Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Post #300
Posted by S at 8:21 AM 1 comments
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Holding steady
Posted by S at 10:25 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The number
Posted by S at 9:21 AM 0 comments
Monday, January 21, 2008
S.O.S.
Posted by S at 7:42 AM 0 comments
Thursday, January 17, 2008
206.4
I'm up in Prescott for my day of depositions. What a nice drive. It's 18 degrees here at the moment. Brrrr. I actually kind of like it for a change.
Had a good workout last night: I did 25 minutes on the elliptical and did upper body free weights. I only had to wait 5 minutes for a machine. I'm really enjoying getting back in the swing of working out.
About to get to work. . . .
Posted by S at 8:57 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Juggling balls
Posted by S at 2:46 PM 1 comments
Monday, January 14, 2008
Travel
My trip to Tucson was successful: I took my CASA child to the zoo (along with her foster sister), met my friend C for coffee, had dinner with friends M and F (& F's 6-year-old daughter) at PF Chang's, then spent the rest of the evening chatting with M at her house. And oh yeah, I took my planned deposition this morning, which was the main reason for the trip in the first place. LOL
Tomorrow morning I am leaving at 7:00 to drive to Kingman with one of the partners with whom I work a lot. We'll be attending a deposition there and meeting with a regular and frequent client. It's a three-and-a-half hour drive, and we will be returning the same day, so a lot of time on the road.
Then Thursday I have to drive to Prescott for a full day of depositions--9:00 to 5:00. That drive will take me a little over two hours each way, so that'll be my third travel day this week. I knew I was going to have to travel for this job; I guess I never realized that I'd be cramming it all into the same week. :-)
Tonight was my first night meeting MM at the gym. I got irrationally angry about the amount of time I had to wait for an elliptical trainer: it took nearly 20 minutes for one to become available. Apparently this is not uncommon, and I'm just going to have to get used to it. I thought of perhaps going to the gym at a different time--early in the morning or on my lunch hour--but neither of those times works well, and if go then, MM and I cannot go together. Eventually I got a brief (20-minute) workout in on an elliptical, as well as doing some upper body free weights.
After the gym, MM and I got a quick bite to eat at Chipotle. It was nice to see him, even though I was surly about waiting around. He looked really cute running on the treadmill. Tee hee ;-)
Because I was staying at my friend M's and she doesn't own a scale, I didn't get to weigh myself this morning. (Actually, it probably wouldn't be accurate anyway if I weighed on a different scale than mine.) Tomorrow is my last official day of South Beach Phase One, but due to my work-related travel, I'll be cutting Phase One short by a day and starting to reintroduce healthy carbs tomorrow. I'll be interested to see what the scale says tomorrow morning.
Posted by S at 8:56 PM 1 comments
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
20 years
Boy, am I glad today is Friday. This week has seemed interminably long. I think it's a combination of first-of-the-year rush and the fact that I'd only worked a three-day week the past two weeks due to the holidays. And oh yeah, I've also been hella busy at work; I'm sure that's a factor, though sometimes being busy seems to make the time pass more quickly.
I don't think I've blogged about the fact that I got an email on New Year's Day from a high school classmate inquiring about our 20th reunion this summer. I grew up in a small town of about 5000 and had only 69 people in my high school graduating class. My closest high school friends were actually in the class a year ahead of me, so I haven't really kept in touch with anyone from my class. The woman who sent this email to me (as well as eight other people) is someone who looked me up a few years ago via classmates.com; we have emailed sporadically over the past four years or so. (She is married to another member of our class.) In high school, I wouldn't have called her a friend per se, but I always liked her, got along with her, and occasionally socialized with her in groups. Not someone you'd call up to chat, but someone you'd say hi to if you saw her at school, that sort of deal.
Anyway, the fact that I will have been out of high school for twenty years this spring is more than a little depressing. Where have those twenty years gone? In some ways, I feel that I don't have a whole lot to show for that time. I am sure that the majority of my classmates have spouses and children, and I don't have either. I *did* achieve my #1 high school goal, though: I moved the hell out of town. LOL
All in all, contemplation of my 20th reunion was not something I wanted on the first day of the new year. I don't know if I'll even go to the reunion. . . . I had a few friends in my class, but I wasn't all that close to anyone. And there were a few classmates whom I genuinely despised. Knowing the way these things go, all the people I'd rather not see will probably be the ones that show up!
Posted by S at 1:33 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
iTunes Revenge
Unlike the blogger from whom I lifted this, I have no problem playing someone else's game. ;-) I wasn't going to blog this, but after actually doing it, some of the results are too funny not to post.
iTunes RevengeRules: Put your music player on shuffle, press forward for each question and use the next song title as the next answer.
What does next year have in store for me?
Fuck Off - Kid Rock
What’s my love life like?
Top of the World - Dixie Chicks (awww. . . . )
What do I say when life gets hard?
Fist of Rage - Kid Rock (funny, I do often react with anger to stress. . . . )
What do I think of upon waking up?
Who Can It Be Now - Men at Work
What song will I dance to at my wedding?
Piano Man - Billy Joel
What do I want as a career?
Return to Sender - Elvis Presley (I wanted to be a mailman when I was little)
My favorite saying?
Time - Sarah McLachlan
Favorite place?
The Prayer - Josh Groban/Charlotte Church
What do I think of my parents?
She's Got a Way - Billy Joel
What’s my porn star name?
The Entertainer - Billy Joel (LOL)
Where would I go on a first date?
Once Bitten Twice Shy - Great White
Drug of choice?
Some Fantastic - Barenaked Ladies
Describe myself.
What You Waiting For - Gwen Stefani (I'm a terrible proscrastinator)
What is the thing I like doing most?
Who Do You Love - George Thurgood
What is my state of mind like at the moment?
Grey Street - Dave Matthews Band
How will I die?
Wasting Time - Kid Rock (probably true!)
Posted by S at 10:11 PM 1 comments
Bunco
209.0
Just a quick note. Busy day at work, and now I'm off to play Bunco for the first time.
For the first time in a week, the scale stayed the same. I'm OK with it.
Posted by S at 5:44 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Yum--Lentils
Posted by S at 4:16 PM 1 comments
Monday, January 07, 2008
Back in the groove
To tell the truth, I am kind-of excited about getting back into working out regularly again. I have made a few starts in that directions over the past couple of years, but have never gotten to the point where I'd achieved enough consistency for it to feel like a habit. Back in 2003/2004, I was very dedicated and worked out 3-5 days a week. Then I would feel like a huge part of my day was missing if I skipped a workout. I want to get back to that place.
Posted by S at 10:13 AM 0 comments
Saturday, January 05, 2008
yes!
210.6
Just a quick note to record my weight. After only three days of South Beach and doing nothing more strenuous than walking the dog around the neighborhood, the scale is down 4.2 lbs.
Gotta love the first couple of weeks on a diet. We all know this won't last.
Posted by S at 12:06 PM 2 comments
Friday, January 04, 2008
100 Things About Me
1. I don't like desserts that combine chocolate and fruit. . . . except chocolate-covered strawberries.
2. Ever since I was a teenager, I have believed that I will live to be old: at least 85 or so.
3. My hair is primarily naturally curly, but there a few stray strands that are almost straight.
4. I skipped first grade. After being tested, I went straight from kindergarten to second grade.
5. I've never tried any street drugs, not even marijuana.
6. I have always wanted a daughter and fear that if I ever gave birth to a boy, I would be horribly disappointed, at least on some level.
7. I'm a crazy one for sending friends and family cards on birthdays and such: I've bought at least 50 Hallmark cards a year since at least 1996.
8. I like raisins, but hate raisin bread. I like Big Red and cinnamon Altoids, but I hate cinnamon rolls.
9. I don't like Britney Spears--never have--but I like her new song Piece of Me.
10. My father was born in Ireland; he didn't come to the U.S. until he was 20. All his relatives except my sister and I still live there.
11. I have never visited Michigan.
12. I cyber-stalk my ex-boyfriends. The road to hell is paved by Google.
13. I love my Golden Retriever more than I like most people. And it's not just because I'm a crazy-dog-person: he truly seems more deserving of devotion.
14. I love the way it feels to be drunk. Not out-of-control drunk: just-past-tipsy drunk.
15. When I was younger, I used to want three children: two girls, one boy. Now I'm not sure if I'll even have one child, and I'm not as broken-hearted about this I would have thought I'd be.
16. If I have internet access, I cannot go even one day without checking my email...even though I probably get less than 20 personal emails a week and rarely got one that's important.
17. I like Barry Manilow's music. My favorite song of his: All the Time.
18. I've gone to Vegas for my birthday twice: 26th and 30th.
19. I love reading Victorian-era romance novels, especially Victoria Holt.
20. I have seen the movie Clueless so many times that I can recite all the dialogue.
21. I have never owned a house because I fear the commitment that home ownership represents.
22. I have lived in six different U.S. states: New York, New Mexico, Texas, California, Connecticut, and Arizona.
23. I call each of my friends on his/her birthday and sing The Birthday Song...even when I've already sent a card and even if I get voicemail.
24. I once went over 8 months without speaking to my father. Though I missed him at first, it was a wonderfully stress-free 8 months.
25. I hate NASCAR. I just don't get what the fuss is about.
26. I rarely cry when most normal people would. For example, though I was sad, I didn't cry at all at my maternal grandmother's funeral. If/when I cry, it's usually due to self-pity, not sadness or other emotions.
27. I played the clarinet from ages 10 to 17 and dreamed of someday playing professionally. I was pretty good; I made the all-state band and won a regional solo competition.
28. When I was in high school, I gave serious contemplation to entering a convent and becoming a nun. I prayed that God should send me a sign if it was His will for me to do this; shortly thereafter, college brochures started arriving in the mail. I took this as a sign that God wanted me to go to college and not the convent.
29. Despite the fact that I have moved about 20 times since college, I still have every card and letter I've ever received from a friend.
30. I still have a fixed retainer on my bottom teeth. It's been there since I got my braces off in 1986.
31. My father thought I would be a boy. My room and all my clothes were blue. Dad asked the doctor who delivered me when he'd scheduled my circumcision.
32. If I'm not good at something, it's highly likely that I will not enjoy doing it. Sometimes I hate that about myself.
33. I talked and walked in my sleep as a child.
34. I still snore.
35. I read The DaVinci Code cover to cover the day after I took the bar exam.
36. I have never been arrested, though I have broken the law. . . . misdemeanor offenses only.
37. I hated the movie Rushmore. I made the friend I went with leave thirty minutes into it.
38. I lost my virginity when I was 15. I wish I'd waited; he wasn't worth it.
39. One of my favorite things to do is explore a city I've never visited before--alone.
40. I love the ocean. I can sit on any shore and become almost hypnotized, watching the waves ebb and flow and listening to the surf. Few things make me feel so peaceful.
41. During the 1992 presidential election, I dreamed that Bill Clinton came to my student apartment and had sex with me with the Secret Service agents waiting outside.
42. I often wish I had been born with a trust fund so that my life decisions would not be so influenced by financial considerations. Even if I were independently wealthy, I would probably still work, but would love to not "have to" work.
43. When I was 19, I engaged in a very heavy makeout session with a man I knew was married. We came "this-close" to having sex, but I stopped him. That's the closest I've ever come to committing adultery.
44. My face, neck, and chest get very flushed and blotchy when I'm extremely nervous or angry. The same thing happens after I climax and if I have a lot of alcohol, caffeine, or spicy food all at once.
45. I look terrible in hats. I've never tried one on in any style that looked good on me.
46. I can't stand cold weather. I think snow and ice look really pretty, but would never want to live anywhere where it snowed and froze regularly.
47. I used to feel bitter that I was born with brown eyes, but I'm over it now. It makes no sense that my eyes are brown.: my mom's are blue, my dad's are hazel. My sister got blue eyes, the exact same shade as my mom's.
48. I dislike crunchy peanut butter, but I love creamy peanut butter.
49. Some say it's un-American, but I don't like apple pie.
50. Few things make me feel better than being able to help a friend in some way. I love to give advice (but only when it's asked for) and am willing to do a lot for a friend in need.
51. My stepdad, who was an alcoholic, propositioned me in college when he was drunk. Even though he died in March 2007, I'll never tell my mother this.
52. I hate shaving my legs. If I don't have a boyfriend and don't plan to wear a skirt or shorts, I'll go as long as I can without shaving.
53. I know all the words to every song in The Sound of Music and Grease.
54. When I was 7 or 8, I accidentally killed my goldfish by returning him to his fishbowl before his sterilized water had cooled sufficiently. My mom buried him in the backyard with a tiny tombstone.
55. I gave a classmate a bloody nose on the merry-go-round in kindergarten because he took my spot when I left to get a drink of water and refused to move when I returned.
56. I can't remember learning to read. It seems that I have always known how, even though I know that's not the case.
57. I told my mother to "fuck off" when I was 11; she cried. I still feel bad about it when I think about it.
58. I have never had a stalker. Friends who have say it is scary and unpleasant, but I feel a little insulted that no one has thought I was worth the trouble.
59. If I meet a woman who is exceptionally pretty and thin, I usually assume that she is either stupid or a bitch or both. I should know that this is ridiculous, since at least two of my good friends are exceptionally pretty and thin and are both wonderful women, but I always jump to this conclusion, at least initially.
60. The idea of a born-again or fundamentalist Christian president scares me a lot more than the idea of a non-Christian president. . . . even though I consider myself a Christian.
61. Many of the best things that have happened to me in my life have been the result of something that I did not plan and didn't even anticipate.
62. My father has been married to his second wife for over eighteen years. I never thought their marriage would last this long.
63. I absolutely love spicy foods.
64. I grew up in a small town: around 5000 people, less than 70 in my high school graduating class. I hated it and thought of little else from about age 12 on but getting the hell out of there.
65. The toenails on my "pinky" toes don't look like any of my other toenails and are actually kind-of weird-looking.
66. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone ahead and gone to medical school and become a doctor, as was my aspiration from age 5 to 19. I think I would've been an excellent physician.
67. When my sister and I were growing up, I often wished there were two more of us: there were so many games I wanted to play that would've worked better with four instead of just two. I used to tell my mom this all the time.
When I was grown, I found out that my mom had had two daughters before us and, for different reasons, given each up for adoption. I wonder how it made her feel when I used to tell her that I wished we had two other sisters. . . .
68. I believe in God, but I'm not certain I believe that there is a heaven.
69. I find it really hard to stick to routines. I hate this about myself because it seems childish and irresponsible to me. I also believe that it keeps me from accomplishing some of my goals, like losing weight and getting more organized.
70. I rarely lie. . . . not just because I am an honest person, but because I am not a good liar.
71. Sometimes I wish I had lived in an earlier era so that I would have been a mother of many children by now. I probably wouldn't have had a career like I have now, but maybe being a mother with a large brood would have been fulfillment enough for me in a different time.
72. I don't have to be drunk to sing karaoke. In fact, I love singing in front of people. I should have been a performer.
73. I still have my bottom two wisdom teeth. They've been there since I was 19. I'm afraid to get them removed because it would require surgery and I've never had any kind of surgery.
74. If I could change one thing about myself with the wave of a wand, I would get rid of my temper. . . . it's gotten me into more trouble and heartache over the years than any other aspect of me, mental, emotional or physical.
75. I'd give up my television set before I gave up my computer.
76. I could eat pizza every day and not get tired of it. In fact, I tested this theory in college--it's true for me. I can have pizza so many different ways that I'd still get variety.
77. I've tried smoking cigarettes twice in my life: once at age 17, once at 26. I hated it both times, and it made me physically ill the second (& last) time.
78. I can live without most sweets, but I could never give up chocolate long-term.
79. I have a weird attraction to left-handed men. Three of my significant relationships have been with left-handed men, and I have been attracted to several others. One of the first things that I noticed about my ex-fiance was that he wore his watch on his right wrist. . . . though he turned out to be right-handed.
80. I would rather be mistreated than ignored.
81. I had a job as a telemarketer in college. . . . for less than two hours. I couldn't stand cold-calling strangers.
82. For reasons that are not clear to me, I am extremely regular and always have been. I have probably taken a laxative less than five times in my adult life.
83. I find it sexy when a man sings and plays the guitar.
84. While working at a hospital back in 1998, I called in sick for a shift simply because I could not mentally face the prospect of going in to work that day. I used to have a tight feeling in my chest just thinking about that place on my days off.
85. When I was 22, a palm reader told me that I would marry a tall, blond man. Each time I have dated a tall, blond man since then, I've wondered if he was The One.
86. I don't really believe in The One. I believe that a huge part of relationships (& life in general) is timing. Unless it's the right person at the right time, for both people, it's not gonna happen. And conversely, if it's not the right time for one or both people, it's not gonna happen, no matter how "right" he or she may be.
87. I have three degrees: associates in nursing, B.A. in psychology, and J.D. To some this may seem unnecessary and excessive, but if I didn't have to work for a living, I'd gladly earn three more. I'd love to study history, linguistics, and more psychology.
88. I'd make a horrible patient. I can't even tolerate a minor head cold or stomach virus without massive bellyaching.
89. I have been overweight all but about six months of my adult life. I haven't weighed less than 175 lbs since I was in my early twenties.
90. I would rather never marry than divorce. I know it's an old-fashioned idea, but I think divorce represents a terrible failure and is somehow shameful.
91. I love celebrating my birthday, and it hurts my feelings if a friend forgets it.
92. Random songs pop into my head all the time, and I sing them. I have no idea where they come from.
93. I own a wedding dress that I have never worn, except for fittings.
94. I think raw, cut onions smell like dirty feet.
95. I'm a little afraid of horses. Once stepped on my sandaled foot when I was 9, and I've never totally gotten over it. I have gone horseback riding a couple of times, but I'm still kind-of scared of them.
96. I get migraine headaches and have since I was 15. Sometimes I will go months without having a migraine--I've gone as long as nearly two years--and sometimes I'll have 2-3 in a week. I've identified a few triggers, but though I've lived with this for over twenty years, I'm still not entirely sure what brings them on and am sometimes surprised when I get one.
97. I like making to-do lists and checking off items as I complete them. Sometimes I will break a task up into smaller steps so that I'll have more things to check off.
98. I've often thought of writing a novel, but I've never come up with what I would consider to be a creative idea for one. . . . so I've never even tried to write one.
99. If I read a book and like its characters, I will re-read it again and again when I want to unwind.
100. I sometimes wish I had better fashion sense.
Posted by S at 9:30 PM 0 comments
Common courtesy
Through recent conversations with friends and family members, it has become apparent that some things I think of as "common courtesy" are no longer very common. For example, I always send a thank you note when someone does something particularly kind for me, like sending me a gift or having me as a guest in their home.
Because sending a thank you note is something I always do, I thought nothing of the fact that I sent one to MM's parents thanking them for having me over for dinner on New Year's Day. In fact, I didn't even mention to MM that I'd sent it. . . . it just didn't seem out-of-the-ordinary to me, more like something that would be expected.
MM's parents received my note yesterday. Apparently acknowledging kindness with a personal note is not as common as it once was: MM's parents were "wow-ed" by the (very simple) thank you note I sent them. MM himself was surprised and very impressed and couldn't stop talking about how sweet I am. Too funny.
I still have my icky cold--more annoying than anything else. (Another point re common courtesy: covering coughs and sneezes.) I am taking a decongestant today; it seems to have helped some. I felt miserable when I first woke up and have felt progressively better since taking drugs and a hot shower. Coffee helped, too, as I didn't sleep much last night with my nasal drip and cough.
Today is day #3 on South Beach. Today has been the easiest day yet. I have not been hungry at all (except at appropriate times). My lack of hunger could be in part because I cannot really smell.
TGIF!
(Man, I wish I were one of those people who write really fun and interesting blog entries every day. Alas.)
Posted by S at 11:03 AM 1 comments
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Clean bill of health
212.0
OK, today's weight is a good illustration of how the scale lies. I know I didn't lose 2.8 lbs overnight. So while it was nice to see a (much) lower number on the scale, I don't believe it.
I have been pretty happy with my first two days "back on the wagon." I have been fully compliant with the South Beach plan--despite the temptation presented by homemade brownies brought in to the office today by one of our nurses--and I have walked Sebastian each evening. Hey, it's only been two days in a row, but ya gotta start somewhere.
I have an icky head cold (thanks, MM). It's really more annoying than anything. My throat is scratchy, one side of my nose keeps running, and my sinuses are congested. I'm sure I'll live: MM said this cold only lasted three days for him.
I had my annual physical today. (I was a little overdue.) A new doctor, and I really liked him. He gave me the go-ahead to diet and exercise (in fact, he encouraged both--surprise, surprise). . . but he was actually not in favor of my jogging or running. In his exam, he noted that the cartilage in both my knees has some "wear and tear." As I am only 36, this came as a surprise to me. He said that I could reconsider running if/when I lose some weight, but he thinks my weight is contributing a lot to this and that I shouldn't further stress those joints by running. Awful!
His #1 suggestions for me for exercise were free weights and the elliptical trainer. Those are both things I enjoy, and this lends more weight to the side of the scale tipping toward joining MM's gym, as he's suggested. In two weeks, when the new year's resolution furor has died down a little, I'll be going and signing up.
My brother-in-law must be beside himself right now. He's a Virginia Tech alum and rabid football fan, and Kansas is beating VT 17-0. Yikes. Glad he's on the east coast and I'm in Arizona. My poor sister. Hope VT comes back. . .
Posted by S at 7:15 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Yep, me and every other schmo
Posted by S at 4:36 PM 0 comments