It's Good to be Queen

Comment Queen, that is. Whatever, it's good to be Queen of anything, eh?

Blog Award!! From Anne H at Carb Tripper! 

Thanks, Anne!

This is a new award created by this lovely blogger:

Shannon at A Fat Wife's Journey to Fabulous

(A Lap-Band Story)

Here's how to play:

List 5 goals that you have/had while on your lap band journey*. 

Comment on each blog you nominate and list your top 3 nominees for the award. 

(*well, since I don't have lap-band, I'll just call it a weight-loss journey)

1. Think, eat, and live like a thin person. This whole weight-loss thing is all about lifestyle changes.


2. I used to want to be able to wear heels again. Now, I just want to be thin enough that my feet don't hurt. Then, any shoe that fits will be perfect.


3. Ride my bike on a long distance ride. Adventure Cycling has some great routes. 


4. Fit in an airplane seat with room to spare. Flying right now is not enjoyable. I feel like I take up way too much space and forget going to the bathroom on the plane. It's just confirmation of how big my butt is.


5. Enjoy having my picture taken. Usually, I avoid being in a picture. When I was young and thin I never appreciated my looks. Now, when I look at old pictures, I could just kick myself for not realizing I was okay. Not fat at all.


Number one is really the key to all the others. I've tried for so many years to lose weight. I've lost and gained and lost and gained. I really want to put "dieting" to rest and get on with my life. 


One thing I can say about dieting and blogging is that if I didn't have my blogging friends, I would probably have given up a long time ago. Right about the time I'm feeling like a failure, someone leaves a comment that brightens my day. What a great community of givers you all are. You are awesome!


Now, for this award, I have to pick three bloggers to pass it along to. It's really hard to pick only a few, but here goes:


1. Kimberly at The Woman Inside Me
2. Tamzin at One Inch at a Time
3. Kelly at Happy Texans

Here I am staying up late again. Now I've cut into my reading time, dang it. Anyway, have a great day and stay warm!

Not changing, for now.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts on the new title I was considering. For now, I've decided to stay with Shrink to Fit.

New Blog Title ?

I'm thinking of changing the title of my blog to "She Craves." (see it up there?) What do you think?

I still want to "shrink." But I want my "craves" to be less about food and more about what gives me joy.

I don't know, already I'm not sure if I'll miss my old title too much.

In Control

Last week I began to eat very low carb. I thought it would be really hard since I'd been practically mainlining sugar for a couple of months, but not so. I started on Tuesday and by Thursday, I felt in control. Now, I'm not saying that I'm totally rehabbed, but I can look a muffin in the eye and walk on by.

As a result of the low carbbing, I've lost 6 lbs. Woo Hoo! And I do feel better already.

On my drive home today from work, I had this thought:  I want to set myself free and throw my hands in the air and twirl! Well, maybe not twirl literally, but who knows? All this weight feels like a ships anchor wrapped around me, holding me down. I'm sick of that feeling. I want to twirl. Anyway, it sounds weird, but I get it. I think I finally get it.

We haven't heard anymore critters in the attic so we must have only had one raccoon. The wildlife wrangler came today to check the trap and he said it looks like nothing has been up there. Later this week they will patch up the screens that were missing and that should be the end of critters in the attic.

Have a great week.

Caught!

Just a quick post as it's late and I'm already behind on sleep. This little guy got caught in the trap that the wildlife wrangler dude put in my attic a week ago. I'd heard a lot of movement up there which drives Sydney crazy and then I get no sleep. So Tuesday wrangler dude came out and put some sardines in the trap since, clearly, the nuts were not of interest to this critter.

Around 3:30 am I heard a lot of commotion and noise and that sent Sydney (the Brave) into a frenzy. I went up the attic stairs and was eye to eye with a raccoon. He kinda snorted at me and huffed and puffed and was cute as can be. I stayed up and then went to work, called the wrangler dude and he met me at the house to pick up the critter and take  him to a better place. We have another trap set in case there is mate. I just hope if they were a couple, they end up back together.

I'm low-carbing it this week and while visions of bread and sugary things are dancing around in my head, I feel strongly that I can say no to the white stuff and mean it.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Feeling Empty (nested)

You know you're getting older when your birthday comes and goes and it feels like just another day. My son (who recently moved out) didn't remember to ask for Saturday off so he wasn't able to come by. I know he's young (26) and that he's busy with multiple jobs and school, but I have to say my feelings were a little hurt.

I sulked a bit this weekend then realized it might actually be my fault that he didn't think it was important to me that he be here on my birthday. I tend to act like it's "no big deal" and that we don't really need to make a fuss over it. And while I don't want it to be some big organized shindig, I do want to see his happy little face as often as possible. I'm taking a tip from Roxie and realizing that in this life we sometimes need to ask for what we want. If I wanted to make sure he was a part of my birthday celebration, I should have told him "plan on being there." To me, it goes without saying that if it's your mom's birthday - be there. But in this new day of texting and having too much on your plate, scheduling is important. So next year I will be letting him know - in advance - what my birthday plans are and that he's part of them.

So, I had a good cry and now I'm okay (sort of). But this separation from my one and only has affected me more than I expected. Being a mom has been my one true thing joy. For me, 2011 is about living life and finding new joy. I just didn't think there would be crying involved so early in the year.

It's My Birthday :)

Everybody eat cake!!   Unless you're doing low-carb :)

Wild Kingdom

When I was a kid I never missed an episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins. Does any one remember him? My love of animals began with him, I think. Anyway, it's been feeling a bit like wild kingdom here at my house. More bumps in the night and a few squeals during the wee hours of the morning have made getting a full nights rest rather challenging. So, I called in a wildlife wrangler (actually a pest control guy, but the other term sounds more exciting).

I told him I saw a raccoon on the telephone pole a few nights ago and after he looked around he confirmed that we do have raccoon activity in the attic and around the house. He specializes in catch and release so he put a cage in the attic. Now we wait and see what we catch. The little buggers will be released somewhere north of Houston in a nice location with water nearby and lots of trees. I hope we get them soon.

The picture isn't great, but here's the little critter on the telephone pole.

Here's his/her little footprint.

Of course, the reason they've been able to get into my attic is because I have procrastinated about getting the screens replaced in the soffits and my attic has become grand central for anything wearing fur. The wildlife wrangler will begin to replace the rotted screen with something more durable as soon as we catch a couple of critters. Then when the attic is free of the little varmints, all the soffits will be neatly covered and they will no longer be able to get in. Yay!

Now that we are two weeks into the new year, it seems I've hit a few speed bumps in my intentions for 2011. I wanted to start doing more with my life besides working and sitting at home. But living with my mom has it's own circumstances and I don't always have control. She fell last week and had a terrible wound on her leg that became infected. The antibiotics (two rounds) are working but she's had to be off her feet (which is difficult for her since she's a mover and a shaker) and so I've had to be close by to help her more. Which is fine, I'm glad I'm available. Then she fell again Wednesday and it took us 25 minutes to get her up. Of course after we assessed that nothing was broken, we got tickled and laughed for about 5 minutes at the situation. Still, I'm worried that something like this could happen when I'm not here. I think we need one of those things you wear around your neck for times when someone has (help me, I've) fallen and can't get up. Sorry, but humor is how we get through somethings in this family. I'm thankful we can laugh :)

I've tried to be low-carb, but haven't really succeeded in keeping it low enough to make a difference. Now, tomorrow is my birthday and I'll probably go out to eat and will just eat whatever I want because, again, I have no control over the days events. My mom's friend hasn't made in town yet, but miraculously he will be here tomorrow. I think she planned it that way thinking I'd be excited about his being here for my birthday. I mentioned this to her (that he'd be here on my birthday) and she got all freaked out that I wasn't exactly keen on it. (don't be jealous of him, she said) Really, jealous has nothing to do with it. It's just that it's my birthday. Maybe I'm being selfish or anti-social. Or maybe this is part of the "doing more with my life" thing and I'm just uncomfortable with it. Oh, well. It will be a good day regardless, as long as no one falls down.

Have a great weekend. Don't procrastinate on the big things in life.

Getting Going

Getting back in the swing of things this week has had its ups and downs. Monday night there was some kind of hanky-panky going on in my attic. Tuesday I found a hole in the screen where they must have gotten access to their love nest. I'm thinking it was possums. I find them in the garage eating the cats food sometimes. Anyway, Sydney was so excited about the commotion so all during the night she would whimper and cry and bark. Needless to say, Tuesday at work I was pretty wall-eyed. I haven't heard anything else from the little varmints so I hope they're gone. (please just let me hold on to that thought)

It is nice to be back to work. The regular routine of things is beginning to set in and it's nice to have lunch provided. I just stick to the salad bar and get whatever lean protein they have over in the line for hot food. One of the perks of working at a school (and this is not your public school food).

Went for a bike ride Wednesday and Thursday. Let me just say that my legs and hind-end are in shock. I should have never let two months go by without riding. My first ride was only 5.5 miles and it felt like I was hauling a trailer around the neighborhood. I have gained 5 lbs since Thanksgiving, but geez, that shouldn't make that much of a difference. I think it's just that fitness flies the coop much faster when you're middle aged crazy.

My mom has a friend coming to visit next week from out of the country. That means I get to clean like a mad-woman this weekend and try to be cordial next week. Actually, it will be fun to see him again. I guess I just resent that it means more work for me.

Still working on my "intentions for 2011" list. It's been fun pondering things and getting my mind around doing something strictly for me. One thing for sure that I'll do is go to the museum once a month. It's free on Thursdays. I do like free. I've also been thinking about a new name for my blog. I like the name, but this year is not just about shrinking. It's about actually living.

Have a great Friday and weekend! Don't forget to drink your water and get some rest.

Making Plans for 2011

Thank you all for the wonderful comments/compliments on my new 'do. It was so nice of you and it made me feel great! I'm still adjusting to the newness of it. I washed it and it seemed to fluff up a lot. I used the blow drier with the diffuser attachment but I think next time I'll let it air dry. It may just be that I need to train it and it needs to train me, lol.

Today (Monday) was the first day back to work after a two week break. Sunday night I could not get to sleep. While I was off work I stayed up very late (which I love) so going to bed at 10pm seemed like punishment. I am going to work on making getting to bed early a habit this year. Since I'm older, not getting enough sleep is much harder on me. And, if I go to bed earlier that means less chance of late night snacking! Yay!

I keep trying to make a profound post on what my plans are for this year. Apparently, my attention span is somewhat like that of a gnat lately so thinking about this has my mind in a twist. I know my goal for this year is to continue to shape my life around a more fit lifestyle. Losing weight and becoming more active is the key combination to get that goal met. But another goal I have for this year is simply to find joy. I feel like I'm wasting a lot of time just doing what is expected of me: going to work, taking care of responsibilities, being there for others. I need some "me" time and for some reason that is a difficult concept for me.

So, I'm working on a list of things like: take an art class or photography class, take a dance class, go the the museum once a month, go see a movie (by myself), etc. I need to get out of this rut I've made for myself. Already, I feel anxious excited about it.

For years now I have told myself that when I lose all my weight, then I'll get out there and do things. Well, life is passing me by and who knows, maybe if I get out there more, I will be more motivated to get the weight off.

No more excuses. Make things happen.

Have a wonderful day!

New Year - New 'Do

I know I've mentioned before that I've been growing my hair to donate to Locks of Love. I started letting it grow about a year and a half ago and last Thursday I decided it was long enough. It was getting to be a hassle to take care of and my style was reduced to one look: a ponytail twisted up in the back and held firm with my hair-thingy from 1970, lol.

I mean, I love long hair, but letting it all be one length (for donation purposes) wasn't all that flattering on my 50+ face.

When I was a kiddo, I had very straight hair. My mom wasn't pleased with it and so began the years of perms and curlers, etc. I was a tender-headed tot and so it was always a tearful event. I think that's why, even to this day, I feel the drama coming on when I need a haircut.

A little hair history!

Me with a perm. I don't believe it was my first either!

And more curls! Long and short versions.

Then, as I got older, no more perms.

(Then there was the whole "blonde bombshell" era. But that will have to be another day!)

Anyway, back to the new 'do. So, I went to get my haircut on Thursday. The first salon I went to, the stylist barely spoke English and had never heard of Locks of Love. Now, I know they don't need to do anything special about cutting my hair except that it needs to be at least 10" in length and cut in a ponytail. But I got too nervous trying to explain this to someone who didn't understand me...so I left. On to salon #2. It was a Supercuts, they said they don't do cuts for Locks of Love at that location. What? It's a haircut for crying out loud. So, they referred me to the Supercuts that I used to go to and that made me happy. I got there, the stylist was awesome! Her name is Afelia (probably not spelling it correctly) and she knew exactly what to do. It was kind of a neat connection, too. Her nephew is going through chemo right now and that gave us something to talk about. She divided up my hair into four ponytails and a few snips later, it was all done.

Here's the before:

Here's the after:

And here's what's going to Locks of Love:

I think this is the shortest my hair has ever been. It's an adjustment, but I think I really like it. Very easy to style, just scrunch and go! And it was for a very good cause, so that makes it worth it.

The rest of today will be spent planning for the week. I'm going back to low carb. It's what works and I am ready to focus on getting myself healthy this year. I'm working on my list of goals for this year. A big goal is to be more creative. Get the pencils to the paper, so to speak. 

Hope your Sunday is a just what you need. It's sunny here today in H-town and cool and crisp! Perfect.

Happy New Year!

Last night my son came over. That sounds so weird (he recently got his own apartment) but it's fun to say, too. I made King Ranch Chicken and Outrageous Chocolate Cookies. We had a nice time watching the ball drop in NYC and then watching Houston's own first celebration down at Discovery Green. We don't like to get out on New Year's Eve so staying home is kind of a tradition.

Hope you had a safe New Year's Eve and I wish you all the happiness you can stand in the new year.

Love and best wishes,
Tena