Frienemy

As you may or may not know, Jeff has been running for about a year now. This past summer he actually committed and did really well, and can run a couple of miles. His blood pressure is down, and he lost 30 some-odd pounds. Well, I was pregnant this past summer. So what does that tell you?

He wants to keep running, but won't in Ohio's confused, crappy weather patterns. I am a sucky runner, always have been. Even when I had a six pack and played three sports year round, I was a sucky runner. I don't want to do it out in public where strangers can see me about to pass out (or actually passed out, who knows), and so we've been looking for a cheapo treadmill on Craig's List. So far, two have been bought out from under us because Jeff was at work and could't pick them up any earlier. 

Then I got the bright idea this week that I would jump rope. I read somewhere that it burns about 200 calories (for someone around my size) every 15 minutes. So that's where I wanted to start, 15 minutes. I was committed, I was excited.

I was wrong.

The "rope" I bought is cheap, from the grocery store. It didn't want to spin as I spun, so it kept wrapping up on itself and eventually either tripped me, or slapped me in the legs. Combine the constant stop start stop start from being tripped with my wheezing, and you get five minutes. A lousy five minutes that weren't even solid because of my darn tripping on that darn 'rope'. You feel me?

So this is where we are. I'm a little bit frustrated because what I REALLY want to do is join a team. I want to play softball and volleyball again but I know of none around me except for the teams at my old job at Honda. I doubt they'd supply the cardio I need anyway. Anyone have any good ideas? Suggestions? The Zumba classes around these parts are filled with 70 year old women and no one my age except ME. That lasted one class. 

I want something that will be a life style change: a hobby. Something I look forward to on a regular basis. Not just something I have to do to keep weight off. And I also don't want to pay much at all. We're already very strapped for cash because of forced unnecessary Master's Degrees, but that's a whole 'nother post.

I'd like to hear what  you all think. Maybe you have another witty way to keep the weight off without bundling up A to go out in this crap.

xoxo~Lindsay

Busy Week!

Wow, I've been meaning to update this thing all weekend. Starting Thursday, I've been busy outside of work. A certain someone turned four months old last week and was due for shots, so I took off work just in case it wrecked her day. Last time, it wrecked three days, so I was playing it safe. 


Since I had the morning free, I took it upon myself to take her four month portraits! I ended up with about 150 pictures, half of which I ended up deleting. Still, that's a lot to choose from when making prints! Here are some of my favs:

I actually really like the colors in the one above, I should have taken more like this!

Friday was COSI for work. I know, it's freaking sweet that I get paid to go places like this sometimes ;) Anyway, I took my friend Brandy's daughter, C, since A isn't old enough to enjoy it AND because the poor girl has to sit around all day while her parents work and/or tend to her baby brother. I knew she'd love it, and I knew I'd love her company. We ended up having a blast and were both quite exhausted upon leaving.

C in the Littlekid Zone at COSI sporting glasses with interchangeable lenses. Of course she would pick yellow.

Saturday evening was craft night at my house. First we met up for Sushi!!! It was only my second time trying it, and it's been about 5 years. It was good though. For being a picky eater, I give myself credit! 
Later, I had a bit of crafter's block--didn't really have any good plans on what to make, plus I didn't know if my husky would have anyone using it or not, so I just winged it. 

The girls brought me---aaack! I almost spoiled it! They brought over something to make for their husbands for Valentine's Day, and brought me one as well. We, ahem, made those (note to self to post those pics later, not now!) along with some V-Day hair pretties for their girls; Lindsey ended up with a rockin' chunky amethyst necklace; I ended up with a Mod Podge'd necklace charm, and a hair pretty for me. 

I had to crop this photo so I wouldn't give away the boys' gifts!

Hair pretties and wine, anyone? I used Jess' tutorial for the flower.

Lindsey making her necklace!

Sorry the pics are so dreary. My house is naturally dark, and this all took place after 8 at night!

All in all, it was a great end to the week. As we are right now, it's currently ten at night, and I still didn't finish my checklist for the day (jump rope 15+ minutes, clean the bathroom...) but Addie did get her bath, work got completed, and dinner got eaten. We even had time to run to the grocery and craft stores! I'm off to relax and read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. J recently finished it, and since I recently finished The Hunger Games series, we traded :) We'll see how I like murder mysteries.


Goodnight!!!


Oh! One last thing! You may not know, but I read Lil Blue Boo on a regular basis. I'll leave it up to you to read up on Ashley's story, but I decided to Choose Joy three times today alone (instead of getting angry or irritated at small stuff), and I decided that I really must share her website with you. I'm going to try to get her button somewhere on my sidebar, if I can figure it out ;) **Update-done!** Her outlook on life is inspiring, and I want to be more like her. Thanks, Ashley!