13 (in Georgia)

1.  It is weird that I never run into anyone I know.
2.  Such a small town, but I really never see anyone, unless I plan it.
3.  I am glad to just be at my sister's even if she is not here.
4.  My kids are outside playing with her dogs, I am enjoying quiet in a house that I don't need to clean, lol.
5.  I have killed about 1/3 of a bottle of rum.
6. YIKES
7.  Miss the gym.
8.  I guess we should make some plans or go do something today.
9.  We plan to go to Atkins Park sometime during this trip.
10.  That is where we had our first date, and rehearsal dinner before our wedding.
11.  But I need to get off the computer and go take a shower first.
12. Torn between wanting to relax and not wanting to burn day light.
13.  Twelve days a year is not enough time.

one day....

i will be in heaven and i will be able to hold the babies i never had the chance to meet on earth.  i wonder about you two and wonder what you would have been like.   "clumpy"- i do know that if you had lived, i would not have helen; but know that i still loved you and wonder if you were a boy or a girl (i never got a clear feeling).  dr. willimson knows, but i do not- i will wait until someday to know.  as for your "brother"(i KNEW you were a boy- i am sorry.  sorrier than you will ever know, that you are not in my life.

This week- typical day

2.5 miles/ bike
thighs- 80 pounds
leg extension- 60 pounds
leg curl- 60 pounds
calf raises- 40 pounds
glutes- 30 pounds
hip adduction- 75 pounds
hip abduction- 70 pounds
shoulder press- 30 pounds
pecs- 40 pounds
row- 40 pounds
triceps- 40 pounds
biceps-25 pounds
planks- 3 sets/20 seconds each (this is WAY harder than it looks- still working on holding form)
LOTS of stretching- this helps with lower back SOOOO much. I can feel it when I am not stretching every day.


Still watching what I eat- could do better, but am doing so much better than before..... why am i not losing any weight???????

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

Thirteen things I will miss while I an in Georgia (plus one I won't)
1. The Blentek blender- I NEED my morning smoothies.
2. The Keurig- I NEED my coffee FAST.
3. The gym- I feel bad if I go too long without a workout.
4.  Hot guy from the gym.
5. The pool- that is my relax time- I read, I might swim, kids get out of my hair.
6. Cable. Yep- my mom does not have cable, she has 4 channels of boring.
7. Internet- yeh, mom doesn't have that, either. That means I go sit at Chik fil A or the coffee shop and loiter.
8. My bed.
9. My shower- my mom's water pressure sucks.
10. Target.
11. Ozzy (the cool dog).
12. Benny (the cat).
13. David.

AND the one thing I won't miss- BUDDY (the annoying poop eater).

13 for Thursday!!!!

1. Vegan day is hard when your husband brings home lobster.
2. It was yummy, though. :)
3. I was also quite lazy and unmotivated yesterday.
4. Still working on Helen and nutrition.
5. I still wonder how all these waif-like girls sit around eating Chex Mix, candy and big ass sodas and stay WAIF-ISH.
6. Really not fair.
7. Did read that fat people who eat right and exercise are healthier than skinny folk who do not.
8. So I guess my fat ass will be around longer than their skinny ones.
9.  But it is shrinking------
10. I can now remove my capris without unbuttoning them and have stolen clothes from my child.
11. I guess I will need to go shopping soon.
12. But I want to know if I am teaching or cleaning houses (or working at the gas station) first......
13.  and I still have a LONG way to go. 26 pounds down, 50 to go!

vegan day......

tomorrow is vegan day again and i am not prepared. sigh.  i guess i need to plan my food for the day a little better.  i definitely do better when there is a plan!

as for today:
exercise:
AM
.75 treadmill @ 3.7 miles per hour
thighs- 80 pounds
leg extension- 60 pounds
leg curl- 60 pounds
calf raises- 25 pounds
glutes- 25 pounds
hip adduction- 75 pounds
hip abduction- 70 pounds
shoulder press- 30 pounds
120 crunches
PM
swam laps with helen- about 250 meters

food:
breakfast
spinach/peach smoothie
lunch
*boston market- 1 chicken breast- no skin: creamed spinach; roasted potatoes (only ate a few)
green tea
snack
sugar free misto shake
dinner-
one corn tortilla, 1/4 cup roasted pork

felt like i had too much earlier, plus my stomach hurt- really didn't eat much dinner

i feel very tired tonight and might go to bed early...... (on a plus note- down another pound)

a thought

considering a separate blog for fitness and nutrition.  not sure- since this is just about my life and has no theme, and the fitness and nutrition has become so much a part of my life, i could just keep it this way.......  i need to think about it, i guess.........

Dear Boy in High School,

I wanted to say I'm sorry.  I would tell you in person or in a letter or on Facebook if I knew how to get in touch with you.  I was a freshman and you were a junior.  I do not even remember what class we had together.  But recall joining in with my friend who made fun of your shirt.  We called you "crazy quilt".  I am still,  30 years later, appalled at myself for it.  It was wrong and I had never done anything like that before.  But I thought my friend was funny and I would have done anything to make her like me.........  Even if I hurt someone's feelings.

Truth is, I thought you were sort of cute.  And I got to know you better the next year.  You were sweet, too!   And funny.  I would have gone out with you if you had asked.  But I ruined that by trying to be impress someone.  I am sure you turned out to be a great man, and that anyone would be lucky to know you.  You probably don't even remember me or the shirt incident- you pretty much ignored us, even though I could tell it bothered you......  But I remember, and have told my daughter the story.  I hope she knows it is not worth insulting someone for a laugh.

Susan

4th of July

My father was born on the fourth of July.  Now that he is gone, after being out of my life for years before that, I get kind of sad on the 4th.  I realized last year that I miss the stuff we used to do on the 4th.  There was usually a cookout, there was always homemade ice cream and fireworks.  We would go to the old mill area of Covington, and sit in the road in front of Trinity Methodist Church and watch fireworks with friends.  After my nieces and nephews were born, we had bigger gatherings.  So, I miss all that junk.  Today David is making peach ice cream and we will go somewhere to see fireworks.  Not a big gathering, but at least I get my ice cream.  And I will think of my Daddy and remember when I was little.  Happy Birthday, Lanier.

really?

watching stupid video on youtube....... please explain why ****'s daughter has a $700 Loius Vuitton purse? I thought that poor single mother could not afford to pay bills. I guess she could have stolen it......

It is inevitable.....

that I would find out Hottie Hot pants doesn't look as good clothed.  He is still beautiful, but with street clothing covering the body, well......... not the same.  But I still got to stare for 13 minutes today.

I did 2.5 miles on the bike- would have done more but he was finished and my butt was starting to hurt!  So I went to the circuit room and did upper body.  Here is the break down:

Bike: 2.5 miles/13 minutes (avg rpms- 82)
Circuit:
shoulder press- 25 pounds
pec deck- 40 pounds
bicep- 25 pounds
tricep- 35 pounds
row- 35 pounds
140 crunches

Weighed myself- am I ever going to LOSE anything?????????????

13 for Thursday

1.  Glad to be blogging again.
2. Still wonder if anyone reads this!
3. Summer is way too busy.
4. I always have grand plans, but nothing ever gets done.
5. I want to finish some projects around the house.
6. Hard to do with no money and no time.
7. I have had to sacrifice creativity to drive my children all over the world.
8. But, my bedroom needs a major overhaul!
9. We did get a new bed, but we still need bedding, paint, window treatments, a dresser.......
10. Zachary's room also needs to get finished- we painted it a year ago, and have done nothing else!
11. SOOOOO- if I accomplish anything in those two rooms, I will be very happy!
12. And, of course, if I survive the summer without being charged with child endangerment, I will consider it a success.
13. Oh, and a job would be nice, too!

The Reason I Ride that Bike........

In case any wonders what Hottie Hot Pants looks like, this is a good reference tool.  He is more athletic looking and has tattoos on his right shoulder and left rib cage....... not that I was looking.

Happy Vegan Day

So, today is my first vegan day.  Why vegan? Well, it is a way to get one good day of plant based eating, to prove to myself I can.  Kind of like "meatless Monday" for some other folks...... I may add more as I get more comfortable- I want clean eating to become second nature (as I eat a peanut butter cookie).

Was today a success?  Well, for starters, I had not considered my morning cup of coffee.  My beloved Bailey's creamer is made of MILK (most definitely NOT vegan).  Also, I did not have vegan salad dressing and did not have time to prepare a vinaigrette.  So, not totally vegan, but not a failure.  So here is what I did/ate today:
Exercise:
5.25 miles on bike

Breakfast:
Smoothie- 1/2 banana, 1 spoonful almond butter, 3 ice cubes, 8 ounces chocolate almond milk.
Water (16 oz)

Lunch:
Salad- romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumber,carrot, 1/4 cup kidney beans, 1 tbl sunflower seeds, home made russian dressing (contained mayo- bummer)
Kiwi
Water (16 oz)

Snack:
peanut butter cookie (not vegan either- I forgot)
coffee w/ almond milk

Dinner:
hot and sour soup
cherry vanilla creme soda
water (16 oz)

**yoga did not happen because David's baseball game was not at 6 and I had to pick up Zachary**
BUT I did pick up some salad dressing and coconut milk coffee creamer, plus sweet rice flour at the market!

I workout......

Yesterday, I went to the gym.  I intended to warm up on the treadmill, then go lift weights.  As I was leaving the cardio room, Hottie Hot Pants was walking in......so naturally I traded my weight lifting for a prime bike seat in the front row.......with his treadmill directly behind me!  I watched him for the next 7 miles........

So, since I did extra cardio instead of lifting, I went BACK to the gym for circuit training in the evening, thank you very much!  Today I walked 2 miles while Zachary was at rugby practice.  I ate chili fries for lunch (booo), so dinner was two carrots and hummus.........

So, tomorrow will be a cardio day (at 6:45, so I can have a nice view,lol).  It is sad because I am old enough to be his mother and I am sure that even when I was 20, he never would have looked my way.  And he is not even blonde.  But it keeps me motivated.  I am down two more pounds- I weigh less than when I got pregnant with Zachary.

I have also declared Wednesdays "Vegan Days".  It is also yoga night...........

thirteen for ....... tuesday?

1.  I am trying to make a comeback.
2.  Time off was needed- I have just finished the suckiest year ever in the history of teaching.
3.  I felt like anything and everything could be used against me, so the less I had to say, the better.
4.  Out with the old, in with the new.....
5. I am looking for a job- was "laid off" from the last one (I still say it was personal, very personal).
6.  My kids will start a new school in the fall.
7.  I am continuing to work on myself. Am still working out- am down 25 pounds.  I am trting to dress better and take better care of myself.
8.  I am going to try to enjoy this summer, as much as possible.
9.  September might find me stocking coolers at the Royal Farms store, but that is OK.
10.  I finally bought a new digital camera and will try to add photos to the blog soon....
11.  I am amazed at how miserable another human being can make me.
12.  I have been freed of the burden, but it has been replaced by another one- I have no job and my insurance expires soon- and I will have a hard time getting new insurance.
13.  And, there you have it....... more on actual Thursday!

February 2012

For anyone who follows....

I had quite an ambitious list of resolutions, and am trying to keep up. As with all resolutions, some have fallen by the wayside, others I am trying hard to keep. So, here is an update.....

1. Have joined a gym to move my body- go pretty much every day. Cardio and circuit training- already see a difference. Have lost 17 pounds since last year.

2. Am eating better, but have not made any Indian food- too busy these days to really cook new things. Maybe I will try this weekend, since it is a long one.

3. February's new "smell"- Eternity by Calvin Klein. I was able to pick up a small bottle at Target for $25 and it is nice to have an old favorite.

4. Old movie- Letter to Three Wives- I have only watched part of it- will finish later today while folding laundry- so far- very good!

5. Reading- not going so well- too busy these days. And I am in a book club, so that reading is the priority.

6. Craft table still buried under a bunch of junk- maybe spring break I will get the time to clean the basement!

7. Am behind on the Bible, but am trying to catch up. Still praying more.

8. New CD- Coldplay, Xyloto- like it so far.... although it is kinda "slow" and I usually listen to music on the treadmill and prefer more "clubbin" like tunes.

Memory Monday

my [old] classroom, with windows, walls and a door.......sigh....... i miss you!

THIRTEEN........thursday (even though it is really saturday)

**thirteen things I want at my last supper**

1. Dressing and gravy

2. Sweet potato casserole

3. Mac n cheese

4. Green beans

5. Broccoli casserole

6. Squash casserole

7. Leonardo DiCaprio

8. Sister Shubert's yeast rolls

9. Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream

10. Johnny Depp

11. Diet coke and rum with lime

12. Nachos

13. Royal Farms fried chicken

(I apologize for the amount of carbs and gluten, but since it is my LAST meal, I get to live it up. Pretty sure numbers 7 and 10 are gluten and carbohydrate free)

THIRTEEN........thursday

1. This has been a very hard school year.

2. I have a very full class with bodies that constantly move, and several who need much attention and love.

3. I also have one very defiant student.

4. Add that all to my loud/defiant/attention seeking off-spring, I am managing behavior from sun-up to well after sun-down.

5. I am about to lose my mind.

6. Seriously, if there was a beach, sun and rum nearby, I would so be there......

7. I am tired. Every day is a battle and I am beginning to think I am losing that as well.

8. Oh, yeah, don't forget the very yappy dog. Tired of that, too.

9. I hope that things will brighten soon and this phase will pass.

10. I used to feel like this was my mission in life.

11. Now it just feels like a job.

12. That is not a good feeling at all.....

13. Please think of me in your prayers.......I need to find a solution......

Memory Monday

zachary first communion-all the "men" were congregating,

waiting for the "ladies" to line up.......

Sunday Plan

Sunday is usually spent preparing for the week. I try to get things together and clean my house up. I am going to add something new to the list (as if I needed more to do). But this is such a great idea.

I know that when I plan ahead, we all eat better. So this is what I am going to do. I saw this on another blog. She lost 135 pounds (!) and this is what she does to prep for the week. So, today I am going to make a HUGE salad (I have done this before and it is SO nice- David can grab a salad, I can make one quickly for my lunch), boil a dozen eggs, make some grits or oatmeal, cook some chicken, make some chili. In the future, I may try to bake some sweet potatoes. They can be reheated for my lunches...... SO many possibilities, and I will have things to eat!

But first I have to go watch my boy wrestle and squeeze in the laundry!!!!!

Thursday 13- FINALLY

1. I have been gluten free for about 2 weeks.

2. It is a lot harder than you would think.

3. But it forces one to think about what they are eating.....

4. I decided to follow my gut (no pun intended) instinct that something was not right.

5. So I tell my doctor I am anemic, I have chronic sores in my mouth and if I am not going to the bathroom about 8 times a day, it is the other extreme. My stomach always hurts, my arthritis always hurts, my belly feels bloated......

6. She says there is nothing wrong.

7. We are no longer seeing each other.

8. Which means I am looking for a new doctor.....

9. Have I ever mentioned I don't like doctors?

10. Well, I don't.

11. The only two that I have ever liked are my ENT and my OB/GYN.

12. If I could see these guys all the time, I would......

13. So, the search is on. Wish me luck!

Today's agenda and Updates on Resolutions

Today I am stocking the freezer:

Chicken and rice soup

Brunswick Stew

Chicken and bean Enchiladas

Gluten free chocolate chip cookies

Gluten free buns

Spaghetti sauce

Sloppy Joes

Tater tot casserole

**brunswick stew replaced with chicken and ham casserole, due to lack of ingredients**

As for Resolutions:

1. Am on day 2 of the Bible readings. If I can make it a habit, this will be good- I like the layout of the Bible on the Kindle.
2. Watched Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Creepy. Bette Davis was a train-wreck, in a fabulous way. I loved how she looked like Courtney Love with the crazy eyeliner and smeared lipstick. She always shuffled her feet in the beginning of the movie, when she was "depressed". As her mania grew, she carried herself differently- very subtle, but important for the character. Joan Crawford was wonderful, too. I tried to think of how this movie could be played out in modern day, as we have so much access to the outside world. But it occurred to me that if one was a paraplegic forced into a hermit lifestyle, it could happen........ Of course, Jane would be played by Courtney Love and Blanche would be played by Sandra Bullock......
3. Have only gotten two pages of Jane Eyre...... Too much going on yesterday!
4. Didn't do yoga today, but did stretch.

Memory Monday

No, this is not me. This is my daughter. No, she is not 16. She was 11 in this one. She scares the bejeezus out of me------I dread when she is actually 16!