The Dragon's Loss

Finally...A Little Time

2011-02-10T07:12:00.002-06:00

I finally had a little time yesterday to finish Joss Ware's latest book. I don't have time this morning for anything, but I'll post a short review of some latest reads a little later. (It might be over the weekend!)

I probably shouldn't have stayed up until 12:30 reading last night. I feel like hell this morning.

The "diet" is going well however. The only time I've eaten out since my meeting was lunch yesterday. And that was only because I left for lunch over 1.5 hours later than usual. I didn't think I could really handle cooking for myself at the time. I think I did well though. Hopefully the week will cooperate on all fronts.

I haven't forgotten!

2011-02-05T11:00:00.002-06:00

I promise I haven't forgotten you. School is an evil bitch. I can't wait to finish this semester. I'm tired of all this bullshit.

I shouldn't complain too much. I do love my teachers. They are great. It's just a lot of work these days. I don't have time for all the things I would like to do. (Like finish Joss Ware's latest book. I need more hours in a day!!!)

I got sick yesterday when I tried something new at lunch. I know better, but I really am trying to get past some of the things I don't like to eat. It sometimes sucks being a picky eater. Ok, the allergies and migraine triggers suck worse than just the long list of things I don't like....

I have a group meeting this afternoon on my latest group assignment for class. I have the majority of my part done. I'll just have to get the other's work and get it all in one big file. I should get to work on my last piece, huh?

On a sadder note, I have been unable to make a Weight Watchers meeting this week. I HAVE to go on Monday. School and weather kept me away this week. I can't handle another week away. I did go weigh in during the open hours, but it just isn't the same! And we aren't talking about the scale.

Fun New Dessert!

2011-01-28T18:28:00.002-06:00

Today was the hubby's birthday. We both took off work and slept in. Then did lunch at Olive Garden.

He loved his birthday presents. He got a rockband mic with integrated XBox360 controller, and a small keyboard with a touchpad. This is for the computer in the living room.

Unfortunately we will have to return the keyboard. It has a short when charging, and the wireless receiver sparked when it was unplugged from the computer. It's range is about 12 inches. Not really useful.

On a better note, I made an awesome dessert for his birthday. It's a variation of a recipe from Green Lite Bites. You can find the video Roni made here. Her recipe is completely vegan, if I recall correctly. I made mine a little different. I used plain old fat-free milk, and used an orange instead of a Clementine. It was awesome, and Josh loved it. He wants me to make it with tangerines next. I though about taking a picture, but they were not pretty. I'll let you see Roni's for that.

Hope everyone has a good weekend, and I'm off to work on more schoolwork!

-10

2011-01-25T21:52:00.002-06:00

Yes. That is my total pounds lost as of my meeting last night. 10 pounds gone. I'm happy.

I did miss my usual meeting leader though. She needs to be back next week. (Didn't care for the replacement!) I also want her to be the one to give me my 5% whatever-I-get.

Ok, just so everyone knows, Tuesdays suck. They are my 'Monday' this semester. I have two classes on Tuesdays. I was so fried by class tonight that I had an awesome blonde moment. I couldn't remember how to tell if a computer has IIS installed. I mean really, this is NOT rocket science.

On a funny note for the end, my group partners in class got together and decided I'm not allowed to walk home after class. We get out around 9pm, and they were just not having me walk the two blocks home. Aren't they awesome guys?

Fan Girl Moment

2011-01-22T13:50:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite authors has a new book coming out Tuesday. Joss Ware has Night Betrayed, the fourth book in her Envy Chronicles series, coming out. I've been looking forward to Theo's story, and it will finally arrive.

I have the book preordered for my Kindle so that I can go ahead and get it. And even though Tuesdays are my busy school day, every spare moment will go to this book.

YAY! NEW BOOK! I wish the calendar days would flip over more quickly...

She also has a new series coming out soon. Regency Draculia will be released under the name Colleen Gleason, and the first book comes out in March.

The Week Progresses

2011-01-19T18:56:00.002-06:00

And I'm convinced it will never end. And the light at the end of the tunnel is a train determined to hit me.

Yes, this is how it really feels at this point. Classes are rough, and a horrific amount of work.

Work is work. Just busier than usual. In the past two days I've only had one really bad customer. Some grandmother pretty much thinks I lied to her. Not my fault federal laws doesn't allow me to give you your grandson's password. I actually was sorry I couldn't help her out...

Otherwise things aren't too bad. I'm doing good on the food front. Actually didn't hit my points target yesterday. I MAY go over tonight. But it's ok. I have my weeklies. :) (On a funny note, it helps to NOT mix up fiber and carbs when calculating points...The very good healthy choice fish meal is NOT free!)

Okay...off to make coffee now. I think I need it before I open my textbook!

Awesome Weigh In

2011-01-17T19:49:00.003-06:00

It was an awesome weigh in tonight. I lost 1 pound. I fully expected to have gained at least that much. However, thinking back things weren't THAT bad over the week, food wise. I do hope the migraine stays away though. I can't afford to deal with that this week...

On the To Do List, I bought a food scale at Target, but haven't used it yet. I didn't do a work out video, but rather spent some time with my new game Wii Fit Plus (or whatever the name of the new one is!) I really enjoyed that. And I've already mentioned the weigh in.

On the grocery shopping front, I have grabbed a few things from Wal-Mart, but haven't been to the grocery store. I have enough to get me through to Wednesday, unless I make a trip after the hubby finishes his tacos. We'll either go to the grocery store, or I'll make a pot of Jambalya tonight (for dinner tomorrow night).

As for tracking and making it through the week, we'll see how that goes. Hard to really comment on yet.

I bought a three shelve bookcase while at Target today. I put it together this afternoon and put all our DVDs and my workout stuff in it. I think I like it. Next real project for the apartment is the kitchen. It needs overhauled again. I need to pull more stuff out of it. I have the before pictures, complete with dishes in the sink. :) I fully expect this project to occur over a month or so. With school starting up that has to be my major focus.

Beginning Photo

2011-01-16T15:27:00.004-06:00

This is a photo of my husband and I from December 4, 2010. Josh was an usher in a friend's wedding, and this was taken in the photo booth. A good picture of us, and a good beginning photo, I think, for me.

And, yes, Josh has longer hair than I do (you can't see it incredibly well here). I love it. When it's straightened, he reminds me of Christian Kane. They have the same type of hair. Naturally curly and a bit bushy if left to it's own devices...

And this one is from October when Josh was in his cousin's wedding.

Am I Ready?

2011-01-15T18:51:00.003-06:00

I was successful in weight loss back when I blogged regularly. And I think if I get back into the blogging thing it will boast my success again. I've tried coming back to it in the past (since I quit in 2008) but it hasn't worked yet. Just like my attempts since then in Weight Watchers, I wasn't ready.

I think I have shown that I'm ready for the weight loss this time. I rejoined Weight Watchers November 9, 2010. I have lost 7.4 pounds since then. 6.4 pounds of that is on the new PointsPlus program, and the only gain during that time was New Years. And I know what caught me then. And it is not anything I normally do. I've been suffering from quite the migraine this week, so it likely will not be a good week again. But that is ok. I know that things happen, and am ready to accept this things without feeling like a failure.

I will try the blogging thing again now. I have not gotten back into exercise yet. BUT, that will happen this week. Not today, probably not tomorrow. I will definitely get a workout in before I finish this three-day weekend. That is my goal for the weekend. I hope this forum helps me. We'll see.

My To-Do List for the coming week:

-Get in a work out, most likely a Tae Bo video on Monday

-Go grocery shopping since I am out of food!

-Buy a food scale. (I had one years ago, but most of the pieces got lost during one move or another.)

-Get back to tracking my food (I do not feel bad about letting it slip during the migraine, but it's time to get back on track!)

-WEIGH IN MONDAY! (seeing the folks I chat with at the Monday WW meeting is the big event on Mondays and I always miss these folks when they are not there.)

-Make it through the first week of classes at the Uni without any major insanities.

So, here I am, trying again. And I'm thinking it should work this time. I'll be back in a few days to say more about what's going on with me now, and how I'm progressing on that to-do list.

Still out of whack....

2010-03-27T00:12:00.002-05:00

Even a week after Spring Break I am still tired.

It was a fun trip home, even if I was barely able to sleep. My sweet niece can take up most of a queen size bed on her own. She just shoves you out of the way. :)

Of course, I was unlucky enough to have a two day migraine this week too. And, day two of the migraine was when I had a test in finance. But I THINK I did ok on it. The test was definitely easier than the practice test he gave us. :)

And I got my grade from my Database mid-term. It was a 99 or something. I guess I missed a few questions, because I seem to recall a bonus credit thing being given during the 40 minutes of talking she did before we took the mid-term. Would have done better if not for that!

And our office move has been postponed AGAIN. We should be moving the week of May 19th. That's during the intersession, so at least we shouldn't be really busy. And I'm already as packed as I can be and still do my job. There's only one box to go, and it's the computer, my fan, pens, tape...that kind of thing. And we should have plenty of boxes for everyone else to pack. Hopefully we will actually move this time.

And that's really it for me. I've been half-way watching the first season of Heroes. Pretty interesting show. And I just finished reading White Night by Jim Butcher. Love Harry Dresden!!!

Freaking out a bit...

2010-03-16T19:29:00.002-05:00

I have recently learned that I'll be picking up my 5 year old niece to take to Momma's with me for the rest of the week. I have never been on a road trip with a child. At least Jackie has assured me that the worst is that Ashleigh will likely talk my ear off, and maybe say that she is thirsty. I'm still freaking out a bit though. I guess that is normal.

So, I ensured that my car is entirely cleaned out, even the trunk. I usually just put everything in the backseat when I drive up. But with the little one I'll need to use the trunk.

And I just realized that I have not bought gas yet. Guess I'll do that in the morning on the way out of town...

Busy Bee

2010-03-15T23:46:00.002-05:00

I may have a week off work for Spring Break, but I'm still busy. I'll admit that I didn't do much of anything today (except get an oil change!) but I'm still sore from Saturday.

Saturday afternoon I bought 2 3-shelf bookcases for the living room. And I pulled EVERYTHING from one corner of the living room to clean and put in these cases. That portion of the room looks much better. One of the bookshelves replaced my side table beside the recliner. The table was never steady, and I needed the storage space. The other case is just inside the apartment door, where there used to be a black recliner. I moved that recliner to the other end of the couch to replace the folding chair that was full of junk. The first bookcase has a ton of books in it. The other bookcase has movies, video games, board games, and miscellaneous stuff. I still need some organizational work done in/on both shelves. But at least the stuff is not just piled on the floor anymore.

Tomorrow, after an early doctor appointment, I'll work in another portion of the living room. Saturday was almost all my stuff that was cleaned up. Tomorrow I will work on stuff that is mostly Josh's stuff. I'm thinking that another bookcase may be in order. While I know that 5-shelf bookcases are more space efficient, they don't work for the areas I have to currently but them. And something is better than nothing, right? Especially if it starts to get things in order!

I would love to work in the kitchen/dining room areas, but I won't have time for that. I need to box up all the kitchen stuff that I never use. This would give me space to store the things we use, such as the wok, the big skillet, the crockpot. As it is, all the cabinets are full of things that I never use. And I have several of the same size of some pieces of corning ware. Maybe I can work on that at Easter when I have a day off again.

Wednesday morning I leave to visit my parents for a few days. I'll drive up first thing in the morning. I'm meeting my sister for lunch on the way. Then Momma will have me until either late Saturday or early Sunday. I'm sure that she will keep me fairly busy while I'm there. It will be good to go up for an extended trip. Weekends just never leave time for everything. I just wish I had time to do more in the apartment before I left. I just didn't feel like working on it today. :)

Random Fangirl Outburst

2010-03-10T19:52:00.002-06:00

I just found out that Kelley Armstrong will be coming to Jackson in September! She is one of my favorite authors!!!!!! This stop is part of the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour.

The tour is for YA Paranormal. I haven't read all of Armstrong's YA series, but I'll definitely have to get some of it while I'm there. Now I just have to learn more about the other authors that will be at the Jackson stop. Holly Black is the only other one that I am familiar with. (I like her work too, but I don't read her like I do Kelley Armstrong...)

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Sportsmanship

2010-03-07T19:26:00.008-06:00

The Kotei in Lafayette, LA, yesterday was terrific. It was fun to see all the Lafayette guys again. I had originally met them at Mobicon last year, and played in one of their local tournaments a while back. I really like these guys. I also met several other great guys while we were there. There were 44 players in the tournament, and I really liked a lot of them. I don't think I actually spoke with everyone. And I certainly don't remember all of the names.

Some of the highlights include:

-Meeting Steve Argyle. He's a pretty cool guy. I got a playmat from him (signed), and he did some sketches for Josh and I.

-Seeing Todd Rowland again was cool. I met him at Mobicon last year, and it was cool that he drove in for the Kotei.

-Teaching a guy how to play L5R. In the 6th round, my opponent had already left. So I was asked to teach a guy how to play. That was cool. My 7th round opponent was Josh. I gave him the win because I was still playing the teaching game (and I can play him whenever!). I don't remember the guy's name, but he was really nice. He picked it up quickly.

-I got to see Patrick again. Patrick lives on the MS Gulf Coast, and has driven up to Hattiesburg a few times to hang out. He has started a play group on the Coast and brought his two best players with him. We ate supper with them, and they are all really cool. We hope to drive down and play with them sometime soon.

-The awesome theme deck. I didn't play David, but his deck was awesome. He was playing Crane, and his theme was the theater. His opponent could select either Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet (I'm fairly certain those were the two). Then he had a script and did the play as the game progressed. I only saw bits and pieces of it through the day but it was cool. He even had a playmat that was set up as a stage, with trapdoors for the provinces. And fliers posted on the walls advertising the two plays. He made it into the Top 8 with his deck. I wanted to watch, but he had lost his voice by that point.

-The games I played and the opponents. I only won one game. But all of the games were fun and I learned a lot. The first game was with Andrew. I don't remember where he is from, but I really liked him. Very friendly. I also learned why everyone says the Lion are so awesome right now. I played with David, a Crane player who I think was from Texas. He, and some of the other players, gave me tips after the games as to how I could improve my deck and how I was supposed to be playing some of the cards in them. I wish I remembered the other players' names. But I am horrible with names, so I've gotten used to it. There were some terrific players, and everyone was very friendly. (I was the only girl. It was odd, but not uncomfortable or anything.)

-We were also invited to the Montgomery Kotei in May. We may go to it. The Lafayette guys offered to let us share a hotel room with them, but I don't know if we will or not. We were also invited to a Kotei in Texas, but that is farther than we are willing to go.

And the last highlight of the day for me. I was shocked when they named me Best Sportsman. Of course, as soon as Wilbur said 'she' everyone knew who had won. It was said that even though I had some bad games (I lost a lot and some of them were REALLY bad...) I stayed cheerful through the whole day and continued to play. Then taught someone else how to play the game. I'm sure I turned red after hearing all that. But, I went there as a fairly new player only intending to learn. I learned with every game, so there was no reason to get upset. I got a few packs of cards and an awesome honor counter. Since I play honor running decks (as opposed to military) this will be very useful. And I had been planning to purchase one anyway.

Just the quick news...

2010-03-07T19:23:00.002-06:00

The Uni is closed for Spring Break. YAY!!!! And I'll be driving up to have lunch with my sister on that Wednesday, then spend the rest of the week with Momma. It should be fun. Other than the driving, although I have several audiobooks on my MP3 player to handle that.

And, my office was supposed to relocate just before Spring Break. This has been postponed until Easter. Maybe everything will be done for us to move then. We were originally supposed to move at Christmas. Of course, I already have everything boxed up that I can possibly work without. I'll be getting more boxes for the office this week. We HAVE to be ready considering how we have complained with each setback. I'm ready for this to be finished. I hate waiting!

Kotei Upcoming!

2010-03-01T20:00:00.002-06:00

This weekend is a relatively local Kotei. It's a 4 hour drive, but it's the closest we'll get.

Of course, I should actually say what a Kotei is, shouldn't I? My husband is major into a collective card game, Legend of the 5 Rings, or L5R. It's a fun game that I also enjoy playing. I just don't get quite as into it as he does. :) A Kotei is one of the major tournaments for the game. Winners of a regional Kotei are pre-qualified for the big events, such as the tournament at GenCon or the European championships.

None of the folks going from Hattiesburg have a chance of winning. But it will be fun to see folks that play, and to get some playing in. I'm technically a noob, as I have not played much. I have played in two tournaments before though. But nothing like this. The other cool thing about the Kotei is that Steve Argyle, a fantastic artist, will be there. Josh will definitely be picking up some prints from him. And, even if I chose not to participate in the actual Kotei, $20 apparently allows you to play in draft games all day long. I imagine that after we lose a few games and are out of the Kotei playing, we will all do some drafting. I suck at draft. But it is a great way to get cards!

Josh talked to one of the players in Lafayette, LA, and he gave a ton of suggestions to improve my deck. I can't wait to see how it works out. It will be a tiring day, especially with 8 hours on the road, but it will be fun.

Of course, our gaming group has a name and t-shirts. We are the Unstored, because there is not a store in our state, last I knew. (There might be now, but it isn't in our area.) I have t-shirt with the logo on it to wear this weekend. Josh and Joe, a friend who is major into the game as well, have shirts with their own cards on the back. The rule is, once you play in a Kotei you can have a card. We are working on mine now. I play the Phoenix clan, and we've decided I will likely use an animal avatar, a wolf. Now I just have to figure out everything else!!!

2010-02-24T11:35:00.003-06:00

Sometimes things just get a little nuts. Last night I asked my database teacher for some lab stuff to work on. Her response was that she would give it next week. Considering she's covered the same lecture material for the past three classes, I'm getting very bored. I've already finished the entire Access lab book. So I guess I'll work on my Access presentation, and maybe we'll actually get some Oracle lab stuff next week. (She had SAID she was going to give it to us 2 weeks ago...)

Also, last night I went shopping for tights and a half-slip. Did you know that Wal-Mart doesn't carry slips anymore? I went to TWO different stores looking. I did find some cool tights though. And apparently still had a slip in the closet, so I'm not worrying about static cling today with my skirt. (And the slip is one of those with legs, so I'm also not dealing with the shuffling sound of my tight-covered thighs rubbing together when I walk!!!)

If you're wondering, I'm dressed up today because we're going to the wake for a co-worker's father at noon today. It's nice to dress up, but I know why I never do it. My hair took 20 minutes this morning!

I also went to weigh in this morning. I weighed in at 222 again, no change. But that could be due to the heavy skirt and tights. I'm not worried though. I tracked, and I didn't gain. It sometimes takes a week or two for changes to show up on the scale anyway. :)

In other news, in worrying about dressing properly to attend the wake, I completely forgot to bring in my stuff for class this afternoon. But my boss said she would run me by the apartment after we eat lunch (after attending the wake). Living right at campus is a positive at times!

A Brilliant Day?

2010-02-23T16:13:00.002-06:00

Today has been weird. Especially when a coworker told a kid to take her"password and broil it." Sorry, that statement was awesome enough to share.

It is crazy hot in our office. I'm always hot, but my coworker (the one that was alwyas freezing so I quit complaining about the heat) needed to borrow my fan for a few minutes. Maybe they will fix the a/c this time. It seems so weird so say that considering there is snow in the forecast for tomorrow.

I was right on target with my points yesterday. Today I think I might go over a little. I'll have maybe 6 or 7 points when I get home. (I started the morning out badly...) But tomorrow I weigh in and start a new week. With any luck I won't get sick and binge after a day or two. I haven't felt a real need to binge since Thursday's episode. So it should all be good! And, tonight is tacos because they are quick to cook since I'm limited in time before class.

Another Monday....

2010-02-22T19:21:00.002-06:00

Today was definitely Monday. It actually started on a positive note. I woke up AND got out of bed this morning. Sometimes it's 7 before I manage it, but I did it without an alarm this morning. I was up at 5:30. I enjoyed an incredibly leisurely morning before work. This was a good thing because it got pretty crazy at times!

Between lunchtime and class time this afternoon I hurt my wrist (the one I had surgery on last year). I was moving some kid's desktop replacement that weighed 15 pounds. After class I went to the apartment to pick up my old wrist brace. I think wearing it for the rest of the afternoon has helped a lot. I haven't put it back on since supper, but it will be going back on soon.

Finance class was actually good today. I made a 100 on my test last week. Now, if I can only keep the grade up like that!

And, the diet update. I finished out my flex points last night. All 35 are gone. I may or may not go over on my points tonight. I still have 2 left, so it's iffy. Depends on what kind of snack I might want later on. I'm not worried if I do though. I've tracked all my walking this week, even if I haven't calculated the points. I walked three miles on two different days this week, so I'm not really worried. Just curious to see the results Wednesday morning.

On a slightly different note, the Uni is currently doing a recyclethon. My department has a team. I took in a bag of recycling to the office tonight. I don't think our office will win though. There's a possibility that we may pull out of the contest. Apparently another portion of the department is having problems storing the stuff all week. Oh well. If we don't stay in, at least I know a lot of office cleaning went to recycling this past month! (Too bad it started AFTER my office did our major cleaning at Christmas. I know we sent a TON of stuff to recycling!)

Surprise!

2010-02-20T17:24:00.003-06:00

I've had a couple of great surprises in my mailbox this week.

Yesterday the package was something that Josh had ordered for me. He got me a set of minature opal dice! They are so cool....

And today I had ANOTHER surprise. This one was somewhat unexpected. After the release of Beyond the Night by Joss Ware, I participated in a contest on her blog. Being a huge fan, I participated more for the opportunity to tell people about her new book than anything else. I own all of her books (I think!) written under different pen names. She is a fantastic writer. Anyway, the prize was e-galleys of the next two books in the series. I was surprised to win, although I probably shouldn't be considering I posted about the book everywhere I could think of. :)

In the mailbox was not only a card for the two downloads, but also a SIGNED COPY of Embrace the Night Eternal, which I absolutely loved! (And also two bookmarks for the series. I can never have enough bookmarks...) I bought the book the day it came out and finished it shortly thereafter. But now I can give a copy to a friend. This was a very cool surprise today. Thanks Joss Ware!!!

Now, off to download Abandon the Night. I'm ready for Quent's story!

Binges

2010-02-19T10:07:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm doing ok on my tracking this week. I have honestly written down everything. Including my small binge last night. I had felt like crap all day (even took some time off work because I felt so bad). Needless to say, I was not cooking. So we ended up doing Sonic for supper.

Did you know that a Sonic corn dog is 7 points? I had two of those. And tater tots (not so bad at 4 points). And a 20 oz. Pepsi. And a pack of snack cakes that were 6 points. I ended up using 24 of my flex points. On the second day of the week. But, I will make it through. I don't guarantee that I will stay within my flex points this week. But I will continue to write it down so that I can know what I have done. This is the trick to Weight Watchers success.

On another note, while I have kept track of my activity, I have not used the points towards food. Of course, all I have done this week is walking around campus as well. While the points add up this way since I did about 3 miles Wednesday, I'm going to wait a week or two before I even consider claiming activity points for getting to and from work. I know that focusing on my food is important, as well as eventually finding my way into the gym at a time I can actually get an elliptical machine to exercise on...

Mood Swings...

2010-02-17T10:17:00.002-06:00

It's crazy sometimes what can cause your mood to swing. I was on a high when I posted earlier about my little weigh loss goal/challenge. Now I'm rather pissed.

At work my pens tend to walk off when I'm not at my desk. This wasn't as much a problem when our office bought our own supplies. However, now the main departmental office across campus does. And we don't get restocked often. So, I've been bringing my own pens so I have a decent one to write with. And keeping a crappy 'someone left it here' pen around of others to use.

Now, I've lost at least yet another pen. The ONLY ballpoint pen I owned. This makes at least 20 pens of mine that have walked off. In about 2 years. I guess I'll make a run by the other office to see if I can get some pens at lunch. Because all I have left are my REALLY NICE pens.

Why can't people respect other folks possessions and work space????

Ok, off my rant and on to lunch. I will hopefully be feeling better when I get back.

Wednesday Weigh In

2010-02-17T09:03:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm posting weigh in results for the first time in a few weeks. I weighed in at 222 this morning. That's a loss for last week, but I'm not sure about a loss since the last time I actually posted.

However, I'm starting anew today. Tigerlilly decided to challenge herself to lose 15 lbs by her birthday. And she tossed out a casual invite for others to do it with her. It just so happens that her birthday is right at my 10-year high school reunion.

So, I'm going to join her. I'm doing mine according to my WW week, so I'm starting with today as day one. My last weigh in for this will be April 21st, with my reunion tentatively scheduled for the 24th. I think it's very doable. Especially if I can manage to make it to the gym. Or do some real exercise at home.

To help myself, I bought a 12-week journal at WW this morning. And, to take it one step further, I would actually like to be BELOW 200 lbs when I finish off that journal. That would actually put me losing more than 15 by my reunion most likely, which is perfectly fine with me!!!

Need a New book?

2010-02-15T15:41:00.003-06:00

I've recently seen a great contest up at Sidhe Vicious Reviews. It has three great sounding books up, and you can get an entry into the contest just for following the blog and stating which book you would like and why.

All the options look terrific, but it's the fantasy novel, Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, that caught my attention this time.

Anyway, take a look. See if one catches your eye.

An Upcoming Book I'm Excited About

2010-02-14T22:43:00.002-06:00

Shattered

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Desperate

Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.

Driven to desire…

But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…

EXCERPT
He opened the door—

And stopped dead in his tracks as somebody all but fell into his arms. Somebody…a woman. And not Theresa.

He caught her just above her elbows, automatically steadying her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft and low.

Then she lifted her face and Quinn found himself gazing into the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Feeling a little dazed, he studied her face while she stammered out another apology.

Quinn barely heard it.

He was too busy staring at her mouth. A very pretty mouth, a cupid’s bow mouth slicked with deep, vibrant red. Under his hands, he could feel silken smooth skin and unable to resist, he stroked a thumb along her inner arm.

Her skin was soft, soft and warm. He was also pretty sure she had the creamiest, most flawless skin imaginable. Her shoulder-length hair was a shade caught between blonde and brown, nondescript, but for some reason, he found himself thinking about tangling his fingers in that hair and holding her head still while he kissed that red-slicked mouth.

Well, hello…

read more…

Snow Day!

2010-02-11T15:53:00.000-06:00

I'm off work tomorrow due to the snow that supposed to be coming in! YAY! I always enjoy a day off work.

Kinda Creepy...

2010-02-09T09:30:00.002-06:00

Ok, anyone who has read my blog in the past knows that I will tell anyone anything they want to know. And that I have no problem posting anything about myself on my blog for the world to know.

However, one guy on facebook started out with a compliment to me, that has almost turned creepy... Although, flattering in its own way....

See Conversation:

****
hi nice pics
9:12am

Cory
thanks
9:13am

****
great boobs also very sexy
9:14am

****
what size r they if u dont mind me askin?
9:17am

****
?
9:19am

Cory
38DD
9:19am

****
mmmmm wow very nice...more than a handful then lol
9:24am

***
do u have any more pics?
9:29am

Cory
Sorry. Only what's on my profile.
9:30am

****
u have cam?
9:30am

Cory
nope.
9:31am

***
shame

I've taken out his name just to be nice. But, I don't actually know this guy. He's just some random guy that sent me a friend request. And, considering some of the pictures posted are from my wedding, it is a bit weird to me.....

Just a quickie...

2010-01-31T00:09:00.003-06:00

Missed Wednesday morning weigh in because I was so sick. I weighed in on Thursday night, but I'm not posting it. My weight generally goes up 4-6 pounds between 7:30 am and 6pm, so I'm not counting it, other than as I didn't just skip it.

Also missed finance class because I was sick. Very bad since we have a quiz Monday and I have no idea how far he got in the lecture. May have problems in my database class because the teacher said not the take notes. Which means I'm not focusing on the lecture. I'll give it another week before talking to her about it.

Work is easing up a bit now that students have been in classes for a bit. Of course, we're switching student e-mail from an old internal system to gmail on Monday, so it's going to explode AGAIN.

And my inlaws took Josh and I shopping on the Coast this weekend. It was what they did for Josh's birthday this year, and we had a lot of fun. I got three shirts and three pair of pants, and a pair of new shoes. The shoes are solid black sneakers, the nice ones with springs in the heels. I wore them all day shopping, and liked them. About as much as ANY new pair of shoes. I'll like them a lot better after a week. I'm very excited about the clothes. Two pair of the pants are like a pair that I LOVE from Lane Bryant, but have worn out. The other pair are jeans from Jones New York. Those are so cool because they are cute decorated jeans NOT from Lane Bryant. And they are size 18. I've been having to stick to my size 20 pants lately since I gained so much weight this year. And Josh got, among other things, several more Dresden books. I'm happy he was finally able to find them.

Ok, my quickie was a bit long, but at least it's a bit of an update for you.

And, before I go, we may actually get L5R off the ground in Hattiesburg. We had a small tournament last night, shared a meeting room with Friday Night Magic. They were friendly and invited us to join them again. We had 4 players, and one of the Magic players said he'll join us some as he has been wanting to learn to play the game. The only game I won was against the guy newer to the game than me, but I felt I played well. And Josh even told me I did!!! That and the shopping trip has made for a good end to the week.

It's Weekend!

2010-01-23T19:58:00.002-06:00

I'm SOOOOO happy for the weekend. Too bad it isn't long enough. As usual.

It was a tough week at work because it was the first week of classes. I was in bed by 9pm every night. In bed at 7 one night.

I've made a decent start on the schoolwork today. I read the first chapter of my database book, and made notes. And I did 2.5 exercises from my Access lab book. So I've gotten a good start on the school stuff.

I only had the database stuff today because we have been hanging out at the in-laws house. I'll read the first chapter or two of my finance book tomorrow. So I should definitely be prepared for class next week.

The amazing thing, I was diligent enough in the school work to even skip out on watching a movie. And the family was even watching Inglorious Basterds!

Wednesday Weigh In

2010-01-20T18:01:00.003-06:00

This week the scale said 218, a 1 pound gain.

I think this may, in part, be due to the munchies I got as I recovered from my migraine. I ate anything not nailed down! But it's ok. Nothing to upset myself about, rather expected.

Yuck!

2010-01-18T20:34:00.002-06:00

Classes start back tomorrow. It'll be nice to get back into a schedule, but classes will suck.

I'm taking Database Processing under a lady that I can barely understand. If only someone else taught the class. I'm also taking Finance. I hate finance, but at least I can understand the guy teaching the class. Hopefully things will go better than I expect.

I hope I'm finally over my migraine from last week. We'll find out come morning. And I'll be at work either way. First week of classes, I can't afford to NOT be at work. Too busy there. My friend Dee did come up with a possibility for why i have such trouble with migraines and headaches. She thinks that maybe my blood is too thick. Which it probably is. Back when I was donating plasma, it would take 3 hours if I wasn't being sure to drink 12-13 glasses of water a day. (Ok, I would also be unable to get the finger stick to quit bleeding too when I was drinking like that...) Maybe if I up my water intake it will help with the migraines. It's a cheap thing to try anyway...

On a good note, a friend dropped off a small crochet C'thulhu for me today. It will be great on my desk at work!!!

The Book Search

2010-01-14T19:46:00.004-06:00

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Beyond the Night by Joss Ware. I've seen stuff about the book online for months, and I always love a good, new story. This is the first in a new series, and post-apocalyptic story, a genre I've never read much of.

Since the book came out Tuesday, I decided to make a quick stop in the local Books-A-Million to pick up a copy. (And get the required picture for a fun contest Joss Ware is running on her blog.) Except, they didn't have the book. I went to Customer Service when I couldn't find it. The nice lady looked it up in the computer and was confused. The book had a feature location, but they don't carry the book. Very odd. But she was nice enough to look around the store for it anyway. (If I couldn't get what I came for, at least I got good service!)

So, I had heard that people had seen the book in Target. Went into the local Target, but no dice. Their book selection sucked.

I had places to be (can't miss a DnD game!), so we headed over to a friend's apartment. In a bit of downtime, I mentioned on Twitter and Facebook that I had been looking for the book with no luck. Joss Ware was nice enough to reply suggesting Wal-Mart. So, in my FOURTH location searching for the book (I had also tried the local university's Barnes and Noble) I finally found the sight I had been waiting for.

Joss Ware's Beyond the Night on sale at Wal-Mart in Hattiesburg. And placed next to another favorite author, Jayne Ann Krentz, which I thought was very cool. Now, on the the reading!

A Bit Random

2010-01-14T19:38:00.003-06:00

I've got a migraine today, but had a couple of things to share anyway.

1) My poor husband had to sit out of our last two gaming sessions. The Kittah (his character) was turned to stone last week. It took the entire session this week to get her turned back to flesh. But my tiefling fighter had a lot of fun playing the distraction. She made herself the nude possession of the halfling who was possessed by the spirit of greed. This allowed her to shuffle through his belongings (ie, the group's loot) for any scrolls, potions, etc. that help in returning Kittah and the cleric to normal. And people say Dungeons and Dragons isn't fun....

2) On a similar note, recently watched The Gamers: Dorkness Rising. This was a very entertaining film about a group of gamers playing through a game. And a lot of the silliness that you find in a DnD game and gamers.

Ok. I know that there was something else from work yesterday that I wanted to mention, but I've completely forgotten it. I guess it will come back to me to past later, or it just really wasn't as great as I thought.

Super Contest!

2010-01-13T09:24:00.001-06:00

I entered Roni's Souper Duper Contest!

Check out Roni’s Weight Loss Blog for more information.

Wednesday Weigh In

2010-01-13T09:09:00.003-06:00

I weighed in at 217 this week. That's 2 lbs lost this week, and 21.5 total.
WOOHOO!

BRRRR!

2010-01-09T11:31:00.002-06:00

Like many other places, it is crazy cold in south MS. While I can enjoy the novelty of this weather, I don't want to live in a place that gets this cold regularly.

We actually turned the heat on in our apartment this week. Something we haven't done in the three and a half years we've lived in it. Of course, the cold weather is good for one thing. I think we're finally going to get the apartment door fixed.

The front door has never sealed off completely. We've complained and complained. They've worked on it a few times, to finally tell us there was nothing else they could do to it. (Nevermind that lizards and other things can crawl through. And yes, one night I DID find a lizard in my bed!) My father-in-law came over this morning and he is replacing some piece to fix it. I just hope it actually works. I would love to have a door that actually keeps things out....

I also want the cold to go away because I'm tired of feeling so bad. While I'm much better than I was over Christmas, I'm still having some sinus problems from the cold. About the time I get cleared up, it's time to go walking to work or home again. But I'm getting more wear than ever out of my London Fog coat that I bought in high school! (And I bought a pretty new scarf right before Christmas. It's nice and warm...)

I've gotten my classes set up for this semester. I'm taking Principles of Finance and Database Management Systems. One I will love, the other hate. Take a guess at which! I'll probably cry when I go get books next week. IF I can get all the books used, it will be $340. But I'm too closed to finished to slow it down any. 4 semesters and I should be graduating!

In other news, I'm reading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I started on Grave Peril last night and am enjoying it. I may take a short break from Harry after I finish this one though. I have several other books that I want to read as well.

Wednesday Weigh In

2010-01-06T09:20:00.003-06:00

I don't recall for sure if I ever posted last week, so I'll do two weeks today.

12/30/09 - Weighed in at 219.5 - 1 lb loss

1/6/10 - Weighed in at 219 - .5 lb loss

Total Lost (since so long ago I don't actually remember...) 19.5 lbs

I'm very happy with these numbers. Now, if it would just warm up a little bit!!!

Trying to Figure Out the Plan

2010-01-05T19:09:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to handle things this year. I know I need this blog. I was my most successful the year I blogged. I'm just not sure on the rest of it.

My high school reunion is this year, and I want to look good for it. However, that it not a solid goal. There is nothing definable or measurable to it. I want to look and feel good about myself. Just have to figure out how to do that.

I would love to be down to a size 16 pants, but I'll settle for 18 comfortably by summer. So, I guess I go about that through decent diet and exercise. Time to come up with the specifics.

1. Mild exercise at least 5 days a week. walking or biking to work, depending on the weather, etc. because I'm not biking in the winter.

2. Heavier exercise at least twice a week. This can be the gym or an exercise dvd ro something else like that.

3. Get fresh fruit in my diet. Apples or other fruit for snacks at work. (I bought a bunch of apples when I did my grocery shopping last night! Much better than the vending machine)

4. Take my prozac daily. I do better when I'm taking my pills as well. Keeps the moods in check, and thus the binging...

5. Blog fairly regularly, whether about these goals or other things entirely. I hope this keeps me in line.

6. Keep a positive attitude. I think this will be the most important one. It's so easy to get discouraged... But, I have done this successfully in the past and I can do so again!

My plan my evolve over time, but at least I have something in writing for now. Something I can focus on once I get well. I just wish I could handle more gym time. But with night class, it's tougher to fit those things in. I still have a husband at home to take care of. :)

At work, For Now...

2010-01-05T10:12:00.002-06:00

I'm back at work this morning, but have a feeling that might change. I'm feeling much better than I was, not still not 100%. Brandi wasn't expecting to see me back since I had a two day doctor note, and told me to go home if I felt I needed to. I may do that this afternoon.

We've actually been rather busy this morning. Mostly password resets, so nothing too difficult. Too bad my throat isn't liking all the talking that much. But I'm still thrilled with how I'm feeling. Although apparently my cough syrup gives me a headache. Very odd....

Sick for the Holidays...

2010-01-04T16:01:00.002-06:00

I've been sick for the entire holiday. Luckily, after a second doctor's visit this morning I'm beginning to feel better.

Other than being sick I have greatly enjoyed the holiday. The break wasn't fun, but I did get to see the family. That I did appreciate.

I got my netbook and I ADORE it! I'm still getting used to the keyboard though. The tab and shift buttons are pretty tiny, so I'm still having some issues with typing quickly. But I do love it. It doesn't have any 'cool' colors or special designs on it. Just a basic black box. It's SOO cool.

I've read a couple of good books too. Divine Misdeamonrs by Laurell K. Hamilton waqs really good. And I finally got my hands on Shifting Tides by Cassandra Curtis. It was everything I'd hope it would be and more.

And Momma bought me a book I had never heard of before. Ivy Cole and the Moon by Gina Farago. This was a fanatastic novel about a single werewolf in the South. And I hope I can get the sequel sometime in the future.

The First Gift Exchange

2009-12-23T21:31:00.004-06:00

The hubby and I exchanged gifts tonight. I got some pretty glass jewelry (a necklace and four pair of earrings), some books, perfume (Tahitian Holiday, which I LOVE), a case for my portable hard drive, a cute purple dragon.

It's so cute! He made a very good selection.

I did not get my netbook or sleeve tonight. The netbook is one of the only things I'm getting from his parents, so I will open those at their house tomorrow. My mother-in-law's present came in today, FINALLY! I almost hugged the mailman because I was so happy to get it. We'll be doing Christmas at their house before we drive to my parents' tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at my parents' house Christmas day, but I hate the idea of driving up there. I wish everyone lived closer together. 4 hour drive up there tomorrow and back Friday really sucks.

Merry Christmas everyone!

12/23/09 Weigh In

2009-12-23T10:52:00.001-06:00

220.5 pounds today. Since I'm starting over on the blog, I won't be posting the pounds lost this week.

Curl up with a Book and a Nook! Contest

2009-12-23T10:38:00.002-06:00

Here's a great contest for just before the new year. And a chance to win a bunch of books. You can participate here at Lauren Dane's blog or here at Anya Bast's blog.

Maybe This Time?

2009-12-22T19:25:00.002-06:00

I keep coming back and saying I'm going to blog consistently, then I fail. I may this time as well, but I think I will come back to it. I'm not sure what's going on with me being so inconsistent. But I've been that way in a lot of things this year. I'll be working on that, I think.

I've gained a lot of weight back this year. It's disappointing, but I know it's because I haven't been trying. Once my gym, reopens after Christmas I plan to start going again. I'm not sure if I even set foot in the gym last year... Too bad it closes down for two weeks just like the rest of the University.

I'll be having my 10-year High School reunion this year. My hope is to be happy with myself when I go. I won't be skinny, but let's face it. I won't be safely losing 60-70 pounds by summer. I'll also still be the Valedictorian who still hasn't gotten a bachelor's degree. But the end IS in sight. I just need to be happy with myself. I think if I can keep myself working on it, I will be happy.

My blog will be eclectic, just like me. Whatever comes to mind, that I DON'T mind my bosses possibly reading. Which probably won't be that much of a worry. I haven't read anything 'oh my great' in the past week or so because I've had the attention span of a goldfish. I think it's a winter thing. It's been dark when I get off work for so long that I can't stay focused on anything. But that's ok. I'm sure it will get better.

I'm excited about Christmas. I get some time off work, get to see the family, and get my first new computer in 9 years! The inlaws and my husband have bought me a netbook for Christmas. It's sitting wrapped on my living room floor (or, at least, I'm fairly certain that's what the box is!) and it's driving me nuts to not have it in hand. :) It's a Lenovo Ideapad 10e, if I recall the model correctly. It runs Windows XP. Which is perfectly fine for me. It should handle anything I need. And if it doesn't, there is always the work laptop or my husband's computer. He upgraded for Christmas as well and has a very smooth running desktop again.

I also have a couple of nice books waiting for when the hubby and I exchange gifts. Shifting Tides by Cassandra Curtis and Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton. The hubby has some nice surprises for himself. And some things he knows about as well.

I think the netbook will help keep me in line with some goals this year. I'll be able to carry it around since it's light-weight, and not have to borrow the hubby's to get online at home. Or have to bring the work laptop home. That's kind of annoying since it's heavier. Not as heavy as older laptops, but it's more than I want to carry along with my own stuff.

One thing I'll be doing with my new computer is keeping track of my exercise and diet. I'm not sure yet how I will do that. I don't want to do it through something that is online only for access. Anyone have a good suggestion for a cheap program to purchase, or a method that works for them? I've considered an excel spreadsheet. I'm just not sure yet how I would build it. But I love suggestions from anyone that has any. (But don't worry, it will come up here!)

I will probably blog about just about everything here. Books, the fitness journey, work, class, other play. It's all good. If I can actually manage to have a life! :)

Anyway, off to work on the laundry now. The dryer has been going off for a little bit. Why can't the clothes just magically take themselves out of the dryer and put themselves away???

15 Week Challenge - Week 1

2009-07-01T10:36:00.003-05:00

So, I recently signed up for the 15 week challenge on Amy’s Quest to Skinny. I thought it would be a good way to motivate myself. I’ll also be able to get with more bloggers and this always motivates me to do better. There are 164 people participating, so I certainly don't envy her the work involved!

Anyway, today was my Week 1 weigh in. I lost 4 pounds this week (weighed in at 213). Go me! I’m very happy with the result, because that puts me back to a total 25 pounds lost since I started Weight Watchers.

The challenge, in addition to the weigh ins, has two other things you can do each week. On Workout Wednesday Amy posts a workout for everyone to do, if they want to. I can only do a portion of it this week due to all the different crunches she has included (doctors orders not to do crunches due to a bulging disc), but I’ve done the rest. I’ve done some modifications to get in some ab work.

The other challenge is set each week. This week, it is to remake one of your sinful favorites into a healthier recipe. Being the lazy bum that I am, I’ve chosen something simple. I’m going to tell you how I’ve changed making stew.

In the past, when I made stew it was beef, lots of carrots and potatoes (cut fresh), a can of whole kernel corn, and a can of mixed veggies to fill it out. THEN, once that was good and hot, I added gravy mix and made it REALLY thick. Then ate a lot of it.

Now, this is not the worst thing in the world to eat, but could easily be made more healthy. And be made with a lot less effort. So, I’ve changed how I make my stew.

Ingredients

≈1.1 lbs. of a lean beef, frozen (whatever is available in the sale row at the grocery store)

≈1/4 cup of light soy sauce (I really just dump a bunch in, but this was the measure when I started)

≈2 teaspoons of thyme (Again, I don’t measure anymore. I just dump some in)

≈2 teaspoons of crushed rosemary

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 bags of frozen mixed veggies

Enough water to cover everything (doesn’t have to COMPLETELY cover the veggies)

I put the above things in the Crockpot (in the order listed) and cook on high for about 6 hours. (I put it on at lunch and it’s ready when I get home.)

To finish out the healthy meal, I cook rice to serve this over. Brown rice is obviously better, but I use white rice because I’ve never cared for the taste of brown rice. (I’m also not sure if my husband likes it!) I cook the rice in a rice cooker, but even instant would be fine. I also sometimes eat a salad while waiting for the rice to cook.

I don’t have any pictures of this, but I think it’s fairly easy to imagine. I usually cook this on the nights I have class since it doesn’t take the rice long to cook and the main portion of the meal is already done.

Sadness...

2009-06-29T12:28:00.002-05:00

Not about the recent celebrity deaths... I don't care about those, to be honest.

My doctor has grounded me. No biking for two weeks. I won't go into why, it's not really important. And it's probably a good thing anyway since I'll be getting an epidural for my neck on Thursday.

I went with a bunch of friends to see Transformers 2 this weekend. It was a pretty good movie. You should definitely go see it if you enjoy an action movie.

I've been trying to play a 'new' game on the DS. Atlus recently re-did The Dark Spire. It's freaking HARD. So I've switched back to playing Luminous Arc 2. It's proving a little hard since I'm more than half-way through, but I'm enjoying it a lot more.

I also read a good book this weekend. Love without Blood by Raz Steel. It's a romance novel, but doesn't really read that way. I also didn't figure out the title of the book until the VERY end.

Well, I'm off to working and blog reading, and all that stuff. Have a great week everyone!

Summer Reading

2009-06-25T07:50:00.003-05:00

Currently, I'm reading Feast of Souls by C. S. Friedman. It's a very good book, and I hope to finish it and move on to the second book in this trilogy soon. If you have an interest in magic or fantasy novels, give it a try.

Another book I'll be reading this summer is Relentless by Dean Koontz. He's been a favorite of mine for years. I even wrote a paper about his work while I was in high school. Koontz has a terrific article on just why you should read this book this summer. Check it out here.

On the bike front, I made it to work this morning without incident, again. Although there is one pedestrian on this campus that I could shoot at the moment. Really, is there a reason you have to walk so slow that a snail will pass you? Why can't people actually move their feet? If I tried to walk that slow I would end up falling flat on my face! End of small rant.

Hmm, trying to think of something that doesn't involve the bike. That seems to be my main focus in life currently. Well, I'll be paying off the hubby's car when I go home for lunch. That's something big. I'll be nice to have that taken care of. No more worries about getting to that bank. And we'll have that money to put towards other bills in the coming months. YAY!

Wednesday Weigh In

2009-06-24T10:12:00.003-05:00

Well, not happy news on the scale front. I was up 5.5 pounds. I hope it was fluid and will be gone next week. But if not, I can deal with that.

So, on to other things. I did make it home on the bike yesterday without difficulty. Ok. Without accident. Cause that hill is still hard. I didn't ride to work today because I had a doctors appointment this morning. My bulging disc is a little worse, enough to cause the numbness and pain I've had in my left arm. Not bad enough for surgery. Thank goodness. I'm scheduled for an epidural next Thursday afternoon for that. Just what I wanted. Another huge bill. Oh well. We'll manage.

I made a 90 on my last test in class. I think I did better on the one last night. I'm really enjoying this class, but I'm ready for it to be over as well...

The Bicycle Saga Continues

2009-06-23T14:42:00.003-05:00

Yes. I made it another day on the bicycle. Well, I still have to ride home from work, but I will do that. It is my only ride home. :)

I almost didn't ride the thing back from lunch. It was a rough ride home, and my butt is sore. I'll get used to it though. I also have a blister forming on my right hand. I guess it's from grip shifting.

I'm not going to ride it to class tonight though. Since class doesn't get out until 10pm, I'd rather not ride the bike. And it's only a two minute walk to class. Of course, the ride back from class is the worst hill of my ride home from work, so I'm REALLY not interested in tackling only that hill for a ride. I'm sure it would be great for my legs, but I think I'll stick to the walking for that.

WHY?!?

2009-06-22T12:10:00.005-05:00

So, the University decided to increase the parking fees from $50 to $135 a year. I live a half-mile from my office. I decided I was NOT going to pay that much to drive a half-mile one way.

So, I got the bright idea of buying a bicycle. I haven't ridden a bike in nearly 6 years. I haven't exercised for the past year. Needless to say, it was a tough ride this morning. I have an up-hill portion of the ride each way. It totally sucks. And it's really hot outside. But, even though I'm jelly-legs and have a headache, I feel good for having ridden the bike to work today. I even rode home for lunch. Go me!!!

I lost 2.5 pounds last week. I can't wait to see what this week does. I'm really hoping the bicycling helps my weight loss. Walking to work did, but it's just too hot for that.

Now, my bike is nice. It's a NEXT PowerX. I bought it used at the local bike shop. Rides like a dream. I currently have the seat a little too low, but I'll be raising it up higher once I'm used to riding again. I'm riding in traffic, and I'm not quite used to the breaks yet. I like being able to put more of my foot on the ground at the moment. But I think I'll be used to it by the end of the week.

I didn't get to go see Daddy for Father's Day. Momma had to work, and he had to mow both their yard and my grandparents' place. So my sister and I are going to visit with them on another weekend. I hope it's soon. I want to see everyone again.

School is still going well. I made a 104 on my first test. I get the second grade tomorrow night. I really like my legal class. I hope I have the opportunity to take another class under Mr. King. He's really great.

I'm learning to play Legend of the Five Rings. It's a really great collectible card game. I finally got to play my first game without major help last week. I might try to get another game in tonight with my hubby. A new friend is also starting up a game of Hackmaster. It'll be fun to play a game I haven't played before. I enjoy trying out new things, even if I end up hating them.

And, I think that's the full update on me. I'll try and post my weight loss progress on Wedneday, as well as an update on the bike ride.

And, another update with a long break

2009-06-10T22:46:00.002-05:00

Well, at least it wasn't months this time before a new post.

I managed to lose one pound this past week. Considering I had gained up to 215, I hope I do better this week.

I may drop my finance class this summer. I have to contact the teacher tomorrow to see just how bad my test grade was. It's certainly not good though. I think that class will definitely need to be taken as a full semester course.

I did fine on my Legal Environment of Business test though. Well, I won't get a grade until next week, but I know I did fine on that test. So at least one class is going well. I'm really enjoying this course. I hope I can take something else under the professor later.

On a different note, my bulging disc might be getting worse. I'll be having an MRI next week to compare it to the last one (six years ago).

My wrist seems to be doing better from my ganglion cyst excision. I'm still having muscle craps in my hand, but that may go on a while.

Well, that's very bland, but that's life at the moment too. I don't have much going on outside of school. Of course, that MIGHT be changing by Friday if I do decide to drop finance. I can't decide which I would really prefer!

Creepy Stalker?

2009-06-03T14:32:00.002-05:00

I just had a really creepy guy in the office that did NOT want to leave. He just kinda kept staring at me. I had to come up with three different ways to say "I'm finished. Now YOU leave." before he would turn and walk away. And he turned back THREE times to look at me before turning the corner that is 10 feet from my door.

I've had stalkers at work before, but none as creepy as this guy. To summarize:

1. The friendly guy that I was kinda friends with who came into the office all the time to just talk.

2. The licquor store manager that came into the office twice a semester for 8 semesters to ask me out to lunch, and to ask why I hadn't called him for lunch. Even after he knew I was married.

I would like to avoid having another one. The other two were nice guys. Nothing creepy other than the constantly coming to talk and ask me out. This guy looked and acted creepy. I've informed a guy I work with that if this dude EVER comes back in the office, he is REQUIRED to come rescue me. At least I have a lot of nice men working in the office!

Been Away....

2009-06-03T08:51:00.003-05:00

Ok. I've REALLY been away from my blog for a while now. But I'm back. No guarantees on what posts will be like for the next little while, but I'm GOING to post. I'll probably get folks up to date on what's been going on over a few posts.

Honestly, I just haven't really felt like writing. Nothing personal, just haven't wanted to. However, I had quite the little wake up call at the Weight Watchers office this morning. I was up 4 pounds! And even if I'm not writing about weight loss or how I'm doing in that area, I'm still more conscious of that when I'm writing here. Something to do with the name of the blog, I think. So I'm back.

Back in April I was diagnosed with a ganglion cyst in my left wrist. Great to know why I was hurting so much. I had it removed at the end of April. According to the doctor I'm doing well on my recovery. However, he says it will be winter before I stop having some pain. At least I have a general idea of the when. 6 months to do, and he said the pain should be gone by the time my scars go white! Yeah, a measuring stick there too.

I managed to get an A and a B in my Spring classes. Summer classes started this week, and I like my teachers. The course material is another matter entirely. My finance class is two nights a week for the month of June, and I'm taking the Legal Environment of Business one night a week for two months. These classes are 6pm-10pm. It kinda sucks. But I have to take them to graduate. Unfortunatley, this kills my gaming schedule for June. :(

A few weeks ago the hubby and I, along with a group of friends, went to Mobicon in Mobile. It's a small gaming convention. We had a blast. Some of us playtested a new game, Untold. It was awesome! I just sent in a request to get play test materials so my group can play it some more. Especially since not everyone was able to attend Mobicon.

Let's see, nothing else of major importance. I've just been lazy. I'm off to work on finishing up my homework for class tonight. 2 problems to go, or he won't give me the answers!

April Fool's Day - But a NICE scale....

2009-04-01T12:16:00.001-05:00

It may be April Fool.'s Day today, but the scale didn't play a nasty joke on me. If anything, it was overly friendly. I went to Weight Watchers to see a wonderful MAINTAIN this week. I was really expecting another two pound gain on top of last week's two pounds. But, no, it was very nice.

I have recently discovered that I can't manage to control my eating when I'm not taking my Prozac regularly. So, back to the daily pill. I'm doing the stickers on the calendar for everything again, considering I had quit putting them up there. So, while it is a joking day, I'm taking life seriously. I'm 208 pounds again, and this simply cannot continue!

Beautiful weather!

2009-03-27T22:34:00.002-05:00

Ok. For those not aware, that's a bit of sarcasm. It's nasty rainy here in Hattiesburg at the moment. Good thing I don't mind rain. And that I have no where to be but home. I would mind being out and about in it.

The University siren went off early in the evening, and we've been on the local tv channel since. Apparently we're under a tornado watch at the moment. (At least I think that's what the guy on the tv said. I haven't paid that much attention!)

I'm just happy that the power only BLICKED earlier. It hasn't actually went out totally. We did have a bit of a scare with the tv though. The picture didn't want to come back with the regular lights! Luckily everything is fine. The thought of ANOTHER tv going out at the moment is really scary...

Contest!

2009-03-26T10:53:00.002-05:00

Newlywed Girl, who has an awesome blog, is running a little contest. It's for a really cool personalized necklace. And she has a great story for WHY the necklace. It's really sweet.

There are several ways to enter, including giving a small donation to for a charity walk she is doing.

So go check it out. Even if you aren't interested in the contest, you can show a little love and support!

Excited!

2009-03-26T10:08:00.001-05:00

Ok, so this week has kinda sucked. Sunday night my external hard drive crashed. It's where I stored all my ebooks, a lot of music, all the files for my current DnD character, resumes, old school work, and the backup of my work laptop. And we can't do anything about it. This really pissed me off. But, I should be getting my new external harddrive today. Of course, I will have lost a ton of stuff. But I will get by. I don't really need the old school work. It's about time to do a new backup of my laptop anyway, I can download my ebooks again, my wedding pictures are all on cd SOMEWHERE in the apartment, and I backed up the journal and character sheet for Mori on googledocs. And my current semester of school work was still on my l aptop. The bad thing is that I don't think I have another copy of my resume anywhere. At least Josh should have his around somewhere. And all the downloads I did during Spring Break (with the exception of one) are still on my laptop. I haven't deleted those yet. So, in addition to studying for my Economics exams, I'll be spending the weekend downloading files and moving stuff to my new harddrive. I guess that's not a bad way to spend the time. Now, off to see if I should use the software that comes on it, or format it right way. It's a Seagate FreeAgent, so if anyone has experience with these, let me know what you think!

And it ends...

2009-03-22T19:42:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day of my Spring Break. I've got the bad luck of ending it on with a headache. I'm just hoping it doesn't make it to migraine levels, although it's definitely trying.

Today Josh and I are at his parent's house. We watched The Transporter 3, and I really enjoyed it. I slept through them watching some stuff that didn't interest me. Now we're watching Kings, at least I think that's the title of the show. It's interesting, but not necessarily something I'll try to keep watching at home.

I'm still loving the haircut. It's lightweight and doesn't require any work. Very nice. I love simple. I might have to keep this one, depending on how I like it after a week at work. I think that's the real test. How it works if I'm running late and have to wash it, if I can keep the bangs out of the way, etc.

Well, I'm off and away! Here's hoping the headache is gone in the morning!

The New 'Do

2009-03-16T15:02:00.004-05:00

I went this afternoon for my haricut, and I am rather pleased. Here you go!

April put in peek-a-boo streaks in a red called forbidden. Since I took the pictures with my cellphone, I don't think you can really see them. She also did the color so I can show off more or less of the red. The streaks are slimmer with it parted as in the picture, but if I do the bangs to the other side, they are bigger and stand out more. I'll have to dig out my camera to try for some better shots.

What's really great, is she didn't really do anything to fix my hair. Just dried it. No curling iron, round brush, no hair products. It does the flips and curls naturally. Now I just can't wait to see what it looks like when I do it myself!!!

Haircut?

2009-03-14T22:44:00.002-05:00

I'm going to get a haircut on Monday afternoon. I'm excited. I have something VERY different in mind, and several people have told me it's a good idea. Of course, the closer I get to the appointment, the more I get nervous about it. The final decision and execution will really fall to my beautician. If April likes, we do. If April says no, I'll just tell her to do something that she thinks will look good.

When Josh and I went to her house for his haircut this morning, we did talk about my coloring plans. We decided on red streaks. I think it will look awesome, with any haircut. The color will start out kinda stark, but it will fade into my actual hair color. And she said if I think it's fading too quick, she can get me a shampoo with the same pigment in it to keep the color brighter.

I wish my appointment were earlier!!! Oh well. I'll just have to pretend to wait patiently.

T-Virus

2009-03-13T15:25:00.007-05:00

Ok. So any gamers out there are at least a little familiar with Resident Evil and the Umbrella Corporation. You'll also remember, from the game or movies, the container.

Avon had a new product that is interesting. It's supposed to fill in wrinkles, or something like that.

So, what do you think???

Watchmen

2009-03-08T13:54:00.002-05:00

I went to see Watchmen last night. It was a good movie, although I don't think I'll see it a second time in the theater. I wasn't expecting such an Adult movie last night when we went to see it.

While this is definitely a good movie to see, view it before deciding if the kids get to. There are definitely some parts that a few parents would object to letting their kids see. Makes me wonder if they will put out a PG-13 version on DVD...

Fan Girl!

2009-03-06T11:54:00.005-06:00

This afternoon I'm in fangirl mode. The mailman brought my signed copy of As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason. And it is beautiful!

Get a blurb and sneak peak here.

I started reading this series shortly before the second book came out, and fell in love. In this Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Pride and Prejudice series, Victoria Gardella not only has to juggle to whirlwind social life of the ton, but to hide her stakes so she can take out the vampires in the shadows.

And, what paranormal novel, romance or otherwise, is complete without a hot male in the works. Colleen gives us TWO hot and dangerous guys to lust over in this series. And her fans have been divided into two distinct camps on who should win Victoria. In When Twilight Burns Victoria makes a choice, but how will the men really react? This final entry in Victoria Gardella's story promises to be rather exciting.

And, if you buy it this week (it came out Tuesday), Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting another photo contest. He's taking Standard entries (you and the book) and Creative entries (have fun!); and he and Colleen are giving away gift cards to the winners. So, what are you waiting for? Go pick it up and take a picture!

Fail Blog

2009-03-05T21:12:00.002-06:00

I've been reading failblog.org today, and added it to my feed reader. But this one was great, and had to be shared.

see more pwn and owned pictures

Been a few days...

2009-03-04T19:22:00.003-06:00

I've just been killing time the past few days. I have went to work and to class.

I had a trip to the Gulf Coast Research Lab (a USM campus) yesterday. I ended up hurting my back after slumping down to take a nap on the ride back. It's still hurting a bit today, but I'll get over it.

I had a half pound gain this week, but I'm not feeling bad because of it. I didn't do my best diet wise. And I had a 'skinny' moment before going to weigh in this morning. Ok, so I didn't ACTUALLY feel skinny. But I realized that I felt very comfortable in my skin, and didn't feel FAT. It was a good way to start my morning after sleeping late.

It came today!

2009-03-02T15:29:00.003-06:00

IT is the new battery for my MP3 player. I have tunes again! It's been so long since I really used the thing that I'm a bit surprised by some of the tracks. For some reason I have Ride of the Valkaries. Now, I'm willing to admit that it is a wonderful Wagoner piece. I'm a fan of it. But it's not really the kind of thing I would normally put on my MP3 player. Kinda strange. Hopefully I'll be able to get the software installed fairly soon so I can update my tunes list. It's a bit out of date...

Another Day, Another Migraine...

2009-03-01T18:41:00.002-06:00

Yes, I again woke up with a stupid migraine. Luckily, I'm finally feeling a little better late this afternoon. I decided to check out Netflix for some entertainment this afternoon, and found that they have Xena on the streaming service. It's one of those older series that I can still enjoy watching! A lot of the action sequences are kinda hokey, but I'm enjoying it. I think she is a great heroine, and she is very inspiring when it comes to my journey for a healthier me!

WOOHOO!

2009-02-28T21:14:00.002-06:00

We got a new TV!

Ok...so it's not EXACTLY new. We have Josh's Mom's LCD tv that she got 2 Christmas's ago. It's very nice! All the hookups we need, bigger than the one we had, and is HD. So Josh will quit complaining about how the XBox 360 looks. It even has a PC hookup. So WooHoo!

Just thought I would update y'all on the goodness. He just put on an episode of Bleach to test the PC hookup.

I finally found it!

2009-02-27T12:33:00.003-06:00

Ok, so now you wonder what exactly I found, right? I found something that can suck me into Facebook for hours... DnD Tiny Adventures. I'm waiting for my character the rest up and heal all her hit points back so I can go on another adventure. I just click for adventure, then fiddle in other places online until it's ready for me to do something else. WOO!

Now I can be one of those folks logged into Facebook for hours straight. But at least it easily fits in around everything else!

And I did 35 minutes of walking yesterday for the Lent challenge...

Pay It Forward...Blog Style

2009-02-26T13:58:00.003-06:00

I saw this over at Paige's blog and loved the idea. She got it from Boo Bear's Place.

For the first three great folks to comment (and you are ALL great), I'll send you a gift sometime this year. When and what are the great surprise.

The catch, you have to post this on YOUR BLOG before you comment here. I think this is a great way to share some love in these economically challenged times. So, blog away and come back here!

Something for my warmage to remember..

2009-02-26T12:22:00.002-06:00

I love DnD, and have LOVED most of my characters. One of my favorites is a warmage that I don't get to play much. With our varied group, it is hard to get together on a regular basis.

I also love webcomics. Especially ones that are based on role playing games like DnD. I recently added anti-Heroes to my GoogleReader so I can keep up. And today was something JUST FOR my lovely warmage. If you're interested, take a look!

And now for the news...

2009-02-26T09:43:00.002-06:00

I did well diet and challenge wise yesterday. I went three points over my target, so I'm on good ground. I can certainly live with that. I also got in 30 minutes of walking for the Lenten challenge. WOOHOO! I did not get up and go to the gym yesterday OR this morning. Maybe tonight, maybe not.

I got the first disc of Bones last night. The first four episodes. I really enjoyed it. Much better than watching the reruns on TNT, especially considering I don't miss the first ten minutes since it's a DVD.

I finally gave up on my teacher showing up in the lab and went back across the road to the test room to turn it in. Crazy lady messing up my afternoon. LOL. At least I'll be prepared come final exam, or if I have her again.

While I wait...

2009-02-25T15:26:00.001-06:00

While I wait for the teacher to showup at the lab to take in our bonus credit work (all nothing but a signature of it!), I decided to check my work e-mail, then hit my google reader. Here's some fun for you to share....

Vision?

2009-02-25T12:08:00.002-06:00

So apparently my eyeglasses correct my astigmatism and my contacts don't. After wearing my glasses for a week and a half, I decided to put my contacts in at lunch. It's been sunny some, and I wanted shades. Yeah, I can't see very well now. Lovely. And I have that test.

Oh well, I may go back to just glasses for a while if it's gonna be this way. At least my glasses are cute, right? LOL

Hump Day Update!

2009-02-25T09:03:00.000-06:00

Well, even with my binging week I managed a .5 lb loss. So YAY! I'm tracking again starting today though. It can go hand-in-hand with the Lenten challenge. Giving up the laziness by exercising daily, AND TRACKING.

The doctor's office still hasn't received my test results so I haven't been able to get my next test on my wrist scheduled. I'll try them again today, then call the neurologist's office if I have too. I want to get this figured out.

I have a mid-term today. I should probably be studying for it since I haven't actually done any of that yet. But, instead I'm blogging. That's the way it goes! I'll manage it at some point this morning I'm sure. Of course, I hate that we still haven't gotten the grades for any of our assignments. She won't give the grades until EVERYONE has handed in the assignment. And some people asked for extensions on the first assignments, and the others aren't even due until Saturday. Silly considering we take the exam today, huh? Ok, enough griping about school.

Life is still going good. I'm just doing the work and class thing. And hoping to play DnD tonight. Well, off to find out the game status! Have a great Wednesday!

Update: No game tonight, but I'm cool with that. I'll actually cook instead of just throwing stuff in the crockpot at lunch!

Bad News...

2009-02-24T10:03:00.001-06:00

My tv is officially busted. It's an HD CRT. And the tube is blown. Wish I weren't broke....

Mythos Discussion

2009-02-23T12:38:00.000-06:00

AE Rought has a great post at the Midnight Moon Cafe today about how some writers have been changing the myths of various magical creatures lately.

If anyone is a reader/viewer of vampire/werewolf/other creature stories, you might want to check her entry out. I thought it was interesting, and I (and I imagine the great Moonladies and Moonlette) would like to hear your opinion.

And, I absolutely LOVE the picture she has with it. It's worth checking out JUST for that...

40+ Days of Exercise Awesomeness for Lent

2009-02-23T12:31:00.000-06:00

FatBridesmaid has an awesome Lent Challenge planned. 40 days of exercise. 30 minutes every day.
When she decided to do it as a group thing, I signed up quick. No sense in letting myself get talked out of it, right? Seems like a great way to get my exercise back on track. And I'm going to try to do most of it in the GYM. Since I haven't been in ages, seemed like a good starting idea. With any luck, I might even manage it in the mornings.... Yeah, not making that a goal.

Anyway, if you're interested in joining a group of folks to get some exercise in, check out her post!

Also, in hopes of keeping me going on this, I ordered a new battery for my mp3 player. I'm hoping that the new battery will have it working again. I don't do so well when my mind is left free to go its own merry way. While the poor old thing should probably just be retired, I don't have the bucks for an ipod right now. I really hope the battery is the issue and I can make it to Christmas....

Cory is an INTJ Strategist...

2009-02-23T08:24:00.000-06:00

A friend took a personality type quiz on Facebook this weekend and shared the results, etc. I thought it was cool and decided to do it as well. I thought it was kinda cool, so here are my results...for anyone who cares....

Famous INTJs include President Thomas Jefferson and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

INTJ Personality Summary
Independent, original, analytical, and determined. Have an exceptional ability to turn theories into solid plans of action. Highly value knowledge, competence, and structure. Driven to derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have very high standards for their performance, and the performance of others. Natural leaders, but will follow if they trust existing leaders.

Weregeek Greatness

2009-02-20T10:47:00.000-06:00

Love this comic today.

The Joys of DD Breasts....

2009-02-18T15:24:00.000-06:00

When it rains, you get wet from the top of your breasts up, and from your knees down...

Weigh In

2009-02-18T14:14:00.000-06:00

I gained 1 pound this week. I'm ok with it though. I didn't really track over the weekend, and after 3 weeks of good losses, a small gain is to be expected. Nothing I can't survive, especially considering the number of 'skinny' days I've been having lately.

Looks like my current DnD game will actually be meeting tonight. We haven't met in about a month because the DM is trying to finish his senior project. It'll be fun to throw some dice around tonight. And I won't be sitting at home with the munchies. They're much more controllable when I'm at other people's houses!

Quick Test Update

2009-02-16T16:26:00.001-06:00

I made an 85 on the Economics test last week. He's giving us an opportunity for up to 15 extra points. I'm not sure how hard I'll work on that though. Depends on how time goes. I plan to work better on studying the actual class material for the next test though...

And the verdict is...

2009-02-16T12:36:00.000-06:00

Still unknown. $800 out of my pocket later, I know that my wrist pain is not caused by:
A. Broken bones.
B. Lupus.
C. Carpal Tunnel.

What we don't know, is why my wrists hurt. But, at least we've ruled out a few things. I wish I knew what it was already though...

I should get my economics test back this afternoon. I'm a bit anxious to see how I did. I'll be happy with whatever the grade is considering I was sick when I took it. I also took my first quiz for E-business Applications last night. It was really easy. Now I'm just going to have to study the REST of the material to take the next three quizzes and prepare for the test next week.

I'm feeling a little better than I was over the weekend (allergy/sinus problems). But I'm still not feeling perfect. I'll get better with time.

Well, I can't think of anything else at the moment, so off I go!

Yucky weekend

2009-02-15T21:26:00.001-06:00

I've been a bit sick this weekend. Allergies or sinuses have really done me in. I'm hoping it will clear up soon though. Or else I should buy stock in benedryl!

I might get a test tomorrow to check for carpal tunnel. It's scheduled, but the doctor's office called me late Friday to talk about it. Unfortunately I didn't get to check the voicemail until after they had closed.

The hubby got me a madoline slicer for Valentines. It's what I wanted, and I even picked it out myself. I'm very happy with it, and can't wait to use it. I got him the messenger kit for the XBox 360. He complains whenever our friend John tries to chat with him on it. Now he'll be able to type back quicker.

Can't think of anything else right now. Probably just gonna try going back to bed and hoping I wake up feeling better than I do now.

Good week y'all!

2009-02-15T21:09:00.001-06:00

Your International Spy Name is Kitty Deathbird

Your Code Name: Kneecaps

You Reside in: Geneva

Why You're a Good Spy: You're agile

What's Your International Spy Name?

SwagBucks???

2009-02-13T23:01:00.000-06:00

So, Jeannie did a post on this site called Swagbucks. It awards points for web searches, etc. Then you redeem your points for prizes. You can also get points for searching through this site, recycling old cellphones and mp3 players, etc. It seems pretty cool from what I've seen so far.

Some of the lower level prizes are pretty cool too. $5 Amazon gift card for 45 points, $5 at Starbucks for 50, $15 at iTunes for 145... They have bigger items too, such as ipod nanos, portable dvd players, and digital camcorders.

It seems pretty cool, and it you're interested, sign up here!

Dr. Visit

2009-02-12T22:09:00.000-06:00

I didn't learn much today while I was at the doctor. I learned that my blood sugar is awesome, I have some inflammation SOMEWHERE, and I don't have lupus. At least it was all either good news, or something I know. (We knew there was inflammation since that's what I'm going for.) I have a test scheduled on Monday to check for Carpal Tunnel. Then I'll talk to my doc again in a week (via phone this time) to see where we go next. Well, I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll catch up in the blog world tomorrow!

Quickies

2009-02-11T23:44:00.000-06:00

I woke up seriously sick this morning. Luckily I got to feeling better late in the day.

I lost 1.5 pounds this past week.

I'm trying to figure out that facebook thingie since everyone seems to be doing it these days. I think I'm still confused though!

I had an Economics test this afternoon. I think I did ok, although I probably would have done better if I actually listened to the lectures. Guess I should think about that for the next section...

A couple of local chicks from SparkPeople have been trying to put together a walking group here in the 'Burg. We might even manage to get together this Saturday. Just waiting for more details.

And now, it's past time for bed. Good night all!

Genie Lift

2009-02-09T15:58:00.000-06:00

Is walking under a genie lift the same as walking under a ladder? I can't help but wonder because they are doing roof work on the building next to the one I work in...

I'm generally not superstitious, but occassionally it just doesn't feel right to ignore one of these things...

Weekend Update

2009-02-09T15:40:00.000-06:00

I had a great trip up to my sister's for Abby's birthday. It was a fun party and everyone seems to have had a good time. I really enjoyed the party, and it was a prety day for travelling.

My older neice, Ashleigh, was all about having me help her with the new-to-her V Smile gaming system she got Saturday. It was fun, but I couldn't figure out what to do with some of those games!

Momma had brought us some deer meat, so we're having deer stew tonight. I just hope it turns out good.

I also did good with the tracking this weekend. I wrote down EVERYTHING, although I haven't figured out the points for some of it yet... At least I tracked, and I should be able to get the points part done tonight. Luckily I hadn't used ANY flex points before Saturday, so I have plenty to cover Saturday. I was fine at home, and fine there, but the traveling part is what does me in everytime. I get the munchies in the car, and only chocolate (and lots of it) covers me. (And a McD's chicken biscuit for breakfast!)

------------------

Ok. I just did the points. I used 24 of my flex points Saturday. However, I was right on point-wise for Sunday, I have a lot left today too. And, I had actually used 2 on Wednesday. But I still have 9 to get me through the rest of today, and Tuesday. Guess it's going good this week too!

What's Your Word?

2009-02-07T00:08:00.000-06:00

Your Word is "Hope"

You see life as an opportunity for learning, growth, and bringing out the best in others.

No matter how bad things get, you always have at least a glimmer of optimism.

You are accepting and forgiving. You encourage those who have wronged you to turn over a new leaf.

And while there is a lot of ugliness in the world, you believe that almost no one is beyond redemption.

What's Your Word?

WOOO! It's Weekend!

2009-02-06T20:58:00.000-06:00

This was a rough week at work, especially today. And next week will be bad as well. But, I have the weekend now. And it's almost for me.

Tomorrow we'll be making a day trip to my sister's house. It's my neice Abby's birthday party. Josh and I will be spending around 7 hours in the car by the time we get back home. But it'll be great to see the family!

Sunday will be mostly for school work. I have an economics exam on Wednesday, and either one of two quizzes in my MIS class due by the 14th. But, I'll make it through both. The MIS class has been interesting so far, and Economics is survivable, if boring.

I think I've done fairly well during the rest of the week diet wise. I've tracked faithfully and mostly made good food choices. Things didn't work out for me to really do lunch today at work, so I ended up raiding the vending machine instead. But this shouldn't be the case next week. I guess I'll see how it actually goes though.

I got a great surprise in my e-mail this morning at work. I got a thank you message from a lady that I helped yesterday. She had e-mailed my manager to thank both of us, but didn't know my last name. Nor could she find a list of iTech employees to figure it out. And my manager forwarded it to me, as well as the two folks above her. What a great start to my day, huh? That certainly makes some of the less enjoyable calls worthwhile. This lady was great to work with, and very easy going. I wish they were all that easy...

Weight Today!

2009-02-04T08:52:00.000-06:00

Down to 207 today. That's half a pound less than I started 2008 at. So I'm getting back to where I was.

I'm actually VERY happy with the loss. (It's 2 pounds. Who wouldn't be happy with that in a week!!!! LOL) I was really expecting a gain when I weighed this morning because I didn't track during my migraine last week. But turns out that was ok. Now I just have to make it through this week. One week at a time, that's the key!

I'm hoping to be below 200 pounds when it comes time for Josh's high school reunion thissummer. I know he doesn't care about anything like that, but it's a nice goal for me. I really easy one, just 7.5 pounds to be out of the 200s. And while I really don't care what those people think about me (I don't know them!) I do care about what I think about myself. And this is my goal. While I would love to have lost 20 pounds by this summer, I'm not going to set myself at something so high. I like the WW think of 5 pounds for short-term goals. It's a small number, and vewry achieveable. Even in a short period of time. Can't wait to see how February goes for me!

I hate Comcast...

2009-02-02T21:52:00.000-06:00

So, while I watching House tonight I decided to get online for a few minutes. Just to check e-mail, etc. (And do my daily post for a SparkPeople challenge...). My Internet connection was beyond slow. The only thing I managed to pull up was my Gmail account, and that took 10 minutes. So, after House went off, I called Comcast instead of watching The Closer. I talked to a lady and she decided the problem was my router and transferred me to Linksys. By the time I got someone on the phone there (don't get me started on people that can't speak English well and treat me like I know nothing about computers...), I have NO Internet connection. 25 minutes later, she tells me to call Comcast back. Then to call her when I have an Internet connection again.

The hubby decides to call Comcast this time. He thinks the lady there might have been insulted when he accused her of trying to push my call off on someone else. They couldn't get it working either. So, after 1 hour 45 minutes on the phone, we have an appointment for Wednesday morning. Great. No internet at home until Wednesday. I can't believe I have to wait that long to watch The Closer... LOL I'm more upset about the fact that we don't have any Internet AT ALL, but have TV. Really weird. I wish there were more good shows on TV these days...

Lunches....

2009-02-02T13:53:00.000-06:00

I find that even going home for lunch every day doesn't match a cheap and healthy lunch easy. I have a tendency to just find something that I can fix within 5 minutes or less, and go from there. This ranges from a cheeseburger, a hotdog, or a sandwich usually. This isn't necessarily healthy though. I don't get in a fruit or veggie this way. Although, I do occassionally eat a piece of fruit when I'm finished, or fix a fruit snack for the afternoon at work.

However, we're still talking 8-11 points on Weight Watchers, and not much in the way of good nutrition. Refrigerator Raid has a great lunch post today. There are some great tips on what to toss into your lunch box, or your kid's lunchbox! So, if you're short on time for lunch, or just want to carry something better than McDonald's with you, and don't know where to start...Go check out her post for some good ideas. And if some of those don't work for you...well, it will probably get you thinking about your own healthier ideas...

Back to the Real World

2009-02-01T19:10:00.000-06:00

I'm recovering from a 2+ day migraine that took me out of commission for the end of last week. Totally sucked. But, I'm down to a mild headache now, and work tomorrow shouldn't be too big a deal.

With the migraine, the diet went to hell. Ok, not THAT bad, but I wasn't really worried about anything other than getting a few calories here and there. I ate out more than I have been because I didn't feel like cooking. I'm glad that I'm past that though. I just have to figure out what I'm cooking for dinner tommorrow! At least I went shopping yesterday and have more food to cook. We were getting low on some items.

I'm going to focus on exercise this next week. I really don't think I've been doing enough. And I'm going to try and make it into the gym, but we'll see how that goes!

Well, since I haven't been watching the Super Bowl anyway, I think I'll go do a little homework. It's time to start thinking about those assignments. They don't do themselves, unfortunately!

Redecorating

2009-01-31T14:45:00.000-06:00

Big thanks to Twisted Cinderella over at Ever After - My Way. I've been wanting to update my blog for a long time, but I don't know how to do all that crazy stuff. And, after working all day, I don't want to put in the computer time to really figure it out. She came through with this AWESOME template for me. Isn't she a doll???

If you've been thinking of a big change, or just a little one, check out her template page. And, of course, check out her other blogs too. She does some fantastic posts, and great recipes too!

Always Another Book...

2009-01-31T09:57:00.000-06:00

I don't think I have any readers who don't realize I have a mistress in books. I don't remember a time when I wasn't looking for another good book to read. Always on the hunt for another good author, and intro into another genre and series...

A while back I was able to pick up Rachel Vincent's Stray at the public library. And I fell in love. Although, this library is a little weird, so they didn't get book two, but have book three ordered. But, I will manage to read this entire series soon.

That being said, book three, Pride, come out on February 1st, and I'm excited to know that the series did well and is being continued. And, I'm excited to know about the contest Ms. Vincent is offering on her blog. (Yeah, we all LOVE contests!) She offering a signed copy of all three books OR a $20 Barnes and Noble gift certificate. AND Godiva chocolate. Talk about temptation....

Anyway, I should give everyone a taste of the new book, right? Otherwise you might not put it on your shopping list!!!

I’m on trial for my life. Accused of infecting my human ex-boyfriend—and killing him to cover up the crime. I’m not guilty. But tell that to the panel of Alphas sitting in judgment. Infecting a human is one of three capital offenses recognized by the Pride—along with murder and disclosure of our existence to a human.

I’m two for three. A goner.

On top of that, Marc is in danger of being tossed from the Pride, then we discovered a rogue stray terrorizing the mountainside, hunting a wild teenage tabbycat. I think I can protect her from both the ambitious rogue and the scheming of the territorial council.

If I survive my own trial…

"Zombies Ahead"

2009-01-28T12:23:00.001-06:00

Well, it's funny. Read the story at Fox News.

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