TGIF

it's been a long week, esp. since it was my first one back, but all in all - it was productive and i'm happy to have the weekend off... i had a glorious birthday dinner w/eric last night - we shared wonderful spinach & artichoke dip, then i chose the jumbo shrimp, tangy cole slaw, 1/2 baked potato... and for dessert - it was warm apple walnut cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream... we were home by 7:30 and eric surprised me a new tv for the bedroom... i know some people say that it's not good to watch tv in bed, but i find it relaxing when i'm not quite tired yet, or if eric is watching something in the living room - then i can do my own thing... we tried it out and it works great, so i can't wait to watch my saturday morning food network shows in style! =)

our weekend plans are pretty light right now - i am looking forward to my hair appointment tomorrow... and after that, eric and i will be going to a local home show and will check out the latest and greatest in home improvements... there's a lot that we'd like to do to the house, but we need to prioritize and figure out what will require a contractor and what we can do ourselves... roof and siding for sure, but i'd also like to redo our bathrooms and update the kitchen (darker cabinets, new floor, new counter-tops, and paint)... i mean, if we are indeed moving to pittsburgh in the next 2-5 years - the house needs work in order to make it sellable... ah, the joys of home-ownership...

my foot is feeling better - i've been wearing my ugg lookalikes to work and they seem to be the best option for now (wide and comfy)... i've also really enjoyed taking a shower again, but do miss my nightly bath so perhaps that will be on tonight's agenda... 

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay dry! it's supposed to rain here thru sunday, so staying-in might be just the ticket!

happy friday...

TGIF

happy friday, everyone! :-)

what kind of juice

so my coworker just finished a 10-day fast (juice, tea, etc.) and says she feels amazing... she had spoken to her doctor about not feeling very energetic, bloated, and tired so they gave her some recommendations... granted, she's 23 and not overweight by any means, but still managed to lose 7 pounds (she thinks more since she didn't get weighed til 3 days after the fast ended)... it makes me wonder though what exactly is lost during those 10-days besides water - how many toxins, etc.... are they safe? have YOU tried one? are there really good benefits to fasting? thoughts/comments appreciated...

diet/exercise have been okay - nothing stellar by any means... it's time for a new weight workout but i haven't done enough research and w/vacation looming next week - i see no point in starting something til i get back... i WILL be taking exercise clothes for sure because i know my mom goes walking every day and my cousin, at one time, was running so that shouldn't be an issue... i will bring my blender/ingredients to make green monsters, but as for everything else - i have no idea... since my cousins live in/near a shrimping village - i'm hoping to have seafood a few times at least... there's nothing better than getting fresh shrimp straight from boat, my friends... :)

weekend plans: eric's bday is on sunday and (1) i have no idea what he wants and (2) have no idea where he wants to go for dinner... guess he'll be making his choice at the last minute so stay-tuned... other than that - the usual chores, grocery shopping, and cleaning... our beans and tomatoes will need picking, so i'll have to spend some quality time in the garden... i'll also need to start gathering things for my trip, paint the toenails, and help eric put together the stuff we got at IKEA last weekend (it's still in the box and driving me nuts!)... :)

i'm ready for this day to be over - only 4 more hours to go...

have a great weekend and happy friday... :)

wish i could change my outlook as easy as this blog

it was time for a change on the old blog, i still have some things to tweek but for the most part - i think it will suffice for the summer... i've been working on HTML formatting for most of the week at work, so doing something creative like this is always a nice break... it's been a short but very busy week, i'm just glad it's friday! TGIF! :)

i went for a jog yesterday and couldn't do my usual course - i felt heavy and slow for some reason and ended up walking 2/3 of the way... do you ever feel like you're just going thru the motions and not really "into" what you're doing? that's been me lately - i keep saying i'm going to go to the other gym and take some classes, but i haven't... i keep saying that i'm going to track on the weekends, but i haven't... i saw 161 on the scale last week and for whatever reason - 166 is my new best friend... i KNOW i haven't gained that much real weight in a week, but still - it's a bit depressing nonetheless... :(

KNOWing is easy... DOing is hard...

instead of giving myself 1 month to get settled, that has now turned into 2 months... i just can't seem to get focused, or stay on track, or make any progress and that bothers me... why are things different this time? why is my attitude so blah? i mean, i know what i have to do (how to eat, how much to exercise, how to be patient w/losing, etc.) but it's just not clicking... am i bored of WW? is it time to try something else? do i need to set a real goal? i have my 20-year reunion in september and would love to walk-in looking fabulous (not that i wouldn't anyway, but you know what i mean)... getting to 150 would be ideal, but i'm not going to starve myself or do anything drastic in order to make that goal...

so once again, i'm in the pondering-what-do-do-with-myself stage... any advice, comments, or places of inspiration would be much appreciated... :)

weekend plans: not much - maybe some yard work and some exercise... what about you?

happy friday...

TGIF

all the packing/moving talk will be over soon, so just bear with me for a few more days... i got rid of 3 items this morning (microwave cart, vcr, and old tv) so that's 3 less things to move over the weekend... last night, i boxed-up what i could so when eric comes over later to get my bed frame/mattress - we can move as much as possible... rain will be lingering both sat/sun so i want to take advantage of today's sunny and mid-60 degree weather... whatever we don't get tonight, we can grab tomorrow and/or i can grab on sunday when i clean - not looking forward to THAT but it must be done... hopefully, i can still take monday off but will have to see how full my plate is before leaving for the day... :)

last night after my final chiro appt, i ran over to big lots to get a few things (found more huggable hangers) and unknowingly - grabbed a small bag of cheddar cheese combos... this would definitely be an item on my list of 'what 5 things could you not live without' because i LOVE them... when i got home, i didn't feel like cooking (or using anything that i had to pack) so i had some lucky charms... what kind of dinner is that!? i counted the points at least but damn, that blows... :(

hope you all have a great weekend and i'll be back after the move... :)

happy friday...

p.s. if you need some kitchen items - pfaltzgraff.com is having a great sale!

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)

TGIF

sorry that i haven't posted since monday, not much has been going on that seemed blog-worthy but since it's friday, i thought i should stop by and at least say hello... work has been quiet but busy - the new designer starts on monday and i'm VERY excited because that means a lot of the upcoming work will be split among 3 of us, instead of just 2... i'm also looking forward to the upcoming evaluation process since i'm up for a promotion - my boss has told me time and time again that i will be promoted, once our dept. is fully staffed again, so i'll have my list ready when it comes time for my review... :o)

speaking of work, my company has formed a 'green team' to help make the office more environmentally friendly... we've done some small things like swap paper products for recycled, add more recycle bins for newspaper and mixed-paper, etc. but we're hoping to do more like install filters for our water so we can cut-back on delivery service... an e-newsletter is in the works for next month and this is the banner i came up with... i enjoy working on fun projects like this since i can have more creative freedom, hopefully the newsletter will be something i can add to my portfolio... :o)



speaking of creative things, i've run across some nicely designed websites and thought i would share...

—www.giant.com --> grocery store (md/va) that has revamped their logo and website - love it!
—www.labelwatch.com --> compare ingredients, products, and all sorts of stuff
—www.sparkrecipes.com --> tons of well-organized recipes or calculate your own
—www.danispies.com --> a great food & recipe-related blog with amazing photos

my weekend plans are rather minimal at this point... eric is having "the boys" over at his place so i'll be solo tonight - no biggie, i have a list of some camping stuff i need to buy so i'll be shopping after work... tomorrow, i'm going to hit the gym for spinning and then i'm meeting my sister for lunch and returning zoe (her cat that i've been cat-sitting)... she is worried about taking her to the new house because (1) it's still not done and (2) her hubby is being an ass and has a new rule of "no pets in the house"... their other cat, oreo, has been missing since they left for vacation - he either got eaten by a coyote (which have been spotted where they live) or he wandered off and someone took him... anyway, i'll be sad to see zoe go because i think max has enjoyed having the company but i'll be very happy to have less hair on my carpet... as of now, i have no plans for sunday and will probably head over to eric's... :o)

have a great weekend everyone... :o)

TGIF

happy friday indeed! i'm so looking forward to this weekend since the weather will be much cooler but i'm not looking forward to being away from home, again... eric and i are headed to the cabin tonight and then plan on spending some time w/my dad tomorrow... after that, we're going back up to pittsburgh so he can bring back the motorcycle trailer - should be a slow ride home that's for sure (even slower if the bike was actually ON it)... so yes, i will be gone yet again but at least i have the next 3 weekends to look forward too (and then we leave for the beach!)... 23 MORE DAYS! :o)

i forgot to mention that i tried the 3rd new flavor of yoplait this week - pineapple upside down cake - and boy was it delicious... i really thought that it would be my least favorite but i have to say, it's top on my list - there were lots of pineapple chunks and it had a great flavor... i highly recommend trying them all... i also saw an ad for a new flavor of WW's yogurt - boston creme pie (which they stole from yoplait i'm sure) - has anyone tried that one? for 1 point - it's makes a great afternoon snack... :o)

i think it's been a while since i've shared some of my new, favorite websites so here's what i've been reading lately... enjoy!

—the martha blog - always something tasty and beautiful to see here
—team sugar - here you can customize your articles by interests
—natalie dee - hilarious comics with a twisted sense of humor
—kath eats real food - after losing 30 pounds, kath decides to go back to school to become a registered dietitian and shares some great photos and recipes
—vita juice daily - a nice looking site with a lot of great links
—food network addict - if you love this channel like me then you will love this site!

have a wonderful weekend everyone... :o)

TGIF

happy friday, everyone! i just got done with lunch (tuna/bean/veggie pita and yogurt) and i was thrilled to find the 3 new flavors of yoplait last night in my grocery store (discussed here)... i brought the strawberry shortcake today and though it was very tasty - it was heavier on the strawberry than shortcake, if you know what i mean... anyway, i can't wait to try the pineapple and raspberry cheesecake so stay tuned! ;o)

i received an email yesterday, asking if i would be interested in reviewing a new book by wendy chant, who's a nutrition & fitness expert (view her website here)... the book is called Crack The Fat-Loss Code: Outsmart Your Metabolism and Conquer the Diet Plateau and since i'm not really following a weightloss plan - i was hesitant about saying yes... i replied back to the publicist and explained my situation, and she said she'd love to have a different perspective, regardless of what plan i was or wasn't doing... who knows - maybe i'll learn a thing or two, so stayed tuned for that review as well... :o )

my weekend plans are pretty open, as of right now anyway... eric and i may go see his nephew's soccer game tomorrow and if so - i hope we can sneak-in dinner afterwards in annapolis... we went to this great place on the water last year and their crabs are awesome - haven't had any this year and time's running out... other than that - we have 2 movies to watch ('hellboy' and 'lifeforce') and that's it... sounds wonderful, right? oh, i have a LOT of tomatoes to freeze, so they can be canned at a later time, but that's not really 'work'... i will also be bringing both cats to eric's this weekend so i hope it works out - i'm hoping with his bigger place and us being around more, norman won't be so fixated on zoe... wish me luck! :o)

have a great weekend and happy friday...

TGIF

happy friday, y'all... max refused to let me sleep-in past 9:00 so after a few snuggles, i got up, made some coffee, and prepared breakfast... since fridays are my bagel day - i had one with lowfat provolone cheese, 1 egg, spinach, and turkey bacon - yum yum... this should hold me off for a few hours and then for lunch, i'll have cottage cheese with blueberries and a nectarine... i forgot to mention that on tuesday night, my mom and i went to pick blueberries at this small farmette... there were 6 horses, chickens, ducks, dogs, and a cat running around so it was quite funny at times... i somehow managed to pick 6 pounds and the berries are HUGE - so i saved one container to eat this week and froze the rest... i will probably go back and pick more next week since they are so tasty when in season and VERY good for you --> low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium; also a good source of dietary fiber, and a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese... :o)

i called the doctor's office this morning since my synthroid RX has run out of refills, and they said i should come in monday and get my blood taken... i'm hoping my levels are okay but will mention my small weight gain and recent "i'm in a funk" episodes - could be nothing but we'll see... so much for having a stress-free monday (and last vacation day!)... :o(

plans for today: not sure yet - i have a shelf in my walk-in closet that needs some straightening so i may tackle that shortly... i may also call my girlfriend and see what she's up too, haven't seen her or the kids in quite some time... eric will be coming over later for dinner and then we may go see a movie (probably 'the happening')... i may also attempt the pool today but it will very hot and humid, and that doesn't always make for a pleasant experience - there's nothing worse than laying in the sun and having the sun melt your suncreen... :o(

one more thing - roni has a really good video post today, you should definitely check it out...

happy friday...

TGIF

1hr30m to go til my (short) vacation begins... i'm very excited to be getting out of town this weekend and to be taking a break from here - i've spent most of the day prepping the other designer on things she'll have to handle next while i'm out... she's still 'learning the ropes' but i have confidence she'll be okay (gotta learn eventually, right?)...

for lunch, i had my beef ramen noodles - it was a tad better since i added some snap peas but it could still handle a bit more 'bulk'... i know, what do you expect for $.33 but still! i also had a great weight/cardio workout so i'm energized for the rest of the day... eric and i will be going for sushi tonight - i plan on ordering some california rolls and sashimi without the rice this time - i've never done before that but thought i would give it a try... yea, i know sushi is low in points anyway BUT i also know going to pittsburgh for 3 days means unexpected food and drink... god help me! ;o)

thanks for the tortilla suggestion, sarah - i did put them in the microwave for 15 sec but didn't use a damp paper towel... maybe that will solve my problem next time, or heating them in a pan might help too - thanks, pinky! :o)

enjoy your weekend and happy friday...

p.s. the scale was down almost another pound this morning - i hope it stays like that til next wednesday!

TGIF

happy friday the 13th indeed... it's been quite the day - between metro problems getting to work, there was a huge power outage downtown so my building was out of commission... i hiked-up 12 flights of stairs to find people waiting in the dark, wondering what was going to happen - we have an off-site office but for someone like me (design) that doesn't do much good... after a quick word w/my boss on the way out, i headed back uptown to hangout with eric though he was in meetings most of the morning... i sat in his office, had my bagel & coffee, and read the latest oprah for the remainder of the morning... by noon, metro was back to normal so i went back home and proceed to go straight to the gym! had a great 60-minute workout on the treadmill - went almost 5 miles and burned almost 600 calories! yay me! :o)

after the gym, i ran to this local thrift store that is absolutely huge - it's a madhouse on the weekends so it was nice to actually look thru things and not be run over by carts or small children... found a cute pair of brown, linen shorts and a pair of brown, leather birkenstocks that amazingly were only $6.99... i also picked-up a nice, nonstick skillet for eric since he never seems to have enough pans in this damn kitchen... as for the rest of my day - i watched some tv to watch the news coverage of tim russert's passing - we're a big fan of his 'meet the press' show on sundays so it's quite a loss for news world as well as the DC area... he was only 58! scary! :o(

weekend plans consist of going out to see my dad tomorrow - it's his birthday and he'll be 76 - hard to believe... we're going to have a pizza-party and then i'm bringing his favorite chocolate cake with peanut butter icing (sort of PA thing)... being the cake is only 9" round - the pieces will have to be small, so that makes me happy - it's bad enough we're having pizza but i certainly don't need to overdo things w/cake and ice cream too... ;o)

and i just want to take a moment to thank all of you that left comments on my post wednesday - i was in such a horrible mood and i know it happens and we've all been thru it, i just hate feeling that way... i hate feeling defeated and letdown but realize, it's part of the process we have to go thru in order to be successful at anything... there will ups and there will be downs, i just thought i was getting pretty good at accepting the downs - maybe not... either way, i'm going to continue and hopefully, my body will respond again and my weight will start going back down - i don't want to starve myself or do something rash because i know that's not THE answer, so i'll also be working on my patience... :o)

have a great weekend, everyone! :o)

p.s. i've thought about getting a trainer but they are rather expensive in my area - i've learned how to switch-up my weight routine every 2-3 months and i also vary my cardio as much as possible... maybe when i get promoted, i can afford something new but not right now...

TGIF

i'm so glad it's friday esp. since i don't have any major plans this weekend (always a good thing) and i will need lots of R&R before next week... there's already been talk of redoing the website after the conference is over, so i have that to look forward too, as well as work to do while the conference is in progress... hey, at least i get to enjoy the exhibitor reception on thursday (free booze), the reception before dinner (more free booze), and the dinner itself (even more free booze and the beach boys)... can't complain, can't complain... ;o)

went for a nice jog/walk today down by the reflecting pool - several ducks were out w/their little ducklings, all in a row, i just love seeing that... some weren't any bigger than my hand (i had to inspect up-close) and looked rather fluffy for being so small... it was pretty hot out there so i'm guessing it's in the mid-80s, again - can't complain... :o)

weekend plans as of now are to mulch eric's flowerbeds and that's about it... i know he wants to go see 'iron man' but i think it will be too nuts at the theaters (better to wait a week or two)... he also has to prep for some speaking engagement and conference so i'll be on my own sunday, which is fine... i'm still on a quest for new shoes and i also need a new raincoat/trenchcoat so i'll be paying a visit to burlington coat factory... i did buy some shoes off chadwicks.com but now wish i didn't because i probably won't like them (at least shipping was only $1)... i am about 5 magazines behind too so maybe i'll just in my sweats all day and read - sounds like a plan! :o)

hope you have a great weekend... :o)

TGIF

i know, i know - two posts in one week, what's up with that?!?! i've actually been able to take a break since a few projects are in review and some of the larger ones have yet to be dropped on my desk (i know they are coming however!)... boss is out til noon so it's been very quiet, which is always a good thing... there is also a potluck today which i am NOT participating in - too much going on and i really don't feel like being tempted with unhealthy food... besides, a girlfriend and i had dinner last night and we went to this great mediterranean place... i chose hummus with fresh bread, tabbouleh salad, falafel, and baklava with pistachio ice cream (OMG it was heavenly)... needless to say, i was quite full so eating anything heavy today is just out of the question... ;o)

blogger update: for those that know anne - she's returned and writing on a new blog... welcome back, anne, we missed you... :o)

weekend plans: i have no idea really... eric is putting a new engine in the harley this weekend so he'll be occupied both today and tomorrow... i will probably head to my mom's for a while since i haven't seen her in a while - we might go somewhere but am not sure yet... it seems that these past few weekends have been crazy-busy so i wouldn't mind keeping things low-key... oh, there will also be a spin class in my future - prob tomorrow or sunday... :o)

so what are YOUR plans for the weekend?

happy friday...

TGIF

i'm glad it's friday, it's been a rough week to say the least... food has been okay, exercise has been null and void really - i WILL get back on track next week... i had a doctor's appt. this morning so i didn't get to the office til noon and even though i still have every right to use my lunch hour - i feel it's best that i don't go since my boss isn't here... plus, i left a bit early yesterday to get my haircut and i'd rather leave a bit early today since eric and i are heading to pittsburgh tonight (please no snow!)... either way, i'm just glad the week is almost over! :o)

my physical went fine this morning - he went over my blood work results from last week and said everything looked great/normal MINUS having an under active thyroid (just by a hair!)... so now i have to be put on thyroid meds and get rechecked in 6 weeks... he also said he heard a heart murmur so he wants me to have an echo-gram as well - great news for a friday, right? i've been reading up on the thyroid stuff and even though it sounds pretty common, there are still things that could be potentially serious, esp. when it comes to trying to get pregnant, being pregnant, or after having a baby... not that i'm planning on getting knocked-up soon but considering i already have the blood-clotting dissorder (which has its own laundry list), it just makes me even more worried... i know, i know, i shouldn't be worrying about something that hasn't even happened yet but i can't stress enough how important it is to me to have a family... i've known for a very long time that being a mom is what i'm meant to be - i just feel it... hard to explain...

anyway, so does anyone have an under active thyroid and if so, have you had any problems with your medication? any side effects? has anything good happened to you since you were put on meds? just curious... i've read some things that said you could lose weight but i'm not going to hold my breath... ;o)

regarding my dad, he's doing okay since being back at the nursing home... my sister said he was eating and trying to talk so that's a good sign - not sure what the doctor said so i need to call her over the weekend... i'm going out there next friday so we can meet w/a funeral home and get an idea of what to expect and what we can take care of now... they say that w/dementia that there will gradually be more bad days than good days, so we'll just take it as it comes...

my weekend will be spent in pittsburgh with eric and his family - weather might be rainy on the drive there tonight but we're hoping it will warm-up tomorrow or sunday... he's going to make his famous chili for dinner tomorrow night - always tastes better from their home grown, organic beef... :o)

sorry for such a serious post, just sharing what's going on with me... have a nice weekend, everyone... :o)

TGIF

it was hard getting up this morning, esp. after having yesterday off and hoping the weather would be worse (all we got was a wet, slushy mix overnight)... one good thing came out of it though - my boss is 'working' from home so it's been a very easy and very quiet day so far... maybe we can squeeze out of here early but i should also take advantage and get in an extra-long workout... speaking of workouts - i tried my new 10-minute solutions pilates dvd yesterday and it sucked - i found it very distracting using that band and i felt like i got nothing out of it... just goes to show you that all workout dvds are not created equal - how frustrating! i should've gone to the 5:30 spin class but what can you do... :o(

my doctor appointments went as well as could be expected - had blood drawn in the morning and then had my mammogram later... it wasn't that bad and they didn't find any changes since last time, so i'm good to go for another few years... i was telling eric how nice and upbeat my tech was - you could really tell she loved her job and for someone that has to touch boobies all day, i find that quite impressive! from there, i hung-out w/one of my girlfriends and her two, small children (1 is also in school) so that was fun... they are quite a handful but also very amusing and cute at the same time - makes me want children even more... her little boy, owen, was prancing around in his sister's tinkerbell high-heel shoes at one point - talk about funny... ha! :o)

weekend plans include: help eric get things setup on ebay to sell some motorcycle parts, buy new running shoes, hit the grocery store, maybe a little cleaning/laundry, and some plain-old R&R... he was supposed to go to p'burgh this weekend but because of the weather - he's going next week instead which means, i can go along too... and the weekend after that, i'll probably be going back out to my sister's to help her visit funeral homes - good times...

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

TGIF

4 miles
42:20 minutes
475 calories

was going to shoot for distance but decided on speed this time, not too shabby me thinks (i can't do both yet but i'm working on it!)... there's nothing like a good workout before the weekend, and before going to dinner w/the boyfriend later tonight... my plan is to split an oven-fired pizza with him and have a nice, big salad and one glass of wine - totally doable, right? i managed okay at bob evan's last night with my mom but had 2 of their yummy rolls along with 6 fried shrimp, potato encrusted halibut, and a baked potato... no dessert though so yay me! :o)

i was here til almost 7:00 last night, waiting for some web-shit to be done, so i had to move dinner back with my mom and thus, i didn't get to watch LOST... eric didn't see either so we may either find it online and watch it later or just watch it next week - for those of you that DID watch it, how was it? don't give anything away though! ;o)

eric and i are also heading to my sister's this weekend, or rather to spend some time w/my dad... he was in the hospital a few weeks back and doesn't seem to be recovering very well - it could be the dementia escalating, or his heart wearing out, or both but i feel it is my duty to see him as much as possible... my sister wants to hold a family meeting between the 3 kids soon so we can discuss final plans - not like we're expecting anything or want to think about it but she's heard it's better to deal with stuff now rather than later when you're an emotional wreck... my dad was such a vibrant and funny man when i was younger, so it's very hard to see him in the condition he's now in - weak, quiet, mumbles his words, can't feed himself... one would think i was his granddaughter because of how much he's aged, but the eyes totally give us away... they are something i'll always love about him and thankful that he gave them to me... :o)

sorry to end on such a crappy note but just thought i'd share... as much as this blog is about losing weight, it's also about a lot more... thanks for listening...

have a great weekend...

TGIF

had a huge NSV last night, i went to see the movie 'juno' with a girlfriend and her 15-year old daughter (excellent movie, by the way) and we grabbed a bite to eat beforehand at macaroni grill... i'm sure you know the place - their menu is chocked-full of italian goodies like lobster ravioli, lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, etc. etc.... how can one even WANT to eat healthy when all that is staring up at you? but i'm here to say it IS possible, my friends, i ordered the skinny chicken with a balsamic glaze, fresh broccoli, and asparagus... i did had two small pieces of their yummy bread and a small salad but all in all, another dinner success... i also had a few SMALL handfulls of popcorn during the movie but that's it - no chocolate and no soda... yay me! :o)

i got home after 10 and was all ready to watch LOST when once again, my VCR revolted against me and decided not to tape the damn show... i think one one of the settings was messed up so PLEASE don't say anything! i may wait til sunday to watch it with eric but it will be difficult to say the least... i have no plans this evening besides finishing my book and watching 'how to look good naked'... :o)

my weekend plans are pretty low-key with eric being out of town... i'm going to the gym tomorrow morning and then plan on spending the day with my mom - we're going to a chocolate sampling thing in a little town north of where she lives, it should be fun... then i have to help her take the tree down and put away xmas stuff, which involves going thru the 3rd apartment and up into the attic... fun fun! i also need to install the new CS3 on my mac and home and i'll be good to go! :o)

hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

update: i just ran 5 miles in 55 minutes - that is a first for me (going that far AND going that long)... what a rush! and to celebrate, i'm enjoying my boston cream pie yogurt as a snack - mmm mmm... :o)

TGIF

just got back from the gym - i hate when the good treadmill is taken because the other ones suck and are much harder to run on... i got 20 minutes in and then i was able to hop on the good one but by then, i was wiped out... total workout was only 30 minutes but it's better than nothing, right? i will be going to spin class tomorrow so i'll make up the difference for sure... :o)

how many of you watched LOST last night? i'm feeling good about this season but hate to think we're only getting 8 new episodes because of the writer's strike... i won't give away any spoilers but i'm enjoying the flash-forward scenes... ;o)

work has been busy but quiet, i'm just glad it's friday... i'm going to dinner w/a girlfriend tonight and i chose mediterranean - a pretty healthy choice i think... their menu is online too so i was able to check-it out and plan my strategy: lemon tree salad with romaine and iceberg lettuce, crumbled feta, fresh tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, and house dressing... and probably a falafel with fava beans, chickpeas, spices, salt, served with salad, tahini sauces, and pita bread... mmm mmm i'm hungry already! ;o)

other than dinner tonight, my weekend is looking pretty lowkey... eric's going to change my mom's oil on sunday and i have to help her w/some red hat society flyer which should be interesting... both my mom and sister are my worst clients! anyway, we're going to stay-in for the superbowl and maybe have some people over, maybe not, we'll see... i should get eric to make chili anyway because it's just so darn tasty... my goal for the weekend: KEEP TRACK OF POINTS... :o)

have a great weekend, everyone, and happy friday...

TGIF

so after i made such a big deal about going to the gym yesterday, it's just not happening today - i went to bed late (so i could finish my website) and have a terrible headache (damn weather)... but i'm not worried since i'll be going to my spin class tomorrow morning so in the end, it all works out anyway... i know when i'm being lazy and when i'm not feeling well and working out will not help this situation - hopefully the sinus meds i just took kick-in fast (and the skinny mocha should help!)... :o)

so my website is done, my resume has been updated, and my submittal was emailed about 5 minutes ago... one good thing about working in the pubs department is you have access to editors, so i had my friend read over my cover letter just to make sure everything looked/sounded good... can't hurt that my sister is president of her local humane society so i had to make sure that i listed all the work i've done for them in the past year... anyway, i'm hopeful but will not lie-awake wondering if i'll get a call - if it happens, it happens... :o)

plans for the weekend include: spin class, taking down my christmas decorations, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and moving stuff off my pc so eric can setup my mac... the only thing that's staying is my music and he should be able to move that with no problem - i can't wait to start using it... i was thinking, with this 'rebate' we're all supposed to get in may/june - i just might have to buy myself a bigger monitor... :o)

hope you all have a great weekend and don't forget to watch mr. carson tonight... ;o)

happy friday...