I jiggle...

I've never jiggled before, even when I was a little on the heavy side at the end of high school/university. Back then I was at least strong... soccer, rowing and working out at least once a day certainly helped, and as a result I was heavy, but at least I didn't jiggle. Now, when I run I feel things moving that really shouldn't be moving, namely my butt. And parts of me are soft, and squishy where before I had a little bit of definition... just a little bit. Otherwise, I don't feel over weight, I just feel weak. I get out of breath faster, I can't bike as fast, and I get tired holding Madison (who for the record, weighs 28lbs at 13 months... cute little porker!! :))

I know exactly what I need to do, I even have access to a great gym at work with every kind of machine available to me. I am just so tired all the time, I've become lazy (well ok, find... lazier!) I'd rather sit on my butt eating M&Ms (kind of like right now). I just wish my motivation hormone, gene, DNA or whatever would just get kick started.. but it hasn't happened yet. It was turned off over the past year, I think having baby #3 turned it off. And I'm afraid my body will be too deteriorated (cursed with really bad knees, stiff toe, and loose ligaments) when that motivation button has actually been pushed... my fingers are crossed that a good base that I had will carry me through....

Time for another bag of M&Ms....

Abigail - Future Olympic Skating Champion

I was watching TV this weekend giving Gillian her bottle of milk when Abigail came walking downstairs after her nap. She sat up on the couch where she usually sits, beside Bender and started watching with us. I happen to find a skating show, you know, one of those tacky pro-skating shows where the skaters skate to cheesy music and sometimes to live bands. It's all just so contrived, I don't like them! Anyway, enough about my thoughts, Abby just took one look at the girl skating and she was mesmerized!! She immediately said "I want to do that!" followed by "I want to learn how to spin, like that", she was in awe. It really helped that the woman skating had on a pink/white sparkly outfit - which of course Abby had to comment on also. Then the next set of skaters came on, a pair, and she said "Look Mommy, the man is helping the girl." I asked her if she wanted to learn how to skate like that and she said YES, and she needed a pink dress like the girl...of course!

Tried a few photos with the flash I got, and I loved it! I still have to read up on how it works, but got a couple cute ones after throwing it on and clicking away!

Talk'in to India

So, our TV (satellite) has been out of commission for 4 days now - GASP I know, how are we surviving?!!?% In order to resolve the problem, I've been on the phone to our providers technical assistance (coughBELLcough) for the past 4 days. And that has been even more painful that being without TV. As you all know calling these places you are in fact phoning the wonderful country of India, a place that I have always wanted to visit and not "TALK" to while trying to make our TV work! It's the same everytime and I'm getting to know their script very well. How it works is that you call the 1-888 # you enter your phone number with which the account is assiciated (and this is my first point of confusion - why bother when they ask you two more times anyway). Then you select 2 for Techincal assistance, which is in fact not the technical assistance, it is the "screener layer" which I call it where they once again ask you for your phone number, what the problem is and your security pin (which I can NEVER remember). And then they pass you on to Technical assistance, where they once again ask you your phone number, your name and what the problem is again. This is of course all speaking with the call center located in India so along with all of this speaking comes the international phone line delay, where you say something and a couple seconds pass, then they say something and there is more delay... you know how it goes. Now comes the "Script" they first ask if they can call you by your first name, which for me is "Miss Christine" (not sure why they do that since I'm not a Miss anymore) , then they ask you the issue, which they try to resolve, and during the "dead air time" they always say "Other than the problem with your TV, so may I ask you how your day is going?" followed by "How is the weather" and they are all so good at acting interested in my responses to those questions. I actually asked one technician how the weather was where he was located and he said "Well you know I'm in India - and it's 20 degrees" (That surprised me because they rarely disclose their locations - not that the accents give it away or anything... :) ) Then they start into the sales pitch - "OH, I see you've been a customer with us for 5 years, that puts you into our preferred customer category....blah blah blah". Then the call ends with "What did you think about my service today, can you rate me from 1 -10, 10 being high". I always give them 10 since I don't have the heart to say 2...

Hopefully I don't have to call India again any time soon. I'd rather visit in person!

On another note here is the challenege that lays before me now:


This is a photo of Eric's Dad on the Santa Paula in May 1946 on is way from war torn England to start a new life in Canada (well his second time - but that is a story for later). The photo has a lot of damage: scratches, folds, cracks and rips... so it will take me a while. But stay tuned for the before and after... Can't wait to get started!