just 10 more

It’s been an insanely long day but I wanted to check in before midnight as it’s the last day of the month and I can say I was down a pound this am…….so, now it’s 4 for the month of May.  This is the best I’ve done in over a year for a monthly total lost.  I looked at my chart from last year and I’m 3 1/2 lbs. heavier than last year at this time, but I’m in a much better frame of mind than when I last posted.  Some days ya just can’t face it, ya know?  Especially the forever part.

I’ve been good about food.  Did 20 hard mins. on the exercise bike Thurs. night and gym Fri.:  3.12 mi. on tm w/incline, 6min. hard row, ladies lite aerobics.

Onward to June, chickadees!!!!!!

Wow, it got down in the 40’s last night—thought we were done with all that.  Sure was cold taking A. to the bus stop this am. at 6:15.  Just moved my tomatoes into the first patch of sunlight.  We have soooo much shade, I’m carrying them about the yard to different spots so they can catch the sun as it moves.  It’s not hard now but come July when the cages are in the pots and they have grown, it gets a mite difficult.

Gym yesterday: ladies lite aerobics and 1.68mi. w/ incline on tm.

Attended a function at A.’s school last night; ate 2 small (1″x 1″) bar thingys; one lemon and the other pecan; otherwise food has been very good.  Down one more pound on the scale yesterday and still today, so that makes 3 for the month.  Not my goal of 5 but more than half.  Now I sound like a certain 15 yr. old I know—” I know it’s a C but I only missed a B by one point.”  It’s STILL a C and might as well have been on the lower end and missed a D by one point—a C is a C is a C.  And 3 pounds is NOT 5.  I’m sooooo tired of this and the thought that I’m going to be doing it FOREVER is almost too much today.  I guess that’s why we do it one day at a time, like alcoholics.  I want to be rid of 15 lbs. and I want it gone NOW!!!!!!!  It always amazes me (and not in a good way) that I weigh more now than when I started this blog, full of fervor and resolve and determination.  The first 30 had already come off right like clockwork; thought I could hop in here when I stalled and POOF—the last 10 would just melt off.  HAH; it’s a whole YEAR later and I’m STILL here, still plugging away, mostly overall losing ground.  Frankly, I think I’m having a temper tantrum…..I’m so frustrated!!!!!!  Sometimes the thought of always making the “good” choice for the REST of my LIFE sucks, just sucks.  Yes, I said sucks!Enough of this, I can’t stand myself today.  sorry.

We got in late Sunday night; Lexington was beautiful—temp was great, clear skies, just wonderful.  Had a 5th floor room w/balcony and a view to kill for.  Mountains everywhere you looked.  I get soooooo sick of the flat here, miss my mountains and I drank in my fill with my eyes this week-end!!!!

The horse competition was not quite what I expected.  I was thinking about a course something like a golf course with jumps for the horses.  WELL……it was almost knee high WEEDS and up and down rough walking for miles and miles and I have a huge blister to prove it.  There were 2 cross country courses; one more difficult—included one jump off for the horses that  was called the Geronimo—it was taller than my daughter!!!!  5′ 2″.  This is the course we headed to first; the third girl over the jump where we were sitting fell off and got somewhat trampled by her horse; had to be taken off in an ambulance.  She was back Sunday; not riding though.  We saw dressage, both cross country courses and stadium jumping.  Missed steeplechase.  Sunday, saw some of the awards even.

Food for the week-end and holiday was pretty good; only one bad thing–a Mc Donalds hot fudge sundae.  Didn’t gain any per the scale this am. 

Came home partly on the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a route you MUST try if ever in the area.  Gorgeous, gorgeous scenery.

Gym this am: weight machines–still easy on the arms, 2.77mi. w/sl. incline on the treadmill, speed 2.8 to 3.6.

Food: grapenuts flakes w/ skim, tomato juice, decaf tea w/ skim…….snack: 1/2 Wasa, 1/2 pear…………..lunch: broccoli, brown rice, chicken, fruit salad of blueberries, cantaloupe and pear…………

Today starts the holiday week-end.  A. and I will be leaving, probably at the crack of dawn, for Lexington (about 5 hrs. away) tomorrow.  Don’t like the idea of being on the highway in all the traffic but she really wants to see the competition being held this week-end at the Va. Horse Center.  I guess it’s pretty high level if you follow the horse world—I don’t, but she’s raving about the chance to meet some people named O’Conner.  It’s dressage, cross country and stadium jumping leading up to the Olympics.  Staying over Sat. night—outrageous prices, btw, but it’s not like we do this often, in fact, never before stayed over and it’s a lot of driving for one day.

Made it on the exercise bike yesterday.  Didn’t make gym today cause A. had a late start at school.  Later this evening I’m going to a flee market and antique show up at the convention center.

Food today: grapenuts flakes w/ skim, V8, banana bread……………….banana for snack………….lunch: 3 jalapeno stuffed olives, cottage cheese, 1 Hebrew National lo fat hot dog, 1 piece whitewheat and mustard, blueberries and cantaloupe…………dinner will be salmon and a big salad w/ tomatoes, red pepper and cucs.

Weight is same; still only 2 down for the month.  Wednesday night I did have a scoop of mint chocolate chip—no will power that night! Other than that food has been really good.

A. just got home from school; gotta find something for her to eat and finish up the laundry.

Have yourselves all great week-ends, chickadees!!!

I’m actually sitting in front of the computer with (hopefully) no one ready to kick me off because they desperately need it.  I’ve gotten a few other blogs read and some comments made but haven’t gotten to my own for way too long.

I need to clarify or correct some things from previous posts, mea culpa; mea maxima culpa.  OK  #1. When I wrote that there were 18 (or whatever) tornados south of us, I didn’t mean all 18 touched down or caused damage—just that 18 were spotted, I think 3 touched down from that day, plenty, but a lot less than 18.   #2. The vet was called and came out to check Rachel’s eye but the decision to call him (and the bill) belongs to her owner; A. and I simply alerted the stable owner and the horses’ owner and actually it was A.’s riding instructor who said it shouldn’t wait till morning.  #3. The cello music really isn’t awful ( I reserve that word for the brief foray a few years ago into oboe); it’s just that beginning cello is far, far removed from the beautiful violin music I’m used to hearing coming from her room.  Violin has certainly helped, she’s well into the second year cello book already.  Sorry for misleading or confusing anyone.

I’ve been busy but not terribly so, just couldn’t get in front on the computer and stay there.  Volunteered at 2 races last week-end; a high school fund raiser and an elementary PTA one, both fun, well organized and great people to work with.  On the way to the h.s. one I saw an eagle soaring above and being harassed terribly by a couple crows.  When I was leaving the race I saw another one; like to think it was the same eagle and he got away from the crows!  Early Sunday am, I was still in bed, about 7am, and I heard loud, loud bird noises in the backyard.  Got up and went to a back bedroom, and there, less than 10 feet away, on a branch in the river birch, was a huge red tail hawk with all the smaller birds giving him h*ll.  He looked at me (I think he looked disgusted) and flew off.  He was awesome, really awesome.

I made gym Monday: tm. 2.34 mi. and ladies lite aerobics, will go again tomorrow.  Weight is still down 2 for the month, doubt if I’ll make the 5 by the end of the month.  Going away 2 days, just overnight Saturday to Lexington to watch a horse competition.  Friday I’m supposed to go to an antiques show with one of the aerobics women. Our strawberries are gone, never did get to freeze any–they didn’t last that long.

Rachel’s eye is much better; riding lesson tomorrow night.  We were supposed to be at the school board meeting tonight for A.’s political action credit but she decided to skip it, fine by me, I was more than ready to come home.  When I get off here, I have one short errand to run and then I’m going to be glued to my book and the tv. for a couple hrs. then bed.

G’nite chickadees.

Well, maybe not forever, but today for sure.  Went picking, dragged dh along (he’s off today and tomorrow).  For someone who went along grumpy and out of sorts it sure was hard to convince him we had enough and could leave.  Gave a few pounds to my neighbor.  Have eaten some; will freeze what’s left after tomorrow.  YUM!!!  I didn’t get picking last year and made up my mind that I wasn’t about to miss out 2 yrs. in a row.

While I was down country, I stopped to see Rachel–we went for A.’s lesson last night and she appeared to have something wrong with one eye when we went out to bring her in.  Vet was called and she has a small ulcerated area, medicated now and looking a lot better, poor gal.

I’m tired; between the picking and all the weeding and planting I did tonight I think I’ll be sore tomorrow.  Gym tomorrow so we’ll see how it goes.

Food has been good; well, pretty good….I did have one piece of chocolate cake at a lunch buffet but I didn’t overeat.

The cello came home Tuesday and it’s wierd to hear such beginning sounds after being used to the violin.

Ran into another parent from the kids old running team from the club.  His son, who was a doll, graduated last year.  Here I thought he was perfectly happy doing car mechanic stuff for a car dealership and it turns out he’s gone and joined the marines; in boot camp now.  Impossible to imagine.  I think I was expected to be happy and enthusiastic.  I think I blew it.

G’nite, chickadees.

Yep, still very windy.  Eighteen tornados south of here yesterday evening when the storms went through; believe me this is NOT our usual spring.  Had to smile a bit at the basement mentions; on the coast; not a basement to be had (sea level, you know)–we really are sitting ducks, best we can do is a first floor interior closet with pillows and such for protection if the worst happens and just hope it doesn’t. Oh, and June starts hurricane season–more joy.

On to more pleasant things; tomorrow is supposed to be sunny!  Gym today: 2.25 mi. on the tm then ladies lite aerobics.  We had our monthly lunch today; a place called Changs-had hot and sour soup and almond/cashew chicken (lots of cashews, couldn’t find any almonds).  Very good, brought a lot home.  Other than that; Grapenuts Flakes for bfsk. and a bowl of ham and bean soup for dinner.

As much as I complain about my daughter’s school being in a bad center city area, I should set the record straight about the wonderful kids who go there.  It is super multicultural; NATO Headquarters is local and we have most of their kids at the school.  Among my daughter’s best friends are a Chinese girl who immigrated with her family at age 4,  an adopted Chekoslovakian girl, and a boy from South America who is a very gifted violinist.  I think the exposure to different cultures alone makes it a priceless experience.  As much as I was against the transfer, I gotta say having all these kids from such diverse backgrounds is wonderful.

I need to go pick strawberries one day this week; won’t be tomorrow unless I wear waders!

G’nite chickadees, sleep tight!

A good week-end with the exception of some major insominia.  Sat. morning race; a 5K and a mile.  A. ran and I worked finish line.  Then I went shopping; got 2 tops and 2 pair of long shorts at Marshall’s (think TJ Maxx for those who don’t know the store).  One of the tops cost a bit more than I usually consider but I loved it and decided to get it anyway before I could talk myself out of it.  A. had gone home from the race with a friend and they got together for a few hours with a couple boys from school to work on a script and scout locations for a 20 min. video they have to put together for English on Macbeth.  Later I picked her up and drove her to her mowing job, then we had dinner (I had a spectacular Greek salad–new place), and went to see The Lost Kingdom.  Home, in bed by midnight, still awake at 3am!!!!  What’s with that, I’ve been sleeping much better; and to top it off I had volunteered to get up at 5am to go do finish line timing at the state Senior Olympics.  Worked a 5K and a 10K; they were actually open to all ages.  Left before the results were posted on the 10K but the 5K was won by a guy age 50 who outran a 17 yr. old by a couple minutes!!!!!  Our oldest runner was 85, yes, 85—not a mistake on my typing AND not the last to finish.  They were a great group to work with.  The weather was windy and colder than it should be, only about mid 50’s and it’s stayed that way.  I had a 2 hr. nap, then devoured my dh’s dinner about mid-afternoon; he is a good cook and it’s so crowded today that I turned down going out for the Mother’s Day meal.  Quick trip out to give Rachel some exercise, very spooky, horses don’t like wind–the tree line waving about gave her a startle or two; A. stayed on, thank god, though.  We are under a tornado watch, bad storms coming from the west very fast.  Hopefully they will die down a bit before they get there.

Haven’t been back on the scale yet.  Trying to wear the pedometer again; I had mentioned to bigprof that when I don’t go to the gym my nunbers are usually way down—had just under 6,000 yesterday and today I’m not even at 2500 yet, I’d like to hit the bike in the garage but frankly, I’m still dragging from the lack of sleep last night.

Hope the storms go through quickly so I can get to bed early tonight.

G’nite, chickadees!

OK, we’ll move on with the important stuff, then I’ll explain my title.  Thanks to each and every one of you for your comments on my last post; your observations and advice are much appreciated.  Many tmes you’ve made me think, smile, chuckle, or laugh out loud and it  means more than I can properly put into words.  I do treasure the women of 3FC who have become my ”blog mates”.

I decided that I’d rather have A. happy playing cello than miserable with violin for two more years—you all knew I would, it was just a matter of getting used to it (remember, I hate endings!).  The academic load is heavy and she needs something to lighten up a bit in her day and I think it should be something she likes.  If I can say this w/o sounding mercenary, we are far from rich and I worked out the violin investment–those 6 years easily cost $10,000!!!

My food has still been good but my weight hasn’t moved; still 2 down, 3 more to go by the end of May.  Didn’t make the gym Wed. but will go tomorrow.  I have been exercising by planting flowers and all that entails—my neighbor and I made some of those hanging pots that have plants coming out both the top and bottom and I weeded and weeded and weeded.  I now have baby cucs, yellow squash, lantana, marigolds, parsley, basil, impatients, petunias, and coleus.  We’ll see how much I can kill.  Need to get tomatoes yet; I had lovely ones last year which produced into Nov.

OK.  Now to my title.  I received (and did not approve) one very mean spirited comment on my last post—not from anyone I have encountered before on 3FC.  I debated if I should or should not address this and decided to reply here; the person in question will know what I mean by the following:

1.  I know her chair position because I am TOLD it.

2. Save your drama for your mama—your OWN mama.

3. These blogs are meant for support and encouragement; sharing ideas, advice—all in a positive manner.  Do not comment on this blog again; you are not welcome.

4. Please consider taking a remedial reading course for the purpose of improving your reading comprehension.

To all the rest of the lovely chickadees out there, g’nite!

I hate the END of anything; you know, sometimes you don’t realize it’s the end, you just don’t get around to doing it again for whatever reason.  But sometimes, when I can’t see it coming until it’s here, it’s actually painful. It’s not that I can’t be spontaneous, or go with it if I expect it, I just prefer some sameness in routine and I literally ache when I know something is passing out of our lives.  Or maybe (dare I go there) it’s a control issue?  Huh, ME???  Like when my daughter wouldn’t do tennis camp during Spring break last year when that’s what she’s done for 3 or 4 years.  Like last year when I was all set with her at a great high school where many of the kids she did elementary with went, she did freshman year and decides to test and transfer to one center city in a not so great area for the IB program.  Like when I thought she was doing track team practice, she always has run, and it turns out she’d gone out for soccer.  NOW, NOW after 6 years of violin (and budget straining violin lessons), she’s switching to cello (cello?????) for her jr. and senior years, all this cooked up with her orchestra teacher with no one consulting me.  The orchestra teacher will be giving her  a cello to use and free lessons all summer to get her up to speed. Her violin instructor is the most wonderful teacher on the planet–I kid you not–after watching him for 6 years, this guy has more patience than anyone I’ve EVER met.  I think he went into shock last night with the news. I’ve been having trouble getting her to practice and even asked if she’d like to drop the private lessons this year but she wanted to keep them to help her prepare for playing quizzes and chair contests–she’s gone from 2nd to 4th chair since the beginning of school this year so I knew something was up.  But we gotta keep that all important A for the GPA; I’m really starting to hate those letters!!!!!  In a snit, I told her that she’s not allowed to bring a cello in this house, how realistic (or adult) was that? 

I know there are people with teen-agers who would kill to have cello vs. violin  type problems.  But, somehow, I don’t think it’s REALLY a cello vs. violin thing, ya know?

Oh…..food has been good.  See ya, chickadees.