Day 68 - Tears, Rain, and Super Cute Pictures

Well, we missed the rain for the most part today.  We were able to reschedule the hair appointments and then made our way to Bardstown for the photo session.  It was cloudy and looked fairly ominous for most of the day, but it didn't start to pour until we had already finished and were enjoying a nice lunch with the photography team.

I was afraid that she might be in a bad mood today and I was right.  The whole time they were snapping photos we tried everything in our power to make her laugh (or at least  smirk) and we had absolutely no luck at all.  

Of course as soon as it was over she was back to her playful, happy self...

Typical baby espionage.  >.<

I still think the pictures that they've posted so far are absolutely adorable.  I can't wait to see the rest of them.

Today was also my "no calorie counting" meal and I must say that it was quite delicious.   We went to Hometown Pizza in Bardstown and my Mom and I split a Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza.  You would think, with as many Totino's as I eat, pizza would be the last thing I would want.  The thing is...I never get tired of pizza.  I could probably eat it every single day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.  

Pizza rocks.

Tomorrow I plan on finishing up my homework and work on migrating the blog over to HouseBailey.net.  Wish me luck. 

Check out this cutie pie!  Huge shout out to My Studio 310 for all their patience and hard work today.  These pictures turned out so great!

"Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get."

~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Day 67 - Long weekends FTW!

Today has been a terrific day!  Not only has it been relaxing but I've also managed to be rather productive as well.  I love it when that happens.  I woke up (quasi) early and finished most of my homework.  Then I did all of my laundry for the week while I exercised for an hour.  

Speaking of that...

Glee is going to give me a freaking heart attack by the time it's over.  I'm just sayin'.

Back to my productive, yet relaxing day.  I haven't even gotten to the best news yet.  My mom is here for the weekend!  She got here around lunch time and we've spent the afternoon meandering through random stores.  Tomorrow we'll be taking the munchkin (by buddy's little munchkin, I certainly don't have one) to get her first haircut and then it's time for surprise pictures for Mommy and Daddy!  I can't wait!

Another reason why today was awesome was today was the day that I realized that I actually don't really care for deep fried anything anymore.  My Mom and I stopped at McDonald's for just a small lunch and I had 6 chicken nuggets and a small fry (510 calories, so respectable in one sense at least).  My stomach has been upset with me ever since.  I feel bloated and nauseated and just all around blah.  I would have much rather had my little sliced chicken sandwich, Funyuns, and a yogurt.  I was just amazed when it hit me, "I could never eat at McDonald's again and I would be OK with that."

Talk about a revelation.  

It seems like things are continuing to improve in other areas of our life since we made our choice to live a (mostly) healthy lifestyle.  Our entertainment budget has decreased significantly.  Our house stays a bit cleaner.  Our energy levels are 10 times what they were 3 months ago.  Personally, I've even noticed that my skin is much clearer and my hair is shinier.  My overall mood has changed dramatically.  It never ceases to amaze me at how crazy I am to ever fall off the wagon in the first place.  Eating right and exercise really is the best anti-depressant on the market.  I know better than anyone, I've probably been on 10 different pills since I was 12.  Now I take nothing.  Aside from the occasional Aleve for the aches and pains of someone my size exercising 4-5 days a week for 45 minutes to an hour, I don't need any kind of medication to keep my sanity.  

Does it help that I cohabitate with someone that might be the most patient person in the world?  Probably.  But he'll be the first to tell you that even he wasn't safe before I started changing my lifestyle choices.  The past 3 months has really been an eye opener for me.  I can't wait to see what the next 3 months brings!

Right now I'm more excited about tomorrow than anything.  This is going to be so much fun!

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."

~Bil Keane

Day 66 - Pre Friday Woes

The ups and downs continue...

Today has kind of sucked, with brief moments of awesome.

Work, class, homework.  5:10AM - Present (10:37PM).

Sucky points:

• Photo session for Saturday cancelled
• Still don't understand networking
• Co-worker (of boss status in a different department) thoroughly annoyed me
• 5 hours of sleep

Awesome points:

• Woke up next to Cliff
• Rode to work with Cliff
• Worked all day with Cliff
• Rode home with Cliff
• Hung out with Cliff until class
• Got to talk to my mom after class
• Cliff helped me with my homework 
• I wrote my own vacation planning program that actually works!!!

So, luckily the awesome outweighs the bad in the end.  

I'm still looking forward to the weekend even if it isn't going exactly as planned.  I'm slowly, but surely learning how to roll with the punches.  (The royal punches, not the punches that I, literally, want to throw at some people).

I have somehow managed to not eat everything in sight this week.  I did, however, have a bite sized Butterfinger today and it was amazing.  I had almost forgotten just how fantastic chocolate actually is.  Not because I deprive myself or starve myself, but because I don't eat it by the barrel every chance I get anymore.  Now I'm able to actually enjoy the taste of these wonderful little morsels without the worry of biting my tongue off in my frenzied attempt at shoveling them all in my mouth at once.

I also didn't work out today.  I know, I know "But Jodi, exercising releases endorphins and is the best treatment out there for feeling blah."  I just didn't have it in me today.  I'm not going to get myself too worked up about it.  I plan on getting up in the morning and working out for an hour before my parents get here.  Then I'm going to work on some more homework and finish up a few things around the house.  I'm really looking forward to a day off that's still going to be pretty productive, but only in areas that I want to be productive in.

Except homework.

No 30 year old on the planet wants to have homework on the weekend.  It has to rank pretty high on the torture scale for most people.

I just have to endure for a little longer and keep telling myself that the end result is more than worth it.

But right now, it sucks.

"I know of no time in human history where ignorance was better than knowledge."

~Neil deGrasse Tyson

Day 65 - I feel a little crazy coming on...

Ok...so hormones are caaaraaazzzyyy today.  Up and down and up and down.  Stupid Wicked soundtrack and it's stupid awesome songs.  Stupid job paying me money in a low stress environment.  Stupid husband trying to constantly cheer me up and make me feel loved.

Stupid.

Blerg.

Today has been a long, tiring day.  No matter how much I tried to cheer myself up I just couldn't feel myself out of a funk today.  I look in the mirror and feel like I've gained all my weight back.  In my brain my clothes are tighter, my face is completely broken out, and nothing anyone says changes it.  It's so incredibly annoying.

Luckily, I haven't let it get the best of me yet.  I made it through without yelling at anyone (I only barely raised my voice at the hubs and I'm sure he deserved it!).  I didn't quit my job, I didn't eat the 100 Snickers bars that I wanted, and I came home and exercised even though my abs still feel like gremlins are lurking around in there waiting for their chance to rip out of my body.  So all in all I think I'm handling the rollercoaster quite splendidly, thankyouverymuch.

Now I'm just sitting in class (looks like I'm learning a ton, right?) waiting for my turn to watch the instructor make networking wires or some crap.  I know how to do that already.  It's called Amazon.  Duh.

I've started playing around with the template on my blog and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.  We also purchased a domain today because our old email addresses are going to go away soon and we wanted to keep something that we liked.  So Housebailey.net it is!  Now I just get to figure out how to import all of the information from here to there, if that's even possible.  I suppose that the worst case scenario would be A LOT of copy and paste. 

I'm so incredibly happy that this week is almost over.  It has been entirely too busy.  I really need to learn how to allocate my time better so I'm not left feeling so frazzled. 

Crazy hormones + impossible schedule =

This weekend is going to be pretty busy as well, but I'm looking forward to all of it which means it will really fly by.  Next week is going to feel like a mini vacation after this is all over.

I do (did) get to see two of my good buddies this week and I'm pretty stoked about that.  (I get to see the BFF every week now, so that doesn't count).  I just wish that I could see them more often.

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely."

~Pam Brown

Day 64 - Weigh-In

Another 2 pounds down today!  That's a total of 24.4 pounds since Cliff and I started tracking together in July and a 33.8 pound loss from my initial MFP login in June.  Not quite wedding dress territory, but I'm getting there.  

We had dinner with friends tonight and I was only able to squeeze in a quick 30 minutes on the elliptical.  Boy, was I shocked when it felt like a vacation day!  The different between 30 minutes and 45 minutes may not seem like much, but trust me...it really is.  However, my abs (which I didn't even know I had, thankyouverymuch!) feel like they're going to rip themselves from my abdomen and go all Chuck Norris on everyone around me.  It.hurts.so.bad.  

All in all, I'm happy with the rate of loss.  I'm a little over target (2.01 pounds/week) on losing 100 pounds this year, so that's good.  I was hoping to be down to 265 by the time we went on our annual girl's only shopping trip in Cincinnati in November, but at this rate it looks like it will be closer to 270-273.  I'm definitely going to try to hit the 265 mark, but I certainly won't be bummed about 270ish.

I plan on revamping the blog this weekend and making it into something that I can finally start sharing with my friends.  I'm still learning all the ins and outs about blogging, but I would say that it's safe to assume that I can actually keep this one up.  Plus, I would also like to start posting some playlists, recipes, and some other topics that I think my buddies would enjoy.  The real question is where I'm going to find the time to do it...

Here I am, blogging away as my hubby takes this week's weigh-in photo.  I'm both happy and irritated with this one.  Irritated because of my belly, but happy to see that I'm down to only one spare tire and it's deflating quickly.  It will definitely be a nice picture to look back on one day once I have my flat tummy.  

“I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. That is when I start counting, because then it really counts. That’s what makes you a champion.”

~Muhammad Ali

Day 63 - Zumba Part Deux

Tonight was my second Zumba class and, even though I'm not able to do half the moves, I felt like I did better this week than last time.  She threw in some ab workouts tonight and I thought I was going to die or throw up or both.  I couldn't even do the last ones (where we had to lift our legs off the ground while we did a crunch) so I just kept doing regular crunches.  

The important part is that I'm not giving up and I keep moving even if I can't keep up with everything.  That's all that matters right now.

I just keep telling myself, over and over, that there was once a day where I felt like I was going to due after 15 minutes on an elliptical and now a 30 minute jaunt is a super light day.  It's just like everything else, it's going to take practice.  I'm really proud of my friend, Ashley.  She goes in there and kicks @$$, and I'm super jealous of her amazing level of self confidence.  

My back doesn't hurt quite as bad, but I feel an ice pack calling my name for in the morning.  At least it doesn't feel like it's going to last all week this time.  I have way too busy of a week to be slowed down by back pain.

Tomorrow is another weigh in and dinner with our friends, Katie and Troy at Cracker Barrel.  I can't wait to introduce Cliff to the 600 calorie dinner at Cracker Barrel!  It's delicious!

Day 62 - Go Vikes!

I felt like today was both relaxing and productive.  I finished all my laundry, deep cleaned my bedroom (including dusting the fan and cleaning the walls), did all of my User Support homework, and still managed to entertain a house full of people during the Vikings big win today.  

Life is good.

My mother in law came over and made an amazing pot roast.  Now that I like cooked carrots, I was able to fill up on a vegetable that wasn't a potato for a change.  The Vikes played the Steelers at Wembley Stadium in England and was able to pull out a win.  I would say it was a pretty awesome day overall.

The weekend was actually pretty fantastic.  I got a lot of errands done, had dinner with the hubby and a friend if ours last night and even snuck in a Brown Turtle sundae from Dairy Kastle.  

I snuck onto the scale this morning (I really try to only weigh once a week, but sometimes I just can't take it) and was down another 2 pounds, even after ice cream last nigh.  Hope that still shows up on Tuesday.

Looking forward to another busy, but fun filled week!

"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence."

~Vince Lombardi

Day 61 - Where did my chins go?!

Oh, irony...

I missed my big 60 day post so I guess that answered my inner question about when I should officially lay out my strategy thus far and what has worked and what hasn't.  Looks like that will have to wait until the Day 100 post.

I want to be sure to encompass this entire journey as much as possible, but realistically posting daily just isn't feasible while I'm working full time, going to school full time, working out for an hour, 5 days a week, and possibly taking vocal lessons in the near future.  

Until I get a Chromebook and then I'll be unstoppable.

This has been a busy, but productive week.  I'm looking forward to getting some things done around the house, taking care of my homework, and having some me time this weekend.  I don't think there's a person on the planet that's as happy as I am about working with my spouse.  We get to spend a lot of our day together (quality time, not just work time) so I don't feel too terribly about having a packed schedule right now.  We both understand that we're taking this time to pave the way to spending many, many more years together and if it means that we aren't together every waking moment for now, it's OK.

I did miss one workout day this week because we got stuck at work in a meeting.  However, I'm super proud of myself and I do plan on making up the exercise over the weekend.  Currently I'm doing  Zumba class on Monday's and then 50 minutes on the elliptical every day.  Plus, this week, I bumped myself up a level (now I'm on 4 out of 9) on the elliptical and am consistently completing 7.25 miles at my pace.  Considering that 11 weeks ago I could barely handle half an hour on the absolute lowest setting and was lucky to see 3 miles roll over, I would say that's a pretty great accomplishment.

This week was also the first week that I could REALLY see the weight starting to fall off.  I've worn several of my older shirts from my 262 pound days and even got to wear my Wicked T-shirt for the first time!  I can also see the definition in my face starting to come back.  One of the places that I'm most self-conscious about is my chin(s) and it's so nice to see it begin to recede again.  It's been a really great week all in all.

Here's a picture from today (mid week 11 on our chart, which I will post more on in my epic Day 100 post next month) looking straight at the camera with no "head tilted up, camera looking down" cheating.

Today's quote is such a very, very important quote for me.  I've spent most of my life with the mentality that I would rather not try something than to risk failing at it.  This irrational fear has made me miss out on some wonderful experiences.  I refuse to live my life that way anymore.  There's just too many amazing things out there waiting for me (and everyone!) and life is far too short to worry about failure.  I've learned that anyone can accomplish anything with the right attitude, the willingness to put forth effort, and learning to just let go and let life happen to them.  We control our own destiny and I know now that it's never too late to pursue our dreams.

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."

~Bill Cosby

Day 59 - Just a little pick-me-up

Still not a lot going on today.  I had my first Visual Programming class tonight and that was pretty awesome.  The teacher seems like he's going to be great, so I'm actually looking forward to learning some cool stuff.  Hopefully I can apply some if to my blog.

I plan on making a pretty lengthy post tomorrow night (time permitting) about my progress so far and my short and long term goals.  I thought it would be fitting for Day 60.

Going to school full time and maintaining a work out regimen 5 days a week is pretty time consuming so today I thought I would post some more old pictures for motivation.

Enjoy!

Day 58 - I need a vacation already

Not a lot to say.

Exhausted.

Freezing.

Wishing I was back in the Virgin Islands.

I apologize in advance for my Wednesday and Thursday posts during school.

"A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad."

~Theodore Roosevelt

Day 57 - No pain, no gain

Man oh man was I sore today.  I don't know that I've ever been so tired or sore in my life.  We still managed to take our morning walk at work and I even forced myself to get on the elliptical.  I'm really trying to adopt this whole "No pain, no gain" attitude, but it's...well, it's very painful.

However, I am now, officially, back into the 280's.  Hurray!

I weighed in today at 289.6.  A 15 pound loss from mine and Cliff's start, but a 30 pound loss from my highest on My Fitness Pal (so I'm going with that one).

I might be in pain and sometimes I might go to bed a little hungry, but I can honestly say that I've never felt this good in my life.  I know it's going to get harder before it gets easier, but I know that this time I will put in my time and effort and I will be finished being unhealthy.  I'm living a new life that I feel motivated about every single day.  

Time for today's weigh-in picture and a little bonus pic of the hubby on our way into work this morning.  I had a wonderful view (and I don't mean the sky).

Quite possibly my favorite quote ever:

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” 

– Carl Bard

Day 56 - My First Zumba Adventure

I did it!  I went to my first Zumba class and it was awesome!  I couldn't keep up with everyone in the class, but that was expected.  I'm just happy that I made it all the way through the class without stopping.  I hurt in places that I never even knew existed, but it's a good hurt.  I don't necessarily think that it's going to be a good hurt in the morning, but we'll see.  Regardless of how I feel tomorrow, I'll be on that elliptical tomorrow afternoon.  

I work out 5 days a week.  That's my life now.  No matter what, 30 minutes of activity (at least) 5 days a week.  

Well, it looks like I have a packed week for the next 3 months.  Zumba on Monday and class on Wednesday and Thursday.  Homework for the rest of the week.  

I'm soooo glad we decided not to celebrate Christmas anymore.  There's no way I could keep this up through the holidays.

Now it's time to relax and recap on The Walking Dead.

"The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall."

~Vince Lombardi

Day 55 - Blame it on the Alcohol

Yeah, yeah I missed another day.  But this time I can blame it on the alcohol!

{Insert clip of Glee's cover of "Blame it on the Alcohol" that doesn't exist}

Today is going to be a nice relaxing day to recover from last night.  

Never. Drinking. Again. 

Blerg.

However, on a much better note I now have a buddy to drag along with me to see all the musicals that come to town.  I can't wait for my next show at Whitney Hall.  Looks like it's going to be The Book of Mormon.

Well I'm off to try and nurse this hangover and watch some football.

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

Theodore Roosevelt 

Day 53 - Something has changed within me...

This is my super happy face. 

• New job - Awesome
• Worked out for 5 days in a row 
• Up to 45 minutes on the elliptical
• Went 7 WHOLE MILES on that beast
• Got to see my best friend for an entire night
• Ordered carrots and green beans in a restaurant and LOVED them
• Fit into my Under Armour t-shirt that I bought last year as my first goal shirt
• Husband - Awesome (as usual)

Life is pretty damned amazing right now.

Future Jodi - listen to me...

Keep going.  Do not stop.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  Don't be afraid to dream big.  Don't stop until you want to stop and don't let anyone and I mean ANYONE slow you down.

"Something has changed within me.

 Something is not the same.
 I'm through with playing by the rules
 of someone else's game.
 Too late for second-guessing -
 Too late to go back to sleep.
 It's time to trust my instincts,
 close my eyes, and leap..."

~Defying Gravity (Wicked)

Day 52 - Hangin' with the Bear

Today was yet another day that went off without a hitch.  Work, exercise, dinner cooked, and kitchen cleaned.  My mood has remained just off the charts fantastic.  I'm super excited to see my best friend tomorrow night, then it's off to drink my cares away Saturday night and football on Sunday.  Tomorrow will be the first time I've completed 5 nights a week on the elliptical and I'm really looking forward to this milestone.

Not much to report tonight, just hanging out at home watching The Walking Dead and hanging out with the Bear.

"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."

~Woodrow Wilson

Day 51 - It's Official...I'm a Gleek

Defying Gravity has to be one of the most uplifting and motivating songs I've ever heard.  It has really done a number on my psyche the past few months.  The whole Glee cast has actually made a huge impact on my outlook.  I know that sounds like a horrible cliche and I might even sound like a sell-out, but I really don't care.  There's something about the show, the actors, the songs, the lessons, just all of it really.  

The funny part is that when I first started watching it I couldn't stop wishing that my high school experience had been like that.  (I told you that it sounded cliche)  I've always wished that I had some sort of musical talent.  Something that made me special.  Anything.  But there was nothing.  I'm not musically inclined. I can't sing. I can't dance.  Even in school, I was a terrible backup singer and I can't even carry a tune in the shower.  Yes, I'm that bad. 

Music has always been a huge motivational force in my life.  I've listened to (and enjoyed) every single genre from Acid Rock to Zydeco.  From Bob Segar and Hank Williams when I was a kid to Modest Mouse and Broadway musicals as an adult and everything in between, I'm constantly listening to music.  I have a pair of bluetooth headphones that go with me everywhere. I can usually be found bebopping through the house while I clean, dancing through grocery aisles when no one is looking, and dancing with the lawn mower on pretty spring/fall days.  I can't do any of it well and I've made my peace with that over the years.  

But all that's about to change.  I've decided to take dance lessons.  I'm going to start with just Zumba (because most people seem to be able to do that, so that's encouraging) but eventually I would like to take adult ballet and hip hop classes.  I can't tell other people that I care about (YES, I MEAN YOU MOTHER) that it's never too late to follow their dreams if I don't even make an attempt at following one of my own.  So, Monday night I'm going to start making the trek to Bardstown, KY to meet my best friend at 6PM every week for class.  Baby steps.

If nothing else, it's gonna get my my smokin' hot bod back by my birthday.

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."

~Christopher Reeve 

The Big 5-0 - Meh, it happens

Well, I thought that I would have better news today...

But I don't.

I'm still in the 290's, but barely.  I was pretty bummed about it this morning but that's a distant memory now.  

I stayed in my calories all day, I came home and worked out for 45 minutes, then I went to the grocery and speed walked through the whole store.  I stayed positive and completely forgot about it until it was time to post. 

It was still a loss of 2 pounds this week, so I have nothing to feel bad about even if I'm still in the 290's.  It just means I'll have an awesome Tuesday next week.  

Today was week 10 and I'm down a total of 14 pounds.  That's an average of 1.4 pounds per week.  In order to reach my goal of losing 100 pounds in a year, I need to lose an average of 1.8 per week.  I guess it's time to pick it up a bit.  Luckily I've found a way to exercise for 45 minutes without hating it.  I've been watching episodes of Glee while I'm on the elliptical and it's awesome.  That show is just so motivating.  I guess there's a little Broadway star inside of me somewhere dying to get out.  Everytime they burst into song (which is often) it makes me go a little faster and work a little harder.  

The episode that I watched today filled me full of energy and I found myself dancing around the kitchen while I was making the grocery list, in the car, and through the whole grocery store.

I must have looked like an idiot.

And I don't care.

The world needs a little more dancing and singing  and smiling in it.

"Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A 'you can do it' when things are tough."

~Richard M. DeVos

Day 49 - I'm coming for you 289!

I'm not going to say much tonight.  The only thing I'm going to say is that the last time I weighed less than 290 pounds was the happiest day in my life.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

~Mignon McLaughlin

Day 48 - Baby Steps

I continued the great weekend theme today.  Slept in, watched the Vikings ALMOST beat the Bears, had a terrific dinner with Cliff, and went to Whole Foods.  Relaxing with a touch of productive, just the way I like my Sundays.  Better enjoy it while I can because soon it will be back to being a homework day.

I tried to eat a salad today.  I did pretty well, but there were some tactical blunders on both ends that made me barely make it through half of it.  

#1 - I forgot to say, "No tomatoes."

#2 - They don't have cucumbers (right!?  Who doesn't have cucumbers!)

#3 - They gave me 2 croutons...

#4 - And no crackers

Blerg.

Baby steps, though.  Next time I'm going to try a place with a salad bar and see what it's like to make my own.  

I'm super excited for Tuesday this week.  First off, the weigh in is going to be great, I can feel it.  Second off, Cliff is going to cook me a perfect New York Strip for my congratulatory dinner (yes, I'm that confident).  It's going to be a tasty week for us!

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."

~Helen Keller

Day 47 (I don't care of it's after midnight!)

Today definitely turned out to be completely different than I thought it was going to.  Not that I really thought that it was going to be bad, per se...but let's just say that it had potential.

The morning didn't really start off that great despite the fact that I was in bed before 9 and wound up getting around 10 hours of sleep (which is fantastic since I'm just now getting home at 2:30 in the morning).  I was immediately running late, my house was not kid-proofed, since I wasn't expecting a 5 year old and an 18 month old, just a 30 year old child.  (ba dum ching)  I forgot to put my pork roast in the crockpot until about 3 minutes before I was supposed to leave for my hair appointment.  It just had all the makings of one huge cluster f#$%$^ of a day. 

Turned out to be the complete opposite.  

I was able to get my basement cleaned out, my hair cut, roast cooked, last minute picnic arranged, 4 hours or so of geocaching, and made it to Leanne's birthday party with time to spare.

Did I mention her party started at 9?

PM.

At night.

Yes, I'm serious.

I thought for sure that we would show up, say hello, have a drink, and head out.  Yet, here I am...5 1/2 hours later, barely able to talk from all the singing.  Needless to say, it was a blast.  I got to see lots of friends that I hadn't seen in a while and we got to sing karaoke songs that Cliff would never, in a million years, let me play at the house.  :)

However, several hours at Bernheim + several hours at a karaoke bar = super exhausted Jodi.  

The geocaching wasn't a super success, we only found one cache, but the weather and the park were fantastic and we walked A LOT, so we got out workout in...even if I drank some of it back later tonight.

I guess it just continues to show me that, even if things don't go according to plan, it doesn't mean that the whole day needs to ruined.  I think I'm getting better at the spontaneous aspect of life and just kind of going with the flow.  Maybe one day I'll be as mellow as the hubby.

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

~Lao Tzu

Day 46 - Early to bed, early to rise

I can't believe I'm in bed at 9pm n a Friday.  I'm happy about it, make no mistake, but just can't quite believe it.  I guess it's for the best, considering the day that lies ahead of me tomorrow. 

1.  Wake up and pack up basement
2.  Get hair cut at 11
3.  Go geocaching at Bernheim after the guys finish moving junk to Madre's
4.  Come home, shower, find cute outfit (if possible), and do makeup 
5.  Go to Leanne's birthday party

All of these things sound like a good time (except maybe the makeup) but its all going to be time consuming, no doubt.  

Thus, the reason I'm in bed right now.

I can't wait it go back to Bernheim tomorrow.  We haven't been there in years.  

Today's picture is pretty motivating.  The last time we were there, I was just a hair over 260.  

I wore the same hoodie to work today.  :)

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. 

~Chinese Proverb

Day 45 - Hair Triumphs!

I finally got my hair in a clippy today!  I'm so happy!  I cut all my hair off a little over a year and a half ago and I've been trying to grow it out ever since.  I was so excited to be able to twist my hair up and just throw it in a clip.  I'm looking forward to getting my hair trimmed this weekend, perhaps I'll even wear it down next week.  

This week has absolutely flown by.  It's been pretty awesome though.  I even worked out three times this week and plan on doing it again tomorrow and possibly even geocaching this weekend.  Two of my workouts were 45 minutes!  I've learned that watching Glee and losing weight at the same time is just dandy.

Looks like I'm going to finally be able to clean out quite a bit of basement this weekend.  A friend of mine is getting a trailer and we're going to get rid of A LOT of stuff.  Then it's time to shampoo the carpets!  I loooooove shampooing my carpet.  I only get to do it maybe once a year, but it's awesome.  Everything is so nice and clean afterwards.  So this weekend is shaping up to be a fine follow-up to the week.

Things aren't horribly exciting right now, but it's nice and relaxing which is just what I need while I'm off of school.  I feel like my break should already be over, but luckily I still have over a week left.  I'm interested to see what a full-time schedule is going to be like again.  Now that I don't have a horrible, stressful, negative environment to deal with for 8-10 hours a day, I'm assuming that it would be quite a bit easier than it was last time.  If I can maintain the full-time schedule I only have 3 quarters left.  After that it's going to be off to my Bachelor's degree, possibly Master's, and several certifications.  

But that's in the future.  Right now I'm just happy about my clippy.  

"I'd rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed."

~Robert H. Schuller

Day 44 - I love being 30

Today was a pretty great day.  Work was terrific and fast, I did 45 minutes on the elliptical, got to talk to my mom and my bestie, and reconnected with an old pal on Facebook.  I'm super tired and ready for sleep.  

After talking for a while with my old acquaintance and looking for a cute picture to post that was reminiscent of our time spent together, I realized just what an old fuddy duddy I've turned into.  

And I'm perfectly fine with that.

I'm fine with being in bed before 9:30 (sometimes, even on the weekend).  I'm good with skipping the bar scene on Friday nights.  Maybe I'm crazy, but being in my 30's is rocking pretty hardcore.  

Tomorrow is shaping up to be pretty great as well, followed by a pretty busy weekend.  I'm glad I have another week before my classes start.  I'm going to need it.

"Age is strictly a case of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

~Jack Benny

Day 43 - Weigh in

Another weigh in has come and gone.  I'm back to 292 which is a 13 pound loss.  Not exactly where I wanted to be at this point, but much better than I was 9 weeks ago.  I'm slowly, but surely getting back into the routine.  My hormones are completely out of whack, but hopefully that will be over soon.  

The official promotion was discussed today and I officially make more than I've ever made in my life.  I still can't believe it.  It certainly puts me way ahead of schedule on our 5 year plan.  It's been a really great week.  

Now if I can just stick to my eating and exercising routine and have a loss next week then it will be even better. 

Here is a weigh in picture:

“Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” 

~Denis Waitley

Day 42 (I know, I know)

Well, it finally happened.  I missed a day.  I woke up and realized it at 2 o'clock this morning.  Since it was already technically too late I fell asleep despite my horrible guilt complex.  The thought has plagued me all day.  

I can blame it on an 18 month old.  Or perhaps I could blame it on my complete and utter sadness over the Viking's loss against the Lions.  Or even the fact that my house was full of people all day.  

Blerg.

But the truth is I just forgot.  I was exhausted, went to bed at 8, and had snoozed for six hours before I remembered.   

I guess I can forgive myself just this once.  Maybe.

I was able to make myself feel a little better by actually getting back on the elliptical today and staying within my calories.  I know it's too little, too late as far as the weigh in goes tomorrow morning, but I'm just glad that I didn't fall completely off the wagon this time.  

This weekend was too awesome for me to feel bad about food.

"Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back."

                                               ~John Ruskin

Day 40 - A Day With the Munchkin

Today has been another great day.  I took my Mom to get her hair cut and then we stopped at the Farmer's Market.  I loaded up with fruit and some white cheddar pimento cheese spread.  We also got some sun dried tomato bacon that I'm sure she can't wait to try in the morning.  

She also got half of a great looking watermelon that she never even opened.  >.<

Then we picked up my Dad and met Sarah and Kaydence at Ichiban for some wonderful sushi.

We've had Kaydence since about 2 and it's just been awesome.  She is the coolest toddler I've ever seen.  We spent about 2 hours in the toy store and I've never seen a more well behaved child.  It was amazing.

Then we went over to Target and picked up a few things and then it was time to come back to the house and have dinner with the guys.

You noticed how many times food was mentioned in this post right?  Yes, I need to find a way to get back on track.  Cliff has been amazing.  He hasn't wavered at all and is still working out 4-5 times a week.  I just don't know how he does it.  I would give anything to have his energy level.  

Blerg.  

Well, tomorrow is a new day...although it is a day that happens to be the day that the first Vikings game falls. on.

Did I mention blerg?

Oh well, right now I had this awesome little chick to take my mind off of things for the day.  I'll be so sad to see her go tomorrow.  

 "Babies are such a nice way to start people."

~Don Herold

Day 39 - Let's Get This Weekend Started!

Yay, my Mommy is here!  I know, I know I just saw her last weekend, but I don't care.  I love it!  Maybe one day I'll convince her to move to the big city (not this one, but the next one we move to).  We'll see.

It was a short day at work today because we had a going away party for two of the DA's that left the company.  Plus we moved to our new desks and sent us home at 1 because we wouldn't have our computers for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow is going to be awesome!  I'm taking Mom to get her hair cut and then we're going to meet Sarah and Kaydence at Ichiban and we're going to take Kaydence home with us for the night.  I'm so excited!

Then the first Vikings game of the season is on Sunday and I'm going to have some time to clean on the house.  Hopefully we can find someone with a truck/trailer that can help me take some of the crap in the basement over to my MIL.  

I can't wait to start downsizing!

Can't wait to babysit this little munchkin!

I just can't wait for anything.  :)

The most interesting information comes from children, for they tell all they know and then stop.

~Mark Twain