A Week in the LIfe

All the activities have started except for dance.  I missed the registration to the studio where the girls were going to take it, but another one came along for us.  Allison and Emily start after Labor Day and Morgan starts in October.  Also, we are trying to find another guitar and drum teacher, so the girls didn't have that this week.  We have been so fortunate not to have any of the schedules clash, except for soccer.  Practice has been changed to Wednesday evenings. I'm not liking that, but it will be over in November.

After Bud painted Emily's room, we had a change of plans and wound up knocking all the drywall out of that room to go in with new.  We are now going to take her room, she's taking Morgan's and Morgan is still taking ours.  The reason we had to go in with new drywall is because we are also taking out the closet in that room to open up the middle bathroom more and didn't want to have new and old drywall in the same room.  It's a good thing too because there was the presense of mold.  Flooding causes all these types of problems, you know.  (something on my washing machine is leaking at the moment too.  Geez)

I guess I don't explain things very well because I've tried explaining this closet before to people and they just don't seem to understand what I mean by saying the closet is BEHIND the tub.  (there's a wall that divides it from the bathroom, people)  Here's a quick pathetic drawing (not to scale, of course):

We will be closing off the opening to the closet in Emily's room and opening that space into the bathroom, scooting the bathtub into it and changing the plumbing to the toilet.   This will be the main bathroom. That's all in a different post, though.

With this being our bedroom in the near future, we are going to close off another bathroom from the hall and opening it to access it from the bedroom.  There is a slab that used to be another kitchen years ago (I have no idea why), and we are going to close it in and add it to the bedroom for a sitting area.  The bedroom is entirely too small for our bedroom furniture, so we will probably only have enough room for our bed.  In the addition, we will have to put our dressers and add a closet. The addition will have to wait a while.  Then again, you never can tell what we are going to do.  Again, another blog.

I just can't seem to get that breather, but as long as it gets done, I'm not too concerned.

Fun week!  More of them for a while, too.

P90X - Day 1 - Complete

Today I did chest/back and the ab ripper x.   

Do we seriously age THAT much in just 2 short years?  When I first bought/tried this program 2 years ago, the first day was a breeze!  Today, HELLO!!  I can't do pushups, but I tried.  I did most everything, but of course, not as much as they did on the tv.  I feel ok with what I did accomplish, though.  My back will be in some pain tomorrow.  I already feel it and it's very uncomfortable.  I did this alone too.  Clayton didn't join in, but at least he didn't laugh at me doing it, either.  Ha!

89 more days to go.  It will only get easier from here, right?

Pre - P90X - Day 1

Isn't it funny how you can anticipate something for so long and when the moment finally arrives you dread it?  That's so how I'm feeling right now. 

Clayton and I just walked briskly for about 20 minutes, so I'm assuming at our pace it was about a mile.  I could have gone longer, but knowing I'm about to start my 90 day program, I came indoors.  It feels so great outside with the cooler winds from the storm in the gulf.  I wouldn't be able to even walk outside without breaking a sweat a few days ago.

I have my before pictures taken and my weight and measurements recorded.  I can't understand this, but I actually weigh 5 lbs less than what I did the last time I weighed myself.  I thought I had gotten bigger.  Honestly, I probably did.  I more than likely loss muscle and gained twice as much fat to make up for it.  Oh well.

Anyway, I'm off.  I feel my body losing its endurance.

Not Again!

Today.  An ordinary, typical day.  Until the end.  We rushed to piano lessons, then from there rushed to a 4-H meeting and came home to Allison stayed home sick and Bud who helped move things out of the laundry room so I could pull up carpet.  It has industrial carpet in that room, which I don't care for at all, but it worked for the time being.  

The other day I noticed the carpet was a bit damp in front of the washing machine.  I figured it was nothing, maybe just a load that didn't sit just right.  I don't know.  I used it again, more water.  I couldn't tell where it was coming from, so I turned the machine off and let it sit yesterday.  The floor continued to get wetter and wetter.  It started stinking.  Bud and I pulled the machine out away from the wall to check the hoses.  Nothing.  We tipped it up.  Nothing.  When we placed it back down, the water made its appearance.  From the bottom right hand side, the water flowed.  ARGH!  

Tonight when I came home, I couldn't stand the smell any longer.  Not to mention my laundry is starting to pile up.  That doesn't happen here.  Remember, laundry is my THANG!  My back was hurting and Bud tried to get me to sit, but I didn't listen.  I wanted to go ahead and just rip up the little bit of carpet and get the smell out of this house.  So, I started at the carport door. I cut a strip, pulled it up, and found NO WAY!!!  Not that paper sack thing again!  Yep!  This time, it's on top of the tile that's under the carpet.  I'm hoping this will be a lot easier than the girls' rooms.  I'm hoping I can just take my heat gun and rip up the tile.  

Really?  I mean, SERIOUSLY?  My house is upside down once more.

I don't have time to do anything right now. 

Lifestyle Change

Two years ago, almost exactly, we were watching tv in a hotel room. It was late so the only thing on was, of course, infomercials. Now, I have been known as THE sucker for all those fabulous products offered while Clayton, on the other hand, looks at them the way he looks at life. Not a pessimist, a realist (as he puts it). Instead of changing the channel or just simply turning the tv off, he was watching and was actually showing a little bit of positivity for it. That product was P90X. I had gotten off the infomercial kick at that time, but watching him getting so interested in it, I decided to order it. Just as I planned, we began our journey toward getting fit. He took what he needed to work while I kept what I needed at home. I'm not sure how long he worked on it, but I remember mine ever so clearly.

The first day was not a big deal at all. The second day I was sore, but no more than expected. The third day, my legs were like cooked noodles and I felt muscles in places I never felt before. By the fourth day, I caved. If I could have walked, I would have pressed on. I couldn't do anything. That's when I gave up. Pathetic, right? What made it so bad was that after I had given up, that's when everyone told me I should have pressed on because the third and fourth day was the worst. They were right. The fifth day, I wasn't even sore...at all. I should have continued.

Our wonderful product I bought on tv that night has now been in the tv stand since.

Last week Bud asked if he could borrow it. Well, I guess I could wait for his 90 days to be up before trying to start it again. Not a problem. After that, I've been seeing the program on a daily basis and it's calling my name. I just may keep it here at home and let him have it after my 90 days is over. That's what I'm thinking will happen.

I've been thin my entire life up until about 5 years ago. I'm not obese, but I'm not where I want to be either. I realize I'm getting older and with the extra weight on me, I look older. Older than I feel I should look. I did lose 23 lbs the beginning of this year,but gained back 10 of those lbs since. Luckily, I haven't gained the entire shebang, but I was on such a role that I gave up that plan because I thought I was a lot thinner than I actually was. Pictures proved otherwise.

Sooooo, here's the game plan. After Clayton returns home, I'm forcing him to do this with me. He's a very stubborn man when it comes to areas he knows he needs to change, so when he starts working out, he goes full force and over works himself thinking he can do what he did when he was in the Marines. Ha! Even if we were both in shape, I assure you, we can't do what we did when we were 19. I don't care what those infomercials will promise me.

I'm going to blog about my P90X. Every single pain infused day. Starting Sunday. I'd love to start Thursday since it's the first of the month, but Clayton and I are going out Saturday on a murder mystery dinner cruise. If I start Thursday, Saturday would be that horrific third day. No, I'm not already making excuses. I promise.

I will not be providing comic relief for you all by including pictures. That just wouldn't be fun for me at all.

Wish us luck!

Just Can't Help Myself

Ok, so not ALL home projects will be on hold for a while.  I can't help it.  I have to finish the girls' rooms before I can take that breather. 

I've been searching high and low for bedding and accessories for both Allison and Emily's bedrooms.  The turquoise for Em's room is driving me batty.  Everything is either too blue or too green.  I don't particulary like shopping online for items like this since the colors you see depends on the calibration of the monitor you are using.  I found something though, that makes me not even care if it's the right torquoise or not.  I may just find things based on that item alone.  Here is what I found:

Isn't she a beaut?  That's not even all.  I found this at Tonic Living and they also have this design in fabric!!  Oh yeah!  So, for 25.00 for the pillow and 9.95 per yard of fabric, I'm opting out of buying the pillow.  I have PLEEENNNTTTY of fillers here at home, too, so I won't have to worry about that.

I'm seriously drooling, folks.

Tsk Tsk Shame Shame

Michelle Obama accused of spending $10m in public money on vacations | View Original

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By Tamara Abraham
Last updated at 8:28 PM on 24th August 2011
The Obamas' summer break on Martha's Vineyard has already been branded a PR disaster after the couple arrived four hours apart on separate government jets.
But according to new reports, this is the least of their extravagances.
White House sources today claimed that the First Lady has spent $10million of U.S. taxpayers' money on vacations alone in the past year.

Expensive taste: Michelle Obama, pictured yesterday in Massachusetts, has been accused of spending $10m of public money on vacationsBranding her 'disgusting' and 'a vacation junkie', they say the 47-year-old mother-of-two has been indulging in five-star hotels, where she splashes out on expensive massages and alcohol.More...The 'top source' told the National Enquirer: 'It's disgusting. Michelle is taking advantage of her privileged position while the most hardworking Americans can barely afford a week or two off work.'When it's all added up, she's spent more than $10million in taxpayers' money on her vacations.'His and her jets: The President and his wife, who are spending nine days on Martha's Vineyard, have come under fire for travelling on separate plane

The First Lady is believed to have taken 42 days of holiday in the past year, including a $375,000 break in Spain and a four-day ski trip to Vail, Colorado, where she spent $2,000 a night on a suite at the Sebastian hotel.And the first family's nine-day stay in Martha's Vineyard is also proving costly, with rental of the Blue Heron Farm property alone costing an estimated $50,000 a week.The source continued: 'Michelle also enjoys drinking expensive booze during her trips. She favours martinis with top-shelf vodka and has a taste for rich sparking wines.'The vacations are totally Michelle's idea. She's like a junkie. She can't schedule enough getaways, and she lives from one to the next - all the while sticking it to hardworking Americans.'Travelling in style: Mrs Obama during her $375,000 trip to Spain last yea

High security: Bodyguards surround the First Lady and youngest daughter Sasha as they take a stroll on the Costa del Sol
While the President and his wife do pay for some of their personal expenses from their own pocket, the website whitehousedossier.com says that the amount paid by the couple is 'dwarfed by the overall cost to the public'.The magazine also reported that Mrs Obama, whose fashion choices are widely followed, had been going on 'wild shopping sprees', much to the distress of her husband, who, its sources reveal, is 'absolutely furious' at his wife's 'out-of-control spending'.The President has already come under fire this week over his decision to take a family vacation while millions of Americans are out of work and countless more are financially strapped.Luxury break: The President and his family, pictured in December, splashed out more than $1.5million on a Christmas holiday in Hawai
GIRLS' TRIP TO SPAIN: AUGUST 2010
The exact cost is unclear as Mrs Obama and her 40 friends footed many personal expenses, such as hotels and meals themselves.But the U.S. taxpayer would have paid for the First Lady's 68-strong security detail, personal staff, and use of presidential jet Air Force Two.Per diems for the secret service team runs at around $281 each - nearly $98,000 for the length of the summer break.
Use of Air Force Two, the Air Force version of a 757, comes in at $149,900 for the round trip. This does not include time on the ground.
Mrs Obama's personal staff, of which there are an unknown amount and might cost considerably more per day, should also be taken into account.
CHRISTMAS BREAK IN HAWAII: DECEMBER 2010
According to the Hawaii Reporter, the bill for the $1.5m trip included:

• $63,000 on an early flight bringing Mrs Obama and the children to Hawaii ahead of the President.
• $1,000,000 on Mr Obama’s return trip from Washington on Air Force One.
• $38,000 for the ‘Winter White House’ beach property rental.
• $16,000 to rent nearby homes for Secret Service and Navy Seals.
• $134,000 for 24 White House staff to stay at the Moana Hotel.
• $251,000 in police overtime.
• $10,000 for an ambulance to be on hand at all times
  SKI TRIP TO VAIL: FEBRUARY 2011
  Mrs Obama and her daughters stayed at the Sebastian hotel on Vail Mountain, where rooms cost more than $2,400 for multi-bedroom suites.The family appear to have flown there on Air Force Two.They were escorted to the resort by a motorcade of about a dozen vehicles, including 15 state and local law enforcement officersSUMMER HOLIDAY ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD: AUGUST 2011
  The Blue Heron Farm estate, where the Obama family are currently staying, rents for about $50,000 a week.According to U.S. News and World Report, the Coast Guard is required to keep ships floating near the property, the presidential helicopter and jet remain at the ready and security agents will be on 24-hour duty.