Happy Memorial Day!

It's already Memorial Day weekend! Where is this year going!? I mean it's 1/2 over already (pretty much). Memorial Day marks the 'unoffical' start of summer to most people and that means 3 months of heat and humidity to me. But, it also means my trip to Seattle is coming up soon! Yeah! Looking forward to that a lot!

I'm not always making it to my 3x week at the gym. This week I only did 2. But if I go tomorrow, then I will count it as 3. There is something odd going on with the muscles in my upper right arm. Very weak! I can tell the difference between the two arms and the right is really much weaker. I'm not sure what would cause that, but it's very frustrating. I mean, I can barely lift 10 lbs. with that arm. So what's up with that?

Still haven't replaced the batteries in the scale yet either. I think I'm avoiding it? Maybe later today! Today I am going with two of my sisters and my niece to my other sister's cabin for the day. It's supposed to be very hot, but hoping there will be a nice breeze off the lake. I already have a nice sun rash going on my left side (due to sitting at an outdoor restaurant for lunch yesterday). Maybe I will even out the rash on that weak right arm!

Enjoy your weekend and that extra day (for most of you). Remember to honor those who have given their lives for our country!!

Hot Stuff!

Man..it was hot yesterday! We broke the old record of (I believe) 88 and it got up to 95! It's MAY for cripe sake! Not July! Today is supposed to be 'cooler' - only about 89. One good thing about the heat, I've noticed it makes me want to eat less. Even though I am inside an air conditioned home, for some reason I don't feel as compelled to eat like there is no tomorrow! Wonder why that is?

I still haven't looked into fixing my scale. Maybe today. I guess my weight isn't as important to me as I may have thought. Or maybe it's the heat? I'm assuming I will weigh the same as I have weighed the last 4-5 months. Up a pound here and then down a pound next time. So why do I care?

I don't have much to report here. Just wanted to say it's hot enough for me. I am worried that this is a sign of things to come this summer. Hot. Humid. Icky!

Summer is creeping up like a cheap pair of underwear!

It's supposed to be near 90 by the end of this weekend! So we celebrated the wonderful weather we had in April, cursed the cold (and snow) that came in early May and not I'm going to start complaining about the heat and humidity! All in the span of one month! Uff da - dats Minnesoooooota fer ya!

My friend/neighbor Heidi has been stopping by to grab me when she is out on her walks. She measured one trail and it's 2.2 miles from her house (I chose to add .10 of a mile for me to get home from her house to mine). So far I've walked the 2.3 twice. This in addition to my sessions at the gym. While the walking does do a bit of a job on my knees, I feel it is helping strengthen my leg muscles. This is a good thing! It will help with my endurance for walking in Seattle at the end of June and also for the Relay for Life at the end of July (where I just know it will be hot and humid and require much whining on my part).

Other than the weather, walking and whining - I've been spending time with friends and family! Lots of dinners and lunch dates and I haven't always made the best choices! Example: yesterday an impromtu call from Carlene to join her and Nona for a late lunch at Baker's Square (** FREE PIE WEDNESDAYS **). Who could resist? Not me. I had a slice of my favorite strawberry/rhubarb! I guess it's better than some of the cream pies I could have chosen?

Today I am going to prepare to buy back my leased car from the dealer. I still don't have a job and so I am pretty sure no one in their right mind will give me a loan for a new car, so this is the alternative. Hopefully this car will provide me with many, many years of service and no car payments! If things get real bad, it may become my "home". But let's pray it doesn't come to that.

So there you go! That's my week in a nutshell. The weekend looks great (except for that hot and humid weather to whine about). I am attending a birthday party for my friends husband who is turning 80 (him, not her). No real big plans beyond that!

My Scale is broken..

Hmm..it's either tired of weighing me, or the batteries are done for. I haven't figured it out yet, but when I stepped on it this morning, nothing. Then some cryptic message came across. I guess I'll have to check the batteries next. I haven't lost/gained a pound in the last few months. I guess that's good, but I would like to lose about 30-50 more pounds to really see what it's like to be "normal" weight. I am sure I have lost a few inches from working out, but would be fun to see the scale go down a bit, too. Oh well..life isn't measured in numbers on a scale, it's measured in what you do with it!!

And speaking of "doing with it" - I am preparing for a number of journies this summer. First, I will be going to Seattle the end of June. Can't wait to spend some quality time with Chelsea and also see Chris, Mally and other various Seattlites. Then the end of July brings the Relay For Life. I am looking forward to it again this year. We're going to focus more on walking and less on selling and gabbing this year. I'm happy for that. And after that, I am having my big 5-0 birthday bash! Can't believe I am going to be that old, but it does happen. I want to celebrate the fact that I have lived that long and also having a party to thank everyone that's in my life. Chelsea can't be there - she will be in Iceland, but she is always in my heart! I can't imagine my life without her!

In between all the fun and events of summer, I am still looking for a job. Going to try some new techniques that I was given and see how that goes. I don't feel a whole lot of pressure to find one, but every so often it will just hit me "You don't have a job!" and I kind of freak out! I think I'm more worried about not having health insurance more than I am about the job! So the search continues!

This weekend weather has been wonderful. I fully intend to take advantage of it today and going on a walk with my friend/neighbor Heidi. Can't miss out on the nice days in Minnesota - it could snow at any time!! :o) Hope everyone reading this is having a nice weekend and anticipating a wonderful summer ahead!

Happy Mother's Day!

I know it's a little early, but just needed to put that out there for all the Mother's and "like" Mother's who make the world go round! You know who you are! You're the ones who wipe the noses (and butts), the ones who read the books even when the little ears aren't listening, the ones who plan the fun things to do with the kids who think that life just happens like that on it's own, the ones who almost have a heart attack when you see a child dash towards a busy street, the ones who shed a tear when you find that long lost cassette tape your daughter made for you one Mother's day back in the 80's even though you have nothing to play it on now (oh, did that happen to you, too?). To everyone who has kissed a babies neck, stayed up all night making sure the baby was breathing, was the 'meanest mom in the world' for not letting them do whatever they wanted and who let them fly away from the nest when it was their turn to go (even if it broke your heart)...happy Mother's Day!!

Merry Merry Month of May

Wow, it is May already. I can't believe how fast this year is going. So much has already happened in these 4 months. Lots of bad things - friends dying, my sister dying, people I know being diagnosed with cancer. Time just rolls right along regardless of what we are going through. There are days that I wish I could stop time and savor the moments, and then there are days that I wish would just get done with already! But, we can't wish our lives away! We have to live in the moment and enjoy it for what it is. Makes me think of a saying one of my previous co-workers used to say, "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas!". So for today, let's try to not wish or regret something, let's just DO IT!

Still having that snacking problem at night. I am not sure how that food gets into my house (ha-ha), but I have to stop it. I bought a whole bunch of fruit (strawberries, grapes, pears, watermelon and bananas) the other day so hopefully that will lead me to eat something healthy instead of something not so healthy. Wish summer coming, I am hoping that I will continue to be drawn towards the fruits and veggies aisle instead of the snacks and crackers!

I didn't stick to my 3x week at the gym rule last week either. Only went twice, but I did spend most of the day Saturday walking around Anoka - shopping! And resisted the urge to buy/eat the most delightfully sinful chocolate covered desserts (but did have a taste or two of my sister's and her friends). It is good to know that it's there, just a few miles away in case of emergency!!

So I am going to try to eat healthier this week and get to the gym at least 3 times. That's my promise to myself!! What are YOU going to do this week (if anyone is reading this - I swear I am typing all this out just for my own sanity)?