A Breath of Fresh Air

Fall 2008 Semester? I kicked your ass. Hopefully.

My professors haven't graded my papers yet, so maybe I missed, and only kicked the thighs. Or shins. Either way, it's out of my hands now (except for the one class in which we all got extensions because he's expecting masterpieces). I'm even done grading.

Can it really be true that I've moved to Mississippi, finished my first semester of grad school, taught my first course, lost between 25 and 30 pounds, AND gotten engaged? Whew, no wonder I'm exhausted. (And next semester is shaping up to be even busier!)

So other than the paper I have to write, I'm using this break to recoup. To relax. To actively focus on my health. I made kind of a SNAFU of things over Thanksgiving break, and I'm determined not to let the same thing happen over Christmas break. Stay on me, people, in the spirit of kicking this year's shins.

Wishlist

I might need new socks for Christmas.

Paper Progress: 7.5 9.75 / 15-20 pages done, Due Thursday at 4

Absentee Blogger

Whoah, did a whole week just go by? Not sure how I missed it.

I've been holding steady at 187.0 for the past three days, so I guess I can say I'm there now. I haven't been moving past 190 all week, so I suppose it's a good thing I didn't order that pizza for dinner last night after all, huh? This means I've only got 4 pounds left for my Christmas Challenge! It's gonna be tough with my Thanksgiving trip home in about a week, but I think I can do it. I'm packing my scale and my water bottle.

I apologize for being so absent this week--I've got three 15-20 page papers all due in the next month (each one about a week apart!) so I've been trying to work on those in addition to doing my regular reading/teaching. I feel like I've gotten absolutely nothing done, and each time I try to get started, my brain refuses to cooperate. I didn't make it to the park all week, I haven't cooked as much (or when I have I've not liked what I've cooked), and I think I'm getting the cold that everyone has passed around. Even when I get plenty of sleep at night, I wake up feeling exhausted. At least I'll be going home for Thanksgiving soon, so even though I have a paper due the Monday I return, I'll at least have gotten some family time, and my favorite, cuddle time with Dustin in.

This is what my desk looks like, only with about 15 more books stacked on top:
I need strength and a ghost writer.

Holy Crap Batman, Week 9 Already?

If this were elementary school, I'd be getting a 9-weeks progress report. Here's mine:

Motivation: A- Ashley has strong goals in mind, but may want to consider smaller, short-term goals to help her through troublesome weeks.

Water Consumption: F Ashley drinks, on average, only 5 glasses of water a day. She needs to give up sodas in favor of calorie-free fruit juice and water. Eating water-heavy fruits would also help her increase her water consumption (and finally heal up her chapped lips).

Exercise: C Ashley began poorly, but in the past few weeks has added cardio to her routine. Her progress, though, is haphazard. She needs to incorporate cardio into her week more regularly, in addition to adding a strength training regimen. Perhaps signing up with the weight-room orientation with Oh, Mike might help motivate her.

Fruit / Vegetable Intake: F How hard could it be to add fruits and veggies into a meal, Ashley, really? Think salads, vegetable soups, or veggie wraps for lunch instead of your rice-heavy leftovers.

Breakfast: B+ Although she eats the same thing for breakfast almost every day, it's a nutritious granola bar and a cup of milk, and a good start.

Healthful Cooking: B- Slowly begin replacing rice and bean meals with more veggie-heavy sides. Meat needs to be portioned better, as well as soup, chili, and casserole portions.

Networking: A+ Keep up with that blog, SparkPeople, and your Li' Fattie. Keep listening to those compliments you're getting, and take them as encouragement to keep strong.

Constancy: C For the first half of the 9-weeks, Ashley was a model for consistency. Lately, though, she's skipping recording her meals and counting points. Refocus, and begin this 9-weeks with renewed energy.

Organization and Enabling: B+ Don't be your own worst enemy; plan your week so you have less room to fail. Get back on track with menu planning and cooking. Set a schedule for going to the gym and don't rely on whether or not you feel like it. Chances are you won't, unless Oh, Mike is there.

Note to the public: I began the long process of preparing my move to Mississippi today. I cleaned out my closet and boxed up my winter-wear. I'll eventually need to move on to going through my books (boo!), and packing up / donating the stuff I know I'll never use again. I'll also need to begin looking for an apartment in Oxford, which should be interesting, as I'm three states away and see no opportunity to get out of Augusta until the middle of May.

Oh, and think your trainers are perfect? They're not. Oh, Mike joined us in my beginning yoga class at the gym (or Power YoLates a friend and I call it). He did considerably worse than I did, maybe even than I did on my first day. Muscled and adorable he is, flexible he is not.

Week 8 Weigh In (and Friday Night Excitement!)

Okay, the weigh-in first. Due to some serious lack of motivation last week, I didn't weigh in. This week accounts for both last week's losses and this week's. I'm down to 197.6, a total of 13.4 pounds lost. I'm truly surprised by this, because I've been really slacking. For week 7, I wrote down a total of 3 days. 3. I've had cookies and brownies for lunch and breakfast several times. And last night, I had a Blue Moon, and 2 1/2 glasses of champagne.

The reason for the champagne? I got into Ole Miss' Masters of English program! They couldn't give me any financial aid just yet, but I'm supposed to wait until later in the semester to find out if any will open up. Even if it doesn't, the tuition is fairly cheap (even for out-of-state) and it's definitely do-able. I just need to figure out if I want to do it. It's amazing what you think you're ready for, and then once the possibility opens up, the gravity of your decision kicks you in the gills. Going to Ole Miss would be a huge move for me--my family and friends and boyfriend would be 8 hours and a drive across Alabama away. I'd be committing myself to at least 2 more years of thesis writing. I've been a ball of nerves since last night when I read the letter. I've got a big decision ahead of me, and I would really appreciate any thoughts / prayers / karma / energy you guys could send my way. At this point, I could go either way with my decision and I don't know which way is the right way. This is making me want lemon-peppercorn french fries.

After I got the acceptance, I called my mom, thinking I sounded totally chill, and told her that Dustin and I would be stopping by for a bit. "Sure," she said, "we'll be here." She opened the door, we sat on the couch, and I told her and my dad I had something to tell them. My mom didn't look the least bit surprised, and once I told her I got in, she looked even less surprised and brought out the bottle of champagne she'd had on ice since she got of the phone with me. How do mothers do that?