Thursday, May 31, 2012
5/31/12
Goodbye May 2012. You could have been a little less foggy, but I guess that is springtime right on the ocean for you. After five years, I barely notice the fog horn anymore unless I already can't sleep. It's been a pretty busy week at work. Lots of medical issues going on there and everyone is a bit on edge, but I think we perform better as a team, when trouble sets in. When things are going smoothly, interpersonal communications get mucked up. That being said, I'm ready to move on. Rhode Island has been good to me and we will stick around longer if we have to, but we are looking and will continue to look, to advance in our careers. $600+ a month in combined student loans and living in the 4th most expensive state in America. Grrrrrrrrrrrr! I want to enjoy some of my hard earned dollars. Ideally, we're looking at large metro areas, in a cheaper state than RI, unless we start making considerably more here, then we will stay. We're not opposed to moving back to Maine either, as both our families are there, but I wouldn't consider it unless we make what we're making here and that is unlikely in Maine, unless we want to work at 3 jobs a piece. Colleges in Maine don't even come close to offering a competitive wage package as other schools throughout the US. So anyway, there's no rush. What will happen, will happen. I'm still gunning for Phoenix! In all likelihood, it'll be in the PA area. In a perfect life, Mitch would get the best job ever, and we would start a business that the kids and I could run, and we could just rent a house in Maine for the summers and get all our visiting over and done with. Our grandmothers aren't getting any younger.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
5/30/12
Seriously, WHERE did May go? And April for that matter! It's not even officially summer, and I'm already sick of "summer" food. Seems like there's always some kind of grilled meat (chicken, burgers, dogs, steaks and seafood) and some kind of green veggie and a salad greens. Last night we made "pizzas" on low carb tortillas. Quite yummy, and at least it seemed like regular food. AND at 15 calories and NO carbs, Redi-Whip makes sugar free jello or pudding so good! I wasn't missing any dessert at all yesterday with that treat!
So I'm almost done Game of Thrones part 2 of book three. I am not liking it at all...not that it isn't well done...I just don't like any of the turn of events. Pretty much don't get attached to any characters up till this point. I almost chucked it across the room on a few occasions. It's predictable only in the sense that you continue to be surprised by the death of key characters.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
5/29/12
We had a pretty nice holiday weekend. We spent most of it in the sun. I got some reading done so yay me!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Worst
Last night was the worst night's sleep ever, through no fault of my own. So beat today, I can't even get out of my own way. For instance, while attempting to brush my teeth this morning, I wet my toothbrush and for some reason felt a pump of Dial hand soap was better on the brush than toothpaste. Oh my good Lord. Gross! This was after my second cup of coffee and my shower. I have a stupid inservice to go to tomorrow morning so no sleeping in for me. But, then I'm pretty much done all my requirements for my next raise. My stomach is killing me right now! Blah.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
5/18/12
The blogs I typically follow have been BORING lately. Time to look for some new inspiration I guess. Not that my blog is particularly fascinating, but I don't make a living with it, like the bloggers I follow. I know I would be unsuccessful if blogging were to become my career because I took Educational Psych in college and happened to show up for class (paid attention) the day we studied intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. See, I'm intrinsically motivated to blog. I love it. My motivation is simply the good feelings I get journaling my life. If I were to begin getting paid, I would become extrinsically motivated by money to blog. Get it? I LOVE to read. I got a job reading books on tape. Great, right? Once it became a j-o-b I lost all interest in reading and thankfully quit that job so now I love reading again. The point??? Extrinsic motivation never produces long term behaviors. It is to be used rarely, to get immediate results. Kids who succeed in school are typically intrinsically motivated to do so. The worst thing you can do at that point is reward them for something that comes naturally.
Alrighty then...it's going to be a gorgeous weekend weather-wise. Looks like we had better enjoy it as Monday-Wednesday is looking like it'll be crappy.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
5/17/12
I had an unusual amount of energy yesterday! I finished Island of Lost Girls last night. It was a quick read. I could have probably finished it in a day, if I had had a solid few hours in a row. Today I hope to finish Remember Us. I'm certainly lacking the energy I had yesterday and am finding even the thought of taking a quick shower, getting dressed and going tanning overwhelming. My eyes are itchy today and my throat feels a tad dry...allergies, allergies...they've been so mild for me this spring, so I won't complain. I've cut out most dairy, except for yogurt and cheddar and parmesan cheese. I've been drinking almond milk in my smoothies. Quite yummy. I've also cut out ALL pasta, substituting it with spaghetti squash, bread, cereal, any starchy vegetable, all sweets, and my sweet tea. I've been drinking a TON of water. I've been eating lots a chicken, eggwhites, fish, and seafood. Plenty of fruits and veggies. Great abs are 30% exercise and 70% diet...so I'm focusing more right now on what I'm putting inside me. I still drink my cup or two of coffee in the AM and still have a glass of red wine when the mood strikes, but other than that, it's been water, water, water! I do also occasionally indulge in a sprite zero with grape at Wendy's when I need a 'treat'.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
5/16/12
What a busy morning!!! I've been up since 4:30! Let's see what I've done already...a load of dishes, swept and mopped the kitchen and living room, cleaned out Bella's toy box, and organized her toys, put some dishes away, watched Bella while doing all of is so Kayla could clean her disgusting room. Seriously, not quite sure what happened to her. She always had a clean room and it's gotten progressively worse, to the point at age 22, she's been given the ultimatum. Clean it up today or you're paying your own rent somewhere else. And don't look at me like I'm the one without a clue...I had THREE babies, worked, went to school AND cleaned my house. I win.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
5/15/12
I have no idea what time I fell asleep last night. Between 8-9 is my guess. I woke up at 8:30. I had three nights of insomnia last week so I guess it was past due. I'm feeling more rested but still a bit snippy. It's nice to see the sun today, especially since it was supposed to rain today and rain tomorrow. It's nice having the windows open all day and all night. Before long, the AC will be running non-stop till about the first of November. Thursday and Friday are looking to be gorgeous, so hopefully I will get some outdoor reading-time in. Well that's about as exciting as things are around here today.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Mother's Day 2012
Sunday was my first Mother's Day with three adult children! So weird but fun! I got season 3 of Lost. My husband is so lucky! I also got a lovely Yankee candle and 4 cards and was able to spend the day with Mitch, the kids and Bella. And I sat in the sun the entire weekend. I honestly didn't do much else. We celebrated Zach's birthday on Friday. I did finish part one of Book 3 of Game of Thrones. I'm more than half way done Helter Skelter and started Remember Us last night and started Island of Lost Girls this morning. Both Remember Us and ILG are on my Kindle. Both are very good so far. I suspect they will be quick reads. Then onto part two of book three of Game of Thrones. I should probably start book 4 of Stephen King's Dark Tower series. The next two days are supposed to be rainy so I hope to get some cleaning and reading done. Most of the cleaning got done this morning actually. I'm going tanning in a bit and then running a few errands with Janice. Candles are burning and the house smells yummy!!!
Friday, May 11, 2012
5/11/12
As of tomorrow, I'm officially the Mom of three adult children! And a Nonni to the sweetest girl around, who happens to be curled up in bed next to me watching Toy Story 3. God knows, every single one of us in this house has problems, but I love how she loves us. Today I'm laying out! Tomorrow, I'm doing the same! And reading. I want to finish book 3 and Helter Skelter. And I'd love to spend some none-grouchy time with my husband. I woke up to a full tank of gas yesterday morning, and I really do appreciate those little things. Have I mentioned how nice it is to see the sun?? All this rain has succeeded in making my backyard look like a rainforest. I also haven't mentioned how glorious it is to see green trees everywhere! So here's to a great weekend of grilling, chilling, drinking some wine and sitting by the fire pit, and enjoying every last moment before the summer folk trickle in.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
5/10/12
I think I'm going to live in my camper for a few years and then take ALL my yearly earnings and pay cash for a nice house in Florida. I hate bills. Last month, I thought of a similar plan, to live in my camper, and take my weekly paycheck and just buy all the clothes and shoes and purses I want! :)
I'm on my second cup of coffee so far...yummy goodness!
Going tanning in a bit and tomorrow come Hell (or rain, I guess) I'm laying in the sun!!!
I have some errands to run today and tomorrow, but other than that, my weekend has begun! Zach's 18th birthday is Saturday! I was thinking this iFamily could go to IHop for dinner tomorrow night since the last time we all ate there, we had the best food ever, followed by the worst stomach virus ever, and since three of the six of us are dieting anyway...bring it! My kids have been having whispered conversations regarding Mothers day...
If I had a few thousand dollars hanging around, all three cars would get brand spanking new tires, alignments and some interior detailing. I love the look and feel of brand new tires. I'm such a girl!
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
After the Sock Bun
I played with the filter a little so you can see the depth of the curl...this is after sleeping in the sock bun. I could achieve a similar look of course with a straightener, curling iron and hair dryer. The beauty of this is no damage to the hair and I wake up and toss and go! I will definitely be using this technique more often!!!
5/9/12
It would rain today for two reasons...one, I slept in a sock bun so I could have effortless (sans heat from hair dryer and curling iron) waves, and two, because I of course need to get gas. Grrrrrrrr! So for now, my hair looks great. Typically, one would use the sock bun on day old hair, but yesterday was a wash day so I speeded up the process by allowing my hair to air dry just a bit, and once it was damp only, I pulled my hair up in a sock bun and went about my day and evening. I woke up this morning to some pretty nice hair! So, after watching Lost marathons, I now know how I'd manage being stranded on an island without curling irons, straight irons and hair dryers!
I want to mention, if anyone is going to try this, know your hair...long and one length would be the less hassle free and would simply be a sock bun placed on top of the head...I have layered hair so, I do not include my long side layered bangs in the bun and I sit my bun on the lower half/nape of neck area...if I did the sock bun up high, with my layers, and I learned this the hard way, whoa, whoa, whoa (suffice it to say, that look is bad, very bad.)
Of course all effortless efforts will be lost to this frizz inspiring rain!
If you're going to do this with day old hair, dampen hair with water in a spray bottle...pull up into a sock bun and go to bed, or leave in for 6-8 hours (the time you'd spend asleep). Also experiment until you feel confident you've mastered the look before trying it out on a special occasion day...picture day at school for instance!
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
5/8/12
I have nothing on the agenda today except clean, tan, and shave my legs. I might read and crochet too...who knows? Tomorrow it's back to work for me! Well tonight, if you count my overnight, which I don't, because I just watch some tv and go to sleep. Tomorrow I have a staff meeting and then work 4-7. Hard job, I know! :) It certainly has its ups and downs, but for the most part, im satisfied. Errands with Janice on Thursday, errands with David on Friday and back to another long weekend! I can't believe it is quarter till 1. I slept in until 9:30 this morning. I fell asleep last night around 10.
Monday, May 07, 2012
5/6/12
I have had the best couple of days off. So very needed. There were a few moments of boredom, as I'm used to being incredibly busy and often jump from one task right into the next, but the boredom didn't last long. I'm looking forward to today's 70 degree weather and sunny, blue skies. The weather was stinky last week...Tuesday through Thursday this week aren't looking so hot, either. I'm ready for a hot HOT summer. I'm going tanning today, errands with Janice, Human Rights meeting till 7...not terribly busy and I can get some reading done. Should be a good day, but it's early yet AND a Monday!
Thursday, May 03, 2012
5/3/12
So much going on in social news that has my fur up a bit...advertising and the entertainment industries are under constant attack for their choice in models, children's toys, even a harmless mommy/daughter make-up blog post recently came under scrutiny...do people NOT have enough to do in their lives? I read Seventeen magazine religiously growing up, switching to the Bible Cosmo in high school...I still read Cosmo and get my monthly Victoria Secret catalog. I promise you, I do not want "real" women in my advertisements. I aspire to be a certain size/shape NOT because the industry is screwing with my mind and body image, but because the MEDICAL EXPERTS have said thin is in! These images serve as my motivation! I get plenty of "real" at the beach, let me tell you. I get plenty of "real" looking in the dang mirror! Very few women are satisfied with their bodies, whether they watch tv or read magazines, whether they have reason to be unsatisfied or not, and I find it hard to believe the entire advertising/entertainment industry is responsible for that. I do not blame Seventeen magazine for my unsatisfaction. I have McDonald's to thank for that!! Because you know, they photoshopped that Big Mac and made that juicy meat so irresistible looking, I couldn't help myself! So now im fat. Sue McDonalds. I'm going to sue McDonalds beause im not responsible for my own tnoughts and actions.
My personal relationships (Mom, Dad, husband) remind me I'm beautiful at every shape, at any time of day, in sickness and in health. Focus needs to be more on what's going on in those personal relationships, not what is being consumed by the mind. Leave Barbie alone. Let little girls watch their mommies putting make-up on and getting ready for a fancy date in their own awe-filled fantasical way. When I'd watch my mom get dressed up, I'd think she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and my mom would kiss my lips, so I would get to wear lipstick and my dad would laugh because I'd get it all over his face...these are innocent beautiful memories and no one came storming in accusing my mom of "whoring" me up...geez people, get a grip.
Wednesday, May 02, 2012
5/2/12
Yesterday was darn near perfect! My husband came home from work early and it was so nice to spend that time together! I have a meeting 3-5 today...work 5-7...and then back home to enjoy my perfectly imperfect life! I'm going to go to bed early tonight and hopefully tackle some cleaning and craft projects tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Hehehe
I read the May archives from last year...so freaking glad last year is OVER!!! I was dealing with an expensive transmission, expensive tax bill AND a sprained ankle! Proud, pleased, and grateful that my husband and I survived all that chaos and are still in love! :) I was also working 46 hours per week, and that kept up through just two weeks ago! Guess I deserve this "light" (38 hours) schedule!
My bedroom is clean. Closet semi-organized. Unfortunately I won't be sleeping here tonight to enjoy it!! I took a very relaxing, very hot bath to try and help my cramps. Feeling much better.
5/1/12
I'm so glad for a rainy day today. No pressure to get out and enjoy it! I guess I will tackle my closet today. I'm running out of things to clean around here. Never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I've been listening to Calm Meditations radio station on Pandora the last week or so, when I'm reading or relaxing. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I have a list of craft projects I want to tackle in the upcoming weeks. I just need to get organized in my head.
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