As I start to write this blog I am watching a re-run of Oprah doing her last "Oprah's Favorite Things" show...you know, where she gives away thousands of dollars worth of goodies to her audience? The audience members cry when the realize that they are at the "Favorite Things" show---I would cry too! This year she was giving away an iPad, sequined Ugg boots, cashmere leggings, a Coach Bag, $500 from Nordstrom and a VW Beetle car. No wonder they are so excited to go to that show!!!!
In the mail today I received a very very very special gift. A friend of my mother's, who knew me as a teen, sent me what is probably the most perfect gift I could have received this Christmas. I'll call her "K'town Gal" (she knows who she is, very special lady...) and somehow she managed to rescue a tile from the kitchen of my Kingsville house (on the ranch). The house was torn down. Another friend gifted me with a brick from the house---I treasure it. But K'town Gal got to the heart of the matter...and in this case, the heart of my house...the kitchen. My mother was an extraordinary cook and you've heard the stories of her entertaining, so getting a tile from that kitchen literally took my breath away. I opened the box and there it was...I lost my breath and the tears started to flow. I could feel my mother next to me. Ke$ha Barbie tried to steal it for herself. K'town Gal turned it into a trivet for me so it now will sit on my counter and I will think of my beautiful Mommy and my friend K'town Gal who so thoughtfully presented me with simply the most perfect thing...
So, inspired by this great gift I thought I would make my very own "Favorite Things" list as a gift to you, my friends and readers of this blog.
No "raindrops on roses" on this list...although "whiskers on kittens" would very likely make the list...
So here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite things that have gotten me through the year and this weight loss journey...
1) My friends and family. I could not have done this without my family's support as well as that of my friends like GOTT, GOTTESS, TTG, Sistah, TamTam, Bacchus, etc. And how can I forget that it all started with Precious and Adorable looking at me with fear that got me started (I thanked him and told him---he had no idea).
So, my friends---call upon your friends to help and support you with whatever your endeavors are. You will go so much further with arms to around you to support you...
2) Coach Dimples---he's the bomb and doing double duty as therapist as well as trainer. He did a fantastic job as football coach and he is doing a fantastic job as my trainer. My body looks better because of him...
And I have to throw in J'taime Jamie, Spinderella and JayVee and Fitness Goddess...because they have all helped get me to where I am now and they will help me get to where I want to go...
Since I can't give you all my Coach Dimples (or the girls listed above), I can say that having a trainer is a favorite thing...so find someone to help you that knows what they are doing!
3) My Fit Foods---I still eat at least one meal a day from them...usually 2.
4) Lucy---I love Lucy...and I'm not just talking about the show with Lucille Ball. What I am really talking about HERE is the store (and website) called Lucy. I love love love their workout clothes and I am currently LIVING in their power pants...so comfy! Oprah likes the lululemon pants---haven't tried them myself but my friend NJ loves hers so I am going to give them a try too. Right now I am wearing a pair of Lucy crops and Lucy tank that I wear to workout in. I love wearing the pants for training because they don't "show" anything like a pair of Nike shorts might when I am jumping about with a man telling me what to do. The tanks have nice long length to cover you whether you are training, running, or bending over a bike. I like the fact that many of the styles are "compressive" so they hold you in and they hold up really well in the wash. Check them out:
lucy.com
or
lululemon.com
In Houston both stores are located in Highland Village.
5) Red Wine---'nuff said...you can add white and champagne to that...
6) Asics running shoes---great for running and training.
7) Caslon t-shirts from Nordstrom. Not pricey. Cute cuts, great colors. I throw them on with my Lucy pants and go...
8) My Keurig. I am in love with a mechanical device and it is my Keurig. I'm the only person in the house who really drinks coffee and I usually only have one cup so making a pot of coffee is a waste. So that is why I bought a Keurig---it makes one cup at a time! And the flavor selection (online) is tremendous! I love love love all the flavor options and I can also make hot tea and the kids can make hot chocolate with it. If you are on the market for a new coffee maker, I highly recommend it...
9) My Riedel stemless wine glasses...love them...so chic...and love holding them, especially when they contain my favorite red wine...
10) Spanx tights...they feel so good and make you look good...
11) cottage cheese with pineapple and a little Splenda...great snack and good for you. That trainer chick on Bravo, Jackie Warner (my girl crush), claims that the casein in it will help with weight loss.
12) Crystal Lite in the individual packets. I don't like to drink plain water so I use these a lot. The strawberry energy flavor is my favorite (warning, it contains caffeine).
13) My metal water bottle that my friend Ticket Queen got me...use it every night...no more thrush! I got thrush last spring from drinking from a plastic water bottle that I was washing but not steralizing each time so she gifted me with this great metal one...I fill it with water at bedtime and drink up...
14) SmartWater...when I buy bottled water I usually buy SmartWater. I usually can't tell the difference in the taste of water, but I DO like the taste of this stuff. But more than the taste, I like the SHAPE of the bottle and the size of the 33.8 fl oz bottles. So I buy them...wash and STERALIZE them (with a bit of clorox) and re-use them for working out.
15) My music...as you can tell, I like a wide variety of music. Music is what moves me...so I love making playlists for working out and giving music to my spin teacher friends to use in class. If you want me to suggest a playlist, email me with your music preference taste and I will make you a suggestion list...
16) George's Pastaria. If you live in Houston, you need to go to George's. It is my favorite place. Located on Dairy Ashford between Westheimer and Briar Forest. Worth the drive. They will make you the BEST food for a great price and you can have some yummy wine. George and Rene (the owners) are almost always there. They are GOOD people and so is their staff. They will make you anything any way you want it. You want it grilled, not sauteed? no problem! You want it with extra spinach? not problem! You want a different sauce or pasta? No problem!!!! And you can eat healthy here and not feel like you are eating "health" food. Have the whole wheat angel hair primavera with shrimp and extra spinach...I'm going to make George name it after me!
17) Crave cupcakes. Why would I put that on this list? Because despite living on a diet, they are still one of my favorite things! You have to have a little sin with all your virtue and this is sin that is worth paying for. Strawberry and Candy Bar are my favorite flavors...but I'm sure if I ever tasted chocolate mint or dulce de leche that I would add them to the list. I'm just not going to tempt fate and try them...
18) Dark Chocolate. My favorite treat. The darker, the better...and I love love love dark dark dark chocolate. A little nibble now and then curbs my sugar cravings and is actually loaded with antioxidents so it is good for me too. I like Scharffen Berger extra dark (82% cocoa). mmmmmmmmmmmmm....
19) Living Proof Full Shampoo, Conditioner, Thickening Cream, Root lifting spray and mousse...my hair has never looked better...available at Sephora or QVC...
20) Cake Beauty Satin Sugar Hair and Body Refreshing Powder---smells like vanilla sugar cake and is the BEST for freshening up your hair when you don't have time to shampoo. It makes your hair smell so good and, even better, it comes in a light and dark version so that those of you with brown hair can use it and not look dusty! I've had men tell me that my hair smells good when I have used it...Sephora is your best bet...
21) Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume...the only thing I like as much as my Thierry Mugler "Angel"...very sexy scent. Different. Not for the faint of heart or timid...Everytime and I mean EVERY TIME I wear it I get compliments and am told "you smell SO good"...and I get it from men, women, and children...Wear it if you dare...
22)My 20 pound body bar---bought it at Academy. It is not an actual "body bar by Body Bar" (you can get that online...it is a little smaller in circumference than what I bought), but I like it just as much. For those unfamiliar, it is a 3 foot long weighted (and padded) bar that you use for doing excercises. You can do a lot of excercises with it...even if you don't have your own personal Dimples to tell you what to do. It will fit under your bed...
23) Women's Health Magazine and online website...lots of great advice and recipes. The website has workout suggestions so you can have Bob from Biggest Loser as your trainer! I like it better than Shape or Fitness (both great mags). Just my personal take on the fitness magazine thing...
24) M by Marc Bower dresses from QVC...if you have seen me in a dress there is a good chance it is from this collection from QVC. Washable. Wearable. Good looking. Great price.
25) Advil---I don't need to explain Advil, do I? But I love it...
26) Spin class---if you have never tried a spin class, do it...it is great cardio work, works the heck out of your legs and glutes and if the instructor is good, it is fun...
27) Body Pump---if your club/gym offers Les Mills classes, they offer Body Pump. Body Pump will work every major muscle group in an hour---choreographed to music. It is a great way to do your strength training if you hate working on the weight machines as much as I do.
28) Salmon---I don't like salmon all that much but since I have added it to my diet I have learned to like it and appreciate it. A few things I have learned---if you can order it medium rare it will taste less "fishy", I like a thicker small slice vs. a thinner larger slice (for the medium rare thing), a meal of salmon on a bed of spinach is pretty good and satisfying, the Omega3 oils in it are good for your skin, it is as good cold as hot. I can't say that I love it...but I love what it is doing for my body. I have dropped weight. I see a change. I eat a lot of it...
29) Tasti-D-lite...J'taime Jamie got me started on this and it is my new obsession. Love it for dessert and it is guilt free! Taste like you are totally sinning but is so low-cal that you can't hurt yourself. There are like 80 flavors...you can't go wrong.
30) My "liver cleanse" that I drink each morning. Juice of 1/2 lemon, 4 oz. unsweetened pure cranberry juice (not cocktail), 1 TBS. apple cidar vinegar, 1/2 oz. liquid B12, 1 oz. liquid glucosomine. Mix together and drink up. I swear it helps...
And that, my friends, is my "favorite things for looking/feeling good" list. These are all things that have helped me look or feel better during these past 9 months. I wish I could be Oprah and just give all of these things to you, but I can't...but pick through the list and see what appeals to you. I promise you if you use Living Proof full shampoo and spritz on some Tom Ford Black Orchid and put on an M by Marc Bower dress, someone will notice...
Inspiration Song: "My Favorite Things" by Rogers & Hammerstein...Sound of Music (you know that, don't you?)...as sung by the amazing, incomparable, one and only Julie Andrews...
Bye Darlings....I'm off for a bit of dark chocolate as my dessert after a nice dinner at George's Pastaria....
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Red Red Wine
Right now, upstairs in my house, is a group of teenagers...
I can hear the subwoofer pumping across the house. I don't dare ask how many are up there. I came home after the "party" started and told hubby not to tell me so I don't freak out. I also don't want to know how many soft drinks are up there to ruin the carpet.
I think it is an indication of how loud it is that my cats won't venture into the hallway where the staircase is...
I guess I wont' be getting to bed early tonight...Camiel's bedroom is right above mine and attached to her bedroom is the sitting room (too small to call a gameroom)that is currently teenager heaven. The Cutest Boy in the World has asked if he can sleep in our room because his bedroom is at the foot of the stairs leading to the party.
what I do know is there is no alcohol or cigarettes up there...but there does appear to be some Red Bull.
I don't "get" the whole Red Bull thing. I tried it once...make that twice. I tasted the regular kind and promptly spit it out. I tried the diet kind and after 3 sips declared it disgusting and nasty and threw it away.
A friend who is a bit younger than me informed Bacchus and me that Red Bull and Vodka is a good combination. What does he know...he is under 30. I love him but do not trust his taste in what constitutes a "good" drink. I listen to Bacchus and stick to wine. We patted him on the head and told him we would teach him to drink like a real grown-up. Of course I would have to be a real grown-up to teach him and since I'm not a real grown-up...well, that poor boy will learn...
Now wine on the other hand, well, I totally "get" wine. I like wine, especially if it is red. I'm quite fond of champagne too, as you regular blog readers are aware. And I like white wine too...but mostly I'm a "red" girl for just drinking.
So I found this article by the Mayo clinic about red wine. I won't copy it here, but it does have some information about red wine and heart health.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
I don't think my blog makes hyperlinks so you will have to cut and paste.
I also found this great article on the benefits of Omega-3 in fish. Since I have been eating enough salmon to basically grow gills and find myself with a desire to swim upstream, I am interested in the health benefits of it (salmon) and not just as a good source of protein for me.
So here...read this:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/omega-3/HB00087
My father died from heart disease...or rather, he had heart disease and died having bypass surgery. One would think that knowing how and why my father died would have been enough for me to have kept my life and weight on track but it wasn't.
But now I know better...and I feel better...
And I love knowing that some red red wine can actually be GOOD for me...in moderation...all things in moderation.
I still remember the first time I had a taste of good red wine. My father loved loved loved Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon. I mean loved it to the point that he bought multiple cases of it. The other night while I was having dinner with my friend Diva D (because she is absolutely fabulousity she gets to be called "Diva"), the table next to us ordered a bottle of Jordan...I almost cried missing my Daddy...
So my Daddy bought all this red wine and one night at dinner he opened a bottle and poured me a (tiny) glass of the Jordan. Into a real (Baccarat) crystal glass. He first told me that good one should always be drunk out of a good glass...preferably crystal...never a paper or styrofoam cup. Then he had me sip it. I thought I was sipping heaven.
When he took me to Europe he allowed me a glass of wine each night at dinner. Now my dad didn't know a whole lot about wine...I mean, for years he drank Lancers Rose...but he was learning and wanted me to "appreciate" it. While in Europe I tasted all kinds of wonderful wines...I will never remember them, but I remember sitting at dinner and my father teaching me about the differences in the wines.
All I knew was that I was getting to drink alcohol...but now I remember those nights so fondly.
I also remember the night I tricked him into eating eggplant even though he said he hated it. Before heading to France I checked out a book in the library that taught me how to read a French menu...I learned it so I would be sure I would get "beef" and not "tongue" and no liver. I knew the waiter said "eggplant" but didn't tell Daddy when he ordered the same thing I did...that had eggplant. He ate all of his eggplant and then I found his fork venturing over to my plate to steal my----eggplant. I waited until he got a forkful of mine before informing him that he was eating---eggplant. I love eggplant to this day...and when I eat it, I think of Daddy.
Eggplant doesn't really go well with red wine by the way...
Daddy taught me a lot of things, but as a cowboy he wanted to raise a lady...a lady who appreciated the finer things in life...like wine, and art, and beautiful things. So he taught me about French crystal...and when I sold my beloved "Monster" steer I took some of my money and bought a complete set of Baccarat crystal glasses...I rarely use them, but I look at them often and remember the joy of going to the Baccarat factory shop in Paris and proudly paying for a complete set of 16 red and white wine glasses and knowing that I would treasure them forever. And I do...
He taught me art, but really just Western art. My father truly loved western art and loved collecting what he could of it. The day he bought his one and only Charles Russell painting he cried and I cried with him. We sat on the couch and stared at it for hours, seriously...Our house was under construction so we were living in a double wide trailer at that time.
I venture a pretty good guess that it was the one and only time a Charles Russell painting hung in the living room of a double-wide trailer...
I tell you this story not as a "brag" that my father once owned a Russell painting, but rather the unbelieveable irony in that he loved that painting so much that he had no qualms about hanging it on the faux-wood walls of the trailer.
He also owned an Albert Bierdstadt painting that was breathtaking. It was his favorite painting, even more than the Russell. He could often be found in the living room staring at it. It was so beautiful and I often found myself staring at it and finding peace. It never hung on the walls of the trailer...
Now when I see a Bierdstadt I usually cry...both for the beauty and for missing my father. There was one that hung over a fireplace in the White House while President Bush was in residence. I spoke to the securty guard about it when I went on a tour...he said he found great peace in just looking at it...I agreed. "W" and Laura had good taste to hang that painting there...
If you have never gazed at one of his paintings, I have a link to images here:
http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS398US398&q=bierstadt&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=6eIKTdDjCYqr8AaLqISHDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CEIQsAQwAg&biw=1259&bih=434
So beautiful...
My dad was bound and determined that I was going to grow up a lady who knew things about the finer things in life even if I was the daughter of a cowboy. And I did. I love wine...and I love art...but not just western art...I have found now that I love Bierdstadt paintings but I love Rothko's work just as much. And maybe I love red wine a little too much...
But what I really learned about being a lady was not about French crystal and great art, but in being generous with myself and my love...with my time and my energy...and with loving with an open and full heart. I don't want to be a lady because I drink nice wine from a crystal glass and like art...I want to be a lady because I give generously of myself and my heart.
If you want to protect your precious heart and have some good and yummy red wine, here are my suggestions that Bacchus helped me find and appreciate...here are some of my favorites:
Chateau Raspail Gigondas---HARD to find...last spotted at Costco but that was months ago. If you can find it at Costco, buy all you can and then call me...
Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas (2007)---can't vouch for other vintage years, but 2007 is pretty darn yummy and worth the $32 price tag.
(Gigonadas is like a Chateu neuf de pape but cheaper...)
La Vielle Ferme (Cotes de Venteaux)---has chickens on the label...found with the big box wines at Costco...in a big bottle...
Little James Basket Press---found at liquor stores...French...cheap (less than $10.50)...all the leftovers from making the St. Cosme wines...yummy...buy all you can because this stuff is good...I give it as a gift...
Erath Pinot Noir---several varieties...good stuff...I'm not a big pinot noir fan (I like syrah, grenach, zinfindel, and blends...), but this stuff is good.
La Bastide---a red blend...liquor stores...again, buy what you can and call me when you find it...
Molly Dooker "The Boxer" Shiraz...this wine inspired a blog...it is good...high alcohol content.
Newton Cabernet...heavy but good...I like me a good cab...
I haven't found a malbec that I really like so if you know of one, tell me...
I do love blends...especially grenache/syrah blends....heck, I just like red wine.
I'm enjoying a glass of the La Vielle Ferme right now...
I'll share my thoughts on white and champagne another day...for today, as you can tell by the title of this blog it is all about the red red wine...
Inspiration Song: Red Red Wine by UB40...
bye darlings...cheers!
I can hear the subwoofer pumping across the house. I don't dare ask how many are up there. I came home after the "party" started and told hubby not to tell me so I don't freak out. I also don't want to know how many soft drinks are up there to ruin the carpet.
I think it is an indication of how loud it is that my cats won't venture into the hallway where the staircase is...
I guess I wont' be getting to bed early tonight...Camiel's bedroom is right above mine and attached to her bedroom is the sitting room (too small to call a gameroom)that is currently teenager heaven. The Cutest Boy in the World has asked if he can sleep in our room because his bedroom is at the foot of the stairs leading to the party.
what I do know is there is no alcohol or cigarettes up there...but there does appear to be some Red Bull.
I don't "get" the whole Red Bull thing. I tried it once...make that twice. I tasted the regular kind and promptly spit it out. I tried the diet kind and after 3 sips declared it disgusting and nasty and threw it away.
A friend who is a bit younger than me informed Bacchus and me that Red Bull and Vodka is a good combination. What does he know...he is under 30. I love him but do not trust his taste in what constitutes a "good" drink. I listen to Bacchus and stick to wine. We patted him on the head and told him we would teach him to drink like a real grown-up. Of course I would have to be a real grown-up to teach him and since I'm not a real grown-up...well, that poor boy will learn...
Now wine on the other hand, well, I totally "get" wine. I like wine, especially if it is red. I'm quite fond of champagne too, as you regular blog readers are aware. And I like white wine too...but mostly I'm a "red" girl for just drinking.
So I found this article by the Mayo clinic about red wine. I won't copy it here, but it does have some information about red wine and heart health.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/red-wine/HB00089
I don't think my blog makes hyperlinks so you will have to cut and paste.
I also found this great article on the benefits of Omega-3 in fish. Since I have been eating enough salmon to basically grow gills and find myself with a desire to swim upstream, I am interested in the health benefits of it (salmon) and not just as a good source of protein for me.
So here...read this:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/omega-3/HB00087
My father died from heart disease...or rather, he had heart disease and died having bypass surgery. One would think that knowing how and why my father died would have been enough for me to have kept my life and weight on track but it wasn't.
But now I know better...and I feel better...
And I love knowing that some red red wine can actually be GOOD for me...in moderation...all things in moderation.
I still remember the first time I had a taste of good red wine. My father loved loved loved Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon. I mean loved it to the point that he bought multiple cases of it. The other night while I was having dinner with my friend Diva D (because she is absolutely fabulousity she gets to be called "Diva"), the table next to us ordered a bottle of Jordan...I almost cried missing my Daddy...
So my Daddy bought all this red wine and one night at dinner he opened a bottle and poured me a (tiny) glass of the Jordan. Into a real (Baccarat) crystal glass. He first told me that good one should always be drunk out of a good glass...preferably crystal...never a paper or styrofoam cup. Then he had me sip it. I thought I was sipping heaven.
When he took me to Europe he allowed me a glass of wine each night at dinner. Now my dad didn't know a whole lot about wine...I mean, for years he drank Lancers Rose...but he was learning and wanted me to "appreciate" it. While in Europe I tasted all kinds of wonderful wines...I will never remember them, but I remember sitting at dinner and my father teaching me about the differences in the wines.
All I knew was that I was getting to drink alcohol...but now I remember those nights so fondly.
I also remember the night I tricked him into eating eggplant even though he said he hated it. Before heading to France I checked out a book in the library that taught me how to read a French menu...I learned it so I would be sure I would get "beef" and not "tongue" and no liver. I knew the waiter said "eggplant" but didn't tell Daddy when he ordered the same thing I did...that had eggplant. He ate all of his eggplant and then I found his fork venturing over to my plate to steal my----eggplant. I waited until he got a forkful of mine before informing him that he was eating---eggplant. I love eggplant to this day...and when I eat it, I think of Daddy.
Eggplant doesn't really go well with red wine by the way...
Daddy taught me a lot of things, but as a cowboy he wanted to raise a lady...a lady who appreciated the finer things in life...like wine, and art, and beautiful things. So he taught me about French crystal...and when I sold my beloved "Monster" steer I took some of my money and bought a complete set of Baccarat crystal glasses...I rarely use them, but I look at them often and remember the joy of going to the Baccarat factory shop in Paris and proudly paying for a complete set of 16 red and white wine glasses and knowing that I would treasure them forever. And I do...
He taught me art, but really just Western art. My father truly loved western art and loved collecting what he could of it. The day he bought his one and only Charles Russell painting he cried and I cried with him. We sat on the couch and stared at it for hours, seriously...Our house was under construction so we were living in a double wide trailer at that time.
I venture a pretty good guess that it was the one and only time a Charles Russell painting hung in the living room of a double-wide trailer...
I tell you this story not as a "brag" that my father once owned a Russell painting, but rather the unbelieveable irony in that he loved that painting so much that he had no qualms about hanging it on the faux-wood walls of the trailer.
He also owned an Albert Bierdstadt painting that was breathtaking. It was his favorite painting, even more than the Russell. He could often be found in the living room staring at it. It was so beautiful and I often found myself staring at it and finding peace. It never hung on the walls of the trailer...
Now when I see a Bierdstadt I usually cry...both for the beauty and for missing my father. There was one that hung over a fireplace in the White House while President Bush was in residence. I spoke to the securty guard about it when I went on a tour...he said he found great peace in just looking at it...I agreed. "W" and Laura had good taste to hang that painting there...
If you have never gazed at one of his paintings, I have a link to images here:
http://www.google.com/images?rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS398US398&q=bierstadt&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=6eIKTdDjCYqr8AaLqISHDg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CEIQsAQwAg&biw=1259&bih=434
So beautiful...
My dad was bound and determined that I was going to grow up a lady who knew things about the finer things in life even if I was the daughter of a cowboy. And I did. I love wine...and I love art...but not just western art...I have found now that I love Bierdstadt paintings but I love Rothko's work just as much. And maybe I love red wine a little too much...
But what I really learned about being a lady was not about French crystal and great art, but in being generous with myself and my love...with my time and my energy...and with loving with an open and full heart. I don't want to be a lady because I drink nice wine from a crystal glass and like art...I want to be a lady because I give generously of myself and my heart.
If you want to protect your precious heart and have some good and yummy red wine, here are my suggestions that Bacchus helped me find and appreciate...here are some of my favorites:
Chateau Raspail Gigondas---HARD to find...last spotted at Costco but that was months ago. If you can find it at Costco, buy all you can and then call me...
Chateau St. Cosme Gigondas (2007)---can't vouch for other vintage years, but 2007 is pretty darn yummy and worth the $32 price tag.
(Gigonadas is like a Chateu neuf de pape but cheaper...)
La Vielle Ferme (Cotes de Venteaux)---has chickens on the label...found with the big box wines at Costco...in a big bottle...
Little James Basket Press---found at liquor stores...French...cheap (less than $10.50)...all the leftovers from making the St. Cosme wines...yummy...buy all you can because this stuff is good...I give it as a gift...
Erath Pinot Noir---several varieties...good stuff...I'm not a big pinot noir fan (I like syrah, grenach, zinfindel, and blends...), but this stuff is good.
La Bastide---a red blend...liquor stores...again, buy what you can and call me when you find it...
Molly Dooker "The Boxer" Shiraz...this wine inspired a blog...it is good...high alcohol content.
Newton Cabernet...heavy but good...I like me a good cab...
I haven't found a malbec that I really like so if you know of one, tell me...
I do love blends...especially grenache/syrah blends....heck, I just like red wine.
I'm enjoying a glass of the La Vielle Ferme right now...
I'll share my thoughts on white and champagne another day...for today, as you can tell by the title of this blog it is all about the red red wine...
Inspiration Song: Red Red Wine by UB40...
bye darlings...cheers!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Lisztomania
Coach Dimples and I have a new partnership...we gonna play "who wins that bowl game" together and defeat the empire known at GOTT the GREAT...
GOTT always always always wins these things. He lets me play because I am so dreadful at it.
So he has set up some "predict who wins the bowl games" thing...there are 35 games...and we all know that I know less than a microgram about football. I take photos of football but I don't understand it.
Remember, Dimples had to explain what a "linebacker" was to me recently...he did it patiently and without irony I might add...
So I tell GOTT I will play his little game with him and I have high hopes of doing better than I did last spring in the March Madness contest when I came in 3rd from dead last.
But this time I have a secret weapon. I have Dimples! And he knows his football, oh yes he does...he even knows the name of the mascot for the team from Florida International (I didn't even know that was a college). So he picks the teams, I put up the $10 and we are going to split our fabulous winnings after we beat GOTT and Coach Supersweet (who always wins if GOTT doesn't).
I'm going to look like a football predicting superstar. But, because I am unfailingly honest about these things, I will admit I had the help of a football coach. You see, no one in my house wanted to help me...and I think Dimples has a better handle on this than they do. I did try and watch ESPN last night when they talked about bowl game predictions but completely zoned out after 45 seconds. Maybe if they broke out into song like the do on "Glee" I would have paid more attention.
People keep asking me what "diet" I am on. The truth is, I don't have a "diet" per se, but rather I am eating clean and healthy.
But here are some tips I have picked up along the way and some things that I eat...
This is in no particular order of importance...it's just as I think of it. Think of this as a roadmap whether you want to lose 5, 10, 15, or 50 pounds or just want to eat better...and remember, I am not an expert, just a woman who is trying to lose enough weight for Oprah to notice her (she and Dr. Oz are doing a weight loss thing for her new network...I could be on that...but I really would rather sit on her couch and talk to her...but again, this is all fantasy...)
OK, so here are some things to do/eat/try...
1. Dont' try and cut everything out at once. Try cutting out one or two things each week. Like, cut out corn and fried foods one week, the next week cut out something else.
2. Buy a water bottle. Fill it. Drink it. Repeat many times throughout the day. If you don't like water, add some lemon juice or make flavored water in your fridge. To make flavored water, simply put some fruit (orange, lemon, watermelon, canteloupe, lime, strawberry etc.) or cucumber, and or a bit of mint in a pitcher and add water. The fruit needs to be sliced or cut up. A delicious mix, courtesy of the Kahala Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii is the following: mint, cucumber, strawberry, apple, orange. You can add more water as you drink it down but I would pitch it after a few days or when it loses its taste.
3. Eat more good protein. A serving of protein should be about the size of a deck of cards...or maybe if you are really hungry and working out, the size of your hand (but only if you have a SMALL hand). Good protein: fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef, lean pork. Not-so-good-for-you protein: fatty steak, hamburger meat, dark meat from poultry (but that is not as bad as sausage), sausage, pork and beef ribs.
4. You don't have to eat "breakfast" foods for breakfast...sometimes I eat some ground turkey (wrapped in lettuce leaves for some crunch), or leftover fish. But I always eat some form of protein for breakfast and if I eat carbs, it is usually steel cut oats...and protein.
5. Egg white omlettes can be good if you cook them right. You can even add an egg yolk for every 2-3 whites if you don't have cholesterol issues. Try leftover veggies, spinach, fat free cheese, picante sauce, or ground turkey in one. The fat free cheese isn't bad inside an omlette. I like smokehouse pepper on mine...makes me feel like I am having bacon. Smokehouse pepper is in one of those red and white cans and it has a smokey taste...really good.
6. Have dessert occsionally so you won't feel deprived. But ask them to bring you only half and box the other half up. or give half to a friend. or eat a few bites and then pour salt all over it...I'm serious...
7. Eat salmon. I haven't liked salmon much in the past but I have made it part of my diet and now I don't mind it. It is best not overcooked. Order it medium rare and I promise it will taste better. Salmon is so good for you---full of Omega 3 and a good source of lean protein. I'm a little obsessed with it these days.
8. Get rid of corn. Dimples made me do this. It doesn't offer you much nutritionally and, this one shocked me, they use corn products in batteries and diapers. I like the taste of corn but I have cut it out of my diet...even corn tortillas. Now when I am at the Mexican food restaurant, I ask for lettuce leaves to wrap my fajitas in...that is Asian style and it is good!
9. If you want an alcoholic drink, choose wisely. Believe it or not, champagne is a good choice. Red wine is good and has antioxidents. White wine is good. Not so good for you: margaritas, lemon drop martinis, cosmos, anything with sweet-and-sour mix or simple syrup. Too much sugar. Or try wine mixed with club soda to cut calories further and cut out some of the alcohol.
10. No good ever came from eating a french fry...unless it is from Houston's and then it is totally worth it. But it is better not to have even one or you will want more...the last time I ate fry---February...
11. Google "EAt this Not That" before you go to a restaurant...they have great suggestions.
12. Dark chocolate is my friend. It gives me a bit of sweet when I need it. The darker the better. I eat a tiny bit a couple of times a week. No, I don't eat a Hershey bar...just a little square of very dark chocolate. I eat it slowly and savor it and it really feels like a treat.
13. Eat your veggies first. Order extra veggies at a restaurant but ask them to cut the butter. Steamed or grilled veggies are best. And no, a baked potato is not a good idea unless it is a sweet potato...with no butter.
14. Don't eat "white" food...no white rice, no white bread, no white veggies (unless it is cauliflower and then you can have all you want).
15. EAt 3 small meals and 2 snacks...way better for you than 3 large meals. My daily intake is usually breakfast (egg white omlette and oatmeal, or ground turkey and egg whites, or something from Fit Foods), a mid-morning snack (fruit, yogurt, protein bar), lunch (protein and veggies as my carbs), mid-afternoon snack, and dinner (like lunch). Sometimes I add dessert. See below:
16. My form of dessert: I love cottage cheese mixed with a bit of sweetner (Splenda...yellow packets) and fruit, or fat-free Greek yogurt mixed with Splenda and fruit, or a Skinny Cow dessert, or a small square of dark chocolate, or a couple of gingersnaps, or yogurt.
17. Cottage cheese is good for you...calcium! So is Greek Yogurt...
18. No sodas with sugar. In fact, cut out or cut back any soda...
19. Roast your veggies. In fact, if you THINK you don't like a vegetable, try it roasted. My favorite veggies to roast: asparagus, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potato, cauliflower, and fingerling potatoes. For asparagus, just trim off the tough ends. For brussel sprouts, cut in half. For the squash and the rest, just cube it up. Toss the veggies with a few teaspoons of olive oil and some sea salt. Roast at 450 degrees until tender. Fantastic...it will change your mind aobut some vegetables. They take on a nutty flavor and get sweeter. Email me when you have done this so I can say "I told you so"...
20. My new favorite treat----Tasti D Lite. One location is on Post Oak near Berryhill. Another location in Highland Village. Coming soon to Dallas.
21. Try quinoa and couscous...they are good. I love couscous tossed with some cinnamon and dried cranberries and raisins.
22. Dried cranberries perk things up...salad, grains, pasta, roasted veggies...
23. If you go to a restaurant where the portions are really big, ask them to bring you a to-go box right away and put half of it away. Then don't forget it when you leave...
24. Try whole-wheat pasta. It is so good. Many Italian restaurants have it so ask.
25. If you live in Houston, go to George's Pastaria. It is worth the drive even if you don't live in far west Memorial. It is between Briar Forest and Westheimer on Dairy Ashford very close to the roller rink. Heatlthy food (and bad-for-you too). Great wine selection. Great prices. My dish: whole wheat angel hair pasta primavera with shrimp and extra spinach. Try it, you'll like it.
26. Keep a food log/diary. It will make you think about every morsel you put in your mouth.
27. I have found that I can eat (fairly) healthy just about anywhere. Most places have a chicken sandwich (ask for no mayo, be sure the chicken is grilled not fried), or have a small hamburger and only eat half the bun if you are forced to---but a lot of burger places now have salads. You can do it...you just need to look harder at the menu.
28. Order salads with dressing on the side and ask them to cut the cheese if it is on it. Dip your fork into the dressing. I promise you will get all of the taste and not so many calories. I can't stand over-dressed salads now.
29. Keep protein bars in your purse/bag/car. That way you always have a snack and keep your metabolism going and won't overindulge when you do get to eat.
30. Eat slowly. You will eat less. I promise...
31. If you have a My Fit Foods near you, try their stuff. There are other companies that do what they do----make fresh, healthy food in controlled portions that are convenient to pick up and eat. I've been eating it since April and I'm not tired of it yet...
32. Cut out all but natural sugars like those that you get from fruit. Try it for 2 weeks. You won't miss it. And if you commit to it for a couple of weeks, you will find tht you lose your taste for it.
So there you have it...basically this is how I have been eating for the last 9 1/2 months. There is no magic to it. It is just making good choices. Cutting out the bad stuff. You don't have to go "no carbs" or "juice fast"...just eat clean and healthy.
Don't try and tackle this all at once...just pick some things and I bet you will begin to see changes...if not in how you look, but HOW YOU FEEL. I feel GREAT now...I don't look great but I feel great. I have energy. I sleep better. My skin is better. I don't crave things.
My trainer writes a blog about food and excercise. It is GREAT information. I have learned a lot from him (when I am not yelling at him about making me run up the hill). Take a look:
http://trainingwithjesse.wordpress.com/
OK, now I have to go and look at football stuff...so I'm not completely stupid about it all...but then again I might just go to bed and let Dimples handle it all.
Inspiration song: "Lisztomania"---because it was the only thing close to having "list" in the title on my iPod. It is by Phoenix. It is a really good song!
Bye Darlings...let me know what works for you...
GOTT always always always wins these things. He lets me play because I am so dreadful at it.
So he has set up some "predict who wins the bowl games" thing...there are 35 games...and we all know that I know less than a microgram about football. I take photos of football but I don't understand it.
Remember, Dimples had to explain what a "linebacker" was to me recently...he did it patiently and without irony I might add...
So I tell GOTT I will play his little game with him and I have high hopes of doing better than I did last spring in the March Madness contest when I came in 3rd from dead last.
But this time I have a secret weapon. I have Dimples! And he knows his football, oh yes he does...he even knows the name of the mascot for the team from Florida International (I didn't even know that was a college). So he picks the teams, I put up the $10 and we are going to split our fabulous winnings after we beat GOTT and Coach Supersweet (who always wins if GOTT doesn't).
I'm going to look like a football predicting superstar. But, because I am unfailingly honest about these things, I will admit I had the help of a football coach. You see, no one in my house wanted to help me...and I think Dimples has a better handle on this than they do. I did try and watch ESPN last night when they talked about bowl game predictions but completely zoned out after 45 seconds. Maybe if they broke out into song like the do on "Glee" I would have paid more attention.
People keep asking me what "diet" I am on. The truth is, I don't have a "diet" per se, but rather I am eating clean and healthy.
But here are some tips I have picked up along the way and some things that I eat...
This is in no particular order of importance...it's just as I think of it. Think of this as a roadmap whether you want to lose 5, 10, 15, or 50 pounds or just want to eat better...and remember, I am not an expert, just a woman who is trying to lose enough weight for Oprah to notice her (she and Dr. Oz are doing a weight loss thing for her new network...I could be on that...but I really would rather sit on her couch and talk to her...but again, this is all fantasy...)
OK, so here are some things to do/eat/try...
1. Dont' try and cut everything out at once. Try cutting out one or two things each week. Like, cut out corn and fried foods one week, the next week cut out something else.
2. Buy a water bottle. Fill it. Drink it. Repeat many times throughout the day. If you don't like water, add some lemon juice or make flavored water in your fridge. To make flavored water, simply put some fruit (orange, lemon, watermelon, canteloupe, lime, strawberry etc.) or cucumber, and or a bit of mint in a pitcher and add water. The fruit needs to be sliced or cut up. A delicious mix, courtesy of the Kahala Hotel in Oahu, Hawaii is the following: mint, cucumber, strawberry, apple, orange. You can add more water as you drink it down but I would pitch it after a few days or when it loses its taste.
3. Eat more good protein. A serving of protein should be about the size of a deck of cards...or maybe if you are really hungry and working out, the size of your hand (but only if you have a SMALL hand). Good protein: fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef, lean pork. Not-so-good-for-you protein: fatty steak, hamburger meat, dark meat from poultry (but that is not as bad as sausage), sausage, pork and beef ribs.
4. You don't have to eat "breakfast" foods for breakfast...sometimes I eat some ground turkey (wrapped in lettuce leaves for some crunch), or leftover fish. But I always eat some form of protein for breakfast and if I eat carbs, it is usually steel cut oats...and protein.
5. Egg white omlettes can be good if you cook them right. You can even add an egg yolk for every 2-3 whites if you don't have cholesterol issues. Try leftover veggies, spinach, fat free cheese, picante sauce, or ground turkey in one. The fat free cheese isn't bad inside an omlette. I like smokehouse pepper on mine...makes me feel like I am having bacon. Smokehouse pepper is in one of those red and white cans and it has a smokey taste...really good.
6. Have dessert occsionally so you won't feel deprived. But ask them to bring you only half and box the other half up. or give half to a friend. or eat a few bites and then pour salt all over it...I'm serious...
7. Eat salmon. I haven't liked salmon much in the past but I have made it part of my diet and now I don't mind it. It is best not overcooked. Order it medium rare and I promise it will taste better. Salmon is so good for you---full of Omega 3 and a good source of lean protein. I'm a little obsessed with it these days.
8. Get rid of corn. Dimples made me do this. It doesn't offer you much nutritionally and, this one shocked me, they use corn products in batteries and diapers. I like the taste of corn but I have cut it out of my diet...even corn tortillas. Now when I am at the Mexican food restaurant, I ask for lettuce leaves to wrap my fajitas in...that is Asian style and it is good!
9. If you want an alcoholic drink, choose wisely. Believe it or not, champagne is a good choice. Red wine is good and has antioxidents. White wine is good. Not so good for you: margaritas, lemon drop martinis, cosmos, anything with sweet-and-sour mix or simple syrup. Too much sugar. Or try wine mixed with club soda to cut calories further and cut out some of the alcohol.
10. No good ever came from eating a french fry...unless it is from Houston's and then it is totally worth it. But it is better not to have even one or you will want more...the last time I ate fry---February...
11. Google "EAt this Not That" before you go to a restaurant...they have great suggestions.
12. Dark chocolate is my friend. It gives me a bit of sweet when I need it. The darker the better. I eat a tiny bit a couple of times a week. No, I don't eat a Hershey bar...just a little square of very dark chocolate. I eat it slowly and savor it and it really feels like a treat.
13. Eat your veggies first. Order extra veggies at a restaurant but ask them to cut the butter. Steamed or grilled veggies are best. And no, a baked potato is not a good idea unless it is a sweet potato...with no butter.
14. Don't eat "white" food...no white rice, no white bread, no white veggies (unless it is cauliflower and then you can have all you want).
15. EAt 3 small meals and 2 snacks...way better for you than 3 large meals. My daily intake is usually breakfast (egg white omlette and oatmeal, or ground turkey and egg whites, or something from Fit Foods), a mid-morning snack (fruit, yogurt, protein bar), lunch (protein and veggies as my carbs), mid-afternoon snack, and dinner (like lunch). Sometimes I add dessert. See below:
16. My form of dessert: I love cottage cheese mixed with a bit of sweetner (Splenda...yellow packets) and fruit, or fat-free Greek yogurt mixed with Splenda and fruit, or a Skinny Cow dessert, or a small square of dark chocolate, or a couple of gingersnaps, or yogurt.
17. Cottage cheese is good for you...calcium! So is Greek Yogurt...
18. No sodas with sugar. In fact, cut out or cut back any soda...
19. Roast your veggies. In fact, if you THINK you don't like a vegetable, try it roasted. My favorite veggies to roast: asparagus, brussel sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potato, cauliflower, and fingerling potatoes. For asparagus, just trim off the tough ends. For brussel sprouts, cut in half. For the squash and the rest, just cube it up. Toss the veggies with a few teaspoons of olive oil and some sea salt. Roast at 450 degrees until tender. Fantastic...it will change your mind aobut some vegetables. They take on a nutty flavor and get sweeter. Email me when you have done this so I can say "I told you so"...
20. My new favorite treat----Tasti D Lite. One location is on Post Oak near Berryhill. Another location in Highland Village. Coming soon to Dallas.
21. Try quinoa and couscous...they are good. I love couscous tossed with some cinnamon and dried cranberries and raisins.
22. Dried cranberries perk things up...salad, grains, pasta, roasted veggies...
23. If you go to a restaurant where the portions are really big, ask them to bring you a to-go box right away and put half of it away. Then don't forget it when you leave...
24. Try whole-wheat pasta. It is so good. Many Italian restaurants have it so ask.
25. If you live in Houston, go to George's Pastaria. It is worth the drive even if you don't live in far west Memorial. It is between Briar Forest and Westheimer on Dairy Ashford very close to the roller rink. Heatlthy food (and bad-for-you too). Great wine selection. Great prices. My dish: whole wheat angel hair pasta primavera with shrimp and extra spinach. Try it, you'll like it.
26. Keep a food log/diary. It will make you think about every morsel you put in your mouth.
27. I have found that I can eat (fairly) healthy just about anywhere. Most places have a chicken sandwich (ask for no mayo, be sure the chicken is grilled not fried), or have a small hamburger and only eat half the bun if you are forced to---but a lot of burger places now have salads. You can do it...you just need to look harder at the menu.
28. Order salads with dressing on the side and ask them to cut the cheese if it is on it. Dip your fork into the dressing. I promise you will get all of the taste and not so many calories. I can't stand over-dressed salads now.
29. Keep protein bars in your purse/bag/car. That way you always have a snack and keep your metabolism going and won't overindulge when you do get to eat.
30. Eat slowly. You will eat less. I promise...
31. If you have a My Fit Foods near you, try their stuff. There are other companies that do what they do----make fresh, healthy food in controlled portions that are convenient to pick up and eat. I've been eating it since April and I'm not tired of it yet...
32. Cut out all but natural sugars like those that you get from fruit. Try it for 2 weeks. You won't miss it. And if you commit to it for a couple of weeks, you will find tht you lose your taste for it.
So there you have it...basically this is how I have been eating for the last 9 1/2 months. There is no magic to it. It is just making good choices. Cutting out the bad stuff. You don't have to go "no carbs" or "juice fast"...just eat clean and healthy.
Don't try and tackle this all at once...just pick some things and I bet you will begin to see changes...if not in how you look, but HOW YOU FEEL. I feel GREAT now...I don't look great but I feel great. I have energy. I sleep better. My skin is better. I don't crave things.
My trainer writes a blog about food and excercise. It is GREAT information. I have learned a lot from him (when I am not yelling at him about making me run up the hill). Take a look:
http://trainingwithjesse.wordpress.com/
OK, now I have to go and look at football stuff...so I'm not completely stupid about it all...but then again I might just go to bed and let Dimples handle it all.
Inspiration song: "Lisztomania"---because it was the only thing close to having "list" in the title on my iPod. It is by Phoenix. It is a really good song!
Bye Darlings...let me know what works for you...
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Don't You Evah
Don't you ever...
Wish you were Samantha from Bewitched?
So you could just twitch your nose and things would get done...things like the dishes? Or the Christmas cards you forgot to take a photo for could just be whipped up? The house could get cleaned magically? And that Esmerelda could just appear to take care of your kids?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish you were Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie"?
So that you could cross your arms and blink your eyes and you could be suddenly transported somewhere else? Avoiding traffic? Or you could do the blink thing and suddenly you have a new outfit on?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish there were more hours in a day?
So you could SLEEP? Or just get things done?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wonder why your body craves things that are BAD for you but you never have a craving for things like celery or non-fat yogurt? Why do I have to crave CRAVE cupcakes?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that the Victoria's Secret models would all suddenly get fat?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that the work/school week was 2 days long and the "weekend" was 5 days long?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Feel like you want vacation break to be over...24 hours after it started because you are tired of hearing the words "I am sooooooooooooo bored" come from your child's mouth?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that your husband could turn into Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds, Alexsander Skaarsgard, or Maks from Dancing with the Stars...for a few hours? Just for fun...just to look at...and if it is Maks, let's dance...
I do...oh, I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that chocolate had no calories? But still tasted just as good? or that cream cheese and butter have the same calorie count as say...celery?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Want the skin that hangs from your arms like bat wings to just magically disappear overnight and suddenly you would wake up with Madonna's arms?
I do...although Coach Dimples tells me to forget about her arms because they are "too cut" and not "all that"...but I will take "cut" over "bat wings" anyday...what does he know, he is a MAN...
Don't you ever...
Wish that there was no such thing as a size 00?
I do...too much pressure...makes an 8 look big...
Don't you ever...
Wish that Spinderella, Jay Vee, or J'taime Jaime taught a spin class every day?
I do...and I know that one is very personal...but I luv luv luv spinning with them...
Don't you ever...
Wish that it was as easy to excercise as it is to sit on the couch?
I do...all the time...and I wish I could burn the same amount of calories sitting on said couch...
Don't you ever...
Want $10 wine to taste as good as $40 wine?
I do...and sometimes it does...and sometimes the $40 stuff tastes worse than $10...
Don't you ever...
Find yourself obsessed with the silliest things?
I do...and right now my current obsessions are (in no particular order): salmon, Oprah, Caslon t-shirts from Nordstrom, Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume, my black boots, pants from "Lucy", and getting below a certain point on the scale by Christmas...oh, and salmon...I've eaten it for like every meal this week...what's with that?
Don't you ever...
Want to say to your spouse "are you kidding me, Bozo?" when you discover he is TAPING the football game he just watched live at the stadium and it knocked off something you wanted to tape?
I do...and I have...
Don't you ever...
Wish that life was on DVR and you could rewind it?
I do...so you could enjoy all the good stuff over and over again...and skip over the bad/boring/hard stuff...
Don't you ever...
Wish that you could put your husband on mute?
I do...all the time...can you tell he has irritated me today?
Don't you ever...
Wish Santa really existed?
I do...and he does...
Don't you ever...
Feel that God has blessed you greatly and that all the stuff you complain about it just silly?
I do...and He has...and I'm grateful for my blessings...
So I will stop whining now.
I've actually had a pretty great week. I've eaten enough salmon to feel like I need to swim upstream but cheated a few times and don't feel guilty about it. I've had great workouts with Dimples---and he got me off my weight loss plateau and back into "losing"...even if it took pulling his cute self up a nasty hill. Thank goodness he is becoming an expert at speaking "woman" to me and rarely slips into "coach" mode these days...and thank goodness for those dimples because it makes it easier to deal with the pain he is dishing out to me when he smiles as he tells me to do it. I had some really fun spin classes that were actually FUN. I went and heard a choral concert that moved me to tears...especially when my friend's daugher Katherine the Great sang a solo during the "Messiah" portion of the program. Beautiful music always moves me. I got to go to a fun party and see my old "soccer mom" friends from The Cutest Boy in the World's old soccer team. I even had some people (including some good looking men and several very sweet children) tell me I looked "pretty" and "hot" and even got a few "wows"...I'll take that...even though I think they were all just being sweet...but it is nice to hear...
I got nothin' to complain about...
Inspiration Song:
"Don't You Evah" by Spoon...because it is such a cool song...and on my workout list these days and gets heavy play...
Bye Darlings...don't you ever...stop counting your blessings!
Wish you were Samantha from Bewitched?
So you could just twitch your nose and things would get done...things like the dishes? Or the Christmas cards you forgot to take a photo for could just be whipped up? The house could get cleaned magically? And that Esmerelda could just appear to take care of your kids?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish you were Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie"?
So that you could cross your arms and blink your eyes and you could be suddenly transported somewhere else? Avoiding traffic? Or you could do the blink thing and suddenly you have a new outfit on?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish there were more hours in a day?
So you could SLEEP? Or just get things done?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wonder why your body craves things that are BAD for you but you never have a craving for things like celery or non-fat yogurt? Why do I have to crave CRAVE cupcakes?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that the Victoria's Secret models would all suddenly get fat?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that the work/school week was 2 days long and the "weekend" was 5 days long?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Feel like you want vacation break to be over...24 hours after it started because you are tired of hearing the words "I am sooooooooooooo bored" come from your child's mouth?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that your husband could turn into Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds, Alexsander Skaarsgard, or Maks from Dancing with the Stars...for a few hours? Just for fun...just to look at...and if it is Maks, let's dance...
I do...oh, I do...
Don't you ever...
Wish that chocolate had no calories? But still tasted just as good? or that cream cheese and butter have the same calorie count as say...celery?
I do...
Don't you ever...
Want the skin that hangs from your arms like bat wings to just magically disappear overnight and suddenly you would wake up with Madonna's arms?
I do...although Coach Dimples tells me to forget about her arms because they are "too cut" and not "all that"...but I will take "cut" over "bat wings" anyday...what does he know, he is a MAN...
Don't you ever...
Wish that there was no such thing as a size 00?
I do...too much pressure...makes an 8 look big...
Don't you ever...
Wish that Spinderella, Jay Vee, or J'taime Jaime taught a spin class every day?
I do...and I know that one is very personal...but I luv luv luv spinning with them...
Don't you ever...
Wish that it was as easy to excercise as it is to sit on the couch?
I do...all the time...and I wish I could burn the same amount of calories sitting on said couch...
Don't you ever...
Want $10 wine to taste as good as $40 wine?
I do...and sometimes it does...and sometimes the $40 stuff tastes worse than $10...
Don't you ever...
Find yourself obsessed with the silliest things?
I do...and right now my current obsessions are (in no particular order): salmon, Oprah, Caslon t-shirts from Nordstrom, Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume, my black boots, pants from "Lucy", and getting below a certain point on the scale by Christmas...oh, and salmon...I've eaten it for like every meal this week...what's with that?
Don't you ever...
Want to say to your spouse "are you kidding me, Bozo?" when you discover he is TAPING the football game he just watched live at the stadium and it knocked off something you wanted to tape?
I do...and I have...
Don't you ever...
Wish that life was on DVR and you could rewind it?
I do...so you could enjoy all the good stuff over and over again...and skip over the bad/boring/hard stuff...
Don't you ever...
Wish that you could put your husband on mute?
I do...all the time...can you tell he has irritated me today?
Don't you ever...
Wish Santa really existed?
I do...and he does...
Don't you ever...
Feel that God has blessed you greatly and that all the stuff you complain about it just silly?
I do...and He has...and I'm grateful for my blessings...
So I will stop whining now.
I've actually had a pretty great week. I've eaten enough salmon to feel like I need to swim upstream but cheated a few times and don't feel guilty about it. I've had great workouts with Dimples---and he got me off my weight loss plateau and back into "losing"...even if it took pulling his cute self up a nasty hill. Thank goodness he is becoming an expert at speaking "woman" to me and rarely slips into "coach" mode these days...and thank goodness for those dimples because it makes it easier to deal with the pain he is dishing out to me when he smiles as he tells me to do it. I had some really fun spin classes that were actually FUN. I went and heard a choral concert that moved me to tears...especially when my friend's daugher Katherine the Great sang a solo during the "Messiah" portion of the program. Beautiful music always moves me. I got to go to a fun party and see my old "soccer mom" friends from The Cutest Boy in the World's old soccer team. I even had some people (including some good looking men and several very sweet children) tell me I looked "pretty" and "hot" and even got a few "wows"...I'll take that...even though I think they were all just being sweet...but it is nice to hear...
I got nothin' to complain about...
Inspiration Song:
"Don't You Evah" by Spoon...because it is such a cool song...and on my workout list these days and gets heavy play...
Bye Darlings...don't you ever...stop counting your blessings!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Get Outta My Way
It's official: I hate running but I do it anyway...
I told Dimples today that I am far too compliant with him and I need to rebel a little more...and then I just did what he said...
So his cute self shows up for our training session today and he announces that we are having a day of "100's"...
It sounded like "coach" talk to me...not "woman"...
but then he smiled and explained that we, or rather I, was going to do 100 of everything: 100 pushups, 100 lunges (each leg), 100 squats, 100 step-ups (each leg...onto a bench), 100 rows, etc...
It felt like 1000...
and joy of joys we got to run in between each set of things...I say "we" because he did jog with me from place to place...
Does it clarify anything for you for me to say that I have been using ice packs for the last 1/2 hour? And that I drank not one but 2 glasses of some really delicious red wine?
My glute muscles are still pulled so mostly I SIT on ice packs...that is a whole new experience for my "nether regions" with that little bit of fun...but it does help and my pulled muscles do feel better...or maybe it is the Advil and the wine...
Remember, Advil and wine are a great combination (that is for you, Jeanette!)!!!!
He asked me if I had taken any ice baths (that was his suggestion)...
Do you know how quickly I said "Hell No!"?
yeah...it was pretty darn fast...but I told him my tub was broken (which it is)...the faucet at least...but there is no way, no how I am sitting in an ice bath...so I just use the ice packs.
I swear he told me that just to see if I would do it...
So this morning I got onto the treadmill and just before I hit the start button I texted him to inform him that since he had taken over my life I was now on the treadmill doing as he said and RUNNING...well, let's not exaggerate here, I basically JOG...
I think his answer was something akin to joyously informing me that it was good for me...I think he was sitting in his office at work laughing and trying to figure out what next form of torture he can inflict on me...after all, I am miraculously compliant with him.
So after a few back and forth texts about what I am to do I tell him I am putting on my music and hitting "go"...
I stayed on the #%#$#%## machine for an hour...he was impressed and probably a little shocked. Especially when I told him later that I was jogging at a pace of 4.3-5 mph at a slight incline...slow for most of you but basically booking it for me.
My friend Tam-Tam came up and laughed at me and was very supportive and then told me I should try running in the park. She has a lot of faith in me. She's the one who made me get back to spin class. I love her but I am not running in the park.
I guess I will shortly eat those words if Dimples tells me to do it...thank goodness Tam-Tam doesn't have his number to tell him...
Another friend messaged me to encourage me to try and do a 5K. This after another friend told me to come and do a relay with her.
I love and respect both of these women...and I will travel to their respective cities to see them and spend time with them but I will not run with them.
Because I hate running...jogging...whatever...even if Dimples is doing it with me and encouraging me to keep going...
But part of me is starting to actually consider the suggestion of the race...not so much to race but to conquer my fear and loathing of it all and to celebrate that I am changing myself.
I'm a pretty tough bitch and I could just knock people out of my way as a form of amusement as I go along...
But right now I just struggle with running 1/2 mile at a time on the treadmill so that 5K is a long long long way off.
The more I think about it, I really understand that the only REAL obstacle I have to it all is myself...and I need to get out of my own way about doing these kinds of things.
More often than not we stand in our OWN way more than we stand in the way of others or let others stand in our way.
After all I am the woman who basically LIED to GOTT and told him I knew what I was doing the first time I costumed a show...I think he knew it too but was desperate.
But had I said "I don't know what to do or how to do it", I would have robbed myself of the very great and very real pleasure I get from doing it now! I would have stood in my own way of finding something that I truly truly truly love to do. I love love love working with those 8th grade kids and I love love love them and I am so glad I didn't chicken out but rather stepped up and TRIED doing something that basically scared me a little and pushed me to do something new and fun. And I would have missed out on the incredible friendship I have with GOTT and TTG...because they are 2 people that I literally cannot live without...my sweet soul brothers...and they inspire me daily...
And from there I found that I loved working with kids and decided to substitute teach and from there I decided to teach Art a la Carte (art history).
I could have gotten in my own way but I didn't...
So now, I really feel like my greatest limit is MYSELF and that I have to get outta my own way with things.
Dimples tells me all the time that I "can do it"...and he pushes me to push myself a little further, harder, faster...more...
And my friends encourage me to do things...like try a 5K...
So maybe I am only limiting myself?
Nah...I hate running...
But I might just do it...
Stay tuned...
And don't limit yourelf either...I'll make a deal with you...you try something that scares you and so will I...except that no matter what I am not jumping out of a plane because that is where I draw the line...
But we should all do something that scares us a bit...because it makes us grow...
Get outta your own way...and I will get outta mine...
Inspiration Song: "Get Outta My Way" by Kylie Minogue. Mostly because I love love love Kylie but also because I hit "play" on it 3 times to get me through my last 1/2 mile on the treadmill today...
I told Dimples today that I am far too compliant with him and I need to rebel a little more...and then I just did what he said...
So his cute self shows up for our training session today and he announces that we are having a day of "100's"...
It sounded like "coach" talk to me...not "woman"...
but then he smiled and explained that we, or rather I, was going to do 100 of everything: 100 pushups, 100 lunges (each leg), 100 squats, 100 step-ups (each leg...onto a bench), 100 rows, etc...
It felt like 1000...
and joy of joys we got to run in between each set of things...I say "we" because he did jog with me from place to place...
Does it clarify anything for you for me to say that I have been using ice packs for the last 1/2 hour? And that I drank not one but 2 glasses of some really delicious red wine?
My glute muscles are still pulled so mostly I SIT on ice packs...that is a whole new experience for my "nether regions" with that little bit of fun...but it does help and my pulled muscles do feel better...or maybe it is the Advil and the wine...
Remember, Advil and wine are a great combination (that is for you, Jeanette!)!!!!
He asked me if I had taken any ice baths (that was his suggestion)...
Do you know how quickly I said "Hell No!"?
yeah...it was pretty darn fast...but I told him my tub was broken (which it is)...the faucet at least...but there is no way, no how I am sitting in an ice bath...so I just use the ice packs.
I swear he told me that just to see if I would do it...
So this morning I got onto the treadmill and just before I hit the start button I texted him to inform him that since he had taken over my life I was now on the treadmill doing as he said and RUNNING...well, let's not exaggerate here, I basically JOG...
I think his answer was something akin to joyously informing me that it was good for me...I think he was sitting in his office at work laughing and trying to figure out what next form of torture he can inflict on me...after all, I am miraculously compliant with him.
So after a few back and forth texts about what I am to do I tell him I am putting on my music and hitting "go"...
I stayed on the #%#$#%## machine for an hour...he was impressed and probably a little shocked. Especially when I told him later that I was jogging at a pace of 4.3-5 mph at a slight incline...slow for most of you but basically booking it for me.
My friend Tam-Tam came up and laughed at me and was very supportive and then told me I should try running in the park. She has a lot of faith in me. She's the one who made me get back to spin class. I love her but I am not running in the park.
I guess I will shortly eat those words if Dimples tells me to do it...thank goodness Tam-Tam doesn't have his number to tell him...
Another friend messaged me to encourage me to try and do a 5K. This after another friend told me to come and do a relay with her.
I love and respect both of these women...and I will travel to their respective cities to see them and spend time with them but I will not run with them.
Because I hate running...jogging...whatever...even if Dimples is doing it with me and encouraging me to keep going...
But part of me is starting to actually consider the suggestion of the race...not so much to race but to conquer my fear and loathing of it all and to celebrate that I am changing myself.
I'm a pretty tough bitch and I could just knock people out of my way as a form of amusement as I go along...
But right now I just struggle with running 1/2 mile at a time on the treadmill so that 5K is a long long long way off.
The more I think about it, I really understand that the only REAL obstacle I have to it all is myself...and I need to get out of my own way about doing these kinds of things.
More often than not we stand in our OWN way more than we stand in the way of others or let others stand in our way.
After all I am the woman who basically LIED to GOTT and told him I knew what I was doing the first time I costumed a show...I think he knew it too but was desperate.
But had I said "I don't know what to do or how to do it", I would have robbed myself of the very great and very real pleasure I get from doing it now! I would have stood in my own way of finding something that I truly truly truly love to do. I love love love working with those 8th grade kids and I love love love them and I am so glad I didn't chicken out but rather stepped up and TRIED doing something that basically scared me a little and pushed me to do something new and fun. And I would have missed out on the incredible friendship I have with GOTT and TTG...because they are 2 people that I literally cannot live without...my sweet soul brothers...and they inspire me daily...
And from there I found that I loved working with kids and decided to substitute teach and from there I decided to teach Art a la Carte (art history).
I could have gotten in my own way but I didn't...
So now, I really feel like my greatest limit is MYSELF and that I have to get outta my own way with things.
Dimples tells me all the time that I "can do it"...and he pushes me to push myself a little further, harder, faster...more...
And my friends encourage me to do things...like try a 5K...
So maybe I am only limiting myself?
Nah...I hate running...
But I might just do it...
Stay tuned...
And don't limit yourelf either...I'll make a deal with you...you try something that scares you and so will I...except that no matter what I am not jumping out of a plane because that is where I draw the line...
But we should all do something that scares us a bit...because it makes us grow...
Get outta your own way...and I will get outta mine...
Inspiration Song: "Get Outta My Way" by Kylie Minogue. Mostly because I love love love Kylie but also because I hit "play" on it 3 times to get me through my last 1/2 mile on the treadmill today...
Thursday, November 25, 2010
All You Need is Love
Today we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.
I am blessed beyond belief: I have a wonderful family (both my immediate and extended), I have my health (yessssssss), I have a beautiful home, I do volunteer work that I love love love, I have food on the table, money in my pocket, and the future before me.
And I have friends...you people...you are a blessing to me....
Not just because you read this silly thing I write, and not just the kind words you say, but the fact that I know I am blessed to have each and every one of you in my life.
So today I want to REALLY count my blessings and be grateful for all that I have.
Here we go:
I am blessed because I have 2 wonderful children that although they sometimes challenge my sanity and my conviction that I AM a good mother, they are good kids and make me proud every day.
I am blessed to have a husband...he's not perfect...I'm not perfect...marriage is hard...but he is a good man...and it's nice to have someone to share the burden with.
I am blessed that although my parents are no longer with me, I know that I will see them again in heaven and I am grateful for what I learned from them during their all-too-short time here with me.
I am blessed to have wonderful aunts and uncles who have continued to share the burden of raising me since my mother is gone. And yes, I am not yet a real grown-up yet so I still need someone to raise me.
I am blessed to have my siblings. We don't have the best family relationships. In fact, they are pretty crappy relationships, and we are a very fractured bunch since my mother died---and even before---but, and here's the "but" part that I count as a blessing...God GAVE me my siblings and so I will count them as a blessing.
I am blessed to have my sister-in-law. Yes, I am one of those very lucky women who happen to LOVE their sister-in-law! She is a beautiful woman, a wonderful mother, and has a beautiful heart. And how lucky am I that she is not just family, but a friend?
Speaking of which...I am blessed to have GOTT as my dear friend. And GOTTESS. And their little GOTT-SON. Because sometimes we get really lucky and we end up loving someone as much as our own family. I told GOTT the other day that we don't choose our family but we can chooe our friends and we were blessed to consider each other family even if we aren't blood relatives.
And that leads to the fact that I am blessed that I have several friends that I consider to be family...you know who you are...you are the keels on my ship, you are the wind that carries me, you are the arms that hold me. I am blessed to have such wonderful friends...
And I am blessed that I am allowed to do what I do at my son's school. I love love love working with children. I love doing the cotumes for the shows, I love teaching Art a la Carte, I love substitute teaching, I even love going on field trips (sometimes...talk to me next week after I go with the choir). The hugs I get from the kids are a great salary (I have said it before) and I am surrounded with some really great people at that school: Sistah, Precious and Adorable, Bacchus, TTG, Coach Cuteness, Musical Muse, Science Goddess 1, 2, and 3...and so many many more...love love love my SFEDS friends...and since they teach my son they are a double blessing because they are they finest teachers and staff in the world!
I am blessed that I belong to the Houston Racquet Club and found my way into the gym there. I was terrified the first time but now it is a wonderful place for me to go. Who would have thought I would end up being a member of the FITNESS COMMITTEE? I go there to reduce stress, have some time to myself, work my body, and find peace...
I am blessed that I have my "J-girls" in my life: Spinderella (her real name starts with a "J"), J'taime Jamie, and Jay Vee...they have been such great support to me with my health and excercise. I can't tell you how great it is to have instructors that really CARE about you and what you are doing. I love them!
And who can forget how blessed I am to have Fitness Goddess in my corner? She got me kicked into gear and not afraid of the weights...so I would be ready for...
Coach Dimples who is also a double blessing to me. First he was a blessing as my son's football coach and did a great job with him. But now he is a blessing to ME because he really is trying to help me change my life, my ways, my excersise, my body, my mind...and he does it with a good deal of support (and some humor) and has accepted that he is not just "trainer" but "therapist" as well. I can see the changes already and I know that we are just starting on this journey together with him getting me to finish what I have started. It's the back half that is the hard part...it's like lifting a weight---you can push it up, but when you have to bring it down slow and resist gravity, it's hard and it hurts. He is helping me with this back half, this lowering down, this resisting of gravity that would in many cases make people say: "Heck, I've lost 90 pounds and I am done" but he's keeping me going and making it fun while we do it.
I am blessed that my physical has proven that my hard work is paying off. 100 point reduction in my cholesterol has made me say "amen" all day long...
I am blessed that I don't miss hamburgers as much as I thought I would.
I am blessed that I realize that Crave Cupcakes and Fuzzy's pizza are kryptonite to me.
I am blessed that my turkey was amazing today and my stuffing/dressing was almost as good as my Mommy's (because it will NEVER be AS good, just almost so...)
I am blessed that I love spin class as much as I remembered.
I am blessed that my son had an undefeated football season. Not because they won every game, but because his coaches taught him new things. And because they taught those boys how to win with honor, how to challenge themselves at every turn, and how to work as a team. They had a lot of challenges thrown at them---they couldn't practice at the school so they rode a bus to their practice site and lost a lot of valuable time, but they coaches made the most of it and the boys never really complained---but we, the parents did. Once Dimples told me that he would coach them in a parking lot I "got" it...it wasn't WHERE they practiced, it was THAT they practiced. I told you he was a smart guy...
I am blessed that my daughter has proven not just to be a really great math/science girl, but that her talent for photography has grown such that her instructors take definite notice. This is a blessing because it gives her a lot of pride in what she does and she really really really loves taking photos...even if I find it disturbing that some of them are of her made up to look like she drowned...really...
I am blessed that I found a way to make a really yummy low-calorie/almost fat-free dessert...recipe to follow at the bottom of this blog...
I am blessed that there is wine...and Bacchus tells me what to buy and where to buy it...because it is my little "sin" and at least the red stuff isn't all bad for you. Antioxidents, you know?
I am blessed that we have more than one television in the house...because I really don't want to watch football tonight...
I am blessed that I have discovered that writing this is a kind of therapy for me. Sometimes it is raw, sometimes I get to use humor, but it is always always always me and my thougths...uncensored...and it "lets it out" for me...
I am blessed that my family cleaned the kitchen after our big lunch today! I went into the bedroom with the cat and watched something I had recorded on the DVR.
I am blessed that Diet Dr. Pepper exists...because it is my little treat. I am also blessed that Sonic makes a Route 44 of it with vanilla for me when I need a sweet treat.
I am blessed that I found My Fit Foods as a way to eat healthy.
I am blessed that when I had my little diverticulitis episode that I discovered it quickly and now it keeps me from nuts...so I am not tempted by the pecan pie that is sitting on the kitchen counter.
I am blessed that I discovered liquid glucosomine (thanks to Bacchus...he is good for more than wine). I hate the pills...they are nasty and huge...
I am blessed that I can (almost always) pass up dessert because I know that it won't do me any good...but I will eat it if it is worth it...
I am blessed that I remember to use the "salt trick" when I am confronted with a food at the table that I want a taste of, but not all of...I just dump salt on it (if I can't pass it off to someone else). With salt dumped on it, you won't pick at it. This works well at those luncheons and dinners we all have to sit through where they bring you course after course and most of it isn't very good...I take 2 bites of the dessert and then SALT IT...
I am blessed that I have found that I love fish more than I thought I did...
I am blessed that I have discovered that I can do things I didn't think I could do: with my mind, my body, and my spirit...
I am blessed that I can cook as many yummy HEALTHY things as the unhealthy stuff I used to cook...and they are sometimes even tastier...but no, there is no substitute for good queso...
I am blessed that I have lost 90 pounds and still want to lose more...
I am blessed that I haven't given up...
I am blessed that I want to keep going with this...
I am blessed that I kept some of my "thin" clothes and that I can get into some of them...but the cheetah print skirt is still an enigma to me...not sure if I will ever put it on again, but I might TRY it on sometime when I get to that size...
I am blessed that anyone reads this...
I am blessed because I really have too many blessings to count...
And most of all, I am blessed that I love and am loved...and sometimes love is all we need...
First, the recipe...then the song...
Here goes:
ALMOST FAT-FREE LOW-CAL PUMPKIN MOUSSE
(about 200 calories/serving...they are large...better than 400 for pie)
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 pkg. pumpkin spice flavored Jello pudding mix
1 container fat-free Cool Whip
Mix the pumpkin with the milk and the pudding mix. You can add a little vanilla if you want (I forgot...but I bet it would be better with it so that is why I am telling you to put it in...maybe a teaspoon...). Mix well. Gently fold in the Cool Whip. Put it in serving bowls. Put in the fridge. That's all...tastes like pie except no crust. Really good with some gingersnaps crumbled on top. Adapted from an Alton Brown recipe on the Food Network website.And now...
Inspiration Song: "All You Need is Love" by the one, the only, the BEATLES. It feels right today...
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you
in time - It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Happy Happy Thanksgiving, Darlings...count your blessings...we all have so many!
I am blessed beyond belief: I have a wonderful family (both my immediate and extended), I have my health (yessssssss), I have a beautiful home, I do volunteer work that I love love love, I have food on the table, money in my pocket, and the future before me.
And I have friends...you people...you are a blessing to me....
Not just because you read this silly thing I write, and not just the kind words you say, but the fact that I know I am blessed to have each and every one of you in my life.
So today I want to REALLY count my blessings and be grateful for all that I have.
Here we go:
I am blessed because I have 2 wonderful children that although they sometimes challenge my sanity and my conviction that I AM a good mother, they are good kids and make me proud every day.
I am blessed to have a husband...he's not perfect...I'm not perfect...marriage is hard...but he is a good man...and it's nice to have someone to share the burden with.
I am blessed that although my parents are no longer with me, I know that I will see them again in heaven and I am grateful for what I learned from them during their all-too-short time here with me.
I am blessed to have wonderful aunts and uncles who have continued to share the burden of raising me since my mother is gone. And yes, I am not yet a real grown-up yet so I still need someone to raise me.
I am blessed to have my siblings. We don't have the best family relationships. In fact, they are pretty crappy relationships, and we are a very fractured bunch since my mother died---and even before---but, and here's the "but" part that I count as a blessing...God GAVE me my siblings and so I will count them as a blessing.
I am blessed to have my sister-in-law. Yes, I am one of those very lucky women who happen to LOVE their sister-in-law! She is a beautiful woman, a wonderful mother, and has a beautiful heart. And how lucky am I that she is not just family, but a friend?
Speaking of which...I am blessed to have GOTT as my dear friend. And GOTTESS. And their little GOTT-SON. Because sometimes we get really lucky and we end up loving someone as much as our own family. I told GOTT the other day that we don't choose our family but we can chooe our friends and we were blessed to consider each other family even if we aren't blood relatives.
And that leads to the fact that I am blessed that I have several friends that I consider to be family...you know who you are...you are the keels on my ship, you are the wind that carries me, you are the arms that hold me. I am blessed to have such wonderful friends...
And I am blessed that I am allowed to do what I do at my son's school. I love love love working with children. I love doing the cotumes for the shows, I love teaching Art a la Carte, I love substitute teaching, I even love going on field trips (sometimes...talk to me next week after I go with the choir). The hugs I get from the kids are a great salary (I have said it before) and I am surrounded with some really great people at that school: Sistah, Precious and Adorable, Bacchus, TTG, Coach Cuteness, Musical Muse, Science Goddess 1, 2, and 3...and so many many more...love love love my SFEDS friends...and since they teach my son they are a double blessing because they are they finest teachers and staff in the world!
I am blessed that I belong to the Houston Racquet Club and found my way into the gym there. I was terrified the first time but now it is a wonderful place for me to go. Who would have thought I would end up being a member of the FITNESS COMMITTEE? I go there to reduce stress, have some time to myself, work my body, and find peace...
I am blessed that I have my "J-girls" in my life: Spinderella (her real name starts with a "J"), J'taime Jamie, and Jay Vee...they have been such great support to me with my health and excercise. I can't tell you how great it is to have instructors that really CARE about you and what you are doing. I love them!
And who can forget how blessed I am to have Fitness Goddess in my corner? She got me kicked into gear and not afraid of the weights...so I would be ready for...
Coach Dimples who is also a double blessing to me. First he was a blessing as my son's football coach and did a great job with him. But now he is a blessing to ME because he really is trying to help me change my life, my ways, my excersise, my body, my mind...and he does it with a good deal of support (and some humor) and has accepted that he is not just "trainer" but "therapist" as well. I can see the changes already and I know that we are just starting on this journey together with him getting me to finish what I have started. It's the back half that is the hard part...it's like lifting a weight---you can push it up, but when you have to bring it down slow and resist gravity, it's hard and it hurts. He is helping me with this back half, this lowering down, this resisting of gravity that would in many cases make people say: "Heck, I've lost 90 pounds and I am done" but he's keeping me going and making it fun while we do it.
I am blessed that my physical has proven that my hard work is paying off. 100 point reduction in my cholesterol has made me say "amen" all day long...
I am blessed that I don't miss hamburgers as much as I thought I would.
I am blessed that I realize that Crave Cupcakes and Fuzzy's pizza are kryptonite to me.
I am blessed that my turkey was amazing today and my stuffing/dressing was almost as good as my Mommy's (because it will NEVER be AS good, just almost so...)
I am blessed that I love spin class as much as I remembered.
I am blessed that my son had an undefeated football season. Not because they won every game, but because his coaches taught him new things. And because they taught those boys how to win with honor, how to challenge themselves at every turn, and how to work as a team. They had a lot of challenges thrown at them---they couldn't practice at the school so they rode a bus to their practice site and lost a lot of valuable time, but they coaches made the most of it and the boys never really complained---but we, the parents did. Once Dimples told me that he would coach them in a parking lot I "got" it...it wasn't WHERE they practiced, it was THAT they practiced. I told you he was a smart guy...
I am blessed that my daughter has proven not just to be a really great math/science girl, but that her talent for photography has grown such that her instructors take definite notice. This is a blessing because it gives her a lot of pride in what she does and she really really really loves taking photos...even if I find it disturbing that some of them are of her made up to look like she drowned...really...
I am blessed that I found a way to make a really yummy low-calorie/almost fat-free dessert...recipe to follow at the bottom of this blog...
I am blessed that there is wine...and Bacchus tells me what to buy and where to buy it...because it is my little "sin" and at least the red stuff isn't all bad for you. Antioxidents, you know?
I am blessed that we have more than one television in the house...because I really don't want to watch football tonight...
I am blessed that I have discovered that writing this is a kind of therapy for me. Sometimes it is raw, sometimes I get to use humor, but it is always always always me and my thougths...uncensored...and it "lets it out" for me...
I am blessed that my family cleaned the kitchen after our big lunch today! I went into the bedroom with the cat and watched something I had recorded on the DVR.
I am blessed that Diet Dr. Pepper exists...because it is my little treat. I am also blessed that Sonic makes a Route 44 of it with vanilla for me when I need a sweet treat.
I am blessed that I found My Fit Foods as a way to eat healthy.
I am blessed that when I had my little diverticulitis episode that I discovered it quickly and now it keeps me from nuts...so I am not tempted by the pecan pie that is sitting on the kitchen counter.
I am blessed that I discovered liquid glucosomine (thanks to Bacchus...he is good for more than wine). I hate the pills...they are nasty and huge...
I am blessed that I can (almost always) pass up dessert because I know that it won't do me any good...but I will eat it if it is worth it...
I am blessed that I remember to use the "salt trick" when I am confronted with a food at the table that I want a taste of, but not all of...I just dump salt on it (if I can't pass it off to someone else). With salt dumped on it, you won't pick at it. This works well at those luncheons and dinners we all have to sit through where they bring you course after course and most of it isn't very good...I take 2 bites of the dessert and then SALT IT...
I am blessed that I have found that I love fish more than I thought I did...
I am blessed that I have discovered that I can do things I didn't think I could do: with my mind, my body, and my spirit...
I am blessed that I can cook as many yummy HEALTHY things as the unhealthy stuff I used to cook...and they are sometimes even tastier...but no, there is no substitute for good queso...
I am blessed that I have lost 90 pounds and still want to lose more...
I am blessed that I haven't given up...
I am blessed that I want to keep going with this...
I am blessed that I kept some of my "thin" clothes and that I can get into some of them...but the cheetah print skirt is still an enigma to me...not sure if I will ever put it on again, but I might TRY it on sometime when I get to that size...
I am blessed that anyone reads this...
I am blessed because I really have too many blessings to count...
And most of all, I am blessed that I love and am loved...and sometimes love is all we need...
First, the recipe...then the song...
Here goes:
ALMOST FAT-FREE LOW-CAL PUMPKIN MOUSSE
(about 200 calories/serving...they are large...better than 400 for pie)
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 pkg. pumpkin spice flavored Jello pudding mix
1 container fat-free Cool Whip
Mix the pumpkin with the milk and the pudding mix. You can add a little vanilla if you want (I forgot...but I bet it would be better with it so that is why I am telling you to put it in...maybe a teaspoon...). Mix well. Gently fold in the Cool Whip. Put it in serving bowls. Put in the fridge. That's all...tastes like pie except no crust. Really good with some gingersnaps crumbled on top. Adapted from an Alton Brown recipe on the Food Network website.And now...
Inspiration Song: "All You Need is Love" by the one, the only, the BEATLES. It feels right today...
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.
There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you
in time - It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be.
It's easy.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
All you need is love (all together now)
All you need is love (everybody)
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Happy Happy Thanksgiving, Darlings...count your blessings...we all have so many!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Raise Your Glass
So, a toast...
Raise your glass!
Mine happens to be my new Riedel Cabernet/Red stemless wine glass and it contains a nice (but not too much) amount of Molly Dooker "The Boxer" Shiraz (a Bacchus suggestion that I am very fond of).
Some of you may be reading this in the morning so I hope the only glasses you are raising are filled with orange juice or coffee...
But we can toast anyway!
So what are we toasting to?
No, I haven't reached my "significant" goal or anything special, but I want you to join me in a toast celebrating that I am starting off my---well, you don't really need the age number, do you?---ok, 46th year---and I am starting off year 46 as a much healthier woman than I was when I started year 45.
And I want to toast all of you who read this silly blog and who have supported me as I work my way back into becoming a thinner, healthier, stronger version of myself.
Let's call me:
Anice 4.0
because I have done this a few times...let's hope that the only improvements or changes I make to mayself after this are POSITIVE ones.
I had a lovely birthday yesterday...messages from facebook friends...lunch with my family (even Ke$ha Barbie graced us with her blonde presence)...shopped for the glasses with my daughter...had a yummy sushi dinner with my Aunt Jane and her friend Cute and Tiny (CAT)...and then had a celebratory cupcake with my friend D-"the other neice" (since a friend of ours likes to refer to us as the "Nieces" since our names end in -nice and -nise).
Yes, I got near the kryptonite...a CRAVE cupcake...had 1/2 a banana (I highly recommend it) and 1/2 a strawberry (always a favorite). I consider that a pretty clean getaway considering she had more to offer.
Of course I also should confess the 1/2 of a (large) piece of incredible pumpkin cheesecake at lunch at Pappadeaux. At least I had fish as my entree...
I have pre-warned Coach Dimples (via text) that he has some damage to undo...I'm sure he will insist on getting the full story from me as he punishes me tomorrow with a hundred thousand squats. That man is making me do things I never thought I would or could do...it must be the dimples and cute smile...
So what a difference a year makes...because a year ago I would have had at least 2 cupcakes (instead of 1/2 of each flavor) and eaten the whole piece of cheesecake and would have had fried crawfish or something equally dangerous for lunch.
As I type this I am watching Ke$ha (the real one) on the American Music Awards and it strikes me just what a year can do...a year ago she was probably watching this show on tv and now she is one of the headliners...your life can change in a year!
In the past year I have:
gone from a size 24 to a 14
lost 90 pounds
learned to eat "right"
learned to enjoy working out
returned to my beloved spin classes
gotten to renew my friendship with Spinderella (and have the jewelry to prove it)
made some new friends at the gym (J'taime Jamie and Jay-Vee)
traded vodka sweet drinks for heart-healthier (and lower calorie) red wine
had an a-ha moment climbing some stairs that got me to change my life
climbed 218 stone steps up a hill and survived
had an amazing reunion with my camp friends
hired a fantastic (and yes, very cute) trainer who is just what I need
watched my son have an UNDEFEATED football season
watched my daughter learn to drive, get a license, and then have a tiny wreck (with a schoolbus no less)
sat in a "your kid is college bound in less than 2 years" meeting that scared the heck out of me and broke my heart to realize that she is gone very soon
bought myself a new camera that truly makes me love taking photos
discovered some new wines thanks to my Bacchus
went from a 3XL to a size L t-shirt
costumed 4 shows for GOTT and TTG and had more fun each time I did it
celebrated GOTT's birthday with him and once again confirmed that I can't bowl
celebrated GOTTESS' birthday with her and once again confirmed that I can't sing
started this blog and learned that this is my therapy
begun an obsessive relationship with my scale
discovered that Living Proof Full shampoo really works...
got reaquainted with many old friends courtes of Facebook
discovered that I CAN do squats up a hill and not die (thank you, Dimples)
put on a dress that I bought 10 years ago and it fit
bought my first pair of boots in 9 years...so I bought 2...
wore those boots and had a good looking (YOUNGER!) man tell me I looked "hot"
had several people tell me that they didn't recognize me (because of the weight loss) and I hugged and kissed them for it
found out that Crave cupcakes are my kryptonite...so I avoid the kryptonite
discovered that I can turn myself over to someone else (like my trainer)who's sole purpose is to help me change myself...and I am grateful
and
realized that I have the power to change my body, my health and my life...and I don't need pills or surgery to do it...just a lot of hard work.
Tomorrow I have my annual physical...I am actually looking forward to seeing how my health has changed...I know my bloodwork will look better and my lovely doctor (she really is lovely...like a character from Grey's Anatomy) will be pleased that there is less of me to take care of.
There you have it...I'm sure I have learned more in this past year but between being very tired and the bit of wine, I'm all "thinked" out.
I'm grateful for my health and even though I am now 46 instead of 45 I feel younger and better and I am thankful to all of my friends and family and God for my health and well-being...and the strength to go forward and finish this journey.
So what will a year do for your life? How can you change things for the better?
Think about it...and raise your glass to YOURSELF for anything you do to improve your life...
Inspiration Song: "Raise Your Glass" by PINK! I love love love Pink and I love love love that song...I sorta consider it my theme song these days...LOL...
Bye darlings...
Raise your glass!
Mine happens to be my new Riedel Cabernet/Red stemless wine glass and it contains a nice (but not too much) amount of Molly Dooker "The Boxer" Shiraz (a Bacchus suggestion that I am very fond of).
Some of you may be reading this in the morning so I hope the only glasses you are raising are filled with orange juice or coffee...
But we can toast anyway!
So what are we toasting to?
No, I haven't reached my "significant" goal or anything special, but I want you to join me in a toast celebrating that I am starting off my---well, you don't really need the age number, do you?---ok, 46th year---and I am starting off year 46 as a much healthier woman than I was when I started year 45.
And I want to toast all of you who read this silly blog and who have supported me as I work my way back into becoming a thinner, healthier, stronger version of myself.
Let's call me:
Anice 4.0
because I have done this a few times...let's hope that the only improvements or changes I make to mayself after this are POSITIVE ones.
I had a lovely birthday yesterday...messages from facebook friends...lunch with my family (even Ke$ha Barbie graced us with her blonde presence)...shopped for the glasses with my daughter...had a yummy sushi dinner with my Aunt Jane and her friend Cute and Tiny (CAT)...and then had a celebratory cupcake with my friend D-"the other neice" (since a friend of ours likes to refer to us as the "Nieces" since our names end in -nice and -nise).
Yes, I got near the kryptonite...a CRAVE cupcake...had 1/2 a banana (I highly recommend it) and 1/2 a strawberry (always a favorite). I consider that a pretty clean getaway considering she had more to offer.
Of course I also should confess the 1/2 of a (large) piece of incredible pumpkin cheesecake at lunch at Pappadeaux. At least I had fish as my entree...
I have pre-warned Coach Dimples (via text) that he has some damage to undo...I'm sure he will insist on getting the full story from me as he punishes me tomorrow with a hundred thousand squats. That man is making me do things I never thought I would or could do...it must be the dimples and cute smile...
So what a difference a year makes...because a year ago I would have had at least 2 cupcakes (instead of 1/2 of each flavor) and eaten the whole piece of cheesecake and would have had fried crawfish or something equally dangerous for lunch.
As I type this I am watching Ke$ha (the real one) on the American Music Awards and it strikes me just what a year can do...a year ago she was probably watching this show on tv and now she is one of the headliners...your life can change in a year!
In the past year I have:
gone from a size 24 to a 14
lost 90 pounds
learned to eat "right"
learned to enjoy working out
returned to my beloved spin classes
gotten to renew my friendship with Spinderella (and have the jewelry to prove it)
made some new friends at the gym (J'taime Jamie and Jay-Vee)
traded vodka sweet drinks for heart-healthier (and lower calorie) red wine
had an a-ha moment climbing some stairs that got me to change my life
climbed 218 stone steps up a hill and survived
had an amazing reunion with my camp friends
hired a fantastic (and yes, very cute) trainer who is just what I need
watched my son have an UNDEFEATED football season
watched my daughter learn to drive, get a license, and then have a tiny wreck (with a schoolbus no less)
sat in a "your kid is college bound in less than 2 years" meeting that scared the heck out of me and broke my heart to realize that she is gone very soon
bought myself a new camera that truly makes me love taking photos
discovered some new wines thanks to my Bacchus
went from a 3XL to a size L t-shirt
costumed 4 shows for GOTT and TTG and had more fun each time I did it
celebrated GOTT's birthday with him and once again confirmed that I can't bowl
celebrated GOTTESS' birthday with her and once again confirmed that I can't sing
started this blog and learned that this is my therapy
begun an obsessive relationship with my scale
discovered that Living Proof Full shampoo really works...
got reaquainted with many old friends courtes of Facebook
discovered that I CAN do squats up a hill and not die (thank you, Dimples)
put on a dress that I bought 10 years ago and it fit
bought my first pair of boots in 9 years...so I bought 2...
wore those boots and had a good looking (YOUNGER!) man tell me I looked "hot"
had several people tell me that they didn't recognize me (because of the weight loss) and I hugged and kissed them for it
found out that Crave cupcakes are my kryptonite...so I avoid the kryptonite
discovered that I can turn myself over to someone else (like my trainer)who's sole purpose is to help me change myself...and I am grateful
and
realized that I have the power to change my body, my health and my life...and I don't need pills or surgery to do it...just a lot of hard work.
Tomorrow I have my annual physical...I am actually looking forward to seeing how my health has changed...I know my bloodwork will look better and my lovely doctor (she really is lovely...like a character from Grey's Anatomy) will be pleased that there is less of me to take care of.
There you have it...I'm sure I have learned more in this past year but between being very tired and the bit of wine, I'm all "thinked" out.
I'm grateful for my health and even though I am now 46 instead of 45 I feel younger and better and I am thankful to all of my friends and family and God for my health and well-being...and the strength to go forward and finish this journey.
So what will a year do for your life? How can you change things for the better?
Think about it...and raise your glass to YOURSELF for anything you do to improve your life...
Inspiration Song: "Raise Your Glass" by PINK! I love love love Pink and I love love love that song...I sorta consider it my theme song these days...LOL...
Bye darlings...
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Hurts so Good
Hurts so good?
notsomuch...
well, maybe...
yeah, I guess it does!
Actually, I am in a world of hurt right now thanks to Coach Dimples...and this morning I was in a world of hurt thanks to some excellent Veuve Clicquot Rose champagne that I was overserved last night at my friend's birthday bash.
So last night we celebrated the fact that my fabulous friend Pretty Patricia was having the anniversary of her 25th birthday...she is only 25...give or take...but bless her good genes she doesn't look it!
She hates surprises...and doesn't much care for birthday celebrations (she told me this)...so we had to have a surprise party, doncha think?
I didn't plan the party...actually, I was a late addition...my neighbor was hosting the party and she and the other hostess found out the other day that I am also friends with Pretty Patricia so I got invited to come and swill the champagne in honor of my friend and her anniversary of her birth.
Pretty Patricia and I are "new" friends...we spin together and recently discovered we have a lot in common and just "clicked"...she's already special to me...you know when you just know that someone is meant to be your friend? Yeah, that's her...and the other friends we have in common are some of my favorite people so I'm just surprised we haven't connected before.
I love making new friends as much as I love treasuring the old friends...in fact, this week a dear old friend (I should blog about her...her name IS a song title) is moving away from Texas and it breaks my heart to not have gotten to see her...but it gives me an excuse to travel to California. She let me perm her hair when we were in high school---that took guts on her part, and stupidity on mine. I was lucky she was still my "bestie" (best friend) after that...
so...old friends, new friends...all good friends...
Back to the fabu party...because it was fab-u-lous...
Pretty Patricia was surprised...the champagne and vodka flowed...my neighbor (the hostess) who I shall call "Extravanessa" (because she is extravagant in a totally fabulous way...not in a "spending" kind of way...but extravagant with her love, charm, and friendship!)is always the "hostess with the mostest"...so it was a great "women only" party...except for Javier who works for Extravanessa and was taking GREAT care of us ladies.
So...the Veuve Clicquot...mmmmmmmm....rose.....yummy...I mean, if you are going to overdo it with champagne, it might as well be a really really good one!
Bacchus approved this morning when I told him...I think he was a bit jealous...he was all like "Wow! You got the good stuff served to you...I hope you had all you could" (since he knew I only had to walk across the street and not drive). Then he suggested that I might need a bucket beside me at spin class---if I only had something I could have thrown at him to retaliate...he was, after all, insinuating that I looked "hung over"...bah! Which I was...a bit...just a tiny bit...
I am grateful that I did eat during the party...and no, I am not logging it, and yes, I told Dimples...like Bacchus, he just laughed at me...and suggested I not try it again. He was pleased that I managed to avoid eating a cupcake...but I did indulge in some very yummy salmon in cream sauce (I hate hate hate salmon, but this stuff was extraordinary...), rare filet, and asparagus with prosciutto, and of course the rose champagne...
So this morning when I woke up and drank my liver cleanse it is because my liver needed it...
And I managed to get all the way through spin class...no bucket needed...and burned off 350 calories and sweated out Rose Champagne and Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume.
And...
this afternoon Dimples punished me for another 350 calories and did his level best to push it as much as he could for calorie burn and heart rate.
A bajillion squats and lunges later (with weights in my hands) I can barely walk or sit...I even sent him an email to pat himself on the back for the excellent punishment he gave me today.
But unlike the bit of champagne pain this morning, THIS, the pain from the training session, does "hurt so good" because I know I worked myself to my limit and I let Dimples push me as hard as he could.
On second thought as I sit here I'm wondering how someone with such a fat caboose could hurt while sitting on it (and all the natural padding that the caboose has!).
I can't wait to see what he has in store for me next week...with Thanksgiving coming up I know I need to push hard...and I told him that he has been so sweet and patient and helpful with me that I might give up on one of my "I won't do this" rules...I will let him make me run...but he has to show me how to do it so I am really running and not looking like I am about to launch myself into a male dancer's arms...I run like a ballerina, not an athlete!
Thank goodness for Advil...
Inspiration Song: "Hurts so Good" by John Mellencamp...oldie but goodie and totally fitting...
bye darlings!
notsomuch...
well, maybe...
yeah, I guess it does!
Actually, I am in a world of hurt right now thanks to Coach Dimples...and this morning I was in a world of hurt thanks to some excellent Veuve Clicquot Rose champagne that I was overserved last night at my friend's birthday bash.
So last night we celebrated the fact that my fabulous friend Pretty Patricia was having the anniversary of her 25th birthday...she is only 25...give or take...but bless her good genes she doesn't look it!
She hates surprises...and doesn't much care for birthday celebrations (she told me this)...so we had to have a surprise party, doncha think?
I didn't plan the party...actually, I was a late addition...my neighbor was hosting the party and she and the other hostess found out the other day that I am also friends with Pretty Patricia so I got invited to come and swill the champagne in honor of my friend and her anniversary of her birth.
Pretty Patricia and I are "new" friends...we spin together and recently discovered we have a lot in common and just "clicked"...she's already special to me...you know when you just know that someone is meant to be your friend? Yeah, that's her...and the other friends we have in common are some of my favorite people so I'm just surprised we haven't connected before.
I love making new friends as much as I love treasuring the old friends...in fact, this week a dear old friend (I should blog about her...her name IS a song title) is moving away from Texas and it breaks my heart to not have gotten to see her...but it gives me an excuse to travel to California. She let me perm her hair when we were in high school---that took guts on her part, and stupidity on mine. I was lucky she was still my "bestie" (best friend) after that...
so...old friends, new friends...all good friends...
Back to the fabu party...because it was fab-u-lous...
Pretty Patricia was surprised...the champagne and vodka flowed...my neighbor (the hostess) who I shall call "Extravanessa" (because she is extravagant in a totally fabulous way...not in a "spending" kind of way...but extravagant with her love, charm, and friendship!)is always the "hostess with the mostest"...so it was a great "women only" party...except for Javier who works for Extravanessa and was taking GREAT care of us ladies.
So...the Veuve Clicquot...mmmmmmmm....rose.....yummy...I mean, if you are going to overdo it with champagne, it might as well be a really really good one!
Bacchus approved this morning when I told him...I think he was a bit jealous...he was all like "Wow! You got the good stuff served to you...I hope you had all you could" (since he knew I only had to walk across the street and not drive). Then he suggested that I might need a bucket beside me at spin class---if I only had something I could have thrown at him to retaliate...he was, after all, insinuating that I looked "hung over"...bah! Which I was...a bit...just a tiny bit...
I am grateful that I did eat during the party...and no, I am not logging it, and yes, I told Dimples...like Bacchus, he just laughed at me...and suggested I not try it again. He was pleased that I managed to avoid eating a cupcake...but I did indulge in some very yummy salmon in cream sauce (I hate hate hate salmon, but this stuff was extraordinary...), rare filet, and asparagus with prosciutto, and of course the rose champagne...
So this morning when I woke up and drank my liver cleanse it is because my liver needed it...
And I managed to get all the way through spin class...no bucket needed...and burned off 350 calories and sweated out Rose Champagne and Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume.
And...
this afternoon Dimples punished me for another 350 calories and did his level best to push it as much as he could for calorie burn and heart rate.
A bajillion squats and lunges later (with weights in my hands) I can barely walk or sit...I even sent him an email to pat himself on the back for the excellent punishment he gave me today.
But unlike the bit of champagne pain this morning, THIS, the pain from the training session, does "hurt so good" because I know I worked myself to my limit and I let Dimples push me as hard as he could.
On second thought as I sit here I'm wondering how someone with such a fat caboose could hurt while sitting on it (and all the natural padding that the caboose has!).
I can't wait to see what he has in store for me next week...with Thanksgiving coming up I know I need to push hard...and I told him that he has been so sweet and patient and helpful with me that I might give up on one of my "I won't do this" rules...I will let him make me run...but he has to show me how to do it so I am really running and not looking like I am about to launch myself into a male dancer's arms...I run like a ballerina, not an athlete!
Thank goodness for Advil...
Inspiration Song: "Hurts so Good" by John Mellencamp...oldie but goodie and totally fitting...
bye darlings!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Ready to Start
So the comments I got on my last blog have inspired this one...
This is where I am going to go all Ann Landers and Dear Abby on you and give advice.
Not that I am an expert...because I am not...but I think a lot of people don't want to always ask an expert about something but would rather ask a friend...
things like:
"How did you get started on your diet?"
"What do you eat? How much do you eat?"
"What do you think has been a bigger factor---diet or exercise?"
"what do you do at the gym"
"where did you find that adorable dress?"
"what is your favorite Fit Food?"
"Mrs. D, where is my costume?" (whoops...that just slipped in...hear it all the time)
all of those questions, and more, will be answered in this episode of "As the Shrinking Violet Blog Turns Young and Restless and Bold and Beautiful" (I am a CBS soap fan).
You need experts for things like the following questions:
"how do you do a Venetian plaster effect on a wall?"
"how do you find "x" when y=mx+B?" (some of you can do that...I can't remember how)
"how do you sou vide something?" (I watch Top Chef so I know what it means, but not how to do it)
"if the other team runs a shotgun offense, what defense do we run?"
I am an expert in NOTHING.
But here are my qualifications to give advice on this weight loss stuff:
I have gained and lost enough weight to have made several clone versions of myself
I have tried every fad diet and even phen-fen
I hate going to the gym as much as any of you
I have a closet full of clothes that I want to wear and a closet full of clothes I never want to wear again
I am a prima ballerina, in my bathroom, when no one is looking...
OK, I threw in the last one for fun...but I do dance in my bathroom when no one is looking...
Last time I told you about "the incident"...the one on the stairs where I think Precious and Adorable History teacher thought he might have to go find the school nurse to save me. That is what got me going on this journey.
So that sparked it...but how did I start...
First, you have to be ready to start. After the incident on the stairs, I knew I WAS ready to start...to start losing, to start to get in shape, to start wearing cute things again, to start going up stairs without needing an oxygen tank.
For me the gym was THE MOST INTIMIDATING PLACE IN THE WORLD. So I started with my diet. Basically if it was fried, had sugar, had cheese, had a lot of butter, or had bacon in it, I had to NOT eat it...basically it felt to me like "if it tastes good, spit it out".
I did not quit wine. A girl has to have something to look forward to and I regularly look forward to shiraz, gigondas, merlot, chardonnay, savignon blanc, pinot grigio, pinot noir, malbec, granache, etc. etc. etc.
Then I discovered My Fit Foods. Well, that was a "no-brainer"...fresh food that was portion controlled and tasted good. Sign me up! I have lived on Fit Food breakfasts since March (breakfast tacos...that is what I like) and eat Fit Food for lunch at least 4 meals a week. Right now my current addiction is the "Give me more chicken salad"...I literally crave it.
Fit Foods encouraged me to eat 3 healthy meals a day with 2 snacks...so that is what I do. For snacks I eat:
Fage Yogurt (any flavor)
Oatmega Bars (any flavor)
fruit
Fit Food black beans
Fit Food ginger chicken
breakfast taco
Special K crackers
Fat Free Feta
edamame
lowfat cottage cheese
cilantro shrimp from Costco
Skinny Cow Dulce de Leche ice cream (sooooooo good)
I drink a lot of water. Sometimes I add Crystal Light.
I drink a "liver cleanse" every morning. It tastes sooo bitter but I swear it works. Most of the fat you eat is processed through the liver. This liver cleanse combination is the way I start my day...every day...and I really think it makes a difference.
Combine the following in a glass...I use a wine glass for irony...
4 ounces pure unsweetened cranberry juice (Knudson's...see note below)
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 ounce liquid B12 (optional)
1 ounce liquid glucosomine (optional)
you can dilute it with up to 8 ounces of water...but I drink it straight.
You can get the juice at Fit Foods or Whole Foods or a health food store. You want the real, pure stuff...not Ocean Spray!
I started doing this juice cleanse after I had my divirticulitis episode and had to take massive dossages of antibiotics.
Once I got the diet going I hit the gym.
Let me tell you, the first day I walked in and faced the elliptical machine I was afraid the EMS was going to have to come. I didn't start working out until I had lost about 10 pounds (which was not much considering how much I have/had to lose).
I climbed on the Precor elliptical and...
I did an hour...
And the EMS did not have to come!
I know that an hour seems excessive but I have a little OCD in me that makes me sort of crazy-commit to things when I decide I have to do something.
I forced myself to go back the next day and the next day and the next day...and so on...
I didn't take a break for almost a month.
Excessive, I know...
I even had a few days where I did more than an hour of cardio. The first time I did an hour and a half I threw up.
After a while I added spinning to the mix.
Spinning is my favorite form of cardio. I would spin every day if there was a class I could take. I schedule meetings around my spin classes. I actually cancelled an entire year's worth of scheduled committee meetings and rescheduled them to another day because the club gave J'taime Jamie (finally gave her a name) a spin class.
I. am. obsessed.
If you have never given spin a try, and you can find a class...DO IT! It is so fun. Don't be scared...you are in control. You are in charge of how much tension is on your bike. And if you don't want to be "up", stay in the saddle. A good instructor will not be bothered if you modify.
And don't use bad knees as an excuse...I have had 2 meniscus surgeries...
But an instructor can make or break a class for you. A good instructor will keep the pace balanced and play good music. If you watch a class and see that they are out of the saddle and going crazy on the bike the whole time, find a different class and instructor.
Sometimes I give myself a spin class on Sundays when the club doesn't have any group exercise classes. I just pull a bike into a room and hit a playlist on my iPod and go. I use the same playlist for the arc trainer and elliptical.
Here is some of my playlist...it is a funky combination...
"Tell Em"---Sleigh Bells
"ghost inside"---Broken Bells
"Waiting for You"---Seal
"King of Anything"---Sara Barielles
"Where You Goin Now?"---Damn Yankees
"A Dios Le Pido"---Juanes
"Help I'm Alive"---Metric
"Sooner or Later"---English Beat
"I'm Still Standing"---Elton John
"Stupid Girl"---Garbage
"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic"---Sting (from his Symphonicities albumn)
Strange mix, but it works...sometimes I throw in a Glee mix, sometimes I add in things like Nine Inch Nails...depends on my mood...
Find some music to get you moving...that's all you need...get moving!
I started doing weight training about 2 months after "the stairs" incident. I started working with a trainer and once I got comfortable with what she wanted me to do I felt I could do it on my own. But I have to confess, I don't like it very much and I do better if I have Fitness Goddess standing over me yelling. I told Coach Dimples today that I might start working out with him but only after football season is over---I don't want to be yelling at the man who is in charge of my son on the football field. I need to love him right now and I know I won't love him when me makes me do squats, lunges, and push-ups. But the reason I am considering him is that I think he can take me to another level and I can seperate that training time with him from what I do at my club. He doesn't work at my club but has his own business so I can have him punish me away from my friends. But right now I just want him to keep coaching my son and thinking I'm a nice, helpful mommy who takes lots of great football pictures. Like I said, I can hate him later...but not his dimples...can't hate those dimples...
Since I am not very disciplined with the weights I decided to try Body Pump. Body Pump is available at a lot of clubs so if your club offers Les Mills classes (Body Pump is a Les Mills class), give it a try. It is a weights workout to music. It is fun and it gives you a total body workout in a little over an hour and I like having music to keep me going. I am now addicted to Body Pump. I often do a cardio workout in the morning and then go back to the club in the evening for Body Pump.
Yes, I do two-a-days...
I told Coach Dimples I did that...his response was "wow, you do that every day?" (He started backing away from me like I was crazy)...I said "no, just 3 days a week"...and that is when he asked me what I did in the class and when I told him and asked if it was good, I got the dimples (a smile)...and then he told me to be sure I always took a day off in between my weight workouts (I do) to let my body recover...
So there you have it...my diet and exercise plan that has let me lose 74 pounds since March.
What is the most important component? I think they are ALL important.
Just dieting helped start me off but it was the exercise that made it start to melt away. My husband walks every morning but doesn't watch his diet (and he should...he is very overweight too) but he hasn't lost any weight...why?...because he will walk and then eat a plate of enchiladas.
That works when you are at your goal weight...
but not when you need to lose 100 pounds...or even 10 pounds...
And the weight training is helping to sculpt me as well as helping to burn additional calories and fat.
So maybe you don't need to lose anything...but maybe you just want to do something different...or maybe you want to just feel better and tone up...or maybe, you want to lose the weight of a 5th grade child that you are carrying around on your body...or maybe you want to get your legs in shape for ski season...
or maybe you want to learn a new skill? or maybe try a class? or maybe go back to school? or maybe go back to work?
it can be anything...anything to improve your life...change your life...
are you ready to start?
All it takes is deciding to do it...
that's all...just say "yes, I am ready' and go...
no excuses...just do it...
Inspiration music:
"Ready to Start" by Arcade Fire...on my playlist...gets me warmed up every day...
bye darlings!
This is where I am going to go all Ann Landers and Dear Abby on you and give advice.
Not that I am an expert...because I am not...but I think a lot of people don't want to always ask an expert about something but would rather ask a friend...
things like:
"How did you get started on your diet?"
"What do you eat? How much do you eat?"
"What do you think has been a bigger factor---diet or exercise?"
"what do you do at the gym"
"where did you find that adorable dress?"
"what is your favorite Fit Food?"
"Mrs. D, where is my costume?" (whoops...that just slipped in...hear it all the time)
all of those questions, and more, will be answered in this episode of "As the Shrinking Violet Blog Turns Young and Restless and Bold and Beautiful" (I am a CBS soap fan).
You need experts for things like the following questions:
"how do you do a Venetian plaster effect on a wall?"
"how do you find "x" when y=mx+B?" (some of you can do that...I can't remember how)
"how do you sou vide something?" (I watch Top Chef so I know what it means, but not how to do it)
"if the other team runs a shotgun offense, what defense do we run?"
I am an expert in NOTHING.
But here are my qualifications to give advice on this weight loss stuff:
I have gained and lost enough weight to have made several clone versions of myself
I have tried every fad diet and even phen-fen
I hate going to the gym as much as any of you
I have a closet full of clothes that I want to wear and a closet full of clothes I never want to wear again
I am a prima ballerina, in my bathroom, when no one is looking...
OK, I threw in the last one for fun...but I do dance in my bathroom when no one is looking...
Last time I told you about "the incident"...the one on the stairs where I think Precious and Adorable History teacher thought he might have to go find the school nurse to save me. That is what got me going on this journey.
So that sparked it...but how did I start...
First, you have to be ready to start. After the incident on the stairs, I knew I WAS ready to start...to start losing, to start to get in shape, to start wearing cute things again, to start going up stairs without needing an oxygen tank.
For me the gym was THE MOST INTIMIDATING PLACE IN THE WORLD. So I started with my diet. Basically if it was fried, had sugar, had cheese, had a lot of butter, or had bacon in it, I had to NOT eat it...basically it felt to me like "if it tastes good, spit it out".
I did not quit wine. A girl has to have something to look forward to and I regularly look forward to shiraz, gigondas, merlot, chardonnay, savignon blanc, pinot grigio, pinot noir, malbec, granache, etc. etc. etc.
Then I discovered My Fit Foods. Well, that was a "no-brainer"...fresh food that was portion controlled and tasted good. Sign me up! I have lived on Fit Food breakfasts since March (breakfast tacos...that is what I like) and eat Fit Food for lunch at least 4 meals a week. Right now my current addiction is the "Give me more chicken salad"...I literally crave it.
Fit Foods encouraged me to eat 3 healthy meals a day with 2 snacks...so that is what I do. For snacks I eat:
Fage Yogurt (any flavor)
Oatmega Bars (any flavor)
fruit
Fit Food black beans
Fit Food ginger chicken
breakfast taco
Special K crackers
Fat Free Feta
edamame
lowfat cottage cheese
cilantro shrimp from Costco
Skinny Cow Dulce de Leche ice cream (sooooooo good)
I drink a lot of water. Sometimes I add Crystal Light.
I drink a "liver cleanse" every morning. It tastes sooo bitter but I swear it works. Most of the fat you eat is processed through the liver. This liver cleanse combination is the way I start my day...every day...and I really think it makes a difference.
Combine the following in a glass...I use a wine glass for irony...
4 ounces pure unsweetened cranberry juice (Knudson's...see note below)
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 ounce liquid B12 (optional)
1 ounce liquid glucosomine (optional)
you can dilute it with up to 8 ounces of water...but I drink it straight.
You can get the juice at Fit Foods or Whole Foods or a health food store. You want the real, pure stuff...not Ocean Spray!
I started doing this juice cleanse after I had my divirticulitis episode and had to take massive dossages of antibiotics.
Once I got the diet going I hit the gym.
Let me tell you, the first day I walked in and faced the elliptical machine I was afraid the EMS was going to have to come. I didn't start working out until I had lost about 10 pounds (which was not much considering how much I have/had to lose).
I climbed on the Precor elliptical and...
I did an hour...
And the EMS did not have to come!
I know that an hour seems excessive but I have a little OCD in me that makes me sort of crazy-commit to things when I decide I have to do something.
I forced myself to go back the next day and the next day and the next day...and so on...
I didn't take a break for almost a month.
Excessive, I know...
I even had a few days where I did more than an hour of cardio. The first time I did an hour and a half I threw up.
After a while I added spinning to the mix.
Spinning is my favorite form of cardio. I would spin every day if there was a class I could take. I schedule meetings around my spin classes. I actually cancelled an entire year's worth of scheduled committee meetings and rescheduled them to another day because the club gave J'taime Jamie (finally gave her a name) a spin class.
I. am. obsessed.
If you have never given spin a try, and you can find a class...DO IT! It is so fun. Don't be scared...you are in control. You are in charge of how much tension is on your bike. And if you don't want to be "up", stay in the saddle. A good instructor will not be bothered if you modify.
And don't use bad knees as an excuse...I have had 2 meniscus surgeries...
But an instructor can make or break a class for you. A good instructor will keep the pace balanced and play good music. If you watch a class and see that they are out of the saddle and going crazy on the bike the whole time, find a different class and instructor.
Sometimes I give myself a spin class on Sundays when the club doesn't have any group exercise classes. I just pull a bike into a room and hit a playlist on my iPod and go. I use the same playlist for the arc trainer and elliptical.
Here is some of my playlist...it is a funky combination...
"Tell Em"---Sleigh Bells
"ghost inside"---Broken Bells
"Waiting for You"---Seal
"King of Anything"---Sara Barielles
"Where You Goin Now?"---Damn Yankees
"A Dios Le Pido"---Juanes
"Help I'm Alive"---Metric
"Sooner or Later"---English Beat
"I'm Still Standing"---Elton John
"Stupid Girl"---Garbage
"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic"---Sting (from his Symphonicities albumn)
Strange mix, but it works...sometimes I throw in a Glee mix, sometimes I add in things like Nine Inch Nails...depends on my mood...
Find some music to get you moving...that's all you need...get moving!
I started doing weight training about 2 months after "the stairs" incident. I started working with a trainer and once I got comfortable with what she wanted me to do I felt I could do it on my own. But I have to confess, I don't like it very much and I do better if I have Fitness Goddess standing over me yelling. I told Coach Dimples today that I might start working out with him but only after football season is over---I don't want to be yelling at the man who is in charge of my son on the football field. I need to love him right now and I know I won't love him when me makes me do squats, lunges, and push-ups. But the reason I am considering him is that I think he can take me to another level and I can seperate that training time with him from what I do at my club. He doesn't work at my club but has his own business so I can have him punish me away from my friends. But right now I just want him to keep coaching my son and thinking I'm a nice, helpful mommy who takes lots of great football pictures. Like I said, I can hate him later...but not his dimples...can't hate those dimples...
Since I am not very disciplined with the weights I decided to try Body Pump. Body Pump is available at a lot of clubs so if your club offers Les Mills classes (Body Pump is a Les Mills class), give it a try. It is a weights workout to music. It is fun and it gives you a total body workout in a little over an hour and I like having music to keep me going. I am now addicted to Body Pump. I often do a cardio workout in the morning and then go back to the club in the evening for Body Pump.
Yes, I do two-a-days...
I told Coach Dimples I did that...his response was "wow, you do that every day?" (He started backing away from me like I was crazy)...I said "no, just 3 days a week"...and that is when he asked me what I did in the class and when I told him and asked if it was good, I got the dimples (a smile)...and then he told me to be sure I always took a day off in between my weight workouts (I do) to let my body recover...
So there you have it...my diet and exercise plan that has let me lose 74 pounds since March.
What is the most important component? I think they are ALL important.
Just dieting helped start me off but it was the exercise that made it start to melt away. My husband walks every morning but doesn't watch his diet (and he should...he is very overweight too) but he hasn't lost any weight...why?...because he will walk and then eat a plate of enchiladas.
That works when you are at your goal weight...
but not when you need to lose 100 pounds...or even 10 pounds...
And the weight training is helping to sculpt me as well as helping to burn additional calories and fat.
So maybe you don't need to lose anything...but maybe you just want to do something different...or maybe you want to just feel better and tone up...or maybe, you want to lose the weight of a 5th grade child that you are carrying around on your body...or maybe you want to get your legs in shape for ski season...
or maybe you want to learn a new skill? or maybe try a class? or maybe go back to school? or maybe go back to work?
it can be anything...anything to improve your life...change your life...
are you ready to start?
All it takes is deciding to do it...
that's all...just say "yes, I am ready' and go...
no excuses...just do it...
Inspiration music:
"Ready to Start" by Arcade Fire...on my playlist...gets me warmed up every day...
bye darlings!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wheels
I got to drive Ke$ha Barbie's truck today. I have to admit...it was fun! I usually drive a suburban so the size was not an issue to me, although this did feel a bit bigger. It is a copper-colored Ford F150 double-cab King Ranch edition (ironic,huh?) truck. I'm describing the truck to you so you can do your darndest to to stay far, far away from it...although Ke$ha Barbie has become a better driver than I thought she would. I like the truck. And for 3 hours on highways 35, 77, and 59, it was all mine. Along with the wonderful stereo system...all mine to control...my iPod connected so it was MY music. Me, the truck, the iPod and the road...
My father is rolling in his grave that I like the truck. He had a GM/Chevy dealership for years...we only had Chevy trucks and GMC trucks. No Fords, at least not that I can remember. My sister had a big dually truck for hauling her horse trailer (it scared me to drive it but she was a wiz at it)but I dont' think it was a Ford...but I could be wrong.
In high school I drove a most un-sexy Suburban. When other friends had cool trucks or cute little cars, I had a suburban. So did my friend M. She sometimes had to drive this ugly green one we called "the booger". At least we had plenty of room for our pompoms in our suburbans.
My suburban did not have a cool stereo system like Ke$ha Barbie has. I had an 8 track. With an AM radio...no FM. I could listen to KTSA (from San Antonio) or play the few 8 track cassettes that I had. AC/DC "Back in Black"...
My father was a lot of fun but was decidly un-cool about music. He liked Charlie Pride (ok, that wasn't so bad), Ray Price, Anne Murray, and Hank Williams. My step-mother had a fondness for Julio Iglesias (thank you, but I prefer Enrique) and Barbra Streisand. My father was so excited when he bought an 8 track carousel...so we could continually hear Julio, Ray, and Babs...
There is a particularly annoying version of "Jingle Bells" that Barbra sings...my sisters and I detested it (along with a really horrible Julio song). We literally could drive each other (and ourselves) nuts by singing it. One year for Christmas my sister, S, gifted N and I with copies of Barbra's Christmas albumn. I burned it. She still wins the "worst present/but it really was a great joke" competition...even after 13 years...
So I had my suburban and then N gets handed down a suburban. But hers had a cassette player in it...not an 8 track...I was NOT happy...Daddy told me to console myself because mine at least had the fancy wire wheels (Cadallac wire wheels---put on my suburban as a joke by a car-dealer friend of Daddy's). I got wheels. She got a cassette. I was not happy...
I haven't had "fancy" wheels on a car since. Once my friend, Glamazon (I call her that because she is very tall and extremely beautiful...I mean in a head-turning "who is that chick" sort of glamazon way), had special wheels put on her car. They were F-A-N-C-Y and very shiny. Her husband picked them out. I just went with her to the tire place for them to be put on. We looked at the wheels when it was done and she asked what I thought (I think she was a bit unsure herself)and I said "they are fine" and then she asked what I REALLY thought (because she knows me well) and I said "well, they would be great if your name was Huggy Bear" (like the pimp guy from "Starsky and Hutch"). She busted out laughing. She kept the wheels but told her hubby. He laughed...but I think he wasn't happy with me for about 5 minutes. I kept calling her Huggy Bear...
Glamazon once managed to back into my mother's car when it was parked in my driveway. She also did it to her hubby's car. That's ok...we both had a habit of hitting things when backing out. Her daughter drives a big truck too...
But Glamazon is not a bad driver. That title was owned by my friend V when we were in high school. She hit things in the high school parking lot. She once hit a fire truck. She accidently drove her pink BMW into a 7-11. I loved her pink BMW. Her dad would check the mileage so we would drive it backwards to roll the miles off (yes, it worked in that car). One time we were driving it backwards in front of the Bush's house (yes, THE Bushes). Secret Service stopped us. Barbara asked what we were doing (she was leaving the house). It wasn't until YEARS later that I figured out that the silver haired lady who asked us what we were doing was Barbara Bush, my hero...
V ended up having to drive a big dark green bomb of a car. The windows wouldn't completely close. A roach crawled in once. It crawled up her leg. She stopped and jumped out of her car to shake it out. I think she was at the intersection of Westheimer and maybe Voss. I think she stopped in the middle of the intersection. She was wearing a mexican dress and add-a-beads. She came to my house to tell me about the roach. I liked her dress and add-a-beads. I was probably wearing one too...because that was what you wore, you know?
I am not going to pick on V anymore because I think I did as much damage in my car as she ever did...it is just that her stories are more colorful.
Now my dad may have been uncool about music but he was cool with the cars. He liked cars. Hence owning the dealership. He did a lot of damage to cars. Like driving through pastures and setting them on fire (because he was in low cars). Or once taking my mother's powder blue Caddie and running it through a pasture and scraping the paint off the sides (thank goodness the dealership had a paint and repair shop).
He had a Tornado that he turned into a hunting car---it had no doors, no roof, and gun scabbards attached to the sides. He once painted it black and dressed as Batman (with my step-mom as Bat Girl) for a party. He came to school to pick us up in that car and get-up. I thought it was awesome. My sister N was mortified.
He had a Porsche that I wouldn't ride in with him because he drove it too fast (this from the woman who was driving 80 most of the way from Rockport today).
So Rockport was great...I got a great tan, my husband wasted bait (no fish), Ke$ha Barbie and her friends had fun (they are still there with my husband). I came back early for an evening of peace and got here early enough to hit the gym and use MY wheels to get going. I misbehaved this weekend...I ate Mexican food (and chips) and drank beer and wine, and I ate tiny (amazing) fried soft shell crabs. And some sweet potato fries. So I needed to spend some time at the gym.
Tomorrow is spin class....new bikes (new wheels!) but I think I have to get new cycle shoes because my clips aren't right for the new bikes. Now what girl doesn't like an excuse to buy new shoes...even if they are cycle shoes?
Inspiration song: "Wheels" by Foo Fighters (yessssss)...because it came on just as I went through a nasty bit of a storm between Hillje and Wharton on Hwy 59...and it kept me calm...
Go out and use your wheels to move...
Bye Darlings...
My father is rolling in his grave that I like the truck. He had a GM/Chevy dealership for years...we only had Chevy trucks and GMC trucks. No Fords, at least not that I can remember. My sister had a big dually truck for hauling her horse trailer (it scared me to drive it but she was a wiz at it)but I dont' think it was a Ford...but I could be wrong.
In high school I drove a most un-sexy Suburban. When other friends had cool trucks or cute little cars, I had a suburban. So did my friend M. She sometimes had to drive this ugly green one we called "the booger". At least we had plenty of room for our pompoms in our suburbans.
My suburban did not have a cool stereo system like Ke$ha Barbie has. I had an 8 track. With an AM radio...no FM. I could listen to KTSA (from San Antonio) or play the few 8 track cassettes that I had. AC/DC "Back in Black"...
My father was a lot of fun but was decidly un-cool about music. He liked Charlie Pride (ok, that wasn't so bad), Ray Price, Anne Murray, and Hank Williams. My step-mother had a fondness for Julio Iglesias (thank you, but I prefer Enrique) and Barbra Streisand. My father was so excited when he bought an 8 track carousel...so we could continually hear Julio, Ray, and Babs...
There is a particularly annoying version of "Jingle Bells" that Barbra sings...my sisters and I detested it (along with a really horrible Julio song). We literally could drive each other (and ourselves) nuts by singing it. One year for Christmas my sister, S, gifted N and I with copies of Barbra's Christmas albumn. I burned it. She still wins the "worst present/but it really was a great joke" competition...even after 13 years...
So I had my suburban and then N gets handed down a suburban. But hers had a cassette player in it...not an 8 track...I was NOT happy...Daddy told me to console myself because mine at least had the fancy wire wheels (Cadallac wire wheels---put on my suburban as a joke by a car-dealer friend of Daddy's). I got wheels. She got a cassette. I was not happy...
I haven't had "fancy" wheels on a car since. Once my friend, Glamazon (I call her that because she is very tall and extremely beautiful...I mean in a head-turning "who is that chick" sort of glamazon way), had special wheels put on her car. They were F-A-N-C-Y and very shiny. Her husband picked them out. I just went with her to the tire place for them to be put on. We looked at the wheels when it was done and she asked what I thought (I think she was a bit unsure herself)and I said "they are fine" and then she asked what I REALLY thought (because she knows me well) and I said "well, they would be great if your name was Huggy Bear" (like the pimp guy from "Starsky and Hutch"). She busted out laughing. She kept the wheels but told her hubby. He laughed...but I think he wasn't happy with me for about 5 minutes. I kept calling her Huggy Bear...
Glamazon once managed to back into my mother's car when it was parked in my driveway. She also did it to her hubby's car. That's ok...we both had a habit of hitting things when backing out. Her daughter drives a big truck too...
But Glamazon is not a bad driver. That title was owned by my friend V when we were in high school. She hit things in the high school parking lot. She once hit a fire truck. She accidently drove her pink BMW into a 7-11. I loved her pink BMW. Her dad would check the mileage so we would drive it backwards to roll the miles off (yes, it worked in that car). One time we were driving it backwards in front of the Bush's house (yes, THE Bushes). Secret Service stopped us. Barbara asked what we were doing (she was leaving the house). It wasn't until YEARS later that I figured out that the silver haired lady who asked us what we were doing was Barbara Bush, my hero...
V ended up having to drive a big dark green bomb of a car. The windows wouldn't completely close. A roach crawled in once. It crawled up her leg. She stopped and jumped out of her car to shake it out. I think she was at the intersection of Westheimer and maybe Voss. I think she stopped in the middle of the intersection. She was wearing a mexican dress and add-a-beads. She came to my house to tell me about the roach. I liked her dress and add-a-beads. I was probably wearing one too...because that was what you wore, you know?
I am not going to pick on V anymore because I think I did as much damage in my car as she ever did...it is just that her stories are more colorful.
Now my dad may have been uncool about music but he was cool with the cars. He liked cars. Hence owning the dealership. He did a lot of damage to cars. Like driving through pastures and setting them on fire (because he was in low cars). Or once taking my mother's powder blue Caddie and running it through a pasture and scraping the paint off the sides (thank goodness the dealership had a paint and repair shop).
He had a Tornado that he turned into a hunting car---it had no doors, no roof, and gun scabbards attached to the sides. He once painted it black and dressed as Batman (with my step-mom as Bat Girl) for a party. He came to school to pick us up in that car and get-up. I thought it was awesome. My sister N was mortified.
He had a Porsche that I wouldn't ride in with him because he drove it too fast (this from the woman who was driving 80 most of the way from Rockport today).
So Rockport was great...I got a great tan, my husband wasted bait (no fish), Ke$ha Barbie and her friends had fun (they are still there with my husband). I came back early for an evening of peace and got here early enough to hit the gym and use MY wheels to get going. I misbehaved this weekend...I ate Mexican food (and chips) and drank beer and wine, and I ate tiny (amazing) fried soft shell crabs. And some sweet potato fries. So I needed to spend some time at the gym.
Tomorrow is spin class....new bikes (new wheels!) but I think I have to get new cycle shoes because my clips aren't right for the new bikes. Now what girl doesn't like an excuse to buy new shoes...even if they are cycle shoes?
Inspiration song: "Wheels" by Foo Fighters (yessssss)...because it came on just as I went through a nasty bit of a storm between Hillje and Wharton on Hwy 59...and it kept me calm...
Go out and use your wheels to move...
Bye Darlings...
Monday, June 21, 2010
How Soon is Now?
I am not a patient person...never have been...
Disneyworld makes me crazy with the lines and the waiting. I dont' like traffic. I hate waiting for a table at a restaurant. I don't want to stand in a return line at the store. I can't stand waiting for my luggage in the airport after I get off the plane (but I still refuse to fit everything into a carry-on).
I don't like waiting for the mail to come on the days I am expecting something important (like high school acceptances).
The only way I can tolerate the long wait before getting on a plane (since you have to get to the airport so early these days) is if I can go into the President's Club lounge.
I'm ready for the painters to be finished with my kitchen and sunroom (they have only been here since this morning, but...)...but they are slow and at least it is looking good...and I want the paint fumes gone...now...
So I'm having a hard time with this long slow process of getting myself back into being a "cute" size.
I want to be there NOW...or, even better...yesterday!
"Now" can't get here soon enough...
I look in the mirror and I dont' see a lot of change. Some mornings I wake up and just swear I am a size 6 that day and then I go look in the mirror...no, not a size 6...yet...
The fitness is coming...I can do an hour and a half on the elliptical and I don't totally want to die after spin class. And I'm doing some weight training so even if I can't see my rippling muscles (because they are insulated by fat), once the fat gets burned off I will have arms and legs of steel.
Today I got one tiny confirmation that maybe I am a bit stronger than I was before...I watched the kids rehearse their show at drama camp today and I clapped so they could feel it for their bows and my arms didnt' get tired...maybe if I did that until next week my arms would shrink...a little...
I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't do---I've gotten obsessed with the scale and numbers.
We have one of those "doctor-type" scales that you self-balance and move the little thing in 50 pound increments and then you move the slider at the top for the rest of the weight between those 50 pound increments...you know what I am talking about.
I'm tantalizingly close to being able to move one of the 50 pound increments. But it hasn't budged...yet...now...
It's a psychological thing...I need to be under that number...sadly, it is still a very big number...but I need to be under it to feel a sense of accomplishment.
And I know it is just a number...but it is a number that is a step in my process...a small goal in a series because the larger goal is too overwhelming to wait for.
I am doing everything right...I am eating right, not cheating, doing really good with my food. In fact, I may be eating too little and that could be a problem.
I am exercising every day and burning a miniumum of 600 calories.
I do drink a bit of wine...ya'll know that because you have read it before...but I'm not having enough (a 4 oz glass most nights when I do have wine) to affect it.
I have given up:
fried foods
hamburgers
cheese
bread
flour
potatoes
margaritas (unless I am at Molinas...just one then)
sugar
sweets
ice cream
cookies
cake
milkshakes
desserts
hot dogs
muffins
scones
biscuits
chips
dip
queso
enchiladas
tacos
ribs
salad dressing on the salad
lattes (except for "skinny" ones...which I don't really like that much)
most red meat (except for the occasional small filet mignon cooked very rare)
and BUTTER (my mom is up in heaven shaking her head)
I eat: Fit Foods (fresh pre-packed healthy meals you buy), lean turkey, garden burgers, egg whites, fish (lean---snapper, tilapia, etc), veggies, salad with the dressing on the side, chicken, fish, yogurt, fish, and fish....and fish...I'm growing gills..
So wine is my vice. As I told my friend Bacchus last night: good wine in my wineglass is my happy place right now...so I love him for helping me find what I like so that I get to my happy place when I open the bottle up...
Right now my happy place is Raspail Gigondas (Costco $15)
So when, oh when, can I move that blasted slider thing...
Today when I was working out and playing iPod roulette "How Soon is Now" by the Smiths came on...very cool song by a very cool band fronted by the very cool Morrissey...I can't believe they ever let that show "Charmed" use it as a theme song because it is just too cool for that...and it is 6:46 minutes long...
When you say it's gonna happen now,
When exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
OK, so all of my hope is not gone, but I did ask my trainer, Fitness Goddess, why I felt like I was just treading water and not getting anywhere. She was wonderfully encouraging and told me that some weeks I might lose a couple of pounds and other weeks it might be a bit more. And she said I was doing it right---the diet and the exercise. That is why she is my trainer...it's not just the crunches and the weights, its the support...
So how soon is now? Now might just be tomorrow...
"How Soon is Now" by the Smiths...download the long version...or Morrissey's live version...
bye darlings
Disneyworld makes me crazy with the lines and the waiting. I dont' like traffic. I hate waiting for a table at a restaurant. I don't want to stand in a return line at the store. I can't stand waiting for my luggage in the airport after I get off the plane (but I still refuse to fit everything into a carry-on).
I don't like waiting for the mail to come on the days I am expecting something important (like high school acceptances).
The only way I can tolerate the long wait before getting on a plane (since you have to get to the airport so early these days) is if I can go into the President's Club lounge.
I'm ready for the painters to be finished with my kitchen and sunroom (they have only been here since this morning, but...)...but they are slow and at least it is looking good...and I want the paint fumes gone...now...
So I'm having a hard time with this long slow process of getting myself back into being a "cute" size.
I want to be there NOW...or, even better...yesterday!
"Now" can't get here soon enough...
I look in the mirror and I dont' see a lot of change. Some mornings I wake up and just swear I am a size 6 that day and then I go look in the mirror...no, not a size 6...yet...
The fitness is coming...I can do an hour and a half on the elliptical and I don't totally want to die after spin class. And I'm doing some weight training so even if I can't see my rippling muscles (because they are insulated by fat), once the fat gets burned off I will have arms and legs of steel.
Today I got one tiny confirmation that maybe I am a bit stronger than I was before...I watched the kids rehearse their show at drama camp today and I clapped so they could feel it for their bows and my arms didnt' get tired...maybe if I did that until next week my arms would shrink...a little...
I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't do---I've gotten obsessed with the scale and numbers.
We have one of those "doctor-type" scales that you self-balance and move the little thing in 50 pound increments and then you move the slider at the top for the rest of the weight between those 50 pound increments...you know what I am talking about.
I'm tantalizingly close to being able to move one of the 50 pound increments. But it hasn't budged...yet...now...
It's a psychological thing...I need to be under that number...sadly, it is still a very big number...but I need to be under it to feel a sense of accomplishment.
And I know it is just a number...but it is a number that is a step in my process...a small goal in a series because the larger goal is too overwhelming to wait for.
I am doing everything right...I am eating right, not cheating, doing really good with my food. In fact, I may be eating too little and that could be a problem.
I am exercising every day and burning a miniumum of 600 calories.
I do drink a bit of wine...ya'll know that because you have read it before...but I'm not having enough (a 4 oz glass most nights when I do have wine) to affect it.
I have given up:
fried foods
hamburgers
cheese
bread
flour
potatoes
margaritas (unless I am at Molinas...just one then)
sugar
sweets
ice cream
cookies
cake
milkshakes
desserts
hot dogs
muffins
scones
biscuits
chips
dip
queso
enchiladas
tacos
ribs
salad dressing on the salad
lattes (except for "skinny" ones...which I don't really like that much)
most red meat (except for the occasional small filet mignon cooked very rare)
and BUTTER (my mom is up in heaven shaking her head)
I eat: Fit Foods (fresh pre-packed healthy meals you buy), lean turkey, garden burgers, egg whites, fish (lean---snapper, tilapia, etc), veggies, salad with the dressing on the side, chicken, fish, yogurt, fish, and fish....and fish...I'm growing gills..
So wine is my vice. As I told my friend Bacchus last night: good wine in my wineglass is my happy place right now...so I love him for helping me find what I like so that I get to my happy place when I open the bottle up...
Right now my happy place is Raspail Gigondas (Costco $15)
So when, oh when, can I move that blasted slider thing...
Today when I was working out and playing iPod roulette "How Soon is Now" by the Smiths came on...very cool song by a very cool band fronted by the very cool Morrissey...I can't believe they ever let that show "Charmed" use it as a theme song because it is just too cool for that...and it is 6:46 minutes long...
When you say it's gonna happen now,
When exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long
And all my hope is gone
OK, so all of my hope is not gone, but I did ask my trainer, Fitness Goddess, why I felt like I was just treading water and not getting anywhere. She was wonderfully encouraging and told me that some weeks I might lose a couple of pounds and other weeks it might be a bit more. And she said I was doing it right---the diet and the exercise. That is why she is my trainer...it's not just the crunches and the weights, its the support...
So how soon is now? Now might just be tomorrow...
"How Soon is Now" by the Smiths...download the long version...or Morrissey's live version...
bye darlings
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Like a Prayer
I'm having a love affair with a mechanical device.
Every day...me and the...machine
Now before your brain takes you "there" and you assume that my machine is a small hand-held device, get your mind back on track and follow me to the gym.
My love affair is with the Precor elliptical machine. I actually have one in particular that is the one I am most fond of...5th machine from the left...
The last time I dropped major poundage I did it by working my patootie off on the Precor and by spinning like a mad woman. I don't like the Stairmaster...or the treadmill...and I HATE stationary bikes (but somehow LOVE spin bikes, go figure). I like the elliptical. In an hour to an hour and a half I burn 650-1000 calories. It shows me (the machine's calculated) calorie count...I'm not convinced it it totally accurate (even though I put my weight in) but I think it is close enough.
But today when I went to the gym I was not feeling the love...
I climbed onto my favorite machine and...nothing...it was all I could do to get going. I felt like I was going through Jell-o.
I blame it on Saturday night...
My dear friend D came over and we had a great visit...over a bottle of wine...we got started a bit late so time slipped by us. We decided to watch an episode of "Glee" that she had missed (never looking at the clock). So we fire up the DVR and start in on the "Power of Madonna" episode...one of my favorites---they are all my favorites, but I love the Material Girl so much that this one ranks way up there at the top.
I looooooooooooooooooove Glee...I looooooooooooooooooooove Madonna!
Before we know it, it is 1:00 am...so she headed home and I still had to write The Cutest Boy in the World at camp...after my nighttime routine it was easily 1:45 before I closed my eyes...maybe later.
So 8:00 am came quickly this morning and I think I had 4 oz more wine than I should have...
So there I am on my beloved machine and I'm not feeling the love...or the power...
But then I did what any True Blue fan of Ms. Ciccone would do...
I let the power of Madonna get me going...I hit "iPod" on the iPhone, hit "artists", hit "Madonna" and hit "all songs" and "shuffle"...and a few minutes later I was rolling...but not my usual stride.
It took awhile for the power of Blonde Ambition to take over...43 minutes to be exact...but once "Like a Prayer" came on, I was rolling...great song...any song that can use a gospel choir to drive it home is alright by me!
So thank you, Madonna...because I hear your voice...it's like an angel sighing...I have no choice, I hear your voice...
I think another issue with getting rolling is that I might have had a little melancholy going on since it is Father's Day. My husband is a great father but both of us have lost our own precious Daddies. For me this day always comes on the heels of my mom's birthday so I get a double-whammy of sad days during the month of June.
I miss my dad every day...he wasn't a perfect father by any means, but he did make my life a whole lot more interesting when he was around. He had a sense of humor that couldn't be beat and his personality was larger than life. He knew more about horses and cattle than he did about algebra, but I'll take his horse-sense any day...
So I sent up a prayer of love and thanksgiving for my wonderful Daddy...and all the dads in my life---my husband, GOTT, TGG, and my other friends...because any man can be a father...but it takes someone special to be a DADDY.
I know my dad is in a better place and that someday I will be with him...but I hope that it isn't too soon! That's why I am doing all this hard work...he died after having bypass surgery because he didn't take great care of himself and I feel like I have a chance to make things right for myself before it is too late and heart disease has set in.
After my workout I spent some time in the pool and then I went to help GOTT and TGG get things ready for the theater camp production this week. Today I made "monkey pants" and Barbie/GI Joe clothes...trust me, you don't want me to explain this one...and dressing Barbies is harder than I remember...it would be easier if she could bend her arms...
So today was all about pushing through...and letting the power of one very amazing pop singer get me to do that push...and my father's love (even though he is gone) to keep me going on that machine.
Oh...and I did an hour and a half on my machine...not bad considering I started off with praying I could handle 30 minutes...
The Power of Madonna, People...use it...
"Like a Prayer"....from the unbelievable ever-changing diva of pop...MADONNA...or the Glee cast version...Just like a prayer, I'll take you there...
bye darlings
Every day...me and the...machine
Now before your brain takes you "there" and you assume that my machine is a small hand-held device, get your mind back on track and follow me to the gym.
My love affair is with the Precor elliptical machine. I actually have one in particular that is the one I am most fond of...5th machine from the left...
The last time I dropped major poundage I did it by working my patootie off on the Precor and by spinning like a mad woman. I don't like the Stairmaster...or the treadmill...and I HATE stationary bikes (but somehow LOVE spin bikes, go figure). I like the elliptical. In an hour to an hour and a half I burn 650-1000 calories. It shows me (the machine's calculated) calorie count...I'm not convinced it it totally accurate (even though I put my weight in) but I think it is close enough.
But today when I went to the gym I was not feeling the love...
I climbed onto my favorite machine and...nothing...it was all I could do to get going. I felt like I was going through Jell-o.
I blame it on Saturday night...
My dear friend D came over and we had a great visit...over a bottle of wine...we got started a bit late so time slipped by us. We decided to watch an episode of "Glee" that she had missed (never looking at the clock). So we fire up the DVR and start in on the "Power of Madonna" episode...one of my favorites---they are all my favorites, but I love the Material Girl so much that this one ranks way up there at the top.
I looooooooooooooooooove Glee...I looooooooooooooooooooove Madonna!
Before we know it, it is 1:00 am...so she headed home and I still had to write The Cutest Boy in the World at camp...after my nighttime routine it was easily 1:45 before I closed my eyes...maybe later.
So 8:00 am came quickly this morning and I think I had 4 oz more wine than I should have...
So there I am on my beloved machine and I'm not feeling the love...or the power...
But then I did what any True Blue fan of Ms. Ciccone would do...
I let the power of Madonna get me going...I hit "iPod" on the iPhone, hit "artists", hit "Madonna" and hit "all songs" and "shuffle"...and a few minutes later I was rolling...but not my usual stride.
It took awhile for the power of Blonde Ambition to take over...43 minutes to be exact...but once "Like a Prayer" came on, I was rolling...great song...any song that can use a gospel choir to drive it home is alright by me!
So thank you, Madonna...because I hear your voice...it's like an angel sighing...I have no choice, I hear your voice...
I think another issue with getting rolling is that I might have had a little melancholy going on since it is Father's Day. My husband is a great father but both of us have lost our own precious Daddies. For me this day always comes on the heels of my mom's birthday so I get a double-whammy of sad days during the month of June.
I miss my dad every day...he wasn't a perfect father by any means, but he did make my life a whole lot more interesting when he was around. He had a sense of humor that couldn't be beat and his personality was larger than life. He knew more about horses and cattle than he did about algebra, but I'll take his horse-sense any day...
So I sent up a prayer of love and thanksgiving for my wonderful Daddy...and all the dads in my life---my husband, GOTT, TGG, and my other friends...because any man can be a father...but it takes someone special to be a DADDY.
I know my dad is in a better place and that someday I will be with him...but I hope that it isn't too soon! That's why I am doing all this hard work...he died after having bypass surgery because he didn't take great care of himself and I feel like I have a chance to make things right for myself before it is too late and heart disease has set in.
After my workout I spent some time in the pool and then I went to help GOTT and TGG get things ready for the theater camp production this week. Today I made "monkey pants" and Barbie/GI Joe clothes...trust me, you don't want me to explain this one...and dressing Barbies is harder than I remember...it would be easier if she could bend her arms...
So today was all about pushing through...and letting the power of one very amazing pop singer get me to do that push...and my father's love (even though he is gone) to keep me going on that machine.
Oh...and I did an hour and a half on my machine...not bad considering I started off with praying I could handle 30 minutes...
The Power of Madonna, People...use it...
"Like a Prayer"....from the unbelievable ever-changing diva of pop...MADONNA...or the Glee cast version...Just like a prayer, I'll take you there...
bye darlings
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