The "aha" moment....

I definitely had one this weekend. I went camping with Clayton and a couple of his friends this weekend. Yesterday we went on a hike from where we had camp set up on Whitetop Mountain to a little overlook place, Buzzard Rock.

Buzzard Rock is the ledge on the right side of the picture. This was the view from where we were camping. Doesn't look too far, does it?

This is from Buzzard Rock looking back up to where were were camped...at the very top of the hill on the right hand side. 

Everything was fine and a lot of fun on the way down, because it was downhill the entire time. 

Now clue "aha moment". The way back up. I don't even remember how many times I had to stop to catch my breath or let my legs rest. I felt horrible for being the reason we had to stop so much. I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to be able to go on little hikes with Clayton and our friends and not think twice about it. I started crying about halfway back because I'm tired of being that person. 

I have been doing better lately on this journey. Yesterday was definitely what I needed to give me that extra push, I think.

The view was quite nice!

It was definitely worth the pain that I faced. I needed to face that to be able to know I need to stick with this. I know it won't happen overnight, but I know that if I stick with it, it will happen.

I've gotta do this for me, because I want a very long life with this guy

Upside, I was down 2.8 for WI this week :)

I'm on a roll!

742 calories burned last night! Whew.

So yesterday I experience my 2nd natural disaster of the year, the Earthquake.  The building I work in shook for about 15 seconds probably.  Definitely not as scary as the tornado that hit us in April, but still shook some nerves. While we had no damage here, I did read that near the epicenter there was some damage.  But the weather this year has been so weird.

Now to prepare for possible rain/winds from the hurricane that is supposed to make landfall this weekend....

Weekend Recap!

As a follow up to Saturday's post, I did finish vaccuming and I DID do a workout DVD.  And I felt great afterward! 

Sunday I left early to go to to Clayton's house. We went to church then had a birthday party for his son. It was a blast. And I definitely got my workout on by chasing a 3 year old around a park for a few hours! It was so much fun though. And my legs were actually a tad bit sore this morning from all of that running around.

Today's agenda for after work is dog nails and another DVD. I will make this a habit this time!

Motivation

It is so hard to regain motivation once it is lost. I've been struggling to find mine for a couple months now. But for some reason, it just hit me. I've been cleaning and doing things around the house all day.  Vacccuming, sweeping, laundry, moping, dusting, cleaning the dog room....It is seriously the most activity I've gotten in a while, and that makes me sad.

But I suddenly have the urge to pop in a good workout DVD. So that is what I'm going to do. Go finish vaccuming and pop in a DVD.

I still need to work on what's going on emotionally for me to have hit such a roadblock in this journey.  I'm pretty much back at my starting/highest weight. And, I don't like it. But I'm not going to whine about it. Something has blocked me for succeeding, and I'm determined to figure out what it is.  I know it won't happen overnight, but I feel different today. Hopefully that is a sign. I need to work on getting healthy, once and for all. But I also need to figure out what's been going on in my brain lately. I've been so emotional, and I can't pinpoint why. Yes, my job has been stressful lately, but I don't see that being my biggest emotional problem. Hopefully I'm about to have a breakthrough. But until then, I'm going to go vaccum and do a DVD.

What a week!

I'm so glad it is almost over, too!

My job boss almost got the best of me this week. And I hate that.  I'm tired of being unappreciated for the work I do. Don't accuse me of not caring about my job. Don't bitch at me because I leave at 5, or shortly thereafter, everyday.  According to our posted hours, I'm paid to be here from 9-5 Monday -Thursday and 9-1:30 on Friday.  And considering when you gave me that raise in January, my salary is based on an hourly rate for 36.5 hours per week. The part you don't realize is that I'm usually in the office about 8:15 every morning. Well that ended this week. Until I can feel like I'm valued, you will no longer get any "extra" out of me.  I'll come in, do my job, go home.  I'm so over this place. My one wish is to find a job that I like, and I don't even care what I am doing. It's so sad how a single person can make me regret my college major/career aspiration of choice....

This weekend is Clayton's son, Trevor's birthday. He'll be three. Now to figure out what to get him...

I did lose 1.2 this week. This week I've not been great, so I'm not sure how Monday will turn out. But I'm going to do whatever I can this weekend to see a loss on Monday! 

Courtney leaves for school tomorrow. While I'll miss having my little sister around, I'm ready to have quiet in the house again!

I could....

Look at this for days :)

Went to the WV State Fair last night to see Chris Young and Steel Magnolia.  Had front row tickets. Had a blast. Got home at 1 am. Was up at 6.  I'm exhausted. Tonight will be an early night. 

Whew, I think it's time for an update

It's been a busy week!  And August will only get more busy, I fear.

This weekend Blake leaves for camp at his breeders house, Clayton and I are going out for lunch and mini golf with my sister and her boyfriend since she leaves for school next weekend.

Next weekend is Clayton's sons birthday party, to which I was invited. Now I've gotta figure out something small to get him. He loves trains, so probably some kind of toy train (as if he doesn't have enough)! 

And the last weekend in August, Clayton and I are going camping with a couple he knows. Should be fun.

How sad is it that one of the things I'm looking forward to most in the next couple weeks is the 70 degree weather we are supposed to have Saturday and Sunday and the beginning of next week?  I'm so over summer, and ready for cool temps and fall!

Speaking of fall, Clayton's birthday is in a month (from tomorrow) and I finally figured out what I'm doing for him.  On his birthday, well the night before, I'm going to take him out to dinner, to a place of his choice. The big surprise is that I've planned a weekend away in Pigeon Forge in October.  I just told him to take X day off, and he did.  Surprisingly he hasn't tried to figure out what I have up my sleeve :)  The hardest part is keeping it secret.  In late October, when we are going, the fall colors will be at their peak, so a drive through the Smokies is a must.  And October is good because it isn't hot! I'll gladly welcome the 60s during the day and 40s at night!  Now I have to just wait to tell him....

And to make the next couple months even more busy, I finally got everything I need to do my U4 so I can take the series 7 exam. After I file my U4 and it is sent to FINRA, I'll have 120 days to register, take AND pass both the series 7 and series 66 exams. I don't even have the book for the series 66! Guess I need to get on that....Especially since it doesn't look like Heather is going to luck up and get a new job anytime soon....Eh, oh well I guess. It'll happen when it is supposed to....

August Already?

How is it already August??  Wasn't it just March like 5 days ago?  This year is seriously flying by!

How is it that I've only been with Clayton for 3 months today?  Haven't I been with him well over a year now?  It really does seem that way! 

I had a show this weekend in South Carolina.  It was outrageously hot, but we had fun of course.  I love these shows because I see people that I don't normally get to see. It is also our Dalmatian Specialty (of the regional club I am a member of).  Blake has lost his brain again. He is ok and comfortable if he is just relaxing with me ringside, but the minute that there is a loud noise or something, he jumps like a scared puppy.  So, I made the incredibly hard decision to let him go to camp at his breeder/co-owners house for a few months.  He is so attached to me it is crazy, and we think that him not having me to lean on will help him get over this stage he is going through.  And we have a theory on why noises are bothering him.  The tornado that literally came through our yard in April.  It was so freaking loud.  And after it, he was boarded at the vets office, then with other Dal people for a total of about a month. So his world was shook up. And when he came back home, he just latched onto his momma!  And I don't want him so dependent on me.  It could cause major issues later (I had one a few years ago that actually snapped and growled at a judge, and he was uber attached to me, and I don't want that happening ever again). 

So, he will leave for Michigan from the show on Sunday. I'll miss him like crazy, but I'm doing it for him. And of course, he'll always come back to me!  But now, I'm show dogless again.  No shows isn't necessarily a bad thing, as I can use money I'd be spending on entries and things to get some debt paid off. 

And of course, I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason". So I know there is a reason that Blake is going to camp. I know there is a reason I won't be doing shows until November probably. It will all work out, I'm sure. 

In other news, I did gain .6 this morning. But that is fine after eating out the last 4 days.  So it is probably a sodium/water retention thing. Goal for this week, eat cleaner and drink more water.