I'm having a SERIOUS case of the Mondays!

I'm having a serious case of the Mondays today!  I suspect it may have something to do with the fact that it's a two day work week....

The morning started so well!!

I got up and did my ENTIRE workout.  I didn't slack off!  I did the whole thing full out!

Then everything else happened....

First, I had to make sure that the kittens were doing ok.  They both have been having potty issues.

Then I had to hunt up a squirt bottle.  I set up the Christmas Tree on a nice sturdy table.  Well that was a bad move.  Little Miss Bites-a-lot (Merida) started biting the tree.  I squirted her with the trusty spray bottle.  This evening I'm moving the Christmas tree.

Then Misty had to go potty.  She first used the back yard, then wanted to go around the universe.

Then I got in the car and saw my tire pressure light was on.  Wawa's air pump was broken, so I stopped at a Midas.

I got to work.... and discovered that my planner and the pile of mail that I needed to shred was still at home.

Tonight I'm waitlisted at a class at Zenya Yoga.  I got a groupon so I could try their Barre classes.  Bit with the way my day has been going, I'm not hoping that I'll make it into the class today.

Can I call a Mulligan?

Birthdays.....

My birthday is coming up fast!

And I LOVE my birthday.  I have a December birthday.  By this time everything is usually decorated for the holidays.  And we all know that Christmas is my favorite time of year!

Sadly, I've had a pretty not awesome track record of having a party and celebrating my birthday.  It's a rotten part of year to have a birthday.  It's a time of year with many family and work commitments.  Everyone usually has a cold.

And of course I'm also to blame.  I have in the past combined my birthday with trips to Busch Gardens's Christmas Town.  Not everyone can do that at the best of times.  I'm also the blame for being an adult and wanting to have a "special day," like little kids get.  I'm probably only feeling like this because I'm feeling small and emotionally vulnerable right now.  (And my fear of being forgotten is contributing as well)

In the end my birthday hardly ever goes the way I want it to, leaving me disappointing.  

So what am I going to do?  This year my birthday is on a Tuesday.  I'm going to run the Christmas Town Dark 8K.  We'll probably go back to the park after the race and see a show.

And other than that, nothing.  I'm 40.  Maybe it's time to stop celebrating my birthday.

Or maybe I'll treat myself to some wine and watch Christmas movies all day.

Sadly this already happens.  It's called "Saturday."

Some good, Some bad and Things no one wants to talk about.

I've had some good, and some bad....

The good:

1. I'm running again!  I went out once this week.  Sadly, today's run was postponed due to some identity theft.  but I plan to run both days this weekend.
2. I have found yummy wine!   Thanks to dad and his partner, I'm apparently a wine drinker.  And with Total Wine & More I can buy and not have to browse the store.  I buy it online and pick it up.  (They didn't pay me to say this either!  I just love that service!)
3. I have a race in a few weeks.
4. Christmas Town opens soon!!
5. I have been planning my meals better.  I seem to do good until like 6pm and it all falls apart.  My goal this week is to keep it up.  To look toward dinner and make sure I don't use up all my containers before the meal is over.  Also, I need to work more on portioning.

The not as awesome:

See these two?

I've been working on some no-sew fleece blankets.

This is waht I've been dealing with:

Silly kittens!

Misty also has some sort of skin issue.  We have to wash her weekly.  So more of this:

pathetic washed puppy

Now on to the things that no one wants to talk about.

This is a VERY scary country right now.

1. There were terrorist attacks in Paris last week.  This we know.  We even had some students over there.  
2. We know that the terrorists were part of ISIS.  We also know that the terrorists were not refugees.  In fact, this was their agenda:
   
3. Now some VERY scary rhetoric has started coming from the Republican party.  In particular, Donald Trump wants ID cards and a registry.  You know, like Hitler did...
   
4. The US is refusing to take in refugees.  It's true that we need to end homelessness, especially among US Veterans.  But can't we do both?  And if the Republican party would stop blocking bills to HELP veterans, that would be great.  Also, if the US would stop looking on all Islamic people as terrorists, that would be great.  Let's remember: 
   

Sometimes I really want to give up.

I've been doing this trying to get healthy thing for quite a while now.

And frankly, today I'm feeling a little negative.

In the last 6 months I've gained 5 pounds.  And I can't seem to get it off.

The messed up hormones didn't help.

I try to eat right.  I exercise.

I'm currently dealing with an injury, which doesn't help.

What do I want to do?

I want to hide under my desk and eat ice cream.

What am I going to do?

I'm going to continue with my meal plan, (I found a pretty good explanation here.)

I'm also going to continue working out.  (though I want to see if I can throw an extra workout in on the weekends)

I'm going to try to run again.

I'm going to start walking during my lunch hour.  (weather permitting.  it's raining today)

Do I want to give up?  yes.

Will I?  Most likely not.

Will this defeatist mood end.  Most definitely.

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month... In a very personal way

I always get my yearly mammogram at the beginning of October.  I go in and never hear about it again.. no news is good news.

This year, I had to go back.

And it wasn't for nothing either.  The tech showed me the 4 very small calcifications in my right breast. 

I went right from the exam room and had to wait in an office.  The radiologist breezed in and told me that she recommended a biopsy.  She left just as quickly.  An eternity later, another woman came in to describe the procedure and schedule it.

On October 19th I went in.  I spent some very tense time with some wonderful nurses.  Then I was taken to a room.  I laid on a table and dangled my boob through a hole.  I was lifted into the air.  They took a pile of films to line up the needle.

In a few minutes, I was done.  I was lowered back onto the ground.  I went in for yet ANOTHER mammogram.  

They taped me up, and I went home.  To wait.  And to think.

I decided then and there that I was weirdly OK if they wanted to do a mastectomy.  I made mental plans about asking them to wait until after Disney.  I made mental to do lists for the temp they'd have to hire to replace me.  I mentally processed losing my hair to Chemo.  The stress was incredible, and I couldn't exercise.  or lift things.  I drank a lot of wine...

Then on the 23rd I got a call.  I was clear.  No cancer.

For everyone that has had to go through Breast Cancer treatments:  I feel for you.

Thankfully, I didn't have to do it myself.