Changes

I love throwing something up there on the blog title that will scare some of you...

so you see that and go....

"uh oh what now?"

I've made a lot of changes in the last few years:
lost over 100 pounds
got divorced
sent Kesha Barbie off to college
started working at a new school
sold my beloved house and moved into a new one

But lately there have been a few more changes in my world...

and to be perfectly honest if you keep up with me on facebook pretty much none of this will be a surprise...

but lately I have been thinking about changes, and making changes, and changing things that I need to fix...

like the fact I have been divorced 2 years and 3 months and the judge granted me the use of my maiden name back and until now I haven't changed my driver's license or any of that legal-type stuff to say "Shelton"...

but on June 10

I took myself down the the DPS and fixed it...

done...

the next time I get a speeding ticket (I am Bobby S___n's daughter) that cop will be writing it to "Anice S____n"

Believe it or not that was easy.  I did the "get in line online" thing and only waited 10 minutes to see the awesome lady who made the change and took my photo...

name change...check that off the "to do" list

So now that my DL says my name I am fixing my credit cards, etc.

Believe it or not American Express was more trouble than the DPS...but, and maybe this should give me pause, Chase and Citi (for my Visa and MC...yes, I have a few...) were just a little "change my name to this" and "save the change"....

up next: Social Security and the passport

not that I am going anywhere but you never know...I could win a game show prize or meet a man (who drives a big ass truck and has blue eyes and dimples) who wants to whisk me away to Costa Rica...

it could happen...

the game show I mean...

the man part is....well, that is a whole other blog...

I called my Aunt Jane to tell her what I had done.  Because you see...that day would have been my mom's 70th birthday. So instead of wallowing in self pity that I no longer had her here with me I decided to do something she would be proud of.

It was a very liberating feeling to know that I am no thoroughly and legally me.  I didn't do it because I dislike my ex-husband, I did it because I want to really start my life over and part of that was no longer having to spell a name that pretty much contained every letter in the alphabet.

Other changes...

My closet.  Yes, my closet...

I had a perfectly nice closet in this house but given that my last 3 homes have had really well organized closets I bit the bullet and I hired a closet company to come in and re-do the closet.  I now have a really well-organized space that works perfectly for me.

And yes, I totally take up 100% of the space and there is no room for anyone else.

So if some man who drives a big-ass truck ever becomes a permanent part of my life we will have to figure out what other closet in the house isn't inconvenient for him...

but I am not planning on that so I feel zero guilt that I have this big closet all to myself.

There is room in my life for a man...

but not his clothing...

When I moved I "purged" a bit but I was so busy packing everything else up I didn't really pay much attention to my clothes.  So once I took everything out of the closet for the new one I had all my clothes on rolling racks in my great room.

and boy did reality smack me upside my little head

I have too many clothes...and I have clothes that never need to be on my body again.

This year I am about to turn a very scary number...and because of that I realize now that some of the things I could get away with in my 40's won't look so great when they are being sported by a woman of a certain age.

So those went into the donation pile...

And so did things that won't fit right since I had my improvements made by Dr. Bonnie Baldwin.

And a few things that were hopelessly out of style (they are going into the costume closet at the school)

And a few things that made me say "what the hell was I thinking?" when I looked at them again.

I've also changed my workouts a bit.

I got really really lazy and found myself only working out 2X per week...and if JayVee wasn't teaching or I was subbing sometimes that was only once a week.

And so sure enough weight has crept back on and I am mighty unhappy with myself about it.

But in a sense I am glad it happened because it taught me a few things:

1) I must exercise 4-5 days a week to maintain a healthy body
2) I need to change it up and not just do one sort of workout
3) I can eat what I want...but only if I am working out at least 5 days a week
4) I can eat what I want as long as I keep it pretty clean and only have one or two cheat meals a week

Soooooo...I decided to try out a new spin place to kick in some more classes and for a change of pace.

No one, and I mean no one, is a better or more creative spin teacher than JayVee.  But she only teaches it twice a week.  And because of my crappy knees I can't do some of her other classes that require a lot more bouncing about.

So on her recommendation (yes SHE sent me there because she loves me and knows what is good for me) I tried out Revolution Studio.

Bam

that was a good thing

I love it...the instructors are spot on and in 45 minutes I get a great spin class and come out of there drenched in sweat and ready for those lovely lavender frozen towels they give us.

It's a "Soul Cycle" concept and it's done in the dark.

It's a lot of techno and hip-hop music.

It's not for everybody.

But I am loving it and since I have added some classes there to the ones that JayVee teaches the weight is melting off.  JayVee teaches in that same "soul cycle" format but with a little more intensity, a little more choreography, and for an hour.  So I was prepared for the Revolution classes and their intensity.

And to add to the "change it up" my friend SuSu now teaches spin at DEFINE Tanglewood on Sundays so I am adding her to the mix.  She does an awesome job and she had me shredding the calories last week when I took my first class from her.

You can only get JayVee if you belong to the Houston Racquet Club, but if you are looking to try spinning and want something fun and intense I highly recommend Revolution Studio (Memorial City or Sugar Land) or DEFINE (many locations).  They have similar formats and styles at both studios but with a few differences...check them out...you will get a great workout and have fun doing it.

Another change for me has been that this is the first time in my life that I have been completely alone for a long period of time.

Kesha Barbie decided to stay in Boston and get a job for the summer so she's not home.  And The Cutest Boy in the World (TCBITW) is off at camp being a junior counselor.

So it is just me in the cats.

There are some days that the only voices heard in the house are from the tv...or when I talk to the cats.

They don't answer back so it's usually pretty quiet.

It's sometimes a bit lonely but KuteKaren and RoyBoy and SuperSarah have been dragging me out a bit at night.

Last night I had my "Big Gay Night at the Theater" because I went to see "Xanadu"with a group of wonderful and very fun friends (I love you boys!!!!!).  I went with SweetyTodd, De-LIGHTful Adam (he is a lighting designer) and Robert Scissorhands (he is a hair stylist and jewelry designer) and we all enjoyed watching the  Divine Miss Tam bring the house down as an evil muse.

If you live in Houston I urge you to go and see "Xanadu" at Stages.  It's appropriate for ages 12 on up and you do not have to be a fan of the movie to enjoy it.  It is the most fun I have had at the theater in ages and it was actually my second time to see it last night...and I am considering going at least once more before it closes.

I will confess that the movie is one of my guilty pleasures and I have a playlist of nothing but the songs from it on my iPod so I am a fangirl...but even if you have "Never Been Mellow" or enjoyed the "Magic" of Olivia Newton John I think you will take "The Fall" and become "Suspended in Time" while you watch the show.  And seeing "Evil Woman" the Divine Miss Tam work her "Strange Magic" on the crowd is reason enough to go.  You will "Suddenly" find yourself "Dancin"'All Over the World" (or at least to the parking lot) and I promise you will be singing "Xanadu" in the shower and wake up saying "I'm Alive"...

(Come on people...I just managed to get like almost every song from the show into one paragraph...go see it for that alone).

And now I will end this blog with a life-changing recipe..

Ok, so it won't REALLY change your life but I made if for my friend SweetSu and JayVee and they both agree that it is good on everything.

I agree...

It's a touch creamy, a little sweet, and nicely spicy...

We call it "Crazy Sauce" because it is crazy good and it sounds crazy when you see what the ingredients are.

I never do measurements but here is what you need:

Mexican Crema (you can use sour cream but Mexican...and not Salvadoran or Honduran but MEXICAN Crema is the best. They sell it at most groceries but my favorite is the La Michaocana store brand)
Sriracha (and it has to be Sriracha)
Agave nectar

So put some crema in a bowl (say half a cup)
now squirt in some sriracha...how much you put in depends on how spicy you like things...for mildly spiced I would say put some in and stir and if it is the color of raw atlantic salmon you are good.  For a spicier flavor add more...but start at "raw salmon" color.

Next squirt in about a teaspoon of agave nectar.  I know it sounds weird but TRUST me on this...the sweetness is necessary...and it just works.

Now adjust things to your liking.  If you are using sour cream and not crema I would add a dash or two of salt.  Mexican crema is lighter and saltier than sour cream so add a bit of salt...

now put it on everything...

It's especially good on salmon (especially if you teriyaki marinate it first) and chicken..but really it goes with everything but dessert...

you're welcome...

Inspiration song; "Changes" by David Bowie.  Because sometimes you just need some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes in your life and you have to "turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes"...but don't let them scare you...make some changes to improve your life...I try and do it every day...

Bye Darlings...be proactive and make the changes you need to so you have a better life..sometimes changes are thrown at you but the ones you decide to do on your own can truly take you to a better place...or at least more room in the closet...