Belated Friday?

Wups... *blush*

Ever since I got back from Chicago, I've been running from one place to another with barely enough time to sit down and breathe. Therefore, no blog updates! Anyway, I did weigh myself last Friday, and I was at 280 even. Not great, but I'm ok with it considering the stress I've been living with!

Rob took my measurements and a photo while I was visiting. (he fails in the picture-taking department!)

You may be able to make out a person at the end of that murky hallway. That'd be me. Current pic. Not that it shows any detail, and not that you can tell how fat (or not) I am compared to pics from last year (which I haven't posted). Lord love him, his camera sucks, so that's the best we were able to do LOL Next time we'll use mine.

Measurements are currently

Bust (under): 43 inches (previously 43.75 inches)
Waist: 46.5 inches (previously 47 inches)
Hips: 58 inches (previously 59 inches)
Biceps: 16.75 inches (previously 16.75 inches)
Thigh: 29 inches (previously 28.75 inches)
Calf: 18 inches (previously 18.5 inches)

Not a great loss, but a loss! It'll do for now. As for stress, well Dad's still in the hospital (I think, I visited on Sunday), the 9 year old has swimming lessons on Tuesdays from 5 to 5:30, then I have class from 7 to 10. The 12 year old has swimming lessons on Wednesdays from 6 to 6:30. I work full-time during the day, then I also have a part-time job for the pizza place (evenings), and I'm currently working on getting hired on part-time at a craft store (weekends). Add school to that, and I can barely breathe *sigh* However, I need to become financially independent. I'm tired of relying on my ex-husband to get me through. (I'm sure he's tired of it as well!)

My dad said I could have the smaller of his two bikes. If he holds to that, then next spring I will have a bicycle! :D It's too small for him to ride. So now if I want to be able to use it, I have to stop letting stress and lack of time dictate my eating habits. I'm going to make a pot of chili this week for school nights and times when I don't have time to get elaborate meals ready. I also need to bake some corn muffins (the boy's favorite) and some fruit muffins for breakfasts. I just really need to purge my living space and pare down so we're not constantly battling with mounds of stuff. We need to be able to find things quickly and easily ;) The livingroom floor got cleaned up on Monday. Now we just need to clear off the couch.

I got a couple of bookshelf frames out of the garbage a few months ago when a neighbor moved out. For some reason, she kept all the actual shelves. Ugh. So I need to pick up some wood to make backings (1/4 inch should be fine) and some half-inch particle board that I intend to coat with shelf paper for shelves. Then I'll be able to reorganize the front room to hold a lot more books, and give my poor son a bookshelf for his room again!

Both kids have - amazingly - cleaned their rooms without being asked! Granted, the nine-year-old packed every piece of dirty laundry she owns into boxes and bins in her closet, and the twelve-year-old has a large pile of books and magazines int he corner, but they cleaned! Sadly, the nine-year-old did the vacuum cleaner in while she was doing her room, so I need to see about fixing that.

Most people go into a spring cleaning frenzy. I tend to do it in the fall when it cools down outside. I want all the excess stuff GONE. All of it. I need the landlord to fix my bathroom sink, the bathroom ceiling, and I want that new stove he promised me (2 years ago). ugh. So that's where we are today. I'll try to be a bit more regular in my posting (for the two people who read this LOL)