Rain is a Good Thing

I'm thankful for all the rain we've been getting this week.  Its really cooled things down and helped out my dad's garden.  His plants might make something after all!

I've got some changes in the works, but I'm a little low on creative energy so bear with me please.  In the mean time, check out my latest race report if you haven't already.  Also, I'd love to read your thoughts to any changes I might be making.

Hope you have a great weekend!!

You ask me; I ask you

I've been struggling to blog since the other site died.  I didn't back it up properly and I feel as if a year's worth of work was lost.  I suppose I feel that way because it was.  I guess I didn't realize just how much my blogging meant to me.

I enjoy working through heavy topics with input from my readers.  The support and encouragement I get from race reports pushes me on to my next fitness goal.  My daily thanks posts help keep perspective in my life.

What I can't decide, however, is where to continue this blog.  Hopefully you've found me since the blog went kaput.  (If not then I suppose you're not reading this blog and it doesn't apply to you.)  I've made a blog with the Frugal Trophy Wife name (only its a blogspot domain/blog) but can't decide if that's me or not.  If I'm honest, this blog doesn't feel like a good fit either though. 

My questions for you:

 

• What factors does a blog name/domain play in your reading? 
• How do you feel (as a commenter) about blogger versus wordpress?
• What are you favorite parts of my blogging (either here or at FTW)?
• How did you decide upon your own domain (assuming you have a blog)?
• What pages/tabs do you like to see on blogs?
• What kind of information do you like in an "about me" section? Mine for blogger is terribly outdated.

Your questions for me:

• Do you have anything you want to know about me?  I tend to spill my guts about anything and everything, so its doubtful any questions are off limits.  Bari has a 20 questions page on her blog to supplement her "about me" and I love that idea!  Hit me up in the comments, via email, or on twitter if you have a question which would help readers get to know me.
• I don't really have a 2nd bullet point, but I don't think you can have one without the compliment so I'm really just typing words now...

I hope you are spending this Independence Day with someone you love.  I'm taking the day off, but wanted to celebrate with you by sharing these videos.

The first is one I took after a Tennessee Smokies baseball game.  They are the Chicago Cubs AA affiliate and shoot off fire works every Friday night home game.  Here is just a brief clip:



The other is from one of my all-time favorite movies Independence Day.  As a side note, I loved Major Mitchell (aka Adam Baldwin) before I ever saw him on Chuck or Firefly.



Sadly (or am I awesome) I had this entire speech memorized.

Happy 4th!!!

The Shorts Post

I hate my legs - not a huge secret around these parts.  More specifically I hate the way my legs look.  I know I should be grateful for them - they've carried me through 2 marathons, 2 triathlons, and countless other races.  I even went as far as writing them a letter, outlining a truce.  

Through thick and thin less thick, I convinced myself that shorts just weren't for me.  Jay's old basketball shorts are my exercise shorts of choice, and I have a couple of pair Bermuda shorts and a couple trusty pair of capris when the weather calls for my legs to be exposed.

I accepted this as a result of growing into the over 30 set.  Until one day a friend of my mother's gave me a couple pair of mid length shorts.  Said friend is in her 50s, and frequently lets us go through her cast-offs before donating them.  I love her style and she buys expensive brands so its always fun to see what she has.

Those shorts got me to thinking - how can a woman with children older than me pull of the shorts if I can't?  She's in great shape, but has 2 decades on me.  (And yes, she does pull them off quite nicely.)  I began wondering if my ideas about shorts were just silly notions I got in my head that needed purged.

So...I did what anyone would do - took a twitter poll.  The results were overwhelmingly in the "wear whatever you feel comfortable in/rock those shorts."  

So...I took the conversation to Facebook.  There were a few comments in the "thunder thighs should be covered" camp (for the record, they weren't talking about me but rather large thighs in general) but there were a good portion who said that short lengths depended on too many factors to define.  

Finally I took the plunge and wore the shorts...and like a good blogger photo documented.

This pair I wore to the Repeat Boutique 70% off sale.  My mother even told me this was a good length short for me.

The night before I wore these to our town's first ghost walk.  It was a hot evening and I didn't think I'd survive in a pair of jean capris!

There are several morals to this story, but they all boil down to this: Get over yourself already!  Mostly likely the only person obsessed with what you are wearing is you.  

Apparently I need frequent reminders of a truth CS Lewis stated long ago: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less."

Do you have a seemingly simple life-lesson you have trouble grasping?  Or if you're not in a deep kinda mood, what length shorts do you prefer?

The Parable of the Lost IPod Charger

There once was a girl who was training for a very important, very long race.  As she began to prepare the week before, she wouldn't located the charger for her IPod shuffle.  Her battery was getting low and certainly didn't have the 7 hour life left she'd need to get her through the race.

Also?  The charger was necessary to transfer the audio book she'd hoped to purchase/listen to during the race.  She frantically searched for the lost charger. 

She looked in the first aid zippy pouch where she normally stored it - not there.

She looked in all her luggage, wondering if she'd forgotten to unpack it - not there.

She check all her gym bags - not there.

She took every item out of her desk drawer at work - not there.

The girl began to panic.  What would she do for 7 hours if she had no music or book plugged into her ears?  Sure she could talk with the best of them, but the course was long and she anticipated find herself alone much of the way.  Also, her cell phone being an older model, she doubted if it, fully charged, would last the whole race if she had to use it to talk a good portion of the way.

She began to ask strangers for advice.

She begged off coworkers.  "Do you have a charger to fit my shuffle?"  Person after person had their own MP3 player, but none that fit this girl's tiny little IPod.

Finally a coworker offered use of his IPod.  Sure it was different than hers, but it was better than nothing.  This comforted the racer, but she realized she would be at his mercy.  What if he forgot it?  What if it wasn't full charged?  What if she couldn't figure out how to use it.

One last time she searched her house.  When was the last time I saw it?  She asked herself.  Maui.  Okay where did I have it in Maui?  She re-searched all the same bags, then stopped to consider that she hadn't searched some of the smaller cosmetic bags she had packed for Maui.

Looking in the linen closet, she found the charger - hidden in the pocket of her toiletries kit.  Excited, she return to the gym bag in order to retrieve the IPod and charge it.

Only the IPod was no where to be found.  After searching the whole house (yet again) she came up empty handed.  Where was the last place I had it? She (yet again) asked herself.  She decided it must have been left one of two places.  She either had it in her lunch bag (that was at her desk at work) or else she'd accidentally left it in the locker room.

Were it in the locker room she knew her IPod - a treasured gift from her sister - was long gone.  She resolved to look first thing when she got to work the next day.

She arrived at work to her normal routine: checking email, arranging the paperwork on her desk, making her "to do list".  About an hour into her day, she remembered the IPod.  The bag was two feet away.  She grabbed it, but hesitated in anticipation. 

She reached her hand into the front flap.

And...

And...

And...

And...

Pulled out the IPod.  She had found it!  Both pieces were reunited and set to charge.  Much rejoicing was done by all her. 

What does this have to do with you?  I think we could all stand to learn the following lessons:

1. You are unique (just like everyone else :P).  There is only one you, so don't assume you can slack off and someone else can do your job.
2. The borrower is slave to the lender.
3. Fulfilling half the requirements still leaves the task completely unfinished. 
4. DON'T GIVE UP HOPE - THINGS WILL WORK OUT!

I hope you're living a story of rejoicing and redemption today.

I'm not Superwoman

Okay most of you who've read my blog at all know this.   Those of you who lurk and skim...well I just thought I'd put it out there so there was no question.

Who am I kidding - I'm the only one who ever thought that.  I'm not perfect, as hard as I try to be.  I'm not able to get it all done in a timely fashion.

And it kills me. 

How's that for a Tuesday True Confession?

Yesterday I did the typical 8-5, getting up at 6:30 to be ready and out the door at 7:30 7:34.  Lunched with a friend to catch up on weekend events.  At 5 I hit the gym for a 3.1 miler on the treadmill.  I was home by 6:15ish, had dinner ready by 7.

We ate (watching a bit of TV while we chowed down), then I cleaned up the kitchen.   I was in the shower by 8, followed by drying my hair and packing my workout bag for today.  I was ready to crash by 9. 

That's it.  I barely read enough of my Bible to say that I'd done it and I was asleep well before 10. 

I didn't get my grocery shopping done, I didn't get to read, or do housework or much of anything except what had to be done.

What I don't understand is what am I doing wrong?  I know plenty of people have more on their plate then I do and still find a way to make it work.   I just don't know how to do it and I'm frustrated.

I didn't bore you with the details of my day just to hear myself banging on the keys.  I need help.  Suggestions on how to make a more efficient use of my time. 

Changing my workouts to the morning doesn't help because it just puts me in be earlier - I lose time either way.   I also don't normally go to bed that early, but I was overwhelmed and stressed  and sleep seemed to be the best resolution.

I volunteered to help out with a ministry at church, yet I have no clue when I'll even talk to my pastor about what that ministry might be. 

How do you do it?  How do you make life work? 

(Kinda) Before and (Sorta) After

A few weeks before Christmas, my hubby and I started a remodel project at our house.  More accurately, we hired someone to start said project.  We wanted a complete bathroom overhaul, and while they were at it, we requested custom built-in bookshelves in the upstairs landing.

All the work was finished up shortly before we left for Hawaii and now they are ready to enjoy.  I have searched my computer over and I have no before picture for you.  I am a bloggy failure.

Forgive me?

Here's the closest I could find.

But you get the idea.  It was a wall with a window and a baseboard.  Somewhat exciting when the window was up on a sunny day.  That's where I can hear cows from across the river that make me feel like I'm at home.

The perfectionist in me didn't love the finished product at first, but its certainly growing on me.  Especially now that Jay's moved his stuff in.

The window seat even has a storage compartment for smaller things, with a flat handle so that it can also be used as a seat.  We got a piece of custom cut foam as a cushion for that area.  I need to find some nice material and make a cover for it.

What does any old vintage house need?  More storage storage of course!

I'm sure we'll have no trouble filling the three good sized drawers at the base of the unit.

Now, for me to stop procrastinating and get my books placed on my side of the shelf.  Its not like it has to be perfect. 

Who am I kidding of course it does!

The Song that Changed Christian Music

OR

Only one day until Winter Jam!! 

Of course I wrote this pretrip, and am currently on my way back from the sunny beaches of Hawaii. Instead of dreading getting back to life, I'm pumped about the Winter Jam concert tomorrow night.

It'll be our first girls night since my friend had her baby, and we had a blast last year.  Sure we were surrounded by youth groups, but that didn't stop us.  We're firm believers that age is just a number.

One of the headline acts was Newsboys.  I was a fan of their stuff in the 90s, but never really got into their stuff after that.  It seemed weird to me that in 2010, Michael Tait (of DC Talk fame in the 90s) was singing all the old stuff.

I even leaned over to one of my friends and said "This just seems wrong.  I keep expecting him to break out into Jesus Freak or something."  As they were wrapping up their set, they prepared for their last song. 

Oh, Oh, Ohhhhhhh

My friend and I turned to look at one another and started screaming like a bunch of 15 year old girls.

Of course all the real 15 year old girls were confused as to why the Newsboys were playing that song - they weren't alive back when it was first released.  I still get giddy when that song comes on the radio.  Classic concert moment!

And guess what - they're the headliner at Winter Jam this year too!

PS - In the 2nd verse, its talking about John the Baptist right?  Cause at first back in the day I thought it was actually talking about Jesus, but then thinking about the "King took the head" line I'm thinking its John.  Cause he was beheaded and Jesus wasn't. 

PPS - The best halloween costume I've ever seen was of my Old Testament professor's kid as John the Baptist.  He cut a hole in a card table, covered with a table cloth so you couldn't see his body.  and his head was surrounded by lettuce and on a silver platter.

Movie Time Monday

One of my all time favorite movies is Frequency. I even had a crush on James Caviezel back in the day that he was just "Jim" and before he played Jesus. 

This song is so spot on with the movie, it still gives me chills when I hear it.

What's your favorite movie?

Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. If you click through to Amazon from Smart + Strong = Sexy, any purchase you make supports this site.

Ask the Reader

Today is my first official day of vacation (although a big chunk of it will be devoted to traveling) so I thought I'd put you guys in the driver's seat.


1. Are family vacations annual event for you?


2. Who goes with you on family trips? Just the people in your household, or your extended family?


3. What was your favorite vacation?



Since I'm asking you guys to work a little, I guess I can do the same.

1. In my mind annual - Jay's not use to that, so it's taken a little effort.  He swears the rest of the real estate industry thinks he's insane, but he makes a good living so I'm not going to worry about it.  Plus, as stressful as his job can be, he really needs a break.  Even if that break includes daily checking email and voicemail.


2. Typically we do an extended weekend with my parents, sister, BIL, niece and nephew. Then also a full week just the two of us.


3. My parents were great about taking us on vacation and making it special. Hawaii is the most exotic place we've been together (Not sure Ireland counts since we were visiting the BIL's family.) I loved the trips to the beach and my sister and I got to go with our grandparents and our parents stayed at home. It made me feel so grown up!

Check-in Wednesday

No, this isn't a weigh-in post, although having not eaten solid foods in 2+ days I can promise you I have lost weight this week, just not in the ideal fashion.

I've had the stomach flu or something very similar since Monday and its been less than pleasent.  Being on the computer or reading a magazine for too long makes me quesy, and nothing is on TV.  I've been stuck just listening to the radio with my eyes closed for hours at a time.  Thankfully I've snuck some naps in here and there to break up the monotony a bit.

I'm starting to get anxious because I need to get back to work.  We leave for Maui on Monday and I need to get caught up before I leave and get behind again.  (Makes perfect sense in my head.)

If you're still planning on doing a guest post for me while I'm gone, can you try to have it to me by Friday?  I'm not picky about subject.  Otherwise I'll just post randomness while I'm away. 

Hope all is well with you!  Forgive me for my lack of blog hopping recently. 

Weekend Update

Brought to you by the letter "F".  For forgiveness, football, and fantastic food.

• My mom went shopping this weekend, bought several shirts for $1.97 that were cute, but too small.  Guess who gets to keep them now?
• Went to a friend's house on Friday and got to hang out with a couple girlfriends I hadn't seen in a while.  Good times.
• Remodel dude said he will be finished and out of my house by Friday! I'm not holding my breath but somewhere deep, down in my heart I'm getting excited.
• Cleaned house on Saturday.  Since I played too much on the Internet, I wasn't able to kick back and read a book when done.  I regret that and plan to do better next Saturday I'm staying home.
• The computer blackout on Sunday was an epic fail, so I need to work on that for next Sunday.  Yet more time I could have been reading that library book that I need to get back to my mother.
• 3 days with no exercise again, so I guess I'm just going to call it quits on the 100 days/100 miles challenge.  My heart really wasn't in it,and I'm enjoying the days I get a break from exercising.
• The testimonial at church went well.  Although I lied while up there, but only due to my very poor math skills.  Told the congregation my church is 11 years  old, when in fact, it is only 9 years old.  Not sure how I came up with that, but my dad caught it later in the retelling.
• GO GREEN BAY!!!
• The shirt I'm wearing fits well from the navel up, but is too small in the hip/glutes area so I had to tuck it in.  I feel like I look like a dork.
• Is anyone still reading this?
• 10 points to whoever catches this
• I'm having fun just making new points.
• But I'm running out of things to say.

So that's my weekend in review.  Also, since I'll be gone for 2 weeks vacation, I'm looking for guest bloggers to keep the place lively.  I can also field questions from the audience to answer/schedule for while I'm gone.  Remember that time I asked you if you showed your husband your really long/fat poops?  Yeah well now its time to do the same for me.  (PS - I never believed you when you said you didn't.)

Hey Yall - Listen At This!

Found this on Mel's blog - follow along below.  Or better yet play along!!

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught




•What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

•What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

•What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

•What do you call gym shoes?

•What do you say to address a group of people?

•What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

•What do you call your grandparents?

•What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

•What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

•What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Weekend Wackiness

My family is crazy.

Its actually part of what I love about them.  We're very low maintenance when we get together.  Originally my aunt started hosting everyone the Saturday before Christmas.  We'd have typically potluck style foods then do a small white elephant gift exchange.

As her children got older, it became too difficult for my aunt to have everyone over, so I took the reins.  This weekend was Jay and my 3rd year hosting the event, and the first time at the farmhouse.  Our previous home was an open floor plan and was easy fitting everyone in between the formal dining room and the eating nook so close together (and open).

This year we had a decision to make - to eat in the formal dining room or scrunch up in the hearth room. Thankfully we decided upon the hearth room, as the dining room is still a dumping ground of remodeling supplies.

Even though we keep the menu simple and have everyone bring something, I did have moments of panic about the party.  What if I couldn't get my house clean in time?  What if everyone thought my house was dirty?  What if my house was dirty?  Notice a theme?  We are, after all, a family of neat-freak perfectionists.

My mom assured me that no one cared how clean my house was and just wanted to spend time together.  I seriously thought about cancelling, but since this is our Christmas to spend with Jay's family this would be my only time with the extended family.

I decided to keep the meal plan simple - I would make Santa Fe Soup (which mostly just involves ground beef and opening lots of cans of beans), my mom would bring hot beverages to enjoy, my aunt a red velvet cake (since its my favorite and wouldn't be around to enjoy it at Christmas) and my grandmother was in charge of all beef hot dogs and buns.  (My cousins is allergic to almost everything - chicken, turkey, beans.  Beef is about the only thing he can eat.)

Yep, we had hot dogs and soup.  Cause we're classy like that.

Another classy party favorite?  "Guess how much _____ weighs."  Jay had been chopping wood with my dad earlier in the day, so I told him to weigh at my parents house and tell no one.  Turns out he'd already compared numbers with my dad. 

Most people were off by Jay's weight by at least 10 pounds, my grandmother as much as 35.  He carries it well, especially when he can hide it with clothes.  Then my dad got up and had to show off how skinny he is and have people guess him.  I'd wrapped items from my CVS stash as door prizes.

My Papaw couldn't be left out of the fun, so of course he had to have everyone guess his weight.  Of course he's the skinniest (and tallest) of the group and wanted everyone to know it.  Then my Mamaw too her turn and Papaw pointed out who the heaviest in their relationship is (and its not him - after 50+ years of marriage you can get away with more). 

My aunt brought her Scrabble Apple game and her Scrabble dictionary.  We almost had WW3 break out a couple of weekends ago in Fall Creek Falls when she didn't bring her dictionary and we had to rely on Jay's magic box (laptop) to make rulings on questionable words.

Jay hooked up his magic box to the television and we looked at pictures from Fall Creek Falls, then Jay pulled up a rat fishing video created by a guy my dad works with.  It wasn't as funny though, without the commentary.  Dude's name is Paul but he goes by "Gomer" so I'm sure you can imagine that the commentary was colorful.

Then the moment everyone had been waiting for - our white elephant exchange.  The only rule is that the gift must be something you already own.  No money can be spend purchasing something.  This year ranged from the quirky (a state quarter map my dad was super pumped about) to the random (our old fireplace grate) to the lame (the VHS video of a fireplace & Christmas music).

I ended up with an old dish towel, $1 bill,and a ceramic bird.  I was excited about the money and the towel (it'll make a great workout sweat rag). 

We had a great time, my mom actually had to say "well we'd better get going" to spur everyone to start trickling out.  I felt like it was a great success. 

My family is weird.

But we're hilarious.

And that's why I love them so much!

Me Exposed

Just a preface - my exposed post isn't going to be like everyone else's.  That's okay though, because I'm not like everyone else.  This concept was born out of frustration and something that didn't work - but now I'm glad it didn't.  This post represents me and isn't that what the movement is all about? For more traditional exposed posts visit the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and the exposed Queen Mish.

What does Super Boo look like when she strips down?  When she sets the cape and alter ego aside?

She's the girl who tries desperately to make peace with her body...although it doesn't always work.

She's a girl who breaks down when she sees a picture of herself OWNING a 10 mile race, because her legs don't suit her.

She's the poor girl who grew up thinking that Freezer Queen Salisbury steak was a treat, as was shopping for school clothes at Goodies instead of Wal-mart or K-mart.

She's the girl in middle school who made fun of a classmate for what she was wearing...and has regretted it every moment since then.

She's the confident little girl that got jaded by life a little along the way.

She's the woman who gets self conscious about her body when her husband tries to compliment his favorite parts.

She's the woman who was left alone with a baby for the first time when her niece was 6 days old and her sister was in the hospital with congestive heart failure.  She sucked up her fear of losing her best friend because someone had to be strong for the family.

She's the young lady who "vacationed" in Memphis on a church mission trip putting a new roof on a home in the 90+ degree heat.

She's the slightly older young lady who "vacationed" in Memphis to help displaced Katrina victims that were displaced to a school.

She's the woman who prayed, cleaned, prayed some more, and cleaned even more when her husband called to say a live electrical wire fell on his vehicle as he was driving down the road.  Her house was spotless by the time help arrived to free him.

She's the same wife who, a few months earlier, had to beg her hemophiliac husband to go to the ER after sanding off the top of his finger. 

She's the woman who makes excuses as to why she doesn't need her parents down payment money for a house so that she doesn't offend them telling them she doesn't need it.

She gives her niece and nephew "money making more money" for their birthdays and Christmas because she understands the value of compound interest and saving money early in life.

She's the friend who visits your blogs and is excited for all the hard work you've done over the past week.  She's glad for your successes and sympathizes with your trials.  She enjoys reading your insightful thoughts on the scripture as well as your silly randomness in memes.

She's the blogger who feels more honest with her readers than she does with most of her IRL friends.  Partly because she forgets she is writing for anyone but herself. 

She lives in the house of her dreams.  Her aspirations of paying off her home mortgage in 5 years isn't just a dream - its a plan that they are currently working.  No matter how many people laugh and tell her its impossible.

She's the wife who ask her husband for help, then went on her own uploading pictures, working in Fireworks to prepare her photo.  Only to have her husband tell her 2 1/2 hours later that she was doing it wrong.

She's the girl who's turning in homework incomplete for the first time in her life today.  Because at 9:30 last night she gave up - defeated, broken - because in her quest to love herself, she'd been made to feel worse.

She's the girl who decided to go rogue at the last minute and make do with what she had. 

She's me.  

I've been fat.

I've been skinny.

I've been on top of mountains.

On my wedding day, my husband looked me in the eye and promised to love me forever.  He did this despite the fact that I weighed more on that day than I ever have in my life.

Through all of this, for better for worse...

I am me.

I love me.

I hate me.

And that's me.  Exposed.

Keeping it real

Did you ever wish you were someone that you weren't? 

I'm not talking about wishing you were Josh Holloway's wife or could do push ups like Demi Moore in GI Jane. (Hi Christie O!)

I'm talking about wishing that a part of you were opposite of who you really are. 

A coworker and I were talking about Disney and she said I was crazy for not flying down.  It a 12-14 hour drive for us and we could probably get tickets for about $100 more than we'd spend on gas heading down there.

At that moment I wished I was the kind of person who didn't care about spending money.  To be the kind of person who buys the latest cell phone with all the gadgets, that goes on vacation without worrying about the cost, that goes out and spends hundreds of dollars on new clothes because her old ones don't fit any more.

Yes it would be nice to "live a little."

But the cost of a plane ticket isn't worth the cost of my security.  I know I've quoted it before, but Dave Ramsey (quoting someone else I can't remember) says that discipline is simply remembering what you want?  He advised to not get bogged down in the how as much as focusing on the why.

Why do I want to save money?  Why would I choose to deprive myself now?

(Although you'd be hard pressed to convince me that a weekend trip to Disney to pay $100 to run 26.2 miles is hardly deprivation of any kind.)

• I want a paid for house.
  Our goal is to have the house paid in full over the course of the next 5 years.  Not an easy task, given that we haven't even had the home for a full year.  As a family who's livelihood is tied up in real estate, I think this is an important goal for us.  He only gets paid if he sells something, which doesn't happen every month.  Would be very freeing knowing that Bank of America isn't going to come calling at the first of every month - paycheck or no.
• I want to retire early enough to travel and enjoy life.
  Sure - I hope to be a healthy, spry 75 year old, but we're not promised that.  I'd love to be able to retire at 60, hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail with my Love.  Travel abroad, visit friends in other states (this means you) and just enjoy myself.
• Pay cash for a bathroom remodel.
  I think we're going to be able to do this one once we close on that piece of property we sold.  We had the money for the new bathroom, then Jay decided we should use it to buy the land when it went up for auction.  Good thing too, since we were able to sell it for a profit in a very short turn around time.
• Fund our Roth IRAs for 2010.
  Going along side both the retire and the bathroom goals, this one should happen this fall baring anything unforeseen.  The earlier you get started on retirement the more opportunity compound interest has to work in your favor.  I think we can accomplish this one with the money from the land sale.
• Save up to buy a Jay a new (to us) vehicle. 
  He works very hard to provide for the family.  Hopefully in the near future we'll be able to save up cash to purchase that redneck quad cab pickup he's been wanting for years.
• Vacation in Maui.
  We've had an offer from a buddy of Jay's who lives there to come stay with him for a week or two.

I realize that Disney falls into the "travel and enjoy life" category.  I really do.  But Maui on the cheap is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Disney is not.

So, yes, I'll admit to jealous of those of you wouldn't think twice about spending the cash for the plane tickets.  I do hope that I can convince Jay (and myself) that its worth it.

If not, I'll still be privileged enough to go to Disney, run the Marathon, and meet some wonderful ladies.  I may not have it all, but you've gotta admit to be able to do those three things I must have it pretty darn good.

Things that make my heart sing

Before I went to weights class I told Lora I'd link up to Thursday's 10.  Then I went to class wore my new size XS Nike sleeveless top...and spent most of the classing looking like Dora the Explorer. 

While the top fit me perfectly everywhere from the belly button up, it didn't like my hip area all that much and kept riding up to my mid section.  Seriously am I banished to a world of loose t-shirts for the rest of my life? 

I'm glad I committed to this list because I need to focus on the positive instead of something so trivial.

1. A roaring fire in my fireplace.

One benefit of a 100+ year old house is a wood burning fireplace.  And a husband who's willing to do the hard labor to make that fire happen.  Which brings me to...

2. The Mutant

He loves me unbelievably.  When the 7:55 PM alarm goes off and I'm too lazy to get up and take my pill, he gets into my purse, brings me my pill and a beverage.   He works both smarter and harder to provide for our family.  When I want to spend time with my family, not only does he not complain, he's exited to get the opportunity too.

Which leads me to...

3.  My niece and nephew

In the picture is the Mutant, the Little Man and the Irishman (my BIL).  Those kids are wonderful.  You know that.  I could go on for days but I'll just say that I have the best. niece & nephew. ever.

4. Reading

I love books. I'm currently reading Mockingjay, the 3rd in the Hunger Games triology.  I haven't plowed through this one the same as I did the other two, but mostly because I'm afraid of how its going to end. 

 I'm team Peeta and am terrified that she's going to end up with Gayle .  Or that the Capital will win and they'll all die.  Or something even worse that I haven't thought of yet.

These books are good.  I was leery at first, given the disturbing premise of the book.  A friend insisted and once I got into the first few chapters and really got to know the characters I was hooked.

5. Hiking

I've told the Mutant before - I'm blessed, he's smart.  I'm blessed because I was born in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He's smart because of all the places in the country he chose here to live.  (And smart for choosing me :P)

Of course the picture leads me to...

6. My friends. 

Family is great, but they are stuck with me.  Its great knowing that I have wonderful ladies out there that spend time with me not because they have to or are obligated to, but because they choose to.  Friends to talk you out of through a stupid idea.  Friends that encourage you when you've had a bad day.  Friends who interview potential boyfriends to make sure they are worthy.  (FYI - They only interviewed one and he passed.)

7. Running

That should go without saying.  But I heart it too much not to mention it.  Its good therapy.  It provides me with countless non scale victories (which are crucial since yall have banned me from getting on the scale).  Its why I will be able to enjoy retirement by hiking the Appalachian Trail.  (Lord willing and the creek don't rise.) 

8.  Toasted Almond Iced Coffee w/skim milk and 2 splendas
(Dunkin Donuts)

Yum!  My sister got me a NY Yankee reusable cup when she was headed home from Cape Cod this summer.  Since its an official Dunkin cup I just get charged $1 for a refill whenever I use it.

9. Shoes. 

I love shoes.  I typically wear pumps, but have a pair or two of "f" me heels.  I had a lady comment that I was dressed down because I was wearing flats with a dress - in a work place where cargo khakis and baby tees are common place. 

Don't get me wrong I love my flats too.  And my tennies.  And my flops. 

*Note to self - take picture of kick-a shoe shelving system that the mutant built me.*

10. The Internet

I can't choose which I like better: blogs, twitter, facebook, message boards.  I've met quite a few online friends IRL.  I'm thankful for the love and support I get from all of you.

If only I had a home computer that could go wireless so I could enjoy you from my front porch swing...

The September Project

For the Month of August the Sisterhood challenged us to clean out our pantries and get things organized.  Never one to shrink away from the ultimate control freak high - putting things in their proper order - I tackled this project with all I had.

My final report was complete with pictures of my stash and a new challenge for myself - do only limited grocery shopping for the month and eat mostly from the pantry.

I decided that I would spend $15 or less weekly on groceries - allowing only enough for fresh produce, eggs, and milk.  I'll let you in on a secret: in my house we don't eat that many eggs and we certainly don't drink/use much milk.  The mutant is apparently a fruitphobe and only eats veggies when I cook them for dinner.

Given the quantity of food items in my house and our lack of fresh food eating, I never really expected this challenge to be difficult.  It was mostly for my purposes, to try to get creative with cooking as well as seeing how long our food stockpile would last.

I'll just tell you - I barely made a dent in it.  There were those lazy nights where I just made pizza rolls or baked frozen chimichangas with cheese sauce on top.  There were also nights where I dug deep into the cabinets and made old favorites with what we had stocked up.

The final result? 

$40.56 spent on groceries for the month (not including the weekend I was on vacation).  That's a $13.52 per week average.

Frozen convenience food was the only portion of our pantry that was used up, although the meat stash is starting to become slim pickins.  Jay and I are considering buying a 1/2 of a cow (not sure who we would split it with) to refill our freezer for the winter. 

If you've bought a whole cow like this before - please let me know what you though of it and any advice you might have!

The project did get me back into the habit of meal planning, although with lunches I've still got some work to be done.  I'm also excited to be pulling the "beef for stewing" out of the freezer for dinner this week.  Our temperatures have plummeted and its definitely beef stew weather!

You know the drill

I'm in that mood.  You know the one.  I come on here and whine about how fat I am, poor I am, lazy, unorganized - fill in the complaint of the day.  My head knows full well none of those are true but some days my heart just wants to cry because while they may not be true, they feel true.

I can't quite weighing myself.  Every week even though I've done nothing to make the number go down, I step on the scale hoping something will change. 

And it does change - it goes up.

I've been instructed to stop weighing, but I ignore it.  What if I don't weigh and all of a sudden gain a million pounds?  I am weighing and still gaining so that argument doesn't hold water, yet I cling to it.

I read books that teach me to honor my body as a temple of the Lord.  I gain the knowledge, but it doesn't quite make it to my heart.

I watch movies that remind that man looks at the outward but God looks at the heart.  And I cry.  I hope that its a lesson that the Princess grows up knowing.  But I just can't get it through my thick head.

I think I'm going to have to get out my "fat" clothes.  Its either that or lose the weight, and while I wallow around in the fact that I don't want it on my body I can't muster up the gumption to do anything about it.

Because most fat people you know who lack self control train for a triathlon followed by a half marathon followed by a full marathon. 

PS - My house is filthy too.

A Fun Discovery

Even the most organized amongst us have junk drawers.  Or at least I do. 

Sadly, I have one even at work.  I was looking through it the other day and found 2 floppy disks from college.  Just so you know, when I was in college floppies were no longer actually floppy.

I'm not sure why I was keeping them, but I went poking through them this morning and found some interesting stuff - enough to keep me in blog posts for a while.

In my creative writing class we had to write poetry as well as short stories.  I have no clue what I was thinking when I wrote this one, but I'll explain the assignment at the end.


She violently rips away his disguise.
He wears a callous skin,
trying to conceal his tenderness,
yet she tears through.


Piece by piece
she mutilates his dream.


His tears flow freely
as she severs him into fragments.


Only seeds remain,
Cast away by his assassin.

Our assignment was to write a poem about an orange.  Yep, a piece of fruit.  Go re-read.  I'll wait.
 
File this one under "what the beep was i thinking?"