September

Is it really only 2 days away from September? Really?

In a short update on the garden. I think I had a seriously late blooming garden... No really, other than the tomatoes - I have only had one cucumber to make it to the ripe stage - but I think we have left it sitting in the window too long now, and it is getting kinda squishy.

I have three squashes... um... squashi... um... squash... I really can't find a plural that sounds right, that are growing now - they are all only about 3 inches long right now though!!!

Also, I have a watermelon on the vine. There are really two - watermelons - but one is the size of a grape... the other though, is about the size of a large plum!!!! I am kinda proud that all of my plants have produced some sort of fruit this year. Being my first year and all, I was kinda afraid I wouldn't get much "fruit for my labor." Hahaha...

I have been thinking about why I don't post during campaign season very often. I think its because the campaign really kinda takes over my whole life! I have a hard time coming up with ANYTHING else to talk about. And I simply refuse - for many reasons - to let this turn into some sory of political diatribe (like that word??). We have enough about that.

I have also started running again. I meet three ladies to run three days a week right now - several of us are actually preparing for an 8k to run in November! It will be my first real race..... I have already paid for it - that way it is harder for me to back out... and it gives me something to look forward to after the election is over.

Well, there ya go little bro - I blogged... mostly useless rambling - but it's your turn now :)

I want it now!

What it is about finally exercising that makes me want immediate gratification more than ever?

I caught myself - after a pilates video, and a 3 mile run - looking at my stomach in the car on the way home and wondering if it had gotten any "tighter!"

I mean, I have been working on this for about three weeks now (skipping the week I was in Bama.... I choose not to count that one!... even though I did chase a 2 year old around a LOT!)

But I want it all... and I want it now!!

In other news, Jen has posted some new pics of Barrett.... that baby is already sleeping like a crazy man - 4-6 hours at night time! He is precious...

Home again

Here I am, back in VA. What? You didn't even know I was gone? Well, that's because I am a tricky little girl.

This will be short - last week Ronnie was gone for a while to a training thing in SC. Yep, I stayed home all by myself, which is quite an accomplishment for this little city girl... to be home alone for like 4 nights IN THE COUNTRY! Then, Thursday morning, I flew my little self to Alabama for a few days with the fam. I got to go out to eat with all my grandparents Thursday for lunch - there is nothing in the WORLD like Cracker Barrel when ya haven't had it for a while. Ronnie got down there on Friday evening and we got to have my bday dinner with my family. SO MUCH FUN to be with mom dad, jen, aubrey, andy and brantley having my bday dinner. It would have only been better had Jon been able to be home. BUT, we did find out, that as long as nothing changes (it IS the Army ya know) - he has done his last mission and should be home no later than Memorial Day. WOW! I am so excited. I also got to talk to him on webcam for the first time since like October Saturday evening - it was wonderful...

Sunday morning we went to church, and then made the trek back to VA. So here, I am - home again. Ronnie was sickly yesterday so we spent a majority of the afternoon in the doc office - but the meds worked fast and he is headed to work this morning.

I am off to try my new exercise (getting in shape for the cruise ya know) - roller blading! I haven't really done this since middle school, so it could be interesting - but I have all protective pads and stuff. I am going to the park down town, so maybe not many people will be able to see me make a fool of myself! (its kinda hidden in the trees and by the river and stuff). Then of course today is church work day and "pretend to know what you're doing as a college prof" day.

Have a good one.

update to the weight loss

WHAT IN THE WORLD!

4 weeks of bike riding, I am up to 11 miles at least every other day. with rides of 5-6 miles on the days between and i have GAINED weight!!! for about three days I was happy to be down a pound, but yesterday - i jumped up again... KILLIN ME! so, since i had gained weight yesterday, I ate really bad - which sabatoged me today as well.

Well, since I guess you didn't come by just to find out about my weight loss, since I am quite sure you don't really care.... Let me think about anything else going on.

Hmmmm... not much - we did order some in-ear monitors for our band at church which I can hardly wait to use! those things are SO awesome! I have used them once or twice and am SO excited about having them on stage in a couple weeks!

I got some flowers from my man last night (and some chocolate) I am married to an amazing man...

Hardly anyone was at church - spring break - ya know how it is.

OH YEAH! my first Tupperware order came in! I am excited about getting that started... hopefully I will get enough this weekend to qualify as a real consultant... if not, well, its been a fun ride - but whatever. My first real party is tomorrow night at a friends house - i cant wait. I am kinda nervous, but its all people I know, so it shouldn't be too bad... I dont have trouble talking about stuff ya know, but I just hope I know all the answers I am supposed to know. Usually people like me (rookies) get to do a party or two with a trainer before they are thrown to the wolves themselves.... but not me - I get to go it alone - my first flight is solo... :) we shall see:)

go order something... www.my.tupperware.com/juliamayhew

questions

Why do airlines make it so hard to get the free tickets you promise?

Why do I crave sugar the very DAY I commit to a diet? I mean, I would KILL for an oreo right now.

Why does spring tease us? acting like its coming and then leaving frost on the windshield again?

Why do people not learn from the mistakes of others? I mean, wouldn't we be so much further along if we would realize when someone messes up, that we are vulnerable too? (more thoughts on this when I have time... )

Why does time pass quickly on Saturday and yet putt putt around on Monday?

ok... enough... :)

Have a wonderful Monday.

I have to go exercise now.

Biking

Well - today I am learning discipline. I have been riding my bike regularly for about two weeks now - almost daily except when weather stopped me, and then I walked in the mall or something to make myself have something resembling a workout! Anyway, some days, I ride in the mornings to be sure I go, and then when Ronnie gets home, we go riding together. Well, yesterday, we pumped it up a bit. We usually ride a 5 mile circle - but yesterday, we stopped at the school that is down the street from us and walked/ran an extra mile before we came home! Today, I need to go ride - it is a beautiful day - but well, my legs are sore and I just don't want to go! Its one of those things ya know, you don't want to do it even though you know you will feel better afterwards and you will enjoy the results later too??

Well, thats another thing. See, I have been doing this for two weeks - and i weigh the EXACT same as I did before I started! I can't get the numbers on the scale to move at all!! Ronnie is losing weight... I am staying the same - and I am exercising at least double what he is doing!!! I just DON'T GET IT! It sure does make it a LOT harder to go get on the bike.

Hmmm... but today is wednesday and if i dont ride now, then we wont ride later because of church - we have to walk the mall today.

Anyway, thats about as deep as I am going to get today - I think I am consistantly boring lately - sorry.

Weekend

I have to write quickly.
Funny story for the weekend.

Friday, I decided it was time to flip my mattress! I mean, arent you supposed to do that regularly? So, I was home alone... (first mistake).. and as I got the mattress up in the air, I am standing on the box springs, with the mattress up on its side - - the mattress started to fall over! I was holding on and slowly regained my balance! I stepped down on the ground, I was now at the end of the bed holding the mattress up in the air when I realized that on the other side of the bed, where the mattress was going rather quickly, there was a glass where I had drank something the night before and left my glass there.... There was nothing I could do. The mattress fell, bumped the glass, it broke immediately on the table, and then all three parts went in slow motion towards the floor...... where it SHATTERED! All over the floor on MY side of the bed!

So, I stopped all of my other work, which to that point had been going GREAT, and cleaned glass. I swept, used duct tape (cuz you should always use duct tape to get the glass out of the floor), and then swept again... I was careful not to walk in my shoes around the house until I checked to see if there was glass in the shoes. I mean... I took ALL kinds of precautions so that I would NOT have a huge piece of glass in my foot!

Friday night... well.. actually Saturday morning.... around 3:00am. I had to get up to go to the restroom on my nightly trip. On the way back to the bed, as I turned to walk up MY side of the bed, it happened. Yep. Julia has a HUGE chunk of glass in the heel of her foot. I don't remember exactly how I woke Ronnie up. But there was no way I could have gotten the glass out by myself! He was so good about it, he woke up, went and got the tweezers, cleaned them up, came back where I was laying on the bed and put my foot under his arm so he could try to stabalize it since every time he touched it I kept jerking. I really didnt mean to... it just happened!

I finally passed out. He said he kept wondering if I would pass out, but he knew it had finally happened when I quit jumping when he touched me... So, he worked quickly, got the glass out, and I came to as he was putting the band-aid on my heel. I couldn't figure out how he was done already, but just wanted to go back to sleep.

I do believe that there may be some nerve damage or something because now whenever I take a step and land on my heel, it hurts up to my knee. It doesn't really hurt on the actual cut - it is WAY up ion my leg. But every day is a bit better. I was planning to start running yesterday in my "look good in time for the cruise" plan. But had to change that and start riding my bike instead since I can't really touch my heel to the ground! i have spent the last three days walking on my left foot and right tip-toes. Its more fun than you can imagine.

Oh well, if I dont go get on my bike and exercise now, I will have to ride in the rain... and I dont really want to do that, so I have to go now - Just wanted to tell you about my "reward" for cleaning house!

So many thoughts - So little time

I must say - It has been almost a week since I wrote. I am in trouble with my little brother for taking so long to write.

Also, last night as I was getting ready for bed, I had so many great ideas about what to write today - and now, since I am by NO means a morning person... my mind is blank. But I am here, I am writing, it will probably be a quality rambler for me - but its here - regardless.

So tell me something. The difference in Modular homes and Stick built homes? Has anyone owned a modular? Do they resell ok? I mean - I understand that right now NOTHING resells very well - but relatively speaking - how does it go? I have done some reading and every other website has an opposite view. Of course the place we went to talk to people about the modulars said that it all works the same as a stick built home... but they get paid to say stuff like that right?

New topic

Several people have asked about my situation with no stove or oven. I do cook - actually more than I ever thought I would... and to be honest, I am not nearly as bad of a cook as I thought I would be! We use the typical crock-pot, microwave, grill, toaster oven, electric skillet, and griddle (like you do pancakes on.) The griddle heats up to 400 degrees - so if I set a pot on it, the water will boil... so spagetti and other "boilable" things can also happen. I also have a rice cooker... if you don't have one of these - GET ONE! It is one of the coolest things EVER!. put the rice in, put the water in, push the button.... 15 minutes later you have perfect rice! no stirring, no sticking, no burning.... and it keeps it warm for like 12 hours safely! kinda like a crock pot for rice! The toaster oven is big enough for my corning ware things - so I can do small casseroles and stuff - and the little Totino's .99 pizzas fit in there too. So, there ya go - Julia's kitchen excitement. In the summer, its kinda funny cuz I do most meats on the grill outside. Our grill also has one of those little eyes on the side of it - and that is faster than boiling on the griddle.... so I will sometimes have the meat on the grill - the bread on the top rack of the grill - the mac-n-cheese on the eye on the side of the grill... and some beans or corn or something warming on the griddle inside the house... you think its far to walk across your kitchen to get to the other pot?? hahaha - - try hearing the sizzle of overrun and having to run through the kitchen, out the front door, down the porch, down the stairs - dodge the car in the carport... and WHOA! those flames are high:) hehehehe... anyway - its all good - I have learned to be very creative!

Hmmm... what else.... I have been running again lately. Well, I have done it twice in the last week - but I am on a roll!

I am not going to get too deep on my new interest in politics... however.. I just want to say, on this day of the New Hampshire Caucus that this race is ridiculous ALREADY! We aren't even CLOSE to the actual campaign starting and people are already tired of the media coverage. Wow. I am doing my research - between watching the news (which is sometimes truthful) - watching a few debates (I don't watch them all because basically I get tired of hearing the same things after an hour or so) - and checking their own websites... I am trying to get my facts straight. I don't think VA has a caucus or anything (shows what I know) but I am trying to be an educated voter instead of what I have always done in the past... and just pay attention in the last two weeks before I go vote... I am trying to be early!

Anyway - I have hit enough topics now - politics, cooking, running, house buying - - there are the things that are all in my life right now.
Have a nice day.

Losing time??? FInding time?? Anyone know how?

So, for the last few weeks. (ever since I started working a "real" job.... 8:30-5:30 every day). Ronnie and I have really struggled to have time! I went from being BORED all the time, to barely being able to say hello before we say goodbye. We have been creative in finding time together - so that is not the point of the blog. We ride to work together whenever possible (3 days a week usually), eat lunch together (Cambells soup warmed in his work microwave), and basically try to do as much of our "busy" stuff together. This isn't the biggest problem...
My problem lies here. I am gaining weight!!! AHHHHHHH!!!! I am eating right, not fast food, no sugar drinks in the middle of the day, haven't had a diet coke (or anything carbonated) in 3 weeks, only eat small portions of dessert immediately after a meal, drinking as much water as humanly possible during the day... and still, the lbs are showing up. When I put my jeans on, it is SOOO frustrating! The time I need to find, is time to exercise.
Usually, our clock goes off at 6:30 so we can both be at work on time, then every day this week, it has been dark before we were free from other responsibilities. The thing is, we had a week like this about 3 weeks ago, where every night was full of stuff, and I thought that was going to be the exception. Now, I am afraid that is (at least until the political season is over), the norm! However, at this rate, I think I will be 30 pounds heavier by the end of the political season! I have to do something!
So, Monday, I had the BRILLIANT idea to get a tae-bo tape. I did that once before and it kicked my tail! When I went to get a tape similar at WalMart, they had the workout tapes locked up and I would have had to ask a acne faced high-school boy to get it for me. LIKE THAT IS GONNA HAPPEN! (I know, I know, thats pride Julia) Anyway, I was NOT going to ask the little boy to get a workout tape for me. Like I am getting old or something and can't go to a gym... I have to work out at home??
So, when that failed, I thought. We can work out in the evenings when we get home from work. The problem is, that when we have gotten home, after a Bible study, after Praise band practices, after Political dinners, after dinner with friends.... basically, its too dark to walk/bike in our neighborhood. PLUS, my bike has a flat!
At this point, I am looking for time - does the alarm REALLY have to go off any earlier?? I guess it does. If anyone else knows where all my time went - please let me know:) If anyone has an extra workout tape that you arent using, let me know and I will give you my address! :) (Somehow, posting this on the public internet where the world can see doesn't seem as embarassing as asking one boy to get the tape out of the locked cabinet..hmmmmm)
Well, Ronnie is seriously supportive and telling me always that I am beautiful and that he doesn't notice any extra weight... but when the jeans are tight... and the khackis, and the shirts... ladies, we just know!
Ok, I am done venting... anyone else feel my pain out there? Anyone else have a solution to finding time to exercise??
Thanks