::crickets::

I truly am so sorry that I have been silent for a while.  I never intended to be.  I was not in a (long) funk about the topic of my last post.  I was however, caught up in the newness of another school year.

The older I get the worse it becomes.  Because of the summer off, by the time I work a whole week of school, I am dead tired.  The last two weeks have actually been really good but I am exhausted by the time I come home at the end of the day.

I have a good class this year.  They are a little talkative and right now I know that I am new to them and they are kind of feeling me out to see if I really mean what I say.  (I do.) Overall, though, I am fairly certain that this is going to be a good year.  At the end of the day today I was asking them what their favorite part of this week was and one of them said to me, "Getting to be in your class."  Awwwww!!!!  Heart melt!!!  Another thing that made me feel good was that every single student I have in my class is in my class because their parent specifically requested me as teacher.  I love being loved again.

I must confess, though, that I miss last year's class terribly.  Having had most of them for two years was wonderful but not having them this year is hard.  I am so thankful that most of them still come by, either in the morning or right after school, to say hello and to give me a hug.  Secretly I hope they never stop.  :)

Not much to report on the knitting front.  I currently have not one, not two, but FIVE projects on the needles.  Two are almost done and I am hoping to finish them this weekend.  One is about 65% completed but I really only have the patience to work on it a little at a time.  The fourth is about 75% completed and that is also looking good for this weekend or by the end of next week.  The last one is a sock.  The dreaded second sock.  Meh.

On the "healthy eating" front...I am doing ok, ,I suppose.  I did really well this week but am currently waiting for a (late) Papa John's order.  (And getting later by the moment.  My increasing level of irritation is directly related to their increasing tardiness with  my order.  My pizza better not be cold.)  I did make the conscious choice to request a light amount of cheese.  That should count for something, right?

Have a wonderful weekend!!

:)

Those lazy, hazy days...

You know what's great about summer vacation?  Half the time I don't know what day it is.

Seriously.

I woke up this morning trying to figure out if it was Thursday or Friday.

I'm pretty sure it's Thursday.

:)

I'm enjoying my rather quiet week after three weeks of being on-the-go.  I haven't done all that much and it's been nice.  I did go see Despicable Me 2 yesterday and that was a lot of fun.  It was at least as good as the first one, easily, and I LOVED the first one.

I've also been exercising on the bike.  I do 30 minutes a day and yesterday rode almost 7 miles.  I have to be honest, though...by the time I'm done, my butt really hurts.  I'm thinking about sitting on a pillow today.  Also, my hips are killing me.  I'm old and I don't like it.

I've also been really good about keeping track of what I am eating.  It is easier for me to eat more healthy in the summer because I am all about summer fruits and veggies.  Last night I had an apple and a pear for dinner and this morning I had strawberries and blueberries with my breakfast.  I've also discovered the miracle that is the frozen banana.  Seriously.  You must try this.  Slice up and freeze some bananas.  Once they are frozen, throw some in a blender and blend away.  In a few minutes you will have "soft-serve" ice cream.  Last night I added a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter.  Um.  YUMMMMM!!!!

That's pretty much about it for now.  I am going to drink some water, knit a little, and work myself up to ride the bike today.

Tootles!

:)

I know, I know...

I've been gone for a while.

AGAIN.

But I swear I have good reasons this time!!!

Namely these two:

OMG!  Can you just die from the cuteness?!?!

I spent almost two weeks with them (and their parents and my dad) and had the time of my life.  They are SO much fun and it about killed me to leave them.

We did all kinds of things but the best part was just getting to spend time with them.

Once I got back from Texas, where, I must say, it was hotter than Satan's armpit, I went to see my best friend and her family in Ohio.

We had a great, albeit it short time, and I already miss her like crazy.  The worst part is not knowing when I will see her again.  (In case that wasn't clear, it was a thinly concealed plea for her to come visit me.  I'm not proud and I'm not above begging.)

Confession Time:

In my quest for "healthiness" I have been a total and complete failure.  Mostly.  For the last three weeks I have eaten pretty much everything that isn't nailed down.  It just dawned on my that maybe that's why my raven girlie has been spending so much time in the bedroom.  Poor thing is probably scared to death!  Today was no exception.  And then the guilt kicked in and kicked in hard.

Over in the corner stood a recumbent exercise bike that my BFF's parents generously gave to me this past weekend.  I can not even begin to tell you how thankful I am for it.  I got it hauled in to the house and it has been comfortably sitting there for the last two days.  And then tonight, after I had gone through the kitchen like a eating tornado, I decided that enough was enough.  I pulled the bike over to in front of the TV, got my water close by, turned on Jeopardy, and started pedaling.  Thirty minutes and five and a half miles later, and dripping with sweat, I stopped.  And I felt good.  I'm still fat, but I feel like I have taken a step to fix that.  I am planning on getting up tomorrow morning and doing another 30 minutes on the bike.  I would like to go for a walk but it is REALLY hot outside, even early in the morning.

Anyway.  I am hoping to lose 20 pounds or so before school starts in 6 weeks.  I want to start the year off on the right foot and hopefully, by this time next year, I will feel alot better about myself.  And maybe I won't mind having my picture taken...

:)

so, blech...

and more blech.

When will winter ever be OVER already?!?!  I'm beyond tired of being cold.  I am SO ready for some warmer weather.  C'mon spring!  Let's get going!

Not much to report from here.

I didn't lose any weight this last week so boo on that.

I joined another swap on Ravelry.  Coffee, chocolate, and yarn.  Mmmmmmm.  :)

I went to a "yarn party" today.  Kind of like the wool festival I will go to in May but much, much, much smaller.  I did get some lovely yarn though, from vendors I have never heard of.  I love trying new things.  I was hoping to find a nice needle case, but, alas.  There were none to be found that I was willing to spend money on.

Spring Break starts on Friday.  Oh sweet mother!  I can't wait!!!!!

I haven't been sleeping well at night.  Even though I am really tired, I can't seem to fall asleep.

I found a new game to play.  It's called Ruzzle.  Think Boggle, but online.  I'm kicking butt so far.

Our Medieval Times trip was AH-mazing!  OMG!!!  It couldn't have gone any better than it did.  The kids LOVED it and that was all I wanted.  The people at the place were wonderful to us and I even got a "swag bag".  I love me some swag!!  The best thing I heard the whole time was this (from one of the kids):  "I am going to remember this day for the rest of my life!"  That made all the trips to the store, all the hot dogs, all the late Friday nights, and all the hassle worth it.  I can't tell you how happy I was and how proud I was of my kids.

And that's it.  That's all I have to report.  I am really, really going to make an effort to blog every day until the end of the month.  I have to make up for lost time.  :o/

Have a wonderful Monday!!!

:)

insert your own title here...

because I can't think of one on my own.

I didn't mean to go for a whole week without blogging but this last week has been so busy!

I had a pretty good birthday day last Sunday.  I went out to breakfast at the same place that my knitting group meets.  It was good and reasonably priced, so I was happy.  After breakfast I headed to DC.  Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE the city??  I do.  :)

I went first to Eastern Market and, while I didn't end up getting anything special for me, I was able to find something for my BFF for her birthday.  It was fun to walk around and just look, though, and the weather was absolutely beautiful.  :)

I next headed to the Botanical Gardens.  I love to go there and look at the orchids.  As usual, they didn't let me down.  They are such beautiful flowers and I love to look at them and take pictures of them.

I walked around a little near the Capitol but I didn't stay too long because I wanted to get to my LYS before they closed.  They are offering another sock class and I wanted to make sure I could get in to that one.  I was successful and I also treated myself to some new yarn--as a birthday present.  ;)  Like I need an excuse to buy more yarn, right??

I found an AMAZING little Italian restaurant to each an early dinner in and I was so happy with my choice.  My food was delicious and the restaurant wasn't crowded so it was perfect.  I was going to go to Starbucks after I was finished with dinner but the line was so long and I didn't want to wait.  There is a new(ish) frozen yogurt place nearby so I decided to try that.  It was ok but I probably wouldn't go back.

I was so thankful for such nice weather over my birthday weekend.  Especially since the last several days have been cold and kind of dreary.  Doesn't the weather know that it should be getting warmer?!?

School was ok this week.  The kids (and I) are very much looking forward to Spring Break but we still have nine days of school to go before we can relax.  It seems so close but still so far away!  We had our final hot dog sale this past Friday and we did very well.  I am so happy that we have been able to pay for our whole field  trip to Medieval Times without having to ask the parents for any money.  I have to be honest, though, when I tell you that I am SO glad I won't have to deal with hot dogs again for a LONG time!!  Our field trip is this Friday and we are EXCITED about it!  The kids can't wait and, truth be told, neither can I! :)

I went to my knitting group yesterday.  I am really enjoying going and that says a lot coming from someone like me, who is more than happy to just stay home and be a hermit.  I like this group, though, and for the most part, the women who attend are really friendly.  :)

Despite going to the Cheesecake Factory, out for breakfast and dinner on my birthday, AND out to dinner the day after my birthday, I managed to lose almost a pound on Saturday.  I'm still not quite to 15 pounds lost but am hoping that, after I weigh in this coming Saturday, I will be past the 15 pound mark.  I'm still taking it one day at a time, though, and trying not to be too hard on myself for gaining all that weight back.  :o/

I hope you have a great end to your weekend and a fabulous week!  I'll be back soon, I promise! :)

So...

Happy Birthday to me.

Yeah.  Another one.

Thirty-Eleven.

;)

It's been a pretty good weekend so far.  I lost 1.4 pounds last week and then promptly went to the Cheesecake Factory yesterday.  Let's not talk about caloric intake, ok?  White Bean hummus, Grilled Chicken Tostada Salad, and Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake.  It was like licking a rainbow of deliciousness.  Yeah, it was THAT good.

I also did a little shopping yesterday, although I am not thrilled with everything I got and some things may end up being returned.  Namely the shirts that make me look like a whale.  I did get some cute things for my niece and nephew.  :)

Today is all about ME.  I know that sounds selfish and I don't mean it to be quite like that but still, it is all about me today.  Starbucks, Eastern Market, Botanical Garden, maybe the National Gallery, and Fibre Space.  The weather is nice, the sun is shining, and it is getting warm.  This makes me happy.

That is all.

Happy Birthday to me.

:)

Snow Day!...

Here I am.

At home.

On a Wednesday.

At 10:11 in the morning.

Thank you, Snow Day!

As much as I loathe snow, and I do, this was a very wanted snow.  Even though it is in March and it should never, EVER snow in March.  Unless you live in like, Alaska, or something.

Anyway.

It was kind of a catch-22 for me.  I hate snow and hate it even more in March, but I have to tell you, Spring Break was looking like a million years away.

So here I am, contemplating what I should do first:  knit another row on my sweater or drink another cup of coffee.

Win-win.

Update on the weight-loss:  After a wonderful almost 4 pound drop two weeks ago, this last Saturday did not bring much scale-love for me.  I didn't gain anything, but I didn't lose, either.  I'm ok about it, though, because I have lost 12 pounds and so far it has averaged about 2 pounds a week.  I'm doing well this week, although some nights it has been really hard to not go back into the kitchen.  I am hoping for another good week on Saturday.

Speaking of food, because I sort of was, all diet bets are off on Saturday, regardless of what the scale says.  Sunday is my birthday and I am celebrating by visiting my friends at the Cheesecake Factory on Saturday.  Calories and diet be darned.  :)

Ok.  That is all for now. I am off to enjoy my day off.

:)

A Lazy Weekend...

I haven't done much this weekend and I'm not complaining.  It's been nice to just take it easy and relax.

I did well on the scale this week.  I lost 1.4 pounds and that puts me at almost 10 pounds.  I was all ready to get pizza, nachos, and ice cream at the store yesterday and then decided to just get a "healthy" pizza and forgo the nachos.  I really meant to get ice cream as Ben and Jerry's was on sale but I totally forgot to.  I realized it when I was already out in the parking lot and then decided that it was ok.  I have fat-free pudding at home and I was happy with that.  And then I was all pumped up at how good I felt for making a good decision.  :)

I got my hair cut yesterday and then splurged and bought some new product for it (and I do mean SPLURGED).  The stylist used them on my hair, though, and it is soooo soft.  I love it!  The next time I go (in April) I am getting my hair colored again.  She did such a good time last time...my roots are just now barely visible and it was last colored on December 15.

miss raven is asleep next to me.  she loves a quiet weekend because that means more snuggle time.  I can't even put in to words how much I love this little dog.  She makes me so happy.  Even at 2:30 in the morning when she is (a) scratching me (b) pushing me out of her space in the bed (c) needing to go potty or (d) all of the above.  she is dreaming right now and her little face is twitching away.  I wish you could see her.  :)

I lost another follower.  Sigh.  I've come to terms with the fact that I am never going to be a super-blogger (and I am way OK with that) but I was pretty excited when I hit 20 followers.  Well, nonetheless, thanks to those of you that are still sticking around.  :)

It's time for dinner and I am hungry.  I am also determined to make it to 8 glasses of water today and I have two to go.  Time to drink.

:)

A list...

I really don't have much to say tonight.

Sorry.

Here is the list:

1. I lost another 3.4 pounds this week.  That makes a little over 8 pounds in the last three weeks.  I am happy with this.
2. I went to a student's birthday party today.  And did not go to my knitting group.  Sigh.
3. The stupid groundhog did NOT see his stupid shadow.  Winter should therefore be over, right?  Why then are we getting snow tonight?  And tomorrow night?
4. If we MUST get snow, why isn't it enough to keep me out of school on Monday??
5. I broke down and went to Starbucks today.  I had a Venti, extra-hot, non-fat peppermint mocha.  It has quite a few calories.  It was so worth it!
6. I got new slippers today.  They are pink and have sheep on them.  Perfect for a yarn ho like me, no?
7. I got my very first spam comment on the blog.  It wasn't nasty (thankfully) and it is now deleted.
8. I think it's time for more coffee.

The end.

:)

nothing to fear...

Sorry to leave you hanging like that with my last whiny post.

Generally, I really am ok.  It's just that, every once in a while, it gets to me.  And to say that I am tired of seeing pregnant women would be the understatement of the century.

My weekend was good, though.  I had breakfast with a friend, visited a new-to-me yarn store (Big disappointment.  The people were NOT friendly, the store was not laid out in a user-friendly way, and they were WAY overpriced.), and generally relaxed.

We had a two-hour delay on Monday because of the "ice" and yesterday and today have been busy, tiring, and wonderfully normal.  :)

After my little pity party on Friday night I was really hoping for some good news when I got on the scale on Saturday.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that the scale had not moved.  Not even an ounce.  Given the fact that I have a substantial amount of weight to lose I was certain that, given the fact I have been religiously using the My Fitness Pal app, a nice weight loss would have appeared.

I was actually quite proud of myself for not having ANOTHER melt-down and eating everything in sight.  I did my normal "Saturday is my cheat day" thing and then made myself get back on track on Sunday.  The last two days I have been drinking, er, gagging down six glasses of water and have cut back to only two (largeish) cups of coffee a day.  That in itself deserves a reward on Saturday.

I also invested in the new Weight Watchers yoga set and installed the C25K app on my iPod.  Did you know that WW has three new exercise sets out now?  The other two are a balance ball set and a "boxing" set.  I'll let you know (eventually) how the yoga set is.  You'll have to wait for an update on the C25K app because there is NO way I am running outside in the cold weather.  Yes, yes I am a wuss like that.

And now, speaking of coffee...it is past time for me to make my second much-needed cup of the day.  I can hear my Keurig calling my name and it sounds heavenly!

Only two more days until the weekend!!

:)

p.s.  thanks for the kind comments on the melt-down post.  it really meant a lot to me.  :)

Lost...

1. the Falcons.  To the 49ers.  blech.  Can't stand the 49ers.
2. the Patriots.  To the Ravens.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
3. 4.8 pounds.  By me!  YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :)

So, I knew I had worked really hard counting calories and eating well last week so I *was* expecting to lose some weight.  I was stunned, thrilled, ecstatic that I lost 4.8 pounds!  And, it must be confessed, more than a little proud.

:)

It gave me the inspiration that I needed to stay motivated this week.  It hasn't been easy and I really wanted to give in tonight, but I haven't.

It was bone-chilling cold today.  Ridiculously cold.  I have chills still and I have the heated throw all the way up, the space heater on, and the bedroom space heater on.  On a completely  unrelated note, my electric bill came today.  Is it bad that I'm afraid to open it?  :o/

Time to drink coffee and knit.

night!

:)