Yeah, we've been sick here. Initially I thought the kids had developed allergies, but then it hit me too. What started out as a congested head turned into crappy throat and later a stomach issue. Bleah.
The GOOD NEWS! Ironically, the good news here is that Jake got laid off! (I know, ridiculous!) That means that he's going to have enough time to get moving on all those projects that will make our house livable, like the new sewer line and the forced air heating system! w00t!
This week he's going to take advantage of the cash-for-scrap yards, which are only open on weekdays around here. He has an unreal pile of metal to get rid of - a junky old gas stove, old rusted metal kitchen cabinets, loads of pipes from the old radiator system (thankfully he was able to sell off the radiators and oil tank), scads of other stuff that just kept piling up for months... it's so nice to think that we can get paid for making more room in the house! Yesterday he dropped three small trees and started prepping a fourth, today he's continuing the tape/mud/sand project on the upstairs drywall.
I was able to lend a hand with the yard work yesterday for a little while, but I'm under a little pressure from the Census to put in at minimum 20 hours a week. It's surprisingly hard to do - one run through my assigned block took me less than two hours. I've been told to take that extra time to make sure my forms are as neat as possible. This job could lend itself to certain abuses.
Catie went to Camporee with her Brownie troop and (predictably) had to come home early because she ran out of clean undies and pants. Her bowel condition had been improving, but apparently being away from home and using facilities that were a distance away and were buzzing with flies did not help the situation. Oh well.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Effective government and other oxymorons
God bless my cousin Jennifer! She came up for the week to watch my kids so I could go to census training - and is managing better with Catie than I usually do! And she told Daniel that he shouldn't put anything smaller than his elbow in his ear... so he tried putting his elbow in his ear!
The census training is dreadful, as anyone who has ever dealt with government programs might guess. It's not hard - in fact, the whole thing is fairly simple and easy to understand - but we are being spoon-fed the information at a painfully slow rate. It doesn't help that there are a few people that are fairly dense and incapable of reaching a logical conclusion on their own (which makes them uniquely suited to government work) and that the teacher is easily sidetracked and unable to follow a timetable. I have two more days, and I'm fighting the urge to go up, grab his teaching script and finish the training process myself! It's a good thing that this job pays well!
Catie's first communion was wonderful - she felt a little sad that she didn't have a veil like the other girls, but she pointed out that no one else had a dress that their mommies had made just for them! She took communion again on Sunday, and was just super thrilled to be a part of the mass in a way she never was before.
Jake's getting loads of the upstairs drywall finished off - so excited! If he's laid off by Monday the work will start going like it's rolling downhill.
You know what? Life is good!
The census training is dreadful, as anyone who has ever dealt with government programs might guess. It's not hard - in fact, the whole thing is fairly simple and easy to understand - but we are being spoon-fed the information at a painfully slow rate. It doesn't help that there are a few people that are fairly dense and incapable of reaching a logical conclusion on their own (which makes them uniquely suited to government work) and that the teacher is easily sidetracked and unable to follow a timetable. I have two more days, and I'm fighting the urge to go up, grab his teaching script and finish the training process myself! It's a good thing that this job pays well!
Catie's first communion was wonderful - she felt a little sad that she didn't have a veil like the other girls, but she pointed out that no one else had a dress that their mommies had made just for them! She took communion again on Sunday, and was just super thrilled to be a part of the mass in a way she never was before.
Jake's getting loads of the upstairs drywall finished off - so excited! If he's laid off by Monday the work will start going like it's rolling downhill.
You know what? Life is good!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Shangri-la, week 2
The weight loss continues - slower now, especially as I've hit a point in my month where chocolate is lucky to escape intact, but still going.
Day 1 - weight 198, waist 42"
Day 7 - weight 193, waist 39"
Day 14 - weight 192, waist 38"
My appetite is still lower than before - I had to decrease the oil and increase my food intake after feeling very sick and dizzy one evening, but clearly if I'm losing weight the week "Aunt Flo" is visiting something must be working!
Day 1 - weight 198, waist 42"
Day 7 - weight 193, waist 39"
Day 14 - weight 192, waist 38"
My appetite is still lower than before - I had to decrease the oil and increase my food intake after feeling very sick and dizzy one evening, but clearly if I'm losing weight the week "Aunt Flo" is visiting something must be working!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Good thing I'm losing weight!
Now, before I go too far with this post, I should mention that Catie and Daniel's (separated) bunk beds were a cheapy cheap $200 purchase from BJ's a few years ago.
Now, you've read the headline, you've read the warning, I bet you've guessed what happened.
Yep. I broke my sons' bed. I sat down hard, and the long part across the length of the bed broke spectacularly right through the middle. Yeah, it was pressed fiberboard or low grade plywood. Thankfully Jake has an old twin size bed stashed in his moms' attic, but it'll take until this weekend to dig it out. Until then Daniel will be sleeping with a mattress on the floor.
Other challenges this week - Catie's first communion preparation on Tues. and Thurs. with the actual event on Saturday. I have to finish sewing her dress.
I got a call from the census group, and I'm supposed to go in for training next week, May 3 - 6th. The downside is that I have to find someone to watch my kids from 8:30-4:30 those days. The upside is that they'll pay $13.50 an hour for my training and work - and I also have a massage and a focus group booked for that week. So, for the first time in a while, I'll actually be able to build my savings back up and make a few small repairs on my car!
Biggest challenge - the house is still in need of major renovations before the wedding in September. In order,
remove pine tree
replace sewer line
finish drywall upstairs
put in flooring in kitchen and bathroom
install kitchen cabinets/acquire and install appliances/countertop
install new toilet and sink in upstairs bathroom
frame out interiors of windows/ wrap exterior of windows
tear out & rebuild the front porch & porch roof
install new forced air heating system
replace hot water heater
Downstairs -
frame out downstairs bathroom, drywall hang & finish
install sink, shower & toilet
hang drywall/finish drywall in downstairs bedroom
Replace downstairs exterior doors
hang downstairs drop ceiling
Throughout house -
install interior doors, knobs
install lighting fixtures, ceiling fans
paint
put in hardwood flooring and carpet
Plus about a thousand other things that I'm forgetting. So much to do!
Now, you've read the headline, you've read the warning, I bet you've guessed what happened.
Yep. I broke my sons' bed. I sat down hard, and the long part across the length of the bed broke spectacularly right through the middle. Yeah, it was pressed fiberboard or low grade plywood. Thankfully Jake has an old twin size bed stashed in his moms' attic, but it'll take until this weekend to dig it out. Until then Daniel will be sleeping with a mattress on the floor.
Other challenges this week - Catie's first communion preparation on Tues. and Thurs. with the actual event on Saturday. I have to finish sewing her dress.
I got a call from the census group, and I'm supposed to go in for training next week, May 3 - 6th. The downside is that I have to find someone to watch my kids from 8:30-4:30 those days. The upside is that they'll pay $13.50 an hour for my training and work - and I also have a massage and a focus group booked for that week. So, for the first time in a while, I'll actually be able to build my savings back up and make a few small repairs on my car!
Biggest challenge - the house is still in need of major renovations before the wedding in September. In order,
remove pine tree
replace sewer line
finish drywall upstairs
put in flooring in kitchen and bathroom
install kitchen cabinets/acquire and install appliances/countertop
install new toilet and sink in upstairs bathroom
frame out interiors of windows/ wrap exterior of windows
tear out & rebuild the front porch & porch roof
install new forced air heating system
replace hot water heater
Downstairs -
frame out downstairs bathroom, drywall hang & finish
install sink, shower & toilet
hang drywall/finish drywall in downstairs bedroom
Replace downstairs exterior doors
hang downstairs drop ceiling
Throughout house -
install interior doors, knobs
install lighting fixtures, ceiling fans
paint
put in hardwood flooring and carpet
Plus about a thousand other things that I'm forgetting. So much to do!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Wise use of food stamps
One of the things that food stamps can buy you is an orchard!
See, food stamps can be used to buy food, but also food producing plants and seeds! This spring I bought (mostly from Aldi and Walmart) 4 grapevines, 3 blueberry bushes, 2 blackberry bushes, 2 raspberry bushes, a few strawberry plants, and an apple tree. Not all of these are staying at Mom and Dad's house - some of them will be transplanted to the new house. I deliberately bought them with the intent of transplanting since after the wedding I won't have food stamps anymore - I intend to buy and freeze next year's garden seeds too.
Why bother with all this? Well, a $6 blueberry bush might not produce much this year, but next year I'll probably get $20 or more worth of blueberries out of that bush, and the year after, and the year after. It's a literal growth fund. The bigger question is why don't more people with food stamps do this? That's more complicated.
When you have only, say, $200 to spend on food for the month, are you more likely to spend it on food you can eat now or a potential source of food that may or may not grow well for you? Let's say you're a forward thinking individual and carefully invested a few dollars in a food producing plant. Do you rent or own the land around you? Can you put that plant in the ground, or will it remain pot-bound? Granted, there's always the Topsy Turvy (which has added pots designed for peppers and strawberries), but my favorite money-saver food plants are the ones that you don't need to start new every year. (Though I do like peppers!)
It's too bad that the people that would benefit the most from a renewable source of food are the ones least able to plant and enjoy them year after year. I do hope more people at least attempt a container garden - it's so nice to have fresh tomatoes and salad greens.
Maybe a community garden plot supplied by food stamp recipients would be a good idea? Food for thought.
See, food stamps can be used to buy food, but also food producing plants and seeds! This spring I bought (mostly from Aldi and Walmart) 4 grapevines, 3 blueberry bushes, 2 blackberry bushes, 2 raspberry bushes, a few strawberry plants, and an apple tree. Not all of these are staying at Mom and Dad's house - some of them will be transplanted to the new house. I deliberately bought them with the intent of transplanting since after the wedding I won't have food stamps anymore - I intend to buy and freeze next year's garden seeds too.
Why bother with all this? Well, a $6 blueberry bush might not produce much this year, but next year I'll probably get $20 or more worth of blueberries out of that bush, and the year after, and the year after. It's a literal growth fund. The bigger question is why don't more people with food stamps do this? That's more complicated.
When you have only, say, $200 to spend on food for the month, are you more likely to spend it on food you can eat now or a potential source of food that may or may not grow well for you? Let's say you're a forward thinking individual and carefully invested a few dollars in a food producing plant. Do you rent or own the land around you? Can you put that plant in the ground, or will it remain pot-bound? Granted, there's always the Topsy Turvy (which has added pots designed for peppers and strawberries), but my favorite money-saver food plants are the ones that you don't need to start new every year. (Though I do like peppers!)
It's too bad that the people that would benefit the most from a renewable source of food are the ones least able to plant and enjoy them year after year. I do hope more people at least attempt a container garden - it's so nice to have fresh tomatoes and salad greens.
Maybe a community garden plot supplied by food stamp recipients would be a good idea? Food for thought.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Losing weight!
I was reading Freakonomics about two weeks ago. I love that book - it appeals to my non-linear thought pattern. It was the version that had been updated in '06 with all sorts of extras from their blog, and one of those extras was about a behavioral psychologist who had developed a simple, inexpensive and easy method of weight loss.
The premise of the method is that certain foods have a way of raising or lowering your body's "set point" - the weight that your body wants to be right then. Foods with a high flavor/calorie association (like sweets, Doritos, junk food) will raise your set point, foods with a low flavor/calories association (bland food - plain rice, cottage cheese) will lower your set point. Foods with NO flavor/calorie association (flavorless oil, sugar water) with lower the set point A LOT.
Translation - if you take in a certain amount of calories with no flavor (so your mouth doesn't go "mmmm, more of that please!") you will feel full a lot faster when you consume meals with flavor.
How do you do this? In a two hour flavorless window (one hour after and before having ANY tastes in your mouth, including toothpaste, coffee, gum, etc) you drink either a tablespoon or two of flavorless oil (extra light olive oil is recommended) OR two tablespoons of sugar dissolved in water.
That's it. When mealtime comes, load your plate as usual and marvel at how much you don't feel like eating. Seriously, that plate will look ridiculously overloaded.
I started this 7 days ago. I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to food. I love food. We are having my wedding reception in a fantastic restaurant not for the decor, but because I fell in love with the food. I have stopped snacking. Repeat - I HAVE STOPPED SNACKING. I don't even want to. But the numbers tell the real story, and I love empirical data.
4/14 - Day one. Weight, 198 lbs(!) Bust - 44", Waist - 42", Hips - 43"
4/21 - Day seven - Weight, 193 lbs, Bust 44", Waist - 39", Hips - 42"
I'm 5' 8 1/2", and my initial BMI was in the obese category. The BMI calculator gave me a target weight of 157, which I haven't seen in ten years. If this rate of weight loss continues, or even if it slows down to 2-3 lbs a week, I will hit that target in 12 to 16 weeks. This feels very sustainable - I don't feel deprived or terribly hungry, just that my appetite has dropped off the map.
The only downside? My lovely, simple wedding dress will hang on me like a sack! I'll have to wear something else!
The premise of the method is that certain foods have a way of raising or lowering your body's "set point" - the weight that your body wants to be right then. Foods with a high flavor/calorie association (like sweets, Doritos, junk food) will raise your set point, foods with a low flavor/calories association (bland food - plain rice, cottage cheese) will lower your set point. Foods with NO flavor/calorie association (flavorless oil, sugar water) with lower the set point A LOT.
Translation - if you take in a certain amount of calories with no flavor (so your mouth doesn't go "mmmm, more of that please!") you will feel full a lot faster when you consume meals with flavor.
How do you do this? In a two hour flavorless window (one hour after and before having ANY tastes in your mouth, including toothpaste, coffee, gum, etc) you drink either a tablespoon or two of flavorless oil (extra light olive oil is recommended) OR two tablespoons of sugar dissolved in water.
That's it. When mealtime comes, load your plate as usual and marvel at how much you don't feel like eating. Seriously, that plate will look ridiculously overloaded.
I started this 7 days ago. I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to food. I love food. We are having my wedding reception in a fantastic restaurant not for the decor, but because I fell in love with the food. I have stopped snacking. Repeat - I HAVE STOPPED SNACKING. I don't even want to. But the numbers tell the real story, and I love empirical data.
4/14 - Day one. Weight, 198 lbs(!) Bust - 44", Waist - 42", Hips - 43"
4/21 - Day seven - Weight, 193 lbs, Bust 44", Waist - 39", Hips - 42"
I'm 5' 8 1/2", and my initial BMI was in the obese category. The BMI calculator gave me a target weight of 157, which I haven't seen in ten years. If this rate of weight loss continues, or even if it slows down to 2-3 lbs a week, I will hit that target in 12 to 16 weeks. This feels very sustainable - I don't feel deprived or terribly hungry, just that my appetite has dropped off the map.
The only downside? My lovely, simple wedding dress will hang on me like a sack! I'll have to wear something else!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Adrenaline pumping, non-stop action!
That's how the last month has felt.
Catie's birthday was March 27th. We had 9 little 8-9 year old kids running around our house, eating cake, ice cream, and doing new face paint and hairdos.
Easter was the next weekend. We traveled to my Uncle Mike and Aunt Anne's house in Virginia, which added up to a total of 5 1/2 hours of drive time. Good thing Mike has a lot of property for the kids to run on!
The following weekend Jake, his mom, his stepdad, his nephew, my two kids and I went to Rehobeth beach for a three day weekend to celebrate Jake's birthday. (30th!) We have the use of a very nice three bedroom condo that's 2 blocks from the beach and one block from the "Avenue" of shops during the off-season, which is just lovely. We had a great time.
Last weekend was my cousin Jennifer's wedding. I was a bridesmaid, so my mom, Catie and I all went down a day before so we could attend the rehearsal. 5 minutes after checking into our hotel I was hijacked by my aunt Maureen because Jennifer was threatening to call off the whole wedding. Not because of mixed feelings about her man - because she was worried about all the people looking at her. I was put on Jennifer duty until the actual time of the wedding, which I'm pleased to say happened on schedule.
We came home Saturday night. Today is Tuesday, and we've almost recovered the lost ground in housekeeping. I'm not falling asleep at the drop of a hat. We're getting back on a schedule.
Wow. Non-stop action wears me out.
Catie's birthday was March 27th. We had 9 little 8-9 year old kids running around our house, eating cake, ice cream, and doing new face paint and hairdos.
Easter was the next weekend. We traveled to my Uncle Mike and Aunt Anne's house in Virginia, which added up to a total of 5 1/2 hours of drive time. Good thing Mike has a lot of property for the kids to run on!
The following weekend Jake, his mom, his stepdad, his nephew, my two kids and I went to Rehobeth beach for a three day weekend to celebrate Jake's birthday. (30th!) We have the use of a very nice three bedroom condo that's 2 blocks from the beach and one block from the "Avenue" of shops during the off-season, which is just lovely. We had a great time.
Last weekend was my cousin Jennifer's wedding. I was a bridesmaid, so my mom, Catie and I all went down a day before so we could attend the rehearsal. 5 minutes after checking into our hotel I was hijacked by my aunt Maureen because Jennifer was threatening to call off the whole wedding. Not because of mixed feelings about her man - because she was worried about all the people looking at her. I was put on Jennifer duty until the actual time of the wedding, which I'm pleased to say happened on schedule.
We came home Saturday night. Today is Tuesday, and we've almost recovered the lost ground in housekeeping. I'm not falling asleep at the drop of a hat. We're getting back on a schedule.
Wow. Non-stop action wears me out.
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