This past weekend, I wreaked caloric havoc on my body and probably confused the hell out of it. After 2 weeks of fairly solid good eating and exercise, heading into last weekend I was down 5.5 pounds from my starting weight.
Well, Friday was a miserable day, even if it's wasn't horrifically stressful, my brain was just wiped out, and I dragged my sorry ass home, dreading the idea of cooking dinner. Sean, bless him, took one look at me and said we were going out for dinner. So we went to Uno's. With my lifestyle change in mind, I avoided the burger menu, the flatbread that looks healthy and is deceivingly not, and anything else that was majorly made up of bread. Sean always gets the shrimp and steak with veggies and mashed potato, so I went down a similar route and got some sort of "fisherman's plate" with salmon, haddock, and shrimp, deliciously seasoned and lightly breaded. I tried not to think about how much butter they used to cook it all. It came with vegetables and brown rice pilaf. It was good!
We had discussed going to see a movie, but we were both pretty tired, and I knew I wouldn't have been able to stay awake. So our eyes wandered across the street and settled on the gloriously bright red Cold Stone sign. Hells yes.
We got our ice cream and went home to curl up and watch 21 off of Netflix. I love Kevin Spacey and people who try to speak with a Boston accent make me sad.
Saturday to Sunday was spent at our friend Kevin's house on Staten Island with a great group of friends, and we went to Outback for dinner (grilled chicken sandwich with fries, didn't finish sandwich or fries) and to a wine and cheese bar to chill out (2 glasses of delicious Reisling). Add to that some snack foods later back at the house, more wine, and a NY style breakfast (bagels, eggs, bacon and pancakes) and I was in desperate need for a trip to the gym.
I forced myself to go Sunday night and again tonight, and I am actually down a pound from last week. I don't know how this is possible, but I am accepting it as overcoming my first big speedbump in trying to make better decisions. I hda a bad weekend, and instead of kicking myself and giving up, I kicked myself and worked harder.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
What Time Is It???
I stayed up until about 3:30 am last night. This is not something I normally do, even if I try. I honestly can't remember the last time I easily stayed up that late. I think it was to finish my art portfolio for finals during college.
Anyways, I spent a good 3-4 hours on theknot.com, which is a site for people planning weddings (and there is a subsequent thenest.com for those who are married and maybe starting families). I started looking at the message boards Thursday night while I was home alone and bored, and they suck you in. A lot of it is girls looking for or giving advice on different aspects of wedding planning, but there are also boards for chit chat and all things girly, and I found myself addicted to reading all of them (ok, not all, but a LOT), and starting to contribute.
When my sister-in-law was planning their wedding, she was on The Knot all the time, and she actually developed a group of friends through there who were all getting married in July of '07. They called themselves the J-Knotties or something like that, and really became good friends! They were going through a lot of similar things, not only with wedding planning, but their lives. They even planned a weekend trip to Chicago last March to all meet face to face and have a girls weekend. Kathleen found out the day before going that she was pregnant with my niece, so a lot of those girls knew before my brother! She didn't want to tell him and then leave fort he weekend, and she had to explain why she wasn't going to be drinking that weekend.
So I am enjoying seeing where other girls around the country are at. It's a good place to vent frustrations to people who are experiencing similar issues (guest list etiquette, overbearing parents), and it's funny to read the girls who are obvious Bridezillas posts.
To any of you ladies out there, when you get to this point in your life, join up. It'll give you a little wedding haven to settle into when it seems like you can think of nothing else. And you don't have to worry about your fiance snooping for dress details or ivory versus champagne ribbon to tie around your favors....
Anyways, I spent a good 3-4 hours on theknot.com, which is a site for people planning weddings (and there is a subsequent thenest.com for those who are married and maybe starting families). I started looking at the message boards Thursday night while I was home alone and bored, and they suck you in. A lot of it is girls looking for or giving advice on different aspects of wedding planning, but there are also boards for chit chat and all things girly, and I found myself addicted to reading all of them (ok, not all, but a LOT), and starting to contribute.
When my sister-in-law was planning their wedding, she was on The Knot all the time, and she actually developed a group of friends through there who were all getting married in July of '07. They called themselves the J-Knotties or something like that, and really became good friends! They were going through a lot of similar things, not only with wedding planning, but their lives. They even planned a weekend trip to Chicago last March to all meet face to face and have a girls weekend. Kathleen found out the day before going that she was pregnant with my niece, so a lot of those girls knew before my brother! She didn't want to tell him and then leave fort he weekend, and she had to explain why she wasn't going to be drinking that weekend.
So I am enjoying seeing where other girls around the country are at. It's a good place to vent frustrations to people who are experiencing similar issues (guest list etiquette, overbearing parents), and it's funny to read the girls who are obvious Bridezillas posts.
To any of you ladies out there, when you get to this point in your life, join up. It'll give you a little wedding haven to settle into when it seems like you can think of nothing else. And you don't have to worry about your fiance snooping for dress details or ivory versus champagne ribbon to tie around your favors....
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Skin Update
It's almost 2:30 pm and my arms are still soft and smooth, no sign of dryness!
My face is a little flaky, but that comes from needing to be careful exfoliating, and I have a bad habit of scratching my face during the day while sitting at the computer. It would probably also help to start showering with more lukewarm water than hot, as well as washing my hands. Nothing feels better in the morning in winter than stepping into a nice hot, steamy shower, but you're more likely to dry out your skin that way.
Does anyone out there have skin advice? How do you keep your skin healthy?
My face is a little flaky, but that comes from needing to be careful exfoliating, and I have a bad habit of scratching my face during the day while sitting at the computer. It would probably also help to start showering with more lukewarm water than hot, as well as washing my hands. Nothing feels better in the morning in winter than stepping into a nice hot, steamy shower, but you're more likely to dry out your skin that way.
Does anyone out there have skin advice? How do you keep your skin healthy?
Miracle Lotion?
I have always had horribly dry skin, even in the summer, with dry patches and flakiness on my forehead, elbows, and forearms. I have never really settled into a good skin routine, and have yet to find a moisturizer that really does a good job keeping my skin soft for more than an hour before it dries out. Add to that cold, dry winter temperatures, hot dry air in my car, office, and house, and the result is very sad skin.
Since I am getting married next winter, I have been determined to find a good product that not only locks in moisture and keeps my skin smooth, but also gives it a natural looking glow, since I am not one for faux tanning, and I do not want to be red and splotchy on my big day.
While at Rite Aid yesterday taking some pictures for work, I perused the health and beauty section. I have always been a fan of cocoa butter, and I used it from time to time in high school. I love the warm, subtle, and almost tropical smell. It's not overpowering like a lot of lotions that are out there, and most scented lotions don't have any lasting moisturizing qualities. They just stink. Literally.
While browsing I saw that Vaseline has a cocoa butter lotion now. I trust Vaseline as it has been around a long time (since 1870!), and has always proven to be a brand that provides results. And you really can't beat 24.5 oz for $7!
I used it for the first time this morning, only on my arms and face, which are my major trouble spots. I put it on at 7 am, and now at 9:15 am, my arms are silky smooth, my face feels smooth, and my skin has this glow that looks healthy and radiant! I will check back later today and let you know how it is holding up, but folks, I may have found my dream moisturizer.
The full name of it is Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion, available at chain drugstores and supermarkets.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Spread the Love Tuesday
I watched as much of the Inauguration today as I could while msnbc.com's live stream hiccuped and couldn't seem to decide if it wanted me to actually see any coverage. It was a very moving day, and clearly so many American lives were touched with the swearing in of Barack Obama as our 44th President.
I generally had a good day, and it turned great about 20 minutes ago. I hit up the gym after work and did 50 minutes cardio, which felt ok tonight. I knew I was on my own for dinner tonight, and I saw a yummy looking recipe on Rachel Ray while on the treadmill last night, so I decided to venture to the local Trader Joe's after my workout.
Sitting on the front seat of my car were two "green" shopping bags (the kind they sell in every grocery store these days), but these two were navy blue with the Boston Red Sox logo on one side and the other side said "Boston Red Sox" in their special font. I had purchased them on a whim at Shaws a couple weeks ago and had yet to use them. No time like the present! I meant to only grabbed one since I wasn't getting that much, and stuffed it in my purse. When I got in the store I realized I had grabbed both, so I took one out to put my groceries in and kept the other in my purse.
When I got to the register, there was a girl, maybe a couple years older than me, checking out. She was talking very openly about how she had just moved down here from Natick, MA (a western suburb of Boston) to live with her fiance, and how much she already missed home and had to say goodbye to all her friends, and a familiar feeling crept into my heart, as a Boston area native who moved to this area for a similar reason.
She was finished with her purchase and spotted my bag when I put it up on the checkout counter, and she gasped and got so excited! She asked where I got it so she could go get one, so I pulled my extra out of my purse and handed it to her. She immediately transferred all her groceries into it and we talked about how much we love Boston and the Red Sox. She was so happy! We walked out together and wished each other well on our weddings and futures.
It felt really good to give her a little piece of "home", especially when she seemed like she was pretty homesick. I remember when I moved here I looked for any little thing that connected me back to Boston, whether it was a Red Sox bumper sticker while sitting in traffic, a Boston "B" on a baseball cap at the gym, anything really.
This wasn't supposed to be such a long post, but I was really happy that out of nowhere, I was able to do something for someone, and I will be on the lookout for other little things I can do for strangers in the future to make their day a little brighter.
I generally had a good day, and it turned great about 20 minutes ago. I hit up the gym after work and did 50 minutes cardio, which felt ok tonight. I knew I was on my own for dinner tonight, and I saw a yummy looking recipe on Rachel Ray while on the treadmill last night, so I decided to venture to the local Trader Joe's after my workout.
Sitting on the front seat of my car were two "green" shopping bags (the kind they sell in every grocery store these days), but these two were navy blue with the Boston Red Sox logo on one side and the other side said "Boston Red Sox" in their special font. I had purchased them on a whim at Shaws a couple weeks ago and had yet to use them. No time like the present! I meant to only grabbed one since I wasn't getting that much, and stuffed it in my purse. When I got in the store I realized I had grabbed both, so I took one out to put my groceries in and kept the other in my purse.
When I got to the register, there was a girl, maybe a couple years older than me, checking out. She was talking very openly about how she had just moved down here from Natick, MA (a western suburb of Boston) to live with her fiance, and how much she already missed home and had to say goodbye to all her friends, and a familiar feeling crept into my heart, as a Boston area native who moved to this area for a similar reason.
She was finished with her purchase and spotted my bag when I put it up on the checkout counter, and she gasped and got so excited! She asked where I got it so she could go get one, so I pulled my extra out of my purse and handed it to her. She immediately transferred all her groceries into it and we talked about how much we love Boston and the Red Sox. She was so happy! We walked out together and wished each other well on our weddings and futures.
It felt really good to give her a little piece of "home", especially when she seemed like she was pretty homesick. I remember when I moved here I looked for any little thing that connected me back to Boston, whether it was a Red Sox bumper sticker while sitting in traffic, a Boston "B" on a baseball cap at the gym, anything really.
This wasn't supposed to be such a long post, but I was really happy that out of nowhere, I was able to do something for someone, and I will be on the lookout for other little things I can do for strangers in the future to make their day a little brighter.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Not Your Average A.I.
Have any of you been watching the new season of American Idol? I have been a fan since season 2, and this year they are mixing it up a bit. The most obvious change is the addition of Kara DioGuardi as a 4th judge. I like her so far, she has some good, honest advice for the auditionees.
I've had a few good laughs watching the first two nights of auditions, and even some welling up of tears. My favorite moment so far was last night when they showed the girl from Oz at home living with her really old grandma, and the grandma's sitting at the kitchen table and goes "These are my crazy pills!" That grandma is awesome. The girl was really good too. She sang a Janis Joplin song I had never heard before (I don't have the time to look up the name of the song, but it rocked).
I have always wanted to audition, but watching this season, I think I would much rather be a judge, just to experience seeing all the talent that comes through there, and to laugh at the crazy ones.
How about the guy in the yellow and orange suit? "Do you want a banana?"...Oh goodness.
I've had a few good laughs watching the first two nights of auditions, and even some welling up of tears. My favorite moment so far was last night when they showed the girl from Oz at home living with her really old grandma, and the grandma's sitting at the kitchen table and goes "These are my crazy pills!" That grandma is awesome. The girl was really good too. She sang a Janis Joplin song I had never heard before (I don't have the time to look up the name of the song, but it rocked).
I have always wanted to audition, but watching this season, I think I would much rather be a judge, just to experience seeing all the talent that comes through there, and to laugh at the crazy ones.
How about the guy in the yellow and orange suit? "Do you want a banana?"...Oh goodness.
Monday, January 12, 2009
*exhale*
Wow. I don't really know how to start this entry. I could go into my past health history, family health history, but I know now that I need to look ahead, at my future, and at my future family's future, because I am a lot worse off than I ever thought.
I went for a training session at the gym tonight after work, and the trainer and I sat down to talk about my goals, why I was there, and beginning steps to take to start reaching my goals. Then he did my BMI test. I have a 34% body fat mass. That is off the charts for someone my age and height. It's really hard to put that out there publicly, but I feel like I need to own up to what I've done to my body. It is what it is, and now I have to fix it. I thought I was in the ballpark of needing to lose 30 pounds to be healthy. The truth is, I need to lose about 50.
So after going over the nitty gritty and numbers, he got me going on the elliptical to raise my heart rate a bit, and then he had me work on strength training. He kicked my butt! I knew he would, but I didn't know how hard it would be. I didn't know how physically challenged I would feel doing things that 10 years ago would have been simple.
I did squat presses with a 20 pound bar, where I held the bar in both hands at eye level, had to squat really low, and then as I stood up, lift the bar over my head and back down. It's one fluid motion, and I had to do it 15 times in a row, twice. That hurt. Hello thighs!
Next he had me sit on a mat and squeeze a big weighted ball between my ankles (so I couldn't cheat). He tossed me a 5 pound weighted ball and I had to catch it and twist to the left and toss it back, then to the right and toss it back. Then he had me lean back at a 45 degree angle and do the same exercise. Holy abdominals! That was followed by him tossing the ball to me, I had to hold it over my head and go back into a full sit up and toss it back to him on the way back up. Ow.
That was followed by lowering myself off a bench, like a butt-down pushup, and then a modified chin up. I was really hurting by the end of that, so I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes before going home to ease my heart rate. Tonight was the first time I really felt the degree to which I am out of shape.
So, as he told me to do, I am keeping my "eye on the prize" with the shorter term goal, which is looking amazing in my wedding dress, 1 year from this coming Friday, and long term, which is the family I hope to have, to be healthy and teach my kids to live a healthy lifestyle so they don't have to struggle as they grow up.
So you've read it here. I have 50 pounds to go. I am going to need encouragement, and I am going to be encouraging Sean as well, as he and I are doing this together. We have a lot of bad habits to correct, but I have faith that we can do this and the rest of our life together will be happy and healthy.
I went for a training session at the gym tonight after work, and the trainer and I sat down to talk about my goals, why I was there, and beginning steps to take to start reaching my goals. Then he did my BMI test. I have a 34% body fat mass. That is off the charts for someone my age and height. It's really hard to put that out there publicly, but I feel like I need to own up to what I've done to my body. It is what it is, and now I have to fix it. I thought I was in the ballpark of needing to lose 30 pounds to be healthy. The truth is, I need to lose about 50.
So after going over the nitty gritty and numbers, he got me going on the elliptical to raise my heart rate a bit, and then he had me work on strength training. He kicked my butt! I knew he would, but I didn't know how hard it would be. I didn't know how physically challenged I would feel doing things that 10 years ago would have been simple.
I did squat presses with a 20 pound bar, where I held the bar in both hands at eye level, had to squat really low, and then as I stood up, lift the bar over my head and back down. It's one fluid motion, and I had to do it 15 times in a row, twice. That hurt. Hello thighs!
Next he had me sit on a mat and squeeze a big weighted ball between my ankles (so I couldn't cheat). He tossed me a 5 pound weighted ball and I had to catch it and twist to the left and toss it back, then to the right and toss it back. Then he had me lean back at a 45 degree angle and do the same exercise. Holy abdominals! That was followed by him tossing the ball to me, I had to hold it over my head and go back into a full sit up and toss it back to him on the way back up. Ow.
That was followed by lowering myself off a bench, like a butt-down pushup, and then a modified chin up. I was really hurting by the end of that, so I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes before going home to ease my heart rate. Tonight was the first time I really felt the degree to which I am out of shape.
So, as he told me to do, I am keeping my "eye on the prize" with the shorter term goal, which is looking amazing in my wedding dress, 1 year from this coming Friday, and long term, which is the family I hope to have, to be healthy and teach my kids to live a healthy lifestyle so they don't have to struggle as they grow up.
So you've read it here. I have 50 pounds to go. I am going to need encouragement, and I am going to be encouraging Sean as well, as he and I are doing this together. We have a lot of bad habits to correct, but I have faith that we can do this and the rest of our life together will be happy and healthy.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Weeknights with David Allen Boucher
Driving home to my parents' house tonight, I was radio surfing as I hit the Mass Pike, trying to pick which radio station would accompany me on the final stretch home. I usually go straight to 105.7 WROR, but I wasn't feeling it tonight. I've been listening to WROR streaming at work the past couple weeks, so I could use something of a different flavor.
That flavor came in the form of the smooth, rich baritone of David Allen Boucher, the weeknight disc jockey for Boston's "soft rock" station. I had forgotten about his existence. His voice could lull the hungriest of bears to sleep. Picture in your head Delilah (the female soft rock inspiration spouting dripping with the cheesiest of fromage disc jockey found on easy listening stations nation wide), but male (obviously), and so soothingly sexy. His voice is like the moment you first wake up in the morning, all warm and cozy and snuggly, BEFORE you realize that you have to in fact get up.
So D.A.B. accompanied me home, and I heard a song I had only ever heard once before, and I just loved the lyrics so much. I thought I would post them here to share with you. The song is "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones.
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song
Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies
I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me
That flavor came in the form of the smooth, rich baritone of David Allen Boucher, the weeknight disc jockey for Boston's "soft rock" station. I had forgotten about his existence. His voice could lull the hungriest of bears to sleep. Picture in your head Delilah (the female soft rock inspiration spouting dripping with the cheesiest of fromage disc jockey found on easy listening stations nation wide), but male (obviously), and so soothingly sexy. His voice is like the moment you first wake up in the morning, all warm and cozy and snuggly, BEFORE you realize that you have to in fact get up.
So D.A.B. accompanied me home, and I heard a song I had only ever heard once before, and I just loved the lyrics so much. I thought I would post them here to share with you. The song is "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones.
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song
Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies
I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come
Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you
And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Single Ladies Challenge
I just finished a 30 minute dance workout on DVD, and I really want to get back in shape so when I dance, it looks fun and sassy, not like it's a workout!
Thanks to The Modern Gal I was introduced to the glory that is Beyonce's "Single Ladies", which has an incredibly fun video. They spoofed it on SNL when Beyonce was either hosting or the music act, starring Justin Timberlake, which can be seen here. I can't find the entire sketch, unfortunately...
Thanks to this video I can attempt to learn the dance, not only because it's sassy, but it looks like one hell of a workout!
Wish me luck!
Thanks to The Modern Gal I was introduced to the glory that is Beyonce's "Single Ladies", which has an incredibly fun video. They spoofed it on SNL when Beyonce was either hosting or the music act, starring Justin Timberlake, which can be seen here. I can't find the entire sketch, unfortunately...
Thanks to this video I can attempt to learn the dance, not only because it's sassy, but it looks like one hell of a workout!
Wish me luck!
Birthdays Galore!
I have many birthdays wishes to spread for this week; past present and future!
Happy birthday to my aunt, Diane! Her birthday was Saturday the 3rd, and not only is she an amazing aunt, she is also my godmother and very near and dear to my heart. Happy birthday, Auntie Di!
Happy birthday to my sister, Andrea! She celebrated her birthday yesterday, and she is the best sister in the world!
Happy birthday Mom, TODAY! am such a 'momma's girl', I can't wait to get home this weekend and give her a big birthday hug!
Happy birthday a little early to my great friend Mollie! Her birthday is this Sunday, and although I sadly cannot make it to her birthday shindig Saturday night, I will be taking her out sometime soon for a fabulous dinner.
Are you having a birthday soon? Let me know so I can wish you well!
Cheers!
*I ended nearly every sentence with an exclamation point. How wonderful!
Happy birthday to my aunt, Diane! Her birthday was Saturday the 3rd, and not only is she an amazing aunt, she is also my godmother and very near and dear to my heart. Happy birthday, Auntie Di!
Happy birthday to my sister, Andrea! She celebrated her birthday yesterday, and she is the best sister in the world!
Happy birthday Mom, TODAY! am such a 'momma's girl', I can't wait to get home this weekend and give her a big birthday hug!
Happy birthday a little early to my great friend Mollie! Her birthday is this Sunday, and although I sadly cannot make it to her birthday shindig Saturday night, I will be taking her out sometime soon for a fabulous dinner.
Are you having a birthday soon? Let me know so I can wish you well!
Cheers!
*I ended nearly every sentence with an exclamation point. How wonderful!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Adventures in Heating
It all started Sunday evening, after we took down our tree and brought it outside, when we noticed that the house seemed a bit chilly! We've been trying to be conservative about our heating so we don't get hammered with a massive bill, as well as not wanting to be wasteful. We sucked it up and put on the sweatshirts and socks and blankets and had a fun night with friends.
Yesterday morning, it was what I would call "nippy" when I got out of bed. It tends to be cooler in the morning anyways, compared to the cozy snuggly warmth of being in bed, but it was cold enough for me to actually stumble in the dark looking for slippers.
When I got home last night, I sat at the computer, posted my previous two posts over the course of an hour of Stumbling, and my right hand became numb on the mouse. I put the warmest sweatshirt, socks and fleece pants that I could find on, turned the thermostat up to 68 and curled up under a blanket on the couch to watch The Bachelor (don't judge me). I heard the heater going in the basement, but it didn't seem to be getting any warmer. Sean came home just after midnight and crawled into bed. His feet were like ice blocks! Sure, we laughed over it (he likes to torture me by putting his cold feet on my warm legs- gah!) but the fact that he thought it was cold sure told us something.
Which brings us to this morning. This is the first morning in a I've woken up not sweating from wearing fleece pj pants, a long sleeve t-shirt, piled under a sheet, a knit blanket, a thin down comforter, a quilt, a small quilt down over our feet and a big puffy down comforter folded down over our feet. I rousted myself out of bed and literally scurried into the bathroom and into the shower. The floor was freezing! I "surfboarded" on the bath mat so as to not touch my toes to the seemingly frosty tiles. I relished my 15 minute steaming shower. Dried off as quickly as I could and (gross, I know) put my pajamas back on note to self: buy a bathrobe! and scurried back into the bedroom and threw on the clothes that I planned out to wear while in the shower. \
I cranked the thermostat to 70 before I ran out the door, hoping it would warm up a bit before Sean woke up. Again, I heard the heater turn on in the basement.
Well, it wasn't any warmer when he woke up. Our house had officially lost about 85% of it's heat and it was time to investigate. Sean went and bought a new thermostat, but that wasn't the problem. Along comes Landlord's Repairguy who determines that our pilot light will not stay lit. It must have been mislighting for at least the past 3 or 4 days for it to have gotten that cold.
Needless to say, he replaced a part and it's fixed and Sean cranked the thermostat to 70 before leaving for work so I would come home to a nice warm house. Which I did. Yay!
I just turned it back down to 65.
Yesterday morning, it was what I would call "nippy" when I got out of bed. It tends to be cooler in the morning anyways, compared to the cozy snuggly warmth of being in bed, but it was cold enough for me to actually stumble in the dark looking for slippers.
When I got home last night, I sat at the computer, posted my previous two posts over the course of an hour of Stumbling, and my right hand became numb on the mouse. I put the warmest sweatshirt, socks and fleece pants that I could find on, turned the thermostat up to 68 and curled up under a blanket on the couch to watch The Bachelor (don't judge me). I heard the heater going in the basement, but it didn't seem to be getting any warmer. Sean came home just after midnight and crawled into bed. His feet were like ice blocks! Sure, we laughed over it (he likes to torture me by putting his cold feet on my warm legs- gah!) but the fact that he thought it was cold sure told us something.
Which brings us to this morning. This is the first morning in a I've woken up not sweating from wearing fleece pj pants, a long sleeve t-shirt, piled under a sheet, a knit blanket, a thin down comforter, a quilt, a small quilt down over our feet and a big puffy down comforter folded down over our feet. I rousted myself out of bed and literally scurried into the bathroom and into the shower. The floor was freezing! I "surfboarded" on the bath mat so as to not touch my toes to the seemingly frosty tiles. I relished my 15 minute steaming shower. Dried off as quickly as I could and (gross, I know) put my pajamas back on note to self: buy a bathrobe! and scurried back into the bedroom and threw on the clothes that I planned out to wear while in the shower. \
I cranked the thermostat to 70 before I ran out the door, hoping it would warm up a bit before Sean woke up. Again, I heard the heater turn on in the basement.
Well, it wasn't any warmer when he woke up. Our house had officially lost about 85% of it's heat and it was time to investigate. Sean went and bought a new thermostat, but that wasn't the problem. Along comes Landlord's Repairguy who determines that our pilot light will not stay lit. It must have been mislighting for at least the past 3 or 4 days for it to have gotten that cold.
Needless to say, he replaced a part and it's fixed and Sean cranked the thermostat to 70 before leaving for work so I would come home to a nice warm house. Which I did. Yay!
I just turned it back down to 65.
Monday, January 5, 2009
First Monday of 2009
So I got through my first working Monday of 2009, and it wasn't bad. As I suspected, the next few weeks are going to be sheer madness in the way of putting together sales presentations and materials, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel.
I have been thinking (already) about the spring and summer, and I very badly want to take a week off at some point, hopefully with Sean, and go somewhere. I don't care if it's camping or hiking or holing up in a little cottage or cabin in the mountains of Vermont or New Hampshire, but I want to get away. It was so nice to have days off during the holidays, and it made me realize that I cannot let another 2.5 years go by without taking a full week of. It was truly good for my soul. I left work two Mondays ago cranky and never wanting to step foot in my office again, and after vacation, I felt at the very least a.) grateful that I have a job, b.) grateful that with this economy, I'm doing fine, and c.) I have a great network of people who I work with who are like a family away from home. So while at times it gets stressful and I want to bang my head against my desk, for the most part, it's not bad at all.
I'd like to end this post with a shoutout to my readers, I am looking forward to delving more into this blog this year, finding ways to make it interesting to read. Like here:
I have been thinking (already) about the spring and summer, and I very badly want to take a week off at some point, hopefully with Sean, and go somewhere. I don't care if it's camping or hiking or holing up in a little cottage or cabin in the mountains of Vermont or New Hampshire, but I want to get away. It was so nice to have days off during the holidays, and it made me realize that I cannot let another 2.5 years go by without taking a full week of. It was truly good for my soul. I left work two Mondays ago cranky and never wanting to step foot in my office again, and after vacation, I felt at the very least a.) grateful that I have a job, b.) grateful that with this economy, I'm doing fine, and c.) I have a great network of people who I work with who are like a family away from home. So while at times it gets stressful and I want to bang my head against my desk, for the most part, it's not bad at all.
I'd like to end this post with a shoutout to my readers, I am looking forward to delving more into this blog this year, finding ways to make it interesting to read. Like here:
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Taking Down Christmas
I decided to take down Christmas decorations today, and I have had mixed feelings while doing so. I am sad to put them away because it was such a great holiday season for me an my family. We had a very blessed month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and for the first time in a while, I really felt the season along with being happy with myself and where I am in my life.
I was happy to put them away because I am ready to have our house back to it's normal state, and there is so much to look forward to in the coming months. Plus, our house has a lot of red and green accents (our couch and chaise are forest green, and our accent table, rug, display, and fireplace are a nice cranberry red.). It's a very cozy place, probably my favorite room in the house.
So with each ornament and garland and kitchy candleholders I am saying thank you for a wonderful season and next time I see you, I will be (OMG) a month away from getting married, my little niece will be turning 1, and I can't wait to see what else is to come this year!
I was happy to put them away because I am ready to have our house back to it's normal state, and there is so much to look forward to in the coming months. Plus, our house has a lot of red and green accents (our couch and chaise are forest green, and our accent table, rug, display, and fireplace are a nice cranberry red.). It's a very cozy place, probably my favorite room in the house.
So with each ornament and garland and kitchy candleholders I am saying thank you for a wonderful season and next time I see you, I will be (OMG) a month away from getting married, my little niece will be turning 1, and I can't wait to see what else is to come this year!
Friday, January 2, 2009
379 days to go...
Day 1 of Bridal Boot Camp got underway this evening. I took my first trip to the gym after work and had a good 45 minutes of cardio. I didn't push it too hard, since I didn't want to totally wear myself out and not feel like working out for another week. But I did work hard. I did alternating power walking/jogging on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and then did 15 minutes on the elliptical. It felt really good to get moving again, and I feel comfortable at that gym. I don't worry about people looking at me or judging me. All type of peopole go there, fit or fat, old or young. We're all just trying to get healthy!
Not sure what to make for dinner. I am going to take a shower and then scope out what's in the ol' fridge. I should probably have some leftovers so they don't go to waste.
Oh, and after 10 days of vacation, today was a really easy day at work. It was nice to go back and not feel like I hit the ground running. Monday, however, I can't say will be the same. Good thing I have 2 more days before then.
Not sure what to make for dinner. I am going to take a shower and then scope out what's in the ol' fridge. I should probably have some leftovers so they don't go to waste.
Oh, and after 10 days of vacation, today was a really easy day at work. It was nice to go back and not feel like I hit the ground running. Monday, however, I can't say will be the same. Good thing I have 2 more days before then.
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