Metal Mouth

I took the plunge yesterday and got braces on my bottom teeth. I did this for a number of reasons that I won't go into but am thinking that in the end when the braces come off I will be happy with my decision. The thing is...it HURTS! Eating feels like pulling teeth (ha ha) and not being able to eat solid food makes me crave everything. It is quite the experience. I never had braces as a child and honestly I don't know how people managed to have braces on both the top and bottom teeth at the same time. Ouch. For kicks, I'll post a goofy picture of myself so you can see my blue beauties (I chose blue bands because I thought it would be "fun." They are being changed asap!)

Therapeutic

I am one of those weird people who find doing dishes and laundry very fulfilling. 6 months before I got married, I moved in with mom and dad because my lease was up and it was a good change. They had people come in once a week to clean the house so basically I did not lift a finger except for the weekly washing of clothes. Then, two days after our 2nd wedding/fun party I moved to Singapore where we got a house cleaner. She was awesome! So, I basically washed dishes once in a while and did some laundry but nothing more than that. Now that we've moved into a one-story apartment (verses a 3-story house) we've decided to ax the house cleaner and do it ourselves. Well, that means I get to do it. For the first time tonight in over a year, I picked up a broom and mop and cleaned our entire apartment. It was great! At the end of it all I was completely exhausted but remembered how therapeutic house cleaning truly is for me.

Speaking of therapeutic...I don't think I mentioned that when we moved overseas my hubby's company assigned a therapist to call and check in on me every once in a while. At first I thought this was very silly. What on earth did I have to tell this woman? Then as I began to experience the ins and outs of expat living I realized how valuable those conversations were. Last time we chatted, I was very unhappy in our big house with my hubby traveling so much and was on my way back to the US for an extended stay. She called tonight and it was nice to talk about the happiness I was feeling being back home in Singapore and contributing so much to that happiness was moving to our beautiful new apartment that I had just cleaned. (Um, I didn't mention the cleaning part to her. hee hee.) It felt good to know that progress has been made and life overseas continues to get better each day.

Now having had my therapy for the day, it's time for bed. Goodnight my friends!

Battling the Bulge Gender-Style

A little over a year ago I started losing weight. I was on a serious roll (and not the fat kind!). I was waking up at 5am every morning and carting myself to the gym. I'd cook healthy food for the week every Sunday and count my calories. The only time I'd let myself splurge was when my then-boyfriend came to visit.

Then I got engaged, started planning a wedding and moved across the world. The combination was not good for my waistline. I was the opposite of most brides-to-be and decided I'd rather eat pizza and grow into my dress rather than have it altered. :-) Before I knew it, all the weight I'd lost was back on.

My move to Singapore has put me in a position where I have absolutely no excuse not to eat well and workout. So, I got a personal trainer and enlisted him to help me lose 1lb a week until I've reached my goal. When I lost weight the first time I also had a trainer but it was a woman. Today, during an incredibly grueling workout, the difference between a man and a woman became clearer than ever.

My man trainer had me doing these difficult exercises. I was sweating within the first 3 minutes and by the half hour mark I was beginning to feel my breakfast make its way back up into the world. I was hoping that he would take pity on me and give me a break. Nope. "Keep going," he would say, "2 more sets of 20 to go." Then when I thought I couldn't stand anymore, he'd move on to a more challenging exercise! My woman trainer would have heard my cries and said "let's sit this one out" or "just do 5 instead of 20" but there is no sympathy with this guy.

Results were achieved with the woman and if things keep going this way they will be achieved with the man but the approaches are so different. A more emotional way of working vs. a let's get it done way of working. Both work.

So, here I go getting back on the wagon. I'm meeting my man trainer again on Friday. Wish me luck.

Spoke Too Soon

Well...all the mushy, gushy happiness ended today. Doesn't it always work that way? You're on cloud 9 one day and the next day lightening strikes. So, I've decided to handle it in the most mature way: get myself a taxi home, crawl in my bathrobe and sit on the couch where I can let the rain cloud over my head pass in peace. It's the only thing I can do at the moment.

So Much To Say

This week has been quite full and exciting and exhausting!

I landed at 1am Wednesday morning in Singapore and carted myself home all by my lonesome. My hubby was working in Germany. It was the last night I would spend in our house and I was so tired it didn't bother me that I was alone. When I got in the house, a teeny, tiny gecko greeted me in the kitchen. I saw this as a sign of a new beginning. I will miss those lizzies though.

At 8am, the movers arrived. I spent the day with 5 Singaporian men who worked so hard. Our house has 4 bedrooms and 3 flights of stairs so one can only imagine the calories they burned. I also got the keys to our new apartment and instantly fell in love when I saw it. It has a beautiful view of the city, stays cool all day long and feels safe and secure. For one whose husband travels constantly, this is so important.

Now, the real fun began yesterday at 2pm when all the boxes arrived and it was time to unpack. Again, the same 5 men were working like crazy. There was paper and cardboard flying everywhere. They barely let me carry anything and were so amazingly helpful. It's nice to be around people who do their job well and are cheerful and fun at the same time.

The movers left this afternoon and the "putting away" portion of the move has commenced. I've decided to stage an intervention for my husband because I am beginning to believe he is a clothes-a-holic. Was it neccessary to bring 35 sweaters to a tropical island? How about 6 heavy coats? I have one small closet and the man's clothes have now taken up every other closet in the house. God bless me with patience as I attempt to find homes for these things he never wears. Good thing he is good looking and fun to be with.

Although I have been on the go constantly this week and seriously jetlagged, I have been thinking constantly of how happy I feel. I am happy to be with my husband, happy about our new home, thrilled at the thought of what the future holds and enormously blessed by my family and friends. I know this happiness will not last forever and so I am cherishing it. I wish I could bottle it and open it during the rough patches. Since that can't happen, all I can do is enjoy it and wish this for others.

OK, enough sappy happiness. It's time for me to get back to work!