Gotta get it out!

OK, like i thought, this week at work was worse. my super was sooo sick, but she was there because we can’t do without anyone else. we also had to ‘borrow’ an employee who went to another dept to help get work done. but the worst thing is, i caught whatever my super has….GRRR! so needless to say, on top of being exhausted after work and now being sick, there has been no exercise this week either.

now the confusing part…i’ve dropped another 2 pounds. i’ve been eating ok and keeping hydrated (to sooth my throat since i haven’t went to the doc yet). i wonder if it’s the added water and the fact that i’m too busy so i’m only eating 3 meals a day and that’s it. i haven’t had time for any mid-morning or afternoon fruit, veggies or whatever. the thing is, when meals come around, i am starving! so i should be eating a snack in between. my body is telling me so. but at work, my lunch is portioned and that’s all i have to eat, so it’s not like i can overeat at work. and once i do eat, i’m full. dinner…well, i’ve overate a couple times. but i’m so hungry by the time i’m home, that i’m eating around 6-6:30 and that’s it. so i’m thinking that the early dinner has something to do with it too.

so since i’m ‘adjusting’ to this ’schedule’ and i am dropping weight, i’m going to try to keep it this way and see what happens. i’m working on my meals being better so i will have better nutrients and more energy and keep drinking the water.

on a side note, part of the reason i’m got limited meals this week - my mom was almost flooded from the rain. i had to move the mowers out of her garage to higher ground and then back in the next night. i also carried stuff out of the basement in case it got water (which i still have to put back, but too sick right now and she does not need whatever i’ve got). good news is, no water came up! yah!

so, i guess i will be back next weekend (with fingers crossed) and see if i’ve dropped any more! once work gets back to normal or i get an unexplained burst of energy, i’ll jump back into working out.

well, once again, it’s been a week since i’ve been here. i’m working my butt of at work and don’t have the energy to do anything once i get home and next week will be worse. i haven’t been eating well this week and exercise is non-existent. i feel the results of this. yesterday, i felt like i was waddling when i walked….UGH!

after work yesterday, a co-worker and i went for a few drinks so we could complain about work and what it’s doing to us all. i needed that. then i went to see a different co-workers art exhibit at a gallery. very nice stuff. unfortunately, we ended up talking about work and things are tough all over. but it was wonderful to see him outside of work and also discuss our art and what we see in each other’s abilities. he’s been encouraging me to start drawing again and i asked him to keep kicking me in the butt about it. he agreed…LOL!

i’m looking around my house this a.m. and OMG, what a freakin mess. i’ve never been molly maid, but it’s really disgusting right now. so i guess i know what i’ll be doing this weekend. i want to clean, i want to exercise, i want to draw, i want to rest. i don’t know if i can do it all. i don’t want it to become a ‘list’ of have-to-do’s, otherwise, none of it will get done. but anyway…

i hope all are doing well, and hopefully better than me at the moment. if not, i promise to kick you in the butt as long as you kick back. ; )

i am SO impressed with myself. yesterday, i went outside and shoveled my steps, walkway and driveway. the snow was about 10″ deep and deeper next to the street (*4-letter word* snow plows). now, if you know me, i’m on and off with the exercise, so i was breathing hard the whole time and sweating my butt off under 2-3 layers of clothing meant to keep me warm. i kept looking around and not a soul to be seen that might help this poor overweight, out of shape female with a blood-red face about to have a heart attack. not.a.soul. but i did it. because i knew no one else would and i had to get out of the driveway today. i took many 1-2 minute breaks, breathing like i had just run a marathon. i felt a little tightening in my chest (which scared me), but as long as i took breaks, i knew i’d be ok. i didn’t care if it took me all day, it had to be done. so once i was done and back inside, i was surprised to see it only took me 35 minutes. woopie! but once i got in where my heat was running, that’s when i really felt like i was going to die. i thought i would overheat and pass out. i started stripping clothes off as i headed to the shower.

once i got back downstairs to sit down and take a breather, i got curious about how many calories i had burned. so i went online and found numbers that ranged from 250 - near 400. some sites, you just put your weight and time spent. a couple asked if you were male or female. one even took in to account your height. but not one asked about your normal activity (sedentary, active, triathlete, etc). i would think that’s important. maybe not. i guess burning is burning. but my heart rate jumped way up after about 5 minutes, so i would think i burned more than any joe shmoe down the street who regularly benches 250.

whatever, I DID IT…BY MYSELF!!

then last night at 9pm, the *4-letter word* snow plows came through 2 more times and built a wall at the end of my drive that my little car would NOT get over…ARGH!!! so today…i grabbed my shovel again….LOL! but now i’m a pro and there wasn’t that much to do. i did have to break it up since it had turned to mostly ice overnight. but again…I DID IT! ok, enough patting on my back. oh yeah, and screw that snowman i mentioned yesterday. i’m done with snow!

warning-this post is kinda long!

i live in northern ky and there is a blizzard warning. my county has just been declared a level 3 snow emergency. this means even if i could dig out today, i can’t go get a new toilet seat to replace mine that broke last night…LOL! (i have an old washcloth duct taped around the break to keep it together. i don’t want to get pinched on the leg again, ouch!). i’m trying to upload some pics from my phone to show the snow, but having problems. i will try again later. we are expected to get up to 15 inches of snow and i think they’re right. it started yesterday at 8am. my employer closed at noon so we could all beat the rush and problems. i think most people were let out at noon, cause what normally takes me 12 minutes to get home was 45 minutes. most businesses shut down before dark yesterday. i can’t believe anyone would stay open and require their employees to stay when it’s just going to get worse. it’s not supposed to stop until early this evening. i’m watching the news and all the highways are covered in snow, even the major highways. maybe i should make a snowman to burn some calories….LOL! 

i haven’t been on here for almost a week because i’ve been working like mad at my job. one of our new people called on their 4th day and quit. the thing that makes me angry is she was a friend i recommended and she hasn’t even called to say…anything. if it’s not her thing, fine. but i know there was no miscommunication about the job, so….whatever.

i tried a recipe i found on allrecipes.com and YUMMY! i made it for the 2nd time in a week last night. i changed a couple things and noted them below. 

Greek Penne and Chicken

PREP TIME 20 Min…COOK TIME 30 Min…READY IN 50 Min…Original recipe yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta (too much pasta i recommend about half)
1 1/2 tablespoons butter (i used olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped red onion2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts in water (i omitted-yuck)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano (i used basil instead)
half small can of sliced black olives (my addition)
salt to taste (i omitted, feta is salty enough)
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

let me know what you think if you try it!

it’s sunday and i haven’t done well this week. this is the first time this week i’ve been able to breathe, much less log in. i went into work for 5.5 hours yesterday giving me a total of 12.5 hours of OT at work this week and i’m exhausted because of it. next week will be the same and probably the next 3 weeks. i’m training 2 new people and when my work load is overloaded as it is, it’s hard to train new employees. the whole time i’m thinking about what’s not getting done and how i’ll have to stay after to do it and what’s coming ‘down the pike’ for the next week and how to handle the work while so-and-so is on vacation or so-and-so is our for 3 days at a conference and….UGH!

this does not include my mother pulling at me to come over and do this and that and take her here and there and my aunt’s upcoming surgery. (mom on the speaker phone right now and she’s talking her head off while i’m trying to have some peace-she calls me at least twice a day.) i need some down time to relax and regroup but it’s not going to happen. i’m going to the grocery once my laundry is done and put away. then i have to take my mom to best buy. oh joy…

last night i went to a friend’s house. we did nothing except watch their baby coo and giggle and sleep-all the normal baby stuff. it was wonderful! i didn’t have to be anywhere, i didn’t have to do anything for anyone. it was quiet-no brain overload. i even napped on the sofa for about an hour. then we played bowling on the WII for a little bit. I NEED MORE OF THAT! LOL!

so exercise…HAHAHAHA! (ahem)…exercise, hhmmm. well, i’ve done what i can here and there, but nothing that’s worth writing about. i’m too tired once i get home to do more than flip the remote and snooze sitting upright until i drag my butt to bed 1-2 hours earlier than my usual. my eating has been 50/50 on the health and portion scale.

like i said, i’m headed to the grocery so i’m gonna stock up on veggies, etc. but it costs sooo much. i swear, you gotta be rich to eat healthy and especially for one. i’m sick of micro-meals. and they have preservatives and other crap in them so how healthy are they really? it is so hard to cook for one without wasting food. once i’ve ate something 2-3 times in a row, i’m done. i’m not good at freezing stuff, cause i’m funny about that. i’m not real crazy about leftovers in general. i think i’m going to make my own subway sandwiches but in a wrap instead. we’ll see how long that lasts…lol!

anyway, sorry for the long rant, but like my blog says…Gotta Get It Out! (here’s to a new week, may it be a little better than the last!)