Another Day

Good morning! I discovered yesterday that I’m not entirely over my attitude but it certainly isn’t as bad as it was. This is a very good thing.

I finally finished my accounting homework last night. I emailed the professor about a question I had but neglected to give her pertinent information so she could only give me general information in return. That was interesting. I never did figure out the answer the way we were supposed to but at least I did figure it out. If I feel like it, I’ll attempt figuring it out today. If not, I’ll just take the extra time to do it the other way on the exam when I take it hopefully tomorrow.

I actually accomplished everything yesterday that I wanted to school-wise. That was for the first time in almost two weeks. Having an off spring break does me no good whatsoever. My list for today is short and includes only two things for school. I will probably add to it but currently there are only four things:

--         send soap to work w/Paul

MGT work on SOAP

            look @ Capsim

--         call Dr.

I also get to go the chiropractor. I need to eat breakfast.

Speaking of breakfast, I mentioned my new morning routine of biking and Pilates. Someone suggested using myfitnesspal.com and I thought, as I often do, ‘Good grief, what a pain, I don’t think I’ll bother.’ Then I looked at it and thought I’d give it a try. You can track your daily caloric intake and your exercise and it changed your calories according to how much and what type of exercising you do. It’s actually quite nice. I was going to say fun but ‘fun’ is definitely not the right descriptive word. I really wish that I liked to run because I know that running would help take some of the pounds off that I am working to shed. However, what I’m doing seems to be working fairly well at the moment as I did lose 3 pounds in the week from the 19^th to the 26^th (and I don't care what people say about only losing one pound a week). The amazing thing that I’d somehow managed to forget is that you can actually eat a lot of food and keep the calories under control. And I do mean a LOT. A couple of days I was hard pressed to get the minimum without taking into account the exercise.

Paul keeps telling me that the carbohydrates are more important than the calories. There is some truth to that but the sugars are as important and I really think that it is the combination as well as the types. For example, the sugar in an apple is better than the sugar added to tea and the brown rice is better than the white rice. It is true that carbohydrates and sugars turn to fat in the body but if the total caloric intake is at the right level, the body is using them rather than needing to store them. I’m certainly not going to majorly change my diet (such as an entirely raw food diet or vegetarian or vegan or whatever) but it is good to know how much of what is in the foods we eat so that we can get the nutrition we need without the added garbage. It is simple enough to return to brown rice and whole wheat flour and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Anyway, Cedric had soccer practice yesterday (in Gilbertville). Laura took Amena to the concert she had at Quabbin (that’s in Barre). Joanna was supposed to be home with Seth and Joseph from the time Laura left (at 6:00) with Amena until the time I got home (at about 7:10) with Cedric. When we got home, no one else was (unless you count the canine and capra girls). It turns out that Joanna had taken the little boys to Chuck E. Cheese (in Leominster). That’s fine except that I didn’t know where they were and they didn’t get home until after 9:00 (which explains why they were having a harder time than usual getting up this morning).

And so it goes. Have an absolutely spectacular Friday!

Attitude Break

Well, nothing like skipping AN ENTIRE WEEK!!! I have to admit that I have been struggling with a bad attitude and I did not want to share it. So, rather than thinking of it as having missed out on our last seven days, think of it rather as a blessing not to have had to listen to my rantings for the last seven days. I am not entirely sure I’m over the attitude, but I do feel much better.

In the last week I have been riding the recumbent bicycle in the livingroom at least 12 miles every day other than Sunday. When I’m done with that, I do my Pilates workout. In usually less than 75 minutes, I’m ready to get on with the rest of my day. Tomorrow, since I’m going in to kindergarten, I will have to start maybe before the kids leave on the bus to be sure I have time to shower, but I’ll still get it in. My new morning routine is also part of why I haven’t had time to write in the mornings and later in the day I’m usually busy with other things and/or don’t feel like making the effort.

Other than school and other related things, the last week was just a week so there really isn’t much to say about it. Friday Paul and I went to the Mexicali Grill in Spencer with the Dusty’s. That was nice. It gave me lunch for the following day which was also nice. Amena really really wanted to go to a Girl Scout overnighter at the Boston Science Museum but because it was a Saturday overnight, she did not go. She gave it her best shot right up to the last minute possible; if there is one thing to say for Amena, she is persistent. Laura is still working at Staples and Joanna is still working at Friendly’s.

Joanna had a bad day yesterday. It seems that there were lots of higher up management there as well as mystery eaters. She got one and everything was fine except that they’ve got a new policy of saying, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault,” when an order is wrong which I think is ridiculous if it wasn’t really your fault. It’s fine to accept responsibility if the fault lies with you but if it doesn’t, I think it should be okay to just fix the problem without blaming someone else. I guess the problem is that many servers will blame grill even when the server was the one at fault. Anyway, Joanna said the guy wanted no walnuts in his salad and wanted a different kind of dressing than what comes with it. That’s fine, she said she put it in the computer just like he wanted but when it was ready, her manager took it out to him because Joanna was busy. Joanna was at the next table and heard the exchange and knew that the dressing was not what he’d ordered. When she went to check on him later, he was picking walnuts out of the salad. Seriously? She was not a happy camper when she got home and I don’t blame her. Grill couldn’t read the order and neither could the manager. Joanna’s upset because now corporate is going to think she’s a sucky waitress and the reality is that she is one of the most conscientious ones there. Maybe the most. She owns up to her mistakes so I think she is justified in being annoyed about yesterday.

Cedric had soccer practice Tuesday but Laura took him and they ended up being very late so Cedric wouldn’t go in so they came home. Today he has practice as well and I’m taking him so all will be well.

I think that’s about it for now. I’m hoping I’ll have time to post some pictures soon because they’ve been collecting but I don’t know if that will happen today.

Have a wonderful day!

Oats

I have been negligent as of late. Joanna had to come home Monday rather than Tuesday due to the snow. She was not happy but the kitchen got cleaned and she attacked other problem areas.

Tuesday there was no school due to snow. That was fun. I ended up helping with the kitchen because I knew there really was no point in even attempting to get any school work done with everyone home. Even though they spent most of the day occupied with Lego’s and Harry Potter, I couldn’t’ve sat at the table while Joanna was cleaning.

Yesterday morning I was busy in the basement. I had no idea we had that much rice. Holy crud. I brought up a can of real, regular, as in not quick cooking, rolled oats before Paul left and he said that we need to use up the stuff we have in bags first. I am not quite sure he understands the difference between quick cooking and regular. Quick cooking are suitable for making cookies and bread. That’s it. They are absolutely disgusting eating as a cereal (although they can be okay in granola) which is why in the four years we’ve been here, I’ve had rolled oats twice. If they were regular, I’d’ve had them many more times than that. Talk about inferior food.

Yesterday was a half day at school so I didn’t get any school work done yesterday either. I didn’t get my project in the basement completely finished either but that won’t take too long since right now it’s a matter of putting things back on the shelves. I can tell you that our basement is not the greatest for keeping canned goods. One can I opened yesterday because the lid, where it had been labeled, was in such bad shape I couldn’t read it thinking if it was something I didn’t want I’d feed it to the goats. It was dehydrated onion. I do use those so I put them in a new can with a plastic lid. There were cans of TVP which is absolutely disgusting. Not to mention soybeans are the main ingredient and I avoid soy products. The goats love it so that’s where it’s been going.

On tap for today is a lot of reading and finishing the basement.

Have a wonderful day!

Two

Good morning! The rest of our yesterday was pretty nondescript. Laura, Amena and I played Clue while the three boys watched the third Work and the Glory. Paul went to visit the Fullers after his nap. The brownies turned out alright but I’m not quite sure if they’re good enough to become a staple.

Right now I’m drinking hot chocolate and typing this. Children 13-years-of-age and younger have been taken away by the bus. Joanna is at Cape Cod, most likely still asleep. Laura is upstairs wishing she was still asleep. Paul is waiting for his breakfast to finish before he eats and runs; he has a dentist appointment this morning at 9:00 in Shrewsbury. After my hot chocolate, I am going to eat one of the bars I have upstairs and do my easier Pilates DVD. Then I’ll shower, put some clothes on to wash, and take my accounting exam.

Laura has work today at some point. She told me hours yesterday but I don’t remember.

Last night, Amena showed me her closet. She said something to the effect of, “I made Joanna’s clothes beautiful.” She’d organized them so that all long sleeves are together, short sleeves are together, skirts are together, etc. “And back here are the crappy things.”

“Why does she keep them if they’re crappy?”

“I don’t know, but she never wears them.”

“If she never wears them, why does she still have them?”

“I don’t know. She just doesn’t want me to have them.”

Girls. I tell you.

Speaking of girls, Joanna packed, get this, TWO suitcases to go to the Cape for two nights. When Paul and I went to New Hampshire for two nights, I took a backpack.

Have a great day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Hope you’re having a very green day!

Yesterday was a day. A Saturday, nonetheless. I finished reading all the chapters for Management that I wanted to and took two quizzes. We are allowed to take them as many times as we would like with the goal of getting 100. The first one took three tries, the second only two. Anyway, it was fun and not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. Now all I have to do for that class this coming week is work on the business simulation and work on my soap stuff. Not bad.

Amena went to a youth conference in Weston with the Armstrong’s and ended up staying the night because they were supposed to get home rather late. Laura and Joanna went to work and got home. Paul went out shopping. The boys drove me crazy as we were taking Amena to the Armstrong’s and coming home.

Today we went to Ludow for our conference that wasn’t a Stake Conference. It was nice but nothing out of the ordinary. We had steak tips and salad for lunch. In the oven right now are some Red Velvet Swirl Brownies. I was taking pictures of them in progress and Paul wanted to know why people would want to see pictures of part-done food. I don’t know. You tell me.

Currently, Joanna is on her way to Cape Cod. She’s been wanting to go to the Cape and so now she is and now we’re expecting more snow while she’s there. Paul finally went upstairs; he’d been falling asleep sitting in his chair so hopefully he’s going to take a nap now.

Other than that, not much to report for today.

Tomorrow I have an accounting test to take. Other than that and Management stuff, I have some questions to do for Economics and then to read the next chapter so I can work on my part of our next presentation. I also get to go to kindergarten Tuesday and go to the chiropractor twice. Paul has work. Joanna has work (once she gets home Tuesday). Laura has work. Amena, Cedric, Seth and Joseph have school. Tuesday Amena, Cedric, and Seth get to start taking the MCAS tests. Just the dumb standardized testing that is required and I think is extremely stupid and pretty much pointless.

So, have a wonderful rest of the day!

Cast Iron

Well, it’s a beautiful day out there in spite of it being only 24°. AND, I got to sleep in—didn’t wake up until sometime around 7:00. That’s something. Bonners Ferry, ID, looks to be about 36° while Yreka, CA is 32°. Dublin, Ireland, is 43° and Lima, Peru, is 70°.

Up for today is some reading for Marketing as well as other things. We might go see a play this afternoon. If so, we’ll have to take everyone who is home because Laura works from 11 to 5 and Joanna works from 11:15 to 8. Unless we want to go this evening, in which case Laura could babysit. Other than that, I have no idea what’s happening.

I hope you all have a splendiferous day!

Catch Up

Well, good morning! The last two mornings I was a bit on the busy side and didn’t really have time to sit and compose much of a message. Wednesday morning I was busy making banana bread and finishing grasshopper bars to take to school with me for a bake sale yesterday sponsored by ABG. Yesterday morning I needed to go early so that Tiffany could do our business simulation and then stand around for the bake sale before actually going to class. The grasshopper bars went over very well. I might have to make some for our next presentation in Economics.

Wednesday after class I did not go to the ABG meeting because I needed to get home and get a little homework done before going to the chiropractor in the afternoon. My goal was to finish an accounting problem and that is what I managed to do. Going to the chiropractor was nice except he told me I might have some arthritis in my neck. I’ve decided that it doesn’t matter, just because he says it doesn’t make it so. Mind over matter. Plus, there are things I can do to mitigate the problem. Laura and Joanna both had work in the afternoon so the boys (Amena had Girl Scouts) got home about three minutes before I did.

Yesterday I came home after class in hopes of getting another accounting problem done before I had to leave to go to the dentist. No such luck. Before I left class my computer was telling me not to power down or unplug because it had updates to finish. I didn’t have time to wait so I shut it. When I got home, it was taking forever. In fact, when I got home from the dentist, it still wasn’t done so I unplugged and took the battery out. When I put it back and plugged it back in, it took only a few seconds. Anyway, I didn’t get an accounting problem finished until after Paul and I got home.

This morning Paul needs to go to the doctor. He actually needs to leave about now and he hasn’t eaten yet. It sounds like he’s about ready other than that. I haven’t seen Amena since she came down a while ago to use the bathroom but the boys are all just about ready. It really would have been nice to stay in bed for a while longer but it didn’t happen.

I have another appointment with the chiropractor this afternoon. I have lots of homework to get done. I am planning on going to kindergarten this morning.

Nick came over yesterday afternoon. Paul took Laura’s car which meant she needed rides to and from work. Joanna took her to work, Paul and I picked her up when we were done eating. Joanna was going to bring Kyle, the guy she likes, over but he was sick or something so it didn’t happen. She had to go have her blood drawn yesterday since she hadn’t been in all week to have it done. Laura worked from 5 to 9.

Today Joanna works but Laura has the day off. She is going to Boston today with Trevor, the guy she likes. After Boston, they’re going to watch a play and hopefully bring Amena home if she ends up going today.

And there you have it. Have a wonderful day!