Mele Kalikimaka! What a day!

What a crazy incredible day! We got up at 5:30am and headed to the beach for snorkeling with turtles. At least we hoped we'd see turtles....no guarantees. We ocean kayaked to the snorkel spot and found at least a dozen turtles at a spot the locals call "turtle cleaning grounds". It was great! The turtles would swim right by us and pop their heads up for a breath. The water started getting choppy after a bit so we headed inland to a calmer spot. The guides knew it as a place where some beautiful coral was. What they didn't know is that we had a visitor waiting for us. Just as we dropped from our kayaks into the water, a Hawaiian Monk Seal appeared!
When we tried to leave, the seal kept trying to get on one of the kayaks. Because he's an endangered species, we couldn't touch him! Poor Greg (this is his kayak) he had to wait until the seal was distracted by something else before he could move his kayak! We were told to stay away from it (pretty tough to hide from a 600lb seal!!) and that they weren't very friendly. Great. Wrong! This guy was so cute and so funny! He kept playing with the anchor and watching us. We actually snorkeled in the water with him. I can't wait to develop my underwater camera. It was amazing! Our Maui Eco Tour guides Deja and Chris said this was the first encounter they've had in the 8 years they've been guides. This picture is me and Deja. We headed back to the condo after the snorkeling to clean up because we wanted to shop a bit in Lahaina. We headed up there around noon and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. We try to go to one at each city we visit and have been to about 20 so far. As we bought t-shirts in the souvenier shop, we talked to the cashier and found that she graduated from Santa Rosa High School....in the Art Quest program (where my son Ian is right now!). Small world.....

We continued shopping down main street in Lahaina and I saw someone familiar in one of the shops. When I was growing up, my parents ALWAYS spent money on ONE thing: shoes. My sister and I were born with deformed legs and we had braces and bars on our legs when we were very little. Needless to say, parents wanted to spend money on "good shoes", nothing cheap. We ALWAYS went to Smith's Shoes in Montgomery Village in Santa Rosa. Larry Colombo was the owner/manager and we knew him well growing up. Well, Larry now lives on Maui and we ran into him in Lahaina! REALLY SMALL WORLD!!!

A Hawaiian holiday

Wow...it's HOT. Yes, it's three days before Christmas and I'm in HAWAII! It's been a long time since I've been here and its as beautiful as I remember. I can't believe I'm here!
I got up this morning and headed to the beach at sunrise. Okay, so sunrise is behind the place we're staying, but it was beautiful none the less.
See?

I also heard that Santa was coming to town! We headed down the beach a couple of miles and caught Santa as he came in on his catamaran.
And of course we had to take a picture with the man himself!

While we were there we saw a Hawaiian Snowman....or is it SnowWoman?? Someone was being a little creative on the beach. Aloha!

It's Christmas tiiiiiime...in the City.

Every year JT and I go Christmas shopping in San Francisco. We get our last minute shopping done and really enjoy the decorations - especially the puppies/kittens in the windows at Macy's. This year, being thinner, we decided we'd try something new, ICE SKATING in Union Square! They built an outdoor rink in the center of the square and have public skating. We loved it!!! Neither of us had ice skated in years...for JT it had been at least 25!



TODAY, I don't love it so much. I've been pretty lax on my walking/jogging and boy are my legs sore!! Ha! I deserve it. I'll be doing some walking/working today so that I can keep my muscles going. With every step, a new "ouch"! :)

Hope your holidays are magical and fun.

Much ado about nuthin'

Not a huge Shakespeare fan, but thought it was amusing none the less. Speaking of "none the less" and "much ado about nothing" that's where my weight loss has been lately. Nothing. Stayin' the same. I guess I have finally found my ideal weight according to my body but not according to the doctor. I decided to check out "reduction" surgery (I'm sure you know what I mean) and was told I need to lose another 10 lbs. I'm pretty sure I'll be paper thin by then (ha!) but if that's what I have to do, then I'll do it. I haven't been working diligently on the weight loss and it hasn't come that easy recently but I haven't gained anything either. So, here I sit. Losing nothing. Gaining nothing. Much ado about nothing..........

Halloween at work

We had a lot of fun dressing as "Rockers". We paraded into the building next door and picked up a couple of witches and Where's Waldo along the way. Do you see him? lol
The bottom pic is of me and Tom. He's in the IT dept and we were trying to gather our "peeps" to put together a band.... ha ha ha.

Tinkerbell movie premiere

Most of my friends will laugh or cry when they read this. I won a prize! I know....so unusual. I seem to win a lot of prizes. You know....you can't win if you don't enter!!! I am an annual passholder for Disneyland (another big surprise, huh?) and they were having a contest for their members. I entered and won tickets to the Tinkerbell Movie Premiere at the Opera House in Disneyland! We went on Saturday afternoon and previewed the movie. It was cute. BUT! At the end of the movie, the director and screenwriter were there answering questions. It was really cool! I went with my friend Andrea and we had a great time.Picture: Andrea, Bradley Raymond (Director) Jeffrey Howard (Screenwriter) and me.
I probably look like I'm freezing....it's because I was! It was 85 degrees OUTSIDE, but 55 degrees INSIDE the theater! OMG. We were shivering!!!

HDI Webinar

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 Changing your Clark Kent Help Desk into a Superman TEAM! Bren Boddy-Thomas Feeling like you’re always undercover? Is your Help Desk hiding from the rest of your company? Not sure how to be SUPER? Join the SUPER Help Desk Manager, Bren Boddy-Thomas for a unique tale of how she took a bunch of Customer Service people with no technical experience and turned them into the SUPER Help Desk Team!

http://www.thinkhdi.com/hdi.aspx?c=371
(This is the link to the webinars)

This is what HDI put on their website for my webinar. It went really WELL!!! I've received over 25 emails from across the country and Canada with compliments and questions. I'm speaking this week at the Sacramento Chapter of HDI with the presentation I've prepared for the National Conference. I'm hoping it goes well and perhaps I'll be accepted to the HDI National conference as a speaker!

(If you take a listen, please leave feedback here. This was my first public speaking experience and I'd really like input. Thanks!)

Weightloss update

I decided at the beginning of my weightloss that I would save one article of clothing to gauge my progress. A month before I began, we took family portraits for Christmas. I was wearing a pair of capri's in the picture and decided to save them to try on again. I restrained myself from putting them on until I hit a 50 lb weight loss. I'm a few pounds past that now but I thought you might enjoy the pictures anyway...

As an update to my broken fanny, I've maintained my weight without doing exercise. I've actually lost another pound since my "accident". :) I have one more week and I'll get to start power walking again. I can't wait! I have 11 more pounds to lose in order to reach my goal. Woo hoo!!

Busy busy busy busy busy busy busy....

I know this is my blog name, but oh my gosh, it's life at the moment. I have three trips in the next three weeks that I haven't even thought about yet. I've got two speaking engagements and project at work that need completing. I have a family that is needing my time and a dog that talks to me if he doesn't see me often enough. Whew!

Can't wait for next week when I can go back to exercising again. It's been over a month since I've done my powerwalking or any other exercise for that matter. I've had to carefully watch my diet and I'm happy to say I've lost another pound! I'm down 54 lbs (I still can't believe it) and am just glad that I haven't gained any while I'm waiting for my "behind" to heal.

A new Birthday!!

Today, I am 44 years old. What a year this has been. I started off this year soooo unhappy with myself, so unhealthy. I didn't feel that I had will power to make the change in my life that I needed. It's amazing what the mind can do when it needs to. That's what happened to me. I put my mind to it. A simple term really, but I just had to be "right in my mind" with my decision to get healthy and look where it's got me.

This is me today, September 16, 2008. 44 years old.....or is it 44 years young??

I went to the doctor last Monday. I had some tests run because I wanted to see how I was doing. I take High Blood Pressure medicine, I'm at risk for High Cholesterol, and during my last visit, he told me my BMI was OBESE. I needed to know where I was with my health since I've lost the weight and where I needed to go. Wow was I shocked!
My doctor told me I can stop taking the blood pressure meds. He told me my cholesterol was in a very normal range. And my BMI? I am in the NORMAL range. Not OBESE, not OVERWEIGHT, but NORMAL!! I sat there stunned. And happy. VERY VERY happy. :)

As for this picture taken this morning: I was thrilled to get this pencil skirt on. I have LEGS! I got whistled at when I got coffee this morning! Oh MY gosh!

Life is a new. Life is changing. Life is good. Hope your life is good this year.

Pretty in Pink...

This is what the mail man sees.....

A few years ago, JT and I decided to do a little landscaping. I had always admired my sister's Bougainvillia she had in her yard and I wanted to grow one too. I was told over and over again that I couldn't grow one in Rohnert Park because the frosty winters would kill it. Well, the naysayers were half right. I had two beautiful plants and last winter I didn't cover them enough and I lost one. Here's what's left:
Several of my neighbors have come by to compliment us on the gorgeous plant. It's a prickly plant and that's another reason I like it. I have had several holiday decorations stolen over the years and the prickliness of this plant I am "hoping" will thwart thieves from stealing my stuff! A little tender loving care and you can grow anything!!

We B Hikin'....

**UPDATE** I just got back from the Doctor's today. I actually broke my tailbone. No more exercise for the next 5 weeks. Scary. I've really got to watch my diet and make sure that I eat within my daily caloric allowance. Ugh.

JT and I are camping this weekend with the family which of course means: Hot dogs, smores, chips, and other assorted camping food that I don't normally eat. Part of what I like doing with this "plan" of mine is that I don't deprive myself of anything. Things I shouldn't eat are eaten in moderation but they are not ignored. Love it. BUT: if I'm going to do something stupid like eat hot dogs and chips, I better have a plan to exercise my butt off. Little did I know that the exercise would have my butt in mind!

We (JT and I) decided to take a hike up this hill that the campground has nicely named the "Hiking Trail". Me being "cocky" thinking I'm much more fit than I am (after all I DO 25 min power walks everyday, how hard could it be??!!) decided to hike this hill this morning and work off that wonderful camping food I was eating. The hill is at a 40 degree angle and looked pretty scary. We walked up that hill (me at a steady pace and stopping several times) fairly quickly. But of course what goes up.......must come down. We walked around the top for a bit and decided we'd head back down. There was another trail down the other side and we decided to go that way instead of the way we came up. As we walked down the much softer dirt trail, I slipped and fell flat on my a$$. O.....M.....G. I hurt so freakin' bad!! My fanny is going to be a bit sore for a few days I'm sure. Lucky for me I'm lopsided and the pain is only on my right side. Go figure!
This pic was taken at the top of the hill. A little dark but you can see how high up we were (and how freezing it was!).

By the way, I'm still losing. I'm at 52 lbs and counting....(those hot dogs can't be all bad! ha!)

Thanks for reading...

The fantastic ride...

...my fanny is a little sore but yesterday I took the longest ride I've ever done. I had a Board meeting for HDI where I am Vice President of Membership. We met in Hayward which is approx 66 miles from my house. Gas prices being what they are around here prompted me to ride my motorcycle instead of taking the car. It was a casual meeting so not a big deal to do - meaning I didn't have to dress up. I know it's really shocking to see a 43-year-old woman riding a motorcycle, but the proof is in the pudding. This is me right after my ride home. No laughing!It's past time for me to buy a new motorcycle jacket, this one is an XXL!!

Size what?! You've GOT to be kidding!!!

So, I've been living by the golden diet rule of "If it's too big to wear, give it away". I haven't kept anything in my closet that I've outgrown. It's been a GREAT relief to get rid of those clothes knowing that the sizes I'm wearing means that I'm getting much healthier.
That being said, I've also been buying the next size smaller in anticipation of wearing it. This morning was a shock! I went to my closet to see how close I was to putting on my next size down and lo and behold......it fit!!! NO FREAKIN' WAY!!!! I must have been a freshman in High School the last time i was wearing A SIZE 8!!! Yes, I've gone from a size 20 to a size 8. In jeans at least! The tops........well, no so much! :) Not sure if or when that will ever happen.

Just couldn't wait to share....thanks for reading!

Ta da!

It FINALLY happened!! I woke up yesterday morning, got on the scale and hit my next goal! 50 lbs!! Actually it was 51 lbs!!! Wow. I didn't think I would ever get there because I've plateaued for so long. Now I'm doing the "happy dance"!! Happy happy joy joy happy happy joy joy!

It's time.

I decided it was time to show the real me. OR at least the "real me" as I used to be. I changed my BEFORE picture to show what I really looked like at the start of this blog. I was embarrassed to put this picture up before because I wasn't very happy with myself. But it's real. It's the old me. I am so much happier being at a healthy weight that I am finally ready to let go of the old me. It's been very difficult to see me in a new light. I still find that I see a bigger girl in the mirror. I know my clothes are smaller, but there are other parts of me that I just haven't accepted the changes yet. It's hard to explain unless you've been there. I still get Plus Size clothing catalogs and I look through them for cute clothes. It usually takes me a few minutes of looking through the catalog before I remember that I can't fit in those anymore.

The old me is gone and isn't coming back. Lucky for you, I've only changed the outside! :)

If patience is a virtue, I must not be very virtuous!!

I'm there.....the dreaded plateau. HATE it. I started this blog to talk about my weight loss and my successes/failures with it. This whole journey has been a mind game and I've been pretty successful despite my original thoughts of the contrary.
The past two months have been difficult because I've plateaued. Just sitting here with the same weight day after day. I really shouldn't complain but I'm thisclose to hitting a big number! I'm at 49lbs gone and just itching to be at 50! When people ask, I round up to 50 because it's easier, but I know better. I know I've still got one pound to go to be there...ugh. Honestly!
I am happy about a few things: I've gone from a size 20 to a size 10! No more shopping in the PLUS size department! I am finally smaller than my Driver's License weight! (Can't wait to get a new one!!!) I actually bought size MEDIUM shorts. Wow.
The upper part of my body is not cooperating (much to the happiness of my DH) and I wish it would be smaller as well. Can't have everything I guess.
I'm keeping up my daily power walks at work and continue to enjoy the IT cheerleaders. It's nice to have so many people cheering me on. Softball ends next weekend and I'll be getting back into Golf to make up losing out on that.

Thanks for reading....

Home James!

Tomorrow is the big day! My son has been in London, England for the past two weeks visiting the countryside and his relatives and he comes home tomorrow! He's been to see Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, various castles and museums and Stonehenge. (At least that's what he's shared so far!). I can't wait to see him and pictures from the trip! He's going to be one tired kid when he gets home. Timing for him stinks. He flys in late tomorrow and has to be at school for the first day of school on Wednesday morning! Not feeling sorry for him! :) I'm sure he'll make it through the first day only to head home for a long nap when he's done.

Weird....

While I was at Disneyland last week I noticed a very strange trend. And of course I WOULD notice because I notice everything! I saw some women with sandals on that had one toe painted. Being a connoisseur of pedicures, I thought I was seeing things. They had just their big toe painted. It wasn't just one woman, I saw at least a dozen women with just one toe on each foot (usually the big toe) painted. And they weren't subtle colors either!! Usually NEON! Weird!!

Disneyland with my son...

The last time I was in Disneyland I was almost 50lbs heavier. What a difference that weight was! I felt like a new woman. I could fit on rides I hadn't been on before. Old favorites were a breeze! No more struggling to get on/off the rides! I even took some pictures with characters! I think Woody really liked me..ha ha ha.
Ian and I had a great time together. I was soooo happy my teenage son decided to hang out with his old mom for the week. Yes, I said the week! A whole week at Disneyland is never enough. Ha ha.
Ian and I love to go to the Animation Academy in California Aventure. They have a place there where you answer a few questions and they match you up to your most likely character match.....this one was mine. Go figure.

You know you're a "Tough Biker Chick" when......

.....you get stung by a bee. You're tougher when it gets you in your NECK! You're the toughest when you play it off like it's "nuthin'". LOL

Okay, so maybe I didn't play it off THAT cool. DANG! It HURT!!! I was riding my motorcycle back from grabbing a sandwich yesterday on my lunch and when I took the turn to go back to work, SMACK! I got it in the neck. I was able to scrape the stinger off right away, but the swelling and redness hit immediately. OMG.
Today, it's not so bad. Doesn't sting so much but the area that I got hit is uber sensitive.
And how was YOUR day??? :)

Photo Shoot

Back in April, I was asked to speak to the Marketing Dept of HDI and their three sister companies in San Francisco. HDI (formerly Help Desk Institute) has helped me in every aspect of my job. "Everything I've learned about running my Help Desk, I've learned from HDI." That last sentence is a direct quote from me and something I said to the group that I spoke to. Well, it turned out that the Marketing department liked what I said and they have turned it into their new marketing campaign staring.....me. And a few of my closest friends!!
This is one of the sample pics from the photo shoot. The pictures are going to be used in their marketing materials (I'm pretty sure this isn't a picture that they are using). We also did a video shoot that will be on their website. It was a TON of fun and I was very flattered that they chose my quote to run with. I truly meant what I said about them. HDI has helped me grow as a person and as a manager.

Busy Bren

There's a reason my blog is called "Busy Bren". It's because I'm BUSY! :) I've been told several times in the past few weeks that I need to update my blog more, so here I am. Sitting in my living room bright and early on a Saturday morning getting ready to shoo away the early birds for my garage sale. Last weekend my husband helped me empty my storage bin. It was ugly. I've had it for 13 years and have only been in it once. It's a really long story that I won't bore you with the details here. ANYWAY....I emptied the lot and am junking most of it. Some of it will be for sale today. Interested in any Fisher Price toys circa 1991?

short and sweet. More posts in a minute!

Old Friends

The week before last I was back in Colorado Springs for training for the software we use at work. While there, I got to see a couple of old friends! My friend Judy and I have been friends for over 5 years and I haven't seen her in several. We had a great time at a BBQ at her house on Sunday overlooking the golf course. Beautiful place. My friend Cheryl (we go waaay back to High School - this is her and me) and I spent Saturday together taking the Cog Wheel train to the top of Pike's Peak. Wow. What beautiful views. As soon as I get a few minutes, I'll post a couple of pictures. It was a gorgeous day from start to finish. Cheryl moved to the Denver area about 4 years ago and I hadn't seen her since. We had a great visit and my friend Judy invited both of us to her BBQ. Nice way to finish the visit!

The UPS and downs of life...

This week was full of blessings and sadness. I hit a new high on Monday: 45lbs gone! I was elated!!!!
But Tuesday brought sadness. My Uncle Jerry passed away. He's the second Uncle I've lost in two months and I only have THREE!!! I hadn't spoke with him in a long time and don't want to go into details. I miss him very much. Right after that, my Grandfather was rushed to the hospital. He's my only Grandparent. I am grateful that he is going to be OK, but I hadn't seen him in awhile, so I spent some time with him on Wednesday.
Thursday brought new friendships. Brandon, a new friend from HDI, spent some of his valuable time with me showing me his Call Logging system (what we use on the Help Desk) and discussing best practices as well as our mutual affection for HDI. (Brandon and I are both Local Chapter Officers for HDI) I really appreciated seeing how a larger Help Desk is run and him taking the time to discuss issues with me. Thanks Brandon!

Lost Luggage.....

So, last weekend I'm in Colorado Springs for a Local Chapter Officer Summit for HDI (formerly the Help Desk Institute). I am a member of this awesome organization and they have taught me everything I know about running a Help Desk (more about this later). I had a flight on Sunday from Denver to Oakland that was delayed, delayed, delayed. (Thanks UNITED!!!). My plane finally took off at 11pm from Denver and we arrived (yawn) at 12:45am Monday. Lucky me. By the time the baggage carousal finally stopped, it was 1:30am. No luggage for me. For the average person, this might be a slight inconvenience as they probably have many other clothes at home to wear. I....do not. I buy so few clothes per size now (until I hit my goal weight) that ALL OF MY CLOTHES were in there!!!! The nice lady at the baggage claim rushed through my paperwork and assured me I'd get it later that same morning. I was exhausted so grabbed the bus back to the parking garage and headed home. Head hit the pillow: 3:00am. Head woke up from the pillow: 5:30am. Needless to say, work was a CHALLENGE on Monday!!! ANYWAY......I tracked my luggage all day Monday and it was enjoying a fine stay in the lovely city of Denver. Tuesday comes and I'm wearing....the same clothes again. Two days now, same outfit. (YES, I washed it!!). FINALLY on Tuesday NIGHT, as I waited patiently outside my work, I got my luggage. Slightly rifled through, but it was all there. Note to self: CARRY ON!!! PS I fly UNITED back to Colorado Springs on Sunday. Wish me luck.

Batting .1000

Oh how I love SOFTBALL!! We played again last night and even though I'm not very good, I had a blast. Last night I got two RBIs and hit twice! I am playing for the exercise and the camaraderie and I am getting a lot of both. It's a co-ed team from work and we're having a good time. I am not exactly thrilled with the 8:40pm start time (there are 3: 6:00, 7:20 and 8:40) it's still more exercising than I had before.

Short and sweet and to the point...

Big day today....as of this morning, I've lost 40lbs!!!! Woo hoo!!!

A long weekend alone....

Hubby and family headed out camping this weekend and I stayed home alone. I pondered heading up to Plymouth (about a 3 hour drive - 5 this weekend!) after work on Saturday, but the thought at sitting in the car listing to my iPod for that long was a bit much. So, I stayed home with the dog. Me and him. I loved it. No one to bug me, no one to nag at me, no one to talk to.....I got so much done! I haven't been home in so long because of all of my trips. It was nice to get some housework done. Speaking of trips.....
My Mom and I got back last Monday from our cruise to Mexico. I got MORE tan (just love being so tan right now) and I gained a couple of pounds. That part stunk. My friends kept telling me it was probably "water weight" and they were right!! By Friday it was all gone....and as of this morning, I'm at 38lbs gone. Two more to go to 40!! WOO HOO!!! My Mom and I had a great time. She loved all the fun things we did. Bingo, playing the nickel machines in the casino, lounging by the pool, and of course my all time favorite: The Austin Powers dance class!! Yes, Mom and I went up to the Lido deck and learned the Austin Powers dance in front of everyone lounging at the pool. It was a BLAST! She left with a big smile on her face.
Next trip: Colorado Springs first weekend in June. :)

I did it!!!!!!!

I can't believe I did it, but I did!! I walked 6+ miles today (10k) in under 2 hours. My goal was a 20 minute mile and I did better than that. 5 months ago I would have never been able to do this!! I started off with a brisk steady pace and kept it going throughout the whole walk. I took opportunities to jog when I could (mostly downhill!) but it helped with my time. I ran to the finish line and WOW it was exciting! I did the whole race alone with my iPod. Nothing better than dancing along to your own tune and having people look at you like you're crazy!

This is a picture before the race of me and "Mini Me". My friend Andrea reminds so many people of me at a younger age (is that a compliment???) that she's been dubbed "Mini Me". So, to her credit....she couldn't be Mini Me alone. I got a moniker too. "Mega Me". I laughed so hard when she pinned that name on me!

And just for Vicky, here's the view of Spring Lake I had while I was walking today..

Lighter and lighter...

Coming back from vacation was difficult. I really enjoyed the relaxing and swimming and the general "do nothing" attitude. The hard part was coming back to diet and exercise. Surprise surprise...it wasn't as hard as I thought it was! I've lost 3lbs since I've been back for a grand total of 35lbs!! I've gone from a size 20 pant (OMG I can't believe I just admitted that!) to a size 14!!

This weekend I'm walking in our local "Human Race". It's a walk-a-thon where we get to choose the charity we walk for. With heart issues in my family and with it being a concern for me, I'm walking for the American Heart Association. It's a 10k walk around Spring Lake and I can't wait. I'm going to have such a big meal afterwards. Walking the 10k burns 2000 calories! WOO HOO!!

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Ahhhh.....relaxing vacation! I went with the thought in mind that I just want to chill. Relax. Do NOTHING! I did that for the most part. I just loved it. The food was fabulous, the resort was beautiful and the beach was.....well, you can see for yourself.
On the flip side, the country is very poor and that was hard to see while we're relaxing in a 5 star all inclusive resort.
We did bring school supplies with us to donate to the local kids including back packs, laptop bags, pens, pencils etc. Our tour guide has a helper who volunteers for local school kids and asked us to bring anything we could donate. Since I go to a work conference every year and they usually give us bags, I was happy to pass those along.

The diet is still going well! The picture above shows the two of us 85 lbs lighter (between us). What a difference!

No vacation is complete with out a realistic view of my new favorite vacation spot...

Softball!!

I'm so excited to be on this roller coaster ride. I'm going UP with my exercise and DOWN with the pounds!! I'm almost at 30lbs gone!! It's very exciting. Now that my energy level has gone up, I've joined the softball team at work. It's co-ed and I'm having a BLAST!!! Prior to this month, I haven't played in several years, but I just love it. We're on a "fun" league, playing for the enjoyment of it, not necessarily the tough competition. The teams we've played against so far have been just as lackadaisical as we have been. I am a power hitter.....when I connect with the ball! Apparently I'm suffering from freakin' stage fright! I get to the batting cages and hit 18/20 balls. I get up to bat in the batters box, and I strike out! UGH. I'm gonna hit that ball if it kills me....

As for fun, Jeff and I are heading to the Caribbean this week. It's the work trip for him (honest!) and I'm looking forward to relaxing on the beach or near the pool for the week.

Vacation is almost here!

So I've been working on my "plan" for over 3 1/2 months now. Taking it slow and not trying to kill myself with exercise. While I haven't lost as much as I was hoping I would by now, I'm down 26 lbs and two pants sizes. Yesterday I went shopping. It sounds like something fun...right? Try trying to replace your entire wardrobe in one stop. I was buying one pair of pants and one pair of jeans per size as I dropped the weight but then everything else just started hanging on me. Think about all of the things you put on every day and now you can't wear them because they are literally falling off of you. I won't tell you what I had to spend to replace most items, but I only bought casual clothes. I'm going to the Caribbean next week and it was shorts, t-shirts and YES - bathing suits on the list! I am so excited to be going and relaxing on the beach and by the pool. It's been a trying year so far and I am looking forward to the "do nothing" attitude.

Is it really worth two black eyes?

I've stopped walking. Crazy....right? Well, actually I'm starting to do a bit more. I'm jogging. Don't laugh! It's very difficult for a large breasted woman to jog! I am finding that the walking just wasn't enough and I wanted to get my heart rate up a it more. Now I have to be careful of the black eyes that usually come with jogging. LOL

Wish me luck?

They've noticed!

It finally happened to me. I've been working diligently on my diet and exercise and this week/weekend a few people have noticed! It felt so great! I don't see it as much as I'd like to but it's nice to know other people see a new me.
Last night we went to the 20/30 Comedy Night that ended with our friend Mickey's band (Vanilla Funk - you figure it out!) funkin' out the house! They are really good and Jeff and I had a blast dancing with our friends until late. The comedians were pretty good but the dancing was great. Can't beat that kind of FUN exercise!
I'm going to get gutzy here in a bit. I found a "before" picture of me (it's really hideous) and a current "after" picture. When I have a bit more time, I'll post them. :)

A busy couple of weeks....

Playing "catchup" after being gone for two weeks has been difficult. Ian has been home from school for Spring break and doing what teenagers do well, bugging me. LOL. I've been able to ride my motorcycle to work for a few days (I don't get to ride during the school year - something about being a teenage boy on the back of his mother's motorcycle???) and that was really nice. It helped with the gas expense anyway.
Ian decided he wants to work this summer. He has the luck of having family that's close to where he wants to work so I'm sending him to Anaheim for the summer. That's right. Ian's goal is to work at Disneyland for the summer. Lucky kid. Wish I had that opportunity when I was younger. Guess I'll just have to go and visit him more often! :)
As for me, I'm dealing with the struggles of taking care of a parent. I would not have thought I'd be doing it so young, but here I am. My Mom does OK for the most part, but I do have several daily things I do to help her. Bills, shopping, taxes, daily phone calls. You get the picture. It makes it difficult to do the traveling I do because I'm constantly worried about her, Ian, Jeff and Jacob (if they're not with me). That's why this blog and the weight-loss is so important to me. It's something I'm doing for me and only for me. I've almost lost 25lbs and I'm noticing it more and more. I'm down two pants sizes and happily filling up bags of clothes to donate. I took a big step last weekend and got rid of clothes. Okay, I've done this before, but not like I did last weekend. I went through my closet and got rid of EVERYTHING that was too big! In the past when I've lost weight, I've saved my favorite outfits just-in-case and always seem to get back into them. Not this time! It felt GREAT to get rid of them!!! I'm actually looking forward to getting in my bathing suit next month when we go to the Dominican Republic!

HDI Conference...work and FUN!!

I just got back last night from my second trip to Texas in two weeks. This time it was for my work conference...the Help Desk Institute. I go to rejuvenate, educate and learn new trends. I was really worried about going because it's difficult to control of my diet when I'm gone. Many of the meals came with the conference. I had nothing to worry about because I lost weight and hit a new milestone. 20lbs gone since January 1st (4lbs at the conference!) Whew! It hasn't been easy but I'm much happier when I stand on the scale.
While at the conference we had a few notable keynote speakers. Emmitt Smith from the Dallas Cowboys and Dancing with the Stars opened the conference. My favorite speakers were a toss up between Gene Kranz (He answered the call "Houston, we have a problem" from Apollo 13 space mission) and Jeff Taylor (he founded Monster.com).
The final conference party was the DOOBIE BROTHERS!! They rocked the house! I got to go backstage (I know Vicky is SHOCKED right now!) and meet them (that's me on the far left). They were cool guys. The stage manager gave me some guitar picks to share with my friends and I did just that. Had a GREAT time!

Off the mark.....but interesting?

Okay Mama's place....I'm updating for you! :)
I've had a very busy last few weeks. Weight loss has been a struggle. I haven't lost any more, but I haven't gained anything either. Being stagnant is not fun. It's difficult to keep my exercise program going during conferences when I'm busy from 7am til 10pm but I try.
Last week I was in San Antonio, TX. I had a great time at Jeff's (hubby) work conference. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe and for those Big Brother fans, I met Nacomas from one of the first seasons. Very nice girl....she works in the Rock Shop at the Cafe. It was so funny to meet her. I kept staring at her like I knew her but couldn't figure out where. Finally her boss told me who she was.
On Tuesday it was the Texas primaries and we had the Secret Service all over the place in San Antonio. Turns out that Barack Obama was across the street from us! It's not often that you get to hear a Presidential Candidate speak so after Jeff's banquet, we walked over and listened to him. We had to wait an hour or so because he wanted to declare victory or defeat and they didn't decide it Tuesday night. He finally came out and we took pictures. I don't think it matters of you're Democrat or Republican, it was really cool to be there.
We flew home on Wednesday. When I got off the plane in Oakland, my phone rang right away. It was my son. He'd been hit by a pickup truck on his bicycle. YES HE IS OKAY. I rushed home and took him straight to Kaiser Emergency to get checked out. He's pretty banged up and bruised and has a sprained ankle, but he's going to be OK.
Today I'm washing clothes and packing because I leave tomorrow morning at 4am to head to Dallas, TX for my work conference. We have two events while I'm there. Emmitt Smith is the opening speaker and on Tuesday, the Doobie Brothers are playing for our big Conference Party. Should be fun!

Weight loss total

I haven't mentioned this at all and I really should! I've lost a total of 17lbs since I started my "plan". :) Unfortunately (or fortunately) my sick total has been an 8lb loss and that has really helped my total.

Still sick....and heading for trip #2

I've had this cold for over a week now and I'm going back to work on Monday. I'm actually looking forward to getting back to work. I am nervous about next weekend though! I'm flying to San Antonio, TX to support my husband and I have a tendancy to get sick again when I go on a trip so soon after being sick. I've really stuck to my guns at home and rested the entire week. No frills trips, lots of naps and liquids and I'm hoping that helps. I'm famous for going right back to work too soon so I'm hoping that's not the case this time.
So for the trip: we're staying at a hotel on the famous Riverwalk! My hubby is getting recognized for the great job he does at work (as are a lot of other wonderful sales people) and I'm really excited to be there to support him. I also get to see my friend Tony (he used to work with me at the bank and moved to San Antonio a few years ago) and Stephany (she just moved to Austin a couple of weeks ago). It's going to be a busy but fun few days. We fly home on Wednesday, I work Thurs and Fri and repack on Saturday because on Sunday...I fly to Dallas, TX for my work conference! It's going to be a crazy couple of weeks. I'm tired just thinking about it.

Being sick has it's advantages...

Okay, so I've been sick. This horrendous cold has been going around my work and lucky me, I caught it. It started with a sore throat, next a cough, sinus congestion and today it's been a terrible headache. I hate being sick!!! There is nothing fun about trying to take care of 4 other people when they count on you and you can't deliver.
Ahhhh....but there's a silver lining! I've lost 7 lbs! In one week I've lost 7 lbs. Not the way to lose it (yes, I know!!) but when you've been stagnant for two weeks and didn't lose anything, 7 lbs is a victory. To answer your questions, YES I've been eating, NO I haven't spent all my time in the bathroom. I believe that coughing is a great form of exercise! ;)
I'm tired and going back to bed. Wish me luck that next week will be a healthier weightloss..

Support! And I don't mean what's under the clothes...

I am finding that a support network is a good thing. When I started this venture in January, I didn't tell anyone right away. I kept this blog secret, I wrote down what I ate and only my husband knew what I was really doing. Nothing worse than everyone knowing and me failing.

I manage a small Help Desk for a local bank. It's my passion and my life. I created the group in 2002 and love my staff and my customers. I decided to tell my staff what I'm doing and they have been sooooo supportive! One of my "girls" reminds me on my "walk" day that it's time. She's very encouraging and it really helps. Right now I'm walking 3 days a week doing a 20 minute power walk with weights. I get a good sweat going and my heart pumping and it feels good. I have a friend in the building next to mine that wants to be my "diet buddy". I've never had a "diet buddy" so this is a new concept to me. Hopefully we can encourage each other and continue on this journey together.

Rain rain rain...

It's been raining for days....but not on my parade! LOL.
I'm not giving up on my exercise just because of a little water. When the weather gets bad and my head hurts from the weather changes, it would be so easy to skip it for the day. I'm not letting it get to me. I took walk yesterday despite the rain. I had a lucky break in the clouds and grabbed my walk. It's energizing. My husband won a small iPod (the clip shuffle) that's perfect for a walk. I loaded up all the songs from my video iPod on it and made a funky dance shuffle that's fun to walk to. I wish I could see the faces of the drivers who pass me on the road as I'm singing to whatever is playing! The best part is that I don't care what they think! I'm having fun, losing weight and feeling good.
Today I was craving chocolate in a bad way. It was a very strange feeling because I'm not a "sweets" person. I'd rather eat a fresh-out-of-the-oven loaf of sourdough bread and spread fresh butter on it than chocolate any day. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had a secret "stash" in my office drawer! I grabbed a 100 calorie pack (Chips Ahoy) and that took care of my craving. It's great to have options. Another day.....another challenge.

Back from Vegas....and I'm UP and Down!

Last week I was in Vegas for a TradeShow with my husband. We go every year and I love to help him get ideas for his clients.
So.....how was it for me? Well I'm shocked. I had such a great week!! I am not a gambler....I'm afraid to lose $10. First night, I went downstairs to play my favorite machine "Texas Tea" on the nickel slots. I put in my $10 and did a $2 spin. The machine gave me free spins! And coins and free spins and coins and it didn't stop for over 5 minutes! I walked away with $182 for a $2 bet. I was on cloud nine for the rest of the night.
Meals could have been scary, but they weren't! We had dinner with several of my husband's friends at some really great restaurants. I had Grilled Prawns, Filet Mignon, Baked Potatoes, raspberry cheesecake....mouth watering yet?? I even had dinner at a buffet. I knew I wouldn't deprive myself on this trip but I would eat responsibly during the day. Mornings and lunches were well under 500 calories and dinners were fun. Did I mention that we walked approx 8 hours per day? Yeah well...it helped. I lost 2 lbs!
My old mind is finally figuring this whole thing out. I can eat some of the things that I want some of the time as long as I exercise off of the excess calories. Duh.
While we were in Vegas we took one day to just walk the strip and see what's new. (We usually go a few times a year). The Planet Hollywood casino stripped the old "New"Aladdin from it's Morroccan theme and it has a futuristic look to it. We were there during the opening of the Palazzo Hotel (next door to the Venetian). The hotel is nice. While my husband and I were walking thru the lobby, we ran into James Denton from Desperate Housewives. He's TALL! :) He was there with his wife and they looked like they were having a good time in Vegas.

Scales. Scary.

So I weighed myself yesterday. Surprise! I lost weight! I was so excited to see a lower number then I talked with my boss about it and she told me to ignore the scale. It's all about inches. Whatever. I have a smaller number and I'm thrilled! My husband found a website to help calculate how many calories I should eat on a daily basis based on my weight, height and age. I think it helps to be OLD! It also has a calculator for exercise. If I am this tall and this fat and I want to do this exercise for this amount of time, how many calories will I burn? I love it! Whatever works. I'm losing weight and I'm not sacrificing everything to do it. That's the best part.

Today was crazy rainy. Didn't get to do my walk but did walk around the house and walk around work a bit. Not the same but its what I could do. Tomorrow is a new day.

Another day..

...another blog. This is fun! Today I did very well...until my Mom decided she wanted to go to a steakhouse for dinner. So, I sucked it up and at the low cal stuff all day in anticipation of the "good stuff" at dinner. Mmmmm.....boy it was GOOD! Tomorrow it's back to the low cal stuff. If I cut out the "good stuff" altogether, I'll never do this. I am adding the exercise to the low cal and making that work. We'll see. Tomorrow am is weigh in day and I hope to see a lower number.

This is a hard time of year for me to be doing this. It's CRAB FEED Season for goodness sakes! You can't eat crab without tons of dripping butter so I guess I'll be starving for the next few weeks so I can go to the crab feeds. (JUST KIDDING!!!).

Kids are getting antsy. Tomorrow is back to school for them and I can't wait! We had a great Christmas together and I think the boys are spoiled. They got a lot of fun things this year and I hope it will keep them busy for awhile.

Happy New Year?

Okay, so the new year started.....and I'm swamped. Trying to juggle what Mom needs and kids need and husband needs. Somewhere in there it's supposed to be about me....right? Santa brought me a gorgeous cruiser bike for Christmas and that's going to come in handy with my plan. I hate to call it a resolution because I never seem to keep those. So, I've started a plan. I'm counting calories and so far it's been pretty easy to do. I really want to lose weight. Weight loss never starts in my boobs so running is difficult, but I'm not letting that stop me. I've got my bike, I'm ready to walk, and I'm dancing and driving my teenage boys nuts. But I don't care. I'm tired of being overweight. My husband loves me any way I am (isn't he sweet?) but I want to be healthier. I haven't been able to give blood the last two times I've tried because my blood pressure is too high. Must be the weight. I figure if I put it down in print....I might actually get somewhere with this. So, bear with me....and let's see if I can do this.