Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot

I can't figure out if I'm coming down with a fever or I'm hormonal today, but my make-up, no scratch that, I'm only wearing moisturizer right now is running down my face.  I'm HOT!  Of course it could be I exercised this morning and now I'm drinking coffee and we don't have the a/c on yet...March isn't really summer but we are feeling it here in Rural, USA.  I have an oscillating fan on me right now as my jeans are sticking to my legs.  Of course that could be the Jergen's Natural Glow moisturizer I put on this morning after my hot shower.  I'm thinking it's time to pull out the summer wardrobe and pack away the winter clothes.  (Kitzilla and Big Lazy Cat are running and playing catch- me- if- you- can all around the room so that's also adding some not needed heat!  LOL)

I really didn't want to talk about my physical body temperature but my emotional body temp today because I'm feeling good.  Garbage Gut woke me up at 4:30 a.m. to be let out (we really should get a doggie door!) and then he promptly went back to bed.  Problem was I couldn't get back to sleep so I tossed and turned and finally got out of bed and did some morning exercising...nothing big...stretches, kicks, sit ups, leg lifts...you know the kind of exercising that you don't turn on the lights and call attention to yourself!  You know what I mean, right?  All was quiet in the house; I even huffed and puffed quietly as I exercised, but I did do the breathing..I wasn't holding my breath.  Honest.

Several years ago (and I might have mentioned this in a previous post) I worked at Curves fitness studio for women.  I loved it; I love talking as some of you know and I was able to get in some exercising.  I didn't lose weight because you really need to exercise non-stop for 30 minutes and I never had time while I was working.  The phone would ring or a customer would need help but I know I was feeling stronger.  I will say I witnessed several women (who were 100% on program with eating healthy AND working out at Curves) lose a tremendous amount of weight.  Our Curves couldn't survive here for many, many reasons-- I won't go into detail but if you have a Curves in your area and you don't have a good exercise routine, you might want to give them a try.  I bring this up because I started lifting weights too...nothing big but you know, building up some strength.  Strength training (I'm not talking muscle or body weight training..unless that's what you want to do) is vital for aging women...no matter what your age.  We continuously lose muscle.  Some communities offer free (or a minimal fee) strength training for women.  Check it out and let's get hot, Hot, HOT for the summer!!!

Can You Say....

Mañana...as in true Scarlett O'Hara form~"I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."  Why fiddle-dee-dee, that's me!  Why do something today when I can put it off till tomorrow (or the next or the next)?  What's the title of my blog?  Oh yeah, going against the grain STILL.  I am a hopeless procrastinator, but don't tell my children (aw, who am I kidding!).

So we are nearing the end of March and I can tell you with absolute pride (puff puff) that I have enjoyed healthy breakfasts thus far.  But here's the bad news....I haven't lost a pound!  Yep, I'm confessing.  Eating healthy breakfasts (for me) didn't change how I ate for the rest of the day.  Now to be truthful, it did at the beginning of the month.  I was starting out healthy but by the end of the month, I noticed my bad habits kicking back in.  This is truly a roller coaster for me and I hope you aren't disappointed but hey, I'm being truthful.  The fact of the matter is---eat healthy in the morning and continue during the day.  Now I believe I can have that Sonic chicken burger once a month and it won't break the bank or my waistline, but having that yummy thing once a week is not helping me save money nor shed the weight.  Eating that delicious ice cream sandwich every night while watching cooking shows is not the answer either!!!!!   "Aye aye aye" as my inner Ricky Ricardo would say while slapping his shaking head and I would have to agree.  Being honest with you as I type it out I'm truly slapping my shaking head and exclaiming "Aye aye aye; what is the matter with me!"  It's liberating...try it...type or slap...you pick your own "aye aye aye."

Sooooooo......in conclusion March has marched off and April is rounding the corner of this weight loss parade and here is my April challenge:  no more ice cream sandwiches for the month and I'm kicking the couch potato habit.  I'm moving my bones and marching to a different drummer.  Watch out April; these boots are made for walking!

I love Go-Go boots! But I would break my neck in these puppies!

Too Cute

Just what I needed: another TV series to fall in love with or with which to fall in love?  A couple of weekends ago, Rat Mom treated me to a concert and not just any concert.....HEART~ Ann and Nancy Wilson!  They still rock.  And not just anywhere either....A CASINO!!!!!  We had a great time and it was during a down time that she found a TV show on Animal Planet (what other channel would a girl who already has a dog buys a rat and has names picked out for her next dog, horse, goat, and donkey...and those are just the animals and names she has told me??!!).  Animal Planet has a delightful show named "Too Cute" and it is. (Don't worry Mom, I'm not planning to use anymore birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or "just because" money on another pet.  I've learned my lesson with Garbage Gut!)  Beware if you dare to watch this cute cuddly program;  I guarantee you will start dreaming about kittens and puppies.  My mama always warned me that cute little kittens and cuddly little puppies would soon grow up to be cats and dogs.  I can definitely attest to that.  Kitzilla only wants to be snuggled with Garbage Gut.. I have enough photos to prove it!  I watch that program and want to snuggle with all my animals and let me tell you one of them stinks.  I tried grabbing Kitzilla and she meowed and bolted.  I guess she doesn't like to be grabbed from behind and squeezed.  Who knew?

I'm also enjoying another program: Cupcake Wars.  It is just as cute and cuddly as "Too Cute."  Some of the concoctions these bakers come up with is hysterical.  Jalapenos and pineapple...in a cupcake???  But the judges love it and on to Round Two for that Chef.  I am getting to be the Ultimate Couch Potato flipping through Dancing with the Stars (were we really surprised she got voted off?) to Chopped to Animal Planet to PBS.  Yikes..stop...get off the couch and move, Strawberry!  Even Hubby (the truly Ultimate Channel Surfer) got fed up with it and went to the bedroom to read a book.  Ha ha ha, she laughs evilly; now he knows how I felt all those many years ago when I witnessed his sports channel surfer while sprinting to the radio for those events NOT on TV and then back to the TV.  Now that's what I call a sport!

As far as the casino goes, let's just say, they didn't earn enough to pay a light bulb between the two of us.  I lost $1.97 out of my $2.00 limit and Rat Mom lost $1.85 out of her $2.00 limit.  I'm so...sniff sniff....proud.  Although I might have to start playing the slot machine to earn a little extra to pay for The Cooking Channel.  I hear they have some good programs too....like Losing 5 pounds with Good Housekeeping!  I'm gonna need that show if I don't get off the couch.

Spring Cleaning

It hit me this past weekend- that nesting feeling or rather that clean up the nest feeling.  I spent all day Saturday baking.  I helped host a bridal shower on Sunday so Saturday I spent all my day in the kitchen...cooking and cleaning the dishes and pans and counter tops.  I've decided that's a good way to clean the kitchen~ cook!  My refrigerator desperately needed cleaning but frankly I just didn't have the energy after cooking all day.    I did clean it out a little by using some items for my recipes.  That counts as cleaning, right?

I finally used that puff pastry that had been taking up residence in the freezer for who knows how long.

Yummy pizza using puff pastry

One side: just cheese please; other side: contents of fridge~  Yum!

 Every time I opened that fridge door, an onion smell wafted out and I kept noticing the strawberry jam (or what seemed to be strawberry jam!) at the bottom of the inside of the door.  I can't tell you how many science projects were molding in there.  It seemed someone spilled something and didn't clean it up and we kept ignoring it.  On Sunday I was geared up with plastic gloves and hot soapy water and a sponge.  I took out shelves and bins and cleaned that sucker from top to bottom.

sparkly clean happy fridge

Tomorrow I start on the bottom cabinet--you know the one that houses ALL the plastic containers and lids!!!!  Yikes...what a mess.  It is definitely "spring" at the strawberry patch; I'm springing into action.  What to join me?

Friday Morning!

Gosh, where did my week go?  Oh yeah, now I know....work!  Part of my job is taking care of the bank's safe deposit boxes and this was spring cleaning week...not the contents in the boxes themselves, mind you...it wouldn't be a "safe" deposit box if I could get in them and clean them for you.  Sidebar:  you wouldn't believe how many people think we have an extra key at the bank of your safe deposit box.  The reason it is safe is because YOU are the only one who has a key to your box.  If you lose your key, you have to come to the bank while we get it drilled open and it ain't cheap.  Just ask the 3 customers who lost their key and had to pay almost $150.00 to drill.  Ouch!  Okay, I'm done with the sidebar.  So I spent my last 2 days going through the available boxes...matching keys to the available box...making note if we didn't have a key to a box and WE'D have to drill and pay the price, etc. etc.  Doesn't sound hard, right?  It wasn't except for the fact that the boxes are high enough and low enough that I was getting some exercise in there.  Try doing the crab walk along the floor of one of your rooms or walking around the perimeter with your arms above your head-- I did this from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. except for my 45 minute lunch "hour."  Can you say extremely out of shape strawberry?  I hurt; I'm walking like my legs are non-bendable tree trunks.  I thought I needed to go in for a mammogram because my boobs hurt- lifting my arms, remember?  Last night was bowling night and this morning I thought I'd need a crane to hoist me out of bed.  Ohhhh,  oooooohhhhh.....boo hoo.  I'm contemplating purchasing one of those chairs that lift you up and out!

On the brighter side, look what was waving at me this morning....

Hope you have a wonderful day and perfect weekend.  The weather here in Rural, USA is supposed to be fantastic!

Do you believe?

Last Friday a rather odd thing happened to one of the tellers at the bank.  She was handling a customer's transaction when all of the sudden 5 lollipops in her candy basket flew at her.  We have it on tape!  She is convinced a ghost threw them at her.  It is hard to tell on the tape what exactly happened but I can tell you no human touched those lollipops.  Ha...strange, right?

I must admit, I love drama but I'm kinda getting tired of THIS drama and so are some of the other co-workers.  A few of us don't believe in ghosts.  I mean, really, we are talking about a bank.  What paranormal thing would go after lollipops when there is a whole vault full of money?  Not to mention the HUGE vault door.  I mean if you want to scare the hell out of us, why not slam that vault door closed?  Now that would get my attention.  Lollipops...pffff.

Our conversation about ghosts got us talking about angels.  It's all kind of funny that this is happening now.  This past week (before the ghost incident which I will refer to as BTGI) I got a hankering to watch Jodie Foster in Contact..you know the movie discussing life on other planets.  Coincidence?

What about you?  What do you believe?

Rainy days and Mondays

I'm really hoping it isn't going to be one of "those" days, but it looks like it will be.  I gained a little bit over the weekend.  I'm a little blue because the college kiddos went back to school.  It's raining here in Rural, USA AND it's a Monday!  The dogs are wet and and one of them jumped in my chair (I just found that out!).  I dropped the veggie spray and it's one of those new sprayers so the nozzle cracked and I sprayed veggie spray all over the pan, the stovetop, and myself.  Yep, I've got a blue heart, a wet butt and a sticky chest and belly.  This truly is a day to sing that old Carpenter song.  I could let it "get me down" and take everyone and everything with me, but I'm not gonna.

I had a fantastic time with the college kiddos.  Rat Mom and I went to the Heart concert at the Winstar Casino.  Every time the family drives back from South Texas I want to go in and see the place-- now I have!  The rain will give the plants some much needed nourishment.  The veggie spray didn't cost that much so if I need to replace it, I'll replace it.  My butt will dry, I can change my shirt, so my Monday morning smile will not turn to a frown-- I will not bark at my co-workers and anyone else who happens into my path.  They had nothing to do with my sticky/ messy start of a morning.  I can get back on my diet plan today and relish the good moments and memories I had with my kiddos.

So how's your Monday morning?  I'm hoping you were off to a better start!