Maintaining Me

I didn’t get here yesterday, did I?  No, between work I was doing a report (my first “official”) for my Global Climate Change course.  A little frustrating at times, but manageable.  I also ate well, EXERCISED! (Firm Kickboxing/Weights DVD), did laundry, prepped veggies for today’s crockpot dinner, watched the second hour of More to Love, and did an evening orientation via the phone for an employee who couldn’t make the day session.  BUSY day!  But a good one!

One not good thing that happened to me late Monday night that I didn’t get to write about: I was plagiarised!  ALREADY!  One of my assignments that was posted on a discussion board in our “classroom” was copied - WORD for WORD, the first half - then the second half (same format) she stole an example off the internet! (yes I googled and found it!) and substituted that - and even copied my TITLE and then - rocket scientist she was - posted it herself as her assignment.  On the same discussion board of course.  I was FLOORED.  The instructor removed her assignment and told me she was going handle it, she will not tolerate assignments being copied.  Personally, I wanted her kicked out of class.  :-D  Can you believe it?

And did she think no one would notice?  Grrrr.

Still nothing from MBFF since Sunday - I texted her to see how the mutual friend (well her friend, my acquaintance) was doing who had been in an accident, she answered, but that was it. (She is doing better).  I need a new acronym for MBFF … she is not even really a friend anymore.  Or, no friend I would like to have. 

From now on she is CFF: Crappy Former Friend.

Food today:

• B: Egg beaters on EM, coffee
• S: 2 dark choc squares (oops)
• L: LC Lemon Chicken
• S: Apple or Banana
• D: Crockpot beef stew

Other to do: Exercise DVD, finalize writing collage assignment, vacuum all floors, more laundry, reading assignment for GCC, discussion with just DS12 (already a bit overwhelmed with 8th grade) with tv off and no interruptions

Drink water!  Water has been reallllllllllllly bad lately.  I have a bottle sitting here.  For 45 minutes.  Unopened.  Untouched.

Have a fabulous day!

It was a weekend of lots of noise, stress, a few tears shed over the Distributive Law of Algebra, too much apple crisp, not enough movement.  And not enough sleep.  That about sums it up.  Oh, and HOA meeting, did not resign yet. Volunteered to meet with landscaper at 8:30 am tomorrow before work.  It’s all my own fault.

Sleepver was exactly what any sleepover with 8 children from ages 5 - 15 would be: crazy.  But trying to do schoolwork during it?  Certifiably insane.  I am actually GLAD it is Monday!  Except that I have therapy at 4:30 and not much to discuss.  I am sure it will come to me.

Food today:

• Breakfast: Jumbo Rice Krispies, half banana, 1% milk
• Snack: Pear
• Lunch: Chicken Salad on Honey Wheat Bread, Pretzels
• Snack: Other half banana, 1 dark choc square
• Dinner: Either taco salad or Buffalo chicken wrap

4:30 Therapy.  6 pm dinner, time with kids, laundry, dishes, cleaning, lunches … 7:30 pm workout?  8:30 - 10:30 reading/school work?

Sigh.

Oh, Saturday was the first day I have seen MBFF since the incident, though I am not sure what the incident itself is?  Oh, standing up for myself? Doing what I think is right instead of what she wants me to do? Yeah, that was it.  She acted as if nothing had ever happened, as if there weren’t a weird gap where she didn’t call me for four weeks but IMed and texted me daily.  Ignoring is not the answer either.  Then she texted me yesterday - didn’t just pick up the phone to call, TEXTED - to ask me if the kids could stay a couple extra hours.  Typical me, I feel guilty, but really ladies I couldn’t do it, couldn’t take that many extra kids running around because I HAD to go food shopping and get some work done … so while I didn’t say NO outright, I was very annoyed that she didn’t ask ahead of time, and also then I had to provide lunch for five extra children when I wasn’t planning or prepared for that!  So she did come and get them (but still was an hour, hour and a half later than usual) and I haven’t heard from her since.

And I am okay with that.

Okay ladies, have a good day.  Be healthy!

My slumber party just increased to 8 children.  Oh boy!  Good thing I am just making a big pan of baked ziti and apple crisp for dessert … though I do have LOTS of apples to peel.

I took the twins out for a BTS dinner last night.  Honestly, I wasn’t even hungry AT ALL.  (That is what eating half a row of reduced fat ritz crackers before you go out will do)  I ordered the crab cake appetizer with a side of mashed potatoes.  I ate most of it anyway.  It was really yummy.  I registered for mymathlab last night and toyed around in that.  I have some math homework to do later today.

Today’s To-Do:

• Exercise: Wanted to do Get Chiseled but I am cringing at the thought of getting back into the swing of things with the hardest DVD I have, so I am going to do the kickboxing one I have anyway.  Which is still with weights and no easy feat.
• Food shopping: Stuff for today and to get me through the week, hopefully!
• Math homework, Reading for Global Climate Change
• OIL CHANGE this afternoon before the kids arrive!

I think that is it for today.  HOA Board mtg is moved to tomorrow evening which works better for me.  This should be my last one as I plan on resigning.  Yeah, I have been saying that for four years!  But now I have school to juggle as well, and it simply is more important.  It will take up a lot of my time and I don’t want the free time I do have with my kids to be eaten up by HOA stuff.

I am stalling.  Need to get started.  Need more coffee first.

Good morning ladies!  Or afternoon … it is just about to be afternoon here.

This morning on the ride in to the office, it was a little upsetting to hear that none of the radio stations were even talking about 9/11.  No music, no types of memorial, no reading of names like they had in the previous years.  Already the effects of 9/11 are disappearing?  For a short while, everyone drove around with little flags hanging out of their cars … and that didn’t last long.  And today, THE day so many lost their lives, and it was like it barely even happened here.  And I am in NEW YORK!  What the heck?  Hope it wasn’t like that everywhere.

I am tired today.  I am so grateful that tomorrow, I don’t need to set an alarm clock.  I have natural built in six year old ones, lol, but even they won’t buzz me at 6:45 am!

I am LOVING school.  I have already completed week one assignments that aren’t due until 9/20.  :-D  I am a geek.  I love it.  For now … eventually it is going to get harder, and you will find me having a meltdown, just like Julie in J&J - crying on the floor surrounded by raw meat.  Only my raw meat will be textbooks.

Food was good yesterday.  Curriculum night at the Elementary school 6:30 - 8:30, so no exercise.  Tonight, driving DS12 to his friends for a b-day sleepover.  MUST cut the grass, but I guess not tonight because it is raining.  This weekend: exercise, grass cutting, shopping (food and clothing), slumber party for 7 children, Board meeting for HOA, schoolwork, and major house cleaning!  And need to come up with a dinner menu.  OIL CHANGE!  Forgot that, and that is the most important!

Suddenly, I am thinking I won’t be so refreshed after this weekend after all!

Breakfast today was egg beaters on english muffin, lunch is lean cuisine, snack is pear and apple, dinner is TBD … maybe I will do the shopping tonight with just the twins, and take them out to eat. 

Must.  Drink.  Water.  Really bad at that lately.

Linda- OMG!  You are right!  I didn’t realize he didn’t invite her back.  I don’t know, I know Mandy was a little sensitive/emotional but I felt she was the best fit for a relationship.  I don’t think Tali is it, AT ALL, and Melissa … well hello, the thing about never babysitting her 4 year old nephew who lives 10 minutes away??  Uh uh. 

Ok ladies, thanks for the comments and the welcome back!  And Mel, is that REALLY you!?  Are you back!? 

It has taken me considerably longer to get back into the swing of things, especially being that the kids started school on Tuesday, and I myself as well … which is crazy.  It is all a little overwhelming, to be honest.  Food and exercise? HA!  Actually, last night I intended to workout … then something weird happened.  I was walking around the supermarket and I could NOT stop yawning.  I went home and put a DVD in for the kids and said I was going to lay down for 15 minutes … that was at 6:45.  I woke up TWO HOURS later.  I NEVER do that.  I never even lay down for 15 minutes - lol - but two hours?  I was late getting the kids to bed, then had all my housework and schoolwork to do … so was again up past midnight.  Ugh.

Vacation was absolutely wonderful, the best I’ve ever had.  One of these years I will get around to putting some pics up.  I don’t know why that last one didn’t work.

Still working on myself, still going to therapy, still being mindful of what I am eating (though I am not doing the best job), still planning on figuring out an exercise schedule to balance with school.  Actually, I think if I can come up with three evenings a week I can work out, that will be satisfactory.

Still seeing where things are going with R, which has been very, very nice.  :-)  It has been hard to accept responsibility for so many of the faults I have had that I didn’t see, a result of my upbringing, but I am working on it and working on how I deal with things and relationships, whether it is with R or not, it is something I needed to do.

What else? Hmmm … got a new Coach business bag at the outlet over Labor Day weekend!  $428 down to $269!  I needed it.  No, I really did! :lol:  Wouldn’t be me without a handbag reference.  But I use this daily, really. 

Okay, I will try and pop in later to catch up.  And I WILL get pics up one of these days. 

Have to miss group kick tonight for open house, already!

Took this picture the first morning we were there:

Many more pics to follow!  For now, I am super busy catching up at work AND home, so I probably won’t really be able to post until Wed or so.  Just wanted to let you all know I am here, and I had a FABULOUS time!  The best vacation I ever had!

I have about 20 minutes before I have to leave to meet XH to get the kiddos.  Pretty much everything is done, except for cooking for our BBQ this afternoon before we leave - though I did do the broccoli salad. 

I talked myself into doing the pump, jump and jam DVD yesterday and was glad I did.  Finished up the produce/meat I needed to buy, got my pedicure and eye brow wax, returned all the items I needed to, got two free things at VS from coupons I got in the mail - it was like a backwards shopping day! Lol.  Did pick up another pair of sandals at 75% off at Macys and sunglasses for 50% off.  Picked up dinner at Panera (again, free, boss gave me a coupon) but also picked up a Cobblestone with the intention of eating half.  I was STARVING though, and devoured the whole thing in the car.  Then when I was making the ganache for today’s choc molten cupcakes, I dove - HEAVILY - into the chocolate.  Sigh.

I am 99% packed.  Unfortunately, I did NOT get to cut the grass.  Rain, rain and more rain.  The yard looks like crap, and now it won’t be cut for another 7 days.  Groan.  My neighbors are going to love that.

Just finished my egg beaters … need to stop at the grocery store.  I forgot a red onion for the salad.  I think it is more annoying to do such a LARGE grocery shopping and forget one small (but vital) ingredient.

Okay ladies, will try and post Monday the 31st though I expect work is going to be insane.  Send me some good weather vibes.  Not for the islands, but to get the heck out of NY without delays! lol!

HUGS!

Today I am wearing my totally cute Michael Kors sandals I scored for 50% off at Macys last weekend.  They felt good at Macys, the felt good at my house, but then walking the kids into camp they were slipping from my feet a bit, and now I am realizing they are too big because anytime I have to walk more than 10 consecutive steps, they start to slip.  Grrr!  Now I am pissed because I have worn them outside and cannot return them, and I really LOVE them and want them!  This is the problem when sandals only come in full sizes and you are a 1/2 size. 

3 days till vacation.  I am making progress down my list.  Yesterday I mopped all the floors, made a couple phone calls, made my moms calender/phone list/flight info (she likes to have all that in one place when I am traveling), made the base for the homemade butter almond ice cream for her post-birthday surprise.  Dinner was Gorton’s Garlic Butter tilapia (I think Gorton’s - that is the one in the yellow box, right?) and it was pretty good for a frozen thingy!  But small, I could have easily eaten the 2 servings in the box (and they were only 80 calories each) but DD had the other pc.  And I did my kickboxing class too, which I really realllllllly had to TALK myself into going to, but I did, and was glad I did! 

Today is wrapping up work, then taking kids on the train to XH’s in NYC.  I was going to stop in Sephora while down there, but decided not to waste the time so I am getting right back on the train to get back home around 9 pm.  Then, it is off to Walmart for a late night gargantuan shopping trip.  I hate Walmart.  It’s just gross.  But it has everything I need, and admittedly, the best price on it.  Blech.  I will be lucky to get home by 11-12, and then I have to freeze mom’s ice cream and put everything away, organizing the pantry a bit.

Up early Saturday, must cut alllllll the grass and trim around the yard.  I just realize it might rain.  @$@#$!  What will I do if it rains all weekend?  My mom can’t cut the grass, I have been purposely waiting till RIGHT before I leave and it is already overdue, so it can’t wait another week.  Great.  12 o’clock pedicure and eyebrow wax, then two stores to return stuff and last minute vacation shopping.  Saturday evening, back home to finish up packing, and start prepping Sunday’s BBQ. 

I just realized I have no exercise in there.   I really have no time, but I would hate to not take advantage of the last two days before I leave.  I suppose if I can’t cut the grass due to weather, then I can take advantage of popping in a DVD at home.

Food:

• Breakfast: Toaster Strudel.  Nothing was appealing to me.
• Snack: Banana
• Lunch: LC Panini
• Snack: Apple
• Dinner: Sushi and Starbucks on the train

Have to put a stitch in a vacation dress … need to text myself that, lmao.  It has a big open back and I couldn’t find a suitable bra, and I need to go braless (which I actually can do, thanks to Dr. M, even though I am still totally freaking out and uncomfortable with) … but I need to take the halter strap in a bit.

Ate too many baked tostitos again last night, I don’t know why I have been so snacky this week.  WI was 147.0 though, so down a teeny bit.  Nice.

Okay, I will try to get here over the weekend, but if not … I will be HERE all week:

 And will return the 31st!  HUGS!

And the pressure is on.  Work is crazy, trying to get things done and settled so I can relax on vacation, and I have a huge headache.  Lists and lists of loose ends to tie up.

I did manage to wrangle my luggage out from behind all the furniture in the garage, and started my packing.  Yup, this is a several day affair.  One pc of luggage is 2/3 full of shoes alone.  I know that technically, all I need is one pair of flip flops … but no, I have flip flops to match each bathing suit and sandals to match each dress, you get the idea.  Airlines will make some $$$ on my extra baggage fees.

Workout was done yesterday … was a sweaty mess, but I got through it reminding myself that it was the last Get Chiseled I was doing before vacay.  Food was okay, but had some baked tostitos late at night that I didn’t need.  I have been doing that a lot this week, I wonder why.

I am steadily working down my to do list, making progress.  Ordered my last college textbook ($161 for a book! geez!) and sending in my tuition reimbursement pre approval today.  Need to stop at the store for heavy cream on the way home so I can make the batter for mom’s surprise ice cream tonight … batter tonight, chill overnight, ice cream tomorrow night (or, early Sat morning by the time I get home).  Omg, so much to do.  Deep breath Kelly!

Food and stuff … breakfast was egg beaters/english muffin, lunch was LC lemon chicken, snacks are apple and banana, dinner is unknown.  Hoping to be inspired when I stop at the store later.

Exercise tonight is kickboxing class.

Back to work! Hugs!

PS - Where are all my journal ladies????? 

Can’t wait to be laying on that very beach … ahhhh.

At the office, but have to go home at 11 am to wait for furniture repair guy (yes, again) so I will blog now because I will be busier this afternoon.

Yesterday I ended up making pork chops (well, boneless pork cutlets) and rice and cauliflower.  Burned the roof of my mouth tasting them, ugh.  It is still sore and it hurts when I eat something crunchy.  Went to Centergy last night, and feel slightly sore today.  Always a good sign!  I ate too many damn crackers again last night.  Honestly, I really did feel hungry, but I could have made a better choice.  Damn it.

Today’s Food:

• Breakfast: Cinn Toast Crunch, 1% milk, coffee
• Snack: Banana
• Lunch: Will be home, so I might make an egg beater sandwich
• Snack: Fruit or almonds
• Dinner: TBD, DS12 will be out with a friend and his mom, so it is just twins and I.  Something simple.

Exercise tonight is Get Chiseled DVD.  My body is already cringing, lol.  Well, this might be the last workout of GC before vacation - I just keep telling myself that.  I may also build DD’s TV stand, although I am not thrilled with the paint quality … I will be embellishing it with tulle ‘curtains’ and ribbon tie backs, etc., eventually anyway … it will turn out cute.

5 days till vacation and I need to PACK!  By now I am usually 90% packed, and this time my luggage is completely buried.  I need to review my week schedule I wrote myself … I also need to make a shopping list.  I need to fully stock my house for a weeks worth of food since Mom doesn’t drive.  A neighbor will help out of course, if she really ran out of something and needed it, but I don’t want to put her in that position.

I am starting to feel overwhelmed, so much to get done in the next 4 days!  Making lists calms me, lol, I will need to get to that.

Nothing else new to report.  Nothing new with MBFF.  I don’t plan on her idiocy impacting our children’s friendships, and I had promised the kiddos they could have sleepovers when the rooms were done, so sometime in early September I am going to throw a back to school slumber party for the kids.  I don’t think she would be so petty as to deny her children that, but you never know, lol.  I am sure she will be thrilled to have a night to herself anyway.  I am already thinking of cute things to do/make for the party.