If you'll take a look at the last few posts, you'll notice a trend...lots of being tired, for one. Did I happen to mention that TOM never arrived for the month of May? Well, the pregnancy test confirms...I am with child. It's so weird! I'm still not totally accepting it, I mean, I'm not disappointed by any means, but wow! What to do now? I guess the job-hunting is off. I'm vested here with enough sick-time to kill a mule plus, I'm hoping I can telecommute, what with my situation now. I guess we'll see in time.

So, the whole weight-loss issue is no longer an issue, now. My goal is to maintain my current size until July, so that I can at least fit into the bridesmaid dress without too much trouble. In fact, I don't even plan on telling my girlfriend until I'm there. How's that for keeping a secret long-term? Oh, boy. In the meantime, I've set up another blog to document the whole pregnancy process (for those of you who are interested). You'll find it on the left-hand column "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life" (it really is!). I am not abandoning this blog, just putting it on pause for a bit. I hope that you all reach your fitness goals, in the meantime. I'll be back to work-off baby weight, when the time comes and, when the time comes, I'll be here. Good luck!

I came in still feeling really tired this morning. Now, I'm cramping and it's kind of a nagging cramping sensation, not the full on pain. I don't want to drug myself until that happens (am I sadistic or what?). I'm just not a fan of the drugs unless I really, really need them. I hate that loopy feeling. I could never be a drug addict. One or two cocktails and I'm ready for bed (and who wants to sleep 24/7 when life is going on?).

The day has kind of dragged here too. We had a pot-luck and that usually makes the day fly, but no such luck today, dang it. I've still got a whole hour until quittin' time and I'm not feeling all that motivated to work, right now.

Hubby and I will be "summerizing" the swamp cooler when we get home. It's an arduous process, but a necessary one (We nearly melted in our beds last night....88 degrees!). Where in the heck did that come from? We totally went from 50's and 60's last week and early this week, into the 80's. It's making everyone in my office sick as dogs. They just need to keep their germs to themselves, and I'll be happy.

So, I made a cream cheese, pound cake for the pot-luck. It didn't go nearly as quickly as my famous kahlua cake, but it's nearly gone. I guess everyone liked it. It was pretty good, for pound cake (I prefer to cook with alcohol. It gives baked goods a really rich and decadent flavor).

I wish I could say the weekend was going to be more exciting than summerizing the swamp cooler but, alas. I guess I'll just have to settle for dull. It's okay. Since our basement flooded last night (yikes), boring sounds pretty good right about now.

I walked on the treadmill this morning for about 35 minutes with a speed of about 3.7 mph and now, I'm just feeling like I need a nap really bad. I suppose this is just my body getting used to working out again, or it could be that I'm still trying to adjust to our outrageous altitude, after being at sea-level for a week, but who the heck knows. All I know is that if I had a little nook right about now (think George and his office on Seinfeld), I'd be in there snoozing. I thought my breakfast would at least perk me up a little, but no dice.

I've spent the first few minutes this morning reading my emails and searching for alternative work. I think I may talk to my mom again about helping me right a proposal that would allow me to work from home. I kind of think I should wait until the end of May, at least then I'll know if the babe was accepted to the school in this district or not. If not, than I've got good reasoning again for working from home. If so, then I don't have to really go anywhere (unless I want to). I do hope the market improves, but I kind of doubt it. Summer is nearly here and the market will be flooded with high school and college age kids who'll work hard for nearly nothing. This lady needs something.

We had Greek food for dinner last night. I was craving it so bad! It was weird. The plate I ordered came with a Gyro, chicken kabob, saffron rice, garlic potatoes and a side salad. Hubby, of course, helped me eat it (along with his own chicken gyro and chicken kabob). It was so good and really hit the spot. It's not often I want Greek food, but I really wanted it last night. In fact, I thought about it the whole way home. No strange cravings today, thank goodness.

The babe and I will be working on her (dare I say it?) scrap book for her show and tell at school tomorrow. She's going to put together pictures and "stuff" from our trip to share with her class. I will work with her on her presentation skills (well, as much as a four year old can work on presentation skills). It should be fun. I also have to bake a cake for a pot-luck we're having here at work tomorrow. Seems we're having a lot of pot-lucks lately. So many people are quitting (a couple have come back, oddly enough). I didn't know this was such a great environment to work in. Actually, I think people just get used to a place and don't know what else to do. Perhaps that's happening to me.

The vacation is over....sigh (again). It was wonderful and very much needed. We spent all of last week in Daytona Beach, Florida at the Ocean Walk Resort. As you all may remember, last year when I was busting my butt at the gym daily and losing tons of weight and looking fine, I won the gym's Olympic competition's, top prize - two, round-trip tickets to anywhere JetBlue flies. Well, it has taken me this long to use them (figuring out logistics and so forth was what was so time consuming). The babe and I used the JetBlue tickets, while hubby flew Delta. It really worked out nicely because we weren't sure he would even be able to go with us. Then, we found this great rate and he didn't even have to have a layover! (Lucky duck!)

We flew into Orlando and then drove to Daytona Beach. Consequently, this is also where my grandmother lives, so the trip was a two-fold venture. I believe it was probably the best Mother's day she's had in a long time - her son (my dad), me and her great-granddaughter, all there to visit her. She was so happy.

We would spend around thirty minutes to an hour with her each day. You know, that was about all we could stand. Don't get me wrong, although I was happy to see her again and was eager for her to get to know the babe, she can be really negative, cantankerous and crochity (like so many older folks). It starts bringing you down after while and we were on vacation, weren't we? I think she needs to stop watching the news so much. I mean, she literally watches it all day, along with whatever religious programming she can find. I guess that's a balancing out for her, but it only depressed me.

We ate soooo much. I can't even believe it! It was completely overboard and I know it. I don't regret anything, but I do know that I'm going to have to put in some serious overtime with the workouts, if I'm going to get off this vacation weight. It was Long John Silver's, Crabby Joe's and steamed crabs galore, for us. We also partook in some decadent Italian one night that was to die for! I still can't believe we ate as much as we did.

Aside from eating, we were also doing touristy things like shopping and visiting attractions. We didn't do Disney world because the babe still isn't tall enough for a lot of the rides it would have been heart-breaking for her not to do what she wanted, and way too expensive for us just to go to a park, not ride anything and walk around. We did, however, visit Beach street and all the shops along that strip. We also went to the park and were pretty much greeted by about a hundred squirrels. There aren't many here in Utah, so it was a treat for the babe to see them and see how tame they were.

Finally, last Thursday, we went to Ponce De Leon inlet and the Marine Center in Ponce Inlet Florida. We got to see the sea turtles that they save and do a nature trail. It was a lot of fun, even though it was hot as hell. I really can't complain, though. It was in the 80's the entire time with about 70% humidty. It could have been a whole lot worse. If we'd waited even one month, I think we would have melted down there.

Of course, we swam a lot and enjoyed all the amenities of the resort (including the bar). I had my first Hurricane and drank it in the jetted, garden tub in our room. I nearly drowned in there! That sucker packs quite a punch for a mixed drink.

All in all, I have to say it was one of the best vacations I've ever been on (I still think our Vegas/Oceanside adventure is number 1). I'm rejuvinated and ready to start tackling the job hunting again, even though I'm so not looking forward to it. I'm also not as bitter on the road with the drivers. I guess it's just good to realize when you need a "time out" and I probably should take more of them (even if it's just getting away for the weekend). Hubby and I talked about this very thing upon our return. It's just good for your mental sanity (which gets ambushed on a daily basis).

To get going on my workout, I started on the elliptical Monday but took yesterday off. I walked on the treadmill this morning and really felt the effects of being off my workouts for a week. Yikes! It was tough! My eating habits still aren't great, so I'm going to have to take some drastic measures. As soon as I get my spreadsheet back in order (Yep! It's back to the spreadsheet because that is what works for me.), I'll post my weight (even though I cringe to think of what the number is now. Oy vei!!).

Yesterday, we got a jolt from a power outage, at around 3:30 pm. The lights blinked out and so did several computers. Mine remained on, but didn't do a thing. After about ten minutes of walking around talking to people about the strangeness of it all, we were told that the power would not come back until 7:00 pm, and we should all go home (but we wouldn't be paid for leaving early). Isn't that nice? Well, it was only forty-five minutes until I had to leave and I'm usually here a half hour early everyday anyway, so no skin off my back. It was, however, nice to get home and relax a half hour sooner.

Today, we came in to no Outlook server. Well, that's my life's blood, when it comes to work. Therefore, I'm blogging to my little heart's content, until there's nothing left to blog about. Isn't it funny how dependent we've become on our use of the computer? Ten years ago, I could have completed lots of work without the need to enter my email. Now, it's all I do all day. It is my inbox and tasks for daily work. Everything I do is email (with a little internet work on the side). Even that is acting fruity. (I just clicked on the link again and it's still not up. I've been here since 6:59 am. It is now 9:00 am). I couldn't even work from home, today. Craziness!

I spent the first hour talking to my best friends about all the stuff that went down with my sister. Honestly, it felt good to divulge to her...it really did. For some reason, playing "true confessions" with my best friend made me feel better than telling anyone I've told so far. She agreed with me on so many aspects...sincerely agreed, not the "I'm-your-best-friend-and-I'm-suppose-to-agree" agreement, you know? I expressed my concerns about attending the graduation this Friday and all my fretting seems to have been lifted, somewhat. All I can do is pray that I get through it...the bonus is what's to come after, if I do: Clarity of mine and a week's vacation from work (well, the second part was coming, regardless).

We also talked about her impending wedding in July and all the craziness of planning. She seems to be holding up well. I told her that I picked up my dress on Monday and that it was absolutely beautiful. We then pondered about the ridiculousness of David's Bridal and their insistence that we buy the dresses at the same store because of die-points and the possible mis-match of the other bride's maids with mine. Whatever! My dress came with tags and everything! Do they tag the dress after it's dyed? Or, do they have a bunch of dresses in a warehouse that they just ship out when called upon? I believe the latter and so does my friend. Otherwise, do they just have a bunch of white dresses sitting in a warehouse waiting to be dyed, and if so, do they stitch on the blue beading and sequins after? How in the world would fabric dye take on white sequins and beading. It wouldn't! It would act just like marker on glossy paper and just smear away. And, they wouldn't have a bunch of white dresses with blue beading (or whatever color dress you're picking out) sitting around in a warehouse, would they? How economical is that? It doesn't make any sense at all.

Well, we pondered that for a while, then left it alone to talk about my daughter and her great time at our local amusement park. She's such a little thrill seeker. Then, my best friend talked about her nephew and how he's the same way, except he's also a games player too (which drives her crazy). Spending dollar after dollar to flip a disc on a coke bottle is not our idea of a good time.

The phone rang and I just talked to my hubby for a half hour. Time is really flying now (snicker, snicker). I also just tried the outlook icon again. Still, nothing.

Okay, so now I'm going to make a bunch of appointment, personal calls to kill some more time. Then, go to the gym at 11:30. This looks to be a really productive day (snicker, snicker).