Falling into place

Those of you who know me (and that's probably almost everyone who reads this blog) know that I'm a huge Disney animation fan......bordering on fanatic. So with my iTunes being comprised of approximately 40% Disney music (and another 40% dedicated to Broadway), it's no surprise that I listen to Disney soundtracks often. And those of you who know me well know that I use music to help my deal with life and use it to express what I'm feeling at any given time. So where is this train of thought going? Well, recently I've been listening to the Princess and the Frog soundtrack (which is not one of my favorite movies, but the music is pretty good and I can relate to the protagonist pretty well) and the music from Tangled (of which I have yet to buy the cd, so I listen to it via YouTube) and I really feel like some of the songs are so appropriate for my life right now.

Things are finally starting to come together. I have a solid job at Catherine's now, which I mentioned in my last post, and I've been getting between 12-20 hours a week. (This past paycheck was for $240!) I can also still work there while I'm in school, which is a huge blessing. There are only three of us working there, so we have some flexibility in how we schedule ourselves. School starts on Monday and I'm finally entering my senior year. One more year before I graduate and a year and a half until I'm certified to teach!! Finally!! I love college and still have a few friends there, but I'm ready to be done. I'm a fifth year senior who started in 2006. It's time. I'm done. Though at the same time, it's kind of scary to think that in another year, I'll be a real adult.

Not to mention that I'm finally taking steps to meet "that special someone". I started using eHarmony at the beginning of the summer and there is one guy who I have been talking with. We have talked online for about a month and we had our first over the phone conversation on Wednesday. I'm still not sure if I'm attracted to him in that way, but hey, it's a start. I'm at least doing something about it.

I feel like now my life is starting. For a while, I was just stuck in this weird place. I wasn't really a college kid or an adult; I wasn't making my own money; and I was just sort of stuck in the house alone. Most days were boring and the days all ran into each other. I felt like "Hey! When is my life going to start?" Now, I have commitments and goals. I'm moving forward in my life and it feels incredible. Who knows? The plan could change six times, but at least I have a plan and I'm able to go after it.

And as an added bonus, I've lost 10 lbs! That's right, I'm down to 240lbs. I still have a long way to go but at least I'm on the right path. I'm so glad that I've hit that mark, mostly because for several weeks, I couldn't drop below 244. I did everything that I could and I still weighed the same. Then I finally dropped to 242 and this past week dropped to 240. I think the thing that helped the most was work. It kept me away from any food source for several hours and, although there isn't a lot of walking around, I did get some exercise in. I think that came mostly from having to swiffer the floors and vacuum the dressing rooms. I usually have the closing shift and towards the end of the shift, we have to clean and straighten up the store. It's been disguised exercise. The best thing about the drop in weight is that some of my clothes are getting loose. I'm not at the point where I can wear a smaller size, but some of the tighter fitting clothes are comfortable and the previously comfortable things are loose. There are a few items that I have in my closet, just like everyone else out there, that I can't fit into anymore and I'm hopeful that, within a month or two, I'll be able to fit in them again. I'm especially excited for when I can fit into my vest again! It's so cute on me and I can close the buttons, but I just can't sit down in it with the buttons closed. A few more pounds and I'll be there.

So that's basically an update of my life. So where does the part about Disney fit into all of this? Well, there is a song in Tangled called "When will my life begin" and until recently, that was pretty much my feelings on life. Granted, I have never done as many chores as Rapunzel, but the feeling of being stuck in the same old rut is very comparable to my life. The other song is from the Princess and the Frog called "Almost There". It's about the protagonist being close to accomplishing her dream of owning her own restaurant, which was a dream of her deceased father. (It just wouldn't be a Disney movie without a dead parent) Now that my life is moving forward, I feel the same way. With being a senior after almost 6 years, I'm so close to graduating and accomplishing this big goal that I've had forever.

So here are the songs for those of you who have never heard them.

Moving Forward

It's been awhile since I've posted, much to the chagrin of my bored cousin Karen. So what has been happening in my life you may ask? Well, when I originally started this post, not much, but over the last few days, I've had quite a bit happen. I've started working again!!! Huzzah!! It may only be about 10-12 hours a week, but it's a heck of a lot better than the 0 hours that I have been working all summer. I've actually switched stores too. I now work at Catherine's, which is next to Lane Bryant and is owned by the same umbrella company. The merchandise, however, is nothing like Lane Bryant. It's designed for older ladies and when I say older, I mean like 70 year old ladies who have given up on style. I told my mom that if I ever caught her dressing like that that I would smack her. You don't need to be young or skinny to have style. You just have to work with what you've got and, as Tim Gunn would say, "Make it work". I suppose that most of the stuff in Catherine's could work if you paired it with classic pieces like jeans or mixed in the right accessories like a belt, but the way that most people wear the stuff is just plain crazy. I mean, wearing a matching shirt and skirt in leopard print? Where are we, New Jersey? It's just too much! Not to mention all the shirts with shoulder pads....... *shudders*

So the exercise has lessened of late, mostly because of work. I'm still trying to figure out how to work it all in. It's just going to get worse in two weeks when I'm working and going to school. I thought about exercising in the morning before school, so I don't have to worry about it during the day, but I'm definitely not a morning person. Plus, on Mondays and Wednesdays, I have my practicum at 8:30am, so I have to get up at 6am just to get ready and drive there. No way am I getting up earlier than that to work out. I know myself, and I just won't do it. So the plan as of now if to work out before my classes on Tuesday/Thursdays. I'll still have to get up early, but at least the sun will be up when I am. Fridays are also fine for exercising because I don't have any classes. I'll hopefully be tourguiding, which will count as part of my work out, and then going to work. But I have a bit more flexibility on Fridays, so it should work fine.

The eating has been going well, other than two days. The first was during Laura's shower. I ate way too many cookies. It's my weakness. I have a ridiculous sweet tooth. And I can control it somewhat with ice cream, because I'll have a bowl and that will be enough, but with cookies, if there are some on the table, I'll go up several times to take a couple. Suddenly, my two cookie treat has turned into a 10 cookie binge. It's bad! The other day was yesterday. Colleen, Peter, and I went to the Montgomery County fair. It was so much fun! We haven't been to it since we were little. I didn't eat as horribly as I have in the past, but I did have about a 20 oz bottle of lemonade, which seemed to have a lot of sugar in it, half of a funnel cake, and a corn dog. Then for dinner, I went to Wendy's and got a 1/4 pounder burger meal. I ended the day with a bowl of Edy's slow churned chocolate ice cream. Normally, it's not a bad ice cream because it's low fat, but compiled with everything else that I ate that day, it was bad. So I'm back on my program again today. It's an everyday thing with me. Gotta take it one day at a time.