50 Shades of Nope

So I was asked if I’d actually read “50 Shades of Grey” after I’d posted that I wouldn’t be seeing the movie (for various reasons.)

No.  I haven’t read any of the books.

I was going to.  When the first one hit the shelves I was intrigued- sexy book?  Best seller?  MY JAM.  I do loves me some smutty, excuse me- EROTIC fiction.

Then I began to see things about the series-
“It was originally a Twilight fanfiction!”  Ok.  No worries.  I read COPIOUS amounts of fanfiction.  I’ve even WRITTEN some fanfiction.  There is NOTHING wrong with fanfiction, even if the inspiration piece is questionable.

“It deals with *gasp* BDSM! D/s!”  Again- no worries.  I teach Human Sexuality, and I’ve *ahem* been interested in the topic for a long time.  I understand that a true BDSM or D/s relationship is based on mutual trust, and is every bit as valid as more traditional “vanilla” relationships.

So those things didn’t immediately turn me off from reading the books.  But then I began to see more, and it turned my stomach.

Let’s start with the basics- What’s one thing we teach all our kids about sex?  No means no.  In a healthy BDSM relationship, there are pre-determined safewords to convey NO, and when safewords are used, everything stops.  No.  Means.  NO.

Does that happen in 50 Shades?  Sort of.  Here’s what I found:

    “I want you to follow the Rules—all the time. Then I know you’ll be safe, and I’ll be able to have you anytime I wish.”
    “And if I break one of the Rules?
    “Then I’ll punish you.”
    “But won’t you need my permission?
    “Yes, I will.”
    “And if I say no?”
    He gazes at me for a moment, with a confused expression.
    “If you say no, you’ll say no. I’ll have to find a way to persuade you.”

So, in this story, “no” means what now?  And safewords?  “Lovers don’t need safewords.”  I disagree.

OK.  That’s one reason I don’t want to read the books or watch the movie.  No doesn’t mean no, no means “convince me” or “I’ll do it anyway” and that’s not healthy.

What next?

Say you’ve decided to BE in a BDSM relationship.  You and your partner have decided to incorporate pain play into your fun time.  Excellent.  Whatever floats your boat as long as it’s safe, sane, and consensual.

Here’s an excerpt from 50 Shades, after one “session” between Christian and Ana:
    “How did you feel while I was hitting you and after?”
    “I didn’t like it. I’d rather you didn’t do it again.”
    “You weren’t meant to like it.”

Uhhh… correct me if I’m wrong, but if one partner does something another partner dislikes, and asks for it to NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, then, in a healthy relationship, it doesn’t happen again.  That’s consent- I consent to you doing this to me, you consent to doing it.  Spoiler alert- he does it again.  That’s abuse, and is not safe, sane, or consensual.
On to controlling, stalker, possessive behavior.  One of the things that really irked me about Twilight (which I did read, every book) was how everyone was OK with Edward’s stalkery behavior toward Bella.  Sitting uninvited in a girl’s bedroom, watching her while she sleeps is NOT romantic.  That’s stalkery, and should have been reported to the authorities.  But in both Twilight and 50 Shades, stalkery, possessive behavior, as evidenced by Christian’s going to Ana’s work, becoming angry when she talks to other men, and the big one- controlling whom she sees and with whom she interacts, is all seen as romantic, sexy.

In reality though, those are three giant red flags of an abusive relationship.  
http://www.theredflagcampaign.org/index.php/dating-violence/red-flags-for-abusive-relationships/  This list includes:
    -Try to isolate you and control whom you see or where you go
    -Accuse you of flirting or “coming on” to others or accuse you of cheating on them

This website: http://www.caring-unlimited.org/what-is-domestic-violence/for-victims-and-survivors/is-my-relationship-abusive adds stalking:
    -Follows you around or frequently calls during the day

I would say that Christian ticks all those boxes, and more.  He is an abuser; Ana is his victim, not his love.
Need more convincing?  Here:  http://cmvanek.tumblr.com/post/110684370237/shades-of-grey-supports-abuse-of-women  A giant list compiled of reasons this set of books should not be held up as the romantic ideal, and is instead- potentially harmful.

It comes down to this- would I want to be in a BDSM D/s relationship?  Maybe.  Would it bother me if either of my kids was in a BDSM D/S relationship with someone? No- as long as it was safe, sane, and consensual.  However- would I want to be in a “relationship” as described in 50 Shades?  Would I want my KIDS to be in a relationship like that?  HELL NO.  I’d be on the phone to the cops.

So, TL;DR.  BDSM = fine, if done right.  50 Shades = romanticizes an abusive relationship.

And that’s why I didn’t read the books, and that’s why I won’t be seeing the movie.

The Elephant In My Chest.

Oh Angelina.  I love you so, but right now I kind of hate you.  Your recent revelation that you had a double mastectomy to avoid the near-inevitable bout of breast cancer is amazing.  YOU are amazing. 

I am now facing the reality that I'm most likely going to get breast cancer, unless I do the same thing you did. 

Ironic though.  Just Tuesday I took a look at "the girls" and said "Wow!  My boobs look GREAT today!"  I don't want to lose them.  There.  I said it.  Vanity.

Both my maternal grandmother and my mother had breast cancer.  My mom is still recovering from a "lumpectomy" and chemo.  She says she's fine, but I can see.  She's smaller than she's ever been, bald like a baby bird.  During my parents' most recent visit, Mom gave me a bunch of her clothes that don't fit her any more, and an heirloom ring that's too big for her.

It's the ring that affects me more than anything.  I can remember my mother wearing it for decades- she'd gotten it from my father's mother when my parents got engaged.  I'm guessing it may have been HER mother's?  I don't know.  But it's delicate, fancy, old-fashioned, and now- mine.  I wear it on my right hand, and it sits there uncomfortably.  I'm getting used to it, but it's just so incongruous- white gold, diamonds and sapphires on the same hand that sports an inexpensive dolphin ring on the thumb.  If I reach over to scratch my left arm, I see the ring next to a tattoo I got just days before my parents' visit. 

Pierced, tattooed, eternally juvenile- I'm not supposed to be the one wearing this. 

Like the ring, breast cancer is something I don't feel prepared to get.  But like all heirlooms, I'll probably have to deal with it someday.

(sorry it's blurry.  iPod doesn't do it justice)

Toniiiiiight.... I'm Not Younnnnnng!

I work with college students.  Well, I guess technically college students work FOR me, but we do a lot together during the week, I couldn't do it without them, they couldn't do it the same way without me.

Anyway- one of the things I hear over and over is that working with students "will keep you young!"

I call BS.

What it does is make me FEEL young, until it is obvious that I'm not.  Once again- I beg your indulgence to stay with me.

I have some fairly hard partying employees, who aren't afraid to discuss their adventures with and around me.  God help me- it sounds fun.  "Let's do a Pedal Hopper!"  "Let's go to martini night!"  "Let's go out on a Wednesday night!"  I want to go out on a Wednesday, without worrying about getting up at 5:45am on Thursday.  I want to go to martini night without worrying about where Kate is while I'm at the Eldridge.

Heck yeah! Raise your glass! 
 
But I can't.  At least, I can't go out with my students.  That would be frowned upon by the University, and it would probably skeeve people out.

So I sit at home and feel old.  9:00 on a Friday?  BEDTIME.  Crazy times on a Wednesday?  Doing laundry. Never be never be anything but loud?  Where are my earplugs??

Toniiiight... We're Not Younnnnng!

No.  I refuse.  I don't want to be old, I don't want to be stodgy.  I want to be Magnus

Magnus is one of my favorite people, always at home in my heart, even though I haven't seen him in a decade.  10 years ago, Magnus was 53 (10 years older than I am now), and he sailed around the world with ASSA ABLOY.  Four years ago, he sailed around the world with a crew so green they were practically fluorescent, and finished 4th overall, even after a disastrous run to Singapore. 

After I got laid off (for the 5th time) in 2010, I was afraid.  I've reached "an age" where one more layoff will effectively kill any career I've pursued.  So I sold myself short, tried to get the "stable" job, the job that wouldn't challenge me, but wouldn't can me either.  I got lucky with my gig, I am CONTINUALLY challenged.  (Did I mention I work with college students??) and to be honest, I don't think I'm very good at it, but it is stable.  I'm able to keep my feet under me, and look ahead.

Looking ahead now gives me hope.  I may not be young, but contrary to popular opinion among my young coworkers, I'm far from old.  I'm going places in my life.

But for now- anybody wanna go on a Pedal Hopper?

Zombie. Ants. WHAT THE HELL.

http://live.psu.edu/story/59556

"A parasite that fights the zombie-ant fungus has yielded some of its secrets to an international research team led by Penn State's David Hughes. The research reveals, for the first time, how an entire ant colony is able to survive infestations by the zombie-ant fungus, which invades an ant's brain and causes it to march to its death at a mass grave near the ant colony, where the fungus spores erupt out of the ant's head. "In a case where biology is stranger than fiction, the parasite of the zombie-ant fungus is itself a fungus -- a hyperparasitic fungus that specializes in attacking the parasite that turns the ants into zombies," Hughes said. The research will be published in the journal PLoS ONE."


I have a thing about ants.  One ant is fine.  MANY ANTS are not fine.  Like one bee.  One bee is fine, a swarming hive of LACK OF PERSONAL SPACE gives me the heebie jeebies.  Same with snakes.

Oh Indiana Jones.  You always know what skeeves me out the most.

But ZOMBIE ANTS?  OH HELL NO.  Not with the dying, the marching and the erupting.

I will now commence never sleeping again.  Thanks.

Pacific Vortex, more than Clive Cussler ever imagined.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/pollution/trash-vortex/

This. 

This is why I want to get a degree in Environmental Studies, and this is why I want to apply it to the Volvo Ocean Race.

The "Great Pacific Gyre"  or "Plastic Island" or "Trash Island."

I've facilitated the gathering, sorting, baling and reselling of over a million pounds of recyclable material in my time here at KU Recycling.  That's about 702 tons of bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, plastic...  stuff.  The Great Pacific Gyre contains about 58 tons of stuff, but consider this:  Most of the garbage patch is not visible to the naked eye because it contains particles almost too small to see.

Ponder that.  58 tons of stuff so small it can barely be seen.

Now- you might think "Big whoop.  If the stuff is so tiny, what's the problem?"  Well, think about what a whale eats.  Think about what seabirds eat.  Think about what would happen to you if you ingested tiny bits of plastic every time you ate.  Plastic you can't digest, plastic that may still be outgassing.  You'd eventually be killed by it, right?  Well, so are the whales, so are the birds, so are the fish, so are the plants...  This island is a killer.

So I guess what I'm really trying to do is stop a killer. 

When I grow up

My future looks like a ball of yarn, post-kitten.  Tangled and confusing, with the way through not always obvious from the outside.

But I think (I think) I might just maybe have found the actual string to follow.

Stay with me here.

My background is in administrative assisting.  Basically, according to one boss, I'm "the duct tape and the super glue."  I move, I groove, I shake, and hopefully when I'm done, the task at hand is complete to everyone's satisfaction.  So there's one aspect.

My passion is the Volvo Ocean Race.  (www.volvooceanrace.org)  If you know me at all, you know about that, so I'm not going to go into it right now.  If you have questions- please ask.

My current situation is recycling.  I run the recycling chunk of the Environmental Stewardship Program at the University of Kansas.  (recycle.ku.edu)  I plan on using the tuition assistance program at KU to get a degree, and they offer Environmental Studies as a major.  (esp.ku.edu)

OK!

So I have three things:

1. A background in making things work, administratively.
2. A passion for the VOR.
3. An opportunity to use my current position to advance my education, AND in a growing and exciting field.

What do y'all think of a "Sustainability Ambassador" or "Green" position within a VOR syndicate?  The race is all about wind and water, there already is an emphasis on cleaning the oceans and saving the wildlife therein, I think it's a fit.

Now.  How do I make it happen?

I got lost

Been a while since I posted anything.  I couldn't even remember the name of the blog, I searched for "half the man" and "two times the man" instead of just logging into Blogger and tadah! 

Sometimes I'm slower than other times.

A brief overview of my last year and a half.  Overall it sucked.  I lost my job, it took a while to find another one, the one I got made me sad, the state of Kansas says I owe them a s**tload of $ so they're garnishing my paycheck so I'm always broke.

Could be worse.  I'm not even going to tempt fate and say how, but it could.

The good news is I finally got down below 200lbs.  I have my job to thank for that, it involves a lot of loading and toting, shoving, sweating and getting dirty.  Not as much recently as it used to, but still a significant amount.  Today, for example, a student and I had to go wrangle a dumpster that had blown across a parking lot.

I've also joined the gym at KU.  I have ridden the bike to nowhere a few times, and haven't hated it.  I see the bike as my ally, not my nemesis.  I'm not in competition with anyone but myself, and that includes the hardbody 20-somethings that are charging up the stairmasters while I toodle along on my recumbent bike.

So yeah.  That's it.  I'll try and keep things more consistent on the blog front from now on.

Random thoughts on the new year

Did I reach my goal of starting 2010 under 200?  Well, I haven’t weighed myself lately, but I’m going to guess no.  Disheartening as that is, it’s ok.  The timeline was fabricated, as long as I keep striving toward a goal of “healthy” the date itself doesn’t matter.  (sooner is better than later of course, but…)

I spent the last few weeks watching old movies and surf movies.  A few old surf movies thrown in to the mix too.  Reflections on both:

1.    Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.  DAYUM.  I want to look like them.  Curves, hips, boobs, wow.  I could do that.  I have all of those things, just in a bigger package than the bombshells of the past.  I’m guessing they didn’t take the elevator much.   I’ve been working on that, but habits!  Yikes!  I was halfway up to the third floor today when I remembered I wasn’t going to take the box any more.  *sigh*
      
       Dear Self:  Marilyn didn’t take the elevator.

2.    Surfers are beautiful.  It doesn’t matter if they’re in the Bronzed Buff and Bitchin’ club (as Skindog calls the Strap Crew), healthy people doing what they love are beautiful.  Same with Olympians.  I think they may be on to something.  They probably don’t take the elevator either. DAMN THEM!

So I guess I need to find something I love doing, and do it.  Preferably something exercise-wise.  Hmm.

As a bonus, here are links to the movies I’ve been watching:

Marilyn
How to Marry a Millionaire  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045891/
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045810/
There’s No Business Like Show Business http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047574/

Surfing
The Endless Summer  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060371/
The Endless Summer 2 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109729/
Step Into Liquid  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0308508/
Riding Giants  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389326/

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The good news, the bad news

The good news first

My waist-to-hip ratio is in the "ok" range at .74.  A W-t-H ratio of .85 or higher may indicate increased health risks.  This measurement confirms that I'm a "pear" shape instead of an "apple" shape.  Apples are more suseptible to heart disease than pears. 

My blood pressure is 120/75.  Well in the normal range.  Yay!


The not so good news

My BMI is 34.  Body Mass Index correlates with body fat but does not MEASURE body fat.  Since you could have two people my height and weight, with me being one and someone like the Governator being the other, BMI is not an entirely accurate way to judge health.  However, a higher BMI on a flabby person, such as myself, usually is a bad thing, and my current number puts me in the "obese" range.  (which we already knew, right?)

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy.  For my height (5'6") that would put me between 118 to 148 pounds.

Me.  118lbs.  FUNK.  THAT.  I don't care to be a twig thankyouverymuch. 

Actually, my ulitimate goal weight of 160 actually falls in the overweight range, with a possible BMI of 26.  Never in my life did I think I'd be setting a goal to be overweight.  *lol*


The bad and annoying news

I'm back up 2lbs.  Back to 209.  DAMN YOUUUUUUU BRENT!  I went to a wedding with fantastic food on Saturday (congrats Brent and Julie) and then a "Harvest Feast" at church on Sunday.  Oh- and sitting on my butt all week.

*sigh*  Ok.  Not the end of the world.  I can get back on track.  Friday.  Ain't no way I'm going to try and diet tomorrow.  Gobble gobble is for a reason!

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Love hate relationship

Ahhh carbs.  How much do I love thee?

I love thee in tortilla chips with lots of gooey cheese.
I love thee in pasta dishes that always seem to please.
I love thee in thy rolls and bread
I love thee with crackers in bed (not really, but it rhymed)

*sigh*  I love carbs.  But as much as any food can be the enemy, (and that's a whole 'nother blog entry) carbs are it for me.

But even as a pre-diabetic it is important I get GOOD carbs.  Here's one of my favorite ways:

Breakfast!

1 serving plain oatmeal, cooked
4 oz plain tofu, preferably soft
fruit, fresh or frozen, make sure there is no added sugar

Combine the three, mushing up the tofu and mixing in the fruit.  Complex carbs from the oatmeal, protein from the tofu (which you won't taste- trust me) and simple carbs from the fruit.  A good way to kick off the day.

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I'm down with that.

208.  Down just over a pound, with just over 8 to go to reach my New Year's goal.

I tell you what- I'm pretty excited about the whole thing really.  I used to think of it as "OMG- I need to lose 60 pounds!"  Yes- overall I could stand to lose that much.  But that's such a huge goal.  I might as well say "I need to lose 173 pounds!" for as far away as 60 seems.

But 8.  8 I can do.  8 and a little bit will get me down under 200lbs.  Then I'll set another goal- maybe under 190 by Valentine's Day.  Little steps.  When you're climbing the stairs at the Washington Monument, the stair at the top doesn't really matter (unless you're at the top that is).  It's the stair right in front of you that makes any difference.

You remember the movie Ghostbusters?  Where our intrepid heroes are walking up the stairs to Dana's apartment in Spook Central?  Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) says "Let me know when we get to 12.  I'm gonna throw up."  See- Peter didn't make his goal to throw up once they got to the TOP of the building, he set a realistic goal about halfway.  It's in the movies?  It's gotta be true then, right?  ;)

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I'm dying. That's all there is to it.

Had a friend come down from Des Moines to visit this weekend.  We stayed over in KC and I took him to the Plaza yesterday.  He's an amateur photographer, and has given me his "old" camera so we set out for things to photograph.

TWO HOURS LATER we got back to the car.  I seriously walked for two straight hours.  I didn't take a single picture.  By the time I got back up the hill to the car I thought I was going to die.  OMG I'm out of shape.

Today was somewhat better, we climbed the tower at Well's Overlook and I only wheezed and gasped for a couple of minutes.

My shins are killing me and I'm exhausted.  It's times like this when I reconsider the whole "exercise" thing.

Wow.

I've temporarily run out of things to say.

Did I make ANY goals yesterday?  Nope.  But that's not awful.  Today's another day to try.

I did get some good links from a coworker in my group at work though.  Give them a looksee:


http://www.mypyramid.gov/ This one will help you set up your OWN food pyramid, based on your current status and your goals. I like it because it tells you what to eat and how much, but doesn't spend a lot of time worrying about calories.  Did you all watch the Foamy link I posted earlier?  "When I pick up a food, I don't want to have to worry about calories and carbs etc..."  (paraphrased, and with far fewer expletives)

http://www.calorieking.com This one evidently has calorie counts for restaurant food. I haven't looked at it yet.

Anyway- it's Friday.  I've got Meatloaf playing on ye olde MP3e playere, the sun is shining, I have most of a cup of coffee- things are good!

PLUS- I just got a MUFFIN. Today is getting better and better. A FREE MUFFIN.

Homemade

Yes. I'm kicking.

MORE COFFEE.

Goal Post

Did I make my daily goals?

1)  2 quarts of water:  No.  But, as Jack Palance said in City Slickers:  "Day ain't over yet."
2)  15 minutes walking.  No.  But I did ride my bike 4 miles today.

So as far as goals go, I sucked.  But as far as keeping moving forward, I did ok.  Lost .4 lbs in the last week, less than I'd hoped, but about what I expected.

But I am TIRED today.  Like go to bed now tired.  I think it's partly the exercise, partly my sleep patterns and partly my lunch.  High carb lunch, lots of brown rice and green beans, but very little protein.  (I ate part of my "crab" salad yesterday, so I had less than half a cup left today)  I'm beginning to see a pattern.  I'm going to have to come up with some low-carb lunch alternatives.  Any suggestions?

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The Empress' New Clothes

One of my lame excuses for NOT trying to lose weight over the years has been the whole "Gotta buy new clothes" thing.  Right.  Like I'd hate to give up my size 18-20 clothing in exchange for size 14.  (that's my goal eventally- anything smaller and I'd lose my Marilyn-esque curves)

But actually, I will be sad when I no longer fit in my favorite pair of jeans because THEY FIT.  They fit wonderfully, designed for people who are shaped like me- an hourglass with most of the time run out.

I got these jeans at Lane Bryant. They now have a new sizing program for their jeans and some of their slacks.  Instead of what I used to be, I'm now a "blue 2 average"

Yup.  I'm a size 2.  Whoop!  Brilliant.

There's also "red" and "yellow" for body shapes- blue is for hourglass, red is for apple, yellow is for straight up and down.  I think.  I just look for the blue dot, so the other colors don't really enter my radar.

Lane Bryant costs more than Wal Mart.  Quality costs more than throwaway.  But I tell you what- I have never had a pair of jeans that fit as well as those do, and I'm willing to shell out $50-60 for them, as opposed to $25 for crappy jeans that don't fit and I end up hating.

That said- I really look forward to the time when I can shop at Target or Hot Topic or some other "normal" clothing store and not have to paw through the dregs of the 3 plus sized styles they deign to offer.  What's UP with that? 

Seriously- the average sized woman is now over a size 14, yet major affordable retailers STILL concentrate on the 12 and below market.  No WONDER fat women have self esteem problems- we have the choice of paying more for quality clothes or wearing ugly ass muumuus.  Sweat pants and shirts with Tweety Bird on them.  Shapeless formless blobs that someone thought would be good to use to camouflage the fact that we're bigger than Twiggy.  You know what camouflages that?  (well, besides not being bigger than Twiggy) Well tailored clothes.  Clothes that fit.  Sure- we'll never look like a size 3 if we're a size 22, but at least give us the chance to look NICE.

WHEW!  Rant off.  I think I need to go lie down.

Cornucopia

I have a lot of things I want to cover in this post- I'll try to keep the points brief, yet scintillating.

1.  Why  "Twice the Man I Used to Be" for the title?  Well, "Half the Man I Used to Be" is a song by Nirvana.  Also, in the first Men In Black movie, Will Smith's character gets into it with another cop who's, shall we say, portly.  The cop starts in on Smith, saying something like "If you were half the man I was..." and Smith interrupts with something like "I AM half the man you are.  Gotta get your tubby ass on the stairmaster."  So.  Twice the Man. 

2.  People talk about how difficult it is for them around Halloween.  Too much candy around.  Surprisingly enough, that hasn't been an issue for me this year.  I haven't been craving sweets.  I think since last Wednesday I may have had 4 pieces of Halloween candy total.  Now, we had a cheese ball witch's hat with crackers at the party at work last week and I could have eaten the whole dang thing.  What's your food trigger?

3.  GOAL POST!  Did you make yours today?  I did- just over 2 quarts of water and a 15 minute walk brisk enough to break a little sweat.  Then I rode my bike home.  I'm starting to feel a little shin splint-y, but that could be from the pre-diabetes.  Surprisingly enough they're linked.  A few more days of good walking should cure them.  (good meaning easy yet aerobic, not damaging) 

4.  I forget what my other points were.  If you wonder why, read the post from yesterday about my veggies.

Oktoberfest!

Can't catch a break.

I packed a beautiful lunch, as described in my last post.  I totally forgot that today is a "David Lunch" day, when we have a fundraiser lunch at work, with the proceeds going to a local charity.

The lunches are usually themed, and today's theme is "Oktoberfest" which means brats, bierock casserole, German potato salad, beer...

That's ok.  I can pass on the potato salOMG that's good.  Well, I usually prefer my bierocks to be individual instead of casserAHHH tasty!  The brats are non-negotiable, but I'm not eating the bun.  Seriously.  No bun.

So my yummy lunch will wait til tomorrow.  That's ok.  I already ate the fruit salad anyway- with yogurt.

Time for walkies!

PS- I didn't have any beer either.  Bud Light?  Puh-leese!

Goal Post

Did I make my two daily goals today?

1)  Drink at least 2 quarts of water.  No.  Close, but no.
2)  15 minutes of steady walking.  Yes.  I've also discovered that while picturesque, brick sidewalks aren't so good for steady walking.  So tomorrow will be a different route.

I also rode my bike to work, but not home as it was raining.  I'm goal oriented, not obsessed.

On a totally egotistical note, I was asked today if I'd lost a lot of weight (yes- 9lbs, but I credited the recent eyebrow wax with most of the difference in look) AND I was told that my grey streak of hair gives me a certain "je ne sais quoi" and that it's very stunning.  This from a charming man with a British accent, so I swooned.  Giddy.  Nearly speechless.  Nearly.  ;)

And that's that.

OH!  I already packed my lunch for tomorrow.  Brown rice, green beans, "crab" salad (too much mayo, but maybe I can scrape it off) and a salad made of red grapes, green grapes, raspberries and blackberries.  YUM.  I have some plain yogurt at work that I may incorporate, but maybe not.

How are your daily goals coming?

What's in your lunchbox?

I forgot my veggies.  *sigh*  I got my fruit (fresh cherries, frozen back in early summer when they were cheap and plentiful at the store) but I forgot my veggies.

One of the most frustrating things I run in to on a daily basis is my own brain.  See- I have ADD.  I've had it my whole life, but was diagnosed as an adult, about 20 years ago.  In my youth I was fortunate enough to have my non-ADD mom organizing everything.  But now... yikes.

And so I remember the cherries but forget the green beans.  Even though they sit roughly 6" apart in the freezer.

Make a list?  Sure I made a list.  It said "make lunch" not "get fruit, get veggies, get rice, get leftover bbq"  Looks like I'm going to have to go with smaller chunks on my list.  hrm.

What's in your lunch today?  Can I have some of your veggies?

And a squirrel shall lead them

Let me get this out of the way first:  the following video is absolutely not appropriate for children, and if you listen at work I will not be held responsible if HR comes down on you because your fellow employees don't like the idea of being called foul names by an animated squirrel.
 

THE CARTOON SQUIRREL CURSES. A LOT.

You've been warned.

And so...  Foamy, on Fatkins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn-MlHlDhHs