Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Zebulon Pike

Today's the final day of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. It's been fun (and a little stressful) through this month. But I'm already planning next year's posts for this blog as well as my craft blog. So anyways... here's the last...

Zebulon Pike. Pikes Peak was named after him. So for my final post of the challenge, I leave you with a photo of the Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak.

Courtesy of Lyle Davis, link below

That's the view that makes Colorado Springs home for me.

This photo titled "Colorado Springs, CO's Backyard" was provided by my friend, Lyle Davis. You can find more of his amazing photos at http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/gallery.asp?memberID=99312

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Yarn

You had to know that my Y post for the Blogging From A to Z Challenge was going to be about yarn.

I've been crocheting about seven years now and I absolutely love it. I want to learn to knit as well; not sure when that'll happen but eventually it will.

I use Red Heart Super Saver a lot, because it's cheap and available in so many stores. But my favorite yarns are Caron Simply Soft and Lion Brand Vanna's Choice. I've also just used Lion Brand Pound of Love for the first time. I love it. It's soft and has a great texture. It might join my favorites list.

I also don't shy away from the novelty yarns and love Lion Brand Fun Fur and Festive Fur. My only complaint about the fuzzy yarns is how hard they are to wash. The fur gets matted down easily and then the item just looks like crap. Ah well. I just have to be more careful washing and drying items that have novelty yarns in them.

Well, I could gush for hours about yarn. I have a craft blog, Oh Frog It, where I blog about my crochet and other craft projects. Check it out.

Blogging From A to Z: X Marks the Spot

Today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge post is X Marks the Spot!

If I was organized (aka done de-hoarding) I'd have posted pictures that I had taken. But I'm not that organized. So no pictures. Just talking about a couple places that I've been that I've liked. I'll try to keep it interesting.

Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net




Paris. My high school French teacher escorted a small group of us to France just a few weeks after I graduated. I thought I loved Paris before the trip, but wow, did it hit me once we were out and about in the city. Being able to wander around and see such amazing architecture and gardens, riding the metro. It was an amazing experience.





Courtesy of Dmytro Rodinov via Wikimedia Commons

Nice. I'm not a beach person. I wasn't raised near them; I don't like sand, and I'm a poor swimmer. So I really dislike beaches. But I loved the beach in Nice. The beach we went to wasn't sand. It was pebbles. They were super smooth and a grey color. They absorbed the heat from the sun so they were so warm to walk and lay on. So nice.

Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Chicago. I went to Chicago in August 2008 for a Harry Potter fan conference. I didn't get to see tons of the city because we didn't wander far from the Hilton where the conference was held. But I absolutely loved that area. I loved walking through Grant Park every day that we were there. And we saw the Navy Pier. So fun.

Usually when I travel, I'm homesick for my mountains after just a day or so. When I was in Paris and Chicago, I never felt that. I missed my dogs, my family. But they felt like second homes to me. I'm sure if I spent extended periods of time there, I'd get homesick for Colorado eventually, but I'm not sure how long that would be. Well, that's it for this one. Only two more days!

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Whatever

I know. I know. Yesterday's Blogging From A to Z Challenge post was supposed to be W. I didn't forget this time. I just couldn't figure out what to write about.

When I made my list I wrote down Wishes. But then when I sat down to write about it, I realized that pretty much it was a regurgitation of Quests and then some other generic wishes, like for all our service men and women to come home, for every child to have a warm, loving home. I dunno. Didn't want to write that one. So I spent all day trying to think of a suitable W topic. And I couldn't so...

Whatever.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Volkswagen Super Beetle

Alright. This should get me back on track. Today I'm supposed to be posting the letter V in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge.

I knew right away what mine would be. Volkswagens! My first car was a 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle. I really miss that car. I don't have any pictures of it so here's a picture of a very pretty Beetle.

Courtesy of Bull-Doser via Wikimedia Commons

Someday I'll own another Super Beetle. Because they just have more personality than any other car. I also have fallen in love with VW Buses watching the Barrett-Jackson auctions. When they're restored, they're as beautiful as the Bug. And have just as much personality. See?

Courtesy of Alfvanbeem via Wikimedia Commons



VW's are awesome.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Useless Objects I Wish I'd Invented (AKA The Snuggie Rant)

source: snuggiecult.com

Sorry, it's a day late. I got busy and forgot about writing my U post for the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. So here it is.

Useless Objects I Wish I'd Invented

You know the ones I'm talking about. Those stupid informercial products. Like Snuggies. There's the Original Snuggie, Couple Snuggie, Dog Snuggie (does Snuggie hate cats?), Football Team Snuggie, Kid Snuggie, Leopard Print Snuggie (so sexy Rawr), Baseball Team Snuggie, Designer Snuggie (available in monkey print, cloud print or for the really hardcore: skull and crossbones print!). And for God's sake, there's even a Harry Potter Snuggie. Even I wouldn't be caught dead in that. What the hell is wrong with these people? Who invented this damn thing? It was meant to be a joke right? Please, please tell me it was.

And don't forget the imitation Snuggies. There's the Slanket! And the nightmare called the Peekaru. This is how the aliens will invade, I promise you. And the Forever Lazy which comes with a convenient butt flap (butt flap photo source). And Pajama Jeans. Why couldn't I come up with this shit? I'd be a freaking bazillionaire.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Tattoos

Edited 7/14/12: I somehow managed to lose the pictures for this post and will have to take more pictures of my tattoos. Until then, just use your imagination.

Today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge post is brought to you by the letter T, for tattoos! Yay!

My pictures aren't great quality but nearly all my tattoos are in kinda awkward places to photograph. Like my shoulder blades, so I had to use my webcam to get those. And my right wrist. Do you know how hard it is to take hold the camera and take a picture with just your left hand? Anyways.

So my tattoos mean something to me. They aren't fashionable or hardcore. No tribal bands or tramp stamps for me. I don't get tattoos to fit in or stand out. I get them for me. So in chronological order here they are...

I got this one a week after my 18th birthday (2001). A fluffy little panda hiding behind a rock on my right shoulder blade. Originally I picked it because it was a cute panda photo; I never realized that the hiding panda could also symbolically be me. Hm. Maybe there was some deep unconscious meaning there.

Awww. Another panda tattoo; this time on my left shoulder blade. Got this when I was 20 (2003). I knew I wanted more tattoos and found this picture. Sweet little fluffy pandas.

Then I went several years without a new tattoo. I couldn't decide what I wanted. I have this policy. I find the picture I want and put it in a place that I see every day. Then after 6 months, if I still want that tattoo, I allow myself to get it. So it took me a long time to find one. I got this in the fall of 2007. This wraps all the way around my left calf. It's the inscription from the Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in mirrored script. You would have to hold a mirror up to my leg to read it. If you're not familiar it says "I show not your face but your heart's desire." Actually, there's a mistake in my tattoo. One of the yours is written yourr. It was an honest accident and I didn't even realize it until several weeks after I had gotten it so it doesn't bother me. This was always meant to have vines and scrolls around it making it even harder to see the words, but I never got around to it. Maybe someday.

I got this one in the spring of 2008. It's a golden snitch on the inside of my right wrist. I was going through sort of an identity crisis, not sure where I fit in, who I was, who I wanted to be, and the snitch was (and still is) very symbolic for me. A friend drew this for me and her husband did the tattoo (he also did the leg tattoo). I put this where it is because I wanted to see it often and even though this is the most visible of all my tattoos it's the least noticed by other people. Usually, they don't realize it's there. And when they do, every single person asks the exact same thing "Is that real?" A friend told me once that it's because the color just fades into my skin. I usually have some degree of a tan and the yellow, orange and red don't stand out like a dark colored ink does.

Well there you have it. My tattoos. I have ideas for more, but right now, they aren't a priority and I'm not sure where I'd put them. Will I get them someday? Don't know. We'll see. I'm happy with the ink I have.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Sunshine

Courtesy of Bruce Fritz via Wikimedia Commons

It's shaping up to be one of those days. So I need this pick-me-up and I thought I'd share. I'm pretty sure sunflowers are sunshine in physical form.

Blogging From A to Z: Romance

Just a few more letters to go! This has been a very long Blogging From A to Z Challenge; it's been harder than I thought it would be. Not just in the aspect of coming up with things to talk about, but also emotionally. I never planned to bare my soul yesterday. I started writing and everything just came out. Well moving on. Today's R.

Okay so Romance. I'm such a sucker for romance. I'll take a good romance book over any other genre. And there's so many things that are romantic. It ranges from something as mundane as holding holds to the big sweeping gestures of love like planting flowers in the shape of a message. So while I could list all the things I find romantic or could list off romantic movies or books. I've decided I'm going to share with you two romantic videos from YouTube.

First up, it's a quick clip and about 1:53ish so don't blink or you'll miss it. But I know I can't be the only woman who swooned a little when Gavin DeGraw picked up and carried Melissa Gilbert on DWTS after she slammed her head. For this reason alone, he is now the man of my dreams. I have no clue what he sings or anything about him, or even if he's single (or straight). But I love him and must marry him.

Embedding is disabled to here's the link: Melissa Gilbert 'Dancing With the Stars' Fall: Carried Away by Gavin DeGraw

And the second is the always amazing Anna Trebunskaya and her husband Jonathan Roberts dancing another swoon-worthy dance. They're so gorgeous dancing together. Could watch this for days.



Sigh. So beautiful.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Quests

Welcome to today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge entry.

Dictionary.com defines a quest as a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something (a quest for uranium mines; a quest for knowledge) but also as an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight of knights to secure or achieve something (the quest of the Holy Grail).

My friend suggested using the word quest for q and I thought "Oh yeah great idea" but then later I had the realization that I'm not very exciting. What would I write about? There's more than a little truth in the title of my blog. But then as I started thinking and trying to figure out a different word to use, I just kept coming back to quests. So I gave up trying to find a replacement. But then that left me with not having any idea what to write about. I looked up the definition, figuring that I could start there. Talk about being smacked in the face.

I realized that the things I dream about, my inner-most, deepest, most secretive dreams are quests that I haven't taken yet. First you should know that I've never truly discussed either of these with anyone so putting this out there for who knows how many people to read and comment on is absolutely terrifying. I've made flippant remarks about wanting to do either, but I'm fairly certain that no one realizes how serious I actually am. When I've mentioned wanting to do these things, I've never been taken serious or even had the occasional "Yeah, that'd be cool" response. In defense of the people around me, I don't think they're being dismissive to be mean. I think they just don't realize that I'm being serious. So I just push these dreams further in and find myself more frustrated with myself and my life.

The one that I've had the longest is to be a singer and a musician. I started taking piano lessons when I was about 8. I loved and hated them at the same time. I loved them because I was playing piano. I hated them because I couldn't play what I wanted to. I love classical music, don't get me wrong, but my piano teacher was hardcore about only allowing me to play the classics. I would buy books of songs that I wanted to play but she wouldn't help me learn how to play them because they were movie songs. So I got frustrated. I also hated recitals. I suffer terribly from stage fright: I get nauseous, sweaty, and shaky and my brain just drains of any memorized music. For some reason my teacher never recognized this and taught me how to cope with it or even combat it. So I self-sabotaged. If I didn't practice, people wouldn't expect much from me. Of course, then I never progressed very far. I kept up this routine all through school when I started playing in band (I played trumpet, flute and tuba).

I've just always figured this would be a dream that I could never achieve. First because of the stage fright thing. But also because I don't fit the cookie cutter molds of the country music industry. I'm not Faith Hill, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, or Taylor Swift. I'm not perky, bubbly, thin or glamorous. I'm also not a soprano, no crazy high runs from me. And it seems that unless you sing at ear-splitting levels you don't get anywhere. I mean, look at Terri Clark: she's gorgeous but she's tall and kind of awkward. She doesn't fit the cookie cutter and as a result she's never been crazy successful even though she has an amazing voice. It wasn't until my discover of the Brobdingnagian Bards and Marc Gunn a few years ago that I realized I don't have to force myself into the music industry molds. I could do it independently. Record what I want, perform what I want, dress and look the way I want. I had thought I'd killed this dream but I've discovered that it was just lying dormant for several years.

My other really big dream is to be a writer. I've always wanted to write in two genres: romance and children's. I have an idea for a series of children's books that's been festering for a few years. I loved reading as a child and would love to pass that on to the future generations. To be a part of teaching children to read (my series would be aimed at 3-5ish range) would just... I can't even describe it. But I've also wanted to write romance novels. I read books from a lot of genres but the one that has always been my favorite is the romance novels. I don't need to write the novel that defines a generation. I just want to write books that people enjoy reading and that I enjoy writing. I started a couple months ago writing a novel. I've written one scene because I keep tormenting myself over it. But again, just like with music, I self-sabotage. I'm an expert at self-sabotage. If I don't attempt it, I can't fail. If I never write the book, I'll never have to show it to anyone or submit it. I'll never receive a rejection letter. But also, I'll never receive an acceptance letter. I'll never see my pseudonym on a book cover. It's a merry-go-round that I don't know how to get myself off of.

Well, there you have it. A long post about my two biggest dreams. This has by far been the hardest post for me to write.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: PANDAS!!!!!

Note 9/3/12: In an effort to make sure that I don't have any pictures on my blog that I could be sued for, I've removed the pictures in this post. 

 

You had to know my next post for the Blogging From A to Z Challenge was going to be pandas. And while I could gush on and on forever about my love for them, my collection of panda items or even my tattoos (come back for T) of them. I won't. I will overload you with their adorableness! Best post EVER!

Blogging From A to Z: Other Entertainment

Ack! I ran out of pre-loaded Blogging From A to Z Challenge posts. I've been de-hoarding the last week or so and didn't keep up with the pace I had set of writing and scheduling two or three posts a day. The de-hoarding is going great. I estimate about two weeks left, but I'm further along than I had thought I'd be at this point. No mental breakdowns so far. They'll probably happen when I actually get to the stage of having a yard sale. Anyways, I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this post. Don't get to write and rewrite and rewrite this post.

So today I'm writing about Other Entertainment. I realized that I had several posts about books and a post about music. But I didn't have anything about movies or television. So here we go. Sticking with the list format again.


Favorite Movie Actors/Actresses
Doris Day
Audrey Hepburn
Cary Grant
Katharine Hepburn
James Garner
and my newest additions Myrna Loy and William Powell


Favorite Movies
Charade - It's a thriller starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and Walter Matthau and a whole bunch of other actors that you'll recognize as having been in every movie ever made. It's freaking fantastic. I've watched it a ridiculous amount of times and it still keeps me on the edge of my seat.
Wait Until Dark - Another thriller with Audrey Hepburn. Her absolute best performance. She plays a blind woman.
Please Don't Eat the Daisies - Doris Day and David Niven. So funny. They keep their youngest son locked in a cage and the only thing he can say is "Cokeeeee Cooooooola!"
Move Over Darling - This one has Doris Day returning home after having been lost on a dessert island for a few years. Her husband, James Garner has her declared dead and marries another woman the morning before she returns. Of course, the new wife is crazy. Lots of typical Doris Day hijinks.
Pillow Talk - Doris Day shares a party line (I'm probably the only person under 30 who doesn't have to wiki that) with Rock Hudson. So damned funny.
Breakfast at Tiffany's - You had to know that this would be on here. When you say Audrey Hepburn everyone mentions this one. I love the scene where she's sitting on the fire escape singing "Moon River." Why was her voice dubbed in My Fair Lady? She sings beautifully.
The Thin Man - This is my new love. I just can't gush enough about my adoration of the plot, Myrna Loy's wardrobe and the hilarious dialogue between Nick and Nora.

Favorite TV Actors/Actresses
Matthew Bomer
Tiffani Theisen
Thomas Gibson
Sofia Vergara
Timothy Hutton
Maggie Lawson

Favorite TV Shows
Leverage - The show's about a set of criminals who are modern day Robin Hoods. They go after crooked companies for people who have been screwed by the company.
White Collar - I loooove this show. It's about an FBI agent and his criminal informant. My favorite part of the show is not so much the crimes but the relationships. Between Peter and Neal, Peter and Elizabeth, Elizabeth and Neal. Seriously, just watch it.
Ghost Adventures- I love the gang. Aaron cracks me up endlessly. Did you see the one where they went back to Linda Vista Hospital and Aaron was dorking it up on the street? Running all stupid and making faces behind Zak? And they do get some great evidence of the paranormal too.
Criminal Minds - I haven't seen any of this season because I Netflix it. But I love Hotch. I love Reid too. But I love Hotch more.
Modern Family - If you can't find some aspect of this show that relates to your family, I have to wonder what's wrong with your family.
Psych - I'd seen the show a couple times on TV but just watched the first season on DVD. LOVE IT. Poor Lassiter. He knows Shawn is a fraud but he can't prove it. And you just have to feel for the guy.

Alright, that's it. I'll stop ranting about my love for all these shows. See you tomorrow peeps.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: NASCAR

Today's entry in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge is N.

When I planned out my posts, I decided to write about NASCAR. The season had barely started and I was still excited. But now, more races into the season and I'm feeling rather blech about it. I've only been a serious NASCAR fan since Jimmie Johnson started winning all the championships. And I thought that the reporters kissing his ass all the time was a result of him winning so many in a row. But they've already engraved Tony Stewart's name on the cup for this year even though as I write this we're only 6 races into the season. There's also a certain driver that I'm really sick of hearing about and I know that I'm not the only one who feels that way. There's plenty of people who hate her, so stop forcing her on us every damn second of every damn day. (If you comment and put her name in the comment, I will delete it. You've been warned. I don't want my blog associated with her in any way, shape or form.) And poor Kurt Busch, he didn't do anything abnormal. I can tick off several other drivers who have said and done the things that he did and they haven't been treated anywhere near as badly as he has the last few months. And don't even get me started on the lack of Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards coverage.

Anyways, I'm really frustrated with several people from the NASCAR organization, owners, drivers and press. So it's hard for me to get enthusiastic about this post. But I'll give it a good try.

Favorite Driver: Kasey Kahne. Hands down. I think he's a great driver with lots of potential. He just needs to be on a steady team where he's not being sabotaged (I don't trust Creepy Junior or Jimmie Johnson and blame them for Kasey's troubles this season.)

Other Drivers I Really Like: Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Regan Smith, Joey Logano, Jamie MacMurray

Driver I'd Most Like to Sit Down With and Talk to: Brad Keselowski. Wait Mom! Don't disown me yet; let me explain. He's an asshole on the track, and as a Carl fan, I still hold a grudge about Talladega and all the crap that followed. But in interviews Brad comes across as a well-spoken, intelligent, educated man. He has an opinion, and whether you agree with him or not, he explains his reasons for his opinion in such a way that you can understand where he's coming from. I'd like to see if Brad is really the asshole on the track who knows how to work the interview in his favor or if he's a smart guy who has a short fuse. The only way to know would be to sit down with him face-to-face. And come on, let's face it. Me sitting down with Kasey Kahne would just end badly. I'd either not be able to speak coherently or I'd be arrested for attempting to rape him.

Favorite Moment This Year: Juan Pablo versus the Jet Dryer. I know it was a complete freak accident and I'm so very glad that both he and the truck driver were fine. But that was just amazing...

Alright, that's it.

Argh!

Well... the weigh in this morning was not good news. See...

Weight: 264.6 lbs
Week  Change: 1.8 lb gain
Total Change: 2.0 lb gain
Pounds to Goal: 119.6
BMI: 41.52

I did better this week with excercising. I did two of my three planned cardio sessions and two of my three planned strength sessions. I wasn't perfect but I was better than before. Eating wise, I thought I was doing ok. Apparently not. I told someone once that it seemed like every time I start blogging about weight loss, I get stalled or gain weight. So I'm thinking I'm going to take a break from blogging about weight loss for a couple weeks. I have to figure out what's going to work.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Music

Today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge post is brought to you by the letter M! For music.

I knew right away that I was going to use music for this post. I've been trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to write. I think probably the best way is to make some lists of some of my favorite songwriters, singers and songs. So here we go...

The first item on a list is my absolute favorite of the category. After that, they're all kinds of equals and it would be very hard for me to order them. I'll also save you from embedding all the videos, but I am linking to videos of the songs. I suggest checking them out.

Favorite Composers/Songwriters
Edvard Grieg
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Marc Gunn
Frank Mills
Keith Urban

Favorite Performers
Terri Clark
Marc Gunn
Miranda Lambert
*NSYNC
Michael Jackson
Cast in Bronze
George Strait (he sounds better in concert than on the radio, it's amazing)

Favorite Musicals
The Phantom of the Opera
Rent
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
Mary Poppins

Favorite Classical & Instrumental Songs
Music Box Dancer by Frank Mills
Brahms' Lullaby
Morning Mood from Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite
Tchaicovsky's Sleeping Beauty Waltz
The Happy Song by Frank Mills
Drunken Sailor by Cast in Bronze

Favorite Country Songs
Jose Cuervo by Shelly West
Just the Same by Terri Clark
Heart Like Mine by Miranda Lambert
If I Die Young by The Band Perry
Chattaoochee by Alan Jackson
I Cross My Heart by George Strait

Favorite Pop Songs
Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
This I Promise You by *NSYNC
Gypsies Tramps and Thieves by Cher
Que Sera, Sera by Doris Day
Without You by Kimberley Locke and Clay Aiken

Favorite Celtic/Ren Faire Songs (okay... maybe they're not all Celtic and there's a Firefly fan song... but they're all by Celtic/Ren Faire performers so... deal with it)
The Bridge by Marc Gunn
March of Cambreadth by Heather Alexander
Do Virgins Taste Better by Brobdingnagian Bards (this is a bawdy song, if you get offended by slightly raunchy songs don't click it)
Sing You Home by Ennis
Only the Music by Heather Alexander
Leaf on the Wind by Bedlam Bards

Favorite Songs From Musicals
I'll Cover You Reprise from Rent the song starts about 1:57 into the video Jesse L. Martin breaks my heart every time I hear it
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins
Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera
Edelweiss from The Sound of Music
I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady This is the version from the movie where Audrey Hepburn's voice was replaced with Marni Nixon's, this one is actually Audrey Hepburn singing it
All I Ask Of You from The Phantom of the Opera

Sorry, it got kind of long. I got carried away. Be thankful I didn't embed the videos.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Library

Today's letter for the Blogging From A to Z Challenge is L for Library!

Nothing against the public library, but I have to own books. A book just isn't as enjoyable to read if I know I have to give it back. My current library is housed on four bookshelves but I've always dreamed of having a really impressive library.

My dream library would be two stories tall with a balcony. Spiral staircases. And those really awesome ladders that roll along the wall. And tons of comfy reading chairs, couches and chaises. A lot like the library in Beauty and the Beast.

Hooray for the NSV

I had a major NSV today. Well, major for me.

This morning, for the first time ever, I did proper knee push-ups. 30 of them.

My whole life, I've done Pikes Peak push-ups with my ass up in the air. All through school in gym class, I detested days when we had to do push-ups. I knew my butt was going to be up in the air and that someone would notice. Sometimes it was another student and sometimes it was the teacher. But could they be bothered to help me learn how to do them properly? No, of course not. Gym teachers aren't paid to teach kids proper physical fitness, what the hell are you thinking?

I never realized how important it was to me that I couldn't do push-ups properly until I did them today. And it didn't even sink in right away. I found Fitness Blender a few weeks ago and have been toying with the idea of doing some of the strength training videos. Today I decided to tackle the 20 minute upper body video. In the video, there's three sets of 12 reps of push-ups. I didn't even try doing full-on toe push-ups so I did the knee push-ups. I couldn't quite keep up and was only able to do 10 in the time the trainer does 12. Completed the round of exercises and came back to the push-up. Second time I did 10 push-ups again. Third time, 10 more push-ups. I wasn't even paying that much attention. I was really focusing on doing the exercises properly and lasting through the entire 20 minutes so the fact that I was doing push-ups was just something that I didn't even think about. It wasn't until I was rolling up my yoga mat and putting away my dumbbells that I realized I had done push-ups. I had done proper push-ups without my ass pointing to the sky. And I hadn't struggled through them either. Unless you've been in the same position or had a similar physical nemesis, I'm not sure you can understand what that meant to me.

I've been trying to take time to savor my NSVs lately. And give them their proper (food-less) celebration. I feel really good when I have an NSV and if I can hang onto that feeling, it helps me get through it when things start getting tough. This NSV is going to last me a while.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: KC

Yep, that's right. My next Blogging From A to Z Challenge post is all about me!

Actually, I just couldn't think of a good K. So I went with KC and figured I'd tell you things about me that don't fit into the other posts. I have them all planned out so I know what I'm going to write about. Hopefully I don't duplicate anything. If I do, sorry.

 

So there's me. I gave myself some bangs a couple weeks ago and took pictures to show them off. That's my natural curl on the right. It behaved itself rather well the day I took that picture. That's even a little windblown. I do wear glasses. I took them off in the pictures because they kept reflecting the window and made me look like I had no eyes.

I figure probably the best format is some random facts. I'll go for ten. So here we go...

1. I'm afraid of the dark. I have a multi-device charger that has a blue light on it that I use like a night light.

2. Clowns are really damned creepy. I hate them. I don't want them around me in any way, shape or form. There's a reason that Pennywise is a clown. Because Stephen King knows that all clowns are serial killers.

3. I refuse to leave my toenails unpainted. The only time they're unpainted is while I'm actually giving myself a pedicure and changing the polish. If I'm ever in a coma or physically unable to paint them myself, I expect my family to maintain them.

4. As much as I love music, I'm not an auditory person at all. I have to learn by reading and doing. When I had lecture-type classes in school, I tuned out a lot.

5. I get motion-sick playing video games. The darker the game screen, the worse it is. As a result, I'm not a very good gamer. I can only play for about 20 minutes at a time so it takes me months to complete games. So I generally stick to racing or Harry Potter games that will keep me interested for months.

6. I daydream. A lot. You know that stereotype that pisces are spacey and daydreamy? Yup. Me.

7. Speaking of the zodiac... I do believe there's some validity to it. I like to read my horoscope at the end of the day to see how accurate it was.

8. I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. Some of the things that appeal to me are: photography, teaching, book store, yarn store, fabric store, coffee shop, dog bakery, writing, fashion design, interior design, bed and breakfasts, owning rental property, framing art, musician. Plus not to mention actually making money from selling my crochet, embroidery, sewing, quilting, etc.

9. I play the "If I win the Mega Millions..." game a lot. I like to think of ways that I would spend the money. I tell myself it's that whole "See it, Be it" thing. But I dunno, maybe I'm just torturing myself.

10. My favorite colors are brown and pink. I'm also drawn to purple, teal and blue a lot.

Wow. That was kind of hard to think of ten random things.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Johnny Jump Up

Today's episode of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge is all about alcohol! Whoooooohooooooo!

I'm not a huge drinker. I went through a phase where I was going to lots of parties and drank my fair share. Or more. I've had a few hangovers. I very rarely drink any more but there's still one beverage that I adore. Hard cider.

My favorite brand is Woodchuck. It was the first cider that I had and it's the one that I return to. I have a few in the fridge right now actually. I might motivate myself to go get one.

I actually got started drinking cider because I stopped at the liquour store on my way to a party. I was going to just grab some vodka and be on my way, but earlier in the day I had been listening to the Brobdingnagian Bards on my iPod. I had "Johnny Jump Up" stuck in my head. Since it's about cider, I bought a 6-pack. So I leave you with this video of Marc Gunn (half of the Brobdingnagian Bards) singing the song.

P.S. I did go grab one of my Woodchuck's from the fridge. Slainte!

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Ivinson Mansion

Hello again! For today's installment of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge I'm writing about the Ivinson Mansion in Laramie, Wyoming.

When I was eight years old, one of my brothers started attending the University of Wyoming. On one of our trips to visit him, we went to the house. I fell in love and have been in love ever since. This is my dreamhouse. Without a doubt, if I ever win the Mega Millions or become extrememly rich, I'm building myself a replica of this mansion.

The mansion was built from 1892 to 1893. And it's just magnificent. It was a girls school for a while and has since become a museum. The mansion is three floors and has a beautiful circular staircase. I know that it's fashionable right now to have the large open floor plans, but I love the smaller rooms that are typical of a Victorian home. Probably this house is why. And the house has a dumb-waiter. That's just awesome.

You can learn more about the mansion's history and the original owners by visiting LaramieMuseum.org

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Harry Potter

Welcome to today's post for the Blogging From A to Z Challenge, the letter H. For Harry Potter. My second favorite book series.

I know that not everyone loves it. Some people even hate it. And we could sit here and debate for months and never get anywhere except frustrated. So I'll tell you my three favorite things about the series. If you want to read the series or have read it, great. If you don't, fine by me.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

1. Good wins. But after a long battle and it's hard earned. The series spans seven years (if you don't count the epilogue in Deathly Hallows) and it's a fairly rocky seven years. Harry has to fight for his own life, the lives of his friends, and humanity in general. But he doesn't always succeed in saving everyone. People do die. I'm glad that Jo put death in the books because it gives you a starting place when talking to children about a very real, very hard life lesson.

2. The underdog can find the strength they need to win. Oh, Neville Longbottom I adore you. Poor Neville is an easy target for the bullies, but he comes through in the end. He tries to stand up to the trio in Sorcerer's Stone. In Order of the Phoenix he fights right along side Harry and the other members of the D.A. at the ministry. And finally in Deathly Hallows after being brutally tormented by Voldemort, he kills Nagini. He promised Harry he would, so he does. I would take Neville in my corner every time. And of course, the very best line in the entire series came from an underdog. I'd like to see the person who didn't cheer when Molly Weasley boldly tells Bellatrix Lestrange "Not my daughter, you bitch." In every book, Molly was portrayed as the stay-at-home mother, little woman type. Yes, she's the glue that holds the Weasley family together. But really, she doesn't do much through the series in the way of actual fighting. She's a support for the Order, not a fighting member. But in that moment, after she's lost a son and her only daughter is being attacked, she will fight and die for her child if she has to. She takes on, holds her own against, and defeats the second-strongest evil character in the books.

3. At the end of the day, they provide an escape. My favorite thing about about reading in general is the escape from my real life. For that time while I'm reading a book, I'm someplace else. I'm someone else. I can be Molly Weasley defeating Bellatrix. I can be on that hippogriff with Harry. I can play quidditch. I can chase a Cornish pixie. I can turn my hair pink and marry a werewolf (who happens to be my favorite character). While I'm in the Harry Potter world, I don't have to worry about my own problems. I can concentrate on Harry and his problems. Because his are so much more interesting than mine.

So there you have it. My three favorite things about the Harry Potter series.

I'm Not Surprised




Thankfully today's the first rest day of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge. I need it. The writing is okay. I'm writing posts ahead of time and scheduling them. I have up to K written and after I write this post I'm planning on writing L. But it's not the writing that's been a problem. It's the commenting. I started out really well at the beginning of the week, I commented on almost 20 blogs the first day. Normally that's about the amount of blogs that I comment on in an entire month. Commenting is overwhelming for me and so far it's been a struggle to continue commenting.

So onto this week's weigh in! I wasn't surprised at all.

Weight: 262.8 lbs
Week Change: +0.7 lbs
Total Change: +0.2 lbs
Pounds to Goal: 117.8
BMI: 41.25

I have a plan but I'm having trouble implementing it. My plan isn't all kinds of crazy. It's to do yoga twice a day and walk Noel daily. Three sessions of cardio a week, three sessions of strength training a week and one rest day. For eating it's to maintain a negative net of calories every day. While I'm struggling over whether to schedule my rest days or just take them when I feel the need, that's not the problem I'm having.

The way I see it I can implement this one of three ways. I've been trying to dive in completely and do both the exercise and the calories. But I'm getting overwhelmed and am struggling to maintain it for multiple days. So that's not working for me. The other two ways are to implement exercise first and calories later, or to start with the calories first and the exercise later. I've read books arguing for instituting the exercise first but I've also read books saying that the calories need to come first. So I'm not sure which to do.

When I lost weight before, it just happened. I didn't have to put much effort into it. I went from having constant access to food to having limited access so my calorie count went down naturally. I was on my feet and active through the work day and would stop at the gym to relieve the stress from work on my way home.

I'm thinking that I'm going to try concentrating on just the exercise this next week. It's generally easier for me to control myself calorie wise than it is to motivate myself to do the exercise every day. I'll be really diligent about making sure that I get in all the exercise and just leave the calories alone until next week.Then my biggest problem is figuring out what to do about the rest day. Do I schedule it? Or wait till I'm tired and feel the need for one?

Movies!

I got a little bit behind on posting my thoughts on the movies I've been watching. So you get a four in one!

The Importance of Being Earnest - I got the version with Colin Firth and Reese Witherspoon. Apparently there's different version. The first half is slow and crazy boring. The last half, after the girls find out that the men are not named Ernest, is funny and entertaining. If you've never watched it, it's worth toughing out the first half because the second half is good.

After the Thin Man - The second in the series. The movie is funny as hell. Nick and Nora are home in California and her cousin's good-for-nothing husband is missing. It's got James Stewart in it. And it is AWESOME! Love him. Totally good. You have to watch it.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House - I put this in my queue because it has Cary Grant. But it also has Myrna Loy. And I have to say that I'm beginning to love her; she's excellent. This movie is similar to The Money Pit. But this one is sooooo much better. Check it out.

AnotherThin Man - Nick and Nora have a baby! I love how they start calling each other Mommy and Daddy through the movie. In some movies it feels really fake and is just stupid when characters do that, but it's so sweet and believable in this movie. The story is great too. For some reason the fourth and fifth movies aren't available on Netflix and there's an infinitely long wait for the sixth movie. Sucks.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Gardening

Note 9/3/12: Was messing with my photo galleries and screwed up the links to the pictures so they aren't available any more.

Welcome to the next installment of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge: the letter G.

And it's Gardening!

I absolutely love flowers and gardening but I am a pretty haphazard gardener. I just put things in where I feel like it. I only halfway pay attention to whether the plant is a sun or shade lover. And I definitely do not create one of those fancy designed gardens that you always see on HGTV.

I absolutely have to have sunflowers in my garden every year because they're my favorite flower. So I go overboard with them. I also have to have marigolds, chrysanthemums, roses and my new love: irises. I've never had irises until we moved into this house and there were already some here. They're gorgeous, and easy. I love them. Otherwise, I just buy what makes me happy and attracts my eye in the store or Burpees catalog. I loooooove getting this in the mail. There have been several times I've been tempted to just plop on the sidewalk to pore through it. Below are some photos that I took in August 2010 of flowers in my garden. Enjoy.

Blogging From A to Z: Fashion Icons

Note 9/4/12: I've removed the photos from this post.

Today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge is brought to you by the letter F. For Fashion Icons. If you asked most of the people around me, they would describe me as a jeans and t-shirt girl. But inside, I'm totally not. I lapse into wearing jeans and t-shirts because they're easy when you're overweight. I pay more attention to the trends and celebrity style than most people realize I do. So here's my five favorite fashion icons and why.


Audrey Hepburn. Her clothes are elegant and classic. Nearly everything she wore in all of her movies could be worn now with no or very little tweaking. Even the dress above.


Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge. She dresses very feminine without crossing the line into trying to be a little girl.


Doris Day. Her clothing was elegant as Audrey Hepburn but seems to be a little more accessible. She wore loads of shirt dresses (I couldn't find any pictures of her in a shirt dress, I've seen most of her movies, I KNOW they were a staple of her wardrobe) and shift dresses in her movies.


Helena Bonham Carter. Because she just doesn't give a rat's ass what you think about how she dresses. She's knows exactly who she is and oozes self-confidence. She's my new hero because she doesn't feel the need to fit in or shrink away to hide in the shadows. I want to be like that.





Katharine Hepburn. She was known for wearing menswear-inspired clothing. And she did it with sophistication and femininity. And when she wore dresses, WOW. Whatever she wore, she knew was was flattering and always accented her thin waist and ended up looking long and lean.

 

 

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Erik

Welcome back for today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge entry. The letter E. For Erik. One of my favorite characters ever. You know the guy. Or maybe you don't. Well, you probably do, but maybe you don't know that his name is Erik. I'm talking about the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Yes, he has a name. This is my favorite stand-alone novel.

I first became interested in Phantom... when my oldest brother took me to see the live stage show in Denver my sophmore year in high school. It was the first time that I saw a professional stage show like that and I was just so in love with it. The story, the singing, the costumes, the sets. It took a couple years, but eventually I bought and read the actual novel.

If I loved the musical, there's no words to describe how I feel about the novel. In the novel, Erik is both more terrifying and more sympathic. You get a much deeper understanding of why he is the way that he is. But he also kills more people and more vicious. The mirrored room sounds absolutely horrifying. I don't even want to know where Leroux got the idea for that. The chapter where Christine has to decide between turning the scorpion figurine or the grasshopper figure always has me on the edge of my seat. Every time I read it. Even though I know what the outcome is and which gets turned, it's still so tense. Even when you know what happens to Raoul and the Person, the writing is so brilliant you forget that you know what happens. You're there in the room with them waiting to find out whether they'll be saved or not.

This book should be on everyone's Bucket List of books to read.

P.S. I'd turn the scorpion.

Image Credit: elavielevenstar @ fanpop.com

I Still Have An Opinion

Note: For sure this post is going to include a photo that has the F word on it. I may swear myself. Not sure yet. We'll see. If that offends you, please skip this post. I'm also changing the names of those involved. If they choose to reveal their identities in the comments, that's okay with me. If they don't, please respect their privacy and don't search them out.

I told myself that I'm an adult. That I was just going walk away from the fight with my head held high. But I can't let it go. One specific question has been bugging me all afternoon since an ugly Facebook exchange:

At what weight did I lose my right to have an opinion?

Earlier today, Bob posted the following picture on Facebook.

When I first saw it, I didn't even read it. I just kept on going because I recognized Marilyn Monroe, and I'm not a fan at all so I figured the picture wasn't worth my brain cells. But then Bob made a comment on Twitter about how some people just don't get the point of a picture. So I gave the picture a second glance, agreed with the message and tweeted "I don't get how it's totally cool to make fat jokes but it's not okay to say a woman w/ curves is sexier than a skeleton." Little did I know I was going to get totally nailed for that one.

Bob posted my comment on Facebook and I was totally okay with that. Fred commented that fat jokes weren't okay and since they were kind of wishy-washy (in my opinion) in their Marilyn picture comments, condemning fat people for disliking skinny people but not saying anything about skinny people disliking fat people, I felt the need to defend my comment. So I did. With this:

"Music, movies, television, magazines, books, stores and advertisements all bombard us with how sexy is only skinny. And all of the above are guilty of making anyone they deem overweight the butt of the jokes. Fred, you may say it's not cool to make fat jokes, but it is most certainly acceptable and expected in society."

Another person, George, commented in agreement with Bob and myself. So Paul commented and attacked, singling out Bob and George in a very harsh, personal way saying that they hoped Bob and George never had children. The entire rant spread over a few comments and got pretty ugly. Paul used the words "fucking trolls" and "fucking sick" in the rant. Keep in mind, that no one had called out any specific person or even made allusions to someone being a skeleton. Nor had anyone used any swear words. George posted a comment in their own defense then deleted it. But I had to chime in. Not only did Paul get personal, but they called out Bob and George for a comment they didn't make. I have since deleted my comment so I might not get it exactly word for word. But this is pretty close:

"Paul - Woah, do not attack Bob and George that way. You have no right to tell them you hope they never have children. They are not the ones who made the skeleton comment, I did. I used a generic term in reference to a specific body type. As for your daughter - since I have never met her - I can't judge her (Paul brought up their daughter, no one else did). As for your comments? Pot calling the kettle black?"

Of course, Paul went on to post a comment questioning how it was okay for me to make fun of a body type but not for them to make fun of people I know. They also said "Your hatred of other women is just disturbing". Well obviously, they don't know me. They would know I hate equally. I'm a non-discriminatory hater. (Sorry, joking may be inappropriate but I can't help it.) I realized that no matter what I said, I'd be wrong. So I posted an apology to Bob: "I apologize for my comments on your timeline. It was not appropriate nor the place for such comments and I'm genuinely sorry if my behavior reflected negatively upon you." I was hoping that my apology would put an end to the rant and that hopefully Paul would feel compelled to apologize for their extremely personal attack on Bob and George.

But it didn't.

They proceeded to point out how negative and narrow minded I am, told me I don't love myself and offered to be my friend so they could show me how wrong I am. Insert eye roll here. Okay, I am sort of negative. But narrow minded? Eh, I'm not sure that's me. I give every person I meet the same fair consideration. I don't judge them based on their height, weight, race, sex, sexual preference, pet preference, whatever. And as for not loving myself? I believe I have a healthy self-awareness and love. I'm perfectly aware of what makes me fabulous and what my flaws are. Yes, I'm fat. It's not said to degrade myself. It's a fact. My weight, BMI, and clothing size will all tell you that.

And offering to be my friend to show me how wrong I am? That's not a friend. Friendship is built on common interests and support. Friends will be there to pick you up when you feel bad about yourself, they help you find the very best in yourself when you're lost in the fog. No thanks, Paul is not the friend I want.

But that brings me back to my question, at what weight did I lose the right to have an opinion?

Right or wrong, I stand beyall the comments I made today. I've said it before and I'll say it again in the future. A woman with curves is more attractive and sexier than a woman who looks like a skeleton. Am I being mean referring to some women as skeletons? Yes. But that doesn't make me a completely horrible, self-loathing person. It makes me a person with an opinion.

Why are people allowed to pass judgement on me based on my weight but I can't pass judgement on them? Tit for tat, people.

And where was Paul when my own grandfather called me fat and lazy at the weight of 220 pounds and my most active and not a single person defended me?

Where was Paul when I was 21 and a guy I was attracted to told me point blank to my face that I was too fat to be pretty at 200 pounds?

Where was Paul my senior year of high school when a girl in my English class told me no one was asking me to prom because I was too fat at 180 pounds?

Where was Paul in eighth grade when a girl pushed me against the gym changing room lockers because I couldn't do a cart wheel?

That's right. NOT THERE. Never has anyone stood up for me and defended me from bullies. NEVER. Not one single time. I've had to do it myself. So yes, I call super skinny women skeletons. I don't feel bad for it. Has anyone asked them if they feel bad for calling me fat, disgusting or gross? I have never once been the initiator and called someone a derogatory name without provocation. Is it wrong and unChristian? Yes. We're specifically told to turn the other cheek. But I don't. I stand my ground and defend myself now after years of taking shit. I'm not perfect. And I don't pretend to be. I have an opinion. A lot of times I express it. Sometimes the way I express it isn't politically correct. But damnit, I'm still allowed to have a fucking opinion. Even though I'm fat.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Dallas, Lieutenant Eve

Today's Blogging From A to Z Challenge entry is the letter D.

For Dallas, Lieutenant Eve.

In case you don't know, she is the main character in my favorite ever book series the In Death series by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts). I got started reading the series when Nora Roberts' book The Villa was released in 2002. She was signing autographs at the local Barnes & Noble so my mom and I had to go. While we were in line, we started talking to another woman who was there and during the conversation she mentioned the In Death books. At first I was really skeptical. A futuristic romance about a by-the-book cop and a shady character? It sounded a bit stupid so I kinda blew the woman off. But a couple months later, on a midnight trip to Safeways I broke down and bought the first one. And I loved it. I've been hooked ever since. It took me a couple years, but I got my mom hooked as well.

So what are the top three reasons I love this series?

First, it's a series. I'm biased towards series. When I read, I can see the characters and hear the voices. So when I read a series, they go beyond just a character, they become a living part of me. It's hard to explain. I know there's some people out there nodding, agreeing with me and others wondering if I need to be committed. But really, a well-rounded character jumps off the page and becomes like family for me. This happens more with a series for me than with a single novel.

Second, Peabody. I love Peabody. She's not even around in the first couple books and when she does appear she's a lowly uniform cop who idolizes Eve. Over the course of the series, she becomes Eve's assistant, then after she becomes a detective, she's Eve's partner. She's smart, intuitive, sassy, and an amazing cop. She's not just Eve's partner, she's one of her very best friends. And in case you were wondering, in my head, Peabody is Queen Latifah. That just makes Peabody more awesome.

Third, Roarke. His amazingness just cannot be captured in a blog post. I love Roarke so much that if an Irish man with blue eyes and black hair ever calls me Darling, I'm sunk. I'm marrying him. (Hmmm, I wonder if this is why I love Tristan Macmanus on DWTS so much... he's got the perfect accent...)

I love Eve also. And many of the other characters. There's a large variety of personalities and professions. There's a character named Crack. Because that's the sound heads make when he hits them together. Seriously. That's in the books. I'm not even making that up. I could write a hundred blog posts about this book series, and not even scratch the surface. Just go read them.

The Thin Man

Netflix suggested The Thin Man and since I'd heard about it several times, I  had to check it out.

Totally worth it.

It's a mystery movie but there's plenty of comedy throughout. The mystery plot is a good one. Suspenseful and engaging all the way through the movie. It was easy to follow without being monotonous. And the way it gets revealed at the end? I don't know if this movie created that method, but it's a classic that I've seen done several times.

I don't think that I've ever seen a movie with either William Powell or Myrna Loy before this but they are funny as hell. She has some of the best facial expressions. You can totally tell what the character Nora is thinking because of the facial expressions. And she's got some amazing clothes. And William Powell is charming and likeable but still believable as a great detective. Loved it. I'm hooked.

Blogging From A To Z Challenge: C-Food

Time for another entry in the Blogging From A to Z Challenge, the letter C! Yaaaaaayyyyyy!

When I was thinking of things to write about I made a mental list of my very favorite foods. Six of them to be exact. And I realized that of those six, five of them began with the letter C. How awesome (or weird) is that?

So here they are in no particular order...

Cheesecake. It doesn't matter what kind. Chocolate. Strawberry. New York. Turtle. Whatever. I love it, so gimme. I generally buy my cheesecake at Wal-Mart and have never made it. I did find this recipe by Bobby Flay and it makes me drool. I may have to attempt it. Did you know Paula Deen makes a deep-fried cheesecake? Excuse me while I go barf at the disgustingness of that.

Chicken and Dumplings. I loooooove chicken and dumplings. We don't eat it nearly enough and I don't know why. I could eat it every night and be totally okay with that. Yum.

Chocolate. Anyone who doesn't love chocolate must have something malfunctioning in their brain. Seriously. The best forms of it are Hershey Kisses, chocolate chip cookies (using the Nestle Toll House recipe), and chocolate milk.

Cherry Pepsi. I know, I know. It's so unhealthy. Easily the most unhealthy item on this list but I can't help it. I've always had a weakness for soda, especially this one. I've cut way back on my intake but it's still too easy for me to slide back into old routines.

Coffee. And I'm not even talking about the crazy expensive, novelty type at Starbucks. Just plain old coffee straight from the pot with a little bit of powder creamer. I love coffee. Einstein Brothers Bagels has some of the best flavors.

And in case you were wondering, my favorite food that's not a C is strawberries. Fresh unaltered strawberries. I can (and do) eat them by the pound. Do not come between me and strawberries, you're likely to get bitten. But oddly, I can't stand chocolate-covered strawberries. It takes something away from both the chocolate and the strawberry. Weird.

Blogging From A to Z Challenge: Beauty

Today's post is brought to you by the letter B. Don't forget to check out the site for the Blogging From A to Z Challenge!

I like to think that I have a healthy amount of vanity. I like to look nice and try to present the best-looking version of me to the world. But I don't spend hours (or hundreds of dollars) on upkeep. The most time-consuming task in my beauty routine is styling my hair. Because it's naturally curly and frizz-prone, it takes me about an hour to either straighten it or dry it in nice pretty curls.

So when I thought of Beauty for B and was trying to figure out exactly what I would write, I ended up on settling on a list of the products that I use. I'm a creature of habit and buy the same products over and over. So here you are, the list of some of my favorite products that make me look like my fabulous self...

Revlon Colorsilk hair dye #48 Burgundy - I started going grey a few years ago and dye my hair regularly. I played around with several colors and this is the one that I settled on.

AVON SuperExtend Extreme Mascara - This is brand new in my makeup selection and I LOVE it! Best mascara ever!

AVON True Color Eyeshadow Quad in Purple Haze, Mocha Latte and Fresh Cut Greens - Since I feel like my eyes are my best feature I found the colors I thought were most flattering and stick with them.

AVON Shine Attract Lipstick in Wrapped in Raisin - I looooove this lipstick. I usually put Chapstick over my lipstick for a slight sheen but I don't have to do that at all with this.

AVON Nail Experts Strong Results - If I can keep from biting my nails long enough for them to grow, this is fantastic.

Remington Wet 2 Style - I love this. Whoever invented it is amazing. Mine's not like the one they sell now, it's more of a flat iron with curved plates but it's awesome.

Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer - I love being tan so I used to use this and lay out in the sun (I'd be the worst vampire ever). This helps even out any tan lines you have and extends your tan further into the winter. I haven't bought any in a while because I had a bunch of other body lotions hanging out, taking up space and won't buy any till I use every other lotion I have, but this by far is my favorite.

That's it. Those are my favorites, the products I would shrivel up and die without. What's yours?

Mmmm Brains

Wow. I feel like my brain was taken out, shoved in a blender, then put back in my head. I admit it. I'm usually a lurker on blogs. I comment on very few. That isn't going to fly with the A to Z Challenge. I've already commented on 13 blogs today. No wonder my brain feels mushy.

But that's not why I'm posting this. It's Weigh In Day! Whooooooooohoooooooo.

See? I told you my brain was mushy. Who gets that excited over weighing in.

It was... better news than I expected. I did okay following my new plan Sunday and Monday, but then tanked. I can not get my head into this. I don't know why. So I honestly expected a gain. Maybe if I was lucky, I'd stay the same. But I lost some weight. Not much but some. I'll take it!

Weight: 262.1 lbs
Week Change: 0.5 lb loss
Total Change: 0.5 lb loss
Pounds to Goal: 117.1
BMI: 41.14

I woke up with a fresh determination and brain fog. Yes, both at the same time. I can't explain it. And despite my zombie-like state I managed to get in my yoga. I did fall asleep during relaxation pose. Normally after yoga, I feel loose and awake. I still felt like a zombie. Decided it probably wouldn't be a good thing to force it through the elliptical because of the danger of falling off and injuring myself or Noel (she likes to lay by the elliptical while I exercise) so I zombied my way through the stationary bike. I did zone out quite a bit during this, but still managed to burn 200 calories. The bike cleared away most of my brain fog so I felt better afterwards.

That's it for now. Off to watch the race.

Blogging from A to Z Challenge: Ancestry & Connection

Hello! Welcome to my very first Blogging from A to Z Challenge entry. Not just my first entry for the year, my first entry EVER. I'm a total newbie this year. As soon as I read about it, I knew immediately what my A entry would be. It's an idea I've toyed with writing on my blog, but I didn't know if it fit. But I think it's a great way to start.

A year or so ago, I started thinking about my ancestry and my connection to the cultures of my ancestors. My dad is obsessed with genealogy so I can tell you that I'm a American-born European mutt. I'm pretty sure the list of what I'm not is shorter than what I am. Please don't make me list everything that I remember him saying we are because genealogy makes me go cross-eyed and fuzzy-brained. But the point is, that while I'm probably related to every person in Europe, I don't feel a connection to most of the cultures of my ancestors. They're just words on a page; they don't mean anything to me. But I do feel a connection and a curiosity two definite cultures from my ancestry: the French and the Irish.

I've always loved Paris. I love pictures of Paris. Reading about Paris. My favorite book is set in Paris (come back for my E post). There has just always been a connection to France within me. I got to go to France after I graduated from high school and our tour guide showed us a statue of Charlemagne. And as I looked up at it, I remember thinking "I came from him." That was the first time I felt a real connection to a name from my dad's genealogy research.

But I'm really drawn towards the Irish ancestry. I want to see Ireland. I want to see where my ancestors lived, how they lived, how they worked. What clothes did they wear? What were their favorite colors? Their favorite songs? Did they play the fiddle, the bagpipes, the flute? Did they dance? I can't even really explain it. It's beyond wanting to know all those things. It's a need to know about them.

Does anyone else have that? Where you have ancestors from many different cultures but you only feel a connection to one or two?