SHADESI's SparkPeople Blog

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chile Peppers. Say what???

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 16:20:54 EST

This recipe looks so amazing. I can hardly wait to adapt it. I am thinking turkey bacon, sundried tomatoes without oil, maybe fat-free cream cheese, and Splenda brown sugar. Follow the link to see awesome pics!

https://www.facebook.com/notes/chile
-monster/sweet-and-spicy-bacon-wrapped
-stuffed-chile-peppers/444692412227010

Sweet and Spicy Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chile Peppers

(taken from Chile Monster.com, who adapted from othersideoff...

New IF plans and goals

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 22:16:54 EST

I'm not even sure where 2011 has gone. Mom had a stroke in April and I've pretty much lost the rest from there. Our 5th IUI failed a few weeks before that and everything has been on hold ever since.

So, we met with the doctor yesterday and finally got all of the details on embryo donation/adoption. It's the only way either one of us would adopt - I get to control prenatal care, we both get to bond, etc. The big catch here (besides $7000) is that the doctor wants me to be under ...

What are you doing this summer?

Tue, 31 May 2011 23:14:20 EST

Well, today was the last day of school for me. It has been a very rocky path over the last 9 weeks. A forced classroom change (which was so unpleasant, I won't even go into it) and then my mother had a stroke a week later. Quit my part-time job, but haven't had a spare minute really. Sidetracked eating, exercise, EVERYTHING. And the scale shows it.... up 6 lbs.

Well now I have all the time I've been needing to have, so for the next 11 weeks there are no excuses. Now is the ti...

Stranger than strange (for my infertile friends)

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:39:14 EST

OK, so my brother's fiancee's best friend - we'll call her F. for now - is pregnant. She was due in February (or so we all thought) which was really good, because she also has leukemia and needed to being treatment.

So after the bridal shower today, I was talking to my future SIL on the phone and saying that I thought I held it together pretty well today. And she said, yeah, especially with a pregnant woman there. So I asked what was up with F. - I thought she was supposed to ha...

Seriously??

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:12:49 EST

I really have to get this off my chest, and most definitely NOT on Facebook.

My brother's fiancee finished her Medical Assisting certificate in December, and graduation is this Friday. She mailed an invitation to my husband and I (and my mother - even though she does not live with us... I assumed she would tell my mother, but apparently that was my job).

Well, originally, DH and I were supposed to be doing IVF in Colorado this week. In fact, today most likely would've ...

Finding balance

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:09:15 EST

This last week, we discovered that instead of waiting for the convenience of summer vacation from school, we will be doing IVF over spring break. While this is convenient for reducing missed time from work, it also pushed me into a 24 hr tailspin. I ate way too much at dinner, had a little too much to drink, got no exercise in, and was a blubbering heap - to the point that I couldn't sleep and ended up missing a half-day of school. (I would've skipped the whole day on Wed. if I wasn't goin...

Off to a good start

Fri, 7 Jan 2011 16:11:07 EST

I'm surprised that I haven't written anything since October, but the fall was pretty rocky for me with the turmoil of infertility treatments. I've also come to the sad discovery that I don't really enjoy the holidays any more. I spend too much time alone, everyone else is busy with their kids, and it's just lonely.

On the infertility front, we're seriously thinking about putting everything on hold and saving up for IVF. A delay puts us at risk of never being able to do it, but I...

Temperature check

Sat, 2 Oct 2010 11:34:17 EST

In my district trainings, they love to do a "temperature check" and have us come back after a couple of weeks and talk about what's working and what isn't. My head is in so many places right now that I just want to get it down on paper, with a little accountability.

Work: tons of planning to do, need to meet with last year's teacher of my most problematic student (lunch or coffee), get my gradebook together before the 9 wks ends on 10/14

Church: potluck tomorrow, being ...

Suffering and Enlightenment

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 22:01:00 EST

I just finished reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I had seen a couple of celebrities reference it (Mariska Hargitay, on her website, and Rudolf Schenker, of Scorpions - my fave band) and thought I would give it a read.

Even in reading the introduction did not prepare me for how deeply this book would touch me. I was reading in a restaurant at lunch today, when I came across this passage. I managed to stop the tears long enough to pay and leave (without looking completely nu...

Superstitions

Tue, 7 Sep 2010 17:21:28 EST

I've always been a little bit superstitious.... not overly, but some. I frequently read my horoscope (sometimes the day after) but don't put a lot of stock in it. I've been known to repeat superstitions about itchy palms and noses, etc.

On the day that we picked up my wedding rings at the jeweler (Halloween '05) a lady bug flew in and landed inside the window screen while we were completing the transaction... at the end of October! Highly unlikely, and supposed to be a sign of ...

Bread and Roses

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 15:38:21 EST

Today's sermon was titled "Bread and Roses" - for Labor Day. John Oppenheimer's poem was used in the Lawrence strike (the "bread and roses strike") and the resonating line is this: Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!

That was when I was able to put my finger on it. Sure, I know I've been depressed over the whole infertility battle. Even more so with some of the judgmental comments I have heard as a result.

But today I woke up and "smel...

Yet another heartbreak

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:44:41 EST

I fear emotional pain. I really believe it is a big factor behind the weight I have carried all of my life. It is something that I have really struggled to overcome. I have been reaching the place of being able to accept and believe in myself, but that fear of being hurt has some pretty deep holds in me.

So, today we found out that our first IUI attempt was unsuccessful. Aunt Flo showed up today, so we're back to day 1 ... literally. It sucks. It really just sucks, and there ...

How do I count this exercise?

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:46:26 EST

OK, setting up a classroom is always work, but I don't even know how to count everything I did today. It's no wonder my feet are killing me tonight - off to use the foot massager in a few.

- my EA and I brought two rolling crates in from the car. Then we moved a wardrobe, teacher desk and about 20 student desks around... some multiple times.
- went to a portable and filled a crate with books and materials to take back to my room (after digging through 3 boxes of textbooks) <...

Time will tell

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:43:53 EST

It's only been three days since the IUI, and only time will tell if we were successful.

In the meantime, I barely slept last night because I was stuffy. Been running to the bathroom all day, and I am drop-dead tired right now. I really hope this means something positive!!

Oops, I did it again....

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:19:02 EST

(I don't even like Brittany Spears, but anyway)

This time I sparked my chiropracter. She is a large lady, about my size. We always chat away during my appointments. Well, after my last one a couple of weeks ago, I apparently inspired her to start going to the gym again. She said her triceps were so sore today that she could barely lift the activator. LOL

If you know God.....

Mon, 9 Aug 2010 10:05:39 EST

I was reading some back and forth commentary on a FB post of one of my old high school friends and another friend of hers, and I was pretty horrified about the hatefulness that I was reading about - towards Muslims specifically and saying Obama is one of them and in cahoots with the Taliban, and then all of the hateful things that should be done to them.

If you love God and he rules your life, then you have to know that God has commanded us to love one another. HE is the final judg...

I sparked someone!

Sat, 7 Aug 2010 21:48:04 EST

OK, first I'm going to ramble a bit, but I'll get to it......

After reading (and re-reading) The Spark at the gym, I finally settled in on watching TV. This is a luxury that I rarely have time for as a teacher with a 2nd job. It's been an extra bonus to see something I really want (like Law and Order) or just to enjoy someone's home remodel. (Who is the evil person that picked the Food Network for one of the channels?!! I just keep thinking, "At least I'm exercising instead of ...

150 days

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 23:54:24 EST

First of all, thanks to ESCOBEDO for bringing this to my attention (via her status and blog today).

There are 150 days until this year is over. Now, I am going to make some goals but really hope that I have to throw some of them out..... all because of the first goal.

1. get pregnant! That means committing the time, money and emotional energy to the IUI process. By the end of this year, we'll know whether we have to go the IVF route or not. Hopefully this goal is a s...

A fun night (and realization of fitness progress) - Tesla & Scorpions concert

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:55:13 EST

Last night we went to see Tesla and Scorpions. Mostly Scorps. I'm a huge fan, and have been for (gulp) at least 26 years. Last night was the fourth time I've seen them in concert, all in Albuquerque.

The Hard Rock Pavillion is notorious, I think, for it's location outside of town and for the deep descent to the stage. The last time we were there (two years ago - saw the Scorps and Velvet Revolver just six days apart) I just about DIED walking up the incredibly steep hill out of...

Woo Hoo Sunday :)

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:33:50 EST

1. passed 5000 fitness minutes yesterday
2. passed 15 lbs lost today (16.5 actually)
3. formerly tight jeans are baggy enough to need a belt
4. jogged across the parking lot with shopping bags yesterday in the pouring rain - and I wasn't dying when I got to the car either
5. I just plain feel GOOD!!

Renewed vigor

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:43:39 EST

Well, I'm back in the swing of things.... had a decent day for food intake yesterday and got my 2nd trip to the gym in this week. According to the calculator, I burned 785 calories today (which seems a little high to me, but maybe not considering the two extra people that I'm carrying when I exercise) and that feels pretty good. I feel like I'm back in my groove.

After meeting with the RE today and determining that we're going to do our first IUI in a few weeks, I am so excited! ...

halfway back on track

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:47:43 EST

Well, got food back to normal today. I really should've drank more water, especially since it was somethng like 102 today. I also should've gone to the gym, but I was too lethargic (and sore still) to be motivated to do much more than go to work and then to WalMart for new fans!

So, tomorrow.... back to drinking enough water, and back to the gym.

eating on vacation

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 00:46:18 EST

Well, as usual, eating on vacation is challenging business. It's great to have a free breakfast at the hotel but when it's all high calorie, low-fiber stuff, how good is free?

I know that I've gone waaaaay over my calorie ranges the last couple of days, but it is vacation. It's not a permanent change to my eating, and it reinforces to me how important the good choices are.

Of course, 3 hours of hiking yesterday also justifies just a teensy weensy bit of overeating. ...

Life is Changing

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 14:22:44 EST

I'm sitting here thinking about all of the errands I have to run, and one of them includes finding hiking boots for myself and my husband. We both LIVE in your average athletic shoes, but we've actually gone on a hike together recently (to a scenic outlook by one of the volcanoes on the west side of town).

We're also planning an ACTIVE anniversary trip! Now last year's trip to Las Vegas was active, but not in a way that we enjoyed or that was good for a post-op ankle. In fact, t...