I'm finishing up Wicked, the life and times of the wicked witch of the west, a really good book about the behind the scenes stuff, what the WWW's motivations were, and a sort of mythical history behind Oz and all of L. Frank Baum's books. And it's riveting good, to me. One quote stands out, as Elphaba goes underground and basically says to Fiyero, a prince from a different land, "yeah, I was always not quite right, now I'm gonna cease to exist." I like the quote because it kinda hits my transformation in progress, one that I'm hell-bent to reestablish. I like to think, I am in the midst of becoming un-unbecoming, inside and out...

My holiday was bad to me, I feel like a sow/cow/whale, and am in need of a serious reality trip. I felt huge and insignificant next to my sister, and as a result ate/drank more, was less healthy than usual... My only exercise was a few daily swims, but not, like, good swims. More, like, hanging out with Abby swims. Pffffft.

ahh, well. TOmorrow is a better day. Even today wasn't half bad.

I'll give more Florida-trip details after I cook dinner tonight(or possibly tomorrow) and leave you with this image... (actually, it's a serios of three images...the first, me at Dsney world, in June (mid-Jun) --the others are me in August, after losing 15 pounds. Trying to glean a sense of "before and after." (two posted because the first new one is kind of dark...)

....and yes, I did have a sunburn--one hour of reading in the pool the day before=ouch.

(I'm the non-yellow big girl holding the kid lopsidedly.)(And Ab wasn't sunburned, just hotter than Hades...)

Riley spotted Timon from the Lion King and excitedly informs me that we must go and see Timon today...not sure i can squeeze a trip to Florida in today!
Great to see you back with a new journal..i have been keeping an eye out for your new journal and catchy title as usual.
i think you look great in your pic..dont be hard on yourself babe.
hugs bell :)

Jess...Don't be so hard on yourself....I think you look great in he picture...
Love yourself dear as you are and for the great Mom I am sure you are.. :)

Louise

The way Abby looks to be levitating in the picture is hilarious! Cute! :D Sorry about the sunburn. You must have different Hungarian skin than what I inherited. I have a rather olive complexion and usually get only a touch of burn, if any... I stay the same shade most all the time; tanning doesn't even show much on me. :shrug:

I can absolutely relate right now to feeling big and bloated. That's me all over at the moment, although I have a 2-day head start on you for getting back on track. I can also relate to feeling big next to your sister. My middle sister wears a size 0... my other sister is a yo-yo dieter who right now is up, but I know it won't last. Her baby needs to get a little older and she'll lose it all again. I have always been the heavy one, and it's painful. I don't want to be that! I'm lookin' for lots of support for my new attack on my fresh poundage... I'm here for you, too! Let's attack it and break through the barriers we've both been clawing at. We have it in our sights!

Lisrey :lift:

P.S. So glad you like Wicked!

Lisrey--yes, please--You and me, on a nice downward track...yeeeeee-ep. My sister has very much the same coloring that you have, though even she got a bit of a burn at our Disney day. I didn't catch the levitation til you mentioned it, and now I have to laugh to look at that picture :) thanks for relating, re sisters... It's kinda funny, she was always super skinny as a kid (I was....errr....well fed, though not "fat") and then in high school/after graduation she chunked up...lived in Hungary for a year, France for over a year, then came back skinny...moved to England as a flight attendant for Pan Am, and was some kind of skinny til kid #2...always battled her weight from there... But even "fat" she was always built differently than me, with flat chest and narrow torso; she wears her weight in her butt/legs; I wear my weight all over with an emphasis on the gut/butt/hips. I've only noticed since Abby, though, I wear my weight in my arms/face/chest now, in addition to the aforementioned trouble spots. *sigh* ahh, well. I can do what I did before, when I first started to lose weight...get smarter, move more, focus, focus focus...
Lulu--thanks for the "props"--I'm feeling down on myself at the moment, but I'm not generally *down* down on myself; I know what my gifts are and my limitations...I just seem to have this serious hiccup going on with regards to my weight right now...
bell--Riley and Ab seeem to be on the same wavelength; Ab tells me repeatedly that she needs to go back to see the princesses and she misses Auntie...I'll say, yeah, we will go back and see auntie, and she's like, okay, tomorrow!! I'm impressed that Riley knew Timon...Ab hasn't ever really watched Lion King; when I asked her who the figure was we met, she was like, "uh...a meercat?"

so.


Trip, highlights:
the first three days were grey, wet, muggy. We swam and acted as if we were delighted, anyway. Sunday was oddly, beautifully sunny, in 15 minute increments, with clouds popping in to make us think it'd rain soon. Shawn took my nephews and Ab to a mall to see Madagascar, and I decided to do my final push to finish "Naked" (David Sedaris, not quite as funny as Me Talk Pretty One Day, but good nonetheless)(Or was I reading Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim by then?? Hmph, dunno.) and sat in the pool on a floaty. For an hour? Hour and a half? And discovered, after the last page, that I was Kentucky Crispy-Fried. It's important, when visiting a touristy area, to look like a tourist, I think. And of course, since Monday was our Disney day, it was important to maximize the discomfort for the highlight day. When Ab came back from the mall, where she'd ridden on a corousel, she told me quite happily that she rode a horse named Sh**. Shawn was trying to say, no, Abby, that's not a good name, she was near tears, "No, daddy, Sh** is a BEAUTIFUL name, Sh** is a beautiful horse. (did I mention, Abby has a few three and a half-ish speech impediments? She says "dinglehopper" (the name for a smaller plastic horse she has,) "Dingelhoppeu") So I clocked that Sh** the heussie was actually *Shirt* the horsie.)(but man, was it funny; my nephews were about peeing themselves when they were trying to describe the dismayed expressions on the other carousel riders faces as Ab chirped, "this is my heussie, SH**!)

Disney Day dawned hot and uncomfortable, we left at 11 to miss the crazy "gotta get there early" crowd; by the time we rode in the parking lot souped-up-golf-cart-"train" and the monorail to the payment kiosk (Or was the monorail after we paid??) we were pretty much done for the day; Ab figured that was Disney, though disappointing (but where are the princesses?) and then we saw the castle, and all was well...We had time to ride a carousel (it's kinda her thing to do, I guess) and then see the Cinderellabration...My sister discovered that her blouse had a colour-change capability, when wet, changing from vibrant turquoise to a deep, dark, dank, tealish navy. The first hour was all about, "let's track my sister's sweat stains." As we were standing there watching Cinderella, as my sister's blouse metamorphosed from gorgeous silky bright to "oh my lord am I hot and sweaty" (I sweated equally, but my blouse hid it better ;) ) we watched as the princesses got onto stage and Abby realized her raison d'etre, to be a Disney Princess groupie.

So then there's a moment, as I'm standing with my sister, my sister's staring at my child with love on her face, appreciating the girlieness of the moment (she has 2 sons) and I get a little bit choked up. I swipe at my eyes, smearing in sting-y sunscreen, effectiviely rendering my eyeballs sprinklers. Drip...drip...drip...as sweat trickles down my back....drip...drip...drip...and then a new feeling, on my arm...drip...drip...drip...Abby is sweating so hard that her hair has clumped into dripping tendrils...dripping on me... Emotional moment gone, lost in a salty sea...

Best Disney moment? Parade...Shawn wants to go, get away, run, run fast, go home...he's not happy about the parade, and staying for it. Abby is fading, hot, sweaty, all but falling asleep on his shoulders. Then along come the characters, etc etc etc, painfully slowly, winding in a funked out circuitous slow fashion so that people can slowly sketch everything they see. (Cuz Disney=photo opps.) And then... the princesses. And these little girls go freaking NUTS. It's like a rock concert, or a baseball game, only instead of "I LOVE YOU BONO!!!!!" Or "I CHI RO!!!" It's four year olds screaming, "ARIEL!!!!AAAAARIELL!!!!!!!" and I was dying. My sister was dying. My child was screaming with the best of 'em.

Ahh, Disney.

The rest of the trip? I read, we ate , we drank. We swam, I read, we ate. Book list: Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Dying for a Blue Plate Special (a fun little murder mystery by a UWT prof I know, set in Tacoma) most of Wicked, some of teh Crimson and the White (is that the name?) I had intended to read A Million Little Pieces, Me Talk Pretty One Day,Skinny Dip, and Monkey Dancing on the trip but finished them while I should have been studying for my finals (even still, I managed to pull a 3.5 out of my women's Psych class--not happy, was anticipating MUCH better, but Pfffft;) and a 3.9 out of Children's Abnormal Psych--was very happy, was anticipating much Worse.)

so, all told, trip, fun. Not alot of quality sleep, but fun was had. On the day we needed to return there was some airport confusion, my sister and her husband needed to go to a wedding reception and it was precisely when we needed to go to the airport, he could take us about an hour before our 2 hour check in time, but with a three year old the appeal to that was negligible. So he got an employee of his to take us, and we had a lovely chat, and got to the airport *slightly* later than the two hour check in, but it was alright, we got to the terminal an hour ahead o four flight. AN dthen the storm started, our plan had to divert to Tampa, then got stormend in in Tampa. Two and a half hour delay. Poor Ab held it together like a champ until the very end, when it was pretty much after bedtime anyway, "I just want Auntie to come get me!!!" All told, we got into our home at 1:30 am, Ab slept the whole time, I slept a bit, Shawn stayed awake. And Shawn had to go to work this morning, so got about 4 hours of sleep. D'OH!

And now I have a new resolve to be healthy and lose weight and get back to how I used to exercise before school...because I have til late September to be nothing but health centered (No school to interfere.)

Wheeee.

See, that sounds like fun (minus the sunburn).

Corinna

Skinny Dip is one of my books I am going to read sooner or later. It's in my pile in the bedroom. I'm reading State of Fear right now and reading very slowly I might add. I guess when we were gone the weather was terrible for everyone and it rained every day. Since we've been back, it hasn't been bad. No rain! And the funny thing is where his grams lives she'll get rain and where we live we won't and she lives five minutes from us. LOL.

Sounds like you had fun though! I love Disney World!

Melinda :D

Way to go on the grades! :cheers:

Yep, I'll bet a free summer without any study worry will do wonders for your plan. You can establish some good habits to take you through the next school year.

I'm built more like your sister, I guess, except I have never been thin... My Mom's (the Hungarian) side of my family's women all have big hips and thighs. I got those. My sisters got the skinny legs from my Dad's side. They also got nice chests while mine is more flat when I'm not too fat! I'm very short-waisted, so I don't know about the narrow torso part. :laugh: Hardly have any torso to speak of!

I actually had a snack-free evening last night and am back down a bit more this morning. Feeling some relief but NOT going to let up! I'm with you all the way on breaking through to a better weight and a better way. We're doin' it NOW.

Lisrey :)

BTW we were in your neck of the woods recently! Our cruise ported out of Seattle and we spent a day there after our cruise and did the whole Seattle tourist thing and then got lost in the mountains and somehow ended up down by Portland all b/c I complained that DH wasn't being spontaneous enough and when he took some BFE road that led us to some other road we got completely flipped around and ended up in Cougar, WA. Yeah. Saw some beautiful country and some elk and deer. It was amazing. I loved it there! He didn't care of Seattle, but I have wanted to live in Seattle for as long as I can remember.

Anyway, talk to you soon!

Melinda :D

cori-yeah, it was. :)
mel--I loved Skinny Dip, very fun, very Mark Twain reminiscent, very fast... Hanven't read State of Fear... My sister and her husband were at a pool party enjoying fabulous weather while we were all stormed in...dang, my novella's typo's were pretty bad... Too funny about being so close to our neck of the woods; I have NO idea what BFE road you could have taken to get you near Portland from Seattle...well, yeah I do; I rode those roads the year I did the Seattle to Portland bike ride...
Lisrey-- :o I haven't even gotten *near* the scale yet, though I should...A starting point is a great place to begin...

I have a book club to go to tonight--I'm very excited, I have wanted to join one for a long time!(We're talking about Skinny Dip) and I think Shawn may go to the lake cabin of some friends of ours overnight and through tomorrow, leaving me with the kid and the dog and the unpacked bags... ahh, well...

I will eat well, I will go walking later with my mom. It will be a good, healthy, I am back on track to become a healthy human-day.

so, Shawn's mucking with my laundry; better go see what's going on...(I am a complete and total anal-retentive laundry control freak.)


(note, family photo in my sister's pool.)(I'm the one with ham-arms, whoooooeeey, I do not like my body lately...)

Jessica, thanks for postin' about the book you are reading. The quote made me think ... I often feel that way ... maybe we all do. :)

Jessica, you are beautiful! I love your pics. I see a strong and nurturing woman with an excellent body that maybe she doesn't have a clear picture of in her mind, judging by some feelings you are expressing ... and good for you for having the guts to express 'em ... I look forward to reading more of your new journal.

Yup, let's "just keep swimming ..."

It's all good!

i hear ya on the anal retentive laundry thing..i am about to go work and Jason has threatened to do the laundry today..for the next 8 hours i will be worrying about what state or color my clothes will be in when i make it home!!!!!!!!
Jason is everything in together..all things are created equal kind guy :laugh:
I would love to join a book club too..Hope you have a good time at yours tonight!
hugs bell :)

bell--hmmmm...what about a book club blog? (Shawn's clothes were all the same shade of grey when I met him, regardless of actual colour; I live in fear of that happening to my laundry!)
athletea--thanks for the visit and very kind words :) I think that the beauty of the epigram that is the quote is that un-becoming unbecoming can have different meanings...one can beautify, or disappear; I chose to look for beauty, rather than to disappear.

So, soul searching continues...

Why am I not going anywhere, weightwise? And Athletea has lost 104 pounds, bell has lost AND KEPT OFF 55, rikki has lost over 30, Lisrey has lost bunches and bunches and bunches and has maintained reasonably (though she'd like to lose more...) Lutha has been rocking the losses...the list goes on, and I go....uh....what the Pffuuock is my issue? Is my metabolism *really* that bad? or is it just that I'm lazy and not motivated? WHere the heck do I have to go to buy myself some motivation and energy?

Life will always be tough. The kid will always need me, school will be an issue, after which work will be an issue, in fact it'll be worse, it'll be work and home and family because I'm a woman and men have less household responsibilities, by and large. At some point I will just have to learn to schedule and prioritize and get off my widening butt if I want it to discontinue widening...

Pfffffft.

it's not that tough, or at least it shouldn't be...

X-( You HAVE lost weight!! X-( Give yourself some credit here! It is obviously not enough to keep you happy, but give yourself a break! When it becomes important enough to you, you will lose the weight.. Same thing with me.

(and Athletea left me all warm and fuzzy, too)

Corinna

hmph.
too much to think about there, Cori--yes, I have lost weight, but since then I have also gained weight and I can't seem to put things into the right direction. well, til now I haven't been able to.
soul-searching, part two:(in bullets, I'm cooking upstairs) I feel bterayed by my sister (more on that later) and I'm thinking about what I was fdoing when it was all working for me.

Again, more later...

It doesn't do any good to try comparing your progress with that of others. We've all got different problems: different life situations, different psyches, different bodies, need different plans to make it work. I haven't lost any weight (that's stayed off) in well over a year. Being stuck is no fun, but we both have to think of it as just a stall, a resting point along the way.

Thinking back to what was working before is a great idea. I already know you're going to have an easier time of it without school, without nursing, with great summer weather, and a kickin' attitude for exercise and eating right! You've got the support, you've got the desire... time to do it!

Lisrey :)

Hey Jess,
Thought I'd do a quick catch-up on some journals. I'm chillin' (literally) here in Wyo. Actually, the weather is not that bad. It's windy, though. Sure, I leave Nebraska for one second, and the wind stops THERE! Ha ha ha.

The pic of you and Timone and Ab was very cute. I'm loving the title of your journal.

I can also relate to the skinny sister thing. One of my sisters is very thin, and it makes me feel bad. :( OH well. We're all trying, right?

Well, I better get back to hanging with my sis. Talk to ya soon! I go back to Wacky Nebrasky tomorrow! :D

so whats up with feeling betrayed by your sister????
Its easy to be our own hardest critics..not so easy to give ourselves credit now and again...
You are more than your weight.. look at everything you are and have accomplished..pat yourself on the back now and again! You deserve it!
hugs bell :)

awwwwwwwwww....
bell...:hug:-- I was just visiting you :) (and the betrayal thing will follow!)
rikki- I was thinking about you as we were flying to Fla, we hit some serious freaking turbulence and the pilot comes on, "Sorry folks, we're heading into a big storm system over Nebraska right now, fasten your seatbelts!"--and I was thinkng, oh, there's rikki, running by the rendering plant in the wind and rain :)
Lisrey- I know it does no good to compare, but it's in my makeup to get all comparative/competitive with others; I think, getting all pschoanalytic, it goes back to my childhood and how my parents were with my sister and me. You were only as good as the other was worse. It was weird and hard to explain, I'll try to stay more surfacey in future posts ;)

so the betrayal thing (thanks for reading through the typo, bell!) is all about how, when I visited my sister in November, she was big. Well, I might have been bigger, but the visit before, we were the same size(We both wore my size 14 capris and though they were looser in her waist, they fit us both, and were looser on my legs)-- and before that I was pg and post-Abby and huge. So I felt like I was really progressing in my attitude of myself, and I was actually feeling physically on-par with my sister. We'd talk on the phone ALL THE TIME and I'd tell her all about the diet du jour, how I was working out, what's going on with my friends at Diettalk...and she'd always say, I'm fat and disgusting, and I'd pep talk her into doing her Firm tapes, and in general try to help motivate her and she'd always be Eeyore. "oh, I'm fat and disgusting, I can't help it, I'm a fat cow, I eat like a pig,I don't have time, we're remodeling and I have houseguests and I have two sons"-etc.

So there we go to her beautiful huge house in Florida, driven by her in her brand new BMW and she's skinny...I asked her what size were those trousers? and she's all smug and coy, 12s (and they're baggy) and I'm thinking...huh?? ANd then she shrugs and says, I'm not dieting, I just do my tapes now. And she skips breakfast, never snackls, has only salads for lunch, and I'm feeling kind of like...whoa...role reversal here...I'm floundering... and it threw me for a loop. Weird, competitive, stupid; and the whole thing feels like she really did it subversively, no "hey, I lost a pound! (or 10, or 20,) and it feels like how she would act with her former friends, how she'd work to get better than them at what they were doing and then "show them"...all the while pooh-pooing, nay-saying herself...And I feel like I am in the positiion of her former girlfriends...all I wanted to do was support and be in on things, and I got blind-sighted...

aaaak, it's weird and I don't think it makes any sense...Suffice it to say, I felt weird and bad and inadequate and fat and lazy and slovenly.


so.

"tell me, Jess, what were you doing when it was all working?

Well, ya know, the minutes, I was in the 2000 club (2000 mins a month)(then I started school, time became an issue) and I was no-dieting...there were no wrong foods,except that I was focusing on the things that I could trace to their roots... and WW kinda killed that, when I discovered how many points in an avacado and nuts (and I still failed...)...Aaaaagh, I just need to GET ACTIVE, period. PC time, books, good things, yes...but to be limited.



so, on a happy note...went to the book club meeting and had a blast. The food was great, I had a great time chatting with new women friends, had great food, great conversation, and laughed alot. It also helped that I wasn't the only possessor of an imperfect bod, and I was really unself-conscious... I'm invited to the next one, Prince of Tides will be our book. I still want to start a Book Club blog, where we put up book recommendations lists, book discussions lists, and in general have literary fun. I dunno, any takers? Because I don't want to "book-talk" alone, and I am also happy to have book discussions here in my journal if there are other readers who don't want to blog...

ahh, well, it's late, I need to sleep because I have a kid who'll be up soon. And Wicked to read :)

happy happies,
(I'll get there soon...)

Hey kiddo, this makes for good reading, way beyond my usual mono-syllabic fare. Congrats on the grades even though you crammed and didn't study enough (smart people get away with this kind of stuff) :up:. Cruds, your not 500 lbs with both (not just one) your legs chopped off, you can change things.

Things have been hectic.....(pathetic excuse)...am in the middle of picking Cherries in the back yard (also setting up some Bee Hives...pray for me). IT WILL GET THERE. :)

Jess, it sounds like your SISTER is the one that's insecure. I know she didn't do it to be a brat to you, but still, it hurts. :console:

As Jump said, IT WILL GET THERE. I hate to see ya so sad. Now that it's summer, maybe you'll have a little more time to regroup and find what you love to do. (You probably already know that, and you're like, Duh, RJ, it's the time thing!) Anyway, you're awesome, and very inspiring.

I love books too. I am reading "The Secret LIfe of Bees" right now. My MIL lent it to me. Said it was very good. Her last book recomendation was great. I listened to "Honeymoon" by James Patterson on the way to WYO. Books on CD are great for trips!

Have a great one, hon. Congrats on being done with school! Oh, and sorry for the Nebraska storm! If I could stop 'em, I would! :laugh: :D

HAPPY FATHERS DAY, JUMP!!! (and thanks for coming in to pep-talk me!!)
rikki--that looks like a good book, lemme know what you think of it when you're done! It's funny, I don't know whether to read that whole sister incidence as just me reacting weirdly to something I should be happy about (Great job, you lost weight!!) or maybe I'm just a jealous beeeatch? I guess, it's worth looking at, but at some point I have to let go...

so, I was giving more thought to the whole "where was I when (I was losing and not dieting)" and I have come up with a couple of keys:
--I drank more water
--I always ate the same breakfast (La Creme yogurt,...more later, Shawn's home...)
--I had a more positive approach, I was more goal oriented (finish a 5K, finish a sprint tri, finish a tri series)
--I enjoyed food, I enjoyed cooking, I cooked healthfully (I had time :o )
--I exercised ALOT, not necessarily gym stuff, walking, housecleaning, random active things...
--I experimented with loads of different salads for lunch--had some yummy ones...


really, it's not that tough. CHange mindset: I can get back there; I have a summer to work at getting bact to healthy habits. 21 days at a time, I'll make it happen.

Way to think! I like that positive attitude. Want to adopt it, myself. Still feeling a bit wavery, though.

As far as the thing with your sister, I think yours was the natural reaction. But I also know that one of the bits of advice that is given to dieters is not to talk about it, to just wait until the compliments start coming in so you don't put too much pressure on yourself. So maybe your sister didn't tell you she was working on it because she didn't want to get jinxed. But if you'd already had a running conversation about it, I dunno. :shrug: It is so easy to be jealous of siblings! I know all about that! 8-|

I would love to talk books with you anytime, Jessica... :D

Lisrey :spring:

Hi Jess,

I thought of you when we were in London. I never asked you how you became a nanny over there so am asking now.

The city was wonderful. I could write a book on our wonderful experiences but don't want to bore anyone. Everything was wonderful and I really can't say one thing was better than the other. One really neat thing is that we got tickets for "The Phantom of the Opera". It took us a couple of days to get them when we had the time. It was fabulous. We had 3 generations along so our days were varied. One big day in Paris which was much nicer than I expected. We all had 7 day Tube passes and that is how we ran all over London.

Sisters will do each other in without even trying. I see it in my daughters. One of mine is built much like you and the other wears a size 3. Both are very physically active but the small one is very focused on what she eats. No junk for her unless she can sneak some chocolate.

I have one more busy week-end and then I will get back to healthy eating. I didn't eat especially healthy in London but I walked all day long and I climbed more stairs in that week than I have in the last 50 years. lol That wasn't bad since I was able to do it and didn't slow down the rest of the family. You have to take your achievements where you can get them. :) I think I took care of the calories in Pub food by walking, etc. all day long.

Now you know what kind of weather I deal with all summer long.

Carol

lisrey--heh, I feel like the patron saint of wavery these days :D BUT tomorrow, I'm starting 21-day phase one (oh, wait, I'm not supposed to talk about it.)---that dieting advice has me confused...isn't talking about it and finding support supposed to HELP in one's efforts? I guess we're all wired differently; for me, support can be helpful (and in my really busy times and down times can make me fell hopelessly inadequate.
Carol--big fat reply tomorrow!

Sounds like you had a blast in Orlando. Sounds like you're back on the diet train.. I will hopefully gain some motivation as well.

Hi again...

SO SHawn has me on PC restriction...kinda' challenged me, more or less...Basically if I moan about not having the time to exercise, clean, cook healthy, go do fun things with Abby, then what am I doing with my time? :o Okay, yeah, I do have some PC time daily, regardless, and though it's a nice activity for me, it keeps me connected with my goals and friends, it's not active time, it's not exremely productive time. SO I can either do one of two things (and this is all me talking, SHawn just lanted the seed last night) --I can either accomplish all my daily goals in the morning and spend the evening DT-ing, OR I can give myself an hour to organize my thoughts and then spend my day doing it to it. I think the latter approach has worked for me in the past; I'll just have to remember that I need to be up and about BEFORE 9 to get my DT hour in before Ab's gym stuff, and to be relatively assured of getting out and about before noon...

SO, that said, here are my revised new "non-diet" daily goals...

1. 1L water before breakfast and coffee, 2 add'l L thorough the day. I I tend to get started with caffeine and keep going, it's almost like drinking a glass of wine and going, oh, that was really nice, I think I'll have another...pretty soon, it's 1pm (or, with wine , AM) and I haven't yet had water. Water is good, water is my friend. Along the same lines, I'd like to transition back into drinking green tea rather than coffee; I dunno why I went back to caffeine (Oh, wait, trying to wake up after studying late??) but now I want to get back to old healthy(er) habits, green tea (white tea, whatever) is a no brainer. Healthy=good, okay Jess? I'm going back to yogurt, fruit and granola (or flax seed? Dunno.) for breakfast; lately I've been eating cereal (so much easier than prepping fruits) but I'm noticing lunch hunger starts early. As soon as I finish my water today, I'l have my strawberries, la creme, and then go to the store to get yogurt (or flaxseed? Dunno.)

2. min 3 svgs of veg with lunch, 2 with dinner. Smaller plates with dinner, second servings are fine, finishing off a "platter" of food because it's there, is not.

3. Minimize snacking of the "Abby didn't eat it and I don't want to throw it out" vairety. Hearken back to the days when Abby's foods were Abby foods, and get Abby to become a more adventurous eater in terms of keeping crap out of the house. BEcause if cookies/snack chips/sweetie treaties (gummis, etc) are in the house, I *will pop "just a few" into my mouth.

4. Accept that sweet after supper is a nice way to "finish the meal. Accept, too, that fruits are sweet.

5. the 7 o'clock bell means NO MORE FOOD!!! Water is acceptible, wine is not. 7 o'clock cut off means stupid cals should be cut down. 7 o'clock worked the last time I lost.

6 MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!!!! Work out schedule with Shawn, where we alternate exercize nights mid-week so that I can ride without having to pay a sitter. Use the Y, despite Abby's nursery protests. Walk the dog more (though I hate walking the unholy leash pulling, shoulder yanking terror...well, hell's bells, Jess, how's he supposed to get better unless you get him accustomed to the act of being walked??) Use the stroller, use the trailer, enjoy exercise times with Shawn on weekends. Make walking dates with friends and mom, walk errands with Abby. REALLY, it's not tough, you have boatloads of options. USE THEM. Goal: 2000 mins a month. Because last time? It worked. A couple of walk dog+ workout days= loads of minutes without a whole lot of b-sitting time (or money.)

7. Diet-talk. Okay, these days, esp with a one hour limit, journal. Try to get out to different forums, (especially that one that you co-moderate) and be involved...maybe not intensely, daily, but a little bit, frequently, or intensely, infrequently.

LAST OF ALL...incorporate the 21 day habit-forming cycle. do all the above things as frequently as realistic, for 21 days, and then have a rest day. Eat ice cream, lay on the couch doing nothing but reading, Drink wine from 1 to 1 (okay, scratch the last thing, that's just pathetic) --A 22nd day "cheat day" means I won't have weekly dietary setbacks. No dieting, just guidelines above, means that I won't be scratching at the walls to eat the paint because I'm desperate for variety.

Do it to it, Jess.

So now, 15 mins to tell Carol my English experience whys and wherefores...So, my sister was a flight attendant for Pan Am, based at Heathrow. She was a week-end punk rocker, (well, goth-punk) and met a guy who played in a band, then got together, got married, and two years later, were expecting a kid, living in England. I got married about when they were making their baby, and my husband died three months into our marriage; an army SF guy, he was on a night halo jump and fell into power lines, died the next day.

It was a sucky, alcoholic time for me, I was on a downward spiral (but skinny!!) (though I wouldn't believe it) and would call my sister on my 3 am "nobody's around to hear me cry" binges. On one such phone call, she propositioned me (I had been working at an Army Post child care Center, had nannied/babysat for about ten years prior to that...) with a situation, basically a coworker of hers (she was a receptionist for a promotional show-producing company by that time, the Lockerbie bombing freaked her out of flying) was losing her South African nanny and needed a replacement.

I was *so* there.

So I packed up my stuff and hopped off, missing my drinking buddies and brand new car, but, eh, I needed a change, I needed away from memories of my husband. As a nanny, I worked five days a week, sleeping there, then lived with my sister and her husband on the weekends. 6 mos into it, I was trying to renew my visa, but as a single woman under a certain age, I fit a profile as the type who would work in England illegally (who, me?? :O ) so I was denied. Now, I *could* have been smart, and gone into France, and Hungary, and Europe in general, and had a lovely toursity time, but NO, I missed my car and drinking buddies. So like a dumbass, I went home. Largely, my experience consisted of chip shops and pubs and Indian take-away; I saw pretty much none of the tourist things (except for a couple of strange weekend enlightenment workshops and one fabulous weekend in Oxfordshire) and spent my time between Ealing and Northolt, both on the tube line and readily accessible to cool stuff. Ealing was great fun, it was sort of villagey with a couple of pubs marking the North and Souteh boundaries of the shopping strip, and daily visits to the fishmonger, greengrocer, bakery, and twice weekly visits with the stroller and bus to the swimming pool...I had alovely 13-19 month old, and then took on a second toddler and her 5 year old brother toward the end of my stay...Really idyllic on paper, though there were loads of nanny politics involved, and then a weird entanglement with a guy who wasn't quite forthright about his relationship with his live-in girlfriend/fiancee (oh, she' s just a friend...)

hm.

Meeee-eeeeeeeem reeeeeeeeees.....

and now, I gots ta go. Hour's up, and I have to go to the bank and grocery store and library and pottery painting studio; pottery thing will be a playdate; I can walk alot of the errandy bits and get in *some* exercise, then Abby can have fun with her buddy and we'll eat hummus and olive bread and cucumber and carrots and watermelon and then....Dog walk, I reckon. When Shawn's home to watch Ab. Supper? I have a salmon chunk that I need to cook, probably a light fettucine alfredo with salmon will be the ticket, large side salad. Mmmmmm.

HI JULIEE!!!!!!!I MISSED YOU!!!! I wanted to track down my Fla friends and have a dt mini get together, but you amd mel went sorta AWOL, and then the whole family trip thing made it slightly not good to have "get togethers..." --so how are you?? Are the cancer sticks gone yet???

Jess, your stay in London sounds like it was the right thing to do at that time.

We did see as much as we could. We loved the tube. It is so fast it is amazing. We also loved the Pubs. I tried as many different things as I could. I did love the fish and chips. I can see how you would get in a routine in your neighborhood. We had several Pubs that we liked and that in one week. We certainly weren't slow learners. lol

I hope your new schedule works for you. I can't spend much time on the computer. I sneak in for a few minutes all during the day but can't stay very long.



Carol

No fair!! took me an hour to read that, so you win. ;)

Why aren't you supposed to talk about your goals?

corinna

Cori--it was in Lisrey's post re my sister's weight loss (and not telling anyone) --What were you reading for an hour??? (heeee.)
Carol--it did seem to be the right thing to do, and I had a great time despite all teh oddnesses. My schedule thing will hopefully work...

So, frustrating today, so far, starting with getting up early so I could diettalk, only to see it was down :O :c( So rather than DT first thing, I did chores, then got online to see about my transcript because I'm really wondering what kind of path I'm on, what I'm doing, how long before I'm done, WHEN will I be done, etc etc etc... I get on to see, "you are not an enrolled student..." wtf??? So I discover my research methods and other class (what was it, anyway??) didn't go through. Again, wtf??? SO I called advising to see if they could walk me through things, they couldn't, I made an appt...

more later, finishing some chores....

Wow! That was a major story! I didn't know you'd been married before...you've been through a lot!

I'm glad that you have set your goals, they sound like very good ones! You'll be losing again in no time!

...and you, Miss Missy, will be passing me up in no time flat!!!

so, I'll stop the chatty banter and hit bullet points, since Shawn's home and likely to monitor every last minute. Hrrrmmmm...yeah, morning sucked, my advisor is worthless, education department receptioninst only nominally slightly less worthless(worthless=that last sentence!) I did get alot of housecleaning accomplished AND got some activity points out of the way (am deciding, as I go, to do a sort of WW-y scale-y diet-y non diet approach...somebody, shoot me now ;) )--got on scale for official weigh in...drumroll (or dirge)...191.8. Eeeeeeeeeeew, icccccckkkky. The good news, I had a great yesterday (passable, I guess, more realistically, though I ate 5 points over, I gardened and walked and housecleaned those points to oblivion) (but all my foods were healthy(salmon and spinach fettucine, supper, mmmmmm, with mucho slaad, no dressing), I drank 4 L water, I didn't eat past 7. Today? Decent, real decent; though I refuse to believe my wrap was 8 points...the thing was all lean meat and paper-tasting tortilla with pathetic limp lettuce...I ended the day at about 4 points over, though the houisework, campus stair walking with Ab on hip and evening walk with Ab in backpack shoulda' neutralized those points...)

so...that's the diet front...

the emotion/brain front is getting confusing, I think I should take classes this summer, it means I may be able to graduate by next summer in time to start the ed Masters program...possibly..trouble is, no-one has answers for me, and no-one knows anything in terms of what I need to do for an endorsement...y'aaaaaaargh.....frustrating, frustrating...now I'm on the phone w/ my mom...more thoughts in the morning...

I don't blame you for wanting to move forward.. Good stuff on doing well with food and movement!

Corinna

I'm feeling dim, you don't blame me for wanting to move forward? I wasn't sure I was moving forward, or even on a path thereto...but I'm glad not to be blamed for it :) thanks for the kudos!

oh, wait, were you talking about the England thing??

Ah, well.

Yesterday went well, I accomplished most of my goals (well, perhaps all of them? Except the formal exercise thing, but I was active, I did sweat 90 minutes while floor scrubbing/vaccuuming/schlepping Abby around...) I didn't eat after 7. though I was desperate for something at about 8:30 (and then it hit me how I really have been enjoying my Shiraz a bit more than I should, lately) and YET I didn't put a morsel in my mouth after 7; Full menu: forgot breakie (too busy stressing, floor cleaning, rushing to the uni) and had a coffee with skim milk) then popped a small chicken cold cut in my mputh and grabbed an apple on the way to the advising appt, then had a dismal turkey wrap on a dismal sundried tomoato tortilla at the grocery store, came home and ate carrots, yellow pepper, had popcorn, more carrots, then had a really tasty lean chicken-sausage meatball spag with red sauce (1/2 cup spag) and loads of salad (many veggies in that one...) then, last of all, a hunk o' watermelon. Mmmmmm. And green tea throughout the day (note to Jess--need more) and ...and...and...scale better, today, 188.4 (Phew; I don't like it but it's better than being back in the 90s after a more than a year away...)

Abby was grumpy yesterday, she wanted desperately to play with her boy friends but thier mom never returned my call, she kept asking to go there, but I had to explain, we need to be INVITED to play at a person's house; the weather was intermittently stormy (HEY!! Washington NEVER storms!!) so playground fun wasn't really in the cards...then she had to hang out with me while I had to do adult talk-y errands...in short, not a great day for the ABster (hence the popcorn--mid afternoon I popped up a bag and hung out with her watching Fairytopia) After supper we went to a wet playground and I acted like a playing mommy (I don't do that well, but eh, whatever) and then walked back, both times AB was held so I could go faster and have resistance...maximize that workout, Jess!! --Eeenyhoo, Ab was grumpy, then as I was warming her nighttime milk, the dog just stood in front of me in the kitchen and PEED on my perfectly clean, pristine floor. At which point I hollered to Shawn for backup and allowed him to put her to bed. SO... Most nights when Ab's being a whiny terror (as she was last night) (except the time she hung out with dad on My SceneSPanish and MyScene French, dot com ) and I'm feeling overwhelmed and tired (as I was, last night) --I would reach for a nice glass of wine. Nope, didn't do it. YAY ME!!! I detect, this no eating/drinking past 7 will be toughest on me, initially.

BUT I will only achieve the results that my discipline will earn. Arrrrrrgh.


Plans du jour:
get off PC, eat breakie, take Ab to dentist (she has two fillings, D'OH!! Not 3.5, with two cavities? What kind of Dental Assistant's daughter am I???) then call non-driving friend, set up play date, eat well, move body, make stir fry for supper, Mmmmmmm....there'll be more... Read? (The Crimson Petal and the White, finished Wicked, WICKED GOOD, that!) Clean? Do more laundry? Oh yeah, I do have to scrub the tub and toilet, and do dishes. What else is new, though. Ahhhh, housework.

time to get a couple of babyteeth drilled :c(

Hey Jess! CONGRATS on the scale being down! YIPPIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Great job on getting back on track. FOUR liters of water? I'm impressed. :water:

Keep up the great work. Hope your house calms down a bit. Housework is scary. As is summer classes. ENJOY your summer. I am regretting taking calc. I wish I could just drop it. That'd be another $200 down the drain. Education is becoming a sink hole for me right now. *sigh*

Have a great day. :D

HEY JESS! I'm really sorry I missed you as well. I should have had you come to the event I was putting on for work...WineQuest. A fabulous tasting event that lasted for 10 days (different placed) It was quite exhausting for me though having to work it. As you saw in my post I am having a gathering on monday with some coworkers. It is our end of WineQuest bash. It's the time that all of us worker bees actually get to sample some of the wines we had at the events. I must say though...I really could care less about the wine. I kinda don't even want to think about the wine right now...I could go for a beer though hehe

Love the daily goal list. I do believe I might use some of them myself.

Take care
Julie

Hi Jessica

Great goals. I've been listless lately and haven't done a thing toward my goals. But summer has come and it is time to get back to work.

Have a good day.
Renee:)

Yay for the scale going down to a more comfortable number! You are doing great! :up: I love the idea "I will only achieve the results that my discipline will earn." I am gonna focus on that! I actually *have* been enforcing some more discipline (finally) the last few days. Proud 'o us!

Lisrey :party:

rikki--yalp, I peed alot yesterday...re calc...but wait, aren't you sleeping with your prof? That's gotta get you bonus points!! ;)

Oh, man, Julie--that event sounds *so* right up my alley. Heck, up both my sister's and my alleys :D AND you managed to stay quit, smoking wise, through all of that? GO YOU!!!

Good to see you, Renee! Isn't summer the time to *rest* from the goals we've achieved since New Years? (Oh, wait, I've GAINED weight since making my resolutions :tomato: )

Thanks for noticing that brief flash of brilliance, Lisrey!! I think I will put that on my fridge next to the picture of the feet on the scale, with the scale reading "Go jog, Fatass!!" YAY DISCIPLINE!!! (where's Jess go? WHa?? I said that???)(Holy cow...)


SO...

fairly reasonably good day, 24 points ended it out; the worst move of the day for me, foodwise, was the best move for the kids (play date all day) activity-wise (cookies. Sugar.)(8 points worth.) Ummmm...what else...Kinda missed breakfast, too much time online, had to rush to get Ab ready and out the door and to the dentist (Oh My GOD I was so proud of that kid, she was a freaking ROCK STAR, the doc said there are adult patients who can learn from her..she was AWESOME...), ate another pc of chicken and an apple for breakfast (I prepped strawberries so I can have my post L of Water yogurt tomorrow, FINALLY!!!) then we had a really yummmm sandwich (spinach, pepper, cuke, chicken, cheese, hummus) for lunch, then the cookies, then the big SNAFU du jour was timing; we went to teh zoo (YAY!! Exercise!) and I got stuck in traffic bringing my friend home, Ab fell asleep on the way home (big D'OH!!) and we got a super late start on dinner, and consequently ate at about 7:15; watermelon dessert at 7:45? But it was fine, I ate nothing after, and had a pretty good day despite that....Then took the Billdude for a good walk (30 minutes, hilly, some running, he didn't mess with his gentle leader too much, we bonded, a neighbour man complimented him on his manners and good looks) and did some laundry...mangaed also to scrub the tub and toilet and get the windows cleaned, some laundry done, and dishes done, twice.

Happy days, I'm BACK!!

HOORAY! Welcome back! I'm glad to see you happy again. I didn't like the sadness. I know we all go through sad times, but I just hated to see you so down.

Wow, you do so much housework. I need you to come work on mine. I get lazy. As for calc, yep, the prof said he'd do some of my homework. I just need to study for the tests. I'm beyond caring what my grade is, as long as it's passing. I don't think I'm ever going to get done. Since it's a CC class, I can drop individual credits, so I'll see if I can finish at least 2, and then do the last credit this fall. What was I thinking?

Have a great time with my sisters. We did a DDR dance battle last night at the arcade. It rocked. :D Keep up the great work!

hi rikki! hope the calc thing pans out okay! happy? Today? not so much (eh, it's all relative.)

so, woke up, nearly a pound heavier than yesterday, drank Liter read dismal horoscope, started a cup of coffee (I'm slowly giving it up; yesterday I had none, today I woke up and the pot was still hot and I couldn't resist...) I've just finished my yogurt...mmmmm....I forgot how darn yummy that breakfast was!! and now I'm thinking about today. My arms/shoulders still hurt from schlepping Ab all over yeyesterday (zoo) and the day before (school, park, etc) but it's kind of a nice hurt, I'm thinking I'd like to start weight training. At some point.

Plans du jour:
gotta get that side garden weeded. we're heading for a rainy spell, so I sort of need to do it sooner than later (befoer the dandelions grow to chin-height again) so...it should be done...But it's on the front side, and I hate being out there with Abby...I should get her a tool and ask for her help...(HA! As if!!) (((Jess, just do the damn weeding and get it over with!!!)))
gotta get the basement vaccuumed, Bill the wonderslob decided to eat a ball into a million billion pieces, and they're not pretty pieces.
gotta do more laundry (a shocker, that one!)
gotta work out. Gym would be best. Feeling resistant, in the name of Abby and her resistance to being in the nursery. I know I *will* take her there tomorrow, and would really only like one power struggle this week, thanks. But I need to work out. Period.
Gotta work out, Jess. today, this morning, seems a really good time.

other plans...Psych appointment, sitter will come, *could* potentially increase time sitter's here and exercise then, but oh, wait, we're out of money. :( (so how were you planning to pay the sitter for this sitting?) (Hmmmph.)
also will go to friends for a girl's night, playing with photos (some will scrapbook, some will organize, present company in latter party.)

I could do some online work, looking into the different degree options available, I need to get registered for the classes the dumb biddy advisor didn't register me for, need to figure out which classes to take... I should do that, really, no reason NOT to... Except I'm being apathetic Jess, not motivated Jess. Times like these, I think coffee would help *chugs coffee*


really, it could be a dead, boring day, I *could* sit on my butt and do nada. But I won't., can't, because this is the new me.

so.

had a chat with Abby (no momma, I don't wanna go play duck goose goose!)(a game they play at the nursery.)
had a chat with Bill (listen, she human, if you leavie me in that box I will go ape poop on ya later on today.)

so we all struck up a compromise and I decided to take a training walk with Bill while pushing the jog stroller (never tried it before.) It went well, sort of, though kinda scary tenuous, like at any moment disaster could strike... I started out thinking I'd go around the block, he was being cool, so I thought I'd do one of my scenic hill routes, Abby was being bored, so I thought I'd go to Point Defiance and play in the play area. They're setting up for the Taste of Tacoma and, I guess, enlisted the help of a group of prison women. I met most of them while Bill and Abby in the stroller and I tried to cram and careen our way into the toilets (ever tried to maneuver a jog stroller, you'd know what I mean.) We played, Bill got off his leash a couple of times and bolted (truth be told, I sorta' dropped it) and I sprinted a few circles with him while Ab played with new friends and their daddy. Bill gave that...look...and so Abby and I took a long stairstep walk down to the waterfront to get free dogpoop bags, I had to carry Ab because she didn't want to get a pebble in her sandals. Weight training began today, I guess. Bill was a star. (He knew I had hunks of training cheese for him if he listened.) Abby finished playing, I talked with some folks from New Mexico who had a GSH, and then we walked home, which was hilly and heinous and then I ran up the last hill because I hcouldn't stand to prolong the torture (Bill kept either trying to scratch off his head collar or smash into the stroller's front wheel...)

all told, a good 90 mins (closer, I think , to 2 hours, total) of cardio.

wheee!

and now I've showered and eaten my lunch, (leftover stir fry), I will vaccuum, and then on to the other list items.

(Bill, my English Crackhound, moved once since he had his gallon of water upon getting home--he shifted from laying into the kitchen to laying on the sunny deck.)


things are getting better.

hmmm...after listening to that story I am inclined to say you are WAY more patient than me. Not to mention ENERGETIC!!! You go mama!

heh. I think you, Missy, are the first to ever attemptg to call me patient!

day's going pretty well, except that it looks like th eside yard project will go on the "do tomorrow" list. My house is clean and I'm therapized, though :)

After your morning post, I was thinking, "that's the problem with discipline... sometimes it's not much fun." But when you make yourself stick to the disciplined routine, the feeling of accomplishment for overcoming your resistance is SO rewarding.

After reading your second post, I was thinking, "GO, Jess!!"

Glad you're able to cross things off your list for the day. That's a great feeling too!

Lisrey :laugh:

When did you start drinking coffee again?

Moving forward = getting closer to finishing your degree instead of taking the summer off.

Log on MSN and I'll draw you a picture. ;)

You are kicking ASS foodwise! Go Jessie! Go Jessie!

Poor Ab.. Whose teeth did she get genetically?


Corinna

Hi, Jessica! :wave: I enjoyed reading about your day, which sounds fun. You all seem so full of life and having such a good time! Great way to get your cardio in!

Athletea--fun was possibly a stretch, but I felt alive, which was good, considering the last month has been automaton-like for me. I was most happy about the cardio, and look forward to doing more like it!
Cori--not moving forward, that way. 'tsalright, though. rest is good. I have my craft project list written, partially. Ab's got both of our teeth, methinks. (though my mom swears it's just me being a bad parent, feeding her crap, not brushing her teeth, adn in general, needing the Dental CPS to come after me...)(and my mom swears my first cav's happened when I was seven or eight, to which I heartily say, NU UH!!!) (But both Shawn and I have a mouth full of cav's)
Lisry--why do I feel like you totally understand me?? (yes, crossing items off was divine :) )
Alrighty, day went well, all told, though I ate after 7 (get together thing, mostly healthy)(Except for a brownie that was divine.) I drank 5 Ls of water, green tea and one coffee (Cori--May ish?) And cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. (I don't mind the process of cleaning, this week. it's falling behind that sucks!!)

woke up to what I thought was the sound of rain. Thought, damn, I won't be able to weed the side yard. Went outside, saw no rain (maybe it was the neighbour's sprinkler I heard?) Thought, damn, now I'll have to weed the side yard.

Had a workout date for the morning, though she bailed on me ( suspected she might) So I think Ab and I might take the jog stroller to the waterfront and actually *gasp* jog. (sans Bill.)(he'll get his fun, though, we'll head out to the dog park today, methinks. Or at the very least, we'll try.)

so I tallied points for yesterday, and even after considering exercise, I'm still 2 over, though all told I was 12 over :O Eeeeek. I find it most interesting to do points (I'm sure calorie counting is the same) because I have found, the days you think you're being "good" and making wise choices, you discover you've screwed the pooch anyway, because of one little thing (the brownie last night, with 3 spritzers, put me over the edge...) (okay, so in my situation , it wasn't one little thing, it was a series of things AFTER 7PM!!!) So I'm not the happiest with myself for yesterday, but I'll get over it. I did drink 5 L water, minimized coffee drinking, exercised, had no Abby snacks (though I did "test" a noodle for heat) and I had my standard yummm breakie. Today I weighed in at 186.6; I weighed again after water and coffee, 190.2 :( (Okay, Jessica, learn to ACCEPT a good number when you see it, and then use that happy momentum to propel yourself to good decision making, 'kay?? )

I have to work out my schedule for school. I have to weed the side yard, and I have to exercise(self, Bill, and kid.) I have to make healthy food. The rest of the day is cake. (angel food, of course.)

happy days, all!!

I am always amazed at how much energy you have. Just get out there and do those weeds for goodness sake...(then come and do mine hehe)

I must agree, marking off things from the to do list is pleasant. Unfortunately, I usually add two more to the list as I mark one off.

Take care
Julie

Big Red--yeah, I know I should just do it...and I should just exercise already... Pfffffft... I have the same to-do list trouble!!

I'm having a crappy morning, trying to find childcare for Ab for fall quarter. It seems that in asking for a provider past 6:30, I'm asking for the moon on a platter with crudites of supernovae. And I still have to exercise. Because that should wipe away all these nasty icky negative feelings about this process.

X-(

the day was, in general, bleeeuuuuurgh-y, I was down because of the school/childcare dilemma (no real resolution in sight) And then I couldn't get myself motivated to do anything...so Ab and I had a wee bit o' retail therapy, had a crap experience at the pottery painting place, a weird experience at the tutu place, and a frustrating experience at teh craft store looking for stuff for Ab's Disney scrapbook. Took Bill to the dog park, and he had alovely, tiring time, came home and walked yesterday's journey again, sans dog (la chienne?) but avec crowds (taste of tacoma) --Ab had ice cream, I had a chicken kebab with cabbage. We met up with SHawn, had carny fun, then walked home. Decent (nay, good) workout. (I sweated, lots.)

No, the side yard was never weeded, today, BUT I had a weird clean-the-kitchen time, scrubbed tile backsplash, fridge, vaccuumed underneath, and feel good about things as they stand.

Final outcome of the day:26 points in, potentially 10 points out. (too bad it's after 7, another glass of wine would be quite nice.) 4 L water, finished eating at 6:54, had wine til nearly 8. (TWO GLASSES.)

Time for a bath, for Ab. (am most frustrated, on the laptop, as I've done several entries lately, and I'm the queen of the typo. grrrrr.)

1 hour rowing, slow pace, using all the muscle groups (really works butt, abs , shoulders) easy on the joints = 800 calories....real calories, not the ones that go blinky blinky in red lights on the machine.

What is an activity point and what do they classify as activity? Just curious.

School is a big pain, know where your coming from (am stuck in summer school right now...6 hours a day.....but then I am DONE, degree in hand!!!!!!!! (and get to go home to family....I miss them something awful) :)

http://www.concept2.com/05/rower/womenwhorow/womenwhorow.asp (http://www.concept2.com/05/rower/womenwhorow/womenwhorow.asp)

http://www.concept2.com/05/oars/rowingcamps.asp (http://www.concept2.com/05/oars/rowingcamps.asp)

http://concept2.ipbhost.com/ (http://concept2.ipbhost.com/)

http://www.concept2.com/05/rower/womenwhorow/strong.htm (http://www.concept2.com/05/rower/womenwhorow/strong.htm)

Heh, the last link looks like Jump's trying to call you a whore, yet not. And I think he thinks you should row. ;)

I think your workouts are going great!

How about a high school student for the evenings? I used to babysit and I was good at it. Very reliable, too. :)

Corinna

Jump--I should give it a try. I know locally (well, south of us, but, like, 35 mins awy) there' a rowing group on real water, and the Y has rowers... Activity points work on PE vs time elapsed to come up with a number, it's rather ballpark, but it makes you think about moving more... A flaw I discovered in it today, PE one day may be altered by a later PE day...(so Jump says, Heart Rate Monitor!!)

Cori--I had HS students fall and winter quarter, they sorta' pooped out on me as time elapsed, it seems none of my local girls want to commit more than 1 week out... Or the ones who want to commit have limited availabilities...Or don't drive... Fall quarter looks difficult from the standpoint of early start (1pm, HS-ers are in school) and late end (any recommended day-cares who are taking kids close by 6, 6:30, my class is over at 6:30, meaning I'd be home 7 or so...) I could try to split up my school days and do evenings, but Shawn's school schedule conflicts, too, and he doesn't know what it is yet. It's mindnumbing and frustrating. Ahhh, well.

So, today was a good day, Ab cae into bed with us at 6, "momma I'm so COLD!!!" "okay, dollymuffin, come snuggle."--we all slept til 9:30; got to the Y at 10 after Bill jumped on her ballet clothes, smudged the tutu dirty, ran a hole into her tights; discovered class starts at 11:50, went to the ballet store (open at noon) and Target, had some fun buying cheesey kid stuff (socks with danglie's, Barbie nighty, princess panties...) and then got to ballet...discovered the tights in the 4-6X spot were 12-14s. *slightly large.* (Ab balleted with nekkid legs.) New teacher is great. Went back to Target, then the paper-y craft-y store, then home...Shawn offered to watch Ab so I could run/ride/whatever, it was gorgeous sunny, I opted for a ride...

As I rode, I saw a dude in front of me, old-school bike, street clothes. Getting nearer, I thought, eh, recreational rider, and determined to take him. He looked to be late forties/fifty-ish, and was wearing acid wash denim shorts, for Pete's sake. No challenge. (HAH.) (I mean, had be been wearing spandex shorts, I'd have given him wide berth, but DENIM???) Well, I was dying for two miles, FINALLY took him, and he made a comment about how I was pretty fast, he was trying to hold me off. I passed. I had to keep up a fairly brutal pace to keep old-helmet acid-wash-shorts-man behind me, he was, like, *right* on me, and then, as I went up a short but brutal hill, he took the flat shortcut, and passed me. I passed him. I held him off til the next lap, and he got next to me, laughing, "I cheated, I was right behind that car. So how many miles do you log a week?" I'm, like, puking-point tired, pant...pant...dude, I don't wanna race (and yet...this strange...compulsion...) and I tell him, this is my second ride since May. He was surprised and impressed. Go me.

I did fifteen miles, total, the killer hill four times, varied loops to avoid the Taste of Tacoma crowds, had two cell-tingling epic descents, and then lost my legs. (and I decided I *had* to do 15 miles, so I couldn't just quit.) I still had some severe uphills to complete to get home, AND two more miles to goal. (1 mile was home.) Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh. I had the shaky-legged-newborn-colt thing happening when I got off the bike, my hands were numb, I nearly fell attempting to go down the stairs(my legs were sort of numb and useless.)...it sucked, but felt kinda nice in a twisted way.

75 mins of exercise later, BBQ baby back ribs, corn, and salad, and I'm still under points for the day. (and I weighed in at 186.4 this morning.)


ahhhhhhhh, it feels good to be getting back to healthy. (though, I almost killed Shawn when he was amazed that I was so smoked after only 15 miles.) (pffffft.)

after ONLY 15 miles!!!!!! give me a break girl! Thats awesome !!!!!!!!!
i was laughing out loud getting a visual of acid wash man..reminded me of a looney that does step class at my gym...in acid wash full length jeans! i dont know how the heck he does it lol..
i love hearing the postive healthy and carefree Jess posting!
hugs bell :)

Hey, if you do jump on a erg (rower) at the YMCA , log your meters (the meters you row). Than after when you come home, log onto the Concept II web-sight, get an account (it's free). You get your own logbook and can join a team.......join our team....heh, heh.

It's called :coach: "Row Pain Row Gain".....everybody on the team is trying to stay in shape or loose weight................but we are are in a competition against other teams for total meters rowed. Right now we are in 10th place...the "Dutch Row Pros" :soccer: are right behind us and "MIT"....a bunch of funny nerd types are ahead of us. Hey....if you row to 1 million meters you get a free T-shirt from them.

U of Washington has a team too by the way.

Oh yeah, as a bonus you will get a killer set of abs :D . We need some hungarian women chics killer rower body types like you. I will metion we have a new recruit...you have to get a handle too (name). Make sure you bring some tunes to listen too while you row.

<:hijacked:>

J'soda - I think I am going to take a vote (and win) that you aren't allowed to visit DT without updated pictures of the baby!!! ;)

</:hijacked:>

Jump--alright, alright already, ya sold me (now to see if I can get the kidlette into the nursery!)(and ditto what Cori said.)

so, I was at 185 this morning (water loss, but eh, I'll take it!) slept in late, ate an orange, did a walk with Shawn and Ab to the Taste and had a chicken artichoke crepe (mmmm.) walked home, uphill, remember? Am making a nice meal of coconut chicke\n, brown rice and salad with lime/cayenne/honey dressing. And even after that I'll still be under points. Whheeeeeee!

more later.

Jess,
sounds like you're doing great. 15 miles on the bike!?!? Wow. That's awesome. I get a sore pelvis and butt when I do that.

Well, the sisters are gone. ( :( ) so I'm sad about that. I actually cried! What a baby I am. I sure miss them already. So the point of all that was, I get to post more often! Yes!

Have a great day sweetie. Keep up the great work. Congrats on 185! Isn't that like 10 lbs in the past few weeks? Go JESSICA! :D

185 is awesome! What is your goal weight? Seems like things are going well for you lately! You definitely had an eclectic diet today!!! Your dressing sounds interesting!

rikki--heh, no, I wasn't as high as 195 (only 191.8. I think.) My girl bits didn't bother me, this ride (well, this morning I was like...what the???...) but my legs are still a bit miffed. Who knew, hill rides could be so punishing. Esp since I used to do them ALL the TIME. Pffft. sorry your sisters are gone, but glad that means we'll see you more!
Missy-I should've probably gone into more detail; the chicken was marinated in a coconut milk/hot chili sauce/lime juice marinade, then dredged into a panko crumb/salt/pepper/coconut mixture, then baked...the salad dressing was an attempt to bring together the sweet/hot/lime-y flavors of the marinade; I did a green salad with mixed greens, spinach, celery, zuchini, yellow pepper, carrots, and corn, and the dressing kinda' melded together all the flavors. SOunds crazy, but it was yummmm.

so.

I enjoyed 4 gls of wine, one early, 3 late (yes, I ate and drank past 7) (and kept my points under 24.)( :O ) --Shawn was a big ole' critical poopoohead all day, and the wine was my not-so-subtle way of telling him to piss off. I made a very cool 12x12 scrapbook page in a frame for Ab of the Cinderellaration-in-Disneyworld thing, and now I'm feeling happy about getting a start on her Disney scrapbook. Happy/scared, because every new craft project brings fear rearing it's ugly little head. (perhaps I should first do her Hungarian word scrapbook, instead?)

Have hopes that tomorrow will bring a gym workout, good weigh-in, much housecleaning/laundry, a trip to the library, and some headway into my organizational/creative goals for this vacation period. I may even ask myself to call a few more preschool/daycares for the fall quarter thing.

Oh. And if I weed the side garden? Go me. (I tried to, yesterday, Shawn said, eh, don't bother, we never see it and it's just gonna get all efffed up by the neighbours with their dandelion farm...so I went...uh...okay, honey!!)



In happy happy news I forgot to mention yesterday, I WAS INVITED BACK TO THE BOOK CLUB!!!!! I ran into the hostess for next month at the Y, and she asked totally matter-of-fact, so are you coming next month? And I felt really cool and honoured. They all seem to be really cool, neat ladies. The book is Prince of Tides; while I wasn't impressed by the movie yonks ago (but uh...hi...Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand???What's impressive, there???) But I'm interested to read the book, anyway.

tomorrow I have no doubt I'll be back! (my one hour pc time curfew seems rather lenient.)

Hey Jess. Hope I didn't offend by thinking you were 195. I couldn't remember what you had posted in the past. I just knew that you were doing awesome. 185 is great. You're doing great!!! And good job on keeping your points below 24, even with poo-head making you stressed! X-(

Hope you have a nice day. A scrapbook, eh? Cool! I started one in HS, but never finished it. I don't have many supplies, and was "borrowing" them from my mom. I have been trying to do quilting on top of calc. Yeppers, I gotta start that again today. :( Are you enjoying your summer of no school? Sure hope so!

Have a great one. :D

weight:187. (I knew the 185 was a post bike-ride fluke!) (no offense taken, rikki!)

plans du jour stay the same, and I need to drink my water. it's raining--la, how lovely!-- so I guess the gym really is the best workout option. (then I have to figure out how to get hte crackhound's wiggles out.) (hmmmm.) It is nice to have rain though, since the grass needs it, and I can do crafty stuff without worrying about wasting precious sunny time. SIde yard? Hah.

possibly more later,
happy happies, everyone!

Day went pretty alright, I must say. Points? 23. (22?) 4 L water, two green teas, one latte :tomato: Lovely salmon and red potato and salad supper(seasoned with a lemon/parsely/thyme rub...mmmmm...fresh...), leftover coconut chicken lunch, and all the other rules applied. I cleaned the basement, vaccuumed the little bits of plastic and fluff the dog left behind(he's discovered that he really *is* a fearsome beast who can kill stuffed animals!), took Ab into the Proctor District and walked my errands, her on hip (parked at the library-closed--walked to the Pottery place, walked to a bookstore where I found a first edition Prince of Tides, then walked back to the library) then did a small grocery shop, got movies, came home, and did some scrapbooking (2 7X7 pages, nothing to get too excited about) and then started cooking dinner.

Hmmmmm.

What else.

Abby was funny, she's decided Mookie the cat is Cinderella, and teh dog is Prince Charming; she was chasing the cat all over the yard, "NO, CINDEWELLA!!! YOU CAN'T GET MAWWIED IN YOUR PANTS, YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR WEDDING DWESS ON!!!" (okay, it's a "you had to be there" thing.) I did up a page-in-a-frame scrapbook thing for her last night, with a Cinderellabration picture and a Cinderella dress fancy sticker, etc, foofy, girly nightmarish...she woke up and went, "NOOOOOOO!!!!" and then basically fell into a pathetic fit of tears because I made it without her input. So today she got to make her own Cinderella craft, and she's still at it.

Wow. I'm reaching the bottom of the barrel if I'm going into Abby details. BUT HERE'S A GOOD ONE!! I think her daycare for fall quarter is sorted out, at the same place her very best friend goes. *phew.*

so that's all, folks.

Here's to a good weigh in for me, tomorrow *chugs more water.*

yay to lack of daycare woes!! :)

I'm tired and should go to bed.

Corinna

prince of tides eh? i vaguely recall the movie..not sure i watched it.. may just head down to see if i can get a copy and read it too..have a little inter continental book talk :)
Thats great that you managed t sort out the childcare situation with Ab, that must be a relief!
The Cindewella story had me in stitches..dnt hold back on the Ab stories i love them.
hugs bell :)

I love 'em too! Cute story. See, I don't have any cute kids in the house. Just my cats. I'm sure you don't wanna hear "scary cat lady" stories. I post enough pics of them anyway! :cat:

Good job on the points!!! That's awesome. Your dinners sound delish. So, when are you moving to Nebraska to be my personal chef? :laugh: I wish I had cooking talents.

Have a great one! :D

Cori--yeah, yay! Of course, this daycare "fix" is contingent on Shawn being able to pick her up twice a week (but there's a second option if he can't (Abby's good friend's parents live really close)(The other option being, of course, get out of class early...)(Of course, that class would suck to miss out on...) (Did I mention the advisor told me the advising sheet was wrong, and I have to take stats, I can't get into research methods without stats, so this class is nursing stats...)(Oooops. TMI, digressing in space that should be all about you responding to me.) Hope you got some sleep!

bell--we watched Prince of TIdes, I recall not liking it much (as a rule, I'm not really into dramas) but the book is pretty good, 100 pages into it...Conroy's writing style is pretty verbose...like a 650 page book could have been 100 pages if he just got to the point already--but it's captivationg, regardless...Kinda' grim and messed up subject matter...
I'm glad you caught the wedding dwess humour :)

So. Weigh in: 185.6. Before anybody des dancing nanas or a moonwalking carrot, let it be said I'm feeling cautious about this, since I know pounds that leave quickly are also prone to a stealth-return. Nevertheless, my last week weigh-in was at 191.8...I'll take a 6 pound loss!! Plans for the day--keep this weight lost; exercise, clean, launder, go to library, get crackdog exercised, take child to some active play thing (hm, take kid and dog to beach, let dog offleash to see how he does, if a remote spot can be located?) and craft some more; maybe get organizing project on craft stuff underway? (Organize photos, organize boxes by craft/what they contain.)

for now, to rest. Because Ab wolke me up before 6 am, and I'm tired!

hi rikki! Frighteningly, I could exchange silly cat stories with you! (I was pleased about my points too...pity I'm not still going to meetings...heh...but to think of all the cash I'm saving...)

Cash and time! It sounded like a waste listening to the bowling donut lady! At least you get to talk about your successes (and failures) to a group of people who truly care about you and your success!! (DT!)

Congrats on the loss. I will halt the MJ dancing nanna for when you give me the green light :laugh: Congrats, though! 6 lbs is great! :D

Hey, I didn't like WW meetings at all. Very depressing. I kind of felt like my ex DIL when she was trying to quit drinking. She told me she REALLY wanted a drink after her AA meetings. lol My meeting was at 5 pm and by the time I stayed for the meeting and then got home I could have eaten everything in the fridge.

I sure hope Abby's child care works out for you. I think she will enjoy playing with a group especially if she has friends there.

Carol

Carol--I hope she enjoys it; I can't handle it when she doesn't want to be left (as is evidenced by my stellar gym-going performance.) ...yeah, WW meetings didn't do it for me, either. Oh well, points seem to work, so I'll stick with sticking with 'em.
rikki--Stay tuned for a dumb cat tale...

So far this morning, I got no napping, had a lovely yogurt/strawberries/blueberries and granola, had my L of water, am working on coffee (need....caffeine...) And the dog has destroyed my Born clogs (one of 'em) a Mariners toy of Abby's, a wooden toy from IKEA that goes with her blocks, and ...there was something else he pulled the stuffing out of. The cat was responsible for breaking a bowl--the one my yogurt was supposed to go into-- basically, she saw me making my yogurt and decided she needed to get up on the counters to keep me company, (Uh, no thanks, I'll have a pestilence-free countertop, if you don't mind.) --so I'm trying to scat her off the counter, she runs in the opposite direction, right onto the flat-top stove that has a hot (though cooling) element from making Ab's breakfast. As her legs flail a' la Wile E Coyote in pursuit of the Road Runner, she has to change direction....Tssssssssssss(sound of sizzle) (okay, not really, but it works for dramatic recreation) --basically, as she scurried off the stove, she knocked my pottery bowl down. Broke it in a million pieces.

yaaaaargh. X-(

I cleansd up the majority of it, but I need to do a full and total sweep/mop now (or at least I should) and of course, courtesy of Billdude, I have all kinds of splinters, fluff, and leather shoe-guts :c( to vaccuum, too. It would appear, then, that my housework to do list is growing. (add to that, clean and disinfect countertops.)

Well at least I know that the cat didn't go to the pound. Did she quit peeing on everything?

David and grand daughters have gone to the Island. I will drive down there Frid. afternoon for a long week-end. I am at home alone for the next 3 nights. I hope I can eat sensibly. I have the right things in the fridge, just hope I don't eat out of boredom.

Carol

I quit finding the pee, Carol (Ooooh, I love home alone nights, I can eat salads and light stuff without feeling guilty (Oh, I *should* be feeding Mr Man and the kid...) )
I'm kinda freaked out because Shawn's mom and her boyfriend are coming to stay for a long weekend and he's VERY scent-sensitive (naturally, the spare room is the one she did the majority of her peeing in...) (ahh well. ) (We'll give 'em our bed and take the spare, thanks.) Shawn still thinks we should get rid of the cat, I'm thinking, well, heck, she's pretty much already stunk up/damaged everything in the house anyway...

me and my apathy.


OH! I've been meaning to put this out there. In therapy I was talking about my apathy/motivation issues. Is it a lack of motivation, or apathy, when I get into my introspective, quiet, reading-intense times? Or is it deserved me time? And then we got into the whole whys and wherefores of how I was resting when I was talking about apathy; it was during finals and getting ready for a trip and I was heavily into non-school books. Like I was willing myself to fail at finals, like I was setting myself up to not be prepared for the trip. My counselor called it my self-saboteur working, and we named him Phuockit. So now I get into mornings where I want to sit and be on the PC (no, not today :O ) and do nothing toward self and home maintenance...and I say to myself, go away, Phuockit! I have things to do! (because there's no way I'm going back to 200 lbs!!)

righty. So I need to kick Phuockit in the shorts and get on with this thing.

Don't shoot yourself in the foot so to speak. At the beginning of the day look at what needs to be done and do your list by priority. I used to do what I liked to do but that wasn't always what needed to be done. I find if I do the needs right away then I have more time for the likes. I do the things I don't like to do as fast as I can and that leaves me time for the things I lilke to do. It has taken years of working through this to get to this point in my life. That is probably why I can work by myself and not procrastinate and leave the things I don't like to do. Can you understand what I just wrote, not sure I do. lol

Have you Febreezed everything? That does a good job with odor.

Carol

Hi

Hope all goes well with the daycare thing. I found the kids preferred the daycare over the gym caregivers. More friends to play with, more to do. Now they are big and I don't have to worry, I just leave them alone and hope they don't kill each other.

To get 15 miles in on my bike I would have to ride the same area over and over again. Boring, I guess I will just have to go to the gym.

You are doing great:)

Renee

heh
Carol, I have gone through so much Febreze I need to buy shares in the company (it diesn;t work, long-term; there's a special spray I get at the pet store that seems to do an okay job, but whatever I do, I always seem to ...smell...catpee...Generally I have the same tactic on my list, but \certain things are logically time locked (ie--go to gym when extended day is open, go to grocery store after that...housecleaning=big chunk of time...etc...)a kid I used to babysit used to apply that theory to his eating, calling it the "worst first!" rule.

renee--I do the same route 3 times to get my fifteen, generally (Five mile drive...)--it is pretty boring, but the gym *can* be moreso...

so...Phuockit is sulking right now, because lazy Jess won't come out to play. I went to the gym, 3.5 miles, 35 mins, 500 cals, (the rowers were occupato) then let Abby play in the toddler gym, then went to the grocery store, then home, Abby fell asleep so I seized the moment and did floors (swept hwoods, swept mopped and scrubbed kitchen tile) then decided to srub down cabinet fronts, put away groceries, then vaccuumed the basement, got out the spot shot and scrubbed all the mucky spots, then vaccuumed and scrubbed mucky spots on the stairs (ran out of Spot Shot before I could be fully done) then vaccuumed bedrooms, did dishes, played some games of tug with Bill in amongst all the cleaning, took a shower while Bill decided to eat a letter Abby and I painted (it's a wooden craft thing) and a sand-filled fabric frog (on the kitchen floor, thanks, dog...)


fun and games.


I'd like to just kick back and rest, but I have dinner to make (eventually) and my mom to take to the airport. I hate taking people to the airport in the best of circumstances, but my mom is sort of the worst...she packs for month-long journeys, and expects that the world(or I) will be her porter (for free.) Blaaaargh.

ahh well,I'm feeling pretty good about my day, regardless...

Congrats on exercising!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You deserve a big cake :cake: , get some rest today and just relax. Thanks for the visit.

i hope the world will be her porter today and not you....although its probably good for a few more calories burnt????
The new Coldplay CD is AWESOME! listen to it if you get the chance.
hugs bell :)

Ooo, I love Cold Play. I wasn't aware they had a new CD! I'll have to check it out.

Jess, sounds like another amazing woman day. What is up with Bill and his shredding everything?

Congrats to you on not letting Phockitt get the best of you today. You're doing awesome. Great job on the gym! Was that running? Keep it up, girl! :D

:wave: visit thanks back atcha, Jump!!
bell--I dropped her off curbside at the departures strip. Since our last airport visit, she has dicovered "luggage with wheels." (choir of angels sing.) so it wasn't as bad as I made out it would be (cals burnt? 0.) I haven't been overly cell-tingly by the Coldplay I have heard (the one moany song about hotter than sunshine or whatever's getting heavy airplay, and they did a "preview" of the album on the radio...I think it's probably like the others, it works you into it, rather than snapping you to attention...) (so, hmmmm, must have a look for it next time we music shop!)
rikki--yeah, running. :o (oops, left that part out.) Bill, it would seem, is a puppy on drugs. so far today, though, all's good.

this morning's weight:184.6. Of course that's not a realistic, gonna hang around number, but I liked seeing it! Yesterday went well, in the food department, I had chicken (the last of the coconut chicken, man, I made alot!!) and a salad, then I made sorta like tostada stuff for dinner; I had one tostada shell broken into pieces and picked up the last salady dribblings with it; the salad I made was mixed greens (red leaf, spinach, romaine) and yellow peppers, tomatoes, green onion, avacado, blaCK Beans, ground turkey w/ taco seasoning, about a T of shredded cheese, a very super light drizzling of Ranch dressing and a blob of salsa. MAN it was tasty. Today's meal plans...uh...leftover taco salad for lunch, maybe basic baked chicken breast, broccoli, and brown rice for dinner? Dunno.

It sounds like it's warming up to be an aggrivating day...My mom decided that she wanted a friend to park his truck at her house to make it look like someone's there while she's gone. This man has...issues; always something funky going on (that's what happens when you make connections at the health club hot tub, mother.)(and he kept asking for her house key, she wasn't comfortable leaving it with him...thank God for sense!) Eeeenyhooo, he's apparently forgotten his phone in my mother's car, last night there was a big fat drama, he called me about 5 times (after 9) and was just...weird... "whattya mean, you don't have a key to her house? Whattya mean you don't know her cell number?" --I had to try to call my sister at midnight, her time, to get my mom's number, she wasn't picking up her phone (rightfuly so!)--

long and the short of it, my mom wasn't even answering her cell, so it was all a moot issue...She didn't respond to the airport page, either...(I'm thinking, dude...it's a cell phone.... those are replacable items, ya know...) so this morning he contacts her in Fla with his panties wound tight, and tells her it *MUST* be in her car (what, did he plant it or something? I mean, sorry, when I misplace things, I can't ever be certain of where I've left them...) so I get to go to her house (30 or so minutes away, through unfun traffic) and go on a freak-man's cell-phone hunt. Ummmm...gee, did I want to do this today? Nope, not one bit. My plans were--take Ab swimming, go to the library, try to tire out little substance abusing canine, and rest while doing crafty stuff. I can make lemonade, though; I'll take AB's backpack and Bill, we'll go to a park by my mom's house that I used to love and let Bill have some off-leash training, walk some hills, then let Ab play at its brand new, very cool play toy. And we still may manage to make it to the later swim session, which lasts longer than the morning one, anyway.Then maybe tomorrow we'll go to the library for storytime, and have our semi-official Day Of Rest.

The other depressing bit deals with the cat; the MOokster was in the room as I was putting AB to bed, she squatted *right* on a small pile of dirty clothes on AB's floor and...psssssss... SO of course I got her attention and tried to shoo her away and in doing so got Shawn's attention and he's all, alright, that's IT (It was his ultimatum when she pissed on his blanket in front of him, that if she did it again, she was GONE.) so basically he says I can take her ot the pound or he will; I told him she told me she was very very sorry and feels like has been doing a fine job with her "issues" but her life situation here causes her stress she sometimes doesn't know how to handle; that she'd like us to be open to loving her more but Bill always seems to get between us and her. And he's all, well, let the pound find her a better life situation, then.

Hopefully he'll not feel motivated to go on such a swell errand when he comes home, and hopefully, the whole thing will be put off til the next situation to be put off for a later time. Cuz together, we're kind of apathetic and ambivalent that way. *crosses fingers.* (cuz she really is a sweet cat, much as I get annoyed with her at times...)

darnit all, I deserve a latte today.

Yum Lattes!

Oh my gosh, Jessica, how do you do it? I SO CANNOT handle stress sometimes. Did you ever find the cell phone? If you dropped your mom off at the airport, why didn't she just leave HER car in the driveway? Issues. Aren't people weird? I thought we had all the weirdies in Wacky Nebrasky, but I guess not! :laugh:

Sorry to hear about your cat. My hubby would have turned her into a barn kitty long ago. He said if our cats ever did that more than once, he'd find a farmer who needed some mousers ASAP. I don't have a lot of patience for things that come out of mammals (puke, poop, pee, etc) (see, I would not do well with children!) so luckily our cats have only had a few accidents (like the time they ate a bunch of grass and had to poo on the way to the litterbox. Yuck! :tongue: )

Thanks for the visit to my journal. Hope today turns out a little better than you first thought... :D

Jess,

My cats had some major issues. Everything was fine till Sweetie's sister disappeared. Sweetie was unconsolable. She was driving me crazy. Well I did what I thought was a good thing, I went to the pound and got her a new sister, a little calico kitty. Well, she didn't thank me one bit. She sulked for months. Then to add insult to injury my friend that owned Sweetie's other sister needed to find a home for Savannah so I took her. Savannah loved me and hated Sweetie. Talk about sibling rivalry. That was when the pee started. Favorite place was my bed. Peace was finally reached after months of having a really mad cat. It sounds like Mookie hates Bill. She is just telling you that she isn't happy. Don't know what to do to make her love Bill.
I am really sorry. I never really had a happy cat family. I see all these other families that have multiple cats and they all get along fine. Mine did not. Now we have no cats. I do miss them. Not the extra work but I love cats.

What happened to the cell phone. You could have called his cell and if he were outside of the car he might have heard it and you would have known it was there or maybe he is like me, I turn mine on when I want to use it.

Hope the day gets better.

Carol

I just re-read your post. What was the cell doing in your Mother's car. I thought he left it in his truck. Sounds like a plant to me. ;)

Carol

Hi

Hope the cell phone issue is taken care of by now. Poor kitty sounds very confused to me. My hubby would be just like Shawn - wanting to take it to the pound.

My mil was the same way with traveling. And for some reason I always took her to the airport.

Have a great day.
renee:)

carol--you feel my pain?? :)
renee--you feel my pain! :)

....really, the latte was probably not the best idea (on multiple levels.)

Being the lemonade maker I am, I thought, right, then, we're off. Me, the dog, the kid. There's a park that is near the other park I wanted to go to, at a forested inlet where kids skimboard and drink Thunderbird. I figured, since it was still early (ish) and cloudy, perfect off-leash timing (the other park is apparently heinously leash-law abiding) so--we get into the park after detouring for a latte, and Jess has to pee. Bad. Like, full Liter of water, 2 large green teas, coffee, and latte bad. so I look around and cop a squat in the forest in a nice overgrown green bit. Nettles. (fortunately, only my knee and ankle were ravaged.) Then, we get further into the forest and I let Bill go for it, and he's a rock star. We (Ab on hip and I) probably walk a quarter of a mile. Between the backs and forths and rights and lefts and ups and downs, Bill probably went 3 miles. Sprinting. (He's pooped now--we tried to play the "jump and nip at bubbles" game with him and he wasn't biting.) so then we go to the park for AB, she had a ball, then we went to my mom's house. Hunting, hunting, hunting, for the phone, pissed off and agitated, and I can't find it and I'm frustrated and about to give up (my mom's car is sloppier than mine) and then I hear it...Beeep. So I know it's there, but it's like searchign for a gerbil in an avalanche. (finally find it, time to go home.)

Ab whines the whole way, "I am so hungry" (yeah, me too.) DO ya wanna get fries? No,macaroni and cheese at home. We pass McDs and she starts crying, I WANTED FRENCH FRIES!! so we go to DQ, get her chicken and fries. We get home, Bill jerks her lemonade out of my hand, she starts wailing bawling, I WANTED THAT!! By now I'm shaking hungry, caffeine twitchy, reactive angry. But I'm keeping it together. I sit her at the table and give her her food, start making mine... BUT I WANTED MACARONI!!! My head starts spinning as I tell her to eat what she's got, I'll make her macaroni for supper. SO then we're settled, I'm eating, she's twitching and standing and sitting and standing and twitching and laying upside down in her chair and I'm like, EAT!! in my mean momma angry eyes voice. SHe starts feeding Bill her food. I'm twitchy mad, tell her if she doesn't eat we're not going swimming. She begins to eat, I eat. SIlence reigns, and she says, "Momma, you need to be quiet." "I'm not saying anything." MOMMA< BE QUIET!!" I glare at her, she doesn't get it. She says, MOMMA< BE QUIET and I freaking go ape poop, tell her I'm not saying anything, I don't like the way she's talking to me, and she is acting like a young lady who doesn't want to go swimming. SO I go downstaris for a time out, she wails disconsolately, thinking, apparently, that I went swimming without her.

I go upstairs after I'm less twitchy ( acouple of minutes) hold her and apologize and tell her her behavior is not cool, and she's all Momma! BE QUIET!! Baby whales' sleeping X-(


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!

Times like these, being home with your kid, no relief in sight, sucks.


So then, earlier, we're in the car, she says, "Momma, I want Bill to go back to the farm." --HUH?? "I don't want Mookie to go to the farm, I want to keep her, I want Bill to go to the farm." me: What'd daddy tell you? "I don't know."

So now she's playing with Princess Cinderella Mookie telling her her yellow dress is beautiful and helping her brush her hair with her own paw...it's pretty sweet. I told Shawn last night, really, I don't want Mookie to go; any damage she's done is already done, what's the point of shaking things up? He's being jerkish. This afternoon I told him Ab didn't want him to take Mookie to the farm, he said oh, yeah, I gotta take the cat, thanks for reminding me.


And I'm twitchy caffeinated grumpy sad.

But Bill had a great day.

(Off to the swimming pool, now.)(because punishing her by staying home would really just punish me. And I've had quite enough, thanks.)

Do you still have a cat???

heeee. yet another governer's pardon for the Mookster; the second Shawn walked in the door Abby aimed the eyes on him and said, "daddy, I din't want you to take Princess cINDERELLA (gah, dratted laptop with it's teeny keys!)MOokie to the farm." and we had a family discussion and she has yet another reprieve. And MAN, was she a sweet cat last night, on my lap in bed while I read, Purrrrr, Purrrrrr, Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

the rest of the night was alternately difficult and good; Ab had two time outs for bad behaviour at dinner (a brown rice/chicken/lf cream of chicken soup "gruel" with broccoli and a big salad) and then Shawn said he'd do the dishes :O and then he took Ab to the park so I could do "whatver"--he was trying to encourage me to work out, but at that point (7, after eating, etc) I was just tired...so I read for a few hours, helped get Ab to bed, read some more...The hard thing about days like yesterday, is that you completely lose perspective on the situation, stress gets involved (with too much cafffeine--I swear, that coffee shop laces its coffee with crack!) and things that *would* be funny are just freaking annoying, and then you react like a fellow three year old.

big breath in.

today will be a cool day, though; there's a performer coming to our library (Cowboy Bob?) and so Ab will be able to have some fun with that...if not, no harm, no risk, we'll just head home (where freak man will be coming to pick up his phone at noon.) it's a rqather nasty cloudy day, but I'd like to try to get Ab in her stroller, Bill on the Leash of Doom (nose collar/halti thing (No, Gentle Leader!)) and go down to the park, down to the beach to see if we can see any of the tall ships come in (Tacoma's having this huge tall ships festival through the weekend, and then a big "Freedom Fest" (carny rides, hot dog vendors, tie-dyed clothing booths, and bad jewelry, with lots of flags, culminated by a fair to dismal fireworks show) on the waterfront on MOnday...We're going to our friend's cabin for the weekend, possibly; Ab has this cold that's been dribbly since Florida (very minor) that seems to be developing into a cough today...:( If it doesn't improve, I think she and I will hang out here while SHawn goes and hangs out... then again, we might go for a day... we'll see... Definitely it'll be harder for me to be a "good" girl--lake weekends are usually a Bachanalian food and drink fest, starting at noon til bedtime, though occasionally we actually get to take the boat out and ski/kneeboard/wakeboard...

Possibly also today Ab and I will go to the farmer's market downtown...Definitely today I will figure out my points for yesterday (should be alright I think, I was up to 184 even, but eh, I wasn't too concerned about that...) ...then again, it's foggy and icky out there...???What's up with that?Yesterday was gorgeous...

so Ab's in the bathroom, needing help ("you may wipe the royal bottom!") and Bill comes bouncing in, excited to say good morning to Ab, super excited to have a captive audience. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAch, says Abby, I shout, Bill sits, Abby says, "Oh, Bill, you're such a handful!" and then she amends, "A biiiiiig handful." Now she's squirming on my lap, wanting to get on her My Scene...after shouting at me for telling her to get off the wooden arm of our mission chair (you can bust your head open, no cimbing on the furniture.) and now she's screaming because I took her off my lap because she was trying to destroy my post... (who's the biiiiig handful here?)

Aaaagh. really, I *need* a good day today. I don't *need* a screaming, spoiled freak child.

the mantra is..."happy, happy..."

Ah Jess. Sounds like Ab is being a Biiiig handful lately! :laugh:

So, the Mookster gets to stay, eh? That's so sweet that she (he) was being such a good cat the other night. Hopefully he (she) 'll stay that way!

Glad you got the cell phone issue worked out. Sorry you had to deal with it! I don't envy you for the pee in the wild thing. I am so bad at that. I wish I was a boy when it comes to those types of things! (hey, at least they don't get it on their pants! Or I'd hope they wouldn't anyway!)

Have a great one. Even with the latte, still sounds like you're doing good with points, eating and exercise. Keep it up! :up:

hate to pop your pee on pants bubble, but apparently (from what Shawn tells me) they *do* get pee on themselves, if they don't shake properly. Though, at least, they have the no-TP option! Heee. Mook's a she, not that her gender's a big deal.

walked Ab and Bill to the school, let Bill poop himself out. Ab's got a fever (hence her whiney thing, perhaps?) and now Bill is passed out on the floor. And I think I'm gonna get AB and go to the waterfront because *I* wanna see tall ships.

happy, happy.

Congrats on the exercise, hang in there. :)

Hi

Glad the cat got a reprieve. Yep, boys do tend to get it on themselves at times, and sometimes they miss and get the floor, the wall, the rug and whatever else is around. but it is easier for them to go behind a tree.

Hope Ab is feeling better.

Take care of yourself, hope you get to see the big boats.

Renee

Jump--it doesn't count, it was walking... :o (though I should get extra credit points for "Ab on hip." )
renee--Ya know, I just had to have a word with Shawn yesterday, about improving the straight-shooting aspect of his peeing...The bathroom has been smelling very public-urinal-esque lately,despite my more frequent cleanings... It's odd, because I've lived with this man for ten years and haven't had any toilet issues til very recently...*sigh*


Man, the tall ships were cool. We just drove to the first little chunk of Ruston Way (or the last, depending on your direction) and it was surrreal...it seemed that most every marine boat from Everett to Olympia was in the water, big hurking yachts, motor boats, sailboats, and they were all dwarved by these huge things with their billowy, while sails...In Pocahontas, it talks about Pocahontas mistaking John Smith's boat (ship) for clouds, and I could see how that could have happened... I think Ab and I will go downtown to get up close and personal today. After my cool experience with ships (Ab was left cold,) we went to Cold Stone Creamery for the first time, I was good and had raspberry sorbet with raspberries mooshed in, Ab being the vanilla purist (a kid after my own heart!!--that's what I would've ordered!) had vanilla with sprinkles mooshed in.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/4991095p-4558346c.html (http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topphoto/story/4991095p-4558346c.html)

(that's a news story link about the ships; really, though, you had to see these giants in contrast to all the teeny weeny, though generally huge, boats!!)

So...lessee..we went to the library and to the doctor (I didn't want to find out she had a blazing double ear infection after sitting in the waiting room with fourth of July burn victims on Monday when we can't get in to see her doc) (she's fine) and then I read, we hung out being mellow, stayed up late finishing Prince of Tides (Holy cow, that was a good book!!) and consequently it was awfully hard to get my butt out of bed and onto the scale this morning. BUT worth it--183.2 WHeee. Today's plans, clean the house up for the weekend, go to the bank, go downtown(see boats) and then...??ew. Try to think of something creative for dinner. (chicken breast, but how? With what???) (then again,. maybe Shawn will be gone to the lake by dinner time)(oh, wait, I still have to eat.) Gaaarrrrgh, it sucks being broke. :(

ahh, well..happy days and weekends and fourths of July to my fine good friends (lurkers, too!)

Most excellent pictures, are not the tall ships of the sail the most cool !!!!!!!!!!!! It surprising that a woman finds them neat, I want to get back home (sounds strange to say that) so I can get Mars and I started in crewing . See if you are allowed on the deck of one....., you have to do it. :caf:

Yep, I forgot have to do it.

you can pay ten bucks and get on all the decks and nose around all the ships...Ab and I will do that later this afternoon...I hope...

Sounds like a fun way to spend the afternoon!

When I get creative with dinner, it's usually the dollar menu at McDonalds. Yep. Healthy too! :laugh:

CONGRATS on the SCALE!!!! :caf: :cheer: :balloons:

That's so freaking cool. I'm happy for you! Keep it up! :D Have a wonderful evening.

thanks, rikki! I was thinking that it's all just water loss from all the water I'm chugging--on average 4 liters--but then I was thinking about all the other things I've been doing--cutting out wine on weekdays, staying in points, not eating past 7, uppping the vegetables at lunch and dinner, having fruit as my "sweeties" rather than gummi bears, cutting out the other ABby snacks like cookies and organic rice puffs...Shawn's even been cutting out things (like his standard pre-bed bowl of ice cream, having smaller supper portions) and that's helping me, too... so while, in all probability, this could be largely a water thing, I am proud of the changes I've held onto thus far.

so, really, now I need to get outta the house. My toilet is cleaner than it's ever been. My tub is scrubbed and bleached to within an inch of it's inanimate life. After I've straightened a couple of bits in the kitchen, we're outtie. Cuz, green slimey nose or not, my kid needs her wiggles released. (She's saying, no, momma, I dont' want to see boats, I want to go to the cool museum with toys and vegetables (the Children's museum.) (I'm the mommy and i wanna see boats, I win because I'm also the driver ;) )

So.

The house is quiet, Ab's asleep, Shawn's gone to the lake early (Ab and I will go after ballet tomorrow.)

Ab and I had a good time at the boat thing (oh, wait, Tall Ships!) but Ab wanted to go back before we saw the biggest ones (the Russian and Mexican ships.) Her body bits (aka girl bits) hurt from the backpack harness. Hell, my back hurt from the ding-danged backpack with Ab in it for two hours. But it was cool, in a lukewarm, gratifying to see crowds swarming to tacoma for a change, neat stuff afoot! -kind of way. We started at teh school (My school, UWT,) and took the steps down through the museum of glass bridge of glass, then past the hot shop (ice cream cone architecture) and down all the steps to Thea's landing, and all the slips. I have never seen so many boats moored, it was cool. Like, Tacoma being born, Tacoma aware of its potential. Apparently, the Tall Ships Festival is something that *may* happen every three years, should they get enough future commitment from other ships, and this is the firstr time its happened. There are 29 vessels involved, some huge and from far away (the Cuauhtemoc, Mexico, and the Pallada, Russia) some not so much (like the Rejoice, a schooner built by a guy marrying his wife Joyce for the second