Stuck.

It's been a few months since I've updated, I suppose now is as good a time as ever. Looks like back in August I was around 169 lbs... I managed to work it down to 162.something, but am currently sitting around 165. So pretty much, I'm stuck. I need to drop 10 more pounds in order to head off to MEPS, so I'm starting another juice fast to get me eating clean again!

I'll try to keep up again with the posts, hopefully some pictures will motivate this lard ass to MOVE!

The Suburban Hippie. Yay-yuh!

I live in the suburbs. I'm sort of a hippie (but only SORT of... sorry, I watch way too much tv and love my plastic wrap, and am all for guns and justified war... so, I don't think I'll ever be a full fledged hippie). Hence, the namesake of this post.

My Birkenstocks are shiny; I have silver Birks. The only thing I think they lack are some bling. I'm seriously considering bedazzling them... is that Birkenstock blasphemy? I guess we'll find out at some point...

Anyway, the reason I mention this is so that you can [maybe] better understand what I'm about to tell you...

WE BOUGHT CHICKENS!

Real (and alive) chickens! I thought I'd clarify because when I told a friend we bough the chickens, she told me she had some too... only they were dead and frozen in her freezer.

Our chickens move and breathe and chirp... they even have names. I don't plan to eat'em (they are for egg laying only), so why the hell wouldn't I name them!? Plus, names are just fun.

My wee bitty flock now is made of two of each of the following: Barred Rock, Golden Sex Link (Golden Buff), Rhode Island Red, and Deleware ♥

In that same breed order, their names are: Bat-hen (like batman... LOL), Emily, Linda Lovelace (Lovie), Goldie, Jasmine, Bird, Ghost, and Penelope.

Yes, one of the birds is named Bird. That's about as creative as my two year old gets LOL. And Lovie was named by my dad who thought a porn star name was fitting of a bird with the word 'sex' in the breed name - and to top it off, I think she really CAN swallow worms whole! *wink*

8 little baby, 1 week old chicks now reside in my bedroom in an aquarium (or is it now a terrarium since it isn't filled with water? Whatever. It's a glass box. You know what I mean.) until we are forced to bring in the huge 4'x3' dog crate on the 21st, when they'll be 2 weeks old, and that is where they'll stay until they move in to their coop at 8 weeks.

OH - the coop. You know, the big and beautiful and elaborate chicken mansion that is in my back yard? No? Oh, right, we don't have a coop. I have PLANS for a coop, but I hardly think that will work.

In the next few weeks I'll post a step by step post of how the coop came to be, and some pics of my little chirpies growing along with their home :)

In fact, speaking of updates and photos... we've done quite a bit to this house in the year we've been here. Maybe I should share some photos as we go along and complete it? I'm bound and determinned to get what I want, and to do it as cheap [cheep? haha] as possible, scoring lots of materials and home decor from the free section of craig's list. You know, one man's trash is another man's ... headache. It's THIS woman's happiness, but my husband hates it. Whatever, he'll live.

Fishing. Crabbing. And not giving a shit about either.

My husband bought a new rod and reel this weekend. It's red. He spent about a half an hour yammering on and ON about all the fancy features it has, and what a steal he got on it, and the look of pride on his face was BEAMING. I, however, don't remember any of it with the exception of the color. When he starts in on his new toys, I simply repeat the last few words he said to me in the form of a question or statement to make it seem as if I'm listening and truly interested.

The Husband: You see this fucking awesome pole?! It's got [insert features I can't remember here, and make it last 10 minutes]! Yeah, AND I scored this on sale for [$x.xx]!

Me: [Best fake shocked face fucking ever] WOW! [$x.xx]?! (Continue reading newest featured story on facebook)

The Husband: YEAH! Can you believe it?! I know I can definitely use it to [insert crap you would do with a fishing rod that is more in depth than 'fish', and again make it last at least 10 minutes]. I can't WAIT to get out on the boat and try it out!

Me: Oh yeah, getting out on the boat will be great! (Start sorting through my email)

The Husband: I need to look up tide times for tomorrow so I know what time we'll be launching. I really hope it won't be at midnight again... [insert craptastic story of the LAST time he went fishing with his OLD rod and reel and how THIS time it will be *soooo* much different. Make it last at least 15 minutes].

Me: [Oh crap. I can't remember what he just said... fuck.] :SMILE: :NOD:

Unsurprisingly this technique is employed for various topic subjects from hunting, fishing, guns (although I do take some interest in this subject), cars, tools, electronics... the list goes on and on. If the man actually wanted me to pay GENUINE attention, he'd learn to talk about shit like: yarn, crafting, dogs, babies, food, and just about ANYTHING except the before mentioned subjects that he usually prefers. But since he doesn't, I can only assume he doesn't give a shit if I am really listening or not and just wants to talk about his new toys.

Am I wrong? I highly doubt it. Do I care? Um, not really. He just better be ready for me to ear-fuck him when I want to talk about me-related subjects, and he better pretend to care too!

What kind of crap do your spouses talk about that you have absolutely NO interest in (if you can even remember...)? Please tell me while I sit here, virtual ears wide open... oh, don't mind my posting some new facebook statuses in the mean time, I promise I really am listening ;)

Can you hear me in the back? TESTINGTESTING...

Well fuck.

Yes, fuck.

That is how I feel about the general aura of my day (do days have auras or is is that a person thing? ...animal thing? ...living in general thing - would plants count? WHATEVER. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.). Not in an angry-fuck kind of way. More like a sigh-fuck kind of day. You know, I don't have anything I seem to want to accomplish, even though I have a to-do list several pages long (well... a theoretical list, I don't actually write shit down HAHAHA), and yet, I sit. I stare. I watch my children destroy things and merely twinge instead of actually doing something about it.

I've been browsing the interwebz (<-- I used a z, because I'm cool like that. Or at least I like to think I am.), facebook stalking surfing, and blog hoppin'. I have met my childrens' basic needs (i.e. FOOD), and even managed to stuff my face along the way. I've had way too much water though, and interupted my nothingness with multiple trips to the loo. I'm annoyed with it. I'm seriously considering catheterizing myself if I'm going to continue this health kick and all this water drinking.

My husband will be home in 2 hours and think that a hurricane went through our home. My anti-clean terrorist children have done all in their power to fuck up every.single.thing in this house. My animals got roped in to it too, I see many a dog footprint on my floor. I'm pretty sure the puppy tore up a diaper upstairs. I'm scared to go look, honestly.

Maybe in an hour or so I'll down some sort of energy drink, bribe all of my children, and kick the pets outside in an attempt to tidy before said husband actually walks through the door. Then I can tell him how completely and totally exausted I am from my all-day workings and blab about ALLLL the wonderful things I've accomplished today..

Yeah. That sounds like a dandy of an idea...

Good thing he doesn't read this blog.

And don't hate bitches, you know you do it too!

20 lbs? Holy shit!

So when I started this whole weight loss thing around my birthday, I believe I was wavering between the high 180s and low 190s (I'll go back to my original blog posts and double check after I post this...) - and my morning weigh in this morning?

169.3!!!

HELL YEAH!

That means I've lost around 20 lbs since my birthday, 2 1/2 months ago! That's crazy! How do I lose 20 lbs and hardly even realize it?

Only about 35 lbs to go now! Which seems a much more attainable goal than 50+ lbs (:barf:). I've been lazy about exercising lately, and I REALLY need to get back in to running, especially if I want to run a damn marathon by next June o.O But I think the whole 'gluten free vegan' thing has REALLY gotten the ball rolling - I feel great, and soon, I'll look great too!

Can I get a hallelujah!?

ETA: Well DAMN. It wasn't my birthday-ish. It was late April. BUT STILL, yay!

PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals?

On August 14th I saw a video that deeply disturbed me, (It's the video on tab '3')...

http://features.peta.org/VegetarianStarterKit/index.asp

I always knew that animals were kept in less than stellar conditions, but I never had watched a video showing me EXACTLY what these poor creatures go through. It broke my heart, and I can't get the horrific images out of my head. When I walk in to the grocery store and see meat, or dairy products, or eggs, all I can think of are the images from this video :shudder: Do I think that humans were meant to eat meat? Well, of course. We are an omnivorous species, which is clearly indicated from our dental make up. HOWEVER, I don't think that how we are farming our meat is acceptable. NO creature should endure the life those poor animals have to.

Because of this, I've decided to transition over to a vegan lifestyle. It may be more of a 'flexitarian' (um, yes, it's a word) lifestyle, where I occasionally eat meat/dairy/eggs, but only from local farms that I've visited and KNOW for a fact that the animals were raised (and killed) humanely.

Stepping down off my podium now...

That said, I'd like to share an absolutely DELICIOUS (I mean DEEEEE-lish!) recipe I found from another blogger (The Gluten Free Vegan). If you like Italian style food, then you will LOVE these eggplant bites. In fact, my kids devoured the darn things so quickly I wish I would have made a second batch! We ate them with some pasta sauce on top :) They were SUPPOSE to be my dinner tonight... I guess I'll just have to make a few more... I think they'll pair well with the balsamic brussel sprouts I'll be making (another yummo recipe from TGFV blog)!

(Yes, this picture is crappy. Not only am I a shitty photog, this was taken with an iPod... HAHA)

http://www.theglutenfreevegan.com/2012/05/eggplant-quinoa-bites/#comment-5827

I didn't have any hemp hearts (soft hulled hemp seed), but I did have flax seed, so I subbed them in.

Sinful. Really. :wipesupdrool: What are you waiting on - go make them!

Hey there beautiful, it's been awhile *wink*

(this didn't post when it was suppose to, for some reason, back on the 15th...)

The topic line has little to do with what I actually plan on talking venting about in this post... but I thought it might make someone smile.

When you look up 'indecisive' in the dictionary, what do you think you'll see? This?:

in·de·ci·sive [in-di-sahy-siv] Show IPA adjective
1. characterized by indecision, as persons; irresolute; undecided.
2. not decisive or conclusive: a severe but indecisive battle.
3. lacking definition; vague or indistinct: the indecisive outline of the distant hills.

NO. WRONG. (well, you will see that, but that's not what I'm going for either... I guess it's a trend today) You will see this:

Hello world! This is who I am. I am Erin. I am indecisive. My middle name should be fickle, or waffle, or ... well, you get the point. I can't decide on things.

And what is something that I've been battling with for YEARS, now? My children's education. Specifically, whether to home school or send them off to public school (private school isn't an option because I can't afford it!). I have a plethora of reasons to home school, and I am a staunch supporter of homeschooling, as is my husband... but there have been serious bumps in the road.

Three of my four children are special needs. My oldest, age 7, is an Aspie (Asperger's Syndrome is a type of high functioning autism), and has epilepsy. So think: therapies, and doctor's appointments... aaaand temper tantrums, social skills issues, and sensory processing issues. My third child, age 4, has problems with all the same things my daughter does, and I'm convinced he is autistic although he hasn't been 'formally' diagnosed. My fourth child, age 2, has speech delays and receives weekly in home therapy. He is progressing, but his lack of being able to communicate as he would want to can make him frustrated and cause major melt downs.

So what does this mean for me? It means I've driven my self bat-shit crazy. I'm a pretty patient person, but dealing with 4 children, 3 of which have needs beyond what my neurotypical child has (you know, a kid that is 'normal' ... people in the special needs community try to avoid saying stuff like that though... *shrug*). I feel like my homeschooling over the last 3 years (2 if you don't count preschool) has caused me to become a person I don't even know any more. I'm wound like a top, and wired like a bomb.

So you would think the answer is OBVIOUS, right? Send the kids to school? Ahh, if only it were that easy. You see, the problem lies in the fact that I still think that the reasons why I home schooled in the first place are still valid (more family time, better education, more flexibility for therapy and doctor's appointments, better ability to mold my children in to the young adults *I* think they should be, to the best of my ability anyway, and the ability to customize their education to fit their needs whether it be content, time, or materials/presentation). I see my sending them to public school as a selfish act, and see myself as a failure for sending them.

Do I think that all public schools are inherently evil? Absolutely not. Do I think there are pros and cons to both home school AND traditional/public schooling? Well, of course, I'm not THAT naive. So why can't I seem to make a decision that I'm happy with? That educates my children, keeps them in a wholesome environment, AND allows my sanity to remain intact?

Because, I'm indecisive. >.<

Puppies, caffeine, vampires, and urology

Last Tuesday my dog, Harlow, gave birth to 7 perfect little boxer puppies...



Last Tuesday I also kissed any restful nights sleep out the window. Between MY ankle biters, and hers, and along that comes along with them, I've been running on 4-5 hours of broken sleep per night. Usually waking up at least twice within that time to make sure Harlow gets her lazy butt off my bed and in to the whelping box to nurse her babies; to acknowledge that my 2 year old has (again) crawled in to bed with us; to pee; to punch my husband in his sleep for snoring; or just because some part of my mind is confused about what time I should be waking up and sets its internal alarm for 2 a.m.

Thankfully, I've done all of this 4 times before - not with puppies, but with babies of my own. So while I'm as tired as a allgetout, I know how to deal with it. One word:

CAFFEINE

Lots. Lots, and LOTS of caffeine. And this time I don't have to lactate and nurse the little buggers that are keeping me awake, so I have NO guilt about my coffee consumption - HOORAH!

And as if lack of sleep wasn't annoying enough, I've also been delaying the start of my shortened slumber (both intentionally and unintentionally...) - Out of curiosity I bought and downloaded the first book in "The Twilight" series Sunday afternoon. The series had never interested me much, I'm not normally a vampire-story fan, but I needed a new read and after trying the sample from the Kindle store, I decided that the writing was interesting enough to keep me occupied even if the story line fell flat.

Well, for me, it didn't fall flat. I'm half way through book 3 in the series as of last night. Yes - a little over 24 hours and I've read 2 1/2 books. I can't seem to put them DOWN... hence, my delayed slumber. I've been falling asleep between 1 and 2 in the morning reading, after have to pry my fingers off the Kindle and force myself to try and sleep. I still think the whole 'vampire' thing is a little hokey, but the writing keeps me happy as the author does the great job of keeping the book suspenseful and always with a new twist.

And last week my dreams were crushed when I found out that not getting in to that ONE class for fall, Anatomy & Physiology, has made me unable to apply to the University of Washington's Nursing Program for Fall '13. I was heartbroken. An applicant is required to have 3 of the 'natural world' (aka science) classes FINISHED at the time of application. I will only have 2, with absolutely no way of getting the third. Since high school I've wanted to attend U-Dub, but I don't want to have to push off my application for an entire year to a school that I may or may not get in to.

My new top choice school is Puget Sound University. A great school, a great nursing program, but it is private and costs three times as much as the U-Dub. If I get in, I'll figure it out... things always have a way of working themselves out. My dad (well, technically my step dad... but I don't consider him that. I have two dads and love them equally, and both are and always have been super involved in my life - that's a post for another time), is alum to PLU. If I manage to get in, it'll be kinda neat to have been able to attend the same place my dad did.

I've also made another dedication in my life (as if I needed more). At some point, I will apply to medical school. I still want to finish nursing, just to have a marketable trade to fall back on should I not be able to go to med school straight away. And that's not to say that nursing is a 'fall back' trade, or 'not as good', because I definitely don't think that. I worked as a CNA (it's a nursing assistant) for a few years and know how heavily involved and important all of the nursing staff - nurses, med techs, CNAs, and others - are to the health community. If I was to stop at being a nurse, or if I only aspired to become a nurse, that would be a wonderful thing.

Unfortunately for my pocket book, and my youth, I want to do surgeries. Desperately. Without too much back story, because this post is getting too lengthy already, I've decided to pursue Urology. And I know what you're thinking: A Dick Doctor. There's more to it than that though, and I'll get in to WHY I've decided on urology another time.

The puppies, and my children, are all whining for food right now... Damn. Why do they have to eat EVERY day?!

P.S. In case any one was wondering, I'm at 179.something (.7? I think?) with my weight as of this morning, even though I haven't been able to run in a week due to my knees hurting like a mother F'er

HIC Cakes!

We're a family of 6 - my husband, myself, and our 4 children. Our food budget is just slightly over $500 a month. I don't consider this super, super low, but it does mean that in order to make sure we have enough good food to eat around here, I have to watch what I spend. Unfortunately (and fortunately, I suppose), I'm picky about what we eat. Sometimes, albiet rarely, I'll let us all have treats that contain ingredients on my 'Oh, hell no!' list. What ingredients are those you ask? This isn't an exaustive list, but some include:

*High Fructose Corn Syrup

*Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

*Artificial Flavorings

*Artificial Sweeteners (including things like Splenda, and other 'real sugar!' *rolls eyes* substitutes)

*Dyes

*Synthetic preservatives

*Non-organic fruits and veggies on the dirty dozen list

Hey, sometimes I want that snickers bar, or that box of cereal (even though the packaging contains BHA), but in general I try to keep our diet free of those sorts of things. I'm not a fanatic about it, though. This isn't really the point of this post though - I'm just trying to show you that keeping this crap out of our diet isn't exactly conducive to keeping your grocery bill down. I refuse to pay an arm and a leg for most of the pre-made stuff that is 'organic' or 'all-natural!'. I prefer to either make stuff from scratch or find products that aren't touting their 'we're awesome!' benefits, but that still don't contain the things I listed above (and there are A LOT, you just have to look!).

Anyway, my husband loves to make pancakes on Sunday. He prefers the Krusteaz 'Just add water!' mix... I prefer my made from scratch stuff. I'm fairly certain the Krusteaz stuff meets my oh-hell-no requirements, but honestly, I think it tastes like crap. And making it from scratch saves a few pennies (refer to my post yesterday about shipping if you want to see how fanatical I can get about a few pennies...). There are times I really don't want to make pancake mix on Sunday for my darling husband to cook, though. I want to sit, drink my coffee, possibly go to church, and just be (in general) a lazy lump on the couch.

Here is my comprise (so I don't have to listen to him whine): I made him a mix that all he has to add is water, 2 eggs, and (if he feels like it), vanilla. We all like the recipe, and it's HIC (He Isn't a Chef) Husband tested and approved. This recipe feels our whole clan, making about 20 6-inch pancakes (about the size of a dessert plate). The only thing you'll notice on the recipe is that the water content is "2 1/2 - 3 cups" - Mike likes his pancakes thinner, I like mine fluffier. I'm the 2 1/2, he is the 3.

I make the dry ingredients, put them in a gallon sized Ziploc baggie, and put the label on the front. When the mixed is used up, I replenish. Easy peasy. Keep in mind that when I have the time, I still do *my* favorite pancake mix, that is a little more fuss than this one - the HIC mix isn't the absolute best pancake you've ever tasted - but I still think it's a helluva lot better than the Krusteaz mix!

**************************************************************************************

H*I*C Pancake Mix, Family Size

3 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup dry non-fat powdered milk

2 ½ - 3 cups water
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
butter for cooking

The dry ingredients are mixed together and stored (up to half of the flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour, if you prefer).

To start, set a pan on the stove over low-medium heat.

When you’re ready to make some HIC cakes, put the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk all wet ingredients (not the butter!) together and then add to the dry ingredients. A fork works well – do not over mix! Lumps should remain.

Swipe the heated pan with the stick of butter. Using a ladle or measuring cup (I usually use a ½ cup measuring cup, not quite all the way full), add your mix to the pan. When bubbles start to form almost to the center of the pancake, flip them over and cook for the same amount of time as you did the first side.

Repeat until mix is gone. ENJOY!

Makes about 20 6-inch pancakes

**************************************************************************************

I ship things a lot for various reasons, and so I always have 2-per-sheet adhesive shipping labels handy. I print this recipe on a label and stick it on the Ziploc bag. I can't seem to upload the document to google docs without it screwing around with the formatting. If you'd like me to e-mail you this recipe formatted for shipping labels (there are two per sheet, but you can erase one of them if you only need to print out one), just leave a comment with your e-mail address and I'll send it to you!

Here is what it ends up looking like (and yes, that IS pink :swoon: - you can change the color if you prefer):

Mostly normal... with a *pinch* of crazy...

For the most part, I'm a pretty easy going gal. Sometimes though, I just *have* to have what I want (don't we ALL have those moments, though? I mean... I hope you all do, or I'm nuttier than I previously thought...).

Today, it was a pencil pouch.

Yeah, you read right (I'd say 'you heard me'... buuuuut, you didn't. You're reading.) - a pencil pouch. Why? Beats the shit outta me!

A few years back, the last time I was in school, I bought a 'pencil pouch' for all my loose shit that needed to be contained. Pencils, pens, highlighters, lead, erasers, thumb drives - you get the picture. If I couldn't snap it in to the binder, or place it neatly (read: FLAT) in a folder, then it went in to the shit carrier. Turns out, the one I bought this last time was perfect...

It was well made (that sucker lasted me 2+ years of college abuse!), had a *real* zipper (unlike some of those glorified 'sealing' zippers that look like I just bought a Ziplock Freezer Bag and 3-hole punched it and called it a pencil pouch), and unlike the majority of the other shit carriers I came across it had a CLEAR window instead of mesh. Mesh windows simply won't do. Why? Allow me to enlighten you:

--> Tiny pieces of lead, should they manage their way out of the container, fall helplessly through the mesh to its certain death on the floor or the bottomless pit commonly referred to as a backpack.

--> Miniature mechanical pencil eraser refills will wiggle their way through the mesh once they realize their lead brethren have escaped.

--> Freshly sharpened #2 pencils will lodge in the mesh, breaking their glorious tips.

--> Highlighter and pen 'shirt clips' (I don't know wtf they're called - the little lips on the caps that you use to clip them on to things!) can snag on the mesh and create a show-down between owner and manipulative in trying to untangle it from the mesh's hold.

--> Travel sized pencil sharpeners that house the clippings from your once beautiful, now mangled, #2 pencils will undoubtedly open at the most inconvenient time and let loose its wooden terror. These shavings will migrate through your entire binder like miniature beasts of burden, staining and contaminating all it its path.

--> And you can just forget about putting anything with a relatively sharp edge in a mesh window pencil pouch. Rather than being violently snipped apart, it surrenders its mesh at its own 'hands', unraveling at the mere thought of being encountered by said sharp edged object.

There are more reasons, but I'm sure I've shown you the light. Mesh windowed shit containers are worthless - they.will.not.do.

So off I am, searching the internet for a clear-window shit container, that looks to be of good construction similar to my last.

After a decent allotment of time sitting, my ass starting to get sore, I find it. It's perfect. THE shit container I've been passionately searching for all my past 32 minutes! But there was a problem. The price was right ($2.08), the shipping was not ($6.04). What is a girl to do? Of course, I could buy it - but paying more for shipping than the object itself goes against my very being. I just can't do it. I would have happily paid $5.00 for the case and $3.12 in shipping, equaling out to be the same price as its current listing... but unfortunately that's not what it was listed as, and I couldn't bring myself to click "BUY NOW!".

I did what any semi-rational person with a pencil pouch fixation and OCD about shipping prices would do - I copied the brand, name, and item number of the shit container and started scouring the internet. Everywhere I looked, shipping was more than the item! EVERYWHERE! So then I started searching for free shipping coupons... and discount coupons... and free shipping with registration or first order coupons... I searched on E-Bay, Amazon, the Google and Bing stores, and even CRAIG'S LIST (what the fuck was I thinking there? Who is going to list a shit container on Craig's List!?)

And it was then, at my weakest moment - I found it. $4.44 with no shipping. The rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun shone down on this most beautiful moment. Without hesitation, the shit container was bought. When it comes, and I verify it's quality, I plan on returning to the same store and purchasing 5 more - hoping never to have to endure this sort of pencil pouch suffrage again (and no, I'm not kidding - I really do plan on buying more).

I've uploaded a photo for you all, so you may revel in its gloriousness alongside me :harp music and gospel choir:

I think the only thing that would make it better is if it were pink... but that venture, already taken, has proven fruitless...

Well... not great, but not disastrous

My registration time this morning was 8 a.m. You already know from my previous post what I was HOPING to get in to. After 3 hours of back-and-forth emails, numerous head bangs against the wall, and one or two attempts to kill someone with my mind over the phone, THESE are the classes I was able to snag:

Summer: Sociology, Music, and Statistics for sure. I'm #4 on the wait list for Chemistry (and I wouldn't be on the mother-effing wait list had the window-licking professor been so kind as to get me my access code one of the MANY times I tried contacting him in the last MONTH).

Fall: Psychology 200, English 103, Nutrition, and PE 100. I couldn't get in to A & P fast enough - they maxed out the wait list before I even had a chance. Microbiology I COULD get in to if I could ever get word back from the course's professor. So, to play it safe, I replaced both of those courses with English and Nutrition.

I'm bummed, and slightly stressed, that I have to wait until Winter to get in to A&P because that's the last.possible.time to get in before it messes with my graduation schedule. I did happen to get an entry code from the oh-so-helpful (no, not sarcasm) A&P teach. She told me to try and get in after Spring grades come out (so c'mon everyone! Pray with me that at least 13 of them failed! :praaaaaaaaaaaying:), or after fees are due for the quarter (so maybe only 7 people fail and the other 6 go broke? Either way, I'm down for whatever!).

SO.

My day was hectic. My main source of entertainment was busy (thanks, Dan :fizzle:). My 3 year old broke 2 of my wine tumblers (hooray I have 10 more!). My knee hurt so bad I couldn't run and had to instead WALK like some sort of reject. And more.

I think tonight is a good night for moderate to heavy drinking and mindless television and/or movies ... WHO'S WITH ME?! :D

Well it's about damn time!

It only took 3 FREAKING days to drop 4 ounces! I'm finally in the 182s! I know that this is my 'first thing in the morning' weight and that inevitably I will creep back up in to the 183s at some point today, but I'm just happy to have cracked the 183 mark at all! And don't you love to see the broom, and my husband's underpants bunched up in the photo? You can tell how much I cared this morning...

It's 1 week and 5 days until my birthday (25th)... I wonder if I get get to the 180s by then?

I'm still on the lookout for a good 'core training' DVD or program (for a fat-ass beginner!) to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays (I run on MWF and Saturday)... if you have any suggestions, PLEASE (for the love of GOD), PLEASE suggest them.

I also register for Summer and Fall classes today. I've been sweating like a sinner in church as I see the class tally go up to 1... 2... 4... 6... students for some important classes I need to get in to. One of these classes is Chemistry - and the teacher seems to be quite the douche. You need a course entry code to register. I've been in contact with him since the end of APRIL trying to get one. He told me that they couldn't be generated until at least May 8th. Fine. I contacted him post-May 8th. Twice. No response (you. mother. fucker. >.<) and now today, I'm still without it. Being a non-traditional student, I have limitted time in my busy schedule to take courses. I have them all carefully planned out over the course of the next 4 quarters so that I can graduate this Spring, and I will be DAMNED if some holier-than-thou asshole professor will keep me from doing so.

I've e-mailed him AGAIN this morning (my registration time is 8 a.m.) and you can bet your ass that as soon as the phone lines open up on the switch board I'll be blowing up his phone too.
Classes for this summer and fall are:

SUMMER

Sociology 101 (full online)
Statistics (full online - this I'm actually somewhat looking forward to, as odd as that may sound)
Music 100 (Mondays and Wednesday from 6ish to 9ish. I have the sad feeling that this class will be me playing hot cross buns on a recorder... but it's the only class I can take that fits my schedule and fills my humanities requirement)
Chemistry 121 (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5ish to 10ish) - class capacity for this is 24. There are currently 21 students enrolled - I feel like my head is in a vice grip watching it grow and knowing I'm STILL NOT IN IT!!!

FALL

Psychology 200 (Lifespan psych)
Anatomy & Physiology 1
General Microbiology
PE 100 (how stupid is THIS requirment? PE? Seriously?! And it hurts even MORE when I remember I have to fucking PAY FOR IT!!!!)


SO! Lets see how many of those I successfully am able to register for this morning... and how many heads I have to smash in, and ears I have to fuck (yes, I said 'ear fuck'. Get over it), in order to do it.

Damn! One ounce shy!

No 182s today. Damn.

Pre-run and Post subway (and 3 cookies)

183.3!!! Maybe tomorrow will be my entering-the-182s?!

Deep in thought

Definitely looks nothing like this...

I was bored (SHOCKER) waiting in the car with the crib midgets while my knocked-up dog's x-rays were developing at the vet clinic... It seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to spend my time.

Easily amused. Easily Bored.

I am a person that takes some 'getting used to' to be around for long periods of time. People tend to love me because I'm easily amused (and can be quite amusing in return!). I also can lose (or simply cast away) plenty of people in my life when they realize I'm quite easily bored.

Why is this a problem? Well... it makes conversations jumpy - I tend to go off on tangents talking about whatever pops in to my head (then on to the next tangent because the first tangent no longer held my interest); it leads me to being fickle and finicky, because I can never pay attention or stay interested in something long enough to make up my damn mind... and even if I DO make a decision, I tend to go back on it at some point in the near future to try out the other previously refuted option; I tend to be extremely off and on because in the brief moment I'm happy with whatever decision I've made (or topic of conversation I've happened upon), I'm quite laid back... much unlike the hyper, squirrel-like girl I was a few moments before.

I have few friends (many acquaintances though... apparently I'm great at providing quality entertainment), but those I do have love me and appreciate me for who I am. And at least those who didn't care to stick around, or who I was bored of and left, tend to leave my mind rather quickly. I'm no good at holding grudges or engaging in prolonged fights or bickering (boooooooring).

It honestly amazes me that I have been married as long as I have, considering my past record of relationships before him (I only entered in to two 'semi-serious' relationships before my husband, each of which only lasted a few months). I guess my husband knows what he got himself in to, bless him.

Why am I mentioning any of this? I have no idea. Consider it a warning. I'm not sure what a warning OF exactly, but if ever you leave comments or send me e-mails asking me what the fuck it was I was talking about in post x-y-z, then the only answer I'll have to give you is "Hey, I warned you!".

And on an unrelated note, I bought some leopard print ballet flats today from target. My husband hates them. I don't really give a shit - I'm rockin' the animal print and think they are AWESOME.

Post breakfast weight

Down a little bit... This is my post coffee and breakfast weight. Off to do my 2 miles in a few minutes...

26 miles by 26 years... and other ramblings

In a few weeks, I turn age 25... I'm WAY overweight for my height (I'm only 5'4"... EEK) and I'm sick and tired of feeling like a cow (and it only took me a decade and 4 crib midgets to figure that out! Go me!).

SO.

I am determined to be able to run a marathon (26.2 miles) by my 26th birthday! I printed out a year long couch-to-marathon plan courtesy of www.digitalrunning.com, laminated it (with 4 kids in the house you can never be too careful), and it will be hanging oh-so-lovely on my fridge. **side note: why is there a 'd' in the word 'fridge' when there is no 'd' in the word 'refrigerator'??**

And apparently I'm having some sort of quarter-year crisis (mid-life is at 50, yes? So 25 would be quarter... right?!), because I've also re-enrolled in college. Assuming I get in to the classes I need to (my registration time is the 25th at 8 am), I'll be taking 20 credits this quarter, and 17 credits fall quarter. Pray for me that I pass all of my classes from now until Spring, so that I can have that coveted piece of paper called a 'degree' by then (Spring). Then it'll be time to go crazy all over again applying to 4 year colleges to their BSN programs.

Ahh, ain't life grand...

If my fat-ass, food loving, procrastinating, goldfish-memory, millisecond attention span, finicky, fickle self can make it through the next year alive (and HEALTHIER... with the awesome perk of *hopefully* being thinner)... I may just have to go back to church regularly... Lord knows I'll need the help.

The scale...

I started the week at 189 lbs and some change... Here is my post-coffee, undergarment only weight as if today:

The discovery, and my 'BFF'

My husband, Mike, never is told of when I start a blog... join a new site... happen upon a new interest... you get the point. Why? Because he likely wouldn't care, and because he'd also take it as an opportunity to scrutinize my love of internet socialization (Mike is somewhat of an antisocial hermit). I don't HIDE any of this from him, I just don't offer up the info for discussion.

Yesterday he happened upon the blog. I'm unsure of whether he found it amusing, insulting, entertaining, or disturbing. Not that much of what I've written thus far is anything too in depth, but random comments did jump out at him (sexy nerds, anyone?).

I suppose almost 8 years of marriage to a woman that is shy and reserved and quiet(-ish) in real life (well, until I have a few drinks...), and strikingly outspoken and quirky via the written word would make anyone stop and say, "What the fuck?!"

...And because I can't keep to just one subject during a post, I thought I'd post a snippet of a typical morning conversation between my 'BFF' (she prefers anonymity), a look in to why I love her so much!

Me: damn children
I wish I had a couple extra bucks
hey, how do I order a new paypal debit card?
mine expired

BFF: to buy more children?

Me: to pay someone to take them!
BAHAHA

BFF: Oh, you need to call them!

Me: damnit.
I dislike verbal interaction...
especially with a guy from India named 'Nancy from Indiana'

Random, and pure awesome. We talk like this for hours on end, every day. I swear she's one of the few people who can put up with my endless tangents, horrible memory, and dry humor. I love you BFF!

SCHOOL!

So, I'm arranging for my return to school this summer. Assuming it works out as I'm planning, I'll be taking microbiology and the second half of the A&P course...

Is it morbid that I look forward to dissecting a cadaver?? The human body truly is an amazing thing... equally a powerful machine, and a delicate piece of artwork. Who WOULDN'T want to see and feel and touch the innermost part of our physical being?! Funny enough though, I can't watch horror/gorey movies - those creep me out. Real dead body? Cool. Fake dead body? Terrifying.

I know, I make no sense.

And I was thinking of updating my blog with some weight loss stuff... to keep me accountable. I don't know that I want to scare any possible readers off though, by adding visuals... maybe just the scale and some cheesy head shots with a thumbs up or peace sign? Those photos are almost so cliche as to be *necessary*!

And why must people say, "Wow, you look tired!"?? Don't they know that by saying that, the recipient only hears, "Wow! You look like SHIT!" So next time you feel the urge to comment on a person looking tired - don't. It'll save you the look of death you'll receive, or passive-aggressive verbal backlash which may or may not be accompanied by hand gestures (if you say it to me).

Free advice

For all of you men who happen to be in a relationship (with a woman, at least... not sure if this works for man on man mates)...

If you've had a bad day, and feel yourself beginning to be 'snippy', PLEASE, I beg of you, remove yourself from your mate's presence, repress any feelings you may have, and return when they have ceased. Your mate does not care how your day went if the result is your being an asshole.

Words of wisdom from wifey.

Hypnotherapy and sexy nerds

I went to a free consultation last night at 'Aldebaran Hypnotherapy Center' to address weight loss. I need to drop about 60 lbs, although the dude I consulted with said I didn't look it (YAY? I'm still overweight though... so only a half-hearted 'yay'... no exclamation point). Looks promising. I start my program with him next week. Maybe if I feel brave I can photograph the process...

Also, I finished the book "Look Me In The Eye", by John Elder Robison - a memoir of a man with Asperger's Syndrome. I found it entertaining and insightful, and definitely recommend it if you know anyone that lives with Asperger's. Now I'm on to his next book, "Be Different"... but I only got through the first few pages before my husband interrupted me.

And because it's on my mind this morning, let me just say that I love a good, sexy nerd. Yum.

I dedicate the name of this blog to...

...my husband.

Why?

Because he absolutely hates it! This was my AIM screen name (oh shit, I'm dating myself now, aren't I?) from high school. He taunts me with it during arguments, even.

Now, I'm reclaiming it. BOOYA!