Dr. Oz 11 Week Move it and lose it Challenge

Well about 2 weeks ago I signed up for the Dr. Oz 11 week challenge to move it and loose it.  So far I can report good news.  I started at around 190.  I can't be sure because the scale I have at home is a little spastic.  It said I weighed 190 on the first 2 days, but on the third day it dropped down to 184.  So I think that the scale was off the first 2 days.  Sometimes when you turn on the digital scale it says 4.8lbs without anyone on the scale.  Like I said it is a little spastic.

So as of today I now weigh 182lbs, and I am on my period; you always weigh more on your period.  Anyway 182 is good because in October 2010 I weighed over 208, still holding tightly to all that baby weight.  Loosing all the weight is a long slow process, I am sure it would be faster if I exercised.  Before you get all high and mighty about not exercising you should know that I have tried a little.  My excuse?  I am still looking for a sports bra that can hold my watermelons in place so I am not knocking myself out.  If you don't have watermelons you just don't understand the physical trauma of the bounce.  I  hoped my order would be here earlier this week, but alas I am still waiting for the man in brown to come to town.  

Rocket Day!

Glad it finally came and glad I did not die on the freeway!  

My son joined the Cub Scouts this year and we have been going nearly every Tuesday to see rushed and overwhelmed parents ditch their kids at the Baptist Church for 1 hour.  If I had only one kid, or someone to watch my other two little boys I would do the same.  God knows I could use 1 hour without screaming and crying kids.  Instead I sit in the little room with 12, second graders and a couple of parents all checking off Achievements so little boys can earn badges.  

If you don't know what the Cub Scouts are they are little tiny Boy Scouts in training.  Boy Scouts are young boys that are supposed to learn community values, duty to family, country and God.  Don't worry God can come before country I just wrote them in that order because we don't belong to a church so we are having trouble earning the "religious duty" badges.

My son wanted to join the cub scouts because he thought it would be fun.  He had no idea it was so much work!  I said yes because I had no idea how expensive it would be.  So every week we go and the kids make crafts, run around in circles and laugh a lot.  

This weekend was Rocket Day.  A day of little boys, Dad's, Grandpa's, some single Mom's and Mom's that because Dad's were grumpy or lazy.  It was a bit more organized then some of the other Cub Scout events, like fishing.  It also started on time.  The boys all gave their rockets over for inspection and had the bigger boys, Boy Scouts, set them up. 

 Ready, Set, Launch. 

Dad launched the first rocket with AJ.  It went very high.  Well, Grandpa bought the largest engine that would fit in the rocket!  It went about 1200 Meters!  Yes, Meters, not feet, so that is about 3600 feet up in the air.  It was so high up that it was difficult to track.  Then it went so far south of the school that it nearly left campus.  

Second time I launched with AJ and it went VERY high again and the wind carried it up and over the fence.  So far so good.  It is definitely one of the highest flying rockets.  AJ is esctatic and thinks this is just awesome!  Imagine 40 little 7-10year olds running and screaming all over the as rockets fall from the sky.  Add to all the chaos a 17month old little boy exploring everyone elses plot, and a 4 year old that is whining because it is cold.  I did not have a real blanket so I got the emergency milar blanket form what is left of the emergency car kit that was robbed on Monday.  Don't forget the snacks for sale that the 4 year old wants and the 17 month old keeps stealing and the pizza he took from one of the scout leaders.  Just pure chaos.  Try not loosing one of the kids when they are all in different directions.  

So how did I end up in the freeway?  We launched the rocket a third time.  Up, up and away it went!  High and it looked like it was going to go into the neighborhood....

A strong just of wind had the rocket take a sharp right turn.  All we could do was watch as it gently floated down, down, down.  Oh, wait semi truck!  Whoosh, nice, fast semi truck pushes the air and it falls.  Safely in the middle of the 101 freeway.  

Now what?  I have a very upset second grader who wants his rocket.  Times up I quickly gather the kids, the husband, the mylar blanket and all the juice boxes.  In the car we go. 

If you have ever gotten out on the highway to fix a tire or wait for AAA.  You know getting out of the car in the center median is absolutely insane!  I got out and see my son's rocket, and 15 feet ahead another kids rocket.  Back in the car, there are more rockets on the other side of the highway.  So far I have not been hit by a car, but I definitely want to change my pants!  This time hubby gets out and recovers one rocket, he found a fourth rocket but it had become roadkill.  

New battery, youth returned!

After finally getting my husband to replace my laptops broken screen, I also have a new battery.  It took a long time to get one, they happen to be rather expensive, about 100 bucks.  If you have a job or are single I bet $100 does not sound like that much money, if you were like me you'd be wrong.  

Being poor.  I really want an IPhone.  Or any smart phone.  It would be nice to ditch the pay as you go Virgin Mobile phone and have an unlimited phone with internet and email and an electronic calendar.  A long time ago I was a Palm Pilot user, you remember those,  they were what we had before smart phones.

Having a Palm Pilot was great.  It was definitely nerdy, geeky and elitist.  I broke many screens and dread the day it happens to my future smartphone because I know they are expensive to replace professionally and think that it might take a week or more for my hubby to fix it, an eternity to live without a phone.  

So back to the Mac Book, which I love!  I am told it is something an elitist geek would own.  I would not know, I just know it is great and handles kids very well.  I feel like I have owned this little white book for an eternity!  I also want a new one, maybe a Mac Book Pro in sleek aluminium.  One can dream, and hope that this precious machine never encounters Kool-Aid.  

My brother visited for the second day in a row.  He wanted his MacBook OS upgraded to Snow Leopard for free.  He loves Pirate Bay.  Thanks for the bringing my hubby the free beer.  I also appreciate Pirate Bay.  Snow Leopard is rather nice.  It seems faster and am glad we did not pay 139 each for the upgrade.  I am actually poor, my brother just thinks he is.  I think next week we will both try out iLife 11, which seems nice, it certainly looks shiny and new.  

So now I have an laptop that is once again portable.  I can be mobile again.  I can be snobbish and drink an ice tea at Starbucks, (I am told it is the cheapest drink).  Soon I will search for new hotspots and take this beast to exotic locations, like McDonald's playland.  It is nice to have youth returned via new battery.

Happy Birthday, Your car has been broken into.

Happy birthday Me.  

No I am did not make that up.  I was enjoying my morning, expecting to sleep in, after-all it is my Birthday and I can do what I want.  It was 7:30 am when my oldest son, AJ comes barging into my room, shouting, "Mommy the car door is open!" 

Well crap, I hop out of bed, not realizing I took the time last night to sleep in my birthday suit.  Mind the store my 7 year old is still in my room and now he sees Mommy in her birthday suit.  At least I wore it on the right day, right?!  Crap, now I know I am nude.  I tell him, "get out, go get the keys to the car and get out."  I am half dressed when he comes back in with the keys.  I tell him, "Go close the car door!" 

Finally I am dressed enough to go outside.  I look the car windows are not broken, but the trunk is open.  I look into the trunk, damn.  Well it was already a mess, but the Emergency Road Side Kit is missing.  I go ahead and look into the front passenger seat.  The jackasses managed to make my car even dirtier!  The radio is still there.  The contents of my kids diaper bag is thrown about the front seat.  I open the glove box.  Huh.  Can't remember why I thought opening the glove box was important.  I keep looking in the car.  I am mad!  Very mad!  I wish I know who did it so I could go slash their tires.  

I push the button on the car key to lock and arm the alarm.  I turn around, great, the jack ass must have thought my Emergency Road Side Kit was a giant purse.  The contents are thrown all over the parking lot next to the garbage can.  I pick up the emergency tow rope, the jumper cables, the bag, and then realize my road flares are missing.  I bet that jack ass thought it was something fun, idiot!  Oh look!  I found my sun glasses.  

Crap!  Damn!  Now I remember why it was so important to check the glove box!  Last night I put my wallet in the glove box after I bought the kids Happy Meals from Mc Donald's.  Fuck!  My wallet, my ID, double fuck my credit card!  Now I want to kill the jack ass.  I just got that credit card!   Damn, today is MLK day.  No way I can get a new ID.  

I start scavenging the parking lot, don't see my wallet.  I check inside the garbage can, I don't see it.  It is bright, no florescent pink.  I start checking neighbors yards.  Nothing.  Angry and defeated I turn to go home.  There it is.  Underneath that damn diesel truck.  I hate that truck!  My wallet.  I got it.  It looks like some punk thought I would actually have cash in my wallet.  Everything is there, kinda, it is all over the ground, but my card and ID are there.  Who the hell carries cash?  Why would you take a pink wallet and then dump it on the ground?

Great now I gotta call the bank and cancel my credit card and debit card.  I know it is unlikely that they stole my credit card numbers, but you can't be too careful.  Great now its is my birthday, the banks are closed, I don't have cash and now I can't go anywhere or buy anything for my birthday.  

Happy Birthday me.

Obsessive Hoarding?

Have you seen that show Hoarders on A&E?  I find it enthralling and gruesome at the same time.  It is the story of people that simply can not throw anything they have ever purchased, received as a gift of simply found on the street away.  Worse still they can not stop buying more stuff, usually useless stuff.  

My husband claims I have this problem...  He is totally wrong!  I buy really useful stuff and yes I stockpile it!  It is so much better to have the stuff your family needs right there in the pantry before you need it.

Well, have you ever paid just 50 cents for a tube of Crest Pro Health?  I have and it is very comforting to know that I have 8 tubes, which should last the whole year!  If you did the math that is $4.00 for 8 tubes of Crest Pro Health toothpaste, that is 50 cents less then it cost to buy one tube at regular price.  That is less then you pay for regular toothpaste from China at the Dollar Store.  Doing the math on the savings:  $32.00 on a years worth of toothpaste!

Did you know that I save 50-75% off of household items, beauty products and even pantry items like spaghetti sauce?  If I told you I got a bottle of Windex (32oz) for $1.50 and that it retails for nearly $5.00 every week, would you think I was hoarding if I bought 2?  What about Lysol Cleaning wipes, they were buy one get one free at Walgreen's last week.  That typically means that you get 2 boxes of 35 wipes for $3.75.  I got it even better!  I used their buy one get one free deal to buy one get three free and I spent $2.75 for 4 boxes of 35 wipes.  That is 140 wipes for just $2.75, which would normally cost $15.00!  Yeah I got more then just the 4, I got a total of  boxes for just $3.38 after my coupons.  Doing the math on the savings:  $11.62 on nearly a years worth of cleaning wipes.

If you add that up so far I have saved $43.62, on only 2 of the products we buy all the time!  

Is it still hoarding or is it obsessive savings?

How about what I saved on Johnson and Johnson's Baby bubble bath?  They were on sale at Walgreen's, basically it was 25% off each bottle.  They normally run about $5.00 each.  What happens when you buy 2 at $4.49, subtract 25% and then take an additional $1.00 off each bottle?  Well it only cost $4.73 for 2 bottles of bubble bath.  If you have kids, you know that can last anywhere from a week to well months and months.  Keep it out of the kids reach and it should last about 4 months for 3 little boys.  Doing the math on the savings:  $4.25 on two bottles.  

 

How about buy 2 Johnson and Johnson's Band AId Brand kids Band-Aids for 50% off?  I did it at Walgreen's with their store coupon $1.50 off each product and $1.50 off 2 Band-Aids coupon from the manufacturer.  The total cost for 2 Band-aid boxes just $2.98, for a total of 80 kids band aids!  Doing the math on the savings:  $4.50 on two boxes of band-aids.

What could you do with $52.37 back in your wallet?  What if I told you this week I purchased about 4 months worth of cleaning products, a months worth of spaghetti sauce, months worth of juice boxes  popsicles, chicken nuggets, a weeks worth of meat and veggies,and one moths worth of pizza.  If I told you that I spent $225.40 on all of it and saved $210.86.  

The savings paid me $26.36 per hour it took me to cut coupons, organize the grocery list by the best deals at each store, and actually shop and drive.  Would you say it is worth it to cut the coupons? Maybe even hoard the toothpaste and cleaning supplies?

Did I mention my hair dye cost me only 20 cents per box?

Adderall

Started Adderall yesterday.  

It has been a very long road getting to ADD treatment.  It may seem weird to someone from the outside that a nearly 30 year old woman was just diagnosed as ADD.  You may ask why was this not caught while she was in school or mentioned by a manager once she grew up.  If I had to guess I would say it is because she is a girl.  For some reason ADD is considered a boys disorder, and the facts are that girls have many of the same symptoms, in fact nearly all the same symptoms, but seem to lack the hyperactivity that is stereotyped by teachers and drug manufacturers.  

Did I have trouble staying focused when I was a kid?  Well yes, but I was a "good student".  I daydreamed an awful lot while in class, went to the bathroom more then most, wandered the halls often, and was always the center of attention with my friends.  I could not answer questions from the teacher when called upon and often had trouble "hearing" what was said.  I still have that problem.  You can be talking right in front of me, I can be looking at you and then I am just not hearing what you are saying.  

For the last 10 years I have been searching for an answer about why I was like that.  No one had an answer.  No medical doctor(3), OBGYN(4), counselor(5), psychiatrist(2), lots of lab tests to rule out metabolism issues, diabetes, cancer, thyroid and many mental illness evaluations.  I have tried 4 or 5 anti-depressants, 2 maybe 3 anxiety disorder medications, diet changes, job changes, vitamins and read lots of self help books, (that might be an overstatement, it was more like read a few pages before I got bored).

I took one yesterday, 10 mg Extended release.  At first it made me feel like I had heartburn, then I felt a quiet calmness.  Weird for a drug that makes normal people freak out, I mean it is the same active drug that is in Methamphetamine, and those druggies are weird, twitchy, and can't sit still.  

I took one today and no heartburn, just the quiet calmness.  So here I am

Welcome to my Diary

Welcome to my blog. Please don't get offended by what ever you read.  Check back soon.  I intend on writing a few times a week, because it is supposed to be good for me.