A Big Sigh & Some Good Stuff

I have planted myself on the sofa with the Mac on my lap every day for the past week to try and write this post.  I was going to just skip this week but with the bad stuff that overshadowed everything and hung around like a cloud, there actually was a lot of good stuff.

In the middle of last week I reached Onderland which I celebrated with that picture post.  I lost another pound by the weekend and was feeling a little more secure in Onderland the further I got away from the 200 mark.  Then I got some news last Sunday that sent me into a week long tailspin.  It's family news so I won't go into it just yet but it's not good. (nobody's dying, it just sucks for the selfish part of me) I'm sure I'll eventually be able to talk about it but I always feel the anxiety of someone accidentally coming across this blog.  Anyhow, I got the news Sunday morning, promptly jumped in the shower to cry, then got ready and went about my day.  However fast food, became a big part of that day and the rest of the week.  Ouch.  I could already see Onderland slipping away and I didn't really care.  I was relieve to wake up Monday morning and see 199.6 again.  I was so happy that I didn't go over 200 again.  However, this whole last week has been untracked and speckled with fast food and lunches out.  Enough with the sad stuff, let's get to the good stuff.

I heart my bike.  I think her name is Schwinnie. (so far)

First up, my lovely bike.  I LOVE IT!!  I took it for the first ride a week ago Thursday and I rode right to the bike shop that is about 3 km's away from my place.  I knew my tires were underinflated but I was too nervous to use the gas station pump for fear of blowing the tire right off the rim.  It's a pretty high-end bike shop so I was a little nervous pushing my way in there with my Target bike.  However, the guy that helped was AWESOME.  He pumped up my tires and showed me the pump by the back door that I can pop in and use anytime, he adjusted my front brake which wasn't assembled properly, fixed a gear, and  showed me the best way to lock the bike.  It was such a great experience that I went on their website and emailed them when I got home.  Speaking of home, when I walked out the back door and hopped on and started to ride, I was grinning like a fool!!!  With the inflated tires and the working front brake, the ride home was pure joy!  I have since decked it out with a blinking headlight, taillight, and side mirror.  I bought fenders but they didn't fit so I'll have to take them back and I will be taking the bike back to the shop and have them install the correct sized fenders.  We got more snow yesterday and the day before and it's been  colder than the norm for this time of year but I hope to be out for a ride most days than not in the next couple of weeks.

Not my car but exact model & color.

Next good thing, I got my car back!!  I am so happy to have it back.  I checked with Frank (mechanic) a week ago Thursday and he said it would be ready the next day.  I picked it up Friday after work.  The damage was $1491.61.  OUCH.  Although by that point, I was over the bill, I really just wanted a running car back.  I got a used transmission and an oxygen sensor.  Then I notice on the bill that it says alternator N/C and then he tells me that he replaced my alternator for no charge.  I love Frank.  Honestly, I think he totally felt bad for me.  He was really great earlier in the week when he gave me all of my options and even told me what he would do if it was his car etc.  Then I was on the way home and I notice out of the corner of my eye that my door lock is straight and down.  My door lock has been seized since November and to get it fixed would be $288 so I never did it and figured I would do it when I had extra money (bahahaha!  extra money!).  Anyhow, I pushed the lock/unlock button and the lock went up & down.  I was beyond thrilled.  Frank fixed my lock!!!  That guy is going on my Christmas list.

The final happy thing -- I had been thinking about getting another cat for George Catstanza aka Georgie Boy for a while now.  About a week and a half ago there was a couple of cats on the cover of our local newspaper with an article about how many pets the humane society had to euthanize over the past year.  All week, I was looking at online ads and answered a couple but didn't hear back.  So once I had my car back, I grabbed my kennel and headed to the humane society.  I wasn't sure I would come home with one but figured I'd take the kennel just in case.  I held and played with lots of cats and kept walking right past one cat named Sophie because she was 13.  She was so quiet and she looked like a kitten so I asked about her.  She was owner-surrendered to the humane society almost two months before and was likely going to be put down.  She was already marked down to $40.  I held her for a little and then took her into one of the little rooms to play by ourselves and I decided I must take her.  So meet Sophie!!

The first time she ventured out from her hiding spot behind the tv stand.

Posing nicely on her favorite ottoman.

The look Georgie Boy gave me when he saw her.  I think this expression says "WTF!!"

We had a rough first few days but we survived.  Then they actually seemed to be getting along enough to be in the same room and close proximity but over the last couple of days, George has started to get aggressive with her and start fights so I'm going to go back to separating them when I'm not here and paying extra attention to Georgie when I am.  I don't care if they aren't snuggle buddies but I really want them to be okay in the same room without scrapping.  I know it can take a long time and I just have to be patient but I really don't want this precious little old cat to be tortured!  It's kind of funny because they seem to call a nighttime truce and then each sleep on either side of me all night.  Hopefully this week, I will see more of this and way less fighting.  

So as far as the WW goes, tomorrow is tracking day one.  I'm desperately hoping that tomorrow's weigh-in keeps me in Onederland even though, I'm pretty sure my fast food week is going to make that impossible.  Gulp.  

Oh and water water water.  I have sucked at water for a couple weeks now and that has to change asap.