Not forgotten, just ignored (Day 167)

My dear blog,

Please do not fret, I have not forgotten about you, I have instead been intentionally ignoring you. If you feel a bit like the red headed step child it is because.... you are. I know this may come as a shock to you, but I figure I should tell you know while you are still young.

I could tell you that I have been busy remodeling the kitchen or preparing for the holidays all of which is true, but those would just be excuses. When the real truth is, I just don't want to think about you right now so if I pretend that you don't exist maybe you will vanish, so far this has not happened.

I am 167 days into our relationship, this is about the time when the newness and sparkle begins to fizzle. I am hoping that in time we will once again grow together, how I long for day 2 or 35 or even 72.

Please don't get me wrong, I am not giving up on you. I just need a little space right now. It's me not you. We can still be friends.

Your Friend,

Tricia

PS- I should let you know that I changed #60 from helping to plan for and build a deck to helping plan for and remodel the kitchen.

I didn't tell you sooner because I knew you would understand :)

A quick blog (Day 139)

I am not the most computer savvy woman in the world, but I am not totally computer illiterate either. I know enough not to jump onto the table when my husband asks for the mouse, and I can navigate the world wide web without buying a plane ticket.


Today is one of those days that I wish I either knew it all or none at all. If I knew it all I wouldn't have spent the last hour and a half trying to update my list (the one on the right side of the screen). If I knew nothing than I wouldn't know or care about what a blog is and I would have spent the last hour and a half blissfully ignorant.


I was planning on this being a quick update on what is happening, my plans have not worked out. For some reason unbeknown to me, my list turned itself all black and bold. When I tried to fix it I just messed it up more. I have hopefully, fixed the problem and I'm now on to tackling my attitude which needs a little adjusting. Now that I have vented, I can write about some of the wonderful things that have been happening in my life.


#9- I realized that I never told you that I did indeed make it 30 days with no soda. Since I completed this I have cut WAY back. I am happy to be done with that one :)

#22 &23 - It's official Cornerstone Community Church is our home church! We are all adjusting and figuring out where we fit in. Brent is helping out with the worship team and I was able to help with their first Trunk or Treat. It took a full year but I am so glad that we patiently and prayerfully took our time in making this decision.

#30- I volunteered to chair the Northhill Community Clubs Christmas party on Dec 14th. I will let you know if this was a good idea on Dec. 15th

#47- I have not made my Persian Love Cake. I am putting it off, no good reason, just not ready to clean up the enormous mess that such a project is sure to produce.

#88- I was blessed to be able to go out to lunch with a dear friend at a cute little pub in Enumclaw. I would love to tell you what the name of the place was but I don't remember what it is. I can tell you that I liked what I ate (but can't remember what I ate, fish & chips, I think) and was happy with the service. I would totally recommend that you visit this great place next time you happen to find yourself out in the middle of nowhere, I mean Enumclaw.

#97- I have attended not one but two conferences. I attended a conference with Brent that was held at RCC (a church we use to attend). It was on the 7 letters to the 7 churches (Revelation). I really enjoyed the speakers, they were all really wonderful. It was neat getting to catch up with some old friends who were there.
The other conference that I went to was Women of Faith. I was not planning on going and then out of the blue I got a phone call and was offered a ticket.
I was overwhelmed and in awe throughout the entire event. I came away with some great information and a whole lot that I have to try and process through. I was reminded of some painful truths and reassured by a loving God who knows me and loves me anyway.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

I got it... well almost (Day 126)

The quest for cake ingredients has come to an end.  Today the boys and I where able to secure the rest of my ingredients for my cake.... well almost all of the ingredients.

I have given up on finding organic roses that won't cost me an arm and a leg.  I have asked several people and have yet to find a non chemically treated flower in the state.   

So, I officially give up!  I will be feeding my family, and myself, a chemically treated cake.  I am OK with this,  I know, what kind of mother/wife would feed her precious loved ones such a horrible thing you ask.  The same kind that has allowed them to digest partially hydrogenated chips, red dye 40 laden popsicles, hostess product which God only knows what is in them, and hot dogs that may or may not contain real dog.   

Gasp!  I know I am wretched.  I am also tired and annoyed and ready to bake this stupid thing.  I wanted to keep true to the recipe and to my own convictions but alas, the the easy and cost effective way wins out.  Stay tuned more of the cake baking saga.  

I never claimed to be sane (Day 123)

I signed up to do a 30 day fitness boot camp last night.  Today I am rethinking not only my decision, but also my sanity level!

They won't drown (Day 118)

Yesterday, I was told by Sam (the boys swim teacher)  that the boys were ready to advance to level Y3.

I am sure that Sam thought that my joy, was due to the fact that my children are no longer doggy paddling for their lives.  Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful that my kiddo's no longer look like they are drowning, but I am also quite happy to mark #15 as done.

Now, I just need to get them ready to swim across the lake with me next summer!

Ingredients (Day 109)

I am learning more about shopping than I am about cooking.  Come to find out, organic roses and rose water are not items that you can pick up at your local Safeway, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, or QFC.  

I know, I can get the flowers at the pike place market and I may have to order the rose water online. This cake better be worth it. 

If a picture is really worth a thousand words than, do I really need to actually bake this stinkin' cake? 

Day 106

I am sitting here with my honey watching the movie Julie & Julia.  Instead of feeling all gooey and warm from a very sweet chick flick, I am feeling overwhelmed and depressed.  I am 106 days into my blog, when Julie was 106 days into her blog she had cooked hundreds of mouthwatering dishes and she didn't even cheat on the aspics.

Somehow my misery is motivating me.  If Julie can steam lobsters and de-bone a duck, then I can surely get something on my list done this week.  I am going to start with baking a cake from scratch.  If you only knew how much I dislike baking cakes than you would understand how truly motivated I must be to tackle this.  I have a knack for making cakes turn out horrible. The only time I made a scruptious cake was for Micah's 5th birthday and I really can't take credit for it.  Paulette found the recipe and did most of the baking.  I, however, shaped it into a  very cool dinosaur. 

As you may know, my motto is go big or go home.  As with most things I am going big.  I found a beautiful picture on Epicurious.com and decided that for my first cake would be 

                          Persian Love Cake

This chiffon cake filled with rose-scented whipped cream is inspired 

by the aromatics found in Persian, Turkish, and Indian confections. 

Cardamom seeds have more flavor than the ground powder

 and are like little explosions of spice in the cake. 

Doesn't that sound simply amazing?  Please start praying, hard!    

Long time, no blog (day 104)

Thought it was time to update you on what is happening in my life.  I have done nothing that is currently on my list, but I am thinking about adding some goals to my list

102. Catch a cold, do not treat it and allow it to turn into Pneumonia
103. Lay in bed for an entire week, emerging only to use the bathroom.
104. Use enough cough drops and cough syrup that you end up enjoying the taste of them.
105.  Go days without any care for personal hygiene (yourself or others)
106.  Sit/lay in front of the television for 168 hours over a 2 week period (conciseness is not a requirement for this goal) (168 hours = 12 hours a day)

I know, I am an overachiever.

44-20-25-0-13 (Day 80)

And today's numbers are 44-20-25-0-13

44 - We picked a bucket of blackberries and made jam.  #44 is complete!  It was an interesting experience.   I have always known how to pick and wash berries, de-seeding them however, is another story. I ended up with 30oz of wonderful blackberry jam, and purple stained hands. Twice in the last couple of weeks, I have  hauled the boys and some friends to a U-pick blueberry field in an attempt to perfect my new mad jamming skills.

20 - Today marks 20 days of no soda pop (see #9). Zero, Zip, NADA!
I have 10 days until I will be able to guzzle a glorious Diet Coke.

25 - Last week I bought enough fabric to make at least 10 bibs for Pregnancy Aid.  I am excited to get started on this project (see #25).  Pregnancy Aid is a great non-profit agency that helps families by allowing them to pick out children's and maternity clothing, toys, furniture and bedding. The women (most of them great grandma's) who volunteer at Pregnancy Aid are fantastic and truly care for their clients.  If you would like more info on how to help out, just let me know.

0 - This is the number that you get to see if you miss one day of  "continuous" walking (see #5).  I was doing so well, and then one evening before going out for my walk I decided to just take a minute and watch a little TV... At 2:30am I hauled my toucas (and Brent's) off the couch.  Although I would like to, I just can't justify walking from the couch to my bed as a "daily walk"  :(

13 - To be truthfully honest with you, I am having a love hate relationship with this number.  13 is the number of pounds that I have lost.  I love the fact that 13 pounds are no longer attached to my body, but I hate the fact after 2 1/2 months of trying (or at least sorta, kinda, sometimes trying) to lose weight I have only shed 13 pounds.  I want to get into shape and lose weight, I just wish that I could do it from the couch with a bowl of warm gooey deliciousness.

Day 72

I always seem to have difficulty starting a blog post.  I took a writing class in college where my professor (who happened to be not only an excellent prof, but also a great writer) embedded in me the importance of catching  the attention of your audience with an unforgettable opening.
I have attempted to write this blog everyday for the last week and alas, the best I can come up with is "I always seem to have difficulty starting a blog post".
OK, now that that's out of the way, this should get easier....... I think the key word here is "should"

Nope, not getting easier.  At this rate my next blog will be complete sometime around day 893, You and I both know that that is not acceptable so sit back and get ready for a not so great blog post.

Today was day 12 without any soda pop (#9).   Here is what I have learned so far from this challenge;

•  I am one of those lucky people who didn't have the dreaded withdrawal headaches
• There is no acceptable substitute for a cold Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper. 
•  I am a soda pop addict.  I am almost 1/2 way through with this and it is not getting any easier. 
• I am OK with soda pop addictions  

Today is day 11 of taking daily walks  (#5)  Here is what I have learned so far from this challenge;

• I am not one of those lucky people who enjoys or looks forward to exercise.  
• There is no acceptable walk that feels like bumming around the house. 
• I am not an exercise addict, the need to exercise does not overwhelm me... ever. 
• My muscles are OK with me not being an exercise addict.  

I attempted to attempt learn how to play chess (#39)  Here is what I have learned so far from this challenge;

• I don't like chess, I think that I understand how to play, I just don't want to.... ever. 

I did it without trying (day 64)

I was only planning on updating my #5 my walking status  and #9  my soda status today.  As I was scrolling down my list getting ready to edit, I noticed #88 (try 10 new restaurants).

I excitedly blurted out "Ohhh, ohhh, I've done this one".  The rest of the Croom clan all had something to say.  Brent, who was playing a video game, commented with  "MmmHmm".  Ben who was engrossed in Brent's game and anxiously waiting for him to die so that it would be his turn said  "um...what?... anyway".  Micah was my last hope for an acceptable reaction.  He started off strong by jumping up excitedly, but he quickly ran off  to see what was happening on the boob tube without knowing what he was jumping for.  So I am hoping that you, my dear blogging audience, will take a little more interest in my fun find than my immediate family did. 

I love finding new and interesting restaurants.  My favorites are the ones that look like they are nothing more than a hole in the wall and turn out to be an amazing undiscovered gem.  I love atmosphere but more importantly, I LOVE food.  A good restaurant is the kind that makes you look around to see if anyone would notice if you licked your plate.

While my family was in town, we did a lot of eating.  This worked for me :)  We took them to a few  great spots.  One of my favorites is the 'Hangar Cafe'.  It is a tiny eclectic house at the end of Boeing runway.  They have amazing crepes, if you ever want to go out for a not so quick bite to eat then this is the place to go, please invite me to join you.  It is NOT big group friendly, 13 people pretty much fills up their inside eating area.

How is it that my post turned into a restaurant review?

While the family was in town we visited two new to me restaurants.  The first was 'The Crab Pot'.  My boys were excited to go because they had seen it on 'Man vs. Food' (a  TV show).   It was..... an experience. 

We are not much of a seafood family. OK I take that back, Brent, Micah and I are not crazy about seafood, Ben on the other hand, must have gotten a recessive seafood loving gene.  The extended family on both sides really likes the stuff.  I always thought they were a little fishy :)
Anyway, our idea of a seafood restaurant is Skippers or Ivars, which we visit on average less than 3 times a year.  Brent and Micah usually will order chicken which even for me, a non-fishy person, is weird.

Brent and I shared a chicken dish (OK, it seemed like a good idea at the time, there was only REAL fish and sea creatures on the menu) Micah ordered a kids chicken tenders and Ben ordered a cheeseburger but was  invited to share in the... experience.  I know, I know, get to the point already!

The experience that I keep talking about was the large stainless bowl filled to the brim with Nemo, Sebastian, Dory and numerous other adorable Disney characters. The staff begin to bring our orders out. The plates of food are delivered to the hungry recipients, all except for those bowls.  They are dumped out into the middle of the table in a steaming heap.  Now here comes the kicker, they hand out mallets  Yup, my 10 year old, not so coordinated son, was sitting next to my 20 year old amazing, but also not so coordinated sister  Guess who was sitting right next to them.....
An hour later, my dad had a glass of ice water dumped in his lap, my little sister had a sticky substance (I can't remember if it was BBQ sauce, root beer or both) dumped into her purse and I had nothing dumped on me but I had been, hit with a mallet several times, pegged in the face arm and generally my entire left side with, shrimp that still had faces, clam shells, mussel innards & outards, and butter covered crab legs.  It was fantastic! We were all laughing and really enjoying the "experience". 

The second new restaurant was not nearly as memorable, it was a small Asian Pho place.  The boys and I went over to visit family at a wonderful little cabin on Whidbey Island.  The trip was very memorable.  Dad, Paulette, Mikki, Ben, Micah and I (Janae stayed back because she wasn't feeling well) walked down to the beach.  The boys, big and small, had fun attempting to fish,  Mikki fell in the water and I thoroughly enjoyed just watching it all and talking to Paulette. 
When we got back from the walk we went to the 'Basil Cafe'.  It was decent food and great company.  The highlight of the restaurant was the live outdoor chef who does fun things with food and fire. We were not actually able to watch him because he wasn't actually there at the time, but they did have a previously taped video playing on the TV behind my head.

So there you go, two new restaurants, The Crab Pot and The Basil Cafe.  So much for just switching my numbers real quick.

Day 63 take two

I discovered that I am one day off.  This means that I get a second chance at making this a productive day.  Here is what I will be working on:

• Brent & I went for a 1 mile walk last night.  This was day 2 for #5 (walk 30 consecutive days rain or shine) We live in an amazing neighborhood for walking.  Brent and I walked to the trail head of Marine view park (.5 miles from our house).  I am looking forward to walking with my honey every night. 
• Reading through the Bible. I am a slow reader but I will get through it and I will learn and grow and live what I learn.  
• I bought a Ball canning book.  It has recipes and step by step directions on how to can.  I am hoping that this will help me with #33, #44 and #45.   
• Today the boys and I will be walking with buckets. We are hoping to find ripe blackberries 
• Come home and read the canning book so I can do something with the blackberries. 

With all of that being said, I think it is time for me to get off the computer and to get going.  I have a busy day ahead of me.  

#2 made me feel like #1 (day 63)

 As I stepped into and began to swim across the dark and murky lake..... (ohhhh it sounds like the intro to a best seller already) one thought kept running through my head:  "WHY?

I had been asked that question just minutes before by a KOMO 1000 news radio interviewer.  My response was "because it's a great cause, and I also wanted to prove to myself that I could do it".   I began to think about and really evaluate my answer.  Why was I doing this?  Of course the obvious was what I had stated, but were there any underlying reasons?  Of course there are, but my 101 blog and shrinking my thunder thighs just didn't sound as altruistic as saving lives.

One of the underlying reasons was pointed out to me by my sweet hubby.  You see, for a very long time I've been known as the girl who was great at starting things, but when it came to finishing....  

Brent knows that I am not that girl anymore, but trying to break an image that others have built up is just about as easy as herding greased cats.  Completing a 2 1/2 mile swim in Lake Washington may help to convince people that I do indeed complete what I start.  I may not do it in the "normal" or "right" way (aka the way they think I should) but I do get it done. 

So, as I was out in the choppy waters of Lake Washington,  I began to wonder why I cared what others thought of me.  The answer is suprisingly simple, I didn't care what anyone thought, but I may have begun to believe that they were correct.  I needed to prove to myself that I could finish this.  

There really wasn't a "right" way to train, I tried to make it swimming at least 3x a week.  A few weeks into my training, my sister (who is a fantastic and seasoned swimmer) happened to be in town.  We went swimming together and she gave me some great pointers that were much needed for this swim (the main one was to broaden my stroke, it helped to keep me stable in the rough water).  

I attended 1 open water swim clinic (see day 35 ~ go big or go home) and I did a couple of practice swims at Angle Lake and Coulon Beach. 

I just realized that my title reminds me of the new pampers 'I poo in blue' commercial.  I in noway meant for that to be the case, it's just that  "The  second item on my 101 blog #2 made me feel like I was hot stuff" just seemed a little too wordy and a little egocentric.  

I am super excited that we raised $42,000,  I am looking forward to doing it again next year.  I wonder what I will think about then? 

The pre-swim safety talk. Nothing they said could have prepared me for what I was about to face.

The waves were "wicked fierce" and this was "the choppiest swim in 13 years with more swimmers than usual requesting to get pulled from the water."

Beth my kayaker and I were both glad to be out of the water. She told me after that it was difficult to spot us because the waves were that big.  

Her kayak stayed upright.  

Several other kayakers were not so lucky. 

   I made it! 

#22 & #29 Completed and blogged ~Day 54

As you may have noticed that I completed #22- Find a home church  and  #29- Petition for a round about.   You may have thought that I was going to try and slip those by without blogging about them, but I fooled you :)

I called the Des Moines city planners office and was transfered to a gentlemen whom I just happened to already know.  Brandon had gone to high school with Brent, and I have known his wife for years.  It is such a small world.  I explained my concerns and I'm hopeful that something will be done before one of my elderly neighbors gets run down while attempting to retrieve their mail (all of the mailboxes are on our side of the street).
I am not sure if we will actually get the round about but I do think that at the very least we may end up with some speed bumps.  Either way, I had a great conversation with Brandon. 

Brent & I are by no means church hoppers, but due to moving and jobs, we have attended a few different churches over the years.  Finding a church is an interesting thing and may sound like an easy task to some, but for me this was one of the more difficult items on my list.  

We have really loved the last few churches that we've attended, but due to life and it's circumstances, we once again found ourselves out on the hunt.  Some days the hunt was a simple scavenger hunt and other days felt like an all out expedition in the African safari.   

I am still getting used to the idea of our new church home.  I am enjoying the fellowship and teaching that we have found at Cornerstone, but still occasionally feel that lump rise in my throat when I think back to my days at Grace.  I am so thankful that God allowed me the opportunity to serve Him at Grace and I know that He has great things planned for them.  I am so happy that things are going well, but I am saddened that I am not a part of it. It is bitter sweet.  I take comfort in knowing that the church is not a "building" but rather a "body".  All believers belong to the same body, of which Jesus is the head.
I am looking forward to what God has in store for the Croom Clan at Cornerstone, I am especially looking forward to getting involved and completing #23.  (Did I mention that they have Awana, youth, children's, and womens ministries that all have areas where I can assist :)

So there you have it, the blog about #22 & #29.   

 *  Update on #2 - Swim across Lake Washington. 

My swim is in 9 days, I am getting little butterflies in my tummy when I think about it.  I have been going out for practice swims and I think that I have a pretty good chance of not drowning :)     

Camping ~Day 53

# 65 go camping with family at Skagit is complete.  

We had a fantastic time with Brent's family playing games, riding bikes and enjoying the beautiful scenery. 

Would type more but you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words (that is my lazy way of telling you that I am exhausted and I am going to go to bed... now... zzzzzzzz)

Pains of procrastination & new found determination ~Day 41

Today, as I slipped into the water and began to swim,  I began to feel the pains of procrastination.

For the last week, I have forgotten or found many reasons to miss or postpone my dates with the pool.  I did somehow manage to swim 3,300 yards (almost 2 miles), but instead of it taking the hour and 25 minutes that I had planned, it took almost two hours.   I wish that I could push the rewind button and make my lazy days productive ones, but as we all know, (some better then others) life is not like that.  You have to deal with the choices that you make, and my muscles are dealing right now.

My big swim is in exactly three weeks, I am resolved to be proactive in completing every practice swim with an enthusiasm, drive, ambition and unbridled determination that will advance my growth, awareness and improve my productivity.
How is that for positive thinking, and turning procrastination upside down!

Day 40

\prə-ˈkras-tə-ˌnāt : to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done. 

Yup, that there pretty much sums up my post.  

Day 35~ Go big or go home

Day 35

I attended an open water swim clinic in Lake Washington yesterday. It was interesting and I am really glad that I went.  I learned some valuable information that I would like to share with you.

1. Parking anywhere near Madison beach is just about as easy as touching your nose to your elbow.  I drove around for 25 minutes looking for a spot.  Finally I found one, and was only 10 minutes late. 
2. Open water swim clinics start on time even if half of the class is late due to parking difficulties. 
3. The instructor is going to ask everyone to tell what they are training for and if this is their first open water swim.  This is done in the first 3 minutes of the class. 
4. If arriving late the instructor will ask you what you are training for and if this is your first open swim. When you tell the class that it is your first swim and it will be a 2.5 mile swim across the lake, everyone will gasp and stare at you like you are insane
5.  The participants will begin to talk to the person next to them quietly all while smiling politely at you and nodding as if to say "poor girl doesn't stand a chance" 
6. The tips that are given during the clinic are very helpful but do not need to be heard more than once. 
7. You will only swim about 300 yds in the open water during your clinic. 
8. At the end of the clinic the instructor is available to talk to you about your chance of actually surviving the swim that you are attempting.  

I have to admit that, although I believe that life is too short to waste on mediocrity, (which may be why I've always liked the phrase 'Go big or go home')  I had no clue that a 2.5 mile swim was considered an extensive swim and not a good starting point for a newbie to open waters.  Everyone else in the class was doing either a a .5  or .75 mile swim with the exception of two girls who were doing a 1 mile swim.   

At the end of the class the instructor told me that I was in good shape and should be just fine.  He gave me a couple of tips on working with the wake of boats and sent me on my way.   He also told me that I did not need to attend another clinic.  

So, now what do I do?   #1 goal is to attend 3 open water clinics?   I would like to replace it with something in the category of Health and fitness, I am open for suggestions about what to replace this with.  

I guess I could always change it to  #1- Attend 3 open water clinics, or attend 1 and realize that 2 more are unnecessary, and call it good. 

Ta-Dum

That is the cool sound that my husband makes whenever he fixes something.  He gets this lovable little grin and then in a sing-songy voice says "Ta-Dum".  It happens to be one of the zillion things that I adore about him.

Today (day 27 of 1001) I am down10 pounds, which means that it is my turn to proudly sing

TA-DUM!!!!

I am proud that I have made it to this milestone. I know that in the end, the real goal is not weight loss but rather living healthy.  

Thanks for all of the encouragement.  It is amazing how a simple "atta-girl" helps to motivate.  There have been several times where nothing in me wanted to get off of the couch, but then I read a comment or got an email that makes me want to keep on going.   This has helped me to see that I need  to be more of an encouragement to those around me.     

Can we skip day 25 & 26?

Yesterday, I went to swim even though what I really didn't want to.  I though that once I was in the water I would feel better and get into my groove.  What I failed to realize is that my groove was not in the mood to be gotten. 

I barely made it 24 laps (1200yd) before striking up a conversation with the swimmer next to me who also had a misbehaving groove.  We spent the last 10 minutes talking instead of swimming. 

When I went into the locker room, I was greeted by a cold shower and an obnoxious lady who  was 'joking around' with another lady.   This poor woman was nearly in tears and obviously did not appreciate the teasing. I hate teasing and I am now upset with myself for not saying something or in some way trying to make that poor girl feel better.  

On my way home my car just stopped in the middle of the road.  I was less than a mile from my house, but come to find out I left my cell phone at home. Called Brent from the pay phone, he came to my rescue, which was by far the best part of my entire day.   We were able to push the car into a gas station parking lot.  Brent fiddled with a few things under the hood, but was not able to diagnose the problem.  The funny thing is Brent & I had a conversation earlier in the day about how much we liked our car and how reliable it had been. 

So, today I was planning on taking the boys out but instead we are spending the day here at home in our jammies and waiting and praying that day 27 is better.  

Now on the bright side, I know that everything will work out and that in all of this there is a silver lining (or at least a bronze one).  God has not brought us this far just to abandon us, He knows what He is doing even if I am totally clueless.  

Day 21

I went to the pool today to clock my 600yd swim time (approx. 1/3 mile).  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my time was just over 14 minutes (timed it twice just to make sure that I was right the first time).  

I went into the pool anxious that I had gotten in way over my head (pun totally intended) and came out happy and really looking forward to the next of 6 weeks of practice swims.   

When I got home, I looked at my 101 list and decided that #14 (track progress by taking before, during and after photos) is a STUPID goal.  The before picture of me in a swimsuit, was taken tonight and may or may not be published, ever.   My happy and positive mood in a flash turned sour (I am so punny tonight, get it camera....flash...).   


If liked the way I looked in pictures than I wouldn't want to lose a bunch of weight.  I think that taking a picture of # on a scale is much nicer, don't you?   

going... Going... GONE!

I have quite a few things that have left recently, most of the things I was glad to see go with the only exception being  my car keys.  I will admit that I sometimes misplace things, but I usually find them fairly quickly.  I know that this has nothing to do with my 101, but I am hoping that blogging about it will help to relieve some of the pent up frustration and allow me to write about what is on my list.

A whole lot of miscellaneous stuff that was taking up space in my garage is now someone elses and is taking up their space instead of mine.  Some of those items include but are not limited too;
~ A full size mattress and box spring which had not been slept on for more than 2 years
~ Enough clothes to keep a size 7-10 boy clothed for a year (including undies & shoes)
~ A very cool, but much too big for my house, Gazelle exercise machine
~ Books covering a variety of subjects from Thomas the Train to how to maintain your psychological well being.

You may have guessed it, I had a yard sale on July 3rd (the day before entertaining 30+ people, what was I thinking?).  Our prices were cheap and I encouraged people to make an offer if they didn't like the price. We sold, gave away or donated everything,  #57 is half way done!

It is officially day 20 of my 101 project and I am proud to announce that 7 pounds are GONE! 

Going Green

#55. Make a plan for what to do with the front yard. 
Piece of cake, how hard can it be, buy some plants and throw down some grass seed? 
Oh, how naive I was! 

I now understand why people hire landscapers and gardners to do this stuff.  I have spent countless hours and just about that many trips to Lowes & Furney's Nursery.  Here is a mid-project picture (it actually looks better now then it did prior to starting)

This is my first goal to go green,  it feels good to have something marked completed!

Hit the deck! (Day 4)

The following is an actual conversation that took place:

Neighbor- "you know your house really needs a deck"
Me- "yeah, we are thinking about building one"
Neighbor: "How soon?"
Me: "we are hoping to get it done this summer"
Neighbor- "Good, cause it looks like dookie without one"
(in order to keep this blog rating PG, certain words such as 'dookie' may be used in place of other more colorful words of like meaning)

If this had been the first time that someone had mentioned the need of a deck, I may have been shocked or even offended. This was not the first time. In fact, Brent and I were begining to think that our houses deck contruction was the topic of choice within the NorthHill community. One day, a deck construction book just showed up, we have no idea who left it, but we took it as the final sign that we must really need a deck.

All of that was told so that you will understand why Brent & I were so excited for our initial meeting with our new contractor, Claudio, this morning. #60 is officially underway!

(If you live in the Seattle area, and are in need of an honest, reliable and all around amazing guy who just happens to do fabulous work then let me know and I will give you his contact info)

Problems already?

I have been informed that I need to make a few changes to my list:

• #20 (memorize a large portion of scripture) wasn't specific enough.
• #13-18(lose 10,20,30,40,50,60 pounds)- was going to end up with me losing 210 pounds While that may sound nice it would put me at a negative number, and you know me, I'm not negative :D
  
  So here are my new goals:
  #20- Memorize James chapters 1-3
  #13- Lose 60 pounds (0/60)
  #14- Track progress by taking before, during, and after photo's
  #15- Take the boys to the YMCA youth fitness training class
  #16- Go to 10 group exercise classes (0/10)
  #17- Meet with a personal trainer for 6 consecutive weeks (0/6)
  #18- Use the wii fit 3x a week for 8 weeks (0/8)

Day 2

You are going to want to sit down for the news that I am about to tell you

..... Long drawn out dramatic pause......

I actually signed up for the Swim For Life event.

I know, shocking isn't it. I am totally terrified and quite certain that they may have to drudge the bottom of Lake Washington looking for that poor out of shape girl who actually thought that she could still swim 2 1/2 miles. I figure that it doesn't hurt to sign up, the entry fee was $45 and it is for a fantastic cause (blood donation awareness). Here is the link, so you can all sign up and join me :-) http://www.psbc.org/news_archive/swim2010.htm

I am hoping that by registering, I will be motivated to actually go out and do some practice swims. I am also secretly hoping that I will suprise myself and not be as out of shape as I think I am. On the registration form one of the questions was "Estimated swim time (min:sec/600 yds)" my answer was SLOW.

Let's start at the very begining, a very good place to start...

The goal of this blog is two-fold
1. I will complete 101 things in 1001 days (just under 3 years).
2. I will lose 60 pounds and tone up this out of shape body

Today a friend told me about the 101 in 1001 project. I thought, "I can do that!" I hate new year resolutions: I never have enough time and quite honestly I usually give up when I realize that there is no way that I will complete the task in the allotted time frame.

Last August I broke my foot and soon after was laid off. The down time that was forced on me was at first much needed, but now has allowed me to become lazy and unmotivated. I am attempting to change that by using this list of obtainable goals.

Now on to the second part of this blog. I have been toying with the idea of blogging about my journey to better health. I am pretty sure that most girls don't publicize their most personal details on the Internet, but I am not like most girls, so here it goes,
Age: 33 (40 days shy of 34)
Weight: 198
Pant Size: 12/14
Shirt: Extra Large

Yup, I did it! I put it all out there for the whole world (a.k.a. the people that I tell about and will read this blog) to see. Why, you ask? Simple, I am tired of being tired. I want to run and play with my boys and not be exhausted, enjoy the beauty of the Northwest, and I really want to say good bye to my muffin top.

So, the goal is simple, to complete my 101 list which in turn will help me to lose some weight. I am planning on documenting about each of the items that I complete on my list. Each item on my list specific and will in someway enhance my life and hopefully the lives of others.