Back in the saddle

I began my workouts again this morning after the stomach flu, cold, new job, and new daycare, AND my Dad's illness.  Whew!  It has been a busy month.

I finally cracked open my Brazlian Butt DVD and did the introductory workout and 5 minutes of the Bum Bum Rapido for a total of about a 25 minute workout.  I have had to rearrange my mornings to fit in a workout but it seemed to run smoothly and I even got a little web surfing in during breakfast!  Ah, multi-tasking - it's a wonderful thing!

I stocked my lunch bag with clean eats - lots of fruit and vegies and hard boiled eggs along with my Shakology so I am hoping to feel good today.  I'm drinking water as if I haven't had water in weeks.

It never ceases to amaze me though, how much better I feel after exercising.  With all the stress of the past month, I haven't been in the best of moods.  My anxiety attacks have returned and I have been exhausted.  By contrast, this morning, I feel wonderful..  I am upbeat, happy, and generally in a good mood.

Blogs, Blogs Everywhere

I have become hooked to blogs and blogging. Every second I have, I click the Next Blog button and peek into the lives of people I’ve never met.


It was this way that I discovered, and have become a fan of, The Sassy Curmudgeon, a humorously written blog that I think every woman in America can identify with. This blog was listed as a Blog of Note for the month. It has led me to other blogs, some of which are newer than mine but already have quite a following.

I have to say that I’m a little jealous that I haven’t had anyone follow my blog. Perhaps I’m just not as witty a writer. Maybe my blog is too filled with angst or perhaps I’m not as interesting a person as I have convinced myself I am. My two teenagers constantly remind me how un-cool I am, despite my lame efforts to be “sick” (the new slang for “cool”). I fear that my blogging may lead to the same conclusion: I am so not cool.

Funny, I read an article this morning about embracing your inner nerd as far as movies are concerned. We all have our guilty pleasures that link us to nerd-hood. I think that is why I like The Sassy Curmudgeon so much. She owns her inner nerd while being one of the coolest (sickest) bloggers around.

I was reading her blog today and she linked to another blog called Fabulous in Park Slope – another blog about being rich, skinny and fabulous in New York. In essence, a Sex in the City-type blog about fashion. Strangely, I always thought of myself as fabulous and yet if I gauged myself by FiPS, I would be sorely lacking. I think I may be too practical to be fabulous. Hot pink purses just don’t suit me, nor do Loubitans (hell, I can’t even walk in high heels anymore!). Give me a good pair of loafers and Levi’s and I’m set!

Daycare Days

Matthew started a new daycare yesterday.  One that is closer to home so that I don't have to drive 25 minutes out of my way to pick him up.  Drop off was tough, so I"m told, and Daddy felt horrible to leave his little boy screaming on the floor.  Oh well, such is life.

Last weekend I was recovering from the stomach flu.  I am now in full steam ahead on a cold.  The worst thing about it is that my eyes are watering like crazy and my mascara is running down my face!  In addition, I generally sound like a frog from my sore throat.  However, I need to recuperate before I see my Dad this weekend, as I'm sure it wouldn't be very good to be sick around him in his failing health.

I'm looking forward to seeing my sister this weekend.  It would be nice if it were under better circumstances but it will still be all good.  I hope to hit the park on Saturday night for a couple of hours before I head home on Sunday.

Hugs and Kisses

Matthew is not very cuddly. He doesn’t like to hug and kiss like most babies do. He is far too busy exploring his world to be bothered with giving affection to mom and dad. He doesn’t want to miss a bit of the world around him, so voracious his curiosity. While I embrace his need for exploration, I would love to be able to just hug my little boy for a brief moment and enjoy holding him.


He allowed me to do that last night for the first time. He was exhausted from his day and he spent about 15 minutes wanting mommy, then wanting daddy. He rested his head on our shoulders, sucked his thumb and both mom and dad reveled in this quiet moment.

I wish we had more of them.

On a different note, I've come to the conclusion that I will most likely have to cook my meals for the week on the weekend.  That way, I can come home and just put dinner in the oven.  I have precious little time to be cooking dinner every night (especially if I ever want to begin exercising again) and my demanding child keeps my attention on him for the most part.  Fast food dinners will quickly get boring and I'm running out of things to make in a few minutes.  Even crock pot dinners require prep time - something that I just don't have if I want to get in some exercise time.

Hence, I think this weekend I will put aside some time and make a few dinners.  Wish me luck!

New Job Part 2

My new boss told me yesterday what he is hoping will happen with hiring me.  The department is pretty unprofessional and lax, as warehouses can be.  The warehouse workers swear freely (which my new boss is trying to restrict, without much success) and the dress code is jeans and t-shirts.  He was hoping that hiring me would help bring the level of professionalism up to standards.  Hence, I think I will stop wearing jeans and go back to wearing my office wardrobe.  It makes me look more professional and certainly feel more professional.  Of course, I will be the best dressed person in the office but, such is life. 

Disneyland Main Street Windows

One of my favorite things is going to Disneyland.  I grew up in Southern Califorina and Disneyland was part of my backyard.  I even did a stint as security for a few years and it was one of the best times of my life.  I hope to have Disneyland as my retirement job.

One of the fondest memories I have of Disneyland is the windows on Main Street.  The windows were always decorated with scenes from the latest Disney film and I was enchanted with them as I walked down Main Street as my family first arrived at the park for the day.

I am still fascinated with the windows as they are changed with the seasons.  Here are some of my favorites:

New job

I started my new job this past week and I have to say that I love it!  It is very hectic and busy but there are no projects to do for days on end and everyone is of the same mindset to get the work done as quickly as possible so everyone can go home for the day.  It appears that Mondays and Tuesdays are usually very busy and the rest of the week, the work dies down althought I'm sure this can change at a moment's notice.

The downside is the drive home.  I am much further and getting to pick up Matthew at daycare is a challenge.  Hence, I have decided to put him in a daycare a little closer to home so that Steven can pick him up if I'm going to be late. That should release the pressure on me to get home right away if things get busy at work.

I haven't worked out all week since I've been trying to get my bearings on my new schedule.  I received Brazlian Butt workout from Beachbody.com and I would like to try it but again, I don't really have the time yet.  Our heater went out during this storm and we have to try and fix it or get it fixed.  Greg is a fantastic handyman and he can usually fix just about anything.