April Fool

I got nothing... so no jokes here...
But how about an April 1st list?
1. We did have a failed April Fool joke at work. The entire office knew, but one person, and we were all SO excited. At zero hour, we were all hanging out near the intended recipient... and then BUSTED... It would have been awesome! Dang. (I promise it wasn't mean at all)
2. That Man's mom was moved to a rehab type facility. It's the best move and we're so happy even though she's still in a lot of pain. The staff is awesome and attentive and there's a calm, friendly vibe there. I'm sure they're going to take great care of her. Heck, they already were and she had just been transferred.
3. I love my day job friends. We all fit together so well. Today was "reveal" day - where the list of the previous months "error rate" is posted. (In my old job, the "problem log" was a horrible, horrible thing. This is not.) We're all working together to get the lowest rates possible, and it's awesome to see someone that had a rough couple of months finally make it into the "zone". There is no animosity or ugliness. Just support and congratulations. And then there are the random Facebook comments that never fail to crack me up!
4. We were told to get out of the house so K4 could take care of her April Fool joke as we were leaving to see That Man's mom... So far... nothing... She doesn't have access to my computer this year, and obviously, her joke wasn't to clean the house or do laundry or anything like that. HA! We'll see... Our bedroom light was on as we pulled in, but I haven't braved it yet...
5. I didn't play the joke I wanted to play today... We had a mice problem at work over Christmas. Turds everywhere, missing food. I wanted to get some chocolate jimmies and go to each desk and tell them the mice were back because look at the turds I found on my desk, then eat the jimmies, but I didn't. Because I'm lame...
6. I miss April Fool with a houseful of crazy kids. Last year was Nic Cage, There has been a lot of things that never made it on here and a lot of things that have, but weren't April Fool's related. I guess I just miss the chaos. And I miss being home and being in the thick of it.
7. 42 days until Retreat! It's a weird year this year with a lot of regular attendees with other writing-related commitments. It's a small group. We'll be cozy, but we'll have fun! I had to take a single room for the first time since we booked this facility. It sucked financially, and I'll miss my roomie, but I'm kind of excited about having my own room.
8. I miss blogging everyday! I know no one reads this anyway, but I love this blog. It's not a funny blog (or even slightly) anymore, but since I'm not home all day it's no wonder...
9. I'm taking a short writing break while I figure out titles and what I'm working on next. I hope to be back in the game by Saturday. That's my plan. We're concentrating on writing at the meeting Saturday...
10. This is ten. For no reason except I needed a ten... Ha!
That is all... We're gearing up for Easter, which will be awesome!
Behave!

I'm Always at a Week...

In between posts...
Let's see...
The rest of last week was normal - chaos. Working quite a bit of ot, editing, kid stuff...
The weekend - well... That Man's mom went into the hospital Friday. Severe bladder infection that affected her kidneys and blood. She's still there. Her pain level was through the roof all weekend. She couldn't move, eat, or most of the time even talk coherently and she couldn't stand to be touched. We were beyond worried. That Man's sister was out of town, so it was just us to handle it all.
She was finally able to sit up today, which is a relief, but she has a long road of strengthening ahead of her. This infection has really kicked the crap out of her. And still is - she has several more days in the hospital with antibiotics and physical therapy before they move her to rehab. But her being able to sit up is like prize winning!
I will tell you that going to that hospital to see her is really really hard. It brings back a lot of memories I don't want to relive. I'm doing what I have to do, and coping the best I can. Because what else am I going to do?
What else...
Elsa has gone into her "doggy cycle". No, she's not fixed yet. She was supposed to be by now, but when the kitty boys started peeing on everything, they had to go first. (Thankfully, fixing them stopped all of that - as we'd hoped) But this dog... OY... all she does is drip.. Yeah, you didn't need to know that. But it's gross and she's confused as to why she can't be on the couch or sleep in K4's bed right now. Poor thing. I feel bad for her and I do not want to go through this again. Yikes.
This weekend is Easter. We have predictably fun plans with family. It's also my writing meeting on Saturday, which is always good.
I'm afraid to guess what else will go on this weekend.
The other thing...The book I've been working on has to be trashed. It has to be completely rewritten, which breaks my heart and soul, but I can't send crap out there. I know it's the right thing to do, but it kills me. So I'm in the middle of a creative thinking process - thinking up new titles for my summer release and waiting for edits on that, and getting my head on straight, thinking...
Today was my one year anniversary at the day job. We had snacks. I won't get my review until next week, because the bigwigs are out this week. I still love my job a lot. It breaks me most days, but I think most people face that.
And I'm still trying to make it all work - fit everything in - feel like I'm being a good mom, good wife, parenting enough, grandparenting enough, writing enough, being a good daughter and sibling, cleaning enough, sleeping enough, eating right and exercising enough, I don't think I'm alone, but it's still daunting...
Cloning machine? I could use one!
Ha!
Behave!

Gearing Up For Monday

Again!
I'm really okay with it! I do very much enjoy my new job, but I'm still so tired! I even took a nap today!
It's been a pretty productive Sunday around here! I finished our taxes...all that's left is the check writing! UGH!!!
I paid bills, too. Also UGH!
We're in blast mode in my writing group, so I hosted a blast this morning and met my daily word goal. I missed the second blast due to kids needing my laptop for homework...
Laundry is done. The house is semi-decent.
I made taco soup for dinner.
That Man and I hit the gym. (Our set up in the basement)
And played the puppy out.
But...
I didn't get everything on my to do list done... dang! Though I did try! It was really nice to just relax at home for a change! I didn't even change out of my Jammies! Also we went from the stomach flu to the cold flu... K3 had the stomach flu and K4 has the cold... Erg! I really hope I get neither!!
I know. Lame post!
Behave!

Today's Stuff...

Today was pretty awesome!
There was an author event at one of our local greenhouses / farm stores today with many members from my local writing chapter, and another author (unfortunately I didn't get to talk to her much, though I wanted to!.). We had a blast! It was so busy! Lot's of folks coming through! My release buddy and I maned the door for a while. I had chocolate, and some swag to give away. I did come home with way less chocolate and swag than I left with. I got to talk to a whole bunch of awesome people. I got to show off my grandson and introduce my family to my writing friends. That was awesome! It was so much fun!
A lot of my friends and chapter mates came out to see us! That was awesome! And they brought friends, which was also awesome! I met so many great people today, including my mother-in-law's neighbor, which is truly hysterical... her daughter is Vicky - married to Bob. I am Vicki - married to Bob. Vicky and Bob have four kids. Vicki (me) and Bob have four kids. We're friends. It's awesome! Our mothers live next door to each other! Also, one of my very bestest friends ever brought me flowers. It was so very awesome! I was so surprised and touched that she made the time to come and see me! She's always supported me, even if she doesn't really read what I write! I find that so awesome and I love her! (I also love the fact that her husband and my husband were shoveling, wait...  hacking ice today...)
I had to leave early though!(and I missed the after signing lunch craziness!! Dang!) Today is my baby sister's milestone birthday!! Her mother-in-law planned this awesome tea party lunch. It was so cool! From the special dishes to the fantastic teas to the phenomenal food - we had such a good time. (The place even had that "poo-pourri spray" in the bathroom. If you  haven't seen it, google it, and don't close your screen because what looks like an annoying commercial is really the ad for the product and is so very funny!) None of us "really" tried it, (as far as anyone would admit! LOL) though we all sprayed it just to see what it was all about! LOL! We had soup, salad, sandwiches, cookies, cupcakes, three different kinds of awesome tea! I am not normally a tea drinker, but... Man, that was awesome!! And the scones! Oy! I need to learn how to make those!!
I came home to a clean house - dishes done, laundry almost done, parking spaces shoveled...  :) A very good thing. I also came home to a very tired puppy. There's only one teenager in my house tonight and he's already in bed, which means that man and I are... alone? Or kind of?
I think it's time for an adult beverage...
Okay. I'm leaving now...
Behave!!

Weird Wednesday...

Okay, I swear I posted a few times over the past week... I have no idea what happened to those posts. I mean, I even looked at them on my blog! Where could they have gone? And why would they disappear? I guess I will investigating that as soon as I catch up with myself...
Here's my week:
Monday:
Early morning helping with the funeral of our dear friend's mother. From there, I rushed to receive 300 pies (really, 294, but what's 6 when you're dealing with those numbers?). K2 helped me sort and label the orders, then I waited for the scouts to pick them up. All alone in an over 200 year old church. By myself. It was creepy. I kept hearing footsteps like they were coming up behind me, but no one was ever there. I finally stopped looking behind me and turned the music up. That Man finally showed up with sustenance and company. Home late and then collapsed.
Tuesday:
We had a tiny bit of snow here. Enough to make me excited, but then it started raining and didn't stop until sometime overnight. I braved the grocery store. That was nine kinds of stress. Everyone and their brother had carts piled high and a crazed look in their eyes. Snow & Thanksgiving! Must shop and buy extra bread, milk, and toilet paper! (It's always interesting in my neck of the woods when snow is in the forecast!) Hung out with my grandson and daughter-in-law pretty much all day. Had to pick up a sick K4 at school. Tried to catch up on Supernatural. Stayed up way, way too late.
Wednesday: (That's today!)
Slept in, but really not considering the ridiculous time I went to bed. (A nap is in my immediate future) Began the cooking prep - bread cut for stuffing, pie ingredients organized (Yes, I am making pumpkin pies even after all of the pies I sorted on Monday. I like to make them!) Laundry. And now it's now...
Nap time!
Behave!

Brutal...

The past day and a half have been absolutely brutal.
I have been with my sister in grief. I have held her as she sobbed. More times than can be counted. I have watched her cry with those that feel his loss. I have seen the grief and heard the words that come with losing someone so young and so incredible. I have learned things about him I hadn't had the chance to learn yet. I have felt at a loss to help.
I have felt the loss of a great man.
Also...
I have almost pulled hair out.
I have almost slammed a face into a counter.
I have almost punched someone.
A bunch of times.
And multiple someones.
I have lost sleep over a woman who is so heartless she doesn't deserve this sentence.
I have bothered a funeral director to the point where he may or may not have walked away from me at one point. (I followed.)
I have been outspoken, but not loud or obnoxious.
I have been told to cool my jets.
I have also been told my bail, should I need it, would be covered.
Yes. It was that bad. Brutal.
All of this as my sister mourns her best friend, her soul mate, the person who successfully saved her from herself, and the love of her life. (All things she was to him. Without doubt and verified many times over the past day and a half)
I played it cool. I didn't start anything. I kept my mouth shut and my fists of fury in my pocket. My sister didn't want me to make a scene. My husband was the voice of reason. My dad told me to cool it. The funeral direction said he had the cops on speed dial. My uncle said he'd post my bail. (see that conflict?)
We stood together as a family - my parents, my sisters, my brother, my sister-in-law, my daughter and son-in-law, my nieces, my uncle, my sister's friends, my nephew, my niece-in-law.  (and my son and daughter-in-law who tried so hard, but couldn't be there, but were there for discussion and venting.) We constantly reminded each other that everyone knew the truth of the situation. We saw it. Everyone saw it. We witnessed people proving they also knew the truth.
But, yet, it was brutal.
From the "party scene" mentality going on in front the open casket, to the complete and total lack of respect shown to anyone who wished to express their grief. The wake was more solemn and quiet that the services.
In the end though, it's about my sister and having to make a new life without her soul mate. It's about being with her and here for her as she struggles through what comes next. It's not going to be easy.
And today we learned of another passing - the mother of a dear friend. It wasn't unexpected, but that doesn't make it any easier.
Cancer sucks.
Behave!

Opening Night...

Tonight is opening night for K3's play.
He's ready and so excited. I'm excited too. I can't wait to see my baby boy in action.
Rehearsal has been brutal - every night, with set days on Saturdays. Last night was the earliest he's been home in about two weeks.
I've heard it's awesome. K2 & J had to go a few nights ago to watch rehearsal since they're unable to go on any show nights. All she would tell us is that it's fantastic. K3 said the preview they did for the high school got lots of laughs and applause.
***
The job search is not going too well. I've applied / sent my resume to a ton of places. The only response I've received was for a scam company. I was very excited to get a phone call for an interview. When I googled the address, I found a site with 8 pages of former employee / former applicant complaints. Needless to say, I emailed them to decline the interview and advise them I did not wish to reschedule. Sigh.
***
This weekend is going to be crazy! Tomorrow evening we'll have company for dinner before the play. Saturday, K1, J, & Baby B are moving into their new apartment. Then we have the show again Saturday night. Sunday is packed full of obligations - taking most of us in different directions. Yikes!
That is all!
Behave!

Finding My Happy Place...

I am.
It's been a really slow process, but I'm getting there. The Happy Place is coming. I can feel it. Some of the stress of the former day job is abating - I think it's very telling that it's taking so long to leave. What I miss the most is my co-workers. And the paycheck. But that's pretty much it.
So... I move on.
I will be spending a lot of time looking for gainful employment. I don't have a choice. But in the meantime, I will focus on my family, and me. I will enjoy this time. I will shake off the depression and the worries and I will do my thing.
And I will rock it.
Behave!

Thursday Tidbits...

Come on, Friday!!
We really need you around this place! We have big plans for the weekend (big plans which will be totally screwed up by this constant rain!), but we're not giving up yet! But let's move on to the tidbits....

Writing:
It's going really well. I'm making progress and loving the new story. Loving the edits I'm currently doing, too, but that's not for the new story.

Home:
Today, K3 met his sister at the bus stop to have a discussion with K4's nemesis. This kid has bugged her since kindergarten, but lately, he's been really rude and offensive on the bus. K3 knows the kid. So they had a "conversation" today. I don't know everything that was said, except that K3 told him if he didn't stop, there would be consequences. The kid said he didn't mean to be offensive (ha ha). We'll see what happens next.
I love, love, love that K3 stood up for his sister like he did. I love that she went to him with the problem. (No one told me anything until after! Of course!) I'm proud of both of them and we left the situation that if there's further issues, That Man and I will be involved. Sometimes, it's really better if the kids handle things themselves. There is nothing more awesome than siblings as a united force.

Day Job:
(I need a nickname for the day job.)
Still harrowing. Crazy week.

Grandkids:
Baby B is pulling himself up now. I love that he gets a huge smile on his face when he sees me! He's so adorable!
K5 is so smart and funny! She starts dance classes in the fall and asks me constantly if I'm going to come and see her dance!

More Kid Stuff:
K1 is having major vehicle issues. Major - like the transmission is broken. It sucks.
K2 is loving being married! Those two are so stinking cute together! I was showing off wedding pictures tonight and I'm still amazed at how awesome the day was.

That is all! It's late and I have crap to do!
Behave!

I Know...

I totally cheated on Feel Good Friday...
There's been a lot going on around here. Most of it I'm not inclined to post about at this time, but suffice it to say there was a situation That Man and I had to help with. It was hard and weird (not because of who was involved, but other people who shall not be named) and we did the best we could, and I am so thankful it worked out.
After having unexpected guests for over two weeks, we're back to just the four of us. It's a little weird.
Tonight all of the kids were here for dinner. K1, J, and Baby B, K2 & J (weird that both of my older kids have spouses whose names begin with J?), K3, & K4 (obviously because they still live here). It was pretty impromptu and the first time we'd been able to get together with the newlyweds since the wedding in a relaxed setting. (As relaxed as it gets in this house) We had a nice dinner, laughed, talked, and hung out. It was good.
So anyway...
Our weekend after Friday included a baby shower / cookout where I only knew three people. Kind of awkward, but I managed well. That Man always manages because he's not as introverted as I am. (Cookout and baby shower were for the same people, but in two different locations). We came home to a clean house (I know, right?), and silly kids. That Man crashed early, so the kids and I watched the new Evil Dead movie.
It was okay. I did like it, but I had so many questions that weren't answered. I wanted to know why and how and what happened.
Went to bed too late and didn't sleep in as long as I'd wanted.
Sunday was a gathering for my dad's birthday. It was very good. My parent's patio and back yard is gorgeous. They worked hard on it all summer to get it ready for wedding company. After that, we dropped That Man off at home and I took the kids shopping for school clothes. (We're a little late, but they had what they needed to start.) Spent way too much money, but they got a lot of what they needed and are very happy. Finally got home to a very good dinner That Man made and writing time.
And that's where the weekend ended...
Today is Monday. None of us were ready for it. But now, Monday is nearly over.
That is all for now...
Behave!!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Back to the day job tomorrow! Ugh! I don't wanna!
The sleeping in was fantastic, even though I didn't get to sleep in today. The reason was good - we kept our grandson while K1 & J worked - and man, I'd forgotten how much work is involved in taking care of a 5 month old. I'm tired!
Yesterday was spent fixing our fence, painting the picnic table, car maintenance, and working on wedding stuff. We didn't get very far with the wedding stuff, but we at least have a plan, and most of what we need to get started. Time is really ticking by pretty fast. Luckily, the big job is one that doesn't require more than Bob and I do finish, and the other job is the flowers, which is my job and one I look forward to (once I figure out what she wants).
Food - I made the family's favorite Sweet and Sour chicken with mushroom fried rice for dinner last night. Tonight was fish taco's.
Writing - I got a little bit done last night. Am heading there next and hope to make some good word count tonight.
The upcoming week - meetings, K3's rehearsal, K5's birthday, my sister's birthday, appointments, paperwork for the art's school, withdrawing K3 from high school. Fun, but busy stuff.
That is all...
Behave!

Date Night!

*This was supposed to post Saturday night. I don't know why it didn't. I swear I checked and it was there...
Or date day!
I woke to the smell of coffee, followed by breakfast in bed - complete with the coffee and flowers! That Man said it was the beginning of our date.
It was a good beginning.
We talked over several more cups of coffee, and made more flowers for the bridal shower (these flowers are going to kill me, I swear! But they're so pretty and easy to make - unless you have to make a million of them...Oy!) He had plans to do yard work while I went to my writing meeting.
I skipped lunch after the meeting. I wanted to go, but we're totally under the gun with upcoming events and upcoming visitors (we have a month until That Man's brother arrives and the bridal shower - shhh!!). Plus, it was date night!
There was a massive amount of yard work already done when I got home. I helped, but not too much since I had to make flowers, and at this moment in time, I have only one pair of jeans and didn't want to get them dirty before our date.
We dropped the only kid home off at a friends for the night and went to a local steakhouse to use our gift certificate. The service was phenomenal, the food was pretty good, too, and so were my margaritas. We laughed, talked, and had a real chance to just "be" together. After dinner we did some normal errand running - craft store for supplies, grocery store. Then home to sit around the fire with our adult beverages. Alone.
It was a very nice date!
Behave!

Well, Shoot!

It's been a long time (2 weeks or so! Yikes!) Sorry about that! Not that anyone is actually here anymore!!
Let me sum up...
1. Crazy vehicle issues, including bringing my beloved 'burban home to die. She's old and she has a lot of miles on her. She's in hospice care now. Our mechanic says he doesn't believe she'll make it through another inspection. :( I don't want a car payment yet!!!
2. Retreat planning! I love it and I cannot wait!!
3. Wedding planning! Were getting there. I also cannot wait!!
4. Shower planning! Oy!
5. Grandchildren! They are both so danged cute!
6. The day job -  Oy! We're down two and it's chaos!!
7. Children - Some are doing good. Some are not. It's tough being a parent sometimes....
8. Sleep - or lack of it.
9. That Man and the stuff he does!
10. Managing the writing, most of the time, through the chaos! Balance doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's beautiful!
That is all...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday I Suck Edition!

Man! I do suck. No posts since Monday? I don't blame you if you're not stopping by anymore!
If you still are, my apologies! This week was one of those weeks. You know the kind I mean... the week you hope to never have again, but know you will. But a new week is upon us, so let's focus on the good stuff!
1. Making it to Friday.
2. A nice adult beverage when I finally got home.
3. Beautiful sparkly snow, even if I had to shovel.
4. The snow changed our plans, we had movie & pizza night instead.
5. Sleeping in this morning. And sleeping in tomorrow morning.
6. Baby B. He's growing so fast - still teeny tiny, but filling out and staying awake for longer stretches.
7. K5 time on the horizon.
8. Shopping day with my girl. Window shopping, candle smelling, haircut (for her), random stops for iced coffee and french fries, grocery shopping (not so fun, but we're trying some new recipes, so it was kind of exciting!), dinner out, frozen yogurt, more movies.
9. Talking plot ideas with her. I love that her brain works the same way mine does. I had an idea earlier and she right away gave me a great title. Once I get farther into this, I'll see what brainstorming is like with her.
10. Writing time! And no, I'm not abandoning my current project. I'm in need of a short break to refocus.  It happens, especially when there's a lot of outside stress going on.
Tomorrow consists of a first thing trip to the grocery store to obtain missing items before the cooking begins. We made homemade coffee creamer already. I can't wait to try it though I'm afraid it's going to be too sweet since I used coconut almond milk instead of regular milk. I might have to tweak it some, but we'll see. I'm going to try making breakfast burritos for the week. We'll see how that works out. Then, preparing myself for another week... Oy!
Okay. Going back to the work-in-progress.
Behave!

Detox...

This past week, That Man and I decided to jumpstart getting back on track with our healthy eating program by doing a week long detox. We'd both put on a few pounds - thanks to the wedding and simple not watching what we eat. I'm still not where I want to be yet, so I was ready...
Here's how it went:
Wednesday: Day 1: Fruit all day. It was recommended to eat watermelon and cantaloupe to maximize potential flushing. Black coffee was okay on this program, so I coffee'd it up in the morning. I did okay during the day - ate half a cantaloupe and over a quarter of a big watermelon. Drank a ton of water - which I do anyway. Got home looking forward to the rest of my melons only to find the house full of all children, including the newly married ones. All over for dinner - which turned out to be frozen pizza, and they'd helped themselves to my dinner, leaving That Man and I almost none. I was cranky, tired, had an enormous headache, and was starving. Truthfully, I caved and had one minuscule bit of pizza (not even a half of a quarter small slice) and I felt very guilty. I managed to pull myself together, eat some mandarin oranges, and went to bed far earlier than normal.
Thursday: Day 2: Veges all day. Down 3 pounds. Yay! Woke up sore, tired, cranky, and still with the enormous headache. The program called for a baked potato with a pat of butter for breakfast. A baked potato never tasted so good. Then, carrots, snow peas, more carrots. Did okay during the day. Came home starved, but not as bad as day one. Sucky vege stir fry for dinner (cooked with no oil and one too many hot peppers). I choked it down, trying to concentrate on other things so I didn't notice. Didn't cheat at all today. Hurting though. Went to bed far earlier than normal.
Friday: Day 3: Fruit and Veges all day. Down 2.2 more pounds. Yay! Woke up tired, headachey, not as cranky. A few cups of coffee and I was feeling more energetic than I had since forever. Braindead, though. Hyper - the coffee probably had something to do with that. Made the recommended soup the program calls for and ate like crazy. We did "fall off the wagon" so to speak and had a few adult beverages in the evening. To bed hours earlier than my usual Friday night.
Saturday: Day 4: Bananas and milk. Down .4 more pounds. Okay! Woke up excited for bananas after sleeping in. A banana, and a glass of coconut almond milk for breakfast. (The plan called for up to 8 bananas and 3 glasses of milk) Had no coffee. Should have. Shaky. Managed to do everything I had to, including nap. Ate the soup for lunch. Tried to eat it for dinner, but couldn't do it. Choked down 6 bananas and all of the milk. Bananas suck. So does the soup, but not really craving anything else. Made an awesome meatloaf and put it in the crockpot overnight. To bed early again.
Sunday: Day 5: Meat and 6 tomatoes. Gain of 1.4 pounds. Pissed about weight gain like you would not believe. I mean, I barely ate Saturday. Slept in, woke up excited about meat. Ate meatloaf for breakfast and two tomatoes. Stomach full, but feel like something is missing. Supposed to drink extra water, but it's hard to get in. Urine was supposed to be clear today. That didn't happen until late. More meatloaf for lunch and dinner. Tomatoes all day. To bed early again.Hurting, headache, but not as bad.
Monday: Day 6: Beef and veges: As much beef and veges as you want. Loss of .2 pounds from last weigh in where I lost. Still pissed and ready to quit, but don't. 2 cups of coffee. Tons of water. Carrots for breakfast. Leftover meatloaf for lunch. Pot roast with veges for dinner - didn't eat much. Stayed up later. Weird night sleeping.
Tuesday: Day 7: Last Day! Meat, fruit juice, brown rice, and veges. Loss of 2 pounds from Tuesday. Glad it's the last day and proud of myself for making it through. Feeling good - inside and out. No headaches, no aches and pains. I have energy and my jeans fit much better. Oj for breakfast, the rest of the soup on top of brown rice for lunch - only choked down half of that. Oj and carrots for a snack. Fish, coucous, and zuchini (is that spelled right?) for dinner. Coucous isn't brown rice, but it's a whole grain. To bed at our usual pre-detox time.
Today - First day off - Showed a gain this morning, but have chalked it up to the excess of sodium yesterday. The coucous had more than we should have had (didn't think about that until later) and we had a snack of green olives later. Celebratory dinner tonight of awesome sandwiches, low fat chips, and I had my first diet soda since last Tuesday. I feel like I could vomit, but I'm happy. (I don't think I will weigh myself tomorrow)
In all I lost 7.6 pounds. I feel good. I'm back on track for my goal, have lost all of the weight I gained from the wedding insanity and a little extra. My goal is reachable and I am prepared to tackled it and maintain the healthy eating  I remembered how to do this past week.
Most of the women in my office are now on this plan. They've just finished day two and the mood is mixed. Two of the women are doing well, though one has cheated several times already (she's still losing though). One is struggling because she can't eat certain things the plan calls for and she's frustrated.Another woman is pregnant and is following along with the additions of protein and logical choices for her baby. I plan to stay on it with them during the rest of the week in solidarity. And we planned our next office potluck today, which helped the general mood - that and the gift card the new downstairs tenants gave us for the total disruption of our parking spaces.
So there you have it. Questions?
Behave!

Bugs and Stuff...

Last night we were at the grocery store - late. As I was leaving to meet that man at the car, there was a group of guys standing around an empty shopping cart looking at something. Of course, being the nosy person I am, I had to stop and look. And take a couple of pictures.
See that huge Praying Mantis?
Very cool!! I hadn't seen one all year!
******
In other news... wedding planning is... Well... It's exciting. For both weddings. The one that's only 2.5 weeks away is a little stressful. There's a lot to do and very little time and money to work with. We had another wedding meeting tonight and made some major progress. I had a little too much coffee (but it was so good!) and forgot my trusty notebook, but we're in good shape.
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My new grandbaby is growing. In less than 2 weeks, I'll know if I'll have another granddaughter or a first grandson.
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The new wip - It's coming. I'm thinking. And I'm very excited!
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That is all!
Behave!

Back From the Beach...

Sorry for the long radio silence...
I've been at the beach... soaking up the sun (a little too much sun), having fun with that man and those children (some of them)... It wasn't our regular trip to the Outer Banks, but my close second choice. Also, it wasn't just our family, but a scout trip - but since some of the scout families are like family...
Things I learned at the beach:
1. I can go nearly 5 whole days without Internet, my iPhone, and laptop. A good lesson for me. I feel pretty danged free and without worry that my phone or laptop would get broken or sand/water damaged. In fact, my crappy temporary cell ended up locked in the truck the entire time we were there because I did not care.
2. The ocean and cell phones do not mix. Ask K3. He forgot to take his cell out of his pocket and is in the process of ordering a new one.
3. Spray sunscreen sucks. I am sun burnt. So is that man. He has stripes on his back and I have burn in weird places...
4. Horse Flies are the devil.
5. Porta Johns suck. (I knew this from last year)
6. My future daughter-in-law is a trooper. 5 months pregnant and her first time sleeping in a tent for more than a night. It was her first "real" camping trip and she did wonderfully and without K1. We had a blast!
7. That man with a fishing pole at the beach equals a real smile. (I already knew this, but it was good to see) And I have not seen one of those smiles in quite a while.
8. Also, even though I already knew that man is awesome... He willingly dealt with the chaos of picking up my iPhone on the way home.
9. Sometimes you have to make 65 million trips to the closest pharmacy because they have the best tea in the world on sale.
10. Laughter really is the best medicine.
It was a good trip. But I am glad to be home. I missed home. I am not looking forward to Monday morning though...
Behave!

Feel Good Friday...

Thank you, Friday!

It's been a long (short) week around here!

The list:

1. Shaving my head. Because my s-i-l has lost her hair now - before her second chemo appt!! It's all good and I will be bald, too. Soon. My hair is very long and will make great wigs for other breast cancer victims. (pictures when the deed is done! Soon!) (btw... Breast cancer sucks!!!)

2. Having my mammogram and it came back fine. (Get yours!) (And btw... breast cancer sucks!)

3. Oh God! Thank you, Friday! This week was longer than a regular week, even though it was short!

4. Writing meeting tomorrow! Yay! 

5. Getting some words on the page this week! Zombies.... or something like it...

6. School is out in 3 days! 

7. My God, it's June! WTF?

8. Summer is here!

9. That man and I having a "few minutes" of time alone tonight - weird as it is....and not as long as it should have been.

10. The thunderstorms. There should have been more though...

11. Sleeping in a few tomorrow!

Behave!

Sunday Morning

These weekends go far too fast!
Yesterday was a blast the whole way around.
Writers meeting, with a great speaker, then lunch.
While I was waiting for a friend to pick me up for girls night in, I caught up on laundry - which was not a blast, but a necessary task. But yay! It's done!
Then to the mountain for girls night with my sisters and mom. We had a blast! Laughed, talked, cried a little, learned more about my s-i-l's breast cancer, ate, drank, started watching a movie, but turned it off because we wouldn't shut up... Bedtime didn't roll around until 3am. We only saw the supermoon once before the clouds covered it.
And, of course, sleeping late was a necessity this morning. Now we're trying to get moving on today. The bff is hosting a surprise anniversary party for her parents (I can safely post that here, because I know they don't read this). My family will be arriving shortly from their weekend in the woods (if they can manage to get my brother's truck started). There's food to prepare, wine bottles to clean up, and festive things to do.
This is definitely one of those weekends where having an extra day would be a bonus. Wait. Every weekend should be like that.
That is all for now!
Behave!

Time Warp?

Not The Time Warp. But I feel like I'm in a time warp. The days are going so fast. Too fast. It's Tuesday already. And almost the middle of April! I mean, really!
What have I been doing since my last post?
Well, we had Easter at my sisters. It was a blast. We ate way too much, laughed a lot, and I got the bright idea to hike to the top of the cliff. I was halfway up when I realized I was not the smartest tool in the shed. Everyone was watching, so I had to continue or look like a fool. I made it, and I'm glad I did. The view was gorgeous. No pictures because I was worried I'd drop my phone, so you'll have to trust me. We watched old home videos from when K3 and S were not quite one - holy cow! All in all, it was a very good day.
Then it was Monday...
And we all know how much Monday sucks, so I don't have too much to say about that. Except I did make a little progress on my revisions, had a nice walk with the man, and caught up on a bunch of stuff that's been hanging over my head. (So maybe not all sucky)
Today was less sucky, with more accomplishments. Laundry done (kind of), fantastic dinner made by me - shrimp tacos with mango salsa. Yum! (Though next time there will be more garlic, less taco seasoning (or no taco seasoning), and a little less hot pepper) Major pages of revisions completed. No walk, which makes me feel both sad and fat. A good conversation with K4, and silly, silly kids. (Though we will be having a reminder discussion about how when I am writing they can't bug me unless there's blood and/or fire, because gah! Really?) Oh, and I got to talk to my granddaughter on the phone while K2 watched her. She was so excited to talk to me and her Pappy and oh man, I love that kid!
And tomorrow is Wednesday. We'll see what Wednesday brings...
Behave!