Loving Myself

I'm mostly talking body image here. If you know me, you'll know that my body image is pretty poor. Like in the shitter... or was in the shitter. Gradually, I'm learning the accept my body as it is now. It's not going anywhere any time soon so I might as well embrace it. It's a work in progress. There are still days where I just feel fat, but it's about pushing that to the side and focusing on the good parts.

Everywhere you look you'll see things like "hitting the gym to get ready for summer" or just the question "what are you doing to get ready for summer?" Well... I'm not doing anything to get ready for summer. There are no crash diets in my future or insane workouts so I can look good in a bikini in a little over a month. I'm going to buy a bathing suit I like and that I look good in and rock my curves! Any dietary changes or changes in my fitness regimen are going to be for my overall health.

I'm going to focus on what I love about my body and ignore all the negative thoughts I have about various body parts. In the end, I know that no matter how thin I might get I'll still be unhappy with my thighs and the size of my ass. It's a fact... Even back in my dancing days, I was self conscious about my thighs and my ass and I was pretty thin back then.

So, how about a little list of what I love about my body?

My boobs... Honestly, they're pretty fucking awesome! LOL!! and nicely proportioned with the rest my of body. With the help of a push-up bra, they look really nice in a v-neck tee. :D

My smile... Thanks to my parents shelling out $3600.00 for me to have braces, I have a smile I can be proud of... I guess I can just say mouth because....I LOVE MY LIPS! (there's a Veggie Tales song... look it up... it's silly but fun)

Those dark brown pools of mystery I call my eyes... My husband says they're black, but he's wrong. They're almost black. So dark you can barely see where the pupil is. The windows to my soul... I can keep you guessing with them.

My overall body shape. I love my curves! If I were to lose weight, I wouldn't want to lose so much that I lost them. Besides... they make my husband happy too. When I was 10 pounds lighter than I am now, my husband actually told me that he didn't want me to lose too much more weight. He thought I was thin enough. What a sweet guy! At that point I was still thinking of losing 5-10 more pounds just to be within what is considered a "healthy" weight range.

So, what do you love about your body? Take some time if you need to, but find atleast one thing you love. It doesn't even have to be based on how it looks. It could be as simple as "it's this part and it works likes it supposed to." But find it and build on that.

<enter catchy sign off line here>

One Thing I Am

I am strong! Well... Not physically strong. I am strong-willed. Unwilling to bend to outside forces. I never compromise who I am to fit into a group of people. I'm not sure how I became this way. Maybe it was from the strong female role models I had in the form of awesome aunts... Or maybe it's something that was pre-programmed into my character while still in the womb.

My first memory of demonstrating my strength was when I was in the 8th grade. Toward the end of the school year, the high school has tryouts for various activities that have summer practices. Well, I wanted to be in the color guard. I got teased for it by my other classmates, and I just didn't care. I didn't let those people sway me from a decision that I had made. I wanted to be in color guard and dammit I was going to do it. It was a wonderful part of my high school experience that I'll never forget.

In high school, I continued to be my own person. I had a small group of friends who truly knew me. Those people are still probably the ones that know me best even though I haven't seen most of them in over 10 years. We parted ways after high school simply by going in different directions and losing touch. However, in many ways I'm just an older and better version of my teenage self. It was generally known that I wasn't one to give in to peer pressure. I wasn't a person who abandoned their morals and values to fit in. Being like everyone else just isn't who I am. So widely known in fact that no one ever offered me drugs because it was understood that I didn't want it.

I'm still like this in many ways. The people I hang out with now generally know that if I don't want to do something, I won't. It doesn't matter if I'm the only person in the group not participating in the Jager shot or not getting drunk. I never waiver. Don't get me wrong. It's not like I haven't engaged in those behaviors. I do. Sometimes excessively... Sometimes not... But it's always on my terms. You can pour me one, but if I don't want it, I won't drink it. I'll pretend to drink it, then dump it in the sink or just give it to someone else.

I like being my own person. Though I'm sure it has lead to alienation at times, but I'll never regret who I was at any point in time in my life. I was always true to myself. This is one of the traits I like about myself. I am actually quite proud of this specific trait. Life is so much easier when you don't care what other people think about you. The only other person's opinion I care about is Dave's. He is my voice of reason when I lose sight of what is right for me.

I love who I am. So why would I compromise myself just to be part of the group? If it means I'm a loner, then I'm a loner. I'll accept that. When it comes to friends, it's quality, not quantity. Just be you and do what's right for you. It's probably the best advice anyone can give.

Just a little bit of random...

I was off this week playing "happy homemaker" which makes me not so happy. Housewifery is just not for me. After 2 days, I was done.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with my family yesterday. I snapped this picture.

3 generations of Anthonys- My brother, his son and my daddy

While uploading my pictures I found some I forgot I took. This bad boy I found one afternoon in September. I don't know why, but I love praying mantis. Maybe it's because the female bites the head off the male after they've mated. LOL!

I also snapped a few of the trees outside... before they got naked.

And one drunk self portrait of me and David from last night.

He's all bearded because he's participating in Movember... basically you don't shave for the month of November. Everyone loves the beard, but I hate it. It aggravates my sensitive skin. He's shaving it on December 1st! or... not... He really wants to keep it. :(

And one question... For Christmas, I've asked by husband to buy me a ring, but he prefers to buy me something that actually has a purpose other than sitting on my finger. :P So... I need ideas for an awesome gift for him to get me. What would you ask for?

Weekend Wisdom

Hot Coco at From Flab to Fab came up with this lovely idea. All you have to do is answer one of the three questions and link up.

The question I'm answering this week: What has worked for you this week that might work for someone else?

Ok...  I am generally a happy person and I think it's because I find happiness in the tiniest things that most people don't notice. The cool crisp fall morning. The first frost of the season. That little meow from Quincy that says it's time for me to get up. The thump at the foot of the bed that tells me Gizmo is on his back waiting for someone to rub his belly. There's happiness to be found everyday if you just take the time to notice and enjoy the little things that we usually take for granted.  Like walking into the living room to find your usual TV watching seat is occupied by two cute sleeping kitties.

 So... Link up

What Makes Me Feel Alive?

Hot Coco in THIS POST asked what makes you feel alive. There are alot of things that make me feel alive. Instead of cluttering up her comments with a book, I decided to make a little list for you here. Thanks for the idea Hot Coco! So, here's a short list... or not so short list...

• Hiking in the snow.
• The colors of the changing leaves in autumn.
• Brisk fall mornings.
• Walking on the beach... specifically by the bay in Cape May.
• Singing and dancing.
• Watching my nephews and niece play.
• Anytime I'm with my sister being silly (which is all the time if you count texting. LOL!)
• The wind rushing past as I'm riding my bike (preferably on a tree shaded trail along a creek)
• A night out with the girls.
• When I learn something new or when some complicated sciency stuff finally clicks in my head. LOL!
• Meditating
• Anytime I'm near my husband. (I know 'GAG!' but it's the truth.)
• Simply waking up in the morning knowing that I have a pretty awesome life.

So... I pretty much feel alive everyday since I experience one of these things on a daily basis. As you can see I am a simple person. I truly enjoy the little things and it's those things that give me inspiration, passion and that alive feeling.

Pet Peeves.... And some other random stuff

We all have pet peeves. Lets list a few of mine because I'm quirky like that.

• Girls who have this insatiable need to do things they think are cute or sexy just to be the center of attention. (I may or may not be one of these kinds of girls when I'm drunk... just saying because I honestly don't know. :P)
• Educated people who act like they are smarter than other people just because they have a college degree. Sorry your 4.0 GPA doesn't automatically mean you are an intelligent person and your argument is valid.
• The kitchen light being left on. Drives me nuts and neither of the boys ever turn off the kitchen light.
• Generally we leave the dining room light on when someone is a awake so its not all dark when you come up from the basement. My BIL goes to bed in the wee hours of the morning during the weekend and it drives me nuts when I can see that light on downstairs.
• I can't stand it when the sheet extends past the top of the comforter when I'm in bed. 
• Crumpled sheets under the comforter.
• I can not wear long pants or socks to bed. The only time I wear socks is in the dead of winter and I cannot get warm.
•  I can't have naked toenails. They have to be painted even if no one but me are going to see them.
• Trash (like bottle caps and wrappers) being left on the counter instead of thrown in the trash can.

So, that's the short list... LOL!

Now onto some random bits...

I've been playing World of Warcraft lately with my husband... well... with my husband until yesterday when Elder Scrolls V came out. Anyway, David decided he needed a new monitor. We shared one desk for both computers and the three monitors (his being 2 large ones and mine being a small one). It was a tight fit, but it worked. Well, there's no way that three 19" widescreen monitors were going to fit on the desk. (yes I said three monitors and two computers. My husband has dual monitors so he can look things up easily on the internet while he's playing a game) As a result, Dave and I moved my desk down the three flights of stairs from the loft to the basement. Now, I have my own little spot in the basement.

See how nice and clean it is? There's also a spot to the left where a drawer is and some extra desk top space. That spot will be getting decorated with all kinds of pretties. I will be replacing the candle holder to a prettier one. This one actually. It's the Partylite Global Fusion votive holder. I love this collection and wish I had all the pieces.

That's about it for now. Tonight we're taking a trip to Atlantic City to celebrate my BIL's 21st birthday. He doesn't drink so gambling is the only thing that's now legal for him to do now that he's 21. However, I'm sure my SIL and I will drink a few for him. :P

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Something I Need to Lose

No... It's not a few more pounds... Well it is, but that's not what I'm writing about here. What I need to lose is the "Fat Girl" mentality. It's simple. I was fat. 20 some odd pounds ago!! I've lost 20-25 pounds (depending on the day) and I still think "Fat Girl" when I look in the mirror. I know I'm not fat. I'm a measly 3-5 pounds away from what is considered a healthy weight for my height according to the BMI scale. What the hell is my problem?

I come across this problem any time I might have to venture out in something above the knee. I'm sure you remember the Bathing Suit Shopping debate. Well, there's a Halloween party tomorrow night.... I have yet to get a costume because they're all so stinking short! All I keep thinking is that those things aren't going to cover the junk in my trunk. I've even had dreams about flashing my ass to the whole party. LOL!!

Can someone just slap some sense into me? I'm being ridiculous and my husband would tell me as much if he were inside my head. I should just go out... buy a fucking costume, slap on a leo and tights underneath, and get over it. Because GOD DAMMIT! I'M NOT FAT!

Sometimes All You Need is Patience

You know the sayings "Good things come to those who wait" or "Good things happen when you least expect it." They are totally true! Well... for me anyway. My husband came along when I wasn't looking for a boyfriend... Probably because I had one when I found out he liked me, but that's another story.

And just when you give up on something happening and just forget about it.. What you were hoping for happens!

A few months ago back in the Great Day post... If you read the parts after the bikini picture, you would know that I mentioned that I had an interview. Then, in the Interview!! post, I wrote about how great the interview went and how awesome the company seemed. Well... I never updated on this because there wasn't much to update. I didn't get that job and was told that they'd consider me for a position in the future... I had completely given up on this position since it's been months since I'd spoken with them.

Well.. Hot damn! The future is here! I got a call out of nowhere from the HR Rep. to find out if I was still interested and to set up another interview with the paralegal manager. So... I have an interview on Tuesday morning!! Thankfully, the manager gets to work really early and can do the interview in the morning before work. So YAY!! Happy Happy Wednesday! I hope I get it this time since my paralegal options here are non-existent.

You're Thinking What Now?!

The conversation I had with my husband the other night is totally blog worthy. Completely out of left field:

Dave- If we have a baby, how much time would you take off from work.
Me- Well it's required by law that I get 6 weeks if I have a normal labor and 8 weeks if I have a c-section.
Dave- Oh.... I was thinking you'd take an extended leave.
Me- An extended leave? How long do you think?
Dave- Until the kids go to school.
Me- Say what?! (some discussion of finances) Well if that's what you wanted, you should've married my sister. She'd love to stay home with the kids all day.

What brought on this question? I did ask... He just hung out with a buddy from college who's married and has a one year old. It happens that his wife stays home with their child. It also happens that she didn't work her bum off to earn a bachelor's degree and doesn't pay $300 a month in student loans. If I were to stop working, it would seem like a waste of a shit ton of money. I'm sorry being proud of oneself for earning a degree isn't worth $30,000+ of debt.

Ok... I'll admit it's not just about the money... If the idea of having kids isn't scary on its own, the idea have being home all day bustin' my ass with the household duties and taking care of the kids is down right terrifying! Or annoying because I know my husband's inability to empathize with what I would be going through on a day-to-day basis. Then, there's the question of my losing the little sanity I have left...

I know alot of women would love to have the ability to be stay at home moms and I can see the benefit and joy of it. I mean I wouldn't mind being a housewife, but a SAHM... Not so sure about all that.... Maybe if the child was a perfect little angel just like I was. LOL!!! Ok.. Fine! I'll admit it. Kids are alot of work and well... I'm lazy and like sleep.

Don't get me wrong. I hate going to work as much as the next guy. It just never occured to me that there might be a time in my life that I wouldn't get up and go to a job outside of the home.

For the record, we have yet to decide if we're ever having kids so it's a not an issue. Yes I know that most people discuss this stuff before they get married. However, we have one of those relationships that just go with the flow. I am not pregnant nor do I want to have kids right now. This is just something to think about if we ever talk about seriously having kids or if we accidentally get pregnant. So, put in your two cents if you'd like. I'd love to hear someone's opinion that isn't all "GAHH! NO! NOT CHILDREN!" and yes sometimes when I think about having kids, that phrase does run through my mind. :P

Weightloss Update

So, I hopped on Mr. Mean Scale last Friday.. and down 2 pounds! (from the last time I weighed in about 2 weeks ago?)That's what I gained since leaving for vacation. YAY! I'm back down to pre-vacation weight! That was after a 2 snack size Peanut Butter Cup a day habit I had developed that week... and... I won't lie... The week before.

This week's habit... Mr. Chocolate Chip Cookie... or 3 everyday... all week... Then there was the pizza I ate for 3 days, and the soda, and maybe a little Captain Morgan thrown in for good measure. Yeah, needless to say I don't expect much from the scale when I eat crap. When I eat like that, I like to check in on my weight. I've lost 22ish pounds in the past 2 years. Down 15ish from this time last year. I definitely don't want it to get out of control again. So, I hopped on Mr. Not So Mean Scale and... down 1/2 pound! Which is the average for me.

I need to get back to working out again, but someone (I won't name names) moved my heavy as all hell 19" TV from 1999 to the basement and has yet to move it back up the 3 flights of stairs to the loft where I do anything that requires privacy. Yes... I know it's an excuse, but it's mine and I'll own it. I'm one of those "everything has to be how I want it and it has to be perfect" kind of people. The only person I'll workout in front of is my husband. Since his brother is living with us, my basement workout zone is occupied and gets really hot now that there are 4 huge monitors and 2 PC's constantly running. The zone is no longer an ideal place to workout.

I will leave you with a few pics because I love gazing at the moon especially when it's full. Please excuse the quality of the first picture. It was taken with my phone because I didn't have any fresh batteries for my camera. I took this last fall maybe October-ish. The sky was this awesome shade of violet and the moon was huge against it. Wish I had my camera when I first saw it while sitting at the light around the block. The shot would've been so much better... Better yet... I wish my camera was working. :P

This next one was taken a couple months ago. I love it when you can see the moon during the day. The first time I saw the moon in the afternoon as a child I was completely fascinated by it. I think I took this one in the late afternoon or very, very early evening.

Update! Schmupdate!

Got hurricane? Well we will! Ok... I've had a couple glasses of wine. LOL!! I needed it since there is a potential of water getting into our finished basement. The anxiety was unreal! So... I am drinking and having a hurricane party for one! Ok... Two if you count my BIL who has moved in for the next 6 months while he's doing his co-op in a town nearby, but he doesn't drink so it's still a party of one....

Oh.. Yes! The update you are looking for. Well, I'm packed and ready the head to Europe on Monday night. I will be embarking on the vacation of a lifetime! 9 Days, 4 cities. We'll start in Amsterdam, then head to Berlin and Prague and finally.... 2 full days in Rome!! Woot!

I will have limited internet access while I am away. However, I will be journaling during my whole vacation. I plan on taking lots of pictures and writing detailed descriptions of everything we do. So, be prepared for an awesome series of posts about my trip.


Not much going on in the job front. I will get serious about finding a new job closer to home when I get back from vacation.

Not much else going on at the moment... Maybe I can get some cool pics of hurricane Irene.... but the brunt of the storm will hit us overnight. Hopefully, I will be able to sleep through it. We're well inland so we won't see the 100+ mph winds that my family's little piece of heaven down at the Jersey shore will get.

I hope this was a somewhat coherent. I didn't eat before I had that first glass of wine and it has hit me like "Whoah!" LOL!

Ask and You Shall Receive....

So, I've been lacking inspiration on what to write about on here. Nothing exciting has been happening lately. Well, I asked the powers that be to give me something! I got it... unfortunately it's not what I was hoping to write about... I was looking more for a deep revelation or something great... So, here it is...

On Monday, one of the paralegals at my law firm was fired. Well, seeing as I was told a few months ago.. around the time that I wrote THIS POST, that changes might be coming.. (interpret that as this paralegal being let go) and to give him time and I'd be considered for that job... Well... here it is! The new paralegal starts Monday... WHAT THE FUCK!! Seriously! Do they think I'm going to sit here and wait for a year... or two... for one of these 2 new paralegals to move on or get fired? What an bunch of asses! They seem to lack the understanding that I'm over qualified to answer their stupid phones and copy & paste legal documents. I have a fucking bachelor's degree for fuck sake! I am livid! (lol! If you couldn't already tell) So... now I'm going to say "screw em!" They've passed me over twice now. It's time to get serious about finding a new job. I will have to wait until after my vacation since I won't we reachable for two weeks. But man... come September 12... It's on!!

I'm still being considered for a position at the place that I interviewed at last month. I didn't get the job I interviewed for, but they were anticipating another open position that they were going to consider me for. I'm just keeping in touch with the HR rep., and waiting. I give her the update on my current situation here. I am done with this place. It's time to move on!

*Note- I remembered to pack my camera. So, I'm hoping to get some shots of bay this weekend.

My Poor Neglected Blog...

I've been semi-MIA here... Lately, I just haven't had much to write about. The last month or so I've been working out regularly which is great even if my weight isn't going down, however I am noticing a flatter tummy. YAY!! I think I might ditch the scale for a while and focus more on fitness. I'm really close to being a healthy weight and I think the tape measure is moving more than the scale. The pounds just don't seem to want to budge. I've been counting calories at myfitnesspal.com and doing pretty well. I eat alot of the same things everyday/ every week. I think I just need to mix up my diet a bit and find new snacks and meals to shock my body a little.

Summer is just trudging along. Did I ever tell you how I dislike summer? The best part about summer is going to the beach, and I don't get there that often. Atleast this summer I'm more confident about wearing a bathing suit. That's a big change from the previous 6+ years where I'd rather shop at the outdoor mall than be seen in a bathing suit on the beach. I am heading down to Cape May this weekend. There will be some beach time and a yummy seafood dinner. For weeks I've been craving scallops from this one restaurant down there. It's a great restaurant and bar the over looks a harbor. The whole dining room is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. It's so beautiful especially if you're having dinner while watching the sun set. I can't wait! Cape May is my peaceful place. I'm a totally different person when I'm there. If I remember my camera, maybe I'll take some pictures for you. :P

Right now I can't wait for fall! Dave is really getting into his new home beer brewing hobby and it's turning into something we do together. The first batch didn't turn out so well. It's very bitter and seems to be getting worse every time we try it. I think he's going to dump it. The last 2 have been really good, but they aren't they type of beer that I like. However, in a couple months we will be getting some apple cider from the local orchard and making a hard cider. YUM!! I <3 cider. Strongbow is my favorite. Hopefully, ours will turn out just as good. We have a test batch made with natural style apple juice (no preservatives) in the secondary fermenter. We tried it and it's quite dry. We haven't decided if we're going to kill the yeast and sweeten it or leave the yeast alive and carbonate it. I'm sure it'll taste better cold and after it's had some more time to mellow out.

In 2 1/2 weeks, I'll be on vacation! I'm really looking forward to it. Dave and I are doing an 11 day Euro Trip with friends. So, be prepared. After I get back, I will be posting alot of pictures. I plan on doing alot of writing while I'm away so I can blog about it and maybe make a scrap book. I can't wait to share my vacation with you!

Body Image

I went to the shore (that's the Jersey girl speaking) a couple of weeks ago with my husband, our friend from Pittsburgh and his girlfriend. Of course, I packed the bikini I posted about Here since I don't have any other bathing suits that fit. Anyway, over my bathing suit I wore a little sun dress for the 2 block walk to the beach. Well, it took several minutes of coercion by my husband, but I eventually took that sun dress off and rocked my bikini. My friend's girlfriend says to me "You know you're not fat? Right?" Well... Yeah... I know, but unfortunately knowing you're not fat doesn't take away years of poor self image. I remember being self conscious about my body and weight at the age of 12. It's one of my first memories of feeling uncomfortable in a bathing suite. I've spent 18 of my 30 years alive feeling that my body looks like crap... which obviously it doesn't

So what has contributed to this body image issue I have?

1. I love my mom. I love my aunts. I love my grandmom. However, these women had a huge influence on my life. It seemed to me growing up that my mom was on and off diets. My aunts always talked about weight and losing weight and feeling fat and... you name it. Even my aunt, whose never been fat, was always concerned about how much she weighed. She and I have a similar body type. As a teenager, I have a memory of being asked how much I weighed, and her stating that's what she wanted to weigh. The thing is... She was already slender. So, my up bringing has impacted how I feel about my body.
2. The stupid fucking media! The same one that says that says Khloe Kardashian is fat. She 5'10" and a size 6 (I think). She's not fat! She a fucking goddess! This skewed perception of stick thin is beautiful and if your larger than a size 2, you're fat doesn't do any of us any good. We've been force fed this bullshit, which as resulted in us creating unrealistic goals to try and have the bodies of these models and actresses that are "sooooooo beautiful." This shit poisons little girl's minds. 

Ironically enough... Dance isn't on this list. I was older when I started seriously dancing so I wasn't brought up  around having to be skinnier to fit the ballerina mold. 

Ok... so I'm really tired this week and that's all I can think of that has contributed to my body loathing. Changing how I feel about my body is seriously hard and losing weight alone isn't going to change it. Along with working on the outside, I need to look on the inside and find what I do like about my body and stop focusing on what I don't like.  I'm a work in progress and feel alot better about my now than I did a few years ago. It's getting there and one day (hopefully soon) I'll be able to walk on the beach, and just take off my cover up without even thinking about it. 

My goal is to do what I can to break this god awful cycle. Hopefully, I can teach my niece and nephews (maybe my own kids IF IF(lol! big "if".. get it? yes.. I'm that tired.) I have them) to be healthy and love themselves and their bodies as they are.

Update

I haven't blogged in over a week. I've just been... blah this past week. So, here's a quick update.

Last weekend I went to the beach with my husband and some friends. I totally... well... mostly rocked the bikini. Took a bit for me to get comfortable with having my pasty white tummy out for everyone to see. Upcoming will be a post about my body image issues since it was part of the beach conversation.

A couple of weeks ago my husband's brother interviewed for a co-op job about 30 minutes from our house and over an hour from his parents house. So, he asked if he could live here for the 6 months while he was doing his co-op. Well, you really can't say no to helping out a family member. He got offered the job this week. At the end of September he will be moving in and staying with us until March-ish. I'm a little apprehensive about it, and that's a post I will share later. I've done some personal journaling about it and just need to clean it up for public reading. Mostly doing some internal processing on the situation. I do have quite a few concerns.

There hasn't been a decision about the job I interviewed for two weeks ago. They had more interviews the Wednesday after my interview and the paralegal manager was on vacation last week. The firm should be having a meeting Monday or Tuesday and I should hear back on Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed!

That's all for now. I'm hoping to write those other posts later this week.

Something that Really Yanks My Chain

This is probably one of the reasons that I'm not as active on the WW site as I once was. This post stems from a blog entry that really got my panties in a twist. She didn't name the person she was talking about but I'm pretty sure I know who it was.  She didn't even get all the facts right in her post. She's a little pushy when it comes to "living the plan."  She twisted it to make people think this person was continuing on the plan that caused weight gain when in fact she's just not using WW anymore.

Don't get me wrong. Most of the people there are great, but some of them seem to have ingested a bit too much of the WW Kool-aid. This one in particular. Grrr!! She makes me mad!

They act like WW is the best and only way to lose weight and they run around the blogs with their "The plan works if you work the plan" mantra vomit. Does WW work? Absolutely! Does is work for everyone? Maybe not. Is it the only way? Hell friggin' no! Don't get up on your high horse and put down someone for trying something other than WW and then get your facts wrong. There are a ton of free, and great tracking sites. I've used fitday.com in the past and more recently, I've used myfitnesspal.com. Sometimes I feel like shaking these people and saying "Fuck WW! Why should I pay them to use their proprietary tracking tool when I can get a comparable tool for free?" When I use myfitnesspal.com, I don't have to carry a points calculator to the grocery store to see if an item is worth buying. I can look at the calories and say "Hmmm... I really don't want to use that many calories for a snack." Done and done! Honestly, counting calories is more convenient than tracking Points.

Ok... I'm getting a little bitchy here. My point is... Find what works for you. If it's WW, great! If it's another tool, fantastic! If you can simply eat healthy and don't need a tool, lucky you! But don't sit there and try to say that this way is the only way that works. 

Hmmm... That last bit sounds alot like my Religious Tolerance rant from a few months back. Maybe what really gets my panties in a bunch or twist since there's not much to bunch ; )  is people trying to push their views and beliefs onto other people.

Interview!!

Fa-Fa- Fellas! La-La-Ladies!! :P Ok.. I don't think I have any male readers... So, Ladies! The interview this morning went really well. It looks like it would be a lateral move for me. Probably no increase in pay, but the office is 15 minutes from my house. So, I will be saving in gas money. This place sounds like a really nice place to work. It's not an exciting area of the legal field, however it seems this firm really appreciates the hard work of the staff.

They have monthly luncheons, and when the firm reaches it's goals they give their employees more casual days. Every Friday is casual day... Jeans and t-shirt kind of stuff. Pretty cool! They also have the no longer customary holiday party and company picnic. When alot of places are downsizing, this place is managing to grow. I learned that the president of the firm started off as a mail clerk while he did his paralegal degree. Then, he worked as a paralegal. He went to law school and is now an attorney and the president. The best bosses are the ones that have done the jobs of the people they are managing.

I really liked the paralegal manager. She was happy and bubbly. She simply seemed like a very kind person. I've never felt so good coming out of an interview. It was a little weird because I wasn't even nervous. Not sure if my confidence is a good thing or a bad thing... Maybe they hated me! OMG! Well, I just have to wait it out now. They are interviewing more people on Wednesday. So, I probably won't hear anything until late next week or early the week after.

I will definitely keep you updated!

A Great Day

I'll start with fun... and for me daring. A few days ago, I posted about the bathing suit debate with my husband HERE. So, yesterday, I went to my tried and true vendor for everything clothes and shoe related... Zappos.com. Ok, I mostly went here because shopping for a bathing suit in a store sucks and I needed the suit this weekend and if I need it fast, I go to Zappos. Anyway...  I bought two suits. One I thought I would like and one I knew David would like. I tried them both on and the one I liked didn't look so hot... Of course! So, I'm keeping the one David likes... And I took a picture... and I'm posting it for you because I was so excited to find bikini bottoms that covered my ass and had a high enough waist the my stomach pooch is camouflaged. Also... Maybe.. I feel pretty great in it. (please excuse the unmade bed. David gets out of bed last in the morning and refuses to make it. :P)

Woo Hoo!! I have to admit... I might be sucking the gut in a little. LOL!!

Now for the second order of business... You remember that job I talked about? The one I posted about HERE? The one I applied for on a complete whim? Well, I received a call about it on my way home from work today... This chica right here has a job interview Friday morning!! I'm ridiculously excited!! I didn't think I was going to hear from them at all and WOOOOO!!! :D I was so shocked when she called I didn't know what to say. Thankfully, I have off on one of the days they had available for interviews. So, I don't have to make any special arrangements with my boss about leaving early or showing up late... or taking one of my 2 remaining personal days. So.. YAY!! Keep your fingers crossed. I'll definitely let you know how the interview goes.

All Natural!!

Well, I'm home sick today. I was fighting a headache most of the day yesterday and at 3 am this morning I woke up with a wicked migraine. When my alarm went off at 7 am, I still had a lingering headache, nausea and my eyes were still sensitive to light. So, I called out. Now,  it's 3 pm and I'm feeling mostly back to normal.

However, being a day home, my hair and make up is not done. I washed my hair this morning so it's in it's all natural crazy state. I did pull the sides back because I hate having my hair in my face. Then, I started thinking... when was the last time I had my picture taken without make up on... So, I took some pictures and thought I share them with you. Here it goes.. Me in my all natural state. :P Very close to what my husband sees in the morning... except I'm not usually smiling at 8 am. 

This picture also hasn't been edited so.. I'm a wee bit off center. :P and you can see the pile of towels in the hall that I haven't bothered to wash yet. LOL!

Now.. maybe another nap...

Am I Crazy?

I'm thinking that I might be a little nuts. Yesterday afternoon, for shits and giggles, I went to Monster.com to see what paralegal positions there are open in my area.... and OMG! I found one that I might actually qualify for! So... I applied for it.

I guess the crazy part is that I've only been at this job 11 months and it's an alright job. I like the people I work with. My boss, though demanding, is great to work for. However, I'm definitely over qualified for this job. It's just too slow and I can only take so much filing and typing of letters. We also do asbestos litigation... and it's not what you think. We are not representing the diseased and sometimes deceased victim of asbestos exposure. Nope! We defend the companies that potentially poisoned people with asbestos... Not to mention, asbestos litigation in boooooring!! The most boring probably. Most of it is copy and paste.

Thankfully, I don't hate my job. It got be out of a very bad spot a year ago. However, I went from high stress and high volume to no stress and often little work. Of course, it does give me time to blog whenever I feel like it. :P I feel I need somewhere that's faster paced. It would be a promotion. And the best part.... only a 15-20 minute commute! YAY!! It's in the ideal location. I definitely want my next job the be in this relative location. So, on a whim I went for it. Didn't really think about it. Looked up the employment agency doing the recruiting and looked up the law firm with the open position. Then, sent my little resume on its way.

I'm not actively looking for a new job. I'll gladly stay here another year before getting serious about finding a new job. I'm really not even expecting to hear back from the employment agency. However, it doesn't hurt to try!