New house!

Its been a while!  I feel like I haven't posted in a month!  Last Thursday, we closed on our new home in The Colony TX.  Thursday was odd, the way they do things in Texas is strange.  At closing, we did not get to meet the owners, nor did we get the keys to the house.  We had to wait for the loan to fund, and the our Realtor would get the call from the closing people.  Then we had to meet up with the sellers Realtor to get our keys.  Needless to say it threw a wrench in the plans of how we were going to do the move from the temporary apartment to the house.  After we had spoke to our mortgage  company and they told us it would only take like 20 mins to fund the loan.  So with that information, I didn't wanna go to far from the closing company.  We had lunch close by and then went to Home Depot to look at a few things for the house that we knew we needed.  Still no call and with 2 hours wasted, we headed back to the apartment to start packing the cars and cleaning.  Luis packed the cars, while I cleaned the bathroom ( I hate cleaning the bathroom!!!)  Then we got the call - we could get our keys!  We had agreed that we would leave the cats at the apartment and take the two vehicles to the house and unload.  Since all of our things were still in storage and not being delivered until the morning - we needed something to sleep on.  Quick trip to Ikea ( love that store)  and got a sofabed brought it back to the house.  By this time it was close to 8.  I still needed to vacuum and get the apartment set up the rest of the way.  Luis also did one last load to his car.  We left the apartment around 10PM completely finished and done with the apartment.  My plan was to turn in the keys to the apartment that day, since we were going to be receiving our things in the AM.

Friday AM - the movers were almost 2 hours late.  I had sent Luis to turn in all the things for the apartment and get us coffee - I was literally running on fumes! So since I did not know the  movers were going to be you know 2 hours late, the cats and I sat out in the garage listening to Pandora while Luis went and got us breakfast, coffee, and returned the apartment things.  Our new house is in a cul de sac, and its a rather narrow street.  I see this huge 18 wheeler coming and who else would it be but the North American Vanlines with our stuff!  They had one hell of a time getting in.  Literally, it took about 30 mins for him to get into the street.

One thing - WE HAVE SOOOOO MUCH STUFF!!  Its stuff I really like.  Our furniture is giant compared to this house.  It took all the had to get the living room furniture in.  Also, the refrigerator - its a little too big for the kitchen, but I need it!  The thing I was most concerned about not fitting was the washer and dryer - I love my washer and dryer - they fit - kind of.  We are going to have to remove the doors on the laundry room, since we cannot close them.  But thats not a big deal anyhow.  Our dinning table has to go.  Its huge, its almost the same size as the dining room.

We had bought furniture from a place called The Dump here in Dallas.  We got a great price on a bed, night stand, and dresser - the bed even came with a huge pull out drawer.  The plan was it was going to be delivered on Saturday.  Friday, they had contacted us to set up a time for it all to be delivered.  Saturday Morning we get a call from the salesman that they lost our bed, but they had a leather one they could give us.  Dude, I have 2 cats - leather is not an option in this house!  So I said no, that we would come down there to look at the other options. There was nothing I wanted there.  Not a single person even spoke to us - so you know me, I was pissed and just went and got a refund.  Told Luis lets go to Ikea and see what they have.  Long story short - we got a complete bedroom set, bed w/storage 2 night stands, 1 tall dresser, and 1 smaller dresser withe media area, my kitchen pantry, kitchen utensils, curtains for the laundry room, and bed sheets for $500.00 less than the stuff I returned at the dump.  That also included delivery and set up.  Just for the record - the people that build the Ikea every day still have trouble with it!  It took them about 4 hours to build it all at the house on Monday - I'm glad to know its just not Luis and I that have problems with it.

I have not be online all this past week and this week because I have been unpacking EVERY box and reorganizing everything.  The kitchen in the new house if VERY small compared to the one in our other home.  So I had to get creative on how to house things and had to purge a lot of stuff to the yardsale boxes. I am happy to report that all boxes have been open, unpacked, boxes broken down, and either put up or put out for the yardsale.  I have been very busy! I honestly thought I was going to have problems with this house, but I actually love it.  Even if it is smaller and older, it really is wonderful.

The previous owners are so thoughtful and sweet.  They left little notes around the house, an emergency pizza in the freezer, and a bottle of champagne in refrigerator with a red bow for the cardinals.  They are so sweet, and I wish we could have actually been able to meet them and actually really talk to them!  I mean we bought their baby of 30 years!  I plan on sending them a card and just address it to this address and hope it gets forwarded to them.

We are also officially Texans now, we have new car license plates, drivers license, and even toll tags for our cars.  

More to come later - we actually have friends coming to visit this weekend!  Yay to our first visitors!

The crazy week begins ...

The crazy week begins!  This is the week we close on the house and get out of this temporary housing!  Also Doctor came for a surprise-ish visit.  I had 1 days notice to put together some meetings with dental reps and the weekend to check out some apartment options for him.

Since I got the heads up he would be here for Tuesday - my slow- non-stressing-the-cats-out-plan went out the window.  I packed pretty much the entire apartment on Monday.  The cats - SUPER creeped out.  Rico even hid!  Poor guy! They will be so much more happy in the house, but they are cats, they don't like change!  So all the boxes are in the tiny door area.

Today Doctor and I looked at several apartments to try to narrow down some of the options out there.  Seen some decent ones, but I don't think he has found the one that shouts out to him just yet.  We met with the Patterson rep at the office.  I got to take some xrays using a digital sensor - my first time ever.  That was interesting.  Its very nice how fast the image appears, but will take some getting used to.

Tomorrow is very more crazy.  I have to go and get the cashiers check for the closing amount on the house for Thursday, we have the final walk thru at 1PM,but before that we will meet with Benco rep to look at another sensor and look at supplies.  Tomorrow is going to fly by.  Hopefully Doctor will have made a final choice about which apartment he likes.

We will be looks like one day without internet - the night we move into the house.  Hopefully our things arrive early that way the ATT install guy will not have to worry about the movers doing their thing while he is doing his thing.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed that all things go as planned!

End of Employment - start of another

As many of you know - I suffer often with depression, that's reason I have to stay busy to just keep things off my mind.

Last week I made the decision - while painful to me - to cut ties totally with the old office. I literally got a flat rate box from the post office and packaged all the ordering things up and sent it on its way to Hailey.  I just know me, if I had not done it, there is no way I would be able to succeed at my new job that is going to be starting in no time.  Despite the whole not being paid part, I did enjoy being helpful.  But my being helpful was turned into hateful, terrible, mean things.  So I a done!

I have plenty going on with the new job here in Dallas.  According to all things in conversation, things should start up maybe in the mid part of June.  Which actually will work out perfectly as we are about to move into our house.

Our closing on the new home in The Colony is on Thursday.  The plan is to pack up both cars and move 2 loads of things to the new house, so that I can clean and bring the cats back and we will stay the night in the new house and give the keys back on this temporary housing.  I want to spend the entire time at the house with the cats after we get there to help them settle in, because the next day all of our stuff is going to be delivered, to them and probably me - all hell will break lose!

I'm so excited this new chapter in our life is moving along so well.  Things for us have been the best they have been in years.  I am so glad Luis moved us away from Louisiana to experience all these new things!

I guess I should probably start working on some packing while it is raining here in North Texas - this is only the 3 time in about 5 weeks that it has rained!!!

Mother's Day

 Mother's Day this year, I am in a different focus on me.  Last year at this time, I felt like a complete and utter failure because I tried so hard to become a mother, but had not.  Jealous of everyone with a child, even people I didn't even know.  I'm not going to lie, this one was hard too, but in a different way.  I was a little depressed, but then I thought to myself - I am a mother in a sense.  I am a cat mom - these cats depend on me for everything and look to me to console them (even when they are being dramatic) which is much like having a child.  So this Mother's Day I was grateful to have 2 furbabies - Mango and Rico.

One thing I notice this year, more than any other year on Facebook, were individuals including people like myself, (struggling w/infertility) in their Mother's Day post.  It really shows me that a lot of people are either struggling with it themselves or have someone in their life very close to them that is suffering from infertility.

This infertility is more widespread than ever.  I'd like to go back in history and see how many people our parents age struggled with infertility. After reading a lot into artificial sweeteners, chemicals in our foods, and just all around junk food - I think it mostly has to do with what we are eating and how are bodies are reacting to it.  I think that people that are still able to have children and do not treat their bodies appropriately food/drug/alcohol wise - just have strong genes that can overcome it. I have noticed so many things in my own body that have changed since removing some things from my diet.  Its always fantastic to challenge your body by removing something from you diet and seeing how your body reacts. I have noticed since losing weight, that my body is doing things more "regular".  During this  whole30 challenge I have been doing - I have noticed all the impurities in my body coming out in the form of acne on my body.  Which also happened whenever I first started Take Shape for Life-  http://smulero.tsfl.com/.  All those added things in your diet before trying to be healthier come out in that form.  I had a few days of cheating during the move - and I am paying for it with acne - my face is a mess right now.  But I can tell the cells are healing again because my face is clearing up - no new offenders!

These are all my personal opinions based on data and research I have read since becoming empowered to change myself.  I am not a doctor or dietitian - but a self knowledge based nutritionist based off of many books/studies I have read by real doctors.  I can physically see the difference in what is going on my body by eating nothing that is processed.  It's quiet amazing!

BTW - Happy Mother's Day!

Unappreciated

Let me first state this, there is certain times I wish I could fine tune who could read this and couldn't, but that would defeat my purpose for this blog.  I wanted a blog where I could publicly state my feelings, thoughts, and journey through weight loss.  With that being said, I know some of you who talk behind my back to the doctor and probably patients, read this to keep up with me, because I have blocked you on Facebook and you have come to know that I really am not your friend.  That's what happens when you treat people terrible.  They treat you with respect while they have to, but I no longer have to.  I never have respected you and never will, you are a lazy, disrespectful, liar, and just all around bad person.  If you are reading this and taking offense to this, then good.

As I have stated many times over and over - I am still working for the office I left a few months ago.  That's about to change.  I am placing the orders for this month, making a few signs, and sending some emails - I am finished.  I am really done with being unappreciated and disrespected.  I was trying to be the bigger person in the situation and do the right thing.  I have never been paid for anything I have done since I left the office including the trip back to the said office for the commercial.  I feel that I deserve better than that.  Even if I see that they don't.  And that "they" is not everyone in the said office.

I think I am mostly hurt because the people that said "I always had their back" and that were my "friends" ( I had VERY few actual friends in LA), are the ones being the most ignorant.  There is so much I could say about them, so much.  Things I chose to be too small of an issue to bring up to the boss, I felt like I was being being petty, but I wasn't they were being wrong - and I should have said something.  And I am.

If you are a real and true friend of mine, then you know I will do anything for you - that's legal - I do have some boundaries.  I will sacrifice things to help real friends out, I honestly love helping people that will be there for me.  And in LA especially it was hard for me to find those people, so the ones that I did consider a true friend I went above and beyond for on most occasions.  I mean in all honesty - I even did it for people I didn't really like.  Like leading them all around Houston on my birthday weekend.  It was supposed to be a weekend getaway for me and Luis - to get away from people that aggravated me at work - well that doesn't work so well, when they are literally following you.

So in closing, enjoy it while you can because things are about to change!

Make yourself accountable ..

Every morning since starting this #whole30 challenge, I have either walked 3 miles or more or did some strength training in the gym.  I am not sure if everyone does this, but when I'm working out - whether it walking, jogging, circuit work outs - I think about everything.  I think about goals, the past, how far I and Luis have come on our journey to be more healthy.  This has always been that way - my entire life.  I am constantly thinking about all sorts of things.

Its one thing to think it, but if you never say it aloud - its never something that you feel like you have to follow through with it.  So any real goal that I want to attain, I make myself accountable by saying it aloud.  It doesn't matter if you are by yourself or in a room full of who evers, saying it aloud makes you feel guilty if you are not following it later.  Atleast for me.

Back when I first started my weight loss journey - I was in a different mind set - not particularly a great one.  But I learned from that, became more positive and focused.  I figured out, that if I just used the amount of energy I was using to complain and moan about how the goal was not attainable and how much I was missing out, that I would succeed.  If I vested all that time and energy into my health and goals, I would have to succeed.  In all honesty - the complaining was probably taking up 65% of my life.  That was a pivital moment in my life to change my mind set.  You want to know where I decided to make myself accountable?  The bathroom at work in January.  I had a not so great AM with a few co workers and was in the bathroom to take myself out of the situation.  At that moment, I knew it was time for a change - I said aloud in the bathroom "  I am going to use all the effort of my complaining and my aggravation from _____ to make this goal happen"  I had lost almost 30lbs effortlessly, so if you invest in yourself, it actually comes off even easier.

We grow up in a world, were it is more acceptable to be down on yourself that to have self worth and to feel like you deserve to be healthy.  That ranges from mental abuse from friends, family, and even yourself.  The food companies changing the make up of our foods to make us addicted to terrible products.  The government agencies, (FDA) allowing food companies to do this and to make them the most affordable way to eat.  Eating healthy is expensive - but so are medications that you likely will be taking for your entire life if you continue to eat "food" that comes from a box on a shelf at your local store.  I'm not going to lie and tell you that I will never eat anything that comes from a box again - because that's a lie - I love oreos as much as the next person.  I will have oreos OCCASIONALLY.   I like to have a night out with my husband and/or friends.  I'll have chips at a Mexican restaurant and even a drink. With that being said, it doesn't mean I am going to do it weekly.  Just occasionally.  To keep myself in the best of health, I know I have to get back to basics.

I like to think that whenever my grandma was a child, that even though she told me about the great depression - and they were dirt poor, I still think she was healthier than some children today.  That was a time before the FDA and giant conglomerates that changed the actual make up regular food to make them shelf stable for years ... something shouldn't be able to sit on a shelf for years - that's not food, its a science experiment.  She taught me how to can veggies that were from the garden and in season.  How to pick fresh berries like black berries and freeze some for whenever we'd want to make something after their season had ended.  How to properly freeze the turkey, deer, fish, and other game that our family brought home during their season.  That's what I think we all should strive to get back to.  The older I get, the wiser I get, and then realize my grandma really was right about a lot of  things she told and taught me as a child.  I cannot wait to either go home and get healthy beef and pork from my dad or him to come visit us here and bring some gifts!

Bottom line - make yourself accountable to your goals!!!!