January is almost over?

Is it possible that the first month of 2010 is almost over? So how are the resolutions coming along? I guess before I question everyone else, I must look in the mirror myself--If I want to make the world a better place, gotta take a look at myself and make that CHANGE!!--can you guess what song I'm listening to? Hint--Michael Jackson!

Okay, so how about my fitness goals? I am so trying to get my diabetes in check. Did you know that having diabetes completely sucks?! I sometimes feel pity for myself for being the only sister out of 3 that inherited the disease! Course, right about that time, I look at what Liz (who doesn't have diabetes) is going through with ESRF--End Stage Renal Failure-- and I'm like, YaY, I've got Diabetes! At least it is manageable!--sort of!

Okay to my 4 followers out there (one of whom happens to be ME! LOL!!! I had to get the ball rolling!)....I NEED some encouragement! If I can eat healthier and exercise daily, I can get this diabetes in check!!! I have this adorable and seriously energetic 3 year old that I want to play with and run with and be with for MANY years to come. The only way I am going to be able to do so is by sticking around and being as healthy as possible.

I teach my students how to set goals. If you have a BIG goal, set little ones to help you reach the BIG ones. So why don't I practice what I teach??? Now that I am putting this out in my blog, I have to live up to it. My cousin told me the other day, that I am one of the most persistant persons she knows. She says, that I am amazing, and that I accomplish anything I set out to do. So followers, I ask you....Has my cousin gone mad? Is she such a liar that she fills my head with these empty thoughts--or is it my head that is empty, and she is filling it with lies? Sigh...if I am so amazing and so thorough, then I should be able to do this. What is THIS? Well, here's the situation....

Have you seen that commercial that says a ten-pound weight loss can greatly reduce high blood sugar levels? Okay, so my BIG goal is to lose like a LOT of weight (like, hey, I could be on the Biggest Loser, amount of weight!). However, following along with my teaching principles, I shall set a couple of small goals.

Goal #1 Lose TEN pounds by March 28th. Reasonable, right?
Goal #2 Eat healthy for the next week--more fruits & veggies, LESS dairy--I'm already vegetarian.

Okay, so I am going to end this blog entry...the next time I write, I am going to describe my progress towards Goal #1 and Goal #2.

Followers, PLEASE say some prayers for me! I think I'm gonna need them!

New Job

YaY! I have a new job...and so far I LOVE it! I am about to leave for the day, actually, I have officially finished the day's work, but thought I would write a quick blog about today before I leave.
I am now a fulltime professor! That sounds so cool to say! Interacting with other faculty and staff has been thrilling, and I am looking forward to teaching the many intellectual minds I will meet next week. I have already been an adjunct professor, but getting the fulltime status just feels kind of different.
I look forward to blogging more about my college adventures! Join me won't you! It will be interesting to see how this semester goes. I am sure it will be both challenging and rewarding. So here's to getting off to a great start in Spring 2010!!

Followers?

Is it weird to call yourself a follower when we are always taught to be leaders? Do all leaders know when they are leading. I myself considered myself a follower most of my life, and was often irritated when people would ask me to "lead" out in things because I was a natural born leader. WHAT? That can't be so, because I don't like to lead out in things. I don't consider myself good at 'leading' out in things, so why do people consider me to be a leader?

Okay, so I LOVE teaching people of all ages, the little ones, the youth, the collegiate (I am the collegiate leader at church) and I am a college professor, the older people (the group gets smaller and smaller as I grow older and older!)--at a community college, I get to teach people who are much older than me (that sounds sooooo good to say!).

But does that make me a leader?

I mean, sure I have planned field trips for hundreds of kids, and activities for hundreds, but does that make me a leader? Sure I have preached at church and led out in praise service, and directed plays seen by hundreds, and told stories to thousands, but does THAT make me a leader?

Wowzers, I guess I am a leader? Who knew...okay, so everyone but me. But the real reason I am writing about this topic, is because, if I am such a "leader" as many say that I am....ummm....than why don't I have any followers on my blog? :( I guess every good "leader" still needs some great PR! Someone help me out please!....I think I shall request my son to PRAY for some followers to come my way to give me some feedback on my blogs & just give me a purpose for my written madness! :)

Refried Beans

So much for attempting to post daily blogs, but at least this time I haven't waited several months! So much is on my mind these days, it is hard to narrow things down to one topic. What has been at the forefront of my mind lately is refried beans. I bet you didn't expect THAT to be my topic of discussion today! Did you know that refried beans are usually cooked with lard? True! It was a Jeopardy question...or actually a jeopardy answer, "staple side at many tex mex restaurants, cooked in lard," to which the contestants were stumpted, and Alex had to tell them "What are refried beans." I almost choked....as a fairly new vegetarian, I was glad that I don't particularly like refried beans, so I haven't really eaten them, definitely in over 5 years. Phew....still a vegetarian! Rock on ME!!!

To confirm Alex's response, I went to a Tex-Mex restaurant last night which shall remain nameless--for reasons that will later become obvious. Anyhoo, when ordering our fajitas (veggie for me!, steak & chicken for others!) and burritos and enchiladas, I asked if there was pork in their beans. Our waiter said, yes, the refried beans and some other type were cooked in lard (Yay for jeopardy's thorough researchers!). We got vegetarian black beans or Tamilito (yummy sweet corn!!!), and proceeded to devour the chips & salsa while our food was being prepared....

Okay, so the rest of this story is not for those with soft stomachs. So if things gross you out, please sign off of my blog promptly! So, there we were, ecstatic that our main entrees finally arrived when one amongst us who was suddenly not feeling so well, suddenly felt the urge to hurl. We quickly emptied one of empty plates and passed them to the sick one. Within seconds, the previously hot and crunchy chips, dipped into not-so-spicey salsa, along with small nibbles of chicken enchiladas, came pouring out onto the white ceramic plate. Mind you, minutes earlier, I had just questioned my fellow diners, "Why are these restaurants soooo dark, I can barely see the menu!" To which someone responded, "So people can get drunk and others will not be bothered by the tripped out stares and looks or actions of the tipsy diners!" I thought it made sense at the time, but NOW, I was quite thankful, whatever the reason, for the dim-dim lights! The sick patron was able to feel better without any surrounding patrons of the restaurant staring or being disturbed! Of course I stood in front, pretending to put my jacket on, in order to obscure any threatening, or pitying looks.

To close my story, and my blog of the day, let me end with two points. First, the most important, the sick one quickly left, and soon felt better upon returning home. Perhaps her sudden bout of nausea stemmed from a long day spent in the hospital without any nourishment, only to have her tummy bombarded by the Tex-Mex, usually delicious, but not always nutritious food! Whatever the case, she is better now.

My second and final point brings me to the white ceramic plate. If you were to walk by and glance at it, you may have to rethink that Jeopardy answer and question. Because at first and second glance, the white ceramic plate now looked as though it was half filled with refried beans--lard excluded!

Sorry, but I warned you to stop reading if you didn't think you could stomach the rest...Just in case you can't stomach it, be sure to find yourself a white dish--you might end up with some refried beans!*

*please note that the "newly refried beans" were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. No persons present were harmed or in danger at any and all times!

My First Real Blog

I have tried and tried to begin a blog, but have failed in my every effort. I guess to me, a blog is like my electronic diary. You should see my numerous attempts at maintaining a paper diary. Starting from a very young age (check out my 2nd grade picture in my blue dress!) I have tried and tried, and tried again to begin my own diary. The first few pages are jampacked with creative entries, most of which express my sincerest desires to make daily entries. Then, flip through the rest of the book, and you will see blank page after blank page. So today, as I make this entry, I make no false promises of daily blogging, but merely write what it is that I am feeling today. Perhaps blogging, which requires a completely different set of hand muscles than writing, will be my successful attempt at creating a personal diary--or journal, if you will. What truly makes this experience different is that THIS time, in the electronic world, this is a diary attempt that can be witnessed by many, or any. Gone are the days of my private attempts. But maybe this is my answer because I tend to do things better with an audience of some sorts. Course with this first entry, I haven't yet invited any viewers or attracted any followers. Who knows what tomorrow holds. But for now, I am going to cut this short and proclaim my first attempt at a post a success! Please be kind in your comments, but truthful critiques are always welcome! Welcome to Annie's World...may my Raney Day Tidbits prove helpful, entertaining or at the very least, a momentary escape from your daily routines and problems! That is what it does for me:)