Category Archives: Family Stuff

What’s Happening In My Life

We are here on the plane, heading to Minnesota. So not use to getting up at 5 am, but then we didn’t crash until midnight. Too busy trying to get things done, watch the games and catch up on shows.

It has been another very busy and stressful week trying to keep up with payroll. I’m hoping the next round is nowhere near as big as this one. But we are going to be making some changes, so it should be slowing down….at least by Nov 1st round.

We still went to the gym 5 days this week, even though Thursday wasn’t very good. I got the treadmill in and my floor abs, but not my sit up bench and weights. I’m always challenging myself on the treadmill, that is easy….just watch the distance and time…I log it. But it harder to challenge myself in the other areas…that is where I need a trainer. I’m getting a work out in, but we just need to stay at the gym longer then 60-80 min, but by then we are thinking about all that we want to get done and want to get home.

My weight is finally got below 154. It moves between 152-154. I’m aiming for 150, realistically don’t see hitting the 140/145 from HS….too old for that…lol This week is probably not going to be a good one for me without the gym. But I do have a neat application on my iphone that lets me log my eating that helps. It is easier then carrying my small notebook writing everything down.

I’m hoping to be able to fly out and visit my family this spring. I was thinking of April due to the weather, but my sister reminded me that there are 3 birthdays in March. My mom, a niece and nephew….from the 23-31. If I do that I’ll probably end up missing one of them, but that would be cool to be there for 2 of them.

And then somehow I would need to work it that I head up to Michigan to visit my best friend…..it is going to take some thinking and planning if I’m able to head out in the spring.

If you saw my tweets, one of my toenails was very sore from the hike. It was from the too long nail continuously hitting my boot and being pulled up. I found out later that hikers are known for losing toenails…yuck. So far mine isn’t hurting anymore. But later that evening after my pedicure I stubbed my toe….ouch. Well, I can’t see my toe nail since it is covered in nail polish. But when I look in front under the nail….it is black….icks. A few of hubby’s toe nails are black, but I don’t think that the are as black as that one….lol So I’m been trying to be careful as heck with it

I am hoping that we find time to get one more hike in. Since we finally hiked on Mt. Hood I would love it if we can do one at Crater Lake. The pictures of it are stunning and the lake is the deepest blue. I have to look up what elevation it is at. Because Oct is cutting it close snow wise. Not even a week after our hike is 70degree weather that area of Mt Hood received 2in of snow. So hopefully we won’t have that issue there at Crater.

But then we do have other options for hikes, such as the coast. We’ve visited the coast but haven’t hiked anywhere on it. So that would be really neat to do. So we’ll have to go over our options.

We have been watching the Ken Burns documentary on the National Parks…very neat info and stunning footage. Damn, I just wish we can take off and spend a year visiting them all.

I’m going to close this session for now…I can no longer think of what else to share. I’ll post this when I get the chance. =)

Evening Everyone!

Been a while since I’ve posted.  Never sure what to post lately.  Our routine hasn’t really changed and nothing much as been going on.  And you saw my rant over a week ago……..lol  Just our normal gym, errands,  work and enjoying our cats as they do goofy things.

I’ve been trying to chill out on the political/social commentary here and keep it on twitter.  Short, to the point and easy to skip over if not interested in it………grin  But doesn’t mean that I won’t do here on an occasion.

Well, this week was ok at the gym.  I got my treadmill and abs in everyday, but didn’t get as much in on the weights as I should.  I need to step it up next week.  My weight has flat lined, I’m not too concerned but wouldn’t mind losing about 5# of jiggle.  I’m more focused on maintaining and developing more firmness in the arms and thighs.  I’ve always been weak in the arms.  =(

This week was bad on eating…..I maintained my calories overall, but too much sugar and sweet cravings.  Forgot that the week before my cycle my sweet tooth kicks in big time.  But if I’m able to maintain my calories during that, I consider that a victory.  =)

Our neighbor’s dog got skunked a few nights ago………lol  Hubby was closing the blinds to our balcony and saw a skunk run up the street with their dog behind it.  He told our neighbor that it was skunk.  We were hoping that it hadn’t sprayed.  It was finally cooling down and turning into a perfect night and we wanted to leave our windows open.  Well that didn’t happen, a few minutes later we smelled it…….doh!  Then hubby saw that the dog did get hit….lol  They were out there washing him in the drive way.  Hubby was laughing about it, he use to do that very summer to his dogs when he was a kid.  So happy that wasn’t him out there washing the dog………grin

We are back to perfect temps, 60s at night and 70s/80s during the day.  I love it.  So happy to be out of Indiana and Florida.

Today I was in worker bee mode…..just wanted to get things done around the house.  Hubby attacked the floors and vacuumed everywhere.  I made some egg salad.  I got our towels and bedding washed along with all our other laundry, so it was an all day thing.  The hardest part about making our bed, is switching out the duvet cover on the down bedcover just because it is a king it is so huge and heavy.  That gave me a work out….lol

I finally cleaned up the mess in our office closet.  It was mainly caused by me digging for cds when I lost my external hard drive and the music on it.  So that is finally straighten up and better then it was before.  We can actually walk in there.

I also got all of our flowers outside fertilized.  I’ve been disappointed that we haven’t had more flowers on our rose bushes. I watered them everyday during the heat wave and every other day in between the heats.  Hopefully the fertilizer will help….. I love having our roses in bloom.

Not sure what I’m doing tomorrow.  I’m hoping that my motivation to get things done continues.  I won’t mind doing some lite rearranging in the garage and maybe get some oatmeal cookies made for hubby…..otherwise I would like to get a walk in,  attack some picture galleries for my family and get some company work done in the evening.

Today was a great day for playing catch up with the family, dad and Cheyanne & Charles video chatted with me as mom shouted hello.  Cheyanne had to show me her new kitten, Angel.  She was also having a blast making faces at me as Charles keep making rabbit ears behind my dad’s head.  Just had to remind dad to IM me or text me before calling on skype….lol  I’m not always by my pc or have my headphones ready….grin  I called mom later since I hadn’t talked to her and ended up on speaker with her and dad as they were heading out to the racetrack.  Then Sandi returned my call and we ended up on the phone for 2hrs.

Well, I think that it is all that I have for tonight. =)

Hot Week!!!

It has been a hot week and half…..yuck.  Yes, I know I’ve been complaining about it a lot, but when we moved here we didn’t expect to have this kind of heat.  We had a few days last year, but that was only in the low 90s….here we hit the 100s for 3-4 days. We set a new record of 10days of constant temps over 90.

We did set up our portable ac in the bedroom for a few days.  We tried not to use that much, because it really only gets that room and is noisy.  Central air is so much better….portable ac units are not efficient.  We love having fresh air, Oregon spoiled us on that because even if it gets humid it is no where near as bad as it gets in the midwest & Florida.

We got a high of 84 yesterday, which is perfect!  Takes the chill out of the house and is so comfortable.  Today the high ended up being about 74 area.  Our house is shaded in summer and with the nights get down to the 60s/50s again it left the house a little chilly longer today.  Kind of funky…went from barely wearing anything to hubby wearing a sweatshirt today….lol  Only in Oregon.

We are suppose to finally have a chance of rain in the next few days.  I really hope we get some, we haven’t had any in about a month.

Now with the temps more normal, time to see about planning some hikes.  I will admit we are so looking forward to the colors of fall already.

I’m watching Mamma Mia! again…….lol  I think I have the hots for Brosnan…..but then there are a lot of cute guys in it, even if they are on the young side….grin  Wow….sad that I now see the age on the young ones……lol  I didn’t recognize Rosie as Molly Weasley…I didn’t recognize Bootstrap Turner…..grin  Damn, I love my ABBA, way too many happy childhood memories to that music and I can’t hear that music without giving me images of Germany.

This weekend was payroll….every time you think you are finally done with one payroll period another sneaks up on you…lol  I finally got all the work caught up yesterday and was left feeling lost.  Today I had some work, but no where near the amount I had a few days earlier.

What I need to do is work on a few picture galleries for my family, back up my pc, and catch up our holiday letter.  I just haven’t been able to find focus and when I find motivation for it, it is time to bed….so messed up.  Now I need to pack some clothes for a few days.

A very good friend of ours mother’s has passed from a long fought illness and they are having a party to celebrate her life.  So we are heading up to Seattle for it.

Now for the record, that is what we want…no viewings, no memorials, no services…a party.  NO casket…just use every part of our bodies for transplanted and then cremate the rest.  Just throw my ashes in a box and released into the mountains…preferably Alaska or Oregon.  =)  Harold’s ashes are to be thrown in the ocean.  I haven’t done the legal paperwork for living will and remains disposal. But figured this is a good way to record my wishes for now while thinking about it. =)

My dad finally got skype and made his first call.  He didn’t warn me when he called so I didn’t have my head set ready…lol  I was just trying to get him to use the chat….grin  Then he wanted to use the cam feature.  Of course, that is a feature I’ve never used….so we both were learning that at the same time, it was funny.  Now he just needs more lighting. =)

I even got to show him Drew….lol It took him getting a new laptop to finally get skype…lol  Now I wonder if mom will ever use it.

Hello Everyone!!

Been a bit since I’ve done an entry. If you’ve been following my tweets, it has just been the normal daily routine…..working, getting things done around the house, doing errands and the gym.

We have tried to stick with our routines just to keep our mind busy. Mine keeps drifting to Diesel’s family and I’ve been dropping them emails.

It is HOT…yuck. It is going to get hotter…blah. I know places like FL and IND gets hotter and stickier but for OR, the place where central air is not standard, it is hot. If it wouldn’t go past the mid 80s, it would be perfect. But we are suppose to hit the 100s in the next 3 days…ugh! Which also means the gym is going to be stuffy. Need to make sure we get treadmills near the fans.

I’ve been making progress and I hit the weight goal that I set when I started about 18 months ago. So I’m pretty pleased, just need to get rid of some more jiggly. I’m not sure what I want tightened more, my ass, thighs or abs. Ab wise, I’ve never had a tight one even when I was younger and in shape….so that is actually out realistically and I do like my curves. So I think I really would like to see my legs tighten up because I use to stop traffic with them. =) Either way, I’ll just keep with my exercise program and keep counting my calories. That is the only way.

Hubby and I are trying to decide where are next hike is going to be. We’ve been in OR for about 2 yrs and have yet to visit Mt Hood, then there is the Bend area and Crater Lake….not sure. Trying to decide if we want to camp or get a hotel and how many nights. We are counting down the days when school starts to free up the crowds in the parks and trails.

In fact, Harold mentioned that he is ready for fall. The colors and the comfortable temperatures…..the crisp air….the kids in school. =) I love fall, it is my favorite time of year.

Finally found out from my mom, that my great aunt that passed away last month is going to have a memorial next month in FL. Unfortunately, I’m not able to go. =( But mom is going.

I finally got a few months written on our holiday letter. I still need to do the rest of May, June and July. I really need to write them when they are fresh in my mind, but this year is flying by. I can’t believe that July is almost over…wow

I really need to get to my long term to do list…..picture galleries, clean up my hard drives and organize them, back up my pc……. I just really didn’t have motivation for them this weekend, too hot.

Well, I’m going to read my comics online and get to the bedroom, much cooler in there. =)

Pictures of Diesel

This is from the email that Harold sent out and I have added this link to Our Family Page

http://www.bookwalter.org/Odds_and_Ends/_Diesel_/

I lost at least 1-2 film rolls in 1992/1993 while on a cruise that I went out with Diesel more often than not and I am sad to say I didn’t take as many different pictures as I thought I have over the recent years. The majority of these pictures are VERY LARGE and I apologize for that, I wanted to get these available ASAP and wasn’t sure if I should resize them in case anyone wanted to print them off etc.

I did not take 022/023 and I am not sure how I have them, but I have them so I thought I would add them to the list.