At the risk of sounding like a broken record ... how did it get to be the end of July already???
I'm about to throw my gym stuff on and race out the door before I have a chance to think about it (otherwise I'd much rather sit at the computer and drink coffee! )
So how is everyone doing? Fun weekend? Any vacations coming up?
I love eating all the time! Too bad the last few days have not been savvy eating all the time! I'd better get my act together or I won't stay a maintainer for long ... and I don't want to be that statistic!
It's my day off. I have a few errands, some housework and I need to plan my week and do groceries accordingly.
I only have to work this week and then I have 4 weeks off - aah wonderful!
Started my week by oversleeping though, which is not so wonderful. Have had a cold for a week now but it's starting to fade, finally. I'm glad I got the cold when I was working so I don't have to waste holidays being sick.
Raining as usual here in Gothenburg. Apparently this summer is the worst (as in most rain) since they started recording the weather back in 1880.. Oh well, what can you do.
I started a (home-made) 12 week training program 6 weeks ago so yesterday, since it was the halfway-mark, I checked my progress and it's actually excellent! I'm way ahead on my goals and I've even reached one of them (waist measurement) already even though I'm only on week 6. Oh how I love my gym! It's great fun to have proper goals that you can evaluate to see how you're doing. I'm so curious to see the results at the end of week 12! It's really amazing how weight training shapes your body... The measurements I have now are the sames ones I had 7 years ago when I was 10 pounds lighter. Cool!
Guess I'm preaching to the weight training choir here though, eh?
Man it is MISERABLE outside. Pouring rain and cool.
But this weekend was spectacular. DH and I were away for a few days. With a whole lot of really, REALLY good friends (and cooks). Did get in a few nice lengthy, hilly walks though and brought along my resistance band. My eating was so-so. Nothing horrendous, but nothing marvelous. But I managed to have 2 lb loss this week. I don't know if it will hold up come tomorrow. It usually takes a couple of days for me to show a gain or a loss. We shall see. I will be keeping my fingers crossed and am intending to be majorly on plan this week, especially since I think we may be going away again this weekend and the next 2 as well. This is VERY difficult. These people are the best cooks and bakers you can imagine. There's food around 24/7.
Hi everyone! I had, again, a terrible weekend food-wise, but a great weekend in terms of my social life. Scale is up 2lbs this morning but I'm hoping it's mostly water weight.
Meg, no vacation for me until my wedding in October! I have been saving up vacation time for a year and I'm excited about having nearly three weeks off from work. The wedding planning is one big ball of stress right now . . . the latest incident was with our invitations. I ordered them and they finally arrived Friday, but while the response cards and all the envelopes looked great, the invitations themselves were the wrong color!! The paper was supposed to be a coppery brown, and instead they put it on PINK paper! At this point it's too funny to be annoyed about. Their customer service should be open by now so I'm going to call to get them replaced.
We've started receiving wedding and shower presents which is exciting. It's fun to see stuff disappear off our registry, the only problem is it looks like our most popular registry is the one with Target, but all the stuff we really want is at Crate & Barrel! I haven't actually opened anything yet (the one that got shipped to our house came gift wrapped and the person who sent it told me to save it for the shower next month) but I know what we're getting. I can't wait to get the food processor! I have been sorely in need of one of those for quite some time, especially since we have an abundant crop of basil and when I tried to make pesto in our blender once before I nearly broke it.
We were finally able to harvest a couple bell peppers the other day! It was pretty exciting. I don't know if I'm taking care of the plant right though, because they both were pretty tiny. Also they weren't 100% ripe (at least, they weren't very sweet) so I don't know how to tell when they're ripe enough. I just picked them when they were red all over.
Just curious, how does it work with vacation days in the US? Over here in Sweden we have 25 days of paid vacation every year, and that's a requirement by law and as you get older you get even more days..
Still raining over here. Usually the average number of sun hours in July is 290.. This July we've had.. 80! :P And the average amount of rain is 50 mm and we've had 125! Worst summer ever, in other words.
Silvernight, it depends on the company. My company gives me 7 paid holidays on specific dates (new year's day, memorial day, 4th of July, labor day, thanksgiving, day after thanksgiving, and christmas day). During the course of a year, I accrue 120 hours (15 days) of Paid Time Off (PTO) at a rate of 4.615 hours every two weeks. I also have a total limit of 140 hours, so if I don't use up my hours, then they will just disappear after that point. If you've been with the company for five years, you get an extra week's vacation per year.
They just changed the policy. It used to be 12.5 paid holidays on specific dates, plus 80 hours per year that you accrue. They changed it because the company is no longer able to officially shut down the week between xmas and new year's since they are too busy, so with the new system they can make more people work the holidays without having to pay overtime.
But my company is actually considered pretty generous with this. I also get unlimited sick time. Many places require using PTO for sick days, and don't give as much if any vacation time. There are no legal requirements for time off, though I think there might be some for sick time. It does vary state to state though -- my company spans many states and countries, and people who live in California have a higher limit of how many hours they can accrue do to a California law.
My fiance's company has a vacation purchase program too, where you can "buy" a week's vacation by paying them the equivalent of a week's salary.
Morning all! Rained here all day yesterday, though the end of last week was spectacularly nice. We were at a picnic on Sat and the weather was ideal.
Hmmm, vacation always seems better in places other than the US. I work for a City government and now, after 5 years, I get 9.85 hours per pay period (every 2 weeks) or 32 days a year which covers vacation and sick leave. (at 10 years it goes to 11.69 hours/pay period or 38 days/year) In addition we get 7 paid holidays and 2 "floating holidays" (these came when they decided not to close on 2 "minor" holidays, but let us keep the extra 2 days off).
Jessica - fun to see things come off your registry! For the wedding we went to last month, it was nice to have a registry, as we're friends of the groom, and don't know the bride well. That way we knew we were getting them something they'd use. They nicely had things in all price ranges too.
Meg - I have dreams of getting out of bed when the cat wakes up and wants to go out (usually 5:30 am) and heading for the gym, but somehow my feet go straight back to the bed Maybe someday.....
Oh, Pat! We'll be heading up toward your area next July! I just booked a cruise for the family (DD's choice of destinations as she will be graduating and heading to college). I actually went on an Alaskan cruise with my parents, gosh, 26 years ago!!!
Sure wish we would get some rain here!
silvernight~we only have 7 days paid holiday here. I know it is different for bankers and government workers, though. Other than that, we give our employees 5 days paid vacation after they've completed their first year of employment. I can only imagine what it would be like to have as many vacation days as you get! I guess I'll have to wait for retirement to see that!
Jessica~isn't it fun to get gifts?!?!? Then you get writer's cramp for writing all the thank you cards!
I got really bad news today. My son's captain called and they are to be deployed within the next 30 days so they are now on Alert status. When his Unit was put on Alert last time, they left within 1 week. We're getting all of his stuff packed and ready. Meanwhile, I'm trying my best to hold it together and be strong. It's just getting too REAL. We weren't told where he'd be sent. It's either Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria for 15 months. All I feel like doing is crying. Today I went and placed an ad in the paper to sell his motorcycle and dirt bike. He doesn't want me to have to worry about making the payments while he's gone. I'm on his bank account and will be making his Jeep and Insurance payments. I'm having a real hard time coping with all this. He is handling it much better than me and DH and we all knew it was coming, just didn't know for sure when.
I sure wish now that Shane had joined the Coast Guard instead (like his step-sister did).
On a happy note, I bought me some new walking shoes today. Hopefully these will help with my shins and my heel spurs. I went to a sports store and had them show me what to get. They feel comfortable and I've went down from a size 9 to an 8, I guess cause my feet aren't fat anymore.
I went to Old Navy, I couldn't believe that almost all the new shirts were halfway to my knees or looked like maternity shirts. Now , who can wear these? Heck, I lost this weight and don't intend to wear anything that makes me look fat or pregnant. LOL. I did buy 2 polo shirts to wear with my jeans.
Gosh, lilybelle, I can't imagine what it must be like to be a parent and have to watch one's child go off to a war. I hope he is safe and that his tour passes quickly.
Oh gosh Lily, what can I possilby say to you? To say what you're going is through must be extraordinarily difficult is an understatement. I can't even fathom it.
I'm so very grateful for men and women like your son. You must be so very proud of him.
I hope his time overseas passes quickly and without incident.
Thanks Robin and Jay, it's been a very difficult day and my DD (lacy) crying all day has made it so emotional. I'm trying to hold it together in front of my son. But, he knows I'm scared to death.
Lacy said "I don't know how to say goodbye to my bubba, knowing I may never see him again". This tore me completely up cause I've been thinking the same thing but didn't want to say it.
I don't know how to think positive and not worry. I don't know what to do. I do plan to become active with his Unit's family support group and meetings to see if this can be of any help to Us during his absence.
Maintainers Chat - Week of July 23 - 29
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Dear me!
It's great fun to have proper goals that you can evaluate to see how you're doing. I'm so curious to see the results at the end of week 12! It's really amazing how weight training shapes your body... The measurements I have now are the sames ones I had 7 years ago when I was 10 pounds lighter. Cool!
Maybe someday.....
I hope he is safe and that his tour passes quickly.
