Just What I Needed

Oh my friends, I've been bad...

Sorta fell off the wagon these last few weeks...

Been indulging in things I shouldn't like:
Chick-fil-A
cheese
pita chips
cookies
chocolate mousse
pasta
sauces
waaaaaay too much Mexican food on Friday night...but it was soooo good

And not eating enough fish and veggies...

I can feel it...and I don't feel good.

So tomorrow I'm back on the program.

I've learned a lesson...I have to live and eat a certain way or my body will rebel.

Lesson learned...

So then what happens today?

Well, it was certainly NOT what I needed.

I was enjoying a great workout with Dimples. Poor man had coached football camp all day and still made time for me. We were at the end of the workout and it was time to run up and down the dreaded hill...

I told him my left knee was bugging me a bit and I was mad at myself for forgetting my little knee brace I wear when it is giving me trouble.

I go up the hill...

and...

pop

And down I go...

Something gave way in this darn knee of mine and I hit the ground and it took the breath out of me.

Dimples said I looked like I had been hit by a sniper.

(OK, that is pretty funny so you can laugh...I did)

When he got to me I was pretty much crying and in a bad place of hurt.

No, this is not what I need...

I do NOT need a knee injury!

I need my workouts. I need to be able to spin. I need to be able to move about.

I NEED TO BE ABLE TO WALK AROUND CAMP WHEN I PICK UP MY SON.

So as I type this I am icing my knee and I have taken the legal limit of Advil and I'm praying that tomorrow I wake up and it isn't hurting.

The timing...sucks...

ARGH!!!!!!!

So here I sit, knee throbbing, and I'm pouting...

There is not much more to say but I ask you all to pray for me and my knee.

Because you can't keep a good girl down...even with a knee injury...but it sure is better without one.

Inspiration Song: "Just What I Needed" by the Cars. Did you know they have a new album out? Sounds just like the old stuff so if you dig the Cars, check it out...

Bye Darlings...I hope you get what you need and not what you don't...

Something to Die For

Does the title scare you a little?

Now what could I talk about that is something to die for (other than the great song I have named this blog for)...

Well, my darlings, if you have read this blog you know I have a few obsessions:

Oprah
shopping
shoes
my trainer and his workouts
spin class with JayVee, Spinderella, and J'taime Jamie
red wine (and let's add Stolichnaya vodka to that...especially in a dirty martini)
working with GOTT and TTG
my children
my children
my children

and then there is another obsession...a love I have...a little crush...

Erik the vampire

oooooohhhhh he is one beautiful man (Alexander Skarsgard who plays him)...and he is one heck of a sexy vampire...read all about him in my old blog last June called "Crush"...

you see, dearies, TRUE BLOOD came back on HBO tonight...my favorite show other than "Glee".

Erik the vampire...now that is something to die for (ok, not literally but definitely figuratively).

So I'm blogging and then I am pouring myself a nice glass of red wine (my "cup of blood" lol) and I"m gonna sit down and enjoy every second of what HBO dishes out to me with that show.

I might even watch it twice.

Trainer Girl is just as obsessed. In fact, that is how our friendship started...we were chatting on the sidelines of a football game (she was the trainer) and we started talking about good looking men and at the same time declared our love of Alexander Skarsgard.

Well, my friends, that is as bonding a moment as two chicks get...

the mutual love of one hot guy...and because I love her I share him with her.

She's out of town right now but starting next week we will have our "True Blood" nights and enjoy the show together so we can squeal with delight every time our beloved hits the screen.

And if ever there was a reason to squeal with delight it is Alexander Skarsgard...with as little clothing as possible...

So for right now, he is my "something to die for".

Some day there will be someone I can squeal over....but for right now I'll stick to letting it be a guy on tv.

Today a friend suggested I write a book...that is a dream of mine.

I told her maybe I would write the white chicks version of "How Stella Got Her Groove Back"...but then that would mean I gotta find someone to get my groove back. In the movie version of that book it was Taye Diggs.

I could get my groove back for Taye Diggs...

or Alexander Skarsgard...

I had a great day today...I went to Galveston to hang out with my Aunt Jane (the best person in the world...go read the blog from last June called "Jane" if you need to know more) and her friend CAT (Cute And Tiny) and Wonder Woman was there...you remember Wonder Woman---she kicked ovarian cancer in the ass so she gets to be Wonder Woman. And Wonder Woman's sister and her kids were there---Jane and I hung out with them in Chicago so it was so fun to see them again. We spent the afternoon in the pool and had a blast...and had a few cocktails. I stopped early enough with the vodka to make sure I could safely drive myself home. We had the most delicious shrimp and grilled corn on the cob...a perfect meal for a summer day.

Thursday I get to go and pick up The Cutest Boy in the World.

Now that is something to die for because I miss the heck out of him and his awesome smile and his deep little voice calling me "mom".

Yes my children are something to die for...

Inspiration Song: "Something to Die For" by the Sounds. Such a good song...some great lyrics...I've copied some below...

From "Something to Die For" by the Sounds:

When something's right, then something is worth to die for
When I feel that something is wrong, then something is worth to fight for

Don't say goodbye, just leave an open door
I wanna hear you say, you give me something to die for

Bye Darlings...we all have something to die for...figuratively...

You Wear It Well

I have become a shopaholic...

Well, that's not exactly true...I've been a shopaholic for quite some time. But lately I have been craving some cute new clothes.

I was really thinking I would hold off until Dr. Bonnie Baldwin got her hands (or scalpel) on me but I just need some new clothes and I have been indulging...

In things like:

maxi dresses
fitted dresses
cute shorts
new v-neck t-shirts
mini skirts
and shoes...

lots and lots of shoes...

all with dangerous heels...

because I can...

I've even begun to shop at some shops I never thought I would set foot in...like Bebe and BCBG and Free People...and Anthropologie...and Victoria's Secret.

Today I went to Bebe and purchased a very cute halter-cut polo top in red to wear to The Cutest Boy in the World's camp closing...people it is hotter than Hades at that closing and we are forced to sit in the sun forever while they pass at the awards...at 3:00 in the afternoon...it's not hot then (hahahahaha). So I needed something cool to wear, and it had to be red because that is my son's "team's" (they call it a "ranch") color.

I also bought a maxi dress...a sexy little halter that skims my body.

I never thought I would wear something that "skims my body"...but it looks good and will look better when Dr. Baldwin does her magic.

You can't not be happy with a dress that is basically a nightgown.

Last week when I was costuming the kids for Willy Wonka I was sitting with my friend...let's call her Maggie May (she knows who she is...I call her Maggie May cause the Maggie is like her name and "May" because she is a sunny gal like the month of May...and I like May...). Anyway, Maggie May and I were discussing the jeans I had requested her daughter wear...we laughed about what our definition of "too tight" and our daughter's definition of "too tight" is...

Very. Different. Things.

Ke$ha Barbie wears some things that make me shudder.

There was the infamous "too tight and too short" dress for Cotillion.

When your daughter says "I'm not sure I can sit down in this" you have to pause and worry a little...

So Maggie May thought she needed to get her daughter a new pair of jeans but the beautiful child decided that the ones she had were just fine...and actually, they were...

We laughed about how when we were in college we would wear tight jeans.

I had some teal washed ones that had zippers at the ankle so I could get them on. I had to lay on the bed and spray them down with water to get them zipped. And then my roommate would use pliers or a coathanger to get them zipped up.

Mind you I weighed 104 pounds dripping wet.

Now let's talk about shoes...a subject that I can endlessly converse about.

You see for many years I could only wear flip flops, Crocs, and clogs.

But now...I like me some stilletos. And wedges. And chunky heeled sandals. And platforms.

The higher the better.

5 inch heels don't intimidate me.

And I never met a pair of Michael Kors heels that I couldn't love...

One day I long to own a pair of Manolo Blahniks or Jimmy Choo's or...

(say it with reverance people...)

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTINS

(Gonna need a good Sugar Daddy for that)

But for now I am very content with Steve Madden, Guess, Bebe, Jessica Simpson, and...my love, Michael Kors...

I wore a pair once and a friend remarked:

"Geez Hun...can you even WALK in those?"...

yes, I could...very well thankyouverymuch....

I still put on my flip flops....my crystal adorned ones...but I love rocking the high heels.

A year ago I blogged about wearing flippy little skirts. I have a few...but they are not so much in style.

Today I tried on a few dresses with flippy little skirts...in a "medium" thankyouverymuch...and although I "liked" I didn't "love" them.

Camiel's Godmother, the magficent "Super Sal" taught me a neat trick...

We call it...."Is it a 5?"

So here's what you do....you try something on...and if it stinks...well, that's a zero or 1.

If it is ok but not great...a 2

If it is good but not great...a 3

If it is bordering on great...a 4

And if it is awesome and the price is right...well my friends, that is a 5...

I try to only buy 3's, 4's or 5's....

The maxi dress...a an easy 4...5 when Dr. Baldwin bumps up the boobs...

A few $14 t-shirts...easy 4's

The turquoise strapless tight little dress from Bebe....that was a 5...

As for jeans so tight I need a coathanger...well that can only be a 2...

And things like ponchos, terry cloth rompers, cutoffs (at my age), and bat-wing tops all need to remain 1's for me....

So I will shop till I drop...I deserve it...I've gone from a 24 to an 8...and I plan to show off my hard work.

Inspiration Song: Ok, there are 2 different versions of "You Wear it Well" and they are not the same song. The one I am talking about is the one by Debarge from the 80's. Rod Stewart did one but I'm not much of a Rod fan nor am I fan of the song...but the Debarge song...pure 80's...I think I danced on a bar (wearing the teal washed jeans) to that song...in fact, I'm pretty darn sure I did...

Bye Darlings...rock what you wear...wear it well...

You Spin Me Round

Spinning...that's me...

Not just on a spin bike...

seems like I was spinning my wheels a bit last week...both literally and figuratively...driving all over town for costume stuff and then having some personal issues where one thing would get planned and then cancelled and I had to reorganize my days around that...

like completely buying all the groceries to make a certain meal only to have the meal cancelled as I walked out of the grocery store with all the groceries purchased...not my friend's fault (the rescheduling) but that is how my timing seemed to be all week and weekend. But I"m cooking that meal tomorrow so no damage is done and all my ingredients are still good...

or here's another example...I spent 2 hours yesterday learning a dance to do in a flash mob only to come hone to discover the day of the flash mob is when I need to pick up The Cutest Boy in the World from camp...at least I had a fun workout with GOTTESS and GOTT...

or heading out on I-10 to go and fetch a friend from the airport and then my poor friend texted me her plane was delayed...at least I wasn't down the road far at all...so I headed to sonic and got me a Route 44 Diet Dr. Pepper with Vanilla (easy ice)...

But today...today I did something on the spin bike I have never done.

I sorta, well basically I taught a spin class.

You see what happened was...

There was no spin class scheduled today at the club. JayVee cancelled it because we have notoriously low attendance on holidays and special days like Father's Day.

Today was Father's day...so no class.

Knowing that, I invited Trainer Girl to join me at the club and we would make our own spin class. I knew the room would be empty and so I brought my boom box and made a play list.

Trainer Girl and I climb onto the bikes and we start rolling...we get through our warmup and we are about 15 minutes in when a friend pops his head in and remarks that we are really early for class...

I inform him that there is no class...

he was not exactly happy...

and then said his wife and daughter were coming too...

I invited him and his family to join us...but warned him that my playlist might now be his favorite (he hates Britney and I had some Brit on there).

So next thing I know he and the fam are pulling in bikes...so the guy that is working and in charge of the desk at the club comes in and turns on the BIG stereo for us...

So I ask them:

"Do you want me to guide us? Teach?"

I got an "Amen" from the choir...so I pulled my bike up front so I wouldn't have to yell and we started rolling along...

Another friend joined us...and then some lady I didn't know came in.

I taught a class to 6 people...

And here is the miracle...

they seemed to like it...a lot...

They liked my crazy music...they liked what I had them do...and my friend even put up with the Britney because his daughter, wife and I told him to.

I did pretty good...in an hour I burned 566 calories....that is about 100 more than usual...I guess it was the adrenaline and knowing I had to keep going because they were watching me.

So as I was pedaling along I had a brief thought that it was kind of a miracle that I could do it at all. 15 months ago I would not have dreamed I would take a spin class much less have the balls (sorry, sometimes I need to be crude) to teach a class.

I'm no expert...far from it...but I think it might be something I could do.

I'm pretty good with the music...I have a good ear for what will work...that being said I did put one song on the playlist that was a "fail" and I stopped it 1/3 of the way in...

I've taken enough spin to know how to work to the music and what works to get your heart rate up.

So tomorrow I am going to go and talk to JayVee about what it would take for me to be a spin teacher...maybe she will let me teach with her for a while to get the hang of it but I think I did a decent job today.

I'm sort of scared to do it...and for about 5 minutes today I was scared to lead a class...but sometimes doing something that scares you a little is good for you.

Who knows...maybe I will become Spinderella 2...

Inspiration Song: "You Spin Me Round" by Dead or Alive...great little 80's song...but I recently saw the lead singer on a show about bad plastic surgery and he scared the bejeezus out of me...and scared me off of having any work done to my face...

Bye Darlings...don't spin your wheels...try something that scares you a little...

We R Who We R

I can only be who I am...

I mena, I've made some changes...physically and to my "status" (in Facebook terms...and let's face it, most of us live on Facebook or at least check it...).

So yeah, I've lost some weight...about 400 pounds if you count what I have lost on my body and an ex-husband...

But inside...

Same old me...

Same mixed up, overly-emotional, loves-almost-everybody me...

And that's not such a bad thing...

It's one thing to change how you look...another to change your heart.

My heart hasn't changed...well, not in the sense of who I am. I've changed my heart towards the very fine man who once was my husband but that's been a long time coming and to some it might seem that I've made a big change with that but really it is more of a discovery that I wasn't who I thought I was...at least as far as my marriage was concerned.

I often lay myself wide open here on this blog...maybe I tell too much...so perhaps I shouldn't say much more about my divorce except:
1) my ex is a great man...catch him if you can if you are single...
2) I am very happy and do not regret my decision to divorce that very fine man
3) my kids are just fine and that gives me comfort that I did the right thing because they do not seem to need therapy to cope with it...

But the other day I sat back and had a little chat with myself...about the changes I have made to myself and I came to the conclusion that I can only be who I am...and who I am is who I am right now...at least for now...

stand by...

that could all change...

but for right now, I'm in a good place and I'm pretty happy with the "me" that is me.

I think right now I am happier than I have been in a very long time...but I am the same me...just a happier, thinner, healthier me...and I am loving life.

I've been spending my days teaching drama camp...something that I love. Because I love kids and I love working with GOTT and TTG. I enjoy getting to use the creative side of myself to costume the kids and figure out just how to make a girl look like a bird or a boy look like an elephant or an old rich guy...andI particularly like getting to turn a girl into a princess...I mean, who doesn't want to be or look like a princess? Way more fun than a bird...

I'm staying on my fitness plan...working with Dimples, taking spin from Spinderella, JayVee, and J'taime Jamie...and I still enjoy it and miss it when I have to skip.

I get to spend more time with my girlfriends. My bestie, D-nice (remember her? her name rhymes with mine...she just has the "D" front) and I have gotten to spend more quality time together. Our boys are at camp and Ke$ha Barbie would rather have needles stuck in her eyes than spend an evening with me so D-nice and I get to hang out more. She's good for my soul...

And I get to see more or Twirler Girl and I'm excited that AngelAmy is moving here so we can spend more time together. And Trainer Girl and I have spent many days hanging out at my pool and going out for ritas.

So why the active social life? Because I am, at heart, a very social girl...I love to spend time with my friends...I love to chill and grill, I love to have drinks at my club, I love to dress up and go out...it is part of who I am...

I'm a consumate care-taker...I take care of kids, I take care of my friends, and I especially take care of my children. I love it...I thrive on it. I know it sounds crazy but I totally love spending the day taking care of a friend...be it costuming kids for a show, cooking for friends, or simply helping a friend organize their home.

I've got a friend who has needed some help...he's single and needed some help shopping. So I went shopping for him...he now claims to be the best dressed guy at work. I also helped him get his home organized---the poor man didn't realize that you can put a basket out to toss your mail in or a little container that holds kitchen utensils can free up a drawer...he claims that his life is easier thanks to said basket and container. He told me I should make a business out of helping single men get themselves organized and dressed...he may have a point...I'm good at that. Maybe I'll give it a try...I'm really good at shopping...I have a second degree black belt in it...and I really know how to work the Container Store and Target...

So if you know any single men that need some help...well, give me a shout...my rates are good!

And funny thing ism I enjoy it...or maybe it's just spending someone else's money that I enjoy...I do that well with the school's money for costumes...

So who am I?

Domestic Goddess?

well....

maybe not...my home is not perfect but getting there...

Gourmet chef?

ok, I'll say I come pretty close...I had the best teacher ever (my mom) and tonight I put a plate of food in front of a friend and he literally sighed and looked at me and said "you DO know how to cook some Mexican food and those are the best enchiladas I have ever tasted". I'm not ever going to open a restaurant but I do love to cook for my friends and entertain. Martha Stewart ain't got nothing on a little gal from Texas who knows how to cook and serve a beer...

Super Mom?

hmmmmm....I do think I have terrific kids but that comes from the gene pool and not me...but I do think I am a good mother.

Creative Genius?

nooooooo....but GOTT thinks I do a pretty good finding things at Goodwill...

which brings me to:

Black Belt Shopper...

oh yes...that I am...be it Goodwill or Nordstrom, I am going to find the bargain and the perfect thing. And I do love to shop....my American Express bill proves it...

What else am I?

Lover of musical theater...mom to many who I did not give birth to...friend to many...stranger to none...

Do I wish I could be someone else?

Sometimes...

I wish I could be a real dancer...but I am only a prima ballerina in my bathroom when no one is looking...and in my dreams Maks from "Dancing with the Stars" is my partner...

I wish I could sing...but thankfully no one hears me when I sing along to the radio...

I wish I could play guitar...a friend gave me a cd tonight of a friend's music...great guitar...I spent my time listening to the great guitar work and wishing I could do that...

I always wanted to be an aatronaut...I had a very dear friend who's father was the 3rd man on the moon...I could listen to his stories about his dad endlessly and wished I knew t
what the moon looked like up close and personally...

I wish I liked to run...still don't...

I wish I could be naturally thin and not have to fight it all the time...but not in my gene pool so it will always be a fight...

I wish I didn't like wine so much...oh, hell...that's not true...I don't mind that I like wine...

And sometimes I wish I was younger...like when my knees bother me...or when a very cute younger man asked me out and I pointed out to him that I would look like he was dating his mother (I patted him on the head and thanked him for the compliment). The best part is, I never thought that would happen to me (younger guy asking me out). My mother was asked out by a student when I was at Texas A&M orientation and I was awed by it...but then again, she was pretty fabulous... But I don't wish it when I look in the mirror because I think I am pretty happy with the me I am now...wrinkles and all...although the body needs the help of a surgeon.

And some things I think I can do....like maybe become a spin instructor...or a teacher...or maybe I can be the "organizer of single men who need help"...those all are possibilities that live inside of me. So maybe what I need to change about myself is the fear I have of trying to be those things.

So I guess what I am saying is...

We are who we are...but that doesn't mean we can't be something different.

But it also means we need to love who we are...

And right now, I may make some changes and try new things but I also am pretty happy with who I am...

I know this is a bit of rambling blog...but then again, that's who I am...a rambler...

Inspiration Song: "We R Who We R" by Ke$ha...I'm very fond of the Fred Falke Club Remix that is on her "I Am the Dance Commander" album...it's We R Who We R mixed with some old-school disco in the form of "Everybody Dance" by Chic....awesome...very very very me...a little bit of new mixed with the old school good stuff...

Bye Darlings...be who you are...you are who you are and should be proud...

In the Summertime

Wow...did you miss me?

Been BUSY...very busy...but all in a good way.

I"m teaching drama camp with GOTT and TTG and having a blast. We are doing "Willy Wonka" and GOTT has managed to block it all in a week...sort of a miracle if you know musical theater...

Got The Cutest Boy in the World off to camp where he is now the Happiest Cutest Boy in the World.

Now if I could only get Ke$ha Barbie to get a job...something other than her current job which is known as:

SPENDING AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE WITH HER BOYFRIEND

no, that is not a real job and she knows it...

I've been working out but sadly not spending as much time with Dimples as he was coaching football camp. But tomorrow he has promised to totally kick my bootie...I can't wait.

Today Trainer Girl joined me for spin and pump with JayVee and we worked our damage from our respective previous evenings. I had the pleasure of the company of Twirler Girl and we decided that one bottle of wine was not quite enough...we also decided to take a swim at midnight...I highly recommend it...

So even though I haven't blogged in a while I'm going to take the easy way out on this one and do one of my little list things...so here goes...

IN THE SUMMERTIME...

I am grateful for air conditioning

I like to lay in the sun as much as possible and work on my tan...all the while I pray that I won't get skin cancer.

I love to run around in the easy breezy little flippy dresses that I could only dream about last year...now they are my wardrobe staple.

I wear flip flops...when I am not in my stilletos...

I write letters to The Cutest Boy in the World (TCBITW) every night while he is at camp...and I miss him like crazy but I also know he is beyond happy.

I wait until 10 each evening to check the camp website so I can see photos of TCBITW...and see the happy smile on his face...I miss that face...

I enjoy firing up my grill as much as possible...and I have learned to prepare an excellent cedar plank salmon...

My workouts are hotter than ever with Dimples...no, not because I have the best looking trainer in the world (which, my Dimples is...and he has the hottest girlfriend to go with his cute self) but because it is already blazing hot outside by 8:30...but I prefer that to the cold of February...

I stay up late and am happy not to have to wake grouchy children for school the next morning...

I swim in my pool all the time...even at midnight...

I am grateful for air conditioning

I drink a lot of iced tea...

I still drink a lot of red wine...but a glass of white is nice every once in a while

I listen to my summer playlist while I lay out....filled with old school songs like "Summer Breeze", "Island Girl" and "Schools Out" mixed with some "Island in the Sun" by Weezer and the soundtrack from Blue Crush...

And I watch a lot of summer movies like "Blue Crush" and "50 First Dates"...I guess it is because they were filmed in Hawaii so it makes me think of summer...

I wish I could surf...maybe I will learn...

I always want to go to the beach...but only if it is in Hawaii...so that's not happening anytime soon...but someday I might have a new somebody to frolic in the waves with and that will be nice...

I wear less makeup...not always a good thing...but I always wear sunscreen...

I think shorts and a chunky heeled stilleto and a fabulous top makes a great going-out outfit...all the fashion magazines agree...as long as the shorts are cute and the right length and not "hootchie"...

I live on fruit and veggies...because they are all in season...

sometimes a salad is the only thing I want to eat because it is too hot outside

I am grateful for air conditioning....

I wish I had a convertable...

I obsess that my bleached out hair (from the sun) will turn green so I obsessively wash it...

I miss Glee but I am grateful for "So You Think You Can Dance" and "True Blood" because I love them as much as Glee...

I can't wait till camp is over so I can see my son...

I savor having my kids around so I can see them and do things with them that I can't do when they are in school...

I miss lacrosse season...but look forward to football season...but not wrestling...

I change my bedding to all-white and open my shutters all the time so my room looks bright and sunny...

I wear a lot of pink and coral lipstick

I wear a lot of turquoise clothes...cause they look good with my tan

I am grateful for air conditioning...

Inspiration Song: "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry...

Bye Darlings...I hope you are enjoying YOUR summer...I sure am!!!!!!