Getting rid of the "stuff"

A couple posts back, I mentioned that I'm going through the house and getting rid of anything and everything that hasn't been used in quite some time. Well, I've listed I don't know how many items on Amazon Marketplace.
http://www.amazon.com/shops/nidena
I will happily ship any that my friends want with the request of reimbursement of shipping charges via a Rite Aid or Walgreens gift card...or stamps. :)
If you want any of items, drop me an email at my hotmail address with your snail mail address.

The opposite end of the "stockpile" spectrum but still involves lots of "stuff."

Did you ever see that episode of Oprah with Peter Walsh and the lady that had a houseful of "stuff?" They took everything out of the house, sorted it, and put back on the stuff that truly was worth keeping. The rest they either threw away or set aside for a rummage sale. When it came time for that rummage sale, they had it in a warehouse. Just before it started, they gave the lady a tour of all her "stuff". She was shocked! At the end of it, they were having a conversation and she's talking about how she couldn't believe she had that much stuff. Peter says: "oh, that's not all" and lifts up a curtain in the entrance of another room in the warehouse. They made $13,000 at that rummage sale. Most of the items were things that would sale for $1 or $2. At any yard sale I've had, I'm lucky if I net $50. I can't imagine how much "stuff" you'd have to have to make $13,000.
Wednesday, I picked up Peter's book It's All Too Much to see what he had to say in it. It was very eye-opening. Now, I have nowhere near as much stuff as the woman on Oprah. You don't navigate ravines to get from one room to another but I do have enough stuff that I feel like I'm fighting a never ending battle of trying to keep my coffee table clear and I do have boxes of stuff that I look at, maybe, once a year and that's when I'm telling myself "I need to sort through this stuff." Well, I'm getting serious now. I mean, do I really need a whole 20 shelf library of books that I've read only once or haven't read in more than a year? Especially since the Kent County Library is within walking distance of my home. Do I really need to hang on to that rocker that I never sit in but have yet to get rid of because my aunt would make me feel guilty for getting rid of something that she gave me? Guilt be damned, it's going. I offered a good friend my Kitchen Aid mixer for $50. I don't use it. I've owned it for more than three years and have used it fewer than 10 times despite having made cookies and cupcakes at least that many times since 2009 began. I don't need it. Once I go through everything, I'm going to have an indoor yard sale. That way there is no excuse for not getting rid of it should there be bad weather.

Schedule for next seven days.

I think if I get this down, I can visualize all that I need to do and where I need to be.
Wed/today:
babysit
class tonight
feed kitties
Thurs:
feed kitties
Fit Camp
babysit
lab Practical
feed kitties
Fri:
kubota
feed kitties
babysit
Sat:
kubota
feed kitties
babysit
Sun:
babysit
Mon:
feed kitties
Fit Camp
appt w/Merry Maids for Deep Spring clean
babysit
Final exam
feed kitties
Tues:
feed kitties
Fit Camp
office
feed kitties
babysit
Wed:
feed kitties
Fit Camp
office
feed kitties
babysit
Thurs:
end babysitting
start regular routine

Weight loss progress

I think officially over the midpoint hump. I've lost more than I have left to go. For the longest time I wanted to be that person who was able to lose fat by not really paying attention to what I eat. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not someone who consumes fast food on a regular basis but sodas and candy bars were good friends of mine. My daily routine included at least one soda and one or two candy bars. So, that's approximately 500-600 extra calories a day. Yeah, I work out but not enough to deficit those extra calories and any other extras that I might consume throughout the day. I was exercising enough to maintain my weight. I had to make changes. I had to find an incentive to make changes.
My incentive: a brand new digital camera; my behavior change time frame: 1 Apr to 1 May--long enough to make the change a habit.
I don't count calories. I don't need to. I just make myself accountable for every bite going in my mouth. I'm concious of every bite going in my mouth. No longer do I wander down to the secretary's office and nosh on the little chocolate tidbits in the jar on her desk. I don't deprive myself though. I allow myself one serving of chocolate a day...if I want it. Most days I don't...because I know I can have it; because I know that I'm allowed to eat whatever I want.
Yesterday was a crazy day. Breakfast was normal: cereal with milk. Lunch: two pieces of pizza at 1130 and then a hotdog and french fries a couple hours later. Dinner was bratwurst and broccoli at a friends along with Schmirnoff grape. Bad idea. It's been so long since I drank that the hangover made itself known after two bottles. I still have a headache...14 hours later. Plus my asthma is flaring up and my inhaler is almost empty. Not good.
I hope I can make it through the weekend without having to go buy an alternative inhaler from the drug store down the street--they don't work as well.

Today was a good day. Got up just before 7am to get ready for the 5k at the base. Dani came and picked me up. She was gonna trek it with me. And trek we did. The winds were around 25mph and gusting to 50mph. Sometimes, during the jog, I felt like I was standing still. I was so glad to reach the halfway point and turn around 'cause then the wind was at my back. It was so strong that, during the second half, at times it would die down and I would almost forget to move forward. It was literally pushing me forward. Unfortunately, the last 100 yards were running back into the head wind. It was brutal but I perservered; even kicked in the Nitrox at the end to bring it in under 35 minutes--34:29!!
Then I came home and took a four hour nap.
After that, I cleaned up the house a bit and watched a couple movies. Around 6pm, I was feeling antsy, so I threw on my sneakers and took a power walk around the block--2.5 miles and 45 minutes later, I was in the yard pulling weeds and picking up twiggy branches. The grass has grown like crazy after all the rain we've had these past few days. It's that time of year again. Time to pay the neighbor kid $20 to mow the lawn...every three weeks or so. That being said, I needed to clear out the dangerous stuff--twigs, branches, and bricks that the previous owner (from two years ago) had placed around a tree. The grass has grown over them so they're impossible to see.
Monday, I'm on 12 hour shifts again but they got smarter (or nicer) and I'm in the kubota only every other day instead of every day...for four days. Monday morning is also time for my Phase I to Phase II PT test. Fingers crossed for that one.