Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Where did the time go?
I can't believe it's been almost 2 weeks since I blogged. I went on a cruise for a week and haven't been able to get back on the blogging track. I've had nothing interesting to say, and I haven't been working on my personal development plan lately.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Keeping Track Is Hard
I'm trying to keep track of my food intake to help take Weight Watchers more seriously. Tracking helps. I know because I'm fighting having a snack even though I'm over my daily point allotment already.
I had 2 egg whites with sausage this morning. Then a Fiber One bar that was 4 points! Followed by 8 crackers and a little less than 1/2 cup of seafood salad for a total of 12 points! Yikes! Then I got home and my son made 2 fajita tacos with flour tortillas and cheese for me. But that wasn't enough. I had 2 cups of cream of broccoli soup. I'm sure I'm way over my allotment. I'll have to go through my books to see what the cream of broccoli soup was worth. It was good, so I'm sure it's way more than I want it to be. I have fruit to help. It's not that I'm hungry. I'm really wanting chocolate. I have some good snacks to eat like popcorn, fruit, carrots. So I don't have to have things that are unproductive.
Today was a good day at work. I worked out a couple of problems that cropped up. I love working out puzzles. I have to take time to go over my speeches so I can give them in the next couple of weeks so I can earn my ACS.
I tried to do the Toastmasters newsletter even though I wasn't at the meeting last Friday, but no one is letting me know what happened. Very frustrating.
I had 2 egg whites with sausage this morning. Then a Fiber One bar that was 4 points! Followed by 8 crackers and a little less than 1/2 cup of seafood salad for a total of 12 points! Yikes! Then I got home and my son made 2 fajita tacos with flour tortillas and cheese for me. But that wasn't enough. I had 2 cups of cream of broccoli soup. I'm sure I'm way over my allotment. I'll have to go through my books to see what the cream of broccoli soup was worth. It was good, so I'm sure it's way more than I want it to be. I have fruit to help. It's not that I'm hungry. I'm really wanting chocolate. I have some good snacks to eat like popcorn, fruit, carrots. So I don't have to have things that are unproductive.
Today was a good day at work. I worked out a couple of problems that cropped up. I love working out puzzles. I have to take time to go over my speeches so I can give them in the next couple of weeks so I can earn my ACS.
I tried to do the Toastmasters newsletter even though I wasn't at the meeting last Friday, but no one is letting me know what happened. Very frustrating.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
I'm back!
I can't believe it has been since April 11 that I posted something here. I was incredibly busy trying to get ready to take a vacation. Then, when on the ship, I didn't have access to the web without paying exhorbitant prices, so I decided to wait until today to get back in the saddle.
I think I managed to keep the weight gain down to 3 lbs on the 7-day cruise. I go to Weight Watchers tonight to find out. I hope I find my WW paperwork before tonight.
To celebrate getting back home Sunday, I ate a whole package of cashews, then a double-meat, double-cheese jalapeno burger from Sonic and a large order of tater tots and then I followed them with a package of chocolate covered almonds. Needless to say, I was miserable with a capital MISERY the rest of the night. I felt bad all night. So yesterday, I took it easy on my poor stomach. And I realized that what I did was stupid. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, obviously, I wasn't thinking at all. Just being stupid.
A friend and I went on a 7-day cruise to the Western Caribbean (Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica). We had a lot of fun, but I have to admit, I was ready to get back home. I was exhausted the whole time we were gone. The first couple of days, we kept ending up on the wrong end of the ship and walked the length several times just getting our bearings. Then our first excursion was to the Mayan ruins of Tulum on Cozumel. The trek was pretty hard; our guide walked fast, plus it was hot and the trail was rough and uneven. The ruins were worth the discomfort. They were much more extensive than I expected, and the view of the ocean was breathtaking. I survived -- barely -- and I guess I never really recovered. My sinuses started acting up in Cozumel, and I was exhausted the rest of the trip.
Our second stop was Georgetown, Grand Caymen. There we went on a very disappointing glass-bottom boat tour of the bay. There was a "ship wreck" that could just as easily have been some steel forms thrown down and left to rust. It was less than underwhelming. The boat was followed by a bus tour of the island, which was OK. We went from tourist stop to tourist stop. Another disappointment. We went to the turtle farm; I got to send a postcard from Hell; we visited a rum and tortuga rum cake store (overcrowded at first).
In Falmouth, Jamaica, we went on a bus ride to Good Hope Estate for high tea. It was really nice. Another hot day, but the view from Good Hope Estate was nice, and the tour guides were nice. We had Walter and Kevin the bus drivers, then Daniel and someone else conducted the tour of the estate. The view was nice, and the stories they told us about the estate owners were very interesting. Falmouth is a new port that Royal Caribbean is helping to build. There is lots of new construction going on, and lots of vendors with the usual Jamaican souvenirs right off the ship. There is no real infrastructure in Jamaica. The roads are poor and narrow, and the homes look abandoned. The bus driver told us that people build a home of bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. Then when they can afford more, they build on. They own what they have. The interest rates are 25%, so they don't borrow to build their homes. Unless they're rich.
The best part of the whole vacation is it is completely paid for. It didn't follow me home. I even have money left over. We budgeted ourselves pretty well. My companion and I spent about the same amount of money while on the ship. We didn't buy but about 4 drinks each, and we didn't gamble at all. We walked through the Casino twice, I think. I meant to go down and hit the quarter slots, but didn't make it.
Once I got on the ship, I didn't like the clothes I packed. I felt fat and tired the whole time. I don't know what was wrong. Maybe it was the hives and the Benedryl I was taking to combat them; maybe it was walking on the ship. Every once in a while, we'd stagger for no reason. Then we'd remember we were on a ship. We got up early Saturday morning to see the sunrise. That was nice. We ate breakfast, then went back to sleep. Plus, I didn't drink coffee until after dinner each night. That probably contributed to my lethargy.
When we returned to Galveston, I watched people arriving to go on the two-week cruise to Spain that I really wanted to take. I was so envious. That's my next cruise.
One thing I learned -- never take a cruise the week following Easter. It is a break for kids from Mexico. Our ship was full of school-age kids that were rude and loud along with their loud, screeching mothers.
Anyway, I'm ready to get back to reality. I've been going through emails here at work to make sure everything was taken care of in my absence. So far, so good. I have an awesome team who takes care of everything as it appears. Very few things waited for me to come back. Those few things make me feel needed.
My son kept the house clean and the cat fed and medicated while I was gone. He was just about out of gas when he picked us up. We cleaned out the refrigerator last night, preparing for my trip to the store tonight. I took it apart and cleaned places that had never been cleaned before. He emptied the wine and beer bottles that had accumulated. The beer was so old that when he opened the bottles, they foamed up and practically emptied themselves. Some of the wine smelled like vinegar. We're just not drinkers. I guess it would be better for me to make sure half-full bottles find a better home than mine. They just go bad at my house.
I'm back on the WW track today. I had 2 slices of double-fiber bread with 2 tsp of mayo and 2 egg whites (4 points) for breakfast. A can of black-eyed peas for lunch (7 pts)
I think I managed to keep the weight gain down to 3 lbs on the 7-day cruise. I go to Weight Watchers tonight to find out. I hope I find my WW paperwork before tonight.
To celebrate getting back home Sunday, I ate a whole package of cashews, then a double-meat, double-cheese jalapeno burger from Sonic and a large order of tater tots and then I followed them with a package of chocolate covered almonds. Needless to say, I was miserable with a capital MISERY the rest of the night. I felt bad all night. So yesterday, I took it easy on my poor stomach. And I realized that what I did was stupid. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, obviously, I wasn't thinking at all. Just being stupid.
A friend and I went on a 7-day cruise to the Western Caribbean (Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica). We had a lot of fun, but I have to admit, I was ready to get back home. I was exhausted the whole time we were gone. The first couple of days, we kept ending up on the wrong end of the ship and walked the length several times just getting our bearings. Then our first excursion was to the Mayan ruins of Tulum on Cozumel. The trek was pretty hard; our guide walked fast, plus it was hot and the trail was rough and uneven. The ruins were worth the discomfort. They were much more extensive than I expected, and the view of the ocean was breathtaking. I survived -- barely -- and I guess I never really recovered. My sinuses started acting up in Cozumel, and I was exhausted the rest of the trip.
Our second stop was Georgetown, Grand Caymen. There we went on a very disappointing glass-bottom boat tour of the bay. There was a "ship wreck" that could just as easily have been some steel forms thrown down and left to rust. It was less than underwhelming. The boat was followed by a bus tour of the island, which was OK. We went from tourist stop to tourist stop. Another disappointment. We went to the turtle farm; I got to send a postcard from Hell; we visited a rum and tortuga rum cake store (overcrowded at first).
In Falmouth, Jamaica, we went on a bus ride to Good Hope Estate for high tea. It was really nice. Another hot day, but the view from Good Hope Estate was nice, and the tour guides were nice. We had Walter and Kevin the bus drivers, then Daniel and someone else conducted the tour of the estate. The view was nice, and the stories they told us about the estate owners were very interesting. Falmouth is a new port that Royal Caribbean is helping to build. There is lots of new construction going on, and lots of vendors with the usual Jamaican souvenirs right off the ship. There is no real infrastructure in Jamaica. The roads are poor and narrow, and the homes look abandoned. The bus driver told us that people build a home of bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. Then when they can afford more, they build on. They own what they have. The interest rates are 25%, so they don't borrow to build their homes. Unless they're rich.
The best part of the whole vacation is it is completely paid for. It didn't follow me home. I even have money left over. We budgeted ourselves pretty well. My companion and I spent about the same amount of money while on the ship. We didn't buy but about 4 drinks each, and we didn't gamble at all. We walked through the Casino twice, I think. I meant to go down and hit the quarter slots, but didn't make it.
Once I got on the ship, I didn't like the clothes I packed. I felt fat and tired the whole time. I don't know what was wrong. Maybe it was the hives and the Benedryl I was taking to combat them; maybe it was walking on the ship. Every once in a while, we'd stagger for no reason. Then we'd remember we were on a ship. We got up early Saturday morning to see the sunrise. That was nice. We ate breakfast, then went back to sleep. Plus, I didn't drink coffee until after dinner each night. That probably contributed to my lethargy.
When we returned to Galveston, I watched people arriving to go on the two-week cruise to Spain that I really wanted to take. I was so envious. That's my next cruise.
One thing I learned -- never take a cruise the week following Easter. It is a break for kids from Mexico. Our ship was full of school-age kids that were rude and loud along with their loud, screeching mothers.
Anyway, I'm ready to get back to reality. I've been going through emails here at work to make sure everything was taken care of in my absence. So far, so good. I have an awesome team who takes care of everything as it appears. Very few things waited for me to come back. Those few things make me feel needed.
My son kept the house clean and the cat fed and medicated while I was gone. He was just about out of gas when he picked us up. We cleaned out the refrigerator last night, preparing for my trip to the store tonight. I took it apart and cleaned places that had never been cleaned before. He emptied the wine and beer bottles that had accumulated. The beer was so old that when he opened the bottles, they foamed up and practically emptied themselves. Some of the wine smelled like vinegar. We're just not drinkers. I guess it would be better for me to make sure half-full bottles find a better home than mine. They just go bad at my house.
I'm back on the WW track today. I had 2 slices of double-fiber bread with 2 tsp of mayo and 2 egg whites (4 points) for breakfast. A can of black-eyed peas for lunch (7 pts)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Goals and Dreams
I'm working on Week 6 of the personal development plan. It includes goal setting and dreaming.
I'm dreaming. It's fun putting down on paper what I dream to happen soon in my future.
I'm dreaming. It's fun putting down on paper what I dream to happen soon in my future.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Onward and Upward
Yesterday was pretty full. At least for me. I started by going to an advanced Toastmasters meeting. It was a backward meeting. Everyone was so nice, and the meeting was a lot of fun. Slick Talkers did a backward meeting about 17 years ago, and we had a blast. It was a great lesson in listening and especially thinking on your feet. I'm so shy that at Beyond Basics, I really had a hard time the one time I had to talk. I was under the impression I would get to pick my topic, so I decided on the drought. When the Table Topics master called on me, he asked about spring flowers. I could have woven the drought into my answer easily, and I actually did start to, but I got so nervous and didn't do well. Then at the end, the President asked us for some comments. Neither of us (Laura or me) answered well.
Laura was there, and she was tongue tied and nervous like me. Unlike me, she got to talk to Heather about some ideas for Membership. I got into a conversation with a member I'm not too crazy about. Actually, conversation means it was mutual -- I didn't get a chance to talk. And I couldn't break it. She started by telling me she was glad I was active in Toastmasters again. She told me she wanted to start training members about things in TI other than speeches. Blah, blah, blah. She as actually a consideration for checking out this club. I figured she belonged to another advanced club, and she didn't belong to this one. I found out she belongs to 10 clubs, so the odds of running into her are pretty high. I guess I'll just have to get over myself and consider it a learning lesson. The only way I could stop her talking was to leave.
Then I went to my daughter's house and got some chop sticks that she had left over from her wedding. We visited for a few minutes and I came home, ate lunch, and slept for 2 hours. We went to Wal-Mart to get a birthday present for my granddaughter and some windshield wipers, and we headed to my ex's for dinner, combination birthday party, and family time. We had fun.
Before I went to bed, I went through the excursions for the cruise and found some I was interested in and sent the list to my buddy. Hopefully, we'll have some interest in common.
Laura was there, and she was tongue tied and nervous like me. Unlike me, she got to talk to Heather about some ideas for Membership. I got into a conversation with a member I'm not too crazy about. Actually, conversation means it was mutual -- I didn't get a chance to talk. And I couldn't break it. She started by telling me she was glad I was active in Toastmasters again. She told me she wanted to start training members about things in TI other than speeches. Blah, blah, blah. She as actually a consideration for checking out this club. I figured she belonged to another advanced club, and she didn't belong to this one. I found out she belongs to 10 clubs, so the odds of running into her are pretty high. I guess I'll just have to get over myself and consider it a learning lesson. The only way I could stop her talking was to leave.
Then I went to my daughter's house and got some chop sticks that she had left over from her wedding. We visited for a few minutes and I came home, ate lunch, and slept for 2 hours. We went to Wal-Mart to get a birthday present for my granddaughter and some windshield wipers, and we headed to my ex's for dinner, combination birthday party, and family time. We had fun.
Before I went to bed, I went through the excursions for the cruise and found some I was interested in and sent the list to my buddy. Hopefully, we'll have some interest in common.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Making Changes
I decided yesterday that I am going to change my Weight Watchers meeting. I've been going to a Weight Watchers @ Work program where I work, but I seem to have lost my motivation. It may be the lecturer, it may be me. I'm going to see if someone can make me think about things differently. Maybe our lecturer is too much about herself. I like to share. I like to talk. We don't get bravo stickers. When she finally asks us if we have anything to share, she catches us by surprise, and no one speaks up. If she'd ask us regularly, we'd have something to say. At least I would.
I took a friend to lunch today to Cheddar's. I had the chicken pecan salad. It was delicious. I took half back to the office. Then about 3:00, I finished it off. My son and I went to have Chinese for dinner, and I only ate half. I tried to eat with chop sticks, but I was so clumsy and my hands started to cramp. But it did its job. I felt full before I finished, so I took the 2nd half home. My daughter has a box of chop sticks from her wedding, and I have been wanting to get some from her so I can eat with chop sticks. I think it will make eating salads easier, and I'll definitely eat more slowly.
Tonight I'll check in to the ship so that is taken care of. My cruise buddy and I want to sign up for the Murder Mystery for sure. It's a little more than 2 weeks!
Yea!
I took a friend to lunch today to Cheddar's. I had the chicken pecan salad. It was delicious. I took half back to the office. Then about 3:00, I finished it off. My son and I went to have Chinese for dinner, and I only ate half. I tried to eat with chop sticks, but I was so clumsy and my hands started to cramp. But it did its job. I felt full before I finished, so I took the 2nd half home. My daughter has a box of chop sticks from her wedding, and I have been wanting to get some from her so I can eat with chop sticks. I think it will make eating salads easier, and I'll definitely eat more slowly.
Tonight I'll check in to the ship so that is taken care of. My cruise buddy and I want to sign up for the Murder Mystery for sure. It's a little more than 2 weeks!
Yea!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
A Day in the Life . . .
of me. I finally got a chance to check out the YouTube video of my mentor, and it didn't work. What do you do when a YouTube video doesn't work? I was sooooo disappointed. I really wanted to see it. Another disappointment yesterday was my inability to publish a book I'm working on to Kindle. I'm not writing the book, I'm publishing it. Once I got the HTML file done and saved it, it replaced several images with black boxes. Soo disappointing.
I went to the memorial mass of a co-worker yesterday. It was so sad. He was here one day, and had a brain tumor the next. He went through 6 months of diagnosis, treatment, health issues, and he finally died. We really miss him. I noticed a bit of mail that I didn't recall seeing before and when I went through it yesterday morning, there was a note from his wife thanking me for sending cards to him. It really lifted his spirits.
I talked to my sister yesterday. This is another part of personal development that I need to address -- being there when someone is hurting or needs help. And having a life that is so stuffed that I don't have time to do things like visit someone in the hospital. Saturday after the Beyond Basics meeting, I'll go wherever the family is. My nephew had a baby with health issues, and they've been in the hospital since her birth March 21. I haven't been by at all. My sister said I couldn't visit her, but I could probably visit them while they're waiting. I don't know. I could take food to them because they spend all their time at the hospital after work. I feel helpless and like I'm letting them down.
I went to the memorial mass of a co-worker yesterday. It was so sad. He was here one day, and had a brain tumor the next. He went through 6 months of diagnosis, treatment, health issues, and he finally died. We really miss him. I noticed a bit of mail that I didn't recall seeing before and when I went through it yesterday morning, there was a note from his wife thanking me for sending cards to him. It really lifted his spirits.
I talked to my sister yesterday. This is another part of personal development that I need to address -- being there when someone is hurting or needs help. And having a life that is so stuffed that I don't have time to do things like visit someone in the hospital. Saturday after the Beyond Basics meeting, I'll go wherever the family is. My nephew had a baby with health issues, and they've been in the hospital since her birth March 21. I haven't been by at all. My sister said I couldn't visit her, but I could probably visit them while they're waiting. I don't know. I could take food to them because they spend all their time at the hospital after work. I feel helpless and like I'm letting them down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)