What is it about "Sound of Music"

I'm watching "Sound of Music" on network TV. What is it about this show that makes me watch it every time I see that it's on? Is it the music? The love story? The general sense of warmth? All of the before?

No matter what, I enjoy watching it. It's a calming, happy traditional movie. It never changes. The lyrics are as familiar as always. I even find myself singing out loud to certain (if not most) of the songs.

(Completely related...my cats have left the room [and the floor] to escape the sound of my singing.)

Favorite scenes:

• Maria's singing on the hills.
  
• Maria's first appearance at the manor.
  
• Liesel and Rolf's dance to: "I am 16 going on 17...".
• The thunderstorm scene with all the kids.
  
• The dance...where the Captain and Maria dance (oh, the tension).
  
• The dance...when the children say goodnight (love the parody that Family Guy does too).
• Scene where Georg and Maria confess their love.
  
• Perhaps one of my most favorite, visually speaking,...the scene with Maria in the cathedral as she walks down the aisle with long train flowing as she steps toward the Captain.
• Singing at the festival...when they win and don't appear.
  
• The scene in the cemetery with Rolf...not sure why this is...but it is...something about the setting and the tense situation.
• And of course the scene where they cross the mountains by foot.

Anybody else watch it or have a favorite part?

Anyway...this is a favorite and I hope you enjoy it too. If not....well... :-p  Auf Wiedersehen to you and you and you.

...and Merry Christmas

It's been a rather...unremarkable day here in Webgal land. With the roads still awful, the snow still falling and absolutely no stores open, I've spent my day huddled on the couch with a blanket, my TiVo remote, my laptop, and the occasional cat.

But I'd still like to take a moment and wish everybody a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas Eve

Well, I'm home from a day of family fun and Christmas enjoyment. Time to relax and catch up on my RSS feed. And what is this? Cute Overload has this posted:





And this....



Enjoy!

The Longest Day

Well, it's finally here. The Longest Day. This is my last work day of the year, so I know it will drag. (I took vacation for the days that aren't holidays.) And to top it off...freezing rain predicted today. Of course, it's a complicated storm that nobody can tell when the freezing rain will start...so I'm at work (rather than take an extra day off). And I will be at work until the freezing rain starts and THEN I'll go out on the roads. Hm. Not too smart.

Part of The Longest Day includes not wanting to work. At all. I can't even fathom it. (And so that's why I'm writing another blog entry)  There are about 2 other people here at work today, so I don't imagine any requests for web work. I'll mostly be starting at Google Analytics and sneaking peeks at Amazon and reading my RSS feed (hopefully others are blogging today too).

Oh...and one more thing...Happy Festivus. :)

What's Fat?

Yes, three posts in three days. A miracle!

I'm watching "Where are they now?" on Biggest Loser tonight. And for some reason, I hit a upon a thought.  The thought is that people don't understand. If you've never been fat, you don't understand how hard it is. Even today I read a Facebook status of Jillian Michaels that said she didn't understand how people gain weight over the holidays. That made me mad. She can't truly champion the overweight if she doesn't understand how easy it is to overeat during this time of year. It's not just the sweets. There's the emotional factor too.

I tend to keep my overeating to myself. You'll probably not see me do it. I'm a closet overeater. And lately, it's been out of control. I know it. I see it. I FEEL it. Yet, so far, I haven't stopped it. And yet I WANT to. I just can't seem to do it.

There are other factors at play that I've been thinking  about recently. Factors I need to deal with. But even now, I prefer to defer. And in the deferral, I defer my health. I defer my well being.

I know I'm making a choice. I just don't seem to make the right one right now. (a consistent problem for me)

But with time comes possibility for making the right choice. And I need to make that for myself. Not someone trying to help me make it (a coworker "helping me" by not telling me about treats or a family member saying something, anything about my weight or weight loss). I think I need people to stay silent about gains or losses. I NEED it. If someone asks me about "how it's going" I over-analyze that. No matter what. No matter your intentions.

Anyway...hopefully I can make my re-committal soon. I know it's a choice I just have to make. I know, I know, I know.

A Christmas-Time Scene

Scene: A Christmas tree with presents under it; cats and Webgal nearby resting, watching TV.

Actors: One cat by said tree (known as Goodcat), one cat sleeping on couch (known as Scratchycat), and one Webgal on couch watching TV

....and scene....

Goodcat makes noise by Christmas tree that makes Webgal turn to see what's going on.

Webgal:."No, Goodcat, that is not nice. No playing with the presents under the tree."

Scratchycat's ears perk up.

Goodcat continues making noise.

Scratchycat jumps down from safe, undestructive resting place to survey the situation.

Webgal sighs in resignation and figures packages will be full of scratches by morning.

End scene.

'Tis the Season...

I just came across a new Simon's Cat video to share. Enjoy!

Can't think of a title

Yep...it's been a while again. Grr. I'm not happy with me.

What's been goin' on? Stuff. Exciting, no?

Today, I took the day off from work. Much needed. Even though I took a day off only about two weeks ago. And I'm looking forward to next week's two-day holiday. I won't go into my work stuff though.

Anyway...I got some stuff done today. Nothing too exciting. Cleaned out my car (much needed). I went grocery shopping to get supplies to make what I expect to be an amazing soup tomorrow (thanks to Iowa Girl Eats). And I put up my outdoor Christmas lights since it was so nice out. Now, before you head to the comment button, I'm not turning them on yet. That will wait until after Thanksgiving. I just figured it was good to take advantage of the warm weather and a day off to get that done.

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Last weekend I went to see "Rent" at the Civic Center. It was kind of a last minute purchase, but I'm SO glad I did. It was amazing! I was front row. I was 10 feet from the actors. My first reaction when I sat down, was that I was too close and that I'd miss out on things. But then the show started and I had actual eye contact with many of the actors, including Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp (original Broadway cast members). It blew me away. So glad I bought that ticket. (And I may just have a bit of a crush on them.)

Of course, now I'm as obsessed with "Rent" as I am with "Wicked". I listen to the soundtrack all the time and even bought the DVD (I only WISH "Wicked" had a DVD I could buy).

Next up at the Civic Center..."Lion King". I haven't bought tickets yet, but I probably will. And should. Have wanted to see that show for a while.

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Well, that's all for now. I'll try to be better at this blogging thing. I swear. (More for me than you 4 readers.) :) I need the "talking" time.

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Edited to add: Holy Moly that soup is good!! If you like Chicken Tortilla Soup, make this.

A little early...but awesome

Things I know today

So...it's the weekend. Yay!

I spent the morning shopping with my sister and my 2 year-old niece. And the afternoon shopping with my sister (niece went on to my home town with her grandma). Tomorrow is my nephew's 5th birthday party. He'll be 5 on Nov 4. When did he get so old?

It's been a while since my last post, so I thought I'd do a brief update (via bulleted list) on things I know:

• I lost 10.25 inches doing my workout program. That sounds more impressive that I feel it is.
• I cooked awesome chili tonight. I made up the recipe with ground turkey breast, beans, tomatoes and peppers. Yummy.
• Work has been stressing me out. Lots of crazy stuff going on there. Not happy-crazy either.
• My friend has to have a brain tumor biopsy next week. I don't think I need to explain how I feel about that or what it has done for my stress eating.
  
• My new nephew is awesome...and I can't wait to see him again next weekend.
• Can't believe tomorrow is November and that I need to set my clock back tonight. Next thing you know it'll be Thanksgiving (and I won't have blogged).
• Really want to make a trip to Minneapolis again soon...partly related to bullet #4 and partly because I really like it there.

Another rather disjointed post. I need to focus more and be more dedicated to this (like other bloggers I know and read constantly; I'm much better at reading than writing).

And that's all! I hope everybody's having a great Halloween!

It's in the eyes

Something about this lolcat cracked me up...

Hello, again, biological clock...

So today my youngest sister gave birth to her second child, a son. So for those that know or care. That's two sisters with a son and a daughter. Two nephews and two nieces. This is likely the end of my sisters having children. My younger sisters.

Yes, this doesn't escape me. I want kids. Have always wanted kids. There's no doubt about that. However, fate has not been kind to me about this. But I AM grateful for wonderful, healthy nieces and nephews. And I can't wait to meet the latest addition to the family.

I wholeheartedly wish someday to have the chance to have kids myself. But for now, I'll just be happy to revel in the joy of my sisters' wonderful kids.

Midway Results...

So I think I failed to mention that I started that 6 week program at my gym called Beyond Extreme Body Challenge. I meet with a personal trainer (along with another person) twice a week and she also plans out 6 days of workouts each week for us to follow as well. The first few days were rough. Real rough. Pain galore. But I got though it and I just finished week 3 and had measurements taken at the midpoint.

And so far so good. I've only lost 6 lbs....but lost a lot of inches:

Left Arm: -1 inch
Right Arm: -1 inch
Waist: -1 inch
Abdomen: -2.25 inches
Chest: -1.25 inches
Left Thigh: -.25 inch
Right Thigh: -.5 inch
Hips: -1.25 inches

I have to say I'm pretty darn happy with those results after only 3 weeks. Sure it's no Biggest Loser, but I don't work out 6 hours a day. Though I think some of my workouts have rivaled some that they do on that show.

So I have 3 more weeks to go and then its back to relying on my own self to get these workouts done. But at least I feel I've made some good progress toward having actual muscles on my body...

Weird things...

OK. It's Monday, I'm feeling less than motivated to work and I've been awful at blogging, so I figured I'd post a little something.

And that something is....weird things that annoy me.

Or weird thing, anyway. I'm only going to post about one today. Maybe I'll post something about other things later.

But today's item is having to use my middle initial. My name is pretty unique. I'll even go out on a limb and say that there's nobody else in the world with my first and last name (thus the reason why I don't use it on this site). So why do I have to add that middle initial? I can see it's purpose for people with more common names or even people who like to use their initials. But I really find it annoying to see my name in a list and see that middle initial there like I might be confused with someone else. It should be optional. Let people decide if they need it or not.

And if you're thinking...who cares? Or there are bigger things to worry about? I wholeheartedly agree...and I tend to spend time worry about those other things, but once in a while it's nice to worry about something so inane as a middle initial. Especially on a Monday.

Getting Closer...

I'm so excited to see "Wicked" that I can hardly contain myself. I find myself a bit obsessed with it lately. I play the soundtrack endlessly and I watch news clips about them setting up the Civic Center when the tour arrived. It's probably getting a bit much, but I just can't wait. I even love this graphic for the show.

I finished the book last weekend and am so glad that I finished it before seeing the show. I always like to see the book before the movie, so I'm sure the same will hold true here. And knowing the music before is great too (thanks, Monnik for the tip and CD).
 
So hopefully it lives up to the hype. I'm sure it will.

umm...hi

Yep, I've been bad at blogging again. I blame only me. I have things to write about. Trips to Minnesota and Michigan that I could write about, but haven't.

But to be honest...the Minnesota trip was too awesome for words and something I like to keep to myself in many ways. And Michigan was a blast, but probably not much to write about, which is why I posted pictures instead.

I'm also spending some time worrying. It's a family trait. And usually I am able to convince myself to be  "immune" to it. But for a friend who is going through more than someone ever should. And so I worry about him. A lot. Especially when he has medical tests. And he has been having them. And I haven't heard how they went.

I WANT to be positive and expect that no news is good news. But I'm not good with that. So I worry.

I don't want to contact him for both the reasons of afraid to know and not wanting to be over-worrisome. I know I should get over myself and just find out.

And maybe by my very writing this I will. Or maybe I should text him.

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Tomorrow is Niece2's birthday. She'll be two. Can't believe how time flies. Seems like the day she was born was yesterday. I remember it so well...watching her brother...waiting at the hospital...seeing her just minutes old. Great memories.

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Sorry for the hodge-podge of a post. Just kind of blurt-blogging tonight...

A trip to Menominee

What did you do for Labor Day weekend? I headed North. Yep, North. And I had a great time. I thought I'd share some pics from the weekend. Menominee is just North of Green Bay, so enjoy some a few pics I took on the pier and of the lighthouse.

Cool

I can't believe the forecasted temperature for tomorrow is below 70 degrees. In August.

It's awesome!

I prefer these temps. I know, I know...people prefer warmth. But I still think these temps are ideal. Not too hot; not too cold. Perfect. These are the temps I want to see around my birthday. But that's still a month off. So it is a bit odd to feel them now.

I've even noticed that a few trees are starting to turn colors already. And I'm not ready for that yet. I actually want to take another trip to Minneapolis and photograph the view from a friend's loft with the fall colors in mind. His view is AMAZING and I think the fall view would be something I NEED to capture. But I'm not sure the trees will hold out until I get there again.

Anyway...I'm looking forward to these crisper temps. I love the feel of fall. It just feels 'right'. Sorry to you who love summer....

Stress be gone

A lot of things are going on in Webgal land lately. Lots of things I can't really write about though I really want to (maybe someday later). I'm stressed. It's that simple. And I'm placing the blame solely on me.

Tonight as I came home from church, I picked up my mail (something I don't do very often). In the mail was a pamphlet and note from the personal trainer I used a few months back. Now, I've sucked at working out lately. And it shows. BOY does it show. The pamphlet she sent was for a six week intensive program that's starting at my gym. This program is kind of like small group personal training. The minute I read it, I knew I had to do it. Yes, I have to pay a lot more for it, but considering the cost of personal training, this is cheaper, and I like my personal trainer. And most of all, I really need to get back to the gym for fitness and for sanity. I think a lot of my stress lately is because I'm not taking the time to do exercise and relieve that part of my psyche.

I loved working out every day. Really! But I fell out of my morning routine. And I need either routine or accountability (or both) to succeed.

In addition to that, I recently decided to start pilates at my gym. This involves a three session "intake" program, that helps you learn more about pilates and how you should best do it. Luckily, my friend is the director of that area at the gym and she'll be doing my sessions. So it'll be great to work with her and catch up. She's very enthusiastic about pilates and I love that. I need enthusiasm. I need something. And hopefully all of these things will help me get back on track and stop this quick slide into bad habits, and alleviate some of my stress.

A couple great bloggers and a giveaway

I've been following this blogger, Iowa Girl Eats, for a while. And she's AWESOME (even IF she's an Iowa alum....go Cyclones). If you like food, travel or exercise, I HAVE to recommend her blog. And here's what's even better...she's got a contest. She's giving away some Pure Bars. So check her out!! (contest ends tonight, so check her out NOW!)

And what's even cooler? Her bro has a great blog too! (Actually, it's how I found her.) Check out his blog too (I even helped him fix it recently).

A Laugh (for me at least)

I don't have anything exciting to say, but I did just see this and it made me laugh.

It's a birthday kinda day

Today is my favorite little baby giraffe's first birthday. And lucky for me, I get to go feed him today.

Today is also my cat Cady's birthday (according to her ARL papers). She's two. Not that she acts any less like a kitten. She still claws and plays and claws. I thought cats slept like 20 hours a day. Not this one. Luckily, I found out today that one of my favorite little cat cartoons (Simon's Cat) released a new video. And it just perfectly depicts Cady. Enjoy!

Yummy, yummy produce

Today's take was kale, onions, potatoes (!!), cucumbers galore, and zucchini. Very happy with this week's CSA take. I got quite a bunch of everything.

I'm really looking forward to the potatoes and zucchini most of all. I plan to incorporate the onions and kale into some turkey burgers this weekend. I got some awesome recipes to work from this week and I'm really looking forward to it.

I tried some of the cucumber tonight. I've never really liked them, but I could tolerate it for the sake of eating veggies. I need to remember I eat for fuel and not for fun. And cukes are probably the best way to remind myself of that.

Ugh

I feel fat today. Oh yeah...I AM fat. Time to get up off this lazy butt again.

A Sad Day for Iowa

So Iowa is in the thralls of a controversy. Yes....it's critically important, so stop the presses and send in all the TV reporters. Stop all the food-on-a-stick reports. No, wait, they can't stop that.

The Iowa State Fair plans to honor Michael Jackson with a butter sculpture along-side the already scheduled main-event sculpture honoring the anniversary of the moon landing. But wait...apparently "people" are in an uproar over this and now it's being put to a vote.

A vote over a butter sculpture.

Let me repeat that for emphasis.... A vote over a butter sculpture.

Yes, some Iowans are all in a tizzy that someone DARE honor the King of Pop at the Iowa State Fair. How DARE we honor a man who changed music, dance, and arguably, the world?

Since when are the butter sculptures up to general Iowans? Would they similarly protest a butter Elvis (for his doing drugs, or dating a minor) or a butter Garth Brooks (for obvious reasons)? No. MJ is apparently evil incarnate . As my previous blog stated, let those without sin (drug doing, a 14 year old dating a 24 year old, divorce, horrible music) cast the first stone. I find this particular "issue" laughable and sickening.

Who should really care if the sculptor decides to honor a musician, dance, humanitarian? Oh wait, the red-neck idiots of my state do. And since I listen almost exclusivley to a Christian music station, they are of the same judgemental persuasion. And that saddens me to no end. Jesus did not ask us to judge those among us. He LOVED those among us. So to listen to a Christian radio station judge with such ease gives me pause. And further saddens me for their hipocrasy.

I know I likely have some people reading this who will disagree with me (and likely strongly so). But I choose to follow the path of love, not judgment. And the path of love seems to be ignored lately, in favor of judgment and hate. And that is something I will NOT abide by.

RIP Michael Jackson

I've watched pieces of today's memorial service for Michael Jackson. What really got to me was his daughter, Paris. I can't help but feel horrible for his children. I think people forget that Michael Jackson was a PERSON. He had feelings, loves, hates, pains, and yes, faults. But he's a human. In the ultimate spotlight. How would you fare?

I posted the following comment to someone's blog a few minutes ago. They are as good as a blog to me:
______________________________

I LOVED MJ back in the day. And I respect his talent to this day. And I enjoy the memories I have of listening to his music, watching his videos and dance moves.

I find the hatin' tired. This man had an impact. More than most of the haters will ever have. His talent is indisputable, no matter what. He was a father, son, friend, brother. And that seemed to be important to him beyond most things. He may have had questionable moments. But don't we all? Let those without sin cast the first stone.

RIP MJ. You WILL be missed.

Who says you can't fight...

Who says you can't fight city hall...er...the county assessor's office?!

Recently I argued that my home's assessment wasn't accurate. They'd increased it again, despite the fact that properties are selling for MUCH less in my area than when I bought. (Ugh.)

I decided to file a protest against that. I provided data about current sales and listing prices in my townhome development. And after checking my mail today, I found a letter that said, I'd won! Woohoo! I dropped my assessment $10K.

While it sucks that I can't sell near for the price where I bought this "lovely" place. At least I don't have to pay completely unrealistic property taxes.

And here's hoping the prices rebound....

As we prepare to celebrate our independence

I had the honor of reading the following today. I think it reminds us of what others do for (and die for) our country on a daily basis. Something that we take for granted. And so as we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I submit the following:

_________________________________________________

Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall.

When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit.

The complaint:
'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base:

Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special?

Any response would be appreciated.

The response:

Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m., a perfectly timed four-ship fly by of F-16s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day.

At 9 a.m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of theUnited States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured...

A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects.

The letter writer asks, 'Whom do we thank for the morning airshow? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr.

USAF

_____________________________________________________

I thank the military personnel who day-by-day preserve and protect my way of life. I also thank the reserve for their service. And I thank the husbands, wives, children, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, etc. of those who serve. You have to worry about those who serve...and that is a huge burden to bear.

I thank you all for your service and I thank all who have come before you for my freedoms. This is not a day about fireworks or barbecues. It is a day to celebrate the very freedom that we have to do those things.

God Bless America!

Happy Father's Day

Today I spent the day with the family for Father's Day. I call it the Father's Day Extravaganza!!! Went to my parents' place and had great food and great fun.

My dad started it off by getting the OLD hand-cranked ice cream maker going. And we took turns hand cranking it. But...Dad did the most of it. (Way to go Dad!)

Then I took my nieces and nephew out with some "Snaps" to throw on the sidewalk. Unfamiliar with "Snaps"? They're just those little boxes you can buy in the grocery stores now for the 4th of July. Each little wrapped item snaps when you throw it on the ground or step on it. It's a great activity for 3 & 4 year-olds. The under 2-year-old had a harder time, but she still got in on the fun.

Then my mom and dad set up a scavenger hunt for the nieces and nephew out in their massive garden, that was a hit with the kids. They loved finding things grandma and grandpa set out for them.

After that we all gathered in the "barn" and ate a great lunch of grilled burgers, hot dogs, and chicken along with fruit, chips, and potato salad (and I'm probably forgetting something). Dessert? Yes. My sister made apple pie and an angel food cake and strawberry dessert. And that homemade ice cream. AWESOME! Amazingly the "barn" was completely cool despite the rising temperatures (and no air conditioning).

After lunch and a bit of more playing, once niece and one pregnant sister went down for a nap. The boys went out for some golf on the family golf course. What? Doesn't everybody have one? Actually, my dad converted their sizeable garden (formerly a cow pasture, but unrecognizeable as such) into a course for my brothers-in-law for the day. He even played caddy while they played. Nephew came along with his mini clubs. My non-pregnant sister and I followed along in the shade as the gallery (it was 90+ degrees out there!!!). We clapped and laughed (especially when my sister's husband, the avid golfer, hit the turf further than his ball) and watched while we imagined my dad cringing at his scarred turf.

After that we headed back to get some relief from the heat before Nephew and his grandpa went for a ride in the AIR-CONDITIONED John Deere tractor. (Probably Nephew's most anticipated moment of the day.)

And then it was time to head home. I had ridden with my sister and her family, so we all packed back into the van for the ride back. Niece was asleep within five minutes, with Nephew and my sister shortly after.

It was a great day! Hopefully next year the temps will be a little more manageable! I hope everybody else had as great of a day! And I hope my dad enjoyed his Father's Day Extranaganza!

CSA Update

So I haven't been posting what I've gotten in my CSA. Shame on me. Let's see if I can remember.

Up until yesterday I've gotten: lettuce, scallions, basil, garlic scapes, spinach, and strawberries.

Yesterday, it got even better. I got two cartons of fresh-picked strawberries. And by "fresh-picked", I mean that morning. All the produce is picked the day I get it! Those strawberries are just amazing and I have probably two more weeks of them, yay!

Next up...sugar snap peas! I love just eating them raw. I know you can saute or steam 'em. But there's nothing better than popping open those little buggers and eating just those little peas. (Nephew tries them for the first time and declared them awesome as well.)

I also got some snow peas, more lettuce, and some arugula. So more and more salads are in my future. I don't mind though....it's quite tasty. And I enjoy trying the different greens instead of the old tried and true romaine or *shudder* iceberg.

Tonight I plan on using some of the spinach and strawberries. Maybe a salad, maybe separate...who knows. Gotta eat these up while they are at their freshest.

Have a great weekend!

A random list

Thought I'd just make a very random list today...

Webgal needs:

• a day off
• a real vacation
• a moment of clarity
• some new running shoes
• some dedication
• Internet Explorer 6 to stop being used
  
• Photoshop CS4
• a snack
• the ability to focus on what's important
• to figure out what's important
• to clean her house
• to sell her house
• to feel important...at some point
• to charge her cellphone
• a snack (still)
• a clue
• a male who is romantically interested in her
  
• some time with friends
• to share more
• to put some self tanning lotion on her really white legs
• to go for a run
• to lay off of Facebook for a while
• to lay off of Twitter for a while
• to read some of her books
  
• the guy in the cubicle in front of her to move...to another country
• to get up and walk around a bit
• to drink more water
• to blog more
• an end to this list.
  

A quote I want to focus on

Another blogger posted a quote today that I really need to focus on. And so...I thought I'd share it with everybody else.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.
-Mark Twain

Fresh veggies....help?

I can't remember if I mentioned joining a CSA on here yet, so I'm sorry if this is a repeat. A CSA is basically a farm that you buy a membership in and get weekly produce from. My CSA produces everything without chemicals and is farmed by an autism group home. I figured this would be a good way for me to try more new veggies this summer. AND to get them fresh, local, and nearly organic.

Now I eat my veggies, but I've pretty much stuck to brussel sprouts, asparagus, lettuce, carrots, and potatoes (not really a veggie in my opinion). I'm happy to expand my horizons this summer, but I may need some help.

Last week, I got spring garlic, arugula, chives, basil, and radishes. I kinda ruined a lot of it not knowing that my bottom refrigerator drawer actually seems to freeze things instead of being a vegetable crisper. I think I saved the basil and the arugula though.

This week (today) I got lettuce, cilantro, scallions, garlic snapes, and baby turnips.

So, I'm not exactly a very knowledgeable cook. I thought I'd ask if anybody has any fabulous recipes for turnips. I'm probably going to roast them. Seems like the thing to do, but I'm open to suggestions.

I'll probably give away the cilantro and garlic snapes. Since I can't smell, they don't taste to me. Better enjoyed by people who can smell.

So please, pass along any great recipes. I never know what I might be missing.

I'll try to post each week what I get. I really am going to need all the help I can get with a lot of this produce. But I'm excited to try!

What a weekend...

I've had a busy weekend.

Well, first my nephew had his first t-ball game. He did awesome. Hey....he's four, it doesn't take much. The fact that he can hit a ball off a T and run to first base is cool to me. AND his team is the Cubs. He's a huge Cubs fan (to the chagrin of his father, a Cardinals fan).

Saturday was the Dam to Dam race. I did the 5k race with Monnik. I dressed a little wrong (again) and had a hard time with the heat, but did decent with my time considering I had to walk a bit due to side cramps. And considering it had been a few weeks since my last run AND I'd had doubts about running due to knee pain earlier in the week, I was just happy to do the race.

I learned a few more lessons about races (dress appropriately, hydrate, train more) and am now set for my next one in less than two weeks.

Today I spent some time relaxing (muscles a tad bit sore from yesterday), some cleaning, and did a little shopping with my sister (her weekly outing away from the kids).

Now I'm just really wishing the end of the weekend wasn't closing in so fast. Hope you all had a great weekend too!

I needed a laugh...

I needed a laugh today...and this did it

A Negative Day

I woke up at 4 a.m. after a particularly bad dream (not a nightmare, a bad dream) and in a really foul mood because of it. I'm not sure how something that's not real can affect my mood so much, but it really has. I did go back to sleep for a while, but I still feel a dark cloud lurking around me.

I even changed my alarm to skip the gym. I probably shouldn't have done that, but I'm not the most rational of thinkers at 4:30 a.m.

I know I need to chose to change this mood, but so far I haven't found the energy or will. Somehow it just seems easier if I ride out the mood. And right now, easier sounds way better.

Work block

I'm not feeling particularly motivated to work today. In fact, I have wasted the past half hour staring at some pieces of paper that I need to make into a more easily comprehensible document. And...I don't really have any particular inspiration yet.

One of the things I like about this job is that I really never know what I'll be doing next. One week I'll be completely immersed in putting together a website and the next I'm focused on site analytics, authentication compliance, and documentation (or trying to focus on it, as the case may be).

My brain is certainly elsewhere today. Try as I might to focus and be HERE, I just am not.

I took last Friday off and had a nice relaxing day. I went to the gym, I did a little shopping, and just generally had a nice day. Saturday was my niece's 3rd birthday party. (I can't believe she's already 3!) It was a fun day, but it also involved a 2 hour drive there and back, so the day was pretty much shot. Yesterday involved a fair amount of cleaning that I had neglected to keep up on. As much as I wanted to spend the afternoon relaxing, I didn't. Thankfully I could "watch" TiVo'd shows while doing the cleaning.

And now today I don't want to be at work. I want to be....pretty much anywhere but here. But I guess that's what Mondays are all about.

So I'll continue to watch the clock this afternoon and waste time daydreaming and such.

Sorry this was such a bad post (and if you're still reading at this point, you're probably bored at work too). There's no real discernible theme or any core message to it at all...sorry. And that's exactly why I feel justified in not doing some of my work. It just wouldn't come out very well.

A Request...

Ugh...I know it's been a while again. What do I have for an excuse? Nothing. I really just need to get back into the rhythm of blogging. I'm also considering starting a new blog... It'll be in addition to this one. It'll be a different "theme" and include daily photos. I'm still considering it, as it'll take me being WAY more committed to it.

But rest assured, this will still be my home base blog. The one I blurt things out on. And so I blurt....

So what's my request? Prayers. I have a friend who's going through some cancer testing right now and I'd really appreciate any prayers you could send his way. Casey is an amazing guy and I really think some prayers can help him out.

Cancer, be gone from this wonderful man.

A new level of failure (self imposed, that is)

I'm experiencing something new lately. It's a new sense of failure. And I know it dumb. I've always had the sense of failure. I didn't work out. I ate poorly. And through all this I knew better.

So now that I work out most every weekday morning and most weekends, I find that if I don't work out twice a day on weekdays, I think of that as a "failure". I know it's not...as before I never worked out even once a day. But I still feel it is if I don't have a reason to not hit the gym a second time.

Another area where I beat myself up is diet. If I eat 1400 calories in a day (or slightly more), I consider THAT a failure. WHAT?! I used to eat probably double that some days.

Recently I took a wellness test at work that said that if I was sedentary for a day, my base caloric need is 2155 calories. My BASE NEED. Clearly, 1500 calories is not bad. PLUS, I work out on average 45 minutes every day. Again, not bad. And my bodybugg tells me that I burn anywhere from 2400-2800 calories a day (depending on one or two workouts).

But it appears that no matter what I do...I think failure is lurking. I really need to analyze this more, but in the meantime...I'd better work out 2 hours tomorrow.

Blog o' Miscellany

Again...my apologies for anybody still checking to see if I posted anything. I am a bad blogger. I know. Things have been busy, but that's just a poor excuse.

Let's see...what's been happening...

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I've been working a LOT on a redesigned website for my company. It is scheduled to launch on Monday, and it APPEARS we are ready to launch it. But I'm still afraid something will derail that. So cross your fingers that the launch goes as planned.

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Similarly I recently launched a new site for my church. It took quite a few hours and many, many revisions, but I think I'm generally pretty proud of it. Check it out: Lutheran Church of Hope.

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On the bodybugg front, I'm still loving my new gadget and wear it all the time. It's great tool to see what a workout is doing for me and when I need to increase the intensity or length to get better results. Now...I just need to quit eating more at night due to the hunger from working out and all will be well.

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I've decided to put forth a challenge to myself for the next month. It's the "How Many Pounds Can I Lose in a Month Challenge." I think it speaks for itself, huh? I really want to just try to focus on this for a month and see if I can progress a little better. I'll try to update as I go...but you know my track record for posting lately.

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In other news, I'm going to be an aunt again. Can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl. For my sister's sake...I'll hope it's a boy. She doesn't want to go through another pregnancy due to the horrible morning sickness she has, and her husband really wants a son.

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Well, that's a lot of bits of unrelated info. Hope you enjoyed. If you didn't, go read Dooce or Roni's Weigh. They're both much more entertaining/informative than I am.

I'm still here...

I guess it's been a while, huh? I really felt like I'd blogged just last week. And well, I haven't.

Anyway...I promise to write more detail. But...for now....

Babysitting went well. Exhausting, but well.

Bodybugg rocks! It's so cool to know how many calories I burn on the elliptical (8 cal./min) vs. running (14 cal./min) vs. sitting on the couch (1.7 cal./min).

Really, I'll try to update more. But for now...it's "Biggest Loser" time...and I need to watch. :) (while burning 1.7 calories per minute.)

Mornings suck

So for the first time since I started working out in the morning, I seriously considered turning off the alarm and going back to sleep. I woke up this morning feeling like I hadn't slept a wink. I blame all my colorful dreams and thus not truly getting into solid sleep.

I felt like a lead weight when I woke up. I rolled over and picked up my cellphone (my alarm clock of choice lately) and stared at it. Then I hit the "dismiss" button and got up. I trudged unhappily toward the bathroom (making sure not to step on a wayward cat) and turned on the light and got ready for the gym. The whole time my inner voice was arguing that I really should just take a day off and sleep. On my way to the stairs I looked back at the bed and the good cat was all curled up in her little cat bed. I think she was mocking me as I saw a distinct smile on her face.

Anyway. I continued down the stairs with my inner voice still begging to go back to bed. And that darn voice didn't stop until after I was inside the gym. I distinctly recall as I stepped out of my car, "It's not too late, you can still go home and sleep more." Stupid voice.

Luckily I'm in the routine of going to the gym or this morning might not have ended up with me at the gym. I'm hoping tomorrow will be easier as it's my last 5 a.m. alarm of the week.

I won't have to get up so awfully early on Friday because I'm taking care of my sister's kids so she can go on vacation with her husband. I'm the first of three shifts to take care of the little scamps. I get to take the brunt of the first night my 18-month-old niece has ever spent away from her mom. Lucky me (and my other sister who is coincidentally going to be staying overnight with her family). I'd appreciate any prayers.

OK. It'll actually be fun. I just have to make it past Saturday morning when she wakes up to find mommy still isn't home yet. See...mornings suck.

Another tool for the techy

I just ordered a new "techy toy" online. I ordered a bodybugg. I've been wanting one for some time and keep going back and forth on whether I should spend the money. (For those unfamiliar with the product, it is a device you wear on your arm that calculates your calories burned during the day. Then there's a nifty computer program where you enter your food intake and see where you end up and what you need to correct).

So, today a coworker was wearing one, and I jabbered her ear off about whether it works and how she likes it and bla bla bla. She raved over it, so I decided to just fork over the cash. Hopefully this help get me a little further in my quest to get the rest of this weight off. Maybe a constant digital reminder will give me that extra nudge.

I'll let you know more when I get it. Can't wait!

Just like my life...

Cats are cruel... :)

Bad excuses and lame justifications

A coworker of mine who has been attempting to give up smoking just told me: "I've temporarily taken up smoking again today so I can go outside and enjoy the nice weather."

So I responded with a laugh, "Well you COULD just go outside for a walk instead of smoking."

She laughed and said, "But I can't justify going out so many times for a walk. Only smoking gives me that."

Seriously, that's what she said.

Finally Friday...and I can sleep in tomorrow!

Well, I'm still working out. Every day. But I think my ankle is a tad overworked (it's never been a problem for me before), so after giving it some thought, I *may* take tomorrow off from working out (or maybe just a break from cardio). However, I planned to take that break this morning, but still went to the gym as usual. I'm liking my morning workout...just not the earliness.

Had another session with my personal trainer last night. I'm definitely feeling stronger. She had me prove it last night when I actually did three sets of five push ups. Sure that's not a lot, but it beats the two total I could do a few weeks ago. While I know I'm making progress, it's nice to have a tangible result like that (other than the aches and pains I have for a couple days after the session).

I'm also incredibly tired today. I don't think it's so much the getting up at 5 a.m. as it is my body adjusting to all this exercise. I'm pretty sure I've exercised more in the last three weeks than I did in all of 2007.

Well, I hope everybody has a great weekend!

I have no title in mind today

I'm bored at work, so how about a little random blogging....

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First up, I'm sore today. Had my second session with my personal trainer last night. This time she worked more on my arms. And I feel it. I like it though....gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Kind of like the exhausted feel after running three miles.

I decided to pay for three additional sessions with her since there was a new member special. I like having someone introduce me to new things and push my workout more. I also like someone counting the reps for me, so I can instead grimace in pain. Last night during a particular exercise I guess stuck my tongue in my cheek through the exercise and then switched to the other cheek when I switched directions. I didn't notice I did it until she asked me if that helped. Funny what the body does. I told her it was for balance.

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With all the working out I've been doing, I've been showering way more too (of course). And that makes dry skin even drier!

But it MUST be pretty bad, because my four-year-old nephew commented on how my hand was so scratchy yesterday when I was holding his hand. Guess I'd better be more on top of the moisturizer or else he'll keep complaining...

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I rented the latest Batman movie, "Dark Knight" via Netflix and watched it this weekend. I would highly recommend it. I'm not a big watcher of these types of movies, but after hearing so much about Heath Ledger's performance, I had to see for myself. And....wow. Definitely a stunning performance.

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And that's about all I have on my brain at the moment. I think I'll eat lunch early as I'm about as hungry as I could be right now.

File this under 'J' for Jerkiness

I just witnessed something I had to write about. It's Sunday night around 6:30 and I was at the local grocery store picking up a few items. As I walked past the floral department I overheard a lady angrily chastising an assistant store manager about the quality of the tiny floral department. Her quote, "If your food quality was as poor as your flower quality you wouldn't have anybody here."

Um. Lady. If you're wanting good quality flowers on a Sunday night, you're out of luck. Hy-Vee's sole purpose is NOT flowers. Especially the day after Valentines day when I imagine they've been pretty picked over.

I actually really wanted to go back by just to laugh...at her. And the insane argument she was making.

But I didn't. Some people just like to be jerks.

Happy Friday!

What does a week of working out every day and often twice a day get you?

It got me a six pound loss!

Yep, that's right, I lost six whole pounds this week! I know that's just the first week and the rest won't be as good, but hey, I'll take it. Especially after that session with the personal trainer last night. Whew! It was TOUGH. And I'm doing it again on Monday night. Then my two free sessions are done and I'll need to pay if I want more. I'm pretty sure I'll pay for more. I like the variety (though I gotta say I was hating it part of the time last night, she had some killer exercises).

Anyway...Happy Friday everybody!

Back to the gym

Well, I finally recommitted back to working out (in a serious manner). This time I'm being way more aggressive about it. I rejoined my favorite gym as of Feb 1, and signed up to be assessed by a personal trainer.

I really think I do best if I have a defined routine (a.k.a. rut), so I figured up a little plan to get me consistently to the gym: Every weekday morning at 5 a.m. and then again every night that I don't have other plans, and then weekends as well...that's right, no day off.

And so far, so good. I've been working out as planned.

So then on Saturday I met with my personal trainer for the aformentioned assessment. Not surprisingly, the cardio portion of checking my heart rate went quite well. I HAVE been running, after all (just not AS much in the past couple months). Then I attempted the flexibility portion where you sit and reach and move the little bar as far toward your toes as possible. I knew this would be bad and it was. (My reach was 10 inches for those in the know.) Basically flunked that horribly.

Next up, another weakness for me, the sit-up. I had to do as many as possible before I gave out (or my abs exploded). I impressed myself with an average-for-my-age number of 30 (according to the personal trainer).

Finally we got to the pushup. She asked me if I wanted to know how many I'd need to do to be average. I declined saying that I'd just try as hard as I could. This test was the same as the sit-up. Do as many as you can. (And I even got to do them from my knees.) I knew this would be bad. But it was REALLY bad. I could only do two. Yep. Two. I can jog 3 miles and I can't do more than two pushups.

So it is time to get serious. I set up an appointment to meet with her this week to start working on strength training since she thinks I have cardio under control.

Now I can get back into the loss pattern I was in this summer. I still have my eating routine down, now I just need to up the activity again. And with any luck I'll be near my goal before I know it.

Hm.

Is it sad or impressive that within seconds of hearing a character on "House" I knew a movie I'd seen him in? And whats worse, he wasn't a main character. He was a pretty small bit character. Ever seen the movie, "Some Kind of Wonderful"?

It's one of my favorite teen movies. Anyway....this guy was the leader of the "biker" type group. And here he was on "House."

I've seen this movie more times than I care to count. But good to know that Elias Koteas is still getting work. (And I spelled that without looking it up....I've watched the movie THAT MUCH.)

Friday Fun

In honor of the Superbowl this weekend, this is an extended look at Terry Tate, Office Linebacker. Probably my favorite Super Bowl ad of all time.

Share-A-Laugh Thursday

Such a pretty snow

We're in the midst of a snowstorm...again. I can't believe how much snow we've been getting. And while this particular storm has a rather pretty look to it, I've had enough already.

And later today the winds will pick up and turn into blizzard conditions. Oh joy.

For Coleman

I've been reading the blog of a mom who has had a five-year-old son with brain cancer for quite a while. And on Monday his fight was over. He lost the battle against cancer, but won his wings as an angel in heaven.

This little boy had more faith than I can even fathom. He taught me a lot.

I can't imagine his family's pain and yet, I know his family finds comfort that he's finally at peace. That little boy knew more about pain in five years than most people ever know. And he still LOVED God without question.

From what his mom blogged, I know Coleman had a wisdom beyond his years. His mom wrote this the day after his passing, "Coleman said long ago, 'some day I won't need NO more meds or pokes, wight mommy?”
No more sweetie. You are free.'"

He also had a twin brother. I can't fathom what that little boy is going though.

I can't stop thinking about this family and this amazing little boy.

Thank you Coleman for your wisdom and may you enjoy your much deserved wings.

LOLcats strike again

Here are a few pics that made me laugh...

Happy New Year....and more

I'm late in wishing everybody a Happy New Year! My apologies. I really thought I'd make more time for blogging over my vacation.

Anyway...I don't really do "New Years Resolutions" per se. But I do see the writing on the wall. I've been slacking lately. I've let wine get the best of me and ruin perfectly good eating days by having a glass of wine (or more) for dinner and then a snack (or more).

So I hereby swear the following:

• No more wine.
• No more stupid snacks.
• Lots more gym time.

I want to achieve the goals I set out for earlier this year. And I think I've gotten a good routine going, as even with the last month's particularly lazy eating, I've only gained 2.5 lbs over the month. But....not good. The scale is going the wrong direction.

So steps must be taken, and dedication renewed.

I will cease drinking alcohol for a period of at least six months. I will go to the gym every day that I don't have meetings that interfere. I will change gyms and rejoin my most beloved gym...Prairie Life. I will get a personal trainer to kick my butt. I will achieve my goals.

But these are not just New Year's resolutions. These are facts. Future facts; but facts.