Help! I've Fallen, And I Can't Get Up!

Not sure how or when it happened, but somewhere along the way (i.e. within the last 2 years, I think), I gave up caring how I look. Clothes, hair, nails, makeup, exercise... meh. It used to mean so much to me. I took lots of pride, not to mention time, in taking care of me. Now? Not so much. Argh and ugh.

 

It's not that I don't know fashion...how to zhuszh up an outfit. I studied fashion and design years ago and have been a haute couture admirer from afar ever since. Oh, and I'm a lifetime devotee to all things What Not To Wear and Project Runway. Never missed an episode. I bow to the alter of Stacy and Clinton and dreamed that someone would nominate me. But my sweetheart of a husband said it would never happen; I was too classy of a dresser, too pulled together. (His words, not mine.)

Let The Madness Begin - Or How to Keep Grandma Sane

Youngest son has arrived. Belongings in a U-Haul trailer.

With a wife. Three kids. Two dogs. One cat.

 

Ay-yi-yi.

Can you just see it?

Yup. Chaos.

At least for a little bit. I'm sure we'll get into a rhythm. A schedule, of sorts. An even keel. Hmmm...too optimistic?

So youngest son has completed his time in the Air Force. And we are so proud of him for serving his country so admirably.

We are also proud of the man, husband and daddy he has become.

He's home now, under my roof, in the home he grew up in, plotting out his next career move. And where he'll be setting down roots for his family.

In the meantime, his father and I have laid out the welcome mat and offered them refuge until they find their new home.

But...it IS a tight fit. My house is not what you'd call a mansion. Far from it. Matter of fact, much to hubby's chagrin, it was once described as a quaint cozy cottage. Somehow, we've managed to squeeze in 5 extra people and 3 extra pets in this tiny abode.

Luckily the warm weather is here. The great outdoors beckons us. Which makes the backyard the perfect place for the kids and pets to spend a lot of their time. And its this time of the year when there are many things going on - b-b-q's, backyard family gatherings, festivals, beach-days, picnics at the park. Events to keep everyone busy and out of the house.

The point is, we all have to stay active, organized and out of each other's way.

I already have something in mind for my own sanity and, as a by-product, my health - THE GYM. I joined last week. Better late than never, eh? ☺ It'll give me solitude time. And as a result, should help me to lose weight, tone up and de-stress my mind a bit. Keep me from becoming Grandma the Ogre. Not a bad idea, right?

 

Photo Credit - Maximus_W (Flickr)

 

Don't get me wrong - I love spending time with my family. I'm very excited to have my adorable grandkids around and look forward to seeing their smiling faces and hearing their giggles every day. (Full disclosure: the whines, the cries, the tantrums...not so much. They are a package deal after all.)

 

So bear with me. I may not be able to post as much. And when I do, they may be a bit incoherent and disjointed. Be gentle.

 

If you have any suggestions to help this Little House in the City run smoothly, or have been in my shoes, please share!

Okay. Got to get back to the craziness that is my life and home right now. Wish us luck!

Pay What You Weigh - A Heavy Dilemma

Travel. It's my passion. My hobby. From my backyard to Tahiti. And everywhere in between. I've probably been there or drove by the place or flew over it.

 

I try to keep up on the latest news about my obsession. And this week came this headline:

"SAMOA AIR TO CHARGE PASSENGERS BY WEIGHT"

Now we all know that there's been lots of discussion in recent years about expanding passenger girth versus shrinking seats and passenger space on board aircraft. I think we can all agree that airlines shouldn't discriminate on the basis of a persons size. But on the flip side, we've all probably experienced the tight squeeze when seated next to larger passengers and, truth be told, silently seethed in our misfortune. Don't deny it!

To date, the airlines' response has been to offer coach seats with more leg room, for a fee. Or they've demanded that our larger brethren pay for 2 seats instead of one.

Enter Samoa Air with an alternative approach to this situation. Set the fare price by the weight of the passenger and his/her luggage. Um, really?

What is your take on this latest attempt to address this weighty controversy?

Is this merely discrimination against larger passengers disguised as a business decision? Do you think other airlines will follow suit? I'm fairly certain this has captured their attention. We've read similar articles where one airline begins charging for something and others follow suit. There's a good possibility we'll be hearing more news stories about something like this in the future.

Or do you think this is an isolated situation - that comparing Samoa Air with the major airlines is like comparing apples and oranges? Is this honestly just a sound corporate policy? After all, the planes used by Samoa are very small and as the article states the weight variance is definitely a bigger concern for Samoa than for the major airlines. The article even suggests that passengers on this airline - under this policy - may even pay less for passage than they did before.

All I know is that this is yet another wrinkle in the cost of air travel.

Ok. Let's examine this closer.

Can you imagine? Instead of waiting for a sale on airfare, passengers will have the option of dropping a few pounds to lower their airfare. What a deal! With an added benefit - it could be just what we need to fight the nationwide obesity epidemic. At least for the frequent fliers among us.

Well, this is my wake-up call. Time to finally drop those 20 pounds that have been hanging on to my hips for dear life. I need to be ready, fit and trim that is, for when all the airlines jump on the "pay what you weigh" bandwagon. Now this is what I call incentive!

My Backyard: Women's Expo; Rhodes on the Pawtuxet

I love spending time with my sisters. I have 5 of them so there's always an opportunity for gal-time. And since we love all things fashion, beauty, shopping and girly, we're always looking for events that bring it all together and we're there! Last month, 2 of my sisters went with me to the "What Women Want" Expo held on a Sunday afternoon at the Rhodes On the Pawtuxet in Cranston. It was presented by Alex and Ani and hosted by lady dj's from local music stations 92PRO-FM, Lite Rock 105, and HOT 106. A portion of the proceeds went to Women & Infants Breast Health Center.

My Friend Jenny Craig

Made a new friend this year. Her name is Jenny Craig. She's been supportive and helpful in getting my life and health back.

I've fought the battle of the bulge for many years now. It's been hard to keep the weight off while fighting health issues. And getting older, I truly understand when they say as we age our metabolism slows down. The weight just doesn't come off as quickly as it used to. All attempts on my part to do it on my own were met with failure.

Couch to 5K

My daughter-in-law gave me the idea. I had never heard of this program. But after reading about it, I'm going to give it a try. It may be just what I need to get rid of the last 10-15 pounds I want to lose.

I'm been trying to lose weight and get back in shape since the beginning of the year. I've had a few setbacks but its been mostly a positive experience. And by that I mean the scale is moving in the right direction.....down! Woo-hoo!

I'm not a runner and I can come up with a zillion reasons why I shouldn't be doing this. But I will NOT listen to the naysayer voice in my head. I CAN AND I WILL DO THIS!

I feel like I've hit a plateau and need something to push me up and over it. I think I've found it with this plan. Hubby and I are doing it together. My daughter-in-law and I are supporting each other across the miles. Always helps to have running buddies!

Check it out and see what you think!

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/index.shtml

I'll try to post periodic updates on my progess. (That is, once I catch my breath!)

If you decide to give it a try, keep me posted on how you're doing. And good luck!

False Alarm

I said in a previous post I'd been at the hospital recently. Here’s what happened.

In August I went for my annual physical. I'm told to go for a mammogram. I show the doctor a lump I found. She didn’t seem concerned. Probably a cyst, she said. I go for the mammogram. I show the tech the lump. She doesn’t seem concerned either but says she’ll take a good picture of it for the doctors to look at. I leave feeling like I’ve done my duty. Annual exam is over.

I leave for a trip to Minnesota for my brother’s marathon (more on that in an upcoming post). While there I get a call. I need further testing. Oh boy. I felt queasy. Scared. This sounds urgent.

I have another mammogram and an ultrasound. Afterwards I talk to a doctor. She’s worried about the lump. Neither test showed what it's made of; she thinks we should do a biopsy and find out. Yikes!

Two weeks later I’m back for a biopsy. This is nerve wracking. I’ve made it this far in life with no cancer scares. There’s no history of it in my immediate family. Haven’t found any lumps before. I’m worried.  This is so not a place I ever saw myself in. But I pull up my big girl pants and steel myself for whatever comes.

The staff goes over the procedure with me. They do another ultrasound. The doctor reviews it and preps for the biopsy. She studies the screen again. Does another test. Finally, she turns to me and says, “I don’t believe we need to do a biopsy. No needles for you today.” Huh? What? I’m not sure I’m hearing her right. "This is a cyst. Nothing to worry about. If it doesn’t go away or it becomes painful, a surgeon can remove it for you.”

Whoa! A gamut of emotions rushes thru my head. Relief, it’s not cancer. Anger, because this was a waste of time over nothing. Frustration, because no one could agree if it was a serious matter or not. One doctor's concerned, another isn't. And there I was laying on a table, holding my emotions in check, prepped for biopsy, and I’m told “never mind”. Argh!

Has this ever happened to you? How did you feel? Am I right to feel so conflicted?

Hubby was relieved when I told him it was nothing to worry about. I should have been, too. But I felt deflated. This whole process threw me for a loop. Wow! I don’t know if emotionally I can handle anymore craziness. First dealing with a hysterectomy. Then losing my job. And now thinking I might have breast cancer and die? Can’t wait for my head to stop spinning from this latest life episode. Don’t think I can handle another scenario like this.