Yes, I now use Ankle Weights...

And they suck, I trip over anything that I don't consciously lift my legs higher than normal to avoid. On the plus side I honestly feel 10 pounds lighter when they are gone, but only because they weigh ten pounds.

I love being home, but I also loved my routine that allowed for 3 days of intense exercise each week. I have all the equipment at home to work out, but fear that the break in routine will result in a physical activity reduction and I know how important it is for me to keep this up. Since I began this exercise regime I eat more, weigh the same, but have dropped two sizes, have visible definition in my upper body, and for the first time in a long time, am beginning to experience stability in my moods. Yes, Exercise is wonderful, and in the spirit of keeping it up, I will wear my ankle weights with a smile and pretend to still have an ounce of dignity. : )

Oh Christmastime, sweet Christmastime. The time of year in which everything seems to just shit out. This year's list of appliances that crapped out for the Christmas season include: Dave's computer and the stove/oven, the internet also went down for a day or so but Windstream has already fixed that. This wouldn't be so bad if appliances like these were given away, which I think would make complete sense in the spirit of Christmas.

Dave had high hopes of fixing the oven, but the part we needed for it alone would've cost $250+, and this is not the time of year in which we have that kind of cash lying around, so we looked for a used one and found an old Whirlpool for $100 at a peddler's mall type of place in our town. We were soooo relieved. We use that stove every single day without fail and the night it all went out we had to resort to using the microwave to make sauce for our Chinese chicken dish. This stove is not a flat top nor is it digital like our old one and we couldn't be happier about it. Through this we realized that while digital appliances may look "chic" they have far more expensive parts.

The best part is that we have more decor to add to the outside of our place, A nice black oven is always a nice touch to any yard area. And the yard area is where it will stay until county clean-up. (Sigh)

The computer issue has yet to be resolved but I still have the cheap Dell we found on Ebay for me and I think we will be able to share just fine, at least until I have to go back to school.

Merry Christmas to all and I hope the attack of the appliance gremlins isn't widespread.

P.S. Jackson says: "baby", "butt", and "hat" now. He repeats "baby" when we say it to him, "butt" when I wipe his butt, and "hat" when he tries to put things on his head like a sock or slinky. It is very, very cute.