Longest Week Ever!

Is it just me, or does the week before pay day go by especially sloooow?  

  

I only get paid once a month so that really makes it worse because by this time of the month I am down to pennies and relying on my low stash of groceries to get me by.  (I hope my mom doesn't read this.  She'd be mad that I didn't tell her I needed money.) 

  

If you are reading this, mom, I'm fine... I just want to be a grown up and if I really really needed help, I'd tell you!  :) 

  

I know I promised an update from our trip to Springdale but I've been so out of it.  I'm too lazy to upload pictures and I'm too OCD to do the post without the pictures!  There are some cute ones... they can't be neglected. 

  

Right now I'm sittin' here at work sippin' my morning coffee, eating a Nutrigrain bar and listening to the rain! 

  

Can I go back to bed now, please?

Jayda, here I come!

So I did a kinda crappy job of blogging this week!  I won't be able to blog over the weekend either because Adam and I are going to the NWA!!!  Woot woot!  I am so excited to get to go home for a weekend with no big events (graduations or weddings) planned!
 
I'm so excited that I am sitting here counting the minutes until noon, because I get off early today!  I might skip out like 15 min. even earlier.  If you don't tell, I won't tell!
 
We are taking Miller with us, b/c Adam is my usual cat-sitter and well, he's coming along with me!  Miller does fantastic on car trips, but hates when we arrive at a new place.  He usually will refuse to come out of his carrier.  His least favorite thing in the world is to go to my Granny's house and see Jayda.  She is a typical toddler and bugs the crap out of poor Mills.
 
There WILL be an update either Sunday night or Monday about the weekend!  I plan on showing Adam around, seeing grandparents, bff's and of course love of my life, Jayda!!!  I haven't seen her in about two months which is just ridiculous.  I'm sure there will be some cute pics of her to grace you all with!
 
 

Weekend Update

I'm making it my personal goal to start blogging more often.  I don't know why I skip so many days, because when I do I really miss it.
 
This weekend I couldn't blog, because Adam and I hung out a lot and we instituted a "no computer" rule for the weekend.  I have really fast internet at the apartment so usually we are both eating that up.  But this weekend was so much fun and exactly what we needed!  The no computer thing didn't even bug us because we had such a good time with each other.  We ordered take out and watched movies and played way too much playstation.  We played lots of MLB baseball and some Bond.  I got better at baseball, but I think I only beat him once out of several games.  I pretty much dominated at Bond.  Anyway, we dubbed it our "Lovah's Retreat", jokingly, but it really ended up being fantastic!
 
This weekend doubled as my last weekend to eat a lot of the things I did.  I wasn't a complete glutton, but I ate Mexican food and ice cream and pizza (don't judge) because today I am starting back on Weight Watchers.  I can't go to the actual meeting, but it's not necessary.  I am bound and determined to lose 30 pounds by the end of this year.  I figure it's doable because usually when you're trying to lose weight the first pounds come off a lot faster than the last ones do.  I'm sure when I reach the 30 pounds mark and have 20-30 more to go it'll be a lot tougher!!!
 
I'm happy to say this past weekend I maintained the weight I was at.  No, I didn't lose, but I'm mega-shocked I didn't gain!
 
Right now, I'm at work and this Monday feels awful compared to the awesome weekend I just had!

The BIG Goal

Ever heard of the phrase, "She's let herself go?"

 

Well, I have.  Let myself go I mean.  Physically and Financially.

 

So in order to inspire me to lose the lbs I've so hastily put on, I have a little reward system developed for myself.

 

As you see from my last post, money is tight.  But, I love to shop.  And need to lose weight.

 

So!  Each month, starting today, I will give myself $5.00 for each pound lost.  The total sum of money, I get to spend on whatever I want.  My limit will be $50 (although I can't see myself losing more than 10 lbs in a month... hmm maybe?).

 

So for example, say I lose 5 lbs between now and when I get my paycheck the 31st.  Then I get to spend $25 out of my paycheck, any time during August, on whatever I want.  OR I can save it and add it on to the next month and maybe get something bigger.

 

This little plan will help me two-fold.  First, it will inspire me to lose weight.  Second, it will limit what I spend on things I don't need.  Maximum of $50, so I don't splurge... and if I don't lose, I don't spend. 

 

Brilliance I say!  Feel free to join in with your own little reward system!  Let me know if you wanna try it with me, so we can spur each other along!

PS - My weight loss goal is 60 pounds.  I'm giving myself a year and a half to two years, trying to be realistic.  I've also decided to document my struggles and triumphs on my blog in an attempt to keep myself accountable to my big goal!

Buh-lessed

Ya know what, kids?  Being a grown up is tough stuff. 
 
I am finally at the point in my life where I'm really working toward being 100% independent from my mom and/or granny's support. 
 
I've got a full-time job, but it doesn't pay a whole lot.  Now, in about a month, my once-a-month paycheck will double, b/c I'll get my social work license and I'll be "promoted" to therapist. 
 
Right now, though, I'm struggling to pay rent and bills with my measly non-license paycheck. 
 
Folks, I'm talking about after all my bills come out (which they haven't yet), I basically have $32 bucks left to last me the next 16 days.  I get paid last day of the month.  That's $2 a day if you were wondering.
 
I know this sounds strange, but it's kind of exhilarating as much as it is terrifying.  I'm just starting out in life, living paycheck to paycheck, becoming more independent... Let me stress I am not making light of people who really struggle financially or do not have a job at all.  It's serious, really.  But, as serious as it is, it's still exhilarating.
 
I'm a lucky girl.  My parents/g-parents still pay my car insurance, I don't have my own health insurance yet, which will be an added expense come September, and I don't have to pay for my cell phone.  I have no car payment because my parents paid it off after they gave it to me.  I'm blessed.  Truly.
 
As hard as it is right now, as tight as my purse strings have gotten, as MUCH as I want to SHOP... I am so fortunate, and have NOTHING to complain about!

Freedom

I'M FREE!

 

Yep, you heard me, I am officially dunzo with the horrible incident that was grad school.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for the opportunity I had to continue my education and get my master's degree, but I am also deliriously happy to be finished!

 

Sunday morning/afternoon I woke up, still tired from all the wedding excitement.  But I couldn't just lay in bed all day, I had a mission to complete.  ONE more paper and I would be forever through with homework, reading (for school), research and papers.  I started feverishly writing, just eager for the feeling of relief I knew would come when I turned that sucker in. 

 

I took a little break to go to Freedom Fest with Adam.  What is Freedom Fest, you ask?  We didn't really know either, we just knew the signs up around town said "everything's free" and as two people desperately trying to save money, we decided it couldn't hurt.  They might have free hot dogs or something!

 

"Hey, I'm gonna take you to dinner tonight." Adam told me as I typed as fast as I could on my paper.

 

"REALLY?!" I said excitedly.

 

"Yeah, we're going to Freedom Fest."

 

Oh.  Freedom Fest.  Dangit.

 

I secretly crossed my fingers they had some decent food there. 

 

We parked about a mile away and walked to the Events Center - aka a big field with a stage in the middle of all the baseball fields.  Lots of Searcy people there, which if you know Searcy, you know the people-watching was worth the trip to FF - free food or not.  But they had free food! Not only were there hot dogs, but there were bbq sandwiches, soda, chips, snow cones, watermelon, cotton candy.  ALL FREE.  Sweet.  I ate way too much, we listened to the Christian cover band for 5 minutes, decided our ears had been tortured enough.

 

Back at home...

 

I'm working on my paper when I hear a loud catastrophic BOOM outside.  W.T.F.  I ignored it and kept writing my paper.

 

15 minutes later Adam left to go jog at the track.  I heard more and more booms.  Are we being bombed? 

 

I walked out on the porch to check out the scene and determine whether Miller and I needed to hide in the bathtub with my mattress covering us. 

 

All the across-the-courtyard neighbors were on their balconies looking up at the sky.

 

I couldn't see anything at all when I looked that way, so I decided to walk outside so I could see.  I went downstairs and lo and behold... almost too good to be true... FIREWORKS.

 

I seriously love fireworks.  Freedom Fest was still going on, and since it was held less than a mile from my apt., the fireworks were so close it felt like they were right overhead.  As I sat outside by myself, I felt like the huge (expensive) fireworks display was just for me, saying "CONGRATULATIONS.. You're done with school, JEN!"  It was like the whole town was celebratng my impending freedom. 

 

I finished my paper, turned it in, and every night this week I've had a nagging feeling when I get home from work.  What homework do I have to do?  Isn't sad that this is an automatic thought and I can't stop feeling like I've got something to do?

 

But I don't!  WHOOT.  I'm done.  For-ev-errrrrr!

Tired Eyes

Went to the midnight showing of "Public Enemies" with my sweetie last night.  We live in a beyond lame town so it wasn't showing here.  I had originally looked up times for tonight at the Rave in Little Rock.  Then I noticed the midnight showing last night (this morning).  Adam and I debated on going and finally decided to live on the edge and go for it.  This was a movie on my list (right side of the page).  I'm not gonna lie, my little workin' eyes were tired and I fought sleep throughout the second half of this over 2 hour long movie, but not because it was boring!  It was a very good movie with a great mix of romance and action.  Good date movie for sure.  But boy did I pay for this little excursion today at work.  We didn't get home until 3:30 this morning and my eyes have been aching all day.  We ate an early dinner after I got off work and then I took a 4 hour nap.  Yeah.  I've been awake now since 9:30 pm and I'm ready to go back to bed again.  If you know me, you know the vital importance of sleep in my life.