Through the Chaos

Sadie got a bit too curious about what I was painting



Remember the horrible old counter tops



The new counter tops and new sink too!


The old kitchen with nasty ceiling lights and ugly laminate counters and cabinets


Oak cabinets, new lights (we're painting the ceiling tray another color next week), the microwave is now above the range and we have new counter tops and tile on the floor. We still need to tile the back splash

From the other corner of the tiny kitchen



The new counter tops are much wider so the kitchen feels bigger. The industrial gray tile is gone from the floor and I love having a lazy susan in the corner for pots and pans.



Not bad for a budget remodel. I didn't like the oak cabinets at first but I think they look really good next to the black appliances and compliment the tile and granite. We could have spent so much more but for this little house, its perfect!



Its been a rough two weeks but we've made it through! We'll do the back splash before the end of the month and it will finally be DONE! I'll post bathroom photos over the weekend if I have time. It looks really nice too!

.....and now back to our regularly scheduled blogging!

staycation

I’m really looking forward to this three day holiday weekend! Hopefully the chaos will be complete and my house will be back together again by Thursday but even if it isn’t, I’m not going to let that ruin our three days off. Ken has been working 6 days a week, we’ve been working on ripping up carpet and various other projects around this house and in general it’s been a very tiring experience.

I confess that that we haven’t had a vacation in years. When we dated we were living on different continents and our time together was spent flying to see each other. Don’t get me wrong, London and Florida are both decent travel destinations but sometimes I think it would be nice to take a real holiday and go someplace neither of us has been. Of course now we have Sadie and Max to consider and the thought of leaving them for a week is so difficult because we are all they know. They pine for Ken when he isn’t home from work on time. By 6pm each night Sadie is walking around the house whimpering and if I could translate it I know it would say “where is he?” Max sits and looks out the window, waiting to see him pull into the drive. So a vacation right now isn’t something we’d really consider. The only person we’d leave them with is my sister but she works long hours so if we were to go away she’d have to take time off from work to stay with them. Yes I know some of you are thinking they are “just dogs” but they are so much more than that to us. They are family.

In addition to our four legged family members that aren’t welcome everywhere we are, there is the economy. Gas prices are rising, food prices are rising, and the cost of just about everything is rising. Ouch! We are very fortunate to still have gas prices below $4.00 but I don’t expect that to last.

We looked at hotel rates in Orlando and considered hotels that allowed dogs as well as hotels on Florida's East coast that allowed dogs. Many of the hotels are booked because of a car race going on in Daytona but we don't go there, we typically go further south to Vero Beach or Ft Pierce but we just couldn't justify spending double what we'd spend any other weekend just because its the 4th of July weekend.

We live in the Tampa Bay area and we’re quite fortunate to live where we do. We have sunshine most of the year, we have beautiful beaches and theme parks. We're close to Orlando and all it has to offer. We live in a place that people spend their lives dreaming of visiting. We don’t need to go anywhere to be on vacation, we’re already here!

We can stay home and vacation…a staycation. So this weekend, this three day holiday weekend when we should be completing tasks around the house, like the sprinkler system, painting, tiling the back splash in the kitchen, putting everything back where it belong, we’ve decided to have a staycation. We’re staying home but we’re making a vacation out of it.

Friday’s BBQ is still planned but we’ve also planned a few other fun things for the weekend, things to take advantage of where we live and enjoy our beautiful surrounding. Ken has a few ideas and so do I. I’m not sure exactly what we’ll do, a trip to the beach, museum or exploring a historic site; whatever we do, I know we'll have fun.

So if you’re staying home this holiday weekend, why not turn it into a staycation. Go explore local sites and be a tourist or stay home and turn your bedroom into a spa. Put on those luxurious 1000 count sheets, treat yourself to a bubble bath and a pedicure. Experiment with new foods and make a new healthy gourmet recipe, meditate or try yoga. Treat yourself to a bit of luxury at home with your very own staycation!

The Groove

The house is still in complete chaos. They are supposed to install the kitchen countertops tomorrow…for real this time…its laugh or cry so I chose to laugh. I’m just glad I have running water in the bathroom sink again even if its dripping because they didn’t install the new pipes correctly the first time or the second time.

Typically I’d weigh in on the first Tuesday of the month but I’m not going to do that today. The scale is in a very difficult place to reach and I’m not risking a fall from the ladder. I did weigh in last week after a nightmare that I got on the scale and weighed 411 pounds. My weight was 355 still. I’ll take it over 411 any day. I’m never going back to the 400’s again. The sooner I’m out of the 300’s the better!

Speaking of 300’s. My weight has been pretty static. I lose and gain and lose and gain with one excuse after another. July is going to be all about finding my groove.

____________________________________

I received a blogging award from two people, Thinking Thin Too and Honi. The rules say the award is for creativity, design, interesting material and contributing to the blogging community.

Thinking Thin Too said “You are the reason many of us have come into contact with each other.” And Honi said I was “Always full of sunshine and always a wonderful motivator”

I want to earn those words. Sometimes things and people come into our lives at a certain time for a reason. I think that I’ve met some wonderful people here in the blogging world and I know my life has been touched by so many of you. For me, knowing that I’ve made a difference in a few other lives means the world to me. There is an old saying “if you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours” and I think we all do that, every day with our words. Sometimes a few kind words make all the difference to someone who is struggling.

The rules say I should pick 5 people to give this award to but honestly, there is no way I could pick just five people so I won’t, I’m asking all of you to play along if you want. Here are the rules.

1. Pick five (5) blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award (http://arteypico.blogspot.com/)

add ditch digger to my resume

On Sunday morning I slept late. I heard Ken get out of bed at around 7 but I wanted another hour or so. I woke up when Sadie dove into bed with me and I heard the lawn mower outside. She doesn’t like the loud scary noises and sought comfort by burrowing under the pillows and snuggling up next to me. I got up to find a sketch on the note pad in front of my computer and I stared at it for a minute trying to figure out what it was. Had I known what a nightmare this was going to be, I would have gone back to bed and tried for a fresh start. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way.

His sketch was a plan for a sprinkler system for the front and back of the house. We have a very small lawn and a rock front yard but we have a lot of nice shrubs in the front that we’re forever watering. We have water restrictions and we are only allowed to water one day per week. Ken has decided that we need to set up a sprinkler system to make sure we don’t lose these plants. Sounds good right?

Setting up a sprinkler system should be easy enough in theory. He picked out everything we needed on Home Depot’s website and instead of letting them ship it to us we thought we’d save the shipping fee and pick it out ourselves. Of course while we were there we found MANY other things that we needed. We were there for over two hours and by the time we left my legs ached from standing for so long. I need to write to Home Depot and suggest a wives lounge…with a Starbucks. And how many little pieces of connectors do we need? Apparently 27 of them.

After lunch we headed home and he started on several projects, including the sprinkler system.

Me: So how’s it going?

Ken: a-ok

Then I ask the obligatory: Can I do anything to help?

He takes me into the back yard and I help him decide where the sprinkler heads should be placed for best coverage and then he hands me a shovel and a pick axe.

Ken: You can dig the trench for the back yard. About 18 inches deep for the water pipe. You don’t have to do it today, just do a little bit each day so it’s ready for me on Friday.

Me: But Friday is a holiday.

Ken: It’s the 4^th of July, its not a holiday for me

Me: But it’s a holiday for me, don’t you want to go to a BBQ or have a BBQ?

Ken: A BBQ sounds great but we’re still doing the sprinklers

Me: And you wonder why your ancestors got kicked out of this country…..

Just a little warning...

Laughing while drinking diet coke makes it go up your nose and it burns really bad!

We were trying to get our errands done quickly the other day and we got stuck behind a very old man who was driving in the left middle lane of a 4 lane on each side of the road business district area. The speed limit is 50 and he was going under 30 miles per hour. I looked at the man and he had white hair, a big winter coat (it was 88 degrees with 72% humidity) and he is hunched forward clinging to the steering wheel. We are very empathetic towards the elderly and their desire to remain independent. We have a large population of elderly people in this area and they advise them to stay off the roads during rush hour if they aren’t comfortable going with the flow of traffic.

I said “Look at the poor old guy, I wonder what he’s thinking being out here in this busy traffic at this time of the day?” I took a sip of diet coke as Ken replied “I know what he’s thinking” and then in his best 90 year old man voice he said:

My horse went this fast and this is as fast as I’m going

Who needs a dishwasher?

I just hosed off my breakfast cereal bowl in the back yard with the garden hose. Most of the cabinets are in. Bathroom sink and granite top should be installed around noon today. There was confusion with the granite, it looks like they won't have enough to match the kitchen and bathroom granite after all. The only small pieces they had to match at all is darker than we wanted but at this point, I'm just over it all.

Exercise...does sweating bullets while painting in the heat and humidity yesterday count? I needed to paint two pieces of trim board before they put them up and it was so hot I was dripping sweat on to the board as I painted and the paint was drying as I painted. It was THAT hot.

Eating...Greek salad for dinner last night with grilled chicken. Very tasty and healthy too. I live about 10 minutes north of a large Greek community called Tarpon Springs. There is no shortage of excellent Greek food. We tried a different place that our neighbor recommended. We won't be going back to that other place ever again! The food and service were exceptional.

There is a coating of dust across the whole house, I'm not going to try to clean up again until after they are done. Its a losing battle.

The Seventies Called And They Want Their Counter Tops Back

See that ugly photo of green and white...those are the current counter tops in the kitchen circa 1970something. Now you see why we need an update? White and green laminate that I'm sure was as fashionable as the avocado green tub in the bathroom.

I've pulled out the list of healthy choices for local restaurants because I know I’m not going to cook much this week. I could grill anything but I don’t want to dirty dishes because there is no where to put them. The water will be off in the kitchen sink and bathroom sink from Tuesday until they put in the new countertops that will hopefully be ready by Friday. We'll still have water in the utility sink in the garage, the shower and the other bathroom so its not like we will be completely roughing it.

Ken and I stood at the refrigerator Monday night shortly before bed and feasted on watermelon balls, blueberries and cherries.

Should we share a plate?

Only if you’re going to wash it..... you yelled at me for leaving a knife and toast crumbs on the counter, they are knocking down the counter tomorrow, who cares if there are toast crumbs on it

You aren’t going to be here, I am. I’m the one who they are going to look at and think “piggy piggy piggy”

You have issues (exaggerated eye roll)

I know. (exaggerated eye roll) Pass the blueberries.

And we still have water in the kitchen until Tuesday morning; imagine how this will be when we have to go all the way to the utility sink in the garage to rinse a dish. We'd never survive on a camping trip.

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of what I’ve been babbling about for the past two weeks.

After the carpet has been ripped up.

Yes thats a chair blocking the front door and all of the wood stacked up against the wall. The iron sconce next to the mirror is the one that fell on my toe. The candle was kind enough to hit the floor instead.

The old nasty baseboards have been ripped up and the flooring is under way.

After they've finished the floor and new baseboards. I'll post official after photos once the room is back in order.

This photo is a little dark, I left the valance up but took down the curtains to wash them and haven't put them back up yet. Of course the bowflex was one of the first things Ken put back in the room...even before my computer...priorities or what?

Monday Monday, Manic Monday, Blue Monday, I Don't Like Mondays, Make it Til Monday, Monday Morning

Have you checked out the latest on the Summer Blog Party? This week I’m your host and I’m giving away a Walk Away The Pounds DVD. Natasha is still avoiding those restaurants in the Rub-A-Dub-Dub Only Homemade Grub challenge and Pattie is still accepting entries for her quilted table runner. Head on over to LoveBugs blog for the walking challenge too!

The Biggest Loser Challenge is underway on Thinking Think Too’s blog, stop over there and cheer them on to victory! The Grumpy Chair’s Why Drive When You Can Walk or Bike Challenge is still going on and DaDivaStreet’s New York Frame of Mind party is going on all summer long. Don’t miss out on these challenges and giveways.

On Friday the workmen came to install our floors and they look fabulous. Tomorrow they will demolish the kitchen and install new cabinets. They are also replacing the cabinet in the main bathroom. I’m hoping they have enough time to lay the tile in the foyer, kitchen and bathroom too…yes, we’ve decided to go ahead and have them do that too and update the lighting in the kitchen because they did a beautiful job with the wood, so much more professional looking than we would have done and we want the tile to look just as nice.

The piece of granite for the kitchen counters was large enough to make the bathroom vanity top too so it will keep with the same theme throughout the main part of the house. The bad news is, they won’t install the granite until Friday which means not only will I not have countertops in the kitchen and bathroom for three days; the water will be turned off too. Cooking will be a challenge.

I’ve emptied the bathroom cabinet and cleared the countertop and started on the kitchen but it’s a mess. I don’t have boxes to put things either. I thought Ken had a stack of empty boxes in the garage but then I remembered back a month or so ago when he and I went in search of cardboard recycling bins…oh yeah, there went our box surplus, but perhaps I’m too efficient at recycling? As soon as I get the kitchen emptied this morning I’ll take a few before photos so you can see how hideous our kitchen is now and why it needed updated. I’ll post the before and after shots next week even if we haven’t done the wall tile yet.

Eating has been crazy this weekend and I’m paying the price. I woke up at 3am and my body just ached. I know it wasn’t from the physical activity but rather from the junk I’ve put into my body. It will be challenging with kitchen chaos this week but I’m going to do better this week. I need to listen to my body and right now it’s hard to ignore because its SCREAMING at me. I was watching Oprah a while ago and she had an author talking about a book called Quantum Wellness a 21 day diet cleanse, I’m wondering if there is a mini version, maybe a 7 days because there is no way I could go 21 days without caffeine and not completely alienate my husband. Have any of you tried this?

Crazy Town

I'm talking about that place called Crazy Town....you know that place I go to sometimes when I'm scale, weight or food obsessing...or stressing about whatever else is going on in my life. I know you know the place because I've seen some of you there too. Don't worry, its our little secret.


We have one section of carpet that hasn't been pulled up yet in the room where I'm sitting...the family room, aka my computer area. Ken called me crazy because I started to vacuum this section of carpet this morning...
"why are you vacuuming this carpet?"
"because its furry"
"they are ripping it out tomorrow"
"I don't want them thinking we're dirty people"
"you have enough to do without putting extra work on yourself...NO VACUUMING in here"
"fine, I won't vacuum"

He left for work and I vacuumed...I know you would have vacuumed too because like me, you know all about Crazy Town.

I Quit, I'm Done

I quit. I’m done. I’m admitting defeat and throwing in the towel. I just can’t do it anymore. I have tried, I’ve worked so hard but I’ve accomplished a big fat nothing.

I met with the kitchen contractor yesterday and his workmen are coming on Friday to install the wood; they’ll be back next Tuesday to install the kitchen cabinets. The granite man is coming out on Friday to measure and give us our options at some point I’ll have to drive to his office and pick out the slab of granite.

We’re still doing the tile work in the foyer, kitchen and bathroom. And on Friday while they install the floor, I’ll be busy painting the new baseboard molding to match our room so that I won’t have to paint it after it’s installed. Painting…yeah, that’s more MY speed!

I was feeling a bit like a failure for not being able to put this floor together especially after the man I’ve hired said that he’d have it done in a day. He also said that this style of floor requires at least three people to maneuver properly. That made me feel better. And when he said he’d have it done in a day, he meant his team would have it done in a day. I wouldn’t have quit otherwise. But the thought of being able to have all of the furniture back in place in one day...its worth the cost. Otherwise I’d still be crying…erm, blogging about this project in December.

I still have a lot of work to do. I need to empty as much as possible from my computer area, put my hand weight set, balance ball and yoga mat in the garage, put any other smaller pieces of furniture in the garage and clear off the breakables from my desk...including my monitors and photo collage. I have STUFF everywhere and no where to put anything. I don't like chaos and my house is pure chaos right now. I still have a LOT of work to do before Friday. I can't just put everything in our bedroom because on Thursday they are delivering our much needed new mattress and box spring set. We've only needed a new set for a year now but the timing of their sale stinks! I could have it delivered next week but there is no way I'm sleeping on that lump of a bed for any longer than I have to. Just be warned, this new bed is going to be so plush and comfy I may not get out of bed to blog in the mornings anymore, haha.

So yes, I’m going to miss out on all of this muscle building core strengthening exercise of installing laminate flooring…I guess it’s a good thing that Ken brought home a Bowflex last night!!!! We’ve wanted one forever and a guy he knows has to turn his workout room into a baby room (awwwhh) so his 2 month old Bowflex is now ours. It’s not the newest model but it’s the one we wanted. Right now with all of the chaos going on around the house we can’t put it together and use it but he has promised me that after next Tuesday it will not only be put together…BOOT CAMP begins. My eating hasn’t been bad at all but any regular form of exercise has been nonexistent because quite frankly, I don’t have a few feet of extra space right now for Walk Away the Pounds and I certainly don't have room for the Biggest Loser workout. I've been taking the dogs on the nightly mile and thats it.

Yesterday I was hungry mid afternoon and I ended up having a strawberry, blueberry, cherry and watermelon filled plate and calling it lunch. Did I mention I bought too much fruit at Costco over the weekend? No? here have a plate of fruit :-)

Give me strength

Have you checked out the latest parties going on for the Summer Blog Party? Head on over for your chance to win a hand made quilt, healthy eating cook book or join a challenge to keep you on track through the summer...sound like fun? Details HERE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After listening to many, many, many people we decided to skip the wood floors in favor of laminate because:

• the dogs wont' be able to scratch them
• they have a 25 year warranty
• they were out of the wood we wanted
• laminate was 1/3 of the cost of wood

I think the durability factor was what sold me more than anything. Sadie and Max love to play, I don't want to discourage that and lets just say that Ken is a boy at times and is a bit rough and tumble on the house and I tend to drop things, heavy things.

With this project I've started a brand new diet and its pretty effective. Its called the house is the middle of remodel hell and I can't find the kitchen. Right now I know where the dog food and dog treats are but I haven't found myself that hungry just yet. The new diet also involves a lot of exercise but beware of mystery black and blue marks.


If Ken and I go missing in the next week or two be sure to tell the police that the blood they find all over the living room isn't because of foul play. Yes its a mixture of both of our blood, Ken ended up with a cut on the back of his hand and there is now blood splattered across the wall...I was going to repaint that section anyhow...and who knew toes bled so much when you drop wrought iron sconces on them? The good news is, my toe doesn't appear to be broken, the bad news is, I won't be able to put my feet into those new peep toe sandals any time soon. But hey there isn't a scratch on that new floor!! Yeah its flipflops for me baby! Tell the police they can find us in a hotel that has room service, laundry service, daily massages, a giant hot tub and dog walking services.


Oh I totally went there for a second fantasizing about that hotel....Meanwhile, back in reality, I'm headed out to buy more propane for the grill so I can at least grill meats and veggies. We will of course have to eat them with our fingers because the plates and silverware are in the kitchen. We aren't complete heathens, we've set up the coffee pot in the laundry room, we do have our priorities in order. Perhaps while I'm out I'll pick up paper plates and stop by Wendy's and tell them I've changed my mind about the plastic fork they tried to give me the other night with my salad...yeah, I'll take that fork and about a dozen more and napkins too, because yeah, the napkins are in the kitchen too.

I'm pretty sure I've lost a lot of weight on this new diet but since we're also putting new tile in the bathroom the scale is also a victim of the shove it someplace else, any place else for now method of home remodel.

Oh by the way, if you're stopping by, be sure to use the side garage door, there is a rather large chair wedged in the front entry way making it impossible to open the front door.

And how was YOUR weekend :-)

Its going to get UGLY around here

I'll tell you all about the ugly in a minute but first...

Please head over to WVSooner’s blog and read his story about his daughter Alexa and her dog Boomer. Be sure to leave a comment too…yes, even you lurkers out there, I’m asking you to leave a comment.

The post brought back memories and put a tear in my eye for what was and what will be in my own life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve made an amazing discovery. I eat less in the dark. Last night the power went out around 5:30 and stayed off until about 8:30 after a lightning storm resembling strobing lights passed over my house. The power flickered off and on for about three minutes and then shut down. Eating dinner in the dark by the light that was coming in through the windows made me realize that I’m more than a taste and texture person, it’s a visual appeal too. Maybe I should just eat my meals in the dark every night? Maybe I should eat blindfolded?

The storm did have other side effects, we were treated to a nice cool evening of 70 degrees! I took advantage of it and went on a two mile walk. My neighbor who just a year ago said “I don’t have the internet and I don’t need the internet” was in front of her house crying to us because the power was out, she could live without lights and TV but dang it, she wanted her internet! We will introduce her to the wonderful world of battery backup this weekend.

Things are about to get UGLY around here. I’m talking about the house, not me! This week I’m taking out the carpet from our living room, dining room and family room, I’m chiseling up the existing tile in the foyer, the foyer closet and the kitchen. I’m getting rid of that ugly linoleum in my bathroom. YES I’m doing this all by myself! Ken will help between work and my sister will help too but for the most part this is my part of this project. I’m putting hardwood floors…REAL hardwood floors, not laminate, in the family room, dining room and living room and I’m getting rid of that awful ceramic tile in the kitchen and foyer in exchange for something to compliment the wood.

I really think that removing this allergen collecting carpet will do a world of good for my allergy issues and the dust problem we have in this house. Even the dogs have been sneezing!

Yes it’s a huge project but it’s not beyond my scope of capabilities. We put wood floors in the loft area of our flat in the UK and we also tiled our kitchen and bathroom. Why am I telling you about my home improvement project? Because a year ago, there is no way I could have done this. A year ago if I were to get down on the floor, getting back up would have been a huge struggle. A year ago just the thought of physical labor left me exhausted. Yes it will be a lot of work and yes it will be physically demanding, even for a person who isn’t morbidly obese but you know what? I’m up for the challenge!

I may complain and whine about my lack of weight loss progress or how slow it is but if I’ve come this far physically in just one year, look out next year, here I come!!!

Saving a forest

Great news! For a limited time only and if I act within 30 days I can extend the warranty on my Land Rover! It’s true! I got the letter yesterday! The only thing is, I sold my Land Rover over three years ago!

Just last week Sears sent an offer to my Dad because he is a valued customer, it came to my address here in Florida. My Dad has never lived in Florida and he died 10 years ago! I’ve moved three or four times since he died yet his mail still managed to find me; I thought I’d be sneaky and move to another continent but his mail found its way to me in the UK! At least once a month I get something with his name on it. GEORGE IS DEAD! Stop sending him mail, let him rest in peace.

I got a catalog from Roman’s Woman’s clothes with a threatening message: “this could be your last catalog if you don’t order NOW!” That was four years and at least 30 catalogs ago and just last week they “warned” me again. I’ve gotta say, you people aren’t very good at breaking up, you don’t take rejection well! I flipped through one of your catalogs the other day and you’re still advertising the SAME CLOTHES you were advertising the last time I ordered from you back in 1995, good to know should I get invited to a 90’s theme party.

If all of this isn’t bad enough, Ms Sadie Maxwell has had more than one pre-approved credit card offers. Ms Sadie Maxwell? Hello??? Is anyone home??? SADIE AND MAXWELL ARE MY DOGS!! Should they use their microchip numbers in place of the social security number? They don’t need credit card offers because even in doggie years they are still teenagers!

At first getting mail for Dad was upsetting but now its just ridiculous. I’m convinced if I can stop the junk mail from coming to me for products I no longer own, my dogs and my Dad I can save a small forest from destruction.

I tried getting off the junk mail list but it took away the coupons I really did want, I’ve found it’s an all or nothing venture but I’m not sitting back quietly anymore. I’m going to use those little postage paid envelops they send and I’m going to send them LOVE LETTERS! Just the other day I sent VISA coupons for Domino's pizza and MASTER CARD Pizza Hut coupons. Apologies in advance to the person who opens the self addressed no postage necessary envelop that came with this offer, it contains a big note saying “I’m A DOG” with muddy paw prints all over it and a bit of their black fur plucked straight from their dog brush. I’m also going to let Romans Woman’s clothes know I’m breaking up with them for good and if they don’t stop stalking me I’m going to get a restraining order. Finally, I’m going to find the address for the cemetery where Dad is buried and tell those companies who want to sell him life insurance, health insurance, cowboy boots and home improvement exactly where they can find him!

Can you breathe easier now? I know I can, its all the extra oxygen in the atmosphere from the trees I just saved from destruction.

Looking up from the edge

Thank you your well wishes for Ken. He is feeling MUCH better! When he got home from work we talked about it:

Him: “you aren’t going to poison me tonight are you honey?”

Me: “never when you're expecting it honey”

So things are pretty much back to normal around here!

May was a delicate balancing act and brought about a lot of change around here, most of it for the good. I no longer feel like I’m clinging to the edge and teetering with uncertainty. I think the main thing is that I’ve shifted from looking down to looking up. A much needed change.

Over all I feel good, I feel back on track, I’m staying very busy between keeping up with the blogs, freelance work, exercise and the normal household stuff, I feel like I don’t have a minute to spare these days but its a good thing.

To keep on task, I’m using my day planner again to schedule exercise in my day because if it’s in the book then I MUST keep that appointment! I tend to get so involved in projects I’m working on that I only stop and realize that I’m hunched over this computer when:

1. Nature calls
2. Sadie and Max need attention or nature calls for them
3. The phone rings (rare)

I’ve started setting a timer for an hour so that every hour I’m forced to stop what I’m doing and stretch or see where I’m at in the day’s schedule. I do love working from home but I have to find the best balance for me. I must say that it’s easier to sit here and work now that Ken has gone back to work because when he was home all day it was too easy to just say “let’s go to the park” and let my work slide.

Sometimes I think I take on too much but I remember that my life has always been about moving at warp speed. I like to be busy and I very rarely slow down. I think that is part of my weight problem too, life is so fast and so instant and for so long, so was my food. I count that among the best changes I’ve made since starting this lifestyle. I know that I often write about lack of weight loss progress but really I do hear you when you remind me that I’ve come so far and I do know that you’re right. If not for trying, where would I be? Up to 450 pounds? Unable to leave the house? Worse? I'm so grateful that I've made the turn around and chose to live.

It’s difficult to step away from work at times and I often find myself working 7 days a week and longer hours than necessary. This is where using the day planner is going to help. I’ve been invited to a Garden Party on Thursday an excellent reminder that I need to schedule time to slow down, smell the roses and learn to be still. I need to find a way to do it daily, if only for 20 minutes. Hiking through the park was relaxing but its simply too humid to enjoy it. Some of you have tried the guided meditation CD, do you like it, does it work for you? Any other good meditation or relaxation tips?

Over all things are on track for getting back to normal around the house and I really think that will mean back maintaining that delicate balance that is my life.

Botox gone wrong, the male edition

Remember back in December when I had my scary day reaction courtesy of Publix GreenWise Sausage Links or veggie sausage? Last night it was Kens turn to have the Botox gone wrong face. I made marinated shrimp last night for dinner, something I’ve made dozens of times but it happened again and I’ve decided shrimp is now off our menu. Dinner was at 7pm and by 7:45 Ken had huge fish lips, tingling feet and hives. This has happened before when he has had shrimp chow mien from a local Asian restaurant but never from shrimp I have cooked at home before. They were frozen and I did all of the normal things, wash them, put them in marinade and prepare them as normal but he had a reaction. I no sooner gave him the Benadryl tablets when I started to itch and break out in hives too. UGH! Ken grew up eating a lot of seafood and never had a problem with shrimp until this past year. I can’t eat most fish because it makes me itch, now we can’t eat shrimp, what’s next? It looks like salmon is the only seafood left on our menu but I don’t plan on buying it in bulk for fear it will be next.

Making a note to stock up on Benadryl tablets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s now June and I typically report my weight for the month on the first Tuesday of the month however something happened in May and I’ve spent the past week trying to define it in some way.

May had just as many ups as downs and maybe the whole rollercoaster of it all was just a bit overwhelming. I’ve decided that May is beyond defining and that I’m just going to move forward into June and let it be a fresh start for me and for everyone who needs one!

The post with no title other than Monday

Happy Monday everyone! Another busy weekend here in paradise. I wonder if any of you have home remedies for sinus/allergy related headaches. I’m willing to try almost anything at this point. I can’t take regular medications for sinus pain because I’d end up very ill. I can take things like Claritin (but not Claritin D) and Zyrtec and I do take them however it’s just not doing enough. I’ve had this headache for nearly a month and enough already. It will feel better for a few days and then come back again. This isn’t a new problem. I have this problem every May but this year it seems to be worse. I know that we need a good rain to wash away all of the allergens but we’ve barely had any rain in a month and that is exacerbating my problem.

If you have any good home remedies for sinus pressure/pain, please let me know I’m willing to try almost anything. I say almost anything because when I mentioned the problem about a month ago I had an email suggesting a native American rain dance that involved dancing naked in my back yard around a fire…YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE and so do I, and no you can't stop by to observe, and if you do be sure to smile pretty for the surveillance cameras because they are everywhere, some you can't even see because we're crazy like that :-)

I know I need to keep pushing forward through the pain, I let myself backslide a bit this past month, that’s over! My healthy menu’s are planned for the week and I’m ready to make the most of this summer!

Summer Blog Party is in full swing and is off to a fabulous start!!

Don’t forget to head over to Super Health Kids to sign up for a chance to win a Healthy Habits kids plate! Her drawing is on Friday so don’t miss out! Have you signed up for one of the Summer Challenges yet? Lovebug’s walking challenge, Thinking Thin Too’s Biggest Loser Challenge and The Grumpy Chair, Why Drive When You Can Walk or Bike Challenge? These are great ways to not only get on track but STAY on track through the summer and beyond!

More details here and here

My only morning to sleep in....

5am: bark and whimper because we realllly have to potty

5:05: don’t mind if we sleep in the human bed with you do you?

5:06 to 5:40: grooming, hey don’t complain, there are cheap motels with machines you’d have to put a quarter into to get this much bed shaking and you're getting this for FREE

5:45: clinging to the edge of the bed while the bed hog dogs take up the rest of the bed

6:00: synchronized snoring provided by Ken and Sadie

6:58: finally drift off to sleep again

7:00: face licks and ear sniffs, is it breakfast time yet?

Just a friendly PSA

Dear women of the northern hemisphere,

Its summer time once again and I’d just like to give you a friendly reminder....GET A PEDICURE. Clean up your feet before you go out in open toed shoes or sandals. Pedeggs work wonders on that dead skin and that chipped polish from last summer…come on, clean it up already! I’m not saying you need to spend $50 on a spa pedicure, I’m just saying take 20 minutes tonight and pay attention to your feet.

• Remove that old nail polish
• Give your feet a soak for 10 minutes
  
• Clip and file your toe nails
• Get rid of that dead skin and moisturize!
• Give those tootsies a coat of fresh and bright polish!

See, wasn’t that easy! Have a nice summer,

Love,

Scale Junkie

No Reward At All...

Its been a crazy day! I woke up late, rushed out the door to my appointment and got there on time but had to wait an hour (insert annoyed look here)

After my appointment I was feeling stressed and wanted a bit of therapy. I thought about FOOD, what I could eat and how much I could eat but instead of turning to food, I turned to shopping. I found two new tops that were on sale and I headed into Staples, an office supply store, to pick up a few things I needed from there.

After making my selections I proceeded to the checkout and the older gentleman working asked me if I had one of their reward cards. Don't you hate that these stores expect us to carry around little cards just to get a discount? Just give me my discount already and lets get on with it.

He said "I can look it up by phone number" so I blurted out my phone number while still digging through the card section of my wallet.

"I'm sorry, I can't find that number in our system" he said

"Thats ok, I've found my card" I said as I handed him my card

"Oh, we're going to have to get you a new card" he said.

"I haven't used it in a while, I didn't realize you'd changed them"

"Oh its not that" he said, "its just that this is Office Depot, and your reward card is for Staples"

"Oh so it is" I said, looking around and feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Would you like to fill out a form for one of our reward cards?" he said

"No thanks, I really have a lot to do and my day just got busier, clearly I need to stop at the store and find the appropriate shade of 'dumb blonde' to dye my hair because stuff like this only happens in 'dumb blonde' jokes"

No more plastic bottles

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope that everyone in the States had a safe holiday weekend and avoided the tornadoes that hit so many parts of the country during the past week. Scary stuff!

That being said, hurricane season nearly here and we’ve started to make our preparations just in case. Preparations include, buying less frozen foods in bulk because if the power goes off, everything in the refrigerator goes to waste. Stock up on ready to eat canned goods and bottled water.

I really struggled with buying the cases of water. If there is a hurricane coming and you wait too long the stores are crazy busy and most of the time sold out of bottled water. On the other hand, if we have no hurricanes I’ve just bought more plastic bottles. I’ve really been making an effort to lessen my footprint on the earth and that includes my use of bottled water. I bought an Ez-Freeze 32 ounce bottle that has a removable freezer stick, I’ve been taking this with me when I need water to go and between the freezer stick and the ice I add, it stays cold a lot longer than bottled water anyhow and it’s reusable. The company lists locations worldwide, I bought this one at CVS. I just love it.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this year so far. I feel like I haven’t made as much weight loss progress as I’d like. My level of dedication has been less than stellar for a few weeks now due to medical reasons however I feel I’m capable of more; I feel I’m capable of doing better. Now more than ever I need your continued support. I’m hoping all the challenges I’ve set forth for myself this summer keep the fires of motivation burning strong and away from the edge of burnout. It really is a delicate balance but I have a feeling it’s going to be a great summer!