Some one explain this to me... please

I must admit working from I tend to watch my neighbors a lot during the day. I mean I work and they are a good distraction. In any case my neighbor across the street always makes me laugh. She is very nice and all of that, but the way she handles snow is quite entertaining. I probably need more challenging work...

In any case today I am stumped. She just finished sweeping her shrubs. I mean with a broom, knocking all the snow off of her bushes. Why on earth would you worry about snow covered evergreens? The snow kind of makes them prettier.

Let me further elaborate by saying that the snow we have out there right now, although there is like 6 inches of it, is extremely light and powdery. So its not like the she has to worry about branches being weighed down or broken. Oh and her shrubs are very nice little compact ones, that I again don't think she has to worry about. The best part to is that it is literally like 10 degrees outside not including the wind chill. Really. can't the shrubs just stay snow covered?

Perhaps she knows something I do not. Perhaps we will be having a meeting of the Knights Who Say Ni on the street. Oh no, I hope my shrubbery is up to their high standards! =)

Monday Weigh In

I've lost my first 5 pounds! woo-who!

This week's weight = 204.8
Loss of 1.8

Total Loss so far = 5.6!!!

That's a good way to start off a Monday!

Nothing like a nap...

after a lousy work day. Add in one puppy and a cozy blankie and life is not nearly as bad as it seemed 20 minutes earlier!

Don't you wish you could sleep as soundly as this... in the middle of the afternoon with the tv on:

Rita's First Christmas!

My puppy Rita was spoiled rotten this year for Christmas. Auntie Heidi got her this sweet pink rain coat.




Her great-grandma made the blue sweater she is modeling below:




Mommy and Daddy got her the biggest bone ever,





and grandpa got her the antlers, shown here with her auntie heidi:





I think she is happy to have the holidays finally be over with!

Is it Friday yet?

Its been one of those work days today. I've not exactly felt bad all day, but I've not exactly felt great either. My recurring heartburn seems to be back. It had been a couple of weeks since the last run. The odd thing is that I have not changed what I have eaten all week. Kind of odd.

Plus work has been boring the pants off of me lately. I've been trying really hard this new year to keep busy and make the most of my job. I should be happy that I at least have one, and not take it for granted... all that jazz. The new attitude is so not working today with my body protesting all day long.

To top it off I literally have finished all the work on my desk... and I still have 45 minutes to kill. I suppose a diligent worker would use that time to research some new products or figure out a new time saving way to do something.... today all I can come up with is playing tug-o-war with my puppy and trying very hard not to think of my bed that is just 15 steps down the hall! Sometimes working from home is actually harder. If I was in the office at least I would have coworkers to talk to and my bed would not be so tempting!

Monday Weigh In

Monday are my weight logging days. Let's hope they all go as well as this morning did! I am a bit of a dork when it comes to weighing myself. I always do it in my birthday suit so that the like 3 pounds of clothes are not counted. Plus you have to do it first thing in the morning when you have nothing in your stomach. Who wants any extra ounces when its time to log that awful number?

In any case.... this morning's weight is 206.6! That's a loss of 3.8 pounds. Not bad for the first week.

Oh and yes, I have a digital scale that gives my weight in tenths of a pound. I had to go digital. If I use the old fashion scales I tend to cheat and move the stupid thing around to a point on the floor where I'm the lightest! That does not work on this fancy digital one. Some thing's gotta keep me honest!

Happy New Year!

I've been lax and lazy really when it comes to this blog lately. Sorry for that. One of my resolutions this year is to be better at posting. The others are to do more of the stuff I like and want.... like crafting stuff. I spent an hour yesterday and finally started the wedding scrapbook!

The big resolution this year though is to lose weight. Well more than just the weight, I want to be healthier. I would some day like to have a family that includes more than just my hubby and puppy, which means both that I should get my body is good shape for that... and also that I should instill the good habits in me, so that I don't pass the bad ones on. Heck even puppy gained weight over this holiday season!

So I have joined Weight Watchers (WW) Online. I never bought into the WW thing... since I know losing weight is all about just counting calories and burning more than you consume. Last year when I lost 20 pounds for the wedding I just used eDiets online thing... which is a pared down online calorie counter. I'm still a little bored with the calorie counting thing... so I figured I would use the dressed up Points System that WW offers. I know its the same thing, but with WW being so popular, its easier to find food and restaurants that already have the points calculated.

I started the diet on Monday. I figured why spend a week shoving as much food as possible into my mouth and start even further in the whole today! Weigh ins are on Monday. I'll make it a point to post my journey... if nothing else but to be a motivation for me!

I know at least one puppy getting coal this year!

Last week I finally got around to making puppy a Christmas Stocking. I know, I need help... but if hubby and I each had one, it is only fair. I even had enough of the same material left that I used last year... so all three match!

Today I ran out to get a new outfit for my work holiday party this week. Working from home, my work clothes are pretty sad... in any case, puppy was left alone in the house. Normally this is not an issue. This time however, she was a very bad puppy. I have the cutest little fake squirrel that I put at the bottom of my LA Palm Christmas Tree. I have this tree set up in my office this year. Here is a picture of the tree in our Cally house last year.... note the squirrel way at the bottom......

Here is what my cute little squirrel looks like now......

The back of his skull is half eaten and his tail is only hanging on by a thread. My dog is so getting coal in that stocking this year!

Busy Bee...

My family is coming down for a holiday weekend visit... both my side and my in-laws. Its going to make for a house full of people and hopefully a fun time.

I am however in full prep mode. Every time I sit down to try to post something, I think of something else that needs to be done. This weekend was cookie baking weekend. I made Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chips on Friday. Saturday was Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate chips and Triple Ginger Snaps. Then on Sunday it was a loaf of Banana Orange Cranberry Walnut bread, inside out Almond Joys, and Spritz cookies.

I had to laugh with the spritz cookies. Normally I use the wreath and tree patterns with my press, but I seem to have lost the wreath one. I did not want all trees, that is dull, so I went digging in my pattern and tip jar. Really I should say my mom's old pattern and tip jar.

She gave up on baking cookies a while ago and I inherited the jar and press. In the bottom of the jar I found the perfect new pattern. A puppy dog! Funny how all these years I never even noticed that one. I've turned into a dog person. Heaven help me. heehee Here's how they turned out.. oh and they are just as yummy as they look!

Time....

Its only Dec 5th and I'm already behind. I need more time. All day long I work and work and then I get to get off of work and just start the house work. I work and work around the house and yet the list never gets smaller. I'm not getting any closer to the me I want to be because I just don't have time to figure anything out.

God I hope January is better and I can actually carve out some time to maybe work in the great craft room I have been putting together... or even post a few decent entries to this blog that don't just entail me re-capping a day or sharing something cute the dog did.

I don't even have kids and I can't even find time to do what I want to do.... I think I need help... but to tell the truth I don't even know where to start!

OK and seriously, why can't I learn how to spell BECAUSE? 33 years old.. I should be able to learn that one. Seriously.... every time I spell it wrong. Even Hubby noticed it since I don't spell check my emails to him.

Gotta love the flu

I was sick yesterday.... boy was I sick. Nothing like spending the day laying on the couch only getting up to throw up or let your poor dog outside. Granted it snowed here yesterday too and my poor dog likes to get her rope tangled up. SO letting the dog outside consists of bundling myself up and then dragging myself outside and down the flight of stairs on the deck to free the puppy who has wound her lead around god knows how many shrubs. Not exactly fun when the earth is spinning way worse than normal. I resorted to actually just letting her on the deck and hoping she would pee there.... but of course my puppy is too well trained for that! What was I thinking training her like that.

At least today, although still weak, I'm actually sitting up and working... not to mention not puking any more. Sleep still sounds better than work... but I'm running out of days off!

I guess I should be happy that I did not get sick until after the holiday weekend. We had a pretty good time. My sister had the big thanksgiving dinner and an even bigger surprise for us when we got there. They are expecting their first child.... actually our first kid in the family. My mom was thrilled that she is finally going to be a grandma. I can't believe I'll be an aunt! My sister on the other hand is sick as a dog. Well actually I guess she is sick as an expectant mother. Turns out god awful morning sickness pretty much runs in the family. Kind of makes me want to go and stock up on the birth control specially after one day of the flu yesterday!

How can I be mad when its so cute!

Puppy has a thing for shoes. She does not chew them, well except for the occasional shoe lace, but she has not ruined any yet. I know its only a matter of time. She only gathers them when left alone. I think they smell like us and she just wants us close to her. Its kind of endearing... but not really a habit I'd like her to keep.

I work from home and Puppy pretty much sits on the couch in front of the window either sleeping or watching the comings and goings on the street. Usually about every hour or 30 mins or so she will come into the office and make sure I am still there. It had been a while since she came and checked in on me, so I went and made sure she was not into anything she's not suppose to be in. As I rounded the corner I noticed the top of one of my boots on the couch. I was about to scold puppy and tell her no when I noticed it was not just one boot, but both.... and she had them lined up so perfectly. How could I yell at my little puppy's organizational skills!

Gotta love the holidays...

Man life has gotten a little hectic again. At least its not too crazy. Puppy and I are currently laying on the couch taking a break. Its been a long day. She's been helping me mix up cookie batter tonight. Well helping if you call being underfoot and licking up all the flour I spill helping.

I'm putting all the bake ware that I got for the wedding to work this year and making tons of Christmas cookies. Since I'm rapidly running out of time I figured I would mix up and freeze what I can. Oh and plus I made my sister some triple ginger cookies for hosting thanksgiving this weekend. Shoot, I was suppose to take a picture of them all boxed up. Oops... Guess you all will have to use your imagination. =)

I also had to finish up my invites for our family holiday weekend. We are having our family down in December for a holiday dinner. I figured we could make them drive to us one of these times! Not to mention I had 2 birthday gifts to wrap and a wedding gift. I swear I am going to have at least 3 bags for our 3 day thanksgiving trip up north to Michigan. Oh wait... that's not even counting Puppy's bag. Its probably a good thing we are taking the pickup truck. I don't think it would all fit in my jeep.

Well, I've still got gifts to wrap. One of the ladies at work always organizes gift tags for the Goodfellows. I'm not sure if that is a local Detroit thing or not. They basically help under privileged kids. Each tag is for a kid. I got two of them this year. Two boys.... Hubby was pretty funny. Apparently I have no idea what boys would like... go figure!

Guess I should stop rambling and procrastinating and get to it. Tomorrow I get to work all day and then make stuffing, pack, clean the house some, and god knows what else. My puppy is out cold all curled up next to me. It would be so unfair to get up and disturb her.. maybe those toys can wait a little longer to be wrapped...

I still have my job, and that is a good thing.

We have been in limbo at work for the last couple of days. On Tuesday our CEO sent a lovely email to everyone telling us that staff cuts are needed in order to cut our expenses. He said that they should be done with the cuts by the end of the week. So we have all been on pins and needles worrying about it for the last two days. Note to any CEO in this position... just make the announcement when you are ready to actually lay the people off. Don't leave your employees hanging like that. Its not nice.

They finally announced the lay offs this morning. My Boss and I are the only ones in my group who work remotely. So my one friend sent me an email at like 9 saying that Boss was in the office and was going to talk to us all in a few mins. So then I'm sitting there for like 20 mins figuring they were in their meeting and wondering why he did not conference me in. Let me just say I was getting nervous. Then my phone rings and its Boss, not on his work phone, but on his cell phone. SO he wants to have a private conversation. Man my heart sank. He was just calling to keep me in the loop. Thank god!

We did lose one of the girls on Boss's other team, not any of the ones I work with regularly or know very well, but its still going to be quite an adjustment. I pray that she will be able to recover and it will all work out for her... though I know times are not exactly getting any better any time soon. So we will all probably have some shuffling and re-org stuff to deal with... but not as bad as the poor girl who is now unemployed.... and the others I have yet to hear about.

arrrgggghhhhhh!

OK I totally just typed a lovely, witty, and humorous update post...... just to have it lost when I hit the publish post button.

So not in the mood to re-type it.... I am at work and as I said in my clever lost post, my boss does not pay me to blog... but how cool would that be if he did?

I will however promise to catch up later this afternoon... if the computer survives that long!

Puppy's trip to the salon

I know I'm a dork.... but my puppy went to the groomers yesterday and got her hair and nails done. I even bought her a new shirt to wear in the house to keep her warm. She has a very short coat and no body fat to keep her warm. So its not just for the fashion statement! haha

Check out her nails.. they painted them pink to match the new outfit! How cute! Hubby said I had to get a pic of her with her coat on too... Puppy has her hair and nails done and is all dressed up to hit the town!

Too bad the "town" consists of her going in the back yard to do her business! =)

Lesson for Today

If you see an odd brown spot on your carpet, DO NOT rub your fingers in it to see what it is. Just go and get the carpet cleaner.

Actually I guess I learned two lessons today - dogs are not always that great at being able to avoid their own piles of poop, especially when you have a dog who runs around like the devil is chasing her and loving every minute of it. I guess I just always assumed they would have an built in sense to at least keep out of their own old piles of poop. Hey, there's another lesson: mommy and daddy dog owner should be better at picking up the pile in the back yard.

Any ways, back to the carpet.... I turn around and notice this weird spot. Since puppy is fully house trained and had not had an accident in a while... I was wondering what the heck I spilled and when. So there I was rubbing my finger in it and then smelling. Oh yeah it was poop. So then I was all ewwww when I looked at the rest of the carpet. There was a nice little foot path from the back door all through the dining room and living room ending ( or course ) on the couch.

All I have to say is thank goodness for the Bissel Little Green Machine. It does work wonders on both carpet and upholstery! Puppy and I are now learning a new trick. Its called "Sit and Stay on the door mat until I can check your feet!" I have a feeling my dog thinks that I have finally and completely lost my mind!

I'll never understand...

Every time I scroll down this blog and see those pictures of me on my honeymoon it kind of shocks me. I guess its actually seeing how I look. You know how we all have way better pictures in our heads of what we look like than what we actually do look like. I feel like I'm 20 pounds lighter than I look in those pictures. I know, it does not really matter... but still... it shocks me.

You would think it would shock me into finally re-starting that diet and losing those last 20 (ha, ok more like 40) pounds... no its really just pushing me further into that apple pie I baked this weekend and the Halloween candy that we still have left over. So not a good thing! Perhaps I will have a yogurt first... that's got to be better than polishing off half an apple pie! heehee Oh and the rest of the candy is going to work with hubby tomorrow!

Just wanted to share a really cool idea from Lotta over at her Mom-O-Matic blog. I hope everyone reads Lotta musing over raising kids and life in general. She's great and has a terrific idea to help easy the Christmas pain some of us may be feeling this year! Let her know if there is anything you can do to help with the give aways!


http://mom-o-matic.blogspot.com/2008/11/hunting-and-gathering.html#links

Honeymoon Pictures - Maui

Most of these pictures are from our drive on the road to Hanna. Maui is a really pretty island. Most of it is filled with locals. There is a resort area.. but Hubby and I only stayed there for one night. We drove around the entire island. There are some beautiful spots. I had to laugh because it seemed like every 15 mins I was saying "oh look how pretty". Hubby just kept saying "yep".

The best part of the island though was spending time with Hubby's cousin. He's lived on Maui for some time now. Since hubby is an only child, it was fun hanging out with them and hearing all their little kid stories. Plus my new cousin is a fun guy. Easy going and kind. I forgot my camera though that day... so no pictures. We did go on a great hike. I kept teasing Cousin that he was trying to kill off Hubby's old lady already. It was quite an adventurous hike through a "rain forest" looking for a swimming hole. We finally did find the swimming hole and the boys had fun jumping off the rocks. I just walked in and tried not to scream each time a minnow nibbled at my toes! I'm not exactly the adventurous girl! =)