Holy 100!

I can't believe it....this is my 100th post.  Oh how time flies!  Over the past few months you've got to learn a lot about me.  You've learned the story of my husband and I, you've read about my many journeys, you've met my parents, seen my favorite things and even heard about my enemies.  You know about some of the good times, and some of the bad, you know about losing people and finding new interests and the things I would be, if I could be anything other than who/what I am. 

 The last year had been a year full of change and accomplishment.  Zac and I got married (finally).  We moved (3 times).  We bought and renovated 3 trailers.  We finally paid off my car. Our families have had two new babies (4 if you count extended family, I think).  I graduated and started practice. I lost 10lbs, found 15, lost 15.  I gained 5 inches of hair and wish I could gain another inch of height.   I traveled to the Bahamas, Europe, and Portland.  I realized that my best friend will always love me unconditionally, truly, undconditionally.  And, I rediscovered my love of painting.  Zac has gotten 3 promotions and turned down 2 other job opportunities.  Aubrie and Everett have grown up and made that subtle shift from being toddlers to little kids (complete with little girl legs and big boy underpants).  Caroline escaped Maggie womb and now stands and crawls and waves goodbye and shovels eggs into her mouth as fast as possible.  

While my life is remarkably different today than it was a year ago today, it's not the big stand out events that have made me better, that have strengthened me in my relationships or as a person.  It's those small, subtle things.  It's learning that when Zac calls upset or with bad news, it's because he needs me to make it better, not because I need to get worked up and tell him what I think he should do.  It's watching Caroline stand that makes me realize I need to hold her more.    It's accepting disappointment and working to make things better.  It's being appreciative that my husband will get himself ready to go to work in the other bathroom beccause it's early and he wants me to be able to sleep (and not having to ask him to do that).  And it's been celebrating little victories, like seeing 30 patients a week for a month straight, or being able to make a broken down trailer into a nice home.  These are the things I've written my last 99 posts about.  I just hope that they've in some little way made your day, or last 99 days, better.         

Here's to my 100th post!  I just know you will all pop a bottle open over this tonight! (except you Annie, you should not pop open a bottle...you have to work tomorrow and we know you can't handle wine.)

In the words of Jillian...I'm probably a little bit crazy

I have never been fit and trim.  On the contrary, I've been moderately muscled and curvy.  While I do have the distinct benefit of being tall and have been able to carry my weight well (or at least I tell myself that), I'm quite tired of it.  I got down to my lowest weight my senior year of high school.  I basically did the ephedra and mild anorexia diet for a summer and lost 30lbs.  Don't be concerned, I say it all in jest.  Anorexia is a serious problem, my only serious problem was finding time to eat while attending summer school and working 2 jobs.  But, it was still quite an effective diet.  I kept all that off until my second year of college.  Then I slowly put it on, then some.  I don't like weighing over 200 lbs, so it's diet time.  

I'm not a fan of dieting, lets be honest, who is.  I really just want to be healthier and not have a body image complex like so many other girls.  I will say, I'm not modest.  I've never been one to worry or care what others will think of me if I wear a two piece swimsuit.  I say to hell with them.  Plus, for the most part those I wear my swimsuit around are strangers and I'm on vacation so who is gonna tell my mom that she should be embarrased for me (which she would be, even if she says she wouldn't. it's true mom, and it's ok, it doesn't bother me.)  This is me, on vacation, in a (gasp) two piece.  Now, it's not that I look at that picture and think, "oh my, I was out of control," it's that I'm in no way comfortable weighing more than my husband, who's 6'4".  Like I said, it's not others' opinions of me that matter, it's just that I don't wanna hate my legs or arms or whatever.  

Since my birthday, April 10th, I've been making an effort to lose the weight.  Currently I'm down 15lbs and got 40 to go if I want to be back to my fighting weight again.  This has become my goal.   My sister Annie has also been gung-ho lately to get back in shape.  She's worried about her stomach and thighs and whatnot.  She wants to go balls-to-the-wall P90X style.  I've been there, done P90X.  Not interested right now.  (What my sisters seem to forget when worrying about their bodies is that they will never have to hold the title of "fattest sister."  That one's all mine.  Always has been.  Luckily, I also get "most educated" and "tallest" and "funniest" you guys know it, so suck it, ha!)

So, in an effort not to be the fattest sister anymore, cause really, why can't we all just be thin, I've decide to take more action.  Literally.  Physical action.  I signed up for my first 5K and am now "in training" for it.  It is on July 24th in Springfield IL.  I asked Annie and she said she'd train for it too, then I told her my best friend was gonna do it with me and she said, "oh good, that way you've got someone else if I back out." Hahaha.  Oh Annie, you are ridiculous.  But none the less.  I've been inspired to do it.  Somewhat by Annie, and also by Elise and her 5K and by Nancy who puts forth the effort to stay healthy on a regular basis.  I'll need your help to stay motivated, but I'm already registered and committed.  Just imagine, come July 24th, this will be me.  

Well, at less of an awkward upward photo angle.  And with more of an urban background.  And with darker hair.  You get my point.  

Maggie the Kid aka Ninja Maggie

As most of you know, I like to paint.  Not really rooms, though I find myself doing so ridiculously often.  I like to paint pictures of whatnot.  I always say that I don't think people get it, that they think I am just bad and not intentionally making my paintings look the way the do.  This story, while amusing, is not going to change those opinions.

Like I said, I like silly, wonky, odd art which is why I painted these.

In the midst of painting for Ethel Edith Maggie asked me to paint her.  This is what Maggie looked like that night. 

Things started off well.  I've only done realist art with a sketch pad and pencil before, so this was a new one for me...but I decided to try a realistic painting.  All was going well, the hair, the flower, the eyes and brows, then the nose even turned our right.  I finished up her lips then added freckles and this is when things went wrong.  They were too dark. I tried to lighten them and it got worse.  I tried to add a little water and thin them out.  Fail.  So, this is what I ended up doing.  Then I laughed hard. 

This is Maggie in full ninja/wild west gang memeber disguise.  Ladies and Gents, I'd like to introduce you to Maggie the Kid, an infamous Texas gun slinger. 

Hahahahaha!  Like I said, I'm changing no opinions

Oh Zac....

My husband is ridiculous.  He just kills me with the things he says.  We are just wrapping up our first year of marriage and still working out some issues with communication.  We've been together for 4 and 1/2 years, so you think we'd have it down by now but that's not the case.  Of course, we will always have things to work on, this is a marriage after all.  Laziness and apathy can cause big problems.... hence the things we argue about.  It's not that Zac is lazy, cause he's not.  He is very diligent at work (#1 installer in the territory- 6 states, after only 6 months on the job!) but he does slack a little at home.  He, a vast majority of the time, will do everything I ask him to do, which is great.  He does not, however, do the things that need done.  By that I mean, if it's not on a list or explicitly asked he doesn't even acknowledge things need done.  For example, I had to switch the front door knob.  I forgot Zac's drill at Annie's while we were working on Ethel Edith stuff, so I just had a little screw driver.  I got both screws started, drew one tight, then was tightening the other when I realized I had threaded it crooked and it was effectively stuck.  I just left it, planning on fixing it when we got the drill back or for Zac's day off, which was 2 days away.  That stupid knob was like that for 2 weeks!  When I asked Zac why he didn't fix it on one of his 4 days off he said "you didn't tell me I needed to."  YOU COULD SEE IT! Literally one screw sticking out all janky.  Even though it stared at him, he didn't know he should fix it, especially when he was too busy playing the video game he borrowed from his friend.

The best part of this is that when I told him I was frustrated because I feel, at this point, he is old enough and we've been together long enough, he should just take care of things.  I said, "you don't have to ask me to pay your student loan payment or clean the sink, I just do it cause it's what needs done."  He replied, "You never give me any credit.  I'm so much better than I used to be.  You're mad cause I didn't do things you didn't tell me to do.  You used to be pissed cause I didn't do things you specifically asked me to do."  I laughed out loud at the absurdity of that comment but I wasn't mad anymore.

He had a point.  A ridiculous point, but a point nonetheless.  He's right, he is better than he used to be.  The other day he made the bed and swept the floor and I didn't put either on a list.  I just love him.  He's so illogical it almost makes sense.  He cracks me up!  Even when I'm pissed, even when the door knob is broken and the laundry set so long in the washer that it's mildewed, I love that ridiculous husband of mine.

It's done!

Big sigh of relief...the office is painted.  This was the color I started with, a kinda yellowish white.  The lighting in the office does that color no favors.  Now, a reminder....my boss owns the building and we share it with Dollar General.  DG may be expanding into our space, in which case we may build a new office.  This would be in 1-2 years so it's not easy to convince my boss to invest any money at all into revamping the office.  This was my first small victory!

It was ugly, plus you could see into the messy records room and I hated it.  It's dark, but you get the idea.

This was the after.  Where that big wreath was is going to be a big piece of artwork.  I haven't decided if I will use a 4ftx6ft abstract that my cousin Jud painted or if I will spend $30 at Hobby Lobby and do it myself.  I've not painted much abstract art. Mostly I paint intentionally wonky folk art and dabble in some cubism.  This will be outside the box for me, but I think I can do it.  If not, I've still got a big ol' canvas to turn into something wonderful.  

Subtle change but good.  Definately for the better.  Please ignore our sad stained carpet.  Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about it yet.  We really do have to wait to see if we are moving before we invest in flooring.

A proper grouping of licenses and office policies. 

I just bought a curtain for the doorway between those two bookcases.  Somehow I was able to get curtains that were damn near the same color as the wall.  It's just so much cleaner, so much.  I was worried that if we painted then everything else in the office was gonna seem really outdated, but was thrilled that it seems like the opposite had happened.  Things seem newer and I am just so glad.  Hope you like it...it really is subtle, but it's so much better now.  

I'm trying

I swear, sometimes I can't get any work done for working.  I have had a very busy weekend and this week is not letting up much.  I have to finish work then go to Annie's to work on Ethel Edith stuff tonight, but maybe tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a new, potentially less busy day.  I had fully intended on posting the pictures from my office's makeover but just got the pictures taken yesterday and you can't see the paint color very well....anyway.  I have them and I will post them soon!  It just looks so much cleaner.  To me it's a huge difference, sadly, few patients have even noticed.  Bummer right, it took lots of effort.  Now I just have to get the rest of the rooms updated somehow.  It will happen!  I hope :)

In the beginning...

If you read my last blog you know that i'm repainting my office.  I am not a huge fan of wallpaper, well, unless it looks like this.  Love a damask that's traditional but funky at the same time, but anyway

The office had a border, lots and lots of border.  Its in every room.  Every room.  I decided it must come down and started on it yesterday night because Zac isn't home on Monday nights, so what was the point of rushing home. I started at 5:30 and locked up the place at 8, so about 2 and 1/2 hours to do two rooms.  This was halfway through

I kept on trucking and before I knew it my waiting room was naked...

We (Connie, Bill and I) all decided on a color.  Its called Stonehenge and is a Colorplace sample as Walmart is the only place to get paint in Pana.  Its a greenish grayish taupe.  I think this is a good comparison

It looks good with the green counter top and the wood and not bad with our akward-greenish-teal chairs.  The next problem is what to do with those office chairs?  These are basically what ours look like now

It's an odd color.  What I would love to do is sand and restain the legs and then have each chair recovered in black faux leather.  Really what I want is these

But that's probably not gonna happen. Paint is a start though.  Definately a step in the right direction!  Wish me luck as the paint is going up tonight!