Random updates...

Once again I find I have been remiss in my blogging.  I'd apologize but....been there, done that.

Guess what time it is?  11:39.  AM.  That's right.  I am at home at 11:39 on a SCHOOL morning.  I have to tell you, this "snow" day came as quite a surprise!  We are supposed to get some snow tonight, actually, they are calling this the BIGGEST snowstorm of the season....whoo-hoo....this morning was only supposed to be a little sleet, then rain; the snow is supposed to start much later this afternoon.  I woke up a little before the alarm this morning and decided to turn on the TV to see what the weather was like, since I could hear the sleet against the house.  To my utter astonishment my county had called off school.  Grateful? yes.  Astonished? completely!

Did I mention grateful?

So here I am, at home.  Doing my best to keep warm without turning up the thermostat too much.  My electric bill came Saturday.  After a quick trip to the ER to recover from my heart attack after seeing the bill, I made nice with the fine people at Home Depot.  An under the door draft-dodger thingie, a weather strip thingie for the storm door, and some foam insulation strip thingies for the front door later and it is somewhat warmer in my house and not so drafty.

Did you get the impression from the abundance of the word "thingie" that I am not a regular at Home Depot--aka "Man World"?  Good.  I was hoping you would.

It also doesn't help my bill that my house is "heated" by a heat pump.  I did some research on the whole "heat" pump thing and was dismayed to learn that those things no worky so well in cold climates.  Lest anyone be confused, this:

constitutes a COLD climate!  Why on earth would anyone use those here?  I know not.  Did you know that, when a heat pump reaches a certain temperature it starts blowing cool air?  Lovely!  Just what I wanted in the WINTER!  However, because I am not independently (or even dependently) wealthy, the heat pump shall remain.  I did purchase an electric throw for the living room, which miss raven has pretty much claimed as hers.  Go figure.

Let's see...what else can I update you on?  Oh yes.  The gym.  I should really go today.  I am still debating.  It would require me going outside in the cold, though, and I am not inclined to do so.  I did go yesterday and I was proud of myself for doing so.  I did 49 minutes/4 miles on the elliptical.  I have an issue with that machine though.  After about 23 minutes, my toes start to go numb.  I am not even kidding.  It is an awful sensation and it is discouraging because I know that I still have many, many more minutes to go.  It throws my whole rhythm off, too, because I am constantly trying to adjust my footing to see if that helps (it doesn't).  I am hoping that it is only the new machines that my gym has that do this--instead of feeling like you are going uphill, you kind of have the sensation of going downhill.  It is a little weird at first.

Anyway--I haven't lost a ton of weight (my brother is doing P90X and has lost over 14 pounds.  Sigh.) but I do feel better after I go to the gym.  I know, perfect argument for going today, right?  And yet, this:

compels me to stay right where I am at, with her:

How can you argue with that?!?