Appreciation

Someone I help at work with some reporting software just emailed me telling me how much she appreciated me.  She said... "have I told you lately how amazing you are - you are the BOMB."  She says I help her keep her sanity around here. I was getting really burned out at work and was ready to start looking for another job... I still feel like a change would be good but I also know that the people that I help and in return make me feel appreciated are more of the reasons why I continue to stay. 

My job has its ups and downs and sometimes the downs can trip up my desire to really see the positive side of things.  For one the economy sucks so I may as well stay put until things really look better and two, I really think another few years here gives me the flexible hours I need for dealing with my son's needs.  When he is closer to middle school years and switches schools, I think that will be the time to make my move - that way I can be settled in a new job before he hits those really hard teen years.  Life is never un-exciting with an Aspie ... there's much to look forward to.  I appreciate the challenge - that's for sure.  Keeps me on my toes.

Winning

Winning!
Yay!  I won some chocolate at Dreaming What Ifs blog http://karmynsdreamings.typepad.com/dreaming_what_ifs !  I am so excited to win something!  The last time I won something it was an iPod from where I work for replying to a survey.  That was over two years ago Through my own effort about a year ago I also won a cash prize when we did our own version of the biggest loser and I lost the most BMI points among my co-workers. But winning something from a blogging bud rocks!  I need to try to do something like this soon to thank some of the few readers I have for listening or reading my multi-directional rants about not much in particular.  Well such is life though ... lots happens and often there is no rhyme or reason for half of it.  If there is ... I am so missing the point. 
On a sour note - I have been fighting a slight sore throat this week and some congestion that just came out of nowhere ... must be allergies.  Grrr!  Hate pollen sometimes.  It makes me feel crappy.  Hopefully it will pass soon because my son goes on Spring break soon and I am taking a few vacation days so we can get out to Atlanta and maybe hit the zoo or the Georgia Aquarium ... he wants to go to the aquarium which I am fine with but I heard the schools are out in full force for field trips through the weekdays and it makes it hard to enjoy it so we may have to go on the weekend.  With his sensory issues I don't think he could handle the chaos.
I can't wait to enjoy my chocolate!

Overheard conversations

I was at Dairy Queen yesterday for dinner... I was disappointed with my food - Dairy Queen is not the place to eat for me ... dessert yea but a meal oh no. I also dislike some of the people that tend to go there. They are either scary looking dirty guys or they smell and stare at you like you just came out of some space ship.

At a table over from me I heard a woman complaining about how some woman (she kept calling her "his" secretary) who was friends with the "right" people was able to get the police to patrol her area more often and more attentively after her home had been burglarized whereas this other man who had had a similar problem could not even get the police to come in to his house and check for prints. I was clearly hearing a pretty resentful tone in the woman's voice when she kept saying "his" secretary. I am sure this woman was probably "his" lover and probably got whatever she wanted from this man so additional police detail was probably assigned to "his" secretary due to their special relationship.
It does not matter where you go and what you know ... it's who you know that gets you more. It's sad but true and no amount of karma will ever really change that. My sister told me the other day "don't waste energy on thinking that these types of people will ever get theirs in the end... they may never get caught, suffer or have any bad luck ever and you're the only one wasting your energy on thinking about them when you aren't even a glimmer in their eyes." It's not even a bitter truth - it's a let it go and move on with your life and stop living in the past.

My sister also pointed out that some things you do because you enjoy them but if you are doing them because you want to one up someone else then, as she put it, "your cheese is sliding off your cracker and you need some help." She gave me grief about working out so hard - she said - if you are working so hard you don't look forward to it or there is some other "cheese sliding off cracker" reason then you need to get some perspective but it's not like that for me... I really do enjoy it and I really want to be fit and have a sculpted shapely figure. It will take a lot of hard work but it's what I want and it will be worth it - just like getting my MBA has been.

Fitness

Self Curve Sculpting Video
I need to remember this Self work out video.
http://www.self.com/fitness/workouts/2008/12/sculpt-sexy-curves-video
It looks challenging but I am sure this is a good staple workout that will help me continue to tone up when my boot camp work out sessions end.

Date #2

I am supposed to go on date number 2 with this 27 year old guy I met (after the last 27 year old did not work out). I am not really that into this guy though. But he is a really good guy so far. He took me to dinner (Olive Garden) and a movie two Thursday's ago. He paid and did not lay a hand or arm on me!!! I was like wow! There are some men out there that still respect a woman. Holy moly! He goes to church every Sunday. My only but here is he does not plan or has not really attempted going to college, works at a grocery store and lives with mom and drives her car (saw the plates - she's a teacher - educator tags). Yah! But I can't go all glass half empty on him - he is planning to take me to dinner tomorrow and he wants me to pick again and plans to pay again ... :) - free dinner yay! I am just not sure I can really get into him seriously. I am not really that attracted to him and he lives with his mom. It's just weird plus he's 11 years younger than me... he'll eventually want kids and I am done ... with all that. Here I go running him off already. He doesn't have a chance in hell. ha ha ha

Anyways - been working out really hard. I was pained by super sore biceps over the weekend like I said in my last post. However, they are just mildly achy now and I can fully extend my arms and not stand there looking like a T-Rex with little bent up arms. I was very self-conscious when I was grocery shopping the other day about my arms being so sore because I was moving like a major 'tard! I was thinking someone was going to offer me one of those little motorized shopping carts any minute.

It's been a good week overall though and I am really into my boot camp classes. I just hate they end in a couple of weeks because it's too expensive and I can only really afford one month's worth. Oh well ... c'est la vie!!!

Grocery Shopping

I went grocery shopping later in the day today after doing lots of things that I had been neglecting... such as mopping my small kitchen - it was getting disgusting. I also folded some laundry, made my bed and vacuumed. I got up at 5AM and did all that because I could not sleep. Moving around kept me from noticing how sore I was from my boot camp session from Thursday. Until I slowed down to change into my gym gear to work out. My arms are super sore - I can hardly extend them fully to reach for things, which is probably why I was getting all these weird stares at the grocery store as I reached for things on the shelves. I felt like some invalid. Reaching to pay for and get my coffee at Starbucks was a bit awkward as I was having a hard time reaching upwards. I am glad I had only a small list of things to get at the grocery store otherwise I would have had trouble carrying things up to my apartment on the second floor.

The one thing that gets me about packaging is the smaller beverage cans they make. I get that the smaller aluminum cans must cost more to produce but you are still getting a lot less product. Why do they always cost so much more .. maybe I am just cheap but I hate it because I would rather an 8oz can of diet coke over a 12oz because sometimes the 12oz cans are more than I can drink at one time. So if I stick the can back in the fridge for later - then it is flat. I guess I should just switch to the indivual bottles so I can save the rest for later but I just find the cost is better with 12oz cans for what you get in the bottles.

I am so annoyed with the weather - it is so cold, rainy and dreary and being sore does not help. It makes it feel that much colder and me that much older (like an old lady). I finally took an ibuprofen to help with the soreness but first I had to crawl around on my hands and knees to pick them up off the newly mopped kitchen floor because the last time I took an ibuprofen from the prescription bottle I did not replace the lid securely so with my sore and limited range and slow movement arms I had no way to respond fast enough to the lid sliding off and sending all the pills flying across the kitchen floor. The ibuprofen barely helped - still can't fully extend my arms - I think I overworked my biceps and now I am suffering. I hope I am not this sore for Monday's boot camp session or the instructor might think I can't handle it.

Tire and Cold

I had a really busy and hectic week really but sometimes slower work days can take their toll too ... I am bored with my job. I don't find it all that challenging anymore. I need to do something to make me appreciate it more and get back some motivation. A reason to stay... you know?

At any rate, my son is at his dad's this weekend so I am going to try to focus on some R&R, reading, writing and cleaning a bit.

On Monday I am taking a vacation day. I get to go on a field trip with my son's class. My son is so happy I am going he smiled like he had gotten a new puppy when I said I was going. He still likes mom around at this age. When he is 12 or 13 or older he might cringe and look horrified if I decide to go to a school function. Well enjoy it while I can.

I ran 1.8 miles tonight and did 20 minutes on the elliptical. I did some weights but focused on areas that we did not do at my boot camp class I take twice a week. My thighs and arms are pretty sore today from yesterday's session. Monday's session seemed a bit easier but it still worked me over.

I don't know what I will get into this weekend other than more working out. The cleaning lady at work was making me laugh. She insists if I lose more weight that men will not be interested because they won't have anything to hang on to. She makes me laugh. She has a crazy sense of humor.

I guess I should be worried about finding someone to keep me warm - I am tired and the weather is getting chilly again. Ugh!