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