Food and Workout Journal for Monday, March 31, 2008

Vacation day (drove home from PA in the morning).

7:45 a.m. 1 oatmeal bar, medium glass lowfat chocolate milk

12:00 p.m. 3 mini York Peppermint Patties

4:00 p.m. Lowfat pizza casserole, 4 Dove chocolates

WORKOUT: TLT Better Burn...Better Buns w/ Tracie Long (55 min.) - I did most of the workout. There were a couple of moves I couldn't do, but overall, it was pretty good.

Food and Workout Journal for Sunday, March 30, 2008

Skipped breakfast.

1:30 p.m. Late Easter Dinner at John and Nancy's w/MIL, FIL, and almost all of John and Nancy's crew: Tossed salad w/ ranch dressing, 2 small rolls, 1/2 slice ham, little bit of turnkey, stuffing, little bit of baked squash, mixed vegetables, 1 & 1/2 glasses regular root beer, angel food cake w/vanilla ice cream

7:10 p.m. Hoss's w/Mom, Dad, and DH: Cheeseburger w/ketchup and onions, French fries, pickle, diet coke, tiny piece frosted cake

WORKOUT: Short walk after lunch w/Katie and Julie

Food Journal for Saturday, March 29, 2008

DH and I were in Pennsylvania for the weekend visiting family/friends. Therefore, there was next to no physical activity and some crappy eating....but we had a really nice time (for the most part!).

DH's dad is doing so well after his surgery...we're both really grateful for that. My dad is doing really pretty well, especially compared to the last time that we saw him (last month).

Here's the damage for Saturday:

7:15 a.m. Bowl of CoCo Wheats w/raw sugar, 1/2 English Muffin w/peanut butter, small glass juice

1:45 p.m. (this is where the trouble starts!) Long John Silver's w/Mom: 3 chicken planks, fries, 2 hush puppies, couple bites of cole slaw, diet root beer, hot fudge sundae w/whipped cream

7:30 p.m. The Pine's Restaurant w/Bill, Judy, and DH: Ham and cheese wedgie w/lettuce, onion, mayo (ate the whole thing!), onion rings (split the order w/DH), 1 and 1/4 glasses regular Pepsi

No exercise, but I needed a day off anyway.

Food and Workout Journal for March 28, 2008

6:20 a.m. 5 Frosted Mini Wheats biscuits, small glass juice

10:00 a.m. 2 Werther's suck candies

12:15 p.m. Gardenia w/Rick and two MDG clients: Grilled ham and cheese sandwich, French fries, few bites of a pickle, diet cokie

1:30 p.m. 2 more Werther's suck candies

6:30 p.m. 2 1/2 breaded baked organic chicken tenders, mixed organic vegetables, snack-sized serving organic apple sauce, water

7:30 p.m. 4 Dove chocolate eggs

WORKOUT: Cathe Low Impact Step (40 min.) - did first 1/2 on 6" step, second 1/2 on 4" step. This is such a nice workout. It's totally doable, but still really challenging. I like to do the second half on a 4" step because it really does get intense with cardio blasts.

Food and Workout Journal for March 27, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass juice

10:00 a.m. 3 suck candies

12:15 p.m. Gardenia w/Rick & 2 MDG clients: Chicken fajita wrap (grilled chicken, rice, peppers, onions, cheese, salsa, sour cream), just a few potato chips, diet coke

1:30 p.m. 4 suck candies

7:00 p.m. 7 "Ritz"-style crackers w/tiny bit of peanut butter, 4 Dove chocolate egg candies

WORKOUT: Slim in 6 Ramp it Up!

Food and Workout Journal for March 26, 2008

6:20 a.m. 2/3 c. organic granola with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass juice

12:15 p.m. McDonald's w/Phyllis: Big Mac, medium fries, Diet Coke (I know, I know...I'm not proud!)

6:15 p.m. Tuna salad (w/light mayo) on sourdough bread, 17 mini pretzels, water, 3 mini York Peppermint Patties

WORKOUT: Cathe Hardcore Series - LowMax on 4" step - Did the Step Combos Only Premix (44 minutes) - I'll definitely be able to use a 6" step next time. The 4" step is good when you're trying to figure out the choreography, and this one has a lot of twists and turns.

Food and Workout Journal for March 25, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass juice, 1/2 large banana

12:00 p.m. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 17 mini pretzels, 2 mint "oreo"-style cookies, 1 can diet coke

5:30 p.m. Organic hamburger on bun w/ketchup and mustard, small handful organic baked French "fries," 2 Dove chocolate eggs

8:00 p.m. 1 Root beer suck candy

WORKOUT: Cathe Muscle Max (from Hardcore Series) - I am so excited about how well I did tonight with this workout! It's 100% strength, so it's completely modifiable. Cathe tells you what poundage she's using. I hardly ever match her weights, but there were quite a few times tonight when I picked up a lighter weight and realized during the exercises that I actually could have matched her weights.

Food and Workout Journal for March 24, 2008

6:20 a.m. 5 Frosted Mini Wheat biscuits, 1/2 banana, small glass juice

12:00 p.m. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 17 mini pretzels, 2 mint "oreo-style" cookies, diet coke

5:15 p.m. Chipotle w/DH: 1/2 chicken fajita burrito (chicken, rice, peppers, onions, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, shredded cheese on tortilla), water

8:15 p.m. 2 Ghiardelli chocolate squares

WORKOUT: Cathe Basic Step on 6" step

Food and Workout Journal for March 23, 2008

Happy Easter! DH and I actually had a very quiet Easter as it was kind of pre-empted by my FIL's surgery. FIL had a cancerous lump in his arm that got removed yesterday (Saturday), so he's in the hospital recovering until Tuesday. So obviously, there was no big family get-together at DH's parent's house. The great news is that his dad is doing fine, and the doctors believe they were able to get all of the cancer. We will be visiting all of them next weekend, as well as my family.

9:00 a.m. Small bowl of oatmeal w/brown sugar, 1/2 banana, small glass juice

1:30 p.m. Champp's w/DH - we both got the Easter Buffet. Although it sounds like a lot to eat, my portions were really pretty small:

• Salad w/little bit of ranch dressing and shredded cheese and bacon pieces
• 2 very tiny mini bagels w/cream cheese
• pasta salad
• 1 slice ham
• Ambrosia salad
• 1 "French toast" sticks
• 1 piece bacon
• 1 tiny piece of chocolate cake w/chocolate icing
• 2 chocolate-dipped strawberries

5:00 p.m. Small serving of lowfat chocolate chip mint ice cream

8:30 a.m. 1 serving (17 pieces) mini pretzels, water

WORKOUT: Crunch Burn and Firm Pilates w/Ellen Barrett (Wow....I had a really good workout! This one always surprises me.)

Food and Workout Journal for March 22, 2008

9:00 a.m. Bowl of CoCo Wheats w/raw sugar to sweeten, 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

3:15 p.m. 3 pieces Rascal House pepperoni pizza

3:30 p.m. 4 Dove chocolate eggs, 1 root beer suck candy

6:30 p.m. Small serving low-fat chocolate chip mint ice cream

WORKOUT: Cathe Boot Camp (60 min.) - Well, I had to modify some of the high-impact moves (mostly by holding my boobs so they wouldn't fall off!) and some of the core moves (lying side planks, etc.), but overall I did pretty well!

Food and Workout Journal for March 21, 2008

8:00 a.m. (Pick-up from Gardenia) Bacon, Egg, and Cheese on a Bagel, 1 cup lowfat chocolate milk

12:15 p.m. Market Cafe w/Susan: 1 piece cheese pizza, diet coke

4:00 p.m. Eight Dove chocolate eggs (whoops!)

6:00 p.m. One enormous banana

8:30 p.m. 1 and 1/2 large (cereal) bowls of buttered and salted popcorn, 1 small (8 oz) can regular root beer

WORKOUT: Cathe Low Impact Circuit - Cardio Blast Timesaver Premix on 4" step

The High, High Cost of Childcare- Part II

I posted here previously about the cost of childcare. I really didn't know what the going rate for childcare was. Today, however, I read an article that made my eyes pop out. The article was called The Childcare Crisis, and it was on the front page of MSN Money.

• One lady was paying $2,750/month for childcare for her two children. For the math-impaired, that's $33,000. You could buy a new car every year. A pretty nice one!
  
• The author of the article was happy to say that she was "only" paying $900/month for one kid. Hmmm....$10,800/year. That's two or three nice vacations!
  
• Child care for infants is running as high as $14,650 a year and care for a 4-year-old in a licensed center as high as $10,920. Child-care costs have outpaced what the average family spends on food.

Um, yeah. This sounds like something I want to do (not). I can think of a multitude of ways to spend that kind of money. And they're all much more enjoyable than adding a dependent to my life.

Some other (non-related) gems in the article:

• "The cost of child care in this country is one of those little secrets -- like leaky diapers and colic -- that parents just don't share with friends who are expecting." And why do we keep it secret? Maybe the "misery loves company" syndrome? Thanks for not being my friend!
  
• "It's a lot of rock-paper-scissors (to determine) who's going to drop him off and pick him up every day." Wow. Sounds like parents of the year! The article goes on to say that the same couple pays $1100/month for childcare for one child, and they want two more! Hey folks? If you can't afford one, chances are you can't afford three!

Of course, there are child-care credits which are subsidized by the people who have not reproduced. YOU choose to have a kid (or three) and expect everyone else to pitch in! Sounds fair, doesn't it? So quit your crying...I don't want to hear it!

Book Report

On Tuesday, I finished reading Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. I wasn't crazy about the plot (it was just waaay too "out there"), but Jodi is such a good writer that I finished the book in a week which is pretty fast considering I have also been keeping up with my HR certification studying and work has been crazy. I have several more of her books in my to-be-read pile (most of them in audio book format which takes longer). She's got some really interesting plots.

I'm currently listening to The Appeal by John Grisham. So far, I'm really enjoying it. I haven't read one of his for awhile. I'm hoping he keeps writing the legal thrillers instead of continuing with his hiatus.

Next up is The Secret Between Us, also an audio book.

Food and Workout Journal for March 20, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, 5 Frosted Mini Wheats biscuits, small glass OJ

12:00 p.m. Take-Out from Scorchers: Chicken pita (grilled chicken, mozzerella, onions, and peppers on a pita), French fries, diet coke (ate about 3/4 of the pita and 3/4 of the fries)

3:00 p.m. 1 Snickers mini, 2 Milky Way mini

5:30 p.m. Small bowl of Spagettios with Franks, 1/2 bagel w/peanut butter, small piece cheesecake, 1 root beer barrel suck candy

8:30 p.m. 3 Dove chocolates

WORKOUT: Kathy Smith Project You: Full Body Circuit (1 hour)

Food Journal for March 19, 2008

Today is my day off from exercise. I haven't taken a break since last Monday (the 10th), so I'm needing it. I also took the night off from my study group. The weather sucks (believe it or not, we're having another snow storm!) and I had a very long, hard day at work. I knew I wouldn't be concentrating for another two hours in a classroom.

Here's the damage for today:

6:20 a.m. 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, 5 Frosted Mini Wheat biscuits, small glass juice

12:00 p.m. Quick break during meeting - take-out from Gardenia: Chicken fajita (grilled chicken, peppers, onions, rice, cheese, salsa, sour cream), few potato chips, 1/2 pickle, diet coke

6:15 p.m. Bowl of Spagettios w/Franks (1/2 can), 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, 1 piece homemade marbled cheesecake

7:00 p.m. Root beer suck candy

Food and Workout Journal for March 18, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1/2 bagel with whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

10:00 a.m. 1/2 blueberry muffin

11:30 a.m. Boxed lunch from Tomaydo Tomahhdo: Turkey, lettuce, onion, and some kind of sauce on foccocia bread, small bag kettle chips, tiny serving Spicy Peanut Cole Slaw (YUM!), 1 enormous chocolate chip cookie. This all tasted very good going down.....but I got sick immediately afterwards. It didn't take long to remedy that! :-)

5:30 p.m. 1 medium-sized piece homemade marbled cheesecake

WORKOUT: Your Best Body Circuit with Michelle Dozois

Food and Workout Journal for March 17, 2008

6:20 a.m. Bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

12:00 p.m. Ham and mustard on wheat bun, 15 thin organic wheat pretzels, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, diet coke

5:15 p.m. Chipoltle w/DH: 1/2 chicken fajita burrito (grilled chicken, rice, sauteed peppers & onions, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, shredded cheese on tortilla), water

WORKOUT: The FIRM Calorie Killer with Nancy Tucker

Food and Workout Journal for March 16, 2008

9:30 a.m. Bowl of oatmeal w/little bit of brown sugar, 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass OJ

11:00 a.m. Few licks of cheesecake batter

2:00 p.m. 2 Dove Chocolates

3:00 p.m. Organic hamburger on wheat bun w/ketchup and mustard, baked BBQ chips, mixed vegetables, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies

4:00 p.m. Root beer suck candy

6:00 p.m. 1 piece Chocolate Marble Cheesecake (very creamy, smooth, and yummy)

WORKOUT: Cathe Push Pull (Body Blast Series)

Food and Workout Journal for March 15, 2008

9:00 a.m. Bowl of Co-Co wheats w/raw sugar to sweeten, 1 piece toast w/peanut butter, small glass grape juice

4:00 p.m. Ruby Tuesdays w/DH: Salad from the salad bar (mixed greens, other veggies, shredded cheese, bacon bits, ranch dressing, croûtons, and a little bit Waldorf salad) 2 chicken quesadilla (sp?) triangles, one and a half "mini burgers"(with American cheese, onion straws, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and pickle), French fries (about 3/4's of the serving)

6:45 p.m. 4 Dove chocolates

9:00 p.m. 2 root beer suck candies

WORKOUT: The FIRM BSS2 Complete Aerobic and Weight Training with Emily

Food Journal for March 14, 2008

6:30 a.m. 1 cup OHs! cereal with 1/2 cup 2% milk, small glass grape juice

12:15 p.m. Pickwick and Frolic with Michelle: 1 roll, 3 of Michelle's french fries, grilled chicken sandwich with cheese, bacon, sauteed onions, and BBQ sauce, homemade potato chips, diet coke

Girl's Night at Sandy's House: I ate a lot. I drank a lot. I didn't keep track. This is the first time since January 1st that I have no idea how to journal. I do know I had the following:

• Crackers
• Cheese
• Nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios)
  
• Dried cranberries
• Shrimp stir fry (I didn't think I'd like this, but it was really pretty good)
• Homemade brownie with ice cream
• 1 chocolate mint "stick" (I don't know what those things are called, but they begin with a "P". Tasty suckers.)
• Diet Sprite
• 2 glasses of Bailey's Irish Creme

Didn't workout today either. I knew I was going to take it off though..

Food and Workout Journal for March 13, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! Cereal with 1/2 cup 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/peanut butter, small glass grape juice

12:00 p.m. Clubhouse Restaurant w/Larry (old boss): Club Sandwich (double-decker grilled chicken, turkey, lettuce, bacon, mayo), French fries, diet coke (I was starved and ate almost the whole sandwich...probably 3/4's. Ate 3/4's of the fries, too)

1:30 p.m. Needed something sweet - 1 Milky Way Mini, 2 Three-Muskateers Minis

5:30 p.m. 2 Dove chocolates

10:00 p.m. 3 more Dove chocolates

WORKOUT: Get Ripped to the Core with Jari Love - I'm still not sure how I feel about Jari Love. I'll try Slim and Lean and Ripped 1000 before I form an opinion. Her workouts seem really decent, but I don't like the dark sets and so far, she comes across as very wooden and robotic. I don't mind a serious instructor. Tracie Long acts very serious, but somehow I connect more with her. Jari.....well, I'm not sure. I don't think these will be my favorite workouts, but they're definitely worthwhile.

Food and Workout Journal for March 12, 2008

6:20 a.m. 2/3 c. Total Honey Clusters Cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/little bit of peanut butter, small glass OJ

12:00 p.m. Ham and mustard on white bread, handful of baked BBQ chips, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, diet coke

5:15 p.m. Chipoltle w/DH: 1/2 fajita burrito (chicken, rice, lettuce, peppers, onions, salsa, cheese, cream cheese), water

8:30 p.m. 3 Dove chocolates

WORKOUT: The FIRM Cardio Sculpt Blaster w/Lisa Kay

Gratitude Journal #4

Here are five things today I'm thankful for:

1. Decent public transportation. Most of the time, it really is pretty decent, and it's safe, warm, and comfortable. I can read (or sleep) to my heart's content. It doesn't always happen (especially when I catch the late bus), but today was one of those days when it was good.

2. My office. I have one of the nicest offices in our corporate office. It isn't the largest, but it does have a great view and a functional layout.

3. Not having to go to class tonight. I'll be glad to go home.

4. Business is good. Stability in a job is always a good thing.

5. The smell of coffee brewing in the mornings. I don't drink coffee, but I certainly love the smell of it.

Food and Workout Journal for March 11, 2008

6:20 a.m. 1 cup OHs! Cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, small glass OJ, 1 mini bagel w/peanut butter

10:00 a.m. 3 mini powdered donuts

12:15 p.m. Grilled cajun chicken sandwich w/little bit of mayo, diet coke

1:30 p.m. 1 rootbeer suck candy

2:45 p.m. 2 Milky Way Minis

4:00 p.m. Another rootbeer suck candy

7:00 p.m. (worked late) 2 small baked breaded organic chicken tenders, handful of baked organic French "fries," 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies

10:00 p.m. 1/2 chocolate chip cookie

WORKOUT: Cathe Supersets - wow, I missed this workout! Really enjoyed it tonight.

Food and Workout Journal for March 10, 2008

6:20 a.m. 2/3 cup Organic granola cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/peanut butter, small glass OJ

11:30 a.m. Catered lunch: 1 chicken fajita w/peppers, onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa), few chips (maybe 5), rice, diet coke, 1 large (dry) brownie

4:00 p.m. 1 root beer suck candy

6:00 p.m. Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich w/Mayo, diet pepsi

9:30 p.m. 2 mini York Peppermint Patties

No Workout - Day off

Five Good Reasons to Choose CHILDFREE

Along with my "Five Reasons for Gratitude" posts, I thought it would be kind of neat to post a "five good reasons to choose the childfree lifestyle" post. When I first started blogging in December, I was posting single "not-so-important" reasons like sleeping in. But here are five really important reasons all combined in one post:

1. FREEDOM: This is my all-time most important reason. I'm free to do what I want when I want. I can take a class, take a walk, read a book, watch a movie, work late, sleep late, take a spontaneous vacation, take a nap, go to the bathroom!, spend time on my hair and make-up, shop, surf the internet, go out to dinner, get together with friends, take a drive, go for a bike ride, volunteer, join a club.....you get the picture.....without worrying about childcare. I never have to think of anyone except myself (sounds selfish, but I don't feel guilty). That's not to say that I don't try to coordinate schedules and things with DH. It's just that he's an adult and can take care of himself. And besides, he has many of the same interests, so we do most of those things together (well, not the bathroom bit!).

2. Financial: Kids are ridiculously expensive. All you have to do is read one of those articles that are always on the front page of AOL.com or MSN.com or Money.com. They all tell you the same thing: KIDS REEK HAVOC ON YOUR FINANCES. Well, duh. Just think how much money it costs for formula, diapers, kiddie clothes, kiddie toys, medical care, kiddie food, kiddie furniture, tuition, extra-curricular activities, childcare, bigger toys, more clothes, college tuition, etc. And if you decide you want to stay home with your kids instead of paying for childcare, you are losing a salary. And then when you go back to work, trust me, you won't be starting at the same level you quit at. It doesn't work that way. So yeah, kids are expensive. Especially if you are one of those parents who try to keep up with all of the other parents. See point number 3.....

3. Mommy Wars. Moms (and Dads) today consider child rearing a competition. See my Momzilla post for more details. I can compete with the best of them. But this is one game I just don't care about. When your whole life is tied up in your kid(s) what is left for you? Again, it may sound selfish, but I only have one life. I don't need to spend it worrying about whether or not my kid(s) make it into the right pre-pre-school or do the best on the math test or if they can hit the ball harder than any of the other kids. Thanks, but I'll work on making my life the most joyous it can be. And that doesn't include worrying about if I nursed long enough.

4. Sleep. Worry. Stress. We'll just jam them all together. When your kids are little, you lose sleep because they don't sleep through the night. They wake up t 3:00 a.m. with poopy diapers (oh, dang, I'm limiting this to five reasons), and therefore you need to be awake. So you go through at least a year (if not more) of fragmented sleep. I don't know about you, but I don't do well when my sleep is disrupted. Once they get older, you lose sleep with worrying. Will Johnny do okay on his test? Britney is getting in with the wrong kids. Emma is being picked on my other kids! Could my child have autism? The stress can be overwhelming. Why put this on yourself? Because society wants you to?

5. We don't need any more. Really. There are 6.5+ BILLION people on this planet right now. SIX POINT FIVE PLUS BILLION. When population goes up, quality of life goes down. And I'm all about quality of life. Do we really need to add more people to an already pillaged earth? I thought not.

Gratitude Post #3

Here are my five reasons to be grateful today:

1. No need to leave the house. I'm grateful that we were able to cocoon ourselves in our house since Friday afternoon. We had no reason (or need) to go out, and it was so nice to vege out here. It may sound boring to some, but it's just fine with us. We had plenty to do, but also had a chance to relax and will feel completely refreshed and prepared to take on the new week. No need to feel harried.

2. Sunshine. After a huge blizzard yesterday, it's so nice to look out at blue skies and sunshine. No we didn't go outside to enjoy it, but just having it stream through the windows is a real boost.

3. Funny neighbors. For the most part, I really like all the people in our neighborhood. I'm not crazy about my next-door-neighbor (who is definitely a Momzilla), but the rest of them are really nice and we know the majority of them. There is a couple that lives kind of diagonally from us who are such a hoot. The wife calls me once in awhile and just makes me laugh. They are childfree as well, which is a bonus.

4. Online shopping. I'll admit it....I just don't care to shop "outside" that much anymore. At least I don't like the thought of it. Once I get to the mall or the store or whatever, I'm fine. I just would prefer to stay at home if at all possible. I love placing orders with Amazon or Overstock or HSN and getting that little thrill when I see it on the porch. I just placed an order with Amazon for a workout video and a few paperbacks. A relatively inexpensive order that will bring hours of enjoyment.

5. My health. I forgot this one before, and obviously, it's a biggie. Although I'm heavier than I'd like to be, my health has always been good. I very, very rarely get sick. That is something I need to be really thankful for.

What I'm Reading (Listening to!) Now

So, I've been in the mood for a little Chick-Lit. I probably need a fix six or seven times a year. Ever since Bridget Jones' Diary, I've been hooked but have been careful not to indulge too often.
I've picked up Momzillas (audiobook) by Jill Kargman from the library awhile ago, and it's been sitting on my TBR pile. I really didn't think I was going to get to it, but I started listening to it Friday. I hate to admit it, but I'm really enjoying it. It underscores a major detriment to me for having kids: Mommy Wars.

Raising kids isn't just about giving birth and bringing them up to the best of your ability anymore. It's all about who has the smartest, best-dressed, most talented, most beautiful child. And the book tries to make it out like this is a Manhattan phenomenon. Trust me, it's not. I see it a lot in my middle-class Midwestern city and in the rural area where I was raised. Parents are desperate to give their kids every advantage that they did not have. Little League bully-parents and competing soccer moms are just the beginning. Getting your kids into the right pre-pre-school so that they have a shot of getting into the right prep school and ultimate the right Ivy League school makes parenthood more and more of a competition.

I noticed how my boss and his wife are players (or pawns) in this game. Both are busy professionals. He is the managing partner of our mid-sized accounting firm. She is a partner in her large law firm. Yet they are so completely wrapped up and involved in their kids' lives it's mind-boggling. They have their kids in the best private girls' school. They are in countless activities which keeps the parents and the nanny running around constantly shuttling the kids from one event to the next. Ice-skating starts at 6:30 a.m., so the kids have be up and dressed and out the door by 6:00. School begins after that. Each exam the kids take seem to be analyzed by the parents and discussed with the teachers. Each disagreement or conflict the kids are having with their friends or rivals is micromanaged. Then the after-school activities are carefully planned so that the children are sure to have every advantage and will ultimately be accepted into the Ivy League school of their choice.

And then what? My bet is that the kids (both girls) will go to the Ivy League schools (racking up boatloads of debt for their parents who make a good buck but seem to keep it spent), work for a few years, and then get married (to the RIGHT men, of course) and then have children. And then they will struggle with the decision of being a SAHM or a working mom. And even if they do decide to work (after that huge investment in their educations), they will exhaust themselves with all that comes with it. The cycle will continue. To breastfeed or not breastfeed? To co-sleep or not co-sleep. To send their babies to daycare or get a nanny? To have them attend pre-pre-pre-school (which will certainly be available by that time).

What's the point to all of this? I guess it's something that I'll never understand. So I'm glad to be out of that kind of competition. Because really, where does it get you? Just one more reason (out of thousands) that it will never be for me.

BOGGLE

Okay, how much fun is this?

After Christmas, I was out shopping with my mom, I noticed a few games on clearance and decided to pick up one. I had never had a "Boggle" game, but I knew it has been around for years. It sat in our foyer closet for awhile, and I forgot about it. Today, however, I needed a break from studying and DH needed a break from working on drywalling the basement. So we pulled it out and played it for the first time.

FUN!!! We both like word games (we're especially fond of Scrabble), and this is so simple with easy rules and virtually no set-up. We played it for over an hour and had a lot of laughs. I was amazed at how we would come up with completely different words. One of us would do great with one game and vice-versa.

Anyhow, I highly recommend it. It's great fun on a rainy or snowy day, and I could even see us playing it on the deck in the summer. Definitely addicting!

Food and Workout Journal for March 9, 2008

10:00 a.m. Bowl of CoCo Wheats w/ raw sugar to sweeten, 1 mini bagel w/little bit of peanut butter, 1/2 orange, small glass OJ

1:30 p.m. 2 pieces Marco's pepperoni pizza w/ little bit of garlic butter, 1/2 can regular coke

2:15 p.m. 2 Dove chocolates

5:15 p.m. 2 more Dove chocolates

7:00 p.m. 2 more pieces Marco's pepperoni pizza, 3 homemade chocolate chip cookies (I tried to limit it to two, but they are just so darned good!)

WORKOUT: Slim in 6 Ramp it Up - Today was supposed to be my rest day, but I felt like working out and figured I might not want to do it tomorrow night after class since I don't get home until 8:30. If I feel like it, though, I'll do 1/2 hour cardio workout.

Gratitude Post #2

Here are five things I'm grateful for today:

1. A warm house with a fireplace. I know I had a mega-long post about my gratitude for my house previously, but on days like this when there's a never-ending blizzard, you just have to be doubly grateful.

2. Luxury bedsheets. I wrote about my sheets before, I know. But once again today, I had a great sleep in, and I really appreciated waking up to something as luxurious as 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

3. Exercise Videos. Clearly, I love exercise videos. But they took on a special meaning to me today when I realized that if you were a gym-goer and that was your only source of exercise, you wouldn't be getting any today. Nobody in my neighborhood has even left their house today that I could see as we are snowed in. I also love the variety of the workouts, the instructors (who are the best out there), and the sets. I can have an entire post dedicated to this, but I'll leave it go for now.

4. My cat. She's adorable. And she's more affectionate (with me, anyhow) than most dogs. The little feline follows me everywhere and wants me to hold her or use me for furniture constantly. She's about 13 years old, and thankfully, very healthy and frisky. I love how she knows us, our schedules, and seems to understand a lot of what we are saying. She comes when called, gives me "kitty hugs," and purrs like a freight train.

5. The internet. What did we do without it? 'Nuff said.

BLIZZARD!!!

My area of the country is getting hammered today with a blizzard. It actually started yesterday. During the morning at work the snow was coming down pretty good, but I knew from listening to the news that we hadn't seen nothing yet. A co-worker and I went out to lunch, and just crossing the street was an adventure. I worked until about 2:30 and then decided I wasn't going to stay any longer. If I waited until rush hour, I'd be stuck in traffic for hours. As it was, it took DH and I a lot longer than usual to make it home. Our office ended up closing at 3:30, which is very atypical as it's our busy season for our core business.

I woke up at 10:00 this morning, and the snow was relentless. It's almost 4:00 now, and it hasn't stopped all day. It seems most things are closed. I called our favorite pizza place, and there was no answer. I wasn't surprised about that. Who would want to deliver pizza on a day like this? I noticed on the library website that every branch in the area is closed. Pretty much every class, meeting , and organization decided that it was just too bad outside to bother.

For me, I love it. I'm inside busy studying, reading, playing on the computer, exercising, and eating, and just watching it come down. Summer comes soon enough . . . I enjoy the cold, blizzard-y winter days. I may change my mind by the end of March though.

Food and Workout Journal for March 8, 2008

10:00 a.m. (Had a great sleep-in!) 1 cup OHs! cereal w/ 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1 mini bagel w/peanut butter, small glass OJ

3:30 p.m. Organic hamburger on wheat bun, handful of BBQ baked chips, 3 Dove chocolates

4:30 p.m. 1 rootbeer barrel suck candy

5:30 p.m. 3 homemade chocolate chip cookies, small glass 2% milk

10:00 p.m. Air-popped popcorn w/ little bit real butter, sea salt, & garlic powder (2 large cereal bowls), 1 can regular Coke

WORKOUT: The FIRM Total Body Shaping Mix - I forgot what an awesome workout this is. It's a little over an hour, but the time does seem to go by pretty quickly. I love this era of The Firm. I think it's my favorite. I do love the Classics, but some of them have a "huh?" factor....like some of the FitPrimes. It's like you are wondering why you are doing this particular movement. And I had a really hard time with the Firm after Goodtimes took over. That's not to say that they didn't make some good workouts (there are several I really like). It's just that a lot of the magic was gone. TBSM is a great compilation of classic BBH stuff without a lot of the "huh?" factor.

The Wonders of Reading

Okay, after I posted my "gratitude" post yesterday, my mind became flooded with many more things I'm grateful for. One of those things that kept coming up was reading. I love to read. I wish I had more time to do it. And I'm grateful that I do love to do it. It seems reading isn't enjoyed by that many people. Here are some statistics I found, which I find hard to believe:

• 1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
• 42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
  
• 80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
  
• 70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
  
• 57 percent of new books are not read to completion.
  
• 70 percent of books published do not earn back their advance.
  
• 70 percent of the books published do not make a profit.
  (Source: Jerold Jenkins, www.JenkinsGroupInc.com)

Frankly, I do find it kind of sad. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. I know a great many people myself who never, ever read. I remember a former co-worker said to me that she had never opened a book since high school. She seemed proud of that. I'm not putting down people who don't like to read. I'm sure they have hobbies and interests that I would not enjoy.

When it comes right down to it, reading is probably one of the cheapest hobbies around. Even if you buy a $20 hardback book, the hours of enjoyment you get from it is relatively cheap (and it's not disrupted by commercials). I very, very rarely buy hardbacks, though. I do occasionally buy paperbacks (the small $7.99 versions). And even more often (90% of the time), I borrow from the library. I'm very grateful that we have a wonderful library only a mile from our house. It's part of a bigger system that works with other libraries. I will often go to Amazon to see what looks good, then go to my library's website and request the book. They e-mail me in a few days to say it's ready for pick-up. And it didn't cost me a cent (besides the taxes which I have no choice in).

As if reading isn't fun enough, the emergence of audio books is such a joy to me. I love listening to them when I'm doing the laundry, taking walks, doing the dishes, or just laying in bed before I go to sleep. The narrators are usually performers of some kind, and they make the books come alive. Sometimes there are sound effects, and sometimes they use more than one narrator to give it even more depth and to help you distinguish between characters.

So, yeah....I'm grateful for the authors. I'm grateful for the publishers. I'm grateful for the narrators. I'm grateful for the library. I'm grateful for Amazon! And I'm grateful that there must be lots of other people out there who also enjoy reading (contrary to what those statistics say) or else there wouldn't be the huge plethora of books to choose from!

Nothing beats sitting in front of the fireplace on a cold, snowy day with a brand new book....especially when you open it up and smell the pages! LOVE IT!

EDITED ON 3/8/09 TO ADD: I was just on my library's website and noticed the following quote, which seemed appropriate to add:

Quote of the Week

No entertainment is so cheap as reading,
nor any pleasure so lasting.
- Lady Mary Wortley Montague
(1689 - 1782) Author

Food and Workout Journal for March 7, 2008

8:00 a.m. Bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel from Gardenia restaurant

12:15 p.m. Market Cafe w/Susan: 1 piece cheese pizza, small caesar salad, diet coke, 1 rootbeer suck candy

4:00 p.m. 2 Dove chocolates

7:00 p.m. 3 homemade chocolate chip cookies

WORKOUT: Kathy Smith Basic Step - did only the warm-up and step portions; used 6" step for everything but the advanced portion where I knocked it down to 4". Approx. 45 min.

Gratitude Journal

I try to make it a habit every night of thanking God for all of the blessings in my life. I have a huge list, and I usually fall asleep before I am done. But I think it's good to write them out sometimes as reminders. I read someplace that you should list five things you are thankful for every day. I don't know if I'll be able to do it every single day, but here's my first crack at it, and these are my five major ones:

1. My hubby. The guy is really awesome. Without him, my life wouldn't be nearly as fun or full. He's:

• Cute (at least I think so)
• Funny as hell
• Practical
• Down to earth
• Handy (The guy can fix anything. He's kept our two old cars running for years. Plus he has no fear of learning new stuff. He's finishing off our entire basement all by himself.)
• Educated.
  
• He spoils me. He makes my lunch in the morning, waits with me at the bus stop before work, drives downtown to get me at night. He'll never let me drive when the roads are bad either.
  

2. My family. I'm not close to all of my siblings, but I'm grateful I have them and that my parents are still together and living. The parents are getting older, and I need to be grateful for every day they are here. They are as dysfunctional as any family (or even more), but they're mine and I love them.

3. My job. I may complain once in awhile, but I really do have a great job. I get to do basically what I want, with a flexible schedule, and good pay.

4. DH's job. He has a good job close to home. He's happy there, and together, we are able to afford #5:

5. Our home. Okay, this is a subject that I can go on and on about (and as you can see, I do!). A lot of planning and headaches and $$$$$$ went into it....but it's our haven and we love it. It's a large home for two people, but that's not a complaint. I especially wanted lots of rooms to decorate and spend time. It's got almost everything I wanted:

• Huge wood-burning fireplace in the middle of a big two-story living room.
• Large windows everywhere.
• A big kitchen with lots of counter-top space, a walk-in pantry, lots of cupboards and drawers, a planning desk, and most importantly, a generous-sized island with raised bar.
• A porch in the front. I love sitting on it in the summer.
  
• A generous-sized deck on back which abuts to a stamped concrete patio.
• A nice, flat, fairly private back yard.
• A master bedroom with big windows and skylights. It will be plenty big enough for a king-sized bed when we are ready to buy that.
• A master bathroom with huge whirlpool that fits two comfortably, large vanity, big linen closet, separate toilet stall, separate shower stall, and two big walk-in closets.
• A dining room. It's a little smaller than I would have liked it, but it definitely will work. I can't wait until our furniture finally gets here.
• Laundry room with lots of storage on the main floor.
• A big four-car garage for DH. We only have two small old cars, but he uses the extra room for wood storage and a workshop. He's very happy in there.
  
• A wonderful loft that overlooks the living room on one side and has awesome views of downtown and the surrounding suburbs in the front since we're on a hill. I LOVE my loft! It's the perfect place to sit and read.
  
• My temporary workout room! I love it in there. Eventually, that will be my office.
• A really nice spare bedroom that's great for guests or for us.
• A gigantic basement that DH is slowly finishing off. He's really enjoying himself, and it's going to be wonderful when it's done.
• LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!! I love our location. We are a mile from the supermarket and other stores and restaurants, a mile from a rec center, 20 minutes to downtown, a mile from the library, five miles from a national park. But our neighborhood is small and quiet (for the most part!). The only time there is noise is when my neighbor lets her kids out!
• The only thing I would like that we don't have: more acreage. Well, how about ONE acre? We have a little over 1/3, but we would both love more. Coming from a rural area, this is still an adjustment. On the plus side, DH isn't mowing all day. So I won't let this one thing spoil my gratitude!
  

Well, those are five of the major things. There are so many more. I'll make a habit of posting five items regularly. Even writing/typing the little things you appreciate in life makes you have a positive outlook for hours. Many are coming to me right now, but I'll save them for later.

Food and Workout Journal for March 6, 2008

6:20 a.m. 3/4 c. Honey Clusters Total Cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass OJ

12:00 p.m. Ham and mustard on wheat bun, 1 serving mini pretzels, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, diet coke

6:00 p.m. Organic hamburger patty on wheat bun w/ketchup and mustard, few baked BBQ chips, vitamin water, 3 (yes, three!) homemade chocolate chip cookies

I was doing pretty good except for eating five chocolate chip cookies!!

WORKOUT: Get Ripped w/Jari Love - this is the first time I did this workout. I held off doing it because it looked intimidating. It really wasn't bad at all. I could have went heavier on a couple of the exercises, but I wasn't sure how many reps she was going to do. Overall, I think I got a really good workout.

Food and Workout Journal for March 5, 2008

Worked at home today

8:45 a.m. 1/2 medium bagel w/whipped cream cheese, 1 banana, small glass OJ

1:15 p.m. Grilled cheese sandwich (w/Velveeta), small glass 2% milk w/Hershey Syrup, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, 1 rootbeer suck candy

6:00 p.m. 1/2 bag pretzels (1 serving), diet pepsi

8:45 p.m. 3 mini York Peppermint Patties

WORKOUT: The FIRM Aerobic Body Shaping w/Allie (TransFIRMer System - BSS4)

What I'm Reading Now

When I don't have my nose in a textbook studying for my HR certification exam, I try to squeeze in as much pleasure reading as possible. On Saturday, I finished T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton. I have read all of her books in order (I'm anal like that!), and I started Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich (again, I've read all of her Stephanie Plum books in order).

What's funny about book series like the Kinsey Millhone (Grafton) and the Stephanie Plum series....I really like all of the characters and the familiarity of the series, but I can never remember an actual story line! I used to be a huge Patricia Cornwell fan and loved the Kay Scarpetta books (until they got just plain bad) and a fan of James Patterson and his Alex Cross series (until I got bored with them as they were way to formulaic). However I found the same thing to be true: I can remember all of the characters, places, etc., but I cannot begin to remember a plot! It's still good pleasure reading.

Also, on Sunday I started When Ghosts Speak by Mary Ann Winkowski, which is really fascinating. I don't know if I buy it all, but I'm enjoying it. It certainly tempts me away from my textbooks regularly.

Food and Workout Journal for March 4, 2008

Ummmm....not so good today!

6:20 a.m. 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, 1/2 orange, 1/2 banana, small glass OJ

9:30 a.m. 1 chocolate covered donut, 1/2 glazed donut (and they weren't even good. They were Entemann's...why bother?)

3:15 p.m. Wendy's w/DH (on our way to the second funeral): Spicy Chicken sandwich w/mayo, small fries, water

5:30 p.m. Three (yes, three!) homemade chocolate chip cookies, small glass 2% mil

Even though today's eating would have been considered a big, fat NO-NO, I can almost guarantee that I went through way more calories on an average day before I started blogging. Those were "mindless" eating days.

WORKOUT: The FIRM Total Sculpt Plus Abs with Jen Carmen (Body Sculpting System 2)

Kids at funeral homes?

Okay, I've come up with another place where you just shouldn't take kids: FUNERAL HOMES!!!

Today was a weird day. Two people who I work with (one of them my old boss) had elderly parents who passed away over the weekend. Both had their visitations today (at different times). So I left work early and stopped by the first funeral home. I gave my co-worker and his family my condolences on the passing of his father. There were some children present, but for the most part, they were well-behaved and not getting into too much trouble. I didn't even give it a thought actually.

Then DH and I drove an hour and a half to get to the next funeral home. As soon as we walked in, it seemed chaotic. I couldn't put my finger on it because I was too busy talking with my old boss' family members. But after awhile I couldn't ignore it. The deceased woman's great-grandchild who is around eighteen months to two years old was reeking havoc on the very large funeral parlor. The kid would run from one corner to the next while his haggard mother chased after him. The visitation was to take place from 4:00 until 9:00. That's FIVE hours. And I found out they were planning to keep the kid there the entire time!!! Now, I'm not blaming the kid. I certainly wouldn't want to sit still in a funeral home either. But did anyone think that this might not be the best place for an active toddler?

I do have to say this: his presence made the atmosphere not so somber. Watching him out-run his mother to a large bouquet of flowers and pick some of the prime roses off of the stems and then throw them on the floor was a little amusing. But I had to leave when I saw him running full-out towards the casket. I didn't want to witness the potential crash.

Food and Workout Journal for March 3, 2008

6:20 a.m. 3/4 c. Total Honey Clusters cereal with 1/2 c. 2% milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 bagel w/whipped cream cheese, small glass juice

12:00 p.m. Ham, cheese, and mustard on bun, 15 thin organic pretzels, 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies, diet coke

5:15 p.m. Quizno's w/DH: Small (6") Baja Chicken sub on white bread, split a serving of chips w/DH, but I think I ate 3/4's of the bag), 1/2 bottle (1 serving) vitamin water

10:00 p.m. 1 homemade chocolate chip cookie

WORKOUT: Cathe Basic Step on 6" step - I think this workout is going to get a lot of use since I don't get home until after 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays (usually) because of the study groups. It's nice because it's only 1/2 hour, but it does give you a very decent workout.

Food Journal for March 2, 2008

DH's brother and SIL came to visit today. Today was my day off of exercise

9:15 a.m. Small glass OJ

12:30 p.m. Hoggy's Restaurant w/the group: Grilled chicken salad (grilled chicken, lettuce, onions, peppers, side of dressing), small piece of cornbread, water

4:00 p.m. 2 Dove chocolates

5:30 p.m. Small dish lowfat chocolate chip mint ice cream

7:30 - 8:15 p.m. Several bites chocolate chip cookie dough, 2 baked chocolate chip cookies, small glass 2% milk

Food and Workout Journal for March 1, 2008

9:00 a.m. Bowl of CoCo Wheats w/raw sugar to sweeten, 1/2 medium bagel w/ little bit of peanut butter, 1 organic banana, small glass OJ

2:30 p.m. Buca Di Beppo with DH: 2 pieces foccocia bread, mixed greens salad w/ side of Italian dressing, 1 small piece lemon butter chicken w/capers, small serving spaghetti w/marinara

8:30 p.m. About 3/4 cup lowfat mint chip ice cream

WORKOUT: The Firm Cardio Split 1 - great workout. I did have to modify some of the high impact, but I got through all of it really well.

FEBRUARY RESULTS

Well, I weighed myself today (March 1st), and I lost a total of 2.5 pounds since February 1st. Not exactly amazing progress, but I guess it's still going in the right direction. I can't say I wasn't a little disappointed, but I know my eating is definitely in need of improvement. There's way too many days I'm eating French fries!

When you add that on to January's results, it is a total loss of 8 pounds since the beginning of the year.