I just got back from ACH. I had my TB test read, turned my paperwork in to HR, picked up my new id badge (yucky picture), and my parking sticker. I am now cleared for take off! I do think it's pretty cool that I will be working at one of Fortune Magazines Top 100 Places to Work. It's the only place in Arkansas that even made the list! Wow! How cool is that? I got my schedule today and everything. It really feels good to be gainfully employed again. It will feel even better when I get my first paycheck!
Happy Birthday to Me
Today is my birthday.
I am 38 years old.
Sometimes I think about what my life should be like at this point. I honestly can't say that I thought it would be much different than what it is, other than the career aspect (and I am not skinny - dammit). I had hopes that I would be happily married - and I am. I wanted to have beautiful, smart, talented, wonderful children - I do. I wanted to own my own house and have a car that I wasn't totally mortified to be seen driving. I have all that. I am very blessed on so many different levels. Sure we have bills that need to be paid, my house needs to be updated, and I need to go back to school - but I have time for that. I have the important stuff covered, right?
My birthday was wonderful. I took Elijah to CARTI for his treatment this morning, passed my employee health screening, came home and took a nice long bath. When Britt got home he cooked supper, built me a fire, and he and Elijah baked me cupcakes. It was lovely.
Sleeping In
I love to sleep in. It's crazy how much things have changed. I slept til just after 9am this morning and really felt like I was sleeping in late! Now.. keep in mind just a few weeks ago, I could easily sleep until after 11 with no problems! I am not saying that I have gone over to the other side and have become a morning person. I honestly don't know what it would take for that to happen. The good side of all of this is that I do think I have been sleeping much better. I plan to get in the bed at a decent hour tonight.
We decided to go out to dinner this evening for my birthday, even though it's not until Tuesday. I wanted to do it tonight since Hannah is home. We went to Cheeburger Cheeburger and had fun asking trivia questions while we waited for our food. So far, even though the birthday hasn't actually hit yet, it's been a good birthday. I got the trifle bowl I have been wanting, my best friend gave me a lovely painting, and I had dinner with my family. What more could a girl ask for? Okay.. I guess there is more I could ask for. :) There always is, right?
Hobbies
Sometimes I wish I had a hobby that I was passionate about that would get me off my rear. Like Susan.. She runs. That is her hobby. That is her passion. It's good for her body and spirit. Me... I love to read. I love to get lost in the pages of a book. I find that when I am reading a good book, I really don't want to do much of anything else. Unfortunately, my family also notices when things don't get done around the house, or I am tired all day from having been up til the wee hours of the morning reading. Not fun! I just love to read. I read a whole James Patterson book today. That was after finishing "Eat, Pray, Love" last night. (amazing book, that "Eat, Pray, Love"). The James Patterson was so freaky bizarre. His books are normally wonderful mysteries, but never freaky like this one! I swear, if they ever turned this in to a movie, it would scare the pants off me! It was good though. I just had to finish it because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on! Thankfully at the end, it did come together. It's a rush for me. A feeling of small accomplishment, I guess. I am known for starting a project and not finishing it, so finishing a book is a small victory for me every time. I guess I will take a short break from reading.. maybe for a few days so I can get some stuff done around the house. I will probably be itching for something to read by Tuesday though. :)
Jumpstart and the Forbidden
do you ever want to do something you know you shouldn't - something that you KNOW is bad for you - but you want to do it anyway? That's how I am feeling right now and it's actually quite ridiculous. I want to go to the tanning bed. There. I typed it. Not the spray on fake tan that I have done a few times (and do NOT recommend) but the lay in the bed for 20 minutes kind of tanning bed tan. I want an even skin tone so badly. My skin is in horrible shape right now and I have awful circles under my eyes. I just feel YUCK about my appearance in general - and I am not even talking about the weight issues. I don't know. I need to feel better about myself.
so I have one small bruise from my "accident" the other day. I am sore, but not as bad as I thought I would be. I am, however, having problems with my knees again and find that it's dificult for me to walk today. I soaked in the tub this eve hoping that it would give me some relief from the pain. It did for a while, but it's back again. You would think that debilitating pain would be enough to motivate me to lose weight, wouldn't you? I mean, it's common knowledge that being fat is bad for the knees and losing weight relieves so much strain... Why isn't the pain acting as a jumper cable to jump start my ass back in to doing something about it? I did make out a WW friendly menu for supper this week. I did cook this evening and have been eating better (today) and drinking water (today). I guess it's a start. I just want an easy fix and there is NO such thing. Sigh. I am down. I am tired. I guess I will just wake up tomorrow and try again. Try to accomplish something. Anything.
clumsy me
It's been a good weekend... save for the tumble. I was picking some stuff up in the hall, totally misjudged the location of the stairs - which is perfectly understandible since I have only lived in this house for two years - duh - and slipped down the stairs!! UGH. I hollered so loudly Britt thought I had fallen on my head.. nope. Luckily I didn't seriously hurt myself. As the day has worn on, I have become more and more sore. I grabbed on to the hand rail to stop my fall and now my arm and my shoulder hurt, my back hurts and honestly - my rear hurts!!! I fear the worst of the soreness is yet to come. blech. What a clutz! I got to thinking about it, and I have actually fallen and hurt myself several times in the past ten years. I slipped on some ice (ironically in the parking lot of the the ice skating rink) and twisted my ankle when I was pregnant with Elijah - scared me to death!!!... Then a couple of years later, I fell down the stairs at party city and banged myself up.. NICE.. thankfully I have never really hurt myself.
So.. I took ibuprofen.
Employed Again!
I now have a job again! Yay! I am going to be working in the ER at Children's as the unit secretary. I am so thrilled!!! I don't start until the 4th, but have a huge load lifted off my shoulders now that I have a job to go to. I get to wear scrubs to work, I wont be working nights, and I get to stay with Elijah during the week.. YAY! I will work on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 8pm - so, no more social life for the Talley's on weekends, but that's okay for a while. We can always do stuff during the week.
Walking
I walked today. The weather was so gorgeous and Elijah wanted to go to the park. I grabbed my pedometer and took him over there. While he played, I just walked around staying close to him. I managed to get in nearly 2000 steps which translates in to about a mile - so I feel good about that. If only there were perfect weather days every day!
I sat down last night and made out a WW menu for the rest of the week. tomorrow my task will be to make my grocery list to go along with the menu and get the shopping done. yuck. That won't be fun, but it sure needs to be done or I will want to go out to eat! Not good for WW points or the checkbook balance! I also have some healthy snacks on my list to purchase to keep me from making bad choices.. Take now for instance - I am having my late night ice cream craving. Luckily I don't have any ice cream!!!
on a positive note
Okay.. I weighed today. I have been avoiding it. I have gained the weight that I lost when I first started weight watchers.. BUT.. I am trying to look at this positively. If I had not joined weight watchers before Christmas, I would probably be 8 to 15 pounds heavier than I am now! (I am the QUEEN of creative justification). So.. tomorrow I go back to counting points. I have also signed up for the Discovery Health Challenge - they have good recipes and it's a great place to track and keep up with goals. They also provided me with a fitness plan, which is going to help.
I went to the library by myself for about an hour this evening. I love the library. It was nice to go and just have a few minutes to myself in the quiet of the library. I really don't get much of that anymore. I really got irritated at this guy in there though. He was on the internet - and talking on his cell phone IN THE LIBRARY!!!! didn't he learn that you don't talk in the library?? Yipes. I used to want to be a librarian. I used to want to be a lot of things. So many, in fact, that I think it confused me for life and now I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. ha ha. Today I want to be a psychologist. Tomorrow I am sure it will be something else. The only thing I really keep going back to is nursing.
And here we go
Radiation starts tomorrow for Elijah. I am glad we are finally starting so hopefully we can get rid of the cancer once and for all.
Christmas decorations are down and packed up. I am going to be 38 in a few weeks. YIPES.. So.. time to get serious. I am thinking of giving up red meat but I don't know if I can do it. I like a good steak every now and then. The rest I can do without, honestly. So.. maybe I will give up red meat save for the occasional steak. It's not like I eat steak all the time anyway.
Water. I am drinking more water. I am growing my hair out. I am looking for a new job. This year is going to be a year of big change for this family.
Quiet Night
It's going to be a nice quiet night here at the Talley house. I think we need one, truthfully. Britt's dad brought us some fire wood so Britt has built a fire every night. My den smells like a bonfire, but I don't mind. I really enjoy having a fire in the den. It's relaxing if you ask me.. So tonight, I would like a fire, a glass of wine, a steak and some quiet time. :) Tomorrow I may stay in my pajamas for the majority of the day - after I sleep in, of course. :)