And exhale....

HLS 2011!

As I go back to happy squeaking!

Hello? Is this thing on?

I think the Internet finally fixed itself.... and then FitBlog breaks Twitter. I can't help but laugh and say that it is due to the greatness of this particular blogging community but since it is a technical thing I hope it all works out for Katy.

I was doing the "let's sit on the train and ponder but forget to actually write it down" lately. With this year's Healthy Living Summit in the AHHHH NEWS SOOOOOOOON! mode, I can't help but think of last year. I have technically been blogging for over a year now (April 2010) in this incarnation. (I had considered myself a craft blogger before and did have a blog of that kind yet still had this account since October of 2009. I guess the name was so stuck in my head that I had to hang onto it even if on hold.)

I recently met someone new via a friend of mine. She and I hit it off pretty well and spent a good part of the night chatting yet not ignoring the large group of which we were both part. It was a mix of what do you do, where are you from, pet talk (surprising right?), random misc and whatnot. This night, however, was the first night I mentioned that I was a blogger to someone. Odd right? Maybe. By "someone" I mean someone who I had no idea if she was a blogger, knew a blogger (ended up she knew a Mommy Blogger,) or even had any interest in it. Hmmm.

So it was out there and she asked that question that before made me go "Ummmmm?" for a moment - the topic of my blog. Without much of a pause the response was food, fitness, newbie running, arts and crafts and of course pets, basically life in general too. I think it was a genuine response. There are bits and pieces of everything included though I know my future plans is to get things a bit more settled with each as well as have a general misc category. (How else can I talk about the weeds trying to take over a section of a flower bed, the squirrels digging tiny little holes in our front lawn, or how annoying it is to have damp clothes on the clothesline attack me when I'm taking stuff out of the dryer?)

So a belated Happy Birthday to my darling CSYA and best wishes for many posts to come.

Sure it makes no sense

I am sitting in the living room, sneezing and sniffling my way through the evening while Hubs is watching the Hawks game in the family room. Why you might ask? It is due to the fact that I have not watched a full winning game this playoff season - either finishing something up, reading something online, or falling asleep mid game (yes I know but when I am tired it happens.) I will be joining him in a few minutes. Fingers crossed that they win (and this cold goes away!)

Or a jar of glitter works well too...

"All you need is faith and trust... and a little bit of pixie dust!" --Peter Pan

Run YARN Run

Lately I've been smacked with a cross between writer's block and writer's ih (aka when nothing you write looks good enough to post), being worn out and a general funk that needs to be shaken off. PLUS the formatting issues I have been having have really been annoying. "Have" through "annoying" should each be on their own line. If they are not, you understand. Ditto if one paragraph is all that results in this post. If so I am leaving it to prove to others I am not going crazy. All that aside, I know I just need to get out and burn off the extra whatever. We took the dogs out for a nice walk one evening and ended it w a bit of a run with them. Molly loved it. Then we get cold and rain and haven't been out since. I know others run in the rain/cold but fighting yet another headcold/allergy annoyance makes me not want to go out in it more than I need to right now. My MiL texted me this morning about doing a 5 k run/walk with her. WOOHOO! Even bigger WOOHOO is that she offered to pay my registration. I have not been able to afford any races recently as well as that feeling that right now spending $35-$50 to run with a group of people is not too responsible when there are bills and whatnot. SOOOOOO we are participating (not yet sure if it will be a walk or a run or a combo) in Running for Hope in June! It is benefiting Advocate Hope Children's Hospital and the nearby Ronald McDonald House. This will actually be the second time I'm running to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. Last fall's 5k benefited them as well. I am thinking about setting up a fundraising page once I read up more about it. I don't want to get locked into a specific amount and then get stuck if it is not raised. HOWEVER if it is a self set goal it'd be done so at something low like $50 so that it can be beaten like crazy! Ok, question for you all: Have you set up a fundraising page before? If so, what were your experiences with it? Are pages like this esp if blogged/tweeted too pushy?

When I

• When I haven't been sneezing my brains out when I haven't been too stuffed up to do so, I've been going through things I don't need - clothes, books, misc accessories, house stuff all to be donated


• When I haven't been going through things, I'm been napping - good w dealing with the sneezing and the tiredness from going through things


• When I haven't been napping, I've been paying attention to size labels on things I have been keeping - a great jean skirt is a great jean skirt when it realistically fits or will in the near future ie keeping a sized 2 skirt from years ago will just result in being annoyed when trying it on and realizing it does not fit AT ALL since you did not look at the size


• When not reading size labels, I've been reading in general - House of Night: Awakened & 666 Park Avenue = both amazing


• When not reading, I've been working in the yard to unbury, clean out, and cut back misc trees, plants and misc whatever in the yard


• Above and beyond all, the formatting problems I've had in the site have been making me incredibly frustrated and so I have numerous drafts/handwritten drafts but not having spacing/formatting makes it look like all I can do is write smush. Fixing that all....soon.

Is THAT what I think it is??!?!?!?

The fantabulous Jess from Black Cat Kitchen and I did a "Spring Swap" recently. Not surprisingly AT ALL we both included tea in our boxes to each other. After eating a sandwich on the homeward bound train tonight, I wasn't super hungry for a more standard dinner time dinner. Rather than making something and just picking at it, I decided to have a cup of tea and then eat a bit later. This is Jello Bello tea from Fava Tea Company. It smells AMAZING. I had done no research other than read the bag - it's loose tea - and think "oh Appleton, WI - family of mine used to live there." Safe to say I hadn't planned to say this out loud.... Holy Sh*t that's a jelly bean! It's a JELLY bean! (*not swearing on the blog or at least not for now) Please note the pink blobby thing toward center right. That is a Jelly Belly jelly bean. I clearly need a teaball/steeper/that squeezy thing you put tea in so you don't have to use the mini strainer. It does fit perfectly though size wise w one of my fav mugs. I've had this since '98 and while I usually am not a hearts person (STARS all the way!) I just love this mugggguh. I just happen to loooooove this tea as well. THANKS AGAIN JESS!

What lies beneath

Earlier today....

• Scale: pssst.... Psst..PSSST! Hey you!


• Me: (looks down) Yes?


• Scale: You know you haven't pulled me out lately. It is getting pretty boring in this corner. PLUS the cat hair is making me sneeze.


• Me: The floor was washed last weekend. You had a mini-trip to the hallway. No complaining to me about cat hair if you let Frankie sit on you.


• Scale: Whatever! C'mon you know you are curious. Plus you have had a few good weeks lately (snickers softly)


• Me: Ok, fine (getting annoyed - takes scale out of corner, puts in center of bathroom, steps on)


• Scale: ERROR!


• Me: Seriously?!?!


• Scale: Sorry (calculates current weight) Ohhhhh...


• Me: Excuse me? It was less than last time so that's good.


• Scale: True but not that much. I guess I wasn't correct about the past few weeks.


• Me: (glares are scale) I have had a good few weeks. I am walking 13 miles a week. THIRTEEN miles is awesome. You don't even have real feet so you wouldn't understand. Those little metal nubs would be worn off in no time!


• Scale: Piff!


• Me: I've been eating well and keeping things balanced. Plus I was sick recently and didn't go into fast food mode as a result since things didn't taste the same. I'm back to my yogurt a day as well.


• Scale: Oh, well...


• Me: PLUS the skirt that looked a bit too inappropriately tight fits amazingly well now. So THERE!


• Scale: But but!


• Me: No buts! Quit trying to make me feel bad! If you don't watch it I'll put tuna on you and then BOTH cats will be sitting on you! (puts scale back in corner)


• Scale: (pouts)