dave matthews.

the cat.  not the man.  or the band.  although the cat was named after the man.

anyway...

dave moved to his new home over Thanksgiving break.  he now lives (back) in nashville and it has been reported to me that he is quite content and happy with his new furry friends and owners.  i'm happy that he's happy.  i do miss him and miss having him in my lap (especially now that it's cold) but i wouldn't be able to type this most evenings as he would be taking up my lap instead of my laptop!  here's one last picture of sweet dave...

fall foliage, part two

there were a few spots of beauty that weren't near any overlooks and we seemed to always be on the wrong side of the road where the "pull-over" spots were for pictures yesterday.  so today i headed back up on the north side of the parkway and got some beautiful pictures.  i didn't enhance any of them.  (and i shot them in the "auto" setting.)  only God could provide such a gorgeous landscape!  the colors of nature today were stunning.  i hope you enjoy them as much as i did.

these looked pink to me in person.  never thought of pink as one of the fall colors- maybe it's dressed up for breast cancer awareness!

i love seeing the leaves as they are changing...

the view out my living room window (that's the chapel past the tree.)

fall foliage, part one

i think we're about a week from "peak" season but it's a beautiful time of year in the mountains.  yesterday was the annual drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway for Upstate Cruisers.  we had a small group meet at the pisgah inn for brunch and then we rode from mt. pisgah to mt. mitchell.  aside from some blustery wind, the weather was perfect and the scenery did not disappoint.  the pictures speak for themselves.

at the inn

just north of mt. pisgah

the view of craggy pinnacle from the visitor's center- look at that flag whipping in the wind

one of the many tunnels on the brp. can you see it?!

the view from the visitor's center

the view from mt. mitchell

it was a chilly 47 degrees at 2pm that high up- i'd hate to know what the wind chill was as it was gusting 20-30mph yesterday.  brrr!

reserves training

i never get tired of these views!

nothing exciting.

well, as i sit here thinking i have nothing exciting to post and no new pictures, i completely forgot that mom sent me pictures she took from her visit in august.  we are still slowly getting settled into our new place.  we still have lots of boxes hanging around but we're getting there.  goodwill is a lucky place, too.  in fact, i may make a trip there tomorrow.  the animals are doing well.  dave is still with us but he'll be making a trip with us to nashville soon and he will stay there with our friend barry.  she said she'll gladly take him.  cotton is doing well and has adjusted well to the move.  barley has had some male "stranger" anxiety but seems to be getting better.  she's been sick this week after (we think) eating the filling out of an old bone.  she has doggy colitis and is on a bland diet (for dogs, this is chicken, white rice, and canned pumpkin) for the weekend and on an antibiotic.  she definitely was back to her old self today but her body was telling other stories... you don't want to know.  let's just say "bless her heart."

but yes, i did report that i have pictures to share.  mom took some when she came to visit our "new" place at school.  now, it is only new to us as this building we live in was built in 1938.  it has a lot of character.  we are still in the process of getting unpacked and settled in, so pictures of our actual "home" will have to wait.  but here are some of the outside and areas around campus.

the dining hall- where we eat most of our meals.

the football field; student center is the building on the left.  a dorm is what you see on the other end of the football field (in front of the mountains)

tennis courts (these sit below and behind the dorm at the end of the football field)

the track with the upper soccer/lacrosse field in its center

the "lower" soccer field

the hill that kicks our tails when we take our walks

our front steps on the wellness center (home)

the "right side" of the WC- the two window units are in our nurses' office and the nurses' bedroom.  the end is one of the "sick rooms"

the left side of the WC- the far left with 5 windows is our living room and the windows next to it is our laundry room.  the others are part of the med room of the WC.  

our guest room.  Cotton and Barley love the low window sills...

...because they are nosy!

our old doorknobs.  they all have a "skeleton" key but we discovered it's for locking the deadbolt they all have.  

so that's a bit of our new place and landscape.  we're slowly getting settled in here and hope to continue to make it feel like home.

WW- week 3.

we are still getting settled around here and school started back this week so life has definitely been busy!  i am not complaining by any means but we're still trying to get into what our new routine will be.  i am definitely enjoying my first whole weekend off this month.  mom came and visited and helped us a lot from helping with registration at school and she even did some laundry.  (okay.  a lot of laundry.)

but yes, it's been 3 full weeks of weight watchers.  ww "yelled" at me this week for losing too much weight.  little do they know i am not even exercising like i should be.  so here's the latest weigh in results...

starting weight:  168 lbs.
previous weight:  163 lbs.
week 3 weight:  160.8 lbs

Difference:  -2.2 lbs

3 week total:  -7.2 lbs!!!

i wish i had pictures of anything- but i don't.  i'll try to get pics of anything soon!

WW- week 2.

This will be a quick update.  It's been a busy week at work getting ready for registration and welcoming our boys back to school!  It's been crazy!

Week 1 weight:  164.8
Week 2 weight:  163

Difference:  -1.2 lbs

2 week total:  5 lbs!

Yeah for progress!!!

WW- week 1.

it's time for the first update on my latest trial with weight watchers.  i definitely noticed that i was hungry this week.  i think i wrote a post about that!  eventually the hunger goes away.  on weight watchers, you are given a daily allotment of points and then you are given weekly points to "dip into" if you have to/need to.  they encourage you to use them, however, if you start to plateau in your weight loss, they suggest you not use any until you catch back up.  anyway...

i get 29 points to use daily.  everyone's daily points differ depending on their starting weight, gender, bmi, etc.  food & beverages are totaled up depending on how many fat grams, carbohydrates, grams of fiber, and grams of protein they have.  you don't have to eat strictly "diet food." you can splurge when you want and use those extra points- everyone is given 49 each week.

okay.  onto the weigh in.

starting weight:  168 lbs.
week 1 weight:   164.2 lbs.
weight loss total:  -3.8 lbs.

that's great motivation to keep up the hard work!!!

day four.

i'm not gonna lie.  i'm hungry.  maybe that means weight watchers is already working.  i really don't feel like i am eating more or less than i was before- at least for breakfast and lunch.  i guess i was snacking a lot more than i am now.  with ww points plus- (almost) all fruits and veggies are 0 points so when you want a snack between meals, a piece of fruit or some raw veggies is a great place to start without ruining your day.  that'll help to form some good habits for sure!  i'll let you know how it keeps going and i will definitely keep updating at least weekly with weigh-ins.  and i still never took a before picture from saturday but here's one of jay and myself in june.

my lips are in love.

it's true.  they are so in love with a new (to me) lip balm that i am not allergic to!  that makes me so happy.  the catch is that i don't know (because i haven't looked it up yet) if they sell it here in the states.  my sweet and dear friend, ashley, sent it to me for my birthday from south africa.

before i met my new love, my current favorite was aveeno.  i have only found it at target and usually buy 3-4 at a time.  at least now i have 2 lip balms to choose from.  it's nice to have options again.  and my lips are in love.  (if you have seen labello here in the states, comment and let me know where!)

weight watchers. for real this time.

so i fell off the wagon back in february.  yep.  it's been that long.  jay and i both started weight watchers back towards the end of january.  and then the stomach virus that could only have been a gift from satan himself attacked us.  and while we were recovering from that- jay's dad died.  and then it was pretty much all down hill from there.  i was eating worse while working day shift than i did on nights.  i found every excuse i could to not exercise- however, working two jobs will make it tricky.  (see, there's one!)  we ate poorly.  i blame whoever introduced me to thai food- in particular, the pineapple, chicken thai fried rice.  (there's another one!)  i signed a contract to be the head nurse at school in april- and couldn't say anything to anyone here until i put in my notice in june.  i turned it in early because i was tired of telling little white lies.  and then as we started packing up, i packed up a lot of the kitchen and then i couldn't cook as much.  and i am telling you- as soon as i start going back to the Y and getting back into exercise- i get sick.  really.

i have never gained weight as quickly as i have this summer.  i don't know if it's my age or a change in my metabolism plus the added stress over the last six months.  i have no idea.  i am apparently "healthy" according to my doctor (with a slight increase in my total cholesterol, which he is not concerned about).  i am  tired of feeling tired and crappy and having clothes that don't fit.

so it's time to make a change and stick to it!  no more excuses.  and, really, how could i not exercise when i live on a 500 acre campus?  it's not like i don't have a place to take a walk!  once i finish typing this i plan to take the dogs on a long walk around campus.  they are antsy and i am too (and it'll help me procrastinate in the unpacking process).

so, i am putting it out there for those of you who know me and those of you who don't.  (there sure are a lot of people who end up on my blog who NEVER leave comments.  please comment if you want to!)

Week 1.  Weigh in day.  Starting weight:  168 lbs.
I am supposed to take a starting picture.  I'll have to do that later.  Maybe I'll post it.  That would be great motivation!  Wish me luck!  Are any of you out there on the weight loss journey or starting your own?

unpacking something new.

packing up to move is definitely no where nearly as fun as packing for vacation...  i said this earlier this week and meant it 100%.

unpacking after moving is definitely more fun than unpacking after vacation.  i mean this, too.

there is so much anticipation when you pack for vacation.  it's usually some place fun.  you are going to escape life's worries and troubles and hopefully you get to relax.  maybe sit in the ocean and soak in some vitamin D where "the only worry is the tide gonna reach my chair."  

and while i may not see the beach before the end of 2011, there won't be that dread of having to unpack at the end of a relaxing week.  instead...

this is my new view as i am unpacking to begin a new adventure.  we moved into our provided housing at Christ School and i am embarking on a new point in my career as a nurse, a new sense of community living on campus at a boarding school (and i never lived on-campus at college), and a time to simplify some areas of life and have a fresh, new start.  

memories.

it's amazing what you come across while you are packing up a house.  i found a card from a friend/coworker of mine from williamson medical center that she gave me before we moved from tennessee to north carolina.  i loved what it says and find it still fits our lives now.

Listen to your heart...

follow your own star

and dream your own dream.

There wouldn't be a sky

full with shimmering stars

if we were all meant to wish on the same one.

There has never been

and there will never be

a dream exactly like your own,

because you are so wonderfully unique.

As you follow your dream,

always do your best-

there are no shortcuts

on the path to true happiness-

so give all that you have

in all that you do.

And above all things,

believe in yourself,

for you are as amazing

as the stars themselves.

-Linda Staten

stream of consciousness.

movers come on thursday!  i am in the "if it's not in a box yet, it's gonna be in one soon" mode.  i don't care if it came from the bathroom or the kitchen.  okay.  i do care.  i will not mix those items!  but if it's laying around it's gonna end up in some cardboard.  or the garbage can.  or the recycle bin.  and wow, pat sajak's hair is super fake blonde/beige.  yep.  wheel of fortune is on.  i am getting hungry.  the dogs, i'm sure, are hungry.  they are always hungry.  and bored.  i have a couple of new bones stashed away for them to keep them occupied later and they are going to sparky's wednesday through thursday.  dave goes to his new home tomorrow.  sounds like he's gonna be an indoor/outdoor cat.  we'll see how that goes... he's a bit spoiled.  haha!  i'm sure he'll let them know where he wants to be.  :)  i am less of a pack rat than i used to be, but good Lord, between jay and myself (and our furballs), we have accumulated a lot of stuff in the last 3 years.  at least moving helps to purge some of the junk.  it's hard to believe we were the first people to live in this house and we've only been here 3 years.  it's great to start fresh in a fresh place.  we are so lucky that they renovated our apartment for us at school.  fresh paint, a new kitchen and guest bath await us there.  there is so much to do and i guess i should get up and keep moving.  make some dinner.  feed the dogs.  fill up some more boxes.  take some more stuff over to our new place.  watch the bachelorette and see who ashley chooses!  (i love cheesy tv reality drama!)  that's what's on my agenda.  one day at a time, too.

a new home for dave.

dave has a new home!  a former patient, now friend, of mine convinced her mother-in-law that she needs my sweet dave.  i am so grateful that she did!  i'll be loving on him this weekend and then he'll be off to his new place.  it'll be strange without my little furry companion.  he's been with me for 10 years, making move after move with his crazy "mama."  he has moved 5 times with me in 10 years.  he has lived with 5 other cats and with 3 dogs.  oh, and 2 fish.  he has been a constant in my ever-changing life.  but now i'm at a crossroads where our space is a little smaller and our life is changing and he definitely isn't getting as much attention as he should.  i'll be sad to send him off to a new family but i'm hopeful that he'll get more love and attention than i could give him as he gets older.  he was a great little rescue 10 years ago and i am so thankful that he has a new home to go to.  i will have him a couple of more days and i'll savor my moments with him.  here are some of my favorite pictures (yes, there are a lot of them) of my little furball...