Rob Thomas! Impractical Jokers! Weight going DOWN!

Hi y’all!  I know it has been a while!  While I have been gone I have been working the new job.  Still loving it!  They truly do make me feel like I am welcome and definitely don’t make me feel like I am a new hire.  All those are good things in a job!  I walk a lot there.  A LOT.  It is mostly spinning circles but it is there.  I kept my phone in my pocket the other day, and one day I walked almost 5 miles and yesterday, Monday, it was almost 6!  I am not sure but I think this will be doing me some good.  Does anyone have an opinion about that?  I am beat by the time I get home and walking for another half hour is almost out of the question. I have decided to start doing sit ups before bed and when I get up.  When I get up may not happen this week, but the before bed is.  I have been needing to do some toning like this anyway so I hope that that along with the excessive walking will keep it going.  On days when I am not at work, I plan on walking.  That may be only one or two days a week at this point. I am also cutting down how much I eat.  I have been eating a few carbs but I don’t overload on them and try to stay within my 20-50 a day.  If I go over 1 or 2 it is ok.  I had been drinking sweet pop and tea at work only so I could have some caffeine since I go in at like 7 in the morning, but I cut that out this week.  I am taking my water flavor packets and putting it in tap water.  That water stays so cold in the foam cups at work.

But, BUT, I had to take Jeffrey to the doctor last week and I am down 35 pounds!  35 since April!  Holy cow!  I did this by walking, cutting carbs, cutting sugar out completely, and drinking water.  I will tell y’all though, I have had some cake and things along as I go.  I think 35 in 4 months isn’t too bad if y’all ask me.  I made the commitment to do this and I am going to until I get to where 1. I want to be and 2. it will help my health.  I am not sure again if those two will be the same or not but we shall see.  And I also like the idea that I can eat what I want every so often.  It would be a miserable existence if I had to cut it all out NOW.  I could do it but it would suck.  I do know that it feels so nice to walk and your gut not flop, and to look down and see your gut going away.  And to put your hands on your hips and feel it going down.  It totally inspires me to continue on and keep going.  And I am fitting in 1 to 2 sizes smaller shirts.  I haven’t fit in those in forever!

Ok on to some other news.  School is back in.  I know this semester is going to suck.   There is a lot of reading in one of my classes and the other is starting on my Master’s research paper.  I need to have the first part of that done by the 24th and I am still swirling around the topic in my head.  I am at a loss.  I will get it I hope.

Remember how we got to see Rob Thomas in June?  Well guess what?  He is going to be around here close again and we have PIT seats this time!  Holy smokes!  She got us seats to see him again.  Only my daughter!  I cannot wait for this!  I hope he signs again after the show.  I know we already got to meet him once but I wish I could do it again.  And maybe a pic this time!  That would blow my mind…..

EVEN more news:  I know y’all have frequently read about me posting something about the Impractical Jokers.  I have never in my life watched a TV show that can make me laugh that much.  I have seen funny stuff, don’t get me wrong.  They are just on a different level of funny and I love it.  Anyway, they are touring this fall, and we have been waiting for this.  We have FRONT ROW PIT SEATS WITH A MEET AND GREET!  HOLY SMOKES!  I am so excited I cannot wait!  Y’all thought I was going to be nervous to see Rob and get a chance to meet him, y’all ain’t seen nothing yet!  Somehow I kept it together with Rob.  I do say that I drive along and it occurs to me frequently that I have MET Rob Thomas and I have met Isaac Slade TWICE.  It just boggles my head.  🙂   I hope I don’t have a spazz of some sort when I get to meet them.  Just an FYI, I love them all but Q is my favorite.  I am sure my daughter will video my reaction especially if it turns out that I have a tizzy.  Ha!  My daughter was determined that at any cost we were going to see and meet the Impractical Jokers.  And we are.  🙂

Tomorrow our #Alittlebitofeverything link-up party will open.  Please invite all your friends that blog and retweet for us!  We want to see everyone who blogs join in.  It is a wonderful way to meet new people and find some awesome blogs to read.  I have read so many good blogs out there!  I have a blast every week doing this with Iveth from over at fortheloveto.com.  Stop by and say hi to Iveth.  And if you would, say a prayer for her and her family. I think the world of her and want to thank her again for inviting me to help with her link-up!   Information on the link-up including my featured blogger will be posted here tomorrow.  We hope to see y’all there!

I think I have rattled long enough.  I will have more later in the week I am sure.  I just don’t have as much time as I did but I will blog when I can.  Have a great night y’all!

–S

The Fray!!!

Hi y’all!  Hope everyone has been having a great week.  Our link-up party is going very well.  Thank you to all who have linked up!  If you haven’t linked up yet, please come link up!  It is a great way to meet new friends and read new blogs.  I love co-hosting with Iveth.  She is an awesome friend!  Check our her blog too!  The link-up party information can be found at https://pootsnotes.wordpress.com/2015/08/19/a-little-bit-of-everything-link-up-3/.

The walking is still going well.  This week has been kind of strange as far as walking goes.  I know we walked around 2 miles or so at the Illinois State Fair yesterday.  I worked Tuesday and I know I walked a bunch then.  Of course I can’t get my minutes and time because Facebook has decided to puke but rest assured I am still walking and doing everything that I need to.  Monday I did do right at 4 miles after all the errands were run and with the walking later in the day.  Tuesday I worked and walked constantly all day and yesterday was the Illinois State Fair.  Today I am beat and am just taking it easy.  Wednesday for whatever reason I decided it was time to have some doughnuts.  So I did.  I didn’t feel any better.  In fact I could tell I had too much sugar.  I took it easy yesterday and cut a lot of calories out.  Today I am very tired since we got home at 430 in the morning.  It was a long day.  But it was awesome!

We just saw The Fray last month in Indy and met them there.  And we wanted to see them again.  They were going to be at the Illinois State Fair.  We started out really early heading to Springfield because I hadn’t been there on my own and I wasn’t sure how the fair parking and all worked.  Once we got into Illinois I noticed a few things.  There was a cemetery that had a few stones but mostly all flower bouquets sticking up out of the ground.  The stones could haven been flat on the ground but it was just odd.  Another thing-all the roads to Springfield from here were two lane and at one time I was backroading it.  Well nothing new that doesn’t happen here since we live on the back roads.  I believe that the town/city signs in Illinois mention the population underneath the name.  I kept trying to figure out why we didn’t see any big buildings in Springfield.  The population was in the 117,000s.  I had Annie look up the population of Indy.  It was over 800,000.  That could explain it or we just didn’t get into that part of town.  Even Indy has a few huge buildings.  Illinois though was way easy to navigate.  It takes some time to get there and it looks like I never left Indiana, but it was an easy drive.

Once we got to Springfield I pulled over and called the fair people to find out what we needed to do.  We needed to go in gate 6 and park in lot 18 for the show.  Ok.  That was the easy part.  Next, what about these VIPIT things we have here?  They will be giving out bands prior to the show.  Ok.  So we get parked and head on in and run into a security guard to ask what the deal was and to find out when and where this will be.  He said 5 PM, and The Fray had just pulled up.  Awesome!  He was a really nice guy and we chatted with him a while (yes it is true, I never know a stranger).  On the way in we came by a helicopter ride place.  Nope, not for me.  I was going to go up in one in Branson Missouri with my uncle but I was so car sick from the ride there that I passed.  Now I don’t think I could deal with it either.  But Annie wanted to.  She went up and had a great time!  She showed me the video she took and all.  The guy there told me that he got car sick too but there is nothing like that in a chopper.  Nah.  Just still not for me.  Don’t think The Fray would fancy my lunch on my shirt should I get into close proximity to them.  Here are a few pics, and I have a video that I will eventually post.  She is in the back in the gray shirt.

We go back in and start trying to find someone to ask about the passes and such.  There is a line already forming and after we ask someone we decide to jump in there.  Glad we did.  They were all waiting for The Fray too all with VIP passes like us.  So we sat and waited.  About an hour after we had been there someone said they were over by where we were sitting at.  Annie and I debated whether to go or not but the people we were with held our place for us.  We walked on over and saw a couple of the other guys but no Isaac.  We rounded the corner and oh my!  There he was!  He was chatting with some of the other people from the line.  He was done talking to them and started talking to us.  At this point I think we both were about to have a spasm.  I told him that we had just met them last month in Indy and showed him the pic on my phone.  He said he was glad he was wearing a different shirt and asked if I would like another pic with him! Well yeah!  So I turn my camera on, hands shaking like crazy and I swear I am brain-dead.  I cannot figure out why the selfie function was not functioning.  He reached over and flipped it to the right setting.  I took 3 pics, in case one of them didn’t take right–shaky hands you know.  I thanked him and Annie got one with him too.  That was just awesome! We got one with one of the other guys too and by that time their security had caught up to them.  They weren’t running people off but they were just moving on down the line of the food places in front of the grandstand.  I am just still in shock!  I am just absolutely thrilled to death to get to meet them again!  And Isaac Slade again!  How awesome is that????  He is a really nice guy.  🙂

We go back to our line and the security people were making sure that only the people who were there first didn’t get cut in front of.  At around 5 they got our bands for us and we still had to wait longer.  Around 630 they let us start going in and told everyone not to run.  Well that didn’t work well since it was general admission for the pit.  We got in good and on the right side of the stage, first in line at the fence.  Yeah!  It was pretty awesome.  Here is one of our views.

Andy Grammer opened for The Fray.  He was pretty awesome too.  I got a few good pics.

Then The Fray came out.  Oh.  My.  They are just as awesome as they were in Indy.  About three or four songs in he goes out in the crowd.  He is climbing up the grandstand and seeing the people up in the top.  He climbed back down and came back on the side of the fence where we were standing.  At the end of the song he hops up on the fence, right over Annie!  Now I am standing beside her, and fumbling with the phone to get the pics.  I got them!  So not only did we get to meet him but we got to see him hop up right there at us!  In the first one of him close up you can see Annie’s hand reaching out to touch his arm.  🙂  I was too bumfuzzled to reach out….I was trying to take pics.

I took all sorts of great pics here.  I will post several.  We had such a good time!  The Fray will never disappoint.  I also have a video of them singing “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.”  I will try to get it out there and posted.  If any of you guys happen to read this, thank you.  You have made our year, twice in a row.  🙂

This has been an awesome week!  Keep linking up and have a great weekend!

–S

Link-up party coming! And some life changes…..

Hi y’all!  I realize it has been a while since I have blogged.  I have had so many things rolling around in my head with these things going on.  Let me recap the fitness first then I will go into all of that.  I think we walked around 4 days last week, with about 43 minutes and 1.80 some miles each time.  Friday and Saturday I didn’t count because I did some shopping and we did I know around 2-3 miles each day after I had already walked in the morning.  Due to some of my life changes I had to purchase some new pants and they were, get this, 2 sizes smaller than normal!  Holy cow!  I got these at a place where I have to normally buy bigger so they will fit.  So when I wore them they were still too big!  Holy smokes!  I am completely inspired to keep doing this and keep going.  I sometimes don’t feel like I am doing much but I guess I am.  My Mom even told me this morning that she can really tell I have lost the weight.  I am glad.  I am working hard to get it off.  I did have a milkshake yesterday and my sugar was high this morning so I am going to have to tighten the diet down and keep on walking.  Today when I get done walking with what I have already done while shopping I will have close to 3 miles total.  I will get this.  I have this thing.  Someday I will own “I lost a bunch of weight!”  I do know all the walking I am doing now and at my new job (more on that later) is saving me from putting on a bunch of weight.

Wednesday we will be having the #Alittlebitofeverything link-up party!  I am so happy that Iveth from fortheloveto.com lets me co-host the link-up with her!  I have such a great time meeting new people and reading all the wonderful blogs!  Please, please, PLEASE come link up your blogs!  We would love to hear from you!  More information will be posted Wednesday morning.  I can’t wait to hear from you and read your blog!

I have been away for a few days, although I have been promoting and talking about #Alittlebitofeverything.  I have a lot to say so here I go.  I made some decisions.  They weren’t easy decisions.  School starts back this week, so that is a huge part of my life.  I must proceed on and get my MS so I can eventually find a good job.  In the mean time, I did some soul-searching.  I have attacked this from every angle.  I tried to look at it as if it was my problem, an internal problem.  I have tried to analyze and figure out if it was my expectations, my attitude, or what part of me made my disgust for my job at the group home so evident.  I finally decided that it wasn’t me.  Without going into great detail what the deal was, I made the decision to leave on the premise that I cannot do this job any more.  This is all true.  Fact is, it was just not for me anymore. I had hoped that it was.  I thought I knew how to do it.  I did it for 5 years.  I am not sure what changed in those 5 years that I was gone, but I quickly figured out it wasn’t for me.  Part of it is, I will admit, since I am so different from everyone who works there.  I must say that the clients were not, NOT, the issue.  I still think the world of those girls.  But let me explain what I mean by different.

I am saved.  I go to church.  I will crow it out there to everyone.  Jesus is Lord of all and I am very humbled that He loves me as He does and thankful.  The Holy Spirit does a work inside of you once you are saved.  You change.  I have always heard everyone talk about that.  I kept going by how I feel inside.  I didn’t feel different.  There were many things that I didn’t change my opinion on.  I say what I think and every so often that may involve a not so nice word. God knows me and loves me as I am.  Running with these ideas, I thought that I could handle things.  I quickly found out that the more I was around people who drop the f-bomb every other word, who spouts out things that make no sense as far as things go, I was not like them any longer.  That may be the factor that really did me in.  Being around these things, I try to be as unlike this as possible.  I dropped a lot of the not so nice words I have said when I got mad, even after being saved.  Dirty language is not pretty, especially if you are a girl and especially a Christian.  I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be turned that way.  Boy did I underestimate myself.  I never doubt that God could change me, I just didn’t blatantly notice it.  Also since I spend most of my free time with my family, my kids, my church and church family, and a bunch of critters, I hadn’t had opportunity to notice that apparently, I am blatantly going as far the other way from how most people act. Wow.  This was an eye-opening experience.  And an FYI–no one bothered to text or ask what was up and why I left.  Nice to know you are missed, huh?  I know I can’t forever run from people who don’t believe what I believe.  But there were other factors that went into my decision but this was the one that I really noticed the most.

The rest of the story I will save for a later time, just know that I didn’t appreciate several things.  It was time for a change. So I got that change.  I have a new part-time job, at a location I will not mention.  It is legal.  Ha!  It is somewhere that I loved before I started working there.  And the people there are awesome!  I have figured that out from day one.  I have only worked there 2 days so far but I am quite happy and thankful for the change.  The only thing I will say is please be respectful of everyone you come in contact with in your daily life.  Every job–EMTS, store employees, fast food workers, group home employees, electricians. Doctors, truck drivers–it is all a struggle.  You have to know your role and your job on any of those listed as well as every other job out there in this world.  All jobs are tough. There are no jobs out there that anyone needs to look down their noses at because they all take practice and knowledge.  I don’t expect every day at my new job to be a cake walk but I do know that it is so far more enjoyable than the last one.  And honestly?  The mental stress isn’t there.  I work hard, I am tired, I spin circles and spend a lot of time on my feet.  But when I go home, I can proceed with the day and know what I did was the best that I can do in my learning the new job phase and not worry about it. Everyone has made me feel welcome and I don’t feel like I am the low person on the totem pole although I am.  If you can find a job like that, don’t get rid of it.  Keep it as long as you can.

This is random but I have been watching That Metal Show reruns.  I could really go for a whole episode of the top 5 or Stump the Trunk.  All the music I listened to growing up (and still do for that matter) is classified as metal.  That is something interesting.  Needless to say I love the show.  🙂

This is all I have for now.  I have many more thoughts but I think I will let them spin for now.  Have a great night!  Come link up on Wednesday!

–S

Weight Loss! And a Stowaway!

Hi y’all!  Miss me?  I didn’t have time last night to write much after VBS and then Twitter just took a major puke on me Tuesday so I thought I would give it a day to get itself fixed.  And it did.  So yesterday I did 1.48 miles for 45 minutes.  It was very hot yesterday morning even though I was walking really early in the morning.  But I did it.  I did the driveway deal yesterday because I just didn’t feel like doing the hill in the heat.  The ones that are necessary between here and the driveway are bad enough in the heat.  And I took my weights.  I can still tell differences in my arms and my legs and in how I breathe and things when I walk.  And my clothes are still fitting looser so that is good.  Today I only did 1.35 but that was over the course of the day and since I had an appointment today I had to keep,  I will take this.  I am seeing the results though.  At my appointment I was weighed and I am down 4 more pounds which make this 28 pounds total weight loss.  Yay!  I can and I am doing this!  I am still not sure if it will give me the end result that I want as far as my health goes but at least I will look and feel better and will be able to walk with no issues.  I am just going to keep going and get myself healthy on many accounts regardless of how this affects the diabetes aspect.

So today I had an appointment and on the way into town we kept hearing something.  I stopped the car and sure enough, we had a stowaway!  A kitten had gotten into the engine part and it was just sitting in there mewing at us.  He wasn’t hurt or anything so he just got to ride in the car and hang out until we got home.  I am not sure why he got in there.  It sure hasn’t been cold, which is why they climb into engine compartments or at least the main reason why.  I guess maybe it was just done sitting outside or something and decided to get into it.  It is ok though, it was reunited with its mom.  Now it is just chasing us everywhere and seems to know us now unlike before its car ride!  Silly cats!

Tonight we had 10 at VBS.  I really enjoy doing the VBS.  I have a good time and the kids seem like they have a good time as well.  I hope we have as many tomorrow too.  Tomorrow we learn about Daniel and the Lion.  I have found some really good videos to show this time so that has worked out well.

I had been tweeting to Idiotest on Twitter and wasn’t sure they were getting any of my tweets but they responded today so that was cool.  I haven’t posted many tweets lately but I am going to post this one.  It was just cool.  🙂

@poothead Hi Stacey! IT IS!!! #Idiotest

— Idiotest (@IdiotestShow) July 29, 2015

I am also getting ready to link up with Iveth on fortheloveto.com  Please link up with her, she has an awesome site!

Also I have 1137 hits on this site now, 6 bloglovin followers and 55 subscribers on here.  Thank you all so much!  Keep following and telling everyone, would love to have more readers!

And a quick catch up on the 30 day challenge.

Day 20–Do you wear glasses?  And if you do, what are they for?  Well I wear them because I can’t see! Ha!  That is about half right.  I started in 3rd grade telling my Mom that I couldn’t see out of my left eye.  It was like there was a black thing in the middle of my eye and I couldn’t get the whole picture.  I have had to wear glasses since I was 9.  Dr then said it was lazy eye but several years ago I had heard tell of someone else having lazy eye and they had surgery to correct it.  Just the last time I was to the eye Dr two years ago they said I had farsightedness with an astigmatism.  What that translates into is slight Coke bottle lenses.  And as my sight gets worse with age, they will get thicker.  I used to have a huge one on the left but they cut some of it down since that eye will never get better which brings us to the next reason I wear them, and that is to protect my eyes.  But now at my ripe old age of 39,  I truly do need them as my vision is getting worse.

Day 21–Your favorite subject to study.  Well anything computers, the Bible, history specifically from the Pilgrims up until Anne Frank’s time, and ghost stories.  I love to read anything basically.  Been grooving on biography/autobiography stories in the last few years. And cooking.  I love to learn new things there.

This is all I have for tonight.  I have to go to work tomorrow.  I am still really struggling with the concept that I am supposed to be there and the fact that I can’t shake some of the feelings not necessarily of hatred but of dread that  I had the last time.  I pray to get this figured out but I am not having much luck.  I guess I will have to see if the reason I am there is revealed to me.  Also, please continue to pray for my niece.  She is still have issues.  And my brother got to come home Saturday and is doing great!  Please continue the prayers for him too.  Thank you all!

Have a great night, y’all!

–S

Weight going DOWN!

Hi y’all!  Today I had to take one more trip to finish my job training.  I was glad this was over with today.  I will be able to get on a normal work schedule that will not drive me mad.  I had to walk after I got home.  It was 85 degrees and we walked 40 minutes for 2.13 miles.  I had the sweat pouring but I got it done! You remember that hill I was talking about that I always take a break on?  I took a 3 second, count it 3 second pause today.  It did’t even count as a break!  I don’t know if I have gotten that much better at the hill or was just hot  I think it was both.  Still using the hand weights too.  All in all it was a good walk.  I powered up the last 2 hills like there was no tomorrow.

I had to stop at the Dr today to pick up my prescription so I weighted myself.  I am down 3 more pounds for a total of 24 since this started 10 weeks ago.  Yay!  I know that don’t seem like much butt I am losing a pound a week which is what they recommend–1 or 2 a week!  Clothes are still fitting good.  I put on a pair of capris I could not fit in a few months ago.  Tshirts too.  I am having no issues walking and the hills are getting easier.  I am so thankful for the changes.  And it isn’t always about how much weight you are losing.  It is also about how better you feel and stuff like that.  I am getting there!  This week and last week have been hard because I have not been home much.  But after this week  I am going to tighten the carbs again and cut some portions down too.  That will help along with the walking.  The key is consistency and I see that now.  And also the fact that I had some dumplings and some cake is irrelevant.  You have to have some of the things you like occasionally because if you can’t then what is the point?  It also cuts cravings so you don’t eat a whole cake or a whole pot of dumplings the next time you come in contact with them.

Ok so the main reason for all of these changes, which I haven’t really gone into and if I have, forgive me, is hyperglycemia.  That translates into high blood sugar.  It isn’t diabetes, but if it isn’t gotten under control it will turn into this.  It is also known as pre-diabetes.  I decided to test my fasting sugar and other times of the day to see how things affect me.  I asked the nurse today what it needed to be and 120 or less on fasting is good.  I usually am under that.  If I go by the book it needs to be under 110.  I will defeat this.  I will be healthy and a side effect of this will be looking cute after it is all said and done.

I need  to catch up on my 30 day challenge.  I forgot to put it in last time and my daughter reminded me of it.  Here goes:

Day 2–Talk about your piercings or tattoos if you have any.  I have three holes on the left, three on the right and one up at the top on my left so I have 7 holes in my ears.  I only wear the one on the top of the left ear.  I try to wear the others but the thing is even if I wear sensitive earrings my ears still turn red and break out  I am not sure what the deal is but I hope to find some soon that won’t irritate me so much.

Day 3–My favorite television program  Oh boy.  Here we go.  It will for sure have to be programS.  Ok, I will start with my two favorites.  Impractical Jokers.  I love to laugh.  This show seriously puts me to the point where I cannot breathe watching it.  That is all they needed to win my heart.  Idiotest. I love a show that is hilarious and makes me think.  And who don’t love Ben Gleib?  NCIS, Major Crimes, Rizzoli and Isles, Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, Bizarre Foods, Jeopardy, Big Bang Theory, Mom, The Odd Couple, you know, things that mostly make me laugh.  There are others but my brain is stalling.

And again for Twitter.  I tweeted to Idiotest and they favorited my tweet!  I love it!  I love it because they take the time to acknowledge their fans.  How awesome is that!

Seriously, how cool is this?  I love it!

This is about all I have for now.  I have some stuff coming up tomorrow that I would like for whoever reads this to say a prayer for us.  God will know the need.  Thank you!  Have a great night y’all!

–S

Best Birthday EVER!

Hi y’all!  I have taken two days off from writing, and I need to catch up.  Saturday we did a shorter walk, 47 minutes 1.89 miles, because company was coming.  I used the two-pound weights.  I didn’t care for those because they aren’t made of the mushy stuff and my sweat just beaded up and made them slick.  Annie said the next time I could just use her set of one pound ones together with mine and walk that way.  And talk this way….ha!  Hope y’all got that.  Anyway, I did that today but more on that later.  While walking we heard something snorting at us in the woods and on the other side of the road something that sounded like metal falling.  Odd.

We grilled out Saturday for our anniversary.  We have been married 17 years now.  It was a rare occasion for Derek and I both to be home at the same time for it but we were.  We grilled out corn, taters, burgers and dogs.  My brother, my best friend of (it will remain unnamed) many years Larry was here, and Annie’s friend Cody from work came out.  We had a good time, food was good and Larry and Derek played music.  We refuse to say how many years we have been best friends.  Just one of those things, ha!  I am sure they all got tired of me hashing out the Rob Thomas concert but they never said a word.

In the afternoon we had to make a birthday cake run.  The next day, the 21st, was my birthday.  I was born in the daytime which in my opinion is pretty odd.  Guess that explains me.  Ha!  We ran to Wal-Mart.  On the way there I played the concert for my brother to hear.  With our VIP pack we got a bracelet that gave us a code to be able to download exclusive content.  That content was the whole Indy show!  I am so thrilled to have a copy of it!  It has some new stuff on it that I will get another copy of as soon as the album comes out.  And it is just awesome because for me I remember what I was thinking and feeling at every moment during the show.  The sound quality is awesome too.  Anyway, I played that all the way to Wal-Mart and home and he thought it was pretty awesome.  Also we framed our signatures.  I will add a photo below.  I will also re-add the link to the video of him signing it for me since it was messed up the last time.

Another couple of observations about our show.  The lady who kept trying to get us to notice her apparently didn’t realize she was in the presence of greatness–Rob Thomas.  I did.  🙂  Also, there weren’t any scalpers or people trying to buy tickets out front of the venue.  I was glad.  I don’t like stuff that is annoying and that is.

We get to Wal-Mart and are faced with the dilemma of what cake to get.  We both don’t need it, but birthdays only roll around once a year so we did anyway.  We got the chocolate and the white one.  I had to have the flower piece, of course, because that is what we do when it is your birthday.  The birthday person of course gets the flower.  Do I believe that having some cake is going to rimrack my diet?  No.  Do I believe if I eat that every day in some capacity or another it will?  Yes.  Absolutely.  So I have enjoyed it now, and I am good.  I even bought some pop to have over the weekend and  I didn’t have that.  There is some debate over whether diet pop is good for you with the aspartame or not.  I stand on that without an opinion. I use sweetener in other stuff, and in the water flavors.  I guess it is as healthy as a chemically created compound can be, but when you are trying to fight off diabetes to keep it from developing, sugar is the enemy.  I guess we do trade one evil for another but I have noticed that you don’t consume sweetener as readily as you do sugar.  I guess that is a plus.  Or I should say I don’t.  I did notice this too.  After not eating sugar for almost 9 weeks, since this starts week 9 of the diet and week 8 of exercise,  I sure did get a bit stoned on the sugar from the cake.  Ha!

So my brother and I planned some stuff that we want to do soon.  One thing is in September Annie and I have a concert in Lexington Kentucky.  On the way home, we are going to see if we can take a tour of Waverly Hills in Louisville.  (Bear with me as I know some of this is a repeat.)  I mentioned to him about going to the concert and to Waverly.  He is going to go with us and hang out in the hotel and work while we go see the show.  That will be awesome!  Having him along is a hoot.  He acts about like I do, or rather I act like him since he is older.  The kids act like me.  You see the pattern here. For example, Annie stopped me this morning on our walk, pointed, and said branch, and took off walking.  There was a tree branch in the road and she apparently felt she needed to point it out to me.  I am really happy with how they both have turned out so far and with how they act, which is more and more like me every day. More on that later.

The next day, the 21st, is my birthday.  As you already know, Annie gave me tickets to Rob Thomas, second row, which ended in a meet and greet with an autograph.  That was a dream come true!  My Secret Sister at church gave me a Denny’s gift card, which is my favorite restaurant, and two light up yard spinners!  They are awesome!  Later that afternoon, Annie couldn’t sleep so she blogged then she randomly tweeted to Rob Thomas.  Here is what she said.

Hey @ThisIsRobThomas it’s my mom’s birthday today. We saw you last Tuesday in Indy! She would love for you to wish her a happy birthday! 🙂

— annie ☔ (@annieebanannie_) June 21, 2015

About three minutes later she came running out of her room and told me to look.  She was absolutely flabbergasted.  This is what I found.

@annieebanannie_ tell her happy happy from me. But only because you like @truTVjokers

— Rob Thomas (@ThisIsRobThomas) June 21, 2015

I almost come undone.  She almost come undone.  Rob Thomas took time, again, to talk to his fans.   I just think more of him every day.  I knew when I first heard him that he was awesome and now I have proof.  Thank you again Rob, if you ever happen to read this.  Two of your biggest fans are in Indiana.  You sure made my birthday rock!

Annie and Jeffrey both are two of the greatest kids ever.  She went out of her way to get those tickets, wait with me to get the autographs and then try to get him to tell me happy birthday.  Jeffrey was talking to me this morning and told me that he can tell I am losing weight but I was just fine the other way too.  He has a heart of gold.  I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They both deserve son and daughter of the year awards.

And we can’t forget Ben Gleib last week told me happy birthday too.  I also had so many birthday wishes on Facebook that I couldn’t keep up with them.  This birthday has been one of the best ever.  They are all good knowing I made it another year and spending it with family.  This one was just totally special.  I just want to say thank you all to everyone who made this birthday a special one!

Today was back to normal, sort of.  We walked this morning, 1.71 miles and 54 minutes.  We shortened it a bit today.  That thing was still snorting at us in the woods.  Originally thought it was deer humping (ha go ahead and laugh) but if they are still going strong after three days…..well that isn’t it.  My Mom said it was most likely a mama deer with a baby.  My uncle apparently tangled with one of those once.  I decided I didn’t want to tangle with that so we went another way.  On the other way we decided that maybe it was a Bigfoot.  We were then trying to figure out what we would do if we found one or what the Bigfoot hunters would do.  That is one question I would ask.  Once you find one, what are you gonna do with it?  I am not sure if they are friendly or not so this may take some thought.  Some states say it is illegal to shoot one, so that is out.  I hope it is a friendly one.  Like I said, as long as it lets me take pics, I am cool.

So we changed routes and went back down the hill and up and then back up again.  I had no issues with huffing and puffing too bad or breathing in general or dizziness.  That is good.  Tomorrow we are going to do the same thing again and see how it goes.  I want to work up to going to the crossroads here, which is down a smaller hill, up a large one, down a dip and back up and then you are there.  Once I get that, then I want to walk to circle, around the neighborhood.  I will get there.  For whatever reason we think that walking the hills is much better for us.  We like to believe that it works the guts and the butt more.  And the legs too of course.  I just want to get more of that burn in because it helps.  I also took a handful of two one pound weights and walked with those in each hand.  That still seems to be doing some good.  Lots of good really.  Still been hot, still really buggy in the mornings. That one stupid bug seems to like to fly in, land, and be obnoxious but only on the pavement part and only in a specific part of the woods.  I am going to look it up and see what it is and what repels it.  If it says to wash in tomato juice I would be tempted to just to repel it.  The dragonflies thought have disappeared too.  I rarely see one of those anymore.  I still plan on Googling them I just haven’t yet.

Our deep freeze has gone on the fritz.  I am not sure how we will handle that but we will figure out something.  I am about all typed out for today.  I have much more but I can catch up tomorrow again. Y’all have a great night!

–S

Thursday Ramblings and Other Stuff

Hi ya’ll!  Today we walked 2.4 miles for 1 hour.  During our walk we rehashed the Rob Thomas concert.  I will be talking about that one for a long, long time.  Y’all will probably get tired of it but I hope not.  It was good times.  My dream sure came true.  Then we also hashed out the other shows we are going to this year.  An interesting side note, we both tweeted to Vinyl Station who opened for Rob and they responded and liked our tweets!  That is cool!

So I walked with my walking weights today.  They are only 1 pound each but tomorrow I think I am going to take my regular 2 pound weights.  I seem to be toning the arms up so I need to increase the weight.  I also was so surprised because I didn’t huff and puff at all Tuesday while walking in 80 some degree weather, and at one point talking on the phone!  That was cool.  Again the exercise is paying off and apparently in other ways too.  One of the ladies at church told me last night that she can tell I am really dropping the weight.  Awesome!  That made me feel pretty good when some days I feel like I am getting no where at all but I know it is paying off.  Just have to remember what my aunt told me and that is again how I feel compared to now as opposed to how I felt before.  I can tell a difference in endurance of activities and things like that too.  Standing too long and walking too long still cause some significant pain in my sciatic area and in my foot and leg, but that I hope will ease after I get some more miles logged and some more weight off.  And next week will start week 9 of diet and 8 of exercise. That many weeks in of exercise and I can tell a huge difference in how I react to stuff!  Side note too, Rob’s concert t-shirt fit very well and it is a size smaller than I normally wear.  It is either extra big or I am getting smaller.  I like to think it is both.  I forgot my dadgum bug spray this morning so the bugs were thick.  There is one specific bug that just lights, hangs on and bites away.  I don’t know what it is but I am gonna knock it into next week if it don’t go on with itself.  And when it bites it draws blood!  Argh.

My dieting all seems normal to me now.  They say 22 days to become a habit.  Ok, I can buy that.  I feel like less carbs, making sure of the carb count, water with flavors, tea with sweetener instead of sugar, it all seems normal to me now.  I am used to it and wouldn’t have it any other way.  I have also switched my flavor for the water again and have been drinking pink lemonade.  I have had Wyler’s and Wal-Mart’s and I have to tell you I like Wyler’s better I think.  They are both good choices because they are sugar-free without carbs.  The sweetener that I use in my tea has a carb or two per serving.  I have decided to keep my carbs at 20-30 a day.  I think that is a good amount.  I still stopped the bread at home.  That hasn’t bothered me in the least.  Not sure why I thought of this but I do have a sugar-free cake and icing here.  I may see if  we can make that tomorrow for our cookout Saturday.  Yes I am grilling Saturday for our anniversary Saturday and the birthday Sunday. Yummy!  With that in mind we have been cleaning all day and will finish it tomorrow.

We actually got the VIP pack for the show which came with a USB bracelet with recordings on it and some other stuff.  It wasn’t ready to be sent before the show so it will be here tomorrow.  Can’t wait to see what other kind of cool Rob stuff they sent.

One thing Annie and I discussed on the way to Indy was the idea that when objects age they are old but people aren’t. Such as, I am going to be 39 on Sunday.  Most people consider that young.  If I would be a car, I would be considered old. Not sure exactly how or why that is but we can’t figure it out.  Any ideas?

I learned this the other day about WordPress.  If you link to your Twitter or Facebook, WordPress counts those as followers. I disconnected that so I can see how many I really have.  Odd that it does that.

There were a couple of annoying things that happened Tuesday. I didn’t want to write them yesterday but that was an awesome blog I did if I do say so myself.  Most of the time it is parking, or things like that but no issues there.  This don’t fall in that category but on our trek to downtown Indy I saw a dude digging in a trash can for food.  He dug out what was in there and took off with it.  I was just in shock.  Makes one think that is for sure.  Anyway, at the venue, things there went well before the show.  As I said yesterday we were first in, first to get shirts, got a pop and got to the seats.  The security guard harassed us but hey, he was a hoot. After the show started and Plain White T’s were on, Annie yelled at me to get my purse.  Some one with brilliance spilled their beer on the floor and it was running everywhere.  Eww.  I don’t drink and I sure don’t want to smell like beer all the way home.  So we had to stand in that the whole time.  It was sticky and hard to move in it.  But Rob was worth it but if I could have found who did it I wouldn’t have been able not to either throttle them or pour a cup of beer on their feet.  The lady in front of us kept dropping her glasses and her phone and stuff in it.  She was a story in herself.  She kept turning around, blabbing, wanting us to look at her and talk to her.  Sorry lady, we paid to see Rob, not your lit self.  Those were about the only things that were wrong.  Insignificant really but annoying all the same.

This is an interesting thing.  You would think that driving after dark in a place you aren’t too familiar with even with Siri directing you would freak you out, but it didn’t me.  I don’t know, I guess I am just used to driving in Indy.  Not sure why that struck me as odd but it did.  Or even occurred to me at all at this point.  When leaving Cincinnati in the dark though and going through Louisville that is a bit nerve-wracking.  But I manage.  That is where that was coming from I guess.

Oh and the pepper spray!  I bought some pepper spray that would fit on a key ring back in February.  I have never used it or needed to thank God so I told Annie I wanted to be sure it worked.  I flipped it, aimed it toward my car and let out a little quirt.  She took off running, I turned to see why and I saw why–the stuff was way away from us and it burned your nose! Just the fumes was burning the nose!  I ended up sneezing it out but goodness.  If I had to actually use it I would have to hold it far away or run to keep from dousing myself.  But it is good to know it works.

Another interesting thing– I tweeted to Ben Gleib and to Idiotest yesterday about the next show on last night.  They both favorited it and then Ben Gleib quoted it!  Awesome!

West Coast. Tonight 10pm. In our new time slot. #Idiotest https://t.co/Ws48bPsPCC

— Ben Gleib (@bengleib) June 18, 2015

But it gets better!  Today was his birthday so I tweeted him and told him happy birthday and how it was a good week for birthdays because mine was on Sunday.  He told me happy birthday!  Just how awesome is that!

@poothead happy birthday.

— Ben Gleib (@bengleib) June 19, 2015

Also we tweeted to Vinyl Station since they opened for Rob.  They liked our tweets and responded to Annie.  That is awesome too!

I think this is all I have for today. Have a great night!

–S

All Sorts of Madness!! Walking, Turtles, Frogs and Lawnmowers

Hi y’all!  Today we walked 47 minutes for 1.76 miles.  It was coming a monsoon today so we had to walk with our umbrellas so there was no using the hand weights.  Hopefully in the morning we can go back to that.  There were some hard storms that moved through up in northern Indiana but they settled down by the time they got here.  I had started to develop one of those nasty headaches that hit in behind your eye and drive you nuts and I was not interested in staying up all night with storms so I thank God for that.  Oddly enough after that, I slept so good!

We talked about a variety of things today on our walk but the funniest thing was Annie had all these wires connected in her pockets today.  She had a larger set of headphone and a larger wire there than the usual headphones she uses and then she had a wire running to her portable charger in her back pocket that was connected to her phone!  I told her she looked like she was all wired up for medical tests of some sort!

So we ran into a turtle crossing the road on the way down the road.  From up high it looked like a ladybug.  We wanted to see if it ever crossed when we came back but it was moving and trying to go.  I took a few pics of it.  I also saw a very tiny frog and it was moving but it was hard to get a pic.  I’ll post what I took but not sure how clear it is.  We saw the remains of a turtle that had been smashed a couple of dead frogs.  Amazing how much stuff is dead on the pavement that we never see when we are in the car.

I have been really concerned with putting weight back on. I keep thinking that everything I have lost I have put on.  Derek tells me to stop being paranoid.  I was talking to my aunt and we decided that in order to actually gain the 20 pounds back that I have lost, it would, OBVIOUSLY, be impossible to gain it all back in a day without being sick.  I think I am doing ok.  She also told me that some weeks I won’t lose anything and other times I will and she had done that very thing.  I just feel disgusted because I feel like I am getting no where although I know I am.  I feel changes and I can for sure feel differences in how my clothing fits and how I walk and my energy level.  I just need to keep doing what I am and not worry.  This is week 7 of diet and 6 of exercise so I have a long way to go.  I will get there.  It is too early yet to determine that all I am doing is for nothing and it won’t be if I stay clear headed, dedicated and keep going.

And just like my exercise routine I also have a blogging routine.  I think I had talked about it a little yesterday that I really enjoyed blogging and writing.  I set time aside every day to write and post it out there so others can read it.  It is so exciting to me!  It was so exciting that I had a dream about it last night.  I don’t exactly remember the whole dream but I remember we were going somewhere and we went in the wrong lanes and I remember turning around and going back and the main thing was, I was going to put that in my notes so I could blog about it later IN MY DREAM!  I must be grooving hardcore on writing if I am having dreams about it too!  And like I said yesterday I keep notes so I can remember what I want to write on later. When I blog our kitten sits on my shoulder.  I did feel like Ace Ventura earlier, I had two dogs and a kitten on me, and when I sat down to the computer I had a kitten, a dog and another cat that wrapped its tail around the computer screen.  The kitten likes to get on you and root down behind you or in the top or your shirt.  I sure do love all our critters.  🙂

Speaking of stuff that I love, Derek’s computer fouled up on him last night.  The computer screen went out.  He took the battery out and all and it didn’t fix it.  I got it this morning and let it set for a while to see if it was going to come on so I then took the battery out and it didn’t want to come out . Once I got it out and back in, it worked.  I can only figure that when he did, it didn’t go in right or something.  I am not sure.  I spend more time fixing computers for people than web designing.  I love it all.  And like writing, I get all giddy with the web design and fixing them.  There is nothing on a computer than can’t be fixed or backed out of, I don’t care how serious it looks.  Unlike life, there are so many things in computers and writing that can be edited or deleted or backspaced out of.  Wish life was like that sometimes.  I am so into computers and writing that I end up using that terminology to describe my life and stuff.  Remember a few blogs ago I was talking about reprogramming my life and my choices and stuff?  Yeah.  You get it.  Anyway, you would think that being in technology like I am that I would groove on new technology but some of it not so much.  I love the Apple stuff.  That is awesome.  In fact I think I may buy a Macbook very soon, just so I have straight Apple across the board.  Washers though are another story.  I had used one of the high-efficiency ones and I hated it.  It was just ignorant.  I didn’t smell the softener like you do when you use a regular washer. There are just some things that the old model is the best and that is one of them.  Our poor washer now expresses its dislike every time it is used.  Someday it will be retired.  Hope it can keep hobbling until then.

Today was supposed to be National Best Friends day.  I reposted a thing on Twitter to my daughter because she is truly my best friend.  Kids grow up and they end up becoming the best friends you have.  I think that is just wonderful.  My son and husband are too, but you know how guys are.  They don’t do all this mushy stuff.

So a week from tomorrow is our Rob Thomas concert.  OMG the closer I get the more excited I get!  That is going to be a blast.  Second row!!  I can’t wait. We should be getting our VIP packages in the mail this week for Rob Thomas.  In July we have another good one too.  We are going to see Train and The Fray and we get to meet The Fray!  That is going to be a hoot!!  That will be as cool as can be to actually meet Isaac Slade.  I hope to have a few more pounds off by then so I don’t look like a cow.

This is random but I think I will find someone to tweet to on Twitter again this week and see if they will respond.  That was so cool when Ben Gleib tweeted back to me last week.  I will keep you posted.

I saw a pic on another blog I follow about a 30 day writing challenge.  I decided I would do it too.  The first thing it says to do is list 10 things that make you really happy.  Here goes and in no particular order:

1. my kids

2. my husband

3. writing

4. my pets

5. good food

6. Impractical Jokers

7. shopping

8. good days

9. achieving a goal

10. knowing that someday I won’t be fat!

That is the only one for today.  Tomorrow should be interesting too  And speaking of interesting, we have been needing a lawnmower.  A friend of ours has one we are going to buy when we get the money but before then he dug out one that they aren’t using and is going to let us have it.  I am going to go get it tomorrow.  Thank you Bill.  Wish there were more people in this world like you.  Not just for lawnmowers but it would make it a better place.  How cool would it be if everyone cared for everyone else in the same level of emotion that we all cared for ourselves and our own family?  Keep wishing.  I will probably hit that 7 figure income that I keep saying I’m gonna make someday before that happens. But if it did…..wow.

I have rambled on and on today.  Hope y’all have a great night and we will talk tomorrow!

–S

Today Was AWESOME!

Hi y’all!  Today we did 56 minutes and 1.82 miles.  It feels so good every day to walk!  When I said yesterday that I really need to do this every day and not miss it because it bothers me if I do, I was serious.  It also has a lot to do with the company that I have on the walk too.  Yes, with my daughter, and I love our little talks and things.  We were talking about a variety of things today but I still think I am going to add an additional PM exercise to my routine, and we had thought about commandeering Jeffrey to walk with me in the PM for a while.  I haven’t added anything to the PM yet because I tend to get busy in the evenings.  I will have to do like I have the morning walks and just make time.

I truly notice that I have more energy and I don’t get as tired as I used to.  It is easier to walk and do things now than it has ever been and I really look forward to see how much better I will feel when I get another 20 pounds off!  One way I notice that I have more energy is that when we come in from our walk, unless it was absolutely roasting outside, I come in and don’t even have to sit down and rest.  I just keep moving on into whatever it is that I need to do.  That is pretty impressive considering that a few weeks ago I was huffing and puffing.  Also, Monday will start week 7 of diet and week 6 of exercise!  I can do this and get it together!

I also changed my eating times and that has helped too.  I have been successful with dropping the toast in the mornings and also when I eat at a function or something I can eat a reasonable amount and stop.  I have also noticed that my appetite is regulating too.  That is a blessing for sure!  I have this thing whipped!  I know I will succeed this time with getting healthy, without a doubt!

I am sure my post yesterday made a few of you wonder about my sanity.  Let me assure you, boredom leads to many things and so does creativity. Sometimes I think that boredom and creativity both border on craziness.  I come up with all sorts of stuff that I really ought to write in books.  And for those who were wondering, we did name a new Leaf today, Leaf 3.0.  Anyway, one of our conversations today was about arguments, and specifically what a mini argument entailed.  I was not aware that the term for a mock argument was a mini argument.  It is apparently when you and your friends argue back and forth, but it is only acting silly and like you are arguing but not really arguing.  Ok. I have done that forever with my friends being silly but I guess it is called something else by everyone these days.  Just goes to show I am not the only one reinventing and renaming things that people have done for decades.  🙂

Speaking of my daughter, I hope she gets her picks done for the Liebster award.  I loved having to look over all the new blogs and stuff that are out there.  I spend so much time trying to find places to list my own and I keep forgetting to find new ones to follow and read.  I need to do that more.  I just love the idea that the people who are reading my blog are growing.  I gain a few more followers every day!  Thank you to all who follow and read my blog!

Our cats have almost stopped walking with us.  Zippy was coming with us today but got scared home from traffic.  Jetty doesn’t go much anymore but when we get back, he does run out from the driveway to meet us.  He is so cute–he looks like a big lion running down the road!  He has a different colored mane under his chin, if you will, and he is just cute!  And speaking of cats, Annie’s new cat, Dallas, had made itself at home and climbed up and on my shoulder, and now it is hanging out on my lap . Yes we are critter lovers!  Here is Dallas.  Dallas is just a little bitty baby, but is weaned.

One exciting thing that happened today was I have my first Bloglovin follower! Thank you for that!

Now for another exciting part of the day!  Anyone other than me watch Idiotest?  I absolutely love that show!  Some episodes I’m an idiot, others not so much.  I decided this morning that I would tweet to Ben Gleib and tell him how much I loved the show.  And guess what?  He responded and favored my tweet!  Absolutely made my day!  Then just a bit ago Idiotest tweeted to me too and favored my tweet!  Holy smokes! My day really was made!  I was out there retweeting these things and was so wound up I spelled his name wrong and had to retweet it later.  I thought, man, I am truly spelling like an idiot. But I did get to correct it!  Anyway, here is a screenshot of all of it.

Just how awesome is that!!!  Really made my day.  Thank you Ben Gleib and Idiotest!

I better hush for the night.  I have my end of the year paperwork for church to send in.  Y’all have a great night!

–S