GRRRR....Traffic Court

So last month I was hanging out with my BFF, Koni, on a Friday night. We were out hearing a live band at a night club and having a good time. At about midnight we decided to call it a night and I was driving her home since I drove us to the club. We were in A-Town, Aurora to the non-Colorado folks, which is where I grew up but not my favorite part of the Metro Aea anymore. I was pulled over unexpectedly because I was not speeding (for once) and we had been great at the club and had nothing to drink except water and Diet Coke. The young (he looked 12) officer came to my window and told me that he had pulled me over because my license plate lights were burned out. WHAT?? REALLY?? I didn't even know I had lights that illuminated my license plate. How the hell would I know they were burned out! Then he decided to test the darkness of my window tint, that is too dark, who knew? Finally, he decided to give me a ticket for my out of date insurance card. I did have insurance on my car at the time, I just did not have the correct card in my car. Well, actually the card was in my car, it was just buried under all the other paperwork in my glove box and it is dark at midnight which makes it hard to search for paperwork.

So I get the damn ticket and it is a mandatory court appearance. Today was my court date. Since my last name is near the beginning of the alphabet, my time is 8:00 am.  I show up right at 8:00 am and wait my turn to talk to the DA. Luckily for me, I had called earlier, trying to find out if I could just mail something in and not appear in court, and was told I needed  a letter from my insurance company proving I was insured at the time of the ticket. I am there for 20 min, after driving there for 45 min. I was told that my ticket would be dismissed due to the letter I brought with me. However, I would have to pay $30 for court fees. What the hell, I could have mailed my letter and a check in weeks ago and avoided the waste of my time. I have to say I think the legal system is a bit messy and backwards. There are so many offenses that you can just mail in your fine that are much worse than having an expired insurance card, but NO, they feel the need to waste people's time!

**stepping off my soap box**

McFatty Monday Update

Well friends, I did it!! I have passed the 10 pound mark with my weight loss!! Last week I lost 3.8 pounds and I was so happy I did a little dance! I am sure it helped a little that I had a stomach bug and did not eat for one whole day. However it happened, I'll take it!! I have lost a total of 10.8 pounds to date and this week my goal is to lose 2 more pounds so I can make it to my 5% mark.

Each time you hit a mark in Weight Watchers you get a sticker. I have actually turned into a 5 year-old and I am motivated by stickers for my folder. I have two so far, one for each 5 pound weight loss I have achieved. The 5% sticker is a big one and I can't wait to have that one.
The beginning of this week has been a challenge. Easter was not the hard part, much to my surprise. Today at work was horrible. There seems to be a common thought amongst people that you need to take a lot of candy to places with children on every holiday. My place of business was a victim of these thoughts, there was so much candy in our break room today because there is only so much candy you need to give to a child then you have to share it with the staff. Every time I went into the kitchen to fill my water, I found myself grabbing a piece of candy. I have no idea why, I was not hungry. I think I will have to do some extra walking this week to ensure I make my goal. I know today is over and I can only hope that all the other people I work with have consumed all that candy and it will not be in there to tempt me tomorrow.

I wish you all a wonderful week filled with limitless willpower!!!

Friday Ramblings!

I can express how glad I am that today is Friday. This has been a very hard week and I am ready for the weekend. Tomorrow is “Weigh In” day and thank goodness it is before the Easter Bunny drops off any goodies at our house. We will be having a full family Easter dinner at my Uncle’s house this Sunday since that is the place my poor mother is being confined. It is always an interesting time when the whole family (barring the family living outside of the Denver Metro Area) attends a holiday function. I have been waiting for this time since I started Weight Watchers. This will be my first “Holiday” with my new eating habits.

On a high note, I had four people tell me yesterday that they could really tell I have lost weight. YA HOOO!!!! I might have to wear that outfit EVERY DAY!! I have been able to get rid of my “fat girl” jeans and most of my pants that are now in my closet are getting very lose on me. I will be making the trek to our storage garage this weekend to dig out my “skinny” box and pray that all the clothes in there are not so out of style that I have to give them all away.

My secret hope is that since I had a stomach bug this week and a lower appetite, I can pull a big number tomorrow on the scale. I would love to lose 3 pounds this week and be at a nice round 10 pounds lost. Fingers crossed everyone!!

Until Monday, wishing everyone a very Happy Easter!!

Single Parents ~ How Do They Do It?

As many of you know, I am an only child who was raised by a wonderful single mom. All of my aunts at one time or another were also single parents to my cousins. I just want to know how they did it for so long.

This week I had a horrible stomach bug that had me down for the count for two days. My hubby works until 9:00 most nights and I have been a faux "Single Mom" four nights a week since he went back to work. Those nights have their ups and downs as they will with a strong-willed 5 year-old boy. This past Tuesday was a true test to my strength. This was day one of the stomach bug and it was in full effect, if you know what I mean. At 4:30 that afternoon, I finally mustered up enough energy to pick Ethan up from the sitter's house. By the time we got home, I was totally exhausted. I sat on my couch thinking, "How do single mothers do this?" How do they find the energy to do this by themselves while they are sick? My poor son had to be a very big boy that night because I had just enough energy to make him a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. He had to get himself dressed for bed, pick up all his toys by himself among other tasks I typically assist him with each night. He was quite the trooper and had a little empathy for his poor sick mommy, but mostly kept on asking when I would not be sick anymore.

I never really recall times when my mom was sick but I am sure I was helpful just like my son was that night for me. I am so grateful to not be taking this parenthood journey all on my own. I admire all the women out there that do take this journey on their own and hope to someday find the strength within myself that they have. Let’s all give a huge cheer for all the single moms out there; they are some of the strongest women in the world I know!

McFatty Monday Update

The last two weeks have been very hard for me. With all that has been going on with my mom my weight loss was not the first thing on my mind. I did not have an update last week because I was not really blogging much through all that time. Last week I gained 0.2 when I weighed in. I know most of that was simply stress. I did manage to eat well most of the days, I think I just ate too much because I am a stress eater. If only I could be a stress runner!

This week was much better I lost 2 pounds when I weighed in on Saturday. I feel back on track. My stress level has gone down and I think I will be back on my regular schedule this week.

The thing that is hardest for me is the feeling I get when I don't lose weight or gain weight. I feel off track and I get discouraged. Last week I was too damn busy to host my pity party so I had to just go on and stay on track. I think the key to my success through stressful times is just to be too keep myself busy so I don't get too down on myself.

My challenge for this week will be today, we have an all day budget planning meeting for work and we are off site, eating lunch out and will have snacks around all day. Most of the people I work with are also trying to be healthy and they are bringing healthy snacks. There are, of course, the few that will bring some crap that no one needs and we will all be tempted by. I know for a fact that there will be bagels and possibly doughnuts in some form. Since we are all taking a snack I decided to take a snack I know I can eat so I can ensure I don't feel deprived of the snacking experience. (god forbid I don't have a snack!) Here's to a great week for everyone!!!

Really?? Stupid Media......

Really?? This is the issue the media is focusing on this week??

This ad went out to J. Crew customers this week and the media blew this up into an uproar because the boy has his toenails painted pink. This mother seems to be having a great time with her child and all the media could focus on is that fact that his toenails are pink.........OMG people this should not even be an issue. There is no written rule that says boy's can't have thier toenails painted. If you think this will make your child gay or transgendered you are very mistaken. It is just color on thier nails!!!!!!!!! Take a look at this link to the Daily Show and see John Stewart's take on this....my reaction pretty much matches his.

Thankful Thursday - Things I love

Today I am thankful for all the things that are keeping me going this week.

1. Coffee - you are always there in the morning to give me a little boost! You are the perfect vehicle for my favorite flavored creamer!

2. Water - Every morning you help wake me up in the shower, you are helping me flush out all the crap in my system and by drinking a lot of you each day I am provided with ample opportunities to get up from my desk for much needed breaks I would otherwise forget about.

 3. iPod Touch - You provide some much needed distractions at the end of my day. Music is such an escape for me and all the games are a great mindless activity.

4. My boys!! These two guys put up with me every day and still love me at the end of each one. That are the light in my life, they make me smile, laugh out loud and make me proud to call myself their wife and mama.

Being An Only Child

When I was a child I loved being an only child. At times it was lonely when my friends could not play with me but overall it was a wonderful scenario. I did not  have to share my toys, I did not have to fight for attention from my mother. I did not have to wear hand-me-down clothes. I felt like I had it made!

Now fast forward to present day and I am finding out that this is a time in my life I could use a sibling. My mother recently had surgery and is non-weight-bearing for the next 3 months. We had to take her to my uncle's house because he has the only house with an extra room and no stairs. He happens to live about 60 miles from my house. As hard at that might be on its own, I work a full time job, I have a 5 year-old son and a husband that works until 9pm. My extended family (aunts and uncle) are really chipping in and helping me out with taking care of my mom. She is learning how to use all the medical equipment that we have either rented or purchased. I know this is hard for her and I am trying my best to keep that in perspective. I am feeling exhausted and feeling like I am neglecting the needs of my family.

Brian has been wonderful during this process and stepping it up where I am falling short. This is the time I am wishing I had a large house she could be in and plenty of time to just stay home and take care of her. That is not my reality at this time and I have to relinquish some of that control to other members of my family.  I have to take my "Super Girl" cape off. I feel like if I can't spend as much time as I want to spend with her during this healing process that I am failing and I know that is not true and I also know that my mom does not feel that way. At this time I feel as if I have taken up permanent residence in "Crazy Town". Let's hope I can make the trip back to reality sooner than later.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am very thankful for my mom. She had surgery on her foot today because of her Diabetes. I am so thankful that the surgery went well and that her foot will now be stable. I am thankful for her surgeon and his knowledge and great job he did on her foot. She is a great mom and grandma!!

Wordless Wednesday

Congrats Lady Aggies

It may be an old picture, but it is one of my favorites!

McFatty Monday Update

Last week was a good week, I was back at work and in my regular routine. I have a friend at work that is also doing Weight Watchers and it helps so much to be doing this with other people. On Saturday I weighed in and lost 2.6 pounds! YAY! They gave me a sticker for losing my first 5 pounds and now I am just like my five-year-old, working each day for another sticker.  My Aunt Jackie (weight loss buddy) also lost more than 2 pounds last week. So proud of her!!

I was super nervous about this weight in because Friday was such a hard day for me. I am a support person for our event team that plans special events for our agency. This means that when they are stressed about an upcoming event, I am stressed as well. We have an event tonight (see my worries about this below), and Friday was a very busy day for me. Then, we had a going away party at work and there was pizza, cake and other yummy stuff. I made it through the actual party pretty well, mostly salad, fruit and one small piece of cheese only pizza. No cake, no pie, no bad stuff. Then I went into the kitchen to refill my water cup and there it was, a huge, chocolate cake. I tried to ignore it. I tried just smelling it. But in the end it won out and I had a bite, okay it was a BIG bite that most people might call a "small" piece. After I ate the cake, that tasted divine, I did not feel any better, in fact I felt pretty bad about my choice. Lesson Learned!

My worries this week include, but are not limited to, a baby shower I went to on Saturday. Again, I had cake, but this cake I had already planned for in my weekly points. The event tonight at a very nice steakhouse that has wonderful food and most of the food for tonight is appetizers, never low in calories. I am hoping I will be so busy I will not have time to each much, but let's face it, I will manage my time well enough to find a few moments to eat. One comforting thought is, my co-worker has already asked me to walk each day with her and that is great, it is easier for me if someone else is going too. I am not too motivated to exercise right now but if I tell someone I will go with them, because I don't want to let them down. Whatever gets me moving is alright with me!

Happy Monday and have a great week!