Happy Friday!

Razzlefrazzlesnarkle. I've been hovering around 317 - 318 for a few weeks now. I got down to 316.4 today, which is the lowest I've seen in a few weeks. 315 was my all-time low a couple weeks ago, and I'm starting to think that was due to a HUGE water weight loss when I was on steroids for my URI. They gave me crazy hot flashes, and I'm pretty sure I sweat a couple pounds off that weekend. I was too hot in a tank top; meanwhile, Brent was practically hugging the radiator. We looked like a couple of senior citizens. ;)

Anyway, maintaining is fine, so whatever, but I want to hit my next mini-goal! It's so close! Since I've been here for a few weeks or so, I'm officially calling it a plateau. (Technically, a plateau is six weeks, but I don't want to wait that long to go, "Oh hey. Maybe I should switch things up a bit.")

So, since my body has become comfortable, it's time to shock it again. I'm still eating 1800 calories/day, but since I've lost 40 pounds, I really should lower that to 1650 - 1700. I also need to change up my exercise routine. I think my muscles have become complacent with walking, so I need to toss some weights into the mix and/or walk during lunch and do some weight routines when I get home.

I have a new upper body workout from The Firm I've been dying to try. I know you can't spot reduce, but I'd love to firm up my arms and chest so that when the weight does come off, I don't have bingo wings anymore. Plus, I love the look of a well-defined shoulder cap, especially on pear-shaped girls like me. It makes us look more hourglass-y and less bowling-pin-y.

I re-organized my bedroom the other night, and now I have plenty of room to work out. I just need to move our spare TV from the back storage area to the top of my dresser and then put the DVD player in there. :)

I did take measurements last night, and I've lost a little bit off my arms and an inch off my waist and thigh, so I'm not freaking out about the scale not moving. My weight will catch up with my measurements soon enough. My jeans are definitely getting more comfortable. They aren't so loose that I need to go down a size yet, but they aren't tight anymore either.

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I promise I'll upload pictures and write about our Chicago trip soon. I keep meaning to do that after work, but then I get home and it's nice and dark and rainy and I just want to put on pajamas and be lazy. Since I've been taking progesterone supplements, I noticed my mood has improved considerably (yay), but I have cravings for foods I normally don't eat (like sugar - boo), and I've been sleepy-tired by 11:00 (yay, but I don't get to bed until 2:00 because I'm dumb, so boo-ish). I've been sleeping 1000000% better once I do fall asleep, so that's a huge "yay".

Anyway, I need to do that soon because we leave for Albuquerque in just a few weeks, and I should probably get one trip journal done so I have the energy to write the next one. The Albuquerque trip journal is going to be LONG. ;) We're going to be there for close to a week, we're doing "Christmas" while there, and we're taking the train. Last year, I took over 200 pictures, so brace yourselves. ;)

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On that note, we've been in serious discussion about moving there. Brent is homesick; we have lots of friends (and Brent's family) there; the job market is good; it's a thriving metropolis with a population of close to one million people; there are always lots of shows, dancing at night clubs, and concerts; it has wonderful culture and history; and the restaurants are fabulous.

I'm not jazzed about leaving the Great Lakes since I grew up here and LOVE water, but Albuquerque has mountains, hiking trails, and hot springs. Plus, I could sled and ski during the winter. (Okay, I can learn to ski.) They DO have the Rio Grande, so at least it's something, but it doesn't have waves or storms like the Great Lakes. At least Albuquerque has four seasons, though. A lot of people think it's in the desert and hot year-round, but it's actually in the "high desert" area of northern New Mexico. They have a longer spring and fall, summer is hot but DRY (definitely more tolerable - I barely notice the heat), and the winters are cold with occasional snow in the city and lots of snow in the mountains. It's a bit too sunny for my tastes, and they don't get enough thunderstorms, but they do have changing weather patterns and I can always work second shift if I want to hide from the sun. ;)

The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and I'm Very Excited about this idea, so we're going to see where everything sits next spring and go from there. If Brent gets a considerable raise, we'll probably stay for the time being, but if not, he's thinking about asking them if he can work remotely. That would prevent him from having to find a new job and would give us sooooo much flexibility. Even if they say no, though, there are lots of computer jobs in Albuquerque.

Our lease isn't up until the end of June, but we have to give our landlords 90 days notice since they need to prepare for their summer renting season (we live in a college town). So, we really have until the end of March to figure this all out. Brent keeps saying it's a "long way off", but then I point to how quickly the calendar moves and stress that we need to re-visit this conversation shortly after New Year's Day since a cross-country move isn't exactly an easy feat.

So we'll see. :)