Wordless Wednesday: Pi Edition

Back in Business

It's been a while since I've worked on this blog and I've been trying to make the time to pick it up again.

So, here I am.

I had discussed in a previous post about how I had made some changes to my diet and exercise routine. Let's start there...

While the holidays added a few expected pounds, I've kept up with making smarter choices and exercising on a regular basis. But, I'd like to be very clear here, I HATE exercise. And yes, I realize that this is not a revelation. Many people hate exercise. Hell, it's the reason why we don't do it! I think my husband underestimates my hatred, though.

First of all, let's point out that men lose weight faster than women. My gradual changes have drawn out over the past two years and my husband dropped 30 pounds in three months as easily as he takes off his shirt. I've lost weight, but I feel like I'm wading through three feet of mud.

I don't enjoy the pain. I don't enjoy the sweating. The tired muscles, the gasping for breath, and the soreness the next day all add to the pile of reasons not to exercise. And yet, I trudge on. I swear at the TV the entire time. I tell the instructor to go do horrible things that I should not repeat here. It's how I cope. So what?

Whatever.

Recently, we were in a sporting goods store checking out the available equipment looking for something we can both use to change our routine. We came across the Supreme 90 Day workout package which was only $14.99. We certainly didn't want to drop over $100 on the P90X or other similar workouts. Our funds are not currently disposable, but our health is something we both want to improve.

It's actually a solid workout. My body is killing me. They do include a booklet on an appropriate meal plan, but I don't follow those. Yes, I want to get stronger and be healthy, but I'm not trying to get ripped like a body builder. You won't catch me ingesting any of those protein shakes, either. Blech.

Because I hate working out so much, I don't want to talk about it. I'd like to forget about it the second it's over. My husband however, is obviously enjoying his workouts and likes to check in with me. "This one wasn't too bad, huh?" or "I think this one's going to hurt tomorrow."

I scowl at him and agree with "Mmhmm."

"Oh, c'mon, it's not that bad."

Um, yes, at a matter of fact it is. I'm doing this because I'm requiring myself to do it. Having free will means making the decision to do something on your own, it doesn't mean you have to like it. So, I've been keeping up with it all, I'm just loathing every minute of it.

Don't get me wrong. This is NOT supposed to be a post of my whining about exercise. The moral of today's story is: No matter how much you hate it, you can still keep doing it. You can plow through and come out better for it. Hate it all you want if you have to, just don't stop doing it. 




*Please note: I was not compensated for mentioning Supreme 90 Day workout and purchased the package with our personal money. I am not a doctor and will always recommend finding exercise that suits you best with your physician's help. Also, we have not completed the full 90 days, so I would not give a full review of the program until I have had a chance to finish it. 

Thanksgiving: Take 2

Every year, my husband and I take the kids to our parents' houses for multiple turkey dinners. But, in our own little world of insanity, we also cook a Thanksgiving meal of our own the next day.

If you know anything about me, you probably have heard me admit that I am a terrible cook. My husband, on the other hand is actually pretty talented. He's not one to create his own masterpieces, but give the man a recipe and he delivers every time.

We both like to experiment and find new recipes online. So, this year, I was really thrilled with our final products and thought maybe I'd gloat some of you guys might like to check 'em out. The sad part is, I didn't take any pictures. What can I say? I was too excited to eat.

The first thing we did was brine our turkey overnight. My ingenious friend, Seth Pollins, had a great instructional video, but the link no longer works, so we'll just go with outright instructions:

3 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 gallons water

For a 12 to 20 pound turkey, you can submerge it in this solution for 4 to 12 hours.

Then, when we cooked it, my husband found this Black Pepper Pomegranate Molasses Glaze recipe.

Holy bejeezus, this was the best turkey I have ever eaten. Even days later, the turkey is still juicy. I feel like I have Rubbermaid tubs full of crack in my fridge because I can't stop consuming it.

Another recipe that my husband tackled was this basic cranberry sauce. Growing up, all I ever saw was that tin can-mold of jelly slurp out into a bowl, so I never touched the stuff. Even though I wasn't excited about the recipe, once it started cooking, the whole house smelled incredible. And so, another addiction was born. The flavors burst in your mouth, coating it first with the tart of the cranberries, but then the sweetness of the brown sugar and honey smooth it out. It was super easy to make and an excellent dish to impress.

I actually made a sweet potato-marshmallow casserole, which is something I never even ate growing up. Never once did sweet potatoes cross the threshold into our home. I don't even like them that much. So, I took the time to bake the potatoes. I mashed them with the electric mixer and love. (Yes, I said that.) For the record, I love anything with brown sugar. I can eat brown sugar right out of the bag.

O_O

But, read carefully here...DO NOT add the marshmallows until the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking. Otherwise you will have burnt marshmallows. They neglected to mention that in the recipe, but thankfully, I was leery of cooking them that long and saved them before it was my usual disastrous ending. And surprise! I loved it.

These may be some fairly basic recipes for some, but they are all flavorful and simple ways to create a meal that everyone will drool over.

Bon appetit!

How Does This Happen??

I know a lot of people have issues with custody battles these days, but when I heard about this, it really makes my blood boil. Below is a letter from a guy I know from high school. We keep in touch on Facebook and this is what he's been going through recently:

Dear Sir,

Please allow me to express my concern with the way the Child Protective Services has been handling the case involving my 14 year old daughter Katty.
...
On April 8th, 2011, my daughter was taken by Texas CPS from her mother, my ex wife, for a variety of reasons. These reasons I do agree with.

Everything else from that point on I have many concerns with.

First, I was NEVER notified by the state that this had happened. After a month of not being able to reach my daughter on her cell phone that I was paying for, I finally got a hold of her mother who filled me in on what had happened.
I am not a hard man to reach. I am on numerous social networking sites, and a simple google search of my name would provide enough results to find me. I also was paying child support, so I would be easily found through them. One of the papers i recieved after i made contact with CPS which i believe was the "motion" stated clearly that " with due diligance, the natural father will be searched for and notified with in 24 hours". This clearly did not happen. I could have been on the next flight to Texas and this whole next 4-5 months could have been avoided. Granted, her mother also should have called me right away, but being she is deemed and unfit mother, I can not put all the blame on her when there is a system in place by our great goverment that should be followed to the T.

After finding out about my daughter being in protective custody, I immediately began my own google search to contact Texas CPS.
This was June 6th.

I learned of a hearing regarding my daughters placement to be held on July 7th in Houston.
I drove to Texas from SW Florida for this hearing and attended it, pleading for my daughter to be placed into my custody. I am a family man, with a new wife of 4 years and another daughter, Kattys half sister, I have a clean criminal record, I own my own business and am respected amongst my peers, professional and personal. I came to this hearing prepared with bank statements, photos of the inside and outside of my single family 3 bedroom home. letters of character from local law enforcement and professional peers, none of which the court was interested in looking at.

I was told that with in 2 months, Katty should be in my custody.

It has now been more than 3 months since this hearing, and my daughter is still in foster care.

I used to talk with my daughter on the phone a couple times a week, since she has been taken I have only been allowed to speak with her 3 times.

Since this has happened, my daughter has been admitted into a mental hospital twice for manic depression, for a week at a time. She never had any mental issues until all of this had happened.

A few weeks ago the case worker actually allowed my daughter to contact me while she was in the hospital. While speaking to my daughter, i was asking her about her feelings and explaining mine to her, as to do with her violent thoughts she was having. At this time, the case worker took the phone from Katty and began to BERATE me over the phone, telling me I was not allowed to speak the way I was speaking. We began a shouting match for more than 5 minutes, when all i wanted to do was try to understand what was wrong with my daughter. Completely unacceptable and unprofessional.

My daughter and I are being treated like we have done something wrong. All I want is whats best for my daughter, and her living with me, her biological father, is what is best for her.

I do not understand why this has been going on for so long. Her 15th birthday is the 31st of this month, and it seems like she will be spending it in foster care.

I love my daughter very much, and miss her terribly. I have spoken with supervisors and other people at CPS, writing you this letter is my last resort.

Everyone at CPS has passed the buck as to why this is taking so long. Ive been told that I had provided a bad address, or a bad phone number, yet the paperwork i recieved from the courts on July 7th had my correct address.
When i changed my phone number, I immediately called and left a voice mail for the case worker, which she claimed never happened. I changed my cell phone number in late July, but my old phone was not shut off until September 1st, and NEVER once recieved a voice mail on it from CPS, so the case workers point is moot, being she never tried to contact me on either phone about my daughters status, for over a month and a half.

I dont know if there is anything you can do about what is going on, I know you are a busy man and really am not sure if you will even get this letter.

Please, my daughter and I are at your mercy, if there is ANYTHING you can do about any of this, please, please help us.

..............................................................................................................
Now, the reason this makes me so angry is that there are fathers out there that don't give a damn and don't pay child support and act like they don't even have a kid. They have no consequences to face. But here is a man trying like hell to take care of his daughter and can't get a hold of her? How is this fair?

Just this week, he finally received a call from the police regarding a home check. If any of you out there have any advice for my friend, please let me know. And I hope you'll share this post with others, please. Maybe someone out there can share some advice. Thank you!

Change is Contagious

In my efforts to improve myself, which I also posted about on my other blog, I've been working on a huge overhaul. I've been exercising every day, changing my eating habits, and taking steps to increase the happiness factor.

And? It's working.

Every little change I make is leading to new changes. I have more energy. I'm doing more. Procrastination is a dwindling issue.

This feels so good. But, what makes it feel really good is that I am so motivated to keep doing more.

And the best part?

The husband is now joining me.

I'm not really the nagging type. "Gee, Husband, I'd love for you to eat fruits and veggies with me and lower your cholesterol" and other such nonsense is not often spoken from my lips. I find pressure has the opposite effect of what is generally intended.

Besides, I know change is contagious.

And so, today, he went to the gym. He found a calorie counter app to use on his phone. He made a healthy dinner of chicken with sun-dried tomatoes. He's totally motivated. And whether it lasts as long as he intends it to, doesn't matter to me at this point. I'm just happy that in this moment, he's making a conscious effort to be a little bit healthier. I feel like my changes have given him a little more incentive to take some challenges on himself.

File today under: Win.

Today I Meet Bradley Cooper!!

Ok, no. I am not meeting Bradley Cooper today. But, I totally made you look, didn't I? I mean, who better to get you girls here than him?

WAIT! Don't go!!!

I have a point...just keep reading...

Moms. How many times have you gone grocery shopping in your pajamas? Don't lie! I know there are some of you that have. Hell, I've seen some in my grocery store.

Now, how many of you have run into someone while you were out running a quick, no-one-will-see-me errand while looking like you've just been the drop cloth for your child's Thanksgiving feast? Go ahead...I'm raising my hand, too.

Well, I'm drawing the line. I want you to do it, too.

Being a mom is hard. I get it. We can't always primp and fuss like we're going to the Oscars. We don't have the time between feeding and cleaning and working and everything else. Or do we? I think we just aren't allowing ourselves the time. Admit it.

The truth is, when you look better, you feel better and when you feel better, you are happier. When you are happier, guess what? The people around you will be happier, too. FACT.

So, here's what I want you to do. I want you to think before you leave the house. What if I run into (insert celebrity of your choosing here)? Is it possible? Yes. Probable? Who knows?! I live very near to Bradley Cooper's hometown. What if he's visiting the area? What if he happens to be at Starbucks when I stumble in with my torn concert tee and paint splattered jeans? And...*GASP*...no makeup.

O_O

Solution? If you don't like it, fix it. I'm not suggesting to go spend all your dough prettying up for something that may never happen. I'm unemployed right now. Not the best time to redo my wardrobe. But, don't be shy about spending a little cash on yourself. You DESERVE it. Did you hear that?

Moving on.

Get your hair done. Cut it. Color it. Do whatever makes you keep from yanking it back into that godawful ponytail you put it in every day.

Raid your closet. Get rid of what doesn't look right and build on what does. If it doesn't fit, get rid of it. If you have no clue what looks good, spend some time watching What Not To Wear on TLC. These people know their stuff. You don't have to be an expert. All you have to do is put a little effort in. Be smart...I can still shop the clearance racks and find good stuff. I just spend a few extra minutes. And I do NOT take the kids with me when I shop.

I'm not talking drastic changes here. One of my items to check off my list is improving my posture. I'm much more conscious of how I'm sitting and standing. No more slouching. No more rounded shoulders and looking defeated all the time. Small steps will lead to giant leaps. Tackle what you can, when you can.

So, maybe you don't have to always pretend you are going to run into a celebrity. But, it's very possible that you could run into SOMEONE. Someone you once knew. Someone you once dated. Someone that may have an impact on your life in the future..personally or professionally.

You aren't just a mom. Take care of yourself. Every day.

And for being a good sport and reading all this after I teased you with Bradley Cooper, I can at least offer you this...

How NOT to Start Your Vacation

Today was Day 1 of our annual vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Today is also the first day that I was wishing I was Kendall from "this is not that blog" so that I could illustrate our debacle of a trip with the utter hilarity I know I should see in it.

Let me preface this by noting my anxiety issues. I often joke that I have loads of OCD issues, but the past few years have pushed them to the forefront of my being. These issues go straight to my stomach.

Duly noted.

We embark on our trip at 3:30am and I remark on how awesome it is that I am so comfortable with the way we (Read: me, myself and I) packed everything this year. I have no worries in the fact that I did my best and anything that we may have forgotten can be easily bought.

YAY ME! I am making progress! Life is a highway and I want to ride it all night long!

And so, this is where I have jinxed the rest of the ride for my sanity.

If you ever want to know how long a 4 year old will talk, go on a long drive. How about 8 hours? Does that sound good to you?

Mommy, I had a dream do you want to hear my dream or should I just tell you at the beach when are we going to get there this is so fun I can't wait to see the beach remember last year when Daddy bought me cheese and crackers and I didn't eat them because I won't need them this year because you have snacks.

Cut to me doing my deep breathing only 10 minutes into the trip.

She started asking "Are we there, yet" at 5am. One and a half hours into our eight hour trip.

Cut to me with my head in my hands. (Read: MAKE IT STOP)

Let's skip ahead…to about 7am when I give the kids the wholesome snack of ripe green grapes. Good job, Mom, I say, to pack such a good snack that they love.

Cut to half an hour later when the 4 year old throws up her grapes. Somehow, she even managed to catch half of it in her hands.

Kudos to you, Emma.

My husband reacts quickly by pulling off to the side of the road and hands me an empty coffee cup for the…ahem…remains. I pull her out of the car to change her shirt and clean her up. Smart of me to pack an extra outfit and wipes close at hand, right?

Cut to Emma screaming cleanup demands. "Get this shirt OFF OF ME!!" and "It's on my hands! Get it OFF MY HANDS!!" and my favorite, "Mommy, get this stuff OUT OF MY HAIR!!"

By now I realize that we are standing directly on top of what must be the biggest ant family reunion in history as I am shaking them off the puke cup, swiping them off my shoes and swatting them from our skin.

As I am the final stages of cleanup, a near ten minutes on the side of the road, I see a man with a lovely pink shirt (read: blouse) and a homeless beard yelling something at me. Something about a "tah-er".

"I'm sorry. I can't hear you over the high-speed traffic, sir, but my, that string of pearls you are wearing is lovely." And while I am realizing that he is asking me if we have a flat "tah-er", I am also realizing that he must have forgotten to put his teeth in today.

Kudos, to you, sir, for caring enough to run across the highway to find out if we were okay.

After getting back on the road, Emma finally passes out for about ten whole heavenly minutes until she wakes up again. And makes us stop three times to go potty. Three times that she didn't even go.

*FACEPALM*

So, here I am, breathing my way to a zen-like existence, hoping that maybe, just maybe, I can get some eggs and toast and some tea to calm my nerves. Which are now shot to hell.

And then. My husband. Stopped at....wait for it.......Subway.

*SOBS*