Friday, November 30, 2012

Random Ramblings

It's been a little bit since I've written. I was on vacation for a week which made me rather lazy, I'm not going to lie. Then I went back to work for just two days this week. I was super-busy getting caught up and then today was also the end of the month which means more work… Our copier also got possessed. My boss thought I was printing and I thought he was so neither one of us figured it out, but it started printing a ton of pages with a few lines of computer gibberish on them. It seriously printed about a ream of paper like that before we discovered it. Awesome. *sarcasm* My boss acted irritated, but he couldn't get too mad considering the copier is in his office. I told him since it's just a few lines on one side, we could put the paper back in the copier upside down and print on the opposite side. He said good idea. This happened right before I left work, so there's a big pile of paper on my desk that I need to jog (straighten) on Monday so that it can be put back in the copier…

So, a long while ago, I had discussed doing a vlog. I find it ironic because I've been thinking for the last few days that I needed to write about doing a vlog, and then one of my bookmarks posted her first vlog today. I wanted to do one before, but didn't realize that Matt's netbook didn't have a webcam in it. Boo! We also didn't have any other kind of webcam… Well, my new laptop does have a webcam… I've already played with it. YAY! I will be doing a vlog soon. Is there anything you want me to talk about when I do my vlog??? Let me know and I'll discuss it…

I think all of my blog entries will be posted in three places now. I did only post them in two places… on my personal site and on a site I've blogged on since I was in high school… I have two blogging sites that I have blogs on. I feel like I have different readers on each of my blogging sites so I'm going to share my entries in all three places. *shrugs* I don't want anyone to feel left out so… I'm hoping at some point to phase it over just to my personal blog/website, but I only have one follower on there right now. Haha. And she reads me elsewhere so I'm not obligated to send out emails every time I write an entry right now.

So, on one of my blogging sites, I'm hosting something called DePhoMo. This stands for December Photography Month. Basically, people sign up to participate and then post one photo every day. I just bought the domain name http://www.dephomo.com in case anything happens on that blogging site. I want people to know where to go. That blogging site isn't very reliable sometimes so… *smiles* I am so excited to be hosting it. I decided to have a prize at the end of the month. People love getting prizes. Haha.

Okay, well, I'm off for now. Trying to watch TV and type this at the same time and it's not happening so well.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Recap

I know a lot of people don't like Black Friday. I personally am not a fan of how the deals started at 8 pm. Yes, I was done, home, and in bed by 5 am, but it took away from the Thanksgiving of every worker in every store. I tried to remember to thank everyone I spoke to that was working at every store we went to… I mean, they had to stay up all night because the crazies (me included) wanted to go shopping…

Any case… Thanksgiving was great. We went to Matt's parents' house and had a delicious dinner with them, his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews. His mother is a wonderful cook and we had a deliciously moist (eww… gross word) turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade noodles, green beans with bacon and French fried onions, hot rolls, some sort of cherry salad, both whole cranberry sauce and cranberry sauce in the shape of a can (for Matt, LOL), and a pumpkin pie… Delicious!!! Then we sat around and looked through the Black Friday ads.

Around 4:30, we left and went home. As we were driving past my aunt's house, I noticed my parents' car there. I text my mom to see if she was there and she was. She invited me over, but I told her I didn't sleep well the night before and I was going to try to take a nap before we left to go Black Friday shopping. She said she'd text or call on her way home. I said okay. I slept a bit for about an hour. A little before 7, she text and said she was on her way home. I told her I was going to pick up a coffee and asked if she wanted one. She said yes. Sadly, McDonald's was closed. Yes, I realize it was Thanksgiving night and I'm super-glad they were closed… I did want a coffee and I figured they'd be open, but I was fine when I saw they were closed… I got to my parents' shortly before 7:30.

Mom and I did a final look through of all of the ads. She wanted to go to Walmart at 8, but not for any of the big deals. She just wanted to get some of the children's games that were a little under $4 each for Hailey. We left her house and she decided she was so exhausted that I got to drive. I never drive. Ugh. We normally go to this really small town's Walmart on Black Friday because it's not crazy-packed and the people actually have some courtesy… Mom decided we'd just try out a different Walmart close to her house. OMG! Madhouse! People were rude and pushing and blocking the aisles. Some lady rammed the back of my ankle with her cart and it hurt really bad… she didn't even apologize! We were there for about an hour… We didn't get much. All I bought that time around was some pajamas for my niece.

After Walmart, we had like three hours before Kohl's opened. We wanted to go to Kohl's so I could get Matt's Christmas present. We went to K-Mart to pass time. I got my brother's girlfriend's girls a present each and then bought some pajamas for myself. When we were done there, we headed to Kohl's. We got there at 10 pm, and they didn't open the doors until 12 am. It was raining, but there was already a line forming. Mom decided we should just go stand outside the doors so we would definitely get Matt's gift. So we did. We stood outside… in the rain… for TWO HOURS! But we both found Matt's gift and we both grabbed one. They didn't have many in stock and so we text my aunt who was there too to see if she wanted one. She did. Score! LOL So we gave her one.

By the time we got checked out at Kohl's it was like 1:30 am. We decided to go back to Walmart to see if it calmed down. My mom loves the DVDs that are like $2. She uses them so stocking stuffers. We went there and it was definitely calmed down as the 8 and 10 pm shoppers were gone and the next deals didn't start until 5 am. We shopped around and I ended up spending about $60 there. Then we met my aunt, my aunt's sisters, and two of my cousins at Denny's for breakfast. It was like 3 am and they had a new waitress and she was so slow!!! But my omelet was delicious and after not eating for 14 hours, I was starving. Haha. After Denny's we headed home. When we got to my mom's house, we threw the stuff she bought in the trunk of her car and then I went home. I brought in all of my treasures (as my mom calls them), changed and went to bed. I had a hard time winding down. I think I fell asleep around 5 am.

I woke up at 9:30. I could not fall back asleep. My mind was racing for some reason. I got up and took a shower. Then I ran to the mall in my town to go to Carson's to see if they had any more of their $20 boot door busters. They did! I got Matt's sister-in-law's gift and then went to Bath and Body Works for his mom's gift. After that I headed back to Kmart to return the PJs I bought. I got two pairs and they were only supposed to be $10 each, but they charged me almost $15 each… and I wanted that money back. I have a ton of pajamas and didn't need two more pairs! I took those back and then came back to my town and went to Walmart. I bought the stuff I'd need to wrap presents with and came home. It was about 2:30-3 pm when I got home.

Around 3:30, I started wrapping my Christmas gifts. I was tired of there being a big ugly box in my living room. I wrapped for 3.5 hours, but I got everything I had bought wrapped! Also, everyone is done except for my dad and my sister's boyfriend. Excellent! After I finished wrapping, I was in the Christmas spirit so I filled out my Christmas cards. If you'd like one, just comment on this entry or send me an email at crystal@crysrochelle.com with your address and I'll get one ready for you! I love sending cards! Even if I've sent you a card before, please leave me your address because I accidentally deleted my address book (I used an excel file) somehow… Matt wanted to watch a movie so at 8ish, he started a movie on Netflix called Shooter. It started out good, but I was so exhausted, I fell asleep on the couch by 8:30. At 9:30, I got up and moved to my bed.

I didn't wake up until 8:15 this morning. I guess I needed about 12 hours of sleep. LOL I got up and started the crock pot with some Chicken Tortilla Soup in it… Then I watched some shows from my DVR and then some shows on Hulu. My Christmas tree and Furby were delivered today. Score! Matt got up around 2:30. We still had our window air conditioner units in and the one in the living room needed taken out because that's where the tree was going to go. We took them out and then I started setting up the tree. I was so pissed! It was a brand new tree and when I plugged it in a whole row of lights weren't working… I also couldn't find the bad bulb. I searched forever. I gave up and ate some dinner. Then I was hot so I lay in bed. I ended up taking a two hour nap… I'm sure I needed it after sleeping for 12 hours. LOL When I got up, I went to the tree and in two minutes I found the bad bulb and changed it. The lights worked! I was so excited. Matt went out to our shed in the cold and dark to get my decorations out. I decorated the tree and put out what few Christmas decorations I had and then cleaned up my mess. I took a shower and here I am…
I think I'm going to return my Furby. With tax, I spent just under $60 on it. I spent more than I usually do on Matt's gift and I'm going to be completely strapped for cash if I don't return it… So, I think it's going back tomorrow. Bummed. I didn't take it out of the box because of this. Ugh.
Okay, I think I'm going to go read before bed and this entry has turned into a book anyway. Adieu!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

A Day of Thanks

I've seen numerous people on my Facebook feed posting something they're thankful for every day. I decided to consolidate this into one blog entry. These aren't in any particular order really… but these are the things I'm thankful for…

•  My Parents: Obviously I'm thankful for my parents who decided to bring me into this world. I've always been a daddy's girl. My mom was always the disciplinarian so I went through a phase where I was always angry with her, but we've become the best of friends. They've made it through some seriously rough patches throughout their marriage, but I'm thankful that they've stuck through their tough times and made it to thirty-three years of marriage.

•  My Siblings: While I don't always like my siblings, I have always loved them. Both of them have done things in the past to make me incredibly angry with them, but currently, they're both doing very well. Dustin is doing very well and has a great girlfriend. Because of their relationship, I've been blessed with two adorable nieces whom I love greatly! Misty is also doing very well and has blessed me with an ornery, but totally cute niece that I just want to love to pieces (though she doesn't like loves unless she wants to give them these days!)… I'm thankful that they (along with their families) are both in my life!

•  Matt: We've made it through over eight and a half years together. We've had our struggles, but we've made it through. He's a great supporter and would always take care of me if I needed him to, but he also pushes me to be the best that I can be. I love that he tells me I'm beautiful even though I've gained seventy pounds since we started dating. He's an amazing man… I'm thankful that he came into my life!

•  My Pets: Lucky isn't always the nicest cat, but she reminded me just last night why I love her. We were sitting on the couch watching television and Lucky decided she wanted to be loved. She jumped on the pillow on my tummy and started kneading it. She let me pet her and she head-butted me a few times (her way of showing love). I'm thankful for the times when she is like a regular cat and I can love on her. I'm super thankful for my little bundle of Boston Terrier… He was definitely the greatest gift I've ever been given. Sometimes his energy frustrates me, but his unconditional love shows.

•  My Friends: I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ask for. My best friend would move heaven and earth for me if I needed her to… it's amazing that someone who came into my life so late (after high school and college) could become so close to me! My greatest friends from high school are so fantastic too. It never ceases to amaze me how we can go months (and even years in some cases) without talking and in one phone call we're all caught up and back where we used to be. Thank you all for coming into my life!

•  My Extended Family: My extended family is rather large… just on my dad's side. I admit that I'm closer to my mom's side, but only because there aren't as many cousins and aunts and uncles… Regardless, there is a great majority of people in my family who would do anything to help me out and I appreciate that greatly. A few of you get calls from me often (ahem, Uncle Danny) with me asking for something or another and you never say no. I'm thankful that I have a wonderful family to help me out when I need them.

•  Matt's Family: Because I've been dating Matt for so long, I've grown to love his entire family with all of my heart. We may not be family by law yet, but in my heart, they're my second family. His dad is just great and I love that he tried to make me feel welcome from the first time I met him. He makes me smile a lot and I just love him to pieces. His mom is an amazing lady and I hope that as I get older I obtain some of her wisdom and grace. His brother's family is amazing. His brother cracks me up with him political rants and has helped me out when I've had problems with my car. His sister-in-law is just amazing and I wish that we could hang out more often because I always have a great time chatting with her… and his nephews… oh, his nephews… I've watched them grow and they're amazing young men… I'm thankful that they were brought in my life and that they make me feel like a part of their family.

•  My Internet Family: I've always been an internet nerd and I have an easier time expressing my opinions and views online. Because of this, I have made some great friends via the internet. I actually met Matt via the internet. I'm always telling stories about my internet friends… and a few of them have become real-life friends. Without them, I wouldn't be able to express my joys, frustrations, and whatever else comes my way, and I thank them for always listening to my ranting and rambles and everything else.

•  My Coworkers: Along with this, I'm thankful for my job… My boss tries to be a bad guy, but I know he's really a good guy deep down and I enjoy bantering with him. The rest of my coworkers are a crazy bunch of people and I love each of them for various reasons that I'm not going to get into on here. There's too many of them to start on that, but I've made some friendships that I wouldn't have had before…

•  Soldiers: I have known many soldiers because of my time in JROTC in high school. I'm thankful for each and every one of them who fight so that I can be free. I'm thankful for my high school friend Chuck who always knew he wanted to be a soldier and then died defending his country. I cannot believe it's been eight years since he's passed. I'm thankful for my cousin Daniel who has served several tours and has grown to be an amazing man. I'm thankful to the soldiers that I don't even know who have fought for me.

•  Money: I'm thankful for money… when I have it. I'm a giving person and I enjoy seeing people's faces light up when they open my gifts. I'm thankful for the bonus that my boss gave us all yesterday. I was able to buy myself a few things that I had wanted, and also have enough money to buy some amazing gifts for family and friends. I'm also thankful for the money that I get every two weeks from working. Without that money, I wouldn't be able to survive.

•  Technology: I love technology. I've already touched on my love for the internet, but I also love music and movies and television. Those of you who are close to me know that I watch a lot of television… a lot. I love being transported into another world. I get invested in the characters and it's ridiculous and amazing at the same time. I'm thankful for the musicians and actors and actresses and producers and production crew and everyone else who is involved in putting together a music CD or movie or television show. Thank you!

•  Books: From a young age, I've had a love for books. My mother would ask me to go clean my room and find me hours later in the closet with a flashlight reading. Because of my love for books, I have an aspiration to become an author and I would like to have a book published sometime in my lifetime. Along with television, books transport me to another universe and I love when something can do that for me. My imagination thrives by being thrown into another time and another place and by seeing it as another person.

•  My Health: While I am overweight, I'm overall in pretty good health. I have a few things that need to be worked on, but overall, I'm healthy. I don't have cancer or any disease. I'm strong and my heart is beating and I'm alive. I'm thankful that while I do have a few medical issues, they're mild and treatable. I'm thankful that my doctor pressures me to be a better person and because of her, I'm on the track to becoming a healthier me…

•  The Planet: I am amazed by this planet. The sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the grass, the trees… snow, rain, tornadoes, hurricanes… the good and the bad, this is an amazing place. I'm thankful that it's Thanksgiving and it's going to be a warm and sunny day. I'm thankful for the seasons as I enjoy watching my surroundings chase so drastically every few months.

I have a great deal of other things I am thankful for, but I need to go get ready to leave and hang out with Matt's family and then mine.

Thank you all for reading this and for being in my life in one way or another!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Excellent!

I made it back to the gym Monday night. I did 30 minutes on the recumbent bike like I said I would. It felt good, but I was so tired at the same time… My friend Jen was there when I got there. She was running on a treadmill, but she came over and rode the recumbent bike next to mine after a few minutes. We talked which made time go by faster. While my thighs felt it that night, they didn't feel it at all yesterday and my heart rate barely went up. Think I need to try something else. I may try walking again. I'd eventually like to learn how to run.

I didn't want to get up yesterday morning. I woke up at 4:45 to use the restroom and had the hardest time falling back to sleep. I don't know why I couldn't sleep. I was exhausted when I went to bed. I had gotten off work, went to the gym, stood around and talked to Jen for a while, went home and made dinner, did the dishes, filled the humidifiers, watched two shows on TV, and went to bed. I fell asleep quickly and slept solid until I woke up to pee. Ugh. Annoying. 

Last night I didn't feel well. My blood pressure was up… I could tell because my head felt full… It felt like I was swimming underwater when I stood up… That's the best way I can explain it. I didn't go to the gym. I came home and relaxed. I went to bed at 9:30 and was so tired I slept solid until 6:30 this morning. I woke up a couple of times because I was cold or because my dog wanted under the blankets, but other than that, I slept so good!!! 

Today has been a great day so far! I ordered a new Christmas tree online a week ago. It wasn't due to be delivered until December 3 rd . Meaning that it was out of stock until then. I got an email notification this morning that it shipped! That means it should arrive while I'm home and I'll be able to put it up earlier than I thought! YAY! 

Also, today is my last day of work until NEXT THURSDAY! A whole week away from work! What am I going to do with myself?! LOL 

Last year, on the last day of work before Thanksgiving, my boss gave us all bonuses that were worth two weeks of pay. Awesome! This year I was secretly hoping for the bonus, but not trying to get my hopes up too much in case it didn't happen. Yesterday I heard one of my coworkers print a bunch of checks. He normally doesn't print checks. I heard him in the office whispering with my boss so my hopes got raised that we'd be getting bonuses. Today at work, my boss was there in the morning. Last year our checks were handed to us as soon as we got in the door. That didn't happen this year. As the day went on my hopes got crushed and I was sad… Then, out of nowhere, my coworker who printed the checks handed us each one. Along with a note that reads:
Thank you for your help over the past year and have a good Christmas. Even though we have done this 2 times at the same time, this will not happen again due to the deteriorating business environment. It will not happen again 2013.

Tim
Sweet! An extra $600 for me!!! I've wanted to buy myself a laptop for a long time… a really long time. It would be amazing to be able to sit where ever I want to work on my writing or whatever. I was excited because yesterday when I thought we were getting checks, I looked online and found one I wanted in a pre-Black Friday sale on Walmart. I went there today and it's sold out and not sold in my local store. Bummer! My coworker was like, “Check Staples. They might have it.” So I did and they did! They had the exact same computer except with 2GB more memory (4GB as opposed to 2GB) for the same price! WOOT! I ordered it and it will be delivered Monday! 

I'm also a huge kid at heart and when Furby's came out the first time around I had one. I loved my Furby and loved teaching him tricks and stuff. I don't know what ever happened to him. Well, they're out again, if you were unaware. My mom ordered my 9 and 12 year old nieces each one for their birthday. I told her I was going to order myself one and I did! It should be delivered by next Thursday. LOL

I still have plenty of money to go Black Friday shopping with my mom as well! YAY BOSS!!!

Okay, I need to post this so I can get back to work. Adios!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Gymming It

I have been absent from the gym for a long time! I had been going to the gym regularly before that. I was going at least three days a week for cardio and usually five days a week for strength training which I now know is the opposite of what I should have been doing. Haha. Honestly, my thoughts were like this… When I was binge eating all the time, why should I bother going to the gym when I worked my butt off, but then ate like crap… My weight always stayed the same or crept higher.

Now that I've got my eating under control, I need to start going back to the gym. Luckily, I never canceled my Curves membership. It's on hold until the end of the year, and honestly, when that time comes, I'll be able to afford it again so I think I'll just keep it. I do enjoy Curves a lot and when I get into the habit of going, it works wonders for me… I still have my YMCA membership. Considering I qualify for financial aid, I don't pay very much for that membership. I probably should have seen if there was a way to put that membership on hold while I figured out my binge eating, but I didn't… oh well.

I'm planning on going back to the gym tonight. I'm really weird and don't want to go back when I can't go for a solid week in a row… I'm breaking my rule and going back this weekend when I for sure won't be able to go on Thursday. I'm just hoping that maybe I can do a workout video or something before going to Matt's parents' for lunch on Thanksgiving. I even canceled seeing Breaking Dawn Part 2 tonight with my bestie so I can go to the gym… I'm crazy, but I'll make it. LOL

I'm home for lunch right now. When my boyfriend gets up, I'm going to go pack my gym bag so I have it with me. If I have to go home to get it, I won't make it to the gym. It's how I am. LOL I need some capris or pants, a comfy tee, a workout bra, some socks, and my heart rate monitor. Considering it's been so long since I've been to the gym, I think I'm going to just do a recumbent bike for half an hour or so… Once I get the hang of going to the gym again, I'll up my workouts, but something fairly easy and pain free would be good to start with.

I just fried up some sausage for my dinner tonight. I'm making a not-so-calorie-friendly dish. It's something I've made up myself. You basically make a lasagna out of beef and cheese ravioli. You layer half in the bottom of a 13x9 baking sheet, and then you take a container of ricotta with some parmesan and mozzarella in it… spread that out over the ravioli, add some more ravioli, top with sauce and mozzarella and bake until cooked through. Yum! We're having it with some broccoli and cauliflower and garlic bread. It's a BIG dinner which is part of the reason I wanted to go to the gym tonight… so I'm not over on my calories. LOL

Okay, I need to get busy getting my crap together. I'll write soon! Adieu!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Hard at Work

I've been hard at work on my site. It's coming along nicely in my opinion. There are a lot of things that still need added, but I've basically figured out the layout and how I want things. There are a lot of design items that I need to look into... I also need to figure something else out to put down below my "Follow Me" thing so that the space is continuous. I cannot change the size of the email notifications sign-up thing. Hmmm...
I've uploaded every page, but so far they all look the same... like this one. I haven't gone through and edited the content on each page yet. I also made a thank you page for when someone signs up for email notifications, but when I just tested it, it didn't work. No idea why. I've used the same website before and not had any problems. Hmmm again...

Non-site related stuff... I've been busy at work. Mostly because I only work Monday through Wednesday of this coming up week and then I'm off for a week straight! I haven't been off for a week straight since I started working there! It's amazing though! :) I don't even have many plans. Our house needs a good scrubbing so I'll hopefully get that done on one of my days off. Also, I'm planning on decorating for Christmas at some point as well. The only thing that stinks is that I ordered a new Christmas tree online and it's not due to arrive until December 3rd. Ugh... I'll just have to wait until then to put up my tree and whatnot...

I'm sad because I'm beyond broke so I won't be able to go Black Friday shopping this year. I've gone the past three years and I've enjoyed it each time... I'm not holding my breath, but I might have a couple of fingers crossed that my boss will give us a Thanksgiving bonus again this year... I doubt it, but it would be nice!

Okay, I better get back to work... I just wanted to write an entry so I could see what it looks like!

Thanks for visiting!!!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Fail

I feel like a failure at keeping this blog up to date... *shrugs* I just write in too many places. I'm going to copy and paste my entry from another blog I write into this one...


So, we all know the worries that come about from having [other blogging site] down without a word from Bruce (site owner)... I'm sure he has a life outside of [other blogging site] and it doesn't really anger me, but it does worry me. I love this community which is why I will never leave it willingly, but I'm worried about losing my entries and losing contact with all of you should something happen to [other blogging site]. I've decided that I'm going to launch a website for ME. It will be my website... nothing else. It will have a blog and all of the other information about me that I can think of... I also think I will be deleting my weight loss blog (THIS BLOG) and only be writing on my website. I need to figure out a variety of things though... *shrugs* Like:
  1. What to name my website... I'm leaning towards "Crys Rochelle" right now. A lot of my friends call me Crys (pronounced like Chris) since my name is Crystal, and Rochelle is my middle name. My Twitter handle is currently CrysRochelle and I like how it sounds, but I'm not sure if that's what I want to use or not... Anyone else have any ideas for a website title?
  2. How to get notes on my blog entries... Without using a WordPress, Blogger, or [other blogging site]-type site to write my entries, I will need to figure out a way to allow people to comment on my entries. I could always add a Google form that would allow only private notes to me... or there's a website that I want to try out that gives you code to put in your website which allows you to add public comments. I will need to look into this one further.
  3. How to notify people of new entries... I've got an idea for this, which would be sorta what happens when you sign up for email notifications from Blogger. I'm thinking of putting a place for email addresses where people can sign up to get email alerts when I post a new entry. Then when I do, the people who want to be notified of entries will get an email from me with the entry in it. They can visit the site for comments or whatever if they want, but they'd at least be notified of new entries.
I'm thinking that's all I've got to figure out for now. Don't worry though... once I get my website up and running, I will copy and paste all entries that I write there over here and vice versa. :)Okay, I'm off to do some actual work.  Adios!

So, what do you all think? I will be sure to let you all know when the time comes what my new website is, but I'm having a hard time keeping all of my things separate and I'm so worried that any one of the site's I blog at is going to randomly shut down on me... I can control what happens to my website when I make a website from scratch. *shrugs*