Chris and Evey Go on Tour

I can't believe we are on day 5 of our trip and I am just getting a chance to blog now. I had originally hoped I would sit down and blog each night, giving you all a recap of what we had done and where we had been that day. It turned out though that by the time we got to our hotel each night all we wanted to do was sleep. I will do my best to get you all caught up to us. It could take a while so get your coffee or tea and get comfortable.

We are thankful for friends who were willing to come over and help us pack our crap into the truck. All I had to so was feed them pizza and beer and they were happy. After they went home Monday night Chris and I spent a few more hours getting odds and ends packed and organized so we would have as little to do in the morning as possible. Of course we left about 4 hours later than we had originally planned. I know this will be a shock to most of you who know I am always late for everything. Time just got away from us and by the time we had everything packed and the apartment cleaned it was almost noon. Oh well, a quick stop at Target and we were on our way.

Day1:

I must admit that when we first started driving I became more and more convinced that the truck was heavier on my side and that it was going to tip over. Chris of course laughed at me. He seems to be right though because we have made it all this way and we haven't tipped over yet.

Once we were finally on the road we headed out of Massachusetts (YAY) and then it was on into Connecticut and New York. Normally we would go around New York City and avoid the George Washington Bridge at all costs. But we decided that given the time of day that traffic would not be that bad. The we saw this sign and thought "OH CRAP!!"

But we decided not to get annoyed about it, we did make the choice and we were stuck in it now so there was no sense complaining about it. Much to our surprise traffic actually moved quite well and we ended up only being stuck for about a half hour. It would have taken us just as long to go around so it worked out. Our first day of driving was pretty boring for the both of us as it was through places we had driven through before. We made it to Winchester, Virginia where we decided to stop for the night.

Day 2

I was happy to finally be out of all the states I had been to before. After stopping at Starbucks for breakfast and coffee (and paying full price for the first time in 8 years) we were on the road again. Virginia took a lot longer to drive through than we thought. We didn't arrive in Nashville till it was dark which was a little disappointing for me since Nashville was one of the places I was really excited to see. We decided to take the advice of some friends of our and hit up a BBQ place downtown Nashville. We are so glad we made this stop because it was SO good. The place was called Jack's BBQ. I had chicken, pulled pork and brisket. Chris had ribs, turkey and brisket. Totally worth the detour into downtown. YUM! After that we doubled back to Opryland so I could see and get some pics of the Grande Ole Opry. I have always loved country music and especially a lot of the old school stuff so this was very exciting for me. Of course it was closed but the building itself was lit up and we got some good pics. YAY!

After this we were back on the highway for a few hours and decided to stop for the night in Jackson, Tennessee. Thanks again Best Western.

That is all for today, I have a baseball game to get to. Either I will be back on here tonight or tomorrow some time so keep on checking :)

Raising Money for Breast Cancer Awareness

Just wanted to put a reminder here about what my mother in law and I are doing to raise money for breast cancer research. Please check out the blog HERE and contact me via email (micmash57@hotmail.com) to find out how you can support me in my weight loss as well as support a cause that is really close to my heart.

Poop

Is it really that hard to scoop poop? I am so tired of stepping in others peoples dog crap!

Portland or Bust!!

Stay tuned...

Perfume Gone Wrong

I like to smell good just as much as the next person. Who doesn't? Well maybe some of the people I sit next to on public transportation. But I am guessing that MOST people like to smell good. A little spritz here and there before you head out the door to wherever it is you are going. Maybe an extra spritz or two for a special occasion, I'm not going to judge. But when people can smell you from miles and miles away I think that is a pretty good sign that you have spritzed one or TWENTY too many times.

Last week Chris and I went to our usual spot to watch the Seahawks game and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of football. All was going well, the pizza was yummy, the Seahawks were winning, nothing could spoil my afternoon. That was until they arrived. Who are they you ask? Well a table of about 5. A few were kids, there was at least one guy and the a couple of nasty hoochies. Yeah that's right I said hoochies. You know the type I am talking about. Tight pants, short shirts, more makeup than one human being should EVER wear. All around NASTY! They were sitting right behind us and almost immediately I was overpowered by the smell. So strong my eyes watered and soon enough the headache came. Was it necessary for her to have bathed in her perfume that day? Cause that is exactly what it seemed like. Like she had soaked in a tub of it for a few hours so that it was pouring out of her pores with such strength I wanted to vomit.
The part I don't get is why the guy you were with never informed you that you smelled like an actual factory that makes perfume. It sort of defeats the purpose of smelling good if what you smell like actually makes people around you vomit or pass out. I wonder if she even realizes that just a few spritzes has a good and lasting effect? Oh well I suppose had she not bathed in her perfume I would not have had this lovely little story to share with you all.

I'm Baaaack!! Again...I Think...

I figure that one of these days when I say I am back to blogging I actually will be. I don't know what has gotten in to me. I love to write and this blog has been a constant for me since we moved to Boston 5 years ago. FIVE years people!!! Why does life seem to pass us by so quickly?!?

So a few quick things, some I will talk more about later.

Back in May/June I had a little bit of a health scare. I found a lump in my left breast, went to the doctor, she also felt it and sent me to a breast surgeon. The surgeon sent me for a mammogram, the radiologist sent me for an ultrasound of my right breast after he saw something on the right side also. Had ultrasound and had my surgeon call me a few days later to tell me the lump on the left was a fibroedenoma which is a benign tumor but there was something "suspicious" on the right and she wanted me to have a biopsy. Suspicious is NOT the word you want to here in this situation. I went back to see my surgeon who showed me the films from the mammogram. It was scary. The lump on the left was just as she had described it. Round/ovalish and very smooth. Nothing to be scared about. The lump on the right however looked like a jagged starfish and was about the size of a pea. Off I went the following week for a biopsy. Not nearly the torturous experience I was convinced it was going to be. In fact I didn't feel a thing. After that I was sent home to just wait for the results. If I am being totally honest I was certain the only call I was going to receive was one to tell me I had cancer. Two days later I got a call from my surgeon that the biopsy was negative and there was NO sign of cancer. Praise the Lord. I felt like I could finally breathe again. Next up was scheduling my surgery to remove both lumps. More specifically the one on the left because of the size of it. 6 cm people. It is huge. I still have yet to have my surgery and am expecting to have it in October/November. I am scared out of my wits to have surgery. Mostly cause I am a big fraidy cat. The thought of anesthesia just creeps me right the heck out. But you gotta do what you gotta do I suppose. I will write more about this whole situation another day when I have more time.

In August Chris and I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a week with Chris's sister Alicia and her husband Paul. I really love it down there. The condo we stay in is right on the ocean and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean is amazing. We had an awesome week and I can't wait to go back. For pics of our vacation you can click HERE and HERE!!


Last weekend, Sept 12th to be exact Chris and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. I feel blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life. We are far from perfect and sometimes we bicker till we want to wring each others necks but I love him very much and couldn't have asked for a better partner in this life. We had an amazing dinner at the Capital Grille downtown Boston on Newbury Street. We spent the night at the Colonnade Hotel (also downtown), had a wonderful breakfast in the morning. It was a wonderful time.Well I think that is about it for now. Perhaps if you are lucky I will be back later with a more detailed post about our anniversary dinner etc. I know you want to know all those boring details like what I had for dessert. But for now this is a good start trying to get back into the swing of things with this blog. There are many more stories to be told. A lot to keep you all updated on as far as where we will be living come April 2010. Stay tuned it's about to get crazy around here!!

Golfing

Back in May Chris asked me if I would be interested in going to a ladies golf clinic. It would be 3 2-hour sessions on Saturday mornings. Of course I was interested so he signed me up.

The funny thing is that before I met Chris I would have never even considered taking up golfing. I think what I learned with golf it is either something you love or you hate. There is no middle ground. Fortunately for Chris I quickly grew to love golf and wanted to learn more about it. A few years ago Chris got me clubs for Christmas. We have spent a lot of time at the driving range and have been golfing a few times. I really do enjoy it and jumped at the chance to learn from professional golfers in a setting with other ladies at my level.

The first session was spent hitting balls off the tee and working on our swing and all the fundamentals. It is amazing how many little things need to be right for you to hit a good and accurate golf shot. I tend to hit the ball well off the tee and both instructors were very impressed with my swing. That of course made me feel good and gave me a little more confidence. A few tips here and there and I was hitting the ball better than I ever had. Now if only I could manage to remember all those things every time I go golfing I would be awesome. Ha!

The second and third sessions were spent working on our short game. Chipping and putting. If there is one thing I learned from these lessons it is that I need desperate help in my short game. Chipping more so than putting. If I could just get my chipping sorted and get a little better at putting I will def start putting up better scores when I go golfing. Good thing golf is a life long game and something you are constantly working at and improving at. Even the best have coaches and are always working on their game.

A few weeks ago Chris and I went golfing at an executive course. It was a spur of the moment decision so we weren't really dressed for it and it had been raining earlier that day so we decided to only golf the back 9. I drove the ball pretty well but as always my short game was my undoing. Should be interesting to see how I do in Myrtle Beach next month. We had fun and we even ran into some wildlife....Below is a video Chris took on one of the holes. Don't mind my really awesome golf outfit with my jeans rolled up cause they were so wet from the rain. I am looking awesome and sweaty!! I also thought Chris was taking a pic at the end which is why I looked like I was posing for a picture and never actually said anything.

BOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Ok so I just had written a big long post all about my Ladies Golf Clinic with pictures AND video and it seems blogger ate it. SO now you will have to wait till tomorrow cause there is no way I am re writing that whole thing tonight. So I guess it just means you will have to come back again tomorrow. ;)

Back In The Saddle

OK so I did not mean to go on a blogging hiatus but it seems like that is exactly what I did. The good news is that I THINK I am back. I have many many stories to tell from the past 2 months. From golfing to doctors appointments to baseball games I am certain to keep you all entertained for at least a few weeks. That is if any of you actually still check in here from time to time. Of course at this very moment I need to head to work so you will just have to have enough faith in me to come back later and trust there will be a new post awaiting you. ;)

New Neighbors

These little guys have been hanging around our place lately. Belle is pretty unimpressed about it but I thought they were pretty cute so I snapped some pics. I have also decided to name them Ed and Gladys. We can hear them every morning cooing away. Click HERE to hear what we hear everyday. We did some research to find out what kind of birds they are. Turns out they are doves, more specifically we are pretty sure they are Mourning Doves.

Where's Evey?!

I am sure by now you have all created your very own Where's Evey game. Have no fear though because HERE I am! I feel like either my life is that boring so I have nothing to write about or I have just been busy and blogging has not been at the top of my priority list. I like to think it is the busy reason and not just cause I am lame. So yeah, I have been busy...

A week or so ago our fridge died. The sucky part of this is that our apartment did not come with a fridge so therefore we had to buy a new one. We toyed with the idea of a used one from Craigslist but then decided we didn't want to become the next victims of the Craigslist killer. That and we didn't want to spend 200 bucks on a fridge that for all we know could break in a month. I might as well just throw the money straight into a shredder. But then we were torn about buying a brand new one because we are wanting and hoping to move within the next 6-8 months. Ultimately we decided we could sell it for a little less than what we paid considering it will still be so new and have warranty on it or we can just take it with us. So we shopped around and decided Sears was offering the best deal and so we got a Kenmore for $445. We paid 75 on top of that for delivery and haul away of the old fridge but we get the 75 back so that is alright. Our old fridge was a smaller sized fridge and now we have this big one and we just don't know what to do with all the space. It is GREAT! We have been so busy though we still have not had a chance to get groceries and fill it up with tasty goodness. Hopefully we will do that this weekend. So far Kenny Kenmore is enjoying his time in our kitchen. And we are excited to have a big person fridge.
We also bought a new microwave the other night because I am a genius and broke the old one. Basically we were making a frozen pizza in the oven and I set the timer on the microwave for 23 minutes. Only thing is I didn't set the timer I actually turned the microwave on and didn't notice for 18 minutes. So it no longer worked after I basically forced it to cook it's own motor. ha ha! But now we have a pretty red one named Emmy Emerson.So there you have it. See my life IS exciting. Don't be jealous!!

Support and Accountability

I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day about weight loss and how it can change a person. A comment had been made that a lot of people change so much through the process that it is hard to know who they are anymore and some people struggle to identify with a person they have known their entire life. After our conversation I spent some time thinking about what we had talked about and wondered about my own weight loss and how it would affect those in my life when all is said and done.

I think for people who have been overweight their entire lives I can definitely see how people would struggle to relate to them after they lose a lot of weight. If your in your 30's and and have never known what it is like to be slim and healthy then there is a good chance no one ever got to see the real you because you spent your life hiding behind your weight and your insecurities. You had a lifetime of hurt and disappointment because lets face it people aren't always nice to fat people. I think it is important for the friends and family of the overweight person to support them through the whole process and even if they seem different after they have lost their weight get to know them all over again. Chances are that you will be seeing who they really are after all those years trapped in their own body. I think in the end it can only be a good thing.

For people like me who have not always been overweight I think it is different. Most of the people in my life have known the slimmer and more confident and outgoing person I used to be. Even now when I am in my comfort zone with friends or family that confident side shows a little bit. I have definitely become a little more guarded since I have been overweight and some might assume my shyness has a lot to do with my weight as well. But the reality is that I am terribly shy and have been my whole life. My hope is that WHEN ( not if) I get all this weight off people will see who I was before the weight and realize I am still that person. Hopefully it will just be with a lot more confidence and a lot more happiness.

I think the important thing is whether you know someone who has been overweight their entire life or just part of it you need to support them no matter what. Support and encouragement goes a long long way in this. Weight loss is a struggle on so many different levels and the more people
you have pushing you and encouraging you and holding you accountable the better.

As I was looking for a picture to post with this I came across this one below. HA HA! I guess I am overweight so I am allowed to laugh at this one. he he!

Wednesday Musings

I really don't have anything super exciting to talk about but I figure if I don't start writing on this blog with some consistency my readers who are still around will eventually leave for good. And since we don't want that I thought I would ramble this morning. About what I am not really sure but I am sure I will come up with something entertaining.Oh, I know. In the winter when the sidewalks are covered in snow and all the LAME people in Boston don't shovel the sidewalks in front of their house's dog poop collects in the snow. I get that because sometimes when Belle poops in the snow and it sinks all the way to the bottom it is hard to find it. The sucky part of this is that when spring hits and all the snow melts there is POOP everywhere on the sidewalk. It is sort of really gross. Now, if all the LAME people from Boston would just shovel the sidewalks in front of their houses like normal people in other cities usually do this would not be a problem. But alas they do not so therefore there will always be poopy sidewalks in the spring.

The other day when I was at the gym on the treadmill there was a rather large (and by large I mean muscular) man on the treadmill two over for me. He started running and all was good, I had my ipod on and I was just happily and very briskly walking singing in my head when all of a sudden I hear this LOUD breathing. It was almost like someone on a ventilator pumping to keep them alive. Well at least they are loud like that on TV. Anyways there he was running full speed ahead and breathing louder than a radiator in heat during a winter storm. I realize that made NO sense but I left it there anyways for comedic and dramatic effect. Just try to picture what that would sound like if it in any way made any sense whatsoever. He clearly didn't seem to care because he just kept on running and breathing like a wild elephant with a sinus cold. Or maybe he didn't even realize because he was in the zone. All I know is even with turning my ipod up all most all the way I could STILL hear him.

Looks like another gloomy day out in Boston today. As long as the rain stays away for my dog walks this afternoon I will be happy. Then it will be off to the gym and then home for supper and LOST! Hooray!

Working Out

Chris and I joined the gym the other day. I have lost weight in the past without the use of a gym but this time around I figured if it is another tool that will help me reach my goals and be healthier then why not. I also liked the idea of Chris and I being able to work out together and push each other every day.

The last time I worked out in a gym was back in the day when I weighed 125 pounds and was in good shape. Going to the gym for the first time recently was really hard for me. Not because I hate to exercise, that I actually like. But because I was so insecure and so worried about everyone watching the fat chick. After we got there though I quickly realized that pretty much everyone there could care less about what I was doing. It didn't take me long to forget about everyone else and just worry about me. I am sure I will feel intimidated for a little while till I settle into my routines and start feeling a little more confident in myself.

Prepare yourself folks cause this fat chick is on the way out. Be prepared for a much skinnier and most likely happier Evey.

We are going to Myrtle Beach in August and I am determined not too look like a beached whale in my bathing suit like I am sure I did last summer. Beach body in the works, stay tuned to see how it turns out :)

Spring Has Definitely Arrived

As much as I love winter and all the snow that comes with it I also love springtime. I love when each day gets a little warmer, the birds are out singing at the top of their lungs in the morning and all the flowers start to bloom and the trees and grass turn green. The weather this year has been a little unpredictable though. Just when you think it is warming up it snows the next day. However this time I am positive spring is here for good. It has been raining off and on since Saturday and yesterday I heard thunder. Thunder has to mean it is here to stay right? RIGHT!?

Cuteness!!

I did not have the blinds open very far the other day but right on this little ottoman there was just enough shining right onto it. We bought this ottoman for Belle so she could sit and look out the window. Well on this day she curled up in a little ball on it and laid there for hours in the sun. Too cute!

TGIF!!

I thought this week would never end. Yet here I am on Friday and SO happy about it.

I am excited for American Idol tonight. Chris and I go to a friends on Fridays and have dinner and watch that weeks episodes. So I am looking forward to that. I think tomorrow we are going to hit up the YMCA and join. We both (more me) need to start going to the gym on a regular basis and be more committed to losing weight and being healthier. They have a family membership there that is not even 60 bucks a month. Not a bad deal for both of us to be able to go to the gym. Hopefully the weather is nice and the rain stays away on Saturday and Sunday so we can take Belle and Madison for a hike. Madison is our friends dog and we are taking care of her this weekend.

Chris and I are desperate to find a new church. Somewhere that we will feel connected to and at home. I am hoping to try out a new church this Sunday so wish us luck.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Yep, I'm Five

I have a habit of spilling things. Mostly on myself but sometimes I tend to spill my drinks. Last night I went out to dinner to Uno's with some friends and almost as soon as I sat down I spilled my whole glass of diet coke all over the floor. When the waiter brought me a new drink I was thrilled to have him bring me one of those kid cups with a lid. And I am not being sarcastic, I was actually really excited about it. Don't be jealous!

So I'm Thinkin....

Is it August 22nd yet?

A Love Letter From Evey

Dear Cadbury Mini Eggs,

I really love you. I love you more than I know how to put into words. I love you so much in fact I could eat a giant bag of you until I went into a sugar coma. And even then I would still want more. I am convinced now more than ever that you are an evil evil thing sent straight from the fiery depths of Hades. I thank God everyday that your tasty and delectable goodness is only available to me this time of year. Why oh why do you have to be so delicious? Why could you not just be sort of good? Why do you have to make my mouth water at the thought of you? Mini Eggs, I love you so much it hurts sometimes in my belly. I might just need to find a way to say goodbye. To let you roam free to the belly's of others. There are many other belly's out there for you to fill. But know this Mini Eggs, if indeed I do say goodbye, wherever you are I will always love you.

Yours forever,

Evey