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28 January 2009

February goals

So my new friend M and I sat down at our computers tonight and had a chat about what we want for ourselves by March 1st. We came up with this list:

Weight:
M:
7.5 pounds by the 3rd week of February - 260
V
8 pounds for entire month - 219

Nutrition:
M
6 servings of fruit and veg a day
using the nutrition tracker to improve *balance* in my diet
under 2000 calories per day
V
More protein and fruit
Cut out fried foods
No chips
More water

Fitness:
M
WATP 4 days a week -Monday-Thursday 10 am
Gym 2 days per week
V
WATP 4 days a week -Monday-Thursday 10 am
Gym 2 days per week

Weigh in on Monday's
Take before pictures

We want to be able to do the 2 mile WATP by the end of the month and we're going to have a trial run on Saturday I believe. I'm looking forward to getting started.

I have personally set a goal that if I do not eat any chips at all in the month of February I will treat myself to some sort of gift. I am debating between a retro purse or a special tea blend from the tea shop M introduced me to.

25 January 2009

Riley's neck


Posting a picture only

24 January 2009

weekend

Today I am planning to do a lot of nothing. My legs are extremely sore from yesterday. I will probably spend a bit of time working on my short story. I am really excited by it still and I'm looking forward to sharing it. I did some more agent research the other night and I think I found a better agent for what I write than I had previously found. The agency I had previously wanted to query first represents an author whose book was later turned into 2 movies and a Broadway musical that even spawned a television reality show search for the new star. We'll see. I am probably ahead of myself here but it could get interesting.

Anyway, yesterday Molly and I went for a walk from Newport to downtown Cincinnati. We walked over to a tea shop and she had tea but I just had a water. The walk there made me realize how overly out of shape I am and I was too hot and winded for tea. I even missed out on a pot of my favorite tea, PG Tips. Next time I think I'll see if she wants to take a shorter walk or something so that I can enjoy it as well. Based on a mapping program we walked 3.372 miles and there were stairs and inclines involved. My body above the knee is fine, below is staging a revolt and doesn't like me very much right now. I have no plans other than to relax today, work on my story and probably watch a movie.

Wednesday night I noticed that Riley had 2 swollen knots on the side of his neck. No fever and no symptoms so I sent him to school Thursday and called requesting that the nurse take a look and give me her opinion. She noticed another swollen lymph node on his clavicle and said his ears and throat were fine but said I should get him in to see the doctor. I called and he was seen within an hour. I thought that was wonderful. The doctor on the other hand was a pompous ass. He told me I was overreacting. He also told me he didn't know what's going on. Those two statements seem to contradict one another. How can I be overreacting if you have no damn clue what is wrong with my kid? He didn't even do a full exam. I found another swollen node after we left that he'd never noticed and he never bothered to even check below the neck for other swollen nodules. He ran a negative strep test and also did blood work and 2 days later I still have no results of it. He requested we come back Monday and get the results of the blood work. I called yesterday and told them I was very unhappy with him and his incomplete exam and his comments to me and they switched us to another doctor. I've never liked this particular doctor. He told me I couldn't possibly have fibro and that fibro is what they call it when it can't be something else. I just greatly dislike him and he further emphasized why to me on Thursday.

21 January 2009

So today I did some research for my short story which I think needs to partially take place in Glasgow. I do not know why she needs to go there but she does. I realized that some Scottish cuisine makes my stomach turn just by name. Something called Cullen Skink...somehow I don't think that would make them deliver Edward to my table.

I did go with the story that takes the first and last lines of my favorite novel. I chose 1 that is up there on my list but not for sure my favorite. It's Jemima J by Jane Green.

I am bitterly cold and have been for several days and no matter what I do I cannot get warm. I'm wearing 2 shirts, 1 of which is thermal, fuzzy socks and sweatpants...still bitterly cold. I am debating turning the space heaters off for the day and letting the heat fully run. Okay I put shoes on and it's a little better.

I am probably going to walk the treadmill when I go down to start laundry. I'll do at least 10 minutes but the treadmill makes my calves burn something awful. I just need to figure it out. Why is it that I agonize over myself and my weight ALL day long but do NOTHING about it?

19 January 2009

today

Today I am going to attempt to work on a short story. I have this Writer's Digest Writing Kit and it has some examples to start from and if I can't make that work I think I'll just try using a picture as inspiration. I have yet to decide if I want to post it here or not.

Some of the writing kit options include:
1. While working at your computer one day, an e-mail from an unknown sender pops up in your inbox. Against your better judgment, you open it. The contents bring into question everything you've ever believed about your existence. Determine the nature of the subject line that compelled you to open the e-mail in the first place, then tell the story of what resulted from having done so.
2. Write a new story using the first sentence and the last sentence of your favorite novel or short story as your starting and ending lines.
3. Create a character (or use an existing character) who falls in love with a specific city or locale, but does not currently live there. To move there, he must risk losing something important (career, family, security, etc.). What is the character willing to risk and why?

I personally think the last one will be easiest for me because of how strongly I feel about the UK and Cardiff despite never having been there. I think that's why I can't do that one right now because I need to inspire myself and Cardiff already inspires me in so many ways. I really think I'd like to try the second one using the book Jemima J. The first line is 'God, I wish I were thin.' The last is not really workable unless I change names but it is 'But fairy tales can come true, and just like Jemima Jones, or Mrs. Ben Williams as she's known outside of the glossy magazine where she now works, if we trust in ourselves, embrace our faults and brazen it out with courage, strength, bravery and truth, fate may just smile upon us too.' I can make it work somehow but might have to cut some things out.

Anyway, I'm going to go back to plotting this out a bit.

18 January 2009

cold

It has been so incredibly cold here that despite the 'warm up' I'm still cold. My toes are so icy that my fuzzy socks don't help. I think I might have a wee bit of cabin fever as well. I think I'm slightly addicted to Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii...shame on me.

I have bought some index cards which I may have previously mentioned. Tonight I'm going to sit down while watching tv and put some info from what I'm writing on them. Like character information on 1 with relationship information on another.

I don't really have much interesting to say today. It's laundry day today and I've decided to stay in my PJs all day although I'll change into new ones later. I'm a bum.

14 January 2009

inspiration

Lately I've been devouring these books by a local author named Lori Foster. I decided to email her and tell her how much I have enjoyed her books and mentioned that I had been lost in my writing:

I am an aspiring writer who just hasn't had the motivation lately to do so. Would you have any advice for me?

[Lori said:] That’s a toughie. I’m almost always motivated to write, so that’s a mindset I haven’t dealt with much. I’d say that most likely you’ve taken your story into a direction that doesn’t excite you. And if it doesn’t excite you, it won’t excite readers. (Or an editor.) Maybe rethink your story and figure out a way to make yourself anxious to get to it.

I don’t know if that’s any help or not. LOL

Today I came to post on my blog and reread the Sylvia Plath quote at the top for the first time in several weeks. It says:

And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

There is my answer to it all. Self-doubt is my problem with my weight and my writing and my life. I doubt myself. I doubt I can lose the weight...doubt I can be a successful writer...doubt I can be a successful, happy, satisfied woman. Now what do I do about it.

13 January 2009

2009 weight loss goal

So earlier I was thinking that it's almost 2 weeks into the year and I haven't really done anything to reach my weight loss goal of 50 pounds for the year and then I thought well it's only 1 pound a week and that's not unrealistic to meet 50 still. When going to the gym I was losing up to 5 pounds a week so I still can meet the goal I have set for myself without overdoing it. I am eating a bit better. Today I was at the grocery and in the checkout I saw a candy bar and wanted it but instead I popped a 5 calorie stick of gum in my mouth and bought a new pack of it and went on my way without the candy. We have ice cream and I didn't touch it either. When I wanted a snack I grabbed a few crackers and slices of cheese. I think I'm doing better despite the lack of exercise. Elijah is on my case about doing Walk away the pounds though and Riley said I look skinnier so maybe.

11 January 2009

starting over

I've been reading a lot and I read once that if you want to be a good writer the most important thing is to read a lot. I've been devouring books like they're going out of style. I read 2 books the other day. I didn't read much in the way of books yesterday but I read a lot on the web. Today I have only read blogs thusfar but the day is still young and I will probably read this book I have from the library. I have to go to the library tomorrow to return a few things.

Later this week we're supposed to have 2 days where the temps are in the teens. I hate winter. I need to make sure I have books and movies for those days so I can just curl up and stay warm. I am so thankful that I don't have to leave the house some days.

10 January 2009

lazy Saturday

So I don't really have a lot to say today. I have no plans beyond doing a little laundry and watching some movies.

I think I've given up on writing my book. It makes me sad but the inspiration is no longer there. I have no ideas for it. I have these book related conversations with myself which are usually character dialogues that I talk out but they go nowhere. Maybe I'm not meant to write a novel. Maybe I need to find a new dream.

07 January 2009

happiness

A very simple way to bring me happiness is to just allow me a few hours to listen to Craig David and nothing but Craig David. I don't even really like that style of music unless it is Craig David. So tonight I got the bright idea to put Craig David in on the Pandora Radio page and it keeps playing Craig mixed with some Usher and Chris Brown and I don't like either of those singers. Now it said Ne-Yo and I do like him. I'm loving this page. I have a Rilo Kiley channel and The Cliks and Ray LaMontagne. I'm so thrilled with this. It's my new toy.

This morning I woke up full of big plans for today and within an hour had accomplished a ton. I unloaded/reloaded and ran the dishwasher, made the bed, changed the litter box, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned the fridge and gathered up all the laundry. I then took a bath and went out on some errands. When I came home I rearranged the dining room. The Christmas items finally got put away and I was happy for that but then I did NOTHING else I planned. I have like 4 loads of laundry, maybe 5 and did NONE of it.

06 January 2009

bored

So I bet you're wondering what I've been up to in the few days since I've posted. I could fill you in on all the boring details but then you'd never want to read my blog again. Instead I'll just give you the highlights.

I am currently listening to The Cliks via something called Pandora Radio. According to wikipedia Pandora Radio is "Pandora is an automated music recommendation and Internet radio service created by the Music Genome Project. Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Users provide feedback on approval or disapproval — which Pandora takes into account for future selections." It's really neat although I have discovered a few artists I like are not on there such as Glasvegas. I am wondering if there is a submission process to give them info on artists that they don't cover.

I picked up several Lori Foster books at the library and a book called Inkheart that they've now turned into a movie that's coming out soon.

I've decided that I want to try making my own butter. My friend Amber told me that she's been making her own and told me what to do and I've decided that I'd like to give it a try and then experiment with seasoning it various ways.

Penelope is attacking my library bag behind me for some reason. I've given her the nickname of psychokitty.

Okay now there's my update.

03 January 2009

Doctor Who

I am hopeful that Matt Smith can do justice to the role. I really wish it had gone to Paterson Joseph or even Harry Lloyd. I think Harry would have made a fantastic choice in the part and he needs a job since he won't be on Robin Hood in series 3.

02 January 2009

January 2nd

So today I went to the gym and worked out. I feel so much better but am sure I'll be sore later. I couldn't do the amount of weight I was doing 2 months ago but I'm sure I'll get back there.

Before we left for the gym today I got a freecycle email offering free hand weights which I needed anyway for my WATP video. The woman had 3, 5 and 8 pound sets and also gave me a stand for them and an exercise band and some Ab Slide thing that I'll have to figure out. I'm glad to have those.

I am leaning more toward being a vegetarian than ever. Mostly because I keep getting assaulted by visuals. Anthony Bourdain is horrible. I was at the gym on the treadmill and had to stop before I'd walked 1/2 mile because they were eating armadillo and it still had legs and a tail and everything. I nearly got sick.

I am going to go put some laundry away and relax. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt bellydancing with this video I got from the library.

01 January 2009

2009

Here's to a new year and a fresh start.

This year I am not making resolutions but rather some promises to myself.

1) I will make a TRUE effort to finish my novel.
2) I will lose 50 pounds at least.
3) I will make more of an effort to be greener, less waste and try to start recycling.
4) I will take better care of me.
5) I will take the kids to Kings Island this summer.
6) I will try new things, such as bellydance and water aerobics.

I am really excited for this year. I am hopeful this is finally our year. Time will tell.