Burning Calories

I just found this great website that I thought I'd share with everyone. You enter your weight and a duration (time), and it spits out a list of activities and how many calories you burn doing each activity for the duration you entered. Pretty cool. However, I read through the whole page and couldn't find a listing for "Sitting at your desk, reading a web page while eating 3 Oreos". Go figure.

http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/jumpsite/calculat.htm

Torture

I think I'm dying. I'm having withdrawls. I'm not sure I can cope. I'm going to the doctor today for a test to help determine why I'm having dizzy/lightheaded spells, but that is not the source of my torture. It's 7:30am. I'm ready to go, but don't need to leave until 8:00. So I'm sitting here....staring at my espresso machine. "Nothing to eat or drink 4 hours before the test." the instruction sheet said. "Hmmm. Do you really think they mean NOTHING?" I ask my husband. "Yes, I'm sure they mean nothing." How come when something is denied you, that is when you crave it the most? I go many mornings during the week without making a latte, but today it's pure torture. I think I'll go over and smell the beans.

Humble Pie (or Chicken Caesar)

“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall – Proverbs 16:18”.

At my job, there is a weekly afternoon meeting. This particular meeting is attended by representatives of several different departments, including myself. My new company is very casual by nature and it’s not uncommon to see everyone in jeans and t-shirts with the company logo on them. The day of my first meeting, I picked something especially “Business Casual” looking to wear. I wanted my new co-workers to think I was competent and business minded. The meeting was cancelled. The next week, on the appropriate day, I carefully chose my clothes, knowing it was meeting day, and again, wanting to make a good impression. The meeting was cancelled. By the third week, I had pretty much shown all my cards in regards to available outfits in my closet. I had nothing left. As a matter of fact, I was already beginning to acclimate to the culture of the company and showing up in my jeans most days. However, in one last attempt to show my competency, on meeting day I chose Khakis and a crisp white shirt. (How prideful can one be?) All morning I was careful to not do something sloppy like dribble coffee down my chin and on to my white shirt. Then I went to lunch, ordered a Chicken Caesar Wrap, and promptly… dropped it in my lap. Then I attended my meeting. Next week, I think I'll wear my Levi’s and a t-shirt.

Duh.

I bet you could guess from my last post that after my hair dryer blew up the other day, I ran out on my lunch hour and bought a new one. My husband always teases me because when I buy something new, I'm pretty consistent in the fact that one of the first things I do is read the manual or any papers that came with it. This was the case with my new blow dryer. Now, you know and I know that I already know everything there is to know about operating a blow dryer. I have used one every single day of my life since I was in the 7th grade. (Except when I was in Africa) Nonetheless, the OCD portion of my brain kicked in and I decided I better review the manual, just to maintain my personal integrity. As I'm reading, I come to safety precaution number 7. It says, "Do not use while sleeping." Hello? Did I miss something here? If I could use my blow dryer while sleeping, it would sure save me some time getting ready in the morning!

My Non-Negotiable

Although I view Life ass a series of giving and taking, there are certain things that are non-negotiable. Things that are not up for discussion. Items that must go into the suitcase for a trip, no matter how little room there is. Household goods that are simply not acceptable in generic form. My non-negotiables.

One of the biggest non-negiotiables I have is my blow dryer. There are many things that I could get by without during the course of my morning routine. My blow dryer is not one of them. It's totally non-negotiable. Take away my toothbrush? I can brush with my finger. (It's totally gross, but I could do it) Take away my shower? I'm not that stinky. I can make it one day without a shower. Take away my mascara? I can put on extra eye-liner. But you take away my blow dryer and you have a brunette version of Bozo the Clown. Take this morning for example. I put all the normal goo in my hair to tame down my natural curls and waves. I begin blow drying. Let me clarify that....I have JUST begun to blow dry. Click. Pop. (strange smell) Blow dryer turns off. "No, no, no!". "Please....NO, NO, NO!" I try to turn it back on. I try to reset the thingy on the wall that you have to push sometimes if your blow dryer overloads the circuit. Nothing. I yell. I scream, I plead. Nothing. I wait. "Maybe it overheated". I blow into the front and back of it to cool it off. Nothing. Let me mention, that at this point in time. I am getting VERY angry.

I put on a hat, drove to town to my In-laws house. I banged on the door. "Please, let me in. I NEED a blow dryer!" My mother in law lets me in and takes me into her bathroom. She hands me something that looks like it was manufactured in 1903 and says, "Sometimes if you blow it on high, it stops working." "Great." I said, unenthusiastically. (Did I mention I was angry by this time??) I finally got my hair dry and actually ended up at work 10 minutes early.

"Hey, this didn't turn out so bad. It's going to be an OK day after all." I'm thinking to myself. Then I realize. I'm locked out of my office. It went downhill from there.

Casseroles!

If you don't cook, don't read any further. If you do cook, please pay close attention, because this is a desperate plea! As I said before, the adjustment period of getting back to work full-time is taking it's toll on my blogging creativity, but not only that, but my cooking creativity, as well. My poor family is getting tired of chicken and steamed veggies, which seems to be the only thing I can come up with lately. So here's the plea... Please post comments with your favorite casserole recipes, especially ones you can put together ahead of time and bake later. If anyone will participate, we could all possibly reap some benefit from this (or it could go very badly...but we won't go there). So post your recipe as a comment and here's a Blogger tip, if you didn't already know. Even though my latest post shows up at the top of the page, if you actually click on the post and view it in it's own window, it will automatically show you all the comments others have made. Thanks in advance from me and my family for pulling me out of the pit of monotony.

Date Night

Early in the Day...

"Meet me for dinner", my husband said to me on my cell phone.
"Sure", I said.
"I want to take you out somewhere afterward."
"Sounds great. Where?"
"Oh, you'll see. It'll be fun."
"Define fun."
"I'd rather not say."
"Why not, where are we going?"
"Near the fairgrounds."
"Near the fairgrounds or at the fairgrounds?"
"Well, technically, at the fairgrounds."
"I see. OK, I'll see you later."

After the phone call, I look at our community website. Specifically I look at the calendar of events. It doesn't take me long to find what I'm looking for.

Date: March 2, 2007
Place: Fairgrounds
Event: Gun & Horn Show

Ice, Ice Baby - Part 2

I have lived by a lake for 16 years. Every year, as I drive by and see the ice fisherman I comment to my husband how STUPID they must be. Let me list some of my reasons why...

1. The lake was not made to walk on (unless you are Jesus, or possibly the Apostle Peter)
2. Often you can see the water pooling on TOP of the ice on a warm day.
3. Heaven forbid, you have to actually touch a slimy fish, there is no place to wash your hands, except in the freezing cold water.
4. The bait used is Maggots, yes you heard me correctly. - Enough said on that one.
5. Hello? It's freezing out there.

Ice fishing is definitely on my list of top 10 stupidest things to do. I have not made any attempt to hide this opinion from my family and friends. I swore I would NEVER go ice fishing.

That was my first mistake. I'll give you one guess as to where I found myself a couple of weeks ago. Yep. I did it. I suppose it sort of goes along with my post on A Mother's Love. My Husband and Son have taken quite a liking, no scratch that, a full on LOVE for ice fishing. Within 2 weeks of the first time they went they had gone to the sporting good store and purchased ice fishing poles, reels, pole holders, and other assorted paraphernalia. As is often the case in my life....I'm doomed.

The Blogs Are Suffering

Alright, I promise if you do. If you promise not to give up on me, I promise I will get my blogging act together again soon. With my new job, I'm realizing that by the time I get home at night, and we eat dinner, and we clean up the mess from eating dinner, and I spend some time with my son, and we brush our teeth, and get our jammies on, and we read a story, and I throw in a load of laundry, and, and, and, (you get the idea) I am having a hard time sitting down to blog (especially since my creative juices flow at the speed of molasses late at night, and even more so when I'm tired). But the past couple of weeks I have really missed those quiet moments when I have a chance to write. However, I'm slowly settling into a routine and do not plan to let my blogs suffer much longer. Also, on a happy note...High Speed Internet was installed at my house yesterday. Well, I like to call it "Medium Speed" Internet because it's a satellite connection and for a geek like me, it's a little on the slow side. At any rate, it's so much faster than my dial up connection that I've been singing the Vonage ditty since the installation guy left the house. You know the one I mean...Woo Hoo, Woo Hoo Hoo!