December 26 Soul Food
What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?
The person who asked this question had no idea what she was in for.
It doesn't matter what I ate. I ate a lot of things. The size of my bottom reflects that. What matters is how food "touched my soul".
To some, that might be a good thing. I understand a lot of people have positive associations between their food and home life with family, or friends, or whatever. It's incredibly common for a flavor to bring memories flooding to the surface, and that's fine for most people.
I, however, am not most people.
Food only "touches my soul" in the sense that I use it to soothe emotions I should deal with in other ways. I want to STOP this. I need to change the way I view food. Mim told me a story once about how she used to love Moon Pies. She used to go get them with her family, and they were dirt poor so it was a very special (and rare) treat. Over the years she got Moon Pies all the time, and I'm sure they brought back awesome memories of good times with her family as a kid. But as she has been working on her eating and such, she's tried Moon Pies, and other foods she associates with good times, and realized that she doesn't even like the taste. And once she told me that story, I started thinking about my food memories. It turns out I don't even like pumpkin pie (if Mim knew that she'd swear I was adopted or something), but when we had Thanksgiving together as a family, and Dad was actually being pleasant and we had a good conversation, and I had pumpkin pie, I just felt like we were a real family and that felt really good. Years later, surprise surprise, I tried some pumpkin pie and realized that it just isn't that good to me.
I have a lot of foods that I only eat because of the memories. I don't even necessarily do it consciously. When I'm upset (or bored, or depressed, or lonely, or tired, or...) and all I want to do is stuff my face, I go back to those foods.
What I need to do is change the way I think about food. What is food to me now? Comfort. An excuse to gather together. Traditions. There are so many things food is to me that have nothing to do with keeping me alive. I'm not saying it's bad for someone to get together and have dinner with family or friends. I'm not saying that food traditions are bad, either. In fact, I think they can be wonderful. Because of several stupid little things, Christmas Eve cheeseburgers didn't happen this year. That's something we do every year, and I was really disappointed. And that's ok.
But I need to change the way I think, overall, about food. I need food to survive. Can that food be delicious? Absolutely. I really hope it is! But it needs to be healthy and limited. I don't need more than one serving. If I'm upset (or bored, or depressed, or...you know) I need to talk it out. If I'm angry, I've found in the past that going and getting some exercise helps me calm down (and I tend to get a very intense workout, too!). Think of how healthy my heart would be if instead of grabbing candy or baked goods (my kryptonite) when I need comfort, I would go get some exercise. My hips would thank me, too. The day I found out Dad was getting married, I was upset so I went to the gym and did six miles, and it felt amazing and empowering, and I had time to think all my angry thoughts and get it all out of my system (notice I called him Dad. He got me a very nice present for Christmas, and I've had time to cool down, so my heart's a bit softer today) (progress!).
It's a long journey, and it sucks most of the time, but I'll get there eventually.
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Reverb 10: Future Self
December 21 Future Self
Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself ten years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
I'm only four days behind. This is a Christmas Miracle!
Five years from now I'll be 29 (almost 30!) and (hopefully) we'll be on our next house flip.
Dear Me Now,
You know, I know right now things are stressful because this is your first remodel. It's exciting and you feel like a grown-up, but it's also stressful because you're going to make a few mistakes and there will be things you won't be happy with. The nice thing is that you're still going to make money off of the house you're in. Seriously, you've already increased the value of the house by thousands and thousands of dollars, and you haven't even started working on the basement. Take a chill pill. Enjoy the ride. And when you're done and you sell for a profit, go do something fun with a bit of the money you make.
Love,
Me in Five years
P.S. If things don't work out, it isn't the end of the world. Take another chill pill.
Ten years ago I was 14, nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school. I had a crush on a boy (over whom my best friend and I broke up), whom I ended up dating, then dumping because he was a total pothead.
Dear Me Ten Years Ago,
I know you're head over heels for him. I know he seems "deep" and he actually listens to what you have to say. But trust me, you're going to have to choose between him and your closest friend. It's juvenile, really, because she totally dated him behind your back before you dated him, even though she knew you liked him, and then when you date him you'll have to find a new place to sit at lunch, because she and all of her groupies will pretend you aren't there and you'll have to try hard not to cry. And after all that, you'll break up and she won't forgive you until you're signing yearbooks at the end of senior year, and even then she'll just stop hating you. You won't ever be friends again. All this being said, you'll probably ignore me and date him anyway, because you're a hopeless romantic and desperate to be loved, and on top of that you're a little boy crazy. At least you'll forever remember the smell of spearmint and pot very fondly...
Love,
Me Now (who finally has boys figured out)
Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself ten years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)
I'm only four days behind. This is a Christmas Miracle!
Five years from now I'll be 29 (almost 30!) and (hopefully) we'll be on our next house flip.
Dear Me Now,
You know, I know right now things are stressful because this is your first remodel. It's exciting and you feel like a grown-up, but it's also stressful because you're going to make a few mistakes and there will be things you won't be happy with. The nice thing is that you're still going to make money off of the house you're in. Seriously, you've already increased the value of the house by thousands and thousands of dollars, and you haven't even started working on the basement. Take a chill pill. Enjoy the ride. And when you're done and you sell for a profit, go do something fun with a bit of the money you make.
Love,
Me in Five years
P.S. If things don't work out, it isn't the end of the world. Take another chill pill.
Ten years ago I was 14, nearing the end of my sophomore year of high school. I had a crush on a boy (over whom my best friend and I broke up), whom I ended up dating, then dumping because he was a total pothead.
Dear Me Ten Years Ago,
I know you're head over heels for him. I know he seems "deep" and he actually listens to what you have to say. But trust me, you're going to have to choose between him and your closest friend. It's juvenile, really, because she totally dated him behind your back before you dated him, even though she knew you liked him, and then when you date him you'll have to find a new place to sit at lunch, because she and all of her groupies will pretend you aren't there and you'll have to try hard not to cry. And after all that, you'll break up and she won't forgive you until you're signing yearbooks at the end of senior year, and even then she'll just stop hating you. You won't ever be friends again. All this being said, you'll probably ignore me and date him anyway, because you're a hopeless romantic and desperate to be loved, and on top of that you're a little boy crazy. At least you'll forever remember the smell of spearmint and pot very fondly...
Love,
Me Now (who finally has boys figured out)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Reverb 10: Party
December 9 Party
What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
I'm not usually the rock-your-socks-off party type...
The parties I go to consist of work parties and family/holiday parties.
I suppose if I had to pick one that "rocked my socks off", I'd choose...
And that's where I left off yesterday before I went to Scott's company Christmas party (I know, I'm behind again...). Being there made me realize: I don't actually like parties (mostly). I had planned on coming home with a new party perspective and writing something about how nice it is to see family and friends for the holidays, but I was being a total Grinch last night, I suppose.
Parts of last night's party were fun. After we had gotten food and settled down at a table with another couple and we had a nice, laughing, joking, light but refreshing conversation, and it was awesome. I do love that part: sitting down with people and catching up and making small talk (but meaningful small talk) (if that makes any sense).
I don't like being in loud places, or crowded places. I am not hard-of-hearing, according to the many audiologists that have tested me over the years, but something in my brain isn't able to ignore background noise and focus on something being said to me unless I'm looking at the person talking, they're speaking in my direction, loudly enough, and with very very good enunciation. That's why I detest mumblers. If someone says something to me, and I have to ask "What?" more than once, I get frustrated, so I usually ignore them. Most of the time when I'm at a party and someone tries to talk to me I can't understand a word they're saying, so last night I ended up just sitting on a couch with my hands in my pockets, just waiting for it to be over. Sad, I know.
I also don't do well in social situations with new people. I am, by nature, shy, though you'd never know it because I try very hard to act like I'm naturally outgoing. So I have a really hard time relating to new people, finding something we have in common, and not making an absolute fool out of myself. I try hard enough with people I already know as it is, so this is just stressful for me. It's exhausting, actually.
I love much smaller parties, maybe too small to even be considered "parties". It's just so much better for me to be able to talk with people one on one and really focus on what they are saying. It's more intimate. I can learn more about the people around me this way. I make friends more easily this way (and the friendships are more lasting). Maybe this makes me a total dork, but if it means having closer relationships (and feeling less awkward) then I don't care.
The nice thing about the party last night? I met Scott's coworker's wife, who is a chemist at another nutraceutical company.We had a nice, nerdy conversation. It was fabulous! Usually I have to really simplify when I describe what I do because people don't know what I'm talking about but she knew! I love smart chemist chicks!
What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
I'm not usually the rock-your-socks-off party type...
The parties I go to consist of work parties and family/holiday parties.
I suppose if I had to pick one that "rocked my socks off", I'd choose...
And that's where I left off yesterday before I went to Scott's company Christmas party (I know, I'm behind again...). Being there made me realize: I don't actually like parties (mostly). I had planned on coming home with a new party perspective and writing something about how nice it is to see family and friends for the holidays, but I was being a total Grinch last night, I suppose.
Parts of last night's party were fun. After we had gotten food and settled down at a table with another couple and we had a nice, laughing, joking, light but refreshing conversation, and it was awesome. I do love that part: sitting down with people and catching up and making small talk (but meaningful small talk) (if that makes any sense).
I don't like being in loud places, or crowded places. I am not hard-of-hearing, according to the many audiologists that have tested me over the years, but something in my brain isn't able to ignore background noise and focus on something being said to me unless I'm looking at the person talking, they're speaking in my direction, loudly enough, and with very very good enunciation. That's why I detest mumblers. If someone says something to me, and I have to ask "What?" more than once, I get frustrated, so I usually ignore them. Most of the time when I'm at a party and someone tries to talk to me I can't understand a word they're saying, so last night I ended up just sitting on a couch with my hands in my pockets, just waiting for it to be over. Sad, I know.
I also don't do well in social situations with new people. I am, by nature, shy, though you'd never know it because I try very hard to act like I'm naturally outgoing. So I have a really hard time relating to new people, finding something we have in common, and not making an absolute fool out of myself. I try hard enough with people I already know as it is, so this is just stressful for me. It's exhausting, actually.
I love much smaller parties, maybe too small to even be considered "parties". It's just so much better for me to be able to talk with people one on one and really focus on what they are saying. It's more intimate. I can learn more about the people around me this way. I make friends more easily this way (and the friendships are more lasting). Maybe this makes me a total dork, but if it means having closer relationships (and feeling less awkward) then I don't care.
The nice thing about the party last night? I met Scott's coworker's wife, who is a chemist at another nutraceutical company.We had a nice, nerdy conversation. It was fabulous! Usually I have to really simplify when I describe what I do because people don't know what I'm talking about but she knew! I love smart chemist chicks!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Reverb 10: Beautifully Different
December 8 Beautifully Different
Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful.
I am beautiful. I admit it. Heh.
There are a lot of things that make me different from most people. How about a list?
1. I'm freaking nuts, you guys. Most people aren't (or at least they haven't been diagnosed...), so I am different. This is usually a bad thing, but medication is magic, so it's all good (most of the time). There is some good that comes from this, though. I have to keep a close eye on my moods, and why I'm feeling the way I'm feeling. I have to work hard to make sure this illness doesn't screw with my marriage (or any number of other things in my life), so I am very careful with my words and I consider carefully what the things I say will really say to other people. I'm not perfect about this, of course; everyone loses it once in a while and I am no exception (and anyone who says he/she never loses control is LYING) (unless it's Jesus). But I think that having to think carefully about the things I say helps me be more considerate and helps me communicate more effectively.
2. I get along way better with men than women. I have a few close girlfriends, but the vast majority of my good friends over the years have been dudes. Guys just make more sense to me. They aren't catty and most of the time they say what they mean, they don't overthink things or play games, and they don't gossip as much (not all women do this, of course, it's just a generalization). This has been frustrating in the past; when I was in high school and I wasn't allowed to date until I was 16, I couldn't hang out with my friends because it would be a "date", even though I had no romantic feelings for my guy friends. Mim and I fought about this one a lot. Fun times. Also, in college, before I dated Scott, I was totally in love with my best friend, and OH BOY did that complicate things.
3. How many women do YOU know who are chemists?
4. I am apparently the only person on the planet who doesn't want babies. Ok, I suppose that's a slight exaggeration...I can think of...two other people who don't want kids, and one of them is married to me. I would be totally willing to donate my eggs to help other people have babies, but they won't take them because of #1 (I'm crazy).
5. Something different I do that lights people up...? I really like sharing what I have with other people (unless it's yarn; I'm a total Yarn Scrooge), but I don't think that's that different.
I can't think of anything else. And I don't see how these make me beautiful, but Scott and my mommy think I'm pretty so I suppose that's all that matters.
Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful.
I am beautiful. I admit it. Heh.
There are a lot of things that make me different from most people. How about a list?
1. I'm freaking nuts, you guys. Most people aren't (or at least they haven't been diagnosed...), so I am different. This is usually a bad thing, but medication is magic, so it's all good (most of the time). There is some good that comes from this, though. I have to keep a close eye on my moods, and why I'm feeling the way I'm feeling. I have to work hard to make sure this illness doesn't screw with my marriage (or any number of other things in my life), so I am very careful with my words and I consider carefully what the things I say will really say to other people. I'm not perfect about this, of course; everyone loses it once in a while and I am no exception (and anyone who says he/she never loses control is LYING) (unless it's Jesus). But I think that having to think carefully about the things I say helps me be more considerate and helps me communicate more effectively.
2. I get along way better with men than women. I have a few close girlfriends, but the vast majority of my good friends over the years have been dudes. Guys just make more sense to me. They aren't catty and most of the time they say what they mean, they don't overthink things or play games, and they don't gossip as much (not all women do this, of course, it's just a generalization). This has been frustrating in the past; when I was in high school and I wasn't allowed to date until I was 16, I couldn't hang out with my friends because it would be a "date", even though I had no romantic feelings for my guy friends. Mim and I fought about this one a lot. Fun times. Also, in college, before I dated Scott, I was totally in love with my best friend, and OH BOY did that complicate things.
3. How many women do YOU know who are chemists?
4. I am apparently the only person on the planet who doesn't want babies. Ok, I suppose that's a slight exaggeration...I can think of...two other people who don't want kids, and one of them is married to me. I would be totally willing to donate my eggs to help other people have babies, but they won't take them because of #1 (I'm crazy).
5. Something different I do that lights people up...? I really like sharing what I have with other people (unless it's yarn; I'm a total Yarn Scrooge), but I don't think that's that different.
I can't think of anything else. And I don't see how these make me beautiful, but Scott and my mommy think I'm pretty so I suppose that's all that matters.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Reverb 10: Community
December 7 Community
Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create, or more deeply connect with in 2011?
In 2010 I feel like I have found a little niche in the blogging community. I've been blogging for a long time, but for the longest time I had very few followers; it was basically just for me and a few close friends. But this past year a few people started reading what I have to say, and I read what they have to say, and I'm really enjoying it. When I write something and someone leaves a comment, I feel validated, and some days I really need that.
As to 2011, I want to become more involved in the crochet/kniting community, both online and here where I live. I'm on Ravelry, but I don't usually sign on except to check my messages. I need to blog more about the things I make, as well. I have to show off to someone! In my town, I've joined a small crochet group that meets Wednesday nights, and I've missed several weeks (and several weeks were cancelled) due to various reasons, and I want to go more often. It's a lot of fun, and frankly, I need to get out of the house more.
Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create, or more deeply connect with in 2011?
In 2010 I feel like I have found a little niche in the blogging community. I've been blogging for a long time, but for the longest time I had very few followers; it was basically just for me and a few close friends. But this past year a few people started reading what I have to say, and I read what they have to say, and I'm really enjoying it. When I write something and someone leaves a comment, I feel validated, and some days I really need that.
As to 2011, I want to become more involved in the crochet/kniting community, both online and here where I live. I'm on Ravelry, but I don't usually sign on except to check my messages. I need to blog more about the things I make, as well. I have to show off to someone! In my town, I've joined a small crochet group that meets Wednesday nights, and I've missed several weeks (and several weeks were cancelled) due to various reasons, and I want to go more often. It's a lot of fun, and frankly, I need to get out of the house more.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
On The Edge Of A Cliff
A while ago, Halloween weekend, in fact, Scott, Jon, Jorg and I went shooting. We drove up Farmington canyon until the poor little Focus got stuck in the snow, and found a perfect spot to set up targets.
I don't think Jorg had ever been shooting before, so Scott gave him a lesson in gun safety and then we all shot some rounds from each gun we brought, using old bottles as targets.
I was stupid and didn't account for the fact that if you drive up the elevation increases and the temperature decreases...so I didn't have a coat, but just a sweater. I got cold and went to sit in the nice, warm car after a while, and soon Jorg joined me. Even though it was cold, it was still fun.
On the way back down when we were finished I got a decent shot of the view over the valley. Utah is generally a pretty place, even when it's brown.
And, of course, because driving down narrow, slippery switchbacks all the way down the mountain wasn't scary enough, the boys all got out of the car and stood on the edge of a cliff and gave me an aneurysm. What you can't see in the picture is the dead cars at the bottom of the cliff. Yep.
But, nobody died, so I really can't complain.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
No, Thank YOU
So one of the blogs I visit daily, PCL, did a post a few days ago for Thanksgiving and gave me a "Thank You For Blogging" award. AWESOME. It was super sweet of her to pick me, and the rules say I should pass the award on to four people, so I think I will do that. Four days late. What can I say? I'm enjoying my vacation weekend!
So I really do enjoy the blogosphere. That's what it's called, right? Anyway. It's given me the opportunity to make friends, explore new worlds, and improve my own writing. So here's a quick Thank You to a few of my favorite bloggers.
First up is, of course, PCL. I must return the favor! She writes about everything from music she gets stuck in her head to things that happen at home with The Mister and the cats and Rocky the Dog, and every times she writes anything she ties it in to some vast cosmic meaning and it makes me happy every weekday.
Next is a blog I recently discovered when poking around for new reading material: The Hindsight Letters. It's just fabulous. One of the regular features is a look back at things that were fashionable when the author was a teenager (and some of those were en vogue when I was a teen, as well) and HOO BOY I had totally forgotten most of those...probably for good reason! She, and her guests, write letters to their teenage selves, and there's no way to describe how awesome it is so go and click the link and you'll be hooked, I promise.
Although she doesn't post as often as I'd like (hint, hint), Heartsick and Headstrong is another awesome one I always read. How can you not embrace life and carpe diem and all that once you've had a heart attack? Her story is inspirational and she had the most adorable posts about her cat.
Fourth, my dear Miss Magnolia. She gets down and dirty with the nitty gritty of feelings, relationships, the past, trials (literally and figuratively...she's a lawyer)...just all sorts of things that make up the human experience. She has a way with words and she'll make you think about your own feelings and experiences.
An honorable mention, only because he's too swamped with traffic to check out my tiny little blog space, is Single Dad Laughing. He has a few really good posts, "power posts" he calls them, that everyone should check out sometime. They really make you think. Also, his kid is adorable. Also, he is obsessed with M&Ms.
I really love blogging. I love my bloggy friendships. I love having a way to share what's important to me with family and friends.
So I really do enjoy the blogosphere. That's what it's called, right? Anyway. It's given me the opportunity to make friends, explore new worlds, and improve my own writing. So here's a quick Thank You to a few of my favorite bloggers.
First up is, of course, PCL. I must return the favor! She writes about everything from music she gets stuck in her head to things that happen at home with The Mister and the cats and Rocky the Dog, and every times she writes anything she ties it in to some vast cosmic meaning and it makes me happy every weekday.
Next is a blog I recently discovered when poking around for new reading material: The Hindsight Letters. It's just fabulous. One of the regular features is a look back at things that were fashionable when the author was a teenager (and some of those were en vogue when I was a teen, as well) and HOO BOY I had totally forgotten most of those...probably for good reason! She, and her guests, write letters to their teenage selves, and there's no way to describe how awesome it is so go and click the link and you'll be hooked, I promise.
Although she doesn't post as often as I'd like (hint, hint), Heartsick and Headstrong is another awesome one I always read. How can you not embrace life and carpe diem and all that once you've had a heart attack? Her story is inspirational and she had the most adorable posts about her cat.
Fourth, my dear Miss Magnolia. She gets down and dirty with the nitty gritty of feelings, relationships, the past, trials (literally and figuratively...she's a lawyer)...just all sorts of things that make up the human experience. She has a way with words and she'll make you think about your own feelings and experiences.
An honorable mention, only because he's too swamped with traffic to check out my tiny little blog space, is Single Dad Laughing. He has a few really good posts, "power posts" he calls them, that everyone should check out sometime. They really make you think. Also, his kid is adorable. Also, he is obsessed with M&Ms.
I really love blogging. I love my bloggy friendships. I love having a way to share what's important to me with family and friends.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Antibiotics Are Useless
So I joined a gym, right?
Right.
I was going all the time and feeling awesome for about two weeks. Then, everything just kinda...well, stopped.
First, Li came to visit. I did go to the gym (and brought her with me) on a Saturday morning, but the other several days I just wanted to hang with my best friend and get some well-needed rest.
As soon as she was gone I was planning on going back. Unfortunately, I got sick. I had some kind of cold or maybe a mild flu. I was tired and dizzy and stuffy and generally miserable, so exercising was just out of the question.
After I got better I started going back, until my ankle exploded. Fun times. The doctor told me to stay off of it for two to three weeks, so I did two weeks (I was itching to get back onto that treadmill) and took it a bit easier for about a week.
THEN.
Maybe this is TMI, but THEN I developed a raging UTI. Have you ever had one of those? Did it make you want to walk on the treadmill? Or walk at all? Nope.
So I went back to the doctor and got antibiotics and went on my merry way. At this point, we had been spending a ton of time working on the kitchen, getting it ready for cabinets, so there just wasn't much time to go work out, even when my symptoms had subsided.
Unfortunately, that relief was short-lived. Ugh. My symptoms came BACK, like BAM, so suddenly...awesome. So I went BACK to the doctor and they tested me again and apparently Macrobid does absolutely nothing (at least in me, I'm a medical mystery) and it had gotten worse, even though the symptoms had gone way for a while. The doctor prescribed a different antibiotic, in a larger dose for a longer duration, and I went on my merry way.
Cipro has a few warnings. One is to avoid eating dairy and taking the meds at the same time (which wasn't a problem, really) and the other is NOT TO EXERCISE. Especially if you have tendonitis in your Achilles tendon OH LOOK THAT'S ME. Because apparently Cipro makes it worse and you could actually end up badly damaging your tendons. Super. It's also been making me extremely nauseated and bloaty (TMI again, I know) so that doesn't make me want to exercise, anyway. I totally threw up at work. Gross.
I just took my last dose! Yay!
So tomorrow...it's back to the gym. And I'm going to get skinny if it kills me.
Right.
I was going all the time and feeling awesome for about two weeks. Then, everything just kinda...well, stopped.
First, Li came to visit. I did go to the gym (and brought her with me) on a Saturday morning, but the other several days I just wanted to hang with my best friend and get some well-needed rest.
As soon as she was gone I was planning on going back. Unfortunately, I got sick. I had some kind of cold or maybe a mild flu. I was tired and dizzy and stuffy and generally miserable, so exercising was just out of the question.
After I got better I started going back, until my ankle exploded. Fun times. The doctor told me to stay off of it for two to three weeks, so I did two weeks (I was itching to get back onto that treadmill) and took it a bit easier for about a week.
THEN.
Maybe this is TMI, but THEN I developed a raging UTI. Have you ever had one of those? Did it make you want to walk on the treadmill? Or walk at all? Nope.
So I went back to the doctor and got antibiotics and went on my merry way. At this point, we had been spending a ton of time working on the kitchen, getting it ready for cabinets, so there just wasn't much time to go work out, even when my symptoms had subsided.
Unfortunately, that relief was short-lived. Ugh. My symptoms came BACK, like BAM, so suddenly...awesome. So I went BACK to the doctor and they tested me again and apparently Macrobid does absolutely nothing (at least in me, I'm a medical mystery) and it had gotten worse, even though the symptoms had gone way for a while. The doctor prescribed a different antibiotic, in a larger dose for a longer duration, and I went on my merry way.
Cipro has a few warnings. One is to avoid eating dairy and taking the meds at the same time (which wasn't a problem, really) and the other is NOT TO EXERCISE. Especially if you have tendonitis in your Achilles tendon OH LOOK THAT'S ME. Because apparently Cipro makes it worse and you could actually end up badly damaging your tendons. Super. It's also been making me extremely nauseated and bloaty (TMI again, I know) so that doesn't make me want to exercise, anyway. I totally threw up at work. Gross.
I just took my last dose! Yay!
So tomorrow...it's back to the gym. And I'm going to get skinny if it kills me.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Three Layers? Really?!
These pictures are somewhat out of order. Just a few more little things about our ongoing kitchen renovation.
When we pulled up the linoleum to replace that section of subfloor a few weeks ago, we had found a bit of water damage. In order to make sure we didn't have any water damage anywhere else in the kitchen, we pulled up the rest of the linoleum and took a peek behind and under cabinets and appliances.
We found this:
It looks pretty bad, yes?
Well, it wasn't! It turned out to be just a surface stain, so we didn't have to replace any more subfloor. I call that a win!
When we pulled out the hood over the stove we were surprised to find it wired into the wall instead of plugged into an outlet, but the most surprising part was that instead of cutting a nice hole in the drywall, they had just knocked a little hole in the wall and yanked the wires out:
We continue to realize that our house was built by Special People.
Here's Scott attaching corner bead (I told you these were out of order...):
And here's the back door, looking more and more like a door instead of just a hole in the house where we stuffed a door. This has since been mudded over and the boys are, in fact, almost done so I can jump in and start painting:
And a picture of the pulling up of the linoleum:
They had put a new layer of linoleum over the old one, and in a few places we actually found a third layer of linoleum... Oh well, it's all gone now. We just have subfloor now, so we pulled a few carpet scraps we had lying around in the basement and spread them over the kitchen floor so we wouldn't be walking on bare wood.
Oh, and P.S. We ordered the countertops, and we were lucky that we went in when we did because they had a special: free edging upgrade, so we saved about $500!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Potions Class Would ROCK
So, it's no secret that I'm not much of a cook. I can make basic things, like pasta and sandwiches and almost anything pre-packaged that you just have to microwave, or throw in the oven, or throw in a skillet and simmer over medium-high heat for 7-9 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly (I make Bird's Eye Garlic Chicken enough to have it memorized, oh yes). I have, however, messed up these sorts of things. And I can't for the life of me boil a freaking egg.
You'd think that because cooking is following recipes and chemistry is following recipes (sometimes) that I would be totally awesomely awesome at cooking, but for whatever reason, I'm not (although I'm convinced that in Harry Potter's world, I would be AMAZING with Potions).
So here, I give you some of the reasons I don't cook.
Enjoy.
1. I don't enjoy doing dishes. Something about food residue sitting on dishes, getting gummy in the soapy water...blergh. It gets slimy on my fingers. Shoot me now.
2. The logical thing to do would be to use the dishwasher, right? Well, Utah has hard water. The hardest water I've ever encountered. And the dishwasher is really really good at coating all of our dishes with a crust of minerals. Yum. I mean, they're still clean. We eat off of them. It's just...well, we don't need to take extra mineral supplements is all I'm saying. After the kitchen cabinets and countertops are done, we're going to invest in a water softener. Expect a post about how happy that makes me.
3. I have plenty of time. I go to work for 8 hours, the gym for an hour, add in an hour for travel time and showering and such, and 8-9 hours for sleep, and VOILA! I have 5-6 hours each weekday for NOTHING. And even more on weekends! However, I just can't see spending much time making food in the crappy half-kitchen while there's so much YARN to be dealt with (and my new complete BSG series to watch...). So spending ten minutes making sandwiches? Absolutely.
4. Half-kitchen. HALF-KITCHEN. There's almost no counter space. All of our dishes are crammed in and stacked as tight as they will go into our little baby cabinets (they're going to be gone soon, WOO). All it takes is like one dirty bowl and spoon and then I'm out of counter space and there's nowhere to work any more and it's really frustrating, even when I'm just making sandwiches! Our new kitchen layout adds like eight more feet of countertops! Joy!
5. Since there are only two of us (well, three for now, if you count Jon), we don't need to make such large portions as recipes call for. If I did cook, there would always be tons of leftovers. WAIT. Then I might not have to cook the next day. Ok, maybe this isn't such a bad thing... But when I bake things, the baked things get eaten. Quickly. And in large quantities. And then my hips get bigger. I don't need that.
6. Lastly, my Scott is happy to cook, so why should I bother? Ha, just kidding Scottie!
You'd think that because cooking is following recipes and chemistry is following recipes (sometimes) that I would be totally awesomely awesome at cooking, but for whatever reason, I'm not (although I'm convinced that in Harry Potter's world, I would be AMAZING with Potions).
So here, I give you some of the reasons I don't cook.
Enjoy.
1. I don't enjoy doing dishes. Something about food residue sitting on dishes, getting gummy in the soapy water...blergh. It gets slimy on my fingers. Shoot me now.
2. The logical thing to do would be to use the dishwasher, right? Well, Utah has hard water. The hardest water I've ever encountered. And the dishwasher is really really good at coating all of our dishes with a crust of minerals. Yum. I mean, they're still clean. We eat off of them. It's just...well, we don't need to take extra mineral supplements is all I'm saying. After the kitchen cabinets and countertops are done, we're going to invest in a water softener. Expect a post about how happy that makes me.
3. I have plenty of time. I go to work for 8 hours, the gym for an hour, add in an hour for travel time and showering and such, and 8-9 hours for sleep, and VOILA! I have 5-6 hours each weekday for NOTHING. And even more on weekends! However, I just can't see spending much time making food in the crappy half-kitchen while there's so much YARN to be dealt with (and my new complete BSG series to watch...). So spending ten minutes making sandwiches? Absolutely.
4. Half-kitchen. HALF-KITCHEN. There's almost no counter space. All of our dishes are crammed in and stacked as tight as they will go into our little baby cabinets (they're going to be gone soon, WOO). All it takes is like one dirty bowl and spoon and then I'm out of counter space and there's nowhere to work any more and it's really frustrating, even when I'm just making sandwiches! Our new kitchen layout adds like eight more feet of countertops! Joy!
5. Since there are only two of us (well, three for now, if you count Jon), we don't need to make such large portions as recipes call for. If I did cook, there would always be tons of leftovers. WAIT. Then I might not have to cook the next day. Ok, maybe this isn't such a bad thing... But when I bake things, the baked things get eaten. Quickly. And in large quantities. And then my hips get bigger. I don't need that.
6. Lastly, my Scott is happy to cook, so why should I bother? Ha, just kidding Scottie!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Sunday Spackling!
So Sunday we picked up where we left off. The floor was done (where we needed it to be; we still need to pull up the rest of the linoleum but that can wait) so we needed to build the new half-wall, do the electrical wiring, drywall, and mud.
Our kitchen was already messy just from moving things out of the way so we could pull sub floor up, but it was only going to get messier.
We needed to pull out some of the cabinets so we could patch some holes in the drywall and move electrical outlets.
Here's the beginning of the new wall (which, funnily enough, ended up only a few inches from where the old wall was...) (but we still would have had to demo the old wall anyway to get it to the right height and get the electrical stuff in the right places).
Scott did all the wiring himself, saving us hundreds of dollars compared to having an electrician do it. Scott never ceases to amaze me with the amount of things he can do around the house!
We started drywalling over the old back door:
Screwing dry wall on to the new wall:
The ceremonial last piece of drywall (well, on the new wall, anyway):
Putting on the first layer of mud:
Here's the end product (well, not really end, but the end for Sunday):
Our kitchen was already messy just from moving things out of the way so we could pull sub floor up, but it was only going to get messier.
We needed to pull out some of the cabinets so we could patch some holes in the drywall and move electrical outlets.
Here's the beginning of the new wall (which, funnily enough, ended up only a few inches from where the old wall was...) (but we still would have had to demo the old wall anyway to get it to the right height and get the electrical stuff in the right places).
Scott did all the wiring himself, saving us hundreds of dollars compared to having an electrician do it. Scott never ceases to amaze me with the amount of things he can do around the house!
We started drywalling over the old back door:
Screwing dry wall on to the new wall:
The ceremonial last piece of drywall (well, on the new wall, anyway):
Putting on the first layer of mud:
Here's the end product (well, not really end, but the end for Sunday):
We got a ton more done on Sunday than we did on Saturday. Saturday everything just seemed to get messed up a bit here and there, and it made everything SO. SLOW. But Sunday we had only planned on building the wall and getting the electrical outlets wired. We didn't plan to get drywall and mud done, but we did and it is starting to look AMAZING!
My kitchen is going to be fabulous.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sub Floor Saturday!
This past weekend we got a lot of work done in the kitchen in preparation for the new cabinets that will arrive next month. I briefly mentioned it before, but now you get to see the pictures!
This is the section of floor where the pantry closet used to be.
There was an air return in the other side of the wall behind it, and there are several holes where electrical wires had been threaded. When we put the new flooring down we are going to need as perfect a sub floor as we can get, so we decided to replace a section of it. It's a good thing, too, because there was a bit of water damage we didn't even know about!
The first step was to rip up the old linoleum (yuck!) and what do you know, there was more, even uglier linoleum underneath it!
After that we started pulling up sub floor. When we're ripping the guts out of this house, we always come across something weird the builders did that makes us think they didn't get it inspected...here's Scott, with an incredulous look on his face because OH LOOK, THEY USED PEGBOARD INSTEAD OF SUB FLOOR. Idiots.
Once we got the giant hole torn out of our floor (and Scott was being goofy and stuck his head up through from the basement), we were able to start putting in new sub floor.
Scott is enjoying a well-needed break.
And, tada, the finished sub floor:
The end. Well, not really. But that's all we got done on Saturday.
And by we I mean Scott and Jon. I wasn't very useful most of the time.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Check Out All The Pix!
I finally got off my butt and transferred a ton of pictures to baby pink lappie, so HERE WE GO!
A few weeks ago Scott and I finally got around to buying a new bed. RC Willey was having an amazing sale, with a couple hundred dollars off plus a free headboard, a free sheet set, free pillows, and a free little HDTV:
Scott's been using it as a computer monitor (surprise, surprise). It actually died on him the other day, but when he brought it back in to the store they were happy to replace it so no harm done.
So here's our beautiful, soft, comfy, BIG, king-sized bed:
Buster has been getting really good at holding treats on his nose until we say "ok".
The gorgeous Em has gone platinum blonde! She looks amazing:
She and I have similar coloring, so that makes me wonder if I would look good blonde...hmmm...
When we went to Maddox with Li I took a picture of the rolls, because YUM:
I bought a new purse, and it totally makes me think of Indiana Jones. I love it and it smells so good:
I took a picture of the swelling on my ankle last week:
Fortunately, it's getting much, much better. I think I might be back in the gym by tomorrow!
When Scott gets sad (say, when we spend $4600...) he hugs Buster, even though Buster doesn't like being hugged:
We found a new mask for Scott to wear under his cloak when he passes out candy this Halloween:
Of course, we had to put it on Buster, who was not amused:
And that's it!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Vacationy Things
So these past few weeks have been quite busy! On Wednesday the 8th I picked Li up at the airport. I left for work the next morning and didn't see her before I left. She and Scott hung out all day on Thursday (Scott was able to get more days off than I did) and when I got home we talked and made dinner and watched videos on YouTube. It was just really relaxing and fun. Friday she was picked up by a friend, and she spent the next several days with friends in Provo, and then with her sister in Plymouth.
The following Friday, the 17th, I had taken the day off work so I got up in the morning, went to the gym (and got a great workout in!) and then went to pick Li up in Plymouth. Scott suggested we go to Maddox for lunch, so he came along with me. Lunch was SO TASTY. We almost never go there, since it's such a long drive, but it was on the way home from Li's sister's house. I had forgotten how good their rolls were! I ate WAY too much, but we only go there every couple of years so it's totally ok, right?
When we all got home from that Li and I hunkered down on the couch with munchies and watched movies for the rest of the night. Saturday morning I brought Li along with me to the gym, then we showered and headed down to Salt Lake for the State Fair. We went first thing in the morning, so there weren't too many people, and we didn't have to wait in line for anything until we were about to leave. It was pretty hot, but there were shady spots where we could sit down so it wasn't too bad. We had put on sunscreen, but both of us forgot our chests, so now I have this weird sunburn with my purse strap across it.
I was really excited about fair food. A fair is like the one chance I get all year to eat cotton candy and funnel cake (although we didn't end up getting either of those; we settled on fresh mini-donuts with sugar, a slushie, gyros (the best I've ever had, I think), and fudge). We rode rides, too, which was very fun! I forgot how much fun it is to act like a kid. I also forgot how nauseating some of those rides were...my stomach could handle more than Li's, though, so when Li wanted a rest I would go ride one she didn't want to ride (she doesn't like up and down ones where she feels like she's falling). After we had been there about four hours I was definitely done. I was tired, hot, sick, and thirsty. We headed on home and got frozen custard from Nielsen's on the way, and when we got home it was JAMMIE TIME! and we sacked out on the couch for the rest of the night, watching more movies and some Bones.
Sunday morning Li wanted to go to church, and I didn't want her to have to go alone, so I went along. We went to the building that's only a few blocks from us. Since I'm a heathen, I had no idea what time church was supposed to start, but everywhere I've lived there has been a meeting at 9:00, so I figured that was a safe assumption. Well, there was a meeting at 9:00, but it was a Tongan ward...oops. We figured we were already there, so we stayed. The service was half in English, half in Tongan, which, it turns out, is a very pretty, melodic sort of language. There was a translator, so we weren't totally in the dark, but it felt a little awkward all the same.
We came home, changed back into pajamas, and set up a LAN. For the rest of the day the three of us played Warcraft 3 (nerdy!), since it's sort of a tradition that we play every time Li visits.
Monday we slept in, then watched more Bones while we waited for it to be time for our SPA APPOINTMENTS, OH YES. We went to a spa I had never been to before, but will definitely visit again, because for only $65 we got our hands, feet, backs, arms, and faces massaged and exfoliated and steamed...we were soft like buttah. We smelled good, too! After that we went to Zupas for lunch, where we had the most awesome salads and sandwiches, and we even split a brownie, but it wasn't as tasty as it looked. When we got home we decided that we should watch Pride And Prejudice (the BBC version), so we started that, and we were only half watching it while we talked about boys and such. Around 7:00 the three of us decided we were hungry, so we went to Olive Garden for dinner, and then when we got home we finished our movie and then went to bed.
Tuesday morning I drove Li to the airport, after which I went to Nyah's three-month doctor appointment with Kwiddens and Isaac. Poor Nyah had to get shots, and she was NOT happy about it. We all went to lunch, and then at that point I was really starting to feel sick, so I headed home and napped.
So that was my mini-vacation with Li. It was really fun, and so nice to see her, and now the next time I see her will probably be next summer, when I'll fly out to Boston for a change.
Other, semi-related or un-related things:
Taking three days off work is apparently a really really bad idea, since I came back to utter chaos and a giant pile of samples. I'm not even close to caught up. It doesn't help that we had people cleaning in the lab today, so we didn't have use of the hood until around noon (usually I start working in there around 9:00...so you can see how far behind I was). I'm sure I'll get a lot more done tomorrow, and I'll probably be completely caught up.
I've been slowly getting sick over the past week or so. Whatever it was, it hit Scott and Jon much harder than it hit me, thank goodness. I think it's just a mild flu, but I really lucked out, since all I have is a very sore throat, a stuffy/runny nose, and body aches. I can deal with that and still go to work.
Buster desperately needs a bath, but I'm too lazy, so I'm thinking about just spending the $35 to have it professionally done.
I found a really good deal on a heart rate monitor watch. It has a calorie counter thing in it, too. I'm really excited to try it out, but I'm going to have to wait until I don't feel like I got hit by a bus to go back to the gym.
I finally got a new purse last week while Li and I were shopping. It's from New York and Company, and it was on clearance for only $10. I win. It looks like a slightly more fashionable Indiana Jones bag. It smells lovely. I love the smell of new leather.
I think now is a good time to go collapse into a hot bath, then drag myself to bed early. I hope I can beat this bug, and soon. I want my voice back.
The following Friday, the 17th, I had taken the day off work so I got up in the morning, went to the gym (and got a great workout in!) and then went to pick Li up in Plymouth. Scott suggested we go to Maddox for lunch, so he came along with me. Lunch was SO TASTY. We almost never go there, since it's such a long drive, but it was on the way home from Li's sister's house. I had forgotten how good their rolls were! I ate WAY too much, but we only go there every couple of years so it's totally ok, right?
When we all got home from that Li and I hunkered down on the couch with munchies and watched movies for the rest of the night. Saturday morning I brought Li along with me to the gym, then we showered and headed down to Salt Lake for the State Fair. We went first thing in the morning, so there weren't too many people, and we didn't have to wait in line for anything until we were about to leave. It was pretty hot, but there were shady spots where we could sit down so it wasn't too bad. We had put on sunscreen, but both of us forgot our chests, so now I have this weird sunburn with my purse strap across it.
I was really excited about fair food. A fair is like the one chance I get all year to eat cotton candy and funnel cake (although we didn't end up getting either of those; we settled on fresh mini-donuts with sugar, a slushie, gyros (the best I've ever had, I think), and fudge). We rode rides, too, which was very fun! I forgot how much fun it is to act like a kid. I also forgot how nauseating some of those rides were...my stomach could handle more than Li's, though, so when Li wanted a rest I would go ride one she didn't want to ride (she doesn't like up and down ones where she feels like she's falling). After we had been there about four hours I was definitely done. I was tired, hot, sick, and thirsty. We headed on home and got frozen custard from Nielsen's on the way, and when we got home it was JAMMIE TIME! and we sacked out on the couch for the rest of the night, watching more movies and some Bones.
Sunday morning Li wanted to go to church, and I didn't want her to have to go alone, so I went along. We went to the building that's only a few blocks from us. Since I'm a heathen, I had no idea what time church was supposed to start, but everywhere I've lived there has been a meeting at 9:00, so I figured that was a safe assumption. Well, there was a meeting at 9:00, but it was a Tongan ward...oops. We figured we were already there, so we stayed. The service was half in English, half in Tongan, which, it turns out, is a very pretty, melodic sort of language. There was a translator, so we weren't totally in the dark, but it felt a little awkward all the same.
We came home, changed back into pajamas, and set up a LAN. For the rest of the day the three of us played Warcraft 3 (nerdy!), since it's sort of a tradition that we play every time Li visits.
Monday we slept in, then watched more Bones while we waited for it to be time for our SPA APPOINTMENTS, OH YES. We went to a spa I had never been to before, but will definitely visit again, because for only $65 we got our hands, feet, backs, arms, and faces massaged and exfoliated and steamed...we were soft like buttah. We smelled good, too! After that we went to Zupas for lunch, where we had the most awesome salads and sandwiches, and we even split a brownie, but it wasn't as tasty as it looked. When we got home we decided that we should watch Pride And Prejudice (the BBC version), so we started that, and we were only half watching it while we talked about boys and such. Around 7:00 the three of us decided we were hungry, so we went to Olive Garden for dinner, and then when we got home we finished our movie and then went to bed.
Tuesday morning I drove Li to the airport, after which I went to Nyah's three-month doctor appointment with Kwiddens and Isaac. Poor Nyah had to get shots, and she was NOT happy about it. We all went to lunch, and then at that point I was really starting to feel sick, so I headed home and napped.
So that was my mini-vacation with Li. It was really fun, and so nice to see her, and now the next time I see her will probably be next summer, when I'll fly out to Boston for a change.
Other, semi-related or un-related things:
Taking three days off work is apparently a really really bad idea, since I came back to utter chaos and a giant pile of samples. I'm not even close to caught up. It doesn't help that we had people cleaning in the lab today, so we didn't have use of the hood until around noon (usually I start working in there around 9:00...so you can see how far behind I was). I'm sure I'll get a lot more done tomorrow, and I'll probably be completely caught up.
I've been slowly getting sick over the past week or so. Whatever it was, it hit Scott and Jon much harder than it hit me, thank goodness. I think it's just a mild flu, but I really lucked out, since all I have is a very sore throat, a stuffy/runny nose, and body aches. I can deal with that and still go to work.
Buster desperately needs a bath, but I'm too lazy, so I'm thinking about just spending the $35 to have it professionally done.
I found a really good deal on a heart rate monitor watch. It has a calorie counter thing in it, too. I'm really excited to try it out, but I'm going to have to wait until I don't feel like I got hit by a bus to go back to the gym.
I finally got a new purse last week while Li and I were shopping. It's from New York and Company, and it was on clearance for only $10. I win. It looks like a slightly more fashionable Indiana Jones bag. It smells lovely. I love the smell of new leather.
I think now is a good time to go collapse into a hot bath, then drag myself to bed early. I hope I can beat this bug, and soon. I want my voice back.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Shooting My Gun FINALLY
The other day Scott and Jon decided to go shooting, and I decided to tag along. I hadn't actually shot my gun since I bought it forever ago. In fact, I hadn't shot anything in more than two years! I wasn't sure how rusty I was going to be, but since I carry for self-defense, I figured I ought to make sure I'm an effective self-defender.
We went to the indoor range at Impact Guns in Ogden. I had never been to an indoor range before; it was a lot louder than I expected, especially because there was a guy in the booth next to us shooting the giantest gun I have ever seen. It shook my bones. Also, there was no wind to dissipate the smell, so even though I like the smell of gunpowder, it was too strong and was stinging my eyes a little.
Scott got a picture of me shooting my gun, but it was blurry, so here's the picture of me shooting his (smaller) gun:
And when I say smaller I mean smaller caliber. His is physically bigger than mine, but lighter and quieter.
Here's my target:
The smallest holes are from Scott's gun, the medium ones are from my gun, and the giant ones are from Jon's gun. Only two of my shots the whole time went off the "man", so I am deadly, even though I'm a terrible shot. I hope I never have to actually defend myself. I would feel so horrible actually shooting someone, even if he were trying to kill me.
The end.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I Better Turn Into A Freaking Skeleton
I don't like exercising.
Actually, I love exercising. It's just, I hate exercising.
The thing is, once I get going, it may be difficult but it feels great and gives me energy and happy exercise chemicals for a few days. But getting going is often an obstacle that just doesn't get overcome.
There's always something. I can't run; my knees don't allow for it. Bad knees seem to run in my family. Em is probably going to have to have surgery on her knee again (this will be the fourth time). So, I do the next best thing (and some experts say it's just as good or better for weight loss): power walking. Walk as fast and hard as I can while keeping good form and steady breathing. It's actually a great workout.
I hate exercising outside because it's too hot, or too cold, or too humid, and there are allergens, and there are people watching. I don't like people watching me when I'm all sweaty and gross.
So, I bought a treadmill. I love using a treadmill because I can control my speed and add incline, making the workout much harder. I've used it off and on, but it's in my basement and I don't like my basement. Furthermore, Scott's computer, and now Jon's computer, are in the basement, which means I could only exercise when they're not there (which isn't that often) because I don't like people watching me.
I was complaining about this last Monday, because I really do want to be in shape, and Scott suggested I join a gym. I had briefly considered this before, but the idea never stuck. Gyms have huge enrollment fees and large monthly dues and there are people watching.
But I got online and looked up all the gyms in the area, and it turns out there is a ladies-only gym two blocks from my house. I never knew it was there, just sitting behind Target. I went over and asked for more info, and they gave me a tour and showed me all the classes they offer and went over pricing with me.
LUCKY ME!
They were having a sale. A big one! Usually they have an enrollment fee of $150 and then a monthly fee of $45 (when you sign up for a year). For a few days, until September 1, so until the day after I went there, the enrollment fee was waived and the monthly contract price would be $35. Happy!
So I signed up. This gym doesn't take checks or credit cards; they pull the money directly from your account every month. I was allowed to set the date, so I asked for it to come out on the 5th of every month, since that's the day Scott gets paid and that way there would always be money in there in the cataclysmic event that something happens and we have less that $35 in the account. Since that was only in a few days, they didn't think the paperwork would go through on time, so they decided to just give me a free month and not charge me until October. Happy!
I don't like signing contracts. I don't like being locked into something. I feel like I never know when something might happen and I might need that money, or I might not want something in a few months...worry, worry, worry. In this case, I decided that first of all, if I were actually paying a fee to belong to this gym I would be more likely to go use it (instead of letting it sit in my basement...) and secondly, this is my health I'm talking about, and if I want to make comparisons, I can just take a look at my $35: it's less than Scott spends a month on soda.
So I went almost every day last week! I went to a class called Boot Camp, and they call it Boot Camp for a reason; I was so sore the next day I didn't exercise at all. I went to a few X-Biking classes, which is like spinning but the handlebars on the bikes rock back and forth for an upper body workout as well. Those kicked my butt, but I really enjoyed them. I did cardio on the treadmills several times and got a free session with a personal trainer. She was really great; we went through my goals and did a few measurements and talked about the best ways for me to reach those goals. I also got an appointment with one of the employees to go through all the weight training machines and show me how to use them and help me decide how much weight, how many reps, etc. I did upper body on Tuesday and I will be learning lower body today after work.
I'm thinking that I'll probably go a little less over the next few weeks while Li is here, since I'll want to spend as much time with her as I can, but I have been feeling so great for the last week that I'm hooked.
It turns out it doesn't bother me when it's other women around me while I exercise, and I think it also helps that there are women there of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels, so I don't feel like a total failure when I have to take a break while everyone else keeps pedaling. The instructors are really great and helpful and I'm just really happy I made this decision.
I better get skinny.
Actually, I love exercising. It's just, I hate exercising.
The thing is, once I get going, it may be difficult but it feels great and gives me energy and happy exercise chemicals for a few days. But getting going is often an obstacle that just doesn't get overcome.
There's always something. I can't run; my knees don't allow for it. Bad knees seem to run in my family. Em is probably going to have to have surgery on her knee again (this will be the fourth time). So, I do the next best thing (and some experts say it's just as good or better for weight loss): power walking. Walk as fast and hard as I can while keeping good form and steady breathing. It's actually a great workout.
I hate exercising outside because it's too hot, or too cold, or too humid, and there are allergens, and there are people watching. I don't like people watching me when I'm all sweaty and gross.
So, I bought a treadmill. I love using a treadmill because I can control my speed and add incline, making the workout much harder. I've used it off and on, but it's in my basement and I don't like my basement. Furthermore, Scott's computer, and now Jon's computer, are in the basement, which means I could only exercise when they're not there (which isn't that often) because I don't like people watching me.
I was complaining about this last Monday, because I really do want to be in shape, and Scott suggested I join a gym. I had briefly considered this before, but the idea never stuck. Gyms have huge enrollment fees and large monthly dues and there are people watching.
But I got online and looked up all the gyms in the area, and it turns out there is a ladies-only gym two blocks from my house. I never knew it was there, just sitting behind Target. I went over and asked for more info, and they gave me a tour and showed me all the classes they offer and went over pricing with me.
LUCKY ME!
They were having a sale. A big one! Usually they have an enrollment fee of $150 and then a monthly fee of $45 (when you sign up for a year). For a few days, until September 1, so until the day after I went there, the enrollment fee was waived and the monthly contract price would be $35. Happy!
So I signed up. This gym doesn't take checks or credit cards; they pull the money directly from your account every month. I was allowed to set the date, so I asked for it to come out on the 5th of every month, since that's the day Scott gets paid and that way there would always be money in there in the cataclysmic event that something happens and we have less that $35 in the account. Since that was only in a few days, they didn't think the paperwork would go through on time, so they decided to just give me a free month and not charge me until October. Happy!
I don't like signing contracts. I don't like being locked into something. I feel like I never know when something might happen and I might need that money, or I might not want something in a few months...worry, worry, worry. In this case, I decided that first of all, if I were actually paying a fee to belong to this gym I would be more likely to go use it (instead of letting it sit in my basement...) and secondly, this is my health I'm talking about, and if I want to make comparisons, I can just take a look at my $35: it's less than Scott spends a month on soda.
So I went almost every day last week! I went to a class called Boot Camp, and they call it Boot Camp for a reason; I was so sore the next day I didn't exercise at all. I went to a few X-Biking classes, which is like spinning but the handlebars on the bikes rock back and forth for an upper body workout as well. Those kicked my butt, but I really enjoyed them. I did cardio on the treadmills several times and got a free session with a personal trainer. She was really great; we went through my goals and did a few measurements and talked about the best ways for me to reach those goals. I also got an appointment with one of the employees to go through all the weight training machines and show me how to use them and help me decide how much weight, how many reps, etc. I did upper body on Tuesday and I will be learning lower body today after work.
I'm thinking that I'll probably go a little less over the next few weeks while Li is here, since I'll want to spend as much time with her as I can, but I have been feeling so great for the last week that I'm hooked.
It turns out it doesn't bother me when it's other women around me while I exercise, and I think it also helps that there are women there of all shapes, sizes, and fitness levels, so I don't feel like a total failure when I have to take a break while everyone else keeps pedaling. The instructors are really great and helpful and I'm just really happy I made this decision.
I better get skinny.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Labor Day Weekend
This past weekend was long because of Labor Day. Hooray for pointless holidays!
Scott had scheduled his (late) birthday LAN party, so Friday after work I stopped by the store and got treats, then came home and helped clean up the house a bit. It wasn't much of a job, since we usually keep things pretty tidy anyway. Our only consistent messes are on the coffee table and the kitchen table, and those didn't take long. He and his friends played from Friday night to Monday night. I don't know how he does it; my eyes get tired enough staring at a computer screen for a few hours.
I tried to arrange something fun with Kwiddens for Friday night but nobody could babysit Nyah and Nyah was sick of the car seat, since they just taken a road trip down to Arkansas to visit our grandparents. It was so sad; Nyah only had to look at her car seat to make her start crying. So I had Friday night to myself, and I just snuggled up on the couch and read "The Hobbit", one of my favorite books.
Saturday morning I got some exercise in, the came home and showered and did a little grocery shopping. Then at 3:00 some friends and I had planned a Lecture Prep reunion at Bicentennial Park in Provo. It was me, Kirk and Angie, Nate, Sarah and her boyfriend Nate and one other guy who worked there after I had already graduated whose name escapes me at the moment. We grilled and had the most amazing sweet corn and talked for 2.5 hours, sharing stories about work and remembering some of the funny things that had happened, and talking about how the Chemistry Department has changed, etc. It was just so nice to see everyone, but it made me miss working there more than ever. Oh well. I have a great job now, too.
Since I was in Provo anyway, I then drove down to Mim's house and met up with her and Em and Jorg and we all went to dinner at The Pizza Factory. After that we were talking about movies and shows we like, and Jorg suggested that some time we should get together and have a Stargate marathon, since he had never seen it. We decided to do it this weekend, since I had work off on Monday, so after dinner I drove Em and Jorg back up to my house. We watched Stargate and ate yummies and talked and it was really fun. They stayed over two nights, and Mim came to get them Monday morning. At one point Sunday night Jorg started to get sick of Stargate, so we played Phase 10 and then went to dinner at Applebee's, which ended up being a little disappointing foodwise, but the company was great. When we got back Jorg went downstairs and played Starcraft 2 with Scott and Jon. Em and I decided it was a good opportunity for chick flicking, so we watched "Moulin Rouge" and "27 Dresses". Jorg came upstairs to grab a drink and asked what Moulin Rouge was about, and I said "um...prostitutes..." and he gave me a funny look and went back downstairs. It was amusing.
Monday after Em and Jorg were gone Jon, Scott and I went and had lunch at MacCool's and then we tackled the downstairs storage room so we could clear it out because LI IS COMING TOMORROW! I'm super excited about that. We're going to have so much fun! We also went to the dollar store to get some candles and the Halloween stuff was out and there were more tombstones for our graveyard for only a dollar each (of course, it's the dollar store), so this year our graveyard will be much better. I love Halloween.
So that was my Labor Day weekend. And now I don't get another day off until Thanksgiving.
Except the few days I'll be taking off for when Li is here.
Scott had scheduled his (late) birthday LAN party, so Friday after work I stopped by the store and got treats, then came home and helped clean up the house a bit. It wasn't much of a job, since we usually keep things pretty tidy anyway. Our only consistent messes are on the coffee table and the kitchen table, and those didn't take long. He and his friends played from Friday night to Monday night. I don't know how he does it; my eyes get tired enough staring at a computer screen for a few hours.
I tried to arrange something fun with Kwiddens for Friday night but nobody could babysit Nyah and Nyah was sick of the car seat, since they just taken a road trip down to Arkansas to visit our grandparents. It was so sad; Nyah only had to look at her car seat to make her start crying. So I had Friday night to myself, and I just snuggled up on the couch and read "The Hobbit", one of my favorite books.
Saturday morning I got some exercise in, the came home and showered and did a little grocery shopping. Then at 3:00 some friends and I had planned a Lecture Prep reunion at Bicentennial Park in Provo. It was me, Kirk and Angie, Nate, Sarah and her boyfriend Nate and one other guy who worked there after I had already graduated whose name escapes me at the moment. We grilled and had the most amazing sweet corn and talked for 2.5 hours, sharing stories about work and remembering some of the funny things that had happened, and talking about how the Chemistry Department has changed, etc. It was just so nice to see everyone, but it made me miss working there more than ever. Oh well. I have a great job now, too.
Since I was in Provo anyway, I then drove down to Mim's house and met up with her and Em and Jorg and we all went to dinner at The Pizza Factory. After that we were talking about movies and shows we like, and Jorg suggested that some time we should get together and have a Stargate marathon, since he had never seen it. We decided to do it this weekend, since I had work off on Monday, so after dinner I drove Em and Jorg back up to my house. We watched Stargate and ate yummies and talked and it was really fun. They stayed over two nights, and Mim came to get them Monday morning. At one point Sunday night Jorg started to get sick of Stargate, so we played Phase 10 and then went to dinner at Applebee's, which ended up being a little disappointing foodwise, but the company was great. When we got back Jorg went downstairs and played Starcraft 2 with Scott and Jon. Em and I decided it was a good opportunity for chick flicking, so we watched "Moulin Rouge" and "27 Dresses". Jorg came upstairs to grab a drink and asked what Moulin Rouge was about, and I said "um...prostitutes..." and he gave me a funny look and went back downstairs. It was amusing.
Monday after Em and Jorg were gone Jon, Scott and I went and had lunch at MacCool's and then we tackled the downstairs storage room so we could clear it out because LI IS COMING TOMORROW! I'm super excited about that. We're going to have so much fun! We also went to the dollar store to get some candles and the Halloween stuff was out and there were more tombstones for our graveyard for only a dollar each (of course, it's the dollar store), so this year our graveyard will be much better. I love Halloween.
So that was my Labor Day weekend. And now I don't get another day off until Thanksgiving.
Except the few days I'll be taking off for when Li is here.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
God
I'm no longer a publicly spiritual person, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in God anymore.
I do. I really do. I've seen too many amazing things not to.
And I honestly believe that sometimes when you're stuck on something, or feeling alone, he pushes somebody around you to do something that makes you feel better about it.
Sometimes I feel alone in the fact that I left the church and instead chose to take my own path. I know there are many many others who have, but every situation you go through always seems like it's unique to you.
But someone e-mailed me the other day, telling me the story of her journey to happiness, and it was remarkably similar to mine.
I forget sometimes, but little things like this are like God poking me and saying "See? I AM here, and I'm taking care of you, dummy!"
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Evolution Of Newb
When Kwiddens started high school, and I was in my senior year, we sorta...started our own language. It isn't completely different from English, but it's completely confusing if you're not used to it.
I don't remember exactly how it started, but I know it involved my senior year boyfriend, Dan. Dan and Kwiddens and I would hang out in the orchestra room before school every morning, and we would get to talking, and we were being really goofy, and in high school almost nobody is politically correct, and so we were...talking like...retarded people...I feel awful confessing that, because I realize now how mean that is! But the whole point is, we would talk in this language and we called it "Weetawd". See? I'm a horrible person, and I'm going to hell.
So at some point we did realize that it was horribly rude and awful, etc. So, we decided to call it something else, and the name changed to "Doobie". Because we had called annoying idiot people doobies and it was just hilarious at the time.
Now, a quick aside:
One summer, about a year later, Kwiddens went to Girl's Camp (church camp) and while she was there, she caught a group of girls GETTING HIGH AT CHURCH CAMP. And it wasn't just pot, either; there was some harder stuff there. Anyway, Kwiddens went and told a camp counselor, who called the police, and they came and the girls got in trouble. You would think the rest of the girls, the ones who were following the rules and actually wanted camp to be a spiritual experience, would be proud of Kwiddens for standing up for her beliefs and doing the right thing, but they were so horribly mean to her that she called for us to come pick her up. Unfortunately, we couldn't, since that was the night there were 63 tornadoes in our county...driving wasn't such a good idea. We tried, and got stuck in a funnel, which was SO COOL, and we thought we were going to die, and when we were out we decided that wasn't a good night for driving, so Kwiddens was stuck there. I'll write more about being inside a tornado some other time.
The whole experience shook her so much that calling it "Doobie" was now out of the question, since of course the word is drug-related. We decided to call it "Newb" instead, because Dan was always saying "Look at those newbs!"...I think that came from some kind of internet slang.
Anyway. So that's how Newb started. Here are some of the grammatical rules:
Firstly, and most importantly, Kristen turnes into Kwiddens, but if you say Kwitten you are using the worst swear word in the language.
When speaking Newb, one adds n's to words that don't actually have n's in them. Examples are "nansty" (nasty) (although this has its own word, which is just nast, used as a noun) and "int" (it), etc. One has to be careful, though, because if you add an n to the word "cut" bad things happen, so that's the exception.
Th's are turned into f's. Examples are "fink" (think), "bafroom" (bathroom) (which is now BF for short) and "birfday" (birthday).
Singular words are pluralized. "I hans to use the bafrooms."
Pronouns and verb tenses are mixed up. Think Gollum + Dobby. We also add in "precious", as a tribute to LotR.
If you're just starting to use Newb, the best thing to do is study Homestar Runner (the guy with the star on his shirt). That's how everything ends up being pronounced. Intonation is the most important part of Newb.
There are a few specific phrases that we use often. One is calling someone "Little Chicken". This is because once, when Kwiddens was working at DQ, she was putting chicken strips into the fryer and she was talking to them, like "It's ok, little chickens, it'll be over soon" and things like that, just to be silly. It totally stuck.
We're sisters, and friends, so we call each other "sista fwend". We also call loved ones "Stupid", "Dummy", "Idiot", etc., and that is like saying "I love you!" in Newb.
There is a little confusion when you pronounce the words cows, cars, and calls. They all sound exactly the same, so you have to use context to figure out what's going on.
South Dakota is "Souf Kadoda".
Anywaaaaaym (anyway)...
The most amazing thing is, once Kwiddens and I started using Newb on a regular basis, Mim joined in, and it became something special we three did. It bugged Dad to no end, and that was an added bonus. Mim became Mim when we were watching The Sword In The Stone and decided it would be fun to call her Mim instead of Mom. When Scott and I started seriously dating and he noticed me and Kwiddens talking like this, he joined in, and is now fluent.
Whatchoo fink?
Pretty amusing?
You KNOWIT.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Help Please
I'm gonna take a leaf out of Kim's book and ask...what sorts of things do you all want to know about me? What are some things you think I should post about?
I'm a little bit stuck at the moment, but I've made myself a goal: at least 20 posts a month.
Stupid writer's block.
I'm a little bit stuck at the moment, but I've made myself a goal: at least 20 posts a month.
Stupid writer's block.
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