News for today's 2018

Let's not talk about it until it's over

11:46 PM Tukiyooo 0

Turns out I shouldn't post how my day went until the day is completely over. I didn't quite make it through last night without eating four of these (which started a little something):<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIAdwp8Kj7PBLaMNSmQEQSr0WgGCzZoQeKX5to_iE0AVEZxWBoYL-yP0GgUuPSBwLeDeohlZm8iylO-dVjRd3lS6Z55C41UVQmkmNwVcOyJz04QtbVEtGZS3cHKBAi7nE-1CTW5BuT1_5/s1600-h/toffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIAdwp8Kj7PBLaMNSmQEQSr0WgGCzZoQeKX5to_iE0AVEZxWBoYL-yP0GgUuPSBwLeDeohlZm8iylO-dVjRd3lS6Z55C41UVQmkmNwVcOyJz04QtbVEtGZS3cHKBAi7nE-1CTW5BuT1_5/s320/toffee.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><br /><br />Each of these things are <span style="font-size: xx-small;">tiny.</span> I haven't had them in several months. I thought they were one Point each. I think I thought that when I use to eat them all the time (the picture is deceiving!). I ate four, and knew the fiber max would probably make four of them about six Points. Wrong! Each one is two Points and four are TEN Points. Then I had a couple pieces of bread and some leftover shrimp. <br /><br />I threw the other eight bars into the garbage. I can't have these things in the house!<br /><br />It wasn't a full-blown binge, but it was definitely quite a bit over my Points allowance. So much for my brownie theory.<br /><br />Today was a new day and so far (it's 11pm), so good, but I'm not talking about it until tomorrow. At least I have the water down, and the vitamins. <br /><br />I read an interesting <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/celebrity/valerie-bertinelli?src=rss" target="blank"><span style="color: red;">article</span></a> in the April 2010 Good Housekeeping magazine at the gym this morning (that's why my workout took two hours! I read for 15 minutes). It's an interview with Valerie Bertinelli. I read her first book and wasn't very impressed, but I really liked this interview. It's a good read with some good information on weight loss. It's not about Jenny Craig propaganda.<br /><br />I walked at lunch (in addition to my gym workout) but because it's the same place I walk every day, nothing to post that was was new. Maybe tomorrow I'll walk around Angle Lake and get some new pictures.<br /><br />Have a happy tomorrow!<br /><br />~Diana<br />179.2

Let's not talk about it until it's over

Turns out I shouldn't post how my day went until the day is completely over. I didn't quite make it through last night without eatin...

Baby steps

10:46 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It's 10:40pm Tuesday, and I've been really good today staying on my "skinnied down" version of Weight Watchers where I'm doing baby steps to get back on track.<br /><br />I used the little Weight Watchers paper tracker today. I've never used one before, I've always posted my food online. The paper tracker has a space on the cover to write three things you commit to do this week.<br /><br />This week I commit to:<br /><br />1. Track Points and stay within Points limit ✔<br />2. Drink 64 ounces of water a day ✔<br />3. Vitamins ✔<br /><br />I'm good on all three so far today. Since I'm going to bed in a few minutes, I think I made it through another Day 1.<br /><br />I'm a bit puzzled by my lack of desire for sugar. I really have no craving for it, or for that matter, no craving to even binge. This is a polar opposite of how I usually feel after a big sugar binge like last night's brownies. Could it be possible that by indulging in what I consider bad food that it actually satisified some sort of demented craving I had for sugar? I'll probably never figure it out, but it's a pleasant surprise.<br /><br />The only picture I took today was of the moon at 5:45am. This was in my front yard before I took off for the gym. It's just so perfect and pretty. A perfect little sliver of a moon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGUJqEJdjNQsj-DWBGJQXelsfayCT7ljP2xUhSERCGG8QWZUjOs7u_HQwqpeu-2Oyy9lHE_qIcJXzBH6failUJOFiJG9kwiy6l7eYMO8-o3y3WVjZIMg2khE4_rJ9YbokHIynXDaZ_6eI/s1600-h/mooon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGUJqEJdjNQsj-DWBGJQXelsfayCT7ljP2xUhSERCGG8QWZUjOs7u_HQwqpeu-2Oyy9lHE_qIcJXzBH6failUJOFiJG9kwiy6l7eYMO8-o3y3WVjZIMg2khE4_rJ9YbokHIynXDaZ_6eI/s640/mooon.jpg" vt="true" width="640" /></a>

Baby steps

It's 10:40pm Tuesday, and I've been really good today staying on my "skinnied down" version of Weight Watchers where I'...

Foggy Tuesday

6:55 PM Tukiyooo 0

<p>I slept like a rock last night and it felt great! Woke up, hopped out of bed, and hit the gym for a quick <strong>20 minute interval run</strong>! Boy do those really get my heart pumping.</p>  <p>Did you know interval training not only elevates your metabolism for a longer period of time after exercise (so you burn more fat when resting), but it also keep  your body from using muscle as fuel! Learned that in my Oxygen magazine last month!</p>  <p>After my quicky run I made my usual <strong>oatmeal</strong> with <strong>PB2</strong> and a <strong>small sliced banana</strong> for <strong>4 points</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdPNdx-bpdgB32Suof-a2xSk3dy1ZRGqtDHBes4oK69dOV5AfaB8rZ_256jaTbZ0ftuu_ShlmIRStqYyXvn3bJsHIxm4wmNub4JaJ_lOYmwFkpKkK02kyvG4oS9er1mGvmSN29qccetYC/s1600-h/DSC06333%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06333" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjws6xiG0r36mydzZZBOiCqZgFtcke_HnowKd4OHmLroLrRZ7YdTzU3OHnpqnD_GgbxBVhLRkaLGY4bOzeoKQaGYjyPz2zptXSeTJU7D92X4t_frTEEd4P5Hi5tn5sDh7fXFhAk-44CstkQ/?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="DSC06333" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>I was <u>uber</u> productive this morning at work. Not that I am not always productive, it just seemed like I was <u>EXTRA</u> today!! :) </p>  <p>My first morning snack was <strong>1 cup</strong> of <strong>grapes</strong> for <strong>1 point</strong>. These are some of the smallest grapes I've had before, but they are SUPER crisp! Doesn't usually happen that way. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MU98NZAfITg2cWSQjxWiOARyQ3O31Sze0oncRLFunGzmYzSfUZlqFRZNO-C2EyDv177HoaOygW3ydvpy_s3B-CdMOiKwxUIyGcJqQN1s5BYr9aUsZNkt4PlcFdHOkSW_cc9BNpWPJ-Fr/s1600-h/DSC06334%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06334" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuiNH3aNp0Qf3I6-bioKKP8jqI_zgA-IT2eDPzDbt4y_gjovMT3w67E2QhQSdcAYZjcyWOOkpGrZpDum9YHX_EiMp3uh7CX4lgcf9kg63VJh1Y2R15WDJVrx0b2O12V6_ROw5RA1vQFTv/?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="DSC06334" width="404" /></a></p>  <p> </p>  <p>About 1 1/2 hours later I had<strong> ww strawberry yogurt</strong> with <strong>1/4c</strong> of <strong>grapes nuts</strong> for <strong>2 points</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwb0A2ROQuM0FTK1diFTfrjOZLlMAAIo8aNyp3_96uO9mrHTS_oyvTBMBg-C6H0_PmTrQd_yJBbQkSoGEuvo7Ml3XsnCb6yHuUBJSUGGXxwyFrAkH9uIbZCwKKvekfhfcLwjgFQgM6JeQs/s1600-h/DSC06335%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06335" border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43fQtD7SAxwkb2Rf2VQaO03pp599qV_roZhKQQiyIlSOiAgP6-6jQP4It4CRoS_eFy0J4-fEXXwGrj9Ni_7P_z4z9GVFOzj13nJNNpL4fw7710zmTf9erNDJVZTLw2PDd6XyoEkb4cXa5/?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="DSC06335" width="284" /></a></p>  <p> </p>  <p>I ran a few errands on my lunch and stopped home to let my pup out. Since I had minimal time at home I went for a<strong> SmartOnes</strong>, not the best choice, but still within my points.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnv8YhjI-pG3M2NKIIF3Gq1kvIiaUNLg2wxELcaO5vuQsW9KadcKaX83eTwWBrxWajzLOeJi8R_Bfny4CSDj5R6hTNifLpjHiNDSLZnJeoURCYN3CvbWcxnbijKVRfq73VEURvLwwwsHI/s1600-h/DSC06338%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06338" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVCvDE5hZTkK0e3RB9bX4dZ5Eosj6ZUa3DdvhjAcV2qjUuVSJ51bqhLsq7kt8ToPcOW3YSje3hEY2P_JG3qIrVAKk62esf7WiZ3gWp_iHAIPwcDQFntYCnzax9zGKg5DZvdeFjmHkuvwS/?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="DSC06338" width="404" /></a> </p>  <p>While it was cooking I had a few slices of <strong>fresh pineapple</strong> (<strong>1 point</strong>) my sweet neighbor gave us! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZsGJ70kNjF-jl1rDhOPlLrJPxdFyZAGQuKDA4dEp4hh44EgzunL6hLp9TcMWhv7vMrvDl8FMfbplqm5TkShUz2t3myhbD8jGnR8BPKDnIh0XLSbqgPiiacFckk0oioRRTWwr3jOgTLsv/s1600-h/DSC06336%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06336" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFBb2mLCFvn48vdM74GRxc935NGj6nOSvay70OuhyphenhyphenC4xaOzdMomU8LMTQMTkyYLuXIpnyIznhzk5KAtHkyaDH2rKd3HflBA8AJRqmKFBfcLSvD635a3bG4WJ1toP3H5W5qloT3tF6AOtdh/?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="DSC06336" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>And the main course was <strong>creamy rigatoni</strong> with <strong>broccoli</strong> and <strong>chicken</strong> for <strong>5 points</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZSB4RSNinloqhpMQsUQNIS91dYfeP-9pbnft-zZe0dK0sPaRO_04pFzIO64WUo5gs5zkfKQrj_6zZQBzt85jZViT4Ho9FJ-icZy-yXh4S51-H_4nK62mh_p_B0AWzkLQShInKOYZREbF/s1600-h/DSC06337%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06337" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24cnIamGRkKVVnyeQXeedR8q4h9ctNgIE4oDGeRZuKH6lYcrmjqT1WYeOxTE170YDzdhB4gRDl5dNm-3CuSA8E75R2CjNft8Fr1XhzhpdBbJwzB9-8JGpnDbwUSVIYE10z4QAKDO6UeIN/?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="DSC06337" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>Check out how <u><strong>foggy</strong></u> it was today? This was about 2pm…are you sure this is Iowa & not London?!?!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRD5oDIKWG4rUkOMGsCiwMCTfwJK9ST1R6B7O3aixXJUsmMX3ZiDK7odKZskcRKJsEhqdfbuStLN0IMPAcVNcAFvxqYNmZl4lN9WTvxF6y24it14eIAnMESvKlHKWaJc2wewNwvwvj8Gc/s1600-h/DSC06339%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06339" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQfl_o5TQfXAHACrC7A1VCVirDY0S-U-ZxsUPjBRX_Plomtr7WMXx0TWJ9ZtgKDSzCjKkCJ5kpWznoISdjQWledMDJI3pgtRC_a1sE636KNUMS3x5IEJIuF-ZEWfv0xSizK87fOJIAabb9/?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="DSC06339" width="404" /></a> </p>  <p>My afternoon flew by and I headed home. I had a<strong> Fiber Plus bar</strong> for <strong>2 points</strong> to hold me over while Kyle & I stopped over at a friend’s house. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuHFecT7KbO6nwoGVCckFHKQ1le3ms7l8v2KfRvOABAdzkWOfF4RWowRYl8KoJqMDyO4tVWqpC7DFsgRbgrEE6ocHUyquIwRKt7rVj4yTTME_Ea7_dueaLb_GoktrjgjjG4SOjPauJcSR7/s1600-h/DSC06340%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06340" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXavvQtjY4U40uVU_QwA4U7sIOg8_ZHVA3sDvJxjIR8bGiXzKF92m2e1odU1OqqfqVlDZtEgiysFn_UANlnF8VxkPBcO9PkRGzHshpa0hTC5qZXtQmxNgEh026uQxB6HPLxU6FxTCftcBN/?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="DSC06340" width="404" /></a> </p>  <p>We ended up staying a little longer than expected so our supper was quite late! So I made a fast supper. I had <strong>1c cooked whole wheat pasta</strong> & <strong>1/2c marinara sauce</strong> for <strong>4 points</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymIuyDjVS8YZHatnAKRaeWyaAZAIXMB0g4GfE6a8k7cn70q9WrhvoHxK1U4x3ygqfL0YlP1Z-c2976Dd9CFIddBXBohQJs1xP4mhmgtuCQjYC56iSmJkRNxKuSlb-YPb4X3O3P4PppQwm/s1600-h/DSC06341%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06341" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIjV02en6NGKODFwIi7c49Ym1ZHBWBcvVUW8sL1m9O3v03RWzGx1hSR8zbkoeMUySaMHC2ewkcNlIxTd0xbqkh1AvG_SXZ8rwbI13KX19l6PtOOLn5M6PufNxgnkpedXgVCnbxSRrLyJH/?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="DSC06341" width="404" /></a></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p>We are now settled in watching the Biggest Loser. Which makes me think I need to get my gym bag packed…later friends!</p>  <p><strong>TUESDAY'S STATS      <br /></strong>POINTS = 18/23     <br />WATER = 112 oz     <br />EXERCISE = 20 min interval run</p>

Foggy Tuesday

I slept like a rock last night and it felt great! Woke up, hopped out of bed, and hit the gym for a quick 20 minute interval run ! Boy do th...

Fighting the good fight

11:06 PM Tukiyooo 0

Thanks for the great advice yesterday. I know I need to get back on track and sooner rather than later. <a href="http://mepschronicles.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Mary</a> suggested picking just one thing to change, just one thing for one day. One day at a time. I know she's right, yet I didn't do it today. <br /><br />In fact, I just made No-Pudge brownies (the ones made with yogurt). I'm sure they're no pudge if you eat just one, but I ate half the batch. I have no idea how many calories or Points. Honestly, I don't even want to know right now. <br /><br />My decision to make the brownies was based on when I binge, I'm binging on things that don't really satisfy my cravings. My rather weak theory is once I've eaten something I wanted, brownies, then I'll feel like my craving has been satisfied.<br /><br />The hole in my theory is that history has shown once I eat sugar, I want more and the craving becomes even more intense. I'm a sugar addict, just like a crack addict has to have crack, I have to have sugar once I get started.<br /><br />However, I have a plan for tomorrow. My plan is to get back on plan and TRACK MY FOOD. I usually do online tracking, but lately I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. For a change, I'm going to write it in one of the paper tracker booklets the rest of the week. <br /><br />The good thing about eating all those brownies is I feel really sick. Like if I never see another brownie for the rest of my life I'll be fine.<br /><br /><em>Update, the day after the brownies incident, 3/9 - 5:22 a.m.</em><br /><br /><em>I'm up and dressed for the gym, leaving in just a few minutes. Amazingly I don't feel any ill effects from the massive amount of sugar and white flour and chocolate I consumed last night (about six hours ago). I'm ready to go workout and actually feel somewhat engergized. Probably still on some kind of sugar high.</em><br /><br /><em>More amazing though is even after I weighed at 181.6 I'm not kicking myself in the head over last night's binge. I'm ready to fight this devil to my death. I will track today, stay within my Points, and drink water. I don't think I had any water yesterday. Funny how when one thing goes to hell for me it all goes to hell (I skipped the gym yesterday too). </em><br /><br /><em>Yesterday is past, it's history. Today is a new day and damn it, I'm going to do it today. Make it through just this one day doing the best I can!</em><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />It snowed today. This is a picture taken through our office window. The snowflakes were huge, but they melted as soon as they hit the ground. It was pretty while it lasted. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzvmjOCW2zoEKk7iFf04t7PwkiILtLbJpuRhBLuIWUiwQ6jTaVqvdt68cd6ap3lRaoUZMCjphu_bDbH6gYyzzcL9kUiYLVQxQjOGYgxVs0oq-3RiQSqKtyX9mb6LXKzVNdfHTQJojn4sO/s1600-h/snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzvmjOCW2zoEKk7iFf04t7PwkiILtLbJpuRhBLuIWUiwQ6jTaVqvdt68cd6ap3lRaoUZMCjphu_bDbH6gYyzzcL9kUiYLVQxQjOGYgxVs0oq-3RiQSqKtyX9mb6LXKzVNdfHTQJojn4sO/s640/snow.jpg" width="596" /></a></div>

Fighting the good fight

Thanks for the great advice yesterday. I know I need to get back on track and sooner rather than later. Mary suggested picking just one thi...

Pressing toward the goal!

7:11 PM Tukiyooo 0

<p>Sunday night I did <strong><u>NOT</u></strong> sleep well at all. Not sure if it was the 4 hour nap that threw me off or nerves. Tonight was my first class (I'm teaching at the community college were I also work)! </p>  <p>I didn't let me bad night's sleep sway me from my workout though! My alarm went off and I was up and <strong>hit the gym</strong>. I cut my workout short to do some more preparing on my class. I got in <strong>25 minutes</strong> on the <strong>cross ramp</strong>. </p>  <p>Breakfast was my favorite old faithful <strong>oatmeal</strong> mixed with <strong>1 sliced banana</strong> (a fairly large one), and<strong> PB2</strong> for <strong>5 points</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1i0VpBrLJl416aFzYicVcuUnSsuQeB0sgixde6fPskzLpiejSM0EXKqnmX8DvtchEneVwwCmzBwJAepdkwXsKTqmKOXuZzXT_tDWo1MkjoO0ol53mKHYkk1Z4iCURtiPIkakJh7-g7ea3/s1600-h/DSC06320%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06320" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENs5dcHzPGnCrUGHeLgu7GtT1_ayP8klauzNN44NHWRiv31n34xMOz_YIFNeRBa_nfCNzYzXoWPJioOrxEV8yESV2mbYr-9SVKW3CrL7hhS5eD_iG-tj9fN-e0KzWhTfgCavLwvWki3KT/?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="DSC06320" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>Strawberries were on sale at the grocery store so I was quite excited to mix up my morning snack! I had <strong>1 c strawberries</strong>, <strong>ww vanilla yogurt</strong>, and<strong> 1/4 c grape nuts</strong> for <strong>3 points</strong>. It was wonderful! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4egzSB0dH6ctoiHA_Nps22Fd04i1eUSg9hHFqMaLvMaX6wsPsDkKYEH8rbeThp7XNfW1aKEBJ3OT3XZMLyt4JLpIBPPgBNLiI2JilPXgVRkAV4snxAgY7AHUqkJueBJvSOmKePYlXiLy/s1600-h/DSC06321%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06321" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29MZAArHsBd85RtHAyzsMlkexqGJmq4IfumUZvDcqZwB4B_twgKrsqC5LD31vP0OErvu4wmwngHT7uB8aaTQ85sHiiYa2JtvEwR3GCz5vf244EWtpWDH6DWDbgR9gjxWR-sXTnlPiJMW5/?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="DSC06321" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>I ate my lunch in courses. I usually take a late lunch break & I knew I had a few errands to run so for my "<u>appetizer</u>" I started out with some<strong> veggies & ff ranch</strong> for<strong> 1 point</strong>. I forgot how much I love cucumbers w/ranch...makes me think of <u>freshness</u> & <u>summer</u>! :) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHSsvWVjfN6tRGA5bfjaV0imtZEHfx0YzNrOwcQrFbOkZd1XcxJZv56ycbzrp439DmtSdFR-5TIqH_VmGv_qLhZ85OCyz2cmhkNb_tGyiMOa3z1Ux54YB2QOzi-aHp37gXuvpfmzqpiuyR/s1600-h/DSC06323%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06323" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMp5UOzyVX0Ye5jbZWPjNsC6oHiPhXluRjdTjl0X38isI44nEdPwhAR33AId2iymDUedfm2O3tODiSPR49HKyUyVBY5yNSIuNrqjL2zPd0qFLjL91VngqqR9TpQPqAn9w7PwrO5JoWAUq/?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="DSC06323" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>My 2nd course was <strong>1 c</strong> of <strong>grapes</strong> for <strong>1 point</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm22zd876v596BJCdtIppDB4czpTn318RKiO0vHAUZJvLxzolimH6SrvXFUcxMpFirbrNJa63KKsvEGM0xb1It7cQfbGD3LeE8pYuGpwsl1cf2LO_unoSa-4JA1CV1zTvuRmDqCcSp0wPm/s1600-h/DSC06324%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06324" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTh6mxmwsayUlOx59A_yfbfWwVcuRK4Oe3d6c_JluYzE4jRtf9U8L0PPTTV2EId8LC7Wsj8gNNFvOBm0fcv1gC7H1QQg5nWU8Qc0OZWCeSYsNlZ7eibmcEKRup9mq1kPJXghAOeKSvdy3B/?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="DSC06324" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>And the last part of my lunch was <strong>cottage cheese</strong> with <strong>peaches</strong> and a<strong> turkey & cheese sandwich</strong> for <strong>5 points</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir90T9rB9UQk7GAxYz_7VFZlbDhpSV1LvNLHuCLHMgs57K6anEvkATTge1D2JFN2-394OwcJvZfW0bh7UP-hm5Juvj95D2nCi79iVMkEOqK4w7C1uYcJ2QHfmNz7fXZTHmkDwOw9P50w_8/s1600-h/DSC06326%5B7%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06326" border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbwSLgCNuLLLOqKIa-_newqXCP3wjM6Jxuq_otCUWbUeLWTGLHWWqSJrI5Y_4z0RmbvR-JA4MjRveY90LrIi-9GfQtZ1SqKh9r79fQl4aQKp1etpOxbvHO2XRry_YCkIPqV7sW4cbBDYU/?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="DSC06326" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>Even though I wasn't 100% OP last week...that doesn't mean I was a lazy girl!!Wednesday night I went out with my work friends for Mexican, Thursday night we had supper at a friend's house & then I came home and stayed up till 11pm making treating for my bosses bday the next day. And on Saturday Kyle & I went to Des Moines (a much bigger city an hour south of us with better shopping!) with a friend to do some shopping & just to do something different! It was a successful shopping trip to say the least! </p>  <p>I picked out a new water bottle at Bed Bath & Beyond. My old water bottles were plastic, but had straws. I've been wanting to get a BPA free one, but still with a straw! And I found just the one...it was even pink! :) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ASLLhb-NwgEfcliiocmujweYrzwA8NTC8pXG-oOix0T5PtfA_KEbEMlixZ5_p8GXWvtOrekZTy5aeMLnlXgS8-EaXbXajgTP9WCVCOWhZOiVSaxDW16RQ9zS1Q__V-68SE6HCg2Xs1Ms/s1600-h/DSC06322%5B4%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06322" border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52NUl_OgxlBtrMSb11y6-PYM0l85wbBvZf-ItS9WP9vogen0ZJPDZuUIJVBdjoD8MS-BHym-CeKTxPxxdom4fMbDvOUx6_XSz1NztonaMguWdGXUfDJy0UdlTindTyK-aGPMFFBUlQTJZ/?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="DSC06322" width="354" /></a></p>  <p>We also picked up some of these things! Look it’s even orange to match my Diet Sunkist! ;)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gTJunuvoVQB5nPhhluAbnK83TQ51vbS1YlLjU2WX5DtGKYQvaZjsWC_2w53UiHkXlLHMVGETQL5lMd07ru_jo8D22dFfl6l6yHRv5vnSo3a33_4japjISIRgQEfOAdEJLYqXcPJByKAD/s1600-h/DSC06331%5B7%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06331" border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTod8Dbxyq6fqE49vWBZINktedaFLvqU-MTW5qDJ-AE8VCWxwc_e9dIq0PjIZCy2ahKEWOS75m4LBBce8356aVlifbBDgjJiW3CgFgYjjF2BcBWK-dZT8qgkY4oNnNWwwH_qaV2fZMq56C/?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="DSC06331" width="279" /></a>Not sure what the right name for them is, but they work great to put on pop cans so you don't spill! And the main reason we bought them is because our local grocery store had a pop sale last week, 3 12packs for $6!!! Needless to say we stocked up! </p>  <p>I also picked up a fun sundress at Old Navy to wear in Florida! I've been on a gray kick lately w/my clothing choices! What do you think of it?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAAXQrmutiKyuaMbF6aKNnb6xB30ptWWZbOwtnCVv5d0MvfnH_egigi5UP2TmW68WxQnjT4Hf9Moa6PU4_iCreOVLL3G-s739sn5eb6ejuY72leinpVppGqXk-1ylNoJVLc79wi9AZBvz/s1600-h/DSC06332%5B5%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06332" border="0" height="471" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq789GetufLYQthTSkhCkLfLkJOCfAWWVOruy0yren4yElPq2kiw_MNE4U0pJUjrevBSnj1Mbnt-p6JOsc86VT3uSW_DYZ4FIOoZNzOxG-__jZlzz4-6_GQWXNJIfR-1Q69eOSp27Ik0BL/?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="DSC06332" width="354" /></a></p>  <p>After work today I headed right to class!! But I wasn’t the student…I was the <u>teacher</u>! I’m teaching computerized accounting! I managed to sneak in a <strong>banana</strong> in between things for <strong>1 point</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqiY1JrZ563LCXt3rD4xzAtlHOHkvIpDbn4S2cEAWQ2yNt7oLEPaNcW31gnk6Ck3Se2A2Rh_tOMlknUVbUgYLiZqtDaXXdLFpNLjIKEoA5tjf5HYFYQf1U9veUdO3Ac8IdDgrTXpsFKdJY/s1600-h/DSC06327%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06327" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQoQkG3r7LwWofiOCfaeans0GbJfsFgaYDvtMo1T6UNi8FO2BSdpWtJwJdNsAvQh3tQDzJQPzcStqYcjvdt9rZtaLVdgGTaZW5mENNPHSwu9c9J14VU8k_jChC50tW5Dbp-oPGzo-sfWW/?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="DSC06327" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>Class went well. For some reason I don’t feel old enough to teach college students! On the way home I ate <strong>2 points</strong> worth of <strong>animal crackers</strong>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxLQmFTXhCnrifiH7P6nSv_1r5wyNOCfpphyzQZXf1u0gszDxdhe4mtnBTRHc9ua9RrsbA-bWyxH-pSrsaPuErw30xXeXdLWDCGKDa9TI01XP0oAj2cS1Li_QSuxfJCy9pgtzbP8a75Fo/s1600-h/DSC06328%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06328" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9mP5IXk4tdpuwVUyVlAk_EvLOw-z-sp5wcWPADMyJuxl9OsJJtkyCAqVdiyANaFHBj_QhVS7r6fy8vM-6jIXuQP963VFY_fykUVKFdF1QkFojD6bo52Gba_FOK19U-TJeAOFaWGx2BAtY/?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="DSC06328" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>It was after 8:30 when I got home so I wanted to eat something light. I grabbed these I found last week at the grocery store. They are flatbread made by flatout! And still just 1 point!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMo05f1GIF2c6WgTSIj31q1U-t0Zxg4qdyrK1S2UAGshfrGT2OY5e3OwU8kjg7H2eNlXZMDkT0OTQzf08POHjBnO7bFJKXSW_E5MtnMJVi76X1YYFN0Mc9jIALpjuNajbO4vF5D4-RGhX6/s1600-h/DSC06329%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06329" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioaHMil-opfigUulWPIIdcZNWpybdT-V1hQnkYPgTKA9EgrB-FM3CIn0OmHYEGBkQC7NZrpXhJliYe2X8nEVvuiRFLitQXyOZrc-rkhmhutyHf2P1yD9RU2-kSFAbGAba8IC9g2C3f18f-/?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="DSC06329" width="404" /></a></p>  <p>I made a <strong>chicken salad sandwich</strong> with <strong>cheese</strong> on the <strong>flatbread</strong> for <strong>4 points</strong>. Mmmm delish! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNwxRxQCeozwLB9crfTz-SowYXhqT1V0KAtArc9iwze_VJ9vaweH1GuYgxCQpCnVGYPdlGmetq6LfOqcmYFA3f56ef0r7HE_6OppKTgzu3y-515FBmF0RS1DR6AAdnZKXfV_ZJRjKIx5t/s1600-h/DSC06330%5B3%5D.jpg"><img alt="DSC06330" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh719PiWH5hERC5HPf3dpSggkfPpBlgSD96UlSkhN2-eEBgbU1xHjJtCBkNG3PTuUr_DwwinaRykXMXonKSlhxx8Lt02lLjNGd-CW91azwL53Vn4PL3zc28p84I6m1dB5_gQ_blqjJ0gIty/?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="DSC06330" width="404" /></a>  </p>  <p>It was a long, but good day! I’m off to bed! <strong><u>Thanks</u></strong> for your sweet comments on my post earlier today…I <strong><em>missed</em></strong> you guys too! :)</p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p></p>  <p><strong>MONDAY'S STATS      <br /></strong>POINTS = 22/23     <br />WATER = 128 oz     <br />EXERCISE = 25 min cross ramp</p>

Pressing toward the goal!

Sunday night I did NOT sleep well at all. Not sure if it was the 4 hour nap that threw me off or nerves. Tonight was my first class (I'...

10 days!!!

7:10 AM Tukiyooo 0

10 days!!!

Obviously I've been MIA the past week. I could go into all kinds of details and really come down on myself for not working out everyday ...

Getting down to some serious business

10:31 PM Tukiyooo 0

You may have noticed lately that I haven't talked much about weight loss. No goals, no "I'm going to do this!" and no revelations as to why or how I got to where I am now. Nothing about how I'm struggling or much I want to get to my goal weight or about how much I've gained. Barely a mention of any binge eating.<br /><br />Just lots of pretty pictures and nothing serious. Light, fluffy, shallow. <br /><br />Here's the truth and what I really didn't want to talk about, but I need to face reality:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>I'm really struggling on a daily basis to barely maintain under 180.</strong> </div><br />My lowest weight in the past ten years was 154 on February 2009. I maintained pretty close to that weight until September 2009. My size 10's all fit and I worked out almost every day. I still wanted to lose another 20 pounds, but I was comfortable at that weight. <br /><br />Then life happened. My crazy job had me travel extensively. I used that as an excuse to barely exercise and eat like a the maniac food addict on an expense account. I self-medicated myself with food. I quickly gained 20 pounds which is now 23 pounds. <br /><br />The last two months I haven't made any progress on losing that weight. Every day I wake up and think, "I really need to lose this weight!". It's a repeat of what I said to myself when I weighed 240 pounds. I would say the same thing every single day, but do nothing about it. Until one day I actually did do something about it and lost 85 pounds in a year. That was February 2008 and by February 2009 I was a comfortable 154, fighting to lose another 20 pounds.<br /><br />So here I am, March 7, 2010. Sitting right at 178 pounds. I don't like this weight. My size 10's do not fit. My size 12's are getting tight, and I even bought a pair of size 14 jeans last week. I feel fat. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my body like I use to hate it. I'm strong and I like being strong.  I just prefer to weigh about 20 pounds less.<br /><br />I don't feel sexy or attractive at this weight. I want to feel pretty and sexy. As shallow as that sounds, it's just as important to me as being strong. I know some people will say that feeling sexy is a state of mind, and I agree to a certain extent. For me it's a combination of the mind and the body.<br /><br />The big questions are: How am I going to fix what seems to be broken in me? How am I seriously going to get on track with losing weight? What can I do differently that might work?<br /><br />Right now I don't have the answers. I'm trying, but my trying is half-hearted. I guess I have some soul searching to do to figure this out. I need answers and only I can come up with the answers that will work for me.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />Now for the light, fluffy stuff and my annoying talk about my exercising. :)<br />I decided to bike to the gym today instead of driving my car. It's only 6 miles round trip, although it's kind of hilly. I stopped quite a few times to take pictures pictures, but still in two hours of biking and strength training my heart rate monitor said I burned 643 calories. Not too shabby for two hours of exercise and one was super fun.<br /><br />I was surprised how much more difficult the hills were for me compared the last time I biked the trail in October.. Could it be because of the 20 pounds that was weighing me down? The hills were almost more than I could do (but I did do them).<br /><br />On the way home the sky was overcast and gray. Really not much to take pictures of that was interesting.<br /><br />One thing that's kind of weird is this sign. My bike trail goes past the Federal Way Aquatic Center and they have a sign out front with the weather and time, but it also has a weird face on it that it took me a few minutes to figure out.<br /><br />Any guesses? Actually, it's suppose to be Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 2007 his face became the emblem of King County (Seattle and Federal Way). Some of the lights are burned out and it sort of looks like a skeleton. Personally I think it's kind of disrespectful and they should remove his face from the sign until they get the lights fixed. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLhfReob-0SDXhDYbNPKXW4HCVPCsfCguiuvkaL4Kar70Cb-qKBQHAAwLaiHFAA9vNavGm_sBIi8ArnIN1DbFoE3oCTUyvN-gvGeu9_Mw1HYEwz7OOsAPst3jdVobajBEdSPjEGM1Fg8O/s1600-h/7mar2010+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLhfReob-0SDXhDYbNPKXW4HCVPCsfCguiuvkaL4Kar70Cb-qKBQHAAwLaiHFAA9vNavGm_sBIi8ArnIN1DbFoE3oCTUyvN-gvGeu9_Mw1HYEwz7OOsAPst3jdVobajBEdSPjEGM1Fg8O/s640/7mar2010+013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can see all the lights that are burned out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QI_1SiHvuoRcZENk06nnHL7m9_ugHX-3x9abxS9Nam12hq1DahRq0YCHrJ09AzHrHIJtjEix1Fq1B7hfcEQXMcURUDeH46nPsuw4_7xmtpVknUB0JMmHqogVSdY-hpbJGoxXViWCu_RU/s1600-h/7mar2010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QI_1SiHvuoRcZENk06nnHL7m9_ugHX-3x9abxS9Nam12hq1DahRq0YCHrJ09AzHrHIJtjEix1Fq1B7hfcEQXMcURUDeH46nPsuw4_7xmtpVknUB0JMmHqogVSdY-hpbJGoxXViWCu_RU/s640/7mar2010+007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Across from the aquatic center is the hill form hell. It's so much fun to fly down it my bike, but it's torture going up it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraITIN6iMK3CtQ_fkc8oMged1ZC6GYOfAkU28YIKiBRX_3JCf7jgcc5_B7iVnKmelsil6eH10UxpVJAtbY0Oc1938YEVACqPYEIhuxl3f9Du6bXHW3AuGRR1q1tw-XbCd4cfrIC60gHrW/s1600-h/7mar2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiraITIN6iMK3CtQ_fkc8oMged1ZC6GYOfAkU28YIKiBRX_3JCf7jgcc5_B7iVnKmelsil6eH10UxpVJAtbY0Oc1938YEVACqPYEIhuxl3f9Du6bXHW3AuGRR1q1tw-XbCd4cfrIC60gHrW/s640/7mar2010+016.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Really not much to take pictures of today. You can see how gray the sky is and the sun is just barely visible through the overcast sky. This was at 1pm.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx25ZYfuQxNrSr1r6lf2LjHDPqcrWpJGp1wacVluc5DoWrfOLGtwHXf9nuNYzV9rTUtOn4r1Iwhj4zpuzwjt_jWiuD6_gZZvLr0X0j01WE9VScS_zP9pe3iRw2EW35qZzNpGTFC0Y3W_jl/s1600-h/7mar2010+022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx25ZYfuQxNrSr1r6lf2LjHDPqcrWpJGp1wacVluc5DoWrfOLGtwHXf9nuNYzV9rTUtOn4r1Iwhj4zpuzwjt_jWiuD6_gZZvLr0X0j01WE9VScS_zP9pe3iRw2EW35qZzNpGTFC0Y3W_jl/s640/7mar2010+022.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>

Getting down to some serious business

You may have noticed lately that I haven't talked much about weight loss. No goals, no "I'm going to do this!" and no reve...

Virtually Awesome: How Smart Companies Use Video Games to Recruit, Retain Employees

3:07 PM Anonymous 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/wp-content/uploads/video-game-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/wp-content/uploads/video-game-300x225.jpg" /></a></div>As a former Super Nintendo addict enthusiast, I was both excited and surprised to come across this recent Go magazine article about the growing number of companies using interactive software and video games as employee training and development tools.<br /><br />Excited, of course, because it seems like a cool, fun way to engage employees (and brought back fond memories of watching Mario hop around in a Frog suit)…But also surprised by just how many companies are embracing this trend: A reported 70 percent of major domestic employers used these ”serious games” to train employees in 2008, according to the Entertainment Software Association. That figure is estimated to increase to 80 percent by 2013.<br /><br />It’s encouraging to see employers move away from more traditional training methods like white papers, PowerPoint presentations and training calls - many of which seem as if they were designed to be tuned out (apologies if this is news to anyone) – and toward more engaging methods. According to the article, those who use these training techniques say that video games help employees build business skills by putting them in situations that require critical thinking and decision making. <br /><br />Not to mention that being able to interact through computer simulation programs helps employees retain complicated information better than they would using other, more traditional training techniques.<br /><br />Of course, the obvious downsides to using video gaming techniques to train is that the time and cost spent setting up and designing the customized software could be significant, depending on the complexity of the project. And then there’s the not-so-minor fact that simulations can’t completely replace actual human interaction…But none of this is to say this technology doesn’t hold value (so long as its viewed as a supplement to, and not a replacement for, real world training) – and many will argue that the business benefits ultimately outweigh the costs.<br /><br />No Longer Just a Training Tool…<br />In addition to helping companies develop employees’ business skills, more companies are utilizing video games in their recruiting and branding efforts as well. Here are a few examples:<br /><br /><ul><li>Candidate Attraction: The MITRE Corporation, for example, enables job seekers to download a 3D video game that gives players a better understanding of the company’s campus, how the interview process works, and view examples of company projects. Similarly, staffing firm Kelly Services has a virtual community in Second Life that gives job seekers an interactive experience to see what it’s like to work for Kelly, create buzz and differentiate Kelly from its competitors. In August 2009, the U.S. Army opened its Experience Center at a Philadelphia shopping mall, where potential recruits can play military videogames and learn about military bases and career options in an interactive way – helping the Army meet and exceed its recruiting and retention goals. </li><li>Employee Engagement: Kansas City-based benefits provider Assurant launched the gaming suite, “It’s Your Business,” in 2007 with the goal of helping employees better understand the business in order to boost sales. What it ended up with was increased employee engagement and knowledge retention. Today, employees are even more involved in the project, as they are the source of input for developing new training games. </li><li>Employee Retention: In efforts to help employees relieve stress, refocus and (most importantly) avoid burnout, companies are increasingly relying on video games – turning their ordinary break rooms into game zones. At the offices of the Chicago-based tee shirt company Threadless, taking a break to play a little Guitar Hero is an everyday occurrence for employees. And recently, Phoenix-based Multi-Systems, Inc. gave its employees a $10,000 budget to design a game room for them to unwind in, as a thank you for making various pay and benefits sacrifices the previous year</li></ul><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Virtually Awesome: How Smart Companies Use Video Games to Recruit, Retain Employees

As a former Super Nintendo addict enthusiast, I was both excited and surprised to come across this recent Go magazine article about the grow...

Latest Employment Report a Mix of Good and Bad (But Mostly Good) News

3:04 PM Anonymous 0

Anyone else looking forward to the day we can say that we’re actually out of the woods with the current financial crisis (if only so we can put a moratorium on the phrase “out of the woods”)? <br /><br />Well, we might have to hold out a little while longer, because as the latest employment report indicates, we’re, um…well, you know. Today, the Labor Department released its Employment Situation report for the month of February, and, as is often the case lately, there’s both good news and bad news.<br /><br />The good news is that the number of jobs in February fell far below analysts’ expectations and that the unemployment rate did not go up. Despite this fact, the bad news, of course, is that unemployment is still at a remarkably high 9.7 percent and that employers cut 36,000 jobs.<br /><br />Among the highlights of the report:<br /><br />Employers cut 36,000 jobs in February (below analysts’ expectation of 50,000), compared with 26,000 jobs shed in January. <br />Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed Americans has nearly doubled to 14.9 million and the economy has shed 8.4 million jobs. <br />The U.S. unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent in February, and nonfarm payroll employment dipped slightly (-36,000). <br />Severe winter weather in parts of the country may have affected payroll employment and hours; however, it is not possible to quantify precisely the net impact of the winter storms on these measures. <br />Looking at various industries: Temporary help services added 48,000 jobs, while Health Care also continued to trend upward in February. Construction and Information both fell, at 64,000 and 18,000 jobs lost, respectively, while both Manufacturing and Retail were essentially unchanged. <br />Despite the up-and-down numbers over the last few months (36,000 jobs shed in February…26,000 shed in January…109,000 shed in December… 64,000 added in November, etc.), conditions are stabilizing overall.<br /><br />“The large declines are behind us,” said Joel Naroff of Joel Naroff Economic Advisors in a podcast interview with MarketWatch today, in reference to the job loss numbers. Naroff added that the latest report gives a strong indication that, while we may not see strong job growth anytime soon, we will see positive growth.<br /><br />In fact, employers are expected to add as many as 100,000 jobs a month later this year (and if President Obama okays the House’s new $15 billion plan to offer tax breaks to employers, it could further impact job growth in the coming months). <br /><br />Thoughts?<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

Latest Employment Report a Mix of Good and Bad (But Mostly Good) News

Anyone else looking forward to the day we can say that we’re actually out of the woods with the current financial crisis (if only so we can ...

Planning de la semaine du 08 au 12 mars 2010

12:29 AM Anonymous 0

<BR><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Permanences<br /></span></strong></h2><ul><br /><li>Le <strong>Conseil Général du Loiret</strong> sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le lundi 08 mars de 9h à 12h30<br />- le mardi 09 mars de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le mercredi 10 mars de 13h30 à 17h<br />- le jeudi 11 mars de 13h30 à 17h<br />- le vendredi 12 mars de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/01/egee-nouveau-partenaire-la-maison-de.html">EGEE</a></strong> - lundi 08 mars de 13h30 à 17h (sur rendez-vous)</li><br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/boutique-de-gestion.html">Boutique de Gestion</a></strong> - vendredi 12 mars de 09h à 12h30 (sur rendez-vous)</ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Ateliers</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><li><strong>CV</strong> - mardi 09 mars de 9h à 12h30 et mercredi 10 mars de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Lettre de Motivation</strong> - mardi 09 mars de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Préparation à l'entretien</strong> - jeudi 11 mars de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Pôle-emploi.fr</strong> - vendredi 12 mars de 10h à 11h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/07/atelier-situtilises-tu-trouves.html">Sit'Utilises tu trouves</a></strong> - vendredi 12 mars de 14h à 16h</ul>

Planning de la semaine du 08 au 12 mars 2010

Permanences Le Conseil Général du Loiret sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans - le lundi 08 ma...

Saturday in pictures

10:02 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No snowshoeing pictures. By the time I got going it was almost 1 p.m. It's really not worth an hour drive to Mt. Rainier and only have a couple hours there before we have to head home. My fault. I decided to wash my car "quickly" which turned into a two-hour detailing job. I love a clean car.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Instead we drove about ten minutes down to the beach at Dash Point Park in Federal Way. It was a spectacular day, with the high about 60 degrees. There are also some really cool trails in the hills around the beach. It's a gorgeous park that's close to our house. The tide was out so we spent a lot of time walking out to the water, then hiked a couple trails, one was practically up a mountain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When we arrived I was a little bothered by all the people. I hate crowds. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUITSnJ8P2-gaITKa0PJABIhX2iFpEA1tdFE-BhqlNuSesMhVsihjICsnR6bjjmc1uErKf0YeNbP0hsUI_UVzt_ipvxkthXbRv50Ta5DtJfHU0mnw6NijUKUSpCSHKK3FiBstaeK8ba90/s1600-h/Group+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUITSnJ8P2-gaITKa0PJABIhX2iFpEA1tdFE-BhqlNuSesMhVsihjICsnR6bjjmc1uErKf0YeNbP0hsUI_UVzt_ipvxkthXbRv50Ta5DtJfHU0mnw6NijUKUSpCSHKK3FiBstaeK8ba90/s640/Group+shot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Once we walked out closer to the water, it was like we were totally alone.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-IYiUdavqWSgpzlQwHXVbYI4-S-nDCoZElN6z2r2kXYUnAFvbQxRrwutLvxQ5GMN_WKiIhs_qVJ40hmKXQSZgrvFWXQJGhC3PDh16vSjdgyt0w14iPH7zmPfRyUdVlfs8to365CZionA/s1600-h/DP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-IYiUdavqWSgpzlQwHXVbYI4-S-nDCoZElN6z2r2kXYUnAFvbQxRrwutLvxQ5GMN_WKiIhs_qVJ40hmKXQSZgrvFWXQJGhC3PDh16vSjdgyt0w14iPH7zmPfRyUdVlfs8to365CZionA/s640/DP.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I thought this was so pretty where the tide was out. Sea grass?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhbpj7ZvEtXPYof8bNIvZ5eXrMYewNDGI-huynCWkfjADMH1FkJ1fP-RLoxu7wqby2QI3dTAdQvNECP5UpOtq7CgiqWt4eQmN1jV_-J6TfAmCz4LOyoim_v6KCB6eP3bdAndd28RuK_d-/s1600-h/grass+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhbpj7ZvEtXPYof8bNIvZ5eXrMYewNDGI-huynCWkfjADMH1FkJ1fP-RLoxu7wqby2QI3dTAdQvNECP5UpOtq7CgiqWt4eQmN1jV_-J6TfAmCz4LOyoim_v6KCB6eP3bdAndd28RuK_d-/s640/grass+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Closeup. Isn't it artsy looking?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYE6Q6ojL0v-tcFKid_WkwzSApBaz3ZZfnyuodWS_BIiRM3RGFqNKoDeK5-9crPp0rwXXww1q7AJPkAyegDl7VQ5uSLCTg6TE8KCHOYVf2VfNc_7QwLpYwWZSgoJgjZiV-THJeDO_1JWG/s1600-h/Grass+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYE6Q6ojL0v-tcFKid_WkwzSApBaz3ZZfnyuodWS_BIiRM3RGFqNKoDeK5-9crPp0rwXXww1q7AJPkAyegDl7VQ5uSLCTg6TE8KCHOYVf2VfNc_7QwLpYwWZSgoJgjZiV-THJeDO_1JWG/s640/Grass+closeup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The killer trail.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYN3b5SzhX5qVlLJpuSmziTlBhA9JjQCOb3sWtAxzC32ncMcSWQJcSc9sk6YLpJOjxLReRbfafUb-SDqLR8c-w8-UJnQpEQGH6_Ow5NnxTqgYKuAPqNqHbNQcvdcpWS7B0kxND7snDYzs/s1600-h/Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYN3b5SzhX5qVlLJpuSmziTlBhA9JjQCOb3sWtAxzC32ncMcSWQJcSc9sk6YLpJOjxLReRbfafUb-SDqLR8c-w8-UJnQpEQGH6_Ow5NnxTqgYKuAPqNqHbNQcvdcpWS7B0kxND7snDYzs/s640/Trail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A giant holly tree.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildXahRlw5xd5YBWCzBWaMTtR60LA_rgIavMk7nvqnSQWc2JRXZrRLKewbFwO6wAtt20u3-iajP1Bv2wGZB3LrSnLdoTAm2Cr1Wepi9kc2WCwnjAUFxYEGjuW4sTQ3mIk7yhgF7phkmTgY/s1600-h/Holly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildXahRlw5xd5YBWCzBWaMTtR60LA_rgIavMk7nvqnSQWc2JRXZrRLKewbFwO6wAtt20u3-iajP1Bv2wGZB3LrSnLdoTAm2Cr1Wepi9kc2WCwnjAUFxYEGjuW4sTQ3mIk7yhgF7phkmTgY/s640/Holly.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The view from the top of the trail.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylhvnQFLk6MNQLae4sSK3arpCfyspda7zFCCvG2sYW_1pU6_z0Fj5e8lG4ACdFmQrqidhYYZfL71c2ETBaqkgH4r0NCZP4tqCk376NQctBbwbfp1LJWDJpJPDwmXKTet5M2exH4bY0fM_/s1600-h/Trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylhvnQFLk6MNQLae4sSK3arpCfyspda7zFCCvG2sYW_1pU6_z0Fj5e8lG4ACdFmQrqidhYYZfL71c2ETBaqkgH4r0NCZP4tqCk376NQctBbwbfp1LJWDJpJPDwmXKTet5M2exH4bY0fM_/s640/Trees.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sand dollars. There were thousands of them. My husband told me he thought they were dead so I picked up a couple of them and put them in my pocket to take home. Then I started looking at them and they had little furry hairs on the underside. I told my husband I was pretty sure they were alive so I put them back, and tried not to walk on any of them. That was hard to do because they were everywhere. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we got home I googled them. They were indeed alive. That's why they were half buried in the sand. They were feeding! There were all sizes, from tiny baby ones the size of a dime, to giant ones that were about four inches in diameter. Very cool. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBp6ZdSg_adPkyrRX6RtykQ2ENeqfL6LJMylSEKmh4dYPDrG6wYJJwRoADI6g0NKjDOvu3n25AUf18wClbiHO8tbBOYz0JpeIIDzrMRBriPOt8Ux7id9-4EPvMozpK61UUnDuUFgjOUsd/s1600-h/6Mar2010+Browns+Pt+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBp6ZdSg_adPkyrRX6RtykQ2ENeqfL6LJMylSEKmh4dYPDrG6wYJJwRoADI6g0NKjDOvu3n25AUf18wClbiHO8tbBOYz0JpeIIDzrMRBriPOt8Ux7id9-4EPvMozpK61UUnDuUFgjOUsd/s640/6Mar2010+Browns+Pt+064.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Mt. Rainier, taken on the way home, about two miles from our house.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKyY54z22PeJpG3fvmTdNg6BoYWcP0dfqc3AImEilqgpxFXp3Ww-g6QX7hzKVQh_FwuCvaoi1U6ZHOsMjOlAECXZqSe9UyIkKU2Lya6kOW_IIBYGAWMBH3NRudBk4wdydbunnMLQwhNa0/s1600-h/Mt.+Rainier+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKyY54z22PeJpG3fvmTdNg6BoYWcP0dfqc3AImEilqgpxFXp3Ww-g6QX7hzKVQh_FwuCvaoi1U6ZHOsMjOlAECXZqSe9UyIkKU2Lya6kOW_IIBYGAWMBH3NRudBk4wdydbunnMLQwhNa0/s640/Mt.+Rainier+3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />On the home we stopped at a little place called Brown Point Diner. I ordered the maple marinated chicken, pear, pecans and blue cheese crumbles salad, served with a maple vinegarette. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven (or maybe I was starving). It was so good! I ate half of the salad and about 1/4 of the delicious vinegarette. I took the other half home (which I ate it later in the evening).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnLLyIr2GejPDIsTaUNM-4xGcuIVleWvQQ5uSECclMkfRswFBLof7hiWuHeev9FhP9YTqMX9-qqWRAep4ktAmxH2O7JNwAsRajAcDqmv31Jm2Rx9tQ5hh7d77Ru1_dqKny3cgo8B2GmFd/s1600-h/Lunch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnLLyIr2GejPDIsTaUNM-4xGcuIVleWvQQ5uSECclMkfRswFBLof7hiWuHeev9FhP9YTqMX9-qqWRAep4ktAmxH2O7JNwAsRajAcDqmv31Jm2Rx9tQ5hh7d77Ru1_dqKny3cgo8B2GmFd/s640/Lunch2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a very fun afternoon, but I was kind of sorry we didn't get up to the mountain for snowshoeing. Maybe next weekend.</div>

Saturday in pictures

No snowshoeing pictures. By the time I got going it was almost 1 p.m. It's really not worth an hour drive to Mt. Rainier and only have a...

New blog - Health Foodie - a must read

8:32 AM Tukiyooo 0

If you haven't checked out Christina's new blog, <a href="http://www.health-foodie.com/" target="blank">Health Foodie</a>, you have to go check it out now. It's totally amazing and a wonderful read. She's pretty amazing too. Read her "about" story, it's very interesting and just too sweet. Her husband leaves comments on her posts which are fun to read. They're a totally cute couple.<br /><br />Last week<br />Again, not sure why I haven't posted since Wednesday, other than my week was unusually stressful at work. I had a couple presentations which always stresses me out big time. Add numerous other work problems and it was kind of a bad week at work, which of course, always bleeds over into my night eating problem. Not horrible, but not good either. I was up to 177.0 this morning...ugh!<br /><br />I got in three good one-hour walks last week during my lunch hours. It's my new rule to get out of the office during lunch, if it's not raining. I can usually find someone to walk with me. Yesterday it was my 6' 2" coworker with super long legs which meant walking really fast. I kept stopping to take pictures so I could catch my breath. <br /><br />It's strange that even though I work out a lot, five to six times a week for an hour to an hour and a half each time, a good walk up a steep hill wipes me out. There's definitely room for improvement in my physical capabilities. It could also be the twenty pounds I gained that's making it so difficult.<br /><br />Today<br />It's another gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest. Sunny and  a high of 60 today. We're getting ready to head up to Crystal Mountain to try out our new snowshoes we bought last spring. It's suppose to be mostly sunny and right now it's 35 degrees. Perfect snowshoeing weather. I should have some great pictures to post tomorrow. Hopefully get in some good cardio too. <br /><br />Have a great weekend everyone. Eat healthy, get a little exercise and relax!<br />~Diana<br />177.0<br /><br />My post wouldn't be complete without pictures. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Candy in the lunch room right before I left for my walk. There's always something in our lunchroom, cookies, cake, leftover potluck stuff. Most of it doesn't tempt me, but this looked really good. I didn't touch it and it was all gone by the time I was back from my walk.</em></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9Rhu1R7rWKRuLAfomB_DC548FBa3lcsZaxROaSQdnuhox6JP3bVaenrJmRIP63zHShqv0HgHvzSHuZg3RBswszu7iQ7lhOjWieox0QaATbndK6mhmddRyu2WnoYaBuJ3UljPRO6TRbT0/s1600-h/Candy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9Rhu1R7rWKRuLAfomB_DC548FBa3lcsZaxROaSQdnuhox6JP3bVaenrJmRIP63zHShqv0HgHvzSHuZg3RBswszu7iQ7lhOjWieox0QaATbndK6mhmddRyu2WnoYaBuJ3UljPRO6TRbT0/s320/Candy.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A dead tree covered in ivy.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPKei8jHwb8Q4YDY-KfW18CIKarenYa8xdCpU1XYwE5pSxZTyKGNVyxd-qrox2nZdrzeJ9kGfTqN41XVHeOmYs7UZ1hfqQYSvAEiKTa0zMy4GDGJ1LfCbghYOq8K2kCKTGC4oWznJ1cYO/s1600-h/5MAR2010+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVPKei8jHwb8Q4YDY-KfW18CIKarenYa8xdCpU1XYwE5pSxZTyKGNVyxd-qrox2nZdrzeJ9kGfTqN41XVHeOmYs7UZ1hfqQYSvAEiKTa0zMy4GDGJ1LfCbghYOq8K2kCKTGC4oWznJ1cYO/s640/5MAR2010+012.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A picture of Des Moines Creek that runs along the trail. The picture doesn't do it justice.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnDdrD8pzVmTVuf1-9V6m48fbXbQfrf9WP7vuyEIrNUZUIsuDfWwUH-7WTEoMoNYp7CHRtkdF79sJpEhWLB12oejBDbHx-VJhHYRimez0n-WQMp-js0NcVWmT0T70W2dpn3jdFIrIiS3v/s1600-h/Creek2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnDdrD8pzVmTVuf1-9V6m48fbXbQfrf9WP7vuyEIrNUZUIsuDfWwUH-7WTEoMoNYp7CHRtkdF79sJpEhWLB12oejBDbHx-VJhHYRimez0n-WQMp-js0NcVWmT0T70W2dpn3jdFIrIiS3v/s640/Creek2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A miniature of the big trees. This little tree is always little and it's the only one I've seen like this. I'm not sure how they did it, but it's very cool and very pretty.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJLnloop8YSag7atfv1_ttilpkK8x39aXQM4TBf9vuzZ7dH0aIRQHmzLnT38VYVi_mLOzRMXR_-T9A7yhXPwawW79MHq6bXn6m7hieHVMBuZb5bZOanW3rCKMXg2z7ZNrZ_nuyfCcLJFE/s1600-h/Flower+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJLnloop8YSag7atfv1_ttilpkK8x39aXQM4TBf9vuzZ7dH0aIRQHmzLnT38VYVi_mLOzRMXR_-T9A7yhXPwawW79MHq6bXn6m7hieHVMBuZb5bZOanW3rCKMXg2z7ZNrZ_nuyfCcLJFE/s640/Flower+tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The flag that flies in front of the King County Detention Center, along my walk.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-yKT4VrRXXLRkgmOOesWRH2Ao1PMfRKP5LtZA0U6X4oKwetulOoSpYg4A4T_vgPiSkqWv91srRiYxp-Uo5qW9T-wyexInbNi_JZlWxhDceN2bvxqLZEZsUmYaRYv4n9xyBuOjq1mlmLD/s1600-h/Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-yKT4VrRXXLRkgmOOesWRH2Ao1PMfRKP5LtZA0U6X4oKwetulOoSpYg4A4T_vgPiSkqWv91srRiYxp-Uo5qW9T-wyexInbNi_JZlWxhDceN2bvxqLZEZsUmYaRYv4n9xyBuOjq1mlmLD/s640/Flag.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>

New blog - Health Foodie - a must read

If you haven't checked out Christina's new blog, Health Foodie , you have to go check it out now. It's totally amazing and a won...

10 Types of Interviewers - Who might be interviewing you during your job hunt

6:42 AM Anonymous 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/83/ar5c0qm60vgbss1g7p83.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/83/ar5c0qm60vgbss1g7p83.gif" /></a></div>Interviewing for a job comes with several question marks. What do I wear? How should I answer this question? How long will this take? A good job seeker prepares. Take your suit to the cleaners. Think about your answers. Arrive for the interview in plenty of time.<br /><br />But the one factor that can throw everything off is the type of interviewer you get. When you sit down at that table, the interviewer's line of questioning and attitude will change what you say and how.<br /><br />To give you a little extra help, here is a list of 10 types of interviewers you might encounter and how to deal with them.<br /><br />1. Your best friend<br />What to expect: Too much of everything. You walk in the door and the handshake is a little too enthusiastic. The smile is too wide. The conversation is too personal. It's all just too much. This interviewer treats you like a best friend, which is nice, but this style is unnerving because you want to be relaxed without forgetting that you are still on an interview.<br />What to do: Take this approach as a cue that you can be a little less rigid in the interview because the best friend doesn't want an uptight employee. Just remind yourself that the interviewer can be more casual than you because he isn't the one interviewing for the job. Show the interviewer that you're relaxed, but stay professional and don't act like you're actually good friends -- stories about wild parties and your personal life don't belong in the conversation.<br /><br />2. The interrogator<br />What to expect: Question after question after question. The interrogator doesn't come to the interview ready for conversation. He has a list of questions to fire off and you had better be ready to answer them. Don't expect to receive a lot of helpful feedback to gauge how you're doing. Just expect more questions.<br />What to do: Watch episodes of "Law & Order" to prepare. You're going to feel defensive the entire time and might walk away from the interview feeling as if you did something wrong. Once you realize that your interviewer is going to lambaste you with questions, just focus on answering them and don't obsess over reading his reaction. You can try to initiate conversation with a few of your answers, but don't be surprised if those efforts fail. This interviewer wants to hear your answers and see how you handle yourself, so staying calm is the best approach you can take.<br /><br />3. The one who has better things to do<br />What to expect: An interviewer checking her e-mail, looking at you but not paying any attention to what you say. Some people are forced to participate in the interview process even if they have no interest in doing it, so don't take it personally.<br />What to do: Answer the questions and be friendly. Try to hold conversations with this distracted interviewer and hope you can win her over -- hey, it can't hurt to have someone who likes you. But this interviewer either made up her mind before she walked into the room or doesn't intend to give much feedback about you, so do your best but don't take her disinterest personally.<br /><br />4. The inappropriate one<br />What to expect: Cold sweats because you don't know what to do or say. Every once in awhile you will encounter an interviewer who doesn't understand limits. You might hear an inappropriate joke, a personal story that should be reserved for a therapist or a question that delves too deeply into your life. This interviewer probably isn't trying to be inappropriate; he just has no concept of boundaries.<br />What to do: Stay in your comfort zone. Just because this interviewer is ready to cry on your shoulder, don't feel pressured into doing the same. Answer what you want to answer and try to steer the conversation back to pertinent topics, such as the job requirements or your qualifications. The interviewer probably won't realize how off track he is and will follow your lead. Of course, if you think the questions cross a line, then you want to get out of there ASAP.<br /><br />5. The rule follower<br />What to expect: Every interviewing tip you've ever been told. Just like some students never imagine skipping a day of school or not doing homework, some interviewers can't imagine going outside of traditional business interviewing protocol. Boring questions and a stoic demeanor are this interviewer's best friend.<br />What to do: Be the best interviewee you can be. Do you know what your biggest weakness is? Do you know how to give the perfect handshake? Do you plan on wearing a conservative shirt under your jacket? You had better, because these by-the-book practices will earn you high marks.<br /><br />6. The joker<br />What to expect: A comedy routine. Some interviewers have such a good sense of humor that they can't shut it off even when they need to. You'll answer a question and you'll receive a sarcastic comment or a funny aside. This approach isn't inherently bad, but it can confuse you because you're not sure if the interview has even begun.<br />What to do: After a few minutes, you'll realize that your interviewer is a joker. If this personality bugs you, you probably won't like working for the company. If it doesn't bother you too much, then try to play along. Joke back and show that you have a personality. For some interviewers, your résumé proved your qualification; the interview is their chance to see if you fit in with the gang.<br /><br />7. The weirdo<br />What to expect: Strange behavior. We all know odd people, but we often forget that these odd people hold day jobs. And some of them are bosses or hiring managers who conduct interviews. Therefore we shouldn't be surprised when we're interviewed by a peculiar person who has macaroni art hanging in her office or who asks, "Who is your favorite member of the A-Team?"<br />What to do: Just go with it. Unless the weird factor transitions into creepy or offensive, you should just answer the questions and ignore oddities. If the questions and rapport are professional, but the interviewer is working on her origami, stay focused on the interview. She probably has no idea she's doing anything strange and is paying attention to you.<br /><br />8. The no-nonsense one<br />What to expect: Tough love. This interviewer doesn't believe in sparing your feelings. He's honest and will waste neither his nor your time.<br />What to do: Brace yourself. This interviewer will say that he's not sure you're qualified or that he fears you won't fit in with everyone. Prove him wrong with evidence that you are perfect for the job. He won't respect someone who cowers, so be just as firm with him.<br /><br />9. The blank slate<br />What to expect: No feedback. The blank slate is an interviewer whose face remains unchanged for the duration of the meeting. You won't see any hint that the interview is going well – or badly.<br />What to do: Don't try to break the interviewer's façade. If you spend the interview looking for clues that you said the right or wrong thing, you'll be miserable. Answer the questions, be yourself and stay composed. Your instinct will be to think that you're bombing, but you never know with the blank slate, so don't let yourself analyze the situation too much.<br /><br />10. The mafia<br />What to expect: An intimidating group. Every group interview is an ordeal. The interviewers might be lovely, horrible or a mix, but you still have several sets of eyes staring at you.<br />What to do: Try to relax. That seems like impossible advice, but it's the best approach. When you have multiple interviewers, you will see several types of interviewers, so you can't try to please everyone. Try to be yourself and find the interviewers that seem the most responsive to you. When you see someone nodding in agreement or maintaining eye contact, you'll feel more at ease and the nerves will begin to disappear.<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

10 Types of Interviewers - Who might be interviewing you during your job hunt

Interviewing for a job comes with several question marks. What do I wear? How should I answer this question? How long will this take? A good...

What Jobs Fit With Your Major?

6:27 AM Anonymous 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/qw/ar5c0zk6yqlw86knfkqw.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kt="true" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/qw/ar5c0zk6yqlw86knfkqw.gif" /></a></div>Choosing a major has always been a sore spot for college students. Now, with the job market in flux, it's more important than ever that you declare a major in a field that you not only enjoy, but that will offer many employment opportunities after graduation. <br /><br />According to the Job Outlook 2010 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire about 7 percent fewer new graduates during 2009-10 than they did in 2008-09. A few majors, however, are in demand; the top five are finance, accounting, mechanical engineering, business administration and management, and electrical engineering. <br /><br />If you're graduating this year and looking for a career to fit within your major, check out some of these options and what the entry-level salary is, according to SalaryExpert.com.<br /><br />Major: Education<br />If you major in education, you'll study how people learn and how best to teach them. You'll acquire skills such as how to set up and manage a classroom, create and teach inspiring lessons, and help students succeed no matter what their age, background or learning style. <br /><br />· Elementary, middle or high school teacher: Provide children with a well-rounded education, covering all subjects in order to prepare students for college or employment. Starting salary: $35,719 - $36,195<br /><br />· Adult educator: Teach a variety of subjects to adults in places such as community colleges, adult high schools or university extension programs. Starting salary: $31,679<br /><br />· Preschool teacher: Introduce young children, usually age 3 to 6, to the world of school. Use games, storytelling and other activities to help kids expand language and vocabulary, improve social skills and learn basic science and math concepts. Starting salary: $27,805<br /><br />Major: Engineering<br />Typically, engineering majors choose a concentration, of which there are many: civil, chemical, electrical, mechanical – the list goes on. Most disciplines use science and math to solve practical problems and help create things. Your career options will be based on the specific area you study. <br /><br />· Urban and regional planner: Develop plans and programs for land use and physical facilities in towns, cities, counties and metropolitan areas with your civil engineering degree. Starting salary: $46,269<br /><br />· Electronics engineer: Design, develop and test a wide range of electronic equipment, from CD players to global positioning systems with your electrical engineering degree. Starting salary: $59,131<br /><br />· Game design and development professional: Learn all the technical skills necessary to create electronic games with your degree in computer software engineering. Starting salary: $44,211<br /><br />Major: Foods, Nutrition and Wellness Studies<br /><br />Foods, nutrition and wellness studies majors learn about food and its effect on our health, as well as about food preparation and safety, nutritional education and more. <br /><br />· Dietician and nutritionist: While their job duties vary, dieticians and nutritionists share a common goal, which is to educate others on proper nutrition. They might develop a meal program for hospital patients, advise clients on how to lose weight or oversee food preparation. Starting salary: $41,592 and $36,282<br /><br />· Chef: There are several types of chefs, from preparation to executive, but the majority spends their time planning menus and creating meals in a variety of settings. Starting salary: $35,538<br /><br />· Food scientist: These folks research foods and develop new ways to preserve and package them. Starting salary: 37,898<br /><br />Major: Forensic Science<br /><br />Forensic science majors study science and criminal justice. They learn how to analyze evidence such as blood or DNA, plus how to apply it in a court of law.<br /><br />· Crime laboratory analyst: Also called forensic scientists, analysts search for, collect, photograph and analyze physical evidence from crime scenes to help others piece together criminal investigations. They also provide expert options in court, if necessary. Starting salary: $39,568<br /><br />· Detective: In a nutshell, detectives solve crimes, from robberies to homicides. To do so, they dig up facts, look for clues, interview people and collect evidence pertaining to each case. Starting salary: $37,461<br /><br />· Clinical laboratory technologist: These folks might have a focus on forensic chemistry. Clinical laboratory technologists examine body fluids and tissue for signs or problem or disease. In this field, they are useful in determining toxicology on victims. Starting salary: N/A<br /><br />Major: History<br />History majors learn about and interpret things from the past, from objects to written documents. They look at major events or people from history and study the effects they have on today's world. <br /><br />· Historian: Look for clues from the past and help make sense of it all for other people, making the connection between the world as it was and the world as it is. Starting salary: $37,151<br /><br />· Archivist: Archivists can work in a variety of business settings, but your primary role is to keep and file permanent records and historical documents. Some archivists also get involved on research projects. Starting salary: $44,741<br /><br />· Conservator: To protect and preserve is your motto, and it's what you'll do with all the precious items you come across. Your job is to take historic objects and artifacts and restore them to their former glory. Starting salary: $25,348<br /><br />Major: Marketing<br />Marketing majors learn how to figure out what people want, and how to create and sell products and services that will fulfill those desires. <br /><br />· Market and survey researcher: Find out what people think by designing and conducting surveys via the Internet, mailed questionnaires or telephone interviews, and analyze the results to figure out what the public wants and needs. Starting salary: $43,485<br /><br />· Meeting and event planner: Plan and oversee meetings, conventions and other events for business, organizations or individuals, working within a set budget to meet your clients' goals. Starting salary: $46,898<br /><br />· Public relations specialist: Promote and represent your clients, whether they are individuals or companies, by writing press releases, pitching story ideas or coordinating media interviews. Starting salary: $39,684<br /><br />By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer<br /><br /><a class="addthis_button" href="http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=rockfordlink"><img alt="Bookmark and Share" height="16" src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/v2/lg-share-en.gif" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" width="125" /></a><script src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/250/addthis_widget.js#username=rockfordlink" type="text/javascript"></script>

What Jobs Fit With Your Major?

Choosing a major has always been a sore spot for college students. Now, with the job market in flux, it's more important than ever that ...