Getting my mojo back (or Thank you Chocolate, I love you!)

After being a puddle last time I posted, I got my butt in gear and exercised that day and WALAAH! I felt way better. It was like a vicious cycle that I had not exercised in four days and it was like scraping crusted Lasagna out of a pan to get back to grooving! That was Tuesday and I've exercised each day since. Today I'm planning to go to a Zumba-thon with Mimi... who wouldn't want to go to a Zumba-thon????!!! I have not tried Zumba, but I'm looking to spice up my exercise routine as I've mostly been doing exercise videos and they are pretty boring, but at least they are private. Skiing is pretty dull right now... there is snow, but alas, no daycare and I have wax-tape on my skis which means I need crust... and the snow isn't crust, its STICKY.

Unfortunately because I binged hardcore last weekend, I was up in weight this week. Argh! Nothing crushes you like being a "gainer" whilst doing Biggest Loser. I cannot complain too much though as I was only up 0.8 pounds, which is not much, just the wrong direction. AND (see title) I have been craving chocolate HARD CORE this week. I'm not sure if this is "my time of the month" [sorry guys] or if its from last weekend's binge feeding a lifelong sugar-addiction. The good news is: I finished the bag of dark chocolate eggs I bought last weekend, so they will no longer be a temptation. I have not, however, finished the Oreos... but three cookies is a serving of 160 calories, together with 1/4c milk is an almost perfect UNHEALTHY but oh-so-satisfying snack.

Knitting wise, I've been less-than-inspired. I'm trying to finish my WIPs (works in progress) before starting new stuff so I'm working on a lime green single-ply 100% wool elephant named Florestine Eubaldine after my late grandmothers. Its just not fun. Every row I have to pay attention and count, ugh. All I have left is the underbody which shouldn't theoretically take long but here I sit Blogging. After that I need to knit another sock (singular) to finish out my pair of Skew and I'll be WIP-free. Then I'm knitting something simple and easy and quick... or not... we'll see.

On the techno front: while I was gone scrapbooking last weekend (aka binge & drunkfest with some girlfriends), little man felt the need to free my powerbook G4 of its letters... I got most of them back on, but x & e won't stick. I also have a couple of function keys which are not in place, but I'll get by. On a positive note: I got my new battery today. It was completely dead when I received it so I fully charged it and I'm planning to run in down completely before charging it. Its so great not having to be constantly plugged in. I had bought a new battery and it died after three months so I returned it, of course, that seller couldn't replace my battery so they refunded me and I ordered from another seller. The battery I've been using in the interim lasted all of about 10 seconds if not plugged in: might as well have a desktop.

In my techno-education, I have been sampling some knitting podcasts recently: Brass Needles, Knitmore Girls, StitchIt!, KnitPicks, KIPing it real, and Stash and Burn. I love listening to the different voices, accents, knitting plans... some are more technical, some are more chatty, some are just knitting, some include spinning, weaving, cooking, homesteading and more. It seems like most of the podcasters are a big social network. Every podcast I listen to, the caster talks about another podcaster so I have to look up another podcast etc. etc. Its a crazy vicious circle that I am LOVING! Its like anonymously having friends to chat with without having to dress or talk back!

One of the greatest side effects of the podcast sampling is that Brass Needles is a podcast that is about knitting combined with SCI-FI! I've dabbled in sci-fi for years as well as fantasy, I have always loved reading fantasy and I'm drawn to sci-fi on TV and in movies. I think part of it is that the drama of life continues no matter the race or time or universe. But somehow drama: love, murder, crime, violence is less detrimental to my psyche when its set in a fictional universe. The shows or books where people in my universe are involved in the drama (read love, murder, crime, violence) are just too close to home. There is too much negativity in the real world and I really like the separation between the real world and the sci-fi or fantasy world. In this vein, I've been watching the modern Dr. Who series via Netflix Instant Watch.

By the way, What did we do before Instant Netflix? As you may (or may not) know, J & I haven't had TV cable, antenna, or satelitte for about 3 years now and we agree that is best for us... there is a reason they call it Programming. However, now we have Netflix on Flo's computer and a 20" screen (thanks Randy) and its a whole new world (humming Aladdin theme song). My instant queue is never-ending, lilJ is wearing out Barney's instant queue and Josh is loving all the reality tv (American Pickers, fishing shows, ax men, etc). It seems like one of us is ALWAYS netflixing (is that a new word?).

I requested to be called-off work this week if we were low census since my daycare (aka Lolly & Papa) are off on a mission trip in Alabama. I had a backup scheduled, a good friend with a one-year old son, but it ended up that I only had to work Monday and was off Thursday & Friday! Woot Woot! This was the closest I will ever get to being a stay at home mom and its pretty great. Little J is so fun right now; his imaginative play is really taking flight. Today we had to "walk" to the hospital instead of driving (I know, I know, its 3 blocks each way) in the SNOW! As we're walking, he stopped and looked up at a huge tree covered in snow and said, "where are the monkeys?" I laughed out loud! On the way home, he said, "we have to find the elephants." The things they come up with!

Peace Out! Lea