Berry-tarian

Hi my name is Jeanette; I LOVE strawberries and I hoard them. If I am at a wedding, a party, a dinner and there are strawberries present.. you can bet that I am there taking them and going back for seconds. Strawberries as a garnish are also subject to my obsession, once upon a time I took strawberries off of the top of a wedding cake (in my defense I was too enticed by the strawberries to notice that the white chocolate box that housed them was the cake.. and I LOVE cake!).



I have come the decision that I could very well be a Berrytarian. I could eat nothing but berries all day (this includes raspberries, blackberries as well but strawberries are my all time favorite). I'd probably have to work in some protein shakes, but that's cool because I can make them with strawberries.

Now, imagine my happiness when I got a job working at a hotel only to find that this place has a seemingly endless supplies of strawberries, even outside of strawberry season (also known as HELL). I can walk into our cafeteria and find a huge bowl of strawberries just sitting there for the taking. Chocolate covered strawberries constantly habitate the dessert fridge and they call my name. I always pretend like I am going to share the chocolate covered ones with Elizabeth, but she's not quick enough on the draw and I eat 5 and she eats 1. Often I will be eating my lunch and a huge tray loaded with bowls of strawberries and blueberries (I forgot to mention those above) will appear out the kitchen with rays of light from God (or Chef Paul). At that time I make an immediate move to stake my claim; I am always the first up but that COULD be because I knock people over on the way to be first. I find this normal, however I've discovered that other people do not. Apparently not everyone thinks that strawberries are the most delicious and wonderful fruit ever to be in existence in the Universe. Yes UNIVERSE! And not everyone thinks you should take all of the strawberries, and not everyone thinks that getting your turn at the strawberries is worthy of running people over.. what terrorists!

Also, I have found that it's not normal for people to imagine that somewhere in the hotel there is a large room filled with nothing but strawberries and to daydream about finding that room and eating them like this:



In reality they would be more smashed all over my face but I couldn't find a picture to depict this, note to readers DO NOT google images for 'strawberry face' it is not fruit related and it is not pretty.

I don't know what I was robbed of in my childhood to make me love strawberries so much. I also always feel like I DESERVE the strawberries more than anybody else and that I have a right to take as many as I want.

If I could only find that secret room here at the hotel... I'd eat my pay in strawberries and probably stay relatively thin. I suspect that soon I will get lured to this 'room' only to find my family, friends, and people who have been trampled by me waiting with letters about how much they love me.. they will say what they have to say and then I will say what I have to say.

I'm BIG

Do you remember watching the Tom Hanks movie Big when you were growing up? I loved that movie. I think it was one of the first movies I saw that gave me an impression of what it would be like to be an adult and have a job. It was so cool that he got to go meetings, use a computer, sit in a cubicle, then have an office. He had to review reports, play with silly string, jump around on a big piano.... what a wonderful view of corporate America.

I realized a little while ago that this has become the point in life that I am at. Now I regularly use words like 'phone conference', 'meetings', and 'reports' and to be honest, I'm kind of disappointed. I remember when I couldn't wait to be able to use a computer for something. I literally used to keep a picture of a keyboard in my closet and I would pretend type on it because I thought typing was the coolest thing you could do. Now I type all the time (duh) but it doesn't seem as important as it did back then. I let corporate America sneak up on me uneventfully and I think it's kind of sad. I've done all those things (minus the big piano) that Tom Hanks did in Big. I've reviewed reports, gone to meetings, used a computer, had a cubicle and most of the time, I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, just like Hanks. In time, though, I've grown and I've learned and now I often do know what the fuck I am doing. I kind of miss that feeling of being excited to type on stupid magazine picture of a keyboard. I miss that feeling of importance because I had to go to a meeting (please don't make me speak though or else you'll know that I'm full of shit). Now I just do these things on a daily basis. I've become the corporate schmuck that Tom Hanks worked with in the movie. How do I go back to being Tom Hanks, and what was his name in that movie??? I could google it yes.. but I don't want to. I'm off to print out my color, glossy picture of a keyboard to hang on my wall.

That post made me think of this... and it made me laugh

More new stuff in life

Soooo I found someone to be my roommate ( I hope). This is another new venture for me, besides Amber I haven't really had a roommate before. I'm taking it all in stride, of course this means I have to move a bunch of furniture around my house. Essshhh. Ok really I'm kind of nervous, but she seems cool. Let's hope it worked out.

I ran 17 miles yesterday (Saturday). On a whim I decided to do this in my neighborhood. I can comfortably run 8 miles without having to pass my house too much. This time I had to pass my house about 4 times. It was tough but I kind of enjoyed being close to home. I put my gummy bears and G2 on my porch so that I could refill when I passed by.

People always want to know how my run went. I understand this is a question of interest in what I am doing but really? How can you gauge running 17 miles? How does it go well? How does it not hurt? I hate it when I am 15 miles in and I pass by some person walking and I'm grunting and panting. I know they think that I'm weak and I'm slow and I just want to yell at them "I'VE RUN 15 MILES ASSHOLE, STOP JUDGING ME!!!". I never do because I'm just delirious and insane. I remember during my last marathon training I had this point where I had run out of gummy bears, my G2 was running dry, and I started to have shooting ankle pains. Like any normal person I started speaking into a pretend dictaphone as if I were writing my own memoir. How I would love to actually have that recording now. I wouldn't share it with you, but I would listen and laugh at myself. It was after that run that I learned to hide my gummies and G2 along the way for refills so I didn't get all Into the Wild again.

In a few weeks I will be running the Virgnia Beach Half Marathon. Pat Benetar and REO speedwagon will perform in the post race party. I hope it's not nearly as boring as the Myrtle Beach half marathon post race party. Marathoners are a bunch of BORES, that party was a 1 out 10 on a scale of fun where 10 is the most fun... and it had free beer and food!

Anyway, that's all for now. It's late and I have to go to bed. I have to teach bootcamp in the morning. I'm not spell checking this blog either so deal with it.

Bootcampin It

I started instructing my first bootcamp on Monday and let me tell you.. it's tough to gauge how much someone you don't know likes or dislikes the level at which you are kicking their ass.

Since Monday I've gone back and forth hoping that they appreciated it and they are sore but not so sore that they never want to come back. Have I ever told you all that I tend to worry about anything and EVERYTHING???

Tonight is day 2 for this week. I hope see all 7 people return but I would be happy with the original 5 who signed up for the month. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

NEXT weekend I am hosting a free meetup bootcamp in Goose Creek for all ladies who would like to attend. It's at 9:15 a.m. at a park in Crowfield (have I already blogged this? It sounds really familiar!) If you're interested send me an email at fitlowcountry@gmail.com. I also have a website that I've created. Please don't be appalled at my website building (or lack thereof) abilities. I HAVE LIMITED TIME PEOPLE SO BACK OFF! (www.fitlowcountry.com, you can click on ads there too but I found out that I don't get paid until I have $100.00 worth of clicking. Right now I'm at $10.00 so I'm not holding my breath)

New random subject:

Today is grocery list day. Wednesday is the day that all the stores come out with new sales.. how frikkin' exciting! I have a list for Publix and a list for Harris Teeter. I'd like to give a big shout out to Bi-Lo for having NOTHING TO OFFER THIS WEEK! I do have .05 off my next purchase of gas though *Fist Bump*. It looks like it will be Harris Teeter London Broil and Ground Turkey on the menu this week. What healthy recipes shall I conjure up?? Sheesh.. who knows!

New Venture

Well tomorrow starts my first official bootcamp class here in Goose Creek. As of now I have 5 women signed up. I've been obsessing, writing workouts, re-writing workouts, practicing workouts, obsessing. I'm feeling more confident now though.

I just put every piece of workout equipment in my car. I think that I will probably be getting worse gas mileage from all the weights, this could affect my 35.00 a week gas budget.

Anyway, if you want to come by and try out my bootcamp go to www.charlestonpersonaltrainer.net and sign up for a free one. I am also having a free weekend meetup bootcamp on 8/7/2010 in the park in Crowfield Plantation. I think it's for Ladies only as is my weekday bootcamp. Sorry dudes... no wieners allowed. You can find that RSVP at www.meetup.com, look for meetups in Goose Creek.

So the coupon-ing is going ok.. my buy of the week is .50 cent milk from Publix. I have to go tomorrow and get 2 cartons. On sale for 2.50 with a 2.00 off coupon... WHAT??? I haven't been too great with the budget overall. I've stuck to the grocery budget + 10.00. But I've been a little frivolous this week in preparation for bootcamp. I'm going to feel it next week. The gas budget is right on par but that's because I do the same thing every day.

Back to work tomorrow... bleh!!! Not that I don't like work I just want to get paid for sitting on my couch instead.

I have to go now and turn off the sprinklers. I have a bad habit of leaving them on all night.

Maybe next I will post about my lack of triathlon training and my complete hatred for biking...


PS. CLICK ON MY ADS... come back tomorrow and click some more. I am up to 3.98.. I'd like to at least get a chick fil a combo out of this nonsense. CLICKIE CLICKIE..

Grocery challenge

Well... as predicted I am completely over this whole grocery thing. I failed last week because of an unexpected trip to the store in which I had to buy specific non sale items. I ended up spending 42 in groceries for the week. I did it again this week because I had a specific meal in mind I had to make (see meatloaf reference below) I spent $15.00 in one trip and I still haven't filled my pantry. My problem is that I have NOTHING in my house so each week I have to buy enough to make me dinners for the week. They have to be healthy dinners too, that shit's not cheap. If this grocery budget starts making me fat it's going to have to go out the window.

There ain't shit on sale this week either. I will be over the $35.00 but I'm still overall doing much better in not eating out and grocery spending than I have been. I will keep it up but I'm NOT a good coupon organizer and spending an hour mix and matching my grocery list with different stores to travel too is exhausting. I miss being frivelous.

I mentioned in my last post that I had canceled cable. I have to say that unlike the grocery thing I think this is an awesome decision. With the help of a couple of laptops, some remote control software, HULU, and netflix.. I'm not really missing anything. I want to post some pictures but I don't have a phone with a camera anymore and I can't find my USB cable that fits in my camera. But believe me, the picture on the TV as I stream hulu from my 4 year old laptop is pretty amazing. (By the way, if you are reading this take some time and click on my ads to the right of my post. I want to see how much I get paid for having those. Perhaps sign up for a trial of netflix!). CLICK... CLICK... CLICK... come back and click again tomorrow.

How is it that I ran 13 miles today and I'm laying on the couch feeling like a super lard? My eating has been like shit. I literally had pasta (whole wheat, but still) for about 5 meals in a row this week. It could have also been the pizza and ice cream I ate yesterday. I'm in denial about my meatloaf and mashed potatoes because I used greek yogurt, sour cream, and low fat butter in the potatoes, and lean ground beef, fat free milk, and multigrain crackers in the meatloaf. Did I mention it was AWESOME?

I think this post is lame so I'm ending it. How the hell do you spell SIANARA? Whatever, I dont care you know what I mean.

$70.00 a week

So I'm testing myself to see if I can live off of $70.00 cash a week. This amount would cover both groceries and gas for a whole week from Thursday to Thursday. Based on my 6 month budget from Mint.com I have determined that at the current gas prices I have spent approximately $35.00 in gas per week. Groceries... I spend a LOT more! Every Thursday I will remove $70.00 cash from the ATM (although they don't give it out in $10.00 increments so it will be more like $60.00). Half that goes to gas and half to groceries. This means I have to pay for my gas BEFORE pumping.

I've figured out that at the lowest point ever I have had to fill up with 11.5 gallons of gas. I average 30 miles a gallon and when my gas light comes on I can get up to 320 miles safely. Based on this I plan on putting 11 gallons in the tank (multiply gas price x 11) PREPAY and GO! The gas is the easy part. I actually started this last week and so far I filled up the tank last Wednesday($25.00) and drove until the gas light came on plus some. Then I put in another 10.00 on Monday. Tomorrow is Thursday and I am about to get a gas light again. So far, so good.

Groceries are a little more work. I've had to resort to EXTREME resourcefullness, also known as COUPONS. Now I never look at grocery prices and I always considered people who coupon synonomous with cat ladies and now.. I am one (Hello? ASPCA? Yes do you have 12 feral kittens I can get IMMEDIATELY!!!??). Again I tried this first 2 weeks ago Friday. Wednesday is the day that the stores put out new sale items so today I have spent time evaluating the BOGO's (that's the Buy One Get One Free for you rookies). So far I have a pretty decent grocery list that should last me for the week with dinners and breakfast covered. I have to admit that I cheat SOME because they give us free lunch in the cafeteria at work.

I'm way too excited about this whole coupon thing. Last time I got a free 1/2 gallon of Smart Balance Milk (HEY a commercial for this milk just came on TV) and an .89 cent 1/2 gallon of Almond Milk. I feel a little like I'm sticking it to the MAN! Thanks to the power of google docs I have a portable list of coupons, when they expire, what they are for, and where I got them. I use www.SouthernSavers.com for my deals. It's all there in a little package. Money savings.

So.... $70.00 a week.. can I do it? After week 1 I feel pretty good. I'm sure this will be like a new diet. You see some weight loss the first week and you feel all energized and excited and then you realize that it's a lot of work and it kind of sucks. I'm actually going to dress up like a cow on Friday to get a free value meal from Chick Fil A in order to stay on budget... what have I become? Did I mention I canceled cable too? That's for the next post...