Friday confessions to kick off the weekend!

Nothing better than a beautiful sunny Friday, friends!!

Let’s kick off the weekend with a little confessing…

Linking up with Aubrey @ High-Heeled Love!

I confess… that the novelty of having a dinosaur dish receiver started to wear off last night when I realized it was pretty much impossible to watch The Big Bang Theory, a 2-hour season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy, as well as Glee, all in one night.  The fact that a PVR is a real NECESSITY in my life once again reared its head.  Add into the mix that The Vampire Diaries starts next week, and it becomes clear… I need a PVR!!!!

I confess… that solving the dish problem has been one of the hardest, longest puzzles I’ve ever had to solve.  Seriously.  I’m almost there.  If luck plays in my favour, I MIGHT have it up and running in time for the next Thursday night TV extravaganza.

I confess… that I’m still not holding my breath, though.  I have zero luck.  Need another example?  I got my phone damp in my pocket last weekend, and after two days of sitting in rice, it came back to life no problemo.  Awesome.  Then last night, the battery died, and once I got it on the charger, it never came back.  Dead as a doornail.  I have a year and a half left on my contract, and I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be a cheap fix/replacement.  ughhhh.

I confess… that while I told myself running in the rain last Saturday morning was a badass thing to do, it now appears that it was very big and costly dumbass thing to do.

I confess… that I was glad I stayed up past my bedtime to watch the Glee season opener featuring the songs & music of The Beatles, if for no other reason than to see Lea Michele’s hauntingly beautiful performance of “Yesterday” to kick off the show.  I know they’re planning to address Cory Monteith’s death in an upcoming episode, but I felt that her song last night was subtly poignant, stirring, and left me with goosebumps.  I’m pretty sure it was meant for him.

I confess… that I’m looking forward to another sort-of quiet weekend.  Although the phone problem may mean a trip to the city tomorrow, which sucks.  I totally intended on doing nothing but watching Dexter, reading & relaxing all day.  *sigh*

I confess… that after my run last night, I took a little extra time to make my supper, and I went with the Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Noodle Bake.  I already had a container of pasta sauce in the fridge, so it didn’t take long to whip it up.  It was sooooo yummmmmmy.

I confess… that I haven’t had time to watch Dexter all week.  I’m very much looking forward to some quality time with my favourite serial killer and all of his pals tonight!!!

Happy Friday, everyone!  Have a GREAT weekend!!! :)

We can always use a little Sunshine!

It’s a beautiful, sunny Thursday here in my neck of the woods, so I thought it a perfect day to “accept” my Sunshine Award! 

Last week, I was pleasantly surprised to find I’d been nominated by Jo at Will the kids turn out ok? for the Sunshine Award.  Thank you Jo!  Please go visit Jo and show her some love :)  She’s one of my fave blog pals, and she’s unique in that I do believe she’s the only person I know who lives in Belgium!!  I’ve had a great time getting to know her, and reading about her family these past few years.

So here’s the scoop with the Sunshine Award…

The award is circulated to those bloggers that you want to inform that  their posts brighten your day.

1. Include the award logo on your post or blog
2. Link to the person who nominated you
3. Answer 10 questions about yourself.
4. Nominate 10 bloggers to receive the award. Link your nominees in your post and leave them a comment letting them know that they have been nominated and give them 10 questions to answer about themselves.

Here are Jo’s questions for me:

1. Do you have a nick name(s)? What is it and how did you get it?  I mostly just get Jilly, Jilly Bean, one of the guys here at work apparently can’t say “Jillian” so he calls me “Julia” instead, and now a bunch of the other guys here call me that, too.  My dad always called me “Gilly” (so do a few of my cousins), but I hate that one.  It’s apparently because in my birth announcement in the local paper, they mistakenly spelled my name with a “G”, and thus, Dad started calling me Gilly. ugh.

2.  What is your favorite piece of clothing?  Tough one… I’ve been going through sizes so quickly these past few months that I barely have time to get attached to anything!  I have a comfy grey Aeropostale zip-up hoodie that gets a lot of wear.  And good ol’ Yoga pants too, of course!  I don’t know if it counts as clothing, but I got my riding boots at Payless last Friday night and even though I haven’t actually worn them yet, I love them.

3. Do you buy any magazines regularly? Which?  Nah.  I pick up a copy of People now and then if there’s something on the cover that attracts me (as in, Channing Tatum as the Sexiest Man Alive!!!), but that’s about it.

4. Who is on your 'Celebrity Freebie'  list (yes you are allowed more than one)?  I’ve always got my Top 5 Freebie list in mind – it changes occasionally, but here’s my current list:

Adam Levine

James Marsden

Ian Somerhalder

Channing Tatum

Wade Redden

(Wentworth Miller was on this list, but I kind of had to remove him after his recent letter to Russia…)

5. If you are married/ or have a significant other, do you know who is on their celebrity freebie list?   Single as single can be, and I’ve never asked my invisible boyfriend who is on his list.  (By the way… have I ever mentioned my invisible boyfriend before?  I got him a few years back, and his name is Dexter.  I named him that WAY before I fell in love with the show.  But now I kind of like to think of my invisible boyfriend as a nice serial killer.)

6. Is there something that would be totally out of character for you to do but that you've always wanted to do?  This tattoo that I keep talking about… I’ve never been much of a fan of tattoos on others, my parents definitely discouraged us from ever get one, and yet, I’ve always kind of wanted one of my own.  I keep thinking that if I really wanted one, I’d have it by now, so maybe it’s not meant to be.  But I haven’t shut the door on it completely yet.

7. If you could befriend one celebrity who would it be and why? Right now, I have a girl crush on Jennifer Carpenter.  She plays Dexter’s sister Debra Morgan, and I think she’s just about as badass as they come.  She was also actually married to Michael C. Hall in real life for a while.  I’d be interested to see what she’s like outside of her character.

(Also, if I get to be friends with her, maybe I get to be friends with him, too… mmm Quinn…)

8.  Best lesson you've learned in life?  Put your head down, dig deep, push hard, and you can do anything.  Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t or you shouldn’t.

9. Are you turning into your mother?  Ha!  In many ways, I would say no.  And yet, there are definite similarities.  I discovered many of them when I first moved out on my own.  I would catch myself thinking of something or complaining about something and think, “Holy crap, I sound like Mom.”  I still think my sister is much more like her than I am, though.

10. What is your favorite cocktail? Red wine? (tell me the name so I can try out new wines), White wine?  Since I’ve pretty much given up the booze this past year, I don’t have much to offer here, Jo!  Sorry!  I’ve never been much of a wine fan, but when it comes to choosing something off a cocktail menu, I usually go with a Strawberry Daiquiri or a Caesar.

Here are my 10 questions:

1.  I believe everyone has a “theme song” – one song that defines them, speaks to them, moves them...  What is yours?

2. They’re making a movie about your life.  Who do choose to play you on the big screen?

3. What is your favourite holiday, and why?

4. You are given a free ticket to travel anywhere in the world for one month – where do you go, and what sights do you see?

5. Are you a fan of Reality TV?  If so, which show would you like to be on and why?

6. What is your biggest pet peeve?

7. What is your favourite thing about Autumn?  What is this season like where you live?

8. Do you play an instrument?  If not, what instrument would you like to learn to play?

9. You’re on a diet, and trying to avoid certain junk foods… which is your biggest temptation – the hardest to resist?

10. Do you have a Bucket List?  Tell me one of the items on it that you hope to cross off someday.

And here are the 10 bloggers I’d like to pass this Sunshine Award on to!

Stacy at Family Life

Lindsay at A Small Town Kind of Life

Nicole at Life’s a Beach

Steph at Watching Airplanes

Brittin at Olson’s Travels

Stacie at Park Avenue

Mrs. Match at The Diary of Mrs. Match

Vandy J at The Testosterone Three and Me

Incognitus Scriptor

Ricki Jill at Art @ Home

… And ANY of you out there reading that wish to play along!  I don’t want to withhold any of the sunshine from any of you :)

Feel free to answer the questions in your own blog post, or in the comments section here – I'd love to read your answers!

Happy Thursday :)

A change would do you good… ?

Forgive me another rambling, long-winded post today, friends, but this is one that’s been burling around in my brain for a while now.  

Ever since a month or so ago, when I was sitting in my pew at church, and our minister Nancy decided to play that game.

The one that I hate.  (Sorry, Nancy!) The one that other ministers, and former teachers, have tried to play with me several times before.

It’s the “OK, Everyone!  I want you all to switch places!  Those of you sitting in the back left, move to the front right!  Those of you sitting in the front left, move to the back right!  Those of you sitting in the middle, get up and move!  Find a new seat!  NOW!” game.

Oh Lord, how I hate it.

I remember being a kid sitting in church when  a former minister decided to try this out on us.  Our congregation tends to be very creature-of-habit.  The same people sit in the same seats, week after week.  Everyone has “their spot”.  Of course, this is always noticed by ministers, and they tend to try and shake us up, usually with the same lessons-to-be-learned in mind: you sometimes need to push yourself out of your comfort zone, or nobody here has a claim on a pew.

I remember that time when I was a kid well.  Because, while many of the people moved grudgingly, grumbling under their breath or sighing heavily, there was only one who actually refused to move.  He sat at the end of the pew our family sits in, bent over with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped in front of him, and a sharp, steely-grey gaze narrowed right at the minister.  He didn’t have to say a thing – his look said it all:  Just try and make me.

Ladies & gentlemen…My dad.

A creature of habit if there ever was one.  A man of ritual.  A man who disliked change, and fought against it with all his might.

And apparently, he passed all of those fine traits on to me.

I’m a little more willing to bend than my old man was.  When Nancy first declared that we were all going to switch seats that Sunday several weeks ago, I felt my face twist up into a scowl, and my first instinct was to totally balk, à la Brent Young. 

But I moved.  I followed my mom across the aisle to a pew several rows back.

I didn’t like it.  But I did it.

And then, when she went around asking everyone how they felt, she was met with these smiley, happy responses:  “I don’t mind sitting here.”  “I feel just fine!”  “No problem at all.”

I couldn’t lie, though.  When she asked me if I liked my new seat, I grimaced and simply said, “Nope.” 

Everyone chuckled, and Nancy told us we could all return to our seats if we wished after a few moments, but of course by then, my stubborn streak had been ignited.  There was no way I was about to hippity-hop back around the church again after that.  (funny to note, though, that my dad’s brother Reid was the only one who did return to “his” seat! something that runs in the family perhaps???)

But it’s at moments like this that I’m really faced with it:  I hate change.  I think many people do.  We get comfortable, we like our routines, and when the possibility of that being altered in any way arises, it’s unsettling.  Some are able to roll with it better than others.  I tend to dig in my heels a little more.  I’ve recognized it in myself – I’ve seen myself do it at work, at home, in my personal life.

It’s the reason I felt sick to my stomach for almost a whole month after I moved out of my parents’ house five years ago, even though it was just down the road two minutes.  It’s the reason I couldn’t eat for a week when I bought my new car.  The reason I researched TurboFire for weeks before finally taking the leap to a new, healthier lifestyle.  It’s the reason I want to burst into tears when I’m told I need to learn a new procedure at work.  If I’m being entirely honest, I think it definitely played a big part in my dropping out of university after only 2 days.

And right now, I honestly feel like it’s at least part of the reason why I’m still single.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  It’s not like I have boys lined up banging down my door or anything.  But in the past, on the few odd occasions when a guy has expressed an interest, I really haven’t given them much of a chance.  I get super-nervous, I dwell on all the ways my life will change, and then I run.  And I hide.

Strange for a girl who whines all the time about wanting a husband and babies, right?  I know. 

I know.

Getting married and starting a family has always been my dream.  And yet, when I think about putting myself out there – going out, looking for a good man, signing up for on-line dating sites or whatever – I end up retreating. 

I don’t have time for that.  I’m busy every evening working out.  I like watching 4 episodes of Dexter each night if I feel like it.  I like going out for supper with Mom and watching a movie with her on Friday nights.  There’s no room in my bed for him.  I don’t have TIME for a relationship.

The truth?  The unknown scares me.  Being outside my comfort zone terrifies me.  And thinking about shaking up my routine in any way makes me feel all panicky.

Awesome.  Thanks for all of this, Dad!!!

I know it’s time.  I’m feeling better about myself than I ever have, and my self-confidence is finally there.  This is when I should be seizing the moment and putting myself out there.  I should be embracing the change and all that comes with it.  I took the steps needed to better myself, and now it’s time to reap the rewards, if there are any to be had.

Instead, I find myself settled right into my rut and quite happy to be there.

I know a change would do me good.  I know that it’s time to move around and try something new.  Time to listen to that voice inside my head that’s saying Get up and move to a new seat, dude.  Just do it.

It’s all up to me.

*sigh*  Easier said than done.

You’re gonna hear me roar…

It all began on January 7th, 2013.

That was the day I decided to embark on a journey towards becoming a happier, healthier me.  I had a plan, and a goal of losing 30 lbs. before my 30th birthday on July 28th.

Along with that “plan”, I made a list of goals that I wanted to work towards during that time.

Some I was successful with – for instance: limiting my alcohol consumption, cutting evening snacks out completely, drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day, and keeping to an exercise schedule.

Others, I have failed miserably at – such as, “learn to love salad”.  That one is admittedly still a struggle for me…

But there was one that stood out among all others as something I really, really wanted to do.

And that was to run a 5K.

It’s almost surreal to think about it now…  I wrote that goal down on my list, and then looked at with pure skepticism.

I can’t do that.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that.  Losing 30 lbs. isn’t going to make me able to run.  I hate running.  I’ve ALWAYS hated running.

But I wrote it down anyways.  I remembered hearing about so many people I knew who had been at the Army Run in Ottawa last September, and how I wished I could be a part of that someday.  It sounded like an amazing experience, a wonderful cause, and an exhilarating feeling to be there.  I wanted to know how that felt.

And I wanted to be able to say I actually ran the 5K course.

I looked upon that goal as a sort of “pie in the sky” we’ll-see-how-she-goes type thing.  I wasn’t really sure it would ever happen. 

But as 30 lbs of weight melted into 50 lbs lost, suddenly all things seemed possible.  My confidence was buoyed, and I bumped that 5K up on my list of things to accomplish.

In early June, I began following the Couch to 5K program, and it’s funny to think how before then, just jogging from one hydro pole to the next was a real challenge.  I had started doing my “hydro pole jogs” on my lunch hours a few weeks before starting the program, and I recall thinking, There is no way I’m ever going to be able to do this.  30 seconds of jogging is my MAX!  And this was after completing 20 weeks of TurboFire – I was in better shape than I’d ever been, but still the 5K seemed unattainable.

I was on a mission, though, and I kept at it.  Three times a week, with the jogging intervals gradually increasing, C25K had me up to a full 30 minutes of jogging, uninterrupted, by August 3rd.

I remember on that “last” jog of the C25K, feeling so victorious.  I could run a 5K!  My app told me so!!

And that’s when I was faced with a harsh reality… my so-called 5K that I’d been running in 30 minutes?  HA!  Yeah right!!  Not even close.  I drove my route in my car and discovered I wasn’t even running 4K in 30 minutes.  Once I mapped out a new route that I was sure was 5 kilometers long, I discovered it took me more like 38 minutes to complete it, and those extra 8 minutes were tough.

And so, for the rest of August and September, I worked on that 5K.  I whittled away at my time, pushing myself each run to go faster, work harder, and get that time under 30 minutes.

Last Thursday, I managed to get it done in 30:25.  I thought I might get it under the 30 minutes on Saturday morning, in my last “practice” run, but it ended up pouring rain, and while I did persevere and go ahead with my run, it was more of a comedy of errors than anything.  My clothes were soaked after just a few minutes, and the water weight kept dragging my too-lose pants down.  I had to keep stopping to tighten the drawstring on them, as well as to tie my shoes.  On top of it all, my phone got wet in my pocket and ended up in a bowl of rice to dry out afterwards… definitely not the best run of my life!

Sunday morning came early, with my alarm going off at 5:15 AM.  Not surprisingly, I didn’t have to drag my butt out of bed as I normally would have at that time, because I was full of nervous energy and already bouncing with adrenaline… It was ARMY RUN day.  It was time for my 5K!

My friend Brenda was the one who signed me up for the Army Run, and so I went with her and her family to the race site in downtown Ottawa.  Brenda, Wayne, Brittany, and Cowan have taken part in the Army Run 5K for several years, so on the way there, they filled me in on what to expect and gave me last-minute advice.

Despite all of that, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for being there in those crowds, seeing the packed corrals, and hearing that deafening cannon that signaled the race was on.

It was incredible.

My first plan was to try and follow the “30 minute pace bunny” – a guy dressed in bunny ears holding a sign that said “30 minutes continuous”, but I very quickly lost him in the hordes of people crammed into that corral.  In fact, because of a last-minute pee stop, by the time we got to the corrals, they were so jam-packed we couldn’t even figure out how to get in them.  Along with many others, we decided to wait until the crowd started moving, and then we hopped the barricades to actually get inside and start the run.

It was several minutes after the cannon boomed before we even started moving towards the starting line.  It was like moving along in a herd of cattle.  There were SO many people.  But once I stepped over that line and my chip was activated, the actually running part began, and I was off!

It felt great.  I felt like I was flying.  There were moments when I was slowed up by people in front of me, or jostled by other people trying to get by, but overall, I felt like I was going pretty good.  I found I had to stay focused to avoid bumping into other people, especially when I decided to dodge around people – for a while, I was muttering “sorry, sorry” the whole time, until the crowd thinned out a bit and I had more space.

That’s me at the front! ;)

With my iPod playing great running tunes to keep me going – Katy Perry’s “Roar”, Eminem’s “Berserk”, Britney Spears’ “Work Bitch”, Icona Pop’s “I Love It” – I honestly felt like I was having the best run of my life.  There were people along the route holding up signs and cheering us on, and every time we ran by someone who had started earlier with the ill & injured, we clapped for them, knowing many were injured members of the Canadian armed forces.

 

Normally, about half-way through my runs, I get tired and laggy… I can honestly say that I didn’t feel that way at all on Sunday morning.  I felt energized the whole time, my legs kept pumping seemingly effortlessly, and at some point I actually started thinking maybe I would get that under-30-minute time I so hoped for.

Alas, it wasn’t to be.  I guess all the extra dodging around and getting slowed up here and there by someone in front of me played a part, as I crossed the finish line 35:07 after the gun sounded, and my chip time was 31:01:03.

Crossing the finish line

I wasn’t disappointed though… In fact, I was thrilled.  I reflected back on where I was on January 7th, when I wrote that “run a 5K” goal down on my list, and thought it was kind of surreal to know that almost 9 months later, not only did I cross the finish line, but I was only 1 minute off my targeted time.  When the soldier at the finish line handed me my “dog tag” and congratulated me, I was beaming.  I did it.

I was proud of myself, I was proud of the thousands of others who ran that day with me, and absolutely amazed when I saw the map of the route the half-marathoners were running.  I was tempted to say “I could never do that”, but honestly, if the last year has taught me anything, it’s to never say never.

Post-race “We Did It!” photos – with Brenda, Cowan, and Britt

Is the half-marathon in my future?  Probably not… but I’m at a place in my life right now where I know that if I really wanted to, and I trained properly, I could probably do it – or at least make a valiant attempt.

I still wouldn’t say running has become a passion of mine – but I’ve enjoyed it much more than I ever thought I would.  I no longer dread going out for my run, like I did in those early days.  I look forward to getting out in the fresh air to clear my head, pushing myself, and seeing if I can challenge myself even further.  I like the way it feels to know my legs are stronger, and my whole body is in better shape because of it.  I like the sweat dripping off my face and that feeling of accomplishment when I’m done.

For now, I’m going to keep working on getting that 5K done in less than 30 minutes.  I’m going to keep running until the snow and cold and shorter days drive me back indoors.  And then, when springtime rolls around again, I can guarantee I’ll be back at it again.

Because there’s one thing I know for sure after being at the Army Run 2013 – and that is that I want to be there again in 2014!

***

Special thanks to my family and friends who sent me messages of encouragement on Sunday morning, and to all of you who have sent me blog comments and emails to ask how the run went.  Once again – I have the best cheerleaders ever!! I’m a lucky kid! :)

Friday. Finally.

It feels like it’s been a long week.  Thank God it’s Friday!!

But before the weekend can begin, first I must… CONFESS.

Linking up with Aubrey @ High-Heeled Love :)

I confess… that I was just about half-way through my first confessions post when some combination of keys that I hit completely closed the post, un-saved, and now I have to start all over.  Yeah.  It’s just been that kind of week. *sigh*

I confess… that I really have nothing on this weekend other than the Army Run on Sunday, and I’m totally OK with that!  I’m going to try and find some boots tonight after work, then tomorrow will be all about cleaning and decorating for fall.  Oh, and reading my book, and Dexter.  This is probably a good thing, since I’ll want to be well-rested for Sunday morning!

I confess… that last night I pushed really hard just to see if I could get my 5K in under 30 minutes.  And I was SO close…yet still, so far away.  30:25.  I was excited, and a little disappointed at the same time, because I don’t think I can run it faster, at least not right now.  I was chugging hard by the end.  If I’d pushed any harder… I’d probably have died.  I don’t think there’s any way I could’ve shaved another 25 seconds off my time.

I confess… that I’m going to be working on a mindset for Sunday – just crossing the finish line is something to feel good about.  Four months ago, I could barely make it from one hydro pole to the other.   Being at the Army Run, instead of in bed at home, is a victory in itself.  Of course, I’m competitive, and I want to keep beating my own times, but I want to feel amazing and rewarded simply by doing the run, and not worrying so much about the time. :)

I confess… that while the rest of the Sens Army was gearing up for the return of the Battle of Ontario last night, I didn’t actually watch much of it.  I was spending time with Dexter instead.  So sue me.  I imagined my dad giving me permission.  He used to say, “It’s preseason.  Means NOTHING.”  I am not a bad hockey fan because of it.  I am not.

I confess… that I really couldn’t believe all the chirping Leaf fans were doing after they beat the Sens last night.  I mean, seriously, folks.  Did you not just hear my old man?  He said… IT’S PRESEASON. MEANS NOTHING.

I confess… that I’m still so gleefully excited to have satellite TV again that I don’t even mind the commercials.  Last night, I spent half an hour bouncing around between 1st period action on TSN, an old episode of the Vampire Diaries, and a Big Bang Theory re-run.  I didn’t actually absorb any of it, but it was just so much fun to channel surf again!!!

I confess… that I’m finding it really really hard not to place my usual on-line Old Navy order for fall clothing.  I picked up a few cheapo things at GT last weekend, and then the boots tonight, but I’m really trying to just make do with what I have.  I’m really not cut out to be frugal, though.

I confess… that I think I’ve pinned every pumpkiny thing possible on Pinterest this week.  And now I’m actually kind of over pumpkins.

I confess… that I probably spend more time than I should trying to think of all the scary movies that I want to watch this Fall.  It’s a little bit ridiculous.

I confess… that I have the best momma in the world.  I planned to make lunch for my co-workers today, but when it came time to put it all together, I was missing some key ingredients.  (I suck at planning ahead.)  Mom to the rescue!  Not only that, she came and helped me assemble everything.  I was a little scattered last night, so it was good to have her there to keep me on task and get it all done.  Thank you, MOM!!! :)

On that note… time to wrap up these confessions!  Have a great weekend everyone! :)

I HAVE TV. AND IT IS GLORIOUS.

You guys. 

You guys, you guys, you GUYS!!!

I finally have a functioning television again.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

It’s not the PVR I so deeply coveted.  In fact, it’s an old receiver that I stole from my mother’s basement.   A relic.  A dinosaur.

It’s so old that when you go to the Guide, it’s the complete blue screen Guide.  No little TV show up in the corner or anything.  It’s a complete antique in the satellite dish receiver world.  No HD capabilities.  No Personal Video Recording abilities.  It barely even comes with a remote control.

And yet, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have it.

I can watch TV from the comfort of my own home again!  I can watch stuff that doesn’t come in DVD format!  IT’S SO FRIGGING EXCITING!!!

After Yoga last night, I flicked it on and Jeopardy was on, and I was so flipping thrilled.  Over JEOPARDY.

I didn’t even watch Jeopardy in my old life.

Now, I am riveted by it.  Riveted, I tell you.  Alex Trebec never looked so good!!!!

It’s been a long road for me without a functioning satellite receiver.  It had been acting wonky for over a year before completely crapping out several months ago. 

And even last night, after I thieved Mom’s receiver, I thought for sure the Satellite Receiver Gods hated me and were determined to never let me watch TV again.

You see, my brother told me if I took that old receiver and hooked it up, I’d be good to go, at least temporarily.  And so I did what he told me to, and then I sat patiently waiting for it to acquire a signal.  I waited and waited and waited.

Finally, I went to the set-up menu and saw that, once again, it was showing 0% Signal.  Zip.  Zero. nada.  I ran a bunch of diagnostics tests which I didn’t even understand.  I went through all the transponders, which I also don’t even understand.  And there was absolutely frigging nothing.  I was brokenhearted.  The satellite repair man told me I had 100% signal a few weeks ago, so why did I now have nothing??? I shut it off, turned it back on, and tried again.  And STILL NOTHING.

I was going to cry.  Because that’s what I do when things don’t go my way.  I meltdown.  And I cry.

I took a deep breath, and decided to calmly check the cables one more time to make sure I had them all going in and out of the proper holes.

And that’s when I realized the satellite cable was not the right one.  I made the switch, and BOOM!  I was in business, baby!!!

So.frigging.happy.

I watched the NEWS!   I watched JEOPARDY!  And I watched SURVIVOR!!!!  I felt like I did when we got our very first satellite dish 15 years ago!!

Seriously walking on sunshine here, peeps.

Also, I stole my mom’s extra DVD player because mine is an el cheapo that skips and jumps and acts like a loserface, so I got to also watch an uninterrupted, un-jumpy episode of Dexter.  Which also happened to be the first episode of Season 4, which  was by far the craziest episode of Dexter I have watched so far.  Like, ends in a cliffhanger that you’d normally see in a season finale… not in a season premiere!!!

It was a good night.

Now, this is far from a permanent fix to my dishues.  This old dinosaur could crap out on me at any second – I mean, the other one did, and this one is even older.  And I no longer trust dish receivers at all.

But for now – until I get the other set-up going – it’ll get me through.  I hope.  Knock on wood.

Fall TV, and Ottawa Senators hockey… I’m ready for you!!!! :)

My List of Lists

It’s been a somber morning with the news breaking earlier of a terrible accident in Ottawa involving an OC Transpo bus and a VIA Rail train, so I’m grateful for this opportunity to take my mind off of it and play along with some light-hearted blog fun…

Thanks to Lindsay & Shannon for the inspiration for today’s post!

I’m a list-maker.  I’m always creating lists – reminders of things to do, grocery lists, wish lists, my now-outdated-but-still-working-on-it 101 List… and if I’m stressed out or overwhelmed by a task at hand, I often list the steps I need to take to accomplish it.  Somehow, breaking it down makes it seem more manageable, and it makes me feel better.

That’s right.  Lists make me feel better.

So, seriously… how could I turn down the opportunity to make a LIST OF LISTS?!?!

Here we go…

5 Things I’ll Be Doing Over the Next Week

1. Finally getting my tail light fixed at Kanata Ford.  It was over a month ago that we discovered it broken, and I’ve been waiting for a call to tell me the part had come in.  I finally called them yesterday, and of course, the part is in but nobody had called me. gah.  Appointment is made for next Tueday evening…

2. Making lasagna for our Friday Lunch at work!  I’m making a big pan of lasagna Thursday evening to bring in to treat my co-workers, along with Caesar salad and garlic bread.  I don’t know if they actually really like it, but they always say they do, so I hope they enjoy it on Friday.

3. Decorating for Autumn.  I’ve been itching to do this since September hit, so I plan on digging out my box of gourds, leaves, and fall things to put out this weekend.

4. Watching Dexter.  That’s a guarantee.  I didn’t get to start Season 4 last night, but hopefully tonight I will!!

5. Running – and hopefully completing!! – my first “official” 5 K.  I’m so pumped and nervous and excited for the Army Run.  I’ve been running 5 K for almost two months now 3 days a week, but this will feel more “real”.  I can’t wait!!

4 Items I Need to Purchase

1. Riding boots.  I’ve got a few pairs of skinny pants/jeans and leggings, but now that the weather is cooler, the flats and flip flops that I’ve been wearing with them aren’t so practical.  I want a pair of high brown boots.  Payless Shoestore, I’m coming to you!!

2. Paint.  October is going to be painting month at my house.  FINALLY!!!!

3. A new winter coat.  Last year’s is wayyyy too big.  A good problem to have, I guess, but I’m dreading the search for a new one.

4. Season 5 of Dexter.  Of course.

3 Shows I Can’t Wait to Come Back Into My Life

1. Survivor.  I’ve taken a few years off from watching Survivor, but I think I’m going to jump back in again for this season!

2. The Voice.  My mom and I have been watching The Voice for the past couple of seasons, and we love it!  Can’t wait for that sexy little Adam Levine to be back for my viewing pleasure several nights a week. (and Blake’s not too shabby either!)

3. Ottawa Senators hockey games.  I get a little shiver of excitement when I think of hockey being back soon!!  Only a few more weeks until the regular season begins…

2 Reasons I’m Excited For Fall

1. Pumpkineverything.  I mentioned yesterday that I’ve been a pinning machine when it comes to all things pumpkin.  My first attempt – the (non)Paleo Pumpkin Brownies - were a bit of a flop, but I can’t wait to try something else.  Nicole sent me a great Weight Watchers-friendly super-easy recipe yesterday to try, and I think I’m going to do just that this weekend!

 via

2. Fall activities!  Friends’ birthday dinner, Thanksgiving, Car Rally, Halloween… I just LOVE this time of year and the fun it brings!

1 Thing That’s Currently Bothering Me

1.  It’s hard to whittle it down to just one – there have been a few things weighing heavy on my heart and mind these past few days – but I’ll go relatively superficial here and say my dish issues.  Or my “dishues” as I’ve started to call them in my head.  I still don’t have a functioning TV.  I thought I had a plan in place to fix the problem, but it seems to be stalled now too.  I just want it all resolved and over with… *sigh*  It shouldn’t be this hard!!!!  There is an easy, temporary fix, though, and I think I’m going to take it tonight just so I can stop thinking about it for awhile, and be ready for Fall TV premiers and hockey.

So… what do your lists look like?  Feel free to make your own & share! :)

Healthy baked goods aren’t worth it. And other random stuff.

Ah, Tuesday!  Time for me to let the random drivel leak out…

• Remember last week, when I said Pinterest was bad for me because it’s trying to make me fat?  Well, I’ve decided from here on out to only pin healthy recipes.  For the most part, anyways.  (I mean, I DID pin one for Better Than Sex Pumpkin Cake yesterday, but a girl’s gotta live a little, right?)
• Anyone who follows me on Pinterest knows that I’ve been a little obsessed with anything pumpkin-related lately.  I’ve been a pumpkin pinning MACHINE.  I finally picked up a can of pumpkin at the store on Saturday, and last night tried to make Paleo-Friendly Pumpkin Brownies. Super easy, and only 5-ingredients: almond butter, honey, pumpkin, 1 egg, and baking soda.  Except, I subbed natural peanut butter for the almond butter, which apparently makes them non-Paleo-friendly, but that’s OK, because I’m also non-Paleo-friendly.  (The PB was $3.99 a jar, the almond butter was $8.99.  No can do, almond butter.  No can do.)   And the result was one of the most boring, bland concoctions I’ve ever created.   I was so sad.

(via)

• It wasn’t the peanut butter’s fault.  I don’t think that was the problem at all.  They were just so blah.  There’s no way almond butter could’ve saved them.
• Up next: the Better Than Sex Pumpkin Cake.  To hell with the healthy stuff, it’s a waste of ingredients!!!

• Seriously, though… I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record on this, but I NEED to be better with the healthy eating.  I’m pretty good from Monday through Thursday, but come Friday, all bets are off.  If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you my butter-soaked jeans from this past Friday night at the movies.  Any ounces I lose during the week are just re-added on the weekends.  I’m maintaining, and that’s all I expect of myself right now – but I know it’s a dangerous line that I’ve been walking…
• Speaking of Friday night at the movies… if you haven’t seen Lee Daniels’ The Butler yet… go!  Grab your mom and your sisters and your sister’s mother-in-law and her sister-in-law (like I did) and GO!  It was excellent.  I think we all gave it two thumbs up, and that’s saying something… My mom HATES going to the movies, and she told me if I could promise her a movie like that every Friday night, she’d go every time.

• The only bad part was the butter leaking out of my bag of popcorn and soaking my jeans. *sigh*  Probably a sign from above that I shouldn’t have had the popcorn in the first place… and definitely not with extra butter half-way…
• You know what I love?  I love that my niece and nephew love “movie days” as much as I do.  Sunday after church, we went out for brunch, and Danica had a little meltdown because she ordered pancakes, but they gave her hotcakes.  The hotcake is just a smaller version of a pancake, and the establishment we were at didn’t have regular pancakes, but she didn’t understand all that.  All she knew was that these little hotcakes were NOT what she wanted, and they were very upsetting to her.  So she was having a meltdown and refusing to eat them, and no rationalizing or bribery was working, until I said, “Listen. If you eat your breakfast, when we get home we’ll go to the store and get some treats and pick out some movies and we’ll have a cozy movie day in Grandma’s basement.”  It took her all of 30 seconds to sit up and start eating.
• The afternoon held such Disney Classics as Hercules and Sleeping Beauty,  as well as Cheesies, Pringles, and Big Foot Candy, and some solid Auntie time with Caden & Danica. :)  Not a bad way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon!

• Ladies and gentlemen, the time is finally drawing near… I’m now only 5 days away from my first “official” 5K!  The Army Run 5K is on Sunday morning, and for the first time, thinking about it has me feeling a little nervous.  I’m not sure why, because I’ve been running a full 5K three times a week for over a month now, with my time gradually improving each week.  I mean, I know I can do it.  So why the butterflies suddenly today?  I hope it’s just a normal feeling to have leading up to my first run…

• Dexter.  Season 3 ended last night.  I’m ready to start Season 4 tonight.  eeeeeeek!!!!!

• And I’ve decided that once I’m done Dexter, I’ve GOT to get on the Breaking Bad bandwagon… I saw SO many tweets and FB statuses about it the other night, and I was jealous that I wasn’t in on it.  I need to get in the Breaking Bad know.

Well, I think that’s all she wrote for today, folks!  Happy Tuesday!!!

Linking up today for Random Tuesday with Stacy Uncorked!