Start Your Day Right.

I like to start my day with a little blog reading, but shouldn't we start our days like this.


I found it over at Kikibees' this morning.

Sing, Sing a Song

This morning I put Lolly on plane bound for here

Carnegie Hall. She and a few other members of her middle school chorus are performing there Saturday night.

Watching her board that plane in both nervousness and excitement was almost more than I could take. It was in that moment that I realized just how closely my emotions will always be tied to her. Ever since Lolly was born I've seemed to have a keen sense that she's really only mine for a short time and before I know it she'd be grown and on her own. Raising kids is a gradual letting go. Am I depressing you yet?

I am really excited for Lolly. I know she's having a blast. And I have peace that her Daddy is headed to New York to see the performance so she'll have family in the big apple in case of emergency.

Still I found today very hard. Once she got on the plane that is, before that I was the strong reassuring mom telling her not to worry.  Today I start preparing for when she goes off to college. I've got 4 yrs to get comfortable and be strong about the inevitable. Of course once I have her safely tucked away on some college campus I can't promise I won't need to be sedated.

photo credit

Curious

Did anyone watch this?

(I tivo'd it because I knew I would be fast asleep by the time it came on.)

call me nosey but I think I am going to find time to watch it today.

Food Inc.

This weekend Lolly and I watched Food Inc. With the trepidation we felt when we sat down to watch it, you would have thought we were preparing to watch a horror film. Mister wouldn't have any part of watching it.

As a former vegetarian I was pretty aware of what the film was going to say and show so I wasn't completely shocked with some of the movie's content. I am also pretty good at picking through the usage of music, pictures, and words to evoke emotions so I feel I am pretty open minded.

When it ended, I didn't know if I wanted to cry or puke.

Here's where it left me. A really large grocery bill at Whole Foods for locally grown and grass fed beef this week. I am ok with the raising of cattle for slaughter. What I am not ok with is conditions so bad they can't move, their legs breaking under the weight of their bodies and using forklifts to move their bodies while they are still alive. That is just one image that's hard to forget.

And another thing, have you heard of these dark chicken houses or whatever that they raise chickens in? Not good. I think it's safe to say I won't be buying anything with the name Tyson or Perdue stuck to the package anytime soon. Do you know how hard it is to find whole chickens (bones and all) at the grocery store? I don't think that's addressed in the movie but I think there's something to that.

Anyway, have you seen the movie? Did it change the way you eat?

It's All in the Planning

Since I started my 100 day countdown (as of today there is 74 days left - man I've wasted a major amount of time) most days I show up with no eating plan at all and hope for the best. A crazy woman's strategy. I've worked in this building long enough to know that there's nothing in the cafeteria that is going to be healthy, yummy, and reasonably enough priced to my liking.

Holy crap only 74 days left. Can you sense my panic? Moving forward, I turned over a new leaf this morning - planning what I would eat throughout the work day.

Breakfast - 1/2 c of oatmeal and 1/2 oz of walnuts.
Snack - apple and 1 tbsp of natural chunky peanut butter
Lunch - veggie and cheese sandwich, carrot sticks, and blueberries
Snack- 1/2 serving of blue chips and 1 tbsp of hummus
Snack - salad with 1 tbsp of dressing, 1/2 oz cheddar cheese, and 1tsp of roasted nuts.
for a total of 969 calories.

I am proud in my planning. But it's 2:13 and I've eaten everything but the salad and I am hungry. I may have gone on the record before about this but I think I may be the only person in the history of the world who can eat 1/2 cup of oatmeal and be hungry an hour later. I guess I should add some protein.

The morale of this story may be that I don't have enough to do at work if I can so much of day center around eating.

Ok, I got 413 calories max left for the day. Wish me luck with dinner

Why Punishment is a Friend of Mine

Me: Watching the Dr. Phil show "Lolly come here"

Lolly: running up the stairs "what?"

Me: "Does that guy look familiar?"

Lolly: "Hey that's my softball coach. Are Alexis and Alaina going to be on the show?"

The topic of the show Troubled Teens: An Intervention

They smoke, drink, speed, pop pills, disappear all night and disrespect their parents all day. They are teens gone wild, and Dr. Phil has a huge wake-up call for them and their parents! Kimberly and David say their 14-year-old daughter, Alaina, has had so many tickets from the police, that she’s under house arrest. And their 16-year-old daughter, Alexis, is very manipulative and throws fits when she doesn’t get her way. How did their girls get so dangerously out of control? And will Kimberly and David have the strength to follow through with Dr. Phil’s advice? Parents, if you’re in a power struggle with your teen, don’t miss this show!

Holy smoke! Thankfully the worst that's come our way is a little back talk. This kind of stuff scares the crap out of me!

Mama Needs a New Pair of Shoes

I got this dress for my reunion. (I promise it's prettier in real life and the tiers don't seem so tiery) I am not a hundred percent sold on it but I needed something to visualize as I work to drop a few pounds. It's not something I'd usually pick, and not a color I'd usually pick but I thought it was so pretty in real life.  And it's very figure flattering.

So I ordered these shoes from Zappos.com

which I liked until I put my foot in it. It made my size 6 foot look fat. I don't think I've ever had a less flattering shoe on my foot. Now I am doubting the gold color as well.What color and style of shoe would you wear with the dress?

I May Have to Whack Him

To my chagrin Mister tivo'd The Godfather this weekend on both the living room and bedroom tv's. Just what you want to listen to as you're falling asleep.

 If I  hear one of  the followingt quotes again

"Look how they massacred my boy"

"I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless. But not men"

"Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man"

Done in Mister's Marlon Brando impresonation I may have to hit him.


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Like a good neighbor unless we have to pay for something

Ever since this

They  have been nothing but DISAPPOINTING. They say it's suppose to be easier when both drivers have the same insurance company. All it's really done is made it more frustrating. Looks like it may be time to end a 20 yr relationship. Anyone have an insurance company they just love?

True or False

Mister has been known to sign papers, including stuff for Lolly's school.

                       Real  First Name "Super Fly" Fowler

True. Are you surprised I am not a heavy drinker?

Too Much of a Good Thing

While I was busy pining for that stinkin Dooney and Burke this box arrived from my mom

Guess who went to the Vera Bradley outlet sale...

Some of it gifts for Lolly and I and some she picked up for me to use as gifts.

Those pj pants $3!!!! This was my mom's second year to go to the sale. This year she and  my aunt had to go on Sunday (the last day of sale) due to a funeral, which I think may have been a blessing in disguise. I am kind of afraid of what would have shown up if she had access to more of a selection. She's suggested that Lolly and I make the trip home next year to go with them so we can choose what we want. I think that's a good idea because seriously how much Vera Bradley does one girl really need?!

Bag Lady

Once upon another lifetime I did time as an Accessory Manager for

The best thing I can say about that time and those days is that they are long gone. It wasn't all bad. In between the tough life lessons I was being taught, I developed a deep appreciation for handbags. I don't care who's name is on the bag, who's carrying one just like it. It doesn't matter. It's got to do one thing and one thing only and that's sing to me.

And this little baby has done nothing but serenade me since I laid eyes on it. I can't find it anywhere. I checked eBay. I emailed the company and this was there response.

Dear Ann,
Thank you for contacting Dooney & Bourke. We are sorry to inform you that there has been no mention of bringing this style back into productions. Unfortunately, we no longer have this style available in our warehouse nor in any of our stores. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Customer Service
693


Inconvenience? Customer Service 693? Seriously, If you're going to break my heart could you not at least use your real name. 

Have you seen this bag? If not, can you get it to shut up? I am sure it's not as pretty in real life, right? It had to have some functional flaws since it's not made anymore. right? RIGHT?

Happy Mothers Day

I hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing Mother's Day.
Mine is being spent on the couch watching episodes of Cake Boss and Ghost Hunters, coloring with Lolly and just being lazy.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

91 Days and Counting

I am still working out the kinks. There are a lot of them. More than I realized. Good thing I visited Kerry today and read her post on discovering the secret to losing weight.

I am not anywhere near highschool skinny.  In fact if caught on hidden camera some might think I was actually eating for two.

Next week I am trying Kerry's secret. I think I can manage the water part. The eating less, well that might just be a kink...I believe Kerry knows what's she talking about. Why the answer is so easy but seems so hard is just beyond me. Hence the extra 15pounds. The madness of it...

Reason #1 Why the Internet is Dangerous

Because I don't know what I need until I see it...Blog browsing this morning I ran across this Dooney & Burke handbag which I thought would haunt me until I make it my own. Only to find out it's no longer available. Now I am in mourning.

Dear Dooney & Bourke,

Please bring this bag back. Everything you offer pales in comparison.

Losing It

I can't wait for this show. I like the Biggest Loser. I understand working out hard, so hard you get sick. But they rarely ever get to the meat of the matter. Seriously, I understand these people are use to eating junk food at home and start eating healthy at the ranch. BUT never I have heard anyone say "Damn I am hungry". And you know they have to be. You're use to eating 1,000's of calories a day and then you drop it down to about 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day. There's hungry written all over that. Heck, I am trying to lose 15lbs and I am hungry all the stinkin time, sometimes real sometimes just in my head.

I hope this show depicts more of the real issues cause I am tired of just watching people work out.

Todays Lunch

Packed with May's number 1 goal in mind - lose 5lbs.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry