Amie-isms

Shutting it down...

2010-09-28T12:51:00.002-05:00

I've neglected this blog, it's true. And now the email account that this is tied to is about to be null and void. And because Blogger is so great, it won't let me use my new email address as the primary email. So, I'm shutting this blog down. Jonathan and I have started a new "family" style blog. Which is kind of boring, I'll admit, because we have to keep it clean for the kids. And maybe for the parents, too. Anyway, if you are interested in our new married life, feel free to visit here from now on.

Toodles!

Where have I been??

2010-07-21T12:42:00.003-05:00

So, it's apparently been a month and a half since I've last posted. Where am I, you ask? I'm busy counting days:
- 14 days --> Last presentation ever for my MBA!
- 17 days --> I become an official Junior League of Plano member!
- 20 days --> Day to meet my goal weight...scary!
- 46 days --> The day I get married!

As per usual, I start blogging again the minute I start dieting again. Not like writing has really helped me in the past but I am hoping for a different result all the same. Can anyone remind me what the definition of insane is again?

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I started a new job about 7 weeks ago. I love it here! The team I work with reminds me of my old team from my first job and the work is steady and busy and fun. One thing that's going to help me with this diet is the cafeteria. I know, sounds lame and like crappy, fattening food but they have some good health options. And the price can't be beat. Yesterday, I had a salad for lunch. Those who know me know that I despise salad. But, they have a salad bar where you can customize whatever you want and then they weigh it. My huge salad that I couldn't finish came in at a whopping $3.47. And it was good, too!

Today, I mixed the American side with the Korean side and made my own meal. From the American side, I got steamed broccoli, peas and carrots. From the Korean side, I got a fillet of tilapia with chili sauce. It was all phenomenal and I am beyond stuffed. Hopefully tonight I can stick to my dieting with a decent meal despite having a group meeting to work on our paper right after work. We'll see.

But, I have drive this time. I started looking through old pictures from 4 years ago...when I was super skinny. When I first met Jonathan. When size zero was huge on me. I had willpower back then and I would literally eat until I was just full enough. Today's lunch, while healthy, proved that I am lacking that willpower still. So, I have to make it up with dinner. Which is fine, that should be my lightest and lowest calorie meal anyway. I guess we shall see what the scales say tomorrow!

Anyway, just to embarrass myself, here's the facts. I was 136lbs. yesterday and 134.8lbs. today. If I can keep that up, I'll meet my 20lbs. in 20 days goal. It's a far-fetched goal that many will say is super unhealthy but I have to remind myself that I will be so happy and proud of myself if I can come near that. And why 20 days? Because all the parts of my dress have been made and are waiting on me to do a fitting before they can be sewen together. Then after they are sewen together, I'd like to do one more fitting. Plus, the super short and tight party dress I designed for after the wedding that will NOT hide a single roll? Oh yeah. That. And once I do the fitting in 20 days, I will still have 26 days until the wedding...which will be the time I lose whatever is remaining on my 20 pound goal.

And before you ask...no, I haven't been running lately. I was injured and will be starting again this week. Plus, I'll start my running classes again on August 17th. But, I have to take it slow and basically start from scratch again. Boo!

Big News!

2010-05-24T13:49:00.002-05:00

I am starting a new job on June 7th! I'm extremely excited about this new position, although everyone I interviewed with was very honest in letting me know it's a bunch of work. So, since my current job is on a reduced workload schedule, I will probably be easily doubling my hours at work within the first week or two. That part stinks, but it's such a good step (or leap) in my career that it was hard to pass up.

Also? The benefits are by far the best I have ever had! The pay is great, there's a bonus every year that's paid out over 4 quarters (so like a mini-bonus every 3 months!), the insurance is great (and cheap!) and the PTO and vacation time rocks. Plus, I'm going back to the technology field so we get discounts on cool stuff. :) I think Jonathan is most excited about that part.

Of course, my timing is impeccable as always. I start this job the same week I start my final class for my MBA. A class that is going to be very intense. I start this job just 3 months before my wedding. And also, just 3 months before my first year of Junior League ramps up. Great timing, Amie. So, if I didn't already think that 2010 was moving at the speed of lightening before, then I sure as hell do now!

It's been a huge year with a lot of changes, that's for sure. But all are great changes and I'm so excited and nervous at the same time!

Oh yeah, also we had our engagement party this weekend and I wasn't expecting gifts, but OMG I love all the gifts!!! It's going to be so hard not to use them until after September. My pots, pans and knives are fabulous!!

9pm - 9am

2010-04-20T07:37:00.005-05:00

Please excuse me for this rant...I am exhausted and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

I grew up in a very strict household with lots of rules. There is only one rule that I can think of right now that I have carried over into my adult life. It's a rule that I feel is exceptional and should be followed by everyone. It's the 9pm to 9am rule.

Basically, as a way to keep me from bugging other people/neighbors/friends' parents/etc. in the wee hours in the morning, my mom started this rule. I was sort of an early riser as a young kid and my best friend and I loved to call each other the minute we woke up. Neither of our parents were exactly early risers. So, my mom always told me that it was extremely rude to call people before 9am. Seeing as how I never wanted to be rude, I stuck to this rule like my life depended on it! When I started staying up later than 9pm, my mom extended the rule to saying that it's extremely rude to call people between 9pm and 9am. I could see her point. And I stuck to this rule.

Of course, in college, I was rarely up and ready to go before 9pm, so I bent the rule for the time being. However, if I knew someone was staying in for the night, I still would not call them between 9pm and 9am. After all, I didn't want to bother them!

But, undergrad is over and has been over for many years now. When I entered this wonderful world of adulthood and responsibilities, I realized that at heart, I was an early to bed, early to rise type of gal. Even Jonathan quickly adapted to this schedule as it's just more convenient for me. And try as I might to sleep in late on my days off, I am often up by 7am. I thrive only after a minimum of 8 hours of sleep, so many times on the weekend I am still in bed by 10pm.

It's lame.

I know.

The fact still remains that my alarm clock starts blaring at 5:15am Monday - Thursday. So, to get in a full 8 hours of sleep on weeknights, what time does that put me in bed? By 9:15pm.

Again, lame.

I know.

But, it is what it is and until I get a job either way closer to home or one that I don't have to arrive until 9 or 10 in the morning, it's just how it's gonna be. I've accepted it. And everyone needs to learn to deal with it.

If you can't tell, I get extremely irritable when people break the 9pm to 9am rule. Everyone knows it. I've repeatedly told people that I go to bed early and it's best to not try to contact me past 9pm. I don't mind as much if it's a Thursday - Saturday night as I do not have to be up before the sun the next morning on those days. However, I personally think that it is just in good taste to follow the 9pm to 9am rule at all times. I was raised in the south by true southern ladies. We always try to things that are in good taste at all times.

The only exception to this rule is in the case of an emergency. Which is why I rarely, if ever, put my phone on silent at night. I always have my phone on and everyone knows that if there were an emergency, they could call me and I'd be there...no problem. Jonathan completely turns his phone off at night, which drives me insane! Of course, he has drunkard friends that like to text him at all hours of the night and his phone goes off with every.single.email he receives...spam and otherwise. In general, his phone always drives me nuts. And since we are cancelling our home phone today (FINALLY...the contract is up!), someone has to keep their phone on for family emergencies.

So, please. I'm begging everyone out there. Let's act like adults and keep the sacred hours of 9pm to 9am contact-free. I treasure my sleep. I am not a morning person (despite waking up early every day). I get very irritable, even if I am up, if someone tries to talk to me before caffeine has had time to circulate through my body.

It's best for us all to observe the 9pm to 9am rule.

Really. It is.

Gramma

2010-04-12T14:29:00.006-05:00

My Gramma passed away this past Friday, April 9th. I feel that I was very close to her. She was really the only grandmother that I knew well enough to show up at her door any time I wanted. She loved me probably more than I will ever know and I loved her more than she probably ever knew.

The past few years have been very difficult. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2006 and unfortunately for us, she was pretty far into the disease when we finally got a diagnosis. But, as morbid as this may sound, fortunately for her, it went quickly. I think she was lucky enough to not go on for years and years without her memories. It was really only this past year when she lost it all. I have known people who have had Alzheimer's relatives that have been living for years, if not decades, with no memories left. I wouldn't be able to handle that if I were put in that situation. So, that's why I say fortunately for my Gramma, she progressed at a fast pace.

In rememberance of my Gramma, I'm going to list my top 10 memories of her from my childhood. They are in no particular order, just what stands out to me in my mind:

1.) Her tight, tight hugs. She knew how to give a bone-crushing hug! They were always so comforting.

2.) Lots of big pink kisses all over my face.

3.) Her rings. She always wore big, chunky rings and they were so her style.

4.) The way she would spoil me. Rotten!

5.) Her perfume. To this day, I have no idea what it was, but if I smell it, I know it.

6.) Shopping. She taught me how shopping can always make you feel better when you are down. When I missed my mom, she would take me to the mall to "mess around" for a little bit and it always seemed to work. To this day, I will spend hours at a mall when I am feeling stressed/sad/upset/etc.

7.) The way she would play Parcheesi or Dominoes with me for hours on end. She never showed any boredom playing with me. Or at least I never noticed.

8.) Being perfect in her eyes. She kept everything I ever gave her (cards, crafts, little toys) no matter what it was and always thought everything I did was wonderful. I guess that's part of being spoiled. :)

9.) Spending the night. I spent many nights at my grandparents' house and loved it. I would ransack their house looking for old treasures and pictures. Nothing was off-limits and she would tell me all the stories behind every little thing I found.

10.) Tea parties! What else needs to be said when a tea party is involved?

Eleanor Rose Huddleston McGowan: November 25, 1924 - April 9, 2010

Just Under 5 Months!!

2010-04-06T12:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I haven't talked much about the wedding on here, have I? I think it's because in my quest to be the most-laid-back-bride-ever, I've just completely forgotten about the wedding until someone asks me or I want to update my registeries (it's basically shopping!!). I mean "our" registeries! Eh, who are we kidding? Jonathan is about as uninterested in registering as I am in Xbox. Which is why we work so well together...I "shop" and register online while he plays video games. See? We totally have this marriage thing all worked out!

So, today I went to TheKnot.com to get some ideas for hostess gifts. My mom called yesterday asking what I wanted to do for that and I hadn't really thought much about it. I was also feeling really crappy yesterday with a little gremlin stuck inside of me trying to claw its way back out...so, I also didn't care either. But, today I'm feeling better and I need ideas! Oh yeah...so I was on The Knot and I saw they had a wedding ticker maker thing and I thought I should do that. And update the old blog while I'm at it. When I posted it, it said "4 months, 4 weeks and 2 days."

Well...crap.

Less than 5 months to go and now I need to get in shape (i.e., tone my arms and back and lose 15 pounds), find hostess gifts, start making invites, get everyone confirmed for Vegas (...you hear that guys? Book your trips! I'm stressed!), start finalizing some of the details, get organized, get in shape (there's lots to do in this department and I'm lazy)...etc. I did do something productive for the wedding yesterday. I bought shoes! They aren't anything fancy, but I love them. Plus, Zappos is awesome and they are being delivered today! 36 hour turnaround...not too shabby.

I just thought of about 1,000 other things I need to get done and I have 152 DAYS left!! Plus, work and school and ... well, that's all really. I feel like I have more to do but I guess I don't.

OK, I'm off to make a list now!

By the way, click here for our wedding site if you are interested. Which, I've been meaning to update...

Budget-friendly Recipes!

2010-03-08T12:49:00.004-06:00

Since this whole financial diet started last week, I've made a couple of great meals that were super cheap for us. Surprisingly, since we started saving money, we have been eating healthier and tastier meals. Actually, that's not surprising because we have not been eating out like we used to just because it was "easy." Now, I'm cooking at home again and I was raised knowing how to cook cheap and healthy! And I must say, I should have never stopped cooking in the first place.

Since I make a lot of pizza and pasta at home, these recipes are just that. I made pizza one night and had enough left-overs of the sauce and cheese to make baked ziti the next night. So, here's the pizza.

First, we have the wine-infused carmelized onions:
1 bottle of cheap-ass cabernet (there's one for $2.50 at Wal-mart)
2 large yellow onions (or if white onions are on sale, get those!)
Enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a skillet
Salt to taste
Timer

Slice onions to desired thickness. I wouldn't make them too thin or else they will just not be right. I like about 1/4" thick. Turn pan with olive oil on medium-high and wait for the oil to heat up. When the oil is shimmering, throw in all the sliced onions. It will look like a lot, but when it's done, it won't be that much. Toss the onions until all are coated with oil. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine. Drink. After the timer goes off, lighty salt the onions and stir around. Turn heat down to medium. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Continue drinking wine. When the timer goes off, stir the onions. They should be turning brown by now. This is good. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Drink wine, but slow down! You will need some for cooking. When the timer goes off, stir the onions some more. Set the timer one last time for 10 minutes but drink your wine closer to the stove. You might need to stir the onions a couple of times during this 10 minutes. If the onions are a nice, dark brown color, success! If not, keep cooking until they are. Take the bottle of wine and pour about half a glass worth or so into the pan to deglaze it. Stir the onions until all the wine is cooked down. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, move the onions to a bowl and set aside.

Second, we have to make the meat:
1 package of skirt steak, tenderized if available
1-2 cups garlic marinade (we bought a bunch of marinade on sale a couple of months ago)
1 link of hot Italian sausage (freeze the other links for meatballs or other uses later)

Marinate the skirt steak for a minimum of 3 or 4 hours, preferably overnight. OK, I guess that should have been the first step, technically, but oh well. Hopefully you read all of this first before starting. Put steak and leftover marinade in glass baking dish and broil for 5 minutes on each side. Let rest on top of the oven while you prep the sausage. In the skillet you used to make the onions, still on medium heat, squeeze the sausage out of the skin. Break up into small pieces and cook until brown. Using a slotted spoon, fish out the sausage and leave the oil in the pan. Put sausage in a bowl and set aside.

Next, the homemade tomato sauce:
1 can whole tomatoes (whatever is on sale)
1 can diced tomatoes (luckily, fire-roasted was on sale...my fave!)
1 small can tomato paste (cheapest)
2T Italian seasoning
1/4t. cinnamon
2-3 cloves garlic
1 glass worth of the cheap wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Turn down the sausage fat still in your same skillet to medium-low. Chop garlic and throw into pan...be careful to not let it burn! Open the can of whole tomatoes and dump entire contents into the skillet. Using a butter knife, cut up tomatoes to desired chunkiness. Let these cook for a couple of minutes and then add the can of diced tomatoes, juice and all. Simmer for a few more minutes and then add about 1 glass worth (less if you want) of the wine and the can of tomato paste. Add the Italian seasoning and stir until the tomato paste disappears in the pan. Let everything simmer for a few more minutes. Add in the salt, pepper and cinnamon and stir one last time. Turn to low.

Turn oven onto 425 degrees. Slice steak into 3/4" slices (like you do with brisket) and then cut slices in half.

Now, for the pizza:
1 can Pillsbury pizza dough (my fave!)
Above ingredients
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (I found the 16oz. bag on sale!)
1 handful of crumbled goronzola
1 handful of shreded romano

Spray cookie sheet with some cooking oil. Spread out dough onto cookie sheet and bake in a 425 oven for about 5 minutes. The bigger the cookie sheet, the thinner you can make the crust...and I like a thin crust. Pull dough out of oven and cover with homemade sauce. I like a lot of sauce but it only took me about 1/3 or so of the homemade sauce to cover to my liking. Then put down a thin layer of mozzarella. Again, I'm not a big cheese person, so I don't like a lot. If you do like cheese on your pizza (I'm a freak, I know), add more. Using probably just under half of the steak, spread out over mozzarella. Using about half of the sausage, spread out over mozzarella. Again, I'm not a big fan of a ton of meaty toppings, so I probably use less than the average person would. You will probably only use about 1/4 of the carmelized onions (and you'll probably snack on 1/4 of them!) and spread those out over the top of the pizza. Then top with gorgonzola and romano cheeses. Bake at 425 for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Pull out of oven and sprinkle some Italian seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil.

This is what mine looked like before the extra Italian seasoning and olive oil was added:

I personally thought it was awesome but of course, there wasn't enough cheese or meat to satisfy Jonathan so he just thought it was OK. Since I had all of the seasonings and oil, counting only the portion of the meat and cheeses I used, this whole pizza cost about $7 or so. And we have left-overs. Normally, the two of us can polish off a large take out pizza that cost us $20, so HUGE savings!

When you are cleaning up, throw all the meat into the sauce and add as much of the carmelized onions as you want (I think I added half of what was left over). Store in fridge until you are ready for the ziti or just a spaghetti night.

OK, the second recipe is so much shorter than the first! I was just playing around and had a craving when I made the pizza...and had nothing else better to do...so that's why that recipe is so long.

Onto the ziti!
1 1/2 cups (or so) of ziti noodles
Couple handfuls of bow-tie pasta (I added this at the last minute because I didn't think we'd have enough ziti...this made for an extremely noodle-y dish!)
1/2 big bag of baby spinach
Leftover sauce with meat and onions added in
Leftover cheeses (you still won't use all of it!)
Salt and pepper to taste

Put leftover sauce in a sauce pan and cook on medium-low. Bring half a pot of water to a boil. Lightly salt the water (I hate adding salt to stuff, so you'll notice that I say to "lightly" salt everything). Pour the noodles into the boiling water and boil until al dente. When draining the noodles, drain over a bowl to save that pasta water! Pour noodles into a casserole dish. Oh yeah! Preheat the oven to 375. Throw about half a bag of baby spinach into the sauce. I like a lot of spinach and I also take the time to rip off the bigger stems. Yes, the pot will be filled to the top with spinach and that's ok! Using about 1/3 a cup at a time, add in some pasta water. Every time you add in some water, stir everything around. The leftover sauce will be really thick (because I like hearty sauce for my pizza) so you want to thin it out. I think I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water when all was said and done. You don't want it runny, but you do want the sauce thinner than before. Also, you are just cooking it until the spinach is wilted. Nothing is worse than over-cooked spinach if you ask me! When the consistency is where you like it, add that on top of the noodle mixture. Throw in a couple of handfuls of mozzarella and mix well. Top ziti with a couple more handfuls of mozzarella, half of the leftover gorgonzola and romano. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted very well and the sauce is bubbling up. Pull out of the oven and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

I didn't get a pic of the ziti but Jonathan liked it much better. Probably because it had a ton of cheese in it! Or at least a ton of cheese in my opinion.

See? Living on a budget isn't that hard.

Going on a diet...

2010-03-03T07:41:00.003-06:00

...and not the one I talk about all the time on here! I'm going on a financial diet. I'm being forced to now even though I should have done it several months ago. In a nutshell, my salary was just reduced by 20%. That's a lot. They phrased it by saying, "Everyone's hours are going to be reduced to 32 per week." But, I'm still at work 4 days a week. They won't let me just add an extra hour to my day on Mondays and Wednesdays and give me another day off. Because, that would help me out a TON. It would mean I could save at least 50 miles/week on my car. It would mean I could work a second job 4 days/week to help make up the difference. It would mean another day I'm just not here at this place.

So, I have to cut out a lot of stuff. I should have already done this. I didn't need to go out for two girls' nights this past weekend. Luckily, one was free since I had gift cards, but the other one wasn't. I didn't need to buy two bottles of $10 wine last week. Hell, I didn't need to buy new clothes for my upcoming adventure to Egypt! But I did all that. And I have to pay my credit cards off every month. I will freak out if I don't. So, there goes my tax refund. Luckily, it's a large one this year, but $1,000 of it is already out the door to pay for my last class (at least I'll have an MBA, right?). My savings is still non-existent because of all the huge expenses from last year. More than likely, I'll have to stop contributing to my 401(k). That's at least 5% of my salary I can get back. So, I guess that means I only have to try to make up 15% of my salary through a second job? That's less daunting than 20%. But, sacrificing my future for today. Now I get why people today can't afford to retire.

I don't really have anywhere to go with this. Just extremely upset right now. I also feel like a bad person because I would have rather them have lay-offs instead. My job would not have been eliminated. I'm the only person in my department and I can do the office admin's job, so there's one person they could have cut. I'm sure cutting just one of the 6-figure/year jobs would have helped as well. They have plenty to choose from there! Those people would have no problems finding a new job. But, it is what it is and I have to keep going.

This sucks.

Stress

2010-02-10T11:10:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure why I do it, but I put myself through unusually high amounts of stress when it comes to deadlines. As much as I am a procrastinator, I do not like to push a work deadline to the last minute. If we have to have a proposal in by Wednesday at 12pm, I will be FREAKED until we get it there.

However, the nature of the business I am in, everyone waits until the week of to get it done. No matter how much I bug them to get it done early. Drives me insane. I'm in a bad mood, I do not want anyone to speak to me, I will send emails to my friends and mom bitching about everything...just not good. I stress myself out completely. I even get so stressed out that I stop caring.

Like this week's deadline. I got the point yesterday where I was telling myself and anyone not employed at my company that I just didn't care if we turned in a crappy proposal or not. Or if we even turned in a proposal at all. Why do I have to come up with charts and graphs at the last minute when nobody would tell me what they wanted in the first place? I work with procrastinators...people I should understand the most...and it drives me insane.

I was so worked up yesterday that I almost chased our mailman out the door to tell him to stop being such a douche! It wasn't our usual mailman, it was the annoying one that comes in on the other guy's day off. I severely DISLIKE* this mailman. He's nosey and loves to look at my computer screen when he drops off the mail and tell me I'm not really working. How in the hell does this guy know what my job is? Every time he comes in, he stands there and goes through the outgoing mail for a couple of minutes. Not sure why he does this. And he whistles. Loudly and constantly when he isn't speaking. I severely DISLIKE* whistling! So much so, my old dog would bark and growl when she heard it. I like to instill those kinds of habits in my animals.

Anyway, yesterday, I was sitting in my office, with my door closed, eating my lunch. I was already frustrated with the whole let's-push-the-deadline-until-the-last-minute stress and someone had just busted into my office without knocking, interrupting my one hour to myself during the day. I severely DISLIKE* being interrupted when I am eating. It's even worse when people want to carry on a conversation with you like you aren't doing anything.

Apparently the person that was supposed to be giving me my lunch break was busy chatting in the breakroom for half an hour. So, nobody was at the front. The annoying mailman walks in, whistling, and starts yelling at the top of his lungs that he is here. And not just, "Mailman!" like the other guy does 0nce just in case. This guy was like, "HELLO HELLO HELLOOOOOOOO! I'M HERE!!! HELLO! IT'S THE MAIL...MAIL GUY!! HELLOOOOOOO! ANYBODY HERE???" Seriously? Is that called for? This is an office...a professional office...you do NOT yell at the top of your lungs to let us know you are here! When nobody walked up, he proceeded to slam down the mail he had for us on the front desk. And then whistled his way out the door. I already severely DISLIKE* this guy...I was thisclose to running out after him and telling him off once and for all.

So, all that to say, we submitted our proposal this morning. And I'm in a great mood now. No more stress. No more tight shoulders. I might even be able to tolerate the aggravating mailman if he were to come in today. I have got to stop doing this to myself!

*I was not allowed to say that I hated anyone or anything when I was growing up. Thus, severely DISLIKE came into my vocabulary.

Politics

2010-02-04T07:37:00.002-06:00

This is the most political post I will probably ever write. I learned long ago to NOT discuss politics and religion with anyone! I do not like confrontation, I do not like to defend my views (after all, they are MY views) and I really do not like it when someone badgers me constantly to try and change my views. And trust me, out of the handful of people that know where I stand, there are still 2 or 3 of them that try to change me all the time. It's annoying. Therefore, politics and religion are off the table for me.

In October of 2008, I made a seemingly innocent joke to a friend of mine. I was under the impression by the bumper sticker on her car that she was definitely on one end of the spectrum, politically speaking. Apparently, she had changed her mind without telling us. When I joked saying I was going to vote in the direction of her bumper sticker in the upcoming election, she went off the deep end. I mean, this girl already talks very loudly...everyone in the restaurant (and it was a loud restaurant) were turning their heads in our direction while she screamed and ranted and raved. She basically called me an idiot in no uncertain terms.

Thank goodness our other friends came in shortly after and saved me from further humiliation.

That day reiterated the point to myself that I should never discuss these two topics. Because, even when you are positive about what someone thinks, they up and change their position on you. I can honestly say that since a very young age (think 12 or 13), both my political and my theological stance has not changed. Yes, I still do my research and yes, I do still learn. But I am solid in what I believe and that probably won't change.

Anyway, none of the above is even my point today. This article is. Think (and say) what you will about the Obama's. But one thing you can't deny is that they are raising those girls very well. Malia and Sasha are both beautiful, grounded girls who are extremely graceful and well-behaved. More than likely, we will not be seeing these girls in tabloids in the near future.

So, what do we think about the fact that Michelle Obama told the world that the girls' pediatrician told her they were starting to gain a little weight? Do people seriously think that she did something wrong? Do people really believe these girls are going to develop eating disorders because their mom put them on a "diet"?

I was put on a diet in the fourth grade. I needed it. I was getting chubby. My mom was always an avid healthy food cook and worked out like a maniac back in those days. Seriously. My mom was ripped! My mom never forced me to go on a diet, but when I came to her and said that I was getting chubby and I wanted her to show me how to lose a couple of pounds, she helped me. She and I sat down and decided on what a good goal weight would be and what my body should look like. She taught me how to count calories and read and understand nutrition facts on boxes. She showed me how to work out.

And I lost weight.* Also? I didn't develop an eating disorder from it. So, was my mom in the wrong for encouraging me to lose weight? I don't think so. I think she created a very self-aware child that knows what to do and how to do it. Now, whether or not I actually do it is another story. I've had my ups and downs and I yo-yo around, but I've never once in my almost 29 years have ever been considered overweight. Nor have I ever been considered underweight. I'm happy with who I am and yes, I would like to shed a few pounds for the wedding because I've been inching back up on that scale. But in the grand scheme of things, I'm happy with the way I look and if I stay like this for the rest of my life, no harm has been done, really. Even if I do bitch about it on my blog from time to time. :)

So, is Michelle Obama really doing a disservice to her children because she is encouraging healthy eating habits and being transparent with their family? I say no, she isn't. She's being honest and she used the story of her daughters to connect with people. The fact that she said, "I had no idea!" shows that oftentimes, parents overlook the little things that when put together, can lead to a much bigger issue. Just look at the show Desperate Housewives. Gabby and Carlos have 2 severely overweight young children in the show and they think they are fine. Just something to think about, even if it is a TV show. I think it's very indicitive of today's standards and the way more and more parents do not encourage healthy eating habits.

My PawPaw always told me when I was little, "It's very interesting to look in people's grocery carts. Fat people always have fat people food in their cart and skinny people always have skinny people food in their cart." Next time you are at the grocery store, start looking at people's carts. You'd be surprised how logical PawPaw's statement was.

*I feel the need the clarify (because who knows if I'm going to get a tacky comment that my mom treated me horribly) that I grew very fast up until the 5th grade. I am now at the same exact height as I was in the 5th grade and not because I went on a diet the year before. I'm taller than my mom and my biological father was short, too. I had no chance! Also, in 4th grade I was definitely in the full swing of puberty. My mom knew this and my goal weight loss wasn't 20 or 30 pounds...it was more like 7 or 8 pounds. Things were kept into perspective as to my height, my developmental stage and pediatrician recommendations.

My Least Favorite Time of the Year?

2010-01-28T17:19:00.003-06:00

You're looking at it. I hate winter. I hate cold. The holidays are ok, but I think there's a bunch of added stress with all the, "We should this. We have to do that. EAT EAT EAT!!!" And more than anything? I hate the dark.

I work 7am to 6pm which means I'm gone from my house from 6:30am until 6:30pm. I drive in the dark both ways. I don't have windows in my office. I usually eat in my office in an attempt to be healthy during fat season.

I get depressed. Really depressed. I very much suffer from a case of the SADs and it's just ridiculous. I personally do not think it's bad enough for me to medicate the problem. I know that first day when I see sun still shining as I'm leaving work, I'm in a better place. That day was yesterday and today? Super productive! Super positive! Super good mood! It's like clockwork.

Like I said. Ridiculous. I wish it didn't happen and the thing is, it never starts until about mid-December. Right as the holidays are ramping up. I usually kick the mood about February. March is always a month of over-excitement which I wasn't aware was also a "thing." It's called Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Wait, does this mean that I am seasonally bi-polar? Surely not!

Thank You Mayo Clinic!

2010-01-26T14:20:00.003-06:00

Ever since I was a kid, I had this term I used: Skinny Fat. It's when a person looks thin or looks to be at their appropriate weight, but they have no muscle to them whatsoever. They are soft. Really soft. And you wonder if thier insides are just a bunch of pudding.

Well, the Mayo Clinic has coined a new term: Normal Weight Obesity. Basically, they stole my idea. I should be rich because of this.

Blog Prompt - Apparently All About Boobs!

2010-01-25T13:58:00.004-06:00

I know it's hard to believe, but there are a lot of times I am at a loss for words. I mean, yes, I talk a LOT and can pretty much talk to a brick wall if I needed to. But there are times (lots of times) that I don't know what to write about. And then things like ranting to Yahoo come up and spewing out. Of course, that was so freaking frustrating. And of course I had to get it out. But seriously? That's my biggest problem right now? Laughable.

So this is where I find MindBump and Creativity Portal to give me ideas. The first idea was to list 10 titles of my autobiography. Hmmm...that's interesting. And hard! A lot of people don't get my humor (or maybe I'm only funny in my own head...hey!...book title!), so not sure how this will blow over...but here goes:

1.) Funny In My Own Head
2.) The Jack-Of-All-Trades, Truly An Expert At None
3.) Amie-isms: A Life Of Inane Thoughts
4.) When Boobs Don't Stop Growing: The Tragic Tale That Nobody Understands
5.) Talking to Yourself: It's Best If Done Alone
6.) How to Get Through School Without Studying
7.) The Life Of A Procrastinator
8.) Do As I Say! Now!
9.) Hot Feet
10.) Floating With The Clouds

The next one was to describe my most embarrassing moment. Hell if I know!! I am easily embarrassed and constantly do it to myself. Most of the time, it's from me trying to make someone laugh and then the unexpected person walks in. For instance, there was this one time in high school during cheerleading practice. We were all tired and a little punchy. It was just my squad and we were waiting for something...I can't even remember now what we were doing, but an after school practice was involved. So, bored out of our minds, I roll up my little practice shorts so much that the cheeks were hanging out and so low that something else was about to hang out. I do that 80's twist thing with my t-shirt where it only covers my boobs. I throw my hair into a really high side ponytail and I grab the orange cones that were sitting in the gym leftover from the P.E. class. With cones on my boobs, I start performing "Like a Virgin" for my squad...who were all rolling on the floor! I mean, I had them going I was so funny (pats self on back)! Then, right in the middle of a particulary dramatic twirl, the HOT coach of the school walks in. There I am, standing in all my glory, about a foot from the hottest guy I had ever seen in real life. Smooth. Really smooth. Luckily he just laughed and walked right back out...but I'm sure he saw me turn beat red first!

Then, just a year and a half ago, there was the "incident" at my best friend's wedding. I was the maid of honor and she had picked out these dresses with spaghetti straps and a really, really low-cut front. It took a lot of altering on my mom's part because, let's face it, while well-endowed girls might be envied for their well-endowedness, there are many items of clothing they just cannot and should not wear. Spaghetti straps with very little boobie coverage = not good! So, since this was so low-cut, there was no way I could wear even a strapless bra under the thing. My mom took about 3 inches out of each piece of string they called a strap and 2 inces out of each side (apparently, the bigger the size you get to try to have coverage, the more fabric they add to the SIDE of the chest part...not the front...I'm sorry but nobody wants to see fat-girl cleavage!). I was practically sewn into that sucker! So, my friend goes to do the bouquet toss, and of course throws it right to me. As I reach up for it...POP! The straps of my dress come flying off! Thank goodness that bouquet landed in my hands when it did because if it was 2 seconds later, my dress would have been on the floor. No joke. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there for a couple of minutes, not moving. All the girls and my friend the bride come crowding around, luckily, and I just stood there repeating, "My straps! My straps! I can't move! What do I do?" Finally I knew that I was going to have to get to the bathroom and I couldn't just stand there on the dancefloor - in front of 200 people, mind you - motionless. So, I turned on my heel and booked it past all the guests and darted right into the bathroom...with about 10 girls trailing behind me. After I was finally pinned in as well as I could be pinned in, and had Jonathan's jacket on, I face the music and walk back into the reception...with a round of applause errupting. Nice.

So the lesson of that story is, if you have busty bridesmaids, please, PLEASE do them a favor and choose a dress with thick straps or a halter style! Strapless and spaghetti straps are HORRIBLE for girls like us and we will resent you for making us wear those types of dresses!

OK, I guess that's all for writing prompts today. I should focus my writing energy on my school stuff right now. But, see autobiography title #7.

Dear Yahoo:

2010-01-20T14:16:00.003-06:00

I do realize that your email services are free. However, that doesn't mean that your service should suck on a regular basis. I am constantly having problems. Especially this week. I don't know what's going on in your part of the world, but in my most sincere voice: FIX THE EFFING PROBLEM!

I don't know why every time I try to clear out my spam folder you tell me that there was a problem with the delete button. You put the delete button there. Make it work! I personally don't want spam sitting in my email. Call me paranoid, but getting a virus on my work computer is not my idea of fun. Just delete the shit and we would all be happy.

Or, better yet, just be like Gmail and hide the spam folder so I don't see that I have 200+ spammy emails sitting there. OR...even better than that!...be like Gmail and don't allow so much spam! OR AGAIN! Gmail also doesn't have these HUGE animated ads all over my email that slows everything down because my workplace watches everything and if it even remotely looks like a video (God forbid!), then they must block it. See, Gmail just puts a simple text ad at the top. It takes no time to load and I didn't even realize it was there until after a few months of using my Gmail account.

Here's another thing, when I type up an email or reply to someone and I hit the send button...SEND IT! Don't tell me every.single.time that there was an error in communicating with the server or whatever your excuse is. I mean, it's your server, right? Don't you know where it is? Shouldn't you be able to communicate with it whenever?

Here's the funny thing about the send button problem. If I save my email as a draft, go to different website and then come back to Yahoo, I can send my draft without a problem. But why put a send button there in the first place if you want me to go through 3 other steps before I actually send my email? Why not just have a message that says, "If you want to actually send these witty and wonderful emails, you must first save it, go to another website and then come back to Yahoo to actually send the email. Yes, we could just put a send button on here in the first place, but that would be making the lives of our customers EASY. And we can't have that, now can we?"

Anyway, Yahoo, the point is, fix your buttons. You have them there for a reason and we kind of like to use them. And I've been a loyal Yahoo-er (Yahoo-ee?) for quite some time. The only reason I even started a Gmail account in the first place was for school. I could just dump all my school emails there without having to log out of my personal email and into another Yahoo email. But, if this problem persists, then I will just have to dump you forever.

Your attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated as I have a life to get to, which includes a lot of emailing. And I really don't want to wait anymore.

Yours truly,
Amie

P.S. If all your servers are located in Haiti, then I might understand the "communication errors." But not a single GOOGLE (yeah, that's right...I said GOOGLE) search turns up anything about Yahoo having servers in Haiti. So, no excuses, Yahoo.

Turkey Meatballs

2010-01-19T15:04:00.003-06:00

The weekends kill me! I lose 5 pounds during the week, I gain right back on the weekends. No need to even explain...it's the usual...drinking, fast food, dinner with friends. But, I just got my syllabus for my next class and I'm going to be so busy I won't even have time to eat! So, maybe I can lose weight during this round of classes. :)

Jonathan and I went to the grocery store yesterday and attempted buying our healthy convenience foods. I got a craving for turkey meatballs and kind of made up a recipe as I went. As always, I don't measure...just eyeball everything:

1 pound ground lean turkey
1/4ish cup of bread crumbs
1 palmful of dried Italian herbs
3 squeezes of ketchup
1 large egg
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Olive oil
28 ounces of tomato sauce

Combine all the above ingredients except olive oil and tomato sauce in a large bowl. Mix with hands until distributed evenly throughout. Scoop out evenly-sized meatballs...I use a scooper that is about 1.5 ounces. Place meatballs on baking sheet or large glass cutting board. After meatballs are scooped, pour olive oil in pan (2-3 tablespoons) and heat over medium-high. Once oil is heated, place meatballs in pan and brown on all sides. About 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium. If there is a lot of residual oil, remove meatballs and drain oil off. However, if using extra lean, white turkey, all the oil will probably be soaked up (it was for me). Add meatballs back in if removed and add all the tomato sauce. With a hard simmer to light boil, cover pan loosely with foil and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve with spaghetti noodles and enjoy!

It's yummy, easy and healthy. :)

Quick and Easy

2010-01-14T08:49:00.006-06:00

Instead of starting on a new "diet" this year, I've decided to throw caution into the wind and do what I think I know I should do. That's the thing about all of these "diets"...they are for people who know nothing about nutrition, portion control and need something laid out for them in explicit terms. I grew up with a Home Ec. teacher for a mom and along the way she's taught me about food. She never really taught me how to cook, that is surprisingly one of the few natural talents I have. Yes, she has taught me some terms (because really, do we have to have a fancy term for everything?) and a couple of things along the way, but my cooking skills came purely out of experimenting and smelling. Smelling? Yes, I cook by smell. If it smells good together before it's cooked, it's gotta taste good, right? Usually that works.

Anyway, I'm getting side-tracked here. Point is, I know how to cook. And, get this, I am really good at cooking healthy! I rarely use salt unless it's absolutely necessary...and no, it doesn't mean my food is bland. People would be surprised how herbs and spices will actually do the trick in the flavor department and no extra salt is needed. I am pretty exclusive with my olive oil usage with the only exceptions ever being if the strong and distinctive flavor of the olive oil won't mix well with whatever it is I am cooking. Then I will use straight canola oil. Both of these are believed to be among the healthiest of the oils. I rarely use butter when I cook. The only time I use that is in cookies (which aren't healthy anyway) or in mac and cheese. Basically, I use butter in the unhealthy recipes because let's face it, if I'm going to splurge, then I am going go whole hog!

I also prefer fresh veggies as opposed to canned or frozen, but if I need a quick go-to, then it's always frozen first and then canned (rinsed well, of course). I know I need whole grains, fruits and veggies in any given day and I sure as heck know that fast food doesn't provide this. And, if they do, it's often at a cost. Which is stupid, if you ask me! Why does it have to cost $1.30 extra to sub a SMALL fruit cup for a large french fry? I know fruit is more expensive than potatoes and definitely more perishable, but seriously, have you seen those small fruit cups? There is absolutely no way that amount of fruit was really $1.30 more than the the potatoes and oil that went into the large fries.

Point is, if fast food joints would offer healthier options at the same cost, I would be happy. A grilled chicken sandwich (no mayo...not a big fan of the stuff anyway) and fruit cup (even a small one) at the same prices as the fried and greasy option would keep me going there throughout any health kick period.

But they don't. And I really need quick and easy. So, since I'm also on a big budget crunch as well as trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I've been doing the best I can do. And what do you know? Without really trying or being on any kind of "diet," I've lost 5 pounds in a couple of weeks! The last time I weighed myself, which I can't remember if it was last week or the week before, I was 134 with 18% body fat. This morning, 129 with 15% body fat! I finally broke out of the 130s!!! I can't believe it! It's been probably 2 years since I hit that 130 mark and I've stayed there fairly consistently. And I did this all by doing what I already know to do.

Here's what my past couple of weeks have looked like as far as eating goes:
Breakfast:
Coffee with creamer
1 cup (measured dry) plain, quick oats - prepared with water
Big handful (about 1/3 of a cup) of frozen rasberries, blueberries, blackberries
1 packet of Truvia

Here's where people will knock my breakfast: the creamer, 1 full cup of quick oatmeal and "artificial" sweetener. Here's how they are wrong: creamer has fat, yes, but you need fat to properly digest your food and the get the most nutrients out of it. That's why "experts" will tell you that if you are eating a meal with very little to no fat in it, start with a salad with OIL and vinegar. You need fat, not a lot, but you need it. Plus, the tinsy amount of creamer that I use doesn't have a ton of fat in there. Secondly, I know the label says that 1/2 cup of oats is a serving size. I tried 1/2 a cup. Not enough for me. Plus, you should eat most of your carbs in the morning anyway. Also, I know you should eat the super expensive, take forever to cook steel cut oats. Yeah, I work for a living and I leave for work at 6:30am. Not going to take the time to make 30 minute oatmeal. 3 minute oatmeal is fine and it's still healthier than most of the sugary cereals that get crammed down our youth's throats, right? And lastly, Truvia is actually natural. It's the best non-sugar sweetener out there, in my opinion. Not that I'm an expert, but I do know how to read a label and do research. I've also heard from countless nutritionists that they would rather you use a little bit of artificial sweetener than regular sugar if you are trying to lose weight. I don't even use the artificial stuff. The ingredients in Truvia are erythritol, which is a natural sweetener found in some fruits, rebiana, which is the sweetest part of the stevia plant (a real plant from South America that has been used for centuries for it's sweetening properties) and natural flavors. The natural flavors are probably the scariest part of all just because it is so vague. But, it's not all that bad...and for the record, neither is the artificial counterpart. However, I think Truvia's ingredients are still better than that of let's say, Sweet 'n Low...which is what my company offers. Americans get plenty of corn by-product in our diets that we really don't need much more. Dextrose, I'm talking to you!

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine or Kashi or Healthy Choice frozen meal with a handful of frozen mixed veggies thrown in

The argument: it's frozen! It's processed! It's high in sodium! My defense: it's quick! It's less processed than McDonald's (not to mention the added veggies)! I need sodium anyway because I run and I don't get any from breakfast and very little from dinner! So there! Plus, most of these meals are under 25% of your daily recommended intake. Never do I go over 25%.

Snack:
Either a handful of unsalted mixed nuts
OR
2 Wasa crackers with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (only PB that is made of peanuts, peanut oil and salt) and a touch of honey
And on running days, I also have Luna bar as I leave work.

Not sure what could be argued here...maybe, "I thought you said lunch was your only sodium intake?" I didn't say lunch was my only sodium intake, I just said it was the majority of my sodium intake. Also, all 3 of the above combined? About 12%. But I never eat all 3 in one day. And again, I actually need sodium.

Dinner:
Baked chicken breast
Jasmine rice
Veggies

The argument: white rice! White rice! BAAAAAD! My defense: not really. Yes, brown rice would be better, but I like the flavor of white...specifically Jasmine...and I do need carbs after my runs. So, it's not that bad. Plus, this is most frequently used rice in Asian countries and they eat it almost every meal. They tend to be skinny and live longer, so surely white rice isn't that horrible, now is it?

Yes, I do have cheat meals still. Last night we had pizza rolls. Basically, I use reduced fat crescent rolls, a little bit of sauce and little bit of cheese (seriously, not a lot at all...won't fit). We happened to have fresh buffalo mozzarella and now I am hooked on the stuff. The crescent rolls are the worst part and yes, I have 4 pizza rolls and Jonathan has the other 4. But come on...everyone is allowed a cheat day! And it's still about a 500 calorie dinner.

My other non-nutritionally balanced dinners consist of homemade pizza (I like lots of sauce, very little cheese and veggies if available) and spaghetti. We are very Italian at home, apparently. But, any cheat meal I have, I make sure to eat very slowly and stop when I first feel not hungry. No, I don't say stop when I feel full, because in my head, that means bloated and stuffed. So, I have to ask myself if that hunger edge has been taken away. Basically, I don't eat the whole dang meal!

Anyway, that's my quick and easy "diet" if anyone wants to try it. I'm going to the grocery store this weekend to stock up on other healthier snacks. I need more veggies in my diet, I know. It's just a pain in the butt to prepare them when the majority of your meals are at work. I'll let you know how this one goes. Maybe this time, I can actually stick to it!

Completely Overwhelmed

2010-01-13T09:31:00.002-06:00

The past couple of weeks I have been having mild anxiety attacks. Maybe they are panic attacks. What's the difference anyway? I think panic attacks are sudden and short-lived and anxiety attacks build up over time. I guess I am having anxiety attacks. I've been worried about a lot lately but I get these sudden spurts where I feel like the world is about to come crashing down on my head. I'm actually having one now and decided that I need to get it out.

I think the main reason I am freaking out lately is because my bank account is almost $15,000 lower this year than it was last year. There, I said it. Out loud. Or in type, rather. I had a ton of unexpected, large expenses and a couple of fun expenses that were still large, but at least they were fun! The crown after my root canal, my dog getting sick and then being put down, plumbing explosions (ok, leaks, whatever), allergy shots, paying a butt-load of tuition, needing new tires...all of that wasn't fun. There were several more not fun parts of 2009, but they weren't nearly as expensive as the ones I just mentioned. Then we got new floors and went to New York. Those parts were fun...and sometimes not...but dang if they weren't expensive!

So, that explains about 60% of my anxiety. Yes, only 60%. I thought it would be more than that seeing as how I always freak out about not having enough money in savings, but it is what it is right now and plenty of people have reminded me that all that above stuff that happened is the EXACT reason why you should have a savings account in the first place! Not that it really helps, but I just have to think back to when I was first starting off in this crazy, "real" world and I barely had two nickels to rub together! I managed to lively frugally then, so I need to manage to live frugally now.

Oh yeah, back to the other 40%. I just feel so disorganized lately. My house is a disaster, I can't concentrate at work, school is about to start again and I'm getting married. Yesterday, I realized that every time someone asks me how the wedding planning is going or if my mom calls me with some more wedding stuff, it annoys me. And it's not that these people are annoying me at all...it's that I feel so unorganized and so overwhelmed with everything right now that I don't want to talk about it. Anyone who has ever known me for any length of time can tell you that I am the worst procrastinator. And I mean the WORST! I will put off writing a paper until the night before it's due. Time and time again. But, with the wedding, I know I can't procrastinate so I am starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. And it's making me shut down.

So, resolution #4 for 2010 is to get my life cleaned up, organized and on track!

You see how I made that bold, italicized AND red? That means that if I don't stick to 1 through 3, then this HAS to be the one I accomplish!

Luckily this is a 4-day weekend for me and even though my Friday and Saturday are already gone due to prior commitments, I will be spending every waking minute I am at home cleaning my house up. I'm getting Jonathan started on the garage today (DID YOU HEAR ME, JONATHAN?!?!?! TODAY!!!) to go through all of his boxes that he still has in there from moving in. Yes, for almost 3 years now we have had so much crap in the garage that needs to be thrown away. So, since today and Sunday are supposed to be sunny around here, those days are dedicated to garage and backyard clean-up! Friday night and Monday are dedicated to picking up the house, deciding what stays and what goes and organizing the stuff that stays.

I'm damn determined to become a clean-freak. I won't make that a resolution, though, because I've been damn determined in the past about it...and, well, you see where we are today.

This has got to happen for me. Why? Because I don't believe in medicating a problem when you know exactly how to fix it. And fix it, I will.

One of THOSE Days

2010-01-12T12:15:00.005-06:00

Do you ever have one of those days? You just feel beat down and not sure why? It's one of those kinds of days for me today. I mean, I know WHY it's one of those days, but that shouldn't be a reason, should it? You females out there know what I'm talking about. Hormones raging. Completely crampy. Bloated. Bloated. Bloated. Angry for no reason but all you want it is a hug. Yeah. One of THOSE days.

I feel bad for Jonathan, too, when these days come along. He can't do anything right in my eyes and I come home often ranting and raving about how he doesn't do jack shit around the house. Then he smiles, walks up to me, gives me this biggest hug in the world and rubs my back. He knows that helps. And I swear it makes him the bravest man in the world! Because although I love that hug and back rub, it doesn't make it any better. I still go off the deep end and lecture him on the proper way of putting up whatever it is that he has put up wrong. But he sees that smile behind the rant. Because he knows that while that hug didn't make things in general any better in my mind, it showed me that he understands. Even though he sooooo doesn't.

But that was last night and today is today. He's not here to hug me. I feel like the world is one big idiot today and I don't want to deal with it. I was fine when I woke up. Tired, but fine. However, despite all this fineness that I felt this morning, there was this thought in the back of my head that today wasn't going to be a great day. It's going to be a day where by 4pm I just want to crawl under the covers and go to sleep for many hours.

I won't get into work because that can always lead to being DOOCED. And we don't want or need that. But just know that it's annoying.

Then there's the fact that I just don't feel well. And there's nothing that can help that...just time. I'll probably feel better by tomorrow. I always do.

The next thing is that I start my new running class tonight. I decided to really push myself and moved up to the next class. The 201 class. Problem is, I didn't run for 2 weeks and then when I realized that I should go run before our "magic mile" that was last Tuesday, I discovered a pain in my knee. Turns out it was my IT band so I got the appropriate equipment (thank you $20 strap!) and it seemed fine last Tuesday. But we only had to run 1 mile and the pain always started after the first mile. Class on Thursday was subsequently canceled due to an arctic blast that rolled through Dallas. I should have gone to the gym and run on the treadmill. I didn't. I also didn't run on Friday or Sunday like I should have. I claimed that I was resting my IT band as that is the best course of action. In reality, I was being lazy. So, I have a bad feeling about how tonight is going to go.

Then my professor posted our stuff for my Global Business class today. And it's a mess. Completely disorganized and she has things due way after class should end...and when I'm in Egypt. And yes, Egypt is a class and the way the university has it set up, classes should not overlap. We take 3 classes/semester, but only one at a time for 6 weeks. My lovely Norwegian professor has our class starting next week and going until March 20. Which is 7 days into my study tour. Nice. I've already sent an email to her pointing out that she has her class scheduled longer than what it should be and I have the eMBA coordinator copied on that email. I'm sure they will say it's fine and to suck it up, but there's been problems with this class and another professor. As far as I can tell, the professor I have is just using this other professor's stuff and it doesn't make sense. I had 3 friends take the other professor and all 3 of them wrote 5 page letters about why the guy should be fired. They know that pretty much their entire class wrote letters as well. He was moved to the Houston campus for now.

So, Mike Leach is fired before due process yet this guy has a job after every.single.student of his has written letters about how bad of a professor he is? Yeah, not fair if you ask me.

Anyway, that's all there is today. Just a blog to rant about having one of THOSE days. And it's only halfway done. Blech.

And here goes #3...(it's a sappy one!)

2010-01-07T12:48:00.005-06:00

This morning as I was putting on my jacket, I saw a photo of my grandparents and me (yes, that is proper grammar, Jonathan!) from 2002. I see the photo every day as it is sitting on the green shelves that I acquired from them last year, but today, it made me pause a couple of extra seconds to study it. The photo was taken at their 50th wedding anniversary and we were throwing them a surprise party. I even flew into Dallas on the first anniversary of September 11th for them! I was scared so it was a big deal to me.

The look on Gramma's face in this picture is priceless. It's a look of utter and pure joy. And what made her so incredibly happy? The fact that 3 of her daughters (and their husbands) and 3 of her granddaughters took the time to make this day so very special to her. She was so happy to just be with family on her wedding anniversary. In every picture we have of her from that night, she is beaming from ear to ear...and I love her for that priceless look of joy.

Right now, Gramma has Stage 6 Alzheimer's and is quickly heading to the final stage. It's a horrible disease and we are the unfortunate bystanders that have to witness her lose all the personality and spunk that made her who she was when I was growing up. My mom started a blog a year ago and dedicated the first several months to her "book," Ellyland. Feel free to read through her blog, which chronicles our family's journey through the different stages of Alzheimer's with my grandma.

I have not handled this very well as I was very close to Gramma. In fact, this is the first time I have really been able to talk about it at length without completely losing it. But, I am still tearing up. It's hard. I was my grandma's first grandchild and we both lived in DFW (well, mostly...they moved a couple of times) when I was growing up. I can remember countless nights spent at her house with her doing every single thing I ever wanted to do. She spoiled me rotten.

However, the real reason I mention all of this is because I have decided that my third resolution is to truly appreciate my family for who they are...flaws and all! Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate my family and always have. My parents are awesome and I think they raised me to be a pretty great person. I love all the members of my family (even the ones who refuse to be part of it) and there's not much I wouldn't do to make them happy. I'm a pleaser like, despite my constant need for independence.

But, and I'm sure we've all been there, sometimes I would just rather do something else besides hang out with my parents...or put myself through the (self-imposed) emotional ringer by visiting my grandparents...or whatever else it might be. I love going to dinner with my girlfriends and I love hanging out in my pajamas with Jonathan and there's times when that sounds more appealing to me than doing "family stuff."

But if the past few years have taught me anything, it's that family will be there for you whenever you need them to be. And, and they won't be there forever. Family members will die before you do and then you are left without them for the rest of your days. Each family member can offer you something that nobody else can and when they are gone, that gift that they hold is gone. Parents are there as only parents can be. Cousins are there for the emotional rollercoaster that is growing up (in essence, they are the ones you learn about life with). Aunts and uncles can provide you with that advice that you don't want from your parents...but need from an adult. Everyone can give you the funniest stories of your life. Trust me, my family has a lot!

And we all need that. Especially me. So, I am not going to just appreciate my family because I have to, not because it's expected of me, but because I want to. We are weird bunch (every single one of us will admit that) and there are things in life we don't agree on (politics, religion, etc.), but I kinda like it the way it is. My family is the perfect family for me.

Resolution #2

2010-01-06T07:33:00.003-06:00

So, I'm doing my resolutions in a series of posts this year instead of just some arbitrary list that we all know I won't stick to (see last year's list...how many of those did I accomplish? Just the first one...). I want them to be well thought out and not just a "here's a list of shit I should do and I'll do it once just to check it off" kind of thing. I'm always trying to improve my quality of life and live by what I say I am going to live by. I say that, anyway. :)

So, the second resolution this year is one way that I am attempting the blanket resolution of losing weight. For this season of The Biggest Loser, we are not going to eat junk food while we watch the show! I don't know what it is, and I know we aren't the only ones that do it, but there is something about that show that drives your primal instinct to PIG THE EFF OUT while watching morbidly obese people change their lives and their health for the better. Why do we do it? Well, let's see (yes I have excuses):

1.) The show comes on Tuesday nights. I have my running class on Tuesday nights. Therefore, I'm already one step ahead.

2.) The show comes on Tuesday nights. I have running class on Tuesday nights. Therefore, I don't get home until 8:30pm at the earliest and that is too late to actually cook something.

3.) OK, we know the first two sentences here. Jack in the Box is right next door to where my running class is, therefore, it's just easier to pick something up.

4.) Wendy's and Chick-fil-A are also on my way home. Do we see where this is going?

None of these are good excuses. Well, the first one kind of is, but eating junk food after I run just un-does (is that a word?) everything that I was able to accomplish in class. The problem is, I have seen Jonathan screw up cooking so many times (he calls "experimenting") that I don't trust him to make dinner "just the way I like it." My mom will tell you, if you don't do something "just the way I like it," then it's not worth doing. I'll just do it myself!

But, I need to give up control over something and let him cook at least one night per week. We have enough frozen chicken, frozen veggies and rice in the house that he can reasonably throw that together quickly. And last night, I let him do just that. He made us marinated chicken and rice. And it was good. Yes, I did complain about the lack of veggies, but that was my fault. He's so used to me telling him exactly what to make and what time to do everything at, that he didn't even dare think to make something I didn't mention. And I forgot to mention making veggies.

Here's the funny thing, I think Jonathan is awesome at cooking vegetables! Weird, right? He can make some great roasted asparagus. He watches Food Network all the time and a lot of it has absorbed into his brain. So, he can cook. It's just that sometimes, he doesn't think that following the recipe in the exact order (some recipes are in a certain order for a reason...it's the one thing that I will actually follow the "rules" on), or the same measurements/ratios is necessary. He also doesn't think that if you throw something with a lot of peppers in it (think spicy sausage) into a screaming hot pan, that the peppers scorching won't burn your face, nose, throat, eyes, etc. while it's cooking. That one gave me a good laugh. There are times when he thinks excess is great and in reality, the chicken just won't cook with all the extra crap in there.

I've taught him that these things aren't always the best qualities in a "chef." And, I think it's time that he is allowed back in the kitchen. At least if I let him back in there, we won't eat junk during The Biggest Loser, now will we?

100th Post!!

2010-01-04T09:12:00.006-06:00

I had remembered a funny story and decided to share my thoughts on it, but when I logged in this morning, I saw that this will be my 100th post! So, first off, woo hoo to that!

Anyway, I don't know why some random memories pop in my head at the most random times, but they do. This morning as I was making my breakfast, I remembered this conversation with an older gentleman in a sauna at the gym from about a year and a half ago:

(Somehow the conversation in the sauna, with all 10 of us, had turned to modern day courtships.)

Random Guy (RG): Let me ask you this, I bet the place where you live is in your name, huh?

Me: Well, yes. Who's name would it be in?

RG: It should be in the name of whomever you are dating at the time.

Me: And why is that?

RG: Because these punks nowadays don't know how to treat a woman. As a man, you should be paying for everything...and I mean EVERYTHING!

Me: Well, that's stupid, if you ask me. A woman needs to be able to stand on her own two feet and not just go from her parents house to the sorority house to a man's house. It's a different world now and women need to be able to take care of things themselves instead of depending on others.

RG: Tell me this, WHY are you paying for your own place to live if you have a boyfriend?

Me: Because I bought my house before we met. Therefore, the mortgage is in my name.

RG: Well, he should know to buy it from you or buy you a new house to live in because that's just how things go.

Me: Tell me this, is your girlfriend a 25 year old perpetual student who acts more like your daughter and a spoiled little brat than a strong, successful, indepedent woman who actually loves you for you?

RG: Yeah, so? What's wrong with that? At least she depends on me and needs me, therefore won't leave me.

And then I left. This is a real conversation that I had with a total stranger! It always shocks me when people try to tell other people how to live their lives and love to scream, "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!!" when obviously, this guy is doing it so right.

Maybe I'm a feminist. But I was personally raised to be as independent as possible. I was taught to live my life on my own terms and do what was right for me, not for someone else and definitely not for the perception of something else. I bought my first house, on my own, when I was 24 years old and making less than the lowest end of what the average first year teacher pay in Texas is currently at. Hell, I moved out of my parents house one month after I got my first job despite the fact that I thought I was going to stay there a few months longer so I could save up more money. I was making $30,000/year (I know, big no no here...not supposed to talk about salary) and I argued with my dad that I could make it on my own...despite the small salary. The main reason was, I had learned in college that I loved living on my own. It made me feel like an adult. I was an adult, after all, and should be able to get calls whenever I wanted without worrying that I would be waking up my parents. I should be able to leave at 11pm to go out with my friends without waking up my mom to explain that I was leaving for the night. It was just easier. I was making my own money so I should be able to do what I wanted with it. So, I moved out and on my own.

And it was hard. My mom still donated groceries every once in a while and I even took up cleaning her house (I hate cleaning!) to help pay the bills every month. My dad was right...it's hard living on your own when the digits in your salary are small! But here's the thing. I did it. I made it work and I am more than proud of myself for doing it without any man to depend on.

That's why this guy made me so mad at the time (although, I think it's funny now). He doesn't know what my views are or what I went through to get where I am. I was still able to pay my bills and live life fairly comfortably. I was completely independent. Of course, Jonathan was already living with me by this time and helping out on his end. But all that did was help me to build up my savings account and actually get to buy fun stuff! Of course, had I known then that my savings account would be bleeding out in 2009, there would have been a lot less fun stuff that I bought! But, that's all in hindsight. The fact of the matter is, this guy had the nerve to tell me how to live my life. Also, I had the greatest cardio workout after that since I had my adrenaline pumping.

So, that helped me to renew a vow that I gave to myself a couple of years ago: other people's lives are other people's lives. Let them live it. You don't have to "help" because oftentimes, they don't want it. You don't know what it took for them to get where they are and they could be beaming with pride with what they have accomplished or beyond ashamed about what they have done wrong. Either way, it's not up to you to drag them down and tell them, "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!!" They know what's best for them and you know what's best for you.

Remembering this story has also helped me with one of my 2010 resolutions. My life is my life and no matter what anyone says, I'm doing it right. And in 2010, I'm going to keep on doing what's right for me and not let other's opinions affect the way I live my life. Conversely, I'm not going to worry or judge or have any opinion on how other's are living their life...good, bad, or indifferent. It's their life and if they want my honest opinion, they will ask.

The End of a Decade...And 100 Lessons Learned!

2009-12-29T08:14:00.007-06:00

So, the other day my friend sent me an email saying that she and a co-worker of hers were talking about the highlights of 1999. I thought about it, and since I was bored, came up with a rather long list of my personal highlights of 1999. It was the beginning of an era with a lot of lessons learned this past decade...all starting in that awesome year of 1999.

(This is edited way down because there are some things that parents do NOT need to know about college!)

(Also, most are meant to be funny and not really serious...with a couple of moments of seriousness thrown in for good measure.)

(But all are true accounts.)

(I started off in somewhat of a chronological order but things became very muddled after about August of 1999. Then some stories in my head led to other stories in my head and they just got all jumbled.)

(Oh yeah...then it also turned into a 1999 through 2000 list because I couldn't remember which stories belonged in which year.)

(I'm ready now...enjoy!)

1.) Broke up with a psycho.
2.) Dated an ex's best friend right after it was discovered that said ex was a pyscho.
3.) Learned that's not a bright idea.
4.) Graduated from high school.
5.) My parents moved into their new house that took FOREVER to build!
6.) Went "clubbing" for the first time.
7.) Started college.
8.) Lived on my "own" for the first time.
9.) Saw the true colors of certain family members...and they weren't pretty.
10.) Learned that a lot of people (especially small town girls) can be pretty crappy people.
11.) Learned what my alcohol tolerance really was (laughable!).
12.) Learned how to function and go to class hungover (this is a skill that became very useful later in life when I started my first real job and experienced 8 hour happy hours...multiple times per week).
13.) Learned how to do a proper keg stand.
14.) Learned that I get brain freezes WAY too easily!
15.) Learned that if I drank enough and often enough, that tolerance really can be built up!
16.) Discovered who my true friends were.
17.) Started dating on an adult level...which wasn't that successful.
18.) Realized that people can be very two-faced.
19.) Back to clubbing...I LOVED to go clubbing!
20.) I saw hard core drugs for the first time and not just when the police came up to school and had a display of them so we knew what to look out for.
21.) Learned that those displays that the police show you are WAY outdated!
22.) Frats...ugh.
23.) First relationships with "older" men (as in, they were 5 whole years older than me!).
24.) Found out that I'm not very good at juggling 5 relationships at the same time. Probably why my "adult level" of dating wasn't very successful.
25.) Learned that no matter what age, guys want you to only date them while they are free to date whomever because technically you guys aren't "exclusive." Then promptly thought, "Screw that!"
26.) Had my first openly gay friend.
27.) Learned self-defense.
28.) Learned that a lot of people in high school didn't actually think I was a dork in high school...like I thought they did.
29.) Gave a guy a bloody nose...on accident.
30.) Gave a guy a bloody nose...on purpose.
31.) Discovered that I REALLY liked living by myself!
32.) Drank a lot of Crystal Palace vodka.
33.) Realized that it was basically on the same level as drinking rubbing alcohol.
34.) Went camping for the first time without my parents.
35.) Realized that I don't like camping without my daddy doing everything for me (they had the audacity to put me to work!).
36.) Went snipe hunting for the first time.
37.) Eventually learned what a snipe really was.
38.) First time I became friends with a married couple (which was totally weird to me).
39.) Learned how to play pool.
40.) Learned how to use a coin-operated washing machine.
41.) Learned that if you leave your clothes unattended in above machine, they will magically disappear!
42.) Realized that college-level classes were not as hard as high school teachers made them out to be.
43.) Realized that nothing could really prepare you for life after high school.
44.) Developed the awesome skill of taking notes while asleep.
45.) Realized that you can't really read your notes when you take them while asleep.
46.) Discovered that it really didn't matter because apparently As came easily to me.
47.) Although, I did make my first bad grade due to lack of preparation and/or not caring.
48.) Learned that if you make friends and/or date a bartender at a not-so-busy bar, you can drink underage!
49.) Learned that if you put lotion on your hands right before going to a bar, the permanent marker Xs wash right off.
50.) Discovered that the door guys were on to me. Dang.
51.) Had my lotion-y hand wiped off on many pant legs.
52.) Sang "Party Like It's 1999!" all the time! It was stuck/drilled into my head for an entire year.
53.) Realized that if I had 2 drinks in me, I was an awesome dancer.
54.) Learned that if I had 3 drinks in me, I was no longer an awesome dancer, but I still thought I was.
55.) Realized that dancing for 5 hours straight for 3 nights a week really did help fight off that pesky "Freshman 15."
56.) Memorized all the words to a fight song.
57.) Realized that I liked the "alternate" lyrics better.
58.) The first time I was a true fan of football and not a forced fan.
59.) Tried rollerblading...unsuccessfully.
60.) Should have learned to never, ever, ever chop all my hair off...but I didn't.
61.) Highlighted my hair for the first time.
62.) Didn't learn that it should have been the last time.
63.) Had my eyebrows trimmed for the first time, even though I said NO to it.
64.) Learned to really put my foot down if anyone ever tries to trim my eyebrows again!
65.) Had my first stalker. Yes, there was more than one.
66.) Pooped in a public bathroom for the first time (yeah, I went there!).
67.) Discovered that I have a real fear of pooping in a public bathroom.
68.) Learned that if I have a fear about pooping, I won't go for 3 solid weeks.
69.) Learned that if I don't poop for 3 weeks, I will end up in a lot of pain and very, very sick.
70.) Learned that you can see clogged intestines on an x-ray! Also? The doctor will laugh at you.
71.) Discovered that I could actually miss being at home so much despite how much my parents annoyed me.
72.) Learned that as long as I was at home, I would still have a curfew.
73.) Got my first speeding ticket (this was actually still in high school, but it was 1999).
74.) Got my second speeding ticket.
75.) Became overdrawn on my checking account for the first time.
76.) Learned that my dad doesn't know how to deposit a check into the proper checking account no matter how explicit the instructions are!
77.) First time I ever ate in public by myself.
78.) Dorm food. Enough said.
79.) Learned how to cook just about anything in a microwave.
80.) Discovered that I have a true love for Taco Bueno and if I live in a city without it, I will binge for days on it every time I encounter the restaurant!
81.) See above about Jack in the Box...although it isn't so much as true love as infatuation.
82.) Learned how to drive in "wintery mix"...which means snow covered ice.
83.) Learned that college-level classes are never canceled no matter how treacherous it is to get there.
84.) Saw my first bearded lady.
85.) Discovered that I will pluck every single last bit of peach fuzz after seeing a bearded lady!
86.) Saw torrential downpours like nothing I have ever seen before.
87.) Saw flooding like I have never seen before.
88.) Learned what civil engineering was and that Lubbock really, really, really needed a drainage expert.
89.) First dust storm.
90.) Learned that your clothes will stain horribly in dust storms.
91.) Learned that I can survive on a diet of junk food no matter what my mom says!
92.) Learned that if I'm not forced to work out, I generally won't do it.
93.) Discovered that I didn't want history to be my minor.
94.) Discovered that I didn't want philosophy to be my minor.
95.) Discovered that I didn't want Spanish to be my minor, either.
96.) Discovered that if you can't settle on a minor, English is a good alternative that will be assigned to you regardless of if you want it or not.
97.) Discovered that English was a great minor because it only required 2 additional classses outside of the required English classes for my major!
98.) Learned that ANY business in a college town will take a check.
99.) This includes McDonald's.
100.) Learned how to sit back, relax, and take life one day at a time.

Fitting...

2009-12-17T16:03:00.003-06:00

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous, "Yes!"

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

When the laughter subsided the professor said, "Now, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

"The pebbles are the other things that matter... like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first, there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled and replied, "It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple glasses of wine with a friend."

Christmas

2009-12-08T10:16:00.003-06:00

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
A jewelry cleaner
Hardcase luggage
Dog bed for Babs
New sports bras
Lots of books on my wish list from Amazon

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
The multi-media art project my mom made me.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
Ummm...I've made quite a bit! A good painting?

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
My own phone line.

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
I'm going to use niece, nephews, friend's kids: expensive stuff! Kids these days...

6. What is your favorite holiday foods?
Beef Wellington or lamb, sweeet potato souffle, green bean casserole, bread and lots of it, pumpkin cheesecake

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Ornaments

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
A Christmas Story

9. Favorite holiday song?
Greensleeves

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Drinking mimosas first thing in the morning...it's an Irish thing...

Day 5

2009-11-13T09:46:00.003-06:00

So, to quote Jonathan, I cannot stick to a diet to save my life! I have now just decided to bump up my exercise routine and just try to make healthier choices. We had Jack In The Box last night and I only had a small burger...and 2 tacos. Oops. Then, this morning, I had one biscuit with gravy and a lot of fruit. To my defense on the biscuit and gravy, the gravy was REALLY horrible! It was basically just a béchamel sauce with some pepper in it. Not good or real gravy at all. I'm at a conference this morning at the Anatole Hotel, so also to my defense, I did not make the gravy.

I'm also going to try to cook a lot more at home. I think if I can cut out the junk food, then I'll be good. I could probably also lose some weight just doing that alone! I am such a fast food junkie that it's ridiculous. Jonathan and I both have got to get into better shape...me for our wedding next year (oh yeah, have I mentioned that on here?) and him for his clients. He is officially a full-time personal trainer now, so he has to look the part.

Well, my computer is about to die so I guess I should wrap this up and go find a plug somewhere...

Toodles!

Day 4

2009-11-12T17:15:00.003-06:00

OK, so yesterday didn't go so well. I was all pumped to go run after work, but when I actually left work, I was just starving, craving Chick-fil-A and exhausted. So, what do you think I did? Got Chick-fil-A. But, to my defense, I did get the grilled chicken sandwich and took most of the bread off. But those fries...demolished! I felt so bloated and guilty afterward so I know something is working. Well, because of the bloating, I mean. I used to be able to eat that same meal and just be mildly satisfied. Maybe that means my stomach is shrinking!

Anyway, on to Day 4 stats...
Weight: 130.0 (not too much damage from the slip)
Food: Grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, baked chicken breast, zucchini and squash, 1 banana, 1 Luna bar...tonight's dinner will be barbequed chicken with veggies.
Workout: Running class
Feeling: Guilty but ok.

Runner's Commandments

2009-11-11T07:25:00.004-06:00

I thought this was cute. I have been struggling lately with staying focused on the whole running thing. Not sure what it is...exhaustion? Actually, this new group that I am in runs soooo much faster than the last group! There's 2, sometimes 3, of us at the back out of 17. I don't think that helps my head any. I need to get back out and do my runs on Wednesday and Sunday like I used to do all the time. Running by myself, although harder to motivate myself to stay on track, really helps me clear out all the pre-conceived notions that I build up. I think I'll go for a run tonight.

The 53 Runner's Commandments

by Joe Kelly

1. Don't be a whiner. Nobody likes a whiner, not even other whiners.
2. Walking out the door is often the toughest part of a run.
3. Don't make running your life. Make it part of your life.
4. During group training runs, don't let anyone run alone.
5. Keep promises, especially ones made to yourself.
6. When doing group runs, start on time no matter who's missing.
7. The faster you are the less you should talk about your times.
8. Keep a quarter in your pocket. One day you'll need to call for a ride.
9. Don't compare yourself to other runners.
10. All runners are equal, some are just faster than others.
11. Keep in mind that the later in the day it gets, the more likely it is that you won't run.
12. For a change of pace, get driven out and then run back.
13. If it was easy, everybody would be a runner.
14. When standing in starting lines, remind yourself how fortunate you are to be there.
15. Getting out of shape is much easier than getting into shape.
16. A bad day of running still beats a good day at work.
17. Talk like a runner. "Singlets" are worn on warm days. "Tank tops" are worn to the beach.
18. Don't talk about your running injuries. People don't want to hear about your sore knee or black toe.
19. Don't always run alone.
20. Don't always run with people.
21. Approach running as if the quality of your life depended on it.
22. No matter how slow you run it is still faster than someone sitting on a couch.
23. Keep in mind that the harder you run during training, the luckier you'll get during racing.
24. Races aren't just for those who can run fast.
25. There are no shortcuts to running excellence.
26. The best runs sometimes come on days when you didn't feel like running.
27. Be modest after a race, especially if you have reason to brag.
28. If you say, "Let's run this race together," then you must stay with that person no matter how slow.
29. Think twice before agreeing to run with someone during a race.
30. There is nothing boring about running. There are, however, boring people who run.
31. Look at hills as opportunities to pass people.
32. Distance running is like cod liver oil. At first it makes you feel awful, then it makes you feel better.
33. Never throw away the instructions to your running watch.
34. Don't try to outrun dogs.
35. Don't trust runners who show up at races claiming to be tired, out of shape, or not feeling well.
36. Don't wait for perfect weather. If you do, you won't run very often.
37. When tempted to stop being a runner, make a list of the reasons you started.
38. Never run alongside very old or very young racers. They get all of the applause.
39. Without goals, training has no purpose.
40. During training runs, let the slowest runner in the group set the pace.
41. The first year in a new age group offers the best opportunity for trophies.
42. Go for broke, but be prepared to be broken.
43. Spend more time running on the roads than sitting on the couch.
44. Make progress in your training, but progress at your own rate.
45. "Winning" means different things to different people.
46. Unless you make your living as a runner, don't take running too seriously.
47. Runners who never fail are runners who never try anything great.
48. Never tell a runner that he or she doesn't look good in tights.
49. Never confuse the Ben-Gay tube with the toothpaste tube.
50. Never apologize for doing the best you can.
51. Preventing running injuries is easier than curing them.
52. Running is simple. Don't make it complicated.
53. Running is always enjoyable. Sometimes, though, the joy doesn't come until the end of the run.

Day 2

2009-11-10T14:36:00.003-06:00

OK, I have an update for Day 1. I don't like cold cuts so I didn't eat very much for lunch. I wasn't prepared at work for not eating enough, so on my drive home, my blood sugar crashed and burned and I nearly crashed my car, too. So, I had to pull into Chick-fil-A and get a 4-piece chicken nuggets. That at least got me home and then for my dinner, I was allowed 1 piece of toast...so I scarfed that down right away. That took care of the dizziness. After dinner, I was still pretty shaky, so I had a tablespoon of peanut butter with a couple of chocolate chips. All in all, I'd say it was still a pretty good day...even with the chicken nuggets and peanut butter.

Day 2 stats...
Weight: 130.0
Food: 1 slice of toast, grapefruit, 1.5 cups fruit salad, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple, carrots (blech) and celery (double blech!), 1 Luna bar...tonight, dinner will be hamburgers (no bun), salad, cucumbers and brussel sprouts.
Workout: Running class...looks like hills are on our agenda tonight!
Feeling: Pretty dang good!

My cheats on today's meals are the cottage cheese and Luna bar (I have to have something before running). Technically, I should eat about 1,500 calories on my running days to still be the negative 500 calories I need to be at to lose weight. I think I am still way under that! And, since I'll be running, I might even have a bun with that burger. Big cheater! :)

The Usual.

2009-11-09T17:39:00.005-06:00

Yeah, yeah. I haven't updated in almost 2 months. I'm running. I'm starting a new diet today. All the usual stuff I talk about, right? Well, I guess you can just call me repetitive then! I did end up kicking the vegetarian thing to the curb. I really missed chicken sandwiches! :) But, as usual, I decided to start a diet right before Thanksgiving. Today is Day 1 and it's so much harder than I remember it being! I did this same diet about 5 years ago and lost 25 pounds on it. Luckily, I don't have quite that much to lose...and I don't want to get *that* skinny again. I got down to 112 but those last few pounds came off the bad way. By just not eating that much. This time I am aiming to lose 10-15 pounds. Of course, if I lose 15 pounds, that puts me back at 115 and then I'm just about as skinny as I was before! That's why I threw the 10 pound goal in there. When Jonathan and I first started dating, I was 118 and pretty happy at that weight. I still felt comfortable and I was actually eating, so I was less grumpy...I'm sure. But, I still maintained some self-control when it came to food. Why order a regular combo meal when a kid's meal fills me up just fine? Yeah, yeah, it's still fast food either way, but at least I'm not scarfing down enough food to feed both myself and Jonathan!

Anyway...Day 1 stats...
Starting weight: 130.2
Food: Grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, turkey cold cuts, tomatoes, lots of celery and carrots, 2 handfuls of cereal and 1/2 Clif Bar (my cheats for the day)...dinner will be fish, salad, 1 slice of toast, and fruit.
Workout: Rest day, technically...but I didn't run on Sunday either...
Feeling: Hungry.

A day to remember...

2009-09-11T09:48:00.002-05:00

Words always fail me on this day. I personally do not know anyone that lost a husband, wife, child, daughter, son, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc. in the attacks 7 years ago. But, this day affects me. Always has, always will.

I was 20 years old. It was my first day of biology lab. I woke up, turned on the radio and hopped in the shower. The DJs were talking about this situation and I couldn't figure out what they were talking about since I had joined in the middle of it. I almost thought it was a joke at first. But the more they talked, and by the tones of their voices, I knew it wasn't. I got out of the shower, grabbed a towel and ran to turn on the tv. Words failed me at that point. I called my dad, crying, asking what was going on. He said he didn't know but he knew it would definitely be in the history books of his grandchildren.

Then the second plane hit. It seemed like it was slow motion as the plane came in from the side of the screen. All I could say was, "There's another plane! It's going to hit! There's another plane!" And it did. And my dad and I were shocked into silence.

I fought with myself over whether or not I should go to class. The responsible side of me won and I rushed to class. I was distracted by the images in my head. I couldn't pay attention. Some of the students didn't even know what was going on! Did they not own a tv or radio? Our lab assistant said we would be there half an hour, tops. We were there the full 2 1/2 hours. After about 30 minutes, all the students became restless. There were whispers about how disrespectful they thought she was being. I just wanted to get a tv.

On the first anniversary of the attacks, I got on a plane. Two days later was my grandparents 50 wedding anniversary and my aunts and mom were planning a big surprise party for them. I wanted to come home to help. I remember people asking me if I was scared to get on a plane that day. I joked, "No. Who would want to hijack a plane from Lubbock to Dallas??" But, when I got to the airport, I was terrified. This next part might sound a bit racist/judgemental/stereotypical/whatever you want to call it, but it's the truth. There was a Muslim man dressed in full Muslim gear boarding my very same plane. I knew he had gone through the 2 hours of security I had gone through, but I was still scared. I heard him on the phone talking to someone about how just because he was dressed like that, they practically strip searched him in the back. But, I was still uneasy. As was everyone else at the gate that day. Most people were looking at him out of the side of their eyes. Some were just flat out glaring. I was looking at everyone else's reaction.

I now understand why I had my fears. But, I feel like a total hypocrite for having them. Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the most accepting, understanding, sympathetic, whatever you want to call it to everyone in this world. I know several Muslims that are the sweetest, kindest, most giving people in the world. I knew it was a small majority of the population that decided to terrorize our country that day. But, I still judged that man in the airport. I still felt frightened.

Seven years after the airport incident, I no longer feel that way. I am no more frightened of a Muslim person now than I was before the attacks (which was none at all). My boss is Muslim and he is the best boss I have ever worked for. Calm, mild-mannered, extreme family-man...generous.

I still haven't forgotten that fateful day, and I never will. I am a proud American...and am proud to still be able to embrace people for who they are. But I will always remember this day for all the thousands and thousands of people that died...and the families that still suffer.

Never Forget!

Running still sucks, but now I kinda like it!

2009-08-20T13:44:00.003-05:00

Not really sure what's wrong with me, but this running thing isn't as horrible as I might have once thought. Yes, I am still slow and yes, I can barely run a few minutes without a walk break and yes, it still sucks hardcore while I am actually doing it. But I have this weird sense of accomplishment when I am done. I actually have a goal race in mind, too. The Addison Oktoberfest 5K in 5 weeks. Yep...5 whole Ks! Also, I am doing a walk for Autism in November...please visit my site and donate to help us reach our goal!

The past few weeks have been hectic and weird. Work was super busy as was school. By the way, I am now officially halfway through grad school and have maintained my A average! Of course, my next class is accounting, so not sure if it will stay that way. Then we had layoffs. Luckily for the majority of us, there were 3 part-timers here and they were the ones that were let go. However, rumor has it that the next step would be cutting everyone's hours down to 32/week. Which means basically a 20% pay cut. That would be disastrous for my finances right now! I'm putting off buying my accounting book because I can't afford it. Hopefully ordering it on September 3rd will be plenty of time for it to get to me by the first class on September 12th. I'm hoping we are still getting raises next month like we are supposed to...especially since they are now taking money out of our pay for insurance. But anyway, on top of that, I have started my running class this week, too. It's a good thing I have a couple of weeks off before my next class begins. I can just veg for a minute before it all starts to ramp back up.

Two Recipes

2009-07-31T09:49:00.004-05:00

As usual, I haven't stuck to a plan...which is to post recipes on my blog. I really don't have time to cook like I used to so lately it's been really quick, simple meals. But, here are two new favorites I have recently made:

"Di Fara" Pizza
(This is my super fast and cheap version of a great pizza we had in Brooklyn from Di Fara)
1 can Pillsbury Thin Crust pizza dough (oddly enough, they don't have it on their website)
1/2 cup olive oil (I didn't measure this...so probably not that much...just grab the bottle)
1 1/2 cup pizza sauce (my favorite is Prego Traditional)
1 cup Italian cheese (I get the cheapest bag of shredded at the store)
1 small bunch of fresh basil
Other toppings of your choice but use sparingly! I personally just eat it with cheese only.
Scissors
Large cookie sheet

Preheat the oven to 400. Spread out the dough in the cookie sheet. Pour pizza sauce and spread out. Top with cheese and other toppings. Tip: I use a litte more sauce than cheese, but not a lot of either. Drizzle entire pizza with olive oil. Bake for 10-12 minutes. When pizza is hot out of the oven, snip fresh basil over the top to your taste. I use quite a bit. Drizzle with more olive oil over the entire pizza. Enjoy!

Now here are the obvious major differences. Mr. DeMarco only uses fresh ingredients from Italy. All of them. He uses fresh mozzerella and does add a couple of handfuls of shredded fresh mozzerella on top when it comes out of the oven. But, I'm not a huge cheese lover so I skip that part.

Here's the second recipe from my best friend. Her oldest son's father is Lebanese and while he doesn't see that side of the family any more, he does still ask for some of the traditional food that his grandma made. This is my take on what she told me...a lot different.

Lebanese Rice (I don't know what it's called)
1 1/2 cups wild rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 1/2 T. Chinese 5 spice (she uses the traditional Arabic 7 spice, but I was at Target shopping)
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bag of fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms
1 lemon
Olive oil to taste

Bring the water to a boil and let the bouillon cube dissolve. Add 5 spice, garlic cloves and rice to water. Turn heat down and simmer for 45 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and rice isn't crunchy (it's really hard to cook wild/brown rice!). Add in mushrooms. Add in 3/4 of the bag of fresh baby spinach and stir to wilt (easier to add some spinach, let it wilt, add more and so on). When all the liquid is absorbed, plate however much you would like. Squeeze a little lemon juice and top with a drizzle of olive oil.

This would be a great side dish, but I ate it as a full on meal! It was lacking something that I'm sure the Arabic 7 spice has in it. But, I can't place my finger on it. I think it needed a little heat. Enjoy!

Running Sucks.

2009-07-24T09:21:00.004-05:00

Ok, first, go to my Facebook to see pics of New York. I give up trying to post them here as it's already been how many weeks and I haven't yet.

Second, I REALLY hate running! I started an 8 week program that is supposed to take me from nothing at all to being able to run for 30 minutes straight. For week 1, the running days of that week were all the same. Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes, repeat 10 times. The first day I was dying and wanted to quit by minute 9 or 10. But I pushed through. Until week 7, there are only 4 running days. On day 2, it was a little better and by day 4 I thought it was so easy I couldn't wait to move up!

Then week 2 comes along. And oh how it is kicking my ass! All of a sudden, we go from running only 1 mere minute with a 2 minute walking break...to running 2 whole minutes with only a 1 minute walking break. WTF? I didn't think it was going to be hard on Monday...but then I had to stop after 23 minutes. Which isn't too bad, I guess. I still made it 23 minutes and then took Babs for a walk after to cool down. Jonathan thought I was running too fast (really?) so on Wednesday I slowed it down to basically being a power walk pace. But I was "running" it.

I don't know what it was...the slow pace or the increase to 3 minutes running with 1 minute walk breaks...but I died at minute 20. Literally. I am a ghost writing this right now. My breathing wasn't what was bothering me. I was supposed to repeat that pattern 7 times. On the 5th repitition my body just stopped. My hips hurt. My stupid right foot that likes to supinate hurt along the outside. My calves were burning like no other. More than anything, I think it was the pace. It was just too slow to run at.

Today, I am supposed to go up to running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. How will I ever accomplish this? I went back to the article where I found this plan and started reading the comments. A lot of people had to change it to fit their needs and some even took longer than the 8 weeks. Which is what I think I will need to do. It's really a test of my patience...something I have a very little of. When I have a goal in mind, I like to accomplish it as quickly as possible. This is something that just has to be done slowly if I want to be able to do it at all!

But here's the thing...in virtually every article that is on Runner's World, not one person is able to run without struggle. Even the really good, God-like runners that seem to be able to go on for hours without any struggle. They hurt, too! They run out of breath, too! They feel like stopping, too! But they don't. They push through and that's what keeps them in shape and being able to do more. It may take a while for me to be able to call myself a true runner (i.e., someone who actually likes to do it), but I will get there someday.

Oh, and big duh moment on my part...my dad used to be a cross-country coach! Why don't I ask him for advice? Hello!

Pictures of NYC

2009-07-13T14:20:00.002-05:00

Yeah, yeah. No pictures posted yet. I was busy this weekend and pretty much gone all day on Saturday. I am starting my running training today so maybe after that, I will get time. I also have a paper to write this week by Wednesday. AHHHH!

OK, so I will post pictures by Friday. That's my goal. So far, Monday = no pictures. :) Sorry y'all!

Changes

2009-07-09T14:47:00.005-05:00

I've decided that part of my foul mood lately isn't just work, it's the fact that I am not being a healthy person. So, in light of that fact, I've decided to make some changes in my daily routine.

First change, exercise. It's so hit or miss with me. Reading back through this blog, you can see that I either go whole hog or no hog. Lately, it's been no hog citing school as the reason. Well, that's a stupid reason! I can get back on board with working out on my lunch breaks and my mom graciously donated her treadmill to my cause (well, the cause wasn't around then, but whatever...go with it). Since there's a treadmill now sitting in my living room, literally right in front of the TV, I really can't whine and moan about having to go to the gym after I have already come home and started to relax. I also don't have to worry about finding workout clothes based on if I am having a fat day or whether or not I have shaved. Jonthan can just deal with that ugliness! The general public, however, cannot. I was raised in Dallas, you know. With this treadmill, I am going to make an honest effort to become a runner. I used to run. In high school. I was also extremely fit and weighed about 100 pounds. So, I need to get a little closer to that than what I have been doing lately...which is nothing. I found an 8 week plan that is designed for people to go from doing absolutely nothing (actually, for people who have never run at all) to being able to run 30 minutes straight in 8 weeks. That starts Monday and until then, I am walking on the treadmill at least 30 minutes every day. No excuses. Last night went really well and before I knew it, I was done! I could watch what I wanted and I wasn't distracted by people possibly looking at me. So, maybe...just maybe...I can actually do this running thing after all. It's all about taking it slow. Something I am not good at but it's probably what has caused me to stop trying after a few times in the past. Patience, my friends. Patience.

Another change is overall eating habits. I need to stop it with the fast food and only eat things that I buy and then have to prepare myself. I love to cook, I just don't seem to have the time or energy anymore (which I'm sure all the fast food and no exercise has nothing to do with the lack of energy!). Even if it is only a Smart Dog, at least I prepared it myself! Also, smaller meals and more snacks. I always have a tendency to wait until I am starving, eat a giant meal, get way too full and bloated and then not eat the rest of the day only to become hungry again as I am falling asleep. Not a good cycle to be in.

Before we left for New York (I will post pics soon...promise!), I ran out of my Diet Dr Peppers. When we got back, I didn't bother to buy anymore. My dentist keeps getting onto me about drinking them and when I was flossing the other night, I swear it looked like my teeth were jacked up at the gum line. I know it's from my receeding gums that I need to have surgery on (again), but this little voice inside my head said it was from those dang soft drinks and the acid was eating away at my teeth. So, I haven't had a Diet DP since New York...Sunday, I think, was my last. The only time I really miss it is in the morning. I usually have one on my drive in and without it, I feel like I am screwing up my routine completely!

Because of this new goal of not drinking any Cokes (even the free and oh so tempting ones at work), I went to Teavana today so that I can get back into tea again. The last time I dropped a bunch of weight quickly, I was drinking a ton of green tea every day. No Cokes, no coffee, just tea and water. So, I got this tea maker and mug for work along with white, mate and rooibos teas. I used to drink the mate tea all the time before I got too lazy to continue to make it. It was great! Much better at energizing me than coffee. But, coffee was easier and free at work. Which is why I got the the tea maker. I figure I will probably drink at least 4 cups of tea per day. To prepare and clean, it's maybe 5 or 6 minutes out of my day total. If our receptionist can take two 15 minute smoke breaks in addition to her lunch break, then I can take a few minutes for a tea break. I tried the rooibos this afternoon and it was amazingly good! I probably won't try the white until tomorrow, but it smells fantastic.

I am really trying to follow through on this one. I tend to say I am going to do something, plan it death and then get tired of it before I really give it a chance. I feel that these are vital changes that need to be made to help me be in a better mood and therefore be a better employee, student, friend and family member.

New York Here We Come!!!

2009-07-01T19:38:00.002-05:00

We leave bright and early in the morning! Woo hoo! Actually, not so bright since our flight leaves before the sun rises, but whatever. Hopefully I won't be too wiped out, but I plan on posting lots of pics on Monday. Have a great 4th of July weekend!

2009-06-29T08:20:00.005-05:00

Well, those ads are gone now. I received an email from Google saying that displaying ads on my blog was financially damaging to their advertisers. LOL! Because my blog is so hardcore or something. What I want to know is, will they at least pay me the $40 or so that I earned with them? Probably not. What a waste of time.

Now I have to figure out another way to make a few extra bucks without actually doing any extra work. I haven't heard back from TWU about my financial aid. I probably won't get that either. I'm way too honest and a question on the application was "How much do you have in all your accounts right now?" I said what I literally had right then. Too bad I was about to pull out several thousand to pay my tuition the next week. So, what I had right then is no longer what I have right now.

I think I have decided that I do not like to battle a budget. This sucks! It seems to be all that I think about lately and it's really stressing me out. Of course work is stressing me out right now as well, but we won't get into that here. Basically, for those that know, it's the same thing, different day. Yet again. Things never change and people never learn and I am stuck in the middle. Let's just say, I'm coming at you from the front desk today.

Let's go ahead and change that subject before I have a classic Amie foot in the mouth disease moment, shall we? This weekend was super busy! I took the afternoon off on Friday to do some school work, but since my car had been yelling at me for 2 weeks to get my oil changed, I had to go do that first. Then I had school on Saturday and a group presentation. Here's my question...how can you be so irresponsible in your late 30s/early 40s that you can severly let your group down? There was this guy in our group who did not have his part done by Saturday. Then, as he was scrambling to finish it, he did it completely wrong...actually, he just wrote down our skit...something that we were presenting and not at all what he was supposed to do. We scrambled on our lunch break to write it for him, all the while he was just blaming his kids! This guy will never be able to be a manager and if he is one already, then I feel sorry for his subordinates. So FRUSTRATING! He lied to us, he lied to the teacher and he blamed his kids. Can we say "loser?"

I never sleep well the night before a presentation, so I ended up falling asleep by 8:30 Saturday night. Sad, I know. Sunday, I drove to Sherman to help my cousin move her couch and bed to her brand new temporary apartment! Well, Jonathan was the one that really helped, I just supervised. On Friday, she learned that the apartment she was supposed to be moving into still needed to have the fire marshall inspect it (they are still building the complex) and so she has to move to a temporary (although bigger!) apartment first. Which totally sucks and she's handling it like a champ. I say, she needs to stay in the temporary apartment as long as possible since they are paying all her bills while she is there. :) But it's me and I'll take anything that's free...even if it means living out of boxes for a while.

After we got back on Sunday, I went over to my mom's for a while to pick up some pants she hemmed and somehow ended up taking her treadmill home. Which is completely awesome! After I get back from New York (leaving this week!), I am going to start going to the gym again on my lunch breaks and lift weights and then when I get home, I can just walk on the treadmill while being at home and watching what I want to watch. I won't have to deal with not wanting to go back out to the gym, the nasty, sweaty, smelly guys that are always there in the evening, fighting for a machine that is probably broken, etc. Hopefully, having a treadmill in my living room will get my butt back in gear to actually work out just a tad more. We'll see about that one!

Retail Therapy!

2009-06-19T13:11:00.003-05:00

I am so bored today. Ever since my schedule was changed and I have had to work on Fridays, I haven't had anything to do! It makes my day go by really slowly and miserably. So, I decided to go shopping on my lunch break for a couple of things I needed for New York. Now, the closest mall to work is in the ghetto...because work is in the ghetto...so I have learned not to expect much out of my shopping excursions. But the Forever 21 at this mall was awesome! I know, I know. I'm probaby way too old to be shopping at freaking Forever 21, but I need some cheap clothes and they tend to do ok knock-offs of designer trends. Actually, first I went to Dillard's, but Dillard's in the ghetto doesn't really have a designer collection to speak of (not that I base all my wardrobe on designer fashion, but Dillard's does tend to have great sales on some of my favorite brands). Go figure that Forever 21 would actually be decent. I only got 3 items...skinny jeans, a gauzy button up and a pair of shorts. 3 things I didn't have and 3 things I could definitely use all the time. So, in my eyes, I did pretty well!

I still need something for our last day and I'm not sure if I'm feeling what I have planned for our first night, so there might need to be a little more shopping in the future. I know...what about my big budget crisis? It's all accounted for and planned out. I'm good like that.

The Sims 3

2009-06-17T09:11:00.002-05:00

OK, this is going to be bad. Here comes my inner geek! So, I got The Sims 3 last night. There is WAY too much to control and do in this game! It's amazing. I think I spent at least 3 hours last night just setting up my character and decorating (my favorite part!). I haven't even explored the city yet. That will be tonight. Except I need to quit my job first...in the game that is. Not sure why I got a job before I cheated my way to greatness. :)

I love that you can make the character a lot like you. However, I don't like that there are so many screens that I can't figure it out! It took us the good part of 20 minutes just to figure out how to move to a new house. Hint: you have to use your cell phone. Hint: that's hard to find, too. I guess I should have done the tutorial before I just dove in. I told the game that I never wanted to do the tutorial so now I am effectively screwed. But, in the options part, there are "lessons." Too bad they start in the middle of something. Like the whole moving thing. It didn't start with, "Go to your inventory. Click on your cell phone. Click 'Move.'"

Anyway, so to all my friends and family...sorry if I ignore you in the weeks to come! Blame The Sims!

About those cookies...

2009-06-16T09:52:00.006-05:00

...we polished them off last night. Sad. I made over 2 dozen! They are just THAT good.

So, it's summer. Definitely. And, apparently my lily white skin just doesn't respond to sunscreen anymore. On Memorial Day, we went to Jonathan's parents' house to go swimming with his niece and nephew. I had some spray sunscreen, SPF 70...no, I'm not kidding...shut up...at least I won't have wrinkles!...where was I?, from last year that I used. I thought it was still ok to use and it didn't expire until July. I burned. Badly. So, I figured that it just lost it's potency as it worked just fine the year before. When we went to Sam's the next weekend, I bought some new sunscreen. This time it was only SPF 55, but when I was younger, SPF 30 worked just fine! I tested out the new sunscreen this past Sunday when we went swimming...and I burned. Not as badly as last time, but I had more burn coverage this time. Basically, my legs didn't burn. And that was it. So, do you start burning easier the older you get? I didn't think we were swimming for that long...but maybe it was a couple of hours. And I put on the sunscreen before we even left our house, so it wasn't that it washed off immediately.

I guess I'm just doomed to look like an albino the rest of my life. At least I have the freckles that help give me *some* color.

Super Easy Cookie Recipe

2009-06-14T18:01:00.003-05:00

This recipe comes from Jonathan...who got it from his sister...who got it from a friend. It's the easiest cookie recipe in the world! It's also a great one for the kids to make with you.

Cake Cookies

1 box of cake mix (any kind you want...although, I don't suggest pound cake)

1 block cream cheese (8oz.)

1 stick of unsalted butter

1 egg yolk

Cream together the cream cheese, butter and egg yolk. Slowly add all the cake mix until well-blended. The batter will be fairly thick and sticky. Using a regular spoon, glob heaping spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Place on cookie rack to cool...unless you can't wait that long. :)

These cookies (obviously) have a very cakey taste and they stay super soft for the longest time! My personal favorites are lemon and strawberry, but Kroger was having a sale today so I got the funfetti kind. Those are good, too.

Ketchup

2009-06-12T16:42:00.002-05:00

So, I ran across this today. Hmph. Hunt's Ketchup? NUMBER ONE? These people are ridiculous! I am a Heinz girl all the freaking way. Third? REALLY? I can't believe this.

Anyone who knows me knows that ketchup is a major part of my life. I love the stuff. I can't get enough. And, ask Jonathan about my love for Heinz. He once dared to try and buy something else. THAT wasn't going to happen! After a far too long lecture on the finer points of ketchup consumption, he had learned his lesson.

Another that kills me about Jonathan and his ketchup habits? 1.) He dumps it ON TOP of his food! What a heathen! You should always dip. Ask my mom about "dippy dippy" and you will know that this right here is a life-long obsession. 2.) He doesn't use nearly enough! There should be a perfect 1:1 ratio of ketchup to ... whatever ... and sometimes HE DOESN'T USE IT AT ALL! Ugh. As if. 3.) Well, there's not really a 3. It just seemed wrong to leave it at 2.

Recipes!

2009-06-12T09:11:00.005-05:00

I've got it! I start by sharing recipes! I like to cook...I often come up with my own recipes...and lately I have been slacking in that department so it gives me an excuse to try to cook at home more often!

First up, I will share with you a very easy, very nutritious vegan meal that I came up with the other night. Normally, I don't like to use so many packaged ingredients, but I was cooking with what we had at home...and the cupboard is bare, folks!

Quinoa with Okra:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 package of Kroger frozen okra (can't remember how much it was)
1 can diced tomatoes (14oz)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare quinoa by placing 1 cup of quinoa into 2 cups of boiling water. Reduce to simmer. Add a pinch of salt to taste. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Top off with olive oil...as much as desired...and mix in. I always have a hard time not burning the bottom layer so I make a little more to account for this. While the quinoa is cooking, bring one can of diced tomatoes with half a can of water to a boil. Add the entire bag of frozen okra and boil for 8 to 10 minutes until okra is tender. Add pepper to taste.

Scoop about 1/2 cup quinoa into bowl and top with as much okra and tomatoes as desired and enjoy!

See? Super easy! For those of you who don't know, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAAH) is a super healthy and protein-packed seed...type thing...grain? It looks like little beige poppy seeds. It doesn't have a ton of flavor on it's own, but use it in place of rice and pasta for a very healthy alternative. You can also add stuff to it, much like rice, pasta and couscous, to make it more flavorful.

Enjoy!

Those ads...

2009-06-12T08:46:00.006-05:00

...are hilarious! Obviously I have talked about allergies enough that it's all the ads on my blog. I find that hilarious.

Anyway, let's see how this experiment with ads goes. AdSense said it wouldn't post any porn-type ads so this should be a sort of family-friendly blog. Until my mouth gets the better of me. I'm trying to find topics to talk about to make myself seem more interesting, but I feel so uninspired lately. All I do really is go to work and school. How much fun is that? Last night, Jonthan, Babs and I had to stay at my parents' house. That was fun. You don't think so? It was different...how's that? We at least got free food that was really good and Babs was worn out smelling around a new house that she has never been to. Oh yeah...why did we spend the night at my parents' house? Because our electricity was out for almost 24 hours because of those lovely storms yesterday. Poor Beast had to stay all by himself in a hot house last night. Oh well. I'm sure he didn't mind too much.

So, I was reading through some of my old posts...I don't stick to anything, do I? What happened to all those diets? And my workouts? Where did they go?!?!? I don't think I've kept a single thing going since I started this thing...except school. That's always one thing I am motivated to complete since there is an end in sight. I guess I do better with a deadline. I might procrastinate a tad (as in, I have a presentation to give tomorrow and haven't started on it yet!). But, I will stick to it if I have a definite end. I have a definite end in mind to lose weight...by the time we go to New York...but I know me. That won't happen! Maybe I am comfortable at the weight I'm at? Weird! I'm now laughing at myself for THAT revelation!

Well, that's it for now. No, I didn't have anything important to say...just being random.

Wondering how to follow the last...

2009-06-09T16:18:00.003-05:00

It seems like posting about anything after my last post is just trivial. But, this is a pretty trivial blog, so I guess life must go on! I need to figure out how to make more money without taking on more responsibility. I make a decent salary at my current job, but sometimes I just spend stupidly. I buy stuff I don't really need while ignoring the things I do. And then everything comes to a head at the same time. Take right now for instance...we just paid for our trip to New York, but Belle's vet bills were an unexpected bill, I need new tires, I have tuition to pay, etc. So, right now I am about broke! I took some time today to fill out all sorts of profiles to get paid for taking surveys. Time well spent, in my opinion. :) I know I won't make a ton of money off of it, but if I can make enough to have cash on hand to go to lunch every once in a while, that's a good thing, right? Also, there are a couple that pay you in gift cards. If I can get Target and Amazon gift cards for free every once in a while, that helps with those two enormous money takers. Yes, I'm addicted to both. I love to read, plus I get a lot of my school books on Amazon, and Target is...well...it's Target! What can I NOT find there? Now if I could just get some Petsmart gift cards thrown in, my shopping expenses are about covered.

Also, there is an option to "Monetize" this blog. But, I don't think that many people read it. I don't even know if my friends read it! If I do monetize this, you guys HAVE to click on those ads, ok? This is my education we are talking about! I guess I have to figure out how to become more interesting and/or funny. I'm funny in person...sort of...it just doesn't come out in my writing. Hmm...that's something I will have to figure out...how to be more interesting. Does playing The Sims count? We are probably going to get Sims 3 this weekend, so should I start writing about all the different characters I am making and spending hours upon useless hours doing that? Maybe start taking suggestions for characters and posting how I screwed them up somehow? Anyone? No? I'll keep thinking.

Belle Brooks: February 11, 2003 - June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T11:36:00.012-05:00

Belle didn't make it. This morning things took a turn for the worse. When I put her up on the bed this morning as usual, she had a weird look to her and then just collapsed. I should have listened to my instincts, but I didn't. I went to work. As I pulled into the parking lot, Jonathan texted me saying she was collapsing while she was going potty and had tunnel vision. I called the vet and they said to bring her in ASAP. We had the option of giving her a transfusion, but the chance of it working was very small. So, we chose the only option there was. We didn't think it would be very fair to her to keep trying when the chance of survival was low and the chance of it coming back was so high.

These two pictures were taken of her last night...our last with her.

She was the best dog. I loved her dearly and she will be missed. She was my protection when I was alone. She was always by side. She was a little neurotic and had many obsessions. That was the Border Collie in her! She was an absolute joy and there will never be another like her. (By the way, she hated having her picture taken...so most of my pics are of her looking away.)

Belle Update - Updated

2009-06-04T07:49:00.006-05:00

She seemed to have a little more energy last night. Jonathan and I already had plans to go to a free premiere of The Hangover. So, I went to the Angelika right after work last night. Feeling guilty the entire time. The movie was hilarious and I highly recommend it, though.

Anyway, when we got home, she seemed in good spirits to see us, wanted lots of petting and love and wolfed down an entire packet of food. That's still not anywhere near what she should have eaten (if she must eat the packets, she needs about 6 or 7 per day...still no luck on the dry food), but she ate it and that's what counts. She took all 4 of her pills in cheese very well. But of course, they were in cheese! Why wouldn't she eat them? She has always been pretty good at taking medicine and before she stopped eating, all we had to do was throw the pills in with her meal and she would gobble them right up. She also seemed to be less stiff in the joints when she was walking. I mistook the stiffness for waddling because of her *few* extra pounds, but her joints are really stiff. But, she seemed to be better in that department a little.

Of course, I could be reading way too much into all of this since I am hoping beyond all hope that this does turn out to be something from a tick and we will have many more years together. After all, if it is a tick, she should be back to normal by this weekend. And I really, really want that. She's my baby.

I allowed her to sleep in the bed last night, but I think she was too hot and jumped down after about an hour. Which is a side effect of the prednisone. I mean, steroids make people sweat so I would assume it makes dogs very hot as well.

So far, the expenses are adding up just in general. The vet bill from yesterday was a couple hundred higher than a normal visit with shots, but it was nowhere near the thousand dollar mark, so that's good? I guess? But, I also start my allergy shots today and before my insurance kicks in with 80%, I have to meet my deductible. I still have just under $600 to go, so there's a big payment today. Plus, I am in dire need of new tires. Not sure when I can fit that in seeing as how I have to work on Fridays now (no hope of that changing any time soon) and I have school on Saturdays. Plus, New York...which is already paid for so we kind of have to go now. And then add tuition for school and books on top of that and I am just all around broke!

But, as long as Belle gets healthy again, I am a very happy girl. And that's all that matters to me right now.

Update: The vet just called. All the tick diseases came back negative. He said that if it's within a month or so, they can be negative when they are really there. But, in hindsight the past couple of days, I started noticing some of these symptoms here and there several months ago. So, the prognosis is not good at all at this point. He is hoping she gets better this week with the meds she is on. I don't think he convinced me that it would happen, though, by the tone of his voice.

So Sad

2009-06-03T16:02:00.005-05:00

So, we might have to put Belle down. Everything is pretty much a crap shoot right now. The vet said she is in very serious condition. Basically, her white blood cells and red blood cells are wiped out, therefore she is severely anemic, running a fever, has an infection, etc. She has been extremely lethargic (doesn't even care about squirrels lately!) and hasn't been eating very much the past couple of weeks. Some days she won't eat a single bite. The vet said it could either be a tick disease or auto-immune. If the tick bacteria shows up in her bloodwork, that's a good thing (from what I can figure out). They gave her heavy doses of prednisone and antibiotics. If it is a tick thing, the antibiotics will kill the bacteria from the tick and the prednisone will build her blood count back up. If she starts perking up and feeling better within a couple of days, that's a good sign that it's working and everything will be ok. If not, they need to do further testing. He said sometimes it can be cancer but the x-rays they did today did not show any tumors. But there was something on her lungs. He called it something, I can't remember, but it sounded like bronchitis. Which makes sense because she has been coughing a lot the past couple of weeks. The other thing it could be, if it's not ticks or cancer, is that her immune system is just attacking her blood cells. He said this happens sometimes and from what I have read online, this happens most often in collies and spaniels. It's called Hemolytic Anemia. Either way, cancer or Hemolytic Anemia, she will probably be put down. I just don't have the money to support the treatment if there's not a guarantee of it working. Also, I don't know if I could handle it. I would be constantly stressed and worried that she is in pain and doesn't feel well. Which would make me feel so guilty.

I'm (obviously) really upset right now. I am mad at myself because I started noticing some of these symptoms a while ago and just chalked it up to her getting older. I should have taken her to the vet then. The symptoms just didn't seem that bad. Up until about two weeks ago, she still went nutso over lizards (her new obsession) and her cough was just every once in a while when she got too exerted. I thought that was just because she was fat. I could just kick myself.

My pretty girl:

And now I want one.

2009-06-02T14:58:00.005-05:00

So, my best friend had a baby yesterday! She is so freaking cute and chubby. She was 10 days early and pretty much 8 full pounds. If she had made it to her due date, that baby would have been huge! Not that I am biased or anything towards my best friend's children, but this little girl was perfect. It makes me want one. I'm sure the fact that the baby didn't cry at all while I was there has nothing to do with this. :) Actually, if she did cry, it would have snapped me back into reality really quickly. I know I'm definitely not ready to have kids yet...even if Jonathan and I were married right now, I still know that I'm not ready yet. I'm not in the place I want to be when I have kids so they can just wait! But look at this chubby, wubby face!

So sweet! And she has a head full of dark curly hair. She's going to be a cutie!

Anyway...off that subject and onto another. I had my allergy testing done...it was bad. The government should really consider this as a new form of toture! Imagine having your back covered in fire ant and mosquito bites and not being able to touch them or move your head because your damn hair is too long and they should have told you that before you started so you could tie it all up and move your freaking head at some point during the 20 minute torture session! Not that I was upset by it at all or anything. Basically, it's just easier to say what I'm not allergic to: food (I would have been way upset if this was the case), horses, cattle, hampsters and down feathers. There are some trees in there that I'm not allergic to...surprisingly, I am not allergic to cottonwood! I thought everyone in Texas was at least allergic to that. But, I am allergic to the 3 giant oak trees in my yard. Yay. The worst allergens, though, were grass (all of them), weeds (all of them), dust, dust mites, mold and fungus. Luckily, my dog and cat allergies were pretty minor. The doctor said there wasn't any point in telling me to give them up because years of experience have taught him that it's a fight not worth fighting. Plus, he said they were so minor, it wasn't even worth worrying about, really. But, since I am so allergic to so many things out of my direct control, I am starting allergy shots on Thursday. Let's hope they work!

School is going alright. I am done with my Maymester class...all I know is that I got 96s on 2 of my assignments. Still waiting on my participation and book assignment grades, but I am expecting an A in the class. I had to drop one class from this summer because my professor decided that he didn't want to start class on July 11...he wanted to start it on June 27. Which is the last day of my current class. He also expects us to team up by June 30 (it's 100% online...so the group project thing is strange) and have our topic and overview to him by July 6. Well, I'm going to be in New York from July 2-5 and with our flight times, I am basically out of commission July 1-6. So, I would already be screwing over my team right off the bat. Plus, I just found out that in my current class, we have a book report due on July 6 so there already goes part of my vacation. I just don't get how these professors really expect us to to all this work while still being at work 40+ hours a week. I mean, some professors are very accomodating and understand this so they cut down their normal full-semester into a more manageable one...but then there's some who expect you to do 3 full months worth of work in 4 weeks! But whatever. I chose this so I should just suck it up, huh? :)

That's all for today!

Update: Turns out her hair is not curly. What looked like curl was just from being in all that gunk for 9 months. Her hair is straight as a board! In fact, here's a new pic after her first bath. She didn't like it so she is scowling in it...too cute!

I might die...

2009-05-21T07:40:00.004-05:00

I haven't had a Clarinex since Monday night. Why? Because I am getting more allergy testing done next Thursday and I have to have it out of my system. I can still take the Singulair and the Veramyst but they aren't doing jack squat for me right now. I went home on Tuesday because I thought I was going to die. The rest of this week isn't much better. I'm hacking up a lung, sneezing constantly, blowing my nose until it's raw, my ears hurt and are clogged and are ringing and I feel like I am constantly on the brink of a migraine! Add to that the fact that I can't really breathe and my throat is burning so badly that you would have thought I poured jalapeno juice down it, and we have a fun week on our hands! I don't think I'm going to survive another week of this. I really, really don't!

The good news is, I got my grades for my first semester of grad school yesterday...4.0!!! I was a tad worried about my last class as we had some last minute drama on our paper, but we pulled off an A in the class so who cares! This week started my Maymester class. Yes, it's the same two weeks in which I feel like dying. I have timing like no other! It's a lot of work, but it's more busy work rather than really hard work. So, it's not too overwhelming. Luckily work has slowed down for a couple of weeks and our admin that's always out finally is back in the office. Maybe during my review next week I will be able to switch my hours from 7am - 4pm. I have my review the same day as I am having my allergy testing. So, I'm sure I will be hacking up a lung and sneezing all the way through it. Considering I feel like I am always underwater and dazed, I'm not sure if I will be able to have a conversation by that time! Wish me luck!

Chicken Little

2009-05-13T12:38:00.005-05:00

OK, so I can give absolutely no credit for this post to myself. A very temporary, yet the absolute best, ex-VP of my last job writes these little e-maily/bloggy type things to all of her "girlfriends." I usually find them very inspirational and find myself figuring out how I can pattern my life more like hers as I grow up. I thought the email today was great so I would like to repost it here.

A State of Confidence vs. the State of Fear

I love the tale of Chicken Little. The story goes that one day there was this Chick walking around in the woods when an acorn popped her on the head. It scared her so bad and she shook so hard, that half her feathers fell out. The Chick (now looking pretty darn scary, I guess) further wigged out and started crying, "Help! Help! The sky is falling. I have to go tell the king!" But on the way she spread the awful story of impending doom by telling her girlfriend Ducky Lucky; and then she carried on to Goosey Loosey; and, of course, Turkey Lurkey had to hear the bad news, too. Chicken Little's fear, based on her limited knowledge and experience, spread negativity and panic through her network like a bad rash.

I have a C.L. in my life, and you probably do, too. Like Chicken Little, my C.L. also chooses to operate in a state of fear. Without fail, at lunch or dinner, the storm clouds gather as she breathlessly broadcasts the demise of our country, the unraveling of our social fabric, and the end of our economy. She casts such a foreboding shadow over the conversation that by the time dessert is served - everyone around the table is ready to slit their wrists. Not because she's an expert in politics or finance or societal issues -but because she's an expert in being a Chicken Little!

Fear is contagious. Once a C.L. starts talking trash, just watch - all the rest of us will fall in line. Steve and I recently spread the contagion to each other. We had become so convinced that our condo building wasn't going to close, we worked ourselves into a tizzy. And like Chicken Little, we stressed. While we didn't lose our feathers, we did lose sleep . . . and peace.

Our C.L. episode came to an end one morning when, independently, we came to the conclusion that our negative thinking was choking out hope. Hope for this great home that we had planned for and saved for and...waited almost two years for. We realized that we had chosen to operate in a state of fear, based on nothing more than rumor and our vivid imaginations.

The uncertain outcome for our condo cottage-in-the-sky had dragged on for months, so you can only imagine our amazement when two days later - the deal and the closing date were confirmed. (We closed this morning.)

Wasted energy. Operating in a state of fantasy-based fear is just useless. Yes, bad things can happen, but our fear (whether real or imagined) won't fix it. It can, however, choke all thoughts of a bright future from our heart and mind. But maybe worse than that, the resulting negativity steals precious conversations and exchanges of hope with others.

So, I've decided to shift my thinking. By operating in a state of confidence, I now consciously hold onto words like "promise," because my life story, while not always rosy, could have been a lot worse. And I wait expectantly on the future - knowing that good things happen every day and good things will continue to happen for our country, our economy, my family, and ...me.

"You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair." - Anonymous

Have you fallen into the rathole of Chicken Little thinking? Choose today to operate in a state of confidence for your future and share that state with others by gently deflecting the negative chatter. The sky ain't fallin'.

Source: http://www.ellenmiller.com/2009/05/a-state-of-confidence-vs-the-s.html

As I always tell my friends, you can handle anything that comes your way. Things might suck at the present moment, but in time you will be fine. Everyone has to have a little suck in their life. It's in some rule book somewhere. Promise!

Jen Freaking Lancaster, Bitches!!!!

2009-05-12T07:41:00.011-05:00

So, I got to meet my hero last night. Jen Lancaster. It was awesome. :) If you haven't heard of her or if you haven't read her books, I strongly suggest you do so...NOW! Here's the list of her books, full titles included:

1.) Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office

2.) Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?

3.) Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass LookBig, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer

4.) Pretty in Plaid: A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending,Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart Ass Phase

I love, love, love all of her books! They are all about her life and her first two books are a direct result of her blog. Yes, folks, she is a blogger turned author. In fact, one of the first! I am almost done with the last book and it's just as great as the first. I've laughed out loud with all of these, but I think the third book made me laugh the hardest. Basically, she decides to go on a diet and hilarity ensues. The yoga part is the best...by far!

Currently, Jen is on tour for her latest book, the Pretty in Plaid one. She came to Dallas last night. When she announced her tour dates, she said she had to fight to come to Dallas so we had better represent. And at about 300 women (with a few men squeezed somewhere in there), we did! My mom is the best...she got there at 2:30, which secured us front row seats and Group A passes to get our books signed.

Jen seemed very surprised when she came up the escalator to see all these people:

To my front right side:

To my back right side:To my front left side:

And, finally, to my back left:

I'm sure I have everyone's permission to post these. It was supposed to be a big 80s party, but the fact that a lot of us are just coming from work, it just didn't end up being that way. I saw 3 people decked out in their 80s finest...including the woman in that last picture with the white shirt and red camisole. I liked her 80s. :) I was going to go in my NKOTB concert outfit...but I didn't think that would lend itself well to my "appointment" excuse I gave work for leaving an hour early. Too bad I didn't think that through, because I had roughly 3 hours before Jen even got there to get ready! I could have crimped my hair at the very least. I owed that much to her.

But, I was still an uber-fan by being the VERY FIRST to get my book signed! Behold:

Also? The very first to have my picture taken with her:

You might not be able to tell in this picture, but we are wearing the EXACT SAME pearl necklace and earrings. That was pretty freaking awesome, too! Jen is the one that taught me it is, in fact, ok to love pearls. I always secretly have like them, just thought I had to be a lot older. After reading Jen's first book, I busted out the pearls as often as I could. Also, I was trying to plan out the perfect witty remark that would get her to want me to become her BFF in Dallas...but I just stared in awe. Then, after my mom's book was signed, I blurted out, "I am totally the 28 year old you!" Yeah. Smooth. Like she hasn't heard that a thousand times!

However, I also had the chance to have the best revenge of my life last night! Ok, in my book, this is totally revenge...might just seem dorky to everyone else. So, as I am sitting completely antsy in my chair (front row...did I mention that?)...because it's 5 minutes before Jen arrives...who do I see coming up the escalator? Heinous Bitch! For those that don't know, this is what I call my old boss. She was horrible to me. Completely rude and horrible. So, I'm freaking out, my mom is dying laughing, we are both not being subtle. I caught her eye for a second right as I was telling my mom that she was coming up...she then looks away...and as I am loudly saying, "Oh! My! God!" and my mom is laughing as loud as she can....HB gives me the most evil side-eye I have ever seen in my life! Then she proceeds to make her way behind all those people in the photos above. She even had to line up in the bookcases to get her book signed. While I was first. I think I look pretty decent despite the incredible humidity that day. She looked like a wet ragdoll. That, my friends, was sweet fucking revenge. :)

Amie-ology

2009-04-27T15:57:00.005-05:00

I know it's been 3 weeks since my last post...I've been busy! My new schedule at work is surprisingly (actually not surprisingly) leaving me very little time for much else. Including school! I can't seem to get nearly as much done during the day, yet I still have very little to do on Fridays. Probably because nobody is really here on Fridays, so my questions remain unanswered until Monday...like before...but I digress.

In other news, we got a new puppy! She is a really good, really sweet 6 month old Lab/Terrier mix. In her first week home, she learned her name, how to walk on a leash and sit. I didn't think she would learn how to sit as she didn't seem to pay much attention in my initial teaching efforts. But, somehow, on Sunday, she decided that she knew the command! Here she is...meet Babette (Babs for short)!

The title of this post is based off of another survey/quiz that I was emailed. :) You know me...so, here it is:

***********FOOD-OLOGY***************
What is your salad dressing of choice? Balsamic Vinaigrette...I put it on everything!

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? This is hard. Positano's? Update: Jonathan and I tried to go there this past weekend...it is closed now. I'm sad.
What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Mexican.
What are your pizza toppings of choice? Mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, pineapple...light on cheese, heavy on sauce.

What do you like to put on your toast? Peanut butter

***********TECHNOLOGY***************
How many televisions are in your house? 3
What color cell phone do you have? Black with a pink skin

***************BIOLOGY******************
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right, but I was born left-handed. Mom changed me at the urging of my left-handed aunt. Or so the story goes. :)
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Teeth...does that count? Splinters. A couple of nails...but not intentionally. :) Oh yeah! A big chunk of hair when I was 5.
What is the last heavy item you lifted? I try not to do this unless I am working out. But Jonathan wouldn't call that heavy.
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Never been knocked unconscious, but I have fainted quite a few times.

************BULLCRAPOLOGY**************
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? I don't know. Part of me says yes so I can go and be irresponsible, but then what if I end up not dying on that day? Then I just blew through all of my money for no reason!
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I always wanted a less common name when I was a kid. But, I think it fits me. I used to have a different name every weekend when I was single at the bars. It ranged from Bridgette to Teagan. I stopped doing that, though, because it was hard to keep up with while drinking!
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Yep. $1000 would more than pay for my new tires! And probably cover my second root canal as well!

************DUMBOLOGY******************
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? 4 or 5...I only wear 1 pair the most.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops? Last year when I got my speeding ticket.

Last person you talked to? Does Twitter count? Because then, it would have been @JCBartlett.
Last person you hugged? Jonathan. Wait, did I hug him bye today? Maybe Babs, then. Does a dog count?

**************FAVORITOLOGY****************
Season? Spring
Holiday? Halloween!
Day of the week? Sunday because I get to be stinky and lazy. I would say Saturday, except that I have school on most Saturdays this year. So, in 2010, it will be Saturday again.

Month? March...it's my b-day and that should be a national holiday, now shouldn't it?

***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************
Missing someone? My Gramma.
Mood? Tired. Is that a mood? Then, normal, I guess. Wait, is normal a mood?

What are you listening to? Old school Incubus.
Watching? Me type.
Worrying about? Paper, presentation, finances.

***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************
First place you went this morning? Work.
What's the last movie you saw? Transamerica.
Do you smile often? Yes, I get made fun of because people often catching me smiling to myself for no apparent reason.

***************** QUESTIONS **************
1)Do you always answer your phone? Divulging a secret here...no, I don't. Sometimes I just don't feel like it and I ignore it.
2) It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? Probably Twitter. Which is why I now keep my phone on silent during the night. I keep meaning to turn off my mobile alerts but it makes me feel popular when it goes off so much.
3) If you could change your eye color what would it be? I really like my eye color. I get compliments all the time. I guess green would be my next choice if I had to.
5) Do you own a digital camera? Yes, 2 that I rarely use. But, that will change when Jonathan and I go to New York for 4th of July!
6) Have you ever had a pet fish? Several...the first were Tom and Jerry. My mom bought them for me when I was in pre-school to teach me about life and death and they lived forever in fish years. They finally died when I was at my grandparents for the weekend, I think. I know I was away and by then my mom didn't care about teaching me an important lesson anymore. It's a good thing I haven't experienced too much death in my life...I'm not good with it!

7) Favorite Christmas song? Greensleeves...is that a Christmas song? I hear it a lot at Christmas. I tend to really dislike Christmas songs because I swear they started in August this year!
8) What's on your wish list for your birthday? Video camera...but it will be too late by then. I want to take video in New York. So, Jonathan better get me a b-day present now.
9) Can you do pushups? Girly ones.
10) Can you do a chin up? No. I can do cheaty pull-ups.
11) Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Excited! I'm not one of those that wishes I was still in high school or college.

12) Do you have any saved texts? Not intentionally. I just keep them until my phone starts to slow down, then I delete them out.
13) Ever been in a car wreck? Several...my back is still screwed up from my first one 12 years ago.
14) Do you have an accent? I have a Texas accent that comes out when I am tired and/or drinking.
15) What is the last song to make you cry? Blindsided by Bon Iver. I love sad songs...not sure why...but I do.
16) Plans tonight? Figure out how to look at school budgets and then hopefully write 2 pages on it.
17) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? I would say yes, for me I have...I went through a rough time emotionally after college.

18) Name 3 things you bought yesterday? Nothing, nothing and nothing.
19) Have you ever been given roses? Yes, I wish I would get them more often! (Hint, hint)

21) Current hate right now? The class that I am in...among other things I probably shouldn't mention.
22) Met someone who changed your life? I would say so...doesn't everybody change the life of everyone they meet in some form or fashion?

23) How did you bring in the New Year? Went to Positano's and ate entirely too much...also drank a little too much.

24) What song represents you? I don't know. Maybe Favorite Things by Incubus.
25) Name three people who might complete this. Not applicable.

26) What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping. I usually don't even stay up until midnight on the weekends. Saturday night I was exceptionally pitiful...out by 8:30.
27) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Snooze...

And that, folks, is Amie-ology. :)

Blogging about the #1 no no in blogland...

2009-04-06T15:39:00.005-05:00

...work. Of course, I'm not going to talk about anyone specific, just ethics in general. After all, I haven't said where I work...have I? Here's the deal...as a benefit of working for this company, we have the option of working a flex schedule. It was awesome for me since I have such a long drive and I certainly could use the day off to cool it on my mileage and gas. Plus, it was one of the top factors when I was considering grad school. It gave me a day away from work where I could study. I am one of three people that are considered "administrative" personnel. I am not an "admin," actually, I am in marketing. But, they lumped me in with them because we are the three people in the company that don't actually have anything to do with what the company does. The other two admin personnel are truly "admin" functions. One is the receptionist and one is the accounts, invoicing, etc. person. These two people have been out sick a lot. Our receptionist just started this past July and she already took 6 weeks of short term disability plus another two weeks for a side-effect of her disability. Plus, she has been out sick quite a bit. The other admin person has a myriad of diseases, all of which are very severe and work against each other. She took 3 months of short term disability before our receptionist started, but in the same year. She is also out an average of at least 40% of the year. Around Thanksgiving of 2007, I had a severe throat infection which caused me to be out on the day that the other admin had off. She didn't cover for me and at about noon that day, we received an email stating that if the front desk is left empty again, our flex time would be taken away. After that, I worked my ass off to be sure I was here as much as possible. I covered every time the two admin women were out...I even worked when I was sick! The four or five times that I had to take a day or two off for being sick, I felt completely guilty and tried to work as much as I could from home.

At about 8am this morning, I found out that flex time had been taken away from the other two admins. They were not happy about this, but they understood since they were both out a lot and I can only cover so much. At about 8:45 this morning, I received the same email. Since my position has been lumped into the same category as theirs (which is completely unfair for other reasons), my flex time was taken away. Now, my company has categorically excluded an entire department from what they claim is a benefit. There was no reason to exlude me and the other two admins say that they think it's completely unfair to me as I have done nothing wrong. I still have over 3 weeks of paid time off that I have earned. Which proves that I am here all the time.

So, now I am looking into HR laws and seeing if I have a leg to stand on so I can go into my boss' office and fight my case for keeping my flex schedule. In fact, they said they started the four 10-hour days so that people who live farther away could have the option of driving less. Which is one of the main reasons I chose to do this schedule. When I was interviewing for this position, they told me that they were moving their office to a location that was about 5 miles away from my home. They ended up choosing a location that is 25 miles from my home. Having Fridays off helped save me quite a bit of money on gas and mileage on my LEASED vehicle. Working 5 days a week puts 13,000 miles a year on a vehicle I am only supposed to drive 15,000 miles a year.

I don't know what to do. I think this is very unethical for them to do and I don't know how to approach the subject. I'll keep you updated...

Updated: I did actually talk to my boss the next day. He explained their reasoning behind it all. I understand now why they did what they did, but it's still not fair. He actually said that the reason why they changed my schedule, too, is because I am the one that shows up all the time. So, instead of calling me in on my day off, it's better that I am just here all the time whether or not it's warranted? Thanks. On a funny side note, one of the admins who had her flex time taken away has now been out for almost 6 weeks. Her last full week was the week our schedules changed. Nice. But, this doesn't really prove their point too much as the receptionist has been here the entire time so there wouldn't have been a problem with me having Fridays off. Except the two days she was out for bad indegestion. But that was mid-week. Ugh.

Plumbing...OVER!

2009-03-30T09:25:00.003-05:00

As of Friday morning, all of our plumbing issues are over! At least for now they are (knock on wood). And, it didn't cost me nearly as much as I thought it would. My mom said if I could get everything taken care of for less than $1000, it would be a miracle. Well, the grand total for the water heater, fridge, toilet line, new toilet and the front yard debacle: $850! It's still a lot, but at least it's over.

I was in a huge funk at work on Thursday. My allergies were killing me, I had to work on my birthday (something I vowed to never do...and that tradition will contiue again next year!), tired, stressed...just all around sad. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me why everyone was annoying me, why I was considering quitting my job, why I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep for a really, really long time. But today, now there's a much different story. I am not dreading work, I'm in a good mood, and even though I am still tired, I am surprisingly refreshed! I guess considering it was the last week of my second class, I had a final and a presentation to give on Saturday, and I was worried that this final plumbing cost would eat up my savings, I can see why I was in such a funk last week! I'm not really a depressive person...I'm usually the optimistic, glass half full, rainbows and sunshine coming out of my ass all day kind of person. So, it really threw me for a loop. I don't want to quit my job. It's a good job that pays well and in this economy, can you really ask for anything more right now? I was just getting down and being treated like crap from fellow co-workers sure as hell didn't help anything! Of course, that co-worker isn't here today, so that could be another reason why today is so much better...let's check back tomorrow!

Speaking of tomorrow, another co-worker and I have decided that we are going to start weight training on our lunch break on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We will probably have to take an extra half hour for lunch, but I can make that up by taking only half a lunch break on Mondays and Wednesdays. Plus, that will keep me in my office during my lunch break and away from fast food! I haven't made out so well on that promise to myself. I have still been eating horribly and I have bought new clothes! Where the heck is my willpower these days?! But, I need to recommit myself and I am ready to do that. After all, even if I only go swimming in Jonathan's parents' backyard, I want to look halfway decent in my swimsuit!

Maybe I will start blogging about what I do on my lunch breaks...maybe that will keep me commited...

Allergies! And being an adult still sucks. :)

2009-03-25T15:16:00.004-05:00

So, I called in sick Monday. My throat was killing me, my ears were killing and my sinuses were killing me...and this all started on Friday. So, I emailed work on Sunday, said I was going to the doctor and didn't want to infect anyone and then went to the doctor. To find out that my allergies are just really bad. What? I had no idea that a bad case of allergies could cause this much lousiness! Is lousiness a word? It is now. :) Here I am, thinking that I am going to give everyone at work strep, and I have allergies. Poor me. I felt kinda dumb for that one. But, my doctor gave me a steroid shot and 2 prescriptions...none of which are helping right now! My ears still hurt and the drainage is getting ridiculous. All these pills do is make me irritable, sleepy and sneezey. Did I mention irritable? Yeah, VERY irritable! The people talking in the office next me need to stick a fork in it. They are annoying me. :)

Well, the plumber came back last Friday. The toilet tank is messed up. We had to get a new toilet. That was Jonathan's birthday present to me. Yay 28!! Oh yeah, and the front yard is still messed up. The plumber got down in there, saw a valve that didn't have anything connected to it, fixed that...and the leak was still there. So, he starts digging and following the line...and the line takes a 90 degree turn downward! Then, he gives me an option. I can pay him by the hour to dig, cut through roots, etc. not knowing how far down we have to dig or how long it will take. Or, we can dig ourselves, again, and have them come back. Again. So, we have the plumber tentatively coming on Friday...depending on the weather. If it's raining, there's not much they can do. And then they will have to come another Friday. Ugh. I don't think this will ever end!

In other news, I think school is going really well! I got an A in my first class and I really like this second class. Our last meeting for this one is this coming Saturday and I think I will get an A in it as well. So, see? Something is going right this month! Oh and my re-installed floors have made it 2 weeks with no bubbling! They are so pretty again. :)

Isn't it nice to end on a happy note?

The week from HELL!

2009-03-12T12:15:00.003-05:00

Being an adult is hard. Really hard. So, Sunday afternoon, we notice that the new laminate tile in the kitchen had a bubble in it. Weird. We decided we should call the company that installed it Monday morning. A couple of hours later...water was squishing out of all the tile in the kitchen and moving into the dining room! All the flooring in the kitchen is ruined. We had this installed 2 weeks prior. Not good. Not good at all!

So, after getting a run around from the flooring company and having an inspector come out and argue with us (he was "confused"...bless his heart), our new floors are going to be ripped out and reinstalled 3 weeks to the day after they were initially installed. Ugh. Basically, when the installers pulled the fridge out and pushed it back in, they crushed the water line to the fridge. It was spraying this mist and every time the ice machine was pulling water to make ice and every time we got water out of the fridge, it had a steady stream of water coming out. For 2 weeks. It was going in-between the tiles and was going under the tile. How that little inspector man was confused by that situation is beyond me! Whatever. At least he agreed to replace it at no cost to us...even though he was confused. I swear he said that same sentence at least 20 times!

Additionally, we had to get a plumber out to fix the water line, fix the toilet (because after installation of the floors, the water line didn't reach the toilet anymore) and fix our water heater. The water heater was a separate issue. So, $600 later, everything is fixed. Well, almost. There is a leak in our front yard where the water hose connects. Since it was raining yesterday, they couldn't dig out the ground around it and find out where the issue was stemming from. So, we have to have them back out next Friday when it is sunny to look at that and put the toilet back in. Oh yeah, the flooring company said they wouldn't take the toilet out and reinstall it...we had to do that...to avoid further complications. Fine. Whatever. Understandable. So, the front yard issue will hopefully be taken care of next week. I got our water bill for February today...$106!!! It should be at least half of that! Ugh.

Being an adult really sucks sometimes.

Back on the Bandwagon!

2009-03-04T08:27:00.003-06:00

Yes, I had 4 pieces of thin crust veggie pizza last night. No, I didn't beat myself up for it. I'm not going to do that. I had a bad day yesterday. I came to realize that I was feeling sorry for myself due to some work issues and I acted out in a way that only hurt myself. So, I am moving on and getting over it!

Today is a new day and I will just start again. I lost 25 pounds relatively easily a few years ago, so I don't know what my deal is this time. I have zero will power these days. It's just too easy to eat like crap. But, I am going to make a deal with myself. For every 3 full weeks I go without fast food, I can buy myself something new to wear. Otherwise, if I slip for the few seconds of pleasure that a Chick-fil-A french fry will give me, no new clothes until I can be good.

Maybe, just maybe, that will give me a gentle push in the right direction. However, I hoping for a hard shove! :)

Let's count the calories...

2009-03-03T15:00:00.004-06:00

I am on a junk food binge today...and it looks like there is no end in sight! Why do I do this to myself? I need to find a cleanse and get on that ASAP. I don't even want to know, but I am going to do it anyway...

Breakfast (Chick-fil-A):
Bagel - 220 calories
w/ cheese - 50 calories
Hash browns - 280 calories
Cinnamon cake donut - 210

Lunch (Taco Bueno):
Party Burrito (no chili sauce) - 346 calories
Mexi Dips & Chips - 1086 calories (yeah, I know)

Snacks (ugh...why?):
One sleeve of Lemon Chalet Girl Scout cookies - 510 calories

I think I am going to cry. Total calorie count, BEFORE dinner....drumroll....crap...2,702!!! Freaking A!!!! No wonder I am so sick to my stomach and bloated. What the F was I thinking??? And, I already ordered dinner...pizza. I was good and got the thin crust. Like that's going to help me now. Yep. I am looking for a good cleanse that I can start tomorrow.

A Day of Surveys :)

2009-03-03T09:42:00.004-06:00

So, because I have nothing to do at work, and I am putting off reading for school and writing some articles (oh yeah, I have taken up freelancing apparently...because I am not busy enough!), I have decided I am going to do some more "About Me" type of surveys. Gay, I know. Enjoy learning about me!

First up, the A to Z survey!

A - Available
I don't know what this means...
B - Best Friend
Nicki
C - Crush
Jonathan
D - Dad's Name
Larry
E - Easiest Person To Talk To
Nicki or Jonathan...depending
F - Favorite Band
Changes all the time...right now, I am loving Adele, Kate Nash and, of course, Britney. But I guess those aren't bands, huh?
G - Gummy Bears Or Worms
Bears
H - Hometown
Carrollton, Texas
I - Instrument
Violin...yes, I played for almost 10 years! Haven't touched it in 12. :)
J - Job
Marketing
K - Kids
Not yet...give me about 5 or so years
L - Longest Car Ride
Any family vacation with my Dad!
M - Milk Flavor
Soy Chocolate
N - Number Of Siblings
One
O - One Wish
Money
P - Phobias
Bugs
Q - Favorite Quote
Not sure that I have one...
R - Reason To Smile
Waking up
S - Song You Last Heard
The Way Life is Supposed to Be by Bob Schneider
T - Time You Woke Up
I woke up at 4:30, I got up at 5:50
U - Unknown Fact About Me
If it's an unknown fact, then how can I answer this?
V - Vegetable
Rutabagas! Although, those are really roots. Does that count?
W - Worst Habits
Getting my pets' eye gunkies. Gross, I know, but they don't have fingers so someone has gotta do it!
X - X-Rays You've Had
On my hand when I cut the end of my pinky off. And at the chiropractor.
Y - Your Favorite Food
Taco Bueno or pizza. I can always go for Mexican or Italian.
Z - Zodiac Sign
Aries

Secondly, 100 random questions!

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Closed. But not because of a freak out thing, but because of the damn animals.
Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
Yep. Nicki and I have a tradition of giving them to each other as gifts. It started on her 20th b-day. I had just gotten back from Vegas and thought it was a hilarious gift. She didn't think it was so hilarious any more when she found out that was all I really had.
Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
Out! I hate being trapped.
Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
No.
Do you like to use post-it notes?
All the time. I am notorious about writing notes and lists.
Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?
Yeah, sometimes. But I am getting better about that.
Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?
Bees, I guess.
Do you have freckles?
Oh yeah.
Do you always smile for pictures?
Depends on why my picture is being taken.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
Idiots
Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
When I go up or down stairs, I do.
Have you ever peed in the woods?
I have never been in the woods, so technically no. But outside? Yes.
What about pooped in the woods?
Gross.
Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing?
Yeah. Everyone loves my white girl dance. It makes people laugh.
Do you chew your pens and pencils?
I don't chew, I nibble.
How many people have you slept with this week?
What kind of question is this???? Who's going to say, "This week alone? Maybe 20, 30."
What size is your bed?
Queen
What is your Song of the week?
Circus by Britney. 'Cause it's not played enough on the radio.
Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Yes! I wish more guys would wear pink!
Do you still watch cartoons?
When Jonathan forces me to.
Whats your least favorite movie?
Star Trek/Wars/etc.
Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?
Really? In the bank. And it's not hidden if I had it, now is it?
What do you drink with dinner?
Water or wine
What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
Ketchup...but now it's "Chik'n"...as in fake chicken.
What is your favorite food?
Taco Bueno. Didn't we cover this already?
What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
Strange Brew
Last person you kissed/kissed you?
Jonathan
Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
Yeah, I was a Brownie.
Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
Not likely.
When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
Does a card count? I write letters to my grandma in a journal.
Can you change the oil on a car?
I could...but I don't want to.
Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Oh yeah. I average 1 every 2 years. Which isn't that bad, is it?
Ran out of gas?
Yeah. My dad got so mad at me! My mom was dying laughing because, well, it's me. And it was bound to happen.
Favorite kind of sandwich?
Veggie!
Best thing to eat for breakfast?
Bean burrito from Taco Bueno. :) It's not gross, I swear!
What is your usual bedtime?
9:30...Not much has changed since I was a kid.
Are you lazy?
Hahahaha!
When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?
I had a lot of great costumes. The best is when I went as a nerd and dressed in my dad's clothes from the 70s. My mom and I put pomade in my hair to slick it down and we couldn't get it out. After 2 days of scrubbing and really raw scalp, we went to a hair salon and the put detergent in my hair. That burned.
What is your Chinese astrological sign?
Is this like the usual astrological sign? Aries. Or is that the Rooster thing? Because then, I'm a Rooster.
How many languages can you speak?
Uno.
Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
I got a free one to Business Week when I enrolled in grad school.
Which are better legos or lincoln logs?
Legos. I never had Lincoln Logs.
Are you stubborn?
Never!
Who is better...Leno or Letterman?
Don't know. Don't watch. I guess Letterman.
Ever watch soap operas?
Yeah no.
Afraid of heights?
Terrified
Sing in the car?
Always
Dance in the shower?
Sometimes...and I kinda don't want to admit that.
Dance in the car?
Yeah, then I realize people are looking at me.
Ever used a gun?
Yep
Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
Senior year of high school? I think?
Do you think musicals are cheesy?
NO! I love them!
Is Christmas stressful?
Not really. I guess wait until I have the house everyone wants to come to and there are kids involved. Hopefully, I will have a prescription for Xanax by then. :)
Ever eat a pierogi?
A what? I have eaten gyozas.
Favorite type of fruit pie?
OMG! I am so happy for this question! Apple. Definitely.
Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
Architect, psychologist, farm animal vet. How I ended up in advertising/marketing is beyond me!
Do you believe in ghosts?
No, but I believe that I have seen them before.
Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?
Oddly enough...all the freaking time! Some weeks, it's really bad and I have it several times a day, every day.
Take a vitamin daily?
I try to.
Wear slippers?
When my feet are cold. And not even that often.
Wear a bath robe?
When I am cold. At least I'm not gay like Jonathan and wear mine backwards like a Snuggie.
What do you wear to bed?
PJ pants and a t-shirt
First concert?
The Temptations in Vegas with my mom. Who was drunk. In a gold dress. On stage. At 15, that's NOT EMBARRASSING AT ALL!
Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?
Target. Duh.
Nike or Adidas?
Adidas. Nikes fit me weird.
Cheetos Or Fritos?
Eh. Neither, really.
Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?
Sunflower seeds
Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?
Nope
Ever take dance lessons?
Oh yeah. Tons. Never stuck to it like I wish I did.
Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?
A buyer for a radar gun place. :)
Can you curl your tongue?
Yes...and I can make 3 loops! Pretty nifty.
Ever won a spelling bee?
No
Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
I cried because I laughed so hard...so I guess that counts.
Own any record albums?
My mom does. My faves were Tina Turner and Sesame Street when I was a kid.
Own a record player?
My mom does.
Regularly burn incense?
No. That stuff stinks.
Ever been in love?
Yep
Who would you like to see in concert?
BRITNEY!!! She's in Dallas a week after my b-day. How freaking awesome would that be? Failing that, Adele, Lily Allen, Imogen Heap.
What was the last concert you saw?
NKOTB...and yes I dressed up!
Hot tea or cold tea?
Both
Tea or coffee?
Both
Sugar or snickerdoodles?
Both
Can you swim well?
Not really
Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?
Yeah...who can't?
Are you patient?
Sometimes
DJ or band, at a wedding?
Band to be old school, DJ to dance.
Ever won a contest?
Yes. The first bookstore I bought my college books from called me up a couple of days later saying I won a year supply of Coke. I don't like Coke.
Ever have plastic surgery?
No...wait, I had gum grafting done which is considered cosmetic surgery. But I needed that!
Which are better black or green olives?
Gross. Neither.
Can you knit or crochet?
No
Best room for a fireplace?
I would love to have one in my bedroom someday.
Do you want to get married?
Yes
If married, how long have you been married?
N/A
Who was your HS crush?
I don't remember his name for some reason. He was tall and a red-head...oddly enough.
Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?
:)
Do you have kids?
No
Do you want kids?
Yes
Whats your favorite color?
All of them.
Do you miss anyone right now?
No
Did you watch, Next Great American Band on FOX?
Yeah no.

'Cause I Love Surveys!

2009-02-19T11:57:00.005-06:00

And I'm sure my friends and family are sick of my emails with them. :) I like to take all these dumb surveys because it's a great way for me to distract myself from the daily grind of work. And they are usually about my favorite subject...me! But not this one. It's about my relationship with Jonathan. My other favorite subject...because it invloves me! :)

What are your middle names?
Mine is Michele and Jonathan's is Colin.

How long have you been together?
Just over 3 years now.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We didn't know each other before we started dating. Pretty much just dove in right after meeting.

Who asked whom out?
He asked me. I think. I don't know if it was an actual question, or just us agreeing to go to dinner together.

How old are each of you?
I am 27 for another month...Jonathan is the older one. He's going to be 30 this year. :)

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Jonathan's. His family is very close and does everything together so I usually see his family more often than my own...even though my sister lives about 1 mile from my house and my parents are roughly 5 miles away. I take that back, I see my mom more...but this is about siblings. So, yeah. His.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Probably financials...and cleaning. Both of which I nag about constantly and both of which put him in a very bad mood.

Did you go to the same school?
No to high school. No to college.

Are you from the same home town?
Not exactly. I'm from the D in DFW and he is from the FW. Both of us grew up in the 'burbs.

Who is smarter?
I always say that if Jonathan used half the brain cells that he has dedicated to storing random facts about every single TV show and movie on Earth, he would be so freaking brilliant! But, he is really smart. He likes to learn and research and gets on these crazy tangents and has a new thing of the month like every week. But, I would like to think that I have more book smarts and real world smarts.

Who is the most sensitive?
Ummmm....he is...(yeah, I know that we all know that isn't true....)

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Do you mean fast food or real restaurant? And nothing comes to mind for either. We both get on our kicks where we want the same thing all the time. For a while there it was Corner Bakery. Which is more on the fast food side, but kind of a restaurant. But, we do order pizza a lot...a whole lot.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Seattle. I would like to change that soon, though.

Who has the craziest exes?
He does by far! And the craziest dating stories. Most of my exes were just losers.

Who has the worst temper?
HA! Anyone that knows me, knows that I do. Definitely.

Who does the cooking?
I used to do it all the time when we were first dating, but now it's pretty equal. One night, he calls in the order, the next night, I call. Actually, we do cook at home quite a lot, but he makes his own food and I make mine.

Who is the neat-freak?
Neither! Ever since we started living together, my house has been in a prepetual state of nasty, cluttter, and stacks. But, I guess compared to him, I am the neat-freak. I'm not the one that usually has shoes in the living room. Mine are in a nice 2 ft. tall pile in the bedroom.

Who is more stubborn?
Both of us. OK, fine. I am. But I think that's more of him learning when to push it and when not to. He knows that in order to save himself a fight, he should just sit there and be quiet. That way, nobody gets hurt.

Who hogs the bed?
I am told that I do. But, to my defense, I was used to sharing the bed with a dog that took up the entire thing. So, I like to cuddle up to something to keep me warm. And the cat's butt just isn't doing it for me.

Who wakes up earlier?
Monday-Thursday, I do. But only because I have a 30 minute drive in the morning and have to be at work an hour earlier than he does. Friday-Sunday, he usually gets up before I do.

Where was your first date?
River Spice in Dallas.

Who is more jealous?
Me. Definitely. I think a guy could be practically making out with me and Jonathan still wouldn't get jealous. Which is surprising since I think I was cheated on only once and he was cheated on by all of his exes. So he thinks.

How long did it take to get serious?
About 4 months after we met...which was 2 months after we got back together...we broke up 2 months after we met.

Who eats more?
There is a reason why I make him buy his own groceries and we practically have everything labeled in the fridge. If I tell him I will share something with him, the entire thing will be gone before I even have a chance to sample it.

Who does the laundry?
I am a firm believer in that women should never have to touch man-panties. My mom taught me that and I will pass it down to my children. I hate doing laundry and only do mine when I literally have nothing to wear. Jonathan seems to do his daily. He is also in charge of washing things we share like the sheets, blankets, and towels. And, he is also unofficially in charge of folding my laundry. I think he does it because he folds his stuff the minute it is done drying where as I will leave mine in the dryer until I have worn it all so it bugs him that mine is always in the dryer when he needs it and he just gives in. He is allowed to wash my jeans, t-shirts and workout clothes.

Who's better with the computer?
I will have to say Jonathan. Although, I am smarter about computers since I own Macs. :)

Who drives when you are together?
I make him drive because I am sick of driving. I drive on the busiest freaking highway in Dallas every day to and from work and I hate all the idiots in this town. Jonathan at least has a big truck so people get out of his way rather than getting all pissy and trying to mess with him like they do with me. I get to deal with assholes like the one that was next to me the entire way to work this morning. Luckily, I got to exit the highway before he did.

And it continues...

2009-02-19T10:25:00.003-06:00

So, another co-worker went to the hospital last night. And then another one might be going to the ER today. What is going on??? I did find out that my friend's husband was released yesterday afternoon, which is good, but at 23 he already has 7 ulcers and severe reflux that has completely torn up his esophagus. Not good. Of course he went straight to work after he was released, so he will probably still have issues because of his stress level. My friend is about 6 months pregnant right now, so this certainly doesn't help things!

I did talk to my parents last night and everything is fine in my family. I had a bit of a freak out last night and just had to check and make sure. Still keeping my fingers crossed for my floors! :)

Weird, Weird Week!

2009-02-18T07:38:00.004-06:00

The past week has been just weird! I had planned on writing about my massive shoe pile going on in my bedroom, but that just seems trivial right now with everything that has happened. Luckily, nothing has happened directly to my family or anything, but it's like everything around us is crashing. And it's weird.

Last Thursday, some guy killed himself at Jonathan's sister's work. She works at a city hall and this 65 year old guy came in with his wife and 10 year old son to dispute his water bill, went into the bathroom, and shot himself. That is horrible to think that something like that can happen in your workplace at any minute. Jonathan's sister was pretty shaken up by it.

The next day, Friday, a guy that lived a few houses down from my parents was busted for running a prostitution ring! What??? They live in a very nice neighborhood, so it's pretty unusual. But, we are wondering how cheap his house will go for. If I wasn't getting new floors on Friday, I might consider it!

Then I find out yesterday that my best friend's husband went to the hospital Sunday night with severe abdominal pain. He is still there and they have no idea what's going on. What's scary about this is that he is only 23. So, hopefully whatever it is, it's just some fluke and nothing serious.

Then today...I get to work and check my work email. Apparently, one of the guys here had a heart attack last night. He is in his early 30s. Now, that's scary! He is fine today and had an angioplasty. One of his veins was completely blocked. His wife said he is talking up a storm and he will probably return in a couple of weeks.

What a week! I hope that I can end it on a good note with my new floors. But, I have this feeling that when they rip up the carpet, they are going to tell me that I need some big time foundation work. Keep your fingers crossed!

Getting Over Yourself

2009-01-13T09:48:00.007-06:00

I would like to think that I don't have too much bitterness in my life. I try to sympathize with people and figure out why they say the things they do and act the way they act. Sometimes people really get on my nerves. Sometimes people hurt my feelings. But the thing is, I can't change somebody to fit my idea of how they should be and how they should live their lives. Who am I to say what's right and what's wrong for someone? Of course, there's always the exception of someone living a truly bad life and then in those cases, I just have to walk away. But, so far, I have never really associated with any murderers or thugs. So, hopefully that isn't something I would have to worry about. Ever. :) But, that's the thing. I can control what I let affect me and who I let affect me. And that's a lot of power.

Now, yes, I will admit that sometimes I do get caught up dwelling on something someone said or did to me or even the way someone is living their life. Sometimes I will talk it to death. But, I want to be sure that I don't focus my entire life and energy around something so negative. I try to make like a duck and let it just roll off my back. (Yes, I realize that's probably not a real saying...it's an "Amie-ism".) When I catch myself acting like that, I immediately change the subject and focus on something new. I know of several people that have spent years...literally YEARS!...dwelling on the same thing over and over again. Sometimes, it's even a life-long negative obsession that they choose to focus on. Every day. Every week. Every month. Every year. And then the innocent get to hear it all the time. The funny thing is, usually these bitter people have no problem passing judgement on others. Telling others how their attitude should be. Telling others that because they live their life differently, it is wrong.

Recently, I have even heard a bitter person tell me that I am too hard on myself! Just to go right back to complaining about themselves and/or their past. I guess me thinking about my diet and weight-loss goals was too much focus on myself for them. They needed all the focus, energy, discussion...no matter how negative it might be...on them. And it really pissed me off. I did my usual and changed the subject. I didn't even really dwell on it that much. This post is the first time I have even really given it much thought. Yes, I am pretty hard on myself about my weight. But, I have to face it. Just 2 1/2 years ago, I was about 20 pounds lighter. It's a little depressing to think about how I let myself go. But, here's what I used to look like:

I'm not trying to brag or sound conceited, but I think I looked damn good back then! I was happy with my body. I am not, or really ever have been, the type of girl that just hates everything about my looks and focuses all the time on the negative. I have a round face...something a lot girls wouldn't like...but I think it makes me look cute and young. And that's something I REALLY am liking as I near 30! My skin tone is bright white. Again, something that is not usually embraced by American women (or men). I used to hate it when I was young, but that was mainly because Every.Single.Person that you encounter just *has* to tell you that your skin is really pale. It was more of an annoyance with other people that couldn't get over the fact that I don't have tan skin. I now embrace it and when people feel the need to point out that I am, in fact, very pale, I just correct them on their misperceptions. Yes, I am pale. I am Irish. It happens. However, being pale means that I have accepted the fact I can't tan. Therefore, I don't spend hours in tanning beds or out in the sun, frying myself to a crisp. My chances of skin cancer, wrinkles and leathery skin are far less than theirs because of this acceptance of myself. Did you know that people with darker skin tend to let melanoma spread and get worse because it is actually harder to see and detect? Thank you! It's amazing how effective it can be to just point people in a new direction.

Another thing is that I have an apple/hourglass shape. It used to be completely apple as I had absolutely no hips or butt, but after I hit 26, I started gaining more weight in my hips. I am more hourglass shape now. I do still gain the majority of my weight in my waist, though. Most women would much rather be the "ideal" hourglass, but it has never really bothered me being an apple. Studies have shown that losing weight/fat in the waist is much easier than in the hips and thighs. And I do know this is a fact! When I would gain and lose weight through the years, my hips and thighs rarely changed. My waist, however, changed quite a bit. So, I was always much happier being an apple because although weight gain is easier, weight loss is easier as well. Plus, no cellulite. :)

Anyway, all this is to say that even though I am unhappy with parts of myself right now, doesn't mean that my entire life is dedicated to dwelling on these little things. I might be hard on myself now about the fact that I have gained weight, but once I lose it, any negative body image I might have now will go away. It's not a life-long obsession for me. There's not much in my life that is a bitter obsession for me. Even my weight. I think about it and might talk about it around mealtimes, however, sometimes I do see myself in the mirror and think, "Damn I look good!"

I have had experiences that could have very easily turned into a lifetime of bitterness, regret, blame. However, I think that's a very unhealthy way to live. Sometimes, I do wish more people would realize that. Bitching about the same thing day in and day out is definitely not the way to live life. Look to the future. Get over it. And, get over yourself in the meantime.

Starting again...

2009-01-10T18:27:00.004-06:00

So I went to orientation for grad school today. Yep, I'm really doing it! Classes start around January 20th and my first in-class meeting is January 31st. I'm kind of nervous that I forgot how to do school. I started school at a really young age...I basically started at 2. And went until I was 22. Then I took a 5 1/2 year break to work. Yeah, some break! And now I want to still work full-time while going to GRAD school of all things? Sometimes I wonder what I am thinking! :)

But, it's always been a goal of mine to get my Master's degree and I found a program that I am comfortable with. I looked at 6 or 7 schools and EMBA programs before deciding on TWU. I like theirs because for the EMBA program (the one that is supposed to be designed for working professionals), they waive the GRE/GMAT requirements. They found that since it is a requirement to be working for at least 5 years after you receive your under-grad to qualify for the EMBA program, that these people have often forgotten how to take standardized tests. And they still usually do the best in the Master's program. So, why make them take the tests, right? I'm cool with that.

Second, they only charge the standard state tuition rates. A lot of these other schools charge a premium for the EMBA because let's face it. People seeking this kind of a program are working so they have more money, right? HA! Not so much.

Third, the way they have it set up actually makes it feasible to achieve. Let's take UTD for example: they said that in order to graduate in at least 3 years, you had to take 4 classes a semester. All at the same time. And the classes met once a week for 4 hours during the work week! So, 4 nights a week I was expected to be in class until 10pm? While still working 40 hours? Seriously? That's not convenient! TWU has it set up to where you take 3 classes a semester and you only take one class at a time. So, each class lasts about 6 weeks and you meet 3 of the Saturdays at one of their 5 campuses. Yeah, I like that much better!

Fourth, they allow you to take 2 electives. None of the other EMBA programs did that. And, one of their options was a study tour. The other programs either offered it (which was included in the jacked up price) or didn't (and still had a jacked up price). Yes, it does cost extra, but even with that thrown in, the overall cost of the program is still cheaper! And, spend a week and a half in another country for class credit? Yes please!

Fifth, its only 15 months. The others were at least 2 years or longer. Ugh. I want my Master's but not that much. Lazy? A little. But I have already gone to school for 20 years!

Overall, I like the program and am more excited than nervous. I think I can do it. I hope I can do it! :)

Slacker!

2009-01-08T12:38:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I'm a slacker. I know. November 10th? Seriously? It's been almost 2 whole months? Wow. Guess I can throw "updating the blog more frequently" to my list of resolutions. Speaking of, here's my list:
1.) More quality time with Jonathan at home. This means that no phone, computer, etc. during the work week when we both get home. If I don't go to the gym after work, I don't get home until 6:30. I should be waking up at 5:30am which means I should be asleep by 9:30pm to get 8 hours. So, that gives us 3 hours to talk about our days, eat dinner, watch our shows and get ready for bed. Not a lot of quality time! So, our "couple" resolution is to dedicate more time to each other.

2.) Lose 1 pound/week...until I lose 15-20 pounds! Looks like I will rarely be getting home at 6:30, huh? But, I have lost 1 pound in the first week of the new year! So I'm already going strong on that one. :)

3.) Fix my asthma for good without using an inhaler. This will be a hard one. Jonathan's gym bag was stolen out of his car many months ago. My inhaler was in it. So, I have been working out without one for a while now. BUT, I have wimped on the cardio citing my asthma as the reason. Well, instead of wimping out and instead of getting a new inhaler, I am going to stick to doing mostly cardio in my workouts and work through the pain. I am hoping this will build my lungs up in a natural way to get me to the point of not needing an inhaler...actually, of not feeling like an elephant is sitting on my chest after 5 minutes on the elliptical! That would be nice. This is the resolution that will probably take all year to accomplish at the very least.

4.) Blog more.

Hopefully 2009 will be the year I can accomplish all my resolutions! I guess I should write them down and tape it to my wall at work.

Too good to be true!

2008-11-10T07:38:00.004-06:00

I can't get into too many specifics here as this involves Jonathan's Christmas present, but what seemed like such an easy way to take care of a problem on Thursday, turned out not to be the case today. So, I went to a website and ordered his present. Let's say it's a dog. So, I decided to go with the purebred instead of the mutt...even though the purebred was more expensive than the mutt, this site didn't offer the mutt. However, it did offer the purebred with no shipping or taxes! So, that's why I chose it.

I bought the purebred dog. Approximately 2 hours later, I was showing off the purebred to a co-worker when I see that this site had knocked another 30% off! I was mad because I had JUST bought it! I called the customer services line and prepared my arguement. Turns out, I didn't need it. They said, "Oh, no problem! We'll credit your card the difference and you'll receive a new statment with the adjusted price when we ship your purebred!" Wow...that was easy!

Today, in my email, is an email from this site saying they have shipped my dog. And what do you know? At the original price. I go to my AmEx account and see if they just messed up the email and they really did take off the 30%. Nope. Charged the original amount.

I knew it was too good to be true! So, now I have to call them. I also have to call my mortgage company because my property tax statement was sent to me and didn't say that it was sent to my mortgage company. Which it should have been! It's a fun, frustrating Monday.

My Ghetto Compact

2008-11-06T14:48:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I hated mineral make-up. Not only did it not provide the coverage I needed, but I felt like it showed off all my blonde peach fuzz and made me look really hairy. It probably didn't, but go with me. Even though I love, love, love MAC, it was really making me break out the last time I used it (thus, the switch to the mineral stuff). So, I decided to try something new. I read a ton of reviews at Sephora's site and decide to give Lorac a try. I LOVE the Break-through Foundation! It's great. However, for some reason I bought the translucent powder. I have never like translucent powder (I'm a bigger fan of the powder foundations as my regular powder) so who know what I was thinking. I've decided to use it as my "purse powder" for touch-ups. For some reason, Lorac didn't put much thought or effort into the applicator for it. It was basically a piece of toilet paper. So, while I was at MAC getting some eyeshadow (because 30 colors are not enough!), I bought one of their sponges that come with their foundation powders. Ha! That doesn't fit at all! So, now I have a rubber band around my compact to keep it closed. Ghetto. It gets better. I have been, continue to be, and will always remain un-dexterous (it's now a word). So, almost every time I try to put the rubber band back on, the compact goes flying out of my hand and lands on the hardest surface it can find. Luckily, the powder has not been broken. But, the case is slowly getting chipped away. Ghetto, again. So, now I have a compact, that wasn't all that cheap, wrapped in a rubber band with chipped plastic all over the outside. Nice. Really nice.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

2008-11-05T15:32:00.004-06:00

I saw this today and thought it was interesting. I am still vegetarian, but am back on seafood now. I got over that oog factor. But, I only eat it once a week, at most. And most weeks, I still go without it. Obviously, I have only been veg for a few months, so there's lots of non-veg items I have eaten...let's see how I do! (Here's the original post http://www.verygoodtaste.co.uk/uncategorised/the-omnivores-hundred/)

Here are the instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (I don't have that feature...mine are red)
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Amie's Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu (only because if cut wrong, it can kill you)
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (once when I was a kid...and never touched a Big Mac again!)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine (although I love fries with cheese, the gravy kinda freaks me out!)
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears, or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill (Ok, this is weird because a guy at work brought squirrel meat that he killed in his own backyard for all of us to try today! Pretty much everyone was so grossed out that we all left for lunch while he ate alone in the break room.)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - LOVE THEM!!
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate (I don't know if I've had it...but I want to try it!)
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

64%! See, mom? Your relentless efforts to get me to try at least one bite of everything as a child has carried over into my adult life! I still was totally grossed out by the squirrel sitting next to my peanut butter in the community fridge at work though...it's days like this that make me glad I have the excuse of vegetarianism on my side! :)

A New Beginning

2008-11-05T15:23:00.004-06:00

Wow! It's been over a month since I have blogged! I have been such a slacker. Well, as our country embarks on a new beginning, I will, too. I'm not going into anything political here as I was already yelled at in a very public place about my opinions...therefore, I have learned my lesson...but I am getting another start in life. Kind of. That really doesn't make sense. At all.

Anyway, what I mean is, I am definitely going to try to blog more now as my life will (hopefully) start to become more interesting. First things first...I start grad school in January! I am really excited as I always knew as a kid that I wanted to pursue my Master's. And although there were about 6 years where that desire waned (starting about mid-college until about 6 months ago), it is back full force! I know the next 15 months are going to be hectic, stressful and great all at the same time.

Secondly...well...hmmm...there's not really a secondly.

But, hey, really getting on the blogging bandwagon and starting grad school is enough of a new beginning, right? I say so. And off we go!

I hate allergies!

2008-10-01T14:33:00.003-05:00

This past month or so has been the worst allergy season ever! Ever since last week, I have been battling with another sinus infection. I went ahead and self-medicated with my leftover meds from May's sinus infection (yeah, I realize that I shouldn't self-medicate...and take all my medicine the first time), and it kinda worked, but I am still really stuffy. I also think I might be allergic to Amoxicillin now, too. I already have severe sensitivites to Bactrim and Erythromycin, but those usually are stomach issues. This is the second time I've barely taken any Amoxicillin and my lips have swollen up, turned really red, dried out and cracked. Weird.

In other (not so medical) news, Monday was our last day at CrossFit. Kinda sad...kinda not. Now I don't feel so obligated to be somewhere right after work every day, but then again, I'm not so motivated to go to the gym either. But, I have taken yoga the past 2 Tuesdays and really enjoyed the teacher! The first time I ever tried yoga, it was taught by a crazy person who made us quack like a duck. True story. I tried it a couple of times after that (with a couple of years inbetween), but never really liked it. Until last week. I was actually sore for a few days after! Which I like! Plus, it helps stretch out my back and has relieved some of that daily pain that I have in my middle back. Which I like! So, I am going to try to go a couple of times a week now. Now if I can start to end my junk food cravings, it will be all good...

Lastly, here's a funny text convo between Jonathan and I today that shows how much I don't know about Catholicism:
Jonathan: Saturday is canceled. (Nephew's b-day thing)
Me: Why?
Jonathan: My brother-in-law's grandma was given her last rites this morning and the whole family is coming up.
Me: Is she going to jail? Or does that mean she is dying?
Jonthan: Dying.

Yeah, I'm an idiot. I know this.

Oh yeah...

2008-09-18T16:55:00.003-05:00

...we did put in our notice to cancel our CrossFit membership. It's kinda sad, but we are hoping to start doing Jiu Jitsu. I pretty much have Jonathan convinced that it would be the best. I think he is still a little shocked that I actually liked Jiu Jitsu in the first place! I am really girlie as an adult. I was a big tom boy as a child and can still hang with the guys...but bugs scare me more now than they did before! Anyway, I always wanted to take wrestling as a little kid (like 3rd grade) but my mom wouldn't let me. She was afraid I would get hurt. Well, at that time, she didn't realize all the injuries I would go ahead and get as a result of clumsiness (and just sheer stupidity at times...ok, most of the time)! So, when I got to college and had to take a PE class, I randomly chose Jiu Jitsu, not really knowing what it even was. And I loved it! It's a lot like wrestling, basically, and I was good at it!

Anyway, kinda off track there...but this is our last month at CrossFit and while we are going to miss it, I think we are going to get ourselves into something a lot more fun. :)

Lasting Relationships

2008-09-18T16:36:00.003-05:00

What does it take to create a lasting relationship? Should it have to be a lot of work? Should you get mad at everything that person says? Should you question their motives all the time? I know I have the capacity to keep my relationships for a long time. My closest friends are relationships that have been 13+ years for the most part. I don't see these friends that often, but when we do see each other, we pick right back up where we left off. It's easy. Natural. And surprisingly doesn't take that much time to make it work. Is this a bad thing? Should I be putting more effort into it? Am I offending them that I don't talk to them every day...or even every week at times? Am I a bad or uninterested friend because often we might only talk once a month? Truthfully, I am pretty much unavailable Monday - Thursday except by email. My weekdays are full with 11 hour workdays, an hour commute (total) and trying to get to the gym. And, apparently the older you get, the more your weekends book up, too! So, yes, I am busy. They are, too. Getting together is getting harder to do. (The Dr. Seuss ryhme was NOT intentional! LOL!) I don't want to have foot-in-the-mouth disease here, so I don't really know where to go with this one. It's just what's been on my mind today.

A day to remember...

2008-09-11T08:58:00.003-05:00

I was 20 years old. It was my first day of biology lab. I woke up, turned on the radio and hopped in the shower. The DJs were talking about this situation and I couldn't figure out what they were talking about since I had joined in the middle of it. I almost thought it was a joke at first. But the more they talked, and the tones of their voices, I knew it wasn't. I got out of the shower, grabbed a towel and ran to turn on the tv. Words failed me at that point. I called my dad, crying, asking what was going on. He said he didn't know but he knew it would definitely be in the history books of his grandchildren.

Then the second plane hit. It seemed like it was slow motion as the plane came in from the side of the screen. All I could say was, "There's another plane! It's going to hit! There's another plane!" And it did. And I was shocked into silence.

I fought with myself over whether or not I should go to class. The responsible side of me won and I rushed to class. I was distracted by the images in my head. I couldn't pay attention. Some of the students didn't even know what was going on! Did they not own a tv or radio? Our lab assistant said we would be there half an hour, tops. We were there the full 2 1/2 hours! After about 30 minutes, all the students became restless. There were whispers about how disrespectful they thought she was being. I just wanted to get a tv.

On the first anniversary, I got on a plane. Two days later was my grandparents 50 wedding anniversary and my aunts and mom were planning a big surprise party for them. I wanted to come home to help. I remember people asking me if I was scared to get on a plane that day. I joked, "No. Who would want to hijack a plane from Lubbock to Dallas??" But, when I got to the airport, I was terrified. This next part might sound a bit racist/judgemental/stereotypical/whatever you want to call it, but it's the truth. There was a Muslim man dressed in full Muslim gear boarding my very same plane. I knew he had gone through the 2 hours of security I had gone through, but I was still scared. I heard him on the phone talking to someone about how just because he was dressed like that, they practically strip searched him in the back. But, I was still uneasy. As was everyone else at the gate that day. Most people were looking at him out of the side of their eyes. Some were just flat out glaring. I was looking at everyone else's reaction.

I now understand why I had my fears. But, I feel like a total hypocrite for having them. Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the most accepting, understanding, sympathetic, whatever to everyone in this world. I know several Muslims that are the sweetest, kindest, most giving people in the world. I knew it was a small majority...kinda like the Nazi's...that decided to terrorize our country that day. But, I still judged that man in the airport. I still felt frightened.

Six years after the airport incident, I no longer feel that way. I am no more frightened of a Muslim person now than I was before the attacks (which was none at all). My boss is Muslim and he is the best boss I have ever worked for. Calm, mild-mannered, extreme family-man...generous.

I still haven't forgotten that fateful day, and I never will. I am a proud American...and am proud to still be able to embrace people for who they are. But I will always remember this day for all the thousands and thousands of people that died...and the families that still suffer.

Never Forget!

Scared of my office!!!!!

2008-09-08T14:07:00.004-05:00

Yeah, if I could sit on top of my desk right now, I would. I got to work at 6:45 this morning (sadly, that's only 15 miutes early in my world) and there was only one other person here (luckily!). I walk into my office and as I am getting stuff out of my purse, I hear a kind of scratching and rustling sound. Well, there was a slight mouse/rat problem when we first moved into this building, but traps were set and we haven't had too many problems in the past year. About a month or so ago, I did happen to see a rat outside and I have been hearing noises in the walls again, but I choose to think that they can in no way get inside. Until this morning. So, I go running down the hall to get the other person here (luckily, it was a man). I have him look for something but the noise stopped and we couldn't see anything. He goes back to his office and I start to hear it again...only louder! I walk to the front of my desk and a giant cockroach (waterbug...whatever...doesn't make it any less disgusting!) crawls out from some boxes I have sitting in here and up the wall! Needless to say, I scream, run down the hall, and get the guy to squish it. All day I have felt like bugs are crawling up my arms! And, we have someone here working on our AC and I didn't realize this. So, yep, I heard something crawling up the wall (my back wall is the side of the building where they always put the ladders up) and I screamed. REAL professional! :) LOL!

About the lack of CrossFit postings...I just suck. That's all there is to it. We go, but I am so busy that I forget to write about it. So, I'm giving that up. And we are giving up CrossFit as well. When we first joined in December, it was great! The workouts were hard and effective, the gym was run somewhat efficiently, we liked everyone. Well, we still like everyone, but the gym doesn't seem to be run as efficiently anymore. The workouts are sucking (not in the good, push the limit way) and we generally just go in and do our own thing. Plus, I want the hard, CrossFit, cardio/weight classes. Not so much weightlifting which is all it seems to be lately. So, what's the point in paying them still? I get a free 24 Hour membership and Jonathan can get a great discount through our work, so we might as well just do that. Plus, we want to learn self defense. He took self defense for a few years, but he wants me to know some just in case the need ever arises. We are most interested in KFM as it is the most encompassing. We are checking out several places right now to see what fits us best and what is the most bang for the buck.

Anyway, that's about it lately. I'll try to get better about posting more often. :)

UPDATE: Yeah, KFM is weird. Not going for that so much. Probably either Krav Maga (cheapest and good workout) or Jiu Jitsu (I took it in college and loved it!).

I suck this month!

2008-08-22T18:00:00.004-05:00

I just realized that it's nearing the end of August and I have posted once this month. Oops! I have been going to the gym, but work has been picking up so much lately, that I haven't had any free time at all to post my workouts! In less than 4 weeks, we had 8 proposals due! That's a lot more than usual.

Anyway, I am going to try to get better about posting my workouts again and posting about random thoughts in general. But, here's a quick update:

- Vegetarian...still going strong! I feel a lot better and not nearly as bloated as I used to be. Plus, I've dropped weight and am back to wearing my size 4 pants comfortably! Woo hoo!

- On a new thyroid medicine and that has me feeling wonderful! Of course, that's probably what helped me more than anything to lose the weight.

- Olive oil...still using that as a face wash and loving it! My skin looks better than ever!

- Sent all my stuff in for graduate school...hopefully I hear something soon!

That's about it for now. I will try to update again Monday!

Wall balls, pull ups, endurance

2008-08-04T11:08:00.003-05:00

Yep. Still slacking! We did make it to the gym last Wednesday...it was wall ball shots and pull ups. My shoulder has been really bugging me lately so I did front squats instead of wall balls. We had to do 5 rounds of 25 wall balls (squats) and 30 pull ups. That took me 22:47. I was definitely one of the slowest (go figure with the pull ups).

Saturday was called "I'm an endurance athlete, too!" IT SUCKED! My version was:
Run 1/2 mile
25 kettlebell swings (12kg)
Run 400m
50 v-ups
Run 200m
25 ball slams (12lbs.)
25 burpees
Run 1/2 mile

That took me 34:05. My asthma was kicking in high gear on Saturday so I walked for about 1/2 of the runs. The real workout was double that plus 5 rope climbs, 5 weighted pull ups and 5 renegade row man makers. Since my shoulder has been bugging me, I opted out of those 3 exercises just in case. I would have had to do 3 of each.

My mom's friend is having a jewelry party tonight so I won't be working out. I need new jewelry anyway and I am hoping my mom will buy me some! :) I am on a big budget crunch right now as I am planning on starting graduate school in January. I am fortunate to have parents that spoil me rotten and will help me pay for it, but I am going to pitch in as much as I can. Which also means I have to get a laptop for it. I am excited about a laptop, but not so keen on the whole paying for it thing. I am trying to save big time right now so that I can get it in December without having to reach into my savings. But, if memory serves me correct, we get our bonuses around Christmas time...so that will help! Plus, raises are in September...woo hoo! Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate being on a budget and I love to spend money on stuff I don't need. :) So, it's hard right now. Really. Hard.

Oh yeah, and the olive oil as face wash is amazing! I have not had to use moisturizer at all, my face feels tighter...but in a good way...and it has cleared up completely! Who woulda thunk it, huh?

Workout

2008-07-29T16:16:00.004-05:00

Jonathan and I are slacking lately! Well, he's at least running, but I am slacking! I have been fairly busy lately, but I need to start making more time to at least move. Yesterday, we did our own workout. It was hot as hell in the big D yesterday so I sucked! Of course, skipping out for 4 days doesn't help either. We won't be going to the gym today as it is just CrossFit total...which basically just measures where you are and your progress. It's too much of a rush for me on Tuesdays and Thursdays already since I work until 6 and class starts at 6. Plus, getting up at 5:30 in the morning is starting to catch up with me. And I'm in an artsy mood today so I want to do something crafty. I am in a mood to paint tonight. We'll see if that happens.

My Name

2008-07-29T16:16:00.001-05:00

What Amie Michele Brooks Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.
You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.
A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out.
Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia.
Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous.
You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things.
Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life.
You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you.
At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Lynne

2008-07-23T16:49:00.002-05:00

So, I didn't go to the gym Friday through Sunday. Monday was Lynne and I am still a little sore from it! Lynne is:
5 rounds, max reps
bench press
pull ups

Yeah, so my bench presses suck! I did 60lbs. and my rounds were 1) 3(at 65lbs)/10, 2) 10/9, 3) 12/10, 4) 8/7, 5) 8/7.

I hate doing upper body days. I am just not that great at it. :)

Michael and the Olive Oil Experiment

2008-07-17T07:49:00.002-05:00

Tuesday we did Michael. That includes:
3 rounds
800m run
50 back extensions
50 situps

When we did this in April, my time was 27:16...Tuesday was 31:48. I haven't been running at all in the past couple of months, so that was my biggest downfall. But, I did finally find my inhaler for the 3rd round and I ran pretty much the entire way. I need to run more and stop skipping out on it just because I hate it. :(

So, one of my fave blogs, the Budget Fashionista, also has another blog called the Budget Ecoist. Yesterday, they talked about using olive oil to wash your face with. If you are oily and acne-prone, use castor oil. So, I am going to try this. If it works out well, that's a heck of a lot cheaper than all the money I spend on Philosophy! I used it last night and this morning...so far, so good. My face doesn't feel greasy at all, but I didn't have to use any moisturizer either! And my skin feels very soft today. They said that Mediterranean women use this technique all the time...and they are famous for having gorgeous complexions! Hopefully this doesn't cause me to break out. It would be so budget-friendly if it works! Keeping my fingers crossed...

Pull ups, dips, squats & big lips!

2008-07-15T10:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we did:
4 rounds
15 pull ups
15 dips
35 squats

That was the puppy level. Of course, I was the last one done. But, to my defense, I was the ONLY girl in the class and all the boys did just 5 muscle ups and 50 squats. I know muscles ups are more tiring, but if I could do them, I think my time would have been cut down. Even with 50 squats. My time was 22:07.

As for my lips...I went from looking like the Joker to looking like Meg Ryan! I am having a bout of angular cheilitis and it sucks! The crap in the corner of my lips is almost gone (what made me look like the Joker), but now my lips are so swollen and red that I look like I have gone nuts with the collagen! I swear I haven't. I can see my lips out of the bottom of my eyes! It's getting distracting.

I've been on a Mexican food kick for the past week and a half. Every day, I have eaten something "Mexican" (some people don't consider Taco Bueno as Mexican food...but you catch my drift). I went to Wal-mart on a break yesterday to get some hydrocortisone cream for my giant lips and they had a display of Fritos and bean dip...my fave! So, I got some and ate the whole dang can of bean dip. For those who are wondering, a can of bean dip is 245 calories! :) I need to do better today. I think right now this new medicine is making me hungry. Which I have heard it can do at first. I just need to kick my self-control up a notch. LOL! Let's see how long that lasts...

JT

2008-07-14T13:34:00.002-05:00

OK, this is a bit late posting this, but on Thursday, we had skill practice day with an optional workout. Of course, we did the workout. This was not one for the ladies. It was all arms! JT is as follows:
21, 15, 9 reps of:
Handstand Push Ups
Ring Dips
Push Ups

I can't do handstand push ups, so I did shoulder presses with 15lb. dumbells...can't do ring dips, so I did band-assisted bar dips, and yes, girly push ups. My armpits killed me after the first set! My time was 25:48...not so great. :)

I am on new thyroid medicine and I am 4 days in and feeling so much better! I am not nearly as swollen in the morning (my fingers would look like stuffed sausages!) and the hoarseness I have been experiencing for about the past year or so is pretty much gone. Not to mention the sore throat...no more! I also have more energy and my muscles don't feel as fatigued as they used to. I am only on half a dose for the rest of this week and then move up to the full dose next week. The half dose is more than what I took before so that's why the doctor wants me to only take half the first week or so. Hopefully I will soon start to lose weight! My mom was put on the same medication a couple of weeks ago and she has already lost 6 pounds without even trying! Her dose is a little less than mine, so this should work, dang it! I have tried EVERYTHING lately!

Anyway, that's all for now.

Push Press

2008-07-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we did 7 rounds of 3 push presses, increasing our weight each time. My PR was 80 lbs., but since we have been skipping out on the weight lifting days lately...and just skipping out in general last week...I wasn't expecting to get close to that. Especially when I thought 55 lbs. was heavy! But, I hit 80 and did all 3 reps. So yay!

OK, off to clean out our marketing closet. Fun times.

Ugh! Legs.

2008-07-08T13:34:00.003-05:00

So, yesterday it was back in the gym after a 5 day rest period. (OK, it was actually a 5 day "Screw the Gym" period, but whatever.) We thought the workout didn't look so tough. We thought wrong. It was:
3 rounds
100ft. walking lunges
50 squats
25 back extensions

Normally they like to torture us with like 100 - 200 METER walking lunges...so I thought 100ft. would be easy! Yeah, no. That sucked, which made the squats even suckier. The back extensions weren't too bad, though. I'm usually pretty decent at those. I did this in 16:33. The walking lunges really screw over us short people! It takes me about 30 lunges at 5'1" to go 100 feet while it takes only about 15-20 lunges for those that are 5'7" and above (and everyone was). And that makes a difference! Yep, butt and legs are really sore for me today. Thank goodness the workout today is just push presses!

Tuck jumps, V-ups, Supermans

2008-07-02T12:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday went pretty well for me! It was supposed to be double unders, glute-ham sit ups and back extensions, but since I can't do double unders very well, I subbed the tuck jumps instead. And, since we only have one machine for the sit ups and back extensions, I decided to sub those as well. I did pack level which was 30-20-10 reps in 10:07.

So, after yesterday, I have figured out it's more my legs than anything that are wearing out on me. That's interesting. They are usually my strongest area in the workouts and now they are becoming my weakest. Hmmm...

Chelsea and Rowing

2008-07-01T12:27:00.003-05:00

Saturday was Chelsea. I am still sore from that one! I didn't fare so well. The workout was:
Every minute on the minute for 30 minutes -
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

I did 3, 6, 9...and pooped out after minute 15. I did 3 more rounds, but that was it for me. My muscles are just quitting on me! Luckily, I have a doctor appointment in 3 weeks (the earliest I could get) for my thyroid. It's ridiculous. Yesterday was a rowing practice day. We had an optional workout of 5 rounds of 500m row/400m run. Since it was a bad ozone day and I was worn out enough already, I wanted to do kettlebell swings instead of run. I lasted one round. That's just sad. Hopefully I can kick my butt into gear today and just push through and finish a dang workout! I'm extremely tired but I'm gonna do it!

Monday & Wednesday's Jackie

2008-06-26T16:12:00.002-05:00

So, I was aiming for 6 rounds on Monday...and I got 8 rounds in! Woo hoo! I still hate thrusters, though.

Tuesday, I was going to pick a friend up from the airport so we skipped the gym. But, she ended up not coming in to Dallas. Which was fine...I was exhausted and needed to sleep. I am convinced my Hashimoto's is acting up on me in the worst way right now. I am in a big search for a good thyroid doctor that will look at more than just my labs. I feel like crap...all the time...and I'm always tired. That's not normal.

Anyway, so on Wednesday it was supposed to be a 10k run. Since we go to the gym in the early evening, running in 97 degree heat just didn't sound like a bright idea. So, Jonathan and I got there early and did Tuesday's workout: Kettlebell Jackie. It was:
1000m row
50 KB snatches (25 on each arm)
30 pull ups

We didn't time ourselves, but it took me a little over 5 minutes to do the row, the snatches went pretty fast (I used 8kg as it was my first time to do these), but I slowed a lot on the pull ups. I am pretty sure I did it in under 15 minutes...but probably not by much. :)

We aren't going to the gym today...we have passes to see a sneak preview of Mamma Mia! And I'm so excited! My mom and I saw this musical on Broadway and I'm so glad that we ended up choosing this one. It was SO good! And funny. Plus, I love Meryl Streep. So, no workout tonight. I might try to get to class tomorrow night. I really need to.

Thrusters & Pull ups

2008-06-23T09:41:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, we did as many rounds possible in 20 minutes of:
15 thrusters
21 jumping pull ups

I decided to push myself and use 45lbs. on the thrusters. Yeah, I got 4 rounds out of that (not a lot!)...then I squeezed in one last round with the 22lb. bar in the last few minutes. Classes were cancelled on Saturday so that all our trainers could get certified in Olympic Weightlifting so we didn't go...and of course we never really go on Fridays...but guess what today is? More thrusters and pull ups! WTF? But today is supposed to be weighted pull ups and it's only 7 reps each. Looks like I will be a buttercup and do the 35lb. thrusters (no more 45lbs. for me for a while!) and pink band pull ups. I am shooting for AT LEAST 6 rounds. If I can't do 6, then I need to get to the gym every day for a while.

Olympic weightlifting & fun with rings!

2008-06-19T12:51:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I got to the gym before 6. On Mondays and Wednesdays at 6, they have Olympic weightlifting. I used to go about once a week and then got lazy and stopped. I decided since yesterday was a skill practice day on the rings, and I was there, I might as well start back up with the Olympic weightlifting. I am sore today! I did a lot of squats...overhead, back, front...but not so sore that I want to skip out on today's workout. Although, it's gonna be a tough one for me after yesterday...today is thrusters! Yay! Everyone's favorite! (Please note the sarcasm.) But, I want to work on strengthening my inner thighs...maybe I can thin them out. :) RIGHT!

Anyway, so vegetarianism isn't that hard so far. Although, today I went to Taco C for lunch and ordered a Burrito Ultimo with no meat. They didn't get why I didn't want meat on it. They finally figured it out and all was good. But, it did have sour cream and cheese and I have no idea if those were made from animal or plant-based products. More than likely they were animal. But hey, it's only my second week! One step at a time. Also, in the two weeks that I have been vegetarian, I have not lost any weight, but my body fat has gone down while muscle has gone up. So, that's a plus!

Nevermind on the fish...

2008-06-18T15:02:00.001-05:00

I decided that if I am going to be a vegetarian, I should read up on it so I know what I am getting into. I found this website: http://www.fishinghurts.com/fishFarms.asp

So, nevermind on the fish now...except the fish my dad catches at the lake! And I am so sick to stomach on all things meat from everything I have been reading and seeing. Obviously, the treatment is absolutely horrible...but the conditions that our meat is coming from! I don't want to eat chicken that lived covered in poop...gross!

OK, I'll stop now.

Dedicated Vegetarian

2008-06-18T10:10:00.008-05:00

OK, so as you know, I started the blood-type diet which started me on a mostly vegetarian diet. Well, I ended up liking it so I kind of decided to go as vegetarian as possible as a lifestyle change. Last night, we watched 30 Days. This is a new(ish) show on FX (I think) by Morgan Spurlock (the guy who did Super Size Me). Last night's episode was a guy who was a gung-ho meat eater and hunter who moved in with a vegan family from California. Now, I have seen the videos and the pictures and Fast Food Nation...but for some reason, I always thought those were the rare and extreme cases that PETA is known to play up. It bothered me, yes, I am an animal lover...but I didn't really think all that much of it. But last night's episode of 30 Days had me in tears. Here's a fact about me that very few people in my life know: before I decided on advertising/marketing as a career-path, I wanted to be a farm vet and rescue farm animals. In fact, that was the reason I transferred to the high school I graduated from. They have an awesome agriculture program that I wanted to be in...but, I made cheerleading and the first ag class I had to take was also the same period as cheerleading. We begged with the ag teacher (who my dad knew because he had previously taught at my high school) to let me take the first class over the summer or something, but the school wouldn't allow it. So, I never took my ag classes and then decided on advertising as a career because I also liked to write.

Anyway! Got a little side-tracked there...but it's relevant. I promise. So, Mr. Hunter/Meat Eater fought all the vegan people for the longest time and he did have some good points. I grew up with a farm and we raised cattle and my family does hunt...well, my dad has turned all our deer into his pets now, so we don't really hunt anymore...so I could completely understand where this guy was coming from. He, like my dad and I, always killed the animals as swiftly and humanely as possible. My dad always taught me to not go for big trophies just to have a deer head on the wall, but to go for the ones that were obviously sick, or weak, or what are called "spike" deer. Spike deer don't grow big antlers, only two little spikes. Because of this, they will never mate and reproduce (as the females look for the biggest antlers to reproduce with). Therefore, in the circle of life (sorry about getting all Lion King on you here), they are just here to die out anyway. I don't know a better way of putting it, but it's almost better to kill these deer as they will just contribute to over-crowding...which leads to starvation. Which is why I am ok with some hunting. For some species, if they are not hunted, they will crowd themselves out and completely starve to death...which is cruel. So, I guess let each man judge for himself, but I would rather feed a family than let an animal starve to death. And, let me just add, my family always uses every part of the deer we possibly can. We always eat all the meat and use the skins for various things. Even my mom would use the antlers for stuff!

Anyway, sorry for the second long explanation. But, eventually, Mr. Hunter/Meat Eater started coming around. They gave him a job with a farm animal rescue! See? Told you the first story tied in. He did not like the woman that ran it from the beginning and I could see why. She had such canned answers for everything that it just was the same stuff regurgitated over and over. But, one night at 3:30am they went and saved a calf from a farm. Basically, when calves or cows become lame, farmers put them "out to pasture" and separate them from the group and let them starve out and die slowly instead of rehabbing them. The site of this sick calf was so heartbreaking. I have raised calves that looked just like him (only not sick)! But, they rescued him and rehabbed him and Mr. Hunter grew very attached to him. At the end, they introduced the calf to the general population of other cattle and the little guy, who was scared at first, started playing and head-butting all the adults. It was pretty cute and funny.

Another thing they had Mr. Hunter do was go to a dairy farm. I have been to feed lots before and thought they were appalling but again, didn't think much of it. My dad hates feed lots...even though we would sell cattle to them to make money...but that's a story for another day. I had never seen how the workers treat these animals before. They were showing how the babies had grown up in a stall for the first six months of their lives, sitting in their own excrement, and then the boys get shipped off to be turned into veal (that sounds like some good eating, huh?) and the girls go on the farm to spend the rest of their lives pregnant (that's how we get milk). To get these calves out of the stalls, the guys were grabbing them by the tail and just yanking them out as hard as possible! They were falling on the ground, and obviously scared, then these guys were just shoving them into the back of a truck. They were tackling them to the ground for no reason and just grabbing whatever part of the body they could to literally throw them in the truck. I have been around cows...you don't have to do that to get them to go where you want them to go. It was so horrendous. The babies who got sick and died were just lying there rotting waiting for the dead animal removal guy to come pick them up. Those dead animals get turned into "by-product"...yep, the stuff found in most (cheap) dog food...and we wonder why there are so many recalls on our pets' food! My dog's food does not have animal by-product in it, but I am even considering starting her on a vegetarian diet as well. Unfortunately, cats are carnivores and actually need meat, so Beast will stay on his food.

So, yes, this episode got to me. When we had cattle on our farm, I turned every single one of those babies into my pets. It got so bad that my dad would keep me from playing with the babies he knew we were going to sell at 1 year. Also, watching this episode, really made me wish I had stuck to my original career goal. Although, not sure I could have been able to handle seeing abused animals day in and day out...knowing that half of them weren't going to make it despite all my efforts. That's a hard reality.

But, after watching this, I am definitely a vegetarian now. I will probably still eat fish every once in a while (in the form of sushi), but definitely no meat, no eggs, no milk. I like soy milk anyway, so I will stick with that. I am going to try to go as dairy-free as possible...but sometimes you just don't know for sure if a restaurant used butter for your meal...and when my company orders us pizza for lunch, that's hard to stay away from cheese. But, when I have complete control, I will use alternatives.

I am pretty positive I can do it. Jonathan has been very supportive in my efforts thus far and when I made my declaration last night, he was very supportive of it. So, as long as he is supportive and doesn't try to force me to eat meat (and I won't force vegetarianism on him either...it's his choice), then I think we are good. It's worked out well so far. Except now Jonathan is responsible for his own dinners...our house has been filled with smoke a couple of times in the past week. LOL! Maybe we will have a cooking lesson one day. :) He's usually a pretty decent cook...just a little out of practice. You know, it's funny...not all that long ago, I would have argued why you needed meat as a source of "good" protein and how soy protein is crap and this, that, and the other. I always tell myself to never say never...somehow as you grow up, your thoughts and attitudes change...LOL! Guess this is another reason why to never say never! :)

Deadlifts and V-ups

2008-06-18T09:58:00.002-05:00

I thought I would do really poorly for yesterday's workout. I suprised myself and did it in 9:10. Not the greatest time, especially considering I went really light on the weight, but not the worst either. My shoulder was bugging me and I think my muscles are still hating me from Saturday, so I was happy with what I did. The workout was:

21 deadlifts
30 v-ups
15 deadlifts
20 v-ups
9 deadlifts
10 v-ups

I used 88lbs. for my deadlifts, but considering my max is only 160lbs. (I am REALLY bad at deadlifts! I can squat more than I can deadlift...weird), then I think that was ok. All in all, not too bad.

"ABS"olute B.S. (it really was!)

2008-06-16T13:36:00.003-05:00

Wow...Saturday killed me! Troy (my trainer) and a girl that I no longer like anymore (LOL! Just kidding!) came up with Saturday's workout. I can still barely move from it! Even though it about killed me, I actually kind of enjoyed it. It was:

Bear crawl 200m
Walking Lunge 200m
Toe Touches to Bar - 25 reps
25 V ups
Run 400m backwards
25 Floor Wipers
100 Situps
25 Overhead Squats
Run 400m backwards
25 Flutter kicks (4-count)
25 L pull ups
200m Walking Lunge
200m Bear crawl

Yep. It took me 1:21:30. The backwards run really slowed me down. I am slow enough going forward! And the 100 sit ups slowed me down as well. I can normally do fairly well on sit ups, but after the toe touches to the bar (you hang from the pull up bar and lift your legs up until they touch where your hands are), V ups and floor wipers, my abs were spent! So, the sit ups took forever. I went light on the weight and only used 35lbs. for the floor wipers and 22lbs. for the overhead squats. Even though this was my longest workout, I really enjoyed it. I think I might be a *tad* crazy. :)

Oh, and I did workout Thursday. It was just fun with rope climbs. I made it to the top on my first one, then got scared and didn't want to come down. Then I got stuck about 3/4 of the way up! After that, my arms were spent and my shoulder was hurting so I didn't attempt anymore.

Cleans and Pull ups

2008-06-11T16:42:00.004-05:00

I don't know how I feel about yesterday's workout. I feel like I wasn't pushing myself that hard, but at the end of it, I looked like I had taken a shower with my clothes on because I was so sweaty! So, I guess I did work out pretty hard. The workout was:
As many round possible in 20 minutes
Hanging squat clean - 12 reps
Pull-ups - 7 reps

I did 7 rounds. I used the 35lb. bar for the cleans and did regular band pull ups for the first round then switched to jumping pull ups for the rest of the rounds. My hands were still hurting from all the pull ups and dips the day before. And since I have ripped the skin off my hands from too many pull ups before, I didn't want to experience that again! Of course, Jonathan ended up ripping his skin off. He did 12 rounds with 65lbs. for the cleans and real pull ups. He rocked yesterday...and the day before as well. He did 30 muscle ups in 5 minutes.

Anyway, I am exhausted today so we are not going to work out tonight. And it's been a bad day. First, my computer wouldn't log me on...that took me 30 minutes this morning. Then, I scalded the back of my hand with 190 degree water. That was fun. Then I was getting my lunch out of the fridge and hit the corner of the freezer door pretty hard. Then as I was fixing my lunch, my clumsy hands decided to throw it all on the ground! Yeah, it's been one of those days. Nothing a good glass of wine can't fix tonight. And going to bed early. Like 8pm early. Yeah, I'm that tired.

Oh and the diet is going pretty well! I only weigh myself once a week so I haven't weighed myself yet. I don't think I've lost anything, but I am feeling better physically during the day. I think I may just convert to being a true vegetarian for good...I kinda like it...

Speaking of which

2008-06-10T14:44:00.002-05:00

In regards to my phone answering situation below...the office admin is supposed to be back at work in 2 weeks from tomorrow! She has been out for 3 months...so woo hoo to her coming back! I can't wait to sit in my office again and not have to answer phones every single day and do 2 jobs at the same time...it will be so nice. :)

Pull ups and dips

2008-06-10T14:22:00.002-05:00

Well, the workout yesterday was 30 muscle ups for time. Since I can't do a muscle up...hell, I can barely hold myself on the rings for 5 seconds!...I had to do pull ups and dips. I did the puppy level which was 60 pull ups and 60 dips and I did it in 9:42. Not too horrible. I can't remember when we did them last so I can't find my score, but I know it was a heck of a lot longer than 9:42! I want to say I was in the 16 minute range. I do remember it was back when I really sucked at pull ups!

So, someone just called the office. I don't just say "Hello?" when I pick up the phone...I say, "Good afternoon...Civil Associates." Well, apparently to this girl that sounded like I didn't speak English! LOL! First question out of her mouth was, "Do you speak English?" in a really condescending tone. Ummm...didn't you just hear me? LOL! WEIRD!

Linda

2008-06-09T08:05:00.002-05:00

Our workout on Thursday was Linda...and man did that make me sore! Of course, 2 days of shopping with my cousin and aunt worked out all that soreness...but I'm sure they loved hearing me grunt and say "Ow!" every time I...well, walked! My calves and hamstrings were not happy. Anyway, Linda is as follows:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps (55 total reps) of
Bench press (I did shoulder presses with the dumbells)
Deadlift
Cleans

Too bad I was still very weak from being sick and it was hot as hell in there. So, I did quit halfway through because the room was spinning...but then I realized that Jonathan was at the same point I was at (the 5 reps) so I went ahead and finished. It took me 28:13 and I did 76 lbs. on the deadlifts and used 15lb. dumbells for the shoulder presses and cleans.

So, starting today I am doing that blood type diet. I am A- so basically that means vegetarian. Well, as vegetarian as possible. I can eat some seafood and maybe some chicken...but definitely have to stay away from red meat. Which shouldn't be that big of a deal. I rarely eat that much red meat anyway. I got the books in from Amazon over the weekend so when I get some down time at work I'll read it and really know what I am getting myself into better. Hopefully I won't regret it. :)

Oh yeah!

2008-06-05T13:42:00.001-05:00

AND, Jonathan and I did measure out what was supposed to be 1/2 mile for Murph...I was right! It was about 450 meters LONGER than a half mile! Basically, just over 3/4 of a mile. So, by the way I figure it, I can knock off a good 5 minutes from my time (yes, it takes me that long to run half a mile)...so we'll say I did a half Murph in 34:45! Woo hoo! Go me!

Wall Balls and Pull Ups

2008-06-05T13:33:00.002-05:00

Yep. It's really been over a week since I have been to the gym. Yep. Yesterday's workout was HORRIBLE as a result! But, I did get really sick last week. I had full intentions on going Wednesday-Friday (Saturday was my best friend's wedding)...but I had a fever on Wednesday and Thursday and then a million things to do on Friday...and still wasn't feeling any better. So, yesterday was my first workout since Murph. It was:

50-35-20
Wall ball shots
Pull ups

Well, since it's been over a week and I have been extremely ill, I decided to go really light on this one. I used a 3kg medicine ball and did jumping pull ups. And it still took me 17 minutes! Ugh. Hopefully next week will be a better week. Tonight is going to be a hard workout as well, then I am going to Houston tomorrow so no Friday or Saturday workout. I will probably take some clothes to Houston and go to a park or something and do my own mini-CrossFit, Amie style! Ha! Yeah right. :)

Amie-isms

Shutting it down...

Where have I been??

Big News!

9pm - 9am

Gramma

Just Under 5 Months!!

Budget-friendly Recipes!

Going on a diet...

Stress

Politics

My Least Favorite Time of the Year?

Thank You Mayo Clinic!

Blog Prompt - Apparently All About Boobs!

Dear Yahoo:

Turkey Meatballs

Quick and Easy

Completely Overwhelmed

One of THOSE Days

And here goes #3...(it's a sappy one!)

Resolution #2

100th Post!!

The End of a Decade...And 100 Lessons Learned!

Fitting...

Christmas

Day 5

Day 4

Runner's Commandments

Day 2

The Usual.

A day to remember...

Running still sucks, but now I kinda like it!

Two Recipes

Running Sucks.

Pictures of NYC

Changes

New York Here We Come!!!

Ads

Retail Therapy!

The Sims 3

About those cookies...

Super Easy Cookie Recipe

Ketchup

Recipes!

Those ads...

Wondering how to follow the last...

Belle Brooks: February 11, 2003 - June 5, 2009

Belle Update - Updated

So Sad

And now I want one.

I might die...

Chicken Little

Jen Freaking Lancaster, Bitches!!!!

Amie-ology

Blogging about the #1 no no in blogland...

Plumbing...OVER!

Allergies! And being an adult still sucks. :)

The week from HELL!

Back on the Bandwagon!

Let's count the calories...

A Day of Surveys :)

'Cause I Love Surveys!

And it continues...

Weird, Weird Week!

Getting Over Yourself

Starting again...

Slacker!

Too good to be true!

My Ghetto Compact

The Omnivore’s Hundred

A New Beginning

I hate allergies!

Oh yeah...

Lasting Relationships

A day to remember...

Scared of my office!!!!!

I suck this month!

Wall balls, pull ups, endurance

Workout

My Name