« June 2005 | Main | August 2005 »
July 30, 2005
Peach Fuzz
Maryment and J.Wo came over this afternoon to help me with the latest batch of preserves for the Great Homemade Jam Party Gift Scheme. We took the time to catch up and can 17 jars of peach preserves. The process went very smoothly this time. Since Mi Mama provided me with the peaches already peeled, pitted and sliced most of the serious hands-on work was already done. The actual canning part is getting easier with each batch.
After all of the jars were filled, the three of us headed over to Signe's new house. Flounder met us there and together we went on the grand tour. The house is terrific, and will be even better with furniture. Then there was some shopping and purchasing and returning home. By the time I got back home, the jars had a few hours to sit. When I checked them out, I was thrilled to see the contents were all jelled.
Success?!? I will have a better idea when I test the lids tomorrow. After that if the seals are solid we should be good.
This crazy plan just might work!
Posted by La at 8:49 PM | Comments (0)The Agony And The Ecstasy
This week I gained 1 pound (new total = 55). It is true, I was disappointed as you can imagine. I was not downtrodden long. I quickly realized a few important things.
1) I partook of many foods this week which were not a part of my program. These things would include a large barn muffin, some roast beef and a lollipop. Not so good. But it isn't as bad as it sounds. I have been eating food I am not meant to for several weeks now, with no negative repercussions. This seemed pretty good for awhile. However, now I realize I will never learn positive habits, if there are no negative results for negative behavior. So I am embracing this pound I gained as an important lesson.
2) I went to the gym 3 times this week! That is three more times than I have been to the gym in weeks. I worked-out with a trainer, and met with my fitness goal for the week. I am VERY pleased.
3) To give myself a boost, I went to Old Navy this afternoon. There I found I could fit into there Regular size 20 jeans and their Plus size 18 jeans. I also managed to wedge myself into a pair of Plus size 16s, but it was touch and go there for a moment and there was no zipping. All that said, I would not have worn any of those pants out of the dressing room. However the fact that I could have, felt really good. Yay me!
Quote of the Day:
"There are only three sins - causing pain, causing fear, and causing anguish. The rest is window dressing."
-Roger Caras
July 29, 2005
I Get By With...
I am so glad to have friends. At the moment, not for the obvious reasons. The plague of the arm pain continues today. With out J.Wo and Maryments' help tomorrow, there certainly would be no canned peachy goodness. Oh, I will work along side them for sure. I can still read the directions and stir things now and then.
Considering the ongoing muscle pain, I think it ill advised to attend the yoga class I was planning on visiting tomorrow. Yoga (even the simple kind) has a very subtle, unexpected way of stretching out ever muscle in you bady, leaving you crying for sweet mercy the next day. Yeah, better wait until next week. Flounder and I did go to the gym this morning. It was back on the elliptical machine for me. Strangely enough I did another 27 minutes. It was a more intensive work out this time around. I guess I will set a goal next week to hit the 30 minute mark.
Earlier this week we had the first book club meeting of the new season (since J.Wo revived it). I thought it went very well, and I enjoyed myself a good deal. I think in the future I will avoid compilations of short stories in the book club setting. We read Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules, and stictly speaking for myself, I enjoyed reading it but had a hard time remembering all the characters, settings and details. When it came time to discuss the book, all I could really remember were my basic, emotional, gut reactions to what I read. So my part of the discussion wasn't very substantive. I did show up armed with future reading suggestions. Two of my suggestions were chosen to be read by the club in the coming month. We will read This is Not Civilization for August and Brick Lane for September. Both these titles are a bit of a gamble, since I have not read these stories, or anything by either authors. Whether they are good or bad, I am pretty much guaranteed to be be off the hook for chosing titles in the future.
Quote of the Day:
Think where man's glory most begins and ends, And say my glory was I had such friends.
William Yeats
July 28, 2005
Sorry State
Below you will find a series of events that lead to my sorry state today.
1) I went to the gym and had my first appointment with a trainer. We went created an exercise plan that seems (to me anyway) sensible but not wimpy. A three day rotation of a) upper body weights, b) lower body weights, c) straight cardio. Makes sense. So Chuck walked me through the upper body workout, setting the machines (and taking notations on my chart). It was strenuous, but I walked out feeling good. Chuck didn't seem like the brightest bulb. But it was early in the morning, and who among us is at our best at 6:00 am? We agreed that the lower body demo could wait for another day.
Fast forward to yesterday afternoon. I call the fitness center to set up an appointment with Chuck to go over the lower body work out. This is the point when they tell me that Chuck is just a "substitute trainer" who they bring in when the regular trainers can't come in. So I made my follow up appointment with TT. This really irritated me. I am not happy about having to "start over" with a new trainer. TT probably won't say anything really different from Chuck, but all the same!
2)So after all this training business, I donated blood in the office yesterday. The donation itself was a possitive experience, but the after effects were less than fun. My right arm (from which the donation was given) became very sore about an hour afterward. At this point (a day later) my whole upper body is sore and so the pain in my arm just blends in.
The Moral of the Story - Don't give blood after bicep curls.
Editors Note: I have reread this entry and I am horrified by how porrly written it is. I don't have the energy to fix. Just rest assured, yes I know it's bad.
Posted by La at 2:04 PM | Comments (0)July 26, 2005
Progress Report
The pace of my slow climb back into the world of higher education picked up a smidge today. I have pulled together all of the paperwork Mi Mama still had on hand from my early education. I have made copies and am ready to mail it all it to disability services. Great.
Montgomery College's website, however is thwarting me at every turn this morning. What grade did I get in the math class I took a few years ago? What courses are available? Where should I send my change of address form? All questions the busted website should be able to tell me. Argh! I will check in again when I get home tonight, maybe the issues will have worked themselves out.
Quote of the Day:
Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
B. F. Skinner
July 25, 2005
Without The Pits
Last week I mentioned that the former owner of our home were coming by this past weekend. In the end it didn't happen. Our schedules clashed and we need to reschedule. No drama to report there.
It's the strangest thing. Back on the 2nd of July a few of the girls and went for pedicures. Well it seems I chose MAGIC nail polish (Your Villa or Mine, OPI) because my toes look exactly the same today as they did when they were first done. It's been 23 days! You just try to tell me magic wasn't involved somehow.
Also this weekend Mi Mama presented me with two large containers of skined, sliced, pitted peaches. Anyone want to make some peach preserves this coming weekend? :)
27 minutes
This morning I went to the new gym for the first time. At 10 till 6 that place is pretty peaceful. I was armored up in my new pink work out gear (a la Target) and with my iPod at my side I climbed on one of the many elliptical machines. I set the machine for 20 minutes and pressed start.
I have not been to a gym at all since moving to Germantown, much less gone in the morning. A slow start was in order. I wasn't sure how long it would take to get to and from the gym, and since I was shaking up our well worn morning routine I wanted to leave plenty of wiggle room. I ended up on the machine for 27 minutes -- "Well, just one song, one more song" I kept saying to myself. This pleased me greatly. Tomorrow I know I can do a full 30 minutes with out damaging myself or my schedule. Excellent!
Flounder did not join me at the gym this morning because he had to be at work early. I am hoping that exercising in the morning will work for him. I really like arriving at work knowing I have already done something good for myself.
The real challenge will be keeping up the effort. I am going to call the gym today to make an appointment with a trainer for later in the week. I don't want to miss out on the free time with the trainers this month.
Update: I have made good on my word and now have an appointment with Chuck the trainer for 6:00 am Wednesday.
Quote of the Day:
When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love.
J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
July 24, 2005
Making Hoopla
At Game Night last evening we broke out a new game, Hoopla. This game is from the Cranium family and is based on cards instead of a board. Despite a faulty timer, we managed to enjoy the game a good deal. As with any good Game Night we also played Taboo. There was laughter, popcorn, peanuts, an egg timer and outrageous gestures.
My whirlwind day of bridal showers, going-way parties and game playing was a terrific success. There was another exciting development. Flounder and I purchased my early birthday present. Oh but it is still a secret. One that I won't give up until Fedex has delivered it into my hot little hands.
Later this morning we are going out to Hagerstown to the outlets. Meeting up with Flounder's friends there should be fun. Wish us good shopping.
Quote of the Day:
We do not stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.
-Anon.
July 23, 2005
Drive-By Kisses
I lost an unexpectedly bountiful 4 pounds this week. New total = 56!
Today is going to be jam packed. I am attending a bridal shower this afternoon, as well as doing a drive-by at my Aunt and Uncle's going away party, quick kisses to all and then zip home for our own game night.
I really need to be doing more cleaning and less typing. Off I go!
Posted by La at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)July 22, 2005
And The Secretary Makes 5
This week, no less than 5 people in my office, none of which I work with directly, have commented on my weight loss. What a great feeling. The amazing thing is that it took 50+ pounds for people to really start commenting.
People taking notice is kind of scary though. More people handing out compliments mean more people I have talked to about my eating plan. The more people who know about the plan, means more people who would notice if I gain it all back in a year. That is really what I am afraid of. In the end I will have put in the time, the effort and the money, but then will fail in the maintenance phase.
Keeping it off in the long run is the real challenge. A life time of good choices. Wow that sounds big!
In the meantime I will smile, say thank you (and mean it!). Then go mix another shake.
Posted by La at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)July 21, 2005
Getting Down To Business
Part of the whole culture surrounding weightloss is setting goals. I don't have a list of goals to check off on a piece of paper. I do have a few in my head.
Breaking out of the size 20s into the teens. Check
Lose 50 pounds. Check
There a several more goals to come:
Moving from "plus" sizes to "normal" sizes.
Weighing less than 200 pounds (199 will do).
Losing 100 pounds.
These are some serious goals. And I am never going to achieve them. Not if I don't start exercising regularly, and following the eating plan (or lack-of eating plan) more stingently. I really can't be having salads, cheese sticks and deli meat instead of my nutritionally perfect supplements. The out-of-bounds snacking -- No more! I am back on the straight and narrow. I am giving myself one concession. I can have one non-supplement meal (consisting of plain veggies and lean meet) per week. That's it. No more coffee with milk in the morning. No more low carb bread. It's just sugar-free Jell-o and other plan approved foods (of which there are not many) for me!
It is hard to convince myself I need to be more strict with my adherence to the rules when I have had so much success. But honestly, the whole point of this program is to take the time away from food to learn a new healthier way to live. Am I doing that if I am eating on the side? I don't think so.
That is my committment.
Posted by La at 8:39 PM | Comments (0)Grateful, Part 2
Help - Not always easy to find, but always appriciated. Be it assistance with making jam, finding out the next steps for going back to school or figuring out what is wrong with your car, we all need a little assistance sometimes. This will probably sound obvious, but the trick for me is asking specifically for the kind of help you need in the first place, and not giving up when you don't get the help want right away.
Sufficient Financial Resources - No I am not swimming in money. But I don't need to be. I have enough to cover all the things I need and a resonable percentage of the things I want. The tough part is hashing out the "wants" from the "needs". That said, I do realize how lucky I am that I don't have to struggle for the basics. Knowing those are covered leaves a little more space for the joys of life.
Quote of the Day:
Giles: Just not used to automatic transmission. I loathe this just sitting here, not contributing. No, no, no, it's just not working out.
Buffy: Giles, are you breaking up with your car?
Giles: Well, it did seduce me. All red and sporty.
Buffy: Little two-door tramp.
July 20, 2005
Grateful
I am a very fortunate person. There are more things, people and circumstances to be grateful for than I could ever count. However, I have been taking stock recently and here are a few things that have been on my mind.
Resources that Support a Healthy Lifestyle - I live in an area with abundant clean water and local foods. I am surrounded by green spaces, parks and trails. I live near a modern local gym that charges a reasonable rate. With health insurence, I have access to health professional that are able and willing aid me. In short, I don't have an excuse not to take good care of myself, which is a pretty great thing.
A Reliable Support System - I have friends and family I know I can depend on. I get to walk through lief knowing that no matter what happens, I would never have to be homeless, hungry or without resources in an emergency. There is always someone I can talk to if I need advise, help or a second opinion. Laughing or crying I always know I am not alone, that is what safety is.
Educational Opportunities - The metro area is bursting with educational institutions, museums, parks and venues for the arts.
I know I am overlooking lots of important aspects of life that make it worthwile and meaningful. I have a feeling there will be more entries on this top down the road.
Posted by La at 1:41 PM | Comments (0)July 19, 2005
Don't Sweat It
This evening Flounder and I joined the local Gym. We set the membership to start next Monday. They have lots and lots of elliptical machines. Seeing all those lovely new machines, hope swelled in my chest. I might just USE these machine on a regular basis. Wow Whee! Oh and there are yoga classes I could go attend after my weigh in Saturday mornings. So much possibility I can hardly stand it.
I must admit, I am rather pleased with myself this week. First jam and now gym memberships? Where will all this success lead I wonder?
Posted by La at 7:27 PM | Comments (1)Tight
Last night I tested all of the jam jars for a tight vacuum seal. All of the jars seemed to be well sealed, though I guess we will know for sure if any of the jars get moldy (EW!!) in the next few weeks. I feel emboldened by our success with the blueberries! Perhaps peaches will be next?
Meanwhile I am not feeling any better about the conclusion of HP6. Infact I think I may be moving through the stages of grief. Right now I am definately in the "anger" stage.
HP6
I finished HP6 last night. I am not going to spoil anything. I am not even going to mention anything that happens. But, Wow. I still havn't gotten over the conclusion. If you finish the book and want to discuss it, let me know.
Quote of the Day:
"It only put me in Gryffindor, because I asked not to go in Slytherin."
"Exactly. Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
- Harry and Dumbledore, The Chamber of Secrets [ch.18 Dobby's Reward]
July 18, 2005
Just Like Home
This coming Saturday the former owners of our home are dropping by, seeking advice on computer stuff from Flounder. After agreeing to meet with them, I suddenly realized that they were going to be getting this advice while visiting us in our house. And by "visiting" I really mean, evaluating, surmising and ulimately judging. This makes me very uncomfortable. I can only make so many improvement to the house between tonight and Saturday afternoon. In the end their opinion doesn't really matter, but I would like them to believe that selling their house to us was a good choice. Even a year later.
Posted by La at 4:00 PM | Comments (2)July 17, 2005
In A Jam
Today J.Wo came over to help with Phase I of the Great Homemade Jam Party Gift Scheme. I was very happy to have another set of eyes and hands. At this point I would call it a great success. After running out for some last minute supplies, we commenced with the jam making. Our recipe was for blueberry-lime jam. The resulting purple concoction were delicious, though I am not sure that it attained the proper jam-ish texture. Either way, if it never jells to my liking I shall pass it off as blueberry syrup! We made two batchs, for a total of 24 jars. Great company, good times.
Friday night after a mad dash down Rockville Pike and a slightly hasty meal, Fliven, Flounder and I headed to the Regal movie theater. I will never see a movie there again. About half way through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the fire alarm sounded, the file shut off and we had to file out of the theater. Fliven and I met up with Flounder outside (he was seeing Fantastic Four). We wasted 30-40 minutes waiting for the firemen to show up, give the clear sign and then everyone had to file back in. I blame the blasted kids that swarmed the place. I am sure one of them pulled the alarm. This is the second time this has happened to me at that theater. Lord I feel old. Stupid kids.
Anyway the movie was very good. I liked that they developed Willy Wonka's back story more in this film than in the Gene Wilder version. Also the Charlie's family (the Buckets) were so perfect and poor, you just wanted to adopt the lot. Even pessimistic Grandpa George.
Now I must get back to reading. I am half way through HPatHBP.
Quote of the Day:
Sweet is the dream, divinely sweet, when absent souls in fancy meet.
-Sir Thomas More
July 16, 2005
I'll Make This Quick
I lost 5 pounds! That is a total of 52!
My book just arrived. Must read.
Posted by La at 12:12 PM | Comments (0)July 15, 2005
Size Matters
I had heard a rumor that it exhisted. I hoped it was true. And then I found it.
http://link.toolbot.com/
This terrific little tool will take stupidly long urls and condense them into much smaller versions of themselves. Am I the last person on the internet to know about this tool? Very possibly. I am exicted nonetheless!
Posted by La at 9:18 AM | Comments (1)Mailman, Make My Day
Tonight Fliven and I are going to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, while Flounder goes to see The Fantastic Four. The Fliv-ster and I have been looking forward to seeing this wacky film for awhile. I hope we aren't disappointed.
Like many others with weekend, I will with out a doubt be spending several hours with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. As seen in my previous post, my copy will be delivered sometime Saturday. You will find me peering out of my doorway, scanning for the mailman. If I am fortunate (I can't believe I am typing this!) the book will be delivered later in the day, so I can get some work done around the house. Certainly once I have HPatHBP in my hot little hands all productivity will cease. Clean my kitchen when I could be reading? Ha! I have been waiting since 2003 for this book for goodness sake!
Sunday will be church and then the Great Homemade Jam Party Gift Scheme, Phase I will commence. Lord be with me.
Quote of the Day:
Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. ~J.K. Rowling, "The Parting of the Ways," Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore
July 14, 2005
From My Dear Friends At Amazon.com
Hello from Amazon.com.
We're happy to let you know that we've begun preparing your order for
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" for delivery.
You should have the book(s) in your hands no later than 7:00 p.m. in
your time zone on Saturday, July 16. Most books will be delivered by
U.S. Mail, either with your regular mail delivery or in a separate,
special mail delivery. Some orders may be delivered by UPS.
Because our carriers are delivering hundreds of thousands of books on
that day, we do ask that you wait until 7:00 p.m. before contacting
customer service if you haven't received your order.
Although we're not requiring a signature, we still recommend that
someone be home to accept the package, as the driver may not leave it on
your doorstep if they don't feel it's safe to do so.
You'll receive our usual shipment confirmation e-mail after your package
leaves our fulfillment center.
Thanks for shopping at Amazon.com, and happy reading!
Damn I love the Internet!
Posted by La at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)Bit By Bit
Yesterday was a day of baby steps.
After work Flounder and I went to our favorite local farmers market and picked up the jars, lids and pectin needed for my first canning experiment. J.Wo will be coming over on Sunday to help me through my first batch of jam. She is also bring her Mom's canning equipment which Mrs. Wo kindly offered to lend. Of course I have only chosen to make blueberry jam, quite possibly the one substance in the world guaranteed to stain any surface it comes in contact with. But what can I say? Blueberries are local and in-season. All apart of my homemade jam party gift scheme. If this goes well, peaches, red raspberries and blackberries will all be available before the summer is out. Perhaps canning will become my thing. Or it will be something all my friends (especially J.Wo) laugh about for years to come.
Yesterday I also started the balls rolling for taking a class at MC this fall. Because I want to be given "accomidations" for my learning disabilities I have to jump through a bunch of hoops with the DSS office. The good news is I am still enrolled at the school (and it seems have been ever since I took a doomed algebra course back in the late 90s) and thusly won't have to take the placement testing. At least I am not starting from scratch. In the end I hope to take a basic writing class to get my feet wet in the world of higher education. Stay tuned for further developments.
Quote of the Day:
Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings.
Ed Gardner
July 13, 2005
Skeleton
On Monday I rediscovered my collar bones. My collar bones and I have been playing hide-and-seek for 15 years now. The last time I remember seeing them was the tail end of high school. I am still 25 or so pounds away from being the weight I ended HS with, so I am not sure why these bones have popped up now. Not that I am complaining. I kind of missed them.
Continuing on the topic of my weight, I noticed this morning that I take up less space in the seat on the Metro. It was a very encouraging thing to see my weightloss demonstrated in this way. This revelation makes me want to try out all sort of other confined spaces (turnstiles, theater seats, airplane bathrooms, etc.) to see if I can detect a change.
Quote of the Day:
Love flies, runs, and rejoices; it is free and nothing can hold it back.
Thomas a Kempis (1380 - 1471)
July 12, 2005
MIT Blog Survey
Work Haiku
You have clearly dumped
This project in my lap so
You could buy groceries
Down The Shore
Our vacation last week consisted of a day in Kill Devil Hills, a day in New Bern and two days in Wilmington. Over all we played in the ocean, visited the historic areas of the various towns, and enjoyed the wedding of a good friend.
Some highlights from the trip:
* Watching sand crabs dig out homes for themselves on the beach
* Enjoying the look on JP's face (the bride) when a pack of Navy men serenaded her with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling"
* Playing air hockey with DK
* Dancing like no one was watching (Lord I hope they weren't)
* Making plans to buy a beach house, and retire to it one day (If we are very lucky)
* Finding the perfect jewelry to go with my new dress an hour before the wedding
* Laughing my butt off with my drunk friends
We made a half hearted attempt at documenting our journey in photos. If you are interested, here are the photos from the trip. I think some other friends who attended the wedding actually got the more amusing photos, which I am looking forward to seeing. Flounder also got a few good shots of the wedding ceremony itself with his camera-phone, but we haven't downloaded those yet.
Posted by La at 8:33 AM | Comments (0)July 11, 2005
Favorites
My new favorite....
Tea - Madagascar Vanilla Red
Dirty Book - Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll
Song for Dancing in My Underwear - Objection by Shakira
Treat - Sugar Free Strawberry Jell-O Cups
Nail Polish - Your Villa or Mine from OPI
New TV Show - The Closer on TNT
Quote of the Day:
Mistakes are the portals of discovery.
James Joyce
David Sedaris is my Co-pilot
From Wednesday-Sunday of last week Flounder and I spent more than 20 hours in the car. Driving. Actually I rode. David Sedaris was also along for the ride. We downloaded Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and Me Talk Pretty One Day from Audible.com onto Flounder's iPod.
We listened to the sound of his voice for hours. It is strange, a bit high and pinched, but also kind of reasuring. His narratives are bound to make anyone feel a little less crazy and more secure in their own home life.
The descriptions are vivid and excruciating. Hearing them read in his own voice only enhanced the sensation of listening in on his provate thoughts. The fact that we were taveling through the very area he so often writes about, North Carolina, made the readings feel especially appropriate.
So this is what it would feel like to have five wacky siblings, OCD, a serious drug problem and a determination to be a performance artist. I thought along the way. I wish I could sing like Billy Holiday half so well.
July 10, 2005
And We're Back
We are home, safe, sound and drowning in laundry. My mind is a whirl of stories and details. Lots of good times and LOTS of driving.
Quote of the Day:
If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time.
Edith Wharton
July 5, 2005
Nearly There
Today has been filled with packing and feeling mildly crappy. A little upset stomach and headache. A piece of bread and a cup of tea helped a good deal.
Oh I forgot to mention before that I lost another 2 pounds. A new total of 47!
Goodbye and good riddance to big clothes. Flounder took four bags of clothes to the Salvation Army today. I point this out not to give the appearance of being charitable, but to say that there is no longer anything in my closet that is entirely too big. That means that there isn't much in my closet. You can't have everything.
Tomorrow morning will be an early one for us. Up, out and on the road as early as can be. To The Beach!
Quote of the Day:
"I have a spelling checker
It came with my PC;
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes I cannot sea.
I've run this poem threw it,
I'm sure your pleased too no,
Its letter perfect in it's weigh,
My checker tolled me sew."
-Janet Minor
July 4, 2005
The Girls Are Back In Town
I had a great Saturday. Madchencat and I shopped for hours and hours in seach of the right outfits for the wedding and rehersal dinner. I am happy to report that when it was all said and done we had great success. I bought a lovely purple linen skirt and a pink floral dress, both on sale. I have a few pieces to return now that we bought and I don't need. I was also able to borrow a new white top from Mi Mama to wear with the purple skirt. All I am missing now is shoes to wear with the dress. I plan on finding them today.
After shopping we picked up Signe and the three of us went for pedicures before driving downtown to meet up with Red and Maryment. Such good times were had! Since "what happens at girls night, stays at girls night" I can't relay much of the hijinx. It is safe to say though that there was much laughing, drinking (was I deemed the "sober interpreter") and story telling (none of which will be repeated). And in general, we had a great time.
Sunday I picked up Mi Mama and went to the jewelry show. This is the same jewelry show where Flounder bought my engagement ring, so I knew we could find some really great stuff. Mi Mama infact was able to accomplish everything she wanted and walked away very happy. I on the other hand fell in love with a wedding ring I couldn't have, depite the fact that it was an incredible deal. Oh well, there will be other rings. We have way to many other things to pay for at the moment.
Quote of the Day:
A woman who is convinced that she deserves to accept only the best challenges herself to give the best. Then she is living phenomenally.
-Maya Angelou
Reading is Fundemental
Reading is important. It is because we didn't actually read the timeshare comformation notice we received in the mail many weeks ago that yesterday we were totally taken aback to find that A) New Bern is 2 hours away from Wilmington (where we are attending GRP wedding) and B) our reservation is for Thursday-Sunday, not Wednesday-Sunday as we expected. D'oh!
We have instead developed an altogether different plan. One that allows us to get enjoy the beach AND stay in Wilmington for the wedding. It goes a little something like this. We will leave home Wednesday morning, and head for Nags Head. There we will spend the night and enjoy the ocean. Thursday afternoon we go to New Burn, where the original timeshare is. See the sights, spend the night and Friday drive down to Wilmington in time for the rehersal dinner. We will spend Friday and Saturday night in Wilmington, checking out Sunday to drive home.
Yeah, it's going to be a lot of driving. Some how with this new plan we will cover all the bases we missed with the first very flawed plan.
Next time we will read.
Posted by La at 10:08 AM | Comments (0)July 1, 2005
Beach Body
If you have known me for any amount of time, you know I love the beach. The sun, sand, waves and soft breezes all bring me joy. I love the rituals you develope at the beach. The schedules that seem to revolve more around the natural world (position of the sun, tide schedules and weather forcast) than my average day does. It's my own (pseudo) way of getting back to nature.
When it comes to the beach, my weight isn't even a concern. I may look like a beached whale, but hell if I care. I can't imagine a more care-free environment. Maybe that's another reason I love it so much.
Flounder and I leave Tuesday for NC. A few days by the shore, then to GRP's wedding back again the following Sunday. As per usual, I feel totally unprepared for this trip. The are clothes to shop for, (what am I going to where?) laundry to do, the car to clean out, provision to stock (fresh sunscreen and the like), beach books to buy, the list goes on and on. I better start cracking on the list. Something is bound to fall through the cracks. I just hope it isn't remembering to pack my new bathing suit.
Yesterday I realized that my current weight is the least I have weighed in this century. Which is a big deal for me. I just can't wait to break the 200 mark. That probably won't be until mid-Fall at the earliest, but it's nice to know that day is coming.
Quote of the Day:
Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.
Aristotle
Things I Have Learned
No one has any sympathy for you when your clothes are too big to wear anymore.
Shredding paper can be better than therapy.
Food you look forward to eating is almost never as good as you expect it to be.
Can't is a very dangerous word.
Posted by La at 8:38 AM | Comments (0)