Friday update...

Hey everybody....I totally forgot to do a TT yesterday. Oops! This week, I keep forgetting what day it is. On Tuesday, I thought it was Wednesday. Yesterday, for a bit...I was convinced it was Friday. And on Wednesday...at one point when talking to a co-worker, I had no idea what day it was. Wow...either I am having a stroke or I really need to get more sleep! lol

And on the diet front...I am doing really well. So far, I am loving the Fat Smash Diet. I am able to eat lots of fruit and veggies, that I love...and it is really vegetarian friendly. I haven't weighed myself yet, but even if the pounds come off slowly...I am really happy with this way of eating.

I do need to bump my exercise up though. I have been going for my daily walks, but I know I need to kick the intensity up. And the good news...as of today, my roomie is starting her evening shift at the job. So??? Well, that means I can workout in the apartment when I get home from work. I am pretty excited about it all. I plan on starting the Power 90 program on Monday and doing it 5-6 days a week.

Oh...and let's not forget to talk about reality TV for a little bit, mkay? A reality show that I love...actually loved since the first season. My few fav reality addiction is So You Think You Can Dance? I just think the show is fabulous. One, it is about people who actually have talent. Two, the dancing is beautiful...and really wonderful to watch. The choreography is just gorgeous...Mia Michaels is just a genius. I think I would have kept dancing as a kid if people like Mia would around in my neck of the woods. Last year, Travis Wall was my absolute favorite. LOVE HIM! Thought he should have won.

This season, I have a lot of favorites actually.

Danny: He's a wonderfully beautiful dancer...and the adopted brother of Travis, so how could I not like him? He's just amazing to watch. He does have a smidge of attitude, but well...I still love him.

Dominic: He's a little beat boy and initially, I really dislike him. But now, he is really growing on me. He has learned so many different styles of dance and he has this enery and spunk. I just adore him...and that mischievious smile of his.

Jessie: I love her. She got sent home last night and I thought it was so unfair. She got sick and was unable to dance, but then came back last night and danced her routine. I thought there were girls much less talented than her that deserved to go home. The poor girl was in tears...and basically living in a bitter barn. Poor Jessi.

Lacey: I was initially not a fan of Lacey. She is the sister of last year's winner, Benji...who I also love. I just thought she thought she was a legacy and deserved a spot just for that. But since she started in the competition, her dance has been spot on. She danced a lyrical routine that took my breath away. And her and her partner, Kameron(I'll get to him soon), have wonderful chemistry. She's a doll...and maybe she could be the second in her family to win this competition.

Kameron: Speaking of Kameron...I adore him. One, he is hot. I mean...hot. And he and Lacey just partner so well together. He's really wonderful to watch and brings such sex appeal to the show. hummina...hummina...

Neil: I like him. He might be my favorite, but I am not sure. When I watch the show, I call him "New Travis" because he reminds me so much of Travis Wall from last year. He's just a beautiful dancer. I thought he might go home last night, but luckily...he was saved. Love New Travis...love him!

Alright...enough Love for the SYTYCD kids. Who do I think should win? I really don't know. There are just too many people who are TOO good this year.

And yes...sometimes in my living room...I frolick around and think I can dance like them. It's delusional, but well...kinda fun at the same time!

Let there be light!

I wish I owned my own house...I really do. I hate that I am locked into my apartment and can't change ANYTHING without written permission from my landlord. I understand why it works that way. The landlord doesn't want to take the risk of the next tenant hating the changes I made to the apartment. My last apartment allowed you to change things and paint, etc...and let me tell you, the horrible paint job when I moved in was ghastly. It was like "Trading Spaces Gone Bad."

If I could change my apartment, I would definitely change the lighting. I would change the overhead lighting to something much more pretty. We have this little dome things that are nice for light and what not, but not the prettiest in the world. And I know some people hate them, but I would consider putting in a ceiling fan. I think they are often pretty and functional. It would be nice to have something in the apartment to keep the air moving around.

And since I was searching around the site a little...looking for things that my apartment will never let me do, I thought I would see if there was anything there that I wouldn't need my landlord's permission to do. I found some fine art lamps on the site. Most of them aren't my taste or within my budget, but this one is just beautiful. It's a smidge pricey, but well...isn't pretty always!!

How did Day 1 go???

So, yesterday was Day 1 of the Fat Smash Diet that I am doing. I spent a lot of the weekend making sure that I had food that I could eat in the house and doing some prep work for things I knew I was going to eat during the week. It's a pretty simple eating plan. In Phase 1, which is called Detox...you eat mainly all fruits and veggies, lotsa beans, a little yogurt, a splash of milk and some brown rice to round it all out.

It's not far from what I am eating now...if you take out all the refined carbs that I eat...and I know those carbs...the pizza...the M&Ms..and the list goes on and on...were my main problem. So, I have high hopes for this new eating plan. I decided to give Fat Smash Diet (FSD) a go after I watched Celebrity Fit Club (CFC) and was pretty impressed with the results that the celebs posted. And...from watching the show, it was done with hard work and keeping to the program. It's not like those infomercials were people say how great the product is, but you wonder how much they were paid to say that or how much weight they really lost. I got to watch a group of 9 people lose weight this way...and all be pretty gosh darn successful.

As I said, yesterday was Day 1...and it went pretty well. I ate lots of fruits and veggies. I was constantly eating, but it was eating good foods. It felt natural and healthy. The only real downside is that I had a headache last night...and most of today. Not a bad one...just a slight one in the back, etc. I don't even know if the headache is a result of the new diet (and the lack of caffeine and sugar) or if it is because of the heat.

Anyways...I am liking it...yummy food...and good for you to boot!

oooh...I forgot!

I got a call last week...Friday I think, from a person at the County. I had participated in the county sponsored Walking Club and we had our "wrap up" ceremony last week. At the event, we could enter our name in to win prizes, etc....and we know how I love free stuff, so I entered away.

Well...the nice lady called me on Friday to tell me that I had won two free tickets to a local boat company. They are really nice boat rides too, so I am quite excited. She put the tickets into inter-office mail and I completely forgot about it until this morning when I got an envelope and realized it was my free tickets!

I love free swag! *winks*

P.S. I am still in my last two week's of the Woman's Health Walking Challenge. So far, it is going really well. I am aiming for 10,000 steps a day and I hit that goal and then some almost everyday. For example, when I went to the amusement park...I walked over 20,000 steps that day. Whoo hoo...go me!

Pay Someone Or Do It Yourself???

You know, I wish I was more handy than I am. I am often so jealous of my dad and the made skills he has. He has replaced the plumbing in the house. He has added a deck to the house and has replaced the porch twice. He's updated our back room and had designs on putting another bathroom in the house for years and years.

Right now, I can't do any of those things. I wish I could. And, I know my dad only learned those things by doing them. I mean, he wasn't born knowing how to put a deck on a house or how to dry wall a room, etc. So, I am deciding to do more DIY (Do It Yourself) projects. For example, I want to install some security features to my current apartment. I want to add a peep hole and a dead bolt. I hate that when someone knocks at the door, I have no idea who is there. Of course, I would have to get permission from the apartment complex first, but that should be easy enough. And who knows, maybe if they will let me make the apartment more secure, they will also let me make it look prettier too!

I am going to read over more info on their site and when I need something done, instead of calling someone...I am going to attempt to Do It Myself! (of course...with some help and support from my dear ol' dad).

nice weekend...

Hey y'all....I had a nice weekend. Let's do a little review.

Friday: I was exhausted when I got home from work. I felt like I just could have slept forever. I went to my dad's house, fed the cat, checked the mail, etc. (Dad is away on business for the week...he's back now, so don't think you can break in and steal all our stuff). Anyways...I came home, talked to a friend on the phone, talked to my dad when he got home from his trip and then headed to bed to sleep and sleep and sleep some more.

Saturday: I got up bright and early...6am or so...and went to the Farmer's Market. I was hoping to get a lot of fresh, yummy goodies. Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of things there. I am waiting for the lots of veggies to show up, which should be any week now. I love fresh out of the garden cukes...and can't wait til the farmer's garden has 'em.

And then in the late morning/early afternoon...I ended up going to our local amusement park with my friend for her son's birthday. We just had a great time...and it was great to be spending time with this friend again. We used to hang out all the time in high school and have come in and out of my life for the past 10 years. We reconnected just after my mom passed away...and I am so glad to have my wonderful friend back. It was a good time had by all.

and then after I left the amusement park...I went to my dad's house and we went to a neighbor's graduation party. I had to park on the next street over in order to get even close to the house. It was a nice party...and perfect weather for it. Then we went out to eat for dinner...and I headed home for some much needed rest.

Sunday: I went to church this mornin'...and the service was really nice. I think my mom would have loved it. My church is really such a loving community and they have been so supportive. After church, I went to go shopping with my dad...BJs and grocery shopping.

Oh...which made me remember...I am starting a whole new diet tomorrow. I was really motivated and energized when watching Celebrity Fit Club...so I am starting Dr. Ian's Fat Smash Diet tomorrow. I bought a bunch of stuff for the diet and prepped some recipes today. Hmm...maybe if y'all are lucky, I will share some with you.

So...now I am watching some tv on the tivo and then headed to bed.

It wasn't a horribly exciting weekend...but it was really nice.

if only vacations were this easy...

There is this cool little thing...where you can log onto the internet and make your own beach-side sandcastle. It's kinda fun...and I wish that playing in the sand was that easy and inexpensive.

The Sandcastles can be made into e-cards and can be sent to family and friends. They are super easy to make and fun too. You just log on and make your own sandcastle. You can select your own beach, what your castle will look like, what is around your castle, etc. It's pretty dang sweet. Now, if only it let me put a hot guy out there on the beach...then it would be perfect. tee, hee, hee. Once you are done, you name your castle and then you send it to yourself and anyone else out there in the world wide web that you want to. It also publishes your castle on their website too, so other people can take a look...and probably steal your ideas! It's pretty cool. I am going to check out their site and see what kind of castles other people made....or I might just make a few more castles just to entertain myself. I think I am going to make one for my little 2 year old nephew and sent it to him. He gets to play in the sun all the time being in Florida, but I also think he'd love a sandcastle from his TiTi Shelley.

Here is one of the cards I made...what do ya think? Pretty, eh?

when tv wasn't just reality smeality...

Last night...while I was trying to fall asleep...I was flipping around the channels and came across a channel playing repeats of The Wonder Years. The episode I fell on was actually the last episode and I watched it for a few moments. And after that, they started the series again...and played the pilot episode. I ended up watching the whole episode. I was tired, but I really wanted to see it.

I forgot how much I loved that show...and how really great it was. It was a show I always watched when I was a kid. It was a never miss. It started in 1988 and then, I was 11 years old...so I definitely related to the trials and tribulations of Kevin Arnold and his crew of dorky friends. Yes, it was set in the 60s, but it just told the story of growing up and finding your place in the world.

I also remembered...there was a girl in my high school who looked JUST like Danica McKellar...I mean it. She was like her long lost twin. People actually called her "Winnie" when she walked by in the halls....which drove her nuts.

Anyways...I just really enjoyed watching the show again. It really was well made...and definitely reminded me of my childhood. It's kind of sad now that TV shows like this, I am not sure they would make it. A new show has about 2 weeks to get an audience and if it doesn't, it's cancelled. They will replace it with another trashy reality show and know they will make their money. It's kind of sad that shows like The Wonder Years don't exist much anymore...but we have a reality show where people compete as if they were pirates. Aurgghh!

Thursday Thirteen #34

Thirteen Things Shelley Would Like to Do/Get Done This Summer Since today is the official first day of summer...I thought I would post a TT of my plans/things I would like to do this summer. It's a laundry list of sorts. 1. I mentioned this before, but I want to get a bike on the road...and use it as my main mode of transportation. One, I would be active...and two, save on that ever so expensive gas. 2. I want to be proactive in being outside more. Even if it is just going for a walk during work and when I get out of work. I want to spend more time outside of these lovely walls. 3. I want to make more plans for my weekends. I tend to do a lot of relaxing and watching movies, etc. They tend to be really lazy weekends. I don't want that anymore. I want to go to parks, go for walks, go hiking, etc. 4. I want to lose 20 lbs this summer. I am sick of caring around this extra weight that I know I don't need and that I know is holding me back. 5. The last couple of months, I have been pretty motivated while watching VH1's Celebrity Fit Club. I am a much bigger fan of that show than sham shows like The Biggest Loser. So, I am going to adopt the diet by Dr. Ian...and I am going to give the Fat Smash Diet a try. I figure, I like natural foods...and obviously don't mind not eating meat, so I think it might just work like magic. 6. I am also going to start working out like mad again. I plan on starting the Power 90 program again once my roomie starts working nights...which should be the next couple of weeks. 7. I plan on going to the Farmer's Market every Saturday that I can. I can't wait to get all the fresh veggies...and sometimes fruit. I went last week and didn't find anything I really wanted, but soon...all those veggies will be pouring in. 8. I want to hang out with my friends more this summer. I have a great group of friends and we are super supportive of one another, but we don't hang out a lot. So, I want to hang more...even if it is just having dinner or going to a movie or whatever. And hey...maybe I could make a hiking trip (an easy hike) and invite some of those friends along. 9. Speaking of movies...I want to go see a movie or two which is coming out this summer. My roomie and I were talking about going to the drive-in, which I think would be super fun. 10. This summer, I want to look at practical ways of becoming more green. I want to recycle better than I am. I want to look at reducing energy use and cost. I think it's something important and also something that can save me a penny or two down the line. 11. I want to keep the apartment clean this summer...and beyond. I am going to make a cleaning schedule and make sure one room is clean per day. If I keep on top of that, it shouldn't be an issue at all..for the place to be clean. Right now, it's not bad...but it isn't as neat as I would like it. And...my bedroom is a mess, so that needs to be cleaned stat. 12. To keep on the cleaning kick...I want to clean out my car and keep it clean. I tend to clutter up my car like I do everything else in my life. It ends up having a bunch of junk in it...and therefore, have to re-arrange everything if I go shopping or am giving a bunch of friends rides, etc. So...I want to clean my car and keep it clean. 13. And the last thing...it even though I will be working full time through the summer...to have as much fun as possible. I longingly remember those school days of spending the summers just enjoying the time off...and going to the park...or the Great Escape, etc. So...in the free time that I do have, I want to relive those summer off experiences.

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Oops and a giggle...

When I was driving to work this morning...there is a corner where it is sort of blind, so you have to be super duper sure before pulling out or you might cut someone off or eeek...cause an accident.

So...today I thought I looked, but I didn't...and when I pulled out I saw that there was a car coming, so I slowed down and got behind him. No harm. No foul. But well...he decided to stick his little finger out the window and flip me off. Yes, if I had kept going and made him screech his tires to not hit me and cut him, I would deserve to be flipped the ever elusive bird, but well...I made a mistake and slowed down and went behind him.

So...after he flipped me off. I stuck my little hand out my window and....no, I didn't flip him off back...that would be immature. So, I just waved at him, as friendly as my little hand could. I think that pissed him off...cause he slowed down to about 15 miles an hour (on a 30 mile an hour road). So, I just slowed my car right down to about 10 miles an hour and slowly followed him. The fact that I wasn't getting angry...was really pissing him off. And you know what, that gave me some sick sad enjoyment. I made a mistake...I should have looked better, but you know what...it happens. I corrected and avoided cutting someone off or an accident. And from that point on, that guy's emotions are his own problem.

When he turned left at one point and I went around him, I smiled and as nice as I could...waved to him. Yes...sometimes I am not Mother Teresa...and just petty. But well...I can live with me.

So, my advice to you...someone flips you off...be as nice as pie. I can tell ya it is more effective than getting pissed back and getting all Hulk angry at someone.

*giggles*

Burn baby...BURN!

So, how much of a survivor do I think I am? Well...all in all...I think I would do pretty well. I have always been a pretty nature minded kid. I can hike up a mountain. I know how to survive out in the wilderness. I can change a tire...depending on how dirty I am willing to get. I can usually sweet talk my way into people being nice to me..and giving me what I want. My one main weakness, I am directionally challenged. If I am supposed to go left, I go right.

USA Networks is posing the question of how well someone can survive, especially when all the contacts and people they knew has been taken away. It's their new show called Burn Notice. The basic premise is that when a spy is fired, they don't get a pink slip, they get BURNED! What that means is that all their contacts, all their fellow spy daddies are all dead to him. He is basically untouchable.It's like he doesn't exist in the spy community anymore. In the show, that's what happens to Michael Westen.

So, what does a guy do who is a former spy and is no burned?? Well, he moves home to Miami and becomes a private investigator. Of course, the thing he is most interested in finding out is what happened to cause him to be fired. This is harder said than done though because he can't use any of his former knowledge, so he truly has to find out what kind of survivor he is while seeking out the truth.

USA Network's Burn Notice is the newest series to come from USA. I can remember when all USA showed was old movies, etc. Now though, they have some really amazing shows. I actually saw the commercial for this show while watching episodes of The 4400 and The Dead Zone. I think that USA is making some really high quality TV shows as of late and from the looks of it, Burn Notice is no different. It has an interesting cast too. The main character, Westen is played by Jeffrey Donovan. He hasn't been in a heck of a lot, but I will always remember him when he played Jared's troubled brother in The Pretender. He was always someone that just completely engaged the audience...with his brooding intensity. And Westen's love interest/spy herself, Fiona, is played by Gabrielle Anwar. She is not only beautiful, but once again another movie star to take on TV. She plays Westen's ex-girlfriend who was dumped once upon a time, but now might be the only person who can help him figure out what happened.

I don't know about you, but this TV show looks pretty great to me. It premieres on Thursday June 28th at 10pm. Check your local listings and check it out!

*yawns*

Hey there....I feel like I haven't posted for days, probably because I haven't posted for days. tee, hee, hee...

My weekend was really nice. On Saturday, I went over to my aunt's summer house with my dad and we had a really nice night. We just hung out and chit chatting with them, etc. And then we had dinner...and my cousin made some bean burgers, which were really good.

And on Sunday, I went to church. I haven't been since the week after my mom passed away and that week, I went with my brother. So, it's been a while. I ended up seeing my pastor on Friday at another funeral she was officiating and it was so good seeing her. It was the motivation I needed to get back to church. I was glad I went...it really is a wonderful place there. And then my dad and I went out for breakfast...which was very very nice.

That's about it for my weekend...it was nice, but also very very tiring.

*yawns* (hence the title)

PPP hits the jackpot!

Hey everyone! I was lucky enough to snag one of the Lucky 7s opps from PayPerPost in celebration of their bringing in 7 million dollars to their site. Of course, it wasn't a $700 opp, but well...I'm not being greedy.

What should PPP do with all that money? I think they should give it all to me. Sounds like a good plan, eh?

I kid, I kid. I do think though, they should put that money in promoting the site more (which they have already done with the site relaunch and with these promotion opps). I also would love to see them offer more conferences about blogging, especially how paid blogging plays a role. I know there is PostieCon, but maybe having more of them and making them regional events.

And we could also have special conferences on special topics. And because not everyone can travel, they could make them tele-conferences where people could log onto the site and experience the topic at hand as well.

I think some great special topics could be building site traffic, switching from a free blog to your own domain: Common FAQs, blog ethics, etc.

So...other than giving all the money to me, which I still think is a viable option, I would say promotion and tele-conferences.



PayPerPost released the following press release about the 7 mil that they just received:

The PayPerPost Revolution Accelerates, Sponsored
Blogging Marketplace Secures $7 Million Series B

Draper Fisher Jurvetson leads round and joins Board of Directors

ORLANDO, FL – (June 12, 2007) – PayPerPost, the leading marketplace for advertisers to reach bloggers and other consumer content creators, today announced it has completed a $7 million second round investment led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, an investor in the company's Series A and one of the world’s leading high-technology venture capital firms. The financing brings the total amount of capital raised by PayPerPost to over $10 million, giving the company considerable resources for further development as the industry’s leading Consumer Generated Advertising marketplace. Additional participants in the round include existing investors Inflexion Partners and Village Ventures as well as new investor DFJ Gotham. With this investment, DFJ Managing Director Josh Stein also joins PayPerPost’s Board of Directors.

“PayPerPost created this exciting new advertising space and has established itself as the industry leader,” said Ted Murphy, chief executive officer of PayPerPost. “Although we’ve only used a portion of our first round capital, this added support from investors unlocks significant growth potential. Our content creator and advertiser ROI metrics clearly demonstrate the upside for PayPerPost’s model. We intend to use this capital to build the infrastructure, visibility and professional expertise necessary to reach and retain a greater network of advertisers and content creators than ever before.”

Since its founding in June of 2006, PayPerPost has signed more than 6,500 advertisers to its groundbreaking service, which has enabled Consumer Content Creators to be compensated for their efforts discussing specific companies, products or services via blogs, videos or other media. The content creators are required to disclose relationships with advertisers on their blog, providing transparency for the end reader. Over 125,000 Internet postings, most in the form of blogs, have already earned money for their creators through PayPerPost’s innovative marketplace. PayPerPost recently released PayPerPost Direct, a disruptive new service that allows advertisers to contract and negotiate directly with individual bloggers they identify through a safe, managed system.

“PayPerPost has laid a strong foundation for the future,” noted Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “It continues to attract a critical mass of participants from both the advertising and blogging communities. Analogous to Overture’s sponsored search model, we believe PayPerPost’s business model holds disruptive potential and will enable the company to thrive in the evolving paid-content arena.”

To mark the $7 million dollar funding, PayPerPost has launched a new website detailing the company’s service offering at http://www.payperpost.com. Bloggers and advertisers can easily sign up at the site and begin leveraging the self service marketplace.

anniversary overview

I was going to write a TT yesterday about 13 things I love about my dad, but well...the day got away from me. I'll write the entry before Sunday, I promise.

We had a really nice day. I went over to his house at about 5pm and we decided to go to Olive Garden. My family is a huge fan of Olive Garden. My dad always gets the same thing every single time he orders. He gets the Lasagna....he's gotten that for as long as I could remember. I decided to get the salad and soup. I love their salad and their minestrone soup is really good. I often get pasta as well, but not this time...I decided to save room for dessert. During the summer months, they have the BEST DESSERT EVER. It's berry sorbet covered with fresh strawberries and blueberries and then topped with some sort of custard. It's just heavenly, so whenever it turns to being summertime...I always get dessert when I go to Olive Garden. My brother called after we went to dinner and he and my dad talked for a few. My parents' anniversary is on Flag Day and so it is always a nice reminder when someone mentions, "Hey today is Flag Day!"

Then we went to Wal-Mart to buy a few things for my dad's trip (he's going out of town on business next week) and then we headed home. We spent a lot of time at dinner talking about mom and things she liked...memories of her. It was nice, but also sad. I miss having her to talk to...tell her about my day....ask her silly questions of advice.

And then I hung out with my dad until about 9pm...just chit chatting. But 9pm is his bedtime...and I had to get home and get myself to bed soon too.

It was really nice...I am glad we didn't let the day go by.

Much love to you mom...miss ya bunches!!!

Smorty to the rescue!

Hey everybody! I have been checking all the different paid sites out there. I have spent some time researching the different sites and Smorty is the newest one I have come across. Smorty is a site when you can get paid to blog about different products and services. It works a lot like the other places out there, but of course some things are different. And the different things I LIKE!

Smorty rates you on a bunch of different factors and give you a Smorty score. I don't really know what the scores mean, but I like that if you write hugh quality posts and get rated well, your smorty score can go up.

The rates for posts can range from little amounts like 4 bucks...to big amounts like close to $100.00. I don't imagine I will be getting $100 posts anytime soon, but I like the idea that the possibility is out there.

You have about 3 days to write a post once you click accept...which is awesome. I hate feeling rushed and not being able to write a high quality post. And, unlike some other places, you don't have to leave the opp window open until you write the post or risk losing it.

The thing I think is the COOLEST...that's right, I said coolest...is the payment system. They pay out on a WEEKLY basis. Once your post is approved (which takes about 5 days), your payment is approved the first payment day of the next week. There is no waiting 2 weeks/30 days/etc. I think that kicks some major arse!

And one other thing I think is cool...is how quickly they approve sites. I submitted my site yesterday afternoon and was approved this morning when I logged on and checked my email. At another site, I had to wait well over a week to be approved.

So far, I am liking Smorty. If you like to get paid for blogging, check them out!

Flag Day and so much more...

Today is kind of a hard day for me...emotionally. Today is my parents' anniversary. They would have been married 38 years today. It's just sad because they could have had so many more years together. My parents started dating when they were in high school...went to both proms together. They have been part of each other's lives for more than 40 years.

My dad and I are going to hang out tonight...have dinner at home or go out to dinner. I figure, we shouldn't stop celebrating their anniversary. It's a day I plan on celebrating, but it's also a day that I know I am going to be sad that she's not here...i'll be missing her like crazy.

So, I was driving home from work today...and I drove past our local gas station...and saw that gas was selling for $2.99/gallon. Gas had been selling for about $3.15/gallon around here and the news had said that the area average was $3.11/gallon. So...I was shocked to see it under 3 dollars.

I pulled in and filled up. I had about half a tank, but I figure...if gas goes down in price...I should buy it. How sad that anything under $3 a gallon is considered cheap gas. *rolls eyes*

Reno 911! Miami

Hey y'all...we all know how much I LOVE movies. I am a complete movie buff. It's the reason I worked at a video store for 2 years and am considering working at a video store again. I love movies...so a job that gets me free movies is definitely a plus. I end up watching between 3 and 6 movies a week, depending on how much real life gets in the way.

One movie I would highly recommend is Reno 911! Miami The Movie. I've know these characters for a while and just think it is too funny. It makes fun of those TV shows like Cops and puts their police in ridiculous situations and tapes them a la Cops style. If that's not funny...I don't know what is. The movie comes out on DVD on June 19th, so if you haven't seen it yet, you can rent
Reno 911! Miami in less than a week.

My absolute favorite character of the movie is Lieutenant Jim Dangle. Hands down. Absolutely. He is every stereotype of a gay man, a gay man in the closet. He doesn't wear the uniform that everyone else does. Instead, he wears hot pants or short shorts. I heard a rumor that they were sometimes filming around real police officers and that some of the female officers complained about his little short shorts. *giggles* Now that's funny. He struts around and pretends to know what he is talking about, but sadly...none of them do. He is definitely the shining star of Reno 911! Miami The Movie in my opinion.

Weigh-In and $$$$ Update...

I forgot to update with my weigh-in for the week...probably because I gained. It's so interesting...I never "forget" to weigh-in when I have lost, but it always seems to slip my mind when I gain.

I gained one pound this week...which isn't the end of the world. I did go on a monster food binge this weekend. I made tacos and ate it all...til my stomach actually hurt. I love tacos...and have learned I have difficulty with portion control because of said love for the tacos. I also ate ice cream...and basically anything that was in front of me. Let's put it this way...I officially at M&Ms for breakfast on Sunday.

But...it's all a learning experience. And Monday was a lot better...I did some grocery shopping to have some healthy options in the house. I bought food that I like and that is also good for me. Plus, I am going to go back to writing everything that graces my lips down...it helps.

I am also kind of stuck in terms of workouts...I plan on starting Power 90 and I am actually quite excited about it. I really loved that program the two times I have done it before. But, I don't know when I am going to be able to start it. I basically am waiting until my roommate starts actually working nights...instead of training during the day, which she is doing right now (and who knows how long it will be until it is actually night shifts because she has been out of work for quite a while with stuff with her step dad...completely understandable). So...I am excited to get started...I just don't know when I can get started. I am still doing a lot of walking, but I am looking forward to working out with more intensity.

And an update about the finances...I wrote a TT last week about a bunch of ways I am going to save more money. I have started putting a lot of those things into effect.

#1: On Friday, I went in and cancelled my YMCA membership. It broke my heart a little bit to do it, but since I wasn't using it...why should it? I just like the idea of it being there. I need to give them 30 days notice...so they will still charge me one more time, but not again after that. $37/month officially saved.

#2: I logged on and made the change to my Blockbuster membership...from 3 out at a time to 2. It's a smart move since last week, I was running out of movies at the store that I wanted to exchange them in for. I know a couple of people suggested that I cancel my account and use the library. It's a great suggestion, but just not for me...and in this area. I did that when I lived in Bloomington and it worked perfectly. Their selection mimicked what the video stores had and it was such a simple process. Not so much here...they have a small, small section of DVDs and it takes forever to get a new release. So, I am going to stick with the Blockbuster membership...just a smaller one.

#3: I am in the process of cancelling the Netflix account. I have the two movies per month account...and I wanted to make sure I got the two movies I paid for before cancelling. I am being sent the second one right now...and once I have it in my hot little hand, I will cancel the account. It will give me ten days to watch the movie and get it back to them and still have it cancelled. I figured it is best to get my monies worth and then cancel...since I am the Queen of Thrift!

#4&5: Haven't charged anything on my credit card since getting paid...but groceries and gas. I have to pay this month's bill...and then see how much smaller next one's will be. I also got out my $20 spending money this month...and so far, I have been very good with it. I bought a sandwich for dinner...and paid for it out of my cash in my wallet. I also considered getting Taco Bell for dinner one night and thought of the money in my wallet and that it has to last until next Thursday...changed my mind...and made something at home.

#7: I switched my insurance...and saved a chunck of change. My policy is about $80 cheaper for 6 months. And...when I cancelled at my current insurance company...they are sending me back $43.00 that I have overpaid them. Whoo hoo! I also saved myself $4 per month because instead of paying monthly installments where they bill you a $4 service charge...I paid it in a one time installment. That saves me an additional $24 per 6 month quote. All in all...pretty sweet deal.

#9: I checked my AAA gas card...and the online statement said that I saved $4.88 on gas this last month. It's not a lot, but it's better to save a little than to not save anything.

#10: I haven't gotten my bike on the road as of yet...it's on the schedule for next weekend. I want to get it going, so I can start riding it to work.

#12: I have brought my lunch everyday...for over 2 weeks. I was tempted to order out with a co-worker yesterday, but alas...I did not. Go me!

I still have some stuff to get done...but all in all...I am moving pretty well on all the goals I set for myself.

Monday Morning ramblings...

I ended up getting a call with some bad news last night. My roomie called and said that her step-father passed away at about 9:30pm or so. He has been really sick lately and battling some pretty bad illnesses, so it wasn't expected, but it doesn't make it any easier to take. My thoughts are definitely with her because I know all too well what this feels like. That's all I will say about it though...because I do my best to not talk about other people's stuff on the internet. I'm not always successful, but I try. But...if you are sending prayers and warm thoughts out...send some to my roomie and her family.

Yesterday was Sunday...and once again, I planned and started to prepare myself for church. I had a hard time sleeping and ended up waking up at 5am...and could not get back to sleep, even though I was exhausted. Seems unfair, eh? I started to think about church...and soon enough...time to leave for church had gone by and I was still sitting on the couch. I just don't feel ready to go back to Church yet, even though parts of me really want to be there. It's the place that my mom and I went together...it was our weekly time, etc. My dad didn't go to church and in the last few years, my brother wasn't a church goer. So...it was something for me and my mom. I went to church the weekend after my mom passed away...but my brother was with me. And, I didn't do so well...cried the whole time. I have never been to church without my mom...and so, the idea of going is comforting and terrifying all at the same time.

I'll go back...and I know the longer I wait, the harder it gets, but I will go...when I am ready.

Don't be fooled....

So, I was watching TV this morning and saw an ad that just made me ill. Gary Coleman...you know..."Whatcha Talking about Willis?" Well...he was advertising for one of those instant loan companies. He said that it was great...cause no one would loan him money, not even his family...so this loan company saved the day.

One, how pathetic must Gary Coleman be these days to either have to advertise for these shmucks or even worse...have to use them.

I paused the tivo...to look at the actual description of the evil loan they are talking about. Let's take a look at what they are actually offering you:

"The APR for a typical loan of $2,600 is 99.25% with 42 monthly payments of $216.55. Credit approval is not guaranteed and depends on the lender's credit standards."

That's right people...the interest rate is 99.25 percent. That's just insane. And let's to a little quick math about how much you actually have to pay in order to fulfill the loan.

42 payments X $216.55= $9095.10

To borrow $2600...you end up paying a little over 9K.

If anyone actually gets one of these loans...you are either completely desperate or an absolute moron.

Shame on your Gary Coleman...selling your soul to these shmucks!

Bye Bye Isaiah!

I heard this morning on GMA that Isaiah Washington is not going to be back on Grey's Anatomy next season. It may seem petty, but well...I was very happy to hear this. I'm sorry, I am.

When I saw the season finale of Grey's....I started to worry. One, every single character ended being completely misreable...come on Grey's...can't ONE person have some happiness. But anyways...I digress...in the final episode George is cleaning out his locker after failing his intern exams and saying that he cannot repeat his intern year. So...I got worried that TR Knight was not going to be returning to Grey's next season. There were reports after "the incident" that Knight said that if Washington was to stay on the show that he would have no choice but to leave. So...I was worried that Washington was staying and Knight was leaving.

And just in case anyone out there is living under a rock...Washington was critiqued for calling TR Knight a gay slur on two different occasions in 2006. He called him the F word on the set and then said it again on national television after Grey's won the Golden Globe for best ensemble cast. He then apologized again...and went to rehab. I don't know what kind of rehab...I didn't know they had "gay slur" rehab, but well....celebs seem to think that rehab is in the solution to any situation they get themselves into.

Anyways...it angered me that it wasn't a bigger deal what Washington said. Imagine the firestorm if someone on the Grey's cast called Washington the N word. They would immediately be fired...and the Jessie Jackson's and Al Sharpton's of the world would be going bat shit crazy. But...there is still this sense of acceptance when it comes to calling people "gay" names. It seems that the gay community and the overweight community are still open to name calling and jokes...those are still funny, while other populations are not. I mean...look at Imus. He was fired for calling someone a "nappy headed ho." And we all know it was the nappy comment not the ho comment that got his ass fired. The African American community is much more mobilized than the women's rights community....so well...

So, I was glad to see Grey's take a stand and not renew his contract. I believe in free speech...but I also believe that your words have consequences. Washington used the word...not once, but twice...and the second time he used it, he was denying he used it in the first place. Was it the end of the world? No...but I can see why ABC made the choice they did. So...so long Isaiah...I liked Dr. Burke as a character, but well...words have power...and consequences.

Of course many will say it is just more PC crap...but I happen to applaud Grey's and ABC for making a decision to not support intolerance. Maybe someone will think about it the next time they are going to callously call someone the f word.

Being smart about DEBT!

Now in an ideal world, we would all live on a pink cloud and never have a cent of debt. But unfortunately, not many of us get to live on that perfect, pink cloud, do we?

I have been writing about money and debt 24/7 around here lately. I rambled a few days ago about my finances and the amount of debt I have paid off in the last few years. I rambled last week about my decision to move a bunch of my money from savings and pay off a small education loan that I have. I wrote a Thursday Thirteen meme earlier today about 13 things I am going to do to save even more money while I am paying my debt off. So, to say that I have money and debt on the mind is probably an understatement.

I have often said...I probably said it earlier this week, that I think people should be required to take a finance/money course before they graduate from high school. There were so many things about debt and money that I just didn't know when I was offered my first credit card. The debt crisis is growing each year and I don't see it getting better, I see it getting worse. *cringes*

And for the most part, I am very lucky. I am lucky that I don't have the credit card debt that other people do. I am lucky that all of my debt is what people call "healthy debt"...meaning educational loans. Of course, I don't feel so lucky when I am paying it off!

I have had a few friends ask me where they can get debt help and advice. It's tough because there is often conflicting information out there and you don't really know who to trust. Well, one..I would say ask people in your life what their advice is. Two, if you go to a professional for advice, I would encourage you to look for a non-profit organization. I happen to believe strongly that if someone is going to make money of your financial woes...they probably have their bank account interests in mind, not yours. There are some web sites out there which can give a lot of advice about tackling your debt no matter how big or small. (I like that this site says that there is NO need to pay for advice! Smart site, I say!). I think that debt management can be so overwhelming, so it is wonderful to have someone walk you through it...so you might see a light at the end of the debt tunnel.

And of course, money management is a crucial skill too. You can learn everything from A to Z about debt, but if you don't learn to manage the money you have...it ends up being an endless cycle. The site recommends making a weekly budget, make lists of monthly bills/fees, create a competition with friends/roommates about who can spend less at the grocery store or to get their hair cut (I love this idea...I am SO stealing it), etc. I am always looking for new ways to manage the money I have and hopefully spend less of it.

Alright, I promise...I won't talk about money for at least a day. At least I will try!

*giggles*

We ended up talking about this today at work...because "Have No Sense of Humor" Bill O'Reilly thinks it is innapropriate and going to hurt the little girl, but you know what...I just think it is hilarious. It's a skit where Will Ferrell is visited by his landlord...who is a little 2 year old girl.

Now I disagree with Bill O'Reilly...I think it is hilarious...check it out for yourself.



If that's not funny...I don't know what is.

Thursday Thirteen #33

Thirteen Ways Shelley Plans On Saving $$$$$! I am already a pretty frugal person, but there is always room for improvement, eh? I am going to list 13 ways in which I can make a dollar go even further in hopes of continuing to pay off my school loans and have that monkey off my back! 1. This one makes me sad, but it needs to be done. I am going to cancel my membership to the YMCA. It costs about $40 per month and to be honest...right now I am not using it. Plus, I have about a bajillion workout tapes at home and have been using walking as my main form of exercise right now, so I can do that anywhere. So...bye bye YMCA! Savings: $40/month. 2. I am going to change my Blockbuster Access program from 3 movies out at a time to 2 movies out at a time. One...with the free movies you can exchange, I am finding it hard to watch that many movies a week and two, it saves me money, not a lot, but money. Savings: $3/month. 3. Cancelling the Netflix subscription I have. I have been holding onto it because they carry some movies that Blockbuster does not, but well...who cares? And, I actually don't even need to cancel it, I can put the account on hold for 3 months and then cancel it, so no harm, no foul. Savings: $5/month. 4. As said this in an earlier post, I am going to be a Nazi about my credit card spending. I am only going to spend money on my card on gas and groceries...that's it. Nothing else! I always pay it off each month, but it's just too easy to justify charging a pizza on my card, etc. We'll have to see how much savings it actually adds up to, but I think it will be pretty good. Savings: ???? 5. I also said this in an earlier post (money has been on my mind lately)...I am going to give myself $20 cash each time I get paid and that is the only money I can use for things such as going out to dinner, going to the drive-ins, etc. Once that money is gone...that's it until the next time I get paid. I've done this before and it is pretty effective. Savings: ???? 6. I did this earlier in the year and I am going to get back to it. At the end of each week, I am going to empty the change out of my wallet and put it in a jar. I won't really miss those pennies and dimes and quarters (alright, I might miss the quarters)...but they will really add up over time. 7. I recently started shopping around insurance companies...and found that my company is not giving me the best rate, so I am switching. I found out that Geico quoted me at about $85 less per 6 month policy. That's a huge difference. I am going to call them this week and make sure that the policy is what it is...and then I am switching. Why pay more for coverage you hope to never have to use? Savings: Approx. $28/month 8. I hate doing this one, but I am going to do it. I have said before how much I HATE Wal-Mart...I have coined them "Devil-Mart" because I loathe them so much. But well...I hate them, but love their low prices. I did my grocery shopping there last month and compared it to the local grocery store and I easily saved 30-40 bucks on everything I bought. That's insane. So, I am going to do my grocery shopping there for a while...to save some much needed change. Savings: maybe $30/month. 9. I am always going to use my AAA gas card when buying gas. I have been doing this for about a year now and I am going to continue it. When I use the card to buy gas, the card gives me 5% cashback. So, when I am paying $3.15.gallon...that is a savings of about 15 cents per gallon. I have a 12 gallon gas tank, so that means that when I fill up...I am saving about 2 dollars. If only gas weren't so expensive, but alas...oil runs the world. *grumbles* Savings: $2-4/month. 10. Speaking of the evil cost of gasoline. I have had it, so I am going to get my brother's old bike out of the garage at my dad's house...fix it up...and start biking to work. I only live about 3 miles from my job and if I start biking it, I would only have to fill up once a month instead of twice. Plus, it's nice exercise. I plan on looking at the bike this weekend and work on getting it road worthy. Once I start using it, it would save me one tank per month...at least. Savings: Approx. $30/month. 11. I am going to start using coupons...buying things when they are on sale...and going to the clearance sales, etc. I have never been someone who clips coupons out of the paper, etc. It never seemed worth it to me, but I am at least going to take a look and see if there are things that I would buy anyway. Here is my word of warning about coupons...I happen to believe that coupons convince you to buy things you don't need, etc. So...don't do that. Only buy things that you would have bought anyways. But, I am going to look at the sale flyers and also do clothes shopping when they are sales...go to thrift stores, etc. I don't spend a lot of money anyways...but sales can even make my dollar stretch farther. 12. This one is something I am usually pretty good at...usually. I am going to bring my lunch to work everyday and not buy lunch out. When we buy lunch out it ranges from $3-7 dollars depending on where we go. That's just ridiculous...and if you eat out 2-3 times per week...that's $9-21 per week. I can just as easily bring in my salad and snacks. Now, if I do decide to eat out for lunch, etc...it needs to come out of my $20 per pay period...no exception. Savings: Figuring how often I eat out right now...the savings would be about $10/month. 13. And the last thing I am going to do...is ask people's advice on how to save money. I think everyone has their own little tricks, etc. So, any advice out there? What kind of things do you do to save money? What things have you heard, but well...aren't using?? Anything? Bueller? Bueller? And let's add it up...the projected savings per month if I do all these things would be... Savings per month: $148-150/month. Seeing that number really motivates me to make all those changes above!!!!

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Do you believe in ghosts?

For the longest time I didn't believe in ghosts...that spirits stayed around after someone died. I often felt that ghosts were just something that people wanted to believe in, not something that actually existed. I thought those reality tv shows where people have to stay in haunted areas were just well...silly.

But, I will say...if you asked me, I would say that I do believe the spirits of people can hang around. I don't know if that's really about the spirits or about the living who are still here, etc. If you asked me a year or two ago, I would say that I have never seen or heard or felt a ghost, but then I took a bunch of kids to the old county jail to do a community service project.

We got there around 9am...and the kids just thought the jail was too cool. The guy working there (it's now been restored and used for community space)...took us on a tour of the old jail and showed us all around. It was dark, damp and definitely did not feel like a good place to be. The kids thought it was awesome and kept telling each other that they were going to lock each other in. It was all fun and games until we actually got to working on our assigned project. The jail cells were used for storage...so tarps were in one cell and christmas decorations were in another (I just find that hilarious that garland and a christmas tree are in a jail cell). So, when we needed something...a kid or two would run back into the jail and grab whatever was needed. The kids all wanted to be the ones to go and would fight over it..at first. The first two kids went...and I could hear them yelling and playing in the jail. And then it got quiet. One kid came running back. He said that he pretended to lock one kid in and when he did that...there was a loud noise and then he had a hard time opening the door of the cell. They yanked on the cell and when it opened...the other kid ran outside. I went outside and convinced him to come back, but for the rest of the day he had no interest in the jail. Later in the afternoon, I went to the jail to get some things. There was this bizarre wind in some of the hallways and the whole place just had a presence to it. I know horrible things happened in that jail. Inmates killed other inmates. Inmates committed suicide, etc. You could just feel that dark and danger that was in that room.

Why am I talking all about ghosts and creepy ghosts at that?? Well, I once believed there were no such things as ghosts and being in that jail made me at least open my mind up to the possibilites that there might be paranormal presences out there. Well there is a new movie out based on a Stephen King story called 1408. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Stephen King. My dad grew up in Maine and almost took a creative writing class from him in college. (he signed up, but ended up dropping the course...I bet he regrets that now!). I think his books are fabulous and the movies based on his books are pretty good too. I will be afraid of clowns forever mainly because I saw IT at an early age (and also because clowns are uber creepy). He writes with such intensity and wit...you can't help being drawn into his storylines.

Enough with the Stephen King lovefest and back to 1408. The 1408 Movie stars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. The basic storyline is that horror novelist Mike Enslin (Cusack) is convinced to prove that paranormal phenomena does not exist, so he checks into infamous room 1408 at a NYC hotel. There is folklore that it is haunted and that any guest who stays there doesn't survive the hour. Enslin wants to prove that 1408 being haunted is just a myth, but when he checks in...strange things start happening.



Does he make it out of the hotel? Does he survive the night and prove that the ghosts are a myth? Does he survive the night and confirm that the ghosts are most definitely real? Or do the ghosts take him within an hour just like every other guest of room 1408? Well, the movie comes out on June 22nd, so to find out...you are going to have to buy a ticket like everyone else. I am excited to see this movie because like any other Stephen King movie, it is sure to not disappoint.

yawns....

I am a tired kid....just exhausted...it feels like an intense amount of effort to keep my eyelids open. And the crazy thing is that there really is no reason for it. I haven't done much of anything this week to be tired about.

But then again....I did Relay for Life this weekend and I think in many ways, I am still recovering...trying to catch up sleep (not very well) and also trying to still get my daily 10,000 steps in, etc...

So, I just think I haven't given myself a chance to rest...really..at all. So, I am going to look for ways to do that...just relax. If only I could spend the whole day napping instead of working. Wouldn't that be great?

rambling about finances...

I transferred the money over the weekend in order to pay off one of my student loans...and even though it was terrifying, I am so glad I did it. Actually, it's almost paid off, but not quite....I wanted to wait until I got my final statement before I made the last payment because I want to give them the exact amount of the 10 Day Payoff amount instead of guestimating it.

So, I am going to ramble about some of the stuff I have paid off in my time and my goal for the next month in terms of my finances.

I paid off my car loan (5% interest) in June of 2006...about 2.5 years before the loan was due to be paid off. I don't know how much I saved in interest, but I know I did. I was really lucky with my car loan because I got in with a really nice interest rate...I think it was 5%. I know I couldn't get a rate like that today because of the change in the market.

Since I have paid off my car loan, I have started using the money I paid that with and rolled it into my SallieMae student loans(4.125% interest)...doubling the amount I have been paying. I started out with over 50K in SallieMae loans (I know it's horrific...I am tempted to write a horror movie just about educational debt...and it would be scarier than any of the SAW movies! lol). Anyways...I started out with that much in that loan and have since paid to down just about 30K, maybe a smidge below. It's still a lot of debt, but in 5 years, I have basically cut that debt in half. I am on schedule right now to pay off that loan in 2010...instead of 2032. I just went to a loan calculator and figured out how much money I am saving in interest...and let me tell you, it is motivating. If I paid the loan as scheduled for the 30 years (gulp!)...then I would be paying over 43K in interest loan. I would almost be paying as much as I borrowed in interest....now that's just insane. With the payments I am making now, the interest is just below 8K...which still is a lot of money for me, but I have justified that it is worth the price of my education. And...by paying it off aggressively, I have saved about 35K. Now that's a statistic I like.

And then there is my Perkins Loan (5% interest)...which I didn't consolidate with everything because it is a type of loan which can be forgiven if you do certain types of work such as teaching, working with children and police work, etc. The catch is that you can't do that if you consolidate first...and then get one of those swanky jobs. So, I consolidated everything else and not that loan. I am glad I did because I worked at a job for about 2 years which provided me some loan forgiveness. So, I started out with a smidge over 10K debt in that loan and the government forgave $1500 of it. I was left with having to pay the remaining $8500 plus interest. I have been paying every month...about $100 more than the payment amount...until I decided to stop putting money in a savings account for a rainy day at 4.5% interest and pay off a loan which is costing me 5% interest. So, I transferred the money and made what will be the second to last payment.

So, let's see the amount of total debt I had and now where I stand....

Original Debt: 76,482.00
Debt Now: 30,700.00
Total Debt Paid (not including any interest): 45,782.00

You know...sometimes I just feel overwhelmed with debt, like it is never going to go away. But then again, I always have to remind myself that the debt is temporary and that in 2010...all of that debt will be gone. And I have to remind myself that I have paid off more than 45K of the debt I had. So...all in all...not too shabby.

So, what's my next step??? Well...I am not carrying any credit card balance, which is a good thing, but I want to go one step better. Sometimes I spend money on things and use my credit card to do it...and I probably don't NEED those things...at all. Like eating out at a restaurant...or ordering pizza...or a new, pretty shirt. I always pay my credit card bill off at the end of each month...but it is more than is probably necessary. So, I am going to be a smidge more disciplined with my credit card spending. Starting on Thursday (because I get paid on Thursday), I am going to only buy gas and groceries with my credit card...and everything else either needs to come from cash or my debit card. I am going to take out $20 from the ATM each time I am paid for spending money...and if I spend them in one night...then the rest of the two weeks are going to be pretty bleak. It'll be interesting for me to see one month later...how much of a difference in makes in my credit card statement. We'll see...

So...there is the blathering of my finances...where I am at...and what my game plan is from here on out. Alright, enough about money...at least for now.

Weigh-In: June 4, 2007

Hey everybody...I haven't done a weekly weigh-in/pudge report in a few weeks. I started thinking a lot more about fitness since completing the Relay for Life, so I am definitely going to make sure that my focus is where it needs to be.

First let's get to the business at hand...the numbers. I weighed in this morning and the scale said:

This week's loss: 2 lbs.
Total loss: 4 lbs.

So, it isn't earth shattering, but I will take it. I just want the scale to slowly move in the right direction. I am hopeful that that trend will continue.

Finishing the Relay for Life really taught me a couple of things. I had written a few weeks back that even though I am heavier than I have been in a while, I still feel healthy. This event really confirmed that for me...cause I was able to walk and walk and walk. I am proud of my cardio endurance...yes I know, I am talking about walking here, but walking approximately 30 miles. And I was also happy that it didn't kill my feet. My feet hurt the next morning, but once I rested them and got back up, they really felt okay.

I am also really looking forward to my roommate starting the night shift portion of her job. She is currently in training, which is during the day...but soon she will be working the midshift. I'm not excited because I won't see her...well kind of...I am excited because I can start my Power 90 workouts again. I love those...they kick my ass, but I love them none the less. I also know that I get really focused when I do those workouts. I haven't really been able to do them since I moved in with my roomie because I just don't feel comfy doing those kind of workouts in front of people (unless it is a mass workout class and we are all sweating and dying).

Speaking of mass working out...I haven't gone to the Y in over a month...maybe closer to 2. I think I am going to cancel my membership, especially since I can workout so much more at home now. And if I want to go on one day, I can always buy a day pass. It just doesn't make sense for me to keep paying if I am not going to use it. This saddens me some, but it also saddens me to see a service I am paying for and not using.

My goals this week:

1. Keep drinking 100 oz. of water a day.
2. Walk at least 10,000 steps each day.
3. Plan out all my meals in the morning...knowing what I am going to have for dinner each night.
4. No eating out.
5. Go to the Y and cancel the account.

Alright, that's about all that I have fitness related right now. I guess it means...back to work for Shelley.

Relay for Life Recap

Hey everybody....I finished the Relay for Life on Friday night to Saturday morning. It's a 12 hour event where you raise money for the American Cancer Society and also walk for parts or all of those 12 hours. This is the first time I have participated in Relay for Life...and it was a good time.

The team that I was on...which consisted of my roomie, another good friend, her mom and myself...we actually stayed there for the whole time...and WALKED the whole time. It was exhasuting, but also a lot of fun. I wore my pedometer and turned it over at midnight...so I could get the steps for Friday night and the steps for Saturday morning. I am so glad I wore it because I never would have guessed I walked as much as I did....even though my feet ached by 7am when it was closing ceremonies time. When the steps were all added up, I ended up with just about 62,000 steps...that's right...62,000 steps. That's somewhere between 30 and 35 miles of walking. We basically walked all night...with the exception of a break or two here or there just to rest the bones, but I never rested for long because I knew if I did that I wouldn't get up out of my chair. My poor roomie is really hurting...feet blistering and her ankle is all swollen. I hope she takes it VERY easy for the next few days. I was pretty lucky overall...my feet hurt yesterday, but they weren't blistered and once I got to sleep and rested my poor pups for about 8 hours, they actually feel pretty good.

Thanks to everyone for the support and kind thoughts...it helped me through the walking at 4am, even when my legs were fighting me! And the Relay for Life people said that donations can still be made until the end of the month, so I will make another plea for anyone who wants to donate to the cause. With all that walking, how can you not want to throw a chunk of change at it??? So, click here and donate away....all the cool kids are doing it.

And for those that already donated....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!!!!

It was fun...I will definitely do it again. And you know, I said last night that I probably wouldn't walk all night again, but you know what...I recovered pretty easily, so I think I would stay all night again. It was a great experience and one night of aches and pains is well worth the cause. Relay for Life said they have hopes of their being a cure by 2015 and lord, I hope they are right.

Relay for Life

Hey everyone....I hate the idea of asking people for money, but this is a good cause...so I am going to. My roommate asked me a LONG time ago if I wanted to join her Relay for Life team and I gladly said yes...and since that date, I have done NOTHING to raise any money. I just kept thinking that the date was so far away, etc....but now...the event is a little over 2 weeks away and I still haven't raised a penny.

Relay for Life is closer to my heart than my lacking of fundraising shows. My grandmother died of bone cancer when I was a little, little girl...I think I was about 5 years old. I remember her...but not like I would if she had lived a long, long life. I can remember her always having a smile on her face, but also being tired and brittle, as the cancer progressed.

And my aunt also had cancer a few years back...her's was skin cancer. She had to have surgery on her leg and her forehead to remove the effected area. Luckily, her's did not spread and she made a full and complete recovery.

I think that research is paramount when it comes to cancer...and that with continued and aggressive research, there might be a day when we talk about curing instead of treating the disease.

So...if you feel so inclined, please feel free to log onto my Relay for Life page and donate to the walk I will be doing in June. My family and I would really greatly appreciate it.

what the....

You know, sometimes I think people think it is just too much of a bother to be nice, to be cordial, etc.

I get to work about 15 minutes early each morning...and before clocking in, I walk around the building once or twice. It's good to start the day with a smidge of exercise and if I clock in too early, I will get the dreaded red box on my timesheet! dum, dum, dum....

So, there are often people working or standing outside smoking cigarettes when I am walking around. I usually always walk by and say "hello" or "good morning" to them as I pass. Most people will say hi back or ask how I am doing, etc... There are a couple of people that just REFUSE to answer. Every single day I walk by and say, "Good Morning" and every single day they sit there like no one said anything to them.

It's just rude...and well, unnecessary. *grumbles* But, I won't let their rudeness get to me...so every single morning I will say "g'mornin" to them...if they don't respond, it their problem...I still wish them a good morning!

P.S. I am doing Relay for Life tonight...so wish me luck!