California Here We Come

Hawaii was great, but glad to be getting to my "real" vacation, even if that does mean 2 days of driving each way.

The car is packed and we should get a good night's rest before heading out tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to 2 weeks of pure relaxation of reading by the pool and time with Don.

I had a great time in Hawaii. It was busy with the wedding and all, but nice to get get away. The helicopter ride was so amazing. I'll post photos as soon as I can.

Anyway, not looking forward to the long drives in the next few days but the payoff will be worth it!!

Temporary Fix

I don't know what is wrong with my wolf template but I found a temporary fix while I figure it out. I'll have to wait until I'm home to get all my links back, so bear with me.

Phoenix has been great - of course, part of if is just seeing and feeling the sun! The temps have been in the mid-60s and a little cool in the morning, but overall really pleasant. I've been able to spend some good time with Don plus do a little shopping. Today's plans are still up in the air - maybe a museum, maybe some more window shopping - typical tourist stuff.

The dogs are doing great at the new kennel. The staff seems very informed of what my dogs have been up to. In fact, when I called today to schedule an exit grooming for the two, when I gave the woman their names, she was all, "Oh, Baja and Jager! We are having such fun with them. They are really great dogs."

Anyway, just wanted to see if I could fix the template. If anyone is good with Blogger and HTML code, let me know if you could take a look at my old template to see what is broken!

Off To Phoenix

I am having a hard time deciding what to pack since I can't remember what 65 degrees feels like. It was minus 50 (with the wind chill factor) yesterday morning. Even going out for lunch at noon was painful - but my boss was buying, so who am I to complain?

I think I am leaning toward not applying for his position right now. I still have a lot to learn in my current role, and the added stress is not something I need. I know my staff would like me to - mostly because one or two of them want my job, but I really need to make sure I'm ready for that jump.

What I am excited about is seeing Don tomorrow. His usual road trips are just two nights but he's been gone five nights on this trip and it's taking a toll. Just getting myself ready in the morning is one thing but having to make sure the dogs are let out and fed is another. Plus, I actually have to do laundry! That's something Don normally does and I often forget how long it can take.

Off to bed - it's after 2:00 AM - I can't sleep when Don isn't here and I have to travel...

Work Drama!

This was a bell-weather week for us as far as tax season ramping up, less staffing, call volumes coming in where we didn't expect, etc. We got through it fairly well, and that should mean we can get through April without too many ugly days.

However, my boss dropped a bombshell on Wednesday when he told us he was leaving for another company next month. Many on my staff, as well as several other leaders, have asked if I am going to take his position. There is a lot about the job that is tempting, however there are a lot of challenges that I don't know if I want to take on right now. There would be less people-leading - I'd only have 3 direct reports versus the 9 I have now. There would be a lot more strategy, planning, budgets, etc. Plus, I don't know how I really feel about reporting to the Senior VP. She's great, but a little hard to read, and I don't know if she likes me. I've had some weird interactions with her, and I'd be worried about my success under her. Anyway, a lot to think about...

Of course, what I'm really looking forward to is my upcoming trip to Phoenix! It's actually going to be WARM - and not this "warm" Minnesota-style of 30+ degrees. I mean, how sad is it when we get excited about anything above 32? At this point I don't even mind snowy days as long as the morning temps are above -17. The wind chill is bitter - it's gotten to -40 in the last few days. There's a part of me that wonders if I will ever be warm again. Heck, I even have a shawl at work to help me stay warm. One person on my staff has a blanket! It's not like the office temps are that bad, but once you get a chill it's hard to get rid of.

My broken finger is healing slowly. I don't have to wear the splint but the nail is still looking U-G-L-Y. I have a hard time typing, and I am afraid of losing the nail. Part of me just wants to remove the nail so the nail bed can heal, but the idea of pulling off the nail is almost too painful to think about. I have "fake" nails and have for years and it seems that the acrylic is actually helping the nail stay stable. I don't know what's going to happen as the nail tries to grow over the gash. I just want to have good-looking hands again!

On the weight front, I am happy to say I am maintaining at 165. This is huge for me because I am eating more but still able to stay within my range. I know the trip will be a challenge just because of the eating out, but I think I can handle it by watching my portions and staying protein-focused.

I should be able to post more since I will have more time once I'm on the road. Time to think, time to ponder my career path, time to catch up with all of you, time to spend with Don.

Springing Forward

I'm back safely from Las Vegas - no worse for wear, and only down about $60.00. The conference was great - some good information, great networking, and just a nice time to be away from real work. Of course, Las Vegas is hardly my kind of town and there was a lot of eye-opening scenes. I mean, who is still gambling at 6:00 AM? I would go down for my coffee, and there were people gambling, drinking, smoking. Sensory overload, that's for sure.

I had a great dinner with my brother, his wife and my friend on Saturday at Bradley Ogden. The tab was $750+, but Gavin got it comped so we just chipped in for the tip. I met him on Sunday and we had dinner at his place so I could see my nephews and meet their new dog, Angel. That was great - Brant & Evan put on a "concert" for me and Angel fell in love with me...

The funny thing was that both my best friend and my brother didn't recognize me at all. That was a weird thing - approaching them and they totally didn't know who I was. I am still working on seeing myself as others might see me, and it's not always easy.

Anyway, signs of spring are starting to show themselves. We have had major meltage here, with ankle-deep puddles, slushy snow, muddy puppy bellies. I can't believe last week I was watching my plane being de-iced and this week I am trudging through mud and slush with the dogs. I love it! I can't wait for Don to get the snow off the deck so we can break out the patio table and chairs.

We did look at two open houses today, just to get a feeling for what we would be looking at, both space-wise and price-wise. The second house we saw was great, although not perfect (1-car garage, no master suite bathroom) but easily fixed. The space is much better used than what we have here. We will continue to explore the option of down-sizing, but this house seemed pretty close to what we are looking for.

As I get back into the real world, after being in Sin City for 6 days, there is much I want to blog about - mostly surrounding adoption, addiction transference, yoga at the gym...

Anyway, I'm off to catch up on my readings to see what you all have been up to while I was gone! Hope you've been good!!

Digging Out

I'm not sure of the exact totals so far, but when we went out to play with the dogs at around 5:30 last night, the snow was knee-deep in most places, with some drifts even higher. The dogs, of course, thought it was great to plow through chest-high drifts, and they slepts like rocks last night. Trust me - I tried to move Jager several times and ended up having to sleep around her.

Don was great this morning; he got up at 5:00 AM to snow blow the driveway while I got ready for work. I'm so glad we don't have to do this on a regular basis. I mean, for the 2.5 winters we've lived here, this has been the most snow accumlation, and we hadn't even revved up the blower until this past weekend this winter, so I can't complain too much.

The roads were icy and snowy on the way into work. They don't look nearly as bad now that the sun is up and more traffic has sluiced away a lot of the muck. I am hoping to get out of here between 11:00 AM and noon so I can finish packing and spend some time with the dogs and Don before abandoning them for warmer climes.

My flight is showing delayed about 45 minutes to wait for incoming aircraft, but the original flight time is 5:25 PM so I'm thinking there's still time for it to go out as scheduled. Tonight is still up in the air, but I think I'll hook up with Patty and John, we'll eat at the hotel and do a little gambling. Not sure what we are going to do during the day Saturday - I'm bringing a bathing suit since it's going to be in the 70s, but Patty says it's too cold for her to be pool side. Say what? Crazy Californian!

I'm a little nervous about the conference. I will only know my co-worker and we will be attending different break out groups. I don't socialize well with people I don't know, and this is my first real event like this since surgery. I was a total wallflower at 336 pounds, and I'm not sure how I will react in a big social situation now that I'm 165. I am checking TWO bags. I will be there for 5 days and will need work, play and dress clothes. I do have workout clothes packed, but those may go in favor of another outfit. Yes, I have become quite the diva. I used to only pack 1 pair of shoes - now I'm looking at 3 or 4 (all black, of course).

Anyway, no posts until I get back on Wednesday night. Unless I get home early enough to put some up of the snowy back yard. Have a great weekend!!

More Snow!!

Yep, another snowstorm dropped about 3 more inches on top of the 8 we already had, and we're supposed to get between 6 and 9 more before midnight. Thank goodness I'm getting out of this snowy hell and going to Las Vegas on Friday.

Seriously, I don't mind the snow but it can make for some rough mornings at work, trying to staff phone queues and clients not really caring if half the staff is snowed in. I do wish it was spread out a little more, like 2 inches here, 3 inches there, instead of these big multi-inched dumps. I do have to say, Minneapolis keeps up the roads pretty well. My drive into work was smooth - nothing more than excess water on the roadways - no ice, slush, snow drifts, etc. Our street hadn't been plowed when I left at 5:45 AM, but enough cars had gone by I could follow the tire marks.

So, yes, I'm off to Las Vegas on Friday. I have a work conference that begins on Sunday night and I'm going in a few days early to see my brother and my best friend is coming in from Los Angeles with her boyfriend. It should be a lot of fun. I'm staying at the Hilton on Friday and Saturday night and then moving to Caesar's Palace for the conference. Saturday night, we're going to Bradley Ogden, which should be great. I wanted to try Mesa Grill, but I still might have a chance before I leave LV since it's in Caesar's. I don't have any specific plans other than doing a lot of people-watching. I'm not a huge gambler (I work way to hard for my money to blow it all on slots or Blackjack).

Work is crazy with all the snow. We are starting to let people go home early because schools are closing and my normal 30-minute commute could easily be 1+ hours. Great - I have a 4:00 nail appointment I really need to go to before I head to Vegas. For safety's sake, I should go home, but vanity will win out and I will have lovely nails. At least the salon is close to home. We are even looking at overnighting people downtown just so we have people on the phones in the morning.

I still need to pack, and it looks like I will have to actually check bags. Normally, I could totally carry on, but I will be gone for 5 days and need work, play and evening wear. I did break out some of my summer clothes and shoes I packed away last fall. Only 1 skirt and 2 shirts even fit - the rest are too big. At least
it went in that direction - I think when I put the clothes away for winter I was worried that they'd be too small because I just wasn't confident that I'd be able to either stay the same size or be an even smaller size in 6 months. Wonder what will happen when I store my winter garb?

I have one more meeting before I can head home. I hope the snow lets up enough for the commute to go easily, and that the salon can take me early.

Weekend Forecast

I am so glad it's Friday. It's been a busy week and next week will be just as busy, only Don won't be here from Wednesday on since he'll be in Indy for work. I really need a few days off to restock, reload and plan. I have been flying by the seat of my pants all week, and, with this silly head cold, I feel like I'm a bit out of control.

In fact, since I haven't been able to get to the gym or even look at my treadmill, and I've been eating, I haven't gotten on the scale since Tuesday. I mean, in a way that's good, but I am so afraid of what the number is going to be once I do hop on (maybe on Sunday). This is the longest I've gone without weighing since surgery. My clothes are still fitting so it can't be that bad, but I am starting to feel guilty about not exercising.

The good news is that I am planning on doing at least an hour of interval training at the gym tomorrow morning before coffee. If I really hit the ground running, I may even do a bit of light weights, just to get back into the swing of things. After coffee, it will be trips to Trader Joe's, CostCo, maybe the car wash and the grocery store so I don't have to worry about anything after we get our 80-minute hot stone massage.

We're trying a new restaurant tomorrow night -
Babalu. It's Latin-Caribbean and they have jazz and salsa dancing. Anyway, it should be a lot of fun. I love trying new places, and there are so many great spots in the Twin Cities.

Sunday will be all about getting some meals prepared so I don't have to worry too much during the week. I have after work appointments Monday & Tuesday. There is a support group meeting on Wednesday, but with Don out of town, I'll probably skip it. Next weekend, I have a benefit dinner to go to with a silent and live auction. I'm taking my friend Jen so I know it will be a hoot. There will be some people from work as well. It should be fun and keep me out of trouble.

Of course, the following weekend brings another trip - part personal, part business - to Las Vegas. I have a conference starting on 3/4 so I will go in a few days early to see my brother. My best friend from California will be joining me along with her boyfriend for the weekend, so that will be a lot of fun. The conference runs through Wednesday and I'm still deciding if I want to take that Thursday & Friday off just for some down time.

Anyway, off to a bunch of meetings for the day, including a 2-hour one. I'd love to sneak out a little early but I don't think I can get out before 3:30, even if I was in before 7:00 AM!

I'm Baaaack!

Sorry for the lack of updates - we had a wonderful time in California, but I came back with a pretty bad cold and have been battling that ever since our return...

We got in to Los Angeles with plenty of time to stop at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Paco's Tacos. Paco's was across the street from our house, and was a frequent haunt of ours, and probably responsible for at least 50 of my 170 excess pounds. I got to taste real Mexican food, not the stuff they pass off as "Mexican" here in the great white north (pickles on tacos?? Seriously??). I was pretty stuffed when I left and was feeling a little guilty about that, but realized I was stuffed on one taco and some rice and beans - not the taco, enchilada, full orders of rice and beans plus chips, salsa and guacamole.

We then headed for my nutritionist's office. As luck would have it, my chiropractor was still there so I got a bonus adjustment. My meeting with Phil went well. First off, his scale actually agreed with mine, so I felt pretty good about that. There is nothing worse thinking your scale is right, only to get into a doctor's office and have it weigh you at 5 pounds more. He ran my cholesterol, and it was actually better than his!! I continue to have great numbers in that department, which is a huge change from before surgery when I was borderline diabetic. He measured my body fat, which came in higher than what the gym had said, but he does a more accurate measurement, so it's actually 23% instead of 21%, but still great.

Phil gave me a food plan I could live with. His big thing is "thumbprinting" a meal, meaning even if I'm not hungry, I need to sit down with some food and take just a few bites to get my mind into a routine where it comes to expect a meal, even if I'm not hungry. We also discussed exercise and he has agreed to let me go back to lifting weights if I do it with a trainer and focus more on core exercises rather than power lifting (I'm not getting in enough calories to repair any muscle damage that may happen with heavy lifting). I'll continue to do yoga twice a week and get 4-5 days of cardio in as well. Of course, with everything going on this week, I haven't been able to stick to the exercise plan, but I'm doing OK with the foods despite being sick. We agreed that maintaining my current weight would be fine for now, and if it goes down with the exercise and food plan so be it. I just want to be able to stay one weight for awhile so I can consult with a plastic surgeon soon.

We had a great time seeing Dad & Dean and Mom & Deb. Don and I took a long walk on the beach Friday - I even got my feet wet in the Pacific (probably why I now have a cold!). The weather was beautiful - mid-60s, mostly sunny, nice breeze. It was a really nice visit. It went by quickly, and I wish we had more time, but we'll be back in July for 2 weeks.

Having a cold really sucks. At least I don't have a sore throat anymore - some fresh ginger, lemon juice, cinnamon, honey and cayenne steeped in hot water seemed to do the trick for that. The cold has settled in my head and chest, and I still sound like Kathleen Turner after a pack of cigarettes, but I'm not coughing and my nose isn't too drippy.

Don and I are going out to dinner for Valentine's Day tonight. We agreed on no gifts and opted for a couples' hot stone massage on Saturday. That should feel great! We're also celebrating my raise and bonus, which were pretty generous. I still have to decide what I want to do with my bonus - pay off a credit card, get new carpet and paint or stock away in a savings account for possible plastic surgery. The smart thing would be to pay off a credit card but Don is insisting that I do something for me. We'll see....

London Calling

I am back safely from a whirlwind trip to London. I had the most amazing time, and we did a lot in just 3 days. I was a little worried about my departure since the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving is one of the most heavily traveled days, but Don got me there in good time (a 45 minute commute compared to the usual 15) and I zipped through the automated check in and security line. The flight was pretty packed, and extremely stuffy. I slept a little bit, but for the most part read and watched movies.

I do have to say flying is much easier without an extra 168 pounds. I fit into the seats, the seat belts go around me, the tray table goes all the way down, I don't spill food down my front, the seat arms don't dig into my legs. Heck, I can even cross my legs! In another A-Ha moment, I needed to use the lav but the beverage cart was in the aisle. The flight attendant said, "Oh, you can squeeze by." And she was right! Once at Gatwick, I was able to pass a lot of people on their way to immigration - I even took the stairs instead of the escalator.

Sally picked me up and we went to have some coffee and a bite to eat at a Richmond (I think) park. It's actually an old estate and there are deer and gardens and walking paths. We went up to a lookout point where you can see the city of London below. Supposedly this was where King Henry VIII waited to see the signal that one of his wives had been beheaded. We had a quiet night. I got to catch up with Sally and play with her 5 1/2 year old daughter, Lily.

On Friday, we walked Lily to school, stopped for coffee and Sally went off to the gym while I took a long walk (OK, confession - it's was supposed to be an easy walk from the cafe back to her house, but I took a wrong turn and pretty much walked in one big circle. But I did make it back without having to ask for directions...). We then ran some errands in preparation for her party that night, had tapas for lunch, got our hair done and then got ready for the night out.

The party was great. I did know a handful of people so it was nice to catch up with them. I also got to meet a lot of people I had heard stories about. The party was at a really nice French bistro. There was a private room upstairs that really had the feel of a living room - high ceilings, tall windows overlooking the Thames, a fireplace with an ornate mirror and they places club chairs and sofas around the room. Sally had 3 large photo collages done, and those created a lot of conversation. There was also a Poloroid camera and we all got to write a message on our photos. We finally headed home at 12:30 AM, where we chatted and had more wine.

We got a bit of a later start on Saturday, first going for coffee and then taking the tube into London to Trafalger Square and the National Portrait Gallery. After taking in a few exhibits, we headed for lunch and then back home - Sally for a nap and me for a walk. We then went to dinner in Sloane Square and went off to see Wicked. This is one of my favorite musicals, and I really enjoyed seeing it in London.

The return trip was uneventful, which is probably what you want nowadays. I was lucky I got to Gatwick as early as I did since it took close to 75 minutes from the time I printed my boarding pass to actually arriving at the gate. The flight was packed and hot again. I tried not to sleep but nodded off for about 30 minutes or so. Again, I was able to sprint ahead once we landed and got through immigration really easily. I had to wait for about 30+ minutes for my back, it was really only an hour between landing and getting home.

I felt pretty good on Monday, getting up at 5:30 AM and actually getting on the treadmill for 30 minutes before going to work. I went to bed early last night and was up at 5:00 this morning, which is actually my normal time to get up. I don't have to be in to work until 10:30 this morning, so we're going to take the dogs for a hike as soon as it gets light.

I will need to sort through the photos since I have at least 100 shots on two cameras, but I will get a few posted shortly.

The best part was getting home and seeing, despite eating and drinking way more than usual, I had lost 1.5 pounds, so I am now under 170. I will write more about this later, but I think I am going to focus on not losing any more weight. I reached my goal, and really just want to work on staying on track and maintaining my current weight.

And as great as that was, the real best part about getting home was seeing Don and the dogs. Don even got me flowers (2 bouquets - long story) and a cute card. I really do miss him when we're apart, and I think I feel it more when I'm away since when he travels I at least have the dogs to keep me sane.

Anyway, I had a wonderful time and would love to be able to go back soon to see and explore even more. Maybe that could be our vacation next year...

Heading Off!

I know I've been terrible about posting but I am off to London tomorrow night to celebrate my friend, Sally's, 40th birthday. I promise lots of stories and photos upon my return Sunday.

I am feeling better since my last post (stupid hormones). I'm still above my goal, but that's become less and less important as I sit back and truly understand my accomplishments.

The packing is pretty well done - just a few bits & pieces to finish tomorrow morning. I'm a little worried about checking bags with the high volume of air traffic, but I don't think there is any way around it. There is no way I can go to London, with a party and the theater to attend, in just one bag. I mean, the shoes alone!!

Actually, if I cut down some things I might be able to do it, but do I really want to lug a suitcase when I can check it and forget it?

Off to dinner with Don. I am feeling a little guilty about leaving him home alone for Thanksgiving, and I might have to, umm, make it up to him in my very special way (wink, wink).

Y'all have a good Thanksgiving weekend!!

Seattle Photos

Here are just a few photos from my trip to Seattle last weekend. We were very lucky that the weather was perfect and we had two sets of friends willing to show us the town.

We, of course, hit Pike's Market:


There were a lot of fresh fish stands, but only one offering this:


We then took a short drive to Squolomie Falls:


We also got to see some vibrant fall colors:



Then, we went to the other side of the sound to look back at the city:



Finally, we were taken to a great park above the city:


On Sunday, the weather was just as good. The new Seattle Library was right across the street from our hotel:



I then went to the park where the Space Needle is and a new music museum:





We ate at some incredible places - a cute, little crepe place at the Market, The 5 Spot, Zeena's (I think) for breakfast in the Capitol Hill area (the best corned beef hash), Kell's Irish Pub, 13 Coins at the airport. I did some shopping, took a ton of photos, walked a lot.

The hardest part was the red eye home. Don and I had aisles across from one another. I sat next to a larger couple, and she fell asleep right away, eventually taking my leg space, arm rest, tossing her blanket into the space betweeen us. Plus, the plane was really hot. The coolest spot was in the lav, so I actually went to go sit in there for awhile, just to cool down.

We're having great weather here this weekend. We took the dogs for a long hike this morning, and because Don's game is tomorrow, we're spending the afternoon watching football. I'm baking some pumpkin pie burlee for work's potluck on Tuesday and doing some beading to keep my fingers busy. Don did laundry and we're breaking out the flannel sheets tonight.

That's about it from here. I need to go check on the pie so the crust doesn't get too dark. I'm making crusted sea bass with a Asian slaw and spicy noodles for dinner. Yum!!

Off To Seattle

We're heading out to the airport shortly for a weekend on the West Coast. I haven't been to Seattle in 15 years, so I'm excited to see the changes. I'm bringing my big camera and hope to take lots of photos. Plus, I will be meeting Swankette and her husband, TRP. I'm sure good times will be had!

The best part is that it's supposed to be sunny, something I've been missing for a few days.

This is my first time flying since the new security rules, so I hope they let my mascera and lip gloss through! I left my hair gel at home figuring that the container was 3.03 ounces and even though it's less than half-full, some TSA employee would probably make me throw it out.

Wish us swift and trouble-free travels!