Run or post?

To Run or not to run? that is not the question. The question really comes down to whether I am going to run or to blog. So what the frick am I going on about?

Well, gonna delve just a little into my personal side. I sure do not do it all that often. Anyway, I have been wondering about whether or not to post about boring stuff like weight loss or exercise. I finally decided that if it is important to me 'I need to do it. Also, many of you brilliant bloggers out there have awesome words of encouragement or just good advice.

So, where to begin? Well, once upon a time I was..........well, lets just say I had a lot of extra weight packed on. I loved life and did not have a bad self image. (but should have!) Anyway, one day realized I was just plain huge! I was not getting any younger and needed to do something before they needed a crane to get me out of bed.

Much longer story shorter...........I made a lifestyle change and over a year and a half later was down over 100 pounds. I had to buy a new wardrobe. I would bump into people that had not seen me in a long time and they would just gawk and totally pump my ego. I vowed I would never be "that big person" again.

And now after 3 years since I started.........................I have packed 35 pounds back on over the last 5 months. I am and have been very down on myself. And what do I do when I get down? I revert to the old "comfort food" habits. And the downward spiral continues.

One of the things that I developed during my change was that once I lost over 50lbs I found my new love in life. And it was/is running. I started at running 2 miles every night. I got up to 5 miles a night at least 5 nights a week and sometimes up to 7 miles. I love to run. It gives me time for just me. I release lots of happy endorphins and get to listen to great music while I run.

And then...............I hit some kind of wall..............and never really recovered. Started to get back on track.............and then got laid off. Got depressed and was always busy stressing out.

Now, I am finally getting sort of a routine down. Spouse has been very supportive! (much needed) Anyway, I have found some time just for me. I could either blog, which I really want to, or I can run, which I want to, but because of being out of practice find it easy to put off.

Anyway, I am proud to say I have been back on track, and have finally increased again from 2 miles a night to 3. Well, just tooting my own horn and kind of half explaining why I am not getting regular posts up. Hopefully soon I will get it all done. yay!

So, if you have made it through this self prescribed therapy tell all, congratulations! And riddle me this.....................................

What drastic changes have you ever made in your life?

Are there things you struggle to fit in every day that is harder than people might realize?

If you have to choose between blogging and something else, what is it and how do you choose?

Hope you all are well and good, I will posting again soon..........I hope

Have a great day!

More fun than a barrel of monkeys......

So why is a barrel of monkey so fun?

And just what are all the monkeys doing in there?

I for one would absolutely have no fun at all, packed all together with a bunch of others, in a barrel of all things...........

Just wondering aloud. So hey you, please at least say hello in a comment. I would like to take a roll call and see just who is still stopping by every now and then. And if your new, don't be shy, I have not followed anyone home.........lol

Anyway, I was thinking about just how many others are going through these tough times right now. It is way more than anyone wants to admit. I know that's the truth as I see it. In my circle of friends and acquaintances, more than half have lost their job or taken pay cuts or will be out of work soon if things don't change.

And then I run in to the occasional crazy person. Crazy defined by the fact that they tell me how great things are all of a sudden. Someone told me that stocks were soaring, that the Dow was over 8000(I think that's right). Anyway, did everyone forget that it was up over 12,000?

Anyway, apart from the random crazy person, so many have worries and really have to put every expense into categories: Wants and needs.

EXAMPLES: I want to enjoy air conditioning this summer. I need to pay the house payment, so if it means being hot, life just became a little sweatier. I want to go out to eat once a week with spouse. I need to feed somewhere between 8 and 12 people at my house EVERY day. I want to work just one job and then come home and be with my family. I need to earn enough money to pay for at least the necessities such as the water bill.

I think ya'll get it by now. But with our household income at less than half it really is coming down to defining wants and needs with new meaning. I mean, I really do want nice things for me and my family and many of the creature comforts we have taken for granted for so long. But in just my parents generation, there were dirt floors and two room houses with 6 kids. So ya, I think I can handle it. I at least have the most awesome family in the whole world going through it with me. In the right perspective, I can go without anything material in this world if I get to have my family healthy and together.

So, your assignment.......YES, there is homework! Your assignment is to think of something you may have thought of as a need that you now may see as more of a want. Or give me an example of each. And HINT HINT, things can be different for each one of us. For instance, I may think a shower every day is a want.......and others in my family might tell me it is a need....lol

Have a great day my fellow stalkers of the blogosphere!

Hanging by a thread

So, have any of you ever felt so overwhelmed that your entire existence felt like it was held together by a mere piece of thread?

Well, sometimes i do. And right now is one of those times. You know, when I first lost my job I actually thought, "well, at least I will be home more and be able to do stuff with the kiddos and do some of the projects I have always wanted to do." But alas, I actually seemed to be busier, you know, looking for a job and doing more cleaning for example.

And now I find myself with a job, even if it is for half of what I was making. So I try to do other little things to make money and now. I work twice as hard as I used to and still don't come close to what we used to make. (BTW, Our ENTIRE household income is now at 50% of what it is.)

So, the cuts get deeper. We are actually thinking of cutting out the home phone line. I know! Crazy! Anyway, the plus side of that is no calls looking for money. hehe

Anyway, we laid out our income and listed all the expenses. Not a fun time to be sure. So now that we are done slashing, at least for now, we are stressing out but at least we are taking turns. As of yet, we have yet to both be stressed out over our lack of income at the same time. Hope that holds out for awhile.

Whew----------------------------let me catch my breath


So, I think a lot about what is really important. I mean, WHAT is REALLY important? I think that is a question that is quite loaded actually. What matters the most to me?

I know for a certainty what my answers are. And while I really want to keep the house and I love our vehicles etc. etc. If my family is happy and healthy and safe, that is all that really matters. There is always a chance at a new house or a new car later on.... but with your family...you only get one shot.

So I DO have a question for you marvelous bloggers out there.

Is there anything you have had to cut back on?

What about ingenious ways to stretch your dollars? I have definitely seen more and more blogs about being thrifty. Awesome!

And since we are all from different parts of the country/world, how are things economically in your community?

As always, thanks for visiting and Have a great day!