marytng | Recent Entries

I called American Express this morning and while talking with them I was also processing change orders for work. It occurred to me that I almost never do just one thing at a time anymore. Does multitasking help with productivity? Absolutely, but it also can keep one from thoroughly enjoying a movie or a conversation with a friend.

Watching anything (tv, movie, YouTube) is nearly always done while crocheting. Sewing is done with streaming Days of Our Lives. And on and on.

Life is short, so that's a plus for multitasking, but singularly enjoying a task has it's benefits. I'm going to try and working singularly every once in awhile.

For some reason this year's Comic-Con was more exhausting than previous years. I didn't even go on Friday because my body just couldn't take it. I'm out of shape, but I was out of shape last year, too.

Yvonne's panel, Deaf Representation in Pop Culture, went really well. It didn't go according to her script, so she was a little frustrated, but the panelists and the audience loved it. Hopefully next year will be even bigger and better.

Tomorrow is the big 6-0. I've been having trouble getting older lately, but that can wait for another blog. Just happy that I'll be spending it with people I love, including the Ugly Child who is coming down this weekend for an unrelated reason, but will arrive on my birthday. He's grown up so much in the last year or so. Shal is good for him and he's so happy to be a dad. February can't come soon enough!

Man, it's been 5 years since I've posted anything here. I've added a shortcut to my desktop in hopes of remembering to come over here and post once in awhile. Not sure what I'll say, but as I get older I feel more like sharing what's going on in my head. Maybe this will be the place.

So glad I'm sticking with TOPS. I haven't been as successful as I want, but without it I can't even imagine how bid I would have gotten. Every week someone from the chapter does a program. TOPS themselves create programs that we can get off their site or we can find something we want to present ourselves. It can be about food, nutrition, exercise, inspiration, motivation, etc., but it has to be from a reputable place and helpful in our weigh loss journey. No fad of the month or random article about this "breakthrough" or the other, stuff like that. Yvonne has taken to leading an AA type program once a month. The members really like it. She reminds everyone that when someone is sharing they are not to be interrupted and that when people share we are not to reply with our solution to their issue. It's just a time to vent and be honest with ourselves and each other. It works.

TOPS is good about recognizing success and trying to keep people motivated and inspired. One of the ways they do this is through Recognition Days. Generally it's a two day mini convention. They recognize yearly weight loss (based on weight divisions) at the area and/or state level and then Internationally (it's pretty big in Canada and does have some overseas chapters). In three weeks we are going to SCRD (Southern California Recognition Days) and our Regional Director has asked me to be on a panel for a session. The session will include someone who has reached and maintained their goal weight for a long period of time, a member who has belonged for a very long time, but only recently has had some measure of success and me, who has reach and maintained goal for almost 5 years and then backslid and is having some success again (finally!). I hope the session helps people. I hope it helps me.

On Sunday we had an early family Easter picnic. Honestly, I don't care if we ever do things like that, but it's important for Yvonne and she did all the work. I think it's past time for the next generation to be planning and organizing these things. I'm an old lady and should just have to show up to these things now. My brother James was suffering from a tummy ache and slept the whole time while his wife nagged him (about him not letting her take him to the hospital and other things). He finally went to the hospital late Sunday night and was admitted. Inflamed colon or something. Not sure because I haven't talked to him yet. They thought they might have to operate, but ended up sending him home and telling him to come back if the issue stays constant.

Speaking of operations, I still haven't heard back from Kaiser about getting my gallbladder removed. I've gotten the okay and I'm not sure when I can carve out time for it, but I do want to get it over with before I have another attack.

Had a mammogram yesterday. No issues, just a regularly scheduled thing. Thursday I go to the podiatrist about my foot and oh, my, gosh I never thought I'd be one of those old ladies who was constantly talking about her aches and pains. That was the main reason I lost weigh way back when and that's why I have to lose it again.

I mean to post here more, but it's not happening yet. Eventually. Super frustrated that I let James keep his dog! Argh! The cats and I are now relegated to my room. Food, water and litter box have all moved in. Nala, like most dogs, thinks shit is food, including shit in the litter box. And for some reason about half her accidents happened in my room. Nope, done with that. Once she gets better control of her bodily functions the cats and I might be able to freely roam the house again.

Good news, though, James got a job and actually went to it two days in a row (after calling out his very first day). He was in court today to finish up his DUI stuff. Yah, that's not on FB. Check one off his very long list of things to clean up. He and the dog plan on staying another 2 years in my house. I think I might move out before then. We shall see.

Trying to keep myself focused on food. I did just eat 5 rolled tacos (potato, no meat!) with all the fixings, but I'll have a reasonable dinner and get on the treadmill later. Going to crochet all evening, so that will keep my fingers out of food.

Jeez, just realized what time it is. I better go do some work before heading home. Hugs!!

Weighed in at TOPS last night after missing a week. Had gone up to Anaheim from Wednesday until Monday (a day longer than expected) for Wonder Con and of course some Disneylanding. Only gained one pound. Yvonne managed to come in with a .4 loss, but she was also pooping her brains out from Monday afternoon all through Tuesday. :)

We had our yearly awards last night and a pot luck. People managed to bring some reasonably healthy options (no, not always our norm), so this morning I work up weighing a little less than I was yesterday morning. I'm so close to being out of the 220's. That's motivation to have a really good week. Luckily we have nothing food related planned except for having some family over for dinner on Saturday, but it'll be a normal dinner thing.

I'm super stressed with having Nala in the house (something I will not admit to on social media, because I don't want it getting back to James). I like dogs, I do, but I don't like living with them, especially with puppies who prefer my room for "accidents". They aren't really accidents, she just doesn't have complete control of things yet. She goes out and does her business, but can't hold it long and James is not taking her out once every half hour like he should. Anyway, she's adorable, but I want them both to move our ASAP.

Work is good. I love having a job I don't dread coming to. This morning my fellow reclassification work mates and I are meeting with our Union President to make sure she knows what we expect from the union as far as pay grade for negotiations. Our reclass is approved and the pay grade we want has been clearly defined by our supervisor, but I imagine the district will try to get away with as little as they can. I'm also hoping we can get a better idea of the time frame involved in all this. They are creating a new job description, they tell us it can take "awhile". I hope they mean a month or so and not much longer. The reclass will be minimally retroactive to July 1, 2018, which means back pay, and another automatic pay step increase on July 1, 2019. I could use that money right this very minute. Carrying Yvonne for over 6 months has made my finances quite caca.

Current Mood: bouncy

I come here every day, but I haven't posted since January 2012. I spend all my time over at Facebook, but it occurs to me that there are things I don't/can't say there that I can probably say here. Not promising anything, but I think I'll try to post here at least once a week. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

‎2012’s theme is going to be More.

Does anyone really make New Year’s resolutions? I don’t think I ever did. But for New Year’s Eve 2009 I remember thinking the year’s theme was going to be adventure. I went to Korea and Galveston (on practically a whim, unheard of for me) and made KOPS. Very adventurous, for me.

2010 didn’t have a theme, but a theme was thrust upon it. Change. Lots of change. ...A job, finally, in May. And then kablooey. More change, more stress, more sadness than I ever could have imagined. The only bright spot I remember is getting the job offer in December from the school district. New Year’s Eve 2011 I was thinking about the new job and how fractured the Christmas season had been. No theme was the theme for 2011 and that’s how the year worked out.

Things happened in 2011. Dramatic things, sad things and I’m sure some happy things, but none come to mind right now. Looking back I see that 2011 was a year spent hiding and scared. Hiding from sad things. Holding tight to things I didn’t want to lose. So much of 2010 was about loss, but 2011 I just sat in a corner refusing to move, refusing to let go. I didn’t want to lose anything or anyone else. And maybe I didn’t lose anything, but I didn’t gain anything either. I didn’t change, didn’t improve, didn’t contribute to the people or the world around me. In truth I was stagnant in 2011.
2012 has to be different. I want MORE.

Some of the more should be easy. I want to live more, love more, hug more. Care more, share more, give more, help more. I really want to learn more and teach more. Some of the more will be a little harder. I want to save more, pray more, run more, ride more and inspire more. Some of the more might verge on impossible, but I’m going to try. I want to witness more, listen more, and most of all I want to forgive more. More. I want more.

Here's what I did today.

07:15 Going with Y to watch James and some of his friends play paintball. Disappointed so many backed out. I'm sure they'll have fun anyway. #
10:15 Out here in Alpine it's so nice and cool and crisp. #
11:01 The boys are going to have so much fun! I'm going shopping. Parents, call Y if you need anything. I have all their phones.
- Mary #
12:52 I like buying L tops instead of XL. These ta-tas will never see M. #
14:20 The boys are heading out for their last paintball session. #
16:35 That is so pretty. @spaltor twitpic.com/k9eqq - Wow. #
19:27 Watching Ghost Whisperer from Friday, since the Chargers are sucking so bad. #