My love for the Blue Jackets & Hockey

I've spent most of the winter watching the Columbus Blue Jackets.  This has also involved a lot of Twitter.  It was because of Twitter that I saw the Ladies Who Give A Puck request submissions from ladies about why they loved hockey.  The timing was perfect as I had been wondering that myself. Sure I've always loved contact sports and testosterone but what made this year different?  Writing helped me to figure that out for myself.   They have published it on their blog for your reading pleasure.  Please go take a look and let me know what you think!

https://ladieswhogiveapuck.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/how-i-became-a-fan-kelly/

A Wood Pecker + Wandering = A Very Good Day

 I walked out of my house and heard a tapping sound.  I turned towards the only tree in my yard as I was going to cut across the yard to my car.  Sitting in my tree, peck peck pecking away was a giant wood pecker.  I had never seen one before, and I had no idea how big they were.  I have since googled them, and they really don't look that big in pictures either.  The one in my tree... big...huge... and scary.  He wasn't afraid of me in the least.  I inched closer and closer to him. trying to get a good picture.  I only had my camera phone and he did not sit still.  The pictures aren't great but you can get a general idea of his size.

After work I was wandering around Columbus waiting for the Women's Fund annual Key Holder to start and I discovered this.



I've lived in Columbus and worked downtown for nearly 8 years and had never seen or noticed it before.  This makes me think I should wander around more often.

 Have you had any good wanderings lately?

Rosco

At Christmas, my husband and I took in a dog to foster.  His name is Rosco, and he is adorable.

We were planning on keeping him as long as our current dog, Bella,  was able to handle it.  She was not.  

We had to keep them separated and Rosco wasn't really able to be part of the family.  We were going to give Bella a week to adjust and then we were going to try to find him another home.  Christmas was on Wednesday.  Thursday morning a co-worker called me.  She had been trying to help us find a home for Rosco and she succeeded.  I was really torn about sending him to live with her.  I really liked him, and really wanted it to work out.  

We took him to visit her anyway.  She had made the vet appointment before she even met him.  She told us that she had filled out the paperwork to adopt a dog who looked just like him that Monday, but had never submitted the paperwork.  She is a widow and had been wanting to find a dog for a long time.

It was easier to give him to someone who needed him more than we did.  We decided that sending him to live with her was the best option.  My niece's family had been one of Rosco's many stops before finding his forever home, so I made sure that she had a chance to say goodbye before we took him over.

The lady who adopted him works on the same floor as I do and has been giving me daily updates.  She is in love with him and always thanks for me for bringing him into her life. 

I know he is at the right home, and I know he is going to be very happy there.

But I still miss the little guy.

Thank you to Stefanie for hosting Sunday Snapshot! 

Weekend Breakfast

One of my household jobs is breakfast.  It's usually not very creative or original, but it is usually yummy.  Also cheaper than eating out, which helps with the budget.

Even with making breakfast a lot, I had never broken a yolk upon first crack until today.

If I break them, it's usually not until I ineptly flip them, so I had to take a picture.

I spend a lot of time and mental energy NOT drinking coke.  Also NOT drinking my calories.  Sometimes though, I get really tired of only drinking water and that's usually when this makes an appearance at my house.

It is really delicious.  You should try it.

With the chocolate milk and eggs we also had bagels and thick cut baked bacon.

Brad's breakfast

My Breakfast

Yes, that is picnic ware.  We just got a dishwasher for Christmas so maybe the real plates will start making more of an appearance.  

What do you drink at breakfast?

New Years Eve 2013

We went to the Columbus Fish Market for our annual New Years Eve dinner.  It was amazing.  I am hoping to do a review for it on our restaurant blog soon.

I ordered steak, like always.  Fillet Mignon Med Rare.

The steak was cooked perfectly and was delicious.  I have low expectations for all sea food restaurants and steak but this was perfect.  So were the sides!

I ordered their drink special for the night.  Little bit to much vodka for me but better towards the middle.

(the bread was yummy too)

Brad ordered lobster tails and mashed potatoes. 

I am allergic to shellfish but Brad said it was very good.  You know what I am not allergic to?  Mashed potatoes.  They were SO GOOD.  Next time we go, hopefully soon, I am getting mashed potatoes.

What is New years Eve dinner without dessert?

We ordered the mini shark fin.  It was the perfect end to the meal.  It kind of taste like a drumstick, but better.  If you ever go, you should order it.

I said I want to put this on our restaurant review blog so I am trying to not go into this to much, but I also have to say that the service was perfect.  Constant refills, instant non intrusive plate clearing, and well timed food delivery. 

If you are looking to treat yourself you should give it a try.

After that?  

Sparkling grape juice for everyone!  We have a very quiet night, but it worked for me.

  I also gave blood today.  I am not a good blood donor.  I can donate in 5 minutes, but I take a really long time to recover.  I am trying to decide if the cost is worth the benefits to go again. 

I hope you had a good New Years Eve!

Happy New Year!

New Year, The Usual Resolutions

You are not going to be shocked by anything on this list.  It is my usual list that I obtain some degree of success on every year.  The more I do actual New years resolutions the more I see why we do this as a culture.  While most of the time I keep my resolutions far past the January joiner stage, something about the onset of fall always results in a dropping off the rest of the years habits.  Then it's holidays and it's cold and we are busy and I don't care anymore..... and then TA DA its a NEW YEAR.  Time to get back on the horse again.  All of the horses.  In their various manifestations.  I am much less organized this year, but here is the list and my plans.

* Specific exercise goals like I covered last year will be a different, more motivated post.  One step at a time.*

1.  Read at least 26 books.

I am a reader.  Always have been.  This year was pretty pathetic on the reading side of things.  I think TV watching and staring at my blank computer screen filled in the time gaps.  My husband has 1000 hobbies and is always at work on one of them.  I have reading, video games, and working out.  I've mostly just been doing the gaming and staring at my computer screen.  No more!  2 books a month or bust!  I also already have the 26 books picked out, but I am open to changes.

2. Bible Study.

I was doing really well with this for a month...maybe two.  Then I just stopped.  No particular reason.  I was really enjoying my daily Bible readings and going over passages I particularly enjoyed to help set up prayer times.  To keep me on task this time I have set up a reminder on my phone ( Using the Life Reminders App) to go off every day at 8 pm.  This will hopefully remind me to go get my study Bible and go through the reading for the day.

I am also adding to this goal to meditate at least 2x a week.  I need to get some more tools in my meditations tool box and I can't do that unless I am practicing regularly.  I realize two times a week is not regularly, but you have to start somewhere.

3.  Masters

I really need to stop being a cry baby whiner and just start a masters program.  This is getting ridiculous.

4.  Stretch every morning and 5.  Lay out Clothes every morning. 11. Budget

On every goal list I've ever had since the beginning of time.  Ever.

6.  Cleaning.

When I was little my mother use to try to shame me into cleaning my room by saying something about how horrible my house was going to look when I grew up.  I am not a cleaner.  Never have been never will be.  On top of that I am  a serious clutter bug.  So this goal is two fold.  Clean AND declutter.  I set up my schedule on life reminders for the cleaning and my husband and I will work on the decluttering together.

7.  Call my brother more - Self explanatory

8.  Work out three days a week  10 Track calories

I've been really really terrible at working out.  Other times when I said I was doing terrible I was still in Spin class or taking weekend rides.  I've been doing NOTHING for MONTHS.  I had some medical problems and was not able to ride my bike or take spin class.  Once that habit was gone it was really really gone.  I need to get back into a routine and get some muscle back.

9.  Take more pictures

I got the super awesome camera that I wanted for Christmas.  I've been able to play with it a bit but I am really looking forward to taking more and better pictures this year.

12.  Eat at home more

My brother and sister in law gave me two eat healthy cook books for Christmas.   I am hoping it helps with the eating at home thing.

13.  I am really over the ridiculousness of Facebook.  Again.  Starting January 1 I am going to follow last January's plan again.  I can only get on FB or read blogs 1 day a week.  Saturday or Sunday.  I am realllllly looking forward to the self imposed ban.  I do not need to limit news this year.  Unlike social media which slowly crept back into constant use after last years January avoidance, I still avoid most of the news like it's the black plague.

Do you have any goals for the new year?

If this post didn't bore you to tears and you want read last years resolutions that I keep referring to you can see my fitness goals here, my internet goals here and a follow up to the internet goals here.

 I leave you with a couple of my first pictures on my new camera.  They are not anything amazing but they were some of my very first attempts so I like them.

Endless Pasta Bowl Test

My husband and I have been married for three years.  We have gone to Olive Garden, once a year for most of our relationship.  Why?  Not for the free cheese, which they offer constantly.  "Would you like some cheese with your Coke?"  No, no I wouldn't.  We go for the annual Endless Pasta Bowl.

Most years, I am pretty sure we had 3 bowls a piece and a bajillion bread sticks .

The first year we were working on dieting we had two bowls a piece and half a bajillion bread sticks.

This year I had 1 bowl and one bread stick.  I was no where near finishing mine.

My husband had 1 bowl and 3 bread sticks.

We are definitely doing better about portion control. Our weight is less, we eat less and eat in more.

The Endless Pasta Bowl, oddly, has become a measure of our success.

I suppose the ultimate goal is to not go for the "Endless Pasta".

We are a far way from both of our goal fitness and weight.

With that said I am very proud of us and our progress.  Even if it is slow, it is forward.

Even measured by pasta.

Source

New Years Resolution - May Follow Up

The year is almost half way done.  Can you believe it?  Are you proud of what you've accomplished so far?  I am not on track for all of my goals.  I am a little behind from last year too.  But I am ok with what I've done so far.  I have not fallen entirely off the wagon.  I originally listed my New years goals here but it looked like this.

Have not started hill training.  Really don't want to, I hate hills lol.  The weather didn't start being half way decent here until last week.  Hopefully now I can get out of the gym and onto my bike.  And the to some hills....maybe.

Foot Dr!  I have not been.  I have been to a Chiro, a dermatologist, a gynocologist and probably some other gyst I can't remember.  It is definitely getting to that point though.  I am starting to get knee pain and I think it's from how badly I walk.  Maybe June is my month!

Oh stretching every morning.  Stretching every morning has come up on every health goal list I have ever made for myself ever.  Since the beginning of time.  I have never, ever stuck to it.  My husband and I have started a new work schedule though, so maybe I can actually start doing this.  I WANT to.  I just have to remember.  Google calender time!

Training for the century ride hasn't started yet because I can't make myself go out on my bike in 45 degree weather.  This will also be starting up again soon.

I don't know if I hit 4 days a week consistently but besides a few off weeks I worked out 2-3 time s a week very consistently this year.  I could have done better, but I am happy with what I have done.  Not to be repetitive but the nicer the weather is the easier it is for me to work out.  I am really looking forward to getting out and exploring more.

Tracking my calories!   Spotty to begin with but I've had a solid 4 or so weeks so far.  Hopefully the habit keeps my scale moving downward and encourages me to eat more mindfully.

That's my progress!  How is yours?

Emotional Eating and Me. Part I

I don't actually have a follow up planned for this post.  Every blog I have ends up with an emotional eating post so this blog ( that I've had for almost a WHOLE year now, yay me!) May end up with multiple.  I mentioned in this post that I was feeling sad, anxious and lost.  That equated to a whole week of crappy, crappy eating.  I had spent the three weeks before last week counting calories and was down 3 lbs.  Now I am afraid to get on the scale.

I have been talking to myself about this all week.  Telling myself I was a 31 year old woman with a bachelors degree in Psychology and that I knew exactly what was going on.  Telling myself to get a new coping mechanism.  Telling myself I was going to hate myself at the end of this ice cream filled tunnel and that I should just go to the gym instead.

I thought I was having this battle on my own.  Then Sunday night my husband said to me " We've been emotionally eating all week."  All I could was make jokes and cry.  Not bawling and thrashing around on the ground or anything, just the same crying I've been doing the entire last week.  Silent tears and nose blowing.

The point is, every time I think I've made steps to get my relationship with food under control I prove myself wrong.  The binge eating I've had a fairly good handle on for at least 5 years now.  The scary 3 dinners and dessert kind.  However, the eating of my feelings always sneaks back up to get me.  My husband pointed out that we don't drink, we aren't on drugs and that this is temporary.  We know that eventually we can get over it.   That this isn't the worst thing that we could be doing to ourselves.

I've mentioned it out loud a few times and I think that it's true.  Before I can truly be successful at weight loss and maintenance I am going to have to really work on my relationship with food.  Not ignore it and hope that it will go away, not tell myself that I am cured because I haven't had an episode in three months, but really work on it. 

I am not sure where that path starts.  Maybe I should go to talk to a counselor?  I feel like a nutritionist should be somewhere on that list too.  There are two questions really.  Where do I start and when will I get sick enough of it that I am willing to do something about it.  Amanda Palmer wrote a blog with this story in it, that I try to use for motivation and perspective.

"A farmer is sitting on his porch in a chair, hanging out with his dog.

A friend walks up to the porch to say hello, and hears an awful yelping, squealing sound coming from the dog.

“What’s the matter with Ol’ Blue?” asks the friend.

“He’s layin’ on a nail that’s pokin’ up from the floorboards,” says the farmer.

“Why doesn’t he just sit up and get off it?” asks the friend.

The farmer deliberates on this and replies: “Don’t hurt enough yet.”

The problem is, sometimes it hurts to much to move.  I am hoping after some of the ache and screaming inside of me calms down a little bit, that I can get my ass off the nail and start dealing with one of the biggest struggles of my life.

SOURCE

A Good Way to Get Back to Blogging

I saw this on Running with Tongs and thought it would be a good idea to steal.  Give me a little direction to get back to blogging.  I am really struggling with really wanting to write and really wanting to read but really not doing anything.

Thinking about:  Vacation!  Really really, really want to start planning it and setting up reservations.  Really.  We've decided to go back to the beach this year and I am looking forward to waves and relaxation.  Come on Groupon!

Feeling:  Really sad, anxious, and lost.  We have another week or two of guess work and then we have to make a big decision.  And every variation of that decision makes me want to curl up in a ball and hide.

Watching: Nashville.  So random, I don't even like country music.  It is entertaining me, and even pushing out the Good Wife during my TV watching time.  ( You don't know it, but I am mildly obsessed with the Good Wife.  Team Will!)

Reading:  I just finished Murder on The Mind and have started The Fifth Avenue Series.  Murder on the mind was meh, thinking about giving the series one more book to reel me in.  I am 18% of the way through The Fifth Avenue series and it is losing me.  At least 10 character's story lines going on right now, no forward motion, and I don't care about any of them.  $6 down the drain.

Looking forward to: A quiet (er) weekend coming up.  Time to clean the house and hopefully nice weather for a bike ride.  I've been gyming it up lately thanks to the crappy, crappy weather.

Making me happy:   My ridiculous little dog.  Who is ridiculous.

New Year Resolution And The Internet Part 2

Back in January I told you about my internet resolutions.  To quote myself:

"Resolution:

For the month of January no FB, News or blog reading.  The only time I am allowed to catch up is either Saturday or Sunday but not both.  At the end of January I will evaluate where I am mentally and decide how to proceed with February.  "

I did pretty well with this.  Not amazing, and I completely fell off the wagon while I was home sick for a few days, but I think I stayed very true to the spirit of the resolution.

The News

After January was over I went to the news sites I used to frequent to see what I had been missing.  I figured it wasn't much because people are always willing to give you bad news so keeping up with the world is not very difficult.  Even so, I could feel the hopelessness and negativity return instantly.  I almost felt like I had news hang over after my brief reappearance.  

Verdict:  

I am going to continue to avoid news sites like the plague.  It is what is best/healthiest for me and my well being.

Facebook

No one needs to check Facebook 100 times  a day.  I never actually did it because I thought something interesting was going to be on there but because I have a smart phone and I was bored/ easily distracted. 

Verdict:

I have added the app back on to my phone and have the shortcut on one of the screens.  Not m main screen, but 2 screens over.  I probably check it 2-3 times a day now when I am at lunch or bored.  I have definitely cut back and am hoping to keep it at a less ridiculous level from here on out.

Both items were the problems that I thought they were.  I am not going to go to news sites just because anymore and I am not going use Facebook as a weird ADHD crutch anymore.  I think I will have more time and be a better person for it.

Thanksgiving 2012

SOURCE

My favorite Thanksgiving food...and let's be honest all time food....mashed potatoes.

My husband and I switch off years to spend Thanksgiving with our families.  This is his year and the first time I will be at a "traditional family" Thanksgiving.  The only year I've gone it wasn't at the house it normally was.  That person had a cat and Brad and I had to leave early.  Since I am extremely allergic.

But that is not what this post is about.   This is the top 3 of what I am thankful for this year.  Besides mashed potatoes.

SOURCE 

 1.  My Husband 

My husband is pretty awesome.  He is always trying to make my world a better place.  He is the calm glue to my scattered randomness.  What impresses other women about him is that he helps cook and clean, and will pack my lunch for me in the morning.  What should impress them is what that says about him.  My husband loves me, respects me, and wants me to be happy.  He wakes up everyday and asks himself how he can be a better partner, and then he does it.  I can't ask for more than that.

SOURCE

 2.  Good Health

I know everyone says this, but last year was crappy crappy. 3 surgeries, limited mobility, a horrifying glimpse into what bad health, and it's ramifications on everyone, really is.

 source

3.  My Job

I have a job that pays a livable wage, a boss that stays out of my hair, and work that I enjoy.  I haven't always been so lucky and I know that things won't always be this way.  I am going to be grateful for it while I have it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope your mashed potatoes are delicious and the memories that you make with your family are precious.

SOURCE

New Gym

For $35 a month, there were things that I put up with at my old gym.  Eternally broken equipment and toilets, crappy hours, empty spray bottles, no paper towels.  Then there were the "typical" gym things.  Like guys doing one rep and wandering around for 15 minutes.  But they were using that machine, so don't touch it.  Most of the people at my old gym were there to socialize.  My husband and I would walk in, stay for 45-60 minutes, do our cardio or our weight circuit, and leave.  We were among the few that ever left.  The same people that were there when we walked in would be there when we walked out. 

SOURCE

The new gym is about $47 a month with annual fees.  I have been there three times.  The con's are that I seem to be to short for a lot of the equipment.  I tried to talk to someone about it last night but it was late and she couldn't leave the desk.  So I need to get someone to show me what I am doing wrong or show me an alternative.  That has me frustrated.  BUT the rest is AMAZING.  I've gotten on the hydro massage bed every time I go, and it is the best thing ever.  There are chair massages, red light therapy and tanning.  Lines upon lines of cardio equipment and open 24 hours.  The best thing is, all three times I've gone, everyone is there to work out.  No one is wandering around and chatting.  No one is staring at themselves in the mirror.  There is no clanging or screaming.  Everyone is on a machine burning calories.  It is a great environment. 

SOURCE

Going to a new gym makes me more excited to go over the winter, and it definitely helps the motivation.  Sure, I may not want to go to the gym, but if I do I can get a hydro massage.  You have to love incentives.

October to November

October was quite a month.  I have lots of blogs in the draft folder that I wrote, but none that I was able to publish.  I hate it when bloggers say that.  I can tell you this, I will hit publish eventually.

My October fitness minutes were minimal.  I did a lot of walking dirt trails and paved trails but zero riding.  My Endomondo screen shot for October would look pretty pathetic if I shared it with you.

It is November, and it is cold.  My husband and I don't like coffee so we drink a lot of hit tea and hot chocolate.

I had a migraine for three weeks, that was fun.  I've decided it was the soy in the new vitamin I was taking.  I was in denial about that for...well....three weeks.  I had done a lot of research and had chosen a food based highly rated and well reviewed product.  I even bought it from Whole Foods.  Once I decided denial wasn't doing anything for my migraine, I stopped taking it. Life has been much better since then.  Now I need to start all over with my research and find a food based vitamin with NO SOY.  Ugh.

I've started indoor cycling at work 2 days a week with a group of my co-workers.  It's been 1 week and a lot of fun so far.

Yesterday I went for a 45 degree, 14 mile bike ride.  It was further on a different side of my path then I have gone before.  I took the hybrid with the wider tires and it was a nice adventure.  I think I will be riding it more in the winter than I did in the summer.

My aunt bought me cycling tights as an early Christmas present and they are awesome.  I wore only those ( not lined) and my bike shorts and my legs were not cold and did not feel the wind at all.  I highly suggest getting yourself a pair.  I tired to wear a neck gator but I felt like I was choking so I took it off.  I might try to stretch it out before I wear it again, or just buy a face mask.  We shall see how dedicated I am to cold weather riding.

I have read a multiple books I want to post reviews for and I am halfway through a favorites post.

Tampons

(Not for the weak of stomach.  Or heart.  Or the easily offended. Or if you don't like period talk. Or blood talk.)

Why is it women only talk about periods and not the products that get us through it?  Contrary to commercials I have never had an in depth conversation with my friends regarding cardboard, plastic or no applicator LET ALONE brand names.

Before this week, I had not had a period in 4 years.  I changed birth controls on Tuesday.  Hell hath no fury like a uterus that has had crap in storage for 4 years.  That is a long time to be out of the feminine hygiene products game.  My reintroduction into it was unexpected.  I hit up another woman for a tampon and off to the bathroom I went.  Holy sh!t snacks. (I am totally obsessed with Archer, if I hadn't mentioned that yet).

Why cardboard?  I know the environment blah blah and I don't care.  Why cardboard?  I would rather go OB applicator-less than use cardboard.  Maybe it's just my motor skills or something, but asking me to  use a cardboard applicator is like asking to disarm a bomb with greasy hands, underwater, to save sharks.  It stresses me out and makes everyone else uncomfortable.

Super Triple Mega Absorbency.  Shouldn't you just be at home sitting on the toilet if you need a tampon this big?  I don't think I have the right insides for those things.  I also haven't bled a lot since puberty, so maybe it's me, not the tampon.

Tampax Pearls. I tried these, and I hate them.  I don't appreciate my tampon falling apart inside me.  I do not believe that couple of strings braided together means more protection. Does the tampon itself really have to be that long?  Cuz I really don't think so.  Why are woman still buying these?  They were crappy and uncomfortable 4 years ago and they are crappy and uncomfortable now.  Who are you other women with your cardboard and Tampax and why are you doing this to your selves?

After work I took myself out to the drug store to buy the brands that I am comfortable with when it comes to the whole bleeding for 7 days and not dying thing.

The pads section at least looked like we have reached a consensus about the most comfortable route but the tampons are still a freak show.

I always used Kotex tampons.  If you had a period in the last four years you would know that Kotex lost their damn minds and decided that tampons should be a fashion statement.  The covers are all varying pretty colors, the applicators are all pretty colors with designs on them.  A reminder that your period should be discrete and colored with pretty paper, apparently.  As off put as I was by the new packaging they still seemed to be the best alternative to the aforementioned Tampax.  I bought a discreet black box with the pretty pretty colors inside and took it home.

Pure genius.  I don't care what they decide to do with their boxes or colors in the future.  As long as they continue to make plastic applicators exactly the way they are now, I will continue to buy them.  There was no bomb and no sharks.  I was in and out of the bathroom in record time and with 0 frustration.  Once placed Kotex does not get oddly longer like Tampax nor does it fall apart.  They just get wider, which I appreciate.

I realize there are Diva cups and other solutions besides pads and tampons out there.  I did try a cup once, and I don't have the cervix for it.  I may try a different brand in the future if the whole "being a woman" thing continues.

 For now, I am going to stick with my Always pads and my Kotex tampons.  I will avoid bumming from other women's stash at all cost. 

It Is Always Something

This was written on my phone as I could not together the strength to write it on my laptop. it is always something isn't it? Either I had to go down 62 flights of stairs for work or I have a cold or my long as well the or any other number of things.
 
When it is not something I am to busy being lazy to do the things I should be doing. then something happens like now. I finally got a cold from 1 of my Germ  infested coworkers. I have no energy and my nose will not stop running. I know that this is just the beginning and the cold monster is looming.

This post is really not to complain about being sick however. this post is to complain about my lack of doing things when I am perfectly capable of doing them. Then something happens like 1 of the many things mentioned above and all I can think about is all the things I could be doing if I could actually pull myself up off the couch.

Why can't I get my act together? I need to figure out some ways to motivate myself to be an adult when I get home from work. Other than forcing myself to exercise which I've gotten fairly good at this year. I guess I could try the same kind of system to force myself to clean and do other adult things.

I am not sure what exactly but I'm sure there's something.
so there you have it. my pity party/ pep talk to myself.

Self: get better and be an adult!
I hope I am better in time for my 50 mile ride on Saturday. ugh.