beenie

I've never done this before, and I'm scared

While perusing the Fashion Bug clearance rack today, I came upon the cutest skirt. Light khaki with brown embroidery on it. 70% off made it under $2.00. Not my size. It's a size 26, which wouldn't even have fit me in my senior year of high school. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have gone to my reunion even if I lived out there - my prom dress was a size 28, and I've probably gained 60 pounds since then.

I bought it anyway.

I want to be in that skirt by the end of winter. It would be adorable with a brown sweater, cream tights and brown loafers.

I have a complete physical - my first ever - coming up on 9/9. At that time, I will discuss my weight with my doctor. If he doesn't bring it up, I will. I've been too fat for too long. It's begun catching up with me. And to be perfectly honest, I'm sick of it anyway. I've said "it's time" before, but now I'm actually going to talk to a doctor about it - on purpose.

I've done research, I've modified my eating habits somewhat, but I have no idea how to go about this. There are so many things I've heard, so many things I've read, and while many of them sound like they make sense, I want concrete medical advice now. No more "oh, this worked for so-and-so," or "so-and-so did this so maybe I'll try it." I want to hear it from a doctor. I want to know what to do.

I know that it's calories in vs. calories out, but I need real medical advice on the "calories out" part. Due to my size, it's hard for me to exercise. I'm honestly afraid of what will happen if I push my body too hard, which is unfortunately seen by some as anything from copping out to sheer laziness. I want real answers from a trained medical professional on what I can and cannot safely make my body do. I want to know what is "too hard."

I also want to discuss some of those calculators I've seen online - the ones that tell you how many calories you need to ingest to stay at your current weight. I've tried a few and every single one has told me that I'd need to ingest somewhere in the 3,000-4,000 calorie range to maintain my current weight. I might eat 2,000 a day, if that, and nary a pound has seen fit to take a hike. Someone I know who has done a lot of research suggested that maybe I should eat 3,000-4,000 calories a day for a few weeks to jumpstart my nonexistant metabolism and then start cutting back. I want to know if that could possibly be true.

I want to discuss the whole glycemic index, good carb vs. bad carb thing.

I need to have bloodwork done to make sure I'm not diabetic, like my mom, my baby sister and my paternal grandmother (who currently has to go to dialysis 3x a week due to diabetes-related kidney failure). A couple of years ago, I went to a cardiologist due to heart palpitations and was told that I have metabolic syndrome, which I was told was "pre-diabetes." My sugar was fine, but other readings solidified the diagnosis.

I want to get into that skirt.

But most of all, I have a wonderful husband. I have a great family, fabulous friends and the bestest kitty ever there was a kitty. More nieces and nephews of my heart (i.e., children I love who are not biologically related to me) are starting to be conceived, carried and born. I want to have children of my own. And I want to be here for all of them, with all of them. For a very long time.

I'm scared. I'm intimidated. But I need to do this. If not for myself, then for all of them as well.

And for that skirt. ;)

When good things happen at inopportune times

So, I've never had a pair of brown-hued summer sandals except for Birkenstock knock-offs. As we all know, while they may be comfy (to me, anyway), Birks are not the most dress-up friendly things, especially the $5.00 knockoffs from Walmart.

However, I am the new owner of a brown, beige and light blue print skirt, which I'll be wearing to a wedding on 9/17. The skirt was a fabulous find - Fashion Bug has a ton of stuff on sale and on clearance, and the clearance items were 70% off the lowest marked price. I got the darn skirt for under two dollars, originally $32.99.

[aside]
I'm tempted to go snatch up some more $2.00 skirts and sell them on eBay next spring
[/aside]

But still, no shoes. But even with money being a little tight, I just can't bring myself to wear nasty worn-all-summer-and-falling-apart fake Birks to my friend's wedding just because they're the only pair of brown shoes I own.

I hopped on eBay to look around, only to find a great pair of new, brown leather, open-toed Easy Spirit slides for around $20.00. For anyone who has ever looked at or purchased a pair of Easy Spirit shoes, this is an absolute steal. And while some may automatically equate Easy Spirit with Grandma, it's just not the case - anymore.

Bidding was ending in approximately five minutes, and suddenly I became one of *those* people. You know, the people who hop right in at the last minute and outbid you. Apologies to the person I outbid, who bid on the item 2 hours after it was posted a week ago, and has sit as the winning bidder since then.

So, it didn't happen at the best time, but in a few days, I will have a pair of new Easy Spirit brown leather slides on my feet. Aside from the $2.00 skirt, it was the best thing to happen to me all weekend.

One-income family...

Due to a series of unfortunate events - and mostly due to the fact that hubby worked for a poor excuse for a man who reves in being a self-important control freak - we are currently a one-income family (just don't tell my mom - I know she'd freak). Even with the current loss of income, things will be a lot better around here. Hubby is a lot less stressed, and I know we'll be fine. There are several jobs available here in town that 1) don't involve a 350-mile-per-week commute (and the gas expenditure!) and 2) would pay him almost as much as he was making, which will tide us over in the event that hubby isn't able to find something in his industry or a similar one soon.

However, there is a light on the horizon - hubby has an interview tomorrow, and the man with whom he's interviewing was very impressed with his cover letter and resume. We went out on Friday and dropped a decent chuck of change on some bright shiny new interview clothes and shoes, and if he gets this job, there's a clothing allowance since they want their employees to dress a certain way (dress slacks and ties? My husband? Holy crap!!).

Fingers crossed!! I know they'll love him.

It's my day off... why have I been up since 6 AM?!

This "having Fridays off" thing hasn't completely sunk in yet, I don't think.

I did not - I repeat, did NOT - set my alarm last night. However, I woke up around 4:00 AM to use the bathroom, got back into bed, saw that my alarm wasn't set, and in my half-asleep stupor, freaked out. OMG, how could I not have set my alarm? I'll be late for work!

Cue 6 AM. After slapping the snooze alarm since 5:15, hubby nudges me... "honey, why the hell is your alarm going off?"

"Ummm... uhhh... because I'm an effing dumbass, that's why."

William Floyd High School Class of '94

My 11-year class reunion is tonight. I'm not going. But any of you who stop by (Renee, that means you), I'll be expecting a full report! Have fun!

New hobby? Make sure you have everything

Every time I go to SquallMart, I have to check out the beads. I keep thinking that one of these days I'll get crafty and start making some jewelry. Not necessarily to sell (but if I find that I enjoy it and am good at it, maybe that will come later), just stuff to wear. I like bead jewelry, but I'm picky - not to mention cheap. The things I like in the store either don't fit my fat neck or are too pricey for my taste. However, I've been plagued by the insecurity bug - what if the stuff sucks, what if it's too frustrating to do... questions like that echo through my head, and I leave the bead section empty-handed.

But not last night.

I bought supplies to make a necklace and earrings to celebrate the purchase of a scoop-neck tshirt that I got recently. Celebrating a tshirt? Well, yeah - I'd also been toying with the idea of buying a lime green top, but wondered if it would really look good on me. I finally gave in to that one a couple of weeks ago. And wouldn'tcha know, it doesn't look half bad! Especially given the fact that I almost managed to dye my hair black for the third time in my life (Renee, doesn't that just take you back? LOL!! It's actually dark brown). So to celebrate taking the lime leap, I'll try my hand at this jewelry-making stuff.

Oh, and by the way, D makes some really pretty stuff!!! I hope that the stuff I make turns out even half as nice as hers. :)

So anyway, I'm excited about making this necklace and earrings. Except that when I went through the inventory of supplies in my bag when I got home, I missed one thing. Beads? Check. Findings? Check. Jewelry pliers? Check. Wire or monofilament on which to string the beads? Notsomuch. Argh! Back to WalMart it is...

Bad answer, bad answer!!

I took a quiz earlier this morning to find out what Brat Pack character I am. It told me that I'm Claire from The Breakfast Club. I am SO not Claire! So I'm not linking to the quiz. *hmph*

Yeah, because THAT'LL teach it. :eyeroll: LOL

Any Amazing Race fans?

I've never seen a minute of the show in my life, but I might have to start watching.

There is something of a debate in the blogosphere over which - if any - set of bloggers will be chosen to compete. At least two have auditioned, The Bloggertwins and Lasadh (Sherri) & Swirlspice (Erica). One blog has given the latter the edge.

Now, I've mentioned before that I'm a member of an amazing group of women who I met online in December of 1999. We're quite the diverse bunch, and are scattered all over the country. There are some who have met a load of the others, there are some who have only met one or two. But for the most part, several talk back and forth almost every day. I love all of these women like family - yes, even the ones with whom I don't get along with all the time (because really - can you have a group of 20 women who will all love each other all day every day for 5 flippin' years?).

Lasadh and Swirlspice are both part of that group.

I am SO. EXCITED. at the prospect of seeing them on TAR. They are both fun, grounded, down-to-earth, fabulous, independent women who have had some amazing experiences in their lives. I mean, geez - Erica took a year off work to travel the country alone in her Jeep (and as a result has met more people on our board than anyone else by far), and loves to travel the globe solo, once backpacking through Australia for a few weeks. Sherri will pick up and move to a new city at the drop of a hat, has met a famous chef a number of times through a group dedicated to finding the best burger in NYC, took pastry courses at the French Culinary Institute, and makes amazing yummy sweet treats, including some gorgeous wedding cakes.

They've met each other in person exactly three times, one of which was the TAR casting call. And if for no other reason than that, I think it would certainly bring an interesting dynamic to the show. As for any other reason, well... I'm "biost."

I can't wait to see how this plays out. I don't believe I've ever mentioned this to either one of them before (and I probably should have), but I admire them both greatly and can't wait to see them succeed in this - because I know they will.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My score would have probably been lower if not for the debt question

Because we all know Americans loooove to rack up the debt, and I'm sure the answer I chose, being the worst option of the three, gave me the most "American" answer.

You Are 45% American

America: You don't love it or want to leave it. But you wouldn't mind giving it an extreme make over. On the 4th of July, you'll fly a freak flag instead... And give Uncle Sam a sucker punch!

Just one look... that's all it took

All it took was one post, and dude's automatically earned himself a spot on my blogroll.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

EDIT: Ooooh, and another one! On your left, you'll find Raging Lunatic. Just because she lives in Door County. And Door County is one of my favorite places to be, not too far behind "my bed on a cool, sunshiny weekend morning, waking up to the realization that I'm being snuggled by both my husband and my cat."