144

Wow. 144 posts. That's a lot, especially for me, a writer who struggles with major writer's block.

I'm really very sad to see this blog go. I've had such a fun time writing it. Alas, it has to be done to preserve some one's feelings. I can't censor myself, so it's just better this way. And, I really do think I was outgrowing the crazy obsessive weight loss writing as well. I would love to write about whatever I want, and not have to have it be a theme.

While I'm not too happy about this blog ending, I am happy with the idea of a new one starting - a fresh start for me! I actually journaled for almost all of my lunch today, and it felt pretty good. I want my new blog to be more like that - more me. I even want to get back into writing poetry, which I haven't really done in a couple of years.

So, to anyone out there who is reading this, thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to read my writing. And, if you want to know where I'm going, let me know. I'll keep you updated!

The End Is Near

So, folks, this blog is nearing it's end. Tomorrow will be the last blog of "Following Weight" - forever. It has become part of a very negative situation for me, and it needs to end.

Not only the negative situation, but I think my life has evolved. I'm no longer all about the weight loss. I'm about life, and love, and experiences. I'm not just a number on a scale, I'm a person. Yes, my life is still a lot about weight, but it's about so much more.

Basically, here's the deal. I'm not going to delete my blog. It's been too much of a part of me for too long. But, if you want to be a part of the new blog, and to know what it is, and where I've gone, please leave a comment on today or tomorrow's blog. If you're out there, and not AT or KB (you will get an email with the updates ladies!) please let me know. If my blog means something to you, let me know. I want to still share my words.

I'm really sad about having to end this way, but it's for the best for me. After some good advice from KB, I feel pretty amazing about it. Like a weight has been lifted, a weight that should have been taken care of a while ago.

So, let me know. I want to hear from you. I'll keep checking the comments for a while, just in case.

Thanks blogger - I'm going to miss you.

Sunday Goals

So, this is a picture from our vacation this summer. We went through Well's Gray Park at a mad pace, and stopped at 4 waterfalls and here, the place called the "Mush Bowl." Now, I don't find this to be the most flattering picture ever, but, it is who I am right now, belly and all.

So, you've been waiting to hear about my newest plan, and I promise, you will find out by the end of this blog.

I think I need to do some reflection this week. I've had some hard times come at me, and I haven't dealt with them too well. John and I had some problems, I had a bitch call me down and take away a huge amount of my self confidence. And what did I do? Eat. Shouldn't I have gone and run? Yes, is the correct answer. But no. I fell back into old routines.

I think the fact that John and I have come out of these problems stronger is the key to our relationship. This wasn't a minor issue, this was a trust issue, and that's one of the biggest in a relationship. But, we've worked it out and are stronger for it. It just makes me so happy that I found a man who loves me enough to support me and what I feel.

And, the bitch of s friend. I really don't think she's that bad of a person. My last impression of her will always be that of a bitch because of how she treated me. Obviously, our ideas of being friends are different. She thinks it acceptable to maliciously hurt someone, or to attack them and insult them when the first person says something she doesn't like. Like, once, I made a comment about her husband, totally innocently, and she took it the wrong way and before asking me what I meant, she attacked John and I. Not so much what I good friend would do. But, our problems may have been just that we were not compatable. I don't want a friend to know absolutely every thought in my mind, or to give me constant advice. If I want advice, I will ask for it. And, I am not an advice giver, since I don't like getting it, why would I give it? There were so many signs that I ignored about our relationship that I shouldn't have. It could have ended a whole lot better. I still feel bad for taking her away from John, but I'm really not comfortable with him being that close to another woman. That's what I'm around for. If you need someone to talk to, shouldn't it be your wife? I think so. I mean, it's not as if I bitch and complain and tell all of my inner relationship issues with another guy. I think if the roles were reversed, John would have understood a lot sooner.

So, back to the eating issue. I'm clearly having some issues. I stepped onto the scale this morning and weighed 190.5 pounds, which is less than last week. A pound and a half less. I guess I should take that as a good thing, since my goal is to lose 20 pounds by the end of the year, and that's less than a pound and a half a week. But, it's driving me nuts. I've been weighing every single day, and seeing the scale go up and down is drving me crazy. It's stressing me out, and that's not good. The pain in my knees isn't making it any easier. I've been having some huge problems with them. It sure makes working out hard to do. I haven't run since before we went on vacation.

So, the new plan? I'm going to weigh September 1, then not again until October 1. I've realized how badly the scale has been stressing me out, so I'm going to take it away for a month. I know that may seem silly. I mean, how am I going to know if I'm losing or gaining? Well, I'm not. I want to weight 185 pounds on October 1, but I think, if I just eat right, work out at least 5 days a week, walk after dinner every night, and NOT stress out about it, I can do that, and more. I'm going to do my measurements again September 1 (or the night before) and just go by that. Measure every week, and see if there is any improvement. I'm putting too much stock in the scale, and I need it to go away! If I can make it down to 185 pounds in that month, I only have 15 pounds to lose in 3 months - 5 pounds a month! I think I can do that! I just need to get the eating and knees under control.

Speaking of knees, I'm starting a vitamin regimine tomorrow. I've been taking Super Apple Cidar Vinegar pills every morning (the help you stop retaining water) but I'm going to add in Glucosamine & Chondroitin and Clacuim Magnesium with Vitamin D. I have to try something to get my knees back into shape. It's getting pathetic. I've been laying in bed a lot because it hurts so badly. I can't do much around the house most days, and it's frustrating. Even doing aquafit was hard on my knees. I think maybe going to the pool and just doing cardio (jogging on the spot, walking across the pool, etc) might be good for me. We'll see though. I need to figure something out. I'll try this out for a bit, and if it's not working, I guess I'll have to go see a specialist. It's tough.

So, that's it today folks. I think I should get dressed and go for a quick walk. Just something to get my heart rate going for a bit, then relax my knees. Maybe a bath. That would be nice! Hope your weekend was great, and that your weather was better than our rainy fall shit. Have a good one!

Saturday Recipe

Well,  summer's almost over, but here's a great recipe for summer. I think it sounds fantastic.

I finally got the chance to relax today, and it still feels like I could use some more down time. It really sucks. My knees are still sore, though not as sore as before.

Hope you all had a great day. Stay tuned for my newest plan in tomorrow's blog!

Friday Friday

What a week! I can't believe how exhausting it's been for me! And painful. I'm especially not happy with the pain part. My arms have been hurting, but tendinitis and a computer job will do that. It's my knees that have been bugging me the most. My left knee is horrible! Just an ache, constantly. And not a dull ache, an in-your-face ache. Not so much fun.

And the scale and I have not been friends all week. I've been hovering at 191 pounds and 191.5 pounds all week. And, of course, I'm frustrated, and when I'm frustrated, I eat badly. I'm working on a strategy for it, which I will let you in on in Sunday's blog. September is going to be a good month for me. I can feel it (somehow through the pain, I can feel it).

We've also been talking about moving a lot lately. Not like moving to town, like moving out of town. Going North. Possibly. And, I'm willing to go for John's job, but it's still freaking me out. It's only a possibility that's being thrown out there, but it might be something good to consider. Great for him, and a change of pace for me. Might be just what's needed. I mean, I've been here over 3 years. I only lived in Kamloops for 20 months! I didn't even make it 2 full years there before I was bored. I would have left about 4 months earlier, but I was already enrolled at TRU for the spring semester! Maybe a change is in order for us! We'll see though! But, of course, it is a bit stressful for me. The anxiety hasn't set in yet, but I'm sure it will.

Ok, time to go and cuddle up with my honey and watch "Hot Tub Time Machine" - have a good night all!

The No Gym Workout

I don't know about you, but I really hate the gym. Hate it. I find it to be so boring, and I lose interest really quickly. If I'm on a treadmill, I don't care how far I've gone because I can't visualize it. I know when I run at home here, I'm running a mile. I can see that from beginning to end, it's a mile. On a treadmill, the numbers don't add up as well. So, if you're like me, check out this article. I think it's pretty good!

Today was super busy at work. My customers were pretty quiet, but I think I was the only one. But, that meant holding down the fort while other people got stuff done. I mean, I did a lot of orders today, but I didn't get the chance to pick a single one. We left the boss with a mass amount to pick, but when I asked if he wanted me to stay he said no, so it's his own problem!

I think I should go and clean up our room a bit. I have a load of laundry that needs to be folded. Oh the joys of being a wife. I wish sometimes that I could be the husband, and not care if things looked nice. Oh well. Yet another curse of being a woman.

Hope you all had a great day! Talk to you again tomorrow!

Aqua Fit

What a great class tonight! I had a lot of fun at aqua fit with my mom and CH. It was great to inadvertently find a new workout buddy in CH. Now I have someone to keep me in line when Mom works late!

Though, I came home, and the boys hadn't done dishes. That kind of ruined my buzz. It took me about 6 minutes to do them too, which pisses me off. I guess I should just get used to it, and do them. I thought that maybe I wouldn't have to, but oh well. Such is the life of a woman.

Good luck to KB! I'm so excited about the prospect of the new job! You're going to knock them dead at the interview!

Have a good night all!

Traumatic Tuesday

JUST KIDDING! Today was a pretty good day. Work was lame as always, but at least busy for most of the day. I had a bad morning. I weighed, and with all the walking yesterday, and eating well, I only lost half a pound. I was distraught. Then, sometime during the day, I realized that half a pound in a day is a good thing! What a silly ass I was being! I think that's great! Half a pound is pretty awesome indeed.

Nothing huge happening with me. Mom and I walked our 8 kilometers, and tomorrow we're going to try aquafit. Fun!

Have a good night all!

Roommate

Ugh, I'm 24 years old, and I now have a roommate. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, it's just weird. He seems nice enough, so we'll see how it goes. I might just be working out A LOT. But, he just thanked me for dinner, and he did put his plate by the sink, so it might not be too bad!

I thought a lot about KB today. Not entirely sure why, but it felt pretty good. It's nice to think of someone who you know is a true friend. I mean, we have had our ups and downs, but still, she is one of my best friends. I don't think I could trade it for anything. KB, if you read this at a decent time (remember I'm an hour behind you), give me a call.

I went for a walk after work with CH. I wasn't going to do anything right after work, but then she asked if I wanted to go for a walk with her and her dog. It was good. That girl is a MACHINE. She walks as fast as John, if not faster! It's nuts! But the walk was good. I'd like to go again when I have more time to enjoy it, and not have to watch my feet so that I don't fall on my ass.

I'm really glad that I went. It's going to get me back into the routine I need to be in. Tomorrow I'm going to do something with Mom. Not sure what yet, but something. It looks like we're going to have to wait until Saturday to do aquafit, so we'll probably just walk. I think it'll be her day to do the 8K. That's ok with me. My feet will kill, but oh well.

So, finally, maybe a picture to end today. Something from my vacation. Have a good night!

The beautiful town of Golden, from the lookout at Mount 7

Sunday Goals

It's been a long time since I've put any goals down here! Seems like forever ago. I had to go back on my blog and see where I last was!

This morning I weighed 192 pounds. That's a pound and a half less than last Monday. Not too bad. I was down to 190 pounds on Thursday, but then I pigged out and gained back 2 pounds. Oh well. Shit happens.

So, I'm going to go with my goals for the year. I think I need to say them over and over and over again, and maybe if I keep repeating them, I'll keep my focus.

My goal weight is 145 pounds. The goal date is my birthday next year, June 9th. By the end of this year, I want to weigh 170 pounds. That way I only have 25 pounds to lose in 6 months. Looking at it now, it seems like a lofty goal, but I think I can make it. I want to run the Sun Run within 15 minutes of an hour.

Right now, I have 22 pounds to lose by the end of the year. If I can get my eating back under control, and keep working out with my mom, I should be able to do it. Mom is a slave to working out now, so I just have to stick with her, and I should be ok.

Mom and I walked 8K this morning. It actually felt pretty good. Then we had breakfast and walked to WalMart. Not too shabby. I could actually go for another walk right now. But, I probably won't. I'm in Christmas planning mode. I have to get ideas together, so that I can buy stuff as I see it. Yep, I'm one of those.

Now, off to cook dinner. Hope you all had a great day! Sundays are definitely my favourite!

Saturday Recipe! It's Back!

Saturday recipe is back! I hadn't done it ahead before we went on vacation, so I just had to leave it out. But here it is, back again! This one is awesome. My grandma had a little booklet on her counter and while I was there, I was looking through it and found this one. SMART Berry Muffins. Something different to try anyways!

Well, it's the weekend, and I'm on call. I have to go in at 8 and pull some taps out of freight. I'm going to have to dig through about a million boxes to find them, I bet. Oh well. I'm supposed to work out with mom this morning, but since I have to go into work, we'll have to do it a bit later. I'm trying really hard to get my motivation up again, but it's so hard. I think all the BS that has gone on in my life lately had taken my self-worth down a bit. It's like I think I'm not worth it, like I don't deserve to lose weight. I know it's not true, but I think you know how my neurosis works. I think that's why my motivation has been lacking lately. But, I think something is going to be changing around the house to make me more motivated to get out. We're getting a roommate for a couple of months. Actually, the guy wants to stay with us for a year, but I'm not sure that's going to work for me. We're kind of doing it as a trial-basis. It's a guy that John went to school with (well, his brother did, so that makes him my age) who is married, and is just up here working 10 days on and 4 days off. Having another person in the house is going to be different. But, you can;t argue too much with an extra $500 a month when you're in debt like John and I are. We'll see how it goes. If I don't like having him around, he's gone. Plain and simple. The money isn't worth it if I'm unhappy and don't want to be home ever.

AB had her last day of work yesterday. As much as I bitch about her, I'm going to miss her very much. She's gotten back together with the guy she was engaged to last year (that she broke it off with because he was a loser) which makes me scared, especially since they're moving away. She quit a really good job for him, and I'm still not sure if it was a good idea. I hope that it works out, and that he's really changed, not just enough to get her back. I'm hoping hard for them. I want it to work. I hate seeing relationships end, especially when there's a kid involved. It's not his kid, technically, but he might as well be. And the little guy doesn't deserve to go through that shit.

Ok, I guess I should go and have a shower, and get ready to go for a workout with momma. She's doing so well (10 pounds in the last 3-4 weeks! Go Momma!) and I really hope she can keep it up. She's almost caught me with weight. We're within about 5 pounds of each other right now. It's pretty great! Our weight loss goals are super close; she wants to be 150 pounds by May, I want to be 145 pounds by my birthday. Both are pretty attainable, so I hope we can keep each other going. Next week should be a better week for me. Then I can get back to running!

Have a good day!

Friday Night

You know, I had an awesome plan of writing a nice, long blog tonight, but John and I decided to watch "When In Rome" instead, and I'm tired now.

Night all!

Maternity Leave

Did you know that in the USA you only get 6 weeks of paid maternity leave? How freaking stupid is that? Here we are up in Canada, with a full year, and we think that's not good enough (ok, well, I don't think it's good enough!). I have a friend that just had a baby, and is already talking about going back to work. Who the heck wants their 6 week old baby in daycare? And who would do daycare for a baby that small? Don't they still breast feed then? Yes, they do! How dumb! Thank goodness I live in Canada!

Anyway, that was my rant for the day. I just think it's dumb. Just like my knees. I'm so sore. Like, so sore that I don't want to get off of the couch. So bad. I'm hoping it's just as simple as I'm not used to being on my feet 8 hours a day. We'll see what happens next week. If it's this bad next week, I'll go to the doctor. The worst part is that I want to eat and eat and eat because I'm depressed that I can't get out and work out. Boo. Oh well. There's absolutely nothing bad that I want to eat in the house, and John won't let me go back to town!

Maybe time for some more couch time! Have a good night everyone, and send my knees some healing thoughts! They need it!

Peaches, Peaches, and More Peaches

I'm so exhausted. We canned peaches today, and I still have a bunch left to do. I'm going to make some jam tomorrow. Fun fun. And, I burned 3 of my fingers making dinner. It's been a freaking awesome day. I'm going to go and watch BB now, and hopefully tomorrow I'll have more energy and want to blog more. I'm such a lamo today!

Internet :(

Our internet is down. And my phone is just about dead. Fun.

More tomorrow!
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Tomatoes

Yes, today's blog is entitled "tomatoes" - and yes, I know how random that seems. But, really, it's not. I just canned my first tomatoes. Well, they're still in the caner, but the lids are on and they're boiling! Mom came out to help, and will be for the next few nights because we still have 60 pounds to go, plus 35 of peaches. Am I crazy? The answer is yes. But, nothing beats home canning!

Mom and I also walked 8K today. Yep, 8K. After not doing anything for quite a while, it was strange. And, all after being on my feet for 8 hours straight. Lots of 8's involved today. But tomorrow Mom has to work late, so I'm going to go for a run, come home, and get canning again. Hopefully I'll have most of the tomatoes done so that we can get them all into jars and into the caner ok.

I can't remember if I weighed 187 pounds before we left, or 188 pounds, but I weighed this morning, and I was at 193.5 pounds. Either way, about 6 pounds gained on vacation. I pretty much expected that though. Time to get back into it. Mom is super motivated right now, so I'm just going to take advantage of that and go with it. Those 6 pounds should come off in no time, right? RIGHT.

Time to get back to canning. I have to switch out another batch in a few minutes! Have a good night! Did you all say something good about yourself today?? I did!

End Of Vacation

So, it's finally come to an end. I'm back home, and have very few minutes of vacation left. I have to say, it was a very good vacation, but it was much too busy. I did it to myself, but it's so difficult when you only get to go on one large vacation a year, and have so many people and places that you want to visit. Going to see both of our families was our downfall. I know we have to try to see everyone, but it's so hard to do it in such a short time. I think we put on over 5000 kilometers in a week and a half. It's just nuts. I actually wish we had written down what our odometer said before we left. I know that I got an oil change the week we left, and we already need another one. Craziness. I will write more tomorrow when I'm not so bagged. Hopefully anyways. We have 80 pounds of tomatoes to deal with tomorrow night, and my mom assures me it shouldn't take long. I really hope it doesn't! I'm off to soak my feet. A week and a half in sandals has done a number on my heels. Ugh. Oh well. Have a good night all!

Vacation Day 10

Well, we left Golden today. So sad. I wish we could have stayed forever, but I said that about Kamloops too. I think I just wish I could stay in relaxation mode forever. I'm so not looking forward to going back to work. Oh well. We got to meet our new niece today. What a sweetie. So much hair! Hopefully we'll get to Hinton tonight, then home tomorrow. I can't wait to be home, even if that means going back to work. Have a good night all!
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Vacation Day 9

Well, not a big day today, but a good one anyways. Went up to the launch at Mount 7, KHMR, and visited friends and family. Got to see AT, so that was extra nice! I'm getting rather nostalgic, and am really not looking forward to leaving tomorrow. This always happens here. I fall back in love with Golden every time we're here. Oh well. Work must happen! Have a good night one and all.
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Vacation Day 8

What a day today was! We spent most of it with my nieces. We went to the beach, thinking it would be a nice day, and then it rained and stormed. My oldest niece convinced John to swim, despite the horrible weather. My youngest niece, ND and I sat on the beach and watched. It would have been a much better day had the weather cooperated, but it was good nonetheless.

Then, about 10 minutes ago, a bat was in the house. You should have seen me and Gramma freak out. Like little babies. John and Grampa had to shoo it out! What an ordeal.

And, I pinched the top of one of my toes in a drawer, so it kills. Messed up. Not even really sure that I can explain how I did it. Oh well. Time for bed. Hopefully it doesn't hurt in the morning!
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Vacation Day 7

I remembered today! It's the first bit of real relaxation this whole time. No big plans tonight, other than meeting KB on her way through Golden. It feels fantastic. Mere hours at my grandparents house, and everything is better. I feel so at ease, and there's no pressure to do anything but watch Big Brother. So wonderful. Even though I feel kind of bad, I don't even have to worry about doing laundry! Gramma's doing it for me. So weird. John even helped Grampa with dishes. What a wonderful thing. I told him that he should keep it up once we get home! I'm so excited that maybe he'll get used to helping around the house. A girl can hope!

Today I saw my cousin, ND, and it was so nice to visit! She definitely complimented my weight loss, which makes me feel good. I've been eating so badly lately. I hope I haven't gained too much when I get back. But I just can't stop it! Ugh!

Back to Big Brother. I love TV drama. Actually, I love drama, as long as I'm not personally involved.

Have a good night all!
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Vacation Day 6

I forgot again! Except that when I remembered, I was out of cell range. Monday night it rained and rained on us camping in Kelowna. Good news is that John's brother and his wife had their baby - another girl to love! That gives us 3 neices! Very exciting! Yesterday was a pretty relaxed day for us. Wandered around Kelowna in the morning, and slowly made our way to the B&B that we stayed at last night. I can't wait to be able to share photos from it. Absolutely beautiful! We're on our way to Golden now. So excited! I WILL remember to blog tonight! I WILL remember to blog tonight!
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Vacation Day 5

Busy day again today. Visit with a friend in Vernon who announced that she is 8 weeks pregnant with her second child. Visit with some awesome friends in Kelowna. Now, bed. Maybe a real post tomorrow. I remembered today at least!
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Vacation Day 4

I'm pretty sure that I forgot to blog yesterday. Pretty sure. It was such a busy day. Here's what went down.

We went to Chapel with John's family in the morning. Two and a half hours of singing and dancing and preaching. It wasn't all bad. The music is all written by members of the church, so for me it was good as long as I could ignore the lyrics. The sermon, or whatever you want to call it was ok. I only laughed at one point, but the pastor was so loud that even John didn't notice. I was very surprised that they did communion. I always assumed that was a Catholic thing to do and that no one else did it. Overall, it wasn't bad, but I won't be heading off to church every Sunday.

Then we headed out to Stump Lake to visit a friend of mine, CB. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon. Such a beautiful lake, and the weather was awesome.

Then we came home and I pretty much crashed. I haven't worked out in so long that I'm feeling a bit guilty, but whatever. I'm on vacation!!

More later...hopefully I won't forget again!
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Vacation Day 3

So, I almost forgot to blog. What a busy day today was, without being busy at all. We hung out with John's family for most of the day, went to a classic car show, and did some shopping. I had a distressing moment while shopping though. I didn't realize that my boobs had shrunk when I lost weight, and I've lost a cup size. Boo. But, I bought size 31 jeans, so that's good too. AB and I are going to have a pant burning party when I get home to get rid of my old work pants.

Right now we're chilling with CL and a friend of his watching Bad Boys. I really want to sleep, but oh well. Maybe I'll just sleep at Chapel tomorrow with the family.

Have a good one all!
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Vacation Day 2

So, we didn't hike Kinney Lake yesterday. Am I disappointed? Yes and no. Yes, because I really do want to hike there, and no because it gave John and I a chance to relax. We went to Overlander Falls, and Rearguard Falls, and read our books and wandered around the campsite (which is huge) and played cards. I am still the crib master, while John is the Crazy 8s King. Also, our air matress went flat on us in the night. It was really hot when we filled it up, then as it got colder, the mattress got flatter. We didn't sleep extremely well.

Last night I had a dream that John's brother and his wife had their baby, and it was a boy named Graham. She is due any time now, and wouldn't it be weird if that came true? She told me that God came to her in a dream and told her the name of her child. Now, I'm no believer, but wouldn't that be weird??

Today we're going to go to Wells Gray park, and go visit a couple of waterfalls. Then off to Kamloops! We were up so early that we might make it to Kamloops earlier than we thought, which would be nice. I want to find a nice, sunny spot on the beach, and live there for a bit. I miss that nice, dry heat.

Have a good day everyone! I know I'm going to!
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Vacation Day 1

Well, we're just about ready to leave PG to go to Mount Robson. I'm so excited. We had a good visit with John's mom this morning. I'm realizing more and more that I did marry into a pretty damn good family. She completely supports our issues from last week, and the decisions that were made. Feels good coming for another outside source.

But, today is about hiking. Can't wait! I'll try to blog about it tomorrow, but with it being all on my phone, it's hard.

Have a great day all! Say at least 2 positive things to yourself today - you'll feel instantly better!
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Shortie

A quick one tonight! I was going to email this one in at work, but I was too excited about leaving that I forgot.

I can't believe our vacation is finally starting! It's about damn time! We've been working straight since Christmas pretty much, and John has been working way too much (I think). At least something good is coming of his work. There are some good things in the works for him, and maybe the stress will be justified.

But, now it's time to get away from work and stop talking about it! I'm going to make a rule that after we get to PG tonight, no more work!

Hope you all are having a great day! I'm so happy I could scream!!
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The Day Before Vacation

Thank goodness our vacation starts tomorrow. Today was a super busy day today, and I know John had a really busy one too. He's still working, so it's up to me to get all of the rest of our stuff ready for vacation. Which is fine. It's easier if one of us does it anyways. We always seem to get in each other's way otherwise. I have the last load of laundry in the dryer, and dishes soaking in the sink. I'm inches away from done. I don't think we'll get in to PG tomorrow night at a decent time though. But oh well.

I just watched "19 Kids & Counting." I love that show. I don't care what you think, I love it. I think that they are a really cool family. They always have something going on, and all the kids seem so well behaved. I keep waiting to hear stuff in the tabloids about one of them rebelling really hard, but it hasn't happened yet!

I should get back to getting ready. I'm thinking a bath tonight would feel good. Maybe I can sneak one in before John gets home!

Like I said yesterday, I will still blog every day while I'm gone, but the posts might not be long, and they will come at all different times of day, depending on what we're doing.

I'm really glad my parents are going to be around to look after my house and kitties while we're gone. Poor kitties are going to think we abandoned them again. Oh well. They're cats after all, they'll get over it!

Talk to you all soon!

Long Weekends

Who doesn't love long weekends? Especially when you don't have to work. And when your vacation starts on Wednesday after work. That's right people, I only have to work 2 days this week! Whoo hoo! Then it's off on a hiking adventure! We're basically packed and ready to go. Tomorrow night will be busy, getting the last bit of laundry and stuff done, but we're pretty set. The camping gear is already in the truck, and our dry food is ready to go. Almost time!

So, having said that, the blog will still be posted every day, but it's mainly going to be from my cell phone, so it will be short. I'll still keep you up to date on my struggles and triumphs on the road!

Hope you all enjoyed your long weekend, even if you had to work!

Sunday Goals

Well, after this crazy week, I still lost weight. I'm currently at 187 pounds. I didn't think I'd be able to lose anything with all the stress that this week brought me, and maybe I would have been able to lose a few more pounds, but I'll take the 1 pound loss. Better than 1 pound gained.

I've been thinking a lot about my goals lately. I'm having an incredibly hard time keeping motivated. I only ran once this week, with Uncle B. I walked one morning with John, and walked once with Mom and did her workout once. I'm just having a really hard time. I'm realizing more now that I want and need John to be there with me, to help me out. Not every single day, because he works so hard for us, that sometimes he just can't find the energy, but I think we do need to have a sit down either while we're on vacation, or after, about working out together a few nights or mornings a week. For the both of us.

Since this week was so rough for me, my eating habits went down the tubes. My first real stress test and I failed, miserably. All I did was eat this week. Amazing how I lost a pound still. Not quite sure how it happened. I ate things I haven't thought about in months. Chips and dip, chocolate bars, you name it, I wanted it and had it. Not the best week for my body ever. Though, that's what it was like before. All that I did this past week was a regular week for me before.

But, it's time to move on from it. John and I have made it through our first real issue, and it feels good now. I still have some lingering after effects from it all, but that's just how I am. I'm going to think about it for a long time, just like the huge mess I had with CR back in the day. I still think about it sometimes, though now I can laugh about it, instead of cry. I'm going to try really hard in the next 2 weeks to get through this so it's not a constant thought it my head, because it's driving me mental. I feel guilt for something I didn't really even do, so it's tough. It's just how I am. I will make it through, just have to deal with it.

As for my weight goals, they have been changing. I went on JM's site this morning, and updated my gaols. I had set my goal to be 150 pounds, which, at that point, I thought was almost unattainable. Now that I've lost 23 pounds, I don't see it as so unattainable anymore. As per JM's site, my goal weight should be between 130-145 pounds. Now I'm definitely thinking that could happen. It's going to be tons and tons of work to get there, but I think I can make it. To get to the top end of that goal, I have 42 pounds to lose. If I lose 2 pounds a week for the rest of the year, I can make that goal. Now, I know, that's a pretty lofty goal, because losing 2 pounds a week is fine, until you hit a plateau. I'm prepared for those, but I know I can make it through those things. If I don't lose 2 pounds one week, I'll work harder the next to see if I can lose 2. I'm not setting myself up a goal to fail. I'm not going to set a firm time limit on losing anything. I'm going to try to lose 2 pounds each week, and that is my only real goal. I think it's better than saying "I need to lose XX pounds by XXXXXX." For me, all that does is stress me out, and I can't do it. I think that 2 pounds a week is a great goal.

According to JM's website, I have 13 pounds to lose until I am in the "overweight" category. That's not too bad. 174 pounds, and I'm back into the overweight side, instead of grossly obese. Now, I know, I've never felt like I should be in the obese category, because, in comparison to a lot of people, I'm not anywhere near obese. But, just being able to look at one of those charts, and not cringe? That's going to be great. And, I'm just thinking, like, since I've lost 23 pounds, I've gone down 2 pants sizes. I can fit into 11's again, which means I'm only a size away from the 9's that I have stuffed in the back of the closet from Kamloops. I think that this next pant size will take a lot more work to come off, but I know I can. The attitude change I've undergone is amazing.

Last night, I had a glass of wine, breaking my not drinking goal. It felt so good though! And really, one glass of wine isn't going to kill me. It was hot out, and it felt right. And it was sooo yummy! Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to start drinking all the time, but maybe it can be my Saturday night, end of the week, happy night with John drink. One drink. That's all...Until Convention, that is.

So, my goals for the week: eat better (which shouldn't take much, in comparison to this week), run at least 3 times, and drink lots and lots of water!

Have you made any goals for the week that you'd like to share? I love feedback!

Satruday Recipe - Four Grain Bread

I don't know about you, but I love a good loaf of home baked bread. Nothing tastes better! But, it takes way too much time to do on a regular basis! Here's a great recipe for you to try when you have the time.

I hope you're enjoying your long weekend. My hubby is working so we don't have much planned. They're busy busy busy, which is good, in a way. The money is good, but the poor guy is getting burnt out. So bad. I think he's only had 3 full days off this month. He's working more than most guys out on the rigs. It's not very much fun for him, or me. I miss him lots while he's gone, but at least we get to spend the nights together now, not like when he was away. And, our vacation is coming up, so hopefully we have a chance to get some rest in. I have a lot planned, but plans can get changed.

I hope you all are having a fantastic day! I'm going to go and do what I love - crochet!

Fridays, Ugh

Another Friday is over. It seemed like today everyone was on edge. Which, really, when there are more women than men at work, is a bit crazy. One of my co-workers brought in his son, and that sure changed the mood. He's about 6 months old, and so so so cute! At least something nice and bright during the crazy work day.

I went and did Mom's circuit today, and have to say, she needs to start running it. I barely got my heart rate up, and I know she could have. Maybe I'll go with her again tomorrow, and hope that she runs it.

And, just so you know, things are ok. I know I had a couple of crazy FB statuses, but things are fine. I'm fine. John's fine. Things with John and I are fine. Just a super duper bad day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

Hope you all had a good week! More tomorrow morning. Looks like we have another storm rolling in, so I hope the power holds out for us!

Super Storm

Wow, we're getting pelted with a storm right now. Bad news. Like, I was soaked running from the truck to the house. Good thing mom and I went for a walk earlier. We only got rained on a bit. And the power is out in town. I think our power won't be on too much longer.

There are so many things I wish that I could say, but I think the time has passed. I wish that I had the chance to say the things that I had wanted to, but staying true to who I am is much more important. I know that this blog has changed, and I'm sorry if you read it before and I deleted the middle part. It's just not something that I want to live forever as something I have said.

Hope you all are enjoying yourselves out there...if you like storms, you should be here! Tons of lightening!

The End of A Friendship

You ever have one of those friends, that drove you nuts, but you loved them anyways? Then, suddenly, the friendship is over, and you're not sure whether to be happy or sad? That happened to me today.

I don't want to go into the details, because it was pretty bad, but, it's over with SS. For me, I think it's really good. Maybe not for John. I think he's pretty upset about losing her as a friend, but she said some things to me today that even he couldn't deal with. If she had wanted to stay friends with him she should have thought before she typed. Hurting a guy's wife is the worst thing to do if you want to stay friends. If her husband is great, like mine is, he won't question dropping her. So, it's over.

And now I can finally move on. I've been so stressed out about the friendship that I've been sick. I've had anxiety attacks, thankfully when no one has been around to see me as that mess. But it's over. Time to surround myself with people who I know love me and would never say things like SS said to me. Ever. Even if it was true. I know that the people who love me would never try to hurt me. They would talk to me, not insult me.

So, it's time to get back to losing weight. It's been so on the back burner the last week or so with John coming home, and having Uncle B coming up. As much as having Uncle B here was good, it was kind of shitty for me. Great for Mom, because she's finally motivated. It's totally happened now. Maybe now she can try to motivate me some. It's just been hard. I've been so stressed, and haven't cared. Today was no better. I totally pigged out after work, and barely noticed how much I ate. That's never a good thing. I guess I'm getting up at 5 and running tomorrow morning.

More tomorrow. I'm just in such a better head space right now, it's not even funny. It feels fantastic.

Thank you to all of you out there, KB & AT mostly, for not being the kind of friend that sets out to hurt someone. I love you both very much.

Another Quick One!

Yet another night that we didn't get home until after 9! I think, after I work out with Mom tomorrow, I'm coming straight home. I need to have some home time! Since it's late, this is it, but tomorrow I should be able to have time to get you all caught up! Have a good night!

Monday Madness

Sorry folks, no photo today. I'm much too tired for much of a blog. Uncle B worked the hell out of me yesterday and this morning, and I'm pretty sure that once I get home, I'm going to crash. Literally, there will be a crash landing in my bed. I didn't sleep well at all last night, because of how sore I am, and it's making me so cranky! I kinda want to just go home, crawl into bed, and wake up on the right side! Oh well. It is what it is. I'm on my lunch break, and I should eat something. Have a good day all!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Sunday Goals

Well, I weighed in at 188 pounds this morning! Yay! And, it's our 1st wedding anniversary today! I'm 12 pounds less than I was at the wedding! That's a pretty good feeling, I think!

Well, since my crazy Uncle B is on his way here, the only goal I have for the week is to make it through to Tuesday without dieing. I'm not sure he understands what I want out of him being here, but I'll go along with it if I have to.

John's making me golf today, we'll see how that goes. I feel kind of like shit today, so it might not be very good! I'm exhausted already, and maybe a bit stressed about Uncle B being here. I don't know. Will be an interesting couple of days.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Saturday Recipe

Personally, I love a recipe that takes little or no time to prepare. This one is like that. Stir Fried Spicy Chicken Tenders. Looks good to me. I've discovered a love for cayenne pepper, so this one is great. I'm sure you could substitute the spices for anything you want. Check out the Everyday Health website for more great recipes (and articles!). I cheated this week and made cookies. I had a craving, now it's gone and I have a dozen cookies sitting here. Oh well. John will eat them.

I haven't been blogging much in the last couple of days, so I thought maybe I should catch up a bit. This week hasn't been my best for working out, but not my worst either. Monday, walked with Mom. Tuesday, power cleaned the house. Wednesday, picked up John in Chetwynd, FINALLY. Thursday, went swimming where I did small things, like treaded water, and held myself up and kicked my legs against the side of the pool. Friday, went for a run with John once he got home. Not bad, but not great either. I need to start working out in the morning again, but I just can't get into it! Except for on the weekends. Then it's not too bad. I need to finish the blog and get out and go! I thought I should get some water in me before I start running though.

Today is Farmer's Market day, and I'm going to see what kinds of local produce I can pick up. I grabbed some stuff at the grocery store last night because I know Uncle B is coming and he's going to make me eat strange food. I talked to him this morning and he told me to grab stuff, and we'll go from there!

I'm actually terrified of him coming. I know it's going to be good and bad. He's a monster when it comes to working out. I'm just hoping that he sees what I can do, and doesn't push me so far beyond my limits that I can barely move at work.I'm hoping that I'll get a few great workouts in, and that he can help me set up some routines to get me off of my plateau. I've been hovering between 189 and 190.5 for the month. Not too impressed, but I sure hope he can help me out of it.

Have a good Saturday everyone. I'm going to try to enjoy mine too!

Another Late One

Sorry sis! Another late one! Hope you're still awake!

John and I went for a run when he got home tonight. It went better than I thought. I forgot the stopwatch, so I can't be sure, but I think we went faster than I've gone before. Very exciting. I'll be running multiple laps before we know it!

Hope you all had a fabulous Friday!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Swimming

So, here I thought I would be able to write a nice, big, happy blog tonight, but we went swimming instead, and just got home. The good news is that we got out of the house!

So, instead of reading my writing, check this out. It's an article on tension taming foods. Because, I mean, come on. We all have tension in our lives that needs to be tamed every once in a while!

Tomorrow I'm making John come for a run with me, just to see where he is. Should be fun! Have a good night all!

Home Sweet Home

John is finally home! Yay! I have a husband again! And hopefully, a more motivated one that will help me stay motivated!

Quick post tonight since we're on the road. I'll do better tomorrow - I promise!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Clean House?

It's official, I can do nothing more to make my house clean. I think I broke the vacuum cleaner.

I was vacuuming, and didn't notice the cat's toy until it was too late. And, I don't know how to get the machine apart to pull it out, so I have to wait until John comes home.

Which is tomorrow! Whoo hoo! Finally, he's going to be home! It's been much too long. Five and a half weeks is ridiculous. RIDICULOUS.

I didn't run today, but I should have. It was 28 degrees out though, and for once in my life, I actually wished I had a gym pass! At least then I wouldn't have fallen to dehydration after only minutes! I can't believe how hot it is! Phew.

Well, I don't have much today...That's all folks! More tomorrow!

Monday Photo

Here's my photo from the weekend. What is it, you ask? It's my dashboard, showing how far of a run I've been doing. I have a pedometer, but it doesn't seem to work (it gives me a different reading each time I walk somewhere, like a huge difference!) so I drove the truck around it to see what I'm looking at. 1.6 kilometers, in around 12 minutes. I think that's pretty good for a beginner. Makes me feel a bit better. I thought that if I could get up to running 3 laps, I'd be laughing, and it's true! That's almost 5 kilometers in 3 laps. I'll take it!

Today my mom and I walked after work. She needed to get out! We haven't really had a chance to walk together since June. That's way too long! It was a good walk, until the end. When it started to POUR. But, we didn't get too wet because we were really close to the trucks when it got really bad!

Hope you had a good Monday everyone!

Wow...

...it's my 100th Blog Posting!

Can you believe it? I can't! Actually, this is the first time I've ever got this far with a blog. I've started a few others, but never made it past about day 10. This is a cause to celebrate! And, look back at where I was 100 days ago, and where I am now, and look forward to the future.

On my third post, I revealed that I weighed 203.5 pounds. I was VERY unmotivated for change. The whole concept of working out a lot was lost on me. We were still eating very poorly. McD's was a regular thing.

On my 51st post, I weighed in at 195.5 pounds with a cold. I wasn't exercising much, I had taken a break from the 30 Day Shred, and was fighting some kind of bug. It was also around then that I really decided that I wasn't going to drink for a while. Until I got to my goal weight.

Now, on my 100th post, I weigh 190.5 pounds. Since then, I have lost a total of 13 pounds, and 19.5 pounds this year (the weight that I was at my biggest, January 1 this year). I can run for 12 minutes or more without stopping. I think I could go farther, but I'm weary of pushing too far because my Achilles tendon is killing me again, and I think I need to go to the doctor, just to make sure nothing major is happening. These days, going for hikes is nothing I can't handle, considering that we hiked 27 kilometers in one day in June.

Looking to the future, I still have about 30 pounds that I would like to lose before Convention in October, but, I'm willing to settle for at least 20. I believe that I can make it to 30, if I buckle down once John gets home (which might possibly Wednesday night instead of Friday or Saturday! Yay!) and is around to help motivate me. My biggest struggle isn't getting out to run, it's eating right and getting up to work out in the morning. I know I'm not seeing as great of results because I'm not getting up as early in the morning and working out. I'm thinking I'm going to convince John that he needs to work out with me in the mornings. It might work. Maybe not. But, it's worth a shot. And, I'm looking forward to a vacation full of lots of hikes and walks, and playing golf with John and my Grandpa. I'm looking forward to playing golf in general. I'm looking forward to going to the pool, and starting to swim laps. And, maybe to get a volleyball, and playing a bit with John in the evenings. And, just to being able to have someone to run with in the evenings, and to keep me active this winter. I'm looking forward to really learning how to skate. And to go skiing! And snowshoeing!

I'm amazed to see the transformation that I've gone through. Not even just the physical transformation, which is huge (I'm actually going to go and try on some older clothes to see where I am with them!) but the mental one too. I know more than ever before about my body, and what I am capable of, even if I do have an anxiety attack here and there. I know that it's all just a part of being me. And, knowing that my husband loves me, and is proud of me, and that I am inspiring a couple of you out there, it's just amazing. I don't know what else I can say about it. It's just amazing. AMAZING.

I want to thank all of you for the kind words, and motivation that you've provided to me in the last 100 days, and pre-thank you for all of the motivation that I know you will provide in the next 100. Thanks everyone. I love you all! Just remember that! And, enjoy your Sunday!

And thanks for reading 100 posts of my rantings! You rock for sticking through reading my neurotic thoughts!

Saturday Recipe

So, today, I finally got my photos from our trip to the Bahamas done. John and I went last year in August for our honeymoon. And, yes, it's taken me almost a year to get the photos together! I know, I know. Forever!

But they are done now. And, I've been thinking a lot about the foods that we had while we were there. And then I found the cook book that I bought while we were there. Here's a recipe from that book that I think looks amazing:

Seafood Chowder

2 pounds white fish, cut into uniform pieces
4 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, diced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, bring fish to a boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain liquid and remove bones (or remove bones before cooking). Return fish stock to saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add flaked fish and heat to serving temperature. Makes about 6 servings.

Doesn't that sound delicious? I think it does. We had a version of that, maybe a more fancy version, and one of the restaurants at our resort. So yummy. Also, if you have the chance, try jerk chicken or beef. Spicy, but so good!

Enjoy your Saturday!

Travel Foods

Travelling on a plane anytime soon? Check this out. Healthy options for food on the plane. Or, you can apply it to anything. Any road trip that you plan to take.I know I'll be using this guide quite a bit when we're on vacation in August.

Today was a pretty boring day. You know when work is so slow that time is dragging by and it seems like you can feel every single second of the day? That's how it was this afternoon. I had nothing really to do, that I wanted to do might be more correct, so by the time that I got off of work, I didn't want to do anything. But, I still did. Went for my run. Toda I ran the loops in 12:34, so a bit slower than yesterday, but not by much. It feels pretty good. And, my McFlurry tasted amazing!

A guy I worked with loaned me the DVD "RV" with Robin Williams. I'm going to go and watch that, and crochet my heart out! Have a good night all!

Running!

Oh man, it feels so good to be back running! What a great feeling! I might be feeling it in the morning, but that's ok. It was just so great to get out there again. And, the best news is: I actually ran the whole frontage road loop! In 12:17! Whoo hoo! I'm so excited. Before, it was hard enough to even think about running for the 10 minutes it took to get most of the way, but as I was going, I just thought, well ok, I'm almost all the way there, let's see how much longer it will take to get all of the way. Because, really, the last bit is the shortest, so I figured I could do it! And, I did! I'm so very excited! I'm on my way to 5K!

Basically, that was my excitement for the night. Then, I came back to the house, talked to the hubbster, then watched Big Brother 10. It's very much a guilty pleasure. I don't catch it on all of the 3 episodes each week, but if I catch one, I'm happy. While I was watching, I crocheted a bit. I found some super cute pictures online this morning, and translated them into patterns. I made 2 Christmas ornaments tonight. Yes, I did say Christmas ornaments. I am a bit crazy, if that is what you're thinking. Making Christmas ornaments already? Better too early than too late! I have a ton of ideas, so I thought why not. And, I began the first square for a super cute bag. We'll see how that turns out!

Anyways, I'm going to get going. I have to work out in the morning. I've been craving a Smarties McFlurry all week, and I made a deal with myself. If I ran today and tomorrow, and worked out tomorrow morning, I can have one tomorrow night. Have to do it. Just have to!

Have a good night all!

Presents

So, today, my mom and walked through town to get John his anniversary present. Yep, we actually walked. I haven't been doing that much lately, and it felt really good. But, what felt the best is that I have his present, and out anniversary is still like a week and a half away! Yay me!

John has this thing where he thinks that everything has to be sentimental. He gets it from his mom, and it drives me nuts. Once, just once, I would like him to buy me what I ask for. Take, for instance, the second birthday I had with him up here. I asked him for golf lessons. That's it. How hard is that? Apparently pretty hard. He bought me a new iPod, which is great, and I love it, but I already had an iPod, and I liked it a lot, and didn't really need a new one, where if he had just done as I had asked, we could have been enjoying golfing together a long time ago. But no. I asked for that last year too, but I can't even remember what he bought me, but it sure wasn't golf lessons. It just makes me mad, because he asks me, then ignores what I want. Why even bother asking? He never tells me what he wants, and gets great stuff that he uses. If I don't get earrings next weekend, I'm going to FLIP OUT.

Today was a pretty good day. Had to get the rotors resurfaced in the truck, which cost around $330. That kind of sucked. It came out of our pretty small vacation savings. Oh well. It could have been worse.

Other than that, nothing exciting. It sucks to be on call this weekend, but oh well. Talk to you all soon!

Losing It

Tonight was "Losing It" night, and if you missed it, go watch it. It was pretty good. Not as much of a tearjerker as usual, but it was still really good. It made a lot of things jump out at me. While I don't think I'm nearly as bad off as the couple on the program, their issues sure made me think. Like, what if, for some reason, my weight loss journey ends, and I get back up to way above what I topped out at, and I'm at risk for diabetes, heart attack, or stroke? I mean, it's a scary thing to think about. It definitely made me stop and think.

Just to think of all of the things that I would miss out on if I let myself go is huge. HUGE. I can't believe, now, that I let myself get to what I was. Now I still have 30 pounds to lose! Just madness.

And, I'm having a hell of a time getting my ass in gear and getting outside. Today, Mom and I were for sure going to go for a walk or jog, and didn't. Just didn't. For no reason. This has to stop! I need to get my ass back on track! I don't even know why I'm not. I felt so much better when I did! UGH!

To make matters worse, being the wimp that I am, I'm having issues with the spot around where I got my mole removed. I think I'm allergic to the latex in the band aids I've been using, and I have a huge rash. The stitches themselves look great, but I have a nice stinging rash. Fun fun.

Oh well. Tomorrow, I will be going for a nice long walk/jog after work, and I'll tell you all about it. I might have to blow off some steam after I find out how much my stupid truck is going to cost me.

Weekend Photo: Wedding!

This weekend, John's mom got re-married. My photo is one taken by my sister-in-law while we were up on Connaught Hill taking pictures after the wedding.

It was actually quite a fun wedding! I was shocked. I'm very much NOT a wedding person, but it was fun. It's so much nicer when it's not your wedding, I'm coming to realize.

The only hitch I found was when John's crazy aunt asked me when I was due. It's a good thing I know she's crazy and probably got me confused with John's brother's wife who is about 2 weeks away from giving birth. Though, no matter how many times I tell myself that she's just the crazy aunt, it's still a blow to the ego, especially after all the weight that I've lost. Even though everyone I saw told me how great I look, it still burns a bit! Just goes to show how much further I think I need to go! Damn crazy aunt!

As much fun as it was to go away, I'm sure glad to be back home. I have to be on call this weekend, so I won't get to see John or Chetwynd this weekend. I'm totally bummed about not being able to see John & SS, but I'm even a little bummed to not be able to go to Chetwynd. As much as I think it's a hole in the wall, and would never live there, it is kind of fun to visit. I'll admit it, I don't hate it as I once did. I think it's kind of quaint. The carvings are so fun. And, it's nice to just walk around the little town, checking it out. Reminds me of wandering around Invermere, but smaller.

Anywho, I should go and get some dinner on the go! I thought for sure I would have gained a ton of weight back this last week and weekend, but I"m at 190.5 pounds, so it's not too bad. I've got to get back down under 190 again though! Got to get back on track!

Have a good one!

Sunday Goals

Quick one tonight fans! It's 10 and I'm ready to go to bed!

This week: eat well, and exercise every day. Something, at least, no matter what the weather. Just something to get the heart pumping. And, I want to try my Carmen Ellectra Striperobics DVD this week.

More on the fun weekend tomorrow!

Saturday Recipe

It's Saturday again people! Again! Can you believe it? I can't.

Right now, I'm in PG at a wedding, but I'm still here for you!

Who else thinks of seafood in the summer? I do. I think about it all the time. I think it's just thinking about the whole "throw a couple shrimp on the barbe" quote all the time. Most people think of just steak in the summer, done on the barbecue, but me, I think of seafood. That's why I think this recipe from Everyday Health is great. Yum. That's all I have to say!

Enjoy your Saturday everyone!

Wedding #1 of 2010

I'm headed off to John's mom's wedding in PG tonight. Leaving right after work to drive to Chetwynd to pick John up (which is thankfully on the way) and get to PG hopefully around 9. Might be closer to 10, depending on how long we get stuck in construction in the pass.

It's interesting that we're going to John's mom's wedding. It's just strange to be an adult and go to your parent's wedding. But, like I was telling my friend AI today; at least they were both able to find love for a second time. Lots of people aren't that fortunate.

All feelings aside that I have for the groom, I'm happy for John's mom. She really does deserve happiness. Everyone does. No matter their choices before. Everything else is in the past, and that's that.

I'm actually excited to meet the mythical NF. This is John's mom's best friend, and I've been around for 3 years, and I have yet to meet her. She's living in Thailand teaching, and has been John's mom's best friend for years, since they taught together, and she taught John in grade 1 or 2.

Other than that, a whole 2 nights with John! Whoo hoo!

Have a good weekend everyone!

Vacation

So, I've been thinking about the fantastic vacation that I have planned for John and I next month, including about 7 hikes, 7 towns/cities, and about a million visits. I think, maybe, I over planned a bit. But, here's what I have planned:

Night 1: Leave FSJ for PG; stay overnight:

Day 1: Drive to Mount Robson, and hike to Kinney Lake. Maybe hike a bit more around the campground. Camp overnight.

Day 2: Drive to Well's Grey (Gray? I don't know) and hike into Moul and Helmken Falls. Drive to Kamloops.

Day 3: Hike at Sun Peaks; see John's brother and his wife and new baby; party our faces off with CL.

Day 4: Relax Kamloops style; go to Stump Lake to visit CB.

Day 5: Head to Vernon to see DB; off to Kelowna to visit John's family.

Day 6: More Kelowna visiting; head to Golden, stopping at Craigellachie, Revelstoke Dam (maybe) and Canyon Hot Springs.

Day 7: Hang out with the family in Parson; maybe go golfing with Grandpa.

Day 8: Fun filled day with the nieces! Emerald Lake, Takkaka Falls, Banff and Radium Hot Springs (Sis, did I tell you about this? If not, you know what I'm planning to do with your kids now!).

Day 9: Hike Canyon Creek with MW.

Day 10: Run 5K with my sis; hike Gorman Lake with KH and HL.

Day 11: Drive all the way from Golden to home, stopping at the Columbia Ice Fields, Jasper and GP.

Think I'm ambitious enough? I think we might have to scale a few things down, but doesn't it seem like it would be a lot of fun? I think so. It's so different to plan a vacation around things like hiking, hiking and hiking, instead of sitting, sitting and sitting. I'm excited! So excited! I think John thinks I'm crazy! Maybe I am, but we're going to have a lot of fun!

Heatwave!

I hope today find you all in the same hell that I am in. Yes, I am referring to the heatwave that has swept over us. It's not even super hot, but I feel like I'm melting. And, my dad decided we were cooking over an open campfire tonight, so we were outside, in the heat, cooking on more heat. How stupid. I know I shouldn't complain, but it's so hot! I don't feel like doing anything. I didn't even go for a walk today! How bad is that!?! Bad, I know! But it's so hot that I'm losing motivation! And, our pool isn't open, so I can't even go and chill out there! I guess it's cool bath and book time for me. After I wrap John's mom's wedding present. It's this weekend, and I need to get it done or else I'll forget!

Speaking of book, if you haven't read "Eat Pray Love" go out and get it. I'm int he third part of it right now, and it's amazing. I can't say enough good things about this book. The author is incredibly funny, and can write so well. You just want to keep reading. I'm intrigued by the religion that she explores during her time in India and Bali, which is strange, because I am not a religious person in any way. But, it's fantastic. I can't wait to finish it, but at the same time, I don't want it to end. And, they made a movie of it starring Julia Roberts, which is going to be fantastic, I can already tell. I mean, Julia Roberts? You can't go wrong!

Anywho, off I go. Lots to do to get ready to go for the wedding this weekend! Ciao!

New Image!

So, I got my hair chopped today. Like supremely chopped. Like, barely anything left. What a new thing, for a new body! It's so different. I was always the long haired girl. But, I was also the fat girl, so whatever.

Today was good. My parents finally made it home. Finally, I have someone to hang out with other than the cats since John is gone.

Really, that's it for today. I'm tired, and LS should be here soon, and I need to clean off her bed. She might want somewhere comfortable to sleep!

Have a good night all!

Weekend Photo: Chetwynd!

Photo from this weekend in Chetwynd. I don't know if you know anything about Chetwynd, or where it is, or anything, but it's famous for these wood carvings. Every year they have a competition and get about 10 new ones a year. And the coolest part? It's all done with a chainsaw! I think it's cool. It's where SS is from, and I think she kind of thought I was a little bit crazy for wanting to go take pictures of them. It's all about capturing the essence of a town. I mean, do you go to Paris and not take a picture of the Eiffel Tower? No, you don't. The inhabitants of Paris hate the Eiffel Tower, but tourists love it. They think we're all bizarre for wanting to take pictures. It's the same with the carvings. I love them! Love them! But, I think if I was from Chetwynd, I would think differently. I would think the same as SS. But, I would still go to the competition every year and take pictures!

The weekend was good. Good, in the sense that I had some good quality time with John, even if it wasn't quantity time. I can't wait for him to come home. He's pretty sure he'll be home the week of the 21st, but who knows. Their behind on the turnaround right now, I think, so it could be any time. I think the only thing that's making it ok is the fact that he's making mad money. Lots and lots of overtime. Which we need in order to go on our vacation next month. But, it still sucks. I think I'm dealing with it better, but I think John's finally getting to the point where keeping busy with work and going to the pool and stuff isn't enough. I think he finally misses me! Like, I know he misses me as much as I miss him, but I think he's finally understanding what I went through the first 2 weeks.

Anyhow, I should get my ass in gear. LS is coming to stay here tomorrow night and you can't even see the spare bed because that's where John decided my paper recycling should go! I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow...can't wait to see what my hairdresser does to me!

Sunday Goals - Live from Chetwynd!

Today, as many Sundays to come, I'm coming to you live from Chetwynd, BC! John has been working here for the last few weeks, and has about another month here. Well, 3 or 4 weeks. A month is easier to say, just not easier to think. I'm not sure why I've been so worried about keeping where I am a secret, but now you know where I am, at least today!

I'm stuck in John's basement suite that he's been sharing with his soon-to-be step dad. And, I forgot my book. And, I don't really feel like having a shower and getting ready. And, since it's Sunday, there's nothing on TV. I have "Moving Up" on TLC in the background, but I think I've seen every episode, so it's not that interesting anymore. Thankfully, the Internet is working. I've been going checking out everything I can online. And, I've found something kind of frustrating.

I was on JM's site, adding in my last weight from yesterday morning. As of July 3, I weigh 188.5 pounds. 21.5 pounds lost. Now, I do recognize that this is a huge accomplishment, though, if you saw me in person, I would tell you about it, then get all blushy when you congratulated me. I love people knowing what I'm doing, but I'm still embarrassed when I get compliments. Just one of those things. But, I think that might lead me to what I found on JM's site this morning. When I put in my weight, there's a section where you can check out your ideal weight based on your height and weight. Well, basically, that's BMI, and while I think that BMI is an outdated way of thinking, it still puts things into perspective. My goal weight should be from 130-145 pounds, with a bit added because I do have a large frame for such a shorty. I'm thinking maybe 150 should be my ideal weight. Which is fine. I want to see if I can get down to 145, but if I can't maintain it, I know that it's vanity weight, and I will be happy somewhere in the 150s.

Then I looked at the BMI chart. Technically, I'm still in the obese category. 180 pounds is the last weight on that part of the chart, and 174 is the lowest number on the overweight side. That kind of depresses me. I've lost 21.5 pounds, and I'm still in the obese category! Now, I'm not depressed about the weight loss. I'm still very excited about what I've been doing. I mean, who wouldn't be when their husband tells them how proud he is, and how excited he is that they're changing their life? No, what I'm depressed about is the fact that at one point, not too long ago, like the beginning of this year, I was right in the middle of the obese category! That's freaking crazy, is what that is! I mean, eww! It's still hard for me to believe I let myself go that badly! I just don't understand fully how it happened. I know that sounds silly, like, I should know how it happened. And I do, but I don't understand how I didn't realize how bad it was for me. I went from walking everywhere for 20 months in Kamloops, which is a city made on hills, to moving up here, and driving everywhere. I ate pretty crappy in Kamloops too, but I walked, and for the summer months I used to walk downtown from Sahali after working an 8 hour shift in a fast food kitchen, work out at the YMCA, then walk up this huge hill home.

I just can't wrap my head around all of the changes that took place when I moved North. Life changes, I know, but it shouldn't have changed in the way that it did. It should have changed in the ways that it is now. I mean, walking in Kamloops was one thing, but I never imagined running a 5K, or a 10K, or doing something like the Emperor's Challenge. I wish I had went in that direction, instead of the eating fast food and not doing anything frame of mind.

So, my goals for this week?

Do 3-4 sessions of running for 10 minutes. I can only do 2 sets of 10 right now, yesterday I did a 6 minute after the 2 10s, but I need to be able to do 3 sets of 10. That's the goal for the week. Then I'm going to step it up a bit more so I can get that 5K down.

Attempt at getting up and doing a JM workout. The Yoga Meltdown is kicking my ass hard, but I think it's mostly due to the tendonitis in my wrists. But, I think if I keep trying, it'll get easier. I think it's because I'm used to yoga being slow and deliberate, not fast and deliberate.

And, I would like to get a real yoga class in sometime too. I think they're going to start them up again this week (the classes we cancelled all last week) so I'll just have to find the schedule, and go. At least once.

And, I'm going to eat well. Not great, I know that! I know that there is one day during the week that I'm going to crack, but hopefully I can convince myself that if I need to crack, I should just go to Subway.

And, last but not least, I'm going to do some soul searching. Of sorts. Figure out why I fell into my slump, and figure out a way for it to not happen again. I know that I'm going to need lots of support, so if I call you and need you to just listen while I freak out about stuff, I need you to listen. I know there are a few of you reading that will, and I appreciate it. I'll thank you in advance!

Anyways, I'm thinking I should get my butt in gear and do something. I have pictures to take (can't wait for tomorrow's photo from the weekend) and I'm going to visit the visitor's info centre to get some brochures for John and my vacation in August. We're having a whirlwind of a vacation (I'll let you in on the details soon!) and I like to be prepared. Know exactly where we're going. I really hate flying by the seat of my pants! So, I get organized. Visitor's info centre's are the best for people like me. Brochures, brochures, brochures!

Have a great Sunday everyone! Thanks for reading my huge blog today!!

Saturday Recipe

Today I thought we'd do something simple, basic, and a favourite of everyone. I mean, who doesn't love chicken noodle soup? I'm a fan, but only when it's cold out. I'm reading an article in "Fitness" magazine, and it's saying that there was some research done that states that people who had one and a half cups of chicken noodle soup before a workout were more hydrated than those who drank water. I'm not sure how much truth there is to it, but it's something to think about. Here is the recipe:

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 store bought deli roast chicken
2 quarts cold water
2 carrots, washed and sliced into circles
3 celery ribs, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 springs fresh thyme, leaves only
Salt and pepper
2 cups uncooked noodles
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 sprigs fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Place the chicken, water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and thyme in a large stockpot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes; remove chicken. Shred the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Season broth with salt and pepper to taste; add noodles and shredded chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until noodles are cooked. Add lemon juice and parsley; service.

Makes 6 servings

I think it sounds pretty good, don't you? It looks like we're in for some rainy days, and I have to keep running, so I might need the soup to warm me up right down to my bones!

Well, it's off to clean and run for me now. Got to get ready to go and see the hubby! Have a good weekend everyone!

Before I forget...

...I had better blog! I'm so tired that I almost forgot!

Yesterday, being Canada Day, was a day of celebration. Well, some jerks decided to celebrate loudly until after 4am this morning, keeping me awake. So, I'm a wee bit tired. And, to top it off, we were 3 people short at work today, so we were pretty busy.

I have managed to have a bit of a nap, but now I don't feel like doing ANYTHING. I think I might just pack what I need to take with me tomorrow to see John, and deal with the rest in the morning. Just do what I have to tonight, and make sure tomorrow morning I get in a good run (3 sets of 10 this time baby!) and get my dishes and laundry done.

Hope you had a better day than I did! A good recipe will be coming tomorrow!

Canada Day!

Yep, it's July 1st, and that means it's Canada Day! Check out these links for some Canadiana:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqg8YLHlQJc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQf13B8epw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjiwBwBL4Qo

The second one is freaking hilarious! Oh Canada.

But, anyways, it was a pretty fantastic day. I went to our parade with AB and her son. What fun. We both almost kicked some 14 year old girl's ass because she came and stood in front of AB's son. Not cool. The lady standing beside me was pissed too. Like, seriously, why would you do that? Oh yeah, you're 14 and the center of the world. That's right. I forgot. Also, when the clown showed up in the parade, the lady and I both groaned. What a funny thing. Random lady and I both hate clowns! Too funny. We had a good laugh.

After the parade it was onto the classic car show. Some really rad cars! Then to the park where they had those bouncy blow up things for the kids, and the farmer's market was set up outside. All in all, it turned out to be a pretty good day. Other than the fact that it was so windy that they actually cancelled the fireworks tonight. Not cool. Not that I was planning to go or anything!

So, I came home, and basically did nothing. I planned out our vacation this summer. Boy, it's going to be a good one. We're doing at least 7 hikes, running a 5K with my sis Ashley, taking her girls for the day, and visiting family. Oye, what did I get myself into?!? And, it's all in the short matter of 11 days! I told John I must be going crazy! Oh well. That's what vacations are for, right? Running yourself crazy before heading back to work?

So, after much planning, I went for my jog. I thought that I would try to do the 5 minute jog, 2 minute walk thing. I thought that wouldn't be too bad since yesterday was so good. Well, I started out, and the first time I looked down at my watch, I had gone 3 and a half minutes. I thought, ok, well maybe I'll go until I stop. Just see how long that is. A good song came on my iPod, and I kept going. Next time I looked down at my watch it was 8 and a half minutes! Well, at that point I thought, hey, I can go another minute and a half! So, yep, I did it! 10 minutes straight! Then I walked for 4 minutes, and did it again! I was going to do another, but my legs were cramping up, I think due to lack of water. So, tomorrow I'm going to take my water bottle and stash it in the mail box area so that I can do at least 3. Why not? I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to do my 5K, and now I'm thinking it's not going to be too bad! Yay! What a Canada Day!

Hope you all had a great Canada Day!

Milestone!

So, this morning, I made a major milestone...20 pounds lost! Yes, that's right, I now weigh 190 pounds! I can't even remember the last time I weighed under 195, let alone 190! I was so excited this morning, I just had to tell everyone! But, then, the greatness fell away. Why? you ask? I started thinking. And thinking does it to me every time.

Ok, so I've lost 20 pounds. AWESOME. But, it's still a long way from my ideal weight. Technically, for my height, I should be between 138 and 145 pounds. I think the 138 is a bit far fetched, as well as the 145, but I would like to eventually get there. I mean, really, I would like to be 150, but I'm striving to be 160 by year's end. Well, that is like 6 months away, but I really don't think the second 20 and the last 10 are going to come off that quickly. Yeah, Mrs Negativity is my name. But, I'm also thinking practically. I would love to get down to 150 this year, but we will have to see, won't we?

I had an awesome walk/jog today, after coming home and sitting on my ass and obsessing. John told me to get outside and I would enjoy it once I was out, and he was right, of course. Men, just gotta be right! I walked from home today, and enjoyed it a lot. I guess I don't always have to hit the trail!

Well, off to do some stuff. Talk to you all tomorrow. Happy early Canada Day!

The Stages of Change

I got an email today from www.livestrong.com (if you haven't joined the community, do it. I don't regularly visit, but I do enjoy the emails that I get. Lots of great information) about the stages of change, and the 6 stages of motivation. Check the link - it's a great thing to look at. I know it's something I'll go back to regularly, just to check in on where I am.

Today was pretty good. Work seemed a bit stressful, but I think that might just be Tuesday. I felt like I had SO much going on, but I don't think it was nearly as bad as it was. I just needed to take a step back, and figure out where the hell I was going.

I went for a walk after work, as per my new plan. This time, on the advice of my hubby, I walked this valley, to try to use different muscles. It's one thing to jog on a pretty much flat surface, another to walk up and down a gigantic hill. It was actually really good. I was thinking that I was going to die getting back up the hill, but it was really good. It was shorter than my usual walks, but I think it was good anyways. I rushed home so that I could watch "Losing It" at 5. If you didn't watch it, go online and watch it! So good! I was bawling at the end. John makes fun of me because the only time I cry is when people lose weight. So, basically every Tuesday! I can't wait for TBL10 to start...I think I need to find out when that is so I can start a countdown! I know that they're filming it right now! Can't wait for it to happen! Tuesday is my favourite night!

I think I'm doing better so far with John being gone. Tonight I haven't done much, but last night, cleaning the house sure made the time go by quickly. Tonight I've just been relaxing and enjoying some TV time with Zeus. I think I better go do the dishes or something though. Something at least. Then maybe start another book since I finished one last night. On to something new!

Have a good night everyone!

Picture Mondays!

I've decided that every Monday should showcase a photo from the weekend that just passed. Just to show off what I did that weekend.

This past weekend, John and I did a hike (where I had my asthma-like attack) up Mt Baldy. This is him hanging out at the first lookout. See how he doesn't look tired at all? I was just about dead at this point. Not too much further and I was gasping for air.

I had a great start to my week. I've decided that this week I'm not going to complain about how John is gone, and just get some stuff done. I went for an awesome walk/jog after work (did 4 sets of 4 minutes! Yay!) and made a few decisions. I've been getting so tired by the end of the week, that I don't even want to think about working out, or going for a jog. Maybe I'm just not ready to do it every day yet. I'm sure it will come, but for now, it's not happening. So, I've decided to do the walk/jog every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and just do a regular walk on Tuesday and Thursday. That way, I'm letting my muscles regenerate, and still getting outside in the gorgeous weather we're having.

After I got home and had dinner, it was time to get cleaning. I have a huge list of things that I want to get done, and I want them done ASAP. So, tonight, I cleaned my master bathroom and bedroom. What a nice look it has to it now! And, laundry is almost caught up. I must be getting domesticated or something. Let's see if I can keep it up.

Hope you all had a good day!

Sunday Goal

Well, after spending some time away from home, I've come to realize so many things.

First, we (John and I) went for a hike this morning. And, I had something like an asthma attack. Not cool. I've never had one, and it freaked me right the hell out. Clearly I'm not as in shape as I thought I was.

Then, we went swimming. I didn't realize that I could swim. I thought that I just messed around, but apparently, according to John, what I think it's messing around is actually swimming. Well, that boosted my confidence a bit, and we did have a lot of fun at the pool. I've been avoiding it for so long, but now that I know we can have fun, we'll be doing it a lot more.

And, Friday, I went golfing for the first time. What a fun thing to do! The girls I went with was amazing! And, apparently I'm ok at that as well. Now, John and I have 2 more things to do together! And fun things!

So, my goals for the week, really haven't changed. Still doing the walk/jog and trying to work out in the mornings (I did the Yoga Meltdown on Saturday, and I really enjoyed it!) and to eat well. I did pretty crappy last week, but it can get better.

I haven't weighed yet, since I wasn't at home, but I had lost a pound as of Friday. That means that I'm at 191. One more pound to go until 20 pounds lost! Whoop whoop!! That's all I've got to say!

Hope you all have an amazing week! I should get going to I can make it home sometime tonight!!

Saturday Recipe!

This week, I'm going to take something from my new Oil Wive Cookbook. We all submitted recipes, and are selling the cookbooks for $10. If you want one, let me know! I'll send you one!

Broccoli Salad

3 cups broccoli flowerettes
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1/2 sunflower seeds
1/2 cup seeded raisins, soaked
1/2 crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
1/2 cup low far plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix salad and dressing together and refrigerate at least to hours, or up to 2 days.

I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty tasty! I think I would substitute the raisins for cranberries, but other than that, it sounds great! Something new to try.

And speaking of trying something new, I golfed for the first time ever yesterday! What a fun time! It helped that I was with 2 people that have golfed quite a few times. But boy, it was fun! I think I've found a fun new hobby!

Hope you all have a fun weekend!

Golf Tourney!

So, tonight is the Oil Wives golf tourney. Should be fun. I’ve never golfed a day in my life. I fully plan on walking the course, and maybe taking 5-10 swings. Maybe just one per hole! Really, for me, it’s just to get out there and do something!

 

Yesterday, I discovered that I need to work out every day. Every single day. Rest days don’t work for me, especially during the week. All I did was eat! So, no more of that! Got to keep doing the walk/jog. At least I can make up for it this weekend with lots of working out!

 

Sorry this is so short, but I’m at work, and need to get stuff done so I can leave early! More tomorrow!