And while I am at it, in addition to the new technology and new furniture that I want to buy, I think it's time I step into the millennium with a sleek high tech tv stand instead of this monster white washed entertainment center than I bought in 1996. I am a  Realtor and I show houses in all different neighborhoods at all different price ranges and everybody has a wall mounted flat screen or a clean, simple tv stand set up with all the entertainment accessories.  Am I the only person left with an entertainment center and big fat, NON FLAT TV?  That's all I am saying.  Moving on. 

I think I mentioned I have been going to therapy for a few weeks now to figure out why I've been feeling so out of sorts.  I really enjoy the sessions.  It seems I am an avoidance type who locks things away rather than dealing with them.  Therapist makes me deal with them and it actually feels good.  The bonus, though, is my lack of appetite!

Along with therapy, my doctor prescribed to me some Prozac.  Or "vitamin P" as we say around the house.  Once the vitamin P settles in, the good doctor brought of the discussion of short term high potency weight loss pills for me as well.

Now this is tricky for me because I come from a long line of heart problems.  Of most relevance, my Mother died of a  sudden massive heart attack when she was 49.  I just turned 40 and I find that I am much more cautious of those warning labels than I was in my 20s.

But all things considered, what my body has been through the last few years and the depression that has been kicking my butt... the extra energy of the diet pill would be a great boost to get me out of my slump and make the most of my exercising and eating right efforts.  

It really doesn't matter at the moment, though, because Doc has changed her mind.  In the two weeks between doctor appointments and being on Prozac I lost seven pounds without even trying.  The Prozac simply kills my appetite.  If I TRY to eat a plate of chips and cheese I can't because it just does not appeal to me!  CRAZY!  So anyway, Doc says the vitamin P is doing a good enough job suppressing my appetite without adding the metabolism boost.  I'm a little bummed because more energy always sounds good!  But relieved that I don't have to worry about the extra stress on my heart.

HOWEVER this morning I was hungry and craving eggs and hash browns.  I have been drinking meal replacements for breakfast for weeks now.  Where did this come from?  Is my body adapted to the Prozac now?  Is my normal appetite kicking in?  AHHHHHHH!

I decided to have a scrambled egg and pita bread to curb the craving so that I am not tempted to over indulge later in the day when I am most susceptible to bingeing, and have that meal replacement for lunch.  I hope it works! I hope I am so disgusted by everything in the fridge at lunch time that it is all I can do to choke down a shake.  

Wish me luck!

Remember shopping?  It's a distant memory for me and I miss it.

Remember browsing the Estee Lauder and Clinique counters for something to spend your money on when you didn't really need anything?  Then making your way down the counter to jewelry and checking out the Fossil watches and the Nine West necklaces? 

Then just behind that counter was the jammie and lingerie section.  

Remember having the bod that made you excited  to buy the lingerie?  Now I would just be excited to  buy some fun fuzzy jam pants and slippers to match.

Let's not even imagine looking over at the shoe department. It's too cruel.

I am feeling broke and blue today.  Sure the economy will pick up in nine months.  But can I make it that long?  At least looking shabby so I could spend the money on my kids to look sharp and have fun felt like I was achieving something.  But now they're not looking so hot either.  And I know they are not having that much fun because I am grouchy and yelling all the time.  

Of course we can make it!  Geez oh pete it is only STUFF!  Here.  Instead of trying to make ourselves feel better by buying something, let's watch this funny video I found instead.  It's the MOM SONG, have you seen it? It puts things in perspective and keeps me in line. I crack up every time I watch it!

 

It is a lot of work holding a family and a household together.  The bills are only the tip of the iceberg, although they tend to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.  But the real challenge is everything in between.  The home maintenance, the child rearing, the career, the friends & family, and all life's little obligations and speed bumps.  Those are the things that cause the stress and drive the wedges in relationships.  I've been experiencing some wedges and speedbumps myself the last few years and have decided, rather than allow it all to be turn apart, to begin therapy.  It's been three weeks now and although all the sessions and soul searching and homework assignments have temporarily interrupted my blogging schedule, my healing body, mind, and spirit make it all worth while. 

So that's where I have been.  Might still be in and out but I'll keep you posted. 

More snow?  Say it ain't so!  I think it's time to start planning our summer vacation.

We don't take a big vacation every year.  We have enjoyed a couple of wonderful Orlando vacations but usually we take few shorter trips and make our way from Cedar Point Amusement Park to Mackinac Island and whatever we can find along the way.  It has been a tough year, though, so I am hoping we can swing an extended Florida trip.  

We have been to Orlando twice, now.  The first time was magnificent!  The weather was great and SeaWorld  kept us busy and relaxed at the same time.  The second time, which was last summer, was not quite as fantastic.  It rained constantly and although we are so glad we experienced the attractions at Universal Studios, the park could not compare to SeaWorld.  

The attractions at SeaWorld cannot be described.  To say, "I rode some rides, watched a cool show with whales, pet manta rays, and ate lunch at a shark surrounded underwater grill", barely gives a glimpse into the actual experience.  

In addition to the uniqueness of each attraction, I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere.  With all that there is to do and see at SeaWorld, you move at your own pace and on your own schedule.  The park makes so much sense in the way that it is laid out and the timing of the shows that you are able to relax and enjoy everything.  And when that short afternoon rains moves in there is always a fun shop or show to duck into without missing a minute of fun.  

For this year we are also thinking about going to Las Vegas.  We have not been there since we have had kids and thinking about seeing the Pirate Ship, the dancing fountains, and crazy pools and buildings through their eyes is exciting.  But then I remember the the hoochie mamas and the fellas passing out porn in the street and seeing THAT through my kids eyes is not quite as exciting!

Our time off is in July so we have plenty of time to think about it but I like to have a plan.  I better start saving my pennies right now.  I don't want to miss our chance to relax, refresh and revive.

 

 

 

 

Well this week has just flown by.  I don't even know what's happening in the news right now because I have been too busy to watch tv, surf the internet, or even Twitter!  What's kept me so busy this week? American Idol and avoiding the recession.

I have a TV/movie beat over at the Imperfect Parent Blog and between posting about the show and keeping up with comments, I am exhausted! :-)

I have also avoided the news a bit because I tend to go a little nutty over the Big 3 news and talk of pay cuts and lost jobs.  It is tough enough to stay positive amdist all that is happening without being reminded at every turn that it is only going to get worse.

My Hubby, who has evolved light years since all this auto mess began has also learned to stop taking all the bad news to heart. He bought a frame and some performance parts and has kept himself busy by building a mountain bike.  We have discussed for years that such a hobby would do wonders for him and it seems to be working.  

Myself, I started therapy a couple weeks ago, to help me manage the stress.  Moms aren't allowed to have hobbies, you know.  If I sat still in one place and tried to do some meditation or spin some clay pots at home,  I would be pounced on within minutes by people who are starving, bored, bleeding, or ticked off about something.  So instead, I have made a new friend, named Therapist, and I go visit her, lay on the couch and talk about me.  Aaaaaaaah.  

So we've got therapy and building stuff to help alleviate stress in our house.  What are you doing to stay upbeat during these tough times?

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a weekend of hearing more details about the Chris Brown Rihanna situation I was probably too flip about the whole thing.  I am not big on censorship so I won't edit my previous opinion, only update it.  

It sounds like a really bad deal, that her wounds and the violence was more severe than I originally thought.  It is so easy to roll our eyes over what goes on in Hollywood and assume that the story is plumped up for sensation and publicity.  Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case here.  

Second to the the disturbance of the violence is the "how" and "why" did this happen?  How did two really good kids make such a "wrong"?  They are both going to struggle with and hurt over this for a long time as this article in the LA Times details. 

 

After a weekend of hearing more details about the Chris Brown Rihanna situation I was probably too flip about the whole thing.  I am not big on censorship so I won't edit my previous opinion, only update it.  

It sounds like a really bad deal, that her wounds and the violence was more severe than I originally thought.  It is so easy to roll our eyes over what goes on in Hollywood and assume that the story is plumped up for sensation and publicity.  Unfortunately that does not seem to be the case here.  

Second to the the disturbance of the violence is the "how" and "why" did this happen?  How did two really good kids make such a "wrong"?  They are both going to struggle with and hurt over this for a long time as this article in the LA Times details. 

 

I have too many writing assignments to count right now but I am too distracted to get anything done.  Between American Idol and the Chris Brown debacle, how am I supposed to focus on something like parenting tips or aluminum fence installation?

So what do you think about Chris Brown and Rihanna?  It was so surprising to me when they even started dating because I have always thought him to be a good positive role model, and she always seemed bitchy. For there to be allegations against him for violence... it is just so unexpected and disappointing.

I do not mean to take Rihanna's pain lightly. She should have never had to go through such an ordeal.  Even though there are two sides to every story and we don't know who started the scuffle or how it escalated to that point, it should have never made it there.  That's on Chris.  He is the man, and she is the one who was left unconscious.  It could have easily ended so much worse... I am glad to hear how well she is doing. 

Chris has been a good kid.  He's young.  He can work out his demons, get his anger in check and make amends with the world.  It is because he has been so good that he will probably be judged more severely than others.  His records will not be played as much and his ads will be pulled for awhile.  More was expected out of him than someone like R. Kelly.  When a moron screws up people don't take as much notice.  But when you're on top and your believed to be a good guy, that world is less forgiving.

With details still so sketchy and no official word from Rihanna, we all need to be happy everyone is safe and chill out.   Both sides need support and encouragment to get through this.  We certainly don't need people like Jay-Z calling Chris Brown a dead man.  Get over yourself Jay and take care of your wife.  Since when are you a thug?

As an enthusiast of entertainment and music, I hope Chris Brown gets it together and is able revive his career in the future.  But as a human being and a woman, my hand goes out to Rihanna and I wish her a speedy recovery of body and mind. 

Did you know that it is commonly frowned upon to discuss politics in the work place?  That is the silliest thing I have heard.

It has been a few years since I worked in a real office and was in the loop of work etiquette.  But as I recall, there were not that many rules on conversation.  Come to think of it, we were not really afforded much conversation because we were "on the clock". The only rules people were concerned about were the length and frequency of breaks and how worked hours converted to overtime.  

I recently learned that politics chatter in the workplace is not only a touchy subject but at some companies it is actually against policy.  I imagine this year in particular that would be a tough rule to follow since it seems politics is on everyone's tongue these days. 

The office where I currently work has zero rules. Anything can be discussed and believe me when I say everything has been on the table.  But there was one time recently when someone was popping off about the Big Three and how they needed to burn.  I was offended and angry to the point that I could not focus on my work until I pointed out that her opinion supports a scenario where a lot of people would be out of work, including my husband, and asked her to please keep those thoughts to herself.  

Hmmm... come to think of it... maybe that no politics in the workplace is not so crazy afterall. 

 

 

I learned something today about cell towers and I thought I would share. 

The article caught my attention because my parents live in northern Michigan on a lake and their internet and cell phone choices and quality are not fabulous.  

Anyway, did you know that companies pay big money to property owners to lease a portion of their land to host a tower? Now according to this source it is not super common but if you live in an area where cell reception is poor but the population is dense you might have a chance. To improve my service AND put $800 in my pocket each month, I would try!

The website that I linked to above has more information and even has contact information where you can submit a request for a tower.  Nothing to sell here.  Just passing along some info. :-)

 

I am not sure if I'm old or just suffering from the cold but I do not want to leave my house!

If you work outside you understand what I am talking about.  If you don't, there is no way to describe the way the wind or even just the still air can bite you when you are stuck out in those conditions.  

As I take my buyers from one house to another there is a different adventure at each stop.  We slather up in Vaseline to protect our skin from the cold.  We take flashlights because the houses have no electricity.  This year I learned quickly to carry a shovel because the long driveways are not plowed so rather than risk getting stuck we park in the road and start the hike to the house.  There is no relief in making it to the house because the homes are more frigid cold than the outdoors.  This is how I spend my mornings and evenings.  

During the afternoon I do paperwork and mom stuff.  When I finally get home at night after my last showings I spend a couple hours checking homework and tucking everyone in.  I am pooped!

It is at that point that all I want to do is curl up on the couch and never move again. With a warm cappuccino nuzzled close I pull up my DVR from the day and start watching my taped programs.  Ellen, Rock of Love Bus, Colbert Report and so on.  It winds me down and recharges me for the the next day of fighting the elements.  If only I could install some home theater seating and get someone to massage my temples... 

 

 

 

                                                              Have you seen "Hotel For Dogs" yet? I so desperately was not in the mood for yet another kid show but as usual, I was outvoted.  Ordinarily I am happy to see anything. I just enjoy being out with my Fam.  But I have seen so many kids shows that "Mall Cop" seems like an edgy adult film to me.   Further, I am DOGGED out!"Bolt!" "Beverly Hills Chihuahua", "Firehouse Dog", "Underdog"! Enough already!  Bring me some more chipmunks.  How about some more meerkat and hyena hijinx.  Anything but more dogs. 

My kids loved the movie, by the way, and my husband cannot wait for it to come to dvd so he can buy it.  Keep that in mind and take my less than enthusiastic tone with a grain of salt.  

"Hotel for Dogs" has all the usual components.  Troubled kids on a mission , animals in danger, meddling adults,  a chase scene, good triumphing evil.  These are all good things and things that make kids happy. 

The "something different" that "Hotel for Dogs" brought to the table is all the magnificent gadgets and gizmos that the brother built in the hotel to make the dogs comfortable and entertained.  From light fixtures to door hinges, everything in the hotel was modified to do something cool, fun, or just plain practical.  

I also enjoyed Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon as the clueless and greedy foster parents who cause the kids just enough grief to keep things interesting.  

Thinking back on the movie I enjoy it more than I did when I was actually there.  But ultimately it comes down to what the kids think.  And they loved it. 

 

I have never understood spending a ton of money on luggage.

Have you ever noticed how everyone in the movies has fancy designer luggage?  I agree that it is beautiful but when you consider that it is being thrown around, rolled around and banged around, it makes more sense to me to go with something strong sounding like Samsonite than Louis Vuitton.

I kinda feel the same way about purses.  I love handbags.  Kate Spade, Prada, Coach, LV, and D&B are my faves.  The designs are so gorgeous I want to hang them on my walls as art.  But again, I refuse to pay a high ticket price for something that I know I will not be careful of.  It is going to get stepped on by the kids in the car, it is going to sit on floors, open pens will swipe it, and something liquid is going to spill on it.  Those are just facts.  So what's a girl to do?  Buy bootleg.

But guess what. You cannot get a decent knock off handbag or host a purse party anymore without worrying about being stung by an undercover federal agent or worrying that your imposter handbags are actually funding terrorism.  It's not fair.

And you know I wish someone could explain to me the connection between purse parties and terrorism.  Personally I think it's just a ploy to get the attention of the housewives hosting the parties because they know that if anything was more important to us than our knock off bags and Tiffany jewelry it is the issue of terrorism.  

Thank goodness I have several bootlegs purchased before the housewife-handbag crackdown began.  Hopefully their zippers will not break before purse parties become popular again.

There is nothing like a bad economy to make you think about the things you DON'T have. 

For the last year or so I have been getting antsy when I look around my house.  Items that were once cutting edge look a bit dated and boring.  I used to get compliments that my house looked like an ad out of a magazine, but now I think it looks like a BEFORE picture on "Extreme Home Makeover."

Having kids does not do much for the glamour aspect of the house, for sure. They are always eating, spilling, drawing, sneezing, and dropping something.  But spotted carpet and marked up walls is not the focus of my domestic discontent.  

I want new furniture.  Like I said, I have been thinking about it for awhile but suddenly, when there is no money to be found either in our pockets or across the nation, I NEED a new chocolate brown leather sectional to replace my blue textured cloth sofa nightmare.  And don't even get me started on my entertainment center.  This three section white washed beast was the pride of my living room when I bought it... twelve years ago!  Now I just NEED a wall mount or one of those cool cabinet tv stands.  

Need. Not want. 

You know, it's my own fault.  I got to that point where everything was "perfect".  I loved everything about my house from furniture to ceiling fans.  Then I quit.  I just sat back and enjoyed it until one day I realized i hated it.  I should have never stopped nurturing it and making little updates here and there. 

So take this tip from me, newish home owners... don't take your house for granted just because today it may be giving you everything you need and more.  It needs constant love and nurturing.  If you are not careful you might one day end up with the equivalent of avocado colored appliances and orange shag carpet. 

The weight loss market is so saturated with wild claims and different products with similar sounding names and ingredients it is hard to know what to do to lose weight.  What ever happened to just not eating?

When I was younger we didn't have acai berries or Lipovox.  We bought a pack of Dexatrim, did some sit ups, and starved ourselves until we reached our desired results. Those were the days.  Nothing fancy, no ridiculous super foods, no outrageous claims, no free trials and money back guarantees.

But wait.  Starve yourself? That's not safe.  That's not good for you.  We now know that it is that type of diet that causes you to gain the weight right back.  Plus, I can't miss a meal these days without nearly fainting from low blood sugar.  Not to mention that I would be dead of starvation by the time I lost enough weight to make a difference!  Maybe these fat burning, metabolism boosting, body cleansing products DO have a place in today's weight loss market. 

So now we're back to square one! How do you filter through the junk and find what is good?  Well don't forget your doctor is a great resource, one that I never considered using until recently.  At 40 years old I find myself in a place where I just cannot get a handle on my weight.  I am intrigued by the acai berry, as well as the diet pills that contain acai berry extract and other exotic natural ingredients such as Lipovox.  So I made an appointment and talked to my doctor and together we put together a weight loss plan for me. 

I don't believe any diet is "one size fits all" which is why there are so many options available in the weight loss market.  If you continue to try and fail at diet after diet, maybe it's time to step away from the internet, the television, and the diet counter, and instead talk to your doctor about which of these products would be best for you.