Back to the Gym I Go!

So, I did what needed to be done. I rejoined the gym today. I was able to use my work's account for a few months...and that was enjoyable, but that account no longer exists. I am not sure when it went away...since let's be honest, I haven't been to the gym in about a month. I know. Bad Shelley. Bad Shelley.

I went over to the lovely YMCA and gave them a chunk load of my money. Now...I have no excuse to not get my booty over to the gym, since I am in fact paying for it. I used to workout in the evenings...on my way home from work. I'd head there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after getting out of work...and then go on Saturday or Sunday...whenever it worked better.

Lately though..I just haven't had the motivation to workout when getting out of work. I leave work...am usually a hungry monster...it's already starting to get dark. So, instead of going to the gym...I end up just driving home.

So, I am gonna try something for a week...and see if it works. I am going to try to get up an hour earlier and go to the gym before work. I am not sure my body is going to get out of bed an hour early and then be willing to run on an elliptical, but well....I am going to give it a shot.

There is a cardio class at the gym at 5:15am, but well....I'm not THAT crazy.

Wish me luck. I'm battling my growing ass...and I MUST WIN!!!

GPS is my new best friend...

Yep, I got a Garmin GPS system for my car for Christmas. It sat at home in the box...FOREVER. I wanted one, but didn't really get the chance to use it. I wonderef if I had a $300 toy that I was never going to use.

Then, I broke it out of the box. I was going to Vermont for my college reunion weekend. I had been to Vermont a million bajillion times before, so I didn't need it to get there. However, I hadn't driven around the streets in good ol' Burlington in a long time...so I thought, "Hey, I might need it" and threw it in the car.

I was glad I did...it showed me a shortcut to get to the other side of time...gave me specific directions to the hotel we were all meeting at and then saved me almost an hour on my trip home by taking me a different way.

OK. I was sold. I liked this GPS thingie.

Then, I had a training event in Albany. I had to be there at 9am on the nose. I hate driving to Albany because one bad turn and you end up trapped in Albany with no way to get back to where you need to be. So, I brought my rusty trusty GPS. I did take a wrong turn...and before I could even start to panic, the nice british lady inside my GPS said "recalculating" and had me on my way.

Genius. Bloody genius. Since then..I've taken it to NYC to go to ball games (and let me tell you when you get lost trying to get out of the Bronx...it's real nice to have to try to get someone's attention to give you directions)....I've taken it a bunch of times to Boston...taken it to more work trainings.

I've always been somewhat of a nervous driver when I am going some place and I don't know where it is. I worry about taking a wrong turn and just getting all kinds of lost (Yep, I am kind of directionally challenged). The invention of GPS has really made me no longer nervous about driving into some unknown place...because well...I have my rusty trusty friendly GPS lady with me.

Anyone else just in love with their GPS system as much as I am???

Happy Birthday to ME....

Hey all. The last time I wrote...it was August. Wow. I knew it has been a while, but I didn't think it had been that long. I considered just nixing the site and letting it go, but when I feel like it...I really like writing. I've actually thought of blog entries to write...but then either lost interest or didn't have time. So, I'll get to them...I swear. It's baseball season, so basically my life is baseball...baseball...and then more baseball. And we're heading into post season....so, that isn't going to go away any time soon!

So, I decided today....on my birthday...I'd write a post. I am officially...gulp...a year older. I'm not a huge fan of birthdays. Well, to clarify...I'm not a huge fan of my own birthday. I've been that way for a long time. I try the best I can...to just treat it like any other day. I know, it's silly. Of course...adding in a "bad for me" dinner and probably top it off with some ice cream.

This year...I gave myself an early birthday present of going to Fenway for the last game of the regular season. I went with my dad. It was his first trip to Fenway, so it was nice to see how excited and how much he enjoyed the game. Watching on TV just isn't the same. And...the Red Sox decided to honor my birthday by winning the game...so, that was nice of them. My fav JD Drew must have also heard that I was there for my birthday...since he went out of his way to hit TWO homers for me. Awesome! Jed Lowrie caught wind as well...and hit a GRAND SLAM for me. See, it was all about ME! *winks*

As for today, I am not doing too much. Sadly...working...and then working out...and then a nice, quiet dinner at home. Followed of course...by some cake...and maybe ice cream. OK. Of course ice cream.

Happy Monday ALL! Enjoy it....

NYC...here I come!

There is a rumor that I might be headed to NYC today. There is also a rumor that it is to see the Red Sox/Yankees. There is also a rumor that JOSHUA PATRICK BECKETT will be pitching on a mound.

I am very excited about these rumors. That is all.

P.S. One more thing. GO RED SOX! And win...that is all I ask, WIN!

Monday is Sucktastic!

Today is not my best day. A true case of the Mondays, I tell you.

First off. On Sunday, I went to go run and errand.....mainly to pick up some yummy snacks before hunkering down to watch the baseball game. I got in my car and took off down the street...only to hear "thud thud thud thud." I thought...oh no....my front right tire is low again and it sounds flat this time. I pulled over...looked at the front left tire...not flat at all. Hmm. I look at the back left tire....flat as a freakin' pancake. Fan Freakin' Tastic. I turned the car around as carefully as I could and drove it back down to my house. I crossed my fingers that I didn't damage the rim. Yes, I should have left it where it was...but well, sometimes...I'm not so smart.

So, I get back to the house...and instead of getting yummy snacks, my dad and I went out and got air to put in the tire so we could get it back in the driveway. We filled the tire and got it parked for the day. As soon as the air went in, I could hear it coming back out. Sighs. Evil.

Ok...back to Monday and it's suck. So, I wake up this morning and my throat hurts. I mean...hurts. I have been nursing a mild sore throat for a few days. I took Zicam and thought it might be working. Well, Monday...the sore throat was telling me that it was in fact, not working. So, I went to work...since I have a bunch of stuff to do before the end of the week. And...I was in denial about that my sore throat might just not be the common cold variety.

I am at work....and as the hours go by and my throat continues to kick me in the booty, I realize that maybe I might have the strep and should be seen by those doctor type people. So, I tell my boss...and leave to go to the walk-in clinic. An hour later...I leave the clinic with a prescription for antibiotics and a diagnosis of the strep throat.

Strep throat. Seriously? Am I 13? It is August right? Ridiculous. So, now...I am chuck full of antibiotics and reminding my throat why I hate it. I am also eating my body weight in cold ice cream. I am pretending my doctor gave me a prescription for that as well. Please pretend with me.

Back to the tire situation. So, my rusty trusty dad took my car to get the tires looked at. I needed all 4 replaced since the one in the back was obviously umm...dead and the one in the front had a slow leak from a nail being in it. And...because I was a genius and didn't leave my car alone when I realized I had a flat, I also slightly bent my rim...and need to replace that as well. So, $300 later...I have a car back with working tires.

So, that's my Monday....and I am going to take it up a notch by watching the crap TV known as "Megan Wants A Millionaire" on VH1. I figure watching that trainwreck will scare the strep out of my body. At least that is my theory.

I hope other people are enjoying their Monday more than I am.

Observations on the drive home.

Hey all y'all on the internets. This week has been carzy crazy this week. The last 2 days....work has been all kinds of hectic, but tomorrow is Friday, yes?

I gotta share this though because it just makes me chuckle. Two things actually.

I was at work late last night...driving home a little before 7pm. As I come up to the stop light outside my work building...I see one of those big motorized golf carts coming down the sidewalk. And...in the front seat...and old guy and his bulldog sitting right next to him in the passenger seat. Oh my lord..it was adorable. If I could have gotten my cell phone out in time, I would have taken a pic of the two. As he carted by me...he smiled and waved as it was obvious I was amused by him and his adorable dog.

Then. As I am driving home, I see a guy riding his bike on the side of the road. On the handlebars....he is holding onto a big clunkin' old tv. And then he had a bag hanging over the handlebars. What was in there you ask? A Ouija board. Yes, a OUIJA board. Everything in me wanted to pull over...and just ask the guy on the bike what the story is behind transporting a clunky tv and a ouija board on his bike. Curious minds want to know.

Only here. Only here.

Fitness Schmitness

It's well known around these parts that my "official" weigh in day for years has been Mondays. Well today I officially reached my goal weight...actually, I am two pounds under it. For the past couple of weeks I have been hovering at 1/2 lb or a lb over it, but I just kept trucking along and got the happy happy joy joy news this morning when I stepped on that itty bitty scale.

No matter what the scale said, I was planning on moving into the transition and weight management phase. I fit into all my clothes again...and some of my pants are getting kind of loose. I am not going to go down a size since I am not buying more clothes....being the cheapskate that I am. I fit comfortable into all my shirts and in all my size 6 pants. So...my body is where I want it to be. I just hoped the scale would play along...and luckily this morning it did.

As I mentioned in a post a while ago, now I am at the stage that terrifies me just a smidge mainly just because I haven't been all that successful doing it before. I've been successful at losing weight....and sadly, I am also pretty successful at gaining weight.

So, here is my plan....

1. Keep weighing in at least once a week. When I was gaining weight...shockingly I wasn't stepping on the scale at all. Big mistake...huge. It's much easier to live in denial land when you are helping denial out. I'm not going to freak out if a gain a pound or two...because people's weight naturally fluctuate. But I am going to have a range and if I go above or below that range...time to make a change.

2. Keep recording every little bite I put in my mouth. When I was gaining weight last year, I also wasn't journaling it. It's a lot easier to make bad food and exercise choices when I don't have to write it down and look at it.

3. Keep up the cardio, but add in a some more strength training. I've been a little bit of a cardio junkie lately....and want to work on adding a little bit of muscle and definition. I did the Body for Life program last year, but never finished it..so I am thinking I am going to start it again next Monday. It's 3 days of cardio and 3 days of weight lifting/strength training.

4. I have just accepting that food and stuff will always be hard for me. It's always going to take effort and planning. I used to always think that it should come naturally...and maybe for some people it does, but it just does not for me. If I am not paying attention, I know that I am leading into trouble.

I'll hell bent to not continue to lose and gain the same weight over and over again. Luckily this last time, I didn't gain all the weight back...and put the brakes on before too much damage was done. I tried to figure out how much total weight I have lost over my life....and it is a little over 250 lbs. Sheesh. Not doing this back and forth thing anywhere. Before, I never knew what my goal weight or what I like to call my "happy weight" was. I know what is is now...I'm at it right now. I just need to do the work to keep it here.

That's my story...I'm sticking to it...as I am eating my yogurt as my night time snack. And YES...I am writing it down.

Weekend Wrap Up: Fenway Edition

Hey all out there in the internets....I'm a lucky duck and off work today. I was smart enough to request a day off to recover from my weekend.

I had to work until noon on Saturday because I am an idiot and scheduled to teach a class on the same day I was heading to Fenway Park. Brilliant planning on my part there. Luckily, it worked out. I worked from 8am-12pm...changed into my Red Sox attire and jetted down the Northway to get on the bus and go to Fenway Park.



That is the pic I took walking up to Fenway for the first time. I've been a Red Sox fan for a long time now...but never been to a game at Fenway. Now that I've been, I can't believe I waited that long. I went with a dear friend of mine. She's a fan as well....you know, not crazy obsessed like me, but a fan none the less. She got to witness my crazy obsession first hand.

Here is my top 5 list of my first trip to Fenway Park:

1. Great game. The Sox went out to a 9-0 lead and it looked like the game was well in hand. Then almost the whole bullpen drank a case of the suck and before we knew it the Sox were clinging to a 9-7 lead. Luckily the Sox offense was still on a tear and the Royals didn't believe in something called defense...and the boys won the game 15-9. John Smoltz got his first win in a Boston uni....and I believe I brought him luck.

2. The Kansas City fan on our bus. Almost everyone on the bus was a Sox fan...everyone but one guy. He and his lonely self boarded the bus wearing a Royals jersey. He had the most angry body language while he was watching the game. He was in the last row in the bleachers and stood the whole time, arms crossed with a huge scowl on his face. I kept looking back and checking on him because he amused me. My friend and I...and the couple sitting next to us joked that KC guy looked so pissed that he planned on killing us all on the way home as we fell asleep. And umm...I was only half kidding. The guy not only rode a bus for 3 hours to watch his team lose...but he also had a major creeper vibe to him. I almost took a pic of him while he was stewing during the game, but that just seemed mean. Still funny though...and on Monday morning, I wish I did.

3. Jason Varitek looked at me. I feel like such a dork that this brings me such happiness. I walked around with my friend for a good while and then walked around a little by myself to take some pictures and what not. I went down to the bullpen since Smoltzie was warming up with Tek. This nice couple...well, I don't think they were technically a couple since the woman was a nun and all...but they let me stand in front of them to take pictures. They were darling sweet. Anyways...back to Tek. So, I was taking pics of Smoltz and Tek...and Tek was actually really close to me. He was turned away, so I wanted to get a pic of him and his adorable face, so I yelled his name...and he turned and looked at me. I know...hand me my dork card. I almost forgot to take the pic since I was startled, but I would not be denied. Here is my close up Tek pic:



4. Yelling at JD Drew haters. I know he's not the most popular Red Sox player, but he's on the top of my list. Some of the crowd around me was heckling or booing JD as he came up to bat. Ugh. Expected, but still annoyed me none the less. Later in the game, JD made a spectacular throw to home that stopped the Royals from scoring another run. It was a genius play and I didn't think anyone could make that throw...but JD did. After the play...the crowd cheered and I yelled..."Yeah, who hates JD Drew NOW?" No one really responded to my yelling...which is probably better, but still happy I let people know about JD, his awesomeness and how wrong they all were. Just sayin...

5. The rain. The words Boston and rain have been permanently linked this summer. The weather report indicated no rain for the day. They were almost right. The skies stayed clear...until the top of the 9th inning. It started with a few drops here or there. By the time Saito took the mound, the rain turned from a few drops to a pretty steady rain. Saito had a 1-2-3 inning and as we were leaving the park the skies opened up and it started pouring. By the time my friend and I made it to the bus.....we were soaked from head to toe. There was not a dry spot on my body. And...I had light khaki pants on, so let's just say the world or at least my bus was aware of what color undies I was wearing. Good times, good times....really, it was. At least the rain gods waited until the game was almost over. I didn't get home until 4am as it was so a rain delay would have made me super cranky.

And one more for good measure...

This girl knows something something about baseball. I am used to most people thinking women who like baseball are there to watch cute boys and don't really know much about the actual game. I spent a good deal of time during the game explaining some things to my friend and just talking about the game and the players. Yes, I mentioned some of the players hotness....but more time was spent watching the game and commenting on said game. At one point during the game...while my friend was gone getting a drink and a hotdog...the guy sitting next to us had a question about Justin Masterson. So, he immediately turned and asked me. Of course I knew the answer. Later he wanted to know about Bates...what his story was, etc. So, we chatted about Bates and then both CHEERED when Bates got his first major league hit. It was just nice to see someone actually seeing a female is a fan...not just there to watch pretty boys run around.

I have some pics up over at the Facebook. If you and I are friends at the Facebook...feel free to check them out. There is no one on facebook who is not completely aware of my trip to Fenway, how excited I was about it....and what a great time I had.

I gotta figure out how to get back to Fenway and SOON.

Why can't every weekend be a LONG one?

Hey all out there on the interwebs. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. I was lucky enough to get Friday off work...so, it has been a really nice 3 day weekend.

What did all y'all do for the 4th?

Did I see fireworks? Nope. Didn't. I like fireworks, I do....but I kind of don't like the whole process of fireworks. Huh? Wha? Fireworks are pretty and all that...but having to get there a couple of hours early so you can get a good parking spot and then a good seat. And then sitting there and killing time for a LONG time to see fireworks that last for 15-20 if that...and then getting back to your car and being in gridlock traffic FOREVER. So..sometimes I go and more often I skip it.

I had a nice weekend though. I am kind of a home body....not on purpose. I love spending time with people and hanging out, but I am often not all that good at it. I just suck at making plans and what not.

On Friday, I went shopping for most of the morning and afternoon. I went to Target and Payless and Wal-Mart and then went to one of the local shops downtown. As we all know, I am cheapest woman alive...but I was in desperate need of some shopping. I got a couple shirts, a bathing suit (luckily it was a "thin" day, so I didn't wanna kill myself when trying it on)...and a pair of comfy, but can be work appropriate shoes.

Then, I went to the movies with my former roomie. She's a doll...and sadly, we don't get to hang out as much as I would like. We have different shifts...and life just sometimes gets in the way. It was really nice hanging out with her...even if most of it was just spent sitting next to one another looking at a screen. We went to see The Proposal. It is a cute, predictable romantic comedy...and of course, I enjoyed it.

Saturday...I got up early...went to the Farmer's Market. And then I went to our local amusement park with my friend and her boyfriend. The best thing about having a rinky dinky amusement park in my hometown is that you can just go for a few hours and be done with it. We didn't feel the need to spend the WHOLE day there and just leave exhausted. It was a really good time. They have a new ride...that is one of those drop rides. One side lifts you up...and the other side of the ride drops you from the top. It's awesome. I could ride that one all day long. It was a little too cold to spend any time in the water park, but I'm not complaining.

Then, we went to see The Hangover. Umm...BEST. MOVIE. EVER. Seriously. Never laughed so hard in my life. I had heard it was funny. And it was and then some. I highly...HIGHLY...recommend it. If you don't like this movie...then I think it is official, we can no longer be friends.

Sunday....got up early...went to church. I signed up for a early morning Bible study before church. It's based on the book, "Really Bad Girls of The Bible." I did a similar bible study last summer and really enjoyed it. We read a new story each week...and have a discussion on it. We got into a really interesting discussion this morning about mediums and psychics and if they were doing God's work or not.

Then church...and went to visit my mom's grave marker for a little bit. I don't go as often as I should...and it's always a nice, peaceful visit when I do.

The rest of my Sunday....calm...and restful. I did some laundry, watched the Red Sox game and now I am watching Bridezilla and enjoying all of it's ridiculousness.

Is tomorrow Monday already???

Hey Rain! How about you move along, mkay?

Seriously. I know people say...oh, rain is good for us. We need it.

Umm. No. Here is the weather report courtesy of weather.com for the next 10 days:

Today: Rain/Thunderstorms.

Friday: Scattered Thunderstorms.

Saturday: Showers.

Sunday: Partly Cloudy.

Monday: Partly Cloudy.

Tuesday: Scattered Thunderstorms.

Wednesday: Showers.

Thursday: Thunderstorms.

Friday: Sunny.

It took until next Friday, July 10th to get a weather report that included the word SUNNY.

Rain. You can bite me. Why don't you head on off and visit someone else. I am sure there is some area of the country which is in a dangerous drought like situation. I am sure they are praying for you to come and visit. Head on over. We won't mind one bit.

Rain, rain...go away. No need to come back another day.