Disappointment

Today at noon I had an appointment to get naked and let some woman rub all over my body. Now before y'all go and think I've gone lesbian, let me clarify.... I had an appointment for a massage. I just love a massage!

I've had some soreness under my right shoulder blade and some uncomfortableness in my lower back that I knew she could work out for me.

Amidst the dust, noise and mess of getting a new ceiling, and paint fumes from the work room getting painted here at work, I was very much anticipating a break this morning. So, the time came. I pulled up to the curb and walked ever so excitedly to the door...that was locked. I waited a few minutes, thinking she just might be in with another client. I then called the number on the door where an impersonal machine took my call. It had no idea how disappointed I was.

Unfortunately, the woman with the hands of magic had forgotten to mark my name in her calendar. My hour of relaxation was whisked away.

Potatoes

I just love a potato!

Mashed, creamed, baked, fried, twice-baked, stewed, roasted, scattered, smothered & covered, with gravy, without gravy, in a soup....

Butter, salt and cheese are my favorite "go-withs" to a potato.

My Mimi makes the best mashed potatoes ever.

I don't particularly care for raw potato.

Or sweet potatoes. However, I make a sweet potato casserole for the holidays that's supposed to be really good...I usually eat just one bite to say I have.

I like instant potatoes, too.

I just love a potato!

Tomorrow is a big day!

First of all, if you aren't registered to vote and you're old enough to be, shame on you!

Secondly, I just wanted to remind all of you who ARE registered to exercise your right and vote tomorrow!

Finally, if you ARE registered to vote and don't (for whatever reason), shame on you. And don't come fussing to me when things don't go your way...your vote counts!

Making a Change

Well, today's the day...the first day of the rest of my life! Well, sort of.

My local gym has been offering a "Make a Change" challenge. I have accepted the challenge. For the next 12 weeks, I'll be a member of the gym--no commitments, no contracts, no enrollment fee...just a member with a chance to make a change.

So, at 5:00 (less than an hour...ACK!), I'll meet with a trainer who will orient me and get me started. We'll work together to come up with goals and she'll show me what to do, how to do it, how often to do it, etc. Then in six weeks, we'll reevaluate and see what progress I have made (hopefully I won't have REgressed!).

Lucky for me, Big Joz bought that elliptical machine and set it up right in our living room, so on the days I only have to do cardio, I can just do it in the comfort of my own home. That Big Joz...he's so darn thoughtful!

So...wish me luck...you know I'm gonna need it!

PECA

I'm so glad my dear friends at PECA are reading my blog...I only wish that I had not had so much coconut rum that I can't remember who my PECA friends are! If anyone can help me solve this puzzle, I'd be forever indebted!

Yukky Pud

Pud is sick today. She got herself up at 5:00 this morning, like she always does, and got her shower. She came down with her pajamas back on and a towel wrapped around her head sniffling. She had thrown up in the shower. YUK! Then she had thrown up in the toilet. Then she came down and crawled in bed with me. Bless her little heart...when she's sick, she's absolutely pitiful! She made a comment about her mouth tasting gross...I assured her it smelled that way also! I hate it when my kids are sick. I hate it when I'm sick. I just hate sick.

Fitness, Diet, Exercise...words that upset me

I'm fat. Not obese. Just fat.

I gained over 40 pounds the first year I lived in Mississippi. I attribute the weight gain to quitting smoking, the stress of the move in general, drinking way too much wine on a very regular basis, becoming lazy and enjoying the relaxing life of a stay-at-home mom with nothing to do in a new town.

The move was over 18 months ago. I'm still not smoking, the stress of the move is really over, I'm not drinking as much wine (partly because it's VERY difficult to find MY wine here and partly because I've now discovered Coconut Rum!!), I'm now working full-time and really keep myself pretty busy.

My eating habits really have never changed...I ate about the same amount of "bad" food before I moved.

However, I'm tired of being this size. The number on the tag in the back of my britches doesn't necessarily bother me as much as the way I feel. My feet hurt, my ankles hurt, my knees hurt, and I know it's in large part to my larger size.

I've never been a real good dieter or exerciser. I lack motivation and knowledge.

However, I have decided that it's time to start taking better care of my physical self. I want to look and feel good on my 40th birthday...I know it will take time, so I'm going to start thinking about taking the initiative and doing words that upset me.

Disco Fever

My friend Nony & I were really busy at work today...well, not really, but we had fun anyway!!

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First Plane Ride

Pud enjoyed her first plane ride this past weekend. It was also the first plane ride Bud remembers...he flew when he was a toddler to Salt Lake City at Christmastime, but he doesn't remember it.

Anyway, we left our small hometown airport just before 6 am heading to Atlanta to make a connection to Kansas City. Getting through Security was an experience...naturally! I had Bud, aka "Mr. Know-It-All" trying to get the last word in with every comment anyone made. He was also in charge of THE backpack...the wonderful carry-on that carried Pud's & my makeup.

Luckily, Big Joz had driven to KC earlier in the week and had taken everything else with him, so we didn't have to check luggage.

Anwyay, Bud agreed to be the keeper of the backpack. While Pud & I were loading our spillable, smearable, otherwise-mess-making products into Ziploc bags, Bud decided to rearrange the backpack.

After we made it through the first round of "enjoy your local airport at its finest", one of the official looking guys walked toward me with MY MAKEUP BAG! Seems as if Mr. Know-It-All (Bud) had left it behind. When I barked at Bud, he mouthed back that it wasn't HIS makeup bag!

Then came the second leg of "Make it to the Airplane"--going through Security! My backpack had been a gift from our Director of Student Ministries--who I work for. And help chaperone trips for. He had completely outfitted my pack...along with a multi-purpose tool I completely forgot I had in there! I had to take a little trip back to the parking lot to deposit this handy dandy gizmo back into my vehicle! THEN go BACK through Security to fetch my kids!

All in all, we had safe travels, no turbulence and a pleasant experience (once we got off the ground!).

Pud did say, though, that she liked "cruises better because there's more to do." Duh!

I married a good man!

Do you know what Big Joz did late yesterday afternoon? Without being asked, he cleaned out my mother's refrigerator. Some of you know Mother. The biggest majority have never seen into her fridge. It's a scary sight!

Big Joz said he got started on the task when our daughter, Pud, was looking for something to eat. Something in a Wal-Mart sack had rendered, he said, and he was afraid for her life. That good man took it upon himself to rid much much crap out of the big cold box she once velcro-d shut.

Winner of the "I've Been in Here the Longest" award? A box of cream cheese dated August 29, 2001.

Before we left, we had hauled out a 40-gallon garbage bag full of outdated stinky stuff.

Big Joz is a good man.