Eyes wide open…

It appears that my body is not in the mood to sleep. For the last three days I’ve been up at odd hours surfing the net. If my IP address appears on your blog multiple times at weird hours, it’s because I fail to realize that you are most likely sleeping and not updating your blog for my entertainment. Which you really should…insomniacs like me will appreciate it.

Now, you’re probably thinking, why don’t you just take something. See, that’s the problem. I was taking a lovely pill that the doctor gave me a little too frequently for my taste. I want to be able to crawl into bed and cuddle then drift off into the land of slumber. I know that this episode will pass, just like the many other episodes that I have had. One of my seasons of sleeplessness I like to call Grad School. Yes, Karen, that’s how I kept up with everything…and you just thought I was super woman.

Unfortunately, I think that tonight, I’m going to have to succumb to the pill. I’m hoping to push off taking it for one more day. I know that if I don’t sleep more than three hours tonight that I won’t be enjoying the Big Easy as much as I want.

I’m over this hide and seek game that sleep has decided to play with me. Slumber, come out from your hidey hole and join me in bed. I won’t tell B, promise!

Mayhem…

I want to rant about American Idol. I do. I want to YELL on the internet about a certain mohawk-song-maiming vocalist (I use that term lightly), but I won’t. The bad thing is that I’m in love with one of those people who want to keep he-who-shan’t be named ON THE SHOW! Said boyfriend thinks that it’s amusing. He wants to violate the sanctity of a show that I hold near and dear to my heart.

I’m going to go scream into a pillow.

Weigh (week four) in review…

Okay, we didn’t have a huge loss, .2 lbs BUT, it’s a loss none the less. Also, I can’t expect to lose 5lbs every week. You guys are right, slow and steady. How my clothes feel on me is MUCH more important. And, today, I got into a pair of capris that I haven’t been in for almost 7 months. B was even commenting on how loose the waist was. So, I can’t complain but I wanted to keep you, my dear readers, informed. If I lose .4 lbs next week, I will have hit 10lbs in five weeks. That’s not too shabby.

I thought it would be beneficial to myself to see how much I’ve lost in a physical representation. I’ve lost over three of these hand weights. Yeah, that’s motivation.

This is why…

I don’t allow video cameras in my apartment. “Hotel California” performed by the Gipsy Kings en español and me dancing around my living room like a mad woman. Go! Listen!

¡Debo bailar! I must dance!

Missing…

I shan’t be posting a Menu this week. Sad, I know. But, B will only be here for two days before heading off to New Orleans and I will, most likely, be eating sushi. Frankly, I’m addicted to the stuff. It’s good for me. It’s good for my new way of eating. And, dang it, it tastes phenomenal!

So, I’ll most likely be turning into a piece of tuna or shrimp after this week.

Weigh (week three) in review…

Okay, so I didn’t really write about week two and the 1.4 pound weight gain that mysteriously occurred. I don’t know how that food got into my mouth or why I didn’t exercise and still managed to gain weight. Who would thunk that would’ve happened? Now, I do love my overly slow metabolism and my super in-shape mouse thumb but I just couldn’t come to tell you, my five lovely readers, that I gained weight on week two of Weight Watchers.

So, last week I was determined to do something to reverse the scale progression of up. I came up with the best plan of them all: I got sick. Yes, I know you know that I got sick. I wrote a nice long whine of how I was alone and sick. But, the benefits of being sick…oh how I love thee illness, let me count the ways! ALL FIVE POUNDS OF THEM!

Now, I have been eating solid food for the last three days and working out and not a single one of those pounds have decided to come back since being evicted. I’d like to keep it that way.

I wonder if I can I get a good case of typhoid in time for next weeks weigh in? (Nah, I’ll be good and lose weight the right way.)

Special requests…

Working in the world of technology you often get asked for help with certain matters: passwords, application failure, and anything else a human being can do to a computer. Some of my favorite questions and inquiries from personal and shared experiences.

Passwords:

“I have to have a number in my password, is seven a number?”

Hardware:

“I can’t get my computer to turn on. I hear that the computer is running but the screen is black” “Is your monitor on?” “Oh, I have to turn that on as well?”

Internet downloads:

“But I like the extra smiley faces in my emails!” “You realize that you’ve downloaded spyware, that’s why your machine is slow. It’s also against company policy for you to have non-approved applications on your computer.” “I don’t care as long as I have my smileys.” This is from a person who unleashed a nasty virus on the entire company, because the email said it had a surprise for her.

Software Issues:

“I’m unable to use your application.” “What part of the application are you trying to use?” “I’m trying to log in to it.” “Do you have authorization to be in the application?” “No.”

Menu Monday…

Last week did not go as planned, except for the White Chicken Chili. I got sick and B got sick while in Salt Lake City. And, we’re still ill. But, I’ve digressed. So, this weeks menu is going to be pretty simple. Not going to try anything fancy until we both feel better.

Sunday: Soup
Monday: Grilled Chicken with salad
Tuesday: Tilapia and sweet potato fries (pushed from last week) and green beans
Wednesday: Chicken and rice
Thursday: Hamburgers and roasted veggies
Friday: Enchiladas (I found some great low cal kind at the supermarket and I hope that we’ll be healthy enough to eat them)
Saturday: Date Night

Next week, I’ll be a single gal for two nights BUT on Friday, I’ll get to join B in New Orleans for the weekend! I’m excited because I’ve never been. If you guys have any suggestions for places to eat while we are there, drop a line in the comments section! Thanks in advance.

If you’re interested in viewing more menus, please visit Laura for Menu Planning Monday.

Procrastination at its finest…

Alright, I know I owe the San Antonio details. It’s my fault that this was delayed. I even started writing it shortly after I had returned and B was in training. I had the pics. I had the ability to download said pics. But, I didn’t. BAD, JEN, BAD! Better late than never…

A few weeks ago B sent me the loveliest text message inviting me to go with him to San Antonio for the weekend prior to his training session. The plan was that I would drive up with him and fly back to Houston Sunday night. By the way, I love Southwest Airlines for offering reasonable airfare. Thank you, Southwest! So, we made the necessary travel arrangements and Friday night we were on our way to a real beaut of a town!

We started out going to the Alamo. It was a really interesting place but you’re not allowed to take a ton of photos unless you’re outside. And, since B and I always forget to take photos…I only have two. Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know, I need to take more photos. But, I get wrapped up in reading all the signs and looking at the walls, searching for signs of combat and wondering what took place at this historical site. The first pic is of the side of the Alamo, where there is a lovely garden and various paths.

There is this really awesome Japanese monument that was presented by Shiga Shigetaka, a professor from Waseda University in Japan, that commemorates the battle. But, of course, I forgot to take a picture of it. (Hides in shame)

The next picture is the front, the most famous view, was the most difficult to get a picture of because EVERYONE wants to take a picture of it. So, I had to snap this one very quickly and get out of the other hundred people trying to get a shot.

The thing that impressed me the most about the main building, where all the action took place, is how well it’s been reconstructed and maintained. There is no federal funding to support The Alamo and most of the staff is volunteers. I loved the older people who would speak of it’s history in these BOOMING voices. The displays had everything from David Crockett’s hat and vest to the letter sent home, from a son, announcing that he was selected for execution.

Several people had recommended Mi Tierra to me when I was inquiring where to eat. It had all the qualities that I was looking for: Mexican food and Margaritas! After all the walking around at the Alamo, we decided to walk to our lunch destination, because on the map it didn’t look THAT far. HAHAHAHAHA! About halfway to said restaurant we realized that we had walked almost two miles and had another mile and half to go. I told B that I’d be more than happy to pay for the taxi back to the car after we had consumed our food.

When we arrived at Mi Tierra I was glad that we walked because there was no parking available for quite a few blocks. We entered the restaurant to a sea of people. I thought that we’d at least wait 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes to eat. Thankfully, we were able to get a seat at the bar and waiter (the cutest old man – I WISH I HAD TAKEN A PICTURE) served me a huge strawberry margarita. B had a drink that was a cross between a margarita and a pina colada. It was ehhh – but I’m not a huge fan of coconut. Once we got those down our YOU HAVE A TABLE buzzer went off – we only waited seventeen minutes. Yes, I drank a huge margarita in that time.

Our waiter was prompt after we were seated and he brought me the loveliest on the rocks margarita a girl could have dreamed. Then came the food. It was fabu! I had a fajitaesque dish and B had something I can’t for the life of me remember, but it tasted great. We did take the bus back to our car because I was a little too margarita’d to walk back.

Unfortunately, that was the only TRUE San Antonio restaurant we got to go to over the weekend. We tried to go to several other places that night but they were overly crowded and we were overly tired from all of our walking. We ended up in a not-to-be-mentioned here chain.

The next day our bodies ached from all the exercise of walking around that we did almost nothing but enjoy our remaining time together. I, again, apologize for the tardiness of this post and I will TRY to take more pics of our next adventure, New Orleans.

Don’t want to be..

All by myself ANYMORE! (Melodic belt here) Alright, no more Celine Dion for this post. Right now, I’m a single gal. B is in the land of the Mormons, trying to increase his brain capacity with knowledge of 3D mapping, vectors and all that fun stuff. Now, typically, I miss him. But, right now, I REALLY MISS HIM!

Today I’m hacking up my left and right lung. I hate being sick in a new town and no one to lean on. When I was in Memphis, I was in a similar situation. I ended up driving myself to the emergency room because I was having an allergic reaction to a medicine. Did you know that when you’re having an allergic reaction where you can’t breath, you’re not supposed to drive yourself to the ER? Live and learn. So, anywho.

At least I have Sassy La Rue to watch me hack and cough as I type. I hope that I don’t get any of you, my lovely five readers, sick.