Weigh-In Wednesday-Just as I Suspected

After semi taking the week off plan to travel and basically just east like shit, I gained 1.2 lbs.  I'm not surprised and kind of relieved that it wasn't higher.

On to this week.  I am going to mix it up a little and go for a BIG loss next week. My plan:

• Eat Jenny meals 3 times per day
• Eat 1-2 vegetable servings per day depending on meals and volumizing
• Limit to 1 fruit per day (bananas equal 2 fruits)
• Do not eat "free foods"
• Eat my salad with dinner most days (to keep me filled up at night)
• Limit to 1 "milk" serving per day
• Do not eat Jenny Craig desserts, instead eat lower calorie and more filling 65 calorie pudding cup and 100 calorie Slim Fast bar or calorie pack cookies and save them for late night when my cravings kick in
• Drown myself in water
• Exercise a minimum of 4 times for as long as I can stand it (taking Fibro pain into account)

 So I'm feeling like I can do this with the above strategy.  The only speed bump on this week's horizon is the hubby's birthday on Monday and going out to dinner.  I plan to make smart choices.

What are your weight loss/fitness goals for the week?  Do you have any tips to share with me?

I'm Back and BYOC

I'm back from my weekend trip to Ohio.  Pat Benatar still rocks it out at 58!  My husband was like one of those screeching girls you see footage of watching The Beatles.  He went to get something to drink and came back 30 minutes later with a $30 freaking dollar Pat Benatar t-shirt.  Of course I immediately asked him where he would wear it and he just looked at me. 

Let's do BYOC courtesy of Draz and then I'll go catch up on all of your blogs posts from the past 3 days.

BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy – 5 little questions you can copy and paste to your own blog in an effort to get to know your fellow bloggers better and to give your blogging brain a break.

Enjoy!

1. What is your blog theme and how did you pick your blog name?

My blog theme was supposed to be weight loss.  However, once I began blogging I found myself blogging about all sorts of things.  I'm not very creative-I'm fat and live in the suburbs.

2. Repeat question: I’m going to name a person not knowing anything about this person in your life or even if they exist and you need to try to describe them in five words/phrases.

Female neighbor two homes/doors down to the left

I have no clue.  Never met her.

3. Which do you hate more? Spiders or snakes. Elliptical or treadmill. Hannah Montana or Lindsay Lohan.

Tie for both spiders and snakes.  Tie for elliptical and treadmill.  Tie for Hannah Montana and Lindsay Lohan.  All 6 choices suck in my opinion.  Snakes and spiders are creepy.  Exercise equipment is the devil and Hannah Montana has a super annoying voice and Linsday Lohan is a trainwreck.

4. Completely selfish question…I need a dress for Chicago…keep in mind I live in Podunk so the options of physically going into a vast array of stores is VERY limited. (thank God for the internet) When you need something fancy/a dress – what is your go to store and why?

Well, if you can get past the fact that the store is called DRESS BARN they have really cute dresses.  I also like Macy's.

5. Repeat question: How was your week in blog land and in real life?

Blogland has been great.  Jen finished my new design and I love it to pieces, I picked up a few new followers (waving hello) and found some new blogs to follow.  I received a lot of support about my lack of weight loss and I appreciate it more than I can accurately convey in this post.

Real life has been hectic with school starting and getting mini-me in the swing of doing homework and being organized. The trip to Ohio went well and we accomplished our mission.

On the Road Again

I'm heading to Ohio for the weekend.  I'm going to see Pat Benatar and my wonderful family.  I'll be back on Sunday night.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

In Which Case My Head Explodes

Well, it's that time again.  Weekly WI at Jenny Craig.  Today I actually showed a .4 lb GAIN.  Yes, I said GAIN.  My head exploded.

Instead of committing long term I chose the 6 weeks for 36.00 plan.  I am giving this 6 more weeks in which I will stay on plan, make good choices when necessary and steadily increase my activity level.  I'm not sure what my goal for this 6 weeks is.  I need to think on that.

I'm screwed this week though due to traveling for 3 days.  I just have to make the best choices I can and hope the damage doesn't set me back too far.

My JCC did consult with nutrition in preparation for today's appointment and they obviously said that my Fibromyalgia and associated medicines and early menopause certainly hinder weight loss but it is doable albeit at a slow pace.  I just wonder if I can do this on myown and manage to lose .4 lbs a week.  Like I said  Ihave some decisions to make.

Peace out my blogging peeps and have a fantastic day.

True Confession Tuesday

 Here we go...

I confess...I am totally sucked in to the stupid show Bachelor Pad.  I sit mindlessly for 2 whole hours watching it every Monday night.

I confess...Out of the 5 days that mini-me has been in middle school, I have lost my mind on her twice in the mornings because she is so damn moody.

I confess...I binged last night on pretzel rods.  I estimated about 300 calories for this binge when entering it into SparkPeople.

I confess...I am totally addicted to SparkPeople and earning points.  Honestly the points mean nothing to me but the fact that I can earn them daily motivates me.

I confess...I am really looking forward to seeing Pat Benatar on Friday night even though I act all 'meh' about it to my hubby.  You see the hubby absolutely adores beyond measure Pat Benatar.  He met her at a book signing and tripped all over himself trying to talk to her.  It's pathetic really how much he idolizes her.  I'm not jealous at all.

I confess...I am actually jealous of the way hubby adores Pat Benatar, okay?  Okay.

I confess...I am totally dreading the 10 freaking long ass hour drive to and from Ohio this weekend.  10 freaking hours people.

I confess....This is a repeat but if I don't lose actual pounds at my weigh in tomorrow my head will likely explode all over the Jenny Craig Center in which case I'll miss the Pat Benatar concert because, well, I'll have no head.

What do you confess this fine Tuesday?

Come Monday

It'll be alright (Jimmy Buffet).  I wish I was on a tropical island or on a boat out in the gulf or at least at a Jimmy Buffet concert.  I hate Mondays.  I especially hate Mondays now that mini-me is back in school.  Today happens to be picture day, on a Monday for fooks sake.  It's hard enough getting her out of bed and motivated but the added stress of picture day perfection pushed me over the edge and I ended up yelling at her.  *sigh*

This is going to be a long week for me.  We decided to take a long weekend and go home to Ohio Friday through Sunday.  That's 10long hours, in the car, each way.  The good news is that we are going to see Pat Benatar Friday night and then I get to see my family on Saturday and Sunday morning while the hubby takes care of some family business on his side.  The bad news is that I will be forced to do meals on my own, off of Jenny Craig, for the majority of the weekend.  The other bad news is that while we are at the concert Friday night it just happens to coincide with a taste of Blue Ash so healthy eating will not be in the cards.  I was turned on to SparkPeople this week and have quickly become addicted to tracking my food and exercise and earning Spark Points.  If you are dieting you should check it out (it's really cool and free).  Thanks KateRN.

I have been really good with my eating and incorporating exercise into my routine and am REALLY hoping for a big loss on Wednesday.  If I only lose .4 lbs or similar (or heaven forbid gain) my head just may explode all over the place at my Jenny Center.

I hope you all have a fantastic and productive week!

My New Blog Design

I love it!  Do you love it?  Jen at Just Foolin Blog Designs is awesome!  That's me in my purple suburb drivin' SUV.  Ok in real life I have a blue SUV and I'm not that skinny but that's me in blog land!  If you want to jazz up your blog contact Jen and she'll set you up!  Have a great weekend everyone!

It's BYOC (Bring Your Own Crazy)

It’s Friday so that means here in Draz Land  it’s time for BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy!


We answer just a few questions to get to know each other better and to give our blog brains a break!

Copy to your own blog if you wish and ENJOY!

1. How much makeup do you wear daily, how long does it take you and are you loyal to certain brands?

I wear foundation, eye shadow, mascara, lip gloss and blush.  Sometimes concealer.  It takes about 10 minutes and I like Neutrogena and Cover Girl.

2. Repeat question: I’m going to pick a person not knowing your relationship with them (or even if there is one) and you try to describe this person in 5 words/short sentences.

Your oldest paternal aunt

Oldest Sibling
Mean
Retired to Florida
Rode a 3 wheeler bike
My Grandma raised her 2 kids


3. Tell me about your first real kiss and how old you were.

My first kiss was in 5th grade while playing truth or dare, it was with my first boyfriend.  It was a quick peck on the lips.  My first real real kiss was the summer after 7th grade at camp with the boy I was "going out with" at camp.

4. If I gave you $1000.00 and told you that you had to give it to a charity – which charity would you choose and why?

Either The American Cancer Society or St. Judes.  Both charities are excellent and I have cancer in my family.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blog land and in real life.

Blog Land has been good this week.  I picked up a few more followers (waving hello) and I made an attempt to comment on the blogs I follow.  I'm still working with Jen at Just Foolin Blog Designs on my new layout.  It's gonna be super cool!

In real life mini-me went back to school.  She's now a middle schooler in the 7th grade and thinks she's all that (and frankly she is).  After weeks of softball tryouts we learned that she made a good (competitive) team so we're happy and relieved.  I stayed true to Jenny (Craig) and only lost .4 lbs at Wednesday's WI.  I'm super bummed about my progress so far.I added aerobic exercise and tons of water to the mix and am hoping for a big loss on Wednesday.  The hubby and college boy are doing great and life is good.

Thoughtful Thursday

Yesterday's home runs don't win today's games.
Babe Ruth 

 

This is a great, albeit short, quote.  It applies to weight loss in that we can't slack off today just because we stayed on plan/worked out/did well yesterday.  I'll also add that yesterday's strike outs don't mean we'll automatically lose today's game.  So we went off plan/didn't exercise/binged.  Today is a new day and we CAN do this!  I hope everyone has a productive day!

I am so Disheartened

I just got back from my WI and once again I only lost .4 lbs.  WTH?  I stayed on plan and exercised 3 times @ 3o minutes each and almost eliminated diet pop by drinking lots of water.  Again, WTH?  I have lost a total of 5.5 inches (3 in my waist).

I am seriously disheartened.  Am I destined to be fat?  Is the fact that I am on a buttload of medicines and going through early menopause hindering me? Am I just not a good fit for Jenny Craig? I chose JC so I wouldn't have to cook or measure my food.  Maybe I should pursue getting a lap band?

I am fighting back tears and just don't know what to do.

I welcome any thoughts, tips and suggestions.

The Last Day of Summer

Tomorrow school starts.  This summer has flown by and I have so many regrets.  I especially regret that I didn't start my weight loss journey long ago.  I missed so much this summer because I couldn't physically hack it.  My goal is to be 71 pounds lighter by next summer.  I don't know if it can be done by then but I am damn sure gonna try. 

FMM and Other Stuff

Riiiiiiiing goes the alarm at 6 freaking a.m. this morning.  Today is transition day, a 1/2 day of "practice", for mini-me who is now a 7th grader.  I had a hard time getting her up and after a good 30 minutes in the shower I started to lose my patience with her.  She has long thick hair and it takes forever to dry plus breakfast and applying her new make-up.  Since she can't seem to blow dry her own hair I did it for her and had it looking great only to have her come in a few minutes later to tell me her friend thinks she should wear it up (in a ponytail).  OMG she could have taken a shower last night if she were going to wear her hair up.  Tick tick goes the clock.  Finally I lost my temper and threatened to ground her if she didn't knock off the 'tude and we managed to get out of the house and to the school on time.  If this is a sneak peak of what to expect this year it's gonna be a long one *sigh*

The good news is that she made a competitive softball team so no more tryouts, yay!  It's going to be a calmer week and I am happy to concentrate on eating healthy and on plan and incorporating exercise into my routine.  My goal is a 2 pound loss on Wednesday!

Let's get to FMM: Friend Making Monday.  When we make new friends by answering questions from Kenlie's Blog @ All The Weigh then link there so others can read the various answers and comment on each others blogs.

FMM: The Driving Force

What is the driving force behind your weight-loss?  

The obvious answer is for better health.  The vanity answer is to look better.  The aha moment answer is when I couldn't attend my daughter's softball games this summer because I simply couldn't walk the length from the parking lot to the fields or sit in the heat without profusely over sweating from my fat.  I also couldn't accompany my hubby, daughter and niece to an amusement park while on vacation due to the long day of walking and the heat.  I felt horrible.  I feel horrible.

Until my late 30's I was always thin.  In fact I was downright skinny up until I had my first child at 22.  I could eat anything and not lift a finger to exercise and still not gain weight.  As the years progressed and my health deteriorated and I was finally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  I began gaining weight.  First 20 then 50 then 70 pounds of weight and the many medications made it near impossible to stop the gain.

Although I am still on medications and still in daily pain, I am determined to lose this weight and keep it off one way or another.  I researched my options and chose Jenny Craig because it's basically foolproof if you stay on the plan.  I know losing is going to be slow going (and I get so jealous when I see others losing large amounts each week) but I've accepted that slow and steady wins the race!

Now it’s your turn.  Share your answers, and don’t forget to come back and link up.  Happy Monday!

It's BYOC-Saturday Edition

It's Saturday, the almost end of a crazy busy week.  So let's do Bring Your Own Crazy compliments of Drazil.  

BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy – 5 questions you can copy and paste to your own blog if you so desire – in an effort to get to know your fellow bloggers better and to give your blog brain a break!

Enjoy!

1. I have to do some MAJOR cleaning tonight…which is prompting me to ask…what is the absolute worst thing you hate to clean or cleaning chore you hate the most? (vacuuming, dusting, laundry, toilets, floors, etc.)

I hate ALL housework.  I am an equal opportunity housework hater.

2. Brown or Black? Fly or Drive? Hot dog or Burger? Gold or Silver?

 Black.  The wardrobe staple for all thick chicks.

If I could I would always fly.  I hate long car trips, mainly due to my Fibromyalgia-I get stiff and sore and pay for it for days on end.

Burgers all the way!

I wear gold for my good jewelry.  I like silver with black though so I am into two-tone jewelry so I can wear both.

3. Repeat question: I’m going to pick a person not knowing your relationship with them or even if a relationships exists – and you then try to describe that person in 5 short sentences/words.

Maternal Grandmother

Hilarious
Life of the party
Family First
Christian
Drove Cadillacs

4. Even if you don’t have kids, how do you feel about kids in multiple sports during their school years?  Were you in MULTIPLE sports all during school?  Forced or by choice?

I have a 22 year old who played soccer since he was 3.  Through the years he played other sports along with soccer like basketball and those seasons with multiple sports were killer.  There was little time for school work (I know I know priorities) or any kind of life without sports.
My 12 year old is currently into softball and has chosen to play competitive (traveling) ball year round.  She was going to run cross country until 2 days ago but I reasoned with her and we're back to a 1 sport groove.
I don't know how things are in other parts of the country but where we have lived, first Ohio and now Missouri, sports are ultra-competitive and to make the HS team you must really work and concentrate on that sport.


5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

Blog land has been good this week.  I picked up a few new followers (waves hi) and spent some time each day commenting on the blogs I follow.  I feel like I am getting to "know" so many of you through your posts.  I am also working with Jen @ Just Foolin Blog Designs on a revamp of my blog!  I am so excited!

In real life it's been a crazy week but we got a lot accomplished.  We got last minute shots, a last minute eye doctor appointment, registered for middle school, attended 4 separate softball tryouts, had a softball lesson, went back to middle school and walked through mini-me's schedule and decorated her locker, I bought new walking shoes, tried working out in them and hated them so I exchanged them for different ones selected by college boy, the knower of all things athletic, worked out to Gold's Gym Dance and met with the pastor of our new church and we're officially joining and mini-me is getting baptized this Sunday.  We still have to get our hair highlighted today and we're making plans for a last minute weekend to Ohio next week...more to come about that!

Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget to leave a link to your BYOC so I can read your answers!

A Little Friday Update

Guess what?  I actually worked out last night!  My body hurt (Fibromyalgia) and I had to take breaks but I made it through 30 minutes of Gold's Gym Dance Workout.  I was sweating and my feet hurt from my new super cute shoes but I kept going.  This is a huge accomplishment for me as I have not been active in years due to the pain. 

I mentioned the super cute shoes.  Well they are going back today because they killed my feet!  I'll be trying others and will spend some time walking around the store this time!

I have totally stayed on plan and will continue to no matter how hungry I get at night (it's terrible!).  Between the plan and my newfound 'love' of moving my fat ass, I am hoping for an awesome WI next week!  If my efforts don't pay off and I have another dismall loss I have decided to do the 6 weeks for 36 dollars promotion, giving me a total of 10 weeks to really give Jenny Craig a fair shot before committing to a long term and a lot more money.

I've been reading all of your blogs and am inspired by how well everyone is doing!  I also appreciate the comments you all leave for me.  They mean a lot and help me keep my head in the game.

Still having a crazy busy week but I'll write about that tomorrow with BYOC (Saturday Style).

Whiny Weigh In Wednesday

Let's just get right to it.  My weigh in today sucked rocks.  I lost .4 lbs for a total of 5.2 lbs in 3 weeks.  Of course I'm feeling sorry for myself but a friend, Dani from the JC forums rationalized things for me.  She said if I continue losing at my current pace that in 6 months I will have lost 45 lbs.  That is a realistic goal.  Although I am really going to try to lose more than that in 6 months, I will be content with 45.

I believe that if I can begin to move my fat ass I will lose at a faster pace.  Damn my Fibromyalgia.  Baby steps this week which means any exercise at all is more than I did last week.

On a happy note, my friend NursingGirl at Losing for Good met her first goal of a 10% loss.  Way to go my friend!

/Rant over

True Confession Tuesday and a Busy Busy Day

From The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans it's True Confession Tuesday.  I'll get to that in a minute but first a review of my super busy day.  At 10:30 my daughter and I have an appointment with the Youth Pastor at the church we've been visiting.  At 12:30 daughter has an eye doctor appointment because again, there's nothing like waiting until the last minute to make these appointments (school starts Monday).  Finally daughter has a softball lesson at 5:30.  In between these appointments we need to get the last few things for school.  The rest of the week is just as busy. 

On to the confessional:

I confess that I am a bad Mom and waited until the last minute to schedule important appointments for my daughter (so far the dentist, immunizations and the eye doctor all in one week)  I still need to get her hair highlighted which is yet to be scheduled.

I confess that while I am always sad at the start of another school year because it means my child(ren) are getting older which means I'm getting older, I am also relieved so I get a break.

I confess that I haven't talked to my Mom in about 3 weeks and really need to call her.

I confess that I am so sick of softball tryouts and if my daughter ends up not making any of these teams we've been to (some 2 and three times now) I might lose my mind on someone.

I confess that I ate off plan once this week for lunch and had extra snacks twice this week and my WI tomorrow will likely not be a good one.

I confess that even though I bought super cute walking shoes and a workout game for my Wii last week that I did not use them a single time since buying them.

Now it's your turn to share your confessions.  Don't forget to comment with your link so I can read them!


 

Sunday Thoughts

I just returned from the church we've been visiting.  One of the things he talked about was jealousy/envy and how it is not God like.  That we should rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.  I've got the weeping part down and am a pretty understanding and empathetic person.  I have been struggling with jealousy lately-of those who are thin and those who are losing several pounds each week when Ive' only lost 3 and 1.6 respectively.  I'm really going to work on this and be content with my progress. 

Blessing to you all!

It's BYOC (Bring Your Own Crazy)

Compliments of Drazil  it’s time for BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy!!!!!

We answer a few questions in an effort to get to know each other better and

to give our blogging brains a break.

Copy to your own blog and enjoy!  Don't forget to leave a link in a comment so I can read your answers!

1. I’m going to pick a person in your life – not knowing if you have a good or bad, existing or non-existent relationship with them – and your mission is to pick 5 words or traits or thoughts to describe them.

Your paternal grandmother.

Strong
Had 7 children
Family First
Made the best jell-o with whipped cream in glass sundae dishes for our visits
Lived to be 87

2. What’s your all time favorite color to paint your nails? And your toes?

Nails – when I have them done it's french manicure.  If I do them it's usually a flesh tone neutral color.

Toes – always have my toes painted-purple is my color this summer.

3. Do you get along with your parents well?

I have always been a Daddy's girl and have had the normal ups and downs with my Mom but yes, now as a 44 year old adult I have a great relationship with her.

4. Speaking of rainbows – rank the rainbow colors in the order you prefer.

I'll ditto Drazil's answer
Pink (um yes – in my world – this color is in the rainbow)
Purple
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red


5. Repeat question. How was your week in real life and in blog land this week?

Life was good this week and hopefully will be all weekend.  A little crazed because of the last minute immunizations but good.  My baby is now officially a 7th grader which really makes me sad.  College boy just goes with the flow and not much changes with him.  My hubby rocks just because.  We have yet another round of softball tryouts all weekend.  I'm really getting tired of them and hope mini-me lands a team soon.  I lost 1.8 lbs and have stayed true to Jenny (Craig).

Blog land has been great! I am up to 26 followers since the 2 weeks it's existed.  I'm loving the comments and support and I love reading all the blogs I follow.

Getting Shots and Returning to Middle School

That's right.  Today I returned to middle school but I'll get to that in a minute.  Last night the phone wrang.  It was mini-me's new principal reminding us about registration.  She chattered on cheerily about what to bring then ended the conversation with "and make sure your child's immunizations are up to date".  What?  Immunizations?  She got all of those as a baby as I recall.  So the husband scrounged up her immunization record and lo and behold there was a blank spot for 3 vaccinations to be administered between 11-12.  WTH?  Why hadn't her doctor mentioned them in the hundreds many appointments she's had since turning 11 almost 2 years ago?

So I set the alarm to go off at the crack of dawn this morning so I could be the first caller to the pediatrician to get a hastily scheduled appointment for this morning.  I won't bore you with the details of how the conversation went between me and the nurse I spoke with, we'll just say I got a little lecture about the last minute blah blah blah.  So mini-me got 3 shots and we could make our way to middle school to register.

We were there for 3 flippin' hours waiting in various lines and going to the various stations.  Then we walked through her schedule and attempted to open her locker combination.  It brought back so many memories, most of which happen to be good ones.  I loved my middle (and high) school years.  The anxiousness of wondering if any of your friends were in your classes (hers do) and had the same lunch (hers do).  Changing classes.  Having a locker.  School activities, clubs and sports (she just decided today she is running cross country which means we have to go back to the pediatrician for a physical before school starts *sigh*).  Dances. Make-up. Best friends and boyfriends (another *sigh*).  I loved it all and I truly hope that her memories will someday be fond ones. 

Weigh In and We Want to Know Wednesday

First things first, I had weigh in #2 this morning and lost 1.8 lbs.  I am not pleased with that small loss as it only brings me to a toal of 4.8 in 2 weeks.  My goal of 10 lbs in 4 weeks is looking harder.  As I rambled blogged about yesterday, Jenny Craig is a HUGE investment unless you are say Warren Buffet or even Jimmy Buffet.  I need to justify this investment by losing weight.  Is a 1 lb loss per week really worth $150.00 in JC food (in addition to my regular grocery bill) and the astronomical fee to join at the end of the 4 week trial?  Decisions decisions.  I've been reading other blogs and the gals on Weight Watchers seem to be kicking weight loss butt.  Maybe I'll try that next before actually joining JC.  Anyone have any thoughts on this?

On to We Want to Know Wednesday...




This week's questions are from your's truly, Mamarazzi .  Check out her blog-good stuff!

{1} If you could spend a day with a blogger, who you haven't met in real life, who would you choose?  Carbie Girl, Drazil, Laura Belle and Chubby McGee because they make me laugh and KateRN because she is my Jenny Craig buddy.
{2} What website do you check first when you go online?  After my email it's Facebook
{3} What is something you are saving money for right now?  Jenny Craig
{4} What is your go to silly face when a silly face is needed? Something like this:

{5} How do you relieve stress?  BLTC (Better Living Through Chemistry) I take my happy pills.

Don't forget to leave your link in my comments so I can read your answers.

A Fun Survey and Other Stuff

Tomorrow is my 2nd weigh in and I am an absolute nervous wreck.  Jenny craig is so freakin expensive and I've rationalized that if it works it's worth it BUT what if it doesn't?  Should I just quit?  I am on a 4 week free trial through my insurance (just pay the ridiculous amount for food) but after that I have to fork over the big bucks for a membership.  It's a huge investment to make, money that could be going in my retirement account or mini-me's college account, ya know?  Decisions decisions.  I feel sick worrying this week wasn't worth it and I won't lose any.  Ugh.

On to fun stuff.  I stole this survey from a very cool blog Beer, Dogs and Getting Healthier.  Here we go:

1. What is your occupation right now?

I am a SAHM/semi-retired/unemployed/a consultant.  My chosen profession is human resource management in which I was a Director of HR for a large paper manufacturer, a credit union, and HVAC Distributor and a candle company before moving to Missouri last year.  I am now a SAHM and occassional consultant to keep my toe in the water of HR.  I write resumes for individulas directly or through their company downsizing efforts I also act as a small employer's HR dept and do things such as worker's comp, handbooks, unemployment and training.

2. What color are your socks right now?

I haven't worn socks since April.

3. What are you listening to right now?

Nothing, watching Dr. Phil.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?

 

Just finished a banana.

 

5. Can you drive a stick shift?

Although I learned to drive with a stick shift I doubt I could drive one today.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

My Dad on Sunday-I call him every Sunday evening.

7. Do you like the person you stole this blog from?

Love her blog-don't know her personally.  Seriously, check out her blog.

8. How old are you today?

44

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?

College football.  Go Ohio State Buckeyes!

10. What is your favorite drink?

Diet Pepsi.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?

Um, all the time.  I'm blonde by bottle and have absolutely no idea what my actual color is.

12. Favorite food?

Seafood-lobster, shrimp, scallops, crab legs.  And pretty much chocolate anything, especially cake.

13. What is the last movie you watched?

The Lincoln Lawyer on Saturday night.  Good flick.

14. Favorite day of the year?

Christmas.

15. How do you vent anger?

Um, BLTC (better living through chemistry).  It has to be bad for me to lose it but when I do it's ugly.

 

        16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
           Barbie.

17. What is your favorite season?

Fall.

18. Cherries or Blueberries?

Neither.  Not a berry fan of any kind.

19. Do you want your friends to blog this survey?

Most definitely!

20. Where is you favorite place to escape?

Escape?  What's that?

21. Favorite TV Show(s)?

My soaps-The Young and the Restless, All my Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital.  Anything reality which is right now Big Brother, The Glee Project and The Bachelor Pad (starting next week).

22. Living arrangements?

We own a 3 bedroom split level home in the suburbs, hence my blog name.  Me, the hubby mini-me college boy and the princess (dog).

23. When was the last time you cried?

The last time I left my family in June.  I always cry when I have to come home.

24. What is on the floor of your closet?

Lots of shoes, stuff I don't wear anymore.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest?

Definitely the Fab 4-Lisa, Kristi, Ronda and Pam.  We've been best friends since middle school.

26. What did you do last night?

Watched The Bachelorette.  It sucked.

27. What are you most afraid of?

Bugs of any kind.  Spiders, bees, wasps.  And dying.

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?

Plain.

29. Favorite dog breed?

 

I had a beloved sheltie for 10 years and love the breed.  Now I have a lap dog, she's 1/2 yorkie and 1/2 bichon.

30. Favorite day of the week?

Saturday.

31. How many states have you lived in?

Just 2-Ohio and Missouri

32. Diamonds or pearls?

Diamonds.

33. What is your favorite flower?

Purple Roses or Cala Lillies

 

 

Now it's your turn to answer the survey and link back here so I can read your answers!

FMM and Other Stuff

Happy Monday!  I love to shop and scored big last night!  First at Kohl's where I got some super cute walking shoes by Avia.  Next I went to Target and got Gold's Gym Dance Workout for Wii.  Lastly I hit Borders going out of business sale and bought several books at 30% off.

We have a busy week here.  Two softball tryouts, two softball lessons, registration for middle school at which I'm working the PTA booth, me and mini me getting our hair highlighted and of course my Jenny Craig weigh in on Wednesday.

On to Friend Makin Monday! 

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Girly Questions

1. Do you like to shop? I love to shop (see above about my latest shopping excursion last night).  I especially love a good sale!

2. How often do you wear makeup? I always wear makeup when I am leaving the house for anything other than to take mini-me to or from school. If I'm not leaving the house I don't bother with it.

3. How do you feel about nail polish? I'm a pedicure girl.  Love a good pedicure.  Right now I have OPI Grape on my piggies.  As for my hands, I rarely wear any unless we're going out or some special event then I'll get a manicure.

4. Do you consider yourself to be a feminist? Not really.  I  actually like relying on my wonderful husband to bring home the bulk of the bacon these days after many years of being the major breadwinner.  When we moved out here to the wild wild west I didn't seek FT employment and only occassionally consult to keep me in the game.

5. What’s your biggest challenge as a woman? My insecurities about my weight.  (hands down)

6. Do you wear skirts and dresses?  Only for special occassions.  I used to wear them daily when I was an HR Director.  My uniform now is jeans, capris or lounge pants.  I prefer the lounge pants.  :P

7. How do you feel about high heels? I love to look at them in stores but think they are a necessary evil to wear and like skirts and dresses only wear them for special occassions.  I'm a flip flop kinda gal.

8. Do you subscribe to magazines? If so, which ones? I actually love and subscribe to the Ladies Home Journal.

9. Do you shave your legs/wax/ use depilatory creams or go au naturale? I shave.

10. What do you like most about being a woman? I love being a wife and mother.  I like having girlfriends.  I like to shop and scrapbook. 

Now it’s your turn to answer the questions! And don’t forget to come back and link up. Happy Monday!