Me, Myself, and I

That's who I am hanging out with tonight! At least I have the dogs to talk to...lol!

Bob is at his annual work retreat -- two days of talking about the firm. Sounds like fun, hey? LOL!

Olivia is camping with Girl Scouts. I remember going to the camp ground she is at when I was her age. It was one of the most fun places we ever visted with Girl Scouts. There are hiking trails in the bluffs overlooking a lake. It is so beautiful. They spend most of Saturday hiking. She will be tired when she comes home Sunday afternoon.

This is just one of the views from the bluffs!

Ahhhh, Organized & Clean

I spent the day in our full bath and gave it a much needed fall cleaning from ceiling to floor. It took most of the day, but what a difference. If you don't see me for a while, I might be standing in the door way of the bathroom admiring the shining sink, tub, floor, and walls...lol!

Bob & Olivia better not mess it up! *hehehe*

I'm Afraid

Very afraid! Two entries in a row with Oprah in the title! Maybe I should make it Oprah Week on my blog...rofl!

Elizabeth Edwards' Oprah Appearance

I knew a little about this family prior to today. Most of it from the 2004 election campaign. Politics had nothing to do with why I was interested in seeing Elizabeth on Oprah today. I like stories about how people deal with tough times in their lives and use what they have been through to help others deal with the same or similar tough times.

Listening to this woman speak about the unexpected death of her son tore my heart out. I cannot imagine the pain of having to bury a child. She also spoke a little bit about breast cancer. About when she found the lump, the importance of mammograms, and her diagnosis and treatment. I thought the whole show should have been about the Edwards, but unfortunately it was not. Guess the appearance on Oprah did its job...lol. I am going out to pick up Saving Graces tomorrow.

Wednesday's Oprah

I am not a big Oprah fan, but I do check weekly to see who will be making an appearance. She can keep the shows of traveling cross country with Gail. BORING...LOL!! However, this one caught my interest:

The Day Your World Falls Apart - Elizabeth Edwards - They looked picture perfect, hand-in-hand, every night on the news. Now, what you haven't heard about the day their world fell apart. Elizabeth Edwards and her husband, Senator John Edwards on their heartbreaking loss. And, how she handled her breast cancer. Today's Oprah.

I plan to watch! In fact, TiVo is already set to go so I don't forget. It's on at 4pm here, and that's a busy time of the afternoon for me.

Bye, Bye Summer

Just before midnight central time tonight we say farewell to summer and HELLO autumn. This is my favorite time of year. I am ready for it! :) I can see a few trees beginning to turn, but the peak is still a few weeks off. It's a beautiful time of year.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. ~ Albert Camus

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

Rekindling My Sewing Passion

Finally! I chose fabric and a pattern for my first clothing project in a LONG time. I spent quite a bit of time on some pattern websites and sewing blogs today. I chose a kimono style shirt from Simplicity 4020. I was inspired to do this by Stacy Sews!

Here it is:

In this fabric:

The fabric is a jersey knit in olive green (a bit lighter than it appears in the scan) with gold flecks. It is SO soft!

The Office Returns Tonight

In honor of the return of Bob's favorite show...

The Office Denim Day PSA

Steve Carell's character, Michael Scott, is nuts. Sometimes the things he says are just so wrong it makes them funny. Here's one of my favorites: "This is our receptionist, Pam. . . . If you think she's cute now, you should have seen her a couple years ago.

Frost? Say It Isn't So

Sounds like we may be getting our first frost of the season and WAY too early if you ask me. Being this close to Lake Michigan we don't usually see our first frost until late October or early November. I want fall; not summer straight into winter...lol!!

Over the weekend I kept feeling like I was coming down with something. Well, I was right! I have some sort of cold type bug. It took full hold Monday evening and has made me pretty miserable the last two days. Today it has moved to my sinuses and given me a whoppin' sinus headache. If it doesn't let up some tomorrow, I will be visiting my doctor so it doesn't turn into one of my tough to kick sinus infections.

Off to eat some soup & rest, rest, rest! :)

Oh No! Not Another Shopping Story

I am sure you all are getting sick of my shopping stories, but I wanted to note this milestone. :) I didn't save big percentage wise this week. Only about 27%, but I was able to skip ALL my Grocery Game Li$ts. We are so well stocked that we didn't need anything on those lists. Can you believe I only spent $27.61 on groceries this week? All we needed was produce, milk, cottage cheese, and eggs. Those things you can't really stock up on when the prices are at their lowest. Prior to the Grocery Game I spent about $150/week and had nothing in the house. Our cupboards are overflowing with options now!

There are two things we are getting low on and would love to have show up on the li$t next week -- toilet paper and paper towels. There is enough to last another week, but I don't like being this low and think about paying (gasp) full price...lol!

New Fav Song

It's like the Bee Gees have made a comeback...lol!! It makes me want to dance EVERY time I hear it! Love, love, love it! :)

I Don't Feel Like Dancing by Scissor Sisters

Chocolate Milk After Exercise?

It sounds good to me! I HATE those sports drinks and always need something more than water after a workout. My body always seems to want something in the dairy family. Could this be the answer for me?

Fitness News
From the: Journal Sentinel
Posted: Sept. 17, 2006
Chocolate milk may speed your recovery

For a lot of people who do endurance activities, the longer they are out exercising, the more they think about the food and drink they want to consume when they get done.

How about chocolate milk?

A new study suggests that chocolate milk is an effective post-exercise recovery drink and an inexpensive alternative to traditional fluid replacement and carbohydrate replacement drinks.

The study involved nine endurance cyclists who exercised to exhaustion and drank either low-fat chocolate milk; Gatorade (a fluid replacement drink) or Endurox (a carbohydrate replacement drink).

The cyclists who drank chocolate milk during a rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long than those who drank the Endurox and as long as those who drank the Gatorade. The researchers speculated that chocolate milk had a beneficial combination of carbohydrate and protein.

"Our study indicates that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to some commercial recovery aids in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise," co-author, Joel Stager, a professor of kinesiology at Indiana University, said in a statement. "Chocolate contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio."

A 154-pound male would need to drink 17 to 27 ounces of chocolate milk to meet recommendations for post-exercise carbohydrate. A 132-pound female would need to drink 14.5 to 23 ounces.

The study, which appeared in the International of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, was funded, in part, by the Dairy and Nutrition Council.

Volleyball Fun

Saturday Morning Olivia had her first volleyball games of the season. The played a doubleheader. Her team did pretty well. They won the first match, but lost the second. The team they played in the second match was fresh because they did not play a doubleheader. You could see the girls on Olivia's team getting pretty tired during the sixth game. That's okay -- every team will be playing two doubleheaders it will all even out in the end. Of course, it doesn't matter since they don't keep track of W-L records in the rec league in our area. It is kind of silly, but makes for alot nicer parents when you are sitting and watching the games. :)

Beautiful Days

Today (and yesterday as a matter of fact) were the most gorgeous days! I will take a little lot of rain anyday if it means I can enjoy two days like we just had. The sky was the most glorious blue with a few lovely puffy clouds. The temps were in the low 70s and a I see a few trees beginning to change color.

While weather wise the day was beautiful, it was a little stressful. As some of you know, just about everyone over 45 on my dad's side of the family has or died from some sort of heart ailment. We got a call last night that my dad was going to be having a heart catheratization. I believe this was his fourth since 1997. Apparently, he has been having pain in his back (near the shoulder blade) and down his arm off and on since March, and didn't tell anyone. Thankfully, my stepmom noticed how much pain he was in and made him go to the doctor.

The procedure went fine, but he did have to have a pretty severe blockage clean out and a stint placed there. Another area the balloon was used. He was home about two hours after the procedure. He is doing well other than being tired.

I worry about this man constantly. After the first cath he stopped smoking for awhile, but now smokes as much as before if not more. He hasn't changed his eating habits. He does have one thing going for him and that's excercise. He delivers fuel oil for a living and that is no easy job! Just wish he would listen to the doctors, my stepmom, my brothers and I when we tell him he needs to make changes. Both his parents and one brother died of heart disease. His other brother had 6 bypasses when he was 52. My dad is just one stubborn man!

That is one of the things that motivates me to maintain a healthy weight and excercise almost daily.

Ack!

I can't believe Lukas won RockStar: Supernova! Booo...lol!! I will forever be on The Rand Wagon!

Don't Forget

Set your TiVo (DVR) to record Dancing with the Stars! *snicker* Looking forward to seeing Emmitt's moves and Tony!

One of this season's new professional dancers grew up not far from where we live. Meet Jesse DeSoto.

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

I am SO sick of rain...

RAIN -- Saturday
RAIN -- Sunday
RAIN -- Monday
RAIN -- Tuesday
RAIN -- Tomorrow

It has been unseasonably cold and wet since Saturday afternoon. I am looking forward to the drying out and warming up forecasted for later this week. After all this rain our lawn will need to be baled after it is cut...lol!

Five Years -- We Remember

World Trade Center
New York, NY

aPentagon
Washington, DC

United Airlines Flight 93
Shanksville, PA

As a Reminder

This is on its way to my house to be a physical reminder to simplify! It will probably go in the family room!

Simplify

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~ Hans Hoffman

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings I was just exhausted. I have decided that simplifying my life needs to involve more than just the stuff in my home. It also needs to include my schedule and what I decide to put on it.

I will start by moving my workouts back to early mornings (I have been going late mornings the last couple weeks). I think taking care of ME by working out first thing each morning will really help. As women we tend to put everyone ahead of ourselves. Bad grammer aside, there is truth to the saying, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." I also need to do a better job of actually planning my days instead of just running from here to there.

Run, Run, Run

I need a nap after just thinking about all the running I did yesterday. I need to put a reminder in my calendar for next year to stay home on the first day of school. I was more exhausted than Olivia.

• 5:30 Wake to have a little quiet time before making sure Bob & Olivia are ready for their days.
• 7:15 Leave house to drop Olivia & neighbor boy off at school
• 7:30 Back home to make Bob's lunch and make sure he has everything he needs to face the day.
• 8:00 Make and eat breakfast
• 8:25 Shower and get ready to face my day
• 9:35 Leave for grandma's to take her to a dentist appointment, Wal-Mart, lunch, and the grocery store.
• 2:20 Back home to put away the few groceries I picked up.
• 2:35 Leave to pick Olivia up from school
• 3:05 HOME SWEET HOME, but not for long
• 4:15 Leave for the Y, to change the family membership to individual (no sense paying for Bob and Olivia if they aren't going to use it. Grrr!) and workout.
• 4:30 Workout for a little over an hour
• 6:00 HOME SWEET HOME
• 6:15 Make dinner after checking the mail. Woohoo! My FOOT SOLDIERS: Stories From the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk book arrived. This book has a chapter on a dear friend's battle with breast cancer while pregnant.
• 7:00 Clean up kitchen
• 8:00 ish Visit with Bob while he works out on the BowFlex (at least someone is using it...lol)
• 8:45 Warm-up supper for Bob
• 9:05 Finally, I get to sit down! We watch Rockstar: SuperNova recorded on the life changing TiVo, of course. Also watch a few amazing performances over again. (GO TOBY or MAGNI!!)
• 10:00 Move to the den to be with Bob while he does a little work. Begin to read the wonderful little book, but have to put it down because I am dozing from my day of running. :(
• 1:30 Wake up in the chair in the den and decide it's time for my bed! LOL!
  

Today doesn't look like it is going to be much better, but tomorrow I do not plan to leave the house other than two trips to school! I am looking forward to that!

Where Has the Time Gone?

I cannot believe Labor Day is here. We didn't have any plans for today other than a little yardwork. The rain has put a damper on that. Looks like it will have to wait!

Olivia goes back to school tomorrow. She says she isn't looking forward to it, but I know she is. Her backpack was organized for weeks. Thursday night was the open house for the kids to meet their teachers. It is school tradition to bring your supplies and items to decorate your locker on this night, and guess what Olivia did. Now does that sound like a girl "not" looking forward to starting school? LOL!


I know I am looking forward to school starting. It is time to get back to the normal routine. Bob has been working so many hours, Olivia has been running to do things with her friends, and try to plan a decent meal around that. With the exception of Sunday lunches, I think the three of us have only eaten together once since before Bob went to Arizona. I like routines and am looking forward to getting back into one.

Milwaukee County Zoo's Lucy

Earlier today, I heard some news that made me a bit sad. Lucy the Elephant had to be put to be put down this morning.

Zoo Euthanizes Lucy the Elephant
The Associated Press

Published: September 1, 2006

Lucy the elephant, believed to be the world's fourth-oldest African elephant in captivity, was euthanized Friday morning after staffers found her lying down in her stall, the Milwaukee County Zoo said.

The medical staff had recently decided that if the 46-year-old elephant were found lying down again, she would be euthanized, spokeswoman Jennifer Diliberti said.

In June, Lucy became ill and was unable to stand up in the African exhibit yard. A crane was brought in to lift the 9,000-pound (4,050-kilogram) animal to her feet; she struggled for a few days after that but improved.

Diliberti said Lucy was found lying down in late July but was able to get up on her own.

Brittany, Lucy's companion and the only other elephant at the zoo, was allowed in Lucy's stall after she was euthanized so she could grieve, Diliberti said.

She said the zoo hopes to get another elephant soon as a companion for Brittany, who is in her late 20s. Lucy spent 44 years at the zoo.

"It's just so sad but she had a good, long life here so that's good," Diliberti said.

Needless to say, she has been there longer than I can remember. Her yard was one of my favorite stops at the zoo.

source: iht.com