Random Free Drinks

Whenever I hang out at the Starbucks near my house for more than an hour, they happen to offer a free drink at the bar to the first person who goes up to get it. It's always some blended drink that is messed up (meaning, not exactly as the customer ordered so it had to be remade) or just an extra somehow. The first time it was something really tasty but I didn't really consider taking it because I had just finished my drink and was really watching my caloric intake that month. Today, they offered 2 of the same drink and I heard a guy by the bar ask another lady that was standing there if she wanted it. She said no so he said he'd just have to take both home with him. I thought that was a bit selfish since he didn't give anyone else a chance to take it (like me--because I would have taken it this time since I finished my drink hours ago!). I do give him points for at least asking one person though.

Anyway, then the guy spills his water all over the bar and the floor and shouts to an employee that the lid came off when he picked it up. Then he ran out with 3 drinks (the one he ordered and the 2 free ones...he didn't wait for a replacement water and he didn't even pick up the cup that spilled). One of the employees complained to another employee about how he just ran off and didn't even offer to help clean up.

Maybe some day I will be the lucky one to get the free drink. It's a good way to try some drink that I wouldn't normally think of ordering. I hope the guy had someone else waiting at home to give the extra drinks to because if not, then he really shouldn't have taken both of them.

1/2 Stick of Butter

I just discovered that Land O Lakes now sells butter wrapped in 4 Tbsp portions. I didn't realize that is what I was buying--I only noticed it when I opened the box at home to bake bread. This is perfect because I often only use half a stick of butter/margarine at a time and the cut end needs to be wrapped or it will start to darken and change. So this saves me the step of wrapping the exposed end. I don't normally buy Land O Lakes but I might do so from now on.

Making Progress

I have completed my 4 training sessions with my personal trainer. They were all challenging and left some part of me sort for 2-3 days. Some parts were so challenging that I could not do a simple bicep curl unless I took a quick break because my muscles were fatigued from the series of lifts she had me doing. I laughed when that happened because it was only 8 lbs and so unexpected. Another time that I laughed was when I had only 5 reps of a ab/core exercise left but I just could not sit up until I took a quick break. The worst exercise was the wall sit because it burned SO BAD! She had me sit/squat with a large exercise ball behind my back against the wall for 10 seconds and stand up for 5 seconds, then sit/squat for 20 seconds and stand up for 10 seconds, then sit/squat for 30 seconds and stand up for 15 seconds, then sit/squat for 20 seconds and stand up for 10 seconds, then sit/squat for 10 seconds and stand up for 5 seconds AND THEN REPEAT THE WHOLE THING 3 TIMES (with a different leg exercise in between each set)!!!

As soon as I got home after each training session, I wrote down everything I did so I could remember and do it again on my own. I now have 5 45-minute weight training routines I can do (includes the original circuit training session). My eating habits have improved each week. The 1st week, I ate an average of 134 calories per day above the 1500 limit. The 2nd week, I ate an average of 100 calories per day above the 1500 limit. The 3rd week, I ate an average of 96 calories per day UNDER the 1500 limit. The 4th week, I ate an average of 17 calories per day UNDER the 1500 limit (went to the fair and several events with food this week so that was good considering all the yummy temptations). I have lost the anticipated 1 lb per week since I've started. And that's with me only working out an average of 3 days per week. Hooray! I wanted to work out more than that but Alisa had a runny nose for 2 weeks so I couldn't drop her off in the kids' room (Craig was busy writing his dissertation and couldn't watch her) and things came up for work some days when I wanted to go when she was napping (when Craig could have watched her). Anyway, I'm very hopeful for this next month because I should be able to exercise more if I plan ahead better and go to bed earlier.

Under $2/gallon

I wasn't going to continue with gas price postings but I just had to do one more because gas is down to $1.97/gallon for regular unleaded! I don't remember seeing it for less than $2 in several years! I thought it was going to go back up again (as it always does) before it went below $2.

Giddyup N' Go Pony

I saw a commercial for this Little Tykes Giddyup N' Go Pony today and looked it up online to find out more about it. The video on the Amazon page (click the link above) made me so happy I laughed (you gotta watch it). What a great toy, especially for a horse lover! I wish Alisa was old enough to ride it now!

Lowest Yet

Gas is down to $2.05/gallon of regular unleaded. That is over 20 cents cheaper than it was when we moved here over 2 years ago!