AtomicMrX

Shannon and I loaded up my mattress and box spring set and took it up to Independence CostCo and got a manufacture warranty return of $369.39. Then went into the CostCo store with my $115 coupon and got the brand new set ($549.99) which ended up only costing me $106.02 after the coupon and warranty return money. Not bad. I got the mattress that we returned tonight back in January 2002, so it lasted four years before it started poking springs out the side of it. Let’s hope this one lasts longer.

Well, I have fallen off the Blog wagon and hit my head. Sorry for the long pause after my Birthday with the blog entries. I just didn’t have anything to say. Not much going on. Just preparing for income tax season and waiting for my Attendance award money this next week ($300.00). I am really in bad shape because of the Gas bill. All my attendance money is going to get my budget back into the black (instead of the negative RED it is now). I’m sad to see the “extra free money” go to bills but glad I have it to get me out of the hole. Next months Gas bill is only $20 cheaper than Januarys (January $166, February $145) - Ugh!

Today I turn 43 and my Dad turns 86. I was born on my dad’s birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!!!

I got a great hand made card from my Mom and Dad (Mom did all the work I think), some cash from Mom and Dad (which I think went to bills rather than play), 8 red carnations and an Ab Lounge Pro from Shannon (and a wonderful card - not hand made). I’d have to say this birthday is great so far.

I went out to dinner with Shannon last night to Jerusalem Cafe and it was great. I ate way too much because it all tasted so good! Shannon hadn’t really been there before so he got this enormous “feast” and it really was enough food for two easily. He took home over half the food. He loved the place and can’t wait to go back!

Tonight I am going to dinner with my friend Jim. We’ll be going to a very nice (and kind of expensive) Italian restaurant - il truelio (spelling??) I haven’t been there in years and look forward to it. Shannon will be at work today so that is why we went out last night to dinner.

Weird thing - I ate a lot yesterday, I got on the scales this morning and it said 207 (so I lost 4 pounds overnight). For breakfast, Shannon and I went to Neighbor’s Cafe and I had a ton of food - chicken fried steak and two eggs, with hash browns, toast, and orange juice. This chicken fried steak took up half the plate it was huge (the size of my open hand) - and I ate it all. So it wasn’t like I ate well yesterday to loose the weight today. Very odd.

Hold on! I have a package at my door! Brother Bill and family sent me a package from Jaarsma Bakery! Wow, just in time for my Birthday too! It is a great assortment of their Dutch pastries! It looks something like this:

Good thing I’m in the first stage of my diet! Thanks Bill, Peggy, and Joe!!

Today I am using my 2005 Attendance Award Day off with Pay. I will get another one in the middle of January when we have the 2006 Attendance Awards at work. If you miss less than 4 hours of work for the year it accumulates into points (points=$$$$), cash and days off with pay. This year will be my sixth year of perfect attendance so I will get $300 cash, a day off with pay, and 200 points. I have my 200 points left over from last year and then some so I am accumulating a lot of points. When I want to cash them in I go to human resources and they give me a gift card to a store I would like to use the points (cash) for. 200 points equal $200. Pretty cool deal if you have perfect attendance - which isn’t a hard goal for me to accomplish.

I’m using the day to get my car inspected and pay for my tags. That’s why this post is so early in the morning - got to be at the Auto Service by 8:30 AM to get my inspection done.

Well, I did twenty minutes of cardio and used my early birthday present from Shannon (AB Lounge) this afternoon. It was a small start, but non the less a start.

I also found an interesting article on CNN.com about on-line diets and that they can be as helpful as person to person diet support. They also listed some on-line diets, among them being a free service called SparkPeople.com.

I checked them out and signed up. It has a lot of the same features that WeightWatchers.com had but with out the weekly cost.

We’ll see how it goes. It all comes down to me taking control over my situations. Do I make the right choice or not.