Texas Antiques Week, Road March Feet, 120 Day Challenge on-the-road, and a Migraine: autobiographical

This is going to be an interesting (and long) post.  I've got a lot of ground to cover, since a lot has happened in the past few days.
I'll start with my progress in the 120 day challenge. In case you missed my previous post, read it here.  I've been told it's funny, and I'm not gonna lie, I have to agree.  Anyway, day one was Tuesday, October 1st.  It went okay, but I think my body was just in shock. "Um...Jess?  You're a meat eater...you love loaded baked potatoes...you eat pizza, and Little Debbie snacks, and drink sweet tea, and COFFEE!!  Why hasn't any of these things touched your lips yet?!?!?!?"  Day 2 was really tough.  I didn't have the energy to get out of bed, and I REALLY wanted to use a sick day - but I didn't.  I stuck it out.  Made my breakfast shake, packed lunch and snacks, and a water jug (sans cucumber, thankyouverymuch) and set of to work.  The morning was uneventful, but around 11am I felt so hungry that I wanted to eat my office supplies.  I wonder if Post-It notes are gluten free... I was told that this was a part of my body detoxing and getting used to smaller meals/snacks throughout the day.  Also, I knew I had to hit the water jug a little harder.  Day 3 was MUCH better.  I woke up feeling rested, I drank lots of water, and did pretty well throughout the work day.  But enough about that...

Antiques Week Loot - round 1

Last weekend a friend of mine and I went to Round Top and Warrenton, TX for Texas Antiques Week.  Even that title doesn't do it justice.  It's not just a week anymore, it's about 3 weeks.  It was a last minute trip, but we had a blast.  She made out like a bandit - got some AWESOME stuff, including a really neat entry-way table made out of the bottom cast iron part of an old Singer sewing machine table.  She got a steal of a deal on that one.  I got a few odds and ends (see above), some replacement Fiesta Ware, and some spindles for building more shutter tables...which reminds me, I'll have to blog about that when I have time...which doesn't seem like anytime soon...but I digress.  There was one piece that I regretted not buying.  Like REALLY regretted not buying.  It was a piece of furniture I had trouble describing even.  It was like a half shelf, half desk...and it had CURVED GLASS!!  I didn't buy it because I didn't want to blow my budget that early in the day, and I just kept waiting for something perfect to jump out at me, but it never happened.  Other than that, the experience was good.  Overwhelming, but good.  There are SO MANY BOOTHS - it's no wonder it's now about 3 weeks long!!  We covered as much ground as we could in a full Saturday, which included stopping in at the Junk Gypsy World Headquarters!!  I saw Amie and Jolie there, but was too starstruck to say hi or ask for a picture with them.  Plus, it was their second day open and everyone looked pretty busy.  I might have gotten my Pilot stuck in the mud in their pasture parking lot, and Jolie's husband, might have had to push me out...but I'll never tell.
Leaving for the day, I was pretty sure I'd be making another trip out...and I knew I'd be looking for the "piece that got away."
Fast Forward to this morning.  6am to be exact.  My alarm is going off, letting me know that it's time to get up and get outta town!!  After making myself a breakfast shake and packing plenty of challenge-approved food and snacks to take with me, I was on the road at 7.

Sunrise over Salado

 My first stop was La Bahia, the set-up in Carmine, TX, where my dream piece was...and it was still there!!  I talked the lady down $95 on it, handed her the cash, and it was MINE!!  I could have just gone home after that, but of course I didn't.  A whole day with your husband's blessing to shop without kids?  Um, yeah, I'll be cherishing every minute! 
My round 2 of Antiques Week was pretty different than round one.  I was flying through vendor booths to cover as much ground as I could.  I went through Round Top and hit up a few places I had missed the previous weekend.  I stopped back in to the JG world headquarters, but this time I got pictures with Amie and Jolie, and even spotted a Duck Dynasty wife (Jep's wife, Jessica) at the store!  I was supposed to be meeting up with a friend in Warrenton so that I could stay the night and shop again in the morning without having to sleep in my car...which was a thought I had entertained.  She would text me with some description of where she was like, "I'm eating a taco across from tents with tricked out colorful furniture" (mmm...that sounds yummy.  I guess I'll have to pretend this carrot and hummus is a taco...) and I would start walking in the direction I thought she could be in.  Every time she sent a text, I would start walking in another direction.  After walking about 8 miles - not even joking, I really wish I had worn a pedometer - I gave up trying to find her.  I was hot, I was sunburned, I was dehydrated, I had a migraine, my feet hurt, and I was D-U-N done!  I called Dear Husband to let him know I wouldn't be staying the night, and headed back to our neck of the woods - to shower, change, and unload everything I bought!! 
He had a hot bubble bath waiting for me - I love that man!  He also noticed that my feet had taken a beating from all the walking.  I think his exact words were, "Dang! You got road march feet!"  If he meant blisters on the bottom of both heels, then yup, that was me.
Bath: check!  Clean clothes: check!  Ice water: check!  Time to unload the SUV!!  Let's see what round two did for me:

Antiques Week - round 2

Awesome Dia De Los Muertos jewelry

 The earrings and ring I got from a little boutique type store in Warrenton.  Everything was on sale, which is one of the perks of shopping the last weekend of Antiques Week!  The ring was 20% off and the earrings were 50% off!  I'm ready for November 2! 

My Junk Gypsy loot!

 "Honey Hush" shirt, and a few stickers from the JG World Headquarters! 

 Cool metal letter S - it's even got a place in the back to attach a light :)  I think I'll keep it rusty.














                                                                                          Fireplace piece.  Holds firewood and 4 tools hook on the back!  Got it for $10!!

 More spindles and Fiesta ware! (Two more dinner plates and a casserole dish)

 I've gotta name this thing, because I don't know what to call it.  It's a cabinet, but has a desk fold out, and a drawer...
Maybe I should have asked the lady I bought it from what the heck it was.  Anyway, here it is in all it's glory!!!

 Curved glass detail.  Such a cool piece!!

Bird detail on the top of the desk? cabinet?  What is it??











Well, this girl is tired!  There are about 240 new miles on my car, a few dollars less in my bank account, about 1,000,000,000 calories burned from walking, and a bed calling my name!!! 

120 Day Challenge Day One: in which I stare at my cucumber water

A few weeks ago, I saw a shout out on FB calling any women who had at least 30 pounds to lose to join a 120 day challenge, which would include recipes, grocery lists, tips, and encouragement.  I thought about the latest numbers on the scale and did the math.  According to the dreaded BMI chart, I did have "at least" 30 pounds to lose, so I signed up. 
I ordered my Alkaline shake powder and waited...then the shopping list was posted.  I've gotta admit, there were things on there I couldn't pronounce (Quinoa, by the way is pronounced "Keen-wa?"), and even stuff I had never heard of before.  Tahini?  Turmeric? Coconut Yogurt?  Where would I even find that stuff?  Let's face it, Killeen/Harker Heights isn't exactly the hub of all things organic and healthy.  The nearest Whole Foods is in Austin.  Sure, there's a Natural Grocers in Temple, but that's like, ALL THE WAY IN TEMPLE!!!  Who wants to drive 20 miles to shop for groceries when there's a perfectly good HEB down the road?  Hmmm...maybe this whole "laziness" thing is why I have "at least" 30 pounds to lose in the first place.  But I digress...
I had a really bad morning yesterday.  Like, stressful, silent-cry-at-your-desk type morning.  It's pretty common for me to project that mood onto whatever situations I happen to be in.  Example: If I'm having a bad day on a derby practice day, I usually convince myself that I want to quit.  I've never liked derby.  I'm too old for that, and the coach is a jerk anyway.  Of course when I go to practice, I always figure out that those weren't really my thoughts - well, maybe the coach can be a jerk - it was just my bad mood affecting how and what I thought about everything.  That being said, I honestly thought about backing out of this 120 day challenge yesterday.  Who wants to start ALL OVER with their grocery shopping, especially when you know you're ultimately going to be the only one on this crazy diet?  Groceries for a family of 6 isn't cheap, and throw in the words "organic" a few times on that list and you need to sell plasma or extra kidneys to foot the bill!  And who has time to cook, like, 3 meals a day?  We've got football, and dance, and football, and choir, and football, and full time jobs!  And FOOTBALL!!!  I can't cook breakfast for myself every morning - I can barely remember to do my hair before I walk out the door!  (true story)

To add insult to injury, turns out that I can't read, and the challenge was supposed to start YESTERDAY!!  Not October 1st as I had originally thought!  (I don't even want to think about all the mini-candy wrappers that the janitor had to empty out of my trash can last night.)  I hadn't gone shopping for the free-range-organic-cancer-free eggs!  I didn't have almond "dairy-will-probably-kill-you-or-give-you-cancer" milk!!  Oh dear God, don't let kale be on that list...
Fast forward to 8pm.  Our Growth Group was over for the night - which by the way, had met at a local burger joint instead of our normal host home, and I had a Rocky Road milkshake that was pretty darn good - and I knew there was only one thing left to do: Go grocery shopping.
I have never been more sad to shop in my life.  I'm pretty sure that people passing me by thought for sure my dog had just died.  I was literally on the verge of tears the entire time I was searching for fresh cilantro and gluten free pizza crust.  I bought cucumber for Pete's sake!  I HATE cucumber!!  Whose great idea was this???  Oh yeah.  Mine. 
I searched and read labels for about an hour by myself, which was probably a lot better than my dear husband coming with me and sneaking empty-calorie-GMO-laden-cancer-wafers (you might know them as Oreos) in the cart.  I came home and started to put my sad depressing healthy food away.    This is when it got really interesting.  My dear husband decided to laugh help put away the groceries and the looks on his face were priceless.  I mean, the man can barely pick celery out of a veggie line-up, so artichoke hearts aren't exactly on his radar either.  He asked how and when I was going to prep everything (see?  He knows me!).  I told him I was gonna do it then.  He asked what I was planning on eating for lunch.
"Probably something easy like apples and nut butter."
*Guffaws* "Nut butter?!?!?  That sounds like something I have to wash off after the gym!"
Needless to say, that did NOT make today's lunch menu...
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner was prepped last night. *pats self on the back*
Dear husband got me up this morning so that I could make my alkaline breakfast shake.  It was pretty yummy, I must say.  I was even excited about lunch...until I started eating it.  I've had salads before, but they're usually paired with some kind of dressing.  About 1/4 of the way through it, I decided I could eat around the fresh cilantro...and the romaine lettuce...and the baby spinach.  So basically I had an avocado and a tomato for lunch.  That's not exactly upsetting to me.  I love those two fruits!  Now I'm sitting and staring at my water jug.  That's right.  Staring.  I can't bring myself to drink.  You see, in an effort to branch out and embrace different things, I bought 2 cucumbers last night.  You have to know how much I hate cucumbers to know what a big deal this is for me.  Even as I type this, I'm making that face you make when you walk into the bathroom after someone has just let loose.  You know the face...you're probably making it right now, aren't you?  Uh huh - THAT face!  
Cucumbers are supposed to aid in detoxing the body.  They're supposed to be really good for you.  I happen to like them in their pickled state...which is not so good for you (again, "at least" 30 pounds to lose).  So in an effort to "help" my body and my progress, I sliced about half a cucumber (still making the face as I type that word!), sliced 2 limes, and grabbed some fresh mint from my garden.  I think I've taken 2 sips in the 8 hours I've had it.  I can't do it.  I grab it, I set it right back down. 
Okay I just took a drink....*full body shiver*...I don't know if I can do that again. 
I signed up for 4 months of change, healthy eating and exercise.  I've birthed 4 children!  I've finished a triathlon!  I PLAY ROLLER DERBY...and a cucumber is going to end me!  This is going to be a LONG 4 months.