Category: My Life

I had a Flu shot this year, and sure enough, I have not gotten any respiratory Flu. However, two nights ago, “The Stomach Flu” came upon me in the night. It wasn’t pretty!

I went to bed feeling great, just tired and woke up about 1:30 sicker than a dog! Yesterday I slept a lot and just lay around the house. I wasn’t able to eat or drink much of anything with positive results.

I woke this morning and for about 30 seconds thought I was better. Ha! All it took was one sip of coffee and that ended any good feeling that my stomach started the day with.

I wonder why it is that they can’t seem to make a flu shot that covers the stomach flu? It would be so much better if they did.

Oh well, for now I will sit with my blanket and lap full of dachshunds and pray for recovery.

On the bright side, I bet I’ll do well at Weight Watchers this week!

Friday afternoon my beloved laptop returned from the repair facility in Tennessee. I took the box from the DHL delivery man and held it close. A cry of sheer delight escaped my throat! Oh to be able to sit in my chair with my feet up and write dazzling entries for you all to read on my blog again!!!

My hands shook as I opened the box and I could feel my breath come in short gasps as I plugged her in at my little desk in the family room. But…

NOTHING HAPPENED!!!

There was no power light, there was no A/C surging into my little machine! (sob!) I checked another power chord and that didn’t work either.

NOTHING!!!

So I tried Hubby’s power chord from his laptop, and for about 15 minutes we had power to the machine, before even that did not work. The power completely died!

However, while the power was on I ascertained a few things.

1. Whatever they had done had caused the drivers for my screen to depart and so the picture on it is distorted.
2. There had never been continual power to this machine because the battery was nearly dead!
3. The machine still didn’t work, so I am doubtful that they ever did anything to actually fix it!
4. I will never buy another machine from this “company” as long as I live.

I called to Hubby, who was working in the basement on some of his tools. He came up and I explained what was happening. He knew I was upset by the high pitched crying, I am sure!

He got all the paper work out and called “the company” again. The man informed us that they had fixed the machine. (I would tell you what I screamed in the background, but I am a lady and we do not use that sort of language, generally.)

Hubby was calm, patient and quietly read the gentleman the riot act before we were given the news that my sweet, little, broken down Laptop will have to go back to Tennessee for “further repair”.

The DHL man will be here on Monday (Ha! we are due for a snow storm!) to pick her up.

And I am back in the office on the desktop!

Continue reading “My Laptop (sob!)”

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SKINNY

Once, long before I grew to be middle aged older and wiser, I was skinny!

Oh those were the days!

I’ve just returned from my meeting at Weight Watchers. I got there early because I was so nervous and I just wanted to get weighed in. I entered the room and removed my coat and shoes and went over to the check in area. Slowly I stepped up on the scales and winced.

“Well? What did I do?” I asked, my voice cracking.

“Six pounds and two ounces!” she responded.

“Lost or gained?” I asked.

She just laughed and I knew that I had done it. I had made it through the first week and actually lost the weight. I know it won’t be like this every week, but I’m in this for the long haul!

Continue reading “Six Pounds and Two Ounces Lighter!”

Today after I got done having my blood taken for tests at the hospital, I treated myself to a morning at the beauty shop. Nails were done, hair was (ahem) given a second youth, and my bangs were trimmed.

While I was getting my hair washed I closed my eyes and thought how glorious it felt to get pampered this way. It made me feel warm inside and made me smile. I really look forward to these monthly trips to see Margarita. She just makes my whole day. I feel so spoiled and relaxed and wonderful.

Once I came home, looking like one of “Charlie’s Angels”, I got to work packing away our Christmas decorations. Emily helped and in short order, we had it packed and put away in our attic.

With my laptop gone I am spending time in the office. We have left the gate open and the puppies are having a great time running up and down the hallway!

Oh what fun!

Continue reading “Bee-Yew-Tee-Full!!”

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This is my own Baked French Onion Soup. Hubby says it is one of the best things I make and he loves it. So needless to say, I make it often!
Delicious!

PhotoHunt

Continue reading “Saturday Scavenger Photo”

I got into my car after dinner tonight and drove 8 miles to my first Weight Watchers meeting. I was nervous and scared at what the scale would show, but I was also determined to actually get there.

I had the address of the church where the meeting was being held, and I got there thinking that certainly I would be the plumpest woman there. I was relieved to find that not only was I not the plumpest, but I wasn’t the only first timer either.

I sat through the meeting and listened to the other women and men speak about their weight problems. Several people have done really well and lost a lot of weight. It gave me strength to think about conquering this myself.

Yes, at one point after the meeting I was speaking with the Counselor and I said, “Hello, my name is Maribeth, and I am an over eater!” We both laughed!

I won’t be writing a lot about this in my entries, but I may put things in the extended entry for anyone who is interested.

I have a LOT of weight to lose. A LOT! But I am in no hurry and I can take my time and do this right.

So it begins, this life of controlled eating.

**********

By the way, today my laptop was sent back to the factory for repair. I cried at the UPS office at I bid it farewell. Meanwhile I actually have to get myself down the hall and into the office to use a (*gasp*) desktop model!

I’m already missing my laptop.

Yesterday I wrote about New Years Resolutions. I have made them for almost every year that I have conscious memories, and I have kept a few (such as quitting smoking 8 years ago) and learning to cook (that is now my biggest problem).

You see, somewhere between age 20 and today my body has given me up. In my 20’s and even my 30’s I could eat what I wanted and not gain weight, and my muscles had remained strong enough and flexible enough for me to perform the daily challenges in life.

Now, as I prepare to go into my 50th year, I find that although I LOVE to cook and eat, my body has stopped it’s ability to metabolize the food as efficiently as it once did. And my muscles? Well, let’s just say that I moan and groan a whole lot more these days than I ever thought was possible.

You see, I feel young in my head. Unfortunately the body, the keeper of my spirit is not helping me out any and thus, my dilemma.

So this New Year as I am sitting planning what my “Resolutions” or “Goals” should be I have kept in my mind the thought that I simply am not willing to go into middle age without a fight.

Thus my two Resolutions are this:

1. I will start Weight Watchers on Thursday evening. I have decided that I need the help and support of other people who are metabolically challenged to achieve my goal of losing the weight that has crept upon these soon to be, middle aged bones. I will go and sit there and announce “Hello, my name is Maribeth and I’m an overeater!”

2. I will exercise. I plan to set my initial goal at exercising two days a week and go from there. I still have a gym membership, and let’s face it, with all this snow, I should get out my skis, pack my back pack and get my lazy bottom out of bed in the morning and go skiing. I will not let my fear of last years fall make me crazy and keep me off the ski slopes.

So there we have it. Better, healthier eating and exercise. Fairly simple? I sure hope so. It sort of stinks that once you get to a point where you understand life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, your body gives out on you and you have to live on lettuce and a treadmill!

Ah well, it beats the heck out of the alternative!

What are your resolutions?

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LIGHT

Hubby took this picture 8 years ago. It is me with my Shubi sitting at the end of a long day on a bench overlooking our lake. I loved it then, and I love it now.

This is Hubby and me having breakfast on our Alaska cruise two years ago.

Today in my driveway.

Hubby took this while we were at sea on our Panama trip.

It’s snowing again. A lot.

Now I like snow, I really do, but we have had a lot of snow already this year, and right now I am getting a little sick of it!

If I could go out in it once or twice a day I could live with that, but the puppies want to be out running around, so they con me into believing that they need to wee-wee. So out we go and then they just take off, running like little wild ones around the back yard!

Good times!

I also have discovered that bringing them out is easier if I shovel the patio and then a little walk way, and I have also discovered that shoulders and lower backs ache after doing this.

It’s painful to realize that most of these feelings are due to the fact that I am getting old-(er). I can recall the days when I could shovel snow for hours and play with my doggies in the snow and not feel chilly and wet.

So while children in New England are happily singing about a “White Christmas” I am sitting here saying “Bah Humbug”!