For the Record, It's Not a Resolution

This whole gaining back weight thing has gotten out of control. I don't know exactly when it happened, but at some point in the past 7 months I decided that I could stop working out regularly and eat whatever the hell I want. And that's not okay, especially since I worked so hard last year to lose all the weight that I did.

So today I took action. I created an account on Sparkpeople.com, a website that lets you track calories and exercise and talk to other people and read articles on health and fitness...for free. It's like weight watchers, for free, without that stupid point system. I'm also writing down everything I eat in a journal that Paul got me for Christmas and I'm writing down my workouts as well. I will get back in shape/more in shape than I was because I don't feel as healthy and good about myself as I have over the past year and I don't like that at all. So while I won't do a deprivation diet of any sort, or really any diet, I am going to cut back on fried foods and full fat dairy and I'm going to crank up the complex carbs and fruit and vegetable intake.

In other news, Christmas was simply delightful. Paul and I were able to spend quality time with both families without getting stressed out and we got some pretty sweet gifts on top of that. His dad was my secret santa and he got me the cutest sweater, along with other fun things like the new Rachel Ray cookbook. I was impressed. Paul got me a gorgeous pearl necklace/earrings/bracelet set and, even though it was for kids and I have to wait until adult ones are once again in stores, a snuggie! You have no idea how pumped I was when I opened that Snuggie! My parents got us lots of house things and the surprise of the day was the first two seasons of Saved By The Bell.

Perhaps the best part of Christmas was that I got to see my cousin DeeAnn who I hadn't seen in a couple of years. We got to catch up and for the first time she felt like my equal and not like my older cousin who I can't relate to very much because of the age gap. The same age gap is still there but I suppose I've done a little bit of growing up over the past two years so I didn't feel like such a "baby cousin," even though I'll always be the baby...and I like it that way.

DeeAnn and I.

Ric (the big brother), DeeAnn and I with Ric's girlfriend Gail, DeeAnn's husband Jack, and Paul!


We can be cute if we really want to be.My mom and Jack. Her name is Kitty but it looks like Cougar would be more accurate...

And now, say hello to the newest member of my and Paul's family. We pooled our Christmas gift cards and a little extra change and bought her on Saturday...

Yes, that's Jersey Shore. Shut up.

I'm trying on wedding dresses on Saturday. Stay tuned for the antics that I'm sure will ensue.

Excavating and Baking

Today marked mine and Paul' first real lazy day at home together since moving in together. The 16 inches of snow on the ground means that our cars were completely covered and that going to work would be a near-impossibility for him. Conveniently, Paul's boss called and said that he didn't have to come in today since we're so far away from the store and it likely wouldn't be busy enough for him to have to be there.

The first thing we did was venture out to dig Paul's car out of the snow. After about 10 minutes of pushing, sweeping and throwing snow, the car was mostly uncovered and we ventured up to Food Lion so that I could do the baking that I've been looking forward to doing for day now. After pulling into the wrong (un-plowed) entrance to the Food Lion parking lot, we got stuck for a while until Paul pushed me back into tracks and I parked just after plowing over about two feet of snow that had been pushed aside in the lot. Our drive home, happily, was much less harrowing than the drive there.

Once home I made us a delicious breakfast, if I do say so myself, and we watched Stripes. Then I set about peeling and dicing potatoes for potato soup. I just finished baking a few sheets of butterscotch, pecan and oatmeal cookies and the potato soup will be done in about an hour.

Life is good.

Oh the Drivers Outside are Frightful

For the past 24 hours all of Roanoke and the Roanoke-based-news stations have been freaking out about the storm of the century that was supposed to be coming to town. I doubted everything they said. They said it would snow about 12 inches and I said we wouldn't get any. The weatherman finally proved me wrong. They let us out of work early, at 3:15, and after stopping at the ABC store so that I could do snowed in baking, I set off to meet people from work for margaritas at Abuelos. As soon as I pulled into the mall I decided that I in fact would not be going to Abuelos and that it was going to be a long afternoon. Two and a half hours, one bitchy, yelling driver, a few speed demons and lots of passed-accidents later, I walked into the apartment and promptly collapsed on Paul and cried. At no point was I afraid that I was going to wreck my car, because I know how to drive. I was, however, terrified that someone else would wreck their car into my car. It didn't happen, but the last 10 minutes of that drive were so frustrating that all I could do was cry until I felt a little bit better.

I'm not driving tomorrow because, after a trek to the Food Lion beside my apartment, I'm going to spend the day baking and cooking. I decided yesterday that since I'm still not in the Christmas spirit (though being warm at home with pretty snow outside helps) I'm going to try to give myself some spirit by baking. So I'm going to make macaroons, butterscotch and pecan oatmeal cookies, and maybe some sugar cookies to decorate. I'm also going to make a big pot of potato soup because nothing goes better with cold and snow than potato soup. Later in the week I also need to make an upside down german chocolate cake and a grasshopper pie for my family's Christmas dinner and buffalo chicken dip and maybe another grasshopper pie if I'm feeling daring for our Tacky Christmas Sweater party at work. So I'm going to cook and bake and listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies and finish wrapping presents and I'm going to get in the Christmas spirit if it kills me.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...and a Little Bit of Spite

Paul and I finally got all our Christmas decorations up on Monday and they look fabulous, if I do say so myself. Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself.

The tree with the adorable tree skirt I foundThe Dining Room

Slightly Christmas-y Book Shelf

With our first tree :)

We've already done a little holiday entertaining. It wasn't really a Christmas party, but it was a teeny dinner party and the decorations were up, so that counts.

There's a great deal of confusion over the new office at work. You see, my 28 fellow new hires and I are currently camped out in a conference room that is not equipped to hold 29 people plus instructors all day. We are moving to our new office just a short walk through Elmwood park next week and, unfortunately, it doesn't have a fridge. And let me tell you, to some people, not having a fridge is a fate worse than death. These people are acting like the world will stop spinning on its axis if they don't have a fridge at work. One women, when I was explaining that ice packs exist for lunch boxes, blurted out, "But I have to have a place to store vanilla milk for my coffee." I'm sorry, you have to have that? That's not a necessitate you twit! Granted, I want a fridge too, but I'm a sensible individual and therefore willing to wait until the new group of 30 people starts on January 11 so that they can contribute to the fridge fund too. A select group of people think that it's acceptable to make everyone pay $20 for a fridge that 80 people will share and 30 of those won't have to contribute a dime. I'm not playing along. Instead, I will donate the amount that I come up with after dividing the cost of the fridge by the number of people that will be using it. Supposing that the fridge is $500.00 and there are 80 of us, that will equal $6.25. Don't think I won't ask for .75 change either. Just because some people may win the vote and get a fridge before Christmas (which will only happen if they raise/collect enough money) doesn't mean I'm going to spend one dime more than what is my fair share.

Okay, I think that's enough spite and bitterness for one night.