You did WHAT?

That was the blog title I envisioned last night when I was planning my day today. I told myself that after dropping Reilly off at the vet & going to the podiatrist that I was going to take a jog around the neighborhood...yes, I said JOG. I've walked from Rusty Dr to the Walgreens on the corner of Golf & Arlington Heights Rd, about a 3 mile round trip; and I've ridden my bike up to the bike path and did 3 laps, which probably equaled a mile. I've never gone for a jog, though. And even though I am definitely not in the best shape of my life I knew it was something I'd be able to do, even if it was just to the next block & back it was something I HAD to do.

I was thinking about why I haven't gone to the gym since my initial visit back in October. As I'm writing this I'm also explaining to Dan:

*I don't like working out alone - even if we're not having a conversation and we're both listening to our own music, just knowing that someone else is there with me makes me feel better.

*I don't like working out around strangers - I know, everyone at the gym is striving for the same goal, but that doesn't make me comfortable enough to work out next to them! My gym is very confined and the machines are squished in together and the one time I was there I thought I was going to have a panic attack (not to mention, the stupid locker ate my quarter and I didn't have another one on me so I could put my purse somewhere).

*I would rather be outside - I really wish we would have used the rooftop machines at Princeton Club before we left...too late now! I'm really looking forward to spring and taking my bike out...and even though I said that last year, this year has way more possibilities for that to happen since we're not in an apartment or in a bad neighborhood.

So getting back to the main subject of this post....I really wanted to go jogging this morning, however the stars did not align in my favor. I rolled out of bed around 8:30 to see a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and the village-hired tree trimmers cutting tree branches up & down the street. Now, according to the weather last night there was a chance of snow but nothing accumulating. Bummed does not begin to describe the way I felt. I'm a clumsy person, so even walking in the snow I see as dangerous. The only consolation I got today was when I went to the library & had to walk forever to figure out how to get from the parking garage to the library entrance - at least I got some exercise :) I even attempted to ride the stationary bike tonight, but alas! the seat on it is funky and I'm pretty sure my butt bone will never be the same!

It is times like this that I was I was in Texas, where the weather is practically perfect for what I wanted to do and I'd be able to jog along side Mom while she's on her bike taking one of her miles long rides.

I really would have loved for this post to have said - I went for a jog this morning and it felt great!

However, all I get to post today is the "I wanted to, but didn't". I'm getting tired of my intentions turning out this way.

A New Year

Hello all! Where has this month gone?? I can't believe its January 22nd already! It feels like just yesterday I was going to bed early because I had to be at work at 7am on New Year's Day. There hasn't been a lot of change since 2010 began. The biggest news would be that Dan left his position at the Orland Park Infiniti and just finished up his first week of employment at Lexus of Highland Park. We are keeping our fingers crossed that things work out there so we can start a house hunt at the end of the year. I've been officially made a head cashier again, which means more of a set schedule. I'll be working mostly 9-5's during the week and closing on my weekend to work. We've also managed to coordinate our schedule; Dan & I have Tuesdays off together now.

I didn't make any resolutions this year...that way if I couldn't meet my expectations I wouldn't be a failure, lol.

That's all for now. Hope everyone's New Year is off to a great start!

Happy Holidays...a little late

Okay, okay....I know its been a loooong time since I posted anything. I can't believe the year is over already! So much has happened, I don't know if I could fit everything into a short, readable post. Let me just quickly summarize:

- Moved (yet again), to Illinois! We're crammed into a small bedroom with 95% of our personal possessions in boxes in a basement a mile away.

- Started new jobs, mine is going well...Dan is not so enthused about his, but its a new year and maybe there will be a chance for a new start?

- Spent Thanksgiving w/ Dan's family since we weren't going to be here for Christmas.

- Had an early Christmas w/ Dan's family, where Santa showed up and I was lucky enough to get a picture with him before he had to fly:

- Flew to Texas for Christmas with my family...and even though I thought we'd never arrived,

we eventually touched down in Harlingen a mere 8.5 hours late

- Met the cutest baby boy EVER and got to spend the entire day with him Christmas Eve!

- Enjoyed Christmas day with Mom & Dad and Scott, Amber & Connor before heading over to Aunt Judi & Uncle Al's for some more Christmas cheer. Who would have thought I'd be competing with a cute and spunky 5 year old for a chance to hold my nephew! lol

- Spent a majority of our vaca going back & forth between the front bedroom and bathroom doing some renovations at Mom & Dad's...but we had a great time and got pretty much

everything accomplished...(special THANKS to Amber, we couldn't have gotten the flooring done without you!, and Scott helped some, too :)

- Flew home, just in time to catch a cold :(

- Back to work, work, work

We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!!

The time has come!

Hey, what do ya know!? It's October!! The summer just flew by with a whole lot of stuff happening. It's 2am and I can't sleep, so I thought I'd post something. It's been several months and I'm sorry I've been slacking!

Let see...

Dan & I went to Texas to surprise my mom & dad...and boy did we! Mom was so flabbergasted, she thought we were going to Las Vegas. On our last night there, we all took dad to the ER because he wasn't doing so well. It's a good thing we did, because finally someone was able to tell us why his health had been going downhill. Mom said he's been doing a lot better though and continues to improve. Unfortunately I haven't gotten any of our pictures from that trip, because the SD card reader I have doesn't support the HD SD card I used in our camera...stupid technology!

Our nephew, Connor Alan, was born on the 25th of September!! We can't wait to see him in person! From all the pictures and videos we've been getting, he is just the cutest little guy.

The countdown has begun and we are just about moved. There isn't much left here at our apartment in Madison. We're down to the bed, some clothes, our TV, and odds & ends. Our official last day here is Oct. 17th....so in 12 (hopefully short) days we'll be outa here!! I've transfered to the Mt Prospect Menards, and Dan is going to the Morton Grove store. We're still waiting to hear from a dealership in Highland Park. Dan is one of their top 3 choices and should get a call for a 2nd interview sometime this week. So keep your fingers crossed!

That's all for now! I should probably try to get some sleep. It's a good thing I have the day off :)

Here's some pics of Connor, I'm sure everyone has seen them...but I'm a proud Auntie, so you'll see 'em again! :)

Is it October yet?

Well, its official...I have a job when we move to Illinois in a couple of months! My transfer was accepted by the Menards in Mount Prospect :) My last day at the Madison store will be Oct. 16th and I will start at Mt P. on the 26th.

Dan & I were just down by his parents to prepare our room for the move. We also drove to a couple of Infiniti dealers so Dan could drop off his resume and talk to the service managers...that's not looking so good though :( With the way the economy is no one is hiring, in fact one of the dealers just laid off a bunch of techs. So as a back up plan, we stopped by the Pep Boys that Dan worked at before moving to Madison and it sounds like they'd hire him back in a heartbeat. Of course, he's always got Menards too :)

We're really looking forward to getting out of Madison. Not that its not a nice place to live...we're just tired of missing out on everything.

Oh well, nothing else new & exciting to report. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer!

A Good Time With Family

Last week we were lucky enough to get 4 glorious days off of work so we could spend time w/ my parents. They flew up from Texas and spent over a week in Illinois. My mom went to an ObesityHelp seminar and got to meet Dr. Garth Brooks from the TV show Big Medicine. She's been doing amazing since her gastric bypass surgery last year!

(sorry Mom, this isn't the greatest picture but you're still lookin' awesome!)

Dan & I picked Mom up from the hotel Sunday morning and headed over to Uncle Ken & Aunt Sue's...we got there just in time to find them pulling out of the driveway, "We're headed to Shannon's, follow us!" Okie Dokie! We found out everyone was meeting at Shannon & Alan's to go watch the parade for the Oak Forest High School Softball Team, because they just took the State Championship. Go Lady Bengals and Emily (Gatorade Player of the Year!) We also got to meet the newest member of the Gormley family, Maggie Joan. She's was just 5 days old! We had a great time at the parade and loved watching all my little cousins run around. The kids definitely had a good time. After the parade we headed over to my Gramma's to pick up my Dad and hang out w/ his side of the family. They had a surprise party for my cousin Jacob's 8th grade graduation. It was a great day! Of course, no one remembered to take pictures and in fact I forgot to take our camera when we left...ugh :) On Monday, Mom & I hit the stores. We shopped till we dropped for my soon-to-be nephew. It was definitely a successful shopping day and that boy will be one sharp looking baby in his duds. Tuesday we took a bike ride around the neighborhood and up a bike path. I commented to Mom that we haven't been on a ride together in more than 15 years! It was awesome to see her out & about on Uncle Ken's bike! Shortly after returning from the bike ride the rain came, so we just hung out in the screened-in garage and watched some tv. Mom & I worked on our current crochet projects. Wednesday morning we had breakfast at Chef Klaus (It's got a different name now, but I can't think of it). Dan really wanted to go there again, because the last time we were there he was too hung over to enjoy his breakfast! Afterwards we came back to Uncle Ken's and relaxed with Shannon, her sister-in-law Kathleen & the Irish Kids. That evening we headed over to Jack & Michelle's to celebrate Jack's birthday. Oh, and if I forget to email you Michelle....can I get the recipe for that pasta salad you made?! It was sooooooo good! We had a wonderful time with the family all week and are so glad we got the time off. Dan & I are looking forward to moving to Illinois in just a 4 & 1/2 short months and hope to see our families way more often. It'll be nice to be closer to everyone! I feel like it will be a long time before we get another mini-vaca like this, so we made sure to cherish every minute!

Fishing Fun

Last week Dan & I went fishing w/ our friend & roommate "Moyer". I haven't been fishing for a looooong time, and Dan had only been once (which was a couple days before this trip). Dan decided he liked it enough that we needed to get our own fishing poles. So after work we stopped at Farm & Fleet and got some poles and a fishing license for me. Then, it was off to the lake by Henry Vilas Zoo for some fishing fun.

It was a little windy and not much was biting...except the trees!

Eventually, we managed to get a few bites. I pulled three fish out of the water and Dan got one. They were de-hooked and thrown back in.

Fun in Mexico

We were not about to let the swine flu keep us from spending time with family in Riviera Maya, Mexico at the end of April. My cousin Don and his fiance Beth were married on April 30th just a few feet away from the Caribbean. The weather was perfect, the drinks were flowing...we couldn't have asked for a better time!


Ugh, I've been working on this post for over a week and because the file size for the pictures are too big, it's taking forever. All of the pictures we took are on Facebook and I'll be adding them to my Photobucket page as well :) Sorry for the delay in posting!

Easter Greetings!

Wow...its April already! Let me start this post w/ birthdays:

April 1st - Uncle Mike
April 2nd - Kevin
April 11th - Colleen
April 14th - MOM
April 19th - Lisa
April 21st - Me :)

I think there may be one or two I'm missing (like Marlene?) Please let me know who I left out!! Happy Birthday to everyone!!!!

Also, Happy Easter! Sadly, Dan & I are working this weekend so we are not able to spend time w/ family :( We hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday!

So this morning Dan & I participated in the American Cancer Society's 5k/10k run/walk at Warner Park here in Madison. Neither of us have ever done anything like this and we had a blast! We only did the 5k walk, which is slightly over 3 miles. There were a couple of steep inclines so we got a pretty good workout. I saw a flyer for the 12th Annual Susan G. Komen Madison Race for the Cure on May 30th, so I think I might sign us up for that one too! It felt good being outside for the walk today, even though it was only 35 degrees.

All the walking has definitely had a good effect on me. I'm about a pound away from 20 lbs lost since I really started dieting/exercising in February. We haven't made it to the gym for the last couple of weeks, but watching what I eat and getting in about 2-3 miles a day of walking have been beneficial. I haven't noticed too much of a difference myself, although I think my favorite pair of jeans (which I wear to Menards) are slightly loose. I've also been lifting weights a couple days a week and I have noticed a slight difference in my arms from that :)

Speaking of Menards......I'll be a full-time Head Cashier as of April 19th. Our office manager is trying to find a job where she can use her college degree, and she keeps asking if I want her job....of course I do!! So I'm hoping it'll only be a matter of time before I'm posting that I'm a Front Office Manager! My last day at Z was Friday. It was sad leaving everyone that I've worked with for almost 2 years, but it was definitely time to go. I'm still planning on having lunch w/ some of my Z co-workers and visiting before we move in October.

Well, its been long day and I'm ready for bed so I'll end this post.

Have a Very "Hoppy" Easter!

March Madness

I'm definitely not a big basketball fan and haven't watched a game in years. I don't participate in brackets or pools of any sort. However this evening, Dan & I had dinner w/ our friends Dan & Lana and spent a very nice evening watching basketball. Lana & I took a short break to run to Walmart and the two Dans did some work on Lana's car. Ultimately we ended up in front of the TV watching game after game. I must say, it was quite enjoyable. As I type this Wisc & Fla St are in overtime, as are Siena & OH State...we're back home & I actually still have the games on! Weird!

In other news...we're getting closer to our move. So far I've gotten the kitchen & downstairs bathroom repainted and will work on the dining room wall & loft bedroom tomorrow while Dan is at work. Also, I have exactly 3 weeks left at Z. I'm looking forward to some free time before hopefully going full time at Menards in May. I got a little promotion at Menards to Head Cashier, which means a raise and some extra hours probably :) I'm also going to start working every weekend at the end of May for extra $$.

At the beginning of February I decided it was really time to kick it in gear and lose weight. Of course that was one of my New Year's Resolutions. So with the help of SparkPeople.com I've managed to lose 13 lbs so far. My goal is to lose 25 lbs by the time we leave for Cancun at the end of April. My overall goal is to lose about 75-80 lbs. Dan & I have been trying to make it to the gym at least twice a week, some weeks are better than others. However, I have been walking during my lunch hour at Z. By using a pedometer I discovered about 3 laps is equal to a mile and I've been walking about 7-8 laps 3 to 4 times a week. Water has also become a huge staple in my daily routine. I take a 16.9 fl oz bottle of water w/ to work in the morning and usually drink most of it on the way in. It gets refilled numerous times throughout the day. I'm only drinking soda w/ my lunch and its either Sierra Mist Free or Diet Rootbeer, so no calories or grams of fat :) When we ran to Walmart tonight I picked up some wrist and ankle weights to vamp up my daily walks.

Oh...Wisconsin just won...GO BADGERS!

Also...I've been given permission to announce I'm going to be an Aunt! YAY!!!! I wish I had more details than that, but I don't.

Well Happy First Day of Spring everyone!!

Making Paczkis

Just a quick lesson in Polish....Paczki is pronounced poonch-key (don't ask me how the "n" made it into the pronunciation!)

Last Saturday, Feb. 21st while Dan & his buddies were at the Chicago Auto Show I spent the day with my mother-in-law and her mother making paczkis. We started around 9:30am and finished about 4:30pm. Yes, making these scrumptious Polish doughnuts is an all day process! It's only done once a year (but now that I know how to make them Dan is hoping to get paczkis more often).

I had a wonderful time "bonding" with Dan's grandma and felt very lucky to take part in the process. Not only did I mix, knead and cut...I also got to put the doughnuts in the deep fryer and take them out...something Dan's mom was never even allowed to do! (I let her help me though) It was a long day, but well worth it in the end! Take a look at some highlights from that day:

While we were having fun, Dan & his friends were stuck in an elevator at the Hyatt Regency!! Ask him about it next time you see him :)