Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Happy Chinese New Year 2025

 

          Happy year of the snake. People born in the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac are said to be wise, mysterious, and intuitive. They are also known for being charismatic, determined, and good at problem-solving. 

          In honor of today, I feel I must take my kids out for Chinese food LOL now if they only liked it. I am not even sure where we would go. Oh well. I will think of something.

          I am starting to get Spring fever. The weather is warming up and I am wanting to put some grass seed down and plant flowers outside. I am also enjoying the days getting longer. I dislike it getting dark so soon. It makes it feel so much later than it actually is. My body starts thinking it wants to call it a day at 7pm. Not acceptable. 

          Okay, time to get going on my list of stuff to do. Laundry and work prep are important, as well as getting ahead on school work because over weekend my brain power is taken up by work stuff. At least it is payday this Friday :)

Monday, January 27, 2025

Monday Morning Mayhem

 

          What do you do at 1:00 am and you want to color hair, but don't have enough color to do so? You get your daughter to cut off four inches of hair LOL she was the one brave enough to do it LOL my son just encouraged her. So now I have shoulder-length hair with the gray gone LOL.

          I have been productive today so far. Already did my school work and washed rugs. Made grocery list. I have checked off the majority of my to-do list. Now I have to just finish the other stuff, but that requires going outside LOL not awake enough for that yet. It is sunny out, but I still feel chilly. I am trying to not get the plague that seems to be taking out the other nurses at work. I am thinking I definitely need to make some soup today. Right after I take a nap LOL.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Brrrrrrrrr

 

          It was 40 degrees when I woke up, and it had been raining all night. Parts of Florida have snow!!! If I had known that there would really be measurable snow in places, I would have taken Staci on a road trip to see it. She has never played in the real stuff. We moved away from Reno before she was old enough to learn that it is only pretty for a couple of hours, and then it is just wet and cold, LOL.

          I keep watching the news for everything President Trump is doing now that he is back in the White House. He seems hell-bent on taking apart anything Biden put together. So far, nothing has affected my world. I think the only thing that might start being noticed is if he actually starts deporting people. I would imagine there are a lot of individuals here illegally in Florida. I have no problem with immigrants, I just want them here legally. I would not be allowed in their country illegally, so why should they be allowed in mine? 

          Time to get ready for my work weekend. I need to meal prep a bit so that I can face any temptations. I did awesome last weekend. There was a birthday cake, cupcakes, and candy. I stayed away from all of them.  I munched on my blueberries and Legendary pastries LOL. This weekend I made apple oatmeal bread which is zero points. I am not sure what else I am going to come up with. I had BBQ chicken, but my kids figured out it was good and ate it up LOL. I am glad that they both are on health kicks. It makes it easier for me to stay focused if they are as well. They are more into the exercise part of it. If they can do it, then so can I :)

Monday, January 20, 2025

Inauguration Day 2025

 

          Oh boy, am I glad I am not anywhere close to D.C. today. It is Inauguration Day and I think it will be a madhouse there. President Trump is a bigger-than-life character. Love him or hate him, he is definitely one to watch. The news keeps saying he is going to make major changes on day one of his presidency. I am curious to see how that plays out. The logistics of his plans seem to be absurd.

          I will probably watch bits and pieces of the ceremony. I am not very into politics. I have other stuff to do today. Taking Staci to the eye doctor so she can get new glasses, then off to the grocery store to shop for the week. It is supposed to be rainy and cold this week. Florida is doing its bipolar weather again. Looks very cold and dreary outside right now. I need to find myself a jacket for today LOL I am woefully under-prepared for the cold.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

How Has it Been Seven Years

 

          This weekend will be a challenge emotionally. Sunday marks seven years since I woke up to the worst phone call of my life. I still miss you every day Mom. Not a day goes by when I do not think of you. I still leave work with stories to tell you, but you are not here to listen to them. I still plan trips to go on, but you are not here to take them with me. I watch Staci and Lee grow up and you are not here to marvel at what amazing adults they are becoming. I miss your sense of humor. So many times I think I still see you, but then I realize it is just a stranger. I still haven't come to grips with the pain of losing you. I doubt I ever will.

Monday, January 13, 2025

Be Positive

 

          I am positive I am tired LOL I managed to get everything done on my list today. A lot of brain power went towards my criminal law class and peace studies class. Ironically, the peace class is focused on learning what violence is, and the criminal law is all about a person's rights LOL. Between the readings, discussion posts, and quizzes today my brain has had a workout.

          I like my little picture I chose. I am all about trying to be more positive this year. In addition to my physical health I am also going to try and improve my mental health. Stress is so bad for the body.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Sunny Sunday

 

          Florida needs to make up its mind about what season it is, LOL. Is it winter in the morning, spring in the afternoon, and back to winter in the evening? I am so confused about how to dress every day.

          Thanks to the full moon, work was crazy. I did not like being in charge of the chaos. Thankfully, we kept everybody alive and safe. I'm so glad the normal charge nurse is back. I only have one more shift as charge, and then I get to return to my regularly scheduled programming.

          Little bit of Spring cleaning this week, I have to get my other tree trimmed so it will bloom on time. Both of them have grown so nicely since we moved in. They are so big now that they provide shade in the summer LOL. Now if I could only get vegetables to grow back there. I also need to plant some flower seeds in my front porch pots, I just have to decide what to grow, thinking something that attracts butterflies.  Hedges need trimming and shaping as well. Okay, time to get moving before lack of sleep catches up with me. I only have half my to do list done so far, must complete the other half before I go nonresponsive to the world LOL.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Sunny but Cold

 

          Brrrrr it is cold here in Florida. Is almost noon and we are still in barely in the 50's. On the good side is it is sunny outside, so not depressing weather. All my solar lights will charge up and my backyard will be a fairy land tonight.

          School has begun and the classes are a bit challenging. Lots to do this first week, usually there are just intro posts, nope, these classes each have 3-4 assignments due. Plus, I am not allowed to submit all in the same day. I have to spread them out. I just want to get them over with LOL.

           I am still doing well with WW. I have stayed within my points since beginning. I am very proud of myself. Lots of cooking involved though, which is a bit annoying. I would rather just grab and go my food. Today going to meal prep for work. I am making zero point banana and blueberry bread plus eggroll in a bowl. Both zero points. The bread is just mashed bananas, eggs, and old-fashioned oatmeal, berries thrown in, and then baked. Very filling and yummy. The eggroll is ground turkey, shredded cabbage, sliced peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce all sauteed together. Per the app, none of my ingredients in either recipe have points. Guilt free eating.

          Now off to do laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and binge watching TV LOL. Talk about a wild day planned :) 

Monday, January 6, 2025

Back to School Day

 

          Today is back to school day for me, tomorrow is Staci's day. This semester I am taking Criminal Law and Peace Studies. Talk about two completely different mindsets. I have no clue what to expect in either class. Staci's classes are pretty much the same except she dropped computer studies and is picking up personal fitness. I am thankful no more computers as that was too hard and we lost our tutor (RJ) to his selfishness.

          I might possibly be moving past denial and into the anger stage of grief. I am a bit mad at him for being so selfish as to leave all of us. He didn't realize how important he was to us I guess. It will be hard with him gone.

          Okay, as the picture says, no focusing on the sad. This year I am going to try and focus on the positive. Yesterday I did great. I did everything on my to do list and I mowed the front yard. It looks so much better now. Perhaps if it doesn't rain today, I will try and clean up the backyard. My crepe myrtle trees need to be trimmed and the grass/weeds mowed. I have already walked 8500 steps today while watching The Rookie and I am baking some veggies for my breakfast LOL I decided it was okay to be unconventional. Later I am going to make some zero point soup since it is filling and it is cold here in Florida. I am not ready for the heat of summer, but I am ready for the 40 degree weather to be gone. I like it when it is 65 to 75 degrees and sunny.

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Nothing Like a Little Pooh to Help the Day

 

          I am still numb and way deep in denial, but I have to work, so I am going in. I wish I could stay curled up with my dogs under my blanket, but that would not be healthy. Besides, I think I am in charge tonight at work. I am hoping it goes by quickly and smoothly.

          So many times yesterday I wanted to indulge in comfort food and laziness to cope. I didn't though. I got my steps in, and while I did enjoy some comfort food, I made sure to stay within my points. I also already got over half of my steps in for today, so I can stay on track. He might have been ready to give up his life, but I am not. I want to live, I am brave enough to live. I know others depend on me and I am not going to let them down.

Friday, January 3, 2025

Devastated

 

          I am devastated and brokenhearted. My friend of 25 years committed suicide yesterday. I cannot even fathom or process this grief right now. So many emotions. I feel anger at him for doing this, at him being so selfish to take himself away from his wife and kids, furious at him for doing it in a gruesome way that could have been seen by his young children, and not reaching out to anybody. 

          I am so very sad as well. I wish he had reached out to me. I know there was a whole ocean between us, but I could have listened over the phone, hell he was rich enough he could have flown here for me to take care of him for a bit. I am sad for his wife. She is so young and now has to care for her four young children alone. Thankfully she seems to have a great support system in England. I feel for his adult daughter. She was angry at him, but has always been too influenced by her mom to love him. Now she will never have the chance. 

           Finally, I am depressed because he is not here anymore. He has always been in my life since the year 2000. We dated, then were friends, then we were in love, then friends again. No matter how many miles were between us, we still stayed close. He was who I turned to when I was in need. Now he is not there and I don't know how to process that. I don't know if I ever will. Right now I just want to wake up and find out it was all just a bad dream.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Nothing Will Change if I Don't Change

 

          First day of work this year and really wish it wasn't LOL I like staying home. I make no secret about that. But since I cannot stay home I need to make the best of it. So, I got up a bit early and got the majority of my steps in and made me some zero points banana bread to take to work to snack on. I have decided that if I do not do things different, then nothing will change.      

           Normally I would stay in bed, stressing over getting up, finally drag myself out of bed, make coffee, and then fret about going to work. Not today :) I got up and was active. I have a goal this year of doing at least 8000 steps a day, might push that to 8500 per day, and if I was going to accomplish that, I needed to get moving. At work, instead of sitting all night, I will force myself to get up and walk a bit more to maintain that goal.

          I weighed myself this morning and guess what :) I am down 5 pounds!!! Pretty good for being on the program only sixteen days. It is not a lot but it is in the right direction. I just need to stay focused and not give up on myself. This year I am going to succeed at improving my health. I am going to do that by making small changes every day. I am going to make it a game with myself to see what I can do to be different daily :) Now I am off to bug my kids LOL it is a huge joy in my life to have them and I plan on using them for motivation.

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Happy New Year 2025

 

          A fresh new year to use and abuse LOL okay hopefully not as bad as that. I am hoping 2025 is the year I finally get my health under control. Those pesky new year's resolutions we all make, well mine is to get healthier and get to onederland, meaning get under 200lbs. To do that I need to use the Weight Watchers points and move more. If I do that, then I will be healthier :)

          Also this year I am hoping my kids get healthier. Staci is off to a great start and Lee is trying as well. She totally watches what she eats, with no pressure from me whatsoever, and she walks 30 minutes a day on the treadmill. She is almost too skinny now that her height has caught up with her weight. Lee is working on building muscle as opposed to losing weight. They will pretty much go hand in hand I think. Me, well I am making sure I stay under my 29 points and get at least an average of 8000 steps a day. The points require more cooking, but I have stayed full so far. I at least feel better.

          As far as the year goes. Goals are to get through my two courses per semester and survive Staci finishing 10th grade, turning sixteen, possibly teaching her to drive, and her starting 11th grade. WOW too many biggies for her this year. For Lee I just want him to get a promotion at work. He deserves it big time. I am not going to have any theme park passes this year, too expensive, and not enough there that is new to keep us entertained. We have seen and done everything too much LOL perhaps next year. So, I will have to find different things to keep us entertained outside of the house. Getting those two out and about is tough LOL. Beyond these goals I do not have much planned other than to have a peaceful and healthy year.