and not push myself too hard, but since my iPod had just enough battery power left I worked my way up into a full speed walk where I even hit the "runner's high" feeling, which I am paying for today. Good grief are certain muscles sore!
During my exercise "high" I did a lot of people watching. There were lots of people out with their kids & dogs and a few serious exercisers. First that caught my attention was a lady who came roller blading down a hill then as I proceeded up the hill here came her daughter running after her in her socks with her blades in hand. ha ha Then I was passed by a lady who was trying to jog, slowly, but still a jog. Well, she had a little dog who's legs couldn't have been more than 3" high. Why in the world would someone approximately 5'8" high take a dog that little on a run? That poor little dog was getting drug here and there and his little legs were a blur. She never really did get a good jog in b/c she kept having to stop for the dog for one reason or another. Yep, it made me laugh even though I couldn't figure it out.
There were also a few fathers & sons trying their hand at fishing. Didn't see any of them catch anything but they all had on their "fanny pack" style tackle boxes. Like father like son - ha ha Then there was the group of father & daughters trying to feed the ducks when there's a big sign that starts with "Why you shouldn't feed the water fowl."
Of course there were a few of the serious exercisers. One guy must have been running a marathon around that lake. I swear I met him at least 8 times in my 2 laps. I don't know how he could get in "the zone" with all those people and kids around but he obviously did b/c he barely saw the rest of us I think.
Then came the one that made me smile, almost made me laugh out loud. This dude, my guess is that he was in his 50s and kinda had the hippie look going. He could have been a hippie college professor. I know, I'm profiling but I'm just trying to give you an idea of what he looked like. Anyway, he was roller blading with some of the skates with the really big wheels on them. Now this guy was probably 6' tall then with the skates on he looked like a really thin, tall giant with a helmet on. He was having the best time though. His smile was almost contagious. He smiled at me every time he met me and it was my fault but I couldn't help it. The first time I saw him he was coming towards me and he had the smoothest glide from side to side, like we had back in the day at Sportsworld with the shuffle skating, but what got me tickled was the McDonalds Latte cup in his hand. Had he really skated to McDonalds, then skated around the lake 3-4 times while drinking it? So then every time I met him along the path I would laugh to myself so he thought I was smiling at him. I don't know his story but I can tell you that he was having a great day and had a permanent smile on his face! ha ha ha Sure wish I had a picture to include. So I profiled him for a Subaru but oh no, he had a Candy Apple red, brand new Mustang. Totally blew my mind and so out of my "profile"! ha ha ha
Overall a great day in the park :)
During my exercise "high" I did a lot of people watching. There were lots of people out with their kids & dogs and a few serious exercisers. First that caught my attention was a lady who came roller blading down a hill then as I proceeded up the hill here came her daughter running after her in her socks with her blades in hand. ha ha Then I was passed by a lady who was trying to jog, slowly, but still a jog. Well, she had a little dog who's legs couldn't have been more than 3" high. Why in the world would someone approximately 5'8" high take a dog that little on a run? That poor little dog was getting drug here and there and his little legs were a blur. She never really did get a good jog in b/c she kept having to stop for the dog for one reason or another. Yep, it made me laugh even though I couldn't figure it out.
There were also a few fathers & sons trying their hand at fishing. Didn't see any of them catch anything but they all had on their "fanny pack" style tackle boxes. Like father like son - ha ha Then there was the group of father & daughters trying to feed the ducks when there's a big sign that starts with "Why you shouldn't feed the water fowl."
Of course there were a few of the serious exercisers. One guy must have been running a marathon around that lake. I swear I met him at least 8 times in my 2 laps. I don't know how he could get in "the zone" with all those people and kids around but he obviously did b/c he barely saw the rest of us I think.
Then came the one that made me smile, almost made me laugh out loud. This dude, my guess is that he was in his 50s and kinda had the hippie look going. He could have been a hippie college professor. I know, I'm profiling but I'm just trying to give you an idea of what he looked like. Anyway, he was roller blading with some of the skates with the really big wheels on them. Now this guy was probably 6' tall then with the skates on he looked like a really thin, tall giant with a helmet on. He was having the best time though. His smile was almost contagious. He smiled at me every time he met me and it was my fault but I couldn't help it. The first time I saw him he was coming towards me and he had the smoothest glide from side to side, like we had back in the day at Sportsworld with the shuffle skating, but what got me tickled was the McDonalds Latte cup in his hand. Had he really skated to McDonalds, then skated around the lake 3-4 times while drinking it? So then every time I met him along the path I would laugh to myself so he thought I was smiling at him. I don't know his story but I can tell you that he was having a great day and had a permanent smile on his face! ha ha ha Sure wish I had a picture to include. So I profiled him for a Subaru but oh no, he had a Candy Apple red, brand new Mustang. Totally blew my mind and so out of my "profile"! ha ha ha
Overall a great day in the park :)
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Horses and Cowboys
Yesterday was the first day in this plan of "taking my life back." I had made plans with some of my new found horse buddies to go to the spring sale. Oh boy am I addicted to auctions. Since they had never been before I quickly found us seats in the bleachers to watch. Let me just say, if you're not used to the ways of an auctioneer, then it probably sounds like a lot of noise to you. I quickly got back into auction mode, even though I haven't been to one in at least 3-4 years. Never really thought about myself that way but as soon as a new bid began I was right there in the middle of it. No, not bidding but entranced listening to the bid prices, reading the blurb in the sale book about the horse, checking out the horse's pedigree, etc. Yep, hog heaven. No idea WHY that appeals to me but it does. My friends were not quite as enthralled as I was. I could have sat there until the last horse sold. In fact, I made a mental note to show up at the fall sale for the opening bid and plan to stay all day. But I found out later in the evening from someone that this was the last one at the arena. Apparently the horse buying world is going to online bidding like everything else. That just doesn't seem quite as exciting to me :(
So we ended up moving on to the merchandise booths, and then out to the barns. THAT is where I saw my first ever horse from the Secretariat bloodline. PICTURE TIME! Imagine that, ME taking pictures! ha ha ha Lots of "Western Pleasure" show horses but it's fun the peruse through the barns checking them all out. Saw an ugly little donkey, a "superhero horse" as Warren called it (it was in a protective sheet and head wrap to keep it clean before going to the ring), and a beautiful paint colt that was only a year old and terrified of us standing at it's door. Overall a good time.
Since my friends were staying in Raleigh for the night so that the boys could check out the gun show today we ended up finding somewhere to eat dinner then back to my house to hang out for a bit. Kerrie had a horse named Captain Jack whom she rescued about 5-6 years ago. His actual age was unknown but he was assumed to have been born around 1980. Unfortunately old age took him about a month ago. She has created a memorial tribute to him with photos and a beautiful song. I was privileged to be present for it's debut. Oh it was beautiful, we all had tears in our eyes and couldn't quit talk right when it was over. Just amazing!
Some people view horses as time consuming and bank account drowning but to the horse lover they mean the world and we'd give our last dime (and even go into debt) to insure that they have what they need or we'd give our last minute to spend time with them. There is no therapy like equine therapy. For me I choose the trail riding side of it instead of ring time. Whether riding around a farmer's freshly plowed and planted fields, through the woods on a narrow trail barely big enough to pass through, alongside a creek or the top of a mountain ridge, there is no greater feeling. Only fellow horse lovers would understand.
So, God willing, I will enjoy those feelings once again. Yesterday was only the beginning....
Oh, and for the cowboys, well, there were LOTS of boots, hats, and spurs there yesterday ranging from young to old. Lots of great scenery ;)
So we ended up moving on to the merchandise booths, and then out to the barns. THAT is where I saw my first ever horse from the Secretariat bloodline. PICTURE TIME! Imagine that, ME taking pictures! ha ha ha Lots of "Western Pleasure" show horses but it's fun the peruse through the barns checking them all out. Saw an ugly little donkey, a "superhero horse" as Warren called it (it was in a protective sheet and head wrap to keep it clean before going to the ring), and a beautiful paint colt that was only a year old and terrified of us standing at it's door. Overall a good time.
Since my friends were staying in Raleigh for the night so that the boys could check out the gun show today we ended up finding somewhere to eat dinner then back to my house to hang out for a bit. Kerrie had a horse named Captain Jack whom she rescued about 5-6 years ago. His actual age was unknown but he was assumed to have been born around 1980. Unfortunately old age took him about a month ago. She has created a memorial tribute to him with photos and a beautiful song. I was privileged to be present for it's debut. Oh it was beautiful, we all had tears in our eyes and couldn't quit talk right when it was over. Just amazing!
Some people view horses as time consuming and bank account drowning but to the horse lover they mean the world and we'd give our last dime (and even go into debt) to insure that they have what they need or we'd give our last minute to spend time with them. There is no therapy like equine therapy. For me I choose the trail riding side of it instead of ring time. Whether riding around a farmer's freshly plowed and planted fields, through the woods on a narrow trail barely big enough to pass through, alongside a creek or the top of a mountain ridge, there is no greater feeling. Only fellow horse lovers would understand.
So, God willing, I will enjoy those feelings once again. Yesterday was only the beginning....
Oh, and for the cowboys, well, there were LOTS of boots, hats, and spurs there yesterday ranging from young to old. Lots of great scenery ;)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Time to Finally Start Living
Recently I had a epiphany and realized that it was time to stop hiding in my house and in the shell I created around my life. That it is time to start living once again. I opened up to a friend about a lot of things via typing her a short story summary of the last 20 years of my life. I felt so good afterwards that I realized maybe I should start a journal. The particular friend I opened up to has a blog of her own that I read every chance I get. I am inspired by her and her life events and thoughts. So I thought there may be someone out there who may be interested in the events of my life and the life lessons I have learned along the way.
I have never considered myself a writer and I tend to type exactly how I talk. Those who don't like my stories don't have to read them. That's the advantage to living in the free world, right?
So, today's will be short because I wanted to introduce myself and my blog. Now it's off to the horse sale to see beautiful creatures auctioned off to new homes for insane amounts of money and to see hot bodies in tight jeans, boots and cowboy hats. ;)
Make it a great day!
I have never considered myself a writer and I tend to type exactly how I talk. Those who don't like my stories don't have to read them. That's the advantage to living in the free world, right?
So, today's will be short because I wanted to introduce myself and my blog. Now it's off to the horse sale to see beautiful creatures auctioned off to new homes for insane amounts of money and to see hot bodies in tight jeans, boots and cowboy hats. ;)
Make it a great day!
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