Archive for January, 2008

January Progress Report on Resolutions I Actually Intend to Keep

{ January 31, 2008 @ 11:43 pm } · { resolutions }
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Goal One-Doing pretty well.  Joined WW and have picked up losses every week.  As of last Monday, I’m down 8.6 pounds.  Some days are a lot harder than others, but overall, it hasn’t been too bad.  Now that I’m getting a handle on food, I need to get a handle on the exercise component.

Goal Two-Doing pretty well here, also.  Everything I’ve purchased has been a cash/debit card purchase.  If I can’t afford to pay for it without credit, I can’t afford it.  The weight loss goals have actually benefitted me here in that I don’t spend nearly as much money on fast food and related bad-for-me crap.  As long as I’m not spending while I’m paying them down, I’m going to feel pretty good about this.  I also have some savings going which I’ll be able to use in July when ChaucerianGirl and I do our sister’s weekend.  So overall, I feel pretty good.  Still annoyed at myself for letting it get so bad, but I’m getting over the self-flagellation.  At least where that’s concerned.  :)

Goal Three:  Mixed progress.  I’m just so burned out on this job and I let myself get frustrated too easily.  I’m working on it.

That’s all for now.  I’ll post another progress report the end of February. 

Six Quirky Things You Really Don’t Want to Know About Izzybella

{ January 31, 2008 @ 11:33 pm } · { Meme, tagged }
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Amethyst tagged me. 

1. I cheat at crossword puzzles.

2. I love citrusy smells.

3. I enjoy reading plays out loud by myself, playing all of the parts-this includes affecting ridiculous accents and voices for various characters.

4. I deeply need and appreciate solitude and am not a nice person when I don’t get much of it.

5. I still find this blogging/on-line thing rather difficult, but it’s the only way I keep in touch with some people.

6. I can get my feelings hurt too easily, but I also get over it quickly.  I think that means I’m moody.  That’s not actually a good thing.

There you have it.  Six things you probably didn’t want to know.  I tag no one, but if you’d like to play, feel free.

Two Years Ago Today

{ January 26, 2008 @ 2:18 am } · { My Sisters and Me }
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Chauceriangirl’s and my sister died two years ago today.  It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.  Anyway, I wanted to remember her today, so here’s a picture of us together.   And two of Chauceriangirl and Alicia.  Alicia’s daughter is blurred out, not because she isn’t the most adorable little girl in the entire galaxy (she is), but because I didn’t want to post her picture on the net.

So, Alicia-Chauceriangirl and I are getting together today after work.  There will be dinner.  There will be Lone Star Comics.  There will be a funny play.  And there will be conversations about you.  I personally am planning on bringing up the time we threw you into the bathtub when you refused to take a bath even though you totally smelled exactly like the Jordan River.  That story never gets old.  Miss your guts, redhead.  And always, always love you. 

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Alicia and Me

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Chauceriangirl and Alicia

Sick Again Again

{ January 23, 2008 @ 10:44 pm } · { Being sick sucks }
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I should have known it was happening.  I was so sore last night and I couldn’t get in a comfortable sleeping position.  At first I was thinking it was karmic justice for explaining to chaucerian girl how she, also, could get a better night’s sleep like I have been lately.  Was I too smug?  Possibly.  But this morning when I woke up my head weighed 600 lbs.  Literally.  I’m not kidding.  And I’m tired and sinusey and sneezy and one or two other of the 7 dwarves.  I went to the pharmacy and bought some Zicam.  I’ve never used it before, but it claims to shorten the life and symptoms of the common cold.  If it’s effectiveness is in direct correllation with it’s nasty-tasty-ness, then it should work just fine.  Because Zicam?  Tastes nasty.  I’m drinking plenty of fluids and I even bought chicken noodle soup for lunch.  I’m trying to take care of myself.  So I’m really banking on you, Zicam.  Work, okay?  Please?

Heath Ledger Dead at 28

{ January 23, 2008 @ 5:55 am } · { Uncategorized }
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Another talented actor dying too young, too soon.  It sucks. 

Izzybella’s Three-Day Weekend

{ January 22, 2008 @ 11:49 pm } · { Blessed Silence, Juarez, Momentum, My Dogs }
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I had a really good day off yesterday.  I’d originally intended to see a movie, but the monster had me running a few errands for her and it just didn’t quite work out with the schedule.  I wasn’t as annoyed about that as one might expect.  I mean I still managed to fit in 2 1/2 discs of Gilmore Girls, plus I took a long hot bath in our fancy new jacuzzi tub.  The bath wasn’t planned.  It started off a shower and then I thought to myself, “self, you have a day off to yourself and unlimited time to get ready-take a long hot bath instead.”  And then I was all, “self, you are so right.”  So I did.  Jacuzzi bathtubs were a really good invention.  Right up there with sliced bread.  Mighty nifty. 

Dog Sydney did not have a good day.  She had to spend it at the vet, poor thing.  She’s been so miserable with allergies and over the weekend her eyes swelled up, turning her lids inward, which caused her eyelashes to irritate her corneas every time she blinked.  By Sunday she could barely open her eyes and they were so red.  So I took her to the vet first thing in the morning.  Baxter was quite despondent that he didn’t “get to go” too and all the reassurances in the world that he was lucky to not go didn’t help.  She got a shot and three prescriptions, one antibiotic, one for cough, and some eyedrops.  She already seems better this morning.

Dog Baxter wound up having a much better day than his sister.  Because every time I left the house yesterday, he got to come too.  He went with me to Starbucks (tall hot chocolate, nonfat milk, no whipped cream-thanks for the gift card, Joe!), a tailor out near the arts district (monster needed the lining of her coat repaired-that involved some waiting), the post office, and the vet to pick up Syd.  He loves getting to go and he loves spending quality time with his peeps so he was extra happy and tail-waggy all day yesterday.  Plus all the running around wore him out so he was too tired to bark at every teeny little sound he heard all night long.  He slept soundly.  And loudly.  Dude snores.

Weigh in yesterday went fine.  Had a pretty good week, but I also ran out of one of my medications and didn’t take it all last week.  I kind of wonder if that didn’t have an effect on the weight loss.  Whatever.  Probably shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  So I’m mosy-ing along on the journey.  We talked a little bit about the 8 healthy habits yesterday-one of which is managing emotions (for those, like me, who eat when stressed, sad, angry, and even happy).  I liked the analogy our leader presented.  “If you went out to the parking lot and saw that someone had slashed one of your tires, would you go and slash the other three?”  Of course not.  You’d be angry, upset-but the cost of replacing one tire is much less than the cost of replacing four.  Treating your health so cavelierly when you’re upset just causes so much more damage. 

Had a MMM meeting on Saturday.  It was really nice to see everyone-feels like it’s been forever.  Found out that the theatre we were reprising WoJ at, has lost their space.  I’m really sorry for them, but strangely relieved that we aren’t doing the show right now.  I love that show, but it’s an emotional investment and I just have a lot going on to deal with.  The next couple of shows we’re doing, I’m working strictly in a production capacity-co-directing one and stage managing the other.

Overall it was a really good weekend.  I needed a day like yesterday where, even though I ran a lot of errands, I had a solid chunk of quiet/alone time.  I am one of those freakish types that needs solitude just as much as I need people.  It can be difficult balancing it out sometimes.

So that’s my report about what I did over the weekend.  Do I get an A?  A B?  C’mon, at least give me a B.

Why I Shouldn’t Always Be In Such a Hurry

{ January 20, 2008 @ 12:57 am } · { Uncategorized }
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When I wrote yesterday’s Starting Over post, I wasn’t sure whether or not I would actually post it.  After all, who wants to put her weight on a blog for all to see, especially when, as in my case, she’s what is commonly referred to as “morbidly obese.”  I can’t tell you how much I loathe that terminology.  It’s like a clinical way of saying someone’s not just “fat,” but more like, “Holy crap, that’s a fat chick!!!”  Plus, a part of me was just venting, or possibly dwelling, depending on how you look at it.  I had intended to hit save, not publish, but I was in a hurry and hit publish by accident.  I thought about deleting the post when I realized what had happened, but what the hell-at least 4 of you have already read it and I think that about constitutes my full readership.  So there you have it.  My current weight, and not even my actual starting weight (my all-time high) as I’ve already lost since beginning WW.  I’m really embarrassed that people know that about me.  Maybe it’ll be incentive to help me through the process.  Anyway, let it be a lesson to me to stop being in such a damned hurry all the time.

Starting Over

{ January 19, 2008 @ 6:03 am } · { Uncategorized }
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It’s the best thing about the weight loss journey-the idea that one can start over after some set backs.  To be honest I started a couple of weeks ago.  I’d decided not to use this particular forum to log my successes and/or failures, but I reconsidered.  I just need a place to vent, not only about weight loss specifically, but life in general.  Most of my friends/family don’t actually know about this page.  As supporting and loving as they are, it’s difficult to talk to them about things sometimes.  So, starting with the weight loss journey…

Last weigh-in I was at 237 lbs.  I joined Weight Watcher’s the week before Christmas.  It’s possible I could have come up with a worse time to start, but I’m not sure how.  The holidays came and went and, comparatively speaking, I was pretty restrained.  I did gain a little bit of weight, but not nearly as much as I would have had I not joined, I think.  January seemed like a natural point to re-engage my goals.  Doesn’t everyone make weight loss resolutions in January?  I lost what I’d gained back and I’ve been pretty steady on points for the most part since then.  I found a meeting I like a lot with a leader I can connect to.  She’s dynamic and fun and I feel like I have a good partner for weight loss.

My sister has also joined and she’s losing much faster than me.  I know it’s not a contest, but it’s a little disconcerting to pick up 1 and 2 lb losses every week, while she’s picking up between 4-6 lb losses every week.  Part of it is that she’s on the weight loss drug, Alli.  I think that helps her a lot.  She’s very careful to restrict her fat/calorie intake in order to avoid the side effects described, so she’s eating even healthier than she otherwise would.  She’s encouraged me to give it a try, but I worry about what will happen once I’m ready to go off the drugs-what kind of side effects I’d have to deal with, including weight gain.  I’d just rather not do it.  So it’s probably unreasonable that her 6 lb weight loss, in comparison to my 2 lb weight loss, annoys me.  I’m not very generous, am I?

 I weigh in again Monday, so I’ll be back then.  Have to stop now-3 day weekend.  I’ll be back!

Friday’s Feast

{ January 18, 2008 @ 10:26 pm } · { Meme }
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Appetizer
What is your favorite beverage?

Water.  I’d love to give a more creative answer than that, but when I’m really thirsty, water is want I want the most.

Soup
Name 3 things that are on your computer desk at home or work.

Pictures of my family, a very heavy glass paperweight given me by my stepfather as a present for graduating from college, and a calendar of daily Shakespeare quotations.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how honest do you think you are?

Probably a 7 or 8.  I don’t lie so much as I withhold information from people when I either don’t want to talk about something or think the truth would be hurtful or offensive.  Evasion is a form a dishonesty, so I have to deduct some points there…though eventually I will come around and talk about it at some point.  Usually way after it’s over.

Main Course
If you could change the name of one city in the world, what would you rename it and why?

I can’t think of any city that needs renaming.  But this question totally made me think of an episode of Firefly called “Jaynestown” where the crew does a job on a planet, only to find one of them (Jayne) is idolized as a local hero-a Robin Hood of sorts.  He even has a song.  And then Wash says, something like, “wow, I wanna go to the crappy town where I’m a hero.”  It’s really funny, I swear.  You should go watch it.  Right now, in fact.  Just step away from the computer and put in your Firefly discs…what, you don’t own them, you say?!  Sacrilege.  Go out and buy them at once.  Then watch them because it’s an excellent show cut off before it’s prime. 

Dessert
What stresses you out? What calms you down?

Large crowds of people stress me out.  I just get really nervous and anxious in a room with more than 10 people.  I don’t know why.  I have always been that way.  I have a difficult time at parties too, unless I know everyone I’m with, and even then it stresses me.  I clam up and I can feel my body just sort of hunching in-I just want desperately to disappear.  Conversely, I can calm down with a few of my friends and some good conversation.  Or just being by myself reading a book will calm me down.  Taking a long walk around my very pretty neighborhood will also do the trick.

Read other diners here.

I Think I’ll Go Into Actressing

{ January 18, 2008 @ 2:00 am } · { American Idol }
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Did you watch American Idol last night?  Did you see the girl who, after receiving a no from the judges, flipped Simon the bird and proclaimed, “I’m going into Actressing now!!!!!!”

 It was wrong of me, but I laughed.  And today when I talked to my co-worker about it, I laughed again.  Next time some one asks me what my bachelor’s degree is in, I’m going to answer, “Actressing.”  Hee!!!!! 

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