How do the weekends go by so quickly? I feels like 5 minutes ago I was closing down my computer and heading to the Metro, thinking about everything I needed to get done over the weekend. And now I'm getting everything put together to head to work in the morning.
I did manage to take down the Christmas tree and pack up all the decorations. While I was boxing everything up, the kids asked if we could leave out one decoration so we could remember Christmas all year. I said sure, thinking they'd pick one of the bells we hang on the doorknobs or the "Santa Stop Here" sign on the back deck. Nope. They chose a big stuffed snowman my mom gave us a couple years ago that, honestly, isn't so much my style. But it makes them happy, and you know what? Come July, I think we could use a little of the Christmas spirit. So the snowman will stay, And probably annoy me. Until I remember why it's there.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Snow delay
This caused a 2 hour delay for Howard County schools. In Erie, growing up, we wouldn't have put on winter coats for this.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Treading water
We woke up late this morning. My damn clock has an AM and PM designation on the alarm, and I had it set for 5:30 PM somehow. Of course this is the day Tom's insomnia and early rising didn't wake me up, and the kids slept in. Even the damn cats were quiet. Nothing like waking up leisurely from a good dream, all warm and comfy, stretching and yawning and looking towards the window and HOLY HELL THERE IS LIGHT OUT THERE!!!!
Got the kids ready (it is more awesome than I can say that the boy will pick out his own clothes and dress himself) and Tom took them to day care while I threw on clothes and hit the road. Get to the Greenbelt station and Metro has once again screwed the pooch. Seriously, I think announcements should be made only when things are running well and on-time, it would be easier.
Got to the office late for a 10:00 meeting which then ran long, finally sat down at my desk to return email and phone calls... looked at my clock when I could finally come up for air and it was 1:30. Ate lunch at my desk while reading the news, then back to the regular grind. The good thing is I accomplished a lot today and crossed off most of my to-do list for the week.
Coming home, Metro was Metro. Walked in the door at 7:00, reheated leftovers for my dinner while calling a couple people on the west coast that I didn't have time to from the office, collected the girl to get her into bed and intended to fold laundry and clean the upstairs bathrooms after she was down.
Only she wanted to cuddle. "Read, Mama. Read to me." So I did. She picked a new book, one Santa brought for her: If Animals Kissed Good Night And every time a baby animal got a kiss good-night, she would lean back and kiss me, wrapping those tiny arms around my neck to kiss my nose or lifting my hand to kiss my palm. When it was over she asked me to read it again. And then again.
Damn the laundry, it's already wrinkled. And the bathrooms can wait. I managed to tread water today without going under, and got extra snuggles to boot. I call today a win.
Got the kids ready (it is more awesome than I can say that the boy will pick out his own clothes and dress himself) and Tom took them to day care while I threw on clothes and hit the road. Get to the Greenbelt station and Metro has once again screwed the pooch. Seriously, I think announcements should be made only when things are running well and on-time, it would be easier.
Got to the office late for a 10:00 meeting which then ran long, finally sat down at my desk to return email and phone calls... looked at my clock when I could finally come up for air and it was 1:30. Ate lunch at my desk while reading the news, then back to the regular grind. The good thing is I accomplished a lot today and crossed off most of my to-do list for the week.
Coming home, Metro was Metro. Walked in the door at 7:00, reheated leftovers for my dinner while calling a couple people on the west coast that I didn't have time to from the office, collected the girl to get her into bed and intended to fold laundry and clean the upstairs bathrooms after she was down.
Only she wanted to cuddle. "Read, Mama. Read to me." So I did. She picked a new book, one Santa brought for her: If Animals Kissed Good Night And every time a baby animal got a kiss good-night, she would lean back and kiss me, wrapping those tiny arms around my neck to kiss my nose or lifting my hand to kiss my palm. When it was over she asked me to read it again. And then again.
Damn the laundry, it's already wrinkled. And the bathrooms can wait. I managed to tread water today without going under, and got extra snuggles to boot. I call today a win.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Weigh-in Wendesday
Ok folks, I'm *trying* to get back on the fitness bandwagon. And while I would love to fit into the pair of designer jeans that have been shoved in the back of my closet since finding out I was pregnant the first time, more than that I want to be fit and healthy. And I want to be a good example for my kids (especially my daughter).
So. I've lost weight before, and actually was successful in keeping it off. Then came marriage and two babies in two years (and a year of sleep deprivation courtesy of the beautiful baby girl) and The Work Year From Hell (aka neg reg and two massive proposed rule packages and me traveling about one week a month). And with all those things came laziness about eating and exercising. And lots of excuses.
But guess what? Life is always going to be busy. I'm always going to be tired, cookies are always going to be more appealing than edamame crisps. It's about choices, and I choose to make better choices and take care of myself, because in the long run it will mean taking better care of my family.
And it's not just about diet and exercise. I need to go to a sports ortho and get another opinion about my knee. I want to run, but I can't go out the first day and try to pound out 4 or 5 miles. I need to approach it like I've never run before, and start with a walk-run program and build a base. I need to go to a dermatologist before the end of 2011 and get a couple moles anf freckles checked out. And I need to get a baseline mammogram. It's about those jeans, but it's more about being healthy and fit and living to see some grandchildren some day.
Today I hopped on the scale for my official starting weight in this project. Monday as a weigh-in day is just so... Monday. So Wednesday it is for the official day. I'm not going to tell you the number that was on that scale. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it is just that - a number. I'd like to lose about 40 to 50 pounds to be where I feel best, where I don't have to work out two times a day and seriously restrict what I eat to maintain, but where I am comfortable and feel good (and those damn jeans will fit), so let's say 45 to give a little + and - wiggle room.
The little step I'm going to take in January to build good habits: say no thank you. We have cake at work all. the. time. to celebrate something or other. It's ok to pass on the cake or take one bite, and just sit and chat. And why is it I throw away produce and fresh food almost every week, but when my well-meaning husband comes home with lo mein or french fries I eat them because I don't want to waste the food and money? That needs to end. And the "mommy munching" - finishing the last 3 or 4 bites of food on the kids' plates because I don't want to waste it. They didn't eat it because they are good about self-regulating and stopping when they are full... I need to do that to, and be ok with scraping it in the trash. So that is the healthy habit plan eating-wise for January. For exercise, I am going to block the gym time on my calendar at work and GO. No more excuses, the work will always be there, and I am less stressed and feel better when I can get on the pool treadmill or take a spin class.
So. Here we go...
So. I've lost weight before, and actually was successful in keeping it off. Then came marriage and two babies in two years (and a year of sleep deprivation courtesy of the beautiful baby girl) and The Work Year From Hell (aka neg reg and two massive proposed rule packages and me traveling about one week a month). And with all those things came laziness about eating and exercising. And lots of excuses.
But guess what? Life is always going to be busy. I'm always going to be tired, cookies are always going to be more appealing than edamame crisps. It's about choices, and I choose to make better choices and take care of myself, because in the long run it will mean taking better care of my family.
And it's not just about diet and exercise. I need to go to a sports ortho and get another opinion about my knee. I want to run, but I can't go out the first day and try to pound out 4 or 5 miles. I need to approach it like I've never run before, and start with a walk-run program and build a base. I need to go to a dermatologist before the end of 2011 and get a couple moles anf freckles checked out. And I need to get a baseline mammogram. It's about those jeans, but it's more about being healthy and fit and living to see some grandchildren some day.
Today I hopped on the scale for my official starting weight in this project. Monday as a weigh-in day is just so... Monday. So Wednesday it is for the official day. I'm not going to tell you the number that was on that scale. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it is just that - a number. I'd like to lose about 40 to 50 pounds to be where I feel best, where I don't have to work out two times a day and seriously restrict what I eat to maintain, but where I am comfortable and feel good (and those damn jeans will fit), so let's say 45 to give a little + and - wiggle room.
The little step I'm going to take in January to build good habits: say no thank you. We have cake at work all. the. time. to celebrate something or other. It's ok to pass on the cake or take one bite, and just sit and chat. And why is it I throw away produce and fresh food almost every week, but when my well-meaning husband comes home with lo mein or french fries I eat them because I don't want to waste the food and money? That needs to end. And the "mommy munching" - finishing the last 3 or 4 bites of food on the kids' plates because I don't want to waste it. They didn't eat it because they are good about self-regulating and stopping when they are full... I need to do that to, and be ok with scraping it in the trash. So that is the healthy habit plan eating-wise for January. For exercise, I am going to block the gym time on my calendar at work and GO. No more excuses, the work will always be there, and I am less stressed and feel better when I can get on the pool treadmill or take a spin class.
So. Here we go...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The commute is wearing me down
Yesterday was my first day back in the office after more than a week off. How is it in that week I forgot how much the commute sucks? It sucks and it is sucking the life out of me.
I drive to the Greenbelt Metro station, take the green line to Gallery Place and then red to Farragut North. On a good day this takes an hour and a half (maybe once a week), on a bad one two hours (twice a week usually) and the norm is about an hour and forty-five minutes. I telecommute on Wednesdays but end up going into DC anyhow maybe twice a month.
So for arguments sake, lets say I commute four days a week, 105 minutes each direction (so 8 times a week or 840 minutes total each week), 4 weeks a month. That's 3,360 minutes a month spent commuting. 40,320 minutes a year. That's 672 hours, or 28 days. TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS! Almost a month. I spend almost a month every year between my car and the Metro doing nothing other than getting to and from work and trying not to give in to commuter rage.
Yeah, that's a productive use of my time.
I drive to the Greenbelt Metro station, take the green line to Gallery Place and then red to Farragut North. On a good day this takes an hour and a half (maybe once a week), on a bad one two hours (twice a week usually) and the norm is about an hour and forty-five minutes. I telecommute on Wednesdays but end up going into DC anyhow maybe twice a month.
So for arguments sake, lets say I commute four days a week, 105 minutes each direction (so 8 times a week or 840 minutes total each week), 4 weeks a month. That's 3,360 minutes a month spent commuting. 40,320 minutes a year. That's 672 hours, or 28 days. TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS! Almost a month. I spend almost a month every year between my car and the Metro doing nothing other than getting to and from work and trying not to give in to commuter rage.
Yeah, that's a productive use of my time.
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year, New Beginning
New years are always full of big ideas, new beginnings, things that will change and be better. Or not. Resolutions are made and broken in weeks (or days... or hours). But the idea that we can change ourselves and that we have a marked start time is hard to resist.
One of the big changes in the new year involved the boy. Yesterday we took down George's crib and put up his Big Boy Bed. I couldn't help but think of how different it was putting together the bed than when the crib was assembled almost 4 years ago. Then, we had no clue what we were in for, we had only been married a little while, the house was quiet and full of anticipation. This time, George kept yelling "What is taking so long?" and Clara was "helping" me, it was loud and busy in the house, and like all old married couple we alternately sniped at each other and cracked up at how "easy" the assembly was.
I may have cried a little bit, too. I can't believe how big my boy is, my first baby. He climbed up into that bed, adjusted his Moon in My Room, said good-night and rolled over. Before I went to sleep, I snuck into his room to check on him like I did every night for the first two years of his life (before the slightest noise outside their rooms would wake the girl and lead to another sleepless night). He had turned off the moon and was laying there all stretched out, hands over his head and toes pointed, snoring away. But his stuffed kitty was still by his side. My big boy.
One of the big changes in the new year involved the boy. Yesterday we took down George's crib and put up his Big Boy Bed. I couldn't help but think of how different it was putting together the bed than when the crib was assembled almost 4 years ago. Then, we had no clue what we were in for, we had only been married a little while, the house was quiet and full of anticipation. This time, George kept yelling "What is taking so long?" and Clara was "helping" me, it was loud and busy in the house, and like all old married couple we alternately sniped at each other and cracked up at how "easy" the assembly was.
I may have cried a little bit, too. I can't believe how big my boy is, my first baby. He climbed up into that bed, adjusted his Moon in My Room, said good-night and rolled over. Before I went to sleep, I snuck into his room to check on him like I did every night for the first two years of his life (before the slightest noise outside their rooms would wake the girl and lead to another sleepless night). He had turned off the moon and was laying there all stretched out, hands over his head and toes pointed, snoring away. But his stuffed kitty was still by his side. My big boy.
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