This was our weather yesterday.

This was our weather yesterday. It sucks when everything's dusty, and the winds straight up HOWL, but I'd choose it over a tornado any day.

Poor Shaun masked up and went out in it to close the top windows on my greenhouse to prevent damage. He's paying for that with his sinuses now. 😕

Bear was UPSET all day because he wanted to be outside, but he hated it every time he went out. 😂

Thankfully, today was much nicer.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1384846379546044

It's been a while since I've posted any plants, so...

It's been a while since I've posted any plants, so I'm photodumping now. Sorry - not sorry. 😂❤️

Look at her little fruits/peppers! ❤️

I might move this one to a more shady area, but look at those blooms!

I missed it fully open, but I'm so excited! I've had this one for years, but this is their first bloom!

This is their first bloom, too!

Teensy yellow flowers.

Buds starting!

Look at those long hooked spines. 😍😍😍

I've also had this one for years, and it's finally putting off something new!

I'm shocked by the number of blooms on this one.

This is a Winter grower. It's probably about to go back to sleep.

Looks like they're gonna bloom a lot, too!

Semaglutide update:

Semaglutide update:

This stuff is working in my brain.

I am not an early bird, and I struggle to get out of bed most days. Literally, if there was one thing I could change about myself it would be that I easily wake up and willingly leave my bed more often. I feel so much guilt over the fact that I sleep so much, and/or just lay in my bed.

Sunday night, Shaun and Cubba slept upstairs and I slept like shit. However, on Monday morning, I (without much internal fighting on my part), got up early enough before work that I got several errands done before work started. That's MAJOR.

I know that I can't attribute every good thing that happens to me on the medication, but I don't know what else could have caused that. If there was ever a day that I was going to shirk errands, it would've been after a night of bad sleep.

Today wasn't the same, but it was also the day of my next shot, so that's ok. I've read that many people are able to tell when their shot is wearing off, and I can relate. I didn't eat a crazy amount of food or anything, but I didn't have the full feeling that I usually have. I also drank one of my Coconut Cream seltzers, which I hadn't made in over a week. Previously, I had been drinking one daily since December, and then one day last week I just... didn't.

So anyway. Today was shot day again. I made a bigger deal out of it than I needed to and it took me 30 minutes to get it done and I still laid in the floor afterwards, but I did it by myself. Despite my bullshit, I'm still proud of myself. 😂 Hopefully, it'll get easier and easier to do.

The only other thing I can think to mention is that I definitely have to exercise now. If I don't, I feel too energetic and have a harder time sleeping. No complaints about having energy, though.

Under the table, because why not? 😂

Under the table, because why not? 😂

Update on my Semaglutide situation:

Update on my Semaglutide situation:

So I'm not doing progression pics or "starting weight" vs. "goal weight" or anything like that.  We have a scale here and I literally never get on it.  I feel like tracking the weight and/or the way I look would just cause me to hyperfocus and I don't want that.  I just want to be healthy and live, so I'm taking my meds, doing my self-care, and trusting the process.

I'm only two doses in; a lot of things I've read say that these are just the "loading" doses, but for me, the "feeling full longer" thing is 100% happening, plus something mentally.

On our anniversary when we went out we got New Mexican food, which comes with chips, salsa, and queso.  Normally, I would stuff myself on those things, and then still cram down as much of my tacos, rice, and beans as I could.  But that didn't happen.  I had a few chips with toppings, but I was ABLE TO BE MINDFUL that I needed my protein, so I was ABLE TO STOP eating until my plate came.  Then I made sure to eat my tacos and beans (protein and fiber), and then I could eat whatever rice and chips I wanted, which wasn't much.  I also didn't even finish my sopapilla with honey.  I was on the "slightly too full" side of feeling satisfied, and just stopped.

If there is ever a time I'm gonna overeat, it's when we have an "excuse" to eat out and cut loose.  But there I was, my favorite foods in front of me, the excuse right there, and my behavior was totally different.  EASILY.  It wasn't a struggle to not overeat.

That is some game-changing shit.

We got lunch today and I did the same.  I got an egg platter, ate my eggs and beans, then had SOME of my waffle.  I have a massive sweet tooth, so leaving sweets uneaten hasn't been a thing I could do in years.  In my 20s I was able to control my eating, but after my 30s (and depression), I was not.  Yet we still have more than half of our gourmet chocolates left from our anniversary.

Part of it is that I do feel full easier/for longer, but a lot of this seems to be having an impact on my mind/the way I'm thinking about food.  I've never tried any other weight loss program or drug so I have nothing to compare it to, but I really appreciate the way this is working for me so far.  It feels like I'm just being allowed to experience what people who have a healthy relationship with food feel.

Aside from that, I had ENERGY yesterday.  From about the time I got up until I sat down to do Shaun's nails around 8 pm, I was moving.  I cleaned out my closet, organized it, checked 3 different tasks off of my to-do list, caught up on laundry and did some other random cleaning.  That is MAJOR.  Before this medication I would tire out much faster and lose motivation, but I had energy and wanted to take full advantage of that.  I woke up feeling energetic today, as well, but I'm doing things at a much more chill pace.

So that's my update for now.  To be honest, as long as I continue to feel as good as I am, the extra weight is the least of my concerns.  I just want to be a functional person, and I really don't remember the last time things felt so easy to do.

Tl;dr:  I feel full longer, I'm able to make better choices regarding food, and I'm energetic.

We took this bad dog out...

We took this bad dog out to pick up our lunch and get pup cups. He "enjoyed" the ride as much as he usually does, but while we were waiting in the drive through for Shaun's coffee and their pup cups, it happened:  A couple of the employees came by with rolling trashcans, and he was ACTIVATED.

Thank goodness he was buckled in, because he would've been out of the window in a heartbeat.  He jumped out on us ONCE before, in the driveway while going very slow [for no reason we could discern], and he's never had the opportunity again. BEAST MODE in the car was ridiculous, but he did eventually calm down.

I guess that's just another reason to avoid off-leash dog parks. We haven't been back to one since Cub was attacked, and at this point with Bear being who he is, it's probably just better for everyone if we're able to keep control over them. I really think that Bear doesn't mean any harm to people since he goes for the ice dispenser and trash bins, but no one knows that in the moment when a crazy-looking creature is roaring wildly and rapidly in their direction, and he's definitely grabbed me before in the heat of the moment, so better safe than sorry.

Anyway. Now he's home doing "normal" Bear things, as you can see. 😂

Today is Shadow's 25th birthday.

Today is Shadow's 25th birthday. It's crazy to realize that he's ¼ of a century old. 😂

He's not celebrating today because he's gotta work. We'll be getting some tasty dinner together as soon as he's off. He's out here being responsible, so I'm proud of him.

I just didn't want to let the day pass without mentioning my Man-Cub. 💜💜💜