Up and Down, Up and Down, Up

I had quite an emotional roller coaster this weekend. I reached a pretty low point on the way back from a wonderful trip to Birmingham Saturday morning. My car is known for being very smooth and there have been many times that I’ve looked down and been speeding like crazy without knowing it. While I was driving Saturday, I looked down and noticed that I was going way too fast so I started to ease off the breaks because I said to myself, “You CAN NOT get a ticket, that is the last thing you need.” I guess I didn’t slow down fast enough because in less than 3 minutes I was being pulled over by a state trooper. I was going 87, he said. I didn’t even look at him, I just sort of flung my license and insurance out the window and waited for the inevitable…I’ve heard a few stories here and there but for the most part, there is no getting out of a ticket from a state trooper…that’s their whole job…writing tickets. I drove off heaving in tears. There is nothing worse than a ticket because a) you know it’s your own fault and b) you might as well take $150-$200 and blow your nose on it and then set it on fire. As my mother pointed out, there is never a GOOD time to get a ticket but this is an especially BAD time to get one. I am struggling right now and I’m trying to save up for my New York trip…I basically just wasted a Broadway ticket. It bummed me out pretty bad…I am not making excuses but I have the WORST luck with cops…I get one or two tickets a year and I know people that speed way worse than I do that never get pulled over. I’ve gotten out of two…one I cried and the other was just a miracle. It deflated the happy morning I was having because of the fun time I had with Jordan Friday night. Luckily, my Grandma and Brenda were in from Chattanooga and they took me shopping and retail therapy ALWAYS makes things better. Thanks Grandma!

I know I complain a lot about money and then many times in the same breath talk about my trip to Paris last spring or my upcoming trip to New York this summer. I have needed a new computer awhile and someone told me that if I stopped taking so many trips, I could get one. Unfortunately, I will be paying for all my trips awhile. The thing is, even though I always feel broke, I wouldn’t trade the trips I have taken. First, I’m responsible about it…I save MOST of the money it takes to go places and YES I could pay off some bills early or get a new computer but I’ve never heard anyone say that they regretted the places they’ve gotten to see. In fact, aside from my parents who’ve always allowed us to experience different and unique places, most people I know are filled with regret as they get older because they didn’t get to see and do everything they wanted. I don’t want to end up like that. By July of this year, I will have been to 26 states, France, Germany and Mexico. There aren’t many people that can say that. I am SO privileged to have the ability to do all that. I will say though that because I’ve crammed so much in the past couple of years, the New York trip will probably be my last major trip for awhile…I’ve got to get my stuff together. Up until now, my spending hasn’t hurt anyone or caused anyone extra money and I don’t want that to change…I have a great family and wonderful friends who all offer to help and they already are in several ways but I don’t want to be “that girl,” so I plan on coming up with ways to make extra money and start chipping away at the remnants of travel, clothes and everything else in between. I’m pretty responsible so I am confident (pending my student loans don’t start blowing up in my face even more) I can get back to a good place soon-ish.

In a bit of good news (thanks for sticking with me while I vented), I woke up Sunday morning feeling lighter. I don’t know if anyone else knows this feeling but I felt like I had lost a little weight. As of Friday, I was about the same as I was the week before and even though I was a bit disappointed, I really was fine with waiting but for some reason, something was telling me to weigh. My instincts were DEAD ON because it had me down 3 pounds! I saw a weight on the scale that I truly don’t remember seeing in probably 10 or so years. I honestly don’t remember what I weighed in high school. I thought I was really fat, mostly because there were several gems that made me aware of it every day but I wasn’t obsessed with trying to lose weight. I was pre-occupied with other things going in my life…all things that were part of my effort to get a scholarship to college. So, I don’t really know what I weighed in high school but looking at pictures…I’m either there or getting really close to what I weighed then. I was SO pleased. I stepped off the scale and then got back on just to make sure it wasn’t kidding. This was also a number that allowed me to knock off another point so I am losing up to 100 calories a day…yet another boost…although I am truly mourning the loss of that point. I am 1.8 pounds from hitting the 100 mark…I can’t even believe it.

Before I ramble for too much longer, I wanted to share my recipes for this week-





I made Turkey Cutlets with Parmesan Crust and Roasted Broccoli with Smashed Garlic. Both of these things were easy to make and delicious! The turkey is just dropped in some egg whites and then breaded with a mix of Panko bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. After you do that, sauté it in just a very small amount (as little as 1/8 tbsp if you are only making one) of butter and olive oil for a couple minutes on each side. Once it’s browned up nicely, put it on top of a piece of aluminum foil and pop it in a toaster oven on 250 degrees if you need it to keep warm while you make the broccoli (I did because the broccoli goes 20 minutes and has to be on 450), if you don’t need it to keep warm, then you can go ahead and eat it. It was SO moist and tasty and even just the tiny bit of butter made so much difference. I know broccoli is just broccoli but I wanted to let you know that roasting it makes it taste so much better (my mom got me started on this)! I have always liked broccoli in any capacity but if you aren’t a big fan but need to eat more veggies with fiber and you like garlic…try this…microwave some frozen broccoli a few minutes to soften it and then mix it with about a teaspoon of olive oil (if you use a whole bag of broccoli), salt, pepper and a TON of minced or smashed garlic and roast it at 450 for 15-20 minutes. It softens up the broccoli and it has that garlic-y roasted flavor. YUM!

I was very wordy today so if you made it this far, thanks and kudos!

Hope you all have a nice week!

Bye!

“But how do you wait for heaven
And who has that much time
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know, that you were born, you were born to fly

My daddy, he's grounded like the oak tree
My momma, she is steady as the sun
Oh you know I love my folks
But I keep starin' down the road
Just lookin' for my one chance to run

Yeah, 'cause I will soar away like the blackbird
I will blow in the wind like a sea
I will plant my heart in the garden of my dreams
And I will grow up where I'll wander wild and free

Oh, how do you wait for heaven
And who has that much time
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know, that you were born
You were born yeah
You were born to fly.” Born To Fly-Sara Evans