Well crap.

So my mom calls me at work today, and she never does that so I immediately think there is something wrong. And yes, there is something wrong.

My Dad got a cyst removed from his left ring finger a week or so ago. He warned me that it was pretty gross, but of course I made him show me. He was right...totally nasty. I figured that was the end of it. But today, Mom called and told me he's going to the hospital tomorrow (Tuesday) to get surgery on that same finger - because there seems to be some kind of bad infection and it is hurting him so bad, he went home from work. That's pretty bad, him leaving work. The man never leaves unless it is required (i.e., going home for the night, my heart surgeries, etc.) So I knew this was gonna be bad.

So here's the gory details: tomorrow he'll be put under into never never land, they'll remove (ick!) his nail, and then slice open his finger to relieve the pressure and find out what the dealio is. As he put it, "worst case scenario, they cut it off". Good golly Miss Molly, I would say that is pretty effing serious!! I could tell he was in pain though when he was on the phone with me tonight.

So please say a prayer for my Daddy tomorrow, he should be having surgery right around lunchtime or so.

Thanks!!

RAK

Merry Christmas everyone! I must say that I am truly blessed with friends who care about me, two jobs that provide for me, a car to drive me around, a cell phone and computer to keep me in touch with the technological world, ah...the list goes on.

Some people don't have any of that. Kinda blunt eh? In my line of not-so-fun-all-the-time work, I get to talk to those people. The ones who have lost their job, the ones who have been living off their unemployment for the past weeks, months, maybe over a year. The ones who have been searching for a job, only to find out that there were 350 others in front of them applying for the same job. The ones who have children and have to figure out if they'll even be able to buy gifts for Christmas. The ones who didn't get Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner because they couldn't afford it. You know what, I could go on and on about this too.

I guess what I'm getting at is, there are people who are in need right now and you can help them. Whether it is a kind word or maybe a bag full of groceries - that is your choice. Do what your gut (and God) is pushing you to do. Try practicing RAK for a day. RAK is a Random Act of Kindness. It is simply amazing what happens. Let me know what your experience is when you try it. I can't wait to hear all about it!

Hi :)

So I haven't been here in a while, it's almost Christmas and the end of 2008 is near. Since the wedding in November, I'm happy to report that I'm actually sleeping again. Thank GOD. I still have no results from my doctor, but I'm thinking that I must have been pretty anxious about that whole thing (the wedding) because I'm not kidding, the next night after the wedding? Slept like a baby. And I have ever since then.

Had the annual Christmas party for my mom's side of the family this past weekend. It was nice, but a whole different vibe than what we normally have. It was weird. Was nice to see everyone - in fact some of them I only see once a year so it's nice to catch up. I remember in the past we had some pretty volatile parties - people getting into fist fights, verbal abuse - apparently people are either self-medicating or they've just finally grown up and forgiven/forgotten the problems they had with each other. Personally, I think it's a bit of all that.

I've made a decision to not quit the 2nd job. In this economy, I am very thankful to even have a job, let alone two. I'm going to pay off my debt and then I'll think about quitting. The way I figure it, I'll have all my unsecured debt paid off by 2010.

Ever read the book called "The Secret?" If not, check it out. Positive thoughts equal positive reactions/things in your life. For example, if you say, "oh my gosh - I'll NEVER pay my debt off" - then you won't. You will continue to rack up the credit cards. If you say, "I'm going to pay off my debt" then it will happen. It's the law of attraction. I really like that book.

I only work 3 days this week at my "real" job. I wish we could go to work in our pajama pants and slippers!

Wow...it's finally over

The big day finally came - the wedding I've been preparing for all these months. Well the bride was preparing too, don't get me wrong, but I've been working out, dieting, helping her plan and get ready for her big day too. A few of you know the trials and tribulations I went through up to this point. For those of you who don't, well...I'd rather not bring up old negative shit. So...the day started out by raining...downpour raining - coming from the North. Water was leaking inside of my home. That set me off. Then I forgot to go to Weight Watchers. How the hell can I forget to do something that important? That's not like me! I get my hair done, hoping and praying that it'll actually stay the way my girl does it, due to the rain. As you can see from the picture, it stayed. The bride was absolutely gorgeous, the groom was very handsome and neither of them cried during their vows. Their love for one another is very strong. I'm so excited for them! I, on the other hand, had to drink two glasses of wine to take the edge off before walking down the aisle. I just gotta say - it worked. I ended up drinking way too much and letting loose. I love when I get to do that. I'm too damn serious most days! I woke up today with a hangover, and should've taken a nap, but I didn't. Tomorrow I go back to work after a week long holiday. Sniff Sniff...

A Letter, By Annette

Dear Grouchy Lady that I saw in a store at the mall tonight,

You are very grouchy. Quite possibly the grouchiest lady I've seen/heard/been around for quite some time. You stood in line for mere seconds when the girl behind the counter asked if she could help you. Unfortunately for the girl, she had no idea that you were beyond help she could offer. Hell, I think even Dr. Phil would've turned and ran. You know who I think may have been able to help you? Sorry, I don't know either. Because you were that rude. And yes, I had to "butt in" as you stated, because I couldn't stand to see the girl behind the counter sobbing and crying any longer. Because noone deserves to be treated the way you treated her. And then, when I called you out on it, you turned on me! I get that you were being defensive. I get that you probably will go home and never think for a second that you were rude, pushy, argumentative, and downright mean to us. But my hope is.....that you will go home, unwind from the day, reflect on your behavior and feel just the slightest bit of guilt, knowing that you were as horrible as you were. And maybe, just maybe, the next time you feel the need for your demon to arise out of the depths of your soul, you'll remember telling the girl off, me off, the manager off and you'll make a different decision.

Because it's all about choices isn't it?

Let's hope you make a better one next time around. I know the decision I made tonight to butt in and stick up for that girl was the right one. You stupid, under-sexed, grouchy ass bitch who probably forgot to change her underwear this morning and realized it in the dressing room when you saw the brown streaks in your granny baps (big ass panties). You're probably constipated too, and most likely needed a smoke. A smoke I'm sure you had, with the windows rolled up and your kid in the back seat inhaling.

Sincerely,

Annette

So I'm lazy...

I know I know....I haven't posted in forever! Sorry!


Here's a pic of me & my friend Theresa - she's got that pregnancy glow doesn't she? She's gorgeous! This was at a wedding a couple of weeks ago. I am NOT crazy about the shirt I wore. Oh well, damage done...won't wear that again!

I had a birthday on October 10th. Turned 34. And that's where my story kind of begins...

I went for a routine cardio-echogram at my cardiologist's office a couple of weeks ago. The pulmonary arterial pressure came back a tad high, so my doctor (who is the BEST doctor in the world..at least to me he is) suggested we do a "right heart cath" procedure - in which they insert a catheter starting at my groin and leading up to my heart. There they will test the pressure and find out if there was a problem. So, I did that yesterday. Can you believe two things: 1) I am sitting here after a long day of work typing about this? and 2) I was awake for the entire procedure. Felt the catheter go in my leg and felt it in my heart. I know! I'm grossed out too! I must say, on Friday, I sorta lost it and I was very scared/nervous about the procedure. A lot of people must have been praying for me, because on the day of the procedure, I was cool as a cucumber. Went in, got delayed for about 2.5 hours and finally got back into the procedure room. Carried on a conversation with the nurses and Dr. the whole time they were testing me, and went home about 2 hours later. Went to work today. Simply amazing.

So the results given to me were that the pressure is reading a tad high,but nothing DIET can't fix. Bah. Lose weight. Bah. I already tried that, it's too slow of a process for crying out loud! But, I will continue on I suppose. I did tell my Dr. that I do work out very regularly and that I am trying to lose weight. His response, "keep doing that then". Bah.

I get a sleep study out of this though too, because I have horrible insomnia. Some nights I'll fall asleep and get up several times. Some nights I can't fall asleep for hours, only to be woken up from a very sleepless night and have to get up and go. Dr. thinks that this could be part of the pressure issue. Get the sleeping under control, blood pressure and arterial pressure might go away. Can't say I'll get many dates out of this (I'm fast forwarding here - I can envision the fact that I might need to wear a damn mask to bed), but maybe I'll be able to stop taking meds. All in good time, that sleep study isn't until the 17th.

Volleyball has started, I've got several weddings to attend and one to stand up in. A bachelorette party has been unceremoniously dumped into my lap (and lemme tell ya, I will plan the BEST bachelorette party EVARRRR for my girl!!), still working 2 jobs, going on a cruise in January, won our Fall softball division (undefeated...woot woot), both of my close friends are pregnant, I'm talking to an old friend (hi Nick) that I've been missing for a long time and I'm just trying to remain positive through it all. Busy, but I like it that way. Sorry for the non-posting, I wonder if anyone will even look at this because I'm so bad about updates? If you're out there reading, please leave a comment, just tell me you haven't given up on me yet!

Where does the time go anyway?

I really do have good intentions of getting online and posting something witty for you all to read on a consistent basis. I do! Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time I will attempt to post a blog that will entertain you on the happening things in my life. Ready? Set? Go....

I started Weight.Watchers about 3 weeks ago. I've lost every single week, so I'm up to 6.75 pounds lost. It is a small victory, to say the least. I went out to dinner with one of my dearest friends on Thursday that I rarely get to spend time with and we went to the Olive.Garden. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and asked for their nutritional guide? I got a brochure that night. My guess is that the rest of the items on their menu are so high in calories and fat, they could not bear to actually put it in print, so they just said....nah skip it. I really wanted to order something draped in a block of mozzarella cheese, but opted for...drum roll...because this is sooo exciting people......minestrone soup (on the guide, low in calories), whole wheat linguini and marinara sauce. One breadstick and two meatballs. I then proceeded to eat half of the actual dinner and box the rest up. There is only one reason I didn't eat all of it - because I knew on Saturday, I'd need to weigh in. I guess that paid off since I lost 2.75 pounds this week, but wow, what a disappointing meal. The food was good, but my brain wanted something different.

I've joined a "Fall Ball" coed softball team. So far we are 2-0! Woo Hoo!!! I have a great time with those people, and we've all played together for so long, we know each others abilities and limits. I'm so glad I have the opportunity to play.

I recruited a superstar volleyball team too. Our games start in October on Thursday nights. Last year, you may remember me crying about the fact that our team was so crappy. The thing is, noone likes to be on a losing team. So, in the hopes I don't lose any friendships, I recruited a group of women who are competitive and bloodthirsty (haha, that kinda sounds rough doesn't it) and needless to say, I've decreased our total team from 18 or so...to 8. We're all very competitive too, so I'm looking forward to our matches.

I'll check in later this week - I'm sure I'll have lots more to talk about...like my bra party...now doesn't THAT sound intriguing?!

You know you're from Port Huron if...

So the other day, I go to my fav grocery store, pop my MP3 player on (yes, I am one of "those" people - I listen to my MP3 player while shopping - who am I gonna talk to in there anyways?) and start browsing up and down the aisles, carefully considering my purchases, wondering if I should buy that candy. No, then yes, then no...then finally yes...hahaha. Diet starts again on Monday I swear! That dress isn't gonna fit!! Anyways...I'm walking down the pasta aisle, my very favorite aisle of all aisles and BAM. This is the defining moment - the one that makes you stop and wonder, what the heck is SHE thinking? Down my aisle comes another female shopper - in her bathing suit. A tankini, with a skirt. And flip flops. And her body type was as big, if not maybe a little bigger than mine. GIRLFRIEND....do you have no shame? Who told you it was okay to wear your bathing suit into the grocery store? For crying out loud! Put a shirt and shorts on, is it that hard?

Does this happen everywhere else, or am I just blessed to run into it in the Port? Do tell...

Long lost pals...

Here's a pic of me and my good friend Jeanne. We finally reconnected after a long time through email and today we had the opportunity to go to lunch together. Before we knew it, 2 hours had flown by. I have missed you so much J!!

If you have the chance to reconnect with someone from your past, don't hesitate. Life is too short to keep saying, "I'll get to it." As the Nike ads say, Just Do It!!

Weekend Update

So I worked on Friday at both jobs, started at 8am and ended my night right around 12:30AMish. Yep, I was exhausted. My legs and feet started hurting right around 7PM. I looked at my watch and thought....omg...I have another FIVE hours of this. I keep telling myself...just a little bit longer, and I'll be back down to one job. The good news is, I only have about $287 more on the carpet/tile bill that started this two job debacle. Out of $5,000 and 1 year of sacrifice, I'd say $287 ROCKS.

Saturday I was woken up way too early to go to breakfast by Mike (old friend from high school). So KT, Mike and I went to eat, I had two cups of coffee (I rarely drink coffee so this was kinda a big deal, but I HAD to clear the cobwebs out of my brain somehow!) and then KT and I went garage sale-ing. What a beautiful day to make that happen. Then I headed over to a graduation party for my friend's kid, stayed for about 20 minutes and headed over to my family reunion. I am kind of traumatized by the graduation party, I'm not sure I can even talk about it right now. What I will say is, I can't believe the relationship with this friend of mine went from what is was, to what it is now. It is amazing and sad.

So onto better things, my Family Reunion. I rarely see this side of my family, so it was nice to catch up with people that I don't normally talk to. I got to see Jen *you look fabulous girl*, Alida *she has this giggle that makes me crack up*, Julie & Megs *see Julie, I DO like you, I even mentioned you in this first-rate blog*, some other cousins and their families, aunts, uncles. I had to pleasure of talking with Great Aunt (pronounced "AW-NT") Claire and Great Uncle Jack from Wisconsin. I forgot how much I really enjoy their company. She is eccentric and sassy and wonderful. He has a witty personality. We celebrated my Great Uncle Ernie's 80th birthday, had him blow out candles too! I also ate WAY too much and I wouldn't have it any other way. After the rain subsided, we started the gigantic bonfire. We saw several rainbows (I'd like to think that the rainbows symbolized our loved ones who have passed) and reminisced and shared a lot of laughs. One thing I will mention about the bonfire - I don't think my father knows how to build a small bonfire. Multiply that mentality by about 6 other men who share the same belief and POOF, you have the largest bonfire in St. Clair County. I'm glad my older brother is part of the Fire/Rescue team and we have "connections". hahaha

So today (Sunday), I'm supposed to have a playoff softball game around 6:30pm, but since it's been raining most of the day, I wonder if that will happen. If not, KT and I will be headed over to the movie theater. For now, as soon as I finish this blog post, I'll be wrapping up in a blanket on the couch and watching TV. Because you see, I rarely get down time like this and I need to take FULL advantage of it.

TTFN~

Sure does feel good....

Tonight we had another two-game softball night and WON both of the games!! Woot woot....your girl hit the ball and got 3 RBI's (runs batted in) out of it.

I still got it *winker*

Not just yet...

Kinda weird - tonight "he" went with me and my two other friends (a couple) to watch a softball game and then we all went for a bike ride. Not ready to let my guard down just yet.

Oops!

Wow, time flies, I tell ya. Here's the scoop on me:

MRI: Came back fine, no brain cancer. ENT thinks I might have TMJ (my jaw cracks when I open it) so he sent me to the dentist. Dentist doesn't think it's a major TMJ issue, she recommended getting fitted for a biteguard to wear "whenever I can". Wow, sexy. Ringing in ears is still happening. Lucky me!

Diet: Non-existent. Ok, all hope is not lost, I am still kind of watching what I eat, but not as closely. My cousin Jennifer is doing FABULOUS and she gives me motivation. I just need to focus!

Exercise: Doing well. At least something remains constant in this battle of the bulge!

Vacation: Went to Oscoda last week camping and canoeing. I got totally wasted drunk while canoeing, fell out several times and peed in the water.....alot. It was lots of fun. I went camping with 13 others - all of whom had their partner there...I was the odd wo-man out. That part totally sucked. I really disliked being the "13th wheel" and lucky for me, there was one nice couple I could hang out with that wasn't busy playing kissy-face all week.

The Man Front: Well, it appears that there may be a certain someone interested in me! I am nervous about this, not sure what to think, how to act, what to say. I guess I'll just go with the flow for now. KT can vouch that he is a nice guy, cute, taller than me (big plus!!), considerate, funny. Not my usual "type" - he has no interest in the gym and no interest in sports, which means he doesn't watch baseball (gasp). He is interested in motorcycles and snowmobiles, and so am I. So I guess we'll see where this leads. Heck it might not even go anywhere, but a few of my friends who have seen us together think that we'll hook up. We shall see!

MRI

So tonight at 9:15pm (can you believe they take patients until 11:45PM?!) I headed over to the hospital to get an MRI on my head. Yes people, they're checking to see what's wrong in my head...lol....anyways - I didn't really know what to expect, I purposefully did not ask many questions because sometimes, it's just not worth it to know exactly what you're in for. Know what I mean? I figured, "shoot...I had heart surgery, this'll be no problem." Ummm. If I never have to take a test like that in the future, I won't be upset. Let me tell you why:

1.) I was sure that I couldn't fit into that little opening, in fact, I even questioned it. The nurse looked at me, laughed and said, oh you'll be fine, you'll fit! Lemme tell ya, there wasn't much room! How do bigger people get MRI's anyways? If I was a little bigger, probably wouldn't have fit.

2.) When your ears are plugged with ear plugs, plus a cushion on both sides that was pretty thick and you can still hear the machine pretty clearly - you know it must be loud!

3.) When your eyes are shut and you can see blue, green and yellow images, I'm not sure what that's all about, but it can't be good.

4.) When they inject this dye into your arm and you immediately smell something odd, somethin ain't right.

5.) When you get out of the testing area and notice that your vein is bulging where they injected that dye, it makes a person wonder. Come to think of it, where does the dye go? Do I pee it out? If so, what color will it be when it comes out? My friend told m the dye is purple and I think it would be totally cool to pee purple since it would match my brand new cell phone that is...the color purple.

A cool thing though, is that I got the copies of all the films they made. So of course when I got home, I had to pull them out and start self-diagnosing my brain scan. Only I don't really know what I'm looking for, except for the scans I see on House on TV. So according to those, I'm good. Must be TMJ that's causing the incessant, non-stop ringing that never ever ever ever goes away.

So that's it! That's my update! More info to follow once I talk to the doctor again in about a week or so. Happy 4th of July!

The latest...

Another week has flown by and we're almost into July. Un-be-reavable, as Scooby Doo would say. I thought I'd spend some time writing tonight, since I have roughly an hour of time to kill since I've begun the teeth whitening process. I've got two trays of gel that are working their magic in my mouth as I type. I hope noone calls because I'm pretty sure it will be impossible for me to answer. Anywho...here's the latest and greatest on me.

Remember I talked about the jerks who asked what was wrong with me because I'm single, 33 and no kids? Well, I've got two MORE comments to share with you. Yes people, both these comments happened within the past week. How lucky can a girl get? The first was in regards to a coworker's friend, inquiring about the single girls she works with, "Set me up with someone from your work"...that kind of situation. She mentioned my name and he promptly replied with, "I don't want to date someone that can benchpress more than I can.". Yes, she shared this with me. No, she did not take her smart pill that morning. She'd probably blamed it on the upcoming pregnancy since she blames everything else on that too. I said to her, "wow, nice fat joke" and she responded with, "no Annette, he's intimidated by the fact that you go to the gym so much and you probably can bench press more than he can!" Okay, I'm not stupid. I grew up listening to fat jokes aimed at me (thanks Aunt Stella, who always seemed to ask at just the right time if I wanted to borrow her girdle). I know a fat joke when I hear one.

Then this past Saturday night, at the job I don't like to speak the name of, a guest who I know because my parents know him, asked me if I was pregnant. My boss was standing right next to me, so I couldn't throw the choice words I wanted to say back at him. Damn. I would've loved to say something. I told KT about it (she knows him too) and she said, "he's socially awkward". I shared it with my parents and they both said he's a "social idiot". Know what though? I don't care if that mutha is a social idiot or whatever, I care that this question was directed at me. WTF?!

It makes me feel that everything I've done - the dieting, the many, many hours of exercise, are all for nothing. KT and Theresa say not to let it bother me. It bothers me.

We played softball again today, lost our asses to a team we could clearly beat. I made a couple of bad catches, a couple of amazing catches (still not sure how I caught them), had a great hit to the outfield, got hit in the leg with the ball which left an immediate bruise - that's not gonna be pretty. But the weather was fabulous and it got me outside. Although what I really would have liked is to be at home, sitting on my couch eating something bad for me.

Teeth whitening update: 15 minutes into the 60 minute treatment and I already want to quit. This stuff tastes gross!

My friend Nada is in Kentucky right now, soaking up some rays, doing a little swimming and trying to recuperate with her parents. The walls on her own home started closing in on her and she had to get outta dodge. Can't say I blame her either. She's doing MUCH better and plans on going back to work in July. She's lost a bunch of weight too, which makes me very happy for her, because weight is just a damn struggle!

I have a vacation coming up in about 2 weeks. I don't plan on doing much of anything until that weekend, and I'm going camping with a bunch of friends. We'll do some canoeing and grilling and I'm sure some drinking. Should be fun!!

For those of you who don't know, my right ear has been ringing since February. It is completely and utterly annoying. I've had it for so long, I've just gotten used to it. I finally went to the ENT, and he said it might be TMJ (when your jaw snap crackles and pops). They gave me a hearing test and I passed most of it - but I do have some hearing damage. Could be the fault of Poison, Motley Crue, Metallica, Warrant, Cinderella and the other 80's-90's hair bands that I just HAD to play very loudly. The next step is for me to get an MRI on my head to check for tumors. When it checks out that I don't have those, my next trip will be to the dentist to check for TMJ. LOL...the ENT tried to get me to go on a soft foods diet. yeah that lasted right around 2.5 days and I was really hungry, so that idea flew out the window! I'll keep you posted on this, since I know you're all just on pins and needles wondering. :)

Here's to a good week, and hopefully I can report that my teeth are significantly whiter next week! Ciao~

I did it :)

I decided earlier today that I would go to the local high school and run on the track to prove to myself that I can run. So, I got out of work today, looked up into the sky and thought...ooh wee...sure does look like it's gonna rain....so before I could change my mind, I headed over to the track. I'm happy to report that I DID IT. I ran 1 mile and walked 1 mile (I alternated laps, walked one, then ran one). I was a hot mess when it was over and my legs still hurt hours later, but I feel VERY accomplished. This is a big deal for me!! I didn't think I'd ever actually run on purpose!! My heart rate was very high the first two running laps, and then the other two running laps, it kind of evened out. So I think my heart is also telling me that it likes this new endeavor!

I'm just really pleased. Yay!! :)

Update

Hi all, haven't updated in quite a while, sorry about that! Here's the latest and greatest:

I've been faithfully working out at the gym, just about every day. Since the weather has been getting nicer, I've been riding my bike to the gym instead of driving. I really like it for a few reasons, a) it saves me on gas, b) I'm getting a slight warmup (takes me about 10 minutes to get there), c) I'm getting use out of the bike I bought a few years back and have barely used, well up until the past 2 years anyways. Have been getting better about using that, so that makes me happy!

Our softball team is pretty good so far, our record is 3-1. I'm throwing better, hitting further, I don't get so winded when I run the bases. I didn't realize that the benefits of me working out would extend to other areas in my life. I know....duh right....but I honestly didn't think about that.

I have heard a comment lately - directed at me - that has pissed me right off. Yes readers, it is shit list time. The comment is: "So you're 33, no kids, no boyfriend, never been married. What's wrong with you?" Ok, let me just say, I don't point out to people that the way their marriage works scares the crap outta me because of the constant bickering and bullshit that goes with it. Why is it ok for people to say that to me? Oh mind you, one of the people who said that were DIVORCED. Hmmmph. It shouldn't bother me that someone said that, and I should be confident enough to deflect their stupidity, but you know...when you hear it twice in one day, you do start to spend some time thinking about it. Jerks.

I'm so close to being done working a second job, I can smell it. I will once again have my weekends back and I'm really looking forward to it. Having just Sundays off for the past few months has really sucked. But I told myself I was going to pay off some debt, because I refuse to be the 60ish person who still has to work because I have so much debt. People act surprised to find out I have a second job, like "exactly how much debt do you have?" I just keep thinking, you know - it doesn't matter how much debt I have, I just want to get rid of it. This is my way of doing it.

Well, I need to get ready to go to work, so that's all for now. Hope everyone who reads this has a fabulous day and I'll update again soon :)

What will you do?

Today at work we were discussing the price of gas (I don't know anyone who doesn't care about this hot topic) and how we've "heard" that it will increase to $6/gallon by July 4th. We started throwing out ideas of what we thought people will do to be able to afford the gas they need to drive to work, school, run errands, go to sporting events, just drive in general. My first thought (since I'm such an optimist) was that people would need to stop smoking and drinking because they wouldn't be able to afford both. But reality (my coworkers) stepped in and said, typically people will tend to smoke and drink more often and let their bills go delinquent instead. So I've been thinking about this all day. If it really does get to the $6 mark, our lives will change - drastically. There won't be the, "I'm out of _____, I'll just run to the store quick", or "hey, I'll meet you at Lakeside Mall because the stores there are nicer", or "I like the veggies from Nino Salvaggio's better than Kroger, so I'll drive 30 minutes to get them." Instead, we will be forced to make different choices. And honestly, I've already started making those choices. I must admit, I'm one of the lucky ones, I live within walking/bike-riding distance to my job. If it came right down to it, I could make the choice to leave my car at home and take the "greener" and "most cost-efficient" way to work. I'm thinking, what would I do besides that? Maybe give up cable and home phone service to cut some money from my budget? Stick to a very meager budget for food? Not sure. Just wondering, what will you do when you must make budget cuts?

Ohm Ohm Ohm

UPDATE: Went to the yoga class, then went to the Raven for dinner. I need you to know that my body did participate in most of the poses, but I have to admit that I did end up giggling a little bit here and there because there were some poses my body would have nothing to do with. My giggling made Katie and Theresa giggle as well. And I was sweating just as much as I do when I run on the treadmill or do the elliptical. Wow. I'm in luv with yoga!!

********************************************************

*Typing as quietly as possible* Now sit down on the floor, shut your eyes and repeat after me Ohhhhhmmmm....ohhhhhhmmmmm....ohhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm. Let the negative thoughts roll off your shoulders. Replace them with positive thoughts. Yes, you can do it! No you are not allowed to think about your bills, what time to fix dinner, the jerk you cut you off in traffic. You are there for YOU.

Now, I want you to put your body in a position that it is not used to being in. Think downward dog. For those of you who don' t know what that means, I'm talking yoga.

That's what me and a couple of my friends are doing tonight. I've been trying to find a place that offers yoga classes and totally found one that is really close to my house. What a find! Really looking forward to this tonight!

Not so much...

Our co-ed softball team started tonight - our team name is Mass Chaos and we all have nicknames on the back of our shirts (mine is Silver Fox). We totally lost. 15-3. Not so great of a start to our season, however - I do have hope. It may have been the below zero temperatures, it may have been the lack of sleep for some, I don't know. I'm anxiously awaiting the day we kick some ass on the field. I'm just gonna put it out there....it's all about strategy. And that strategy is to hit the damn ball to right field because typically, that's where they stick the player who is not that great. In our case, we have one of our best girls at right field. So we really need to work on our right field hitting strategy. And then we will win. Oh and one more thing we need to work on....throwing a catch-a-ble ball to the first baseman (ME). I cannot catch balls that have been launched by the mock 5 missle launcher. I am 5'8", not 7'4". So the strategy is, hit the ball to right and field the ball and give a nice easy throw to Silver Fox. Gonna work on that, hopefully we catch on soon.

Peace out!

Busy weekend!

Whew...I made it. What a busy week and weekend!! I hosted Girls Club on Thursday, Friday night I worked both jobs, which means I worked from 8am-11:45pm, Saturday I went to the salon and then went to my work "employee appreciation" party, and then on to the bar, Sunday back to work from 9am-3pm, then on to my mom's for a Mother's Day extravaganza. By the time I got home Sunday night, I felt like I had gone to Vegas and back on the red eye flight. I had great intentions to go workout this morning so I could attend my friend's dad's funeral tonight, but there was no way I was getting up that early this morning. So I skipped the gym. I can't even imagine if I had kids. I gotta admit, I'm glad it's only me that I have to fend for. Well, here are some photos of Saturday...

That's me and KT, beginning of the night...

Theresa and me (I'm in her wedding in Nov, hence the frantic diet & exercise routine!)

Darla and me, cheesin it up for the camera...

KT and I were taking pics of each other in the bar (cause that's what girls do) and these guys swarmed over like a bunch of mosquitos. The guy on the right wore a purple suit and looked like he was from the band Menudo...this pic does NOT do his mullet-like curly hair any justice!

KT's new husband.

I got me some ink!

What's up everyone, I know you are shocked....it's my third post in 2 days! But I couldn't help it, I had to show you the fun I had tonight with KT. I'm not gonna lie, I totally forgot what it felt like to get a tattoo (I have two already). It's not a pain you can describe, just uncomfortable I guess? Anywho, I got the tattoo on my ankle re-done because ever since I got it, I have not been too crazy about it. I finally just decided to get it fixed and wow...I'm so glad I did!! Here's the outcome. Not sure why my skin reacts like this, but it's the same thing when I get my eyebrows done. Skin stays red for a lonnng time.

That's it....I can't take it anymore!

SHIT LIST: My motivation to lose weight.

I am tired of trying to lose weight! I just want the pounds to melt away, goodbye, gone, see you later, hope I never see you again! Stupid tracker that I never use anymore to track how much I eat. No one likes the tracker! No one likes tracking it! Stupid scale that I face each week that is NOT my BFF!! Fricking people around me who are losing weight ("oh, I don't know what's going on, I just lost 15 pounds in one week, I didn't even try") Fracking skinny bitches who think they are fat and need to lose weight, go eat a candy bar!!!! BAH!!!!!!

Whew. I needed that.

Um what?!

Do you ever have a dream that makes you wake up in the middle of the night and go WHAT?! I had one of those last night. Here's what I can remember: I kept losing teeth, one by one, until they were all gone - I remember spitting them out, I remember the feeling that they needed to come out, they hurt enough that I wanted them out. Then I remember brushing my gums and finally running my tongue over my gums and figuring out that I had no teeth. As soon as that happened, I woke up and had a WTF moment. Why in tarnation would I have dreamt this? So, me being addicted to the internet - I looked it up. You can view their interpretation here.

I'm not sure where I fall into as far as the interpretation goes, but I do know this.

That was odd!

Stuff

So here I sit, it's my day off and wow, do I ever need it after the weekend I had! On Friday, KT and I went out to see Cliff Erikkson play at Quay Street - she even got up on stage and sang with him! I swear that girl has balls of steel. It's one thing to sing karaoke, its another to sing with a guy who hangs out with Kid Rock! She did great, by the way :) Saturday was spent going to Weight Watchers to weigh in (don't ask, what a shitty few weeks I've had), while I was there, I had to lay the smack down on a girl who's been talking shit about me behind my back. TOTALLY called her out on it. I like when I can stand up for myself, it feels good. Then I was off to the gym to sweat it out and then to work for the night. Sunday was (and still is) a blur to me. I walked in the March of Dimes March for Babies (oh by the way, did I mention I got home at 1:15AM from work on Sat night, then had to be up for this event at 7:15AM?!), that was 5 miles...then I headed back to work for a meeting, then I went home and took about an hour nap and then went to softball practice. After that I did a little something special with KT, but I'll let her tell you that story. After our special outing, we went to the Roche and had a few beers. I am now in love with Landshark Beer. With a lime.

This pic is of me and my great friend Theresa at the March of Dimes walk about 3 yrs ago. Can anyone say...blonde glam hair? lol

So today will be spent doing things that I need to do...like the chiropractor because of my old-ness, the store for the things I've been lazy about keeping in stock (like contact lens solution - you'd think after 16-17 yrs of wearing them, I'd keep enough of that shit on hand!), maybe picking up some groceries. But the BEST PART OF TODAY.....

Nada is coming home!! She's been in the hospital for 11 days. It's been a on again, off again recovery. At one point she's doing really well, and then she'll have a not-so-great day. I am so thankful that I have today off so I can go see her!! Thanks all for your prayers, we're still gonna need them though, to help her get through this painful recovery. She said even her fingernails hurt, poor thing! But she's up and around walking (not like us, like a heart patient) and finally today she's coming home. I'm so excited!!!

All is well...

THANK YOU for all the prayers, keep 'em coming!! My wonderful friend Nada had her surgery today, and she is recovering in the ICU for the moment. I'm sitting here in the Cardiovascular Unit at the University of Michigan hospital...isn't it cool that they provide computers for the public to use? I for one, think it's pretty awesome! Well back to Nada...they completed the surgery about an hour ahead of schedule this morning and for now, she's in ICU. They have one nurse assigned to her and her only (I told her it's like she's VIP or something) and she's spending a lot of time in there with her. We've been able to visit with her little by little, can't overwhelm her, I rubbed her feet, her brother has been feeding her ice chips, and we're basically waiting until she can get up and walk around. The doctor indicated earlier this morning when he was done with the surgery that she should be walking around sometime today. That is amazing isn't it?!

God is good :)

Need your prayers please

One of my closest friends, Nada - is scheduled for her heart valve repair/replacement on Thursday in Ann Arbor. Nada has survived a couple of bouts of cancer, and so many other illnesses because of the cancer. This is *hopefully* her last go of surgeries to make her feel like she used to...back in the day. She is the greatest and my hope for her is to come out of this a completely different person - health-wise - so she join me at the gym and more importantly, so she can actually walk around for more than 2 minutes without catching her breath.

Please pray as hard and often as you can for my friend this week. She's terrified of the upcoming surgery and you know, I don't blame her. When I went in for my heart surgery, I was just as scared. I keep telling her (and myself) that the medical world has advanced from years past, but you know there's always that shred of doubt.

Thanks everyone :)

P.S. After looking at this picture, I am shocked at how much I've changed (weight-wise)...holy moly! And why didn't anyone tell me my hair was horrid? Sheesh!

Holy MOLY...

Okay...in my last post, I mentioned I wanted to run in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. Because every time I've done it, I've walked it. Still cool but my goal is to run it. So once I posted that here, I decided I really better get serious about it. So I ran last night at the gym. No biggie, I did a pretty good job. Today...because I go in to work at 11:30AM, I went to the gym before work. I proceeded to run/walk for 45 minutes. And that my friends, is why I'm saying.....Holy MOLY. Long and lean runners body, here I come! Well after I lose another 50 pounds or so. :)

What's up home nuggets!

Hey all,

Just checking in...I haven't posted in a while, I apologize. Let's see...where should I begin....

Opening Day 2008: Once again, KT and I went to Detroit to hang with a bunch of men (and I say that because it really is a meat market for us. There are some girls there, but the majority of individuals there are men). You might ask, "how was the game? where did you sit?" yeah we didn't have "seats" in the "park." We didn't last year either. Lemme tell you...it is just as much fun hanging out with the rest of the Tigers fans outside of the park as it is inside of the park. It was a sorta cold day, we started early with a nice breakfast and ended right around 7ish. It was a fun day. Lots of pictures, but I need to get them from KT.

Weight Loss: Yes, I'm back on the wagon people. I seem to be doing a pretty good job now. I was actually worried there for a bit. I just lost my motivation for it. I don't eat enough fruits or veggies, never have. So I've decided to start drinking V-8 Fusion (it's a full serving of fruits and veggies in an 8 oz serving) at breakfast and then I drink a can of Low-Sodium V-8 juice at lunch. I'm actually getting used to the taste and I think *gasp* that I might actually like it. Big news there people. Seriously! I don't eat butter, don't use salt, don't drink milk or soda and I've really cut down on my cheese consumption. I did a lot of reading on saturated fat and it talked me into watching the amount of it I consume. I've turned into the "wow, that stuff is really bad for
you" chick. It just comes out people, I'm sorry if you're tired of hearing it! I can't help it! I want you to be as healthy as you can be! So here's my lecture for tonight: don't smoke, don't pour salt on your food, stop drinking that horrid soda (it's like drinking formaldehyde), watch your fiber intake (more is better), drink water, get some exercise (30 min/day) and above all else, get a good night's rest. A study I saw showed that you are 24% hungrier if you don't get a good night's sleep. There, I feel better.

Stupid Grade-School Drama Bullshit: Still happening. A lot of jealousy and envy have started in. Not me, no. The other chick is jealous of me, why you ask? I can't really put my finger on it. It has made me realize that I'm better off without her antics, but it does leave a bit of a hole in my life, since I am/was so close with her entire family. It's a shame really. But I'm not backing down. I haven't done anything wrong and I won't act like I did.

Softball 2008: It's starting up again! The team I was recruited for is Mass Chaos. I'll answer your question now, yes I was a first-round draft pick. I can't wait....I do love this sport. I'm so glad that at my age, I can still get around, throw the ball, hit it past the outfielders (yeah not kidding, I'm pretty much an all-star). The only thing I need to work on is my running. With 27 pounds gone, I think it might be easier to haul my ass around the bases, so I'm looking forward to proving myself this season. We start on Mother's Day. I wonder if my second job will mind if I have to leave early that day? We'll see if we have another drive-by shooting like we did last year, since we do play in the G-H-E-T-T-O. One thing I love....at age 33, my parents still come see me play. That flipping rocks.

Events: Well I am walking in the March of Dimes March for Babies again this year, on Apr 30. If you would like to sponsor me, please let me know. I'm going to attempt to raise some funds, although in this economy, I think it might be a tough task. I am thankful for any contribution that comes my way. I'm also going to participate in the Susan Komen Race for the Cure this May. I think I am going to attempt to run it, instead of walking this year. I might not be fast, and I might need to walk some, but I'm gonna try to do it. I'm going to start training for that this week. It's been a goal of mine to run a race, so why not set that goal for this year?

Well that's all for now, hope I've entertained you! Have a great week everyone!!

Happy Birthday to my friend, Theresa!

Happy Birthday Wednesday to my friend Theresa!! Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Ramblings

Hey everyone, wow, I just realized no posts on this site for quite some time. I have been one very busy superwoman these past few weeks. So here's what's been going on.

I've completed the 12 weeks of Weight Watchers, my grand total tally is 27 pounds lost. My self-esteem is at an all-time high and I was able to hook up with King McHot. I'm pretty sure the hooking up thing stemmed from my confidence being on the high side and you know what, if that's what it takes, then so be it! I seem to have lost my set-in-stone motivation....that "eye on the prize" mentality though. I don't know if it's because I'm tired of dieting and exercise, or if it's because I've been feeling ill for the past 3 weeks. Whatever it is, I MUST get back on track. I still have another 50-75 pounds to lose before November. Totally do-able. Just like King McHot. I'll start today. If I could EVER stop coughing up big loogeys long enough for me to actually SLEEP, maybe that would help. Oh and the ringing in my right ear hasn't stopped for the past 3 weeks either. At first I couldn't hear out of it, then it started to drive me crazy...that damn ringing....now it seems I've adapted to it and accepted it. I need to go to the doctor. I'm pretty sure I know what he'll say - sinus infarction or some shit. Whatever it is, get rid of it for me will ya? I'm starting to go crazy over here! I'm posting this at 6AM on Monday morning - not because I'm trying to get a head start on the week, just because I was coughing so bad when I was laying down, it wasn't worth it to try to sleep. Flipping weather!

Went out for the St. Patty's Day Pub Crawl with a couple of friends - had a great time (from what I remember). I don't drink often anymore, well ever since my heart surgery really so when I go out and make a decision that I am going to drink, I already know there is going to be some shenanigans going on. And that is just what happened. I'm waiting for the pics from KT to post, they tell the entire story without requiring me to commentate. You could say that I had a "good time". hahaha

Well, I think I'll go cough some more, blow my nose some more, complain about how bad my body hurts (I worked 8 hours on Easter Sunday at my other job...damn I'm not used to being on my feet all day like that! Then I went to the gym after!!) to my cat, maybe look for some sinus medicine, think about how maybe I should just go to the doctor, etc. When I'm finally supposed to wake up at 7:30AM for work, I should have it all figured out.

Have a good week everyone!!

You know...

Someday I'll be the girl who doesn't dream about food all damn day long.

Update on last week

Wow, where did the time go? I had such grand plans to update my blog throughout the week, but here I am, it's Sunday and I haven't bothered to post anything until today! So here's my week in a nutshell. Well not really, it's a blog. :)

I worked out all week - weighed in on Thursday and only lost 1/2 pound. I think my body is ready for a break or something! I lost 7.5 pounds the week before, and then followed it up with a lousy 1/2 pound loss. Yeah, I know, I'm supposed to be happy about it being a loss, but come on! Don't feel too good about this measly little 1/2 pound loss right now. My total is 26 pounds, only 74 more pounds to go.

Went with a few close friends to the Little Black Dress Cocktail party on Friday night. We all dressed up (I think it was the first time any of my friends have seen me in a dress and heels!) and spent some quality time together. This is 2 weeks in a row that I've done something "out of the norm" and lemme tell ya, it feels good!

Went on Saturday to David's Bridal and purchased my gown for the wedding I'll be standing up in, in November. I was quite pleased with the size, in fact - it was FOUR sizes smaller than it was back in January. So I ordered the size I can barely breathe in, and we'll get it altered closer to the wedding. Isn't it something - you can finance a dress nowadays. 12 months, same as cash. I totally did it. Why pay up front when you can pay all along for 12 months and still pay no interest? Not sure how companies make money that way with people like me. I always pay off before the expiration. Oh well, not my problem I guess!

I worked at my second job for the first time in a couple of months on Saturday night. Holy, shit...my feet hurt so bad this morning when I woke up! I must've gone up and down 2 flights of stairs at least 6 or 7 times. I ended up getting home at 3am (well 2am but the time change changed that) and sleeping in until 10:30AM, well really 9:30am. I'm still tired! I am so tired that I think I might not be able to go to the gym today. Well..maybe my body needs a break anyways. So I think I'll take a nap soon!

My friend's dad passed away on Thursday, he was only 62. I'm so sad for her. I can't even imagine being in her place right now, nor do I want to. I'll be headed to the funeral home around 7pm to pay my respects. I never knew him, but she's a very dear friend and I want to be there for her.

This week will be challenging. I work Mon-Saturday, both jobs. I will need to be sure I get my workouts in (I smell a list being brewed to follow each day), eat right, have healthy snacks on hand. I must stay focused! That wedding will be here sooner than I know it!

Have a good week, I'll attempt to update this throughout the week if anything good happens (or bad) that I want to share.

Deep Thoughts, by Annette

It was a dark rainy night. As the rain pelleted against my window pane, I thought, "why does that rain have to be so loud?" "And why can't I get to sleep?" I look at the clock. It's midnight or thereabouts. I need to get up at 6:30Am. Focus!! So I tried to clear my mind of the thousands of things whirling through it like a swarm of bees. The swarm would concentrate in one area and move to the next, with no regard to my brain and that it hadn't processed what I was trying to think about. Back and forth, up and down, thinking about things. Things I asked myself, "why is this bothering you?". I finally decide that it's time for me to give these situations to God, because once I surrender, I'm sure he'll lead the way for me. Help me make the right choices. Guide me to help me say the right things. And you know what....it worked. I really dreaded today, I wonder what they'll say? I wonder what will happen? Instead of the negative scenarios ripping through my mind that I conjured up, the exact opposite occurred. There's a small part of me that wonders, "is this for real?" "Are they just acting nice?" I guess only time will tell, although my feelings have been hurt, I'm not sure what to think, what to do or how to act. Frankly, I'm at the point where I've almost turned off my caring receptors. When that happens, it's hard for me to turn it back on. It is a defense mechanism and I use it daily at work doing the job I do. I simply switch my caring to the off position. Girls and boys, this is not a good thing for me to do in my personal life! I am a caring person. I care what people think about me (yeah yeah, I know I shouldn't but it's the truth), I care what happens to my friends and most certainly, I wouldn't want to hurt them. But they hurt me. Deeply. It is not fair! I don't anticipate an "I'm sorry". Have I forgiven them? Of course, that is my style. I have not forgotten. This too shall pass. But I wonder whether the friends who hurt me will weather this storm. Or if we will be ships passing in the night, not to see each other again. Because right now, that's how I feel it will be.

Hey everyone, just wanted to show you my new "do". The picture doesn't do it justice, but hey, I'm cute so I decided to go with it!

I have lots to blog about, just attempting to gather my thoughts and decide if what's really bugging me should be posted for all to read. We'll see~

Brrrr!!!!!

What's up kids, today was the EOC Walk for Warmth. I went to bed at 2am, got up around 8AM. Now, mind you, I would have slept til 8:30PM, but could I? NO! You ask, "but why Annette? you have no kids to wake you up". Well, I don't have kids, but I do have one helluva stinky cat! Her stench...OMG. It wafted up the stairs, creeping slowly from one step to the next, whispering into my nostrils slowly....slowly...until....WHAM. I woke up and had to go take care of that shit! Anyways, got up, turned in my donations (I raised $275 this year...woot woot) and did the 2-Mile Walk. Then went to the gym, and after that got my hair done (hence the new beautiful picture of moi). Then went to Nada's for dinner around 6ish. Only thing I feel like doing tonight is putting on my warm flannel jammy pants and hitting the couch. With a large pizza, container of nachos, an order of Sweet & Sour Chicken from China-lite, one of everything on the Taco Bell menu, a double Filet-o-Fish from McDonald's and quite possibly 4 liters of Vernors. Okay, maybe a little extreme and you know that I have come WAY too far to be eating like that. Hmmm...I don't know if I told you? Since Jan 3rd, I've lost a total of 25.5 pounds...YEAH!!! So yeah, probably going to munch on some carrot sticks or something flipping healthy. Have some plans to go to some Women's expo with Nada tomorrow. I don't know what it's all about, but what sold me is the $3 admission charge and some massages or something. So in!!! I hope to blog often this week coming up, since I know you're all jumping up and down with excitement to read something new I've posted. Have a great weekend!!! Rock-n Roll~

Announcing...

SHIT LIST: Stupid bullshit grade school drama. I am 33, gonna be 34 in October years old for crying out loud!

I am officially separating myself.

This doesn't make sense, and I don't want to go into it. I will tell you that the blog will still keeping running. From time to time, I may need to post subsequent Shit Lists. Thank you.

I'm sick!

I'm sick today :( My coworkers can attest to this, but I rarely call in sick. Yesterday I came home from work and went to bed. Like at 6PM. WTF! I was (and still am) going from freezing cold to boiling hot. My right ear is ringing and I can barely hear out of it. My body aches. I wonder if this sickness came on because I have been working out so much? And because my immunity is down because of that? I don't know. I do know that I'm at home today, attempting to take it easy. I watched one of my favorite movies, Patch Adams. Always makes me cry. I've cleaned up a bit, put some clothes in the dryer. I'm such a busy person all the time that I don't know how to relax. Well, I did last night because my body was so physically tired that it wouldn't let me do anything but sleep! So here it is, roughly 10:30AM and I'm already bored. Sheesh!

For those of you who knew this, we had a Chili Cook-off Contest at work to raise funds for our Relay for Life team. Our department won (along with 2 others)!! We get a free jean day out of it. The name of our team was, "The Beans Don't Lie" and we had a sombrero crock pot filled with all the fixin's...like Fritos, sour cream, onions and cheese. I decorated aprons too, complete with a bean wearing a sombrero and a mustache. hahaha!!!!

I mentioned that I have been working out alot. It's because I'm trying to lose weight for a wedding I'll be in, in November. So far so good! I met with an old friend, we'll call him King McHotty - and he gave me a workout plan to follow. Only his idea of getting me into shape is having me visit the gym 2 times a day. Which is fine, but now I'm sick....so maybe I need to re-think this you know? But wow, the results after only a few days is phenomenal. When you can physically see a difference, you know something is going right!

Went to a Mardi Gras party at Studio 1219 last Saturday. It was a fundraiser for the Studio. What a good time! Had two glasses of wine (I don't even like wine, but this stuff was good), appreciated some art from local artists, spent some quality time people watching, had some great little appetizers and enjoyed some time with my good friends KT, Nada and her husband Shon. Would for sure do that again. Sure was a nice change from just going to the bar. These people were actually grown up and I'm betting they all had jobs too. Again, a nice change!

Well...signing off for now, maybe I'll go take a nap and this annoying ringing in my ears will finally go away!! TTFN~

Building some brain cells!

I just love when I learn something new. At my current job (in which I do really like) I know a lot of what I'm doing. So sometimes I learn things, but for the most part, I am that "go-to" kind of person. Not a bad thing, it is what it is. So to get to my point, not a whole lot of opportunity to learn new things. But today, I worked at my second job and learned a whole mess of stuff. It was AWESOME. I love that my thoughts were jumbled and that I had that fresh-out-of-training-better-write-this-down-or-else-I'll-forget-it kind of day. I worked from 9AM-8:30PM tonight, and it didn't even feel like I was there for more than a couple of hours. Time just flew by! I am grateful for the opportunity to learn these new things, and to offer my input to make things more efficient. It's a miracle....I had to actually use my brain today, instead of it just running on auto-mode. How refreshing!

Sheesh....

Hi everyone, I normally have been blogging on MySpace, but a lot of people I know are using this site to blog on, so I've decided to do this in addition to the other one. So I thought I'd take a bit of time from this rainy, blah Sunday morning to talk about things. But first, I need to get my slippers on, so I'll be right back.

Okay, I'm back. See how fast that was? Mission accomplished, my toes are now getting warmer as I type. I wonder if typing is considered a form of exercise? Now that I'm thinking about that, my hands do seem very in shape, they aren't fat, they're muscular. So to answer my own question, yes, typing is INDEED a form of exercise. Glad I thought that out.

So as I said earlier this year, I am on a mission to lose weight for my dear friend Theresa's wedding. I vowed to myself, "I will not be the big girl in this wedding!". So, I joined Weight Watchers on Jan 3rd, started exercising at least 5 days a week and so far, I've lost 19.75 pounds. Not too bad! For the first time in my life, I feel very motivated. Now don't get me wrong, I have cheated, but I've always gotten back on the dieting train and it's been full steam ahead. Pretty proud of myself really. I have a lot more to go, but for now, my jeans don't fit, I needed to buy a belt and overall, I feel very healthy. Yeah!

Took Lady Shitzalot to a different vet, just to see what they think about her "issues". She's actually gotten alot better, with no messes...good news! Without paying for a biopsy of her intestines (that cost is about $400 or so), the new vet's theory is that she has bacteria in her intestines, causing the..ahem...TROTS. A blood test, shaving the fur off her ass (haha, it looks funny) and $99 later, my cat is hopefully on the road to getting better. I even went to the health food store and got her some very low carb food, $18 a bag, but she loves it. Now if I could just get her to start using the toilet so I don't have to buy litter and smell her nastiness. Oh well, another day I suppose!

I ended my contract with the YMCA for my gym time because my rate went from $25 to $47. So I'm trying out a new gym in town and so far, I like it. I can already tell there is some catching Eye Candy to look at while I'm sweating it out. Not too shabby! I love watching the women come in there with their cute little outfits, fake boobs and makeup. Who the HELL wears makeup to the gym? Obviously, those girls aren't ready to work out, they are there to show off. And you know what, it makes me laugh. Because I'm sure the Hotty McHott meatheads are going to notice them. NOT! Know why? Because meatheads check out themselves in the mirror, not everyone else! So I enjoy watching these women making spectacles of themselves. hahahaha

Still playing volleyball on Thursday nights. Wow, our team needs some work! We have not won a game. We've won matches, but no games. I don't know if I've ever been on a team that loses this bad. I still get some good spikes and blocks in every once in a while and it is a good workout, but I really wish we could get it together! Next year will be different I think. We'll practice more and choose people to play with that aren't afraid to go after the ball. It's a volleyball for crying out loud ladies! It's not going to hurt you! Well, unless you take one in the face, that does hurt, gotta admit. Sometimes I think we are playing in slow motion, drives me crazy. Next year Annette, next year.

Just found out that my parents are coming over, hopefully to help me with my "honey-do" list I make for my father. He asked me about 2 weeks ago, "when are you going to get married so he can deal with this list?". My response, "why should I get married if you're here to do the list". LOL