Here Comes The Snow !

 

Day 2 of the new year ! Time to get back on track with diet and exercise. The goal is 100 pounds by 12-31-25. Can I do it ? Well, I won't know unless I try. I will be starting Nutrisystem again on Saturday 01-04-25. My original Day 2 blog can be found here. I don't like much of the tone of that particular entry. I'm at a point in my life where being the victim is not an option. Much of what has happened in my life is my own fault, other than getting leukemia. The dysfunctional marriage, my weight, my lack of exercise - all my fault. I should have sent Alex back to Italy after he showed up in Ohio, but I was desperate to have a boyfriend and be married. It wasn't all bad, but I caused a lot of heartache for myself and my family. He, in turn, caused a lot of heartache for his parents. When I first started Nutrisystem in 2019 my goals for that year were losing weight, getting fit and paying off my credit card debt. I also stated I would no longer go to the casino. In the blog linked above I talked about my mom and her feelings about that. It was wrong of me to call her out for being upset at the thought of not going to the casino. That was her one pleasure in life and she was facing me taking that away. It didn't end up happening, but I need to only share things pertinent to me in my writings. Even if I don't like something someone else says or does, I have zero right to call them out here. So my goals for 2025 will be losing weight, getting fit and maintaining the privacy of others. I'll share the fun, lighthearted stuff !

2025 may have gotten off to a bumpy start (leaving my phone at Kim's), but as of 10:42 am today all is well. I didn't get any snow yesterday but it just started falling lightly now. It really is pretty ! I can say that because I don't have to leave the house ! The flakes started off small, then big and fluffy and then back to small. This is the kind of stuff that can pile up fast, but be cleared with a leaf blower ! We're not expecting a lot (maybe an inch) today, so we'll see what tomorrow brings ! 

I was awake before 6 today but after a quick check of the outdoor conditions via my Ring camera, I went back to sleep until just after 8. I felt rested and ready to face the day. I got the cats food warming and then got dressed before venturing out to fill the food and water dishes. There were 6 strays waiting to eat this morning ! I guess they sense the snow is coming and they'll be hunkering down wherever they shelter. I happened to be at the kitchen window when they all headed off in the same direction behind the neighbors house.

Once Minnie was fed I settled down with 2 donuts and my coffee. Minnie hopped up for a short morning nap. When she got up I got up to make a second cup of coffee and was headed to grab the bowls outside when I noticed Minnie hesitating at her litter boxes. Well, that's because they haven't been cleaned in a long time. Shame on me ! I took care of that and then made that second cup of coffee. Well, then I decided to clean the water filter unit since it was nearly empty and needed a good cleaning and a new filter. Once that was done I brought the bowls in, reheated that second cup of coffee and headed back to the couch. Minnie had taken over my spot so I sat at the other end of the couch, finished my latest challenge level on Cookie Jam and then started this blog. YouTube is on the deer pantry, as usual. I need to soak my feet so I may do that later. The corn on my big toe seems to get bigger by the day and that needs to be addressed before I get back on the treadmill Saturday.

Funny thing, not that I mention Saturday. I had talked about going to the grocery store for salad items over the weekend. Well yeah, that is not going to happen ! The storm warning goes until 6 pm Sunday, and I do have what I need to successfully start on Saturday. I can sub in veggies at lunch for a couple days. My pending Nutrisystem order hasn't shipped yet, but that is fine as I have plenty of food !

My goals for today are soaking my feet, wiping down the treadmill and charging the tablet I use for iFit. Super easy to achieve all of them !

It's 1:30 pm now and my tablet is charging. I also just applied for unemployment. Looks like I won't receive any cash for 3-6 weeks, which is fine. You only get benefits for 26 weeks, which is also fine as I have enough savings to last a year or more. Once unemployment runs out I will apply for Social Security and my pension. I will apply for some jobs here and there and see what happens. Should unemployment ask I will be able to show that I've tried to get a job. I doubt anyone will hire me and I'm fine with that. I was thinking I may have screwed myself by not applying for unemployment right away, since they go by your earning history for the past 15 months. Mine would be zero from June through December. However, I read on the website that you should apply for unemployment when your severance ends, which is what I did. I guess I'll find out soon enough what I get. It doesn't really matter, I'll take what I can get for 26 weeks and then move on. It's so funny .. I look at job's now and most of the time my thought is "too hard". Can you tell I do not want a new job ?!?!?! I looked at one for a telecom analyst that I could probably do, but it's a temporary contract job. If I'm going to work I work to be an employee and have the associated employee benefits. 

I'm going to throw a pizza in the oven now and wipe down the treadmill while it's cooking. I got up the stuff I use when I soak my feet and I'm going to do that after lunch. It's continuing to snow lightly and the wind is back. We've had some blasts of what sounds like ice pellets hitting the windows, so the snow must be mixed with some freezing rain or sleet. It's 32 degrees, so just freezing.

It's nearly 6:30 and I'm cozy on the couch watching YouTube. I didn't soak my feet but I got everything else done that I wanted to. I'll soak my feet tomorrow right after breakfast ! It's still windy and snowing on and off so I'm glad to be safe and warm at home. Late this afternoon it was windy and snowing and I could see that visibility on the roads would have been terrible. Hopefully everyone got home from work safely ! Looks like my prediction was correct and tomorrow I will see the most snow of this event. Stay tuned !

My pizza was delicious and I only have 1 to go. I am really going to miss them ! I'm going to end up with an unopened bottle of sauce, so they're not gone forever ! I have 1 donut left, along with some coconut cake. I also have a few Christmas cookies that I brought home New Year's Eve. They will get me through tomorrow !  Dinner tonight is going to be chicken tenders with ranch dressing. I will probably have them tomorrow too. I also have a box of potato skins in the freezer.

I took some time to log in to the company portal and get a copy of my last paycheck, which was my severance payout. If the numbers on it are accurate, I should be getting a hefty tax refund. I knew the severance was taxed at a higher rate but I didn't expect such a significant refund. That and any prorated bonus I get will allow me to delay collecting SS & my pension once my 26 weeks of unemployment runs out. The longer I can wait, the more I will get ! I don't want to spend everything in my savings, so I'll have to assess the situation once unemployment is drawing to an end. I'll have to wait for my official W2 and other tax documents later in January in order to get an accurate number, but I'm thinking I'll get around $8k .. which is amazing ! Next year my only income will be unemployment and my prorated bonus, so I'm hoping I'll be eligible for some of the credits I was never able to get ! We shall see. Things like this just make me more confident about being retired !

It's 8 pm now and I threw some chicken tenders in the oven. Tomorrow is the last day of high calorie foods ! Pizza will be limited to rock & roll bingo night and chicken tenders, donuts, cookies, cake and candy are out ! I may still have chicken and I have a box of potato skins, so I may just have them on Saturday 1-4, despite it being the "official" start of Nutrisystem. I wouldn't do that if I had days worth of food to eat. Saturday will be the absolute end !

I'm kind of afraid of the number I will see on the scale Saturday morning. I know I am approaching 300 again. I will probably have to start working on earning the 10 pound bear again ! Sigh. I have a lot of work to do and if I'm honest, I'm not confident in my ability to stick with this. I am going to try my best and that is all I can do.