What are your favorite Apps?

The following are my must have, can't live without apps on my iphone.    With the exception of the usual, facebook, twitter, etc., what are your favorite Apps?

My Fitness Pal - #1 on my list!  Calorie tracker like no other!!!
Keeper - password keeper
Grocery List - name says it all
Words With Friends
Kindle - my Kindle stays home but this allows me to read my books anywhere
Alarmed - reminders and timer
MobileRSS - allows me to read and comment on blogs
Hotel Tonight - great app for when you need a hotel tonight...very discounted rooms
BlogPress - for writing blogs
Fandango - purchase movie tix
Disney World - lets you know wait times for attractions and dining reservations
Mapquest - voice guidance
HomeSnap - take a picture with your phone and it tells you what house is worth.  Very cool!

What are everyones plans this weekend?  Its weird when 4th of July falls on a Wednesday.  The holiday weekend actually becomes two weekends of festivities plus stuff happening at the beach on the 4th!  We have dinner plans tomorrow night with 3 couples that we are looking forward to.  I think Sunday I will be roped into having the same couples at our house for a BBQ.  That's fine....I will be at their homes on Tuesday night, Wednesday and than again next Saturday!  Very busy week indeed!

My eyes are almost all cleared up.  The redness and wateryness is all gone but they still look a little swollen.  My weight was up almost 3 lbs during the week (thankfully it is gone) and doctor said I can attribute that to the steroids I was/am taking.  She said they have a propensity to make you retain water.  I am slowly weaning off them and I've noticed a reduction of the 3 lbs as I slowly withdrew from them.  I was using them 4 x a day.  I than had to go to 3 x day for 3 days, and now I am doing 2 x a day for 2 and than 1 x day for 2 days and than I will be done!  What an ordeal.

Last but not least, we had such a great time at Disney's Hollywood Studio's with Stephanie and Jason last Saturday.  I seriously considered not going because of my eye problem and I am so happy that we went.  The rain held off and we had a very nice time with them!  Steve was able to go on Tower of Terror 3 times so he was one happy man!

I hope everyone has a very safe and fun weekend and upcoming week!

Its alway something!

This week brought something new to my life!  Allergic Conjunctivitis!  WooHoo!!!  Otherwise known as "pink eye".  FML  I felt something funky going on with my eye last Saturday.  Saturday night we went to a Roger Waters (founding member of Pink Floyd) concert and there was a whole lot of pot smoking going on.  I can assure you all that I was the only one who left that concert with pink eyes who was not stoned!

Sunday morning rolls around and I woke up with my right eye swollen shut!  Great.  I actually went to a walk-in clinic because I didn't want to wait until Monday to see the Dr.  He gave me drops and off I went.  By Tuesday there wasn't any improvement so I went to my Opthomologist.  She gave me prednisone in addition to the antibiotic.  Good news is, she said because I am an adult I can be trusted to not going around  infecting people!  Yay for being an adult.  I've worn the two top layers off my hands washing them!  I am so tired of looking like I was in the ring with Muhammad Ali!  The fact of the matter is, Conjunctivitis can be one of three varieties:  Allergy, Viral or Bacterial.  There really isn't a way to tell which one you have so they treat for Allergy and Bacterial...no treatment for Viral...it just has to work its way out.

Anyway, I've been taking it easy this week, working at home for the most part and only going in to my office if it was absolutely necessary.  I just hate having to explain why my face looks like this!  Tomorrow we are heading over to Orlando to meet up with Stephanie and her hubby Jason to spend the day at Hollywood Studio's.  The plan was to then go to Roy's for dinner but I think we will beg out of that and let Steph and Jason enjoy a nice romantic dinner by themselves not having to look at the Elephant Woman!

On a better note, my shoulder is feeling much better with the physical therapy.  So much better that they sprung me loose!  Said no reason to complete the 12 sessions when I knew what to do at home if it acted up again!  Really?  I was shocked.  Maybe they just didn't want to look at my face anymore, I know i don't.

I haven't been to the gym in 10 days!  I miss it the most when I want something to eat when I've already hit my calorie limit for the day and I can't say, "well I exercised today so I can have this".  Now, while I say I can't say that, that doesn't mean that I still don't indulge on occasion.  I have to admit though, I really do miss being active and I'm anxious to start exercising again.  I am waiting for my eyes to clear up though.

My one year anniversary with my sleeve was on Wed., 6/20.  I am so happy that I switched out my band for that when I was having all those band problems.  I hit my weight goal of 150 last August and I am still bouncing between 137 - 142.

Lots of things coming up this summer with my travelling to NY to visit my girls and my girls coming to visit us in August.  Steve is starting his radiation treatments on July 9th and continues to have a great attitude!  It is amazing the number of people in our everyday lives who have first-hand knowledge of prostate cancer; husbands, brothers, fathers who have had it and beat it!  We really consider ourselves lucky that this is the cancer he has!


Have a great weekend!

Break from the gym!

I am a procrastinator when it comes to aches and pains.  Maybe not a procrastinator but more like the attitude, "its nothing and will go away by itself".  That being said, about a year ago (yea, I said year!) I started having a slight pain in my left shoulder.  Some days it was barely there and other days it was a constant nagging pain.  There was no rhyme or reason to it either.  Whether I was exercising or not, it was always there in the background.

Fast forward to April of this year, I happened to be having a regular checkup with my doctor and I told him about this pain.  He referred me to an Orthopedic Doc.  I went in April and had an MRI done.  The diagnosis was Bursitis.  He gave me a shot of Cortisone and a prescription for physical therapy for 3 x week for 4 weeks.  So, I decided, note the absence of an MD after my name, that I didn't need physical therapy because the pain went away immediately with the Cortisone.  Bad decision Jax!  The Cortizone wore off and now I had to go to physical therapy because I can't go back to the doctor unless I do!  Oh, woe is me!

Yesterday I had my first appt. with PT and I'm glad I went.  He explained what exactly Bursitis is and why I need PT to clear it up.  Basically, he said to forget I have a left shoulder for about a week to give the joint a chance to heal as it is very inflamed.  He reminded me of this while I was leaving and asked if I understood.  Of course, I replied, I am not an idiot!  Well, he than pointed out that I had my at least 5 lb. purse hanging off of my left shoulder blade! Oopsie!  Old habits die hard!

I am going back again tomorrow for my 2nd session.  He gave me a few treatments yesterday and a few stretches that I am doing at home.  My shoulder feels better already!  The one down side was he said I need to stay away from all exercise that add strain to the shoulder.  I asked if I could still do spinning and he said no because of the fact that I am holding on the handle bars of the bike and this causes strain on the shoulder.  Not a lot but he wants me to really let it rest for a week.  I took yesterday, today and tomorrow off but I will go to a step class on Saturday and try not to use my arms.  I told my trainer that I would see her in a week.

Getting old just plain sucks!

Do you associate days of the week with events in life?

Well I do and I'm here to tell you that Tuesdays suck!  Yea, really suck!

My dad and brother-in-law were killed on a Tuesday and now my dear, sweet husband, my best friend and my rock, was diagnosed with cancer this past Tuesday.  I've been sorting things out since then and trying to process it but let me tell you, I just can't!  The bright side is, prostate cancer is very curable.   But still.  You hear the 'C' word and all sense of reasoning goes right out the window.

From the moment Steve and I met, he has been taking care of me.  Even when he doesn't know it, he takes care of me.  Seriously. I've never opened myself up to any other human as I have with him and I guess I just take it for granted that he will always be here to take care of me.  Selfish, I know, but this is how I feel.  Anyway, this week has been a real tough one for me.  Him too...but not as much!  Seriously, this man has the best outlook on life.  On Tuesday afternoon, while I am crying into a cup of tea, he is on the computer booking a trip for us to take to Las Vegas for the end of September.  He said it will give him something to look forward to while going through his treatment this summer!

We have been to 3 doctors appointments since Tuesday and that is only the beginning.  Todays appointment was with the Radiation Therapy Oncologist.  He pulled no punches though, as curable as this type of cancer is, he sees men die from it.  The problem with prostate cancer is, depending on a whole host of factors and treatments, there are some very unpleasant side effects that some men are just not willing to deal with.  Because it is a very slow growing cancer, some men opt to take their chances that they will die from something else before that cancer kills them.

Luckily or maybe not so luckily, Steve is young.  This means that 1) he really doesn't have the luxury of waiting the cancer out and 2) because he is young and the cancer was caught very early, he could choose which treatment route to take.  He has chosen radiation therapy that will be 5 days a week for 9 weeks.  The doctor feels that based on the stage of the cancer and this treatment protocol, Steve has a 95% chance of a cure.  As a gambler, he is liking those odds.

Me, I would rather not have to deal with odds on my husbands life expectancy but I know all too well how short life can be.  We are in this together, him and I.  I told him today, notebook in hand in doctors office, I am his self-appointed medical advocate!  He laughed at me but lo and behold, when the doctor was speaking to us, he was encouraging me to write in my notebook!

I posted a John Lennon quote today on Facebook:  "Life is what happens while you are busy making plans."  Is this not the truth or what?  We are in for a rough ride but I know with the help of God, medical science and family and friends, we will beat this thing.  Once again I ask everyone to keep my family, Steve specifically, in your thoughts prayers.

Well, here I am....all alone....

Except for all of you!

I went to my doctor this week for my LAST FORMAL CHECK-UP!  How freaking scary is that?  It has been almost a year since my revision to Sleeve surgery.  He spent over 30 minutes with me....even though he had a waiting room full of patients.  He basically said that I have surpassed his expectations of where he thought I would settle as a final weight and he said that I should listen to my body and give myself a 5 lb window to fluctuate.  I'm ok with that. He had me crying and made me promise that even though I live 120 miles away, I would try to come back at yearly intervals.  He said not only would it give him a chance to admire his work (I love him), but it would also give me some form of accountability.  Really?  I'm thinking I need more than a "oh, a year is coming up and its time to see my doctor!  I better lose this weight I've gained! "

No. First and foremost, I need to be accountable to myself.  Thankfully, I have Steve and my family to help me with that!  Than,  I need to keep blogging and keep up all the friendships I've made around here with woman who have become so special to me.  Everyone is at different points on this thing we call a 'Weight Loss Journey'.  It helps to step back sometimes and retrace our steps with those who are not as far along.  It keeps me grounded, so to speak and helps me as much as I hope I help others.

I know I am not the only one who says "I'm not ever going to gain that weight back" but we all know how easy it is to slide with our weight and that is just a fact of life.  The way I explained it to my doctor is, I feel like after losing all this weight, the slate was wiped clean.  Getting the lapband and than the Sleeve basically gave me a chance for a "do over".  I am now at a weight that I am healthy and comfortable with.  I am in control of what I put into my mouth so I should be strong enough to respect myself enough not to gain it back!  That is my plan. One day at a time.  What an interesting concept, yes?

While I was at his office, he wanted to try out a new machine he has gotten since my last visit, the InBody520.  It measured my weight, lean body mass and body fat mass.  According to this sophisticated piece of modern machinery, I am at a 22 BMI (on a scale of 18.5 - 25 for normal) with a 30.6% of body fat (on a scale of 18.0 - 28 for normal).  This means that I would need to lose an additional 13.4 lbs of fat and gain 2.4 lbs of muscle mass.  At my current weight of 139 lbs, this would bring me to about 128 lbs!  We both looked at each other and agreed....it is what it is.  So much for $15,000+ machines!!!  I am comfortable at this weight and so far, I am able to maintain it without any extreme measures such as exercising 2 hrs a day 7 days a week!  There ain't no way this body is ever going to see a 1-2 before a number on a scale unless I am holding on to a towel bar!!!!!  And we dont want to go there anytime soon...believe you me!

Hello...from?

I can't even keep track of where I am lately! I was in Key West for my hubby's birthday in mid-april and than a week later I was in Palm Springs for a long girls weekend and then what was supposed to be a 4 day trip to New York for the anniversary of the death of my dad and brother-in-law, turned into a 9 day trip! Yikes!

My younger daughter Jordan signed a lease for her first apartment and what kind of momma would I be if I wasn't there to help her move in? Actually, she was moved in just fine when I arrived on may 4th! We spent a few days racing around Long Island purchasing things such as a futon, dinette set, misc. tables and kitchen stuff! As the saying goes "it was the best of times, it Was the worst of times!". I could not wait for Steve to arrive on May 10th! Mallory couldn't wait either as she was the unofficial referee between Jordan and I...a role she hates evidently! I'm told Jordan and I have the same personality and we can both be quite stubborn at times. Who knew? Oh well, no one got hurt and now, two days being home again, I can honestly say I miss my girls!

The really nice part of the trip was that I was able to spend Mothers DAY weekend with my mother and daughters. It has been 4 years since we were all together on that day!

I didn't get any exercise in during my 9 days in NY and as usual there was a lot of eating out. My son-in-law kevin looked forward to all the leftovers i brought him from my many lunches and dinners out. I thank God I have my Sleeve to keep me in check! I so much like cooking myself! Eating out is nice once or twice but after that I'm done. Mallory and Kevin are the only family members who do any home cooking lately so I did have a few very nice dinners while there.

I'm sad to say that my next trip isn't until late August! We are doing a family cruise to Bermuda. I'm so excited! I just don't know if I can wait that long to see the girls again! I just might have to sneak in a few days on LI in early July maybe. We will have to see how busy a season I'm having with my real estate business. I got quite a few referrals while I was away so hopefully, there will be some closings to cover the cost of any "extra travel".

I'm back to my routine with exercising and eating. I'm happy to say that I have been continuing to maintain my weight even with all the traveling. The scale fluctuates between 138-141 it seems. Regardless of what the scale says, the personal training I invested in is really starting to pay off. I can see so much more definition in my arms, shoulders and even stomach! Steve even commented that my arms looked really good!

That made my day!

Back from Key West!

Steve and I went to Key West to celebrate our wedding anniversary and his birthday.  We stayed at the Pier House and had a fantastic time.  Here are some pics from our trip!

On our balcony

Every morning we walked to this bakery and had the best breakfast sandwich!

Isn't my husband handsome?  I love him!

My daughter Mallory was so excited to see her name printed on something.  Steve wanted to steal the sign for her. Can I tell you that we could not find a T=Shirt with Mallory Square on it!  They don't exist!  I did find a hand painted sign from a local artist with it on it though so that should make her happy! 

On our Sunset Cruise

The famous Key West Sunset!

The name of the restaurant was 'Better Than Sex' and all they served in a dark, candle lit atmosphere was desserts that had the names of all things sex!  The drinks on the left was homemade Kalua topped with White Chocolate Mouse Lubrication and it was 'rimmed' with something.  The pie was Kinky Key Lime and it was to die for.  Other names of desserts were The Missionary Crisp, Peanut Butter Perversion, Tongue Bath Truffle,Team Cream, Cookie Nookie and others!  As good as the dessert was, I can assure you IT WASNT!!!!

While we were on vacation in Key West....Brutus spent a few fun-filled days with his  90 year old Grandpa who decided that Brutus should channel Toto and installed a basket on his double bicycle for Brutus to ride in!

Suffice to say that both man and dog had a blast!

The Pier House - Where we stayed...gorgeous!

We parked our car when we got to our resort and we walked everywhere we went.  We ate and we drank and we walked!  Thankfully, I believe all the walking helped to keep my weight in check and I was pleased to come home to a 3 lb loss for the week we were away! 

I have another big weekend coming up as I'm joining a few girlfriends for a fun filled few days out west!  Watch out!