Full Circle

I remember almost exactly this time last year making observations about 2007 and stating hopes for 2008. I remember sitting with a friend and setting 10 goals (not resolutions, mind you) for the coming year. Look back at my post from last year, and you will find several weeks of entries from early 2008 about the progress of those goals. I remember making a firm decision that 2008 would not be as difficult as 2007.

I kept exactly one of my 10 goals: I will be graduating in May with my Master's degree, assuming I pass my Comprehensive Exams.

Otherwise, the rest of my "goals" remain unmet. I managed to read my Bible every night for about six weeks. (I have the orange checklist to prove it.) I lost almost all of the weight I wanted to, and then promptly gained it back. All you have to do is look back at the date of my last blog entry to see that blogging every week turned out to be a bust. I only ran in one 5K. I don't even remember what the others were.

I will have to do some thinking and reflecting tomorrow before I decide if I am going to attempt yet again to achieve any of these goals. However, I have made one decision: I will be better equipped to handle 2009. I'm not going to hope it won't be as rough as 2008. In fact, I assume it will be just as rough. I am, however, going to better equip myself to handle whatever 2009 decides to throw at me. I have already set plans in motion to take a couple of risks that a year ago I wouldn't have dared take. And these risks require taking a huge step out on faith. That is how I plan to live out 2009. To stop worrying over the things I cannot control and take a few risks to get what I want. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won't, but I do not want to live 2009 playing the "What if" game. It is a game I am well seasoned in, but do not want to partake in any longer. I ask for your prayers for courage, resilience, and most of all, peace. I spent all of 2008 seeking a peace that has been right in front of me to grasp. I ask your prayers for 2009 that I will no longer look for peace, but just take it.

Here's to 2009. . . Bring it on.
-Peace to you all. . .

So Much for Going to Bed . . .

So, I crawled into bed at 11:00, SO happy that I was in bed at a semi-decent hour for the first time in a week. I closed my eyes after saying a short prayer that I would sleep through the night, or more appropriately, that the DOGS would sleep through the night.

Nothing.

So I sat up and turned on the cute little book light I bought so as not to disturb my husband and read for a bit.

Nothing.

So I got up and attempted to find something of value on TV. Of course, there was nothing worth watching so I did 20 minutes of Wii Yoga.

Nothing.

So here I sit, at 1:08 AM, for your reading pleasure. Funny thing about insomnia . . . you can't get cocky with it, because just when you think you have beat it, that you are over it, you are CURED . . .

BAM! You're awake at 1:09 am.

So let me gripe a bit about the classes I'm taking in the fall. Many of you already know my distaste for the fact that for a TECHNOLOGY MASTERS DEGREE I had to take a class in beginner's Microsoft Office.

Pleh. If only I'd known. . .

If only someone had told me that this fall I would be taking a course with the required textbook of "Microsoft Office 2007-ADVANCED," I will ALSO be taking a course with a required textbook of "Microsoft Office 2007-POST ADVANCED." Seriously. Now I certainly do not know everything there is to know about Office, but when I signed up for Educational Technology, I expected a lot more than how to use office productivity software. Where is SoftChalk? Stixy? Visual Thesauraus? iBreadcrumb?

Still not tired. Not even a little bit.

So I started wearing Mary Kay again. I have the worst luck with Mary Kay sales consultants. I am now on my fourth one. Now that I think about it, I have pretty sorry luck with hair stylists, too. I followed one for several years as she moved from place to place before temporarily disappearing off of the face of the earth. Then I found a great one in a town 45 minutes from here, which was fine back when gas was 1.50 a gallon. Then I found the first one. Then she up and sold her salon with no warning. I have no idea where she is. So I found yet another one, and she broke her arm. So I am on my 4th hair stylist, too!

Still not tired. I'm going to go tag your myspaces.

Peace.

Catching up . . .

I am SO far behind on my blog that I have no idea what I need to write about, so I'm just going to start blabbing . . .



In my infinite wisdom, I decided to take 12 hours in coursework this summer. What in the world was I thinking? That being said, I just submitted my final assignment and am waiting on comfirmation by my professor that she received it before going to bed. I am officially 2/3 the way finished with my Master's degree!!



After a four month running hiatus, (if you don't mind my referring to my complete lack of motivation as a "hiatus"), I decided, again in my infinite wisdom, to run in a one-mile "fun run" race. I didn't die, and I didn't come in last. Race=success.

Ok, my professor just e-mailed me. I am going to bed now. Peace out.

For Everything, There is a Season. . .

These last two weeks have been absolutely out of control for me, but I now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm pretty sure it may not be an oncoming train. I finished my portfolios for Multicultural Education and turned them in last night at 10:30. (Funny enough, they were graded by 1:00 today! I'm going to keep telling myself that she really did read all 50 pages of my portfolio, in addition to the people that turned in early . . . yeah . . .) I have to admit, thought, although I do not buy into the concept of multiculturalism and multicultural education 100%, it did raise my ponderings of certain issues. Ask me some time, and let's discuss!

I also, almost before I fully comprehended what was happening, accepted a new job. A second opening of the Instructional Technology variety came open, and a week ago they called me on Monday, interviewed me on Tuesday, and hired me on Wednesday. I have so many different feelings going on in me right now that I can hardly stand still. I was initially excited and jumping for joy. Then, I sat down to e-mail my new principal at Travis, who I had really grown to like and was looking forward to working with, and a bit of a rain cloud darkened some of my excitement. My real sadness came, however, as I wrote my "good-bye" e-mail to my staff. I really am going to miss many things about the school, and as I cleaned out the last of my stuff from my classroom today, I couldn't stop the memories from running through my head, from the first day I ever set foot on campus seven years ago as a bright-eyed, sparkling new teacher, to moments with kids (good, bad, and funny), just all kinds of memories. And as I shut off my lights and locked my door for the last time, the tears started to roll. A new teacher happened to be coming down the hall at this point and kindly offered to help me carry all of my junk out to my car. She probably thought I was nuts. I'm a little afraid of my new position . . . I'll be holed up in an office, so will I make friends like I had at Travis? Will I miss having students? Will I be good enough at this job? Then, still, there are things about Travis I absolutely will not miss. I'll leave those for discussion some other day.

But, now, I have turned in my keys, my position has been filled, and all I can do now is look forward to my new position. So wish me luck as I prepare to report in August, and in the meantime take THREE summer school classes. (I have no idea what I was smoking when I signed up for that!!!

Cardboard Testimonies . . .

I heard about this video from dear friends of mine that are members of my former church. I didn't want to watch it at first. I felt I was burned pretty badly by that church and still harbor some pretty bitter feelings that I need to let go of. But I watched it today and I cried all the way through it.

It has been a long time since I was touched like this.

And it made me wonder: What would my cardboard say? What is my cardboard testimony? I will have to ponder this a bit longer. I have a million things I can put on the front . . . but what would I put on the back??

What do you think?

A Pseudo-goodbye

So, as I'm sure you read in the e-mail I sent, I am trying to condense all of my crap under one e-mail address. Not as easy as it probably should be. Therefore, I have begun a new blog, at ldclark12.blogspot.com. This one will remain active, though I probably will not post to it anymore. Please visit my new one!

Peace,
Leslie

Welcome to My New Blog . . .

I've discussed with many people about how the amount of SPAM I've been getting just seems to have increased 100 fold nearly over night. I have always been very careful what sites I enter my e-mail address on. In fact, I have a separate e-mail that no one has that I use specifically for that purpose. I only check it often enough to keep the account active.

SO . . . either I slipped up and entered my e-mail into a bad site, or SPAMMERS have found a new way around all of the spam-blockers and no one has found a way to correct it. I am opting for option two, seeing as how my co-workers and I are getting massive amounts of SPAM in my work e-mail as well. I NEVER use that account!

So I thought for awhile that I would switch everything to my jeepchic12@gmail.com address. Then I was looking at my resume the other day, with "jeepchic_12@yahoo.com" at the top, and decided I really should try to come up with a more "grown up" address to use.

Then came this problem: all of my favorite sites are saved under my yahoo address, as are my mySpace and Facebook accounts. My blog and Shelfari accounts are saved under my jeepchic gmail, as is my gTalk. So today I begin the journey of condensing everything to one address: ldclark12@gmail.com.

Unfortunately, I can't import my old blog into this one. At least, I haven't found a way yet. So I will have to transfer all of my links and my Shelfari account over to this one the hard way. I only hope it will be worth it when I am done!!

Peace Out!

The Sweet Spot . . .

So, I'm working on a book by Max Lucado called Cure for the Common Life: Living in Your Sweet Spot. He defines the "sweet spot" in life as the intersection of my everyday life with my strengths and God's glory. He discusses how each one of us is created with a backpack specifically packed with the tools and talents we need on our journey through life. We unpack the backpack as we go through life, discovering what we are good at and what we are passionate about.

He tells us to look back over our lives and look for those moments when we were "on fire," when we thought, "I was made for this!" or when we just felt like we were flying. He says to look back as far as we can remember.

I don't have many of those moments. Could it be that I have missed my calling all of this time?

Is this why, as much as I love kids, I am so fed up with my job, and what seems to be the entire world around me?

I desperately desire to find my sweet spot. As I've read through the first five chapters, I've tried to look back over my life and make notes in the pages of points in my life when I have felt that way, and I just can't recall many. The ones I can recall seem petty to me, like my 1st grade t-ball team winning a city championship. The examples he gave in his book included things like, "I taught a blind child to swim," or, " I stood up for a special needs kid when others were making fun of him," or "I designed a video game." I've never done anything remotely like these things. Could I possibly have been living out of someone else's bag this entire time?

I'm hoping I will gain further insight as I get farther into the book. It is surely not a coincidence that I picked up the book now, at a point in my life when I just have no idea what I should be doing. Nothing seems satisfying anymore. Not coaching, not teaching, not being a wife . . . none of those things lights my fire anymore. As I look back over seven years, I wonder if they ever did. I wish I could find someone who could tell me, "I remember the fire in your eyes when you __________________." Or, "Remember when you ___________________? I never saw you so happy before that day." Or, "Why don't you _____________________ anymore? You used to be so passionate about that!"

That's as far as I've gotten so far.

On to other topics, I had my job interview this morning. I honestly have no idea how it went. I felt like it went well, but I don't know if they felt like it went well. I'll find out next week. I sure would like the job, though. I got my new projector and document camera today, and I felt like a kid on Christmas morning!! I'm such a geek!

Till next time . . .

The Freedom that Comes with Letting Go . . .

So, is it possible to be completely at peace but freak out at the same time?

I have never been one to deal well with surprises. If you know me at all, you know that I like everything planned out. Glitches don't bother me, and I don't mind having to change plans, but I do have to have a plan to start out with. "Living on a whim" drives me crazy. Enter Exhibit A: my husband and his entire family. (I love you, Baby!!) They do not plan anything. They will call me at 5:15 on a Saturday evening to meet for dinner at 5:30. If you know me at all, you also know that I do not bother to shower, fix my hair, or put on make-up on Saturdays unless I have to go somewhere. Some Saturdays I don't even bother getting out of my pajamas until I have to be somewhere. So you can see how lack of planning can create issues with me on Saturdays.

Enter Exhibit B: My place of occupation. I have moved my kids' final exam THREE TIMES because of last minute field trips, plays, and whatever else. This is frustrating for not only me, but my kiddos.

So, why in the world would I possibly place complete control of my job assignment next year into the hands of the principal that is leaving?

"Say, what?" you ask. "Are you on crack?" you wonder. "Has Leslie completely dropped off of the deep end?"

Well, it goes like this. I was pretty much given the choice between teaching history or teaching PE next year. Both are still attached to coaching, of course. (Forget about the IT job, we'll get to it later.) So I thought, "Great! I can teach PE, have no lesson plans, no TAKS accountability, no papers to grade, no tutoring, etc." So I chose it.

But it just didn't feel right. All kinds of doubts crept up in my head. For example, how could I give up teaching history? I love history. I majored in it for that reason. So I started to wonder if I should retract my request to change.

But then my original frustration came back. The difficulties that come with trying to find a balance between effectively teaching a class ( I have never been, nor will I ever be a "books and worksheets" kind of teacher) and effectively planning and coaching my girls every day before and after school. I have no opportunities to tutor, I can count on one hand the number of assignments I actually graded, and I can't give 100% of my effort to both. Is that fair to either my history students or my athletes?

The more I prayed, the more confused I got, until one day God hit me over the head with it: it's not my choice. God will put me where he wants me, and I think I am trying to control that. So I tried to let it go.

Again, if you know me at all, you know that letting go of control is not an easy thing for me.

I realized that the only way for me to let go of the illusion of control and give it to God (PSSH! like it was ever mine anyway) would be to give it up to my principal. So I did. I went into his office and told him to put me in whichever place he needed me. The difficult part is not knowing which it will be. You see, we are getting a new principal who will make that decision. That means there is a possibility I will not know until I report in August what I will be teaching. So I don't know if I need to pack up my room. I don't know if I need to work on history lessons or PE lessons over the summer.

And yet, I am ok with that. Because now I know that whichever I end up with, it will have been God's decision, and I will not have tampered with it.

And a word on the IT Specialist job I applied for: they reposted it. I don't know what that means, but if they interview me and offer that job, then I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Peace to you all!

It is Finished . . .

. . . my coursework for the semester, that is! I sat, pissed off for two days doing my "Final Exam" assignments, as they were little more than repetitions of assignments I had already done for the semester. There was a time in my life when I would have killed for busy work in exchange for an easy "A." I believe that was also the time when I had little else to do with my life but drink and wait tables, too. Those times are over kids!

Anyway, I'm through for the semester. Now onto my top priorities for the next four weeks:

1. SURVIVE the rest of the semester with my adolescent students. Sadly, I really do adore most of them. It's just that select few . . .
2. Clean my freaking house. I look around it right now and I just want to run away. I want to go to someone else's clean house and just stay there. I wish I could get across just how messy this house is. I would put pictures up, but I am just too embarrassed. I know it is hard to believe that I could possibly be embarrassed by something, but this does it.
3. Start redecorating my house. I think I want to start with the floor. I know I want the carpet gone, but I can't decide if I want to stain the concrete or put down wood. Concrete would be easier, but I think I would be happier with wood. What do you think?
4. Concentrate really hard on losing more weight. Although I am pleased with my progress so far (18 pounds!!) I have really been stalled for the last 6 weeks. Time to get moving! I am 18 more pounds away from goal. (I'm actually only shooting for 13. 18 would be a bonus.)

By the way, I have applied for a job as an IT Specialist with the district. I am PRAYING that I get it. I need something different for a while. So, say a prayer for me that I am accepting of God's Will either way. Or just wish me luck. Whichever you prefer!

Hasta!

March of Dimes- 1 down, 1 to go!

So, one of my resolutions was to run in 2 5 K's this year. One down! I ran in the March of Dimes 5K this morning, and I finished in 28 minutes and 47 seconds. I am pretty darn proud of myself considering I was shooting for 32 minutes. It's funny how much faster you can push yourself when you are not on a treadmill or not running by yourself.

I'm addicted now. I have a feeling I'll be running in more than 2 this year! Now I just need to pick up my pace so that I have running partners. All of my friends were way ahead of me!

Unfortunately, the only picture I have is of Lindsy and me at the "Starbucks After-Party." :)



Other news: I have dropped 18 pounds now. I have passed that new years resolution! It also looks like I will be graduating with my Master's degree in May of '09, also earlier than my resolution had hoped for. The rest of them have kind of fallen by the wayside, but I figure 3 out of 10 isn't too bad. (I've lost my list and really don't remember what they all were, but I still say 3 out of 10 is pretty good considering I've never kept a resolution in my life!!)

That's all I really have to say. Suffice it to say that I am pretty freaking proud of myself right now!!!

Broooowwwwwwwwnnn Chiickkeennnnn Broooowwwwwwwwwnn Cowwowow!

And the Saga Continues . . .

I have reached my first plateau. I lost 15 pounds 3 weeks ago, and I haven't budged since. I've gained a couple, lost 'em, gained 'em again, etc., but I haven't been able to break past the 15 pound mark. Frustrating. Of course, I have no one to blame but myself. If I'd quit eating out so much, I'd do better.

It's amazing how close you have to watch food when you are trying to lose weight. I earned 6 extra activity points today. I wasn't going to eat them. But I grabbed a small handful of cereal out of a box on the counter and ate it, and then looked at the label. That small handful of lowfat granola was 5 points! 1/2 a cup of cereal should not take up a fourth of your daily allotment. No wonder people struggle with their weight so much these days.

I have some success to report, though. I ran from here to mom's house again today. I held a steady 10 mile pace for 4 miles. I ran 4 miles in 40 minutes. That's the first time I've been able to say that.

Anyway, I'm really tired. I was planning to write more, but I think I'll take a nap instead. I have volleyball in an hour and a half.

Peace go with you . . .

Before, After, and a Few Other Thoughts from Insomnia World . . .

Before 15 pounds:


After 15 pounds (and really cute pictures of my babies):


I'm telling you, kids, Weight Watchers works! It would probably work faster if I could lay off the pizza and beer, but it's working.

So, onto more important things: baseball. Particularly, CUBS baseball. As probably none of you know (all two of you), this year is the 100th anniversary of the infamous "Billy Goat Curse." That curse being the curse that has allegedly kept the Cubs from entering a world series for the last 100 years.

They're gonna do it this year. I believe it with all my heart. I know, I know. I said that last year. And the year before that. And, well, not the year before that (I am a realist.) But I know I've said it often. Yet, how fitting would it be to break that curse EXACTLY a hundred years from when it was spoken?

I think 100 years is an appropriate statute of limitations on cursed, don't you?

Chicago Cubs- REVERSE THE CURSE-2008!

Time to Play a Little Catch Up . . .

So, if you've read my blog lately, then you know that I have dropped the ball on my "blog once a week" resolution. So now it's time to get caught up.

First, a resolution update: I have signed up for my first 5K- the March of Dimes 5K on April 26th. Anyone want to join me?

I am as close to finishing my master's as I was a month ago, but I am considering summer school. Jury's still out. I will definitely be back in the fall.

I'VE LOST 13 POUNDS!!! I didn't publish this in my original list, but a personal resolution was to get down to 150 pounds. I'm at 152 from 165. I think I'm going to up the ante on this one and go for 135. That's what I was in college, and I was pretty happy with it.

The rest of them have kind of gone by the wayside. I think I can get back in the game as far as reading my Bible 5 times a week, and maybe I can get caught up (or, you know . . . start) my reading list this summer, but the other few I had that I didn't publish may have to wait until next year. But I set 10, and I'm still keeping 3 of them. I think that's a pretty good percentage considering I usually only set one and never keep it.

Ok, new topic. I have learned a great deal about myself through the Weight Watchers program. Not only did I have NO idea how poorly I was eating (I mean, things you think are healthy you find out really aren't!) but I also have discovered why I eat. and 90% of the time, it wasn't because I was hungry. If you have read any of my blogs on myspace in the past, you know I struggle with sleepiness. I ate constantly to try to remedy that. I thought if I ate, I would have more energy. And, of course, I ate out of boredom. (Who doesn't?)

But I also had no idea of the great extent to which I eat out of stress until Bill crashed his bike. I had been on weight Watchers for about 7 weeks when this happened. After we finally got him bandaged up, shot up, drugged up, and out of the clinic, we went to a Super Bowl party. I ate 4 pieces of pizza, 3 pieces of cake, cleaned out a bowl of chips and dip, and ate a pretty good portion of the fruit and vegetable tray. The weird thing is that I got to the point where I was so stuffed I thought my stomach was going to split, but I still could not stop eating. It was that day that I realized that I HAVE to learn some stress management techniques.

That day I went home and prayed for a really long time after my husband went to sleep. I gave a lot of things up that night. And I'm proud to say that I have taken very few of them back. I still struggle with a few things, mainly finances, but I have done much better about trusting the Lord with those things. I'm pretty proud of how much more relaxed I have felt lately.

In other news . . . it looks like I'll be teaching PE and coaching next year. I'm not sure this is what I want to do, but I cannot both teach a core class and coach anymore. It's too exhausting. But I think I only have one or two years of coaching left in me, so I thought I would focus on that for awhile. Plus, the change will be nice. I whacked my hair off (I'm hoping to get a picture up on my blog/mySpace/facebook today), and I got to witness the amazing work of the Lord in someone I care about very very much. That will have to wait for a later post.

I'm off to read my friends' blogs. I wish you all a FABULOUS Spring Break, wherever you may be!!!

Things I Learn About . . .

I took my girls on a walk today . . . one at a time, of course. As some of you know by experience, you have to be stupid to take them both at the same time . . . or in desperate need of an arm workout. I took Abbey for 30 minutes (5 walk 5 jog, repeat) and Zoey for 30. I haven't walked them in quite a while, but I learned some things about them while being reminded of some things I had forgotten.

1. Abbey will not drink from a puddle on the ground. Zoey will.
2. Both will go all the way across the street if necessary to avoid being hit by a drop of water from a far reaching sprinkler.
3. Zoey does not do well if there is another dog anywhere in the vicinity, be it leashed, unleashed, or corralled in a backyard. This was not a surprise.
4. Abbey, though she does not do well if a dog barks at her from behind a fence, does just fine around a dog that is loose or on a leash (This was a surprise.)
5. I must take Zoey first from now on. She has much more energy than Abbey.
6. When Abbey stops to sniff something, I must stop, too. To continue jogging is similar to attaching a leash to a metal sign post and then taking off with the leash in hand. (Go ahead, get the visual. It was really funny to the people across the street who saw it happen.)
7. Zoey has severe ADD. She cannot stay on one side of the sidewalk, and she turns her head and tries to run in the direction of every sound she hears, every movement that catches her eye, etc.
8. Abbey is a much better dog walking partner than Zoey. She also does not have as much energy, which is better for me!

So, there you go.

Goal update: I have lost 7 pounds, I got back on track with my Bible reading (after a week and a half off), but my reading list doesn't have a dent in it. I am no where near ready for a 5K, but I can finally jog 10 minutes straight without feeling like I'm going to die. Monday we start with 15.

Peace to you all! (All 4 of you!)

Not Much to Say. . .

So, nothing really blog-worthy has happened this week. . . except maybe my loss of approximately 9 more IQ points. Bill has desperately wanted to watch Superbad since the first time he saw the trailer for it. So, alas, I gave in and we watched it last night.

Holy . . . freakin' . . . crap. Do you know what it feels like to have a brain cell pop? I do. I felt it several times last night during the movie. I would like to put out there the theory that it is not what the government refers to as our "mediocre" education system that is sending our future into the pits of stupidity. It is movies such as Superbad.

Anyway, on to more intelligent topics. . . I'm doing pretty well on the working out thing. Although I aim to do SOMETHING every day, I pretty consistently work out 4 times a week. Even some of my friends that work out regularly have commented that they sure see me at the gym a lot lately. (Thanks, Jerry!!)

I have discovered, however, in creating a workout regimen, that there are some days every week that I just cannot do much. Saturdays, for example. Every Saturday I come home feeling like a failure because I give up after 20 minutes. I'm just too tired. It doesn't matter what I did the night before, or how much sleep I got, or what time of day I go. I have decided that Saturday is just going to have to be my "blow off, do nothing day." I've discovered on Saturdays that I really want to do nothing but get up, watch TV in my pajamas, for a few hours, shower, take a nap, play on the computer, maybe do some schoolwork, and then hang out with friends that evening. As each week goes by, I see that I really don't have the energy on Saturdays to do much else. Maybe this is indeed the Lord telling me that Saturday is the true Sabbath and that this is to be my day of rest. After all, on Sunday's I'm good to go. I can work out for 1-2 hours, go to the store, clean house . . . Or maybe I'm just a bum looking for an excuse not to do anything on Saturdays. Who knows. I'd like to find a good stretching and flexibility video. Something I can do on Saturdays without blowing my whole day, but something that doesn't require just a whole lot of energy.

Of course, If I'm ever going to complete 5 kilometers in a reasonable amount of time, I'm going to have to do better than that. I haven't even completed 5 kilometers yet!!

Tomorrow is a staff development day. I'm sure I'll have more to write then!

Like a child . . .

Ok, so I have to argue with Chelsey a bit concerning items from childhood. Crayons. . . well . . . they're ok. They definitely take you back and take your mind off of things.

But they've got NOTHING on swings!

A walk in the park and a wild hair landed me in the seat of an old chain swing, and I don't remember having a lousy mood improved so quickly. Swinging really is good for the spirit! Up . . . down . . . up . . . down . . . repeat as desired. I even found myself contemplating trying to jump out of the seat at peak height. Don't worry, I quickly remembered that my 30 year old bones probably don't bend like they used to and that I probably don't roll as well as I did when I was 9. Sure thought about it, though!

So I've gotten a bit behind on some of my goals for this year. I got stalled in my book because I can't locate it at the moment, and I came home 3 nights in a row and simply crashed, which killed my "5 minutes a day" Bible time. I plan to get caught up this week, though. The second semester towards my degree starts tomorrow, and if all goes according to plan I will see a successful drop in pounds when I weigh in on Tuesday. I blew quite a few of my points last night at Buffalo Wild Wings, but my fellow weight watchers would be proud: I still have a weekly point left, unlike last week! I would be in really great shape if I could let go of the beer. (That was an easy 12 points.) I just don't know if I can. I already gave up my lattes and frozen coffees . . . and french fries . . . and cheeseburgers . . . but, hey, that's what those extra points are for, right? To allow me to occasionally indulge in those things that I love that I can't have on a regular basis anymore.
I think the March of Dimes 5K is in either April or May, and a couple of friends and I are going to sign up for it. Anyone else care to join us?

Let's Talk About Chicken Fried Steak . . .

I love chicken fried steak. It is amazing how something so simple can make one so happy. I mean, it's a cut of meat that most people outside of the southern United States will not touch. But it is just so good in it's deep fried, breaded, greasy goodness.

Which leads me to the follow up to Saturday night's Weight Watcher test. I would have been ok at the place we were scheduled to go, if that place had honored the room that had been reserved for us. But, alas, they gave it away, and we were forced to go to the only place that said they would get 20 people seated in a fairly reasonable amount of time: Green Chili Willy's.

Have you heard of it? No? Oh, my. You must visit the place soon. (But not if you are on Weight Watchers and have as little self control as I do.)

You see, Green Chili Willy's serves steaks, burgers, and a couple of grilled chicken dishes. But I was weak, and having consumed multiple portions of chicken over the week, I just couldn't do it. So I blew it. I ordered Chicken Fried Steak. And gravy. And a baked potato. Yes, with butter, cheese, and bacon. Did I mention the beer I had with it? And the Caramel Macchiato I had my husband buy me on the way back into town? Oh, but it made me so happy?

Not even a week in and I failed so miserably. But at least my week starts over in the morning and the dark red "WEEKLY POINTS EXCEEDED" notification will disappear from the top of my login screen on the Weight Watchers site!! (No, I'm not going to tell you by how much, because I don't know. By the time I entered my double serving of chicken fried steak and the potato, I stopped. I didn't want to know. Nothing I could do about it at that point, anyway, right?)

So I started over Sunday morning. Been on track ever since!!

Happy Eating!

Week One on Weight Watchers . . .

Well, my first week as a Weight Watcher is almost over. It's not nearly as hard as I thought it would be, and it is so much harder than I thought it would be at the same time. It has been an enlightening experience. I always knew I wasn't eating very healthfully, but I had no idea how badly I was eating until I started watching so closely. For example, I get 22 "Points" per day, and an Awesome Blossom at Chili's is 75. Granted, that's if you eat the whole thing alone, but I have been known to eat half of one, which would be my food for a day and a half.

The most frustrating part has been having to accept artificial sweeteners into my life, at least on a small scale. I'm not fond of this, but I get tired of fruit, and if I want anything else sweet without blowing my whole day's allowance, then I'm going to have to get used to using some artificial sweeteners.

The biggest blow, however, has been having to give up lattes. I refuse to drink one of those with artificial sweetener it it, and to drink it normally, even with non fat milk, would still take the place of an entire meal.

My first test will be tonight. My husband has a dinner with the work kids that we are going to tonight at Feldman's Fieldhouse. Am I really supposed to walk in their and NOT order Fried Zucchini? I just don't know . . .

New Year's Resolution Update: I've read my Bible every night since New Year's Day, I've created my reading list and am nearly through with one book on it, I've blogged 3 times this week so far. I've worked out twice (and Lord, help me, I am SO SORE!!!) and my 2nd semester of coursework is paid for. So far, so good . . .

The List is Begun!

I began my reading list tonight. I'm tired and going to bed so I won't list them all here right now, but it is on my Facebook account if you are interested. I am having a hard time locating funny books.

I've Been Tagged . . .

Nothing like getting busted on being behind on your blogging by getting tagged a month ago and just now finding it!!

1. Name: Leslie
2. Birthday: I don't have them anymore, but when I did it was October 23rd.
3. Birthplace: Amarillo
4. Eye Color: Greenish-Blue
5. Hair Color: Diverse. Soon to be brown.
6. Height: 5'6"
7. Ethnicity: Irish, Cherokee, British, and who knows what else.
8. Weakness: Cookies, warm fruit desserts with ice cream on top, coffee, and FRENCH FRIES!
9. Most missed memory: College
10. Thoughts first waking up:I don't think I have a thought. Hitting snooze has become a physical reflex.
11. Last time you cried: I'm not sure, but I know it wasn't long ago and I was probably pissed off about something.
12. Song title that currently says how you feel: I'm Like a Bird
13. What is the perfect day for you: Waking up in a hotel or a cabin far far away from here, having nothing set to do but enough cash to go explore the shops, local scene, and people with friends or family brave enough to make me do all the things I want to do but don't have the guts myself to do.
14. Ever been asked for an autograph? No.
15. How do you vent anger? Throw things. Oh, yes, I'm one of those people.
16. Who do you talk to most on the phone? Probably my husband or my sister.
17. As a kid, were you a lego builder? No, but we did have Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs
18. Do you chew on your straws? All the time.
19. Do you sing in the shower? Every time.
20. Who's the last person you stayed up late talking to on the phone to? I don't remember.
21. The last place you went to in a plane? I think Dallas.
22. Do you cry at weddings? Tear up, maybe. Don't usually cry.
23. Are you afraid of the dark? Only after scary movies or when my dogs go off about something they heard.
24. What are you addicted to? French Fries.
25. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Creamy Honey Roasted
26. Who do you fight with the most? I really don't fight.
27. Who can you tell anything to? My sister.
28. Do you recycle? No. I'm a loser.
29. Who makes you laugh the most? Chelsey, without a doubt.
30. What is the worst feeling ever? Knowing I've let someone down.
31. How many pillows do you sleep with? One under my head and one behind my back.
32. How many rings before you answer your phone? Well, I spend 4 rings looking for my phone. By this point voicemail has picked up and I have to call the person back.
33. How many times do you press the "snooze" button? I have no idea. At least 4 or 5.
34. How do you sleep? On my side or stomach
35. Last time you laughed: Sometime today.
36. Ever looked at someone ugly and said "EWWW"? Not that I can think of.
37. What is your favorite color? Aqua Blue
38. What is your favorite state? Texas. Is there any other state?

I have no one to tag here. They've already tagged me! I'll have to copy this to my mySpace bulletin board and tag someone there.