2/25 weigh in....

Ya know it's really tough to come up with interesting post titles on this blog!  

I survived last week's bout of food poisoning and this week's PMS with a 0.5 lb loss.  I honestly didn't know how the scale was going to reflect it, so I'm quite pleased.

I don't know what it is about this time of year that things happen that cost tons of $$ (Randy's car, the furnace, dental crowns for me & the kid, dance comp fees, etc) and I feel guilty about wanting to start my gym membership back up.  I'm going to have to simply break down and rearrange the living room so I have a bit of space to use my Walk At Home DVDs.  That's all there is to it.  I need to get some exercise and with the lovely -20* wind chill they're calling for the next couple days....anything outside ain't gonna happen.

I really did have a 9 point day on Saturday.  A bowl of cereal and some popcorn were all that my tummy could handle.  And an 8 AP week?  I am so glad that I'm feeling better!

Since I didn't go to my meeting last week, this was my first meeting with my new "fearless" leader, Dez (Desiree).  I liked Eileen a lot, and Dez didn't disappoint.  She's very energetic & personable and funny, too.  She filled us in on the dangers of Girl Scout cookies tonight.  Surprisingly - most are 2 points each - and a couple are 1 !!   Which is good since I ordered 5 boxes from a little girl at the studio whose mom is one of Angel's teachers.

So this weekend we're going to see the monster trucks in Detroit on Saturday.  Normally we get downtown early, get a good parking spot close to Ford Field (and also the exit ramp to the highway) then walk around looking at the sights and have some dinner at the Hockeytown Cafe.     Sunday I'll probably be taking Angel & her duet partner to the mall so they can find matching leather jackets for their costumes. Ooo, maybe I'll walk some laps!

Friend Makin' Monday - All About That Bass

Happy Monday!  I'm feeling much better today, altho I had a dentist appt this afternoon so half my face is still numb and my tongue is just starting to feel like it fits in my mouth!  Tomorrow I get to take the kid in for the same treatment!





All About That Bass

Here’s how it works: you copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog. Then you come back here, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions. If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

1. What kind of music did you grow up listening to?  I remember hearing Ernie Harwell all summer long doing the Tiger games (I swear they played all day, every day when I was a kid!) and the radio was always on the country station.

2. When you were old enough to get your own radio in your bedroom or your own Walkman or mp3 player, what kind of music did you prefer to listen to?  My first cassette tape was Michael Jackson's Thriller.  And I was getting into my tween years when MTV started, so I was exposed to a lot more music than I would have just at home.

3. Did/do you ever sleep with music playing?  No, I tend to stay awake listening instead of sleeping.

4. Do you like to listen to seasonal music?  I will listen to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving and not a day before.  And on the 26th, it's gone.  Nothing else reaches out to me.

5. What was your favorite singer/band/group growing up?  In middle school it was Duran Duran and once I hit high school, Def Leppard - and they're still my favorite.

6. What was your favorite song growing up?  Dad singing Delta Dawn?

7. What is your current favorite singer/band/group?  Oops, I answered this already.  Def Leppard.  On the weekend of our 6th anniversary, Randy and I went to see Lita Ford, Poison & DL in concert (the greatest show EVER!!!) and the next day saw the Rock of Ages movie.

8. What is your current favorite song?  Turn Down For What.  No idea who does it, but it just makes me want to move. 

9. Do you have an all-time favorite song?  Neon Moon by Brooks & Dunn.

10. Did you ever want to be in a band? Or, were you ever in one?  No, long ago I accepted the fact I have an occasional lisp and have never played an instrument.  However that doesn't stop me from rockin' out in the car, and oddly, Angel says she likes to hear me.  Think she needs her ears checked!!

Checking in...

Hope everyone is having a good Sunday - staying warm if that's your case (like it is mine!)  Actually it's like 23* so it's almost balmy here!

I didn't go weigh in this past week - I came down with what I assume was a lovely case of food poisoning - probably from some leftover chicken I had Tuesday night.  Today is the first day I've felt somewhat back to normal.

Looking at my progress report so far this week - I have no idea how the scale is going to reflect this.  Way under on Thursday, Saturday & Sunday but way over on Friday.  I thought I was feeling better, so I had a BELT from Tim Hortons for breakfast - a bagel with bacon, egg, lettuce & tomato and a hash brown (NO Donuts!!!)  Lunch was leftover Chinese food - broccoli chicken.  Dinner we went to Panera and I had a You Pick Two combo with a bowl of french onion soup, a half sandwich with turkey, bacon, lettuce & tomato and one shortbread cookie.  Holy crap - that trip to Panera alone cost me 25 points!!  It sure sounds reasonable, but looking at their stats - what the hell do they make their bread out of???

I should have known Panrea was bad news - that food felt like it sat in my stomach all night and most of Saturday.  

I went easy today with a bowl of cereal at breakfast, a single serving size baggie of trail mix mid-day and some leftover spaghetti for dinner (I started this post before dinner so it doesn't show).  I was very cautious with that.  I'd been really looking forward to it but I made sure to eat slowly like one is supposed to do - putting my fork down and left plenty on my plate once I had enough. We'll see how this sits in the tummy.  

Activity this week has been nil.  I only had to make 2 trips of the dance shuttle this week.  She only had a couple classes Wednesday and still got out early since so many kids were out of town (this is mid-winter break - they had no school this week) and there was a special class this afternoon for kids who wanted to drop in, so she was there with her team.  I honestly felt like I was forgetting to do something!  I mean, I had evenings to stay home!  And I did.  Maybe a quick trip to the store on the way home and that's all I did!  Friday we went out for dinner and stopped in a 5 Below store and browsed for a bit.  Yesterday I went from my bed to the couch and one trip all the way to the mailbox!  

But anyway.  I am so done with this cold.  Our weather alert radio just went off a while ago with wind chill warnings again ... up to -25 below tonight and -15 below tomorrow.  There might not be school again!

Friend Makin' Monday - Valentines Day

I'm going to be messed up all week!  The girl had her Nationals dance comp this weekend and we didn't get home til yesterday, so today feels like Monday to me.  If you want to read all about it, here's the link to the post in my other blog, but in a nutshell - this pic sums up the weekend...  

They won National Champs for senior small group lyrical!  

I am so proud I could burst!!

So onto FMM...

Valentine’s Day

Here’s how it works: you copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog. Then you come back here, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions. If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

1. How was your Valentine’s Day? What did you do?  As I mentioned above - I was at a dance competition, doing the dance mom thing.  It was a long weekend, but enjoyable. 

2. When you were a kid, did you exchange valentines in school with your classmates?  Yes, we pretty much had to.  We got a list with all the kids' names so we didn't leave any out. 

3. What was your best Valentine’s Day date/day/etc?   Ummmm...... I guess this past one.  I forgot to mention in my other post that Randy had flowers sent to the hotel for Angel and I !  A pink rose with purple filler for her and a bunch of pink, red & white carnations for me.  It's been a while since I got flowers from him so that made it especially nice!

4. Do you like Valentine’s Day?  Not usually.  

5. What is your favorite Valentine’s Day treat?  Hmmm,  there's nothing I can think of that screams only V Day to me.  Conversation hearts, but I don't like them. 

6. Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions?  Nope. 

7. What is your least favorite thing about Valentine’s Day?  Seeing the bitches at work get flowers sent to them! 

8. Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day? Share a picture if you do.  I have things here & there.  I decorate for basically every holiday to some extent - Christmas & Halloween being the big ones. 

 My skeleton cupid has a sash that says Fatal Attraction - lol!

9. What is the best present you have ever received for Valentine’s Day?  Can I get back to you on this?  Drawing a blank!

10. Is there something you like to do for people you love on Valentine’s Day?  No, it's just another day, but I do get a card for the hubby.  This year I left it on the bed when we left so he couldn't help but see it.  I also like Sara's idea of volunteering at an animal shelter.  

Friend Makin' Monday - Fears

Happy Monday!  I was actually busy at work today!  I'm off Friday & next Monday for "JamFest Dance SUPER Nationals" so I've been working my butt off to make sure I have everything done that I need and such. Plus I had to leave an hour early to get Miss Angela to her practice at 3.  Just found out one of the girls on the team has NO family going to watch her dance!  WTF people!  I hope they have a good reason and not just asshattery.  So she now has 2 new moms.  She's staying in our room.  Gonna be cozy in there with 2 adults & 3 teenagers!

Onto FMM -




Fears

Here’s how it works: you copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog. Then you come back here, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions. If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

1. Do you have any “consuming” fears?  I'm not sure what that means, but I don't have any that make me shudder at the thought of it.

2. Have you ever overcome a fear that was once consuming or crippling?  I was pretty fearless as a kid - I was Dad's shadow so wherever he went, I was sure I could, too.  That made for several falls into the river up north, I fell thru the ice into waist-deep water, etc, etc.  Oh - I thought of something.  I never liked deep, dark water. something might grab my leg.  I think that came from watching Jaws as a kid.  Then I joined the Navy.  Brilliant, eh?  And I was just telling Randy earlier today that I was bummed that while in the Navy, neither of the ships I was on did a swim call.  That's where they would anchor out in the ocean and you could jump off the boat.  I don't think smaller ones do that often, but carriers do.  I would have loved to jump off the side of the aircraft elevator (lowered, of course) - it's got to be 30 or more feet to the water!

3. Do you have any silly fears?  Not now, but I remember watching some stupid horror movie with my parents as a kid where this slutty model was sitting on a bed and saw something sticking out from under the bed and poked at it with her shoe.  It was a black panther's tail and of course it attacked her.  For the longest time I would run across the room and leap onto my bed.  Then to get up - I'd stand up and jump as far as possible away from the bed.   No idea what movie that was.

4. Do you know how your fears started, or have they always just been there as far as you know?  I don't know about the dislike of dark water.  We never had air conditioning, so in the summer I'd get up in the middle of the night and go out in the pool by myself.  We spent many hours in the river up north, dodging cow patties from upstream.  When I was in Brownie Girl Scouts, we went on an overnight trip to a museum and in order to go in the deep end of the pool, you had to show the lifeguard you could swim the length of the pool.  I tried.  I was probably 7 years old.  I made it half way and he had to dive in to save me.  But none of these ever scared me that badly.

5. Do you like to watch scary/horror movies? If so, what is your favorite?  Not really.  I don't watch much TV.  Movies like the Exorcist are best, with scary mind games instead of blatant blood & gore.  We just watched "Cheerleaders Must Die" this weekend & it was the cheesiest ever!

6. Do you like to go to haunted houses?  Sometimes.  I prefer haunted hayrides.

7. Are you easy to scare?  I can be, if something really catches me off guard.  Oh I don't like bugs to be on me.

8. What is your reaction if someone scares you?  I can't describe the sound I make, a deep, guttural OH, type noise.

9. Are you afraid of clowns?  Not afraid of them, just don't like them.

10. Did you believe in the boogeyman when you were little?  I had older siblings to be afraid of!

Weigh in & stuff

Well, honestly - I didn't weigh in tonight.  Randy has Tue / Wed / Thu off this week for comp time for wasting most of a weekend on work stuff, so he took his car into the shop yesterday and needed to pick it up tonight.  He's lucky we kept my old Escort so he had a way to get to his dentist appointment this morning!

Anyhoo.  Tracking was crappy this week.  Activity was decent.

I spent 3 hours out shoveling snow Monday and I only got 2 APs for it????  Sheesh.   Saturday also included cleaning stalls & lugging horse food & bedding around, too.  My sister had a minor medical procedure & couldn't do any lifting, so Miss Angela & I went to help out around her place.

 It's a snowbank with wheels!

So, I've come up with a plan.  And it's gonna be a tough one.  I'm going to avoid sweets & such and limit myself to 2 Coke Zeros a day for the rest of February.  And I dug out the spiral bound tracker to do that, too.  Oh yeah, I went back on the DWLZ.com message boards for the extra support.  It's been a while since I've been on there and they changed everything!  So I have to figure that all out again. 

Randy is all aghast - but what about Valentines Day?  What about it?  My least favorite holiday. I was told I'm "too practical" to expect dinner out on Valentines Day.  Pppft.  Anyway, the girl & I are leaving mid-day Friday the 13th for Kentucky for a dance comp and won't be home til Monday sometime. So we'll be going out anyway!  I'll pack snacks & drinks for the 4 1/2 hour drive there & to have in the room and the hotel offers hot breakfast in the morning, so we should be good there.  

I really didn't want to get on a scale this week anyway, Mother Nature usually isn't nice to me.  So wish me luck on the NO SWEETS thing - I'm gonna need it!  

...and of course out of the corner of my eye I see the giant Peppermint Bark Ghiradelli chocolate bar I got for Christmas and this is really going to put a kabosh on my Tim Horton's visit in the morning.  I can't cheat already - today was my first day!  So I guess I'll stick with my oatmeal for breakfast.  Sigh.  

Friend Makin' Monday - Love is in the Air

Holy crap - it's Monday!  I'm totally off a day since we got a snow day today!  We had well over a foot of the nasty white stuff dumped on us (thanks for saying only 7.5 inches, NWS!!)  Miss Angela and I went out & shoveled about 4-5 inches yesterday right before Randy got home from up north, and the wind was just starting to pick up then.  So this morning there were knee-deep drifts in places and bare cement in others.  I was out there shoveling steady for 3 hours and Randy came out & fired up the decrepit snowblower and did most of the lower part of the driveway.  

Technically, I was supposed to go into work today, I told them I'd be in once the roads got cleared some. Never made it.  Shucks.  The school called yesterday afternoon and not long after that, Randy got an email from his work saying he could work from home.

....and we just got the phone call about schools being closed tomorrow, too! 

Puxatauney Phil is over-rated.  Here in Michigan we have Woody and she has a better track record of being correct than Phil.  12 out of 16 years she's been right & also 6 out of the last 9 Super Bowls she's chosen the winner.  However Woody was under the weather this year, so Murray stepped in and saw her shadow.  I like that they actually wait until the sun is UP instead of doing the thing before dawn and of course there are cameras with lights = shadows!  But since the sun was shining pretty today, it was legit.

How about that halftime show last night?  I really like Katy Perry so I enjoyed her show a lot. I don't care about football so we'd do stuff during the game (fix food, take the dog out, etc) and hurry back in for commercials.  

So onto FMM....



LOVE is in the Air

Here’s how it works: you copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog. Then you come back here, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions. If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

Ugh, I don't even like Valentine's Day!  Feel free to cringe like I did when I heard this..."I'm not going to take you out to dinner on Val Day because you're practical like that and know that it'll be crazy at every restaurant."   I usually buy myself flowers, too.  So I'm really not too upset that I have to take Miss Angela to a dance competition out of state that weekend!!!

1. February is the month of LOVE…do you have one?  Yes - We've been married for 8 1/2 years and been together for (thinking.....) 13 years now!  I should get bonus points because our last name is Love!

2. Is there any activity you LOVE to do more than anything else?  Hmm.  Reading.  Going on walks if its nice out.  Photography is up there, too.  Horseback riding.

3. Is there a certain place you LOVE to go to on a regular basis?  Hmm - I could use this right now. The Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs Arkansas.   I'd love to go melt in a hot bath right now and get a massage.  The water there does great things to my skin, too. 

4. What animal do you LOVE the most?  We are a bi-petual household.  We have a Beagle & 2 cats and I can't say which one I love the most.  Horses are a close third.

5. What do you LOVE most about the city/state you live in?  4 seasons.  OK, after today, lets say 3 of the 4 seasons!!

6. Are there any people or just one person that you LOVE to be around?  My husband & daughter of course.  When I comes to going to dance competitions, there are 2 other moms who are my favorite people to be around.

7. What food do you LOVE the most?  MEAT.  Seriously anything fixed on a grill.  I've even tried grilled rattlesnake before and it was delicious. (tastes like chicken / turkey)

8. What drink do you LOVE the most?  I'm leaving Sara's answer up here. Water, followed by iced tea, followed by a well made margarita.  Thumbs up!

9. What book that you have read do you LOVE the most?  I can't think of any one that I LOVE - there are several I like well enough to re-read.  RuPaul's biography, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Fabulous.  The entire Skye O'Malley saga from Beatrice Small.  The Earth's Children series from Jane M. Auel.

10. What is the craziest thing you have done in the name of LOVE?  I can't think of anything I'd consider crazy....oh wait.....I have Randy's name tattoo'd on my ankle.

I'm going to put a bonus # 11. on here.  My favorite LOVE quote.  From RuPaul - "If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love someone else?"