Tam's World of Dr. Pepper and Brownies....... **NEW** Now with SANGRIA!

I love internet surveys.

I saw this one on 2 friends' blogs and I had to steal it for mine :o) Feel free to copy & paste it into the "comments" section and give me your answers. I love this stuff! Hokey, I know, but that's me.

FOUR JOBS YOU'VE HAD IN YOUR LIFE (not in order):
1. Waitress
2. Dairy Queen drive-in window person
3. Bank Teller
4. Office Manager

FOUR MOVIES YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Braveheart
2. Pulp Fiction (say WHAT again!)
3. Titanic
4. Sister Act 2 (I love the singing)

FOUR CITIES YOU'VE LIVED IN:
1. Odessa, TX
2. Kingsland, TX (technically not a city)
3. Marina, CA
4. Brownwood, TX

FOUR SHOWS YOU LOVE TO WATCH:
1. Cold Case
2. American Idol
3. Medium
4. Iron Chef America

FOUR FAVORITE PLACES YOU'VE BEEN ON VACATION:
1. Lake Buchanan, TX
2. Hawaii
3. Playa del Carmen, Mexico (great pico de gallo)
4. Galveston, TX

FOUR WEBSITES YOU VISIT DAILY:
1. Gmail.com
2. Beachbody.com forums
3. Foxnews.com
4. Various friends' blogs

FOUR OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:
1. Mi Familia (local tex-mex place)
2. Prima Pasta (local italian place)
3. Red Lobster
4. Any steakhouse

FOUR SCHOOLS YOU'VE ATTENDED:
1. Llano Elementary
2. Llano Jr. High
3. Llano High School
4. Mansfield Business College

FOUR OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Chicken fajitas
2. Chile rellenos
3. Brownies
4. Dr. Pepper :o)

FOUR THINGS YOU WANT RIGHT NOW:
1. A gazillion dollars
2. A baby grand piano
3. A home on the beach
4. World peace :o)

FOUR NICKNAMES YOU'VE HAD:
1. Heifer
2. Sister
3. Tutu
4. Tam

posted by Tamfish @ 1:21 PM Comments: 6

Putting stuff behind you

Ever had a time when stupid, bad thoughts just bubble up and you can't seem to get them to go away?

Like, stuff that has come and gone and been resolved, but every now and then for whatever reason your mind just sort of drifts back and it's all right there in front of your face again?

I don't know why that happens..... maybe for us women it is partly hormonal because this past few days I have certainly been hormonally challenged. It is just so annoying, though. It's like everything is fine and then all of a sudden, the devil is whispering in your ear, "What if it isn't fine? What if........"

My solution to those times is to just give it away in prayer, which is what I have been doing for the past few days. Whenever the whispering starts, I just think, "Father -- take this from me. I don't want to go there, I don't want to feel it again. Just take it from me and handle it please."

Today in my email, I believe I got a reply:

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:8-9

posted by Tamfish @ 11:58 AM Comments: 3

The Idiot Box

I wonder..... does what a person watches on television say a lot about him/her self? Here is what I watch regularly. You be the judge!

Mondays:
Monday Night Football -- if it is the season
The Bachelor -- I hate this show but keep flipping back to it during commercial breaks
Medium -- I watch this one, start to finish

Tuesdays:
American Idol -- need I say more?

Wednesdays:
American Idol -- yes, again
The Biggest Loser

Thursdays:
Survivor -- a show I try to not get involved in, but ultimately I can find nothing else to watch
The Office
ER -- my viewing of this one has been "take it or leave it" for the past 2 seasons

Fridays:
Seems I don't watch a lot on Friday but if I am around, I find myself flipping between TLC's "What Not To Wear" and the Food channel. Usually, there is a movie on somewhere.

Saturdays:
TLC extravaganza: Flip This House, Moving Up, Trading Spaces and, lately "Wild Weddings"

Sundays:
Cold Case -- it's my regular Sunday night have a good cry show

I have been watching the Olympics this week. Seems there is always some drama, excitement and inspiration to be had there.

Daytime shows: I do enjoy Dr. Phil most of the time. I will watch Oprah depending on the topic. Sometimes I get tired of her "I'm saving the world" stuff. Tell me, honestly, can a person really be that altruistic all the time? After a while, it starts to seem so self-glorifying. "I am Oprah, hear me roar....."

But that's a whole ' nother topic....

posted by Tamfish @ 9:54 AM Comments: 5

How was your weekend?

Pretty good, thanks.

Friday afternoon, I met up with a bunch of gals from church and we went off on a "Ladies Retreat" in the Texas Hill Country. It was a really neat way to make some friends. The bummer part of the deal was the weather --- it was below freezing the ENTIRE WEEKEND! The place we were at ( www.threemountainretreat.com ) is really beautiful and there are lots of outdoor activities, NONE of which we could do, due to the freezing drizzle that rained on us nearly the entire time. Hopefully, we will be able to do this again. Spring would be an awesome time, with all the wildflowers in bloom. Ahhhhh.

So what did I learn? Well, I learned that church ladies aren't always "churchy". Which I love. Because me? No so "churchy". I was worried that some might find me....... slightly offensive. Or heathenistic. But no, for the most part, I fit right in. Now, of course, there were some "older" ladies who didn't hang with my group, who went to bed early and were very proper the entire time. But my group? We started Friday after dinner with the hootin' and hollerin' and sharing funny stories. Then we stayed up until after 1:00am playing this card game called "Nertz" ( sort of a fast-paced solitaire type game, very exciting ). The noise level was atrocious but we were having a fantastic time. Funniest things were when Amy McD forgot what the game was called and screamed out "ZERBOT!!!" when she went out. We all nearly died! And we found that Miranda (who sings like an angel with the praise band) laughs EXACTLY LIKE A DONKEY SOUNDS when she gets really tickled. I think we spent more time trying to make her laugh than actually concentrating on the cards.....

Saturday dawned bright and early (ugh!!) and to be honest, I napped a little during "quiet prayer time" (I wasn't the only one, I found out later). The day was spent mainly listening to the guest speaker. Okay, I'll come right out and say it: Not my cup of tea. I found her rather boring. She was a missionary from Africa --- her stories of life in Africa were interesting, but her main area of speaking was basically to tell us how we are all called to be missionaries, preferably overseas. That's nice -- but it isn't my mission; at least not at this point in my lifetime. So I listend some, but mainly busied myself with reading the book of Ezekiel. Now there's some weird, prophetic crazy stuff. Good reading, but wild.

Then lunch time came and afterwards, we were free to go or to hang out and shop in town or whatever. My group chose to go ahead and head home, for which I was very grateful. There were two or three ladies who decided they would try to ride the horses. We drove by the corral on our way out and let me tell ya, those horses looked pissed off. hahahaha I woulda been too, it was like 22 degrees out and misting ice.

Overall -- a good experience. I enjoyed getting to know the girls better. The food was great -- sort of "grandma's home cooking" fare. Fattening as hell but well worth it. And although the speaker wasn't my thing, I did enjoy the time reading out of my Bible.

So now it's Monday and back to the old routine.

I'm not sure if I'm going to keep up the "accountability" posting -- I find it boring and redundant. Besides, I want to just "do the work" without having to constantly be thinking about it. There is a fine line between action and obsession when it comes to exercise and food. I read a really great blurb about just that in a magazine over the weekend -- I will maybe find it and print it here.

So how was your weekend? Share!

posted by Tamfish @ 8:18 AM Comments: 2

Nuthin.

I am supposed to post something but I don't feel like it.

Accountability for the day is good. You can trust me on that! :o)

See ya later!

posted by Tamfish @ 12:56 PM Comments: 1

Souplosion!!!

I just went to heat up my snack for the morning -- a delicious Campbell's Soup at Hand, Classic Tomato. Yum.

So I set the microwave for 2 minutes, then went to send a couple of faxes. Heard something go "POP"......

My soup exploded!

Apparently, the microwave here at the office is more of a Nuclearwave. I had to wipe down the entire inside of it -- soup was everywhere. And now I am left with a 1/2 container of boiling tomato soup to try and drink........

The german chocolate cake on the counter is whispering to me, but I will continue to ignore it.


Accountability 2/15:
Food: Breakfast - oatmeal
Morning snack - tomato soup, a few crackers
Lunch - Garden burger on whole wheat w/ lettuce, tomato & fat-free cheese, 1/2 cup baked beans
PM Snack - Nutrigrain cereal bar
Dinner -- Leftover roast, a bit of sweet potato and brussel sprouts

Exercise: Walk/jog for one hour. Today I took my pulse at intervals, alternated walk/jog to keep my heart rate in the "aerobic zone".....

posted by Tamfish @ 8:50 AM Comments: 3

Blame it on cupid.

Romeo loved Juliet. Rhett loved Scarlett. John loved Yoko. Ozzie loved Harriett. Mork loved Mindy.........

Love is in the air today. Can ya smell it?? :o)

Who do you love?






Accountability for 2/14:
Breakfast: Leftover rice w/cinnamon, splenda and a bit of "I can't believe it's not butter" lite
Snack: Pear and low fat cheese stick
Lunch: Leftover Chili & handful of reduced fat Ritz crackers
Snack: Nutrigrain cereal bar
Dinner: Either pot roast w/sweet potatoes and salad (if it's done on time) OR turkey sandwich and tomato soup

Exercise: Just completed Turbo Sculpt (40 minutes) and I have sweat rolling down my back -- now I'm off to walk briskly around the block for 15 to 20 minutes.....

posted by Tamfish @ 8:31 AM Comments: 3

Accountability: 2/13

Food: 8:30am whole wheat bagel with fat free cream cheese and no-sugar apricot spread
1:00pm Garden burger on whole wheat bun w/mustard, tomato, onion & lettuce, about 1/2 cup of baked beans, 2 reduced fat Oreos
6:30pm Homemade turkey/lean beef chili w/rice

Workout: Walked/jogged, more jog than walk, paying attention to PRE(Perceived Rate of Exertion) keeping it from 5 to 7, 8 in some places -- total time spent working out - 45 min

Tomorrow will be a better day food-wise because I have everything planned out. However, I won't post it until it's over -- makes no sense to post what I PLAN and then have something go wacky and I don't stick to it. Which won't happen but anyway....

Today was an "OK" day -- I'd rate it a 5.5 on a scale of 1 to 10.

posted by Tamfish @ 4:10 PM Comments: 2

Monday gets a bad rap.

Ever wonder if Monday has low self-esteem, comparing itself to the other days? Nobody likes Monday. Everybody loves Friday and Saturday. Tuesday thru Wednesday, while not celebrated, are considered "ok". And Sunday is usually a nice, relaxing day that everyone wants to hold onto. But poor Monday. Nobody likes him.

I'm feeling cranky this morning and I don't know why. I should probably eat something. Which means I need to get to super Walmart for a few things on my list. Then I have to go by 2 banks, doing company business and personal business, then I can go home which is where I want to be.

I see a pot of chili in my future. Chili over rice while watching the Olympics. Sounds good!

Will I exercise today? Most likely. It won't be pretty, but oh well. It needs to get done. I guess you'll find out tomorrow if I did or not!

p.s. Thanks to Paulmoodle for fixing me a few background photos so I can continue to decorate my blog :o)

posted by Tamfish @ 9:04 AM Comments: 3

It gets worse before it gets better.

The sinus crap, that is.

Last night was the worst thus far this week. What started as just allergy/sinus stuff in my head has sorta migrated down into my throat. I can't seem to clear my throat no matter how hard I try. I feel really gross in the morning -- take a super hot shower and then feel pretty good until about late afternoon. Then I just feel tired and grody, with the constant throat clearing and sniffling.

BUT -- I am hoping that means that it's on the way out! Surely tomorrow will be better. And the next day. And the next.

I believe Jimmy is starting a round of P90X on Monday. I have no desire to make this a place where all I talk about is workouts and diet -- but I'm going to have to post something about it, probably, so that I'll stay on track. Which I have not thus far, really. But with Jimmy working it -- I can do the weight workouts with him. He'll skip the cardio stuff so that I will have to do on my own, on alternate days.

I have something special coming up in March and I really want to be ready for it. Not in the way that I look or what size I am -- but in the way of strength and stamina.

So, here's hoping the sinus crap says good-bye really soon.

posted by Tamfish @ 4:55 PM Comments: 3

CH-CH-CH-CH-Changes....

I have figured out how to hack my own blog, so there is no tellin' what you will see here in the days to come. I'm havin' fun playing with different backgrounds and such! Stay tuned!!

p.s. -- I keep coming back to pictures of the beach and ocean. I love the ocean. I love the smell, the sound, everything about it. Someday, I want to live by the ocean.......

posted by Tamfish @ 7:00 AM Comments: 8

Me, from another angle.

I was so happy to see that HotHat Heather (Triple H -- member of the infamous Gulls) commented on my blog yesterday!! That got me to thinking.....

Since this is my blog I guess it supposed to be about me. But I often don't like to write about myself and I don't usually know what to say.

So today, I have a suggestion:

All of you who read this know me in some way. Some have known me for decades, others just a little while. Today I want all of you to write my blog for me, in the comments section. Each of you tell something you know about me; a memory, a story from our past, maybe I made you laugh or made you cry. Whatever it is, it all tells the story of me....... so let's "hear" it. Write away. And don't be shy. I've done a lot of really embarrassing things in the past, true -- but I don't think I'm one who hides things. Or at least, I don't want to be one who hides things. Within reason of course. Heh. ;o)

And Kathy -- this means you too. Write away! :o)

posted by Tamfish @ 7:22 AM Comments: 9

You gotta have friends......

It has been said that if you can count the number of friends you have in your lifetime -- really genuine good friends -- one one hand, you are blessed.

Well, I have to use my hands and feet and I still run out of digits.

You know who you are. Thank you for being my friend.

posted by Tamfish @ 6:42 PM Comments: 4

Rewind and Review

I just sat here and read my entire blog - archives and all. I see that I talk about Jesus a lot. That ain't necessarily a bad thing. I see that I obsess about exercise quite a bit. That isn't good -- I write about it more than I do it. HA! I also write a lot about food and, apparently, a lot of cookies are baked in my kitchen and it is usually Jimmy's fault. HA! again

Oh well, I am who I am and this is me. Cookie eatin' half-ass exercisin' Jesus freakin' Tammy.

I swear there's more to me, I just can't think of what more there is right now.

So I gave my email address to my brother and we are email pals now -- I'm going to give him this blog address so he may stop by. He's a pretty cool dude -- we were always really close growing up (it was just the 2 of us)...... not as close as adults but maybe we'll fix that :o) He has five kids. Yeah, that was not a typo. Five. You and I may think he's crazy (I'm sure he does, too, at times) but they are a happy family and honestly, the kids are adorable. Not adorable enough for me to want another one.... but ya know what I mean. :o) Love ya, Billy.

Also -- Billy -- should you stop by and leave comments, be nice. Remember, I have many, many embarrassing photos of you. And I'm not afraid to post 'em.

Heh.

posted by Tamfish @ 11:51 AM Comments: 2

Who, me? 110 pounds.

Okay, Dave & Woo -- are ya happy now?

So yesterday I pissed and moaned about my weight. Today I'm in a better frame of mind and I have made a decision.

I'm going to just lie and tell everyone I weigh 110 pounds.

Because in the end..... who cares?

On to more important things. I figured our income taxes today -- did you know that you can no longer take the Child Tax Credit when your kid turns 17? Well, neither did I. So now, instead of getting a small refund, we owe, like, a thousand dollars.

Thank you, IRS.

Who decided 17 was the cut-off? I mean, come ON..... he still lives here year round, he is eating our groceries and using our electricity and water. The really crappy part is -- he was 16 until November. I say we should be able to at least count January thru October and get a partial credit. Somebody call George Bush.

What does all this mean? I think it means I get another part-time job....... *sigh*......

posted by Tamfish @ 12:06 PM Comments: 5