Clouds, Clouds, Everywhere

Dear Friends and Family,

I had a couple of minutes this morning to futz with ye olde blog. And, I was motivated enough to attempt converting my labels from list view to cloud view. It wasn't bad to all. The directions were really easy to follow.

New Blogger Tag Cloud / Label Cloud


Cheers!
mouse

mouse Joins the Gym

Dear Friends and Family,

I got tired of the trade-offs so I decided to take control of the situation. Since Mr. mouse moved downtown, I've been taking the bus to work a lot more often. The commute, driving, has been killer with the construction. And, since the last bus leaves work too early to allow me to workout at the gym by work, I've been skimping on the workouts. Can you tell I hate driving?

Well, I went to the gym by home two weekends ago to workout. And, I learned that they were waiving the monstrous initiation fee during a special promo they were running. Oh, that's just the impetus I needed to make the change! So, I signed up yesterday. And, I'm going today. Ah, now, for $75 a month, I can blissfully sleep on the bus and maybe sell my car. The question is when I'll cancel my work pass which is $25 a month so that I'm not running a $100 deficit. I'll figure it out by year's end.

Now, the best part of all of this. During the tour, I learned that after 3 pilates reformer sessions, the rest of the sessions are free to gym members. OMFG! I am jazzed beyond words about it. I loved my reformer sessions. And, now, they're free. If I had known that, I would have signed up sooner. Not that I'm complaining or anything. I don't inspect gift horses too closely as a matter of policy.

Working from home today. Happy Friday everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

Homeopathic Remedies

Dear Friends and Family,

I wasn't feeling well yesterday morning. It came on all of a sudden after breakfast. I might be on that hormonal roller coaster we all love to ride. That probably explains the anger Tuesday evening as well.

In general, Mr. mouse and I don't take a lot of medicine - probably because, fortunately, we don't need a lot of medicine. If it's prescribed medicine, I take it religiously. If it's OTC, I take it very sparingly. Not to jinx myself here, but my guess is Advil twice a year, cold and/or allergy medicine once every couple of years. Multi-vitamins, daily.

But, when we're not feeling 100%, there are three homeopathic solutions we grew up with that we do avail ourselves to.

Whal Myung Su (for indigestion)

Whal Myung Su - I drink it whenever my stomach doesn't agree with me - indigestion, nausea, queasy, etc. I use the bottles as single serving bottles.

Loquat (for colds)

Loquat - I drink this whenever I catch a cold or fever. Mix about a tablespoon of loquat with a mug of boiling water and drink it like you would hot tea. It's like hot tea and cough syrup and nasal decongestant all rolled into one. It tastes yummy too.

White Flower Oil (for general aches and pains)

White Flower Oil - This is topical. It goes on the skin. Do not drink it. Whenever I'm not feeling well - headache, bellyache, joint ache - Mr. mouse rubs some white flower oil on me. I guess you could just do the body part that's bothering you, but we do a little map across the front of the body - forehead, under the nose (only when it's stuffed), throat, chest, abdomen, lower abdomen. Just rub a couple of drops on each location. A little goes a long way.

Ask me what's in any of these and I'll be honest, I don't know. What I do know is that when I'm not feeling well, they're my first line of defense for 99% of what hits me.


Cheers!
mouse

Beer vs. Beer

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse picked me up at work last night and we headed out to Milwaukee (home to Miller) to watch the Brewers take on the St. Louis (home to Budweiser) Cardinals. It should have been a fun night, and it was, but there are a few things that could have made it better.

1. Mr. mouse mis-timed the traffic, so we got there thirty minutes late. We should have left more time. By the time he picked me up it was 5:15 and we hit commuter traffic with a vengeance. If he had picked me up at 4:15, the same roads would have gone much faster.
2. I left work angry - angry at Mr. mouse for being late, angry at myself for some work that needed to get out, angry at the world just because. Mr. mouse hates seeing me this way. I hate being this way. It happens. It sucks. I need to learn to control it better.
3. We should have planned better. If I had taken an early bus, I could have met him earlier and closer. We blew a lot of time en route because he picked me up. We could have been on the highway faster. Now, no guarantee the highway would have been moving, but I know with 100% certainty the local roads weren't.

The game itself? I enjoyed it. The Brewers won. I should have been cheering for the Cubs. But, I'm not that big of a Cubs fan, so I didn't care all that much.

The food? I used my remaining 12 daily points plus 12 of my flex for a burger, 8 waffle fries and 24 cashews. I've been eating minimal pork since getting back from Turkey. Obviously, they don't eat any there. And, I wanted to see if not eating it would significantly impact my diet. So far, it hasn't. The hot dogs we eat are 100% beef. I've been getting vegetarian pizza. And, we don't do dim sum often anyway because it's really high points-wise. I had some sausage on some pizza we had in the freezer, but besides that it's been almost two months. Well, last night, I was torn on whether to try the bratwurst and opted to look for either pizza or a hamburger (my assumption is these are 100% beef, but I guess you can sneak in some pork). It was equally indulgent while still showing a sliver of restraint. I might have pork when I travel if it's some local specialty. I might not. We'll see.

The park? I love the park. It's got lots of organized parking. You get super close to the field with the seating layout. It feels both expansive and cozy at the same time. There's some great options if you want to watch the game from places besides your seats. There's a .300 Club with seating from on high. Mr. mouse said it's like watching at Fenway from the Green Monster. They have a patio/bar like area and an enclosed area with table cloths and sit down meals. There's a Friday's on the ground level by the outfield, where you can also grab a table and a meal during the game. These would make getting season tickets more interesting since you could mix it up. Speaking of which, I think it'd be great if you could get a mix of season tickets - some cheap seats, some expensive seats, a box once, etc. to make a season work for you. It's more complicated, but I would love it. They also have a nice shop with fan gear and did a good job with memorabilia throughout. I'm all for nostalgia and history and everything, but I like new stadiums too. I might try to watch a couple more games next year. Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see.

Back to work on the chain gang.


Cheers!
mouse

Welcome to the mouse B & B

Dear Friends and Family,

I LOVE having friends visit Chicago. And, serendipitously, we had back to back visitors this week. Friend came out Sunday for her interviews yesterday. And, um, let's call her CAR came out yesterday to take care of some visa work.

We've known CAR for over 10 years since when both Mr. mouse and I worked on cars. And, she's one of very few people who have seen all three of our places. CAR is moving to France :( to be with her beau :) and needed to apply for a visa. I got to catch up with her briefly in the morning before leaving for work. And, last night, we had a feast on the roof - steak, bison steak, corn, asparagus, baguette, olive oil, Gorgonzola, grapes, pistachios, wine, and chocolate cake. Oh, I'm so glad it didn't rain yesterday. It was so good to sit out and enjoy the last of summer.

And, now, the house will feel a little emptier... at least until next weekend, when my friend, Fred, will be visiting. And, our neighbor Dad from Texas, will be in town next week. Oh, I can't wait! Did I mention I LOVE having friends visit?


Cheers!
mouse

Happy with Maintenance

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 118

I have to say. I was very nervous when I started maintenance. But, it's been going, knock on wood, well, so far. I ate 24 points a day last week and 42 flex. (There's no such beast as 42 flex, in reality, I overate my flex points by 7.) This week I think I'll try 24 + 35 flex with at least 2 points a day in nuts and trying to do a better job with the Good Health Guidelines.

I saw a sign at work about cholesterol screenings. If it's not too late to sign up, I'm going to give that another try. Hopefully, there'll be some improvement from last time. If not, I finally have the points to try adding foods into my diet to see if that makes a difference.


Cheers!
mouse

09.24.07: Indian Summer

Dear Friends and Family,

The weather turned out to be absolutely perfect on Friday. I couldn't risk not enjoying the last days of summer, so I traded my Friday for Saturday. I changed into my swimsuit and did some major vitamin D therapy (aka sunbathing) on the deck in my hammock. Life is so good. I made some major strides on the farmer's tan I've been sporting all summer.

Then, Friday night, Mr. mouse wanted to go buy a new hard drive for his computer. We went to Fry's, but it turns out they don't match pricing online and in store. WTF?!?! Are we not in 2007? Anyone? Seriously, was disappointed and pissed since it involved a long drive to a lost suburb to look for the drive. Well, we were walking the rest of the store since we didn't want to hop back in the car for the return drive and saw... a pile of Wiis.

Mr. mouse has been eyeing the Wii since it launched. And, I told him he could get it if he agreed to swap it out for the aging PS2 in our guest room. We bought it. And, I have to confess, I love it.

Saturday dawned bright and early. And, since I played all day on Friday, there was a piper waiting to be paid on Saturday. We had breakfast. Then, Mr. mouse ran errands while I did work. We went to Best Buy looking for a different hard drive solution, but alas came away empty handed. I did watch the ENTIRE Thriller video on the ipod while we were there. Wow, that was a long, and ground breaking, video. I had forgotten.

Sunday, we needed to get the house ready. My friend, Friend, was coming in town. She has an interview today with a group at my work. So, we picked her up at the airport, went for conveyor belt sushi, took the train home, picked up some doggy treats, relaxed on the deck, and, went over to a friend's house for dinner.

One of my colleague's from work invited us over for dinner last night. Turns out her husband is quite the chef. He's training at The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago in the Le Cordon Bleu Program. The food was amazing. But, more importantly, the company was great. We had a chance to relax and laugh and enjoy ourselves. It was eight of us. And, the weather was perfect. We went out on their deck and opened the wine and, oh, I needed the break. I think when I get stuck in a routine I go a little batty.

Well, Friend is interviewing today. So, I've got my fingers triple crossed.


Cheers!
mouse

Happy Belated 500th Post

Dear Friends and Family,

I just realized yesterday that I used post #500 on Sushi Station. C'est la vie.

What to write about today? I want to do another food post. But, I shouldn't. I'll wait until next Wednesday. It's been a little tough coming up with something new recently. To be honest, not a lot is going on in my life. I wake up, I blog, I eat breakfast, I go to work, I come home, I eat dinner, I go to sleep. That's life.

I'm dorking around with +/- 2 points on Weight Watchers to figure out maintenance. I'm futzing around doing little things here or there on the mouse pad, but not planning any major renovations for this year. And, I've told Mr. mouse he needs to get a plan in place for Small so I'm not spending any cycles on it. We're putting away for retirement. I'm making new friends and settling in. We've spent several quiet weekends just enjoying life and running errands. Unfortunately, I think we've turned very sadly, boring.

On the bright side, our fall travel calendar is quickly filling up. We've got a lot of weekend trips planned. In fact, of the remaining weekends in 2007, we've got three weekends free. And, one should be a trip to see all of our friends in the Twin Cities. I'm looking forward to seeing all of our friends again.

Time to logon and get some work done.


Cheers!
mouse

House Cleaning

Dear Friends and Family,

I worked from home yesterday. And, since I saved 3 hours commuting, I used an hour to get back into home de-clutter mode. I used four 15 minute chunks of time on the guest bedroom. I packed up the camera box. I organized the piles for donation. I put away our winter comforter from last winter (just in time to take it out in a couple of months for this winter). And, I sorted through a plastic bin we have there to see what random stuff it contained. It doesn't sound like a lot, but it's satisfying on an emotional level.

We've been doing a decent job of maintaining the kitchen and the dining room. In case you're wondering, these are the areas we're tackling every time I talk about cleaning over the weekend. Sometime, don't know when, it might be years from now, I'll be in maintenance mode on the house stuff and all I'll need to do is clean. But, for now, I'll continue plugging away at it in 15 minute increments.


Cheers!
mouse

Sushi Station

Dear Friends and Family,

We went for conveyor belt sushi this past Sunday. Sushi Station was packed. There was a 15 minute wait for a table, but that's okay. A packed conveyor belt sushi restaurant means the fish turns more which means the plates are fresher. If you've never been to conveyor belt sushi, check out the website below, it does a good job of explaining the process.

The fish was fresh. The saba (mackerel) was $1 for two pieces. They have a couple of special pieces (e.g. shark's fin and jellyfish) that were good. I left stuffed and the tab was only $35 for lunch for two. I had 12 pieces of nigiri and 2 pieces of maki. When I say stuffed, I mean stuffed. I'd like to go back. I had fun and it's cheap and quick.

Overall rating: 8/10

Sushi Station
1641 Algonquin Road
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 map it
(847) 593-2450
http://www.sushistation.us


Cheers!
mouse

Sam Won Garden

Dear Friends and Family,

Always game to try a new Korean restaurant. We went for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I ordered the kalbi tang (short rib soup) and Mr. mouse ordered rice with bulgogi (marinated beef). My soup was okay. It needed salt. And, the stock at Pusan Kalbi has a nicer, beefier flavor. Mr. mouse's dish was good. It had a nice crispiness on the rice and nice char on the beef. We got an egg dish that I really like for an appetizer. It too needed salt. Maybe they're targeting older folks who're watching their sodium. If I went again, I'd get the bulgogi rice bowl. But, given the number of restaurant choices, I'm not sure if I'd go again.

Overall rating: 6/10

Sam Won Garden
1249 South Elmhurst Road
Des Plaines, IL 60018 map it
(847) 437-1595


Cheers!
mouse

Food Thoughts and More

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been giving some thought to what my food routine would look like if we decided to get pregnant. And, that topic deserves a little commentary all its own, come to think about it. We all know the score on this one, but just in case you've been living in a box the last twelve years, I'm ambivalent but open to the idea of having kids. Mr. mouse wants one. So, we've been living a child-free, care-free life with just the two of us. I'm getting older. And, there comes a point where you need to either make the call to do it or to not do it - a proactive decision vs. just letting the time slide. I've told Mr. mouse I'm open to the idea, but there's a list of stuff I want to tackle before we make the leap. And, I don't think I'm being unreasonable hear, folks. I want to get a general check-up in to get baselines on all of my data, especially dear old thyroid. I want to check on whether my vitamins are okay or need to be adapted. I want to get a couple of books on what might be in store for us. There's a couple of other things, but all in all, I don't think it's a crazy list.

This is where it gets crazy. Of all the things to get hung up on, but all things considering, if it's important to me, it should be something he's willing to work with. I want the child to be born in the year of the mouse - which goes until early 2009, which means we need to get moving on this in the next seven months or nothing. According to what I've read, it can take one time, it can take years, but couples average six months in the trying phase. Well, then, if this is important to him, he needs to make this a priority because the clock is ticking. And, once the train leaves the station, there's no waiting for the next one. I've tried to make this crystal clear to him, but I'm not sure if he's getting the message. I'm not going to push him on it, really, why should I be the taskmaster on this one? I've posted the list on the fridge. I've walked him through it. The balls in his court.

Okay. Enough cliches in one post. To show I'm trying to be a good sport, here's some thought I gave to what I think my food routine will be once we're in trying mode. I put together a list of criteria:

1. 4 different point levels depending upon the trimester
2. maximum of 9 non-core points a day
3. 75 gms net carbs a day
4. 35 gms fiber a day
5. 60 gms protein a day (minimum)
6. 30 gms oil a day (minimum)
7. 4 servings of dairy
8. 5 servings of fruits or vegetables
9. whole grains only

It was like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle.

Breakfast

• multi-vitamin
• 2/3 cup bran cereal
• 1 oz almonds

9AM Snack

• 1 cup edamame
• 3 oz grape tomatoes

Lunch

• 1 cup skim milk
• 6 oz salad greens
• 4 oz chicken thighs
• 2 tsp olive or canola oil

3PM Snack

• 4 rye crackers
• 2 slices cheese

Dinner

• 1 cup skim milk
• 6 oz some vegetable
• 4 oz some meat
• 1 tsp canola oil

I'm going to miss my pasta, rice and bread. But, with the way diabetes runs in my family, I'm not willing to take the chance.


Cheers!
mouse

More Adjustments

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 120

Goal weight. So many options on what to try this week.

I hit the gym pretty hard over the past three days to try to keep up with the guys on the fitness challenge. I know when I work out, it's a pound to a pound and half water weight. On the flip side, 24 points a day is a LOT of points to have to eat. Then there's the 8 Good Health Guidelines which I've kinda let fall by the wayside recently.

This week's magic formula? It's a guess, but I guess that's what maintenance is about, 22 points a day, 30 activity points for the calendar week, and a commitment to get in my 8 Good Health Guidelines.


Cheers!
mouse

09.17.07: Too Full and Tired to Write

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been up for about thirty minutes and am still trying to find some sense of equilibrium. We had a gut busting dinner last night at Adobo Grill. And, I had a ton of iced tea. So, I was up until 2 AM. Ugh.

Where did the weekend go? Friday, I went into work for a presentation. Took the bus home. Got home around 7:30. Mr. mouse and I had dinner at home. He made stir-fried tilapia and we had it with rice, broccoli and some leftover Korean sides we had. We played a rousing game of Scrabble Friday night. We each got a bingo - he got rousing and I got slangier which he anagrammed into islanders. I love relaxing evenings doing nothing.

Saturday was chock full of errands. We got up early, ate breakfast, got organized, and headed out for the day. First on the list was dropping off some food at a food bank. No luck, the place we went to had no idea why they were listed on line as accepting food donations. Why is it next to impossible to give away food?!?! Then, we went to pick up mail and mail off a camera. I got my ipod and my Banana Republic order. Still on the list - another surge protector, the blueprints, and my commuter pass. I feel like Charlie Brown, getting all excited about the mail.

From there we headed out for some shopping. We took advantage of a pile of stuff from the linen closet that we wanted to donate. A local department store was running a promotion - bring in apparel and/or home textile items, get a coupon for each item brought in. We'll take 20, thank you. We traded those coupons in for some boots, some tights, our annual Christmas ornament, my mom's Christmas gift, and two new winter coats. I have to say, it's a pain in the @$$, having to replace your entire wardrobe with the seasons. I'm looking forward to next year, when I have a base I can start from, and I only have to supplement.

Next on the list, lunch, conveyor belt sushi. Will write more about it later this week. Then, it was off to the mall to redeem a 30% off coupon we got in the mail from Lucky Brand Jeans. My last pair of jeans were loose already. So, I went in to try on some new jeans. The saleslady told me that they stretch. You need to buy them snug. So, I bought a new pair. I went with the straight leg this time instead of the boot cut. And, they're a size 0/25. They'd better stretch or I've got a new pair of skinny jeans. We tried on some more coats and fall jackets at the mall before heading out.

Next on the list, Home Depot. We picked up some face plates for the new outlet, some more compact fluorescent light bulbs, and a new switch for our bathroom light (it's been acting up). We got caught in a ton of traffic on the way home and ended up taking the local roads. It was almost 7:30 by the time we got back.

You would think we started winding down for the night. But, no. I did a quick wardrobe change and Mr. mouse dropped me off at the gym. I joined a fall fitness challenge at work and needed to get some exercise in. I did an hour on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the free weights. I'm thinking about joining the gym. That way it's not a trade-off between taking the bus and working out. I'm seriously considering it... While I was at the gym, Mr. mouse dropped off some checks at the bank. Cross another errand off the list.

Since I had points coming out of my ears between eating sushi for lunch and earning 8 points at the gym, we headed out to Coalfire Pizza for dinner. I was full at three slices, but I couldn't resist and had the fourth slice. I should have stopped at three. Next time I will resist the urge.

Then, we turned in for the night. Just kidding. We came home and changed out the outlet. I can't tell you how much I like my new outlet. We replaced a standard outlet with a pretty orange one with a surge protector built in. We added a metallic screwless faceplate and the thing is a huge upgrade in form and function. I'm in love! We also learned something about the mouse pad in the process. Because all of our wiring is run through conduit and our boxes are metal, there's no separate ground wire, the box itself is a ground. Mr. mouse had to make a late night run to Home Depot for a multi-meter to test it all. We read online and wanted to confirm that all was good before installing the new outlet. I love it. I can't wait for the second one to arrive. Then, we turned in for the night. For real.

Sunday morning we slept in. Then, we had a lazy breakfast. Mr. mouse made some fried rice with leftovers from the fridge. I reheated some pancakes I had made a while ago and froze. And, I made a cup of hot chocolate. Yum. Yum. We spent a couple of hours tidying up the house and doing laundry. Then, we headed out to drop off more donations and to walk through a local art fair. If you're wondering why we have so much stuff to donate, it's because I've been building little piles of stuff - to reduce the amount of extraneous stuff we have in the house. Today, it was 2 towel sets and about 20 pieces of glassware - mismatched wine glasses, champagne flutes, and a set of margarita glasses. After the art fair, we came home and heated up more leftovers for lunch. I made fried rice. And, Mr. mouse had pad thai. Then, I napped on the hammock for an hour trying to get rid of my farmer's tan. It's a little better, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to run out of days soon.

We headed out for another bike ride. This time, we took the train downtown and rode down the southern half of the trail by the lakefront. I think it's beginning to grow on me. I've gotten better at the balance thing and the getting the foot in the grip thing and the gear shifting thing. I'm looking forward to fall riding. It should be a lot of fun. We took the train back. Actually, I took the train, cramming myself and my bike into an already full car. And, Mr. mouse, decided not to get on his car, and instead rode home. Apparently, he had a ton of fun weaving through traffic trying to race my train. Good for him.

From there we headed out for dinner. I was fine with dinner in, but Mr. mouse was in the mood for dinner out. We went to Adobo Grill. I started with the butternut squash soup. It was heaven - velvety smooth with grilled corn and pumpkin seeds and some mole to add a touch of spice. Then, I had grilled skewers (beef, chicken and shrimp) with corn tortillas. Followed by duck tamales. And, I split the chocolate cake with Mr. mouse. This is why I'm still feeling full this morning.

We pushed the rest of our list to next weekend. And, I might have a late night or two this week because I didn't open my work bag over the weekend. That's okay. It was worth it.


Cheers!
mouse

Using my Talents at Work

Dear Friends and Family,

Wow. I'm pooped. Not sure if I have a lot of inspiration this morning. It's Friday. I have a packed day after a packed week. We have a large presentation from 3-5. Then, thankfully, it's the weekend!

I know! I'll give you an update on work. Since, that's what I'm essentially doing right now anyway. I've been at new work almost 9 months already. And, I have to say, I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. There are nine people in our department. There was only one person in the department when I interviewed this time last year. We have 2 VPs, 2 directors, 3 managers, 1 analyst and 1 administrative assistant. We get a ton of work done. But, we also laugh a lot and keep it fun. I would consider both of the directors and the other managers to be friends - people I would socialize with outside of work.

If I go back to my Top 5. I'm getting a lot done and that satisfies the achiever in me. I have friends and colleagues at work to scratch my relator itch. My day by day job is strategic and ideation all rolled into one. And, the whole company is struggling with how to be an activator. And, if this is all mumbo jumbo to you, sorry. But, it's becoming clear to me. For now, my job aligns with my strengths and talents. Ah, I have a little more energy to tackle the day.


Cheers!
mouse

Long Day Ahead

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry. Don't have time for a long post this morning. I need to be on the road in an hour. I'm driving down to West Lafayette for recruiting at Purdue. And, when I'm done, I'm getting back in the car to drive back. Why didn't I just drive down last night? A little issue with no room at the inn.

We got the gate hardware and the outlets (one outlet is the wrong color) last night. Guess everything else is coming next week. Oh, and add a new commuter pass to the watch list.

Other things worth mentioning. The weather took on a definite fall feel this week. Monday was cool. Tuesday was crisp. Wednesday, I brought a jacket. The air conditioner rarely turns on anymore. Time to look for a new fall jacket.

And, last but not least, I had the nicest dream Monday night. I dreamt I was back at the mouse house and all my friends were coming over later in the evening. And, I was looking out the front window, across the street. And, I could see every detail, the lawn, the street, our friends' houses, everything. It was so real. I'm usually not one to capture that much detail in my dreams. It was so good, I didn't want to wake up.

Guess I had more to write about than I thought I did.


Cheers!
mouse

Checking the Mail

Dear Friends and Family,

We're expecting a lot of things in the mail today in addition to the usual bills and magazines. I feel like a little kid waiting for Santa Claus. Mr. mouse will have a chance to check over lunch. And, if we've been good, we should have

1. some hardware for our gate
2. 2 new built in surge outlets
3. blueprints for the mouse pad
4. my Banana Republic order
5. my new Shuffle

Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse

Electricity Tracking, Not Nearly so Happy

Dear Friends and Family,

Got the electricity bill last night. I was so jazzed to compare it to last year's bill. And, alas, I'm up.

• Last year August, we consumed 765 kWh. This August, we used 975 kWh. We're up 27% Ouch!
• In July, we spent 1,067 kWh. So, we're down, as expected, from the peak of the year by about 8%.
• And, at last report out, we had been trending +43% YTD and with August's addition we're trending +41%.

The bar's set pretty low for Sept. Last year we consumed 457 kWh. We'll see what this year brings.


Cheers!
mouse

Maintenance Games

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 118

Clearly I haven't got this maintenance thing figured out. I guess, technically, I'm within the +/- 2 pound boundaries. Although, technically, I'm not. I weighed in at 117.5 this morning. On a positive note, I ate well last week. I ate mostly foods on my good food list. And, I didn't have any incidences when I felt I was eating outside of my control points. I think this is why Weight Watchers works for me. It appeals to the numbers geek in me.

The quandary, what to set for my points limit for this week. For sure my minimum is 22 since this 21 points a day business still ticks me off to no end. I know it's not rational, but neither is their taking away a point. I feel justified on the grounds that 22 points a day was fine for this week's weigh in. Technically, I'm supposed to add 2 points a day since I hit the lower boundary. But, since I'm starting up a new exercise routine, I'm not sure how many things I want to change.

I guess I can up it to 24 points a day and always drop back down to 22 if it doesn't work. I think what I'll do is up it to 24 points a day, but commit to eating nuts for those 2 extra points each day. That way, I'll be adding in a healthy indulgence. Yep, that's what I'll try for the week. 24 points + flex with a minimum of 2 points a day in nuts.


Cheers!
mouse

09.10.07: Eh, It's Monday

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm struggling with how to summarize the weekend. Friday was a frustrating day. I didn't get nearly as much work done as I thought I would. Mr. mouse came home late. He's been crashing on a presentation for work. I ate dinner without him.

Saturday morning, he told me he'd have to work the weekend. He left for the office for the morning. And, I actually felt liberated. I was looking forward to a day alone. I had my tea. I got a ton of work done. And, I was just getting ready for my afternoon plans (lunch, walk, shopping) when he called. He was headed home. We ate lunch together. Then, I stuck by my guns. I went for my walk, my shopping errands and my return walk. We ate dinner on the deck and I went to bed shortly thereafter.

Sunday morning, he had to take a call from home. Then, we spent some time cleaning and organizing. Then, I went up on the deck in a swimsuit to try to even out a bad farmer's tan. Some success, but there's still some obvious gradations going on. Next, we went to the airport to pick up some tickets for Mr. mouse's dad and to the mall to return some tops and bottoms. We tried a new place for dinner. Then, came home to futz around. I turned in around 10. And, Mr. mouse crashed on the guest bed for the night.

It's Monday, and I'm feeling totally unfulfilled from the weekend. Maybe it was the intrusion of work into the weekend. Although, truth be told, it wasn't much of an intrusion. It was the not knowing, really. I don't know. I'm just feeling kinda eh this morning. I have a yoga class tonight. Maybe it will help.


Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #6: New Dishwasher

Dear Friends and Family,

I feel like I'm cheating counting this one since we already purchased the new dishwasher before I made the commitment to make a difference. And, we made the purchase for purely selfish reasons and not because the new dishwasher is more environmentally friendly.

But, Mr. mouse says we should count it. 1. It uses less water per cycle so it saves hot water. 2. You can fit more dishes in a load, so we use fewer loads. 3. It has a more efficient dry cycle so it uses less energy. 4. It has a delayed start so we run it at 2 AM when demand for electricity is lower. 5. It has a newer motor that is more efficient. And, last but not least, we run it on the quick wash cycle. There, I think that's it.

2007 Action Plan

1. 07.20: I pledge to make a difference.
2. 07.20: I will track my electrical consumption.
3. 07.20: I will keep the house at 78°+ for the summer.
4. 08.16: I will unplug the blow dryer.
5. 09.01: I will try compact fluorescent light bulbs.
6. 09.02: I will replace the dishwasher.

Cheers!
mouse

If I Won the Lottery

Dear Friends and Family,

You've all done it. When Power Ball or Mega Millions is worth $200M and there's a pool in the office, you chip in $5 on the chance that you could win. If you did, what would you do?

I was thinking about this one day last week when the jackpots were at record highs and I did buy a couple of tickets just in case.

First, I wouldn't tell anyone. At least not right away. I'd get a small team of professionals to work with me - an accountant, a lawyer, my financial planner, and an estate planning lawyer. I'd set up a trust, because I wouldn't want the public to know or to harass me or anything. Then, I'd have the lawyer pick up the money and deposit it in my trust. I'd probably take the lump sum, but I'd need to do the math. Okay, step 1 accomplished. Money in hand.

Then, I'd set up my estate plan. I'd put aside a certain amount monthly for my parents and Mr. mouse's folks if they should outlive us. It wouldn't be a lot, I thought maybe equal to what we have in our retirement plan was a fair amount. It'd be monthly for as long as they were alive. Then, I started thinking about how you'd define alive. Then, I decided that was depressing and instead thought about the rest of the plan. I'd put a certain amount aside for Small (the fictional name we have in our financial plan as a place holder for a child). I'd put aside an amount that would be enough to raise her so that her guardians aren't put out by having to take her in. And, then enough for undergrad, but not for grad school. Then, I'd put aside a trust for her. Again, not a lot of money, but enough so that she could choose her career based upon what she wanted to do instead of what she needed to do. It'd be supplemental. She'd need to work. It wouldn't be that much. And, she wouldn't get it until sometime in her mid-thirties. Then, the rest, I'd put in a fund. I'd have to do research to find out what the fund would be used for. But, if Small wanted, she could always have a job at the fund. I thought it would be good for her to work on filtering through charities and causes to help pick which ones would get the money. Step 2 accomplished. It's all tidy once we're gone.

Now, the fun part. How about while we're here? I'd set up an allowance for us. It'd be monthly. So, we didn't have to work. But, I think we'd both work. I thought I would stay at my current job for now. But, if I ever decided I wanted to try something new and bold and risky, I could and I would. And, Mr. mouse likes his job. I think he'd stay at it as well at least for awhile. So, the monthly allowance might go towards satellite TV, or a nicer vacation, or more dinners out, or more weekend travel, or maybe a home remodel, but I didn't think it would change our day-to-day lives all that much. Unless inspiration on an entrepreneurial front struck. Then, maybe it would. I would entrust the day-to-day management of the money to professionals. They could advise me. I'd make the decisions, but I wouldn't want to get bogged down in the research.

So, what'd I learn from this reverie? I learned that $200M would, for us,

• be a safety net if I did something new career wise
• be used to make our daily lives marginally more plush
• ultimately be given to charity

In other words, it wouldn't change our lives all that much. Satellite TV? More dinners out? All stuff we could do now if we really wanted to.

Based on our financial plan, I would have a safety net, in 10 years, to do a big career swap if I wanted to. Work hard for 10 more years or win the big one? I'll take my chances with the former. Although, I'll still chip in $5 the next time it's over $200M.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: You probably noticed Small has a gender in my mind. Mr. mouse says I'm biased. Maybe I am.

New mouse

Dear Friends and Family,

Time for a new profile picture.

Old mouse:


New mouse:


Cheers!
mouse

Recharged and Refreshed

Dear Friends and Family,

I had the best moment at the gym last night. I was on the treadmill doing the usual routine when I had a mini-revelation.

After almost eight years of running on empty, I finally felt recharged. Our first year of marriage was tough as we learned to adjust to living together. Then, I had to cope with a miserable work environment. Then, I made the big move. And, I had the opportunity to learn and grow and become me. But, again in a tough environment. Mr. mouse and I had to learn the trials and tribulations of a long distance, high overhead relationship. And, my work environment was still sub-optimal with ups and downs and periods of ambiguity and frustration. And, now, it's all better. We're together. And, I honestly enjoy work.

I think the last eight months have been about finding center again and slowing recharging the batteries. I no longer feel like I'm running on fumes. I feel recharged and refreshed and re-centered and ready to re-tackle life's challenges. To be honest, if I had to do it all again, I would. I learned a lot. I made a lot of friends. I had and took the opportunity to grow into a person who is comfortable with herself. And, I've learned patience and perseverance and resilience. I've made it through and I'm the stronger for it.

Sometime in the last five years, I feel like I've grown from young adult into adult. With the support of lots of close friends, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn and grow into myself. I was able to be me. They gave me the confidence to be me. And, they helped me realize that I've got a lot to be proud of.

What a glorious feeling. I'm glad I went to the gym yesterday. I was dreading the workout. And, if I hadn't gone, I'm sure I wouldn't have had my mini-revelation. Bring it on!


Cheers!
mouse

Alliance Bakery & Cafe

Dear Friends and Family,

We ducked into Alliance Bakery on our way to Bob San for a birthday cake. Based on the location and the exterior, I thought it'd be an old-fashioned Eastern European bakery with your traditional old school bakery items. Not so, my friends. Instead of standard issue, bad frosting sheet cakes, they have cakes in the shapes of cute bags, cupcakes in multiple flavors, and oh-so-cute mini pastries you can bring with you to a party. Nice!

We got two of the cupcakes - yellow cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting. The cake had a nice crumb to it. And, the frosting, I was licking my fingers. It was rich without being too sweet. And, the hazelnut made it an adult cupcake vs. plain old chocolate would have made me feel like I was three again. Not, that there's anything wrong with that. We split one cake for dessert. And, I had the other one for breakfast. Not the healthiest of breakfasts, but birthdays only come around once a year.

Overall rating: 8/10

Alliance Bakery & Cafe
1736 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 278-0366
http://www.alliance-bakery.com


Cheers!
mouse

Bob San Sushi

Dear Friends and Family,

Oh. I was so torn between giving Bob San an eight or a nine rating. The nigiri was that good. We went to Bob San for my birthday dinner. And, we ordered some tempura by the piece, sashimi, a couple of maki rolls, some nigiri and some sake.

The tempura was done with crushed panko which gives it a thicker, crispier batter than normal tempura. It had a good crunch without being greasy. I like that you can order it by the piece and have one or two pieces instead of having to get a whole order. We had the sweet potato. So good. And since it was only one piece, so manageable, points wise.

The salmon sashimi was served with jalapeno peppers in a soy sauce dressing. The pieces are cut about a quarter inch thick so you get good fish flavor. I guess for $17, you're not going to get the paper thin slice of sashimi you get at Nobu. Good, but next time, I think I'd just get more nigiri.

Then, we had the fire dragon roll and the mackerel roll. The fire dragon roll is a take on the traditional dragon roll. Instead of shrimp tempura in the middle, it has spicy tuna in the middle. The sauce is a hot sauce without mayo. So, you get spicy without getting creamy. Nice way to save on the points. The mackerel roll. OMG. I love mackerel! And, their mackerel was SO good! The fish was so oily and rich, when you bit into it you'd get a little squirt of fishy goodness.

And, last but definitely not least, the nigiri. By far the star of the night. Nice simple slices of fresh fish. Sushi is all in the execution. I'd choose Bob San over Mirai or Blue Fin. The atmosphere is more laid back. The sushi is better. The mackerel is some of the best mackerel I've had anywhere.

Overall rating: 8/10

Bob San Sushi
1805-1807 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 235-8888
http://www.bob-san.com


Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #5: Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Dear Friends and Family,

I didn't think Mr. mouse would support me on this one. But, surprisingly he did. We spent Saturday afternoon swapping out a lot of our incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs. We swapped out 24 light bulbs and surprisingly, that's only 30% of our light bulbs. We have 8 each in the two bathrooms that we still have incandescents in. And, we have 4 each in the kitchen, dining room and guest bedroom that are floodlights. The technology on flood lights is abysmal. We're going to wait for it to improve before we swap those out.

2007 Action Plan

1. 07.20: I pledge to make a difference.
2. 07.20: I will track my electrical consumption.
3. 07.20: I will keep the house at 78°+ for the summer.
4. 08.16: I will unplug the blow dryer.
   
5. 09.01: I will try compact fluorescent light bulbs.
   
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. 
   
9. 
   
10. 
    
11. 
    
12. 
    

Cheers!
mouse

Lifetime!

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 120 lbs

After 74 weeks of weight loss and 6 weeks of maintenance, I'm officially at lifetime. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I'm online only, so it's a warm and fuzzy, but it's zero impact on the wallet.

I feel a little guilty. I was horrible with my eating last week. I ate 42 points over my flex allowance. It was Sunday night that did me in. I've made a commitment to myself - this week I will get back in control of the food. I must own it. This is for a lifetime.


Cheers!
mouse

09.04.07: Just Plain Happy

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a most excellent three day weekend.

Friday, I went in to work to have lunch with our intern before he leaves for school. And, surprisingly, the traffic wasn't bad coming home. I slept on the bus and listened to my ipod on the train. Friday night, we went out for dinner. I had a craving for Turkish, so we went back to Turquoise. It was packed, but worth the wait. We came back and crashed for the evening.

Saturday, we spent the day cleaning and organizing. I finally feel like I have gained some semblance of control. It's been bad since before we left for Turkey, so it's been almost two months. The kitchen is clear. The dining room is clear. The only thing we need to tackle is the piles accumulating of donate/sell. We spent Saturday afternoon swapping out our light bulbs for more energy efficient ones. Then, we ran the usual errands - Home Depot, Target, and groceries. We found an awesome new supermarket that carries some choice skus I grew up with. Yeah, mouse! For dinner, we had pasta with a tomato cream sauce. I'm stunned at how good it can taste with just a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream.

Sunday, we decided to install the new dishwasher. It's been sitting in our dining room area forever. We got about half way through before we had to leave. We met up with one of my friends from work and her husband for a tour of a local vineyard. We bought two bottles of wine, a port and a white port. We then hit the local Korean supermarket for some kalbi (pre-marinated short ribs) and some mandoo (dumplings!) for dinner. We all went back to their place and heated up the food. My friend and I played some bad pool after dinner while the men folk took in some VH1. Before you knew it, it was 11PM and time for us to head home.

Monday, the extra day is such a treat! We finished installing the dishwasher. It went smoothly. We spent a lot of time getting the alignment just right. And, now we have a quieter dishwasher that's more energy efficient with a delay start mode. I love it! We finished off clearing out the kitchen. And, then, we went for a bike ride. We went up and down the lake. The weather was beautiful and a lot of people were out grilling and celebrating the traditional end of summer. There's something about the smell of charcoal and lighter fluid that takes me back in time. It's the quintessential smell of childhood summers. That and Coppertone 4. Funny how powerful scent is. After the bike ride, we hit the Whole Foods for some fish. And, then made dinner - blackened catfish, mashed potatoes and a salad. Then, it was laundry and hammock time. Then, it was dessert and CSI. Then, it was time for bed.

While we were on the hammock, I remarked to Mr. mouse, how much of a difference a year can make. Last year, I was SO unhappy. Things were super rough at work. And, I wasn't sure how we'd do on the mouse house. And, I was half-dreading moving, since I'd miss all of my friends. But, mostly work sucked. And, now, I'm so happy, I almost feel guilty about it. My mom asked me what I was going to wish for on my birthday. And, I told her I wasn't sure. I have everything I want. I did make a birthday wish. But, you have to keep it a secret or it won't come true.


Cheers!
mouse