Weekend Surprise

This was my weekend (first of two)

to teach in Rockledge.

My "local" class.

I still have to run up the highway.

(It's local when you figure my others

are at least 100+ miles away...)

However.

Once again we had zero students.

Not the guy's fault though.

Really.

The other class was going to run over

the Labor Day weekend.

I already taught there over the

4th of July weekend.

And that was not fun.

So, in an effort to make my life better

(yah, I'm sure that was the reasoning)

my Regional Training Coordinator

called my Senior Vice President and

moved everything forward 1 week.

Which was great in theory and on paper.

But meant turning around and refilling

a classroom in one week.

It didn't work.

So I got a surprise weekend off!

(Next weekend too!)

Which was a nice surprise.

(My bank account doesn't agree, but I'm

ignoring that and going with the happy thing.)

Saturday I got a LOT done!

Rod has to be up and to the airport by 7.

Which meant we got up and got all the

animals fed and got HIM fed by 6:30.

Then instead of heading back to bed

(which is something I sometimes do... gasp!)

I did some "research" online while I waited

to hear whether we really had zero folks or not.

(The Senior VP drove over to the school to check.)
(He lives less than 2 miles from there...)

As soon as he confirmed I wasn't going to be needed,

I jumped up and headed to the store.

I like to shop early on Saturday morning before the

stores get busy and the clerks get cranky.

I scored a new cover for my ironing board.

Now I just need a new iron.

We bought one a couple of months ago.

I hate it.

It doesn't get hot!

You iron and iron and iron and iron

and spray with water

and iron

and blast with steam

and iron

and still go to church looking like you just

rolled out of a corner somewhere.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Anyhow.

Then to the health food store for some

whey isolate protein powder

(the only kind I can use that doesn't

mess with my blood sugar/thyroid)

Back just in time to jump online

for a webinar about our new online

expense report system.

Come to Mama!

I can upload all my receipts

just by taking a picture with my phone.

Right there in the restaurant!

Submit my expense report on Monday morning

and (if my RTC is on the ball, which he usually is)

he can take a look and approve it right on HIS phone

from wherever he is! 

(You think I do a lot of traveling...

wouldn't have his job for all the tea in China!)

It can then go right to accounting where it gets

approved and submitted for ELECTRONIC

transfer to my bank account!

No more waiting by the mailbox for 2+ weeks

hoping I actually receive a check.

SO AWESOME!!!!!

Of course, when I tried to jump onto the system

to check it out, the system was down.

I'm hoping to play with it today.

While listening and following along on the webinar,

I was also putting my groceries away and

getting organized.

Then I got started.

Made a big 9x13 pan of German Pancake

with maple flavoring and pecans on the top.

YUM!

Rod and I really love it.

Makes a great grab-and-go breakfast.

Then I mixed up a new recipe of breakfast

muffins I found in my "research" earlier in the morning.

They were DELISH!

And I used my new little silicone muffin paper thingies

so there was almost no cleanup!

Let the oven cool for a little bit

(yeah, did it all in the wrong order)

and baked 2 trays of bacon

to complete our grab-and-go breakfast experience.

Then another of my "research" recipes

yielded 5 little servings of a totally

yummy peanut butter no bake cheesecake.

(Since it was National Cheesecake Day.)

TASTY!

Meanwhile, I also scored a HUGE branch of

ginger root.  Seriously it was like 9 inches long!

(I should have taken a picture! Duh.)

It took FOREVER to peel.

Popped it all into the blender with some

water and let 'er rip!

Made a full quart of fresh ginger juice!

(lots of pulp, but after letting it sit and steep

for a day or two, I'm going to strain the pulp

out so I'll just have the juice.)

I make a drink the Trim Healthy Mamas call

Good Girl Moonshine.

(I call it sunshine)

It sounds disgusting.

It is DELISH and totally addicting.

1T (to start) of good organic Bragg's

apple cidar vinegar

with a good splash of ginger juice

and a teaspoon of pure stevia.

(my next project is to find a stevia plant!)

Lots of ice and water.

Tastes like fresh lemonade.

And does all sorts of healthy things for your body.

It's one of the "all day sippers" so you can keep

it with you and sip off of it all day without

raising your blood sugar.

Anyhow.

By then it was time for Rod to come home from work.

But he didn't.

He went to a friend's house and they built a new gun.

(awesome looking gun - and saved a TON of $$$)

Kyle and I relaxed and watched some Chopped on TV

and then headed back outside to take care of

the animals.

All in all a really nice day!

Tomorrow I'll tell you about Sunday.

But here's a sneak preview...