Workin’ on it.

Do you guys know why I love blogging?

It’s because when I tell you I’m having a crap day, you’re all so nice to me.  And you tell me I’m beautiful.  Thank you for that… You actually really did make me feel better yesterday.  Love you all!!

Today’s better.  And I think I can chalk that up to taking my frustrations out last night on my lawn – also known as my weed jungle.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had to cut grass.  The drought and subsequent water ban this summer pretty much fried every lawn in town, which I loved because it meant no grass cutting & no allergies.  Literally, I think the last time the lawn mower was out was the week before Canada Day.

That was in late JUNE.

Really, about 85% of the lawn still didn’t need to be cut last night.  But the weeds?  The weeds were bad.  They were big and they were bad.  I had no choice but to venture out and attack them.  It was wild out there.  I had to drive over some of them multiple times to take them down.

I’m all stuffed up today for it, but the allergies are worth it to see my lawn looking somewhat non-jungle-ish again.

I hope I don’t have to cut grass again til September.

I also went for a long walk last night.  That helped too.  One of the keys to my current “lose weight project” is to make sure I do something active every day.  I was afraid this paining heel problem I have would hinder that plan, but my doctor told me the other day that what I have is a heel spur, and there’s really not much I can do about it.  Not even losing weight will help, he says.  (He’s really not the most motivational when it comes to getting me to drop pounds, unfortunately!)  I could get cortisone shots or an anti-inflammatory prescription, but he said if I could withstand the pain, and try things like heel supports in shoes and junk like that instead, I’d be better off.  He claims it could take a long time, but eventually it should just go away.

So.  No need to call off the exercising.  Phewf.  (I think.)

I know I’ve only been on this current “project” for three days, but I’m already noticing how much better I’m feeling about myself (yesterday’s crank fest notwithstanding).  I know it’s probably mostly in my head, but I think I *may* already be getting skinnier.  My walks at night keep getting a little bit longer, and I feel like I’m starting to get back on track.

I knew I’d feel this way, if I could just get my act together.  I hope I’m able to keep it up.  Falling off the wagon is just so damned easy to do…

Once again, I’ve substituted my evening chip & dip fest with a cup of tea.  I threw out all the half-opened bags that were lying around tempting me.  And of course, that bag of Skor Minis was demolished on Night #1, so they aren’t a problem anymore…

I still need to work on portion control.  But I can already feel it all coming back to me.  The MyFitnessPal entries each day.  The short walks at noon.  The cups of tea in place of snacks.  The lighter lunches.  Drinking water like it’s going outta style.  The longer walks at night.

I’m getting there.

Part of my mission also involves my dad. 

I had been doing very well with my weight loss prior to him being admitted to the hospital in January.  But then, when everything went wrong, I fell off the wagon hard.  It started with us leaving the hospital after long, stressful days and deciding to stop at a restaurant for supper.  I gave myself a free pass because life was sucking big-time.  I consoled with cheese burgers and poutines.

After he passed away, I sort of gave everyone the “I don’t give a crap anymore” spiel.  I was eating in an attempt to make myself feel better.  Stress eating.  Self-soothing eating.

I still have a very strong inclination to keep doing so.  The one thing that has lingered in my mind is that if there was one person who would be mad at me for doing such a thing, it would be Dad.  He could be one of my biggest critics when it came to my weight.  But he was also one of my biggest cheerleaders when I was dropping it.

He’d be really really pissed at me for using him as an excuse.

So…that’s over.  Time to move on from that.  No more excuses.  No more “I just don’t care” speeches.

Will I be successful?  Only time will tell.

But I’m workin’ on it.  And that’s a good first step.

WWTKW: Would you rather…?

I’m in a really crap mood today.

Don’t even ask.

Still kinda trying to get back into the bloggy swing of things.  And still no pictures of T.O. to show you.

So let’s play some Wednesday Q&A, alrighty?

Linking up with Mamarazzi & Crazymama.

Here are this week’s “Would you rather…” questions:

{one} WYR...have your own private jet or your own private island?
{two} WYR...be very good looking or very smart?
{three}WYR...have the ability to be invisible or the ability to fly?
{four} WYR...have the ability to read minds or control the weather?
{five} WYR...be able to hear any conversation or take back anything you say?

My answers:

{one} WYR...have your own private jet or your own private island? 

I want the island.  Right now. 

SOMEBODY GET ME A DAMNED ISLAND!!!! 

I realize the private jet would be very cool, and it would be awesome to tour around the world whenever I wanted, but usually?  Usually touring around the world sounds exhausting to me.  Chilling on a beach with a drink in hand sounds more heavenly than gallivanting around the world.

I’ll take the island.  This one would do quite nicely…

{two} WYR...be very good looking or very smart?

OK.  So.  I recognize that the correct answer is very smart… But just for one day in my life, I’d like to be very good looking.  You know that line in the Counting Crows song “Mr. Jones”?  We all want something beautiful…man, I wish I was beautiful.  I’ve thought that so many times. 

Meh.  I’m already kinda half-smart anyways.  Give me the beauty.

{three}WYR...have the ability to be invisible or the ability to fly?

Flying.  Definitely.  It’s one of those things you wonder as a kid, right?  Why can the birds fly, but not me?  I think it would be so insanely awesome to just fly around wherever I want, whenever I want…such a feeling of freedom.  And since I already turned down the jet, it just makes sense, right?

This just made me think of that moguls skier Jean-Luc Brassard who won a bunch of medals at the Olympics when I was a kid.  I remember seeing an interview with him on TV, when he grinned and said, “I love to fly!”

 

I’d love to know that feeling, too.

{four} WYR...have the ability to read minds or control the weather?

CONTROL THE WEATHER!!! 

Reading minds…that could bring on a lot of unwanted responsibility.  Most of the time, I’d rather be in the dark than know others’ true thoughts. 

BUT!  If it could decide what days it was going to be sunny, rain, snow, or what have you…that I could have fun with!!  I’d make damn sure there was never any crazy storms around here, that’s for sure.  They scare me.  And I’d always have sunshine for my holidays.  I hate when crap weather ruins a good time.  It would also go hand-in-hand with my ability to fly.  I’d make sure I never got caught in bad winds.

{five} WYR...be able to hear any conversation or take back anything you say?

Take back anything you say.  I’ve really, really wished for this a few times in the past.  Not often, but there have been times when I speak before I think, and it’s not a pleasant feeling afterwards.  If I could just take that back…  Yeah, that would be nice.

Have a good one, gang.

Basically, I suck. So let’s talk random crap.

Hi friends.

It’s me.  Remember me?  Swear to GOD, I’m still here…still reading your blogs…wishing I had time to write, or the foresight to schedule posts in advance, like all the organized bizznitches out there in Blog Land.

Apparently, I’m not one of them.  If you are one of those organized bizznitches… I hate you.  (No, actually, I love you.  I want to be more like you.)

I haven’t even uploaded my pictures from my T.O. trip yet.  I want to do my T.O. blog post, but that’ll have to wait for another day.  A day when I have pictures to show you.  As of right now…I got nothin’.

So for today’s Talk To Us Tuesday - with  Shawn holding down the fort while Impulsive Addict is on a bit of hiatus – you’re just going to have to put with my random drivel.

And here it is…

• I miss being on holidays.  So, so much.  I hate waking up in the morning.  I hate relinquishing the comfiness of my bed.  I despise my alarm clock with a passion so great that I’m surprised it has the audacity to continue going off each morning.  Seriously.  I am sooo not a morning person…
• The Keurig is making morningtime a smidge better.  Oh, how I love my Keurig.
• I just spent, like, 5 minutes with Lindsay trying to figure out how to do that finger trick.  You know, the one where you put your hands together, twist ‘em, and then you have one finger wiggling up and one wiggling down?  5 whole minutes.  She’s an expert.  I’m a work in progress.

• I have a doctor’s appointment today.  I made the appointment a million years ago, when I discovered a small pea-sized lump below my left ear.  I had a nurse friend look at it, expecting her to be all, “Dude, that’s nothing, don’t even worry about it.”  She didn’t say that.  She told me to get it checked.  So of course, I was pretty sure I was dying of cancer.  That was in May, and my doctor’s office couldn’t get me in any sooner than August 14th.  I was then pretty sure I’d be dead by now.  Of course, approximately three days after making the appointment, the pea disappeared.   Of course it did.  The good news is, I’m still alive.  So…there’s that.
• I literally have nothing to talk to my doctor about today.  I’m going to tell him about the pea, and he’ll probably laugh at me.  I once told him I thought I had a brain tumor, and he kind of grinned and said, “I’m almost certain you don’t have a brain tumor, but I’ll send you for a scan…juuuust in case.”  He knows I need reassurance like that.  I hope he never retires.
• The only other problem I might have to discuss with him is this paining heel/ankle issue I’ve had for the past couple of months.  I’ve been powering through, not letting it slow me down, but when I get up in the morning, I literally hobble around like an old lady for half an hour.  And it hurts when I walk any distance at all.  I have a feeling I know what he’s going to tell me… lose weight, dumbass.  Except he won’t say it like that.  The last time he gave me the “lose weight” speech, he did so in this round-about way, and he somehow worked a wooly mammoth into it.  He might have even called me a wooly mammoth.  I’m not sure.

• I’m pretty sure everyone’s sick of me and my “weight loss projects”, but I started a new one yesterday.  I’m well aware that I need to get back on track and drop some pounds.  Day 1 was going very well, until I started craving Chicken McNuggets.  Why?  I’m not even a McNugget kind of girl!!!!  I’m a Big Mac kind of girl!!!  But last night, I would’ve given my right arm for a Chicken McNugget meal with honey for the nuggets, tons of salt, vinegar, and ketchup for the fries, and a vanilla milkshake.  My.right.arm. 

• Instead, I ate a bag of Skor Minis that I “had to get rid of”.  I ate the whole thing.  But at least I didn’t drive to McDonalds, right?  Small victory.

• Current obsession:  I’m re-watching all the seasons of Friday Night Lights, and I’m being constantly reminded of how much I love this show, and how disappointed I am that it didn’t go on forever.  A sign that I’m getting older:  When I first started watching the show, I was drooling over the hot teenage football playing boys on the show; now, I’m all over Coach Taylor.  Yum.

• On Sunday, I finished reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.  Last night, I rented the movie.  I thought both were exceptionally well done.  I’m glad I read the book first, though, because I think I would’ve been totally lost if I watched the movie without the story fresh in my mind.  Lisbeth Salander is a bad-ass mothertrucker, and she makes me want to be a computer hacker with a photographic memory.  This morning, I’m typing fast and every time I make an invoice, I pretend I’m doing some serious hacking stuff instead.  Who says grown ups can’t have an imagination?

I think that’s enough for one day…

Happy Tuesday, kids.

Vacation Photo Dump!

I’m back!!!

Well…sorta.  Kinda.  Not really.

Life is busy at this desk as I play catch-up after coming back from vacay, and I’m off again on Friday (woo hoo for a 3 day week!) …so this isn’t even a real post, actually.

It’s a photo dump.

I had a great week off – relaxing, lots of time spent with family & friends, and eating my face off. 

(Diet starts next week.  Swears.)

Two of the biggest highlights of my holidays were Tracey & Ryan’s wedding – aka my birthday party!! – and a couple of days spent at my aunt & uncle’s camp.  Here are some of my favourite snaps:

Tracey was a beautiful bride!!  Stunning!!

Mr. & Mrs. Conners on the dance floor

Hugs from Keg & Court

I’m not 100% sure, but I’m thinking that’s Sadie there in the middle…

Group shot!  Courtney, Kegan, Kayla, Blake, Meghan, Clancey & Jilly

Two of my favourites – Mike & Kayla

Lovely ladies!!  Mandy, Trace, Sherri-Lynn, Kristine, Robyn, Jill & Lynn

I just looooved the bridesmaids dresses!

Up next…the future Mr. & Mrs. McCord…it’s their turn in September!!  Can’t wait!!

The next day, the fam celebrated my big 2-9 with a BBQ, cake, and snuggles with Baby Neve, of course :)

Uncle Lukey’s favourite game - “Who can sleep the longest”… I just love that Danica is honking his nose in this one

On Monday, we headed for the Draper Camp…one of my favourite places on Earth!  We hadn’t been there in years, and it was so nice to be back – reminiscing and making new memories :)

How cute are they?!

The paddle boat made many trips out around the bay!

Caden definitely had the biggest catch!!!! ;)   I can still hear Dave telling him to make it look really heavy! haha!

This kid is so adorable, I could just eat him.

I believe they asked me to caption this “A Bunch of Shuckers”

Fishing at the end of the dock

The cottage life…love it…

Heaven.

Sundown at the Camp

So.  Yes.  My week off rocked.  I wish I could do it all over again.

Oh, and you know what else thrilled me to death?  My family got me one of these for my birthday:

I was so surprised and excited!  I kicked the daily-2-cups-of-coffee habit in college, but still enjoy a cup now and then, particularly on weekends.  I especially love trying new flavours and kinds.  So my new Keurig has been making my flippin’ day.

Oh, and I’m addicted to coffee again.  There are worse things, though, right??

So I’ll try to be back soon with REAL posts.  With, like, actual words and thoughts.  And I hope to visit you all and catch up soon, too!!

One last note before signing off on this photo dump non-post…

Thinking today of my cousin Troy, who passed away 2 years ago today.  We all miss him so much and would give anything to have him back…

May you build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every rung.

May you stay…Forever Young. xoxo

Friday! Time to confess!

It’sssssssss FRIDAY!!  Woo Hoo!!

Linking up with Mamarazzi for Confession time!!

I confess…that this day is probably going to feel really long.  Because once this work day is over, my VACATION BEGINS!!  So friggin’ pumped!!

I confess…that I can’t think of a better way to start of my vacation than by going to my friend Tracey’s wedding tonight.  It’s guaranteed to be a good time, and I’m within walking distance of home from the reception.  Perfect.

Seriously…how awesome are they?!?

I confess…that despite my desire to let loose and have fun tonight, I will be doing everything in my power to not get as crazy as I did at Tracey’s bachelorette.  Which means… no puking in a cooler.  Hopefully.

I confess…that I’m really glad Tracey & Ryan decided to have their wedding the night before my birthday.  Because now, I get to pretend that someone threw a really major birthday bash for me!  With a tent and everything!  Thanks, guys!!! ;)

I confess…the last time someone “threw a really major birthday bash” for me was when my friend and co-worker Jared got married on my birthday weekend.  Tent and everything there too.  I ended up getting loaded on wine at the dinner, and was passed out in my car by, like, 10 PM.  Soo…that’s another thing we’re going to attempt not to do tonight.  eeeep.

I confess…that I’m not sure how much blogging I’m going to be doing next week while I’m off, but I’m going to try to pop in from time to time to see how everyone’s doing!

I confess…that I can’t wait to sleep in, stay up late, spend time at the beach, spend time with my family, go to movies, and just relax for the whole week…can’t wait…

Happy Friday, dudes!! :)

It’s OK…

I’ve seen It’s OK Thursday posts on many of my favourite blogs over the past year, and I think I’ll play along today for the first time!

Linking up with Brunch with Amber and A Complete Waste of Makeup.

It’s OK…

• that it rained last night.  Boy, do the farmers ever need it around here!
• to have a bit of a carb overload this morning – toast with jam for breakfast, and a co-worker brought in fresh bagels and cream cheese for everyone.   Screw the diet today.
• to anxiously anticipate the end of the work week…Vacay, here I come!
• to wonder what the HELL Kristen Stewart was thinking when she cheated on Rob – EDWARD FRIGGIN’ CULLEN!!!! – with an old married man.

 

• that I lazed in bed an extra ten minutes this morning and had no time to properly straighten my hair…Curly frizzy hair on a gloomy, rainy day is acceptable, no?
• to have a crush on Conway Twitty.  Really.  It is.  The man has such a sexy voice.
• to not know if Conway Twitty is alive or dead.  Note to self: google this later.
• to miss Christian Grey.  Seriously, I wish the series had never ended.
• to watch episodes of The Vampire Diaries every night, just to get my Ian Somerhalder fix.

• that I’m a little afraid to go to the movies after the Aurora theatre shooting.
• that I get mad when people tell me I’m almost 30.  I’M NOT EVEN 29 YET, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!
• to wallow in sadness a little today, on the 2nd anniversary of my cousin Jeff’s passing…

Our last cousin staircase photo

What are you saying “It’s OK!” to today?

WWTKW: Any ol’ excuse to post pictures of hot celebrities…

I love this week’s We Want to Know Wednesday questions ~ all about celebrities!

Linking it up with Mamarazzi & Crazymama…

This week’s questions:

The Lovely One wants to know:
{one} What Disney character do you most resemble and why?

And it got Mamarazzi, wanting to know...

{two} Who was your teenage celebrity crush?
{three} What celebrity would you love to be BFF with?
{four} Who is your celebrity look a like?
{five} Which celebrity/celebrity couple would you want to portray you/your honey in a movie about your life?

My answers:

{one} What Disney character do you most resemble and why?

Easy.  I’m Ursula.

OK, that might be a bit of a lie.  My boobs aren’t nearly that big.

{two} Who was your teenage celebrity crush?

It would be very very hard for me to pick just one.  I was always a Tom Cruise girl, and I recall going through a big Ryan Philippe phase.  There was also Ben Affleck, Jared Leto, Freddie Prinze Jr….

But I think the biggest teen celeb crush I had was on Chris O’Donnell.

I fell in love with him after seeing Mad Love, and literally became obsessed.  I bought all his movies – even the Batman ones – and I used to clip pictures of him out of magazines and stick them all over my high school agendas.  It was a pretty serious affair.

Of course, I also considered Ottawa Senators d-man Wade Redden a celebrity, but that was more than just a crush.  That, my friends…that was the love of a lifetime…

 

*sigh*  I miss him so…

{three} What celebrity would you love to be BFF with?

Ian Somerhalder.

What?!  I think he and I would make GREAT pals!!  I mean, he plays guitar, so do I…sometimes…

{four} Who is your celebrity look a like?

I honestly don’t think I have one.  I have never had anyone tell me I looked like a particular celebrity. 

Oh, wait.  That’s not true.  Back when I used to take Karate, one of the little girls in the class told me I looked like Izzie from Grey’s Anatomy.  I have no idea what kind of drugs that thirteen-year-old was smoking, but I thanked her profusely.  I’m assuming it was just the way I had my hair tied up or something.   I will probably never be compared to Katherine Heigl ever again in my life, but I’ll take it.

(I have never ever looked like this, not even in my wildest dreams)

{five} Which celebrity/celebrity couple would you want to portray you/your honey in a movie about your life?

Well, if Katherine Heigl’s available, I guess she should play me.  Obviously.

Actually, I really do love her.  I just watched Life As We Know It for the fifteenth time the other day, and maybe it’s because she got to hang out with Josh Duhamel the whole time, but that’s one of my favourite movies that she’s in.  I think she could play me well – funny, bubbly, sarcastic…  And I know she’d have to have a few cheeseburgers before we could really be twins, but whatev.

And…well…we all know I ain’t got no honey.  But if I’m getting to pick someone to play mine in a movie, I’m going with Channing Tatum. 

Every.damn.time.

 

Now, if only he could sing like Conway Twitty, I’d be set…

Happy Wednesday, kids. :)