Confusion and Chaos

Monday, April 13, 2009

The Gym Day 3 and Weekend Crafting

As you can see from the picture below my crafting assistants really didn't help me this weekend. I am still trying to use up the gazillion embellishments that I have purchased over the years.

I made it to the gym on Friday after work and managed to do 30 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes on the eliptical. I then went and did the five machines that I did on Wednesday and added one more. I wish I had the dedication to do this 7 days a week!

I hope that everyone had a good visit from the Easter Bunny.

Friday, April 10, 2009

I Love Books

Yesterday I finished another book. I made the decision after graduation to begin to read the bookshelf full of books behind my bedroom door. Slowly but surely my plan is in place. I want to read those books, pass them on to others to read and gain that extra space for other storage. Back in my younger days it was my aspiration to acquire all of these books from various book clubs because one day I was going to live in a large house with a library room. Well, I am fortunate to have a house of my own but it doesn't have that library room and quite frankly, my bedroom is currently the library, the craft room, the music room and the bedroom and I would like to get it down to just a bedroom.

I would like to recommend the book that I just finished. Having a slight obsession to shopping (mostly for shoes & craft related items and not so much for clothes)I thought that the author was very ingenious with her concept of getting people to help her out of a sticky situation. I even sent her money and a care package. It's a serious subject with a very funny and optimistic flair.

"Save Karyn - One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back" by Karyn Bosnak

The original website for Save Karyn

She made a mistake, found a solution and entertains you with her tale. A good read.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Health Club Day 2

Well I made it to the health club after work yesterday. I even did my 35 minutes on the treadmill at a faster speed and higher incline. When I was done I jumped up on the eliptical. To say that this machine as it had in the past kicked my tail-end is an understatement. I did 3 minutes on this machine using the arms and then checked my heart rate. 138! I read online that anything over 134 no longer burns those little ugly fat molecules. So I stopped using the arms for the last 2 minutes and ended my cardio experience on a heart pumping note. To think that a little over a year ago I could do 45 minutes on that machine with no problem gives you an idea of how far I let myself go.

It was then onto the weight machines and I added another two lower body machines to the two that I did on Monday. I also added an upper body machine and after doing the five machines called it a night and went home to eat some dinner.

Hope that you do something healthy for yourself today whether it be physically or mentally.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

A Bit of A Funk

I have been a bit of a funk lately. Part of it started after graduation. You would think that I would be estatic that I finished school but I had been working on that goal for so many years that it became of a part of what defined me. I am not married, I am childless, so school and work make a major part of who I am.

The funk intensified when the economy really began to tank. I really thought that when I took my job more than 8 years ago that this would be the company from which I retired. Well I am not so sure about that anymore. There are two contributing factors.
1. Will the company be here more than 15 years into the future?
2. Will I still want to work here for that long?

You see, at the company that I work for and at many others, the mentality is that the sales rep rules the roost. We that don't generate income are at their beck and call. But when you see the books (like me) and see that even those that are not earning their keep are still earning more than me it makes for a bummer attitude. Factor in that the company has proposed to cut wages by 20% and to make us contribute to our health insurance and you have ONE GIANT freak out on my part. I have had to make some very drastic changes to my lifestyle to adjust to my new budget. I am refinancing my home, I have cut out my weekly manicures (this one is the most difficult as I have gotten a manicure every week for 8 years). I am bringing my breakfast (I start work at 7am) and my lunch to work. I am making some of the changes necessary to get me by on this strict budget. The last item contributing to my funk is my weight. One year ago I was 25 pounds lighter and much more toned and in shape. I was by no means at my ideal weight but I was working at it. I am making strides to reverse this bad eating and no work outs attitude. I have cut out pop (Diet Coke) and went to the health club on Monday. I have my clothes to go today after work. I must confess that I NEVER thought that a 45 minute walk on a slightly inclined treadmill would make my body so sore. It wasn't my legs or feet it was my hips. YIKERS, what a wake up call, to have a body that feels 80 when I am less than 50. Not good, so with the awakening of spring I am going to awaken to a new attitude and GET MYSELF OUT OF THIS FUNK!