Always playing catch-up

Active bloggers put me to shame. Their creativity, time, frequency, all point to things I lack in my blogging. Truth is, there are just so many other things that take up my time. Yes, I should be a lot more flexible working part time, but there always seem to be things that need my attention more than the computer. Heard it all before. I'll stop making excuses.

Whats been going on? Well, I got my first haircut today in 8 months. I think thats a new record for me. The goal was to let it grow out, but then as I spent money other places, I just could never justify the extra on a haircut. Lame I know. But I finally got around to it, and boy do my ends feel better. I even added a little side bangs. :)

As for those little things that keep me busy:

1) Running 

     This unusual winter we've been having has allowed me to continue running outdoors through the winter. Its a good thing too, because I've discovered its not nearly as much fun to run on the treadmill. Its no wonder so many people name it "the dreadmill." The days I don't go outdoors are usually spent lazily indoors. There is just something so invigorating and freeing about running down the dirt road, in the cool air, seeing the beauty all around this place I live. I wouldn't trade it for the fanciest gym. 

2) Church duties

     In addition to my regular church offices, one of which is assistant treasurer, I recently became the treasurer of sorts of our pastor's non-profit: TLC Humanitarian International Missions. The duties are light, however, I do need to come up with an organization for the separation of funds, which will test my excel skills. 

3) Snowboarding

     Even though we've had quite the crappy winter in regards to snow, the mountains have managed to make a considerable amount of the white stuff, allowing us to hit the slopes a number of times. We've been out 3 times so far, 2 of which were at discounted rates, and one was free. We have a tentative plan to try it again on Valentine's Day, when there happens to be a 2-for-1 at Bromley. :) 

There really are many other little things, but those are just a few. For now, "thats all folks."

Resolutions and a Pig Story

The beginning weeks of this year find me in a much healthier state than I was not long ago. December brought the culmination of my growing sweetness addiction, contributed largely by the overwhelming amount of baked goods coming out of our kitchen at work, and the regular amount of holiday sweets. Sweets have always been my weakness. When I was young, I was known to eat half my dinner, not because I was full, so that I could save room for dessert (clearly the best part of the meal).

Up until November, I had been running consistently since March when I first fell in love with it. As the holiday came on, my time became more full, and my afternoons just didn't allow me to take a break to run. Not only was my sweet appetite increasing, but my activity was decreasing. Bad combo. I felt icky. Disgusted with myself. I knew I was eating an unhealthy amount of sugar, but I just couldn't say no. They beckoned to me, at work, home, parties, church. The list went on.

As many people know, no one can break addictive behaviors without at least wanting to. It wasn't enough to think that the extra sugar and lack of exercise was bad for me. I had to actually want to change things. Do you know what it took? Coming down with the typical after Christmas, sweet-attack cold. I had been fighting one since Thanksgiving, but my immune system finally gave in. Sick as I was, I knew it had to stop.

I knew myself well. Trying on my own to say no wasn't going to cut it. All it would take was the sight of a sweet and my watering mouth and the resolution would be out the window. So I decided to make it a matter of prayer. God is certainly capable of being strong for me, so I left it in His hands. No, that didn't mean the cravings disappeared and that it was a simple matter. But depending on Him to overcome instead of me, the pressure was off. I knew I could do it because the battle was already won, and I didn't have to do the fighting.

At the beginning stages of this change, I found myself relieved from all of the holiday stresses. I had time to run again. And run I did, against my initial aversion to the cooler weather. Second day out I tried out a route I hadn't run since I hurt by foot back in the summer. It was a glorious run, even in the light rain. My love of running was back.

As I continued to run most days and cut back on excessive sugars, I began to feel better. I even started eating better. I know, I know. Having a degree in Nutrition should mean that I was doing this already. What can I say. I'm human. Not perfect. And a human with a sweet tooth at that. But I have to say that God has blessed me with a newfound love for running, and I am grateful for that. I have always enjoyed exercise in all of its various forms, but previously, not running. This past year finally broke my dislike of running, and I am thrilled to have a new sport.


Now that I've rambled on about all that, did I mention I had a pig story to tell?

Last Friday I set out on a beautiful, cool day to run around the block (somewheres around 4 1/2 miles). One of my heals had rubbed a blister the day before, so I started off with a bandaid and a happy heart. A mille in, the bandaid had been adjusted once, and was beginning to fall off. Setting aside caution, I pushed forward, stepping gingerly to avoid excess pain. I chose to go the direction that allow me to go down the big hill instead of up, as I was not feeling incredibly energetic that day. Three quarters of the way around the loop, I spied a large creature standing in the middle of the road. I wasn't quite sure what it was at first, but as I approached, its shape identified it as a pig. A LARGE pig.

 It wandered back and forth across the road. A car passed me, driving slowly. The pig walked right up to the moving car, sniffing it, and almost brought it to a stop. Having heard a few negative pig stories, I was cautious as I moved forward. When I was still about 20 feet away, the beast finally spotted me, snorted, kicked up its hind legs, and ran off in the opposite direction, proving that though fat, the pig was fast. Even though it ran only a few feet, I was quite sure I didn't want to meet it up close. As I had no reason to believe it would get out of my way, I unhappily retreated the way I had come. By the time I finally got home, I was exhausted and had a large blister. But I had a great story! And I burned 722 calories to boot! Almost 6 miles under my belt. Not bad for an otherwise uneventful afternoon.

The Sweetest Time of Year

Hello. My name is Ashley Howe, and I am a sweet-a-holic. Its true. I've known it for a long time. At times I've fought it, tried to be good, cut refined sugar out of my diet, but at long last, I cave, and the cravings begin again. The holidays are a death sentence to sweet-a-holics. Its bad enough to fight cravings the rest of the year, but when gathering, party, and celebration are all accompanied by sweets, lots of them, its bad news. Cravings get stronger, we get weaker, oh yeah, and if we don't exercise, Fatter! ha!

Needless to say, working in a kitchen is no help for my addiction, especially in the last couple months. The previous 2 months have been building up to today, the participant holiday party. As this is my first year at BPI, I didn't really know what to expect. Did we really need all the sweets we were preparing? I didn't know, but I was sure it was going to be too much. Day after day we made and froze cookie dough. We made cakes and breads. Fudge and dips. Everything you can imagine having at a holiday party, we made it. And....sampled it. A lot. After all, the cook has to make sure it passes the taste test. Right?

I spent the better part of my day today just baking cookies. Its safe to say I baked over 20 batches of cookies, not including the angel food cakes I made, and all of the other treats we put out. And do you know what the result was? The thought of sugar actually makes me sick! I literally came home, exhausted, and when the image of that overflowing dessert/food table entered my mind, I almost gagged. How can we consider it a "happy" holiday when we aid ourselves and others in entering a sugary coma. Am I being dramatic? Probably. But seriously, it is almost disgusting how much sugar goes into common holiday treats such as cookies, brownies, cakes, and especially....fudge. Ick. Fudge should be taken right off the menu. Seriously.

It was like my weakness got a reality check.

Will sugar always temp me? More at some times than others. My resolution, however, is to be aware of how much sugar goes into the food that I make. I want to make a conscious effort to cut back on the refined sugar, and implement healthier ways to cook and sweeten recipes. The choice is yours. But for me, I know that if I don't get my addiction in check soon, I'll be a Type 2 diabetic later on for sure.

The Battle of Humanity

Adam and I started watching a new TV show tonight: "Once Upon a Time." I am not usually interested in shows that involve some sort of fantasy, especially those with a despicably evil character, but the plot of this show intrigued me. It is about the characters of the snow white fairy tale. By the effect of a terrible curse, these characters are taken from their world (unperfect as it was), and placed in ours, devoid of the memory of their previous existence, and forever kept from "happily ever after." The only hope of changing their fate is through the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who, upon her 28th birthday, is supposed to be able to change the fate of all involved. There are a lot more details than that, but the basic plot is of good versus evil. Which will win out in the end?

One of my favorite Christian authors, John Eldredge, uses this theme as an analogy for the plot of humanity. Why is it that we often long for, think of, and dream of the fairy tale "happily ever after?" Why do we watch movies, read books, and dream for that time and place where things are right for once, without the influence of evil, the destruction, pain, and sadness? Because we were created for something better. We were designed to live a life where everything is perfect, as its meant to be. There are no barriers between us and God, us and each other, and evil has no influence or say.

The biggest difference I can see from our typical superhero movies and this show to reality, is that the fate of good versus evil is not left in human hands. We don't have to sit on the edge of our seats, waiting for the human characters to get all the pieces together, fight evil, and overcome all that isn't right. Its already been done. The battle was fought. For you and me. Jesus died so that you could know the war is already won, and the King is on your side. How incredibly amazing is that?

What a blessing, what a comfort it is to know that our eternal fate is not dependent on a bunch of futile human beings. The only thing we have to do is let go of faith in our own strength, and place it in Someone greater. Someone capable getting us through the darkness of this world, to the place He has prepared for us. A place where evil is destroyed forever, and true love reigns supreme. Thats a place where I want to be. Do you?

Most Embarrassing Moments....

Have you ever sat down and thought about your most embarrassing moments? I had one the other day. Mom and I were out shopping, and we happened to stop to get a bite to eat. We had already ordered, gotten our food, and sat down, so I decided to go use the bathroom and wash up. I came back, and we enjoyed our meal. As I was eating, I started to realize that one of the persons directly across the room from us looked an awful lot like someone I went to school with at Grace Christian. I hadn't seen this person in years, so it was a little hard to say, but I had recently seen pictures of that person on another friend's facebook, so I was pretty sure about it. I thought about going over to ask what his name was, but since the girlfriend was there, I didn't figure I'd be that audacious. I decided to take the cowardly route and send a message on facebook later that night. We got up to throw our waste in the trash, when Mom quickly hurried up behind, and started yanking something out of the back of my pants. I whipped around, alarmed and annoyed, only to see toilet paper hanging off her hand! My eyes widened, and I quilled a shriek, and asked if there was more. There was. Another 5 seconds finished the job. We walked out of there, I mortified, Mom apologetic. I'm sure this classmate lookalike witness the whole ordeal, though I wasn't about to look that direction. 

Feeling like an idiot, I vowed not to make any contact. Who knows, maybe he didn't recognize me anyway. Hope....not likely. 

What is your most embarrassing moment? Feel free to share!  

The garage begins

So much has been going on lately that a few things have fallen through the cracks, blogging and house cleaning included.

About 2 weeks ago, work on our garage (3 rooms downstairs, which at one point were a garage) commenced. The project has been looming over our heads since we moved in, but kept being put off by lack of time and effort. In my desire to not do the work alone, I kept waiting and asking for Adam's help in starting the project, but as he has been insanely busy lately with motorcycle business, repairing our own vehicles, and the car show, I decided the only way I was going to get my car in the garage this winter was if I started the project myself.

So that has taken the majority of my time the last couple weeks. I owe a huge thanks to my mom, Gail, and her friend Wanda for assisting in the moving/ripping and tearing process. We first had to clean the space out enough to work in it. Next we had to remove all the old wood paneling, trim, and take out several walls that blocked off the space that will be garage. Its amazing what women with motivation, hammers, and crow bars can do! Adam's grandpa came in the middle us working the first day and high-tailed it out of there as fast as he could. (He can't stand to see "good" wood thrown away. And by "good" I mean full of nails, and dings. Oh well. No more clutter in our basement!). Reduction in junk/clutter was made possible by 2 trips to the dump, costing $20 and $98! Oh well. Would have cost more for a dumpster.

We have gotten the majority of the clearing done. Adam's grandpa came over to remove some wiring for us, which Adam helped with, and Dad will be coming soon to take out the old heat so we can install a single blower unit for that space. After that we'll be able to take the last of the paneling and the last partition out to complete the shape of the garage. Adam can then work on the door part, and Mom and I can begin fixing the aesthetics, taping, binning, painting, etc. Finally, we have to have the majority of this all done before the end of October, at which time a few musicians from a group called Mosaic will be staying with us, as they are performing a concert at church. More about that in a later post.

Once again, I'm terrible about remembering to take before pictures. I really should have as that space looked atrocious before. But I'll definitely post some pics from now on.

Chef for a few days

Out of all of the things I dreamt I'd be doing as an adult, I never thought that running a kitchen would be one of them. No, your right, I don't run the kitchen, yet. But for a few days last week, I was one of 2 people in charge while my boss took off for a few days. She let me know well in advance that she'd be gone, and took special effort to make sure I was comfortable with the menu she planned for those days. We did as much prep as possible before she left. It was a crazy week last week. Her leaving just happened to coincide with the drama at work upstarted by hurricane Irene. Since Bennington's water supply was cut off along with route 9 on Woodford MT., the whole town was on conservation. This meant not using the dishwasher much, using paper plates, and unfortunately, boiling water too. Even though the water was not stated as contaminated, the big boss was concerned that it might be. Lots of boiling ensued.

On Wednesday, we had a particularly exciting event. Someone got word from a Green Mt. Express driver that town water was being shut off in 20 minutes. (The time of this news was 5 minutes before we were to serve lunch). 5 women came running into the kitchen in panic, shouting, "They're shutting the water off in 20 minutes! Fill every container you can find with water to flush toilets." As an adult day facility, BPI has its many bathrooms in use constantly, so flushing toilets was a must.

Serving lunch was set aside, as we joined the panic to hog water. 15 minutes later we were told that the information was bad. Our water was not being shut off. Thus, we didn't need to fill all the containers. Annoyed and stressed, we looked around at the trash cans, buckets, tupperware's, and many other containers around us now full of water. So much for conserving!

This also happened to be the day before Maggie planned to leave, so I was absorbing as much as I could of everything she told me, feeling more and more bogged down by the cares of the week. I went home that night and typed out a detailed list of everything I had to do the next day, by time and importance.

Thanks to a lot of prayer and good planning on Maggie's part and mine, Su (the other kitchen help) and I managed quite well. We also had Rich to help us, so that was good too. Things went very smoothly, and we didn't hear any complaints. ;)

For only working at BPI a little less than 2 months, I've gained a great deal of knowledge about what food service does, and how a dietitian would serve in that role. I'm working in a different capacity, but am still learning a great deal. The work can be stressful at times, but all in all, it is enjoyable, and I love the people I work with. Its a great place, and a great organization. Its a good feeling to be serving people and the community in general. I'm happy I stuck with nutrition, as this is just the beginning of what I hope will be an exciting career. :)