It's my life..my thoughts

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T07:47:00.001-05:00

Had the BEST gathering of family for Christmas that we have EVER had!! My Sister flew in from California as a complete surprise to the Grandkids and I drove over from Indiana as a complete surprise to everyone!!

1st snowfall of the season....

2011-11-29T19:25:00.001-05:00

Hunter eating a snowball...

Hunter searching for the "ball" that I tossed to him..

Hunter by the corn field..yet to be harvested...

Pine tree in the backyard..

last rosebud of the year....afraid it's doomed..

koi pond....hope they survive the winter...

view down the street...

Meet Curt.....

2011-11-14T12:51:00.000-05:00

This was taken at the Quigley shoot in Montana a few yrs ago.

Again from the Quigley shoot....

Quigley shoot....

Taken at his office earlier this year....

Musky fishing in June....

On the boat taking a break from Musky fishing..

I took this while we were campng in Wabash in March.

Deer Hunting............

2011-11-13T19:43:00.000-05:00

Curt and I went deer hunting this afternoon.....it was so nice and relaxing to just be in the woods listening and watching for the deer. We saw a few squirrels running around, but no deer. We will be going out again the next two sundays. I'm really looking forward to it. Curt took me to the gun range so we can see how well I can shoot that particular gun since I haven't shot a gun since 1989. I did a great job! I put 4 shots in a group (all touching) at 100 yrds in a 1 inch circle!! I can not wait to get the crosshairs on a deer!! Photos will be posted if and when that happens!!

things are looking up..............

2011-10-20T21:48:00.000-04:00

So....things weren't the best in my life and quite frankly I knew I was worth better. As it turns out...even though I moved away for what I thought was better...tuned out to not be. It's not all bad though. The person I left that wasn't treating me all that well, has turned out to be a really good friend. I can tell this person just about anything...even what I am now going through and this person is NOT judgemental about it or me. We have learned alot about each other in the past 4-1/2 months. I miss my old job and even though I am not the type of person to socialize much, I have to admit that I miss hanging with our friends from time to time. I left them all behind. They say people always think the grass is greener on the other side. Well, why not want the greener grass? I love alot about being here in the heart of the midwest. I am not a big city person and was pretty much uncomfortable in Maryland. I'm not completely comfortable here, but it is getting better. The main reason I came out here, has turned out to be NOTHING like I was told it was going to be. I have been heart broken and picking up the peices of my heart on a daily basis. As of today, at this very moment, I have to say that I am finally happy and content with my life. Sure I don't have the relationship that I was promised, but I have a relationship none the less. It is simply a really good friendship relationship. I have decided to stop dwelling on not having things as I wanted them and expected them to be and be thankful for what I do have. I have a job that I really like and just picked up a 2nd one that I think I'll like too. I have a home to live in so that I'm not homeless and on the streets. I have a paid for, good running car. I have 2 wonderful grown children and 4 beautiful grandkids. I have a Mom that loves me and a Sister that is trying to understand me, which that in itself is a blessing as we haven't always gotten along. I have a great extended family of Nieces and Nephews. I have my faith in God, and who needs more than that!!??

Hunter & Dillon.....the dogs I take care of.

2011-10-18T21:30:00.000-04:00

Family Fun....10/11/2011

2011-10-16T21:11:00.000-04:00

To delete or not .....

2011-01-07T08:48:00.001-05:00

It's been nearly a year since I've posted anything on here.....I'd hate to just wipe it out, but now that I have Facebook, I don't seem to need this blog. What to do???

Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-09T06:07:00.004-05:00

we got hit hard with this Blizzard that started on Friday afternoon (2-5-10). We lost power on our street Friday night at 9pm and it was finally restored yesterday afternoon. The only thing about this snow, is that it certainly made a beautiful landscape across the region! Most of these photos are from the neighborhood that I live in. We have the best community around. Everyone looks out for one another and lends a hand. I'm so thankful that I don't live in an area where weather like this is normal every year. This was record breaking! They are saying now, that there is another storm coming this way. By morning we are expected to get another 18" to 24" inches. Keep in mind that is ontop of the 25" we already have and dug out from.

more of the house............

2010-02-03T04:45:00.006-05:00

view of dinningroom "before" painting....

view of dinningroom "after" painting...

office/small bedroom "before" painting...I just couldn't keep a cotton candy pink room!

office after painting.

hung the wolf photo that David & Brittany sent to me for Christmas....it goes perfect in the office!

attic...LOVE the space!

kitchen....we haven't changed a thing yet....still has "original" double oven and cabinets....I lOVE them and they are in super great condition!

One of the better looking bathrooms in the area! Again we didn't have to do anything to this room!

Our new home.....

2010-02-01T20:56:00.008-05:00

Our new Home.......

Master Bedroom "before painting"...

Master Bedroom "after painting"....

Livingroom "before painting"....

Livingroom "after painting" & moved in....

I'll post more of the house in a day or two...it's late now and I have to get up early...hope you enjoy!!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T18:18:00.007-05:00

My very own "BOB the BUILDER" and of course I was RAGGEDY ANN.

Our neighbors Joni & Gary

Our Neighbors Paul & Barbara

Some trick or treaters

even more treaters

our newest neighbor Pete....he said it was a Monkey mask...lol

Me again

Our friends Mark, Joni, Barbara S. & Barbara L.

the best Halloween tailgate party ever!!

this was my pumpkin ......

and this was Bob's!

Our town of Cheverly's very own Miss Thelma...even at 95 yrs young, she came out to have fun passing out candy to the kids!

I think this is hilarious!

2009-10-18T15:06:00.001-04:00

My Son is now a Husband!

2009-10-11T08:10:00.002-04:00

September 21, 2009

The fish that followed Deydra

2009-08-02T14:40:00.005-04:00

This is a video that my 9yr old Grand Daughter took when we visited the National Zoo in Washington, DC for her Birthday last month. No matter where she moved, this fish seemed intent on staying with her. I think this fish enjoyed the "spotlight"!!

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Entertainment"

2009-08-01T06:19:00.002-04:00

This weeks theme is entertainment. I'm posting a photo that my 9 year old Grand Daughter took when we went up to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Md while she was here visiting me for a week. We had such a great time! For more fun photos, click here.

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Pink"

2009-07-04T06:42:00.002-04:00

Today's theme in the hunt is PINK. I picked a flower (or 2) from the bushes in our yard from earlier this spring. If you'd like to see more...click here.

Photo Scavenger Hunt....."Flags"

2009-06-27T06:19:00.003-04:00

This photo was taken earlier this Spring at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC.

To see more photo scavenger hunt photos...click here.

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Creamy"

2009-06-20T06:58:00.002-04:00

Breakfast of champions!! Peanut Butter on banana...yummm.

To see more photohunt photos...click here.

Thunderstorm that moved in.....

2009-06-09T18:24:00.004-04:00

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Book(s)"

2009-05-30T00:03:00.003-04:00

Today's theme is books. I have a collection of John Grisham and John Sandford books that I just boxed up and took to storage. I needed the space on the shelf.

To see more entries and/or participate, click here.

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Painted"

2009-05-16T06:21:00.003-04:00

On my walk around the Tidal Basin during The Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC in April of this year, I found this man painting the Jefferson Memorial along with the Cherry Blossoms. I thought this was appropriate for today's post.

To view other post in the HUNT.

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."In Memory"

2009-05-09T06:43:00.003-04:00

This weeks theme is In Memory so I have posted a couple of photos from my visit to "The NEWSEUM" in Washington, DC. These photos are of a photo journalist that ran home to get his cameras upon learning of the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers. While visiting the NEWSEUM and seeing his found equipment and notes, I was so moved. 9-11 is still so prevalent in my mind. I thought of these photos when I discovered today's theme. I hope you enjoy these and also that you take a moment to remember all that were effected by this tragedy.

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Walking"

2009-05-02T06:40:00.002-04:00

Hiking on a trail at Harper's Ferry, WV

Photo Scavenger Hunt........."Purple"

2009-04-18T06:28:00.000-04:00

TODAY'S THEME IS PURPLE. I only have 2 photos today.

The first one is an African Violet plant in my house and the 2nd one is from the Greenhouse at Lowe's.

TO PLAY ALONG, CLICK HERE.

HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-12T06:57:00.001-04:00

Glitter Graphics - GlitterLive.com

Photo Scavenger Hunt.."Triangle"

2009-04-10T19:20:00.007-04:00

Our shed doors.

The corner of the green house.

The top of the jungle gym at the neighborhood playground.

The top of a wall corner I saw while on a walk.

again, just something I saw while on a walk.

A broken piece of slate that was laying on our back patio.

I couldn't decide which one to post, so I picked them all. To play along, click here.

Photo Scavenger Hunt---- Stripes----

2009-04-04T05:46:00.002-04:00

Join here if you want in on the fun.

Springtime on a rainy day

2009-03-28T16:58:00.002-04:00

Blogs a thing of the past??

2009-03-22T10:50:00.002-04:00

It seems to me, that since MySpace and Facebook have gained in popularity, the blogs just aren't as great of a space to post anymore. I'm just as guilty of not keeping up on this as some that I have just checked in on. Some are just gone and others haven't been posted on since last fall. I'm just not ready to delete this yet. I've had this blog since 2005 and used to enjoy posting on here. I had a MySpace page but deleted it because I found that I liked Facebook better. The only reason I have that, is because my Family is so spread out and it's a great way to stay in touch. I actually have run out of things to post on here about. I'll give it some more thought before hitting that delete button though. I'll probably just do what most have done and leave it here dormant for awhile and post sporadically.

Precious moments from my trip to Ohio

2009-03-16T19:01:00.004-04:00

We finally got some snow worth talking about.

2009-03-02T17:24:00.003-05:00

The street lights here have an "orange glow" about them and with the filter lens I have on the camera, I thought this was an interesting photo.

I put the camera on the sidewalk to show how deep the snow is.

Sierra & Misty on catnip.....LOL

2009-01-31T18:20:00.003-05:00

Images from Capitola, California

2009-01-22T18:36:00.005-05:00

Most of the sunrise photos are from Capitola village. The lighthouse photos are from Pigeon Point. The weather was a fantastic 74 degrees each day I was there. It was great spending time with my family for a little while.

California bound!!!

2009-01-17T06:03:00.002-05:00

I leave today for my "little" vacation to Santa Cruz, California. I'm off to see my Mom & my Sister & my Sister's kids. I haven't seen my Mom since April of last year when we moved her out there to live with my Sister. I miss my Mom and since it's my Birthday anyway next week, I decided it's a good time to go see her. I'll be back here on Wednesday evening and then it's right back to work on Thursday.

Hopefully my flights will be uneventful and stay in the air for as long as they are supposed to and that I will have just as goo as a pilot that the passengers had on that flight that had to crash land on the Hudson! I'll post on my return and let everyone know how things went.

Until then.......................

Updated before and after....................

2009-01-06T14:17:00.003-05:00

February, 17, 2008
200 lbs.

Absolutely no reason to enjoy having my picture taken at this stage.

January 3, 2009
149 lbs

I now have reason to be happy and silly!

I just feel great!!!

Are you going to finish strong?

2009-01-03T16:32:00.001-05:00

This was sent to me in an email and though short, it's message is strong. CLICK HERE

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T07:43:00.002-05:00

It was nice last night to spend New Years Eve with friends and still be close to home. We came home around 11:15 and sat on the couch together and watched the ball drop in New York. We were in bed before 12:30am!! I hope everyone has a very Prosperous and Blessed New Year.

Various Christmas photos ( 2008)

2008-12-30T19:50:00.004-05:00

Don't you just "Love it" when someone takes an unflattering photo of you then shares it with everyone??!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T18:08:00.002-05:00

I hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas today. Bob and I had a most enjoyable day. We started opening our gifts last night that we got for each other and finished that this morning. It's so nice to have 4 days off in a row. With Bob being done with his most current job, we actually have some time to be together and it's been fantastic. Today we went to the movies. We really didn't plan to go see anything today, it just came about to do that rather than sit here in the apartment with nothing to do. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the movie ..."The Curious case of Benjiman Button."

It's been a very long time since I have raved about a good movie. It's a very long movie ( 2 hours 45minutes), but worth every moment. It was full of drama, some comedy and sadness. Bob & I both loved it. It's NOT just a chick flick. The story line is great. Let me know if you see it, what you thought of it.

Now with Christmas over and New Years right around the corner, the Holiday's are nearly over and the tempting foods will be done and over with. I must confess that my will power is weak (very weak) when it comes to some of the goodies. I have gained 5 pounds and trust me, I'm so mad at myself over that. Bob and I had a great morning run today which felt awesome. It's time to buckle down now and get back into the swing of things with my eating and exercise. I'll be fine though and I'm not worried. I just don't like this little set back.

I am leaving for California in 3 weeks for a surprise visit to see my Mother for my Birthday. I haven't seen her since we moved her out there to live with my Sister back in April of this year. I'm hoping she is very surprised. I'm also hoping I can make it without letting it slip to her that I'm coming. I want to tell her so bad that I'll see her soon. I just know she's going to be really surprised. My Sister is in on the surprise and has agreed not to tell her. We're just going to let my mom open the door when I get there. It's going to be great. I haven't had a count down on here in a long time.

Festival of Lights

2008-12-21T19:26:00.005-05:00

Well, we went, we saw, I attempted to take photos. It's not that easy from the backseat of a car when the driver is anticipating that your shot is over and can move so the cars behind can move for their shots. (and that the photographer can't focus a damn camera to save her ass). Anyway, with all that aside, we had a great time seeing the display. I would have loved it more if there was snow on the ground. This area of Maryland just refuses to understand that it's the 1st offical day of winter and let it snow!! Oh well....here are the better of the shots I took. I indeed left the out of focus shots in as well, because they kind a sorta look cool that way.

Some assistance needed please.....

2008-12-13T07:50:00.004-05:00

It's no secret if you have been stopping by here in the last year and browsing my blog, that I have been active in eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise. Back in September, I reached a 50 pound weight loss mark (not my goal) and have held onto that now ever since. After 3 and a 1/2 months of holding at 150, I just weighed in after a run to see I have finally broken the pattern and dropped a pound!! I'm now 149 pounds. Just a pound you say??!! Trust me, that makes me ecstatically happy. I focus on that as a step in headed back on track to more weight loss. I'm looking to drop another 15 to 20 pounds before I will say I'm done loosing weight. I'm very encouraged over this one pound. Just in the last week alone, everyday I have been stepping on the scale and it's been registering at 150.4. Five days in a row at the same exact number is odd for me. So yes, having that scale say 149.0 just now really pumps me up.

When I'm at the gym or jogging through the neighborhood, I always have my MP3 player tuned in to my ears. I have several varieties of songs on it but have been using 3 different "albums". They are (in no particular order)....Songs 4 worship, big band swing and Fired Up 3. I really like working out to "fun" and "upbeat" music. It energizes me. I really need new stuff though. My body "knows" when the beat slows, so it anticipates that I'm going to do just that. I have to get my mind into a "new groove" so to speak. Please give me some ideas. I'd love to know if anyone has some Latin tunes maybe or something that you may use that pumps you up. I'm open minded right now. There is music that the aerobics instructor picks that if I heard it on the radio I doubt I'd listen to it, but I concentrate on the beat and let my body move to it.

With my Mom's tenacious spirit and my tunes in my ears, I stay motivated to keep up my workouts. I need some help now. What can you tell me???

Such a dreary day today.

2008-12-11T09:58:00.002-05:00

Around here today it's wet, rainy and pretty dark. That is not at all the type of day that I like. Here at work it is very slow due to weather (mostly). it would be nice to just get out of here and get some last minute shopping done for Christmas. I have several packages that I need to get wrapped and boxed up to mail out of state too. I suppose I should be happy that it's only raining and not snowing. It was 64 degrees here yesterday and didn't start misting rain until last evening. It's 40 degrees right now. It's no wonder we caught a flu bug!

NOROVIRUS

2008-12-09T17:22:00.002-05:00

HMMMMM.......................... it could have been that.

Norovirus

Common names of the illness caused by noroviruses are winter vomiting disease, viral gastroenteritis and acute non-bacterial gastroenteritis[5], also colloquially known as "stomach flu" — a broad name that can also refer to gastric inflammation caused by other viruses and bacteria.

Signs and symptoms:
The disease is usually self-limiting, and characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. General lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and low-grade fever may occur.

This sure does sum up what we were feeling here over the weekend. i even tried to go to my aerobics class lastnight. I managed to stay an hour but limited what I participated in. There was way too much jumping around and bending for my stomach to handle. I was having acid burp-ups all day, so I'm not sure why I thought I could make it through an entire aerobics class. i'm happy to report that both of us are back to our normal selves today!

It's a better day

2008-12-07T11:38:00.002-05:00

We both feel better today. No fevers and no throwing up and very little "running to the bathroom". It's amazing how much strength being sick like that makes your body loose. I stepped outside to take a mild walk through the neighborhood and it literally took all the energy I had to make it up a slight incline on one of the streets here. We both declined going to the gym today because we didn't want to have any accidents. Tomorrow night is my regular aerobic night and I plan on going.

Now to go figure out what I want to have for lunch.

Feeling rough

2008-12-06T09:21:00.003-05:00

I have no idea why, but today I'm sitting here at work and feeling like I want to throw up. I didn't eat anything that I don't normally eat so I know that's not it. I haven't been "sick" so I'm just puzzled as to why I feel like crap right now. I still have 2 and 1/2 more hours of work before I can go home and lay down. Perhaps if I did "toss it" I'd feel better.

I want to go for a run after work. I guess I'll have to wait till I clock out and see how I feel then. It's only 25 degrees out and a bit windy today. Maybe I shouldn't run. Oh the dilemmas in life.

Update..(5:14pm)

I have a small temp of 100.2 and massive diarrhea. It's so blasted hot in this basement apartment since our Landlord is older and when he's cold he feels like he lives in the Arctic or something. Bob was sick at work today too only he was doing both. I haven't yet thrown up and no longer feel like I'm going to. I'm hot and sweaty and constantly running to the bathroom. it will pass, but not fast enough. I hate being sick. I hate being hot behind the eyes and having body aches. This just sucks. Oh...and we do open the window in the bedroom for fresh air.

Tenacity

2008-12-03T12:41:00.003-05:00

You know, I've been giving this a lot of thought lately and I have come to the conclusion that I really look up to my Mother for strength and endurance. In other words, I feel that my Mother is the most tenacious person I know. The reason I bring this up now, is because it relates to my weight loss. I have been the type of person that has **yo-yoed* over the years with my weight. This is the first time in my life that I have been eating healthy and going to the gym and working out (jogging and sit-ups) at home on off days. I absolutely hate to jog. I used to say that "this chick don't run unless I'm being chased and no one is chasing me". I went back to Ohio over the Thanksgiving Holiday for 4 days and I'm happy to report that I did not gain any weight. I actually went out every morning to the Monument Park and jogged once around the walking path. It only took me 20 minutes total to make it around there. Mind you it was cold and I was bundled up a bit. Every time I wanted to stop running and just walk, a memory of my Mom would pop into my head of how she never gave up. My Mom used to be a member of the Y.M.C.A. and ran in races. It didn't matter to her that 90% of the time she came in, in last place. It meant more to her to finish and to glory in that accomplishment. Mom always used to work out. She had the strongest legs of anyone I knew. She was still always over weight, but the drive she had stays in my mind. If my mom would have been eating a balanced healthy diet with the activities she used to be involved in, she would have looked fantastic. I remember on several occasions when she was in a race and barely moving her legs, but still in a jog, I would step out of the crowd and run with her to the finish line. I was always proud of her (and still am). While I'm at the gym sweating my ass off on the treadmill or the elliptical and wanting to take it easy, I just think of her never quitting on those races and I find the energy to keep going.

I have been maintaining my 50 pound weight loss now since September. I still want to loose about 10 to 20 more pounds but I'm not going to push myself this time of year. There are way too many tempting foods right now to do that. I'm very pleased with my accomplishment over Thanksgiving and hope I do the same over Christmas. I'll really push up the volume on my works outs once the Holidays are over.

I promised some photos once I got my new digital camera. Well, I have the camera and I'm still learning all the buttons and settings on it. Very soon now, I'll post some updated photos.

2008-11-11T10:35:00.004-05:00

It's been a very long time since I've posted anything in here. There really hasn't been anything new enough to blog about I guess. I've been maintaining my 50 pound weight loss now for over a month. That's great for me, but I'm still wanting to drop about 10 to 20 more pounds. This is a hard time of the year to do that, but I'm stepping up my activities at the gym another notch inorder to try to drop those elusive pounds. Bob & I have been jogging too, although he gets out there more than I do and goes farther. I still hate to jog, but I have to confess I love how I feel when I'm done. Bob has been gaining weight, but not like he did before. He's gaining it in muscle. It's awesome to see his stomach getting a visable "pack" and his arms and shoulders are looking pretty good too. He can't believe that he's been trying to "gain" weight after just spending all this time trying to loose weight, but he looks great. It's an ongoing thing, this weight control and I think we have it under control for the first time in our lives. Once I get my new digital Camera (one I hope Santa gets me early..hint, hint), I'll get some new photos posted.

Speaking of photos, I have to share this one of my oldest Granddaughter's new school picture. She's growing up so fast and looking more and more beautiful. Hmmm, guess that didn't scan the way I wanted it too. She's in the 3rd grade this year and loves wearing the school uniform. She looks so much like my Daughter that it's no wonder I call her , her Mother's name so often.

In other news, my Son is doing well over in Iraq. He sends me an email about once every week or so when he can. Sometimes it's just to say that he's doing well and sends his love. At other times he may go into a little more. He's an Army medic and he lets me know that he hasn't had to "do his job yet". That lets me know that nothing has happened in the area that he is in. He says that if anything were to happen, he would simply tell me that he had to "do his job today". He is not permitted to give out any details as far as his location or things going on. That makes sense to me so I don't ask him what is going on. Prior to this post, I posted a link for people to send the troops Christmas trees. A local radio station around here has been reporting on this website and a coworker of mine alerted me to it. I sent a tree to my Son since I knew his APO address. Their goal is to send 7,000 trees to the troups. I hope they reach that goal. Even if they don't, they'll send whatever amount they get donations for. I think it's a great pick-me-up for the troups that have to spend the holidays away from their loved ones.

I'll try to get my butt in gear and post more often. If for no other reason, it makes me feel better to do it. I guess blogging is good therapy in some fashion. So, until next time, I hope everyone that drops by here is doing well.

Send the troops a Christmas tree

2008-11-11T08:18:00.003-05:00

go to http://supportmilitaryheros.org/ to donate a minimum of $25 to send the troops a 2 foot tall, fully decorated Christmas tree. I have sent one to my Son, but you can just donate and they'll send them to all troops. The goal is to send 7,000 trees.

Update on things

2008-09-27T18:26:00.002-04:00

Well let's see what's new around here..........................

I've heard from my Son a few times. He is somewhere in South Baghdad. He's not aloud to tell me where or what they are doing and that's fine with me. As long as I hear from him and know he's ok, then I'm fine. He says he's getting used to the 108 - 120 degrees but the sweating is really bothering him. They must send their laundry out somewhere because in a letter I recieved from him today, he stated that it takes 4 days to get his laundry back after he sends it out so even though he showers, he has to wear the same uniform for a few days. I told him to be glad he's somewhere where they can at least shower. It could always be worse. He says he's doing fine and enjoys my letters. It's hard sometimes to come up with things to say to him so I just talk to him about things I do at work or just what's going on here at home. His letters are so short because his internet time is limited. I'm just thrilled each time I open my email inbox and see that I have something from him.

I'm down a few more pounds in my weight. I've now reached my 50 pound mark!!!!! I'm down to 150 pounds as of today!!! Bob asked me what size dress I would wear now and I couldn't even venture a guess. So, we had some errands to do today and we were going to the movies, so we stopped at the mall and we went into The Dress Barn. I tried on 6 dresses and they all fit. What is so remarkable about that is that they are all size 8!! I had to restrain myself from jumping up and down in the dressing room. I have to say, I have never looked so skinny in a dress since high school!!! I wish my digital wasn't broken so I could post some photos. I'll try to remedy that soon.

Hmmmm, I guess that's about it for now.

Letter from my Son that I woke up to this morning...

2008-09-19T05:36:00.001-04:00

Well I guess we're leaving sooner than I told you on the phone. They're passing out or ammo tonight and putting us on stand by till its time to get on the plane. Could be tonight or tomorrow morning. Or it could be that some shit will come up and we'll sit here for a few more days. I'll let you know if we don't go, if I don't write for a few days then I'm in Iraq. I don't want to say anything to upset you but I just wanted to let you know that as soon as we're in the air we enter a combat zone. They may be shooting at us as we fly over, but Iraqi's can't shoot worth shit so we should be alright. If you think I'm being funny I'm not, they don't aim, they literaly "pray and spray" and if a bullet hits one of us then its because there god willed it to happen. Fucking stupid if you ask me, I'm glad my country taught me how to aim and fire my weapon. We'll be on a plane to some base and then load up on the Chinooks to go the rest of the way. Well I'm gonna go now, try not to worry too much about me, you already have enough grey hair! Love ya mom, David.

Please if you are reading this, keep him (and me) in your thoughts and prayers. This is by far the hardest part of being a Mom.

Here I go again......

2008-09-17T19:13:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited!! I'm now over another hump in my weight loss. For about 2 weeks now I've been bouncing between 155 and 157. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and weighed in there (fully dressed with shoes on) at 156. I am proud to say that as of right now I'm at 152!! My total weight loss is now 48 pounds!! There won't be photos this time since my digital camera died. I'm just so excited about this!!!

So what's been happening....

2008-09-14T19:56:00.003-04:00

There really hasn't been a lot going on to blog about. I did however sell my 12 year old Saturn on Thursday. I was happy about that. You never how that will turn out. It was in very good condition and I was only the 2nd owner the car ever had. When the man that bought it looked under the hood he was very impressed with it's condition. He bought it for his Daughter who is in college. I'm sure she hates the fact that it only has a cassette player and not a CD player, but hey, it's a set of wheels! I am buying my neighbors car and can't wait to take possession of it on Wednesday. It's a 2004 Honda Accord. That's a pretty good step up from a 1996 Saturn!!

I have no weight loss to report, but the good news is, I have no weight gain to report either. I've been bouncing around 154-156 for a while now and just need to get over that hump. I'm just happy that I'm not still hanging around the 170 mark that seemed to take forever to get over!

I heard from my Son the other day. He sent me an email to let me know what he's been doing. He says it's 118 degrees and humid. They had a mile walk to a training event ( in full gear) where they put 5 guys into a Humvee and hooked it to a spinning machine to simulate a roll over. He braced his hand on the ceiling and jammed his thumb a bit. He said it wasn't too bad because he could still move it. He also said his sleep pattern is none existent. They sleep when and where they can because they never know when they will send them somewhere. He'll have to get used to that.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. Guess I'll go watch Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns.

Latest update on things

2008-09-06T18:14:00.002-04:00

Well let's see.

The first bit of news is that my Son left Friday morning to head off to Kuwait. He called me on Thursday evening to let me know that they "pulled weapons" and were finalizing all they had to do before leaving. He contacted me again Friday morning as they were on the bus and counting off, preparing to head to the airport. As far as I know, from an email I received from him this morning at work, was that they left Colorado and changed over in Maine before flying on to Shannon, Ireland where they had a 4 and 1/2 hour layover. The airport in Ireland had free internet access so he was able to let me know all of this. They flew from Ireland to Kuwait. Once he was situated in Kuwait, he borrowed someones phone to text me that he was in Kuwait. Now it will be a waiting game since I have no idea when I'll hear from him any time soon. They will be in Kuwait for 30 days before they get orders for the next phase of their deployment. He's not sure if it will still be Iraq or possibly Afghanistan. I'm being brave about him leaving and being over there, but as a Mom it's pretty tough. He tells me not to worry because he's a medic and he is considered a valuable asset so he will be protected. (sounds good, but the "enemy" also knows this and considers him a target). The good thing for now, is that with him being in Kuwait, he's in what the military considers a "safe zone". As things develop with him, I'll post more updates.

Any other news I have is that the computer still sucks canal water. (Ohio terminology when something really stinks) and that I've gained a few pounds back over Labor Day and need to get my ass in gear this week and get them back off. (making chocolate, peanut butter filled, cupcakes for our upcoming block party tomorrow isn't helping).

I guess that's all for now. Please keep my Son in your thoughts and prayers.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2008-08-29T20:56:00.002-04:00

Well, our computer crashed sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon. I have lost everything. All of our photos are gone too. I'm pretty sure we're finally going to get the Geek Squad to come look at it and see if they can figure out what is going on with this thing. I did a restore on it, and we at least have the internet again. For some unknown reason, this computer refuses to allow us to log on to the internet with internet explorer. A while back I had downloaded Mozilla Firefox so that we could log on. Again, after this restore, still Internet Explorer want work. I again downloaded Firefox. This computer has not been right since about a year and 1/2 ago when I installed Windows Vista. (which was a huge joke) It crashed then too and I lost everything. Somewhere in storage are the back up dics I used then. Hopefully soon this thing will be functioning the way it's supposed to. I just hate the fact that I lost all my photos of the grand kids and from when my Son was here.

Oh well, It is what it is.

Alright already....here's new photos....

2008-08-18T20:19:00.006-04:00

February 17, 2008
200 lbs.
Size 16

August 18, 2008
155 lbs
size 8

February 17, 2008
200 lbs
size 16

August 18, 2008
155 lbs.
size 8

Not to shabby huh??!!! I'm proud of this effort and accomplishment. I wish the photos showed the difference better.

Awesome news!!!

2008-08-16T16:31:00.003-04:00

I have been at 155 pounds for a few days now....(down 45pounds). Bob and I went shopping to kohl's to get me some pants that fit. My size 10's were getting baggy enough to slip off without undoing. I'm happy to report that I am now comfortably into a size 8!!! I'm so excited. I haven't been in this size since 1992.

Bob and I have now added a morning jog through the neighborhood in the early morning (about 6am) and trust me, the roads here are better than any incline on a treadmill at the gym. The route we go on is only 1.1 miles but the hills are what gets me. I'm still getting used to jogging on the pavement compared to the treadmill. My knees have been letting me know they don't care for it. It's a great wake me up and I can feel myself getting stronger. Ive also added one of the new cycle machines they have at the gym. I set it for 20 minutes and keep the level between 8 and 9 (not sure what the equals to) and manage a good sweat and can pedal 5 miles with my heart rate at about 139. I feel terrific when I'm done. I have also added sit ups on an incline bench with 8 pound dumbells and twist on the way up. I am up to 130 sit ups (in sets of 20). I feel so healthy these days.

I hate boring anyone with this, but I'm just so excited that I have to share it.

"KillinTime" ..that's what I was doing

2008-08-10T09:38:00.005-04:00

Every year in August, a bunch of us from work hire a charter boat and go fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. We leave from Breezy Point Marina. The name of the boat we use is called Killin Time. There were 10 of us this year. Last year we only had 7 so it cost us each a little bit more money. It's well worth the price when you get out there on days like yesterday. The weather was perfect for being on the Bay. I didn't get very many photos, but here are some of the ones I did take.................

We really did catch some great fish...I just didn't get any photos with my digital camera. I do have some on my cell phone though. As soon as I figure out how to get them on here, I'll post those too. We each were allowed 2 rockfish that were longer than 18 inches. Bob and I will be grilling some of them today. We also caught some bluefish and spot.

Looking forward to next year already!

Introducing.............

2008-07-27T21:04:00.003-04:00

The newest members of our Family. Sierra and Misty. (and their $189.99 cat tower!) They were born on May 10, 2008. They are 2 of the 3 kittens the stray cat we were feeding gave birth to. Our Landlord captured them and took care of them for a few weeks before we were ready to adopt them. Our Landlord has their Brother.

How we spent our Saturday evening

2008-07-27T07:50:00.004-04:00

bob and I (and some friends of ours that are leaving soon to go to Sudan) went out last night to a local bar/hangout called Surf Club. We had been talking about stopping in there several times over the past two years and just never checked it out. There was a local Cheverly band playing last night called Soul Revolvers. The were very good and fun to listen to. Lots of our neighbors were there too making the evening loads of fun. Our friend that was with us kept calling out to the band to play "Free Bird" by Skynard which in turn made a few others call it out too. (Unless you were there you wouldn't get the same comic relief from it that we did). After a few hours, one of the band members said into the mic that "you'll hear whatever we play". It was great! The best part was after the band was done for the night, the bass player (same one that made the comment) started playing free bird solo with his bass guitar. We were shouting and clapping and then the lead guitar player came back up and finished Free Bird with him. We gave them a standing ovation! Our friend said it was the best rendition of Free Bird that he's ever heard! It was such fun last night. I hope that we'll get out more often like that to have some fun!

UPDATE!!!!!

We just came home from our 2 hour Sunday morning workout at the gym(1pm) and I stepped on the scales. I'm happy to report that I've dropped 3 more pounds!!!! Wooo-Hooo!! I'm now down 43 pounds with only 17 more to go to reach my goal weight of 140!!! I'm so excited right now!!

Photos you won't believe!

2008-07-20T15:25:00.005-04:00

I haven't mentioned Bob's weight loss lately. When we started this endeavor, we really had no idea how well it would turn out. Bob never saw himself smaller than maybe 160. As he got closer to that weight, he kept changing his goal weight. He weighed in at 204 pounds on February 17, 2008 when we started this. Today he is at 147 pounds. He's lost 57 pounds in 5 months. He's maintaining now and even eating more of a protein diet to bulk his muscles up a bit. I have went from 200 to 160 and I'm still trying to loose 20 more before I start to maintain. Here are some long awaited photos...............

Doing the happy dance!!

2008-07-19T06:49:00.002-04:00

Well, it's taken me 5 months now, but today is the day that I woke up to find that I'm now down 40 pounds!!!!!!! I have reached my 160 pound mark and only have 20 more pounds to go. I'll post photos this weekend of both weight loss.

What lurks under our porch

2008-07-15T17:33:00.004-04:00

We have a stray cat that the landlord feeds (which recently had kittens that we are adopting) and these critters seem to enjoy her cat food as much as she does. The landlord recently captured one of these critters and turned it over to animal control. They certainly aren't frightened of us or my camera apparently. Thank goodness for a zoom lens though for us photographers that don't like to get too close to wildlife.

We had our pictures taken

2008-07-12T16:26:00.002-04:00

My Son agreed to have his picture taken with me before he went back to his unit. It's just something I wanted before he went over to Iraq.

Check out these cutie pies............

2008-07-10T19:36:00.001-04:00

Getting back to my normal routine.........

2008-07-08T19:54:00.002-04:00

I took my Son to the airport last night. That was a pretty hard thing to do. I am really trying to stay positive about him being deployed to Iraq. He called me today to let me know he made it back to Colorado and his barracks okay. He goes back to work tomorrow and his entire unit will be busy from sun up to sun down packing up and getting ready to ship out. They still have not given them an exact date of deployment. It's a waiting game now.

I myself went back to work today. It was really odd to get back into the swing of things after being off work for 12 days. After work I went to the gym for a much over do and needed workout. I am really pleased with myself though, since I have only gained one pound since I posted about getting down to 162 pounds. I've only been to the gym 3 times since being off work and haven't always been eating right. It's back on track now though. I'm hoping to hit my 160 mark very soon. (That will indeed entitle me to a happy dance!)

Seadog Cruise

2008-07-06T19:21:00.004-04:00

Today we went to the National Harbor in Maryland to ride a new cruise they have called the Seadog. (Check out their website) It's a 45 minute cruise on the Potomac River. We had a very nice time. Here are some photos from our day.

How I spent my Thursday.........

2008-07-04T13:21:00.003-04:00

I wanted to something fun and exciting with my Son while he was here. I asked him if he wanted to go to six-flags. It was a definite yes from him. He was so excited about it the he looked up the park on his laptop to make sure they had some of his favorite rides. I promised him I would go on these with him. Let me tell you, I really truly believe that my roller coaster riding days has finally come to an end. I had to take breaks and actually find a grassy location to lay on my back in to keep from puking and/or passing out a few times. It really messes with my head anymore. I get so dizzy and nauseous. I was a trooper though. If you click here, you'll see the rides I rode on. The batwing, The joker's jinx, Roar, The mind eraser, Tower of Doom and Oh my God, the skycoaster!! I was never ever in my life more scared of anything than I was during this ride. You'll have to click on that to see photos of this ride. David was proud of me for doing things that I didn't really want to do and for doing things that scared me. The skycoaster nearly brought me to tears. I know that for some people reading this, they'll think it's nothing. (especially if you have parachuted before). I'll attach the only 2 photos from our day yesterday. One was while we were on the coaster the Roar and the other is the old time photo that we had done. David looks good in it but I think I look too much like my Grandma when she was younger. (Gloria, I'm you'll agree on that one). We stayed at the park from 10:30 am till 8pm.

it's been awhile...........

2008-07-01T06:43:00.002-04:00

My son has been here since June 21. He sort of just hung out the first few days enjoying not having to do anything or answer to anyone while I was at work. We left on Thursday last week to go back to Ohio so he could spend some time with his Sister and her kids. It's always a joy to see the kids again. We had a small family get together on my ex's side of the family on Friday as some of his cousins and Aunt's and Uncles haven't seen him in a very long time. It was a great get together and it was great seeing them all again. On Saturday, we took the kids to Youngstown, Ohio to a place called Wagon Trails. It's a really cool Safari park that they drive you through and you can feed all the animals. Click on the link and check out their website. I highly recommend this place for kids of all ages to have a great time and see animals up close and learn about them more than you would at the zoo. My Son and I came back yesterday afternoon and let me tell you, I had a much needed nap from all the driving I did over the weekend.

The really awesome news I have to report is that I haven't been to the gym in a week and when I stepped on the scales this morning (1st time since last Wednesday), it showed me at 162 pounds!!!! I have now lost 38 pounds!! Slowly but surely I'm getting this weight off and I feel great. I'm going to the gym this morning after I return the rental car for a long over do workout. I really did feel as though I was in gym withdrawals. I was actually feeling as though I might have gained a few pounds while at my Daughter's but I'm ecstatically happy to see the opposite.

Here I go again.....

2008-06-13T16:52:00.002-04:00

Well, the other morning I was tickled to step on the scale and see that I went down to 165!!! For the last few days, I've been bouncing between 167 and 165...one day I'm up the next I'm down. Sheesh...can't I just loose weight consistently without going back up a little first. I'm certainly hoping that by Monday I'll have lost more and that it won't bounce up and down. It's just so irritating. I know that I'm getting on the scale to often, but I've been so excited to see the losses that I just can't wait to see it again. I think I'm going to go back to just Wednesday weigh in's or something.

Bob left this morning to go up to Pennsylvania for a few days to get some things done with his Sister and his Mother. I think he'll be back on Tuesday. It's sure going to be a lonely and quiet weekend. It will be lonely working out at the gym for the next few days too.

My Son arrives here next weekend. I'm looking forward to that. We haven't seen each other since November when I flew to San Antonio for his Army Medic Graduation. He and I will be traveling to Ohio in 2 weeks to see my Daughter and the Grandkids. It's coming soon.

Photos

2008-06-07T14:35:00.010-04:00

I was asked for new photos to show my weight loss. I'm not thrilled with these photos, but they'll do for this post. I'll start with the before and then the "now". I also discovered a new bra at Kohl's. It's about time I spent some good money for something so important. It's also more fun to buy a new bra when you're down to a 36 "C" from a 40 "D" ! After all, the "girls" aren't as young as they once were and need good support these days. I still have (and I think I always will have) the "Stanger" hips, but I'm slowly getting a waistline again. My new top is a medium (a size my upper body hasn't worn in ages) and my new shorts are a size 10. I bought 3 pair of 10's today and one pair of 12's that were a different style. It's great to be making this progress.

200 pounds 2-17-2008

166 pounds 6-7-08

Going down..........

2008-06-03T18:32:00.001-04:00

This is so cool......I'm down 2 more pounds....weighing in now at 166!!!

What's even better....I bought 2 new pair of shorts the other day they are size 10. I still can't get into my size 12 jeans comfortably yet. Must just be the different style of pants. It feels great!!

Update on my Son.........

2008-06-01T15:14:00.002-04:00

My Son is being deployed over to Iraq. I'm not sure when as the military tells them different things all the time. The best information I have, is that they are to "touch boots down" on August 1st. He was granted leave and will arrive here in Maryland on June 21st. He and I will then leave here to make a weekend trip to Ohio on June 26th through June 29th and head back here on the 3oth. He will be here with me until July 7th. At that point and time, it will be the last time I see him for quite some time. I do not know yet just how long their deployment is. I've heard they can be gone for as long as 15 months. When I know more from him, I'll post it.

Some news to report

2008-05-29T13:53:00.003-04:00

Let's see, I guess I'll start with a small update on my Son. He called me today to let me know that he has leave from June 21st to July 7th and emailed me his flight itinerary. I still don't know at this posting whether or not the Army has changed his deployment date. I'm hoping to talk to him again sometime tomorrow to get more info on that. It's going to be great seeing him again and we have to figure out how I can get some time off to get him to Ohio to see his Sister for a few days. Driving him there isn't a problem, it's seeing if his Sister can change her vacation days so she can be off while he's in town.

The other update I wanted to report on was an update to my last post. I woke up Saturday morning (maybe it was Sunday...anyway) to find that I had indeed dropped another pound. We did a lot over Memorial Day weekend and yes there was food involved. We had a birthday party for Bob's Brother and between the huge veggie plate and various chips and dips and the practically 2 inch T-bones and strip steaks, I managed to stay on track with my weight. I won't lie and tell you that I didn't gain any weight. What I will tell you is that the waffles and such from the previous weekend never had an effect. I bounced up to 172 by Monday morning, but with the amount of walking around Arlington National Cemetery and around the National Harbor Bob & I managed to do, I am back to 169. My body likes the pace I'm on and I love how I can get back on track so easy now after eating too much. I didn't pig out over the weekend, but I didn't deprive myself of some non diet food either. I think I'm just being smart about how I eat now. I had a sales meeting after work last night and we all went to Benito's restaurant afterwards. I ate a plate of Tortellini that was to die for! I only gained 1/2 a pound. Since today was a 1/2 day for me, I went for a huge walk around our neighborhood which consists of all different types of grades in the terrain. I'm happy to report that at this very moment I weigh 168 pounds!!! I'm now down 32 pounds!!!

That's it for now........stay tuned.

Celebrate good times....Come on!!

2008-05-18T13:13:00.003-04:00

So you all know how I've been fretting a bit since I was stuck at 172 pounds for over a week with no change. Well, today I'm celebrating because I'm now at 170 pounds!!!!!! Just yesterday morning I was at 172.8 (again) and after staying up late Friday evening at the dance and having to get up early Saturday and work, we decided not to go to the gym to make up for missing on Friday. Who knew that after missing a gym day, walking up to Cheverly Day and splitting a funnel cake and then having waffles this morning for breakfast, would I come home from a 2 hour workout at the gym and step on the scales for it to say 170.4!!! I'm ecstatic right now. My body sure works the weight off in weird ways, but I'm happy I'm loosing it healthy. I feel great and I'm starting to really like how I'm looking in my clothes. I just hate being in between pant sizes. The 14's are a bit too baggy but the 12's are too tight still. I can get the 12's on and zipped, but they are too uncomfortable to wear very long. Soon though!!

Ready for a night out on the town................

2008-05-17T06:36:00.003-04:00

Cheverly Prom Night......

2008-05-16T16:43:00.003-04:00

Tonight is our dance. I took off work at 12:30 today to run errands....post office, hair salon and nail salon...after all, a girl has to look good for Prom!! I really don't know why they call it a Prom. It's more of a social gathering with town delegates and neighborhood friends than anything. Every year at this time our town has what they call Cheverly Day. On the evening before, they have this dance/get together. Last year was our 1st year to attend and we enjoyed ourselves enough to participate again this year. I'll be post some photos tomorrow of our outfits. I'm very excited about the dress I chose this year. It shows off the shape that I'm developing with my diet and exercise. It's more revealing than anything I've ever worn, but I feel very comfortable in it.

Stay tuned!

Hmmmmmm.....

2008-05-14T06:21:00.002-04:00

I have been at 172 pounds now for week. I really like this scale that we have now because it measure your weight in tenths. However, I can see where my body is bouncing around 172 pounds. It goes from 172.0 to 172.8 to 172.4 to 172.2 etc...... I hate that I loose weight the way I do. I drop 2 to 3 pounds then stay there for what seems the be forever. Then the next thing you know, I wake up and have dropped 2 or 3 more pounds. I just get frustrated with these hurdles. I'm eating a very healthy diet now and doing what I feel is a good balance in my calories. I sweat me ass off at the gym each and everytime I go....(which is still 3 or 4 times a week).

Just venting you know. I'm thrilled that I've dropped 28 pounds so don't misunderstand me. I just want more to come off and not take so long.

The good news is, that I have been trying to get into this certain dress for an upcoming dance that Bob and I are attending this coming Friday. I can now fit into it perfectly and it's a size 14! Photos will be posted on Saturday after we take photos on Friday evening.

Another update..........

2008-05-08T05:57:00.003-04:00

Well, in just a week and a 1/2 I've dropped 4 more pounds! As of this morning I'm down 28 pounds!!! Bob is down 43 pounds himself!! Combined weight loss for both of us is now 71 pounds in 11 and a 1/2 weeks! I'm excited to say the least. Bob hasn't been going to the gym as often lately as he's been working on a roof. In the past 3 days he managed to rip off the old shingles and lay new felt paper and ice guard and re shingle the back side of the roof. Yesterday he managed to rip off the old shingles and lay new felt paper and ice guard on the front side of the roof. He's lost about 4 pounds just doing all of that. I am now at 172 pounds and Bob is at 161. He's just about leveled off for him. I can't imagine him any smaller. I have 30 pounds (about) to reach my new goal of 140 pounds. I figure by the end of August I'll be right where I want to be.

Before & After 24 pound weight loss

2008-04-29T19:35:00.003-04:00

Taken February 17, 2008
weight---- 200 lbs

Taken April 26, 2008
weight----- 176 lbs

Weight loss update

2008-04-26T06:52:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow will be 10 weeks since we joined the gym. Bob is really dropping the pounds!! He's down 36 pounds as of this morning. My weight is dropping off, but like a woman's body, it likes to take it's time coming off. I'm down 24 pounds as of this morning. I'm very proud that I've lost 24 pounds so don't get me wrong. I really just wanted it to be more than that my now.

I'm going to get updated photos of our progress this weekend and get them posted. We both feel tons better. I know that it's easier for Bob to drop the pounds with the way he works during the day and then goes to the gym. We have a dance that we are going to next month and I'm going to go buy my dress today. I'm so excited because I tried it on the other day and it's a size 14. I haven't been in a 14 in a very long time and it feels great. ( I just know that I'll look back on this when I'm smaller yet and think...sheesh, I was happy to be in a 14!!)

Back home

2008-04-20T15:01:00.003-04:00

Well, my Sister & I made it to Ohio from both coasts and got my Mom's house all packed up. Mom & my Sister are now on their way to California. I sure hope Mom's cat survives the long flight. Seems American Airlines changed their flight and now they have a 4 and 1/2 hour layover in Chicago!! I'm glad the trip is now over.

I did get to spend some good quality time with my Daughter and the Grand kids. Boy are they growing up fast. I took the oldest (who will be 8 in July) with my Mom & my Sister yesterday. We went to the cemetery were my Dad is and spent a good amount of time there. It's a very nice Veteran's cemetery. It looks like a mini Arlington National Cemetery. After that, we drove to the country were a lot of the Amish live. The countryside is so beautiful. We ate dinner at The Amish Door Restaurant. They sure know how to cook.

I'm glad I'm back home now though.

8 weeks tomorrow

2008-04-12T18:18:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been 8 weeks since Bob & I joined the gym and have been eating healthy and working out. Bob has lost 26 pounds and only has 8 more to go to reach his goal weight. I have lost 20 pounds and have 30 more to go. We both feel great and Bob needs new pants and belts since his pants are starting to fall off. My pants are getting baggy in the butt and loose in the waist, but thanks to having large hips, they aren't falling off yet. I did go down from a size 16 to a 14!!! I swear the first 8 pounds of weight loss for me has been in my boobs!!! I'm down from a 40D to a 38C. I hate that your boobs shrink so fast and not your waistline!!

On another note...................

I'm leaving on Wednesday for a trip back to Ohio for a few days to help my Sister get my Mom's house packed up and loose ends tied up for her. Mom is moving to California to live with my Sister and they are flying out on Sunday the 2oth. It was touch and go this past week with my Sister's flight since she used American Airlines back when she booked these flights. Thankfully, my Sister's flight took off without a hitch this morning and wasn't one of the canceled flights. It's going to be one busy week for all of us.

Exersize at work and get paid doing it.....

2008-04-04T12:47:00.003-04:00

This is great. I just put my desk chair all the way up and place my hands on the desk (shoulder with apart) and turn the chair to the right as far as I can and then again to the left. People around me think I;'mm just doing it because I'm bored. That's why I started doing it, then I realized it felt good stretching out like that. Pretty cool huh?

By the way, as of this morning, I've lost 17 pounds!! Wooo-Hoooo!!

Update

2008-03-29T12:22:00.002-04:00

Well let's see, as of this morning, Bob has lost 20 pounds and I have lost 15 pounds. We first started working out at the gym on February 17, 2008. Our weight loss has been (between us both) 35 pounds off in just 42 days. I feel that in itself is amazing. We both see areas of improvement and get excited to see more results. We have been eating healthy and that helps so much. We were just thinking this morning how much less weight is on the bed now when we lay down to go to sleep. You never really think about how much a a strain you put on your furniture until you loose weight. We have a dance that we are going to on May 16th and if I keep up my weight loss like I have been, I'll be down to about 164 pounds. I haven't seen that low of a number in about 4 years now. I have always been a yo-yo person in my weight gains and losses. I'm really praying now, that I'm smart enough to keep this weight off for good. I'm not getting any younger and the older you get, the harder it is to loose the weight. The important thing to me now, is that I feel good. I'll be buying a new dress for the dance soon since what I have here will be way to big! I have my skinny pants in storage and can't wait to get into them again. It will be like getting a new wardrobe without spending too much money.

One month report.......

2008-03-16T16:49:00.002-04:00

We have been going to the gym now for one month. My starting weight was 200 lb. and I'm happy to say that I did indeed reach my 12 lb. loss mark this morning. I'm now down to 188 lbs. I feel good too.

I have discovered that my mindset seems to be in tune with what my body needs and doesn't need. Just for an example, this morning after I made fresh squeezed orange juice with my new juicer, and drank my glass, I realized that I was drinking the equivalent of 2 oranges. I went to grab a yogurt out and my mind said to put it back because you just ate 2 whole oranges. If I would have stood there and peeled 2 oranges and ate them, it would have been silly to eat a yogurt too. So what is the difference in my drinking them? I love this new juicer because it gets all of the inside of the orange out by spinning in both directions. There was nothing left but the empty orange rind. After our workout, Bob @ I only had a taste for a salad. We had a nice steak last night for dinner (the first steak in over 2 or 3 weeks). Since we had so much left over from not pigging out on it like we used to, we sliced it up for the salad. Yummy!! It feels good to have energy and to eat right. It's nice that my mind is working for me in the right direction as well. I could have had the yogurt and it wouldn't have been over eating, but I really did feel full after that tall glass of OJ. I think my mind was telling me to put it back because I felt full. That is a mile stone for me.

Bob has lost 13LBs he says since we joined the gym. WooHoo for both of us. It sounds cool to say that between the both of us we have dropped 25 LBS.! More later on our progress.

I suppose I shouldn't just talk about my progress....

2008-03-14T13:29:00.003-04:00

Bob is making his own progress and doing rather well at it. I'm not sure what his weight was when we started at the gym back in February, but I know that he was up to 210 the first week in January. This morning he stepped on the scale and is down to 190.6. He has now dropped 19.4 pounds. I'm proud of his accomplishment. I really can't stand it now that he only weighs one pound more than I do!! Hopefully by Sunday I'll have reached 12 pounds dropped.

Progress report

2008-03-12T07:05:00.002-04:00

Bob & I are starting to feel much better. We both stopped taking any over the counter meds, as they just seemed to make us feel spacey all day and really weren't working on getting rid of anything. Going to the gym really helps out alot too when you don't feel good. I seemed to have gotten better workouts by forcing myself to get there and get active as opposed to just sitting on the couch feeling like a sombie and wanting to sleep for a week straight. My head is much clearer now that most of the sinus infection has left.

I was really happy this morning when I woke up and stepped on the scale. After my hard workout last evening at the gym, I have dropped yet another pound and I'm now down to 190 pounds. That's 10 pounds gone since February 17th. One week shy of a month of working out. My goal is to get up enough energy to get to the gym and increase my workouts so that I can drop 12 to 14 pounds a month. I've done it before so I know I can do it again. I'm hoping to be at my goal weight by mid June. I also know that if I don't reach that goal, it's not the end of the world. I won't get depressed and eat again like a piggie. I wasn't going to set a goal, but after careful consideration, I realized that I need a goal to work towards or I won't push myself.

Weigh in day.........

2008-03-09T16:37:00.002-04:00

Got up this morning and weighed in like I have been now for the past 3 Sunday's. I weighed in at 191.2 pounds. 9 pounds less in 3 weeks is good for just starting out and for being sick and missing the gym for a week. I'm feeling better, but now Bob is sick. We managed a good workout today at the gym. We try to do an extra workout on Sunday's since that's the day when we have the most time to be there. I'm positive that I'll reach my weight loss goal by mid June. That's when I'm hoping to be down to 150 pounds.

It's amazing what Nyquil can do for you..........

2008-03-06T14:56:00.002-05:00

I'm still not 100% better, but after sleeping the afternoon and evening away yesterday in a Nyquil induced stuper, I feel much better. I don't have the energy to stand long at the sales counter, so I doubt I'll have energy for the treadmill either. I think one more day off from the gym should do it for me. I did step on the scales this morning to discover that I have lost more weight. I'm now at 192.0 pounds. I have lost 8 pounds in just 2 & 1/2 weeks! I'll be very happy if 2 more pounds are gone by the time I weigh in on Sunday!!

Feeling like crap.........

2008-03-05T07:49:00.004-05:00

For the past few days, I've had swollen glands in the back of my throat. Still going to work though as I'm not a call off person. On my desk is a giant tub of clorox wipes that I use on the phones and keyboards that I use. I'm trying my best to just stay at my desk, but I do have to step up to the sales counter and wait on customers. Thank goodness we aren't too busy so far today.

Bob & I usually go to the gym on Tuesdays, but I had zero energy to even be out of bed let alone go work out so we stayed home. I probably should go this afternoon so I don't get behind in my workouts, but we'll see if I can even stay at work all day.

***Left work about two hours after posting this to come home and go back to bed. I have no fever but I feel like crap!!!

Just a little smaller......

2008-03-02T08:39:00.002-05:00

Sunday seems to be my weigh in day since that was the first day I weighed in at the gym. Bob bought us a new digital scale yesterday and I like this one way better than our old one. I have lost 2 more pounds. I'm now weighing in at 195.6 pounds. Bob is making us a fruit platter for breakfast as I type this and later today we are going to the gym. On Sunday the gym doesn't open until 10am. and I think it's only open until 5pm. I do know that I'll be using the pool and whirlpool area today too. I really don't know how to swim but I can keep myself from drowning. I always say I swim like a frog. Our friend Paul said last night that I just use the breast stroke. I feel like a frog when I swim and I think it's funny to say I'm "froggy" while I'm swimming. I love the water jets in the whirlpool. It feels so good on that bad spot in my lower back. Someday when we have our own house, I want us to get a whirlpool to have on the deck.

I've been asked to peel the orange so I have to go................(I'm out of things to say anyway)

A little at a time

2008-02-25T07:27:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a week now that Bob and I have been going to the gym and working out. I have lost only 3 pounds but I'm not discouraged by that. It would be awesome if we could loose weight as easily as it's put onto our bodies but we all know it's not.

Test results are in..........

2008-02-20T09:28:00.002-05:00

The colonoscopy test result are in. Doc says everything is A-ok and to follow up in 3 years. I'm happy with that!!

Feeling like a Mack truck has run over me today. Bob and I had our second workout at the gym lastnight and I discovered that I love the rowing machine!! I refuse to weigh in until mid next week. I'll weigh in once a week just like they do on Biggest Loser. It feels good to be sore though. At least I know I'm doing something good for myself.

Finally getting serious

2008-02-17T17:47:00.005-05:00

Things have been happening around here that have been dragging me down. After many serious conversations and actions being taken, I feel life is getting back on track in a positive move forward. Life just gets you down sometimes when it throws a curve ball your way and you just have to make up your mind how you're going to deal with those curves. I feel the right choices have been made and that things here will turn around and start looking up again.

Part of things that are changing, is that Bob & I have decided to do more things together and get out of the rut that we have allowed ourselves to get into. The first decision made was to join a gym together and work as a team in getting healthy again. This is the place we joined called Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex.

We started our membership today and had a great time working out and sweating together. It feels great to be back into working out and this time I'm not alone doing it. We will not only be losing weight together, but we are on the right track to becoming a better team and building up our relationship. We may also start volunteering somewhere once a week together. I may even take a Spanish class. That would help me out with my job since there are several Hispanics where I work as employees and customers. I stepped onto the scales in the gym today (fully clothed in my workout stuff and shoes) and I about fainted on the spot. It said I was 200 pounds!!!!! My Ultimate goal is to get to 150 pounds. If I make that then I'll see how I look and feel as to whether or not I go down to 140 pounds. I want something that I know in my mind is an obtainable goal. Rather than sit here and be depressed over how fat I allowed myself to become, I'm going to look at it as I'm going to save my life and get healthy. I'll post a photo of us now and then again after we have lost a few pounds. I'm looking forward to starting over again and in a positive way.

Bob & I now...................

All is well

2008-02-13T08:06:00.002-05:00

My procedure went very well. They found and removed 3 polyps and sent them for biopsy. the doctor said all looks well so I'm not worried. The worst part is preparing for the procedure the night before. I lost 5 pounds over night!! Anyone that would go to that sort of length to loose weight is absolutely crazy!!

I have to call the doc in a week for the results and then I'll post again.

Up coming "event"

2008-02-08T16:19:00.000-05:00

I suppose calling this an event isn't the right thing to do. Procedure is more like it. Two years ago, I had my 1st colonoscopy and they found 2 polups that they removed and they turned out to be benine. In 1996 my Mother was diaognosed with colon cancer. She had surgery in January of 1997 and has been cancer free ever since. I was told to have one every year, but I am now 2 years behind in doing so. On February 12th., I'll be having my colonoscopy. I'm sure they will find something but I'm also sure whatever they find won't be a big deal. I'll post afterward to let you know how it turned out.

Super Bowl humor

2008-02-01T07:39:00.000-05:00

Sorry Bob, but you know it's funny too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2triiYXSY8

Interesting...........

2008-01-30T14:08:00.001-05:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22910820/?GT1=10755

Back to normal

2008-01-23T13:42:00.000-05:00

Well, Mom's visit came and went. It was great having her here and she enjoyed herself alot. We went downtown to the National Mall to see the monuments. She has never seen the Korean War memorial or the Vietnam Memorial Wall and the World War II memorial. The weather was just right on Friday to do all of that. I had rented a wheelchair for her and I wrapped a blanket around her legs to keep her warm. We wanted to go to Arlington National Cemetary and the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier, but the weather turned and we way too cold to have her out there. Mom left here yesterday and had a bad travel day. She left here on time and whhile we were tracking her flights online, discovered that they canceled her connecting flight in Detroit. They did get her scheduled on the next available flight, bit it didn't leave until 9:42pm. She ended up sitting in the Detroit airport for 5 extra hours and ended up getting home around midnight. That is way too long for anyone to be traveling especially for a 75 year old woman who is traveling alone. She was relatively calm throughout the ordeal and that makes me happy. I think I developed the migrane over it for the both of us. Do you know how hard it is to work in a brightly lit and very loud place of business when your head feels like it's going to explode?!