Eat What You Love: One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner

Dinner for Monday night was this DELICIOUS take on a traditional St Patty's Day favorite - basically meat/cabbage/potatoes. <br /><br />The meal came from my Eat What You Love cookbook by Marlene Koch. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctzzzglrVr3L_BpnAGVQDABQHvINAoMH8kWL7JSlofL9RhYeMtmj_xYwNH4Y7qHATaf4GGREd-_qVhVTc0E7jSeh8g3Fg7BvL-zUBdGKvdnlQx4UjicyLpeD6rwrNJA6ZHXZzKx5tud8/s1600/eatwhatyoulove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhctzzzglrVr3L_BpnAGVQDABQHvINAoMH8kWL7JSlofL9RhYeMtmj_xYwNH4Y7qHATaf4GGREd-_qVhVTc0E7jSeh8g3Fg7BvL-zUBdGKvdnlQx4UjicyLpeD6rwrNJA6ZHXZzKx5tud8/s200/eatwhatyoulove.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><br /><br />On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is "delicious/I would totally make this again" and 1 is "gross/bland/boring - never making this again", my rating is:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"><b> 5 out of 5!</b></div><div style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp7H_JEZ1UIZpgyv85W6h7HtIFUqSx1N_3BrXXTmTvRYArBTfJ6OzfYCNscVvt_hor7cBvqw2wf6aIvFltXvDZzH-X11WVIfiD49P2k4PaQpBGUbSsB574atHKISH4ZgfECSCNT255lU/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp7H_JEZ1UIZpgyv85W6h7HtIFUqSx1N_3BrXXTmTvRYArBTfJ6OzfYCNscVvt_hor7cBvqw2wf6aIvFltXvDZzH-X11WVIfiD49P2k4PaQpBGUbSsB574atHKISH4ZgfECSCNT255lU/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><u><b>One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner</b></u><b> </b><b><i>(7 Points+)</i></b><br /><i><b>Ingredients:</b></i><br /><ul><li>1 small onion, thickly sliced</li><li>1 cooked turkey kielbasa sausage link (1 pound pkg) sliced into 1" slices (I used Butterball turkey kielbasa)</li><li>5 medium red potatoes (3/4 pound), sliced thick</li><li>1 Tbsp brown mustard</li><li>1 c. light apple juice (1/2 c. apple juice with 1/2 c. water) (I used Mott's for Tots - comes in a smaller size bottle than the generic brands, but is the same exact nutrition stats!)</li><li>1 tsp caraway seeds</li><li>6 c. shredded cabbage</li></ul><br /><i><b>Directions:</b></i><br /><ol><li>Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 min.  Add the kilebasa and cook for 2 more minutes, or until kielbasa and onions are browned.  Add the potatoes to the pot.<br /></li><li>In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and apple juice.  Pour over the sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with the caraway seeds and stir.<br /></li><li>Pile the cabbage on top of the sausage, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.  Makes 6 servings.</li></ol>

Eat What You Love Weight Watcher Recipes Eat What You Love: One-Pot Turkey Sausage Dinner

Dinner for Monday night was this DELICIOUS take on a traditional St Patty's Day favorite - basically meat/cabbage/potatoes.  The meal ca...

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GREECE, THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE EU?

<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">C<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">ould it be that GREECE is just the scapegoat for the entire political mismanagement of the EUROPEAN UNION? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Food for Thought </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Views and opinion voiced by common people of different educational backgrounds and social levels.</span></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li> <span style="font-size: large;">Theoretically speaking a country cannot default, the entire process is superficial. If you take into consideration that almost 90% of the entire worldwide money transactions are no physical, one has to question the entire monetary system.    </span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">The entire worldwide monetary system, with its speculators, stock exchanges and rating agencies all in all is a big gambling machine politicians and the establishment uses to play on the cost of the common people.     </span></li></ul><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">GREECE’S default will only unleash the genie that will haunt all of EUROPE </span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">GREECE’S default creates a even stronger rift in EUROPE between left  versus right and integration  versus disintegration</span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to EUROPE’S shortsighted technocratic politicians, the downward spiral of the continent is turning faster.</span></li></ul><ul style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><li><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: large; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Lack of long-term visions and the need of migration will turn EUROPE into a massive poor “Old People’s Home”</span></li></ul><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">        </span></div>

GREECE, THE SCAPEGOAT OF THE EU?

C ould it be that GREECE is just the scapegoat for the entire political mismanagement of the EUROPEAN UNION?  Food for Thought  Views and op...

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Going to hell in a handbasket

I haven't blogged for so long that when I went to sign in this morning I hesitated for a moment because I couldn't remember my password. I've thought about blogging, but when things aren't going well, I don't like to blog about it.<br /><br />I had been blogging for months about how poorly I'm doing with trying to lose weight. Same shit, different day. I know it must be boring to read, and it sure is boring to write about too.<br /><br />I was called this at 3:40 a.m. today with a severity one work issue. Sev 1's mean it has to be resolved within 30 minutes or a conference phone bridge is opened, and managers and directors from several areas of IT get on the bridge. It's not at all fun. In fact, it's downright stressful to the bone. Especially when you're the one in the hot seat trying to resolve the problem. In the past two weeks, I've had five Sev 1 calls, and several sev 2's (almost as bad, but not quite). That's unheard of, but it happened. The problem this morning turned out to belong to another team. Thank you Jesus. Really, I mean it.<br /><br />About the diet and exercise, well, since I haven't been blogging it should be obvious that it's not going well. In fact, it's going horrible. Each day I get up with new resolve, and each day I fail. A lot of my problems are coming from work. I have added responsibilities since two people left our team (without added pay, I might add). The responsibilities aren't temporary until more people are hired, they are permanent (did I mention no additional pay). It adds a whole new layer of stress at my work, and I see it coming out in my eating and exercise habits.<br /><br />I don't have time for snacks at work. I barely have time for lunch and definitely no time for a walk at lunch. I'm so exhausted that my six days of working out have fallen to three. I haven't tracked my food, although I try to eat healthy most of the time, I'm still eating too much. I have eaten candy and cookies in the last week, which is something new for me. In the past three and half years my binge foods have been chicken breasts or too much fruit or something else relatively healthy. <br /><br />The only thing that might save me is I have vacation starting Thursday. I'm going to Fairbanks to see my sister (and the rest of the family, but mainly my sister). My niece (my brother's daughter) and her family are flying up from New Jersey on July 4. I haven't seen her in over twenty years. Long story about my brother's first marriage, and now his daughter wants to reconnect with the family. I've talked to her and her husband on the phone several times in the past two weeks, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her and meeting her husband and 10-year old daughter in person.<br /><br />I spent a lot of time one summer in 1974 with her mother (my brother's first wife and his best one...he's on #3 now) while my brother was working up on the North Slope in Alaska (trans-Alaska pipeline days). We had a blast together that summer. Tammy, my niece, sounds exactly like her mother. <br /><br />Anyway, the good thing about the trip is binge eating isn't an option at my sister's house. Plus it'll be a distraction from work, which I desperately need. I'll be gone for twelve days. Woohoo!<br /><br />In the meantime, starting today, I'm going to get back on the straight and narrow. It's 4:40am and I'm going to get off the computer and get dressed for the gym, and be there when they open at 5am.<br /><br />Today I'm going to drink all my water, even if that means I'll have to go to the bathroom a lot. I've even stopped drinking water because I don't have time. Wow, that sounds really crazy and insane when I write it. Too busy to drink water? This has got to stop. Now. Here. Today. I have to come first, the job has to come second.<br /><br />Last thing, I haven't weighed in days. That's never a good sign. I'll get on the scales this morning, and document my weight. I'm pretty sure it's up since my size 16's felt snug yesterday. A sure sign things are amiss.<br /><br />Tonight, I'll make time to read some blogs. That's another thing I stopped doing. Another sure sign things are going to hell.<br /><br />New day, new attitude. I'm not going down without a fight. :)

Going to hell in a handbasket

I haven't blogged for so long that when I went to sign in this morning I hesitated for a moment because I couldn't remember my passw...

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Weigh In & New Gym

After a week of not weighing in, I finally bit the bullet and hopped on the scale on Friday to find a gain of only a pound.  I'll take this gain of only a pound after allllll the eating out I've done and the lack of gym attendance as well.<br /><br />Joel and I made it to the gym twice last week and as of today we're officially members at Gold's Gym!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/golds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/golds.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I'm happy to not only get myself back into a routine, but I'm ELATED that Joel is going with me!  I'm happy for him that he can start making positive changes for his health, and I'm happy that the person I love will be spending these grueling moments with me as well.  <br /><br />The HilJoe competition is not over by any means either.  Joel has an unusual work schedule, and getting him to weigh in at the same time as me has been a llittle difficult.  So we're going to work something out to ensure that our weigh in's continue to be as fair as possible.  Stay tuned as we're going to revamp our competition now!

Gain goals HJ Competition Weight Loss Weigh In & New Gym

After a week of not weighing in, I finally bit the bullet and hopped on the scale on Friday to find a gain of only a pound.  I'll take t...

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She’s Here!!!

<p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#ff00ff" size="5">Adelyn Marie</font></p> <p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#ff00ff" size="5">Arrived 6.21.2011 at 4:34 am</font></p> <p align="center"><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#ff00ff" size="5">10lbs 2 3/4oz * 22in long</font></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzUbqNdU_0bban9LCYJx4SCZATRyhHTRbbQRGhPMjb_QY1tudktJipX1kYcoxenD6HV4JtkzBuesDsEuhwaHDN-91i-TA40Qh-tCj58X2TfTDWxMf9abYko6p6yAdkmevDCVV_6JNux4h/s1600-h/DSC00065%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="DSC00065" border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqhyEje3RGdIQMmxf4mk4FCjAIzbcTocFooYDPpIrNoUTke3Y0f1r2yABV-asdoooeLJEDCvdr4FrcJRkMuabdYfbw8JQUJZPbuXkBqjDez1GpZsD1wP5e6MmzrT6tmoWb-RsHTXs5C9k/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="DSC00065" width="404"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8zZWtnw5ROoJknRkkwNV1g4eJ-4yUkx8n2aeDtc8D_nK4M1CoawQRhOaJQEy-VDYU0jmGXAfvaUUeE-Le6pBCgdxLCny1RQ8xotSmL9Hb6QS3ijcsqJaoyp5WwFEnoUPlSO8AfuXhmCc/s1600-h/_DSC5370%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="_DSC5370" border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vTbV0zRMRoXRJqeNB5B3zHPUNVa59CsNG5jJFjIOawfzzNmVZ6wN2ZS15F3wZkDIOwJ27sL3Y4Q6qXGgn72E-oPFKgwb8KeBiIDh0a8-7i1PFpWapgGTII-BpEFfDByV-4TAf0AtzY0Q/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="_DSC5370" width="404"></a></p> <p>More to come soon!!</p>

She’s Here!!!

Adelyn Marie Arrived 6.21.2011 at 4:34 am 10lbs 2 3/4oz * 22in long More to come soon!!

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What do you get from being a Premium Member?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i>Submitted by Deb Avery</i></span><br /><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In this first blog post, let's look at how being a Premium Member can benefit you.  Look at the  BENEFITS tab to see what you will gain by being a Premium Member.  You'll see that Schoolnet SA makes a  commitment to you</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">"As a premium member we will focus our attention on you to ensure that you will grow professionally....and its all free!"</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-ZA" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But - what does this really mean?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Teachers who have signed up as Premium Members obviously want to grow and develop their ability to integrate ICTs into their teaching.</span></span></div></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Schoolnet offers some excellent face-to-face courses, and many members will have benefitted from these. You may still want the opportunity to participate in one or more of the courses. But for many members, the need is to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">develop specific skills</b>, in order to take their teaching to a new level. Our aim is to find out what those specific needs are and to provide short interventions like webinars, podcasts, “how to” videos and access to lesson and project ideas, amongst other ideas.  For example, here is a photo of the 'Schoolnetters' being trained by Gerald Roos to deliver the Getting Started course. This session was held in Johannesburg in 2010. </span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeiFDNlDLGUEROBMXHhGpH1TLTMwGEE_4julLULpO1yR_5DLs2L2Pr6PmXPcBa1pMkEY67fKaVX-1-HK5KlfytkAwNepF1lkWGDK6Q-iCJoqRxc91ZbdmyxelUFcCa78Rn9TlStVzo78/s1600/DSC_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A second thrust will be to help overcome the “loneliness of the only ICT integrator” that some of us feel in schools. In many schools, the ICT integrator is tolerated, sometimes encouraged, but seldom understood. Through the Premium Member group, we will all have the opportunity to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">share ideas with other like-minded educators</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">network</b> together. This could include discussions on topics of general interest – like “Should learners be allowed to use cellphones in class?”; discussions involving special interest groups, like Art teachers for example; or discussions between teachers who are in the same geographical area and are able to support each other more closely. This could also include inter-classroom collaboration between different schools or classes who have Premium Members on the staff. SchoolNetSA has a great 'family' scattered all over South Africa. Here are some of them gathered at a conference in Cape Town. </span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXgJvwZHBA3FkTsCpas4K9behZDLBiDI1FploMcqlR_rPH6Orr53Jyth0O5RK0gURVEFRtnw4L1volbQ3cQR4aMf627bOIGRofjd_0Ay3pkHw7rMPdq8HvI7CADS2wvqvBGVcrwjn8q4/s1600/Intel_TEO_059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Providing resources to help each Premium Member to develop their own <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Personal Learning Network (PLN)</b> is going to be one of the benefits. A PLN can be defined as “the entire collection of people with whom you engage and exchange information, usually online.” We will devote a blog post to this in the near future and hope to have some webinars and interventions to help you develop your own PLN.</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Internet is full of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">resources</b> for teachers to use – lesson plans, ideas, games, projects, new tools – sometimes there is so much that the mind boggles! As a Premium Member you will have access to some resources that have been reviewed by other Premium Members and rated as worth looking at. You can follow Schoolnet on Facebook and Twitter to access these resources, and we encourage you to add to the discussion threads. </span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are also collecting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">local resources</b> to share – good ideas from South African teachers. You are encouraged to add to the Library of useful materials that can help other teachers develop excellent classrooms.</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then there are the practical things – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">early notification</b> and preferential booking for SchoolNet events, newsletters and access to the blog</span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At this stage, we don’t really know what the members want in the way of interventions. We will only know this if all members participate in surveys, discussions and interventions. We also know that it is necessary for enough people to be involved to make the group really work. Market research shows that a critical mass of members needs to participate in order to make a group viable. So you need, not only to participate, but to encourage other colleagues and friends to join and participate. Don’t be a “lurker” – one of those who look but never respond. Please join in the discussions, the interventions, the collaboration and the sharing. </span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span lang="EN-ZA"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then you will gain the full BENEFIT of being a Premium Member.</span></span></div></div>

premium membership What do you get from being a Premium Member?

Submitted by Deb Avery In this first blog post, let's look at how being a Premium Member can benefit you.  Look at the  BENEFITS tab to ...

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Why Hello There :)

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br /><div>I'm baaaccccckkkkk! <br /><br />(Warning: this is a long one - I didn't intend for this to go on and on but alas, that's what happened... read on if you wish :) )</div><div><br /></div><div>Hello friends!  I hope you don't think I fell off the wagon, because I didn't!  Here's a little catch up for ya:</div><div><br /></div><div>Last Wednesday Joel & I finally moved!  Need I explain anymore as to why I've been absent??  :)  Those of you who have moved know how busy your life becomes when an event like this occurs.  </div><div><br /></div><div>Not only did I move, but I'm still in school and that has also been keeping me extremely busy.  If I wasn't unpacking, then I was doing school work.  If I wasn't doing either of those two during my blogger absence, then I was making a trip to PA for my little cousin's high school graduation party.  I spent less than 24 hours in PA - I had so much to do with unpacking and schoolwork that I could hardly afford any more time away from home.</div><div><br /></div><div>I finally made it back to work on Tuesday and have been busy at work ever since.  My evenings have been spent hitting the new gym and trying to blow through this school work.  But the fun doesn't stop there folks!  This weekend I'll be making another trip back to the "Motherland" for a wedding, and this time the trip will be 6 hours rather than 4.  *sigh*</div><div><br /></div><div>ANYHOW, what is this blog supposed to be about?  Oh yeah, my weight loss shenanigans. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew this move would be tough on the eating habits.  With every move comes eating out - lots and lots of eating out.  You're spending so much time unpacking, there isn't time to hit up the grocery store.  And so Joel and I ate out a LOT over the last several days, and I'm SO happy for that to come to an end!  I finally have my own kitchen again, and I'm looking forward to planning meals again and cooking at home and getting back in to some sort of routine.  I'm craving routine and healthy food ASAP!  I'd like to get some rough meal plan established in the next several days so that come Sunday (when returning from the wedding)  I can get to the grocery store and get some things purchased and made for the work week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joel and I got a free 7 day pass to Gold's gym, which is the closest gym to our condo.  I've been there twice so far and I like it.  It's certainly not my cute, personable gym from Maryland where they call you by name, but it will do the job for sure.  There is no shortage of machines and there is a larger variety, which is nice.  Joel is going to start attending regularly now and that is also an added bonus.  </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though I've been attending a gym regularly since November, I still found myself extremely intimidated when even THINKING about walking in to Gold's.  In fact, I wasn't even pushing the issue with Joel to get there immediately following the move because I was nervous.  Isn't that odd?  I mean, almost every gym has the same basic equipment and layout - it's not like it's a foreign concept to me.  Cardio equipment over there, weights and machines over here.  Bada bing, bada boom - no big deal right?  I developed such a comfortable routine at the MD gym, and I wasn't self conscious when I walked in there, despite all the meat-heads walking around.  But walking in to Gold's, even with Joel by my side, was still, quite frankly, frightening.  The gym is huge, WAY more people attend there, and they're all skinny minnies and I feel that all they look at when they see me is another overweight person who will most likely fail.  :(  They don't know that I've been diligently working out since November!  They just don't know me... </div><div><br /></div><div>The first day was hard, and I made it through.  I hopped up on the elliptical, same exact one as I've been using since college and at the MD gym, and got to work - same routine, different location!  I just kept telling myself "Hilary, it's just a different surrounding - you know what you're doing!"  When I went back yesterday, it was a little bit easier - the nerves weren't AS strong as they were the first day.  I hope that as each visit passes, the nerves become less and less until they are nonexistent.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div><br /></div><div>I have to remember why I'm working out.  It's not just for weight loss, it's to change my life for the better so that I can hopefully have a long and healthy future ahead of me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Your thoughts?</div>

Exercise Random Weight Loss Thoughts Weight Loss Why Hello There :)

I'm baaaccccckkkkk! (Warning: this is a long one - I didn't intend for this to go on and on but alas, that's what happened... re...

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Backstage Moments...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtiVIRDgZ7eG-6W72b470tGwzVgdfke4ZK4iE9F126-I_elDntT3l_dZDTU1WgESOOd-lbn4PHNIN_VQYnDuh8ExI_naydXwT6rafhBYcbmJUEajYvw3C6bv4d_ngS2My7ESF7lg7crh5/s1600/marilyn+itch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtiVIRDgZ7eG-6W72b470tGwzVgdfke4ZK4iE9F126-I_elDntT3l_dZDTU1WgESOOd-lbn4PHNIN_VQYnDuh8ExI_naydXwT6rafhBYcbmJUEajYvw3C6bv4d_ngS2My7ESF7lg7crh5/s400/marilyn+itch.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allan 'Whitey' Snyder and Marilyn Monroe on <i>The Seven Year Itch</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I routinely scour the Internet</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> for pictures to go along with my my blog posts here and, in the process, I've come upon many interesting photos that I haven't used. I thought it might be fun to post a few of those taken on movie sets along with a little bit of movie lore (and other "extras"). </span></span><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1UAlpT2f2BJIi2dN6ugVTqz3baMfEXf6kKZwvRcOuvifFyTgPw5JBEf_WHBcwL8MsD36vTKUJlb3kArnGGymxoSFyByuZBdjIe9eoxmef4g4N4IyZzqHNukL4-D1U9Thlo_mhIOaikON/s1600/BillyWilderMarilynMonroe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1UAlpT2f2BJIi2dN6ugVTqz3baMfEXf6kKZwvRcOuvifFyTgPw5JBEf_WHBcwL8MsD36vTKUJlb3kArnGGymxoSFyByuZBdjIe9eoxmef4g4N4IyZzqHNukL4-D1U9Thlo_mhIOaikON/s320/BillyWilderMarilynMonroe.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilder, Marilyn & a $4.6 mil. dress</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Above, Marilyn Monroe's makeup artist, Allan 'Whitey' Snyder, prepares her for a famous scene in <i>The Seven Year Itch</i> (1955).<i> </i></span><span style="font-size: small;">Marilyn was basking in the early glow of international fame when she began work on the Billy Wilder comedy<i> </i>in 1954. Her popularity had been firmly established with her co-starring turns in <i>Gentlemen Prefer Blondes </i>(1953) and <i>How to Marry a Millionaire</i> (1954) and, at the time she started on her first film with Wilder, she was newly married to baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio. Legend has it that Joe stood on the sidelines watching as Wilder shot - and re-shot - takes of Marilyn's famous subway grate scene. Filming took place on the streets of New York and a crowd had gathered to watch. The slugger reportedly stormed off the set, incensed by the cheers and whistles of onlookers that erupted each time Marilyn's skirt blew skyward.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><a name='more'></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHMVNVF7Fy8flKvgMWyVpAZIIwa4kDq1QNrfuVCHYr1W-bTJAbf1vUNTDmCTCI6bIjkF_BonvOR_eb9zHW0EJqKhHZbO1f1sjWAlhxQIJluulMdOp9EpvSr9KdUjZAFgxWuaLB8q0leG4/s1600/Breakfast+at+Tiffany%2527s+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHMVNVF7Fy8flKvgMWyVpAZIIwa4kDq1QNrfuVCHYr1W-bTJAbf1vUNTDmCTCI6bIjkF_BonvOR_eb9zHW0EJqKhHZbO1f1sjWAlhxQIJluulMdOp9EpvSr9KdUjZAFgxWuaLB8q0leG4/s320/Breakfast+at+Tiffany%2527s+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Audrey Hepburn, Blake Edwards's back and George Peppard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Monroe's marriage to DiMaggio failed in nine months, but her star continued to rise with films like Josh Logan's critically acclaimed <i>Bus Stop </i>(1956) and Billy Wilder's über-classic <i>Some Like it Hot </i>(1959). In 1961, Blake Edwards took on the </span>film adaptation of Truman Capote's novella, <i>Breakfast at Tiffany's</i>. The novelist wanted Marilyn Monroe to be cast as Holly Golightly, the heroine of his tale. But Monroe balked, she worried that the role of a freewheeling party girl might have a negative impact on her career.</span><br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbfw5VuPGmYbqJIoatEYgHoNKzZDf8EEHuWQgop4A9HksEk635Sal_4fejmxLDzWmNiD7-MTeDhyphenhyphenDyxkvzNaoNHARQI1dxQemkaHVP1N8F3FYWCuuTMjV4gBXOf47sUcOmqfSOmL9F7im/s1600/Breakfast+set+with+guitar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbfw5VuPGmYbqJIoatEYgHoNKzZDf8EEHuWQgop4A9HksEk635Sal_4fejmxLDzWmNiD7-MTeDhyphenhyphenDyxkvzNaoNHARQI1dxQemkaHVP1N8F3FYWCuuTMjV4gBXOf47sUcOmqfSOmL9F7im/s320/Breakfast+set+with+guitar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audrey taking guitar lessons on the set</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Enter Audrey Hepburn, Oscar-winning star of </span><i style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Roman Holiday </i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(1950) who took the part of Holly Golightly and went on to make it one of her signature roles. The film provided what has become the iconic vision of Audrey Hepburn - upswept 'do, Givenchy gowns, waif-in-Manhattan persona - with or without sunglasses. The film co-starred newcomer George Peppard as Holly's love interest - but many were considered for the part. It has been said that Steve McQueen was up for the role...to quote Holly, "the mind reels."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Breakfast at Tiffany's </i>won Oscars for its score and theme song, "Moon River," a Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer tune. </span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1JfS90u-1g8" width="425"></iframe></div><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetBlvYfHo8hQysnRssbou4nl8ljvlNz4QQw5HQYsyVFrSv1MmSV1-mXMA4konhupZMTSqL6uFruzeFmWLHvbWj7luIhQC3R654rH-j-TqAD6qh_jD4CYbDID52ZLjatn2suhkbp_BMqZ8/s1600/curtis+rosemary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetBlvYfHo8hQysnRssbou4nl8ljvlNz4QQw5HQYsyVFrSv1MmSV1-mXMA4konhupZMTSqL6uFruzeFmWLHvbWj7luIhQC3R654rH-j-TqAD6qh_jD4CYbDID52ZLjatn2suhkbp_BMqZ8/s320/curtis+rosemary.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tony Curtis, Mia Farrow, Roman Polanski</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Polish auteur Roman Polanski was known mostly to fans of foreign film and art house patrons before he began making films in the U.S. in 1968. His first full-length feature, <i>Knife in the Water </i>(1962) was Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film and by year's end Polanski was on the cover of <i>Time </i>magazine. His next masterwork, <i>Repulsion</i> (1965), starred 21-year-old Catherine Deneuve. It was illustrious and infamous producer Robert Evans, head of Paramount at the time, who lured Polanski to Hollywood. Their first effort was the trend-setting horror sensation, <a href="http://eves-reel-life.blogspot.com/2010/10/rosemarys-babyroman-polanskis-horror.html" style="color: #990000;"><i>Rosemary's Baby</i></a><span style="color: #990000;"> </span>(1968).  But the film featured no big names in its cast. Mia Farrow (Rosemary) was known only for her role on the prime-time TV soap <i>Peyton Place</i> and as Frank Sinatra's much younger wife. Her co-star, John Cassavetes (Guy, Rosemary's husband) had starred on a TV detective series (<i>Johnny Staccato</i>), been a featured player in several films and was early in his own career as an auteur director. But neither was a star. The many old-timers in supporting roles (Ralph Bellamy, Patsy Kelly, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Elisha Cook Jr.) were far past their prime. The biggest Hollywood name attached to the picture did not appear onscreen or receive a credit...he was a top star from the 1950s through the mid-'60s: Tony Curtis. In <i>Rosemary's Baby </i>he provided the voice of an off-camera character named Donald Baumgart, an actor whose sudden blindness is key in advancing Guy's career. Curtis's voice is heard in the scene in which Rosemary calls to ask about the circumstances surrounding his loss of sight. Farrow apparently didn't know it was Curtis, but his voice sounded familiar and this disconcerted her as she played the scene. It seems that was the effect Polanski was hoping for.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_roz-381zHGBhgFxnMOm9X70vpaHipp2OUA_EcY3IN5oz2xG1eYWb4IbVOCYajbTxMM9KTqGY6VtISeS9OkTcwOs5h2IQWgHtOMF5XhKy3h1eSzFxxZQfE2cfNOjrxhniFdnUTaa7ASD5/s1600/african+queen+new+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_roz-381zHGBhgFxnMOm9X70vpaHipp2OUA_EcY3IN5oz2xG1eYWb4IbVOCYajbTxMM9KTqGY6VtISeS9OkTcwOs5h2IQWgHtOMF5XhKy3h1eSzFxxZQfE2cfNOjrxhniFdnUTaa7ASD5/s320/african+queen+new+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in Africa</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">John Huston's <i>The African Queen</i> (1951) is legendary for many reasons. It was the film for which Humphrey Bogart won his only Best Actor Oscar. It is the one and only teaming of Bogart with co-star Katharine Hepburn, a memorable pairing. The film was shot on location in Africa at a time when such location shoots were relatively rare. The production itself became famous and notorious for what went on off-camera. Clint Eastwood's 1990 <i>White Hunter, Black Heart </i>was a veiled account by writer Peter Viertel (Deborah Kerr's husband) of his experience with Huston and company on that set decades earlier. Even Katharine Hepburn chimed in with her own account - in book form: <u>The Making of the African Queen: Or, How I Went to Africa with Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind</u>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWrwJdc-q-1bGxQK_YzoaHAWH8SHqO_oh7BvhlWtGZwSATPZEGuMKWlVQM8LRCGYD1fofXppkID1Kb2b8tXyaqvCd7Po-0IxGn8Z-RchPbeUeOsOqB9m74P6I8i5k3FEAVrvuLLAJ4qIy/s1600/Bette+and+Willy+on+the+letter+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWrwJdc-q-1bGxQK_YzoaHAWH8SHqO_oh7BvhlWtGZwSATPZEGuMKWlVQM8LRCGYD1fofXppkID1Kb2b8tXyaqvCd7Po-0IxGn8Z-RchPbeUeOsOqB9m74P6I8i5k3FEAVrvuLLAJ4qIy/s320/Bette+and+Willy+on+the+letter+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Wyler and Bette Davis in deep discussion on <i>The Letter</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bette Davis proclaimed loud and 'til the end of her days that William Wyler was her favorite among the directors she'd worked with and the one she respected most...and...the man that got away. The two made three films together, beginning with <i>Jezebel</i> (1938). They'd had a less than meet-cute introduction years earlier when neither was well-known. But by 1938 each was on their way up and with <i>Jezebel</i> they meshed perfectly. Onscreen and off; it was during the making of <i>Jezebel</i> that the two were romantically involved. Their second collaboration was <i>The Letter </i>(1940), an adaptation of Somerset Maugham's play. I think it's the best of their three together (the third was <i>The Little Foxes </i>in 1941) and one of Davis's very best films.<br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjNBbIA3g82ATN7JOvrqWf7yqVrMWc79wzkqSgwPhjogDyVkZSBtpBjKANh-ru20GxxEK8OVmpeIuG3DsnSSgQfRcNw9ZH6C_BdphioyyOEicDGaL8zpHMbQ6tpYbve3LlNKLafcwkNQR/s1600/Vertigo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjNBbIA3g82ATN7JOvrqWf7yqVrMWc79wzkqSgwPhjogDyVkZSBtpBjKANh-ru20GxxEK8OVmpeIuG3DsnSSgQfRcNw9ZH6C_BdphioyyOEicDGaL8zpHMbQ6tpYbve3LlNKLafcwkNQR/s320/Vertigo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim Novak takes direction from Hitchcock on <i>Vertigo</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In 1958, Alfred Hitchcock created what has been called his most personal film, <i>Vertigo</i>. It is certainly my favorite among his long list of brilliant, hypnotic films. Though not a critical or popular success in its day, <i>Vertigo</i> persevered and is now viewed by most as the director's masterpiece of masterpieces.<br /><br />At the time, Hitchcock was grooming Vera Miles as a possible replacement for his muse, Grace Kelly, who had decamped to become Princess Grace of Monaco. But Miles was pregnant by the time <i>Vertigo </i>was ready go into production...and Hitchcock moved on to Kim Novak. <i>Vertigo</i> is the film for which Novak is best known and remembered. Her only regret? That she didn't ask for (as was often customary) the stunning Edith Head-designed white coat she wore in several key scenes...</div><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rHxdPHMsIdk" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For more on the set moments <a href="http://evesreellife.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/moments-on-the-set/" style="color: #990000;">click here</a>...</div>

Breakfast at Tiffany's Rosemary's Baby The African Queen The Lady Eve (author) The Letter The Seven Year Itch Vertigo Backstage Moments...

Allan 'Whitey' Snyder and Marilyn Monroe on The Seven Year Itch I routinely scour the Internet for pictures to go along with my my ...

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Buck up Buttercup

I'm starting to get over the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know I'll get through this thing at work. At least I have some time to figure it out. It's not like I'm suddenly out of work. I really do love the company I work for and the thought of leaving it hurts my heart. Leaving is just one option, there are others. I just have to figure it out. It's at the very top of my list of things I'm worried about. Like I needed another one. <br /><br />My husband and I talked about it today. He kept telling me it would be okay, that we'd figure it out (I think he meant "I'd" figure it out, but he said "we" out of kindness). Even though I know that's true, it will be okay, it's hard to believe it at the moment. <br /><br />I made it to the gym today, after I made a new playlist on my iPod. It wasn't my best workout, but focusing on how fast I could go on the StairMaster really helped, at least for the thirty minutes I was on it.<br /><br />I didn't do weights because all three weight rooms were packed with men. Usually I don't mind that much, and usually it's not that busy. It was 6pm and I couldn't understand why all those young men weren't out on dates on a Saturday night. Anyway, today I just didn't feel like lifting weights surrounded by men. I always wonder why there aren't more women at the gym on Saturday nights. <br /><br />New music really helps with my workouts and my mood. The top five songs are new as of today, then down to 22 were on my May playlist, and the last eight, well, they're from my top 25 most played on my iPod (and yes, Poker Face, Hot Mess and Fake It are there). Fake it. I guess that's what I need to do for now.<br /><br />June 2011 playlist:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfAwAKSY9nSl1q-q_XLDPOQYa4TObIQInT3HTsevwXQFL1kiAVaXCQX-8yR0aFtr999AYMbSfw0Yr56hSo_bMM_lR-YaWsiIkQ-IKJikpuiDjkH4CKBf929nD6ouGoKIP0mgWUhj6NtQr/s1600/playlist.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJfAwAKSY9nSl1q-q_XLDPOQYa4TObIQInT3HTsevwXQFL1kiAVaXCQX-8yR0aFtr999AYMbSfw0Yr56hSo_bMM_lR-YaWsiIkQ-IKJikpuiDjkH4CKBf929nD6ouGoKIP0mgWUhj6NtQr/s640/playlist.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />I know it's probably not what most almost 56-year old women listen to, but this music really helps me keep up the intensity of my workouts.<br /><br />Now if only I can sleep tonight. It's past midnight, and I'm wide awake. For the past week when I do actually fall asleep I've been plagued by nightmares. Last night I was killing animals. I smashed a baby turtle's back and decapitated him (I was crying in my dream), and then I tried to killed an old raccoon with a brick. If you know me at all, I love animals. I would never, ever harm an animal. I'm the one that stops my car on the street for a squirrel to cross, backing up traffic. The dreams are vivid and horrible and feel very real. After the baby turtle dream I woke up crying. It was just a dreadful dream, one I can't get out of my head. <br /><br />I guess I have to try to sleep. I wish I could just turn off my brain.

Buck up Buttercup

I'm starting to get over the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I know I'll get through this thing at work. At least I have some...

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Struggling with life / 189.2

This continues to be my theme for the last several months. Today is no different.<br /><br />Yesterday something really awful happened at work. It has to do with me and my future with my company. I'm not fired or anything like that, but my current position will be phased out in about two years. This means I absolutely must make some major decisions about my future. A different career path with the same company (almost 28 years here) or perhaps a different company. I'm almost 56 years old and this is very scary.<br /><br />I've known this was coming for about a year and even though I knew it, I tried not to think about it. Yesterday I decided to have a heart to heart about it with my manager and talk through what we'd briefing touched on in a meeting about a year ago. It did not go well.<br /><br />I left work early and cried all the way home. I still have a lump in my throat and continue to feel I'm right on the edge of crying. She only stated the truth, so I don't fault her. It's something I have to figure out. I have options at work, but I don't like any of them. <br /><br />My sweet husband called me as I was on my drive home. I was stuck in horrible Friday traffic. When he called, I'd been crying, and then burst into tears again. He was very sweet and tried to comfort me, telling me it would all work out. I appreciated it, but this is really my problem, and it's a huge one. I have to figure it out.<br /><br />He came home with flowers and Chinese takeout for dinner. I haven't eaten Chinese food in over three years. It wasn't delicious and even though I ate some of it (beef and broccoli and some chow mein noodles, two steamed pork stickers) it was like I couldn't taste it. I followed it up with two sugar-free Klondike bars. Again, the food was just tasteless.<br /><br />The only positive side effect of me being extremely stressed out and worried is that I don't want to eat. If it's just a little annoyance or general sadness, I want to eat. If I'm happy, I want to eat. If it's a horrific, life-changing event (and this feels like one to me), then I don't want to eat at all. I just feel like I want to curl up and die. <br /><br />It's almost 2pm here and it's 56 degrees with dark skies. It rained all night and looks like it's going to start again any minute. This weather perfectly fits my mood. <br /><br />It's almost like I have analysis paralysis. This situation seems so overwhelming that I can't seem to take the steps to figure it out. Number one of course, is to update my resume. Number two is figure out what the hell I want to be when I grow up.<br /><br />I have to get really serious about losing weight. The thought of looking for a job at my current weight of 189 is horrifying. At least I don't have to start looking today, but I need to start working on a plan now, not two years from now.<br /><br />I'm going to the gym now. I'm sure that will help. First I need to download some new tunes on my iPod. <br /><br />I'll be okay.

Struggling with life / 189.2

This continues to be my theme for the last several months. Today is no different. Yesterday something really awful happened at work. It has ...

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40 weeks

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlffIlstLBmE1YxgpLcm4nq2grqgdxU8TMtHp774Dos7YlYci_7SV88_lfRCPz2SMMhWnTVJ6TbJFfgtOOfU_7I9ONdDARp77wANJh7dTHgJZEXMpGoQ5oTCi1LoIGE6f3LlVuJ4jQtFf/s1600-h/40%252520weeks%252520-%2525206.16.11.jpg"><img alt="40 weeks - 6.16.11" border="0" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1veAO2siIAkhEHNgOFpLERjZZ6vZclaB3Nm700LkmQg7pxFS_aqYZkYxR0S48sbR2_0usP2LoZj8L1yLvXtE17WzH7UqjO5AumGPJpHuss6Yekt3vTNvftTX6P7vUMOK2PrSQ1npablml/?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; float: none; background-image: none; margin: 0px auto; border-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" title="40 weeks - 6.16.11" width="354"></a></p> <p><strong>How Far Along:</strong> 40 weeks</p> <p><strong>Size of baby:</strong> According to babycenter.com Baby Bangert is the size of a small pumpkin and about 20 inches long from head to heel. BUT…I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and they are estimating Baby Bangert at 8 1/2 lbs already!</p> <p><strong>Maternity Clothes:</strong> Pretty much ALL maternity…minus a few t-shirts from the hubby!</p> <p><strong>Gender:</strong> It’s a girl!!! And yesterday (6.16.11, the due date!) we FINALLY picked out her name!! Once she arrives we will share it with everyone. </p> <p><strong>Movement: </strong>She is a busy little girl, too bad she can’t just kick her way out of my tummy! I feel her moving around all throughout the day. I love it though…there is a little life inside me! </p> <p><strong></strong><strong>Sleep:</strong> Eh, it’s better than what it was the past few weeks. I’m up a lot (think potty breaks!), but getting better about being able to fall back asleep. </p> <p><strong>What I miss:</strong> Sleeping on my stomach, a bigger selection of clothes, sleep in general, and buying regular clothes (the maternity section needs to expand)! </p> <p><strong>Cravings:</strong> This week was smores pop tarts, made for a good morning snack!</p> <p><strong>Symptoms:</strong> Feeling well for the most part, just <u><strong>very</strong></u> achy & tired by the end of the the day. And of course very anxious for this little girl to make her arrival. </p> <p><strong>Best Moment this week:</strong> Kyle and I have spent some great time together lately. His homework load has been a lot lighter and to say I’ve been enjoying more time with him is an understatement. Can’t wait till he’s done with school in December! Oh and we got a few new rocker/recliners for our living room! It was time to move on from our “hand me down” chairs we’ve had since before we were married. </p> <p>Today is our 40 week appointment. Not a whole lot to report yet, but hopefully will know more after our appointment this afternoon. If you would have told me 3 weeks ago that I would make it PAST my due date I wouldn’t have believed you. But as everyone tells me, babies have their own agenda! I took the day off today to do a few things and just relax. When I left work yesterday I left as if I wasn’t coming back until after maternity leave, we’ll see if this little girl cooperates! </p>

40 weeks

How Far Along: 40 weeks Size of baby: According to babycenter.com Baby Bangert is the size of a small pumpkin and about 20 inches long f...

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Staying positive: If you keep saying you can't, you probably won't

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/mk/ar5m51479phc2ty7symk.gif?time=1/10/2011%2011:57:34%20am" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://emj.cbdr.com/artieimages/mk/ar5m51479phc2ty7symk.gif?time=1/10/2011%2011:57:34%20am" /></a></div>Let's face it: Staying positive isn't always easy. From job seekers frustrated by rejections to workers dealing with everything from long hours to crabby co-workers, many people are finding it hard to put on a happy face.<br /><br />Yet the ability to see the good side of things can be one of your strongest assets, both for your career and for your well-being. Here, experts explain why and offer tips on staying upbeat.<br /><br />The power of positivity<br /><br />Who would you rather be around each day: a sullen colleague or one with a can-do attitude? Positive people radiate an energy that makes others see them as more competent and likable. Studies also show that optimists tend to be healthier, more creative and better performers.<br /><br />"Companies look to hire and promote employees who can see opportunities in challenging situations," says Lisa Quast, president of Career Woman Inc. in Seattle, Wash., and author of "Your Career, Your Way!" "Managers want employees who bring solutions to problems, not who bring problems and then look to their manager to solve them."<br /><br />A positive attitude also can turn out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. "I often have people come to me for advice on how they can get a raise or promotion," Quast notes. "Those who come with a positive attitude that they are worthy are much more likely to accomplish their goal because their self-talk reinforces that they can figure out a way to make it happen. For those with an attitude of doubt that they will ever get what they want, negativity ends up surrounding them to such an extent that they become demotivated and don't want to go through the steps necessary to map out an action plan to accomplish their goal."<br /><br />This doesn't mean becoming a Pollyanna. "A positive attitude is not the same as living and working in a state of euphoria. That's unrealistic," says Roy Cohen, a career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide." "It's about being upbeat and optimistic and knowing that you'll get through and beat the odds. That's what motivates the team that reports to you, and as a team member that's what inspires your colleagues. When you don't waste time and energy on negative thoughts and behaviors, you'll have the potential to channel all of that 'lost' energy into activities that produce success."<br /><br />Changing your outlook<br /><br />To nurture a positive attitude, Elizabeth R. Lombardo, a psychologist and author of "A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness," suggests:<br /><br /><br />Looking for the good: As a society, we have a tendency to focus on what is wrong, such as what we don't like about our job, what others need to change, what we dislike about ourselves. Instead, try to look at what is going right and what you do like about others and yourself.<br /><br />Finding a purpose: Research shows that when people have a sense of purpose and meaning in their work, they are more positive towards it. What are some of the greater-good elements about your job?<br /><br />Focusing on team-building: Develop bonds with your co-workers. Share a walk around the block during breaks. Have lunch together occasionally. Volunteer as a group to help those who are less fortunate. When we have a sense of belonging to a group, we are more positive and motivated to help that group.<br /><br /><br />"Another way to stay positive at work is to think of yourself as a consultant," Quast says. "Consultants, by nature, are hired to assess the difficult situations and then create and implement action plans for improvement. They are required to remain positive and unbiased (or they risk being fired). By thinking of yourself as an 'internal consultant' you can use this same mental frame of reference to help you stay positive, no matter what the situation."<br /><br />Noelle Nelson, a therapist and author of "The Power of Appreciation in Business," adds that it helps to take the last 15 minutes of the day to organize your workspace for tomorrow. "Jot down a to-do list and tidy your desk. The task will give you closure for the day and help you start tomorrow on the right foot. You also can look over the day's to-do list and feel a sense of accomplishment about what you completed."<br /><br />One final way of developing positivity: hang around like-minded, glass-half-full people. And when you do encounter the most miserable grouch, strive to remain pleasant. "Like energy attracts like energy," Nelson notes. "Your co-worker may not understand what's going on when you no longer get frustrated or angry over his comments or behavior, but after awhile your appreciative attitude will often be reciprocated."<br /><br />By Beth Braccio Hering who writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for CareerBuilder.com. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

Staying positive: If you keep saying you can't, you probably won't

Let's face it: Staying positive isn't always easy. From job seekers frustrated by rejections to workers dealing with everything from...

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Blue Monday

 Why a blue Monday you ask? Well...<br /><br />1. My eating was a off this weekend. I felt like I was starving all weekend and overindulged in healthy foods. I gained almost two pounds. 189.2 this morning. Ugh!<br /><br />2. After an awesome workout Saturday and a lazy day afterwards, I had a ton of chores to catch up on yesterday. I ended the day with some sort of hay fever attack (probably from all the dust as I cleaned like a maniac). <br /><br />3. Because of the hay fever, which I couldn't get under control with Allegra, I took Benadryl (aka knockout drug). When I woke up this morning after a fitful night of nightmares, which included a continuing saga of dead and live mice, I woke up exhausted at 4:45am (my normal get up and get to the gym time). I skipped the gym this morning (shame one me).<br /><br />4. The battle with the slugs continued yesterday. My two hanging baskets by the front door (purchased at Costco), look pretty good. The two I made myself that were pretty when I first hung them actually looked hideous. The flowers were getting smaller instead of larger. I took them down, had a look and they had slugs! Slugs in hanging baskets? I guess I planted slugs with the flowers unless they climbed up the side of the house and jumped into the baskets. Somehow, I don't think so. I replaced several of the flowers (after a trip to the nursery) and right now they're gorgeous again. I also added a dose of the organic slug bait, just in case. The flower beds look good, although I noticed the slug bait has what looks like fuzzy mold growing on it. <br /><br />5. It's Monday and even though I'm not really dreading work, I have a ton of stuff on my plate. I'm just sort of dreading how busy it's going to be today. I'm exhausted from the Benadryl hangover and would really rather go back to bed.<br /><br />6. I want to eat my egg/Canadian bacon/2% sharp cheddar cheese combo on a sandwich thin. I'm going to have a 300 calorie green monster instead. The life of a fat girl I guess.<br /><br />7. It's 52 degrees right now and it's 7:30am. Seriously, I'm so freaking sick of this weather I could scream. The sky is dark gray and of course, we have the promise of "precipitation" today. I want to move back to San Diego. Yes, we have pretty mountains and it's gorgeous green in the Northwest. When the sun shines, it's the prettiest place you've ever seen.  WHEN the sun shines, like almost NEVER.<br /><br />8. I credit the above ranting about the weather and this looney tunes post to the Benadryl. It makes me tired and sad, but it stops the allergies when they go into overdrive like they did last night. I think I need a different drug for hayfever, which I'll ask about at my annual physical in July (which is about five months late).<br /><br />9. Speaking of physical, this isn't going to be fun. I have to have my third mammogram in a year in a half (every six months whether I need it or not due to something they found almost two years ago). I have to have another ultrasound of my thyroid because of the nodules they found a year ago. My blood pressure is up because of my weight so I suspect they'll want to put me back on blood pressure medicine. It's been running around 149/90. Yes, I know, that's terrible. Lastly, I know I'm going to get talked to about my weight. I have a wonderful doctor but she doesn't mince words. Which I actually appreciate that she doesn't pretend the weight is okay, like a lot of doctors do. She'll say something.<br /><br />10. I need to put a smile on my face and get over this feeling. None of this stuff is life threatening (although that blood pressure might kill me). Trying to think happy thoughts. :)

Blue Monday

 Why a blue Monday you ask? Well... 1. My eating was a off this weekend. I felt like I was starving all weekend and overindulged in healthy ...

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Friend Making Mondays: If You Lived in a Movie, Which One Would It Be?

Good Monday Morning Friends!<br /><br />Today is <a href="http://kenlietiggeman.com/2011/06/13/friend-makin-monday-which-character-would-you-be/">Friend Making Monday sponsored by Kenlie at All the Weigh</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://kenlietiggeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FMM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://kenlietiggeman.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FMM1.jpg" /></a></div><br />The question, as you may have already guessed, is which movie would you be if you lived in a movie?  And what character?<br /><br />I would be Kathleen Kelly in <a href="http://youvegotmail.warnerbros.com/">You've Got Mail</a>.  This is one of my favorite movies ever, AND <a href="http://prittygoodbooks.blogspot.com/">I LOVE LOVE reading</a>!  I love the romantic storyline and I also just love Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.  Plus, I also met my boyfriend online and I like that aspect of it too.  It is one of my dreams to own a book store, but I don't feel like I could ever compete with online and giant commercial retailers. Anyway, that's who I would be!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php?id=7867" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.dvdtown.com/images/displayimage.php?id=7867" /></a></div><br />Tell me your favorite movie and character! 

Friend Making Mondays Friend Making Mondays: If You Lived in a Movie, Which One Would It Be?

Good Monday Morning Friends! Today is Friend Making Monday sponsored by Kenlie at All the Weigh . The question, as you may have already gues...

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Weekend update / 187.4

<b>Saturday! </b><br />It's Saturday! I love Saturday. It's my favorite day of the week. It's the first day of the weekend, with thoughts of relaxation and doing what I want, when I want to do it. Well, sort of. It often turns into housework, laundry, shopping for the week, and then collapsing at the end of the day.<br /><br />Last weekend, by the end of the weekend I was drop dead exhausted from cleaning, normal weekend chores, and yard work. Sunday night at 6pm I decided to wash my car, which turned into a two-hour chore. This weekend I plan on doing the bare minimum of housework, and a lot of relaxing. <br /><br />Speaking of  yard work, can someone explain to me why my poor little flowers look stunted from the cold weather, lack of sun, and an over abundance of rain, yet the weeds are more prolific then ever?<br /><br />My hanging baskets, that are usually in their full glory by now, look pretty much the same as when I bought them three weeks ago. I know it doesn't do any good to complain about the weather, but can we at least have a little sunshine and warmth? We've suffered through nine months of dark and rain, and I'm starting to think summer is never going to come to the Northwest.<br /><br />With the nasty weather, the slugs have gone to crazytown. Last weekend I bought some organic, all-natural slug bait. It's not toxic to humans or pets, but it is toxic to the slugs. Later I read to use beer, which I was going to try if the slug bait didn't work. It did and we seem to be free of the little beasts for now. Although I had already picked about 30 of the slimy monsters off my Gerbera Daisies (slugs are so gross!). I put them in the recycle bin where they can much to their hearts content.<br /><br /><b>Great book </b><br />I'm reading a really book, Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. At work I get sent boxes of books every two weeks that were left on board our aircraft by our passengers and were unclaimed. I set them out on a table at work for people to purchase. All the money goes to an employees assistant fund at work. I limit my own purchases to two books per box (there are usually 20-30 books per box).<br /><br />I've seen Lovely Bones come through several times and each time I'd read the back of the book. and think, this sounds way too depressing. It came in again last week and someone saw me looking at it and told me it was one of the best books they've ever read. So I bought it, and I could barely put it down. I'm about three-fourths of the way through it and I don't want it to end. Really good book if you can get through the first chapter (no details, but it's a little disturbing--but the rest of the book makes up for it).<br /><br /><b>Diet and exercise</b><br />Since this is a "weight-loss blog" I should say something about how I'm doing in this area of my life. I'm doing pretty good, not perfect, but much better than the past several weeks. I seem to have pulled out of my depression/pity party I was having for myself. I've been waking up happy and feeling like life is good. I'm not dreading my days or hating my job. Things are much better in all areas.<br /><br />I only tracked my food one day last week, but I ate better than I have in weeks (no sugar). My weight this morning was 187.4. Not fabulous, but at least I'm finally going the other direction.<br /><br />I seem to have gotten a handle on the night eating. It sounds sort of silly to say this, but I made up a rule for myself that seems to be working. When I go to bed, I don't allow myself get up to go eat. In fact, I try to not even go near the kitchen after I go to bed.<br /><br />I don't know why this is working for me or what prompted me to just say enough with the night eating. Stop it. I actually listened to the voice in my head and haven't gotten up in the middle of the night to eat for several nights. I'm not saying it's a guarantee that I won't do it again, but I feel like I'm breaking the cycle I was in. <br /><br />I didn't make it to Weight Watchers today, but I'm going tomorrow morning. There's a 9:30 meeting I plan on attending. It's not my favorite leader, but at least it's a meeting and an official weighin.<br /><br />My exercise was good last week, and it got better as the week progressed. Yesterday was the best workout I've had in weeks. Even though I've been going to the gym or walking almost every day, my heart hasn't been in it. Last week I could feel myself getting my old enthusiasm back. I had a great workout yesterday. Thirty minutes on the StairMaster and a full forty minutes up upper body weights.<br /><br />I've added a little twist to my workouts. I have to try out a new exercise or a new machine at least twice a week and add a challenge for myself at least once a week. Yesterday my challenge was to increase the dumbbell weight for my concentrated bicep curls from 20 pounds to 25. I had been completing three sets, 15 reps each set with the 20-pound dumbbell. I knew it was getting too easy, but I've been lazy and not interested in challenging myself. Yesterday I tried three sets of 12 reps each with the 25-dumbbell. It was hard, especially by the third set, but I did it!<br /><br />I'm feeling very hopeful and happy. Life is good, and it's getting better.

Weekend update / 187.4

Saturday! It's Saturday! I love Saturday. It's my favorite day of the week. It's the first day of the weekend, with thoughts of ...

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Shhhh...

Last week I went on vacation. Because I got to stay at a hotel for six nights, I embraced the fact that I had cable again. Back at home, I have been cable-less for the past nine months. It was worthwhile to do it, but I still missed waking up in the morning and getting my top stories delivered to me on my high-definition TV. On my vacation, as soon as I was awake, the TV was on.<br /><br />I was in an area where the ABC family of networks dominated the TV channel lineup. (If you know who owns ABC, you'll know where I was.) And one of these channels was ESPN. Because it was the only sports channel I got, I was obligated to get my sports news from SportsCenter. So I watched it.<br /><br />As I was on vacation, the Detroit Tigers were on a hot streak. Between May 30 and June 7, the Tigers won 7 of 8, taking series against Minnesota, Chicago, and the reigning AL champion Texas. And because Detroit was playing against higher profile teams, their highlights made it on to SportsCenter amids the 50 minutes they devoted to the NBA Finals and the Ohio State scandal. And when the Tigers were being shown, the anchor or analyst would say, "It looks like the Tigers are on the rise" or "Watch out for the Tigers" or "The team to beat in the Central is Detroit."<br /><br />To which I wanted to say, "SHUT UP!"<br /><br />To be the frontrunner in a division is something I fear. I would much rather be the surprise underdog that no one believes will do anything spectacular in a season. But with Minnesota performing an early season swan-dive, Cleveland fading from their strong start, and Chicago being dominated by Ozzie Guillen rants, Detroit seems to be the most stable team in the Central right now. That means the sports anchors are setting their targets on Detroit to win it.<br /><br />When Detroit has had a strong start to their season, they always manage to fade out in the second half. Just look back to last year: at the All-Star break, they were ten games over .500 and 1/2 a game out. But then they proceeded to blow up in losses against New York and Minnesota and suffered so many injuries that it was a whole different team by August.<br /><br />When Cleveland started hot this season, it was great. That meant Detroit could just lurk right behind them and overtake them late in the summer. But if Cleveland keeps losing, the target will head north up Lake Erie and be focused squarely on the Tigers. That is not good. I'm not sure that Detroit, even with their strong veteran core, could keep from collapsing under the pressure of fans <i>and</i> the media.<br /><br />I won't guarantee that the Tigers will win anything until at least three weeks after the All-Star break. From where I see it, if the Tigers are able to put together a strong post-break string of victories (they start at home against Chicago and Oakland), they'll be able to make a push for the Central. Then I'll be able to see if they're in it for the long haul.<br /><br />But for now, keep the hype down, please?

Shhhh...

Last week I went on vacation. Because I got to stay at a hotel for six nights, I embraced the fact that I had cable again. Back at home, I h...

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June 2011 Goals

At the beginning of May, <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/05/may-goals-hiljoe-competition-week-2.html">I published the goals I wanted to accomplish for that month</a>:  <br /><br />1. <a href="http://watchmybuttshrinking.com/10k-a-day"><b>10K a Day in May Challenge</b></a>: I failed.  I tried to keep up with this but I found it floating to the way side as I quickly became overwhelmed with school, and annoyed with my pedometer that kept shifting on my waist-band and not counting my steps accurately.  Now that I own a MyTrak, I realize how severly innaccurate my pedometer was - probably mostly do to the unsecure attachment to my clothing.  The MyTrak stays snuggly against my waist and in a given workday I almost always go over 10K steps (providing I go to the gym as well).  <br /><br />2. Stay On Plan:  I did not do this perfectly either, but I still managed to lose some weight this month and I'm grateful and content with that. <br /><br />3. Move: While I didn't meet the goal of moving by the end of May, we did find and secure a place of residence by the end of May and we are set to move on June 15!<br /><br /><b style="color: #660000;">My goals for June</b>:<br /><br />1. <b>Pass Anatomy/Physiology:</b>  I really want to pass both classes (lecture + lab) with an 'A'.  So far, so good. I also want to do so while maintaining that little thing called sanity!<br /><br />2. <b>Plan Meals:</b> By doing this, I should be able to meet May's goal of 'staying on plan'.  Now that I'll be in my own place in just a few more days, I know this will be so much easier!  I missing cooking like I used to - I love spending hours in the kitchen...<br /><br />3. <b>Find a New Gym:</b> It will most likely be Gold's, which will be right down the street from me.  It was a sad day on Tuesday saying goodbye to Stanley.  Stanley is the manager of the gym I go to now - I <i>love </i>this gym.  It's large in size, but small in the amount of people who are members there, and many of the people who go there regularly are so personable and friendly.  This gym will always hold a special place in my heart - it was the place <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/drawing-inspiration-from-places-other.html">where I was finally able to get myself refocused on removing this weight</a> once and for all, especially after such a long period of time of not having that focus.  I hope that the new gym will develop a special placeholder in my heart as well!  <br /><br />4. <b>Meet My First Weight Loss Goal:</b> I want those shoes so badly, and I want so badly to say I've reached the first goal I've set for myself! Meeting goals are such great motivators!<br /><br />Tomorrow is weigh in day and I <i>hope </i>I can report back to you with a loss - Happy Thursday :)

goals Success Weight Loss June 2011 Goals

At the beginning of May, I published the goals I wanted to accomplish for that month :  1. 10K a Day in May Challenge : I failed.  I tried t...

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There is light at the end of this dark tunnel

For the first time in weeks I woke up feeling like life is good. I'm not dreading going to work. I'm looking forward to heading off to the gym in a few minutes. Even though the sky here in the Northwest is dark, there's a promise of "sun breaks" today (a popular Northwest phrase that  means it might rain, but we might get to see the sun too). I feel...well, happy. For the first time in what feels like forever.<br /><br />We had a new guy start on Tuesday. I'm mentoring him. I'll admit that I was dreading this task. This was going to be the third person I've mentored in the last five months. It's a challenge to mentor someone, and one of my mentors didn't turn out well.<br /><br />This guy is great. He's easy going, funny, laughs at my jokes and he's super smart (much smarter than myself, but that's not really saying much). It's only been two days, but so far, so good. I have high hopes this one will work out.<br /><br />I've eased up on myself about the weight thing. I went through a bad few days that included sugary, junk foods. Something I haven't indulged in for quite a while. Thankfully that only lasted a few days, and I've been back to healthy eating for several days now. Although the scale isn't going down, I'm hanging steady at 188.<br /><br />I decided to give myself a break and stop beating myself up so much for my 30-pound weight gain. Yes, it's horrible, but it's not the end of the world. It's just something I have to deal with, and recently I just couldn't deal with it and my work situation too.  <br /><br />Now that I've calmed down a bit about work, I feel able to tackle my weight problem. Number one is back to Weight Watchers and back to tracking. I haven't done either for over a month. My best friend has dropped out of Weight Watchers. She just gave up after months of not really trying. I've had months of not really trying too, but I refuse to give up. <br /><br />Number two, back to reading my favorite blogs and commenting. I've been reading a lot of your blogs, but I wouldn't comment a lot of the times because I felt empty inside. It's hard to encourage someone else when I was feeling hopeless myself.<br /><br />I'm finally seeing the light again.

There is light at the end of this dark tunnel

For the first time in weeks I woke up feeling like life is good. I'm not dreading going to work. I'm looking forward to heading off ...

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The Adorable Blog Award!! :)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNwRH_hXiLhgzfxK7kMQiCLLBX5MsY94AjXDZWHu9fP5N4zfydmZBFNIEt-wc5DYLlBJycAgZNmmUItQA3UbIqE4B9OE8aP_j-rr0paCAO_S0iefSpXfBf2bptt3TBOczBNbUG7xr7cA/s1600/Adorable+Blog+Award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNwRH_hXiLhgzfxK7kMQiCLLBX5MsY94AjXDZWHu9fP5N4zfydmZBFNIEt-wc5DYLlBJycAgZNmmUItQA3UbIqE4B9OE8aP_j-rr0paCAO_S0iefSpXfBf2bptt3TBOczBNbUG7xr7cA/s1600/Adorable+Blog+Award.jpg" /></a></div>On June 1, I received an exciting little blogger award - my first ever!  I received this awesome award from <a href="http://spoonfulofme.blogspot.com/2011/06/adorable-blog-award.html">Spoonful of Me</a> - <b><i>Thank You So Much</i></b> for thinking of me here at The Big Weight!<br /><br /><u>The Rules</u>:<br /><ul><li>Thank the person who gave you the award with a link to their blog. </li><li>Tell us 10 things about yourself.</li><li>Nominate other bloggers and let them know about the award.</li></ul><br />1. I LOVE to read. (And also have <a href="http://prittygoodbooks.blogspot.com/">a blog devoted to my book reviews</a>.)<br />2. I own a very <strike>adorable</strike> (read: <i>spunky</i>), all-black cat named Charles.<br />3. I have dated my boyfriend Joel for 4 years.<br />4. I am back in school again, for the second time, to become a nurse.<br />5. I'm originally from western Pennsylvania.<br />6. I love me some Vera Bradley - hardcore!<br />7. Chai Tea is my morning drug.<br />8. Keystone Light is my beer of choice... unless some Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier is available - then I'd have to go with that!<br />9. Country music is my preferred genre :)<br />10. My favorite condiment ever is HEINZ ketchup - not Hunt's - HEINZ!!!!!  If it ain't Heinz, it ain't sh*t!<br /><br />I would love to share this award with some others (who most likely have no clue who I am and/or have never even viewed my site! - no hard feelings :) ):<br /><br /><a href="http://momonamission2bhealthy.blogspot.com/">Sam @ Momma on a Mission to Get Healthy</a><br /><a href="http://thisfat.blogspot.com/">Faith @ I'm Too Sexy For This Fat</a><br /><a href="http://biggerthanababyelephant.blogspot.com/">Jodie @ Bigger Than a Baby Elephant</a><br /><a href="http://watchmybuttshrinking.com/">Jennifer @ Watch My Butt Shrink</a><br /><br />I really enjoy reading your blogs ladies, and I look forward to following along with you on your respective journeys!

Random Weight Loss Thoughts The Adorable Blog Award!! :)

On June 1, I received an exciting little blogger award - my first ever!  I received this awesome award from Spoonful of Me - Thank You So M...

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Making Good Choices

Last Friday, I found myself reading <a href="http://momonamission2bhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-have-choice.html">Sam's post about having a choice</a>.  I'm glad I did!<br /><br />It was a Friday afterall, I actually had to go into the office (I typically either work at home on Friday's or I have that day off), and so a large part of me really wanted to nix the workout for the day.  I wanted to get the weekend started!  (Why was I so anxious, when I knew all I'd be doing was studying, afterall?)  Anyhow, <a href="http://momonamission2bhealthy.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-have-choice.html">Sam's post</a> helped me realize that even though I was tired from a grueling work week with with not only work itself, but also school work, and TOM as well.... that it was ultimately my choice for doing or not doing a workout.  I knew I'd feel badly if I skipped the Friday workout and I knew the after effects of skipping a workout could cascade throughout my weekend.  <br /><br />As I was making the drive home, I realized I didn't have any reading material for the gym with me.  I didn't want to stop and buy any magazines because I have SO many at home I need to catch up on.  I also didn't want to drive home, get the reading material and then drive back to the gym.  I also was in no frame of mind to attempt to suffer through a workout while doing nothing...I was having a hard enough time as it was convincing myself to do something in the first place.  Then a light bulb went off!  It was an absolutely beautiful day - I could go for a bike ride!  So once I got home, I quickly changed and loaded up my bike into the Equinox and took off for the <a href="http://the-big-weight.blogspot.com/2011/04/bloooower.html">Indian Head Rail Trail</a>.    <br /><br />I love this trail so much, and I'm sad that I'll be moving further away from it next week :(.  I'm so glad I decided to go for a ride though - what a perfect ending to a hectic week... <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4esvSF30o0SOM0y-zB75ORVLpBOkhN8mgiC9Tjs9m5V_NvBkjj6whO3shnieA9KVvPUJooYDJt81wkpVh39UEaiu_bxHs3ypVPVBQGcGlc_Mbyy1cw8XFh2O3SlqncXDR1zpiwbNULEk/s1600/bike+ride+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4esvSF30o0SOM0y-zB75ORVLpBOkhN8mgiC9Tjs9m5V_NvBkjj6whO3shnieA9KVvPUJooYDJt81wkpVh39UEaiu_bxHs3ypVPVBQGcGlc_Mbyy1cw8XFh2O3SlqncXDR1zpiwbNULEk/s400/bike+ride+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mattawoman Creek</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzxAaQ5DHwkT0OixNQUWPb_uk8-YrS_ZZfMEKy24NSjmOiTukUi48HbEEHTPH-CE3UjprWRxcTazuvYZMqVr1KA4fDWOG4RFu_DicajeaD5MijltDyjmVhHwDtkCndNsls5yc7mqUFa4/s1600/bike+ride+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzxAaQ5DHwkT0OixNQUWPb_uk8-YrS_ZZfMEKy24NSjmOiTukUi48HbEEHTPH-CE3UjprWRxcTazuvYZMqVr1KA4fDWOG4RFu_DicajeaD5MijltDyjmVhHwDtkCndNsls5yc7mqUFa4/s400/bike+ride+005.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love rail trails - flat and scenic!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvXOc6Cv0opkUwHp2PYZWZsYWX0XiOogfSTf32scUU-SyuZfXXjDgp9QFLgP5fuH0olOdYU5Xaax6PaIYWzCjFxIlV4Y9VHSbr73GpeWILVa_OYf8wl2pSOcZ1kWEl5tkm1HV0enmd2k/s1600/bike+ride+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvXOc6Cv0opkUwHp2PYZWZsYWX0XiOogfSTf32scUU-SyuZfXXjDgp9QFLgP5fuH0olOdYU5Xaax6PaIYWzCjFxIlV4Y9VHSbr73GpeWILVa_OYf8wl2pSOcZ1kWEl5tkm1HV0enmd2k/s400/bike+ride+007.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end is in site!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk-z2wNwKZ-227QbbSz5WTBbHQkFXt6okE9x42C8EIBl3Yvf98CEx6KKJOsm9yJcFEo-FkemMFWiGbYaLafuZmoLNcGNck_k1jlsoeTIUr2Jft9b5BDhwR3fbsCPgf1URBO0VMrHd164/s1600/bike+ride+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk-z2wNwKZ-227QbbSz5WTBbHQkFXt6okE9x42C8EIBl3Yvf98CEx6KKJOsm9yJcFEo-FkemMFWiGbYaLafuZmoLNcGNck_k1jlsoeTIUr2Jft9b5BDhwR3fbsCPgf1URBO0VMrHd164/s400/bike+ride+009.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me @ the end - you can see where the train tracks start up again in the background</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYVp_MMpXbOTxEkASjiM03TCwpxWSAPHJ1oZ0oa-dwRFGVj0OqwItro4YU_eZ6XgrQB7fZ9w8Ferx_jZBKCg59guldFMQFDc9G_f0cULF5Vy2FnvOPQxo99IaP-f_GIHiRFvltcXTZ0/s1600/bike+ride+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeYVp_MMpXbOTxEkASjiM03TCwpxWSAPHJ1oZ0oa-dwRFGVj0OqwItro4YU_eZ6XgrQB7fZ9w8Ferx_jZBKCg59guldFMQFDc9G_f0cULF5Vy2FnvOPQxo99IaP-f_GIHiRFvltcXTZ0/s400/bike+ride+013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pieces of old track</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvBqowjSAc0tuWya14g4a7dAw5af7C8ygm756NXu3EUIuwB8Gn1cTZQ0bzovVLmJMKwt1OzoBwsvcJhypz3KY9dhJG8nUKeaQTkxIpxi-eX0_Bbes6Ep8ujfcCLb0Rr88yw2pfdQEAqg/s1600/bike+ride+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvBqowjSAc0tuWya14g4a7dAw5af7C8ygm756NXu3EUIuwB8Gn1cTZQ0bzovVLmJMKwt1OzoBwsvcJhypz3KY9dhJG8nUKeaQTkxIpxi-eX0_Bbes6Ep8ujfcCLb0Rr88yw2pfdQEAqg/s400/bike+ride+014.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1d7HQUdIpGX_Xq6LMLqumRirbG2Ipa7YpSP00hDvfvtNoCIH5gdVR0AdV4t0q8_xukgk0q7cnL9pJHK4-Ycu_Ut_irt_bbfQ1JJUGWbdgvxrOaA058dRktYU8yJbdJJH85InvZmI5CE/s1600/bike+ride+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1d7HQUdIpGX_Xq6LMLqumRirbG2Ipa7YpSP00hDvfvtNoCIH5gdVR0AdV4t0q8_xukgk0q7cnL9pJHK4-Ycu_Ut_irt_bbfQ1JJUGWbdgvxrOaA058dRktYU8yJbdJJH85InvZmI5CE/s400/bike+ride+016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bike and the tracks :)</td></tr></tbody></table>Hopefully I can grab another ride or two on here before Joel and I move to Virginia next week.  It's not like we'll be living <i>that far</i> from this, but it won't be a mile down the road anymore :(.   <br /><br /><i>P.S. I had been meaning to check how far I rode that day, since I don't have a gauge on my bike, and it turns out I rode 6.4 miles!  Yay!</i>

Exercise Success Weight Loss Making Good Choices

Last Friday, I found myself reading Sam's post about having a choice .  I'm glad I did! It was a Friday afterall, I actually had to ...

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