I Wanna Go!!

Turns out there is a lot more to Florida that just Disney World and the Orlando area filled with tourists 365 days out of the year! I'm kidding, of course. I know there is a lot more to Florida than spring break and vacation destinations. It's a really great state and if the hubster could deal with the humidity, I'd move there in a heartbeat. No more winters, no more snow...Okay, eventually I'd miss the snow...but for the first few months I'd be in heaven. And who's to say we wouldn't head north over the holidays, which is the only real time anyone wants snow, right?!?

We just got back from a working trip down to Orlando and it whet my whistle for a true Orlando vacation -- complete with non-death-inducing summer humidity. I'm thinking we'll return sometime in February/March - before the big spring break weeks, before the summer humidity hits and while it's still liveable there.

Mid-Week Check-In

Checking in after one week doing the Weight Watchers thing .... I am at -7 pounds! I'm so excited. I really thought I'd go in today and just have a 2 pound or less loss because I haven't felt deprived...and it's really rewarding to see a nice weight loss like that. The hubster beat me, though. He's down 10...but he has more than I do to lose...and men lose faster, anyhow. (Don't tell a man that, though, they'll yell at you!)

What have I done this week? I've watched my calorie intake, I've stayed with my walking plan, I've cut down on the Coke - used to drink 2-3 cans every day...sometimes more. Now I'm at 1 or 2 every couple of days. What am I drinking instead? Water (of course), iced tea because I need the caffeine to live and milk. I'm very excited about my progress, but I'm most impressed that I've done it on my own. I may not lose weight quickly, but the pounds are still coming off at a rate I can be happy with -- and I'm not putting anything foreign (pills, drinks, cleanses) into my body.

New Phone -- Ahhhh....

My Palm died a few weeks ago, and a new smartphone hunt ensued. The hubster has an iPhone and, as much as I like it, I didn't want something that big. I like smartphones, but I wanted something a little smaller, so I went into Android research mode. I wanted a phone with email and web capabilities, writing apps/options, messaging, speakerphone and phone/voice recording options. Why all the detail? Because I work from home and my phone is my go-to resource. Carrying a laptop, no matter how mobile, into an interview isn't the easiest thing to do. Much easier to use voice recording, and my spiral notebook to take notes.

I looked at Samsung and Sprint models, but in the end I decided to go with the new HTC because it's so functional. It has a touch-screen, web/email/social network functions, the writing app is amazingly simple and the voice recorder is so clear that I can be across the room and the mic still picks up my voice. I love it!

Tricking Out Cars...

...it really must be a guy thing because I totally don't get it. Our neighbor across the street has a teenage son and he spent all last weekend putting on a new car spoiler, new rims and adding some gadgets to his dashboard. He's got an old (90s) Toyota...not a great car but it goes from place to place alright. What's so important about tricking it out?

I could understand fixing up a classic Corvette or Ferrari, I could totally see myself cruising around with Tom Selleck the hubster after a weekend installing new Ferrari parts on an older model. But a Toyota?

The car looks really odd to me now, though because the body is still old (he hasn't had the new paint job yet) and then there is all this new stuff on it. Once it's done, I think it'll look nice. Right now, just odd. And speaking as a girl, I really don't get it.

Much More Secure...

This post is a kind of warning about home security. Why? Because we were almost broken in to right after we moved into the new house. The story:

About 9PM, our neighbor came home and noticed that our back gate was open. We never leave our gate open and he knew that, so he came around the corner to see what was going on. He saw a very large man, dressed all in black loooking through our windows! He yelled, 'What are you doing?' and the dude ran off like a scared rabbit. Thank God for neighbors, right? He rang our bell to let us know what happened and we called the cops. He took our statements but didn't do much else, because the guy ran off.

The next day, we had a home security system installed and I bought pepper spray to leave in a few locations. Just in case. We kept our 'extras' to house stuff -- additional window units, key fobs, etc. -- but I've seen home security options that include stun guns and the like. Me? With a small child in the house, that is a no-no...but if she was a little older, we'd probably consider it.

The kicker? We live in one of the safest neighborhoods in our city. NOTHING ever happens here. Seriously, it was one of our buying factors. So, if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere. Which is the warning part of the post: you need to be prepared, no matter where you live.

Dorky Dresser?

so, after a lot of contemplating, I decided to go back to school this semester. I'm not after a degree, per se, this is more continuing education and some web-training. The hubster's web design business is taking off and he needs a little more help than 'yeah, that looks cool', so classes were necessary. You know what I've learned so far? 1) 'traditional' students (18-24 years old) are much lazier than I was at that age, 2) I dress like a mom. Not kidding, one of the girls volunteered to take me shopping for some non-mom rags. I went because, well, I thought it might give me some article ideas. The experience did give me those ideas, but it also taught me that urban clothes on a 30-something mom are so not cool. I looked dorkier than I usually do when she was finished with me. But, I did get that article idea, which I'm now going to write!

Woke Up Sore Today...

Don't you hate when that happens? The hubster and I have ramped up our work out routines, along with a weight watchers kicker, to keep the Holiday 10 at bay. But this morning I woke up totally sore and stiff in areas I shouldn't have been -- my neck specifically. I don't do neck-weightlifting or anything so I new something was up.

I looked through our household calendar and realized it's been more than 8 years since we bought a new mattress. What have we been thinking?? So now I'm looking up the different sales flyers and such for mattress for sale...I'd like to get a memory foam mattress this time around -- I'm done with inner-springs for a while. At the very least, we'll get a pillow-topped unit. But I'm pushing for memory foam, as long as I can get the hubster on board for the expenditure.

Warning: Rant Ahead!

So we're back from the baby-less Vacation - and I'm so glad! I missed the baby-bean!! Hit the grocery a few minutes ago and, I have to say, checkers need an education on how to operate those barcode scanner units. Seriously. Our checker tried for 3 minutes - I'm not kidding...I watched the clock after the first 30 seconds - to get the barcode on a package of whole wheat noodles to scan. Nada. It wasn't working. I very nicely suggested she type in the barcode. Got a dirty look while she kept trying to scan the unscannable code. I sighed. Loudly. Okay, not necessarily nice, but come on! Got another dirty look. Baby started to get antsy. Got another dirty look. Line behind us deepened - I think at one point there were 12 carts behind us! - and finally a manager came over, grabbed the package and typed in the code just as I'd suggested. It worked. Got another dirty look from the cashier.

Seriously. Note to checkers - if it doesn't scan the first 30 times you try, type in the code. You'll have a much more productive day.

Getting Away (To Golf)

Labor Day is over and around here that means fall is in full swing - literally. Not only do we have Lake Erie and a great amusement park in our backyard, but there are at least five pro-level golf courses nearby. So far I've kept my grubby hands away from the courses (I'm a horrible golfer) but the hubster heads out every now and again with the boys. They love it and come back talking about eagles, birdies and double bogeys. Whatever that means. That summer they started yakking about taking a golf vacation. One of the guys went on a guys-only golfing trip to Branson a few years ago with his father and brother and had a great time. So he wants to plan a similar getaway with the guys and wives. I'm fine with it, as long as I'm not expected to golf...and there is some great shopping and tons to see on a Branson vacation...so I'm all for it.

A couple of the other wives are a bit reluctant to go, but we started talking about the shopping and other things available there besides golfing and I think they'll get on board. It's a bit late to plan the trip for this fall, so I think the boys are talking about next spring or summer taking a long weekend to the beach. Hey, I may even be able to research a romantic suspense novel around a Branson kind of place... What fun!

It Happens To Everyone...

Used to hate it when my mom told me that...especially since, with zits, it *didn't* seem to happen to everyone else. Every now and then when I get really stressed out I get a pimple or two but I'm happy to say that at the ripe old age of 32, I seem to have finally outgrown the full-blown acne stage. Unfortunately, bad skin runs in the family so my nieces and nephews will likely have to do their own rounds of acne pills just like I did.

You know what I learned during those long days of putting one cream on in the morning and another at night? Nothing works better than simply keeping your hands off of your face.

Seriously, hands are greasy things. When I stopped resting my chin in my palm, the acne along my jawline cleared up; it was a hard habit to break (and didn't effect the acne on my nose or at my hairline) but at least that one area began to clear up. Just a thought as you're researching...try to break those wacky habits.

Finishing Up An Article...

An editor friend of mine called a couple of weeks ago to ask if I could pinch-hit on an article pitched by another freelancer who bailed at the last minute. Note to freelancers: NEVER NEVER NEVER pitch an article which you don't want to write. And NEVER NEVER NEVER give the editor lame excuses when you're already late sending in the article. But, that freelancer's loss is my gain.

The piece was on different disability insurance options for soldiers returning from the actions in the Middle East -- I actually talked to a couple of guys and their stories gave me even more ideas for articles -- but the gist is that many of them don't really understand the options that are open to them now. The link above is one of many that will help these guys get back on their feet, so if you know anyone who is disabled and needs some kind of insurance, definitely check them out.

Revive A Gift...

My brother, God love him because he's stuck by me through a lot of goofy stuff, is going to turn (gasp) 40 in three short years. My SIL and I are already planning the big day...he's not really big on birthdays but we're going to make this one special. And I've been looking for the perfect gift.

And I found it.

He has a picture of our grandfather taking him on his first horseback ride when he was about 3...it's a great picture but it's got a lot of wear and tear. My mom has pictures of him with our grandfather driving a tractor, tilling the garden, playing cowboys and indians...the list goes on. I'm going to take those worn photos and create a really cool slideshows to put in a picture frame for his office desk!

Our grandfather died when we were young, so the pictures are really worn..I'm going to tone a few of them with sepia, do some black and white and then rev up the color in others. Basically I'm going to take the wear from the pics so they're like new - and since they'll now be digital, there won't be any more wear. Cool, eh?

Day 1: Solid

I went to my first weight watchers meeting today - and I'm really excited about the program. One of my resolutions for this year was to improve my health. In addition to walking and using the pool at our YMCA, I'm doing the flex program for weight loss. I even got the hubster to agree to go with me, which is a huge help. I'm a bit hungry this afternoon, but overall it hasn't been too hard...especially since my office is about 15 steps from our pantry - and the Doritos I like to call heaven. Note to self: stop buying that stuff!

I was tempted to try a weight loss products along with the diet because I'd like to lose a certain amount of weight before the holidays hit, but in the end I decided to go 'old fashioned' and just work really hard and cut back. How about you guys? Any plans to beat the Holiday 10 this year?

Don't Forget Your Research

I think we all head into the holidays - and can you believe we're a month away from Thanksgiving? - wanting to lose a couple of pounds. I'm no different. Thankfully I can lose weight with a simple combination of diet and exercise. No, it isn't easy but it works. I know a lot of people try diet pills and different "cures"...some of them actually work and some plans are a lot of hype like how to lose belly fat fast. I think, if you work hard by really counting calories and truly becoming more active you'll lose the weight from all of those problem areas. If you want to lose a few pounds, check out any pills or plans with your doctor first. Do your research, don't just buy it and try it. Good luck!

Let There Be Light!

On a happier renovation note, the under cabinet deck lights -- for the outdoor kitchen -- arrived today! I ordered similar lights for the kitchen and laundry room...and liked them so much I decided to go with the same basic thing in our outdoor kitchen! They are super simple to install so guess what the hubster and I are doing this weekend? Yep, forget about date night, we'll be installing new lighting fixtures so I can actually see the food we're preparing! I'm really excited. The fixtures are recessed so they don't hang under the cabinets, the put out plenty of light to get the kitchen an open look even though it's very closed in. Can't wait to see the final product!