March 17, 2009 - St. Patrick's Day

Good Morning,

Well, last Tuesday, Steve moved into the apartment downstairs. Within one hour I completely "girlified" the bedroom and really love it. I have Oprah magazines on the bedside table and candles and flowers in the room. It makes me smile.

Steve and I are still able to stay light and generally cordial. He went out of town Saturday night to visit a friend for the evening and returned Sunday morning. Unfortunately I can't trust any of his words, so I was invited to get upset about this. Instead, Zoe and I went for a walk and had a very nice fire in our outdoor fireplace that evening. I still have to fight the negative feelings but only for minutes not hours now.

The best part of my world right now centers around personal training. The gym is offering an incredible deal. If I complete 20 pt sessions in the two months ending April 30th, then I get 10 pt sessions free! I'm using part of the tax return to fund this endeavor and so far I have only missed one day at the gym since Friday. Joshua, my trainer, decided this morning to make me his "member of the month". Which means we are now in a competition to with other trainers/clients to have the "best results" at the end of the month and win some prize. I think he said a dinner at McCormick's. I'm not so excited about getting food for working out but we'll see. I do have a competitive streak in me and that is great motivation.

I have to say that I am really changing, this time for the good. I would rather be moving than not, and my energy level has increased and the endorphines are wonderful!!! I love them! I am finally ready to let go of this "weight that I have been carrying around for so long." I am ready to be free! It just feels wonderful to be in this mindset.

I also joined Weight Watchers Online yesterday to help me track my food intake. So far so good! I would like to find a meeting run by a great leader. That is usually easier said than done, but I will give it a try.

The down side is that I have not sent out any resumes in the past two weeks. I am not motivated to find a full time gig doing bookkeeping. I just don't love accounting! I'm not too stressed by this, because I feel that I am on a path that will lead me to a good place one way or the other. Red House Staging is starting work in this city and I have asked to be a part of the staging/design team. It would just be wonderful to be able to move and be creative at work instead of sitting in front of a computer all day. At Kabbalah Experience, the month end accounting has been delegated to an outside person who is actually redoing all of the books since last day one. I am so excited that their books will be clean and to be free of that task. There is just not enough time in my 10 hour work week to fix the books. Instead I am doing more administrative, marketing work; which I prefer. I will also begin my 2nd class, Time, next week. It is a perk of the job too!

So you can see why I am not too stressed. Joshua says that if I don't control my stress all of this working out and food diligence will be for not. Stress can completely derail all of this hard work, so I need to focus on that too.

So I have attached a movie of Zoe reading a letter she found. She was just too adorable and I am so happy to share this with you. I hope you enjoy it.

So this Saturday night, it is my turn to go out and about. I have some great plans with Lisa. I can't wait!

Okay, Jillian, thank you for the note. If you would like to send me an email at fightthebump@comcast.net, we can correspond that way.

Thanks so much to you all. I know your thoughts and prayers are a huge part of my well-being.

Happy St. Patty's day!

G

Sunday, March 8, 2009 - Zoe!

Hi All,

I have been wanting to write a post on ZG. I know you are all probably very concerned about our precious little girl. Well, I am happy to report that Zoe is thriving and doing quite well. She has even become quite the little chatter box! As you may recall, we took Z out of school last November. The classroom transition was very stressful for Zoe and Steve and I thought it best to relieve Zoe from this stress for a time. The winter months were worrisome. Zoe was picking up on all of the "seasonal cues" and was pretty somber throughout the winter time. Well, the weather has turned unseasonably warm lately and Zoe has emerged as her old, gregarious self! She loves to do art and is quite the tempermental artiste! She has thrown her work away when it was "not good enough" for us to see it and also created an art gallery for some of her favorites.

Zoe started going to a nannyshare a couple of days a week and so far loves it. She has become great friends with the five-year-old boy in one nannyshare (surprise, surprise)! And prefers to direct the "cleaning up" portion of the day rather than assist. (I have no idea where she gets that!)

Zoe is an animal, specifically dog, FANATIC!!! She could play with dogs all day long. She loves to get in the dog crate, give the dogs check ups, and just romp around with them. It is great! We are somewhat concerned about the withdrawal she will experience when Noni leaves with the dogs on Tuesday, but we'll deal with that.

Zoe is currently playing tee ball and soccer. We are hoping to get her onto a team so she can really learn theses sports! Zoe loves to go the "kids club" at the gym with me and to fly on the swings like a bird.

We are allowing Zoe to do as much "regression" as she likes at this time. She loves to be held like a baby and given her bottle (water sippy cup). While this nourishes Zoe, it also nourishes me. She is slowly doing more without her pacifier than she is with it. Every doctor says she is fine and her teeth are fine as well. I personally don't like to see Z with a pacifier, but her therapist says it is "how she keeps me with her at all times"; so I deal with it.

Zoe has tried to learn how to ride her brother's bike with training wheels, but since the trike we had is broken, does not have the act of peddling quite yet. We hope to get her a trike/bike for her birthday. Z is quite excited about her upcoming birthday! She has given me a list of friends she wants to come to her party. It is long!!! So we'll see what we can make happen.

Well, I can't write everything that is wonderful about Zoe but those are the highlights! Zoe has asked me to "come to the big bed" (I'm currently sleeping in her room) with her and her dad. She does not understand why I say "no thank you". I'm sure she will do some more regression once Steve moves downstairs as well. Her therapists has suggested that we start reading age-appropriate books about separation and divorce to Z. I hope to go the library early next week to review the selections.

I have attached some recent photos of Zoe for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Much love, God bless!

G

PS-After three months of personal training, I am proud to announce that I have lost 8 pounds and several inches. Whoo Hoo!!!! Yeah ME!!!

Friday, March 6, 2009 - One Year Ago . . .

Wow, one year ago, Steve and I were one week away from our honeymoon in Northern California. What a difference a year makes.

I want to share an email I just received. It was a true gift! Thank you!

You can't read this and stay in a totally bad mood!

• 1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
• >Unique Up On It.
• 2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?
• > Tame Way
• 3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest ?
• > They Take The Psycho Path
• 4. How Do You Get Holy Water?
• > You Boil The Hell Out Of It
• 5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?
• > Dam!
• 6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?
• > Polaroid's
• 7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?
• > A Stick
• 8. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?
• > Nacho Cheese.
• 9. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?
• > Subordinate Clauses.
• 10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
• > Quattro Sinko. (think about it... uno, dos, tres)
• 11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?
• > Spoiled Milk.
• 12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire?
• > Frostbite.
• 13. What Lies At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?
  
• > A NervousWreck.
• 14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup?
• > Anyone Can Roast Beef.
• 15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?
• > Right Where You Left Him.
• 16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?
• > Because They Have Big Fingers .
• 17. Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?
• > Because It Scares The Dog.
• 18. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?
  
• > Sanka
• 19. What Is The Difference Between a Harley And a Hoover?
  
• > The location of the Dirt Bag
• 20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?
• > Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.
• 21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver?
• > A Bad Golfer Goes, Whack, Dang!
• > A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack ..
• 22. How Are a Texas Tornado And a Tennessee Divorce The Same?
• > Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer
• 
  
• Now, admit it. At least one of these made you smile

Here is an excerpt from my reply.
I am having many more smiles these days. I appreciate your kind and gentle words.
Steve will be moving downstairs when his mom leaves on Tuesday. We are currently in the setting boundaries phase. Unfortunately, not much about this situation is ideal except for the slightest possibility I may get my own bathroom!!!!

Also, for Jillian, "wanna be my facebook friend?

Thank you all. Have a good evening.

G