physical or mental pain

yesterday wasn't the best day. one of my going-to-work highways was blocked so i was redirected in the morning and had to take a road with many stoplights which almost made me late for work. i wasn't phewf! right now in the car i'm listening to to kill a mockingbird by harper lee. i have got to say, it's so much better than i remember it being when i read it in high school ... or whenever that was. the actress sissy spacek is reading it and while i find her kind of irritating to look at on film, her voice is very fitting.

today i was going to venture down to the weight room at work and start my new weight lifting routine. i am a bit apprehensive ... just silliness because i don't know who is going to be there or if they have a set routine or if i'm going to get in someone's way ... that sort of ridiculousness. i'm sure it will be fine. it's like the first time doing anything - scary, but once you do it - it ain't no thang but a chicken wang.

i was all ready to go down, but about an hour before lunch i started feeling intensely queasy. throw up sick kind of feeling. not good. i really thought i might heave ho. i thought maybe i'm thirsty. nope. maybe i'm hungry. nope. maybe i need to take an "aleve" that my friend gave to me for bum pain purposes ... maybe that worked because the pain did go away, but not until lunch was almost over. i just sat at my desk. boo.

so. my plan is to go today at lunch. what's stopping me but nothing? exactly. my workout clothes are already at work - i just have to step up to the plate. i don't need to hit it out of the park, i just need to swing. do you like my baseball analogies? i do. sort of ... baseball can be dull. except of course during the seventh inning stretch when people madly rush out and sweep the plates on the field, and the team mascot shoots hotdogs into the crowd out of a giant shooter hotdog. fun. :)

yesterday after work i went straight to the pool for a swim. i was done at 5:30pm, which left me lots of time to myself. nice. tonight is date night. i have to vacuum before my boyfriend comes over. for some reason, i think i need to vacuum more than regular people. maybe it's because i have a cat, but it's not like i'm vacuuming up only hair. it's one of life's great mysteries.

what a coincidence

after posting my piece on weight maintenance last week, i came across this article on yahoo canada which sums things up very nicely. worth reading for sure. i love these yahoo and msn.ca health and fitness articles. many are very redundant, but a few have new and interesting things to say. and it's all free. oh, internet, how i do love you.

i would have to say i went a little overboard on the eating this weekend. especially last night at my girlfriend's house watching gone with the wind. a lot of veggies, some whole wheat pasta with chicken, nachos with taco cream cheese dip (!!!)... that kind of stuff. so some healthier choices but some... not so much. my downfall were these macaroon madness bars from m & m's meat shop. they tasted like butterscotch blondies with coconut on top. heaven!

so now i'm back in healthy living mode. i didn't swim on saturday, but i did go yesterday and this morning. i might go for a treadmill walk tonight as well. i have finished reading thin is the new happy and now i've moved on to chasing harry winston, the latest book from the author that wrote the devil wears prada. exciting! i have to have it finished by the 5th (back to library), so reading while walking on the treadmill is a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. not that i want to kill birds of course.

my goals for this week are: 4 x cardio sessions, 2 x yoga/pilates sessions, at LEAST 7 hours of sleep per night, following hunger cues, and grabbing the bull by the balls. happy monday.

the FOREVER diet

the other day, i was thinking about weight maintenance. i've lost 40 pounds on weight watchers, and kept it off for about a year and a half, maybe two years. i'm sure people (friends, family, readers?) think i'm pretty good at maintaining my weight because i usually can stay within a five-pound range. however, i don't think i've mastered the maintenance secret yet because i continue to gain and lose the same five (or six or seven) pounds over and over again. i've read that gaining and losing the same amount of weight (even ten little pounds) can be very bad for your overall long term health. so what's my point?

to me, weight maintenance has always been this far off ideal. to be able to eat whatever you want (but sensibly), and not have to worry about gaining weight because you have control over eating. you eat to live, not to eat. my problem is, i still live to eat. every time i go through the grocery store checkout line and see those stacks of chocolate bars, my mind thinks, "gimme gimme gimme." i don't give in, but i don't consider depriving myself the same as having control.

another problem i have is the idea of "normal eating" vs "diet eating." i still think that if i am where i want to be weight-wise, then i can eat whatever i want, as long as it's a sensible portion. this is not true. why? i don't know. maybe it's true for you and not for me. i think to myself, wouldn't it be great to have a morning snack of tea and two cookies? le sigh. le cookies. don't normal women who have control of their eating eat this way? maybe, maybe not. i'll never know because everyone is different. everyone has different metabolisms, different tastes, different body and food issues. when i'm not trying to lose weight, i gain weight. up and down, up and down. it's annoying but maybe i'm just programmed that way.

i've finished reading gone with the wind (tragic), and started a new book, thin is the new happy by valerie frankel. i'm only about a quarter into it, and what she is writing about really hits home for me. i started gaining weight when i hit puberty, and my mother did a lot of things to "help" me lose weight. i remember eating dry toast and clementines at lunch when everyone else had delicious looking french fries from the school cafeteria. yes, i did lose weight. yes, i instantly felt better about myself. but why? acceptance obviously. not only did my mother praise me, but friends did, teachers, even women who worked in clothing stores would compliment my mother on the shape of my legs. and hearing this i felt like a bazillion dollars. i don't blame my mother, because we are all just part of this womanly cycle of self-loathing. we can try to step out of the mold, but it's going to be very difficult. i can tell myself that i'm never going to mention anything to do with weight/food issues to my children, but if they see me dieting or complaining about my looks, it won't matter. monkey see monkey do. valerie frankel talks about how she has been on a diet for thirty years, since she was 11 years old. me too... me too...

the only thing i can say is that i've learned A LOT about weight maintenance over the last couple of years. for example, having an exercise routine that is part of your lifestyle makes all the difference. changing the staples of your diet does too. things i used to indulge in all time are a once-in-a-while occurrence, and i'm fine with that. one of my favourite techniques is telling myself that tomorrow is a new day. i want the pastry at starbucks, but it will be there tomorrow if i want it that badly and can't get it out of my mind. i'm not really depriving myself because i probably didn't want it anyway. the same can be said about those supermarket chocolate bars! has anyone noticed they aren't really as good as you remember them being? i guess i'm fine with losing and gaining the same five pounds over and over again as well, if it means i can enjoy myself when it really matters (holidays, celebrations, random fun times).

what do you think? are you on a forever diet too?

book talk with yours truly

since i am still reading gone with the wind (it's epic), i don't have too much to say in terms of books. EXCEPT, that gone with the wind is amazing. i think on sunday some of the girls from my book club are getting together to watch the movie. also amazing!

i've been listening to a few good audiobooks lately. the first, which i finished either yesterday or on friday (who can remember these things?), is the third angel, by alice hoffman. this is a story with three separate parts, focusing on different characters who relate to each other in very interesting and unique ways. i didn't really enjoy the first part too much. there was too much, "so and so didn't believe in love" which i think is ridiculous. who are these hard-hearted characters? i don't like them. the second and third parts were so awesome - the author really redeemed herself.

the book i started listening to on friday or yesterday is freakonomics by steven d. levitt and stephen j. dubner. it's very interesting! not your traditional economics book. it's actually about subjects that appeal to your average joette (me), and not just about numbers and money.

last night i rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes, and did some situps. this morning i went for a 40-minute swim and tonight i plan on doing a 20-minute yogadownload, maybe hatha #2, or maybe #1, the same as last time. i have got to mention how sore my muscles are from this yoga. i am loving it! especially the muscles in my back. i love to know that i am working these muscles.

my eating at set times, high-protein diet is going alright. i'm sticking to it at least until friday morning. it's only hard because a) i am a carboholic who eats oatmeal for breakfast AND dinner several times per week and b) i am also a saltaholic and have cut it out cold turkey. just for this week. i can do it. maybe some of food's natural flavour will return to me.

tea time

my new jeans did not arrive yesterday, and there is a chance they might arrive today. apparently they were scanned in "concord" ontario, and out for delivery. i will see where this alleged concord exists. oh, it's just a wee bit north of me, so i think i will see the pants today. hallelujah!

yesterday i went for a swim after work and worked on job applications. i only got one down but it was a special one that required a lot of detail and attention. i am happy i got that swim in. for me, exercising on mondays is the absolute WORST. i just have no energy, and then feel like a lazy slob if i do nothing. it's tough, but actually doing something physical makes me feel so much better and starts the week off right. now i want to keep it up!

today not working. i am going down to the gym (after breakfast) and i think i will ride the stationary bike so i can read gone with the wind at the same time. 450 pages down, 625 to go. it's just a little mass paperback so the type is too small to read on the treadmill. so much has happened already in the story, i can't imagine what is going to come next and fill the next 2/3 of the book! i guess that's why they call it an "epic."


also, all of my silly girl dreams are coming true today because i am going downtown to a fancy hotel to have high tea. yes, my friends, high tea. i live downtown, but i'm going really downtown where all of the skyscrapers are. to have tea and eat pastries and little sandwiches. i am going with my bf's brother's fiance. that is a mouthful! should be a lot of fun. now.... should i wear diamonds... or pearls? just kidding. (pearls obviously) ;)

book talk

do you want to know what i'm reading? i'll tell you, no arm twisting required.

physical books

1. gone with the wind: one of the true epics. i'm just beginning this one. it's overwhelming because it's so huge. i have a really old mass market edition that i picked up for $2.99 in a used bookstore, and i've wanted to read it ever since ponyboy was reading it to johnny in the outsiders. thankfully it is relatively light. when i was a kid at sleepovers, parent's used to put on the movie to make us fall asleep. i don't remember the movie at all, which is how i like it. books are always better.



2. the independence of miss mary bennett: a novel. this one was written by the same author as the thornbirds and it's kind of a sequel to pride and prejudice but the focus is on mary bennett, the only unmarried sister, and it's twenty years later. it's an interesting read so far. the only thing i don't like is that they are implying that elizabeth's marriage to mr. darcy turned sour quite quickly. nooooooooooooooooo! how dare someone ruin my mr. darcy fantasy! anyhoo...



3. the devious book for cats: a parody. i got this book for christmas and it's a bathroom reader type of book. it's hilarious. i'm pretty sure it's a parody on those daring books for boys and girls, but i don't know much about them so i can't be sure. the book is written for cats, by cats, and talks about different things like cardboard boxes, kitty litter, and "your human." obviously you have to have a cat or be a cat lover to appreciate this. there is also one for dogs.



audio books
if you didn't know i listen to audio books in my car, and sometimes load them onto my mp3 player and listen whilst walking on the treadmill.

1. run by ann patchett. i don't think i would enjoy this book if i had to read it, but i like listening to it. it takes place over 24 hours and is a complicated story about a family. a family in which the mother dies, after having one child of her own and adopting two boys. the father (after the mother's passing) becomes the mayor of boston, and so their lives are somewhat public. one night after the two adopted boys are grown, the father takes them to a lecture on a snowy night. after the lecture, one is going to be struck by a vehicle but is pushed out of the way at the last second by a woman. this woman turns out to be the adopted boys' birth mother! she has an eleven year old daughter who is with her. the oldest son (not adopted) has just returned from africa where he was stealing and reselling AIDS medication. see... complex plot. but interesting... and the reader has a very pleasant speaking voice.



2. clara callan: a novel by richard b. wright. this story is neat because it's about two sisters from small town ontario in the 1930s, and it's all written in letters (to each other) and journal entries. one of the sisters moves to new york to become a radio actress, and the other deals with some pretty heavy stuff back at home. there is also more than one person reading, which makes it feel like an old radio program.



for breakfast this morning i made an egg white wrap with 100g microwaved egg whites (1 point), a flat out wrap (1 point) and a TBSP of salsa (0 points). it was a pretty hearty breakfast for only 2 points.

my bum is a little sore from yesterday's goddess booty dvd, and that's excellent. i was never one for derriere exercises so there is no time like the present to start becoming bootylicious.

boring bob

i feel like a bit of a boring bob lately... you know, not much to say, not much going on. of course that will all change next week when my life turns into a crazy madhouse with events almost every night. not that i'm complaining. it's better than being a social hermit.

yesterday i was on plan all day, and managed to get in a 3-mile walk on the treadmill at night. my boyfriend is a teacher, and through his school board i got a discount on magazine subscriptions to "shape" and "fitness" and my first shape issue came in the mail yesterday. love it! i like reading the success stories, as well as the recipes and health tips. i am not that into the exercise routines... they always look so complicated even though they probably aren't. that wouldn't make sense.

when i got home from work last night the fire alarm in my building was going off. it is so loud everywhere: in the underground parking lot, in the stairwells, in the hallways, and in each individual unit. it was so annoying. i decided to escape and go grocery shopping. it was still blaring when i returned. luckily i bought ear plugs at the grocery store which muffled the sound slightly. there is a new "phase 2" condo that went up beside mine and people have just started moving in. i guess one of the units started to flood (water pouring in through the heating vents) and that's why the alarms were going off. i had to walk up 10 flights of stairs to get to my unit, and then down 10 to go to the gym. good exercise? thankfully the elevators were working again when i left the gym.

did anyone watch gossip girl last night? chuck bass was looking really good in his angry state. normally i'm a nate type of girl, but this episode was all about chuck.

i'm listening to a new audiobook: "drop dead beautiful" by jackie collins. i have never read (or listened to) anything by jackie collins before and i am very surprised by how sexually explicit it is. shocked, actually! it's a pretty good story though. lots of juice and drama. last week i finished listening to "little earthquakes" by jennifer weiner. that was my first book by her, as well, and it was alright but nothing special. it was read by the author who was speaking too slowly for me.

i think that is about it. oh, apparently tomorrow there is a 40% sale at banana republic. on everything except one specific line. i am definitely going. normally i don't shop there because of the prices. whee!

another list

1) i am really sick today. i slept for 9 hours last night, which i never do. my nose is all stuffed and i feel like poo. i took some daytime cold medicine which is helping but making me feel a little boozy. i can't wait until i can just go home and read and sleep and relax.

2) my job interview went well but i won't be offered the position because i'm just not qualified enough. but the interviewer really liked me and maybe in the future there will be a position for me or some freelance opportunities. overall a good experience.

3) my boots, shoes, and purse came in from aldo and everything was too small. but they make everything so easy. i brought my stuff to a store on tuesday, and exchanged the boots for the proper size in store. they didn't have the heels in my size but they ordered them for me and they will be delivered to my house in 2 to 4 days. i just returned the purse because it said it had a wrist strap, but it really was a shoulder strap.

4) i am listening to a fab new audiobook: don't eat this book by morgan spurlock. he is the guy who made that movie "super size me" and ate nothing but mcdonalds for a month. his book is great. some of it is about his experience making the movie, but most of it is about fitness and nutrition and the horror that is fast food. everyone should read (or listen to) this book.

5) what should i get for my boyfriend's parents for christmas? they are always so hard to buy for. a) because it's a joint "family" gift b) because they aren't really into the same things c) because they are european and d) they don't need anything. wine or chocolate is kind of a lame gift because it should be more personal than that.

6) i am not exercising today. sick = no energy.

monday mania

good morning. there are still two minutes until noon so it's still morning! welcome to monday... bleh!

i had a great weekend. on friday i watched across the universe which was pretty good. how can anything made entirely of beatles songs be bad? the first half was better than the second half.

on saturday i had a 40 minute swim, and also walked to the library and back. i had some resume and cover letter books on hold to pick up, and i got two new amazing audio books for the car. i also got a book by madeleine wickham called the gatecrasher. did you know that is sophie kinsella, author of the shopaholic series? pretty *wild* ;)

on sunday, i went with my family to see jersey boys, which is a musical about the four seasons. amazing!

this morning i did some reading, and then went for a 40 minute swim. i am going to try and get some walking in later.

and finally, here is a photo from halloween (i am slow to upload things!) - my boyfriend and i were 70s olympians. i made the medals and the shirts... crafty!

i have a question

my question is: in that new pussycat dolls song, do they really sing "i want to have boobies"? i keep think i hear it, but then i think there's no way something so ridiculous would be in a song... right? maybe i shouldn't put it past them.

i didn't walk to my bf's last night. 1) i forgot that it gets dark at 4:30 and 2) the highway going into the city was still closed because of the accident and it took me almost two hours to get home.

i did walk home from his place this morning, and i plan on swimming tonight. swimming at night is weird for me. i think it's because i like to get wet and have to dry my hair only once per day, and i am a morning showerer.

in terms of my goals from yesterday, i did some thinking about them. i decided to really jazz up my cover letters in order to stand out more. resumes are usually just pretty standard, so it's the cover letter that needs to grab attention.

i also thought about how i could fit my hobbies into my time. right now, not having a job isn't giving me tons of spare time, because technically, i am working (just at my mom's office). i am a single girl with a mortgage, so i have to find money somewhere! and then at home my "free" time is spent applying for jobs.

i think i need to spend more short bursts of time cleaning up after myself. i can be very messy. i am always throwing stuff on the floor and everywhere, and then it takes so long to pick up after myself, because i wait until it gets crazy and then do it all at once. but, if i spent 20 minutes a day just getting things organized, that would free up a lot of other time. i think.

last night we went to tim horton's for dinner and they were out of buns for sandwiches, buns for soup, and only had chicken noodle soup. i like chicken soup, but it's so generic and i must have ten cans of it in my cupboard. so we decided to save our giftcard for another day, and instead made cream of mushroom soup and sandwiches at home. out of buns! can you imagine? no wonder i never eat there.

my audio book this week is a short history of progress by ronald wright. it's neat because i'm actually listening to a series of lectures that were read at universities across canada in 2004. they are very interesting. and finally i'm on the fourth twilight book... exciting!

some thoughts

since the new year is only 8 weeks away, i think it's time to set some goals that i want to accomplish. i don't want to go into the holiday season feeling unfit or frumpy, and there is still time to change things. i don't want to start 2009 with any regrets. without further ado:

1) it's time to get back into my maintenance range and stay there. no hovering around the top and going over at the end of the weekend.

2) i would like to strengthen my core considerably. abs and lower back. i heard that people with strong core muscles have better posture. do you think this is true? i am slouching right now, while i type this.

3) i would like to eat to live, not live to eat. will this ever be possible? do any of you eat to live?

4) i would like to have my closet organized - i have too many clothes that i don't wear. maybe i can sell some and donate the rest. or donate them all.

5) i NEED to get a job. in my career. i could get any job, true, but i am on a career path and don't want to stray off of it with an admin job or something that i dislike. i've had mundane jobs before and they really suck the life out of you.

6) i would like to evaluate my hobbies and have a plan to do more with them. for example, book writing, or sewing. i just can't find the time but i know it's there. it's not like i'm watching a lot of tv so i need to figure that out.

today there was a major crash on the route i would normally take to my mom's office in the suburbs. (i took a different one.) the big trailer of a truck fell off an overpass and crushed five cars below. people are in critical condition. very scary. i hope they are alright.

this morning i swam another 40 minutes, and last night i walked four miles on the treadmill while reading "eclipse," the third book in the twilight series. i am almost done and then on to the fourth. these books are like crack. i need to get them out of the way so i can get on with my regular life and pay attention to real people and not just edward cullen the vampire. ;)

tonight is date night and we are eating at tim horton's. only because we won a gift card at the halloween party last weekend. what is low point and not chili? a sandwich or something? i never eat there so i need some tips. i will walk to my boyfriend's house which is about 2 1/2 miles. i am kicking up the exercise this week if you didn't notice.

have a great wednesday, and congratulations to obama. i wanted him to win :)

absolutely disgusting

if you have a weak stomach, please skip this paragraph. this morning i decided to actually take the multitudes of vitamins i keep buying - iron, b6, multivitamin, c, zinc, and a fish oil pill. i should be taking this stuff every day (apparently). however, this morning, every time i cough or burp (in a delicate, feminine way of course) i am burping up this absolutely disgusting fish taste. it's so gross. it's not even like a yummy piece of grilled halibut or whatever, it's like the smell of chinatown put into a taste. BLEH!!!!

moving on. yesterday i had a great day! i had a 40 minute swim and then went to the swimming store and bought two polyester suits. one is a black speedo and one is a really cute bikini. it is like the one below but the main part is brown and the tubing on top is a light blue.


after the swim store, i went to the main office of the people who put on the halloween party and got the ticket money back for me and all of my friends (six of us!). i'm really happy they refunded the tickets. then i went to chapters and spent a long time browsing and reading all sorts of books. i bought a book on writing and a marilyn monroe calendar - i am using a few of the images in frames i already bought.

and THEN, when i got home, the third and fourth books in the twilight series had come in the mail, so i read 1/2 of the third. i also walked for 4 miles on the treadmill while reading... great way to pass the time.

in terms of food, the whole day was healthy and on plan and i'm feeling really great. this morning i had another 40 minute swim (in my new suit).

DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE ONLY 8 WEEKS LEFT OF 2008!?!??!?!

yawn to yawn

i am so beat this morning. it feels like my lips and face are raw. like i've been skiing or in the cold wind for too long. the concert last night was amazing, and my friend really enjoyed it which made me enjoy it more. i was a bit tired but i could tell he thought it was the bomb diggity. and it was of course.

i thought about sleeping in this morning, but i went to the gym, and walked for 3 miles on various inclines, and did some lunges, push-ups (girl ones), sit-ups, and that plank move that is supposed to be good for your abs. i am way more into the treadmill than the elliptical because i can read magazines and i have a stack of about 40 to catch up on. and i can set my mp3 player to radio and get the morning news as well. i didn't want to work out tonight because a) could be too tired, b) have a few minor things to do and c) all i really want to do is drink tea and read twilight. i bought the next book in the series so i don't have to go without. i am resenting all of the awake time i have to go through until i can finally sit down and read the book. and now it's too cold to read while walking outside (frozen fingers).

i really wanted something delicious and carby for breakfast so i made a quaker instant regular oats with added all bran, pumpkin, cottage cheese, banana, splenda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. it was really filling and just what i needed. warm and comforting.

the latest audio book i'm listening to in the car is "my life" by bill clinton. it's very interesting even though i don't really know anything about american politics. did anyone know that bill clinton was a rhodes scholar? or that his younger brother went to jail for selling cocaine (to fuel his own habit)? i sure didn't!

that's about it... FOR NOW! i might skip tomorrow's workout but wake up at the same time to clean my apartment. i definitely need to step on the scale since i avoided it last week and all this week so far. but really, i've been feeling pretty good about myself so maybe i shouldn't. nah, i will. or won't. or will... i will. time to face the music... whatever that means. apparently it refers to shamed officers being drummed out of their regiment. hmmmmm the more you know.

much better hair day

today i am feeling much better. last night i got home from work starving. if i am working out at night, usually i like to work out first and then eat dinner (because eating feels like a reward, don’t you think?) but last night i felt so hungry and weak that i decided to eat first and it gave me a lot more energy for the workout. and it’s better that way anyway because then i can avoid eating too late.

at the gym i did 20 minutes on the elliptical, then stretches, sit-ups, lunges with 5 pound weights, and girl push-ups, 10 more minutes on the elliptical, and then i walked up the stairs (10 floors) to my apartment. good workout and it burned about 350 calories. (i was wearing my HRM). i like to break up the cardio on the elliptical because a) it’s really hard! and b) it's better to pause and keep your heart rate up for longer. i don’t know what it is about the elliptical machines in my condo gym, but they are really tough. a lot less smooth than really nice elliptical machines i’ve used at professional gyms, but they work nonetheless. and i know this because my heart rate is out of control. usually around 150-160 and sometimes bordering 170 if i am really pushing it. now i wonder if i just liked other machines because they were easier... who knows, whooo whooo? (owl)

after the gym, my legs felt wobbly and jiggly. obviously i need to do more lunges with weights. i haven’t been doing very much weight training lately because of all of my swimming. my upper body muscles are definitely getting bigger from all of that resistance water training, but i guess since i’m not running (more on that another time) my legs are feeling left out. i’m going to incorporate more leg work at the gym: lunges, squats maybe, some press machines... that sort of thing. anyway after the gym, i felt all wobbly and jiggly and even though i wasn’t hungry, i had a source yogurt with ½ scoop vanilla protein powder. i felt so much better! obviously my muscles needed some protein right away. i’ve read that you should eat a protein-y snack right after doing any muscle-tearing activity to help the rebuilding process.

this morning i did 30 minutes of swimming even though i didn’t want to. i was a bit stiff from my workout last night, but i don’t want to wimp out on exercise during the week. i want to exercise at least five days a week, six if i am feeling energetic.

this morning i also made regular oats (1/3 cup) with tim horton’s pumpkin spice tea that was brewing (steeping?) during my whole swim. with ¼ cup all bran, ¼ cup pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice it was a breakfast sent from autumn heaven. i ate some strawberries too.

tonight is date night and we are having poutine and watching top model. my boyfriend begs for poutine. what a sad addiction ;). it’s actually not bad at all. mccain low fat fries, swiss chalet gravy from the powder (pretty light), and served with a turkey grill ‘em or two if you are really hungry and love sausages. sometimes we have cheese (light mozzarella) and sometimes we don’t. it doesn’t make that much of a difference anyway because the gravy is deeeeevine.

what else? i finished last week’s audiobook and went to the library on monday to exchange it for another. i pretty much only listen in the car. i picked up teacher man, by frank mccourt . it’s great but read by the author and his voice can be really annoying when he imitates students. i have read his other books and they are awesome as well. have a great wednesday bloggers.

i broke my bowl

remember my new oatmeal bowl from ikea? well, i broke it this morning. i was excited because i was going to try microwaving oats instead of cooking them stovetop. i thought that maybe the bowl would be big enough to avoid the boiling over that usually happens in the microwave. but now i'll never know. it just jumped out of my hands. and it broke on the countertop... not even the floor. it must have been crappily made, because things normally don't break on the countertop.

everything is breaking for me lately. my phone is broken... it's been sent out for repairs and i have a weird replacement phone. last night my cat knocked over a glass on my bedside table and it shattered (on the laminate wood floor... also weird) and today the bowl. everything is destructing!!!! ahhhhh!!!!

anyway, my weekend was pretty good. i pigged out at the girl's sleepover on friday night, but did 20 minutes on the elliptical on saturday AND went swimming so i'm hoping i canceled out some of the bad. the rest of the weekend was kind of lame. except last night i had dinner with my parents and my mom made the best fresh pasta - spinach and cheese stuffed ravioli with roasted red peppers and mushrooms, and meatballs. and then we made brownies after dinner. wa wa wee wa.

today i am at home organizing my life. i applied for some jobs, and i have to organize some paperwork for a meeting i have at the unemployment office tomorrow. fun times... oh boy!

this morning i went swimming... it felt really good. i might walk to the library later and get another book on CD if i have time. i just love listening to them in the car. it's very relaxing!

friday update and rondom facts

the good news is it’s friday, i got my hair done yesterday and it looks awesome, i’m drinking a skinny cinnamon dolce latte from starbucks and i didn’t have to pay for it, and i lost 1.2 pounds this week (despite thanksgiving) putting me back into the very high end of my maintenance range.

isn’t that nice? the bad news is that i emailed a company i’ve has five yes FIVE interviews with and they informed me that they’ve hired someone else. this isn’t the same company as the interview i had earlier this week, by the way. but i’m really disappointed... what a bummer. i really thought they would offer me a job, too. :(

tonight i am going to a girl’s sleepover? isn’t that fun? although last time this happened some boyfriends came... lame! guys should not come to a girl’s sleepover. maybe they get some sort of thrill about raiding a girl party... i don’t know.

in other news, both fitting back in and vanessa tagged me to share some random facts about myself, so here we go:

1) i lived in leeds, england for ½ a year in university. i loved it there, although i was very homesick.
2) one of my very favourite movies is the secret garden.
3) i can’t eat whipped cream because it gives me horrible stomach pains and (shhh) gas.
4) yesterday i went to the library and randomly picked up a book on tape (cd). now i am obsessed with it. i put disc one onto my mp3 player and listened to it on the transit last night and this morning. and then this morning i listened to ½ of disc two on the way to the suburbs. the book is “light on snow” by anita shreve and it’s so good. it’s about a 12-year-old girl and her father who live in the middle of nowhere and find a newborn in the woods. the voice reading the book isn’t annoying at all. i was worried that it would be too slow, but it’s not.
5) this morning i saw a dead bird on the sidewalk, outside of my boyfriend’s apartment. it looked like it just fell out of the sky. it was on it’s back and it’s legs were sticking up rigor mortis-like. maybe it was an omen about not getting the job. and then my mom said there is a dead cat in the alley (beside the building).... weird!
6) this one will actually be about me. i like being very efficient with my time. this is probably why i hate driving... because i hate sitting in traffic. i don’t mind transit, because i can be reading and that’s a worthwhile thing to be doing. i like to get the most amount of things and stuff done in the shortest amount of trips.

happy weekend everyone. i’m going to resist the twizzler straws!

another big change :)

i have some good news and some bad news. no ugly news, thankfully!

i'll start with the bad news. the bad news is that i couldn't run yesterday. it's like my mind psyched out my bottom and sent pains down there that had me limping all morning. i could have done it in the evening but i didn't want to. i am visiting the chiropractor again today, but before that, I'm going for a swim.

the good news is that i stayed on plan yesterday. i also went to the library and got a book about relationships that everyone was talking about a few months ago (it finally came in) called "the five love languages." i am already finished. it was an easy read but very eye opening. the author says that there are five main love languages in the world and everybody speaks one of them, and receives and gives love in different ways. for example, i think my love language is "words of affirmation." i love being told that my cooking is good, or someone appreciates my clean house, or that i'm pretty. i love it. there is still a quiz at the back of the book to confirm your "language." very interesting. i think my boyfriend's language is "physical touch" like holding hands, touching feet under the table... stuff like that. i am going to "suggest" that he takes that man quiz on our date tonight just to be sure. can i use any more quotations in this paragraph? "can i?"

more good news is that yesterday i applied for six jobs. yes, six. some of which i'd rather not have. i am still waiting to hear back from the company i interviewed with in august. i emailed them to ask if the position was already filled and they said "sorry for the delays, nope, not filled yet, you are still a candidate." more quotations! they said it more nicely than that of course.

more good or rather interesting news is that after my chiropractor appointment, i have another appointment in which i am becoming a blond. i have dark eyebrows so it will (hopefully) look like this very fashionable supermodel agyness dyen.

yawn

i sure am tired today. i deliberately woke up early so that i could go swimming downstairs at 10am. the pool is closed for "cleaning" between 11 and 12 (which is an annoying time to be closed and prime swimming hour!) every week day and i want to get going today. i am going back to the sewing studio to finish my summer dress FINALLY. i don't know why i have been putting it off. well, today is the day!

the concert last night was alright. they didn't play that many songs i knew, and when they did, they let the crowd sing for most of the song, instead of singing it themselves. it's fine when it's just a line or two in a popular song, but not the whole song. my friend said, "i am paying to hear you sing, not to sing myself!" to which i reminded her that the tickets were free but the point was still made of course. the best part of the concert was that we could walk there and back from my building. not dealing with traffic is heaven!

last night for dinner i made us the pc blue menu shepherd's pie from loblaws. yummy. i have always likes this one. it's about 290 calories for 1/4 of the pie which isn't too bad. if you put it with some peas and a slice of whole wheat baguette it's quite filling.

it's friday which is weigh-in day but i'm just not feeling it this week. this is unusual for me but everyone deserves a week off. this weekend... not sure what is going on really. i am reading this book called "pillars of the earth" by ken follett. it's about a builder in the twelfth century who longs to build a cathedral. of course it is about more than just that. it's great so far.

of all the things we need...

here is a tip: don't watch the movie "valley of the dolls"... it's absurd. it makes no sense, especially if you haven't read the book. the characters are all over the place. not a good movie. the book, however, is amazing.

in other book news, today my "hungry girl" recipe book has to go back to the library. i flipped through it one time (one time!) and made nothing. the thing with recipe books is that they are meant to be bought, not borrowed. i also have vegan with a vengeance and it's awesome. much better than the hungry girl book. no offense, hungry girl. your book is great too. it just serves a different purpose and doesn't meet my culinary needs right now. who knew i had culinary needs?

my book club bbq was great. i made grilled zucchini (not boats), a sweet potato, and a pre-marinated chicken breast. delicious. i also had wine, veggies with dip and those chocolate lady fingers.

this morning i was going to walk on the treadmill, but i wanted to give my shin a break. i want it to heal and recover but i loathe being inactive. it makes me feel like sloppy sloth sally. instead i went for a swim in the pool. i did 50 lengths front crawl, then alternated 10 lengths breaststroke and 10 lengths front crawl three times. keep in mind my condo pool isn't a full sized pool. the whole thing took me about 30-35 minutes with no stopping. a pretty good workout except i can still see faint goggle rings around my eyes..... looking good!

this morning at work i got this "brookstone catalogue" which is basically full of expensive things that no one really needs.

exhibit a: the golf drink dispenser. "here's the discreet way to enjoy hot or cold drinks right from your golf bag!"


for you dog lovers, exhibit b: the car dog booster seat. so your small dog can have a comfortable view of the road. this dog does actually look pretty happy.


exhibit c: the doggie dining table. now your dog can eat in a healthier, more comfortable position. is this really necessary? i've never known dogs who had a problem eating off the floor!


time to work. tonight is date night (at home) and we are booking our hotels for california! we already have plane tickets, rented a car, and the first night's hotel. and pretty much decided on what cities to stay in (and what we are going to do in those cities). surf city here i come. :o)

ahoy matey

i am in a much better mood today. last night i went back to the sewing studio and got caught up. i finished putting in the zipper, and sewed the tops of the shoulders and the sides of the dress together. now i just have to add the sleeves and do the trim (i think). then i cleaned my entire apartment. bathroom, kitchen, dishes, den, living room, vacuuming, laundry, bedroom, on and on and on. i like going into the weekend feeling ready to relax. weekends are for relaxing not cleaning.

i was going to go running again today, because i can't go for my usual saturday long run tomorrow because of the everlasting wedding, but then i remembered yesterday's run and how it wasn't fun (rhyme) and my right shin has been bothering me (maybe a splint) so i thought a couple of days off would be the best medicine. there is no point exercising if you don't enjoy it.

yesterday at the library i was getting the new book club book (valley of the dolls), and i saw a yoga/pilates dvd, so i got that too.


it is power yoga plus by denise austin. i did it this morning and it was alright, except denise austin is kind of annoying. but who isn't at 7am, really. she kept saying weird things like, "show me that happy face and smile"... don't you think that's weird? 1) who is smiling? 2) the lady in the TV can't see me! at least i hope not.

it was 20 minutes of yoga and 20 of pilates. my problem with this type of exercise is that i am not that flexible. i never have been. i can remember being in dance class as a young girl and practicing the splits every day for years before i could actually do them. i can't touch my toes... maybe my legs are long. denise austin's legs looked kind of stubby to me. anyway. it was alright. the pilates was more vigorous than the yoga. some of the balancing yoga moves were difficult but not impossible. denise austin's voice is kind of baby-talky though, and i kept thinking of rude things and grossing myself out. if you know what i mean. i hope you don't.

oh, and happy 4th of july to my american friends. i am going to celebrate by eating a twinkie. just kidding! relax.