ViSalus & Contractions

I officially feel like I've been run over by a truck...that then backed up and then ran over me again just for good measure. Blah. I can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure this is all my own fault.

Since the middle of August, I have been doing ViSalus, which is a meal replacement plan, where you drink shakes 2 times a day instead of what would be your normal meal. All of the plans differ and some plans only require you to replace 1 meal a day. It really just depends on what you're trying to accomplish. I'm happy to announce that after 1 month of ViSalus I have lost exactly 12 pounds! And that's with minimal exercise. I hate exercising.

My sister is a promoter for ViSalus and I have to admit that when she first started talking about it, I was more than a little skeptical. However, when I finally decided to try it for myself and then proceeded to lose 3 pounds in the first week...well...I was a believer!

At the risk of sounding like one of those infomercials, I will say that I have never felt better about my body, and I have also never had more energy. I am on the plan to replace 2 meals a day, so for me, that is breakfast and lunch. You know that feeling you get after you eat lunch and then go back to work and then have to fight to stay awake? I haven't had that experience since I started ViSalus! It really has been amazing. I've lost 12 pounds and only have 18 more to go!

Anyhow, I digress.

The blah feeling.

Have I mentioned I'm an emotional eater? And that for the last week, I've kept forgetting to refill my anti-depressant medication? Ha. So yesterday, the whole time I was at work, I was feeling a bit blue, and started craving something fatty, cheesy, and meaty. I wanted a huge burrito from Puerto Vallarta! I asked my dear baby sister if she wanted to come along after work and she declined. Boo on her.

I, however, remedied that situation by stopping at Moe's. My favorite thing to get there? The Homewrecker Burrito. It's HUGE. I mean, like, a burrito as big as your head. So I ordered it in all of it's burrito-y goodness, filled to bursting with beef, cheese, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and rice. And of course, you can't go to Moe's without getting a cup of their creamy queso.

So, quite excited, I rushed home, to settle into my PJs and start chowing down. And chow down I did...until I ate the WHOLE thing AND half of the cup of queso.

It was delicious. I enjoyed Every. Single. Bite.

Until about 20 minutes later. Dear Lord, did that burrito wreck my life!

What was I thinking? What with the shakes and really only eating one real meal a day, my stomach has shrunk considerably. And I just stuffed a burrito as big as my head into it? What a stupid little girl I am.

Fast-forward to today. I get up this morning, quite excited that the kids are on fall break and that I don't have to work...and proceed to the bathroom to um...drop some friends off at the pool. Ha. Well when I go back to lay down I am hit with pain so severe  I literally double over. I head back to the bathroom. Nothing happened. I head back to the bed. Gut-wrenching pain again. Head back to the bathroom. Nothing happened. This continues for over an hour and I take gas-pills AND Pepto Bismol. But I'm still experiencing burrito induced contractions every 3 to 4 minutes.

*Sigh*

I finally decided that I was just going to have to ride this out...or go to the ER. So, I curled up into a ball in my bed and rode the burrito waves until I fell asleep. About every hour I would be awakened from some very strange dreams by a particularly painful burrito contraction. And would then contemplate heading to the ER before drifting back in to sleep land.

Finally at 3:30 (that's in the P.M.) I woke up and didn't feel any pain radiating from by stomach region. Yes, people of blog-land, I had burrito contractions for 5 hours!

I am happy to say that the contractions have subsided, but my stomach is still not feeling very regular. I have had 1 shake today and half a cup of coffee and it looks like soup will be all I will be having for dinner. But I consider this a lesson learned. 2 lessons learned actually.

1. I will never live through child-birth.

2. Don't stuff a burrito that's as big as your head into your tummy that has shrank to the size of a lemon!

A Thief Amongst Us

It's been quite some time since I've written about my beloved little dog, Oliver. Some of you may have been wondering whether he still exists. I'm happy to inform you that he is alive and well and up to his usual shenanigans. His usual shenanigans being the theft of anything made of paper. Or terry cloth. Or nylon.

My bed sits pretty high above the ground and my dear little Oliver's favorite past time seems to be rooting through the garbage in my bathroom, or my sister's bathroom and pulling out tissues and other artifacts and then running as fast as he can to the safe zone underneath my bed. The safe zone is dead center, where he is exactly out of my arm's reach. He has perfected this skill.

So today as I was tidying up around the apartment, I decided that I would get a broom and push out all of the artifacts that he has so lovingly collected over the last few weeks. This was what resulted...

As you can see this is an assortment of tissues, napkins, a soap box, a knee high stocking, candy wrappers, and who knows what else. This was spread out underneath my queen sized bed. Ri-dic-u-lous! And the worst part is that he KNOWS he's wrong! LoL. That's why as soon as I hear him rummaging through the garbage can and say sternly, "Oliver!" the rummaging promptly stops and I hear the clicking of doggy toenails high-tailing it across the tile in the bathroom, scurrying as fast they can to safety underneath the bed where he can chew in peace on his new found treasure.

Hard to believe that this angelic looking little dog could wreak the havoc you saw in the picture above. Haha!

More Will Follow

Autumn seems to have come upon us quickly and unexpectedly. The arrival of the cool temperatures has beat even the changing of the leaf colors. While this is one of my favorite times of year, the change of the seasons brings with it an unwanted guest...allergies! Boooooo!

Both of the kiddos have been sick and Little Sis has had a sinus infection. As soon as I noticed her runny nose, I began popping Vitamin C, but to no avail. Who can withstand the pollen laden air of the Ohio River Valley? No one. So, at 3:30 this morning I was awakened by the inability to breathe through my nose. This was remedied only by the liberal smearing of Vicks right under my nose and all over my face where my sinuses should be. That along with lying practically in an upright position allowed me to fall back asleep after about an hour. Boo. 

Other than that, all is well in Wonderland. 

I have exciting things to talk about, but I'm so Benadryled I can hardly keep my eyes open. 

More to come later!

30 Before 30: The Challenge

I can in no way claim credit for the idea behind this post. I read another blogger's site and wanted to use the idea for myself. Below you will find a bucket list of things I want to accomplish before I hit the big 3-0. I figure that 5 years is more than enough time to at least try to get all of these things done. I'm also looking for some ride or die ladies to do some stuff with me...namely doing a cancer walk and going to Italy! Each time I accomplish one of the things on my list, I will post an update complete with a detailed description of the event as well as pictures. This is a pretty random bucket list...some are shallow...some are deep...and some are in between. 
1. Take tennis lessons---I can play...but would love formal training!

2. Take an art class

3. Lose 30 pounds---Work in Progress, thanks to Visalus!

4. Take a road trip to Gatlinburg with my girls---we keep making plans.....

5. Finish my Paralegal Degree---After this semester, only 3 classes left!

6. Get a job at a law office

7. Pay off last credit card---Harder than it sounds

8.  Fall in love for the last time---I know the day will come...and I can't wait

9. Plan my own wedding---after helping almost all of my close friends plan theirs...I can't wait to do mine

10.  Get married---

11. Be a better manger of money---basically have self-control

12. Learn to Swim---it's a shame ain't it? 25 and can't swim! Disgraceful!

13. Go to Italy---My Dream Trip

14. Write a Thriller---Work in Progress....14 chapters completed

15. Get my Thriller Published---ambitious indeed

16. Journey into the very heart of God...then live there

17. Start a reading group or book club

18. Buy myself a beautiful piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. ---*Sigh* Yes, Yes.

19. Make a list of 100 books I want to read and start reading them

20. Do a breast cancer walk with friends

21. Buy a house---regardless if I'm single or not

22. Get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 

23. Go to New York City

24. Journal everyday. Even if it's only one sentence. 

25. Take a picture everyday of the year, then scrapbook the pics.

26. Spend an entire weekend cell phone and internet free. 

27. Read/Re-read ALL the Jane Austen books.

28. Go to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert

29. Go to WorldFest 

30. Stop worrying about things that are beyond my control

Hmm...Should We be Concerned? Probably.

As I was browsing through my various news haunts ( unrepentant news junkie here), a headline that should have been bigger caught my eye. "Canada Closes Embassy in Iran, To Expel Diplomats."

Erm...what?!

Canada could probably, without much argument, be considered one of the most mild mannered countries in the world. They pretty much mind their own business. And yet...they have suspended diplomatic relations with Iran. This begs the question, "What do they know that we don't?" Or rather, what do they know, that our government probably also knows, and is keeping from us?

In his press conference, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, cited Iran's nuclear program, their hostility towards Israel, and their assistance of the Syrian government in it's civil war as the reasoning behind this move, and said, " Iran in the biggest threat to global peace and security in the world today."

Strong words, indeed.

I have a sneaking suspicion that some super serious shenanigans are about to go down. Ladies and Gentlemen of Blog Land....the Ahmadinejad fueled Iranian Time Bomb is about to go off...and the stuff's about to hit the fan.

Mark my words!

The following link takes you to a news report about some of the ways in which Iran continues to "stir the pot".
http://news.yahoo.com/video/israel-concerned-over-irans-nuclear-004137334.html