Tuesday Roll Call
Hello everyone
Oh I had another very busy Monday at work...with a bit of overtime. The auditors arrived and everything was ready for them for the most part but of course there are always last minute requests. So on top of my already packed Monday schedule...I was pulling more items for the auditors. I have never worked for a place that gets audited as much as this place. But that's because of the unions. Each union has an audit and we get audited by them all every couple of years!!! I understand the reason for audits...it's a necessary evil...but it doesn't stop me from hating them!!! Grrr!!!
So I talked to Amanda Sunday and she was telling me about her classes she teaches. She told me the very old teaching methods they have down there. They teach down there the way we taught...I don't know when. But it's like the teacher just stands up in front of the class and drones on and has the class take notes. There's no interaction...no fun...no nothing. So Amanda and Charles have been having some fun with their classes teaching the kids interactively and the kids are really taking to it and learing fast (she said the kids don't even realize they are learining...hahaha) and the adults are taking notice!!!! I will have to post some pictures. Right now is Summer school and they have several classes going. Some of the classes they are teaching the kids English, or jewelry making (out of recycled items), and of course the environment.
I was talking a little bit yesterday about eating with as little added chemicals as possible. I was just reading an article today about some of the yucky chemicals found in our food...here it is if you're interested. http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/9-ingredients-nutritionists-wont-touch-165300682.html
Here is the app I was talking about yesterday. It is a wonderful app...It' s available in android too. This is by far my favorite app. You scan the bar code on your food and it will tell you how healthy your food is and grade it A-B-C-D-F...it tells you the normal fat, sodium, carb type things...but it also will tell you what is in your food that could harm you...like chemicals, preservatives, additives, dyes, flavorings...so on. Oh it will even give you a serving size alerts. You know how some companies try to trick you....like for instance...PopTarts (back when I ate PopTarts). They package them by the pair...but a serving size is only ONE!!!! They alert you to that!!! It also goes a step further than other apps...it will list healthy alternatives for you. You can also track your food and goals on there too!!! Please try it. the first time I went to the store with this thing I was scanning everything!!! OMG!!! I did change some of the items I bought based on this. So here is a link to explain that too..... http://www.fooducate.com/
If you read my Facebook yesterday I splurged and ate a bunch of Thin Mints...oh they were soooo yummy. At first I felt like a big giant pig. But once I counted the calories I ate and the calories I burned exercising I found I was actually ahead. So no reason to feel guilty at all!!!! But no more Girl Scout cookies...in fact I took the rest and put them in the lunch room by the coffee maker!!!
Well nothing but the same going on with me today...how about you guys???
Time for me to get going....see you all later...bye
Good Morning,
I think this layoff is going to be longer then a few day. We got the annual, " Your last day of work is", letter yesterday. I have applied for unemployment, which for me is a joke. Because we live and work in Illinois, ad I am on Soc. Security, unemployment benefits are cut by 2/3. Illinois is one of only 3 states that do that. So that means, after I pay taxes on it, I get about $60. a week. Not happy. The one thing is, I am still drawing on 2012, so i will be able to file in June again as usual.
Yesterday, I called to get an appointment for an oil change, and they told me to bring it in at 12:30. That never happens! Then, there was a recall and they were able to do that too.
So today, I will get that pantry done, then it is off to Blooming ton for Morgan's concert.
Have a great day,
Hugs,
LISA
Actually Crystal, the 240 a month pays for my medicare and supplement. Its all because the state holds it against you if you are working. you are suppose to survive on what Soc. Security pays. Most people can't. They barely make it. So, Illinois doesn't want to make it it easy for the retirees that aren't.
HI Crystal and Lisa and Everyone,
It is down-right scary what is in our foods. I agree Crystal, it is better to eat clean. I try to buy organic as much as I can. I prefer grass-fed milk if i can find it. I rarely drink milk anymore but I do eat a lot of greek yogurt which is homogenized which is very bad for us.
I stick to the outer diameter of the grocery store and try to eat from the fresh sections. I also try to get the bulk of my food at Traders Joes. I make all my house-cleaning supplies. If you knew what what is in our shampoo, toothpaste, make-up etc it would scare the dickens out of us. There is a website that tells you all that stuff and that is why I started making my own cleaning products several years ago. Plus I hated dragging the chemicals home from the store...and the expense! Our homes are more polluted than the outside. Scary!
Lisa, I am so sorry about work. I am a bit nervous about Illinois lack of budget control/money issues. I worked for Cigna in the early 90's. They processed the State of Illinois's medical claims and there was a big problem even then They had to stop paying medical claims 3 months early every year due to running out of money. Now they are 2 years behind. When I left my last job, the State of Illinois owed one doctor 2 million dollars in claims payments. One doctor! He was still waiting for payments from 2010 and it May of 2012.
Too much doom and gloom this morning. I apologize......
On a positive note, I lost 8 lbs and I am winning the biggest loser in the first week of the race in my age group at the gym. I hope I can sustain losing. I really dont care if I win. Someone was grumbling about my being in the race since I am a WLS patient. I guess I understand.
Yesterday was brutal with the wind. I recall we used to have wind like that when we lived in the city many years ago when I was a kid. I recall feeling like I was always going to blow away or lose my hat.
I am working out, cleaning my house and going to group tonight. The book we are reading is difficult to read so I need to re-read that chapter too.
Have a great day Peeps!
Sharon
Sharon- Oh I agree with the house hold cleaners and hygiene products. Amanda made watch a movie called "Bag it" (she always make watch movies that some times I wonder if I was better off no****ching...hahaha)...sometimes it's hard to have a daughter that is a Environmental Scientist. They talk mostly about the impact of plastic bags on the environment but they also talk about the ingredients in hygiene products and household cleaners. Here is a link to the site for the movie http://www.bagitmovie.com/index.html
Congrats on the 8lb loss!!!! Yeah you!!! 
My last job had a Biggest Loser contest and I wasn't allowed to play because of my WLS. It was said I had an unfair advantage. Oh well.
Good Morning Everyone!
It is a little less windy today which is great. When I was leaving work yesterday, everyone was running for their cars. We are in the middle of a cornfield and it was COLD!
It is getting very scary about what is in our food. Rick and I just ordered a book about going wheat less. They say that the wheat today is so genetically altered that it is ruining our health. I cant wait to read the book. It also says it causes the belly gut. By cutting the wheat you are cutting out a lot of the chemicals and preservatives found in food. We shall see.
Sharon, as a retired state employee, I get very nervous about the shape of our state's finances. I was promised full retirement. Then I was forced to take early retirement and my retirement pay has been cut by 20%. My comforting thought was I would have my healthcare but now that looks like it could be endangered as well. From a patient standpoint it is very embarrassing to go to doctors knowing how long it will be before they are paid and some are now refusing to treat Cigna patients. Nothing like getting screwed twice.
Today I just have work.
Lisa, I hope you are not our for too long. I hate it when they cannot manage money. That is my biggest beef. And they always start layoffs from the bottom up. I lost my job because our director made a TINY error of over 4 million dollars. He kept his job. 
Sharon, way to go in the biggest loser class!
Crystal, you have a great day. I am sure you had those auditors awed!
Everyone have a great day!
Cat Lady
