Saturday, January 31

Super Bowl Sunday...and other stuff.

Gary and I just finished meeting with a web site designer who is helping us do a web site for the Movie Theatre...it won't be terribly fancy,but it will allow you to find out what is playing and when. We really liked Fred the designer.He is a local guy who started to design web sites as his retirement job....he plans on retiring to Hawaii...I could only wish. Anyway the website should look great when we are done with it. (I am so glad Gary was at the meeting with me...I have no clue about this stuff and he knows so much,which was great.He could communicate smartly with Fred).
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY
It won't be the same without Nelson. We are having the family over to watch...we are serious watchers....oh yah.,we are Tivoing it so we can go back and see the plays and commercials. But what to eat.....I found a recipe on A Bountiful Kitchen.blogspot.com (this blog is written by Si...she is an excellent cook). The recipe is for 'Hot Wing Dip'. Gary says make it,I personally don't really like hot wings, but the boys do. So there is one menu item. I think the food is half of the fun for Super Bowl.
I that the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Arizona Cardinals are playing and that the Cards are the underdog, who has never won a Super Bowl. Go Cards....we want Kurt Warner to win over Ben Rothelsberger....If you have never heard Kurt Warner's story,you should check it out, it should be made into a movie. (I Know Jordan isn't to fond of Kurt, but hey,he did win a Super Bowl for St. Louis...Jordan)
Back to the food.....I will probably go with the traditional, chips and dip and veggies and dip for us dieters. Maybe some BBQ beef sandwiches........
Off to the store to see what strikes my mood.....oh, Gary's coming with me, that means we could be eating almost anything.
MCC

Friday, January 30

How much stuff can I have?

Friday--Well another week down, also the first month of 2009...wow, how fast.
This weeks report...
Family - We all are healthy and happy...Nelson reports that things are great but that he is hot, hot, hot, which means he is sweaty...yuck. (He tells me that it is like Utah in August but very humid...I know I would be miserable).
House .....still digging out the mess...storage room and closets are never ending!!!! Gary is set up in his office but the loft mess still remains...he promised that he would work on it everyday for an hour or two...so far he has given it an hour on Tuesday night.....oh well. The Attic storage room is a black hole...I keep pulling out stuff I had forgotten about or didn't even know I had....lots and lots of fabric. Do I still sew or even want to? I have enough large fabric scraps to make lots of doll clothes or fancy/weird little kid clothing....it could be interesting. I also have a lot of really dated 90's looking fabric....maybe 90's retro will be the new trend. After shopping the other day I said I guess I needed to sew again...
Other questions from the attic storage room.....how much ribbon can one person have? I have ribbon I have forgotten about, ribbon I thought I had run out of, and ribbon I didn't know I even wanted. And then there is the wrapping paper.....
Why do I feel the need to decorate for every holiday? Yes, I like decorating for the holidays, but storage is killing me. I promise, I get rid of holiday decorations every year..and I don't even try to replace them...but....
How many half finished craft projects can one person have? I have to many projects...most of them from RS homemaking day...and we haven't had one of those for years. I suppose that if I didn't finish the project then it wasn't really important to me...so off the the garbage they go.
What is all the other stuff in the closet? Wires, cords, old computers.....all junk that I need to figure out how to dispose of....
Is there a light at the end of the storage room? These and other burning questions will have to wait...I am off on a new project...the closets will have to wait.
MCC

Wednesday, January 28

Wednesday Weigh-in

Okay, so my scales can move and thank heaven the direction was down! I am down 4 lbs. this week. I have taken my own advice and I am trying to eat less and exercise more/harder...it must be working. Little steps each week.
We have noticed a big change in the eating habits of our family in the past two months.....since Jordan and Nelson left home. I have cut back on the milk, bread and nacho chips, but I didn't realize that I needed to also cut back on the cheese, peanut butter and other snacks. Apparently Jordan and Nelson ate nachos with cheese, drank all the milk, and were snackers. The four of us are eating totally different now that they are gone. We eat more fresh fruit, and drink more juices, water etc....no soda. Our dinner meals are smaller...I think I was taking 4 person recipes and doubling them so we always had tons of food to eat, and we all ate it. Now I make servings for four and we have no or minimal left overs. And if I make to much I have been freezing to eat at another time. With no snack food around we don't seem to be snacking after dinner either, which is a big help with the weight loss.
I also have found a way to help me through the mid afternoon snack attack...I have been drinking more water, flavored with crystal light. I also have been eating an apple or a special k bar. This seems to slow down the need to find something to eat.
On to a new week. What to incorporate this week?
I have been reading about boredom eaters....people who never know if they are full or hungry, they just eat because they are bored. I think that this is me...I have never known when I was full or hungry...I just eat. I have noticed that if I am busy I don't eat. So yes, I am a thoughtless, bored eater. The mid afternoons are when I am usually finished with my projects so I am bored and...I eat.
This week I will try to keep busy and I will think when I eat and understand when I am full and hungry....this should be a great challenge, after all I have been eating like this since.....forever.
MCC

Tuesday, January 27

Junk!

I keep moving junk from one room to another......When will I ever be done?
It all started with Hayden moving his whole bedroom into the living room last Tuesday. I had asked him to clean it up and remove all the junk he didn't want so that I could eventually remove it all, touch up and re-paint and put in a queen sized bed. Well he decided that Tuesday was the day...(he was out of school with nothing to do). He had the whole thing cleaned out with no place to sleep at 4:00 PM, so it was off to find a bed frame and get more white paint. Luckily we found both, completed the painting and by 10:00 PM he was back in his room, new bed and all. But that is not the end with this moving stuff. We now are moving Gary's office to its new location...meaning...the attic storage room is a wreck...(it was already a mess and needed some cleaning, but It wasn't on my plan yet). Gary and Hayden had to go into the attic to run cables and wires for the new office....what a mess. Now the attic, and old office space are in shambles, The other location that is suffering from all of this moving is the basement. It has become the catch all for all the stuff we think we need to keep, but don't know where to put it....I told Hayden when he was cleaning up his stuff that if he even hesitated with --should I keep it or throw it out, that it should go. I am not as good as He was, I hesitate and keep, with no new home for it.....not good. All my closets are full, my storage rooms look like they have been shuffled through one to many times, and as for the garage....well all Gary has ever asked of me is to be able to get the cars into the garage everyday...he says that a garage is like pierced ears, if you don't keep a car/earrings in, eventually they fill up/grow in.
So I'm off to discover new locations for the same old junk....maybe in a week or two I'll be sick and tired of moving it over and over and finally get rid of it......let's hope so!
MCC

Thursday, January 22

Smoggy with a chance of chunky air

Did you know that "Smog" is a weather condition? I knew about rain, snow, sunny and the whole lot, but didn't realize that "Smog" was a form of weather until I watched the weather report the other night.
January in Utah is interesting....we have what is called inversion, the valley temperature is cold and warm air comes over the mountains and traps the cold air in the valley and not only traps the cold air but all the bad crap that lives in the air ....the air in the valley gets smoggy,and chunky, it is ugly gray brown and unbreathable. If you leave the valley and go up or over the mountain you will find beautiful clear crisp air, Utah blue sky and warmer temperatures.
So today is smoggy with a chance of rain......and like with all weather conditions there are sicknesses that can go along with them......I haven't caught a winter cold but have caught the smoggy cough. I cough with nothing to show for it. I hack a dry bone rattle.
Oh how I wish the smog would go and my cough with it.
The inversion smog also brings on a winter depression....everything is gray and cold. We get stuck inside with nothing to do...I am restless and coughing.... bad combo. I guess that explains my need to paint...I am looking for change.
Where oh where is my beautiful Utah winter sky? Please weather people change the weather to something other than "Smog with a chance of chunky air."
MCC

Tuesday, January 20

Weighing in

Why has my weight stayed the same for 10 days?
Is my scale broken?
I weigh my self every morning...I have done so since my Grandpa Butters told me that he weighed himself every day. Grandpa weighed himself so he would know how to eat for the day.
I think I weigh everyday so I can drive myself crazy.
I have this routine, I weigh and chart my weight. I have created a graph showing my ups and downs. I have kept this type of chart for several years. I can tell you my weight for March 31, 2004.... why do I still care?
Most diets tell you to only weigh once a week. Probably so you don't become a crazy when your weight goes up or stays the same, day after day.
So Why, why do I weigh? I don't use my daily weigh in to help with my behavior, I still eat the same, exercise the same....AH HA! I keep doing the same things, so I will get the same results... AH HA! I need to make changes. Maybe the first thing I should do is be more like Grandpa and use this information to gage how I will eat for the day....It is worth the try.
Day one, eat less and maybe the scales will show a drop. (Like that is a novel idea).
Nelson has reported a 40 lb. weight loss since he left on his mission...he told us that 10 of it was probably his gain from the MTC... but even if it is only 30 lbs., 30 lbs. in 2 months, WOW, that is incredible. I asked what he was doing different...eating less-- he has little money for food and is discovering that you 'eat to live not live to eat'. exercising more --he is biking 10 miles a day, and sweating ....and boy does he sweat.
No new ideas just new circumstances and life style...where do I sign up?
I won't give up but I will eat less.
MCC

Monday, January 19

Credit where credit is due

Okay,okay....so Megan and I weren't the only ones painting this time, Hayden helped a little on Saturday, Nelson helped last winter with it....still just a little, and I can't forget that Jordan and Gary have participated in the painting in years.....many,many years past.
So I give them all credit. Credit for helping out. If I don't give them some credit I will never hear the end of it.
In the end we all want a little recognition.....someone to give us our due. If we don't get credit we may never help out again....
So to anyone, and everyone......Thank You, Thanks for helping me out, thank you for caring, thank you for _______________....it truly is appreciated even if I don't tell you so right away.
Remember I am so far behind I thought that I must be the leader....yeah, I'm in first place, or maybe I really am in the back of the pack.....what ever, I think I'll start all over again.
MCC

Saturday, January 17

Painting

It must be mid January....I'm painting.....again....and I'm not painting artistic hang on the wall paintings either.
I didn't realize that this is when I paint until Megan said that she has spent several winter holidays painting. Thinking back I have usually begun my painting in January or February...I'll pick a room or two that needs to be painted or is ready for a change, (must be the mid winter blues) and then begin the painting process...and yes it is a process.
It's not like I can just paint the walls white....now there is nothing wrong with white, but I love color, bold, and bright, and the emotional change color brings to any space. Remember I have bright yellow, red, purple, and various greens currently painted in the house so white is not an option here.
Back to the process...picking the color...everyone who lives here thinks that they have a choice in the matter and share their opinions freely (remember it took years to finally paint my bedroom). Next in the process is the worst part, the preparation... cleaning the walls, taping, and draping. For some reason no one wants to help with this step. All opinions and helping hands disappear....except for Megan, she will grudgingly help out because of the guilt that I heap on her...I am so glad that she caves. Finally I (and some times I get others to join in if I do enough arm twisting...usually Megan), get to apply the color...up and down, roll and brush, applying two or more coats of paint, and then I hold my breath hoping that it might slightly resemble the color selected....and ...yes we have a winner.
Now for the next layer of decorating....(my room is still lacking this step).
This year the winners in the painting lottery are are Gary's new office space (Nelson's old room), the blue portions of Hayden's room, and if I can stand the mess and I still have the energy the Loft and the basement family/game room. The only space that really NEEDS the painting is the loft...it is still white from the original painting done 14 years ago. As for the other rooms, the basement was the first room to get a color make over but that was almost 10 years ago, the wall's in the new office/old bedroom are worse for wear so why not some new color to go along with a new purpose, Hayden's room is getting a mini make over in the room changing process so out with the blue paint...blue paint that was a disaster from day one.
So far the only color that has been selected is the tan paint for the office. Gary and I selected (and did it quite quickly) 'Pismo Dunes', the closet is getting a new coat of white paint and also the trim. Hayden thinks he is keeping the 'orange' wall in his room, but wants the blue one gone...more orange? I will need new bedding for a different sized bed so more orange is a possibility. As for the loft and basement colors...the dreaming has begun. With the changes to theses rooms other things will have to be done...carpet, furniture, etc... so it will be a long process and may not be completed until 2010...it all depends on the stress, mess, how much energy and money we have.
Off to paint some more!
MCC

Wednesday, January 14

To Surf or Not To Surf

Did you know that you could spend all day long reading blogs, googling stuff, checking facebook, following links, and finding useless stuff to buy?
I was lured back to my computer this afternoon because I had some unfinished movie business. Not a good! Once back at the computer I loose all track of time and forget that I have other things to do. I get into this zone....I can't stop!
I have had to limit myself to checking my e-mail quickly once a day, and to not spending more than about an hour surfing the net....I love that term...surfing the net, and I love to surf the net.
It was really easy to limit myself when my computer was sick and not working, however Gary fixed the computer and now it beckons me to 'come and sit, surf, do nothing that needs to be done.'
If only I had the will power.
This morning I heard that high speed Internet commercial about how now they have work speed Internet at home they are better at their jobs...well I thought to myself---How lucky would I be if I could be at 'work', surfing the net all day long..........
As a SAHM my work doesn't require computer face time, only broom face time, and laundry face time.... I have made deals with myself in the past to use the computer.during the day....'if i get my laundry folded then I can look up creative dinner ideas on the Internet.' The problem is I look up more than the dinner ideas and usually find myself scrambling at 5:00 to come up with anything for dinner let alone a creative dinner....I get side tracked looking at all my favorite blogs, especially the wedding and stationary blogs....they are so creative and pretty.
It is now time to figure out dinner... will it be creative, should I or should I not surf the net?
MCC

Tuesday, January 13

Diet Report

I wish I didn't have to think about dieting...that it all came naturally....alas that is not my gift.
I went to the Doctors today, he is helping me with my diet...I have other problems besides eating to much food, and doing to little activity; anyway I am down 12 pounds in a month...mostly water weight, but hey 12 lbs. is a reasonable healthy weight loss. He tells me to keep doing what I am doing, only do it better?!?!?!
I have been much better in thinking about the food I ingest....I still have my biggest failures after 5:00PM....I will eat anything on hand.
The other day I was analyzing when I eat....all the time...I eat whether or not I am hungry. Currently I can feel a lump of something in my stomach area....but I could still eat. The feeling isn't a full I've eaten a big meal feeling it is more of my stomach seems to ache a bit so maybe food would help.
...and what do I eat?
I eat what is available. I don't have particular cravings....except for the feel of diet coke carbonation in my mouth and going down my throat. I decided to cut the soda for now so that is probably the why. I also know that I like strong flavors of food. The other night Gary and I went out to eat at Market Street, they are currently doing a big Crab event. It was okay... the stuff you put with Crab isn't strong flavored so after a while it all tasted a little bland to me...The doctor says my taste is being affected by not drinking enough water....I don't like the taste of water, and yes it all has a taste to me. I know, drink more water!
Part of losing weight is knowing your body, how it feels and functions, and knowing your current eating and exercising habits so you can make and feel changes. I will keep working on it.
The good news besides the weight loss is that I am exercising more and actually liking it...maybe at some point I will want to exercise...not just enjoy it following my workout.
Off to figure out what's for dinner....and try to keep my mouth from consuming needless junk the rest of the day.
MCC

Friday, January 9

Look for the Good News

As I listen to Pres. elect Barack Obahma tell us about his economic stimulus plan all I can think of is the song form Annie the musical..We're getting a new deal for Christmas.....his plan sounds just like a repeat of FDR's New Deal....It worked once before I guess it could work again. To hear the news shows this morning you would think that the sweetheart of the presidential campaign was an idiot to even suggest such a thing. The news media is so interesting....they claim that they are not liberal and not biased and don't editorialize, but I beg to differ. The media feels it is necessary to impose the negativity they find in the world into all of our lives...where is the good news, the human interest stories? We know that they exist.
Author and humorist, Andy Andrews has gone a 'news fast' and suggested that we all do the same...why, the news just makes us mad, is over editorialized and it is usually inaccurate. I agree...however for about a month now I still read the news paper and listen to the morning news programs, but I am doing it with a an attitude of it is just someones opinion. Andy says that if the news is really important someone will call you. That too is true.
The reason I still listen to and read the news is mainly for the feature stories....you know the human interest stuff. The features are where you find the real news. Features report on real things and people. The features tell us that for the most part we are all just getting along, doing our best, hoping for the best.
When I think of news and bad times I am reminded of a story I heard years ago about a man who picked up a paper at at cafe and read the bad news,the gloom and doom of the economy. He thought his world was doomed and passed on his attitude by not buy his regular purchase from the grocer. He explained to the grocer that the economy was bad and so he couldn't make the purchase. The grocer responded by letting and employee go so as not to be caught in bad way by the economic doom. The employee was then forced to move out of his home because he couldn't afford the rent.....it goes on and on.....but the bottom line is that the news paper the first man read was an old paper reporting on the times during the Great Depression. He let the news paper change his thinking and behavior.
How we respond to the news is want makes the difference in our lives....if it takes a complete news fast like Andy Andrews then do it, but don't get caught up in it all. We need to make our decisions based on what is best for us not on what the news is telling us to do.
At the Call home we have cut back a bit in these economic challenged times, but I think it is more due to sending two family members away. Gary and I read the paper every morning while listening to the news shows.....We laugh at the inaccuracies, the pet stories, and the non editorial editorials. However we read to each other the stories we find to be interesting, stories about rising above, of hope, making a difference or bucking the system.
We need to make good informed good choices. Don't let your choices be made by the likes of Matt Lauer or USA Today.
At our home we have decided that the news is just the news, but the news we really need to be paying attention to and doing something with is the news in the April and November Ensign......
MCC

Thursday, January 8

Ahh Dieting!?!?!?

It is a love hate thing...I am happier when I am thinner and losing weight....but I hate the constant thinking about what I am or want to eat.
I have had a weight issue for ever! Why can't we all be at a perfect helthy weight? My grandma Butters says that when she created her worlds allmen willhave hair and never go bald, and all women will have the same size perfect breast. With that thinking, in my world no one will have to worry about weight.
I have gone on every sensible diet, and even a few not sensible ones. I have lost weight on all of the diets I have followed......in the beginning. Now I don't know if my body really stops losing weight or if I stop following the diet as perfectly...but whatever it is I think that there is more to dieting and losing weight than eating less...and yes I know about exercise....I am talking beyond those two elements. I know if I could figure out why after a few weeks my body seems to halt and seem to give up and flip that switch, I would win the dieting game.....and I know that, that thing switch is different for everyone.
So for now I will eat healthy and exercise and try to do it anew everyday...maybe that is the key. Start over every day...... good idea. Now how to get past 4:00pm and arghhh....that is the time my bad eating habits kick in and I am sunk until bedtime.......
So maybe I have won the dieting war until 4:00pm.
Today's dieting goal is to make it to 5:00pm before I fall apart.
Diet...it is a four letter word.
MCC

Wednesday, January 7

A Clean...Blank Slate

A New Year is a clean slate, a chance to begin again.....well not really.
But I am glad that New Years comes right after the holidays. January is the a time to get back on board and do all the stuff you planned to do, and were doing prior to Thanksgiving. I know that most people begin their exercise and diets anew at the New Year....I guess diet is easiest. I personally want to get rid of all the crap that we ate, or didn't eat, and the junk that was given to us in that past two months. My only wish is once the food is gone that I could find a good menu to cook. I do really well with the food until 3:00PM everyday, and then I have to think about dinner and what healthy meal I need to make for my family.....yikes! For some reason the only things I can think of to make are the old un-healthy meals.....thus the overweight family.
The exercise part is easier to do now that I have an exercise buddy.... If you cancel out you feel dumb. Meg and I go to the rec center gym 3 days a week and do cardio on the machines, the other two days we do wii fit, weight training etc. Having a person you are accountable to makes a whole lot of difference.
Now the rest of my life is at a stand still....the only plans I had before Christmas were Wedding and Mission. So what to do now? I have a whole house and a family members I want to work on. As for myself.....I am a blank slate waiting for the plan for me to begin.
MCC

Saturday, January 3

Let it Snow vs.Winter Schminter


One of the reasons I love living in Utah is the weather. I love the four seasons. I love the re-birth of spring in May. I love warm summer days. I love fall…it is my favorite season for weather, temperature and the beauty of nature. I love fresh fallen snow. However, I hate to shovel snow, I hate to drive in snow, I don’t like to be cold, but it is better than to hot, and I hate ugly March Snow.
The shoveling of snow and driving in snow is the only reason I ever consider moving to a warmer climate, and it is because of snow that any area north of my current residence will never be considered a place of home. I heard Dustin Hoffman say that the weather in Minnesota isn’t cold, it is mean. Amen. I have been in those extremely cold locations and the snow on the streets doesn’t melt all winter it just goes icy and like saw dust. Further north winter is cold to the bone, winter is six months long and the snow is on the roads until the spring thaw, and then they have floods…..that could be worse.
I guess the Utah Snow isn’t so bad after all. When the storms pass the sky turns a beautiful bright blue, and the sun makes the snow sparkle….I love Utah fresh fallen snow sunny days! The snow in Utah is special too, it reminds me of down feathers, it is powdery…the greatest snow on earth. I guess the shoveling isn’t so bad either when you have a snow blower and a loving husband and sons who will dig you out when they are around. I have to shovel sometimes myself, but that is okay. As for driving in the snow…I try not to. I usually use the snow as an excuse to stay home and bundle up. I guess will just have to keep reminding myself that the features and benefits of Utah snow outweigh the bad side of snow any day.
Ah winter schminter…let it snow!

MCC