The Very Blustery Day

Today is supposed to be a very blustery day. I guess that means it's good that I gained that 10 pounds over the summer/Fall? Not really, but trying to find something positive to say about this weight gain. I could blame it on a million things (stress, muscle replacing fat, being taken off birth control, did I already mention stress?) but the true reason is that I'm eating like I have no issues with food! WRONG! It needs to end! I want to lose those 10 pounds and more! So send me your good vibes and good thoughts.

So where did I leave off? Oh yes, I was about to go on my sister's weekend. We went to our old stand-by, Grand Rapids, MN and Wildwood Resort. It was absolutely perfect that weekend. The weather was beyond wonderful and we spent a lot of time outside with walks, bonfires and just hanging out. The shopping was disappointing. Many of the shops have cut back on inventory due to the economy. So we didn't buy much, but had a blast. We each decorated our own wine goblets (which was a blast) and then we all had at least one alcoholic style drink from them. Another thing I could blame the weight gain on (alcohol - haven't had any since pre-surgery).

The weekend after that my friends Doug & Susan came for a visit. I had never met Susan but heard lots about her over the years. She and Doug had been friends for many years and finally got hitched a year or so ago (Hmmm..I think it was right about the time I had surgery, so we're approaching 2 years!). Had lots of fun with them and of course ate lots of good food.

I am a few steps closer to going to school this Winter. Finally got my approval processed and now have to take some placement tests (math - ish!). This is not my big idea of fun, but not too many alternatives for me. I continue to look for work and came close to getting a really great job, but they chose someone else. I know the BIG MAN upstairs has a plan for me, but not sure I am being very patient to find out what it is.

In the meantime, Halloween approaches with all it's candy and costumes! I'm going to one party and will be "hosting" the children at the shelter on Halloween night. This of course means being subject to candy and treats! I'll try my best to resist.

Wishing all you readers (uh..maybe both of you?) a happy and safe Halloween!!

Autumnal Bliss

Aaah...I love Fall! The leaves are so pretty, the air is crisp and cool and when the sun is shining it feels like all is right with the world! I had a great weekend with my "Fourever Friends". We went to Nona's cabin in WI. It was a bit chilly, but we managed. We spent a lot of time just hanging in the dining room talking about...well, nothing specific and everything in general. Had a bit of an issue with the furnace Saturday night (it stopped working). But we had help and made a roaring fire in the fireplace that pretty much kept the cabin lukewarm (around 58 when we finally rolled out of bed). Then in the morning, it was like a miracle and the furnace worked again! Go figure!

But all this fun also meant a lot of eating that I shouldn't have done! Ugh! Nona likes to provide lots of sweets and delicious croissants. But isn't that what friends are for? And this coming weekend I am going to be with my sisters which means more eating, shopping and talking!! Life is good!

The bad part is that once I returned home I had a letter from unemployment. As I expected, they screwed up again! They required that I re-register and so I did. Now they are stating that I made twice as much as I did last year (I think as a result of re-registering)! So - that entails another lengthy conversation with someone to correct this. It's as if being unemployed was my job because it takes a whole lot of time and energy to get it to work out right!! So that'll be my task for the week!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoyed the weather! I also hope that this weather holds out for at least one more weekend so that my sisters and I can enjoy it together!!