WAYSOFGRACE's SparkPeople Blog

Crazy, mixed up kind of week

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:24:27 EST

Work has been hectic, but that's nothing new. I am constantly surprised by the company I work for, and not always in a good way. It is what it is, however.

I did not get to the gym at all this week. I tweaked my sciatic nerve so badly on Sunday from being startled awake by a dream that I could barely walk. I ended up home on Tuesday as a result. It's better now, but not great. One day at a time.

This weekend I am taking Plex on a date. My loving man has been extre...

When Oh No becomes Hell Yeah!

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:06:26 EST

Those of you who have followed my blog know that I am a LARPer. Yup, I dress up in costumes and spend entire weekends running around the woods and fields beating on my friends with plumbing supplies. LOL I wouldn't give it up for anything!

We had our season opener this past weekend. These are always great events, as we get to see our friends we haven't been around since October, and the feeling is one of excitement. Invariably it rains, and it dampens no one's spirits. It's a...

Stress free weekend

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:43:11 EST

This was LARP weekend for me, which means I was working on becoming stress-free for a few days. It worked for me. Of course it helped that they caught the second guy in Boston, but I had other stressors from just my normal life that was adding up. So despite pouring rain on Friday night and freezing temperatures on Saturday night, it worked out well. We did alot of walking in the woods, set up some modules for the players (one of the setups took over 3 hours to complete) and in general ha...

Staying indoors

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:31:10 EST

The city of Boston and surrounding area is currently in the middle of a manhunt for the remaining suspect in Monday's bombing. One suspect has been killed (shot by police and then run over by the other suspect). They have locked down entire towns and are currently going door to door. I made it to work this morning, as did Plex, who is a good deal closer to it than I am. I pray that he remains safe.

In the meantime, we carry on. We are packed and ready to LARP this weekend. It...

Day 3, and NSV and counting

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:44:48 EST

Hit the gym last night despite having a headache when I left work and really not feeling like working out. That was a HUGE step for me. I had an excuse at hand and I dismissed it for being just that, an excuse.

I did 20 minutes on the treadmill, and managed to get just shy of a mile in at a 3% incline. I got winded, but not so much that I couldn't speak. I like that these treadmill I use has a fan built in, so I have a cool breeze while I am walking. It was supposed to be ches...

Gym - day 2

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:44:37 EST

Yesterday turned out to be a surprising day at work. We are being audited by the FDA. We never know when they could show up, so we always have to be ready. Our site is going through some big changes at the moment, which adds to the stress and confusion levels. I decided it wasn't going to get to me this time. I am a central point of contact for one of the site's groups when it comes to audits, so that's an automatic "drop what you are doing and be ready for anything" call when auditors a...

Aftermath

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:02:35 EST

The city is a very different place this morning. One of my coworkers came in and said it's a ghost town, and I am not surprised. However, people are going about their day, which speaks volumes to their resilience.

When asked how do we handle this, my response is that we handle it like every other day in our lives. We put one foot in front of the other, and we continue on. We will NOT hide in our homes out of fear. We will NOT be made to question everyone and everything. We wi...

Boston, MA...We will not go down into that good night

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:33:21 EST

If you haven't heard, someone planted bombs near the finish line of the Boston Maration today, killing two and injuring at least 60 people at the latest count. The oldest marathon, one of the greatest feats of health and fitness was attacked at 2:50pm. People just there to support friends and family are injured. It's a horrific scene, and yet it shows so much more about the resilience of this city's people.

Some people ran away, but many many others ran INTO it. People responde...

Let it begin with me

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 21:55:31 EST

Well we did it. Yesterday we joined the Health and Racquet club near our house. It has fitness classes, basketball court, racquetball courts, weight machines and free weights, bikes, treakmills, ellipticals and even the old stairmaster! The biggest factor was the lap pool which can be used when there isn't an aqua class going on. They've changed alot since I was last there 11 years ago. They remodelled, and the people there are more in my age range or older. The parking lot was packed w...

A change of attitude makes the difference

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:10:24 EST

I have been so busy between work and home I haven't had time to write a blog this week! I am making the time this morning, and that's all there is to it!

I have decided that my life outside of work is out of control. I have so many things I need to do and want to do and never seem to have the time to do any of it! I thought about making a list, but then realized that my lists would have lists! This has got to stop. I need to take a step back and regather my focus. This weeken...

Trying it again, with feeling

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 13:29:17 EST

Despite setting an alarm on my phone, I neglected to log into the site on Saturday, so the streak has begun again. I will get this, I swear!

The weekend was busy, but the weather was nice if windy. My daughter Boo and I went out on Saturday to get our nails done (this is becoming a habit I swear), and popped into the beauty product store afterwards to get some hair dye for her (she prefers being a redhead right now to being her natural blonde self). While there, she asked if I w...

Day 4, making it work

Thu, 4 Apr 2013 17:42:02 EST

I made it to day 4. Huzzah! So far so good! It will be the weekend that will be the test, as I tend to avoid my computer on the weekends in favor or doing other things like be outside! However, I will make an appointment in my calendar to log on in the morning and again in the evening.

I think I am fighting a bug. My blood sugar has been higher in the morning than usual. Of course, I am sitting in sickness central at work so it doesn't help. 2 people have colds, one has a si...

Day 3 and a thank you

Wed, 3 Apr 2013 13:04:18 EST

Today is day 3 of my streaking (still makes me giggle to say that). I am doing ok. I'm dealing with a mild case of "sulphur burps" today, which I think may be a result of the chinese food we had last night. I'm going to have to watch out for this. This round is not as bad as previous ones I've had in the last month, but it's quite embarassing nonetheless.

I want to thank everyone for their wonderful compliments on my engagement ring, and for the Sparkgoodies I have received. Y...

Engagement ring

Tue, 2 Apr 2013 21:40:56 EST

I love it and my loving man Plex very much!!!

Day 2 and a surprise

Tue, 2 Apr 2013 15:44:34 EST

So here I was, logging in to enter my food from lunch, when I look over at the advertisement that popped up on the page. It's for David's Bridal. Better than that, it's the dress I want to buy for the wedding!!! Talk about inspirational!!

I am not as full of energy today as yesterday, but I am managing to get by here at work on the knowledge that I will be posting a new picture here tomorrow. It will be of my engagement ring ON MY HAND! That's right folks, it has finally arriv...

Streaking!

Mon, 1 Apr 2013 12:55:14 EST

Sounds so wrong, but I know it's so right!

I am off my game plan, and I need to be back on it! Being the first of the month, I picked today to start working on a streak. Ok, I decided to work on the streak and it happens to be the first of the month. My point is that there is no wrong time to start a goal, right?

I am halfway through my first 20 oz of water. My goal is to drink 60 oz of water before I leave work at 5:30pm today. My last 4 oz will be at home tonigh...

Last day of winter

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:32:00 EST

Woke up today to snow on the ground again, and freezing rain. It's supposed to change to all rain later this morning, so I am not terribly worried about it.

It's been a busy few days. Boo and I had a mommy/daughter day on Friday that was very much needed by both of us. We talked alot, and worked through our frustrations with each other while shopping for jeans, bras, engagement rings, lotions and all sorts of sundry things. It was alot of walking and I am not complaining one si...

And that day ended on a much different note

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:27:30 EST

Yesterday I blogged out my frustration with my day, my daughter, and so on before I left work. Let me tell you, the day ended on a MUCH different note.

When I got home, Plex had done a very good job of cheering me up and getting me to smile. I walked in the door to see my daughter had done a bunch of stuff in the kitchen and living room. And in the mail was the news I'd been waiting for.

Phase IV of our financial restructure happened last night. We can now proceed wi...

Bad mood day (This is a rant)

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:43:18 EST

I woke up this morning, and felt agitated. I went to bed early last night because I suddenly felt exhausted. I'm pretty sure it's because my blood sugar was high yesterday. My morning glucose yesterday was at 171. This morning I was down to the 140's. Still too high for me.

Before I left the house for work, I went from agitated to aggravated. I couldn't find the shirt I wanted to wear, my black scrunchie that I use when I put my hair up in a bun was missing, I couldn't put ou...

The end has come, and it is bittersweet

Thu, 7 Mar 2013 08:56:35 EST

Maggie Leece passed away at 12:15pm yesterday in Little Rock. There was no pain, only peace as she was sleeping when she joined the angels.

Plex and I thank you all for your prayers and support these past few days. They have been very comforting to us.

Update on Mamaw

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 07:49:56 EST

Well, we were notified last night. Mamaw turned 92 yesterday, and was put on a morphine drip to make her comfortable. They cannot perform the surgery, and she is fading quickly. We won't have her with us much longer.

Plex is so very upset, understandably. I am heartbroken. We both know that this is for the best, that she is in no pain, and that she has lived a long and good life. I can now only pray that her life ends as peacefully as my own grandmother's did.

Work...

Back on track

Sun, 3 Mar 2013 10:34:49 EST

Between work and health issues both for myself and Plex's grandmother, I've been a very naughty girl. I have not been tracking, heck I wasn't even testing my blood sugar or taking my meds! This has to stop now!

This morning I tested my sugar, and I am at 149. Not good. I took my meds like I should, drank my coffee, and waited a bit before eating. Plex made me a couple of egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast, and I managed to max my protein (believe it or not that's very dif...

No news

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:00:07 EST

We have heard nothing from Little Rock since they moved Mamaw to the hospital there. I'm going with the belief that no news is good news. We shall see.

Work yesterday was extremely stressful. When I am stressed out, I can at times clench my teeth, which is bad for me. I did that all day yesterday. Last night my jaw was killing me! This morning it wasn't too bad. It's sore, but I am making a conscious effort to not clench my teeth. If I have to breathe through my mouth to ke...

Prayers, positive thoughts, healing energies needed!!!!

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:39:35 EST

I am reaching out to you, my Sparkfriends, for strength and support at this time.

Plex's grandmother is being taken to the hospital in Little Rock for a blood clot in her head. She needs to have surgery, but it can't be done under general anesthia. She is 91 yrs old, and quite the little pistol if I say so myself!

We are hoping for a positive outcome from this surgery. We would love to have her here with us when we are married next year. She means alot to Plex, and t...

Sniffle sniffle cough cough

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:06:27 EST

I woke up yesterday morning with sniffles. Today, I have a full blown chest cold, complete with a nose that is either so dry it's like the Sahara or running so much it's a darn rainforest! And do not get me started on the sneezing. I greatly detest being sick!

Work has been incredibly busy this week, and it's only going to get busier. I don't have time to let a cold slow me down, ya know? This weekend is chock full of things I need to do, people I need to see, and they are for...

Scary ride to work

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:01:44 EST

Sitting here at my desk, I can't believe how surreal it actually was. I know my body will feel the stress of it all before the end of the day, but for now, I am still kind of numb.

We had snow Sunday morning, but it was the really soft, fluffy kind. We also have had extremely high wind gusts since then. Because the snow is so light, it ends up drifting in the road in spots. And I am talking drifting up to 3-4" deep.

As Plex and I were heading to work this morning, we...

Stress eating

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 08:25:15 EST

I admit it. I was stressing out yesterday, and I broke down and made a chocolate mug cake. And I ate it all except for one bite I gave to Plex. I think the worst part is that I don't have one bit of regret.

Plex is stressing out over finances, which in turn stresses me out. Right now I feel like a financial noncompoop. I just can't wrap my head around a bi-weekly budget. The more I try to get ahead, the further behind I fall. This in turn gets me stress eating.

I ...

Buried, but alive and well

Sat, 9 Feb 2013 08:55:33 EST

This was yesterday at 10:15am:

These are from 8:15am

We are unable to open the porch door thanks to a drift. There is a backhoe clearing the snow in the complex behind us. This storm has left 24.5" of snow so far, and we're expected to get 5-10" more before ...

Being safe in the face of adversity

Fri, 8 Feb 2013 09:13:22 EST

Today, the weather is going to be bad and heading for worse. I live in an area where they are predicting 24-36" of snow being dumped on us. Good thing I already know what this is like!

I was 11 years old when the Blizzard of '78 rolled through New England. That was before there were such things as snowblowers. It was a time where neighbor knew neighbor, and checked on each other. I lived in a small village, with many elderly folks around us. We had a corner market that also s...

Being honest

Wed, 6 Feb 2013 15:14:14 EST

Today my status has an inspirational quote that I can wholeheartedly agree with. I would rather you hate me for being honest, than to love me for lying to you. That applies to more than just how I treat other people. It applies to how I treat myself.

It's incredibly hard to be brutally honest with ourselves. Human nature tends towards self deprication in people like me who have been what is termed "outside the norm". I wore glasses as a kid and was called four eyes. I was ver...

NSV's for the win!

Mon, 4 Feb 2013 09:45:40 EST

No weight lost this week, but none gained either. However, I did thoroughly enjoy discovering something in the process.

Now I have lost 42 pounds since I really started taking this seriously, but I hadn't noticed any reduction in the size of my pants until recently. My EMT pants started fitting loser, and I am now on the last notch of my leather belt. This was awesome, but my jeans didn't feel all that different. I had started buying stretch jeans about 3 years ago because they...

Time of year

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:56:41 EST

I ended up going to see the doctor yesterday. I was pretty sure I had a sinus infection, and I was right. So now I am on antibiotics for the next 5 days. Good part is that I didn't push it off like I normally do until it's so bad that I need prednisone too. No prednisone this time! Woot!

So I had a 1 pound gain this past weigh in. I know this is not a big deal. I am not upset about it. I am just going to keep going forward. My doctor said to me yesterday that he could tell...

Setting priorities

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 12:52:07 EST

Let me tell you, there is no better feeling in the world than a job well done, except when you're hard work helps others achieve there goals as well.

Last year I worked at portion control, increased my exercise only slightly, and still managed to lose over 40 pounds. This year I am making an effort to increase the exercise, while maintaining healthy portion control and choices. I've been fortunate in that I have many wonderful friends here who have kept me going when I was losing...

Oh dear me it is COLD!!!

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:04:11 EST

The weather of the last few days is the worst for me. This morning it was 1 degree Fahrenheit. 1. For an asthmatic, this is not good stuff. I am just happy that it's under control and didn't leave me in an ER with breathing treatments like it used to. It does, however, mean I do not want to be outside for longer than 5 minutes at a time, so outdoor exercise is right out the window.

Plex and I are struggling this week. We both have not been feeling terribly well since last wee...

Great weekend for sports!

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 09:48:54 EST

I got to watch my Bruins last night beat the Rangers in the home opener for the shortened season! I have been missing watching hockey this winter, and I didn't realize how much it really brought me down. I guess this is what happens when you've been a fan literally your entire life. Today is the AFC Championship game, and the Patriots are in it. I like football, just not as much as hockey LOL All these special games add up to food and parties. This time, better choices are made though. <...

Huzzah!

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:58:17 EST

I got over the migraine finally! It lingered all day yesterday, and impacted my ability to do my aerobics workout. Instead I workd on strength training. I worked out, and that's what matters, right?

I didn't get to stitch yesterday, but that's ok. I worked on my housework, took a nap and played some games on my laptop. It was a good day, despite the migraine.

Today Misterbaldy is over doing laundry, Plex is off to work and Boo stayed at a friend's house last night. ...

Sometimes it will catch up to you

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 10:18:35 EST

We've had some rapidly changing weather here. We had 50 degrees one day, then snow 2 days later. Needless to say it took it's toll on me. I woke up at 2am with a migraine, and couldn't get back to sleep. It's 10am and I still have it. I don't get them often anymore, but when I do they are doozies! Needless to say, I am home from work as a result. I can't think straight with this thing, and my stomach isn't happy about it either.

I'm working on my morning cup of coffee, and I...

Another NSV

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:44:29 EST

This morning I was dressing for work, and I chose the pants that I originally bought for my EMT job to wear to my biotech job. They are comfortable, and great on snowy days like today because they repel water. I had stopped wearing them 2 years ago when I was not EMTing because of my shoulder, and when I tried them on last year they didn't fit well. They had gotten tight in the thighs and in the stomach and butt. Not happy making for me. This morning, I not only fit into them, but they a...

Tomorrow is another day

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:29:16 EST

My favorite line from Gone With The Wind, which is my favorite book and movie, is Scarlett O'Hara's "Tomorrow is another day". It's her excuse for everything unpleasant. She just keeps going after what she wants. Her biggest problem is that she doesn't always see that what she wants isn't in her best interests usually and she can't see what good there is in front of her.

I've been plugging away at the BLC 2013 challenge on the Wii Fit team. Plex has been doing it with me, so it...

Wherefore Art Thou, Protein?

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 12:47:16 EST

I am notoriously low on my proteins. I have been from the beginning of this journey. Most of this is because I am not a fan of red meat. In fact, I actively avoid it when possible. I don't care for the consistency or the taste, no matter what spices I am using. Sounds horrible, huh?

I need a way to boost my protein intake each and every day, and this is taking some fair amount of thought. I had been eating a greek yogurt every day, but it tends to be expensive and I can't aff...

Trip to the city

Sun, 6 Jan 2013 10:27:43 EST

Plex and I had a great time yesterday in NYC. We took the train in to Grand Central, and then the subway from there to Washington Square Park where Panda was meeting up with her friends. After that Plex and I were on our own. We walked down Fifth Avenue (did you know there is actually an addres of 1/2 Fifth Avenue?) to the Flatiron Building. From there we took another subway to 34th Street.

From 34th Street we walked down to Times Square. We were looking to have some lunch, an...

And the beat goes on!

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 09:44:29 EST

I had weighed in on Tuesday for the BLC challenge. I was up 5 pounds from my last weigh in. I had been feeling really bloated, and in general not well. Not sick exactly, just off. Well yesterday my body started feeling normal again (well, as normal as I can get) and this morning I am back down my 5 pounds. Ok...I can handle this.

Tomorrow Plex and I are heading into NYC with Panda. She has something to do in the city, and we are just going along for the ride so to speak. Whi...

Egads it's cold!

Wed, 2 Jan 2013 16:16:24 EST

At 10am it was a whopping 19 degrees Fahrenheit! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! I wonder how many calories shivering burns? 20

It's 2013. Another year. I woke up yesterday and thought 21 months until the wedding. 337 . I need to get my butt in gear! Seems like alot of time though, but it really isn't when you think about it. There are alot of things we have to decide on, reserve, pay for, create, and the whole crap shoot of it. Why are we going all out on ou...

Welcome to 2013

Tue, 1 Jan 2013 10:23:21 EST

Happy New Year, Spark Friends!

Today I begin the Biggest Loser Challenge 2013 on Wii Fit Plus, and Plex is doing it with me. I am looking forward to getting this year off on the right track.

Have a great day today, and an awesome year!

How I know this is good for me

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:07:39 EST

Yesterday we had a snowstorm. For my area, it was the first amount of significant snow. While I love looking at it, I don't enjoy shoveling it. Plex and I have a tiny electric snowblower which really isn't good on anything more than 3". Well, yesterday we got over 12". So out came the shovels.

Now normally I go out to shovel, get about 1/4 through the driveway and have to come back in. I can't breathe, my back hurts, my hands hurt, and my head starts to hurt. Today, I got no...

What have I accomplished in a year?

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 10:31:36 EST

It's that time of year where we look back and see where we have been and how far we've come. This year has seen many changes in health, some for better and some not so much.

1) I have lost a total of 40 pounds during my journey here on SP. I feel awesome about this. It's been coming off slowly, but it's also been staying off which is fantastic.

2) I have really changed some food habits of mine for the better. I am no longer boredom eating. I have more than enough to...

What a difference

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:18:43 EST

I went to the doctor on Monday to get an antibody titer done. I needed to know if the vaccine I had gotten as an EMT for Hepatitus B took. It didn't, so I will have to repeat the series. That's not a biggie to me. While I was there, the doctor looked at my diabetes meter, and didn't like the numbers he was seeing. You see, when the switched me over to the other medication my numbers stayed higher. He thought once I adjusted it would get better, but it didn't. So he made another switch....

Our little stress cure

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:09:14 EST

Decided to hit a local hockey game yesterday with my daughter Boo, Plex and Misterbaldy. They are minor league team for our favorite team, the Boston Bruins! It was Boo's first time at a live hockey game, and as you can see from the smile on her face she's having a great time!

They ended up winning 3-2 in sudden death overtime, which made the entire experience even better!

It had been a very stre...

Finding your inner peace

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 10:14:39 EST

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” Martin Luther Kind Jr.

Wise words that I was pleased to see this morning. While we are on this journey to healthy living, we should also be striving to bring to our lives peace. I'm talking about inner peace. That place within yourself where all things come together and generate just a wonderful feeling of acceptance, joy and happiness.

Inner peace doesn't just happen. As ...

Going beyond comfort

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 10:03:00 EST

I've been told that I need to perform a job function at work that I am not wholly comfortable with. Without going into the boring details, suffice it to say that I will be going into clean room environments for at least and hour a day to review documentation. Tedious work, and in an industry where there are clear standard operating procedures, you do what the SOP's indicate. I am not comfortable because the SOP does not state what I am about to embark on is done. It's the right thing to d...