Our Weekend!

I'm very tired today, but I went out exploring. I decided on Wednesday after I have my TB test read, I am going to lake to find some hiking trails to run. I really enjoyed running on the trails, and I decided to get out there about once a week. I think it will be totally fun!!

When I got home Jeremy, Conner, and Brodie were waiting for me. They had today off. Jeremy needed a break, and Brodie was asleep. As you will have seen in the video, Conner is riding a "big boy" bike. We went for a ride/walk. We talked all along the way.

After I got Conner settled into playing in the backyard, and Brodie was eating a saltine, I decided to do my Drill Max. Today is a cross training day, and I was not really in the mood to work out. I am sure it is pure exhaustion. I did about four out of the six drills. I was worked over.

I hope you enjoyed the video. Let me know what you think! Jeremy enjoys hearing what people say, too bad not too many people comment about them.

What a Day!

This day has been totally awesome!!

Jeremy, Conner, Brodie, and I went to John's Incredible Pizza this morning. This place is awesome. Think of a Chuck E Cheese, but way cleaner with much better food. I started with the salad buffet. Yummy!! I make yummy salads. Then I really wanted pizza for the last couple of days, so I started with a slice (which are actually farely small) of combination. I savored every bite. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm While I enjoyed this, I waited for the slices that I really wanted. Pepperoni and jalapeno pizza. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I grabbed two. It would be my usual start. I enjoyed my first slice, and decided I wasn't hungry anymore. Jeremy laughed at me and asked if it was because of the guy I have been cheating on him with, "Paul McKenna". I was cracking up at this point. Apparently, Jeremy has been listening to his stomach tell him stop. He thought it was funny that he totally wanted to dive into a ton of food, and he can't because his tummy said stop. I told him about my burrito experience yesterday. I actually only ate 3/4 of my Qdoba burrito. That is highly unlike me.

While we ate, Brodie tried his first saltine cracker. That kid truly loved!! He ate two of them. When we were finished, we went to play some games. Conner was on today because he won a ton of tickets.

After John's, we went to Babies R' Us to get our big boy a booster seat. He is at the right height and weight to upgrade from a regular car seat to a booster. He was totally jazzed. Conner made sure that we took him for a ride after we got it put together and in the car. He is growing way too fast. Today booster seat, what is next?!!

We finally put together Conner's Diego bike. He struggled at first with how to pedal, but it didn't take him long to get the hang of it. We filmed it, so hopefully I will have a video update soon. Conner decided that he wanted mommy to go running. :o) Ok by me. I went for a nice short jog. It felt good to stretch out while he was riding because my lower body was sore from my workout yesterday.

This evening, I did the Core Max and Stretch Max DVD's I got for my b-day. My core muscles are way weak. Is this what happens when you have two babies? Hopefully, I will regain some of my core strength because Jeremy bought me the cutest bathing suit. I tried it on today, and it fit. It didn't look perfect yet, so no pictures. Soon, really soon!!! While stretching, I realized that I am not very flexible any more. I guess the pounding of the pavement, etc has caused my flexibility to go out the door. I am also hoping this will change soon.

Hugs!!

On My Mind!

A few things have been on my mind lately.

First, I wonder if I am my WW leader's worst nightmare. I run, and he hates exercise. Not only do I run, but I enjoy running and running far. I eat what I want within the parameters of my points, and he forbids food. At the meeting today, I couldn't believe that he told people to not eat things. I wonder if that really works. I wonder if that is why people eat it, then feel guilty, eat more of it, then quit WW. I was kind of in shock. Jeremy and I talked afterwards, and I told him how I was feeling. He reminded me that I am very competitive. Thank you mom and dad for signing me up for sports at a young age, and that many people aren't. He also reminded me that people view working out as a forced thing. If half of the people who hated working out stopped doing what they hated, and found something they liked they would probably do more of it. Jeremy laughed at me because he thinks it is funny that I won't do anything I don't want to do. Even if you held a gun to my head, I won't do it. You might as well shoot me. LOL

Second, I wonder how much I annoy my WW friends. Lately I feel like when they are down, I am up. When they are up, I am down. LOL It is horrible really, but I haven't gotten on the same "cycle" as them. Or could it be that different things effect me differently?

Third, my friend Laurie is still in shock that I did 18.9 miles. I confronted her about why she couldn't believe I would do something like that, and she was trying to tell me how impressed she is with me. I thought she was being negative, but I guess I was inspiring her. Funny! I really need to clean the ears out and listen. Hehehe

Next, I am down 3.8 this week!! I have been doing WW and following the ideas of Paul McKenna (I Can Make You Thin Guy). Thanks to eating consciously, I really consumed a lot less. I slowed down completely. It is the craziest thing. I really hope I keep this up.

If you have never done a Cathe Freidrich workout and want your butt kicked, I recommend TiVoing her. I know she is on Fit Tv (Cardio Blast is the title), but I am not sure if she is on anything else. I am starting to see muscles that I have not seen before. Even when I was at goal!! Woooooo Hoooooooooo!!

Finally, Brodie is truly crawling now. The fun begins. Conner and I had a long talk about leaving small things on the floor. Conner wasn't an eater when he was a baby. What I mean is that he did see things on the ground, and put it into his mouth. Brodie does. LOL That kid has eatten more paper than I could even imagine. Just what I need, him to be eating a miniature dog.

Hugs!!

Pacific Crest Trail Run - Pirate's Cove

Alright, a two-for-one night!! Hehehe I found a few things on the message boards at this past trail run. I am going to attach the links to this blog. I don't know these people, but they took beautiful pictures! Jeremy and I said we wished we had a camera. Please don't think we are too crazy after looking at all the pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kotaro_ono/sets/72157604203857064/

http://public.fotki.com/yukin/08piratescove/

Both of these sights allow you to view the slide shows!

I tried to send my sisters a text with a beautiful picture, but my "cellular device" (as I call it at school to annoy my students) didn't work on the beach.

Hugs!!

Time Flies

Wow! It has been a while since I last posted. I think it has been out of laziness, or the fact that it has been beautiful outside! None-the-less, I am here.

I did a tough workout this afternoon, upper body pyramid. I have to say, I love it. I love how I feel afterwards.

A friend on the NASCAR board recommended watching I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna. I have to say, I followed a couple of the things that he suggested. Yeah me!! However, I need to work on slowing down my eating. I guy showed people eating fast, and I started cracking up. It was totally me. Hehehe Thanks to slowing down like the guy suggested, I have been eating a lot less. What a concept!!! How long will this last, who knows?

I lost a couple of good kids today. The expulsion hearing happened, and it was said. They both said good bye to me. A shame really, but they made poor choices!!

Hugs!!

Trail Run and Easter

Yesterday, Jeremy and I went to Sausalito to do a trail run. It was a Christmas gift given by Jeremy's Uncle. I won't lie, during the first two miles up the moutain I was cursing Steve's name. Hehehe The thing that prevented me from cursing too much was the view. It was absolutely goregous!! I was getting killed, but I loved the view. It was a 30K, which is 18.9 miles. We were overlooking the ocean, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was absolutely wonderful!!

I did fall towards the end, and my feet were on fire. Jeremy pointed out that when I don't go big, I don't do well. I love a challenge. He knew it was in my blood to push beyond the limits. About 10 yards past were I fell, a bicyclist was done. Apparently, he was coming of chest pains. We think he was having a heart attack. Several runners, various tourist, and the race aid station people were there to help until medics came. It reminded me that I was still strong.

I did realize that Jeremy is my cryptonite. I am not sure why he does this to me, but I can be strong forever. Enter Jeremy into the equation, and I fall apart. Does that make sense to anyone else?

Jeremy and I have made a choice to separate when running. We think it will be better for both of us. Jeremy and I separated during this race, and I caught up to him at the first aid station. Then he took off. He said his competitive nature kicked in, and he went the wrong way. After confirming that I was going the right way, I took off. I knew eventually Jeremy would catch up with me or he would be waiting at the end because he went way off course. I was going, going, and going. It was beautiful! Words can not describe the beauty. Then I turned around to look at the view because I wanted to enjoy the run, and I saw a man running. I could recognize the run a mile away. It was Jeremy. I kept going because I knew he would catch up. I got to the top of another moutain, and I waited. I knew he would need some water. When he caught up, I told him that it was time to run. We started to run, then he told me that we needed to stop. He was at his low. We walked to the next aid station. At this point, I knew that I was going to be about done because I had walked for too long. My heart did not want to leave Jeremy, but my head was saying leave. I didn't leave him. He did ditch me about a quarter a mile from the end. Go figure, he finished before me. We are talking about doing it again next year, so I can beat my time. :o)

Easter was great at my parents house. We spent the night last night, so we would be there when the easter bunny came. Annie, Steve, and Hunter came over. I ate way too much food. My family was putting on a buffet, and I started munching. Horrible! Yet, yummy!!! ;o)

The kids did the Easter basket, and it was awesome. Then we went to my grandma's house. I was so disappointed in my family. First, they started eatting before my parents, my boys, and Jeremy and I got there. We usually have to wait for them. Forever!!! They started lunch without us!! They were done by the time that Jeremy and I brought the ice. Conner and Toby were playing around, and it was a little awkward. Then my cousin decided it was time to open up presents. With that, they all went inside and Conner went in with them. I knew that presents meant just for them, so I didn't think anything about it. Jermey came out to tell me that Conner was not being good. I went inside, and the look on his face was horrible. I will never forget that look. It was so sad. Everyone in the room at that moment had a present except for Conner. He was sitting patiently in the rocking chair waiting. I pulled him outside, and I had to explain to him that he didn't get a present. Then I explained what was going on to Jeremy. We were both pissed. I am disgusted that this was ok to have this present opening of sorts in front of Conner, and all of us even when they weren't giving us anything. I know life isn't about gifts, but don't do it in front of a 3 year old. He doesn't understand. Can you tell that I am still furious over this whole thing? The look on my boy's face was torture!!!

Other than that, it was a great weekend! I have no idea what I am teaching tomorrow, but I will figure it out.

Climbing, Dislocation, Planes, Run, Oh My

Yesterday, Jeremy and I went rock climbing. We got to Granite Arch rock climbing place, and we were pretty cocky! We thought that we were in pretty good shape, so this would be nothing. The kid, yup he was 19 and had a great sense of humor, told us that we were over the hill. We had a great time joking around with him. I think our sense of humor came out because we were both nervous. He suggested that we try the bouldering room until 2 when we could take the belaying lesson. Jeremy and I got into the bouldering room, and wow did that kick our butt. After an hour, we were exhausted. We decided not to do the belaying class yet. We were going to come back and practice a little bit before we tried the big dog. LOL I am sore in odd places, under my arms in the obliques. Either, I was doing it wrong or I am way short because I had to use my full body to get into it.

Brodie had a dislocation of the elbow. It sucked! Poor guy, but the doc popped it back into place and he is feeling better with every passing minute. I felt like a horrible mother because it happened at daycare, and daycare didn't want to say it did happen. Finally, one of Brodie's teachers said that he was crying like crazy yesterday afternoon. Thank goodness because the daycare's tune changed.

Because we were at home, Conner, Brodie, and I did a lot of hanging out. We passed by an aviation musuem, and we decided to stop. OMG!! It was awesome!! Conner, Brodie, and I got to go into several planes. It was amazing. I think I would love to go back without Conner, so I could read and explore a little more. Conner wanted to be in the plane, and nothing else. I totally enjoyed experiencing it with him, and I am glad he made me stop. I doubt I would have done it if he hadn't.

I pushed myself out the door this evening to go for a run. I was going to pass it up thanks to lack of sleep, and it getting late. Instead, I walked upstairs got dressed and walked out the door. It was a hard run. My bad was tired, but I pushed through. I wanted to make sure I got through my 2 miles to make sure I was feeling ok. I did do a little bit of exploring, and I love it. I love going for a run and getting lost. Hehehe It makes the run a little bit more exciting. Right now, my baby sis is reading this and she is probably freaking out because I told her that I was going for a run in Boston. I will make sure that I don't get lost during that trip. :o)

Tomorrow's run is speedwork. It will be a five miler with a 1 mile warm-up, 1 mile @ 10 min, 1/2 mile recovery, 1 mile @ 10 min, 1/2 mile recovery, and 1 mile cool down. Should be exciting! Watch out Jeremy, I will be catching you soon. Ok, no I won't. He is truly hit his stride at about 7:30-8 minute miles, not going to happen. When I was in the best of shape, I hit my stride at 10 minute miles. I am training a little differently, so we shall she what happens!!

Craziness

What can I say, my life is full of craziness. Hehe

I needed to take the car into the shop to get its 30K check up. When I got there, they told me that I was suppose to have an appointment. The guy, Anthony, told me not to worry about it. I told him that I could make an appointment for later in the week if that would make things easier. He was cool. He told me that it will get done. With this I needed to rent a car, no worries Toyota does that as a part of their service. I went in to get my rental, and the guy told me that my driver's license had expired. Um, are you sure? Both this guy and Anthony gave me directions to DMV. They were way cool! Thank goodness! Anthony kept my car in the loop, so when I returned it would get fixed sooner.

Ran (actually drove the speed limit for the first time ever) to DMV, and I was pretty confident that I was going to cry and this was going to take forever and I would have to take the written portion again. With that, I sucked it up and told the lady that I was an idiot for not knowing that my driver's license had expired. She gave me a number. Thirty minutes later, my number was called. This was the quickest ever! I have waited in DMV for hours. I walked up to this lady, and I told her that I was idiot for letting my license expire. She died laughing, I think she even snorted. She thought it was funny that I didn't try to come up with an excuse (I didn't have one.). Twenty-eight dollars later, my license is renewed and I was on my way back to Toyota. Yippee! I was thankful that I wasn't trying to get onto a plane at this point.

Left Toyota, went to Mervyn's. As I tried on clothes, I sent pictures to my sis in D.C. for approval. I think I have determined that I am too short for long dresses. I need a dress that isn't too short. Yuck! I need one that hits a little bit above the knee. The dresses that were past my knee made me look short and frumpy. Maybe this is why I have stuck to nice dress pants. It makes me look taller. Instead of getting a dress with my gift certificates, I got cute shoes. :o) I am tired of wearing cute outfits with my running shoes. Yuck! I want to look somewhat normal. Hehehe I have been losing inches, so it was nice to pick up a 10 and put it on. If I keep working out, it will be interesting to see how many inches I lose. Maybe I will be a size 8 one of these days. A single digit is it possible? Stay tuned!!

Then I went to Target to take back Conner's bike, and get another one. The Target I went to was yuck, so I didn't use my b-day gift cards.

At this point, I went lunch with Jeremy were we discussed our next great adventure. We are going to complete the Everest Challenge in September. It is a 5K with an obstacle course at the end, then you complete the 5K again doing a scavenger hunt. We can't wait. :o)

Left Jer, and went to get a haircut. I needed it. It is much short now, it was growing out of control. I love it. The curls spring into action. Then I made the mistake of taking an hour nap. I thought a power nap would do me wonders, nope. I woke up, and I lost it on the phone with Jeremy. I was crying. He asked me if I had taken a nap, and I told him that I had for an hour. He just laughed. When I woke up further, he called me to tell me that an hour nap was not long enough. He knew I was exhausted, and I needed more.

All I really wanted to do today was go for a run. I went when the boys and Jeremy got home. It started out as a crappy run. My first few miles are my worst. It is also one of those mental games I have to play. I have to push myself through 2 miles, so I can get a good run in. It is crazy. I have always been this way, so it really wasn't a big surprise. I ended up doing a nice 5 miler. I am totally stoked because I was averaging about 11:30 miles. That is about a minute improvement. All my workouts are paying off. I think lifting weights and yoga have helped! Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, and the ideas. I am really lovin' the weights. The yoga is still growing on me.

Finally my 24lb body bar came today. I am waiting on two more b-day gifts. I am waiting on Cathe Freidrich's Core Max and Stretch Max.

Embarrassed

Yesterday, my grandmother told me some interesting news. Let me back up first. Back at Christmas time, my dad's cousin had an anurism (sp). Several veins exploded and such. When he went into surgery, he had had a massive stroke. He was on life support. My grandmother told me that they were going to pull the plug, and basically that would probably be the end. (I say probably because he would have had to defy all odds and breathe on his own.) I didn't hear anything else. I grieved, and prayed for my family. I really liked Larry, so it was a tough one.

Yesterday, my cousin Nelson asked my grandma about her nephew. Apparently, Larry had been a fighter and pulled through. He is still alive, and they told him last week that he would never speak again, etc. On Friday, Larry called my grandma. It is a miracle beyond miracles. The embarrassing part is that I didn't know this whole time. I have talked to my grandmother several times since this has happened, and not a single word was mentioned. I guess it is my bad because I didn't have the heart to ask her because she brings up grandpa, and well that is tough in itself. I am embarrassed that my friends prayed with me, and mourned with me and yet I was wrong. I am embarrassed that my family and I don't talk as much as I thought. I talk to my dad every day, but I guess I am so self-absorbed that I didn't think to mention it. Or life happened, and it never came up. I have no idea what happened. Jeremy was in shock as much as I was, so I am glad I wasn't alone in my lack of knowledge. However, I am totally embarrassed by it all.

To all those who prayed and mourned with me, thank you. I guess when we lifted Larry up in our prayers, the Lord gave him the ability to fight.

Did a Drill Max by Cathe Friedrich tonight! Wow, I didn't finish it because Jeremy and Conner came home from the movies. However, I was getting worked over. We shall see how I feel tomorrow!!

I Love Birthday Parties!!

My family came over today for a birthday get together. I had a really great time. Toby had gotten a hair cut this morning. He looks very cute. I also saw him laugh a ton. It is the most I have seen that kiddo laugh. It was adorable. He also loves Elmo. Hunter is getting stronger. I think he will be ready to roll over and sit up soon. He is an animal!! Cute as a button too. Hehehe Brodie is trying to pull himself up. He is trying to stay a step ahead of his cousin. I think he is also trying to catch his brother and Toby. Soon, very soon. My baby is getting too big. He also has 1 1/2 bottom teeth. :o)

I got some awesome gifts. Target gift cards, running socks, and some cut clothes.

I ate way too much, and I loved every moment of it. I think I am fully done with my sugar for a while. hehehe At least until tomorrow. Hopefully, I will have Jeremy take some pictures of the clothes, and all can see.

Also, I had a weight gain. I am totally ok with this because I ate way too much. I am Erin, and I love See's, Shari's Berries, and Jordan Almonds. hehehe

Finally, I am really annoyed with the Biggest Loser. I have seen a lot of crying, and not a whole lot of working out. Those girls are not helping their case by complaining about the low numbers that they can pull. Um, Alli pulled a 7 pound loss this week. Hard work pays off! Quit whining about everyone else, and focus on you! You are there for a reason, get your head in the right place. You won't lose any weight if you keep paying attention to everyone else!! Alright, I will step off my soap box now.

Hugs!

A Little Annoyed

As I sit here, I am a little annoyed. Probably more at my own stupidity, than at Jeremy. Let me back up. I went to a Junior College softball game to see three former softball players play tonight. I was lucky, and I was on my way home before Jeremy and the boys. I was in a hurry because I had a big workout that I wanted, yup I wanted to do it, to do. When Jeremy and I talked I asked him if I should go now before they got home, or wait until a little later tonight. Jeremy told me that he wasn't feeling well, but I could go later. Are you sure, I can hammer this bad boy out and be back probably about a half an hour after you get home? Yup, you can go later. Going against my gut, I didn't go. When they got home, I made sure that Conner had dinner while Jeremy rested. Then he asked if I would make him some dinner. At this point, I knew he didn't look good. I still had hope. I played a game with Conner, and I was mapping out my run when Jeremy came upstairs. He asked me if he could go to bed at 7. I am a horrible wife because in my mind I was screaming no because I wanted to get my run in, but I told him yes. He asked if I was mad. I told him that I was annoyed because I should have went when I told him I was going to go. Oh well! I am still a little annoyed with myself, but I have learned a valuable lesson. Go when you are ready to go.

My birthday was awesome! My kids sang happy birthday to me. It was fantastic. When the boys got home, I received Jordan Almonds from Brodie, Shari's Berries from Jeremy, and See's Candy from Conner. I was doing so well this week, and my birthday hit. Oh well!! I loved every moment of it. No, I did not throw out the See's Candy. In fact, I still have some left which is huge for me. Usually I eat the whole thing in one sitting. :o) I even had Shari's Berries left over to enjoy today. They were delicious!

For my birthday, I got Cathe Freidrich's Pyramid Upper Body and Pyramid Lower Body. I did the Upper Body this morning, and as I type I realize I am going to be sore. Hehehe It is worth it though because I really want to be physically in shape to keep up with my boys, my students, and my volleyball team. I've done the lower body pyramid before, and it also kicked my butt. Out of the two, my lower body is stronger. Anyway, I also got an eighteen pound weight bar and a twenty-four pound weight bar. Thanks to my lower body being stronger, I needed to get some weight that would challenge me. I also received Cathe Freidrich's Drill Max. I haven't done this one yet, but if it is anything like her others I will be worked out.

Eating...

• Olive oil is great with sourdough bread, and it is filling. I have been having some in the morning. After I made a big stink about the oil thing, I researched it a little more. I am working to do better on this aspect.


• Salads -- add a little Kashi GoLean Crunch to it. It is a great alternative to croutons and probably twenty times healthier. I did this by accident because I wanted something crunchy on my salad the other day.


• Water -- I have been drinking this in the car. I have a long commute, so I am able to get about four glasses in before I get to work. I seem to be more awake when I start my day with water versus soda. I am working on the moderation aspect of soda, but it isn't working too well for me. I have an addictive personality, and this is my vice.

Exercise...

• When lifting weights, I had to change from Gilad to Cathe Freidrich because he wasn't very challenging. Make the change if things are too easy. Shelly and Sam had to beat this into my head.


• If you can't get up early to get your workout in, do it at the next available minute. I have my clothes ready, so when I get home and have time I can hit the pavement.

Went for a run this afternoon. It was a four miler as my little plan told me to do. I decided to go exploring, and I was not disappointed. The weather was awesome, 70s. The downside, I am allergic to those stupid white flowers that grow on the trees before they become leaves. Yup, it sucks!! Anyway, I am on Flonase thanks to my previous sinus issues. I think that helped me get through the run without any problems. I saw an older woman, I am going to guess she was in her late 50s early 60s, anyway she use to be a marathoner. She told me that she was going to be out there running on this beautiful day after her dog enjoyed a nice walk. I really hope I am still running by that point.

Conner and Brodie took a bath together tonight. It was funny watching both the boys dancing to a song I made up. Brodie was splashing, and Conner was laughing. It was awesome!!

While the boys were bathing, Jeremy was working on a video update. We put these out to family every so often. I thought I would share this video update!

Nope, I Don't Like That

For dinner tonight, Jeremy made Boca burgers. I really thought I liked them, but I couldn't get it down. I took a few bites, but I really couldn't get past the smell. Interesting how my nose is the thing that causes me to not like a low point item. Jeremy asked me if I liked dinner, and I told him nope. I couldn't even come up with a lie. LOL It is horrible!!

Sam got me a cool necklace for my birthday. Papers to Pearls is the organization that she is working with in DC. It helps young girls and women in Uganda. I really hope I got that right. :o) It is beautiful!!!

Liz, my friend in France, and I talked this morning. They haven't sprung forward, so she is only 8 hours ahead of us. I called while she was in school. Some French lady answered, I think it was her answering machine or something. I don't speak French, so I have no idea!! hehehe She made fun of me because I thought D.C. or N. H. was the furthest that I was sending my survey. Um, France would be the furthest.

Jeremy and I overslept this morning. Thank goodness Brodie woke us up. I would have slept through my day. I also want to thank my parents for teaching me to take a quick shower. The "camping" showers came in handy this morning because I showered, got dressed, and was out the door in less than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, my lunch was sacrificed. I did have oatmeal at school. It forced me to come home earlier, but that didn't hurt my feelings.

I am working on getting my WW oil requirements in. I had a piece of sourdough bread with olive oil. Then Jeremy cooked a little bit of oil into the Boca burger. The sad news is that I barely ate the Boca burger, but I am full. Maybe that is totally a good thing. I thought for sure I was going to eat something else, but I didn't. hehehe

Laurie and I are taking Kyle and Conner to Disneyland in May. She wanted to go, and I really didn't mind going again. Hehehe We got it all planned. I really hope we have a great trip.

Tomorrow morning, I have a 4 mile run. I got it planned out, so hopefully I will be good to go. With getting up early, I am going to bed soon.

Happy Trails!!

Grossed Out...

...we went to Logan's Roadhouse for my birthday dinner today. I thought it would be better to go today than on Wednesday night. Anyway, I really wanted a good steak kebab. We got a three thingy appetizer. We chose potato wedges, onion ringy thingys, and buffalo chicken tenders. It came, and it was wrong so they took it back. Take two. Jeremy and Conner went to the restroom, so I started eating the tenders because that is what I really wanted. Thank goodness I use a knife and fork on everything. I had a bite, it tasted ok. I cut another piece, and I noticed that it looked funny. I took a closer look, and the chicken wasn't cooked all the way. In fact, it looked a little frozen. I lost my appetite. I told the waitress, and she was grossed out. Then she told the manager. The manager didn't even come to our table to say I am sorry. They took off two dollars off the appetizer. Great, that doesn't cover the fact that I don't want to eat the rest of my meal. She kept trying to get us to get more and take them home. I finally told her that I wouldn't eat them even if she told us to take them home. I was grossed out. I am still grossed out, and it makes my tummy crawl. GGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrr!!!

We saw the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and it was awesome! Not as good as Jersey Boys, but good enough!!

Jeremy and I tried a Boca burger last night, and it was yummy. I am actually pretty impressed.

Now, I need to figure out how to get good oils into my day. :o) I have a lot of great ideas, so we shall see.

Happy Trails!!

What a Day!!

Today was an interesting one. Hehehe I don't actually believe in boring days, thank goodness life doesn't let me have boring days.

Where, oh where do I begin?

I am teaching Night to my freshmen, and it has been really tough. When I read a novel, I get consumed by the novel. This novel, if you haven't read it, is very emotional. I have to say for how emotionally invested I am getting, my kids are too. My fourth period was having a tough time understand the whole idea of the freight train scene, and then the "reception" area. Because of this, I put them in a corner. The corner has my heating unit which was on. I made them stand there tight, one right next to the other. I stood on a desk, and I was talking to them very loudly almost shouting. I held my plastic bat for further emphasis. After a couple of minutes, I shouted at them to separate themselves. Girls on the right, boys on the left. I went through one by one and asked them their age, health, and occupation. Based upon this, I put them in different areas of the classroom. Ultimately, I put the "farmers" in the middle of the room because they were my laborers and they were fairly safe. My "specialists" then had to put the old, young, and weak to death. They pushed them outside. When the "specialists" were no longer needed, I put them to death. It was very, very effective. They were in shock, and the reality of what was going on in the novel really hit home. We also had the opportunity to talk about God. This novel is very heavy in religion, and it was interesting to hear what the students had to say. I was so sad that the class this took place in was only an hour long. My kids were totally into it. It was crazy.

My other freshmen are reading this as well, and we are at various spots in the novel. I have a ton of transparencies (pictures) to drive the point home.

Tonight was Freshmen orientation. I volunteered to be the English representative. I teach primarily freshmen, so I thought it would be awesome to go. I also knew quite a few of the incoming Frosh because I taught at the middle school. It was nice to see my students. I got lots of hugs. I also got to see various parents. A few were upset that I was not teaching Honors because they loved how I pushed their kid to the next level. It really made me feel good. I have been have a little bit of a hard time because I am not quite confident in what I am teaching yet. I am having to learn like my students, so I don't feel a hundred percent confident that I am pushing them to the next level.

I also want to thank all of those who gave me compliments on my picture from a couple of days ago. I do feel great, and I know that is my driving force. When I started feeling confident in me, and how I looked the weight seemed to fall off. Most likely because I paid better attention to how I was fueling my body because I felt great. My students have also noticed a change in how energetic I have been during class. They said at the beginning of the year, I seemed like I was dragging by the end of the day. My last period is impressed by how much energy I put into their class. :o) They also like the fact that I am smiling more.

Also, I got the results from my skin biopsy. I hope I spelled that right. What ever it was, was benign. Woo hoo!! That was such a relief!! Whether I wanted to admit it or not, I was freaking out. I am one who deals with things head on, and I was having a hard time with everything. I think the fact that I have two young children, and I lost my aunt at a young age really made things hard. I know that I may seem a little secretive by what I mean, but I didn't want to miss out. I really didn't want to miss out on my boys growing up. I love Jeremy to death, and I couldn't imagine him being alone. I know that is a little over the top, but these were the things going through my mind. I know when the good Lord wants to call me home, I am going home. I have always maintained that, but I wasn't ready. Isn't that pretty darn pathetic. Anyway, that is where my mind has been. I am probably going to be chastized over this, but honesty and putting out there is what I am all about. I guess as my freshmen and I were discussing faith today, everything came to a head.

As for the jealousy thing, I tend to jump to that conclusion so that I can deal with the issues better. I need to be able to surrender what is bothering me instead of it eating me up inside. I was annoyed everytime I read this persons posts, and I really couldn't come up with a good reason why. I honestly don't want it to get in the way of a potential friendship. I am sure people get annoyed with me, so I figure I better open myself up and let it out there so I can get to the heart of the problem!! Do I really think it is jealousy? Nope, I am not sure what is going on. I really need to be happy for others. I think that is what I came up with. I am pretty impressed with a lot of my WW buddies, and I am proud as heck.

As for my WW challenges, I am trying to get the competitive edge back. I know for me, I am really competitive. I don't like to lose, and I get discouraged when people don't care and don't report and leave their team hanging. I know that is why I wanted be a single car. I didn't want to get angry at people for not reporting their stuff. When I was on a team with my good friend Shelly, I felt like our team let us down. We were working so darned hard to survive, and we were losing. It didn't motivate our team members to work hard, they continued to not report their stuff. It was very, very frustrating. As a single car, I am trying to get the highest score possible. In fact, I am secretly competing with Shelly. I guess it is not so secret right now. I am determined to get the highest score possible, and compete with the teams. Now, if my driver would help me out and win the pole and a race that would be great. Note to self: Call Elliot Sadler and tell him my needs and wants. Hehehe

With that I leave you, Happy Trails!

Er,...

...it should say I am special because I have not looked at her successes as a good thing. I should be proud of her, and not annoyed. I am having a moment. Thank goodness I am getting ready to go to bed.

Realizations

Alright, confession time. I have been slightly annoyed by a person lately. She has been losing weight, and I am not sure why I am so jealous. Anyway, I have had a come to Jesus moment because she has lost 66 pounds. Wow, that is two of Conner. I should be totally proud of her. I am so very special!!

Went for a beautiful run today. I went really light because I donated blood this morning. I got the ok to go short, and not over do it. If I felt myself getting light-headed, I was suppose to stop.

Blood donating was great. I am quite the sap. My blood was really needed for our military folk. It made me feel like I was doing something good. While I was sitting there, the nurse took my resting pulse. Apparently, my resting pulse was 60. LOL Funny, I just went on a brisk walk around the campus. I must be getting into shape. Woot, woot!!

Obviously today, I needed to eat more. Other than that, I have been spreading my meals out. Because of this, I have been munching much less!!

My goal this week is to beat last weeks points on my WW NASCAR board!! :o) I had 115 last week, so we shall see what kind of damage I can do.

Happy Trails!

Exhaustion has set in...

...so I am going to keep this short and sweet.

The Muse family had a blast at Disneyland. We got there at 10pm, and Conner was up by 6:30. He was opening the curtains to check the weather and to see if he could see Disneyland from our hotel. He could not, but he was ready to go. He rode a ton of rides...space moutain, thunder mountain, buzz lightyear, nemo, alice in wonderland, and soarin' to name a few. Brodie went on most, but he couldn't do the big ones.

We ate like Kings (and Queen)...carmel corn, caramel apples with nuts, cookies, etc. It was a delicious affair!! We walked a ton, so I am a bit sore.

A question to ponder for those out there...what is a weight watcher/diet/healthy lifestyle question that you have pondered.

Happy Trails!!