Snow Day!

We had our first official snow day today.   I know, those from Baltimore to Maine have had so much snow they'd probably like to smack me, but all the storms to date have skipped right over us.    It started with sleet for about 30 minutes then changed to heavy, wet snow.  

That's not good.   Took my son 6 hours to come home about 20 miles.   I was shoveling a couple of times during the evening so that I wouldn't hurt myself with heavy snow, and around 9 got a light show that was fantastic.    Unfortunately, along with the wires that kept falling around the neighborhood, mostly telephone and cable, ot electric, when 4 transformers blew at once, the sky was a wonderful blue/violet for almost a minute.    During all this, my wonderful maple treel dropped a few branches that made me sad, but didn't take my lines out for which I was happy. 

So I gathered up the flashlights, lanterns and candles, looked at my family and announced 9:30 was a good time to go to bed since there was no power.

5 am this morning my phone rang, to tell me school was closed for the day.  Great!   Except I had a meeting with architects at noon and ther were coming from out of town.   Still no power, so I went to work at 7, talked to the poor guys who had been there for 24 hours and were keeping the roads clean, and emailed the guy I was meeting to tel lhim the campus was closed, but if he still wanted to come, I'd meet him at noon.   He said he was here anyway, so lets do it.   So, I went home to shower and get out of my south park sweatshirt, because I didn't think that would be appropriate meeting attire, and then came back at 10:30 (because I still had no power and the house was 59 degrees).    The cats were grumpy with me and my DS and DH were out driving around to see how much damage there was.  

Today I revived my camping skills and dug out the old coffee pot and put it on the outdoor grill.  I went to a real restaurant for a late lunch because we still didn't have power.   And we talked about getting a generator for these types of things.

Dominion Virginia did an excellent job of getting power up as quickly as possible.    I mean really people, when there are over 112,000 places without power, trees are down on lines and across the road, and stupid car drivers abandon their ill equped vehicles in the middle of the street what do you expect these poor guys to do?    The bucket trucks couldn't "lift" until there was no wind, because a guy falling out of his bucket sure is gonna delay your repair, and I don't see anyone else volunteering to stand out there in the weather to watch.    So Hats off to The Linemen and others out there.

Stanley and Jack had different takes on the day.

National Peanut Butter Day and Dr. Oz 11 Week Program

No, they really don't have anything to do with each other.   Happy national Peanut Butter Day!

A week or so ago, I happened to catch Dr. Oz and saw his 11 week challenge.  I thought why not.   I have really gone off the exercise wagon.   My boys bought me a wii balance board for christmas (hints?) since I hadn't done that yet, and my eating habits really hit rock bottom.

I can do 11 weeks.   but it has been slow.   So my plan to to do an up date every Monday.   Hopefully this will keep me extra motivated and honest.   I put all my stats in the Dr. Oz program and have been for the most part tracking my eating all day.   I'm way over my calorie intake v exercise output.   And I got in a horrible habit of having a cherry coke every day.  NO MORE.    At the same time I had put my stats in the wii for tracking, and last night, after one week, I checked my progress.   My BMI is up, my weight is up, and my "real age" went up 11 years.   While I immediately declared that I hate the wii of course that isn't true.  It isn't a machine's fault I got extra lazy.    Fortunately, the rest of the parts for the treadmill came Friday so it is now up and running.   We've got to walk only on it for the next week and make the final tweeks in the belt to be sure it's safe.

I also am reading the CLEAN book, haven't started on it yet, but that will come by next weekend.   I'm not sure that I want to juice quite so much, I already get my fruit and some veggies in the morning with my smoothie, which fills me up until lunch.    The CLEAN program says to eat food for lunch, and drink breakfast and dinner.   I also am suppose to give up coffee, soda, sweets, all the rest.   I'm not yet ready to give up coffee, and since I drink it black and it is suppose to be good for you, think I'll stick with it.   I've been getting the Clean Eating magazine so will be making more out of that.    My bigged problem at work seems to be snacking in the afternoons, so I may keep my morning smoothie, have a really light lunch, and then have a green smoothie inthe afternoon, I'll see if I can't make it up inthe moring and then freeze it at work until I'm ready for it.   A normal dinner, and I rarely have anything to eat after dinner.  I do enjoy a nice hot mug of international coffee french vanilla at night which I'm also going to keep up with at least through the winter.   In the summer I'm not so interested in a hot beverage in the evenings.   

This morning I got a mile in on the treadmill in about 35 minutes, since I gotta keep the speed down this week, the belt did bind up once, so it still needs tweeking.  I'll do at least 30 minutes on the wii balance program tonight.   I'm drinking my fruit smoothie (strawberries, blueberries, banana, 3 cubes of frozen juiced veggies (beet, apple, carrot, turnip) flax seed and homemake plain yogurt.    And I brought portion controlled snack and lunch.

GO ME!

Cold

Oh my.    I'm not planning on going anywhere today, and it is my usual market day.    But as I sit here typing, it is 14 degrees outside.  Fahrenheit.     The cold air from the mid-west has arrived on the east coast.   I don't know how cold it is up north, probably worse because they got snow, and I've decided not to watch the weather reports anymore.    They don't know for sure, and the snow/sleet/whatever always seems to miss is, or turn to rain, and that just makes me sad.     So, my new plan is to check the thermometer every morning, since it doesn't care about the temp at the three airports in my area, and I call look at the weather rock to see if it is wet to know if there is rain.    And really, does it matter if it rains during the day?    I don't have an outside job so I don't have to dress for that.    And I don't use umbrellas so I don't need to worry about forgetting mine.   We'll see how this works.

Oh, on the menu this week:
 Sunday:   Chili
Monday:  Honey Cranberry Chicken, pasta, brus. sprouts
Tuesday:  French toast w/cherry citrus topping
Wednesday:  leftovers
Thursday:  Roast, rice, beans
Friday:  Roast beef sandwich with havarti dill cheese and onions
Saturday:  Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and salad

And Friday I used my new travel mug, I got one for each kid for christmas.    I didn't think it kept my coffee warm long enough, although one DS that I asked said it keeps his warm all the way to work.   I actualy figured something out, did a swatch, and this is what I got.

I may make a few adjustments and do it again, but it took about 2 hours, i used yarn I had two strands, one a green the other a sock yarn and I'm quite pleased.

Miscellaneous

Go visit Norma's blog.   If I was more clever I'd say go to this and there would be this great little link you could go to.   But I'm not that clever.    I'm still trying to figure out all the tricks to my cell phone.   It will break before I get around to it. 

Time.   Why is it that there never seems to be enough?   And it isn't as if I'm over scheduled.   I don't have kids at home anymore, so I'm worrying about dinner, homework, sports practices, brownies, etc.   It's me, DH and on DS.   I'm better about cleaning and picking up, but not terribly better.   I do have time for me now, but I still seem to put off doing those things that should be done.

I've known for three weeks, DH and I had an appointment today with the investment guy.   I have done no preparation.  Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.    I know better than that.    I have knitting to be done.   I have exercising to be done.

Oh yeah, set up the wii and balance board finally.   I actually felt pretty good when I was done so I need to be sure to keep that up.   I signed up for Dr. OZs 11 week challenge thing.   After putting my food consumption in for two days, I got really depressed, and stopped.   Gotta get back on that.   I really thought I ate well.   BOY was I mistaken.  Will have to set a new food schedule up this weekend.    I have the CLEAN book, kinda play with it a little, now is the time to be serious.  it is only 21 days right?    And even if I just do 7 that is better than none.    Right?    The biggest problem I have with the food is there is a lot of fish.   I don't eat fish.    I can eat chicken, and salad.    Not fish.   Or raw tomatoes.  

Off to find my book and make a list. 
 

Ten on Wednesday - Winter

Okay, should have been Tuesday, but there you go.     So, what exactly is so great about winter?   I was thinking about that yesterday as the roads, sidewalks and trees were covered in ice.   It was only about half an inch, and certainly not as bad as other places, and oh so pretty to look at.


1.  Snow.   A precipitation in the form of ice crystals.    I love the snow.   I we had more of it, I might not love it so much, but we get little every year and I always want more.   Even last year when we had three huge storms in two months, I hadn't had enough.   The cats of course had enough after the first one, they didn't get to go outside for about 6 weeks, until it melted enough for them to walk across the yard without sinking over their head.

2.  Ice.   Well that's a bad thing, but ever so pretty.    Not so great when you're walking and it drips on your head from the trees and power lines above.   And falling icicles are dangerous.   But pretty.

3.   Cold.   I don't care for the cold, but have learned to adjust.   I wear long johns all winter long, and well into spring.   I wear thick socks, my hats and gloves and do just fine.  But if it is going to be cold there needs to be snow.

4.  Winter a noun.   The colder half of the year.

5.  Quiet.    After the storm the world is so quiet.  I love just standing on the porch for a few minutes and listening to the nothingness that is after a winter storm.

6.  Slush.   yeah, not so great, especially if you live in the city, where they plow what they can, the stores shovel snow into the gutters, the drains get clogged and then you have icy puddles to walk through because they are always worst at the intersections, that have been shoveled for you to walk, but drains haven't been cleared.   THAT is nasty.

7.  Slippery.   See Ice and slush above.   Not always so fun unless you have on ice skates and are doing it on purpose.

8.   Sunshine.   The sun always shines extra bright after the storm.

9.     Snow days.   Sometimes a blessing (if you don't have small children in school) and you can stay home from work and get paid for it.    Sometimes not a blessing (if you do have small children home from school) and you have to use vacation days or no pay days to not go to work.


10.  Fact I didn't know.   There is not a law of nature thatprohibits two snow flakes from being the same.

Lessons of Life

No, not  knitting, although that is moving right along, and while I'd hoped to have pictures today, no.   Not yet.

This life lesson is being experienced by DS.    He is coaching a youth basketball league through our church.   Not sure why they asked him, except he is a youth group leader, but he isn't a dad, he doesn't even play basketball.   Lacrosse was his sport.   But he willingly said okay, I'll figure it out (because that is what I end up saying all the time).     His little group of 6 boys, the smalles group in the league, only had two practices together before their first game.   He channeled his inner Coach P from high school lax days.   Coach P was a force to be reconed with.  Big dude.  Loud dude.  Slave driver dude.   But he did care and everyone knew it, and he got results.    So with that in mind, DS made practice fun, but fundamental.   Lots of drills, strategy and game plays.    

This is a league that doesn't keep score.    It is one of those feel good leagues.   And yes, they have their place in life, and I guess for a chruch event, it is a good thing.   But totally foreign to my family.   No score?   Harumph.   But we move on.    The first game, his team won 6 - 2 (even though there is no official score) you know the boys and parents know who is ahead.   He was very pleased with his boys, but a bit frustrated by the refs.   Who once it was apparent that one team was better than the other, started calling odd things on DS team and letting things slide for the other team.

DS is not a very patient person.   And he has a definite sense of right and wrong.   Something I'd like to think we fostered in all our kids.   So, his frustration level was pretty high at the end of the night.   But he channeled his inner adultness and told his boys they did a great job, he was very proud of them and they did everything right.   (Thanks Coach P).    Game two was worse.   Score (that isn't really kept) was 12 - 2.   And the refs were even harder on the team.    They didn't talk to DS after the first break, but did tell the boys that they weren't allowed to do lay ups anymore.   So DS was pissed that the refs won't even talk to him, and that the are changing the rules for his team.   

He studied the rule book for this league, he makes sure that he is following the rules (right and wrong issues here), he is learning how to coach and control his temper, which is a biggie for this one.    But he's right.   Unfortunately for the refs and the other teams, he is also a tricky one.   So, he has already formed his practice stragety for this week.    His boys won't be doing layups anymore, and I don't even think they were practicing them, but I can guarantee that they will be better than last week in their strategy and game.  

I have a feeling that I'm going to have to start going to these games just to be sure he doesn't do something "inappropriate".     I'm proud of my boy, I've raised him well.   But I also know that there comes a point when he just can't control his temper anymore.    He can be pretty frightening cuz his a big guy, but one thing I do know, is that if I stand within his sight, he will bite his tongue lest mine starts.  And I'm thinking those boys of his need an extra cheering section.

Magic Masseuse

Hand held massager.    Oooo, that sounds kinda dirty, doesn't it?

Naw. 

DD and I went to a health expo today that is sponsored by a local news station.   Every year I say I want to go, and then I don't.   So we did.   We thought that there will be nutritionists available, since there are doctors and nurses doing screening.   And really, we just want to start eating a little better, exercising more, you know, doing all the things you know you need to do anyway.

After all, the blood mobile is there.   There are childrens healthy games, a walking track, some exercise companies are there, and the like.   A few cooking demonstrations, exercise equipment to try out.  But really what  we found was a lot of advetisers there.   With phamplets and videos, a few selling stuff, like the weighted hulu hoop which sounded like a great idea, but not for 40 bucks.   The diets to go people and a lot of groups selling supplements, and their particular nutrition bars. 

All the major associatios were there, Avon walk, diabetes assn. and walk group, heart association.    There was a place where you could get screened for illnesses.   Didn't stand in that line.   As DD said, it seemed like most of the people there were trying to get some free health screening.    And it may be the only time they've ever been checked for high blood pressure or diabetes, so that's all good.  

But I don't want to take a ton of supplements or protein powders or special bars.    I want the real deal.   Well, I did sign up to win a freezer full of food along with the freezer.    Oh, and a new car.    WHo could resist the opportunity to win a fee car?

However, I walked by the Magic Masseuse.   They had free demos and I thought, why not.    O.M.G.   I was hooked even before the demo was over.    I have rocks in my shoulders most of the time.   No matter how many massages, hot rocks, rubs, drugs, or whatever, I can't get rid of them.   I can keep them under control for the most part, but every once in a while they make me truly cry.   I now have little pads to put on them, that will send electricity through my muscles and relax them.   It is battery operated, or you can hook it up to your lap top and it will run through that while you surf the web.     I didn't even blink at the price (and I'm really on a spending diet right now).   I gladly forked the money over.   

Of course now that I've read all the stuff, I'll need to replace the pad things every three or four months, but even still.    The cost of this thing is less than two hours with my masseuse (who I dearly love and will be seeing next Saturday morning).   So, I'm off now to knit for awhile, watch a chick flick and get magic masseused.

Eye Candy Friday

This was our yard last winter about this time.

This year the snow seems to be doing everything it can to miss us.   We get the cold.   And the wind.    But the snow that came all the way up from Georgia, either splits and goes around us, so that everyone 50 miles east, west, north and south of us gets it, or it stops as  it  passes by.   What is up with that?

I was reminded though yesterday, that it is still early January, and we get our worse snows in February.   And I have seen snow here in April (although at was just flurries).   That was when two of my kids were playing lacrosse.   The boys coach cancelled practice after about 1/2 and hour because it was too cold.   Please, those boys wear lots of protection padding.   

My daughter's coach  said that they were not a bunch of wimps and practice was 9 -12 and by gum they were  practicing.    They even got to make snow balls and toss those with their sticks.    Is it any wonder while my son's team did okay that year, my daughter's  team crushed every other team they played?    It was actually embarassing.   For a few games, after half time, the coach would have all the girls switch positions and play something totally foreign to them.   They still beat the socks off the other team.   By the end of the season, it almost wasn't fun to watch them play anymore.

National Bittersweet Chocolate Day

chocolate,   yummy!    Since the snow seems to be planning on passing us by yet again, doesn't mean I can't sit in my comfy chair and enjoy some chocolate does it?   Maybe hot chocolate, chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream?    Well, maybe not quite that much chocolate.  

Got a pair of socks almost done, am decreasing the toes now, going to try and complete tonight or in the morning.    I'm finding my knitting mojo coming back, and it seems to be most happy in the morning so I'm going with it.   because really, does it matter if you knit at night until 11 or go to bed at 9 and then get up at 5 to knit for a couple of hours?

Stay warm today, we're gonna have a hard time doing that and I'm layerd up - wear your snow jammies tonight and do a snow dance for me.

Sunday!

In my new me mode, where I am focusing on me for 2011 to get the balance I so richly deserve - when life doesn't throw me a curve ball, which seems to happen weekly, sometimes daily.    I have declared Sunday to be the day that I sorta get to do what I want.   If I can ever reprogram myself to not go to the market on Sunday morning, which is really the very best time as it isn't crowded with rudeass shoppers and screaming, ill behaved children, Then I won't have to leave the house if I don't want to.    It is the day that I get my laundry finished up for the week, and actually try and get a weeks worth of work clothes laid out.    I know, sounds kinda ocdish doesn't it?   But really, when I just gave in to all the suggestions and did it,  first the night before, now I do more at a time it makes getting dressed in the morning ever so much easier.    I don't have to think about it, and if I decide I don't want to wear "this" then "that" is already to go instead.  

So today, because it  is ever so cold outside, even with the sun shining, I am getting ready to sit in my comfy chair and knit for an hour and watch some cooking/crafting type shows.   Yogurt is in the cooker, laundry is a work in progress.   the only thing demanding my immediate attention is a cat who either wants to come in or go out.   And they can't get on the same schedule.   So I'm going up and down the steps a lot, but that is exercise, yes?

Knit on, pictures better be ready by the end of this week or I"m toast on a couple of things.

Eye Candy Friday

Keep your fingers crossed for more

10 on Thursday

I know.   Most people do 10 on Tuesday, but I couldn't think on Tuesday, and then I couldn't apparently yesterday either, so there you go.    I should have a theme.   We will try 10 things I know today that I didn't know last week:

1.   I should never ever ever again tell my boss that I don't have enough to do.  Never.

2.   I have no idea how to write a policy manual from scratch.   No old one.   No half assed one that someone else started.    Nada.

3.   While I do know a little bit about vehicles, I never thought I would make a good Fleet Manager/Transportation Administraor.   Well, my boss fooled me.    Apparently I will make a most excellent one with over 100 vehicles to keep track of.

4.   The accounting department where I work sucks.   Well, I knew that.   But I didn't know exactly how bad until today.    I also didn't know how much someone neglected to tell me when they were suppose to give me ALL the information during the transfer.    I guess I should be glad it's only 6 months worth of invoices huh. Fortunately for them I don't tattle, or haven't to date and this was just a number in a long list of things neglected to tell me.    Unfortunately for said person, I ain't quitting.

5.   Dinner Monday was gross.     You have to try new recipies, and I did.   I had such high hopes for it.

6.   My DS the new basketball coach for a church youth league is lovin' his new volunteer job.   Really loving it.    I think we will go to his first game this weekend.   And I don't like basketball, and was ever so glad he didn't get into that sport. 

7.    I'm tired of my knitting projets and want to start something new.   I always want to start something new but these are for someone else and I gotta get them done.    Sunday night.   Watch for them.   They'd better be posted here before I go to bed or else.

8.   Or else what?   I'm gonna slap myself?  

Okay, 8 is all I got, and even that's pretty thin.    So, I'll go do laundry, eat dinner and get one project finished.   After all one of them is only closing up the toes of socks that are already done.   really.   I need to get crackin.

Food for the Week

Okay, so let's try something new - we'll see how long I can keep it up.    Sundays will now be for posting the menu for the week.  Simple, easy to accomplish and since I've struggled with this for a long time even though I know that my grocery bill is more managable with a planned menu, we eat better and I have enough for lunches, still I don't.

Sunday:   Chicken and Corn Chili in the crock
Monday:  Mile high shredded beef sandwich
Tuesday:  Chrckpot Tuscan Pasta
Wednesday:   Skillet chicken florentine
Thursday:  Cozy crock comfort
Friday:  Burger vegetable soup
Saturday:  Chicken Parmesan in in the CP

A New Year and my Kitchen Floor

So many possibilities.  So little time.  Isn't it odd how you look forward to each new morning, weekend, week, month, year?  You have expectations, all the things you want to do, see, accomplish  .  .  .  then all of a sudden that time is over.

You wake up each morning and say I'm going to do this today.  Then by thend of the day, nada.  I finally learned not to plan too much of aything specific especially on the weekends, because that seems to sabotoge my entire day.  I have a general idea of what I want to do, and even will set the timer for 15 minutes and get started.   Sometimes when the timer goes off I quit and never go back, sometimes I keep going.  Depends on how much fun I'm having and seeing how much I accomplished.  And sometimes I'm done. 

I've tried all the tricks, make a reasonable list, put all the tasks in a bowl and pick one at a time.  Nope, can't seem to get it done.  I've discovered that if I PLAN to get something done, I don't do it.  Once I declared over a long weekend that I was going to clean the basement.  I'd like to paint the walls in the laundry room, but it needs cleaned out first.   I had three days and no other plans.   You know what I did?   I took every window of out  my house and washed it.  Then scrubbed the window sills.   I had lived in my house 20 years and had never washed my windows.   I decided I really must not have wanted to clean my basement. 

I joined Flylady 7 years ago.  While she has helped me a lot, I still seem to procrastinate a lot and must now think that perhaps I am a perfectionsit and just don't know it.   That is a little hard to wrap my head around, because while I'm not  lazy, I sure would have never thought I had a perfectionst problem.   That would be my sister.   But maybe we just show it in different ways.   So, while things are still in a state of disarray and I don't get everything accomplished that I think I should, I must say that the house looks 60% better than it use to, most of the time, and I'm less stressed about it and people dropping by.  When I gt a habit down, I seem to be able to stick with it better, so I guess the answer here is to pick one new routine/habit a month or two and stick with it until it is automatic.  Doh.  That's what Flylady says to do, why don't I just listen to her?

So, for all the things that I wanted to get accomplished this week while I was not working, I am going to let them go now.  I will make this weekend a "normal" weekend and not look at it as the end of wasted time off because it really wasn't wasted.  I kept the house clean during Christmas, we had all the kids home for most of the time.  There wasn't too muc drama, there was food for every meal and no one both a bloody nose or their feelings hurt.  Everyone is back here they are suppose to be and we survived New Years Eve.  And while I didn't go visit my mother as I have planned to do all month, I am relaxed.   I'm not feeling tired, stressed out or overwhelmed.   I'm content.

So, on this first day of the new year, I am going to change my attitude and game plan.  Instead of resolutions, which I don't keep anyway and find rather stresful and silly, I will start a monthly goal.   And every month I will either recommit to my previous montly goal or add another one.  January is the goal of keeping my kitchen floor clean.  I am good with the counters and sink and table.   They are always wiped down, dishes in the dishwasher and emptied in a timely manner, but for some reason my dirty little secret is my kitchen floor.  Your feet won't stick to it, but still, it is white.  It truly needs to be swept and mopped every night.  It doesn't take long, it isn't that big.   I have stickers out the wazoo, so every night I will get a sticker for my kitchen floor being cleaned.   I will count my success days at the end of the month and we will see just how well I did. 

February, maybe we'll try for two new habits.

Apparently, the cats snuck out last night and had a party.

So happy new year to everyone, and rock on!