SKOOLS OUT FOR SUMMAH!

AAAAAAAAAAA! IT'S FRIDAY AND I'M BROKEEEEEEEEE!

Ok, so theres aome good and some bad today. Good: Last day of school and think I got a good solid "B". I'm now officially done for the summer. *Doing the happy dance*

Bad: No goddamn money. I hate weekends with no money because that means ME+2 kids stuck in the house= Crazy Mom. Crap.

Well, I have a new camera. and I guess I should read the crap that came with it so I can actually use it. Phfttttth. I hate manuals.

On Sunday I start my 13 day experiment.  I'll be logging it all here for accountability. I'm already getting nervous and I dont know why. The menu I chose is pretty restrictive but should meet all of my needs. I will be working out 2X a day, which will be hard but managable. And finally I will be scheduling myself to be OUT of the house most of the day.......I go insane if left in the house alone with food. The library, Books A Million and the gym are going to be my hangouts.

Well, thats it for now.

Blurb.

Hey ya'll! I'm so excited. I got a NEW CAMERA! Wheeeeeee! The Sony Cybershot with 3X optical zoom. I havent had a chance to actually use it yet but Joe has been testing it out for me. Tomorrow I'll be shooting up a storm, then I have to figure out how to post them.  I may not get around to posting any new stuff till Friday night because I have a final for class on Friday afternoon. Wish me luck!

Pool2

Child #2 posing.

I think I may only be allowed so many pictures per post. Oh well.

Anyway, we stayed until about 2 and then dragged our butts back home. Tomorrow is school for all of us so lots of laundry, etc to get to. It wasnt a bad food day but not good either.

Breakfast: mini-bagel, peanut butter, banana

Snack: Latte (told you I prolly wouldnt be able to resist)

Lunch: most of a turkey sandwich, chips

Snack: 3/4 of a Wendys junior burger,chips

Dinner: salad greens/honey mustard dressing, tomato, crunchy salad topping, a few bits of fruit with Lite Cool Whip

Snack: Prolly popcorn

Not working out today because of full day at pool. I got some sun but was very watchful and did not burn. Thats a good thing too because I'm about as close to transparent as you can get.  I swear, all the MOMS at the pool were friggin tan as shit, wearing these Brazilian barely-covering-my-ass bikinis,Tramp stamps (uh, tattoos on the small of the back), with belly button rings that hung down to their coozies. Hmmmm. Now I know I'm younger than some of these chicks and I wouldnt dream of acting or dressing like them. One pack of them came by my picnic bench while we were warming up in the sun, they needed a place to lean as they smoked their Virginia Slims.  Every damn one of these bitches had red lipstick on, long muti-colored nails and Pam Anderson implants......although I did notice that a couple of them either hadnt gotten around to it or couldnt afford to have their asses rejuvenated because OH MOMMA we had some severe SAG. HA! Dont get me wrong, I am not jealous. I find it hysterical that these 40 and 50 somethings fear aging so much that they try and mimic the teens that they are raising.  Its never a good idea to wear the same clothes your 10th grader does. GROW UP! Its sad really.  Oh and these plastic chicks have arch-enemies at the pool.....the FAT CHICKS. Yes, those larger than life babes that could care less what you think (I used to be one of them). They thunder around the edge of the pool, lumbering after children or when its all become too much, they gingerly lie down on an available beach recliner.  The plastic straps eating into the back jelly and spandex covered ass cheeks as it stretchs to capacity. * Note: No hate mail folks. I lived my life in that mold so its just me, recalling.* The plastic chicks strut past the fat chicks, noses curled slightly and give that oh-my-gawd-you-re-so-fat-but-I'm-going-to-smile smile. Theyre repulsed and wish you werent there.  Today I said hello to one of the plastics as they stood by me, puffing away. I didnt expect a reply.  Maybe I did it to see what would happen. She smiled and said" Your boy is so handsome." pointing to Child #1 as he sat sunning himself.  I looked at him, sitting still, his blue eyes brilliant against his fresh sunburn and thought, yeah, he is a good looking kid. When he isnt stimming he looks completely normal. I smiled and thanked her just as Child #1 let out a whoop and started flicking his fingers like a crazy person. The look on her face was priceless, kind of confused and horrified and alittle scared. Oh well. Hehe.

I think thats enough for the day. Hope yall had a great weekend! Tata!

 

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Pool.

Very nice day I must say! Clear blue, slight breeze. Ahhhhhh.

I decided to take the wee-ones to Pocahontas State Park. They have a water-park there that is pretty fun.  Costs abit too much to get in but I sucked it up, what the hell.

The gated in area(where these are taken from)  is where the picnic tables are.  It just happens to be the smoking area as well, AKKKK. There is a kiddie area, pictured above, and 2 pools....one is 3 1/2 feet deep and the other is 5 1/2 feet.  The water was ICE COLD. I mean it too. I could only manage to get in up to my belly button, it hurt it was so cold. The kids loved it of course. Kids are inpervious to temp.

There are 2 slides on the right. When we arrived at 10:45am there was hardly anyone there.  By the time lunchtime rolled around, it was packed. By 2pm, it was time to go. I get kinda clausterphobic when people start running into me at the pool. Its just......gross.

For some odd reason AOL wont allow me to post any more pictures. Hmmmmm. I'm going to try another post and see what happens.

Sunday

The kids in the pool. I opted out of swimming this morning, instead I ran for 30 minutes. I'm still having issues with my breathing.....too fast....too slow......throat gets dry...etc.  I'm working on it.

Weight: 143

Breakfast: 100 cal bagel, peanut butter, strawberries

Snack: fresco beef soft taco

Lunch: salsa & chips

Snack: Cinnamon Harvest dry cereal

Dinner:

Snack:

You'll notice there was no Latte today. It took all of my willpower but I drove past without stopping. Tomorrow, well, I'm not making any promises. Hehe.

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On Da Road Again.

Adventure Day

Child #1 and I left the house at 7:45 am to pick up Child #2 (who decided last night @8 she wanted to spend the night elsewhere). After picking her up we set off for the beach.  I have to say, I LOVE this Garmin. I am no longer afraid of getting lost because it WONT let me! HA! So I punch in the address and half an hour later Child #2 says "I gotta pee." Geeeez. So we pull off and the only thing I can find is a grocery store.  Turns out it was a stroke of good luck.......theres a STARBUCKS inside.  Jesus does love me. Hehe.

Back on the road. This is an 80 mile trip. One way. Ok, so we make it to the beach around 10.  Its lovely, just the way I remember it.......until we actually get ON the beach.  Holy Mack, its FREEZING.  The wind is whipping and its just not sunny enough to balance the two out. Cold. Child #2 could care less. She swims and digs in the sand and frolics (and turns several shades of blue....."Nuh Uh MahM, I'm REALLY warm, I swear.") Meanwhile Child #1 and I huddle on the beach, trying to keep warm.  I find out one picture into the trip that my batteries are dead. Grrrrr. I end up having to spend 3.99 for crappy 7-11 batteries. So, we leave the beach around 11:30. 

She's the speck in the center. And the one dead asleep 5 minutes after leaving.

We stop at Wendys because Child #1 is chanting "hamburger" incessently. 10 bucks later we leave.

The Pungo Strawberry Festival sounded like a little thing, I mean they advertised it going from 12-2pm.  Christ I thought when we got there it would be shutting down. I was mistaken. HUGE. Seriously huge. We parked, for 5 dollars (ripoff) and walked down the crowded road. You absolutely can not get the sheer magnitude of this thing from my pictures.

I'm only 5'3" so I take my crowd shots by holding the camera as high up as I can and shooting.  There was funnel cakes, fried twinkies, every type of fried potato you can dream of, BBQ, corn, ice cream, gyros, FISH (uh, fish? ewww), lemonade out the whazoo, cotton candy, sno-cones, meat of every persuasion and strawberries on EVERYTHING.  This was like a giant yard sale/thrift store/folk art sale/biker rally/music fest/ food extravaganza. Wow. Oh man and that was just the first half-mile.

There was at least 4 band stands.

Of course Child #2's tongue was lolling out of her mouth (Mahm, it loooooks soooo goooood. Plah-eeeezzzzz. Just one funnel cake. PLEEEEEZZZZZZ.) Uh, dammit.  No, I stood my ground with reasoning. Honey, its all fat and calories and you know you arent really hungry, we just ate, blah blah blah.  So we bought a corn.  Man was it GOOD! Very sweet and the kernals popped when you bit it. Worth all 3 bucks. Kept her busy so she didnt think about the other junk. Joe would have been in hog heaven if he had been there.

We walked and walked and walked and I really thought it may go on forever. Jewelry, handbags, wooden crafts, tattoos sprayed on by carnies( either carnies or hillbillies), airbrush t-shirts, organic foods, skateboards (alittle out of place), and tons of clothes. In the distance I hear canival music.....huh......the tinkle of a carosel.....oh crap.  On the left hand side of the street emerges a FAIR.......over-priced and gaudily-lit.........suddenly my kids eyes lit up and they became possessed. CARN-I-VALLLLLLL......MAHM!!!

Shit. I turn around and slowly start walking back the way we came. I HATE those fucking death-traps.  Not only are they hastily thrown up but theyre run by morons. So now I have to defend myself from Child #2 who is mezmerized by theblinky lights. I point to the ticket booth, "Tickets cost 1 buck a piece. Do you have a dollar?" I look her in the eye. "Yeah, I do." She smiles, thinking she has just out-smarted me. I point to the first ride I see. "5 tickets per ride. I pause. You got 5 dollars?" Her face dissolves and although I feel bad, its a lesson that has to be taught. Five bucks for 30 seconds on that rickety ride. Does that seem like a good deal to you?  She shakes her head. We leave the area. Dammit. Stupid carnival.

She didnt bother to ask me to do this.  She knows I'm not very likely to humiliate myself in front of so many people, at least not without a few drinks. We stood and watched 5 or 6 people eat the mat. No one could manage to hang on longer than a few seconds. Keep in mind, you're PAYING to get on this thing. Idiots, HA!

We hobbled back to the car. I ended up impulsively buying 10 dollars worth of fresh strawberries......very good by the way.  We sucked a few down walking back to the car. Getting home was faster (it seemed) and we pulled in around 5:30 pm.  I found gas for $3.69 on the way home so I filled up.  The station by my house is up to $3.90. I hate gas.

Anyway, that was it. Oh, I failed to mention that we all got severely sunburnt too. My fault. Once they bathed I hit them with the aloe so hopefully tomorrow they wont be so red.

My weight this morning: 145......huh? weird.

Breakfast: a Venti Latte

Lunch: crispy chicken sandwich, plain......ketchup, honey/mustard

Snack: 6 strawberries

Dinner: 1 cup salad with tomato, honey mustard dressing, handful of chex mix, strawberries (8), Lite Cool Whip

Snack: Popcorn

 

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Its Friday but it feels like Saturday

DA KISSY LIPS!

Today the kids had no school (Boooo) ahem.....yeah, but it was ok. We hit the gym early and while they swam, I did some homework poolside.  Child #2 wanted to get rid of her GameCube (doesn't hurt my feelings, I mean the less time she sits in front of the TV, the happier I am) so we took it to GameStop and they gave her a 45 dollar store credit. Now she only has the PS2 and I figure in a couple of years that will be an antique. No more game systems after that, I've learned the hard way that nothing good can come from having video games in the house.  Dont get me wrong I LOVE to play those damn games but its just too addictive. We are a family of a formerly obese woman, 2 borderline obese kids and a full-blown obese man......TV is the enemy. 

For a treat we went to the 11 am showing of Indiana Jones! Yay! Harrison Ford is one sexy old man. Really. I loved it, he was totally hot. Anyway, we had some unbuttered popcorn ( FIVE DOLLARS FOR A MEDIUM????) Dont get me started on theater food.  If this had been a planned event, I would have brought my own food and drink smuggled in my purse. Damn theaters.

Grocery shopping. 1 hour and 150 dollars later. Home. 

Joe just left for work and I picked up Untraceable from Blockbuster. Normally not a movie I'd get but I wanted something to watch and I couldnt find anything else that looked interesting. 

Food for the day:

Breakfast: 100 cal bagel, reduced fat peanut butter, 1/2 grapefruit

Snack: Had to abort, got a huge pain after one bite. Threw away one chicken sandwich.

Snack at movie: Popcorn, unbuttered

Treat after movie: Tall Soy SF Cinn. Dolce Latte, no whip

Dinner: 1/2 cup salad, 1 bread with 2 pieces of turkey lunchmeat, mayo

Not a good eating day but they happen.  I may have something later with my movie, probably more popcorn. I swear I could live on popcorn and coffee......that would be a perfect world......(sigh) hehe.

Tomorrow is a big day. The kids and I are doing a road trip to Pungo (yes, its a real place). Theyre having a strawberry festival and I thought it would be fun.  While we are so far south we will make a stop at Fort Story, they have a GREAT beach.  Its clean and pretty and never has jellies.  We'll take the floaties and spend some time playing on the beach. I dont think we'll make it back before dark and I'm not gonna try.  I'll post on Sunday with pictures! Tata.

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Rant......may be offensive to some.

I dont usually wear shirts that have animals on them (TA-CKY) but this one was completely me. 

Got my test back today, an 84, its a B so I'm not complaining. The class average was 68.  I only have the rest of this week and next so I'm taking it seriously.....well, I'm trying to.

Breakfast: 100 cal bagel, 1TBsp Peanut Butter, 1/2 grapefruit.

Before Class to keep me awake: Grande Soy SF Cinn. Dolce Latte

Snack: Natures Valley oats and honey granola bars

Lunch: Ukrops salad bar, 1 sm bag salt/vinegar chips

Snack: graham crackers with some Cool Whip Lite

SICK AS A DOG UNTIL 5:30 PM (Yes, i know, please dont write to tell me what I shouldnt have eaten)

Dinner: 2 sm. Italian bread pieces with some spag. sauce on them.

Snack to watch House tonight: Popcorn plain

Heres what I found. If I come home right after school, I am more likely to eat crap and get sick. Duh. Tomorrow I wont come right home and lets see if this works.

Ok, so, remember I told yall awhile ago that Joe wanted his family to get together for a vacation once a year and this year he was planning it? Well. Seems like going to St. Louis has been scratched because most of them cant take that kind of time off now. I mean most of them had to take significant time off when their Mom was sick so it probably isnt a good time to take off again. So, I ask him, Why dont we go to the Dells?  The Dells are these group of hotels in Wisconsin that all have water parks inside of them.  We pass them everytime we go to Winona and I've always wanted to go.  He's not crazy about the idea because 1. it costs money 2. he doesnt want to have to take his shirt off 3. its close to Winona so why not just go to Winona instead.  That last one is what came out of his mouth. So for a "vacation" he wants me and the kids to stay at his Moms house and hang out while he does whatever with his siblings. Do I sound angry?  Nah. Oh but there is still the possiblity that we may get to do something, I'm not clear what that something is but I'm sure it will either be FREE or very discounted. I guess I am alittle pissed off and maybe I shouldnt be but its shit like this that really fucking gets my goat.  His hidden agenda. He pulls this at home too. All I ask for is a nice place to stay with some things for the kids to do so that I dont have to play nursemaid all day (which I do anyway, I mean, cmon, I NEVER REALLY get a vacation) and its not like I'm ordering roomservice or running up a friggin tab in the bar. Oh and I'm not allowed to assert my opinion or say NO, why? because then it makes me look like I'm some sort of mega-bitch on a rampage to stop him from spending time with his family. I dont have real siblings, I cant possibly understand what he's feeling or going through and I should just shut up and let him do what he wants.  So I end up keeping my mouth shut and repeating my mantra "This too shall pass."  Why cant I just be one of those people who can easily roll? Go with the flow?  I'm trying but this whole thing has just got me feeling like I got splinters in my feet.

Honestly I think he's mad about my month-long trip.  He wont say he is but evertime he brings up an aspect of it there is a certain tone in his voice.  He thinks its a waste of money and I know he doesnt want to have to clean, cook, etc.  Doesnt matter that I'm taking both kids with me......I think he's mad that I cant take the dogs too.  He wants to fly up and meet us, then all of us drive to Winona from there. On thing, he thought the ticket would cost him like 50 bucks, he has a skewed veiw of the cost of ......everything.  So when I told him it would be $350 one way to Halifax he said How about to Bangor?  Bangor? REALLY? You want me to drive all the way down to Bangor to pick you up and there is only 75 dollars difference in the ticket??>? Can you see why I want to tear my hair out? I'm trying to talk him into just flying to Winona, spending the time with his family and we'll be there when we get there. I think the stress would be much lower in my scenario.

Okay, I'm tempted to erase this whole post but you know what? I'm not gonna. The reason I started this blog was to vent, good and bad, so there it is. Its not meant to offend anyone, its just how I feel. So, with that said, I'm outta here. Tata.

 

 

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Idea for a New Menu

I searched for weight loss menus last night and most of the ones that came up were attached to some fad diet or another. The Mayo Clinic had an example of a 1,200 cal a day diet which looks pretty good. I really wont have to modify it either.

Example of a 1,200-calorie menu

Breakfast

1 large banana

1 cup bran cereal

1 cup soymilk

Herbal tea

Lunch

Tuna salad sandwich made with 1/2 cup water-packed tuna, 1 tablespoon low-calorie mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, chopped celery as desired, leaf lettuce and 2 slices whole-grain toast

2 cups raw baby carrots, jicama and bell pepper strips

1 medium apple

Water

Dinner

6 ounces broiled cod sprinkled with juice of 1 lemon wedge and 1 teaspoon drained and rinsed capers

3/4 cup steamed green beans

1/2 cup sliced beets

Salad made with 1 cup bibb, Boston, butterhead or leaf lettuce, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, a splash of balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 nectarine

Sparkling water with lemon

Snack (anytime)

1 small pear

Nutrient Analysis
Calories	1,191	Cholesterol	92 mg
Protein	85 g	Sodium	1,263 mg
Carbohydrate	196 g	Fiber	36 g
Total fat	15 g	Potassium	2,967 mg
Saturated fat	4 g	Calcium	385 mg
Monounsaturated fat	6 g

Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid servings
Vegetables	5
Fruits	6
Carbohydrates	4
Protein and dairy	3
Fats	3

I'm actually thinking of printing out 13 days of variation, staying under 1,200 cals but also cutting the carbs alittle too. Remember this is to JUMP START my weight loss, it isnt permanant. I'm hoping that by posting this on the fridge and crossing food off as I eat it, it will keep me in check. One issue I'm having is, my latte. I dont know that I can control myself when it comes to nursing my daily latte. It may be a matter of going without completely for 2 weeks , EEEEEEEEEEEK! (sad face)

Child #1 and I are going to the gym this morning, I love Sundays, no one there! Tata!

The Museum

Virginia Science Museum- thats where the kids and I are headed this morning.  Its cheaper and more educational than Busch Gardens (closer too). Joe will not be joining us, for reasons only known to him, but I'm not bitter.....nah.  Hehe. Actually it will probably be alot less stressful without him.  So we leave around 10 am, I'll take lots of pictures.

Child #1 has been taking Riperadol for a month now. He's taken it before, I think 3 years ago, for aggression problems. Well, it would seem that he's starting to have the same reaction he had last time. He's getting FAT. He eats like a damn horse and I tried to get his largest shorts on this morning and can just barely do them up. The problem is, the meds have worked and he isnt having bad behaviors at school anymore. So I take him off the meds and he stops gaining but he starts hurting people again? Not much of a choice. I'm waiting till our next appt with the doc on June 10th and I'll let him make the call.

Yesterday I had a taco salad from Taco Bell. It was enormous (for me) and I managed to eat it all (without dying). I did it without thinking. I mean I was eating and then I stopped when I was full but it was still sitting in front of me so I PICKED and PICKED. Uh, before I knew it, it was gone. Oooooops. So I felt guilty. When we worked out last night I went hogwild. 40 minutes on the Ellip (resistance on 7) then 30 minutes on the treadmill at 3.5 and finally 30 minutes of swimming. I felt good, so good that I celebrated with a Latte. HA!

Seriously, I'm not happy at this weight. Joe thinks I'm insane when I say I want to lose abit more but its true. I figure that 5-7 pounds will put me where I want to be permanantly.  I dont know what it is but I feel fat. Its probably because of the loose skin. I'm going to set up a plan for June 1-June 13th to maximize my potential for this weight loss. I'll be out of school, the kids will still be in so I'll have the opprotunity to spend lots of time at the gym. I'll post my full plan once I have it laid out, I'll feel more accountable if you guys know it too.

Breakfast: 100 cal bagel/2 TBsp peanut butter, 1/2 grapfruit

Ok, thats it for now. Tata.

5:55 pm

We made it back. Wheeeee! Here are some pics.

One of those floating stone thingees as we walked up to the entrance. Child #1 tried to drink from it.....I mean, cmon, it kinda looks like a water fountain yeah?

Child #2 decapitated (with Child#1 peering in from behind like a serial killer, hehe)

They really have no idea what theyre looking for.

In the space capsule.

Another floating stone, on the way out. This one didnt resemble a water fountain, more like a wading pool......hence we had wet shoes before leaving.

It was fun. We sat through a 45 minute IMAX called Sea Monsters which was good. I was so glad to have the Garmin in the car or I would have been hella lost. Richmond is like 4 million one way streets bi-sected by a trillion traffic lights (of which I accidently ran 2, ooops) We got home by 3pm.

Tonight I relax. Only one child at home and Joe at work. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

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Carbs are evil.

Morning! Weighed in this morning at 143 lbs.  I'm very aware of the "why" too. I need to seriously carb-detox, I've been loading on them for a week.  Bread chips bread chips oh and did I mention BREAD?! Its like a drug, i swear. My workouts have been half-assed and sporadic. My 30 minutes on the Ellip. have dwindled, no sweat at all and I've taken to walking at about a 3 on the treadmill instead of lifting weights. I know, at least its something right?! Well, not really, at least not for me. I blame it all on my ALLERGIES, damn pollen. I'm a weepy-eyed, runny-nosed, congested mess. I hate hate hate hate hate hate allergy meds cause they always make me droooowwwwsy and gezus thats all I need in Mr. Monotone's class is to be even sleepier. Yah. Okay so today I'm going to fight through the mucous and work it out hard (I say that now but ask me again at 4pm).

I'm off to learn! Tata.

9:12 pm

HA! HA! HA!

If I wasnt laughing, I'd be crying. Spent the remainder of the day studying for tomorrows exam, which is going to be harder than I imagined it would be. (Duh.) I ended up watching the kids swim for 2 hours while I hit the books.  I wanted to work out but am just too freaked about this test. Its after 9 and my brain is fried. I'm getting up at 4:15 am to study some more because I retain better in the morning. It's true. But by Noon I'll be useless and need to nap. Thats ok. Well, today was an ok food day at least.

Breakfast: 100 cal. bagel w/peanut butter, 1/2 grapefruit (250 cals)

Lunch: small salad w/tuna (250 cals)

Snack: Handful of chips (120 cals)

In car, on the way home from gym: Grande Latte (170 cals)

Dinner: Salad and 1/2 tuna sandwich (230 cals)

Snack: Pecan granola bar (120 cals)

To watch LOST: sm. bag popcorn (90 cals)

1230? thereabouts.  Not too bad. Salad always saves my life.

Checking In

Hey there. Been busy. School started on Monday and I'm there from 9am to 12. Usually after school I drive up to Colonial Heights and run errands.  Boring life stuff, no fun to write about thats for sure.

I'm also reading STIFF by Mary Roach.

I'm only about 1/2 way through it but she really has a great writing style and a wonderful sense of humor.  I know the content may sound odd to you but it is interesting. I recommend it.

Anyway, I gotta run. I'll try to write more this week, promise.

 

Miss me?

Holy Cow Patty Batman! It's been a few days huh?! You know what they say, absence makes the heart ....... do something, I forgot the rest. Anyway, its been a restful week and I have truly enjoyed the time off.

Since Joe is working tomorrow, today was my Mothers Day. I got breakfast in bed (very soggy french toast with defrosted frozen strawberries (which resembled abortions by the way) and some cut up banana and oranges, oh yeah and a huge glass of OJ (which I cant drink) ) I did my best to eat alittle of the french toast and thanked them over and over, because its the thought that counts. I got 3 cards which were all very sweet, a giftcard for Starbucks and a giftcard for Books-A-Million.  Child #2 and I took off this morning and had a girls day out, ending with a movie, Ironman (which I liked even though I didnt think I would).

After a turkey dinner (turkey in the crock pot all day = NUMMY) acorn squash, gravy and cranberries. For desert and a special treat (because Mom doesnt do high sugar treats anymore) I bought all the fixins for SMores. Even bought chocolate marshmallows......I am OFFICIALLY the BEST Mommy EVER! HA!

I ate a few graham crackers and then left them to their engorging.

Hope you all have good Mama's Days tomorrow. I'll be working out and doing housework! Yay for Moms! Tata.

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Things and stuff.

Hey, look at that.....its the Speck.

Joe built the picket fence on this side.

I'll be even more happy when he builds.....GATES. He's decided that the gates are hard to build and is putting them off.

This is my herb garden that Joe planted for me.

Ok, thats all the leftover pictures. Oh wait.

The above is my new car GPS that Joe bought me a couple days ago. He is sure that I will not be able to find my way to Canada (duh, just keep going UP, yeah??) so he bought me this voice activated thingee. I'm using it around here, getting used to it, and so far it seems easy enough.

I'm starting to read :

I'm taking the rest of the week to read it, nice and slow. Ahhhhhhh.

Night ya'll. Tata.

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Yay, new clothes and they were free!

Howdy friends and neighbors.  I woke up with joy in my heart and a smile on my face (well, maybe not a smile.....I'm just not a real morning person.) My sons bus driver, who is the sweetest woman on earth, called me last night and asked me if I wanted some of her DIL's clothes. She said that we were about the same size and she thought I my taste was about the same as hers. I drove over there this morning and we chatted for 2 hours! She and her husband Harvey are cute as bugs. The clothes she gave me are PRICEY and some have never been worn. I brought them home and about half fit or were really my style. This one balck suit....oh my dog.....beautiful! I LOVEEEE IT! You cant tell by the pictures but it is so nice and fits perfectly and its a SIZE 4!!! AAAACCCKKK! Me......in a 4? Not in even my wildest dreams. And it looks gooooooooooooood. Ha. Sydney took the pictures so theyre not very good, I mean she tried but most of them included either her finger or were missing my head.

I also got a black dress outfit and some very nice dress shirts but theyre all for winter. I may post pictures of those at some other time.

 

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It's all good.

Yesterday was a glorious day.  I wouldnt normally use that word but good grief it was perfect.  The sky was blue, the sun was high, the humidity was low and the breeze was light.  I spent 3 hours on the riding mower, I have to mow 3 acres so it takes awhile.  I didnt mind though (other than vibrating for the rest of the day) and it looked so good when I was done, like green velvet. I love the smell of freshly mown grass too.  Makes my mucous membranes go insane, of course, and I sneeze and sniff for a few hours.

We're planning on going (as a family) to a theme park before the kids and I leave June 30th. (It WAS July 1st but by my calculations that would mean we would be in peril of travelling while the 4th of July crowd were getting started) Anyway, it was between Water Country, Busch Gardens and Kings Dominion.  We can get discounted tickets through the military and the winner was.........Kings Dominion.  Really because Joe doesnt want to take his shirt off (Water Country) which I find rediculous. Have you seen some of the people that have NO problem at all baring it all at water parks?  Compared to them he looks like a greek god. Cant tell the man anything though, he's too self-conscious and he'll be damned if he'll bend.  At least Kings has 1/2 and 1/2, water park on one side, rides on the other.  It will be around the beginning of June so the kids and I will get to enjoy our first theme park with Mommy being 1 year post-op and able to ride ALL the rides! We went to Busch Gardens last year at the same time and I couldnt ride anything, Joe and Child #2 went on the rides while Child #1 and I sat and ATE while we waited. Sad huh?! Never again.

My eating finally escalated to the breaking point yesterday. Made myself sick, bad sick.  Today I am repenting by eating only soft fruit and drinking liquids. DETOX. Bad Michelle Bad. I know its because my period is only a few days away, those hormones push me. That sounds like me passing the buck, not be accountable but I know that my hormones play a huge part in how much I WANT to eat. This week will be better.

Today looks like it may be another super day @ just around 7 am. I'm gonna work out and maybe catch some sun. Aloha!

8:55 pm

What a day.  I had a superior day of eating.......until about 7:30 pm.  I ate 1/2 a banana for breakfast, a coffee after working out, a peeled pear for snack, 1/2 a grapefruit. For dinner I had 1/2 a hamburger patty with ketchup,mustard and mayo, lettuce, 2 pickle chips and 13 fries. Bag of plain popcorn and 2 tablespoons of Cool Whip Lite. Drank alot of water and am less gassy today.

It was another fine day. I laid out for 1/2 an hour and got some color. Tomorrow starts my week off, yay me!

 

Fear The Speck.

This is the new car. Joe's mom had just bought it new a few months before she was diagnosed. Before she died she had told Joe that she wanted him to have it. So we have it.  It is known as THE SPECK.  Long story that I wont go into now, basically its pretty evident why I call it that.  I thought I would hate driving it (I drive it because I rack up the most miles on a daily basis) but so far its not too bad.  One thing I like about it, it uses hardly any gas.....I mean a tank lasts me at least a week.  The Trooper needed gas every 3 days (which Joe drives now).  The gas-guzzling truck (V8 F-150) sits off to the side while Joe decides what he wants to do with it.  The Speck has one bad quality, its 2 door and therefore a real pain in the ass to get kids in and out of.  The hatchback is small but I can fit pretty much all of my groceries in there.  It is very low to the ground and kinda feels like I'm sitting in a capsule or an egg, took awhile to get used to that.  I'm used to being in an SUV of some kind, looking down on everyone. Anyway, I used a stock photo because I'm too lazy right now to go outside an take a picture. Ha!  After my last exam I came home and went to bed......heaven. I got up at 4:40 am to study so I was whipped. Going to the gym today to work out some tension!!!

Time to go get Child #1 off the bus. Tata!

Food Review

@Planters Trail Mix@

Energy Mix

I was walking through Ukrops, just looking for stuff to eat. I know, weird but I do it alot since my diet is very limited. I see this Trail Mix, its new so I immediately read the back.

Cal. 240 Fat 19g  Carb 14g Sugar 6g Protein 6g

High fat, yes but not the bad kind (because of the nuts). Normally calories dont phase me too much. Like I said, I eat so few foods that I'll take high calorie for a new addition.  Problem is....allergic to chocolate. Hmmmm. Bought them anyway, if I cant eat them, Child #2 will.  I opened a pack when I got home and ate all the permitted stuff.  Normal people will probably find it a nice snack.......I'm not normal. I wasnt impressed. Here's another persons perspective who isnt gastically challenged: Planters Energy Mix Trail Mix | Iateapie.net Healthy Diet Food Reviews

In other news. Had my English Lit. final this morning.  My latte didnt sit well and I spent the whole 3 hours burping it up.  I wrote 4 pages of outline and 14 pages of essay.  Only 1 guy was left went I finished.  I'm hoping for an A but the prof. is a dick so I'll probably get a B. Oh well.

One more final. STATS. Aaaaarrrgh! Tomorrow at 9 am. Dreading it.