Got a new pedometer (again) and adjusted the steps. I need to figure out how to change the annoying battery on the sportline because I don't have a tiny screwdriver! It is a cheap and not the best pedometer though but it keeps me moving and thats the main thing. I hope the new one is not over-counting the old one definitely was under though! Some days I am about to stop tracking but I like the website so I continue! Had a nice day in Seattle and came home this evening and getting caught up with everything. We have windows in the house now and bath-tubs (no faucets yet tho!) they put the 2 doors on this week, and hopefully the siding next week then we have to get the electrical done so they can start the sheet rock. We have to do external plumbing (which is done) painting and external electrical, as well as the decks outside. We pick the appliances then they install them and tomorrow I have to pick the flooring and cabinets. I am impatient for it to be done now though!

I am in Seattle I came to help DH move his vehicles around (for work and commute) and stayed overnight with my SIL and had some nice hot baths too! Plus went to Trader Joes and going to WholeFoods today. It snowed again but the roads look clear. According to my SIL's scales I still weigh 143 today. I chose a small entree from Trader Joes for dinner 290 calorie vegetable lasagne. But my lunch was not too healthy - a muffin on the ferry! Plus I had some chocolate at my SIL. Probably within my calorie range but not the healthiest choices!! I am thinking of having one day a week where I don't worry too much about calories though. Since I only have 3 lbs to lose it might be a good idea psychologically and for my metabolism too - good to keep it guessing! As you can see we went to the zoo!

Did a lot of exercise and using my new treadmill at a good incline. I love it! But steps don't reflect and so need to get a battery today for the Sportline and see if that helps. Down to 143.0 today so its paying off. I am more than halfway to my goal of 140 again which is good. DD has been running a fever and not sure why though she is better today and yesterday after a really rough Saturday PM. Not sure why these things always happen at the weekend! Even tho she is better I may take her in for a check up this week and make sure everything is ok.

Pedometer reset and under-counting. I need to get batteries! Worked in AM and took care of animals in PM and then did not do as much exercise as planned, but did 10,000 steps and tried out my new treadmill and exercise bike - I got them free from some people who were 80 and wanted to get rid of them! They are very nice and in good condition.

I joined Official SparkPeople New YOU Bootcamp & Contest! To shake things up.

I am 143.8 today and want to get back down to 140. Well last week I was 146.3 so am headed in the right direction. Just trying to shake things up and stay on track. I am really quite fit now but am adding some new things so my body does not get too complacent. Last week shovelling snow was really quite effective!!! Anyhow my goals are to get back to 140 and need to do calorie cycling so my body does not go into starvation mode. I need to do my measurements and see where I am at but my new clothes look good and it feels good to shop in the petite section!!

New Years Day

Down to 144.3 and back on track as lost 2 lbs this week. I know some due to Aunt Flo but definitely did not want to even put my toe in another weight range! I have continued to eat lofs of fruits and veggies and drink water and exercise though and I think thats made a difference. Definitely am very fit and possibly thinner and more toned when I was 143-144 a year or so ago. My profile pic was taken at 143 and even then and now I look ok, as I have a muscular stocky frame. I am not petite just short! Went for a nice walk yesterday with 3 of my dogs around the snowy road, I have missed my walks but the weather has not been too good and DD does not enjoy walks! Hope I get a couple of walks in this week when she is at her preschool things. Happy New Year everyone! Upped my steps but seemed like an effort!!!

New Years Eve!

Down a pound today finally, thanks Aunt Flo. I am still just at a healthy BMI. Definitely want to lose 5 lbs to get back to 140. But I looked last year and I was actually at 137 this time last year and trying to get down to 135. People thought I looked too thin (and apparently older - who needs honest friends lol) so 135-140 is still fine. Main weight goal is to do this though and I know what to do and am ready to settle down with the snacking and will get back on track, I have been this week just a few extra snacks and down a little so it is working.

Otherwise 2009 main goal is to get into our house. The PM said it could be as little as 9 weeks, we may have to wait to finish the septic though depending on the weather, so we definitely need some dry weather soon. Its been rainy and slightly warmer. I dug 500 feet of driveway up to the house so they can resume work today - but so far nobody showed up!

Otherwise work on my relationships, with DH and DD, be more patient and loving.

I am working on prosperity issues and being more prosperous, normally I am but whether its the economy or what I seem to be stumbling with this lately, partly because people are not paying me, but I need to rise above this and create the prosperity I want.

I would like to make some new friends, but am not too good at it, I still miss my best friend who died very much, I had known her over 15 years and she just really understood me and we could talk about so many things, I don't really share with any of my other friends. I also lost another old friend earlier this year, we were not so close but she was also someone who you could always talk to and who really just got who I am. For some reason these were the two friends who I most felt this with. Most of my friends are not close by, just one not so close friend I have made since I moved here and she is always busy and whenever we plan to meet something seems to come up. I even got to the point of asking if she really wanted to be my friend, which she said she did, but last time we planned to meet, it snowed and she cancelled right away. I am keeping the door open but honestly I need some real friends close-by to do things with, both for myself and DD.

So there we have it! Happy 2009!

Getting back on track this week with eating but so far not losing weight, but Aunt Flo arrived today so hope things start shifting soon. Jan 1st will be the start of the new campaign, and no more Holiday treats. I am a little upset I have put on weight because I have by no means gone crazy and have continued to exercise through all this. But I am sure I will lose it soon. I feel ok but not so much energy or enthusiasm for work right now. I think its just been a stressful time and need to be gentle with myself. The first step is lose 5 lbs, which is not a lot (really just a maintenance range but it takes me into the next maintenance range so its time) still a healthy BMI though. The house may be finished in 9 weeks the project manager told me yesterday, but we may have to wait on the septic because of the weather. Though honestly if we do will sneak up there and take a few hot baths - in the NEW whirlpool tub (which they FORGOT but are delivering soon. At this point I cannot even imagine the luxury of living in a house. But I also realize from having travelled and lived and worked in so many countries that many people never have even close to that luxury, and I think thats why I have managed ok in the trailer for the most part too. But the hot showers are nice :) we do take a lot for granted in the West though and sometimes its good to be without the things we take for granted to make us appreciate them.

Congratulations! you're 2,070 steps over your monthly goal of 10000 per day.

Pedometer still acting weird and reset itself but know I did at least these steps and some was shovelling snow too. Had another wonderful hot shower and definitely appreciate the simple things in life now. Though having lived in Thailand for 6 months have lived for longer without hot showers but it was a little warmer there. Busy day and not as planned and got a speeding ticket which did not make my day. Had delicious salad for dinner but got a box of chocolates and cookies from a client in the mail - luckily DD helped eat them (there were not a lot) geez I am done with the food fest thats for sure!

Well pedometer definitely undercounting and did some step equivalents for shovelling snow. I had quite a productive day, and did laundry, shovelled part of the driveway. I can get out now though and went to JC Penney yesterday and spent my gift certificates from my mother for Christmas. Happy to report I still fit in size 4P jeans. I am trying to clear the driveway up to the house now so they can resume building as everything literally came to a freezing stop! I am done with the trailer. I am so done I decided to investigate the water issue myself, and determined I can have hot showers and water with the fresh water tank filled up after I retrieved the frozen hose and did some things. So I had a very nice and very hot shower with excellent water pressure. Who needs a man, huh?! Well not for that at least :) and I did my exercises too. I am getting slowly back on track but think my best plan is to finish the Holiday goodies and start Jan 1st but am limiting myself and making them last. DH has been working out of town and it happened at the last minute so have been stuck with way too many left-overs. Hopefully he will be home tomorrow to help eat them up!

Seem to be doing steps but the count does not go up. I notice with Sportline they do this after a while and maybe battery issues. Definitely need to get back on track but had Indian Food for lunch. I am not going crazy with stuff but still gain weight its very frustrating and I am tired of being on a permanent diet. Aunt Flo late tho. I am sure a few weeks concerted effort will get me back to where I was but still. Snow slowly melting but still no water and may be some kind of vacuum issue.

I did not get as many steps as planned, not sure why, except still in Holiday mode and the weather does not help! The pedometer seems to be acting weird too though and I need to get motivated! Tried to eat in moderation and will be glad when all the Christmas goodies are gone :) did not weigh myself because I ate too much yesterday and Aunt Flo is lurking but was back to more normal today with eating and drinking etc. I was doing my exercise and decided to let my friend's cat out (inside my office/bunkhouse/storage area not outside) to explore and he disappeared! I was frantic so an hour later it was getting dark and he casually walks out of the boxes but DD needed dinner so decided to forego the exercise after all that! Cats! Woodpecker was on a tree at the hotel, and not scared at all, amazing!

Took the day off from tracking and walking! Had a very nice Christmas despite lack of water, and had turkey with all the trimmings, and Christmas pudding. DH had to work early so had to leave in the evening, but he had been off for 6 days so needed to get back to work. Hope everyone had a nice Christmas! This is the view on our drive home from the hotel, which is in a little Norwegian town so was a really nice place to spend Christmas.

Went to the hotel and did some last minute Christmas shopping for DH. I had 3 baths and felt wonderful! We had a nice dinner and a very nice day. It was so good to get out and it was so beautiful with the snow.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! Hard time getting steps in because DD is so wired for the Holidays not to mention being confined for the best part of a week is not helping a four year old! DH came home and picked up the turkey and so hopefully we will get out in his car parked on the road, he has snow chains. No way could I get my car out it slid back all the way to where it was and that was it, under the snow the ground is too hard and icy. More wet snow Wednesday morning too! Down to 143.6 but up Wed AM due to Aunt Flo and going to resume everything on Friday and enjoy the Holiday! Still no water and DH in a panic, hope he calms down!

Another snow-bound day! So gorgeous though. Step-son is doing better and may go home Tuesday. Very scary and hope he learned a lesson here! Still no water. But staying on track with my food - quite easy to do when I am stuck inside with no snacks and don't want to run out of food! I have tons of soup though and tangerines, so would be ok and not get scurvy either! (I know that was limes...) dug out car about 20 feet but very slow going and over 150 feet to go lol. As of Tuesday AM its warmer and maybe raining so hope today can get the car out!

Back on track with my eating today and tracked my calories though will not on Xmas Day! I am 144.5 not too bad all things considered as try to stay about 140 or so. I was 135 for a while but looked a little too skinny. So if I lose 5 lbs that will be fine. Step-son is out of ICU but staying in for observation until Tuesday and DH might head home Monday but will stay in Seattle. The Doctor told him he had seen 8 patients in similar 'accidents' and he is the only one who made it. We have so much snow today hope we can actually get out on Xmas Eve! We are supposed to stay in a hotel, if not then DH can pick up the turkey. Still no water but its something to do with the RV (we have a trickle but thats all) as the washing machine and outside faucet were working ok, DH could not figure it out either then had to rush off to the hospital 300 miles away, so we are just managing in the meantime, we have not had to resort to melted snow *yet* and I hope we can get to the hotel on Wed and can stay in the bath all day! We head back on Xmas Day and cook the turkey - if we can find one on Xmas Eve!

Well bad news and good news today again, and feel like I am on an emotional rollercoaster lately. The bad news is my step-son fell off his snow-board being pulled behind his car and hit a parked car and has a fractured skull. Because he could not find his insurance card the first hospital sent him home. He was passing out so his brother took him to another hospital and he found his insurance card, he is on our insurance luckily tho he is nearly 19 they pay thru college. He has 3 hematomas and is in ICU but he is stable and they are observing him so *hopefully* he will not need surgery. So I hope that turns out to be good news too as we were not sure this morning. DH is on his way over there right now, but its 6 hours thru ice and snow and a blizzard.

The good news is my cat came home. When I found Sirius I had a real feeling of my friend who just died before Thanksgiving, I was watching TV while exercising on rebounder and very funny episode of Northern Exposure and said to myself that was great, and I heard her say Wasn't It? and she laughed loudly she was very like that and very happy and shared her TV shows with me for my exercise. Then 2 seconds later after the show was over and I felt her there I walked outside and heard a miaow and saw Sirius, I had asked her friend to help with him. I know she is helping me and others from other side and she loved to help people - her last name was Angel and I think for now she is enjoying the other side helping her friends and people (probably even Obama who she loved) and having a blast, because its just what she would have liked to do in real life and she can do it so elegantly where she is at.

Even more snow today, and very cold and beautiful. I just have no energy or enthusiasm so took a rest day, maybe I need it and would get more on track, though have been good keeping up with my steps! I plan to start back on my diet Jan 1st though, and just needed some time to regroup after everything. Now one of my cats is missing though, my friend thinks he is at a neighbors, I hope so, it was not the best time to go walk-about and the other cats are not allowed out at all, he was inside all warm and cozy on Sunday and then got out through the cat door, and not sure what possessed him to even go out that day. Caught this bird eating apples off our tree today! Least they have some food out there.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS:

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4e6a41344d … 413d3d0d0a

Lots more snow today so did not go anywhere, but walked around with the dogs and jumped on the rebounder. Its very beautiful but the lack of water is a little upsetting! We have a trickle enough to wash dishes and drink but no shower for me since the hotel!

Went to see chiropractor and a client, and then went home, still trickle of water but cannot take shower, and weather cannot make up its mind! Feel much better today though but not exercising too much except errands!