Back on Track

Well, after about a month or so off-track and half-assing everything, I think that I am back into the groove of things.

I just totally lost track.  I gained back 8lbs, which will come off this next week since I am back on drinking my water and eating.  I am also back into going to the gym.  Nellie has been pushing me this past week, and even though I have been half-assing the eating and water, I am really working on the gym.  I want to be at at least 199 by Thanksgiving when I go home to visit Mom.  I saw her in March and it was after that trip that I really started working on this.

If I hadn't quit, this would have been my 22nd week in a row working out and eating right.  I would have probably been under 200 by now.  I'm in no way giving up, that is for sure.  That is in no way an option.

I was at my mother-in-laws last week and we were going through old pictures.  I was flipping skinny even when I was pregnant.  My hair was long and Michael and I were talking and he really wants me to grow my hair back out.  I have been looking for long dos that would still not make me look 10 years older.  I look younger with shorter hair.  So, I think I will make an appointment with Christine, my hairdresser, and see what she can suggest.  I have this stupid naturally curly thing, so it has to get down past my shoulders before I can really do anything with it.  I want to get it colored again, but I also want to be able to do more than throw it up in a ponytail.

This Saturday, I went to visit my son in Raleigh.  He moved back for school last Tuesday.  It's so hard to believe that he is a senior at NC State this year.  Boy, I feel old, lol.

On the way there, I was listening ot one of the comedy stations on Serious satellite radio and this came on:

It as HYSTERICAL!!!  Especially the ones that were supposed to be REM and Alanis Morrisette auditioning, lol

Then, Mikey and I went to Sushi Nine for lunch.  It was AMAZING.  Most of the sushi that I have had has come from Japanese restraunts or Chinese buffet.  I had never been to an acutal Sushi place.

What made it better is that all the rolls were BOGO, so a 70.00 dinner was only 32.00. lol

I had the Rainbow Roll and the Lobster Roll

Mikey had the North Carolina Roll and the Wolfpack Roll:

We were going to go to Cheesecake Factory, but we decided on Sushi Nine.  I'm glad we did becase I definitely do not need cheesecake :p.

Then, we went to Trader Joes and I found the most amazing thing ever.....Cookie Butter!!  It's like peanut butter, but it tastes like a damn oatmeal cookie.  It's wondermous!!  The guy at the checkout said it should come with a warning label, and boy was he right!!  We got him some food for the apartment and some beverages and then I took him back and headed home.

Friday night I had found Sugar Cookie Vodka.  I have been looking for this ever since a lake trip where Leslie had it mixed with diet root beer.

It's a nice combo to have at night before I go to bed.

Ok, enough for now.....Zumba tonight and will catch up my weigh in page with the correct weight tomorrow morning.

Wordless Wednesday - The Yellow Brick Road 5-Mile Race

Mikey and I ran in the 1st Annual Yellow Brick Road 5-Mile Race in Roxboro, NC on July 14th.

Mikey placed 3^rd in his age group (20-29) and 44^th overall.  I placed 13^th in my age group and 118^th overall (out of 321 people).

This was a huge deal to me, as I tore my hamstring 2 weeks ago water skiing, but I was determined to finish this race, as it was the first one of the season.  My son is a huge help to me in my running and it’s something he and I enjoy doing together.

Me at the finish line

Waiting for the door prizes

Start line

Me moving ahead

Like this one - this is about 1/2 mile in

Mikey at the finish

Random costume wearers

I passed the mayor of Munchkinland!

Mikey getting his trophy

Wordless Wednesday - Creed run in from 2002

Scott Phillips from Creed.

I will be seeing him on 9/5/12 at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

I always get backstage passes for them.

But, I have lost a lot of weight since 2002, when this picture was taken in Philladelphia.

Office Mates

So we moved offices around last Friday.

I now share an office with someone.

Honestly?  IT SUCKS.

The person that I share an office with talks WAY too much.  I have 2 huge certification tests coming up and I spend probably 1/2 my day working on studying for those.  The other half is my daily stuff....internal audits, meetings, etc.

Last Tuesday, we were told where we would be moving.  I have known this was coming for a while and have been ok with it.  I get along with everyone for the most part.

But this guy.....ugh.  He is never here.  Since December when his vacation/sick/personal time renewed, he has used EVERY BIT OF IT.  He's getting ready to be out for a month or more with neck surgery starting this Thursday.  He is being considered for a supervisor position and goes on and on about how he is not going to take it if they don't show him the money, because they have been taking advantage of him for the past 2 years beceause they don't pay him enough for the position.  blah, blah, blahblahblah.

Really?

You put out 167 (his count) applications/resumes and where we work was the ONLY place to offer you anything?  And THAT is only because you worked with our supervisor before.

Right.

All I have to say is when they build the new offices, I better be one of the first ones to move.....

Got in a 30 min walk last night.  Going for 45 mins tonight then Thursday, going to do my whole 5-mile circuit in preparation for the Yellow Brick Road 5-mile in Roxboro on Saturday.  I wanted to run it, but since tearing my hamstring, I am more than likely walking most of it.  Which is ok with me.  I just want to DO it.

A short hiatus and a torn hamstring

Yes, I have been MIA.

I am a slacker.

I tore my hamstring doing of all things, water skiing.

So, I have been in a bout of depression.  Or self-pitty, however you want to look at it. 

But, in the infamous words of Jack Nicholson in "The Shining".......Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Lynn!!

Today is a new day and I am back at it.  I have wallowed around long enough.  I need to get back on track....I was doing so well.  I am up 8 lbs.  But, I know most of that will fall right back off.  I really haven't been eating THAT terribly. 

And, while I have been having my pitty-party, I still have a lot to celebrate.

We made it through our SQF Audit.  We have worked towards this audit for 19 months.  And we did it MUCH better than anyone could have thought.  We got an EXCELLENT rating.  99.02%.  And the auditor raved on how I did my verifications and validations.  He was very impressed. 

Now, comes the hard part.

Keeping it.

Our company president is also the acting president of AIB, which is our certification body.

No pressure :p

I am in the process of getting my HACCP certification.  Once that is done, I will go for my SQF Practitioner certification.  Meaning, I will be over the entire SQF Program.

Again, no pressure.

But it means something more......I have been working towards a management position for the past 20 years at various companies.  And I'm about to get it!!!

So, no more self-pity.

Back to taking care of ME.

To water ski or not to water ski.....that is the question

I love skiing. 

Snow skiing, water skiing, they are both the same to me.

Problem is, I haven't done it in YEARS.   Literally.  The last time I skied anything was in 2000.  12 years ago.

We are leaving for the lake on Wednesday evening after the huge regulatory audit we are having tomorrow and Wednesday.  A friend of ours, who I introduced in a different post, owns a house at Hyco Lake.  We are going to stay there and commute to work the rest of the week, going back in the evenings and going out on the boat or just hanging out.

Now me, I'm just going to work Thursday for a half a day, taking a friend for a birthday pedicure and lunch, then I will have all day Friday to myself there until they get back from work.  They being the hubby, David, Randy and Jeff.

Michael and I were talking last night.  For some weird reason, he really, really wants me to try skiing again.  He's adamant about it, actually.  He thinks that I have lost enough weight to try again.  Actually, I haven't tried to water ski since I first did it in 1992, between my pregenancy with my son and daughter.  I think I did try sometime after Megan was born, but I was so unfit that I couldn't get up and just gave up after that summer.  I mostly just hang out on the boat and act as spotter when others are skiing.

Sigh.

So, that is my delema.

Maybe I'll try.

We'll see.

I leave you with what we had for Dinner Saturday night......awesome kabobs!

My other hobby...or guilty pleasure

I have a hobby that I am not proud to admit most of the time.

I'm a gamer.

Nope, not PS3 or Wii or anything.

I play an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game)

It's called Everquest 2.

Have I ever played World of Warcraft?  Maybe.....for like 5 minutes.   It's so immature - at least in my opintion - compared to EQ2.  Nice graphics, but not as deep a plot line.  And a lot of younguns play WoW.  Older people tend to drift towards EQ2.

I just got my 7 year veteran reward on one of my accounts.  I have 2 accounts and I "2 box".  What that means is I play 2 accounts at one time.  I do that when I am not in a group.  I don't raid a whole lot.  The politics of raiding annoy me.

I have made some WONDERFUL online friends through EQ2.  I have met a few in person.  My closest online freinds are Erreck and Shelita - otherwise known as Crusher and Dayhumper (yeah...Dayhumper :p).

Do I attribute this to my weight gain over the years?  In part, yes, I do.  Sitting in front of a computer every night when I get home from work was a huge part of my life.

It affected my weight.

It affected my relationship with my family.

But, it's still a hobby.

Just not so much now.

Now it's just more of a weekend only thing, and even then, only for a few hours.  After I workout or play tennis with the boy, or go play disk golf, or walk with my walking buddy.

It's taken a back burner, rather than being high on my proiority list.

Days used to be full of "What zones am I going to do tonight?, "How much plat did I make on the broker today?", "Who the hell invited that person to the guild?"

Now, it's full of run, work, go to gym, walk, cook dinner, sleep.  And very little EQ2 time.

Do I miss it? 

Sometimes.

But it's always still there waiting for me :)

This is Faldur.  His real name is Mike and he's been away from the game for a long time due to health issues.  We all miss him :(

This was a hysterical death picture.  We were in a zone called Guk and we somehow all got stuck in the side of this box, lol.

This is my dirge, Kaydance Silentsong

Mereyne, my necromancer, and Bigsmaug, one of Crusher's alts.

Group in Solusek Ro.  We were working on a heritage quest.

Camping a mob (named character needed for a quest) in the Crypt of Varsoon.

Soloing in the Fens of Nathsar, one of my favorite areas.

Random Group

 Closeup of Mereyne - I love her colors.  I've actually pondered getting her as a tattoo.

Mereyne standing in Freeport, her home city.  They've changed Freeport and you can't have characters start there anymore, though you can still have a house there.

Inside Mereyne's house

Nereyne, my illusionist.

Nereyne, my conjurer.  I deleted her :(