Here piggy.

We have a confirmed case of the swine flu at our school. One student has tested positive so the CDC has closed our school effective immediately and until they give us the all clear. The student is feeling better so being off work for a couple of days is okay with me. I would feel guilty being happy about the closure if the kid was not recovering but since the student is getting better - Woo Hoo! I'm always grateful for a day off!

I really needed today off, too. I'm getting out The Eat-Clean Diet book and making my shopping list. My house is empty of good, clean food. You can't make good choices if you don't have the right food to choose from.

Make it a great day. If you are around lots of people today, take caution. Wash your hands and drink lots of water!

Drying out.

The sun is out today. The temp is a balmy 80 degrees with a feels-like temp of 83. Thanks to the heavy rains yesterday we are dripping with humidity. This is the beginning of Summer for us here in my neck of the woods. From now until November it will be hot and humid and sticky. Last night while I was out back with the dogs, mosquitoes were swarming around my legs. Those things make life outdoors miserable. I don't like spraying myself with Off! or Deep Woods, but I usually have to. Any one have a good organic alternative that works to keep the little blood-suckers away?

I watched Biggest Loser last night and I have to say that I love all the contestants and don't care who wins the big prize. I'm just so proud for all of them that they have lost so much weight! I get so motivated while I'm watching the show. Lately I just can't get my meals planned. I don't really know why I can't get it together. I want to get serious about my weight loss again but I just keep eating without thinking. I've slowly started to eat more sweets and that is a real disaster for me. Once sugar gets to be a daily occurrence for me I have a very hard time cutting it back out. Just the thought of not having something sweet right now makes me depressed. Food has gotten a hold of me again.

Friday is May 1st and I want to get back on track. I don't want to spend another summer is this heavy body of mine. So I'm planning menus and going shopping this week to get stocked up with the foods I need to attack and succeed.

Planning is everything. Motivation is key. Exercise is never wasted. Water is life!

Rising Water in H-Town

Big storms hit the Houston area yesterday and during the night. If you live in the area you know that is bad news for drivers trying to get to work and school. Our school has delayed opening today until 10:30am due to street flooding. I learned many years ago not to venture out in certain areas of town when we have serious rain. Once when I was 19 my car (a little Chevy Vega, which I loved) filled up with water when I got stuck trying to get around stalled cars in deep water. Never again, uh-uh, not me baby. I'll wait it out.

Here are some shots out my back door just as light was able to come through some of the clouds. Dreary, soggy, and messy.

Sidney is not sure she wants to get her feet wet!

This is a puddle right off my back patio. I liked how the sky reflected in it. :)

I am enjoying being home this morning. It's nice to be home on a Tuesday morning. We are expecting more rain so I may be able to get to work soon, just hope I can get back home later!

Have a great day! Stay dry and don't forget to drink your water.

Something to Think About

I went to a funeral today for a co-workers' mother. I didn't know her mother but I went in support of my friend. She has been through so much with her family, more than I need to go into here, but just know she's had a tough road lately.

The service was really nice and the woman was spoken of with love and fondness. They talked about how she lived her life and how they thought of her as being strong and vibrant. They had pictures of her at many different ages and she looked like she enjoyed her life.

This got me to thinking about how I hate having my picture taken now. Since I've been overweight, I don't like what I see when I do see a picture of me. So, there aren't many pictures of me from the last, oh, I'd say, 15 years. I've taken lots of pictures of places and things and family. But in most of those pictures you don't see me at all.

I got to thinking that this might not be fair to my family. They might want to see pictures of me someday. And even though I don't look the way I want to, this is how I look today. The way my family sees me everyday is who I am right now. I know they love me just the way I am so maybe I shouldn't leave myself out of pictures just because I can't bare it.

It was sad today but I got the feeling that the woman who passed away was loved despite all her warts and freckles. Something I needed to witness today so that I can realize how short life is. And how someday we will all be remembered. I don't want to be remembered for always being unhappy with myself. I want to be remembered for my adventurous spirit. I want to be seen living my life and not afraid to be in the picture.

Lets look at ourselves the way our loved ones see us and know that they are not wrong. We are worthy of their love. We need to be in the picture!

Take care. Take out some old photos and look at who your family loves. And drink your water!

Back in the saddle!

I really didn't mean to wait so long to post. I read blogs everyday and think I've got something to say and then "poof," nothin. This creative dry spell is due in part to my total lack of making a conscious effort to LOSE WEIGHT! I have just not been at it. I have not been measuring my food, tally-ing my calories, or tracking carbs. I have just been eating like a person who has nothing to lose. Not a person trying to gain, just a person maintaining.

Hello? Who am I fooling? Am I happy at 257? No. I am not happy at 257, I want to be more like 170, thank you very much. I weighed myself today and I'm up 2lbs, which, if you knew my history, you'd think I was lying. I mean, I can gain weight just smelling food. I'm grateful for not having put on 10 lbs! Two I can take right off, but if I keep going, it will be 10.

Something has changed though with how I feel about food. I've gone to the store twice this last week, fully intending to get binge food. You know, a package of oreos, or fig newtons. Then eat the entire package while driving home. Crumbs all over my blouse and collecting in the corners of my mouth. Gah. Sounds disgusting, doesn't it?

I didn't get binge foods. I got some cute little bunny cookies in a box that claim to be all natural with "no icky additives or pesky preservatives!" Their called Annie's Bunny Graham Friends honey, chocolate & chocolate chip. How can you binge on something that pure? And they are so cute. They are so good and wholesome with a little taste of sweet that just hit the spot. (geez, I'm sounding like a commercial)

So after a few cute little bunnies, I went for a bike ride. I haven't been out riding in about 3 weeks. I thought for sure my butt would hurt and my lungs would fold. But I did just fine. It felt good to get back in the saddle. It felt good to see that I'm changing how I feel about food and it's place in my world. This is where blogging has gotten me. This is how finding support in blogs is life changing.

Keep blogging. Keep reaching out and reaching in till you find what makes it all work. And don't forget to drink your water!

ps I forgot to mention, Happy Earth Day! And, you can get a free "Be Green" sticker from Annie's site here! How cool is that?!

Tex-Mex to the Rescue

Nothing opens up the sinuses quite like some good Tex-Mex and spicy salsa. My return to work today was tiring. Too much going on to even go into but all is well. Proceed as usual, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. I enjoyed the food but ate way too many chips. Now my gut feels a little distressed. Make that a lot bloated. Why did I have to eat that second enchilada?

Anyway, I'm feeling much better today and want to thank each of you that left me such nice "feel better" wishes. It is such a wonderful feeling to get so many comments when I'm feeling yucky. At work, most people don't even think to ask how I'm doing. Just know I love you right back, bunches!

I was going to make a clean start this week and cut out the sugar and processed junk. I say I was, because I didn't even make a menu or go shopping for staples. How can you break clean when you're not prepared? Has anyone got the South Beach Super Charged book? I have the other SB book but wondered if anyone could tell me if it's worth buying. Is there that much new material in it to make it worth it? Lemme know, please, what your take on it is if you've seen it, got it, or heard anything.

No bike riding since last week has got me stiff and sore. Funny how your body lets you know when you're slacking. When my chest feels clearer, I can't wait to get out and ride. Of course, this weekend we are due for some rain but surely it won't rain all weekend.

This just in...I've been reading blogs and a lot of us are slacking. We need to snap out of it. Spring is here and it won't be long before we're crying about summer and how we wanted to be thinner. Let's just do this thing! And don't forget to drink your water!!

Coughing sucks.

I've been sick since Saturday with upper respiratory crud. It's what I always get but I never get used to it. The coughing and coughing till you swear a lung is going to explode. Sunday it felt like my chest was on fire. I stayed home from work today because my body just ached too much and I knew I'd be in a fog all day. I hate going to work after being out a day. I always feel guilty for not being there. I am feeling better and the coughing has slowed up some, yay!

We've had such perfect weather in Houston lately. The cool Pacific air that has passed our way is such a blessing. I miss the Pacific coast. Every time I think of planning a vacation, I end up looking to the west. That place calls to me.

Hope you are all well and having some Spring where you are. Happy Hump Day! Take care of yourself and don't forget to drink your water.

Celebrate!

Happy Easter!

When I was little, I remember hunting eggs and eating lots of candy on Easter Sunday after church. My family would all get together and we'd hide eggs over and over then divide them up equally so no one had an empty basket. It was fun times. When I became a parent, I celebrated Easter the same with my kiddo and my cousins kids.

The kids are all grown up now and I'm thankful for the family memories. Even though none of us are close now (thanks to the crappy drama that some folks love to create) it is nice to remember Easter as a happy time.

If you celebrate Easter, or even if you don't, I pray your heart is filled with happiness and your days with blessings. Enjoy the long weekend. Look for signs of new life in the trees and flowers around you. Spring time brings with it hope and new beginnings.

After Shock

In small, sneaky ways, I've been eating the wrong foods all week. My work related stress ended (mostly, does work ever not create some stress?) but my diet has wandered to the center aisles of the grocery store. You know, where the processed, high fat, suger coated foods are shelved. I need to get a grip. I think I'll do the South Beach Phase I for a couple of weeks after Monday to get the sugar out of my system. I've pretty much maintained but I'm not done losing so I've got to get focused!

It's been busy at work so I haven't had a chance to read many blogs. I need my blogger peeps! I think I need all of you more than I realized. When I've read a few posts I feel re-charged and inspired to stick to my diet and get out and move! I love blogsville!

Today I worked in the yard a little cutting off some low hanging branches. From Hurricane Ike, my trees still look pitifull. But at least, I still have trees. Went to Walmart and got the dogs a new bed. Went to Petsmart and got some Advantage to put on the dogs. I haven't seen any fleas but don't want to!! Mom and I went to a middle-eastern restaurant for some delish hummus, babbaganoush, okra, and pita bread. So good.

Have a great evening and enjoy your weekend. And as always, don't forget to drink plenty of water! (Lee found a good article about this very thing!)

Glad that's over!

It's over! Hallelujah! If you read my blog you might remember me mentioning how stressed out I've been for the last few weeks over the planning and organizing of taking 120 students to a fine arts festival. The festival was held in town this year so travel wasn't too much trouble to plan. However, the fact that it was in town made parent's think they could pick up their kid whenever they felt like it. For safety reasons that wasn't possible so some of the parent's were a little miffed, but they got over it. Thank goodness the thing only runs from Thursday to Saturday!

Last week was shear craziness and it all ended Saturday around 2 pm when the last kid was picked up by their parent. Everything went pretty smoothly. Just a few kinks like a kid who didn't remember what time we were leaving on Thursday night so his bus was an hour late in returning to the school. He'll never live that one down! Naturally, some of the faculty involved had some complaints about things and they tried to take over (since they know so much more than me about these festivals, ha) but I'm a go with the flow kinda gal so, whatever. As long as everybody's happy, right?!

Eating was less than clean during this high stress time. I didn't really overeat, just ate crappy. This is a new thing for me, not overeating. Usually when I'm stressed I find a way to sneak off with a dozen donuts and cram them into my mouth. This time, I did eat more sugar than I would have liked but I think the damage is recoverable (is that a word?).

I have missed blogging and reading your blogs! If you are new to my blog I want to say welcome! And thanks for reading! I really love it that you're here and I look forward to reading your blogs this week.

Today, I'm vegging out with some movies and resting up for the work week. Gotta get back in the saddle and ride this thing out. I've got pounds to lose!

Have a super Sunday, take a nap, got for a walk, and drink that water!!