New Goal

I know that just about everybody sets a weight loss goal when a new year rolls around. Well I guess I'm not any different in that regard. I knew a couple of pounds have crept on in the last year, but i was not prepared for the number I saw on the scale that fateful morning.

I know the days of my high school and wedding weights are far behind me (155 lbs). Maybe if i had a personal trainer and no job other than working out, i could probably get back there. But i don't want to dwell in the past, I'm looking towards the future now.

My goal is to get those pants to not feel quite so tight and to take a little of the jiggle out :) I'm hoping by confessing my desire to be healthier will help me feel more accountable and motivated to work hard.

I've purchased 4 exercise DVD's from amazon, and some light weights and resistance bands using my corporate christmas gift, a Walmart giftcard. I've planned out my meals and DVD rotation for the next 4 weeks. I'm know how i am so i put in a few "free" spaces in case i want to take a night off or eat grilled fast food. I plan to exercise 5 times per week for 40 mins per session. I hope by choosing healthier foods and staying away from the junk i can reach my goal of losing 3 pounds in the next 4 weeks or .75 pounds per week.

I think I'm being realistic, but we'll see if i can endure and then keep going past these initial weeks. Right now all i want is a raspberry filled powdered donut. mmmm raspberry . .

Stuck

I guess snow and ice in January are not anomalies in Cache Valley. What drives me crazy is being trapped in my own home because the locks on my STUPID car are completely FROZEN!

Ugh. I can't wait to get a garage some day because the scraping and stuggling to clear off my car is getting pretty old. On the up side, Chris did try to scrape some of the ice off, but without the aid of heated defrost, he wasn't able to get too far :(

And i guess there is a bright side - I have an excuse not to go to work today :)

Update: 1:15pm - I have escaped. It "warmed up" enough for my locks to thaw and i was able to get my car de-iced and i went to work. Tempting to stay home, but every dollar counts :)

I can't remember last year, so here's last month. (by Chris)

Here's 10 things I've noticed, observed, or experienced lately. That's all.

1.Noticed the air pollution sediment on my car and how it created a special slush that couldn't be scraped off this morning. Cool.
2.Arby's version of a value menu is still a great deal. Love the Arby's!
3.There is now a show on some design channel about Man Caves. FINALLY!
4.Velcro, duct tape, and gorilla glue can fix anything.
5.In high school I tried to be a lifeguard for a summer. I couldn't even blow the whistle at people. Now I inspect restaurants and run a mosquito abatement program. Ticking people off is becoming a hobby.
6.Post-it-notes. I don't need no planner!
7.Still trying to figure out why I do my hair in the morning when I'm just going to end up wearing a hat.
8.Cheating rules. Cheat engine + pc games = fun fun fun for me.
9.I married the coolest girl ever.
10.I am truly an incurable cynic with a stone heart. I realized this today when I saw a poster at wal-mart for a video about space puppies. I threw up in my mouth. I'm ok with this.

Only 53 more to go . . .

I stole this from my friend Robin's blog. It's interesting when you look at your life this way, where you've been and what you've seen and what you haven't. The bolded items are ones I've done and it looks like i need to do some more traveling and some more service. It's fun to do, so feel free to try it yourself!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury - almost, I was called for jury duty but not picked
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Copied a post from another blog.

Dream Job

I came across this article today and i couldn't believe it! Talk about a dream job. The Australian travel council is advertising a position for a person to live near the Great Barrier Reef and get paid $100,000 to suntan, snorkel, swim and extol the benefits of Australian living on a blog. Yup, that's it - play and write about it.

All you have to do is submit a video about why you're perfect for the job and they might pick you. So far there have been 200 videos submitted, so there's still a chance you could win. Warm up those video cameras and get your submissions in by the Feb 22 deadline.

Good Luck!

Here's the article if you want to take a look.

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, I can't believe it, 2009 is here. As a kid i think i saw the 2000's as the years of flying cars and space travel and all that other crazy sci-fi stuff. Now that i'm here in 2009 i wonder what the new year and the future will bring.

As Chris and i were waiting for the countdown, i asked him what he loved about 2008. He said that for him it was all about passing his Environmental Health Scientist test. Then i asked him what he hated about 2008 and he said one word, uncertainty. I can definately agree with him on both accounts. What i loved about 2008 was being able to spend time with my family - my mom and dad moved back to Utah from Washington this year and I got to see Chris' family 3 times. The thing i hated was getting laid off from Digital Slant.

Yes, in 2008 we had our victories, like paying off our high interest credit card, and our defeats, when we had to get the car fixed and charged the card up again :) I didn't loose the 10 pounds i was shooting for, but i gained a lot of love and happiness instead.

I know 2009 may be a little sketchy right now, but there's a lot of year ahead that could be filled with a lot of wonderful things. At this point, I'm just looking forward to Spring :)