Day One Hundred and Eighty One

I don't have too much to report today. I had class, stopped at the store to get a rolling backpack and some reflectors for my mailbox, lost my wallet, realized I was out of gas, and dug ten bucks out of my change jar to get gas. I am trying to relax so I can look for my wallet with fresh eyes. I hope I find it!

Day One Hundred and Eighty

School is exhausting! I forgot how tiring it is to sit in class and listen to lectures and absorb information. I didn't have class until 1230 and I got out at 1500, but as soon as I got home I laid down for a nap! After the nap I got a bit more active and finally cleaned up the section of the cottage I use for storage. I also did some homework and ate a healthy dinner; grilled chicken sandwich and a peach.

Sandra had mentioned this weekend how horribly she eats around people and how good she eats when she is alone and I found out I do the exact same thing! It is official, I can no longer hang out with people! At least not around meal time. :)

Day One Hundred and Seventy Nine

Today was my first day of school and my brain is reeling! Oh my gosh... first day of Chemistry and so much to learn. I knew this would be tough since it is a summer course, but both Chemistry and Biology at the same time in a sped up faster should be interesting!

As I was leaving the grocery store this evening the sunset caught my eye. It certainly isn't as beautiful as an Arizona sunset, but it was close. That is one thing I miss about Arizona is the beautiful sunsets! But luckily there are a lot of things I love about Washington. But who knows, in five years I may be in love with another state... or even country!

Day One Hundred and Seventy Eight

Well.. I made it back across the border! It was quite a wait to get back into the States, but they did let us. It was a long weekend but I had tons of fun. I am so glad Cyn and Sandra invited me to spend the weekend with them. :) Oh, and it was pouring rain as we were leaving Canada... I think Canada was crying because it was sad I was leaving :(

Day One Hundred and Seventy Seven

Has a great time today! We picked Chickie up from the bus station so she could join us for the day and then we went to a huge park and then to have Pho and then derby.  I will write more later when I get home because we are getting ready to play some Scene It! (and drink some cranberry and vodka!!)

Day One Hundred and Seventy Six

I made it to Canada! It was a nice drive and we didn't have too much trouble at the border. The border guard did ask me, "How long have you been in the States", which I answered 39 years. He then got frustrated and said I didn't hear him right and we should start over and then asked me a totally different question. 

I KNOW what he said, and Cyn heard the same thing as me.  I think he just messed up and didn't want to admit it! But we made it across and that pic is a view from in front of Sandra's place. Pretty mountains!

Cyn then made us some yummy nachos which we ate while watching "Whip It", in preparation for the bout we are going to tomorrow! I am excited about seeing our friend Chickie who will be joining us!


And Sandra and I jammed playing some "Lips" on the Xbox, after we figured out that we had to sync the mic's before playing!  Duh!

Day One Hundred and Seventy Five

Very busy day today. So busy I didn't even get a picture taken! First I had a 3.5 hour workshop at school in regard to CAT/TB. These are benefit extensions when you are on unemployment and permission to go to school while you are on tuition. There was one of those people in the workshop that kept asking questions all the time and kept asking questions about things that the person leading the workshop had already gone over so it went pass the three hours it was supposed to be.

Also, I almost finished cleaning my car. I wiped down all the interior and got a lot of the hair off, but my dustbuster was charged so I wasn't able to vacuum at all. I think I might have to go to one of the self service places and vacuum. 

And then my friend Sara called around 9pm and asked me to come over because she was having problems and needed a friend. So I only just got home and barely made my time to post this! Leaving to see Sandra in Canada tomorrow. Woo hoo!

Day One Hundred and Seventy Four

Today could be categorized under clean. Well sort of. I took Riley to the dog walkers to hang out and she had a blast hanging with the pups... there was about 25 of them there today!  Holy cow that is a lot of dogs! While there Dana volunteered to give Riley a bath in this cool bath setup she has. Riley was scrubbed clean.

Later I kind of cleaned out my car. Sort of. I got the papers and junk out. But there is still a lot of dog hair! 

And the third thing I cleaned was the pathway and stairs in front of my patio. I had already used the weed whacker on it but hadn't got around to clearing off the grass I whacked.

I also downloaded this cool program on my phone that takes pictures and then applies a cool filter to them (Susie, it is called FxCamera check it out on the marketplace). The one I like best is called toycam and it makes the pics look retro, you can see one of the filters in the above dogs pic. There is also a filter called Warholize or something. 

I tried the Warholize on Riley and it was a bit too dark inside so I wanted to get more light. This is how it played out. ME: "Riley, I need more light for the picture, come outside please." I open the door and step outside, Riley follows me outside. I stop and point at a spot and say, "go there". Riley walks over and turns to face me and sits down. I say, "Pose" Riley titls her head and poses. I take the picture, wait for the filter to apply and see if it looks good. ME "Thanks Riley" Riley stands up and walks inside and lays down on her rug. I swear she must have been a model in her previous life! 

Day One Hundred and Seventy Three

I spoke to the worker retraining advisor at Bellevue College and was approved to take courses starting this summer to fill some pre-reqs I need for the nursing program I want to apply for next year. So that means I start school next week! Woo hoo! I am going to be a college student again! :) I have a TON of science credits to take and I hope some of my other credits like math and speech will transfer over.

Day One Hundred and Seventy Two

OMG! I am stuffed! I made a yummy stir-fry which consisted of tofu, quinoa, peppers, spinach, broccoli, garlic, and cherry tomatoes sautéed with soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, all around 400 calories. I can't get over how filling it was and at 400 calories.

Also, I have done yoga two nights in a row and I think it made a big difference in my sleep. I also didn't realize how stiff my back is! I guess that makes sense since I have been having horrible back problems the last few weeks. I need to keep up this yoga for sure.

Day One Hundred and Seventy One

I decided to use my C25K program but do a walk/fastwalk rather than a walk/jog. This works out real good right now because I don't want to pound too much on my leg until I am in better shape. I started this morning and Riley and I ran into horses on the trail! Riley freaked out, she didn't know what the heck they were!

When we got home I was resting on my beanbag chair using my computer and Riley climbed up on the back and rested her head on my shoulder. She has zero concept of personal space!

Day One Hundred and Seventy

Diana (next door neighbor) let me borrow her weed whacker so I could clear a path from my front door and down the steps. It was actually hard work to use the gas powered weed whacker! And to top off the fun it started raining.

Whacking weeds in the rain isn't as fun as it sounds, but I got it done and now there is a nice, cleared pathway from my door to my car and from the side door to the shed. Next step... removing all the weeds and grass I removed.

Day One Hundred and Sixty Nine

 

I decided to have another go at getting something planted at the planter near where Riley hangs out. I had a bunch of veges that i needed to plant because they were being smothered in the little pots they were in.

Hopefully this time they will survive Riley, and hopefully the grate thingie I put up will convince Riley to leave them alone!

Day One Hundred and Sixty Eight

Well my comp died again today :( I am currently running a repair on it, but it has been over an hour and I am not sure how much longer it will take. Today was a lazy day anyway. Riley and I decided to relax and enjoy the comfort of our home during this dreary wet Washington summer day.

Day One Hundred and Sixty Seven

Movie Night! We watched a movie that originally was a 2 part movie on ABC Family, called Fallen, that partway through I realized I had already seen! We had BBQ ribs and broccoli and biscuits to eat! Yummmm.

I also gave Alli her present for her 1st bday. I had crocheted here a blanket using pink camo colors that Calli stole for her own since she liked it. 

I also made her leg warmers with a matching tutu! I think they turned out really good! Alli modeled the tutu...while eating an apple so she gets nice and strong for her future as a ballet dancer.  

And Riley had to try it on as well.. silly puppy!

Day One Hundred and Sixty Six

I spent a couple hours at Bellevue College today sitting in a meeting to listen to someone discuss the worker retraining program. I learned at the end that I could have just made an appointment since I had already looked up all the info that was discussed. Oh well.. it was a learning experience.

Now I have my paperwork filled out and I just need to call in the AM and make an appointment. From what they said in the meeting, it looks like they have funds available for the summer session. I hope they have some for me!

Day One Hundred and Sixty Five

Real short blog tonight because my comp isnt working! Sandra used it to look at her Hotmail and it blue screened and now it wont work!  Sending this via my phone. Great time at trivia tonight to raise funds for broken derby girls.... thats me! Met even more new people and visited with lots of people I know. Fun fun! The picture is of us driving back home since I forgot to grab a shot during trivia. Silly me :)

UPDATE: I got my comp working again. I had to restore it to an earlier point. Not sure why it did what it did.. but it is working now!

Day One Hundred and Sixty Four

I got over 16000 steps on my pedometer today and I earned each and everyone of them! First I went on a 2.5 mile walk this morning; before my coffee and before breakfast. Yes, it was around 10am.. but that is early for the unemployed! 

Next Cyn and Sandra came over and we went to the dog park and walked along the trail to the lake. The bridge was flooded... but we didn't let that stop us and our feet got soaked! It was a beautiful day to be outside and we really enjoyed it.  And walking through the flooded bridge to see the view on the lake was worth it too.. well all of it except the dreaded mosquitoes that attacked me. Thanks mom, I blame you for my sweet blood!

We ended the day by playing Scene It and Rock Band. It was awesome having someone to play those games with. I miss having AJ or Zach around because they were my social games buddies!

Day One Hundred and Sixty Three

It was a beautiful day out today and Riley and I decided to spend it outside. First we went to the dog park where Riley ran around for about an hour. She made tons of friends and had a ball. 

Then after we got home and I changed from my sweatshirt to a t-shirt (I think it was a blistering 70 something outside!), we went for a nice long two mile walk. By the time we got home Riley was so tired she collapsed on the bed. What a lightweight! 

Day One Hundred and Sixty Two

I didn't do anything exciting today because I wasn't feeling well. :( So I spent the day watching 24 and eating cereal (frosted shredded mini wheat). I have been obsessed with frosted mini wheats lately and eat them every morning for breakfast and a couple times for dinner too!

Day One Hundred and Sixty One

Went to the gym today and worked my ass off! At least I hope my ass is shrinking! I did 20 minutes of treadmill, 45 minutes of weights (focusing on upper body), and then 20 minuted of elliptical. I was sweaty and exhaustive. It was awesome! I also weighed myself at the gym and was two pounds down. That's good! Slow and steady will win this weight loss race! 

I have been super good about counting my calories and recording everything I eat. I even recorded the piece of cheese and fudgsicle I had in the middle of the night when I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep!

Day One Hundred and Sixty

Busy day today! First Riley and I went to the dog walkers house to visit for a while. Riley had a blast hanging out with her buddies. There were tons of puppies around.

I also picked some herbs; lemon balm, rosemary, and oregano. I bundled them and put them all in a paper bag to dry. I am excited about using fresh herbs!

Tonight was also movie night. We watched The Tooth Fairy and had hot dogs and baked beans with orange slices for desert. Yummy!

Day One Hundred and Fifty Nine

I made the most AWESOME salmon today. For some reason it turned out absolutely perfect. I don't know if it was just a good piece of salmon, or because it was fresh, not frozen, or I am just an awesome cook. I only put a bit of pear gorgonzola dressing on it and then backed it in the toaster oven, but it was perfectly done and just melted in my mouth. Yum!

Also, today Riley and I went on a walk to the lake across the street. I decided to catch our adventure on video. Look how awesome and green the path to the lake is, and how beautiful the lake is! It also looks like a great place for a serial killer to hide out and dump bodies.

Anyway, Riley also wanted to show off her swimming and fetching skills.  

Day One Hundred and Fifty Eight

Went to the gym and then the doctors today. I saw the PA and he said basically I can start doing whatever I want and to just know my limits and don't push too fast or hard too soon. Good News! :) So when I got home I slipped on my skates and skated in my kitchen a little bit. I think I want to get my muscles even stronger and lose more weight before I start skating regularly. I don't want any more injuries!

Day One Hundred and Fifty Seven

Oh my gosh.. I am/was worn out and sore and tired today! These old bones can't take so much excitement in one weekend. Actually.. I don't think I have old bones.. I just think my body is out of shape. So, as soon as I get healthy and fit I will be able to have more active weekends and not have to pay for it the next day! 

Speaking of healthy and fit. I worked on my menu for this upcoming week and I think it turned out really well and will be easy to follow and very filling. 

Oh, and something else. I was reading about healing broken legs and came across something that suggested using the rolley shoes like Susie got me last year because they help build up the muscles in your ankle! So I got mine out of the closet and will start wearing them. Neat!

Day One Hundred and Fifty Six

So I dont forget.... fun fun time with Sandra, Cyn, and Drea, at dinner and then roller derby and then after party!  We had a blast! And Oh my gosh.. I drank quite a bit 'cause I wasn't driving and it was crazy!

This was definitely a last hurrah before I buckle down again this week and exercise, exercise, exercise, and eat right! Mexican food and margaritas before the bout, beer during the bout, and Guinness and nachos at the Irish Pub we found in Redmond (after driving around in circles forever) after the bout.

Cyn, Sandra, and I made plans to go camping, hiking, and a bunch of other stuff and we are going to do it (I know you are reading this Sandra so don't forget!)

Day One Hundred and Fifty Five

I had lots of fun at karaoke tonight celebrating one of the roller girls, Zwack, 40th b-day. I actually had a really good time and sang a couple songs with friends on stage without having an alcoholic drink all night! Didn't know I could do that! :)

Oh yeah, and I went to the gym again today and I worked out HARD. I did upper body exercises until my arms were weak and did my mile on the treadmill and got down to 18 min.

I also used this other machine called an AMT that allows you to choose the type of stride you do. So I could go from using it as a stepper, to jogging, to a full out running stride. It was actually really cool kind of stair-climber, elliptical mix of a machine and a hardcore cardio workout!

Day One Hundred and Fifty Four

Today was the last day of my contract at Windows Media, so that means I am officially unemployed. I spent the afternoon rearranging things in my house after I took the computer back to work and had more room to rearrange things. I am not done rearranging it yet.. so no pictures yet! All this free time, plus a healing leg, should give me plenty of time to get things done!

Day One Hundred and Fifty Three

What an awesome day. I went to the gym this afternoon and did some fast walking and lower body weights. I then had a nice snack of an apple and a piece of cheese that I brought with me to have on the way home so I wouldn't be tempted to go to McDonald's next door... and it worked! I drank TONS of water today as well! 

Then it was movie night with the Charters. We finished watching True Blood Season Two and then had BBQ chicken, biscuits, and green beans to round off our southern watching.

Day One Hundred and Fifty Two

I had lunch today with Martina, Paloma, and Marcia as a farewell lunch since this is my last week at this job. The food was yummy! We had a big ol' salad with O&V dressing, mini quiches, quinoa, and chocolate dipped strawberries. YUMMY.

It is sad that I won't be working with them anymore, but I know I will keep in touch. Paloma also gave me some fresh oregano to take home and dry since she has an abundance of it.

It was cool seeing her garden as well. She has it blocked off in one foot squares, called square foot gardening. I think I might try that with mine. You can see more info about it here: Square Foot Gardening