Thighmaster vs. Dentures

Yes, that is indeed a picture of Suzanne Somers with her very own Thighmaster. My friend Jes and I are always swapping exercise equipment. I told her that since I have been losing weight I should probably start toning. So, she graciously loaned me her Thighmaster. I tried really hard not to laugh as her 10 year old son, my surrogate nephew, demonstrated how to use it. Let's just say, one wrong move and the boy would NEVER be able to have children. I thanked him and took the Thighmaster home. I figured it would be a piece of cake, right? Wrong!!! I waited a couple of weeks to use it. Once I mustered up the strength to begin weight training I pulled it out of my closet. In case you haven't figured it out by now, I am a princess and I HATE to sweat or do anything that causes pain to my body. So, I sat in a chair and attempted to use the Thighmaster. I didn't even make one whole squeeze. All I could imagine was the damn thing flying up from my thighs and busting out my teeth! Needless to say, I found another less threatening toning exercise I'll be using and Jes will be getting her Thighmaster back!

Ramblings of a Weightloss Diva

You know, I should have gone to school to be a doctor. If they didn't get sued all the time and deal in blood and guts I probably would have. I had to have some lab work done last Friday to check my Thyroid and Cholesterol levels. Am I old or what? The nurse calls me yesterday to tell me that the doctor needs to see me right away because my Thyroid levels were too high which means instead of being hypothyroid, I'm now hyperthyroid. While being "hypo" isn't all that grand, I'm used to that one. Its the one that contributes to making me feel tired and fat all the time. Personally, the "hyper" one is the scary one for me because of the crazy side effects that can happen. Neither is good, but I like to stick with what I know, being "hypo!"

Anyway, I try to explain over the phone what I think the problem is. My labs came back showing that my thyroid levels were too low in December so my doctor upped my Synthroid. In the meantime, I've lost 26 pounds and so maybe I need a lower dose of Synthroid. The nurse says, "Well, you still need to come in." So, I left school today around 9:30am to go to the doctor. I basically paid her $15 to TELL HER what the problem was and she wrote me a perscription for a lower dose of Synthroid!

Before I left the doctor of course wanted to know how I'd managed to lose 26 pounds in 2 months. So I explained the plan to her and told her about the supplements. She explained to me that she would NEVER perscribe supplements because she's found that most of the time people who take supplements just gain the weight back once they quit taking them. My doctor is about 100 pounds soaking wet so you can imagine how perturbed I was to have to defend myself about this diet. Nevertheless, I did. I said to her, "I have been fat all of my life. You name a diet, I've been on it. This diet has taught me portion control, how to eat healthy and basically helped me quit craving carbs. I am determined more than ever NOT to gain this weight back!"

She's not the only person who has mentioned this to me and I'm kind of sick of people telling me about statistics related to supplements. I'm not a dumbass! I know what I have to do to keep this weight off.

There are times when I get emotional about my weightloss journey. Maybe I shouldn't be so shallow but its been a struggle. There have been times when it has affected my self-esteem. When I was in college I lost about 60 pounds thanks to good ole phen phen. For the first time ever, I looked hot. I felt sexy and confident. Then, second semester my first year of teaching, I got a terrible case of hives that even Benadryl couldn't cure. I went to every allergist from here to South Carolina seeking answers. All they could attribute it to was my Thyroid antibodies attacking good cells. And worst of all, all the doctors could perscribe me were strong antihistimines and HIGH doses of steroids. Little did I know back then the effects of antihistimines and steroids. I wasn't as quick to research side effects like I do now. Besides that I was so miserable all I wanted was relief. I am proof of the evils of steroids. All I wanted to do was eat. I would wake from a dead sleep, eat pb & j sandwiches and wash it down with Sunkist! So, that summer of 1999 I went from a size 12 to a size 20! Of course the antihistimines just made me want to sleep, so exercise was out of the question. Not sure where I'm going with this point, but just to explain my sensitivity. From 2000-2007, I have probably spent over $10,000 on weight loss plans. I would lose 10-15 pounds but nothing really kept me motivated. This is the first time in eight years that I feel like I have a plan and that I can do something about my weight.

Oh yeah, so my cholesterol levels decreased a tremendous amount! I'm so thankful. Its funny, because now adays, its not so much about looking "good." I know I look good size 20 or smaller. Now, its about living to see 40 and higher. Both sides of my family have a history of high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Bottom line, I don't want any of that. So, I have to do all that's in my power to take care of myself. Well, its late and I should really go walk my dog. Good Night!

p.s. I tried on some size 16s and they were loose!

The Face of An Angel

Is this the face of an angel or what? I can't believe Thomas will be one on Wednesday. It seems like it was just last week that I drove through a tornado(ok, not through it, I stopped off at a Cracker Barrel to wait for it to pass!) just to meet him for the first time. I couldn't be there for his birth but I got there shortly thereafter. I still tear up thinking about that day. He is the most amazing kid ever. You know my issues with men, so I used to worry that I wouldn't be the cool aunt, but I think I'm going to be ok. I'll also be the aunt that cries whenever he has his "first" anything. I'll be the obnoxious aunt who makes sure he gets only the best teachers when he starts school. I'll probably be the aunt who gets kicked off the baseball field for hitting the ref when he makes a wrong call on Thomas. No, that'll be my mom. I'll be asked to leave for cussing at the ref. Poor Kid!

Anyway, he's amazing. He gets cuter everyday and he "talks" all the time. He says about 12-15 words that we can actually understand. The rest is jiberish and lots of hand gestures. I think Molly used to do that too, come to think of it. The best word he says is "J." Sometimes, he'll throw in the "aunt," but mostly it's "J." It melts my heart!

Upping my Ante!

After watching last week's Biggest Loser I got a wild hair to up the ante on my weightloss program. Fortunately, I didn't watch last Tuesday's episode until last night so today is my first day upping my ante. (I know, grammatically incorrect, my freshman English teacher would have a fit... that's ok, she stifled my creativity.) Anyway, it was a gorgeous day so I decided to drive down to Shell Point and do my walk/jog intervals on the beach. I'm doing this program called 'Couch to 5K' and by the time I'm finished I should be able to jog for 3 miles without dying. We'll see. Right now I'm on week 4 and it feels rough. So today was my off day so I decided to do an hour of cardio by completing weeks 1 and 2 on the beach. I felt so good when I was done but boy does my body ache! I'm going to go soak in some epsom salts once the water cools down a bit. Without trying to sound too granola-ish, it was really a beautiful experience, though. Even with my headphones on I could hear the birds and the waves crashing. I did NOT however hear the white American Bulldog who came pouncing up on me and slobbered all over my exercise pants. Fortunately, I have experience with American Bulldogs, thanks to my nephew Max, (Maggie's dog), so I knew to stay calm and he wouldn't hurt me. His owner came ran over shortly and leashed him. While I love dogs, I don't feel all that comfortable around strange dogs.

Anyway, I feel ambitious so I'm thinking about doing my week 4 run tomorrow morning around 7am at the beach again. It would be cool to see the sunrise. We shall see. This princess is NOT a morning person. Gotta go, my water is ready!

The House on Marie Circle

As a kid, I hated our house on Marie Circle. I hated the yard because it was soooo big and I basically hated Crawfordville, because I felt like my family was ripped apart to come live here.

Now, when I go to visit my mom I think about the good memories that made in that house on Marie Circle. I'm thankful my mom didn't sell the house when she had the chance. That house is a symbol of my mother's determination and strength. She bought that house all by herself and made it a wonderful home for us to live in. As for the yard, its only a half an acre but if you look around now a days, a half an acre in a new subdivision is unheard of. I also appreciate the fact that my step-dad is the one who cuts the grass, trims the hedges and fixes things. As for Crawfordville, I'm thankful to live in a community where people know who I am. I love the variety of trees, living less than 45 minutes from the beach, and this crazy small town life.

I was thinking about life today and how mine has turned out while helping my mom with some yard work. Yes, Janie Tucker was doing yard work. I swear it must be the diet and B12 shots because otherwise, there is NO WAY I could have been raking and using a pitchfork to dump leaves into a wheelbarrow! It was definitely my good deed for the year!

Seriously, my mom is having a fence added to one side of the house for Thomas. She has plans to add a swing set, play house, and some other things that no little boy should live without. So she says...lol! So, I figured I should help. Anyway, during trip number 3 to the backyard burnpile, I looked around at the backyard. I had a flashback to when my dad moved to Crawfordville to live with us. He was in the backyard telling us about his dream to one day own a shop back there. The memory was bittersweet because while I'm sad that my daddy never had his own shop in the backyard, I'm happy that my step-dad does. I love going back there and smelling the mixture of grease and oil. I know, call me weird but it reminds me of my daddy. He was a mechanic.

All in all, I have to say, on a day as beautiful as this, I am happy to say I was out doing yardwork in Marie Circle.

Momma Knows...

You'd think after almost 32 years, I'd learn that I can't get anything past my mother. One summer years ago, my sister and I put our money together to pay the neighbor kid to come cut our grass so we wouldn't have to do it. Of course we asked Mom how she liked it and she bragged on us. Wouldn't you know it, a week later the damn neighbor kid stops by and asks my mom if she'd like him to cut her grass again!

One Christmas, my mom picked out this hideous Christmas tree because she felt sorry for it and put it in the living room. While she was at work, Molly and I drug the tree "way out" into the backyard and bought another one from the Christmas tree farm. How she didn't notice what we had done, I'm not sure but she didn't. A few months passed and Mom and I went "way out" into the backyard to look for our cat that had gone missing. Oops, I forgot the tree was still there!

So, here it is, 15 or so years later, and we're still trying to pull one over on my mom. She's been talking about how she wants her house cleaned really good. She's not a dirty person but she has ALOT of stuff in her tiny 3 bedroom 1 bath house. The flooring is the original linoleum that was put in the house back in 1988. There is dust everywhere. The baseboards haven't been cleaned in like forever. My step-dad works on cars on the side, so the bathroom can get sort of dark from the grease and grime. You get the picture. So, my sister knows of this lady who has just started her own cleaning business. We ask Mom if she'd like to have her house professionally cleaned and we offer to pay for it. She of course says, "no, I need to get rid of some stuff and clean the house first before anybody can come clean for me." So we passify her by saying, "ok then, we'll clean for you on Monday before the girl comes to see what she's up against." Molly and I both knew full well we WEREN'T going to clean on Monday. Our plan was to call the girl and ask her to come over and clean. She came over and she "cleaned." I told her explicitly what should be done and explained that some areas would need some potent cleaners sprayed first. My first mistake was that I didn't stick around to see what was done. Molly did. When I asked Molly how the girl did she said she did a good job. The bathtub looked 100% better. Unlike when I was a kid, I didn't call my mom to ask her if she liked the job "we" did cleaning her house AND she never called us to thank us. Today I went over to help her with some yard work and decided to see for myself what was done. It was evident the lady dusted some parts and she did clean the bathroom but besides that I'm not sure what else she did because everything else was still in need of some major cleaning. I was pissed. AT first, I was irritated with Molly for not checking the lady's work, then I had a flashback from the days when Molly and I still lived at home. My sister's version of clean involved throwing everything under the bed including her dirty underwear and dishes she was too lazy to put in the kitchen. So the more I thought about it, I was agitated with myself for not sticking around to make sure the lady did what we had agreed upon. When my sister showed up at my mom's I showed her the house and we decided we had to tell Mom the truth being as how she assumed we were the ones who "cleaned" her house. She just laughed. We all agreed that we weren't ready to hire another cleaning lady.

I think we've learned our lesson this time! I also realized just how close my sister and I are. We've have different views on things but all in all, I'm so thankful to call her my sister. We make a good team but we will NEVER be able to outwit our mom!

Letter to the Big House

I got an e-mail from the National Board website asking people to write their district's representative regarding the possible cut in funds. I've included mine in this blog. I took out my personal info incase some random person does a search and finds my blog. I don't want anybody to come after me.

February 19, 2008
Dear Representative Coley,
My name is ... I have 10 years of experience teaching children with special needs. Currently, I am teaching preschoolers with severe language impairments at ... I am also a National Board Certified teacher who appreciates your steadfast support of teaching excellence in Florida—and specifically, for past support of the Dale Hickam Excellent Teacher Program.
As I’m sure you are already aware that the Dale Hickam Excellent Teacher Program is the only successful state-funded pay supplement based on excellence in the classroom. The budget for the program has already been cut by $14M during the special session, which could result in reducing the mentoring bonuses that teachers earned by performing extra work – after they have already done the work.
My concern is that the Dale Hickam program could be again in harm’s way because of the state’s need for additional budget cuts in the current fiscal year. Further reducing the mentoring bonus provided by the Dale Hickam program could compromise the future of the entire program. Many teachers would likely be wary of future mentoring commitments if there is no reasonable assurance they will receive the promised compensation; and many teachers might not be paid for mentoring work that they have already done – which would be unfair.
I understand Florida is facing severe economic and budget challenges; however, teachers and the students they serve are critical to the future of our state and our nation. Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff said it best when he stated, “Its cheaper to build a child than it is to repair an adult.” Thus, funding directed into classrooms and targeted to quality education should only be reduced as a last resort.
Again, I appreciate your past support—and for doing the right thing now on behalf of education excellence in your state. If I can ever be of assistance to you, feel free to contact me at ..., or e-mail me at ...
Sincerely,
Me


The phone numbers and email addresses of the members of Florida’s House Schools and Learning Council are listed below. To send an e-mail, simply:

Click on the e-mail link ("Contact via Web Form") that will connect you with your elected official (see below).
Prepare your personal e-mail using the above information to craft your own message.
Send it (and don’t forget to include your name and other information so your elected official will know you are a constituent).


Representative Joe Hill Pickens
District office: 3841 Reid St. Ste. 5, Palatka, FL 32177-2509
Ph: 386.312.2272
County: Bradford, Clay, Lake, Marion, Putnam, Volusia
E-mail: Contact via Web Form

Representative Trey Traviesa
District Office: 410 S. Ware Blvd. Ste. 105, Tampa, FL 33619
Ph: 813.740.7655
County: Hillsborough
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
District Office: 1521 NW 54th Street, Ste. 1521 E. Miami, FL 33142
Ph: 305.694.2958
County: Miami-Dade
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Thad Altman
District Office: 7025 N. Wickham Road, Ste. 108, Melbourne, FL 32940
Ph: 321.752.3138
County: Brevard
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Marti Coley
District Office: 3094 Indian Cr. Bldg. L, Rm 108, Marianna, FL 32446
Ph: 850.718.0047
County: Bay, Calhoun, Gadsden, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Walton
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Anitere Flores
District Office: 1405 SW 107th Avenue, Ste. 205-C, Miami, FL 33174
Ph: 305.227.7626
County: Miami-Dade
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Clay Ford
District Office: 1804 W. Garden Street, Pensacola, FL 32501
Ph: 850.595.5500
County: Escambia, Santa Rosa
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form

Representative Bill Heller
District Office: 400 4th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Ph: 727.552.2573
County: Pinellas
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Martin Kiar
District Office: 6600 University Dr. Parkland, FL 33067
Ph: 954.346.2813
County: Broward
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form

Representative John Legg
District Office: 10014 Grove Dr. Ste. B, Port Richey, FL 34668
Ph: 727.869.8600
County: Pasco
Email: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Janet Long
District Office: 5511 Park St. N, Ste. 101, Colonial Bank Bldg. St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Ph: 727.545.6421
County: Pinellas
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Charles McBurney
District Office: 76 S. Laura Street, Ste. 200, Jacksonville, FL 32202
Ph: 904.359.6090
County: Duval
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form

Representative Seth McKeel
District Office: 250 E. Highland Dr. Lakeland, FL 33813
Ph: 863.647.4896
County: Polk, Hillsborough
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Bill Proctor
District Office: 900 SR 16, Ste. 2, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Ph: 904.823.2550
County: Clay, St. Johns, Flagler
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative David Simmons
District Office: 393 Center Pointe Cir. Ste. 1427, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
Ph: 407.262.7520
County: Orange, Seminole
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Representative Shelley Vana
District Office: 1280 N. Congress Ave. Ste. 100, West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Ph: 561.640.6120
County: Palm Beach
E-mail: Contact Via Web Form.

Amendment One Sucks!

So, I've been hearing rumors all along about the possibility of the state doing away with the National Board incentives but today I found out that there's a possibility that all the mentoring we've been doing will not be compensated for either. I am pissed! I understand its a bonus and as a veteran teacher its my duty to be helping new teachers. However, there are two ways to mentor in our district. One is via the NBPTS program (that's me) which means I volunteer my 90 hours through out the school year and at the end of June I get a bonus. The other way is directly through the district which means those teachers get their money through out the year in their paychecks. Again, I'm not trying to sound greedy but I put a heck of alot of time into my job. Its bad enough that as a pre-k ESE teacher I'm not even recognized as a real teacher, but now the state wants to take away the tiny bonus I earn. You know the other pathetic thing about my job... I have 10 years experience teaching WITH a master's degree and without my National Board Incentive I make about $38,000 BEFORE the government takes my taxes!

While I'm on my soapbox, let me tell you where Florida is headed since this fu*&ing amendment has passed... have you ever been to New Orleans? There's potholes everywhere, people pay to have their kids in private schools because their schools suck to high heaven AND the poverty level is rediculous! Way to go folks... that's going to be us real soon! I guess I'd better apply for a second job!

22 down, Alot More to Go!!!

Ok, so you can't tell it too much in this picture but I really have lost weight. I bought this shirt two Christmas' ago but couldn't really wear it out in public due to my fat rolls showing. Now I can! The jeans I have on are my Seven Jeans. NO, not the size 7, its a brand. They are a size 16. I haven't worn these in quite some time either!

I just love having energy. It would be really cool to make it to my goal weight!

The Value of a Picture

I'm addicted to digital scrapbooking these days. While I was looking through some old pictures I came across this picture of my parents. It was taken about a week before my dad was killed in a car accident in December of 1988. Who would of thought this would be their last picture taken together? We have tons of copies of this one photo. My mom even used it to have an oil painting done of our family portrait years ago. My point to this entry? Take lots of pictures. Keep them close to your heart for memories later. I can't wait for Thomas to be old enough to tell him about his Poppa that he's named after. Actually, I can wait...

Girl's Night Out!

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

My Friend, Jessica

Jes and I have been friends since the 10th grade. We've been through alot together. Here is a montage I made.

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

My Name is Janie and I Am OLD!!!!

Jes and I met another one of our high school friends for dinner. After dinner we went "out." While I had a great time with both Jes and Julie, I have come to realize that I am too old for clubs.

For one, I didn't drink enough to really get a buzz. So I was able to notice the numerous drunk people surrounding me. I felt bad for some of them, stumbling around, and/or sucking face with strangers. Please don't think I'm being self-righteous. I'm not. Believe me, I've been that person stumbling around... among other things. All I could think about was that long-ass drive back to Wakulla and how unsafe it would be for me to drive drunk.

Second, we just sort of stood around. I'm not good at making small talk with people, especially guys.

Third, all I could think about was the smoke smell that lingered in my hair and how I had clean sheets waiting for me at home which meant I HAD to wash my hair before going to bed.

I'm not complaining about the evening. I had a terrific time with two wonderful friends. It was fun to see them having such a great time. I enjoyed it because they seemed to have had a good time. But, I also realized that "going out" is NOT the thing for me!

I Hate to Admit It...

but I think I actually like exercising! Is that sick or what? I've been really frustrated and overwhelmed at work lately. Nothing in particular. I just take on too many things. Its my fault.

Then of course there's this lovely holiday we call 'Valentine's Day.' Just another reminder that I'm almost 32 and still single. I can hear my clock ticking loudly.

Of course, my alter-ego tells me to be thankful for what all I do have. Believe me, I am. I just get frustrated sometimes. I'm not depressed and I know its just a phase. It'll all pass. It always does.

So my point... My friend Maggie used to swear to me that exercising really relieves stress. I really found that hard to believe that something that made you sweaty and your bones ache was a stress-reliever. Yep, she's right! I've been alternating days of jogging/fast walking with days of using the elliptical. My body craves it now. I really noticed today when I came home and was in a fowl mood just how great I felt after working really hard on the elliptical. I may have to join a gym again. Hrmmm... let me pay off the diet plan first!

Tomorrow's the big day. Last week I was down 19 pounds. Not too shabby being as how I started this diet December 31st. My overall goal is 50. I'm usually pretty good at losing the first 20. Then my mind takes over and I stop losing. This time, my mind is cheering me on. I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. So, I'm praying that my body will team up with my mind and I'll keep going.

Well, my bubble bath awaits!

Valentine's Day

I admit it... I hate Valentine's Day and what all it represents. Maybe if I were in love I'd think differently but right now I'm not.

It pisses me off that a normal spring bouquet costs me almost $10 on Valentine's Day when on any other day I'd pay $3.99.

There's the sheer exhaustion of what to get people you're close to. For instance, do you buy your mother flowers on V-Day? Or, should I leave that up to my step-dad?

I also hate that my students get hiped up on candy. Its just not a good combination: Already hyperactive preschool children combined with excessive amounts of sugar colored with red dye!

You know the last reason I hate Valentine's Day? Call me petty but I'll remember this forever and a day... 15 years ago, my first "true love" dumped me on Valentine's Day using a Valentine's Day card to do it! If you look up the word "pathetic" in the dictionary, you will see my name beside it!

I know, I know, I'm being negative. Go ahead, take away my Miss Congeniality trophy.

Please Pray For Dylan!

My co-teacher's son, Dylan (age 5) who is a miniature hoodini (sp?) was riding around on his four wheeler yesterday and flipped it. Right now it looks the most damage is a broken arm and some stitches. Thank the Lord, no head injuries. I spoke with Amber last night and she said his arm is broken pretty bad and it looks like its going to take two surgeries and week's stay in the hospital. Yikes! What do you buy for a kid with a broken arm to play with in the hospital? Hrmmm?

On a selfish note, please pray for me this week. As I've mentioned before my class isn't your typical run of the mill pre-k class. Put it this way, we only have 8 kiddos but we REQUIRE a teacher, a CDA, a parapro, a volunteer grama AND a nurse with us at all times! Not to mention 4 therapists who come in and out of the room. We don't work well with substitute teachers so its easier to just not have one.

Since Family Fun Day was Friday night, we left our room in shambles thinking we'd get to it Monday morning. We also have a meeting scheduled for Monday morning that I'm NOT looking forward to. So, after my run, I am going back to school to see what I can do to put some sort of normalcy back into the room with the yellow door. Yikes again!

We Broke $10,000!

I am so excited I can hardly stand myself! Tonight was our Family Fun Day. We are in phase one of a three part series to rebuild our playground so all proceeds from the Fun Day went to phase one. None of this would have been possible without the help of everyone involved. Our community was so generous.

I will close now. I am TIRED! My feet have exceeded their maximum weight capacity for the day and I need to rest.

My Car

I was driving home tonight and looked back for something. Not safe, I know but nevertheless, I did. Anyway, I had this great feeling of pride about my car. Its 10 years old and I pray to God that I don't jinx the quality of it after writing this entry. My car and I have had this sort of love-hate relationship over the years. In the end, when its all said and done, my car has stood by me. (I know I'm a sap, but what's new?)

After graduating from college, I bought a brand new Honda Civic. My payments were just a little over $300/month and because I was a recent college graduate I got a whopping 3.9% apr. Then, before I knew it, Honda came out with the CRV. I just had to have it. I was making like $25,000/ year, so money was no object, lol! So, less than a year after my Civic purchase, I called the dealer who sold it to me and told him to be looking out for one of those CRVs. Of course, he found one! For some reason back then they were hard to come by, so I ended up with a slightly used one with about 11,000 miles on it. I didn't care. It had all the bells and whistles, keyless entry, power windows, cruise control. That was July of 1999. My payments were like $429/month,which wasn't a big deal because I was living at home. Reality hit me in 2001, when I was living on my own with a car payment, rent, student loans and of course my lovely credit card payments. I tried to trade the car in for a cheaper one a couple of times but I was always upside down on my payments. Of course, its paid off now, but it was a LONG journey getting there.

Anyway, 185,000 miles later, my car is going strong. The poor things been through hell. I've hit a couple of drive-thru posts, mailboxes and trees. I've driven it as far west as Louisiana and as far north as West Virginia. My friends tease me about how it drives like a tank. You can feel EVERY bump and turn I make in it. My engine light has been on for 3 years, My brother-in-law replaced the motor in the driver side window panel. My step-dad has given it 2 or 3 tune-ups, not to mention how many brake pads he's replaced. I haven't used my keyless entry in like 2 years, b/c the key pad was stolen at a gym in West Palm.

All in all, I have to say, I LOVE my car. I love that my car insurance isn't sky high. I love that my car is paid for. I love the fact that if my nephew drops cookie crumbs in the seats its not going to harm it.

I was thinking the other day that when my car takes its last drive, I'm going to be devastated. I may have to return to therapy. I have so many great memories tied to my car. So, there you have it... Ode to my Honda CRV.

Sonny's and Vapor Rub

Ok, so I promised myself that I wouldn't tell so many stories about puking and snot but I have to tell this one. Yesterday, my sister and I went to Sonny's for lunch. About an hour before we left, I took one Sudafed in hopes to stop the sinus pressure from sucking out my brain. I hate taking two. It raises my blood pressure and my face gets all red. The one worked pretty well, until... not thinking about how I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, I took my diet pills. Sonny's is pretty quick but for some reason today they weren't. So, instead of going 4 1/2 hours without a meal, I went 5 1/2 hours. I know, for normal people this isn't a big deal but once you take the diet pills you have to eat within one hour or bad things happen. All of a sudden my face got red, the room started spinning, and I just felt sick. Now, I deal with nausea all the time, but this was bad! So, I run to the bathroom and attempt to be discreet about puking when this lady knocks on the bathroom door and goes, "excuse me honey, do you do that at night too?" I answered, "yes. why?" Her reply, "well, if you'd rub Vick's Vapor Rub on your feet at night, that would stop." I politely thanked her and went back to puking. I felt stupid answering her but I figured if I did, I could puke in peace. Its not my favorite thing to do! Some people are so weird! If I hear someone puking, I try really hard to hurry up and get out of the bathroom. I sure don't say anything!

Happy Birthday, Thomas Ralph Clore!

I can hardly believe that this time last year we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of my nephew Thomas. Happy Birthday Baby! February 27, 2007

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Letters to Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqtbMHfpXY

So I'm not exactly sure how to post youtube videos but I did discover that if you click on the title of my entry, it will take you to the youtube video I wanted to post. Call me a technophobe! Anyway, I love this song so I thought I'd add it to my blog.

Couch to 5k

My friend Jes gave me a link to this website where you can download a program on your mp3 player called, 'Couch to 5K.' Its cool, because there's a guy on the program who guides you along both verbally and with music. I've done it before on a treadmill but I had to watch a clock b/c I didn't have the mp3 program. And, that was like forever ago. So, today I did the program using my mp3 outside. At one point, I thought I was going to die. I forgot to bring kleenex. Yes, me the snot queen forgot kleenex. I also forgot to wear my seabands. What the hell was I thinking? The Lord took pity on me and waited until the very end for me to puke. My poor neighbors. I tried to be discreet but you know its hard for a nearly 200 pound woman to be discrete as she's puking. Its exciting to type "nearly 200 pound" though. Because for the first time in about 5 years, I am under the 200 mark! I weighed in on Thursday and am down to 193. Yay! The crazy thing is, for the most part my pants still fit. I seem to have lost weight everywhere but my stomach! I'm hoping it too will go down. My goal is 160. I haven't been 160 since the phen-phen days, so we shall see.