New Beginnings

Sunday, almost noon, and my house is nearly all put back to rights.  The tree is down and resting in a perfectly good box until next year.  I organized the ornaments into smaller totes and fit them into a cupboard in the garage.  I also took time to sort through a box of fabric -- let's face it, I'm not going to sew much any longer.  Or if I do, I might want to select new fabrics!  *grin* 

As it is, I'm feeling as if I have too much stuff, and the things I don't use, its time to give them to Goodwill where someone else may get a use for them.  Things with sentimental value might be stored in the garage, since I made some room, and hold them -- the kids may want some of these things at some point.  (Bears, anyone? haha)

Now that my kitchen is back in working order, I cleaned and sterilized the counters, loaded dishes in the dishwasher, and things are back in working order.  I whipped up a meatloaf, which is now loafing in the dutch oven, cooking on low, making us a real good dinner.  Much to my son's dismay, he found out I grate carrots n stuff in it, along with putting in bread crumbs, egg, and some ground flax seed for fiber.   He has eaten it in the past, but maybe not knowing what's in it was working for him. lol

I walked Sadie for a mile this morning, she's missing Fergie and the girls, wandering from room to room looking for "all the excitement" we had yesterday :)   After they left yesterday, she curled up on the bed and was snoring very quickly - it was a busy, exciting day in a dog's life!

For me, the new year will feel as if it starts on Monday.  Wednesday isn't a day off for me, and I imagine it will be a very busy week.  And I've got my gym bag packed, its back to being on track again for me!  

Ahh, the start of another brand new year can be so exciting!  All the promise of new things to come, leaving the past behind, looking ahead toward .... what?  For all of us, anything is possible!  Maybe this is the year for a new job, a new place to live, maybe even a major move to another city! The possibilities are endless!!   A few years back, I once thought this would be the year for some things to come to fruition, but obviously the Universe and I haven't been on the same page, but that doesn't mean this year won't be amazing!

Make this coming year into something special, with good memories, and realized hopes!

2014 --- Is this your year?

I've looked back over the years, and it seems to me that even numbered years are good ones for me:  both my kids were born in even numbers, I made a major move in 1998 (CA to OH), another major move in 2004 (Hamilton to Dayton), and another major move in 2008 (OH to AZ).  I moved into my house in Jan 2010.  Makes me wonder what good major event will happen this year??

Are you the kind who makes resolutions?
Do you plan ahead for good things to happen?
What will you do to make this your best year yet?

I'm only making two resolutions: 

1.  To eat healthier "real" foods:  Fresh fruits and veggies, 100 oz of water,
      only 1 diet soda per day (if that), no processed or boxed foods.
2.  To exercise every day.  this could be walking Sadie more than just around the block,
      but hitting the gym at least 4 times a week.


Is it possible to do these two things?  It's not IMpossible, but I do love my hershey's, and the occasional pile of tortilla chips, or a trip to a fast food joint.  Granted, I've limited those things, but not eliminated them.  Time to work harder on eating better, and feeling better.  Taking vitamins every day will help as well.

But I checked into my iChing and got: 

Waiting.
Have confidence in the sunlight.
Progressing.
Persistence brings good fortune.
It is beneficial to cross the big river.

Waiting for something.
Be patient while what you are waiting for is still likely to happen.
This is not stagnation, so hold on.
It may be good to do something to get to a solution.

Can't say those are real clear instructions, but .... good enough for today :)

And for those of you who look at numerology or numbers.... 2014 - the digits add up to 7 - usually a lucky number for some folks!  plus, 14 divided by 2 is 7 also.  
Something to ponder.....

Merry Holidays!

Well, its been a helluva week around here!  With Christmas Day in the middle of the week, it was a day of rest for me -- as the two days before, and the two days after, were all over 10 hours long at work for me.  Yick.  By the time I got home each night, it was an effort to move from the couch to the car (to pick up my son) to the bed .... and repeat all over again!

Because it was only a day, my girls came up on Friday in order to spend the day.  I was just about to head home from work when my son sent me a text:  "Ma, we got a problem"  hm, not gonna go there with text, so I give him a call.  "The garbage disposal is spewing water all over the place...."   OK, I'll be home in 30 mins.  And yeah, it was spewing all right, all over the place!   And of course, right then, the girls arrive too.  So, off to Home Depot go my son and daughter, leaving me to put my feet up and rest for a few.  They came home with a disposal, and after some doing, we're nearly there completing the installation and we find out we don't have any plumber's putty.  *sigh*  So... back to Home Depot, but stopping to pick up dinner on the way home -- our fav, Chipotle!  yummmm

Home again, complete the installation, and voila!  We have a working disposal.  But.  Uh oh.  Still a problem, now the sink won't drain.  I told them "Let's forget it, enjoy tonight, tomorrow we'll get a snake and be done."  

We watched Christmas Vacation,
opened gifts, 
enjoyed some wine.
And enjoyed each others' company :)

Saturday morning and we're trying to fix the sink, to no avail.  We called in Roto Rooter and $200 later, voila!  the sink is draining and things are good again.   I hope!




The girls left around 5pm Sat evening, and got to the highway -- its shut down because of a major accident.  There just aren't much in the way of roads between here and there, so ... it was a fiasco for sure, taking much too long to make that drive! 

Talk about making Christmas memories.... hahahaha!
Merry Holidays everyone!

Family Home

December 8, 2009 found myself signing papers that put me into debt for 30 years!  Yes, I bought my house four years ago now.  It seems like just yesterday!  And I wasn't so happy with the color.... someone had sprayed every room, every wall a dark tan color.  My Aunt Margie and Uncle Jim came over to help - we painted nearly the entire house in a day.  Brian and I each painted our own bedrooms.

It's been a process going from then to now.
And I couldn't be happier with the house - its just the right size, small and simple.

Happy 4th Anniversary!

I'm a firm believer that in every thing we touch or repair, we leave a little of our imprint on it, even if its just a little of our spiritual selves.  I'm so thankful that Uncle Jim had a part in my home, as he passed away just a few short years later.  My parents and my kids have all had a hand in doing things here, and I like that, too.  :)  Nothing says "family home" than a home that's been touched by family.

To Tree or Not to Tree

It's always a dilemma for me -- do I put up a tree or not? 

Working retail means being very busy, and why have a tree if I'm not here to enjoy it?  But then, I didn't put up a tree last year, and my girls are coming the weekend right after Christmas Day -- so it might be a nice occasion to have a tree, get a few family photos even :) 

Here in the Valley of the Sun, Christmas decorations look kind of funky without snow and cold.  Maybe putting them up this year is a good way to cull out the things I no longer need to put up.  and maybe gift some of the childhood ornaments to my daughter now. 

I used to go all out and decorate every spot I could --- now its a matter of less is more. :)

So, I guess I'll get off my butt and get the tree out of the garage and put up in the living room!

Wonder Years

For the last few days, I've been watching The Wonder Years - its fascinating.  At my age, it reminds me of so many things -- the music they play are tunes from back then, the cars are period, so is the clothing.  And Kevin, the main character, is a 12 year old boy in junior high, the year is 1968.  The themes are all about the angst a 12 year old feels as they muddle through life's circumstances.   We all had those same feelings as we found our way through our first crush, school bullies, dealing with parents, our first dance.

Remember your first dance?  Girls mixed with girls, boys gave each other friendly pushes on the other side of the gym.   A few brave kids danced with each other, but most of the time, we looked busy getting punch, saying hi to other kids, anything to make it look like we weren't a) bored ; or b) wishing someone would ask us to dance.

We look back on those days and think they were good times, but living in the moment, we were full of confusion, questions and feelings we didn't know what to do with.  The drama we endured was all consuming in the moment.  Luckily, it was forgotten just as quickly as it happened.  

One of the best lines from an episode speaks eloquently about what these kinds of memories mean to us as we get older:

Memory is the way of holding on to the things you love,

the things you are, 

and the things you never wish to lose. 

Chilly Mornings

At 6am I got up to let Sadie outside; when I opened the door, I chuckled to myself, all I could hear was a symphony of heaters running!  It's only 30 degrees, which is quite cold for the desert!  We usually get our freeze nights in January, but they are here early this year  I wonder if that is a sign of a rough winter ahead, or even if it gives clues about our summer temps?  I wonder if the Farmer's Almanac would tell me??

Interesting!   

DECEMBER 2013: temperature 45° (3° below avg.); precipitation 0.3" (0.2" below avg.); Dec 1-9: Sunny; cold, then mild; Dec 10-17: Rain and snow showers, cold; Dec 18-24: Rain and snow, then sunny, cold; Dec 25-31: Sunny, turning mild.

So far, its totally correct for Dec 1-9 !!!!!

Jan 1-5: Sunny, cool; Jan 6-10: Showers, then sunny, mild; Jan 11-21: Sunny east, showers west; mild; Jan 22-28: Sunny, cool; Jan 29-31: Showers, chilly.


Well.  I am thinking I outta be purchasing a few more long sleeved shirts for working in!

After getting up, I snuggled back under the covers.  It's a chilly day, and that makes me want to just stay under the covers, read a good story, or maybe watch a movie!

I finished a book called The Christmas Note, good story about a girl raised by her alcoholic mother who learns upon her mother's death that she has siblings who were adopted.  She breaks out of her shell with the help of a new next door neighbor in order to find the lost siblings, and ends up finding herself as well.  Enjoyed the book, its an easy read with an uplifting hopeful story line. 

Happy weekend, everyone :)

Step ON!

Holy Smoke, Batman!  Today was an extremely busy day!  I think with our tough economic times, shoppers are trying to be smarter with their money, trying to get the best deals they can.  In my store, that means opening packages, testing things out, touching, feeling .... what that also means is when that happens, those opened products come back to claims (me) to be processed as a return to vendor.   I was a very busy lady today, and was on the go non-stop.  Never made it to the gym, not sure I needed to -- I got in over 12,000 steps without it!  zoiks!  

So I'm sitting here thinking about Christmas and what gifts I need to buy.  It's not much of a holiday if one doesn't do any shopping -- but the thought of shopping fills me with dread!  But this weekend will be my spree, I think.  Gotta just bite the bullet and get it done.

Looking forward to some family time:  my sister gifted me a plane ticket home, so I'll be spending 2.5 days with family in a couple of weeks.  And looking forward to a weekend with my daughter and granddaughter the week between Christmas and New Years -----  I'm thinking Chipotle! already. hahahahaha




My SparkTracker award for this week:  

72,024 steps.   1,017 minutes of walking.  for 27.39 miles.  

Is it any wonder I'm tired when I get home every day??????

Hello, December

Welcome, December!   I'm not sure, but I think my heater quit this morning... or the thermostat thingy isn't working.  My Thanksgiving Day weekend has been ..... too short.  Of course, being retail, I worked Black Friday.  I cooked a turkey and all the trimmings on Saturday, and my son and I enjoyed a terrific dinner!  For dessert, he had made an apple-biscuit dessert that's really yummy :)   And now, here it is Sunday, and its all those usual chores to get done so that we can make it through the week. 

My goal for this week is to concentrate on drinking more water -- it doesn't seem as refreshing when its not over 100 outside! -- and to stay off sugars.   Controlling the intake was difficult in November for me.  Lots of things going on the last half of this year, and I think it's all catching up with me.  Once the colder temps the Valley, it seems like I'm ready for bed earlier every day!  When the sun drops over the horizon at 5:30, I'm ready for a shower and bed!! hahaha

Wishing everyone the best for this month.... :)
Looking forward to seeing family!!

Men! Ugh

Men are such odd creatures.... I know they say women are hard to understand, but I think they're just as difficult!  Or maybe they aren't ... and we want them to be.

I have to get this said, otherwise I'll never  be able to get some sleep.   Why is it that a woman who takes selfies in the nude automatically gets tagged as "easy" ??  Yes.  I take self nude photos, not because I am trying to be a playboy bunny type.  Nor do I take them to gain a man's attention.  Not that I mind attention - but there's not an underhanded purpose to deceive a man in order to "catch" one by using my photographs.

So why is it that a man who peruses these photos can't get past the sexuality part and take a little bit of time to get to know the lady behind the lens?   Am I confusing you yet?  haha, I figured so.  I started to have some dialog with a man who emailed me, we've gone back and forth now about twice a week for about five months.  Sometimes it was just sharing ideals about the world, sometimes sharing other things, finding our way to see if there are common interests between us.  No where in these conversations have I said that I was interested in meeting this person based on the convos we shared.   Yet for some reason, the fact that we're still conversing after five months, a gentleman assumed that meant I was taking more than a slight interest, and asked if we could exchange phone numbers and that he was looking forward to visiting me after the Holidays.

I gently let him down, the bottom line being that I wasn't interested in starting a relationship, based on my own history and my age.  The fact of the matter is he's young, 38, and his last relationship was an 'open'' relationship.  And when it ended, he moved back to Tx with family.  He didn't take my explanations and reasons very well, and said I should have been honest in the beginning and said I wasn't interested in a relationship.  When one begins an email exchange, is that part of the equation?

When it comes to men, I think women have a "checklist" of things that are important.  This list changes as we get older, and I'm not interested in a dating/sexual type relationship any longer.  Give me companionship and about a half dozen interests we share, and life could be good!   Open relationships aren't for me, I'm too old fashioned, I could never stand for it. 

After some awkward email exchanges, and some harsh words exchanged, this man still wants to go forward.... "this time being honest" ....  so there's the question.... would YOU keep trying?

Happy T-Day!

When you work retail, the holidays tend to ....... suck. 
There's no other way to put it!  Extra hours worked,
even working the holidays ... yep they just suck. 

So my ME moment today:    mmmmmm....  a Chipotle bowl for dinner.  My daughter was up on Friday, she and my son both had Chipotle, and I was on a fast, and couldn't have anything....  I made up for that today :)  

Happy Turkey Day! 

Smile!

Aww Monday Again

Oh yeah, it's Monday again!  It's not always easy to find some ME thing on a Monday, as that's a day filled with stress, catching up, and more stress. 

However, I did take time to do some work at the gym during my lunch hour, then when I came home, I washed and dried sheets - now I have a freshly made bed to crawl into tonight.  There's nothing like a fresh bed, the sheets are all snug and smooth, they smell clean and whatever fragrance you've washed them in. :) 

Monday is my day away from the computer.  I don't read my emails, I don't chat with people or even open FaceBook -- its just that kind of day for me; when I crawl into bed, it will be with a book, or to watch Antiques Roadshow.  If I'm still awake, I might watch a bit of The Voice as well.  heheheh

Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful holiday week!

Gold Medal

Feeling so much better today after a good night's sleep -- well, as good a night's sleep as I get with a dog who barks every time it begins to rain. hehehee

Walked Sadie early this morning - gotta get a head start on my steps, as I didn't log any yesterday! 

But I'm smiling because this past week ..............
*drummmm rollllllll*

74,224 steps! 

Which just goes to prove, every little bit adds up to a lot!!

I cooked a roast in my dutch oven, and today, I'm using the leftover roast and the juices to make the base of a stew.  Chopped up some celery, carrots and taters and tossed them in; it's all simmering on the stove and smells so good!  Sometimes its the simple basic foods on a chilly rainy day that taste so good!

Keep smiling into this coming week - it should be an interesting one, for sure :)
xox

Ahhhh, Love

4 generations

What children need most are the essentials

that grandparents provide in abundance.  

They give unconditional love, kindness, 

patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life.  

And, most importantly, cookies.  

~Rudolph Giuliani

This is a picture of me, my daughter, my father and my grandmother ca. 1983

Friday & Saturday

Can't say much about Friday's ME day.....  it was an all liquid diet because I'm over 50 and its that time for a colonoscopy check.   Not the funnest way to spend a Saturday, and the doc recommends that i eat a high fiber diet... more greens .... yes, like THESE!   *laughs*

Saturday's ME was being able to eat food again... even something simple as Peanut Butter toast (on double fiber bread, of course) was simply delish!  Now... who brought the chocolate???  hahaha

A great big thank you to my daughter who drove up here in spite of the heavy rains, in order to drive me to my appointment and back.  Love you!! 

Hey George!

Today .... some things made me smile really big!   First, this is George, he works in my store -- and he turned 92 this summer!!   He's a character and a half - sometimes when he's working in the pet department, he finds damaged pet food cans.  He'll bring them to me and say "Look!  I brought you lunch!!" hehehehehe

As I was leaving the store today, he was sitting at McDonald's, taking a break with an ice cream cone....
You know he's enjoying this.....
doesn't that just make you smile????   :) 


Another piece of good news for my ME day:  A library CD that has been missing for three weeks turned up today.... SO happy I won't be billed for that :)






And... I walked 15,676 steps today! 
We had some incoming freight go missing,
and I was trying to find it, ended up walking all over the store. 
Yay ... lots of steps ON the clock. hahahah

GlowGetter

Wednesday is the best day of the work week for me.... Everything I've done for the past week gets put on  pallets, wrapped up and loaded onto a trailer.  Usually its 10-14 pallets a week, which means I've been a busy gal!  Once all that is gone from my workspace, its a lot easier to get new stuff accomplished!  And that feels really good :) 

Along with enjoying my work, when I got home, I grabbed Sadie and we walked for 40 minutes.  At the same time, I called my aunt and caught up on all the gossip, and compared notes on our conversations with my mom, her sister.  Go figure.... sometimes what she tells one of us, isn't quite the same as she tells another!!  No, no, not that she tells lies!! Heaven forbid!  She just sometimes omits little bits here and there -- and those little bits can paint an entirely different picture. hehehehe

I got over 13,800 steps two days in a row....
when that happens, my SPARK people send me email
that says I'm a GlowGetter!  woo hooo!
(when I reach my goal of 10,000 steps, all the lights on the
tracker light up in a circle!  It's the little things, ya know!)

It's a downhill slide for the rest of the work week.... ENJOY!

two days

Day 18 and day 19 .... my ME thing on both days was concentrating on my food intake and making the most of my time in the gym.  Monday's workout was a struggle, as it always is on a Monday, being tired from all the extra work that is typical for me.  Tuesday's workout was awesome - cardio and resistance both, for a total of nearly 90 minutes.   Both days tracked me over 12,000 steps, so that's awesome!   Anyone ready for another walk??  hehehehe  (oh look, Sadie raised her paw!!)  haha she's always ready :) :) :)

Seventeen

Today's number 17, and my ME was a Starbuck's Green Tea Frappuccino.  Yummy!  When I brought it home ... well yeah, you guessed, I had to share with Sadie.  lol my dog has the strangest tastes, she likes green tea! A day full of chores and getting ready for the week ahead.  I'm only hoping that work will be mellow, but with all the prep stuff for the Black Friday sale.... which begins on Thanksgiving Day for most stores .... things will be hectic.

Oh yes, and I'll sound off....

BAH HUMBUG!!!!!!!

to those stores who think they can get a jump on holiday sales dollars

by being open on Thanksgiving.

Quit running your business by letting the almighty dollar make your decisions.

Some things are more important than money. 

I will not be shopping in your stores.

KUDOS!! to others who refuse to open!!!

This is where I'll be shopping come Black Friday -- the stores who were closed

Show your support for those willing to stand up against "the system"

and boycott those stores with only one goal:  to make another dollar of profit!

Cookin'

Saturday's ME wasn't as easy as the others have been.  I had the house to myself, and should have done some cleaning, but it was a day of distractions.  I schlepped Sadie around our neighborhood two different times -- because we both need it -- but also to get steps counted on my tracker.  Didn't reach my 10,000 step goal.  but I was barefoot for a good portion of the day.

Seems every time I started something, I lost interest.  Cleaning the living room, and in the middle of the task, decided to sit down and watch an old episode of Dick Van Dyke... classic humor!  but found myself dozing off.  Forced myself up to finish off the vacuuming, then took a book out into the sun for some R-and-R while the sun streamed through some clouds.  I no sooner sat down, got interested in the story and found myself dozing off again.  And told myself I'm obviously quite tired, just crawl into bed! 

While a nap is a delicious ME thing, I also tossed some country style pork ribs into my dutch oven, layering some celery stalks between them, a little Lawry's, minced onion and some Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce.   By suppertime, they were done, tender, and falling apart.  Yummy!

Halfway there....

Short and sweet:  Today's ME was an afternoon nap,
followed by a long walk with Sadie at sunset,
then Jack in the Box for dinner after grocery shopping. 
Sometimes its the little things that are just as good as anything else!

Happy Weekend, everyone :)

(Don't forget:  39 days til Christmas!)

Fourteen Days In...

S.H.I.T. - So Happy It's Thursday!   While the week seemed to have gone by fast, today seemed to crawl.  But I got out of work on time, so that was a good thing. 

It's also our weekly trek to the library, and for dinner that I don't have to cook.  Tonight?  Taco Bell.  We tried the new Triple Steak Stack.  It was very cheesy, the steak was tasty, wrapped in a bolillo flatbread.  It was tasty, but I still like my Steak Salad instead. :)


My ME thing today was a trek around Riparian Preserve with Sadie.  We both love to get out, see people and other dogs, get some walk time in, and of course Sadie loves to run around and sniff at everything!  She's a good little walker and most times, we don't have an issue as to which way to go.  If I decide to do a little jogging, she forgoes the sniffing and prances right along with me.  hehehehehe






Crane at water's edge.
I couldn't pass up the photo op,
the reflection was terrific.

This little corner on the back side of the lake is usually filled with fishermen, but today it was empty, a nice little photo op :)

Lucky 13

With the colder nights now, I decided to get out my "winter" pajamas ... pants as opposed to short, and long sleeves, not tank tops!  Its chilly when I roll out of bed .... so after my shower yesterday, I slipped on the top-- an the sleeves hung below my wrists, the shoulders and neckline drooped every which way, and it just bagged and sagged all over.  Then I stepped into the bottoms and tugged them up and over my hips... where they promptly slid 3/4 of the way back down.  I laughed, because it was funny, but at the same time I was like "YES!" 

Which means today as I was heading out of the store, I stopped lingerie to check out the new selection of winter jammies, and spied these black and white animal print ... they only had one set in my size, so I snagged them.  They're silky smooth and feel pretty nice.   Like every winter, I'll have to get used to having more clothing on... but that's ok.  :) 

That was my ME for today: 
new jammies in a new size -- what a feeling!!!

PS:  wore my SparkPeople Activity Tracker again today, 12,141 steps.  Woo Hoo!
(I reset the goal to 10,000 steps per day, but had reached that before I went to the gym... so I may have to increase that in order to set some new goals! )

PSS:  The Camel told me its HumP DaY!  Hope yours was a good one :))

When I have more time....

I'm sitting here, tired out from a busy day.  It's nearly 6pm and what do I want to do most of all??  Yeah, that's right, crawl into bed!  I was busy today, and walked just over 14,000 steps.  Plus I did 45 mins of weight resistance at the gym during lunch.  While going to the gym still aggravates me that I have to share the facility/locker room with my he/she co-worker, I can't let that run my life.  So I decided that I'm going to do what I've been doing all along:  minding my own business, and doing what needs to be done.  I have to admit, if I see he(r) coming in to change, I'll wait my turn outside until (s)he leaves the locker room. 

For today's ME, I took a long hot shower to relax my tired muscles, then lotioned from head to toe.  How often do we neglect the little things like that by telling ourselves "I'll do it tomorrow... when I have more time."  If you're like me, those tomorrows have a way of slipping past and before you know it, a week of them have gone by.  It's so easy to let that happen!

Here's hoping you didn't let the 'tomorrow' excuse keep you from doing something for yourself today!

Veteran's Day

Thank you to everyone who has served, past and present.  At my BigBox

store, we have an employee who turned 92 this summer -- her served as a

paratrooper -- my dad was in the service, along with my two stepsons and

many other family members.  So a great big thank you, to all of you!



Mondays aren't an easy day to have a ME day -- there's just too much to get started on, too much work to do, too much .... too much everything it seems!  But instead of having lunch and sitting down for an hour, I headed for the gym and got in two miles, along with some stretching and abs work.  YAY me!

My tracker logged me at over 11,000 steps today --- told ya work was busy!!! hehehehehe  That was a good feeling when I got home, knowing how many steps I'd taken all day.  Granted, it doesn't record the steps/mileage the same way I was doing it, but only 18 miles to go to reach the goal I set for myself of 384 miles.  Not bad for an over-50s gal, eh?

Day 10

Another Sunday is gone, and here I sit pondering the weekend.  It was pretty successful for me, I reached my goal of 6,000 steps today, so that was a bonus!   I don't think I went too far over my calorie intake goal, so that would be another bonus.  My chores are done, caught up, and that's a HUGE bonus to start the week with!

I spent a few hours today creating one pagers to send to Dad.   Little quotes, happy sayings, memories of things I remember as a kid.  I shared a picture I took at dusk the other night, and talked about that time of day when I was growing up in our house.  We loved to be outside with the neighbor kids after supper, playing hide and go seek, kick the can, even just plain old HORSE with the basketball.  Anything as long as we were together.   But one game stood out even more -- we called it "Dinosaurs".  My parents' front yard had hedges all the way around, and whenever a car came down the street, we hollered "dinosaur" and ran, jumped or took a dive to hide behind the bushes..... Yeah.  Silly stuff :)   But we could do those kinds of make believe things because our family lived in a good neighborhood, and the folks provided us with a stable home structure.  You can't get better than that!

My ME thing for today would have to be the extra walk I took in the park this afternoon, and the time spent remembering things growing up.

Did you do anything for YOU today??

Motivation

Sometimes its difficult to find the motivation we need to do the things we know we should, the things we want to accomplish.  And in this month of things for ME, I used a gift card and bought the SparkPeople Activity Tracker.  It's just a little thing (about 1x1") that clips onto your person, I wear mine on my shoe, and it records your steps, counts mileage and even calculates calories.


This morning, I downloaded the simple app, installed it on my computer then took the dog for a walk.  We scooted around our neighborhood like we usually do, and when I got back home, I tapped my tracker and it uploaded my data into my computer... I tracked 2624 steps, 1.1 miles, 25 minutes and 156 calories burned.  Wow.  What technology can't do these days! 

This is a terrific motivator - I'm looking forward to seeing just how much I truly do when I'm at work :)

Doing my ME things for this month wasn't going to involve spending money, this.... is totally worth it!

Friday's ME

I got an urge!

Today, I was home from work a little earlier than usual, so had started puttering around in the back yard, then in the house.  As the light changed from sun to evening, I got an urge to head to the park to see about a sunset picture away from buildings.

I grabbed Sadie and we dashed on over, catching the very last rays at Hole In The Rock!  I missed some of it because of issues with GyPSy... or maybe it was me and my inputs.  heh heh heh

It was a gorgeous sunset, then we
wandered over and got a picture of
the pond after dusk.... :)

Always remember to smile 

and look up at what you got in life.”

-Marilyn Monroe

Lucky 7

Has the number 7 been lucky for you?  Sometimes I feel as if the number 7 is a lucky number for me; can't say it was an over the top lucky day today, but it was better than yesterday.

Today's ME:  I walked Sadie in the park, and got a great picture of the sunset. 

We can only be said to be alive in those moments 

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.  

~Thornton Wilder

Oh yeah, I also had a taco salad for dinner :)

6 days of ME

OK.  I gotta vent.  Sometimes things just build up and you gotta let loose.  That was my ME thing today..... I called my gf Helen, because she knows all the "players" and will most certainly empathize with me.  

At my BigBox store... well, I've talked about it often.  We have problems.  We have issues.  I've always said that anything you want to happen, has to start at the top.  And our Top Banana .... isn't so tops.  But that's another story ...... Turns out our department manager over the electronics portion (TVs, radios, IPads, Nooks ... that sort of thing...) was arrested for stealing.  And it looks like it was some major bucks.  I feel bad for the people in his family, they have to deal with all the fallout of the situation.  But it also affects our store as well -- the bottom line --- which is what our collective bonus is based on.  *sigh*  Why do people think they can get away with things like this???

The other vent:  In our BigBox store we have this person who I knew as a guy.  Who is now a girl.  Yeah.  And while I have lots of friends and contacts who are not considered "straight", they don't bother me and I don't bother them.  I've been on friendly terms with many, and have had no problems.  Until recently.  This individual has the right to do his/her own thing and I got no problem with it.  Until (s)he starts having some kind of agenda.  (S)he has rights, but when those rights begin to invade my own rights -- there's an issue. 

This is just my opinion, and those people who believe they need to be different have every right to live life as they see fit.  But it shouldn't intrude on others, and make others uncomfortable.  In my BigBox store, we have a men's restroom, a women's restroom, and a family restroom.  It's my belief that people who have gender issues should use the family restroom facility, just to avoid making others feel uncomfortable.  There's nothing worse from a female standpoint seeing a man's combat boots under the next stall over.  Most of the time, I just try to ... avoid using the restroom at the same time.  No big deal.  But it would be nice if (s)he would be more considerate. 

Sometimes you can't control what happens in the workplace, or deal with the rudeness of others.  But today, I went to the gym, did my workout, and was all done, ready to go back and change in the locker room.  I walked in, opened my locker and not six feet away ---- yep, you guessed it -- (s)he was there, changing, getting ready to work out. 

I can't help but think there's some kind of agenda to all of this, some kind of "these are my rights".
Thanks.
But I pay good money to attend my gym.
And now it feels violated.
I might have to switch.
This will take some serious thought.

5 Stressed Out

Day 5 found me stressed out first thing this morning.  Usually I try to wait until first break to have my diet coke with a breakfast bar.  Not today.  The top popped at 6am this morning.  Nothing I wanted to do was going to get done - I had carts full of trash and things to deal with before I could start my 'normal' work -- so there it was, my "breakfast" was too early.  Which of course left the rest of the day on the wrong foot as well.  *sigh*  It was impossible to ignore the bag of Indian Corn sitting on my desk.  But I managed to get in all my water, and eat veggies for lunch.  Not a bad day, but ... wasn't what I was aiming for.

On the ME part of today -- It was a facial treatment that made me feel good.  An apricot scrub while I was in the shower, followed by L'Oreal's Age Perfect Glow Renewal, because yeah, I need to get the glow back, even if it IS artificial!   hehehehe

The other part of my ME was shopping at JCP and getting new tennies for work and workouts.  Yes, 2 pair!  The right shoe is SO important when you spend 9 hours a day standing on concrete, and then the impact of running feet at the gym just ruins the insole support.  I usually need new shoes every six months, and I stretched this one out too far.  I can tell because I get an ache in my heel whenever there's not enough support left in my shoes.  I think I was about 2 weeks too late.  Today, I was nearly hobbling at the end of my work day.  It sure felt good to slide my feet into a new pair of New Balance tennies -- so good in fact, that I wore them home, just like I used to do when I was a kid!  hahahaha

And as luck would have it, I zoomed over to the clearance aisles for a quick look-see and found a denim shirt with sleeves (I like to wear them as jackets), a short sleeve shirt, and a 3/4 sleeve shirt - all in blue, for work,  for $20!    Nothing like a good bargain for work shirts, because I ruin them quickly.

Don't forget:  Do something for you today!
You're worth it :)

A Month of Me

I have decided that November is going to be The Month of Me.  Every day, I have to do something for myself, something that makes me feel good, or improves something. Here's how I started off the month.

On Friday, I left work early and came home to have lunch in t he backyard in the sunshine.   There's something extra relaxing about lunch in the sun when you're supposed to be at work :)

Saturday was head to toe pampering - shampoo and lotion in a great scent adds up to a great mood and many smiles.  When you give yourself time and permission to do something leisurely, you feel good about yourself.

Sunday was chore day - but I took time away from the chores to sit down and watch a couple episodes of the classic Dick Van Dyke show.  It's amazing that there can be timeless comedy that doesn't pick on or make fun of anyone, no swearing, just plain, simple comedy -- and laughter is the best medicine!

Monday's goals were different.  I re-discovered over the weekend that my lifestyle plan for eating and staying on my program to lose weight needs to be strict.  When a few tortilla chips turns into more than a few, there's a lack of control and those foods need to go.  So I started today with two thoughts:  More water (cuz water is free) and no sugar.  None.  Zip.  Its my plan to break the sugar addiction (again) in a week or so.   I stayed within my calorie goals, and my reward was a honeycrisp apple after dinner.   :)

We'll see how the struggles go, and I'll let you know.  With so many stresses at work, its not easy to stay away from the comfort nibbles that I tend to reach for:  namely, chocolate.  

I hit the gym today, and plan on hitting it every day this week. 
Because it makes me feel good :)

To PAC or not??

A professional photographer named Nicholas started something called Photographer's Adventure Club, and I was invited to join -- only because I was local and use SmugMug to post pictures, where he does also.  Many of the postings are on FaceBook, and there are a lot of photographers -- much more professional than me!

They post these awesome pictures, and I feel in awe. And unworthy with my lowly little point-and-shoots.  Because photography is their work, at the drop of a hat, or a change in weather, they can hop in a car and breeze out to great places to catch photos of clouds, sunsets, lightning ... you get the picture.  Totally out of my league, and for a while I enjoyed looking at their photos. 

But lately, the more I see of their stuff, the more my own photos seem to ... lack.   Which of course affects my own self esteem and motivation to take photos.  Yes, I always want to learn to get better, and creative feedback is always terrific.   *sigh*   They also do classes and get togethers, most of which have a fee attached.  While I would love to learn more, I don't have $50 for an evening of lessons. :(

But... to make a long story short, today the "secretary" of the club posted about this week's theme, and how they didn't want "point and shoot" quality being posted.  Well ya know what, PAC?  I opted out, and left the group.  Why?  Because its hard enough to enjoy photography without trying to 'compete' with professionals. 

The goals of PAC don't fit within my own experiences or talents. 
I'll never sell a picture, or do a wedding. 
Photography is my hobby, its something I do for pleasure.
I'll take a thousand of my "point and shoots" that make me smile
over one of your professional shots any day. 
Why? 
Because they have heart, and they're real.
And because I took time to create something of my own. 

Mondays

I set a goal for myself back in March (when I got back into the swing of things at the gym) that I wanted to reach 384 miles -- and my reward would be a trip to the beach.   After today, my total is 349 miles...  in 8 months of work.  None of these miles were counted by steps at work, or zipping the dog around the block in the morning to do her morning business.  It was time at the gym, or weekend intentional walks of a mile.  That averages out to 43.5 miles a month... and I'm pretty happy about this!

Otherwise, it was a typical manic Monday:  Managers at work are doing things, making changes, updating routines --- sadly, they're forgetting to tell the people who actually DO them.  lol  stupidity at its finest, IMO.  How hard can it be to communicate? 

Which leads me to my next GRRRR of the day: 
10 minutes before I'm ready to leave, and a manager tells me:
there's a HazMat compliance walk by our Regional person tomorrow; they're cleaning out some of the broken bags in Lawn & Garden and do I want the products now? 
Um, excuse me, no thank you, I'm leaving in 10 minutes.  How many bags are we talking about ? 
Ohhh, 15 or so.  
Gee, so I get to walk into that mess in the morning then ??  

Yippee skippy,

It's gonna be a really great day.  Lovely, just lovely. 
Guess I'm gonna be going in at 5 instead of 6 -- but this time I won't stay late.  Come 2pm and I'm gone! I was telling a friend about this, and she said "I"d stay late if it meant more money".  Yeah, me too.  But extra time accumulated early in the week means I have to take long lunches.  What do you DO with a 3 hour lunch???  UGH.   It used to be if we stayed extra for them, they'd allow us to leave early on our Friday.  So that made a weekend feel just a bit longer.  The way management has it set up now, there's no give and take, no reason for me to do them a favor, they don't grant it back.  Sadly, this BigBox store will lose sales and key opportunities because they make a rule and never bend. For anyone. 

Ok.... I had dinner, walked the dog, time for a shower and some Antiques Roadshow.  Or The Voice.  :)
Both if I can stay awake long enough to switch back and forth. haha

One of those days

Everybody has "one of those days" every now and then......
Yeah, you know the kind I'm talking about! 

I think I jinxed my day by pushing the snooze button, something I rarely do.  But this morning I was extra tired.  Sadie had a 'honking' session last night.  Pugs with their pushed up noses don't have a long enough snout and sometimes something gets in there wrong.... sort of like when we swallow wrong and a little of our drink goes down the esophagus --- when she drools a lot in her sleep, if she doesn't swallow, it pools up in her throat, and then she has to hack it up -- I call it honking.  It doesn't last long, maybe 10 mins in all, but its enough to break up a sleep pattern.  So I pushed the snooze button this morning. 

I can't even remember now if her and I made it all the way around the block this morning -- but  I think so.  Work was much busier than a typical Thursday - and that's usually my day for catching up on the last minute things.  But all day long, it seemed as if things didn't stop coming back to claims to be processed.

The good note of the day was I got in a workout on my lunch hours - yes, hours.  I had to take a 2 hour lunch today, so having the gym next door really helps!!

Brian worked til 5:15 -- or supposedly.  I arrived to pick him up at 5:30 and he was still working.  Finally by 6 he was ready to leave.  Usually its not a problem, I know how retail is, you never leave exactly on time.  But its Thursday - our library and Taco Bell night.   We headed straight for the library only to discover that one of the discs for Pawn Stars was missing (oops, my fault).  But 4 of Brian's movies weren't turned in either.  Another Ooops.  They couldn't be renewed because there was a charge on the account for the missing DVD.   siiiiigh

By now its 6:30pm and no way can I do Taco Bell.  I have to get those DVDs back to the library before they charge me $2/day/DVD.   I'm beginning to think that my time with weekly visits to the library is coming to an end.  Over the summer, with the trips I took home, and other issues, I ended up paying close to $100 total in fines.  With the holidays coming up, and Brian's work schedule that rotates, its too hard to make a library night right now. 

So after a quick shower and then grabbing things to be ready for morning, here I sit, venting a little bit to get this day off my thoughts .... and that will help me sleep.

Yep  Everyone has "one of those days" every now and then.
Today was my turn.
*sigh*

Surfin'

"Said goodbye, turned around
And you were gone, gone, gone
Faded into the setting sun,
Slipped away
But I won’t cry
Cause I know I’ll never be lonely
For you are the stars to me,
You are the light I follow

I will see you again, whoa
This is not where it ends
I will carry you with me, oh
'Til I see you again."

We all have someone who's gone, someone we miss.  Carrie Underwood's song "See You Again" gives us a little hope -- the people we love may be gone from our current life, but we carry them in our hearts.  Always.

Last night, I had a dream that I was leaning how to surf.  My teacher? Was my stepson, Dougie.  I wasn't afraid; he was right there with me.  And though he's been gone from this earth for five years now, it doesn't matter -- he is always in my heart.  And every now and then... I see him in a dream, feel his presence in a moment.

I will see you again...
This is not where it ends.
I will carry you with me
Til I see you again.

Love you Dougie!
'Mom

Hope Crashes

It's Monday ... gym day!  and I'm ready.....
you see......

There's a man at the gym who has been friendly,
smiling, waving and talking to me in the past.
Nice man. 
Very nice.  :)
He's been absent lately - but was back today.
We talked. 
Smiled.
Talked more.
and Smiled again.

This is the first time we've talked when one of us wasn't on a machine.
I thought of him as short.
But he's as tall as I am.

He has blue eyes.
and a 'something' that appeals to me.
More smiling.
And then....  out comes the deal breaker:
"we have two yellow labs."
*sigh*

Why do things that have a hint of promise
come to a screeching halt with "we" ???

It's hard to believe I misread a signal or two....
but then again, I've been out of the dating scene for a while now
*another sigh*
Oh well. 
back to my original word:   "Next!"

Cramped Out!

It's bout 11:30pm and I've been asleep for about 2.5 hours -- well, as deep a sleep as I get with Sadie roaming the floors.  We had run an errand earlier, and anything outside her "norm" messes with the bedtime routine--- you know how that can go!   Anyways, I'm laying there, and all of a sudden, my eyes fly open and I feel like I had been jabbed by a hot poker.  When its out of the blue in the middle of your sleep, your first thought when you wake up and "What the hell was that?" 

And not two seconds later, as I begin to swing my legs over the side of the bed it hits me:  a very intensely painful leg cramp down my inner thigh.  It's cramping so hard, I barely catch my breath, and I tell myself to slow down, breathe .... breathe... don't hyperventilate!  but the cramping doesn't stop.  I feel myself break out into an intense sweat from the pain, and my next thought was "oh gawds, please don't make me throw up from the pain..."  and I'm back to my mantra:  breathe... breathe.... deep breath .... breathe.....

Ok.  Next issue:  how to relieve the cramping.  I've had them in my calves before (always my left leg, and this was too) and usually just standing on it and gently stretching it will do the trick.  Not this time!  I tried to stand and nope, fell right back onto the bed.  A whole two minutes might have gone by, and my next thought was "geeee, how am I gonna get to the bathroom... if..... " 

I closed my eyes, concentrate on my breathing, and putting my leg in a position where the cramping eases up, and focus on relaxing (ignoring, of course, the fact that I want to toss my Milky Way bar .... )  Once I've allowed the muscle to relax just a little bit, I decide I better hobble across the room toward the bathroom .... just... in ... case....

By the time I cross that span of eight feet, I'm beginning to feel a little better, noticing though that my pajamas are soaking wet, sweat's  been dripping into my eyes.  I grab a towel, lower the lid on the toilet and ease myself into a sitting position.  The nausea has passed ,the pain has subsided enough that I can endure small movements.  I slide out of my jammies and into something dry and fresh.  I towel off my face and neck, all the while making sure I'm breathing. 

I tested my leg for its ability to hold me without pain, and it finally did.  I took a few laps around the bedroom, then the kitchen.  Ok.  Its doing ok, it doesn't seem to be cramping any longer and wow, I think I can get back in bed.  Of course, any movement that uses the muscle that had cramped was a little painful, and I was nervous about having it cramp up again. 

I grabbed an extra pillow, shoved it between my knees and laid on my right side, letting that left leg just rest up there on that pillow.  I was able to go back to sleep rather quickly (which was nice!) but I woke up in that same position in the wee morning hours. No way was I going to risk another horrible cramp because I *moved*. 

Cramps are attributed to three things:  mineral deficiency in the system, dehydration, lack of stretching, and overuse.  Well.  I'm quite sure it was all four of those things!  I'd been to the gym four days in a row.... its not as hot here, so my water intake is lower than it had been. 

Sometimes when things like this happen in the middle of the night, you feel your alone-ness a lot more; there's not much anyone else can do when this happens, but having someone to help get past the worry could be nice......  I'll be sure to stretch nicely, drink more water and take my vitamins this week, to keep this from happening again!!

Happy Weekend!

Back on Track

I haven't posted in a couple days.  But I haven't had a lot to chat about -- work wipes me out lately, its very busy, lots of prep work for the BIG holidays coming up.  Loads and loads of freight coming in, and everyone is over-busy.  My friend Helen came in the other day so we had time for a good chat - always great to catch up with friends!

I started a project with my photography where I'm taking a picture every day.  The theme is just something that made me smile.  And I did ok for the first couple weeks, but its slacked off this week.  Its not so hard taking pix, but lately, I haven't had time on a daily basis to upload and edit pictures.  My pup, Sadie, would rather have attention than let me work on the computer!   *sigh*

I've been back at the gym, every day this week, so I'm happy with that; its progress!  My trainer, Russell, said pick one thing, and do it, succeed, then move on to the next.  So.  Its "to the gym every day".  check.  Next week, my focus will be back on drinking water, and no soda.   Its a process, and time to get back on track. 

American Pickers (again!)

American Pickers - what is it that draws me to this show?  Other than the charm and simplicity of the two and what they do:  finding pieces of american history in out of the way places. 

But a big part of the appeal is what they do above and beyond buying and selling.  In an episode I watched today, they were in California, and found a surf board shop to go in; they bought three surfboards, and then took them to the California Surf Museum to be appraised.  With the info they gained, they did well on two purchases of surfboards.  The last surfboard impressed the museum folks so much, that Frank and Mike donated the last Plastic Fantastic surfboard to the museum, because it belonged there, not in Iowa. 

So many folks these days would rather just keep the profit....

There's nothing better than a couple of "cobbers from Iowa" -- and its refreshing to see, to learn, to know that there are still people in the world who do the right thing. 

70s Retro

My Dad's handy in every way that counts! He's there when you need a hand, of course, but better, he knows how to solve problems and fix things to make them better.   One of the things I remember he made for us kids was stilts.  A long piece of wood, attach a foothold onto it, and voila! I remember how my sister and I would hop up on those things and stomp around the driveway.  I look back and think wow!  We had balance, a good core, strong limbs to be able to do that!  And we weren't afraid of falling either!

I also loved to jump rope.  We had a long run with the double dutch jump rope.  It wasn't always easy to find kids tall enough to turn the rope for me (I was one of the older kids on the block).  Neighbor girls would come over and we'd double dutch for hours at a time, taking turns.




 
Do you remember marbles in grade school??  4th and 5th grades - at Bracher Elementary.  There was an unpaved portion of the school yard, and we'd head over there to shoot marbles.  I think we put a string in a circle, tossed in a few marbles, then tried to shoot them outside the circle with our large lucky cats' eye marble.  Or maybe a steely.  I remember my marble bag.  It was green, with a red print - flowers or leaves perhaps - with a draw string.  I know Mom made it.... she made everything!  Recess and lunch times, it didn't matter, we were in the middle of  a marble fad!

Another childhood fad I recall... knockers.  The design was like the answer to a Zen riddle: two orbs attached by a common string. By holding the middle of the string and moving your hands in a constant up-and-down motion, kids caused the thick glass spheres to collide at the top and bottom. Aside from looking great (especially if the balls were speckled inside with glitter), the toy made a highly satisfying clacking noise that you controlled. Many a parent was driven to profanity by this hellish metronome, but that was only the start of the problems.

As you can probably guess, they had a short life, and ended up on the "dangerous toy" list.


Another 70s fad from my childhood:  waffle stompers!  Everybody had 'em for a while in the mid 70's. You know - those big, clunky beige or brown boots with the waffle tread and red or yellow laces.  These days, they look like "hiking boots".  In fact, I just bought a pair two years ago for hiking! 

What goes around, comes back again!

Long Weeks

This past week was one of the longest weeks on record, I think!  Or at least, it felt that way.  It was one of those kind where everything you start, you have in mind the time it will take to do--- and then wham, something happens and it takes twice as long.  Work's felt that way for a while now, and I feel like I'm getting behinder, rather than making progress every day.  I will have to adjust my thinking on that account, and realize that everything can't be done every single day. And then be satisfied with that.  Maybe this little mental adjustment will help!

With our work schedules clashing, poor Sadie has been home alone more than she ought to be.  Now that she's past a lot of the puppy stages, its not bad, but her neediness increases as she is left alone.  I got home from work early on Friday, at noon, and from that point on, we had to be 'buddies'.  The kind where she's right next to me, and whining if I'm not paying attention to her.   And for some reason, the usual attention things didn't work:  we went for a walk, we sat and brushed her for a while, we sat outside so she could watch the birds, we played fetch.  And still by 8pm, she hadn't had enough!  It felt like having a whiny two year old!  and EEEKS, I'm much too old for that on a constant basis!  Finally, I said I had enough, and started moving furniture to vacuum and wipe down and put back.  At least doing chores, she thinks she's "helping" by being in the way .... heh heh heh.  And it stops the whining that starts the instant I sit down to do anything on the computer. 

Today hasn't been much better.  We started the day with an hour's walk at Riparian Preserve, our fav place to walk and see people, other dogs, birds, bunnies, ducks, and assorted other water fowl.  We watered the cactus.  We dabbled in the pool.  We had breakfast.  We had another walk to the mailbox.  We sat in the sunshine to read a book... well, I read, she chased helicopters, cicadas, and any other flying critter. We had lunch.  And Finally.  FINALLY! at 12:30 she is now snoozing at the end of my bed.

Which will only last as long as I sit here without moving.
I hope my bladder holds out for an hour.  *laughs*

Hopscotch

Oh yeah, Hopscotch!  

Hopscotch is a popular playground game
in which players toss a small object into
numbered spaces of a pattern of rectangles
outlined on the ground and then hop or jump
through the spaces to retrieve the object.


 

Childhood memories are sometimes covered and obscured 

beneath things that came later.... " - Neil Gaiman

And I'm no different, finding memories of my own kids layered over memories of my own childhood.  Lately I've been trying to piece together memories, little points of interest, from when I was growing up.  And playing hopscotch is one of them.  If you had a piece of chalk and a chain, a trinket or even a small stone, you could occupy yourself for hours with hopscotch!  Just draw out the squares, 1-9 it was for us, and start hopping.

What brought this to mind?  My training session.  My trainer had me hopping like a schoolgirl on one foot, and frankly, I found it very difficult!  I had no trouble doing this as a child, but found it a challenge yesterday to hop more than twice in a row - no way could I have hopped all the way to 9, turn around and do it in reverse, balancing on one foot while bending over to retrieve my trinket in a square and continuing down to one again!!

Why is it we lose these abilities?  And worse, when we're older, we pay someone to force us to do the things we thought of as "fun" back when we were kids - and it was free!

What were some of the things you did as a kid?
Anything come to mind???