dream interpretation

Last night, I dreamt that I was in an airplane and things were going well (I hate flying, by the way.).  Suddenly, the plane started rapidly descending and we were all screaming.  I was seated backwards.  We did not crash.

Interpretation:

Flying is a kind of boast about sexual powers.  Dreaming of flying tends to indicate that you're unhappy and not in control of your life.  Your ambitions are not being fully realized.  Self-esteem is low, and dreaming of flying is often making up for lack of sexual experience.

Dreaming of falling is very common.  It is a symbol of fear in real life--perhaps of failing at work or in your love life.  Falling often expresses a need to let yourself go more and enjoy life more.  Dreaming of falling can often stem from isolation:  however successful you are, you can still feel isolated, and this dream is common among professional men and women.  Falling in the dream is an unfulfilled need for support and affection.  It's a dream that often occurs when the dreamer is feeling misunderstood or not accepted in a situation.

Dream of falling a long way and you can expect quite severe reverses in life in general.  Land without hurting yourself and your setbacks will only be temporary.

Being in a plane disaster but not being killed signals financial gains.

Scream yourself and it's a good sign for your closest concerns.

A different dream that kept replaying was that I was witnessing plane crashes.  It was very foggy and I was on the ground behind a car, watching several planes crash land.  Some caught fire.  This scene replayed several times.

Interpretation:

An airplane crashing suggests a major failure, probably in business.

Fog on land means a business dilemma that will need a lot of patience to handle.

Fire is an important element in dreams, just as it is in reality.  Fire warms and purges and it can hurt if you get too close to it.  So, it's a powerful symbol indicating a period of renewal, but also a certain amount of painful reflection.

See fire burn you and it spells trouble.  But there's good news on the way if it didn't.

A bright flame is a sign of happiness.


Interpretations courtesy of, "The Illustrated Dream Dictionary," by Russell Grant.  Illustrated by Vicky Emptage.

no specific reason

Wow!  I've been away for a long time.  Like the title says, there's no specific reason why I haven't been by to write.

On a totally different topic, I created an electronic signature this morning and this is where it's going to make it's debut.

Here goes...

Have a lovely day!

meanwhile...

Haven't updated in a bit, so I'm going to squeak out a little post before work.  My day job is going well.  The people are great and I'm learning more everyday.  My night/weekend job is going away, because I gave my two weeks notice on Sunday.  Now, if I can just get people to pick up my shifts...

I'm contemplating a different weekend job, but haven't yet applied.  I stopped in yesterday to talk to a manager, but he was busy interviewing someone else.

I suppose that's all I have for now.  Later!

xo

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Just a short update:

I interviewed Tuesday afternoon for an amazing job.  Wednesday morning, my phone was blowing up--they offered me the job!!!  I felt so damned blessed and my Angel cards have been telling me to get myself a treat, soooooooo I bought a $5 scratcher, using all the cash I had in my wallet.  I thought I'd won $50, but when I turned it in------------$100 winner!

Yay me!!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xo

werk

I'm officially working two jobs now...and let me say--it blows!!!  My part time job is physically demanding, something my professional body hasn't seen in many years.  That sentence sounds weird, but I'm going to leave it.  My shifts range from four to six hours, but when you spend that much time on your feet on a concrete floor slinging groceries at a busy store, you hurt like you've been hit by a truck by shift's end.  Headed back for more torture tomorrow.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...and I have to work two jobs for a while.  *shrug*

That is all.  I'm going to bed.

xo

I'm not sure yet...

It's Sunday again and I'm already dreading going back to work.  Sound familiar?  "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."  Novel concept, but not in play in my life yet.  Today, it's all about laundry, cooking, dishes and cleaning.  Woo-frickin-hoo!

Speaking of cooking, I've found a couple of recipes I'm incorporating into my meal plan this week.  One is a breakfast quinoa skillet and another is a quinoa lunch salad.  Why so much quinoa you ask?  It's a complete protein and when mixed with fruits and veg, it's a complete meal.  I'm sick and tired of cottage cheese or biscuit cookies for breakfast and PB&J for lunch.  I need something more substantial that is good for me.  I'm hoping that these meals stay in the rotation and they help me feel better and shed some weight.  Ideally, I want to eliminate dairy, sugar, all the white stuff and most meat from my meals and start eating cleaner.  I know I'll feel better and I'll have more energy to be more active after work and on the weekends.  Baby steps right now, but I think this is the right path for me.  On another note, I've been having lower leg swelling and stiffness and I'm positive I can contribute that to inflammation which is a direct result of my crappy eating.  I also need to incorporate more intentional movement, AKA exercise, into my daily routine.  Just a few minutes each morning will help me start off my day on a positive note.

Guess I better get my quinoa cooked so I can get this show on the road!

Love, laughter and light to you all!!!

xo

ketchup... catsup... catch up

So, in the time I've been away from here, I've left my job at PSS, moved to Austin, got a job at CPA and HEB... and that's about it!  How depressing that most of a year's worth of Stephanie fits in one little sentence.

One thing that will never fit into one sentence--my Grandma.  She went to Heaven on September 14, 2014.  There are very few times that I will say I've had my heart broken, but this day comes in at number one.  She had such a wonderful life and I cherish all the time we got to spend together.  Our calls every Sunday for nine and a half years were a highlight of our lives.  I miss her dearly and think of her daily.

XOXO

one year, one month and three days

...since my last post here because I bought a domain.  Do you know what that did for me?  Created a debit on my credit card, and that was about it.  So, here I am--back at my ol' stomping grounds.  Feels pretty good.  I've written a lot here over the years and I'm OK with returning to blogger.  I tried to start another blog, but it's also fallen by the wayside.  I'll just stick with what I know--LLL.

xo

I did it, after all...

I bought a domain.

It's myanahata.com

I will be posting ONLY there from now on.

Please, come by and check it out!

Another blog. Really???

So, after my last post, I decided to create another blog for the sole purpose of writing entries that would eventually make it into my book.  Guess what?  I posted a test note and the following post, then nothing.  Therefore, I'm going to copy the one post that meant anything and delete that blog.  One day, I'll get it write right!

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Nine years

I decided about a week ago that I wanted to start a blog specifically for public journaling, hoping to hone my writing skills with the intention of making said blog into a novel. I then created this page, but didn’t write anything on it. I couldn’t decide how to get the proverbial ball rolling, until yesterday. I waited until today, however, for this reason: 

Today is the ninth anniversary of my dad’s death. He’s never far from my mind, but it seems that this anniversary is hitting me harder than others. It could be that I recently discovered a couple of small envelopes filled with pictures, ranging from me as a baby through my graduation and beyond. He’s in very few photos, but I cherish them immensely. 

As an adult, I’m learning more and more about my dad. It makes me both happy and sad. I’m happy that people feel like they can talk freely about him, but some of the things I’m learning make me really sad. I’ve been told that he stayed married to my mother for our (there are three of us) benefit. I’ve also heard that he came back from Vietnam a changed man, but then again, who didn’t. During his tour, his helicopter was shot down. My dad always seemed kind of sad, kind of depressed and he never expressed his emotions. He drowned his sorrows at the bottom of a beer, smoked like a freight train and never followed any doctor’s advice. Was he stubborn or looking for a way out? I’ll never know. 

I choose to remember his contagious laughter, his goofy sense of humor and the many stories I hear from family and friends touting him a wonderful man that is fondly remembered and sorely missed.

Stop talking about it and do it!

I have prattled on and on about wanting to create (write/paint/sew/make jewelry/concoct homemade scents, soaps, cleaners, etc.), yet I never do any of it!  I am determined to make a plan to nip my laziness in the bud!!!

Starting tomorrow, I'm going to write for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, without the distraction of the TV tempting me.  Today, I purchased a new office chair and it's a marked improvement, making it easier to sit at my desk and tap away on my keyboard.

This is something that has been annoying me, more so lately, and I had to put it out there.  Now that I have that off my chest, I'm off to bed; back to kickboxing tomorrow morning, office work to follow.

Good night, my friend!

FXB finale!

I'm going to just copy and paste from my Facebook post to avoid retyping this whole darn thing:

Alright folks! The results are in!!! My second five week numbers look like this:
-Lost 4 pounds
-Lost 6.5% body fat
-Lost 1/2" in my waist
-Lost 3.5" in my arm
-Lost 2" in my thigh
-Gained 19 push-ups, for a total of 70 in one minute
-Gained 1 sit-up (we had a brutal abs day in class BEFORE testing), for a total of 25
-Gained 1" in the sit & reach, for a total of 16"
-Shaved 11 seconds off my 1/2 mile power walk: 8min 30sec

Grand totals:
-lost 13.2 pounds
-lost 3/4" off my chest
-lost 6" off my waist
-lost 3.25" off my arm
-lost 1" off my thigh
-lost 3.5" off my hips

If I can do THIS in ten weeks, imagine what I can do in a year!

I think I did pretty well and am very proud of myself for sticking with it!  I have already paid for another year and am excited to continue.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the finale party because I had purchased VIP concert tickets for Jennifer Nettles months ago, but the concert was AWESOME, so I'm not sorry I went!  I would have loved to have seen everyone's transformation photos and had drinks with the people who have been kicking, punching and sweating their asses off along side me.

In closing, let me post a few pics from the concert.  We had second row center tickets and it was amazing!

FXB-end of week 9

End of week 9.  Today was our first FIT class (combination kickboxing AND bands).  It was fast-paced, organized chaos...and it was GREAT!

Nothing new to report; one more week left.

Later days!

bang!

FXB fit challenge

We newbies were allowed to enter our first FIT challenge last week.  Pay $40, lose 3% of your body weight and split the pot with others who met that goal at the end of the month.  YAY!

I talked to Dan this morning about my concerns regarding not losing pounds.  He expressed concern that maybe my thyroid is not working right, which causes you to gain weight, and encouraged me to have it checked.  While this may be a logical explanation, I have been unemployed and without insurance for months.  Instead, I talked to my friend, who is a nutrition sponge, and our conversation and some research led me to this conclusion:  I am going to increase my iodine consumption as well as start taking a couple of supplements, including a multi-vitamin (I do not take any supplements/vitamins currently.) and decrease my overall food consumption, but keep emphasis on protein more so than carbohydrates.  I plan to get most of my carbs from vegetables and fruits.  I need to make sure I get my good fats at every meal and add more exercise.

These tweaks should help me win the challenge as well as kick-start weight loss.  Wish me luck!

(not relevant, but VERY funny!)

FXB-end of week 8

I'm not sure what to say that hasn't already been said.  Only two more weeks to go until the end of the 10 week competition.  Dan and Shelby are challenging us and mixing it up everyday.  I feel inches disappearing, but the scale hasn't wavered much.  I know that what matters are inches lost because muscle is leaner, but DAMN IT, I want the freakin' scale to move, too!!!

Anyway, that's my update.  See you next week!

FXB-end of week 7...and then some!

We are three weeks out from the end of the competition.  I cannot believe how quickly it's gone!  And yes, I realize I've been saying this for the past few weeks.  The thought of working out puts some people off--I was one of them until I found FXB.  It's the only program I've loved and see myself continuing indefinitely.

That being said, I have to make a few adjustments in how I've been participating in this program.  Dan encourages a free day allowing us to eat whatever we want.  He says it tricks our metabolism and keeps it stoked.  I have been taking this a bit too far.  For instance, yesterday I made jalapeno and sausage mac 'n cheese as well as a dulce de leche banana cream pie.  Both are insanely good, but I certainly do not need that much temptation in my home.  I have resolved to make my free day a day that I treat myself to whatever I want as long as it's only one meal's worth.  No leftovers means no temptations during the week!

On Saturday, Dan handed out cash prizes to former 10-weekers that participated in a challenge.  Several people won $75, Karen won $220 and Stacy took home the grand prize of $500!  It was motivating to hear some of their numbers and to be able to witness the payoff.  We're going to be allowed to participate in the next challenge.  We put $40 in the pot and our goal is to lose 3% of our body weight in a month.  Those who succeed split the pot.

Eva and I got together for coffee last week and in our talks, she's decided to give me her bicycle.  In a nut shell, she's moving and I was talking about buying a bike and riding back and forth to FXB.  She was undecided about taking her bike, etc., etc., etc.

Hamilton and I were talking yesterday about going back to Estes Park for his birthday.  He decided he wanted to take a road trip to Santa Fe instead, so we're going and our friend, Bertha, is coming along!  It's going to be such a great trip!  I've already booked our hotel room, and now we just have to research some things we want to do while we're there.

Howard and I chatted via text yesterday.  He's doing well and is liking his new apartment.  He's on SSDI, so he is unable to work, but is receiving benefits.  He goes to the doctor this month regarding his pain and he said they may be talking surgery.  I had no idea it was this bad!

Grandma is doing great!  She sounds as spunky as ever when I call, and that reassures me that she's feeling well.

I guess that's all for now.  FXB week 8, here I come!!!

FXB-end of week 6

And here we are!  First week of super sets in the rear-view mirror.  Super sets SUCK!  They're used to achieve muscle failure and I'm so spent afterward.  Kickboxing days are so much easier, in my opinion.

I'm still closely sticking to the nutrition plan as well as attending class six days per week.  Several people have mentioned that they can see me changing.  I can see some, but I'm looking for better results.  We're getting closer to the 10-week finish line and I can hardly believe how quickly it's gone.

That's all for now!  See ya next week!

FXB-week 5 assessments

chest -3/4"
waist -5.5"
arm +1/4"
thigh +1"
hips -3.5"
weight -9 pounds
push-ups +13 (as many as we could do in a minute)
sit-ups +8 (as many as we could do in a minute)
sit & reach +1" (should have stretched out first!)
half mile walk -1.01 minutes

The proof is in the pudding, folks!  Mmm...pudding.  Haven't had that in a long time.  Banana pudding is my favorite!

Anyway, I'm very proud of my results thus far and am looking forward to seeing what the next five weeks will bring.  I've already paid for another year after this session is up because I love it so much!

FXB-end of week 4

I cannot believe we're one week away from the halfway mark!  Things have been going really well and I'm getting stronger and stronger.  I can do more reps than last week and no one can say I'm not giving it all I have every single class.  A few people have commented that I look smaller, that I'm kicking harder and that I'm doing great in class.  Honestly, every single comment makes me want to do even better!  It's so gratifying to me to be told that I did a great job, even if I'm a puddle on the gym floor and soaked through with sweat!  This is the most amazing thing that could have ever happened to me and, boy, am I glad it did!!!

I don't really have any other updates today, but check back next weekend.  I'll be posting my 5 week numbers and comparing them to my initial numbers.  I'm really psyched about it!

Until then...

FXB-end of week 3

We're 1/3 of the way through our ten week program.  I feel stronger by the day and am using mostly blue (second hardest) and red (middle of the pack) bands at the start of drop sets.  That's a big improvement from using green and yellow, second easiest and easiest, respectively.  I've mastered my protein shake preparation.  I've found that making the shakes well in advance of drinking them makes the awful "chocolate" powder mellow out enough to be tolerable.  I always make my next shake after I drink the current one.  Ideally, I'd be able to eat the ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and good fats that I'm supposed to consume each meal, but that's entirely too much food!  Never thought I'd say those words, but I was eating too much of the wrong things and that got me to where I am today.

I'm noticing inches gone in the way my clothes fit.  The scale isn't showing much change (plus, we're not supposed to be checking), so I'm not relying on the number.  The pants I used to wear to work that were snug, I now wear to kickboxing with yoga pants on underneath.  I can see my stomach is visibly smaller and my bat wings are getting smaller.  My brother remarked yesterday that he saw a difference.  The thing that matters is that I'm feeling better.  My overall nutrition is better than it has been in years and I'm getting much more sleep than I can remember ever getting.  It helps that I'm not currently working!

Sidenote:  WTF Broncos?!?!?!!!!!!!  You're physically at the Super Bowl, but where are you mentally?????

I guess that's all for now.  I can't believe we're fast approaching the half way mark.  We'll repeat all the starting tests and I cannot wait to see my numbers!  I hope my dietary need numbers drop as well!