ready for fall & football

thought i should drop-by before the weekend comes & goes... everything is just a blur right now and i'm hoping once this kitchen is done and eric's bday party is over (next saturday), i can start focusing on "me" stuff again... it's been VERY hot and humid here - today over 100 and same for tomorrow, if not hotter... good thing i have a lot of projects to keep me busy... =)

vacation was okay - i can't say it was great or perfect because it was hot and buggy and i was pretty miserable... i never used to mind the heat but since becoming pregnant, this summer has been hard... we usually go camping later in the year so even if it's warm during the day, it will cool-off at night - not the case this time around... trying to sleep in the back of a truck, with no breeze, is just not my idea of fun (and neither was getting up to pee!)... i finally reached my limit on monday and had a meltdown on the beach... we were huddled under the umbrella and it was so hot, that i felt like i was suffocating... and because the bugs were bad, i was wrapped-up and that just made things worse... i knew there was nothing eric or i could do, but i just had it and cried for a good 10-minutes... thankfully, it was a bit better on tuesday but since we had to pack-up and leave around 2:00 - i dealt w/the bugs one more time... it was bittersweet leaving since it was the last time it would be just us... next time, the rugrat will be with us and i can't wait to start making new memories as a family... =)

pregnancy update: i've been feeling bigger, that's for sure, and my ankles started swelling yesterday (or maybe i just haven't been noticing)... i'm sure it's the heat, but i've been trying to drink more water which is still such an issue for me (i know, i know)... the little guy has been moving a lot and it's not just at night anymore - there are plenty of times when i'm sitting here and all of a sudden i'll just feel "something" move down there... i've also been getting side-cramps when i walk - again, i'm guessing this is normal?

kitchen update: we found more loose tile/grout this week so eric replaced 3 of them yesterday (i told him IF have to redo the whole floor, i want wood next time)... the new granite counters were put in on wednesday and they look awesome - i couldn't be happier (finally, something that went right!)... last night, i finished the painting the walls and just need to do the window trim... slowly but surly, it's beginning to look like a new kitchen - shelves, pictures, etc. will go back up next week and then it will be done! yay! =)

can't think of much else... we have a busy morning tomorrow and then i'm off to get my haircut and buy party supplies... since it's going to be so hot - i want to get everything done early and then stay inside for the rest of the day... we MAY venture out and catch "predators" but that all depends on how much we get done - an early evening break may be just what we need...

hope you have a great weekend... =)

wishing it was 5:00

it's been a rather long few days and i'm counting the hours until this day is over because then my vacation can begin... eric and i are heading to the beach for a few days and it couldn't come at a better time... between the renovations and all the problems that we've had - getting away and being unplugged is just what we need... i have been so worn-out (emotionally and physically) that i can't wait to just lay on the beach (under the umbrella) and sleep... and read... and look for seashells... and have s'mores every night by the fire... and did i mention, sleep? =)

the kitchen floor is pretty much done - after the guy finished the grout this weekend, i found 2 loose tiles on sunday night... he fixed them on monday and so far, so good, but we won't be moving any appliances back until next week (so it has more time to settle)... i also painted 1.5 walls a nice, warm yellow and already - it's beginning to feel like a new kitchen... i enjoy painting and though eric has offered to help, i keep declining because i feel like this is the one thing i can control right now... if i mess-up, then it's my fault and no one else's... sick huh... and the bathroom - well, that's pretty much done too... on saturday, i did 2 coats of paint on the wainscoting and the doors, and eric hung the new mirror on sunday... looks fabulous (pics to come)... =)

not much else has been going on - haven't been to the gym in a few days, but am hoping to go for some walks while at the beach... i had a dentist appt. yesterday and when she saw me, she gave me a hug and congratulated me... my mom had stole my thunder a few weeks back and told them i was expecting - that woman just can't keep her mouth shut! ha, just kidding... after that, i met my mom and we picked some blueberries and then it was back home to paint trim in the kitchen and get more things together for our trip... much to do tonight and i'm keeping my fingers-crossed that i don't have to stay late (a few projects are behind schedule, but not on my account)...

have a great week! =)

Bonjour!

Sorry I haven't posted, but yes - I'm back and we had an amazing time in France... Can't wait to go back and the sooner the better! I took over 1,100 photos and Eric about half that, so who knows when I'll have something to show you guys... I'm still catching-up with stuff around here and at work, plus I've been starting to really feel pregnant and am having a hard time adjusting (I feel HUGE!)... More on that later...

I'll write soon, promise! =)

how far would you go?

i'm not one to admit that i like to read a few non-weightloss related blogs, but i do, and they're good for boring afternoons, rainy sundays, or when you are curious to see what's happening in hollywood... i came across this yesterday and then found the accompanying photo today... if you are familiar with heidi montag (who isn't?!?!), she unveiled her new & improved body to people magazine and admitted to having not 1, not 2, but 10 plastic surgeries last year (at the same time)... the photo speaks a thousand words, but the article is just as interesting... i'm rather speechless and dumbfounded, and wonder how much i would have to get paid before doing something so stupid... :-p

i am THRILLED that this will be a long-weekend for me - it has been busier than hell here and i'm exhausted after all these early morning doctor appointments... HR called me yesterday and said that i still have 6 unused vacation days from last year (we have a use/lose policy) and i had until march 31 to use them... i joking said that i wouldn't be able to take my honeymoon until after our annual meeting, and they said they'd reconsider and get back to me... my boss basically told me to use them, so i need to think about what i could do, or where i can go... it will suck if i have to have foot surgery (twice) because i would use sick-time and not vacation-time... ugh...

eric and i are going to the washington area RV show tomorrow - he thought it would be fun to go check-out what's new and exciting in the camping world (not that we have any plans to buy something)... and that's about all the plans we have, so far, and that's fine by me! :-)

food/tracking has been good... exercise - not great, but i'll get to the gym today... :-)

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

fall = pumpkin spice latte

sorry.

as you can imagine, things in jodi-land are not like they used to be and why i decided to plan a wedding in less than 3 months is beyond me... it's not even that it's stressful, it's just busy between appointments, meetings and finally getting the invitations out (on monday)... so far, people love them so that makes me happy and considering i spent 10+ hours printing, cutting, and stuffing on sunday - they better! ha! anyway, i'll keep the wedding-talk here to a minimum but check out my other blog if you want to hear more... ;)

in other news - eric was asked to speak and/or attend a security conference in ireland THIS NOVEMBER... he said they'll be paying for the whole thing and if i wanted to go along, the only thing needed would be airfare... i've never been to ireland and am really torn because one part of me would love to go, but is that being totally stupid 3-weeks before the wedding? i don't know all the details (how long, etc.) so that's the newest thing on my mind these days... guess i could look at it as a pre-honeymoon... ;)

i've been going to the gym again pretty regularly, so that's good news... i really should start pilates/yoga again because it would help me stay less-stressed, but haven't researched any local classes... i know i'd be more apt to go if i was paying for something, over doing a dvd in my basement but then again - i really need to be saving money right now so...

we've started to watch a few shows this season - got eric into biggest loser last week but this week, not so much... curb your enthusiasm was pretty funny though i've never watched it before and am anxious to see what they do with the whole seinfeld thing... i'm also interested in flash forward, which starts tonight - anything that is similar to lost peaks my interest... are there any shows that you are watching and/or excited about this season?

guess that's all for now - hope everyone is doing well... :)

happy thursday...

hello, i'm jodi

yes, i'm alive - i just can't seem to find the time anymore to keep this blog updated... sorry about that but between vacation, coming back to work and being slammed, AND this whole wedding thing - there just aren't enough minutes in the day... i guess many of you feel the same way - i can't imagine what it must be like to have children because time would be even more valuable... either way, i will try my best to update as often as i can but forgive me if i disappear for days at a time... ;)

vacation at the beach was good - though the weather was less than desirable on a few days, we were still able to relax and enjoy ourselves... by mid-week, the campground was empty so it was like we had the whole park to ourselves... most days, it was so windy on the beach that i laid in this hole that someone had kindly dug before we arrived - it worked out really well... the meals were good, the s'mores were good, the drinking was good, and sleeping in the back of the bigger truck was good too - no, make that awesome! compared to eric's previous truck, this one was like sleeping in a cadillac! i've posted some pics below... :)

once we got back, it was back to wedding stuff... i found a dress on the saturday we got back and all i can say is that it has everything i've been looking for AND at an incredible price... i had narrowed it down to two so when i put them on again and walked around - the one that i ended up picking brought tears to my eyes... so i knew then and there it was THE one and yes, even my mom liked it (she tended to like every dress that i didn't, and vice versa)... so the dress is now living at my mom's since i need to get some alterations done plus, i don't want eric trying to take a peak (though i doubt he would)... now it's onto details about the reception and about a hundred other things - like getting the invitations out! jesus! :-o

so that's it for me - work has been really busy and we're one designer down this week so it's been rather hectic... i have two meeting later this morning BUT will be going to the gym - i have to get serious about working out or i'll never looked 'toned' for the wedding... i decided that i'm not going to try and lose 20 pounds, in 2-months, because just working on my upper body is all i need really... since my dress is strapless, that is my biggest concern right now... everything else can be handle via spanx... ;)

happy thursday!

view of our campsite - pretty spacious...



hello, mr. crab...



me in the hole i was talking about...



eric making breakfast one morning...



my favorite hat right now --> out of coffee - life is crap!

yup, it's still there

thanks for all the well-wishes and congratulations... i'm still in a daze (having some issues with sleeping too, wonder why) but am extremely happy, and honestly - quite giddy... i keep looking down to make sure i'm not dreaming and yup, it's still there - pretty breathtaking... :)

3 months after meeting eric (back in april 2005), we were going to pittsburgh for the weekend (which also happened to be around my bday)... on the way, the snow began to fall and then for some stupid reason i said, "my sister doesn't live far from here, we should stop by and surprise them"... the snow was piling up pretty fast and yet there we were - in his little chevy S10 pickup, charging up hills, sliding all over the place, and having trouble seeing the road... we stayed at my sister's for like 15-minutes tops and then hit the road again, only to be faced with 1 open lane on the highway and snow coming straight at us... cars were spinning-out in the median, traffic was crawling, and i was a mess - but he was steady as a rock and said everything would be okay... i sat there crying at times, with my eyes closed, and he just keep talking to me and trying to make me laugh... by the time we got to morgantown, wv - the snow had finally stopped... when we got out of the car to get something to eat, i think i bent down and faked kissed the ground - i couldn't have been more happy to see concrete... by the time we made it to pittsburgh - it was pretty late so we didn't get to meet rigel and austin until morning... his brother had his hands full, to say the least, so eric and i took turns holding and feeding them... at one point, eric had them and he began singing to them - that was the moment that i knew he was the man i was going to marry... i have always wanted to get married and have children and seeing this, well - it was like icing on the cake for me... it was sort of like seeing into the future, if that makes any sense... :)

fast-forward to sunday night (4.5 years later)... we went out to dinner for eric's birthday - he had mentioned that he could go for some seafood, so i suggested this place mccormick and schmick's... it wasn't that crowded so the service was good and we had a nice, corner booth - i had salmon stuffed with crab, shrimp, and brie (yes, it was yummy) and some wine... i gave him his smoochy-noise birthday card and one from the cats (signed, of course), and as i was putting them into my purse - i turned and noticed the ring, in the box, on the table... he goes, "how did i do?" and i think i said, "are you kidding me?!" and just stared at it... sort of like - is this really happening, is that really sitting on the table, did he really just do that? and then he goes, "well, are you going to put it on?" and i said, "aren't YOU going to put it on me?" so he did and i was crying because it was so beautiful... then he asked me to marry him, so i jumped up and said yes, and we kissed, and then lived happily-ever-after... okay, we're still working on the last part but everything else is accurate... :)

after things settled down - we had some champagne and dessert (on behalf of the manager), and then headed straight to my mom's house... she was thrilled, of course, and was anxious to start calling my relatives... we also stopped by my oldest friend's mike's house (on the notion that i needed to get our depeche mode tickets) and ended up staying for a few hours, drinking, and talking... they were thrilled too since every time i saw them, i got a lecture on why 'it' hadn't happened yet... anyway, it was a totally unexpected evening but one that i will never forget... I LOVE YOU DARLIN! :)

needless to say, yesterday was a blur - between the lack of sleep, a terrible headache (which i still have remnants of) - i can't tell you how many people emailed and called... i haven't had this much attention EVER, so it's weird and cool at the same time... my other close friend stopped by last night to get a glimpse of the ring in person (which she approved) and told eric, "it's about damn time"... :)

tonight is the depeche mode concert (can i get a HELL YEA) and then my mom and i are leaving for NC bright & early tomorrow morning... i'm not sure what kind of internet service my cousin will have but i will post, if i can, and if not - i'll talk to you when i get back next week... thanks again for all the well-wishes... so does this mean i'll have to start a new blog? oh, how exciting! i can't wait! :)

happy tuesday...

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... :)

what do you mean it's over?

it was hard getting up this morning considering i haven't used an alarm in over a week... it's good to be back at work though, and i'm glad it's been a quiet morning - it makes going thru email and catching-up that much easier... we finally got home last night around 7:30 after taking some alternate back roads to dodge some pretty bad 4th of july traffic - we like doing that sort of thing because we always pass some really nice houses and farms... and somewhere along the way - we lost the license plate on the motorcycle trailer, so now eric has to get a new one (wasn't even a week old!)... :(

the week started off great - had an adjustment and a wonderful (but hard, in a good way) massage on monday... we left for my sister's on tuesday and stopped by to see my dad - got to spend a few minutes w/him before he took his afternoon nap... on wednesday, we took the bike down to seneca rocks in WV, then back up to dolly sods which was this amazing U.S. wilderness area that has the climate of canada (it's the highest plateau east of the mississippi)... the roads were questionable, but we made it and then the rain came - my first time experiencing rain on the motorcycle... it was fun and interesting, but i'm not sure i would want to go thru it again anytime soon... we had made it back just in time too because the downpour started and didn't stop til a few hours later... on thursday - we were driving to go see my dad before heading to pittsburgh and saw a black bear alongside the road... he was trying to climb over the guard rail and though it was too late to stop and get a better look - we watched him dip-dop to the middle of the road behind us, and then carry-on to the other side... he was crazy big too...

as for the rest of our vacation - we spent a lot of time w/his family... got to help move the cows one day and meet the new additions - they are just too cute for words when they're that small... because of the crappy weather, we didn't get in another ride til friday afternoon and then went to a nice, neighborhood get-together at another farm down the road... having drinks around a beautiful pond is something i could definitely get used too! on saturday, his family had a cookout at the house and all the siblings and kids were there - we had thought most were going to go to the butler fair later but it ended up just being eric and i... the fair was a LOT of fun - we got to see lot of animals including my favorite - the huge belgian workhorses... the ones that we could actually pet were so sweet - their heads just towered over us but i still managed to get in a good nuzzle or too... one was quite the nibbler too, so we had to be careful not to get too close... i wanted to just go around and hug them all, but doubt my arms could reach far enough to do so - i'm telling you, they were enormous! and to cap-off the night - we went back home and set off fireworks in the backyard (shhh)... there were also a lot of other shows going on in the area, so we sat on the porch and watched those for a good hour or so... can't complain - it was a great 4th of july! :)

as for diet/exercise - that was pretty much null & void all week... i have the results of the first 4-weeks of my challenge and though they are not as good as i was expecting, it's still progress i guess... i will post those later since i forgot my organizer today... i will also post pictures from vacation later so stay tuned... :)

hope you have a great monday...

PYT

geesh, what a week! besides the metro accident on monday - we've lost 3 great people in a matter of days... first ed... then farrah... and now michael... i can't say that i was a HUGE fan of his, even though his poster adorned my bedroom wall in jr. high (until i discovered duran duran)... i feel sorry for his children, who are now fatherless and $400 million in debt, as well as his family who, like most of us, are just shocked that something like this could happen... if i had a turntable at home, i would pay tribute by playing 'thriller' and doing a little moonwalk... :)

this week has been long, and the commute to/from work even longer... i was happy to actually get onto a car this morning, without having to wait for 2-3, and have room to spare once inside... there was also another delay yesterday (cracked rail) on the same line, going in the opposite direction - i'm guessing a lot of riders said "screw-it" today and stayed home because it wasn't nearly as bas as it's been... i'm glad to be on vacation next week because by the time i have to back to work, service should be back to normal (i hope so anyway)...

so yea, i'm on vacation next week - i have about 5.5 weeks to use since my company is changing it's policy at the end of the year (we can only carry-over 4 weeks instead of 6)... i'll probably take a week in july, and then i'll use a week in september for our annual camping trip to the beach... i need to get better about taking days, i just always feel guilty for some reason... :(

monday i have a follow-up and adjustment with the chiro, and i also booked myself a 30-min massage - i bought 4 certificates at xmas and have yet to use them... sort of a "congrats on finishing your first 30-day challenge" present to myself... then on tuesday, we leave for my sister's for a few days and then it's up to pittsburgh for the 4th of july... we're taking the harley and hope to get in at least two good day-trips while up there - very exciting! the biggest fair in western PA also starts next week so i'm looking forward to going to that as well and possibly going to the drive-in, if we have time (yea, i'm a country girl at heart!)... :)

weekend will be busy: tomorrow, i have spinning at 8:30, then a hair appt, then i'm hoping to stop by my mom's so we can go blueberry picking... not sure if they're in yet but i'm hoping they are because i do love me some blueberries... sunday, we may be going to a motorcycle rally in johnstown, pa but if the weather is shady - then it will be the usual house/yard work and errands... :)

hope you guys have a great friday - TGIF...

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...