Hey!
So, instead of eating less, I’m eating more… I think I’m rebelling against myself. You know how you want something but you fight against yourself? I suppose that’s a good definition of addiction. For every thing I don’t bring into the house or eat at work, there’s something else I break down and eat. *sigh*
I keep praying and trying to eat the way I want to eat.
Negatives--screw them. They have no place here!
Positives:
Didn’t buy little 500 calorie apple pies because it’s an American holiday and what better way to celebrate than Hostess apple pie?
Didn’t buy Target popcorn to bring home.
I’ll strive for more positives in the future. What actually worked for me was a habit I got into last fall, around the same time I was reading Bethanny Frankel’s book-here‘s what I was doing:
Breakfast-half a bagel and a schmear of peanut butter for protein 100 calories
Lunch-200 to 300 calorie frozen meal
2PM-100 calorie snack
Dinner-200 to 300 calories
Dessert-fruit and yogurt 200 calories
It was SO doable. I actually started losing weight, then the holidays hit… There have been holidays that I actually lost weight ‘cause I was that damn good. But last year I fell off the wagon and under the wheels… And I’ve been dragged by the wagon ever since.
This month, I turn 55. I’m so sick of this psycho yo yo crap! Am I still going to be shoveling cheese crackers with a Reese’s Piece’s chaser into my face when I’m 90? It’s sad to think that the only vestige of my personality to survive senility would be my eating obsession.
OK, end of rant. Thanks for listening…
If you need a picker upper of a movie, go see Larry Crowne. It’s a chick flik, no doubt about it, complete with fairly simple premise, sweetly eccentric characters (George Takei as a crazy brilliant economics teacher, a scooter gang and Cedric the Entertainer as a neighbor with a perpetual yard sale), lots of flirting, a little porno and the requisite happy ending. I love me some Tom Hanks!!
C’est la vie!
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Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Finnegan, Begin Again…
Hey!
Why is it that when you start a weight loss campaign, you immediately gain weight?? I know, I know, I’m impatient… The first time I weighed myself after starting to count calories, I’d gained a dang pound. *sigh*
So, I need to reiterate my first three rules:
1. No eating after 7:30
2. Walking every day
3. Just say no.
I haven’t done badly at the eating after 7:30--maybe some fruit or a couple of hard candies. Walking… I did dig out my walking DVD and did a three mile Thursday night. A good start. The Husband is working late six nights out of the coming 8, so I’ll do it as many times as I can (hopefully six!).
Saying no… I’ve been playing head games with that one. Pie at work--I can have a small piece if I forgo the 100 calorie pudding I brought for a snack. Let’s see--the pie, even a small piece, is probably 300 to 500 calories. But do I run those figures when I’m saying, oh yeah, cut me a slice??
I need to sit down and read through Bethanny Frankel’s Naturally Thin, again. It helped me last year and it can help me again. Her advice is very down to earth and soooo doable. But like anything else that deals with addiction, you need to have it in front of you often, so you don’t forget you have a problem. That’s what AA is based on--constantly reminding yourself that you have a problem so you don’t start acting like you don’t have a problem…
Ah, well… On the creative front, I finished an open round chainmaille bracelet and worked on a new chain necklace. The necklace I have to tweak a little, shortening the length of a couple of strands. But it felt good to be working on jewelry. Lately, I haven’t been very inspired. But learning that open round weave got me working again! And today I took a class at the Bead Society where we made a fabric flower and embellished it with beads, chain and a pendant. Fun!
C’est la vie!
http://www.bearchick.etsy.com/
http://www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com/
Why is it that when you start a weight loss campaign, you immediately gain weight?? I know, I know, I’m impatient… The first time I weighed myself after starting to count calories, I’d gained a dang pound. *sigh*
So, I need to reiterate my first three rules:
1. No eating after 7:30
2. Walking every day
3. Just say no.
I haven’t done badly at the eating after 7:30--maybe some fruit or a couple of hard candies. Walking… I did dig out my walking DVD and did a three mile Thursday night. A good start. The Husband is working late six nights out of the coming 8, so I’ll do it as many times as I can (hopefully six!).
Saying no… I’ve been playing head games with that one. Pie at work--I can have a small piece if I forgo the 100 calorie pudding I brought for a snack. Let’s see--the pie, even a small piece, is probably 300 to 500 calories. But do I run those figures when I’m saying, oh yeah, cut me a slice??
I need to sit down and read through Bethanny Frankel’s Naturally Thin, again. It helped me last year and it can help me again. Her advice is very down to earth and soooo doable. But like anything else that deals with addiction, you need to have it in front of you often, so you don’t forget you have a problem. That’s what AA is based on--constantly reminding yourself that you have a problem so you don’t start acting like you don’t have a problem…
Ah, well… On the creative front, I finished an open round chainmaille bracelet and worked on a new chain necklace. The necklace I have to tweak a little, shortening the length of a couple of strands. But it felt good to be working on jewelry. Lately, I haven’t been very inspired. But learning that open round weave got me working again! And today I took a class at the Bead Society where we made a fabric flower and embellished it with beads, chain and a pendant. Fun!
C’est la vie!
http://www.bearchick.etsy.com/
http://www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com/
Friday, June 17, 2011
105 by 12/25!
105 by 12/25! That’s my new motto.
But to get there, I need to start saying NO! Unfortunately, today that didn’t work… I compared myself to Pavlov’s dog and Woofed on Twitter… Offered cake and ice cream at work, did I stop to think? Did I consider just visiting with co-workers and foregoing the sweets? Huh?? *sigh* This is a process…
C’est la vie!
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http://www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com/
But to get there, I need to start saying NO! Unfortunately, today that didn’t work… I compared myself to Pavlov’s dog and Woofed on Twitter… Offered cake and ice cream at work, did I stop to think? Did I consider just visiting with co-workers and foregoing the sweets? Huh?? *sigh* This is a process…
C’est la vie!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
http://www.bearchicksundries.etsy.com/
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Did You Miss Moi??
Hey!
Yeah, so, ‘k. It’s been a while… And I think all I’ve done since my last post is eat…
I’ve been reading Chris Powell’s AOL blogs and he’s been talking about declaring your SMART goals. They must be measurable and time sensitive. So, here goes: I want to weigh 105 pounds by Christmas. No, I haven’t weighed myself today. I’ve been on vacation and The Husband has been a very bad influence (Yeah, that’s it! Blame The Husband!) I will weigh myself this weekend, in the pathetic hope that I can redeem myself tomorrow and Friday, perhaps losing what I must have gained over the last debauched week…
The Husband also wants to lose weight and be generally healthier, so I’ll chronicle us both but I’ll concentrate on my details mostly. Since I can’t be with him every minute, he’s on the honor system and naturally, responsible for his own eating. I can only try to keep us on the straight and narrow here at home…
Here are our official Before pictures:
Big belly is what The Husband needs to work on.
So, here are the first two Carter’s Rules for Healthier Living:
1) No eating after 7:30
Totally doable! We’ve been practicing this for a while (ok, we slipped a bit during vacation, but tomorrow we’re back to it)
2) Walking every day.
We used to walk every day. Some days we’d be up at the crack of dawn, bundled up to our eyeballs, walking at 6:30AM! Hmmm… Somehow got out of that habit and it shows. Back to it!
One thing I’ve been doing lately in the name of healthier eating is substituting Greek Yogurt for mayonnaise. Yum! I use it in tuna salad with relish~it actually gives the flavor a little tang and reduces the fat content by tons. Try it!
So, enough of this healthy stuff! The Husband and I went to see the new Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris. Right up my alley, oui?! I loved it! Naturally, the backdrop of Paris is amazing~the first five minutes of the film is a valentine to the city, ambling through the familiar and the common, from day to night. LOVELY! But the story is also wonderful, with the Jazz Age and all it’s wonderful characters, as a lesson in finding our bliss. It’s definitely one I want to own on DVD!
I’ll try to write every day but… You know how that goes. But I do believe that you do what you concentrate on and lately my concentration has been AWOL, in a lot of aspects of my life. And that’s why I’m such a mess lately. So, watch this space and let’s see how I do!
C’est la vie!
http://www.bearchick.etsy.com/
Yeah, so, ‘k. It’s been a while… And I think all I’ve done since my last post is eat…
I’ve been reading Chris Powell’s AOL blogs and he’s been talking about declaring your SMART goals. They must be measurable and time sensitive. So, here goes: I want to weigh 105 pounds by Christmas. No, I haven’t weighed myself today. I’ve been on vacation and The Husband has been a very bad influence (Yeah, that’s it! Blame The Husband!) I will weigh myself this weekend, in the pathetic hope that I can redeem myself tomorrow and Friday, perhaps losing what I must have gained over the last debauched week…
The Husband also wants to lose weight and be generally healthier, so I’ll chronicle us both but I’ll concentrate on my details mostly. Since I can’t be with him every minute, he’s on the honor system and naturally, responsible for his own eating. I can only try to keep us on the straight and narrow here at home…
Here are our official Before pictures:
Big face, big legs, just big big big!
So, here are the first two Carter’s Rules for Healthier Living:
1) No eating after 7:30
Totally doable! We’ve been practicing this for a while (ok, we slipped a bit during vacation, but tomorrow we’re back to it)
2) Walking every day.
We used to walk every day. Some days we’d be up at the crack of dawn, bundled up to our eyeballs, walking at 6:30AM! Hmmm… Somehow got out of that habit and it shows. Back to it!
One thing I’ve been doing lately in the name of healthier eating is substituting Greek Yogurt for mayonnaise. Yum! I use it in tuna salad with relish~it actually gives the flavor a little tang and reduces the fat content by tons. Try it!
So, enough of this healthy stuff! The Husband and I went to see the new Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris. Right up my alley, oui?! I loved it! Naturally, the backdrop of Paris is amazing~the first five minutes of the film is a valentine to the city, ambling through the familiar and the common, from day to night. LOVELY! But the story is also wonderful, with the Jazz Age and all it’s wonderful characters, as a lesson in finding our bliss. It’s definitely one I want to own on DVD!
I’ll try to write every day but… You know how that goes. But I do believe that you do what you concentrate on and lately my concentration has been AWOL, in a lot of aspects of my life. And that’s why I’m such a mess lately. So, watch this space and let’s see how I do!
C’est la vie!
http://www.bearchick.etsy.com/
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Book Meme 11
Hey!
Day 11 - A book that disappointed you
Oh, that would have to be The Big Steal by Emyl Jenkins. Her first book was really good and I liked the lead character, Sterling Glass, who is a woman of a certain age. I feel bad dissing this book because the author wrote me a very nice email, telling me that this book was delayed because she'd lost her mother-in-law, who was a dear friend, and she was having a hard time dealing with her loss. But this book, although it had some memorable scenes, seemed to ramble and Sterling didn't have the same verve as in the first book. There wasn't a satisfying ending and we were left with lots of loose ends.
Here's something I should have used for a previous Meme--a plot device I find irritating. Sterling has two gentlemen love interests. Too many books do this (and tv shows) (and movies). Love triangles pretty much are set ups for failure. If a choice is ever actually made, there's always the nagging doubts, which are just plain boring… And sometimes when a choice is made, the writer (be they book, tv or movie) just doesn't know what to do with the characters then. I really do prefer a character in a good relationship from the get go. But I digress.
Anyway, I'm hoping there'll be a third book in this series because I know there's lots of potential for this character and her antiques business. I will definitely be there, cheering her on.
C’est la vie!
Day 11 - A book that disappointed you
Oh, that would have to be The Big Steal by Emyl Jenkins. Her first book was really good and I liked the lead character, Sterling Glass, who is a woman of a certain age. I feel bad dissing this book because the author wrote me a very nice email, telling me that this book was delayed because she'd lost her mother-in-law, who was a dear friend, and she was having a hard time dealing with her loss. But this book, although it had some memorable scenes, seemed to ramble and Sterling didn't have the same verve as in the first book. There wasn't a satisfying ending and we were left with lots of loose ends.
Here's something I should have used for a previous Meme--a plot device I find irritating. Sterling has two gentlemen love interests. Too many books do this (and tv shows) (and movies). Love triangles pretty much are set ups for failure. If a choice is ever actually made, there's always the nagging doubts, which are just plain boring… And sometimes when a choice is made, the writer (be they book, tv or movie) just doesn't know what to do with the characters then. I really do prefer a character in a good relationship from the get go. But I digress.
Anyway, I'm hoping there'll be a third book in this series because I know there's lots of potential for this character and her antiques business. I will definitely be there, cheering her on.
C’est la vie!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Book Meme 10
Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
I've gotta talk about two books here.
The first is A.S. Byatt's Possession. It sounded sorta interesting, so I got it on tape at the library. But it turned out to be really enjoyable and I felt I was missing something by not being able to read it for myself. So I eventually picked up a copy of it and enjoyed every word. It deals with two stories of two couples, a century or so apart, and both tales are complicated and fascinating and the look into the world of academic politics is an education in itself.
The other is Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. I think it was the "It" book of that season and I had started reading it with an attitude of seeing what all the fuss was about. Turns out, the thoughtful narrative reveals an emotional story as well as a tense courtroom drama with a hint of mystery and potential betrayal. It takes place just before and after the Second World War and deals with the Japanese internment, first loves and a decision that could ruin lives.
I've gotta talk about two books here.
The first is A.S. Byatt's Possession. It sounded sorta interesting, so I got it on tape at the library. But it turned out to be really enjoyable and I felt I was missing something by not being able to read it for myself. So I eventually picked up a copy of it and enjoyed every word. It deals with two stories of two couples, a century or so apart, and both tales are complicated and fascinating and the look into the world of academic politics is an education in itself.
The other is Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. I think it was the "It" book of that season and I had started reading it with an attitude of seeing what all the fuss was about. Turns out, the thoughtful narrative reveals an emotional story as well as a tense courtroom drama with a hint of mystery and potential betrayal. It takes place just before and after the Second World War and deals with the Japanese internment, first loves and a decision that could ruin lives.
C’est la vie!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Book Meme 9
Hey!
Day 09 - Best scene ever
I don't know if this is the Best Scene Ever but it's certainly stuck with me for 35 years!
If memory serves, it takes place in the first few chapters of Stephen King's Salems Lot. Danny Glick's brother died under mysterious circumstances. In his room a few nights later, Danny sees his brother OUTSIDE his bedroom window--ON THE SECOND FLOOR!
PS-yeah, I know I missed Day 8... It’s coming soon…
Day 09 - Best scene ever
I don't know if this is the Best Scene Ever but it's certainly stuck with me for 35 years!
If memory serves, it takes place in the first few chapters of Stephen King's Salems Lot. Danny Glick's brother died under mysterious circumstances. In his room a few nights later, Danny sees his brother OUTSIDE his bedroom window--ON THE SECOND FLOOR!
'k, this creeped me out when I read it. But now, when I catch a glimpse of myself in a night-darkened window when I'm not expecting to--I jump 3 feet! And the fact that I can still remember the character's name after all these years-yeah, best scene, definitely!
PS-yeah, I know I missed Day 8... It’s coming soon…
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Book Meme 7
Hey!
Day 07 - Least favorite plot device employed by way too many books you actually enjoyed otherwise
Had to think a while on this one but lately I’ve been reading some books with truly annoying mother figures--moms, step-moms, etc. I think this counts as plot device. If not, ah well, it’s the only thing I could think of…
The Georgiana Neverall books by Christy Evans ~ a realtor mom who‘s very unhappy with her daughters‘ life choices
The Queen Betsey Vampire series by MaryJanice Davidson ~ a step-mother who hits every Stepmom cliché in the book
The Trash and Treasure mysteries by Barbara Allan ~ a bi-polar mom who has grown on me considerably
The Debutante Dropout Mysteries by Susan McBride ~ a high society mom who has her heartfelt moments lately
The Ministry is Murder Mysteries by Emilie Richards ~ a hippie mom who gets her nose into everything (again, she’s growing on me)
The Crimes of Fashion Mysteries ~ a long distance mom who’s a nosey parker
C’est la vie!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Book Meme 6
Hey!
Day 06 - Favorite book of your favorite series OR your favorite book of all time
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore--It’s not a series but he so often uses the same characters that I’m considering it a legitimate cheat…
Christopher Moore’s greatest talent is combining over the top imagination with heart. A Dirty Job is about young widower, single father and second hand goods shop owner Charlie Asher, a regular guy who becomes Death. Along with Minty Fresh, a big black man who wears light green suits and should be played by Will Smith if this is ever made into a movie, who helps Charlie settle into his new part time job as a collector of souls.
This isn’t the craziest plot Moore has come up with but I picked it as my favorite because it has the most warmth for and among its characters. I read it when it came out a few years ago, so please forgive my non-memory for names… First, there’s his daughter, who everyone loves, including two old ladies in his apartment house who vie for the honor of babysitting. Then there are the hell hounds, sent as guardians for the daughter when Charlie is off on assignment. The Emperor of San Francisco, a homeless man with two sweet dogs, who has made appearances in many of Moore’s books, I think mainly the vampire stories. Everyone loves the Emperor and his “men”.
The subject of death is approached from many different angles in this book--funny, angry, tender. Charlie is an Everyman, struggling to understand (the Great Big Book of Death, which would explain his mission, has been cadged by his shop employee, Goth Girl) and appreciate his new job, while trying to keep his precious daughter safe and sane. In true Moore fashion, it’s never as simple as it seems and Charlie finds himself defending the city against demons and harpies who’ve taken a Gold Rush-era ship buried under the streets of San Francisco as their HQ.
If you’ve never read Christopher Moore, this might be a good one to start with, since it’s got the best of him in one big volume (but I’m hoping for more of Charlie and his daughter). Warning, though. Moore gives nothing and no one a pass--if you are easily offended by sex, religion, race, gender or nationality jokes or really really crazy bad language, his books may not be for you. But if you want a laugh out loud funny (seriously, sometimes I embarrass myself in public reading Moore) while your heart is breaking literary experience, run do not walk to the nearest Christopher Moore bookshelf!
PS--I think I'm going to repeat this meme for movies and maybe even TV...
C’est la vie!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Book Meme 5
Hey!
Day 05 - A book or series you hate
Ok, I wouldn’t say hate… But I couldn’t finish The Lace Reader. There was so much violence and brutality that it wasn’t worth it for me to continue. When a book makes me so tense from worrying about the people or animals in it, I just don’t want that kind of bad juju in my life. The world is stressful enough. I read to de-stress and relax. I’m not against a good story with periods of violence or intermittent tension (I enjoyed The Lovely Bones) but when a book is relentless in its darkness, back to the library it goes!
C’est la vie!
Day 05 - A book or series you hate
Ok, I wouldn’t say hate… But I couldn’t finish The Lace Reader. There was so much violence and brutality that it wasn’t worth it for me to continue. When a book makes me so tense from worrying about the people or animals in it, I just don’t want that kind of bad juju in my life. The world is stressful enough. I read to de-stress and relax. I’m not against a good story with periods of violence or intermittent tension (I enjoyed The Lovely Bones) but when a book is relentless in its darkness, back to the library it goes!
C’est la vie!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Book Meme 4
Hey!
Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever
My favorite book, along with practically the entire population of the earth, is To Kill a Mockingbird.
So, I’ll tell you about my favorite series, the Sharon McCone mysteries, by Marcia Muller.
I discovered Sharon McCone somewhere in the mid-80’s at the Whittier Public Library. I quickly caught up on the series, which started with Edwin of the Iron Shoes, in 1977. To have read a series that 1.) an author has actually written for 30+ years and 2.) that has continued to grow and get better over time is just amazing. I always say that I feel like I’ve grown up with Sharon.
She started out as a young PI, working for a lawyer’s co-op in San Francisco. Over the years, lovers have come and gone, jobs have changed, an already problematic family got more complicated. But there are friends who’ve remained from the early days, mingling with new characters, and deep loyalties abound. Sharon has changed from an idealistic girl to a competent woman who’s seen more than her share of the dark side of the human psyche. She’s someone you want on your side because she’s not going to stop until she solves the puzzle.
I love that Marcia Muller has been fearless in her story lines. Her last book (this really isn’t a spoiler because the title, Locked In, pretty much tells the story) had Sharon in a waking coma, called locked-in syndrome. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book, coming out in October, to see what’s new with my long time BLFF (Best Literary Friend Forever).
C’est la vie!
Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever
My favorite book, along with practically the entire population of the earth, is To Kill a Mockingbird.
So, I’ll tell you about my favorite series, the Sharon McCone mysteries, by Marcia Muller.
I discovered Sharon McCone somewhere in the mid-80’s at the Whittier Public Library. I quickly caught up on the series, which started with Edwin of the Iron Shoes, in 1977. To have read a series that 1.) an author has actually written for 30+ years and 2.) that has continued to grow and get better over time is just amazing. I always say that I feel like I’ve grown up with Sharon.
She started out as a young PI, working for a lawyer’s co-op in San Francisco. Over the years, lovers have come and gone, jobs have changed, an already problematic family got more complicated. But there are friends who’ve remained from the early days, mingling with new characters, and deep loyalties abound. Sharon has changed from an idealistic girl to a competent woman who’s seen more than her share of the dark side of the human psyche. She’s someone you want on your side because she’s not going to stop until she solves the puzzle.
I don’t want to give anything away but I was happy when she finally found someone she could depend on and love unconditionally on her own terms. Yeah, I’m a romantic, so sue me… I think what I like best about the McCone series is the supportive people around her. Sometimes female PI’s are written to be too tough and fairly unlovable. Sharon is a mix of tough as she needs to be and as generous as she can be and has a tight circle of people around her as tough and generous as she is.
I love that Marcia Muller has been fearless in her story lines. Her last book (this really isn’t a spoiler because the title, Locked In, pretty much tells the story) had Sharon in a waking coma, called locked-in syndrome. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book, coming out in October, to see what’s new with my long time BLFF (Best Literary Friend Forever).
C’est la vie!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Book Meme 3
Hey!
Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months.
Mark Genevich is a Boston PI with narcolepsy. He makes his way in the world by doing computer investigations and living in a building owned by his tough/tender momma. When he’s approached by the DA’s daughter, a finalist in a fictional American Idol, he’s thrown into a noir adventure worthy of the finest pulp fiction.
Mark is at once pitiful and determined. He hides his strength behind flip comments and the behavior needed to stay awake at the most crucial moments. Once he’s committed to the daughter’s plight, whether he’s imagined her or not, he’s going to see it to the end, whether that means putting himself into a driver’s seat or getting the crap kicked out of him. His loyalty to the cause he’s chosen reminds me of the late Robert B. Parkers’ Spenser, only without that Boston PI’s street smarts and muscles.
There are a lot of reason’s I’m naming this as my fave in the last 12 months. One may be that it’s such a different vibe than most of what I’ve been reading lately. Darker, more painful. And the writing is full of humor and wordplay and strangely heartfelt. We want to see Mark succeed and not get hurt and stay awake when he needs to. We want to see him clean up his stark apartment and find someone who has the patience to walk with him through his slow-moving life.
I was happy to see that there is at least one more Mark Genevich book (I’ve read it--it’s as good as the first one-No Sleep Til Wonderland) and I’m hoping there’ll be more. Raymond Chandler would be proud.
C’est la vie!
Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months.
This is a tough one. I think I’ll have to say The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of comfortable little cozy mysteries and this book took a total 180 from those.
Mark Genevich is a Boston PI with narcolepsy. He makes his way in the world by doing computer investigations and living in a building owned by his tough/tender momma. When he’s approached by the DA’s daughter, a finalist in a fictional American Idol, he’s thrown into a noir adventure worthy of the finest pulp fiction.
Mark is at once pitiful and determined. He hides his strength behind flip comments and the behavior needed to stay awake at the most crucial moments. Once he’s committed to the daughter’s plight, whether he’s imagined her or not, he’s going to see it to the end, whether that means putting himself into a driver’s seat or getting the crap kicked out of him. His loyalty to the cause he’s chosen reminds me of the late Robert B. Parkers’ Spenser, only without that Boston PI’s street smarts and muscles.
There are a lot of reason’s I’m naming this as my fave in the last 12 months. One may be that it’s such a different vibe than most of what I’ve been reading lately. Darker, more painful. And the writing is full of humor and wordplay and strangely heartfelt. We want to see Mark succeed and not get hurt and stay awake when he needs to. We want to see him clean up his stark apartment and find someone who has the patience to walk with him through his slow-moving life.
I was happy to see that there is at least one more Mark Genevich book (I’ve read it--it’s as good as the first one-No Sleep Til Wonderland) and I’m hoping there’ll be more. Raymond Chandler would be proud.
C’est la vie!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Book Meme 2
Hey!
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about
This would have to be the Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane. The first book predates Harry Potter and must be where JK found her inspiration for Platform 9 ¾, since the characters in these books depart to different galaxies from a “door” in Grand Central Station…
Kit and Nita find each other as they’re discovering their own magical abilities. Don’t get me wrong~I love Harry Potter~but in Kit and Nita’s world, they are much more autonomous and take on world-saving responsibilities time and again. They are full of emotion and epic epicness. OK, epic epicness just means these kids go through more heartache and stress than most teenage heroes. They have advisors but are mostly on their own, so they form a bond that both strengthens and warps over the course of time and adolescence. And family plays a much bigger and more supportive role in these books, too.
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Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about
This would have to be the Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane. The first book predates Harry Potter and must be where JK found her inspiration for Platform 9 ¾, since the characters in these books depart to different galaxies from a “door” in Grand Central Station…
Kit and Nita find each other as they’re discovering their own magical abilities. Don’t get me wrong~I love Harry Potter~but in Kit and Nita’s world, they are much more autonomous and take on world-saving responsibilities time and again. They are full of emotion and epic epicness. OK, epic epicness just means these kids go through more heartache and stress than most teenage heroes. They have advisors but are mostly on their own, so they form a bond that both strengthens and warps over the course of time and adolescence. And family plays a much bigger and more supportive role in these books, too.
So, start with So You Want to Be a Wizard, read the eight books after that and I’ll bet you’ll be waiting eagerly for the tenth book after that, too!
C’est la vie!
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Sunday, September 5, 2010
Book Meme Beginnings
Hey!
So, the weight loss thing pretty much petered out after 20 pounds… I’m still limping along but that’s a story for another day.
One of my bloggy friends, Judy Edmonds over at Sheep Rustling, is doing a meme about books. It’s a series of questions she’s answering day by day, as she has a chance. Since I’m a lifelong reader and my next tattoo will probably be designed around books and the word READ, this meme is right up my literate alley.
So, here’s #1:
Day 01 - A book series you wish had gone on longer OR a book series you wish would just freaking end already (or both!)
Charlaine Harris (of the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series) had a series featuring Lily Bard, a woman starting a new life after a vicious assault. Lily had moved to a new town called Shakespeare, where she cleaned houses, worked out at a dojo and was pretty much a loner. It was interesting to see her come out of herself and start to trust people and learn to love. She and her lover made a cameo appearance a while ago in one of the Sookie books but I’d love to see more novels featuring Lily.
I’m also hoping Debi Gliori starts writing the Pure Dead Series again. This one is about a Scottish family with Italian roots, who live in a huge house with monsters, a mother who’s trying to be a witch and family members who really are. She’s great with plays on words and she’s just freakin’ clever. Sometimes she’s so funny, I laugh out loud reading in public places. I miss all the assorted characters and wild situations they’d get into. Oh, Debi, put the kids in day care and move back in with the Strega-Borgia’s!!
So, the weight loss thing pretty much petered out after 20 pounds… I’m still limping along but that’s a story for another day.
One of my bloggy friends, Judy Edmonds over at Sheep Rustling, is doing a meme about books. It’s a series of questions she’s answering day by day, as she has a chance. Since I’m a lifelong reader and my next tattoo will probably be designed around books and the word READ, this meme is right up my literate alley.
So, here’s #1:
Day 01 - A book series you wish had gone on longer OR a book series you wish would just freaking end already (or both!)
Charlaine Harris (of the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series) had a series featuring Lily Bard, a woman starting a new life after a vicious assault. Lily had moved to a new town called Shakespeare, where she cleaned houses, worked out at a dojo and was pretty much a loner. It was interesting to see her come out of herself and start to trust people and learn to love. She and her lover made a cameo appearance a while ago in one of the Sookie books but I’d love to see more novels featuring Lily.
I’m also hoping Debi Gliori starts writing the Pure Dead Series again. This one is about a Scottish family with Italian roots, who live in a huge house with monsters, a mother who’s trying to be a witch and family members who really are. She’s great with plays on words and she’s just freakin’ clever. Sometimes she’s so funny, I laugh out loud reading in public places. I miss all the assorted characters and wild situations they’d get into. Oh, Debi, put the kids in day care and move back in with the Strega-Borgia’s!!
C’est la vie!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Back to Basics
Hey!
Since my weight loss is at a standstill and depressing to blog about, I thought I’d go back to my Paris Dreams roots. While at the Orange County Fair this weekend, I had some Paris inspiration:
Oui, it’s an Eiffel Tower made out of bread!
And this is a table setting with a French theme. I really love the glassware!
I don’t have a picture of it, but The Husband gave me a really cool black and white poster of the Eiffel Tower. It’s taken from a neighborhood near the Tower, which rises in the background. In the foreground is a girl running across the street in a red jacket, the only splash of color on the print, with beautiful buildings on both sides. Maybe I’ll take a picture when we get it framed and hung.
C’est la vie!
Since my weight loss is at a standstill and depressing to blog about, I thought I’d go back to my Paris Dreams roots. While at the Orange County Fair this weekend, I had some Paris inspiration:
Oui, it’s an Eiffel Tower made out of bread!
And this is a table setting with a French theme. I really love the glassware!
I don’t have a picture of it, but The Husband gave me a really cool black and white poster of the Eiffel Tower. It’s taken from a neighborhood near the Tower, which rises in the background. In the foreground is a girl running across the street in a red jacket, the only splash of color on the print, with beautiful buildings on both sides. Maybe I’ll take a picture when we get it framed and hung.
C’est la vie!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
25 Pounds and Counting
So, a few weeks ago I needed to lose 23 pounds. Let me illustrate why I now need to lose 25... :
Breakfast on our anniversary weekend on Coronado Island (this was the short stack!)
Anniversary dinner
Wedding catering
Even before our anniversary vacation and our friend’s wedding reception, I’d fallen off the tracking wagon. So, here’s the plan:
Change my eating habits so they’re more trackable, mainly in the evenings. I’ve been eating more healthfully but I wasn’t tracking. Now I know I’ll be ok when I get to the point where I can maintain my loss but I have to concentrate on the actual LOSING again… So it’s back to sandwiches and salads that are easier to count points with.
And no snacking. I recently read that French women stay slender by drinking lots of water and no snacking. That sounds like a life plan--just good meals with no eating in between. NO is better than a little bit of this and a tad of that--those bits and tads add up! I’m going to do my best to develop a no snack habit.
So, here’s to a new dedication to reaching my goal. I’m fitting into clothes I haven’t worn in a long time and that’s lovely but there are other clothes (ie, the flirty skirt) that won’t go up over my butt. I WILL be able to wear all the clothes in my closet very soon!
C’est la vie!
Breakfast on our anniversary weekend on Coronado Island (this was the short stack!)
Anniversary dinner
Wedding catering
Even before our anniversary vacation and our friend’s wedding reception, I’d fallen off the tracking wagon. So, here’s the plan:
Change my eating habits so they’re more trackable, mainly in the evenings. I’ve been eating more healthfully but I wasn’t tracking. Now I know I’ll be ok when I get to the point where I can maintain my loss but I have to concentrate on the actual LOSING again… So it’s back to sandwiches and salads that are easier to count points with.
And no snacking. I recently read that French women stay slender by drinking lots of water and no snacking. That sounds like a life plan--just good meals with no eating in between. NO is better than a little bit of this and a tad of that--those bits and tads add up! I’m going to do my best to develop a no snack habit.
So, here’s to a new dedication to reaching my goal. I’m fitting into clothes I haven’t worn in a long time and that’s lovely but there are other clothes (ie, the flirty skirt) that won’t go up over my butt. I WILL be able to wear all the clothes in my closet very soon!
C’est la vie!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
F-word F-word F-word
The plateau has returned. 'nuff said.
F-word...
C’est la vie!
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F-word...
C’est la vie!
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www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Plateau Bustin’!
Well, kids, it’s been a while since I blogged. That 2 month plateau was killin’ me. But I think I’ve finally broken through. My total weight loss now is 22 pounds! About half way to my personal goal, 9 pounds to where I can declare my Weight Watcher goal. I guess the switch to counting calories was a good change-up for both my mind and body.
Looking back, I see that I haven’t mentioned finally cracking open my George Foreman grille, purchased with much enthusiasm last fall. LOVE it!! So far, I’ve cooked several packages of chicken, which are then waiting in the fridge to make:
tostada’s, mixed with refried beans and sometimes veggies
rice bowls with frozen Chinese veggies and soy sauce
chicken salads with either a lettuce mix from the store or 2 McDonald’s side salads as a base, with cranberries, walnuts and green onion (and a dash of WW shred cheese)
~*~I am in desperate need of new jeans. The old lady/elastic waist jeans I have are falling off me! Isn’t that great! I don’t know that I’m ready for a zippered pair yet as I’m only halfway to my goal, but I definitely need a pair that I’m not afraid will fall off me as I’m walking. Yippee!
C’est la vie!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Looking back, I see that I haven’t mentioned finally cracking open my George Foreman grille, purchased with much enthusiasm last fall. LOVE it!! So far, I’ve cooked several packages of chicken, which are then waiting in the fridge to make:
tostada’s, mixed with refried beans and sometimes veggies
rice bowls with frozen Chinese veggies and soy sauce
chicken salads with either a lettuce mix from the store or 2 McDonald’s side salads as a base, with cranberries, walnuts and green onion (and a dash of WW shred cheese)
~*~I am in desperate need of new jeans. The old lady/elastic waist jeans I have are falling off me! Isn’t that great! I don’t know that I’m ready for a zippered pair yet as I’m only halfway to my goal, but I definitely need a pair that I’m not afraid will fall off me as I’m walking. Yippee!
C’est la vie!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
What's Hunger Got to Do with It?
So, I've been on a plateau for about 6 weeks. I know I’m eating just enough to keep me there. Why??? The eternal question…
Shhh… Don't tell my Weight Watcher leader but today I started counting calories. I needed to do something different because it seems like I'm tired of doing Points. I need to shake myself up a little bit and see how much I've been eating without realizing it. I get bored. I get lazy. I get rebellious. Maybe this will be the wakeup call.
The Husband and I were supposed to start walking this week… I'm still getting in 20-25 minutes a day of exercise but I think my body needs to do something different. The body is willing, the mind is playing tricks…
C’est la vie!
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www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Shhh… Don't tell my Weight Watcher leader but today I started counting calories. I needed to do something different because it seems like I'm tired of doing Points. I need to shake myself up a little bit and see how much I've been eating without realizing it. I get bored. I get lazy. I get rebellious. Maybe this will be the wakeup call.
The Husband and I were supposed to start walking this week… I'm still getting in 20-25 minutes a day of exercise but I think my body needs to do something different. The body is willing, the mind is playing tricks…
C’est la vie!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Almost Back to Square One
This year, I’ve been down .4 of a pound lighter than I am today. Weight loss this time around is so damn difficult. *big sigh* Do we get less committed as we get older? Less willing to sacrifice the double chocolate covered peanuts for the salad bar? *another big sigh*
Well, this week I really rededicated myself to eating within my points limit and truly tracking what I was eating. And it helped get me back down and took a half inch off my waist. Even when I had cake and ice cream on Friday for a co-workers 25th anniversary, I was aware of what I was eating and ate very lightly the rest of the day.
So, as the new week looms, I’m going for the same goal as last week--track what I’m eating and stick to the allotted points. It’s great when you can pick up something in the grocery store and it has the Weight Watchers points values right on the package--certain Jello products and Healthy Choice come to mind. I wish everything had WW points on the package.
My leader, Cindy, noticed that my monthly pass was a printout from the internet. I told her I almost had to quit due to finances but I felt like it was too important to give up. So as soon as I lose another 9 pounds, I can decide on my goal weight. Once I hit the goal weight, I have to stay at that weight (paying all the while) for six weeks. Then I’m declared Lifetime and can stop paying (as long as I stay within 2 pounds of goal).
I hereby proclaim that I will be Lifetime by the end of September! That’s my goal. YES, I CAN!
C’est la vie!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
Well, this week I really rededicated myself to eating within my points limit and truly tracking what I was eating. And it helped get me back down and took a half inch off my waist. Even when I had cake and ice cream on Friday for a co-workers 25th anniversary, I was aware of what I was eating and ate very lightly the rest of the day.
So, as the new week looms, I’m going for the same goal as last week--track what I’m eating and stick to the allotted points. It’s great when you can pick up something in the grocery store and it has the Weight Watchers points values right on the package--certain Jello products and Healthy Choice come to mind. I wish everything had WW points on the package.
My leader, Cindy, noticed that my monthly pass was a printout from the internet. I told her I almost had to quit due to finances but I felt like it was too important to give up. So as soon as I lose another 9 pounds, I can decide on my goal weight. Once I hit the goal weight, I have to stay at that weight (paying all the while) for six weeks. Then I’m declared Lifetime and can stop paying (as long as I stay within 2 pounds of goal).
I hereby proclaim that I will be Lifetime by the end of September! That’s my goal. YES, I CAN!
C’est la vie!
www.bearchick.etsy.com
www.bearchickart.etsy.com
www.bearchick.artfire.com
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