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Not This Year

Carolyn — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:41:20 +0000

Oh, how I want some of these RIGHT NOW. However, considering they’re an entire day’s worth of calories on my diet plan, I sadly must resist. Good thing I have to travel to the State Fair to have them.

I’m not a State Fair type of person. Too many people, too many temptations food-wise and too expensive. The expense is the main reason I don’t tend to go to the fair: I spend $12 to get into the fair and spend anywhere from $3-8 on the few items I want to eat at the fair. I’m usually there for 2-3 hours. In my mind: not worth it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I will go every few years, and I will most likely go next year when Tim’s not working every day of the fair¹ to do these few things:

1. Mouth Trap cheese curds
2. Fried Green Tomatoes (thanks to Adrienne for introducing me to that delight!)
3. Mini Donuts
4. Pronto Pup
5. Visit the “Miracle of Life” barn to smell the baby calves.

Don’t look at me like that! Growing up on a dairy farm, there’s no better smell to me than a baby calf. It’s hard to describe, but they definitely don’t smell bad.

I could go to the Fair by myself on Friday, but it sounds like that’s one of the busier days. With my current levels of PMS crabbiness, the first time I’d get hit by one of those double wide strollers (with NO FRIGGIN CHILD IN IT), I’d strangle them with one of those plastic bags they hand out to put all your crap in. Then I’d be in jail, and I don’t really want to be in jail.

T-minus two days to vacation. I. CAN’T. WAIT.

_________
1- He’s in the Fair Marketing department and the LAST thing he wants to do after being at the fair for 8+ hours is to go BACK to it.

TGIF!

Carolyn — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:57:29 +0000

Got a busy weekend ahead of me and lots of great times with great friends.

* * * * *

I joined Weight Watchers online again. Might sound weird, but it’s been the one thing that’s ever worked for me in losing weight. Of course, I start it the week the State Fair begins and have two different happy hours to attend this week (one was last night) and my brother and sister-in-law are coming up this weekend for fun and frivolity. I did lose a pound in my weigh-in this week, so that’s good!

* * * * *

Might have to go to the Fair one of these days next week…friends were hounding me to go and since Tim’s already there*, I could have lunch with him! I guess I’ll see what day they want to go.

TGIF!
_______
* Tim’s working in the marketing dept at the fair this year. Check out his pride and joy: the MN State Fair mobile site! Obviously, it’ll look weird in a web browser, but it looks AWESOME in the iPhone and my crappy “dumb phone”.

I’m Famous!

Carolyn — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:58:04 +0000

Well, my office remodel is anyway!

Here’s the article on Lifehacker: Green Walls and Natural Wood: A Home Office Makeover

I added it to the Lifehacker “show off your office” pool yesterday. I figured it might get some notice…just not this quickly!

I’ve Figured It Out

Carolyn — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:34:55 +0000

I just put my finger on my work-related malaise.

I’m burned out.

Without going into great detail, morale around the office is pretty low. As days go by, I’m wondering where the company that hired me went off to? Because it seems to not be here. But enough about that.

I realized I haven’t taken a true vacation in a LONG time. A vacation where I do nothing but home improvement projects does not count as a vacation. So, I’m planning a trip with Tim for the week after Labor Day to go up north where there’s a cabin with no running water, no technology and no office drama. I can’t wait!

Problem is, it’s a month away. I think I need to take a few Fridays off in the next month to keep my sanity. I’ll have to sit down with the calendar and figure that out.

* * * * *
The 1/2 Marathon training continues to go well. My first 8-mile run on Sunday was brutal. Yes, I ran on Sunday (it was hot, humid and miserable) but I got up early and was on the trail before 8am. It was STILL hot and humid and miserable…just not 98 degrees of it.

I’m tempted to pick up (through the PT job) a Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS watch to help me with training. Currently, I have to plot my run out before I leave the house to figure out distance, and don’t know what my pace is until I get home. It would be nice to monitor those things as I’m running to help pace myself, especially in the longer distances. I just can’t justify spending that much money on something like that. Maybe I can get it for a Xmas present…but then that would be after the 1/2 marathon.

Oh well.

* * * * *
Speaking of vacations, we’ll need someone to check on the kitties the days we’re gone (looking like Thurs-Sat). Auntie J? Anyone? Bueller?

Frugal is the New Black

Carolyn — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:01:33 +0000

Friends and family have called me “thrifty”, “cheap” and “miserly”. I’m OK with that categorization as I don’t think (I hope) that I don’t come across as a crotchety old bag about it. Granted, those closest to me might feel the sting of my miserly nature more acutely, but I don’t see the point of spending money foolishly.

Yes, I have my moments of spending foolishly: this past week we bought new sheets, duvet cover and curtains¹ for the bedroom, but if you ask my sister, I’ve been agonizing buying a new duvet cover for months. The sheets, well, were needed as the sheets we have now are starting to wear out² and the curtains were a more frivolous purchase, but I wanted them to match the new duvet. But, the curtains I have now don’t match the current duvet/sheets because they were a hold over from when I had a quilt³ on the bed from nearly 5 years ago.

Like I mentioned earlier, I do spend money on myself for sheer frivolity every once in a while, but those are few and far between. Most of the stuff I spend money on (outside of the necessities) are for practical items.

In the past few months, however, I’ve gotten lax in my thriftiness. I got a new smart phone (granted, it was cheap and I got an unlimited data and 300 texts plan for $15 on top of my already miserly $29/month cell plan) and I keep thinking of repainting 1/2 the inside of my house, getting new cushions, rugs, possible flooring. I bought a couple of video games because I “needed” something to play. I bought more frivolous Lush stuff (bath bombs? really?) and a new pair of sunglasses (my old ones had lost the nose pads, and I pro-dealed them from my PT job). New clothes. New shoes. Mostly on the plastic, which hasn’t been paid off from the office remodel yet⁴.

Now I sit here thinking about moving to a bigger house, getting a new car, a second “fun” pair of prescription glasses and getting even more crap for the house. NONE of which I need. The stuff we have now is fine! My car’s almost paid off! Why in the hell do I think I need to go further in debt when I don’t need to?

Thus, I’m putting myself on a self-imposed spending ban. No stupid purchases and NOTHING gets put on the card until I get 1/2 of its current balance paid off. This could take some time, but I just put a small post-it note on the front of the card:

REALLY?! Don’t fracking use me! Idiot!

So if I pull it out to buy something else that’s stupid, I’ll see the note and curse myself for being an idiot.

Should work, right?

I’m going to bring frugal back!
_________

1 – From Target and Ikea, respectively. Go big spender!

2 – Why is it so hard for fitted sheet manufacturers to put elastic in their sheets that doesn’t wear out after a year?

3 – A quilt that required going to the laundromat to wash because it was too big for my compact-sized washer/dryer. I also have a small black and white cat that prefers to barf on the bed, thus the need for a duvet cover that I can take off and wash.

4 – Of which we went overbudget by getting the chairs we wanted, which makes me feel guilty to no end spending that much on a frivolous item.

It’s Going To Be One Of THOSE Months!

Carolyn — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:10:37 +0000

All chocolate and chocolate products in the metro area are now under notice for the rest of the week. I hate being a girl sometimes…

* * * * *

Speaking of being a girl (and speaking of my weird chemical allergies), for most of the past 6-9 months, the downtown Minneapolis Target has been carrying organic feminine hygiene products. ONLY the downtown location. However, this was great because I work downtown!

A couple of months ago, I went in to stock up, and they’re gone. Not “moved somewhere else”…but GONE.

Bastards.

Naturally, the brand (out of 3 they must have been testing) that works the best for me is only available online.

On Amazon.com.

Since Tim has a Prime account, I ordered some of the products so I could get them with free 2-day shipping. I feel bad clogging up his recent order history (and “recommended items”) with tampons and pads.

At least I don’t make him go to the store and buy that stuff for me.

11 Weeks?!?

Carolyn — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:52:26 +0000

I realized today that I’m 11 weeks out to the half marathon! I have a lot of work to do in 11 weeks (numbers are miles in each day):

WTF?

Granted, this week will be screwed up b/c I didn’t run at all yesterday due to working on a site redesign for some friends all weekend. Actually, I haven’t run since Thursday?! Egad.

Also, with the humidity the way it is now, I’ll have to put my 6 mile planned run in on the treadmill, which sucks. As I’ve developed in my running, I’ve grown to loathe the treadmill and prefer to run outside or on an indoor running track. Don’t know what I’ll do when the days get shorter or cold weather. I don’t want to pay for a more expensive gym membership just to have access to a running track. I should see what other options are available in the area.

Wish me luck!

Daily Squee

Carolyn — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:46:06 +0000

I think I’m typing this as a dead woman who died from all the cute:

A Few Realizations

Carolyn — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:08:26 +0000

Walk In Closet , originally uploaded by telokaspo.

I spent my lunch break wandering around in various womens clothing stores and I’ve come to a few realizations:

1. Damn I’m old.
2. Damn I’m FAT¹.
3. My closet needs an overhaul (also involves me losing 10 lbs so I can wear more of my closet).
4. I hate the fashion style right now.

Seriously, the styles out there are gross: flimsy, shredded-looking shirts that must be layered (or else give everyone a peep show), floppy baggy shirts, SKIN TIGHT pants. Seriously, Gap, a “Curvy” fit that doesn’t fit my curvy body? How does that work?

I need to find a clothing store that 1) carries clothing cut to fit a person who doesn’t resemble a praying mantis or one of those stick bugs, 2) isn’t OMFG expensive and 3) doesn’t have clothing that my 70-year old mother would wear. I love my mother, but I don’t want to dress like her.

I foresee my weekend’s project: CLOSET CLEANING (and laundry). My life is a whirlwind of excitement and glamour! lol

* * * * *

1 – Seriously ladies, eat a fucking sandwich! I’m not saying I’m a fat sow, but when I feel like Jabba The Hutt next to you, I want to flick you into traffic or a ceiling fan.

Result!

Carolyn — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:25:35 +0000

Me at apx. mile 5.5, originally uploaded by csonnek.

Official time for the 10k on Saturday: 1:07:06, which was close to my estimate!

Sunday I was quite sore in the legs and stairs gave me trouble…but today I’m feeling good! I also realized today that I’m at the halfway mark for distance for that half marathon.

I might just be able to do it!