I’m heading to the gym for a minimum of 45 minutes of cardio.  I’m behind on the water consumption today so I’ll try to catch up.

I’m making absolutely no progress on an early bedtime so I’m not getting out of bed any earlier.  So…after wasting the better part of my day on computer games, I’m going to the gym.  I thought about posting that I would stay on the treadmill until someone called my cell phone….which could be hours or just a few minutes.  So, I won’t conduct that experiment today.

We are heading out for an 8 hour drive tomorrow so after the gym I need to get a few things packed and maybe even get the car washed and put in enough gas to get to Jersey.  It just rained but of course the car is in a covered space so not even a rinse.

I’ll post a more comprehensive post after dinner and report on my weekly goals and sent new ones for next week.

Since nobody commented, I can assume very few people (if any) are reading this and I can ramble all I want.

I met my goal of a 45 minute cardio workout and 48 oz of water.  I have continued with the water daily and have completed one other 45 minute workout (Saturday).   I also stepped on the scale….just what I imaged it would read… so I will refrain from looking for another week or so.

Next steps: I will continue the water and workouts and add more sleep.  I can’t quite figure out if I’m a morning or a night person anymore.  I think I would like to get up earlier.  Mostly I go to bed when hubby does.  I often have a problem staying awake after dinner long enough to work on knitting or watch a show or two.  If I happen to fall asleep I usually then am good for a few more hours.  I haven’t decided on the total solution to the whole sleep issue but I’ll try a few different things for a week at a time and track my progress.

So the goal of the week is to get to bed by 11 p.m. and get up by 7 a.m.  After a week, I’ll see if I have more energy.

Another addition is working on some CEUs so I can take my LMHC out of retirement.  To increase my exposure to current counseling practices I have started listening to the ACA podcast.  Each podcast is about an hour so I will listen to it while I work out.  The goal is to complete 20 CEUs by September 15 with 6 units in ethics.

So my journey continues.  I’m headed to the gym so I can check that off my list.

So my hubby asked if I wanted to keep this blog since I have not used it for a year.  FB seems to have taken over our lives and our online comments.  The one thing missing on FB is creating a continuing story or connected content.  So, I think I want to keep this blog and use it to document my quest for a better me.

I have such a wonderful life with a fabulous husband, loving family, and caring friends.  Each morning I think about how blessed I am to have special people in my life.  The one thing that I feel I can do to improve my life is to improve myself and my habits.  I have tons of big goals but often don’t seem to make progress or stick to things for very long.

So…here’s my attempt to improve this imperfect woman in a perfect life.  I am setting out to make improvements to mind, body, and soul.

Big goal: lose 20 pounds by September 15.

Did you notice that?  Not just lose weight, but lose 20 pounds by Sept 15th.  Just in case you aren’t aware of the components of goal setting…1) be specific 2) have a deadline 3) measurable.

I have been wishing to lose weight but now I’m setting a goal.  Next, I need to actually add activities that will help be reach my goal.

Today’s goal to help me achieve my long term goal…drink 48 oz of water and do 45 minutes of cardio.  I’m starting with a very achievable goal to help with my overall success.  My downfall has always been I try to do too much and when I don’t accomplish what I set out to do I get discouraged.

Weekly goal: 3-5 days in the gym. Only step on the scale once a week.  You are all going to have to trust me on the actual weight loss ’cause I’m not going to post the obscene number in public.

So follow along and see how I make positive changes to my life.

We are out of town for the third wedding of the season and another family filled weekend.  I’m actually meeting the hubby after traveling from the west coast while he travels from the east coast.  We have family members traveling from the west and the east to celebrate the second wedding of a cousin this season. 

I had a fabulous week helping my friend who just had twins a few weeks ago.  The week went by very quickly maybe because the days blended together.  We finally got a good routine and I had to leave.  The babies are adorable but still a bit fragile.  It’s amazing how quickly they learn mommy & daddy’s voices.  They were even getting comfortable with me after just a week.  I’m looking forward to watching their progress over the next few weeks via new pictures.  I’m already trying to figure out when I can get there for another visit.

So another fabulous city for a wedding and very little time to explore.  My hubby is pretty focused on getting some good Chicago pizza so we will see how that goes.  The cousins are all excited to be gathering for another fun-filled visit.

I’ll try to post later about my latest Wii ‘game’.  It’s actually closer to a real workout and I’m having fun.  No, it’s not Wii Fit.

So we are in our new place and totally out of our old place! Hurray!  I have now had a full week to unpack so it’s beginning to take shape.  Before we even had time to unload any boxes we were already participating in the social events of our new place.  The movers had been gone for maybe two hours when we went to a wine and cheese thing.  There were not many people there but we got free wine and cheese.  Since the event was sponsored by an insurance company we figured we would have to listen to a sales pitch.  Not much of a pitch and lots of wine, cheese and crackers and we met one new neighbor.

Friday, hubby headed out to work and I was working on the old place.  We ended our day with a social event with more drinks and snacks and met two more neighbors.  This event actually had a dozen or more folks in attendance but we only really talked with 2 for any length of time.

Saturday night brought a romantic evening of scrubbing marks off the walls and detailing the kitchen and bathroom. Wow, we are so exciting.  Actually I was tickled pick to have the help getting the nitty gritty done.

Sunday was the FIOS day for hubby dearest and work for me.  We both missed a Father’s Day brunch albeit a week early.  Monday was the final inspection at the old place so I was gone again.  Just when you think everything is done…more stuff to load up and of course a bit more scrubbing.  So I was done by 3 p.m. and headed to get lunch.  I sat and rested, ate a salad, and watched a downpour.  Hubby wanted to reward my hard work with a nice dinner on the waterfront…but the place on the water was closed.  I guess Monday is not a big day for dinner here? Dunno.

Tuesday we went back to the waterfront eatery and were treated to a Prix fix 3 course meal with a waterfront view.  It was a great thought and we were hoping to save a bit on a pricey restaurant with their Casual Tuesdays.  While it wasn’t the worst meal ever, it certainly wasn’t the best either.  I enjoyed a refreshing beverage with huckleberry vodka, a great starter, and a fabulous dessert.  The main course was less appetizing than we expected from a fine dining experience.  Oh well, the company was great and at least we didn’t spend $200 on a fancy meal that was just o.k.  $25 Prix Fix is not too bad but I really hoped for a bit more.  We might try it again but maybe for drinks and dessert or drinks and starters.  I guess we should have looked for some reviews first.  Maybe I’ll check it out now.  If they get fabulous reviews maybe we will try it again.

Somehow we glided through the second week with more work and more deboxing (hubby’s word), and some home cooked meals.  You can check out the mister’s blog to see his experience with technology.

So I guess I’m the weak one who has not finished lifting everything from the boxes.  While I have quite a collection of flattened boxes, there are still a dozen or so to go.  I was really hoping to avoid the “stash everything in the closets” game, but I think we are getting close to that.

The home stretch today is to get things put away and prepare for our first overnight guest.  Yes, even our nephew qualifies as a guest.

Well, we are back home and back to the old routines.  Lots going on this summer so I’ll try to keep you posted.  We had a wonderful time at our son’s wedding and are holding on to the pictures for a few days before we post them all.  We have compiled pics from several family members and will go through and make some basic editing then post to Flickr.

I finally finished 6 knit gift bags for the lovely maid of honor and brides maids.  Now I am about done with another one in pink but haven’t decided who gets it.  Maybe my niece.  I will also order yarn for the  other family wedding in July.  Thank goodness she only has 3 attendants.  Based on the last wedding I can start the bags 2 weeks out and have them done.  First I have to order the yarn.

We are heading 3 hours away tomorrow for a wedding shower for my niece and her intended.  I still need to select a gift for the happy couple but I’m sure they have chosen some great items.  I love gift registries.  It makes everyone’s life so much easier for big events.

Back to work today so I had better get my bag packed with the project of the day.  Tonight’s project is to clear the table of items that need to be packed for our upcoming move.  I really think that we are moving simply to get rid of things and to give me something to keep me busy.  No, really we will be gaining space and saving money.

Pack, pack, pack, toss, toss, toss.

I may be the only one in the world who always under-estimates how long a project will take to complete.  I am currently working on a knitting project that I should have had done weeks ago…since I started it months ago.  The book says that each of the six portions should take 4-6 hours.  So, in theory I should be able to complete the entire project in 36 hours.  So, back to knitting.

The other project I have going in packing the apartment for our upcoming move.  That also takes longer than I imagined.  One would think that I would be an expert at it by now but the little things just take me forever.  I guess I get distracted too.  I really don’t have ADD….I’ve never seen a duck do that before.

Just in case you have not heard, our son is getting married! Woot!  We have had our airline tickets for quite some time .  I think I have the best end of this deal.  I just have to show up, swipe a credit card for one small event, and sit back and produce tears of joy!

We are not in the thick of the planning and organizing so we are missing out on all the fun.  Dear hubby is not wearing a tux and I didn’t go shopping for a dress or shoes. The last time I attended a wedding I spent hours shopping and finally ended up wearing an outfit from my everyday selection.  I thought about my attire for quite some time and then decided to pull a party dress from my closet and toss it in a suitcase.  When you see me in this party dress you can ask about the deal I got…yes, my hubby ordered it online.  Did you expect any less?  I have 2 more in the closet with the tags still attached.

I did, however, get a haircut and mani/pedi on Saturday.  I will get another mani/pedi the day before or the day of the wedding when I decide what color I would like my toe nails to be for this summer.  Yep, it will last for a couple of months.  Cheap you say! Yep.  I spent more  on the mani/pedi than I did on my hair cut.  It’s not that I don’t care how I look, I do.  It’s just that I am not willing to pay more than most men pay for their hair cut.

The other big adventure for this trip will be a drive to Blue Hole to add to my dive log.  While the whole thought of diving always stresses me out, once I’m in the water I have a great time.  Yes, this will take place 2 days before our son’s wedding.  There is a bit of Soldin in me that requires I maximize the cost of an airline ticket.

Just so you don’t think I’ve been sitting around doing nothing… I’m still volunteering with the pregnant teens, writing grants for the historical society, and packing our apartment.  Today I’m heading off to help the girls plant flowers at the maternity residence then over to the tiny island to prepare for an evening presentation.  Before I leave I will update a brochure and a website and put the finishing touches on a grant (due tomorrow), and maybe add a few rows to a gift bag.  I’m slowly making progress on knit gift bags.  They are so very pretty. I guess I had better call a few of my friends who want a moment of my time before I head out of town.

If you have not tried Amtrak lately you may not know what a pleasant experience it can be.  Years ago our family took a trip on Amtrak down the west coast.  It was fun to hang with the family but the train took forever and ever.  As I recall there was a freight train ahead of us that derailed so we were stopped for an extra 12 hours.  My more recent experience was much, much nicer.

It took about 4 hours from home to DC on a very comfortable Amtrak train.  During the trip I could use power for my cell phone and many people were comfortably using their laptops.  In addition, I happened to sit in the “quiet car” which was very delightful.  During a normal NY commuter train there are many people using cell phones and having loud conversations.  Not the case in the quiet car.  The other perk is the ability to get up and walk around and the availability of the snack car.  I had my own snacks for the trip but it was great to have fresh coffee available from the snack car.  If I had chosen to ride in business class I would have had unlimited coffee, water, and soft drinks. Hardly worth the extra money for me but I’m sure many people find that very attractive.

Day 1 in DC: We walked to the Renwick Gallery then along the Mall, then to the WWII Memorial, and on to the Vietnam Memorial.  Both were very impressive.  We also stopped by a very cool memorial to the signers of the Declaration of Independence, which is basically individual stones with a copy of the signature, the printed name, their occupation, and their city.  If you happen to be walking by the area it would be easy to miss this site so watch for it carefully.

We are headed out today to visit mostly indoor sites.  Since I twisted my ankle at the Vietnam Memorial we will be doing less walking.

BTW: Snow, snow, snow.

I figured I would post a quick update on my sweater project.  I took the beginning of the project on vacation and didn’t really make much progress.  That’s no big surprise…I always take more with me than I can complete.  I don’t remember when I finished the first part but I finally completed the yoke of the sweater and moved on to the back.  This is a huge project of an entirely cable knit tunic sweater.  I’ll try to post pictures, but that usually doesn’t happen either.

After several tries to ‘pick up’ stitches to start the back of the sweater I was knitting full force.  I stopped several times to work on other projects like blankets and even a small knit gift bag.  Finally I’m back at the sweater and have completed the back (all 17 inches), one sleeve, and the start of the other sleeve.  It is truly looking like a sweater now.  The cables are really not that bad as long as I remember to count.  Oh, I also bought a row counter to help with that task but there are two cable patterns with different row counts so I really need two counters.  I also bought a cable needle, which helps.  I recommend getting the appropriate tools for your projects before you start.  Anyway, it’s slow going but I think I can see myself completing this before spring weather sets in.

So, back at it.