I need tissues and Vicks, but life is GOOD!

I meant to post yesterday but things have been busy. It seems like that so much more so these days! Will things start to slow down again? Probably not likely.

Right now my girl is sick and so am I. I started today and she started up night before last. Headachey, sniffley, snotty and tired is not a good way to go through your day! The plans we had are on hold and for now, we are just doing what we have to do in order to get through the week!

Last week I found out that my brain works well enough to be labeled "normal" (MRI) and that my blood is in much better shape than it was last year! My cholesterol is over 40 points lower and the "bad" stuff is also down. That was exciting to see! My "good" cholesterol is not up, however, and that was disheartening given the supplements I take and the exercise that I do. The doctor mentioned "False low readings" that happen from time to time when people are losing weight, so I am hopeful that is what happened in my case.

I also went to see the hand doctor about the pain in my wrists that has existed since my pregnancy. It has changed over time, but it has never gone away and as of late has actually worsened again. Annoying as hell!

Turns out it is as simple as my joints being "loose" and it is genetic. Turns out my daughter has inherited this "condition" as well. The only thing I can do, is more of what I am doing--Exercise! Apparently I need to add some specific hand and wrists exercises in addition to purchasing and using a lot of ergonomically correct equipment, hardware, etc. Not a cheap path to take, but it is the only one that will make now and later less painful. What a change that will be!

Lots of doctors in two weeks and lots of sickness here at the house. On top of that I am starting two new classes this week, started one new one last week and have two wrapping up. The overlap is always hard, but it seems to be more difficult in the past two weeks. I cannot seem to catch up and find my bearings. Add to that trying to fit in work outs and play time with Len, and it can get quite overwhelming.

I shouldn't complain because life is generally pretty good! :) Why is it then that we cannot help but go on and on about the "problems" we have when they surface? Those problems are really usually small on the scale of issues we might be experiencing, right? And yet, to us, when facing them on a daily basis, we feel the weight of them to be much heavier than they are in actuality.

The problems we experience aren't usually really problems at all. They are inconveniences and annoyances that keep life from being ideal or perfect.

In the scheme of things, just shy of great, perfect or ideal is not a bad place to be, is it? ;)

Color me RED!

Love my new hair! It is red red red...the color I have wanted for ages but never got! It wasn't for lack of trying either!

One gal told me that people *our* age shouldn't try that much color. Another swore it would be sooooooo bright but then disappointed me with a pale and quite non-brilliant shade of red(dish brown). I tried a total of FIVE TIMES, this being the fifth time!

The guy almost got it wrong too until we talked MORE about it and he finally followed what it was that I wanted. This was my second time seeing him too. I like this guy quite a bit! He's funny, sassy and really good with scissors! :)

Hope I can get it to look decent in the morning. I still wanted it shorter but I'll settle for this for now. My face is so long that maybe short hair isn't good for me? Not sure, but this works and seems to suit me.

Knock Knock for Hillary!

Today I decided to start taking things up a notch locally for Hillary. I am going to be doing more caucus training and trying to spread the word about this all important element in the upcoming (and currently underway) Texas election.

I was at headquarters today for materials to start handing out where I live and around the neighborhood. I want more people to learn about the caucus process so that on election day I'm not sitting there alone! :) Most people I've discussed it with have no idea what it is or how to go about it. Scary since its how we decide 35% of our delegates in the state! That is a large percentage that is left to a process that most people don't know about? How screwy is that? :(

The materials are less than impressive so I'm going to be tweaking what I got, making copies and then going door to door next week. More materials are supposed to be arriving so I'm holding off until the headquarters receives those. My efforts may not make a huge difference in things, but I'm wiling to give it a try in order to hopefully see the outcome I desire the day of elections!

On the same topic, I found this website today which I found to be extremely inspiring! I need to make a video and submit it! Please check it out! http://www.hillaryspeaksforme.com/

Also check this out:



Now don't get me wrong. I'm not an Obama hater. I am, however, a big believer in experience. While on the job training does have its merits, I don't think *this job* is one that I want a novice taking over! In another time and place, perhaps, but now? Right now when the world needs us to get our crap together? Right now when our own country is in a shambles along with our reputation abroad?

I think he's a fine candidate, but I really want us to hit the ground running. It seems more imperative now than it has been before in my lifetime. It means so much to me. I want Texas to go for Hillary so that this race isn't over before its begun! It seems that too fast, the momentum is taking over and not allowing people to *think* instead of feeling.

I hope people have their wits about them soon. I am happy that we have two great candidates on the Democratic side of things and I am pleased to know that either of them will *hopefully* be elected. I want the strongest candidate to win, however. In my opinion, that is Hillary.

Grumble grumble *insert weird sound here*

That is my stomach this morning. The one day I cannot eat anything (because I have a fasting blood draw this am) is the day I wake up starving. Isn't that how it always is?

This week is the big medical week for me. Going today for an MRI to look into some dizziness I've been having and doing my fasting blood draw. Friday I go in for results on those things and Tuesday of next week I go to have my hands looked at by a specialist. With my new *and large* deductible, I am trying to pound things out quickly so that the rest of the year is "free" or near that. It is also a great way to continue my work on myself. I have ignored problems I've been having or have been unable to tackle them until now. I need to be healthy inside and out, so this is part of that journey.

The biggest news I have is that yesterday Elena and I went door-to-door for Hillary Clinton's campaign and had a good time. We met another mother and daughter and plan on keeping in touch with them. The little girl is half Elena's age, but they played well together and I like her mama. That is always a great thing! It isn't often you meet quality people!

Cameras for the national news were there, but I am fairly certain there was little to no footage of Elena or myself because of how things went down that day. Disappointing because Elena was in her "future president" shirt and was a real trooper that morning! :) She now has added "Hillary Headquarters" to her vocabulary and is excited about the fact that her mom is excited about something. Here is hoping we can turn that excitement into an enormous Texas blowout in Hillary's favor!

And Thursday, Bill Clinton will be here hosting a debate watching party! As much as I would love to go see him and hear him, I don't think I can go stand in line for that long! Josh won't stand with me with Elena for that long without a great deal of complaining, I'm sure. So this morning, I sent out an email to the campaign and I'm hoping I can volunteer at the event and get in that way, otherwise I will watch the debate from home!

I'm off to start my day and hope you have a great one. Thanks for checking in! :)

Rambling begins...NOW!

Welcome to my first post!

What better time to start than on a Monday? It is nap time at my house too, which means I have a few spare moments to myself! I have been wanting to do this for some time, but hadn't had the chance or a strong enough inclination to do so. I have both now and here I am!

We live in Texas and life is anythng but boring since our recent move. For a SAHM, I am busy--almost every day--juggling a part time job, my 3yo daughter, household duties and a few other specific projects. There are two big ones I am currently engaged with and right now, I'm the number one project on my list.

For the first time in my life, I am working on myself, inside and out! After thirty some odd years (give or give a few), I am exercising like a fiend. I don't know how fiend's exercise, but I would imagine it would be on most days of the week and would include strength training and cardiovascular elements. I am doing this and have been now since right before Halloween ('07).

Only a few months have passed, but I've lost just over 25lbs, a good number of inches all over and just over 4% body fat. Not too shabby for a chubby chick who loves all things carbolicious/sweet and hates sweating! :) I knew I would see good results, but I had to finally have the means and the inspiration. I got both in the last year.

After moving, and having some "found" income, we were able to afford some personal training for me which has been key to my success. I also am faced with my age and the annoying fact that it keeps going up! I want to expand the family and know that I stand a better chance of being a better vessel for making that happen and a better mom afterwards if I can become healthier beforehand.

Then there is my other, more recent project. I decided last week that I would like to see Hillary Clinton win the presidential primary and have put my money where my mouth is. I mean this literally because I've donated money to the cause in addition to my time and effort. So far I've gone to caucus training, made phone calls and hope to continue to help the campaign at the local level in any way that I can.

I cannot tell you how exciting it has been to see the energy that volunteers have. They are excited and motivated and hopeful. I want to be around these people and help bring change to the country. The mess we've made of things is going to improve, regardless of who is elected because--lets be honest--how can it get worse? I think we have seen the bottom of things and it can only go up from here, especially with a strong, experienced democrat at the helm!

Hillary is the gal for me and I'm hoping Texas and a few other important states see it my way so that we can be part of making history in electing the first female president in the U.S. The idea excites me more than I can express, especially as a woman myself and the mother of a young girl.

Those are the two things I've been working on and that is probably what I'll be discussing here over the next few months. I will no doubt talk about my husband and child and job, among other things, because I have a hard time sticking to one theme too long! :) My thoughts go hither and thither and back again. I am probably a few notches shy of being ADD and if you have ever had a phone or in-person conversation with me, you know this is the gospel truth! ;)

So that is your welcome post. This is the only the start and who knows how long or where things will go. I hope you stick around for the ride and keep me company as I wander down this winding road of life.

Have a great day!