A little Satin Motivation



Disclaimer: This is NOT my gown.

So when I start feeling it while I'm working out, I close my eyes and I think of photographs of the back of my dress. Afterall, the BACK of a wedding gown is something that will be seen A LOT, and photographed a lot too.

So, the upsides of my dress (Click here to see the post about my dress on my other blog) is that it has a laced corset type back, which is much more forgiving of a pound of two.

But that said, I've seen a lot of heavy girls wear corseted dresses. Sometimes it loses that beautiful V design due to the bride's rounder figure. I happen to LOVE that "V" shape in the back. Especially with the special laces I'll be using.

In order to have that shape, the love handles gotta go. Well, at least they need to be minimized more than they are. Even at my leanest, I've always had an hourglass shape. I don't intend for that to change in the next few months.

I've closed my eyes while on the elltipical and pictured our first dance, how I want to look and feel during that moment... and I can't wait! I know I can get there. My expectations are realistic.
It's just a matter of planning the work (meals/work outs) and working the plan!

Define yourself for yourself

Lately, I've been a tad bit grumpy. It's mostly due to the changes I've been needing to make in my eating habits - and the differences between men and women.

See, My Sailor can get away with eating almost 2000 calories/day. If I did that, I'd no longer fit into my comfy new computer chair. So while he's making down on a couple extra meals a day (and losing weight), I'm getting used to being a bit hungry as I kick the old habits out of bed and get back to the new habits. We just started P90X to help me burn/earn some extra calories, and to help us both get some definition.

So to break my grumpy streak (I'm sure PMS isn't helping either), I thought I'd share something a bit more positive.

After gaining back 6lbs in about a week, I've felt like giving up on the whole weight loss gig. But the truth is, I have just defined myself as fat and a lost cause for too long. Time to remember that my body is actually stronger and more athletic than I give it credit for. I'm not uselss or broken. It's true that I'm often tired and I'm still adjusting to a different surrounding that makes me lean toward comfort foods. But it's up to me whether I'm broken or not. Sometimes, it's okay to feel broken, but that will pass. When it comes down to it, the woman staring back at me in the mirror has always had more fight in her than she's realized. Time to stop stuffing it and direct that energy to something positive. This move is a great chance to redefine me. So here I am - defined as a beautiful, well balanced, strong, woman who survived more than she ever thought she'd face, and didn't just "live" through it, but thrived through it. I'm only as broken as I decide I am. And I've decided I'm done with that stinkin' thinkin'. The powerful woman I feel I am after P90X is exactly who I really am.  I am worth Easter hikes and laughing and feeling beautiful.  I am worth never giving up on. There are days we all feel like (fill in the explative) here, but those days pass.

Here's another positive along that line to share.
 My Sailor and I discovered this week.

I follow the "Living A Changed Life" blog and decided to try one of her recipies. The author is working on becoming a Weight Watcher's guru and she has some great ideas to keep the yummy in the "on plan" days. So My Sailor and I try the Berry Cobbler recipe. Even the Navy guys who came over to share some with us LOVED it!
And it was great! We topped it with some cinnamon, and it was HARD not to go back for seconds!

We made 2 pans using all of the ingredients listed on the recipe, including the amounts.

Now, it's time for me get back to work and get the productivity moving!

Earth Day! AFRICAN CATS!

I'm so excited that it's hard to concentrate on anything else. It's Good Friday, yes, but it's also Earth Day! In celebration of Earth Day, My Sailor and I are going to see DisneyNature's newest theatrical release, African Cats tonight when I get off work! Disney donates $.20 from every ticket sold in the first week to a fund that raises money to protect their endangered habitat. Last year, I saw Oceans and the year before Earth. I can't wait for this one. It hits a special sweet spot since I've been wanting to go to African to do a Wildlife Voulenteer vacation for a few years now.

I wish I had more time to blog, but I'll get to it later on this weekend. Can't wait for my date night!

Getting out and about this Friday

My Sailor is on his way, flying over the country to get to his family in Michigan. Unfortunately, it's only for a night because he'll be starting his move over here after that. I can't wait to see him. It's not just the company in general that I'm looking foward to. It's his company that I'm looking foward to.

I have a few hours of work to bang out today, a work out to do, and then I've decided - I'm going out.
And not just the running errands type of going out I've been doing lately, but I'm going out to have fun and enjoy a little night life. It'll be me and a good book and Happy Hour at Amy's on the Bay , followed by checking Sweeney Todd at the Bremerton Community Theater. 

I'm looking foward to checking out a new stage that, who knows, I could be performing on later this year!

For those who are counting...

This is 2 days in a row. Hopefully the extra poundage will start falling off before the dress fitting in the coming months! I'm fairly sure my dress will fit no matter what, seeing that the back is done in a half zip, half corsetted fashion. It would just be nice for the laces to be a little more snug, and for the hips to be a little less curvy.

(If you're wondering what this has to do with anything, click the links on this page to learn about the challenge and the dress!)

310 Calories burned in 33 minutes, average heart rate between 155-168.

I'm now a .Com

That's right! The website to this blog is now http://www.jsjourneybook.com/! No more .blogspot.com!
Why?
Well, I'm going to continue writing in this for a long time, so why not give it's own site? It's valuable (to me anyway).

So there you have it! Bookmark http://www.jsjourneybook.com/ to come back and visit - and sign up to follow the blog!

Port Orchard, Silverdale, SourceCode, and House Warming

So it's finally starting to feel more and more like home, even though this is the first official weekend here.
It's been an eventful week in many ways. I got back to work and FINALLY got over my cold. On another front, I ventured out to try some chinese food - And ended up sick as a dog for about 2 days. (No more Golden Grill On The Bay for me. The people who gave this place 4+ stars must enjoy stomach discomfort on the regular...or maybe I was just unlucky...either way, one and done is enough for me.)

But great things happened this week as well. For starters...
My Sailor graduated from his training program in Georgia on Friday! Yeah! And nearly top of his class too! It was touch and go for a few minutes while we wanted to see if the government shut down would effect our plans. It did, just a little. A payment hiccup has made things a tad stressful, but I'm sure it'll work itself out before he moves up here to the frozen north.



He also sent me a WONDERFUL house warming gift. My favorite flowers (purple orchids) and a fuzzy little teddy bear to keep me company until he gets up here (though they should last LONG after that, since he's only about a week away now).

Hale's Alehouse

As far as my previous reference to "the frozen north", it's not frozen up here.  Most days are in the 40's or 50's - which is still cold to my Californian senses. Thankfully, I prefer jeans and sweaters to mini skirts and bikinis that most folks associate with California blonds.

So I'm starting to explore my surroundings more and more. Today I was FINALLY feeling back to my old self, and I took a drive to Silverdale with the intention of seeing a movie.

I ended up seeing Source Code - and really enjoying it. While I had the main mystery worked out early in the movie. It had plenty of surprises in mind, and I'd completely recommend it to anyone who likes thinking films, like "Inception", "Shutter Island", etc.

I also discovered the Kitsap Mall, which made me feel right at home. Especially when I overheard someone say, "They build these things like we're in Southern California! I just came in here for coffee. I can't find a damn thing." It gave me a chuckle. I ended up having lunch at a great little spot - Hale's AleHouse. I tried the Troll Port. Though the name sounds awful, the service was friendly, beer was great, and ceasar salad with chicken was just what the doctor ordered.

Part of my mall excursion included using some housewarming gift cards to get some fun things for the house and some necessities:
Running shoes (necessities- I got rid of my old run down shoes before the move, so I've been walking in my hiking boots, which are great for the rain, but not for work out room.)
1 Sweater, 2 camisoles, and a blouse (necessities and fun - I figure it'll be nice to have something new to go out on a date night with My Sailor when he gets in state!)
Tron, the Combo pack (This is a toss up between "fun" and what I'd call, a total necessity for any Disney fan - especially one like me, who's mother went to school with Jeff Bridges)

On the way home, I stopped by a local grocery store that is going to be a mainstay while this Port Orchard chapter of my life continues. It's more of a warehouse style store, but the prices are right, the goods are fresh (and often local), and the guy at the coffee shop gave me some great advice on where NOT to eat (if only I'd met him sooner!).

So I can say, I'm getting used to the place. It's starting to feel like home when I come home. Hopefully when My Sailor gets here, it'll feel even more like home.

The first few days

Some sense of normalcy is returning, now that I'm moved into the new place.

I'm back to work, both at the magazine and at my day job. Clydas and I are back to our daily routines and I'm working on making the place feel like home. Reality sets in and the truth is, no one likes downsizing. But I know it's giving me the chance to clear out some bills - to bring my California dollars to Washington and more quickly pay off some annoying credit cards, and it's FINALLY putting My Sailor and I in the same time zone. I'm really looking forward to getting into the arts community here. And even in my little town of about 11 thousand people, there are a couple little theaters that are putting on some really awesome shows.

The cold is really taking some getting used to. The average of about 40 degrees is making my joints ache as my body grows accustomed to it's new surroundings. But the area is beautiful - there is no denying that. Tall evergreens grow everywhere, springing up through mossy, grassy damp earth. There is a fresh, crisp taste to the air. While it rains, it never feels muggy, like the desert rains I am accustomed to.



I love that a cozy fire is possible and appropriate even on a spring evening like this. There is a silence that seems to seep into everything out here. I can see why great artists have often sought places with this type of silence. It BEGS to be filled with every kind of art, noise, and expression.  This could be very good for me.

My family has really stepped up to the plate to ease the transition too. My mom has taken to calling me every day on her way home from work. My dad texts and calls occasionally as well. And my brother just called to shoot the breeze. My Sailors sisters reach out as well and I appreciate all of it. Not knowing anyone up here can make it feel a bit lonely sometimes. I make sure to take a photo a day on my cell phone to post on Facebook or send to my family and friends. Staying connected is vital for me - my sanity, my happiness, my creativity, AND my future husband. My sailor has been really great this week, even though he's undergoing his own huge transition. We do our best to listen to each other and walk through this adventure hand in hand. It isn't always easy, but most growing experiences in life aren't completely painless. We're both learning a lot in how to be there for each other without physically being able to "be there". Communication is a skill that we're continuing to hone, but he's been especially great in being there for tearful moments, moments when worry gets the better of me, and every day, no matter what mood I've been wrestling with, he's right there - offering me whatever I seem to need.  What can I say - I love him. For a million reasons - he continues to prove to me every day why he's earned the special place he's captured in my heart.

Relocation Nation - Legs 2 and 3, complete



Mt. Shasta looms in the distance.



I'm blogging this briefly from my hotel room in Tacoma, Washington. I'm completely exhausted from 3 days of sitting on my butt in a moving vehicle. (How does that even happen?! That level of inactivity is just exhausting!)

Anyway, the second night ended in Redding, California. This was arguably the most BORING leg of the trip, as far as scenery went. HOWEVER, it definately makes me never want to eat standard farm raised beef again! We passed several farms, but the cattle ranches were AWEFUL. It wasn't the smell of "fresh fertilizer". That much I expected. Sure, it stunk, but the cows were kept in such close quarters that they the ground wasn't even the hard tan clay color you'd expect (and see) all over Southern California. It was a deep brown color, probably due to the constant urinating and "fertilizing" of the small corrals. Ew. ew. Ew.

Sleeping in the passenger seat

We passed the smaller cattle ranches and the strangest thing happened - you couldn't smell the cows from 10 miles away. The ground? It was growing tall grasses that the SPREAD OUT cattle were grazing on. I'd feel MUCH better eating one of those animals, than the commercially raised one... ew.

By the time we pulled into Redding, it was late at night. Being exhausted (and sick), I didn't see too much of the place until the sun came up.

Backseat Boxer

Leg 3 of the drive was very rewarding. While it was one of our LONGEST days driving, it was beautiful to drive around Mt. Shasta and into Oregon. Having never been through Oregon before (at least not that I can recall), it was a lovely surprise. I can't wait to explore it more, and I can see why people fall in love with living there. It's so lovely and reminded me of what I think of when I think of "America" - a balanced view of men living with nature, instead of the paving over and transplant of it that I've found to be the standard of living in California. 

I was on the phone with My Sailor when I crossed the bridge and officially entered Washington state! It seemed fitting since he's coming on this journey with me, even though he can't be here right now. (Check out our blog here to get more info on the status of his move.)

Sleeping in the back of the SUV on his comfy bed.

 

So how is Clydas handling the change? Well, he's NEVER been big on eating while on road trips. I let him go 48 hours (and one heartburn episode - which is common with boxers) without eating (though his food in his bowl is available) before giving him some healthy human options. Today he got 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 small chicken breast (considered  6-inches of "double meat" from my subway sandwich), and a few chicken treats. It's healthy and it's "something" (better than nothing)!  I'm sure he'll be "expecting" more "special treatment" when we get into the apartment tomorrow. Well, he'll be out of luck! We've had these "I'm not eating until you give me something special" stand off's better. I've been giving in just a tad and feeding him plain yogurt mixed over his kibble. Seems to work, and it's a cheap healthy way to give him a little extra treat.

Back to work! More of a run down of the new place later.

Relocation Nation - first leg done.

So Clydas and I have have something in common.
Both of our stomachs are growling right now.
 In his case, he refuses to eat. In my case, I'd LOVE breakfast, but I have a dog and I can't leave him in the hotel room alone (so much for complimentary breakfast). I'm waiting until my brother wakes up so we can get some food, score me some cold medicine, and get back on the road.

I spent my last night in Escondido having dinner with my family at Hacienda De Vega. It's one of my favorite spots and the weather was beautiful for it. Sadly, the kitchen wasn't ready for the demand and we had some trouble with our dishes. But the drinks were great and the company was great as well.

I guess I expected to have more feelings about moving away from my hometown. But I'm surprisingly happy and at peace with the whole decision and process. Sure, I'll probably feel differently when my family (who is coming to WA with me - my brother and I driving and my parents flying) leaves on Tuesday. But I'm looking forward to it in some ways too. The peace and quiet of being on my own for a few weeks will be a refreshing change from the world of commotion that is life with a roommate (and his girlfriend).

Anyway, I've got a bit of a cold that I'm working on. Sore throat and a cough mostly. But I'm determined not to let it get me down!