Must Plan Everything Out.

I am not sure why, but I have to plan everything out. I am talking about my day, events in the future, I have to know what is available and what is scheduled. But the hard part about planning is that I do not put this down on paper. I do not share this information with my spouse and I sometimes just assume he can read my mind so I will not have to let him know.
And I don't only plan out things for the week but for months in advance. I have been informing you of things that are changing in our lives and the question that pops into my head is if I should inform the internet world of our plans or wait til it happens. But this is my little tiny island in the world wide web and if I want to share what is happening in my life then that is what I am going to do...
So the truth is that David and I have been talking for a while about starting a family. It's not happening right now but something we are discussing. One of the reasons we wanted to get everything looked at and taken care of was because we wanted to make sure I was in the best possible state before we started trying. We've had miscarriages in our past and having another one is so terrifying that we just want to make sure everything is looked at ahead of time. So there you have it, the breast lump and the polyp in the uterus were all things to look into because we want this to be right. The best news is that we don't have to worry about the lump and for some crazy reason, the polyp disappeared. I am beyond excited about this but then we have to look at what happens to my planning.
We agreed to start trying in June, expecting that there would be a polyp to take care of and handle, but know that it is no longer there- what do we do?
We considered pushing our time up and that might happen, but David wants to avoid having a child born anywhere near a Holiday. And since Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are right after the other, that means we have to wait until after March. I know that sounds crazy, but his cousin was born on Christmas Day and to this day, he hates his birthday- not because of the meaning of Christmas but because he never got to celebrate his birthday as his own. David wants to avoid our child of having to ever deal with that. And if you could avoid that for your child, wouldn't you?
So now we are waiting and the question is, what do we do with our time?
Well I have started to put in my plans. 1st is my boot camp! I am so excited about it and will be starting on February 7th. Waking up at 4:45 and being at the location at 5:30 will interesting, but I know I can do it. I am very excited and will let you know how it goes.
The other thing that I have planned for us is getting our couple's shots in. No, it's not a vaccine, but a photo shoot of the two of us. Trust me, if I had the patience to set up the camera and do the pictures myself, I would but we need someone to pose us and get this done right. So now I am contacting different photographers to find out who I want to do the shoot. So that will be going on in March or April. Also, we have been planning to get new dinning room furniture- we would like to get the house somewhat complete before I get pregnant. And there is also me getting my motorcycle license and David will be retaking the course with me as well. As long as I am comfortable with being on a bike, we have agreed for David to get his dream bike: the Triumph.
So when actually typing all of that out, we really have a lot we need to do before a baby comes along. And honestly, I am fine with focusing on other things before taking that big leap into parenthood. So there you have it, the honest truth. As honest as I can be and as well planned out as I can put it.

Pump up the Jam!

Sometimes I forget how much i enjoy working out in the morning and how it will always put me in a good mood. The hard part for me is that if my body is really tired, I tend to listen to my body and get another hour of sleep in if i can't get out of bed. But while I hear the alarm go off at 4:45 in the morning, I slap the crap out of it and wait for 4:55. When 4:55 shows up, I hit the alarm again and wait for 5:05. At 5:05 I slowly open my eyes and this is when I decide if I should wake up or go right back to bed.

This morning I decided to get up. So I go into the bathroom and I start brushing my teeth then get ready for the gym. Some might wonder- how in the world can you find the energy to work out before you go to work. Well the honest truth is that I do not have a magical body. I cannot eat whatever I feel like and be super skinny. I have to work at how I look and one of those things is with at least an hour of workout 5 days a week and decreasing my amount of daily calorie intake. But it’s not just about wanting to become healthier or ‘fit’, it’s actually all the other steps that make my trip to the gym in the morning a lot easier for me.

So if you want to start working out in the morning and starting your day off right, here is what I do every night before I go to bed.

1) 1) I pack 5 meals in a small lunch bag. I have switched to eating 6 small meals a day. A good general rule is to try to make the meal something that you can fit in your hand. Anything really bigger than that, you don’t need to eat in one meal. So now I will have 5 meals to have tomorrow every two hours starting at 8 am.

2) 2) I lay out my gym clothes in my bathroom. I am talking about my tennis shoes, socks, workout pants, shirt and my super comfy hoodie that I wear since it is freaking cold in the morning. Having it already there just makes it harder to ignore and go back to bed. Since I laid it, I know I have to put it on.

3) 3) I pack my clothes that I will wear at work the following day in a backpack. I've included everything that I need in order to get ready at the gym. Face wash, baby wipes, perfume, lotion, clothes, make up, hair brush, ect.

4) 4) I go to bed before or around 10. If I could go to bed earlier I would be so happy with that. But for some reason I always get a second wind around 8.

So there you have it. It’s nothing crazy difficult or different. I basically make it to where the only thing I need to focus on when I wake up is to brush my teeth and put my clothes on. My day clothes are in the backpack and that is all I have to carry downstairs.

Now I have been so tired I have accidentally left my lunch or phone at home. That was something that just happened, but I usually get to the gym around 5:30-5:45. I have enough time to get an hour workout and still have my needed 30 minutes to get all beautiful. It use to take 20, but I just start Bare Minerals and that stuff takes forever!

So there you go. I really enjoy working out in the morning because when I get to work, I’m usually super awake. I’m in a better mood. When I get off of work I am more focused on just enjoying time at home and I appreciate how amazing my bed is when I slip in for the night. Oh, and there are also a lot less people at the gym as well. That’s also pretty great. I hate going during peak hours, let me do my intense workout without the creeper doing the thigh master in the corner.

So if you decide you want to join me, I would love the company. Hopefully soon (cross your fingers) I will be joining my boot camp and making that morning workout a super workout!! :D

Just for Today.

I once had to do a photo shoot out of town and ended up staying at a hotel for the weekend. While I was in the hotel room, I found a key chain for Narcotics Anonymous that said "Just for Today." I liked it immediately, and placed it on my keys. I always enjoyed it, one because it may have given people a perception of me that was made up and two.. seriously! who has a key chain for Narcotics Anonymous!?!
So yesterday, when I went to meet David and a friend for happy hour I had to remind myself just for today. We were hanging out with a friend that enjoyed smoking and he invited us to join him outside. While outside, David announced that he wanted to smoke. I kept saying no, but it is honestly very hard to have this struggle with your partner. At times, we are not the nicest of people. But I remind myself every day why it is so important for us to do this.
It has been hard, but as much as I would love to lie to you and say I haven't slipped once or twice is wrong. This has been an extremly hard struggle and everytime I fall off my horse, it's even harder to get back up. They say that it takes 3 days for the Nicotine to get out of your system, but the hardest parts are the habits. I have found out that I can not go out with my friends for Happy Hour until I have officially kicked this habit for good. That makes me sad of course because I really enjoy spending time with my friends, but if I drink I know it is going to lead me to want to smoke.
I am also going to have to change myself when it comes to other habits. When I first started it was things like having one after dinner or just being bored and then lighting up. But now I have to stop. So I am pushing forward with just focusing on 'Just for Today'. I can not smoke just for today and I think if I just focus on today, I will definitely be able to have a checklist of smoke free yesterdays.

Ten On Tuesday.

You know what time it is! Ten on Tuesday.. don't have time to write a whole page about yesterday so I decided to cheat. :D

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s day?
No. I was thinking about adding pink and red hearts around the house. But I think that might be just a little too much. But I did send David an message with a link for pre-ordering flowers. I wrote "It's never too early to pre-order for the the one you love." I hope he got the hint.

2. Does your desktop have a picture or computer graphic? Is it organized?
My work laptop has a picture off all the dogs sitting together, lookin all cute. My laptop at home has a picture I took of Aradia hooping with fire. They are both awesome.

3. Do you use a paper planner, electric planner or no planner at all?
I use my head. I plan everything out in my head. For some reason I can actually remember events and things like that. But everyday when I walk into work, I write a list of things that I need to do. I do pretty well getting those things done. I wish I could use a planner, but it is just another thing to carry around.

4. Do you change purses or bags often or stick with a good thing?
I love my purses. All of them are different and I try to make sure it's something that can go with anything. It usually does. But I think I switch them out about every 2 months. There are 2 lovely purses at Coach I have had my eye on recently. Looks like they would like a shoulder to hang on.

5. What’s your favorite YouTube Video?
Barat and Bereta! They are mormon and they crack me up. They actually are working on a movie. And I think Tony Danza might be in it as well. That is just an Oscar winner right there.

6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?
I use my husband, David Balentine. He's pretty good at it. He got me to marry him right before the New Year so we would get more on our taxes, our marriage is just a sham to fool the government.

7. How many states have you set foot (or tire) in? Which ones?

A lot? Let's see.... yeah no.. I thought about listing them all- but I don't have time. Just consider a lot to be a good answer.

8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?
Mexico and South America. Ole!

9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)
A lot? 4 in our bedroom. 2 dogs pillows. 8 in the guest bedroom. a bunch in our roommates room. and like 12 in the living rooms. oh and 8 in the upstairs library. So a lot?

10. How cold is too cold for flip flops?
It is never too cold. If it was acceptable to wear flip flops right now I would do it. Toe socks makes flip flops so much more fashionable.

Being an Adult is Expensive.

So like I said on the last post that David and I bought furniture and it arrived on Friday, but now is the point where I show you the furniture. Before we get into the show and tell, I do want to point out that I love my house. It is a fantastic house and I have taken my time in regard to adding new things into my home. I consider every piece out to make sure it fits well. I usually have a hard time taking advice to what to do to my home, because the initial idea is already set and if I bring up the idea, it's because I want affirmation that my idea is the right one.
So that is why I do not have curtains up. That is why I do not have paint on the walls. And that is why I do not have art or pictures up on the wall as well. Every single little piece needs to be thought out. So please ignore the bare and enjoy the furniture!
This is the main view from the stairs. You will see that we have a whole set. I wish we got a deal on the 'set' but we ended up buying each piece for what is was worth since it really ended up being a better price. And with a 92 in screen from the projector, we really don't need an added T.V. console.

Here is the couch. It is really so comfortable. We make jokes about how it is such a big piece of furniture that when you sit in it, your feet dangle off the edge and you can't touch the floor. I also watched a movie with a friend and David last night. My friend, Ryan and I sat on the this couch and we were both able to lay out comfortable and still avoid getting in the others space. You will also notice our amazing coffee table. The glass in the middle is actually 'shattered glass". Yea, I know. It looks wonderful! It's this new technology where they have the glass shattered in the middle. Thankfully it's very tough glass and I love how it looks when the light hits it from the outside.
Here is the love seat. I think if we were to measure this out, it would be the same length as the couch we had before. Also very comfortable. You might also notice that it have a end table next to it as well.
And this is David's favorite piece of furniture. He has already claimed it as his. It is a "over-sized" chair. I think the word over-sized is an understatement. This thing is huge! It is so big it makes my manly husband look like a 5 year old. He tries to sit in the middle, but the only thing about that is if you sit in the middle, you can not reach anything on the end table next to you. It is also so big, we didn't expect the size of it and we had to push it farther away from the couch so there would be room to walk and move around. David loves it and I enjoy that I can sneak in and snuggle with him and both of us happen to fit on it comfortably.

So there is our furniture. Other adventure of this weekend are really nothing new or crazy. But here is a recap of what happened so you feel included in my fun, crazy life.

1) I went to happy hour with friends on Friday and David had to drive me home because I was too 'happy'
2) It's really hard not to smoke when you have a drink
3) We got to watch Toy Story 3 with our friend Pata, and of course I cried while watching.
4) We took Pata to the new Greek place next to our house. I love Greek food. I could eat it everyday.
5) I ran into an old co-worker on Saturday night and that was shocking and interesting.
6) I woke up super late on Sunday, but just in time to meet friends for sushi.
7) While I was eating Susi, I ending up cutting myself from the tail of the shrimp. It actually hurts really bad and now I have a band-aid on it.
8) Who gets hurt my a dead shrimp!?! Only me, I guess.
9) David and I went grocery shopping and he complained the entire time of his disappointment of what society as a whole as come to.
10) We like having semi-intelligent conversation while shopping for corn flakes.
11) I made my mom's special meatloaf last night for dinner
12) After 2 heads of garlic, the food could still have used more garlic
13) I saw The Wiz for the first time ever and realized how much I enjoy Richard Pryor.
14) Diana Ross really creeps me out.
15) When I go home today, my goal is to fold laundry and clean my bedroom. I will let you know how that turns out.

Friday Funday!

So I don't know why I talk about one subject for the daily blog and then totally go back on everything I said. Don't worry I did not smoke. But Yesterday was one hard day. I am trying to get a training done for a class I have on Monday, so working back and forth on my laptop is what you will find me doing right now.

But yesterday... yesterday was one hard day.

I have told you that I am trying to get healthier, well one thing that I worried that would be an issue was the fact that I have a lump in my right breast. It is a very scary thing to be a young woman and find a lump. I actually found it in the end of 2006. I didn't say anything to anyone because that is usually how I deal with it. So I finally came out and talked to my mom about it around March of 07. When I was living in San Antonio, I went to my OB-GYN and sure enough he noticed it too. So he sent me to a specialist. The only thing about this specific specialist is that there was a 2 month wait to see them. So because breast cancer just happen to strike my family twice within that year, my aunt recommended me to her specialist. I was able to get in immediately. And there it was, that lump. We went through the whole roller coaster of "Is it Cancer, is it not." Thankfully is was benign. I don't remember ever being more grateful of something. But we still had to get it taken out. So instead of them cutting me open, they did a in-office procedure where they basically stuck 2 needles in me and froze the lump. It was suppose to melt away in a year.
So a year came and went and the lump was still there. Then another year came by and my lumpy friend was still there. So I contacted the specialist, but since the year was up they would not be able to give me a free consultation. And I would have to drive to San Antonio to see her and pay. I thought it would just be better to find another doctor in Austin.
Enter Dr. Nunnley. Please trust me when I say do not go see Dr. Patrick Nunnley. He is very rude and very old fashioned when it comes to his practice. He doesn't seem to care about his patience and holds himself as if he is a medical god and that you need to curtsy when he walks in the room. Yea, I don't do well with that type of doctor and neither does David. So once I was able to change my insurance, I decided to go with a new doctor. Dr. Priscaru. She is AMAZING! I have never been so happy with a doctor. She has a strong accent which makes it hard to understand everything but I know that she respects me as a patient and wants the best for me as my doctor.
So after speaking with Priscaru, she was very adamant on me having the lump checked out immediately. So that is what I did yesterday. Again I went through the whole traumatic experience in getting a sonogram on my lump. Seeing it on the screen again was a little surprising. It actually looked bigger and was 100% black. the doctor at the imaging location was actually freaked out and immediately ordered a mammogram. I am not sure if you have ever had a mammogram, but that thing is terrifying! It's a huge machine and they gave me a metal apron to protect my ovaries. Seriously! How much radiation does this thing put out. So after this long appointment, they told me that I do not have cancer (duh!) and that the lump just crystallized from the previous procedure. That it will not cause any problems for me and that if I want it taken out I can, but it's not needed. So now it's a decision of whether or not I want it taken out. I will let you know when I decide.
But yesterday was hard. Looking back at yesterday, I don't think it was really about me being scared about what I was going through but the women around me. I sat in a waiting room with an apron on watching one woman after another getting a mammogram. It really is terrifying, especially when you have to be strong and do this by yourself. I think they need an open bar in the waiting room to ease the pain a little while your waiting in agony. But once I left and I got in my car, I called David and balled my eyes out. It was so stressful to go through and (crossing my fingers) they said if I don't notice nothing else, to come back when I am 40.

So now it is Friday. I didn't wake up early because it was really cold out and I was exhausted. But the exciting part about today is that we got new furniture!! I love it so so so much. I will take pictures and show you this weekend. But yes, very exciting. And know what else! I get to have lunch with my husband today! That's also really great! oh yea... and it's Friday!!! What What! Yea- so let me get my work on and I will celebrate my Friday, Cancer free and happy as can be!

Happy Friday Y'all!

It's Thursday! That means tomorrow is Friday!

Day 6 is here! Yesterday was a lot easier than day 4. David is getting out of his grumpy phase and getting into his happy phase, which I am a huge fan of. We are saving money on the 'not smoking' thing and I have noticed that we have also started drinking less as well.
Let me just be honest about that, I have slowed down on my drinking. It is rare when I will have a beer or a glass of wine now with or after dinner. The only reason is because it turns my 5:30 am workout into a personal hell. I have to sweat out all of the alcohol and it just makes me feel horrible. So I just won't have a drink with dinner because I don't want to have to deal with the effects of it the next morning.
So I guess I really am on the path to get healthier. But it's hard to stick with it. I cried last night because I was so tired. I was tired of waking up at 5 and going to the gym every morning. I was tired of not being able to eat cheese. I was tired of counting every single calorie and every single carb and not seeing a result like I did when I worked out with my trainer. But I have to remind myself that when I worked out with my trainer, I was doing 5+ miles a day. Yes a day. We would start on Congress and 290 and walk all the way to the lake, down the lake, up the lake and back. Those were the days. And now he is in San Antonio until he moves to Australia. I have taken other steps in regard to my workouts. I purchased a month of unlimited boot camp,which I will have to wake up 4:45 for to get there on time, but still very excited. The part that bums me out is that I have surgery coming up and I don't want to sign up for bootcamp if I will be taking a week off. I want to go in it 150%. So until then, I am waiting. I guess I just wish I saw more of a result and not really me seeing the result, but David seeing it as well. David is very honest about everything with me and if he doesn't see something like I do, then he tells me. So it can be discouraging, but I packed my work clothes and laid out my workout clothes in the bathroom like I do every night to go to my work out this morning.
But.... when that alarm went off at 4:50, I hit snooze. Finally I got out of bed at 5:10 dragging my feet trying to convince myself to go back to bed. But I didn't... I brushed my teeth. Washed my face. Put on my workout gear and dragged my feet downstairs. I popped 2 of my energy pills and got in the car. I even got a good parking spot. Then I was getting my stuff to go inside and realized I couldn't find my phone. I searched and searched for it, everywhere I could. Then I realized, I took it out for a second in the kitchen... I must have left it on the counter. So I sighed. Realized my options and saw no other choice but to drive back home. I got home, went to the kitchen and then I saw no phone. Well Crap! So I grabbed the house phone and called my phone. It feel out of my pocket in the car and wiggled itself into the one place I didn't look. At this time it was already 5:45. I wasn't going back to the gym. So I went upstairs and climbed into bed. Took a 30 min nap, woke up and got ready for work.
So here I am at work. I am still tired. I wish I was in bed snuggling with my happy husband. But alas, I am not. So I am going to do everything in my power to get through today. Because tomorrow is Friday!!! And tomorrow we get our fancy new living room furniture. I will give you a hint, David let me get everything I wanted so you know it will look awesome! Until then... Happy Thursday and don't let the man get you down!

P.S. - It's National Popcorn Day!

I almost gave up.

It is now day 5. I hope day 5 goes a lot better than day 4. Everything seemed great! I talked to you yesterday and everything seemed achievable. I got out of work and met David with some vendors for dinner. We went to Fuddruckers and I have been counting my calories and was able to afford adding a 1/3lb burger to my dinner choice. Everything went well, we had some great conversation and after dinner, decided to meet for a drink.
We went to this bar called Third Base. It is a little pricey but they have Golden Tee, and we love some Golden Tee. I had 2 drinks and at 8:30, decided it was time to go home. So I packed it up, said bye to David and our vendors and went home. One the way home I decided to call my mother to catch up and tell her how well we are doing with our none smoking. Conversation was civil and pleasant. Then she brought of what is occurring in her family...

Let me side track before we get into this. They are not my family. David and I have chosen to create our own life and we are very happy in our life. And there are people from my mother's side that do not understand the concept of "being kind to everyone" and like to create mole hills out of ant hills. They drive me crazy so we chose to stay very far away from them. And I know that every family is dysfunctional, but it literally makes my stomach turn and make me sick that I have a blood relation to people that are such disgustingly, horribly disappointing of people.

So after hearing about these people's new adventure in hurting more people, I was ready to go buy a pack and smoke. I was so upset and couldn't get the situation out of my head. After I finished my phone call with my mother I was talking to my roommate, Aradia in the kitchen. I was trying to make sense of how a human being could choose to be such a evil, horrible person to this world. How they could be so lost? I ended up texting David that I quit quitting. Immediately he was ready to quit too and buy a pack. Then I realized that I can't really lean on him for this because he is just as pressured as I am. We are like a house of cards ready to break for just one more cigarette. So after talking to Aradia for a bit, I realized I didn't want to start over. It was only day 4 and I was not going to give up. I know that I am stronger and better than that. And I wouldn't let people that are not even worth this stress to allow me to go back to something so negative. So I held my head up high, texted David that we are not giving up and went to bed. I feel asleep pretty quickly and woke up this morning for another workout.

I had trouble getting myself together this morning. I blame the fact that I had alcohol yesterday and I know that is just poison to my body when I am working out. So I can tell you it will be a while til I do that again. After finally getting everything in order, I got my workout in. It was only 45 min and of course I wish it was longer but I am really trying to stay positive in regard to this change I have in my life. I can only allow good in my life right now.
I know putting all of this information out into the internet could always cause an issue. But I don't think a lot of people read my blog and honestly I don't really care. I haven't stated any names, so if some how someone sees this posts and is assuming it is them, then that is something they have to deal with their selves. I have placed it out into the universe and out of my system. I push out of the poison and start off with good.

And if you have a problem with that!.... well then talk to the hand my friend because I am quitting smoking and don't need that negativity anywhere near me. I'm gonna quit and no one can stop me.

What is that smell?

*Sniff Sniff* What is that? Can you smell that!? Is that... clean air? Why, yes. Yes it is....


The hard part about smoking is that you always smell like smoke. I remember when I was little I could smell it on anyone and I hated the way it smelled. I hated it so much that I swore up and down that I would never ever smoke ever! But then fast forward to the time where it was very important to be part of the cool crowd. Peer pressure got to me and I found myself sitting on top of a roof smoking a cigarette with my best friend. And now after many years I have been able to quit, but I forgot about all the things that I can do now that I have quit smoking.
A friend of mine pointed out it helps to make goals for every milestone I make in my quest to quit. She said she knew someone who got their teeth whitened after they quit for a certain amount. I am taking that idea very seriously. But there is one thing that I want to do before I celebrate anything else. And that is to go back to Enchanted Rock.
I know for a lot of you out there, enchanted rock was such an easy climb and has good memories for you, but for a smoker I saw it as a personal hell. The last time I went to Enchanted Rock was when David and I were dating. I remember being so embarrassed because I just couldn't keep pace and constantly found myself wanting to stop and the constant craving of a cigarette. So now, when we go- I'm going to get to the top, hopefully not out of breath and I am also planning to do a little Rocky jump when I get the top.
Also to make sure I don get tired, I have been increasing my workout. This morning I got myself out of bed at 5 and got dressed and out the door at 5:15. My goal is to get up at 4:45 and get out the door at 5. I was able to get a 75 min work out this morning and I loved every minute of it. I pumped my iron and it got so intense that they asked me to leave for bringing these guns on the premises. (Point to my Biceps) - So yea my workout went well and has been getting better since I have quit. But it not only about working out and getting more done. The most important thing to me is the way I smell. (Full Circle!)
I have always smelled like smoke, and I just bought a bunch of Dolce and Gabbana perfume and Victoria's Secret Lotion. I don't want to smell like smoke! So now, at the end of the day- I don't smell like smoke... I smell like a lady! And I'm not sure if you knew but the scent of a woman could make you go "whooraaah!" So it is Day 4. I can breath clean air. I smell good at the end of the day. I feel cleaner. My workout this morning was awesome. And I know once I accomplish this then I can take on all the other things I have had on my list for a while.

Ten On Tuesday.

Decided to add some Ten on Tuesday to my blog this week. Lucky you!

1. What’s your favorite color to paint your nails?
I do not paint my nails. I actually get my nails done once every 2 weeks. Yes, fake nails with square tip french manicure. My goal is to eventually ween on the fake nail and just get a mani and pedi every two weeks.

2. Do you like to sneeze?
ummm. no. Sometimes I have to sneeze and it gets stuck half way and I'm staring at a light bulb trying to convince myself I need to sneeze, that is the only time I like to sneeze because it is a lot less uncomfortable than standing there squinty face staring at a light.

3. How often do you fill up your car with gas?
I am trying to get in the habit of filling up my car when it gets to the half mark. The only reason is I am in constant fear that the zombie apocalypse is on it's way and it is suggested if in a emergency to have at least half a tank in your car to take you to another city. But let's be honest, they say to have a bike to escape zombie because they can't hear a bike coming. But I also don't mind hitting zombies down with my hemi.

4. Were you named after anyone?
So.... my family is religious. I was raised Catholic, and if I remember the story correctly.. When my mother was pregnant with me she had a dream that the Virgin Mary came to her to tell her she would have a daughter and to name it Elizabeth. There was more to it, but that basic point of it is that I am named after the Virgin Mary's sister.

5. Have you made any good recipes lately?
One last night.... Baked Lemon Chicken - it was really great. I did for serving of two, but same mushroom sauce as the 6 serving. And I added Lemon zest and garlic. And and I cooked the chicken on the stove. It was really really great! Then we had sugar free cheesecake pudding with strawberries. So yum!

6. What’s an easy money-saving tip that you use regularly?
Just get the sandwich. No need to get a combo meal or sides. The main meal is usually going to be enough food for you.

7. Would you rather have a sore throat or an ear ache?
neither. I constantly have an ache in my ear and I hate sore throats- so both are no wins for me.

8. Do you have any scars? What are they from?
I have a tiny little scar on my right hand. It's on the knuckle for my pointer finger. I was really young when I got it but I am pretty sure it was from when some lady in my neighborhood was walking her dog and I put my hand out to pet the dog, the dog bit me, the lady ran off. So guess who was screaming crying and had to get taken to the Hospital on Sunday night... it's not a fond memory.

9. What are you “known for” in your circle of friends/family?
Well I think I can only hold this title for so long until someone takes it from me, but as of now I think I can say I am known for throwing a great party. Within 2 months we had a Housewarming party, Thanksgiving Pot Luck Dinner and a New Years Eve Party. I am tired of throwing parties! But I have had fun at each and every one of those! Totally worth everything we had to go through to make them happen.

I guess with my family I am known for always bringing smiles. I really enjoy that I make my family laugh with my silliness.

10. How do you like to eat your pancakes?
If I wasn't counting calories and could eat whatever I wanted, a whole bunch of buttah! not butter, but buttah! and a side bowl of syrup to dip my pieces in. With fried eggs. and turkey bacon....*drool* turkey bacon. But I went to Ihop and I had to get a Fit to eat Omelet and had a pancake. That's what I can eat now.

Don't Quit, Quitting.

"Don't Quit Quitting" is what my co-worker, Bryan told me this morning. I went to work trying to be in the best mood I possibly could be in. I woke up early to work out and ended up waking up a little later. So instead of rushing to the gym and only getting in a 30 min work out, I decided to work out at home dancing my butt off to the Michael Jackson dance game (which is amazing!) I got the highest score to the dance of Thriller and felt my day already being awesome.
I went to pick up a co-worker I carpool with and had a great ride to work. Even squeezed in some time to get a yummy smoothie for breakfast. And the second I walked into work, one employee said that wrong thing to me with the wrong tone and then Angry Elizabeth with Nicotine craving came out. I was in a bad mood and did not want to be dealt with. So I went to my office to try to get some work done, but there are other people that work in my building and like to talk with their mouth all loud like in the next cube about work! I'm trying to work here! So I decided to move to my Training Room where no one knows where I am or can bother me. So far it's working really well for me. I have actually gotten a lot of work done and decided to take a mental health break to write in my blog.
But today is not comparing to yesterday. Yesterday was actually a lot easier for me than it was for David. We went to have breakfast at Ihop, that their customer service alone made me want to smoke a whole pack right there. Then I went shopping in San Marcos outlet centers and bought lots of fun stuff from Victoria's Secret. Everything was great til I got home.
I will be honest, the main thing that is keeping me from smoking is David. I know that if I give up then he will give up. It's a cause and effect. So he keeps me from smoking. But that doesn't mean I have to like him while I am giving up smoking. We get on each others nerves worse than we ever have before.
Any little thing that would usually lead to a joke or a chuckle is just turning us into a boxing match. So we take our punches and snap at each other, but when we go into our corners we remember what is happening to us and declare our love for each other before we start dueling it out again. The only thing that reminds me why is because we are so comfortable with being ourselves in front of each other; if I am going to take it out on anyone its going to be him because I know he loves me and can calm me down. And that's what he usually does. While we snip at each other logic will come out of the other one and then we realize what is really going on (nicotine withdrawal) and then we calm down.
But so far we have 2 days down and the rest of our lives to go. I know we can do it and one day I wont think about having a smoke a million times a day. I think one of the hardest part is that after the weekend I have had to to remove myself from my friends because they smoke. I know I am not strong enough to stand on my own and avoid temptation, so I avoid it. This little adventure will show a lot about myself and I keep approaching it with as much positivity that I can find.

The Shame of Quitting

So whether some of you know or not, I was a smoker. David and I have been smoking in our relationship since the day we met. I have attempted to quit time and time again. But David has not. So we decided that it would be best if we quit together this time. I knew I wanted it to be after the new year, and since David wanted to choose a random day, he picked the 15th of January.
I knew that this was something that we could do. But I didn't think I had the strength to actually quit. So we decided to ad some incentive. We announced that if anyone caught us smoking and had proof or announced it out to others, we would pay them $5. Yep, $5 every time we smoked. So you think that would make it harder for us to smoke.
Well yesterday, that didn't even matter to me. Yesterday was one of the hardest days I have ever had. David and I were snapping at each other over the dumbest things. It was just arguing for the sake of arguing. I ended up having to leave the house to just get away.
While I was out, I just kept thinking, what if I bought a pack and didn't tell David. But I knew he would smell it on me. I kept thinking of some way to get away with it, but the honest truth was that I just couldn't lie to my husband. I couldn't cheat on a promise I made with my husband. So I have been sticking it out and being grumpy.
The night was getting better but could only go so far. So here I am writing on day 2, desperately wanting a smoke and trying to distract myself with more shopping. I think that shameful part of this all is that it took me this whole time to just realize that I needed to quit. It's a horrible nasty habit and I knew that once we get through the next 2 weeks we will start to be better. But I want to be healthier and I want to be happy and not need an addictive substance to help me complete my day. So here we go... Day 3!