Bloggaholic... it's a long one kids!

I am in Hell Week 2 and will not be thinking about next week until Monday morning. Last week was Hell Week 1 (just busy scheduling), not as bad as this week, but I will prevail!

*The following is meant to be funny, not upsetting... this week has just been wild*

On top of the usual work week and homework responsibilities...
* Chris had 5 games this week and 2 are away games.
* I had 2 rehearsals this week.
* I attended a networking meeting as a potential member and it was overwhelming, expensive and a food nightmare.
* I had 2 board meetings this week.
* I had 2 one-on-one meetings this week with guys from baseball and church.
* I am organizing team parties for both football and baseball.
* I am collecting money for coaches' gifts for both football and baseball.
* I have to create a registration process for our spring baseball league before Tuesday.
* I am working on the PR for the Messiah Christmas concert which involves the flyer, postcards, new letters for the building banner and the big banner on the street.
* I had a dead battery last week on Halloween that cost us money we didn't have.
* I had a flat tire at 4 a.m. when heading home from a friend's. I got 2 hours of sleep, but did arrange to get Chris to school. After that, however, I faced challenges with both my ride to the car and the tow guy because neither of them did what they were supposed to do. :o)

Today:
* I was witness to a woman hitting not one, but TWO cars on my street, which involved me stepping in to stop her from driving (she was on meds and not all there), contacting the police, her driving away while I was inside on the phone, hitting the second truck just moments later, staying for the police report, and then trying to contact my neighbors to let them know what had happened.
* I arrived an hour late to work, but was only there an hour when the school called to say that Chris was sick. :o(
* I could not pick him up until I finished the football flyer that needed to go out today, so he waited over an hour for me to get there. Double :o(
* On the way home with Chris, my tire light came on indicating there is still a problem with my changed tire. Ran to the mechanic after taking Chris's temp, getting him a drink, finding the barf bowl, and washing up. Not sure of the problem, so will watch it over the weekend.
* Came home and hooked up our new DSL modem, so hubby will be happy and will stop needing help with the laptop! lol

The good things from the week...
* Receiving two emails that really 'spoke' to me. I don't have time to read Fwd: emails, but I did so this week. Fortunately, one of them really, really helped me let go of some really mean and spiteful behavior that came my way. I had already gained good perspective on the choices of these two people, but the sting was still there. After that email, it was GONE!
"Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!"
* Seeing a former student from my subbing days and overhearing him say, "Is that Mrs. B!?!?" He had a light in his eyes, a smile on his face and looked like an older version of his 2nd grade self. I could hear him as I was walking toward him so I responded with a chuckle, "Yes, it's me." He proceeded to tell me about the fun times when I would sub his class, my being his favorite sub, and remembering my "pizza book". I used to read "Sam's Pizza" to every class I taught. I love the book and the kids did too. It was great to be the recipient of that exchange with this young man who is now a college student! *eek!*
* My battery was the only thing wrong with my car last week. It could have easily been the starter or the alternator. My mechanic is only 1 block from my office and it was easy to have the work done without losing time at work. When my battery died, I had just returned from several different towns and could easily have been stranded, but I wasn't. To boot, it happened early enough that I not only had it repaired before picking up Chris, but I also didn't have to miss his football game.
* My flat tire was inconvenient and in the wee hours of the morning, but I was with a friend who gave me a ride home and I was safe. The plug and patch was free and again, conveniently by my work. My mom is retired and healthy now so she could give me a ride and we have roadside service to help me.
* Enjoying a variety of new relationships lately. I am realizing how blessed I am with the people in my life and am meeting new people all the time. I have amazing friends and I learn so much from them. Both last week and this week have afforded some quality time with friends at school events, a few lunches with pals, chats with couples that we may go out to dinner with, and an email from a special friend to see if I was doing okay. Very nice.
* Taking time to journal and be sad. I compromised my work time by staying home to journal, but I really needed it. It helped.
* Realizing that there is a season for everything. Sometimes we are not ready to let certain people go, but we have to. If it is in our best interest, we really need to do what is right for us. Doing the right thing is most often the harder choice, and although I resisted, I have made steps in that direction.
* Rehearsing with an amazing group of women and praising God in song. Our team has grown to 5 and we are all being stretched as we prepare for our big worship service. We have all been working so hard and our sound was incredible at rehearsal. I love that we are being trusted to learn a song that is just us, no leader. It is a very tough song to do and we all have our own harmonies to carry, but it is good for us!
* This week WILL END and next week will be MUCH EASIER! Yes, still busy, but better!
* I am home with my guys right now with nowhere to go.

I know there are more good things, but I suspect Blogger is tired of me and you all must be asleep by now! lol If you made it this far, please go do something else now. ha ha

xoxo, Shanna

Week and weekend in review...

Well, this week and next week are "hell weeks" for us. Chris has baseball games on the weekends, 2 football games this week and 3 next week, a video Science project on top of regular homework, and we had a prospective parents meeting at the high school. The games affect my work schedule as I have to leave early to not miss games, which elimates time to exercise in the morning. I guess I will be working to maintain this week and next instead of lose as it is pretty hard to lose anything while eating 1200 calories/day and not exercising.

I have a busy, but fun weekend ahead...

Today -
Work all day
3:00 - Pick up Chris from school
4:30 - Yoga, hopefully
6ish - Trick or treating throughout town and with friends

Tomorrow -
9:00 - Supervise Chris and friends in their video project endeavor
10:30 - Haircut
12:30 - Work the snack bar and watch Chris's baseball game
3:30 - Go to work and put in a few hours
6:30 - Take Chris to church to do daycare, go home and make dinner, work from home

Sunday -
9:00 - A quickie breakfast at McD's with our close friends and then we all head out to the apple farms. Dear friends of mine own the farm and their son owns another, so it is always a big reunion when I come to visit. I love that I get to visit this year with my family and other friends of mine. I haven't been able to go in a number of years, so I can't wait!

5:00 - Take Chris to youth group and go to work for a bit
Collapse! lol

I am thinking that posting food here takes up too much space, so I am going to create a separate blog for that. I will still track my weight here, but not my food log. Once I have the blog set up, I will post the link to the right.

This week has consisted of uncured hot dogs wrapped in cheese and a whole wheat tortilla for breakfast, low-fat string cheese and Triscuits or carrots for a snack, chicken noodle soup for dinner, veggie tacos, vegetarian plate at a greek restaurant, and a few too many Halloween candies. I suspect Monday will bring a steady weight, no loss. I wish for more, but have to be real about what is going on and how life and my cravings intervene. If I want to do better, I have to make the effort. In order to make the effort, I need time. Hopefully, time will be easier to find after next week. In the interim, I am proud of being back at eating healthier... real food (minus the candy) with color, vibrant healthy colors. :o)

Hugs to all! Happy Halloween!!

Shanna

Halfway there...

Not too bad... I had gained 11 lbs. in the past month and have set the goal to blog as I take it back off. I have officially lost 5 of the 11 today. I was at 240, went up to 251 and am at 246 now. So, 6 more lbs. to go and then it is all downhill from there, hopefully! lol I am anxious and excited to break 240 and finally be in the 230s. Hubby weighs 225, so when I actually catch up to him, that will be pretty cool. It's funny how we have landmark weights that we remember, isn't it? "I weighed... when I was in high school." "I was ... pounds on my wedding day."

The weights that mark my years are:
165 in my freshman year of high school in 1980 (age 13)
237 before joining Weight Watchers in 1987 (age 20)
205 after a few months on Weight Watchers when I started dating Scott in 1988 (age 21)
268 when I got preggers in 1993 (age 26)
284 before delivery in 1994 and 260 after delivery
316 when I started on this journey in 2006 (age 39)

It's weird to look at that list and know that I am almost back to my weight in 1987! That was 20 years ago!! So, 237, here I come!!!


Monday, Oct. 27th
Weight: 246 (loss of 3 lbs. from last week)
TJ's uncured hot dog with cheese, Lactaid
String cheese and carrots, 1 bite-size chocolates
Chicken soup and Triscuits

Yup, that is midnight oil you smell!

I am up late helping my hubby with some work docs that he needs, so I figured I would "blog in". Here are a few pics from our summer...

* Anniversary weekend with my hubby in Ventura *


* Hanging out with my boy on the new deck! *


* Fourth of July fireworks show downtown *


* Taken last week as we head into fall... can't wait! *


Goodnight everyone!
Shanna

Wooosh! Days flying by...

Friday, Oct. 24th
Ate stuff. lol
I know I ate well all day and then went out for pasta with my hubby. Certain of calorie overload there! No idea if that will do me in or not, but I am good with whatever happens as I have eaten "real food" all week and have exercised.
Cardio class in the a.m. and yoga in the afternoon. I am doubling up when I know I have a busy weekend and won't have time to exercise.

Saturday, Oct. 25th
Veggie tacos (corn, black beans, green and red bell pepper, zucchini, smidgen of avocado, cheese), green tea with blueberry
Baked appetizers at a Halloween party, soda and a teensy Zombie, a few bite-sized desserts

Sunday, Oct. 26th
1 cookie and a small glass of Lactaid before rehearsal
NSA Pomegranate/blueberry tea latte with soy, shortbread cookies after rehearsal
*** Doing well so far, eh? lol Cookies and more cookies. ***
2 slices of apple after church
Veggie bowl with crushed pretzels and a sprinkle of cheese, whole pretzels, green tea with blueberry
7 choc. covered soy nuts
Apple and 2T organic peanut butter, Lactaid, 8 Fritos, 10 M&Ms

Weigh in tomorrow will be interesting... too many calories, likely too much sodium, and sedentary weekend. I have been battling not feeling very well again, possible relapse from last week's cold or just allergies and fatigue. Soreness and symptoms are better today than yesterday or Friday, so I will probably get out for a walk later on when it cools off. I am going to push my "water" (very weak green tea) and aiming for a light dinner.

Things I am grateful for...
* To be alive.
* My son and his loving way.
* Old friends and the opportunity to not only connect, but find out how much you impacted someone's life without even knowing it.
* The challenges that we face as they make us fight harder, love deeper and appreciate more.
* A good weekend for my hubby and I after a tough few weeks.

In memory... we will miss you, Errol. You were too young to leave us, but your memory will live on with me. Your love for baseball, commitment to your children, and our chats will be missed. I am grateful that I knew you and I appreciate the time we spent together. God speed.

Be a great day everyone!
Shanna

A quiet day...

I am feeling quiet today. Not very chipper, so keeping to myself and just moving through the day. I am tired, thinking about things, and really need time alone at the beach. It was good to journal this morning. That sure does help. Wish there was a writing class nearby like the one in Portland. Thankfully, it's not a bad day, just a quiet one.

Blogging food now and will update later. I am doing carpool at 5:00, have a meeting regarding publicity for the Messiah concert at 6:45, rehearsal at 7:30 and then will head home to watch Survivor with my boys around 9:00.

Thursday, Oct. 23rd
No exercise today... need to give my body a rest.
Trader Joe's hot dog wrapped in ww tortilla with cheese, Lactaid with 2 tsp. Quik
Lean Cuisine Mac and Cheese, low fat Triscuits, 3 Milano cookies, NSA Cranb./Blueb. juice
Veggie tacos and something to drink that I can't remember. lol

Just thought of a few more things...

I haven't shared the good news... our daughter, Michelle, called on Monday to say that she got a full-time, well-paid job with a big company in her area!!! This company deals in software and Michelle will be a customer service rep, so she has 4 months or more of training ahead of her. She will have benefits once she completes training, which is a first since she was on our plan. I am so happy for her, so proud and so relieved. She will ditch her crappy job at Macaroni Grill for once and for all! Michelle moved recently to a little bungalow and has a new roommate, as well. Her roomie is a sweetheart and their place is adorable. The best part, she is 7 minutes from work, walking! Things are definitely looking up for her.

Aimee is doing well in her new place. She moved out of our house in August and is renting a little "pool room". Her landlords are a very nice family from church and they have offered Aimee a wonderful opportunity to live inexpensively and close by. She doesn't have a kitchen, a closet or laundry, so she is learning to be very creative. lol Now to hope she will find a full-time, permanent, well-paid job so she can give up her 2 part-time jobs! *fingers crossed*

Chris is going strong with both fall baseball and flag football. He has baseball games every weekend and 2 practices a week, at least 1 football game on the weekdays and practices everyday when there is no game. It is crazy. Add in there Sunday School on Sunday mornings, working with the younger kids during the church service, and youth group on Sunday evenings and this boy seldom rests. Oh yea, and then there is homework! lol Funny how I listed that LAST. Hmmmm....... Aside from being really tired, he is doing a stellar job of balancing all that he has to do, keeping himself organized for school and earning good grades. He is quite the young man. He is preparing to fundraise for his 2009 DC trip, so be prepared everyone! He is determined to raise half of his trip cost, which is at least $1,000.

Scott and I are cruising along going to all of Chris's games and occasionally winding down at night with a home-cooked dinner and some tv. We had the fortune of attending Amy Grant's "Lead Me On" concert last Friday night and it was GREAT! What a treat to see her. She is, without a doubt, my favorite artist of all time. Her music shaped a large part of my Christian life in my early 20's. Very cool.

I am looking forward to the weekend as I have the opportunity to drive the Jr. High Leadership kids back from their conference on Friday afternoon, we have a game on Saturday, Scott and I will attend a Halloween Costume Party on Saturday night, and then church on Sunday. I am singing, but we had to postpone our big 8 song extended worship set. I am so relieved since being sick has really compromised my chance to rehearse or breathe, for that matter. lol

Now to figure out costumes for Sat. night. One of my very best friends from high school, Liz, connected with me on Facebook and she kindly invited us to come. I am really looking forward to seeing her and reconnecting with her family. I haven't seem them in years! It will be blast!

Done rambling... I have alot to catch up on! lol

Recovering and returning...

I am finally feeling better, so I decided to resume my plan to lose the added weight. I weighed in on Monday, Oct. 20th at 249, so I gained a few pounds while down and out last week. Nevertheless, I am back on my game this week! Here is the update...

Monday, Oct. 20th
Weight: 249
Hot dog wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with cheese, Chocolate Silk
String cheese, pretzels, 2 bite-size chocolates
Chicken salad with cheese, peppers, zucchini, corn, black beans, dressing
Lactaid and 1 double stuffed oreo
1 liter water and 1 liter tea with stevia
40 min. cardio class and 20 min. elliptical in the morning
35 min. walk in the evening with Alice

Tuesday, Oct. 21st
No exercise
Hot dog wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with cheese, Lactaid
1 chicken taco, coleslaw, a handful of shelled peanuts while we waited
Banana and light string cheese
Last 5 bites of my hubby's combo burrito ;o) He is nice to share.
1 chicken taco (there were 2 with my order), iced tea, 3 bite-sized chocolate candies

Wednesday, Oct. 22nd
Cardio class this morning
Ritz crackers with peanut butter, water
Spinach burger and watermelon, iced tea
Low fat Triscuits and 2T organic peanut butter
Chicken pita w/no dressing, 3 mac and cheese nuggets, and a side salad with minimal ranch, 2 bite-size chocolates
(Ate at Jack in the Box and willingly tried the nuggets. Gotta be careful tomorrow.)

I have to tell ya, I love interacting with people and living life. I ate lunch at a quaint little restaurant today in a sleepy town nearby. Not far from me were 2 older men, clearly long-time friends, having lunch. When the waitress brought out their check, one of the men turned to her and said, "Oh she's paying", as he pointed to ME! lol I looked up just in time and came back with, "Great, so you won't mind picking up the tab for my party of 12? They are running a bit late." lol We all had a great laugh and I realized in that moment that I really enjoy people that are willing to live outloud. I am SO outloud most of the time. (Hey, I can hear you agreeing with me... stop that!) Now, here is this guy that takes the liberty of pulling me into his moment of living outloud. I was all for it... and really love that sometimes 2 or more lives will overlap, even for a second, just because someone else is willing to step out of their comfort zone. That is SO me.

I really do wonder how many people I have talked to in the world? I love meeting folks and even if I never learn anything about them, it is just cool to have met someone new. Life is so short, even if you live to be 100, so why not smile at someone or share a friendly word. If I can actually make someone else smile, or better yet, laugh, that's the best!

Can't wait to blog an update on Houdini, the runaway dog from last week. He is safely housed at the Humane Society, but I got to visit with him on Saturday. It was so cool. Okay, next time...

Hugs to all!
Me

A minor setback...

Yup, being sick is a setback. I had a horrible sore throat, but that has now moved up into my head, sinuses and eyes. Still running a little temp, went to the doc and she confirmed a virus. Nothing to do but wait and rest.

The setback is the lack of exercise combined with weird eating habits. I am nibbling on salty pretzels, eating soup, drinking lots of natural juice and guzzling green tea. Between the salty foods (water weight), the carbs, and the high calorie juice, I don't know that I will lose much. No biggie... I have my whole, HEALTHY lifetime ahead of me!

Fatigue seems to be at an all time high with this dumb bug, so I am resting as much as I can. The strange thing is that I couldn't fall asleep last night. It's like my body is exhausted, but not my mind. Frustrating.

Okay, I am off. I have rehearsal for worship team tonight and although I can't sing, I have to be there to hear what I am supposed to sing. We are a 3 part harmony group and I am the only one to sing my part. Guess I had better know what it is! lol We have a big worship service coming up on the 26th... 8 songs and 4 are brand new. Exciting! Tomorrow night is rehearsal for "Messiah", our Christmas concert. I need to get well! :o)

All in good time, eh?

xoxo, Shanna

Crazy dog! Crazy lady!

So, I am on my way to work yesterday and just around the corner from my office is this little teeny, weeny dog running in the street! I mean, TINY dog! And, frail, skin and bones, ribs showing through, scrawny legs, midget mutt. OMG, I just held my breath as I drove passed it! I then see a small group of people from different businesses working together to try and catch this little guy. Far be it from me to be left out of the effort, so I parked my car and spend the next 2 hours stalking, chasing, calling to, searching for, this dog. lol Interestingly enough, I ended up working alone, but not without at least 12 different people helping me. I was so impressed that so many cared, but this dog was pitiful! I did finally call the police and they dispatched Animal Control.

The poor dog was so terrified that he would bark and bark when someone approached him. I finally followed him into an auto body shop, but he disappeared under a car and I couldn't tell if he went around the corner or into one of the garages. Of course, this is EXACTLY when the police showed up with Animal Control. lol I had no idea where he was and although we searched for him, no luck. I figure he hunkered down somewhere to wait us out. Determined to find him and relatively sure that he didn't go far, I passed my phone number around to a few of the businesses nearby.

Sure enough, I got a call first thing this morning from "John at VJ's Auto Body". :o) "Your dog is back," says John. lol Okay, John, he is not MY dog...

What John didn't know is that I got horribly sick yesterday! I have the WORST sore throat and am completely bereft of energy. I was in bed trying to decide what to do with myself. Frank is out of town and I have a dozen things to take care of today, but I can't move. lol Well, there is no way I could neglect this little dog, so off I went. I called Animal Control as soon as I got a fix on the dog, but they said it would be a while before the dispatcher could meet me. "Not to worry, I am not going anywhere until this dog is capture. He is like Houdini!" Alas, this dog now has a name! HOUDINI!

SO, I follow Houdini around for the next 90 LOOONNNGG minutes. :o) We go down this alley and around this corner and down this street and in this parking lot and now out into the actual street, so I have to quickly park my car illegally somewhere and race out into the street to stop traffic!!!!!!! I can't even tell you how many illegal maneuvers I have done today! lol I tell ya, life is so much more to me than working... it is about capturing dogs, meeting other people and having a life that allows me to do this stuff. I met the ladies that work at the cleaning service up the street from my office and they offered me a bowl to put water in for Houdini... he didn't drink it, but it was a good try. I found a pile of dog food that two people put down yesterday and as I grabbed two fistsful, I discovered it was inundated with red ants! THAT was a surprise! Fortunately, I didn't end up with any bites on my hands. Finally, Andrew from Animal Control arrived. Bless his heart, he had just come from picking up a deceased pet in someone's home. :o(

Andrew parked and began chasing Houdini on foot. I, having learned a lesson from the hours invested already, stayed in my car to chase him! lol Andrew and I worked as a team to divide and conquer, but could NOT catch this little guy! No hole was too small, no fence posts too narrow. I swear, this dog can slip in anywhere! I would speed up ahead of Andrew and Houdini and scare Houdini away from the major, busy streets where he was headed. Andrew would chase Houdini down an alley and I would zip around a few blocks and come in from the other side to try and turn him around, but no luck. Houdini finally race out onto a major, 4-lane street, crossed all lanes of traffic defying death, and then proceeded to cross yet another street!!! Andrew was far behind Houdini and would have likely been hit by a car trying to cross, so I offered him a ride with me! lol

Sure enough, Andrew rode shotgun in the minivan and we made a VERY illegal left turn across 4 lanes of traffic and over a center divider. By golly, however, we managed to find Houdini again. He shot back across those same streets, again without demise, and finally shot into the outdoor patio of Matt Denny's, one of my favorite places ever! (Heidi and Michelle, remember MD's?) Because I am there often, I know the busboy that was setting up the patio. I hollered to him to close the gates on the other side and thankfully he did. If he hadn't, Houdini would have raced right out onto the big street again! Andrew and I came through our gate and I blocked it off with tables. lol Vince, one of the managers, joined us and between the 4 of us, we got him! Phew... thank God!

When all was said and done, this little tiny guy actually fit perfectly in my two hands. He is so small. I have learned from a gal nearby that Houdini's mom is a young gal that is less than favorable and that Houdini is out often. Hmmm, I am thinking she has NO business being a doggy mommy. The Humane Society will care for Houdini and will post him on their website within a day or two. When they do, I will watch how things go. I will do whatever I can, without adopting him, to ensure that he doesn't go back home.

Anyway, I have now used all of the energy that I had reserved for the entire day and I have such a sore throat from calling to Houdini... all worth it since he is now safe and sound. :o) Thanks to Andrew and the staff at MD's for helping me! I think Houdini is my 6th rescue thus far. LOVE it!

OH!!! When I went back to thank John from the auto shop for calling me, one of the guys there gave me a card for a free oil change to thank me for caring about the dog! How cute is that?? I was really touched. :o)

Off to my office and the bank before watching my boy's football game! Great day.

Hugs to all!

Where there's a will... there's a 'weigh'! lol

Okay, so first I will do the weight update and then I will blog about my crazy days. :o)

Weight on 10/13: 246 pounds (a loss of 5 pounds!)
Exercise: 30 min. cardio class and 30 min. on elliptical at 3.5 mph
Menu: Water, Lactaid, 32 oz. blueberry green tea with stevia
Bologna and cheese pita (my own creation... if interested, ask! lol)
Soft taco from Taco Bell
Chicken soup, pretzels, 3 chocolate chip cookies

Wooo hooo! 5 pounds off! 6 more to go! Then more to go after that!!
Much of my loss may be excess water weight, but I will take it. :o)

Day 5 - Friday, Oct. 10th and the weekend

Busy few days with no exercise, so started the day with a kick-butt cardio class! Today is Sunday and I am still feeling the impact. ;o)

Now to remember what I ate on Friday. lol That was a long time ago! The weekend was good, but without exercise (see achy body comment above) and with more calories than I should have. The weekend included my drinking most of a bottle of "girlie beer" by myself. No, not a regular size bottle of beer, a wine bottle size. Have to say, I knew what I was doing when I did it and will work it off my pushing extra hard this week. Weigh in is tomorrow... we shall see what this week has brought. I will be so happy if I have lost a pound or two.

Here goes!

FRIDAY
Weight on Oct. 6th: 251 lbs.
Exercise: Cardio
Menu: Meals were fewer because I was full longer.
16 oz. Pomegranate Blueberry ice blended with No Sugar Added.
Quizno's Italian Sammie (330 cal.), half bag of Baked Lays.
Veggie tacos, fries and lo-cal ranch, iced tea with stevia.
Girlie beer and 2 cookies.

SATURDAY
Baby shower snacky foods; mini-quiche, finger sandwiches, carrots, fresh fruit, scone, but no cake.
Cup of home-made stew and a roll, iced tea with stevia.
Chicken alfredo and girlie beer (ordered dinner in with hubby for date night).

SUNDAY
Pomegranate Blueberry tea latte with No Sugar Added (90 cal.) and shortbread.
Chicken fajita salad with lots of yummy veggies, iced tea with stevia.
Small frozen yogurt with a smattering of candy toppings and blueberries.
(too early to eat again just yet... will edit and add)
Edited to add: 1/2 bagel with cream cheese and tea

Day 4 - Thursday, Oct. 9th

Day was improved after my post. Not alot more productive, but not as distracted either. Enjoying having accountability here. Now to weigh in next Monday and see if I am making the right efforts. I already know that I need to be more diligent about grocery shopping and preparing food at home. I also need to better incorporate veggies! :o)

Weight on Oct. 6th: 251 lbs.
Exercise: None, too busy today
Menu: 24 oz. green tea with stevia, 16 oz. water
Bagel dog, lactaid
Chicken salad with black beans, romaine, light cheese and dressing, tortilla, a few tortilla chips
Quizno's Italian Sammie (330 cal.), half bag of Baked Lays
4 oz. milk and a 20 chocolate covered soy nuts

Weird day...

I am not sure why, but I am having a weird day. I just keep thinking of things that I want to do, and can't. This has been going on for a few weeks now, but today is particularly preoccupying. I keep struggling with my "needs" and then disappointment as I realize that I am being completely unrealistic with my wants (reality word). :o(

Perhaps if I list things here, I will let my mind rest? Here goes!

* I want fall weather to return right now.
* I want the trees to change colors like Oregon trees do. (I will settle for my own trees, but they would have to start changing!)
* I want to be curled up at home, in a comfy chair, reading a book.
* I want a comfy chair to read a book in.
* I want to spend an entire day in silence... no phones, no conversation, nothing.
* I want to go see a good movie with a friend.
* I want date night with my hubby.
* I want to play Nintendo with my boy.
* I want to be at the Y, weight training.
* I want to try a day spa. Friends like Glen Ivy, not sure if I would.
* I want a full-body massage.
* I want to spend all day sipping froo-froo coffee drinks and hanging out at either SBs or CB.
* I want to curl up in my bed and watch a good movie all by myself.
* I want to get yogurt from Cherry on Top.
* I want Scott to feel completely fine again so that the balance is restored.

Now, the things that I have to look forward to...
* I am at work and it is quiet here. I am alone and can get stuff done if I stop blogging and dreaming the day away! lol
* I have my first rehearsal tonight for "Messiah". I will not only get to see my dear friend, Peter, but I could even join him for dinner! I will also meet all of the new folks that are joining us for our Christmas Concert and will have the opportunity to make all of them laugh, bring lots of fun to rehearsal and laugh myself.
* I get to see my boy at 5 p.m. today when I pick him up after football practice. That kid just makes me smile and my heart sing. He has no idea how much I love him.
* I am hoping to find an hour to work out tonight. Not sure how/when I will fit it in if I go to dinner with Peter, so perhaps I should eat really light today.
* After rehearsal, I will head home to my guys, find my jammies and relax with them watching last week's Survivor. We are a week behind which means we can watch another episode this weekend!

Okay, I am good. Off to grab a salad for lunch and get some work done!

Shanna

Day 3 - Thursday, Oct. 8th

Happy birthday to my oldest "child" today!!!!!!!!!!

Happy 25th birthday, Michelle. We love you!!!

Weight on Oct. 6th: 251 lbs.
Exercise: None, too busy today
Menu: 16 oz. green tea with stevia
All natural hot dog wrapped in a tortilla with cheese, Lactaid with 1T. Quik
Mediterrean brown rice bowl with chicken, cucumber, feta and olives
Snack bag of sour cream and onion chips at Chris's game
Spinach burger and fries with bleu cheese dressing to dip in (splurge!), iced tea

Day 2 - Tuesday, Oct. 7th

Busy day with a few different entries for my "Dork Diary". I apparently needed to walk from room to room without remembering each time why I even went there. I would grab one thing out of a room and walk into another room, only to realize that I was now without what I intended to get from the first room. Multiply that throughout 30 minutes and heck, I should have probably counted the calories burned just from THAT exercise! Once I left for the day (in my car), I then ended up driving here there and everywhere in the entirely WRONG order! lol Room to room became place to place. Good grief. Home to work, back toward home for car wash, up from there to City Hall and the bank, then home to get things I needed to give my mom, then to my mom's near the car wash, and back to work. Ah, no biggie, it's only time.

Scott is in pretty bad shape with his back, so things are pretty kooky right now. He is stressed, I am tired, and Chris and I are doing our best to pick up the responsibilities that Scott has to leave behind right now. I pray that he feels better soon. I also pray that both of us get some sleep tonight.

Subbing for hubby has been an interesting challenge. lol Chris had football practice and baseball practice tonight... race from work to pick him up at school (5 min. late) with baseball stuff in car (thankfully, I remembered those), run to McD's to grab a snack (okay, this was news and made us later), head to the baseball field where Chris changes out of football and into baseball clothes (normally done in the back of dad's van). Be prepared to pick him up in 2 hours. Hmm, sounds like a perfect time to for me some exercise!!! I walked 5k and on my way back, the coach called to say, "We're finished early, are you close by?" lol Um, NO! I still had 15 minutes. Needless to say, at that point, my walk became a RUN! Now ask me if I run... NEVER! Geez. At least I poured on the cardio at the end. So far I am failing at subbing for hubby.

All of this will be better in time. I just have to be patient. The cool thing is that life is actually pretty mellow right now (barring the paragraphs above), so I am not feeling too overwhelmed. I am enjoying my better eating habits and my exercise efforts, they are good for my psyche. Work is relatively quiet, so I am working to get caught up on long overdue Quickbooks entry. All in all, we are doing okay. Healing, that is what we need, healing for the back.

Off to tuck in my boy, take a shower and find my cozy jammies. Ah, I can't wait. TV time ahead with my hubby and then hopefully, sleep! I hope you all are having a good week.

Hugs!!! Shanna

Weight on Oct. 6th: 251 lbs.
Exercise: 1 hour walk with a smidgen of dashing
Menu: 16 oz. water, 32 oz. green tea with stevia
Toasted pita pocket with bologna and cheese, lactaid with 1T. Quik
Grilled chicken salad with honey mustard dressing
Reese's peanut butter cup (1)
Light string cheese
2 Walker shortbread cookies at Starbucks
In 'n Out cheeseburger, protein style, carrots dipped in hummus
Cup of warm milk ;o)

You've gotta start somewhere...

Those words have been bouncing around in my head as a theme to many things going on right now. I guess they really couldn't apply more to anyone than me. :o) I have been riding a roller coaster and things are finally seeming to slow down. Fortunately, this means that it is high time for me to get my eating and exercise habits back in gear and see about living healthier. My sleeping habits are not great, but okay... work is slowly getting caught up... I am cooking dinner at home a bit more (even with football and baseball games and crazy homework). I am only signed up to save a few of the world's problems and I am saying "no" to things left and right. I guess I making strides already!

To keep me honest and to help me track my progress, I am going to blog here each day. Due to recent travel and family birthdays, I have put on 10 pounds. This is no biggie considering I have maintain my weight for the past 18 months! I will simply take those pounds back off. :o) I am challenging myself for the next 2 weeks to eat healthy, exercise and blog my efforts. I won't bore anyone with ongoing blogging, just 2 weeks worth. lol

I have a TON to blog about and a bazillion pics that I would like to post, but it will have to wait. I am off instead to make myself a taco salad, courtesy of Paris and Sam! THANKS GIRLS!!!

xoxo, Shanna

Weight: 251
Exercise: 30 min. on elliptical at 4 mph and 20 min. on treadmill at 3 mph and 2% incline
Menu: 12 oz. water, 16 oz. green tea with stevia
Chicken panini with pesto, zucchini and swiss, small mixed green salad with balsamic dressing, iced tea with stevia
Light string cheese and a piece of bacon
Taco salad with black beans, peppers, olives, carrots, and balsamic dressing, water
Edited to add: Ate a Choco Taco later in the evening. :o)

Notable Quotables...

"A burden shared with another is a lighter load to carry."

I sent this to a friend today and decided I would like to also capture it here. Another favorite of mine is...

"A burden shared is half a burden and a joy shared is twice a joy."


I am so looking forward to this weekend. Scott and I will be celebrating 17 years of marriage and we are headed to the beach for the weekend!!! I am so looking forward to relaxing, being near the water (I LIVE for water!) and exploring new places together. It is going to be great! Hopefully, I will remember to pack my camera. If you talk to me tomorrow, will you remind me? Thanks. lol

Shanna

Pure beauty...

Ah, painted ladies... I truly love having the opportunity to host these incredibly beautiful creatures each year. Yes, I could order them all year long, but for some reason, I feel compelled to have them in the spring or summer. The company that sells them has a package deal where you can order hundreds of them for a wedding. I would have so had them at my wedding if I had known! Not to be too dark, but I want them at my funeral. Wouldn't it be cool to release hundreds of butterflies into the sky to come and see me?

Life has been filled with some real moments of beauty lately... there are gorgeous flowers blooming around me, the skies have been overcast and the weather cool on recent mornings which makes me deliriously happy (I HATE heat!), my son has been thoroughly enjoying his summer and smiling often, and I have had the opportunity to see many great friends lately. Caprice called and we met for dinner, I happened upon Tracy at Bean Town last weekend, I met Melanie for lunch today, I saw Annette at the library last week, Alice and I connected on Monday, I got to see my dad briefly on Saturday before attending a grad party that both Caprice and her hubby attended, as well. THAT was an awesome surprise! Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed the party and I was so happy for my friend, Kathy, who has graduated with her MA! I have been getting to know Maria and she is great! We got to see Eva and her kids last night and I had lunch with Mimi last week too! I tell ya, this has been a very social few weeks. No wonder I am in a good mood! lol As you all know, I am very social. *wink*

Now on to the rock 'n rolling of Cali's earthquake. We are about 20 miles from the epicenter and we certainly did feel it. Nothing like standing on a very thick concrete slab in a huge warehouse and realizing that the slab is actually rolling under your feet! 'Uh, I'm sorry... what? Concrete moves? I don't think so!' Well, during an earthquake it does. Sheesh, it was wild! and long! Chris handled it beautifully, as it was his first really big quake. He was a little shaken at first, but cruised along as he does. Love that kid. Thankfully, there hasn't been much damage or any injuries that I know of.

Scott is doing amazing work on our back deck and I am LOVING spending summer afternoons out there with him as he works. My beach chair comes out and we visit under the shade of the trees. I will have to take some pics soon and share them. My hubby is so talented and such a craftsman. We have a great house already, but after he is finished with it, it will be incredible.

Baseball camp ended 2 weeks ago and summer school ends this week. Chris volunteered to help out at another baseball camp last week after his summer school classes and did a great job. We are so fortunate that our friend, Dave, offers Chris the chance to help out. He learns so much by working with other kids, especially younger ones. He is now interested and pursuing a "Leader in Training" position at a sports camp next week. It might be too late for him to apply and be accepted, but we shall see. His application draft is done, so we will finalize it and get it faxed off tomorrow. *fingers crossed* After next week, Chris will attend his own baseball camp with Dave. That will be a week of hard work since he is the student, not the helper.

I will sign off in memory of my friend, Reva, who died suddenly on July 15th. We went to high school together and we stayed connected through her job at Staples. She was only 42, so this has been a huge shock to her entire family. The cause of death is still a complete mystery, so I pray that answers will be found eventually. Prayers go out to her family, as well. Reva's smile and gentle way will be missed by all.

Have a great one, everybody!
Shanna

Notable Quotables...

I love QUOTES!!!!!! OMG, I just so need to put them down somewhere for all to enjoy (and so I can remember where to go to read them myself). Anyway, here goes...

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.

This is particularly fitting for me right now, as I order caterpillars every spring (yes, I am late this year) and wait for them to cocoon and hatch into butterflies. As of this morning, I have 10 caterpillars hanging upside down going through their metamorphosis. SO COOL! They will hatch within a week and I will have 10 lovely Painted Ladies to enjoy next.

Shanna

Quote in memory of Michele... fly, girl, fly. 7/8/08

P.S. to my gal pals...

THANK YOU ALL for your replies to my 5k blog!!! I really, really appreciate it!

Next year's 5k will take place in Carlsbad on April 5, 2009. I absolutely intend to be there. If you are interested in joining me, check out the website below. I stay at a little, funky motel on the coast and the rooms fill up quickly, so you would need to book early. Let me know if you want more info on that and I will email ya.

http://www.eliteracing.com/carlsbad.html

Hugs to all!
Shanna

Crazy summer dayz.....

Okay, so summer is upon me and I am still not any more rested. lol Chris's schedule has completely changed now and I am having a heck of a time figuring out how to adjust. :o) He is taking a cooking class (his choice, how cool is that?) and a drawing class at a local jr. high, so I drop him at 8ish, run to work and then return at 10ish to pick him up. We run to my office where he changes into his baseball clothes and grab a Gatorade, and then I drop him at a local high school for baseball camp. I run back to work from 10:30 to 1:00 and then leave again to pick him up and taking him to lunch and then our house. Phew! Ideally, I would love to work out while he is in morning classes and then work from 10:30 - 4:30 (I need to work 6 hours/day), but it hasn't worked out so well thus far. We keep up this schedule until the end of July and then I will likely give him a week off before another baseball camp starts.

Chris is officially done with baseball, but Scott isn't! lol Most of the boys from our most recent All Stars team were put together for a City All Star team. Unfortunately, we don't live in THAT city! Scott, however, was asked to stay on and coach. The manager was going to Cabo for a week and loves the way Scott runs things. So we tease Scott that he is the one now that is keeping us from vacationing or relaxing with HIS baseball schedule! The cool thing is that Chris has been going to practices, as well, and is allowed to act as a Jr. Coach. His teammates (and good friends) all seem to respect him and Scott says that he is impressed by Chris's knowledge and application. Ah, I hope he grows up to be a fabulous coach to many, many kids in lots of communities! Anyway, tomorrow is this team's second game and we hope it goes better than today's game did. :o( Certainly less stress when my boy is sitting next to me, not out on the field!

Work-wise, I am still pretty busy... the auditor came a month ago, took some files with her to her office and hasn't said a word since. It is driving me crazy a little because I can't really move on. I want to refile all of the crap in my office and archive the storage boxes, but I can't. I hate not knowing if I am going to be asked for more info, as well. Ah well. I am attempting to catch up on other work, but it is slow as things are moving pretty quickly in the normal day-to-day operations right now. I am definitely suffering from the summer itch too. I know that Chris is out of school and I want to play! lol We haven't made it to the beach yet, but I am hoping to do that and to sneak away for a weekend before fall comes.

Our holiday was very nice. We all went different directions for the day, but we grabbed our chairs and headed downtown for our very own hometown fireworks show!! There is just nothing like sitting in the middle of our main street in town, surrounded by vendors selling food and goodies, a sea of locals in front and behind you, kids running everywhere, folks walking up and down the sidewalks meeting and greeting friends as they go. We spent 2 hours people watching, kicking back, and chatting with one another, waiting for the fireworks to start at 9. We each went and got our own dinner and all 3 of us ate different food from different vendors (greek for me, mexican for hubby, and american for son). The fireworks display was an all-time winner this year, as there were only dirt lots down where the canons were shooting them off. The buildings on those lots were recently leveled and nothing has been built yet, so the "fire fall out" could be much wider and shoot much higher than before. Due to the new construction ahead, next year's display will be moved just south of our house, near the park. We are sad, but atleast we still get our very own fireworks in our town! It is FREE no less!

My guys took me to see "Get Smart" tonight which was hilarious! Can anyone tell me how to handle 90 minutes of mouth slurping from the guy behind me though? OMG! I seriously thought I was going to punch him in the neck! He would *click* and *slurp* and make an array of disgusting and spine-piercing noises as he worked (and worked and worked) the popcorn out of his teeth! After 15-20 minutes of it, he would dive back into his popcorn bag and start all over again! It was ungodly annoying, but I did control my urges and I left him alone. Amazing restraint for an entire 90 minutes! His wife was sitting right next to him too... she shushed him at one point, but it was about talking out loud during the movie. Yup, he would do that too. Phew, tough one. Hubby surprised us after the movie by taking us to a new yogurt place in town. It is all self-serve... yogurt and toppings alike. When you are done making your own creation (any number of flavors or toppings), then you pay by how much your cup weighs. Pretty cool. :o)

I don't have any pics to share cuz I am not that on top of things, but hopefully I will soon. Tomorrow brings singing worship at church first thing, dashing to see "Scott's baseball game", working for awhile in the office, and then a friend's baseball game in the evening. All in all, a busy but fun day! Both baseball games will allow me to see lots of friends and hang with my guys, so I am looking forward to it. I hope you all have a wonderful day, as well!

Happy 4th of July, everyone!!!

Shanna

Are ya ready??

I have FINALLY been able to get some pics uploaded and can share them with you all! This is a long overdue post and a newsy one, so bear with me......

On April 6th, 2008, I did (what I considered to be) the unthinkable! I actually walked a 5k!!! You see, all my life, I have looked for the shortest distance between 2 points. It didn't matter if it was between the couch and the fridge or my parking spot and the store. I just hated walking or having to go very far. I, literally, can remember thinking that I would rather not join my friends at Disneyland or Magic Mtn. because it was just too much walking. I liked Universal Studios and the Zoo because you could ride the tram. Now, I welcome the challenge to go farther and somewhat faster. I realize that 5k is not monumental to most, but to me, it is a huge accomplishment, as well as, a wonderful sign of change.




***This car is for ME!! OMG, you should have seen it!!***

I went down to Carlsbad by myself on the Friday, even stopping for a quick visit with my sis-in-law, bro-in-law, and nephew. It was a glorious day with incredible spring weather and my hotel was right on the beach! When Scott and I went down last year, we discovered the most wonderful pizza, and although my eating is healthier, I am still a gal that looks forward to favorite foods when I have the chance! Sure enough, right after my arrival, I headed over for a slice of pesto, olive, goat cheese white pizza! Sadly, it was a special at St. Pat's Day and not available when I got there, but I was assured by Tommy (the creator of this heavenly pizza) that he would make me one of my very own if I wanted it! lol I suggested we wait until the next day as I was too starved to wait. After a great conversation with Tommy (love making new friends!) and a bite to eat, I was on my way to SHOP! Mervyns (new earrings, necklace and black bra), Kinkos (resize photos of "my heroes"), Michaels (buy do-it-yourself photo buttons), and Trader Joe's (healthy snacks for the room). I headed to my room and relaxed, watched ANY show that I wanted to, and put together photo buttons of my heroes.

Went for an evening walked later on, got a sandwich for dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed more down time in my room, on the big bed all by myself, again, watching any show I wanted to on TV! I was so surprised to find the episode of "My Life as a Soccer Mom" that I was on! What a great treat that was considering I wasn't sure when it would air. We taped that in early December. After a so so night of sleep, I grabbed a bite at the continental breakfast and enjoyed the last few hours of my alone time. My guys were on the train after Chris's baseball game and would arrive at 2. It was such a great idea to have them take the train so we could all drive home together after the 5k. (Thanks Aimee for taking them to the station!)



When the guys arrived, they were pretty tired. Although we all enjoyed walking around and shopping for the next few hours, there was a fair amount of 'exhaustion tension'. Sadly, none of us were particularly patient with one another, but we did manage to stop in and see Tommy for some yummy pizza! Ahhhhh.......... yes, heaven! It was even better than I remembered it. Incredible! We all headed back to the room and the boys were so content to just chill. In fact, none of us really wanted to have to leave and find dinner later on, but we did anyway. A night of sleep and up in the a.m. for my 5k!

Dressed in black exercise pants, my tshirt from www.myfooddiary.com, and with my HEROES on my back, I was off to register. Quick digression... as most of you know, the weight loss and healthy changes in my life are all due to a promise that I made to Holly before she passed away. I credit her and thank her for giving me cause to do all of this and I could not walk that 5k without her. In addition, my life has been blessed by some other really wonderful people that are also showing cancer a thing or two. Hopefully they know that I have their back, and that day, I wanted them to have mine. As such, I created a button for those that inspire me to live my best life and appreciate all that I have... my family, Shauna (2 year cancer survivor of unknown primary), Leela (2 time thyroid cancer survivor) and Holly.




At registration, I was given a bib and a chip. I didn't even know what these things were before that day! "A bib!! Oh, I've seen this before on those marathon folks!" I now have one... #8865, that's me. :o) The chip goes on your shoe and as you cross both the START line and the FINISH line, it marks your time. Amazing! Now to figure out how to secure the darn bib and chip to my shirt and shoe! lol Fortunately, I sorted it out eventually and I was off. I walked at the back of the pack, but really wanted to be ahead of the wheelchairs, elderly, pregnant women, and stroller brigade, so I ran a bit here and there until I made it to the mainstream. Our course went right along the ocean for a good while until we U-turned and headed into downtown. My guys were able to catch up with me and even came into the street to walk with me for awhile. Before long, I was turning the corner to the finish line and crossed at 1 hour, 5 minutes! I did it!!! :o)





Tired, but no worse for wear, we had a small photo shoot and headed over to the Fitness Expo. I picked up my participant tshirt and pin, shopped a bit, and then we headed off for a celebratory and much needed lunch. On our way out of town, we stopped at the beach. As I relaxed in my chair, I watched my guys run around chasing one another and throw wet sand at one another. Chris was trying faithfully to antagonize his dad, but only until Scott grabbed Chris, lifted him over his shoulders and dropped him into the ocean! Hmmm, I can't say that I have ever seen my husband bench press a 13 year old. lol Fun!!!




I was glad to be home, very relieved to lay down, and ready for next year! Wanna come with me? All are welcome!

Shanna



"The victory is not how you finish, it is showing up."

Life in Auditville...

Well, I can honestly say that I have been seeing double! I have seen so many numbers over the past 2 months, when we received our Notice of Audit at work, that I am all numbered out! I actually looked at an "8" the other day and saw two of them! lol I am thinking it is time to get some rest.

Just to wrap up my number talk, I did the math, so to speak, and discovered that I have worked 267 hours since April 12th. As of last Friday, I had worked 26 days with only Mother's Day off. Hmmm, some part time job, eh? ;o) Fortunately, I do like what I do, my boss is one of the good guys, and if nothing else, I am a very dedicated gal that has given all she's got to this audit. The audit notice brought about a demand for documents, then the auditor's first visit brought about another demand for more documents. I suspect that when she arrives on Thursday, there will likely be yet another list of demands. I am hopeful, however, that the next request will be less intense than the last ones. Let's hope! *fingers crossed*

SO, life has been shaping up a bit for the better. I have found a terrific counselor and we are a great fit! I am a big fan of therapy if you are willing to be open-minded and have a willing spirit. I seem to be both because I can feel that things are slowly getting better. I have had so many life curves in the past 3 years and I simply need to take some time to gain perspective and breathe. It is tough to do that when you are immersed in the day to day and not making time for your own sanity. That said, I will be enjoying myself to the fullest at Disneyland tomorrow!

I am so excited! I love Disneyland and have never been to California Adventure. A dear friend of mine and her daughter (who I also love) have come to Cali and I get to spend the entire day with them tomorrow. They are visiting from Idaho because her daughter plays in the orchestra at school and they have the opportunity to perform at Disneyland tomorrow! How cool is that? After a fun day running about with the girls, we will then meet up with another friend of ours for dinner at Downtown Disney! What a way to end the day... more friends, good food, and tons of fun! These 2 gals are part of the most amazing network of cyber sisters that I have ever known. There are dozens of us that have forged incredible relationships that have lasted all of these years. We have all been friends since 2000 after meeting through an online scrapbooking club. :o)

Okay, I am off to tuck in my sweet boy and make some tea. I tell ya, too many nights with crummy sleep and I really suffer. I took melatonin last night and dropped right off, but by 3 a.m., I was wide awake and feeling weird. Send me good sleep vibes, will ya? Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream... and make it last 'til 7 a.m.!

Jessie's card count: 4
*Please join me in showering a sweet girl named Jessie with cards (see below)

xoxo, Shanna

Prayers...

I am blogging to ask for prayers for Jessie, one of Chris's friends from school. She is 13 and in the 7th grade and has been very recently diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. We found out today that although the cancer has metasticized to the lungs it is NOT in the bone marrow! That is great news. She has undergone surgery last week and chemo this week, but goes home tomorrow to rest for a few weeks before her next chemo. This entire family has been turned upside down after hearing the cancer diagnosis, but they are doing an amazing job of keeping their faith and having a positive attitude!

The students in this 7th grade class are praying daily at school for Jessie, have made cards that were sent to her, have made banners that are held up at various sporting events in her honor, many students and their families are choosing to fast at mealtime, and there is a class-wide collection being put together to purchase the season DVD sets of Gilmore Girls. It is incredible to see the outpouring of action and support.

I sent out an email on Friday asking everyone to keep Jessie in their prayers and thoughts, explaining about the purchase of the "Gilmore Girls" DVDs. When I arrived at church this morning, my friend Kathy handed me her unopened Season 1! She had received my email and felt that Jessie could use the set more than she. Thanks Kathy! You are so sweet!

News like this is always so hard to hear and even harder to understand, but I am grateful for the reminder to remain focused on what really matters. Life is to be cherished and those around us are to be loved. The little things are just those, little. Hugs those you love, let people know that they matter, and laugh! Seize the day!!

Praying for continued good news for you, Jessie. You are a strong and amazing young woman!

Shanna

Surviving...

I can honestly say that I am very grounded right now... no defying gravity at this point. Life has been far too serious for my liking and the struggles that have been coming at me are simply exhausting. I am determined to get through this and rise above it, but for now, I am scarce. Sorry if you have been kind enough to pop in and have bored! lol No updates makes for a dismal blog. :o(

Soon, soon, I will have my life back. Right? In the meantime, I send my love to all of you! Hug those you love, appreciate each day, and take nothing for granted.

Shanna

Brrrrrrr.......

Carlsbad, here I come!!! Cold and overcast weather, here you come!!! lol I had the best day yesterday! I met with my pal, Tracy, for a 5k walk before having coffee together, which was SO nice. I love spending time with her and we never get the chance, so this was a treat! I headed home for a shower and to pack up and I hit the road to Carlsbad. I love road trips (not the LONG ones, 2 hours is just right) where you can crank the tunes, sing off-key, and let your hair blow in the wind. Did I do that... well, not really, but I do love it. lol I had the tunes cranked (thanks for the cd, Tracy) and the singing was rather quiet as I didn't know the music, but it was all good. A quick stop at my SIL's house and back on the road. I haven't seen my SIL's family is over a year, so that was a really nice treat too.

I hit Carlsbad about 4 p.m. and was starved! I had avoided eating much all day so that I could go to Knockout Pizza when I got here. Scott and I found KO Pizza last year and I had the coolest, yummiest "white pizza" ever!!! I am allergic to tomatoes, so it is common for me to order "no sauce", but this pizza doesn't have any anyway! It is thin crust (no usually my fav, but totally works here), mozzarella cheese, pesto, olives and these little round squirts of ricotta cheese. The ricotta almost looks the way pepperoni would. I tell ya, it is sheer heaven! KO Pizza also makes "garlic knots", so I ordered those too. Round knots of pizza dough covered in melted butter and garlic and basil. Yummy, but too greasy for me. Sat outside at a sidewalk table and watched the folks in town. Besides great pizza, I walked to get there which makes you feel less guilty about eating! lol

The best part about coming to Carlsbad is that once you park the car in the hotel lot, you never have to drive it again! Everything one could ever want is on foot. There is this great shopping area a block away, train tracks run right through the middle of town which adds character, and the beach is directly across the street from me if I need to curb my retail therapy. Having said that, I did walk back to the hotel and hop in the car to find a Kinko's, Trader Joe's, Michaels and Target.

I wanted to make buttons to wear on my shirt at tomorrow's 5k. I brought pics down with me of "My Heroes" and I needed to resize them (Kinko's) and buy the buttons (Michaels). I stopped at Target simply because I LOVE going to Targets and Walmarts in other cities!!! It is a weird fascination that I have had for years. My family teases me about it all the time. I have been to SO many in SO many states!! I bought some fruit at TJ's so that I could atleast pretend I would eat healthy this weekend, and I ended up at Mervyn's as a bonus. Got some new earrings and 2 silver charms at 50% off, and a new black bra at 50% off! Score!! (as Shauna would say)

Headed back to my room about 8 p.m., exhausted and still full. Decided that I had better hit the pavement and find a "to go" dinner for later. Went to our little deli/yogurt place and bought a 1/2 sandwich and a kid's size peanut butter cup ice cream. Eek, I had better walk 15k today! lol Enjoyed a leisurely evening on my big ol' king bed actually holding the remote control for more than 5 minutes!!!!! I hooked up my wireless connection and enjoyed cybertime and a movie on Lifetime! It was awesome and very relaxing. I didn't want to go to sleep cuz I didn't want my night to end, so I stayed up 'til 2! lol

BTW, if you are interested, check out "My Life as a Soccer Mom" this weekend. I am on the show!! NO, I am not the soccer mom, I am a baseball mom!! This really sweet mom, Alisa, gave up her career to be a mom and she wonders about going back to work. This show takes helps her slip back into her dream job for a week with my realtor friend, Donna Baker. Donna was asked to do the show and in turn, she asked some of us to be a part of the action! I am sitting in the second row of a realtors meeting in the first half of the show. I have only seen the second half, that is how I know! lol I am Tivoing it while I am gone, but I caught it last night. It was SO cool! Alisa and Donna are great together and the show is really cool. The folks that come to see the house are all people from town that I know too, so that was a bonus for me. If you watch, I am wearing a black skirt, black/white patterned blouse and black heels. :o)

Okay, I am off to hang out in my room reading and relaxing under the covers as it is freezing here!! I have just finished breakfast on the patio and my fingers are now blue and numb as I type. lol I have so many things to read that I won't know what to choose, but that's what it is all about, right?? I am so hoping that the clouds burn off and the sun pops out, I really want to frolic on the beach later with my guys. They are coming down on the train after Chris's game and I will pick them up. Should be a blast for my boy as he has never been on a train before! I can't wait to hear how his game went too!

Hugs to all,
Shanna

A few more to share...

*** Pirates 2008 ***
Dad and son went shopping for these team accessories! lol











Carlsbad 2007 with my hubby...
leaving in the morning for Carlsbad 2008!!!!!

Photo blog...

Wendy the Wonderdog...





Below and left: The back deck of our addition...



Bottom: Easter with my guys...

Where is the silly??

Hmm, I am thinking that I need some fun! I want to be silly, but I have discovered that silly takes time. How come I don't have time? If I am productive, I am without time to be silly. If I take time to do something silly then I am don't get other things done! Clearly, I have a challenge.

TCC just celebrated it's 8th birthday! I have had the BEST time reading all of the memories that my pals have posted and I have been on a posting frenzy replying with more and more of my own memories. What I love about doing this is that it reminds me of how silly I have been and of the crazy things I have done with these women! I miss them so much and I miss me... the silly me.

How then to balance my responsibilities and get out of my head? Perhaps just making myself more aware and challenging myself to do it will be the trick?!?! We shall see.... Life has been fairly serious for the past year and these past 4 months have been particularly dark and muddy for me. It certainly is high time to lighten things up, so lighten I will! Blessings are so often found in the simple things, so I will try and blog those too. Fun! Can't wait.


Other news...
Chris was down with a UTI for most of his Easter Break last week, but is feeling much better! Although we still have no idea how he could have a UTI, I am SO glad that he is recovering. Scheduling was tough with me home during the day and working nights, but thankfully I have a job that allows for that. Chris is bummed about returning to school tomorrow without having done anything fun last week, but I know the rest served him well. He will start practices for his school baseball team tomorrow, on top of his Pirates team, so having a bit of down time was a good thing.

Easter was lovely, spent all day in the park with friends and family. Hottest day we have had since last year, but thankfully the heat wave has passed and we are back to spring-like weather. I do have some pics to post, but gotta get them off the camera first.

Aimee interviewed at UCLA and at her alma mater, Univ. of La Verne. We are keeping our fingers crossed for her!

I have been catching up on many different overdue things in the past month or so, including the follow up on my 1 cm kidney stone, the cyst on my ovary, pain in my neck and shoulders, and a dental visit. I have also found a therapist to start putting things in order in my head and I will have my annual physical next week. It makes me happy to be taking care of myself. I have missed being able to focus on things that will keep me healthy and living longer. Ultrasound, CT scan, chiropractic, doctor's visits, a shrink visit and a trip to the dentist all next week, not bad. Did I mention that I named my kidney stone? Yup, her name is Sydney and she has taken up residency for over a year now in my kidney. My rather serious and professional urologist laughed out loud when I shared with him that I told her, "Either pay rent or get out! Sadly, she hasn't listened." Hey, that was a touch of silliness, go me!

Last of the random blogging... I am gearing up for the Carlsbad 5000 next weekend and I can't wait! This is the first time I have ever even considered the word, "5k" where it pertained to me. To me, a 5k was best spent in the car, driving as I watched those crazy people, number pinned to their chest, running along the road. And to think, I am the gal that used to circle the parking lot at Walmart looking for a closer parking spot instead of walking further. Now a 5k, incredible.

On my hike to the waterfall yesterday, I found my "new"self contemplating who I would talk to about buying a really good bike and trails to ride. "Huh? What?", I heard my "old"self say... "Biking? Where did THAT come from?" My "new"self countered with, "Hey, I might even like to learn to rollerblade sometime!" Trust me, my "old"self was NOT prepared to hear that! lol It is through these dialogues that I grow my new way of thinking and become my best self. Fortunately, my therapist doesn't seem to worried about my split personality. lol

Much silliness to all,
Shanna

Happy Easter and God Bless!

Just a quick post before I head off to bed. Haven't had any time to blog as I have been the Queen of Productivity lately! I hope to be back on soon, but until then, much love to all that are here and reading!!!

God bless and Happy Easter,

Shanna

Take that, Uncle Sam!

Okay, so I posted last Thursday and then proceeded to get a tummy bug on Friday night. I didn't realize that I was sick, just thought it was food that didn't agree with me, so I ran all weekend and then last night, BLAM! I am feeling pretty horrid. My tummy goes through these weird waves of nausea and pain. Lovely. I have "flank pain" (that is what my friend, the RN, calls it) and I am still struggling with the neck pain that I saw the chiro for last week. Sheesh.

The good news is that although the past 48 hours have been pretty miserable, I am heading home now (4:42 p.m.) to rest until the 8 p.m. tax appt. that we have tonight. Frank (my boss) will be there too and our deadline for the company taxes is Sat., so I have to go. Have already told my hubby that I will not be taking care of dinner or anything/anyone else between now and then. ugh, gotta rest!

I am so happy that the company taxes will be behind me! Frank's personal taxes aren't due until 4/15, so I have some time. Hopefully, my tummy will feel better too. My guys are leaving tomorrow for 3 days in Vegas and hubby really wants me to go. I have not been able to decide about going until after tonight's appt., but now I think it is a big "no". Perhaps I will actually have a little time to catch up blogging? I still want to blog about our big night out on Feb. 29th!

The sun is shining, it is light out until 7 p.m. and I am outta here!
Hugs to all!
Shanna

Hang on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am holding on to this merry-go-round as it goes 'round and 'round. Oh no, wait, this is just my crazy life at the moment. lol

I am happy to quickly report that things are going well... still grateful. No major incidences to report and I am in one piece. I am coming up on one tax deadline for work and will have a month for the second one. I started with a personal trainer last Sunday and she is helping me to "spot train" the fat away from my ham hocks (code for 'fat thighs). Still eating healthy, still exercising, been very productive about homeland things that have been overdue, still teaching my ESL student once a week, going to baseball games, and working in between. I am even getting to bed most nights at a reasonable hour. Went to the chiro for the tension and tightness in my neck and she put all of the bones back in place, which really helps! Still need to blog about our fabulous night of celebration on February 29th, but it deserves time and clear thinking, so will wait for now.

Okay, have barfed on my blog, so I will go now. I can just feel that I am going to hit PUBLISH and think of a dozen other things that I wanted to say! Ugh, I want more time to sit here and write in my 'diary'. I love blogging! lol

Heading home from work, stopping at my mom's for a delivery on the way, wonder where I will end up after that. I don't feel like going home! I wanna play. lol I need dinner, so I should probably go home and eat. Stop typing, Shanna... just go. lol

Night everyone.
Night blog.
Shanna

A week in review...

Well, the sucky days continued for a few, but I am happy to say that things are better now! I am super busy right now, so blogging has taken a back seat. Hate that, but can't be helped!

I have decided to post highlights of the week and things that I am grateful for. I figure when the crummy stuff comes, it is okay to vent. When things improve, it is important to recognize that, as well.

* Aimee's tire had a huge chunk out of it as she left work on Friday night last week. Her drive is normally 2 hours in traffic, so going to her was not an option. She called Roadside Service and the tow guy proceeded to bust off 2 stems on the axle and strip out the 3rd stem. With only 2 lug nuts attached, we did not trust driving on it. Scott ended up going out to her while I made phone calls for over an hour trying to find anyone that would be open for help at 7 p.m. She hasn't been at this job long and none of us know that area, so it was daunting. Fortunately, I managed to reach our local mechanic as he worked late that night. He advised Scott to drive home on side streets with just the 2 lug nuts. Aimee drove Scott's van and they were home by 9 p.m., safe and sound. I am grateful.

* Chris brought home his report card and has achieved straight As. He is a hard working kid with a great sense of balance for his family, faith, schoolwork, and sports. He is becoming a teenager and moving away from us a little bit each day, but for now he is still someone I really respect and enjoy spending time with. I love that he still gives me a kiss goodbye in the morning at school too. I am grateful.

* I had a big week of preparation for a meeting with our accounting gal. My hard work paid off and our meeting was productive. I am moving closer to finalizing the company taxes, can then focus on my boss's personal taxes and am learning more about what I do all the time. I am grateful.

* My mom and stepdad have opted to take my suggestion and are going to allow my tax guy to do their taxes, as well. This will be the first year that I will not have to worry about how accurate their return is and how trustworthy their accountant is. I love our tax guy and have been going to him for 25 years. He handles my boss's taxes, does our payroll and am thrilled that he will be representing my folks. I am grateful.

* Scott and I were both seen for our annual physicals this week and we are both in good health. We have a few things that need attention, so we are pursuing those with specialists, ultrasound, bloodwork, etc. Our doctor is terrific and we both really like her. Although our insurance is really costly, it is such a blessing to have it. We are grateful.

* I was able to attend the funeral of a friend's mom. She had been in the hospital with complications from a kidney infection since November 2007. She had a host of other medical problems that made her situation more difficult, but there was hope of her recovery. Needless to say, her passing was unexpected for all. Although I wish she were still here with her husband, son and daughter-in-law, I am grateful that she is no longer suffering. Her daughter-in-law and I are dear friends and she was a rock of support to me last year. It has been such a blessing to be able to support them during this time with meals and phone calls, and it meant alot to pay my respects at her funeral. I am grateful.

* Tile grout was missing in the new shower stall, air conditioning units needed to be installed and hooked up, mirrors needed to be measured for and ordered, a glass door needed to be selected and ordered for our vanity, and we needed to pick shower heads. In the past week, I have contacted the 4 people needed and things are almost complete, plus we picked our shower heads and Scott installed them. Things are still (slowly) coming along, but we get closer with each project completed. We are so blessed to have this home and be able to add on to it. It is scary to pay for all of this, but I pray that we can sell in the years to come and retire on the funds earned from all of our hard work. We are grateful.

* I was scheduled for the worship team on every Sunday in February and I really enjoyed it. Although I am off a few weekends this month, I will be singing again tomorrow morning! I live to worship God, I love being part of a ministry that leads others to praise God through song, I love the team of amazing people that I work with, I am filled and restored spiritually by being a part of this, and I love it when we touch hearts in the congregation. What a gift God has given me. I am grateful.

Blogging... good for the soul.
Friends... good for the heart.
Sleep... good for the body.

Night. xoxo

p.s. Twin, thanks for posting 3 times. I miss you and love you too!!!

Thoughtful Thursday...

Have had a crappy few days and very emotional today, so leave some love if you are here. :o)

Just a few odds and ends to make me smile...

Chris quote:

"There are 2 rules about eating...

if you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't eat it.

However, if it's good, finish it."

A sweet pic from our dinner on Valentines Day...

Hugs to all!

Shanna

Yes, but I am his FIRST Valentine!

So I knew that times were going to change as Chris got older, I just didn't realize that he would mature so soon. You see, there is a new Valentine in town. My sweet, generous, loving little boy, has his first official girlfriend and she was the object of his attention today. Don't get me wrong, I am delighted that he is growing up and experiencing this time in his life. It is such a treat to watch, as he is kind, considerate, unassuming and sweet.

Chris asked her out on my birthday last month (can you say, timing?) and they have unfortunately not been able to see much of each other since. He has been swamped with school work and baseball, and then got sick! They did go to the movies with another friend last weekend and they are hoping to connect this weekend. I hope they do as he picked out the cutest teddy bear and card for her for Valentine's Day.

It was V-Day Eve and he mentioned that he needed to go shopping for Valentine's Day. I ponder half a second that he might be buying something for me and then I realize, "Nope, there is a new Valentine in town." lol We ended going on V-Day and the store was crowded, so it was slightly overwhelming. Chris was cool though and cruised through the card section without hesitation. I helped him pick out an appropriate card and we were off to the stuffed animals. He found this wonderfully soft, foot-tall teddy bear. Very cute. They offered free gift wrapping, so between the she and I, we secured "Teddy" in heart covered cellophane. A few red ribbons and a bow and we were off! I managed to coerce him into this shot before we headed home and I told him that I appreciated that he let me take him. It is really fun to be involved in this part of his life.

When we arrived home, Chris disappeared into his room instantly. He emerged long enough to place "Teddy" and the card near the door, ready for delivery. Scott and I headed out for dinner at Black Angus and he took me shopping for jewelry at Mervyns. I couldn't believe he wanted to go shopping WITH me! lol He was excited about being a part of the purchase, so he didn't mind. I didn't find what I was looking for, but I still managed to come home with 5 new tops and a pair of earrings. Aimee and Chris went to see a movie and returned in time for all of us to watch "Survivor" together. A nice evening was had by all.

As my friend told me the other day, "A mother is every child's first Valentine". I am going to take that to heart, along with all of the Chris-kisses and the box of Valentine Nerds that he gave me after school. I will happily share my spot if it means watching my son grow into a loving, caring man like his Dad.

Shanna