Happy New Year!!

"New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time." ~ James Agate

I can't believe 2011 is already over!  Seems like it just started a couple of months ago.

In 2011, I achieved my goal weight, so in 2012, I will continue to eat healthy, workout, and reach my goal body.  This year I shall finally tone the beast known as my abs!

In the mean time, today is another day of...LINEAGE!!!

Hmmmm....

Working from home because NO ONE is in the office this week (last two days I went to office, place was a ghost town).  Today is already slower than slow...1 ticket in 2 hours.  What does that mean?  LINEAGE!!!!

Today's Song Addiction

Reflections

Reflections are deceiving!  We never see in our reflection the reality!  We never think we are thin enough, beautiful enough, young enough, etc.  How do we see the truth?

For example, my jeans weren't fitting right (too big), so I had to go buy some new ones.  It was time to move to size 5/6 from 7/8, but I almost didn't even buy the new jeans.  Why?  Because of what I saw in my reflection!  I stood there, holding up the size 5/6 jeans, thinking about how small they looked, and that there was no way I would even be able to pull those things over my hips!  I almost put them back on the rack and left the store.  I had to urge myself to go into the dressing room to try them on, and even once in there, I'm telling myself that there is no way these jeans were going to fit!  Sure, I KNEW that the size 7/8 I was wearing was too big...the butt was saggy, I was pulling them up every 5 minutes...but looking at these little jeans in my hands, I'm left believing that these jeans were not big enough!  I get to trying them on...FINALLY.  They slide over the hips with ease, but I tell myself, "Well, I still have to button them, and THAT isn't going to happen!"  To my surprise, they button with ease.  I stand there looking in the mirror, in shock that I don't even feel stuffed into these jeans...that this is REALLY my size!!

This was a week ago today, and since then, I feel like I'm wearing a new pair of glasses.  Why?  Because now when I look in the mirror, I see a suddenly slimmer me...all because these little jeans fit.  It's kinda funny, how different people can look at the exact same thing, and see something completely different!  We are our own worst critics.  Maybe we all just need to look at our reflections a bit differently...tell our selves BEFORE turning to that mirror..."I'm beautiful!!!"  Say it 50 times before looking in the mirror if you have to!  I can promise, if you change your thinking before you look at your own image, you will see something different than you saw before.  For me, it was a little pair of jeans.

Musings Of The Day: Happy Dance!

I've been enjoying an extended holiday from work this week.  Had time that had to be used by the end of the year or lost, so I took an extended Christmas break. :)

Most of my shopping is done, and spent the other day with a dear friend whom I haven't gotten to see often enough.

Last night, I made a pleasant discovery!  We were at the mall, and I decided to go try on jeans because the ones I had were feeling quite baggy.  Lets just say I could take them off without undoing the button or zipper!  I wanted to try on a pair of 5/6 jeans to see if I had managed to get down to that size, or if I was in an "in between state" (many women will know about that...one size is just too big, while the next size down is still too small to button comfortably).  The 5/6 jeans fit perfect!  I still have quite a bit of toning to do, but that seems to be less stressful than actually losing weight.  I still have to watch what I eat...always will, but at least now I won't feel so guilty about the occasional bites of cheesecake or chocolate. :)

On another happy note...the TSO concert is tonight!!!  I'm so stoked!!!  I think their holiday show is so much better than Beethoven's Last Night...though I love seeing them no matter what the concert is.

What's The Difference?

Okay, I have to share this, because it is just way too funny...at least to me.

The other day at Starbucks, there is a mother and daughter standing behind me.  The little girl asks her mother if she could have a cake pop.  The mother tells her know, explaining that it is not a good for breakfast.  When we get up to the counter, the mother asks the daughter if she wants a glazed cake donut!  I had to stop myself, as I just wanted to turn around and ask her what the difference was between the cake pop and the donut!  So, here IS the difference:

Starbucks Cake Pop
170 Calories
9g Fat
85mg Sodium
22g Carb (18g of sugar)
0g Fiber
<1 g Protein

Starbucks Glazed Donut
420 Calories
21g Fat
260mg Sodium
57g Carbs (34g of sugar)
<1g Fiber
4g Protein

Lady should have let her child have the cake pop, as it would have been healthier...at least in that it was less total bad stuff at the beginning of the day!

Current Song Addiction

You Don't Represent Me!

As I watched another report about the "Occupy" movement this morning, I couldn't help but thinking...these people need to stop claiming that they represent the 99%!  Why?  Simply put, they don't represent me, and I'm definitely not in the prestigious 1% they claim to be fighting against!  I know for a fact they don't represent others in my circle of family, friends, co-workers, etc.  How can they claim they represent me when they don't even know me?  They don't know what my values are, what my concerns are, etc.  Personally, I don't have an issue with people working hard to improve themselves, even if that improvement leads them to be millionaires...so long as they treat people with dignity and respect on their way to the top. 

No, my problem isn't with the top 1%, as much as it is with the people who sit on their butts for no good reason at all demanding that the government give them yet another handout or entitlement!  I don't want the government paying for my healthcare.  I don't want them paying for my home.  I don't want them paying for anything in my life, really!  I have no issue contributing to pay for emergency services, education, or the defense of our country, but what I do have a problem with is the government taking my hard earned money to give to some lazy person sitting on their couch collecting yet another check or entitlement, and griping that it isn't enough!  Instead of taking my money to pay for the healthcare of the smoker with lung cancer who made the CHOICE to smoke, the alcoholic with liver problems who made the CHOICE to drink, the drug user with multiple health issues who made the CHOICE to do drugs, the person with multiple health issues who made the CHOICE to eat nothing but junk food and not get off their butts to exercise, etc., let me keep my money to pay for my own healthcare and my own choices, and the healthcare of my children!!

Now, if a person has health issues by no fault of their own (genetic disorders, work related accidents, old age, etc.), then I have no problem with aid...but the government is not doing anything to effectively weed out the freeloaders from the people who truly need help!  I am willing to bet that for every one person on financial assistance who is in TRUE need of help, there are two people on financial assistance who are just too lazy to do anything for themselves to improve their stations in life.  I've worked two jobs, I worked while I went to school while also being a single mom, I bust my butt every day at a job I hate so that I have the money to pay my bills, put a roof over my family's head, put food on the table, etc.  You don't find me in some park whining about how it isn't fair that Warren Buffet has millions of dollars and I don't!  No...I get up every morning, eat a quick breakfast as I run out the door to take my son to school, spend an hour in traffic, hit the gym, go to work for 8 hours in a building that is always freezing cold doing a job I'm really not so fond of at the moment, spend another hour in traffic, spend what little time I have left of my day with my family (which amounts to about 3 hours, if I'm lucky), and then sleep so I can do the same thing the next day...all so I can make a life for my family and pay my bills!

Sorry this is so long...this whole "Occupy" thing just ticks me off!  Do I agree with the government?  On many things, no...but I am not going to further waste taxpayer money by taking to the streets day in and day out to express my thoughts on the matter.  I'll go on private letter-writing campaigns to my elected officials who are the only ones who can make any difference.  The "Occupy" movement is only hurting the very people they claim to represent...they don't represent me!!!

New Milestone!

Today, I have reached a new milestone in my weight loss journey!  I have dipped into the 130's, for the first time since before I got pregnant with my son (who, by the way, will be 17 next week).  This just encourages me even more!!!  This almost makes up for not being able to play Lineage II last night after the crappy day I had!

No Lineage?!?!?!

So I go to play Lineage II tonight, and there is this huge update that takes like two hours to download and install!  UGH!!!!  After my day, I really needed to play tonight, but because I have to be up early, no playing for me. :(

Annoyances

1. Unnecessarily cold indoor temperatures! Why is it during the summer, so many places blare the A/C, but in the winter they can't even bother to turn on the heat?  I've been shivering at work all day! The outside temperature is 42 degrees with the wind chill being 35.  The walls on all sides of the floor that I'm on are glass, so this is just radiating the cold (as it does the heat in the summer).  I'm in an enclosed office (no windows with the door closed), and I'm freezing to the point of shivering, and I'm in jeans, boots with long socks, an undershirt, sweater, AND I'm wrapped up in a Snuggie, and I can't seem to get warm!

2. People who rush to hit the "elevator close" button when you are two steps away from the elevator. They know you are there and walking briskly to the elevator, but they still attempt to shut the doors in your face. Is the two seconds it is going to take me to board the elevator, or the 10 seconds for me to get off on my floor really going to affect you that much?  If so, maybe you should try leaving the house for work a few minutes earlier.

3. People who park crooked or over the lines.  Is it really that difficult to park your car?  I mean, at the gym this morning, I parked evenly between my lines.  I come out, and some moron parks on the line and crooked in the space next to my driver's side.  I could barely get between my car and theirs without my gym bag rubbing down either of our cars, and I barely had enough room to open my door to get into my car.  Seriously, people....LEARN TO PARK!

I know...lots of negativity today.  Sorry...it has been a tough Monday, and I have actually been affected 
by all of these today.  If the issue with the parking lot at the gym wasn't bad enough, I get to work and nearly have the door shut in my face by some rude person (had I not stuck my foot in the door, because I was NOT waiting in that cold lobby for another 5 minutes for an elevator), and then dealing with the cold all day.  Not a good Monday!

On a good note, as of this weekend, I have hit my weight goal of 140 lbs!!  Now, I just need to get rid of the 5 lbs I will gain on my cruise next month.  I figure, since I KNOW I will gain about 5 lbs on the cruise, it is better to my psyche to lose the weight first, and then gain it back than it would be to come back from my cruise 145+ lbs. :)

Oh, and at least I get to play more Lineage II tonight!  Haven't gotten to play in days.