The one big thing about moving across the country that really really sucks is being this far from my parents. I am 3,000 miles away from them and probably will stay at least that for the rest of my life.
So when my parents are having health issues it kills me that I can't instantaneously teleport there and take care of them.
A few weeks ago my dad had to go to the doctor because he just couldn't walk, he was hobbling like an old man and had to hold on to things just to get around. Well, he had gout and plantar facitis so he had to start taking even more meds (he has had a kidney transplant years ago and eats a million pills a day it seems) and get this boot thing to wear to bed to keep his foot stationary.
My mom has had knee problems for forever now it seems. A while back she ended up tripping on a curb and into a store door (not as comical as one would think) and then she had tore a few things in one knee from that. Now her other knee was hurting so bad that she was just about in tears on a daily basis, so they finally did a stupid MRI and they found that my mom has no cushioning left in her knee. None. It is just bone on bone. She also has a heel spur and plantar facitis in her other leg because she has been walking weird since her knee hurts. She has another doctors appointment soon to discuss her "options" for her knee.
I have no idea what they will option her to do but I have come to this conclusion for my parents...
THEY ARE FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS.
My mom keeps lamenting about not enjoying her retirement now and keeps telling me that I better take care of myself. Which I am now. I could see myself going down that path and I am definitely not going to now.
I feel really bad for my parents. They also had to cancel their trip down here during my fall break. Not that my mom could have walked up the stairs to my apartment. There is no way.
So it will probably be December before they meet Evan and for that I am really sad. Who knows, they might not meet my "boyfriend" they could eventually meet my "fiance" I have no idea, but December is a really long ways away.
Le sigh.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
T-Shirt Altering
Over the summer I found a book that was all about altering t-shirts into even cooler shirts or other misc. things. Well, the book was kind of pricey so I didn't buy it at the time. A few weeks later I kept thinking about this book so I said screw it, and went to go buy it at Barnes and Noble, well they ended up having two different ones and I bought both of them. I have been having major fun since then. I've made a bag, a wrap shirt, a halter top, a tunic, a sweater, a vest, a toddler dress, a mohawk hat, a rag doll, changed two shirts around, and a still-in progress scarf. I've also taught a friend how to make the bag I made and I went and helped a freshman team of volley ball players mess with their team shirts. I have also been asked to do some classes with teachers after school and to have a t-shirt party at my apartment. Student Council at one of my schools asked if I could teach them to mess with their shirts and the librarian gave me two shirts of hers to change around. One I finished, and I am still working on the other.
These books have pretty much changed a lot in my life and is forcing me a bit to become more social which is a good thing. Many of the friends I made last year are no longer around and I miss hanging out with people. So these books are providing me with the opportunity.
I really am trying. So we'll see.
On other news, did everyone know about the American Kamen Rider that is apparently on Saturday mornings? It's called Kamen Rider Dragon Rider and I just saw a commercial for it. It's totally like Power Rangers but it seems more for the tween crowd. It's all serious and dark.
Also I am hungry. I need breakfast!
These books have pretty much changed a lot in my life and is forcing me a bit to become more social which is a good thing. Many of the friends I made last year are no longer around and I miss hanging out with people. So these books are providing me with the opportunity.
I really am trying. So we'll see.
On other news, did everyone know about the American Kamen Rider that is apparently on Saturday mornings? It's called Kamen Rider Dragon Rider and I just saw a commercial for it. It's totally like Power Rangers but it seems more for the tween crowd. It's all serious and dark.
Also I am hungry. I need breakfast!
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Day in the Life
Why is chartreuse not red?
It's a blasted pukey green color and yet the word is so pretty it needs to be red.
Any ways, I've been doing a lot of reading and exercising lately. I've got a few books going on the should help with the teaching woes (woes of which there are many, but I do not feel like bitching about, this blog is not about bitching) and a few about weight loss and dieting.
This weight loss and dieting thing is really interesting to me. I bought one book on raising a child to not have self-image woes. (Not preggers, no worries) but I wanted to see what they said, what I could learn from it, and how to avoid perhaps doing to my future child or children what was done to me. I feel as if I have a better grasp on that. I also bought a book about a diet blogger, Dietgirl, she is a sassy Australian lass who was at one point 350 lbs. The whittled herself down to 175 by the end of the book. The whole thing was all the ups and downs (literally) she had in her battle of the bulge and she won. It took her six years but she really did it.
This speaks to me because I am on that path as well. I was never so big or even classified as obese, but I had been in the overweight category for a bit and was right sick of it. So with Evan supporting me I have kicked a lot of flabbiness to the curb. By no means am I done, but I have tried on all of my clothes again and had to put a bunch of clothes into the too big pile. t was quite ridiculous. I few more pants got freed from the bin (my stash of smaller clothes from yesteryear that I was too ashamed to throw out) and I actually went to Goodwill today and bought a couple pairs of shorts and a new pair of khakis. The khakis I had made me look huge because they were all baggy. From this shopping trip I believe I'm officially down a size, but women's sizes are all messed up and I tried on 5 different things all in the same size and a few were baggy, some were too tight, and others just right. But technically, I'm down two sizes. I never bought anything of the highest size (never wanted to admit it) but I was definitely two sizes bigger.
As happy as I am that I am getting healthy and looking, quite frankly, fantabulous, I have these spurts of awkwardness. I don't know how to look in a lot of these clothes. I feel somewhat uncomfortable in my new skin because I am not used to being healthy and fit. Evan's sister apparently called me tiny over the phone the other day. TINY. Folks, I would have never ever used this word to describe myself. EVER. If I am "tiny" now just think in the next ten more pounds I want to lose, and then the last ten after that? I might be invisible!
Also, never ever get sized at Victoria's Secret. That blood store had me wearing the wrong undergarments for the past few years. I highly suggest Soma as they have the comfiest stuff in the universe.
Evan and I went on a lovely hike on Saturday at the Tonto National Forest and I will hopefully put up just a few of my favorite pictures from that hike. One of them being the one that is currently my new desktop backround on my computer. Yes, I am a nerd. I don't care.
Toodles for now, anyone who is reading!
It's a blasted pukey green color and yet the word is so pretty it needs to be red.
Any ways, I've been doing a lot of reading and exercising lately. I've got a few books going on the should help with the teaching woes (woes of which there are many, but I do not feel like bitching about, this blog is not about bitching) and a few about weight loss and dieting.
This weight loss and dieting thing is really interesting to me. I bought one book on raising a child to not have self-image woes. (Not preggers, no worries) but I wanted to see what they said, what I could learn from it, and how to avoid perhaps doing to my future child or children what was done to me. I feel as if I have a better grasp on that. I also bought a book about a diet blogger, Dietgirl, she is a sassy Australian lass who was at one point 350 lbs. The whittled herself down to 175 by the end of the book. The whole thing was all the ups and downs (literally) she had in her battle of the bulge and she won. It took her six years but she really did it.
This speaks to me because I am on that path as well. I was never so big or even classified as obese, but I had been in the overweight category for a bit and was right sick of it. So with Evan supporting me I have kicked a lot of flabbiness to the curb. By no means am I done, but I have tried on all of my clothes again and had to put a bunch of clothes into the too big pile. t was quite ridiculous. I few more pants got freed from the bin (my stash of smaller clothes from yesteryear that I was too ashamed to throw out) and I actually went to Goodwill today and bought a couple pairs of shorts and a new pair of khakis. The khakis I had made me look huge because they were all baggy. From this shopping trip I believe I'm officially down a size, but women's sizes are all messed up and I tried on 5 different things all in the same size and a few were baggy, some were too tight, and others just right. But technically, I'm down two sizes. I never bought anything of the highest size (never wanted to admit it) but I was definitely two sizes bigger.
As happy as I am that I am getting healthy and looking, quite frankly, fantabulous, I have these spurts of awkwardness. I don't know how to look in a lot of these clothes. I feel somewhat uncomfortable in my new skin because I am not used to being healthy and fit. Evan's sister apparently called me tiny over the phone the other day. TINY. Folks, I would have never ever used this word to describe myself. EVER. If I am "tiny" now just think in the next ten more pounds I want to lose, and then the last ten after that? I might be invisible!
Also, never ever get sized at Victoria's Secret. That blood store had me wearing the wrong undergarments for the past few years. I highly suggest Soma as they have the comfiest stuff in the universe.
Evan and I went on a lovely hike on Saturday at the Tonto National Forest and I will hopefully put up just a few of my favorite pictures from that hike. One of them being the one that is currently my new desktop backround on my computer. Yes, I am a nerd. I don't care.
Toodles for now, anyone who is reading!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Curriculum Night
I have two curriculum nights this week. One at each of the schools I teach at. So I get to hang out untl about 7 pm both nights at school. Wonderful fun.
I also stupidly scheduled my first observation with Tara for TOMORROW. I kind of know what I am doing but still am unsure. I kind of switched things around...but I think I will still do the notes for optical illusions and try and color theory/ optical illusion mini group quiz. Ill review with them how to do it today after the notes. Then If there is time after that quiz thing, I'll demo how to do the optical illusion project then let them start. I think this will work!
I took another step toward adulthood this past Saturday. Evan and I opened a joint checking account. Now we are in a committed relationship! We had been talking about how to split the bills and groceries and it just hasn't seemed like it had been working well so we came to the conclusion of doing this. We are in this for the long haul and it just seemed like a logical progression anyways. He is switching all of his bank stuff to mine. I am happy about that because if I had to switch it would be a major pain. All he has to do is go tell someone at work. I would have to drive to the district office, wait for the right person to come out and see me, fill out the paperwork, have the paperwork approved, and then I would be okay.
Ya, I don't really think so.
So, Evan and I also made ice cream yesterday..and by ice cream I mean a milkless and soyless cream-like dessert. We bought an Ice cream maker and substituted a lot of ingredients. It made a ton so it will last us awhile. It's not half bad but it is sooo not ice cream.
Well, busy days ahead. I hope this week goes uber fast. I have next Monday off...yay veterans!
I also stupidly scheduled my first observation with Tara for TOMORROW. I kind of know what I am doing but still am unsure. I kind of switched things around...but I think I will still do the notes for optical illusions and try and color theory/ optical illusion mini group quiz. Ill review with them how to do it today after the notes. Then If there is time after that quiz thing, I'll demo how to do the optical illusion project then let them start. I think this will work!
I took another step toward adulthood this past Saturday. Evan and I opened a joint checking account. Now we are in a committed relationship! We had been talking about how to split the bills and groceries and it just hasn't seemed like it had been working well so we came to the conclusion of doing this. We are in this for the long haul and it just seemed like a logical progression anyways. He is switching all of his bank stuff to mine. I am happy about that because if I had to switch it would be a major pain. All he has to do is go tell someone at work. I would have to drive to the district office, wait for the right person to come out and see me, fill out the paperwork, have the paperwork approved, and then I would be okay.
Ya, I don't really think so.
So, Evan and I also made ice cream yesterday..and by ice cream I mean a milkless and soyless cream-like dessert. We bought an Ice cream maker and substituted a lot of ingredients. It made a ton so it will last us awhile. It's not half bad but it is sooo not ice cream.
Well, busy days ahead. I hope this week goes uber fast. I have next Monday off...yay veterans!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Google Reader
Rss Feeds and Google Reader are the greatest inventions ever.
I check a lot of online stuff and everyday I was going to each site (sometimes more than once!) to check to see if it updated.
No more!
I subscribed to what I could and now I have a nice little Google Reader Gadget on my Igoogle account and it pops up little links whenever something is updated. It is FANTASTIC.
I am saving so much time by doing this. I need to figure out a few more things with it, but it's awesome and I highly suggest it!
I check a lot of online stuff and everyday I was going to each site (sometimes more than once!) to check to see if it updated.
No more!
I subscribed to what I could and now I have a nice little Google Reader Gadget on my Igoogle account and it pops up little links whenever something is updated. It is FANTASTIC.
I am saving so much time by doing this. I need to figure out a few more things with it, but it's awesome and I highly suggest it!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Rollerblading
So I started learning how to rollerblade lately. Evan had been wanting to go and awhile back I was at this used clothing store and I found a pink and black pair of really nice rollerblades in size 8's that came with wrist pads.
It was fate really.
So we practiced around the apartment a few times..the apartment is scary all the sidewalks are short and hilly. Not exactly the best for a noob.
So finlly I went and bought some knee and elbow pads because just the wrist pads were not going to cut it. Just practicing with only the wrist guards was like courting knee death.
So it is finally cooling down in this desert and we went to this long sidewalk area right by the expressway. It was perfect and I FINALLY started to get the hang of it.
We went again tonight but it was way more difficult because Evan made me skate all the way to the long sidewalk which included me crossing a street and several business driveways. The sidewalks in this state has these bumpy things where it meets the road so I basically had this obstacle course to go through to even get to my blessed skate area.
I made it there in one piece. Thank goodness.
Evan had me practice some more moves and I ended up crashing down. Thank goodness for those pads! I would have been torn to pieces.
Had to go back through the obstacle course again to even get back home and this was made more difficult because I kept getting toe cramps and had to sit and take my boot off for a bit. Evan ended up pushing me down the sidewalk for a bit so we could actually get home.
Then we capped the evening by playing some wii Resort Sports.
Good times.
It was fate really.
So we practiced around the apartment a few times..the apartment is scary all the sidewalks are short and hilly. Not exactly the best for a noob.
So finlly I went and bought some knee and elbow pads because just the wrist pads were not going to cut it. Just practicing with only the wrist guards was like courting knee death.
So it is finally cooling down in this desert and we went to this long sidewalk area right by the expressway. It was perfect and I FINALLY started to get the hang of it.
We went again tonight but it was way more difficult because Evan made me skate all the way to the long sidewalk which included me crossing a street and several business driveways. The sidewalks in this state has these bumpy things where it meets the road so I basically had this obstacle course to go through to even get to my blessed skate area.
I made it there in one piece. Thank goodness.
Evan had me practice some more moves and I ended up crashing down. Thank goodness for those pads! I would have been torn to pieces.
Had to go back through the obstacle course again to even get back home and this was made more difficult because I kept getting toe cramps and had to sit and take my boot off for a bit. Evan ended up pushing me down the sidewalk for a bit so we could actually get home.
Then we capped the evening by playing some wii Resort Sports.
Good times.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Diet and Weight Loss
In my last blog, I wrote a lot about diet and exercise regimen...which I won't all the time with this one but I do feel the need to talk about since it is such an important part of my life right now.
When I moved across the the country I gained weight...now I had already been gaining weight but moving and the stress of being a first year teacher became a catalyst for some major gaining. I was FIFTY pounds over weight.
Fifty.
ugh.
My parents brought me a Wii Fit for Christmas which I did after they left pretty religiously and I dropped 10 pounds. But due to a housing situation which I like to block from my memory completely I had to stop.
Moving eventually, I actually dropped another 5 lbs because I was hauling things every day for a couple weeks up 3 flights of stairs over and over. It jumped started my weight loss program again. I was excited to lose another 5 lbs...I thought I had gained everything back but I hadn't.
Then I met Evan, who has CHANGED my life forever. He has been such a positive influence on my life, I don't even know how it happened and it all happened soooo quickly. But I have never been happier.
Evan is a very conscientious eater, he has to be. He has a lot of allergies to food that cause him discomfort. So I started making meals that the both of us could eat. Which, he is pretty much allergic to unhealthy things that this made me eat a lot better. We went on a trip to celebrate our one month anniversary and I ended up gaining a bunch of weight during that ridiculously fun weekend. But it also woke me up. I couldn't keep doing this to my body. I was dating a very attractive, skinny, active, healthy eating boyfriend. I didn't want to be this round ball standing next to him.
So I became active with him. I do love being active on my own and I had been hiking and running and whatnot off and on. But I started going to the gym with him, we went on walks, did yoga, the wii fit more, my apartment gym, swimming, volleyball, badminton, etc. Just doing SOMETHING.
I also started paying attention to my diet. After a few issues I found out that I am lactose intolerant. Most of the dairy things that I like are bad for me anyway so I don't eat them anymore. I know I could if I got lactaid or something, but I just avoid it. Soy is another problem. It affects my moods, scarily so. I think actually it helped put me into a more severe depression back when I was in college. So I avoid foods with any soy in them now as well.
Evan and I moved in together too, at my apartments. We push each other now when we feel lazy. With school starting I've been doing my exercise in the morning, but a few times I've done some in the evening with him as well. We are really watching what we eat too and how much. We were both chowing down on things just because they were healthy and we were eating too much.
So with all of this in mind I now only have a mere 20 lbs left. I am halfway to my goal. Every day I weigh myself on my Wii Fit and everyday it's been going down ever so slightly. Sometimes it's up but then it goes back down. And I know I am doing things right.
I have this bin of clothing that I've kept over the past few years. Pants, shorts, t-shirts, and some bathing suits that I couldn't fit in because I had gained weight and I swore to myself that some day I would get back into them so I kept them in this small bin in the back of my closet. I had freed just a few things from the bin and I tried on the rest of my clothes and got rid of things that were too big and binned anything else that was too small.
Last night I decided to try things on from the bin, because it's been over a month since I tried things on. I freed up a bunch of stuff last night!
Two pairs of dress pants
Two pairs of shorts
Three t-shirts
I still have a bunch of stuff left, but some of the stuff I only need to lose 5 more pounds to fit into. Some things I was actually able to pry up my legs and buckle (even thought I looked stuffed into them like a sausage) but the fact remains, I used to not even be able to get them up my thighs. I now can pull them up and buckle them.
Next month I am going to try on the contents of my closet again...there should be a few things that I shouldn't even bother wearing anymore because they'll be way too big. There are also a few things that I love and would be willing to get tailored to let me keep wearing them.
I have about a month and a half before my parents come to visit me. They haven't seen me in person since March and that was before I met Evan. I want to be 10-12 lbs less by the time they get here. I want them to see how healthy and active I've become and I want them to be proud of me.
Because I am proud of me.
When I moved across the the country I gained weight...now I had already been gaining weight but moving and the stress of being a first year teacher became a catalyst for some major gaining. I was FIFTY pounds over weight.
Fifty.
ugh.
My parents brought me a Wii Fit for Christmas which I did after they left pretty religiously and I dropped 10 pounds. But due to a housing situation which I like to block from my memory completely I had to stop.
Moving eventually, I actually dropped another 5 lbs because I was hauling things every day for a couple weeks up 3 flights of stairs over and over. It jumped started my weight loss program again. I was excited to lose another 5 lbs...I thought I had gained everything back but I hadn't.
Then I met Evan, who has CHANGED my life forever. He has been such a positive influence on my life, I don't even know how it happened and it all happened soooo quickly. But I have never been happier.
Evan is a very conscientious eater, he has to be. He has a lot of allergies to food that cause him discomfort. So I started making meals that the both of us could eat. Which, he is pretty much allergic to unhealthy things that this made me eat a lot better. We went on a trip to celebrate our one month anniversary and I ended up gaining a bunch of weight during that ridiculously fun weekend. But it also woke me up. I couldn't keep doing this to my body. I was dating a very attractive, skinny, active, healthy eating boyfriend. I didn't want to be this round ball standing next to him.
So I became active with him. I do love being active on my own and I had been hiking and running and whatnot off and on. But I started going to the gym with him, we went on walks, did yoga, the wii fit more, my apartment gym, swimming, volleyball, badminton, etc. Just doing SOMETHING.
I also started paying attention to my diet. After a few issues I found out that I am lactose intolerant. Most of the dairy things that I like are bad for me anyway so I don't eat them anymore. I know I could if I got lactaid or something, but I just avoid it. Soy is another problem. It affects my moods, scarily so. I think actually it helped put me into a more severe depression back when I was in college. So I avoid foods with any soy in them now as well.
Evan and I moved in together too, at my apartments. We push each other now when we feel lazy. With school starting I've been doing my exercise in the morning, but a few times I've done some in the evening with him as well. We are really watching what we eat too and how much. We were both chowing down on things just because they were healthy and we were eating too much.
So with all of this in mind I now only have a mere 20 lbs left. I am halfway to my goal. Every day I weigh myself on my Wii Fit and everyday it's been going down ever so slightly. Sometimes it's up but then it goes back down. And I know I am doing things right.
I have this bin of clothing that I've kept over the past few years. Pants, shorts, t-shirts, and some bathing suits that I couldn't fit in because I had gained weight and I swore to myself that some day I would get back into them so I kept them in this small bin in the back of my closet. I had freed just a few things from the bin and I tried on the rest of my clothes and got rid of things that were too big and binned anything else that was too small.
Last night I decided to try things on from the bin, because it's been over a month since I tried things on. I freed up a bunch of stuff last night!
Two pairs of dress pants
Two pairs of shorts
Three t-shirts
I still have a bunch of stuff left, but some of the stuff I only need to lose 5 more pounds to fit into. Some things I was actually able to pry up my legs and buckle (even thought I looked stuffed into them like a sausage) but the fact remains, I used to not even be able to get them up my thighs. I now can pull them up and buckle them.
Next month I am going to try on the contents of my closet again...there should be a few things that I shouldn't even bother wearing anymore because they'll be way too big. There are also a few things that I love and would be willing to get tailored to let me keep wearing them.
I have about a month and a half before my parents come to visit me. They haven't seen me in person since March and that was before I met Evan. I want to be 10-12 lbs less by the time they get here. I want them to see how healthy and active I've become and I want them to be proud of me.
Because I am proud of me.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Ah, blogging...
So after giving up hope for a while on creating my own website and blog I have broken down and decided to get a blogger account so I can at least post my thoughts and art and what not. This blog is personal and business all in one. I think of my life as one whole piece so this blog will be too.
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