Idiots!

Absolutely can NOT believe there is still hype around the pit bull breed! I love my dog MORE THAN most people! She has been absolutely hands down the most loyal friend I've ever had. I am much more likely to be the one to punch people in their fucking mouths than my dog is to attack anyone. I've come to a place in my life where I'm well educated enough that I have no desire to use my college degree to talk to idoiots. I will punch you out instead.

1/31/12

Another 50 degree day...tomorrow is supposed to be warmer!! What a fabulous winter!

Yesterday I drank 2 1/2 liters of water. Roughly 48oz. I was half a liter short of my goal. But I did get 2 cups of green tea in me, a cup of coffee and a little Malbec so I'm far from dehydrated.

Another terribly unmotivated morning. I have got to clean, workout, watch Bella, and cook dinner. Hopefully I can tan when Zach gets home.

Success!!!

So I have had 2 recipes for healthy snack ideas for awhile and finally tried them today with great success. First was a pumpkin smoothie. I used my Bullet so I just eyeballed the amount of pumpkin in the bottom f the cup. It was probably 2/3 C of canned pumpkin. I added skim milk, some vanilla, pumpkin pie seasoning, a teeny bit of sugar or sweetener, unless you're not dieting, a few ice cubes. Blended in my bullet. Yumm-o!!! Second recipe was from a frugal site. Not really a recipe but it is carcinogen free so bonus! It is simply microwaved popcorn using brown paper lunch sacks. I put 1/2 C kernels in the bag, folded it twice at the top and put it in the microwave. Mine took about 4 mins. Added my salt and Parmesan cheese and there you go. Healthy healthy healthy. Store bought microwave popcorn is one of the worst things you can eat. It sure tastes good but has no redeeming health value.

Lunch Time

I'm feeling more energized. I attempted an hour on the bike this morning but with Bella I managed maybe 45 solid minutes, so I put in my 4 mile Leslie Sansone DVD and logged another hour. This way, I can do the bike for another hour tonight. I usually do the 2 mile jog DVD to mix things up or I will do my bootcamp DVD, but I'm glad I went with the 4 miler today. I also did an excellent ab workout today. I'm on my first two cups of 4 of green tea, which supposedly boosts metabolism by 20%. I'm also well into my first of 2 liters of water. According to experts, one can lose 5 or more pounds of water weight (depending on how much you carry) by simply increasing your intake to 60oz per day for 7 days. I'm hoping to get a bigger house soon so we can keep our exercise equipment and DVDs all in the same area that isn't the living room. I'd also love to get my hands on a rower and Nordic trac x-country skier. My late grandfather always kept it set up on the porch and did an hour per day on the skier. I'm not sure where it is...my grandmother surely doesn't use it but I'm sure one of my aunts probably took it. AND I'd love to get a Bow Flex for when we have space, as I'm no fan of free weights.

1/30/12

I had so much energy yesterday...this morning not so much! I slept well but had to get up early as I'm watching Bella this morning. She moved from her bed into mine and we were cuddling for a bit, watching a movie. Now, we've moved it to the couch. Zach was gracious enough to get the coffee brewing before he left for school.

Yesterday was a nice sunny day. Hayley and I took Bella for a walk on the beach. It sounds really windy out there today. Mitch cooked dinner and we enjoyed a yummy glass of Malbec. I read for a lot of the afternoon. TGWTDT has gotten even more exciting and enjoyable. I'm loving it now. Can't wait to read the next two!

Zach went to Foxboro to the Patriots Superbowl send off! He had a great time. I'm glad we live in an area where he can do these types of fun things with his friends. I know Bella and I are looking forward to that first warm day when we can spend it at the zoo without freezing. The zoo's open year round but I'm thinking a warm spring day will be fine for us. I love zoos, namely the National Zoo, but our zoo is very nice too, just not free and I'm hoping Bella will love them as much as me. I'm also looking forward to Block Island.

Blah, it's only 8:17. This is going to be a long day!

150 Minutes

That's right. 150 minutes of cardio today! I'm on a mission.

1/28/12

Feeling cranky today. It takes me a bit to feel like myself on any morning, as I have no morning personality to speak of, and on Saturday mornings, there are usually a lot more people around, so my personal routine gets thrown off, and I have people asking what's wrong, blah blah blah. Once I get up, clean the house, have my coffee, work out, and as long as people haven't already pissed me off, I will be fine.

I'm well into Dragon Tattoo...it has suddenly gotten pretty awesome. Glad I listened to my friends and stuck with it. I should be done with it by tonight or tomorrow. Luckily, I have book 2 and 3 already here waiting, as I bought them for Mitch and he's already read them.

I suppose it's time to get up, workout and give Bella Boo some kisses. She's been patiently knocking on my door every few minutes.

It's Friday!!

I can't believe Friday is here already! I finally finished Out of Oz!! It took how long to get through the first half??? I finished the second half in two days! Such a good book! Now, like always with Gregory Maguire books, I want more of the story. I have been reinspired by friends to continue reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...they said it improves greatly once you get past the trial part...I have to agree! It's already picking up with the introduction of Salander. I have so many actual book books to read and two lined up on my Kindle that I'm excited to start.

I gave myself permission to take today off from tanning and working out, but I ended up doing both anyway! Glad I did because I feel even more energized than if I had just taken the day off. It is almost 60 today and a little rainy. Not as heavy as I anticipated. Feels like spring out there!

I really hope my husband and I can do something this weekend. A movie or dinner or something.

The best news? I have a new muffler!!! And a new gas cap! If I clean it out, it'll be just like new! I had to drive the Tahoe yesterday while mine was getting work done, and the whole time I just kept missing my mine. Since I will be in it till at least this fall, and since I practically live in it, I'm glad it is something I enjoy. I really like the BMW X-5s for my next ride, but I saw a really nice Lexus car for a really really good price, so that got me thinking that maybe I would consider a car, as opposed to an SUV. We will still have the Tahoe if I need the space or the third row. The X-5 wouldn't have a third row anyway. Anyway...still a few months away and I'm in no rush as long as I don't have any significant car trouble. FYI, I'm so not interested in driving a "green" car.

Can We Say Exhausted??

But it's a happy kind of exhaustion. The kind that will have me falling asleep quickly and deeply and I don't have to get up early tomorrow. Today has turned out pretty well even though it was my busy day. Bella was perfect today! Perfect yesterday with her hour long noon nap and an easy bedtime at 8 pm. Kayla said she slept till 8 this morning. She took her nap at one today but it wasn't a full hour, so hopefully another easy 8 pm bedtime tonight for the both of us!

I got two hours of cardio in and went tanning so I'm feeling good about that. The dishes are done. The house is in ok condition. Not in the mood to pick up Bella's books and toys just yet, as she will surely take them all out again shortly after I do. I just want to sit here and enjoy my tea and wait for my husband to decide on dinner.

Think Spring

It'll be a very warm week for Winter here. I may get out for a walk with Bella today.

I had the worst stomachache last night. So bad it woke me up and kept me up. It finally went away. It was stomach pains really, nothing that puking or anything would have helped. If it had been localized a little lower, I would have been convinced it was appendicitis. It really felt like contractions. Oh well, I feel good as new today.

Officially one week left of this blah month. I so dislike January. February gets broken up with Valentine's and even in this leap year, it'll still be a short month, which brings us to MARCH! And then we can let spring begin!! So excited for that first incredibly warm day in which I can spend it laying in the sun.

Cleanse Fail

So we made a pact to end the cleanse. I have lost weight on it though, so I may incorporate some of the tricks but I'm not not eating what I want again. I may use this after a holiday or vacation in which I may over do it, but like my husband pointed out, when have we ever over done it? Eating anyway? Never. Glad one of us thinks. During the middle of the cleanse AND a storm no less, the thinker brings up the question on how low are we on toilet paper. Seriously, these thoughts never entered my mind prior to starting the cleanse.

I took a reluctant nap today. Reluctant because one, I didn't want to, and two because at first I slept for like 10 minutes and was woken up, so I figured I wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep, but I did and I woke up feeling much better than I did after the 10 minute nap!

I made some good headway on my crochet projects last night and this afternoon. I'm over halfway done Return to Oz. That's huge. I got my workout in early before I crapped out on the couch. Mitch went to bring Hayley home, pick up Kayla and is then making pizza for dinner. Zach is at Derrick's watching the Patriots playoff game. Our friend Scott is AT the game!! So right this very second, it is just Sierra, Bella and me here at home, watching round two of Gnomeo and Juliet.

And...

...tomorrow I'm going to do a little experiment. I'm going to just get up and leave. Not bother to tell anyone where I'm going. It must be nice to have this kind of freedom.

It's Snowing!!

It's finally snowing. The good news? It's going to be almost 60 on Monday so this will not stick around. The best kind of snow. Right now, everything looks really pretty.

I'm about to embark on my 2 day cleanse. I mistakenly called it a detox. Then when I went back to find the plan online I couldn't find it because I was typing detox. Finally I googled 2 day cleanse and the Look Better Naked one that I'm doing was easily found. I may make a substitution with the breakfast smoothies. I'm not crazy about milk, and since I have plenty of spinach, I'm thinking I'm just going to make one of my green smoothies and drink that instead.

My abdominal workout was CRAZY yesterday. I'm still feeling it. Can't wait to do it again tomorrow!!

It's already 9:51 and I still haven't done my cardio yet. Feeling a bit lazy his morning.

Kind of...

...a day off. I still have to work at 2 but I will be Bella free! This has been a long week. Tuesday was a perfect day with her. Wednesday, she was sick. Thursday, I was sick. Today, her mother has the day off!

I got my cardio in. I did my abdominal workout. I'm taking it to the next level this week. I'm going to try a 2 day "detox" to rev my metabolism. Not sure if it'll do any good but we will see...so for two days, I can only eat steamed greens (vinegar if I must) such as spinach, and lean meat. Green tea, no sweet tea from McD's. However, I'm not cutting out my AM coffee, simply because I enjoy my AM coffee and that's that. It's only for two days. After the two days, I'm just going to try to increase my veggies and fruits for all my meals. No junk. Just for this week. I will give in to oatmeal or cheerios or Total for breakfasts only because I need that kind of fuel for my two hours of cardio.

I'm enjoying our purchase of the perfect sit-up. It really takes the strain off my neck and I'm having no trouble getting it to click, which means you're in correct form. I'm definitely feeling the workout so my muscles are being used. I've noticed a visible change in just my third time using it.

1/19/12

Worst headache ever. So sleepy too. I think it'll be another early night for me.

This has been an incredibly long week. I've worked AND babysat every day this week. Think I'm going to make a little plain pasta and see if it'll help my headache a little.

In other news, some of the cutesy blogs I read have ALL decided to write similar posts about how their lives aren't so perfect...hmmmmm, okay...apparently it's the cool thing to do for today.

Another busy day on the books for me. Woke up, two hours of cardio, showered, tanned, worked WITH Bella in tow. I may or may not clean up around here today. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

Holy Teething Terror

Baby girl has had a nightmare of a day with the last of teeth to come through. She's had a time of it with these ones. They look close then disappear. Today the back gums are very swollen. She's on her second dose of motrin. Barely taking the edge off. Plus she hates this medicine. She loves baby Tylenol. Doesn't mind antibiotics but she hates this crap I got her and of course I got two big bottles because it was buy one get one free. I like it only because it lasts 8 hours.

1/18/12

Last night was a restless sleep and this morning was a very early morning. BUT I got my 2 hours of cardio in even with a messed up bike! I got my ab workout in as well! The dishes are done, kitchen floor swept and mopped. Counters wiped down. When Zach gets home, maybe I will get a minute to go tanning. Other than that, Bella and I are just hanging out here today. I can't wait to go to bed tonight!!! So very sleepy and a nap isn't looking like it's in Bella's future today.

To The Person......

...that f*^#s up my recumbent bike and then thinks I over-react...you screw the tightening screw on too tight and I can't adjust it myself, so I feel as if that is most disrespectful to adjust it to your length and then leave it, knowing that I use it daily not to mention the back trouble I've had lately, so if I want to use it, I can't sit in the seat properly...

1/17/12

I got a lot accomplished today already. So much for a rainy Tuesday. It's been sunny all morning. Certainly not complaining, but certainly makes me wonder exactly what the qualifications are to be a meteorologist.

I've worked out, cleaned up the house a bit. Bella's had breakfast and now lunch. We read five books and she worked out with me. She loves doing squats! We also listened to her Pandora radio station. Lots of Raffi and Jack Johnson. Now we're settling down to watch Gnomeo & Juliet and take a nap. We have to pick up Zach at 3, and hopefully I will get a chance to go tanning. Dinner when my love gets home. A very typical Tuesday.

Now, I'm going to try to read a little and maybe work on my crochet project while she's behaving.

1/16/12

So I broke two resolutions already...I haven't blogged since Friday AND I did two hours of cardio this morning. Yet somehow I feel good about this! When I do two hours of cardio, I don't have to care what I eat, as I'm not an over-eater anyway. There's some guilt if I only do one hour of cardio and consume say a cupcake...lots of guilt if there's no cardio and a cupcake. So I'm going to go back to listening to my body. Today, I felt like I needed the two hours of cardio. Saturday, I didn't feel the need to do any.

In other news, I learned a new crochet stitch. Out of Oz is finally getting good. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has yet to do so. Next up will be Island of the Lost Girls and The Quickening.

Sleep news: Last night I managed to fall asleep around 9:30 and slept till 7:30. Pretty good for me.

I'm going to try and manage to have a good day, despite it being a Monday.

1/13/12

Happy Friday the 13th! I slept for 12 hours last night. I fell asleep at 7:30. A movie like dream all night. Blame and thank Stephen King mostly...blame because it was a dome scenario, thank, because I was the only one who knew what to do to survive.

So I've been reading lots of cutesy new blogs about crafting and living green and losing weight. Seriously, there is an entire deranged generation of New Stepford wives out there. Talk about puke. I even briefly thought about retiring this old blog and starting a new cutesy one of my own, but really? Again, Puke! They're all mostly new moms, some have like 4-5 kids, all stay at home and are quite successfully creating crafting businesses. I commend them on that...however, only the cutesy, perfect, happily ever after crap makes it into their blogs.

So instead of creating a pseudo-perfect world, I will continue to blog about the ups and downs of a real life. A life where the house is only reasonably clean one or two days per week, one in which I dress up (jeans these days) only once or twice a week, a life in which I actually have to work AND take care of a family, a life which includes an adorable baby who laughs hysterically when someone gets hurt (we're only a little worried), and a dog who's pretty much perfect but still manages to find time to be annoying. We're a little green. Not green at all when it comes to cleaning my house. I like it CLEAN! Hospital smelling sanitized. Not crunchy hippy version of "clean" ,think unshaved armpit smell and gross feet. Organic foods
when there's a choice. Some products don't always have a good tasting alternative so there. I believe in exercise, relaxation, good alcohol and suntans instead of happy pills. I believe the government is a little too involved with society, preventing a naturally occurring thinning of the herd. Must we save every stupid person from his/herself? Not when that DNA has a chance to mix with my kids. I don't believe in saying the right thing so as to not offend people. I don't have that kind of time.

Cozy Bed?

The staying in bed all day sounded good in theory but after about an hour of it, I couldn't do it anymore. I hopped in the shower because once Kayla left for work, I wouldn't have a chance for a Bella-free shower till at least Zach gets home. I got the dishes done and living room straightened up. Swept, mopped and SANITIZED the kitchen floor. Looks pretty good. It's pretty windy out right now but I've been periodically opening the windows to let the fresh air in. I think Bella is almost off to dreamland. Taking a little break before I sweep the living room floor. After that, I need to sort and organize the coffee/tea/baking cupboard which also houses Bella's snacks/sippy cups, etc. And she's out like a light. An 11:30 AM nap. Truly a gift!! Maybe I will get to cleaning the fridge when Zach gets home.

1/12/12

I'm really feeling a cozy bed and movie day for Bella and me. Right now we're watching Toy Story 3. 52 degrees today but with wind and rain! Yay for the warm, blah for the rain. At least I don't have to shovel it!

There's stuff I could do today, stuff I might do today, and stuff I will probably do this afternoon. Right now, I just want my coffee and my bed.

Bella had a successful day with the babysitter. She played with a new Rah Rah. Rah Rah is what she calls our dog Sierra. She was very happy to see me when I picked her up at 3:30 though. Good to know I'm not easily replaced. I love being her Nonni.

1/11/12

Today is the first day that Bella is being watched by a real babysitter! It makes me sad because I love watching her, but I have a very busy day ahead and it would be all the more complicated if she were to come along.

So as busy as today will surely be, I can remind myself that tomorrow is my day off! I have a lot of projects I want to work on tomorrow. What I need is a work space for me and beat laboratory for my husband. First and foremost, is to go through my closet and look at the clothes that I was going to donate and decide why exactly I was doing that...did it fit wrong, too long, too short, too big, too tight, out of fashion, etc, and just see if a little altering can make me like it again or if it can be made into something for Bella. If not, it's gone.

Ok, have to get this busy day moving.

1/10/12

What a busy morning. I worked out, went tanning, altered some jeans that I was just going to donate but now, I plan on wearing them a lot more, and Bella and I took Kayla to work. We are now watching Rio and then will be picking up Zach at 3. Tomorrow will actually be my busy day and I have Thursday off.

So my jeans were an old pair of Tommy Hilfiger jeans that I've owned since around 2004. Yeah. So anyway, they were in the donate pile but then I found an awesome tutorial on making bootleg/flare leg jeans into skinny jeans and thought I'd give it a try. Success!!! They now fit into all my boots!!!


Now I'm going to watch Rio with Bella and maybe get a chance to read a little.

1/9/12

What a great weekend!!! First, it was a glorious 62 degrees on Saturday! My husband and I headed out, at his urging, with notebooks in hand, to do some creative writing. We ended up at a place we've visited in late summer/early spring before. We visited the family cemetery plot and let some ideas swirl. Later that evening, I talked to my friend Scott, who has lived a good part of his life in RI and his mother and grandmother are from Providence and currently still live in Providence, so they're great sources for local RI folklore. This conversation lead me to Mecry Brown, known as New England's last vampire. She was a nationally known individual in death, and Bram Stoker's character Lucy Westerna is based on her. In the Chestnut Hill cemetery where Mercy now rests, lies a certain Benedict Arnold.

I also work with many individuals that were patients at the now closed Ladd School, and this place is also located in Exeter, RI. This particular wooded area (North Kigstown, Exeter, West Greenwich) is full of supernatural, paranormal, cult and Native American activity. Rhode Island is home to the Narragansetts and full of hallowed ground. So google the Ladd School. Google Mercy Brown. Google the Rathbuns or the Tillinghasts. Google Big Foot in RI. Google a brief history of how RI was settled. Amazing but true history. And we're just beginning to tap into it.

, a photo by jennluvsgable on Flickr.

Rhode Island and Massachusetts have such rich, exciting histories, besides the more popular Salem witch trials, Plymouth Rock, Boston tea party stories. This particular cemetery is just off the road where this week's Finding Bigfoot episode was filmed last month. My husband and I found a fire site, what can only be described as a shredded bird, and a recently decomposed deer carcass...RI also has strong satanic cult activity and we think this was some kind of recent ritual site.

Baby headstone

, a photo by jennluvsgable on Flickr.

On my next visit, I will be sure to bring proper grave rubbing supplies, as these are so hard to read.

1700-late 1800s Cemetery

, a photo by jennluvsgable on Flickr.

I love visiting this particular Rathbun family cemetery. I've been doing some genealogical research on the Rathbuns/Tillinghast families. A nearby pond that I visit frequently with a friend is called Tillinghast pond and was owned by this friend's family until the time of his mother's death in this past decade. She willed the over 900 acres for conservation to Arcadia management

The Crypt

, a photo by jennluvsgable on Flickr.

This is where Mercy's body was housed till the ground thawed enough for a proper burial. Supposedly, when her coffin was opened, her body had turned over and she was very well preserved (it was a New England winter, so my guess is her body was so well preserved because it was essentially in a freezer). However, her heart had liquid blood in it, which shouldn't have been because of her freezer like environment.

Mercy Brown

, a photo by jennluvsgable on Flickr.

The grave of Mercy Lena Brown, the 19 year old who died of tuberculosis, and in death was thought to be a vampire. Her father was persuaded and convinced to open her coffin after her death, remover her heart, burn it and then mix the ash into a drink for her ill brother to drink. He died two months later.

Echo

I have Echo in my Scentsy warmer right now. The house smells like men's cologne. Pretty much yummy.

I'm feeling a ton better since working out and going tanning. I haven't tanned since Thanksgiving and I've missed it. I do enjoy my holiday break from tanning because it can get stressful trying to cram in a trip to the salon when you're working and preparing for the holidays, shopping, etc., but come January, I feel pale and cranky. It is 50 degrees right now and I know that has something to do with my happier mood. No winter and an early spring would be divine right now.

My book is finally getting good. The prologue seemed a bit dry and long but things are shaping up nicely. I really don't want to go to work today. Hopefully it's a painless shift. I'm in 45 minutes early from now on. I will probably put in for some time off soon. Usually a schedule change buys me some time and freshens things up a bit, but I adjusted quickly to this last one, so now it is back to feeling like the same old same old.

1/6/12

Bella and I had a fun day yesterday till around 6 pm. I got the house picked up, exercised, we played, then she went to work with me, we shopped at Walmart, then home to play and wait for dinner.

Tomorrow Hayley and I are going through my closet in earnest. I'm in the mood to throw everything away. I'm so tired of just spinning in circles. I'm bored to death of people, of this economy, of life...there is absolutely no inspiration to be had...nothing changes, and any attempt to is futile. I have no use for any capable person who can't help himself, and that includes the government. I have no use for people who fear change and that's just about everyone I've ever met. Unfortunately I can't control anyone but myself and that is what my next step is about.

Yeah, that's my mood for today.

1/4/12

Wow what a horribly bad mood to find myself in yesterday! Feeling much better today! I've been up since 4:40. Got my workout done. Feeling great about that! I have a meeting at 3 until 5. Not crazy about that but they're usually energizing. I'm going to work on the menu for this weekend and next week. It was pretty successful the way I did it last year.

I'm not going to spend any time online today other than now and again in the afternoon and probably once I get Bella asleep for the night. And the times I am on, I'm going to limit myself to 15 minute sessions.

I'm going to get ready for my day, hopefully read a bit, and just try to enjoy the day.

Darkest Days

I hate January.

It is so incredibly difficult to not feel terribly bleak this time of year. The holidays, as stressful as they may or may not have been, are OVER. There is nothing to take your mind off of short daylight hours, cool temps, über dry skin...and just when you get yourself feeling positive again, you look out the window. I just want to curl up and sleep till March. That being said, I still have a very green lawn, and I am truly thankful for a snowless winter.

I need to be crafting and writing and happy but instead I just want to punch the people who are. I'm restless. I want to go for a long leisurely walk in my cut-offs and flip flops.

1/3/12

Woke up earlish this morning. In the 7 o'clock hour. My workout is done. My room is picked up a little. My goal for this week (and the month of January) is to downsize. I tossed three items today. A pair of yoga leggings that I spilled bleach on (boo hoo), a stained up sleep shirt and a pair of Capri sweats with a hole in the crotch area. I could sew it but I'm downsizing. Plus I've owned them for at least 4 years. I've gotten rid of 4 more pairs of shoes, two of which that I wore in weddings and plan on NEVER wearing again. I'm down to 5 pairs of sneakers, 6 pairs of heels, a pair of leather shoes, 4 pairs of boots, my Ugg mules, 9 pairs of flip flops, and assorted slippers. Good start to the month of January. I'm also going to be downsizing cupboards, paperwork, junk drawers. We have chargers from 5 cell phones ago that fit God knows what. Trash. Trash. Trash. Also tossing crap from the bathroom again.

Obviously these things get done several times per year, but we are moving from this house and if I start planning now, it should be relatively painless. One Uhaul that we can drive and tow a vehicle behind, the other car can tow the camper, if we keep it, and I really would like to, and the third car will either be sold outright before we leave or Zach and Hayley can follow with it. The good news is this ranch house is about the size of a UHaul. Selling the camper and third car would give us cash for the move though, so I'm open to that possibility.

This is crazy exciting.

1/2/12

The new year has started off with a bang! Got an oil change for my car. My husband's Tahoe is currently getting the Gilligan's Island version of the oil change!

My working out has been kept to a minimum of one hour of cardio per day. Really trying to stick with that and not go overboard. I'm up to 25 push ups.

The countdown has started till I move to Phoenix. I've given us 7 months. It is 80 there today. I heard a TON of Eagles songs today and I have a peaceful easy feeling about the relocation!