Week 4 Profile by Sanford

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from January 25-31, 2017.

Wow. One month gone already! 2017 is zooming by! I got the go ahead and start exercising and now that the overtime is done for a few weeks I'll be very happy to get back to the gym. My gym of choice is Planet Fitness. It's affordable, has what I need, and is quite handy right now. That may change down the road when we move, but we'll see. My intent is to do 20 minutes each weekday morning on the treadmill and then 3 evenings a week do a light circuit training DVD I have from a DK book, simply titled "15 Minute Total Body Workout (+DVD)." I was looking for something effective but didn't use a lot of tools/space since we'll be moving to the motorhome this year some time. This looks like it will fit the bill - especially with the layout we've got in mind right now.

This month was massively busy in our department and we knew we would not leave before they turned the systems off at 9. Well, still having to get up at 3:10 the next morning, that meant driving home and back again would only get us about 4-1/2 hours of sleep, not to mention either of us driving at that point would have been awake for 18 hours. Not a safe situation. So we opted to stay in town and, even with the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo in town, managed to get a room. We stayed at the Foothills Inn and will likely stay there again. Much nicer room than at the Sleep Inn - it even had 2 easy chairs!! However, that meant putting off my weigh in until Thursday instead of Wednesday. That plus the stress of end of month, I wasn't anticipating much loss on the scale this week. We still did my measurements Wednesday night since we were at home, though.



For fun:



I am quite tickled with the results I'm seeing! (Oops - the top one is to show I've lost as much as a sperm whale's brain! I'll have to work on that!)

My aunt and uncle were in town this week and she was intrigued by the program. I suspect she'll look into it a bit when they get home from their journeying with my father. Dad had asked when results would be seen a couple weeks ago and I said I'd lost 14 pounds at that point but because he sees my daily, he probably won't see a difference until he returns from Arizona. I did have a coworker say it looks like I'm melting away, which was nice.

Vegetables are a challenge - but with Dad gone for a few weeks we'll be able to experiment more and then when we know we have some good recipes, he can try them. I did try the broccoli tots last night - instead of turning on the oven for my few tots, we put a bit of olive oil in a pan, when it was heated, added the tots and some seasoning, then finished them off in the microwave (because everyone was waiting on me and Casey hadn't had a chance to grab more veggies yesterday) - not too bad!!

NSVs this week - the blue pair of jeans are comfy and the black pair fit!! They get a bit tight in the waist band by the end of the day but it's the first time in a long time I've had 2 pairs of pants to alternate during the work week! I think on this upcoming Wednesday, a TShirt day at work, I'll even be able to wear a Minion tshirt that was too snug when I bought it in December. So, on the cliffhanger of will she or won't she....

Until next week!

Week 3 Profile by Sanford and another Skoolie update!

Again, my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. So this is from January 18-24, 2017.

The week had fewer challenges as far as eating out, but man did I feel hungry a lot this week. I wasn't hungry, but I just wanted to eat. Which is part of why I wanted to do a very rigid program like Profile by Sanford. Because the meals are already laid out for the day, I don't have to think about it. I know I can have a ShapeWise chew or an additional fiber drink (water soluble fiber for a feeling of fullness) and not go off-track. Saturday we did go to Q'doba and I had a chicken salad - I may have gone over on protein and fat just a bit for the day but still far better than I could have done!! So, without further ado....




Up in a couple spots inches-wise, but that's okay. We measured in the morning versus the afternoon and so that might have made a difference, too. Progress is still progress! My coach is pretty fantastic - he put a hand-written note of encouragement in with my order this week! And an NSV (non-scale victory) this week! Last fall I had purchased 2 pairs of jeans from Avenue online. Now, this store was the first store in years where I could walk in to the store and get jeans off the rack that fit and fit like I'd been wearing them forever. That nice, cozy, comfy feeling. So imagine my disappointment when these didn't fit!! I couldn't zip the blue pair up and the black pair didn't want to go on hardly at all past the hips! Well, last week the blue pair zipped! And were mostly comfortable but by the end of the day I needed to change out of them. This week? Well, last night I forgot to change out of them! Next week, pending measurements, I'll be trying that black pair on!!

I'm expanding my horizons a bit - I got their peppered chicken gumbo and their homestyle beef stew, as well as their vegetarian chili and sloppy joe mix. I believe these are meal replacements, so in lieu of the shake at lunchtime, for example. And for evenings, I did get a box of the chocolate fudge cake. I have PB2 powder to add for chocolate peanut butter, too. Or strawberry syrup or caramel syrup...yum!! I also got a sample of the pancakes and cheesy fiesta pasta. To go with the pancakes, I ordered from Walden Farms syrup and chipotle ranch dressing and packets of dressing for eating out - I can tuck those into my purse. So lots of fun things to try!

On the Skoolie note - we did pick up the hardwood flooring at Menards, and the underlayer. We also splurged a bit there and got a version that also added a bit of insulating factor - every bit will help in the winters!! We've decided on the wall board, but didn't pick it up - we'll need a bigger truck for that as it's 4 foot by 8 foot. The cooktop came in and it's bigger than we pictured, even after drawing up measurements from the schematics, but it's not too big -it's a more functional size, actually. And the heaters arrived, too! Busy week for FedEx at our house! The heaters were also a lot bigger than we thought, too. But they tried the one and it puts out a fair bit of heat so with one on each end of the Skoolie we'll be nice and cozy!

Sometime this week my aunt and uncle are going to be here for a visit - I think the spiralizer will get quite the workout as we tempt her with zoodles!! (She has celiac so probably hasn't had noodles in years!) Looking forward to seeing them again - especially since the last time we saw them I had started that elemental shawl and this time - well, except for blocking it will be done this week!!

Cheers!

Heather

Week 2 Profile by Sanford & Skoolie update

For ease of simplicity, I'm going to refer to my weeks on Profile by Sanford vs days. I'll try to remember to put at the beginning that my Profile weeks run from Wednesday to Tuesday, since I started on a Wednesday. I weigh in the morning and we do measurements at night. This week we got a better tape measure so the measurements felt a bit off kilter but not too bad and certainly nothing to fret over. Next week they'll be back in sync with the new tape measure. I did decide to continue the app, Weight Track Assistant and in the "forearm" part I'm putting my calf measurement. My blood pressure is in a Blood Pressure - MyDiary app as well.

So. Week 2 results:



Certainly no complaints there! There were a couple of challenges - and there always will be - Friday night my first childhood friend invited us to her home for dinner and was very accommodating of my needs. We had a lovely time with her family and I'm hoping we will get to spend more time with them. Casey and her oldest daughter had a great time talking about knitting and I foresee several knitting-on-the-back-porch sessions! We went out to eat a total of 3 times (2 planned, 1 unplanned) - and I did really well, I think. Friday night we went to Chilis and I got their Ancho Salmon with broccoli - I swapped the lime-chili rice for asparagus and tomatoes and that was a lot of food for not a lot of calories and zero loss in taste. And Casey helped me clean my plate, which also helped! :-) (Although in hindsight, still about 570 calories...and that's off the "ligher fare" menu!)

Saturday we did a town run. It's really hard to look for things for the Skoolie after work and I really wanted to see "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." We planned on lunch at Panera and I got the Spicy Thai Chicken Salad, half size. I swapped the edamame and wonton strips, chose the more greens option for lettuce, and had the dressings on the side. About 260 calories all told. And water to drink. It was a packed house and a couple sat next to us and asked about bussing tables (it was so packed people were sitting at tables before the poor staff could clean off the tables!). I noticed the scarf she was wearing and asked if she knit it - she had! Lovely conversation later, we made hopeful new friends, too! (And look for Brim Collections on Instagram - knitting patterns and yarn coming soon!)

We then went to the Restore Store and got some things for the Skoolie - the kitchen sink, included! We got new seats for the benches - the pieces look like they're from a corner bench table set and they'll be a lot more comfortable than the plain plywood - these have the gentle curve for sitting and they're a good, solid wood. We got a toilet set because it was shell-shaped (and only $1.50!!) so we can start plans to build the composting toilet too. (And I have an excuse to buy octopus stuff! Ha!) We got a very ornate towel holder - the wall-mounts look almost Victorian, and we found some lovely drawer pulls, too. All in all, $50! We did look at hardwood flooring but felt that was an area we didn't want to skimp on and what they had was kind of rough. (Menards quite conveniently put some on sale today along with free underflooring with mail in rebate! Guess where we're going tomorrow!) The stove top is on order as are the EnviHeat heaters. We're still deciding on the size of the shower (we have it marked off at 36 inches square but may be able to go smaller) and then countertop. They had some nice counters at the Restore store, but the holes were for a double-sink and ours is a single sink. So we'll look for that next, I think, plus wall paneling. It's exciting to be getting close to being done - and to being able to find a place to park it to live in for awhile!

We went to the movie and I was not at all tempted by the popcorn - even after walking up three floors to the screen the movie was playing! And he got me a large water, so I was good there. We went to the 4:00 show and it was 6:15 before it was done. We decided to go to IHOP for supper. I don't think we'll be going again. It doesn't look like upkeep is high on the owner's priority list - it's not a very old building but it looks like it. Our server also left a fair bit to be desired. I asked for water and he asked for coffee. Over 5 minutes later she came back with 2 coffee cups, a carafe of coffee, and no water. She apologized, and it took close to another 5 minutes before she finally brought 2 glasses of water. That probably should have been a clue to just leave. A salad at a fast food joint would have been better. I ordered the white-egg veggie omelette, swapping the avocado for mushrooms, sourdough toast as the side (for Casey), and a salad. Casey ordered a steak omelette with hashbrowns for his side. She brings me the omelette (made correctly) with the fruit cup and toast (so 2 sides instead of 1) and Casey's omelette with hashbrowns. I said this isn't right because I can't have fruit. "Well, this is what I wrote down" as she's looking the printout - "Oh! You ordered a salad! I'll be right out with it, I'm so sorry!" She said she'd cover it, which was nice. I ate the omelette, started on the salad pulling out the occasional "slimy" pieces. Not a big deal, it happens. Except I looked closer at a speck to see if it was bad or just a spot I could remove - and it moved. Casey pulled over the other waitress (who we've had in the past and is fantastic) and pointed it out to her, just politely saying that they may need to check their stock and I declined another salad as I was quite full and she immediately went back and told our server to take off 20% of the meal. So they made it right for the most part, but overall it left a bad taste in my mouth - literally as well as figuratively.

So lots of progress this week - we sat down and did a basic menu for the week trying new recipes that hopefully won't bore Dad. hehe Wednesday night his lady-friend will be cooking for us, and will be baking chicken and making a salad. She works in a hospital so Dad is confident she can accommodate my needs. We've never met her before, so it will be an interesting evening!

Until next week!

Profile by Sanford Days 4-12

My weigh ins are on Wednesday mornings, and then because we have no spare time in the morning, I do my measurements that night. So as of Wednesday:

Weight: -8.15 lbs
Neck: -0.50 inches
Chest: -0.50 inches
Waist: -0.00 inches
Abdomen: -0.50 inches
Hips: -0.50 inches
Thigh: -1.00 inches
Calf: -0.50 inches

Total of 7 inches which is pretty impressive. And it's the first time I've ever seen the calf measurement go down! My coach said to expect about 2-3 pounds per week from here on out. I am still trying to find an app that will let me log everything in one place as far as measurements. I'm just not happy so far with most of the free ones. I want to track all of those measurements (and my blood pressure once I get a monitor again!) and it seems most of them limit you to only a few. The one I'm using I may use the "Forearm" for my calf - we'll see.

As far as shake flavors, I've decided to order just the chocolate and vanilla. I purchased 2 bottles of sugar-free Torani syrup and 1 bottle of DaVinci sugar-free syrup, so I have caramel, strawberry, and hazelnut. Those and peanut butter powder will give me a lot of variety. The bars I'm going to continue with the variety pack for now. Of the flavors, the chocolate almond and the fudge graham are probably my least favorite. The cinnamon is a lot better than I thought it would be! The lemony tea has grown on me and so I ordered both flavors again. And I'm not needing the ShapeWise chews hardly at all anymore.

Figuring out the veggies is the hardest bit but we're managing. I've been having a mock caprese salad at work - small tomatoes with a string cheese and a drizzle of balsamic (1/3 cup of tomatoes per day only) and then 1/3 cup of sugar snap peas and 1/3 cup of sliced carrots go on to my salad mix which is spinach and baby greens I think. I'm struggling with the bitterness plus those bags go bad pretty quickly. It has been interesting to see that the stores are "jumping on the bandwagon;" we've purchased a cauliflower/broccoli rice and I've seen several others in the freezer section. We splurged and got a spiralizer and a cookbook this past week and I'm really looking forward to playing with it!



I am now getting receipts emailed manually by my coach (although there was one in the box this week, too) and it sounds like they're really overhauling their systems this year to get them all interconnected and more user-friendly. That has to be good news for them, too!! I also splurged a little bit here and got their January promo which is 2-20 ounce blender bottles, a Profile Member Journey Book, Profile Cookbook and 1 box of drink enhancers. Since I already have the cookbook, I did say he could give that to someone else. But I've been seeing pictures on the Facebook page of the Journey Book and thought I would love to have that - it's a journal of sorts, if I'm understanding it correctly.

Water water water. Still getting my 52 ounces in before lunch and refilling the 16-ounce glass twice after lunch plus sipping my Diet Dr Pepper throughout the day.

I've had 3 challenges this week - we went out to eat twice and went to the movies with my nephews! First out-to-eat was at Perkins and I had their build-your-own omelette with tomatoes, spinach, mushroom, and onions. I then had my normal lunch of veggies and meal replacement (with extra veggies to make up for lunch) for supper. Then the movies - everyone but me had popcorn but after the initial desire to dive right in, I did fine. Which is super impressive for me because I LOVE me some popcorn!! Today Dad and I went in to town and we went to Wendy's for lunch - I had their side salad with the pomegranate dressing and water to which I added my meal replacement. So we shall see what we shall see on Wednesday! I also bought a nice lunch tote and containers more geared toward the 21-day whatever but I'm going to start making 2 of my meal replacements into puddings to take to work and these will do the trick nicely. I also got a plastic utensil set: fork/spoon/knife/chopsticks with interchangeable handles, and a big bowl that I can use to either microwave food or put my salad in.

So that's this week - let's see what the next week brings!!

Profile by Sanford Days 1-3

Well, it's been interesting! From everything I'd read online, including Optifast clients' blogs, the first 3 days are the hardest. I won't say they were easy but they were not, thankfully, as hard as I thought they would be. The biggest challenge time is between my 2nd meal replacement and lunch - and so I've started to save my ShapeWise Chew (basically an appetite curbing piece of candy with milk minerals and conjugated linoleic acid) until then and that helps.

Of the 5 flavors of shakes I got, the chocolate, chocolate hazelnut, sweet strawberry, sweet berry, and vanilla, the one I can drink the easiest is the plain chocolate. And yes, the water HAS to be very cold. So what I'm doing is making 1 shake before we leave as the water from the fridge is really cold plus I add some crushed ice to it and drink that on the drive in to work/gym. When I get to work I put water in the other blender cup and put that in fridge and then I alternate blender cups so there's always one with cold water in the fridge. That's been helping. They're still a little chalky tasting but tolerable.

One thing I tried is to make a pudding out of them. I did this Thursday night at home with the vanilla and let it set in the fridge during supper time and had it a bit before bed. Not too bad! The chocolate hazelnut I did at work and it also was much better than the shake version. Friday night I added a 1/2 tsp of sugar-free cheesecake flavored pudding to the vanilla shake mix and made a pudding with it - YUM!! Today I'll add some of that to the berry shake as a shake and see if that helps. I did also get some fat-free whipped cream (on the free foods list) to try with a berry pudding and I have some sugar-free Torani caramel syrup to add to something as well as powdered peanut butter. So tweaks to help make them better tasting! Definitely definitely cold cold cold water, though!

The fiber drinks come in Tart & Tangy mixed fruit drink and a Lemony Tea. The first time I drank the tea it tasted so BRIGHT. There is no other way to describe it. Just wow - it was a lot of power! The fruit drink the next day was tasty! I was a bit concerned as it smelled like Kool-Aid but it tasted like a fun beverage out on the town! I bet it'd be really good if I had a Soda Stream..... The second time I drank the tea it was much more palatable - and I think that means my palate is already changing a bit.

The meal bars I've had so far (I bought 2 variety boxes): I started with the cinnamon bar and I wasn't sure I'd like it but it was really good! Thursday was the Smores Bar - another winner! And Friday was the Caramel Cocoa - definitely no lack of chocolate for me!! All very good and I'm looking forward to trying the rest, too.

Suppers have been fun, too. Well, for me. Maybe not so much for Casey...but he's a really good sport! Wednesday night we had pork and a zucchini/squash/bell pepper blend (and don't tell anyone, but these bells? I may have not actively disliked!). Thursday was similar but with a fajita flair. (He asked me to get fajita seasoning, chicken and cheese and I forgot the chicken and cheese.....) Friday night we tried a Profile recipe, Roll in a Bowl. It's basically your meat and a coleslaw mix for the vegetables. Casey added he thinks 7 red pepper flakes from a spice jar - the kind one puts on pizza. Holy MOLY did that make it HOT HOT HOT!! But really tasty and I foresee this one being a favorite. Dad, bless him, has been all on board with the healthier suppers. He mentioned something about having gained a bit of weight since he retired... And he brought out some oatmeal cream cookie sandwiches and chocolate cakes for him and Casey last night but said if it bothered me he'd put them away. So that helps a lot - instead of joking/teasing he's trying to help. And I'm fortunate that generally "not within reach" means I won't be grabbing for the sweets. They kept them back by them and I enjoyed the cheesecake pudding.

I really thought the 64 ounces of water would be the hardest part - I don't like water, I much prefer my Diet Dr. Pepper. But I borrowed Casey's Bubba Keg - it holds 52 ounces!! and when I get to work I fill about 1/4 of the way with ice then top it with water to the top. It's been empty either just after lunch or before lunch! I have a 16-ounce glass at work that I then fill with again a small amount of ice and water and even that's been gone before I leave for the day. Now, it does help that it's bitter cold out and furnaces and heating systems and wood stoves are in full force so I'm super dry but it's still pretty impressive.

Thursday was my first coaching session and it was with Troy, the same coach I did the initial consultation with in November. He said he was glad to see I got signed up and was overall really nice. These can be scheduled on my lunch break at work and so that helps a lot. When the local branch opens up it might be trickier but my supervisor has already offered up 1-hour lunches if I need them. (I have a GREAT supervisor!!) We went over the basics and we'll dig deeper next week. I did forget to ask about invoices again but when I order next week I'll definitely remember!

I did get the lab results back and, as I suspected, they were not as good as we wanted. I'm borderline diabetic, my blood pressure was high (I was definitely dehydrated plus the machine was being wonky but still), my iron is low, and my cholesterol levels were high. So for now, an iron supplement + iron-rich foods, fish oil, and diet and exercise plus monitoring of my blood pressure. So when I go back in a few months it will be interesting to see the changes!!

Heather

Okay, so here goes for Day 1. I'm at work drinking the first smoothie, Sweet Berry shake. Now, it could be that the water isn't cold enough from the dispenser seeings as how even with ice in my water glass it isn't very cold, but at the moment the smoothie is leaving a bit to be desired. For my next one in a couple of hours, I'll add ice to it. The shakes can also be prepared as a pudding using less water so I may pre-prepare a couple and put in the fridge overnight.

They did call me Monday and reactivated my account and got the scale synced as well as set up my first appointment and did a quick plan review, so that made me happy. I forgot to ask about an invoice so I'll do that tomorrow. The nice part about this is that I can do the coaching over my lunch break which will hopefully make it easier to schedule.

Lunch is 1 cup of spinach/baby greens with Walden Farms Ranch dressing (calorie/sugar/fat/carb/gluten/cholesterol free-gosh, it almost makes me wonder if there's anything left!), 1/3 cup each tomatoes (golden tiny tomatoes!), sliced carrots, and sugar snap peas - so that's 2 of my 4 cups of vegetables. My fat is 3/4 oz cheese - 1 string cheese - and then we got honey infused balsamic vinegar so I'm making a caprese salad! The carrots and sugar snap peas are in with the salad.

I took it upon myself to get some pre-plan bloodwork done. Complete Metabolic Panel, lipids, A1c (blood sugars), and I think complete blood count. That was done yesterday and I should have those results today or tomorrow. My blood pressure was a little high - we're thinking part of it was the machine (the cuff was too tight on my upper arm and it took 2 tries for my wrist) and part of it was I was definitely feeling dehydrated. My doctor wants me to keep an eye on that given my family health history, so I'll either get a Profile by Sanford BP monitor that syncs or get a plain one and see if my coach can enter it manually. I'm hesitant to purchase PbS products because while I can use them without an active profile, it'd be nice to have something I can sync to my Sparkpeople account, for example. We shall see.

Here's to Day 1!

Heather

Happy 2017!!

Another year has gone by, and what a crazy year it was!

Quick recap: Bought a Skoolie in February, got jerked around by a well-known truck service company in Ohio for a month, but managed to leave Ohio and end up in South Dakota in April. Our intent was to get to Washington state but that's on hold for a bit. Got good jobs, Dad and Casey are kicking butt on the Skoolie renovation (it had already been converted to a motorhome but now it will be a much cleaner, safer, nicer one!), got a new used car, and have had great times with family and friends!

Biggest change for 2017 is weight loss. And a lot of it. I had been talking about Optifast previously, and while I still feel it would have been a good fit for me (as always, consult with your physician for what will work best for you), I was able to take the delay in finances and do some additional research. Optifast ends at either 12 or 18 weeks, whether you're close to goal or not. That had the potential to be a major downside given the amount of weight I need to lose. I had seen a commercial for what I knew was a gimmick product but I'm always curious about the "claims" they make so I did some digging, read some reviews, and one of those reviews mentioned Profile by Sanford. My ears perked up a bit as I know the name Sanford, as in Sanford Health, very well having previously used their health insurance plans offered through employers in the Huron, SD area. And so I did some digging and it is very similar to Optifast but with a few noticeable differences. One, you're not meeting with one of their doctors - which is okay with me as I much prefer meeting with my regular physician anyway. Labs are not included - which is also okay because getting those done through my doctor means they apply to my deductible instead. You still get weekly coaching sessions for up to 18 weeks, but your subscription is for 1 year - and so you have access to the tools for one year plus you can always pay for another year if you want. Also included in that is a wifi scale and network bridge that syncs to your account automatically. And while they are primarily located in Eastern South Dakota, MN, and that area, they have a virtual option so that's what I'll be doing. It does sound like they're planning on opening one near me this year, but it is nice that I don't have to wait. They do offer education as well, which is a big deal for me. I need to relearn a lot when it comes to eating habits, especially emotional habits.

So, after talking to a coach for an initial consultation in November, I placed my order on December 26th. Keeping in mind it is the holidays, I did experience a bit of disappointment which I will be bringing up with them. I did not get a confirmation email for my order, and along with that, no tracking information. All I knew was that they took my money. They did pre-honor their $99 pricing that wasn't to go into effect until the 1st of the year, and I did add the cookbook (pricing as of right now is $10). But I really would have liked an invoice, even via email since there wasn't one in the package, of how that money was utilized. I don't know what the cost of the meal replacements were, for example. I'm sure had I gone in person I would have an itemized receipt and frankly, I expect no less when I'm purchasing online. I also have no access to my profile on their site - it needs to be activated, and I received no information on when I can expect my first coaching session nor when they want me to start the program. That being said, when I did my initial consultation, he had laid out what to eat and about when, and how to read the grocery list, so I am planning on starting meal replacements Wednesday, January 4th. This is because I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday for blood work and I want that to be pre-plan. This will give me solid starting numbers that are not dependent on a scale or a tape measure and will be additional data for me to help keep me focused. The only other issue is that they don't have hours for the virtual program as far as when you can call if you have questions - they have store hours for their physical locations, but even so, calling during those hours I've had twice where they've answered and twice where I've left a voice message with no indication of hours. These are, though, small things that will be worked out over time.

We are hoping to have the Skoolie done by spring and plan on finding a place to park it and live in it - at least over the summer/fall to test it out. The finance company where we got our car sounds like they're pretty picky on customers leaving the area owing them money (understandable as they are loaning to high-risk customers) and so we need to be a lot closer to having it paid off before we can head out of town again. My hope is to find a mobile home park but we shall see what we shall see. We picked up the fridge yesterday and it's in the house waiting to be installed. Our biggest concern right now is a heating system - we'd like a convection-style wall-mount system and we did find one that we think will do the trick - we'd need 2 units and if it doesn't, it's a 15% restocking fee on each one, plus the cost of shipping both ways. Before we can do any interior framing and building, we need to tint the windows which would be a good time to test any heating system due to the frigid cold we're experiencing!! We have a layout in mind, and it's even been taped out on the floor so we have an idea of what to expect. I was rather surprised to see we would have room for a 36" shower - and told Casey we can definitely go as small as 28" if we need to. It's looking like we may still have a small bit of closet space where the old closet was, which will be nice. Any extra space will be nice!

It's looking like we'll have a busy 2017 - may it be a wonderful year to all of you!

Heather

Life...again.

Well, Optifast will be getting put on hold until the next round - we need a car and soon and until Casey is working again, that became a priority. I was a bit frustrated that the clinic never called with the financial department's information so I could talk to them to see if something could be arranged but it's better not to have an extra payment until we know what he'll have for income again. In the meantime, I can still work on the little things - not feeding the vending machines being the biggest one!! But those chocolate iced honey buns....yum!!

I've tried a lot of things over the years, and have lost nearly 50 pounds three times, so I know I can do it. It's just that for some reason, just before I hit that 50 pound mark, it's like a switch flips and all the work I've done to create new habits flies out the window. Part of the appeal of Optifast was it not only takes the "work" out of it by literally giving you their meal products (which sounds so sci-fi, I know!) and telling you how much to consume a day and about at what times, but they also work on the behavioral and emotional sides, along with the personal trainer once and the nutritionist weekly. It is a very rounded program and the only "reward" system is your health. Another blogger (I've read so many, I wish I would have taken notes!) said she didn't like Weight Watchers at that time because you could earn back more food - if you worked out more, you could eat more - and I agree. I think that food as a reward kind of defeats the purpose of watching what you eat. I do know I have comfort issues with food as well, and so between the two, I have some issues! (Boy, I hope my brother doesn't read that! haha)

So, while I've postponed the Optifast program for now, I do want to review our budget, and do an Overall Health Assessment, which includes:
• Body Composition Analysis
o Results provide an easy and quick overview of your body make up including lean body mass, body fat mass, basal metabolic rate.
• Functional Assessment
o Assess strength, flexibility, range of motion and functional health of your body
• Cardio Assessment
o Assess cardiovascular health and stamina
• Overall Assessment and Fitness Improvement Plan
o Completed by Certified Personal Trainer
I’ve done the Body Composition Analysis already and it was also a chance to meet one of the personal trainers on staff. He was very nice and informative and I felt comfortable with him, which is always a good thing. The price for the assessment is currently $60 and I feel that there will definitely be value there.

The other thing I want to budget for is Nutritional Wellness Counseling. The description from the Regional Weight Loss site is:

Nutrition Wellness Counseling (pricing plans are identical to personal trainer options, listed above)
Take charge of your diet to promote health, wellness and a healthy body weight.
One-on-one nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian
• Supportive and non-judgmental environment
• Advice about weight control and healthy eating
• Set realistic short and long-term wellness goals
• Develop a unique plan to help you achieve your goals
They have very reasonable rates and package options so for both the nutritionists and the personal trainers and so I think that this well be a good start in the right direction. There is room in the budget, I think, for both as long as we focus.

I’m a member of Sparkpeople and while I am definitely a fan of the creator (he self-funded the site to make it a free site for all users) and they have a lot of great information and people and tools – it was also disheartening for me to see people making so much progress and I would be making none. I’ve also realized I was using it to stay on the computer – which isn’t conducive to health improvement! I tried MyFitnessPal.com as well and while it was a little easier to use as far as tracking, the forums are less than pleasant. I did meet a few fantastic people and there were a few family members on there as well, but I just couldn’t get past the unpleasantness if you asked questions on the forums. A lot of people were friendly and tried to help but it felt like a few were there specifically to promote their own agenda and their own views and if you disagreed they were very rude and judgmental. Which defeats the purpose of an online support system, I think.

So, this week I’ll be refocusing on not feeding the vending machine, getting a budget put together again, and baby steps again. The hardest part about that is that we’re staying with my father and I feel a little obligated to be social and that makes it hard to go upstairs and do a Leslie Sansone WATP dvd or a yoga video or meditation or anything like that. He’s like me – it’s hard to really understand something you’re not directly affected by and so for him, it’s all about moving more/eating less but yet evenings are for relaxing and watching TV. It’s how I grew up. What he is unable to grasp, because he’s not living it, is that essentially my inner organs are smushed in a corset with limited room to move so deep breathing doesn’t happen, my heart rate is slow so I can get dizzy easier, and then add to that an additional 100 pounds of body weight he’s not carrying. I think if I could somehow put him in that situation, that sensation, he would definitely grasp it and it would be easier for him to understand. I can do a fair bit of walking yet – last weekend we had a lovely time with my brother, sister-in-law, nephews, and Dad walking to see a couple of waterfalls – and that was a lot of walking for me! I could do it – albeit slowly – but I was definitely wore out. (And I am so grateful that there were no comments about my slowness, only patience – even from my not-so-patient brother!) Baby steps. And perhaps some communication improvement. :-)

The Skoolie is nearly completely gutted inside as I’m typing this. The mattress has been put in plastic and into the garden shed. The bed framing has been removed and sitting on the driveway for now. Dad was amused by the amount of clothes Casey had tucked away. The man has more clothes than most women do! To be fair, a lot of his attire is bicycle-specific and since that is usually his preferred form of transportation, it’s necessary. But I’m also pretty sure he could get by with not wearing the same t-shirt more than once in a 90-day period…

We’re looking at vinyl planks for the floor, in a hardwood pattern. Easy to clean for me! We’re still working out configurations for things, including the bathroom. It’s a 32-foot long bus, but we lose about half of that in the engine compartment. So we have around 24 feet to play with – and of course the king-size bed takes up a fair chunk of that! We’ve met a couple of fellow Skoolies, including Dredman, and they’ve had some neat ideas that we’re hoping to make our own. Our biggest problem is the bathroom – we’ll be using a composting toilet so plumbing and black tank for that won’t be an issue – but bathing is a necessity. There are plumbing holes in the floor already so we’ll just have to see what we can do with what’s existing and kind of design around that. Our intent is to have all the plumbing on the driver’s side of the Skoolie so the sink will be there as well as the Panda washing machine. It will be a challenge, but a fun one!

They did put in new roof vents – we purchased two with fans and two without. Over the bedroom area will be the fan blowing into the Skoolie, then a fanless, then a fan wired to blow out of the Skoolie, then the other fanless vent. That will make for some respectable air circulation. We are planning on getting at least two LED-lit garnish rings and possibly four. And as I was typing this – they are down to the wall framework and lots of cleaning up of fiberglass insulation and general debris. They’re speedy!

As I mentioned in a previous post – there will be some changes. I’ll be monetizing this site so look for some Amazon links and probably Google ads if I can figure out why they aren’t working. We’re looking at other things to do for supplemental income and so down the road we may have some pieces of art for sale as well. I’m going to put up a progress sidebar for my health tracking as well. Stay tuned, folks!

~Heather

This crazy thing called life....

So....we finally left Akron. Thank goodness. It really was not a good fit for us. In fact, it took us 2 days to get out of Ohio!! There's a NaNoWriMo project in there, so you will have to wait to hear that story.

We did make it to the Black Hills of South Dakota in April and have been there since. We don't really have a long-term game plan anymore. If we learned one thing on that trip, it's to not plan too far ahead. We've been busy though. I've been working full time for a finance company and really enjoying it. I have a great team with some great coworkers. He worked for part of the summer and then took some time off to get the exterior of the motorhome done. If it was going to be outside in a South Dakota winter, it needed a lot of work to survive!! He and Dad had already spent a lot of the summer doing some major bodywork - even rebuilding some spots! They removed almost all of the old paint and we all helped give her a new coat - my brother, sister-in-law, and 2 nephews included! Here are some before/after pictures of her:

It's like an entirely different vehicle!! This winter we'll be spending a lot of time gutting the interior completely and redoing it to meet our needs. I'm looking forward to sharing more as we go along! Where we're staying we have slow internet and a data cap so I'm looking at ways to post regularly because not only are we going to be working on our Skoolie, I'm going to be working on me.

My weight has become an issue lately. It's gotten to a point where walking up a flight of stairs leaves me winded. And yesterday, for the first time ever, I didn't fit in the seat at the theater. (Thankfully, the arm rest went up and that was really all I needed but still - very hard on the self psyche!!) I'd been looking at having the LapBand procedure done when we got to the Pacific Northwest because I know that I need more help than I can give myself now. With my 2 past surgeries, I'm fairly certain a lot of hormonal issues were going on - and really, when one has an ovarian cyst the size of a gallon of milk, it would be kind of silly to think otherwise. But after doing a lot of thinking, some of which was misinformed, I decided I really wasn't looking forward to another surgery, even an outpatient one. I had been reading that my health insurance provided required a year of medically supervised weight loss attempt before they would approve the surgery and so why not try that route? I went to the local hospital's site and started reading about a non-surgical weight loss program; Optifast. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. It's not just a VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet). It's also a form of counseling - you have group and one-on-one sessions. It's medically supervised. I'll also be meeting with a physical trainer and a nutritionist. So, even though I did find out my health insurance does cover LapBand after only 3 months of medically supervised weight loss, I'm going to put that thought on the back burner. I don't want something that simply physically restricts me from eating a lot. I need something that basically re-teaches me how to eat for fuel. There's some mental blocks going on and this program will help with those.

I considered creating a new blog for this. One blogger I had read said she was treating her weight loss like a cancer - 5 years before she considers herself in full remission, so to speak. And that's my plan - 5 years of treating myself holistically. I decided to keep this blog going instead and there will be many changes coming up. My goal is to set up a plan for regular updates. The good, the bad, and the ugly. And from everything I read, there will be ugly. But I have a wonderful partner who is prepared to help me through those moments. I have a great team of coworkers who are already supportive of this plan. I got the call on Friday and I see the doctor on October 19th and start. I'm going to start at the beginning of the biggest feasting holidays of the year...what a wild ride this well be!!! I can't wait to share it with you!

~~Heather

Happy February!! And some big news!

You know....I'm thinking regular blogging just might not be my thing.....

That might be changing, however. You see, we're moving. And by moving, I mean moving. We're doing something people only dream about, talk about, hope for.

We've bought a Skoolie - a school bus that's been converted into an RV.

Meet Wanda the Wandering Bus. Yup, she's in need of some work (the other side is light blue!) cosmetically, but the engine? Is sound. 1500 miles on a rebuilt Ford 390 big block. When we looked at her, she fired right up and purred like a kitten - I almost couldn't hear it inside!

The inside is definitely 1980s hunting cabin - but surprisingly clean. Yes, there are stains here and there. The curtains are gross. But it is odor-free - even with the water damage we could see in a couple of areas. So we've got a lot of work ahead of us, but we're able to pay cash and then it's a matter of finding a place to park. Which we have - we'll be in the Pacific North West by May. We're leaving Ohio April 1 and taking a nice drive to get there - stopping in the Black Hills to visit friends and family for a week or so.

Which brings me to this post. We live in a 2-bedroom/2-story apartment right now. It's the top 2 floors of a 1920's house. (And the "charm" is long gone - it's been too poorly maintained for too long to be charming anymore.) So, some serious culling is in the works.

By the time it's said and done, close to 200 books are being sold. Probably 75% of our DVD collection is being sold. Currently, 90% of my wardrobe fits into a suitcase and a carry-on set. I'll have a small bag for socks, etc. and a small bag for things like my yoga pants, exercise tops, etc. Right now, I have 2 30-gallon trash bags and 2 13-gallon trash bags of clothes to go. (I'm not done yet, either. There's a box in the closet and 2 vacuum seal bags yet to sort.) I would guess about 90% of my cross stitch supplies are going. I'll keep some of the books, but otherwise, the last few things I've stitched were from kits.

And today - well, today I've hit the knick knacks. I've received some lovely gifts over the years from friends and family. And I do mean lovely. A teapot. A decorative chest with ornaments inside. A vase. A ceramic bowl with a horse pattern. The vase and bowl have been on display while we've lived here in Ohio (since May 2011), but I'd completely forgotten the other two. I have a butterfly diorama that is lovely - and still in a box. And this area has always been a hard area for me. People took the time to get me a gift. It's not only a physical gift, but it was a gift of their time, as well. And I feel like that needs to be acknowledged and so I keep things - even if they're not my style, don't fit my decor, or even things I didn't really like but I loved the thought behind them.

And now, I've come to realize, it's time to just let things go. And so for the people who've given me things - I hope they realize that I will always cherish the thought behind the gift, and the intent, and the good will. That in letting the items go on to someone else, I'm doing so with the intent of sharing that love, that intent, that gift.

And also because we're going to be 2 humans and a cat in just under 200 square feet of living space! Now THAT'S going to be an adventure!!

What happened?

Wow - it's been a long time.

In 2013 I was going to walk 2,013 miles and make 12 hats in 12 months. Neither got accomplished.

What did happen was in 2013 he started to build Gertie, my spinning wheel and she was completed in March of 2014. Her full name is Gertrude, which is my grandmother's middle name. She was always working, with a huge garden, flower beds, running the farm still, family history, writing her own story. Both my grandmothers were workhorses and Gertrude fit the bill, Gertie for short. MyHoney looked at plans that are fairly popular for a "$7.00 spinning wheel." He didn't like them. And he has some valid points, the main one of which is if he's going to build me a tool, it's going to last. And this is the result:



I don't know the spin ratio, but I want to say it's 32:1? That is a recycled bicycle rim, with a bicycle wheel hub, and the bearings for the spindle are also bicycle bearings. (He's been in the bicycle industry since 1979 and as of this posting works for the largest bicycle shop in Ohio. So yes, it had to be done!) The spindle? Well, that was going to be tricky. The bearings are metric and dowels are hard to find. But I remembered having a lot of Mom's knitting needles and a few didn't have a partner. Sure enough, one was the perfect size so I have memories of Mom along with my grandparents every time I spin.

Since our first fiber fest in 2012 I've accumulated a small herd of drop spindles. The most recent of which are 3D printed!



The 2 in the top picture are mini Turkish spindles; the purple and white one is mine, the tan and green one is MyHoney's. The bottom picture is a bottom-whorl with a triquetra whorl. The really cool part I didn't know until a couple weeks later is that the white pieces? GLOW IN THE DARK. I'll work on a picture... These came from TurtleMade and they were a treat to talk to at the Great Lakes Fiber Festival this year!

Health-wise there was a rough few months in 2013. We were celebrating MyHoney's birthday and I wasn't feeling very well. Chalked it up to Red Lobster for lunch and the yummy biscuits. Except by supper time I wasn't feeling better. And by midnight I was in bed with waves of pain - if I hadn't already had a hysterectomy I would've wondered if they weren't labor pains. At that point, he took me to the ER figuring it was a gall bladder attack. It wasn't. I had a huge ovarian cyst, 6 inches by 6.9 inches. By the time I went in for surgery, it was over 7.8 inches by 7.8 inches - they literally couldn't open up my abdomen to get an accurate measurement. Thankfully, it was just a cyst gone wild - with some minor complications it was removed as was my gall bladder. MyHoney was a dear and spent every night in that crappy hospital recliner for me! I've gained a fair bit of weight since then which is something I need to re-address. Frustrating, but I'm still alive and healthy so we'll take it! As a result, I am getting some aches and pains so definitely will need addressing.

I did go back to school for a Holistic Health Professional diploma program. I'm not able to complete the program before our next journey but I am a Holistic Health Practitioner now. Under that umbrella, I am a Reiki Master Practitioner, Energetic Systems Integration Practitioner, Associate Polarity Practitioner, Relaxation Massage Technician (pending licensing with the state), Holistic Health Advisor, Earth Energy Master, and Medical Intuitive. I've got a business website but I'll try to get descriptions up next week. There are some modalities I'll be adding as time goes by, such as Herbals, Aromatherapy (and not the MLM that's so prevalent - true Aromatherapy training and certification by NAHA), and working with crystals. I'm also looking at Sound Therapy, Trigger Point Therapy, and possibly Biocranial Sacral - but for now, I'm focusing on the business with what I have!

The next journey will happen in 2016 - we are doing another Big Move, this time to the Pacific Northwest! Amazingly, we'll be 2 hours closer to the Black Hills, and the more I read/watch about the area, the more excited I become! As such, a lot of the courses required to receive that diploma are actually quite useless outside of Ohio and so it would have been a waste of money. But the ones I really wanted to take and completed will be such a benefit to my friends and family, and soon, clientele. Keep an eye out for updates on this journey!!

Hiking in January??

Yup! I did a 2.4-mile hike in roughly 90 minutes which was pretty impressive considering the number of times I stopped to take pictures (or to catch my breath!).

I decided to risk parts of the trail being flooded and went to the Chuckery Area of the Cascade Valley South Park , set my MapMyRun and off I went. The first thing I saw, once I got past the Signal Tree, was this guy:

Cute little bugger, isn't he?


One of the things I was amazed by the most was how iridescent everything seemed to be. The snow was mostly gone -- only spots along the river and some icy spots as well. I thought it was so neat and pretty -- and then I realized it was my sunglasses. Polarized sunglasses make things very shiny, apparently!


This is the start of the hill....according to MapMyRun I had a 259 foot ascent overall. This was the first half!

And the second half, looking back down:

To rest, or not to rest?

(Yes, I rested. Long enough to take that picture looking back!!)



It really was a beautiful day for a hike with lots of birds out and lots of squirrels! The neatest for me, though, was a pair of woodpeckers. Only got a picture of the one, though.

I wish I knew what these were -- I think there must have been some type of plant or mill years ago. There were three of these and what looks like an old flume:

Getting to the last leg and down the stairs we go!

They look a lot steeper from the bottom and I was very grateful for the handrailing!

The river was simply amazing. Moreso, I think, because I know that Native Americans and settlers originally would CANOE down this river! In the springtime, that had to been nerve-wracking!!

The last bit of the hike was past a couple of picnic areas and then just when I thought I could go no farther...I was back where I started: The Signal Tree.

The river used to run much closer to the tree than it does now and Native Americans and later, settlers, would use this tree as a marker to get out of the river and portage 8 miles to Summit Lake.


It was definitely a beautiful day and while I'm on a slow start to my 2,013 miles in 2013 (2.4 miles so far) - I'm on my way. I was very over-dressed in a long-sleeved tshirt, hoodie and jeans and definitely appreciated my water bottle back in the car! I miss the days when you could drink from a stream or river and not worry about what toxins or bacteria might make you sick. I remember, as a kid, drinking out of the stream in the field across from our house all the time as well as rivulets along the hike to Harney Peak. Now? Forget it. It's a sad commentary on modern life, I think.


As for my other goals - I haven't picked up my paintbrush yet, either. I do have 1 hat of my 12 done -- It is the Michelle Hat from Kate Jackson Knits. I LOVE the pattern and the yarn -- SpaceCadet Creations Astrid purchased at Knitting On the Square and then silk ribbon accent to make it scrunchy. I look forward to making several more of these.

I'm working on a modified pattern for my next hat. The basis of the pattern is Twisted Rib Hat -- but I'm using the cable pattern from 808th Fingerless Mittens pattern (listed as Fingerless Mittens on the page) for the rib and then, after doing the math for the decreases, will use the crown shaping from the Twisted Rib Hat at the end.


Here's to more lovely days!!

The end of 2012...on to new beginnings!

Well. It seems we all survived the apocalypse. Or, it happened and the government is covering it up.

I'm looking back over 2012, as I'm sure many people are, and I'm wondering what I've accomplished, what I should have done different, and how I've changed.

I've accomplished a lot, actually. Small things but they add up just the same. Just as too many small things can overwhelm us negatively, we really should look at the small accomplishments too and let the positive overwhelm us.

--I've learned several new knitting techniques. This opens up many more possibilities for my craft.

--I've learned more about how I interact with people. This frees me to be me and know what I am and am not capable of and most importantly, to be okay with this.

--I've learned that mentally I can be objective about things and that I still need to work on that externally. Case in point is my job. I love the job. I really like the majority of my coworkers. I love the company. The benefits are respectable. BUT. I took a net $260 a month loss to work there under the impression a raise to a more livable wage would occur when I was hired on from the temp agency. The $250 I saved on auto parts? Does not make up the $1300 net loss on income over 5 months. As of today I still have not had the review & raise I was promised when I was hired on July 29th. And so I have to objectively look at this and make the best decision financially so we can thrive instead of survive--and unfortunately having a good work team does not keep the electricity turned on.

--I've learned too that I need to focus on me a lot more and this job does not allow that. After working 9-1/2 hour days, it's hard to come home, cook, clean, workout, and relax. Having Wednesdays off just does not make up for it.

--I'm remembering what I've done in the past to make things work when it comes to leading a healthier lifestyle and I've dug those tools back out and am preparing to put them to use again.

--I am so blessed for the friends I have. Doc, HunniBear, Miss Kitty and EmeraldWytch have been such a huge blessing this past year. They've really helped me cope and learn to cope. And all my other friends, too. Though we don't all always talk as much as we would like, I am still blessed to have you in my life.

--And of course, family. I didn't get to see any of my family this year and that really hurt. It falls along the lines of that net loss up above, though. There just wasn't enough money to travel and some members of my family I just know I'm on borrowed time now. This Christmas may have been my last chance to see them.

For 2013 I have some selfish goals. Okay, so really I have two goals. And lots of little tidbits.

Goal 1: Knit 12 hats for myself. I have them picked out and the patterns in order in a file folder. I will be printing a poster on which to hang a picture of each hat as it is finished. I'm doing this because I always find my knitting ladies so adorable when they wear their knit hats and berets and tams and thought why not?

Goal 2: Walk/bike/hike/run 2013 miles. For some, this is easy. It is only 5 miles a day, after all. But I'm back to not being able to walk up a flight of stairs easily again and so this will be a very good map to health.

For the little things:

Using my Richard Simmons Food Mover again. Try the recipes that I loved and work with Doc to create new ones.

Learning to read Tarot cards. They've intrigued me for decades. I printed off a course back when B&N offered online classes. It's time.

Take time every day for me. Meditation, journaling, whatever.

Create one piece of art daily. To this end, my brother was awesome enough to get me a watercolor lesson a day calendar--I can't believe he remembered!

Ultimately, by the end of 2013 I want to have a nice emergency fund and be working from home nearly full time and part time as a "bread and butter." I want to have my Etsy shop established and would love to be a part of next year's Crafty Mart.



2013. The year of Me.

Memories...

I am strong.
I am determined.
I am sexy.
I am passionate.
I am brave.
I am greater than.

So - I clicked on a random post of mine from 2010. Well, not exactly random. The title caught my eye: "**warning! very long post!!** It was almost TGIF..."

It was from a day that started off really well, went sharply downhill emotionally, and ended on a neutral-to-positive note with what I took away from it. As I read a few others from roughly that time period - I realize how far emotionally I have come. How strong I really am. And I'm glad I found that mantra above back. I think it's time to print it and hang it up to remind myself every day that I am all of those things.

As I go back over a few more older posts I'm amazed at quite a few things:

My creativity.
My willingness to share.
My acknowledgement of what I knew and know are my "trouble areas."

But mostly - with how far I've come in a few short years. And that gives me a lot of hope for the future.

Happy Saturday

Back after a long absence!! Moved to another state - son moved to yet another state. lol Today's blog:

Well - yesterday turned out to be interesting. I knew we would be going out to The Winking Lizard for dinner and drinks as a friend was having her birthday dinner there. I planned on one thing in my food planner but when we got there - well, they had a Mardi Gras menu and the Spicy “N’awlins” Flatbread Pizza just called my name. No side, just a nommy flatbread pizza. MyHoney and I also split a New Years Paddle - samples of 4 beers:

GLBC Edmund Fitzgerald Draft - Robust Porter (USA) 5.8% ABV
Complex, roasty aroma with a bitter sweet, chocolate-coffee taste

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter Draft - Porter (USA) 4.7% ABV
Big aroma and flavor of vanilla with chocolate and roasted nut

Stone Smoked Porter Draft - Porter (USA) 5.9% ABV
Chocolate and coffee character with a light smokiness

Alltech Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale - Strong Ale (USA) 8.2% ABV
Full of vanilla, wood and bourbon aromas and flavors from 6 weeks of lagering in freshly decanted bourbon barrels.

The best was, by and large, the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. The aroma was pure joy and the taste was fantastic. My second favorite was the Vanilla Porter while MyHoney's was the Edmund Fitzgerald. Funnily enough, my third favorite was the Edmund and his was the Vanilla! And we both agreed that of the 4 we liked the Stone Smoked Porter the least.

I was very pleased, once I added in all the ingredients, to find I stayed on the lower end of my calories for the day. And for the taste? WOW. Too bad it's a limited time menu item!

Overall - I had a pretty good week. I stayed on track calorie-wise and did manage to hit the skier twice. I'm not doing the arm part of the skier - just trying to get the legs coordinated! I may get brave and ask MyHoney to give me some pointers. I am now officially looking forward to spring and getting a bicycle again. He's an avid cyclist with no problems riding 12 miles to work. And he has the calves to show for it. Very muscular and he happens to look mighty fine in his kilt!!

This next week will be continued focus on tracking my calories and getting in a bit more exercise. I know that eventually I need to break my diet soda addiction - and for all who say to drink coffee or tea or other caffeinated beverages - it's not that easy. One - coffee and I have a love/hate relationship. I love the smell - it hates my stomach. And it's not the caffeine. It's the artificial sweetener, aspartame. But - when I'm ready to give it up, it will come as naturally and easily (yes, easily for me!) as quitting smoking 19 years ago.

On to the next week!!

June Update

Well -- I won't even look at how long it's been since I posted. Too long, I know.

For those who don't know -- I've moved to Ohio with my boyfriend, who moved from California to South Dakota first. Poor lad -- that's 2,800 miles in a smidge over 2 months!!

The move was as smooth as can be expected when I'm involved. We got a late start by a day due to issues getting paychecks cashed to have the money orders for the new apartment and then finding out that the insurance company I had chosen doesn't phrase the policy the way the leasing company prefers. Nothing like last minute issues! I would have known this earlier had I called to ensure they received my fax the week before. But I did find an insurance provider so all is good there. (The documents have to list the apartment complex as co-insured, not as an additional interested party. Very few companies list it that way as it can also be taken as the leasing company also residing in the house. Weird, but it's all good now.)

We had wonderful traveling weather the first day (Saturday) with a nice tail wind. We were going to attempt to get there by Sunday prior to 5pm as the office would be closed for Memorial Day. 1,100 miles. Should be do-able, yes? Yes.

We got a bit over half-way and as it was around 1am we decided an hour nap would be a good thing. (We had left around 3pm and had been up since 8am.) I couldn't sleep, so I let MyHoney have a nap, woke him up and we were off. Well....not 20 minutes later I was getting tired enough to be in the danger zone and so we pulled over into a small truck stop (almost more of a gas station) and slept for close to 4 hours, if I remember correctly.

We got off to a good start...until the storms caught up to us. At that point, the roads were so wet that MyHoney's car was unable to maintain traction so we pulled into another rest area. It wasn't raining anymore at this point but it was time for a good stretch. And we no sooner got into the building when the heavens let loose. It was difficult seeing the van from the building. This was the same storm system that spawned tornadoes in Chicago. We spent well over an hour at this rest area (Three Rivers, IL if I remember correctly) and at this point realized there was simply no way we could make it by Sunday before the office closed.

MyHoney's car was struggling at 65 mph so we dropped it down to 55 mph and it did much better. The cat was traveling well beside me. I had her in a medium dog crate with water and a small litter pan. We pulled into Olympia Plains to get her some cat food as it was obviously going to take longer than planned. I had contacted a friend here in our new town to ask if the offer of a sofabed was still open so we knew we had a place to sleep our first night.

The next stop, still in Olympia Plains, was McDonalds for a quick bite. He then noticed the passenger rear tire on his car -- with the nice long gouge in it with steel poking through. We also found out that Sam's Club there doesn't stock those tires as they're a performance tire. Thankfully, with the financial help of family and a tire store that had the tires in stock, a mere 2-1/2 hours later we were on the way. Again.

We drove until probably 10pm or so and then we found a nice Pilot truck stop next to a large creek. We parked there with the agreement we would sleep as long as the first person who woke up. That person would then wake the other one up. I let Fuzzy (the cat) out of the crate and she slept in a little hole in the boxes behind my head. This truck stop was really nice and I felt very safe there. When we went in in the morning it was like walking into a nice hotel lobby. I had no problems paying a bit of a premium gas price (the only time I've ever paid over $4 a gallon at this point in my life!) for the comfort and convenience.

We drove until mid-afternoon and Fuzzy had begged to be out of the crate again so she was again behind my head. Looking in the review mirror, I could see she was much more comfortable up there. We stopped for our last lunch break at a lovely rest area and I picked her up to put her back in her crate for the break. Only to find her back half wet. She had apparently tried to get her litter pan but she was so big and it was so small, she ended up missing and getting the blankets in the crate instead. We pulled a towel out of MyHoney's car and I took her into the restroom for a quick bath. At first she was very content to rest in the nice, cool sink. Then the water turned on (automatic faucets). She jumped a bit, then decided it wasn't worth the effort. hehe She stuck it out for a short bath then I wrapped her up in the towel and took her outside to dry off while we ate (she was in a harness and on a leash). My left foot was beginning to swell so we rested there a bit while I put it up. Fuzzy took the time to explore as far as the leash would let her which I felt was a good sign as to how well she would ultimately adapt. Then it was back on the road with her now established in the hideyhole on the towel.

We got to Fairlawn, OH and stopped to pick up a change of clothes for us (as alhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifl of ours were packed in the trailer under the tarp!!) and then new supplies (litterbox, food/water bowls) for Fuzzy. From there, we drove past the new apartment complex and then managed to get to our friend's house. To be asked if we would be upset if they had rented us a motel room for the night so we could stretch out without their 3 downstairs cats pestering us and Fuzzy. So SpouseofFriend took us to the hotel where we each enjoyed a nice, long shower and Fuzzy was free to explore the room. We went back to their home for a wonderful chicken dinner followed by great conversation until midnight!! (Sorry, SpouseofFriend, for keeping you up so late!)

The next morning we left the van at the hotel, took Fuzzy with, and got the keys to the apartment. More of a townhome, almost! It's a 2-level 2-bedroom apartment (floor plan can be seen here). We have the bedroom on the main floor with a nice private balcony and a lovely view:



The bedroom downstairs we plan on using as a workspace for his sewing and eventually my jewelry making. The storage room has the washer/dryer hookups and we'll rent a washer from the apartment complex for awhile. We're also renting a garage nearby for his car & my trailer. Our building is what is called the "forgotten building" as it's tucked back behind 2 other buildings and has more of the adults/small families rather than the college kids. And so far, I have no complaints of any of the neighbors.

I'm working as a Kelly Services temp driving 30 miles a day right now for a long-term assignment while looking for something closer. MyHoney is still looking as well as working on making new contacts to pick up his sewing business again and start a joint venture among 3 of us: Him, myself and a mutual friend. All in good time but we have very hopeful plans for the future.

The more I drive around the more I really like the area. I am hoping for a very enjoyable time here in Ohio.

What on earth happened to January??

I swear, I looked at my calendar and it was just barely the beginning of January. And now it's already February? Time to get my flail on!!

For what, exactly, am I flailing? Well...I'm making a huge change in my life. My son is 18 and is no longer in school I'm no longer required to keep tabs on him (although it's hard not to) and I've always said once he turns 18 I'm living my life for me. So the beginning of May I am moving to Ohio!!

But here's the caveat -- I'm only taking what will fit in my minivan and the 4x8 trailer I have. That means no furniture is going with. I'll take my airmattress and bedframe, my camping chair, my folding table and chairs, the toybox I got as a young 'un that Dad made and is my blanket chest, and the Barbie dollhouse Dad and Uncle Russell made for me when I was a young 'un. I am wanting a clean start and that is what I am doing.

It's scary and exciting. It's guilt-wrenching and relieving. I feel so bad moving even farther away from my Dad and my brother and his family. I feel guilty leaving my son. I'm also really looking forward to this. I have so many friends in OH already, courtesy of Ravelry. It's just amazing how people you meet online and then in person as they travel can be just as comfortable as meeting family. There are better job opportunities for me there, as well.

And it's just time for me. Time for me to explore. Time for me to continue learning about myself.

And time to start purging myself of the past, so to speak. I'm already sorting and culling what I want to take with. Priorities, of course. Two cats, slow cooker, roaster, marble pastry roller, wine glasses, glass food storage, books, yarn, blankets, fishing stuff...what else? Oh, yes. Clothes. ;-) The people in Ohio might appreciate that.

I took on a second job to help add to the moving fund. I work at a hotel at the front desk and oddly, I really enjoy it. Between that and my other job, I work anywhere from 44 to 60 hours a week. Which means my eating habits have dropped back into the quick-and-easy-but-not-necessarily-healthy category. I've regained some weight and need to get refocused on that a bit. If only healthy food tasted like chocolate, yes?

My son is looking forward to my moving. What teenager would't be? But he's also apprehensive a bit and we've been talking things over about different options he will have to pay bills and such. His best friend has already laid claim to my room, which I find amusing. He is really enjoying his job at McDonalds but is also thinking things through as to what he wants to do with his life. He has a good head on his shoulders and he has what he needs to make the right choices. Hopefully he doesn't let himself get swayed too much by his peers...

This all sounds kind of crazy and sudden for me...but it's been in the works in my head for a long time. And things are falling together for it nicely. Some One is watching out for me and guiding me down this path. I'm looking forward to seeing where it leads.

And to enjoy my life. I was reminded today at work...


Sometimes, tomorrow never comes....

New Beginnings

So, I'm done with my training at my second job and so I can resume my regular schedule of being up late and waking up late. My intention this week is to get up and do Self magazine's Stairing Contest. Modified, of course.

Essentially, it's 50 steps with the right leg, 50 with the left and then 10 incline pushups on the stairs in between sets. You're supposed to do this on the stairway but mine is older and so they're rather tall. I'll be using my step and then doing incline pushups against the wall. And I'll be starting with one set three times a week. My ankle and hip are bugging me and so I don't want to push it too much. No sense hurting myself further, right?

This weekend I've been suffering slightly from a case of cabin fever. I'm tired of watching TV (well, Netflix and DVDs) and I'm tired of putzing around online. I want to sit on my front porch and listen to audiobooks and knit. I want to walk around the lake and not worry about freezing. I want to go fishing, and not ice fishing!! I want to go camping. What can I say, cold weather does it to me every time. :-)

On the crafty front, I have a baby project going for a friend of mine who is pregnant, a secret square project, and I'm test knitting a fingerless gloves pattern. I'm sure there's more but those are the top three I'm working on. The baby project is crocheted, the other two are both knit.

The second job is going well. It's a front desk clerk and my co-workers are pretty great. It is only part-time as well but every penny helps. It was nice to treat my son to delivery pizza last night, for example. We've lived here for a year and have only been able to get it once in that time. It tasted good and now I'm good for awhile again.

Not a lot else -- these next few months will be filled with work and culling things that I don't want to move 1,000 miles. And, quite frankly, there will be a lot of things that I just won't be wanting to move that far. I hope Salvation Army and Goodwill are prepared for me!!!

New Year, New Me?

How many times do we hear that phrase in the months of December and January? How many times do we say it? And.....how often do we actually follow through?

I learned a long time ago that resolutions are not for me. If I don't keep them, it sends me down a path of self-loathing and I spiral on until I hit, if not rock-bottom, pretty darned close.

I have goals, though. And 2010 I hit quite a few. I never did make it down to the weight-limit for sky-diving. In fact, I've put back on 10 pounds. I'm still down 28 pounds -- about 9%. I'll take it and gladly. Why? Because I'm learning my triggers. I'm learning what sets me off emotionally. I'm learning what I do and don't like to eat.

One of my goals is to become more self-aware and to stand up for myself more. I did not put my life "on hold" for anyone this past year. I didn't "wait around" for Mr. Right-now to get in touch. If he didn't have the time, it was his loss, my gain. That's not to say that I have written these people off completely. If they do contact me, sure, I'll go out for a drink or to a movie. But I'm not waiting for them if I want to go to the movie, either. I have no problems going by myself and enjoying my own company now. Fishing by myself? No problem. L, the friend who I used to go fishing with often, has simply stopped speaking to me. She no longer replies to texts or answers her phone. I don't know why and while I am hurt because I really do like her and enjoy her company, I also realize that perhaps she was a friend for a reason and that reason is gone. I have great memories and nothing can take those away from me.

I am no longer upset that I'm on an anti-depressant. It is helping me cope and keeping me sane. Well, relatively sane. It helps to know that this is a temporary situation -- as things improve in my life then my mind will sort itself out and the need for the anti-depressant will lessen. But if it doesn't? Well, it's not exactly the end of the world either, is it? God made me this way for a reason -- who am I to question that?

I'm learning to let go of things, too. Including my son. As scary as it might sound, he is now 18. As such, it's been really hard not asking who/what/when/where. We're both adjusting to the change -- he wants more freedoms and so is frustrated when I ask when he'll be home. I explain that I'm asking because I need to know if he'll be there for supper or if he needs a ride to or from work. I need to know so that I can plan accordingly. His life affects others, not just him. We also have a living arrangement and he needs to keep his part of that. It's not that I'm taking away freedoms by insisting he keeps his part; it's that he is of an adult age and that means more responsibilities, not automatic freedoms. In all, it is going well. There are some days where the lack of communication is frustrating but as a whole, he's doing well and I feel okay with letting him go.

I spent part of 2010 meeting new friends. Well, new in that I hadn't met them in person before but I had known them for quite awhile via the Internet. What a wonderful thing the Internet can be. I met my HunniBear and Sheepie and their families last summer and both times it was just like sitting down with family. It also showed me how lonely I am here in this town and how many things I know I would enjoy doing that I am missing out on.

I knit my first pair of socks and went on to knit 5 more pair before the end of the year. Not bad considering just a smidge over a year ago I was still trying to figure out how to use two needles at a time, let alone five! I'm really enjoying knitting, though and it is somewhat frustrating not having local friends to share that with.

The last goal I had for 2010 was to try shuttle tatting. And I did so, on New Year's Eve. I'm not sure I will ever be proficient in it, but time will tell. There is a definite trick to it but I know that the things that can be created are well worth the time.

The year 2010 ended better than it began. While I was still only working part-time and still struggling financially, I was in a good home with a wonderful landlord working a job that I enjoy and I was again thinking of my future and what I want and where I want to be.

For me, 2011 will be a year of changes, however. I started a second job this past week and so for a couple of weeks anyway I'll be working 60 hours a week. It will be nice to get a couple of bills caught up and then start putting money aside for what I'm terming "My Big Move.™" I'm ready to spread my wings and fly a bit. Meeting HunniBear and her family and Sheepie and her family started a bee a-buzzing around my head.

HunniBear and I have been commenting a lot on how we must be sisters born of different parents (and since she's from Great Britain -- that is a task!). We think a lot alike, we have the same sense of humor and we both have commented how much fun we would have if we were but closer to each other. When we met in Mitchell on their move from Utah to Ohio, it was comfortable and fun.

Sheepie and her family just showed me how much I am missing out on with having no local friends to speak of. And they showed me also how easy it can be to make new friends. When we met in Mitchell on their Epic Trip™ from Ohio to Utah and back again, it was comfortable and fun. In both cases, it was full of warmth and true caring.

I looked at my friends list in Ravelry and lo -- there are quite a few in Ohio. HunniBear is in the Dayton area and she has "first dibs" on me so I looked at housing in that area. It's not horribly bad. I found a one-bedroom apartment I like that has more square footage than the first floor of the house I'm renting right now (and of which I've always maintained the first floor alone is enough for just me) for only $80 more a month. While that seems like a lot going from a house to an apartment, I'm also keeping in mind that with that there is yard care and snow removal among other things that are not included in my rent here. Not to mention lower heating/cooling costs.

Then I looked at job opportunities for me. Wow. It wouldn't take me long to find a good paying job at all. There is a really good transit system in place and so I could also save quite a bit using a bus pass instead of driving everywhere. There are two good universities should I opt to pursue some higher education.

And most importantly? A built-in network system. With people who know me, love me and really want me there. That in and of itself has been such a boost to my sense of self-worth. I have a HunniBear, a Sheepie and a Magpie all providing such wonderful support and shoulders to lean on. Mr. Sheepie even told me to make sure I bring my fishing stuffs! Mr. HunniBear and I got along great and he told me that I would always be welcome. I haven't met Mr. Magpie yet but Magpie assures me he is safe. hehe So it isn't just that I have friends...but that I have full-blown families waiting for me with arms wide open.

There are cons, of course. I would be even farther away from my father and my brother and his family as well as the extended family. It would be really hard to know that I'm no longer just 5 hours away by car. But it's my turn to see a bit of the world. I "settled down" at 18 when my son was born. I did everything I was "supposed to" and while I've been -- content? -- I haven't been truly happy. My brother lived in two states and owned a home in one before he married the woman of his dreams (and I maintain to this day I could not ask for a better sister-in-law!!). It's my turn to have my time. To find out what I really enjoy doing. To see parts of the world.

And to leave my son to fend for himself. That is the hardest part of all. He has a respectable support network here, however. And he really does like it here. He is a little uncertain of how he'll do on his own but he knows he has the knowledge and it's time to put it into practice. I'll do everything I can to make sure he's not been set up for failure, of course. But he has the basic knowledge. He can grocery shop, he can cook, he can clean, he can do laundry. He knows how to prioritize his money and is practicing that now. I wish I could set him up like my parents did for me. I wish I could leave him a car. I wish I could have money to help him out on occasion. But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride, right?

I have my Dad's support. He isn't 100% happy about it, which I understand, but he understands my feelings and he is at least at terms with it. My brother and I haven't talked about it much because we just simply don't talk a lot. My SIL and I have, though, and about the only thing she said was something along the lines of it wouldn't make a lot of difference because they hardly see us anyway. Which is true enough -- although I did refrain from saying that the Interstate is a two-way highway and they have better financial capabilities for traveling than I do. :-) I love her and I know she meant no ill-will. It is true -- we don't get to see each other hardly at all. But with better job opportunities, that has a better chance of changing.

So 2010 was the year the good started coming back again. What will 2011 bring?