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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Reunions... *insert sigh here*

First of all.... thank you for giving me an outlet to procrastinate some of the work I have to do.


Okay. I'm just going to spit it out.  This weekend I... I am going......


I am going to my 20 year high school reunion.




OKAY!!  I'll say it louder. I am going to my 20 year high school reunion.

I have to say that it has been a little nerve wracking leading up to this thing. I mean, I wanted to have my hot, rockin' body. But.... *looks down*

*sigh*

That's just not happening.  I will be extremely excited to see my friends again. But I am very self conscious about the way I look.  I feel like I have to excuse it.  However, I will try to not be conscious of it while I am there. After all, I have some great achievements.  How is it that I can have my life together in other areas but I am self conscious about my weight?

Do/did you guys have any qualms going into a high school reunion?

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Sooooooo..... a year and *cough cough* pounds later.....


Alright. I know.

It's been a year. I'm aware.

I'M SORRY!!  Really. Really. Sorry.

I won't make a list of excuses but I'll fill you in on what has been going on with me this last year.

For those of you who saw my posts about my kitty, she ended up dying in October last year. I had her for 17.5 years of her 19 year life. So it was, needless to say, very sad.  I did adopt a cat from the local Animal Control Authority in Feb. I went there to just look. Just look!!!  And what happens? I adopt one. But she's adorable. It was a good decision.

Then, in April, my puppy dog died very suddenly. He was my buddy boy.  He was just shy of 13 years old.  And I miss him lots and lots and lots.  Okay, I'm changing subject since talking about this makes me sad.


BUT!!! On a big life change note!  I moved from California to Florida.  I KNOW! Quite the move. I came out here to take a visiting professor job at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. (Hopefully it will turn into something more permanent.)  I'm really loving the job so this is a good thing!  However - to get here, I had to drive across country.



Wyoming close to the Utah border. 
 I did take some pictures on the way.  Instead of taking the southern route through Arizona, New Mexico, etc. I went the northern route so I could go through Colorado. My friend, Katie, agreed to come with me on my road trip.  There were some extremely picturesque parts of the drive.

(I didn't take pictures through Kansas. Because... well, there wasn't anything to take pictures of.)







Elvis' Boyhood Home in Tupelo, MS.
After stopping at my hometown, we headed on towards Florida.  On the way, we passed through Tupelo, MS.  We thought it was a good idea and decided to stop by Elvis' old boyhood home. I thought my apartment had been small?  That was NOTHING to this small two room house.


The Magic Kingdom
When we finally got to Florida, Katie and I went to DisneyWorld. I wanted to thank her for being cooped up in the car for so long! (And for her doing the driving through Kansas. Which deserves more than just a trip to DisneyWorld.)

Post STS-135 Launch
And the BEST thing about getting out here to Florida:  I got to see STS-135 launch!!!!  (I'm a space geek so this is a big deal for me.) I can't believe that I had never seen a shuttle launch before. But this was the most amazing thing I have EVER seen.



Atlantis after Landing
I got see see Atlantis come home and give my love to her. Yes, I'm aware that it is an inanimate object.  But she seems real to me!














Being so close to the space coast just adds to the coolness factor of living here. I do love it. Well, with the exception of the humidity. Holy heckfire! What is with this humidity?!?!  I like my job. And while I am working... a lot.... I'm still managing to find time to have some "me" time.  I even got a trainer at a local gym!!

So here comes the confession.... with all of this crap that went on.... I gained weight back. A lot of it really.  I'm trying very hard to get back on the wagon.  Getting the eating back on track, getting exercise in. (Oh - which is hard because I now have a stress fracture in my foot. But it's healing.)

Cross your fingers for me! And I'll be back here soon. PROMISE! (And I mean it!)

Thursday, September 2, 2010

I'm sorry!!!

Okay, I made a video.  YES! I know!  And to top it off, I come across as if I'm a squirrel... on speed. No really.  I do.  But I wanted to do it to make sure you guys know that I'm serious about being sorry that I haven't been around.

I have so much more respect for vloggers now.


Friday, July 16, 2010

Day 117 - PhillyD and Project Lose an Olsen Twin

Phillip DeFranco has a new project.   For those who don't know who Philly D is, he's a celeb on YouTube.  That's a picture of him with his girlfriend on the right.  I know what you are thinking, "How did he get a girlfriend like that?!"  I think it's the being funny thing.  Works every time.  Anyway!  I always watch his videos because they make me laugh.  Of course, I could find it funny because I'm warped and a little demented.  Now you are probably thinking, "Gee, that's great.  Get to the point."   Well, okay!  Geez.  Patience is a virtue. ;)

His new project is a weight loss project entitled "Project Lose an Olsen Twin."  First of all, I find that really funny because really - an Olsen twin weighs MUCH less than most of us need to lose. I mean, I can lose 2 or even 3 Olsen twins I think.

I went off topic again.  POINT IS!  He mentioned his weight... and it was close to mine.  And he's freakin' 6'0"!!!!!  I'm...... ummmm.... not that tall.

Has that ever happened to you guys?  Someone mentions their weight, and you think "Oh my god... that's how much I weigh.  And he's tall/muscular/professional athlete."  CASE IN POINT!  I looked up some athletes. Ones that weigh close to me.  We have Jeremy Hoornstra, a freakin' power lifter.

Or how about, Adrian Peterson, a running back for the Vikings,  who last year wanted to get up to 230 pounds.  (At 6'1".)  Not only that but the coach said "Well, you know what, 230 is awful big." Yeah.  Thanks. BUT IT GETS WORSE!  One of the comments to the story was "230 lbs sounds like Al Roker in cleats."  *starts sobbing*  Really???  REALLY?!

Don't get me wrong... I don't want to be 100 pounds at 5'4".  I want to be healthy and beautiful.  When I went to look for examples of celebrities that didn't look anorexic, sadly, I didn't find huge numbers of choices.  Although, here are a couple of women whom I completely admire for their intelligence, abilities, and accomplishments.  And they just happen to be absolutely beautiful.


Drew Barrymore - This woman has overcome a lot to become the woman she is today.  She's enormously talented and driven.  She isn't a cookie cutter, anorexic looking actress.  She, like the rest of us, has fluctuated in her weight, but if I may say - at any weight, she is lovely.
Kate Winslet - I adore Kate Winslet.  I think she is a spectacular actress.  Again, hugely talented and accomplished.  She has been very outspoken about the fact that she is a real woman with real curves.  In fact, she has threatened to sue tabloids who have said she is seeing a diet doctor.  In a People article addressing the situation, she has said,

"I will continue to say what I feel about this issue of women being thin and emaciated. It's just out of control," she said Sunday. "I know I'm a role model to young women. It's a role that I take very, very seriously and I would never want anyone to ever think I was a hypocrite in doing something like going to a diet doctor, for goodness sake. I mean, it's really, really ridiculous." 
In 2005, Winslet told PEOPLE for the annual Most Beautiful issue, "I know that I have a real woman's figure.  It's nice that it's acknowledge and appreciated  that I don't conform.  I don't starve myself."
Kate, you are absolutely stunning.  I wish I could look a tenth of how beautiful you are. (Yes, I'm speaking as if Kate Winslet is actually reading this. It's my dream world! Don't mess with my dream!)


Hmmmm.... did I just get up on my soap box??  I think I did.

I'm sorry.  *steps down*

My point is - - I really don't want to weigh the same as a running back or a weight lifter.  I would prefer to be healthy and beautiful.   I'll get there.  Really. I will. :)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Day 115 - LHA Weigh In - and Holy Cow I'm Alive!

Today was weigh-in day for LHA.  And thank goodness!!!  I maintained these last couple of weeks.  And let me tell you, it is a miracle!  We are talking 1980's Olympic Hockey Team level of miracle.
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Alright... I might be overstating the miracle nature of things.

But the fact of the matter is that it really is astonishing that I haven't gained weight over the last couple of weeks.  My exercise has been limited to dog walking.  Eating... do I have to admit this?  Really?  Okay.  I ate fast food.  I ate from In-N-Out even.  The land of One-Meal-Can-Have-Enough-Calories-For-the-Whole-Week.  It's true. And sleep... wait... what's sleep again?  I have only a vague recollection of it.... hmmmm....... sounds good though.

In my defense:  I was writing a proposal for to fund a project I hope to do.  Talk about stress.  This was the first proposal where I was the principal investigator - the one in charge. YIKES!  But I got it done and it is in for review.  Cross your fingers everyone and put good vibes out there for me okay? I'd like to have a job past this year. :)

Writing that thing was stressful and time consuming.  In short... HORRIBLE!!  I didn't want to cook or exercise or anything.   But it's done ... but the next proposal is looming.

Despite all of that, I did take my dog on a long walk yesterday, which he enjoyed thoroughly.  Tonight, I played softball.  I feel like I'm on a roll here.

I hope that everyone had a great couple of weeks and that things are going swimmingly!  Happy Wednesday everyone!


Picture from http://tponz.files.wordpress.com

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Day 98??? - Losing track of days

Have you ever had one of those days????  You know those days... the ones where you have strawberries and whipped cream.... only without the strawberries.  And you don't exactly put the whipped cream in a bowl.  In fact, you kind of just... well, squirt it right in your mouth??

Okay.  That has been my week.  My proposal is due on Friday.  So the next couple days I will remain MIA.  Sorry about that.  My current stress level: 10 fingernails sans nail polish, followed by one nail that is considerable shorter now, 9 more fingernails that are scared s**tless that they will have the same fate.  This followed by dinner at In-N-Out.  YES!!!  I SAID IT!!

I had dinner at In-N-Out!!!!!!  I'm horrible.  I'm a horrible, horrible person.

I will be back to my usual self (hopefully) Friday... maybe Saturday... well.... maybe Sunday depending on how much time I need to recoup. ha ha

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

July 4 - Reading the Declaration

I know I haven't posted in a while. I'm in the middle of proposal h-e-double hockey sticks.  But I wanted to share one small little thing.

Okay.  For me, a big thing.

Every fourth of July, I sit down and read the Declaration of Independence.  I won't bore you with my interpretation or my thoughts/feelings on the matter.  I just felt like I should share this with my friends here.  While over the last 200+ years, we have, at times, convoluted our rights and liberties to a point that is, sometimes, scary, reading it reminds me of where we came from and what we were about.  At least back in 1776.

That... and it is some spectacular writing.
From USHistory.org





IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America