Postal Fun!

Have I mentioned yet that I like to send and recieve awesome stuff in the mail? Like cards and cookies and well, maybe not cookies. They get stale. Unless they are correctly packaged. Mmm. Cookies. I told myself I could make myself a whole batch of chocolate chip cookies when I had lost 10 pounds. I almost did it this weekend anyway.

Regardless, I have never lost my childlike facination with getting stuff in the mail.

Which is why I signed up over at Cheeseblarg to share the joy in her Valentines exchange. Because it's fun.

If you also like to get mail, go sign up for the Bubbly Creations mailing list. There's fun stuff arriving all the time. Not in an obnoxious way, of course. the list is kept in my house under lock and key (I lock my doors) and no one gets to see it but me. And the dog. But he can't read or open the mail box.

gina.bubblycreations@gmail.com

I tried, I really, really tried

perhaps, like Chickie said, I was aiming too high. To post something joyful every day. I'm not going to lie, it was easy at first. Fresh off the high of family time, job was going good. volcano was disappearing.

then reality came back. I'm still on my eating plan (mostly) and I'm still exercising (I'm over 4000 lunges and squats) I'm still looking for the joy every day and still trying to avoid spreading any negativity. The volcano is back, dormant, painful.

There have been moments when I have wanted to crawl under my desk. Or strangle someone through the computer. I've threatened to take a personal day. I've gone outside just to feel the snow on my face because that was the only thing I believed would pull me back into some semblance of happy right at that moment.

I'm just trying to find my balance, that's all. And hopefully, it won't get any uglier. I mean, I know it's going to get more stressful. I just hope that I can handle it better than I have in the past.

Everything is going to be okay.

Does this happen to you?

Where you smell something and suddenly you have a craving?

I'm pretty sure what I was smelling was coffee but now I really really want...

A tuna melt.

Gee thanks. and Eew.

pearl update:

I managed to squish all the stuff out of the pearl - which wasn't a pearl after all, and update Chickie on all the gory details because, well, she's into that sort of thing. Was all excited that maybe it was gone for good...

And it grew back. And this time it HURTS! Which means I may have to go to the Dr to have it removed after all (I had an offer of help from not-a-Dr but I declined)

I'm beginning to feel like Quasimodo. Bratty put the thought in my head that perhaps it is infected and that's why it hurts... Great. One more thing to be a hypochondriac over. Not only have I developed a third boobie on my back, but it's infected.

I'll be under my desk if anyone needs me.

Alright. I missed a day.

Not going to beat myself up over it. Plus, yesterday, I was being cranky and didn't have a whole lot of nice to say. I still don't, so I am focusing on happier things.

Like...

How good it feels to share my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup with my coworker who is trying to get healthier too. She is SO excited about it and I just can't have any better than that.

Random attacks from the dyslexia monster

I looked in my medicine cabinet this morning and was momentarily confused. I didn't recognize the brand name on my ibuprophin. Where in the world did I buy the bran pu & pu?

Then I looked again and thought about it for a second. Up & Up. I was reading it upside down.

The bottle wasn't upside down, but apparently my brain was.

The Refs recalled that point. There was a flag on the play

Apparently, the email about me reaching my fundraising goals was sent in error. I'm still a loser. But at least I'm a giggling one.

when happy just oozes out

Part of the reason that I decided to become more focused on bringing joy into my world was because I got into a discussion on my website hosting community that turned very negative. I had posted what I thought was a constructive sugestion for us all, and it turned into something far nastier. So I started laying low in the forums and decided to pin/buy/or complement via direct message the people who were appealing to me instead of suggesting openly that we all think twice about what we put in our stores.

Additionally, I have been trying to avoid getting involved with any conversations focusing on negative things and reading the happy things. Jokes, kudos, little stories. Today I popped into a converstaion labelled something to the effect of "If you need a shoulder to lean on" and the outpouring of support for eachother that I found therein was uplifting.

Drama might be exciting. It might get your adrenellin going. But it feels so much better to feel the love.

GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!

I just got an email that said that I have reached my fundraising goal for the March Of Dimes. I had forgotten I was fundraising. Since I vaguely remember something about blogging it here, then I would like to say, THANK YOU! for helping the healthy baby cause.

Another great day! With a side of frustration

But we won't talk about me getting frustrated because it was about work and I don't talk about that here. Public forum and all. Actually, I don't talk about work ANYWHERE on the internet unless it's a happy thought because, well, I do like my job most of the time and I would like to keep it.

So happy news for the day? I lost three pounds since last weigh in. That may not seem like much, but down is so much better than up. Sure, I've cheated a bit on the new eating plan, but for the most part
I've been staying on the healthy side of the food pyramid and I am definitely not binging and starving. Not that I can anymore, but hey, my attitude is MUCH better. Most days.  My lunge goal? Going good.

In pearly news, eew. I am rethinking the whole "have the Dr remove it" part of the story because, well, its gone down considerably since the last time I saw her (eew) and I get the bill today for the bloodwork I had done. It's over $300. One more reason its a good thing there isn't actually anything wrong with me that a healthy diet and some exercise won't fix. Gross though it is (and it is) allowing it to "take care of itself" is free...  Medical attention is REALLY expensive.

It's working

Before I decided to return to my core needs and start focusing on being a happier person, I started planning a new "marketing campaign" with Bubbly Creations that allowed me to interract with my customers in a way that was fun and new. And different from what other people have been doing. So I went through my records and grabbed the people who have made purchases or who I thought might be interested in the fun and started mailing stuff.

Firstly, you must know that I love to mail stuff. Partially because I like the process af addressing and weighing and sending. I also love to get stuff in the mail. Not bills, but letters and packages. Even though I am not a big card sender, I like to get them. OK, I like to send the cards, I just don't like to pay for them. I have started making them. That's one of those give and take things. You have to send the cards to get them. I get it.

So anyhow, last Saturday I sent out my first grouping of goodness.

While I have only heard from one person, I can say that her reaction was so overwhelmingly positive that my heart swelled up and my hair stood on end. I couldn't help but smile for quite awhile after.

That. That right there. THAT is what life is all about.

I am so fortunate

That I get to look up and see the sun set over the Sierras every day. There are days when it takes my breath away

Something to change about myself

I'm oganizing all of the volunteers and non skaters for the bout coming up on the 28th at Roller Kingdom (yeah, I just did that) and started getting frustrated with the people who responded to my call for help with "I'll do whatever you want" or "I'm available for whatever!" because it doesn't help me to fill in the very specific blanks.

Then I realized that I have become so easy going about certain things that I don't tend to have an opinion. So for me, without being obnoxious, "whatever is fine" is no longer an acceptable answer. Because the person asking is asking because they they WANT to have my input and opinion OR they WANT to place me in a spot where I will be happy. And also? sometimes when there are 50 spots to fill, "I can't help you" (not acceptable this time.) is better than "put me wherever".

A sudden realization

I looked around and suddenly I realized that the people I work with? I really sincerely like them. It was a good feeling.

Did I really say a million?

Little did I know how big that number really is. Oh sure, it seems like everyone and their brother is a millionaire these days. Apparently, in dollar value, 1,000,000 just isn't that much. We hear about BILLIONaires every day. Thank goodness I didn't decide to do a billion lunges and squats!

After doing some math, I realized that while 1,000,000 is not unattainable, it would take me so long that I would likely lose focus before then and always regret not having reached my goal. So I revised it to 100,000.

Current count is 280.

My Seester asked how it is that I can stand doing so many at once, but I break it up into groups of 20 so I don't lose track and since my leg muscles are already pretty well developed, it's not too bad. It's actually kind of fun (right now). I do well with goals.

Best part is, with all my fitness goals and better diet, I'm already feeling better and (dare I say?) seeing a bit of a difference. HOORAY!

Something I love

One thing I love about derby is the opportunity to work with the new girls. I don't want to spend all my time with them because then I don't get a workout, but I really enjoy the opportunity to give them suggestions to help them improve. Things that no one told me or that I didn't learn for a really long time. It feels good to help someone else.

First night back and my thighs are killing me!

Monday was my long awaited first night back to derby practice. There was a point where I didn't know if I was going to make it. But I did. And it was a GREAT workout! I might actually make my workout goal for the week! YAY!

Also? I have a new goal. 1,000,000 squats or lunges. you'll get periodic updates on that. Right now? I'm at 60. I better get cracking.

That's Hot

I made the suggestion to go to Carson Hot Springs in order to soak out our hangovers, but thankfully none of us actually drank enough to have one.

We went anyway. It was wonderful spending quality time with my aunt and cousin talking girl talk and avoiding creepers.

New year's day was perfect. Chango and I didn't get home until late, but it was wonderful.

You just can't beat family

At least not mine. So staying up late, playing board games and watching scary movies? Perfect way to spend my new year's eve.

To heck with the diet

I'm not going to pretend that I have been logging every peice of candy, because I haven't, but I have been pretty good about logging everything else, and have been coming in under calorie count most days (I just have to stay away from Del Taco)

But you can bet your buttons that I'm going to eat every sweet treat in the basket Ghandi just dropped off because she and her family made it for me and that is frickin awesome.

Always the little things

I sure do like my coworker. Not Bratty (Well. her too, of course) but the other one. in the cube to my right as I face the sierras. We talk periodically about stuff and well, she's just plain nice. And she makes me smile.

Only a picture can accurately describe

Tuesday's Joy...

The picture may be old but the face is still the same. I sure did miss him.