Hello People! How are you doing? I hope everything is fine with you and yours. It has been a while since I was on here. I THOUGHT I was going to be blogging more because my mom retired and I don't have a job so that means we would spending time with each other...which interprets into LOTS of stories! BUT it took her retirement a while to kick in and then it started snowing! It has been snowing more than usual for this time of year for this area lately. AMAZINGLY this is more like the snow storms I remember when I was growing up and we never got a snow day! BUT that is another story and me and my friends have had heated discussions on the whimpiness of the school district...oh I am sorry I mean the cautiousness of the school district.
ANYWAY since I have been stuck in the house since last Saturday it is starting to wear on my nerves and my patience. You know when you are around someone for a continuously LONG period of time even though you love them, they eventually become not so cute anymore. Every little sound they make, like breathing, becomes a complete annoyance and you just want to yell WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT?! Of course they will say doing what? And your only response is that breathing in and out...STOP IT! But we are civilized people and we can't do that. SO we sit in silence mostly each jockeying for time on the coveted computer and hoping that the satellite service that operates the Internet doesn't go out because the dish is covered with snow! You think your time on the computer is more important than theirs even if you are only playing games and annoying people on facebook, that is more important than them sitting mindlessly in front of the computer looking at eBay contemplating things to buy. THEN they opt not to buy and you have to listen to them lament about how they should have bought the stupid oil can for $20.00 or the asinine gas pump handle with the buy it now price of $19.99 plus shipping because it is a rare find. BUT they don't buy it and you have to pretend to care that they are now in the throws of a fit because they thought the price would go higher but somebody bought it for $9.99! HELP ME! BUT wait there's more! Then you have things to do which you in an effort to 'share' tell them about and then they become obsessed with your chores. "Did you do your homework yet? You know you need to do your homework. You should get up right now and do your homework!" And you say...you know you should......actually you don't say anything you just have conversations in your head about not sharing anymore because it just eventually gets used against you in the end!
ANYWAY... the sun is shinning today and although your mom previously forbid you to come to town with her "baby" in this bad weather, she calls you around noon and says "You know y'all could have came to town today." Are you kidding me?! "I am sure you guys could use some time out of the house, you have been stuck in there for a while now." REALLY?! At this point you just slump down in your chair and wonder why do you listen to your mother? I am 45 years old, married and taking care of my handicapped sister and I still listen to my mom because why? I'm getting old and I want to go to heaven. (Just kidding. I mean I do want to go to heaven but that is not why I listen to my mom. I listen to her because she is scary!) Bright note mom said that tomorrow we could probably make it in to town and just for something to do we could do some cooking or something. YAY! Oh wait tomorrow the BIG storm is suppose to hit! ....Oh well back to jockeying for the computer, sitting in silence and pretending to care....I guess we are stuck here until....
I hope you all are staying warm, safe and most importantly BLESSED!
See ya when I see ya!
Peace! Mattie
Hello people! How is your new year going so far? So far so good for me. I have had lunch with some friends and dinner with some more friends....AND I started exercising. CRAZY! I know it is.
I went to the Adult Center and signed up to use their facility it is a reasonable fee if you are not a senior citizen only $78.00 for a year but I got mine gratis because my mom is a VIP! Well I assume she is a VIP the county proclaimed January 5, 2010 and every year after her day! So I guess it is who you know that makes the difference.
ANYWAY...when you use this facility you have to meet with a trainer first, which I did yesterday, and she has to sign off that she has met you and shown you the proper use of the equipment. I should have known something was not right when I came in and she was massaging the feet of one of the people who was working out. I am really not a feet person so my initial response was EEEEWWWW! But I digress. SO she asked what I would like to accomplish, if I have ever worked out before etc. I have worked out before I use to kickbox which I actually enjoyed doing you have no idea how much better you feel after you beat and kick the crap out of a heavy bag! AND sometimes we got to beat and kick the crap out of somebody when we sparred! aaaahhhh those were the days! Now I have to work out by myself and it has been awhile so it is harder than I thought it would be. As the lady showed me around the facility I got a chance to get on the different machines and work on them so that she could make sure I understood how to use them. She told me that since I use to kickbox that ALL this stuff would be easy for me and my shape would come back faster than other people's because it is basically there just underneath some extra weight. Yeah right if you say so. After we went over what she considered to be the best possible routine for me (cardio every day and weight training twice a week) I got to use whatever machine I wanted on my own. I decided I would use the elliptical, it seemed harmless enough...NOT! Now the elliptical is situated so that in front of it are 4 treadmills... on these treadmills were two guys and two ladies. One younger lady and one older lady. The ladies were both reading as they calmly and smoothly with the greatest of ease at a steady fast pace walked on these treadmills. WOW is right! Or at least I thought it was a wow moment, I couldn't do it. SO I start on the elliptical and it is pretty easy until I remembered oh yeah I have to push start....and that is when the "fun" started. I had the controls, I THOUGHT, on an easy setting....now remember in front of me is an old lady and a young lady and they are not even breaking a sweat! I on the other hand am sweating like a pig and with each 30, yes that is THIRTY second interval I have to stop cause I can't breathe! I forgot (don't ask me how) that this was a MOVING machine SO just because YOU stop moving doesn't necessarily mean the machine is going to stop moving. Make note of that and remember it! I didn't. I managed to get 2 count them two minutes in on the elliptical machine in thirty second intervals. SAD! I almost threw myself off the machine once because I stopped moving and the machine didn't...
Today I went back to the "gym" and worked out for an hour and ten minutes! YAY! Not really now I can hardly move AND I tried the elliptical again, I am a bit hardheaded and obviously like to learn things the hard way. I almost threw myself off the elliptical machine twice today, (once if it had not been for the computer board in front of me I would have flown across the room. Fortunately I hit the board and only made a slightly audible sound from the wind being knocked out of me). The only thought that came to my mind was 'how embarrassing if I throw myself off this machine or hurt myself or pass out in here and they have to call an ambulance... the ambulance would come not doubt prepared to help an elderly person only to find me, the youngest person, in the room at this time on the floor writhing and gasping for air, while two elderly people lean over me trying to stop the convulsing or breathe life back into me!" I got this mental picture of a friend of mine who said that she ripped her knees up on the treadmill as she was attempting to put the safety key in the machine. The safety key is the key that you put in the machine so that if you do fall or something it will stop the machine. In her case she was in the process, basically reaching to put the key in, and fell on the machine which was set up close to the wall which meant she was wedge in on her knees with this machine running. Can you say serious strawberries! Of course her husband was no help because as she said his only contribution to the situation was to say, "What are you doing to yourself". Didn't stop the machine or help her up...he just wanted to know what she was "doing" to herself. They are getting a divorce now. I know its wrong BUT I have to admit when she told that story I had to laugh cause I could just picture the whole thing...and as karma would have it I just about did the same thing to myself with the elliptical machine. Of course instead of hurting my knees mine would have been my head being knocked, clunk...CLUNK... by the pedals of the machine as it slowed to a stop! OY! I am not discouraged though tomorrow I am going back on that machine and I am going to keep going to the gym everyday and using all the equipment she showed me until I am down to the size I want to be or they kick me out for being accident prone, whichever comes first!
See ya when I see ya!Peace! Mattie
SO HELLO PEOPLE! HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is 2010 a new year, new beginnings and unlimited possibilities!
What is on your agenda for the new year? Anything exciting? I have said that I am going to start this year off exercising, perhaps try some yoga there is this guy that comes on at 5:00am he does this yoga exercise show (Inhale) it is on for an hour...looks pretty intense. I think it is for the 'advanced' yoga person but I might try it anyway. I'll let you know what happens...unless I get stuck in a position and end up in traction in which case I will just keep that to myself! I am also going to start working out that will give me something to do until the job kicks in or the book(s) gets written, either way I will be less likely to get any fatter than I already am! Can you say stay away from corduroy as you may start a fire from the friction from the thighs rubbing together? Yeah that is me!
Anyway...we went to a New Years eve party at the writers house (remember the writer I told you about previously?), they called it an old geezers party it started at 6pm and it was over at 9pm, we didn't really know WHERE it was actually midnight at 9pm? We all had ASSUMED it was New York, but a man from England who was there pointed out that at 9pm it would only be 11pm in New York (leave it to a foreigner to point out the obvious). Blimey! BUT anyway that is when we sang the New Years Song, I am sure that is not the name of it, but you know the one, "Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind...." then toasted the new year and went home. I guess that is as long as they (the old geezers) could hang out?! It worked out good for me cause I got to go home take a nap and then bring in the new year at midnight. CHEERS!
I have decided that this year I am going to "cut the grass" a term that I heard my cousin say. She said she wanted to cut the grass to see the snakes. But in my metaphor cutting the grass will be cutting down or out those people who are negative and drain your energy. I am going to concentrate on being positive I think it takes less energy. Besides I figure if you have been BLESSED to see 2010 considering all those who were not your negativity should be minimal to say the least. My other agenda item for the new year is to use my "nice words" you know the ones....please and thank you! Are those considered nice words or courtesy words? I went to church with Gary's daughter and the minister of the church said that we should use the opportunity given when someone says "thank you" to 'share' with them. He said that we should not look at saying thank you as an obligation when someone does something we should look at it as an opportunity to connect with them at that moment. That kind of goes along with something I started on my facebook site after reading this blurb from a friend, "What I re-learned is that the last time you saw someone could be...well...the last time you see them. So don't take that moment for granted live in that moment and sincerely engage that person. And if only through the sincerity of a genuine handshake or actual eye contact, let them know for that moment in time...you were present with them and they mattered..." Words to live by I think!
With that said I am going to start using the nice words or courtesy words, so even if I do by chance happen to tell you off I will be sure to end it with "have a nice day"(inset smiley face)! I have a feeling that the hospital billing office will be the first to experience the "new" me later on this week. We have ONE hospital in the area where I live they are the only place to go should God forbid you have to go to a hospital. Their revenue I am sure is in the millions of dollars DAILY. I know this because I use to work there in the cash posting department so that is a statement of fact, and yet with ALL that money they can't seem to generate a statement to send me showing my balance due. BUT if I miss a payment they can call me and tell me it is my responsibility to make the payments whether or not I get a statement. Really?? I went in the hospital in May and I got one statement in June and I have not seen another statement since. If you can't send me a statement then I can't send you a payment, cause frankly if I don't see the bill I am not going to pay the bill. That is how I roll, out of sight out of mind. The lady told me that they send out statements monthly "unless they get hung up in the system". Now I know from working there that "the statements get hung up in the system" EVERY TIME THEY RUN THE STATEMENTS! Why you ask? Because they have a piece of crap program or system. It was made to work brilliantly for the doctors BUT for the billing department...hhhhmmmm not so much. They actually said that the billing portion of the program was an "after thought" and apparently they didn't think too much of it.
ANYWAY....see it is only day 2 in 2010 and I am already irritated just thinking about the stupidity that awaits!(insert shiver down the back!). BUT nevertheless my plan for 2010 is to be positive and to take note from my sister, you know the one who is mentally handicapped. Everyone who has met her says the same thing, "She is always so positive and smiling"! I took her to my friends restaurant/deli and she said, that as she stood their doing her work she couldn't stop smiling when she looked at my sister cause my sister just had this big smile on her face....ALL THE TIME! When I took my sister to physical therapy for her knee the physical therapist and the receptionist said that their faces hurt when she came in because she made them laugh and smile because she laughed and smiled the whole time! If people are going to remember you for something wouldn't that be a cool thing to be remembered for, how much you made people laugh and smile?! I think so.
NOW I am not saying that I am going to go around 2010 smiling and laughing cause those of you who read this and know me knows that would be scary. AND half of you would probably wonder how many people did I either rip their face off, injure or kill to smile like that....so the smiling thing will only be when sincere. Laughter is good medicine so I may burst out laughing just to thwart off the impulse to rip someone's face off...BUT the point is I am going to make it a point to be better! I am good but I can always be better and so can you!
2010 is just beginning the possibilities are endless so lets see what we can accomplish by the time they sing the News Years song for 2011.
See ya when I see ya!
Peace! Mattie
