Massive Catch Up Post

Dear Friends and Family,

Just need to catch up on the million and one little things that make life interesting.

1. weigh in: 121. Get out of town. From five days worth of eating? Time to start counting again. Today. New approach obviously doesn't work.
2. January budget: $465.45 ($105 haircut, $85 water bottles, $62 gym, $59 coin sets, $55 napkins, $26 train pass, $17 Weight Watchers, $15 OM Yoga intermediate, $12 taxi, $11 lunch at work, $11 Amos' stocking stuffer, $7 coffee at work, $2 parking)
3. Action Item #7: Paperless statements for American Express. Less paper is a good thing.
4. Action Item #8: Paperless statements for Master Card. Ditto above.
5. Action Item #9: Bought napkins for the home. Nicer than "paper" and they're reusable.
6. Action Item #10: Bought water bottles. They're metal, so none of the leaching controversy.
7. overall health: excellent. Still have blacking out in the morning. Great.
8. cholesterol: doing better. HDL: 50. Up from 41. Still want to get it over 60.

Phew. I think I'm all caught up. A week and a half's worth of posts in one. Sorry for the data dump. It's almost Friday!


Cheers!
mouse

Taking a Break

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been bad. I feel like I've fallen off of the Weight Watchers wagon the past five days. I haven't logged my points. I'm relatively certain I can't have strayed too far in that short a time, but, I feel like I've lost my commitment to my wellness. Or, maybe, I'm ready for something new.

I've debated a new approach. I know, relatively speaking, what my food should look like. What if, after my daily weigh in, I eat accordingly without counting points? Would I be able to maintain? I might try it the rest of this week. And see what next Tuesday's weigh in is.

Sorry, not much more on my mind. I'm drawing a blank here.


Cheers!
mouse

01.29.08: Weekly "Weigh In"

Dear Friends and Family,

weekly weigh in: 116-120

On the road for work. I was 118 when I weighed in yesterday morning. But, I know a lot of that was weekend/party snacking. Then, yesterday was a mix of fruit, Denny's, coffee, m&m's, more fruit and sushi. So, I'm not sure if it helped or hurt the numbers. I'll try to eat healthier today. And, I'll get back on the scale on Thursday when I return home. Food post, etc. to return next week.

On a positive note, after two and a half weeks of working through stomach stuff, I'm finally feeling better. 100% better. Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse

01.27.08: Pre-Conception Counseling

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I went in Friday afternoon for a visit with an ob/gyn for "pre-conception counseling." Basically, not a lot of new news.

• They took 2 vials of blood. One to check for some genetic disorder. One to check for chicken pox anti-bodies.
• They gave us a bunch of samples of pre-natal vitamins. After comparing them to my current vitamins, I've decided to continue taking my Canyon Ranch until we conceive. Then we'll make the switch to pre-natals.
• We should "try" for six months. Then check back in.
• They'll do a gestational diabetes test early on me since type II runs in the family.
• I need to schedule an annual exam. I'm due.

Cheers!
mouse

01.27.08: Chinese New Year Party

Dear Friends and Family,

Another year, another rocking Chinese New Year's party.

We had about 50 people over Saturday night for an evening of festivity. Our neighbors from the mouse house flew in Friday and spent the day downtown. We got Due for dinner and then spent the evening doing some basic prep for the party. One of the funniest moments was when we were trying to get some table legs we bought to work on a table top we owned. About halfway through our trials and tribulations, Mr. mouse remembered that we have the matching table top in our basement. And, would you believe it had pre-drilled holes to boot? How funny is that?!?!

Saturday. Mr. mouse and the Dad hit Chinatown for some last minute groceries while the Mom, the Daughter and I hung the decorations and organized the mouse pad. We got everything done with time to spare. It was so good having help and feeling done. We settled in to watch the lava lamp and predict the time of our first guest arrivals. 5:15 was the magic number. I won the bet - by guessing that one of my work colleagues would be the first to show.

50 people is just about a perfect number. It's enough to feel like a party, but not so many that I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off. I get to spend a decent amount of time with each of the guests which is nice.

• There was no drama this year. This is weird.
• It was a light beer and red wine kind of crowd.
• The women from old work like to cuddle.
• This intrigues/fascinates all of the men at the party.
• One of the analysts from my work tried to make a move on one of my friends from old work.
• We all intervened, as girlfriends should.
• One of the analysts from Mr. mouse's work is a member of the clean plate club.
• Except, he was trying to apply it to vodka bottles.
• We all intervened, as hosts should.
• The Dad took some awesome pictures.

And, that about sums up the party. Here's to welcoming in the year of the Rat, sometime in February.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: My cup for the evening: 1 shot @ 1 AM with whoever wants to join me.

PPS: 6AM flight tomorrow morning. Hence the Sunday evening post.

mouse, the Sherpa

Dear Friends and Family,

It was -4° yesterday morning. What'd I wear to work?

• underwear and bra
• wool socks
• black pants
• beige turtleneck sweater
• black dress socks (socks#2)
• ski pants (pants #2)
• red v-neck sweater (sweater #2)

With me so far? Okay, onto outerwear.

• boots
• scarf
• coat
• hat
• gloves
• coat #2 (the brown coat)
• hood (aka hat #2)
• gloves #2

I couldn't find my red scarf, so I was missing scarf #2. The layers kept me warm. But, I must have looked like a round, brown ball. My cube mate said I looked like a Sherpa.


Cheers!
mouse

01.24.08: Enjoying Life

Dear Friends and Family,

I feel a little guilty writing this. But, January's been kinda nice. I'm 95% certain we're not pregnant. And, as a result, I can eat what I want (e.g. sushi) and drink I want (e.g. coffee) and have sex when we want (vs. when the calendar tells us we should) and take medication when I want (e.g. Advil) and not have to worry and ponder and calculate and everything.

I've seen morning sickness firsthand. And, it's not a pretty picture. And, having had a bout of vomiting recently with the stomach flu thing, I'm not sure I want to experience it on a continual basis.

It's just been kinda nice to be carefree and me and not have baby in the foreground loop this month. Maybe we've been approaching this all wrong.


Cheers!
mouse

Personal-Professional Boundaries

Dear Friends and Family,

I had an incident yesterday that I think might cause me some angst in the future. Someone I know, at work, is having problems. And, I'm not sure how or where to draw the line between friend and colleague.

Some things I am absolutely clear on. If I tell someone I won't repeat something told to me in confidence, I won't. That's my integrity on the line. And, if I give advice, I give it whole heartedly without thinking of what it means for the network externalities. Sometimes it's what they want to hear, sometimes it isn't. I'm not one to mince words to say what I think someone wants to hear, but what I think someone needs to hear. Hey, if you want hugs and kisses and a sympathetic shoulder, they're available in aisle two.

But, sometimes, I want to plug my fingers in my ears and babble and not hear. Sometimes, I want to just put my head down and focus on me and my priorities. Sometimes, I just want to be selfish and look after #1.

But, then, I remember, there are times I needed a friend. And, my friends have never let me down. And, I remember, by helping, it makes them feel better, and that's important to overall karma and creating a positive environment. And, I remember, I should feel honored to be someone that someone trusts, that someone values as a friend.

And, there is my quandary. Work is easy when it's just work. Life is easy when it's just life. When the two overlap, the intersection is a tricky balance. We're not automatons that come in and do a job. We're people. But, we are paid to do a job. And, that's work.

Hopefully, time will provide clarity for all of us.


Cheers!
mouse

Customer Service Bonanza

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm drawing a blank on what to write about. We turned in early last night, so we didn't do a much party prep last night as we should have. So, Mr. mouse is up and about in the kitchen which might be throwing a kink into my morning routine. I can do a routine update on more things I'm doing against my Living Green Action Plan. Or, I can write about my January Wish List. Or, I can write about party prep. Choices. Choices. Clearly, it's time for a Life in General Update.

Okay. Status check on life. Overall, I'd give it high marks. Mr. mouse and I are very happy living together. We're enjoying work. We're enjoying non-work. We're enjoying settling into the mouse pad together. We're enjoying going through stuff and organizing. We're enjoying putting money away for retirement. We're enjoying the little things that make each day unique. And, there I have it. I know what I'm going to write about.

Mr. mouse had the most awesome day yesterday. He went to get the registration sticker for his car and there was no line at the place. He walked right in and walked right up and got his sticker and was in and out in next to no time. Then, later in the day, he got a call from my auto-pay device people to say that they had looked at the statement and were removing the fines. No problem. Then, later in the day, he got a call from the cell phone company, about an email he had submitted about an error in his bill on text messaging. They called to resolve it.

So, in 24 hours, three different, niggling, random, oh-bother, more-trouble-than-it's-worth issues got resolved for us. I'm convinced there's karma in this world. And, when you're good, eventually, good things happen to you. Sometimes it's not immediate. But, when it happens, it's so rewarding.


Cheers!
mouse

01.22.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 117

Still not feeling back to 100%, but essentially had a normal week. I ate 21 points a day + 35 flex with the exception of last Tuesday, when I was sick. Last Tuesday, I got down and kept down 14 points. Close enough for government work.

This week, I think I need to focus on eating in. Our fridge is getting full of random pieces of this and that and leftovers from here and there. I hate having food go bad. So, this is as good a week as any to stay on top of that.

Did I mention how much I love having a clean house?

FOOD

almonds, beef short ribs, bok choy, brown rice, canola oil, chicken stock, cinnamon, cocoa, corn starch, egg, ground beef, homemade egg bread, honeydew, miso paste, mixed greens, mushrooms, oatmeal raisin cookie, olive oil, pasta, peanut butter, potato, salmon, soy cappuccino, sugar, sushi, tomatoes, vanilla, whole wheat pasta

BORDERLINE

bran cereal, bread, chicken marsala, jam*, kim chee, lactose free milk, pasta bolognese, pizza, shrimp tempura, soy sauce, steamed mussels, sushi rolls, tofu

NOT FOOD (12)

baked beans, chinese cake with frosting, chinese curry beef pastry, Diet Coke, garden burger, Hebrew National 97% fat free hot dog*, Kashi lunch, mandoo*, Nestle Crunch, Quaker Oats Instant Express Oatmeal*, shu mai, udon


Cheers!
mouse

01.21.08: Blissfully Clean House

Dear Friends and Family,

It was brutally cold this weekend, so there were no temptations to distract us from my mission - to get the house clean and ready for the party. Ah, I cannot describe the bliss of sitting here knowing that each and every room (not including the basement) is both organized and clean, at once. We usually do a rolling cleaning routine, focusing on one room at a time. But, this time, it's the whole house at once. Sigh. I'm so happy.

Saturday, Mr. mouse went shopping with a friend to get some groceries for the party. I stayed home to do some organization. Actually, that was the key to this whole endeavor working - we completely disassociated organization from cleaning. We got the house minus the living room organized on Saturday. Saturday night, we headed out to Chinatown to pick up decorations for the party. And, got another expired registration ticket. It's enough to make a saint cuss.

Sunday, we tackled the papers in the living room. And, we found, of all things, our registration papers that need to be paid on Mr. mouse's car (%^$#@!), an ipod gift card we bought last Christmas that wasn't properly authorized at the story (double %^$#@!) and our house warming gift from our realtor for a local restaurant that has since closed (triple %^$#@!). We also called in for my car fines. I need to fax in some paperwork to show I have the auto-pay device. Fun. Fun. Fun.

I guess that's the hazard of getting organized. It reminds you of the pain of being disorganized. On a positive note, now that we've gotten this far, I hope to quickly bounce back house-wise from the party - give the place a thorough cleaning the weekend after the party. And, then, maintain. And, tackle the basement.

I love a clean house.


Cheers!
mouse

Electricity Tracking: January 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

electricity usage: 614 kWh

Down from December of last year, up from November of this past year. We spent a week at home between Christmas and New Years enjoying the house and ourselves, so it's only to be expected. And, we installed our NAS which is on 24/7. And, the second fridge is 95% empty now, so it's working super hard to stay cold.

I'm curious to see how 2008 will play out. At a minimum, I want each month to be lower than its corresponding month in 2007. And, in an ideal world, I figure out how to get down to 450 kWh per month.

Countering all of this planning is my realization that I've over complicated my life. I maintain a lot of notes on excel because I'm not a paper all over the house kinda gal. And, I have one spread sheet for cleaning tracking, one for budget tracking, one for ovulation tracking, one for idea tracking, one for weather tracking, one for retirement contributions tracking, one for mortgage tracking, one for when I got sick tracking, and last but not least one for weight tracking. Wow, that's a lot of tracking. That's a lot to stay on top of.

I've decided to stop the madness. Close all of the sheets. Open them as needed. The only one that'll remain open is the budget one. All the rest of them can and will leave the foreground loop. I feel better already.


Cheers!
mouse

Tickets and Fines and More Stuff to Do

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a fun week for us, vehicular fines-wise. Mr. mouse got a ticket for an expired registration last Thursday. And, I received a letter in the mail, over the weekend, with $100 in fines for going through the auto-pay lane on the tollways without an auto-pay device. If either of us was guilty of the crime we'd supposedly committed, we'd be okay with paying, but we're not.

Mr. mouse and I sent in our registration payments together. I got my sticker, he didn't get his. I have an auto-pay device. If I didn't, I'd be racking up $20 a week in fines for much more than the $100 they sent me a bill for. So, now, we've both got to take the time and effort to figure out what the %$#@! we've got to do to fix both of these situations.

I've got a simple solution. Sell my car. I take the train three days a week to work. I work from home one day. Mr. mouse and I carpool one day. We don't need two cars. That way, his car wouldn't be on the streets collecting tickets and my car wouldn't be using the alternate auto-pay device that's harder to provide backup info on (EZ-Pass vs I-PASS). Then, both of these situations wouldn't have occurred.

That might be on our to do list post party.

1. Sell my car.
2. Unplug the extra fridge.
3. Research tankless hot water heaters.
4. Taxes.
5. Finish data transfers.

It's good we don't have anything planned for February.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Still felt crummy yesterday afternoon. But, hopefully today goes without incident.

01.16.08: January Effectively Gone

Dear Friends and Family,

We gave it the old college try, for one night, before I got sick, in case I had a 28 day cycle which is unlikely, but, possible. And, then I got sick. And, then I took a boatload of not-for-pregnant women medicines. And, we just kinda decided no for the rest of January. Maybe February.


Cheers!
mouse

01.16.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 117

For those of you who have been following the unfolding GI tract drama, I'm feeling a lot better today. I slept through the night last night without any incidents waking me. And, it looks like the lower tract is now functioning per design. Yeah!

Nothing like being sick for three days straight to sort out the couple of pounds I put on over the holidays. I'm sure I'll gain some of it back with getting re-hydrated, so the 117 number is temporary at best.

Where'd I land points wise? I missed 15 points one day and I had 6 flex left at the end of the week. I had 21 points allocated for the week, so effectively, I ate 21 + 14 flex. Definitely not great, but not bad for a week of being sick.

FOOD

almonds, apples, bananas, basil, beef broth, beef short ribs, block cheese, bok choy, brown rice, bulgur, butter, canola oil, caramel sauce, carrots, chicken breast, chicken stock, chicken thighs, chocolate sauce, club soda, egg, egg whites, espresso, garlic, ginger, homemade whole wheat bread, honey, jalapeño peppers, maple syrup, mushrooms, mustard, napa cabbage, olive oil, onions, orange juice, pan chan, parsley, rice wine vinegar, sashimi, sea bass, sesame seeds, shallots, sugar, sun dried tomatoes, sushi, sweet potatoes, tea, tomatoes, Vosges chocolate, white rice

BORDERLINE

bibimbap, bran cereal, bread, cookies, creamsicle ice cream*, hot cocoa, ice cream sandwich, jam*, kim chee, lactose free milk, pizza, sushi rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls

NOT FOOD (11)

Diet Coke, Diet Ginger Ale, Gatorade, Ginger Ale, Kashi granola bar, Korean yogurt, Lean Cuisine*, mandoo, mayonnaise, viactiv calcium chew, Whal Myung Su


Cheers!
mouse

Upper Digestive Tract: Done, Lower: Work in Progress

Dear Friends and Family,

The vomiting, nausea and burps are gone. And, has been replaced by bloating, cramping, churning and diarrhea. Lovely. I have to say, I can't recall a worse case, ever. Beautiful.

I'm not sure I'm headed into work today. I think I'll try to spare everyone and work from home. I'm also going to wait until I feel better to weigh in. No point taking a weight measurement that means nothing to nobody.


Cheers!
mouse

01.14.08: Catching Up on My Zzz's

Dear Friends and Family,

Trixie came out for the weekend. Her father (not biological, but father figure growing up) passed away last week and the service was this weekend. She flew in on Friday and stayed until Sunday. It was good to have an opportunity to catch up with her while she was here even if the circumstances bringing her here were less than ideal.

Friday night we went out to Shikago for dinner. Had a round of sushi rolls, tuna tartare, and Thai shrimp. Then, we had nigiri and Vietnamese spring rolls. Then, we headed over to Spring for dessert. Apparently, we met the whole staff New Year's Eve, but I didn't recall any of it. We ordered two desserts, but three came out. The ice cream sandwiches were amazing. And, the miniature cookies were darling. And, the granita with rice pudding, pure crack. It's criminal, really, to get your customers hooked like that. And, there was a lemon, thyme, chocolate concoction that was pure heaven. I have to say, it's an easy place to fall in love with.

Saturday, we had a lazy omelette breakfast together before Trixie headed out to the service. I slept the afternoon while Mr. mouse spent time organizing and cleaning and doing errands. We had dinner in - Chilean sea bass with herb butter; napa cabbage; and sweet potato chips with maple syrup. I made myself a banana split dessert to get some potassium in. And, we played Scrabble to close out the evening. Trixie got Ms. Jordan's vang on the board which was hilarious. And, I discovered keef for my final word - which was fortunate because I needed to blow the K before the game ended.

Saturday night, the fun and games began. I woke in the middle of the night feeling a litany of symptoms that included fever, nausea, diarrhea, queasiness, dizziness, etc. You name it, I had it. Oh, let's not forget headache, stomachache and cold sweat. Mr. mouse made a concoction of orange juice and sugar. I threw up most of it back up along with my dinner, in phases throughout the night. And, I was tossing and turning and moaning and groaning. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Mr. mouse and Trixie had breakfast, before he dropped her off somewhere. He ran some errands while I slept the morning away. I made it down to the couch by around noon. And, slept there until close to six. We had a simple dinner of chicken broth, baguette and jam before going back upstairs. I took a virtual pharmacopoeia of OTC drugs to calm my stomach before finally falling asleep again.

And, here I am, still feeling a little queasy, but headed into work for the day. Hope to have better news for you tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Mr. mouse, My Hero

Dear Friends and Family,

I had my yearly doctor's appointment this morning. And, because they draw blood for cholesterol and glucose measurement, you can't eat from midnight the night before. Well, I drove downtown, and there was no parking. And, I was cold and lost and hungry and well not in good shape. And, falling apart at the seams, I texted Mr. mouse. After a couple of back and forth exchanges, I told him I'd be okay and settled in for the appointment. Always focus on what you can control and let go of what you can't. That's my mantra.

Well, I came out from the appointment and signed up for the lab to get blood drawn. And, there's Mr. mouse. (He has the same doctor, so he knows where it's located.) And, he brought me lunch - chicken Caesar salad, no cheese, no dressing. He picked out the croûtons and peeled and added an apple. God bless him. Then, he got the car while I had my blood drawn and drove me to the highway entrance - giving me enough time to scarf down my lunch and precluding me from getting lost.

And, this, my friends, is why he occupies an exclusive spot in my heart.


Cheers!
mouse

RBK Custom Shoes

Dear Friends and Family,

They're here. And, no, I'm not talking Poltergeist circa 1982. I'm talking about my new shoes! A friend gave me a card for a free pair of custom RBK (aka Reebok) shoes. So, I went on their site and made me a pair.

I got the inspiration for the red on orange while we were down in South Africa. And, I added the yellow to give it a little punch. I think my friend's right. Once you go custom, there's no going back.


Cheers!
mouse

01.10.08: Time to Start Trying Again

Dear Friends and Family,

It's that time again. We're entering into our third month of the trying game. I'm glad it didn't happen right away. And, I'm still a little scared of the life changing impact if it does happen. But, I figure that's all part of this experience.

To be honest, I'm not sure I can process what all this will mean for our lives. But, I'm pretty sure those are typical thoughts that go through many people's heads. Or maybe, they don't. And, I'm not approaching this the right way. I'm not sure.

Well, here's to trying.


Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #6: Pass on the Red Eye

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been doing this for a couple of months, but haven't had a chance to write about it. I've decided to forgo the free paper every morning. It's available in a little red dispenser and it provided entertainment on my commute and kept me kinda sorta up-to-date in a skewed kinda way. Then, I realized how much paper I was consuming in my morning entertainment consumption and decided to pass on the Red Eye. It was tough the first couple of weeks, but, now, I don't miss it.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.
4. 01.05.08: I put the radio and ipod on a power strip.
5. 01.05.08: I signed up for paperless bank statements.
6. 01.07.08: I eliminated my daily morning paper.

Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #5: Sign Up for Paperless Bank Statements

Dear Friends and Family,

This one is a tough one. But, I'm going to try it. Hopefully, it turns out to be less painful in practice than it is in theory. I signed up for paperless bank statements. We can still see everything online. But, I won't get a statement in the mail each month going forward.

I've categorized living green into a couple of buckets to help me think about ways to live better. There's electricity, gas (home), water, paper, gas (car), food, supply chain, and waste. This action item would fit into the paper reduction category. Waste isn't really a category, but it's a important clue. If there's stuff leaving the house as garbage to go into a landfill, how can we prevent it from coming into the house in the first place?

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.
4. 01.05.08: I put the radio and ipod on a power strip.
5. 01.05.08: I signed up for paperless bank statements.

Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #4: Put Radio and iPod on Power Strip

Dear Friends and Family,

And, now that I'm on the power strip kick, I put the old radio and the old ipod in the living room on a power strip. They fit into the high power leakage, very low regular monthly usage category that makes a strip make sense. The only other item that might benefit from a power strip is our printer. Fortunately, that's the limit. I can do three without feeling like I have power strips all over the house.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.
4. 01.05.08: I put the radio and ipod on a power strip.

Cheers!
mouse

Budget Update - December

Dear Friends and Family,

If November was tough, December was ridiculous. It was a five week month (which I made the executive decision to shorten to a four week month), there are a lot of holiday chip ins at work, there's the end of year tip for my hair cutter, Mr. mouse spent $66.51 on socks and underwear for me (13% of my budget right there!) and when he ordered the Kill a Watt Meter, he got next day shipping which tacked on another $20 to my budget unexpectedly. But, in the end, I made it.

I switched to a four week month not to make the budget (I would have made the five week budget), but because that way, my budgetary months align with my travel months making both calendars easier to track. Really, this is all a voluntary thing, so it all comes down to what I'm comfortable with, after all.

There's a list of things, that after careful consideration, I decided not to count. There's my multi-vitamins. The folic acid and omega 3s make them my current proxy for prenatal vitamins. And, I decided not to count anything I need to do for Small in my budget. When the time comes, she'll get her own budget. For now, it's just not that important. I also didn't include some tea we bought. I was torn, because we bought it in a boutique, but I don't normally include food items unless it's prepared food. So, I didn't count it. Glasses and contacts - seems a little weird to count something medically required. Maybe, some day in the future I will. And, last but not least, my toothbrush heads. Didn't count them. I don't count toothpaste, detergent, etc. so figured I wouldn't count tooth brush heads either. I've tried to be precise, but I could go crazy doing this.

I think this whole exercise is a good thing. It's really helped me curtail excess unnecessary spending and helped me focus on what's important to me. It helps me build torwards retirement and reduces my carbon footprint. So, for now, I'll continue with my tracking exercise.

Description	Amount
Haircut & Tip	125.00
Michael Kors Scarf (buyer's remorse)	75.78
Socks and Underwear (Mr. mouse bought it for me)	66.51
Gym	62.00
Train Pass	39.40
Kill a Watt Meter	38.96
Sweater, Banana Republic	35.79
Work - misc (gifts, etc.)	34.80
Tailoring	20.00
Weight Watchers	16.95
Lotion	8.96
Snacks, Coffee, Soda, etc.	8.72
Ice Cream Maker (sale)	-20.00
Sweater (gift card credit)	-27.53
Total	$485.34

Cheers!
mouse

01.08.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 119

After a two week hiatus, the weekly weigh in post is back. In case you're wondering why I skipped on the report out, it wasn't that my weight was ballooning for two weeks and I was ashamed to report it. It was prioritizing Christmas and New Years messages for the holidays.

Not a lot of new news here. Detox was good. Eating out was high in sodium. Given my blood pressure and pulse, I'm not sure why I care. But, I guess I'm bullied into caring by the health junkie articles I read. I did succumb to the diet sodas yesterday. I desperately needed the caffeine. On the quest for real food, the "food" was lower thanks to three days on detox, but most of it was outside of the house - meaning it was a proactive decision on my part, not just me emptying out the fridge, pantry and freezer.

FOOD

anchovies, apple, apple cider, apricots, avocado, basil, beef broth, beef short ribs, bok choy, brown rice, butter, canola oil, carrots, chicken breast, chicken thighs, chocolate sauce, clementines, cinnamon, cloves, club soda, coffee, dates, egg, egg whites, garlic, ginger, homemade whole wheat bread, honey, mixed greens, mushrooms, napa cabbage, nutmeg, oatmeal, olive oil, onions, pan chan, peanut butter, plums, Ry Krisp crackers, salmon, scallions, sea bass, sesame seeds, steak, stew meat, tea, tomatoes, tuna fish, turkey broth, vegetable stock, Vosges chocolate, whole wheat pasta

BORDERLINE

bread, cream of butternut squash soup, duck liver pate, garbanzo bean spread, kim chee, lentil soup, lactose free milk, polenta, sauteed mixed seafood and potatoes

NOT FOOD (12)

Diet Coke, Diet Mountain Dew, dumplings, fries, gummy fruit, hamburger, ice cream*, Kashi granola bar, meat loaf, panettone, rice cakes, Whal Myung Su


Cheers!
mouse

01.07.08: Organizing and Decluttering

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning! Wow, it's rough being up at 4:30 in the morning after two weeks on a later time schedule. The weekend was amazing. And, I feel so much better now after that crazy fall and everything last week.

Saturday. Mr. mouse headed out to check for mail while I spent the morning cleaning and organizing at home. He came back with part 1 of our Christmas gift. It had arrived a couple of days early! Introducing the latest member of our electronic support team:

The Netgear ReadyNAS NV+

We spent Saturday hooking it up to our network and downloading all of our pictures and files onto it. My computer is now essentially a client. Mr. mouse has to finish his computer which has the bulk of the media. It feels so good. It's like finding an extra closet in the house that's larger than your current closet and has a spare copy of every piece of clothing you own, to boot, in case you lose or ruin something. Only, it's even better, because it's your important stuff, not just a new pair of jeans or something. Yes!

Saturday, we continued down our cleaning, organizing and de-cluttering path. I finished off our hang out area (which is officially a dining room) and our master bedroom. It feels so good when the house is organized and looking decent. I can't wait until this weekend, when we take our tree down to have it mulched. I love our tree, but it's time.

Sunday, I got up early and spent some time organizing the kitchen. Mr. mouse went out to mail off some letters, bills, gifts, and a bag we borrowed from our neighbors in Texas. And, he called to say it was beautiful out. Our high yesterday was 60°! Well, organizing can wait. You don't waste a 60° day when you get one on the weekend in January!

We got on our walking shoes, grabbed the camera, and went out for a nice three hour jaunt. Oh, it felt good to stretch the legs and get some mileage in. It was just under eight miles in total. (We grabbed a cab for a mile of boring stuff on the way home.) Got home, folded some laundry, loaded the dishwasher, finished organizing the kitchen, paid our bills and it was time for bed.


Cheers!
mouse

Detox: Day 3

Dear Friends and Family,

Three days of detox. Headaches gone. Definitely time well spent. What's my plan for today? 22 points, 6 cups water.

Breakfast (5 points)

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups tea
• 1/2 cup Quaker oats
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 oz dates
• cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

Lunch (7.5 points)

• 12 oz club soda
• 3/4 cup polenta
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 5 oz onions
• 14 gm olive oil
• 4 oz tomatoes
• 2 oz roast chicken meat
• 1 oz avocado

Snack (2 points)

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk

Dinner (7.5 points)

• water (didn't measure since I hit my six cup goal)
• 6 oz mixed greens
• 5.3 oz strip steak

If it sounds like a weird conglomeration of foods, here's the translation. For breakfast, I had oatmeal with dates, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. For lunch, I had polenta with chicken tomato ragu and carmelized onions. Mr. mouse was making guacamole, so I snagged a piece of avocado while I was cooking. For dinner, I had a steak salad.


Cheers!
mouse

Detox: Day 2

Dear Friends and Family,

I did another day on 22 points, eating only core foods, only real food, and meeting all 8 of the Good Health Guidelines. And, I'm feeling a little tired this morning, but I'm also feeling a lot better. I skipped on the 10 PM ibuprofen and although my head hurts a little this morning, I'm going to wait until 10 this morning before deciding if I'm going to take another dose.

I'm down to 118.0 pounds from 119.5 pounds a feeling a lot less puffy. I'm 99.9% certain I've been losing mostly water weight, and that's exactly what I needed. I think I'll stay one more day on this routine and then go back to my normal 22 points a day routine for the rest of the week.

Breakfast (4.5 points)

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup coffee
• 3 egg whites
• 2 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 4 leaves basil
• 2 medium clementines
• 1 small apricot

Lunch (6 points)

• 2 cups water
• 6 oz brown rice
• 3 oz kim chee
• 2 oz roast chicken thigh
• 1 medium apple

Snack (2 points)

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup skim milk

Dinner (6.5 points)

• water (didn't measure since I hit my six cup goal)
• 6 oz brown rice
• 3 oz steamed sea bass
• 1 tsp canola oil
• soy sauce, ginger, scallions
• 6 oz bok choy
• chicken broth, garlic
• 3 oz kim chee

After Dinner Snack (3 points)

• pomegranate tea
• 2.5 oz fresh dates

It sounds extreme when I write about my constraints. But, when I look at the daily menu, it doesn't look very extreme at all. I guess it goes to show, it's not that hard to eat healthy if you try.


Cheers!
mouse

Detox: Day 1

Dear Friends and Family,

Step by step, I'm re-grounding myself in the basics of Weight Watchers to get back to feeling normal after the holidays and the fall, especially the fall. Yesterday, I ate 22 points, all food (vs. "food"), all core foods and it felt amazing. Actually, I was stunned at how thirsty I felt.

Breakfast (2.5 points)

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup coffee
• 5 oz apricots

Lunch (8.5 points)

• 1.5 cups water
• 3 oz whole wheat pasta
• 3 oz chopped tomatoes
• 3 oz mushrooms
• 3 oz tuna
• 3 oz mixed greens
• 14 grams olive oil

Snack (2 points)

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk

Dinner (9 points)

• 12 fl oz club soda
• 6 oz brown rice
• 3 oz roast chicken breast
• 2 oz roast chicken thigh
• 4.5 oz napa cabbage

After Dinner Snack (0 points)

• cinnamon tea

It was a little tricky, getting in all of my fruits and veggies. And, getting in my 60 grams of protein. And, staying on top of my liquid count. But, all-in-all, it was worth it. I shot up to 121.5 on Wednesday with the IV at the hospital and the burger and fries and I was back down to 119.5 this morning. Today, my extra challenge is to repeat the good eating and drinking, but do it all from the fridge and not the freezer and pantry. Our fridge is getting a little too full and needs a little inventory management. Fortunately, there's lots of roast chicken and skim milk for protein.


Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #3: Put Wii on Power Strip

Dear Friends and Family,

I know. I know. I specifically called out the power strip thing as nonsense when I started this whole endeavor. And, here I am, putting the Wii and its TV on a power strip. I did a quick double check on it after donating the VCR and it's good for another 10 kWh per month reduction in electrical usage. That's still a 2% reduction at our current run rate. I'll take it.

I just realized, I should set a goal for ourselves. Goals are good. For now, I'll set a goal of 450 kWh per month. That's my first 10% goal.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.

Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #2: Donate VCR

Dear Friends and Family,

I donated our 9 kWh per month VCR. I know. I know. It's still in the ecosystem so net global kWh usage will still be the same as soon as the new owners plug the VCR back in. I'm not sure I how I feel about that. But, since I knew my parents were going to get a VCR from someone, I figured it might as well be me.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.

Cheers!
mouse

Diagnosis: Syncope

Dear Friends and Family,

Still wasn't feeling well yesterday after my fall on Tuesday, so I went to the hospital. And, the official diagnosis was syncope. It took them about 15 seconds to diagnose me and then about 4 hours to test and release me. My CAT scan looked okay so I guess I didn't do any permanent damage to the old noggin. And, the EKG looked good so I guess they were able to rule out heart conditions as one of potential causes. Which leaves me with take ibuprofen/acetaminophen every 6 hours until the swelling (in the head and on the body) goes down.

Other things to think about:

1. getting up slowly from bed
2. staying hydrated
3. keeping the electrolytes and salts up
4. getting enough iron and potassium
5. going cold turkey on the alcohol
6. sleeping in a cooler room

All things that are good for my health in general. Apparently, syncope can get worse as you get older and can get worse if you get pregnant. I guess I'd better get my act together and figure it out now.

So, after getting a burger and fries last night for dinner, I'm going uber-detox today. I'm eating only food (no "food") and I'm getting my 8 Good Health Guidelines in. Then, I'll take it a day at a time from there.


Cheers!
mouse

Recapping and Looking Forward

Dear Friends and Family,

We went out for the traditional Korean New Year's dinner. And, Mr. mouse is napping on the couch now. I think I feel well enough to attempt my year wrap up and look ahead.

Scratch that. My head ended up hurting pretty bad last night so I saved my post as a draft, placed an ice pack on the base of my skull and took two Tylenol. Hopefully, I have better luck this morning.

Wow! 2007 went quicker than I ever thought possible. We didn't "accomplish" "much" by our standard yardstick. We didn't sell any houses. We didn't move jobs. We didn't make any major life changes. But, it was a perfect year for little things. And, after multiple years of big things, I'm 110% okay with a year of little things.

baby... maybe
Well, we made the decision to give this a try. And, so far it's been a process of trial and error. The main issue has been trying to predict my overall cycle length. I'm bi-modal, 28 days or 32 days making ovulation a moving target. I guess we'll continue down the path we're on unless something changes. For now, it is what it is.

clutter diet
Fortunately, we have had the time to tackle some of this during 2007. The main living areas are 80+% of the way there. There always still more to do. The big areas still left to tackle are the basement and the garage. They've become catch alls for everything we haven't had the time to organize. My budget does a lot of manage this since I get "credit" for everything I sell (like my ice cream maker) and I'm not as tempted to buy new things.

eating out/food finds/wellness
I'm about two months away from my two year anniversary with Weight Watchers. And, I have to say, I'm very satisfied with the results. I might begin playing with core this year as the point counting thing is getting a little old. Part of this is point counting is at it's most onerous during the holidays when there's a lot of atypical eating. January will be better for that. But, if we do become pregnant, then, I think I'll want the structure of points to manage the weight gain to a healthy level. I'm not sure I trust myself with gauging the difference between real hunger and pregnancy craving since I've never been down this path before.

green is good
This has been a good thing to add to our list. I'm pretty sure there's still a ton we can do to continue making a difference. It'll be small changes throughout 2008. You'll be on the journey with me as I continue to try and reduce my impact on the environment and to reduce, reuse and recycle.

money matters/make your mark
This has been another good thing to add to our list. We made our retirement savings goal last year. Woot! And, we're one month shy of our rainy day fund goal. That fund gives us a one year cushion if something goes south for Mr. mouse and me simultaneously. I know that's a pretty conservative amount, but, it helps me sleep at night, and that's all that ultimately matters. This budget thing helps a ton on this front since it really sharply curtails my spending to, realistically, where it needs to be.

And, this ties into make your mark, how? Well, we have 10 years left for active retirement savings at our current trend. And, realistically, I think I can get that down to eight years. The big question is, can we get it down to six? Maybe. This will be a good year for learning that since it's our first year of normal savings. Once we hit our retirement savings goals, which is also a moving target if you want me to be completely honest, then, both of us have a lot more flexibility in the work we do. It's got to put food on the table and cover our benefits, but, besides that, not much else. I like what I do and so does Mr. mouse, but, I wonder what my "next career" will hold for me. I have a feeling it'll be radically different and that's why money matters is tied to make your mark.

mouse house/mouse pad
Fix the roof. Must fix the roof. This year's big project is to take apart the deck and redo the roof. I think we've agreed to not replace the deck until we know what the long term plan is for the roof. We may go solar. We may go green roof. We may replace the deck. But, it'll be resealed this year, regardless. This is getting ridiculous.

That all being said, I love the mouse pad. I love its location. I love its layout. I love that all of our stuff is in one place. I love that it's our home. I love all of the visitors we get. I'm very happy with it all. I've got a lot of mental plans on things we want to do with the place to make it even more us, but, that's all still in the planning phase.

Top 3
What's on my Top 3 list?

• baby... maybe
• green is good
• money matters

Seems like a good list for now. Once I get a better handle on the budget, I'll be able to replace #3 with a new one.

transitions/work
Well. I like my job. I love my group. I just wish the company wasn't falling apart at the seams. I'm glad I made the move. I've made lots of friends, six of whom I would consider good friends that I'd keep in close touch even if either of us switched work.

travel
Ah. It's been so good to have our weekends back to be able to take advantage of this. We got to visit a lot of places that we'd been putting off because of the mouse house work. And, now, we have another whole year ahead of us. I'm giddy with the thought of another long vacation. And, of staying on our regular travel cycle. It's a good mix of time at home and time with friends.

And, that, my friends, is my recap of 2007 and, more so, my look ahead into 2008. Wow, you're a trooper if you've made it this far into my post and deserve a hearty congratulations for sticking with it and caring that much about me.


Cheers!
mouse

New Year's Resolution

Dear Friends and Family,

It's ten minutes to three and I've just gotten out of bed. We went out for a quick cocktail that turned into two cocktails, two appetizers, two desserts, one more cocktail, and then free-for-all champagne and dancing.

I got up this morning and made it as far as the bathroom before resolving to... and that's where Mr. mouse found me, passed out cold, unsure which body part took the brunt of the fall. He heard two loud thunks followed by one monster thunk. I don't remember any of it. I tried to get up. I passsed out again. I realized I've been here before. This is what happened the last time when I donated blood.

I finished up in the bathroom and made it back into bed. Mr. mouse got me a cold compress for my neck/chest which helped when I passed out in February. I slept. I drank a bowl of soup. I slept some more. And, here I am.

My new year's resolution: no more than 1 glass of wine or 1 cocktail a day. I'm tempted to say no more alcohol. But, I'm not sure if that'll stick. I'll just take it a day at a time and see how it goes.


Cheers!
mouse