Weekend with Hubby...

After working out of town most of this past week, I set aside the entire weekend to be with WD.  It's unusual for us to be off 4 days in a row together! We started the weekend off Friday by dropping Dylan off with the scouts for an adventure trip to Pensacola, FL... one kid gone... one teen to go... Erin typically runs with her second set of siblings... the Butlers, but this weekend she stayed with Alexis so that they could go to a surprise party for another girlfried.  So the kids were occupied in someone else's care so on to the fun for me & WD.  Friday night... drinks at Perkins Rowe Wine Loft while waiting for a table at Kona Grill.  Absolutely yummy meal at Kona Grill... I don't typically like sushi, but with more and more places using cucumber on the outside instead of rice, I'm becoming a fan! We also shared an entree of beef medallions with grilled brocollitini (sp?) & Kona's mashed potatoes from heaven. Then it was over to the theater for a movie. I was looking forward to a crazy comedy (with the help of a pre-show martini), but "The Dilemma" was far from a comedy.  At least my date was interesting!

Saturday morning I taught Jazzercise, plus WD & I ran a few miles and biked quite a few miles in preparation for some real "blowing it out" with the neighbors.  We were celebrating quite a few things... Nora's b-day, David's divorce, David's brother & sister-in-law's anniversary, and my pre-birthday! Coyote Blues (of course I got the corn, crab, & poblano soup which is creamy, delicious, sin along with a sangriarita) got the evening started for our group of about 14. Next was a comedy show at the Funny Bone featuring Jen Kober... she was out-of-the-box hysterically funny!  Thanks to Nora for being such a great topic for Jen to pick on :-)  She was a great sport about being a "Skinny B----"! We danced off some of the calories at the comedy club, but it wasn't enough for this group... so we headed to the Station... I'd never been & never even heard of it, but apparently it's been around for years.  It was great with a live band which appealed to the wide variety of partiers that were there.  It was a great time with great friends!

Next weekend WD works, so I'm off to enjoy scrapbooking with girlfriends in Lake Charles.  I just LOVE the weekends!!!

Being Off...

Working 9 hour days at the office is hard sometimes, but I soooooo love the every other Friday I get to be off of work.  It's really neat to be off of work when most others are working because I can get so much done, plus Thursday nights can be so much more fun, too.  Today for example, I slept till 8a.m., and then got up & attended a Jazzercise class (so much fun to be a participant from time-to-time rather than the instructor who has to worry about executing all the moves with precision, cueing, & safety).  After class, I put the top down on the car (yes, it was sunny & warmer, thank God) and stopped in at Sonic for a Diet Dr Pepper while I enjoyed the sunshine.  I sat for the first time all week without being in a rush and played a few plays with Words with Friends and Chess with Friends on my iPhone.  Next up was to get my car cleaned... it's been raining on and off all week, so it really was in bad shape.  It's all spic and span now.  I was able to run home for a relaxing shower & leisurely get dressed.  Lunched on sandwich while catching up on some DVR'd shows.  Now I have all of the rest of today to do with as I wish.  Kids are still in school :-)  Think I'm heading to the mall & to complete a few errands.  Of course I don't work tomorrow so there's no rush in getting home & to bed; plus the Tigers are playing tonight!  It's a great schedule although I only get to enjoy it every other Friday!

Closest Thing to a Journal for Me...

Just like every New Year's there's always talk of self-improvement everywhere you look. Most resolutions I've noted have to do with self-discipline & motivation.  Some "experts" believe that journaling will help you keep track of life, your goals & aspirations, as well as staying disciplined & motivated. I have to admit, that the idea of taking pen-to-paper seems too much like an assignment or chore, so I reflect in other ways.  Isn't that the purpose of journaling?!?  Most of you know my love for technology, so of course this blog is an excellent way to "reflect" and is much more enjoyable in terms of journaling.  After all, I can type twice as quickly as I can hand-write!  I also keep another "journal" of sorts on the web... that's my food/exercise diary (as most of you already know, I've used it for two years now & can't imagine life without it).  Accessing my "journals" through the computer and/or my iPhone makes them very convenient & much easier to stay committed to than a paper diary/journal.  Some experts even believe that journaling reduces stress... well I don't want to bore my readers with the "stressful" things in my life, so I'll stick to my work-outs for stress-relieving benefits!

I love reading the Pioneer Woman's blog... she's one witty lady! In case one of your resolutions is to start blogging/journaling, here are her entertainingly put tips...

1. Be Yourself
2. Blog Often
3. Be Varied
4. Exercise More
5. Allow Your Boundaries to Set Themselves Naturally
6. Bring Back Retro Phrases like "Hanky Panky"
7. Don't Be Afraid to Embarrass Yourself
8. Try Your Best to Spell Words Correctly & Use Proper Grammar
9. If You Have Writer's Block, Push Through & Blog Anyway
10. Value Every Person Who Takes Time Out of Their Day to Stop By Your Blog

To read them all in their entirety with her witty commentary, go to her blog here:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2010/09/ten-important-things-ive-learned-about-blogging/