Thursday, August 30, 2007

Apology and More...

Ok, so I know I’ve been averaging one post per week lately. I’m sorry. I’ve been working overtime and am so ready for a break. Thankfully, I'm on "vacation" from yesterday and don't return until next Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday. You wouldn’t believe everything that’s been going on.

I have to say that H usually thinks I’m exaggerating when I mention a coworker treating me badly. He believes me now. He saw it first hand when I was working an event this past Saturday. Even he mentioned that SUB was a bitch. He got onto me for not sticking up for myself and said that it’s my own fault I have let this go on as long as I have. He’s right. Of course, I was awake most of Sunday night dreading staff meeting on Monday. I assumed she would say something about the incident (since she has been bringing it up every chance she gets since March!). I had decided that if she said something Monday, I was going to say something back. Of course, when I’m actually ready for her, she keeps her big mouth shut! I don’t know if I’m glad or not. Yes, I’m glad I didn’t have to struggle with the confrontation, but it would have been nice to have it over with. Now, I’m trying to keep in mind what I’m going to say so I can be ready whenever she does pipe up with it. It all has to do with a golf cart. Good God! No one got hurt, I didn’t bounce her out, I didn’t tip the golf cart (so I obviously had more control than she gave me credit for). She needs to get over it already. H couldn’t believe that I have been right about her all this time. He said he thought she might be bipolar since the majority of the time we get along great. It just so happens that when she gets stressed, she thinks she can take it out on me. That's not bipolar...it's nothing but BITCH!

I had a great day with K last Sunday. Saturday night, I worked until around midnight, so H and I slept in on Sunday. Once we got up, we decided to go to his parent's restaurant (the BEST Thai, sushi, and Laotian food you can find). I mentioned to H that he might want to call ahead and make sure they were there. He didn't think it was important. When we got there, they were painting the place, which is a good thing because the walls were bright lime green on top and baby boy blue blanket on the bottom. Now the walls are a nice chocolate brown and looks fantastic with the tan table cloths, brown chairs, and the 5 dark green booths. It is a much more relaxing atmosphere now. Anyway, I said all of this because H and I obviously weren't dressed for painting (H didn't call in advance, remember). Anyway, so H helped them paint a bit and got brown paint all over the nice, new shorts I bought him for his birthday in July. While everyone else was painting, I was keeping K busy. I was still extremely tired because of working so late the night before and was beginning to get a migraine. I had a blast with him. I pushed him around the restaurant in a wheeled office chair. He had a blast. I taught him a few more bad habits, which is always my favorite thing. :-) I taught him to sing "I got your buuuutt". We had a blast with that. We added, "I got your noooose" and "I got your cheeeeeks" and laughed quite a bit. I also shook my butt at him which made him shake his butt at me and laugh his little head off. It was great!

I think I mentioned that I read the seventh Harry Potter book (H calls it Harry Pothead) as soon as it came out. I loved it and decided to read the whole series again from start to finish. I have just finished book six and am starting on book seven for the second time. I have really enjoyed reading the series again. I have watched the movies many more times than I have read the books, so it was good to read them again and remember things that I had forgotten because they weren't in the movies.

Ok, so I have been off work since yesterday. I made doctor appointments for each day so I wouldn't have to take time off later in the year. Yesterday was my dentist appointment. It went really well. I hadn't been to a dentist since about 2001 or 2002, so I didn't know what to expect. We hadn't had dental insurance that whole time, so we stopped going because everything would have come out of our pockets. I was going back to school so we really couldn't afford to go to the dentist. We tried a different dentist than we had gone to before. This one is right down the street from us. We really like her. They complimented H and I on our teeth and were surprised that our teeth were in such good condition since it had been 5-6 years since we had seen a dentist. Neither of us had a cavity or anything wrong with our gums. I felt very relieved.

Today was my allergist appointment. I have been getting three allergy shots a week for the past two years (minus a few weeks when time got away from me). They have helped me tremendously. When I wasn't getting allergy shots, I would have a horrific sinus infection Every.Single.Season. It would kick my butt for two weeks and there were times it landed me flat on my back in bed. With the allergy shots, I haven't had one that bad the whole time. It feels great. I occassionally will get a sinus headache or sinus pressure, but nothing remotely close to what I used to suffer. As of today, I will be taking my shots every two weeks instead of every week. WooHoo! He said that after the first big freeze, I can start taking my shots every three weeks and see how those go for me for a few months then go to once a month. According to the allergist, most people take the shots for about five years then will stop taking them. Once this happens, they reap the benefits of the shots for the next ten to twenty years. That will be fantastic. He said it's up to me to determine how long I take the shots. I can even take them longer than the 5 years if I want to especially since they are doing so well for me. The number of weeks between shots is up to me and what I think my body can handle as long as I don't come in more than once a week and get my shots at least once a month.

Tomorrow is my physical. That ought to be interesting. I've been eating oatmeal for breakfast every day for the past month or so to help lower my cholesterol levels which aren't extremely high. I'd just rather be safe than sorry. I am still taking DAM although I switched yesterday from Wellbutrin XL which costs me $120 to refill to Wellbutrin SR's generic brand which costs me nothing. The only difference I have noticed is that the SR has to be taken twice a day while the XL only has to be taken once. I don't mind taking two pills a day if I don't have to pay money out of my pocket for it. :-)

This past Tuesday, I started the Weight Watchers At Work Program (WWAWP). I have decided that I am tired of carrying around this extra weight. This is the biggest I have ever been and I'm not happy about it. I weighed in at 198 (it was 4:30, so I'm sure I would have been lower than that if I had weighed in the morning). I would like to get down to around 150. That would put me in a size 8. I could live with that. That's around where I was when I met H and I looked tiny even though I weighed that much. I wouldn't say I have big bones, but I do have pretty good upper body strength (my muscles underneath the fat must be in pretty good shape). I have ever since I was a toddler and used to pull myself around when I was in a body cast (that's a whole other story). I guess that extra weight comes from muscles because I did not look like I had any fat on my body and everyone thought I weighed around 120 pounds instead of 150. I can definitely live with that!

My decision for losing the weight has come because I will be 40 at the end of next year. I don't want to be fat at forty. I don't want to have the health problems both of my parents have because of their weight issues. I want to be able to keep up with K and K2. I don't want them to ever be embarrassed of me (or embarrassed to be seen with me) because of my weight. I want to be able to walk up a few flights of stairs without getting out of breath. Generally, I just want to be healthier. I will be updating my post after each weigh in. It might not be on Tuesday, but it will be shortly thereafter.

I decided on Weight Watchers because it is a flexible plan where I can eat any food I want as long as I stay within my point range. I am allowed 24 points. That's it! I've been writing down everything I have eaten for the past two days (I started on Wednesday) and I have realized a few things:

1. I have fallen into a LOT of bad eating habits.
2. I don't eat fruits and vegetables (at all). I never realized that before. No wonder I've gained weight. I used to love fruits and vegetables, but for some reason have stopped eating them in lieu of eating faster, easier, more convenient foods.
3. Thankfully, I have been drinking the amount of water they require.
4. I have been making a few good choices like limiting my soda intake a LOT as well as drinking diet drinks instead of full sugar drinks.

One good thing about the new Weight Watchers Program is that they give you an additonal 35 points you can eat each week (if you choose) above and beyond the points I can eat each day. It's amazing how many points are in certain foods. It totally explains the weight I have put on the past ten years.

Another thing that seems to always be on my mind lately is religion. What has really put it into the foreground of my mind recently is this season of Big Brother. I've got to say that Amber and Jameka get on my last damn nerve. Amber gets on my nerves not only because of the religion issue but because of her emotional crying. Give me a break! I've never seen such an "EMO" in my life. How the hell can you expect to function in society and raise a little girl if you're crying all the time? Get a grip!

Anyway, back to the religion thing. I have no problem with people having their own religious beliefs. What I do have problems with is people using their beliefs in order to make themselves "look" better or make others "look" bad. Amber is all about her "visions" but when her visions don't come true, she fails to mention that she was wrong. It is soooo "God's will" for her to win. Whatever!!How self-serving and selfish is that? She talks about how other people are selfish. She's just as selfish, she just covers it up in her "faith". So does Jameka. Whatever. I know that I have issues with religion. I will gladly admit that to anyone. I have a huge problem with ORGANIZED religion. Religion should be PERSONAL. It is no one else's business what your/my beliefs are and I get sick of seeing religion always pushed in other people's faces or used to someone's advantage.

So...those are my rants and thoughts for the day. Until next time....

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Book Review..."How to Be a Budget Fashionista"

Okay…I have been lurking over at The Budget Fashionista for some time now. I love this site. The woman who runs it has a lot of fashion sense. Me? Not so much. Honestly! That’s why I love her site. She gives all sorts of advice on what’s hot and what’s not, including beauty items! WooHoo! Can’t beat that. What’s even better is that she tells you where to get the best deals (duh, budget). Another thing that really got my attention is the fact that this lady is REAL! She’s not a size 2 (do we really know anyone who is? – don’t answer that!). She's even had trouble with debt in the past because of her shopping. Who can't relate to that?!

Anyway, she has written a book How to Be a Budget Fashionista and I just received it in the mail last night (It has been a few days since I have been able to finish this review due to working overtime). Anyway, on the day I received the book, I got home at 6:30. This book is such an easy, quick read that I just didn't want to put down. I read the majority of this book (and skimmed one or two sections that I wasn't quite interested in at this moment, but will definitely take much time poring over later)before I went to bed around 11 that night. Let me tell you, there are lots of things that I'm going to go back, read slower, and highlight in this book (as well as do the same to the chapters that I skimmed that night). I'm also going to take this book with me when I go shopping so I have Miss Finney with me as my personal shopper/consultant.

I have never been a girly girl by any stretch of the imagination. Due to this fact, I have never really felt comfortable with fashion or even going shopping. I never knew or realized what my "style" is which is one reason that I wanted to pick up this book (I tend to pick things for myself that are blah or I get sucked into a style that I really don't like after bringing it home. This book will keep me from doing that in the future). I wanted to know what my "style" is and how best to dress my body type. Now that I have read this book, I can't wait to pore over it slowly, highlight the pages that best suit me, and go shopping (with Miss Finney right alongside me).

In this book, she states there are 10 items, (The Perfect 10), every woman should have in her wardrobe. With these 10 items, you can mix and match to combine about 32 different combinations. She even lists 16 of the combinations for you so you don't have to think about it. It's GREAT!

This book is fantastic! Not only does it help you realize what your personal style is, but it also tells you the stores and brands(both high end and affordable) where you can find your style. She even lists three "style sisters" that you can look to in order to better understand your style because their styles closely resemble your own.

She tells you ways you can add to your wardrobe to put your own spin on the "Perfect 10" and even has sections regarding budget, ways to earn more money (to use for shopping, duh!), how to find the right undergarments (I've always wondered which bra to where under certain tops - this book answers that) including how to find the right size panties and bra, even beauty (high end and affordable along with spa treatments you can make at home including quick beauty fixes from your fridge). She tells you the best times to shop certain stores and how to know that you're getting a steal at consignment and thrift stores on your favorite fashions (if buying second hand doesn't bother you). This book even tells you how to take care of your clothes and get out all the stains you never knew how to handle.

My problem with this book is that I didn't know half the brand names she mentioned (told you I wasn't a girly girl). I had to Google them in order to answer some of the questions for the "style quiz" but it was well worth it. Seeing the styles on the models at these websites helps me see how to wear and pair items so they look fashionable and to see them in a way I wouldn't have understood without seeing them.

I've seen other reviews of this book where the writer criticized the author for suggesting that sometimes a $200 item really is a bargain. In actuality, it is if that item will be wearable for many years. Miss Finney suggests that the majority of your wardrobe (especially the "Perfect 10") be "classic" styles so that your wardrobe isn't dated by fads that will come and go, but a few of these items can be put into your wardrobe in order to make it hip and current. Like any book, you can take the parts that work best for you and leave the rest. You never know when you might need or even want to put those into practice as well.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants to dress fashionably whether you have a large clothes budget or not (whether you already know your style or not). The lessons learned in this book will help anyone. Because of this, I have now realized that my style is "sporty, conservative with a touch of urban trekker" and I now have a list of the stores, brands, and styles that will work best for me. I hope you will find what works best for you.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Catching Up

Cell phones have changed the world! And this generation doesn’t even realize it.

Remember the days when you either had to memorize someone’s phone number or have it written in an address book? I do. Sadly, I don’t know ANYONE’S phone number any more (ok, not completely true. I know less than 5 though – seriously!). Even my parents! I know them as Auto 5. I couldn’t tell you their phone number. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you their area code. That’s just sad.

Kids today have no clue about this. To them, everyone has always carried a cell phone (and it has NEVER been the size of a brick), is able to text anytime they want, can surf the internet with their phones, and take pictures with their phone. These kids now have their OWN phone numbers! They don’t know what it’s like to beg your parents just for a phone jack in your room. You know, a working one, with a real phone PLUGGED into the wall. I remember the days when my mom would set the kitchen timer for 15 minutes and once it dinged, I had to get off the phone. Talk about embarrassing. My friends heard the ding on their end and ALWAYS asked “what was that?” to which I would have to say, “It’s mom’s way of telling me my time’s up and I have to go.”

When I was growing up, you were lucky if you even had an answering machine in your house. If you missed a call, you hoped the person would call back. If you were waiting for a boy to call, you were literally Waiting.For.A.Boy.To.Call. Heck, there wasn’t even such a thing as call waiting – yes, I just showed my age. Big. Frickin’. Deal! These kids have no idea what life was like back then (yep…in the stone age). They wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t have access to their phones 24/7.

How amazing that this has happened within my lifetime? Kids today have no clue what life would be like without a lot of things (microwaves, dishwashers, computers, etc). Those examples are just a few of the things that I remember getting when I was in junior high. And back then, you had to practically wash the dishes BEFORE you put them in the dishwasher (I alwasy thought that was such a waste of time, but they didn't get clean if you didn't). Actually, the computer, my parents didn’t get until AFTER I was in college. No one had home computers back then. Now you see two or more in every household. It’s crazy! When I was in school, keyboarding classes didn’t exist. They were typing classes with real typewriters (okay, they were electrical, but still!). Absolutely amazing. There also wasn’t the proliferation of video games that the kids enjoy now. We were lucky to have Frogger, Galaga, PacMan, Space Invaders, and Centipede. When I was in about the 5th grade, I remember Magnavox coming out with a game system (we actually owned it – after it had been out on the market for a while). It had some pretty cool games that mimicked those I mentioned earlier. But it was NOTHING compared to what kids play today.

The majority of our playing was done outside. We also tended to use our imaginations a lot more than kids do now. I wonder what that will do to the future of America. If people can’t imagine anything better, how can we expect anything to change?

Anyway, so that’s my rant for today. I really need to get back into the habit of blogging every day. I’ve missed it. I just haven’t wanted to put my feelings or thoughts into the world wide web for a while. I will change that. I promise.

By the way, H’s doctor appointment went fantastic yesterday. He and I didn’t notice a change in the area, but because the doctor hadn’t seen it in two weeks, he was able to see one where we didn’t. He said it had improved about 20%. WooHoo! That means it’s just a virus or bacteria thing (it’s a lot like dermatitis or eczema) and not cancerous. He gave H more antibiotics and more cream to use. I feel so much better. I have been more worried than I thought possible. I actually slept well last night for the first time in two weeks. I haven’t wanted to write here how I’ve been feeling because I know H reads my blog on occasion and I didn’t want him to realize how worried and scared I’ve been. I didn’t want him to be worrying and stressing about me when he had enough on his mind. Now that it’s over, I can say that I have shed MANY tears over this. I also have a bad habit of picking the skin around my fingernails when I’m stressed. My poor fingers look horrid right now and I know it’s because I’ve been stressing about H and keeping the fear to myself. Now (maybe) I can let them heal.

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who has sent their thoughts and prayers in our direction. It has been felt and very much appreciated. You all give me more strength than I would have ever imagined possible. Your kind words and encouragement (about everything) simply amazes me. You're the best!!!

I’ve got a lot of crap floating around in my brain right now. Some of it, I am sure, will make its way to my blog. Others may fall by the wayside. I haven’t really decided yet. I’ve been thinking about religion mostly. There’s just a lot that I don’t understand. Not about the religions themselves, but about the way people treat religion. The way people interpret religion, it just mystifies me. It all seems so simple to me, but it seems that everyone makes it so much harder than it needs to be. I will DEFINITELY be writing more about this subject.

Anyway…until later…

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

I'm a Magnet...Really!

I have been noticing in the past few weeks that I am a magnet for bad drivers. I don't know what it is. There's been so many instances recently that I can't even name them right now. I even have drivers act as though I'm doing something wrong. That's the weirdest part. I don't speed...honestly. I may go one to five miles over the speed limit, but as soon as I realize that I'm speeding, I slow back down to the limit.

Today, while I was coming to a stop at a stop sign, the person on my left drove through the intersection. As they passed in front of me, the passenger put his hand out the window and lowered his hand up and down as if he were telling me to slow down. First of all, did they think I was going to run through the stop sign without stopping? Idiots! Secondly, could they not tell that my car was slowing down? It's strange. I just don't get it.

Crossing guards also tell me to slow down. I'm NOT speeding! Just because everyone else goes 10 mph in the school zone does not mean I'm doing anything wrong when I'm going 15. That is the speed limit. My spedometer says 15!!! Maybe my spedometer is off. I don't know. I haven't been pulled over once by the police yet, so that tells me I'm not speeding.

It really makes me question how my driving looks to those outside my car. It's weird, but just because I drive a red car doesn't mean I'm exceeding the speed limit. I really don't get it. I still can't get over the dumbass telling me to slow down AFTER I was STOPPED! Um...how much slower can I go? I soooo wanted to flip him off, but I didn't. I had my sunglasses on, so he didn't even know I saw him. Dumbass!

So that's my rant for today. Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. I've been stressing and struggling. Please keep H in your thoughts. He has a spot on his leg that if it doesn't clear up (at least a little) by the end of the week, the doctor will be taking a biopsy on the 13th to see if it's skin cancer. I've been stressing and crying off and on for a week now. I just wasn't able to blog about it without crying until today.

We went to my mom's this past weekend. Her birthday is today. Dad asked me if this was a trip to ease guilt. I told him that it was a trip to keep mom from guilting me for NOT going. Remember last year? I told Dad that I couldn't understand why I can come for Mom's birthday EVERY year but one and I get nothing but grief for that one I missed. G NEVER comes for Mom's birthday, but that's all right. Dad just gave me a hug. Whatever!

Until later...