Some Favorite Holiday Memories

Merry Christmas from Joe & Mandy

Preparing the feast.
Observe that I am merely drinking a White Russian and not helping in the least bit.

Our lovely and healthy Christmas Eve Dinner - YUM!
courtesy of Nicole & Zetty

Faithful friends who are dear to us...
Me & Nicole

Outside lights...

and the inside lights...aww!!

Mandy and Joe ornaments!

Christmas Grayci with her jingle on.

The culprit of last week's gain.
I cooked for three days...

Me with my new haircut & Joe's niece, Cheyenne.

Joe with his grandmothers, Mary & June.
They're the BEST grandmas ever!
(notice Joe's tacky sweater I made him)

Yuehli, Amanda and I at
Amanda's Tacky Sweater/Guitar Hero 3 Party.

I hope that you all had holidays just as wonderful as we did!!

Raise your hand if you're over the damn holidays!!

Too much wine, too many shots, and WAY too much eggnog, grandma's fudge, coconut cake and m&ms. I fear it will not be a pretty sight at the scale on Friday.

BUT although I was totally kicking my own ass about the numbers last night, I'm totally not stressing about it today!

I feel this strange and unfamiliar motivation urging me to get back on the the wagon with a vengence that I haven't felt since early November. See, this weekend was the first time since joining WW last March that I've completely let all of my self control fly out the window. And it's led me to realize that I absolutely hate the feeling of being out of control! I found myself eating anything within reach as if I were a starving zombie (and I will even confess to then spitting it out in the garbage when my taste buds reminded me of what I had done - yikes!). And I certainly don't like the depression that follows my actions when I've been that way.

So, even though I have a major uphill battle to climb this week to get back on track, I have had a valuable reminder of why I started this to begin with and why I will continue - not on January 7 as previously mentioned. But TODAY!!

Who's with me??!

And to all a good weigh in!

This is probably my last post before Santa's arrival, so I'm ending my Christmas Challenge with a loss of .4 for the week. That puts me at 4.4 away from my goal, but I'm pretty happy with what I've accomplished in spite of the holiday fare over the past month. I'm continuing the rest of the holiday season in maintanence mode, but I vow to be back to weight loss mode on January 7. That's the day we return from our annual employee appreciation bash (which is an entire weekend at The Don Cesar in St. Pete, Florida this year - sunshine, baby, yeah!!!). I think someone around here *cough Randi and Carolyn cough* should propose a Spring Break Challenge to get our asses in gear for bathing suit season! Not that you'll see my ass in a bathing suit anytime soon, but just seeing them on the racks makes me want to have the option, you know?

Anyway, the food here in the office sent from clients and brought in by employees has been just plain out overwhelming. I've been holding out for the most part, excluding the 2 chocolate covered raspberries and 2 toffees on Wednesday and a handful of Mud Buddies yesterday. Actually, a coworker noticed I was eating yesterday and was curious to know which treat from the kitchen I had decided to nibble on. She almost seemed disgusted to find out it was an apple, and that made me really proud. :D

A side note in reference to yesterday's Pottery Barn rant, I was thrilled to see a sincere apology from them in my inbox this morning along with a $50 gift certificate which is also good at Williams Sonoma! I'll be doing a little late kitchen gadget shopping for myself in a few weeks - hooray!

As I may have mentioned, after the holidays are over I will be training my replacement for two weeks and then starting 'boot camp' on Jan 17th. Boot camp is basically a 6-week, 12-hour a day, intense training course here at my company where you learn the details of our company, the industry and our software. Only a few more than half make it through the class, the rest go to the unemployment line. I have an advantage in that I've already been here a year (but in a position that did not require getting through the training) and I also happen to live with one of the QA testers for the new version of the software that's being used in training this time. The biggest obstacle for me, I believe, will just be the disruption to my normal routine. I will have to plan my meals even harder and pack more food to get through the 12-hour days, but it's not impossible. Oddly, I'm actually even looking forward to the challenge.

It looks as though they're letting us go home early here today, so I should get back to work tying up some loose ends.

Merry Christmas, Ya'll!

Happy Freakin' Holidays to you too, Pottery Barn.

This letter pretty much sums up how my shopping experience has been this year. Hope you guys are more ready for the holiday than I am.

Dear stupid f*$#s at the Pottery Barn:

(no I didn't say that in the real letter, but I should've)

Last Wednesday (12/12/07) I placed my first, and what may very well be my last order with the Pottery Barn. After I placed my order , I continually checked back on the progress on your website only to find it still "in progress" a week later. Upon calling your customer service line yesterday, I was told by Ellie that my order appeared to be lost and that 2 of my items were now out of stock and I would not be able to get them. This was SO disappointing - as they were two of my main christmas gifts that were going to be given during our dinner this coming Saturday. Not only would I not have any gifts, I would have to make time to go and choose alternatives in just 2 days!! Meanwhile, I asked for those 2 items to be cancelled and since the rest of my order was in stock, I asked Ellie to please expedite those items for Saturday delivery.
I did receive an email today (Thursday) that my items had been shipped. To my surprise, the 2 items I was told were not in stock were shipped!! The good news is that I will have the gifts I originally wanted. The bad news is that I will have to make ANOTHER trip to the mall today to return the gift I bought in replacement for them last night. The straw that is absolutely breaking the camel's back here is that I just found out that my items will not arrive until MONDAY! This is just completely unacceptable considering I placed my order LAST WEDNESDAY!
I do not want to cancel my order, however, due to your failure, my parents will now not receive their gifts until after Christmas - possibly spring! I am so very disappointed. I was very much looking forward to being a long time customer of the Pottery Barn. I had recently gotten my first catalog and couldn't wait to get my first order. I am very let down that a ruined christmas would be my first and last experience.

A. Vaughn

So now thanks to them and Barnes & Noble, half of my presents won't be here until Monday - 2 days too late. I'm having to try REAL REAL hard to keep up the Christmas spirit, people. *sigh*

Scrooged

It had to happen eventually. My indulgent celebrations have finally caused me a gain: A whole freakin' pound this week.

I'm currently trying to detox from Friday night today in hopes that I can level it back off for this weeks' weigh in. 0-point soup, here I come!!

I Give Up

I'm not exactly sure why, but my info for the christmas challenge never gets updated.
So I'm posting my own, because I'm starting to feel like a loser with the 30% that keeps showing up on the official spreadsheet:

Goal: 160 lbs
Current: 163.8
Total lost: 9.2
Total lost %: 71%


12/07/07 163.8 lbs -1.0 lbs
11/28/07 164.8 lbs -0.8 lbs
11/21/07 165.6 lbs -1.8 lbs
11/14/07 167.4 lbs +0.2 lbs
11/07/07 167.2 lbs -1.6 lbs
10/29/07 168.8 lbs -0.4 lbs
10/26/07 169.2 lbs -0.6 lbs
10/19/07 169.8 lbs -1.5 lbs
10/12/07 171.3 lbs +0.9 lbs
10/05/07 170.4 lbs -1.1 lbs
09/28/07 171.5 lbs -1.5 lbs

I feel better now.

Checkin' in

I managed a tiny loss last week (1.0 lb) And for that I am SO thankful! I have had to employ the most stellar of eating habits during the week to make up for all the festivities. I'm now 3.8 away from my Christmas goal, and with 2 weeks to go, it *could* happen.

BUT, I'm worried about WI this week...chinese food, wine, eggnog, cupcakes, peppermint bark, sausage balls, bacon wraps were all a part of my weekend. Our Christmas party for our friends was Saturday night, which wasn't SO bad. I even ate a healthy dinner BEFORE the party started AND drank all of my water. I nibbled here and there, probably more than I would have had it not been for the wine, but overall, I escaped with little injury. THAT was Saturday. I will share a bit of advice with you all about the day after: put up any food the night before!! I awoke Sunday morning a little dehydrated of course and starving, so I managed to ruin the day 30 minutes into it with the leftovers lying around(cookies & M&M's). F)%*(&@#&@!!!
I proceeded to ruin it even further last night by choosing to order chinese instead of getting my ass up and going to the grocery store (we were cleaned out on everything to eat from the party). I'm paying dearly today with a major case of bloat. And I couldn't even make myself step on the scale this morning.

On top of it all...my fitness goals for the month are going on the backburner for now. And I really hate this since I'm seeing all of you guys setting fitness goals, but I'm barely managing to get my cardio miles in! AND I haven't even done a lick of shopping besides what I got for Joe. I'm seriously behind. Whoever said (I think it was Randi) that dieting should be just a summer thing, I have to agree.

But I think the break from it all during the holidays may be just what I need to get back to it in January.

In the meantime, a couple of tiny goals for the week just so my whole world doesn't crumble:

- get in 12 miles somehow
- give away the rest of the damn cupcakes and peppermint bark

You may now commence to kicking my ass:

SO BUSY!

Between trying to plan a wedding (which is officially October 25, 2008, by the way), a bachelorette party, and 2 christmas parties in the next 30 days, my blog is suffering. Luckily, my eating habits are NOT!

I don't know if my metabolism has decided to pick back up since I've quit smoking (I heard Oprah's trainer say that quitting smoking actually does affect your body's chemistry and makes it very hard to lose and quit at the same time - so yay me! I'm awesome!) or maybe just not obsessing about every little thing is the key, but whatever the reason, I managed to lose again this week without half trying!

I've been too sick, exhuasted and busy to get more than one good walk in since last week. I've cooked pasta for dinner for the last two evenings - something I don't EVER do. I just haven't felt focused on 'the plan', but maybe I've been doing it so long that I'm unconsciously ON even when I don't think I am.

Who knows. But I will take my .8 loss this week as a blessing and encouragement to focus harder next week.

And with this loss, 4.8 to go until I reach that Christmas Goal!

I remember saying when I signed up for the challenge that I wanted to be wearing a size 12 to the company party this year. Actually, it looks like it might even be a 10!

Here's something I just got in my inbox. Pics are always fun! This is me & Joe at Thanksgiving. Look! You can see my collar bones and no double chin! Holy skinny cow! I almost look THIN in this pic!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Fear of Failure

Do any of you ever start replying to someone else's blog only to realize you have suddenly written an entire entry of your own in their comment section?

Well, I just had this happen over at Randi's blog. She just met a chin-up goal of hers - how very awesome! It made me think about my own goals and how I tend to keep them all secret. Not like super secret in a locked up box or anything, I've just not told anyone or announced them here on my blog. I remember learning in my persuasion class that by making something public, you commit yourself and increase your chance of success. Then again I also know that by NOT announcing my goals, I've never really set them, so I never fail at achieving them. I really despise making plans and goals only to have them fall by the wayside when life gets in the way. I don't like letting other people down and so I often miss out on things that I might enjoy and even be good at (like playing softball with the team at work).

I suppose this is something I learned before I even knew what failure meant. I don't look down on other people who occasionally don't reach their goals - I commend them for trying. So why in the hell am I so hard on myself?

What do I have to lose, right? There's a better chance I'll succeed or at least improve myself trying to get there than never trying at all, right?

So, here goes. A goal aside from numbers on the scale (that I seem to have only a moderate amount of control over on any given day).

I hereby declare that I, seldom setter of goals with a dog in her lap licking her turkey leftover infused fingers, will be able to hold that plank for 60 seconds by the end of December. 3 of them. Without uttering explicatives.

It shall be done.

Thanks, Randi. :)

The Unplanned

A monkey wrench right in my perfectly planned week of festivities and projects arrived yesterday in the form of some nasty head cold/sinus infection funk. Bleh. The first time I'm sick in over a year couldn't have been more ill timed. I have too much to do to feel like crap! And between the paint fumes and cold meds, you are lucky if any of this has made sense so far.

I did manage to escape the dreaded Thanksgiving dinner disasters. I didn't feel up to making the salad, but I still filled half of my plate with green items - beans & collards. I rounded it out with a small serving of the white bird meat and about three bites of my sweet potato souffle. I had seconds on the green beans and shared a slice of triple chocolate cheesecake with my honey (that he made all by himself!). Not a bad day at all. We even left all of the remaining dishes for everyone else to take home (a nice advantage of not having the dinner at your own place).

I can't say I've been completely on plan all week though. I've been so busy, I am starving by the time I realize it's past time for lunch or dinner. Such moments lead to ordering of pizza. I doubt this will be ANY good for my weigh in next week, but I tried to be somewhat healthy and left off the cheese. Anybody have any ideas on what a slice is from Papa John's thin crust without cheese?

I totally forgot to post my WI from yesterday. The scale was kind: 165.6. Down 1.8 for the week. 5.6 from my christmas challenge goal with 4 weeks to go. We shall see....

Thankful For

...all of the holiday eating survival tips that have surfaced over the past week!

(Ok, and yes, pumpkin pie, ya got me)

While alot of them are common sense, I've chosen these four as my mantra for Thursday's feast:

1. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK, DRINK!!!!!!!!!!!!

(the water, that is)

It's the only thing I can count on to make me not hungry and to keep me that way.

2. Take only about 3 bites of the things that you want.

I like this one. I agree that I really only remember the first and last bite of it anyway, so why bother with the rest?

3. Sit next to the slowest eater.

I am SO guilty of inhaling my food - but when I'm around slower eaters it makes me more conscious and I tend to slow down. This could work...

4. Wear the skinny jeans to dinner!

Not only will everyone tell me how fabulous I look in those new 12's I just bought, but I won't be able to overstuff myself without developing a muffin top either!

I have to admit that I'm also thankful that my man's family's thanksgiving dinner food isn't the greatest. It basically consists of every possible vegetable in a mayo or soup-based casserole - ugh. So this year, I'm taking my kick ass sweet potato souffle that I take every year (it's just not thanksgiving without it, and mine is the best!) and a SALAD! I'm looking forward to seeing how many takers there are on the salad...

oh, and that gives me an impromptu #5:

Half of my plate will be that salad.

Rock on, my fellow turkey lovers.

No Surprises

I'm true to my pattern again this week. After a good substantial loss, I always gain or stay the same the following week. This week I'm up .2. Not shocking at all.

If there's a bright side, it's that I am learning how my body likes to lose weight, and that keeps me from losing motivation knowing that a so-so week is just part of the deal for me. So yay for not being deflated over a .2 gain.

Aside from the cheese and wine incident last Friday, I've been doing pretty great with my food intake. I'm not doing as well as I could substituting the apple for the Jello pudding snack, and I totally have an addiction to the baked Lay's with cheddar & sour cream, but there's still plenty to be proud of - including walking right past 3 boxes of donuts and muffins AND a homemade chocolate cake in the breakroom yesterday without touching any of it. I work with a bunch of evil bastards, I tell ya.

The new running shoes (made by Ryka - anyone tried them before?) are breaking in nicely and I'm totally kicking ass on my goal of running at least half the distance. I may be a good bit above half actually. And it feels great! There's this KILLER hill in our subdivision I save for last and last night I noticed I wasn't even winded at the top! I'm still managing only about 3.5 miles 4 or 5 times a week. I'd like to be at 4, but I have to be realistic and set time limits on exercise. Otherwise, I'd be out walking for 2 hours every night. I'm doing planks (3 for about 40 seconds each) and some arm weights while I watch TV to try and get in some upper body and core work. It's not much, but it's a start.

This weekend the holiday blur begins. Saturday morning I have a wedding consultation at The Foundry Park Inn in Athens (which means I could have a date set on Saturday!) and going over to my crafty friend Jolene's to make christmas cards that afternoon. Sunday I am prepping my living room/hallway/foyer/dining room area for repainting over Thanksgiving. Joe and I are taking the week off to get it all done. Thanksgiving we'll go to his parents and then the 2nd annual hockey game with our friends, and then at some point during the weekend, we'll go visit my mom. The rest of the time will be spent with a roller in hand. Joy, joy. (notice the sarcasm)
Ah well, it needs to be done and what better time than before the holidays, right?

The weekend after Thanksgiving I'm hosting a post-bachelorette party for a friend of mine whose matron of honor somehow managed to miss that detail of being the highest ranking member of the wedding party. She's already tied the knot, but loved the idea of having a girl's night out, so I'm getting the limo for us girls and we're going to a nice dinner in Decatur, followed by dessert at The Chocolate Bar (a new awesome dessert bar), and karaoke at the Irish Pub here in Conyers. Should be a blast!

The next several weeks after that are a hodgepodge of my own holiday parties and parties of friends, so you can bet I'll have my ass in the kitchen quite a bit! This is the one time of year when my Martha gets to come out and play. Hee, and I don't mean anything off-color by that at all. HAhahahaha...sometimes I crack myself up!!! Could you imagine referring to your hoo-hoo as Martha??! Oh dear....ahem.

ANYWAY, the real Christmas challenge is just beginning for me. Somehow I am doubting that I will reach my 13 pound goal, but a little more than halfway at this point isn't too bad. I think NOT gaining anything over the next month is going to be much harder than losing what I have the last 3 months! I WILL BE STRONG! And I will not be having that cigarette with the glass of wine! Funny, I really don't even think about smoking anymore until someone reminds me that I use to. Perhaps I really am a non-smoker now.

:D

Oh, weigh in for the week is 167.4. +.2 from last week.
Goal for 12/25 is 160.

Just reminding myself.

A Little Inspiration

This is my inspiration for the week. After too much cheese & wine on Friday night, I certainly need some. I may be breaking even on weigh in this week, but here's a little something to celebrate:



I now see how good I was at avoiding having my picture taken when I was at my heaviest weight over a year ago. I have no decent pics to which I can compare myself!

But, I came across one taken last October (above on the left) around 194 lbs. And although the angle I'm turned and the clothes I'm wearing seem to camoflage some of the progress, you can definitely see a difference - if only in my face. The one on the right was taken at around 170 lbs a few weeks ago.

Asshat?

The Oracle of Starbucks has this to say about my triple espresso order:
(I'm pretty sure I don't even know what an Asshat is!)

Behold the Oracle's wisdom:

Personality type: Asshat

You carry around philosophy books you haven't read and wear trendy wire-rimmed glasses even though you have perfect vision. You've probably added an accent to your name or changed the pronunciation to seem sophisticated. You hang out in coffee shops because you don't have a job because you got your degree in French Poetry. People who drink triple espresso are notorious for spouting off angry, liberal opinions about issues they don't understand.

Also drinks: Any drink with a foreign name
Can also be found at: The other, locally owned coffee shop you claim to like better

Green Star!

Remember that blathering email from Friday where I pondered everything but my own existance?

Well forget all that. I hung in there and have lost 1.6 since Friday!

and that puts me over the 25-pound mark (green star, baby, yay!) on WW.

I have no idea why or how. I haven't done anything different. Maybe all of my hard work has just finally caught up with me. It's about damn time! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!

I'm IT!

Ahhh! I got tagged! I'm it! Wheeeeee!

I've been tagged by the swizzlin' popstar, so I must oblige by playing along.

And besides, it's way more fun than my whiney, pathetic last post.

The Rules:
1-Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2-Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird
3-Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4- Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog

About Me:

1. The first four of these will probably take me a while, will be well-thought out and carefully planned. The last three will be crap.

2. I would try out for American Idol if I weren't too old.

3. I am 3 1/2 years sober from a helluva drug addiction. That feels good to say.

4. I'm getting hair removal with my christmas bonus this year. And since I love you guys so much, I'll take it to the next level and tell you where...the hairs of my chinny chin chin.

5. I am marrying a man with the stinkiest farts in the whole world.

6. I have recently come to the conclusion that Fiber One bars make me 2nd runner up in that race.

7. I am really scared about my new job and being on the road so much.

I tag...

Anne

Cory

Tara

Frustration = lack of motivation

Again I say: stupid scales.

It’s just a mediocre week for me. No huge loss to post about. No fireworks. No jumping up and down. A measley freakin’ 1/2 pound.

No doubt a direct product of the 2^nd helping of chili and too many tortilla chips on Halloween and the too-many-to-count rum & diet cokes on Tuesday.

It’s been hard to be good this week with the holiday. I’ve gone ‘out’ 3 nights of the week. That’s completely NOT typical for me. Is this a sign of the holiday tragedies that are to come? Oh dear…

And I had SUCH a good start from my stellar weekend. *sigh*

And the thing is, I didn't even use all my flex points with the two aforementioned mishaps included.

The biggest bummer of it all is that for the entire month of October I have only lost 2.5 pounds.

That’s pathetic. This could be the first real plateau I've hit.

I think what worries me most is that at this rate I’m going to totally lose all motivation. I feel boredom starting to creep in.

But enough of my whining. Where do I go from here?

I’m doing great with my regular walking/jogging schedule. Especially considering last month, I walked 19 out of 31 days for a total of 143,000 steps or 63 miles. That averages 8,000 steps or 3.3 miles for each outing. I have logged so many miles in the past few months that I need new shoes! I’ve made a few visits to the gym for weight training and have thrown in some planks for good measure at home. Although I could definitely (and plan to) add more weights and strength training in November, this is awesome for me and what my body is use to.

I’ve been thinking about switching up the workout just to see what happens. I have The Firm setup I bought over a year ago and could barely use when I was 200+ pounds. I’m sure it will be much easier now. Just gotta figure out where in my cramped house I’m going to have room to set it up.

BUT… If it really is only 20% exercise and 80% diet…it MUST BE the diet, right?

I have gone back to tracking my points, flex included, like it’s a religion. I am consistent on my daily points (usually under by 1 or right on). I’ve never felt like one of those people who isn’t eating enough – it’s just impossible.

Lately, I have even been giving up the 1 and 2 point ‘treats’ I use to allow myself. I could probably stand to have a bit more calcium in my diet, but as for veggies and fruit intake, I’m always on track with my daily apple, carrots & celery, huge helping of spinach or greens for lunch and the same with dinner.

I rarely go beyond my allowed flex points during the week. Most of the time, I only use half of them.

I’m wondering if maybe I should try something different all together. As much as I hate the thought of anything far fetched from my normal way of eating, I’ve even been considering the South Beach thing. Or maybe I should just switch to the Core Plan for a while.

But before I give up on the points altogether, I am going to give one last honest effort next week. Record everything. Double the water intake. Go for the 12000 steps each time instead of stopping at 10000. Jog half of it.

Also, I've decided to switch my weigh in day to Wednesday instead of Friday. Hopefully this will curb my urges to splurge on the weekends knowing I only have 2 days to recover.

That's where I am. Those are my plans. Your suggestions and encouragement is welcome and appreciated!

Websense Sucks

A morning like any other...

I get to work around 8:20 and immediately head to the kitchen to jump start my metabolism with my usual bowl of Fiber One with Fiber Plus Vanilla Silk. I Sit down at my desk to eat while catching up on blogs from the previous evening. Oh, hey, look! Carolyn has written up something about her Halloween. Let's go check it out! I love how she always addresses her audience as 'ladies'. It feels so at home and southern to me. Hmmm...I wonder if the Hot Thick Chick has given in to her Diet Coke addiction yet. Let's go and find out! Randi has a new blog up as well. Let's go see who she's been giving hell and how huge her biceps are this week! Looks like Bri and Meg have been busy over at Skinnify and the weigherinnerlady (hehe) has again offended my fellow blogger Swizzlepop. I am entertained daily by them and all and it's a great start to the morning. Not to mention it motivates me to eat those carrots (yes, again) and fill up the water jug.

However, this morning, as I clicked a direct link so as to leave a comment, I was DENIED! It seems that malicious content has been coming from blogspot and as of yesterday it is added to the Websense list of sites to which we are denied access. Luckily, I can still read all of your blogs, but ixnay on the freakin' ommentscay. Damnit, damnit, damnit!

Looks like I will be saving my comments for nights and weekends only. BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Beware the Care Bear Stare!

Last night was trivia night.

The theme = scary.

Team Name = Care Bear Scare.

Me = awesome!

I'm still not exactly sure how I came up with Kubrick for directing The Shining. I'm not even a Kubrick fan.

But that was my shining moment (no pun intended) that led to our team's ultimate victory.

And so my friends, I had a realization that I must be a complete and utter dork. And I'm more than ok with that. See, for me, it's not about my body, or what I can or cannot wear that determines my worth. There's so much more to me than the shell I live in. Last night being the trivia MVP made me feel like the sexiest woman alive! :D

Nothing much else to report. I had a great weekend catching up on laundry, watching movies and planting some beautiful amber and burgandy mums. And of course, any weekend spent watching UGA kick the crap out of some Gators is NEVER a bad weekend. Woot!

I've found that when I have no plans for the weekend, it's so much easier to stay on track. Somehow, I've even managed to show a loss already this early in the week! (Holy Crap!)

I don't want to jinx myself, but this could turn into a really good week for WI on Friday. Here's hoping...

Numbers

I've been pretty discouraged with my numbers all along. They are never where I want them to be and always seem to be just barely hovering where they are - not stable by any means.

I had a huge realization about the scale numbers tonight actually. I've only lost about 8 pounds since July, but I can now get into almost everything in my closet. Things I've not worn in four years. Things I had kept just for sentimental reasons.

I had a bit of meltdown after trying a few things on because I have been so hard on myself thinking I'd made no progress whatsoever. But I have. And it's all in inches!! And I will take a tinier new wardrobe over the numbers on the scales anyday!

The Essential 8

Sometimes I am so consumed with the numbers on the scale that I often forget how much healthier I am based on my diet alone. I came across an article today that made me realize that my diet is currently the best it has been in my whole life. Of course, that's not saying much coming from having a mother who's ideal dinners were cheeseburgers and candy bars, but I can honestly say that on the whole, I am very proud of everything that goes into my body these days.

The article listed the 8 foods you should eat every day and what it's good for. The list of them includes spinach, yogurt, tomatoes, blueberries, walnuts, oats, carrots and black beans. I can check off at least 5 of them on any given day, but I could certainly up my intake of walnuts and berries.

How many of them do you eat?

Oh Betty Crocker How I Love Thee

This soup is largely responsible for my staying on track the past week. If it weren't for the sodium, I would eat it every day!!

Seriously, if you haven't tried this Progresso Light Southwestern-Style Vegetable, what on earth are you waiting for?!

Chrivia Night

that would be chili meets trivia night.

We needed a quick dinner before heading out the door on this nasty, rainy October eve to support the trivia team, and so a variation of the Hearty Turkey Chili from the WW database was on the menu. We threw this together into the crock pot while we were home on our lunch break. However, we took queues from another chili recipe and spiced this one up a bit. Literally.

The turkey chili recipe is pretty basic, so I always cook it up from memory. It goes something like:

small package of ground turkey (i think it's around 2 lbs) browned in a skillet with one chopped onion, as much garlic as you like, and 1 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp cumin, and 2 tbsp chili powder.

throw this mixture into a slow cooker (or large pot) along with a can of crushed tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper, 2 chopped carrots, and one can of kidney beans. This recipe also calls for a cup of chicken broth, but if you were to add the poblanos in the next step, skip the stock. It comes out a bit too soupy with both liquids.

If you are brave, like we were today, take 3 poblano chili peppers (dried), heat them in a skillet on medium until they puff up and soften a bit. Cut off their tops and deseed them (you can add the seeds directly to the crock pot at this point if you like more heat). Place the peppers in a bowl and cover them with a cup of boiling water for a few minutes. Throw the water/pepper mixture into a blender or food processor and pulse a few times. Add this to the crock pot.

Let this cook on low for 4 or 6 hours.

If I were to cook this up on a weekend, I'd sacrifice a few points and add a half bottle of Guiness. The depth the ale gives it is incredible!

I also took a hint from Roni and cooked up my first spaghetti squash tonight. In the bottom of my bowl underneath the chili, it felt like I ate twice as much as I actually did - for ZERO points!
Thanks, Roni!

Ode to Me

inspired by a post on swizzlepop's blog, reasons why I'm awesome...

1. Because I stuck to my goals for the weekend. Yeah, I ate the cake, but I also ate only raw veggies for the rest of the reception with a smidgen of dip. I also got the 8 miles in! (which is probably why I'm blogging right now - i doubt i can get up from this chair)

2. Because I am about to start a new position at work in January. It requires going through a rigorous 6-week boot camp of 10-12 hour days, but I know I can do it and I can't wait to be out on the road training clients and being utilized to my fullest potential!

3. Because last weekend I had to go and kidnap all of my skinny size 12 jeans from a friend I had permanently 'loaned' them to (or so I thought!)

4. Because I saved $15 with my coupons today! Cha-ching!

5. Because I finally realized that I don't need Joe's family's approval to know that I'm awesome. Damn it, I just am!

Here's to a terrifically awesome week!

I have a confession...

I am obsessed with coupons.

I have been on and off since I was married in my early 20's and HAD to clip them in order to afford groceries.

And lately, the rising price of groceries has prompted a relapse ($4 for a gallon of milk - WTF??!). Every Sunday morning these days you can find me curled up on the couch with my coffee, puppies, scissors, and the giant Sunday edition of the AJC (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) clipping, sorting, and merging them into my already massive collection of papyrus treasures.

You can imagine my delight when earlier this week I found a site called The Coupon Clippers. Here you can search through their collection of coupons and for pennies of the face value, you can order as many coupons as you like for only products you use on a regular basis. My first order arrived today - an envelope stuffed full of coupons for Progresso Soup, Fiber Plus Silk, Morningstar Farms, Laughing Cow Wedges, and Birds Eye Steamfresh veggie packs. I paid a mere $8 for all of these coupons that will amount to at least $40 in savings. And the best part is that it's all products I normally buy anyway!!!!

Now if I could just find a solution for how freakin' long it takes the cashiers to ring the damn things up...

1-6-X

They appeared this morning. The elusive 1-6 prefix on the scale.
It feels good.

Officially down 1.5 for the week, 23.7 total loss on WW.
Today's weigh in = 169.8

BUT...
The weekend stares me in the face. Today has already been a semi-disaster with chinese for lunch. I should've just went home and had the usual ham sandwich, but at least I have a full week before weigh in. I know that the wedding tomorrow will involve cake. Here's hoping that it's cheesecake or lemon, or just a really bad, dried-out anykind of cake that discourages me from eating it. OR that my skinny pants I plan to wear make me so uncomfortable I can't eat it.

So the plan is as follows:

I'm attempting to keep better track of my flex points on the weekends. I had been letting it slide. Keeping up with it in my head isn't the greatest idea I've ever had. I will continue to journal everything again this weekend.

Get in as much water as possible Saturday morning before the wedding. But not so much that I have to go pee three times during the ceremony.

Rack up at least 8 activity points before Monday. Or, walk 4 miles tonight, 4 on Sunday. Shouldn't be a problem.

Be at (or under) what I was today on the scale when I step on it Monday morning.

**It's been a while since I've posted an update on this topic, but it's an important achievement for me. This Sunday marks 6 weeks since I've given up the Camel Lights. It feels GREAT!

Have a great weekend guys and gals!

Baby Girl's Birthday

Happy 5th Birthday, Grayci. Mama loves you SO much!

Old Friends

Last night at the Ryan Adams show at the Fox, I ran into an old friend. Things didn't end so well between us, so the chance encounter was awkward to say the least. At first, anyway. My heart skipped a beat when I realized who had called my name from across the room - the last person on earth I wanted to see.

After the first few minutes of superficial 'you look great' comments, it occured to me that my old friend was glad to see me. I had reached out to her a year and a half or so ago to try and mend things, without any real response, so I had let it go. You can imagine my shock and disbelief when we ended up confessing our miscommunications over a few glasses of wine, hugging, laughing (I actually shed a tear or two; hoping she didn't notice) and sharing stories from our past four years that we had not shared together. Actually, I'm still a little baffled by it all.

It is such a warm feeling I can't explain. I suggest everyone try a little forgiveness of your own and see what happens...

To old friends!

Quick Numbers

WI - 171.3
Lost on WW - 22.2
Total Lost - 34.7
Change this week - +.9

Goals for the weekend
Stick to the afforementioned plan
Drink all of my water

Ready for WI

After substituting veggies for almost all of my normal treats this week and kicking some serious ass during my 'last chance workout' last night (11000 steps, approx 4.5 miles - at least 2 miles jogging), I think I may have managed to avoid a huge gain this week. WHEW!

This is my reminder that a splurge on Sunday = a gain on Friday.

I already have a plan in place for the weekend - some yummy chili for Saturday evening (ingredients already purchased, no excuses) to endulge myself without having it show up on the scales Monday. I am stocked up with some Breyer's double churn light for a 2-point treat on Sunday to follow some grilled turkey burgers.

My only big challenge looks to be a concert I'm going to on Sunday evening. I'm planning to save 4 points for a couple of light beers or glasses of wine and definitely eat dinner beforehand and stash some 100-calorie packs of something in the car for the ride home.

I have some extra motivation in the form of a wedding I'm attending next weekend. Not only will I need to have a great week next week in case of a minor lapse in judgement during the festivities, but I also want to look fabulous for all of Joe's family who I've not seen in a while. Finally, I'll be the one being asked 'have you lost weight' instead of my future SIL who's a beanpole to begin with! You guessed correctly if you were thinking I'll be wearing those skinny black pants. ;)

Oh, one last thing to report. Have you all tried the WW Caramel Cakes? YUM!!! 1 point of heaven...

Weekend Disasters

For the second week in a row, I have sabatoged my week of hard honest effort in one day on the weekend. I don't really understand how ONE meal can zero out all of my hard work for the previous two weeks! ARGH!!!!!!! It is so frustrating to be losing the same 3 pounds over and over and over.

The insanity has to stop. This weekend I will NOT allow one moment of starvation to ruin the last 120 hours worth of planning, measuring and counting. I need a plan. I feel like the routine I have during the week has become so much of a routine that I'm rebelling against it on Saturday and Sunday. Perhaps I'll search out a special menu to cook for dinner on Saturday and that will spice things up without making me dread getting on the scales the next day.

All I know is that at this rate, I will never see the 160s.

*SIGH*

I feel like I should end this dreaded post on a positive note. Eating more often during the day has definitely helped me maintain control until dinner. I have also bumped up my dinner time to around 6:30 instead of 7:00. Since I usually spend my time after dinner walking or consumed with what I'ved tivo'd from the night before, I find that I don't get hungry again before bedtime.

I am also hitting the office gym again this week starting today for some strength training. I will need a miracle to have a loss this week...

The Dogs Who Found ME

I just finished reading a book by Ken Foster called "The Dogs Who Found Me: what I've learned from pets who were left behind". It is a touching demonstration of the human spirit and the reciprocation of generosity that occurs when you rescue an animal. What you get in return is worth every sacrifice. In so many ways, these two have rescued me.

A dog comes to you and lives with you in your own house, but you do not therefore own her, as you do not own the rain, or the trees, or the laws which pertain to them...

A dog can never tell you what she knows from the smells of the world, but you know, watching her, that you know almost nothing...


-From "Her Grave" by Mary Oliver

no...more...apples!!

For my afternoon snack today, I am forcing down the last of those apples from my picking adventure last week. I feel confident I am good on my fiber intake for several months to come....

My experiment of eating more often during the day is going well so far, despite a bit of mindless snacking upon arriving home from work yesterday. But it wasn't nearly to the same extent. I actually *listened* to the tiny voice that said stop this time. Part of it very well could be just plain ol' habit, so if that's the case, if I make sure I'm not hungry when I walk in the door, I might be able to do the mental work necessary to avoid consuming those extra points in 2 minutes flat. Either that, or I'm going to start using the front door in order to avoid the kitchen altogether!

The schedule I'm following goes something like:

7:30am 1/2 cup fiber one cereal, 1/2 cup silk = 1 pt
10:00am yoplait light yogurt = 2 pt
12:30pm turkey, spinach & feta in a FlatOut wrap = 3 pt
progresso light soup = 0 pt
baked lays = 2 pt
2:30pm 6oz apple = 1 pt
4:00pm kashi peanut peanut butter bar = 2 pt
5:30pm popcorn = 1 pt
7:00pm grilled chicken salad = 8 pt
skim milk = 2 pt*

Total = 22 points
*I am often guilty of forgoing listed skim milk at dinner for a weight watchers cookies & cream bar. Not ideal, but mmmmm!!!!

I could really get the hang of this eating all the time thing!

Tuesday Contradictions

Today I'm eating all day, every hour to see if this helps curb my appetite later in the day. Yesterday I didn't eat anything after lunch, so at 5:30, upon arriving at home, I went straight to the pantry, scarfed down some chips, apple pie and popcorn. Today will be BETTER! And tomorrow the scales will be happy! I had a tiny gain this morning after eating all that crap yesterday - even after walking 3 miles last night. :(

The contradiction to the lack of weight loss I'm able to log is that today I'm wearing these slim fit size 14 pants that I haven't worn since probably 1993. I look HOT! OWWWWWWWWWW! :)
I'm guessing that all of the miles I've logged this past month have made a huge difference after all, even if it's not on the scales. However it has happened...I'll take it!

And I'm still determined to see the 160s this week, damnit, if it kills me.

Thank you dear baby Jesus, it's Friday!

And I'm down a pound to start off this Christmas Challenge.

I'm happy for the loss, but honestly, I would've shed 2 pounds if it hadn't been for my "on vacation" excuses. Ah well. Next week.

I lived to report my time for my first 5k last night: 00:50:49! I'm quite pleased with that. If we'd started with the runners, the time would've been more accurate. I'm really just shocked at how competitive I got and how much I ended up running! I'd see the gray haired lady in front of me, and that would push me to keep running. I'd hit a downhill stretch and it would push me to keep running. I'd try to stop for a second to catch my breath, and then Joe would push me to keep running. And to think, I had really only planned to walk the entire 5k!

Oh, after I had oh so carefully put together the 5k playlist, I read on the race guidelines that headphones weren't allowed. I reluctantly left my ipod at home...only to get there and see that everyone else brought theirs! (are there no 5k police at these things??!)
*sigh*

Looks like I'll have to use that playlist for a walk this weekend instead.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

It's not just a safeword anymore

How'd I spend my last day of vacation?
Why, making applesauce of course!

3 1/2 pounds of rome beauty apples; peeled, cored, sliced
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1/8 cup lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup water

Throw all ingredients in a big pot. Cover. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cook for 40minutes.
Transfer to food processor and pulse until smooth.

Divided into 8 servings, approx 1/2 cup each, 2 points!

5k = 3.1. So why am I nervous?

Tomorrow is my first 5k. I am suddenly fearful that every measurement I've taken of my regular walking route is only 2 miles instead of 4.5. I am just sure that the entire 5k will be a 20% incline. Or perhaps I'm only anxious because I'll be wearing spandex in public.

I'm trying really hard to just focus on the free t-shirt and the perfection of the 5k playlist. I'm sure that after my 4-hour hiking (mis)adventure on Saturday, tomorrow's walk/run will be a piece of cake! (that means "easy", not followed by a celebratory piece of literal cake)

The playlist for my 5k works out like so:

1. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

This song has been my #2 playlist spot following KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" for at least the past 3 months. I had to drop KT for the race. The pace is just too slow and only one warm-up song should suffice. I'm not sure I could get my groove on if I dropped them both, however.

2. Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown

Sure to turn a regular walk into a bounce.

3. Tears Dry On Their Own - Amy Winehouse

I've been digging Amy since a friend sent me Rehab a year ago. "he walks away, the sun goes down", this tune makes me feel like i'm on a mission!

4. Suspicious Minds - Dwight Yoakam

This one jumps me up to 124bpm, but Dwight makes me not even notice. Plus, Joe digs this one, so it stays.

5. Crazy on You - Heart

Nothing gets me more motivated than Ann Wilson's voice. Damn.

6. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers

I pray that I'm climbing a hill during this segment of the playlist. This song was made for that purpose, I'm sure of it!

7. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

A fast-paced, yet mellow song to trick the mind.

8. Get Back - The Beatles

For my Joe-Joe.

9. The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani

After realizing that she's only nearly every playlist I make, I think she must be my girl crush.

10. Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera

This one could easily be replaced at any moment. I've just heard it too many times. But still, a good solid motivating walking song.

11. Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones

I feel the need for a break after the last few songs. And another bonus, this one gives me my daily recommended intake of cowbell.

12. Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel

Ahh yes, the ear-slicing classic. Hark?! Is that more cowbell I hear??!

13. Lose Control - Missy Elliott

Will probably be on every walking playlist I ever make. I never get tired of it.

14. The Way You Move - Outkast

Showin' a little ATL love.

15. Shallow - Ryan Adams

It just wouldn't be right to not include him.

16. It's My Life - Gwen Stefani

I've always loved this remake, even more than the original. Sometimes the remake is just better!

Original:

This was me a year ago. I resemble a pumpkin!

The playlist above will run one hour and 33 seconds.

Fall...

Here's my harvest from yesterday.
Any ideas as to what I can do with all these Rome Beauty's?

(less of me will be) Home for the Holidays

13 pounds is the goal.
December 25th is the deadline.

But I think it may be easier to reach that goal than it is posting this 'before' pic of myself...

ugh.

Thanks to Joe for taking this wonderfully blurry full-length shot in case I ever need or want to claim anonimoty on those thighs.

Difference a Day Makes

The scales were kind to me this morning. I'm still two days from weigh in, but if this morning's numbers are a sign of what's to come, I will be one happy camper come Friday! The downside is that a group of girls from work had a lunch shower thing at the worst place possible for me to try and eat healthy - chinese buffet. Ugh...

I *did* manage to stay away from the fried stuff, all of the sweet and sour and sesame nuggets that I love so much, and that right-to-my-ass-fried rice. I went for the veggie/unbreaded chicken dishes instead, a side of fruit, and only had a couple of bites of that decadent chocolate cake one of the girls picked up on the way (cake is made by the devil, I'm sure of it). Still though, I'm feeling unsettled. As if I need to be walking the rest of the day, at least to Brazil, to avoid a gain tomorrow. I'm just hoping that a moderate walk and 0-point soup will do the trick tonight.

I can't believe it's already Wednesday! 2 more days of work and I'll be on vacation for 5 days. Joe and I are loading up the pups and taking off to the mountains for a weekend of grillin', a little bit of hiking, and just plain doin' nothing! I cannot WAIT, as evidenced by my grocery list and menu I've already made for the three days we're there.

On a side note, I've been a non-smoker for 10 days. I've been tempted, but it gets easier with each day that passes. The next 10 will be easier for sure.

5 Miles Playlist

The walking shoes are out. The playlist has become an art. I've logged 15 miles in the past four days and quite frankly I'm having a hard time making myself NOT walk tonight (my aching legs tell me otherwise). These cool evenings bringing the first signs of fall don't help the urge either.

The scales have barely budged, so I'm hoping this does the trick. That goal for October is now quite unrealistic, but my body is definitely changing. I'm starting to really see a difference. FEEL a difference. But why does it always have to disappear from the chest area FIRST? Sheesh!

Day One

You may recall my 'mayday' post from earlier this summer in which my attempt at being a non-smoker (again) failed miserably. And boy did I. It's been all downhill from there. You know the pattern if you've ever tried to quit smoking and started back. You have one with a glass of wine one night. Just one. No big deal. Then you're having one with every glass of wine. Then you're sick of bumming off friends, so you break down and buy a pack. And soon enough, you're back to your x packs a day, or more, regretting that decision you made after glass of wine you had on that beautiful afternoon in May on Jaimee's patio.

I've been in a funk - or depression - ever since that day. I don't know if it's that decision or the cigarettes themselves that cause it. But either way, it has to stop. I have too many things in my life that are wonderful to be sad every single day.

And so, today was my first whole day without a smoke. I'm sticking to the same method that worked so easily the first time, Allen Carr's "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking". I plan to read it and re-read it. I plan to make notes and highlight lines for easy reference later on as I wish I had done the first time. You, my faithful reader, might even be forced to read passages.

I'm planning to do whatever takes, without repeating my first mistake of doubting the very important rule of "there is no such thing as one cigarette".

I want to be free!!!

Before

How come it never quite turns out like the picture in the magazine?
*sigh*

Oh well. Happy 34 to me.

The Holy Trinity and the Big 2-0

Tomorrow I weigh in.

No big deal. I do it every Friday like clockwork. Actually, every morning, after I pee (don't laugh - sometimes it makes a half pound difference!), before I put on an ounce of clothing, I step up on those cold, glass digital scales to check my progress. Sometimes I even jump on before bedtime to estimate what the number will be the next morning. Hell, I probably get my weekly cardio from scale hopping alone.

But tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow I anticipate the loss that will - finally - put me at my 10% loss goal and the 20 pound loss total mark.

Hooray me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it's been slow. It's taken me since March. I've been stuck at the 177/175 mark since July 4th. But I'm a firm believer in losing slow. It's much easier to keep off when your body has time to adjust. People are finally starting to notice a difference and that's very encouraging. When they ask me how I've done it, I tell them about the holy trinity of my weight loss: Walking, Water, and Weight Watchers. (Wait...is that 4 W's or 3? Shit!!)

There are alot of weight loss programs out there, but I know that Weight Watchers is the only plan that will teach me how to eat normal, grocery store foods and keep off the weight once I've reached my goal. I have friends who've tried low-carb, low-fat, low-food-altogether diets only to gain it all back, plus some. It makes no sense to teach yourself how to eat on a diet that isn't practical and won't allow the foods you love. You're just setting yourself for failure. I'd much rather go with a plan that is realistic and fits the way I live.

I have a few mini-goals I've set for myself to keep on track this fall.

I have some shopping money I've set aside for when I reach 167 pounds. That's about 6 pounds away from my current weight. And I can't wait to buy new jeans!!

Joe and I are attending his cousin's wedding on October 20th. I'd like to be at 160 by then. That's 13 pounds in 7 weeks. (I better get my walkin' shoes out!)

There's a 5k I plan to participate in next month, so what better motivation to step it back up to 12 miles a week! And besides, I can't exactly look like an out of shape loser when I'm the co-captain of our team. It's my first anythingK. Should be fun.

Wish me luck!

Befuddled

Yesterday, as I sat prepared to hand over the $2k for cataract surgery on our dog (that we love so much we'd pay 10x that for) - this woman comes out of the weave/braid store next door carrying her son - who is wearing the now infamous number 7 Falcon jersey.

I just don't understand it.

They Say It's Your Birthday!

Well, not quite. But I have an early present...

Looks like I'll be making my own cake. And I won't mind one little bit.

If anyone needs to borrow the biggest cupcake in the world pan, just give me a ring.

Get this wedding over with already!

I'm ready for the honeymoon!!!

Blog about Blogs

A bit of downtime at work is a welcome change. I've had time to do all the shopping my budget will allow, print out half the weight watchers recipe collection from their website, catch up with a few very old friends, start a rough plan of a wedding and honeymoon, and read about a hundred blog entries from various sites I've grown fond of.

Before things pick up around here, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone - share my blogroll with my faithful two readers AND post a blog entry all at the same time! Yes, actually, I am a genius.

You'll find my blogroll here!

Mayday! Mayday!

Shit!
How could I have done something stupid like buy a pack of smokes, when I had gone for four months without even ONE! And then suddenly, I feel completely out of control. Hanging on by a thread, even.

Fuck!
How do I manage to always screw up a good thing?

I'm a sad panda.

:(

Here's Looking at You, Kid.

Last night was a night of many firsts for me.

The first time I ever rode in a limo.

First time meeting Sean, the limo driver.

First visit to Piedmont Park.

First screen on the green.

And the first time I finally got to see Casablanca.

Most fun of all, was the first time I got to hang out with Jaimee, Joleen, Lynette, and Swathi all at once. Looks like the beginning of beautiful friendships!

Tiny Pants!!

In an update on the weight loss front, I finally broke the 10 pound mark and am now at 13! I am pushing myself to run/walk at least 8 miles a week and that is helping tremendously. (wow, exercise is a good thing...who knew??!) I love shrinking out of my clothes and having to buy new ones!

I'm not quite as obsessed with points as I once was, but probably because I am now on auto-pilot and pretty much know what I can eat every day without doing the math on it. I get fuller faster and with smaller portions, so it's not nearly the struggle as it was several weeks ago. And seriously, I want to marry whoever decided to make the Hostess 100-calorie packs so that they are packed with 5g of fiber. 1 point cupcakes might be my salvation.

Eating Points

It's been a couple of months since I joined Weight Watchers. As of today, I've lost 7.5 pounds. None of them were easy, either. I'm averaging about a pound a week - which is slow, but steady, with the exception of this week - goddamn birthday cake.

It's hard to stay motivated at this rate. I'm hoping that my salvation will come in the form of a huge loss this week resulting from an almost flawless weekend staying on track. I'll be happy with 2 pounds. I'd just like to finally hit that 10-pound mark. It feels like I've been hovering around 7 for years now.

Sigh.

I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN.

Come Put Your Records On

Jaimee and Swathi's brilliant rap remake of a Korn classic.








What do you get when you invite a handful of friends to collaborate on a mix cd for the evening's entertainment?

Here's what!


1. Pussy Liquor - Rob Zombie
2. Smell of Incense - Tiamat
3. All In The Family - Korn
4. Let It Beast - dj BC and the Beastles
5. Rehab - Amy Winehouse*
6. Look After You - The Fray
7. American Baby - Dave Matthews Band
8. Свинка-свинка - Ногу Свело (aka Piggy Piggy)
9. Istanbul - They Might Be Giants
10. Nothing Left - DJ Icey & Orbital
11. Tears and Rain - James Blunt
12. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
13. Titanium - Kraftwerk
14. J-Lo vs K-Co vs S-Wo - Lenlow
15. Virus Alert - Weird Al
16. Nothing Left to Lose - Matt Kearney
17. Silent House - Dixie Chicks
18. Rainbo Conversation - Stereolab
19. Something Left to Say - Roman Candle*
20. DRH - ??
21. Vermillion, Pt. 2 - Slipknot
22. Serenity - Godsmack
23. Ocean Size Love - Leigh Nash
24. Stoned - Lewis Taylor*
25. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

* = contributed by yours truly

Spit it out, already!

Most anyone who reads this already knows the big news. So the following announcement from this weeks' newsletter at work won't be a suprise - it's just blog-worthy!

Man down! MAN DOWN !!!

If you haven't seen his tag line yet on MSN, then it's my pleasure to announce to you that Joe Morris and Mandy Vaughn are affianced as of last Friday! The betrothed are currently considering a Fall wedding for 2008.

When I asked about the details of the proposal, Joe said it didn't really go according to plan. He said he got so caught up in the "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways" bit that, when he stopped to await her answer Mandy inquired if he had something to ask her. Joe thought for a moment, smiled broadly, and then replied, "Oh yes! Will you marry me?"

Congratulations to the both of you, Joe and Mandy!!!

why i love sundays

Radio That Doesn't Suck

I'm always showin' my love for DaveFM here in Atlanta. They play THE best music (although sometimes a little heavy on the Petty & Talking Heads side) and have the coolest personalities. They'd already won me over with Paste Picks, but now they've gone and done it again with last night's "Dave After Tomorrow" show with Margot and Mara as the special guest.

Last night's theme was country influence in rock. Knowing Mara is a Dixie Chick fan made this especially exciting. Could it be?? That DaveFM was gonna queue up some Chicks for the first time?! And not only did they give the girls a huge shout-out for their grammy wins, courage, and musical influence, they included them among such greats as Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Dwight, Emmylou & Gram Parsons. The entire two hour segment was incredible - but especially getting to hear "The Long Way Around" on radio - period. Mara said it best, "good music is good music".
Man, I love that chick!

workin' 8 to 5

All signs are pointing towards me being a full-time employee as of Monday. Or the Monday following (I will know on Monday). Which means I get to...drumroll....SHOP!
OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!

As my friend Leann would say: *squeals* :)

Being the unemployed, half-ass employed, unstable, leaching girlfriend that I have been for a couple of years has wreaked havoc on my staples in life. I am slowly starting to build up my collection of stuff after losing most all of it after the divorce. But the introduction to real digits on my paycheck just HAS to be enough to afford this addition to my collection immediately.

Screw Winter

I'm pretty sure that today I have reached my limit and am fed up with the cold weather. I think nature must know that if we had to deal with frigid temps for any longer than a third of the year, we might go insane and kill off the species. Perhaps the dinosaurs really did kill each other off in the wake of an ice age. It makes complete sense to me. But they're pretty ornery creatures without the cold weather. At least that's what I learned from Jurassic Park.

When I was a kid we had no need to invest in a sled, and probably didn't have the money anyway. So one year when we had a decent amount of snow (probably 3 or 4 inches is a blizzard here) we made do with a big old tire chained to the back of my uncle's pickup truck. Yes, safe, I'm sure. I remember him pulling us around on back roads for hours until I was completely frozen and was feeling hypothermia in the toe region. I suppose it sounded like a super smart idea at the time. I've always thought it would be great to live in New England - where kids really own sleds and get to use them. But here on the 8th day of February, I take it all back.

I am ready for spring!