Dear Diary Friday, part deux....

The zoo was freezing, but we had a good time. Nobody was there but Dylan and I and a few of the animals....Most were put away for the winter. Again, we discovered that MONKEYS HATE ME and want to pull out my hair.

We then left the zoo and we were both starving. We decided to try the new Market Street Grill up in Cottonwood Mill area. I had a spinach salad with bleu cheese/avocado/vinegar dressing, a skewer of scallops, shrimp, and halibut with rice, and then Dylan and I shared a piece of chocolate cake. By the time we left, I was getting sick. We then went down the street to Cottonwood Mall to see the animals and I had to have Dylan rush me home because I was doubled over in pain. Needless to say, I probably will never eat undercooked shrimp and scallops again. It is mostly out of my system now. I am not sure if it was the combination of only having cantaloupe and pineapple for breakfast and then having a large dinner, or the combination of the different foods at dinner, or just straight food poisoning. Who knows. All I care about is that it completely leaves my system so that I can have a fun day with Dylan tomorrow....Including NOT eating at the Market Street Grill.

So, yet again, here I am at my computer on a Friday night........

Dear Diary Friday...

Ah, beautiful Friday.....

I am at home today, having been allowed the day off. I got to sleep in until 7:00 this morning and just have been puttering around the house. Dylan and I are going to be getting together later, and he wants to go to the zoo. Why does he want to go to the zoo in freezing temperatures is beyond me, but it is all about what makes him happy.

I went to the gym last night and I just did not feel as motivated...More like I was tired. I did my two miles on the track and different weight sets of ab crunches for a total of 375. I had a great work out, but was still totally exhausted. I came home and had dinner and pretty much did not do a damn thing that I had planned. I even woke up this morning a bit tired, but I am hoping that will wear away as soon as I shower and get ready. Unfortunately, I did not get to see any of gym buddies. I am totally excited about the prospect of seeing Dylan's parents, Dylan, Dee, and hopefully in the future, Connie and Lindi maybe once a week or once a month. Connie and I have decided that we are going to "visit" each other's gym to work out. Gawd, I am turning into such a geek about the gym....

Positive thought for the day: Allow your body to experience what it needs. Do not deprive it of anything, including relaxation.

Dear Diary Thursday...

No dog this morning, so it was a good start.

The gym was exceptionally wonderful last night. I got to see Dee and Dylan's mom. I did my normal warm up of two miles on the track, then I did 100 ab crunches with 5 lbs, then 100 ab crunches with 10 lbs, then 25 with 15 lbs then moved to the flat crunch machine and did 100 crunches and then 25 on each side. I had a wonderful time, had a fantastic work out, got to see some beautiful friends, and went home and had a salad, which completely filled me up. And then I FINALLY got to chat with Dylan on the phone for a little while.

Work yesterday was not a good day. Some body in the "upper management" had the brilliant idea to have me take phone messages when there are calls holding and then have the reps call people back. Okay, problems that it caused: 1) I could not get any of my work done the entire day, which that in itself will generate calls, 2) if there are already so many calls in que that we need to take messages, WHO IS GOING TO CALL THEM BACK? and 3) would it not be easier just to higher more people? It is great when people make decisions about departments when they have never in worked in that position. I guess that is why they get paid the big bucks....

Dear Diary Wednesday...

This day has already started out truly hilarious and aggravating! Let me start by explaining that two days ago, a dog came into our neighborhood and he comes to our fence and plays with Tinker and Tobee through the fence. He is a good size dog, about the size of a Labrador, and I have not seen him. Well, this morning, I saw him....up close and VERY personal. Tobee got up this morning and decided he needed to go out, so I let him. He found his friend and they started to play through the fence....only little quiet barks. Well, I looked outside to see what the hell Tobee was doing and that is when I saw him. He is beautiful. He sat down outside of the fence, looked up at me, and whined. Well, I brought Tobee in, threw his friend a treat, and closed the door. THAT is when the dog started really whining loud and barking. I decided to close the curtains and turn the lights off, and maybe he would go away. Well, after about 20 minutes he did. I jumped in the shower, started doing my morning routine. I went upstairs, and looked out the back window, and there sitting in the dark on the other side of the fence, was the dog still. I decided he was hungry so I made him a big plate of dry and wet dog food and went out the front door and called him. He came, but was very scared. I finally talked him into coming over to me, where he promptly through himself down at my feet on his back, to show his belly in a gesture that dogs do when they are showing that they are weaker. I rubbed his belly, talked to him, and left him to eat the huge plate of food. Well, I continued getting ready for work, went to the back door to let my cats out, and there is the dog, again. However, this time, he proceeded to bounce off the ground, and came OVER MY FENCE WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING IT! And made it up my back porch and almost into the house! Okay, here I am, 5:00 am, only wearing a robe and I decide to take the dog down off the porch, in the snow, and put him on the other side of the gate. Well, after him jumping all over me, covering me in kisses and snow, I manage to get him outside of my yard. I then proceed to walk back through the snow, only too look up and the damn dog is on the porch BEFORE I AM!! I get up there, and now I am frustrated and pissed. I decide the dog can manage to get into my yard, he can damn well get out of it by himself! I finish getting ready for work and head out to my car, no dog in sight. I pull out of my drive way AND THE DAMN DOG IS ON THE SIDE OF MY CAR FOLLOWING ME! Okay, I pulled back into my drive way, got out and yelled at the dog, pulled out of my drive way AND THE DOG IS TILL FOLLOWING ME! I do this six more times before I finally get so pissed off that I go into the house and get a broom. I come out and threaten him in various fashions....his response is to sit down on the front of my lawn and allow me to leave without him following me.

Anyone want a dog?

Dear Diary Tuesday...

Today was still a busy day at work, but I loved almost every moment of it. I kept a great positive attitude and it went by fairly fast. The only downside is that I awoke this morning not feeling like I had slept at all, and I was in bed and ASLEEP by 7:30 last night. I believe that I am having problems in two areas: 1) I think I am fighting off some type of illness or infection and 2) in the Weight Watchers world, you are given a certain number of "points" that you need to eat on a daily basis and I can't seem to eat as much as I am given. I think that the combination of two is making me now exhausted.

Speaking of Weight Watchers, I made it to my "weight in" tonight but did not stay for the meeting....I was just feeling that crappy. I came home and had a huge dinner, but a healthy dinner, and I am hoping that that will help me with tomorrow and getting some energy. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the gym and I was very excited to go.

Okay, this is pathetic, but I think I am going to bed now....

Positive thought for the day: Your friends are your the bright spots on your dark days.....

Dear Diary Monday, part two....

Today was a long, long day at work, as we had two people out and the phones were non-stop. I spent a great deal of my day actually taking calls instead of getting my others priorities accomplished. Oh well, I have tomorrow to work on those, I hope. Thankfully Toni broke up the hell of today and we went to Cafe Rio and I got a chicken fajita salad with no rice, beans only, and had only two tablespoons of the dressing and did not eat the shell. All in all, it was a completely healthy lunch and it was good to get out and be entertained by Toni's road rage. You know I love you Toni, even though you don't love me!

I went to the gym after work and had an amazingly intense workout. I did two miles on the track and then 100 ab crunches with 10 pound weights and 150 ab crunches with 4.5 weights. It was a wonderful workout and I am actually exhausted as I am typing. I am actually thinking of how comfortable my bed and the electric blanket sounds right now.

My energy was lacking today, and I think it was because I have had a few issues on my mind lately. One of them is that I think I defended a person, and I mean REALLY defended (tooth and nail and everything) and I believe I was deceived and I am not sure how to proceed. And the other situation is my sister. I think she has it in her head that she has to "compete" for the attention of my mother and it is just getting plain annoying. Ah, tomorrow I will wake up and it will both be resolved....at least that is what I am going to believe in my world.

Positive thought for the day: Search for the energy, put the request out into the Universe, and allow it to come to you.....

Dear Diary Monday...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY JEFFY!!!! Wishing you a wonderful day and a year full of excitement and love.....Lorene

Dear Diary Sunday...

It has been a wonderful weekend.

Saturday, Dylan and I got together and saw "Monster" and I agree with Connie, one of the best movies I have ever seen and if the lead does not win an Oscar, I would be totally surprised. We then went to a few places and did some minor shopping (Wild Oats, Media Play, etc.) and then went to Chili's so that I could get some fajitas that I had been craving. We then did a bit more running around and then back to Dylan's house to watch "House of the Dead" which we ended up turning off as it was the WORST movie that people have ever spent money on to create. Not even a good pair of boobies were in it!

Today has been shopping day with the folks. We went to breakfast, Costco, Petsmart, and Wal-Mart. We finally just sat down and had incredible home made hamburgers and I am stuffed. Thankfully I am not going anywhere for the rest of the day, as I reek of onions! And with the trip to Costco and Wal-mart, I now have enough fruit and vegetables to feed a small army....yum!

One thing I have noticed in the last few weeks with changing my lifestyle and getting more energy is the lack of support you find in other people you are surrounded by. I have witnessed it in family, friends, and co-workers. I get the snide comments of, "Well, we would ask you to lunch but we know you are DIETING" or "I would have picked you something up, but I know you are DIETING". Let me clear the records, I am not dieting. I have made a very conscious decision to change my life for the better and for many, many reasons, none that I am going to share at this point in time. And with changing my life, that does not mean I can not eat out. Believe it or not, you CAN eat out and still eat healthy. I also can have "bad" stuff once in awhile as well. I am not sure where the lack of support has come from, as I have always tried to be the "cheerleader" for everyone else, but I wish I knew. However, even though I am bothered by it, it is not changing who I am or what I am doing. I am thrilled with what I have accomplished and what I will be accomplishing in the future. Those that love me, are always in my corner and giving me the love and support I need. Those that aren't, I wish them well on their journeys through life.

Positive thought for the day: Judgements of others are not a reflection of who you are. Sometimes they can be the failings of other people. Allow others to have their bad moments, and love them regardless, for one day you will ask the same in return.