This weekend, I will be trying to pull in more classmates to sign up for the 30th high school reunion. I have consistently put off creating what I call the "Reunion Sign Up" sheet. I want to make sure I get the latest personal contact information from those who sign up and pay to attend in person. I finally sat down and made out the form. I wanted the top part to be the area where the classmate updates personal information for reaching them. The bottom part serves as a receipt for the classmate to keep.
In our haste to put together this reunion, I feel we have forgotten the small things, such as providing a receipt. People want something in return - notification that their money was received or some sort of ticket indicating that they have entry into the event. I realized that from a few classmates asking me directly if I had gotten their payment. Someone else was taking the payments, but nothing was getting back to those classmates that had paid. I have done some quick and dirty things to let them know that their payment was received.
I am off this week from work, but have not accomplished anything in the area of cleaning. I feel awful about that. Each day, I have had something I needed to do. I saw the endo for my 3 month check up on my diabetes, then today, I saw the ob-gyn for my yearly deal. Tomorrow, I take Chloe to the vet to have her ears checked to make sure that she has no inner-ear infection. I noticed that she wants her ears rubbed or she will scratch at her ears. I know that they are clean, but her hearing has been severely affected.
In the end, I have let other things worry me and I am not focusing on the initial plan for this week off from work. I have managed to do a few things, like get the dishes cleared away, do some laundry, get trash out the door. Still, I need to really sit down and go through things and make that tough decision - Do I keep this? What does this item bring to me? Is it worth keeping?
I look around and see tons of paper. Mainly, it is either AMEX or other credit card offers - I really need another credit card like I need a hole in the head. Not necessary - please, go away! I am going to sign up for my balance statements to come to me via email. Not only am I ridding myself of yet another piece of paper, I get $5.00 for doing it. No brainer!
I am also thinking of moving my bills to be delivered to me in email form as well. Makes no sense for this much paper to come into my home that has to be shredded. At least, I can create rules for my email programs, then I can put the bills into their own individual folders.
Sometimes, I feel that what also stops me from clearing my clutter is that I can be too organized. Is that even possible? I actually think so. I have this obsessive/compulsive manner where if I can get everything into where I think it should go, I figure it should be a no brainer to get done. However, I look at the daunting task at hand and I procrastinate. I should not be doing that.
Just like my getting back on the horse with my cardio. Sure, I had back problems in June, but I had fell off the cardio wagon before that time. I was trying to figure out where to fit it in, but I would get tired or needed to do something else for someone. Life became a bit nutty and why? I am not even sure.
Now, I am trying all of this again. I have incorporated OneNote over the web to help keep the reunion committee with information that they need. Seems that some people never go back through their emails, so there needed to be a central point for that. OneNote seemed like a great idea. I am also creating my programming/mathematics refresher using a personal OneNote notebook that I can access. If I need a break from whatever I am doing, I can go read on a problem or some notes, then work on that. Also, I am trying to work into my routine to walk and make sure I get my steps in each day.
Refreshing my mind and getting healthy is very important to me. My trainer wants this group of sessions to focus not only on getting back on the cardio wagon, but also, do the food logging. Make myself accountable for what I am eating. This should help me eat better.
I will provide a progress report later in the week on what I have accomplished. I do feel pretty good that I was able to create the sign up form. Tomorrow, I will print out about 100 pages and put it in a folder, ready to be used this weekend. I hope many people will come out to get their payment in for the reunion. I think the next thing to do is create a MySQL DB and put in all of the classmate information. That way, I can hand off the updated information to someone easily - better than sending out PDF files.
See - my mind just goes 90 to nothing with stuff that should be done. I wish I could quiet my mind down a bit. I am just too much of a nerd for my own damn good.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Ever Wonder...
Ever wonder when life is handing a bunch of lemons, but there is no water or sugar to make lemonade, what do you do? I have been having those kinds of days lately.
Not everything stays young or remains the same. With time, our bodies change and the simplest things we take for granted are lost. I recently realized Chloe can no longer hear. I suppose that explains why she sticks to me like glue when I am at home.
Her deafness became more apparent after I had taken her to the vet to get her ears checked. The vet's office stated that they had to clean out her ears, then pack them with an antibiotic. Since that time, she does not respond to anything.
I tried several things to get her attention, but nothing. I am taking her back to the vet's office to ask about the ear cleaning business and the affect it has had on her. However, today, I cried. I cannot even imagine what she must thinking because she can not hear. Always sitting by my side and looking at me and I talk to her, but she cannot hear. It really tore me up to say the least.
I have been under a lot of unnecessary stress at work. I am trying to rectify a problem that someone caused and the whole thing is just getting more messy. I am more puzzled that the issue even happened, but it is what it is. I do not have to like it, but it is frustrating that one issue has evolved after another.
I noticed that the stress was getting the better of me. I have chewed off most of my fingernails and I have been overeating. It is something I need to correct.
Next week, I am taking a week off from work. Time to really work on clearing out the apartment of excess stuff. It may not be "minimalist" clean, but it is a start. It is just time to clear everything.
One other thing I think I will start doing is just getting my bills via email. If a creditor or the bank allows it, I will just have my bills and such emailed to me. Majority of my paper coming into the apartment is bills. I have a couple of subscriptions that I cannot seem to rid myself. Not even sure how they got started. I am tired of Allure and Glamour magazine. I did not want them in the first place. The Prevention and Diabetic Living magazine subscriptions I have are on the Kindle. Right now, I can afford electronic clutter. It is easier to delete those emails and not worry about someone digging through my trash.
Maybe I can finally get a reboot going on and move on with improving my life. I was quite happy to have a former boss telling me that since my job change, I seem much happier. That makes him very happy as well. He is moving to a new position within the corporation. I hate for him to leave - loved working for him from 2002 to 2011.
Chloe is telling me it is time to hit the hay. My quiet time to mull over what I should do and how to go about it before falling asleep.
Not everything stays young or remains the same. With time, our bodies change and the simplest things we take for granted are lost. I recently realized Chloe can no longer hear. I suppose that explains why she sticks to me like glue when I am at home.
Her deafness became more apparent after I had taken her to the vet to get her ears checked. The vet's office stated that they had to clean out her ears, then pack them with an antibiotic. Since that time, she does not respond to anything.
I tried several things to get her attention, but nothing. I am taking her back to the vet's office to ask about the ear cleaning business and the affect it has had on her. However, today, I cried. I cannot even imagine what she must thinking because she can not hear. Always sitting by my side and looking at me and I talk to her, but she cannot hear. It really tore me up to say the least.
I have been under a lot of unnecessary stress at work. I am trying to rectify a problem that someone caused and the whole thing is just getting more messy. I am more puzzled that the issue even happened, but it is what it is. I do not have to like it, but it is frustrating that one issue has evolved after another.
I noticed that the stress was getting the better of me. I have chewed off most of my fingernails and I have been overeating. It is something I need to correct.
Next week, I am taking a week off from work. Time to really work on clearing out the apartment of excess stuff. It may not be "minimalist" clean, but it is a start. It is just time to clear everything.
One other thing I think I will start doing is just getting my bills via email. If a creditor or the bank allows it, I will just have my bills and such emailed to me. Majority of my paper coming into the apartment is bills. I have a couple of subscriptions that I cannot seem to rid myself. Not even sure how they got started. I am tired of Allure and Glamour magazine. I did not want them in the first place. The Prevention and Diabetic Living magazine subscriptions I have are on the Kindle. Right now, I can afford electronic clutter. It is easier to delete those emails and not worry about someone digging through my trash.
Maybe I can finally get a reboot going on and move on with improving my life. I was quite happy to have a former boss telling me that since my job change, I seem much happier. That makes him very happy as well. He is moving to a new position within the corporation. I hate for him to leave - loved working for him from 2002 to 2011.
Chloe is telling me it is time to hit the hay. My quiet time to mull over what I should do and how to go about it before falling asleep.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Summer in Texas...
One thing I have learned in the 36 years I have lived in Texas is that the summers here are brutal. When I lived in Louisiana, I do not remember summer being so hot and humid. Then, again, I spent my summer either at the pool or outside playing with friends. I will say, at some point, I would stay up all night while my mother stayed up reading her books while my father was out of town, so I probably slept through a lot of days.
Not sure where I can begin to even get adjusted to the hot weather. I just returned from walking my dogs and when I got back to the apartment, the back of my head is soaking wet. I have already started sweating and I was not even really exercising briskly or hard. I expect this sort of thing when I have been busting my butt doing strength training or really doing some brisk walking.
I will take baths and get all cleaned up, only to have to get all sweaty and nasty again. I will admit, I do enjoy the feeling after a cool shower. I feel completely refreshed and when I go to bed, I sleep really well. Still, I hate being all sticky and smelly - even though I did take a bath that day.
I wonder what I can do to get better adjusted or is this just how it is going to be. The one thing I know I avoid doing is walking around the neighborhood in the middle of the day. I did that a few times before I injured by back area and when I got back to my desk, I was simply pouring in sweat. Yuck.
I think that today, around 6 PM and taking into consideration where I am with my laundry and cleaning duties, I will make an effort to walk at least a mile around the neighborhood - without the dogs. If I can do some cardio, then that will be all the better for my body. I have to at least try.
I just need to make sure to carry water with me. I have a water bottle carrier that I can strap on myself and that should keep my hands free. Whenever I walk, I like keeping my hands free of anything.
So, my friends may think I am a candya$$ for complaining about the heat, but I am okay with that. I do not have to care for it. However, I feel I need to be better adjusted to it for my own health.
Not sure where I can begin to even get adjusted to the hot weather. I just returned from walking my dogs and when I got back to the apartment, the back of my head is soaking wet. I have already started sweating and I was not even really exercising briskly or hard. I expect this sort of thing when I have been busting my butt doing strength training or really doing some brisk walking.
I will take baths and get all cleaned up, only to have to get all sweaty and nasty again. I will admit, I do enjoy the feeling after a cool shower. I feel completely refreshed and when I go to bed, I sleep really well. Still, I hate being all sticky and smelly - even though I did take a bath that day.
I wonder what I can do to get better adjusted or is this just how it is going to be. The one thing I know I avoid doing is walking around the neighborhood in the middle of the day. I did that a few times before I injured by back area and when I got back to my desk, I was simply pouring in sweat. Yuck.
I think that today, around 6 PM and taking into consideration where I am with my laundry and cleaning duties, I will make an effort to walk at least a mile around the neighborhood - without the dogs. If I can do some cardio, then that will be all the better for my body. I have to at least try.
I just need to make sure to carry water with me. I have a water bottle carrier that I can strap on myself and that should keep my hands free. Whenever I walk, I like keeping my hands free of anything.
So, my friends may think I am a candya$$ for complaining about the heat, but I am okay with that. I do not have to care for it. However, I feel I need to be better adjusted to it for my own health.
At any moment, you can choose peace.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
End of the Break...
Almost been a month since I posted. I have been through quite a bit. I lost my way - where I wanted to go with my health changes. I injured my back and it is basically taken a month to recover. It is pretty frustrating to focus on trying to do good things for yourself and get knocked down like that.
I had a couple of bright spots in the month of dread. Random Cathy gave me such a great birthday present: Chinese Reflexology Massage and dinner at Misto Bistro. I had NEVER had a body massage. Mainly, that is due to my self-consciousness regarding my body. However, I decided to let it all go and try. It felt really good and relaxing.
The food at Misto Bistro was incredibly delicious! I enjoyed every bite, even the little but of the peach cobbler presented for my birthday. Decadence, but highly recommended for others to try.
The other bright spot was getting to see Eddie Izzard. My seat at the show was so close to the stage that I was quite happy. I laughed so much that I had tears flowing. He is so funny and witty. Every show is just so educational and I believe that is because he based a lot of his material on real facts, then he makes fun of them. Definitely, I would go see him again.
My back is feeling much better - no more muscle cramps that start from the back of my legs and go up into my glutes. Sitting and lying down were not an issue - walking was quite another story. It finally took taking steroids to get all of that worked out. Stretching would help, but only for a short while. I would even walk and walk to make sure I got the muscles "worked out". I would cry to myself - Please, calm down! Quit tightening up! I got pain meds that made me loopy, but did not do much for the muscle pain.
So, what is the "plan" now?
Health-wise: Clean eating and exercise. I do not care what anyone says, for me, it is the key to losing weight. Today, I have already finished drinking 33 oz of water. The goal is to get half a gallon drank in a day and build back to the gallon of water I was getting into my system each day.
Exercise - I need to start building up my walking from 1 mile to 3 miles a day. That is outside of doing any strength training with my trainer. I need to renew my contract with her and figure it is probably the best money I could invest in myself. I actually made it and did the work outs without complaining. I hope that this time around, I can motivate myself to do at least 30 minutes of strength training each day. This way, it will improve my walking endurance.
Just to state - I do not run. Running is not something I do or even enjoy. I love walking. I used to love biking, but I no longer have a bike. I also love to swim, but the pool here is always full of kids. So, do not count on me taking on marathons unless they allow me to walk. I know I mentioned doing the Turkey Trot, but that is because it is a 3 mile walk and I think that would be a fun thing to do on Thanksgiving.
The other thing I am doing is a serious clean out in the apartment. Not seeing much of a difference at the moment, but it is a work in progress. I have cleared out some garbage in my closet. The next step is to clear out old clothes and shoes. Take those items down to a clothing receptacle and allow someone else to use these items. Next, I have found a shredder service where I can drop off a lot of the paper items I need shredded. $10 for the initial box or bag, then $5 for each additional. On Saturdays, they are open from 9 AM to 3 PM and accept drop offs at that time. When you drop it off, you are allowed to watch it all get shredded. That would give me a lot of comfort.
I supposed it is time to start moving over more to electronic storage rather than paper. All of the stupid American Express credit card applications really make me angry. I never asked for it and never really want it. I have a card for company use, but I do not use that card. I just hate that mess.
I also need to get rid of Glamour and Allure magazine delivery. I end up just tossing the magazines because I am not really interested in what is offered. I get Diabetic Living and Prevention magazines on my Kindle and I completely love it. Much easier to handle.
Spending Fast/Savings - Most of my money is going out the door to the vet's office. Bo and Chloe have had various medical issues and it is causing me to break the bank. I have been working hard not to bring anything into the apartment unless something else has gone out the door. Also, I am doing that weekly cash add to both my money and savings stash. That way I have some money saved at the end of the year.
Today, I have to get Bo his medication refill, then plan on taking care of getting towels and such done as well as clear out much of the gunk in my "office". I have some serious plans regarding that area. I recently put in a new cable modem and router. Time to set up a proper server and keep stuff running in there, rather than on my Dell lap top. All of those changes can happen next year. Right now, it is time to throw out old papers and the like. Also, test the HP 722c printer to see if it still prints. If not, toss it.
For my friend with diabetes, she worried me to death over her blood sugar levels. Okay - first thing - quit worrying. I know - easy to say and difficult to do. However, worrying can crank up the blood sugar, so you have to stop. Next, look at what you are eating - seriously. The other day, my blood sugar was 294. I knew exactly why - food consumption. Next day, it was 128.
The other thing is that she was hammering me about why Victoza was not working. She acted like the medication was supposed to work a miracle. I told her that she still needed to remain calm. It takes awhile for the medication to build up in your system.
Now, that everything has settled and she is happy with her numbers, I do not hear from her. That is okay. It was very frustrating for me. She constantly acts like she knows more than I do and puts me though this garbage. I do not care for it. She complained to me about an incident where she went to a conference that her part of the company was giving. The group ordered from Jason's Deli and she went on about how it was just fortunate that she was able to eat the tuna fish without the bread and such. Her complaint was how no one thought of diabetics and complained to someone about needing to eat because she was diabetic. Keep in mind, she had forgotten to eat breakfast that day.
How do I handle all of this - even considering my own complaint about "coffee and donuts" - YOU have to take care of YOURSELF. That means, do not skip meals. Pack your own breakfast and/or lunch. I have gotten to the point where that is exactly what I do. Why? The reason is easy. I have difficulty measuring other restaurants' nutritional information. Mom and pop places are the worst, but every now and then, it is okay to eat there. Just do not make it an every day habit. Otherwise, we are all safe by preparing our own meals. You know EXACTLY what you put into it and you can feel better about what you are eating. Never count on others to think about your needs. It just does not happen and I have learned not to complain about it. I may complain here, but that is about it.
I also think that while I am working on clearing out the "office", I need to keep the following message in mind:
I had a couple of bright spots in the month of dread. Random Cathy gave me such a great birthday present: Chinese Reflexology Massage and dinner at Misto Bistro. I had NEVER had a body massage. Mainly, that is due to my self-consciousness regarding my body. However, I decided to let it all go and try. It felt really good and relaxing.
The food at Misto Bistro was incredibly delicious! I enjoyed every bite, even the little but of the peach cobbler presented for my birthday. Decadence, but highly recommended for others to try.
The other bright spot was getting to see Eddie Izzard. My seat at the show was so close to the stage that I was quite happy. I laughed so much that I had tears flowing. He is so funny and witty. Every show is just so educational and I believe that is because he based a lot of his material on real facts, then he makes fun of them. Definitely, I would go see him again.
My back is feeling much better - no more muscle cramps that start from the back of my legs and go up into my glutes. Sitting and lying down were not an issue - walking was quite another story. It finally took taking steroids to get all of that worked out. Stretching would help, but only for a short while. I would even walk and walk to make sure I got the muscles "worked out". I would cry to myself - Please, calm down! Quit tightening up! I got pain meds that made me loopy, but did not do much for the muscle pain.
So, what is the "plan" now?
Health-wise: Clean eating and exercise. I do not care what anyone says, for me, it is the key to losing weight. Today, I have already finished drinking 33 oz of water. The goal is to get half a gallon drank in a day and build back to the gallon of water I was getting into my system each day.
Exercise - I need to start building up my walking from 1 mile to 3 miles a day. That is outside of doing any strength training with my trainer. I need to renew my contract with her and figure it is probably the best money I could invest in myself. I actually made it and did the work outs without complaining. I hope that this time around, I can motivate myself to do at least 30 minutes of strength training each day. This way, it will improve my walking endurance.
Just to state - I do not run. Running is not something I do or even enjoy. I love walking. I used to love biking, but I no longer have a bike. I also love to swim, but the pool here is always full of kids. So, do not count on me taking on marathons unless they allow me to walk. I know I mentioned doing the Turkey Trot, but that is because it is a 3 mile walk and I think that would be a fun thing to do on Thanksgiving.
The other thing I am doing is a serious clean out in the apartment. Not seeing much of a difference at the moment, but it is a work in progress. I have cleared out some garbage in my closet. The next step is to clear out old clothes and shoes. Take those items down to a clothing receptacle and allow someone else to use these items. Next, I have found a shredder service where I can drop off a lot of the paper items I need shredded. $10 for the initial box or bag, then $5 for each additional. On Saturdays, they are open from 9 AM to 3 PM and accept drop offs at that time. When you drop it off, you are allowed to watch it all get shredded. That would give me a lot of comfort.
I supposed it is time to start moving over more to electronic storage rather than paper. All of the stupid American Express credit card applications really make me angry. I never asked for it and never really want it. I have a card for company use, but I do not use that card. I just hate that mess.
I also need to get rid of Glamour and Allure magazine delivery. I end up just tossing the magazines because I am not really interested in what is offered. I get Diabetic Living and Prevention magazines on my Kindle and I completely love it. Much easier to handle.
Spending Fast/Savings - Most of my money is going out the door to the vet's office. Bo and Chloe have had various medical issues and it is causing me to break the bank. I have been working hard not to bring anything into the apartment unless something else has gone out the door. Also, I am doing that weekly cash add to both my money and savings stash. That way I have some money saved at the end of the year.
Today, I have to get Bo his medication refill, then plan on taking care of getting towels and such done as well as clear out much of the gunk in my "office". I have some serious plans regarding that area. I recently put in a new cable modem and router. Time to set up a proper server and keep stuff running in there, rather than on my Dell lap top. All of those changes can happen next year. Right now, it is time to throw out old papers and the like. Also, test the HP 722c printer to see if it still prints. If not, toss it.
For my friend with diabetes, she worried me to death over her blood sugar levels. Okay - first thing - quit worrying. I know - easy to say and difficult to do. However, worrying can crank up the blood sugar, so you have to stop. Next, look at what you are eating - seriously. The other day, my blood sugar was 294. I knew exactly why - food consumption. Next day, it was 128.
The other thing is that she was hammering me about why Victoza was not working. She acted like the medication was supposed to work a miracle. I told her that she still needed to remain calm. It takes awhile for the medication to build up in your system.
Now, that everything has settled and she is happy with her numbers, I do not hear from her. That is okay. It was very frustrating for me. She constantly acts like she knows more than I do and puts me though this garbage. I do not care for it. She complained to me about an incident where she went to a conference that her part of the company was giving. The group ordered from Jason's Deli and she went on about how it was just fortunate that she was able to eat the tuna fish without the bread and such. Her complaint was how no one thought of diabetics and complained to someone about needing to eat because she was diabetic. Keep in mind, she had forgotten to eat breakfast that day.
How do I handle all of this - even considering my own complaint about "coffee and donuts" - YOU have to take care of YOURSELF. That means, do not skip meals. Pack your own breakfast and/or lunch. I have gotten to the point where that is exactly what I do. Why? The reason is easy. I have difficulty measuring other restaurants' nutritional information. Mom and pop places are the worst, but every now and then, it is okay to eat there. Just do not make it an every day habit. Otherwise, we are all safe by preparing our own meals. You know EXACTLY what you put into it and you can feel better about what you are eating. Never count on others to think about your needs. It just does not happen and I have learned not to complain about it. I may complain here, but that is about it.
I also think that while I am working on clearing out the "office", I need to keep the following message in mind:
you need to slow down.
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