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our first baby Benjamin James 11 lbs 7 oz Born: 12/15 |
| carrieann on twitter |
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oh boy am i ever :) i had the best christmas this year... joe went to town on my gifts. way more than i anticipated. i told him next year i'm imposing a spending limit! i thought i was doing pretty good with the gifts i got him (a civil war dvd set that he really wanted, and a wireless xbox controller so he doesn't have to sit nose to nose with the tv)... but then he bombarded me and put my gifts to shame! he bought a really nice step stool (being 5'1 is not fun when you have high shelves in the kitchen), some car fresheners, the west side story dvd (he remembered that it was my favorite movie of all time), an fm transmitter for my ipod (for our road trip this weekend), a pizza cutter (we needed one when i made the artichoke pizza bites, and realized we didn't have one), and DIAMOND EARRINGS. i almost fell over. they're gorgeous! what a fantastic christmas! he claims he really loves his gifts and that i did great... and i would have had one more gift for him, but i really couldn't find any he'd like (coffee mugs for his mochas). but despite feeling bad that i didn't match up to his gift giving... i really LOVE the things he picked out. everything was so thoughtful, and he really paid attention to what i needed/wanted. the earrings are a bonus... they are a half carat, and he was worried they weren't big enough. hahaha... i reminded him that i'm a small person, and that these were plenty. they are perfect!!
we also went out to the gym last night, and i signed up, and got the official tour of the place. holy cow, this place is AWESOME. i've never been so excited to work out before! i get a free session with a personal trainer, to get me started on my program, and they even have a separate "personal training room", where you can work one on one with someone privately. they also bring you to the main circuit training/free weight room, and show you how to do everything correctly. so starting next week i can go! the running room is fantastic... and there is also a "running corridor" where each treadmill has it's own plasma screen, that you can control the tv channels for. it's down the main hallway though... and apparently those are usually full when you get there. but they have a sign up board, so if it's full when you arrive, you can sign out a time up to two hours in advance. they also have yoga and pilates classes, as well as cardio kickboxing and street defense classes :) woohoo! i'm really looking forward to getting in some of those! then in the locker rooms... the showers all have soap/shampoo/conditioner, as well as a huge closet full of fresh clean towels (so you don't have to bring one). they also have a sauna, a dry heat room, and a huge hot tub to relax in... and they are seperate for the men and ladies. AND they also have on-staff masseuses, so that you can get a massage while you are there, AND tanning beds :) if i don't look super buff by summer, it definitely won't be because the gym sucks :) if i'm also interested in learning something new, they have a HUGE rock climbing wall, and an instructor on staff to show you how to use it (included with your membership). then they organize trips (at an extra cost) to do real-world rock climbing in the surrounding areas. they also have a huge basketball court, and a few squash courts, if i'm interested in either of those :) and to top it off, i won't use it, but i know friends of mine that would appreciate this: free babysitting :) so you come, drop your kid off, and you can even tune into a channel on the cardio machines, to check on your kid while you work out. WOW. and... it's three blocks away. it took all of ten minutes to walk there last night to sign up. man... can you tell i'm excited?? :)
ok, so i'm off to a good start in the new year. :) we leave tonight for new york... joe was going to surprise me on new year's eve with the earrings, but got too excited. i saw the jewelry bag and the little box... and I must have had a funny look on my face, since joe had to comment "no, it's not THAT present" :) but he did say they had to be round so that they would "match" :) :)
so happy new year everyone... no more updates til next year ;) hopefully i'll be able to get a new design up and running, and a few new features up. i visited a new site of a girl with a blog, and she has a really good feature, where people have to register to her site to post comments. i know i can do that with blogger currently... but i don't like the layout of blogger's comments. so i might go back to using my own commenting system, and do away with the message board. i need a good weekend with nothing going on to just play around with the site and finish it... maybe next weekend?
anyway, here's to a great past year, and a wonderful new year to come!!
we also went out to the gym last night, and i signed up, and got the official tour of the place. holy cow, this place is AWESOME. i've never been so excited to work out before! i get a free session with a personal trainer, to get me started on my program, and they even have a separate "personal training room", where you can work one on one with someone privately. they also bring you to the main circuit training/free weight room, and show you how to do everything correctly. so starting next week i can go! the running room is fantastic... and there is also a "running corridor" where each treadmill has it's own plasma screen, that you can control the tv channels for. it's down the main hallway though... and apparently those are usually full when you get there. but they have a sign up board, so if it's full when you arrive, you can sign out a time up to two hours in advance. they also have yoga and pilates classes, as well as cardio kickboxing and street defense classes :) woohoo! i'm really looking forward to getting in some of those! then in the locker rooms... the showers all have soap/shampoo/conditioner, as well as a huge closet full of fresh clean towels (so you don't have to bring one). they also have a sauna, a dry heat room, and a huge hot tub to relax in... and they are seperate for the men and ladies. AND they also have on-staff masseuses, so that you can get a massage while you are there, AND tanning beds :) if i don't look super buff by summer, it definitely won't be because the gym sucks :) if i'm also interested in learning something new, they have a HUGE rock climbing wall, and an instructor on staff to show you how to use it (included with your membership). then they organize trips (at an extra cost) to do real-world rock climbing in the surrounding areas. they also have a huge basketball court, and a few squash courts, if i'm interested in either of those :) and to top it off, i won't use it, but i know friends of mine that would appreciate this: free babysitting :) so you come, drop your kid off, and you can even tune into a channel on the cardio machines, to check on your kid while you work out. WOW. and... it's three blocks away. it took all of ten minutes to walk there last night to sign up. man... can you tell i'm excited?? :)
ok, so i'm off to a good start in the new year. :) we leave tonight for new york... joe was going to surprise me on new year's eve with the earrings, but got too excited. i saw the jewelry bag and the little box... and I must have had a funny look on my face, since joe had to comment "no, it's not THAT present" :) but he did say they had to be round so that they would "match" :) :)
so happy new year everyone... no more updates til next year ;) hopefully i'll be able to get a new design up and running, and a few new features up. i visited a new site of a girl with a blog, and she has a really good feature, where people have to register to her site to post comments. i know i can do that with blogger currently... but i don't like the layout of blogger's comments. so i might go back to using my own commenting system, and do away with the message board. i need a good weekend with nothing going on to just play around with the site and finish it... maybe next weekend?
anyway, here's to a great past year, and a wonderful new year to come!!
| posted at 9:47 AM |
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walking downstairs to get a snack from the little shop, someone commented that the woman who runs the store didn't sound like she was feeling well. hmmm... i'm also reading about how the flu season is starting out bigger than last year. yuck. hopefully i can avoid getting sick. last year there was about a week in february where i felt awful... right around valentine's day. it was the only day i took off for work, and even then it was only for half the day. i work in a high traffic environment... so if anyone in the office is sick, it spreads like wildfire. so i bet i'm bound to get it sooner or later. let's just hope it's not before i'm done traveling. vitamin c anyone?
tonight joe and i are going up to sign me up for the gym (finally). saturday is the last day to get the 'no enrollment fee' deal, plus he gets $50 for referring me :) and since we leave tomorrow night, this is the last day we can go. we're also exchanging christmas gifts tonight, rather than waiting until new year's. i felt odd about opening presents at someone else's house, if no one else was. so i'm hoping he really likes what i bought :)
i'm also on the lookout for new recipes to try. i've found some from cookinglight.com that i really like... but i've already made them a few times now, and i'm hoping to venture out from the pasta realm. i'd like to attempt to make something like meatloaf, pot roast, or stuffed chicken breasts... but i'm too chicken to do it without assistance. so some weekend i'll have to con joe into helping me. he already promised he'd show me how to do french toast (i hear it's easy, i've just never tried) so that we can use the pure maple syrup we received for christmas. yum!! that's on the menu for next weekend :) so if anyone has any favorite recipes, send 'em my way. (*note: i don't like rice, but if noodles can be substituted, or the rice omitted, send it on) i'm a big fan of chicken, but not particularly spicy stuff. i'm also a red meat eater, but enjoy a lot of veggie dishes (as does joe). we also both like salads, so if you have a main course that is also a salad, that would be welcome, too :)
tonight joe and i are going up to sign me up for the gym (finally). saturday is the last day to get the 'no enrollment fee' deal, plus he gets $50 for referring me :) and since we leave tomorrow night, this is the last day we can go. we're also exchanging christmas gifts tonight, rather than waiting until new year's. i felt odd about opening presents at someone else's house, if no one else was. so i'm hoping he really likes what i bought :)
i'm also on the lookout for new recipes to try. i've found some from cookinglight.com that i really like... but i've already made them a few times now, and i'm hoping to venture out from the pasta realm. i'd like to attempt to make something like meatloaf, pot roast, or stuffed chicken breasts... but i'm too chicken to do it without assistance. so some weekend i'll have to con joe into helping me. he already promised he'd show me how to do french toast (i hear it's easy, i've just never tried) so that we can use the pure maple syrup we received for christmas. yum!! that's on the menu for next weekend :) so if anyone has any favorite recipes, send 'em my way. (*note: i don't like rice, but if noodles can be substituted, or the rice omitted, send it on) i'm a big fan of chicken, but not particularly spicy stuff. i'm also a red meat eater, but enjoy a lot of veggie dishes (as does joe). we also both like salads, so if you have a main course that is also a salad, that would be welcome, too :)
| posted at 2:41 PM |
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got back last night, and ready to leave again the day after tomorrow. the trip home was a good one... driving was the easiest i've had yet. the roads were dry and clear, with little to no traffic there and back. but it is such. a. long. drive. ugh. nine hours there, and eight and a half back. so quicker than i've done in the past, but still too long. christmas eve held a little drama... but what would christmas be without a little family squabble? :) i got some GREAT gifts... joe and i needed a new paper shredder after my last one died. and this one even shreds credit cards! so i'll be making much use of that as i pay off the many ones i have this year :) joe got a queen sized aerobed... woohoo! now if we get any guests, they won't have to suffer on our couch :) plus if we go anywhere, we can always make sure we have somewhere comfy to sleep :) i also got a couple dvd's, some spartan gear, gift certificates, jewelry, scented lotions, and a scrapbook that my mom made for both my sister and i. fun stuff. and since joe and i spent the holidays apart, i came home to a bag full of gifts from his family :) i got a really nice cashmere sweater (light blue) from his grandmother... and we both received a statue as a joint gift from them, to place in our apartment. the piece is called "together" and the description says it all. i'll post a photo and the sculptor's name later, but it's beautiful :) laura got me some fun gifts... hopefully i'll be putting those to use within the next year or so ;)
anyway, i spent monday shopping with my mom and then visiting jackie and the baby, and then took lily with me to see laura. her boyfriend also has a yellow lab, so miles and lily had a great time wrestling in the kitchen while laura and i caught up :) i'm looking forward to going back in a couple weeks with joe, to revisit everyone, and show that joe is not a figment of my imagination :) i also am kicking myself that i didn't bring my camera home... my cousin had flown in from hawaii with her new baby... and of course i have no photos to show anyone :( it was really great to see her on christmas eve... joy is my cousin that everyone says i resemble the most. you can definitely tell we are related :) so i'll have to figure out a good time to fly to hawaii to visit her. how fun would that be?? i keep hearing about how beautiful it is over there. that, and my other cousin, kathy, flew in from california... she brought photos of where she lives, just outside of san diego. it's like 72 degrees and sunny almost year round. that's crazy. perfect weather all the time... i'd quit my job and live on the beach! :) so plans to visit her are also in the works :)
now i'm back to work, and trying to catch up on everything. friday is coming up quick... i'm dropping lily off at the vet's to be boarded for 3 days right after work, and then joe and i are driving friday night up to long island for the weekend. it should be a really fun time. then we'll be home for about 10 days, and then back to michigan we go. after that trip, i think i'm going to take the metro to work... i'll be so sick of my car by that point. but to see everyone will be worth it :)
no commenting on the diet today... i'm all chocolated-out from this weekend. i ate so much candy, it's insane. luckily, joe brought home a fruit basket, so i can do a mini-detox before we head back up to new york and party some more :) nothing like going out of the year with a bang ;) i'm joining a gym either today or tomorrow, so i'll be all set to start a program when we get back from new year's. not so much a resolution, as it is just a delayed goal. i'm excited for this gym... it's called "results"... and just the tour on the website makes it look fantastic. it's only a few blocks from our home, so even when the weather sucks, it's within walking distance... so i have no excuse :)
anyway, i'll post more on that when i actually begin my program. i've worked out a 12 week goal... and i'm hoping to get some measurements taken, so that i'll have more than just a scale weight to go on to see progress. i've done this routine before, so i'm positive it will work... all i need is the motivation and determination i once had :) it's all about the mindset... if you are not mentally ready to take on losing weight or getting in shape, you are just setting yourself up for failure. i know, i've done it, and i'm hoping i'm ready to succeed this time :)
ok, back to work... and back to drooling over the "running room"... oooo... tv's above all the treadmill's... :) :) :)
anyway, i spent monday shopping with my mom and then visiting jackie and the baby, and then took lily with me to see laura. her boyfriend also has a yellow lab, so miles and lily had a great time wrestling in the kitchen while laura and i caught up :) i'm looking forward to going back in a couple weeks with joe, to revisit everyone, and show that joe is not a figment of my imagination :) i also am kicking myself that i didn't bring my camera home... my cousin had flown in from hawaii with her new baby... and of course i have no photos to show anyone :( it was really great to see her on christmas eve... joy is my cousin that everyone says i resemble the most. you can definitely tell we are related :) so i'll have to figure out a good time to fly to hawaii to visit her. how fun would that be?? i keep hearing about how beautiful it is over there. that, and my other cousin, kathy, flew in from california... she brought photos of where she lives, just outside of san diego. it's like 72 degrees and sunny almost year round. that's crazy. perfect weather all the time... i'd quit my job and live on the beach! :) so plans to visit her are also in the works :)
now i'm back to work, and trying to catch up on everything. friday is coming up quick... i'm dropping lily off at the vet's to be boarded for 3 days right after work, and then joe and i are driving friday night up to long island for the weekend. it should be a really fun time. then we'll be home for about 10 days, and then back to michigan we go. after that trip, i think i'm going to take the metro to work... i'll be so sick of my car by that point. but to see everyone will be worth it :)
no commenting on the diet today... i'm all chocolated-out from this weekend. i ate so much candy, it's insane. luckily, joe brought home a fruit basket, so i can do a mini-detox before we head back up to new york and party some more :) nothing like going out of the year with a bang ;) i'm joining a gym either today or tomorrow, so i'll be all set to start a program when we get back from new year's. not so much a resolution, as it is just a delayed goal. i'm excited for this gym... it's called "results"... and just the tour on the website makes it look fantastic. it's only a few blocks from our home, so even when the weather sucks, it's within walking distance... so i have no excuse :)
anyway, i'll post more on that when i actually begin my program. i've worked out a 12 week goal... and i'm hoping to get some measurements taken, so that i'll have more than just a scale weight to go on to see progress. i've done this routine before, so i'm positive it will work... all i need is the motivation and determination i once had :) it's all about the mindset... if you are not mentally ready to take on losing weight or getting in shape, you are just setting yourself up for failure. i know, i've done it, and i'm hoping i'm ready to succeed this time :)
ok, back to work... and back to drooling over the "running room"... oooo... tv's above all the treadmill's... :) :) :)
| posted at 9:27 AM |
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off for the holidays... i leave tomorrow morning around 2am, to make the drive back to michigan. i'm about 50% done with shopping, and i'll be 75% done tonight. the rest can wait until i come back, since joe and i are waiting until new year's to give each other gifts. i've got a lot weighing on my mind this week... i'm excited to see family, especially my cousin who is coming in from hawaii. i haven't seen her since she had her baby last year. so that will be fun. i hate not having joe here, but oh well... i'll live. i took tuesday as a holiday, so that i can have monday to hang out with friends... then i'll be back late tuesday night. short, but it's all i could do with us being short staffed at work.
anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend, and wish me luck on eating well. this after i just ate a bag of doritos (10pts)... oops... but damn they tasted good :)
anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend, and wish me luck on eating well. this after i just ate a bag of doritos (10pts)... oops... but damn they tasted good :)
| posted at 1:06 PM |
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weigh in day... and despite sunday's giant burger feast and saturday's night out, i'm down a half pound from last week, and the same from two weeks ago. i'll take it :) i'm still down 3.5 pounds in three weeks, so i'm ahead of the game and on schedule with my goal. but christmas is this week, so i have to be careful. i'll be ok today through friday... but saturday to tuesday is another story. and then after that, we go to new york and have to deal with new year's eve. oy. wish me luck :)
i'm super tired still this morning. i have a big cup of coffee... and it's helping, but i think i'm going to need a jog around the block to really wake up. i definitely need a nap. i even went to bed early last night (before 10pm)... but it didn't seem to really make a difference. it's only wednesday... this week is dragging on. i still have two more days til i leave for home, and a week before joe gets back.
argh... i want to go back to bed...
i'm super tired still this morning. i have a big cup of coffee... and it's helping, but i think i'm going to need a jog around the block to really wake up. i definitely need a nap. i even went to bed early last night (before 10pm)... but it didn't seem to really make a difference. it's only wednesday... this week is dragging on. i still have two more days til i leave for home, and a week before joe gets back.
argh... i want to go back to bed...
| posted at 8:02 AM |
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this whole argument on "happy holidays" vs. "merry christmas" is ridiculous. completely and utterly ridiculous. it's not like they are replacing merry christmas with "worship the devil". i think the phrases should be used where they are appropriate. going to midnight mass and wishing my fellow catholic "merry christmas" is meaningful. coming into work and wishing my jewish boss the same is not. and since i'm not jewish, i could extend a 'happy hannukah'... but it wouldn't mean the same, either. "happy holidays" combines them both... what the hell is wrong with that? i laugh really hard when people say it's taking the "christ" out of "christmas". it makes me wonder if those people even know the real reason on why christmas is celebrated at this time of year, and the history behind it. december 25th was not a christian holiday. in fact, it was BANNED back in the day, as it was deemed sacrilegious (it was a pagan holiday first). true, the christian faith has adopted this day as the day to celebrate christ's birth... but hello people, the whole world is not christian. and theologians will tell you that christ was not even born in december! celebrating on december 25 with gifts and a tree does not mean the same to everyone. it would be the same as if the majority of people were jewish, and the whole nation adopted hannukah, except the christian minority who celebrated christmas. would they want hannukah shoved at you all over the place?
so happy holidays, to everyone. learn some tolerance people.
(oh, and to those who doubt the history: origins of christmas)
so happy holidays, to everyone. learn some tolerance people.
(oh, and to those who doubt the history: origins of christmas)
| posted at 10:56 AM |
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2nd attempt at lily sleeping with us through the night... this time it was me that was stuck tossing and turning and who got little to no sleep. there really is just not enough room for all of us in the bed. she tries to wedge herself on my pillow, and i wake up with a cramp in my back from trying to sleep at odd angles to make room for her. *sigh*... we're going to get her a dog bed in february (for her birthday), so maybe then she'll go lay on that. there's one from orvis, called a "toughchew" bed. if they chew through it once, you get a new bed. if they chew through it twice, they refund your money. nice! so we'll try that, even though i have a feeling she'd rather be crammed in with us. but i just can't do it. not unless we get a bigger bed. i wound up giving myself an extra hour of sleep, and getting into work much later than usual. which normally isn't a big deal, but of course our new boss started today (i didn't know this ahead of time)... so i don't think that made the best impression. *sigh* no big deal... but i think this week i'll have to make a point at coming in earlier than usual, to make sure he understood that today was NOT the usual routine for me.
the weekend went ok... i didn't get to go out on friday for a happy hour. i came home after work to a sick and messy lily :( so i had to clean her and the mess up, and stayed home to keep an eye on her, to make sure she was ok. so it was a quiet night, but i got a lot of stuff done that i had let sit around. then saturday i went down to the dmv and got my temporary tags, and bought myself some time until after christmas to get everything squared away. then we went christmas shopping around town, and had a good time. there was some money drama that had to be dealt with... but i knew it was inevitable, and i'm glad we finally sat down and discussed our financial plans. that is by far the hardest thing for me to talk about. in the midst of paying down my debt, we are also trying to save for a house and other things in the near future. but we talked it over... joe is very understanding and it felt great to be able to talk with someone realistically about our finances. they always say money is the #1 thing couples argue over... and is also one of the leading causes of divorce. so i knew the discussions were coming, and i'm sure it's only the beginning :)
anyway, we did go out for a short bit on saturday night with katie. we met up at dr. dremo's, played some darts, and then headed over to four courts irish pub down the street. i like both places a lot, and it was fun to hang with katie :) sunday was pretty relaxed... we went out in maryland for a little more shopping, and ate lunch at "five guys". holy cow... that was the best hamburger i have ever had. seriously... so freakin good. i didn't know that their regular burger had two enormous patties on it, so that it's really a double burger. had i known that, i would have gotten the "little" version. but i ate it all... once i tasted it, i knew i'd have no trouble finishing it :) then i came home and watched 'once upon a mattress' on abc. i didn't like it... we did that play in community theater when i was a senior in high school, and i liked ours much, much better. i think i would have preferred carol burnett as winifred, like she originally played on broadway... but oh well, it was great to hear the songs again :) my two best friends and i were triple cast for the same part (lady larken) back then... oh what drama :)
anyway, this week should go by pretty fast. joe is stuck at work probably until tomorrow, instead of leaving for new york yesterday like he had planned. some issues with his boss and the company... but he should be able to make the trip tomorrow or wednesday at the latest. then i leave saturday with the pup, and come back tuesday night. fun stuff... still have to finish christmas shopping... only 6 days left...
the weekend went ok... i didn't get to go out on friday for a happy hour. i came home after work to a sick and messy lily :( so i had to clean her and the mess up, and stayed home to keep an eye on her, to make sure she was ok. so it was a quiet night, but i got a lot of stuff done that i had let sit around. then saturday i went down to the dmv and got my temporary tags, and bought myself some time until after christmas to get everything squared away. then we went christmas shopping around town, and had a good time. there was some money drama that had to be dealt with... but i knew it was inevitable, and i'm glad we finally sat down and discussed our financial plans. that is by far the hardest thing for me to talk about. in the midst of paying down my debt, we are also trying to save for a house and other things in the near future. but we talked it over... joe is very understanding and it felt great to be able to talk with someone realistically about our finances. they always say money is the #1 thing couples argue over... and is also one of the leading causes of divorce. so i knew the discussions were coming, and i'm sure it's only the beginning :)
anyway, we did go out for a short bit on saturday night with katie. we met up at dr. dremo's, played some darts, and then headed over to four courts irish pub down the street. i like both places a lot, and it was fun to hang with katie :) sunday was pretty relaxed... we went out in maryland for a little more shopping, and ate lunch at "five guys". holy cow... that was the best hamburger i have ever had. seriously... so freakin good. i didn't know that their regular burger had two enormous patties on it, so that it's really a double burger. had i known that, i would have gotten the "little" version. but i ate it all... once i tasted it, i knew i'd have no trouble finishing it :) then i came home and watched 'once upon a mattress' on abc. i didn't like it... we did that play in community theater when i was a senior in high school, and i liked ours much, much better. i think i would have preferred carol burnett as winifred, like she originally played on broadway... but oh well, it was great to hear the songs again :) my two best friends and i were triple cast for the same part (lady larken) back then... oh what drama :)
anyway, this week should go by pretty fast. joe is stuck at work probably until tomorrow, instead of leaving for new york yesterday like he had planned. some issues with his boss and the company... but he should be able to make the trip tomorrow or wednesday at the latest. then i leave saturday with the pup, and come back tuesday night. fun stuff... still have to finish christmas shopping... only 6 days left...
| posted at 1:41 PM |
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i know, i'm old news... but i just created a frappr "group"... so now you can give me a shoutout, and let me know who's reading this from where :) you don't have to be specific... you can just give city, state, or just the state... or the country if you're not in the u.s.:
http://www.frappr.com/carrie
how fun!! :)
http://www.frappr.com/carrie
how fun!! :)
| posted at 10:56 PM |
woohoo! i am trying out yahoo's new beta webmail... and it ROCKS. yahoo always kicked hotmail's ass anyway... i always had trouble with the web version of their email. so i switched to yahoo (thanks william)... and LOVE it. i even subscribed to get the "mail plus" service... it's cheap and i use it religously. so i was skeptical when the new version came out... i didn't want to mess up a good thing. but holy cow, it is awesome. you can drag and drop, and the compose window opens in a new tab (so that you can still check your mail if you need to, while writing the message, without having to "save as draft" first). seriously... those of you that use hotmail really need to switch. you have no idea how crappy you have it until you try this :)
they also are now allowing "." in your email address... so instead of carrie_ann@yahoo i could be carrie.ann@yahoo... whatever. i like the dots better than the "_"... fun stuff :)
it's friday and i'm glad, but plans to go see mark farina at five tonight have been cancelled. the birthday girl is sick and has an early flight tomorrow, so we're doing a happy hour celebration instead :) which is good, because i am TIRED... i didn't sleep soundly last night, and woke up several times throughout the night. so i welcome the chance to relax. i have been doing well on points this week... the scale (yes i cheated) says 123 this morning, which means i'm down 5lbs! however, it doesn't count... i need it to stay that low til wed's weigh-in... but that was a fun number to see this morning :)
i also got an email for a request for me to post a link to a website, that offers tracking and journaling tools for weight loss:
http://www.my-calorie-counter.com
i've looked over the site, and it's a nice site. however, nice as it is... to do the custom tools, you have to pay a membership fee. even though it is a small fee, i wouldn't pay it, when there are free tools online (ilke fitday.com) that i use already. now, fitday isn't as nice as this site, and doesn't have the nice reports that this does, so if you really find those helpful, i'd say go for this site. it doesn't track ww points (i think ww has the rights to that, and doesn't offer it to be used) so you have to be a calorie-counter to take advantage of most of the features. but like i said, it's nice... worth checking out anyway :)
ok, back to work... is it lunchtime yet??
they also are now allowing "." in your email address... so instead of carrie_ann@yahoo i could be carrie.ann@yahoo... whatever. i like the dots better than the "_"... fun stuff :)
it's friday and i'm glad, but plans to go see mark farina at five tonight have been cancelled. the birthday girl is sick and has an early flight tomorrow, so we're doing a happy hour celebration instead :) which is good, because i am TIRED... i didn't sleep soundly last night, and woke up several times throughout the night. so i welcome the chance to relax. i have been doing well on points this week... the scale (yes i cheated) says 123 this morning, which means i'm down 5lbs! however, it doesn't count... i need it to stay that low til wed's weigh-in... but that was a fun number to see this morning :)
i also got an email for a request for me to post a link to a website, that offers tracking and journaling tools for weight loss:
http://www.my-calorie-counter.com
i've looked over the site, and it's a nice site. however, nice as it is... to do the custom tools, you have to pay a membership fee. even though it is a small fee, i wouldn't pay it, when there are free tools online (ilke fitday.com) that i use already. now, fitday isn't as nice as this site, and doesn't have the nice reports that this does, so if you really find those helpful, i'd say go for this site. it doesn't track ww points (i think ww has the rights to that, and doesn't offer it to be used) so you have to be a calorie-counter to take advantage of most of the features. but like i said, it's nice... worth checking out anyway :)
ok, back to work... is it lunchtime yet??
| posted at 10:08 AM |
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well i made it anyway. i figure if it tastes like crap cold and no one eats it, it means more for me, and i can reheat it in the oven when i get home :) this batch of pizza bites turned out much better than the first. i got different artichoke hearts (not marinated)... so it has less of a tang to it :) believe me when i tell you to always wait until i've done a recipe at least two or three times before you try it :) joe actually helps though... he will eat my first try, and give me ideas on how to improve it. haven't made one yet that he really didn't like. so here's hoping i continue on with that streak :)
we have a winter ice storm warning out here in dc... and wouldn't you know, it falls on a day i have to travel the most. our potluck is way back in the main office in fairfax... a good 30 min drive. it will make the day go by faster, but man, i just hope the weather doesn't kill me. i've heard of the hell that is going on back in michigan. snow, snow, and more snow... sorry guys. i'll be there in about a week, but until then, i'll take a 'wintry mix' over 6 inches of snow any day :)
tomorrow we're going out dancing for stephanie's birthday... then saturday i'm going to attempt (again) to get new plates for my car. this time, i have to first get a 45 day temporary tag (because i let my current tags expire, and they won't inspect your car without valid tags), then get my car inspected, then drive back to the dmv to get the plates. *sigh* i have a feeling that will take me all day. but it needs to get done. the last thing i need is a ticket for not having valid registration on my car. bleh.
next week will be a long week at work... i don't leave for michigan until saturday. but the week after that will be a great one. i'll be home on tuesday, and then joe and i leave friday for new york for new year's :) one day i'll drag him down to times square... but he's already been once, so it might have to be with my sister or someone else, if i can't convince him. but this year is the annual new year's eve party at his friend on long island's house. it will be good to see the people i met at lobster fest again... always good to hear joe college stories :)
anyway, back to work... what's left of the day :)
we have a winter ice storm warning out here in dc... and wouldn't you know, it falls on a day i have to travel the most. our potluck is way back in the main office in fairfax... a good 30 min drive. it will make the day go by faster, but man, i just hope the weather doesn't kill me. i've heard of the hell that is going on back in michigan. snow, snow, and more snow... sorry guys. i'll be there in about a week, but until then, i'll take a 'wintry mix' over 6 inches of snow any day :)
tomorrow we're going out dancing for stephanie's birthday... then saturday i'm going to attempt (again) to get new plates for my car. this time, i have to first get a 45 day temporary tag (because i let my current tags expire, and they won't inspect your car without valid tags), then get my car inspected, then drive back to the dmv to get the plates. *sigh* i have a feeling that will take me all day. but it needs to get done. the last thing i need is a ticket for not having valid registration on my car. bleh.
next week will be a long week at work... i don't leave for michigan until saturday. but the week after that will be a great one. i'll be home on tuesday, and then joe and i leave friday for new york for new year's :) one day i'll drag him down to times square... but he's already been once, so it might have to be with my sister or someone else, if i can't convince him. but this year is the annual new year's eve party at his friend on long island's house. it will be good to see the people i met at lobster fest again... always good to hear joe college stories :)
anyway, back to work... what's left of the day :)
| posted at 10:20 AM |
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so it came out decent... not the best, and i'm wondering if i should just think of something else for the potluck tomorrow. i tried to make red pepper and artichoke pizza bites... but the artichokes were in a marinade, and it was a little too strong for my taste. plus, i didn't really think about the fact that i won't be able to serve these hot... our office only has a microwave. so i *could* nuke 'em right before the party... but that seems silly to me. i'll look around a bit today, but for the most part, it wasn't terrible :) even joe liked it :) it was really easy to make, so i think i'll definitely try it again, with a little tweak to the recipe.
today was weigh in day... and considering i ate 106 flex points last week (you are only supposed to use 35 per week)... gaining 1/2 a pound is pretty small :) so i'm bummed i gave in over the weekend, but not too upset. i knew what i was doing at the time, so i'm not surprised by the scale at all. i was really good yesterday, and i plan on being good the rest of the week. so we'll see what it says next wednesday :) the potluck will be rough, but i'll just have to make that my big meal for the day, and eat a salad for dinner later. i'm bringing a fruit tray and *possibly* the pizza bites... each "bite" is only 101 calories... and they are a pretty good size. it's about the size of a medium pizza, if you cut the pizza into 4x4 rows, the recipe makes 16 servings. so as long as i stick to those and stay away from the desserts, i'll be golden :)
anyway, i'm exhausted. i've been averaging about 5 and a half to six hours of sleep each night... and while i can live on that for a few days... by the fourth day it starts to catch up with me. i'm usually in bed by 11:30... but then i'm right back up at 5:30. oy. soon i'll be able to sleep an extra hour... and that will make a world of difference. i've also realized that i've become a morning person. i used to hate early mornings... and i'd need a good half hour just to be coherent. but now, getting up with lily every morning (even on my days off) has led me to no longer need an alarm :) i'm up before it goes off every morning, and then i'm up and about. i get all the dishes cleaned from the night before, get the animals ready, eat breakfast and straighten up the house, all before i leave for work. it's a pretty productive time for me, even on saturday mornings. i'm up with the dog at 8am and can usually get a lot done early. then if i have no plans, i usually sneak back into bed for an hour or two :)
which is exactly what i plan to do this saturday... relax :)
today was weigh in day... and considering i ate 106 flex points last week (you are only supposed to use 35 per week)... gaining 1/2 a pound is pretty small :) so i'm bummed i gave in over the weekend, but not too upset. i knew what i was doing at the time, so i'm not surprised by the scale at all. i was really good yesterday, and i plan on being good the rest of the week. so we'll see what it says next wednesday :) the potluck will be rough, but i'll just have to make that my big meal for the day, and eat a salad for dinner later. i'm bringing a fruit tray and *possibly* the pizza bites... each "bite" is only 101 calories... and they are a pretty good size. it's about the size of a medium pizza, if you cut the pizza into 4x4 rows, the recipe makes 16 servings. so as long as i stick to those and stay away from the desserts, i'll be golden :)
anyway, i'm exhausted. i've been averaging about 5 and a half to six hours of sleep each night... and while i can live on that for a few days... by the fourth day it starts to catch up with me. i'm usually in bed by 11:30... but then i'm right back up at 5:30. oy. soon i'll be able to sleep an extra hour... and that will make a world of difference. i've also realized that i've become a morning person. i used to hate early mornings... and i'd need a good half hour just to be coherent. but now, getting up with lily every morning (even on my days off) has led me to no longer need an alarm :) i'm up before it goes off every morning, and then i'm up and about. i get all the dishes cleaned from the night before, get the animals ready, eat breakfast and straighten up the house, all before i leave for work. it's a pretty productive time for me, even on saturday mornings. i'm up with the dog at 8am and can usually get a lot done early. then if i have no plans, i usually sneak back into bed for an hour or two :)
which is exactly what i plan to do this saturday... relax :)
| posted at 7:31 AM |
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i am pretty good about not eating crap during the day at work. i make sure that i pack a lunch, and two small snacks (usually a banana and an apple or another piece of fruit) to keep my hunger at bay. but it never fails... right around 2:30 or 3 i can feel myself start to debate going downstairs for a snack. so to curb that, i have always found mint chewing gum and water really help suppress my appetite, and get me through the afternoon, until i can get home and prepare a big salad. good to know i'm not the only one :) so for those of you who are late afternoon bingers... try chewing gum!
i'm getting through today... went to a wammo meeting this morning, and it was bitter outside, walking from the metro. brrr... good thing they have hot chocolate downstairs :) they even have a low calorie version, that uses splenda... so now i can have it for even lower points :) one pack is only 60 calories! anyway, i'm still trying to dethaw. thursday is our work potluck, and i'm going to try out a recipe for artichoke and red pepper pizza bites. it's from cooking light... and it sounds great. but i'm doing a practice tonight to see if it's edible... no way i'm making it for the first time right before the party. we all know how that usually turns out :)
i'm getting through today... went to a wammo meeting this morning, and it was bitter outside, walking from the metro. brrr... good thing they have hot chocolate downstairs :) they even have a low calorie version, that uses splenda... so now i can have it for even lower points :) one pack is only 60 calories! anyway, i'm still trying to dethaw. thursday is our work potluck, and i'm going to try out a recipe for artichoke and red pepper pizza bites. it's from cooking light... and it sounds great. but i'm doing a practice tonight to see if it's edible... no way i'm making it for the first time right before the party. we all know how that usually turns out :)
| posted at 12:45 PM |
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well so far this monday is turning out well. i can't believe it's less than two weeks til christmas. i unfortunately have to wait to get presents... which is ok, i'm not worried. i'm usually the one out on christmas eve shopping last minute :) only this year, i may be driving, so the shopping will have to come before i leave. i have to work on friday the 23rd... so i'm waking up early saturday morning to start the drive back to michigan, and get there in time to go to christmas eve mass :) this year, we finally are breaking tradition and not going to church at midnight. thank god! i'm always so tired by then, and this year, i will have been up driving all day. so we're going to the early evening mass instead. my "christmas tires" as joe likes to call them, are working out great. my car has been driving so much smoother. just in time for another long drive :)
this past weekend was great... we rented movies friday night, and i had the bejesus scared out of me. if you want a creepy movie, watch "the grudge" with sarah michelle gellar. holy crap. i'm still freaked out. but we also got "kung fu hustle" to lighten the mood... that was a fun movie :) granted, i fell asleep half way through it... but that was entirely my fault, and had nothing to do with the quality of the movie :) then saturday we went christmas shopping out at tyson's corner... nice mall, it reminded me of twelve oaks in novi, michigan. got a few ideas for christmas presents, and also dragged joe into "petite sophisticate" to take advantage of their going out of business sale. i couldn't believe it! they are my favorite store... all their "business professional" pants fit me without needing to be hemmed, and are really cute. so joe offered to let me get whatever i needed, and i walked out with a really nice shirt, cami, awesome tan/gray pants, and a turtleneck for $60. :) i wish i could have really went nuts... their pants and dress shirts were 60% off! but i did notice that more big chain stores that i like are coming out with "petite" stores. ann taylor has a petite version that i was unaware of, and i also passed by a "banana republic petite" store. i'm hoping that their pants fit, and that they are not made for girls that are sizes 0-4. a lot of "petite" fashions often don't go above that size... a size i will never be. as long as the inseams are the right size, i'll be a happy camper. so big thanks to joe for letting me shop there one last time :)
then we came home and got ready for dinner and les mis... both of which were fantastic! i like les mis... not as much as i adore phantom of the opera, but almost :) the actors that played cosette and marius were not all that great... but eponine was amazing, as was jvj... HE was well worth the money and then some. what an amazing voice! so that was fun :) we then cabbed it over to the christmas party, where we had a dancing santa (one of those mechanical ones), and a real life santa and his elf ;) those guys in that house kill me :) their parties always rock... for alcohol there were two kegs, many bottles of hard liquor, and then my personal favorite, a huge thermos of hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps! fun, fun. we stayed well into the night, and wound up getting home a little before 4am. but despite the late night, sunday we were up and ready... we went christmas shopping a little more, and then went to see "narnia" since i loved the book, and really wanted to see what they could do with the movie. it was pretty good... but i made the mistake of reading about c.s. lewis beforehand, and an article in the washington post about the movie. they really didn't write about the quality of the movie, rather, commented on c.s. lewis and his history and background. it gave me some insight to the movie... and kinda put a different spin on the story. not what i was looking for, but i still enjoyed it :)
this week will be busy with work... and then friday we are going out to celebrate steph's birthday. she discovered a dj that she loves is playing out here that night, so i'm really looking forward to that! dancin time! :) then joe leaves for new york for christmas... i won't see him until i come back on tuesday night. but once we get back after christmas, i have a 3 day work week, and then we're heading up to long island for new year's. i'm really looking forward to that :) til then... work work work...
this past weekend was great... we rented movies friday night, and i had the bejesus scared out of me. if you want a creepy movie, watch "the grudge" with sarah michelle gellar. holy crap. i'm still freaked out. but we also got "kung fu hustle" to lighten the mood... that was a fun movie :) granted, i fell asleep half way through it... but that was entirely my fault, and had nothing to do with the quality of the movie :) then saturday we went christmas shopping out at tyson's corner... nice mall, it reminded me of twelve oaks in novi, michigan. got a few ideas for christmas presents, and also dragged joe into "petite sophisticate" to take advantage of their going out of business sale. i couldn't believe it! they are my favorite store... all their "business professional" pants fit me without needing to be hemmed, and are really cute. so joe offered to let me get whatever i needed, and i walked out with a really nice shirt, cami, awesome tan/gray pants, and a turtleneck for $60. :) i wish i could have really went nuts... their pants and dress shirts were 60% off! but i did notice that more big chain stores that i like are coming out with "petite" stores. ann taylor has a petite version that i was unaware of, and i also passed by a "banana republic petite" store. i'm hoping that their pants fit, and that they are not made for girls that are sizes 0-4. a lot of "petite" fashions often don't go above that size... a size i will never be. as long as the inseams are the right size, i'll be a happy camper. so big thanks to joe for letting me shop there one last time :)
then we came home and got ready for dinner and les mis... both of which were fantastic! i like les mis... not as much as i adore phantom of the opera, but almost :) the actors that played cosette and marius were not all that great... but eponine was amazing, as was jvj... HE was well worth the money and then some. what an amazing voice! so that was fun :) we then cabbed it over to the christmas party, where we had a dancing santa (one of those mechanical ones), and a real life santa and his elf ;) those guys in that house kill me :) their parties always rock... for alcohol there were two kegs, many bottles of hard liquor, and then my personal favorite, a huge thermos of hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps! fun, fun. we stayed well into the night, and wound up getting home a little before 4am. but despite the late night, sunday we were up and ready... we went christmas shopping a little more, and then went to see "narnia" since i loved the book, and really wanted to see what they could do with the movie. it was pretty good... but i made the mistake of reading about c.s. lewis beforehand, and an article in the washington post about the movie. they really didn't write about the quality of the movie, rather, commented on c.s. lewis and his history and background. it gave me some insight to the movie... and kinda put a different spin on the story. not what i was looking for, but i still enjoyed it :)
this week will be busy with work... and then friday we are going out to celebrate steph's birthday. she discovered a dj that she loves is playing out here that night, so i'm really looking forward to that! dancin time! :) then joe leaves for new york for christmas... i won't see him until i come back on tuesday night. but once we get back after christmas, i have a 3 day work week, and then we're heading up to long island for new year's. i'm really looking forward to that :) til then... work work work...
| posted at 8:18 AM |
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fun stuff! my heritage website has a "face recognition" feature, where you upload your photo, and they compare it to their celebrity database. i was matched with emma watson (of harry potter fame), hillary rodham clinton, and olivia newton john. umm... ok. i don't think it works well... most of the time, i either get jodi foster or helen hunt when people say i look like someone famous. but this is the photo i used... figures they would match me with a 14 yr old ;)
yay for friday! due to really crappy weather this morning, i got permission to take a half day, so i came in at 10:30 instead of 7am this morning. it felt great to sleep in! i also messed around with my ipod, and downloaded the whole first season of "the office" for 11 dollars! I LOVE THAT SHOW! it kills me. so while joe was busy watching the world series of poker, i watched a couple episodes :) the video was surprisingly good! it's really clear... a bit small (obviously) so i have to hold it a little close, but it's perfect for the next long trip we take. one of us can watch the ipod, and the other can listen over the radio (if i get the fm transmitter). plus it won't waste the battery, since the fm transmitter also serves as a charger :) woohoo! fun times in the car :) joe also heard a rumor that tivo was going to offer connectivity for ipods in the future... so that you can download anything you record! how fun would THAT be??
alright, back to work. i'm excited for the weekend, and having a great day so far :) if you are looking for something random to occupy your time, these are fun to mess around with:
little people from tektek.org :)
yay for friday! due to really crappy weather this morning, i got permission to take a half day, so i came in at 10:30 instead of 7am this morning. it felt great to sleep in! i also messed around with my ipod, and downloaded the whole first season of "the office" for 11 dollars! I LOVE THAT SHOW! it kills me. so while joe was busy watching the world series of poker, i watched a couple episodes :) the video was surprisingly good! it's really clear... a bit small (obviously) so i have to hold it a little close, but it's perfect for the next long trip we take. one of us can watch the ipod, and the other can listen over the radio (if i get the fm transmitter). plus it won't waste the battery, since the fm transmitter also serves as a charger :) woohoo! fun times in the car :) joe also heard a rumor that tivo was going to offer connectivity for ipods in the future... so that you can download anything you record! how fun would THAT be??
alright, back to work. i'm excited for the weekend, and having a great day so far :) if you are looking for something random to occupy your time, these are fun to mess around with:
little people from tektek.org :)
| posted at 11:44 AM |
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so there went the gym money. looks like i'll have to wait after the holidays to get a membership, after paying $450 for a new set of tires. it could have been worse, the original estimate was $512, but i downgraded the warranty service on the tires, so hopefully i don't regret that decision in a year. but at least now i have new tires :) and my alignment had been off, which i think contributed to the problem. but now it's a nice smooth ride... just in time for the giant storm headed our way tonight. i'm thinking tomorrow might be a sick day... i'm a little nervous to how the roads will be early in the morning. or maybe just a half day... hmmm...
i did great on my first week of ww. i stayed low in points wed-fri... then saturday and sunday ate high... followed by a semi-high day monday and a low day tuesday. i weigh-in on wednesday mornings, and this week i lost 3.5 lbs! woohoo! i was just hoping for a 1lb loss... that's always my goal. but i forget that the first week is usually a high loss, since it's a drastic change in your diet. i'll take it :) so my goal of 14lbs to lose... i'm now 10.5 lbs away :) still on track for mid-february to reach goal. i also think that the high/low alternating helps... it's the basis of the wendie plan, and it's worked for me in the past. now i just have to get through christmas and new year's (big parties for both)... but if i eat low before and after those days, it should actually help me lose faster :) but it's also t-o-m for me this week... so if i don't lose, i won't be disappointed. but i'm trying hard! normally after work is snack-palooza for me, and i eat like a week's worth of points in an evening. but i've been good, and this past week i've eaten a big salad for 2pts, and then chewed gum until joe gets home. the gum helps both curb my appetite (especially the mint flavors) and also prevents me from the tbl (tastes, bites, licks) that happen when i cook dinner. i probably eat a serving of dinner just "sampling" what i'm cooking. but not anymore! and it's working :) i should invest in the "extra" gum company for the amounts i eat.
i'm kinda disappointed that i didn't get to try out the gym though. i miss working out, and i'm motivated right now to really get my muscle tone back. last year in september, i was in the best shape of my life. my legs had great definition (but still had a bit of the chub rub), and i was actually starting to lose a bit of the arm jiggle. those are my two problem areas, that i so fortunately inherited from my mom's side of the family. being short and having bigger legs isn't always the best combination. but last year, i was running and weight lifting a ton... and my legs had finally started to flatter my figure. of course, that was a year ago... and now i'm itching to get back into that routine. especially since most likely, this time next year i'll have a much, much bigger event to be in shape for ;)
saturday is getting closer, and i'm really excited for les miserables. i think we may all be going to dinner before the show, so that should be quite an eventful evening. i just hope i don't get killed tomorrow morning in the hell that is winter weather rush hour traffic. yuck...
i did great on my first week of ww. i stayed low in points wed-fri... then saturday and sunday ate high... followed by a semi-high day monday and a low day tuesday. i weigh-in on wednesday mornings, and this week i lost 3.5 lbs! woohoo! i was just hoping for a 1lb loss... that's always my goal. but i forget that the first week is usually a high loss, since it's a drastic change in your diet. i'll take it :) so my goal of 14lbs to lose... i'm now 10.5 lbs away :) still on track for mid-february to reach goal. i also think that the high/low alternating helps... it's the basis of the wendie plan, and it's worked for me in the past. now i just have to get through christmas and new year's (big parties for both)... but if i eat low before and after those days, it should actually help me lose faster :) but it's also t-o-m for me this week... so if i don't lose, i won't be disappointed. but i'm trying hard! normally after work is snack-palooza for me, and i eat like a week's worth of points in an evening. but i've been good, and this past week i've eaten a big salad for 2pts, and then chewed gum until joe gets home. the gum helps both curb my appetite (especially the mint flavors) and also prevents me from the tbl (tastes, bites, licks) that happen when i cook dinner. i probably eat a serving of dinner just "sampling" what i'm cooking. but not anymore! and it's working :) i should invest in the "extra" gum company for the amounts i eat.
i'm kinda disappointed that i didn't get to try out the gym though. i miss working out, and i'm motivated right now to really get my muscle tone back. last year in september, i was in the best shape of my life. my legs had great definition (but still had a bit of the chub rub), and i was actually starting to lose a bit of the arm jiggle. those are my two problem areas, that i so fortunately inherited from my mom's side of the family. being short and having bigger legs isn't always the best combination. but last year, i was running and weight lifting a ton... and my legs had finally started to flatter my figure. of course, that was a year ago... and now i'm itching to get back into that routine. especially since most likely, this time next year i'll have a much, much bigger event to be in shape for ;)
saturday is getting closer, and i'm really excited for les miserables. i think we may all be going to dinner before the show, so that should be quite an eventful evening. i just hope i don't get killed tomorrow morning in the hell that is winter weather rush hour traffic. yuck...
| posted at 8:52 AM |
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i like firefox. still haven't switched to using it 100%... but i enjoy it. however, i made the mistake of leaving a browser window open overnight... and when i woke up this morning, WHOA... something was eating away all the available memory. i did a quick check, and the firefox process was using 250000k of memory, and kept going up! i found the fix to this memory leak... but reminded me that not everything is perfect :) for those with the problem, this site is where i found my solution. and yes, i have version 1.5. i just updated it last week, actually...
| posted at 12:57 PM |
lately i've been wondering if i should start learning about investing my money. i'm already enrolled in a 401(k)... but beyond that, i'm wondering how investments work. like say i want to get some apple shares... i know they don't have a direct purchase program, so i'd have to go through a brokerage service. but how in the world would i start doing that? so if anyone has a good reference for information, or where to look to learn about what exactly it all is, let me know. joe mentioned going to a meeting/group session... where people meet to talk about their investments and opportunities. i think he called it a "stock club" or something like that. interesting. something tells me i should have paid more attention in my economics classes :)
| posted at 10:44 AM |
woohoo! i read this article today about how nbc is now partnered with apple to offer nbc shows on itunes! i have the video ipod, so i'm excited to download some episodes. i also got a 100gb hard drive for my birthday (thanks dad!), so i'm ready :) it will be fun to be able to get shows i missed... now i just have to see which ones they are podcasting. i've also started looking into podcasts, and i almost wish i was a commuter on the metro, so that i'd have time to listen to the ones i download! although, my evening commute is about an hour on average, so maybe i'll get the fm transmitter for the car, and listen on my way home. it's like a portable dvr :) i can't watch the videos while i'm driving... but i can watch those on the computer if i need to. even without the video on the ipod, i'm interested in being able to download missed episodes :)
this week has been pretty busy, but yesterday was a good productive day... i got a lot around the house cleaned and taken care of, and we are almost to the point where everything has a place. still a few items lingering around that need to either go to storage or be thrown out... but mostly it's done. i'm looking forward to this weekend, and i'm hoping we can get to the gym to sign me up tonight. i hope, i hope!
this week has been pretty busy, but yesterday was a good productive day... i got a lot around the house cleaned and taken care of, and we are almost to the point where everything has a place. still a few items lingering around that need to either go to storage or be thrown out... but mostly it's done. i'm looking forward to this weekend, and i'm hoping we can get to the gym to sign me up tonight. i hope, i hope!
| posted at 10:21 AM |
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i'm on a hot chocolate kick right now. if only i could find some caffinated stuff, i'd be in heaven :) after my morning coffee, i'm pretty coffee-ed out... but it's freezing in my office, so a diet soda is usually out of the question. anyway, it's good stuff... i could drink it all day.
today started out pretty groggy. we attempted to let lily sleep with us last night, but i'm afraid our bed just is NOT big enough for all of us. she's about the size of a 6yr old, and when you are already hurting for foot space at the end of the bed, she doesn't help matters :) so at 2am, back in her crate she went. she likes it in there, though, and often goes in there when we are just hanging out at home. i call it her "bedroom" :) she's had the same one since i got her... so i'm sure it's comforting to have something stable when i've moved her around so much.
so i'm struggling at work today. but i did get one good piece of news... i thought a cable bill of mine had gone through the roof... when i looked at the bill date and realized they were billing me for the month AFTER i had service disconnected. so i called today and had them remove the erroneous charges. phew. i'm also scheduled to get new tires tomorrow after payday... so hopefully i can quit stressing about driving around on my spare. tomorrow night i'm also hoping to get registered at the gym. the initial cost of membership is a doosy, and is the reason i've delayed going. but tomorrow i should have enough, and i am in dire need of some weight training. i can't wait for spring... it's my favorite time to run outside :) yeah, i know... it's only december... *sigh*
today started out pretty groggy. we attempted to let lily sleep with us last night, but i'm afraid our bed just is NOT big enough for all of us. she's about the size of a 6yr old, and when you are already hurting for foot space at the end of the bed, she doesn't help matters :) so at 2am, back in her crate she went. she likes it in there, though, and often goes in there when we are just hanging out at home. i call it her "bedroom" :) she's had the same one since i got her... so i'm sure it's comforting to have something stable when i've moved her around so much.
so i'm struggling at work today. but i did get one good piece of news... i thought a cable bill of mine had gone through the roof... when i looked at the bill date and realized they were billing me for the month AFTER i had service disconnected. so i called today and had them remove the erroneous charges. phew. i'm also scheduled to get new tires tomorrow after payday... so hopefully i can quit stressing about driving around on my spare. tomorrow night i'm also hoping to get registered at the gym. the initial cost of membership is a doosy, and is the reason i've delayed going. but tomorrow i should have enough, and i am in dire need of some weight training. i can't wait for spring... it's my favorite time to run outside :) yeah, i know... it's only december... *sigh*
| posted at 1:17 PM |
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i knew i needed new tires... but i had chocked it up to an "after holiday" purchase, along with new brakes. my car, however, decided it wanted it's own christmas present. on saturday night, on my way out to petsit, my tire blew on the highway. and not only did it blow, but it shredded completely. luckily, joe was with me, and he used his aaa card to get a tow truck out to us. we were there about an hour, when the virginia highway service patrol came to our rescue. i didn't even know they had such a thing. these guys came with a jack, and helped us put my spare tire on. they even blocked off the lane of traffic next to the shoulder, to make it more safe (since it was the driver's side tire that blew, and we were off on the right shoulder). all for no charge. so we got to cancel the tow truck from aaa... it was sweet! i wish michigan had something like that... free roadside assistance, for anyone stranded on the highway :) but sadly, i had the rest of the tires checked out, and i need four new tires. ouch. not quite the money i was looking to spend right before christmas. *sigh* so we didn't get to make it out to the wine and cheese party... with the winter storm advisory, i didn't want to chance it on my donut tire. then sunday we went early to the tire place, only to find that their network was down. they had the best price and the best service around, so joe and i didn't want to go to a different location... so we had to postpone the tires til next weekend, and make sure i make small trips this week. we waited around for a few hours in the neighborhood, to see if their network returned to service that day... but nope. we came home with a few things for christmas, and called it a day.
but it was a good weekend, despite the tire drama. we took our christmas card photo, and it looks good :) we're silly and wore santa hats, and made lily don her antlers again... and i think it came out pretty well. not the most flattering photo of either of us, but oh well... i think it's cute. joe had the idea of putting either the capitol or the white house behind us... so we found a great photo and photoshopped it in. we also had to be creative with lily... if both of us were sitting for the photo, she wouldn't turn around and face the camera. so we had to take it alone, and then have her sit by herself. then i cut and pasted her between us... and added the white house background. it works :) "not my best work", but it'll do ;)
joe also made this really good dinner with flank stank, cheese, and tomatos... yum! he was a little disappointed with how it turned out, but i thought it was delicious :) he's making goulash tonight... another one of my favorites!
other than that, not much going on this week. joe and i and a few friends are going to the production of "les miserables" this saturday, and then on to a big christmas party out in dupont. i'm excited, the play is always great, and the party (i've heard) is always a fun time. in the meantime, work is busy, as usual. unfortunately, things don't slow down for me over the holidays. so work, work, work... and then relax in the evening :) as part of our security, i'm not allowed to work from home... so once i leave, i can leave my work behind me :) now if only i can get some christmas shopping done with the $5 i have left after i buy my tires...
but it was a good weekend, despite the tire drama. we took our christmas card photo, and it looks good :) we're silly and wore santa hats, and made lily don her antlers again... and i think it came out pretty well. not the most flattering photo of either of us, but oh well... i think it's cute. joe had the idea of putting either the capitol or the white house behind us... so we found a great photo and photoshopped it in. we also had to be creative with lily... if both of us were sitting for the photo, she wouldn't turn around and face the camera. so we had to take it alone, and then have her sit by herself. then i cut and pasted her between us... and added the white house background. it works :) "not my best work", but it'll do ;)
joe also made this really good dinner with flank stank, cheese, and tomatos... yum! he was a little disappointed with how it turned out, but i thought it was delicious :) he's making goulash tonight... another one of my favorites!
other than that, not much going on this week. joe and i and a few friends are going to the production of "les miserables" this saturday, and then on to a big christmas party out in dupont. i'm excited, the play is always great, and the party (i've heard) is always a fun time. in the meantime, work is busy, as usual. unfortunately, things don't slow down for me over the holidays. so work, work, work... and then relax in the evening :) as part of our security, i'm not allowed to work from home... so once i leave, i can leave my work behind me :) now if only i can get some christmas shopping done with the $5 i have left after i buy my tires...
| posted at 11:18 AM |
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i've had some requests from people asking for the code to copy my online food journal... and i'm considering making it available for other people to create their own. there's a million different free ones, but not many that total up ww points. for now, i've just been sending people the php code for them to put it on their own site... but maybe it would be ok for me to allow others to use the one i have. i'd have to put it on a different site, but it would be fun, and not that difficult to do. especially since there's really nothing fancy about it.
just a thought :) along with the other 8 billion other ideas i have yet to follow through on...
just a thought :) along with the other 8 billion other ideas i have yet to follow through on...
| posted at 10:01 AM |
i got this link from a hungry girl email... if you like healthy eating tips or diet friendly food ideas, you have to check out hungry girl. i love the emails! anyway, in the last one, there's a link to ceramic bowls that are designed to help with portion control. i have big, big problems with eating too much of something, especially when it tastes good. so these bowls are designed for one portion, so that you know when it's full, it's a good amount. i love them! definitely going to have to pick some up after the holidays:
yum yum bowls
jackie and i are back in full ww mode again. she's attempting to shed the last amount of baby weight that she has to lose... i'm trying to lose the 15 lbs i gained over the past year. so we're trying to motivate each other, and so far, it's working. i'm down 2.5 lbs this week, which is a typical loss for my first week back on program :) now i just need the gym membership, and i'm golden.
i'm petsitting and going to a wine and cheese party tomorrow. gonna have to watch the intake of wine and just say 'no thanks' to the cheeses. wine is actually not all that high in points... and i can get away with smaller glasses, since we're supposed to be tasting all the different kinds everyone brought. i just hope i don't lose count of the "tastings" ;) hey, that's what flex points are for!
yum yum bowls
jackie and i are back in full ww mode again. she's attempting to shed the last amount of baby weight that she has to lose... i'm trying to lose the 15 lbs i gained over the past year. so we're trying to motivate each other, and so far, it's working. i'm down 2.5 lbs this week, which is a typical loss for my first week back on program :) now i just need the gym membership, and i'm golden.
i'm petsitting and going to a wine and cheese party tomorrow. gonna have to watch the intake of wine and just say 'no thanks' to the cheeses. wine is actually not all that high in points... and i can get away with smaller glasses, since we're supposed to be tasting all the different kinds everyone brought. i just hope i don't lose count of the "tastings" ;) hey, that's what flex points are for!
| posted at 8:45 AM |