Denise's Happy, Healthy,Healing Journal-Posts welcome

[DisDee]

Today's going to be one of those run around days. I have to go to Staples and fax some resumes and also make more copies. Then I need to order the cake for the shower and pick up a few groceries. After that I'll go to the gym and do my swim. When I get home, I have to iron the table linens for the shower. Since I used to work for a linen sales co., I was always bringing home samples of discontinued items, so I have quite the supply of tablecloths.

I've been reading a different type of book (for me). The title is "Honey, Let's Buy a Boat". I love being on or near the water, so I always thought it would be fun to own a boat. This story is about a couple who takes a year off from their jobs, and makes the great loop around the east coast, in to Canada and then down the Mississippi back to Florida. I'm really enjoying it. The thing that's most interesting to me is the places they stop on the eastern seaboard, many of which we've been lucky enough to visit ourselves. We love to go to little harbor towns with shops and restaurants along the water. We really are blessed that we've been able to visit so many interesting places.

So far for today, I can say that my food choices have been great...1 banana and a cup of coffee. It's early though so I have a lot of time to screw things up. LOL!

I have to be thankful before I go, so here goes...

Today, I am very thankful that my kids have grown into such caring and responsible adults and that they always make time to spend with Mom and Dad.

Have a super day!

 

[goldcupmom]

Dee, I'm so glad your mammo was OK!!!!! Relief...we can breathe again.....right???

I really like your 'thankful' list. It's a good thing!!

Hope todays running goes ok. Your food has been great!

Hang in there!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Denise, I am so thankful your mammo came back good! Prayers answered for you and your family (and you Wish sisters too of course)!

That is great news you will get a refund and can take your trip! I think doing the things you love, with the people you love is always a good useage of time and money. But so understand about wanting to be responsible too. Now you can do both!

Keep up the swimming and walking, your trip is so coming up and you want to be very energetic to enjoy Port Orleans!

Great attitude, that is always half the battle in life and you are doing splendidly!

 

[DisDee]

I can't believe that I spent about 20 minutes writing on my Wish journal yesterday, then there was a problem with our cable and it wouldn't allow me to post. Ugh! Well, today's another day, so I'll post quickly since I'm starting to get dinner together.

I'm down 2 pounds this week, and very focused on trying to feel better physically. My ortho appt. is next week and I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about the possibility of knee surgery. I really want to lose quite a bit before the surgery might take place. I went on the hospital website and found that they offer pre-surgery classes with all kinds of info for pre and post surgery. I want to be as informed as possible so I know what to expect.

I have another job interview tomorrow. This one is for clerical work with a law firm. I'm not too sure about this and the "professional" aspect. I'm more of a business casual kind of girl, so this interview should prove interesting.

Gotta run for now. I'll be back soon.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Denise, best of luck on your interview! At the very least, going on interviews is always valuable experience.

Great job on the two pound loss! And also, I am impressed with how you are approaching this knee surgery.

You are making such good choices right now and really keeping on top of the process as a whole.

 

[DisDee]

So...I'm back from the interview which I thought went well. Here's another scary story. The HR person who interviewed me said they received 160 resumes for that one position. Yikes, here we go again. I guess I should be thankful that I'm actually getting called for the interviews, but with so many applicants for these jobs, who knows what's going to happen.

I treated myself to breakfast at Panera. I need to get the bread cravings out of my system. This has been a really good week with staying within my points, but a bagel eats up way too many. Now I need to scale back for the rest of the day. I think we'll have chicken tonight with a veggie and who knows what else?

I need to sit down and tackle the bills. DH's check should be double the norm since he worked lots of OT last weekend. Thank goodness for that!

I'm about 3 lbs. away from my goal that I set for myself for the trip to WDW on March 9. I actually think I'm going to make it...in fact, I know that I'm going to make it! I plan to go to the pool this afternoon so I can do my PT thing and also swim a little. Now if it weren't so cold outside, it would be so much easier to motivate myself to get there.

Gotta tackle some household stuff which is no fun. I'll be back.....................

 

[DisDee]

I visited a new park in the area and did a little walking and reading. Its built along a creek with boardwalks, decks and a very natural feel to it. No playgrounds or ballfields, which is nice. I think I'll make it one of my hangouts when I just need to get out of the house for a change of scenery. After that I took a detour and rode along the river for awhile which was my detour to the gym. I thought about riding by and ditching my swim, but I'm proud to say I made myself park the car and just do it! I always feel good once I'm in the water but sometimes getting there is a struggle.

Time to clean the kitchen and think about dinner. Tomorrow is my weigh-in, so I suppose I'll eat light tonight. I think we all play that game. I'll let you know how I do.

 

[DisDee]

I had to go to a memorial service on Friday. My best friend that I grew up with lost her sister. She was 20 years older and died very suddenly after a quick illness. Her husband is pretty much an invalid and she was his caregiver. Now I'm not sure what's going to happen. So sad.

Today is up in the air. DH is working right now, and I'm not sure what we'll do later. Can't go to the gym this morning cause they use the pool for swim lessons on Thurs eve.and Sat.morn. Think I'll make a grocery list for some healthy foods for me to consume this week. I used to think it was tough making the right food choices while at work, but being home is even worse. I'm eating out of boredom and its not good.

I need to get the house in order before our trip. You'd think that everything would be perfect with all the time that I have, but guess what? Housekeeping gets old real fast. At any rate, I like to have everything just so before I go away, so I have to get moving. We'll pull the suitcases out of the attic this weekend and get the shorts and capris together. All the clothes are still in the extra room where I stored them after the cruise, so I don't have to search the attic for them, which is good. I was also careful when unpacking the toiletries, etc., so I think all that is ready to go again. We're doing carry-on only, so I have to make sure I have my quart bags. I think its time to excited for this trip!

There's a Dis meet tonight at a mall that's about 1.5 miles from my house. I'll probably check it out and say hello. They're holding it in the food court, so it should be fun!

Time to go and make a cup of tea and that grocery list. Have a great weekend!!!!!!

Thankful for...my upcoming trip, more OT, and the sunny but chilly day.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Denise, I am sorry about your friend's sister. I hope everything turns out okay with her husband. So sad.

Hope the dis meet was fun! Have you heard anything on the job yet? Getting an interview is a very good sign. Haven't made it that far yet on one app I have filled out! Something will work out very soon!

Hang in there, you have a lot going on right now. You will be at that goal by WDW for sure!

 

[goldcupmom]

Awesome that it looks like you will make your goal before your trip!! Quite an accomplishment in my books!!

Glad you are getting some interviews...if nothing else, it gives you the outing & challenge! Jobs are definitely a hot commodity these days!

Have a great rest of the week! Trip is almost here!!

 

[DisDee]

Where has the week gone? I really need to get my act together today and get something accomplished. I have to run to the grocery...AGAIN!

I'm about half-way packed for the trip. The weather forecast looks good-low eighties on 3 days and 70's on the other. I made a couple more ADR's, so I think that's it for us. This is going to be a very leisurely trip. I am so looking forward to sitting by the pool with a good book. I've packed my pedometer which I haven't used lately, but I'm always curious as to how many miles I walk while at WDW. Even though we're not going to the parks, there's still a lot of walking to be done.

I purchased an e-book a couple of years ago called "Change Your life Challenge". Needless to say, I never followed the plan. LOL! I thought about using it when I was first lost my job, but never got around to it, but I read thru it quickly the other day, and decided that I'd start it when we get back from WDW. Its a 70-day plan where you look at different aspects of your life and address small changes each day. Its also an organizational tool. Before I start, I have to purchase some supplies-mostly office stuff like file folders and notebooks, etc . I figure, why not try it? I have plenty of time to implement some changes for the better and have the time to concentrate on the challenge.

I got called for another interview yesterday, but unfortunately she wanted me to come in on Mon. while I'm in Florida. I tried to go in today or tomorrow, but she wasn't able to find a spot for me. So, she said to call next Friday, and if the position wasn't filled , she would have me come in. This one is with a co. which is known for treating their employees well, with good benefits and nice working atmosphere. I still believe what will be , will be and there is the right job out there waiting for me. I've learned how to answer some of the silly interview questions which are so different these days, like how would you handle certain situations and more personality and ethical questions then when I was job searching 12 years ago. It's a whole new world.

Time to go and make a list for today. Have a thankful Thursday!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Denise, that Change your Life Challenge sounds great. Let us know how it goes. So when do you leave? You must be so excited! Enjoy Port Orleans French Quarter, that is one of my favorite resorts, so think of me when you're there. You will have such a nice time, its just what you need. And as you say, if that job is meant to be, it won't be filled and you can interview when you get back.

The job market has indeed changed. But you will find the perfect job, its out there waiting for you!

 

[goldcupmom]

Hope you have a wonderful time at WDW and that the weather cooperates!!

I agree that with jobs and all else, what is supposed to happen will happen....but it gets SO FRUSTRATING sometimes!

Have a great time....relax & ENJOY!!!!

Praying for a wonderful, SAFE trip!!

 

[DisDee]

Thanks for checking in Julie and Amy!

We fly out of Atlantic City at 6:30 on Monday morning, which means we need to leave the house around 3:30 for the hour drive and 2 hr recommended check-in time at the airport. I'll be napping by the pool in the afternoon. LOL!

I thought about getting a spa treatment at SSR, but at this late date that probably won't happen, plus the treatments are very expensive. My other plan is to treat myself to some of the products at Basin and maybe I'll do a day pass to the SSR fitness center and make use of the sauna and steam room. I've heard their spa is very nice. Has anyone been there?

I'm finished packing except for my makeup and jewelry, so I'm happy about that. I just need to run the vacuum and tidy up a bit and I'll be all set.

I'll check in when I get back on Friday. Thanks for being here girls and I hope you're having a great weekend!

 

[Goofydiane]

Denise - the trip sounds like fun. Hope you have a great time!

The book sounds really interesting, I look forward to hearing about it when you return.

 

[goldcupmom]

Hope you're having a FANTASTIC time!!

 

[DisDee]

We're back!!!! We returned late Friday night after adding an additional day to our trip because of a 7-hr. flight delay on Monday. (more about that later). We had a great time with just a couple of aggravating moments which I'll tell you about in the next couple of days. The weather was just beautiful-80 thru 85 every day. We spent lots of time at the pools and Blizzard Beach, had dinner at a couple of new places (for us), and a couple of old favorites. I'm so glad that we decided to go! We were able to keep within our budget with the exception of adding the additional night, and then got some good news while we were away. It looks like I have a new job! I got a call while in WDW for a second interview at a place where I interviewed on the Friday before I left, and when I called to tell them I couldn't come in till today, the dept. mgr. called me back and told me to forget the second interview, and she was offering me the position. I have to contact them today and arrange for some testing, but if all goes well, the job is mine! I was really excited to get such good news while on vacation.

Now here's the funny part. This job is with a food distribution company which specializes in ice cream. Its a family owned business which started as an ice-cream vendor 80 years ago. Now I may have mentioned in some of my posts about how much I love ice cream, and one of the perks of this job is a freezer full of ice cream which is available to the employees all day long. I knew this job had my name on it. Luckily one of the lines that they carry is Skinny Cow, so hopefully that will be available to the employees too.

I had to take a pay cut and I'm starting out at 28 hours a week, which is ok because I have a good feeling about the company. The best thing is that the location is very close to home-about 3 miles. My former job was 12 miles on a route that had lots of traffic lights. Now I'll be able to get to work in under 10 minutes.

I have to cut this short for now. I'll write some updates on the trip and job a bit later, and check your journals too. Have a super week!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Denise, congratulations on the new job!!! That must have made the vacation all the sweeter. It sounds like you had a wonderful time (even with the flight delay that sounds like a nightmare). I am so happy you went and about the new job. Way to go!! Can't wait to hear all the trip details.

I love Skinny Cow! Of course I love all ice cream!

 

[DisDee]

Thanks Amy! My good news did make the last few days of vaca. that much more enjoyable. In fact, that's just what my future mgr. told me when she made me the offer. I'm still waiting for the phone call so I can get started. The background check came back so they sent me for the drug screening on Monday. The lab said 2-3 days for those results, so I'm thinking maybe later today. I'm going to get ready just in case they want me to come in later this afternoon and do some HR paperwork.

I had to tell them that I have my SIL's out of town wedding on Friday, so I'll work half a day. Then I've been summoned to jury duty on Tuesday. The mgr. seemed ok with it, but I hated to even mention the 2 dates, but there was no way that I'd miss the wedding and I don't have a choice with jury duty.

Gonna run and get ready for the day. If they don't call me in, I'll update my trip report later.

 

[goldcupmom]

That's wonderful news about the job, Dee! Sounds PERFECT!!!

And the vacation sounds like it was just what you needed....despite the delays.

Have a GREAT rest of the week! Things are lookin' up!!