tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58922830381419734412024-03-12T22:53:47.293-04:00Random Thoughts and ActionsA collection of short essays and stories about the world around me.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-49657913134603090052015-06-05T14:30:00.000-04:002015-06-05T14:30:00.260-04:00Influenster Blossom Vox Box May 2015: Trying New Things<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">In early May I received my Blossom Vox Box from Influenster. It was a free box of goodies to try and review. Below is my run down of some of the items.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Bare Naked Granola</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">The Sea Salt Caramel Apple flavor was a tad salty for me as a stand alone snack. I mixed it with my yogurt and the combination was perfect! Took the second package with sightseeing in Salem, NH. It was a great on the go treat.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Hair Food</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">I tried it once and loved how it smelled and how my hair felt afterwards. However, I was concerned about color-treated hair so I handed the shampoo off to my mom who loved it. She thought it smelled great and made her hair feel really good. In addition, she said it didn't make her head itch like so many shampoos. Yay for Hair Food!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Nasoya Zero Pasta</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Made the recipe that came with the bag. Deeee-licious! I'm looking forward to trying it with a more earthy recipe including mushrooms and goat cheese I think. It's not often that something with so few calories tastes so good, but this definitely hits the spot.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun in the sun with Australian Gold!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">I'll admit I was scared when I first put it on. It looked orange! Once I finished rubbing it in though it provided a nice even color. Washed off my hands super easy too. Time to head to the beach!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Australian Gold Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Headed out on a warm day to check out Salem, MA and the House of Seven Gables. With all the sun, it was great to wear a sunscreen that didn't smell like sunscreen! Oh, and I didn't burn either, despite all our walking outside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Beanitos</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Tasty, tasty, tasty! So glad I gave these another chance. Obviously, there was something wrong with the first bag I ever tried. Both the sea salt and chipotle flavors were crunchy and flavorful. Chipotle might be a little spicy for some people. It was so filling as a snack that I wound up not finishing dinner one night. Not a bad deal.</span><br />
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Hope you enjoyed my rendition of the Vox Box Blog!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-53910677743503463592015-06-04T19:53:00.003-04:002015-06-04T19:53:57.130-04:00NYC New York Color<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EJLeMTNY0TY/VXDjIHFKjsI/AAAAAAAAILA/ytGFjrDlkkk/s1600/Collage%2525202015-06-04%25252019_07_49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EJLeMTNY0TY/VXDjIHFKjsI/AAAAAAAAILA/ytGFjrDlkkk/s320/Collage%2525202015-06-04%25252019_07_49.jpg" width="320" /></a>I've been using my free NYC City Proof 24 Hour Eye Shadow off and on over the course of the month since I received my Blossom Vox Box from Influenster. Today, I decided to take pictures and blog about it.</div>
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One of the things I love, love, love about the eye shadow is that it comes in a fat pencil form. That makes it super easy to put on and keep the color where I want it. I used it with an NYC Show Time Velvet Eyeliner in Black Wine that I already owned and another brand's black mascara.</div>
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When it's colder in the house, it is more difficult to put the eye shadow on since the color is hard. Be careful not to poke your eye too hard! Now that the weather is warmer, it applies smoothly and easily.</div>
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<i>I received the NYC Color Proof 24 Hour Eye Shadow free in my Blossom Vox Box from Influenster, but all opinions are my own.</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-23668463964605904282014-12-31T13:30:00.000-05:002015-01-01T10:05:47.407-05:00A Different New Year’s Resolution<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rather than come up with a list of strict dos and don't for the new year, I have decided to try something different.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I came up with this list after reading several articles on they way we talk to ourselves and when I saw a sign that said "Would you be friends with someone who spoke to you the way you spoke to yourself?" It got me thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I promise I will:</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Write down one thing I accomplished each day, no matter how small.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cook three dinners at home each week with leftovers for lunch.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Practice yoga and meditation more often.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Show compassion for myself every day, especially when things don't go the way I plan.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What are your promises to yourself?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-35446601715044967202014-11-26T19:40:00.002-05:002014-11-26T19:40:36.675-05:00Holiday Treat #2: Kettle Corn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning when I arrived at the office, there were large bags of kettle corn strewn all over the break room counter. At first I just walked away since I didn't want as much as was in an individual bag.<br />
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However, realizing that I didn't have to take an entire bag, I went back and got a paper bowl of kettle corn. Probably about a cup and a half to two cups.<br />
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I later discovered that this was left over from an turkey giveaway event that several coworkers participated in the night before. It's a pretty cool charity event that my office has helped with for many years. However, I don't know where the kettle corn itself is from.<br />
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The kettle corn was slightly sweet with a little salty flavor. The popcorn was fresh and I enjoyed the treat.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-47791639556967420052014-11-25T18:00:00.000-05:002014-11-25T18:00:01.327-05:00Holiday Treat #1: Chocoholic Cupcake<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>B Cupcakes Chocoholic Cupcake</i></span></td></tr>
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These actually arrived in the office last night at 6pm, so I was surprised to see a chocolate one left this morning when I arrived. I quickly grabbed it and set it aside for lunch.<br />
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Let's start with the decoration. Simple and elegant. I could have done without the sugar flower on top. Isn't really tasty or necessary.<br />
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The cake itself is a rich dark chocolate and very moist. The butter cream frosting was also chocolate and super sweet, but not bad. It balanced with the cake.<br />
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Bonus, served with a wooden spork so you can make sure that you get a bit of frosting with every bite.<br />
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<b>Final verdict:</b> worth every bite!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-78077054706131567362014-11-25T14:34:00.000-05:002014-11-25T14:34:07.155-05:00The Food Catastrophe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now is the time of year when my office is inundated with food. Donuts, chocolate, snacks and gift baskets. Rarely does someone send us oranges or other healthy options. It's tough to avoid or say no to the temptation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We generally say that you gain at least ten pounds during the weeks between Halloween and New Year because the consultants, product reps and contractors choose this time to show their appreciation or make their name known. I wonder if they could spread it out a little to the rest of the year?</span></div>
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My mom had an idea that I should act as a food critic for all the goodies that come into the office. If I don't have time to photograph and write about the food, I don't have time to eat it. This will apply to all non-meal foods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In addition, it will actually make me decide if I really like something I'm eating. If I don't like it, why finish it, right?</span><br />
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Seems like a fun adventure, so let's see how this experiment goes. What holiday treat are you looking forward to? </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-48016261398364302592013-04-20T11:06:00.001-04:002013-04-20T11:06:40.144-04:00Beach Day<p dir=ltr>Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 10:59am Beach day. A little cold with the wind blowing. Rain seems to be staying away so far. Here's to a relaxing day even so. Shared with Memoires for Android http://market.android.com/details?id=net.nakvic.dromoris http://sites.google.com/site/drodiary/</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0Chandler Park, Cape Canaveral28.393282 -80.596954tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-20450780247624854832013-01-23T10:08:00.001-05:002013-01-23T10:08:57.937-05:00Returning to the Gym: The Good, the Bad, The Ugly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This morning I returned to the gym for the first time in 187 (a half a year, six months, etc). I know this because Leslie, the woman who checks me in told me so. It was a pretty humorous experience to say the least. I'm going to end with the good though, since I should end on a positive note, right?<br />
<b>The Bad</b><br />
- Having to get up at 5:30AM... Not so bad on a normal day, but I woke up at 2:45AM and couldn't get back to sleep. Eek!<br />
- Doing the walk of shame into the gym. I'm friends with the above mentioned Leslie, who was in shock at my return.<br />
<b>The Ugly</b><br />
- I packed my gym bag the night before and managed to forget a towel and one other thing that I will not mention. Luckily, I realized this before I stepped into the shower and was able to purchase two little hand towels from the front desk.<br />
- Forgot my iPod so I was stuck listening to their overhead music. Which is not too bad, but I would have preferred my workout mix.<br />
<b>The Good</b><br />
- I got to see my friend Leslie again for the first time in six months. Woohoo!<br />
- I made it to work by 8AM with the visit to the gym.<br />
- No traffic at 6:30AM on the way to the gym.<br />
- It felt good to workout again.<br />
- No wheezing!<br />
- Starting February, I'll be reimbursed by my health insurance for 12 visits a month to the gym. Woot!<br />
So the good far outweighs the bad and the ugly. I think I'll do it again Friday.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-19945177932822085972012-09-25T18:00:00.000-04:002012-09-25T18:00:06.804-04:00Roasted Eggplant Parmesan<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3SoRryqzwI/UFk3_gfeknI/AAAAAAAAAJw/x1K8UaKN_l0/s1600/IMG_0689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D3SoRryqzwI/UFk3_gfeknI/AAAAAAAAAJw/x1K8UaKN_l0/s320/IMG_0689.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The starting point.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This recipe is inspired by a recipe I found in <i>Healthy Cooking for Two (or Just You)</i> by Frances Price, RD. I've tweaked it a bit and it serves about 8 people by the time I'm done with it. I basically took the recipe, substituted some quicker parts and added mushrooms to make it a little heartier. It makes really great leftovers.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 large eggplants</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 package sliced baby portobello mushrooms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8 oz. bag of shredded mozzarella cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 jar pasta sauce (I use the garden or veggie type)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">olive oil</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat the oven to 400°.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Trim both ends from each eggplant and slice them crosswise into circles of equal thickness. About 3/8" to 1/4". Brush a baking sheet with olive oil, arrange the slices on it in a single layer and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the slices are browned on top and tender in the center.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rinse mushrooms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reduce the oven temperature to 375°.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brush a 9" x13" pan with oil and arrange a single layer of eggplant slices in the bottom of the pan. Spoon marinara sauce over the eggplant. Cover with a layer of sliced mushrooms and half the mozzarella. Repeat all layers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is browned. Serve immediately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So in my recipe, I've replaced the fresh mozzarella with shredded, since I had a hard time slicing the chuck of cheese and I needed to cut the time down.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The final masterpiece.</i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-7129983360867505732012-09-18T22:56:00.000-04:002012-09-18T22:56:31.890-04:00Camping the San Juan Islands<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfWzNpIue4w/UFkwg8lPPyI/AAAAAAAAAJY/aEqB-CXLfr8/s1600/lingerie+001+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xfWzNpIue4w/UFkwg8lPPyI/AAAAAAAAAJY/aEqB-CXLfr8/s320/lingerie+001+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View across one of the many bays around the island.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My sister and I took a risky route to camping on the very popular San Juan Islands. We just showed up. We lucked out that there was on camp site available when we arrived. To avoid the stress the next day, we called and reserved a site for the next night. Same day reservations are not allowed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While we roughed it by tent camping and having no showers, we did splurge on food and coffee. Lopez village has a perfect little cafe called Isabel's. Our barista was a true artist and drew beautiful designs in the foam in our cups. Bumper stickers adorn the walls, including on that says "friends don't let friends drink Starbucks." I thought it pretty funny.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We had read how friendly the Lopez residents were and that everyone waved when passing in cars or bicycles. We discovered that was not an exaggeration and happily started waving as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Did I mention we brought our bicycles? One of the reasons we picked Lopez was because it was listed as the flattest of the islands. Of course, that didn't mean there weren't hills. In fact, on our adventurous attempt at a 30 mile bike ride, we hit a fairly long hill and decided to return to the campground for the car. We wound up with a total 17 mile bike ride and felt it would be better to enjoy our hikes by not overdoing the cycling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The weather was beautiful though it did get a bit nippy at night. The first night I wound up stealing some of Stefanie's sleeping bag. Did I mention we only had one? :) The second night we put the fly over the tent which cut a lot of the wind chill and I was fine with my sheet and blanket, though Stefanie did try to cover me multiple times in the night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lopez Village was delightful and we spent some time at the Farmer's Market (crepes and produce!) on it's last day of the season. Did I mention crepes? We had a savory one with prosciutto, pear, and Gorgonzola. Very tasty. We stopped by the Fudge Factory and sampled a few types before making out selections. I loved the mint chocolate and salted caramel. Oh, and there's a winery on the Island and you can stop by their tasting room on Fridays and Saturdays. For $10 we sampled 7 of the locally made wines. I liked the blackberry wine the best. Oh, and blackberries grow wild on the Island, so don't be surprised to see people on the roadside picking them.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ak7Pfi-3gA/UFkxe4nQMzI/AAAAAAAAAJg/kFW9_pA4viY/s1600/lingerie+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7ak7Pfi-3gA/UFkxe4nQMzI/AAAAAAAAAJg/kFW9_pA4viY/s320/lingerie+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berries, berries, every where berries.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Washington State in general has a lot of parks--state, count, city and federal. Lopez island is no different. We stayed on Spencer Spit State park while camping and walked down to the spit the day we left. There were a few historic notes and a decently priced canoe and kayak shop. We decided to pass on the kayak since the weather was uncertain and we were tired.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other two parks we visited were Shark Reef Sanctuary and Iceberg Point. Shark Reef was a short .5 mile hike where we were able to seals sunning themselves on small islands off the coast. We were even able to hear them talking to each other. Iceberg Point is a little tough to find, but well worth the trek. It was over 2 miles round trip and we walked the coastline, saw sail boats and discovered the boundary marker for the US border with Canada.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My visit to Lopez Island has definitely made me want to return and explore more of it and the other islands. I may stay in a bed & breakfast next time.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-2029584523793022442011-06-27T15:11:00.003-04:002012-01-18T16:07:20.028-05:00Reflections: 100 Miles on a Bike<span class="Apple-style-span" >It's been almost eight months since I finished the Fletcher Flyer Century and I decided it was time to do a little update about the ride and all my fundraising efforts. (started this blog over six months ago and never posted).</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>The Ride</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >What can I say? The ride was beautiful. One hundred miles of hilly country, lots of trees and (mostly) a refreshing breeze. None of the hills were as rough as the hills we trained on in Clermont. Who would have thought that flat Florida had plenty of training hills for the Blue Ridge Mountains.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The morning was cool and perfect riding weather. It only got hot after noon, with temperatures peaking in the 90s. Thank goodness we trained in the heat!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Asheville</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >A lovely little town with friendly people and very walkable. If you ever go, I highly recommend the Corner Kitchen for breakfast and lunch. We didn't go for dinner, but I'm sure that's just as good too.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >I made it to the Biltmore for a whirlwind tour of the house and part of the grounds. See the pictures I took of the exterior. No camera use allowed inside, but I bought the picture book of the estate, so I have something to show for the interior.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>The Fundraising</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >And finally, though not the least important part of this trip. I personally raised over $3,300 towards the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission. All the riders at the Fletcher Flyer raised a total of $130,000 for LLS. It was a fantastic event and very successful.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >A big THANK YOU to all my donors!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-65760981938246650332011-04-06T15:52:00.002-04:002011-04-06T20:32:38.841-04:00Halfway to the Finish Line<p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">So… This week marks several big milestones in my Team in Training season. We completed a 52 mile ride on Sunday. That’s half of a century. By distance, we are halfway to the century. This week also marks the halfway point in our training schedule. Actually, today is precisely the midpoint of our 17-week training schedule.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">A little about Sunday’s ride… It was cooler than the week before, I managed to stay hydrated and, all in all, it was an enjoyable ride. Or a “Fun Fifty” as I dubbed it. We traveled through a bunch of small towns including Ferndale, which has one of the smallest post offices I’ve ever seen. It appears both of my tires were actually on the way out, since I managed to get another flat tire, this time on the front. Actually, the tire blew. We patched it with a GU pack and off we went. It lasted all the way to mile 41 and blew again. After repairing this flat (thanks to Erin’s spare tube), I finished the rest of the ride. This makes a total of four flats for me this season. I think I’ve had my share!</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">So the only halfway mark I have not reached is in my fundraising, which would be $2,000. I have raised $1,140 which is enough for me to recommit to the rest of the Team in Training season. Please help me reach my final fundraising goal of $4,000 by May 5<sup>th</sup>. You can make a donation online at <a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/ncfl/fletcher11/jrandolnhb">http://pages.teamintraining.org/ncfl/fletcher11/jrandolnhb</a>. If you would rather write a check, send me a message and I’ll let you know where to mail it to.</span></p> <span style="line-height: 115%; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Thank you for your continued support!</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-37917596715910147192011-02-28T21:25:00.000-05:002011-02-28T21:25:54.312-05:00Who Am I This Time?<div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Fair warning, this blog pretty much is a complete spoiler.<br /><br />I recently decided to start reading Kurt Vonnegut again. As most high school students, I was required to read <span style="font-style: italic;">Cat's Cradle</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Slaughterhouse Five</span> and a few others. To ease myself into it, I began with a collection of short stories titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Welcome to the Monkey House</span>. Just reading the introduction had me cracking up.<br /><br />One short story that really grabbed my attention was "Who Am I This Time?" It tells the story of an actor in a small town theatrical company. Told from the perspective of the director, it's an unlikely romance.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The lead actor of all the town's plays is a shy and retiring young man who can barely hold a conversation when out in the "real world." Give Harry a part in a play and he becomes the character. All his interactions with his fellow thespians, even when not performing, are carried out as if he was Stanley in <em>A Street Car Named Desire</em> or Cyrano in <em>Cyrano de Bergerac</em>.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">When a young woman who travels from town to town installing new computers for the phone company is invited to try out for the part of Stella. Helene falls madly in love with the actor playing Stanley, as Stanley. Not realizing that he becomes a non-entity the moment he steps off the stage.<br /><br />After several miserable encounters, Helene comes up with a novel idea, or should I say a "play" idea. At the end of their last performance, before Harry can slip away, she gives him a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">Romeo and Juliet</span> and has him read her favorite part of the play.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Juliet:</span><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" ><a name="2.2.45">What's in a name? that which we call a rose</a><br /><a name="2.2.46">By any other name would smell as sweet;</a><br /><a name="2.2.47">So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,</a><br /><a name="2.2.48">Retain that dear perfection which he owes</a><br /><a name="2.2.49">Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,</a><br /><a name="2.2.50">And for that name which is no part of thee</a><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" name="2.2.51">Take all myself.</a></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: bold;">Romeo:</span><br /><a style="font-family: verdana;" name="2.2.52">I take thee at thy word:</a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" name="2.2.53">Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;</a><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" name="2.2.54">Henceforth I never will be Romeo.</a><br /></span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><br />And their relationship blossomed.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> By basically giving Harry permission to be whoever he needed to be in order to woo her, they developed a strategy of courting through plays.<br /><br />As a postscript, I came across the 1982 film adaptation of the story starring Christopher Walken and Susan Sarandon. Just under an hour long, it was an excellent adaptation, keeping many of the main themes behind the story. Christopher Walken was phenomenal in the roll of Harry and Susan Sarandon kept up her side of the story very well also.<br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-82189876068612249022011-02-03T08:47:00.004-05:002011-02-09T09:29:29.268-05:0029 Gifts - February 9th<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/TVKkq87DHHI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ycKRrdSxwsQ/s1600/gf%2Bchocolate%2Bchip%2Bcookies.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571696746825981042" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/TVKkq87DHHI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ycKRrdSxwsQ/s320/gf%2Bchocolate%2Bchip%2Bcookies.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663366;">Okay, I haven't been following the 29 Gifts like I should. It's been off and on that I've remembered to do anything. Today, however, I remembered!</span></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">A couple of days ago I made some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies from Bob's Red Mill mix following the directions except replacing the oil with pumpkin. Needless to say, they are yummy! So yummy, in fact, that I've been eating four each night when I get home. Not a good trend to start.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">So this morning I brought in half the cookies I had left and gave them to another person in the office who is avoiding wheat.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">This gift had several parts to it. The motivation was fairly selfish--I wanted to get the cookies out of my house so I would stop eating them. However, I was glad to give the cookies away to someone who would enjoy them without worry.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">And one more thing, I have a hard time giving food away. It's strange, but I am always afraid I'm going to run out of food. (Not really a true worry.) Just subconsciously, I act on a basis of scarcity and try to hoard food and dislike sharing. So giving away the cookies also was a training exercise for me to let food go.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-76535317115467053042011-02-02T15:11:00.003-05:002011-02-02T15:43:32.270-05:0029 Gifts - February 1st<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#333399;"><strong>Day 1</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#333399;">Yesterday was a friend's birthday, so it was an easy day to give. She really likes wine, so I pulled a leftover bottle off the shelf from a party on Friday. I had two options--both unusual wines. I picked the wine from Spain, since it sounded like something she would enjoy. I can't wait to hear about it!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-78861298826561031262011-01-31T17:00:00.001-05:002011-01-31T17:00:00.193-05:0029 Gifts Challenge - Restart<div style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana"><span style="font-size:85%;">So, I did not work the challenge 100%, probably not even 25%, if I'm honest. There have been some days that I remember, others I don't.</span></div><div style="FONT-FAMILY: verdana"><span style="font-size:85%;">I've decided to start again as they say. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">Beginning tomorrow, I'm going to spend some time each day finding a way to consciously give something away. In an effort to increase my accountability, I'm going to try to post a quick note every day at least saying what the gift was if nothing else.<br /></div></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-7444887105859230692011-01-29T20:42:00.007-05:002011-01-29T20:49:55.172-05:00Train Endure Achieve Matter<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/TUTCRsqnsiI/AAAAAAAAAHY/9ppE7DM8R78/s1600/intheend%25232.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/TUTCRsqnsiI/AAAAAAAAAHY/9ppE7DM8R78/s320/intheend%25232.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567788648640262690" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Today I attended the Winter Kick-off Party for the Central and North Florida Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training (TNT) program. I had attended an early interest meeting in December where I signed up to ride the Fletcher Flyer Century in Asheville, North Carolina on June 5th. For those who don’t know, a century is 100 miles on a bike. Similar to doing a 26.2 miles on your feet, but in my opinion, much more fun.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I have participated in two TNT events in the past, the Mayor’s Marathon in Alaska (2006) and the Intracoastal Century here in Florida (2008). I originally became involved with TNT on a whim. I wanted to be more active and complete an endurance event. A friend of mine mentioned TNT and convinced me to attend an informational meeting. At the time I was too overwhelmed with the idea of training and fundraising together, so I did not join. The following year, when I received a postcard from TNT, I attended another meeting and decided to sign up.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="">The TNT campaign’s sole purpose is to raise awareness and accelerate research funding so a cure can be discovered </span>for leukemia and all blood cancers<span style="">. It is especially important to know that finding a cure for leukemia will also facilitate finding cures for many other types of cancers since <b style="">leukemia research has proven to be a catalyst in the development of life saving treatments for other malignant diseases</b>. </span>Upon learning that, I became committed to the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My father passed away in 1997 from esophageal cancer. It was heartbreaking to lose a parent at twenty and every time I participate in a TNT event, I hope that the money I raise will help prevent another family from losing a loved one.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This year I ride in honor of an additional person. <span style="">During my 2008 TNT season, I trained with Doug Oxendine, who </span>was one of the team’s honored heroe<span style="">s. He trained and completed the Intracoastal Century with us despite small setbacks from his CML (Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia). Early in 2010, he came out of remission and eventually underwent a bone marrow transplant. Sadly, he developed severe Graft vs. Host Disease and did not survive the surgery. Doug was truly inspirational! He always had a smile and spread joy everywhere he went.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">M<span style="">y personal challenge</span> for this season<span style=""> is to raise at least $4,000</span> to support the programs and research of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. You can donate and follow my fundraising progress on my website <a href="http://pages.teamintraining.org/ncfl/fletcher11/jrandolnhb">http://pages.teamintraining.org/ncfl/fletcher11/jrandolnhb</a>. I will be posted training updates throughout the next four months here on this blog.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">If you’re interested in participating in a TNT event, post a comment or send me an e-mail and I’ll point you in the right direction.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Go TEAM!</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-46735455345550380902010-12-04T17:14:00.003-05:002010-12-04T19:36:04.703-05:0029 Gifts in 29 Days<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">While on vacation last week, I took along a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving can Change Your Life</span> by Cami Walker. The premise of the book is to spend twenty-nine days consciously giving gifts. They can be big, they can be small, but give away one thing every day. The author's life is changed by her intentional giving of gifts each day for a month. Her gifts included things as small as a cup of hot chocolate or advice to a friend to a massage or $100 to a good cause. At least one of the gifts was supposed to be something you feel like you can't give up.<br />In honor of the finer meanings of the holiday seasons, I am beginning my own gift-giving cycle on Sunday, December 5th. As the gift-giving challenge suggests, I will be journaling about each gift. Occasionally, I will blog about the gifts and the changes that take place as a result of the process.<br />Anyone interested in participating can sign up on the website: www.29gifts.org.<br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-29860305383023307362010-06-24T10:18:00.006-04:002010-08-04T14:02:00.521-04:00Poetry the Weight Watchers Way<span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you bite it, write it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you snack it, track it.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you nibble it, scribble it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you drink it, ink it</span>.<br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you steal it, reveal it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you sneak it, leak it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you grab it, blab it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you indulge it, divulge it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you lick it, bic it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you hog it, log it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Grab your pencil before your utensil!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Only journal on the days you want to lose weight!<br /><br />I went and tracked down the above "poem" of which the most famous line is "If you bite it, write it." It has inspired many a combination of eating and writing utensil. One of the earliest combinations included a plastic fork rubber-banded to a pencil. The most recent is the pen and fork melded together by WeightWatchers' SmartOnes brand.<br />Of course, with the way technology moves these days, I wouldn't be surprised if someday our taste buds automatically register the food we eat and transfer it to a computer food tracker. Similar to the way the Body Bug registers the calories you burn and logs it in for you. This does seem to be counter-intuitive to the weight loss process. But maybe by making these things easier, it does make the process easier.<br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-62202190597559074942010-03-18T16:48:00.003-04:002010-03-18T16:52:35.320-04:00WW Acountability: Day 4<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#333399;">One word: "Ouch!" I did the whole "this doesn't sound too bad points wise at TGI Fridays and found out later it was terrible" thing. 4 of the loaded potato skins were 21 points! Almost my entire day's worth. And I hadn't done all that great the rest of the day.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#333399;">Today is another day!</span><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S6KSD6K_4cI/AAAAAAAAAFg/zZxJo_7ZZr8/s1600-h/WW+Tracker+031710.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#333399;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 223px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450079094924370370" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S6KSD6K_4cI/AAAAAAAAAFg/zZxJo_7ZZr8/s320/WW+Tracker+031710.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#333399;"><br /></span><div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-29421228444450920622010-03-17T09:39:00.004-04:002010-03-17T11:16:34.797-04:00WW Accountability: Day 3<div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">So, another good day foodwise. Stayed within a reasonable number of points and didn't feel unsatisfied. Yes, I still got some chocolate in. :) Did not get any exercise in and overslept my new yoga class this morning. A little disappointing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;"></span> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 224px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449621807588557986" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S6DyKSGJxKI/AAAAAAAAAFY/ebjDSR1yXVo/s320/WW+Tracker+031610.jpg" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-34623744320929876082010-03-16T15:25:00.002-04:002010-03-16T15:34:29.988-04:00WW Accountablity: Day 2<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">Just a quick note with yesterday's tracker. Wasn't great, but I tracked everything and I still have room to stay on track for the week. Worked past midnight and did hit the candy drawer. I run my WW "day" from midnight to midnight, so the points will show up on today's morning. That allows me some flexibility for accounting for the extra points in today's meals.</span><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">Total of 35 points consumed. Swapped out 11 weekly flex points to make it even. Need to get in some exercise today.</span></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 223px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449317246715405058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5_dKgbhowI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/xAgy7K6K6zw/s320/WW+Tracker+031510.jpg" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-77349339284849678342010-03-15T08:32:00.006-04:002010-03-15T09:11:36.686-04:00WW Accountability: Day 1<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">Here it is. Yesterday's food tracker. Compared to how I have been doing, this is exceptional! I think the fact that I was going to have to post this definitely helped curb some potential overeating. I didn't touch the office candy drawer once even though I worked until 2 AM. Yippee!</span><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#663366;">I used 31 points total. 25 daily points, swapped 5 activity points and used 1 weekly flex point. All in all, a very successful day.</span></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448847385549309634" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S54x0_L7hsI/AAAAAAAAAFI/iavKAezf0Ck/s320/WW+Tracker+031410.jpg" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-3532229430686441522010-03-14T16:42:00.007-04:002010-03-14T17:18:04.594-04:00WW Accountability Challenge<span style="font-family:verdana;color:#663366;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;"><span style="color:#663366;">Time for a little confession. Okay, maybe a big confession.</span> </span>I joined WeightWatchers on May 29, 2005, when my doctor said I needed to do something about my weight. At 5'-8" tall, I weighed in at 234 lbs. Not healthy.<br /><br /></span><div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">I had great success over the course of the first year and a half and lost almost 60 lbs to reach 174.4 lbs. My lowest weight in my adult life. For the next two and a half years, I gained back 25 pounds, spending a lot of time between 190 and 200 lbs. In July of 2009, I was diagnosed with a hypothyroid which probably caused a lot of the weight problems. Feeling utterly exhausted is not conducive to working out or planning and cooking meals. I will probably always struggle with my weight, even with medication. The full extent of hypothyroidism on my life is a subject for another blog.</span></div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S51Qa0sZ0FI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ovLDP1RbHOA/s1600-h/WW+Tracker.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 223px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448599545939873874" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S51Qa0sZ0FI/AAAAAAAAAFA/ovLDP1RbHOA/s320/WW+Tracker.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">That said, I do know that over the past few months, I have not been making the best choices food wise. I've watched the 15 lbs that I struggled to lose since my diagnosis slowly creep back. So for this week, I'm creating my own little challenge. Every day, I'm going to post my food tracker from the day before. Depending on available time and my mood, it may just be the page or could be accompanied by notes and thoughts on what happened that day.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:85%;">To the left is a blank tracker for reference. The main portion is an area to list the foods you eat and their points values. At the bottom is a location to track your hunger level. The righthand side of the page is a place to keep track of the 8 healthy guidelines. More on that another time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">For those not familiar with the WeightWatchers system. I get a certain number of daily points allowance (24 in my case) and 35 flex points to use each week as needed. You can also earn activity points and apply them to your food balance. Yeah, the accounting analogy is kinda fun for me. :)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Tomorrow morning I'll post today's tracker for the world to see!</span></div></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5892283038141973441.post-45520685076478818412010-03-11T23:54:00.002-05:002010-03-12T07:45:28.096-05:00Three Finished Bowls<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" >Well, pottery class is finished for now. Here are the first three bowls I finished. I did a total of five. I'll post the other ones later.<br />Pot #1 in its final form. The shape was an accident, the glazing was an accident. Pretty cool-cooking for an accident. The glaze crackled (apparently, I left the bowl dipped too long.) Hmmmm…<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5o170CcJ0I/AAAAAAAAAEY/yB7Qdk6SczY/s1600-h/IMG_0088.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5o170CcJ0I/AAAAAAAAAEY/yB7Qdk6SczY/s320/IMG_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726000955467586" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Pot #2 completed. It collapsed while I was throwing it. But in this case, I left it as it was. I glazed it white with the brown rim, since it reminded me of a Grecian urn. Unfortunately, the brown didn't adhere to the white very well. I'm generally happy with this one.</p><p><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5o2jyxnKpI/AAAAAAAAAEg/mIc_rq4y_yI/s1600-h/IMG_0086.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5o2jyxnKpI/AAAAAAAAAEg/mIc_rq4y_yI/s320/IMG_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447726687811218066" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></p><p>Pot #3. For this one I returned to the basic bowl form and kept it simple. I like the straight sides, but would have preferred a more flat top rim. My instructor recommended rounded edge to prevent breaking, so I'll survive. I again did not put enough of the brown glaze on the bowl and I didn't overlap the colors sufficiently. I do love the blue glaze though.</p><p><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102); font-family: verdana;font-size:85%;" xmlns="" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5o22h7OV9I/AAAAAAAAAEo/b4L1WY0yFq4/s1600-h/IMG_0087.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_FE4dwv-5GZQ/S5o22h7OV9I/AAAAAAAAAEo/b4L1WY0yFq4/s320/IMG_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447727009705646034" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09294787068221767573noreply@blogger.com0