Wow...It's Almost Been A Month....

I haven't purposely ignored the blog...it just seems like alot has been going on...my great uncle passed away unexpectedly...it's sad that it takes a funeral to get the family together, but that's what happened. While it was a really sad occasion, it was nice to get to see family we don't get to see all that often.

I'm officially a Slim in 6 drop out...I have knee problems and my right knee did not like all the squats and lunges...I like the workout and I will do it at some point, but not right now. I think I'll start working out by just walking every day and maybe doing some yoga. And on that note, the diet that went along with SI6 pretty much went right out the window when my uncle passed away...I'm a stress eater and I was stressed.

I have decided to go back to LA Weightloss...I did good with the program a few years ago, so I expect to do good again. I cleaned out the fridge and pantry today to get ready for Day 1 (which is tomorrow). Days 1 and 2 are hard because you get no starches. You can have all the lean protein you can eat, along with raw green salad veggies, but no bread or fruit. You also have to drink 32 oz of this juice stuff and drink 64 oz of water each day. When I did this three years ago, I lost like 6 lbs in the first two days. I know it's water weight, but it still makes the scale go down and your clothes fit better. I supposed I better wear comfy shoes to work tomorrow because I'll be trekking to the bathroom a jillion times a day. And my friend Kara is doing it with me. Even though she's not in Abi, we email each other alot during the day. Hopefully we can keep each other motivated.

The only other major thing that happened was that my cousin Shanna got married yesterday in Odessa...me, my mom, sister, and grandparents all went on Friday and came home today. But that event probably deserves its own entry. Suffice it say, I'm tired and just want to do some Sudoku (yes, I'm addicted).

A Quarter

I'm a quarter of the way through SI6...that's right, 9 down, 27 to go...today was hard too. But I did it and I'm happy about that.

Relatively dull day...went to the new Beehive in Abilene...it was pretty good. I think they have a few kinks to work out (a guy that offices in our building had been seated since before we arrived and we had to wait 10 or 15 minutes and he was just getting his food as we were LEAVING...I hope he got comped).

Oh, and I'm still in my parking place...if the lady didn't think I was schizo before I'm sure she does now b/c I had to call her back yesterday morning last thing to tell her I want to keep my parking place a while longer. Apparently, they only had one spot available in the garage and there were four of needing spaces. I'm ok with that, I actually like where I park better than the garage. I'm closer to the bank.

One Down, Four To Go

I am just not a fan of Mondays. Work was ok today, it's just scary how busy we are right now. Remember how happy I was to get to pay to park across the street? I had to call and cancel my lease on that spot today being as I now get to park in the garage at work. I'm impressed I remembered to call...the lady there probably thinks I'm totally schizo b/c I was so jazzed to get a spot back and then, here we are like three weeks later, and I'm like, uh, you can have it back now.

Watched the Academy Awards last night, well, at least part of them. I just wasn't that excited by it all - Thank God for Tivo. I really liked Little Miss Sunshine and the Departed, so I'm glad both did well. I do think it's a shame that Borat didn't win an Oscar...that would have been a trip. I bought Babel the other day, but I haven't watched it yet. I was really hoping Meryl Streep, ugly dress and all, would win the actress category. I LOVED her in the Devil Wears Prada. Her "outfit" was totally fug. Maybe she was trying to put as much distance between herself and the character, b/c Miranda would not have *EVER* worn that....

I was going to visit Kara in the Falls this weekend, but she had a change of plan and is going to come here Saturday. Should be pure torture for J to put up with the two of us...one time she and I had a running email going discussing how horrible it was when Aunt Flo is visiting and how Taco Bueno and Ben & Jerry's seem to be only cure for it all...it basically turned into a story about us, PMSing, in our pajamas on the couch, with our chicken taquitos, Mexidips, and Karamel Sutra, while watching the saddest movies ever, like Simon Birch, Beaches, Old Yeller, and crying non-stop, sniveling "it's just so sad". We should do that this weekend to see if J can set a landspeed record for packing his bag and going fishing...you know it's bad enough when I do it all by myself, he'd freak it there were two of us doing it :)

7 out of 36 workouts done. I'm proud of myself. I actually caught myself thinking that I was kind of excited about working out. Weird. The second phase of SI6 is definitely more challenging. This one part with leg lifts is just KILLING me. I also read in the little book that accompanied the dvds that most people thought the 2d and 3d days of phase 2 were the hardest of the entire 6 weeks. Somehow I think they're lying.

Weekend

We had a really quiet weekend. My sis came over Friday night and we had a movie marathon of sequels, headlined by Grease 2 and The Transporter 2...stayed up late watching Family Guy...too funny...Saturday, Jody was a grump b/c the weather was SO nasty here. I decided one of us need to get out the house, so I left to go visit my grandmother...Ash and I ended up going to see Epic Movie, which was horrible, but it was the only one that started when we wanted to go. After the movie, I didn't feel real great, so I came home and took a bath and thought I lay down in bed for a quick nap around 5...I woke up at 2 am. I can't believe I did that...I got up for about 2 hours, took another bath, read a book, and then went back to sleep. I should be well rested.
Jody went fishing today...I haven't seen him since 11 or so...I think he's hiding out tonight b/c the Oscars are on....

Purple Eye Funk Revisited

Ok, two years ago, I went to work and was promptly asked by one of the secretaries who socked me in the eye. I checked a mirror, and sure enough my eye looked red and puffy. I immediately called my doctor and he told me to come on in. I do and he says, oh, it's just pink eye...here's a sample, it'll be better by the morning and gone in a day or two...I'm thinking great...I go home and my eye just gets worse and worse. And in the meantime, I develop the worst sore throat I've ever had and a fever. And of course, by then, it was Friday afternoon and my doctor wasn't working. I head to the minor emergency clinic and the PA on duty wouldn't even get withing 5 feet of me. This is what I looked like:

Pretty scary huh? The purple of my lid inspired the name...being as I didn't know what was wrong with me at first, me and Kara dubbed it the purple eye funk. Seemed fitting. After going to Abilene Eye Institute, I was diagnosed with Pharyngoconjunctival Fever....

And while it started in my right eye, it did spread to the left, but not as bad. I don't ever, ever want that stuff again. I also had to wear my glasses to work for like 3 weeks which I HATED.

It's Been A Good Week

So yesterday, I'm sitting in my office, working like mad to finish a bunch of real estate stuff, when the commercial lending EVP sticks her head in my office and asks if I can come visit with her and my boss. Like I'm going to say no...anyway, I'm thinking I just need to get back to my appraisals, when they tell me the board elected me as AVP...I was pretty much dumbstruck. In a good way. It's a good thing they told me really late in the day, because I didn't get much done after that...I tried to call J to tell him, and of course he didn't answer, so I called my best work bud David, who's in Granbury these days, to spread the news and plan how we can take over the bank someday (it's a long running joke with us)....

In other news, I've made it 5 whole days in a row of working out. I can def tell it's getting easier. I'm not particularly sore anymore (except for my inner thigh and that's a GOOD thing)and I can do pretty much the entire 25 minute workout. I *might* try the next phase of the workout tomorrow and see how that goes. Or I might just finish the first week out with one more round of the "Start It Up" workout. Oh, and I just figured out I'm supposed to do an ab workout in addition to the other 3x per week. Think I can do it all in one day? I've also determing that after I finish the Slim in 6, I'm going to give Power 90 a go....

Another Day, Another Workout....

Hee. I've done three whole workouts. On consectutive days. It's got to be some kind of recent record...I used to workout every day. When I was in grad school, I was in amazing shape...I ran a mile a day and did pilates probably 5x a week. And then I quit. And then a few years back, I decided to start running again...I was up to 3 miles a day. And then I quit. Actually, I hurt my knee, but the end result was the same...then I joined LAWL and lost quite a bit of weight pretty easily and started working out again, this time to Yoga Booty Ballet, which is a blast. I got in pretty good shape again...and then I got sick with the purple eye funk...and I stayed sick on and off for a good six months. And then I hurt my knee again and just kind of gave up. I'm very curious to see how this program works. Some of the before and afters on beachbody.com are amazing. I can't even imagine achieving results like those...but hopefully I will. And if I do, I'm still not posting my before pictures. Anywhere.

2 Down, 34 To Go....

I completed the second day of working out in the Slim in 6 program. As sore as I was today, working out actually helped. I'm kind of shocked. The eating side of "the plan" is going good too. Well, as good as it can in two days...I'm just ready for all this to be a habit...and for my pants to be looser...and for my body to not be so jiggly....
I used to be so active too...but as a friend pointed out to me...that's been like 15 years ago. I can't believe I can say hey, remember 15 years ago when...and what's sad is, I could probably realistically say hey, remember 20 years ago....

Official Day #1....

SO today is the official day #1 of the new working out/eating better plan. So far, it's not been alot of fun...I had to weigh, measure, and take pictures. All I can say is Thank God for self timers on digital cameras.
Oh, and then there was that working out thing...I started Slim in 6 Start It Up today. I am not in good shape and that point was driven home by the 25 minutes of hell I had to endure...it'll get better. It was actually kind of motivating in the sense that I don't like being so pathetic!!

So...

My new Slim in 6 stuff got here Friday but I have freaking bronchitis right now. Not a good time to start a work out program...unless I want to cough up both my lungs. I hate being sick.

On a good note, I got my old parking spot back in the lot across from bank. It came at a price, but it was one I was most definitely willing to pay. Hiking a block and a half in heels is not the greatest thing ever. So worth it!

DIE(t) - Day #1

I've made it one day so far...no snacking, no sweets, no nothing. I even ate some fruit. I'm waiting on the Slim in 6 to get here, so I figured I'd go ahead and do something in the meantime, so I pulled out the good old Turbo Jam dvds. Oh my. I'm in B A D shape. But you know what? I did it. I sweated. And cussed. And hit pause a few times so that I could drink some water. But I did it and it didn't kill me (at least not this time anyway!).

Another BORING day at work. I worked on clearing up appraisal exceptions all day long and only finished maybe half of them. Ick.

Ok, back to being OCD about the "plan" as I'm going to call it. I have to say I'm really looking forward to my pants not being so tight. That's really a pretty miserable feeling, to wear a suit almost 10 hours a day and have the pants be tight.

In summary, I didn't fall off the wagon day #1. But there's still 4 hours until bedtime!!!!

Diet Is Just Die with a T at the End

So I intentionally did not make New Year's resolutions this year...too cliched, too easy to screw up...however, while looking at pics recently, it looks like it's time for me to curb the eating and get back to exercising. Ick. Double ick at my pictures though. (shudders a little) And then I stepped on the scales. We are not going there. Bad, bad, bad. Bad.

I ordered the Slim in 6 series from Beach Body. I've had good luck in the past with Yoga Booty Ballet (my fave workouts ever!) but I feel like I need something with more structure.

I guess my goal is to do the entire 6 week program and see how things work. I should probably go back to a healthy eating plan as well. I've done LA Weightloss in the past and it works. It's pretty easy too. Reasonable could be the word I'm looking for....

Have I mentioned that I'm a little OCD? Last time I had the epiphany and got my ass in gear with LAWL and Yoga Booty, I became obsessive. With a capital O. Like where I weighed myself at least twice a day, if not three times a day. However, it worked and I looked really good.

So stayed tuned for the diet/exercise obsessed posts that are sure to come.

Hola

Long time, no post...things have just been busy here since I got home from Colorado (which was a rough trip home). I've been battling some kind of allergy/sinus stuff, and I just tired of feeling so SNOTTY all the time. And I mean that in the congested sense, not the attitude sense.
Pretty boring week, followed by a very unexciting (thank goodness) weekend.

Saturday Was A Good Day

We slept in, until Jeff's neighbor Jamie called and wanted to cook breakfast for us. She cooks great omelettes by the way...then it was off to Flatiron Crossing. I went to Sephora and picked up some mascara, cleanser, and moisturizer. Nordstrom was doing a make up event, so me and Jamie got our make up done. Jeff entertained himself by visiting with everyone in the vicinity before heading to the MAC counter to watch them get to drag queens ready for a rave in Colorado Springs (that we got invited to). From there, we went to see Alpha Dog. Great movie, super sad story, even more so because it's true. Then it was back up the mountain for the evening. Jeff's big into indie films, which sometimes I like, and sometimes theres just a reason why they're indies. I loved Little Miss Sunshine, Thirteen, Whale Rider, In America...those are all good movies. The one he made us watch was "You and Me and Everyone Else We Know." He asked if I liked it and I said no, which led him to asking to explain why.

Anyway, it's snowling lightly this morning and I'm just chilling out.

Here are some pics from our road trip on Friday:

Interesting...

I'm up here in Colorado,where there was supposed to be a major winter storm, and so far nothing!!! BUT meanwhile, Texas is getting hammered with ice. It's just kind of ironic.

Anyway, it is beautiful up here. Yesterday (Friday), Jeff and I got up and drove down the mountain to Boulder to have breakfast at this place called Camille's. It was SO GOOD. Boulder is a beautiful town and there are some great houses there. After we left Boulder, the weather was pretty good, so Jeff took me on a tour, up Boulder Canyon, around Nederland, to Eldora, then to Blackhawk/Central City. Like I said, the weather was good in that it wasn't snowing and the sun was out. BUT the temperature never got over -7. Then we came back to the house and watched The Hours (he made me, and it was pretty good), and Entourage (I made him).

Here are some pics from the trip so far:
The house is amazing...it's three stories total...the top story has the living room, kitchen, dining area, master bedroom/master bath. The middle floor, where I iam, has two bedrooms, a full bath, and a den. The bottom floor has a full bar, a pool table, full bath, and a movie theatre.
Jeff's House (and Jeff)


The living room:


The dining area (I love all the framed album art):


Jeff's Bedroom (note the view of the continental divide out his window):


The master bath (WOW! I love the bath tub!!!)


The kitchen:


The middle floor has a large den Jeff uses as his editing room (just picture me sitting at the desk with the huge computer monitor):


And two bedroom (not pictured)

The lower floor has a pool table and a theatre:

Up On A Mountaintop

Wow. That's all I have to say. Jeff's place is beautiful. This is going to be a good vacation.

still at dfw

Still here on my blackberry. There are these two guys palying guitar and fiddle, singing. They're really good. Didn't realize it was live at first. They're probably famous bluegrass people. And that's prorbably why I don't have a clue who they are.
About to board!

4 am Is No Time to Get Up

Here iam at dfw blogging from my blackberry. As ocd as I am, I decided to try for the 5:40 flight that gave me a little more time before my denver flight. We rocked and bounced all the way here. Not a great thing on a small plane! Good thing I don't get motion sickness! Just had a bagel (super good from einstein bros)and I'm heading to my gate.

So....

I leave for Colorado on Thurday and I have been telling Jeff I would really like for it to snow while I'm there. He called today and told me it looks like I'll be getting my wish...check out the forecast here....note that it's a balmy 38 degrees on Wedesday...after that, the temps just fall to a high of 24, 12 (!), 9 (!), 14, 20, and 26 for Thursday through Tuesday, respectively. It's going to be cold. I may be wearing all my clothes at once!

I did get two really cute coats for my trip (it was a really good sale and I just couldn't make up my mind).

Jody didn't like the orange one so much...he said it looked something from the 70's from a garage sale. Whatevs...I like it and I promise to never make him wear hit. Plus I think some of his hunting clothes are pretty hideous.

I also got a new pair of Nikes. Being as my Shox are like 3 years old, I thought it might be ok to buy a new pair:

I'm also got these on sale...normally $160 (I can't imagine paying that much for a pair of running shoes!) marked down to $99 (which is still pretty bad, but if they last 3 years, that's only $0.09 per day).

Behold, the New Camera

As mentioned in my previous post, Jody's birthday present to me was a new digital camera. Our old digital camera is a Canon Powershot A70, which we've had for 3+ years. It's a really good camera and I've never had any trouble with it, unlike the Kodak digi-cam that I use at work. I liked the A70 so much that Ash and my mom both got Canon Powershot A540s for Christmas this year.

One feature I wanted on a new camera was more optical zoom. So I went to Circuit City and Best Buy both yesterday afternoon. I had initially thought I was going to buy an Olympus, but after looking at the Olympus and a Canon, I decided I really liked some of the features the Canon offered. Plus, we've had such good luck with Canon, I hated to change.

So we ended up with the Canon S3 IS. It's a nice camera, operates similar to the other one, but it's got a 12X optical zoom and a 4X digital zoom, creating a total zoom of 48X.

I can't wait to play around with it some today!