Health Update!

Warning: If you don't like reading about female cycles, please don't keep reading!

About three months ago, I calculated how long i've been regulating my menstrual cycle with birth control. It was a really long time - 6 years.

I decided to go off of the pill and instantly felt a difference in my energy levels, hunger levels, sleep patterns, etc. It was fantastic. That was in May. It's almost September now, and I haven't had a period since that point.

Last week on my other (now retired) blog, I mentioned that I had some tests done. There are a lot of factors that could weigh into all of this besides being on the pill for six months, one of them being the incredible amounts of stress i'm undergoing at work these days.

I had blood work done to check my glucose, my cholesterol, my thyroid gland and several types of hormone deficiencies. I was terrified, and I weighed in at 24 pounds more than I weighed last summer, which absolutely disgusted me. What am I doing to myself?

Well I received the test results last Tuesday, after what seemed like a lot of waiting - and everything came back completely NORMAL. I'm so relieved. I'm on some meds to get back on track with my cycle - just for 10 days though.

But i'm using this to kick myself into gear for what I need to be doing for my own self and my own health. I'm getting more rest. I'm cutting back my eating out. I'm drinking more water, and i'm generally just looking out for myself more. Now the eating and the working out has always been a struggle, but i'm working on it, and I will get there. I'm just so thankful that I have a clean bill of health. Now I just need to focus on eating right and really seriously losing weight.

And i'll admit it, I'm presenting this here for some moral support; I really can use it!

What a long crazy summer it's been!

I'm back! And i'm giving this blog more attention.

It's been a crazy summer. I've been working alot, and I haven't been focusing on myself, or on my own needs and outlets. Some things I have on tap for the last few months of the year:

1. A really cool conference in Shaker Village, KY: I need this! Totally just a weekend of inspiration with other designers

2. Planning a trip for my 30th Birthday: More details on that soon, I hope. Chris and I are hoping to sit down this weekend and next and really decide where we want to go and for how long!

3. Making better health choices for myself: This includes sticking to my regular gym schedule, and not letting work interfere with that.

4. Finding work/life balance: This is going to be my biggest challenge on this list. I'm not sure how i'm going to do it, but I will!

5. Taking the time to work on remodeling my kitchen: Fingers crossed big time here. I can't wait to get that nasty wallpaper down, and possibly take advantage of the fact that my very handy brother is laid off and looking for under-the-table cash work and just things to do in general!

6. Planting a fall garden: I'm hoping to start that this weekend! I can't wait for fall veggies!

Ugh. Why am I so Cautious?

So I'm sitting in a hotel room in Omaha tonight after a party at 10:50pm, because I overdid it last night, and I'd like to have some party left in me tomorrow night for the closing party of the retreat i'm on.

Mind you, on this retreat i'm hanging out with some of the most forward thinking designers in the country, and shaping the future of our professional organization. It's overwhelming, exciting and intimidating along with being one of the best experiences of my career.

One of the designers and advocates for my field that I admire most is out with a HUGE group of girls seeing the Sex and the City Movie, and I stayed in to sleep.

And now I am wishing I was there with them - with HER - hanging out and laughing and crying with those four ladies I love so much.

In other news, I made a new friend -- several of them -- but one that I really hope to maintain a good frienship with and visit beyond this conference. YAY! It's a total coincidence that he and his partner own two bakeries (one specializing in cupcakes) in Pittsburgh!

On the Proverbial Edge

Today I got so frustrated with someone I have repeatedly tried so hard to get along with at work that I came very close to yelling at her.

I felt it right there. It wasn't good.

I have tried in so many ways. Calls, meetings with her, meetings with my boss, emails. You name it. We have completely opposite communication styles, and I have to say that I have never EVER had this kind of a problem communicating with someone.

Even though i'm going to a very intense 3-day conference, an checking email while i'm there for work, I'm so glad to get away for a few days.

In other news, I had a very very nice weekend with my husband. In recent weekends we seemed to be arguing a lot. My thought on it all is that we really haven't had time to spend together, and we were really taking it out on one another by picking fights because we are both frustrated.

We got to sit down this weekend and really talk about focusing on our goals together. Not my goals for my career, and his goals for finishing school and focusing on a career, but our goals together. It was really really good. It's funny how a nice weekend together and a bit of communication can spark the fire all over again! I never said marriage was easy - it's a lot of work.

It's definitely worth it. Chris is definitely worth it.

The Fire

On Sunday afternoon, after a very productive morning, I was lounging on my front porch talking to my Mom, when my sister in law buzzed in on the other line. I switched over to see what she needed (she doesn't call just to gab), and she told me that her Grandparents' house was on fire.

YIKES!

Chris immediately got his shoes on, we packed some sandwiches, water and lawn chairs, and he headed to his grandparents' house. I arrived later with our second car. I can't go too much into it, or my blood pressure will start rising again. But it's absolutely heartbreaking. His grandmother has lived in that house for 68 years. She raised two children in that house. His grandfather has lived there for almost 40 years since they got married when Chris' Dad was a teenager. They've invested their lives in this house.

Chris took some photos of the outside, but it's the images in my head of the inside that are haunting me. I wasn't allowed to go to the second floor without a fireman, so I stayed downstairs.

The photos are here, if you'd like to view them. They lost everything on the second and third floors, which is primarily where his grandparents' live. Chris' stepbrother, niece and nephew live on the first floor. They suffered a lot of water damage and smoke damage, but many of their things will be salvaged.

Derby Day!

People in Kentucky take the Kentucky Derby VERY seriously. That's why celebrating with Jenni and Aaron Huff is such a delight!

Bourbon balls (0r cubes), mint juleps, cornhole, jello shots, KFC (YUM! brands), a visit from the cops, and White Castles at the end of the night.

And a "doing dinner soon is NOT an option, it's a must, by one councilman, Mr. Huff made it SUCH a fun night!

And yes, it's 12:40, and i'm going to bed. But 8 hours of drinking is pretty good for me these days!

Brother Update

My brother took off for SanDiego on a total whim on Tuesday. My parents came home to a note from him - he hadn't even called work. And he hadn't shown up in two days. He hadn't locked up his house, he had windows open and expensive tools in the bed of his truck.

He's clearly very upset and beside himself. I'm so worried about him!