Hot Damn!

Thursday is my night out with my son, and we usually get something delish at Taco Bell.  Today, after being out all day sitting and waiting in a government facility, we cruised thru Jack on the way home.  And let me tell you, their Hot Cinnamon shake is terrific!  Remember those little cinnamon red hot candies?  Well, imagined those all crushed and blended into a vanilla shake--- wow!  They're only for a limited time, so you should take the next opportunity to try one!!! (but shhhhhh, don't tell my trainer I tried it!!!)

Ever notice how some days when you have to do something different than your normal routine, it can be very tiring?  When I am at work in my BigBox store, I am on my feet all day, running from here to there and back again. I'm lifting and toting heavy boxes.  And I'll take that over sitting on my butt in a uncomfortable chair for 3 hours waiting and waiting ... and waiting some more.  Ugh.  To me, that's exhausting!  Why were we waiting?  My son is applying for some services, and we went the whole online application route.  They called to do a phone interview, but they had such a heavy Spanish accent, he didn't understand what they were saying.  So, I figured it best to do it in person, it helps him understand "the system" a little better as well.  It went ok, got it accomplished, and that was the goal.  :)

Boxing!!

Wow!  Today, I got my first boxing lesson!  How cool is that??  So it's Monday, and a typical work day's end, and time to head to the gym.  Being Monday, I'm always a little ... blah about working out, mostly ready to slog through my routine and get home, cuz that's how Mondays are.  All changed and ready, I hop on the treadmill and get going. 

I was only a few minutes into it when a young guy comes over and introduces himself (and right now, my mind is a blank as to what his name is -- how bad is that??)   He asked a bunch of questions and I answered, and he said "How about a free training session today?"  Well hell.  Sure!  I answered. (and then I wondered if that was the smart thing to do ???? hahah)   He tells me "Get warmed up, I'll be ready in 4 minutes, I'm gonna grab my gear."    I didn't think anything of it, assuming it would be the usual equipment. Turns out, its boxing gear!   The whole time, he's chattering away about nothing, and fitting the gloves on my hands, and I'm sure the look on my face was like "Whaaaattt?"  And we start in, soft swings at first, boxer's stance, and he's dancing away and telling me to come and get him, keep punching, don't stop ... I'm sure you get the picture!  For 30 minutes, we kept going and going, changing stance, changing from a punch to an upper cut then back again.  First time I ever had permission to hit a man....  lol

Any time you're ready, Mike Tyson.... bring it on! 
This gal's rarin' to go!
(laughs ... yeah, right!)

WhattaWeek!

What a long feeling week -- the kind that rushes by so fast, you wonder where it went!  I know, I know, I wasn't going to blog any more.  But.  It's good for me, and I'm at a point in my life where I have to choose what's best for me and my needs.

Gym Rat:  I made it to the gym three times this week, completing 6 miles (Yes, the goal is 8, but work and the rain took precedence here...)  I also did some of the weight machines, adding 5 pounds to my reps on almost all of them.  I still have trouble with the shoulder press machine, because it only goes up in 10lb increments, and I'm not ready for the next increase.  I felt my muscles for two days afterward, and boy did that feel good!  I need to go every day. For Me!

Work-a-holic:  ugh, what can I say about work.  It's been busy.  Lots of tedious things to be done.  And I worked an extra 3 hours today to get a jump start on the week because there's a Compliance Audit either Tuesday or Thursday (there's some confusion -- typical management issue!) 

Sweet, Sweet, Sadie:  It's Sunday evening, 8pm, and Sadie and I are already crawled into bed.  She's watching a Friends DVD, and munching on a doggie cookie.  (yeah, yeah, I spoil her! lol )

Bianca:  During our cold snap, my car (yes, I call her Bianca cuz she's white) was sluggish in the morning turning over.  I knew deep down I would need a battery soon.  And sooner happened this morning.  I got in, turned her over and  --erdt-- nothing.  Oh damn.  Called AAA, he came out in 40 minutes and I bought a new battery with a good warranty.  Now she starts up quick and I'm good to go again! (Even though I was late to work by 2 hours ugh)

Flooded Yard:  With all the rain we've gotten here, my backyard looked like a lake. So Saturday, I got out there and finished digging the trench along the side of the house, pulling the water away from the patio area.  This will be a good thing if I ever get it figured out what to do now.  I'm still considering hiring some kind of water management landscaper to help figured this one out. 

As you can see, more than enough on my plate this past week; I keep wishing for just a little more time to do some of the other things I'd like to do -- work on pictures is a big one. 

Worth It

To Blog or Not to Blog

Some days, do you ever wonder why you do what you do?  Of course, some of what we do are basic necessities to get along in life.  Other things we do because we enjoy them, or they're our hobbies.

Take this blog, for example.  I started it because a woman over 50 sometimes has wisdom and insight to share with the world.  And because sometimes it felt good to share things.  But in a me-me-me world, so many people are so busy with putting things "out there" on FB, or blogging, or some other way, that no one takes the time to read, to listen.  Eventually my reasons for writing this have dwindled to two:  to keep practicing the art of writing, and to let someone who was important in my life know that I'm doing ok.

Sadly, with the stats that come in from this platform, the hits I get are now just random from other countries who must get paid based on the number of websites they hit in an hour?  I don't need to keep up my writing for them.  And I'm betting they don't even read it, they just hit and run.   I don't think the "important someone" reads it either - so why bother?  It's funny how you can believe with your heart and mind that someone could be so important to you; but its only a good thing if its reciprocated. 

So if I'm silent for a while, its because I am focusing my efforts elsewhere.

Keeping On

A gorgeous day in the Valley of the Sun ... gone are the freezing temps overnight, we welcomed in a warm day of sunshine.  By 930, I was out cleaning off the patios and sweeping til I could sweep no more.  I arranged my lounge chair in what I knew would be a sunny spot by noon, and then waited.   By 12:01, I was parked in my chair with a cold drink, a good book and a pillow behind my back.  Ahhh the sun felt glorious!  Of course, with a crazy needy puppy, it wasn't all peaceful!  hahahaha  After an hour in the sun, and a quick dash around the room to get things straightened up, I hauled her off to the park to walk around a bit, see some sights, greet some people, watch the kids feed the ducks ... (and wear her butt out a bit!)  Back home at 3pm and I'm parked out in my chair in the sunshine yet again.  Can't get enough of that today!  It's been a long time coming and I was certainly ready and anxious for this day :) 

And plenty of sun is needed for me to shake off some blues that have hit hard. Is it just wintertime that affects us this way?  Or more to do with circumstances?  A good friend of mind is studying for his PhD and needed to travel for an interview -- we were both hoping it would turn out to be Phoenix!  but sadly, its Minneapolis instead.  I haven't seen Mr.OC since 2008.  He came over to my store and gave me the biggest hug and made me feel like I was welcomed in this new state I was calling home.  It would have been so nice to see him again, share a few laughs, and maybe a few tears as well.  We've been friends a long time, he knows exactly what I've gone through --- and his advice and opinion turned out to be correct, even though I turned a blind eye every chance I got to the truths he told me.  Still do.  Maybe a visit will be in the cards in the future. 

Until then, I'll just keep on keeping on the best way I know how.... hope you do too!

My Michael

Let me tell you about my  Michael .....
I often refer to him as my "Prof"
because he  gives me lots of advice,
forcing me to stretch my opinions, my mind, my ideals.

He is the quintessential man - a hard worker,
one who cares for the environment and his fellow man.
He's been known to give the last few dollars in his pocket to a man down on his luck.
He's caring, kind and 'gives a shit'
He likes animals.

He's a consultant, but he always has time for me.
He encourages me to grow, to try new things.
He listens when I'm down. and when I'm up, too.
He reads interesting things and always shares what he finds.

He's tall, a little younger than I am.
He looks great in good suit, but he's more comfy in jeans and a t-shirt.
His hands are rough and worn.
He's worked hard in his life, and life has worked him hard.
Things haven't always gone his way, but always gets better.

He's articulate and patient; when I don't understand something,
I can ask, and he will explain it without getting huffy or impatient with me.
He cares.

I can tell him anything and everything.
He doesn't laugh at me.
He'll hold my hand when I cry
and celebrate with me when I lose a few pounds.

I am head over heels in love with this man,
and dream of meeting him in person some day.
But I know that its totally impossible......

For he is my imaginary friend.

Breathe

“All things share the same breath - 

the beast, the tree, the man... 

the air shares its spirit 

with all the life it supports.”

— Chief Seattle

 

When was the last time you thought about the air we breathe?  We breathe about 17 times a minute, but we hardly ever think about it, it just happens.  There are so many things that we ignore when we're busy, that we take for granted because it will "always be there".  But I think its more important than ever that when things get tough we need to 'get back to basics' and forget about the fancy things that other people think we should want.

So close your eyes, and concentrate your focus on breathing -- in -- and out -- and in again.  Pay attention to how it feels filling up your lungs, how your body and mind all need the oxygen to keep on keepin' on.  And just a few short moments of focused breathing makes you feel more relaxed, in control, and yes, happier! 

SnowBallz!

Ok.  I live here in the Valley of the Sun, where the average January temp is 56.  But this latest cold snap has been a doozy, we've probably broken a few records for the lowest low, the number of freeze warning nights in a row... etc.  Today is supposed to be the last cold day, and temps will be back to normal again. 

At work this morning, I happened to be out in the Garden Dept and Rich was unloading a load of peat moss.  As I watched for a moment, I looked at the pallets he brought in and thought wow, those look really weird.  I expected some ice or something, given our overnight lows lately, but dang..... they're covered with snow... yes SNOW!  I blinked, blinked again, did a double take and immediately scooped some up and made a snowball, packing it the way I did back in Ohio winters.  I held it to my nose, and smelled the crisp fresh scent of snow, and listened to it crunch as I compressed it into snowballs.  I didn't care that it was cold, I didn't even notice; seeing snow again was fun!  A reminder that other people, other places, deal with things we don't deal with here.  Rich says the load came from Idaho, and nothing melted - all the way down it was colder than cold for the driver.  Ahhhhh.... snow!
(you'll have to take my word, and excuse the fact that I didn't run back inside to grab my camera for some photo ops --- I didn't want to leave the snow!)

Yesterday after coming home from work, I got the base started for a pot of stew -- the perfect food for a cold, "snowy" day!  Had my son put it on the stove about 2pm; when I got home, I added the last few ingredients, thickened it up, and we had it for dinner..... mmmm mmmm good!

Happy Birthday, Son!

Happy Birthday, Dougie!
Twenty four is a magical number,
and your love of life would have taken you far.
but your time with us was cut short,
and your loss is felt every single day.
You weren't my biological son,
but you were in my heart
right from the start.
I miss you
I love you

Love, Mom

Short n sweet

Short, sweet and not very entertaining:

Yesterday, and today too, was very very cold!  We're not prepared here in the Valley of the Sun to deal with temps that low!  Even bushes and cacti that are covered aren't surviving.  We're expecting it to last all week long - brrrrr!!

There's a place I post some of my photography, and I received a negative comment about it.  Funny how some people are so small minded  that they can't just skip over a photo they don't like, they have to stop and put in their two cents.  Ah well, today, I just laughed about it, and that felt good!

Gym day today:  52 minutes, 3 miles, and some leg work.  Sadly, I could have gone further on the mileage, but I wore heels when I went shopping on Saturday, then walked Sadie, and pulled a muscle behind my knee.  Its a little sore, so aspirin and a heating pad tonight!

It's looking like it will be a very long week at work, 5am start time for at least the first couple of days.

I'll keep you updated here another time!  :)

Changes

"There is no situation that stays forever, sometimes things go easy, sometimes they are difficult. When one doesn't undertake something, one cannot have returns. It is not a fault to need to work hard. While things are bad, it is good to keep in mind that as long as one can trust that one will have something to eat, things are basically alright."

Wow. That's so true.  Nothing stays forever, life is always changing. 
Things are easy, things are difficult, that's all a part of life. 
There's no measure of the highs if one doesn't feel the lows.

While this may feel like a low point in my life right now,
it's ok, I have my work, and enough of it to keep busy.
I have my house, with all the little things that need to be done.  and I have Sadie who showers me with love and attention  (sometimes waaay too much for me! haha)

Sometimes change is scary, and we resist. 
That's natural.
but change can be good, so don't be afraid
to give it a try :)

Ccccccold snap!

Normally, our cold temps are in the 45-50 range.  This morning?  Its a c-c-c-c-old 27 degrees.  Spent yesterday covering plants, moving my pots under the patio, and putting styrofoam cups on the tops of cactus in the ground.  (I'll have to add a picture of that, its kind of odd looking!)  My heater has been running what sounds like non-stop since 4am.  And I have to go out in it, and get my hair done today.   Some days, you just don't want to go out into the weather at all!  We're spoiled here in the Valley of the Sun - we hardly ever have to delay anything based on weather issues.


Got my hair done, then shopped.  $10 shirt for work (2), $14 shirt for casual dress, and a pair of jeans... all in all a good day at the store!  After, a quick trip to the library for something to read (gotta have something to curl up with in this chilly early morning weather!) and some lunch, now its time to put some spaghetti sauce on to simmer for the afternoon.   Ahhh... winter is here :)

Replenish You!

Plato once said, “People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.”

Pick your friends with care—they create the environment in which you will either thrive or wilt. Give everyone the opportunity to be a friend, but share your dreams and goals only with those who value them as much as you do.

Ask yourself whether spending time with this person will lift you up or drag you down? Will spending time with this person help you to become your best self? Will you be happier after spending time with this person? Will this person help you achieve your most important goals? If not, find friends who will.

One of the best moves you can make in life is to surround yourself with friends who see the potential in you that you may not even see in yourself.

Being alone will never cause as much loneliness as the wrong relationship.

All of these things are true.  And every now and then, I have to ask myself:  Are my relationships worth maintaining?  One of the things that is a measure of how I view relationships is whether or not I am fed by them.  When the chips are down, who can I count on?  Some days, the list is very short.  I am the type of person people tend to lean on, and yet there comes a time when there's nothing left of me to lean on, and I have to find a way to replenish myself.  Its important that we aren't dependent on the people around us for our replenishment; we need to be able to meet our own needs and feed our own energy stores. 

There are several ways to feed your energy, and most don't take that much time or effort!  Included would be Take a bubble bath; Use the first 10 mins of your day just for you; Dance; Read a book; Do something creative; Get outside; Pamper yourself; Find some water.

Its the last one that does it for me.  I often take walks with Sadie around ponds or creeks, because they make you feel good.  As feminine women, being associated with the Yin energy we have a natural affinity for water. So if you have the ability to, spend some time by natural body of water. This will feed your soul and energize you. Take a little time and go to a local river, or lake. If you have the opportunity, spend some time by a waterfall or even by the ocean. Enjoy listening to the sound of the water, breathe and just be.

Use the list of suggestions,
find time for yourself
and be re-energized!

Get Fit!

Since its a new year, I decided to change some of the things I track on my Spark People page, where I input data for my weight loss journey .  I now have the option to track mileage, so I thought I'd see just how many miles I log at the gym.  My goal?  Walk as many miles from Mesa AZ to the Pacific Ocean.  How far is that?   384 miles!  Can it be done?  We'll have to see!  My goal is 8 miles per week, so that's 48 weeks.  It's doable - quite the commitment, but I'm committed.  Or is it "need to be committed?"  hahaha  Now I just need to think of a reward to go along with reaching that goal! 

After entering my data, I have completed 12.59 miles.  Yay me!
Only 371.5 to go!

I also noticed that with the weight loss/ get fit journey I started last March, and the goal I have set for myself, losing 5 more pounds will put me over the halfway mark -- that'll be something to celebrate!  (in two more weeks, if I continue to stick with the program.)  It will be harder this weekend - the weather has taken a nasty turn to a cold snap, and that means lots of indoor time, and not much to do.  Maybe I should get started on painting the little bedroom!   :)

Hope you take a few minutes to get out, get some kind of exercise this weekend -
it does a body good!!

Thursday

I wish there was something fantastical I could say about today.  Yes, it was a Thursday.  I was hoping that I could get caught up enough to leave work early, find some place to go shoot some photos. By 10am, I was thinking "ooo, maybe" and peeked outside.  Our day was gray, overcast and downright chilly!  Eh. Who wants to slog around in weather like that?  As it turns out, I had plenty to keep me busy.

It being Thursday, that's my outing day.  Library.  Errands.  Taco Bell steak salad for dinner.  While at the library, I take Sadie with me, and we walk around.  Mostly because we both need the exercise!  And we stopped at Pet Smart (Where pets are welcome!) and we wandered around, bought a new harness for her, as she's outgrown her puppy harness.

I'm hoping for a better, warmer weekend, but am afraid I'll be disappointed - I'll just have to be more creative in my thinking!  I checked the weather channel, and our high is only supposed to be 50, with a low of 27 over the weekend.  BRRRRRrrrrr.  I'm gonna need some warmer clothes!

Three cheers for a weekend, Hip Hip Hip Hooray!

Weigh In Weds!

YEP, you guessed it ... it was Weigh In Wednesday.  After working extra hours yesterday, and Sunday, and going in early, the LAST thing I wanted to do was hit the gym. But!  It's that day, and I couldn't pass it by.... no matter how much I wanted to.   I did my weights rotation for legs today, and 20 mins on the elliptical - plus walking Sadie twice today, eh, pretty good for a very tired chubby old chick!  (giggles)  The good news:  only one more holiday pound to lose to be back where I was before the holidays.  That's a relief --- can I celebrate with some chocolate???  (I wish!)

Monday AGAIN?

Wow, a great Johnny Cash Quote!  And it totally fits in with today, because it felt like Monday all over again.

At my BigBox store, (and probably every other retailer), there just isn't enough equipment to go around so that everyone has their own.  And even though its childish, some people hide equipment so that they'll have their own the next day.  IMO, it is management's duty to see to it that people aren't being selfish with equipment, or to hold them accountable.  Because in the bigger picture, most folk work their 8 hour shift, that leaves 16 hours open for someone else to put that equipment to good use.  Not so in our store.  Most days, many hours are wasted looking for the things we each need to do our job.

Today, I arrived at 5:45 and without a handheld computer and portable printer, I am unable to do any part of my job.  I piddled around doing little diddly things (like sweep and empty trash) assuming that someone would return my equipment when their shift ended at 7am.  By 730, I'm pacing the floor, getting antsy because I know that I know that I know that I'll never get 8 hours worth of my job done in 6 hours.  So I find a manager and tell her that without my stuff, I can't work, so I'll just go home.  (Darned that didn't happen, IMO!!!)  I was given one to use, but ... if everyone behaved like adults and treated the equipment as if it belongs to the store and not personal employees, we'd not waste so many hours in every day.  And what a pity we have managers who don't - or can't - stand up to employees who abuse the system.

That being said .... Once I got equipment, I turned it on high speed, and got a good portion of my job done.  Granted, I had to stay an hour over, but it was necessary.

After work, because I missed my workout time, I took Sadie (and the kid!) to the park for a quick walk around - which lasted 42 mins :)

Now, I'm tuckered, I'm tried from being stressed, and looking forward to a hot shower, a cool drink, and a warm bed  :) :) :)

Mondays

 

Yes it was just another Monday ... I keep thinking "... one of these days, Mondays won't be so bad!..."

While my Monday was typical at work -- busy, too much to do, not enough time -- after work, I went directly to the gym, where I did 2 miles in 32 mins, then all the "arms" workout.  I'm pleasantly tired, and had a healthy meal.  Even better ... my food intake was within my prescribed limits!  If I keep this up, my scale will reflect my efforts very soon!

Can I celebrate a good day with a chocolate bar?????
*snicker* 

Powerful!

Accomplished!

New Year, Day 6 - I skipped the gym Friday, and Saturday was my day off.  After working four hours today, I didn't allow myself to skip the gym, and completed 3.5 miles in 58 minutes on the treadmill.  It was tiring, but it feels SO good to have an accomplishment under my belt.  Will make the rest of my week easier I hope! 

I hope you set yourself
a goal this week,
and accomplish it --
it feels terrific!

De-clutter Update

Just checking in with an update:  Over the past week, I managed to use up four or five little travel sized bottles.  I cleaned out a closet and was able to get rid of six other things as well.  Its been a good week in that regard!

To celebrate, I purchased a simple bunch of daisies for myself!!

Got Zen?

After working in the yard earlier today, I played with my sticks.  That sounds rather amusing, but ... I have a collection of sticks, mostly they came from trees in the yard, branches that have fallen or been cut down, and After a while, I couldn't decide how to store these sticks, so I started arranging them against one of my walls.  And thus grew a tradition of sorts.  Every time I arrange them, they turn out different.  And stacking them precisely so they won't fall down, creating a pattern, all appeals to my sense of order, and adds a little artsy-ness to my yard as well!  
 
Do you have something that's "Zen" for you?  Everyone needs to find their Zen. But what does that mean?  Zen, like Tao, cannot be totally explained in words. Much of your grasp of Zen must necessarily depend on your own intuition.  Everyone has a personal meaning of Zen for them, but overall it means peace, meditation, calmness. We are conditioned to stressing and foreboding and worrying, it's human nature. It's difficult for us as humans, to focus on the moment and find peace or even want it, but we do however, need peace in our lives. It's essential for over all good health, both  mentally and physically.

I found some short instructions for finding your Zen:

Find a quiet place for 10 minutes and breathe deep.  Focus on the moment, and stop worrying.  It's only for 10 minutes!

Take time for yourself.  A mental health day, half day, or even an hour or two is very important to your health -- and you're worth it!

Remind yourself through peace you gain strength.  When you are not calm or peaceful, you can not be productive or maintain energy if you are constantly worrying or stressing. Without peace, there is no calm.  Peace is never weak, beneath its serenity lies a magnitude of strength.

Accept yourself.  Be at peace with who you are.  Stop trying to impress or become someone else.  You have to live up to your own expectations, not anyone else's.

Surround yourself with nature; get out into a park, a place to walk, even your own backyard, and be nurtured by all teh natural beauty in this world.

Surround yourself with people who make you feel good.  Do not keep company with people who discourage you or make you feel down or bad about yourself.  People who judge and criticize you tend to drain you.  These people have a tendency, if they constantly judge you or project your their issues on you,  to suck your energy and leave you feeling lethargic and ill.

Walk light.  Let things go.  When we are angry, upset and hurt, we tend to hold onto it.  We get insulted, we get resentful, our ego will not allow us to let things go, we stay angry.  When you hold on to these negative feelings, you allow for toxins to build within your body.  Letting things go means you are at peace.  So walk with a light step and a lighter heart.

Cactus Corner

It felt good to be out in the sunshine,
working in the yard today!

It wasn't a really warm day,
but warm enough if you kept moving.





I raked out as many river rocks from
the corner as I could.....











and planted a semi circle of bricks
to wall off the section that I'll call
"Cactus Corner"

Now I have a place to put some
cactus that are planted in pots
and getting to big to stay confined

If the temps stay up, and don't
drop too much over night, the
ground may be warm enough
to give these guys a new home!

New Hope

It's Saturday morning, the one day this week that I can sleep in.  And at 5am, yep, you guessed it, my eyes popped open.  It's a chilly morning, so after letting Sadie out, I crawled back in bed.  I think its time for a little "me" time - with a good mystery book.   But Sadie had other ideas, and we played fetch for a bit :)

When it comes to how your start your day, start it with a fresh new hope!  I usually have a list of the things I want or need to do.  That way I can focus on something, and know that I got something accomplished - to me, that's a good part of a successful day.

There's a promise of the weather getting warmer this weekend, so a trip to Lowe's was in order last night.  Six more cement 'squares' for a path across the yard, and ten curved red bricks to make a "cactus corner" in my space in the back yard.  I have three or four cacti in pots that have totally outgrown their pots and seem to be the kind that will become very very tall, so I'll dedicate a corner to them.  With luck, it will be warm enough to go dig out in the yard today!

So start your day with hope, and may all your tomorrows be better!

Tomorrows

When it comes to finding motivation, its very easy to get locked into the "here and now" without being able to see the bigger picture.

But it's the bigger picture we should be focused on!

Take the top New Year's resolution:  Lose Weight.   It's so easy to give in to the current craving - and we conveniently forget that our goal is to cut calories -- giving in doesn't help the bigger picture! 

When there's something difficult in our lives, or we're trying to overcome something, keep in mind the end result you are trying to achieve.  When I decided on a plan to move across country, I was scared out of my wits.  How do I do this?  Can I drive a big truck and tow my car?  Will I be happy in my new location?  How can I leave behind everything I've known for the last 10 years?  Obviously, the typical questions ran through my mind and if I chose to focus on any of them, I was losing the bigger picture.  Moving to AZ meant being closer to my daughter and granddaughter; it meant being closer to Calif where my folks live. And it meant being away from my ex and the people in a small town who knew us.

So how did I cope?  How did I do it? I stopped letting the big questions get the best of me, and started with  little steps.  I began packing boxes, one a day, and stacked them along one wall in the dining room.  It didn't take long before I had an entire wall of boxes.  It's amazing how much you can pack into boxes, how much stuff we all have that we don't want to part with, but we also don't use on a regular basis.  I focused on those things first.  And when the call came that my transfer had been approved, the bigger picture began coming together.  And of course, those little things I did every day meant I was that much closer to my big picture!

It pays to think about the bigger picture with every goal you have in mind!
Make the things you do today,
be part of what make your tomorrows terrific!

Courage to Begin!

Every day is quite the day it seems.  While work is very busy, they are watching pennies .... errrr, hours.... and I'm over my allotted hours for the week, so I left at 10:45am. Which was really nice for some quality gym time!

Two miles on the elliptical and then half an hour on the weight machines - it was a leggy kind of day!  I'm sure it was an 80s song that went "she's got legs, and she knows how to use them..."  ahh yesss... ZZTop :)

One of the things that is so important about success is having courage to begin.  When I started going back to the gym last March and was approached about having a personal trainer, I wasn't sure doing that would be successful.  Being overweight all my life, and having tried what I felt was every combination of diet and exercise that never worked in the past, I was doubtful that a personal trainer would make any other difference.  But I realized right there that I was admitting defeat before I even got started.

One of the hardest things about losing weight is learning to change your habits.  But it seems to me its more important to realize that it took a lifetime -- for me 53 years -- to reach this point and I cannot expect changes to happen drastically or worse, magically!, overnight  Its a process.  I'll be the first to admit it sure is easier to put the pounds ON than it is to take them off.  A handful of m&ms (10 = 34 calories) can be popped into your mouth and eaten within seconds.  To work that same handful of m&ms off on the treadmill takes a whole lot longer.  (34 calories burns off in about 6 mins at 3mph on a treadmill).  *Personal note:  whoa - I can eat a whole lot more than 10 m&ms!!

But whether your battle is losing weight,
or something altogether different,
its still the same message: 
You have to begin. 

If you've begun your own battle with something - a great big hug and kudos to you!
It may not be easy, you may falter or feel like you're losing ground, but don't let that lose your focus on the bigger picture.  No one's perfect every day, all the time -- all we can strive for is to better more often than we falter in our steps.

I know I am.  I hope you are too! 

TS: Every day in every way,

get stronger and stronger.

NY: Day 1

Today felt like the first day of the new year.  While it was technically the 2nd, a holiday doesn't count as a "real day", does it??

I started working on my resolution, day 1 at the gym, where I went 2 miles in 33 mins on the treadmill, then proceeded to the weight machines for some "arms" work.  Of course, coming home meant I also had to walk Sadie around a few blocks.  (Was hoping to tire her out so she'll sleep -- and let ME sleep tonight too!)  While my calorie intake was higher than I need it to be when I'm doing gym work, I'm not going to stress about it -- afterall, it was the first day.  If you're trying to do the weight loss thing, I can recommend SparkPeople.com - its easy, and free.  You track your goal, your food and water intake, and your exercise all in one place, by the day.

Because I took time after work at the gym, and then with Sadie, there was less computer face time, for sure!  I also scuttled about the bedroom hanging up miscellaneous pieces of clothing, etc, and de-cluttered my sleeping space -- any little trick for a good night's sleep is worth the effort! 

It's finally after 7pm now, and I'm done for the evening. Whew!  And all the little things I was going to blog about zipped on out of my head -- I think things fall out when I'm planking - errr, when I'm doing a plank? ok... when I exercise. hahaha

New Year

2013:  It's a brand new day, and a brand new year. 
What will the year hold? 
What challenges and opportunities will come your way? 
Are you ready for change? 

Resolution:  This year, I resolve to hit the gym 4 times a week.  My goal?  To lose another 30 lbs.

Resolution:  More time spent doing things I like and things I should; less time spent on the computer. 

We all know that New Year's Resolutions mostly go out the window. 
Maybe the best bet is to resolve not to make these silly resolutions!   :)

Winter has settled into the Valley of the Sun for the time being.  Today was a first for me:  Our frost was so heavy last night, I actually had to use my ice scraper on my windows!!  Good thing I didn't toss that once I moved from Ohio to here.  After nearly five years of toting it around in my car(s) ... I actually had an occasion to use it!  Go figure :)

Stuff never stops in a BigBox retail store -- and my store is no exception.  It was a "running to and fro" kind of day trying to get it all done.  No wonder I'm tired at the end of a long day!

Now listening to:  The Band Perry - Better Dig Two  ....  "Let the stone say: 'Here lies the girl who's only crutch is loving one man just a little too much.' "  Love the old fashioned sounding banjo in this one, very catchy tune.

I had planned on spending New Year's Eve going to bed early, catching up on rest and watching a little bit of Antiques Roadshow on PBS.  But I ended up wasting time; and with all the neighborhood fireworks that started around 10pm, Sadie was up and barking every half hour til about 1am -- When is it my turn to sleep???  hahaha