laura705

June’s over.  Year’s half over.  I opened the gas bill and it was much higher than usual, but then again, it was chilly during the period (5/21-6/23) and I know we kept our furnace going for a while.  Sigh.  Today is cool and cloudy.  I don’t really mind it for a day or two. 

It’s payday.  It’s month end.  It’s quarter end.  I have some quarterly reporting to do this week.  Thankfully, the reporting was reduced, so it shouldn’t take me long. 

Nothing much to report.  Yesterday went okay at work.  Lunch was Wendy’s, crispy chicken sandwich, baked potato w/ some “buttery spread” and a small chocolate Frosty.  I made an appointment with the podiatrist for Thursday afternoon to have an impression of my foot taken and have a custom orthotic made. 

Dinner was a bowl of soup, and also a laughing cow wedge w/ rf wheat thins.  Before I left the house, I did a load of laundry.  The movie last night was “The Proposal”.  It was okay, some laughs, some unfunny stuff.  There was a very cute dog in the movie.  Not sure I’d really recommend it.  Movie snack was Junior Mints. 

Believe it or not, I was still hungry after the movie, so I had a cheese french bread pizza.  Not a good eating day. 

Not much more to report.  I’m grumpy.  Generally unthrilled and unsatisfied about life in general.  Over the weekend bf and I were recalling some hand-me-down household items I’d gotten long ago from a work friend during my very first job out of college.  I got to thinking about this person who I haven’t been in contact with since I left that job.  I remembered her name, and I ended up looking her up online.  According to a networking site, she stayed at that firm until last year and now has a job on the west coast.  Good job, or at least a fancy title.  It depressed me.  She was one of the few nice people I started there with - the others had this overconfidence bordering on arrogance… I totally didn’t fit in.  I’ve always been insecure.  Anyway, I was laid off from that job during a big merger.  I hated that job, so it wasn’t exactly the most horrible thing that could happen to me, but while I was there, it was a difficult time in my life.  I ultimately left that field a couple jobs later, and I still feel disappointed in myself about that.  I wasn’t really going towards the new field but rather fleeing the old one.  For someone to stay where she was so long, she must have been good at her job and relatively happy and fulfilled.  And I guess that’s why that depressed me. 

I also was depressed because I have a bunch of vacation I want to schedule and I don’t know what I’ll do when I take it.  No plans to go anywhere.  Can’t take an expensive vacation every year, and last year was our cruise, and we also spent a large sum of money on home improvements.  I guess a “staycation” is it. 

Tonight should be the gym and another load of laundry.  Tomorrow after work is drinks/dinner with a friend.  Thursday the office closes a couple hours early, and I leave about an hour earlier than that for my foot doc appointment.  Less than 3 days ’til the long weekend. 

Long rambling post, my only justification is that it covers 2+ days.  

Friday went alright at work.  Generally a quiet day because the boss wasn’t there.  In the evening, bf and I went to our street’s block party.  It was the first time it was in the evening, and I liked it.  Maybe because it can’t go that late into the night (village rule?) and so I don’t feel like it’s a day-long obligation.  It’s nice seeing the neighbors.  Food was fried chicken and hot dogs.  I had a chicken breast and a few of the sides.  A couple small dessert portions and some fruit.  Bf and I don’t know many of the kids except the ones next door and one across the street, but they’re definitely getting bigger!  I didn’t end up going to the charity event.   

My next door neighbor came to the block party – the one who sometimes goes to the movies.  I was glad she got out – things have been very odd with her the past several months, and she hasn’t been to the movies with us in ages.  Later on, bf told me that one of the other people on the block told him that they heard from someone else that my neighbor was arrested for shoplifting at an area store back in February.  I looked it up online and it was true.  I was initially shocked, but when I think about my neighbor, and what’s gone on lately, it sort of fits together.  I feel horrible for her, but I’m hoping things are getting better for her now. 

We started talking swimsuit shopping and she ended up sending me a bunch of e-mails the next day about suits she’d purchased, other suits she liked, suits she thought I’d like.  LOL.  She had obviously done a lot of online shopping!  I don’t have the patience for that at all, but then again, I’m not a good shopper…  Anyway, I offered some comments, but tried to get her to stop by telling her the truth – I wasn’t very excited to buy a swimsuit because I’m heavy, so I was just going with a very plain one.  I don’t want her spending time shopping for me!

As long as we’re talking about being heavy…  I put a new battery in the scale and weighed myself Saturday morning.  I was down a pound from the horrible number last week.  And Sunday morning I was down another pound.  I think I’ll eventually drop back to my usual weight, but there was just something goofy going on.  Maybe the humidity and TOM water retention?  Anyway, I felt somewhat relieved that this is probably just a fluctuation. 

Saturday morning I got outside and pruned the lilac bushes.  They really needed it – it doesn’t take long for them to become overgrown.  I gave them a severe pruning.  I try to follow the guidelines I’ve read about and see on gardening tv shows, but I’m still not very good at pruning.  I probably shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near pruning shears.  LOL.  By the time I finished bundling and twining all the trimmings, the sun was blazing down on me and it was good to get in the shower. 

Bf and I went to lunch (pizza), then to the shoe store.  I returned the expensive orthotic.  I ordered a purse I liked, but in a color they didn’t have in stock (black, of course).  Very utilitarian, but it’s made of nylon, which I like because it’s lightweight.  The salesman joked that I could lighten my purse by carrying around less inside it, lol.  I brought in the blister-causing Keen’s and they softened up the part that hits my Achilles tendon.  I still felt it rubbing.  The pedorthist gave me some felt pads to put under the heel part of the insole to raise my heel so it doesn’t hit that part.  I’ll give the shoes another try.  Back at home, bf vacuumed the maple tree helicopter thingies from the top of our gutter covers.  The covers seem to work well with leaves, but those helicopters are small enough where the wind doesn’t lift them like it does the leaves.  Plus all the rain and humidity didn’t help matters. 

Our lawn treatment service told us our mower blade needed sharpening, so I took it to the hardware store.  Turns out they don’t do it on-site, so it would be almost 3 weeks.  I didn’t leave it with them – that’s ridiculous.  BF did some research and found he could buy an attachment for his drill and do it himself.  This makes a lot of sense because it’s a hassle to have to bring it to someone one or more times per season.  On the way home, I stopped at the market and did some shopping. 

Didn’t do much Saturday evening.  Dinner was a hot dog.  We went to our town’s cruise night, but there weren’t many cars this week.  I think it was because rain was on the way – these guys baby their cars and don’t want them out in the rain!  It did end up raining overnight.

Sunday morning the ground was moist from the rain, so I tackled a lot of the weeds in backyard.  I showered and went shopping for a swimsuit (Lands End outlet store).  I didn’t end up with the one I planned on, but it was good to try it on.  It fit fine, but it only had a shelf bra and I think that’s not enough for me anymore!  I ended up with a very simple tank suit (with a soft cup bra) from last season on sale for $20!  It was a long torso size, which the size chart didn’t show I needed based on my measurements, but it felt better to me than the regular sizes.  I also bought a casual white cotton zipped hoody cover up that will double as a summer robe, and a polo shirt in a color that caught my eye.

I stopped at Container Store to return my purse organizer.  After less than 3 months, a seam opened up, so it appears it can’t stand up to the rigors of being in my purse!  The purse I ordered has some organization features, so I hope it works for me.  In the meantime, back to digging around for my keys. 

In the afternoon, bf and I worked on our front landscaping.  Bf cut out a new edge to our bed with the shrubs, nice and scalloped.  Very tidy looking.  I used the sections of the grass bf removed to patch a large bare spot elsewhere in our front lawn.  Sod beats seeding!  We just need to keep watering it to make sure it takes.  It was a gorgeous day to be outdoors – low 80’s, low humidity and a nice breeze. 

Lunch was a torta, dinner was a really good steak from the butcher.  Meals weren’t light or healthy, but snacking was  minimal this weekend.  I ended up splitting the homemade spaghetti sauce into 2-person portions and freezing it.  We haven’t been in the mood for pasta.

Boss and other mgr are out today, and lead admin is still on vacay, hence the endless post.  Will clean off my desk today and play catchup with organizing and archiving my e-mail.  Another gorgeous day, will get out at lunchtime.  Tonight is the movies – moved up a day due to a change in our leader’s work schedule.  We’re seeing “The Proposal” with Sandra Bullock and Ryan somebody. 

Yay Friday.  Yay, boss is out.  Yay it’s not as humid as it was the past several days. 

Yesterday was busy.  I have some software administration to do today that’s a PITA, but needs to be done.  Otherwise, I really need to dig out my desk.  It’s gotten truly awful.  Yesterday’s lunch was the frozen meal I had sitting in the office freezer for a couple weeks.  It was better than I thought.  Besides, it was either eat it or bring it back home – they’re doing the monthly fridge cleanup tonight.  I skipped the cookies offered at the lunch meeting, but then ended up being hungry later in the afternoon and went out and bought some cookies.  Duh. 

Didn’t do much last night.  Dinner was sort of serial snacking.  Some nuts.  Some cheese and rf Triscuits.  The 2^nd and last of the kraft easy mac n cheese that’s been hanging around the cabinet for a while because the first one didn’t impress me.  A piece of bread with butter.  No veggies.  Must go to the farmers market this weekend! 

I just watched some tv (including the Barbara Walters special on Farrah) and browsed some online stores.  Didn’t order anything yet.  I’ve decided it’s probably foolish for me to try and buy slacks online, so I gave that up. 

I also decided I hate the swimsuit I bought for the cruise last year.  I even remember wearing an older swimsuit I’d brought along as backup because I like it better.  I’ve mainly bought “cute” swimsuits in the past, but it’s kind of annoying when you actually try and do real swimming when the neckline lets too much water in, or the tankini top floats up around your body.  Not that I do much swimming at all, real or otherwise, but still…Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy a plain swimsuit with an x back and be done with it.  ( Like this swimsuit )  Why a swimsuit is even being (reluctantly) considered by me at all is because bf’s sister is having the 4^th of July cookout at her house this year and they had a nice pool installed last year.  I know I’ll want to take a dip, and not in the swimsuit I bought last year! 

Tonight is our block party, but I’m going to a charity event in which a friend of my late brother is participating.  If the block party is still going on, I’ll join it later. 

What else?  Nothing firm.  I want to hit the gym this weekend.  C’mon, just and hour!!  I desperately need a pedicure and I’d like someone else to do it, not DIY - I’m just not good at that stuff.  I need to return the expensive orthotic to the shoe store and bring in my pair of Keens to see if they can be made softer in the back heel area.  I need to shop for summer work clothes.  Grrr.  Oh, after all the rain and heat the weeds are taking over big time.  Wondering if bf can take a pass with the mower in the unplanted run of our border where it’s basically been taken over.  If he can cut the weeds back, then maybe we can till the soil and rake out the weeds and then cover the soil with weed fabric…I dunno.  I have the fabric.  I just don’t know if that’ll work.  And I think we’ll need different stakes to anchor the fabric into the soil.  We have pointy metal ones in front, but I worry about the dog getting hurt with those in the yard if they come out of the ground, and of course they will…Sigh. 

Have a good weekend everyone!

Another hot & humid day today.  Not as bad as yesterday, but still too icky for me.  I’d never want to live in Miami, Houston, or New Orleans - they get this kind of stuff as part of their typical weather.  Here it’s not atypical, but it’s not constant. 

Yesterday went alright at work.  The icky project we’re working on as a department is very close to being done after meetings yesterday and today and will be submitted today. 

The boss is leaving early today and will be out tomorrow and Monday as well.  The lead admin has been out on vac. all week and will be out next week as well.  It’s been nice, and it’ll be nicer without boss for a couple days.  Ahh.

Bf was tuckered out from mowing and trimming yesterday, so last night I went to the gym by myself.  I did an hour of weight exercise and abs.  I’ve been doing both upper and lower body work because I’m not getting to the gym often enough to split them.  

After the gym, I hit Target for dog food.  They had the bigger bag for a lot less per unit, so I bought that.  A bit awkward, but I handled it.  The smaller bags are easier to deal with, but a pain because you need to buy more frequently. 

I decided to see if Target had any chinos I liked.  I saw a pair that looked promising and yes, I actually tried on a pair (post-workout sweat and all).  I realized quickly, (but not before I tried them on, dang it) that they had front pockets that are the style that would stick out and look stupid and unflattering.  Of course I didn’t notice that until I saw that the pockets were stitched closed by the manufacturer!  Sigh.  I’m sort of wondering what kind of company approves a clothing design and ultimately decides that the pockets on the finished product need to be stitched closed because no woman would buy them with the pockets sticking out and making her belly and hips look bigger.  But I’d also looked again at a couple stores online for chinos last weekend and remembered again that I didn’t order any from those two places because they had similar kinds of pockets.  So it’s not just a pair of $20 discount store pants, but LLBean and Lands End.  But I guess those stores are not the most high fashion either.  More shopping needed. 

Dinner was a beef sandwich.  I was annoyed that bf didn’t boil some pasta while I was at the gym and at Target so we could eat pasta for dinner w/ the sauce I made over the weekend.  I need to do weekend cooking for myself or we’d eat crap all the time. 

Nothing planned for tonight.  Bf has something going on, but I don’t recall what. 

Okay, I’m going to publish this.  I have a lunchtime training type of session in which you eat lunch during the session, so I need to get some lunch beforehand. 

It’s hot.  I’ve been here almost an hour and I’m still trying to get comfortable.  I need to shop and buy some cotton, linen, and silk for work.  Wrinkles notwithstanding.

Yesterday my work day was short, so I felt busy and got a lot done. 

The afternoon was not much fun, didn’t feel like vacation.  By the time I got home, bf had already given doggy his chill pills.   I don’t like what they do to him, but it does make it easier for the vet to do their thing. 

Bf and I ate lunch (Julienne salad for me) and then installed the cover for the back seat of the car.  It’s sort of like a hammock, attached to the headrests of the front and rear seats.  It protects the interior and also keeps the dog from going off the seats and into the footwells, so it’s safer.  That was a PITA - it was so hot we parked the car in a shady spot and tried to do it all from inside the car with the AC blasting.  Nice and awkward.

The vet phoned an hour before our appointment and reported that their power went out, but they could still keep the appointment.  No kidding, I didn’t sedate the dog and take a half day of vacation to have you cancel on me an hour before.  Maybe they were hoping we’d want to cancel.  I dunno.  The appointment went fine, after we had to pull doggy out from under the chairs way in the corner.   Poor baby, doesn’t like the vet at all. 

After a short walk, we headed off to petco for doggy’s bath, but the dumb employee didn’t find our record in the computer, but finally found the paper card in the file.  Then she said we needed the vaccination info.  We gave her the vet statement of all the stuff done during doggy’s appointment and the rabies vaccination cert.  Then she said it needed to be 48 hours after the vaccination.  Bf was really ticked.  It was mostly the sullen, unhelpful attitude of the employee that irritated us the most.  And because we had the dog there within the past year and they should have had records of his previous vaccination then, which would then indicate that the dog hadn’t been without his vaccinations…Grrrr.  We left the store, bf furious and me resigned and sick of listening to bf.  I might just phone the petco today and *itch at them about what happened.

On the way home, we stopped at a grooming shop near the house and ended up doing the dogbath there.  Bf had taken doggy there in the past for nails/glands and wasn’t happy with the service, but it was okay for the bath.  I think it was quite a bit more costly than petco, but it needed to be done, and we don’t bathe the dog very often, so whatever.  I’m glad all this is done.  Bf kept saying, this is what I go through every time, now you know.  Well, if it’s such a problem, I might just do it myself so I don’t have to hear you whining. 

I was glad to get home and cool off.  I was sore from Monday’s workout, so I didn’t go to the gym.  No movie night last night.  Dinner was tacos.  I did a load of laundry, watched some tv, and finished the book I was reading. 

I’ve started reading the book club selection today.  Tonight will be the gym. 

I was almost done, but I had a 10 am meeting.  Now I’ll publish. 

I better be quick with this, I’m taking a half day vacation today and leaving around noonish.  Nothing special, but we have a late afternoon vet appointment (annual checkup/shots) and I want to be there this time to ask my questions.  Since we have to dope doggy in advance for these visits (nail trim & gland expression too), we figured we’d take advantage of it and afterwards we’d go to the petco/smart/whatever  to do a self-service dog wash.  As I’ve said before - well worth the money to use their facility to give doggy a bath. 

Yesterday I finished a big chunk of a project and sent it on to be sifted through.  Have to confirm it was actually received - an e-mail with many attachments - who knows if it got hung up somewhere because it’s too large.  Lunch was a McDs grilled chicken caesar salad. 

After work I helped bf move an awkward chair up to the garage.  He’d finally sold it on craigslist - yay!  It was an ugly blue barrel shaped swivel chair given to us by his aunt.  If you leaned forward, say to pick something up off the floor, it would topple.  Lovely.  So that’s gone. 

After that I took doggy for a short walk.  So hot, he was panting a lot.  There’s no happy medium right now.  From cool and rainy to hot and humid.  Today the heat index will be around 100 degrees.  Lovely.  I’ll pretend I’m in Miami.

Bf and I went to the gym and did 45 min of weight stuff and abs.  Getting sore already.  Dinner was leftovers.  We are going to try to go to a resistance training class tonight at the gym that starts at 6:15.  

Thanks for the comments re the shoes, etc.  I think I’m probably making too much fuss of all this, but I might just triple check that a custom insert would be covered by my insurance, and then return the one I bought. 

Okay, gotta fly!

I think everything here is going to mold over - we had more rain this morning!  Enough with the rain already!  There was a bad train derailment in a city out to the west of us on Saturday night, caused by tracks washed out by the rain. 

The weekend was alright.  Saturday I picked up my contact lenses, went to the pedorthist, went to Walmart, puttered around the garden, walked the dog, and in the evening bf and I walked downtown to the blues fest and met some friends.   

The pedorthist visit was fine.  He agreed w/ the podiatrist and recommended a pair of athletic shoes and an over-the-counter orthotic insert.  He didn’t feel a custom one was needed.  I ended up buying both items recommended, but didn’t find a casual lace-up type of shoe for my work commute that felt good.  I want to keep my athletic shoes for the gym and have a non-sneaker type of shoe for my commute (aka, doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb with dress slacks).  In spite of the price (grumble, grumble), I’m glad to have the New Balances and we’ll see how the insert works out.  I might have come out better with a custom orthotic - according to the podiatrist office, it’s covered 100% by my insurance.  This non-custom (non-rx) one cost me about $90!!  If I don’t find another pair of shoes that those things fit into besides the athletic shoes, I won’t be happy.  And the shoes have to have enough “depth” to fit this thing into it.  It’s somewhat limiting, and of course the ones they fit into are not the most attractive shoes!  Sigh. 

Didn’t really look for regular work (dress) shoes, but the pedorthist advised that since I don’t walk a lot at work, I could just make sure I have good fitting shoes and don’t need to try and put the orthotic into every shoe I wear.   I might be able to salvage the shoes I bought last summer that dig into the back of my ankle - this shoe store said they have a machine that might soften up the part that digs into my foot.  That would be nice - other than that problem, they are nice comfy shoes.  Barely worn by me, I’d listed them on craigslist, but had no responses. 

So I have more shoe shopping to do, but I need to recover from the outlay on Saturday, LOL. 

Sunday was really lazy - read my book, looked at the paper, picked up the next book club selection at the library, bought milk.  Read some more.  Oh, I also made spaghetti sauce in the crockpot.  Didn’t eat dinner, so I don’t know how it turned out. 

I weighed myself on Sunday morning.  The number was horrifying - 5 pounds over my usual weight.  So of course I stepped off the scale and thought I’d try again, but then the readout said “Lo”.  The battery was low.  Not sure if that was the cause of that number.  The bad part is that the number was not out of the realm of possibly being somewhat accurate.  Especially since I’m not exercising enough or eating properly (past 6 weeks have been awful for both). But I weighed in maybe a couple weeks ago, so that’s a big jump, even if it was the tail end of TOM.    Anyway, I yanked the battery out, but didn’t dash out to buy a new battery.  I can wait until next weekend.

My cold has been very mild, knock wood.  Still have a bit of congestion, but feeling generally okay.  Tonight I will go to the gym. 

Okay, publish and back to work.

The software vendor’s function I attended yesterday afternoon was pretty good, although some of the presentations discussed features for the version of the software we don’t use.  Yet.  We’ll see if we make a move sometime in the next couple years – when they stop supporting our version.  Although the smell of the appetizers was tempting, I skipped the cocktail hour and went back to the office, packed up and went home.

I wasn’t thrilled to have to walk home (didn’t take the bike that morning due to rain), and I was warm and sticky when I got to the house. 

Didn’t do much of anything last night, just tv and reading.  Just felt like I was dragging.  Dinner was boneless wings of various flavors.  Leave it to bf to just buy wings and no sides.  Why do I let myself just go along with those kinds of meals?  Because it’s easier.  I think if I want to eat more home cooking, I’ll have to do it on the weekends.  Bf is not particularly interested in cooking stuff that does not involve slapping meat on the grill.  Sigh. 

Got to bed early-ish.  I woke around 3:30 to a thunderstorm.  More rain.  Gosh, we’ve gotten a lot of rain this week.  The weekend is forecast to be sunny.  Fingers crossed!! 

My sore throat continued all yesterday and all night.  It is easing up now because, of course, the germs have successfully invaded and my nose is starting to run and I’m having to clear my throat regularly.  Swell. 

My meeting this morning was moved to this afternoon, so I have two meetings this afternoon. 

This weekend.  Well, I have to pick up my contact lenses from the eye doc.  Not very convenient, as he’s in the city and I’m not.  I need to start telling them to mail them to me.  It would be worth it to just pay their shipping cost.  I think they could just send them in a padded envelope, right?  (Does anyone buy disposable contacts by mail?  What do they ship them in?)

Saturday afternoon I have a pedorthist appointment at the shoe store.  We’ll see what that leads to, but I’m pretty sure I’m just going to start off buying some good fitting shoes and over-the-counter arch support inserts.  I’m not up for a sales pitch for whatever they’ll try to sell me.  There’s a music festival in our town this weekend and so I’m sure we’ll be attending with some friends.  I know there’s a certain artist one of our friends wants to see, so I suppose the timing will revolve around that.  I also want to make some spaghetti sauce, so maybe I’ll sauté and onions and garlic and brown the meat and then dump everything in the crockpot. 

That’s about it.  Better post and get to work. 

Quick post.  I still have a sore throat.  Didn’t go to the gym last night.  Bf and I took the dog for a walk.  Dinner was meatloaf and a baked potato.  TOM is here and I’m feeling fat this week.

It rained again this morning.  I walked to the train instead of cycling.  The boss left the office mid-morning and will be out all day.  I don’t get to enjoy all of the bosslessness because I have a function to go to at 2 pm.  I forgot about it and today wore a pair of dress slacks and a stretchy t-shirt.  Not polished enough.  I ran out at lunch to the mini version of a dept store chain that’s nearby and found a cardigan to go over the t and hopefully will look more put together.  Of course the timing of this thing is bad with all the other work I have, but I was encouraged to go by the boss, so I’m going.  Okay, but I’m not staying for the cocktail hour. 

Nothing planned tonight.  Bf and I should go to the gym tonight.  Right now, I want to.  Who knows how I’ll feel by the time I get home.  Feels like it should be Friday. 

What else?  Hmmm, I think bf is finally done with his dental appointments.  I’m sure he won’t slack on flossing and cleanings now.  Two of the tables we had delivered last week had damage, but bf didn’t tell the delivery guys to wait while he inspected them (and he’d asked me to stay in the yard with the dog) so the truck took off before we checked for damage.  And did bf even think of doing that??  Anyway, the damage was minor, but it’s new furniture - it should be perfect.  So anyway, the replacements are being delivered today. 

Okay, better publish and get ready to go. 

Well, back in stress mode.  My schedule is filled again with meetings and stuff and I feel underprepared and with inadequate time in which to become prepared.  Status quo.

Yesterday I got a walk in at lunchtime, and a sandwich as well.  It was windy by the time I got back to the office and I knew that was bringing rain, as forecast.  It was raining a lot when I left the office, and my lower pant legs were wet by the time I got on the train.  Bf picked me up from the train since it was raining a lot out in our burb too. 

The library program was very interesting last night - vermiculture.  Using worms to compost garbage such as food scraps and paper/cardboard.  A friend here at work does it and so I picked up an extra handout for her. 

I woke up with a sore throat today, and it’s still scratchy right now.  Hope I’m not coming down w/ something.  The guy who sat next to me yesterday morning on the train kept coughing, into his sleeve, but still - makes me think he could have spread those germs.  Who knows, you can get germs from all kinds of stuff that we touch.

I have three more meetings this afternoon and some other stuff to do, so I better get moving.  Tonight will be the gym - I need to work off this stress, if nothing else.