Amy's New Start : Comments Welcome!

[toystoryduo]

Happy Birthday to your DD!!! Hope she had a wonderful 15th birthday!

Sending a gentle your way. I know how much you miss your mom, my friend.

How did your weekend go? Did the fall-like weather continue? I love fall, but allergy season has really ramped up out here.

A WISH meet in March would be so much fun!!! My DH and I are working on the numbers now. I really hope we can make it!

Have a great day today!

 

[eyor44]

Just stopping by to say hello!

How has your week been? Good I hope.

 

[eyor44]

Hi Amy

 

[DisDee]

Miss you Amy!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Where oh where have I been?

So to recap! Dd had a great 15th birthday, our lovely fall weather is gone and replaced with temps in the high 80's making our fire danger high. I have visions of this lasting right up to the first blizzard and then boom, its winter and we got no fall! I hope not, that's what happened last year and it stunk!

I have not been walking this week, I hurt my ankle and also pulled (I think) my achilles tendon. Really painful and so not what I needed. I think I need new shoes. Sometimes I wonder about using a treadmill, for some reason my feet seem to get beat up when I use them too often. But I love the workout they give me since I can do the hills. Today my plan is to do a WATP DVD and see how that goes before venturing back to the gym and treadmill.

Started back up Bible Study, teacing Sunday School and teaching Wednesday night 2nd grade girls at church. Keeps me busy but I really enjoy it.

My sister's life is still not settled and its not only stressing me out but stressing out Dan. We both feel this sense of doom that the condo she rents will sell and since she is not working she wont' have the ability to find an apartment that will rent to her. Which will make my finished basement seem like her perfect solution (from her viewpoint). She needs to find a job but refuses to look for anything outside a teaching job in the one district she wants to work in. I get her dream but her reality is somthing she is not getting. I just keep praying which makes me feel better since in the end, God is in control of this situation. But still wonder what we'll do if the situation of "she has no place to go" comes up. Again.

I was up .7 last week and so mad at myself! It was my old foil: WEEKENDS. So last weekend I tried much harder, still had a splurge lunch with some pizza and a few beers and appetizers Friday night but it was two meals vs. three days of eathing like the weekend before. I weigh Friday, my hope is to lose my 1.5 goal plus the .7 I gained the week before. Not so sure since I haven't been able to work out since last Friday.

So one of the reasons I have been off here is that I spent a few days updated my facebook photos. I have recently been "friended" by a few cousins, one of whom I haven't seen since I was 13 (thereby making her completely unaware of my life, my family and she didnt' know my mom had passed) and a two others I see maybe once every 5 years. They were clamoring for pictures so while I was feeling the pain of this messed up ankle and a sinus thing, I went through all our computers and got it updated. And in the process noticed how overweight I am and how long its been. One picture in particular rang home and the sad thing was, I was 15-20 pounds lighter than I am now. So this got me to thinking of a goal. To lose weight (obviously) but to also at some point put an album on facebook that I will name "my journey". I had Dan take a "before" picture of me and someday I hope to see that picture followed by ones of myself at each ten pound milestone until Oila! I am at goal. I just keep visualizing how neat it would be to have that on my Wall and to be proud to post fat pictures next to the one that shows me at my goal.

I need to catch up with journals but it may be later tonight or tomorrow, today is a busy day and I gotta go walk away those pounds before I leave for the day and night!

Thanks for sticking with me, now that my fb is up to date, maybe I"ll have better luck at keeping my journal up to date too!

 

[toystoryduo]

I'm glad your DD had a great 15th birthday!

I'm sorry to hear about your ankle. How is it feeling?

Sending lots of prayers for your sister and for you and Dan. I pray that everything works out!

Great job on your food last weekend! I hope weigh-in goes well for you today!

Have a nice weekend, my friend!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Tracy, my ankle is much better, I plan to get back on the treadmill on Monday.

I lost 1.5 for my weigh in and was happy. I am close to being right on target but that gain of .7 last week did slow me down. Gotta make that up!

I talked with my sister which was basically useless. I don't intend to bring this up again, I think she's really not addressing her situation but its her situation.

Food yesterday and today was not great, not as bad as some weekends but I really need to get myself in check tomorrow. We are going to my sister's so I'll have to be careful (taking pizza and brownies).

 

[toystoryduo]

Yay! I'm glad your ankle is feeling better, my friend!

Way to go on the weight loss! Keep up the good work!

I'm sorry to hear that the talk with your sister didn't go as well as you had hoped. I pray that she is able to see her situation clearly and make right choices about it. I'm praying!

Hope you have a great day!

 

[eyor44]

hoping the situation with your sister resolves itself (with her help). I completely know how hard it is and how frustrating that they can't see what is going on and that they need to take responsibility for themselves. But you know all of that.

Glad your ankle is better. Have you tried the new zumba class yet? Have you been back on the tread mill? You mentioned doing hills. Do you use one of those that you can set a route that includes inclines? I have always wondered how those work.

Way to go on the weight loss. You met your initial goal. You have set your path. I like your idea of posting pics of your losses. That is a great way to document what you have accomplished.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Lisa and Tracy. My ankle flared up again, I think the true culprit is that I broke that ankle over 20 years ago and the doctor was iffy on whether surgery was needed but it didn't matter since I didn't have insurance! I was young (22) and went two days without insurance and managed to break my ankle in that time frame. Anyway, from time to time, it will really bother me and I will walk on it improperly and I think that is what sometimes causes my achilles tendon to pull, and even my calf muscles on that leg to act up. I have not worked out all week and today its feeling so much better. I really need to get new shoes. Like yesterday!

So I have decided its the time to finally go back to work. Dd is no longer open enrolled meaning she can walk to the high school she and ds attend. I am so glad we open enrolled her in the middle school (ds too) she went to, but being that they were open enrolled it was our responsiblity to get them there. With that behind us and also dh's layoff and paycut, well there is no time like the present!

I had an interview yesterday, its at a very nearby preschool/kindegarten/daycare. I wouldn't make very much, yet it would offer a much needed boost to our reduced income post layoff. I am so hopeful! The interview went very well, I talked to the director, assistant director and the owner of the school and left feeling good. If this doesn't work, well there are other schools in the area. With the new regulations I may or may not be group leader qualified (I was 19 years ago but things change), so I am going to send off for my college transcripts. If I am its almost 20% more pay. If I am not, I may take a course or two at the local community college if I think the cost of school won't take too long to be offset by higher pay. Now I just have to wait and hope.

I was down a measely .2 today. I didn't even bother to weigh last week. My food has been pretty good but with only a couple of workouts in two weeks, I wasn't expecting much and I was right not to!

I am at least 3 pounds off my mark but really do think this ankle injury is the biggest culprit. Also the stress of figuring out what to do for a job (finally decided less pay to return to something I love was worth more than more pay for something I'd probably be miserable at).

Please say some prayers and good thoughts, that one way or the other I am working within the next month so that we can get our trip paid off and give the kids a nice Christmas.

Ds is 17 today, just almost on the brink of being a man. But still my little boy as far as my heart is concerned! All day I have thought about the day he was born and also how six years ago today, we flew to WDW with my mom and stepdad. So many memories. Six years ago tonight I sat out by the pool at All Star Sports with my mom laughing over mai tai's, now she's gone and I am just missing her so much. And wishing I was at WDW today having mai tais!

 

[toystoryduo]

Happy 17th Birthday to your DS!!! How is it possible that your little boy is 17 already? I hope he had a great birthday!

Sending lots of prayers and your way! I hope you get the job you want, my friend! How long will it take before you know something?

I hope your ankle feels better soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[goldcupmom]

Hope the ankle is feeling better. Prayers for the job possibility!

I can't EVEN believe your DS is 17!! YIKES!!! Amazing, tho, how our kids get older, but we don't!

Hope your week is going good! HAve you had snow yet?

 

[Amy&Dan]

I got the job!!! I am very excited and feel like this is the perfect time to begin this new chapter. I will be working less than two miles from home, I have the early hours I want which means I'll be home just before the kids get out of school and I won't have to worry about dressing nice or commuting. So even though this is far from a high paying job, I won't have any expenses often associated with working so that helps to even out things a bit.

My food and exercise have been pretty dismal but so far the scale is holding steady. Lets face it, stress isn't my most well handled event!

I promise to get to journals tomorrow, I don't start until Monday and Dan is going to take a vacation day Friday and he and I will spend that day together which I am really looking forward to. We plan to have lunch out and then take a nice walk in one of our favorite parks near where we lived when we were newlyweds.

I feel so good about this, to be honest it will feel really good to be contributing to the family income and to feel like I don't have to justify still being home to anyone. I have been saying for years I wanted to wait until dd was in high school, I wanted to work close to home and I wanted to be home in the afternoons when the kids got home. I got what I wanted, how cool is that?!

Right after I hung up when they called me with the offer, I looked over at my mom's picture and I swear she was smiling wider than normal in that photo. I think she is happy for me!

On a deeper not, please pray for my friend Deb and her daughter. This little girl has had to go an inpatient mental facility, she's just ten and it so sad. I have had you guys pray for this friend of mine before and her kids. Meanwhile her deadbeat ex husband does nothing and can't be bothered to even care. He just hangs up when the doctors and social workers try to talk to him. I'd love to take care of this guy Texas style and hang him up!

 

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations, Amy!!!! I am so happy for you!

Sending lots of prayers for your friend and her family. This must be such a difficult time for all of them. I can't believe her ex refuses to get involved! I hope he understands the principle of reaping and sowing because he may find that one day he is on the receiving end of the way he has chosen to treat his family.

Have a wonderful time with your DH today!

 

[lovinaz]

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on the job! Not only did you get A job, you got one that meets all of your requirements!

I know I'm late, but happy belated b-day to your babies!

So sorry to hear about the troubles your friend and her daughter are having. Hopefully she will get the help she needs.

 

[DisDee]

Amy, I'm so happy to hear that you got the job! It's wonderful that you found something that fits your requirements and you can be home after school for the kids. When things fall into place, it doesn't get much better than that.

I pray for your friend and her family. Its so sad to hear about situations like that and it makes us stop and put our own so called problems into perspective.

Have a wonderful weekend as you get ready for your first work week! You'll do great!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks ladies, I am still on cloud nine! Its funny, I never feared or worried about actually working, but the thought of trying to find a job was what made me ill. After lots of failed attempts to find the right thing then interviewing for what I prayed would be "the job" last year and not getting it, all of the sudden things fell into place and even though the other job would have been half the hours for basically the same money, this job will definitely be more to my likeing. Working for some rich, spoiled Mary Kay rep who in the end wanted somebody to be her flunkee would have probably been a nightmare. When I saw the way she treated her other assistant, I should have not even wanted that job. Oh well, life has a way of working out quite often if we let it!

My friend's daughter is still in the hospital. They have taken her off all her meds and are trying to find doseage's and meds that will work for a very tiny ten year old. I think she was probably so over medicated, but things are definitely better and she's getting the help she needs.

I have also decided to go back to WW. Doing it on my own has hardly been successful. I am hoping that being back in a routine, having some much needed financial security (for the first time in over four years) and the fact that I will literally be on my feet for 8 solid hours, five days a week will all work in my favor to lose this weight or at least a big chunk of it. I am a little worried about how I get my work outs in, I have to leave home by 6:15 a.m. then get home and somehow wonder if I'll feel like working out after such a long day on my feet. Aquasize would be a perfect option but its only offered in the mornings although I could take it on Thursday night. I'll have to really figure things out on that front.

I am a little worried about my March/April trip. I already told them I had this trip and will fill out the time off request Monday, but I hope they are okay with the fact it will be a total of 8 working days missed. I'll be glad when that process is complete. She said it was no problem but when I said "over spring break" she may have though it was only one week. I got online today to try to change our airfare but there's really nothing left since its such a busy time. Plus the cost to cut our trip short would be huge, even with having two nights less hotel (still would cost more). I am sure it will be fine, but I am so not used to having to worry about this kind of thing on my end!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I forgot to post earlier that my sister found an apartment! Although I worry about the location (inner city, just blocks from downtown and literally near skid row but also near two million dollar lofts and rennovated victorian houses) but its what she wants. I really worry about her dog, its a tiny apartment and at night, when its dark in a VERY high crime area, how is she supposed to walk him? On the other hand, there is no no chance she'll be wanting to live in my basement! She's excited, I am excited for her and once again, we'll be helping her get packed up and moved. Excpept this time she's not moving just two miles away and Dan and I are unable and frankly unwilling to shell out any money to help with the move. She managed to figure out and come up with the damage deposit, and now she'll have to do the same with the moving expenses. We are going down to see her tomorrow and hopefully she'll have figured some of that out. My nephew really wants me to take the dog (that is actually his dog) but we have tried it twice lately and he finds a way to get out of the yard, taking Daisy and Shelby with him and with me now working, well its not happening, besides she adores that dog and he keeps her company. He'll just have to adjust and she'll have to take him out for his potty run before the local drug dealers and nightfall became an issue.

 

[toystoryduo]

I'm so excited for you and your new job! I hope you'll post on Monday and let us know how your first day went.

Sending more prayers for your friend and her DD. How is she doing without all of the meds?

That's great about WW! No worries about exercise, my friend. Once you are settled into your new routine, it will all fall into place. Plus, I bet you'll get some exercise at work as well.

I'm glad that your sister found a place to live, but it sounds like a scary area! Will her son be moving with her? I hope she can figure something out with her dog. If her son is moving with her, maybe he can walk the dog in the day when it's safer? Praying that all goes smoothly with the move and that they both stay safe!

Have a nice weekend!

 

[DisDee]

I hope your first day went well! Let us know all about it.

I need a WW buddy. I've been thinking about giving it a shot to see how it goes for the next 5 weeks. I pulled out my materials and have to get started. As you said, going it alone doesn't work real well. Let me know if you want to do it.