It's All Over But The Melting

Finally the sun was smiling down upon us and began to chase away the remains the snow storm that happened almost a week ago.

Everywhere there is water. Water dripping, water running, and water pooling it makes shoes muddy and carpets dirty.

Darryl woke up with a headache today and then asked if we could go to our favorite Mexican restaurant. Two of my former students work there and as always I inquired about the college progress.

I make sure that they know that the Hope Scholarship is facing serious difficulties and may wind up on the chopping block before you know it. That's because in the past year governing officials have had to turn to the state’s reserve fund in order to pay for the program and keep it running. But as with any reserve and now that the money has run out it looks like cutting the program may be the only answer.

I did select a winner for my giveaway with Cynthia Ann and I contacted my winner by email. I hope the winner checks her email so I can give her info to Cynthia.

I finally decided to stop the insanity of my recent eating habits. I had kept my weight down under 130 for quite some time but now it just doesn't seem like I can keep my eating in check and I'm certainly not eating like I used to.

I've decided to return to doing exercise videos and in doing so I decided to see if I could revisit to exercise buddies. The first one being Jane Fonda. I know, I know, but her exercise video was all the rage back in the 80's and I used it to help lose weight and get toned after I gave birth to my youngest son.



I did the workout every day and actually began to feel as though some of the other women on the video were my compatriots. I was so lonesome at the time I wished that I could have actually afforded to be in an aerobic class and made friends with these women or women like them. How's that for sad.

After a quick search of the web, I did find a copy but it was a VHS AND it was going for $159. WHAT???? Forget that.

I then decided to revisit another old friend, Richard Simmons. Before I got married the first time, my best friend and her sister used to workout with the Richard Simmons television show.



Not only did I never watch him but I just didn't get it. I believe it was a matter of me not knowing how much I didn't know.

Carolyn and her sister were all set to watch the show and he seemed to spend a lot of time reminding us to breathe. I didn't feel all that direction was necessary and I remember rolling my eyes. Add to that I always associated Richard Simmons with trying to SAVE fat people. I just never saw myself as one of those obese people he was called upon to save on various shows.



Then about twelve years ago I had begun to put on a great deal of weight. I weighed almost 160 pounds which is about what I weighed when I gave birth to my sons.

I was unmotivated, I ate too much, and to make matters worse I was depressed.

Then one day I checked out Richard Simmon's Disco Sweat from the library in Newport News. I can't begin to tell you why because I just couldn't imagine myself working out with Mr. Happy Pants. I made the commitment to do the workout once and I suddenly found myself actually exercising again.

I know have it as a DVD. I decided to stop my backwards slide into weight gain and I ordered two new Richard Simmons DVDs to help mix things up and get back on track.

The Snow Day Trifecta

Today is our third snow day. While there was some very icy patches we did manage to take Liddy Dog to the Vet.

It appears he has a bladder infection and that's what causing the blood in the urine and the incontinence. The Vet also says my Liddy boy has cataracts in his right eye and he has signs that his left eye isn't doing so hot either. Since he's already deaf, things don't look well for my baby. The Vet says these are all signs of aging and with him being 16 years old he's obviously no longer a pup.

We now have to give him two different eye drops AND some medicine and we will have to bring him back in about a week. I was so very worried that we might have to put him down but we've invested in his future with over $500 worth of medical bills to show for it. He's worth that much and more to me because I love him and I always have.

Meanwhile, our little buddy Atlas has managed to absolutely destroy his racoon doll...I mean action figure. The racoon was one of the first things I bought him so he would have a toy that squeeks. I was told that miniature pinchsers love squeek toys. The tag on the toy guaranteed it was safe for the dog so we bought it thinking he would just love it.

At first he was terrified of the racoon and would refuse to go anywhere near the thing even to the point of refusing to step foot into the room if he could see the doll on the floorr.

It took a few weeks but out of nowhere he was decided this doll is the best thing since dog treats. He tosses it in the air, thrashes it about, gnaws on it with impunity.

Today he has managed to remove Mr. Racoon's eye. Thank Goodness it wasn't some button eye or he certainly would have choked. We had to then remove the stuffing that he was already beginning to pull from Mr Racoon's head wound.

After the trip to the Vet we headed out to drop off some books at the library. I finished Katie Up and Down the Hall. It was a good book and of course the fact that we both love(d) our cockers really touched a chord for me.

Darryl took me to CiCi's for lunch today because you can buy a drink for $2.99 and get the pizza bar free. Not a bad deal. During lunch the Superintendent of Schools contacted Darryl to say that we would probably wind up going to school two hours late.

I was actually fine with this. Staying home is much better when it's not so darned cold outside.

I had already made up my mind to call my contact person on the phone tree that we would be going in at 10AM but I was going to wait until I saw it in the Rome News Tribune.

Well it turns out that a call did need to be made but that call was to tell M. that there will be NO school tomorrow.

Today is 1/11/11

Today is January 11, 2011 and once again, today is snow day part deux and while no significant snow has fallen today, there has been some frozen precipitation on and off today.

In the further adventures of Atlas vs snow, today Atlas learned that while he is light enough to walk on top of the ice encrusted snow, stopping can be hazardous. Every Time he stopped he would sink all the way through the snow which would then cause him to panic.

All is not well in the dog department here. My sixteen year old cocker has been having incontinence problems lately but today he has a bloody tinge to his urine. Since our vet is closed today due to snow we will have to take her soon. I'm very afraid she will have to get put down. She has already lost her hearing and she sleeps away a great deal of the day away.

It would be so sad to have to say good-bye to my faithful friend Liddy Dog. I found him at the animal shelter in Newport News, Virginia and when they took him out of the cage I swear I was in love.

I noticed he walked with a very noticeable limp and it turned out the reason was he was born without one of his front paws. Oh it's still there it's just barely developed and located right under his knee joint. I had to have him because I was certain he would not be adopted otherwise.

Once we arrived home he made himself at home and began following me around and acted like a prima donna. My bed become his bed. My couch became his couch. He was a one spoiled young man coming in and it hasn't changed since.

When he first arrived he only moved if I moved but if I tried to take him for a walk outside he refused to walk any further than a half a block. This would then require me to carry him home. Trust me I got lecture after lecture about that. Still he seemed to relish the opportunity to see and be seen on our little walks. After awhile, he was able to actually walk three blocks both ways.

He will always be my liddy dog. I wish I could take him to the vet right now.

-----------------------UPDATE-------------------------------

I just checked the Rome News Tribune to learn that there will be no school tomorrow. I find that truly amazing.

Snow Day - January 10, 2011

Shortly after I finally went to bed last night it began to snow. According to Darryl it was coming down fast and furious.

Since our Superintendent of Schools had cancelled classes for Monday I wasn't really concerned. Trust me, in order for our Superintendent to cancel school it was nothing short of a miracle.

Today the snow in the Rome's downtown is standing between three and four inches, while some are reporting almost eight inches outside the city limits

Forecasts are predicting an additional one to three inches to fall today.

*****************UPDATE***************************

Throughout the afternoon a very light freezing rain was falling and around 2:45 the BIG BOSS cancelled school a second day in a row. An icy drizzle is expected to fall tonight as well.

According to the news it could be Saturday before things finally thaw out.

So stay indoors boys and girls and stay off the roads, it's cold out there.