The 'do' and the Ambien experience

<strong>The 'do'</strong><br />I promise I'll post a picture of the new hair later. Although I'm not sure I like it. I have --- layers! I wondered what took her so long to cut it. Apparently she added layers under the pretense of "cleaning" up the ends.<br /><br />I thought it looked good when she styled it yesterday. This morning I was very frustrated trying to flat iron many different lengths of hair. My normal five minute process took about twenty minutes.<br /><br />It's funny, when I was fat if I got a haircut I didn't like, even a half inch shorter than I expected, I would cry. Seriously, I'd actually shed tears over my hair. It was like it was the only part of me that I had any control over. If I hated my hair, I felt 100% ugly because I already hated my body.<br /><br />Even though I'm not loving this haircut right now, it doesn't bother me. I feel like, oh well, it'll grow back. No big deal. Anyone that knew me before would be completely shocked over this attitude about my hair. Perhaps it's because I don't totally hate my body these days. Even though it's not perfect, I'm loving it a lot more than I did at 240 pounds. :)<br /><br /><strong>The Ambien experience</strong><br /><br />I've stopped taking Ambien, the prescription sleeping aid. It's dangerous! This morning I woke up and had red stuff all over my hands. It looked liked I'd murdered someone in my sleep.<br /><br />My fingers were literally "beet red". OMG! I ate the roasted beet dip! I headed into the kitchen and found the container in the refrigerator, with only a couple tablespoons of dip remaining. There was about 3/4 cup in the container when I went to bed. This meant I'd eaten almost the entire 3/4 cup of dip. Considering three tablespoons was 4.5 Points, this isn't a good thing.<br /><a name='more'></a><br />The even weirder thing, I didn't see any evidence of bread or crackers eaten with the dip. Plus, my fingers were a brillant red. Did I eat it with my fingers?!<br /><br />I honestly have no memory of eating anything at all last night and have no idea what else I may have eaten. This is scary stuff. If I could do this, could I get in my car and drive somewhere? Or what if I go to bed mad at my husband? What if that had been blood? Kind of scared the hell out of me.<br /><br />Since this is the second incident in a week where I have no memory, I've flushed the remaining five Ambien pills down the drain. It's too scary of what I'm capable of doing while under the influence. Eating food that I don't even remember enjoying is one thing, but what else am I capable of doing?<br /><br />I'll have to learn how to sleep on my own. I actually fell asleep a couple times last week without it so I think I'll be okay. Speaking of sleep...that's where I'm going now.<br /><br />Happy Tuesday!

The 'do' and the Ambien experience

The 'do'I promise I'll post a picture of the new hair later. Although I'm not sure I like it. I have --- layers! I wondered what took her so long to cut it. Apparently she added layers under the pretense of "cleaning" up the ends.I thought it looked …

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MIA

<p>Hello my blog friends! I have kind of been on hiatus the past few days. I have just felt a little “off”. Please don’t abandon me! </p> <p>Here are a few things I’ve been up to!</p> <p>Thursday I worked till 5pm and then from 5:30-8pm I gave a test in my class. It was a long, draining day!</p> <p>Friday was work like normal, but then we had a little fun! Kyle and I played with our 2 little neighbor boys…they loved zooming around on Kyle’s Craftsman seat! Friday night we watched UP! Cute movie!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLK500HCzdqEtNOSh6l5wY08Oc-xx3rGmM9h99g9vtRWSFMXEGDmd2anyT9n0_URHtC1oZW5UprBvpz62Yiwxw5Qd9_dD9qVzTGkoekxddcmwYO3lmc3pQNCRM0QJPXpWfufql8_dYIrL/s1600-h/DSC06916%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06916" border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQMc1b8uWQoC05iYAegtDW8T-P305ZyKK1wp8dM2wtkIMbYZ8ARhw5nYMM8uEb64IHWFEYeS5GC56FFpN5vVY4WmVvT37TDrmbY-Fm3VaskA0OVrYLKUSIDWda2CKE-CGDrqUXWXthaFd/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06916" width="404" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsnBALBB8f1suVxWV0jeBrdPxJNBvY2eCskY9HaBP4QYtoH66QZ4hjgFWtjgxr4bixbsuzlrfNdOdJ4pagPIgQz0DRkwGDejtxlCiNRrz8IOU6yUnspXHrw4bwZSH8IdsQ79rkNLTuusV/s1600-h/DSC06913%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06913" border="0" height="537" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegGd1afCSZ3k-wTi_gtluQJFCXMBZVlgOPoC0T0QAg_OOOiDJDP-XZne9CGeRpFcD8Qv51aIUDiSal3br0RI8k32T4V2Ad08a1WnbH3KM22WGFWsAmNJtySYsS2tfMLMSE8ZHIED75l21/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06913" width="404" /></a> </p> <p>Saturday Kyle had to work and I <a href="http://bangertfam.blogspot.com/2010/04/spring-organizing.html">continued</a> organizing closets in my house. We all love before & after shots…so here are a few for your viewing pleasure! </p> <p align="center">Before<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO01LpyxianfZzeXsblN4XJv2pK2DRFj2Z0bYfMxSHV5xKCz7FhSWzWQxGecKFoi2Oz67TBBzElJHj1MtkBKsY49C0o3FVi5a5faLBqU5VJ9FsVC82yb3yLTj0ZHeLDFk4c843fPX3rQ01/s1600-h/DSC06907%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06907" border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaukrbCZkZlkyR9_lRjaDK2sluemAh6fWZ5hSevH3OdKkJk8DFoctslao1zxt2-UtuOzGnXoCrwTjDdxLt_Km6n_wU1E0Ax_3-6bV3eRhnvMOD0cP4sc_slioM6QxTs9_v_Q5rcwkWr3x8/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06907" width="254" /></a>After<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVUTLSEDb3RvzDXzlBaeC4SEvuOV1tjw9EDdPpqY41zYo7G7PM_joNP1QUBWcM50l1Z2bH7XhHewnKTj-xzCk7PMQjYcFd7573ys63la0q1bcpkLxIMqRqH0EWYqZAGQ96xcVqzHfc-BP/s1600-h/DSC06930%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06930" border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DperL1q-1_DDHDVm-XVl_kWDufiQV_LE73TktiBChYn8x3ljZMTcwVvCtIySYqCrtmDER2XIorMTZtYr8FCmReI8pa_hGNwjs3ztN6bCmLWW8tEL57-bRU3Z4C2U7cfgsSjwfwlWGMOU/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06930" width="254" /></a> </p> <p align="center">Before<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdd-MI42YiCnjKFImDSo6l_ZZGtGCyLD0kRWZ-qOp11d3aNaAx-vHUigJ8mQyNlqYiHwb48FSqEQuqObN9audCmsIkF3l1p74cZfSLDa4skyLSfpe142M5DUI94S4C5wTw6bv020flhUP0/s1600-h/DSC06933%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06933" border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Z6iXgn875QJ-Tat9j9rtq9AAVdiNN2jTfDWMqdI5DCdE4IYdjCt2cLQ9IxTfRHHTEwMwHRudC8gyZ1Tmo2U9AkmpMyQPcXCd9xabTaq6MCTy8L6YVq7OuVKXpUrEdhiWSuFPMmSali8D/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06933" width="254" /></a>After<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDl0llUC_dE7rOJ1nn8JuPY5jIygAW3DX4JAHlO9d42XgEanQLJSs-_s4lFqoZSpIhtaXdYdKGSuOam1bZqpf7e3hfQU6JMuIzMbCMGER0vo74dozVdEwPbiXd3sfdrIjW2_ca2J61hRQ/s1600-h/DSC06935%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06935" border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk8-d6JArbgOtVyqDn3yW2jFUBNHQ2BIitfoScg2Z319712j2PSxWT04QGfg1ZhyphenhyphenKzW06jdvvYZLa4MVr2J1xQ2XzPTg43d07Y8ACJV71fDSNvs8vTNpuF_5k86ijxesKAdY5Nc_UTLHI/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06935" width="254" /></a>  </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center">A close up…can you tell I LOVE organizing! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtfUiW_Ez5K2boxJuuPYv8CyzC8lM38DiL86aN0qV8I7ge0eXNN36Unf-jl44CFJvPJb8qpszgwSgbLPj_oZjU3wNbV2Oe7kVIpefkasQgaE3FbuhMQ-qhEZdhRmdjte7i-YXABztSvS1/s1600-h/DSC06936%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06936" border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnJsAiyPC6oqlcUAaggqYUP9-5x6EmZ8Cbi_NzbOpHLNJ3WmQr9Z4Um1lWmWYOZ3rm4Wo-7PfPzNcsiuUbbl-QwsnqWRJtpB_EiLDoiJ5smRlwSxzGyDPreutX_3wht1B4F2PvFz2ETLd/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC06936" width="254" /></a></p> <p>Sunday was church and dinner with family. I napped in the afternoon and then we got one of the Pizza Hut $10 pizzas. I was just feeling “off” all day and did NOT sleep well at all Sunday night. I went to the doctor Monday morning and had 102 temp and an infection. :( But I got an anti-biotic so hopefully I’m gonna kick it’s butt!  </p> <p>I know none of this really isn’t food or fitness related, but just wanted to let you guys know I’m still alive and kicking!</p>

MIA

Hello my blog friends! I have kind of been on hiatus the past few days. I have just felt a little “off”. Please don’t abandon me! Here are a few things I’ve been up to! Thursday I worked till 5pm and then from 5:30-8pm I gave a test in my class. I…

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7 Ways to Improve Your Cover Letter ... and Get Your Application Noticed

Don't underestimate the power of a cover letter. When well written, attractively designed and customized for the recipient, a cover letter is a powerful tool that can practically scream "Interview this candidate immediately!" <br /><br />But when they are thrown together using little to no consideration, personalization or creativity -- as cover letters often are -- the letter is as ineffective in the job hunt as a blank sheet of paper.<br /><br />"This is a major misstep when job searching," say Wendy Enelow and Louise Kursmark, co-authors of "Cover Letter Magic." "You should take advantage of every opportunity there is to stand out from other candidates." <br /><br />Enelow and Kursmark also say that writing a cover letter can be more fun than job seekers realize. "With the right perspective and a positive attitude, you'll find that it affords you great flexibility. There is no one set format in which they must be written. There is no one style in which they must be presented. In fact, there are very few rules at all; and because they are so flexible, cover letters allow you to positively present just those skills, qualifications, achievements and credentials you want to bring to the recipient's immediate attention."<br /><br />There are a variety of ways job seekers can get creative with their cover letters and bring them to life in ways they never considered. In their book, Enelow and Kursmark suggest a few of these techniques:<br /><br />1. Find out what your target employer's slogan, catchphrase or mission statement is and brainstorm ways to include it in your cover letter's introduction. This technique will quickly capture the reader's attention, demonstrate that you are familiar with the employer and stand out from other candidates' one-size-fits-all cover letters. <br /><br />2. Add a table or two-column section that closely connects the employer's requirements to your qualifications and professional achievements. This strategy will quickly provide the employer with concrete evidence that you're a good fit for the job and worth learning more about.<br /><br />3. Begin with a thought-provoking quote relevant to the position, the employer's goals or your target industry. Many people love to read, share and ponder quotes. Including one in your cover letter can be a quick and effective way to engage the reader. <br /><br />4. Feature a strong headline near the beginning of the cover letter. To keep it brief, yet powerful, address one of the employer's key concerns or spotlight your expertise or an attribute that will be particularly appealing to the employer. <br /><br />5. Develop your own slogan or mission statement and include it near the top of your cover letter. This technique will enhance your career brand and stand out much like a headline would. To draw even more attention to the phrase, place it inside a graphic element that is attractive and appropriate.<br /><br />6. Add a "P.S." to the end of your cover letter. Often, it's the first thing a person will read.<br /><br />7. Include testimonials about you in the body of your cover letter or in an attractive sidebar. Testimonials will emphasize your skills and achievements and support claims you make about your expertise and why you're the best candidate for the job.<br /><br />By Selena Dehne career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers. She is also the author of JIST's Job Search and Career Blog (http://jistjobsearchandcareer.blogspot.com/).

7 Ways to Improve Your Cover Letter ... and Get Your Application Noticed

Don't underestimate the power of a cover letter. When well written, attractively designed and customized for the recipient, a cover letter is a powerful tool that can practically scream "Interview this candidate immediately!" But when they are thrown…

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Target Your Résumé to Prospective Employers' Needs

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7t/ar5l0x86xpdbb13k0x7t.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7t/ar5l0x86xpdbb13k0x7t.gif" wt="true" /></a></div><br />Your résumé isn't about you, it's about them. That is the first guiding rule you should remember as you craft your employment history and achievements to match the needs of the companies you want most to hire you.<br /><br />Consider your audience by researching the company and its industry, and tailoring your résumé to the challenges faced by both. Point out how your talents and training dovetail with the company's needs, so hiring managers can picture you in the job they have available or other opportunities that come up in the future.<br /><br />Start out with a short professional profile that succinctly draws a picture of your job skills, work ethic and natural abilities that translate into the kind of worker you are. The rest of the résumé should follow suit as it lays out a clear story of your work experience, education and the skills you developed.<br /><br />Understand that most hiring managers are viewing your job history in a quick sweep. They want to see something that is easily readable. Don't use industry jargon or long sentences that create dense, hard-to-read narratives. Tell your story in bulleted form to create punch. Don't resort to résumé formats that look like a thousand others.<br /><br />Throughout the résumé, aim for action. Using words like "I was responsible for ..." don't get to the heart of your abilities. Be specific about accomplishments, punctuating them with hard numbers -- increased production, sales figures -- where applicable. Use details to explain your work story. A résumé isn't just about what you've done, but about what you have learned, achieved and produced.<br /><br />Online portfolio and extracurricular activities can play a role in your résumé<br />Don't indulge an inclination to show how social media-savvy you are by providing links to personal pages on YouTube or Facebook, because they are just that – personal. A more professional tool is to have a link to an online portfolio that has visual presence with well-written sections about your accomplishments, career highlights and leadership and work style. Or direct people to your professional biography on LinkedIn or BrightFuse.<br /><br />At the same time, your extracurricular activities or community service may tell something about the skills you bring to the job. If they show qualities such as organizational ability, leadership potential and creative thinking, list them along with work and educational history to show how you use your talents outside the workplace.<br /><br />There's never a good reason to lie on your résumé, and any overstatement of job history or academic achievements can easily tarnish your credibility. Routine background checks and online research can so easily expose an untruth that the risk simply isn't worth taking when your integrity is at stake.<br /><br />The progress you've made in your career shows a prospective employer the kind of direction your work experience has taken. This may be especially necessary for those moving into a new industry, where transferable skills are particularly important. Showing how your job skills are relevant to the requirements of a company's industry, as well as the company itself, is one way to portray yourself as the solution seeker they are looking to hire.

Target Your Résumé to Prospective Employers' Needs

Your résumé isn't about you, it's about them. That is the first guiding rule you should remember as you craft your employment history and achievements to match the needs of the companies you want most to hire you.Consider your audience by researching…

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5 Ways You Could Be Ruining Your Résumé Without Realizing It

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7d/ar5l0zk61nswnktbfk7d.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7d/ar5l0zk61nswnktbfk7d.gif" wt="true" /></a></div>Signs are emerging that the job market is picking up, but landing a new position can still be a challenge. The last thing you want to do is sabotage your employment search, and, since your résumé is typically the first impression that hiring managers have of you, it's also the first place where you can potentially ruin your chances.<br /><br />According to a survey conducted by Robert Half International, executives spend more than six minutes, on average, screening each résumé they receive -- which means every word counts in this critical document.<br /><br />Of course, no job seeker is going to shoot himself or herself in the foot on purpose. But you might be harming yourself without realizing it. Here are five common mistakes that put you at risk of losing the job opportunity:<br /><br />1. You don't proofread<br />Three out of four executives interviewed said just one or two typos in a résumé would remove applicants from consideration for a job. Since your word processing program has a spell-check function, you may think there's no need to review your résumé for typos and grammatical errors. Unfortunately, spell-checkers don't catch words that may be spelled correctly but used incorrectly: For example, if your most recent position was as a corporate blogger, your software may not raise the red flag if you mistakenly list yourself as a "logger." In addition to reading through the résumé yourself, you should also have someone else review it to catch any errors that you may have overlooked.<br /><br />2. You ignore potential red flags <br />When reviewing your résumé, imagine that it belongs to someone else. After reading through it, would you have questions about the information provided or be concerned by a lack of details? If you have these thoughts, rest assured potential employers will, too. For instance, one of the biggest red flags is a gap in employment that goes unexplained. Rather than make a hiring manager wonder why you were away from the workplace for an extended period of time, use your cover letter to address why you weren't working and how you continued to advance your career through volunteer opportunities, professional development courses or other means.<br /><br />3. You exaggerate your qualifications<br />Some people will do whatever they can to stand out, which includes fudging the details about a job title, the amount of time spent with an employer or a professional accomplishment. If you think that a hiring manager won't try to confirm your qualifications, think again. If you are caught making up information, you not only will lose out on the opportunity at that company but also may permanently harm your reputation. Even a small fib can prove harmful. For instance, if you're working toward a degree that you plan to complete by the summer, don't say you already have the credential.<br /><br />4. You don't explain yourself <br />The best résumés use specific language so hiring managers can clearly understand your qualifications and accomplishments. If you say you are "knowledgeable" about HTML, an employer will not know if you use it every day to code Web pages or if you simply know that the acronym stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. Instead of using a vague term, you should explain how you've used your knowledge of HTML for certain projects or to aid your employer, how long you've been using it and if you possess any relevant certifications. Along the same lines, be specific when listing periods of employment, including the month and year for start and end dates instead of just the year.<br /><br />5. You're too wordy<br />Sometimes it's difficult to determine what information belongs in your résumé and what can be safely left out. After all, the temptation is to describe any qualification that might remotely tip the scales in your favor. But you might not want to list every accomplishment, skill or project you've worked on. Hiring managers appreciate brevity, so cull the information you include, focusing on the aspects of your work history that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying. If you've had a long career, for instance, you may include fewer details about jobs you held early on that don't relate to your current career path. Omit hobbies, personal facts and other fluff, too.<br /><br />Robert Half International Inc. is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 360 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.roberthalf.com. For additional career advice, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/roberthalf.

5 Ways You Could Be Ruining Your Résumé Without Realizing It

Signs are emerging that the job market is picking up, but landing a new position can still be a challenge. The last thing you want to do is sabotage your employment search, and, since your résumé is typically the first impression that hiring managers…

Read more »

Weekend update

Just a quick post before I head out to the gym.<br /><br />First...hair cut! Yeah! Two inches off and very blond. I have a new stylist and colorist after ten years with my old ones. The previous stylist refused to cut my hair more than two inches. I finally made the brave move to someone new. If you're a guy, I know you don't understand how difficult this is to to do. If you're a woman, you probably get it. It's like breaking up with a girlfriend. Terribly difficult, and I even felt guilt ridden about it. Glad that's over!<br /><br />Yesterday I made <a href="http://urbanacres.wordpress.com/" target="blank">Roxie's</a> recipe she recommended for <a href="http://urbanacres.wordpress.com/" target="blank">Roasted Beet Dip</a>. This is a little piece of heaven on earth. It came out to one Point per tablespoon. The second one was 2.5 Points, the third was 4.5 Points. It's because of the high fat content (oil, walnuts), the Points grew exponentially. Totally worth it though and very healthy. Delicious! I had two tablespoons on a cup of spaghetti squash with a few ounces of turkey. Loved it!<br /><a name='more'></a><br />I cleaned out all my old makeup. Literally about a hundred plus items went into the trash. I'm not a hoarder of anything except makeup. I never use the old stuff, I just keep it as my "backups". I haven't once used any of my backups because I know they're germ infested old junk. I even got rid of a bunch of new makeup that I bought in the last six months but didn't like the color or the product. I love a clean, uncluttered look. Now my vanity table and my three shelves in the bathroom closet are clear and neat. Again, this was Roxie inspired.<br /><br />Well, time for the gym. 4:45am. Have to hit the road running. Have a fabulous day, and in <a href="http://ronmichel.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Ron's</a> famous words, make healthy choices today!

Weekend update

Just a quick post before I head out to the gym.First...hair cut! Yeah! Two inches off and very blond. I have a new stylist and colorist after ten years with my old ones. The previous stylist refused to cut my hair more than two inches. I finally made…

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