Miracles and Blessings

I went to bed last night praying for a miracle with my job situation.  I got about 2 hours of sleep total, because I was thinking of what to do next.  Apply for retail?  Or temporary agencies?  And what would I wear to any kind of job, since I've shrunk out of all of my clothes?!

I got up this morning, showered, and took my letter up to the Dept. of Labor.  I wanted them to tell me to my face that the benefits had ended, before I embarked on the next leg of job hunting.  The counselor explained to me that my ORIGINAL claim had ended, and that I've been approved for the Tier 3 Extension!!  What???!!!!  She said getting the letter stating that I wasn't approved for any further benefits on my ORIGINAL claim was all part of the process.  That had to happen before I could receive the letter stating that I was approved for EXTENDED benefits.  As relieved as I SHOULD have been (and kind of was), I still got that old familiar stabbing pain shooting through my brain that I get every time I step foot in that office.  Things change so often and so rapidly when you're dealing with unemployment.  It goes from horrible, to wonderful, back to horrible....and that's just in a week's span of time.

So, for now, I'm supposedly approved for the next extension and just waiting for that letter to come in the mail so I'll know how many weeks it will be for.  There's my miracle.  :)

I was plagued with exhaustion today from almost no sleep last night and that persistent, stabbing pain in my brain, courtesy of the Dept of Labor.  I was relieved, but exhausted.  And my phone rang off the hook today!  That's where the blessings come in. 

First I got an email from Pam this morning, my BFF down in Florida.  She recently ended her weight loss blog that she's had for quite a while, and started up a new one called "The Rest Of My Journey".  I've got it listed on my blogroll.  She needed a fresh start, and I love her new blog.  Hop on over and check it out!  She offered me some words of encouragement and understanding, as she always does, and it was nice to know she cares.

I got 2 calls from Dwayne today, just to check on me and see how I was doing with all the ups and downs of the last 24 hours.  He also told me that he knew I've been stressed out for a good, solid year over this unemployment stuff, and informed me that he booked an oceanfront condo for me and him and our puppy Scarlette for the first week of May!!  We will have 8 full days on Panama City Beach, from May 1-May 8, and I absolutely cannot wait!  Here's the link of the condo we're staying in if you want to check it out:

http://www.findvacationrentals.com/florida/panama-city-beach-condo-rentals-8453.html

This afternoon, my niece Carla and my Mom stopped by for a little visit.  We had a nice chat...it's always nice to have a little family time.  Scarlette and Carla played in the front yard while Mom and I sat on the front porch enjoying the weather.   Even though we live next door to each other, it doesn't happen often enough, for one reason or another.  So I'm glad I got to see them both today.  :)

I didn't feel much like cooking tonight, so I was able to meet up with Shane and Billie for dinner out and enjoy time with friends.  Since this is the week of my cycle (well this week and next...lucky me gets it for nearly 2 weeks out of the month!), and I already have some serious bloating going on, I wasn't too concerned about the sodium from the restaurant food.  It was just nice to relax with friends and let my brain unwind.

When I left the restaurant, I checked my cell phone that I had left in the car, and had a missed call from Sean.  We have gone from blogging buddies to really good friends.  I called him back and we had a nice little chat.  He's a super great guy...just love him to pieces.  Then one of my friends, Chris, who I've known and loved since high school (he, Pam and I all went to school together), called me and we caught up with each other.  I did a post about him when he came to Atlanta to visit during Halloween weekend.  You can find it here.

And finally, one of my co-workers from my last job, Tasha, texted me tonight and told me that her company (she just found a new job in December) is hiring right now for a customer service analyst!  It's a permanent position in Downtown Atlanta.  She asked for my email and is going to send me some info on applying for the position tomorrow!! 

So I've had blessings all around today, from receiving the extension, to getting to chat with so many good friends and family, to hearing about a job opening from a previous co-worker.  I thank God for giving me such a good day and lifting my spirits in so many ways.  I hope all of you had a wonderful day, too.  :)

Quote For the Day:

"The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist."  -Harold Wilkins

Sodium.....So Stoopid

Today has pretty much sucked all the way around, lol. Some days are just going to be that way, and this is one of them. I had an argument with a girlfriend today....the one that just happened to be throwing me a pool party for my birthday this Sunday with all of our other friends, so needless to say, no more party. Bummer. My friend is still upset with me. Bigger bummer. I made dinner in the crockpot today and I didn't like it. Another bummer. And Mother Nature paid me a visit this week. Biggest bummer of all.

First of all, I hate drama with friends. I find it completely draining and a total waste of energy, but life isn't perfect, and sometimes these things happen. Secondly, I've always been a huge fan of birthdays. It's the one special day a year that all of your friends a family gather 'round to celebrate you and the importance of you being in their life, and them in yours. I love birthdays. So the fact that mine might end up being a downer this year is really discouraging to me.

Mother Nature and I have NEVER been friends. I'm working my big butt off as hard as I can, focusing..focusing..focusing, staying within my calorie limit, walking on the treadmill daily as fast as I can go...pushing myself to my limits...and then she shows up, plops down right in the middle of all my progress, and asks, "How does a 3 lb. gain sound this week?" Grrrrrr.

Here's the stoopid sodium part. As if it weren't bad enough that I'm battling bloating this week and working my butt off just to try my best to maintain and not gain this week....I end up with a dinner I just didn't like, feeling totally unsatisfied, totally drained from the day's drama and cranky from the cramps...and took myself right down to Los Reyes for some chicken soft tacos.

I had 800 calories left for the day, so I didn't go over my limit. I did my walk on the treadmill this morning, so I'm cool there. But I just didn't need the sodium. I was already in a tangle with Mother Nature, and I had to go and add insult to injury. Doh! How stoopid. Really, really stoopid.

Now I know from reading so many weight loss blogs that there are people out there who eat in restaurants/fast food every single week, and still show a substantial loss on weigh day. They're staying in their calorie limit, but somehow they're winning out over the sodium. I don't know if they're just lucky, if my system is whacked, if they're drowning themselves in vats of water to get rid of it, overdosing on water pills, or what. But I know from experience that sodium is the enemy for me and my body and that makes today's choice a really bad one. So, whatever ensuing gain I show on the scale this Friday, aside from my cycle, is completely well-deserved.