44th President of our United States of America

I'm proud to be an American.

A Momentous Occasion...

...and not just because I am finally blogging here after 4 months of not.

I have not blogged on my own site here since the end of June, but thought that today's groundbreaking and historic presidential election was a good reason to stop in. I had the immense pleasure of voting this morning, with Number One Son. He turned 18 in June and this is the first election in which he could cast a vote. I high-fived him after he came out of the voting booth, and gave him a big hug, that he didn't seem too embarrassed about. We then ran into one of his friends, who I also hugged and congratulated on his first election.

I am so excited about this election, and hope that our candidate wins to lead our country in a new direction. But my blog is not about politics and I really just wanted to share my voting experience. We took Little Grim with us, and I had packed a bag of things for her to do at the polls, in case we got caught in a long line. I packed crayons, her coloring books, and some flash cards. As we were leaving the house, she said she was taking her camera so she could take pictures of our candidate - she thought he would be there. I thought that was so cool - she is only 4 and a half and has gotten caught up in the excitement of the election. I've tried to explain about Democracy and why we are allowed to vote. She asked when she would be allowed to vote.

We are having a small 'Election Returns Watching Party' this evening, just to hang out and watch the results. My son and his friends are actually going to be here for at least part of the party. They became involved in the campaign many months ago, to my surprise. I was not politically-minded at their age.

I am so happy and proud that they have accepted their responsibility and right as Americans to vote.

Morris and Esther

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say,
'Esther, I'd sure like to ride in that helicopter.'

Esther always replied, 'I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars!'

One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said,
'Esther, I'm 85 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance.'

To this, Esther replied, 'Morris that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars.'

The pilot overheard the couple and said, 'Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride.
If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word, I won't charge you!
But if you say one word, it's fifty dollars.'

Morris and Esther agreed and up they went.
The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard.
He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word.

When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said,
'By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!'

Morris replied, 'Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out,
but you know, fifty dollars is fifty dollars!'

Weigh-In

Hello, I'm at 195.5 this week, down 8 pounds since we started this Challenge. It's been at least 5 years since I've seen a 5 in that number! As long as I continue to lose a half pound to a pound each week, I'm happy with my progress. I won't win the challenge by any means, but I decided I will continue to use my blog as a place to chart my progress throughout the rest of the summer. Realistically, I expect to lose a total of 15 by the end of the summer, and maybe 25 by the end of the year.

I will say that I have not been exercising at all. My right ankle and achilles tendon has been giving me some trouble lately so I can't do the aerobics I had started earlier. I'm going to give our non-impact exercise DVDs a chance this week, which should give my metabolism a boost.

Good luck to y'all this week!

Bunch of Stuff, including Weigh-In

Hello. It's been a busy couple of weeks, with Number One Son's Senior Prom and Graduation, both my and Number One Son's birthdays this week, and then two days without electricity as a result of this past Tuesday's storm. Our power was restored last night finally. Fortunately our parents live close by and we were able to salvage a good amount of food by using their freezers and fridges. Some of our neighbors have gas-powered generators that were running outside for two days, so the yard was too noisy to play in, and smelled like truck exhaust for the duration. But that is over.

Now we've got two parties this weekend to handle, one at home here Saturday for the birthdays and Father's Day, then a big graduation party on Sunday for my son and his friend Ben. We are combining their parties at Ben's house, so more of their friends can attend.

I don't have time now to put up pictures because they are on the other PC, but I will add them later.

For the Weigh-in, I am at 196, down another half pound. That is probably the result of not having any food in the house for two days.

That's all for now, thanks for stopping by!

Brain Teaser !

My daughter emailed me this brain teaser, called Funny Farm, and I think this is the best one I have seen. Use this link to look for the Funny Farm Puzzle.


We've been working on it for over a week now. It's fun and great to do with someone else. My daughter started it with her whole work team over the Memorial Day weekend holiday, and they finally finished every single answer to complete the entire grid. The idea is to guess the answers in each mini-grid and open up the other grids as you go. Great word fun, and addictive! Have fun.

Weekly Weigh-In

Better late than never. I'm at 196.5, down two pounds from last week. Something is working!

Good luck to you this week!

Weigh-In

I'm at 198.5 this morning, down 1 pound. Yahoo! Not bad since I just started keeping track on Tuesday.

Good luck this week, y'all! Long weekends are tough on the diet, especially with family parties, etc.

Movies

I just happened to come across this list of 20 Movies that make Men Cry.

I've seen most of them and I know they made me cry. I think they should have included Field of Dreams, though. I always thought the storyline of Kevin Costner's character's relationship with his father was an especially poignant part of that movie. The scene where he gets to toss a ball around to his Dad always gets to me.

But, I always cry during the Godfather when Sonny gets gunned down at the tollbooth, so perhaps I am not a good barometer.

But enough about Meme.....

Deathlok tagged me with a meme, So here it is:

"Books are scarce in the world. They are illegal in some provinces. They are not easily replaced, if not impossible to replace if lost in many if not most circumstances. If you can replace a book or buy one, it is usually through the black market at astronomical costs that you cannot afford. Yet you have been able to maintain one of the best collections in the world. If your entire library was about to burn up and you could only have one* book to take with you other than the Bible, what would that be and why?"

Simple Rules:
Answer the question.
Offer one quote that resonates with you.
Tag five people whose response is of genuine interest to you and inform him or her that they have been tagged. *and it cannot be an entire series of something, that’s cheating.

This is a tough one. We have three bookcases in the house, double- and sometimes triple-shelved with our books.

But, I think I would have to take my copy of Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte'. My copy was published in 1943, and is actually a reproduction of the second edition, published back in 1847. The illustrations by Fritz Eichenberg were printed letter press from electrotypes of the original wood engravings, and the book contains an Author's Preface dated December 21st, 1847. I first read Jane Eyre in 7th or 8th grade, a copy that I had borrowed from the school library. I've always loved the story, and have seen a few good TV/movie versions as well.

Recognized as a masterpiece when it was published in 1847, “Jane Eyre” is Charlotte Bronte’s extraordinary coming-of-age story of one of literature’s most independent and strong-willed women.

Jane Eyre is obscure and plain, but locked up in the attic of her imagination lives a woman so passionate, so wild, and so full of longing, she must be guarded night and day for fear of the havoc she would wreak.

Favorite quote:

"My spirit," I answered, mentally, "is willing to do what is right; and my flesh, I hope, is strong enough to accomplish the will of Heaven, when once that will is distinctly known to me. At any rate, it will be strong enough to search - inquire - to grope an outlet from this crowd of doubt, and find the open day of certainty."

Isn't that what we all want - an outlet from doubt and an open day of certainty?

Does this fur make me look fat?

OK, so I have been very remiss in posting my weight progress, mostly because I have been very remiss in doing anything about it. So, I humbly ask that I be allowed back in the challenge. I know I cannot possibly catch up to Wyatt and RT (both of whom have made GREAT progress) at this point, since the challenge only runs until the end of June. But, I'm hoping my new-found motivation will keep me focused throughout the summer to reach my personal goals a little later. We have a bunch of new workout DVDs from The Biggest Loser, featuring the trainers from the show, that I'll be using, as well as going back on Weight Watchers.

My weight today is 199.5, up a couple from the last time I posted about it.

Keep up the good work folks!

Geek Quiz

	I received 71 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Quiz by SheGoddess: Lose weight quickly

Your Score : 71 credits
You're a major sci-fi geek! Do you speak Klingon?

My Restaurant

Loving Annie asked me a couple of questions pertaining to my last post and wanting to own a restaurant. So that really got me thinking – if it was at all possible and money was no object, what type of restaurant would I own, and what food would I serve, etc. So here is my dream. By the way, I look like Sophia Loren in this dream, in a peasant dress and half apron, with bare feet:

First, the location - I would love a multi-story building on the water somewhere, on a hill in a mild climate, but not in a big city. I want garden space so I can grow all of my own herbs and produce. I want to go outside at sunrise in my dewy garden with a basket and pick the herbs I need for the day. The restaurant will be in the ground floor, and we will live in the remaining space in the building. It will not be a big place; I want more of a café that can accommodate perhaps 30 people at a time. I want a big rustic building, with lots of stone and wrought iron railings and balconies, and big Italian tiles on the floors that are cool on your bare feet on a warm day. I want big wide open windows with long gauzy curtains so a nice breeze blows through all the time.


The location near the water is important because I want fresh seafood on the menu. There will be plenty of outdoor patio space out front and on the side for my quests to dine al fresco, with black wrought iron fencing. I love to eat outdoors. There will be beautiful plants and trees all over the property, to give the customers a feeling of seclusion while they are dining, but not too much as to block the fabulous view of the rolling countryside and water. There will be fragrant blossoms on the trees, the perfume of which will gently waft over you when the breeze blows the right way. And when people smell that fragrance elsewhere, it will remind them of my place and our town.


Second, the décor – Casual with an Italian flair, perhaps - I would have wrought iron tables and chairs, but the chairs would be comfortable with cushions, so passers-by would want to stop and sit for a long while to enjoy their meal and wine. No one would be rushed out of my restaurant. Candles in Chianti bottles, with the wax spilling down them, and a small bouquet of fresh flowers. I want linen napkins and tablecloths – not to be fancy but just to make everyone feel special. Mismatched silverware and serving dishes and plates. Wooden bread bowls, and mismatched wine glasses. If someone loves the glass their wine is served in, they can go ahead and have it.


Now, for the menu – I want it simple, with fresh ingredients. This is the way I would like to be able to eat all of the time.


For breakfast, I will serve my homemade scones and biscotti and freshly baked breads, and homemade spreads and fruit. Lots of good strong coffee and real cream. (My husband asked if there would be scrapple – absolutely not!)


For lunch, it will be a few unusual sandwiches with fresh meat and cheeses, and produce from my garden on freshly baked seasoned flatbreads and each table will get a bowl of roasted red peppers and olives. One soup every day, and a Homemade personal-sized pizza on fresh crust with only fresh ingredients – crushed tomatoes from the garden, basil, garlic, olive oil, cheeses. Each dish will come with a small green salad on the side – When we were in London all the food was served with a salad on the plate and I loved that. Some sandwiches will be grilled. And I will allow customers to make special requests, so if they don’t see something they like on the menu, I will accommodate them if I can. There will also be a few seafood choices – but no heavy cream sauces, only light citrusy, wine-based or tomato sauces with basil and garlic.

Dinner – a good seafood selection, broiled or sautéed or grilled, nothing fried. One good soup. Some homemade pasta, but again, no heavy sauces. The meat selection would depend on the region. I would not have a snobby wine cellar. I want to feature all of the local wineries, to give customers a choice of a few good affordable wines. And our service would be stellar – I have been in the customer service business for over 25 years, and would strive to give everyone the service they deserve.


Lastly, dessert – complimentary plates of small fresh cookies. If they preferred something else, they can order Tira Misu, my absolute favorite, and homemade sorbets, and other biscotti and pastries. I would also have assorted coffees.
Did I miss anything? Of course, my whole family would be working and helping there. I would have to move everyone and their spouses with us.



Wow, this post was a lot of fun to do. I think I’ve captured everything I want. I believe I must now move to Italy to make this dream come true. That is where I can picture it. Wow.

Me, Me, Me, Meme

RT Tagged me with this one, I hope I can come up with 7 facts about myself that don't bore you to tears.

Here are the rules if you decide to play along:
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.

1) I once shook John Travolta's hand, back when he was a 'sweat-hog' on Welcome Back, Kotter. I'm pretty sure he would remember me, I was the 13-year-old girl who gawked at him. Heh. I got his autograph too, but have no idea what happened to it. We won't discuss how long ago that was.


2) I like to cook, and at times have romantic aspirations of being a caterer or restaurant owner. I've always envisioned a small, intimate setting with an outside eating area, where I would greet people and serve them personally. This past weekend, I helped make and serve food for a fundraiser for my son and his friends that was held in a $3 million mansion. I had so much fun and got to know a couple of great women better that I haven't spent any time with previously. Fabulous!


3) I married the best guy in the world. When we first started dating, I had 4 teenage children from my first marriage he had to deal with. I knew he was a keeper when he actually agreed to pick me up at home for our first offical date, even though he knew the 4 kids would be there. The first time I met his extended family, we ended up having to pick up one of my kids at the local police station later that night. I won't name names - Story for another time. But my point is, he has helped me to deal with everything that has occurred since.

4) My biggest sorrow, aside from the death of my father 6 years ago, is that we were not able to have another child after Kara.

5) My secret vice - apparently I have become hooked on both good and bad reality television. I have watched Rock of Love 1 and 2, Flavor of Love (but only the first season), Celebrity Rehab, Multiple episodes of multiple seasons of The Bachelor (season finale tonight!), Biggest Loser (fave), Celebrity Fit Club (another Fave), multiple Seasons of American Idol (I predict David Cook wins this year), etc, etc, etc. Need I go on? I think I need a 12-step program.


6) I am fascinated by alternative lifestyles such as Polygamy - not because I want to live that way but because it is difficult to comprehend. I wish I knew a woman who lives that lifestyle so I could talk to her and ask her questions, like "Why?".

7) I have always wanted to live in the country. Unfortunately Grimjack is a city boy. Since I work from home, I can live anywhere but he commutes to the city by train. So unless he gets transferred to some city in Farmland USA, I guess we are stuck in the 'burbs.


Well, that was easier than I thought it would be, and probably more than you wanted to know. I don't have anyone left to tag specifically, so I'll have to break that rule. But if you haven't done this one and would like to, let me know so I can stop by and read it. Toodles!

Groovy....

I scored a Far Out
75% on theQuiz by SheGoddess: Quick Weight Loss

I thought I would do better. But 75% is nothing to be ashamed about....wait, maybe it is...There was a lot of 70's music that was better than what is in the quiz, I should not have done this well. Thanks to Jeffro for linking it so I could steal it.

Mugshot Meme

RT tagged me with the mugshot meme. All you have to do is put up pictures of your favorite 'beverage vessels', in the words of Cowboy Blob.

So, here goes - this one I don't have often, but when I do it means I did not have to make lunch that day for Kara and I, which makes it a favorite!


My favorite coffee mugs are from our Starbucks collection. When one or both of us travel, we go to a local Starbucks (or visit one in the airport if necessary), order coffee, and buy one of their 'City Collection' mugs from that area. The only rule is that you have to actually drink coffee there. No fair just buying the mug. We have a variety as you can see. We have two of some, when we travelled together, and singles of others from when we had separate business travel. Here's a pic below. The Detroit mug is cracked so that now is only used for holding Kara's paint brushes.
They are hefty and hold a lot of coffee.


Then, this is my favorite mug for tea at night during the winter. Once the weather starts getting warmer, we usually stop the hot tea at night until the fall. I like the shape and sentiment of this mug. I think it is also a Starbucks mug.


I don't know who else to tag, so if you want to do the Mugshot Meme, go right ahead. Let me know and I'll stop by to visit.

Happy Birthday Grimjack!

Grimjack turned 45 this past week. In honor of this momentous occasion, I had 45 cows delivered for the front lawn for the whole weekend. Here's how they looked:


It was fun, but he ended up taking a half day at the last minute on Friday and they were delivered while he was here. So the surprise was lost - I really wanted to see the expression on his face when he drove up and saw them. We had a family party for him and my brother-in-law Friday night and everyone enjoyed the cows - especially Kara.


Some of you who know him may be wondering why the cow sign said 'John'. If you know him through a family member (such as Deathlok), you know him as Jack or Jackie. His whole family calls him Jack. His other friends and coworkers all only know him as John, as I do. So it was initially confusing to me when his mom would refer to him as Jack, because that is also his father's name (well, his father's name is also John, but anyway). Since I've known him as John for like 20 years, I just can't call him Jack.

The first time Deathlok called my house and asked for Jack, I told him he had the wrong number.

The name difference becomes a challenge at Christmas time, and other occasions when we send cards. If it is for his family, I need to sign Jack and Kathie, and if it is for my family, I sign John and Kathie.

Best present this year - new Flyers shirt from Lyn and Brad:


Here are some M&M/chocolate chip cookie treats we made for him for his birthday.


Happy Birthday, Dear!

My New Hobby

I renewed my interest in sewing this year, and have now started quilting as well. Remember some months ago I posted about a pair of jeans I was wearing that split - well, here is a picture of what they look like now - I had held onto them and I made a cool purse out of them. I get a lot of comments on it and I'm proud of it! All I had to buy was the leather handles and buttons.

My sister and I are doing a 'Block of the Month' quilt at a local quilt/fabric store. Here are January and February's blocks. I have not had time to do March yet. I picked Batik fabric out of the three choices they had, so my quilt will be in a variety of colors, in similar fabrics.



I made this book for one of my grandson's for Easter:
+

I am also working on a small quilt for my other Grandson, since he is transitioning into a bed from his crib. For this one, I will be putting brightly colored buttons at each corner of the blocks. This is just the inside of the top, I have not yet added the borders.





I am starting a beginner's quilting class tomorrow night, and am so excited about it. I've made myself a sewing area in the basement by reclaiming some space from my daughter's 'salon' down there. By the end of the 8 week class, I will have completed a full quilt top. Quilting takes longer than regular sewing, in that you may not actually complete a project in a short period of time, so I am trying to work on small projects too, so I can feel like I've accomplished something.

Happy Birthday Steph!

My third daughter turned 21 this past Sunday. What a milestone! This is a picture of Steph in her sister's wedding this past November.

We are so proud of her. She is a hard worker - she works full-time, second shift at NutriSystem, and then works in the hair salon on Fridays and Saturdays on her days off from NutriSystem. She went to cosmotology school and she really loves the salon, but she does not have any health insurance, etc from the salon so she has to keep a full-time job as well.

When she was really little, she was very attached to me and I couldn't walk out of a room without her screaming. I remember washing windows for her great grandmother once, and she was inside the house screaming in her infant seat because she couldn't see me. Then she could see me through the window and quieted down. It was tough for a while leaving her with other people.

She always put all of her efforts into anything she would do. She was very enthusiastic about things, and is very thoughtful and concerned about other people.

One thing she liked to do when she was little, like at 3 years old, was take things apart with a screwdriver. I remember when she tried to remove a doorknob from her bedroom door, and also she loosened the screws in a chair we had.

She always said that she would never move out of the house. Which is very funny now, since we hardly ever see her. her boyfirend lives nearby and they work the same shift, so they hang out after work, at midnight. Her stuff still lives here, though!

She sent me flowers for her birthday, and here is what the card said:

Mommy (yes, she still calls me Mommy), I wanted to thank you for everything you have done. Just think, 21 years ago, you held me in your arms for the first time. And because of you, I am the woman I am today! Thank you, Love always, Stephanie

It was a beautiful thing for her to say. As a single parent, there were many times when I thought I wasn't doing the right thing, or felt like I didn't have enough time in the day to give them each the attention they needed since I had to work to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Her two older sisters said "oh great, now we have to do that every year!"

Happy Birthday Steph!

Glossary for the Upcoming Election

Courtesy of The Onion:

Featured Term:
debate - A contest to see which candidate can answer the fewest questions.

absentee ballot - A form of voting that does not involve the inconvenience of having to get up off the couch and walk to a high school gymnasium.

ballot - An object recording a voter's decision that is frequently counted toward an election's outcome.

caucus - The process by which Americans are quadrennially reminded of Iowa's existence.

change - Can be found
1) In the air/wind.
2) At hand.
3) Inside us all.

convention - The best four-day-long chance a politically active, overweight Kia salesman from Tulsa has to nail one of them blond Fox anchors.

corruption - The most effective and efficient way to produce results in government.

delegate - A demented, often screaming individual who experiences intense arousal at the sight of a vertically printed placard bearing his or her state's name.

democracy - A moderately representative plutocracy.

Diebold voting machine - A sophisticated, computerized balloting terminal that electronically changes your vote into a vote for Mitt Romney.

election worker - A male or female at least 70 years of age.

electoral college - A process by which the number of states in the Union is narrowed down to the most important seven or eight.

experience - A quantitative score any politician may increase by slaying foes or solving riddles.

hope - An intangible object within every American that is destroyed every four years in November.

likability - The degree to which each candidate is able to hide the extent to which he or she is full of shit.

lobbyist - A better-paid legislator.

MoveOn.org - A company offering routine tests of your e-mail's spam filter.

platform - A list of the subjects that candidates are willing to discuss.
A raised structure, almost entirely covered by flags, upon which candidates are placed.

political consultants - Individuals who are very savvy politically, but don't have enough hair to run for office themselves.

political philosophy, conservative - A great way to meet chicks at Princeton University. U-S-A; e.g., U-S-A, U-S-A(!).

political philosophy, liberal - An ideology steeped in a proud tradition of ineffectual whining.

pollster - A person who willingly communicates with the elderly.

Rock The Vote - Something that is, apparently, still happening.

voter apathy - The reason most American politicians are able to achieve and maintain office.

Ways to keep your Sanity......just for Laughs

1.At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and Point A Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2.Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3.Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with That.

4.Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5.Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.

6.In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Sexual Favors". Do this even for the utility company payments!

7.Finish All Your Sentences With "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8.Don't Use Any Punctuation

9.As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Ask People What Sex They Are. Laugh Hysterically After They Answer.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play Tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, HOT MAMA

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking Lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.

Wearing of the Green...And other Stuff

Happy Saint Patrick's Day to ye all of Irish descent. We attended a St Pat's family party over the weekend at the Deathlok homestead - a good time was had by all. The Guinness stew rocked!

I made Irish sodabread this weekend, which means my weigh-in this week will probably be poor. I gave most to our folks, but left half a loaf here. If it is here, I will eat it. The truth hurts. But it is only once a year, so...

Here is a picture of our little Irish lass, opening presents at her Fourth birthday party last weekend. Today was her actual due date, but she was born a week early.


Other stuff that happened in the past two weeks:

Number One Son got accepted to Temple University (they beat St Joe's - sorry, Wyatt!). I made him a maroon and white cake to celebrate - white icing, maroon cake. When he cut it, he said "I don't think this cake is done, it looks a little rare."


Then a few days later, he and his friends were filming something for a documentary they are working on, and he got tackled the wrong way so we ended up in the ER Saturday afternoon. He has a sprained MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) in his right knee and is now on crutches with an almost full leg immobilizing brace. He can take it off to shower but that's pretty much it. This will probably ruin his baseball season this year - he plays for our township and practices usually start after Easter when the fields dry up enough to be used. It inconveniences me because now I have to drive him into school every day at 7am, which means getting Kara up as well.

Oh, and I discovered I have an eBay addiction, or at least it felt that way last week. I have a new quilting hobby and was buying fabric and instructional books on eBay last week. That's one of the reasons I didn't have any blogging time. I'll blog about my hobby later today, perhaps.

Beware the Ides of March....

Just sayin'.

This Week's Weigh-In

Hi, I'm here. I weigh 197.5 this week. Not that great for two weeks, but at least it is going in the right direction.

Good luck to you all this week, I'll be back tomorrow for more blogging.

This Week's Weigh-In, etc.

Hi All, I weigh 198 this week, down half a pound. It's a Downward trend that I will continue. I'm being optimistic, and trying to stay focused. Good luck to everyone this week. I started doing the Slim in 6 (Beachbody.com) exercise program this week and feel very energetic today.

Another busy week, no time for blogging this past week and probably not this week either. We are working on the inside of the house, trying to complete all the projects we've started or been meaning to start over the last few years, but never finished or got to. Our goal by spring is to have everything minor finished so we can simply enjoy our weekends and relax outside or do day trips, etc. Last week, we completed the most of the painting up the stairs and in the upstairs hallway, including all of the newer doors Grimjack put in year before last. He got the ceiling and walls finished yesterday, and installed the new light fixture, which looks great.

Just to give everyone a frame of reference, I lived in the house for 16 or 17 years before he came along. The house is close to 50 years old, and since I was a single parent a good number of those years, I never had the money to make improvements other than painting. So we had the original kitchen and bathrooms, etc. So over the last four years we have tried to do many of the things that needed work long before then.

This week, I hope to get all of the trim painted. Little Grim's Fourth Birthday is this coming weekend, and we have a family party for her on Saturday, so the rest of the week will probably be spent preparing for that.

Hopefully, the busier I am, the less I will binge!

Comment Moderation

I've been getting some weird comments from unknown individuals on my posts lately and think I'm getting spammed. So I have enabled Word Verification for folks when they want to comment. Sorry, I know it can be a nuisance but now I understand why everyone uses it.

Today's Weigh-In

I weigh 198.5 this week, a loss of 2 pounds. WooHoo! I finally feel like everything clicked and the Pilates seems to be doing the trick - plus I feel better. That's probably the most important thing.

Good luck to Y'all!

Pierced Ears

For her upcoming birthday, Little Grim wanted her ears pierced. I told her it would pinch when they did it, and she was fine with that. Here is a picture of her beautiful new earring:



Notice I said earring - singular. Here is a picture of her other ear, with a little purple dot where her new earring SHOULD be:



She would not let them do the second one. So now, she has a lovely pierced ear that she is very proud of. I really don't believe she has any intentions of going back for the other one any time soon. It is totally my fault, I should have gone when they had two employees working so they could have done them both at exactly the same time.

UPDATE: After some discussion last night, she decided she really wanted the second earring, so I took her back to the Mall at 8 o'clock last night, and she got the other ear done. She never even flinched.

A new meme

RT and Aprilwine both tagged me with this meme. I'm supposed to write 5 True facts about myself. So, here goes:

1. My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip (the green kind, not white). I don't know why the color makes a difference - it just does.

2. I always wanted to have some great musical ability, either the ability to sing or play the piano well.

3. I'm 5'11" tall (unfortunately you all know my weight!)

4. I've always wanted to be a wealthy philanthropist, that could help all kinds of people who need it.

5. I've always wanted to be a guest on the David Letterman show.

At this point, I think most of you have been tagged, but if anyone decides to do this meme, let me know so I can stop by and visit.