Career Change

Yep, that is what I am considering right now. I know - I hit 35 and suddenly decide I don't know what I want in life.

As we know, I was the coach in Nebraska. I loved it. Okay, maybe not the success I didn't have at the last high school but did love the coaching and the kids. I use to think that if I would go back to school, I would be a teacher once I am married so I could stay home with the kids in the summer and still be allowed to do the coaching thing.

Well, fast forward to my conversation I had on Friday night. One of the gals I work part time with at Lowe's also is a teacher. Yes, she works two jobs but it is because she is trying to put three boys through college without her Ex's help. We know how that goes! Anywho, she was giving me the run down on all of it. Basically, I would start out at less than $100 a month than I make now. However, they cover the insurance (savings of $62/month) and also contribute to a retirement plan - which I currently don't have through work. Never mind that I get summers off, Christmas, two week breaks. Or on top of that I will get 10 sick days and 10 personal days to use each school year that roll over. Am I crazy? Isn't this a no-brainer? In addition, I would get a raise every school year which is more than I can say for where I am at now, I have had a 2% raise in my 26 months of employment. Pathetic & sad.

So, that is what is on the mind today. I am suppose to be getting some information on what additional classes I would need to take to become teacher certified. The positive is that I still have a job and can get myself up & running on this in my free time!

To date or not date....

that is the question.

In high school, I had a boyfriend. But then in college I dated my fair share of guys, but nothing serious. Then a tragic event happened my junior year of college and caused me to be pretty jaded towards guys and really never dated much after that. When I turned 30, things changed and I met the EX. Things seemed good at first but obviously again, judgement was clouded and not a grand choice in men.

So, fast forward to the fall of 2008. I met the Chef and things seem to go well. We are just so opposite and I have blogged about that before. Plus, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of effort on either part to see each other. Then there was NY Man. We click on a lot of levels and have a lot in common. BUT, he has his things that he needs to work out first and really the only way he and I could date is if he takes his time and works through those things.

So, fast forward to last night. I have known Pimp for over a year now. There is the attraction factor and he is a super nice guy. A few of us typically go out for drinks on Friday night after we close Lowe's. There has been an occasion or to where it just ends up being the girls and Pimp. Hence we changed the song My Girl to "My Pimp" one night while drinking because he is always there with the girls and it has always stuck since then. Well, last night, TMK, Pimp and I went out for one or two drinks. TMK bowed out because she had to be back at 10 am. Pimp and I ended up playing pool and closing down the bar. For the record, I still SUCK at pool. We got the closing call at 2 and closed out our tab and headed out.

Pimp and I headed out and were chatting. At some point chatting became a make out session in the parking lot. Yes - a teenager all over again. But level heads won out and I resisted the offer and headed to home to my own bed by myself. Pimp is an excellent kisser, I will give him that. :) He almost was very persuasive getting me to come over too. I just said I didn't want a drunk thing and he told me he would call tonight after he gets off from work so we could watch a movie...we'll see.

So, what is the problem one asks? Oh, about 10 years of age difference. He is much more mature than his age but freely admits he isn't ready for a serious relationship. I on the other hand feel like my biological clock is tickin. So, do you date him knowing it isn't serious until someone else comes along? Or do you pass just because the age difference? Or just date and see if it evolves into something but does that make me a cougar?

I know you silent lurkers are out there and never post, but I am expecting people to weigh in on this one. We know that I have had a terrible track record of picking guys so really not sure what to do on this one.

Being Frugal

That is my new motto anyway. As some of you may or may not know, my entire goal is to be debt free by the time I am 40. That leaves me with 4 years, 4 months and 28 days to knock it out. It all is a culmination of bad choices, bad choices with the Ex, more bad choices of my own, a few healthy choices, a bad economy, etc. In other words a lot of excuses that I am tired of.

So, with the start of Second Chances last week, I am getting serious about my Second Chances Financially. It probably is unrealistic to expect to have my house paid off in under 10 years - but it is worth a try, right?

So, my challenge to myself this week is to live out of my pantry. I always buy stuff I don't need or buy more than I need and never use it. I think we all have been there. So, with that in mind, I just got the staples at the grocery store last night. Okay - staples and a treat. :) I walked away with Grapes, banana's, apples, carrots, and a pint of ice cream. That there was the $9.65 grocery bill for the week. Whoohooo - I think that is a pretty grand start if you ask me. I had enough for sandwiches & chips for lunch or leftovers for lunch and sandwiches on Lowe's days. I had a great dinner last night, which translated into a tasty lunch today!

On my other up news of the week, apparently I have had a review I didn't know about at Lowe's and received a $0.40 raise. That is the second raise I have had since I started there. Now, in one year's time I have received an 8% raise in my pay. In my full time "real" job, I have received a 2% raise in 26 months. Hmmmm, wonder if something is wrong with this picture? Maybe I need to start looking for a different "real" job.

2nd Chances

Well, yesterday marked the beginning of the Biggest Loser's Season 8, one in which the theme is Second Chances. Dc and I did some quick thinking and discussion and decided that this was the time for our second chance and time to get rid of the weight once and for all. Tuesday marked the beginning of a new session of WW for her, the first night of BL - so why not start on Tuesday.

We decided to recruit some people with us on our journey, so DC's sister is joining the fun as well as C. Whoohooo. DC and I are in the process of updating our old journey website so you can head on over there and watch our journey!!!

http://txmdchallenge.spaces.live.com/


I got on the scale and had an ugly number stare back at me....187.8. So close to 200 lbs, it is sad. I would never imagine in my life that I would be this big and not having a pregnancy to blame it on. But, I don't have any excuses outside of not working out and not caring what I put in my mouth.

The sad reality is that I am so big that I can't fit into 90% of my closet, a closet that is packed with clothes. I think I might wear the same outfits to work every week because that is what fits. It is hard to believe that a little over a year ago, I was in great shape and down to a size 10. Ugh! But, it is what it is and I am ready to make the changes necessary. I will reclaim my closet one article of clothing at a time!!!!

Family!!!

Yes, my last post ended with the ring of the door bell. Who would be on the other side...yes, my first family visitors outside of my parents since I moved to Texas over two years ago. Bout Time!

The original intent of the trip was that D & I were going to do the Austin Triathlon together. Well, insane work schedules and the weather being hotter than HELL, I quit training so it was D flying solo.

So, the Sisters & D arrived on Friday afternoon, sans kids since they were in school. First order of business...the outlet mall and the Salt Lick. Yummy for my tummy. Day 2...well it involved a lot of booze and water. Yep that would be the Guadalupe River. It was overcast and the River was low but I believe a good time was had by all. I won't go into how DirecTv wouldn't let us order the Nebraska game at half time. If we want to pay full price who cares when we order it?

Day 3...we had to check in D for the race and drop his bike off. Ultimately it ended up being a low key day doing things around Austin. I ended up sick for the afternoon & evening. But we still made it to the pool and The Oasis for supper. Unfortunately we were slow going so we missed sunset there. :(

Day 4...race day. We were up at the butt ass crack of dawn...4:30 to be exact. D was a trooper dealing with 3 cranky ladies that early and kicked @ss in the tri! Without the heat to train in all summer, he did fab and placed in the top 500, with over 1,000 people in the race. Once he was done, it was nap time for all.

At the end of Day 4, we had to celebrate a great trip. We headed to Joe's Crab Shack for some yummy seafood on Lady Bird Lake. C came out of her shell and even tried some seafood! I can't blame her - I didn't eat it until I moved here. Then since it was still early, we headed to Congress Bridge to see the bats take flight for the night. There is 1.5 million bats that live under this bridge and take flight every night. I think that C was not impressed. Then, we headed to Coyote Ugly. I believe enough can be said knowing that A was on the bar dancing & loving it.

All in all, I believe we all had a great time. I believe A said next time, we need to go downtown earlier in the trip and not the night before they drive back!

Forever and a day

I can't believe a month has passed without nothing inspiring from me. Holy Cow! Well things have been busy in the past month. After a weekend of camping with New York Man, things fizzled and I saw his true colors. Fortunately not a lot of time was invested.

Of course, ironically Chef man re-entered the picture. Not that he ever left the picture, we still talked every day if not every other day, just not had a chance to hang out. I love chillin with him, it is relaxing, drama free time. If we could just have more things in common!! But he did cook a fabulous dinner and we can now check off crab cakes, rice and Bison Filet as foods I have officially eaten!

Mid August saw the arrival of Skipper and her family. I call her the Skipper because I only tried to skip school once, all day, with her and things did not go as planned. Ahhh, memories. Now since they had a we-one, all of 6, we did all the fun things that kids love. Thursday we did Schlitterbaughn. Who can't love that place? Of course, towards the end of the day, the rude people & kids were getting on my nerves! But, I survived. Friday, I had to work since my copart already requested the day off. Skipper & family used it as a down day. I met them in San Marcos Outlet Mall and I don't think Skipper's family had as much fun there as we could of. :) We called it a night after a great dinner at the Salt Lick. Saturday, Sea World here we come. It was a 10 hour day there and we STILL didn't see it all. I'll get some pictures up soon!

Now, I am just patiently waiting for my cousins to arrive from Nebraska. JAS hubby is doing the triathlon on Monday. I was suppose to but after a streak of 136 hours of work in 15 days, I decided I needed a break from training. Plus all the 100 degree days was not helping the cause! There is the door bell.