5 december

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Chilly morning and it would be nice to stay in bed. But...

Hey! I've lost some more weight. Seventy pounds gone! Ü




I got my Christmas cards done. For some reason I only ordered 50 prints. It was hard reducing the list to that. I may order some more cards for those I forgot. Oh I already now one name. Oops.




Have I mentioned how much I love Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark with Dark Chocolate? I saw that Junior Mints has a Christmas variety with peppermint crunch on the outside. I have never been a fan of those so I didn't get any. I bet my sister would like them. Here is a review of them.




3:18

At Barnes & Noble and it's so busy. I was lucky to find a table. Guess I'll skip the chai.




Andy has been getting more tense when he is getting his hair cut. At first Dana thought it was the change of salon. But this was his fourth visit. Even Andy doesn't take that long to transition.

Since we ate late, I was hoping the boys might want to skip dinner. Right. Andy's is a growing boy and is not likely to skip a meal for the next several years. Though he did eat less, he did eat. Actually, he ate a "normal" portion rather than than 3 or 4.

4 december

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Cold and rainy today. Instead of walking I moves the file cabinet and printer over to dad's desk. I alsobrought in a floor lamp that was sitting by the garage.

Dad went to the doctor. He fasted for bloodwork but they didn't take any blood today. I wonder if dad even told him that he had fasted. Dad said the doctor was late and seemed rushed.




I went to Joann's looking for more treat boxes. Once I was there, I realized they wouldn't have the Martha Stewart ones. I would have to go to Micheal's. Instead of leaving then, I walked around and found more stuff to buy. I did get one Christmas gift. Everything I got was on sale and I just couldn't not use my coupon. So I bought so Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark with Dark Chocolate. Oh I love this stuff.

I didn't have a coupon for Michael's but was hoping to use another Joann's coupon. You never know if they will accept it or not. They did but the treat boxes were already on sale. I left before I spent even more money.




You know it's cold when Ryan leaves his sweatshirt on all day. This is the boy who hates to wear anything but t-shirt and shirts 365 days a year. He wear long johns to bed every night. Goofy? Just a bit.




My new slow cooker came. Now I have to decide what to cook. Hank and I are at opposite ends of the food spectrum. I would be happy with vegetarian soups and stews. He would love pot roasts and pork chops.


3 december

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Andy was going on a CBI trip today. CBI is Community Based Instruction. They were going to Wiregrass to go Christmas shopping and have lunch. I had put $20 in his wallet and put the wallet in the backpack. The school called saying they couldn't find it. It wasn't at home. Maybe he left it on the bus? I searched my memory and recalled putting it in the green backpack. Oh. The green backpack is Ryan's. Oops. Luckily, his teacher will cover him and I will send in money tomorrow.




We had big storms last night and th forecast said morning showers. There was nothing on the radar so I took a chance and went to the zoo. It was overcast and not crowded. Nice.

I went back to the Safari area. The zebras were too far away and I didn't bring my longer zoom. I walked around and took shots of other things like architecture. I like how the architecture is part of the experience, no longer just utilitarian building trying to hide in the background. One of the giraffes was pretty close to the walk until I went for my camera. Bugger.

The zoo has been decorating for Christmas. They have special evening events. We won't go as Ryan doesn't like the dark. Then again, maybe Andy & I should go. He would love the lights.




A visit to the chiropractor and lunch. Then off to Target to get some drugs. Such an expensive trip especially since I found more crap stuff to buy for Christmas.




Andy brought home a wrapped gift for me. I pulled out the Christmas tree so we could place the gift underneath. Andy kept touching the gift and saying, "What do I do now?" Wait until Christmas. Then I asked, "Who is the gift for?" He answered, "Me!" "Um... no honey. You bought it for me. You wrote the tag." He walked away and never looked at it again.

12.2

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Wednesday and nowhere to go.

I feel a bit like a cage animal on the days I don't have to go anywhere. I know I should stay home and get stuff done but I just want to go out and play. No, not shop, because that gets me in trouble. But go walk and take pictures.

I walked today. Darn ankle is making too much noise. I tried to stay home today. But once I finished lunch I was itching to go out. Yes, I ended up at Starbucks. What DO they put in their drinks to make me want to go back everyday? Carrie took her break and chatted with me. She is so nice. She is from Michigan, near Kalamazoo. She said she would exercise with me anytime, though she is usually at work when I walk. But... why would a 25 year old want to hang out with someone who is old enough to be her mother?




The family album pages came today. Do they seem a bit dark? Maybe it is time to calibrate my monitor? My Christmas cards have not arrived. Both were ordered and shipped at the same time though in separate orders.




I ordered customer Starbucks gift cards for the teachers. I was a little disappointed that they were $4 extra for the customization. I did pay it. Oh! I forgot Ryan's inclusion specialist. She loves Starbucks too. It's odd that you have to place each card in a separate order. Though you can order multiples of the same card.




I made oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips. The recipe said 5 dozen but I was just shy of 8. I used the smaller scoop and they are just right. And only 77 calories.

I stuck the brown bananas in the freezer. I'll make dad some muffins next week.




Storms are coming through tonight. There is a tornado watch until 4 am. Weird for this time of year.





12.1

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Oh wow. I forgot to do a blog post for Monday. Well, it's not like anything exciting happened. Though we were ALL happy that the boys returned to school. I do not look forward to Christmas break. We will have to schedule some outings to keep Ryan from going bonkers.




We had someone new to the photography meet -up today. I wonder what she thought about it. Our meetings are unstructured and loose. We talk about cameras and photography and computers... Jeff talked about a possible trip to the Galapagos Islands. It's not something I can imagine doing anytime in the next few years. It's something that came up and the price is good but I still don't have $5000 pluse feel comfortable leaving the boys for that long.

There are those in the group who are older, retired or semi-retired, and who have the money to take such trips. I am not there. Though it would be nice to go sometime in the next 10 to 20 years. Gotta find that rich and supportive husband...




I went to Lettuce Lake Park after the meeting. They have increased the entrance fee to $2 and have made it mandatory. It used to be the honor system buy now they have a gate house with a park ranger. I walked along the jog/bike path. It's paved and mostly flat. There were few people around. There are some interweving nature trails. I stayed clear since I didn't want to see any snakes. Maybe I will try them next time. I wore my older sneakers and it was a mistake. After a mile, my knee and ankle were hurting. The path is 1.2 miles and I only did one loop. Next time I will wear the better shoes and hope to go twice around.

I drove up Morris Bridge to Shannon's. I passed Flatwoods Park and a couple of other parks. I need to check them out. There might be some good trails. (There are lots of trails. I will have to try them after the Tuesday meetings.)

i finished reading the end of overeating



The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler MD. There is lots of great stuff about the evolution of the food industry and why many of us crave high fat, high salt, high sugar foods. Kessler also explains how we program ourselves to eat out of habit or reward than out of hungry.

I never really thought of myself as an overeater but you don't get to be my size by just looking at food. But when Kessler talked about how some people don't even realize they are eating too much until it's all gone, it hit home. There are certain foods that just call to me. I don't even keep them in the house knowing that once I start, I can't stop. Sun chips, mint chocolate chip ice cream, cheddar cheese crackers...

I only wish he would have spent more time on how to overcome this problem. I know there is Overeaters Anonymous but I am not a joiner. And frankly, I think I am doing OK. But extra tips and tricks would be helpful.

11.28

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1:13

Sitting at CFA while Andy plays. We went to the Hillsborough River State Park for a photowalk. We walked about 2 1/2 miles. It's a nice park and rather close. I want to go back with my tripod and practice moving water shots. I need a neutral density filter.

There was a big turn out but I didn't know a lot of the people. Most were from the NPPF and I haven't gone to any of those meetings.

The park has 2 bridges crossing the river. One is a suspension bridge. It does move but not enough to bother me. It might bother Ryan. Andy thought it was cool to make it move.

The park has several playgrounds and Andy said he wanted to play but just sat on the swing. I think he was tired. I made him keep moving so we could go home.

I think I need a moisture wicking top. I am just wearing a long sleeve cotton t shirt and it was damp after an hour. I do have some but in sizes too small at the moment.




8:12

Didn't get much done this afternoon. Was catching up on Twitter when Bonnie called. Then it was 6:30 and time for dinner. Though I did take advantage of Lands' End 25% off sale. Twice. I ordered some jeans for myself. I haven't worn jeans in about 13 years. I ordered some "mom" jeans as I just don't understand the low riders. Especially when the back pockets are halfway down the thigh. I think it looks stupid like you can't get your jeans up over your bum. It looks bad even on the skinny girls.







11.29.09

Just finished dinner. I made some kind of bean soup. I used a mix from the store and added garlic, onion, celery and canned diced tomatoes. The only tomatoes I had were Ro-tel so I not sure if that is what caused the kick. It was OK. I think fresher beans might have been better.

I want to learn how to make more soups. I got a recipe book called Taste of Home. They are separated by type of meat used. I want to find more vegetarian recipes that my dad will like. The only issue with the book is that there is no mention of slow cookers. I like to set it and forget it until I am hungry.

I spent too much time online looking for hiking shoes. I do have hiking boots which I have not worn in over 10 years. But now that I realize there are trails do close to home, I will go back more often. Speaking of the photowalk, I finally did a first pass on my photos. There aren't great. I really needed my tripod and macro lens. But I need to do that without kids.

Anyway, I found a few pairs I would like to try. I wish we had an REI around. Dick's does carry a couple of the styles online. Hopefully they have some in the store I can try.

I was looking at Klean Kanteens an found that they make thermoses. I know I was drawn into Sigg with their Swiss pedigree and pretty designs. I have 2 of the Sigg insulated travel mugs but am not 100% satisfied by them. For one, they do not recommend using them for hot beverages. I did and stained the interior. These are not stainless like Klean Kanteen and Thermos brand. The lids occassionally leaks when I drink making look lovely with wet marks down my shirt. I do not put them through the dishwasher and you can hear water slosh inside the layers. Or maybe it is between the plastic and the metal. Either way, it sometimes drips from the bottom. I like that Klean Kanteen is an American company. And that you can get a café top for your insulated kanteen do you can drink in the car. But then you can have the regular top to make it spillproof.

11.27

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Chilly this morning. I am glad I turned on the heat last night though it didn't kick on until this morning.

Andy and I walked. He slows me down but it's good to keep him active. Ryan stayed home and watched cartoons. Since we got a cable box in the bedroom, he sneaks in, shuts the door and watches. He also likes the Game Show Network.




I've been working on my Christmas card in Photoshop. In the past, I made it fairly simple. This time I got some digital elements and am trying to make it a bit more special. I really haven't done any digital scrapbooking and am finding the simplest things, like changing the color of brushes a chore.




3:45

I didn't get done what I wanted to get done but I did get some other things done. Mpix had sent me a notice that they were going to delete my albums if I didn't place an order. I don't use them for storage per se but there are some photos that might be printed again. Anyway, I knew I needed to get my Christmas card done as well as the family album page.

After a break for lunch, I sat down again and finished the card. I realized I could use some training in the digital graphics area. I am still not sure how to use the graphic brushes.

After I uploaded the card and sent it out for printing, I decided to work on the family album page. That went quicker since there isn't much room for graphics. I usually just leave a square for the date. I got summer 2009 done and uploaded it to Mpix. I should have waited to print my Christmas card to save on shipping. Oh well. I did think to look at Napp and found a free shipping code. Oops I didn't use it on the cards but that order was only $3.00 for shipping. The album pages will be $5.95 or more.

I might do another album page if I get motivated. I will have them both printed together. Then I have to do a photobook for my dad's birthday. The photos are already picked out.

I ordered Andy's iPod this morning. I save $11 through the apple web site. Since he wants yellow, that it the only place to buy it.



5:36

Sweet potato casserole is in the oven. I just realized that these Eating Well recipes are too involved. I do not enjoy taking half an hour to prepare one dish. And a side dish at that! My back is sore and I feel like a nap.

I prefer the easy prep of slow cooker meals. Chop some vegetables, pour some stock, add some spices. Then sit back and wait and let the aroma seep through the house all day. By the time it is ready, you are hungry and ready to eat.

11.26

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Let's get it out of the way... Happy Thanksgiving.

Another lazy morning. But I was finally getting ready to walk and realized dad is going to church. Drats! I can't go and leave Ryan alone. The walk will have to wait until after lunch.

Can you hear that pie calling my name? It's getting rather loud.




Dad was home by 11 but then it was Andy's turn for the wii then lunch... I am letting my quesdilla settle a bit before we walk. And it's warmer now, almost 70.

I am making white bean chicken chili in the slow cooker. I am using McCormick's seasoning for the first time. Really lazy on my part, I know.

Don't listen to that pie! Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala...




Went walking with Andy. He couldn't find his recorder and the old iPod wouldn't work. He was upset until I said I would leave my headphones at home. Walking without music or podcasts means I only have my thoughts to keep me company. There was no conversation with Andy. He tends to lag behind.

So I think too much and I think I gave myself a headache. We walked to the Firewheel Park were I haven't taken the kids in years, 8 or 9. Andy wanted to play which would have been OK but there was this little girl, Sophie, who kept following Andy. Sophie was OK but her father liked to hear himself talk. And he likes to believe that he knows a lot. Heck, he probably thinks he knows it all.

First he was talking about what professional athletes should fo with their money. Then he got talking about how Michael Jackson went through his money. But first Paul McCartney taught Michael how to buy music rights to make money but then Michael Jackson outbid Paul for the Beatles collection. And even though Paul claimed his was OK with it, it really upset and went to Yoko Ono but she wouldn't help. And everyone thinks Yoko Ono split up the Beatles but they were all ready going their own ways. She was just the straw that broke the camels back. She was filling John up with peace and love which is OK until the enemy shoots you. I love how Michael Jackson left his father out of the will...


He wasn't talking to me but to an older gentlemen. Maybe his father or father-in-law. He didn't say much but uhuh and hmmm when the younger guy gave him a chance.

It was then I was happy not to married to a talker full of bullshit. Oh wait, I was. Hmm...

The chicken chili smelled really good when we came home.

Oh man! That pie is calling again!




The chicken chili was good with just the right amount of kick. Next time I might make it without the chili, maybe add potato?

John called as we were eating pie.

Ryan wanted us to play jeopardy. He read the clues and poppa and I had to answer. Ryan reads too quickly and doesn't know a lot of words. It was slow going.