Be Careful What You Wish For

I was let go today, it was a weird of feeling of not being surprised and being surprised.
I'm not right for the new direction their going in and of course I was looking.

I still need to process it. Stay tuned.

Knackered

OMG I'm so tired today and it's a little bizarre. I went to bed at 10pm which really isn't all that late, maybe it had to do with yoga. I think I slept pretty deeply last night and when I woke up this morning it felt so so so wrong. I even stopped off at Tim's on the way to work and got an extra large coffee (very rare pour moi).

It's staff meeting day which is always draining and we're going over the anonymous suggestions they requested. Their feeding us pizza which is probably the only way you'll get everyone to sit through that.

I so despise the Blue team on BL. Was I imagining things or did Bob call Vicky"Shakespearian". I know he was saying she was the biggest player in the house. If he did call her that I thought it was quite good. I'm not sure it was wise to vote Phil off. The blue team has more weight to lose than black but it looks like they might be bringing back a person or persons. Plus they're going into single player mode...interesting. What we need is Vicky or Brady to go home and then we'll see what happens. It's pretty much guaranteed Brady won't have a stellar weight loss next time due to the 13 pounds this week. It will be neat to see the evicted players again to see how far they've come since they went home.

Thanks to the U.S elections we'll have to wait. Can I say I'm so happy that thing is over soon and I'm Canadian. My goodness I'm thankful for our "what I perceive to be" simpler format and less drama.

Counting the hours till I can crash...hugs!

Another bite

On the resume front that is, got a phone screen phone call from an engineering/construction company. I have seen this position posted 3 times in the last 6 months and I've applied for it each time. I hope I get an interview just to find out why they're having so much trouble.

A former co-worker called me to say they saw a position that they thought I'd be interested in so I applied for that one as well. The application process was interesting on this one as they went straight into a psychometric evaluation. Must be expecting a ton of responses to weed people out like that.

I was so mad yesterday, I lost my bus pass and to make it truly bitter I had the new November one tucked behind October in the holder. Top it off the holder that I adored cost me $15, All of it gone, so essentially I'm out $90. I called transit lost and found in the hopes that it fell out of my pocket on the bus (and someone turned it in). I'm thinking of popping over to the mall and getting a new one today as they tend to sell out. If the other one resurfaces I can return it. So on the way home yesterday I picked up bus tickets so I could get to work and back for the next week. Add to it I was working late and it took 40min for a bus to come. I didn't make it to the gym. Note to self keep bus pass in bag not pocket.

Truly looking forward to the calming of yoga this evening.

Namaste

A free pass....

So I came back from writing the industry exam (60 questions in 27 minutes and I went over it twice). I hope I passed, on this one the passing mark is also 75%. Whatever happend to the good old 50%?


I had weird eating today. Had breakfast at 6am, my tummy was grumbling at 9:30 so I had some almonds. Left for the test at 12:30 and wasn't hungry. Finished test stopped off a Tim's for a coffee and left with that and Tim bits (mini donuts). Thinking in my head - well I'm going to the gym tonight....hang on a second what the heck was that. It was an excuse to eat the donuts...oy vey I thought I had learned my lesson. Going to the gym is not a free pass to eat crap. So now the lunch I brought is supper.

Oh and another person quit today..that's 3 in two weeks. This one was coming for awhile, she wasn't happy and had talked about leaving for some time. So I'm happy for her that she can move on. So now that leaves me as the only FT recruiter.

I was catching up on some dvr'd shows yesterday. I kind of like My Own Worst Enemy, but do find it weird how I find Edward totally sexy and Henry not so much yet they are both played by Christian Slater.

I watched the Mad Men season finale as it aired. OMG now I can't wait till season 3. I haven't watched season one so I guess that can distract me for now.

I was debating on making cupcakes for my coworkers this week and then thought...why?

Later

Where does the weekend go?...and up 0.4

I was curious as to what would show up on the read out of the scale at WW Saturday morning. I could feel I was retaining water but I had a kick ass workout in the gym on Friday. (Seriously I hit the zone it was bizarre). So I should be happy with 0.4 as typically I can be up as much as 2lbs during TOM. I'm thinking this probably means I lost so now I just need to not be an idiot this coming week so I can see it on the scale next Saturday.

I loved the saying of the meeting: If hunger is not the problem then food is not the solution.

True that, my snacking ususally happens because I'm bored. The good thing about having something to do every weekday after work is that it leaves little time to be bored. The weekend is a whole different story.

Mind you between weigh in, grocery shopping and a dentist appointment I did a serious amount of running around yesterday. In fact walked to the mall and back twice so that's probably about 1hr of walking.

Today I'm not leaving the house, I'm studying for the CPC exam and doing chores. So I read throught the materials and then do a chore, then read through the materials and do a chore...repeat.

Things I need to focus on next week:
Water - as in drink it minimum 2l/day not including what I drink during workouts
Track - every bite, lick and taste
Workout - 3 gym, 2 yoga - Friday's workout will have to be moved to Saturday as I need to come straight home from work to hand out candy.

No school this Thursday because my instructor is in Houston but I should use this evening to catch up on all the reading...rather understand the reading so read it again.

I'm making a veggie lasagna for work lunch, no noodles instead sliced zucchini and eggplant. I've never tried this before and I'm totally doing it off the top of my head so wish me luck.

Later!

Why can't it be me

Another person quit today and I so wish it was me. That's 2 this week.
Weird day at work, we got the results of our internal employee satisfaction survey and apparently my office scored everything the lowest scores in the country. So our leader asked us to pick the 3 questions with the most important to us as an individual and make suggestions as to how we may fix them. They will compile everyone's answers and address them in order of most popular choice down.

I really wanted to write I have no suggestions as I strongly feel like you want to replace us all and start fresh. Good luck with that.

Of course I didn't and I offered very pg "let's all work together" suggestions.

This weekend I will meticulously comb through job boards, who knows I may still here from the company I talked to on Tuesday.

Class ran late last night, this time I brought a bun for supper. I figured I could easily kind of tear of pieces and eat quietly. I wasn't hungry when I got home.

So for the last few nights my furnace kept waking me up. I just pray it will last this winter. This morning when I was getting ready it turned on and it was quiet. Bizarre, the belt was recently changed and it was oiled so perhaps it is now accustomed to all these things and co-operating.

The last time I had it serviced they said they don't build them as good now. So it's the little engine that could.

I have been ridiculously bad at tracking this week but ridiculously good with workouts. Now I just need to do both.

Have a groovy weekend!

And the beat goes on...

Hello!
It's been a few days and all I can say is I've been busy.

Have yet to hear about an interview after the phone interview on Monday. Not sure what that means. Either I'm not going on to the next step or they're not sure who they want to see, or they're hanging on to me just in case. Either way I hope they tell me because waiting sucks.

In the meantime 2 new jobs intrigue me so I'll send over my resume tomorrow.

Tuesday's yoga was ...eh. I didn't particularly enjoy it and I think it was because there was a whole lot of talk and not so much poses. We did a lot sitting poses and I find my mind wanders during those.

Hit the gym yesterday for lower body workout and just couldn't do 20min on the Arc so I stopped at 12. I did do 20min on the treadmill and walked a little longer route home than usual.

Work is weird, yet another person has left and drama reigns. I'm just keeping to myself and doing my job while I plot my exit.

I definitely need to hit Tim's before class tonight. I've got no get up and go today. When my alarm went off I didn't move. I need to find decent ear plugs as everytime my furnace comes on I wake up.

My friend H is off to Maui, I'm totally jealous but hope she has a fantastic amazing time.

Alright that's all for now I suppose.

Later!

And the waiting begins

So I had my phone interview this morning and the recruiter asked me 3 times why I wanted to leave my current position. I phrased everything in the positive but kept thinking "haven't I answered that already?" She told me she has one more person to phone interview and then they would see who they bring in for in person interviews. She asked me my availability towards the end of this week and I said I will make it happen. She also asked when I could start and when I said in 2 wks she seemed really happy about that. We shall see. It's a brand new position so that's an exciting prospect. I just keep thinking if I was perfect for the oil company, I can be perfect for the engineering company.

I did a killer upper body workout at the gym. Well upper, core and 40min of cardio. I wore my heart rate monitor and it's talking to my computer at home. It was downloading very slowly..
By the time I got to the Arc machine I was sweating bullets. Including walking home from the gym the workout was 1hr and 48min. I'm back on Wednesday for lower body.

It was funny to observe others at the gym. I saw people on cardio equipment who looked bored out of their tree.

I was a bit at a loss of what to have for supper which indicates to me I need to plan in advance for gym nights. I get home closer to 7:30 and don't want to be eating too late.

I've been looking into meditation lately as a way to deal with stress and to quiet my thoughts. I got one created by Deepak Chopra called Soul of Healing meditations. It's meditation for beginners, very relaxing, nothing complicated. When I went to bed I put it in and just did 5min of the breathing meditation. All you did was breathe, don't control it just let it happen and focus on that. Well after that I had to get up and whoa I felt different. Not dizzy or anything, just completely relaxed. Apparently I normally walk around tense. I slept really well but woke up at 4am hungry. Fell asleep again and it was seriously hard to get up this morning.

Tonight is yoga so depending on how relaxed I feel after that I might try this again tonight. Directly after work I'm making my way to Walmart to pick up halloween candy and kleenex. Don't you hate it when you're out of kleenex, it's like your nose will run or you'll sneeze in that exact moment.

This morning the stars were still out when I was standing at the bus stop. I enjoyed it.

Have a fantastic day!

Down 0.2 and I'm ok with that

At least it's down and thanks to stress levels of the past week I didn't track and I didn't drink a whole lot of water so the fact that I'm down at all is a wee bit of a miracle.

This morning I got up took my measurements again and did my funky scale measurements of body fat, bmi and body water. I'm going to record my activity in a journal, recording not just what I did but also how I felt about doing it.

I'm definitely hitting the gym tomorrow that's for sure. Birthday cakes are done for the year and I really need to me getting to goal a major priority and not an after thought.

This morning I was watching this documentary on CBC called Generation XXL. It followed 4 kids from Nova Scotia to fat camp. What I found really profound was all the negative statements these kids were harboring inside them. I.E not good enough, will fail. How many of us still do that? When you're alone with your thoughts and frustrated with progress, do you go to negative places in your head?

They had all these kids write down every hurtful thing anyone has ever said to them and then they ripped up the piece of paper and burned it. Then they had to write positive things about themselves down. Many found this really hard to do especially after thinking of all the negative.

It's not so simple to switch from thinking you're failure to thinking your brave and a survivor. It can be done step by step.

My challenge to all of you is to write something positive about yourself every day this week. I'm talking something positive about your soul not just "I like my eye colour" - that's my go to positive statement about myself most of the time. Instead today I write instead..I am strong, I don't crumble I fight.

Positive hugs to all!

When a door closes, a window opens

One of the jobs I applied for the other day has contacted me for a phone interview on Tuesday, wow that was fast. This is for an international engineering company and it was posted on the job board 3 weeks ago. I thought it might not be available. So the process begins again...wish me luck.

I was at class last night talking to lady who sits in the same row as I do. She was telling me about her new job. She just got a job in benefits administration. Now I knew she hadn't been working for the past 10yrs or so and before that would direct the calls for people calling about benefit information. A light bulb kind of went off in my head. Why am I looking for jobs specifically in recruitment. My interests are HR, I know I'm a good recruiter but why not diversify a bit.

So this weekend I'll broaden my scope a bit and see what's what. At least I now know not to put the job hunt on hold just because you start a process with one company.

I got 90% on my benefits paper...whew I seriously didn't know where that was going to go.

This just shows that you must believe in yourself 100%. You can conquer any challenge and that includes weight loss.

Hugs!

Deep, calming breath

Alright the wig out is over and today is another day.

I applied for 3 jobs last night, talked to a friend today who found 2 more that he thinks would suit me. One step in front of another. I was listening to a Dr. Wayne Dyer CD before bed called Meditations for Manifesting. I fell asleep at one point because I woke up when the CD restarted.

I got the Cupcake Courier yesterday and now I'm itching to make cupcakes. I saw this thing on BT Breakfast one day and they told the story of how this Calgarian woman saw this on Rachel Ray.

Called the company but they don't ship to Canada. So she asked if she could be the Canadian distributor and tada she is. I was immediately intrigued as I have tried to bring cupcakes places and they usually wind up bashed and messy. This thing carries 36, or you just take 24 or 12.

If you're Canadian and want one contact Maggie or visit her company at the Farmer's Market in Calgary.

I needed to drop into Safeway yesterday to pick up bananas, I did feel a little awkward carting this thing around. Now if I'm still at my current job for the Christmas pot luck (if there is a pot luck) I'm so bringing cupcakes.

The cake turned out fantastic and everyone has gone to look at in the fridge. It wound up being a chocolate cake filled with custard/whip cream and thinly sliced bananas. Topped with a chocolate glaze. These people will miss me.

Supper wound up being leftover custard as I finished the cake that searched for jobs.

Tonight is class and I will definitely be hitting the gym on Friday for "last chance workout".

I got a foot long veggie sub for lunch. Half for lunch and half for supper so hopefully that will solve my dinner conundrum on school nights.

I shall keep you updated on my job hunting and cupcake adventures :)

Hugs!!!

Topsy Turvy

My professional life has been turned upside down with me wondering if my days are numbered, for reasons I won't got into here. I sit here a bit paranoid wondering what's in store for me. It's a reminder that I was looking for a new job and I better get going on that.

The chief boss is in town and I'm guessing strategies are in play but it's a little freaky when you see your name on something you shouldn't have. Everyone's name on something you shouldn't have. I don't know the circumstances behind this or who wrote or when but I'm freaked.

Thankfully I haven't turned to food. I didn't blog yesterday because I was getting my head around all this and in one heartbeat getting worried and in another heartbeat thinking screw you.

I am skipping the gym tonight to finish a birthday cake for the workplace and diligently check all the job boards tonight. My head is in a weird zone at the moment.

I've been watching the mgmt team today for any indication that things have changed but everyone is acting as they did and being very nice and making references to the future and I'm think I'm in a parallel universe.

I know I'll survive whatever happens but knowledge is power and it's better to be proactive.

Later

I feel my muscles and down 1.2

Down 1.2 this morning and had a killer workout yesterday.

I learned my lower body routine yesterday and boy am I feeling it now. 6 different excercises for this and I can feel all my thigh muscles. It felt fine this morning, but when I got up out of my chair at WW that's when I totally felt it.

I didn't go ot the gym today, instead walked to the grocery store and back. Yoga planned for a bit later today. I didn't think it was to go to hard core today as I went hard core yesterday.

Bought a brand new 3 month tracker so I could start clean.

I was quite pleased with the weigh in as I did also have a piece of Tiramisu as my afternoon snack on Friday. There is no just over half a pan in the freezer of my workplace. There were only 4 of us in the office Friday afternoon so there's some for everyone who wasn't there.

We have another birthday this coming week too. They've requested chocolate cake with some type of filling but no cherry. She mentioned custard so I have to give that a think.

In WW we went over the points for turkey dinner and it so inspired me to do my own turkey dinner. I'll make turkey meatloaf, stove top stuffing, steamed cauliflower and club house gravy. This will also wind up being lunch next week most likely. I'll probaby make it tomorrow as opposed to Monday.

I rented Iron Man for 1.49 from a vending machine in Safeway. I have to return it tomorrow but for 1.49 why not.

There's a new update for my itouch and I'm scared to try it. The last time I upgraded it was such a pain. I know I'm going to do it anyway so I can get cooler applications.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

Hibernation mode

What is it that makes us go into hibernation mode when the weather gets cooler and the sky gets a little darker? Yesterday everyone in the office was tired, it's not like everyone had a late night. One person was late because they fell asleep again after their alarm went off. I know I lay there waiting for a good song on the radio, which equals at least two snooze button hits.

This morning I saw a woman get on the bus decked out in her serious winter coat, hood on, zipped up to her nose. It was -3, what the heck is she going to do when it's -30.

I do find adjusting to weather funny. Right now we're freezing in -3, a month from now -10 will feel balmy.

I did my impression of someone backpacking across Europe this morning as I was lugging my MEC backpack with gym stuff and a small duffle bag containing the dish of Tiramisu.

We have 5 people in the office today and 9x13 pan of Tiramisu. We're closed on Monday for Canadian Thanksgiving. I've told them they have to eat it. I know I'm asking them all to be garbage disposals but it would break my heart if this goes to waste. I don't want to take the pan home until Tuesday as I don't think I get all this stuff into a gym locker. Hey, the starbucks liquor in it might make for a fun afternoon.

I'm very much looking forward to the gym tonight as I'm hoping I'll learn the lower body routine and be all set to conquer.

My plan is to go to weigh in tomorrow as usual but instead of grocery shop afterwards I'm going to the gym. I'm fairly certain Safeway will be open on Sunday if necessary. The bonus of leaving from home with the intent to workout is that far less stuff needs to be carted. I'm also picking up a new tracker at WI, I need a fresh book just to get my head clear. I've tracked nothing all week, well tracked in my head which is not the same as tracking on paper.

I need to figure out food for school nights, even if I pack a snack to eat around 6 I'm starving by the time I get home because I really haven't had supper. I should bring a peanut butter sandwich with me next time something a bit more filling than a granola bar.

I've come up with a way to finish my certificate by spring but I have to take 3 classes next semester. They're all different lenghts one is 40hrs, one is 30hrs and one is 20hrs. So they wouldn't be all three for the same time frame. It would mean no life from Jan to April but I'm seriously considering it. I think it would be good to have the certificate completed if I do have to re-write the NKE in May.

I hope all my Canadian friends have a great Thanksgiving weekend and all my American friends have a great Columbus Day weekend.

Later!

Productive night

I'm feeling good today despite the -5 with windchill that I woke up to this morning.

Yesterday I saw snow, not much but it was flying in the air and my immediate thought was "Crap".

I went to Co-op after work and picked up the mascarpone (more expensive than Safeway dang it) but they did have lady fingers so thank goodness for that.

I adore their fresh fruit and vegetable section but they are not the most reasonably priced grocery store. Everything looks so good and the lighting is perfect.

I got a rough copy of my paper done during the day so when I went home I just read it over and edited it. It's on my zip drive so I'll take one more look at it before I submit.

The Tiramisu looks and smells amazing. It's in the fridge to be lugged to work tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to gym tomorrow and cleaning my house this weekend. It's a disaster right now.

So I watched BL last night and I can't blame Jillian for being mad. What the heck, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people applied for that show and you're 4 weeks in and not doing your homework. That's completely ridiculous.

I hope they continue to knock a family member off until they're down to individuals. Colleen and Heba may have difficult time competing as individuals. Jillian's team is starting to bug me a little.
I can't stand the brown team. I don't have a favourite this time around, who knows maybe next week. I'm so proud of Ed, he looked amazing and I'm so excited to see their Heba and Ed's reunion.

Alright that's it for today...later.

Darkness is coming....

The only think I begrudge about winter is the leaving for work in the dark and coming home in the dark. This morning when I left for work it was more dark that sunrise so it's coming. Dang it.

Went straight to the grocery store yesterday after work to hunt down the ingredients for Tiramisu. Walmart nor Safeway had lady finger cookies - huh? Safeway's mascarpone was uber pricey. So today straight after work I'll stop in at Co-op as I'm fairly positive they have lady finger cookies. If not I guess it's Nilla cookies. I seem to remember them carrying bigger containers of Mascarpone. I find it fun to go to a grocery store you normally don't go to. It can be dangerous as you find interesting things that might throw off your budget a bit.

I walked home from Safeway, had a bit to eat got distracted by Biggest Loser and then off to yoga. I did not leave early enough as about 10 people were already set up by the time I got there. Note to self next Tuesday leave earlier.

I found it difficult yesterday, I haven't done any yoga since that last class so that's two weeks of no yoga = no good. I'm seriously considering getting up half an hour earlier to get a practice in before my day begins. Especially with my gym schedule and not eating dinner until closer to 8pm. That also means going to bed earlier. I must think like an athlete.

I have a better idea for my paper so my goal is to get a very rough copy done at lunch and then tonight hammer out a better rough copy (after making Tiramisu) and put together the reference list. Then put it all on my zip and finish /perfect it Thursday morning.

I'll be so happy when this thing is submitted.

Have a groovy day!

The zone

Update: So I was thinking I'd have to pay the full registration fee on Saturday at WW because I've missed two weigh ins (it's cheaper that way then surrendering 3 coupons). There's a deal on right now that to register you just pay the weekly fee - yahoo that saves me a few bucks.


I'm not talking about the diet, but more when you're in the middle of exercising and you feel unstoppable, like you could conquer a mountain sort of thing.

That's how I felt during warm up (10 min on treadmill - 3.5 speed, 5 - incline), then it was off to 2 sets of core, then 20min on Arc (that was hard) and then 30min back on treadmill (also hard). This was Cardio day. I was supposed to do lower body weights but my trainer injured her knee, so we've rescheduled that for Friday.

I'm not sure if I can go on Wednesday. I have a paper due on Thursday that's driving me crazy. Come up with 5 reasons why employers still use traditional benefits as opposed to health spending accounts. Thus far in my research I've found a whole bunch of reasons why they should switch. I need to get more analytical me thinks. With yoga tonight my available time is getting iffy. If I do have to miss Wednesday, I'll make it up on Saturday. Gym is closed Sunday and Monday so I'll be on my own for some sort of workout on Monday. At some point before Friday I need to make Tirimasu for a birthday at work on Friday. Oy vey I'm looking forward to the long weekend.

I have pet peeves to share with the world today. When digital cable lists a show and then when you click on that show it's a different show. I wanted to dvr the first episode of Dirty Sexy Money, I get home see that apparently it recorded. Go to watch it and it's Private Practice on access. Which probably means that ABC was also playing Private Practice at that time, because that's the channel I was recording but a Canadian feed took over (they do that if it's the same show) and this show was on Access. Irritating.

Focusing on water today as I've become really bad at this all of a sudden.

Have a groovy day!

Back from the wild

Hello my friends,
I have returned from the land of 3 channels and no internet access.
My alarm went off at 6am this morning so I could be bright eyed and bushy tailed for the test that's been my all consuming thought for the past few months.

It is written and in the hands of the CCHRA and I will know around Dec. 4th how I did. 70% is the passing mark to go on to the second test. I don't know how I feel. I don't feel like I aced it nor do I feel like I failed so we shall see. I know I prepared the best I could with what I knew then.
If I do have to write it again in May, I shall be beyond prepared but I'm chanting 71% in my head between now and December.

The test was scheduled from 9am to noon, it took until 9:20 to start so everyone could be seated. They actually put the exam on the desks in alphabetical order so you had to go look for it and sit in that spot. Silly I thought, why not just hand you the sealed envelope when they checked your i.d and ticked your name off the list. Who am I to judge. I finished about 10:50 but I sat their for 10min double checking my first 15 quetions, you know nerves and such. There were some questions I guessed at but there are 150 questions in total.

I had to weigh in on my scale this morning as there was no way I could make the meeting and was a bit surprised to see a 1.6 loss. I sat for a week reading, eating, sleeping, reading, eating, sleeping. Now the eating wasn't crazy and the thing about Dad's house there are no snacks. There's breakfast, lunch, supper and at 3pm it's coffee time which means coffee and some sort of pastry. Add in it's the week after TOM so any water gain is gone at the moment.

I'll post a couple of pictures tomorrow of the cat that hangs out on the property and the psycho squirrel. The cat is cute and when the patio door is closed will role around and meow and if you put your finger on the glass he'll swipe at it in a playful manner. Open the door and he backs up 4 feet. Yet he acts all lovey dovey when he sees you and shows you his belly but not when the door is open. I don't get it, but I think he's adorable anyway. The squirrel sounds like 3 people marching on the roof when the does his gymnastics from a tree to the roof to the deck and back again.

The skunks that live under the deck, (My Dad considers them family as they help deal with the mice). I saw one on the deck this time after 10pm. My goodness they've grown since the summer. They don't bother us at all and are nocturnal anyway. Heck my Dad feeds them and the cat. We call the skunks "Skunkies" and the cat "Catnip" or "Meow" because he'll just sit at the door and do that.

Alright my friends I'm exhausted and think I'll go have a nap.

Tomorrow when I'm refreshed I will catch up on all my blog reads.

Later!