The weekend totally flew by. There just isn't enough time in 2 days to do everything that needs to be done. However, I did find time to play, even though I have a final exam on Tuesday that I should be studying for, and a very hectic 6 days coming up.

This weekend I....volunteered to be the official photographer at the local 5k event and got up at 6 am to carry out my duties. I spent my entire morning standing in the sun taking pictures of people running, then rushed home and published aforementioned pictures on the website. I made a mandatory trip to get the oil changed in my car, and took a leisurely stroll around the mall shopping and sipping a Starbucks drink, I warn you - shaken iced tea lemonade (black tea, unsweetened) - is addictive! I spent Saturday evening making a Coconut Cream Pie using a Cool Whip recipe, which I substituted mostly sugar-free, and fat-free ingredients (except for the coconut) to make it Weight Watchers friendly! Yum! I ate it while watching the movie Fireproof, which was fabulous and made me shed quite a few tears. Sunday was all about relaxing in the morning, and then a mid-afternoon lake trip which caused the burning of my forehead, which just adds a little color to my face....right? I rushed home after the lake to shower and go do a radio interview to promote our local 4th of July event, which I am helping organize. I left the radio station and rushed to Wal-Mart to buy groceries to pack my dinner all week, yes you read that right, not lunch....but dinner. I went home to get ready for work today, and lay on the couch...but nope. I had telephone calls coming in, things I was requested to do, and to top it all off - something I ate made me very sick and had me running back and forth to the bathroom most of the night. Yuck! TMI - I know.

Today is the only "down time" I'm going to get this week, and I'm at work. I have to leave here early for a doctor's appointment. Then it's hope to ignore the phone, take a bubble bath and watch TiVo'ed shows. Tomorrow I'm working 1/2 a day, going to watch a friend defend her dissertation (Congratulations M!), and taking my final at 3:30. Then rushing home to work the 4th of July event from 5 - midnight. Then Wednesday, I'm getting up early, coming to work for 1/2 a day, going to another doctor's appointment, and rushing home again to work the 4th of July event from 5 - midnight. I'm off Thursday through Sunday, but I'm going to be working the 4th of July event every night, and all day Saturday, from 6 am to after midnight. On Sunday, I might just sleep all day to catch up on my sleep.

So....if you don't hear from me for a day or 2...it's ok. I'm alive and busy as ever!
-BB

I've got a list

I am going to be a terrible blogger today and do a bullet post.

Here's my quick recap.....

• I got burnt at the pool. Yes, I wore sunscreen. Apparently not enough, and now I am paying for it. I'm miserable and it hurts to wear a very important undergarment - a brassiere. TMI - I know. But the good news is, I'm wearing one!

• My Mom is amazing! She washed and waxed my car on Saturday while I sat in a lawn chair and watched her because I was feeling so yucky. I think I ate something that didn't agree with me.
  

• I have to do a clinical assignment today, so I'm leaving work early to go to Math Camp! Y'ay!!

• I read a really good book by Debbie Macomber, it's called "Shops on Blossom Street". Great book!

• I've got a medical issue to take care of on Thursday, noting gross. I'll spare you the details until I know more, no need to panic right now.

• I've decided to give up on First Thing Friday. It's not really catching on and it's become work, instead of fun. I want fun!!!

• It's a 4 day week for me! Off on Friday!!!

That's all for now. More work to do.....
-BB

I Love a Good Compliment!

I'm alive. I'm here. I'm still busy, but I'll quit complaining about that.

I got an awesome compliment from my professor last night. We had a report due this past Monday, and I was quite embarrassed when I turned it in because everybody else scribbled something on notebook paper and turned it in. Then, there is me....I typed a cover page, made copies of my supporting documentation, and typed all my answers. I even had it neatly arranged and stapled together.

Last night when she was passing them back, she asked me if she could keep mine when I was done looking over for it. She said she wanted to use it as an example of what she is looking for in the future! Compliment....woo hooo! Of course, I let her keep it - need to take credit for being amazing every once in awhile, right?

Moving on....I am making big plans for the weekend. They include:
- Going to bed by 9 pm on Friday
- Sleeping until 10 am on Saturday
- Homework a majority of the day Saturday
- Afternoon nap on Saturday
- Going to bed by 9 pm on Saturday
- Sleeping until 10 am on Sunday
- Homework for a couple hours on Sunday
- Nap on Sunday afternoon
- Going to bed by 8 pm on Sunday

Notice the pattern? I'm going to sleep as much as I possibly can. I need to. I feel deprived from sleeping, my bed misses me, I absolutely, positively need to sleep for at least 8 solid hours 2 days in a row. I have to, or I'm going to go crazy. Unless, I already am. I don't think I'm there yet, but I will be sooner rather than later if I don't get some sleep.

Back to work, then class - and rushing home for my lovely Thursday evening meeting.
-BB

Buried

That's right, I am buried under piles of stuff. Stuff to do, stuff to see, stuff to make, stuff.... lots of stuff.

On top of being crazy, insane busy, it is also crazy insane hot here, see Exhibit A:
The reason I am so busy, is entirely my own fault. You see, I decided that I would take a 4 week summer class that meets every evening Monday through Thursday. I did not expect the instructor to cram an entire semester into 4 weeks, but she did. I'm doing the work and neglecting other things - like my blog.

Then of course, I have volunteer work that I do. We have a big event coming up next month, and I am doing a lot of the pre-planning. Naturally because the event is in 4 weeks, I've got a lot of loose ends to tie up and meetings to attend every Thursday night after class. When I have a meeting after class, I have to literally run from my class, to the parking deck and drive exactly the speed limit all the way home to get there on time (I don't speed, it's dangerous).

Then, there is life in general. You know - showers, sleep, food, and socializing with friends and family. I have to actually plan my evening so I can get a shower and get in bed before 11. I have planned to work on homework every single Saturday this month until the class is finished, and on Tuesday nights - I plan to lay around in my pajamas and do NOTHING. Yup, I have to plan stuff like being lazy and showering. That's how busy I am. Pathetic - I know.

I got fed up with being busy last night and rebelled. I went to visit EBF's Mom, who is like my second Mom. Her sister is in town visiting and I just adore them. They are so laid back, unscripted, and a breath of fresh air. Sitting on their porch in the wicker furniture with a glass of tea eating Amish Friendship bread was the best hour of my week so far. They really helped me relax. I didn't tell them I was feeling overwhelmed, or even talk about my life. We just talked about shopping, dogs, shoes, and other random stuff. We relaxed and enjoyed each others company. It was nice! I need to make time to do stuff like that more often.

They are night owls and could sit up all night and talk - the even mentioned staying up to watch reruns on TV Land. But, I had to go, it was 10:30 and I had to get up early this morning for work. My brain wouldn't shut down so I stared at the ceiling in my bedroom until 3 am, then I got up at 6. Now I'm sitting here trying to stay awake with black rings under my eyes.

The good news is that I'm wearing an outfit today that I haven't been able to wear in quite a while. I'm officially down 1.8 more pounds for a total of 19.2. I can't wait until Friday to see if I hit the 20 pound mark!

No FTF this week, too much going on.

-BB

Quality Friends

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find quality friends? Hard! I do not think I am hard to get along with, but one thing I must have in a friendship is honesty. If you cannot be honest with me and you decide to discuss my personal life behind my back, you are not a friend. You are a traitor.

I have a "friend", and I use that term loosely, who is roughly 21 years older than me. So, yes- she is old enough to be my Mom. I get along with her well, and we are involved in a lot of the same activities. Except, she constantly talks about other people behind their back, tells small lies, and exaggerates things.

I started noticing her talking about people behind their back as soon as we became friends, and it was a definite red flag. You know the saying "They'll talk about other people to you, then they'll talk about you to other people." I don't have a lot of 'skeletons' in my closet, and I am careful not to tell her things that I don't want other people to know. I thought I had that potential problem taken care of. Then comes the lying.

She got mad at me over money. She was working a charitable event with me, and her money came up short at the end of the day. When we were discussing it, she made it very clear that she was not going to take the blame. I asked her how she wanted me to handle it when it came time to turn in into the treasurer. Being a friend, I didn't want to tell them that is was her mistake, etc. I wanted her permission to turn it in, since it was my responsibility. If it were me, I would just put the money in, it was a minimal amount. I'd rather turn it in even, then try to figure out what happened to a couple of dollars.

She got mad at me, but instead of telling me, she tried to "uninvite" me to an event at her home. I got sick and didn't come anyway - she was perturbed because I didn't have a reaction to being "unnvited". You see, she invited me, but when I called her to tell her I wasn't coming, she wouldn't answer her phone or text me back. I felt like a bad friend, but I made an effort to let her know I wasn't coming.

She made a huge deal out of it. She even invited friends of mine that barely know her. They were thoroughly confused as to why I wasn't at the event, but they were invited. Of course, when they called me - I told them I was sick and I tried contacting her. When they told her I was sick, she said "Well, she was invited".

The invitation went like this; "We're having a cookout this weekend, you can come if you want to." No time, no date, just "this weekend" and "you can come if you want to". I sensed some animosity in the whole conversation, but I choose to ignore it thinking maturity would prevail.

When I called, I think she thought I was calling for a time or date, but I was really calling to tell her that I appreciated the invite, but I wouldn't be able to make it because I was ill. The cards didn't fall her way, and she was mad.

Of course - I wasn't privy to her scheme until after it all unfolded and I was left standing with my mouth hanging open wondering what the heck just happened. But the point is - she was inconsiderate of my feelings, I have friends at the event who said she was rude when speaking of me, and made some pretty off hand comments.

I sent her an e-mail explaining that I was frustrated with the situation and how she was choosing to handle it, especially because in my opinion, it was over a few dollars. I sent her the e-mail yesterday afternoon, and late last night she choose to respond. She sent me an e-mail that was so off the wall and had statements about other friends in it, that was unrelated to the argument to begin with.

In all - I learned a valuable lesson. That is, pick your friends with a clear mind, and your battles too. Make sure your friends are a positive reflection on your person, and they bring out the absolute best in you. Your self image and your public image are important to your character and trust, and only you can protect it. Don't let someone who has baggage of their own, push their issues off on you - it's not your fault.

She has it in her to be a nice person, but for some reason - she chooses to act irrational and say irrelevant things. I am a nice person, and I choose to ignore the animosity and move on with my life. I have a great friend in God and my family, I don't need drama and lies in my life.

Time Management

The older I get, the worse I am at properly managing my time. There never seems to be enough time in the day to fit that nap in that I crave - when I was in High School, I always had time for a nap when I got home. Now, I run in the door at 6 pm or later, and I'm ready for bed by 8 - but force myself to stay up until 10 so I can get some stuff done around the house, and feel like a contributing member of the household. I know I'm not the only one in the house who feels like that - but darn! I wish I had more time to just relax!

I was planning to go for a walk tonight, and burn off some excess calories, but I have a meeting after work that begins at 7:30. It's my own fault, yet another one of my "extracurricular" activities. Now, I have to rush home, eat dinner, change clothes, and go to my meeting. Then, the meeting won't be over until 9 or 9:30 - I will have to rush home, get a shower, prepare for tomorrow and hopefully get into bed by Midnight. I just hope I have enough time. I cannot procrastinate between now and 7:30. I must leave work promptly at 5, hope and pray that some impatient driver hasn't caused yet another accident during my 40 mile commute, and prepare dinner, eat and clean up all before 7. Then change clothes, and relax for 10 minutes before running out the door! Whew. I am winded just thinking about it.

Good news? I lost 0.8 pounds last week. I was elated to have lost because I have been loosing at least a pound every week - so I figured it is bound to catch up with me, and one of these weeks I'm going to stay exactly the same in my weight. The even better news is, that I am wearing one of my smaller sized skirts today and a lady who works in my building, but not with me, commented that she thought I looked different. I proudly told her that I had been watching what I'm eating and trying to shed some weight for summer. It was nice to be recognized!

I'm off to work my butt off until 5, then home to run around like a chicken with my head cut off!
-BB

Counting Down

In order to adequately heal from my foot injury, I have decided a beach trip is a necessity. I'm kidding - we had planned it before I got all clumsy and tripped over my own feet.

However, I think the beach trip will be a great source of relaxation, and give my poor foot some much needed rest. I've been good about babying it, and putting ice on it. I have even been attempting to sleep with a pillow under it.

My Mom and I are going to be beach bound Friday after work. I am so excited for the opportunity to read a book, and relax with my feet up for the entire weekend. We got a room at a nice resort that has several indoor pools, hot tubs, and lazy rivers - hopefully there won't be an old men in Speedo's overcrowding problem with all the pools they have.

Eek! I was just commandeered into a meeting. Gotta run (not literally, trust me)!

Before I go - I lost 1 pound this week, for a total of 9.8 down. Wooo hooo!

-BB

Missing Motivation

My motivation to be an excellent employee and clean the piles off my desk today is Missing in Action. I cannot seem to muster up the energy to do all the paperwork that is loudly calling my name. I just do not feel like it, simple as that.

I did come in to work at 7:30, which is great for a Monday. Usually I'm here right at 8, and not a minute before. I managed to get all my filing done this morning, filing is the task I despise the most - so glad that's out of the way.

This afternoon I'm going to work on organizing and de-cluttering. After I get my organization skills in high gear, I might just have the ambition to do actual work that needs to get done.

I weigh in tonight. I am excited to see what the scale has in store for me. We cooked out and had a little Wii party on Saturday evening. I was a good girl! I made all the food, and it was all low-fat. I didn't tell anyone! :)

Here is what I made, with the recipes:

Turkey Sausage Balls
1 1/2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix
1 pound of Jennie-O Turkey Sausage
2 cups Kraft Fat Free Cheddar Cheese

Mix all ingredients together, roll in small balls. Make 48. Place in parchment paper lined baking pan, and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

They are 1 Point each if you are on Weight Watchers.

Fruit Dip
1 12 oz. (large) container of Light Cool Whip
1 large package of Sugar Free Strawberry Jello

Mix Cool Whip and Jello together, chill. Serve with sliced apples and bananas.

I didn't figure up the points on this, but I am sure it is very low. You could use other flavors of Jello, I just prefer Strawberry.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Fluff
1 package Chips Ahoy Reduced Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups 1% Milk
1 small package Sugar Free White Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 12 oz. (large) container of Light Cool Whip

Mix pudding as directed on package (using 2 cups of 1 % milk). Add Cool Whip to pudding and mix well.

Next, dunk a cookie in the remaining 1/2 cup of 1% milk and line bottom of 9 X 13 baking dish. It should take 24 cookies to cover the bottom of the pan. Once the bottom of the pan is covered, put a layer of Cool Whip mixture over cookies. Line top of Cool Whip with 24 more Chocolate Chip Cookies dipped in milk, and top with remaining Cool Whip. Chill in fridge 30 - 45 minutes before serving. Before serving, crush 3-4 cookies and sprinkle over top.

1/15th of the pan is 4 Weight Watchers Points.
NOTE: The recipe calls for 2 boxes of White Chocolate pudding mix, but I only use 1 to make it less points.

My SIL brought Cucumber Salad, which was very good. I will have to get the recipe from her. I know it had cucumbers, onions, dill, vinegar and a little bit of sugar. It was a big hit.

Well, I'm off to work on finding my motivation!
-BB

Headaches and Happiness

As promised, I am back. It has been a rough week!

It all started Monday morning with a little headache and an all over body ache. I called work to let them know I would be late and slept until 10 before dragging my butt in for a half day. Tuesday seemed to be better, but the headache was still still there. I went to class and came to work, but when I started reading e-mail, I realized I couldn't see correctly. Apparently I had something similar to a cluster headache and it was affecting my vision. I called the chiropractor and my Mom drove me to an 11:30 appointment. After some therapy and a good adjustment my vision was normal, but my headache was intense. I went home and slept from 1 pm - 6 am the next day.

Of course, because of Monday and Tuesday I was behind at work so I spent Wednesday dragging through the day and playing catch up. Yesterday was the first day all week I felt like myself and I looked normal, not like death.

At any rate, I'm glad to be back in my routine!

Now, I'm off to catch up on my Google Reader and comment on all your fabulous posts that I have missed!
-BB

Rain Rain, Go Away!

I know all the facts about how good rain is, and how we need it and the water table and all that blah blah, but seriously....I hate it.

I was in this really weird mood this morning, I was actually quite chipper for a change! I decided that I would straighten my hair. My hair is naturally curly, so straight looks a lot different on me. I went to the trouble of straightening it and today when I went out for lunch it was raining. Now I have semi-straight, kinda curly hair. I had an umbrella, but the humidity just killed my hair. Oh well.....at least I made the effort.

I checked the weekend weather, and its not going to get any better. It's actually supposed to snow on Sunday night! Tell me how that works? How is it 60 outside and raining right now, and snowing on Sunday night?

I guess it's a good thing Meteorology is not my major, I'd be in a crappy mood all the time!

-BB