Going camping! So dang it I canceled a horseback riding for today with about 10 people because I thought it was going to rain. Um the sun is out shinning. How horrible I so wanted to go horseback riding too.
So Steve and I are just going to leave early for our trip. I don't think I am going to be able to post until Tuesday. Its not that I am trying to get out of my responsibility of posting 30 times in 30 days. Although I have more then 1 post on a few days so that should count towards something.
I love taking the camper & going to the woods. Yep I am funny. But seriously last time Steve and I went it wasn't all bad. I totally learned how to put the trailer up & put it away. I felt like I was in the KNOW.
Anyway I chose a place 2 hours away on the coast. Hope its good. The last 2 times I made reservations they all turned out pretty good. So I am not too worried.
Just wanted to tell you where I took off to if you were all wondering why I'm not posting. Maybe there will be internet service. Hahhaha Usually there is not! Of course.
So it was a lot of fun. Being away with Steve and "roughing" it...
Really I don't rough it much. I mean it isn't say as luxurious as staying at a hotel but it isn't tent camping either.
We were pretty much alone after Sunday afternoon. It was like a ghost town.
We were @ Bodega Bay Dunes State Park:
Sonoma State Beach features coastland with beaches, reefs, coves, tidepools, headlands, and natural arches. With more than ten miles of shore, 5,000 acres, this state beach is one of the largest in the state. The park stretches from Bodega Head to the Russian River. There is a five-mile trail system in the dunes. The beach is home to one of California's largest seal rookeries. In the winter, Bodega Head is one of the finest whale-watching sites on the North Coast. The park is also home to many kinds of seabirds. The ocean bay and river frontage offers perch, salmon, steelhead and smelt fishing.
Steve and I did some exploring but mostly we hung out at the camp ground and the ocean.
The wind was pretty strong on Sunday and the waves were incredible to watch.
So today I was kind of dreading but also looking forward to my weekly WI. I dreaded it on one hand because I would be disappointed if all my struggling over how the choices in foods I ate while I on vacation didn't work out, meaning I lost nothing or even gained I would feel like I went through all that for nothing.
I was looking forward to it because I know I did really good with portions and I stayed within my guidelines of what I am looking to achieve.
So with my loss of 3 pounds over this last week, well I feel justified for all my actions.
I feel like I am on the right path and I am starting to get this. Even though my mind doesn't always want to cooperate. I don't always want to do whats best for well being because its hard. I want to be like everyone else sometimes. I mean I don't know exactly what that means but if others are just eating like they don't care, sometimes I want to do that too!
But unfortunately for me I have to be very vigilante of what I do because too many slips will send me sliding down the path I don't want to be on. So alas I carry on doing what I know is right for me.
I went back to Weight Watchers (WW) in May. It was a good decision for me. I did really well on it last time and I plan on keeping it in my life to come.
My husband is happy about it since now I really am aware of cooking and eating out. Travel has been hard. Its harder to stay focused when your not in control of where the food is coming from. Although I believe I did ok while away over this past week. Its what I could do with what I had.
Down again and so I've lost 21 pounds over the last 8 weeks. I think its great and I know right now I continue on. On this running sticker I bought it says its not how fast you finish, its as long as you finish. Although I will never be done with my weight struggles or food issues there is a finish with the aspect of weight. I won't always have to "lose" weight. However managing is a whole other story.
So this is my family on my DH side. We went to a reunion during the holidays. We were able to see 50 of our relatives. We're all wearing shirts made for us for the reunion. They represent the number of our place in the family. People who have left our family had a number but no shirt was made of course. Only 2 didn't show on purpose because they were with their other family and couldn't be present. There were 2 of my cousins on their missions who were also unable to attend. The one in Canada, the other in Louisiana. They however are represented in the picture (they're the cardboard cutouts) It was so nice to be around family again. Its like they understand you...or have to understand you hahahaha!
Hello to all my fans or whatever. Its been way over a month since I put anything on my blog which is "BAD MARLENE" huh?
I know you all want to know what I've been up to. Especially since Steve and I just got back from Jamaica. SO let me post some pics from our trip. Ok where to start hmmmm. How about the reason I gained 10lbs while I was on vacation:
Yea those are just some of the food items I had to contend with. I still haven't gotten a handle on taking it easy. I so know this struggling with my weight will be an ongoing life thing. I know I didn't have to eat as much as I did. But everything was pretty good. I tried almost everything which is part of my problem. Although I went to the gym 3 mornings and also did a lot of walking + went snorkeling twice it still wasn't enough. Boy if I really would have stuck to being on plan I think I could have lost 5-6 pounds.
Next let me show you all the scenery of where we were staying...flowers included!
This was a room with a private swimming pool in the courtyard between bedroom & the sitting room area. We went on a tour of our resort side and our driver showed us this room in person...it was fabulous! Not sure its worth like $700 a night though.
Next I want to show you some pictures of things we did...
This is me @ Dunne River Falls we actually walked up the falls!!! Its was fun but kind of crazy. Its a huge Ocho Rios attraction. Mother nature at its most beautiful. This is me horse back riding...on the beach. One reason I was trying to lose weight all year. Wanted to go horse back riding in the ocean. Was exhilarating!!!
Me going down waterslide in one of the pools on our side of the resort.
Steve climbing up the pole to go zip-lining. He really enjoyed this...I however did not participate in that activity my fear of heights kind of got to me.
This was our favorite employee of the week, Jackie. She was the head of activities or something. She snuck us into a private buffet dinner for a convention that was going on there. That was kind of fun. There was a steel drum band...plus pretty good food. This picture was actually of our last night. Norman, Lisa, Steve and I dressed up fancy and went to the nicest restaurant at the resort property in Ocho Rios. See Sandals has this shuttle that will bring you to any of their properties in the same area. SO we could go to Dunne's River Inn. Nice place but a lot smaller then our resort.
Trying to think of what else to show you...oh I loved that they raked the beach every morning & night that I took pictures.
Happy Dance Day! I don't have to work for 9 days!!! Yep I am off on V_A_C_A_T_I_O_N! OH & ITS FRIDAY! PAY DAY TOO! um I'm happy. Work was good today. Things went smoothly...my desk is all cleared off and my schedule is all scheduled! The things I was all stress over and upset about yesterday got worked out. Today was just a fabulous day.
Ok so plans this weekend I think I'll workout and get ready for my trip...I need to wash clothes, pack and print out my boarding pass hehehe :D Steve and I will probably go to the Temple tomorrow to. Who knows. Its vacation time....Relax :) Thats my plan
Yep this is what I wanted to do a few times today. Frustrating! My job, can be so frustrating at times. I schedule jobs to be done for customers. I want them to get done for customers. I like to have good customer service. I like being there for both the crew & the customer. I don't like it when there is this total disconnect between the system. I don't want to be the missing link I want to be a fluid system. Maybe thats my problem I care too much. I always have. When I worked as cashier taking payments I stressed when we had long lines and I tried to speed up and go faster because I myself waiting in line would want a cashier to do that. I always try to put myself in the customers shoes. I think sometimes people in the business I work in think they've been there for sooooo long that it doesn't matter they have a job, they can do whatever.
So I've had a hard day. Stressful I feel like pulling my hair out at some of the responses I've heard from the people I with today. But its all part of the job. Don't get me wrong not all jobs are peachy every day. Can't complain. It pays the bills plus some...
Going on vacation soon, only have 1 day left of work then I have 9 days work free!!!! Get to go see my Lil' Sis and the beautiful city of Seattle which it shouldn't be raining now. hehehehe :D I am then going down southern CA to visit some WOW friends. My sis and I have some plans. Well I have want to get my nails done. Pedis & manis! I want to go to this restaurant I seen on food network. On Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. So the place I want to go is Voula's Offshore Cafe www.voulasoffshore.com
I also want to check out Bainbridge island you have to take a ferry across to get there. I have tried to go there twice now. This time I am going to make it. REALLY!
The Yucatan was amazing!! We stayed at this place called Xpu-Ha Palace which is a 5 diamond resort placed in the middle of an animal sanctuary. It was set right on the beach. It was the exact definition of paradise. We stayed in a bungalo style hut that was separated in. Even though everything was outdoors, we definitely were not roughing it. The resort sits ocean side but is shielded from seeing anything outside its walls with thick brush and trees. We had to search our way to the beach but loved every minute of it.
This a our bungalo. Amazing huh? These pictures do it no justice. It had to be just like Adam & Eve, except there were other people around serving us all day. I guess Adam & Eve could not say that. We also ate a lot of forbidden fruit. When we ordered fruit from room service, we expected kind of like a plate of cut fruit. No, it was whole gigantic grapes, mangoes, and papaya on steroids. We ate so many of them for breaky, lunch, & dinner. This was all inclusive which made the forbidden fruit taste even better.
Ok, so snorkeling story. There was this tiny reef inlet at the resort that people could canoe or snorkel in. It had this huge tree in the middle of it. The roots from this tree took up so much space and made the water really dark and mysterious. Avery jumped in without me and took off around this huge tree under the water. I waited until I could see him again before I jumped in. When he came back to see me, he told me that behind the tree seemed really creepy and dark and that I should go check it out. (so protective of me isn't he.) So I blew it off and told him he was just afraid. I started to search and explore around this reef and tree when all of the sudden this HUGE fish was starring me in the face. I am not kidding. He was about the size of a cow with now legs and his face was literally 2 feet from mine. I screamed in my mask and proceeded to swim backwards faster than I have ever swam in my life. By the time I got turned around I was almost walking on water. Avery was up on the dock laughing so hard. He said he has never seen anyone swim that fast in their life. I think I flew up on the dock instead of climbing up. I told him about this fish by holding my arms out as far as I could to show him the size of the beast. He totally cracked up and said I was exaggerating and there was no such thing. He was waving his hands as if to blow me off while laughing still histerically at my olympic style swimming. I told him that I was not making it up, that this thing was seriously as big as me if not bigger. My heart was still pounding from the look in the fish's eye as he swam up to me almost as if to say "Hey, what's up!" He didn't look mean but still just his mere size and stare was enough to make me pee my swimming suit and now here was Avery so beside himself with the vision of this fiasco and fictional fish story. I was just starring at him like how was I going to convince him of this thing. I told him to go in there and check it out. He said he was done but I think deep down inside he was just afraid. Just then, this guy comes around the corner and asks "Hey. did you see the Manitee in there?". I looked at Avery as his moking came to an abrupt stop. His eyes went wide and his gaze went from me to the reef. I told him I could not believe that he would believe a complete stranger over his own wife. Even though the guy informed us that they were docile and didn't mind people, Avery never got in that water again the whole trip. I still see this fish's eyes in my sleep. I was like both of us were just minding our own business and just happen to bump into each other in the dark. It was pretty funny.
The hairy legs are mine. So sexy.
This pic was taken at Xel-Ha (shell ha). It was pretty much a massively huge reef made into a snorkel, scuba dive park just behind Talum (old mayan ruins). I have never seen anything like this place in my life. It was about 10 miles in circumference and so much to do. There was cliff jumping, snuba, scuba, rope swings, tubing, swim with the dolphins, etc. I mostly just loved the beauty of it as you will never see anything this beautiful in the states. There are more pics in the album below.
We also visited one of the seven wonders of the world, Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is a mayan ruin city. It was very educational and seeing things like this helps us whity american's gain a better appreciation for Mexico and the Mayan (Which actually is vastly different). Anyway, I can not even explain all that we visited here because there was so much of it. So if you are interested in learning more, click on this link: http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/chichen/chichen_index.html
We also went to a place called Coba, which is a mayan ruin as well, just not a city such as Chichen Itza. However, Coba has the tallest tower in the world and we actually got to climb that one. It was just like the stairmaster only hotter. Too bad my camera died. The only regret about our visit to these cities was that there were Mormon tours for each of them and we did not know. Apparently there is quite a bit of LDS history with the ancient cities of the Yucatan.
Since its been like a week I have a lot to talk about. First I spent the day at a convention for Homeowner Associations. I know weird huh? I am on the board here @ the townhouse Steve and I live in. There are so many interesting things you can learn by going to those meetings. I just learned all these new laws and about amendments just passed previous on laws. Its crazy about all this stuff you need to know or should know being on a HOA board. Wow the insurance needs to be covered for lawsuits alone is just nuts!!! At 1st I was upset I wasted a Saturday to go this convention but I guess it was a good idea for us to go. I mean having as many board members certified is in the best interest for the HOA as whole. If I wasn't on the board and just lived here I would think it was a wise way for my dues to be spent. Knowing that my HOA members were update on what was going on with CA law.
Anyway work is going pretty great! I am totally loving my job. I love most the people I work with...or for I guess I would say. I schedule the gas & electric crews. I think I said that before. The small 2 man crews only. Its fun in a challenging aspect because I feel like I am needed and people value me. Its nice to be busy but not tied to a cash register in front of customers...does that make sense...I am busy in such a different way!
I am going to go visit my sister in 1 week. I am so excited. I am going to see her from Sunday - Friday so June 29/July 4 then fly to Burbank and stay down there for 4th of July weekend and drive home on the 6th. Steve will probably drive down on the 3rd to visit Bryan and Chandra earlier. We haven't seen them in so long. I think almost a year. I think their going to freak when they see me. Well with me losing so much weight.
That reminds me the lady at the Mongolian BBQ restaurant said " Oh my what happened to you" - refering to my weight loss. Its rather nice to have soooo many people noticing all the time now. It kind of makes me blush.
I know I need to post some need pictures. I will I will I need to get some taken when I am up visiting my sister.
OH in other news my walk is super close only 21 days away now... If you feel like you would like to make a donation to my walk since I am still a little short on my fundraising! Please Click on the link below to make a donation. No donation is too small!!!
