Smart Shopping...

So, I had to return my new entertainment center before it was even delivered.

One, because I got an invite to a VIP event the day after buying it...where I can get the same piece for 20% off this weekend.

And two...because after buying my new  42" TV, and seeing how big it is in real life I realized it is far too tall, so I am getting the same look, several inches shorter.

And then while I am at it, I am going to get this chair to go with my new couch. So, by the end of next week I'll have my living room put back together!

I cannot wait to see how amazing it all looks! I'm super excited!

My entertainment center, and current living room chairs were parked on the curb. My chairs lasted roughly 15 minutes before someone swooped them up.

I should have taken a picture of them. Underneath the covers, they were all tore up. I was shocked anyone wanted them. But, one mans trash..

Now, excuse me, as my giant new TV is calling my name!!

Race Season Begins..

Our race shirts and bibs were pretty cute! But unlike my first race last year, I did not wear my shirt to the race, according to my running friends, this is a faux pas.

It was a horrible day to run, freezing cold and raining.Some pavement, but mostly trail, which I was not conditioned for.

But I finished! Almost at goal. My official 5k time was 31:59. Two stinking minutes over my goal! Considering the rain and cold, and that parts of it was run on a trail where you were stuck single file behind the person in front of you, unable to pass... I'll take it. I have something to work towards for the next time! .

What really did me in was not having breakfast and running too fast up the last hill, and then dry heaving. I had to walk for almost a minute, until my friend caught up to me and yelled at me. I'm glad she found me and gave me the kick in the ass I needed! She was doing the half, and SHE kept ME going!

As usual, post race I feel fabulous! I can't wait for the next one! At the end of this season, I want to do a 25min 5k, which would be an amazing improvement for me. (This means if not completely stopping, cutting down smoking significantly....gulp....) I'll also be finishing two half marathons. First time out, I have no other goal than to finish them. (and sport the 13.1 magnet on my fusion!)

I had plenty of energy to clean my spare room out and set up my guest bed! Now, I just need some guests!

Friday was spent at a local hot spot for happy hour martini's and fancy food with the ladies. Followed by the viewing of Think Like a Man. I haven't laughed that much at a movie in some time!

How did you spend your weekend?

Christmas Wishes...

I still believe in Santa. To me it is just in the form of the great and powerful universe. (or God, if that's your thing) And it is with us year round.

So, no matter your age, still make your wishes, believe your dreams, and don't settle for anything less than what your true heart desires.

I remember a time like that. When I was a kid. I think most of us can remember being footloose and fancyfree, as children. Before we knew any different than to care what people thought. When your favorite popsicle flavor made your week, not because it was a popular choice, right, or wrong, or because your friends chose it, but because it was what you really wanted.

Time sometimes makes us lose sight of these things.

My goal this year is to be more in tune with my inner self.

I want to appreciate all that I have brought into my life, intentional, or not, because I have learned from each and every choice I have made.

I want my heart to smile, so the rest of me can follow suit. I want my choices to be mine.

Whether this is a ridiculously expensive coffee maker, new shoes...a cell phone you don't think you can afford, a new puppy, or love....I hope everyone gets what they most desire this this year, not because it is right or wrong, because you want it.

"So in your Christmas prayers this year Alfie asked me to ask you to say a prayer for the wind, and the water, and the wood, and those that live there too..."

This video from the Muppets Christmas (John Denver) is by far my favorite childhood Christmas story and sums up my post perfectly.

..Alfie the Christmas tree...

An Ode to My Vessel..

Happiness is, calculating your height/weight ratio, and the return says "you are 18lbs overweight".

Only 18lbs? Ha! That's nothin! I'm gonna kick your ass 18 lbs! I have 10% more body fat to lose to be in the normal range too. That's a far cry from having to drop 25%!!!


Tonight only two of us showed up to bootcamp. The instructor asked what we wanted to do. I said "lose a pound!" That's not such a great idea, because she really worked us over!

My body is awesome. Not in the "I'm so fine" way, but in the way that it's just an amazing thing!

For so long I told it that it was fat, and lazy, and couldn't do this or that. I changed my thinking, and I said nice things to myself, and little by little, I lived up to my words.

This week, after 20 weeks of the same workout routine, and diet.... my body managed to drop 6lbs!!! I simply started my runs on a slight incline for a longer period of time!

And!.....I am officially doing the Akron marathon, in a relay. It's my first time, so I am taking the second to easiest route, of 3.5 miles. I'm starting the first leg, as my girlfriend thinks this will make me become addicted, and do all the marathons she does.

I'm kinda scared, but the best part is Luigi's pizza afterwords. I miss pizza! And pizza misses me!

I'd like to thank my body, for living up to my expectations, and continuing to surprise me!

I am now at a total weight loss of 61lbs in 20 weeks. (106lbs total since my highest weight....OVER A HUNNNNNDRED POUNDS!!!!). I bought a size 6 dress pants, (SIX) size 8 jeans, and a small top this week. I really can't believe it, because when I look at pictures, I think I still look big. I only realize the change if I look at "fat" pictures. I really never expected to get this far but every time I meet a goal, it seems to come easier, and I set a new one!

Only 10lbs until my second goal is hit. And after that, who knows, I may just be sporting a bikini next summer! (I havn't done that since I was 16!!!) Which is awesome, because I plan to visit my girlfriend in Florida (for the first time) and she is taking me to the pacific ocean. I've never been!!!! I'm sheltered!

I've said it a million times, I feel amazing!

Cravings....

I didn't die from not giving into these cravings. But ever notice how much you want things simply cus you can't have them? Why is that, oh great and wise universe?

• Root beer float


• Cream Soda


• Reese Cup


• Starburst jelly beans


• Girl Scout Cookies


• Pita bread that came with my salad and I had to give away


• A Coke (ca-cola) with lots of ice, fizzy deliciousness


• Oddly enough, someone's ramon noodles at work


• Mashed potatos, with cheese, rice, stuffing, and ranch dressing all mixed up in a bowl!


• Chocolate Vodka


• Whipped Cream Vodka


• Cherry Vodka


• Orange Vodka


• Blueberry Vodka


• Vodka Vodka


• Sunkist to mix with above vodkas


• Reese Eggs (now they have teeny tiny ones too....)


• Someone to blow up the Reese factory so no more eggs can be made. If i cant have em no one should!


• A new puppy, not to eat, but to distract me from wanting to eat.


• A whole block of cheese. I'm not picky about the type. Just as long as I get the whole block.


• A carton of girl scout samoas ice cream by Edy's. mmmmmm


• A glass of milk (I mean seriously, I can't even have MILK for 12 weeks!!!!)


• Any whole entire bottle of wine from Breitenbach's Winery, because they are all so good. But in particular, Roadhouse red. Or, Raspberry. Oh my!!!!


• Deep fried tater tots, covered in mounds of ketchup


• chicken salad on a bagel


• A giant Blue Moon on draft


• Make that two Blue Moon's

The only really great thing I can say about not having these above named items, is that I didn't die from it. I usually get panicked when I have a craving like if I don't give in to it, I'll just die.

I've also learned that after 3 weeks of not having any processed foods, sugar, or complex carbs, that I really don't get hungry nearly as often as I did before. This is also because I am to eat every few hours like clockwork, hungry or not.

sucker..

I go to this animal rescue on my way home from work sometimes or on lunch, to pet the cats. It's a pet store set up but theres cats that come up for pets, and follow you, and basically tick of my cats at home cus they smell them on me. They lay in the cat beds for sale, chill out on the gazebo roof, try to climb you for cuddles. Basically its a me heaven.

There's also puppies and dogs. They always make me happy because I know they are rescued from death, and until they are adopted, will be there the next time I visit.

A little over a month ago I was there with my manfriend, petting the cats, and in walks this old couple, and a little shih tzu, Moses. The story was, they took little Moses home, and brought him back the next day. Moses is a puppy mill dog, who lived his life in a cage, and was going to be shot along with 14 other dogs that stopped "performing" for the breeder. So, Moses never got to run free in a fenced yard before. Obviously, he was just getting his running legs!

The older couple couldn't understand why Moses wouldn't come when called, and couldn't run after him to get him inside, so they caught him with a fishing net and brought him inside. And decided they were too old for him.

Moses walked around the store aimlessly and would lay outside the pens where the other dogs were, for comfort. He is super duper cute, (he's a shih tzu, duh) and he has a poopie eye, one eye is white, but you don't notice it cus the rest of him makes up for it.

Since then, I went and visited him twice. Yesterday I spent the most time with him, and we played with a ball, and tug of war. All the puppies at the store were riled up barking, and Moses got excited, but didn't bark, it made him playful. He loves to have his head scratched, and rolls over into it and flops on his side like a cat does.

Moses melted my heart. He made me realize how much I miss having a dog, that has some spunk left, but not a puppy. I don't think I'll ever do the puppy thing again. He is 4-6 years old.

The time is getting closer when I will have to say goodbye to my 14 yr old shih tzu. Shes got tumors, chronic yeast infections of the ears and skin, dry eye, mostly blind, swollen feet and lymph nodes, artheritis, and has taken to crying in her sleep and waking me up terrified. She's lost 99% of her hair, her face is mostly bald, her legs are bald, and she has to wear a diaper because she can't seem to make it outside to pee anymore. Her kidneys are enlarged, and she's lost so much weight, her spine is showing, and she has flabby skin. Oh, and she smells. I can live with it because I love her but it's embaressing.

She gets on medication, and the smell will go away for a week or so, but comes right back. And the antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, and we've basically decided to keep her comfortable.

I'm not sure if having another dog will help ease the transition for me, but I'm having a hard time making the decision for her. She still eats, but mostly all she does is sleep. She hasnt played, or walked for almost a year. I know its not the best life for her, but I also don't want to make that decision. I've done it twice for cats, and its the hardest thing you have to do.

In a nutshell. I'm really thinking about adopting Moses.

Child Free...

I have for a long time favored being child free, for being strapped down by kids. Giving up my life to take care of ungrateful children.

Last night at my Moms she encouraged me to get pregnant. To me, having kids is like some club that its members will do anything to have more people join.

People, especially those who have kids, find it very difficult to believe I don't want them. As if encouraging me to do it will change my mind.



I don't have that need that most women have. I also don't think they will enhance or better my life in any way because I'm a realist. I know that they will make things harder. And that if I want to have kids to keep a man, make someone marry me, or make me feel complete, those are all bad reasons.



I don't need to keep a man if he wants to leave let him. I made someone marry me back in 1996 and well, that lasted a whopping two years. And, I am a complete person on my own. I love me, and enjoy my company. I don't have a problem being by myself and an interruption to my me time, would only piss me off and make me resent a child.



I saw this at planned parenthood last weekend (where I spent my Saturday morning.....needless to say I finally made an appointment at the real gyno so I can stop having to pick up my pills there each month) A book called No Kids By Corrine Maier.

I just think everyone's life decisions deserve respect. I understand wanting kids. It's just not for me. And I don't think I should be made out to be abnormal because I'd rather have my freedom.



Plus, I'm already the mother of 4 cats and a smelly dog. (and one fish...RIP Kate.....)

Anything with an Itis is bad...

So on and off I keep getting this horrible pain in the side of my foot. Mostly it's on but sometimes it's blazing hot. Last Friday I had to keep taking breaks from cleaning to rest it on ice. Well as any smart American would do, I googled it,in an attempt to self diagnose.




I found a chart of foot pain, linked to a break down by area, and the only things noted in the specific area I am having pain (on the outside, NOT the inside/arch area) is tendonitis. (or a ruptured tendon) OR it could be a stress fracture, as the pain is also on top between my toes and top of foot.


Exciting excerpt for people who care:



It is a tendon that is used to stabilize the foot during the gait cycle. The problem occurs where the tendon makes the sharp turn. As the tendon moves it slides across the bone (cuboid) and therefore can be easily irritated. Of course this can happen in athletic people, also in people who do a lot of walking on hard surfaces. The one common denominator that most people do not realize is the shoe that they are wearing.



Shoes.



We're back to shoes?



I swear to the stars, I am going to go broke buying shoes. I buy expensive shoes, a couple months later, I have to get more. Why hasn't someone invented a shoe that lasts longer. 20 miles a week doesn't seem like many miles at all. How do triathletes, or distance runners do on shoes? Is there a secret someone should share with me?

I'm like, frugal. I save tins and containers cus some day I might use them. I have a ton of half empty shampoo and hand soap bottles cus one day I'll run out of shampoo and need to consolidate them (which when I lost my job, I totally did!) So, I can't see throwing away shoes that look perfectly new.

As a result, I'm acquiring quite a collection of useless, yet still stylish looking sneakers. I did bring some to work during earth week to recycle for the kids playgrounds. (cus you know how I care about the kiddies!) What else do you do with them? They are broken, so you can't really give them to people, cus then they'll get tendonitis too and probably sue me.

Injured. Down for the count. Manfriend (who...mind you is a cute paramedic..) gave me a hard time about it, after he set me up with my elevated foot, and ice pack and said you can tell its fractured cus its swollen. (cute) Then he said that even though I don't think a stress fracture is a big deal, that if you leave a windshield alone, the crack gets bigger.





Then I argued that unlike windshields, bones have the ability to heal.




Then he said I didn't want to be crippled when I get older, and he made me promise to call the Dr. Ugh. I hate the Dr. I guess until then I'm going to ride the stationary bike as a workout. There isn't a working TV for the stationary bike. Which makes working out less appealing. I don't like to admit defeat.

I promised the manfriend. Now I'm in deep shit. I'm a horrible liar. So....I have to go.



P.S. Speaking of Dr.'s 19 days until I go to the dentist. Help. Me.

Happy New Year....

I happen to be working only 4 hours today. Then I plan to workout, and rest up for some festivities tonight. By festivities I mean...drinking. I'm headed to the big city (Cleveland) because no one ever does anything of excitement in the little city (Akron). I don't remember the last time I had a fun New Years at home? I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but perhaps it's a challenge to be more exciting? I could have tried to plan some elaborately fun event, but no one would attend. I really never thought it would be so hard to get folks together. Haters.

I believe we are headed to a couple of parties, and ending the evening at the manfriends with friends. We were going to do wine but if we're traveling to parties, I certainly am not stashing my wine in someone elses fridge. I take my drink seriously. Like, seriously, I'd pound you if I caught you drinking my shit. Getchur own!

I've realized in my quest for fitness (a.k.a giving up beer, hey, you gotta start somewhere) it's the pits to party away from home or bars. No one has alchohol at their house to offer. Beer? Sure. Maybe some plastic bottle vodka or something (yack).

And, I sure as shit am not going to leave my unfinished alchohol at your house so you can drink it, that shit aint cheap. It's quite the predicament. The manfriend and I were at BW3 watching UFC with is friend and the friends girlfriend, when they decided (after we'd had one whole drink, and they were trashed) we should go see their new house. "you can come over and have some beer, and play cornhole". I'm so socially unacceptable anymore. Maybe I'll invent a mobile liquer delivery. Go ahead and laugh. I have fabulous ideas.

I usually don't do this, but it's the year for change.
In the new year, I plan to:

• work towards meeting my bootcamp goals
• Getting pretty drunk New Years, kissing my cute manfriend, and then getting lucky. Wink.
• Quitting smoking with the help of Chantex (the manfriend is gonna quit too so we can really test our love for one another.......wink)
• Eating more spaghetti squash w/marinara and kidney beans. I mean really, there is nothing more dee-dilly-icious in the world. Besides maybe, nutter butters. But we won't go there.
• Get a shih-poo
• Perfect a nearly no-calorie yet delicious, well-traveled alhoholic bevy
• Finish my closet so I can steal the manfriend and lock him inside
• Pay off my employee account at work
• Stop buying jewelry so I can do the previous task
• Go to the dentist A.K.A conquer my phobia, that has kept me away since my horrific wisdom teeth experience at 17 where I was fully awake and had my teeth ripped from my gums. This one is necessary...but hard.
• Move. Preferably into a house. Screw this apartment searching, it's pretty pointless. Especially if I am going to get a shih poo, and have two dogs. I have too much crap to move into an apartment.
• Buy an IRA or some other smart sounding investment into my old age so I don't have to die alone eating cat food
• Pay my city taxes. I guess. (I have not done so for like, 4 years, because oh yea, I already pay city taxes out of my check and paying to the city I also live, that claims they are not a city therefore need to tax me, is fucking stupid)
• Print the last 4 years of digital pictures like real pictures you can hold
• Put said pictures into albums
• organize all my pictures, and burn to CD

Mine aren't resolutions. I think resolution means you have problems. I have no problems, I'm at peace with all these things, but I'm a self development whore, and I like to improve my mental state, so why not branch out.

What are your goals?

Buy me a shih poo I'll let you kiss its nose!

lucky isnt for the irish...//Help me get a puppy...

Look what else arrived, sometime in the last week, but I have to walk to get my mail and that's a pain in the ass up and down the hill of doom I live on, so I just got it.

I won these over at Cleveland's a Plum. That's my stolen rubick's cube too...but that just means I'm too lazy to crop the photo. Anyway. At first I was like, who in their right mind would pay that much for socks ($15) (mind you, I won a contest thankyouverymuch) but then I put them on. Their way nicer tham my fashmere (faux cashmere) socks from Marcs. Plus, they came with a cherry on top, that the cat's found to be a worthy toy. I wish they'd find a mouse to be a worthy toy.



So I did buy some scratch off's and I didn't win. That's not true, I won $1. That $1 winner could be my $5,000 winning ticket. I've decided that my contest where I pay it forward, (and YOU could be a winner!!!) is going to be for Valentine's day. Because I actually got good gifts that I'm not regifting. And, Valentine's day is fun. Who wouldn't wanna be my pen-valentine? So, details to follow. After New Year's though.... I have important things to do like, double and triple workouts so I can drink. You know one last hur-rah for the new year.



I wish I had someone to make some yummy polish keilbasa (turkey of course) and saurkraut for me. It's too much work. I may just throw it in the crock pot.



I enjoyed some vodka tonics this weekend. Then I found out that there is 113 calories in tonic water. What. The. Fuck. It's water. How does it have calories? (10 per oz) It has become my mission to buy a seltzer water bottle and learn to create my very own club soda at home. But...80 bucks? The manfriend said it takes Co2. I may or may not have said " is that the same thing as whip its?" Not that I know what a whip it is, or have ever been party to such things, and I especially wouldn't have liked it. I just don't want to have to buy them, and get the look. Like the one you get when you buy rolling papers, for their real-life intended use. Getting older and more responsible makes you have a guilty conscience. At lease, for me it does.




Speaking of guilty..I like to steal things from my Mom's ...when I want something I don't wanna pay for it? Mom had this pineapple picture, that I tried and tried to take, but turns out it was taped to the wall. Trickery. Santa got one for me too. The frame was plastic, and didn't have a hangy thing on the back. But my handy manfriend drilled it and put a thing on the back of it for me. I love it. And um, newsflash, I love him too.



This is pretty much the cutest dog ever. If I believed in angels, this would be an angel. With its pillowy soft fur. It's a shih poo. (shih tzu & toy poodle) Smaller than my abnormally big shih tzu. I've decided to make it my mission to come up with a fund raiser so I can afford one. Yes, I am that mental. I have been given the gift of compassion for animals, and if the universe wants me to have this dog, it wants me to have this dog. It's out of my hands. You shouldn't stand in my way, rather, help me. What if I am St. Francis reincarnated? Then what? If you believe in hell you could go there for not helping me. ......help? Another look? Snowy puppy? I'll let you hold him.

Goals...I got em!

I may or may not have bought myself a semi-gawdy sapphire ring (except the diamonds on the outside of mine are pave set...with a black background) yesterday because it was only $80 my cost. My new years resolution (I don't make them) is to pay off my employee account before I buy one more thing. Period. I also got the manfriend's mom a bracelet, and his stepmom a very popular peice we sell, that is sold out of stores, and people are threatening our sales associates lives if we don't have more. I lucked out even finding one in the employee store. If she doesn't like it, tough shit.

I went shopping after work, rushed to bootcamp, changed and bootcamp nazi is like "what are you doing weren't you just in class?" I said no. She said "I hope youre not here to workout". Ok, so there wasn't a 6:3o class. I'd been going to 5:30 latley so I'm use to having one every day to choose from. So now, I have to go on my day off! (Friday) Which is total ass.

I finally got all my goals at bootcamp. My goal weight, well I'm not ready to reveal that, or how much I still weigh. But I have 52 lbs to lose to meet the goal set for me. Which isn't too bad of a goal. However, I'd be just as happy losing just 30 lbs more. 52 lbs to lose, and I lost 10 (11 but gained one back) so I have 42 lbs.

The mouse saga continues. Day three. The cats were after it in the kitchen several times last night. I heard them all making that weird meow, and running around. I thought, great if the cats do catch it, but what if they kill it and leave it somewhere then I have to find a rotting carcass? Or worse...what if it's in my bed? OMG! Euuuuw! I don't like anything to do with this whole rodent problem. I thought spiders and centipedes sucked. I'm not loving the mouse.

I got my dog a new jacket at Old Navy. It's pretty cute. It's pink, and it has a hood. I'll post a picture when I get one. My batteries died.

What's the difference between diet coke and coke zero? Aside from the fact that diet coke tastes like ass fungus, and I like coke zero? I just don't get why they have two no calorie colas. If they would make a Cherry Coke Zero....I'd marry it!

Oh, and look what's coming to Cleveland! I might take my Momma.

I'm not working at work. So, I'm doing things like....wishing I had a westie. (nothing against my shih tzu, but I have a bit of a control problem with animals)

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Ho Ho Ho...

Hi. I might have a problem. I want one of these puppies pretty bad. I mean, they look like little foxes! I am addicted to their webcam.

That mouse was out and about again yesterday. The good news is, I knew it was, because my cats were after something. My cats aren't useless after all! They had it under my couch. I chased it back and forth forever trying to help them, and they'd look excitedly under the couch waiting for it to come out but it didn't until their ADD kicked in and they left. When I moved a photo album and there it scurried. It's little, and fast. Way fast. And, teeeeeny little. Eventually the cats lost inerest. When I shoo'd it out I'd yell "sickem" but, my cats have no idea what that means. And the mouse ran back under the couch. The saga continues.

I spent the night wiping things off and sweeping behind things looking for mouse evidence. None. I dunno when he moved in but he's been pretty tidy.

Yesterday, we had a holiday party for the department. We were smart this year, and instead of putting our meager secreterial wages together, having a food day, then watch the people who drive bmw's, and lexus's and hummers eat all our food, (last food day one of the VP's took a whole can of nuts with him to eat) we sent them an invite to bring food. Guilt them into it if you will. Rich folk have no damn sense.


Except some of them do! One of the VP's got us all gift sets from Carol's Daughter! As seen on Oprah! Used by Beyonce, and Mary J. Blige. It smells devine too! I got a sugar cookie candle from anther one. My girls got me a bag full of Hello Kitty goodies. I got a Starbucks card and bad ass coffee mug from my boss, and some pretty hair doodles from another gal. I didn't get a bad clock this year from my VP, I got a gift card to Applebee's! And some evil chocolates.

This weekend the manfriend and me saw Four Christmases. The cutest part was at the beginning he told me they reminded him of us. I was seriously thinking the same thing. The way they interact with each other was so cute, and ......picked each other up at the bar even though they live together. Hollaaaa. He made me wanna cry like 10 times this weekend, with happiness of course. Like, we were at the movies and he went to get the car and pick me up cus it was 20 below windchill. Made me button my coat. Fixed my 20 times blistered foot so it didn't hurt. I gave him a small christmas tree cus he didn't have one. He really liked it. It's so weird to be treated so well. I'm so not use to it, it'll never get old!

I'm excited this year he is gonna come to my Momma's Christmas Eve! And I'll go to his families on Christmas. His Mom is sick, so we're doing her house on Sunday. I hope this doesn't mean I have to wait til Sunday for presents. I've been dying to give him his gifts for months!

My body is Tired. I better have lost weight...

I'm taking a Poll. If your voice isn't heard, it could be detrimental to my body. I drew this Om symbol on my wrist, as a trial. I'm thinking of getting a tattoo there. If not, I may bet the lotus flower and Om to cover up Hello Kitty on my foot. I have Om in the car, at my desk, and on my front door. Its a reminder to me. It's small enough that my watch covers it, if I had to cover it. What's the general consencus? I did a pretty good job drawing it freehand. Thank you.

Why do my clemantines have seeds? There's not much about winter I enjoy, but one thing is clemantines. For some reason mine have random seeds in them. Biting into seeds tastes like alum. (my sister and brother fed that to me and told me it was rock candy. It pickles your tongue, and eating the seeds brings back that horrible memory) And, they were also 6.99/box. They use to be 3.99. Do I sound old? I'll shut up. Do you know why they have seeds? No? Yes?

I weigh in tonight at boot camp. I'm feeling pretty good, according to my scale I'm down 2lbs, but it's still nervewracking. We started running relays, and having partners, and doing crunches. I hate them. She said we're all going to use steps soon. If I don't lose weight I'm not using them. I took a step class for years and never lost a pound. Class is easier, but I still get pissed when we have to do 300 continuous jumping jacks. Or, 500 lunges. Or, run around carrying that stupid balance ball. I'm still doing two and three workouts a day 5 days a week. I feel good. Like, I feel good. At work, they call me an animal. I dunno, if they think I'm an animal I wanna be a cat.

Oh, go out and buy jewelry. Our company is acutally doing well according to the Christmas letter we got. But, we can always have more money. Cus I bought stock in my company this year. I want to have a profit, and not be pissed I did it. Jewelry is a fabulous investment. If the economy fails, you can melt your gold and have an actual valueable good worth trading. (since they keep printing money) Oh, and boys? Girls love diamonds.

I woke up in the middle of the night Wednesday, and the manfriend was kissing me on the forehead. He is only the cutest thing in the world. I wanna eat him up with a side of mashed potatos (cus I love potatos too). He's the sweetest boy on earth.

At work, the presents have started. The girls called me over the other day to tell me one of the VP's has a coach box in it with boxes inside with our names on them. I said no way we are getting coach. She buys a coach bag for her secretary, but the rest of us always got stuff that the stores sell to benefit our charity. It's for a good cause, right? That's being realistic. I'm hoping for a better gift from my VP this year, than the stupid clock. I gave up my good gift-giving VP's when I got promoted. *sigh* Christmas isn't about gifts. Gawd, I'm such an asshole!

World Domination.....

Today is my two year anniversary at my job. I proudly display my anniversary card on my cube wall. Two years, I felt way over qualified for my hired position "secretary" and far underpaid, but while working two jobs, and looking for a new one, I still worked hard to excel and now I'm the boss. I'm also lucky that my company has an entire department dedicated to training just the home office. (and another for the field) I have had the opportunity to take tons of classes, and gain valuable management skills that look fantastic on a resume. Yesterday I learned coaching, counseling, and termination.

Back to my anniversary. Our senior VP always sings us the "happy anniversary" song, and I get sooo excited when she says "I have an announcement everyone gather 'round". I get excited for everyone. It happens to also be contagious. People like that about me, even if they joke with me that I am easily exciteable. I put a smile on their faces with my child-like antics. And my stupid dance I do. It's my trademark.

I think of it as I find the joy in the little things. Life is way happier when you live for the small moments, vs. waiting for the big ones. The big ones are few and far between and then you spend too much time being disappointed. That's my optimism class for today, grasshoppas.

At work we have a cafeteria. It's like a big restaurant and deli and grill with a salad bar, and lots of drinks, and coffee, and pop. I always get a breakfast for 95 cents you get an egg, turkey sausage, and toast. Well with the economy, they decided to outsource it. A company called Parkhurst is coming in to take over. All our employees are staying, but we get a makeover.

In said makeover, comes a bakery (carbs), pizza bar (carbs), Stir fry station (carbs), and a STARBUCKS! *screeeeech* Did I say Starbucks? Downstairs? Um, yea I am going to be in some serious trouble with that. Calories. Whenever I want a carmel frapuccino light (but still a billion calories) I just have to get up and walk downstairs. No getting in the car. No scraping the car.

This is all almost as bad as having a jewelry store at work. That you use to improve bad days by buying diamonds. Oh wait, we do. (I happen to have just bought myself these earrings. I traded up my 1/10th ct round solitaires, to 1/4ct princess. What an improvement! I'm trading up once more next year)

So, whenever this biological war strikes that has been in the news. You know where I'll be? At work. We have the second only to fort knox vault here, which is sure to withstand any germies spread out into the air. We have plenty of food, starbucks, TV, showers, and a gym. I dunno bout the rest of you, but I'll be here to press on in the future. Too bad I'm not going to help repopulate. But, I will help with the animal kingdom. Sign me up for that. If you want, I can start a contest like Paris Hilton, to see who wants to be my new BFF, and your prize (besides hanging with me of course) can be to come with, and live through the devestation. I think second place, can have all my jewelry, but you don't get to hunker down, so it won't do you much good. How's that for optimistic?

But, if that happens I might stop working out and be fat and lazy. Yesterday? I worked out three times. 45 min at lunch, 45 min after work, and 45 min bootcamp. I'm trying to still lose weight after eating crap and drinking a boatload. Wish me luck.

P.S. I won a freaking contest over at Lbluca's blog! Me! A winner! How freaking cool is that? Now, I get to have my own contest. Stay tuned, because I will do one. I can promise one thing, my package will come with cat hair. That's an added bonus, and you don't have to thank me for it.

It's Good to Have Dreams....

I have added a wish list to my profile. Because, I have many wishes in this world.

But, most of them can be purchased, online, for a reasonable price!

My birthday is coming. I will be 30. I will cry my eyes out, and I think that beauty products will make me feel better.