glad monday is over

as i was going thru my blog-list this morning (since i had some spare time), i came across roni's post about vitalicious vitatops... i've never tried them and have only heard positive things, so i thought i would give them a try... you get 4 of each: deep chocolate, golden corn, triple chocolate chunk, dark chocolate pomegranate, fudgy peanut butter chip, and double chocolate dream... as far as nutritional info goes - i'm not sure how much it varies but the deep chocolate has 100 calories, 1.5g fat, 6g fiber, and 3g protein (1 ww point)... not bad, right? use the code "ronisweigh" for a 10% discount and no, i'm not getting anything from this - i just wanted to pass this along to my blogger-buddies... :o)

work was horrendous yesterday... between what's going on in the market, we are posting things on our website more frequently than ever and because the system we use SUCKS-ASS - it takes twice as long as it should... i'm also still having server-connection issues (because our IT department sucks) so i sent a nice email telling them it's been almost 2 months and they better fix it sooner than later... at one point, i was in tears in my office because i was THAT frustrated and to top things off - i didn't go to the gym and that just made me feel even worse... needless to say - by 6:00 i was ready to go home, so i went back to eric's and hung-out with him til half-time and then went home... and yes, i stayed up to watch the entire steelers/ravens game and i'm glad i did - GO STEELERS! :o)

today will be a better day, that's my mantra for now anyway... :o)

happy tuesday...

weekend update

GO REDKINS! what a great way to end the weekend! eric and i had an awesome trip to the harley-davidson factory in york, pa yesterday - though the weather was crappy, it will still worth the drive... they hold an open-house once a year and open up the factory for tours, and even though you get to walk thru the actual buildings - not much is going on production wise... we did find out though that during the week, you can have a more in-depth tour when things are up and running so we plan on going back... after touring 2 separate factories, we walked thru the small museum, watched a 10-minute movie, sat on some bikes, and then bought a few things in the store... a lot of outdoor activities had been canceled because of the weather (including demo-rides of their new models) so we only walked around briefly before leaving and grabbing lunch at the diner down the street... from there, we stopped by to see my brother - my niece got engaged on friday night so he was all excited... her fiance was supposed to be deployed to iraq next year but he found he isn't, so i guess that's why the wedding is in april... either way, it's great news and i'm very happy for her... :o)

as for today - we had a nice sleep-in and then i headed to the grocery store early to beat the crowds... after that, we ran over to the big thrift store and i found 2 pairs of boots, a pair of pants, a cute wrap dress, and a wig (see below)... eric found a weed eater and this huge contraption on a metal cart labeled the "pralinator"... i guess it's a restaurant-type candy machine and when he looked for it online - he found that it retails for almost $3,000... he only paid $40 - you figure out the math! for the rest of the day - i did some laundry, cleaned the bathroom (including the blinds), made oatmeal raisin cookies, and then watched the game... all in all - it was a great weekend... see below for some pics i took including a shocker that i found on friday night... :o)

my first grey hair, are you kidding me?! :o(



some of the harley-davidson museum...



i always thought having a side-car would be fun...



feeling sexy on the harley V-rod...



i wonder how many cups of coffee this mug would hold...



i bought this wig today for $5 - maybe i should grow-out my hair?



not sure if longer-hair works for eric though... ;o)

TGIF

i swear that the weather has turned chilly rather quick this fall - enough to make me to do the dreaded closet-switch last night... i got rid of a lot of summer things (goodwill and consignment) so i'm filling up less storage containers this time around... as for my winter things - i'm in pretty good shape and got rid of some clothes last spring... i highly recommend doing this every season since there's no sense keeping things you don't wear or no longer fit (tough to accept but it's not worth the hassle!)... next step will be to swap my shoes which is a hassle since 99% of them are under my work desk (i keep them here instead of bringing them back/forth from home)... it's probably time to go thru them as well - ugh, such a chore but it must be done... :-p

how many of you caught the season premier of the office and ER last night? i'm not religious about watching either of them but have to say - that damn ER makes me cry every time! i watched that show and chicago hope religiously when they first came out (early 90s) and considering it's the last season - i may need to add it to my schedule... the only other shows i'm waiting for are that new show with christian slater, CSI (vegas), LOST, and 24... what about you - seen anything you like so far?

time for some new products - look what i found below... :o)

– fiber one toaster pastries are hitting grocery store shelves
– jell-o dark chocolate sugar-free pudding might just crave your sweet tooth
– kellogg's all-bran fiber drink mix will definitely fill you up (10g fiber/serving)
– campbell's V8 soups contain a full serving of veggies and no preservatives (i bought 2 of these last week but haven't tried them yet)
– weight watchers now has smart ones anytime selections that contain less than 300 calories

as for my weekend plans - eric and i will heading to the harley-davidson factory tomorrow (york, pa) for their annual tour... the weather is going to sucks so we won't be taking the bike (i guess we could but who wants to ride 2 hours in the rain) but i'm sure it will fun regardless... hopefully i'll get some cool pictures though cameras aren't allowed in the factory... as for sunday - i was supposed to go to a craft show w/my mom but i'm feeling like i need to cancel... this week has been so busy at work, my evenings have been busy, and now with being away tomorrow - i feel like i need a day to just chill-out... oh, and watch the redskins kick the cowboy's asses... whooooo hoooooo!

have a great weekend... :o)

where the sun don't shine

i went to visit the dermatologist today for my annual mole-check... though she poo-poo'd me for having a tan (i never use anything under SPF 50!) and found a "questionable" mark on my chest (that i need to keep an eye on), everything seemed to look normal... i asked her to remove a mole/growth that had appeared in the last year so the nurse gave me the usual "this will pinch and burn for only a second" schpeal and 5 minutes later - off it came... on my way home, i stopped by the shop to check on eric - he was getting a new back tire put on the bike and for some reason the brakes weren't working... needless to say, i don't think i'll be seeing him for quite some time though i'm very excited about the chili pepper poppers i'm making for dinner (from the garden, thank you very much)... :o)

i'm not sure how many of you are aware of lean cuisines designer lunch bags but they have just come out with this year's designs and talk about cute! not only will you be supporting a worthy cause ($5 from each bag goes towards the susan b. komen for the cure) but you're also getting an adorable, insulated bag that can be used for taking your lunch to work... i usually just throw mine in my totebag but i would love to have something a bit more organized and stylish - problem solved! so order one today or like me, order more than one if you can't make up your mind... they would also make a great birthday or christmas present... :o)

though i haven't had much time to read everyone's blogs, i have come across a few posts that i thought were worth sharing... kathleen (pink bunny foo foo) has been doing the south beach diet and wrote about why it is so important to stick to plan, this time around... and jennette (pasta queen) admits to losing her momentum, gaining some weight, and getting back into the swing of things... if you have some spare time, these posts are a must-read... :o)

so why do i think these posts are worth sharing? for many reasons but mainly because i think it just shows that regardless of who you are, what you've done, where you've been, or how you've handled things - shit will happen... it doesn't mean that you're a bad person, that you've failed, that you given up, or that you just don't care anymore but rather - that you are human... some people will do really well on plan, and some will not... some will lose a bunch of weight and keep it off forever, and some will not... and some will just say, "you know what? i love myself just the way i am"...

personally, i've worked REALLY hard at the last one and think i've done a pretty good job at it - i can look in the mirror (naked) and not cringe, or cry, or throw something at my reflection... i have accepted my hips, thighs, small boobs, and not-so-toned arms because it's who i am and who i'll always be... i'm not going to kid myself (or you) and say that i've been able to maintain my weight since this summer, because that would be a lie... i'm exactly not sure HOW much i've gained but i know it's a bit higher than last time i weighed in, and the number i saw on the scale after my vacation was quite a surprise... are my clothes still fitting? yes, but i don't want to get to the point that they don't... do i feel okay? yes, but i know i need to be more consistent with my exercise... am i eating well? yes, but that all depends on the day and where i am (here or at eric's)... either way - i'm still working thru what i'm doing and trying to stay positive and motivated... just thought you should know... :o)

happy hump day...

i love you, cable guy

ah, it's good to be "connected" again... it only took comcast ONE WEEK to figure out my service had been shut-off for no damn reason... yup, ladies and gentlemen - there was nothing wrong with the cable between the main box and my apartment but rather, the repair guys that weren't working properly... WTF?! regardless, i'm back and i feel normal again (is that wrong?) even though i did have a nice day listening to NPR, which included the food show 'splendid table'... that show always inspires me to cook more and try new things... :o)

speaking of food - i finally have a refrigerator full of healthy stuff... i went to the store last night (after arguing w/the cable company for 3 hours) and stocked-up on stuff that i've been neglecting as of late... and yes, i bought a frozen pizza and called it my "pissed-as-hell" dinner and enjoyed every, single bite... after yard-saling w/my mom this morning, i went to another grocery store and bought more stuff including ingredients for chicken noodle soup... this chilly, evening weather has put me in the mood for soup so that's what i'll be making this week... i will also be making my steel-cut oats and look foward to some warm & tasty breakfasts (thanks to all that responded to my post the other day)... :o)

eric popped by, when the cable guy was here ,and after the guy was done - we went for a motorcycle ride and headed to our favorite biker-bar for wings and onion rings (yes, that was our dinner)... my diet hasn't been the best as of late, so it's time to reign things in and be more conscious of what i'm doing... my clothes are still fitting but i don't want to get to the point where they aren't - know what i mean? friday was the first day i had done any cardio in over a week and it felt great, so i'm looking forward to getting back into things on monday... this weather is perfect for jogging, even though i feel like i've lost all the progress i made, so i'm taking it slow for now...

as for the rest of the weekend - i plan on catching-up on everyone's blogs, watching some mind-numbing tv (cus i can!), and then watching not one but TWO football games tomorrow... go SKINS and go STEELERS! :o)

here are some shots i took today (can you tell i was bored waiting for the cable guy?)... enjoy!

my pantry before (disorganized mess!)...


my pantry after (i can actually see what i have now)...


picked-up some new soup by V8 - can't wait to try it...


got all the ingredients ready for my oatmeal...


crepe paper + cat = fun fun fun

clean as a whistle

hi guys... again, sorry for the lack of posts but between my cable/internet/phone STILL being out and work being crazy, i just haven't had the time... comcast came out on wednesday and proceeded to tell me that the connection between my apartment and the main box was not working - well, doh, thanks for telling me... SO they have to come back out on saturday morning to fix and i hope they do! even though it's been an interesting experience not being "connected", it's been difficult since my cellphone doesn't work that well in my apartment... such is life i guess so wish me luck!

eric's procedure (colonoscopy) is this afternoon so i took the day-off to drive him back and forth... he hasn't had any food since yesterday at 1:30 and had to take these huge horse pills both last night and this morning to "clear things out" in preparation... we were talking last night about where he'd like to have lunch once he's done and he jokingly said, "i want a blommin' onion and steak salad from outback steakhouse"... i hope that's not the case... ;o)

this morning i also ran to IKEA to pick-up a dresser for my niece - luckily, there is one less than 20-minutes from here so got there nice and early... it was nice being able to walk around the store without a huge crowd so i grabbed some large tealights for my bath nights, a new non-stick frying pan, some energy-saving lightbulbs, and new doormats for eric's house... i think i was there/back in about an hour which isn't too shabby... :o)

i'm not sure if i'll be taking the laptop with me today but if not, i should have some time later to catch-up with everyone's blogs... i dread going home tonight since there won't be anything to do but i'm glad that all the good shows don't premier until next week... :o)

happy thursday...

steel cut oats

one of the trainers at work told me about a food co-op in the area - he said it had great, organic food and their coconut ice cream was to die for... even though it was close to 95 degrees and i was still in severe, lower back pain - we went and it was a lot of fun... they had a decent-size bulk-food section and i picked up some whole wheat flour, natural granola, and some steel cut oats... we also picked up some ingredients for homemade pizza so that will be our dinner... :o)

since i've never made steel cut oast and have read tons of postings that say how good they are - how does one prepare them? for those of you that have made them, do you have any suggestions? you can email me with any websites or recipes you may have - i'm excited to try them... :o)

and GO REDKINS! nice job! whoo hooo! :o)

along came a spider

sorry for the lack of posts this week - work was incredibly busy and friday, well, it just kicked my ass to be quite honest... since my boss is on vacation til tuesday - i'm sort of the "go-to" person for everything which means dealing with internal clients, responding to various email requests, helping the other designer with their assignments, as well as juggling my own projects... i feel like i handled everything very well, including a small crisis the president was having, and was very glad when the day was over (even if i stayed late to send yet another work-related email)...

i was NOT glad, however, to still be sore from my workout on wednesday... i seemed to overdo it with my new weight routine and could barely walk (sore quads from various squats, etc.)... even one of the psuedo trainers said, "you better take it easy" and i just laughed... christ, he was right! then yesterday, i think i hurt my back from vacuuming... yes, i said vacuuming... i changed the filter on my bagless upright and it was like trying to push a bulldozer across my carpet (could a new filter really create that much suction?)... now my lowerback is KILLING me and it hurts to get up, lay down, and walk... ugh, i'm not even 40 and my body is just falling apart! thankfully eric has a heating pad so i guess that's what i'll be using for the rest of the day... thank god for lazy days and football... :o(

as for the rest of my weekend - it's been quiet and relaxing here at eric's... we watched "grindhouse" yesterday (not bad) and then decided to take the bike to annapolis for dinner... though i wasn't impressed with the restaurant - it was nice to walking around and look at all the big boats that were docked at the harbor... when we got home, we watched another episode of "long way down" and then stayed up to watch a few skits on SNL... tiny fey did an amazing job as sarah palin - did anyone see it?

the only other exciting thing to happen this weekend was seeing two large spiders, spin their webs on eric's front porch... one must be at least 2 feet in diameter and though the other is not quite as large - it's just as detailed... i tried to get some close-ups though the photos don't do the spiders any justice - they were quite amazing to see and watch... check out their hairy, little legs... :o)

say goodbye to the bob

so what do you think? i LOVE it! of course i'm biased but still... ;o)



p.s. and will you PLEASE eat something... a burger, nachos, pizza - anything!

who know you could get sand there

sorry it's taken me so long to post - i knew my first day back at work would be busy but that's an understatement to say the least... between catching-up on things that happened while i was out, i had several projects in the works plus the annual report is heating up so my day began at 8:00 and ended at 6:30... okay then! BUT i did take an hour and had a nice jog around the lincoln memorial - it was a bit warmer than i was expecting and though i'm feeling VERY slow these days, it was great to have some time to enjoy the sun... like i didn't get enough of that last week but i digress... ;o)

our camping trip was great - we had PERfect weather everyday so who can complain about that... i'll just highlight a few things that happened while we were there (don't want to bore you too much)... after getting there on sunday, we found out the zipper was busted on our screened-in tent... "lets go buy another one," eric said... i just laughed because it was labor day weekend, but wouldn't you know it, we found one at kmart for $50 - yeehaa, problem #1 solved... on monday - eric was having an eye problem and after putting up with the redness and pain for most of the day, we headed to the ER to have someone check it out... after about an hour, the doctor finally came, put some dye in his eye, and there you go - he seemed he had developed an ulcer from wearing contacts... poor guy! after getting his RX filled, eric bought himself a pirate-patch and proceeded to wear that for the next day or so... he also saw an opthamologist twice and once since getting back home - all things are looking much better, thank god, so problem #2 solved... :o)

we seemed to have the most popular campsite too because we had a visitor almost every night (or so it seemed)... a skunk came about 10' from me one night and scared the crap out of me - another one, though much smaller, was trying to get in our trash one morning so they were definitely looking for something to eat... after weds, we didn't see them again so either they found someone else to bother or they moved on... problem #3 solved... :o)

on thursday, the camp hosts were busy driving around the park warning people about the weather and the pending hurricane coming up the east coast... even though we were checking out on saturday anyway, we usually stay for the day and then head home in the evening... well, by friday morning - the weather wasn't looking much better so we packed up everything and spent one more gorgeous day on the beach before heading back a day early... eric was eager to grill ONE MORE TIME though before leaving, so we unpacked the grill, had hotdogs, tortilla chips, and hummus for dinner... and not too soon after hitting the road - it began to rain and didn't stop til early sunday morning... problem #4 solved... :o)

so all in all - it was a great vacation though it always makes me sad when it comes to an end... even though there were some problems in the beginning of the week - we still managed to have a good time, have some great laughs, eat really well, and drink a lot... guess that's what vacations are all about, right? i opted NOT to weigh myself before leaving so i have no idea how much i gained and don't really care... if i didn't go for a jog in the morning, i made sure to take a long walk on the beach everyday (sometimes twice) and we rode our bikes a lot too so i'm hoping things just evened out... now onto some pictures - enjoy! :o)

you'd think we were going for a month...


our lavish campsite (w/the new tent)...


a view of deleware bay...


eric says "arrrrrghhhhh"...


proof that we had overnight "visitors"...


can we look any happier...


who said you can't eat well while on vacation...


this is bob, he came to see us everyday...


the lovely beach grass...


i can't believe how crowded the beach was...


see ya next year, cape henlopen...