my coffee shop...

Here is the web address for Hartford Coffee Co. I'm sorry that I can't link it. I need to have a tutorial with my more blog saavy friends to figure out how to link things. I've tried using the shortcuts at the top of the posts and they aren't working...well the pictures do but nothing else.

http://www.hartfordcoffeecompany.net/index.html

I'm a "Regular"!!!

Some of the coffee shop regulars are viewing me as a regular which I found exciting this morning. I've decided to introduce myself to the staff of my favorite coffee shop the next time I'm in...especially Sullen Guy who always under-charges me, gives me extra bacon when I order a sandwich, doesn't get frustrated when I can't decide if I want food or not, and let's it roll off his back if I get distracted (sometimes I have Monkey with me). I'm always polite* (I greet them with a "Hi", I try and be as quick with ordering as possible, and ALWAYS say "please" and "thank you") but if I'm going to see these people as often as I sometimes do I should introduce myself...right???

*At least to the ones that don't try and act all condescending when, I accidentally, order two "endless cups" (insert nasty look here by guy taking order), and I end up clarifying my order by saying that I want two 16 oz. sized "to go" coffees which is technically different than an "endless cup". I did have one of the staff give me a look like "You are so clueless. I'm so much hipper than you will ever be. I would never screw up my coffee order. How lame you must be. I can't believe all of the extra steps you are making me go through to put this order in." which I thought was rude.

As a person who works at a coffee shop you should have the understanding that some of the people who order will have some order clarity issues...THAT'S WHY WE DRINK COFFEE!!! So don't all go and get an attitude when one of us accidentally orders using the incorrect terms for the coffee (sizes, types, etc.)

I could also complain about a girl that works there who speaks as little as possible to me and acts like I'm bothering her by being there ordering. But I digress...

BTW Sullen Guy has never given me attitude. He quietly backs up in the order, corrects it, and then gives me my "to go" cup (whichever size I want...generally the 16 oz.) marked with a "B" (I think that stands for endless cup. I might ask him the next time since I'm going to introduce myself anyway), and then ALWAYS says thank you. So thank you Sullen Guy. You always brighten up my coffee shop visits.

Count it...

Number 26 Pilates routine completed. I also did cardio workouts six times last week. I've done two this week already. I have found that I am craving more water (now that I've cut out soda again. Yes, I relapsed.) and also fresh fruits and vegetables. I get really bad with soda where I'm thirsty and I drink that, but then I feel bloated and then I crash while never truly quenching my thirst. With water I sometimes feel engorged in my stomach I drink so much at one time but that subsides after a little while and I actually feel better. I don't have the same problems with coffee...so I'm sticking to coffee.

Public Enemy Nos. 6,7,8, and 9.....

Yech!!!!! Max The Cat caught 6 and 7. We bought some glue traps and caught 8. I guess Max The Cat must have also caught number 9, and Dirty just stepped on that one under the computer desk. BLEEEEECCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!! We bought poison so that they would just die in the walls but Dirty is too worried about using it with the pets and kids. I say we cram that stuff in all of the holes we think they are coming out of and be a little more proactive. BLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Note to Self...

Would you quit doing that belly dance routine in your socks on the carpet?!?!? You're wearing holes into the bottom of your socks and there are MANY other things that you need, clothing-wise, instead of buying new socks. That and the fact that it can't possibly be that attractive to belly dance in your socks anyway. SO KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!!!

Count It...

Pilates routine number 25 completed today. I've also proudly finished four days in a row of cardio for at least 30 minutes. Nice. While doing the belly dancing routine with no pants on looking in the mirror I noticed that I am getting definition in my leg muscles (quadriceps and glutes to be exact). I was also admiring my shoulders and triceps while doing mat Pilates.

So while I'm not losing any weight I still feel like I'm looking better. I'm trying to be at peace with the fact that I won't get to a size 4 in as quickly as 30 Pilates sessions. And really it's taken me about a year to get to the size I am now. There was some time after gaining weight of just being where I wasn't feeling very healthy but was okay with just being.

I like that after cardio I feel like I have more energy throughout the day. For instance, I got home after Tae Kwon Do and swept the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom, and vacuumed the whole house. And while I feel physically tired I still feel more energized than before getting back into shape. I think I'm sleeping better and wake up ready to go. And cardio is something that I said I obviously needed and I'm glad that I'm finding ways, that I enjoy, to incorporate them into my exercise routine.

Count It...

Number 24 Pilates routine completed. I also walked yesterday, extremely briskly, with KL. She's not that much taller than me, and I don't think her legs are that much longer than mine, but man alive I was huffing and puffing and sweating profusely. She chatted and I don't think she sweat at all. Now the sweating thing could just be me because I've found that I am a pretty sweaty person, but I do remember her telling me that she is pretty sweaty also in a previous conversation.

Today, I also completed an intermediate belly dancing dvd. I started it while Marcus was at preschool, but then lost my focus. I needed to put a letter in the mail and the mailbox that I was thinking about is across the street from a coffee shop. I also had a card completey punched which gave me a free coffee at said coffee shop. So I quit because I "decided" that it was "too hard" and that I should try a beginners video (which I would still like to do). But this afternoon I decided to give it another go and finished it. It was a really good cardio workout and different than the same old same old Pilates/Yoga/Dance dvds that I have been doing. That made my hips sore in all the right places. :D Plus I love dancing as a workout...even if my tummy is not toned like the girls in the video and I jiggle a whole lot more than any of them. It's belly dancing so you are going to jiggle a little even if you are in great shape like Rania who leads the video. I definitely need to perfect the moves though. I had trouble getting into position for each set which threw me off. But it was my first go at the belly dancing and I think I did pretty well. I think I'll try to renew it through the library for as long as they'll let me.

Public Enemy No. 5

Mouse number 5 was found after Dirty was "smelling" something which he thought would end with us finding a mouse carcass in one of my shoes. After an extensive hunt and me looking in every place possible in my stuff he found Public Enemy No. 5 in one of his shoes. This one was pretty gross. The two mice that I found I found pretty quickly but this one was bloated and obviously starting to smell. Max The Cat must have had the mouse under siege in Dirty's shoe. The mouse may have already been tortured and then found the quiet place to die. I don't think that Max The Cat would have waited it out long enough if it was an able-bodied healthy mouse. I am also apparently hard of smelling when it comes to decomposing mouse bodies because I couldn't smell it until I was right up next to it. YUCK!!!!!

Count it...

Number 22 and 23 completed last Friday and Today. I was a little upset when I talked with my friend, JL, and she said her clothes are fitting better and that her appetite has been suppressed some. So it's now Thursday, almost a week since I worked out last, and I still feel strong when I do it. My clothes are fitting ehhh. I've been eating like crap. I haven't been drinking enough water. My kidneys are sore today after two days of drinking soda which I have not been drinking for quite some time. I've been trying to drink more water today. I've really just had NO energy for the last week. I guess it's because of the no working out. I could blame it on hormones but I did that last weekend and it shouldn't be off that long...should it? Oh and I'm trying to remember that JL is going three or four times a week for 90 minutes at a time. I'm only doing 30-60 minutes depending on which workout I do. And she's in a really hot room and sweating that whole time as well. I'm guessing that that kind of work out would really detoxify your body since you drink so much water and sweat out all those toxins. Also it's yoga and there are a lot of positions that help your organs expel those toxins. If I had two things I could do the same thing she's doing: 1.) time- if I have to leave the house without the boys it won't happen 2.) money- I don't have $17 a class to spend on workouts. Enough of my pity party. I have to go to the bus stop.

Public Enemy No. 4

Public Enemy No. 4 has been captured and tortured to death by Max The Cat. His body was left in and amongst some of my shoes in front of my wardrobe.

T-Ball has started...

Yellow Belt started T-Ball and had his first practice yesterday. I was worried that he really only likes batting and isn't as "into" catching and throwing. He seems to be at the same skill level as most of the other kids though so that was nice to find out. He had a lot of fun even though four of his friends weren't even at the practice. He was also extremely excited that the team name is Dragons. Luckily, we registered with a school that has a cool animal story behind it's saint. :D

We'll see how scheduling goes. Between this and Tae Kwon Do every week he will have some sort of practice or game four nights a week until June. Each activity only lasts about an hour though. And there will only be one week where he will have to miss any Tae Kwon Do. And I think it's really worth it since he's enjoying himself so much.

He love me. He really loves me.

Max the Cat left me a little gift by my side of the bed. Last night (midnight or so) he threw a totally different mouse on my nightstand. I had mumbled to Dirty that I thought the cat had caught a mouse. He laid across me and watched the cat playing with the mouse for a few minutes before the cat threw it up on my nightstand. Then Dirty tried to clear it away before I noticed. But he'd turned on the light and I looked over to find him scraping a mouse carcass across a silk scarf that I have draped over the nightstand. Needless to say, that went into the trash.

This happens about once a year. We get a mommy mouse with babies. Max the Cat catches the mom, then the babies come out on their own (I guess looking for food), and are killed off one by one. And since this one was left for me during the day I had to take care of it myself. Normally, I just dance around making gagging noises while Dirty catches or clears away the mouse body.

Park Days...

Well what do you do after a shower???

Count it...

Number 21 Pilates routine completed yesterday. After all morning and then part of the afternoon at two different playgrounds my friend, DR, took Monkey for the afternoon. I'm not exactly sure why she wanted to do this since she was already watching another three year old which brought her grand total up to three three year olds at the hardest part of a three year old mother's day "quiet/nap time". But she did it, said that it went really well, and I am extremely grateful that she did take him because it made me feel guilty enough to force myself to work out.

Luckily, I had a Real Housewives of New York City which is good junk food to watch while working out. I learned my lesson of not watching anything too funny after nearly injuring myself watching The Graham Norton show during Pilates. It's much less dangerous to watch a show and mainly be thinking, "What is wrong with these ladies? They have their priorities all messed up." That's much better than pulling a muscle from laughing so hard.

After talking to my friend, JL, today about workouts and results I'm starting to wonder if I'm pushing myself hard enough since she is having better physical results with Bikram yoga. I just don't have the money to put towards those classes.

Count it...

Number twenty completed yesterday. The whole routine is getting much easier and my flexibility is fabulous. :D I like being bendy. Although with mid or low rise jeans people get a much bigger view of my bottom if my shirt isn't long enough to cover. hee hee. I really better go. Monkey is gone for the morning through lunch and I have a ton of cleaning to do as well as Dirty's ironing for his work dinner tonight.

Count it...

Number nineteen completed.

New Kids On The Block: Then and Now - omg! photos on Yahoo!

New Kids On The Block: Then and Now - omg! photos on Yahoo!

I feel like I'm in fifth grade again. The New Kids are back together and looking super hot. I wish I still had my New Kids t-shirt. I would wear it tomorrow. And my New Kids scrapbook...where in all these years has it disappeared to?

Joey was, and is, still my favorite. Then probably Donnie. Sometimes he seemed a little too bad boy, but what girl doesn't like a boy with a motorcycle and tattoos. Just me??? Not likely. And age seems to have helped Danny out like it does some men. I think those Knight brothers are a little pansy looking though. Just my opinion.

Generally I think that reunions are sad because the group has usually lost all of it's appeal. But I will probably always be a New Kids fan and I'm interested to hear any new stuff. Because I'd really like to know how they are going to change the boy band dynamics to fit their grown up selves.

Count it...

Well I've hit number eighteen. I guess that should really have exclamation points because it's a pretty big accomplishment. But now that I've thought about it I am going to save the exclamation points for number twenty which is when I should "look better". I'm starting to get a cut under my love-handles/muffin-top/whatever you want to call them. That's exciting. My tummy seems flatter. Also exciting. I'm starting to not feel complain-y about my muscles being sore and feel accomplished because of it. I actually contemplated the possibility of a bikini (which probably won't happen because of my stretch-marked tummy). But to even contemplate it is not something that would have happened before starting a more regulated Pilates routine.

YELLOW BELT!!!

I was going to upload video files but they were taking FOR-EV-ER!!! They were going to take way too long with my pirated internet so here is a picture of Yellow Belt with his instructor, AT. Sorry about the composition of the photo. I think I should get Dirty photography and videography classes for all gift-giving holidays. :D