Category: general

Robert reminded me that “food as a reward” is a bad idea. I knew that already, but it was good to get the reminder. So today is DAY EIGHT.

Having my delicious Slim Fast right now :) Tennis with Paul is on for 4:30. Tomorrow will be biking with the usual crew, then tennis on Wednesday, then biking on Thursday. I don’t think I have anything planned for Friday, but I hope to at least make sure I don’t skip my morning workout again.

I’m thinking about buying some roller skates and skating around the complex when I have free time, too. I don’t know if I want to get roller blades or not. I’m not bad on them, though they are tiring, but they kind of hurt my feet. I’m not sure if that would go away or not. It’s the same thing I experience on ice skates, but I’ve never ice skated frequently enough over a long enough period of time to be able to tell if it would stop hurting.

Mari wrote recently in her blog that it’s important to look in the mirror every day and evaluate yourself so you don’t become complacent. That’s an interesting idea. To do that effectively, I would need to get a full-length mirror. I typically look okay from the waist up; it’s seeing the effect of my waistline on the look of my legs that gets me. (In other words, I’m fairly proportional, so you can’t really tell how overweight I am without getting the full effect of my thigh to ankle ratio. Let’s not even go into the stomach ;P)

I’ve wanted a full-length mirror for awhile, but I’ve actually never owned one. I wonder what my reaction would be.

Yesterday was Father’s Day. We were going to have Cheryl and Reid over for dinner, but I ended up flipping out, so we canceled it. At first I thought I was legitimately angry, but it turned out that I was overstressing myself. I’d put off starting the dinner until after I finished Harry Potter, and that left me with about 45 minutes to decide and start cooking. I’d already felt like I wanted to cancel the day, but I felt guilty too because it was Father’s Day and I wanted Reid to feel special and important. So I essentially freaked myself out, and it was only after a long time of crying in Sean’s arms that I came out of it.

He says I have these mood swings every few weeks. It’s kind of annoying, because I like being in control of stuff, and going overemotional shows a distinct lack of control.

Still haven’t had my period. From my journal it looks like the other one started on Sunday, May 16 and ended about a week later (I don’t know if I noted exactly when it ended anywhere, but obviously it ended before May 26, because that’s when I had the GYN visit). So I guess it isn’t all that late, if a standard cycle takes 28 days. 28 days ago was May 24, so that’s like a week. I was never “regular”, so I guess I can expect it sometime soon. In that case, maybe my horrendous mood was PMS.

If weekends don’t count, then should I count them? I’m not sure.

One lap around the complex with handweights, though I didn’t do many curls or whatever. Eight and a half minutes on the stairmaster. 20 crunches, 20 knees-to-elbows, 20 oblique crunches (each side), 20 side lifts (each side). 40 back lifts. 70 each side various leg lifts. 10 wussy half pushups (with my stomach on the ground, yet my arms still shook like nobody’s business). A few kung fu kicks.

I was late getting up today (hit the snooze alarm without realizing it until 5:15) so I only stayed out for half an hour.

Tennis this afternoon with Paul, or at least that’s the plan. Hoping to last for an hour, then maybe swim. We’ll see.

Off to work.

So we can talk about it now, Hai. ;>

I guess we won’t find out about the O.W.L.s until the next book, but Umbridge (her name sound like “umbrage”!) did smirk quite a bit when Harry made his patronus, so I think my worry has some merit…maybe…

Oh, and by the way,

SIRIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O_O

We’re running out of horrible things to happen to Harry…you know, without completely destroying the world he lives in. A comforting thought ^^;;

(I am wondering if Neville is the one in the prophecy, though…I mean, he could have been “marked” by Voldemort’s attack on his parents…see…Voldemort was so afraid of Neville that he stunted his magical growth by destroying his parents! And now he obsesses over Harry so that no one will be the wiser! You see, it all fits! *cackles maniacally*)

Getting horribly, violently upset and not being able to explain why…except maybe to a girlfriend, if one’s available, but that doesn’t even help because they’re not the one you’re upset with…and meanwhile you know that he’s frustrated and infuriated with you for not just spitting it out, but every time you try you can’t seem to say it right because he doesn’t understand…

I’m not working out today.

We didn’t bike-ride yesterday because of the horrible thunderstorm. That was fine with me, though, because I felt like crap. I stayed at home all night, reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix until Sean came to bed at 1:20 am. I had finished about 3/5 of the book.

I ate that double quarter pounder for dinner yesterday, and then I made brownies and ate quite a few of them. After that I felt nauseated, to the point that I really, really wanted to throw up, so I sat next to the toilet and tried to do it, but nothing came out. I think the food was too far digested by that point…either that or my body has forgotten how to throw up. I haven’t done it in many years.

Anyway, I’m not sure why I was nauseated, because I didn’t think that was all that much food, but maybe my body had gotten used to smaller portions over the course of this week.

I keep thinking “What if I’m pregnant?!?!?!?”, but I always think ridiculous stuff like that. Usually I don’t post it because I don’t like looking ridiculous, but today’s different and I don’t know why.

I am still waiting on my next period, though. It seems like it should be about time for it. Assuming I’m going to have another one, anyway.

The Harry Potter book is great…towards the beginning, when Harry’s mood was constantly sour and he kept blowing up at people and doing/saying vindictive things, I was really taken aback. I’ve never pretended that Harry was the good, sweet, charming, can-do-no-wrong pristine example for children…but I am simply floored by how brutally honest the portrayal is. He’s 15 in this book, and it’s obvious. Even when I can see that Harry is overreacting and not looking at the whole picture, I know without a doubt that he is acting exactly the way he should.

And so, really, are all of them…Cho Chang, whose inexplicable (at least to Harry) behavior is so accurately diagnosed by Hermione; Sirius, who is a little wild from being cooped up; Ron, who’s finally in the limelight and not sure how to take the pressure…it’s just excellent, all of it. This is some of the best characterization I’ve ever seen. It’s been this way in all of the books, but now things are more complicated, and we see that they are complicated not just to be complicated, but complicated due to the characters’ own growth and change.

The deception and underground movements in this book really inspire my inner conspiracy theorist, too…I’ve been thinking about how Harry and the D.A. are doing so well in practicing Defense Against the Dark Arts, and it occurred to me that they might not get their O.W.L.s in that subject anyway–for knowing too much. After all, if the Ministry of Magic can interfere so deeply in the daily activities of the school, who’s to say they won’t stick their nasty fingers into the administration of the O.W.L.s? (It occurred to me that the Ministry might have always been in charge of the O.W.L.s, but if they were, surely Hermione would have thought of this already. Then again, maybe she did, and didn’t think it would matter…)

Anyway, the reason I haven’t just finished the book to find out what happens is that I had to sleep, and then when I got up this morning I went on a little cleaning spree. The kitchen was a bit messy, and I needed to start some laundry. But now that everything seems to be right with the apartment, I’m going to dive back into the book. So off I go :)

(If anyone’s concerned about how my diet will fare over the weekend, don’t worry. I don’t plan on ruining everything. I haven’t even eaten yet, even though I woke up with really bizarre stomach-growling. I’m going to try to eat real food, drinking Slim-Fasts for meals when I can stand it, but not snacking. If I have food for two meals instead of one, or even three meals instead of one, I can live with that, but I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot by pigging out on sweets or something.)

Since 2go-Box can’t afford “unproductive employees”, and since I was in a horrible mood, I came home. On the way I bought a double quarter pounder from McDonald’s.

Yeah, today rules. Totally.

:P

So like…Shaggy?

Apparently this means I get to join the club. But my dream was pretty lame. It was just me reading the books, where someone had worked out all the secret codes. All of them pointed to Harry Potter’s death. There was a big advertisement along the side of one page with a purple-clothed fortune telling lady; she had tons of blue eyeshadow on, hoop earrings, a long, crooked nose, and a calm, thoughtful expression. The main text of the ad said “LIES! ALL LIES! Harry Potter will not die! For a true prediction, decipher my code.”

(Side note: Whoever says you can’t read in dreams is some kind of freak. I’ve always been able to read in dreams.)

Someone had come along and deciphered the code. It came out to a bunch of “lucky” numbers, that I guess the person didn’t bother to decode, because along with them came this text: “The truth is 9, 7,…” (the numbers fell here) “…this prediction cannot be completed due to insufficient funds. Please remit the following charges.” (That wasn’t exactly what it said; I don’t actually remember, but that was the gist.)

So all the big predictions and secret messages spell doom for Harry Potter, but if you want the one, shining beacon of hope that he will in fact survive, you have to pay the fortune teller.

Why couldn’t I have had a magic class dream, like Mari, or a Quidditch dream, like Chris? ;>

Some fried chicken…with green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy…and a biscuit…and maybe some fried livers, yum…

Didn’t do my workout this morning, but I am still on my Slim Fast diet, so I guess it’s okay. Tonight will be the big biking day, so I’m not too worried.

…out of a box. ;> But I steamed the broccoli and carrots all by myself!

Chris ate dinner with Sean and me, and then Chris and I headed to Mari’s to bike ride. Of course, this was difficult because we didn’t have enough bikes to go around. We all switched off, trying Mari’s new roller blades, but they are hard to ride, and very tiring. Plus, it was really hot and humid. The sweat was literally rolling off us.

Finally we gave up and went to Wal-Mart to look at bikes for Chris. After awhile of searching, we gave up on that too, and went back to my apartments for a swim and a dip in the hot tub.

Tomorrow we’re planning on actual biking, and more swimming/hot tub, and dinner :)

I’ve been trying to get out of the office since 3:40, but people keep calling. Now I’m concerned about the status of two orders, so I’m not sure if I want to leave yet. Fun.

LOL, I just called the driver to ask what his status was, and he said “I’m in the process of delivering the first one, and when I’m done I’ll go back and get the second one.” So I guess everything’s fine.

I’m totally going home now ;>

This one is one of those one pieces

That has to be one of my most ill-conceived phrases ever. ;> You can tell that I didn’t edit that post. I was in a hurry to get it up and browse away from my homepage because I heard Robert’s car door ;>

I have so many packages to ship today. It’s insane. I’m not going to make people wait behind me in the drop-off lane…I’ll just cart them all inside. I’m shipping 10 Progen test kits and four 2go-Box T-shirts, plus about fifty bazillion 2go-Box New Member Kits. (I guess everyone really wants that $500 in food.)

My contact lenses are drying out on me, but I haven’t really had a bad sinus headache or haziness/pressure. That’s good. I did forget something today, though…

…deodorant!

I swear, I’m going to forget something every day.

(Don’t worry; I was able to dash off to Publix and buy some. I’m going to keep it in my desk just in case.)

Oh! A McDonald’s has appeared out of nowhere, just down the street, in front and to the right of Publix. I swear, yesterday it wasn’t there, and today it is. No warning whatsoever. I guess the building must have been up, but they waited to put all the McDonald’s signage and finishings on until the very last minute, or something. Either that or builders work very fast. (It’s possible…I don’t really remember a building being there at all.)

It’s not open yet, as far as I can tell, but it looks like it will be quite soon. This may do bad things to my diet. Then again, I can get their Cobb Salad…

Walked once around the complex, did six minutes on the stairclimber (felt like I could do more, but didn’t want to ruin my legs for biking this afternoon), did mucho crunches and back raises, did a leg lifts series, jogged a little (very little) on the treadmill, and then went swimming for about 12 minutes. Some of that was actual paddling around, but some of it was also floating and enjoying the lukewarm water. It wasn’t cold at all, but it wasn’t too hot to be refreshing. I took a short dip in the hot tub and then went back to the apartment.

Answering email made me late for work, but at least I made it in. I brought my Slim Fast and my sinus medicine, so all should be well today. I think.

I’m wearing a dress! I bought two dresses at Cato when I went with Mari last Friday. This one is one of those one pieces that looks like a two piece (the top part looks like a shirt that could be worn separately, but it is, in fact, not). It’s a pale beige with splashes of pink flowers on it; the underdress is a beige tank while the overlay is sheer with short sleeves. I almost feel like it’s too churchy to wear to work, but eh. The other one is a sleeveless kimono-looking sheath–I say kimono-looking because of the pattern of sprays of flowers and Japanese maple leaves, not because of the actual cut of the dress. It’s also pink, though a little more reddish than this one. I love them both :) I think the kimono-style one is my favorite, though; I love that kind of pattern.

I almost feel like taking a nap. I’d better wake up ;>

So, I didn’t cook tonight. Sean and I lay around miserably for awhile, and finally I decided to go get him some Mexican food, like he’d mentioned when he first got home. So I went over to Mi Rancho (who really ought to be on 2go-Box) and got some takeout. While I was there, I went over to the service station to get some bread, and that’s where I found the Every Flavor Beans.

Clothes are laid out for tomorrow–a dress for work, and my swimsuit and workout pants for the morning workout. I plan to jog around the complex (to save time), hit up the workout room and do the stairmaster for five minutes, do some stomach crunches, and then slip into the pool :D

I’m planning on starting up tennis with Paul again, on Mondays and Wednesdays after work. So this means four days of double workouts a week, when you add in the biking on Tuesday and Thursday (going tomorrow! yee!). I think for now I will leave Friday open. Maybe that can be grocery shopping day, like I was thinking before.

Robert’s having his meetings with the potential CSRs tomorrow morning, I believe. I wasn’t able to call them to schedule the appointments due to leaving work early. I’m actually kind of disappointed that I wasn’t able to do it. I was looking forward to the experience. I’m going to take some sinus medicine with me to work tomorrow, just in case. We have a new guy who’s interested in driving, but it looks like he’ll only be available evenings and/or weekends. Weekends would be fine, but we are pretty much covered in the evenings…what we really need is someone to deliver lunch.

All right, that’s enough rambling. Catch you all tomorrow.