why eat 1 cookie when you have 3

gotta love saturdays that are started with a good, spin class (yay me!)... i could've easily not the set alarm and stayed in 'vacation' mode but i didn't - i've been eating WAY to many cookies... i will be throwing away a lot of food today as well and will be stocking my fridge w/more healthy things, including a fresh pineapple... if i wasn't home, it wouldn't be such an issue but alas - they call my name at the strangest times... ;o)

i did some more shopping after going to the gym, picked-up a few xmas bargains but nothing major - i also scored some flannel sheets for myself and for my secret santa... i also ordered some gloves online, for the same person, and am officially done w/my shopping... i had to buy a new keyboard and mouse for the mac yesterday and as much as i love my cordless stuff at work - i couldn't justify spending $50 more esp. since i will have to buy a lot of software... hopefully eric will be able to connect my printer but if not, i will have to buy a new one of those too... such is life...

eric and i went to see 'alien vs. predator requiem' yesterday and i thought it was so-so... i prefer the straight sci-fi versions because once you starting mixing present day humans with these things, it adds a level of cheesiness... if you're still inclined to see it, i recommend going to see a matinée - save yourself some money...

today, i'm sticking around the apartment, doing laundry, and taking care of little things... i could always start putting away my xmas stuff but i like to leave it up until after eric's family's weekend and that won't be for another 2 weeks in pittsburgh... besides, i'm still enjoying the lights so who cares...

happy saturday...

weigh-in

the scale finally showed the results of my not counting points and lack of exercise, i was up 2.2 pounds this morning but that could also be the result of christmas (wine, big dinner, etc.)... either way, i'm heading back to the gym tomorrow and getting back to some sense of normalcy, even though i'm off until next wednesday... i ordered a new 10-minute solution pilates DVD so maybe i'll give that a go one day... i can't let myself be a complete lazy-ass this week even though it feels really good not setting the alarm... ;o)

my brother hosted our family christmas today so we headed north to hanover and hung out w/everyone for the day... he made a huge ham and i made a very cheesy cauliflower/broccoli casserole (which i still have 1/2)... we exchanged presents and had some good laughs, my sister is quite the comedian when she gets caffeine in her system... my refrigerator is so full of leftovers right now, i won't have to cook/bake for a week - plus, i have a ton of cookies, caramel corn, and peanut brittle to eat so i'm really going to have to practice moderation... i'm usually not the type to keep sweet stuff in the house but when it's around, i eat it - not a good thing...

well, i'm off to watch 'alien vs. predator' which is perfect timing since eric & i are going to see the sequel on friday...

happy wednesday...

merry christmas to all

hard to believe that christmas day is almost over - seemed to come and go so quickly! regardless, it was a great day with eric and my mom - i fixed dinner here so she wouldn't have to bother with cooking (even though she's been a cookie-making, candy-making machine!)... eric and i exchanged presents after breakfast (as you can see, max helped me wrap), he already got his main gift last week so today i gave him some smaller, fun things... but his present topped them all - he got me a mac mini... i had been talking about getting a mac for home EVENTUALLY since i'm spoiled at work so what does he do? he buys me one! he thought it was funny how i was drooling over them last weekend at the store so he knew that i would be really happy... he's a crazy man but i love him for it - i can't wait to use it (i just need to buy a wireless keyboard and mouse so the unit is complete)... THANK YOU DARLIN! I LOVE IT! :o)

my mom came over around 1:00 and we had brie covered in cranberries, apricots, walnuts, and brandy wrapped in puff pastry - talk about delish! then for dinner i made stuffed flank steak with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic herb cheese, twice-baked potatoes, and fresh asparagus with scallions... for dessert, i made apple and cranberry turnovers, topped with vanilla ice cream, carmel sauce, and walnuts... i'm pretty full, to say the least, but only had a small serving of each (minus the brie of course, who can resist that!)... :o)

after my mom went home, we checked the movie listings and ran to see 'i am legend' - i was surprised at how crowded the theaters were so we were lucky to get a seat... i really liked the movie and because i'm such a dog-lover, i cried in several spots, but still enjoyed the movie - the special effects were awesome... next up will be 'AVP2' and 'cloverfield', which is directed by the guy who does LOST...

so that was my day and tomorrow, we're heading to my brother's for dinner and i'll be seeing the rest of my family... as for the rest of the week, i have no idea what i'll be doing but as long as i'm not at work - i think i'll be okay... ;o)

merry christmas!

jingle bells

happy christmas eve, everyone, and yes - i'm one of the chosen few that had to work today... i don't really mind since i'm off until after new year's and it's been pretty quiet (though busy for some reason, what's up with that?!)... they are letting us leave at 2:00 so i'm going to head to the gym and then head home... i have a ton to do tonight, including: cleaning, wrapping presents, and getting a head-start on my dinner for tomorrow... eric's coming over w/norman and then we'll be going to the christmas eve service at my mom's (and my old) church at 10:00pm... what are your plans for tonight?

my weekend was busy, did some running around w/my mom on friday but didn't really accomplish any shopping since most of the stores were more antiquey... had to grab some gift cards, etc. on saturday and even though we talked about going to see 'i am legend', that never happened - i helped eric unpack and setup his christmas present in the garage... it does look rather good, i have to say - there's something about a brand new, shiny, black, craftsmas tool chest that can make a man look manly... we did watch another movie called 'deja vu' with denzel washington, it was pretty good...

yesterday, i had to run to kohl's for a few things, then the grocery store for my cookie and dinner supplies... i made 3 kinds: sugar, almond, and chocolate crinkle - i'm going to give them away as presents on wednesday, when we go to my brother's for dinner... i had pizza for dinner and watched the redskins kick the viking's asses - whooo hoooo! :o)

food has been okay and exercise has been minimal... i haven't worried about it, or let it bother me, because i know it's just temporary... last year, i had foot surgery in january and i was unable to do real cardio til almost april so at least i know, whatever i gain over the holidays, will come off much quicker this time!

i hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and that you get everything you asked for... :o)

happy monday...

weigh-in

weigh-in:
holy smokes! sorry for being MIA this week (will explain below), didn't realize it had been that long since i posted... but being today is wednesday, i had to face the music (and my blogging-buddies) for weigh-in... the scale showed no loss/gain which is a TRUE christmas miracle, in my book, so i'm pretty happy... i actually thought i had gained but when i got to work and compared it to last week - i breathed a sigh of relief... :o)

flu:
i caught the latest bug that's floating around and was deathly sick from early sunday morning thru most of monday... we're talking throwing-up, chills, heat flashes, aches, pains, and lots of tears (because i hate feeling THAT miserable)... dr. eric put me on the couch sunday, under a ton of covers, and we listened to most of the steelers game, and then i went home still feeling pretty miserable... i slept A LOT that night but was awake for the redskins game (die-hard fan, what can i say) and then called in sick monday just so i could rest... now eric has it but is on the mend, thank-god, i would hate to be sick over the holidays and my vacation (which starts friday even though i'm here monday but only until 2:00)... :o)

norman:
eric had to take norman to the vet on thursday because he was having 'issues' - turns out, he had a urinary blockage and was diagnosed with cystitis... they say it's pretty common w/indoor cats who may be less active as outdoor cats, but it also could be the result of the type of water they drink, how much, and what their diet is... we thought he was coming home on saturday but the vets were still concerned so we went to see him and as usual, i was in tears, because i hate seeing animals in a cage... he was purring though and looked good so we just took the vets advice and let the medicine and new food do it's thing... when eric picked him up on monday night and they said norman was still having issues but it could be because he wasn't at home (gun shy perhaps)... first thing eric did was take him downstairs and reintroduce him to the litterbox - like magic, norman went w/no problem and has been using it ever since... i can't tell you what a relief it is, to have him home and doing better - though we have to change a few big things (water, food, etc.), it's worth it... :o)

work:
the website went live on friday and so far, so good (http://gmm.ici.org)... i will have to add things along the way - like video - which means learning yet another program... anyone have good things to say about final cut pro? anyway, i'm onto the next project - a blacktie 'save the date' - that has to be in the mail the week we get back from new years... we need to get the president's approval by tomorrow, we'll see if that happens...

food/exercise:
have pretty much been on the back burner, esp. with being sick... i had no appetite from sunday morning til about mid-afternoon on monday and then BAM! i wanted food and i wanted pizza (my comfort food)... rather than making myself guilty or eating something i didn't really want - i went to the store, got what i wanted, and that was that... i had cereal twice yesterday (breakfast/dinner) so perhaps i should try a real meal tonight when i get home... i also haven't exercised since last monday so i'm looking forward to the treadmill or elliptical today, i haven't had the energy but think doing a bit of moving will help... :o)

biggest loser:
i'm so bummed that julie didn't win but honestly - is a woman EVER going to win this when it comes to the highest percentage of weight loss? i thought she looked INCREDIBLE (not that the others didn't) and totally thought she had it... don't get me wrong, i think every contestant looked amazing but maybe they need to have 2 prizes - one for male and one for female...

anyway, i promise to not have such a huge gap in my posts - with work winding down and being on vacation til new years, i will be around to post more often... i will also try and catch-up on everyone else's blogs - i've posted very randomly so it was nothing personal if i didn't comment on yours... :o)

happy hump day...

weigh-in

just wanted to post my weigh-in for today... i'm up .8 pounds this week and am too busy to be upset about it - i'm still under my 155 goal for the holidays and that's a good thing in my book... besides the website project that is still 'in progress', i have to design a black-tie invitation by friday so the president can approve it before the holidays... one would think that's an easy project but when you're like me and hate being rushed, it just adds more stress... anyway, it will get done - i have faith but it's just not something i like to have on my plate especially when you have this thing called CHRISTMAS just around the corner... even though my family doesn't really exchange presents anymore, i still like to get little things for everyone and so far - what i have to buy is much more that what i've gotten so far... oy vey... at least tomorrow is thursday and that means, only 2 more days til the weekend... it can't come soon enough!

happy hump day...

thanks for nothing

my web project is still NOT finished and no one seems to care, or respond to my emails for that matter... it just pisses me off that i came in early and stayed late all those days to do my job AND stick to the deadline, and THEN have to deal with unresponsive people... i'm 99.9% sure it's not going to happen today either - we have a mandatory 'town hall' meeting w/the president at 2:00 and then i'm leaving for a doctor's appt. at 3:00... they'll just have to wait til tomorrow i guess and at this point, i could care less... :op

the rest of my weekend was good, eric and i didn't help my mom with the christmas tree because of the weather so we took advantage and had a lazy day at home... he made a batch of his awesome chili for the steeler's game and i, of course, made chocolate chip cookies because his friends have bigger sweet-tooths than some girls i know... crazy i tell you... i did my best to eat well but when you have chili, you have to use cheese right? there was also a few pieces of fresh baquette, chips, dip, etc. - so you get the picture... it wasn't a stellar WW day but really, is there such a thing around this time of year? ;o)

today i'm going to see my ob/gyn and he's a great guy - young, cute, funny, and always has something to say about my hair (he has great taste!)... he used to make fun of my piercings and tattoos but that has since passed, thankfully... my appt. is at 4:15 so that means i'll be in the waiting room for an hour and then in the exam room for another 1/2 hour - anyone care to take bets on when i get outta there? i did bring my gym clothes so in case i get out of there early, i can hit a spin class but we'll see... if not, i'll just go home, and start working on my xmas cards... :o)

don't forget to watch biggest loser tonight, it's the last one before the finale next week...

happy tuesday...

ho ho ho

hello everyone, hope you're enjoying the weekend so far... i'm in a festive mood so i thought i would update my photo and include some christmas cheer (i also got my haircut so ya know)... i did some shopping today, trying to pick-up a few things here and there but still have to get a list from eric... why are men so difficult when it comes to what they want? i mean, i can totally buy him things that i THINK he needs (which is normally on-the-money) but i'd like to have SOME idea of what to buy him (ahem!)... i hate waiting til the last minute but such is life when you're dating a huge procrastinator! ;o)

my week ended pretty well, the web project is almost complete and should go live on monday (fingers crossed)... we had an off-site meeting on friday afternoon and it couldn't have come at a worst time - we're all so busy so it was hard having to sit and listen to the vice president ramble when we knew there was a ton of work to be done back at the office... anyway, there will be a lot changing in the next 12-18 months and that includes a lot of work for the communications area so it should be interesting to say the least... sadly, one of the women i've become good friends with is putting in her two-weeks notice on monday - she just can't deal with my boss's old boss anymore so she's moving on... :o(

i haven't really talked about weight loss or anything related to that lately (sorry!) - things have just been so crazy for me but i hope to get back on the saddle soon... food has been very good but exercise has been lacking because of my workload, i took my measurements this morning but don't have last month's to compare so i'll have to post the changes next week... i do have to say, the jeans i am wearing today weren't as loose last time i wore them so that's pretty cool... :o)

well, i need to go and do some shopping/looking online and then head over to eric's - he was in philly for the day (working on the ship) and we haven't seen each other since last weekend... i finished the swags for his windows last night and will hang them up tomorrow - too bad i'm not around more to enjoy them... anyway, he's making his awesome chili tomorrow for the steeler's game so i'm looking forward to that, and seeing some of his friends that are joining us... speaking of football - HAIL TO THE REDSKINS! what an awesome game thursday night - it's about time we won a game! yeee haaa! :o)

happy saturday...

weigh-in

i was happy to see the scale move back down this week, 1.8 pounds to be exact, so i'm back at an even 25-pound loss... didn't quite lose everything that i gained but i'm working on it... work has been long, stressful, and taking over my life - so much so, that i was in tears today trying to figure out some stupid list code for this website project (anyone know how to fix list alignment issues in IE???)... anyway, just 3 more days and it will be over - for now anyway - and then it's back to my normal workload... good thing i have off between christmas and new year's because I AM GOING TO NEED IT...

i miss reading your blogs and hope to catch-up over the weekend...

happy hump day...

going, going, gone...

the weekend's almost over (2 hours) and it's back to work, unfortunately, tomorrow... and it's raining - perfect! my posting/commenting may be few and far between this week because of work so bear with me until this website project is up and running... :o)

i had a great weekend with lots of R&R with eric, as well as spending time w/my mom... the christmas joy event was fun but more so because i was able to help-out my mom's friend - she must've had 2 truckloads of greens/holly and it had to be cleaned-up and hauled outside for people to take when it was over... if i hadn't been there, i have no idea how this woman would've done it considering no one else was helping (and it was a church event, go figure!)... anyway, i was able to make 2 wreaths - one for me and one for eric's front door - and am very proud of my first attempt... i brought home 2 garbage bags, full of greens, so be doing my swags and arrangements sometime this week... :o)

as for the rest of the weekend, eric and i watched 2 movies - 'the departed' and 'young frankenstein' - both were excellent, though i need to watch the departed again since there was so much going on... we also watched 'robot chicken' which is a goofy show on comedy central and the usual sunday morning talking-head shows... after that, we hung christmas lights on the front of his house and around the tree in his front yard - it looks so nice! we also raked/mowed the front and back yard but have much to do in the flowerbeds - they need a good clipping before winter...

sadly, the redskins blew yet another game today - gibbs, what were you thinking?!?! calling 2 timeouts in a row! come on! buffalo could've missed that 2nd field goal attempt and then we would've won! i really thought they had it, especially since it was the first game after sean taylor died, but they just let it slip out of their hands... again... i'll just have to route for the steelers tonight and so far, they're winning... :o)

happy sunday...

this week's been a big blur

holy moly, what a week it's been... today is the first day that i feel like i can relax and not be so stressed out because of work... the website i'm working on is supposed to go live next friday but several of us don't think that's going to happen - should be interesting to say the least... what i do have so far is coming along nicely, as it should be, considering i've been here early every day this week (and sometimes stayed late too)... :o)

on wednesday, eric and i went to see 'no country for old men' - it was a late movie and i was pretty tired but the violence/gore kept me awake, that's for sure... it was good but i think if i had read the book, some of it would make more sense... i'm excited about seeing 'i am legend' next month, with wil smith - i think he's a good fit for sci-fi movies... :o)

my weekend plans are full, at least for tomorrow anyway... i'm going with my mom to a christmas joy/craft day at her church - we're going to make all sorts of stuff like fresh wreaths, jewelry, etc. and it's cheap! they're providing breakfast and lunch so once again i'm going to be tempted with yummy things - just have to see how it goes (maybe i'll eat beforehand)... after that, i'm going to stop by and visit w/some friends that i haven't seen in a while and then it's back to eric's for the weekend... sunday, i'm really looking forward to sleeping-in and watching the redskins game - should be an emotional one due to the death of sean taylor #21 this week... GO SKINS!!!

it's been a while since i've done a top 5, so i'm going to list some holiday things i found to be fun (thanks to rachael ray's holiday issue)... enjoy!

—do the earth some good this holiday and buy 100% post consumer recycled paper christmas cards
—these beautiful jewel bud vases would make great gifts for your girlfriends
—we could all use a little more hope this time of year
—know someone that's always cold? buy them a goose down vest for only $25
—use these adorable coasters at your next holiday party

i hope you all have a great weekend, stay warm! :o)

happy friday...

weigh-in

since my last weigh-in, 2.6 pounds have found their way back and though i'm not thrilled, i'm not upset about it either... it's very important to be honest with yourself on this weightloss journey because if you aren't, you're in for some surprises along the way... kidding yourself that a bite here, and a bite there isn't going to hurt - is only going to bite you in the ass later (bad pun, sorry)... and if you're even THINKING about not going for that walk/jog today, don't do it - just 30 minutes will put you in better spirits and your body will thank you... :o)

so besides not exercising, i was not accountable for what i was eating, and probably indulged way too many times, so seeing a gain, isn't that much of a surprise... if anything, it just makes me more determined to stay on track throughout the holidays so this gain, doesn't turn into 5 or even 10 pounds... i'm lucky that i don't have any holiday parties to go too (besides work and i can chose my meal) so i'm not worried that i can at least maintain my weight, if not lose what i've gained and then some... it all comes down to what YOU want to achieve this holiday season - being honest w/yourself is the best way to get thru it... :o)

happy hump day...

NSV

i don't have time for a real post today, since i'm slammed at work, but i just wanted to share something that just happened... i was over at the president's office and as i was walking back, his assistant stopped me in the hallway... she goes, "i never know what someone's going to say, because i don't know how they're going to react, but i just wanted to tell you that you look fabulous - have you lost a lot of weight?" and for the first time i responded, "yes, i have and thank-you!"

i usually have some lame comment because i'm horrible at receiving compliments (just ask eric) but this time it was different ... i KNOW i've lost weight and i KNOW i've worked my ass-off to get where i am... granted, it's taken a while but who cares - i'm in such a better place now than i was 3-years ago and it feels really great... eric's sisters also noticed my weightloss over thanksgiving so i guess it's becoming obvious to people that i've lost weight... i've been wearing more form-fitting clothes too maybe that's part of the reason - who would've thought that wearing the correct size can make you look good... ;o)

happy tuesday...

le sigh

it's back to work for me today and i'm glad because my eating has sucked big-time and my exercise has been null and void since last week... i always have really good intentions, as we all do, but it never works out the way i planned and then it keeps snowballing... having a week-off was great though - i got all my decorating done and got plenty of R&R so coming back hasn't been that hard... i actually came in early to hang christmas lights around our office doors - they always seem to put people in a better mood... :o)

our thanksgiving trip was fun - we delivered the daybed to his brother and then helped-out around his parent's house before leaving for state college on wednesday... the family stays at one hotel so we can hang-out together before and after the big dinner on thursday... the count was around 85 this year and there's always enough food for double that amount - i only when thru the line once and took teensy-tiny pieces of maybe 3 desserts, so it wasn't that bad... but later - out came the potato chips, cheese-its, nuts, chocolate covered pretzels, and beer - so much for staying healthy... i had also had my share of gas station cappuccinos - i often wonder how much sugar is one cup because it has to be A LOT! we were back in town on friday and i spent a quite night at home with the kitty...

on saturday - my mom and i met up with my sister and nieces in ellicott city, which has a ton of antique stores and artsty-type shops... the weather was nice, though chilly, so i didn't mind walking around (exercise! yay!)... we had lunch at a local diner and then headed to the columbia mall which was a JOKE - between parking and the crowds, it really turned me off to holiday shopping... thank god i don't have to buy for a lot of people because dealing w/that would drive me insane, and to think i used to work in retail! crazy!

yesterday, i enjoyed a nice sleep-in and then went over to eric's to watch the redskins lose, yet another football game... i'm hating them right now so i will be routing for the steelers on monday night football... :o)

eating is back on track today and i'm looking forward to a nice, long run on the treadmill... wednesday's weigh-in will not be pretty, i already know this, and i'm not going to starve myself or do anything crazy to help the scale... what happens, happens and i'm not going to worry about it - whatever i gain, i will lose again... end of story... :o)

happy monday...

time to decorate

hi everyone, sorry i haven't posted since last week - friday was super busy for me (since i'm off this week) and then i got talked-in to going for a drink after work by my boss and a few other coworkers... one glass of wine turned into three, then there was bar-food, and then there was champagne - holy moly... i really struggled with whether i should go or not, besides not wanting to spend a lot of money on alchohol, i also see it as empty calories and a big deterrent on my weightloss... is that bad??? i've never been a huge social-drinker anyway so most of the time, i feel uncomfortable being around those that do because i'm not partaking in the "let's drink til we get drunk" thing... i guess it was just how i was raised and the friends i hung-out with - we just didn't do that sort of thing... anyway, it WAS fun and luckily - no hangover found me on saturday so all was good... :o)

saturday, i spent the day at my mom's helping organize the spare bedroom so eric and i could take the daybed to his brother's this week... i was there ALL DAY and then headed over to eric's saturday night for some much-needed R&R... yesterday, we had a quiet morning and then headed back to my mom's to take apart the bed, load it into the truck, and then help her w/a few other things since the more hands, the better... she made turkey potpie for lunch and it was SO GOOD - nothing like a home cooked meal to make you feel good... we then went home and watched the skins play an AWESOME game against the cowboys - i know they lost but i feel they played their guts out and deserve many kudos! :o)

eric had to work today so i did some things around his house this morning before coming home and tackling my christmas decorations... i have lit garland on my balcony, around my fireplace, and on my hosier cabinet, and my tree is lit, but not decorated - think i'll finish that tonight... my goal is to hit the gym for the 5:30 spin class so i need to get going soon, and then i may hit big lots to see what sort of decorations they have (i'm in such the christmas spirit now!)... we're leaving for pittsburgh tomorrow morning, then we head to state college on wednesday for his huge, family thanksgiving (100+), and then it's back home on friday...

i hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving and for those that have to travel, please be safe...

happy monday...

vacation is only 1 day away

i'm in an easy-going mood today considering the rainy weather today - i was up early, came in to work, and began my day w/a cup of hot coffee and my usual, sugar-free hazlenut creamer... i've made progress on the website project but can only go so far until i get copy - such is the life of a designer... they expect you to 'create' when there's nothing to create with, do they not understand that?!?! anyway, i'm hoping to have at least the homepage done tomorrow since i'll be out for a week, and that will give them time to work on everything else... and if not, i'm not going to worry about it! :o)

plans for this evening include going to see 'bladerunner' w/eric since it's the last night they're showing this special edition on the big screen... i'm not sure if we'll have time to grab dinner beforehand but i'm looking forward to hitting that vietnamese place i talked about a few weeks ago... i know i can have a really healthy and inexpensive meal there, plus have leftovers for lunch tomorrow so who can complain about that...

speaking of food - when i was at the store the other night, i picked-up barilla's new whole grain pasta (3-points a serving!)... so for dinner - i cooked frozen shrimp w/garlic and butter, and then tossed them w/the penne, some olive oil, some parmesean cheese, and dried basil... i think the whole meal came to like 6 points (i also had a side salad) and i was completely satisfied... :o)

i couldn't stay awake for 'life' last night but managed to watch paula deen make an amazing pumpkin cheesecake and pear fritters - i swear, how can she NOT weigh 500 pounds! she also did pecan chicken but i would so chose the cheesecake over that any day! mmm mmm...

happy thursday...

weigh-in

quick post today since i have a shitload of work to do on this website project... once again, i was amazed at the scale this morning and expecting a gain, especially after this weekend... but no, it was being very kind and said i was down .6 pounds so i'm pretty happy... i know the closer i get to goal, the slower the weight will come off so i'm going to enjoy these losses as much as i can... :o)

i watched biggest loser last night and i'm glad they got rid of amy - she was such a downer... yea, she tried to make-up for it by becoming part of the black team and working out w/julian but she just seemed so negative all the time... i WAS impressed however, with her progress after the show - here kids were adorable! :o)

good luck to everyone else who's weighing-in today... :o)

happy hump day...

i hate rainy days

weekend:
eric and i had a nice, short visit w/my sister this weekend - stopping by to see my dad on the way... we played some games for a while like go fish and tabletop bowling - he seemed to enjoy it... i'm not sure if he really recognized me or not but it was still nice to see him... after that, we went to lunch w/my sister and nieces to this place near canaan valley which is a big ski area in west virginia... it was too rainy/foggy to go hiking so we headed home and made a quick-stop at these new $900k townhomes on the lake near their house... i swear the bathrooms were bigger than my living room - one having a shower that could fit at least 15 people and a sunken tub that could fit maybe 5... sunday, we did the church thing, grabbed lunch at subway, watched most of the steelers game, and then headed back to see my dad for a while before heading home... :o)

food:
i probably didn't make the best choices this past weekend - pizza on saturday, one too many pumpkin spice cappuccinos, bbq chips w/lunch on sunday, and a small piece of pineapple upside down cake... but it could've been worse since my sister has all sorts of 'stuff' in her pantry for the girls so maybe the damage won't be so terrible on wednesday... then again, i won't be upset if i see a gain because that's what this process is all about - accepting the bad weeks as much as celebrating the good ones...

misc:
if you're a big fan of sephora, one of my coworkers sent an email re: a friends & family discount... you can receive 20% your purchase by using the code FF2007 at checkout (til november 21)... and according to their website, you can also get free shipping if you order over $50 so happy shopping! :o)

and thanks to all who played-along w/the 5-interesting-things game... it's always fun to learn something new about my fellow blogger-buddies... :o)

happy tuesday...

5 things

i have been tagged by trish to play a game - i know it's been going around the blogworld so i apologize if the people i've listed/tagged, have already played... :o)

here are the rules:
1. link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

5 interesting/weird/boring facts about me
—i take a bubble bath every night (more so in the winter)
—my toenails are always polished and never go naked
—my dream job is to be a wife and mother
—my closet is color coordinated from black (left) to white (right), and i rotate items front to back when worn
—i bought my honda civic because the dashboard lights are blue

now it's your turn --> stephanie, greta, mandy, angelfish, and pastgirl

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i'll post my weekend recap later... :o)

nothing better than warm chips

i love cold and rainy fridays... not... i hope it's not going to be like this the whole weekend - eric and i are heading to my sister's tomorrow.. she told me this week that they've already had snow... S N O W people, and it's maryland! that's just wrong! guess i'll be packing my down coat for the trip... :o(

man his week flown-by - guess being busy at work has helped... i made progress w/my conference design, now i just have to go thru the chain of command (all the way to the pres) and get final approval... once that is done, i can start designing the website for launch in early december... i've been researching javascript stuff since i'm not a fan of using flash for menus - so far, so good... :o)

food/exercise have been good this week, minus last night - eric and i had dinner w/some friends and we had mexican (my downfall, as we all know!)... i had one light beer, some chips & salsa, a wondeful salad that i split w/eric, and the crab & shrimp enchiladas... i will have to be extra careful w/my points this weekend since i'm sure i used most of my flexies on that meal but such is life - i have no regrets because it was really good... :o)

i haven't done my top 5 in a while so here's some frozen food items that you may find interesting (and make for a quick meal)...

—healthy choice has come out w/a new line of cafe steamers
—jimmy dean is offering d-lights breakfast samiches (1/3 calories and 1/2 fat)
—looking for something organic? maybe amy's has something you can try
—if you love eggnog, then you'll love edy's slow churned ice cream (3 pts serving)
—looking for something quick? maybe lean pockets can be an option (ww points are listed too!)

GO REDSKINS! GO STEELERS!

hope you all have a great weekend... happy friday...

weigh-in

when people are sick, most people tend to lose their appetite - such is not the case for me (nor when lovesick over a guy!)... i was pretty shocked at the scale this morning, especially after being home for 2 days last week AND going to that food show this past weekend... i've lost another 2.4 pounds and have hit my 25-pound mark so i'm pretty happy... and that makes only 4.8 pounds til i reach my goal so WHOO-HOOO CARROTS... :o)

biggest loser was pretty good last night except i hate the fact they make the show longer just so they can have more commercials and more "ways you can blah blah blah"... that ford escape hybrid was pretty, damn nice - i'm glad that team won! :o)

work continues to be busy - i was in here early today just to handle other little projects... i haven't even thought about my personal website/resume since i've been so busy here, so maybe once things calm down - i can finish everything and get it posted... i've also made a point to go to the gym everyday because it not only makes me feel better, it helps me relax and get away from the computer for an hour...

after work, i'm heading to the consignment shop to drop off more clothes and then to the grocery store - my fridge is looking a bit empty these days... i hate not having healthy snacks here at work, so its time to replenish my supply of fiber one bars and fruit... one of my favorite snacks is a sliced apple w/some natural peanut butter - mmm mmm...

happy hump day...

halfway back to normal

hello, all... thanks to all who sent me well-wishes while sick - i'm feeling better but am still pretty congested and coughing... i didn't do much of anything yesterday at eric's besides watch the skins game and then the colts/packers game later (which was really good!) but on saturday, i went to the food show w/my mom... i wasn't feeling much like myself but think being out i the fresh air and out of my apartment might've helped me feel more normal... paula's show was fun to watch but we barely made it because they were very unorganized and not prepared for such a crowd (the line was unbelievable)... over 2,500 people crammed into a section of the convention center to watch her make gumbo, hearty cornbread, and pumpkin ooey gooey cake - talk about mmm mmm good... and yes, she used a LOT of butter... :o)

for the rest of the day - we walked around to all the booths, tried a lot of samples, watched another cooking demo, sat-in on a flower decorating class, and had MORE samples... the only thing i bought was some curry sauce and 2 biscottis from this cute little bakery, not bad in my opinion considering what was there... not sure if i'd go again but we'll see who they have next year...

in other news - i found out that alton brown (also from the food network) is going to be doing a demo AND book signing at our annual meeting next year... i about feel off my chair this morning in a meeting when i heard that - i love him and love his shows so this will be tough... do i look for a new job or stick around 6 more months so i can meet him? decisions decisions...

i'm going to be slammed for the next 2 weeks so my postings may be pretty sporadic... besides coming-up with a design for the annual meeting - i have to design AND build a website to promote it ... it normally wouldn't be a huge deal but they want it done by the end of the month and i'm out the week of thanksgiving - can you say stressed-out?!?!

happy monday...

down for the count

just a quick post, i am home sick again today - didn't really feel good yesterday but went to work anyway... you know how you if you shower and get dressed, you'll feel better? well, that didn't work so by the end of the day my boss basically told me to stay home since things were quiet... and that's what i did - my head is so stuffed-up, i can barely breathe, and now i have an irritating cough... i usually don't get sick but i guess it was just my time so i hope i feel a little better by tomorrow... my mom and i have tickets to see paula deen at the DC cooking and entertainment show - even if i don't, i'm STILL going... i'll just pop some extra cold pills for the trip... :o)

anyway, i know some of you look forward to my weekly top 5 so i apologize for not having one today - maybe i can get to it on sunday... i'm going to go lay down now, have a nice weekend...

happy friday...

why oh why

i went to work today even though, i probably should've stayed home... my throat and glands arent as sore but i just feel 'blah' so we'll see how i feel towards the end of the day and maybe i'll head-out early... i treated myself to a starbucks pumpkin spice latte this morning and between that, breakfast, and lunch - i'm already at 20 points... ugh! stupid 6-points for a latte - i need to cut that back... i brought my gym stuff and really wanted to go - just don't know if i have the energy... looks like i'll be dipping into the flex-pool early this week which sucks since i like to have most of them for the weekend... course, after last weekend - i plan on doing much better so maybe i'm worrying for nothing... :o)

i had THREE trick'o treaters last night - 2 batman and 1 crying spiderman... i saved ONE peanut butter cup for myself and stuck it in the freezer but now i have almost an entire bag to deal with... i may just take it to eric's OR stick them all in the freezer - they sure are tasty when cold for some reason (watch your teeth though!)... :o)

there's not much else going on - i worked on my resume this morning (to match the new website) and just need to have someone review it and make sure all the wording and punctuation are correct... there's nothing worse than sending one out w/a typo (i never have, thank-god) so it's good to be extra careful... :o)

happy thursday...

weigh-in

i haven't seen a gain in a while - 1 pound - but i'm okay with it... i knew i went a bit overboard this weekend so it's only fair, right? some may think i'm weird when i say that it doesn't bother me but it's true - i know this weight loss process includes gains as well as losses so there's no use being upset about it... :o)

i started feeling under the weather yesterday afternoon, sore throat, etc. so when i woke up this morning, i decided - for the very FIRST time - to call in sick... yes, i'm one of those 'miss never take a sick day' and though i felt incredibly guilty - i knew going to work would be the worse thing for me... so i went back to bed and used the day to rest and work on my website - i used this as a mental health-day as well and made great progress... my goal is to have it up and running by the weekend and then the job-hunting begins...

i haven't seen any halloween'ers yet but carved my little pumpkin and put it outside my door, just in case someone actually knocks later... i saved ONE peanut butter cup for myself and stuck in the freezer for later enjoyment and right now - i'm roasting some pumpkin seeds... smells divine in here so i'm going to go and enjoy the rest of my night and hopefully, i'll be back to myself tomorrow...

happy halloween hump day...

i love you trader joe's

PRODUCT REVIEW: just wanted to let you know about two wonderful things i found at trader joe's on friday... i went after work and yes, i was hungry (which is never a good idea) and while there - i found these... one was a french-style flatbread pizza w/ham, carmelized onions, and gruyere cheese - OMG it was so good! the crust was nice and thin and very crispy - point-wise it wasn't too bad (4 pts per serving)... second, i picked-up a box of their pumpkin bread/muffin mix and though NOT very WW friendly (5 pts. per muffin), i made them to take to work (cus i'm nice that way!)... i drizzled them w/icing and topped them w/walnuts - mmm mmm... i wouldn't normally make this kind of thing for around the house but they did make my apartment smell really good... :o)

FOOTBALL: it wasn't just hard watching the redskins get their asses beat last night, it was utterly painful... 52-7... are you kidding me? at least the steelers won - 1 out of 2 ain't bad...

SHOPPING: after getting my haircut saturday morning, my mom and i proceeded (yet again) to go shopping all day - so much for helping her around the house... i started off looking for navy shoes but then i found a few long skirts and some new tops - i told her that i can't go shopping w/her anymore and she just laughed... we had dinner at the diner and split a gyro and open-faced reuben samich - mmm mmm... we also hit the goodwill and after searching all day for a long black skirt, i found one there - by old navy - for $4... i hate when that happens... ;o)

WEEKEND: i didn't make it to the gym yesterday because i slept-in and then was up at 8am anyway - i hate when that happens... i proceeded to clean my entire kitchen and bathroom, do laundry, hem some pants, swap my bathroom rugs and shower curtain, meet a girlfriend for lunch, finish the harry potter book (very good indeed, i'm glad to be done but also very sad!), and make some chicken taco soup for dinner... my mom stopped by to watch the game for a bit and then eric was here, to pick-up norman, on his way back from pittsburgh... it was a busy and productive day, so i was pretty pooped by the time i went to bed...

FOOD: i totally felt like i overdid things this weekend - first it was the pizza on friday, then dinner on saturday, and then lunch w/my girlfriend yesterday... i never eat out that much... yes, my choices could've been better and maybe if i had exercised, i wouldn't feel like such a loser but what are you gonna do... i was back OP today and had a great, 40-minute interval hill workout on the treadmill so i'm feeling much better... :o)

happy monday...

i need a raincoat

it's been raining for two days now and even though we desperately need the rain - it's a bit depressing... it's been colder in the mornings too, so that's just yet another sign that fall is here and winter's right around the corner... eric made fun of me last night at dinner (we went to baja fresh) because i had on jeans, a hooded-sweatshirt, AND a fleece jacket... me too warm? never in a million years... ;o)

this week has been hard and i'm glad it's over - i spoke w/another coworker this morning and she's going thru the same thing as me but much worse... she actually asked for more money (because of her workload) and they turned her down, so her job-hunt is beginning too... it's amazing how much we (the employees) are praised in staff meetings and thanked for all our hard work, and yet when it comes to compensation - they suck... anyway, i'm tired of complaining about this so i'm moving on...

this weekend i will be solo (eric's heading to pittsburgh) so my list of 'things to do' is growing by the second... after my hair appt. tomorrow (messed-up the date last week!), my mom and i are going to go shopping for a bit - more her and than me - then i'm going back to her place to help her organize some things around the house... i'm not sure what i'm doing tomorrow night but having a quiet night home, w/the kitties, sounds good to me... on sunday - i'm going to the gym, meeting a girlfriend for lunch, doing some cleaning, grocery shopping, website stuff, AND watching the redskins game... *whew* i'm tired already...

i'm sure most of you have seen 'bladerunner' so have you heard they're rereleasing the director's final cut? it's playing at an old theater in DC beginning this weekend (the kind w/a balcony and huge screen) so eric and i will be catching that for sure... i've seen some great movies there, including the director's cut of 'alien'... hmm, i'm seeing a trend here... ;o)

haven't had time to do much top 5 research so i'm just going to list some of my favorite movies - feel free to share yours as well...

—alien
—bladerunner
—true romance
—willy wonka and the chocolate factory
—gladiator

have a great weekend everyone, stay dry! :o)

weigh-in

considering my work-mood as of late, seeing a .4 pound loss this morning was most welcome indeed... after having such a great loss last week, i was afraid that i would slip back into the old pattern of, "i can have a little bit of this and a little bit of that" and not worry what would happen... but i'm slowly beginning to realize that even though i may FEEL like i'm eating more than i should - my portions are a lot smaller than they used to be... and that's a good thing... if there's anything that i've learned on this journey, is how important moderation is to your success... :o)

so onto the work thing - yesterday was another horrible day and my boss pretty much sealed the deal for me re: finding another job... without going in to details, there were just a few things that happened that i feel were handled inappropriately and it made me realize, even more, that i deserve a lot better... i'm not at the point where i'm miserable but it's beginning and i really don't want to leave here on bad terms - it's just time for me to move on... and in order to do that, i have much work to do on my personal website (portfolio) and resume - nothing a good 2-day weekend can't handle but i hate sitting in front of the computer sat/sun when i've done so all week... once those 2 things are complete, i can then decide what/where i want to go - stay tuned!

personally, there' not much else going on really... tonight i'm dropping-off MORE clothes and shoes to the consignment shop and whatever i make - i'm putting towards the new stuff i bought in reading... i can't tell you how good it feels to be getting rid of these things - i'm not only helping someone else have nice clothes but i'm adding space to my closet... yay!

happy hump day...

stick it up your...

i just had to share some pics of our awesome dinner last night... eric had been talking and talking about this 'beer can stuffed-up a chicken' thing for ages, so we finally did it... though i was a bit skeptic - it was THE most amazing, juicy, and tender chicken i've ever had... he coated both the inside and outside w/some cajun seasoning, stuck it over 1/2 can of budweiser (on a special rack we picked-up at home depot), and grilled it for about 90 minutes... along w/that, i made some garlic mashed potatoes and green beans - totally delish and pretty healthy considering all the fat dripped in the pan... after all was said and done, i cooked the bones w/some veggies and made two containers of chicken stock - can't wait for a cold day and some homemade, chicken soup! :o)

saturday, we took a long motorcycle ride and stopped by an orchard to pick-up my fav apple right now - mutsu - they are so darn tasty! good news! i went to kohl's and found some boots that fit AND they were on sale for $30... figures i would find them somewhere local, right? i picked up a black and brown pair, a pair of cute jeans, and silver earrings as well... then i stopped by to see a girlfriend for a while, ran to the store, then home to make some dinner - eric's neighbor brought over a container of pesto so we had that over some tortellini with a nice salad and red wine... mmm mmm... we tried to watch 'borat' but couldn't get past the first 15 minutes - it was too uncomfortable to watch... :-o

on sunday, i ran to my mom's to take her some flowers for her bday and then we watched both the skins and the steelers games (yay for the redskins and boo for the steelers)... it was a pretty relaxing weekend plus the weather was gorgeous! love days like that!

work is picking-up again so i apologize for the lack of posts... in other news, my boss finally gave us our increases today - though i didn't get promoted, i'm okay with the result (for now anyway)... eric says she should have never said anything to me, because even though i was trying not to count on it - i was anyway... the other designer was given a 'senior' title, like what i have now, and i feel gipped (though i do have more experience and make more money)... is that wrong of me? i mean, she's worked her ass off and totally deserves it - yet i find myself wondering, "what am i still doing here?"... my boss said that maybe in a year, i could move up to director and then manage the other designers (if we get more) and i thought to myself, "do i really want to be here a year from now, doing the same thing, over and over?"... life sucks sometimes... :o(

happy monday...

ride like the wind

can i get a WOOT WOOT... so glad it's friday, people - what a crazy week it's been (at least for me anyway)... work has slowed down a bit but that only means, it will pick-up again soon and i'll be back to complaining about something... ;o)

the gym was finally open today so i put my sneakers on and ran a 4-mile interval - felt light as air, for some reason... i always tend to have great runs when it has been a while - does anyone else experience the same thing? i also made it to kickboxing last night and had a good workout - i'm on the fence about the next session so i'll think long and hard about it over the weekend...

speaking of the weekend - eric and i are going for a nice, long, motorcycle ride tomorrow, after i get my haircut - the weather is supposed to be nice but much cooler... time to break out the leather jacket i guess, whoo hooo... we might grab some lunch (bbq or mexican?) and then my other goal is to finish HP - i'm tired of talking about it so i'm just going to do it! eric's been away for the last few days (he was part of a panel-discussion in VA) and will be home tonight... norman's been staying w/max and i since monday so it's been a joy having 2 kitties running around - they are always so funny when they're together... as for sunday, i'm going to watch redskins/cardinals game and pray they win - GO SKINS... what are YOUR plans for the weekend?

check out my top 5 for things you can do with pumpkin - enjoy! :o)

—bake some pumpkin cream cheese muffins
—enjoy some spiced pumpkin soup
—how 'bout a pumpkin pie martini?
—don't throw the seeds away, try roasting them instead
—why not try pumpkin ravioli with gorgonzola sauce for dinner

have a great weekend, everyone... :o)

too good to be true

i'm too busy for a real post today but just wanted to let you know DO NOT ORDER THOSE BOOTS... i received both pairs today and they are a piece of crap - they're too wide in the foot and ankle and seriously - there's so way they are 100% leather (can you say pleather instead?)... i was SO excited to find them online and even more excited when they arrived but i should've known - the deal was too good to be true... so my search continues... :o(

dinner w/my girlfriend was great last night - we went for vietnamese so i had a nice, big salad for an appetizer and then ordered their 5-spice chicken in coconut/ginger sauce... it was SO good but i stopped myself halfway thru and took the rest home (and had it for lunch today)...

no gym today (it's still closed) but i'm going to kickboxing tonight so 1:2 ain't bad... work is killing me today, my boss is in a pissy mood, and she's taking it out on us - i hate when that happens... :o(

happy thursday...

weigh-in

can i get a drumroll, please... this week's weigh-in was the best i've had in a very, very, long time...

--> 3.2 pounds <--

i couldn't believe my eyes so i stepped on it like 5 times, just to make sure... that means i'm only 6.6 pounds away from goal which is just amazing esp. since i've been on this weightloss roller coaster for almost 3 years... i can't even fathom what that is going to be like so this should be interesting... will i be happy when i get there? will i want to lose more? will i be okay if i gain? who the hell knows but i'm pretty excited about it either way... if i can do well at losing, i can definitely handle maintenance (i think)... :o)

work has been busy, as usual, i skipped the gym yesterday and then was in a bad mood so i skipped my kickboxing again... i have ONE more class on thursday and i will be going, come hell or high water... and then today, the gym was closed because of a water heater repair so i put on my sneakers and went for a nice walk... to filene's basement... and there i got some tights, pantyhose, and 2 pair of spanx ($11.99/each) even though my goal was to look at shoes... didn't find any so i'll have to search elsewhere - need some navy heels to go w/one of my wrap dresses i got this weekend... :o)

i watched biggest loser last night and was surprised at who they sent home... he was one that i knew was going to look pretty cute when he lost weight, and i was right... love that little chin patch too! meow! ;o)

tonight's plans include dinner w/a girlfriend that i haven't seen in ages and then home, to continue reading harry potter... i swear i'm going to finish this book before then end of the month, if it kills me... :op

happy hump day...

what are YOU doing for the environment

thanks to marie, i found out about blog action day and thought it would be fun to participate... i condsider myself to be a pretty 'green' person - i've always recycled and reused and think it's important that everyone do their part... regardless of how small it may be - i truly feel it CAN make a difference... so here's a list of some things that i do for the environment, please share some of your own (even if you're not participating)...

—i recycle all newspaper, junk mail, catalogs, plastic bottles, cans, etc.
—i reuse ziploc bags, unless i use them for chicken and then they are thrown-out
—i take mass-transit to work every day (metro)
—at work, i use a nalgene-type bottle for drinking water
—at work, i use my own coffee cup and silverware (not the throwaway kind)
—i use cold water when doing laundry (minus whites and towels)
—i set my heat at 68 and my a/c around 78
—i take VERY short showers
—i bring my lunch every, single day (but buy a bagel on friday mornings)
—at the gym, i use one towel for working out AND showering (i'm not a huge sweater, really)

now back to the weekend... the redskins lost yesterday and what a horrible game that was - i'm not even going to discuss it... after that mess was over, i made eric watch the last 1/2 hour of xanadu - do you remember that movie w/olivia newton john? god, it is SO horrible to watch now but i still like the music (ELO baby)... then we watched 'capote' which was really good, and THEN we watched 'willy wonka and the chocolate factory' (the original, mind you)... eric pointed out that 'snozberries' is probably another term for boogers - i never thought of it that way but it makes sense (in a sick kind of way)... leave it to a boy to think of it... jut kidding... sometimes i think we watch too much tv but there wasn't much else to do - he wasn't in the mood to take the bike out so there's always next weekend i guess... :o)

happy monday...

we closed the place down

my mom and i went to the vanity fair outlets in reading, pa, yesterday and did some serious damage (me anyway)... we haven't been there since i was in college and it was staple growing up to shop there for jeans and underwear... now, they have expanded and most of the major outlet stores can be found there - my goal was to find a nice suit, some pants, and some shoes... the most exciting part of the day, besides finding some great deals - was getting a pair of liz clairborne jeans in a size 8... i highly recommend this style esp. if you're full in the hips like myself - they fit wonderfully and include spandex, which is a girls best friend... the outlets close at 9:00pm and my mom were rushing thru the easy spirit store at 8:45 - talk about cutting things close... after stopping for dinner, i made it home after midnight and went straight to bed - shopping can really wear you out!

the only thing i did NOT find yesterday were some new black boots and heels - i have a hard time finding anything can fit around my huge calves (my right one measures 16.5" because of the bloodclot a few years back)... i tried on a pair at naturalizer, because they have a wide-shaft style, but for $79 and non-leather i thought that was a bit steep... so bright and early this morning, i went online and found these instead - i ordered a pair of black AND brown and hope they are as good as they look... talk about luck! :o)

i told myself i would sleep-in this morning but was wide-awake at 7:30 for some reason... max and i had a good cuddle in bed and then i got up, unpacked my shopping bags, started doing laundry, and made coffee... i'm heading over to eric's later to watch the redskins game and then we're taking the harley out for a nice ride... the weather has been gorgeous here lately so we're going to take advantage of it - i hope YOU are having a great weekend too... :o)

and for all you weight watchers, check this out... it can't help but make you smile! :o)

happy sunday...

weigh-in

as expected (or not!), i was up .8 pounds this morning (and 2.2 pounds since last thursday)... considering i had al-KEE-hol every day, and some more than others, that can take a toll on someone esp. if they're not being perfect w/points... BUT i'm really proud of myself for exercising while on vacation and can only imagine the results if i hadn't so, once again - i'm moving on... :o)

work was H E L L today - my boss is out until tuesday and most of the time, things are pretty quiet... well, not this time - i was busy from 8:30am to 5:30pm and even stayed a bit late so i could get more done... my coworker said that she's glad i'm back so that just shows you how much we have going on... my boss wrote in an email that things will be much different in 2 weeks so i'm anxious to see what, if anything, happens...

i skipped the gym because of my workload and thought, "i'll make-up for it tonight at class"... as the day progressed, i said there's no way i'm going to make it and decided to skip it... yea, i know that's not a good thing (considering the session is only 5-weeks long) but between my head and my body, it was telling me to take a day-off... do i feel guilty? sure, but i know i'll be back at the gym tomorrow doing my thang so i'm okay with that... :o)

tonight's plans are: making more progress with harry potter, watching CSI and ER, taking a bath, and going to bed (not necessarily in that order)...

happy thursday...

p.s. one more thing, joy nash has yet another brilliant rant on her website - check it out...

back to normal

i couldn't resist having my picture taken w/mr. potato head last night - there was a store in downtown disney that all sorts of potato head merchandise so i thought it would be cute... poor eric caught some stomach bug tuesday night so he wasn't feeling too hot for most of the day, thankfully he's back to normal though... there was an event at one of the bars on pleasure island so we had some food, played some air hockey, and then went back to the hotel... we watched the biggest loser and called it a night... :o)

i'm anxious to see what my weigh-in will be tomorrow... though i worked out every, single day - i won't be surprised if the result isn't good... we grabbed some pizza at the airport today since our flight was delayed and now i'm eating popcorn - great dinner, i know... either way, i think i did a pretty good job food-wise so whatever happens, happens... :o)

happy hump day...

hello from disney

just a quick post from florida - just had a great workout on the treadmill, a quick shower, some breakfast, and then i'm heading to the pool... yea, rough life i know - sorry! not much else to do since eric's in sessions all day (minus yesterday, he blew-off a few so we could relax together)... i've only read a few pages of my harry potter book so that is my main goal today (NOT to start drinking before noon!)... :o)

so far, things have been good - i've exercised everday including a 4-mile run on sunday... it was ungodly hot but i went anyway and couldn't believe my eyes when i looked at my iPod and it said 45 minutes... yesterday, i did an hour on the elliptical - the gym here is awesome, every precor machine has it's on tv so it really helps make the time go by much faster... food has been good but it's insanely expensive here - i've been able to grab some things from eric's breakfasts but cereal has been the healthiest choice... we splurged and went to benihana last night w/some his coworkers - eric had never been so we had a good time (i had the teriyaki steak and shrimp)... drinking, on the other hand, is another story - again, it's very expensive so we hitched a ride one night to the ABC store to get beer, margaritas, and mini-white russians (for me)... and on sunday, i was feeling pretty good because (a) i was able to watch the redkins game at the bar and (b) the blood mary's were REALLY good... that's all i'm going say... :o)

tonight, there's some gala event at pleasure island (i've never been) and then we're back on the plane tomorrow afternoon... it's been great to getaway and just relax - i nixed the massage thing because it's way too expensive and even though eric offered to pay, i see it as a big waste of money... yea, i'm weird like that...

hope you're all having a great week - sorry if i haven't been commenting but there's this huge, blue thing called a POOL, that has my name written all over it...:o)

happy tuesday...

sun but no sand

i'm not sure what possessed me to step on the scale this morning but i did and it said 156.6, not bad for a pre-vacation weight, in my opinion... maybe it was because of my class last night but either way - seeing that will help me stay focused and in control while in florida... :o)

NSV: i was going to wear those grey, banana republic pants this morning (the ones i got at the consignment shop for $5) and they were falling off me... i know they weren't that lose when i bought them, so back they go - now i have to add pants to my outlet shopping list... i know, i know - stop complaining... i guess i'm just not used to seeing all this progress - on myself - it's been a long time so i'm still trying to get used to it... :o)

kickboxing was good last night - he really had us working the bag w/punches and kicks (not so many squats and pushups, thank god!)... it takes a LOT to get me sweating so i had to grin when i felt it trickle down my back at one point... i will be missing tuesday's class and then i'll only have 3 more to go before the session is done - i'm kinda sad... :o(

time for my weekly top 5, thought i would do something jean-related, since it seems to be everyone's wardrobe staple and a weightloss guide... enjoy! :o)

—find YOUR perfect pair of jeans at zafu.com
—grungy denim seems to be the new trend for spring 2008
—trendymamma.com says you CAN wear jeans and be pregnant (at the same time)
—looking for something new? try these organic, free-trade jeans
—tired of wearing your jeans the same way? here's how you can update your look

it's time to head to the gym so i'll catch-up w/you guys later... :o)

happy friday...

can i make it til friday?

i ran to marshall's after work yesterday, looking for some new sunglasses, and found a really cute pair of jean shorts (ralph lauren), in a size 10, for only $10... snagged those up pretty quickly - wouldn't you? i also tried on a bunch of shoes but am going to wait til my mom and i hit the reading outlets in 2 weeks... i grew-up going to outlets all the time (back when they were really outlets with seconds, irregulars, etc.) but now they're just the same as normal stores with a different selection of merchandise... i need to add another suit to my list - the one i have on today is way too big and i was too lazy to change this morning... guess that's a good thing... :o)

no more than 10 minutes after i got home (i also ran to trader joe's for a few things), eric called me and told me to come outside... he took the harley for a spin and came over to surprise me - it was a beautiful night and he felt bad that we didn't get to take it out over the weekend... anyway, we took it up the road and had some ice cream near my mom's - yes, that was my dinner folks... i also had some combos during the show 'life' which i am really liking so far... :o)

no gym today but i do have kick boxing tonight, i hope the instructor is a bit more energetic cus tuesday's class was about a 5 out of 10... it wasn't the best so i'm looking forward to a good workout - we'll probably have mr. squats and push-ups guy... ugh!

happy thursday...

weigh-in

no change this week (sorry team) but it's better than a gain, right? i indulged in a few things over the weekend (ice cream being one of them) but that's okay - i don't expect to be perfect AND have the scale reward me at the same time... i DID however take my measurements this morning and in the past month, i have lost 2 inches and since april, i have lost over a total of 7.5 inches (thanks to jogging and kick-boxing!)... so this just goes to show you that if you're concerned about your progress - focus on the tape measurement and not the scale... :o)

you will also notice the new blog design - i know it's not as pretty or elaborate as before but i felt it was time to change... i spent days trying to tweek some XML templates and just couldn't figure out how to rearrange the widgets (so much for being a design-guru!) so this is what you get for now... i'll be working on adding my favorite blogs too - the list will be much shorter this time if you'd like to be added, please let me know... :o)

i'm just counting the days til we leave for florida - my mind has been everywhere but here (work) and i'm lucky that nothing important has to be done before i leave... i'm tired of working on this logo project and cringe at the thought of all that's involved w/this huge conference next year - one of which is a website that has to be up and running by late-november... blech... my coworker is letting me borrow the harry potter book so i'll have that to read and i'll need to think of other things i can do while eric is at the conference all day... i don't want to be stuck in my room, browsing the internet, so any ideas? i plan on taking advantage of the gym/pool, and i'm also going to do some research and find out if the hotel has a spa or if there's one nearby - i think i deserve a massage... ;o)

sadly, i haven't watched BL in two weeks - this kickboxing class just screws up my schedule so i'll be glad when that's over... i don't mind one evening class a week but two, is a bit too much... i just feel so scattered and i'm not a happy camper when things are out of sorts...

speaking of out of sorts - i switched my summer/winter clothes on monday night but can't put away anything until i get back from florida... i had piles everywhere - laundry, consignment, goodwill, etc. and my shoes - oy vey, they are just piled in the corner... all in all - i feel that i have a good base, wardrobe-wise, but could still use a few good pieces like a pants suit and maybe a wrap-dress or two... and some new boots... :o)

happy hump day...

i can't move my arms

i have decided that i'm officially done working for the day and the week so it's time to take a breather... i've been working on this logo project for what seems like weeks, and i'm still not 'there' yet - if you're in the design field, i'm sure you can relate to what i'm talking about... you can't force something to work - it either does or it doesn't - and sometimes, people just don't get it... anyway, i need to think about it some more over the weekend and come back fresh-eyed on monday - hopefully something will hit me soon... :o)

speaking of hitting, kickboxing was great last night though i am double-sore from both that AND doing weights yesterday afternoon... we had mr. gimme 100 squats and push-ups again but at least he switched things up from last week (i also realized this morning that he reminds me of peyton manning)... two weeks down and three weeks to go... :o)

i stopped by target last night to pick-up a few things and am always amazed when i get out of there spending LESS than $30... besides getting the things that were actually ON my list (ahem), i also grabbed one of their cute $5 halloween tshirts... it's a dark celery green and says, "witchy" across the front in script lettering - can't wait to wear it tomorrow at the craft show w/my mom and sister... happy birthday, sis! :o)

weekend plans include the above (craft show), getting-in some exercise, helping eric w/some much needed yard work, catching-up on several season premiers, maybe getting-in a motorcycle ride, and watching the steeler's game on sunday (skins are off this week)... what do you guys have planned? isn't it weird how next monday is october? how in the hell did that happen? september just FLEW by, right? and what's even scarier - christmas is less than 3 months away... ...

time for my weekly top 5 so enjoy... :o)

—hungrygirl.com shares some great 100-calorie snack ideas
—oatmeal is getting healthier, check-out quaker's new multigrain hot cereal
—according to calorieking.com, several new products hit the shelves in september
—even snyder's has come out w/their own line of multigrain snacks (might be a local brand)
—see what's new at the trader joe's near you

have a great weekend everyone and enjoy this awesome fall weather... get outside and take advantage of it... :o)

weigh-in

wow, another huge loss this week --> .2 pounds... it's good to see that i'm still making progress, though VERY slow, in the right direction... i had another good class last night, we had a different instructor (again) and this guy was all about the bag - kicking and punching - and jumping rope... it's not my favorite thing - just don't seem to be very coordinated w/the ropes for some reason... oh well, it's still fun and a great workout! i had a nice, sweaty glow afterwards... ;o)

i had my annual review yesterday and all went well... i should be hearing about the restructuring soon and my boss, said again, that she's trying to get a promotion for me... but along with this, comes more responsibility since she will be moving up as well - i'm both excited and scared so we'll see what happens... i really enjoy doing design and keeping to myself, so attending more meetings and dealing w/more staff will take some adjusting that's for sure... and probably some nicer clothes... :o)

i also asked my boss for some time off since i'll have almost 8 weeks by the end of the year (i haven't taken a real vacation in like 2 years, people!)... so i'm taking-off the week of thanksgiving and the week between christmas and new year's - i have no plans as of yet so i'm just looking forward to some R&R... and speaking of R&R, i'm going to florida next week with eric - he is presenting a paper with some coworkers at a conference and i'm tagging along... my daily goals will be to: exercise, eat well, and lay by the pool - shouldn't be too hard, right? ;o)

i didn't watch BL yet but i did successfully tape it... i'm also considering buying a Tivo since i'm tired of the whole VCR-thing and having to deal with tapes - i'm watching a few good deals on ebay so we'll see what happens with that... i DID watch law & order SVU though - love that show!

happy hump day...