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.