Thursday, May 15, 2008
Progress
Last night we moved boxes from the living room up to the spare room. Tonight N will prep the living room (or part of it) for painting so we can start painting on Friday. Yay!! Before we moved in, we got the accent color up, but had no time to finish the job. It is my personal goal to finish painting the living room before June. My Fathers Day gift to N is to let him have the month "off" to prep for a tournament he's in at the end of the month (miniatures gaming). If my living room is painted I can at least get it set up while he's "off". I plan to take some time off too, but I know myself well enough to know that I will still do some work on the house. Partly because that's what I enjoy doing right now.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Fortunate Events
I was about to walk across the street and get something bad for me for an afternoon pick-me-up, when one of my coworkers stopped to compliment me on my weight loss. She rarely speaks to me, so it was nice to hear something so positive from her. And after that how could I possibly go buy junk? But I wanted to got over there anyway, so I just got my diet coke and came back. I'm still hungry, but I can dig up a low fat snack at my desk. ^_^
There's something I need to tell myself:
You do not weigh 200 lbs. Your weight starts with a 1. You are not 200 lbs anymore!
I literally keep forgetting this...
And just something I wanted to write, not really a poem:
Today I went for a walk.
It inspired me to take my family on a picnic.
It inspired me to play a romantic song for my husband, perhaps over dinner for two.
It was nice to just wander through my thoughts without the confines of walls around me.
To feel the warmth on my skin and the breeze in my hair.
Walks are for love and family and thoughts.
Most of all, they are for me and I am for them.
There's something I need to tell myself:
You do not weigh 200 lbs. Your weight starts with a 1. You are not 200 lbs anymore!
I literally keep forgetting this...
And just something I wanted to write, not really a poem:
Today I went for a walk.
It inspired me to take my family on a picnic.
It inspired me to play a romantic song for my husband, perhaps over dinner for two.
It was nice to just wander through my thoughts without the confines of walls around me.
To feel the warmth on my skin and the breeze in my hair.
Walks are for love and family and thoughts.
Most of all, they are for me and I am for them.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Weekend report
(I wonder if anyone is lurking my blog...just in case...)
The weekend was busy and mostly awesome. We failed to give away our sofa and loveseat so I had to go by town hall on Friday to arrange a special pick-up for them. While there, I noticed they were setting up for an event and asked about it. They reminded me that our town has free music on Friday nights all summer! So when N got home I suggested walking over there via the bike trail to check it out. It was loud and I think that was offputting for Bit (plus we got dinner but she had just eaten so she got none). But it was fun and I hope to do it again, weather permitting. As a bonus we ran into a lady I know from daycare (her daughter is 3 months younger than Bit) and she was very friendly! We got to meet her hubby/boyfriend, too and next time I see her I'm totally getting her number and setting up a playdate dammit! Lol...They seem to be about our age and cool (cooler than us, not that that's hard)...I'm so excited about making this connection (mom-nerd!).
On Saturday, we took Bit to my mom's and hit Ikea for the trip of doom. We bought way too much stuff (spent almost our entire stimulus check) and I got overwhelmed in the process, but the upshot is, we have new stuff for our new house and the big stuff was delivered promptly on Sunday (no time off work!). Now we just have to get it all together. Sigh. But it's a nice problem to have I suppose.
The downside to all this activity was that Bit didn't nap except in the car, 2 separate times, and hence her sleep on Sat. night was crud. Poor N had to get up stupidly early with her. Last night was better (she had a normal nap Sunday), though I did have to go in at 3:30 am...but after I tended to the reasonable things (diaper, warmer pjs, tylenol for teething), I put her back in the crib and let her cry 10-15 min so I could go back to bed. It sucks to let her cry, but she went back to sleep until almost 6. Much more reasonable.
Sunday, N got his hair trimmed (finally!) and we took a big trip to Home Depot to spend the rest of our stimulus check. (Stimulating, isn't it?) We got a weed whacker and N proceeded to whack the backyard. We are spoiled in that the HOA pays for the front yard to be taken care of. Woot! I was pretty proud of N. We also got the equipment to repair the screen on our sliding door...I'm surprisingly excited about tackling that project. I feel so handy!
On a related note (pride), Bit is eating well with her spoon/spork. She gets yogurt everywhere though and sometimes "forgets" to use the spoon. And sometimes she shakes her yogurt-coated hand around in the air or puts a plate with green bean residue on her head. And then it's bath time. She can also drink from a cup, under supervision, since she still tends to go too fast or just dump it out for giggles. I can't wait to see how tall she is at the dr's appt this month! (18 month check up)
The weekend was busy and mostly awesome. We failed to give away our sofa and loveseat so I had to go by town hall on Friday to arrange a special pick-up for them. While there, I noticed they were setting up for an event and asked about it. They reminded me that our town has free music on Friday nights all summer! So when N got home I suggested walking over there via the bike trail to check it out. It was loud and I think that was offputting for Bit (plus we got dinner but she had just eaten so she got none). But it was fun and I hope to do it again, weather permitting. As a bonus we ran into a lady I know from daycare (her daughter is 3 months younger than Bit) and she was very friendly! We got to meet her hubby/boyfriend, too and next time I see her I'm totally getting her number and setting up a playdate dammit! Lol...They seem to be about our age and cool (cooler than us, not that that's hard)...I'm so excited about making this connection (mom-nerd!).
On Saturday, we took Bit to my mom's and hit Ikea for the trip of doom. We bought way too much stuff (spent almost our entire stimulus check) and I got overwhelmed in the process, but the upshot is, we have new stuff for our new house and the big stuff was delivered promptly on Sunday (no time off work!). Now we just have to get it all together. Sigh. But it's a nice problem to have I suppose.
The downside to all this activity was that Bit didn't nap except in the car, 2 separate times, and hence her sleep on Sat. night was crud. Poor N had to get up stupidly early with her. Last night was better (she had a normal nap Sunday), though I did have to go in at 3:30 am...but after I tended to the reasonable things (diaper, warmer pjs, tylenol for teething), I put her back in the crib and let her cry 10-15 min so I could go back to bed. It sucks to let her cry, but she went back to sleep until almost 6. Much more reasonable.
Sunday, N got his hair trimmed (finally!) and we took a big trip to Home Depot to spend the rest of our stimulus check. (Stimulating, isn't it?) We got a weed whacker and N proceeded to whack the backyard. We are spoiled in that the HOA pays for the front yard to be taken care of. Woot! I was pretty proud of N. We also got the equipment to repair the screen on our sliding door...I'm surprisingly excited about tackling that project. I feel so handy!
On a related note (pride), Bit is eating well with her spoon/spork. She gets yogurt everywhere though and sometimes "forgets" to use the spoon. And sometimes she shakes her yogurt-coated hand around in the air or puts a plate with green bean residue on her head. And then it's bath time. She can also drink from a cup, under supervision, since she still tends to go too fast or just dump it out for giggles. I can't wait to see how tall she is at the dr's appt this month! (18 month check up)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Earth Day Crisis!
I'm having an ideological crisis on possibly the worst day to do so (Earth Day). An article on the evils of biofuels has me alarmed about deforestation, and thinking that it should be stopped, but it won't be. It will continue because there's money to be made. Money truly is the cause of and solution to all of life's problems. The root of my crisis is this: If I let myself, I will think of a problem with every single action I take.
For example, I get up in the morning and go to the bathroom. I use recycled toilet paper, which makes me feel a little better, but then I flush a traditional toilet and waste some water, as well as putting that water through the system that probably causes emissions (electricity use) and may contribute to pollution for all I know. But I have to pee! Then I brush my teeth, all the while in my bathroom lit by hot, inefficient incandescent bulbs. My toothpaste is by a natural company called Jason. It lacks the fresh mint flavor and whitening power of Crest, but I tell myself it's better for me and the environment. Although I don't know if the package is recyclable. And it claims to be "natural" which I've read is not a regulated claim, so it can mean next to nothing. More stress!
And I haven't even gotten dressed or done my hair yet. Sigh.
So I can't let myself think about every little thing or I'll be paralyzed with depression before breakfast. But then when AM I supposed to think? And what can I do about the issues, big and small, contributing to the human-led destruction of the planet? I don't have the answer to that.
It seems like the more I learn, the more problems there are and the solutions are not at all perfect. I want to do my best, but at the same time, I want to just live my life. I am almost 30 and I have a child, and there are only so many days, weeks, years I have to live. What if I spend all my time sacrificing to make the world a better place, fighting the urge to be an average consumer, and for what? To die and have little to show for it. It feels completely pointless and insurmountable at times. I guess the key is to step back when I need to and dig in again when it's fun. Because frankly if I'm not enjoying my journey in this world, what's the point?
And I do enjoy learning about how to be more environmentally conscious and thinking about ways to have less negative impact. I also want to be healthy and have a healthy family. For me, "green living" encompasses all things...the environment, life, family, health. So while it is hard at times to face the insurmountable issues surrounding our world, I think that ultimately it is well worth my time and effort to do so.
There are no easy answers. There are no quick fixes. To do this right, it takes dedication, a desire to learn, a willingness to change your mind, and above all keen self-awareness (so you can set boundaries as needed) and a sense of humor. It's like parenting. It's hard and intense, but totally worth it.
For example, I get up in the morning and go to the bathroom. I use recycled toilet paper, which makes me feel a little better, but then I flush a traditional toilet and waste some water, as well as putting that water through the system that probably causes emissions (electricity use) and may contribute to pollution for all I know. But I have to pee! Then I brush my teeth, all the while in my bathroom lit by hot, inefficient incandescent bulbs. My toothpaste is by a natural company called Jason. It lacks the fresh mint flavor and whitening power of Crest, but I tell myself it's better for me and the environment. Although I don't know if the package is recyclable. And it claims to be "natural" which I've read is not a regulated claim, so it can mean next to nothing. More stress!
And I haven't even gotten dressed or done my hair yet. Sigh.
So I can't let myself think about every little thing or I'll be paralyzed with depression before breakfast. But then when AM I supposed to think? And what can I do about the issues, big and small, contributing to the human-led destruction of the planet? I don't have the answer to that.
It seems like the more I learn, the more problems there are and the solutions are not at all perfect. I want to do my best, but at the same time, I want to just live my life. I am almost 30 and I have a child, and there are only so many days, weeks, years I have to live. What if I spend all my time sacrificing to make the world a better place, fighting the urge to be an average consumer, and for what? To die and have little to show for it. It feels completely pointless and insurmountable at times. I guess the key is to step back when I need to and dig in again when it's fun. Because frankly if I'm not enjoying my journey in this world, what's the point?
And I do enjoy learning about how to be more environmentally conscious and thinking about ways to have less negative impact. I also want to be healthy and have a healthy family. For me, "green living" encompasses all things...the environment, life, family, health. So while it is hard at times to face the insurmountable issues surrounding our world, I think that ultimately it is well worth my time and effort to do so.
There are no easy answers. There are no quick fixes. To do this right, it takes dedication, a desire to learn, a willingness to change your mind, and above all keen self-awareness (so you can set boundaries as needed) and a sense of humor. It's like parenting. It's hard and intense, but totally worth it.
Edit: Apparently I'm not the only one writing about self-doubt today! Check out No Impact Man's post today.
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