Holy Crap, she's posting!!

Hello everyone. I hope you all had fun long weekends and that none of you were forced to work over the holiday. I headed up to Sacramento for most of the weekend and hung out with my friend Kerri and her family, then spent Saturday with my Mom and the step-family.

Lots of games were involved (card and board, not mental), and it was all quite fun. I have determined that my mother has a strong tendency to believe anything I say, as evidenced by her constant choosing of my wrong answers to Beyond Balderdash. (The edition we played had dates as a category instead of laughable laws, which sounds like a better category, if you ask me!)

In other news, I am still following the WW plan (except for weekends, when I'm not tracking, but still trying to exercise and make smarter food choices). I have lost 4.4 pounds in the last 3 weeks. It is a good start, and I will keep it up! (I am determined...again!) In keeping with this, I was inspired to actually turn on my oven and cook last week! (Before this current heat wave hit.)

teaser photo

A co-worker brought in a giant lawn bag full of fresh rosemary clippings, which also contributed to my culinary inspiration. Visit here for the recipe.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today (June 19) is my awesome, supportive mother's birthday, so let's all wish her a great one!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Diet Revisited

Okay, it's day one back on the diet - I tracked all my food today (did not get in my daily oil or all of my veggies, but at least I'm trying), and even...are you sitting down? I even exercised!!

After last week's weigh in disaster, I decided that I needed to forcibly push myself back on track...I'm weak though, so not sure the wheels are firmly on the track yet. We'll find out if it moves or not... Anyway, I bought a new exercise DVD - Pilates Core Challenge. Apparently, this is not a workout for the beginner! I got through 20 minutes and thought I was going to die. I think I will go back to my easy beginner's Pilates video (VHS) until I build up a bit of strength and endurance. Wish me luck. I am hoping that I don't give up on the exercise!

In honor of day one of diet determination (couldn't start over the weekend, you know...it was father's day, and Dad was barbecuing), I took the below quiz. Note that it says I am 59% Chunky...should I be offended??

Your Score: BROWNIE BATTER!

You scored 81% SWEET, 59% CHUNKY, and 62% UNIQUE!

brownie batter ice cream with a rich brownie batter swirl

Mmmm....you are a very sweet mix indeed! You are warm, loving, and caring to all those around you, but you're not boring in the least! You have a wild streak and a creative, unique streak, too. You are a great friend, an interesting person, and you know how to have fun without ending up crouching over a toilet bowl. Nice!

Link: The Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor Test written by weered1 on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(weered1)

Random Rant

Is it me, or are retail salespeople becoming more rude? Actually, I think I may be over-reacting due to the craptastic day I had at work. I'm sure tonight's Hallmark trip just pushed me over the edge...

So, after an okay morning and a nice lunch hour, I received a litany of snarky emails from the boss, which soured the day. I hit the Weight Watcher's meeting to weigh in, and am now only 15 pounds lighter than I was at my heaviest. The diet has been completely derailed. I blame work stress (which is awful) and my complete lack of will-power. That, and I am so sick of tracking everything I eat. I hate it. I measured myself for yet another bridesmaid's dress the other day and had to order a 12. (I had tried on the dress a few months ago, but David's Bridal didn't write my size down in the file. So, that was a pointless waste of gas.) I haven't been that size in years, so that made me unhappy too.

So, after the poo day (yes, I am mature) and weigh-in, I decided to hit Hallmark to get some packaging for the Father's Day gifts I got for Dad. So, I'm tooling around the store, and then at about 8:10 (I'd already been there a while, mind you) I was looking at some mugs in the front, and the teenager (I'm assuming) standing by the door with another customer, looks at me and says, "Um, we're actually closed? We close at 8?" (I hate it when people speak in all questions. Gee, if you're that unsure, maybe I can convince you otherwise.) So, I look at her and say, "I've been here a while." And she tells me I'd better pay quick then. (I didn't care for the way she said that!)

Anyway, part of what irritated me about this statement was the fact that I'd already been in the store for nearly a half hour and had merchandise in my hand. I had not even been acknowledged by the sales staff. Had they come around the store, which isn't that big to begin with, they would have known there were still people shopping. I've been there in the past, where they check to see if people are there about 5 or 10 minutes before closing and gently remind them that they will be closing. I wouldn't have been annoyed, if she had simply phrased it all differently.

Urgh, definitely over-reacting. I mean, she probably gets minimum wage and wants to go home. But is that an excuse for having no manners?

Hot Chocolate, Baby!

I took another fun test over at OkCupid...(still addicted to those gosh darned quizzes), and it told me that if I were a beverage, I'd be hot chocolate. I kind of like this description of me...what do you think? (I ask, because some of you know me quite well...) Also, if you end up taking the quiz, let me know what it tells you.

Your Score: Hot Chocolate

If you were a drink, you'd be 34% alternative, 28% caustic and 41% playful. Mmm, tasty.

So, we all know that people aren't beverages, and trying to drink other people won't end well for anyone. If you were a drink, though, I think you'd be Hot Chocolate.

Hot chocolate is that lovely middle-ground in comfort drinks - the perfect choice when you're feeling a bit unsure and you want something safe. I mean, come on, it's chocolate. What's not to like? Even the lactose-intolerant and diabetic people of the world can appreciate you now, since so many new varieties of milk and chocolate are available now. Your comforting, composed demeanour makes you a hit at coffee shops everywhere.

In other words, you measured as more popular than alternative. This may mean your tastes are a little more mainstream, that you tend more to the right than the left, or that your style is just a little bit safer.

You also measured as more gentle than caustic. This may mean that you're a less aggressive person, that you're generally calmer than most people, and that you are better at keeping a level head in most situations.

Finally, you measured as somewhere in between serious and playful. This may mean that you have found a good balance between being introspective and analytical, and being a bit more outgoing and silly. It may also mean your sex drive registers somewhere towards the centre. I had to group both of these areas under one variable.

Finally, for those of you who would love to know what other drinks you could have scored has... I couldn't fit all the links here, but feel free to jump across to my journal here to see all 27 possible results. You're welcome to let me know what you thought of the test, too!

The Beverage Identity Test written by runyoshirun on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(runyoshirun)

Long Weekend

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a nice relaxing, or eventful (depending on what floats your boat) weekend. Mine was kind of relaxing, rather uneventful, and rather boring. I came down with a cold last weekend, and have been trying to kick it ever since. The congestion is mostly gone, my ears are nearly clear, but I'm still coughing a bit and my voice is decidedly lower. Urgh. So, I didn't go to my youngest step-brother's high school graduation party that was yesterday, and I didn't go visit Kristin and the baby (just in case I am still contagious).

But, since I am feeling a bit better (even though the energy lags, and there's occasional coughing), I wandered over to Kohl's for their Memorial Day Sale. Mainly because all luggage is on sale for at least 50% off, and I've been using old (and ugly) hand me down luggage for the last decade. I've been thinking about buying a new set of luggage for years, but it's expensive, and I'm cheap... You know, the luggage I have been using has wheels, but it's the old-fashioned, attach the strap and pull kind. If I bother trying to wheel it around with the strap, it just ends up falling over.

So, I bought a brand-spanking new 4-piece set of luggage (in royal purple - that should make it easier to spot on the luggage carousel), for $59! I am rather proud of myself. I hope it's of good quality - but I didn't want to pay the ridiculously high amounts for a single piece of a more well-known brand (the American Tourister and Dockers were double and triple the prices for just one item). Anyway, here's what I got (the online photo makes the purple look like navy, but trust me, it's not).

I'm so easily satisfied, aren't I? I also got a mini-coffee maker (4-cup), a beach towel (realized last summer that I didn't have one!) and 2 cute casual t-shirts. In total, I ended up spending just $10 over the original price of the luggage set. I love me a good sale!

Shameless Plug

Hey there everyone. I wanted to send an internet shout out for my friend (and cohort in craft crime) Moriah, who has just started her own Etsy shop: BeadyEyeLass. She has also started her own blog to go with it.

She has reinspired me on the jewelry front. I've been making crocheted necklaces, but haven't listed any for sale, since I'm still trying to work out the best way to finish off the closures. So far I have liked the way they are coming out though.

Please take a look at Moriah's sites! She will appreciate it!