Thursday, July 29, 2010

Family Affair

Don't you just love it when a blast from the past comes and hits you in the face in the very best way? One of those unexpected little reunions that are just so sweet and fun? Like a little present?

So yesterday I go to the spin class that my Fitness Goddess teaches.

30 minutes of spin
30 minutes of weight/resistance training

A perfect mix...and wouldn't you know it, the darn club has gone and taken the class OFF the schedule!!!! I was really enjoying her class and getting another spin class in and poof! It's gone...

I'm going to complain like a squeaky door until they put it back on...or at least give me a Thursday spin class option.

Not many people were at the club today...it was pretty empty...seems like everyone has left Houston on vacation...except for me...

Even TCBITW (The Cutest Boy in the World) has gone with a friend to his Colorado ranch...He's gone with some friends...they are calling it "Camp for Wayward Boys"...I think the dads in charge are crazy...

moving on...

and back to spin class yesterday...

So I'm the only one in the class until this beautiful young girl comes walking in.

She's a teenager

She's sporting medals

really beautiful medals

one silver

one gold

Special Olympics medals...

VERY. SPECIAL. MEDALS.

I asked her if I could see them. She took them off and handed them to me. I'm looking at her trying to figure out where I have seen this girl and her medals. I mean, I have seen her before at spin, but there was something about the medals...

So she tells me she won them playing TENNIS

I cannot play tennis...we have been over this before in a previous blog...Tennis may well be my worst sport...just falling behind softball and bowling...

Remember...I was so bad that they didn't even make me play at camp even though it was on our schedule EVERY DAY?

So here is this child and her tennis medals...and in walks her mom...and even behind the sunglasses and (mumble) years...I know who mama is...

She is an old friend. And I tell her who I am and we share a great hug that only old friends who haven't seen each other in years can share...

Fitness Goddess and my new favorite Special Olympian look over and laugh...and Fitness Goddess says "I guess they know each other"...

And then I tell the beautiful child that I know who she is not just because of her mama, but because her GRANDMOTHER HAD SENT ME HER PICTURE ON FACEBOOK...A PICTURE OF HER WEARING THE MEDALS....

I am not always one to snap to who someone is by looking at them, but I do know "familiar" and it all fell into place...

It was lovely...and so fun to see my friend...and to get to see those beautiful medals on that beautiful child live and in person...

We had a great time in class (even though it was just the two of us and Fitness Goddess as instructor) and she was as much motivation to me as Fitness Goddess was...every time I wanted to put down the weights she would say "you can do it!"...I want her next to me every day...

I've known her family all of my life. Her great-uncle and my dad were the best of friends. It was one of those familial relationships where the line between what is "friend" and what is "family" was blurred. We spent holidays together. We traded kids on the weekends because they had kids the same age as us so we would pair up and some of the Shelton's would head to their house and some of them would head to ours to hang out with their similar-aged friend. We travelled together. We were in each other's weddings. We name kids after each other. So even though we don't technically share blood, they ARE family...

Since I like to function under the umbrella of anonymity here, we will call the family the CCC's---for Crazy C_______ Clan.

The CCC's were a large extended family. GC (my dad's friend) and his wife had 5 kids---4 girls and a boy. Before my dad remarried, we had 5 girls and a boy. Literally we were having birthdays about every 3-6 months...

GC had wonderful parents who let us Shelton kids call them "Daddy Gus" and "Meme" just like their own grandkids. GC has 2 sisters---I'm proud to say they love me enough to be my facebook friends and send me sweet messages. One of those sisters is grandmother to my new little spin partner...

So you get the picture? Large web of people...everyone loves everyone...

The CCC's are an amazing family...loud and fun and just the sort of people that if you had to be trapped in an elevator with someone---this is who you want to be there with. Any of them...

Easter was the best holiday growing up. We went to Meme and Daddy Gus' house for the best egg hunt in the world. But first we had to go to church...in Premont, TX.
And we had to dress alike. Always. Each family had to be a matching set of people.

I never did that to my kids...my sisters and I made a vow and we kept it...

So we would head to Premont (less than a half hour from Kingsville) and we would spend the night before Easter at the ranch. All of the extended family and cousins would be in. It was better than Christmas....even if we had to wear dorky matching dresses.

We would get up in the morning and the "Dressing of the Children" would begin. First would come hair---pulled into ponytails and braids so tight we would cry...or when we were older, pink sponge rollers pulled out and the girls brushed up.

Then the matching outfits...

And then off to church we would go with Daddy, GC, and various uncles. The mamas would mostly stay to get dressed for the egg hunt or to finish cooking.

We were never good in church. The priests would do the service in Spanglish. We were bad...we were too excited for what was to come...

After the longest Catholic masses in history we would head next door to Daddy Gus and Meme's house and would be held captive in the house until the dads and teenagers would get the cascarones hidden. It was a big deal when you were old enough to get to hide the eggs...

If you don't know what a cascarone is...well, it is a confetti-filled egg.

These eggs were amazing. A good number of them were plain, just dyed and topped with a colorful piece of tissue paper to hold the confetti in. But other eggs were special---they were hand-painted works of art. I still have 4 dozen of them. They are over 35 years old. They are marvels. I love to set them out at Easter and just look at them.

So once the eggs were hidden, we were released and the egg-cracking began. If you found a "pretty" egg (one of the hand-painted ones) you kept it safely hidden in the grass in your huge easter basket---I still have my basket....

But the other eggs, well, you got everyone you could. No plain egg went uncracked. Many a "wash and set" hairdo was upset by confetti in the hair.

My mother would find confetti all over the house even a week later.

Before getting in the car we were told to shake and really run our fingers through our hair. Confetti still managed to end up in the car and in the CCC's house. No amount of vacuuming ever seemed to get it up.

After the egg hunt we would run back to their house and change out of our matching Easter finery and head to the barn at the ranch for the greatest and grandest Easter lunch ever. I think there was probably 20 feet of table space laden with food. And I'm talking amazing food. EVERYTHING was unreal good. The women outdid themselves with that food. I still have dreams about that food...

We would stuff ourselves and then the adults and older kids and teens would have a skeet shoot while the rest of us hung out and played.

The most perfect days ever...

Once when I was an adult my mom, sister, and I joined the CCC's for Easter again...we hadn't for years but that year we went. So we (my sister S and I) plotted with some of the CCC girls to play a joke on our mothers.

We went out and bought matching Laura Ashley dresses.

My sister and I wore blue...the CCC girls wore a yellow version of our dress.

We did not say a word to our mothers. We just showed up ready for church in our matching dresses.

Our mothers busted out laughing. We even made the boys were matching ties. It was awesome...

So we went into church and sit down ready for the Spanglish mass. It was more Spanglish than ever...I think the priest even managed to change languages mid-sentence.

There was an overhead project for the songs...I'm not kidding...

But my favorite part...and this is what nearly got us thrown out of church....was the little vignette that was set up to the side of the alter.

Picture if you can a paper-mache heart---a large paper-mache heart that is about 20 inches by 20 inches. Around the heart is some barbed wire (the thorns). Below the heart is a large glass bowl of red jello (blood) and leading from the heart to the bowl is several strands of fishing line with droplets of the "blood" on them.

We all just lost it. We couldn't control ourselves. It was just hilarious to look at. And of course the minute one of us would start to laugh, we would all laugh. Our mothers even tried the old trick of pulling a tiny strand of hair at the base of our skulls but that didn't work. We would finally get control and then one of us would not be able to help ourselves and we would collapse into laughter. I cried because I was having such a hard time controlling myself. I couldn't even go up to communion.

The second we escaped we must have laughed for 5 minutes...it was that funny...I'm sure whoever made that little representation of Christ's heart meant it in all love and sincerity but in the middle of the Spanglish church, while wearing matching dresses, the adults in us became children. Even our mother's had a hard time not losing control.

When we moved on to the egg hunt I was 10 all over again. And even though I get hit with confetti eggs at our school/church festival every year, it's not the same as Easter Sunday in Meme and Daddy Gus' backyard.

But the food...now that was still heavenly...

So to all my friends who are members of the extended CCC clan...and most especially my young friend who is Queen of the Tennis Court (her medals prove it), I have only one thing to say:

I LOVE YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND I THANK YOU FOR SOME OF THE BEST AND MOST AMAZING DAYS OF MY LIFE!!!!!

I have many more stories of the CCC/Shelton good times but for now I will leave you with visions of cascarones and jello blood bowls...and 20 foot tables groaning with the most delicious food ever...

Inspiration Song: "Family Affair" by Mary J Blige...because that was what it was...a very big family affair...

bye darlings!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

I Know What Boys Like

Spinderella took us on a trip back to the 80's today...

And then she threw in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition models...

It was a wild ride...and my quads are still not happy about it!

Her class is divided into 3 sections...45 minutes of spin and 15 minutes of ab work, and then, if you want to continue to punish yourself you can climb back on the bike for another 30 minutes of spinning.

She calls it "video ride" because she plays videos to distract us from the pain she is inflicting on us...but we do burn the calories and work our glutes so it is all worth it.

She started us with videos of Madonna---The Early Years...not nearly as artsy as her later stuff but crazy-good fun.

I can't remember the first video that played, but I can tell you that I remember every video Madonna ever made...what a chameleon!

Lucky Star---Madonna dancing...black and white

Borderline---she leaves her boy toy to become a model for an older photographer but return to the boy toy in the end

Like a Virgin---how can you ever forget the images of Madonna in Venice...jumping around in the gondola in the canal or in the white dress with the lion?

Material Girl---a personal favorite of mine...Madonna in an homage to Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes...love love love it...

Crazy for you---Madonna singing with clips of Matthew Modine in "Vision Quest"

Into the Groove---"Desperately Seeking Susan"

Live to Tell---Madonna sings with scenes from then boy-toy Sean Penn's movie

Papa Don't Preach---our girl let herself go with a bad haircut in this one

True Blue---bad hair is still there as she dances around a blue set

Open Your Heart---Madonna in an homage to Marlene Dietrich...she plays a dancer in a peep show...

Who's That Girl---scenes from the movie...boring video

Like a Prayer---Madonna goes with dark hair and kisses the feet of an African-American Jesus statue...not one of my favorites but I like the song...

Express Yourself---another personal favorite of mine...only Madonna could get away with licking a dish of cream like a cat

And all the while we are riding those spin bikes using speed and tension to burn away the fat and calories...an hour went REALLY fast (including the ab portion).

So then the short ride comes and she changes the video to the Sports Illustrated girls.

That makes the lone male in the room happy...very happy...

We, the women, get a little snarky about how skinny some of the girls are and their lack of sports abilities...

"That whipped cream on the cupcake that she stuck her finger into is the only thing she ate that day" (sadly, she was pretty rail thin so it probably was)

"She totally missed that ball when they threw it at her" (ok, the model was wearing a bikini and HEELS)

"is that a bikini or chain mail?"...

Sort of made us...bitchy...

But THAT is what boys like...not the bitchy part...the girls in bikinis part

Girls in swimsuits with heels on. Madonna with the word "boy toy" on her belt with a bare midriff.

A friend told me when he was in college he once followed a girl across campus (I believe he even missed his own class) because she was wearing a white mini skirt and looking hot. He didn't know her but he followed her anyway. I think he told her he loved her...I don't think she went out with him. Boys....

One time we had a "leading man" (14 years old) at a school production who was cast opposite a girl who was very beautifully endowed. Poor kid didn't know where to look. He kept looking down at her chest in their scenes. I could tell where he was looking but he didn't know it. He came to me because he was uncomfortable because he was supposed to look into her eyes but that bothered him so he said he kept looking down at the floor---trust me, he was NOT looking at the floor! He asked what he should do. I told him to talk and sing to her upstage ear and the audience would never know he wasn't directly looking into her eyes. It worked. Boys...

Apparently this year at camp all the boys had a crush on the picture-taking girl...no wonder they all delivered such dazzling smiles. Boys...

But it's not just girls that boys like...and right now I am glad that TCBITW notices girls but not to the point of distraction. He is distracted by other things...

Because another thing that boys like is...VIDEO GAMES!!!!!

And in my house it is specifically playing "Call of Duty" on X-box Live

If you do not know what Call of Duty (COD) and X-Box Live are, then you don't have a boy over the age of 10 living in your house.

The other day the Houston Chronicle columnist Ken Hoffman wrote a hilarious account of what occurs in his house with the COD and X-box. If I didn't know his wife and know that they have a kid my son's age, I would question whether he was writing about his own experiences or had managed to put spy-cameras in my house and was writing about what happens here....because it was the same.

The boys are able to play with their friends through the "live" feature so they get games going by inviting their friends to play and wearing headsets so they can communicate.

Call of Duty---Modern Warfare is a violent game about war. I don't know much about it except that you are some army guy killing the middle eastern dudes (that is how it was explained to me). Kill Kill Kill

It is very disconcerting to walk through the house and hear my son shout the following things (into the headset but I can hear him)

"Dude, you need to kill that guy NOW"

"I'm going to kill you"

"I just killed 3 of them"

and other equally unnerving things...

Boys like video games. I watched a teacher at school play some silly thing on his phone once during his off period while I worked on something in his room...I was only able to break the spell of him tapping on the phone by announcing I was done and was ready for his help. He promptly quit the game (I guess you can tear yourself away easier when you are an ADULT male) but I am sure he wasn't playing mah-johng...

My husband once spent an entire day playing Tetris. Yes, an entire day. An entire Sunday. I bought him a Nintendo system before we had kids...not realizing that men are just big boys...and he was a Tetris addict. I had to remove the game and hide it so he could function...

We have a friend who told us that when he was in law school he would walk through a corridor that had video games in it and he found himself spending many hours playing "Space Invaders". He finally had to have a chat with himself and said:
"Self, do you want to be the world Space Invaders Champion or a lawyer?"

He is a lawyer...thank goodness...

We had two of the "cocktail table" versions of video games when I was in high school courtesy of my father's friendship with an owner of a large furniture store chain. He gifted us with the games. We had "Ms. Pac-Man" and "Asteroids".

Every date I had in high school wanted to just sit and play the games.

Ms. Pac-Man makes funny noises when you play...there is the little song noise and the "wakka-wakka" noise that it makes when Ms. Pac-Man is eating the dots...and then the "dying" noise when she is killed by a blue blob.

We had parrots. Parrots who would imitate things. They lived together in a cage. You never said the word "goodnight" in their presence or you would be treated to 50 rounds of "goodnight" from the parrots. One man who worked for my father was always fussing about his budget...every time he walked into the house the birds would scream "budget"....And once someone called my stepmother a name and it stuck...I will not say who it was as I might incriminate myself or someone I care for...

So why the story of Ms. Pac-Man and the parrots? Because the parrots lived near the game...and that game got played...A LOT....

So one night at dinner we hear "wakka-wakka" and the "doodydoodydoody-do" noise (the dying noise). My dad yells at us for not shutting off the game. My sisters swear they did. I go investigate (and yes, maybe I was looking to catch them in a lie) and did not immediately return to the table. So here comes my sister....and by then I am laughing hysterically. She starts to laugh. Daddy comes to see what the fuss is about...

The parrots had learned to imitate the game. The noise came from the parrots.

The parrots cage had a new home 5 minutes later.

So...boys like girls, boys REALLY like girls in bikinis (and hot white minis) and boys really really like video games.

Boys like sports. They like to play sports and watch sports. I have seen men leave a dinner table during a dinner party to watch football. I had to plan my wedding around the Aggie football schedule because we couldn't get married on a day that the Aggies played (right then I should have said "hmmmmm"). I've seen guys watch a re-run of a 10 year old game. My husband will GO to an Aggie game and then come home and watch it again on tv ("hmmmmm").

Boys like beer. And when I say "boys" in this case, I men men over the age of 21. I like beer...I "get" that one. I like to try beer like wine. A guy friend told me I should go to some place in City Center (the backyard?) where they have tons of beers to taste. I told him that would be a BAD idea for me because I would likely choose the beer over food for the calories. He's a man...to heck with the calories (and he is thin).

Boys like chicken wings and other gross food. Ke$ha Barbie calls it "football food" because it is the kind of stuff you eat at a sports bar. Buffalo wings, chicken tenders, corn dogs....I've eaten them before and do not miss them while I am eating healthy.

Boys like ketchup...or is it catsup? My guys will cover a plate with ketchup...yuck! They will drown fries in ketchup (unless there is gravy around). I've watched the kids at school eat corn dogs...the girls might squirt a little mustard or ketchup on the plate and daintily dip the corn dog in...the boys squirt half a bottle and drown it. A teacher friend of mine likes to mix ketchup and mustard and eat it together. He is male. I won't eat with him (when I work at the school) if it is corn dog day....I watched him do it once and told him I hoped he had a stomach ache the rest of the day (he ate 2)...he said I cursed him...I told him not to do it on a date...in fact, no corn dogs on a date no matter how much he might enjoy watching a girl eat the corn dog (if she would even touch it...I mean if I was on a date with a cute guy I wouldn't eat something fried, greasy and of questionable origin...but who knows with girls these days...)

Speaking of gravy....boys like gravy...and food drowned in gravy. And ranch dressing...same thing...

And queso....I'm pretty convinced that a man will eat anything covered in queso. I always tell the moms planning our cast parties for our shows at school to get queso to make GOTT happy...if queso or nachos are present, he is a happy man. And I hate it that he eats like that and looks...perfect...I have watched him scarf down a plate of tortilla chips drowned in queso with enough jalepenos to set anyone on fire and then eat...more! So not fair....so not fair...if I ate that I would gain a size...not my GOTT...

Boys like anything fried....just ask Anthony Bourdain...

I could go on and on...what boys like...but I am trying to raise a man so I have to know what guys like. Lucky for me that little man, addicted to COD that he is, will also watch non-sports shows with me (like "The Amazing Race" and "Anthony Bourdain No Reservations") and hasn't shown an addiction to gravy yet...but I bet very very soon he will follow a hot chick in a miniskirt somewhere that he wasn't intending on going...

Inspiration Music: Spinderella put on "I know what boys like" by The Waitresses as we were watching the SI supermodels...so very early 80's...and so fitting...

bye darlings...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Hi

Hi!

It's been a while...a week since I have bloggged...I've been busy but mostly I'm not wanting to wear out my welcome with you all...

I'm writing this as my dinner cooks in the oven...I haven't been cooking much this summer but now that TCBITW (The Cutest Boy in the World) is home from camp I have been making an effort.

In the oven: Orange-flavored Pork Tenderloins

I will use them for tacos tonight...but they could be served as is. The recipe will be at the bottom of this blog. I thought I might share a few recipes once in a while as a way to spur me on to cook more and to give you people something good to eat.

You see, I am a good cook...a very good cook. I didn't get this fat eating out and eating a lot of junk food. I cooked myself to this weight...with pan-fried Milenesa, lasagna, ribeye steaks, scalloped potatoes, fettucine alfredo, pasta carbonara, Coca-Cola cake, Tres leches cake, baby-back ribs, short ribs, chicken-fried steak with gravy, and all kinds of other fattening goodies...

But I can also cook healthy. And this is one of those healthy recipes that is good enough to serve to company and easy enough for the laziest of cooks to do. So the recipe will be at the bottom...enjoy!

I haven't done much this week but work on the school scrapbook and go to the gym and lay out by the pool. Not much progress on the scrapbook but it is at least started. I've lost a couple of pounds...my tan looks good...

We saw "Inception"...one wild ride of a movie. Very good flick. I really enjoyed it and I recommend seeing it at the theater instead of waiting for it to come on HBO or video because the visuals are stunning. We avoided watching it in IMAX because those kinds of movies don't sit well with me and TCBITW when we watch them on the IMAX screen---Transformers was a disaster---so we saw it on the regular screen. It was a very entertaining couple of hours. Tres loved it, Hubby loved it, I loved it...

I managed to get through a full hour of spin class yesterday...a different Spinderella was in control but she was awesome and I will go back to her class again. I finally made it to Fitness Goddess' spin and weights class and loved it to where I now will make it priority. I am once again becoming addicted to spinning...which is way better than my cupcake addiction...

My husband got an iPhone. He is not cool enough for an iPhone...he has always been a blackberry man and I loved my iPhone...but now he has one and he decided to invade my music library with his music.

Do any of you know how to seperate music libraries?

Our marriage will not survivie this...

I cannot have him synching his phone to the same library I am using...because he has decided to add some of "his" music and I just cannot go there.

Herb Albert and the Tiajuana Brass

Do I really NEED to say more? Really? At this point as you are reading this you should all be saying "oh, goodness...poor Anice! THAT is not music anyone should want to hear".

I told him he is officially an old man now.

He added 5 (FIVE) albums of Herb Albert. He spent almost $60 on Herb Albert.

NO ONE needs that much Herb Albert.

My father used to have "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" on an 8-track that he played on our 8-track carousel...it alternated with the much-hated (and previously mentioned in a blog)music of Julio Iglesias (my step-monster's favorite) and some very bad Ray Price stuff. I could ALMOST handle the Charlie Pride stuff. And then there was the Barbra Streisand Christmas Album (I loved removing it from the carousel on January 2).

But the Herb Albert "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" stayed in...

Once I stuck in my AC/DC "Back in Black" cassette into the carousel and waited for it to come over the sound system (all the speakers in the house were hooked up to the carousel---quite novel for the late 70's)...that was fun...Daddy didn't like it...He didn't like "Hell's Bells" at all...but we needed to hear "A Taste of Honey" for the 43,967th time..."You Shook me All Night Long" beats "Lollipops and Roses" any day in my book but not Daddy's...

"You Shook me All Night Long"...one of the greatest rock-n-roll songs. EVER. EVER!!!!

So now my library is gunked up with the Herb Albert crap the same way I was forced to listen to it back in my high school years (and it was OLD then!).

So please, if you know how to make 2 seperate libraries on one computer, tell me how!

I don't want to have to comb through each time and uncheck whatever horrible music he has purchased.

TCBITW is totally cringing now because he will now be forced to listen to the Herb Albert junk along with the music from westerns (like "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" that my husband's "boyfriend" (that would be his best friend...but since they are nicer to each other than they are to their own wives, the other guy's wife and I refer to them as each other's boyfriend...) favors...my son likes bands like The White Stripes and Cage the Elephant...mutiny may happen...thank goodness my son knows how to drive the boat...

OK, I promised you a recipe so here it is. It will LOOK complicated but it is not. I'm giving you a lot of description so you can do it right but there is no measuring involved.

This is EASY!

Orange-Flavored Pork Tenderloin with Orange Onions

Buy the unmarinated pork tenders. You can also do this with pork loin.

Take them out of the package and marinate in orange juice (good stuff...like Nature's Own...not from concentrate stuff) for about an hour or two. No longer or the citrus will start to cook the pork.

Heat up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven (I use my Le Crueset french oven). If you don't have a dutch oven, use a skillet.

Remove each tender from the juice and give it a liberal schmear (I love that word...schmear) of garlic paste (I get the kind that comes in a tube like toothpaste found in the produce section). So schmear the garlic paste all over and then sprinkle it with salt and pepper (I like garlic salt and lemon pepper).

Brown the tenders on each side. I always make 4 tenders so I have leftovers. Get them good and brown.

Now here is where you can make or break this dish so do what I say...once the tenders are browned, remove them from the pan and deglaze the pan with 2-3 cups of chicken stock. Scrape up all the nasty bits on the bottom...that will make it really good. Add in the orange juice you marinated the pork in...you want 2 cups at least. If you are afraid of the marinade juice, use some of your good stuff, just be sure you have at least 2 cups left for the onions.

Bring the stock and juice to a boil. Add the tenders back in.

Put the dutch oven into a 350 degree oven (covered). If you don't have a dutch oven, pour the juice and tenders into a pan and cover.

Cook until pork registers "done" on a meat thermometer...I can't give you a time because I don't know how thick your tenders are or if you are using loin. Use a thermometer...be safe...

When done, remove from oven and let rest.

To make the orange onions, slice up some sweet onion and saute it in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft and starting to turn brown. When they are lightly browned, add in a cup or two of orange juice and let it carmelize. They are delicious. Make a lot...I mean like 3-4 onions at least...

To serve you can slice the pork and top with onions and serve pan juice (I tend to take it and reduce it so it is thicker and more of a glaze---do this while doing onions and let the pork rest covered on a plate).

Or you can make tacos...corn tortillas are best.

Green tomatillo sauce as a condiment. We also like salsa mixed with sour cream.

Avocado is nice.

Take your tortilla, add some onions, add some pork, a good drizzle of tomatillo and the sour cream/salsa if you like.

Leftovers are wonderful...and sometimes I make chili from the leftovers with the red chili sauce HEB sells---it comes in a jar like Ragu...really good...

There you go...something good for you....

Inspiration music: "Hi" by PSAPP...very fun, trippy little song...Wade Robison did an amazing dance to it on "Dancing with the Stars" a few years ago...

bye darlings...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Summer Day

I have been abandoned by my family...and I am just fine and happy about it.

Ke$ha Barbie went to the lake with her friend and her family. My husband and TCBITW went fishing.

It's just been me and the cats and I'm not complaining...it has been rather nice not having to hear someone complaining about what I have neglected to do for them...or what I have not purchased for them (because they THOUGHT they remembered telling me when I was in the shower because they yelled it through the bathroom door (my shower is a steam shower and sound proof), or what I didn't find for them...

Instead I have had 3 very nice days of doing exactly what I pleased and I have to say it was a little like a vacation. I only wish these days had been spent at the spa and included massages and facials and a pilates class.

I can't seem to motivate myself to clean up the spare room and get it organized into some sort of office/craft room/escape room for myself. I just open the door, see all the junk that was randomly thrown into it and sigh.

I did get started on the class scrapbook for the school. My little Siamese cat keeps trying to eat the paper. She's done it before...one year she ate all the titles off of the cover page. The proverbial "dog ate my homework" story, I know...

The scrapbook is one of those things that really focuses on my ADD and my control issues. I do the book because I know I do it better than anyone else would (control issues) but I procrastinate on it and stop and start (ADD) all the time. The pages are 18" x 24" (there is a way to do it digitally but unless I get a Mac, I'm not going there) and so it uses a lot of background paper...but I can usually get every one of the 80 kids in the class on a 2 page spread.

So right now my bedroom floor looks like the carnage of a fight between a scrapbook store and Kodak...

I started on my Anthony Bourdain book. I wasn't going to buy any books until I got myself an iPad or Kindle or Nook but I kept hearing that "The Help" was great so I went to the bookstore and while looking for the book the Bourdain book called to me from the shelf.

I am a little more than obsessed with Anthony Bourdain. I have considered trying to stalk him. I have watched all of his "No Reservations" episodes on the Travel Channel and I dance with glee when he is on "Top Chef". I've read "Kitchen Confidential" and so I had to have this new book "Medium Raw". It is food porn. Literally. If you are a "foodie", you must read it. He is crude and rude and unapologetic...and raw...and genius...I love love love him.

I've been re-reading "The Pillars of the Earth" (coming on Starz premium channel as a miniseries this Friday...can't wait...) but I put it aside for my little love affair with Anthony...and his food porn...

I got to watch my "guilty pleasure" television..."The Real Housewives of New Jersey" and "Toddlers and Tiaras"...you just can't take your eyes off of them...the Jersey girls are over the top but it is the pa gent princesses of "Toddlers and Tiaras" that make me sit in my bed and cringe and say "oh no she didn't" when I see them spray tanning a 4 year old and painting the faces of 6 year olds so that they look like aging Vegas showgirls. And they spend $2500 on a dress...a dress that the 3 year old will grow out of in 6 months...and the prize money is something like $500 in saving bonds IF you win the big title and the big crown. I've been puzzled by that culture since way before Jon Benet Ramsay. I would love for Christopher Guest to do a movie about it like he did for the dog show world with "Best in Show"....wouldn't that be amazing? Can't you just see Parker Posey and Jane Lynch as pageant moms and Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins as pageant dads or judges...and Catherine O'Hara as a pageant coach...I love Christopher Guest movies almost as much as I love Anthony Bourdain...

I got the pool to myself...no one splashed me...no one took my float...no one changed my music on the stereo...it was all good until today when I settled myself into my chair and grabbed my book and was good and ready for my latest attempt to turn myself into an aging Malibu Barbie when the thunder clapped and the storm rolled in. I grabbed the cat (she was under my chair) and made it inside before the first drops rained down on my precious Bourdain book.

I worked out and ate right...except for last night when I ate some very bad-for-you-but-tastes-oh-so-good rigatoni pasta from Maggianos. I didn't have a choice...it was served to me at a party.

Along with the Crave cupcakes...I call them "crack"..."Crack" cupcakes...because they are totally addicting and once you have one, you can't do without...like a crack addict. I've never tried crack because sugar is my drug of choice...and crack is illegal. But these cupcakes should be illegal too. And now we have another crack-den cupcake place called "Sprinkles" in town and I think there is a conspiracy out there to keep me fat. Cupcakes are my kryptonite...

I looked long and hard at the cupcake before I decided to unwrap it and eat it. I haven't had that much sugar in months. It was like I was mainlining glucose...total sugar rush (to go with my wine and champagne---it was a birthday party). I had to move the box of cupcakes from my reach...because that cupcake was like a drug. I totally turned into Lindsay Lohan (albeit with sugar and not drugs and alcohol)and I needed rehab.

On my way out the door the birthday girl tried hand me some cupcakes to take home. I told her that was like giving heroin to a recovering addict and she had to take them far far away from me. She did (thank goodness). It took all my willpower to stop at one so I wasn't going to tempt fate and think that I could keep my version of heroin on the kitchen counter and not mainline it right into my body.

To pay for my sins I gave myself an exceedingly hard spin class today and felt like that was a pretty good penance for having done my body so wrong with sugar and buttercream.

But I will say this...it was worth every calorie and fat gram...

The Fit Foods place has me doing this "liver cleanse" concoction...a vile combination of unsweetened cranberry juice, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, a shot of B-12 and water to keep you from puckering up so much you can force any more down. You drink it first thing in the morning. I will say that it wakes you up..."surprise, taste buds! Here comes something totally sour and bitter to make you wish you were still in bed!!!". I think between all of the antibiotics I took last week for the diverticulitis and the sugar and cream last night that my liver probably DOES need a cleanse...

And somehow, despite ice wine and mango sorbet (Friday night), a cupcake, creamy pasta, and pad thai, I have managed to drop a few pounds. Maybe it is the liver cleanse...

Ke$ha Barbie is home now so I'm gonna quit blogging and see if I can't get her to pretend like she enjoys spending time with me....like she used to....

Summer is half over and I still feel like it just began...enjoy your summer days...they are flying by....

"Summer Day" by Sheryl Crow...it's her new song...she is soooooo cool...

bye darlings!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Couldn't Get it Right

Yesterday GOTT"s beautiful wife (let's call her Gottess...because she is a Goddess and GOTT's wife) had a birthday party for him. A BOWLING birthday party.

I like to bowl but I am beyond terrible at it. I'm about as bad as you can get.

I need the bumper things or all my balls are in the gutter...

But I love GOTT and it was a party and fun fun fun people were invited so I risked my manicure to play...badly...

First up was dinner at Guadalajara...

So Gottess knows I am dieting and she's uber-supportive so we share dinner (yummy mahi-mahi that was so big I glad we shared...and the homemade guacamole with ceviche...heaven). I stuck to beer because I was afraid I might hit someone with a 10 pound bowling ball if I drank tequila or vodka. Beer is safer...and so filling I can't drink much...so Corona Lite it was...

Then we moved upstairs to the Lucky Strikes Lanes in the Houston Pavilions...people, this place is fun fun fun if you are with the right group.

We had the right group...

8 of us...strangers to each other but all connected to GOTT and Gottess...which really makes for a more fun party in many ways.

GOTT is up first...bowls a strike...

everyone is doing great...and then it is my turn...gutter...gutter...

This goes on for quite a while...GOTT throwing strikes and me throwing gutter balls. Gottess is pretty great with her bowling. So is Lady T and Lady R (who even managed to do the splits after releasing one ball).

So Mr. Cute as a Cue Ball (cause he is adorable and bald) gives me a suggestion...stop looking at the pins and just throw the ball between 2 spots on the floor.

Dang...it worked!

I never did better than 9 pins...and I still was 60% (maybe more) gutter balls...and I sadly didn't even break 30...but I had fun trying.

The scores are automatic and up on a screen and they even measure how fast the ball travels down the lane in mph...and that is when things got interesting.

The score screen reminded us we had 6 minutes left in our lane usage so GOTT had the brilliant idea for us to "speed bowl".

So we did...

He threw one down the lane at over 24 mph...I didn't think that was possible. The best I could do was 13.8 mph. My husband managed a respectable 16 until he got beaten by "a girl" (Lady R) who threw one down at 16.5 mph.

That was fun...I highly recommend it...I even got 9 pins down with one of my fast balls...

And GOTT won...he threw something like 12 strikes...maybe more...some people are just naturally coordinated.

He loved his gift...a coffee mug with "GOTT" on one side and my favorite phrase he says on the other...

"I wouldn't have told you to stand there because I am a better director than that!!!"

It never fails in every show we do, some kid is standing in the wrong place and when he asks "why are you standing there?" they usually stare at him blankly. Sometimes they foolishly try to tell him that HE told them to (fools...GOTT remembers where everyone goes on the stage). So when he asks, he usually responds with "I know I didn't tell you to stand there because I am a better director than that".

My son and daughter can both tell you when and to whom he said that to in the shows they have been in that he directed.

I can't wait to see who does it in the fall for our fall program...

GOTT knows just exactly where to place someone on the stage. He is great...no, make that INCREDIBLE...at making what I like to call "stage pictures"...so when someone is in the wrong spot...he knows...

I also re-wrote the words to a song from Seussical for him...the song is called "All for You" and he loved it...and he "got" it...because he is GOTT and is my brother from another mother...

Last year I screwed up his birthday and mixed up the party dates...he was unhappy with me for that...and reminded me to get a better calendar...so this year I got it all right!

I look forward to school resuming so we can drink our hot tea (last year I bought him an electric kettle for his tea...so now we can have tea)from our mugs...him with his "GOTT" mug and me with my "don't make me call the flying monkeys" mug...it pretty much sums us up...he is a god and I am a witch...

So maybe I couldn't get the bowling right but I did get the gift right...

Today was another day of things being off-kilter for me....

I'm still up a pound...

I missed my workout (I have excuses...none of them very good...the main one being that my knee is killing me after last nights bowl-a-thon)

But here is the kicker...and tell me if you wouldn't be miffed too...because today I had my once-a-year celebration of being a woman with my gynecologist. You know...it was THAT appointment...the yearly exam...

It was way more fun seeing her (the doctor) when I was pregnant. Now it is just a chore...and a chore I have avoided for a few more years than she would like. Yes, I have been a bad patient. I have gotten my mammograms but avoided the other. And I get to see my doctor out and about at school because her children attend my daughter's school...so she reminds me that I need to come in "to see her professionally"...

So I made an appointment...that I had to wait a month for since she has drastically cut back her hours as a doctor (I guess having 4 children will do that to you...she is forgiven...).

But here is the unforgivable part...she wasn't there today...

And no one told me....

Not the girl who called about the insurance yesterday...

Not the lady at the main check-in...

Not the gal behind the desk in her office that I checked in with...

And not the nurse that took my blood pressure and history and told me to get undressed and in the robe thing and wait for the doctor...

Nope...

I found out...when a MAN walked into the room...not my beloved doctor, but a man...

I have nothing against male doctors. My first gynecologist/obstetrician was a man.

It's just that today I was expecting a woman to walk through that door...a woman I have been seeing for 13 years.

Now, to the new guy's credit, he was sweet as pie and said he totally understood if I wanted to reschedule. And he seemed miffed at the nurse...for not telling me...

But there I was, undressed and wrapped in the robe thing...sitting on the table...and I was pretty ticked off...

So I said...

"No, let's just do it"

And he couldn't have been nicer. And I'm considering just switching to him (because he was super nice and very willing to be helpful and answer questions and took his time after the exam (when I was dressed) to make sure I didn't have any concerns or questions) but then I will have to deal with the same office staff...the same office staff that NEGLECTED to tell me that MY doctor was not in today.

Maybe she had an emergency...maybe something came up...but surely SOMEONE could have mentioned it before I was on that exam table...right?

So I was not a happy camper...and then they told me I had to have blood work...that really made me happy...

At least the phlebotomist (I learned today that is the word for the person who draws your blood) was the sweetest, dearest thing...and for me to say that having blood drawn was the highlight of my day is saying something...

So....to sum it up:
Phlebotomist---got it right
new doctor---got it right with the new patient
office staff---screwed up big time
nurse----screwed up big time

I consoled myself by baking in the sun, reading my book, having dinner with Sistah (since hubby and TCBITW have gone fishing and Ke$ha Barbie would rather eat barf than dine alone with me), going to the bookstore to get more books to read (I bought "The Help"---heard it was great...and Anthony Bourdain's new book---because I am obsessed with him), and coming home to watch the results show of "So You Think You Can Dance" (amazing show...).

Tomorrow MUST be better...

Inspiration Song: an oldie but goodie..."Couldn't Get it Right" by the Climax Blues Band...

bye darlings...

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

I GAINED a pound...

it could be a lot of things...I could drop it tomorrow...but after the Peking Duck I had at Yao tonight, that would be doubtful.

I am happy I didn't let that one pound send me into a tailspin...I know that weight fluctuates and that the scale isn't perfect. OK, maybe I am obsessing a bit about this one pound because, after all, I AM blogging about it. But it is only one teensy little pound that is probably just water weight.

I'll blame my meds...and sodium...

So it was a Spinderella day today...she treated us to highlights from the 2010 Winter Olympics. Shawn White is...amazing! Lindsay Vonn is...amazing! ALL of the athletes were amazing...I love the Olympics, especially the winter ones...I go through withdrawals when they are over.

I'm not much of a sports fan. I can't stand to watch football unless my son or someone I know is playing...and fugetaboutit if it is on television. Basketball---never. I did enjoy the World Cup. And I do love to watch tennis...especially Nadal and Federer or Roddick. Baseball---if I am at Minute Maid Park then yeah...but otherwise---notsomuch.

My son decided to wrestle this year. One-on-one combat with another boy while wearing a strange looking leotard thing. Boys beating each other up and not getting in trouble for it. I don't get all the rules and points stuff. Not really a team sport but you have a team and your points matter. But what you do on the mat is up to you. And it just looks weird to watch.

Very. Strange. Sport.

I'm not looking forward to next year...wrestling happens after football so I get to watch the torture of my little guy full-on tackling other boys first.

Hit. Hit. Hit.

He also plays lacrosse. A sport I really don't understand. I wrote a blog about my not understanding the sport...I think there is a link to it next to this blog. I don't get it even after he played for an entire season. He loves it. I think it just looks like anarchy on the field. Mr. Precious and Adorable History Teacher also coached lacrosse and he tried to explain the game to me. He used pens and marked "x's" and "o's" on the white board. My eyes started to spin. He looked at me and said "why don't you watch the game first and then we will try this again". We didn't try again----I love him too much to have put him back through it. He is precious and adorable and understands that this mama is sport stupid.

Lacrosse has its own culture...I tried to learn the lingo and something about the game from the Internet but to no avail. And on the day that the goalie made a goal for us, I just gave up...

I'll try one more time next spring. And Mr. Precious and Adorable will be Coach Precious and Adorable and he will probably just sigh and give me a hug and tell me to take pictures and he will let me know if we are doing good. That might work...like I said, I am sport stupid. And I love taking sports photos...

Why my kid wants to play all the sports that let you hit people (and yet not go to detention for it) is beyond me, but he seems to like the contact sports. Personally, I was rooting for him to want to do track because I understand running but don't do it. But nooooooooooo....you don't hit people in track.

My daughter likes those hitting sports too...she is a field hockey and soccer player. Girls field hockey is a bit brutal...but at least they don't whack each other with their sticks the way lacrosse boys do.

I am not the kind of person who puts any faith in astrological signs (no judging here from me if you personally do...I just don't...again, my blog...my opinion), but I do think it is interesting that my son is an ARIES...the RAM...they like to HIT.

He is doing a lacrosse camp this week...he loves it...6 hours of LAX (lacrosse). He gets to hit people with a stick. He likes that...

I'm going to hit the gym tomorrow and try and work off the Chinese food I had tonight...Peking Duck is not good for your diet but it was oh so good at Yao tonight. And I can't beat myself up for having a great meal once in a while. I'll be good until tomorrow night...because tomorrow I am celebrating GOTT's birthday with him and his wife and some friends. We are BOWLING...I will be queen of the gutter balls...plus I won't want to ruin my manicure (with my "Orgasm" polish...if you remember that blog).

I got GOTT the perfect gift. It is sure to be a big hit with him. I can't tell you what it is until tomorrow when I give it to him...but I love it and I know he will too...

Until tomorrow....or the next day if I have a few drinks...

Inspiration Song---come on...you know you love it..."Hit me with your best shot" by the one and only Pat Benatar...who is still a rocking lady...

bye darlings...

Monday, July 12, 2010

A Change Would Do You Good

GGGGGRRRRRRRRRR...my iPhone won't sync...some "unknown error"...

I love my iPhone but I'm not too happy with AT&T...bad coverage and dropped calls is all I get. And now this issue with the phone...but I still love my phone...I'd like to change carriers, but not my phone...but I can't so...

So my trainer tells me that I need to vary my routine a little...change it up a bit just so my muscles don't get too used to doing the same thing (my beloved Precor Elliptical Machine) and I don't get too bored.

I tried this Cybex machine today...it felt weird and awkward. It's a stepper thing, but your legs don't make that elliptical motion...more up and down. It did tell me I was burning more calories than I was on the Precor, but it just was an awkward motion.

I felt like I was cheating on my machine...even though I had a good hour's ride on it just before trying out the new thing. I'll give it another whirl and see if I can get the hang of it. The elliptical felt weird and awkward when I first tried it so maybe it is a coordination thing that I need to get a hang of.

I gave myself a spin class yesterday so I could change things up. I was harder on myself than Spinderella is. On Sundays at my health club they don't have classes in the rooms so I grabbed a spin bike---a new one!---and pulled it into the room. I strapped my iPhone onto the handle bars (so I wouldn't knock it off) and hit a play list and took a ride. It was great...but I think I worked myself harder because I was just having random songs play...next time I will pre-set a playlist and choose music with the right beats and rhythm.

I changed my eating a bit and that helped so I guess a change can really do you some good when you make the right change...we'll see about the exercise bit...

In the last 5 months I have made the following changes:

I go to the gym every day (or almost every day)
I eat healthy now and think about what I am putting in my mouth
I log my food and exercise on "Lose it" on my phone so I think about it
I have changed "dress" (pant/shirt) sizes twice...and am working on another...
I got to move into another "weight zone" on the scale
I don't eat out as much
I can't eat popcorn at the movies anymore (divirticulitis)
I bought some heels...haven't worn heels in like 5 years...but I wear these!
I wear skirts again
I park my car farther away from the door when I go somewhere
I wear my fitness shoes whenever I can
I take the stairs (and I am not winded when I do)
I cook healthier, but I still use butter...just less of it...
I am drinking more red wine...hey, at least it is supposed to be "better" for you...but I am not drinking more than before...I've just switched from ordering high calorie mixed drinks to wine, mostly red...

So I've made changes, and changes have happened to me.

Not all the changes in my life have been for the better.

Losing my parents...not a change I wanted or a choice I made...but I had to change the way I celebrate holidays and birthdays and my kids don't have grandparents.

I did not like the changes my father made to our family when he left my mother. The divorce turned our lives upside down and changed my mother forever. We ended up leaving Kingsville, the only place I had ever lived. My father married my step-mother and moved to Kerrville. My mother chose Houston. I moved to Houston as a very unhappy 14-year-old girl with braces and clothes and purses that the Houston girls (save my beloved V) made fun of me for. I was once called "country bumpkin" because of my precious leather-bound binder. I made my mother take me to the store for a new one that afternoon...

Soon I changed my clothes to look more like the Houston girls...Izod shirts, anyone?

My mother married my orthodontist...for 3 weeks...not a good or happy change...but at least it was brief. But it led me to be unhappy and I needed a change...so I moved to Kerrville and moved in with my father and...her...

I could write blogs and blogs about my relationship with...her...but I won't...it's not worth my time...and all I can say is that Cinderella had it good...

Do you see now why I have issues? Tip of the iceberg, friends...tip of the iceberg...

I did love Kerrville and Tivy High and my friends...so even though it wasn't easy living with my father...and her...I had my sisters and my little brother and I got through it and left...

And even though my dad left us for...her...she was a change that did do him some good because he loved her. I don't know why, but he did...and she made him happy in some way so even though I didn't understand why he loved her, he did...

Enough about...her...and that change in my life...

I have my own family now and that was a good change for me...my children are the center of my world...even when Ke$ha Barbie only seems to want to argue with everything I say to her. She says she wants to be an engineer but I sometimes wonder if she wouldn't be a marvelous litigator with the way she argues with me and her logic...she could just confound a jury into seeing things her way...and dazzle them with her piles of blonde hair...

So a change would do you good...see what changes you can make to do YOU some good...

In the meantime I'm going to finish taking my medicine so I can have some red wine...because I have a new bottle of Gigondas that I want to try...a change from my usual...and I know that a little bit of red wine will do me some good...just a little...because a LOT of red wine will do me some damage...

Inspiration Music: "A Change Would Do You Good" by Sheryl Crow...because she is cool...

Bye Darlings...

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Beautiful

What is beautiful?

I can tell you right now it is NOT beautiful outside in Houston...it is ugly...but we had about 10 minutes of beautiful at 10:45.

Now some people might think it is beautiful...because it is raining and replenishing the earth and the ground and the water sources and we don't need to turn on the sprinklers so I guess even "ugly" weather can be beautiful. But I like sunny and clear. That is beautiful to me.

I just watched a 40-year-old episode of "The French Chef" with Julia Child on the Cooking Channel. She roasted a chicken on a spit. It was beautiful. Mine never look that good...this one was glistening and perfectly browned. I liked Julia Child...I can remember watching her on PBS when I was a kid---I've always liked cooking and learning about cooking. We went to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History about 5 years ago and my favorite thing was seeing Julia's Kitchen...I cried. One year for our anniversary George gave me some of her cookbooks. I cried. Perfect gift...but I have never cooked from them. I thought I would after seeing "Julie and Julia" but those books intimidate me...but I like looking at them. Julia was beautiful...

I think my children are beautiful...because they are...but mostly because they look like people I love. My son looks like my father and my brothers...and he has these beautiful blue eyes and my father's hair and head. He is built like my father. It makes him beautiful. And he has the most beautiful smile...and he is the sweetest child so he has an ever more beautiful heart than his face. Beautiful...

Ke$ha Barbie looks so much like my mother it is sometimes disconcerting to me---she has all of my mother's beauty and my father's remarkable hair. And oh what hair it is! Thick, lush, golden with streaks of light blonde (thanks to God and not a bottle...she has never put chemicals or bleach on her hair), course (so it holds a curl), wavy, and long. Beautiful hair on a beautiful girl with her father's beautiful blue eyes. And she has my mother's amazing beautiful athletic body, just like my aunts. She is thin but not skinny...really a perfect body...she could easily model for a fitness magazine. But she doesn't think she is beautiful---what 16 year old girl does---and she only sees her flaws. I only see how beautiful she is and I thank God for letting my mother's face shine through on my gorgeous child so I get little reminders of just how beautiful my mother was.

Her legs have scars on them from her ACL replacement surgery. Those scars are beautiful...they show she is a warrior. She hurt herself playing soccer and those scars remind me of her courage when she went through a painful surgery and recovery and she was only 13 years old. Her legs are...beautiful...

I've never thought of myself as beautiful. Oh, I have had times when I looked in the mirror and thought "not too bad" or even "pretty" but not beautiful...at least not when I am fat. I had resigned myself to the fact (long ago) that there were beautiful women in the world and I was not one of them. I was "cute" when I was young and as I have aged I guess "attractive" is about as complimentary as I feel I deserve.

When I told GOTT that I was going to lose weight because I want to be "beautiful" he said:
"you ARE beautiful"
yes friends, that is why I love him and he is one of my dearest friends...that was the RIGHT answer...and he meant it...I love him and am blessed to have him as a friend...his wife said the same thing to me...love love love her!
I answered him back with:
"thank you, I love you, and how about I want to lose weight to be healthy?"
and he said:
"I will support you in that"
and he has...as have many of my friends...TTG helps me with my "Lose it" program and tells me how proud he is of me. I have great friends...you can't do this without your friends' support...

One of my favorite moments on "Glee" this season is when the beautiful (but pregnant) blonde cheerleader tells the beautiful overweight girl that she is beautiful and WHY she is beautiful...because she is comfortable in her own body. This is after the overweight girl has gone on a crazy diet and passes out from not eating. It was a beautiful moment...

It made me think about what was beautiful and why, by most people's standards, the blonde girl would still be the beautiful one (even though she is an unwed teenager in the storyline) and that the other girl would just be the "fat chick" even though she is every bit as pretty as the blonde. Because what is considered "beautiful" in the U.S. is just that...a tall skinny girl with clear skin and perfect hair.

Heidi Klum = beautiful (she is German...not American...just sayin')

but Jessican Simpson is only beautiful if she is "thin"...at least that is what the media leads us to believe...I think she is a beautiful girl in any size...she is a lovely blonde just like Heidi...just sayin'...

Most of us would all like to believe it when we say "it is not what is on the outside that matters...true beauty is on the inside".

They even have a tv show about it...

But if you ask most people to name who they think is beautiful, I bet most of us would answer with the name of a supermodel or actress. And yes, we all can appreciate that true beauty is what is on the inside but its not what we think of when we say "beautiful".

I have a lot of beautiful friends...but if I was to show you their pictures, some people would disagree because they don't meet our standard for beauty. But trust me, they are beautiful...

I have a friend who is gorgeous. She struggled with her weight when she was younger. She was one of those girls who I would hear people say "she would be so gorgeous if she would lose the weight". You know what? She WAS gorgeous, heavy or not. She still is. She is now thinner than me. She will tell you she had issues with food. She suffered for it. She married a man who told her not to look at fashion magazines because of the unreal standard. I haven't met him, but I can tell you...he is beautiful and I love him. When I finally do get to meet him I might cry and have to hold him for a while because he is a gift to my beautiful, gorgeous friend and she deserves that awesome man...and he got himself a pretty good wife there...she is REALLY beautiful, but then, she ALWAYS has been...ALWAYS...

When I told GOTT that I wanted to be "beautiful" I meant it in that most shallow of ways...at that moment what I wanted was to have that unattainable "thin with great skin and perfect hair" beauty...and when he told me I was, he meant that I was on the inside...and THAT is what struck me the most...he didn't say "on the inside" but he sees me as beautiful because we are friends and he loves me and he knows that I would give him a kidney or drive in traffic to pick up a prop for him.

But THAT is what is important...I want and need to be more beautiful inside than what everyone sees on the outside. And his statement made me realize that I can be perfect as anything on the outside but I needed to stay beautiful inside...

A few years ago when I lost a lot of weight and looked good (and I knew it) I had a friend point out to me that it changed me, and not in a good way. I was angry with her for saying that. But she was right...she was very right. I had let myself change in not a beautiful way because as my outside became thinner, so did my heart. We struggled with our relationship for a while but we have been "good" for quite some time now. She was right to say that to me. I needed to hear it. I am glad she did it, even if it caused us to struggle. I have nothing but love for her now and I am glad she loved me enough to say it to me. I love her. She is beautiful...inside and out...

So I am losing weight and exercising so I can be HEALTHY, and yes, I want to look "cute"...but I know that I have work to do on my INSIDE to be a really beautiful person. I need to clean up the inside Anice as well. And not just because of the diverticulitis...

So today when I was on my elliptical I listened to some positive songs. I even played a few worship songs. And I have been, and will continue to, ask God to help me be a beautiful person...INSIDE...

Now if you read nothing else or remember nothing else about this post, please read the following:
I DID NOT WRITE THIS BLOG SO YOU CAN ALL WRITE ME OR POST ON FACEBOOK AND TELL ME THAT I AM INDEED BEAUTIFUL. I DO NOT WANT THAT. PLEASE DO NOT. BECAUSE THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. WHAT I DO WANT...AND I MEAN THIS...IS FOR YOU TO ALL LOOK AT YOURSELF AND LOVE YOURSELF AND TELL YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU ARE! YOU ARE! EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL...IN EVERY SINGLE WAY...

So don't think that I need an ego boost because I don't...I'm doing good. And I think that my inside beauty and my outer self are on the road to getting better...and more beautiful.

Inspiration Song: "Beautiful"---Glee Cast Version. Sung by the gorgeous girl who is not the blonde one! (her character is "Mercedes") Wow does she have a voice. Christina Aguillera's version is lovely, but I choose this one because it is special...and my Glee show got 19 Emmy nominations today so I want to celebrate that my favorite show is awesome...

bye darlings...

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Word of Your Body

So I have diverticulitis...

Monday night was basically hell...I hurt so much I could barely sleep and I had a bit of a fever. I started feeling bad on Sunday night and woke up Monday not feeling great but I made myself go to the gym and workout. I came home and felt---meh...not so hot. By Monday night I was not good and Tuesday morning wasn't any better. When I woke up not feeling well enough to go to Spinderella's class, I knew something was wrong. I'm glad I listened to my body (and my pain) and made an appointment to see my doctor.

I went in and she looked me over and when she pressed on my stomach I almost came off the table. So off to the ER she sent me (for more tests that she can't do in her office).

I will say that if you need ER help in Houston, the Methodist ER clinic at 59 and Kirby is REALLY nice...especially in the middle of the afternoon. It's like a spa in there...and next door is the mammography clinic and I really am convinced it IS a spa---best place ever for a mammogram. If you are going to be tortured, you might as well be tortured in beautifully furnished turquoise and brown rooms with fluffy robes and lattes and herbal teas on demand. They even bring you Diet Coke if you want it (with a straw!).

I didn't have to wait for a bed because my doctor called ahead so they led me right on back and got me comfortable and the doctor came in right away.

And part of being comfortable was...DRUGS...

But first I had to succumb to having blood drawn through some sort of port they left in my vein...but hey, I only got stuck once.

The sweet nurse did a good job with the needle stick and then drew up one giant vial of blood (instead of multiple tubes). Then she mixed me up a cocktail of Sprite Zero and some sort of contrast dye stuff for the CT (I couldn't taste anything but the Sprite Zero).

And then came the best part...Dilaudid...with some phenergan mixed in so I wouldn't get sick. She put that stuff in the port and within seconds I was feeling so much better.

Then I felt like I had had 2 bottles of wine...or 4 very strong margaritas...without all the nasty side effects....I started laughing for no reason...I felt giddy...and for the first time in 24 hours---no pain.

I guess I am sensitive to those kinds of drugs...it must be a family thing because Ke$ha Barbie acted the same way when she was given Versed...actually, she was even "drunker" than I was on the Dilaudid. You see, when she was 13 she tore her ACL (yes, she tore her ACL in her left knee at 13) playing soccer. So she had to have surgery to repair it (we went with a graft from her hamstring). Her doctor is a great knee surgeon who just happened to have a daughter on the same soccer team. He also did my 2 arthroscopic knee surgeries. If you have knee issues, I'll give you his name.

Ke$ha Barbie had surgery on Good Friday in 2007 at St. Joseph's Hospital. Being that St. Joe's is a Catholic hospital, it was pretty empty on that day. She hates hates hates needles so getting her to let them put the iv in was horrible. And they had to try twice. Thankfully the second time the anesthesiologist did it and she got it in quickly. Then she hit her with the Versed. Within seconds my child went from screaming to laughing hysterically.

And when I say laughing hysterically I mean it...

She couldn't stop laughing and was just amused by everything. I wish I had known that my little cell phone I had at that time could take video because I could have won some good money on the funny video show.

She was laughing so loudly that the nurses started leaving their stations and patient rooms to see what was going on. They wheeled her out of her room and soon we had an entourage of nurses following us to see what she would say/do next because she was still laughing and smiling. She was the happiest little drunk you ever saw.

When the time came for them to take her into the surgical suite they stopped the gurney for her to kiss me goodbye and because she was laughing, I didn't cry (that is until she was safely behind the doors...then I wailed...).

They opened the doors to the surgical area and she sat up in the bed, raised her arms overhead like she was on a roller coaster and said:
WWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

According to the doctor this behavior didn't stop until they put her under. Apparently she kept trying to grab the "pretty lights" (the surgical lights) and treated them to a few songs (which he said were remarkably good and that she had a great voice...which she does...).

When my son TCBITW (The Cutest Boy in the World)was given Versed he didn't have this reaction. In fact, it just mellowed him. His problem was AFTER surgery when he turned from TCBITW into The MADDEST Boy in the world. He had to have his adenoids out and tubes in his ears (second round) when he was 2, so the anesthesiologist gave him Versed pre-op so keep him calm. It did the job. But apparently AFTER surgery some people (mostly male children) have a bad reaction and become mad as hell---something about their chemistry and Versed and anesthesia. So for almost 2 hours I had a snot-flinging, iv-pulling-out, crib-climbing, screaming boy. The nurses at Texas Children's Hospital have never been so happy to see a kid leave post-op. None of that could have been good for his adenoid removal...so when he want back a year later to have the tonsils out (and the third set up tubes put in), they gave him NO VERSED (when the anesthesiologist asked if we wanted him to have a pre-op, me, hubby, and the surgeon all yelled "NO") and let me hold him while they knocked him out. I got to hold the gas mask over his face (you don't know how badly I wanted to put it over mine and take some deep breaths) and he just went limp in my arms. As I was holding him I could smell a bit of the strawberry smell from the gas (they put some scent stuff on it so the kids will breathe it) and I leaned in closer and looked up to see the surgeon, Darling Doctor Dan, and the nurse making "no" motions with their hands and faces...so I sat back and kept holding my baby. After he went under I told Dariing Doctor Dan if we ever had to do this again I wanted a pre-op of some sort...

So back to me...and my diverticulitis episode...so I had my Dilaudid and was feeling much better and then I had to drink a very large (2 cans) drink of the Sprite Zero and dye stuff. I was able to do it slowly...thank goodness...because I had no appetite and didn't really want anything.

I got it down...Dilaudid helped...

And then they took be to CT and that was quick and easy...and the tech guy said he could see that it looked like diverticulitis.

Sure enough, diverticulitis...

So they sent me home with 4 prescriptions (2 antibiotics, Vicodin and phenergan for nausea) and gave me a little bump of Tergol for the pain before I left. I love those little bumps...they make the road bumps not so bad...

I got home, hubby sweetly went for the prescriptions, and I rested. I had a baked potato for dinner and took all my drugs and then passed out for the best night's sleep I had in a very long time.

I'm up this morning in mild pain. In comparison, what I felt yesterday was like about a "5" on a 1-10 pain scale all the time with waves of cramping that felt like pitocin-induced labor contractions. Yeah, it was that fun. Today I it is more like horrible menstrual cramps all the time made worse when I walk around or move too much. But I refuse to spend all day in bed. I will rest, and take the day off from the gym, but I cannot just lay like a slug in bed all day or I will go crazy. I am uncomfortable, but I am not sick...

The sad part for me, other than missing Spinderella's class and the gym, is that I may have to give up my movie popcorn addiction. I know it isn't good for me but I love love love my popcorn at the movies. With jalapenos. And that, sadly, is what set this whole adventure off. At least I can save the calories and fat...

There is a lesson in here my friends...you need to listen to your body. You need to listen to your pain.

I could have blown this off and my intestines could have become so infected (they were just mildly so) that a rupture could have occurred and I could have (worst case) ended up having to have some sort of surgery. The nurse told me her best friend's husband ignored it and ended up with a tear in his intestine that resulted in surgery and 10 days in the hospital.

So as much as I want to stay on my program and keep going to the gym and eating perfectly, for today (and yesterday) I have to eat soft food and not work out. I hope I can tomorrow, even if all I do is take a walk. And a couple of baked potatoes aren't going to hurt me...and I can get back to my beloved veggies and fruit by the end of the week---right now they will be too hard on my system.

So I'm going to take it easy and make TCBITW, Ke$ha Barbie and my hubby wait on me hand and foot (I even got a food rub last night from TCBITW) and will let my body heal and let the meds to their job.

And tomorrow...well, I will listen to my body...

Inspiration song: "The Word of Your Body" from the incredible musical "Spring Awakening". The soundtrack is awesome---Lea Michelle of "Glee"! Along with Jonothan Groff who starred as "Jesse" in Glee. They make gorgeous music together. The songs are written by Dunkan Sheik and are just wonderful. If you ever have the chance to see "Spring Awakening" I highly encourage you to do so...it is really wonderful and different and the music is the bomb....

bye darlings...

Monday, July 5, 2010

Hurting me Now

Friends, I am not feeling good...

I'm wondering what is going on...scared it could be appendicitis...praying it is just some "gut upset". Pain in my belly...sometimes it comes and cramps down...started this morning (in the wee hours while sleeping). I'm very uncomfortable. It hurts to press on my stomach. The pain is sort of...everywhere in my stomach. Not just lower right quadrant.

So I don't know...

I think I will call the doctor in the morning.

These are the times that make me really miss my mother.

When I had my gall bladder attacks she was either with me or available by phone. The last one I had (before I had surgery to remove my gall bladder) had me rolling in the bed in pain asking my husband to "call my MOMMY"...yes, I used the word "Mommy"! She told him to take me to the hosital...it was 3 am. I had Ke$ha Barbie then but The Cutest Boy in the World had not even been a thought at that point. So off we go to the hospital and they gave me some Versed and I was pretty much like a drunk woman...I seem to recall one of the nurses feeding Camiel something. I had surgery 4 days later.

I don't want this to be appendicitis...I've had enough surgeries.

And besides, if this is going to happen and they might have to open me up I would rather it be:
1) after I have lost weight so they can give me a tummy tuck too
2) after I've lost weight so they can give me a tummy tuck (insurance will pay...I mean, they would have to sew me up so maybe they could just take in a few inches)
3) I don't want to have to lay off exercise for a recovery period.

So, if you are reading this, please pray that I am just having some gut issues and maybe a round of the tummy flu and not something more serious. At least if it is the stomach flu I will lose a few more pounds...the hard way...

I did get a workout in today (that's a positive) but I succombed to the lure of a Five Guys burger and had to have one...so I did (a negative)...but I did stay under my calorie allotment (a postive)...

I know this isn't much of a blog today, but I think you understand...

I'll let you know what happens...

Inspiration song: "Hurting me Now" by Sia...from her amazing new album that I am obsessed with...

bye darlings

Sunday, July 4, 2010

American Woman

What? You were expecting something really patriotic like "America the Beautiful"?

I love my country and I am a proud American...and I am proud that I am an American Woman...but this blog is about me, so I am focusing on the woman part...and the fact that I am lucky enough to live in the greatest country on our planet.

I have freedoms that women in other countries do not have...and I am not punished for my choices in dress, or who I love, or what I say or do...because I am an American Woman!

When I thought about what I was going to write about today I kept getting writer's block and decided that I do my best work when I just let it flow. But I do want to talk about July 4 and why I love this holiday.

I mean, come on...is there anything better than fireworks? I like the big ones that burst into a show of color and then rain down like diamonds in the sky...and I can't help but say "ooooh" and "aaaahhhh".

Usually we spend the 4th in Rockport. But Ke$ha Barbie had to work and I didn't want to leave her here on a holiday...even if she was with another family. So we stayed put this year. But Rockport is an awesome place to celebrate the 4th...just before dark everyone gets into their boats and motors over into Little Bay just off Key Allegro and anchors up...there are literally hundreds of boats. And once it is good and dark they shoot off fireworks...a very awesome show...it lasts a while and the fireworks are really great. It's a great way to watch fireworks...sitting on a boat, surrounded by other happy people, beverage of choice in hand...and we always watch and check out George Strait's house to see if he is there...

As I kid I can remember my dad and his friend Gus shooting off fireworks in Gus' back yard...one year my aunt had one explode in her hand (a firecracker). And we would do light shows with our sparklers---which I was mildly afraid of.

When my mom moved us to Houston when I was in high school we could watch the fireworks that the Houston Country Club shot off from our balcony. That was cool...and free!

When Ke$ha Barbie was about 2 or 3 we went to my friend Glamazon's country property. They had a private lake on the property so we spent the day riding the Sea-Doo's and that night the men shot off fireworks. Now it was far from a professional show but the little girls absolutely loved it, the men had fun, and most of the fireworks managed to work...so it was awesome...

I'm just happy to be an American...we live in a free country and we all need to thank the brave men and women who fight for and protect our freedom. I always have this compulsive impulse to run up and hug any service man or woman I see...but I control myself and just smile...and sometimes say "thank you".

Last summer we went to Hawaii. I mentioned our vacation to a friend who told me her son was stationed in the Navy at Pearl Harbor. I'm going to tell you his name (just first name) so you can add him to your prayer list if you are so inclined...because I pray for him all the time. His name is Julian. And he is the sweetest, cutest submariner in our Navy.

Julian didn't know us, but when his mama emailed that a friend was coming to Hawaii from Houston (and mind you, his mama and I were "new" friends and didn't know each other all that well, but we were friendly), well, that sweet boy took it upon himself to be a new friend and offered to give us a tour of Pearl Harbor.

I'll start by saying it was VERY VERY COOL!

So Julian borrows a car from a friend (because his was too small for my family) and comes to our hotel and picks us up. I had no idea what he looked like but when this gorgeous man with big blue eyes stepped out and spotted me and said "Anice" I thought I hit the jackpot! Too bad Ke$ha Barbie was too young for him (now...) because this young man is something to be proud of...really proud of...

He loaded us in the car and takes us to Pearl Harbor...not the Arizona Memorial, but the real honest-to-God Naval base that is Pearl Harbor. We were all beyond excited. And he was the best tour guide ever.

We drove around the base as he pointed out various buildings and sights to us and then we parked at SUBMARINE ROW and got out of the car...and then...we got to go on a nuclear submarine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was amazing....and VERY VERY COOL...

Now those of you who know me know that I hate heights and ladders so when I was confronted with having to climb down a metal "ladder" from a hole in the top of the sub, I did give some consideration to staying up top and hanging with the guards. But I couldn't let my fear keep me from getting this amazing opportunity I was presented with so I drew up all my courage and lowered my very hefty self down that ladder. To bad it wasn't this summer when I am thinner and in better shape...I would have been less afraid. I felt like a whale climbing down...

Julian is assigned to another submarine and a different type of sub than we were touring...he gets to "drive" his and he is the assistant to the first officer so he is a reliable and responsible sort of guy...along with being beautiful enough to model for posters for the Navy (which he doesn't do...but they should have him do it). We were on one of the newest (if not the newest) nuclear submarines we have...and to top it off---it was the USS Hawaii. So cool....

Every second I was on that submarine my heart was filled with love and respect for the men and women who are on these subs. They stay underwater for weeks (and weeks) at a time. The don't even get their own bunk...when they get out to do their shift, someone else climbs in.

This sub was big as subs go but it was small when you think about living in it. I was practically claustrophobic the whole time...except that I knew we could get out. One of the men assigned to the ship was our tour guide...this guy was at least 6'3" tall (or more) and a big guy...I felt for him!

We got to see everything...even the engine room. And we were offered some pretty amazing chocolate chip cookies from the cook. And we even saw the place where they load and keep the torpedoes and warheads. The guy giving us the tour said that he has even had to sleep in there before----and he woke up with his arm slung over a warhead that was next to him....yikes! I think one of the things that I enjoyed the most was that they use these plastic things to stabilize the torpedoes and warheads and they attach the plastic things to each other with old car seat belts...that amused me for some reason...they have very strong things to hold in the torpedoes (this was just the plastic stabilizing things) but it was funny to me that they used the seat belts.

Once our tour was over we went back up top and got to take some photos with the guys and I learned that the bit that sticks up on top is called the "sail". It was an unforgettable experience and I cannot believe that those precious men and women can stay in that thing for so long...so I pray for them all the time...

We got back into Julian's car and he toured us around some more and we just sat there pinching ourselves at how lucky we were to have this incredible young man be so willing to take out a family of pretty much strangers. So, please pray for Julian and his companions...because what they do is amazing and incredible and they do it for us...and our freedom...

The man is beautiful...inside and out...and a real credit to his mama...and that is saying something my friends!!!!!!!!!! She is pretty awesome and beautiful too...

So enjoy your holiday...and eat a hot dog for me...I passed on one since I am happy to say that I am now securely in a new weight range on the scale and I want to stay that way. So I worked out this morning for an hour and a half, spent some time giving myself some wrinkles by laying out by the pool, and then cleaned up and had a great time at the party that GOTT and his wife had. I love them....love them...

And pray for Julian and all the men that serve our country so bravely...because they make it possible for me to be an American Woman...

Inspiration song: "American Woman" by the Guess Who...but ignore the lyrics...I just couldn't come up with anything better to describe myself today...

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Home

Home.........

I finally have by camper boy back HOME!

He loves camp...loves loves loves it...he basically exists during the year (except when playing sports) and then LIVES at camp.

The camp has a saying:
"Life is good. Camp is better."

The Cutest Boy in the World (TCBITW) agrees with that...he comes alive every June in the hill country and despite no air conditioning, bad showers, bugs, not-so-great food, and living with 15 other boys, he thinks that camp is the BEST.

I can handle the 25 days he is gone due to the fact that I myself went to camp (as I have blogged here about) and it was the same way with me---despite living with no a/c (and we didn't have "personal" clip-on fans back then in the dark ages), bad showers (that leaked), bugs (Daddy-long-legs, scorpions, gross bugs in the Nature shack), and living with 13 other girls (our food was GREAT so no complaints there), I existed July-May and LIVED for the month of June. 4 weeks just outside of Austin...heaven on earth...and I still have camp friends that I can happily tell you I would give a kidney to (my mark of real love)...

So after my happy day of "moving the bar", I woke up on Thursday and got ready to jump in the shower and thought "hmmmm...let me see that bar in that better position again"...and...

UH OH

I had to move the bar back...

So I freaked out a little...

And then I freaked out some more...

but then I calmed down and said "to hell with it" and put the scale away and decided that I coulnd't get too hung up about it because, after all, I was about to finally get to see TCBITW after 25 days.

The drive seemed to take forever...but I was so happy that I was going to get to see him and that after picking him up we were going to have lunch with my precious nephew, my gorgeous and adorable niece and the most beautiful sis-in-law in the world...and then we were going to get to see our old friends The Rockin' J's...

we got to camp...it was "drive-through" closing so that meant no awards ceremony to watch and we just had to sit in the car and inch it up in the line...which took an hour...I could have gotten out of the car and run to his cabin but that would have been unfair to my husband and it was muddy...and drizzly...and I was afraid counselor boys would make me help them clean up...

So we inch along and get to the stop where they give you the awards (all the boys get patches for doing well in their classes and a really cool picture of themself and their cabin and it is marked with their classes they took that year). So we say our son's name and one very excited counselor blurts out that my kid got a big award.

This happened to us before...the counselor "spilling the beans" and the boys mean well and are excited to share...but I really would have loved for it to have come from my son...but the adorable boy couldn't help himself and I puffed with pride for my boy.

I should have known that is what would happen when we went to a drive-through closing...because it was a drive-through when he won a big award last time.

I really wanted to see him get named "bulldogger"...that's the award...he was one of 3 boys in his "ranch" (they divide the camp into 2 "ranch" groups)who had the highest points for the term. Oh well, he still was very excited to tell me all about it and I was excited to listen. Sorry, I just have to brag because I didn't have an audience to see me jump up and down and get excited at the awards ceremony!

After an hour of sitting in the car and waiting, we were tantalizingly close to finally reaching his cabin (it was a LONG line of cars)and wouldn't you know it...the jerks in front of us GOT OUT OF THEIR CAR AND DECIDED THAT THEY NEEDED TO HAVE A CHAT WITH THE COUNSELORS. I almost got out of my car and said "hey! you have your boy...let me get to mine!" because it was a one-lane line. And we had been told if we want to visit to go through the line and then PARK and enjoy visiting. But finally they moved their car and we got to TCBITW...

And the counselors loaded the trunk and junk for us!

After that we had lunch with my beautiful sis-in-law and the other cutest kids in the world. The kids had some of those vuvuzuelas (the horns they are blowing at the world cup) courtesy of their grandfather who lives and works in South Africa. I asked the kids to bring them so I could see one...and hear it...all I can say is "wow, that makes a lot of noise"...I can only imagine a stadium full of them. But it is a really cool souvenier. It was great seeing them and I am lucky to have a sister-in-law that is such a sweetheart. I love her...

Then we headed to Boerne to see our friends the Rockin' J's...they moved to Boerne 2 years ago and when I visit I "get" it...why they moved...and I'm a bit jealous. Their son is the other Cutest Boy in the World and is my TCBITW's best friend. They were so happy to see each other and the men were happy for their reunion and I got to have some quality time with my friend...it was a good day!

Their house overlooks a gorgeous bluff...and they situated the house perfectly on the lot. It is the only house I can honestly say that I could move straight into and not change one thing...not one...maybe that is because without consulting each other we used some of the same paint colors, cabinet finishes, and granite! It is the most gorgeous house and if I didn't love them so much I would be jealous.

We spent the night and then headed to San Antonio and had a heavenly lunch at Mi Tierra and did some shopping in the mercado. I managed to behave at lunch (chicken breast with squash...yummy) but did have to buy some leche quemada at the bakery. What is leche quemada? You don't really want to know because then you will want some---it is like a Mexican caramel fudge...sooooooo good.

After lunch (no margarita for me even though I REALLY wanted one) we headed...HOME!

Now that you have read my travelogue you are probably bored...at least this can put you to sleep...

So once we were home I hightailed it to the gym because I had basically sat in the car for 2 days straight and I needed to MOVE...and it felt suprisingly good to do so!

Today when I got up I decided to go ahead and get on the scale and guess what?

I WAS BACK DOWN TO WHERE I WAS ON WEDNESDAY! I GOT TO MOVE THE BAR BACK!!!!!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is my new home on the scale!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess you can have your leche quemada and eat it too...

Today we saw "Toy Story 3"...I cried through the end of it...and then we had dinner at my aunt's house with a lot of family and friends that are basically family which makes it "home" for me...because home is not really a place, but where your family is...

Right now my home is a mess...we had painters and I still haven't settled from the remodel so my new project is to FIX my home. Ke$ha Barbie's space upstairs is a hazard zone so I have to get her to clean it up or we might have to call a "haz mat" (hazardous materials) team in...

But at least I have both kids home...to heck with the fact that I have a mess on my table...

And then there is that trunk to deal with............

So home is where the heart is...home is the best...home is...home!

Inspiration song: what else? "Home" by Michael Buble...because he is Buble...and I could listen to his dreamy voice all day long...

Happy celebrating the fact that we live in the greatest country in the world!!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow's blog will be all about memories of the 4th!


bye darlings...