Random Thought Thursday

I'm beginning to think that living here in Abu Dhabi is hazardous to my health. Or at least it would appear that way.

I write this on the last leg of yet another sickness. This week, I've been miserable: coughing, sneezing, fever, chills, sore throat, no voice...the works. I honestly think I had a relapse from last week. I went to the doc last week when it first began. Doc offered two or more days off work, but I only took one. I got the meds prescribed, but I didn't take them as often as told. Then, instead of taking the 3-day weekend to rest, I went to Sri Lanka instead.

The result? Being sick this whole week. I hate being sick. I couldn't even enjoy the three days off work my doc gave me this week cos I was sick. BLEH!

I've been sick while living here more than I've ever been in my entire life. As a child & teen, on days I didn't feel like going to school, I'd wish for sickness to overtake me, but to no avail. I rarely got sick. But now? I feel like I'm always sick.

I'm told it's the change in climate: the desert...the sand. It doesn't help that they don't have filters for the vents here. So all the yuckiness floating around the air in my apt, I'm breathing in. YUCK!

Whatever it is, it's making me sick. Literally. It sure does put a dent in things.

Will I find relief? Stay tuned...

Looking Back...Moving Forward

Happy New Year!

Can't believe 2012 is already here. 2011 passed by so quickly to me.

Looking Back

This time last year, I was struggling financially, trying to figure out if I should keep subbing or not, and having to move out of my beloved town home after the lease was up. I remember asking God what the theme for 2011 should be and Him telling me "Change." He told me I'd be going through some changes in 2011; some I'd like and some I wouldn't, but He promised He'd be with me along the way. Boy have I gone through changes - the biggest change being my move to Abu Dhabi.

I would have NEVER thought I'd be living on the other side of the world, away from family, friends, and everything I know. NEVER. And yet, here I am, a resident of the UAE. This move was obviously a God thing cos I wouldn't have done it on my own. It's definitely a HUGE step out of my comfort zone. Waaayy out of my zone. Like I'm not even in the same vicinity of my comfort zone. It's quite scary, actually, which is why I'm so glad I'm not doing it alone. God is right here with me, just like He promised.

By moving to Abu Dhabi, I took a giant leap of faith. I chose to go where God led me to go and I do NOT regret my decision. I'm loving it. Abu Dhabi is a beautiful place. And I've met some wonderful new friends. And I'm in a position where I have to lean on God and not my family. I've gone on a desert safari, rode a camel,tried new food, stayed in a few 5-star hotels, gone to 2 awesome concerts, visited Dubai several times, went into the tallest building in the world, lost 20 pounds, etc. I'm learning Arabic, teaching active, yet precious 3-4 year olds, living in a high-rise apartment (rent free), making tax-free salary, etc.

This time last year, I was broke, no money in the bank. Now, I have money in, not one bank, but TWO.

2011 was a monumental year in my life. 2012...2012 is gonna be even more awesome.

Moving Forward

I have goals for 2012. Some have to do with my health; some have to do with my writing; some have to do with my relationship with Jesus. I won't list all my goals, but here are a few:

• Lose 50 more lbs
• FINALLY finish novel #2
• Revise novel #1; start search for agents
• Use my spiritual gifts to glorify God
• Finish business plan
• Blog consistently

I also plan to do something "big" each trimester of my 1st year in AD. Last trimester, I went to see both Janet Jackson & Sade in concert. This trimester, I'm going to Morocco (in March). I haven't figured out what I'm going to do the last trimester of this school year, yet.

I can't wait to see what God has planned for me in 2012. Whatever He has planned, as long as He's with me, I'm good.

Fitness Friday

50/50 Challenge. I had to restart my because I'd fallen off track. It's been seven weeks, and I've lost 5lbs so far. I'm doing pretty good, if I must say so myself!



Marathon Training. My marathon (walkathon) training starts Monday. I wanted to wait til I bought new walking shoes - the ones I have are about a year old - but alas, the show must go on. I'll get them soon. I don't know what I was thinking about starting the training during spring/summer. It gets crazy hot here in Houston. I have a little under a year to be ready for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, so I guess I'll go on. Don't wanna keep pushing it back. So, here I go!

Random Thoughts Thursday

RIP Corey Haim. So tragic about his death! As a kid, I didn't have a huge crush on him, but I did think he was cute...especially that dimple. *sigh* Sad...

Another Death. But this is the death of one of my all time favorite TV shows: Ugly Betty. Only 5 more episodes left. I keep hoping that another station would pick UB up, but it doesn't look like it's happening. No more Betty? No more Wilhemina? I loved all the characters. And I loved the fact that the cast was diverse - lots of people of color. Not happy about this. I am happy America Ferrera will be in a movie (Our Family Wedding), tho. I'm definitely going to watch it...maybe this weekend. Lucky her, she gets to have cutie pie, Lance Gross, as her love interest!

50/50 Challenge. Clearly I haven't been doing a good job on my 50/50 challenge. This would be week 26 or 27, I think. Soooo, I'm starting over. Yep, all over. My motivation? My Gramps. He was rushed to the hospital last week...had a mild heart attack. He's doing well now, it's just that the scare was a wake-up call. Plus, I'm having problems with my high blood pressure again (constant headaches, swollen ankles, etc). Gotta take better care of my health. So, I guess my blogland peeps, along with my fam, will be my accountability partners; keep me on my feet.

Fitness Friday

So, I've decided instead of checking my progress every week during my 50/50 Challenge, I'm gonna check once every 5 weeks.

This is the end of week 5. I should've lost 5lbs...but, I didn't. I lost 3lbs, though, so I'm not complaining. I also lost a total of 4 inches, including 1.5 in in my waist!

Hopefully, the next 5 weeks, will be even more successful.

Fitness Friday

I know it's a day late. Yesterday was a rough day, so I didn't do ANYTHING...besides workout. So today marks the end of week 1 of my 50/50 challenge. It was a little difficult - boy did I want to guzzle down a Pepsi each day - but, I'm happy to say I've succeeded in losing one pound. It may not seem like a lot, but remember, this is a pound in a week...the safe way to lose weight.

Next week, the real challenge begins. I'll (hopefully) start substituting consistently. Teachers usually don't need subs til, like, the 3rd week of school and on, so I'll be busy soon. The challenge is whether or not I'd feel like working out. I'm not worried, though. I have God, who'll give me strength and my inspiration board, which will give me inspiration.

I can't see the difference (I mean, come on, it's only 1 pound) but I can feel the difference. I haven't checked the inches yet. I'm so excited and can't wait to get to weeks 5-50, where I know I will see the difference. Can't wait til my clothes start feeling loose. Ooh, can't wait to hear, "Your blood pressure's normal, Ms. Weakly." Oh the joy!

So, yeah, I'm a happy camper. Go me!

It's Baaaack! Fitness Friday

So, it's the end of summer vacation. Time to leave the days of lazin around behind and get back to work.


Um, right. Like I had those kind of days. I worked this summer and I worked hard.

Which is why I'm so excited about next summer. God willing, I'll be a travelista next summer, traveling both in the US and out. I plan to work my @$$ off this school year so I can afford to chill next summer instead of work...so I can, you know, actually vacation during my summer vacation.

This brings me to my plan I'd like to call my 50/50 challenge. What is the 50/50 challenge? I'm so glad you asked! :) Starting Sunday, I'm gonna attempt to lose 50lbs in 50 weeks (hence 50/50). This means, I'm trying to lose one pound per week. Can this be done? Sure it can! This is actually the safer way to lose weight - 1 to 2 lbs/week as opposed to say, like 20 lbs/month. Besides, earlier this year, for a blissful month and a half, I was successful at losing a pound a week. Then I hit a wall. I've been this weight for the last 4 months. I guess it's good cos I haven't gained any weight. *shrugs*

So, how will 50/50 work?

Of course there's making healthier eating choices. For me, this means eating more than once a day. The surprising thing is, it's easier for me to exercise than it is for me to eat 3 meals a day. Weird, right? I don't plan on totally eliminating certain things (junk food, pop, chips). Eliminating them never works for me...I only end up eating more after a while. So, instead of getting rid of my weaknesses, I plan on eating less, maybe even using them as rewards when I've had a good week. I'm all for rewards, you know.

Exercising isn't really a problem for me...unless it's on a day where I'm just too tired to do anything. Even then, I have a plethora of exercise DVDs or I'd just do DDR, which is a fun way of working out. My top choices of workouts: walking, Tae Bo, DDR, volleyball, and dancing. 5 days/week - 6 if I'm feeling ambitious - of cardio/strength training.

The last, and most important, component to the 50/50 challenge is God. Earlier this year, I'd asked God to take control of my weight-loss journey...and He did. He talked me out of many unhealthy decisions, especially when it came to Pepsi, which is my number one weakness. Seriously, I can do some damage with Pepsi - like at least a bottle/day. My mouth is watering now to feel the burn... Anyway, whenever I feel like piggin out on junk food, guzzling down an extra bottle of Pepsi, or skipping a workout, I'll have to remember to ask God for help. And you know what the cool thing is? HE'LL ACTUALLY HELP! I honestly don't know why I hadn't thought of asking God to take control of my weight-loss/get-in-shape journey in the first place. It's like, duh! I ask Him to help me in everything else, why not this, right?

I'm SO ready for this challenge! I even have a special journal, complete with a special pen (did I mention I'm obsessed with stationary stuff) to track my progress. I have my inspiration board up on my bedroom wall with pics of beaches, swimsuits I'd like to wear, words, etc. My main reason for this is NOT looks. Of course, I always like to look good, but I'm more concerned with my health. I'm not trying to have high blood pressure and have to take pills for the rest of my life. No thank you! And, not only do I work with kids, but I also have 2 VERY ACTIVE nephews that I'd like to run around and play with without, you know, feeling like I'm gonna die from extreme exertion. Also, I believe God is about to take me places and I need to be physically, as well as spiritually and mentally prepared.

Fitness Friday blog posts will be dedicated to keeping up with my progress. I figure, the more people know about this, the more accountable I'll be held. And you can join me, too, whether you want to lose more than, less than, or exactly 50 lbs. I'd love the company.

So, Rae's 50/50 challenge: from Sunday, August 30, 2009 - Saturday, August 14, 2010. Ready. Set. GO!

Fitness Friday

Why, oh why must getting in shape/losing weight be so hard? Why can't there be, like an easy button or something that'll speed up the process? Can I please have a wand so I can wave this weight away? How bout the twinkle of my nose, like Samantha on Bewitched? Or a nod of my head like I Dream of Jeannie?

I'll be so glad when I've reached my goal weight. Oh to be able to actually run without feeling like I'm going to die! To be able to wear a swimsuit without self-consciously covering it with a t-shirt or wrap! To be able to hear the doctor say, "High blood pressure? What high blood pressure?"

But, alas, I must trudge on. My time will come. I'm working hard on this thing, so I'll see some results. I WILL SEE SOME RESULTS. Sorry, had to reassure myself, there. By this time, next year, I'll be screaming from the hilltops (or at least from the hilltops of blogland), "I did it! I got rid of those pesky little pounds!" I'll be able to run around with my extremely active nephews without needing to be resuscitated. I'll be able to run, period! OMG, maybe I'll be able to play basketball without hyperventilating.

So, yeah, this weight loss journey is long, tedious, and did I mention, long, but when I've reached that goal - when I've stepped out on that Hawaiian beach (that's where we might go next summer) in my tankini (you won't catch me in a bikini, no matter how much poundage I lose) - the pain...the tedious-ness...the 'oh-God-I-don't-think-I-can-do-it-anymore'...will only make my victory that much sweeter!

Random Thoughts

Swine Flu. I'm taking this seriously. Really, I am. I absolutely abhor being sick, so, yeah, I'm taking it seriously, but I'm not panicking, though. I'm not letting this thing take over my mind, causing me to worry. Nope. And, anyway, wasn't there another scary outbreak years ago? The bird flu? This kind of reminds me of that movie, Outbreak, only not as drastic.

The thing is, the precautions we're told to take are ones we should already be doing:

• Cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing - I mean, come on, people. It's just rude not to cover. Do I want your germy saliva all over me? Uh...no! I don't care if you're sick or not, it's still gross.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water - How many people have you seen walk out the public restrooms without washing their hands? Ew. That's just nasty.
• Stay at home if you get sick - Duh. Wouldn't want to spread your sickness around, right? And parents, if you have a sick child, please, please, please don't send them to school. Think of all the teachers, students, administrators, cafeteria workers, etc.

Annoying Noises. Okay, so last night, I was lucky enough (sarcastically speaking) to be awakened, several times, by a symphony of annoying noises.

• Smoke detector. Clearly we need to replace the battery in one of our detectors. All it does now is beep. Every 30 seconds. Yes, I counted. What else was I gonna do?
• Gurgling commode. So, every month, we're to pour bleach done a pipe located in our attic because it helps with the drainage in the neighborhood. Wanna know how we know it's time to do it? Our commodes gurgle. Seriously. Both mine and my sister's toilets make some weird 'blub blub' noises. Disgusting, I know.
• Arguing cats. When we first moved in, it was dogs that howled. All. Night. Long. Now, it's cats who argue. They sound exactly like wailing babies. Honest. It's creepy. Last night, they woke me up, then managed to keep me up for an hour. Going back and forth, wailing and whining. Just when I wanted to cut my ears off (not really, but you get the point), it got even weirder. They started hissing at each other. Wail. Wail. Hiss. Hiss. Bang. Bang. They sounded possessed. Really. I'm not sure exactly what they were doing - I refused to get up out of bed to see 2 (or more) possessed cats for fear they'd somehow come get me - but it sounded like they were fighting (hence, the bang bang noise). Then, after all that noise...complete silence. Kinda creepy. I kept praying that we wouldn't find a dead cat or two in our backyard (prayers answered).

Fitness. Nothing much to report. I'm losing more inches off my bottom/hips than I am in the waist/stomach area (which is where I'd like to lose). I'm okay with my bottom/hips, besides firming. Oh well, I guess more crunches are in order.

Fitness Friday

I did it! Well, God did it, but you get the gist of what I'm saying. On March 19th, I set out to lose 4 pounds by the 19th of April. I've lost the 4 pounds as well as a total of 5.5 inches. It's all about changing the way I'm thinking & including God in the mix. This weight loss journey is hard and I can't do it without Him. He's the one giving me the strength to exercise when I really don't feel like it. He's the one giving me the power to turn down whatever junk food I'm craving, but really don't need (now, of course I reward myself every once in a while). I'm going to keep focus on month-to-month weight loss...you know, take it slow. I'm so excited! 4 lbs down...71 more to go!

Overall Goal

Fitness Friday

Another pound gone away! Yay me! My goal for my first month (March 19h - April 18th) was to lose at least 4 pounds (one pound/week). I am more than halfway there, with 2 weeks left. I've lost a total of 3 pounds in 2 weeks...the safe way, of course.

What did I do differently? Changed my way of thinking and put God into the equation. I've asked Him to help me with my weight loss journey. I know...shoulda did this earlier. *Sigh* Doesn't matter, I'm doing it now and He's doing just what I asked. I've had the will power to turn away unhealthy snacks (sometimes, but, hey, we're allowed ice cream every once in awhile). I've also had the strength to workout everyday this week. So yeah, I'm getting results...and I'm feeling good. YIPPEE!

MONTHLY GOAL


OVERALL GOAL

Fitness Friday

Last week, I said I was changing my focus with my weight loss journey - moving my focus from the weight to God. I started this approach last Thursday, where I have a daily scripture and affirmation to meditate on. I've changed my way of thinking (all positive; no negative). Apparently it's working because I've lost 2 lbs in one week, which isn't bad for that amount of time. I'm still watching what I eat and working out.

Speaking of workouts, my new neighborhood has a sand volleyball court. I'm soooooo happy about that, since I LOVE playing volleyball. When we lived with our parents, my sister and I would just volley the ball back and forth as a workout since they didn't have a court/net. But now...oh yeah, we're about to get our workout on! And playing volleyball in the sand is an even better workout than regular v-ball. Yeah, baby!

I finally did the Laila Ali/Sugar Ray Leonard boxing workout. It's not on the same level of, say the TaeBo vids as far as production is concerned (not bad, though), but, to me, it's still a good workout. I haven't done the advanced dvd yet. Sugar Ray motivates throughout, but Laila does most of the talking (maybe her name should go first...but then, Sugar Ray is a bigger name). I'm working my way up to the heavyweight dvd (gotta get through the lightweight dvd first).

Random Thoughts Thursday/Fitness Friday

Spring Break. Waaaah! Spring Break is over! *Tear* It went by way too fast! It's already Friday. Our next big vacation (summer) won't be for another 11 weeks. Oh, the horror! The pain! The agony of waiting...counting down the days. It's a good thing I love my job.

So, you wanna know what I did for spring break (you probably don't, but humor me, will you)? Ab-so-lute-ly NOTHING...and I loved it. Rest and relaxation - ain't that what it's all about? I mean, yeah, my sis and I were supposed to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, lying on the beach, batting our hazels at the local cuties, BUT, we're in our own house! I'm in my roomy master bedroom with my equally roomy master bathroom. WE HAVE A HOUSE! I think Puerto Rico and the cuties can wait - besides, we're going in December. So, this spring break, we stayed home to bask in the awesome-ness of having our own house.

Mi Casa Nueva. So, I'm sure you can tell that I love my townhouse. I am so blessed! God is so good...He really is. The townhouse is roomier than we thought it would be. It's perfect for a first house. I have the master bedroom. It's not cuz my sister let me have it out of the goodness of her heart since I'm the oldest. No. I had to pay for it...literally. I bought her an iPod and promised to cook for a month just so I can have the master bedroom. It's worth it! I'm lovin the roomy-ness! We thought we'd be moving in with practically nothing, but when people - especially my wonderfully awesome parents - found out we were moving and needed furniture/dishes/food, they gave. Isn't that awesome? Here are pics. Our townhouse is the one with the cars in the drive.

This is a little issue we have to deal with...big, fat, slimy slugs. Ugh!

Here is our little office nook:

Fitness Friday. After years of trying to lose weight using different methods, I've realized that the reason the weight keeps coming back is because my focus was on the weight, not on God. I take everything else to God, why not my weight/health issues? So, I bought a spiral. In this spiral, I have a scripture and affirmation to meditate on for each day. I exercise and eat right like normal, but I've just changed my focus. With this, I want to lose, not only unhealthy physical weight, but also unhealthy spiritual and mental weight. I want God to remove any access weight - both figuratively and literally speaking - that is keeping me from becoming the woman He intended me to be.

Fitness Friday

I've decided to stop taking the Alli. Not because it doesn't work, but because I'm terrible with taking any kinds of medicine. There have been several times when I'd forgotten to take it when I was supposed to. So, needless to say, it's a hassle that I don't need right now. As far as pills are concerned, I think I'm just going to stick with trying to take my blood pressure pills faithfully like I should. Unlike Alli, or any weight loss pill for that matter, the blood pressure pills are for my health...kind of like a matter of life and death, so, I'm thinking these are more important. I do need to find out about vitamins to take, though. I've been so tired lately (but I think I may be coming down with something). Gotta get vitamins.

I'm starting to train for half marathon (little steps first...26 miles is out of the question) next week. I'm going by Prevention's walking calendar, which I did at the beginning of last year (and loved it...actually lost 11 lbs in 2 months because of it). The key for me is sticking to it. Like I said, I've been so tired, so I'm praying that I can rev up some energy to actually follow the calendar like I should.

I'm still eating better. I've been eating breakfast (yay me), which is usually hard for me. I'm not a breakfast eater, but, every morning for the past 2 weeks, I've been faithfully taking the time to eat breakfast. I've also been eating a small snack (like yogurt) between meals so I won't get the munchies. I haven't been snacking on junk either. In my parents' house, there are 9 of us (3 children, 2 teens, and 4 adults), which makes it hard to buy ingredients for the healthy recipes. Starting next week, it'll only be my sister and I (we're moving into our new house), so it'll be much easier. That's one thing I'm looking forward to.

Can I see the fruits of my labor in pound loss? Not much. I only see a 5 lb weight loss. My clothes are fitting a little looser, which means inches are coming off, if not lbs. I'm still happy, though. I mean, it could be worse, right? I could've gained everything back and then some.

Fitness Friday

Completely forgot to post yesterday. Truthfully, I was all headache-y & tired, so I didn't use the computer long. Anyway, January is ending. I didn't do too bad with sticking to good eating habits and exercise. I did fall - several times, in fact (didn't feel like exercising, savoring junk food here and there), but the important thing is I got back up. The result? I've lost a total of 3 pounds this month. Yay me! Starting next month, I'm following inches lost too. So, yeah...I'm doing my thang! Now, if I could just lower my BP even more, I'll be in heaven. It was still high last week when I went to the doctor. I have to go again next week so they can monitor it again. Hopefully, it'll be ok. It is decreasing though...slowly, but surely. Did I mention that patience isn't a strong suit of mine?

Fitness Friday

Still hanging in there. We didn't get a chance to do the Knockout workout, but we did do DDR...my legs are still feeling that workout.

So, I started using Alli this week. I've heard both good (weight loss) and bad things (side effects & no weight loss) about it and was curious to see what it was about. The main thing I've heard is about the gross side effects (gas w/oily spotting, loose stools, more frequent stools that may be hard to control...um, ew), which I haven't experienced, thank God. You usually experience these side effects if you eat fatty foods while taking Alli. Basically, eat right and you'll have little or no side effects; don't eat right and, well, things could get a little messy for you. Yuck! I don't want the side effects, so that's motivation enough for me to eat healthier.

The deal is, Alli is supposed to help you lose up to 50% more weight than dieting alone. It's not a rapid weight loss pill, so you won't be losing 10 pounds in one week. You'll lose the weight over time, like you're supposed to (10 pounds on a week = so not healthy). The good thing for me is, I've been eating breakfast faithfully, which is normally difficult for me. For the most part, I've been eating 3 meals/day when, usually, I only eat once/day. So, my eating habits are changing. Also, I haven't been snacking as much. Because I only ate once a day, I'd snack on chips or something. My snacks have basically been fruit cups, yogurt, or grapes. If I do get chips, I'd get like the baked chips or something less fattening than regular chips. So, I'm getting there. Is Alli worth the money? Only time will tell for me. If not, I'll just put the experience in my "Lessons Learned" pile and go on with life. Anyone experienced Alli? Did it work for you?

Goal: Lose 65 pounds; 2.4 down; 62.6 to go

Fitness Friday

2.4 pounds...that's how much I've lost since January 1st! 2.4 pounds! Yay me!

My sister and I did a pretty good job this week with keeping up with our workouts. We've played volleyball (with no net, but still got a workout), walked 2 miles, and strength trained. *sigh* I felt so good, which is weird cause, it's...you know...exercise. Next week, we're going to try out Sugar Ray Leonard & Laila Ali's Knockout workout. Clearly, we'll be doing the lightweight first. Will it be worth the dinero I spent? Only time will tell...

Another good workout? Dance Dance Revolution. I am NOT playing when I say it's a good cardio workout as well as good for your legs & butt. That's if you do the songs that are like 130 & above (the higher the number, the faster the song is) and you do it on the basic, challenge, and expert levels, as oppose to the beginner level. My sis and I are still on basic, which is like level 2. I hurt just looking at the challenge and expert level, so it'll be a minute before I get there. I'm thinking of buying the most recent DDR game (the one we have is about 3 years old). It's a workout and it's fun. What more can you ask for?

Goal: Lose 65 pounds; 2.4 pounds down...62.6 pounds to go.

Random Thoughts

High Blood Pressure. I went to the doctor Wednesday to get my blood pressure checked. The bad news is I still have high blood pressure. The good news is it went down considerably. Yay! The meds I'm taking definitely helps (duh, right? that's why they prescribed them). Had my pressure been too high, they would've put me on more meds. Did I mention that not only do I hate taking medication, but I'm also horrible with taking them on time? Yeah, so more meds would've sucked. Anyway, I'm on the road to controlling (and eventually getting rid of) my high blood pressure.

Dissertation. Unfortunately, unless a miracle occurs (and I do believe miracles can occur), I won't be walking across the stage during the summer ceremony this year (July 25th) in Minneapolis, MN. Instead, I'll be walking at the winter one - Walden only has summer & winter ceremonies - which is on January 23, 2010 in Dallas, TX. Am I saddened by this? Oddly enough, no. The good thing about this school is you're considered a graduate when your degree is conferred & your degree is conferred on the last day of your term. The registrar confirms that all is well then, 8-10 weeks later, I'll have my actual degree. Sounds confusing? Basically, I'll become Dr. Raenice Weakly and have my EdD before I walk across the stage. The commencement is just pomp and circumstance. The proposal (the 1st 3 chapters of the dissertation) takes the longest out of the whole dissertation process and guess what? I'VE FINISHED IT!!!! YAY ME!!!! Yep, it's being edited as we speak. I've gotten over the hump that has kept me from finishing, so the rest is smooth sailing compared to this. I'll be finished w/my research study by June 1st which means I could be done with EVERYTHING by October. THANK GOD! Another good thing about the winter ceremony is it's in Dallas, which is a heck of a lot closer to me (in Houston) than Minneapolis. I won't have to buy a $400 plane ticket...just drive 3 hours & my family can come with.

New Year, New Job. I've been a substitute teacher for 6 years. Because I wanted to concentrate on my business, writing career, and finishing my dissertation, I chose not to go back to full time teaching. Though I love the kids, it would've been too time consuming with paper work, lesson plans, staff meetings, professional development, grading, etc. Subbing helps because I still work with kids, but on my own schedule, no staff meetings, no lesson plans, etc. The ONLY cons with subbing for me were the inconsistencies - I may not get a call for the day - and the pay. Now, God has blessed me with a job that's perfect for my time. I'll be a Math support teacher for 3rd - 5th grade. Now, I must admit that Math isn't my fave subject. I'm just now getting to the point where I may have an inch of liking for it. As a child (actually from 6th grade on) I disliked Math. But, I'm okay with this job. Why? It's consistent; only 4 days/week; only 5 hours/day; and I make more doing it than I do subbing. The pay ($100/day) is nowhere near what I'd be making as a doctorate level teacher w/7 years experience ($47,600), but I'm happy. God is awesome!

No Puerto Rico. At least not during Spring Break. But I'm okay with it. You see, my sister and I started looking into moving out this year and becoming home-owning roomies (I mentioned this as one of my goals for '09). Well, an opportunity has sort of fallen into our laps. We'll start off leasing a townhome, in one of the areas we wanted btw, with plans to buy it. The landlord really just wants to get rid of it (has own house now) and just happened to mention it to my parents. Since she know my parents are good people, she knows we're good people, and is willing to give it to us rather than list it for the public. And it's affordable! She's a realtor, too. So, instead of Puerto Rico, we're putting that $ towards the deposit & first month's rent and possibly move in during spring break. Oh, but PR isn't forgotten! We're going during Christmas Vacation.

Random Thoughts Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some things I am thankful for...

• God/Jesus
• Family
• Life
• Job
• Health - yeah, I have HBP, but other than that, I'm healthy...and HBP can be controlled
• Music
• Books
• my God-given purpose: to educate and empower children/teens
• children/teens (without them, I wouldn't have a purpose)
• My ability to create and write stories that will one day bring smiles to readers' faces
• Fact that people actually read my blogs
• The people before me who fought and/or died for the rights that I'm enjoying now

The thing that I am most thankful for is God. Without Him, my life would cease to exist. Without Him, life would be worthless. He's awesome!

Don't forget to take some time out to thank someone - which, actually shouldn't be limited to one day. So, what are you thankful for?

Random Thoughts Thursday

My Agent Search.

When, oh when, will I get an agent? So far, I've received 22 rejections out of the 35 agents I've sent queries to since May. Five other agents have never responded, so I can add that to my rejections. I'm still waiting on answers from my 2nd round agents (who I sent queries to at the beginning of this month). It's hard not to get discouraged, but I'm not giving up. I know, with no doubt, that God gave me a talent to write. I also know He gave me this talent to share with others. And I have to stand on those beliefs. I will become a published author of children/teen books. It's just that, patience has never been a virtue of mine...

My Dissertation.

I am SO ready to be done with my doctorate program! July 25, 2009 can't come soon enough for me! Enough said.

Sarah Palin.

http://www.slate.com/id/2202658/?GT1=38001 and http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/politics/story/aa55049aa6a3a6bf862574ea00136ad6?OpenDocument. I mean, really?

Medicine Side Effects.

Don't you just love hearing/reading the about the side effects of the same medicine that's supposed to help you? The medicine commercials are hilarious to me. It'll help you sleep at night. Oh, and there's the little issue of it causing a stroke. So, because I have HBP, I have to take a pill everday. It's basically a water pill whose name I won't even attempt to say. Anyway, it helps lower my blood pressure BUT, the side effects are: dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, blurred vision, loss of appetitite, stomach upset, diarrhea, or constipation. I may also experience: decreased sexual activity or sensitivity to the sun. This medication may cause dehydration, dry mouth, thirst, muscle cramps, weakness, fast/irregular heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, severe dizziness, unusual drowsiness, unusual decrease in the amount of urine, fainting, confusion, seizures. These are unlikely, but serious side effects: numbness/tingling of the arms/legs, and joint pain. These are rare, but serious side effects: signs of infection (like fever, persistent sore throat), easy bruising/bleeding, stomach/abdominal pain, persistent nausea/vomiting, unusual/persistent tiredness, yellowing eyes/skin, dark urine, unusual change in the amount of urine. They were nice enough to warn: This is not a complete list of possible side effects. Are you serious? Thankfully, I'm not experiencing many of the side effects, except sensitivity to the sun (and I've always been sensitive to the sun). One annoying side effect I've been experiencing is, after I take my pill, I seem to have to go to the bathroom EVERY HOUR. I'm told that's a normal side effect (it's a water pill and supposed to help your body get rid of excess water, blah blah). Whatever. I feel like a little kid who can't hold her water.

The DDR Phenomenon.

In my previous post, I mentioned that my sis and I have been working out. One of our workouts include playing Dance Dance Revolution (something we became addicted to while working at our church summer camp 3 years ago). Now, don't laugh...DDR ain't no joke! There are 4 levels: Beginner, Basic, Expert, and Challenge. We're only on the Basic level - Expert and Challenge are too scary...all those arrows *shudder*. We only do slower songs for warmup/cooldown, which means, most of the time, we're jumping up and down and moving our feet to songs in the 170 - 225 range (225 is the highest).Yesterday, we did DDR for an hour. Can we say, "workout"? Today, my legs are feeling my efforts. It was a MAJOR workout, but we had fun. I wonder what we're doing tomorrow (today is strength training). Oh, by the way, I lost 2 more pounds. So, I have 13 pounds down and 17 to go. Yay, me! In honor of DDR, I'm posting a vid of my 4 year-old nephew playing DDR this summer. Too cute!