Spring, er, winter cleaning

First off, I’d like to put in my plea to the Weather Gods for snow in the Midlands of SC.  All week, the meteorologists have been saying it will snow tonight, but just today we’ve been “downgraded” to sleet or minimal snow that won’t stick.  Unacceptable!!!  I NEED SNOW!!! All you people up north who are sick of yours, I’d be GLAD to take some off your hands!!!

Speaking of cold weather, we’re getting another set of gas logs here at the house…a set that I’ll have to drive a 2-hour round-trip drive to pick up myself and that my dad is installing himself, but that’s a story for a time when I have lots of alcohol in my bloodstream and nothing nearby that could be used as a weapon (including a computer connected to unfiltered internet).  So in order to install these gas logs, I’ve had to clear out the spare room that contains the fireplace.  A room that, until today, has been used as a catch-all for giant boxes of stuff and castaway furniture.  You know that Island of Misfit Toys from the Rudolph movie?  Our downstairs “play room” is like that island – a receiving area for all things cast aside from regular everyday living areas.  Meaning, I’ve spent a lot of time today throwing away old stuff, organizing still-useful stuff, and setting stuff aside to sell, give away, or move to storage.  I’ve sneezed 80,528 times due to dust, I’ve pulled several muscles in my back moving the aforementioned furniture and heavy boxes, and I’ve broken a few nails.  I’m over it.

There’s a definite trickle-down effect…in order to get one area clean, I’ve got to clear out another.  And sometimes you just get in the cleaning mood and decide to tackle a few different things…which leads us to this beauty I found in the spare freezer:

What could this giant foil brick be?  It says “K’s Birthday Face Cake 2-27.”  I wonder what year, though?

It’s my baby picture on a sheet cake from my 21st birthday…5 years ago.  Think that’s bad?  I found another…

From my high school graduation almost 8 years ago.  By the way, that’s my skinniest face!  I like how the images soak into the frosting, rendering my visage all fuzzy, much like my memories.  It’s too bad we finally threw out my Jordan Knight (from New Kids on the Block for you less-than-cool-people) face cake from my 6th birthday.  It stayed in the back of our freezer for at least 10 years.  No lie. 

I haven’t taken before and after pictures of the rooms in the house I’ve been cleaning out, mostly because of the embarrassment factor.  It’s bad enough that one of you guys might just submit us for Hoarders.  At least while I cleaned, I had some company!  I think I’ve shown her off before, but here’s my birdy, Morgan:

She’s scarfing peanut butter, much like her mother. 

And she loves Ritz crackers – I’m so proud! 

Here’s a video of her giving kisses, taken last year.  Please pardon my feigned surprise (i.e., stupid “GASP”) when she kisses.

My Eats

I’ve been doing shakes for all but one meal for the last few days to prepare for my weigh-in (more on that in a sec!)…I felt ok doing that since it’s a mixture of the two diet plans I’ve been on, and it was just for Monday - Wednesday.  Last night I had some leftover baked butternut squash strips smothered with cinnamon.  Not pretty-looking, but pretty-tasting!

Followed by some grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. 

And afterward, we split the very last Christmas cookie that had been hiding.  It was terrible, but I ate it anyway.  Shame.

Both meals today were almost the exact same…boooooriiiiiiing:

But tonight, dinner was accompanied by a special treat:

Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome Ale.  Mom and I justified splitting it because we both had pretty shitty days.  It helped. 

Weight Update

I went to the doc for my every-two-weeks checkup yesterday, and I’ve lost 5 pounds since December 23rd!  It’s not quite as much as I usually lose during my two-week intervals, but there was drinking and cookie-ing and casserole-ing involved over the holidays, so I’m MUCHO pleased with that number!  Today at home I weighed 223lbs and change…not too much longer before I get below 200!!  I need to step it up!! 

This week has been crazy, and it just hit me today that I haven’t done jack shit as far as starting an exercise regimen goes (and thus, my own 10in10 Challenge).  My last post and all the comments you guys left helped me come up with some good time-budgeting strategies, but I haven’t been able to put any to use since I’ve been going nonstop today to get this room ready to install the damned gas logs.  Though, Katherine, if you were really serious about making exercise a priority, you could’ve taken a 20-minute break for some sweaty Wii playing instead of falling back on lame excuses to justify your laziness.

One of these days, I’ll be embarrassed enough to learn a lesson.  Thanks, blog, for providing accountability!