What a crazy week......

You know my life is pathetic when the words "Jim Cantore is coming to Columbia"  gets me excited.....

Mr, Cantore (I don't know if I should really call him Jim) is usually seen in big weather locations.  So his pending trip to Columbia was newsworthy.  Yes, our local news and newspapers even mentioned his arrival.

Jim Cantore meant one thing.....the snow/ice/freezing rain event that had been predicted would come to pass. Monday, all the mangers were told to take their laptops home in case we had to work from home.  I dragged it back into the office with me Tuesday.

The storm finally arrived Tuesday night, it continued all day Wednesday and finally ended around lunchtime Thursday. By the time it was over, we had a lot of ice and snow on top of it.  We never saw a plow or town truck on our street during the entire storm.  The roads and driveways were a sheet of ice.

I was so prepared to lose power and cable......we tend to lose those utilities when we have a 10 minute thunderstorm during the summer and it's out for hours.  I feel I can now say this and not jinx myself........we didn't lose power at all (except for about 3 minutes on Friday) !!!!

My office was closed Wednesday and Thursday.  We had a delayed opening on Friday. I am fortunate that I have a job where I can work from home with ease.  I was on conference calls, calls with  regional staff, calls to customers and co-workers.  I was able to IM and email anyone I needed.  Thank goodness last week I purchased an office chair for home use.  At least at the end of the day, my back didn't ache.  My hips were a little sore but it was so much better than using a dining room chair. I worked a longer day but at least I didn't have to drive anywhere!! It was also a treat to take 10 steps and get to the Keurig for coffee throughout the day.  I thought of my Dad and how amazed he would have been at the ease at which we can work from home now.  I didn't feel like I missed a beat all 3 days.

By Friday afternoon a lot of the snow/ice was melting.  Things were slowly returning to normal.......at least I thought they were......

I was sitting in my bedroom watching TV when I heard a rumbling noise and the wall in my bedroom moved like a wave.  Is asked Jenn if she had heard anything....she said she had.  I asked her to check out in our cul-de-sac and see if there had been an accident.  Nothing there.  I thought maybe it was one of the jets from the local Air Force Base.....nope. Then I got a text from a friend.  She lives about 30 miles from me.  She said "did you just feel that?'  The hair stood up on the back of my neck.  I told her I had.  She came back with one word "Earthquake".  I have to say it kind of freaked me out.  The local news said it was a 4.4 quake about 60 miles form us.  It was felt in Georgia, North Carolina and all over South Carolina.

Within 2 weeks we have had 2 snow events and an earthquake.  I think thats enough!!!! I know, I know my family and friends up north are saying "my God she has become such a weenie!!"

Well  tomorrow is Monday, it is supposed to be in the 60's this week and I can go back to wearing my flip flops.

As I continue my quest to find the good things....here they are:

I can return to work tomorrow and not have to play catch up from being out of the office for 3 days.
We never lost power.
I can work from home.
I love the commute from my bedroom to my office at the dining room table.
Oh and every day is casual dress day when working at home.
The USA hockey team has two wins.
I was down again at the scale today.  Not huge amounts but very consistent which makes me happy!!
And I went to gym both days this weekend.  I jogged in the pool for an hour each time which equals about 8 miles of jogging.

Not too bad I would  say........I do feel a need to check the Farmer's Almanac to see when the locusts are due to arrive.....

See you next week......

Two Great "S"'s........Snow and The Super Bowl.....

Just the "snow" word in South Carolina makes everyone crazy and excited at the same time. There was a hint that we might get our first snowfall in three years......and lo and behold we did!!!!!

But here is the way the week went.......

Sunday.....no chance of snow.
Monday ....chance of 1-3 inches of snow.
Tuesday.....1/4 inch ice and up to 6 inches of snow starting early morning.

Schools closed and everyone waited......and waited ..........and waited.  Some sleet started to fall around 4:00 PM.....a little later than predicted.  No snow......waiting and waiting. Finally at 9:00 PM, about 12 hours later than predicted it happened.......SNOW!!!!!!

It was very pretty and came down very hard.  By the next morning, we had 3-4 inches of the white stuff with some frozen sleet underneath it.  Schools were closed again.  My office had a delayed opening until 1:00.  I worked from home.

The surprising thing was that the snow stayed for more than a few hours.  In fact the last of it melted off my roof yesterday.....it is so unusual to have snow around for more than 24 hours......it was a treat!!

Being a "northerner" it is still funny to me to see how people react to the snow word.  Yes, the supermarkets get busy with a rush for milk and bread.  My Dad used to joke and say to my Mom "Irene do you have all the provisions in?"  He knew Mom would be at Shoprite getting bread and milk.......as if we would be trapped for days.  OK I have to admit I asked Jenn to get milk and batteries.....just in case......old habits die hard!!!!

Well we have had our snow event for the year....is it summer yet??????

Next S event.....the Super Bowl.

Football is my favorite sport!!!! I can scream and yell with the best of them.  Of course, I wish the NY Giants were in it every year but since they are not I am pulling for the Bronco's....for two reasons.....Eli's big brother and I have a slew of family in Colorado that love their team.  It's only about 200 days until football starts again and I will occupy myself with baseball (both college ...USC..... and the Yankees for course!!!)....I even watched a college basketball game last night.....great game between Syracuse and Duke!! But football is my sports passion......I hate for the season to end but we all know how fast it will be until training camp starts again in the summer.

At about 6:00 tonight, everything in my house will come to a halt so I can watch what I hope will be a great game and maybe some good commercials!!! GO BRONCO'S!!!!!!

One last note.......while not focusing too much on numbers it does feel good that  I was down again at the scale this morning........so some of the things I am doing:  eating when hungry, not having to make family dinners (every man for himself here), trying to give myself more choices, getting my hour of jogging in at the gym and something new I am trying......I am going to give it a few more weeks and see how it goes before I say anything.......but lets just say consistent weight loss......sleeping better .......and feeling good are all part of it. Stay tuned for the information.......if the numbers continue to go down......

OK so here is a photo that represents both of the "S"'s for this week.....

See you next week.......

WOO HOO Over 20,000 page views!!!!!!

Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!  This blog has been viewed over 20,000 times since I first started writing it almost 4 years ago!!!!

Whether it has made you laugh, cry or think about something it has all been worthwhile for me!!!! I may not have achieved all the goals I set forth when I wrote my first entry but that's OK because I am still a work in progress.  I feel better about myself emotionally, I have made and shared some big decisions, I have slowly worked on getting healthier and losing weight (OK much more slowly then I would like), I have shared embarrassing moments, funny times and let you all watch me grow up (not out).

I weigh less than I did when I started writing (although no where near my goal).  I can jog in a pool for an hour.  I can go a few miles on an elliptical.  See the pattern......I can, I can and I do.....

I have taken you with me to Dr. visits, through a job or two, into my fears and joys.......you have joined me on the road to a family reunion and on the trip to say goodbye to my Mom.  We have shared holidays, birthdays, births and deaths.  We have shared life!!!

Your comments and feedback have been helpful and appreciated!! I have been told when I hit the nail on the head and when I might have missed the mark.

You have gotten to know my passions for sports, family and friends, writing, laughter and most of all giving and receiving love.  So many of you have shared your love with me.  So many of your have shared your thoughts with me.  So many of you have opened up to me because of what I have written.  So in giving to you by my words I have gotten so much back in return!!!!

I am so grateful to Carol, my trainer at the time who suggested I put my feelings into words.....without her suggestion this blog would not exist........and I would not have taken the chance to share my thoughts or feeling, my ups and downs and I would not have taken the chance to step out of my comfort zone.

Well here's to the next 20,000 page views.......I will be here writing and sharing and grateful to all of you.......each of you have added so much to my life.......more than you will ever know......

See you next week........

I Still Remember Love.....

It took many, many, many years to figure it out.......

It's not the prestige or the job or the car or the house or the salary that matters.......it's love....giving it and getting it.....that matters most when all is said and done.

I recently read an article about people older than me....and yes there are a lot of them...they talked about things that matter most in life.  One of the things they said is the importance of saying "I love you" when you can ....sometimes you will get an "I love you" back and sometimes the other party might not reciprocate.  They said it is worth the risk.....

That comment got me thinking about love and my life.

I remember walking with my Dad more than 50 years ago and him holding my hand. Occasionally, I would squeeze his hand and he would squeeze mine back.  To me it was a silent I love you.

A few years ago, I was visiting my Mom.  We were sitting next to each other and she reached out and held my hand.  I squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.  It meant I love you.

I have said I love you to people and had it said back.....I have also had them not respond.  It hurt but at least it was honest.  I would hate for someone to say I love you just to say it and not mean it.

One of the first things I said to Jenn when I held her for the first time was "mommy loves you".  I had no idea how much that love would grow over the years.

There has been loved that has faded too......that is sad but a reality.

Last summer with my Ohana, I probably said I love you more in 5 days than almost all my life and I meant it.

I need to say it more.....when I mean it.  I hope that when I do I will get the same response back.  I willing to take the risk......what do I have to lose?

My coworkers know I am not a big hugger....but why not....I should accept the hugs.....I should give the hugs......I have to not worry about what people think.  A good hug is wonderful.....

Saying "I love you" and giving a good hug....how much better can you get that that????

So watch out family, friends, coworkers.......don't faint, don't be shocked, don't think has she lost her mind.......if I give you a hug.......now I don't mean I am going to be all over the place hugging people.....I just need to make sure that the people I care about know how much they mean to me......

Like the silent meaning of squeezing my parents hand.......just go with it......say it......show it......don't let the moment pass out of fear of the response.........

When all is said and done.....what matters more than love?????

The Best of 2013 and Dreams of 2014

Like many of us do whether it be consciously or subconsciously I took a look back at the past year to see what the high points were......I didn't want to focus on the lows....

The best event of the year was the Welch Ohana Family Reunion. !!! A 5 day love fest!!!! Meeting new family members, seeing family members that I hadn't seen in 25 years......the love I felt was overwhelming!!! Here I sit almost 6 months later and I can still feel the warmth I experienced at Osage Beach.

Trips to the beach......the smell of the ocean, golf cart rides and sitting watching the waves while reading a good book, listening to my IPOD, enjoying an adult beverage and people watching.  How much better can it get than that????

Doing three different jobs in the same year and surviving them all!!!!

Searching for and finding peace within myself.  Learning to love me....

I could go on and on about 2013 but it is time to look ahead to 2014.....

Spending time with friends and family is on the top of my list!!!!

Health, exercise and weight loss always make the top of the list too.  I started the year with a nice drop on the scales.  As I experiment to see what works for me I will share both the successes and failures. One thing that has finally sunk in is to eat when I am hungry not because it is 9:00 or 12:00 or 7:00......this has really worked well lately.

Doing my job to the best of my ability but realizing that my job is not my life,  I need to take time to smell the roses......

Recently, I have had a chance to see what life is like without major stress and IT IS WONDERFUL!!!! I am happier now that I have taken more control of my life. Good for me!!!!

I am trying to be more positive about myself....this can be hard at times but I am getting better at it!!

The New Year ahead is like a blank slate......as someone on Facebook said......it is a new story with 365 pages......well that is right up my alley......

In just the first 5 days/pages, I have watched some great football, spent some time with good friends, got on the scale and was happy with what I saw, I did a lot of cleaning, donating and organizing, I accepted more invitations to do things instead of passing up what could be fun opportunities......not bad for 5 days.......can't wait to see what the next 360 days hold......

The future looks bright and I am trying to turn some of my dreams into realities......I am feeling good and excited about the road ahead!!!!

Walk with me and you can see what happens next.......

See you next week........Happy New Year......2014.....feels like my kind of year!!!!!

Twas the Week Before Christmas or I Said It Would Be A Crazy Week and it was......

As I said last week, it was going to be a busy week........

Monday night I got my hair cut and highlighted.  It was shorter than it has been before and definitely lighter.  Someone at work actually called it blond.  I call it highlights so my thin hair doesn't stand out as much.  I don't wear my glasses when I get my hair done so when I put my glasses on it is then I see the finished product.  This time I have to say Wayne surprised me and I loved it.  It also doesn't hurt to get so many compliments about it........

Tuesday was the employee breakfast and that went well.  The food was catered in and that meant less stress.  That night was the managers dinner.  I thought I knew where I was going but when I walk in the restaurant the manager said "TD isn't having a party here."  OK so me dopey had to call another manager and say "where is the party?" 

Thursday,  I stayed home in the morning to finish a test I had to take for work.  Isn't there ever a time when we can stop taking tests???? As I headed to work around 11:30,  I stopped to pick up lunch for my team as a Christmas gift.  We had lunch together and had our gift exchange. 

Saturday started by taking my damn dog to the vet......ugh.  Grooming, med's for his rash and shots!!  Then it was breakfast with a friend followed by shopping.  I made more cookie batters so I can ship them out this week.  I was planning on baking them early Sunday.

That's when my plan went to as they say here "to hell in a hand basket"....(still not really sure what that means).....my phone rings and next thing I know I am in my car heading to the office.  I was obviously not prepared to leave the house.....no makeup, hair just dried from the shower and no hint of having tried to style it at all, an old t shirt, Capri's and flip flops (thank God I remembered to throw on a bra)......

So here I am racing down the highway, foul mood, looking frightful, not feeling great and swearing like a sailor.....get the picture??? Now the hard part is I am going into the office to take complaint/questions from customers and I have to be friggin cheerful.......like Miss Congeniality.....ugh.....talk about a stretch!!!!! I get settled about 10 minutes late but I am there and ready to go.  One of the ladies on my team offers to come in and we decide she will come in from 2-4 and I cover from 11-2,  I worked on reports, emails, time cards, plans that need to be finished while I wait for the customer calls.....and wait and wait.....finally after 90 minutes,,,,the phone rings....total talk time with the customer 3 1/2 minutes......210 seconds.......and then I wait some more........another 90 minutes and then phone rings again.....total talk time.....4 minutes.....240 seconds.......then it is time to leave.  OK so on the upside (which I am still trying to find in ALL situations) I got a lot of other work done which means Monday will be less stressful. At 2:15 I head home.....

Once I get home it is time to work on the bills for the week.......I realize I forgot to write down a payment I had made this week....uh oh.......my balance in my checking account is $12.79 until payday on Friday......guess it's time to roll up the loose change.....LOL.....I work in banking and forget to write down a payment....I am such an ass!!!!  I try to look for the good in this..... this is really a stretch but then I think....... it's a short week with Christmas in the middle of the week.....I really don't need anything additional this week and will be able to get the things I need for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on what I have left in the bank.......I also have enough money left in my wallet to mail out the last of the cookies so all in all I am OK......

Good things:
The last batch of cookies is in the oven.......the house smells great from them baking......

I was able to see my 2 favorite Christmas movies this week...."It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim.....

It's a short week coming up.......

It's Christmas........I love Christmas Eve more than any other day of the year......it is the day when anything is possible.......

Merry Christmas to All!!!!

Until next week.......

10 Days To Go.....

I can't believe another Christmas is just 10 days away.  Wasn't it just the 4th of July???

I am happy to report with the exception of a few things that are still on their way to us we are pretty much done!!

As I write this there are cookies baking in the oven.  We made all the batters and then started baking and it seems to have gone well.  We have one more cookie chilling in the fridge and can bake those tomorrow.  Jenn has promised a lot of the people she works with cookies on Monday and I am bringing some to work.  I didn't make my favorite cookies to avoid additional temptations!!

The inside and outside of the house are decorated.  Thanks Jenn!!! She did have to use a cattle prod a few times to keep me moving!! 

Jenn has also kept up with the wrapping and mailed some cards for me.  Please don't get mad if you don't get a card from me......it is one of those chores I hate......I would rather talk to you on the phone or send you an e-mail.....or text. 

I haven't felt as stressed as I have other years with the big day approaching......that is a very good thing!!

I can't believe that next weekend right before Christmas I can do some fun things like going to see a local light display or watching my favorite version of "A Christmas Carol" and not worry about what I still have to do.

This week will be busy with a haircut, holiday breakfast for the employees, dinner with the managers, and my team's Christmas lunch.  All of which will be fun and make for a fast week!!

While I go through these days between Thanksgiving and Christmas I can't help but think about holidays past.  I am so grateful for those memories!!! I was just telling Jenn about one of my earliest memories.....we lived in a 5th floor walk up in the South Bronx,   it was close to Christmas and I remember sitting on the kitchen table "helping" my mom make Christmas cookies.  Then my Dad and brother George came into our apartment with the Christmas tree.  It was maybe a 5 second memory...like a short video but I can see it as clear now as all those years ago. 

In just a few short weeks we will all be reflecting on the year ending and making resolutions about the New Year ahead.  From now until the end of the year is filled with a lot of land mines for me.....food choices involving things you don't get to eat all year and not enough time to go to the gym.  But I have promised myself to not go crazy with the food but not to deprive myself either.  I also plan on hitting the gym everyday I am off between Christmas and New Years Day.....a nice jump start to 2014!!

Just a few more comments......

First..... thanks to my friends who e-mailed or texted me and said "where is you blog entry?"...it is nice to be missed.

Second.......my damn dog.....back to the vet again....cha ching cha ching......I could probably take a nice vacation on what I have paid the vet this year for his ear and skin issues....ugh.  He is not the easiest pet to have and has been know to bite the hand that feeds him but when he greets me when I walk through the door from work it is hard to not give him a big greeting back

Third......I am still counting my blessings each day......whether it be listening to Christmas music on my IPhone.......or laughing with a co-worker.........or the nice feeling just before you fall asleep .....or a hot shower in the morning........I am grateful for them all.......and for all of you.....my friends and family.......

See you next week.......promise!!