What HAPPENED To My LIFE?!

Seriously. Where did it go? Have you guys seen it? I'm afraid it's lost, and I don't have time to go looking for it. I'm surprised I have time to sit here and blog! But it's only because I'm waiting for some sweet potatoes to steam all the way through, so that they are soft enough to mash.

So. What has been going on with me? I've been working overtime, and working out. I started at the gym last week Monday, and it was kind of an easier week, so I got to ease into it. Most people can't say that about their first day/week.

They're starting a strength challenge thing, which is awesome, because I'll get to find out what all my maximum weight lifting abilities are, and I'll get to find them out within my first month at the gym. Again, most people can't say that! I pretty much picked the perfect time.

I'm slowly becoming one of those people who loves the gym and can't shut up about it. The encouragement that we all get is humbling, every time. And it makes such a difference. On Monday, two girls that I had never met before were cheering me on while I was lifting. And it made me want to be more awesome.

Our instructor also encouraged us to start working on our "nemesis", or the things we hate/are bad at. So after every workout, even if there was running as part of the workout, I run 400m (which is around the entire block). I'm determined to get to that place where I don't hate running, but instead, it makes me feel alive. Right now it makes me feel like dropping dead.

Anyway, what else is going on in my life? Hm......oh! I'm training at work. As in, I'm doing the training, and other people are learning under me. A new girl started two weeks ago, and she's all caught up, so now she's helping me. And two people started just yesterday. One of them is a force to be reckoned with. He's such a fast learner! He puts me to shame. I feel like he already knows more than I do. I feel almost bad that he has to be in our department, because his gifts should be used to do greater things than what we do. But at the same time, he's already making my life easier. He's a great addition to the team.

The other new person is learning about as fast I expected. As in, at a normal pace. I think she's a bit unsure of herself, which is too bad, but at least I'll be able to sit with her and go slower. The new guy doesn't need me anymore, so that frees me up to continue with her. If you feel so inclined, would you pray for me, that I would find a way to explain things to her so that they make sense? It's up to me to make sure she grasps this first step, and my superiors are watching.

Okay, I'm quickly going to tell you about the diet, and then I have to go shower, because it's almost my bedtime. So at the gym/with the gym, we're doing a 45 Day Paleo Challenge. We're eating super healthy, whole foods, for 45 days. No cheating. It's a good thing we've already been following it for a year. I feel bad for the people who jumped right in, barely knowing anything about it. And I'm excited for how not-restrictive it feels.

We're 9 days in, and the cravings for sweets and other unhealthy food are almost gone. And we've already tried 3 or 4 new recipes, and I'm loving how easy it is prepare delicious meals without using any sugar or grains or flour! Seriously! This is no longer a diet. It's a way of life, and it feels amazing. It kind of makes me want to go a whole year, without any cheating. Okay, maybe one cheat meal a week. Which is still a lot better than what we were doing.

Oh, and I haven't cheated so far. I don't want to. Anytime I'm tempted, I just think about how disappointed I would be in my self. And if I cheat once, I'll cheat all the time. And I know it won't even feel good, or satisfying. So yeah. Eating healthy is fun! Who knew?!

Okay, I have to go and shower now. I'm so glad I got to blog finally! Know that I'm trying to keep up with all your blogs, but I barely have time to read, much less comment. So I'll do a mass, generalized, "I love everything you guys are writing."

Okay Then

So Art took me and his sister through a Crossfit Base Camp today. Basically, just introducing us to all the movements that we'll be doing in any given Crossfit workout. Unfortunately, I started to feel like I was going to black out/faint/puke after the warm up. And that was just the warm up! I don't know what was going on. I've done Crossfit workouts before, and I've never experienced that.

My vision got all spotty, my ears started to ring, and I felt dizzy and nauseated. It was really weird. And it's not like the warm up is hard. It is kind of tiring the first few times, but you get used to it pretty quick. So I'm hoping that this was just a one-time thing, because I don't want to look like a wuss when I start working out there! Obviously, if I do start feeling like that, I should stop and recover. But I don't want to look like a quitter.

Thankfully I did recover and was able to finish the base camp. I learned a lot, mostly how everything ties together. My husband is a great coach. :)

Anyway, I'm gonna be starting up at the gym next week, as in a little more than a week from now. I just finished up one week of overtime at work, and I have one left.

I think I was going to tell you more, but I have to shower, because we are going out this evening. And tomorrow I'm going to be cleaning the WHOLE house. Yay for me. Art will most certainly be helping.

Have a great weekend!

It's Not Perfect. It's Life

Look at that, I'm blogging two days in a row! Go me.

These next two weeks are going to be kind of strange, and hopefully not busy outside of work. We've got some CRAZY changes happening at work. I mean, we already did when we switched databases, but now that we have such a ginormous backlog of work to get through, all the managers are scrambling, trying to figure out how we can get all the work done. I feel like the instructions change every hour! But they are figuring it out, and I'm glad to help out any way I can.

I'm also glad that, for the next two weeks, we get to work overtime!! Big, fat paycheck for me. Well, a little fatter anyway. Unfortunately, it also means that I get home so much later, and my already short evenings will be cut in half.

Also? Today? I was so glad to get home and see Art, because I missed him (I'm quite attached to him, you know). And the minute I walk in the door, he's about to leave to go to a Bible study! To be fair, it was a last-minute invitation, so he wasn't really prepared either. So here I am, alone with my small, cold dinner, blogging, and avoiding a totally-not-intimidating small pile of dishes.

I'm happy for him, though. And it's only fair. I just joined a women's Bible study that meets every Tuesday evening. So I think he's allowed to attend a men's Bible study every Monday evening. And we'll both make more friends, and get our respective, much needed girl time and guy time.

He's also taking a class at the local community college every Wednesday evening, so that's three evenings that we won't see much of each other, plus all this overtime that I'll be doing. But the overtime is only for 2 weeks. And all this missing each other will just make our evenings together so much sweeter!

On a bit more serious note, will you remember to pray for Art's mom? She had a stroke on Saturday night. We still don't know what happened, other than I guess she figured out something was wrong, called 911, and has been in the hospital ever since. But at least she's relatively okay (we hope). They're doing tests, and other than that, we haven't heard much of anything.

Thankfully, Art's siblings are both there with her, and Art's dad's weekend is from Sunday to Wednesday, so he's around to take care of her these first few days as well. We're just praying that she'll bounce back from this, and that there won't be any permanent damage.

Anyway, I should probably be a little bit productive this evening, before Art gets home. I also need to get to bed at a decent hour. We still haven't done that since our holidays!