Rain On My Roof

The wind blew in the clouds which were heavy with moisture and rain fell from them. The rain pattered on my roof, ran through my gutters and dripped onto my patio and made my dog all wet when she ran outside to go pee. Rain = Happy. :D

I had a good day, today. I had a bit of a fight with myself late this afternoon during my normal crash time. But I got through without doing anything destructive. So, I am counting it as a victory. :D

I am good, calorie wise. I came in at 1100.

I am tired and brain dead, tonight. But I wanted to check in.

Good night. :D

The Polish That Broke My Little Heart

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a little thing for blue. It is my favourite colour. :D It speaks to me and makes me happy. No... I am not someone who must have everything from all of my clothes to my entire interior decor to my hair to my car to my dog all blue. lolol I do like other colours, too. ;) But I do love blue.

When I was in Wal Mart a few weeks back I picked up this blue polish. Pure Ice All Night Long. It was such a lovely cobalt blue with a fine shimmer. I fell in love. Brought it home and put it in my little polish stash until I was in the mood to wear it. I actually used some of it to make a franken (which may make an appearance, one day) and I decided to wear it today.

It went on pretty nicely... A little thin and wanted to flow onto my cuticles. No worries, I thought, I can just do clean up as I always do. I am a bit of a messy polish painter. lolol So, I polished happily along, two coats later I was in love. By the time I got a thick, glossy coat of Seche over the top, I was salivating and ready to take this stuff to Vegas and marry it. The colour is stunning. A beautiful, brilliant cobalt blue with blue micro shimmer. Deep and rich but a true, clear blue, not blackened or at all vampy. Just... *sigh* Gorgeous.

Then I tried to do clean up.

Crap! Crap! Crap! What a frakkin' mess. It was nearly impossible to clean that colour up. Where it flowed to my cuticles it stained the skin. And I couldn't get it cleaned up, no matter how much acetone I used, how many different brushes I tried, how long I worked at it. It was horrid. A horrid, horrid mess.

After trying to clean it up for an hour, I gave up and decided to remove it. And that is where the fun really started. It took a pile of cotton rounds, five Q-Tips and lot of pure acetone to get that shit off my nails, off my cuticles and out from under my nails, too. After I got the surfaces clean, I had to soak Q-Tips and roll them against my cuticles, flooding them with acetone and rolling to clean them. The skin on the sides of my nails was stained, too. Still is, a bit. If you know where to look, you can still see shadows of it on my skin. My poor fingers still hurt from all of the manipulation and acetone.

Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you see this polish in your local Wal-Mart or some other store, pick it up and say, "Oooo! Pretty!!" and think that you might want to buy it, put it down. Turn around and run! Don't walk away. Run for the hills and don't let that stuff within a mile of your little fingers. Trust me, if you do, you will regret it.

I am going to toss this crap in the trash. And, come to think about it, that franken is going in the trash, too. I hate throwing away things I spend my limited beauty budget on. Hate, hate, hate it.

Almost as much as I hate that polish.

Check out the photos. These were taken after over an hour with brushes and acetone, trying to make it work. Scroll on down and drink in the horror of this stuff, let it be a lesson to you and don't make the same mistake I did.

I'm still pissed to the gills because of how gorgeous this colour is.

Much Better, Today :D

1185. A much better day. :D And it wasn't too difficult. I had a few dicey moments... It is strange how you can eat like an idiot one day and then something trips in your mind and you think that is what you are free and there to do from then on. And you have to remind your mind that that isn't the case.

I had to remind my mind a few times. lol But I got through really well. One thing that helped was memories of last night. I was hurting so bad and so sick that I was in misery. And I didn't want a repeat performance, tonight.

I think that my gallbladder is going south on me and that I have a nice little side of pancreatitis to go along with it. All of my symptoms fit. Which means that sooner or later, I am not going to be able to stand it any longer and I'll have to drag my ass in and have the old gallbladder taken out. Blech. I am trying to keep things as calm as I can by watching what I eat and I really want to lose as much weight as I can before I seek medical help. Not only do I have issues regarding medical personnel and fat people but surgery will just be safer, the more weight I can lose before I have to go in for it.

Low pressure system is coming in and my stupid head is ramping up for a real bang session. I get some of my worst headaches when the weather changes and the pressure drops. I hope that we only get rain... I am over the snow. Do. Not. Want.

I had my first cantaloupe of the season. Sooo good. Want more, please. :D Sadly, I fear that the oh-so-short asparagus season is drawing to it's inevitable close. It was $4.99 a pound at the store today. *sigh* Guess it is back to frozen.

I watched the first two new episodes of Nurse Jackie that I had stashed on my DVR. I still need to watch the two episodes of United States of Tara. I am looking forward to the season premier of The Tudors. This is the last season. Good old Henry only has two more wives to blow through. lol Actually, he only blows through one more. Poor little Kitty Howard. Lucky Catherine Parr survived him. lol

Okay, My head is getting worse and I am starting to make some really weird typos. lol Guess it is time for me to wrap this yak-fest up for tonight.

Good night to anyone who reads this. Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite.

Insanity

Indeed. I didn't have a very good day, today. It wasn't a total bingetastic blowout but it wasn't pretty. I made some bad choices and ended up downing a bit more than 2000 calories for the day. Bleargh! Why the hell do I do this to myself? What is my damage? Maybe one of these days I will figure it out. I'll let you know if I do.

Today was a pretty day. It was a bit hazy but the sun was warm. It got up to about 72 degrees. the wind was chill coming in through my windows but it was refreshing. I figure that by early next month it should be safe to get flowers in the ground. I can't wait to grow them, this year. I didn't get to, last year and I really missed it. It is so lovely to sit outside on a warm Summer evening and admire bright, colourful blooms and their sweet fragrance.

We went out yesterday so that I could pop into Sally's to pick up a few things. I went in for base and top coat and some French tip guides. I came out with base coat... Two bottles. I just had to get and try Orly ridge filler as I have a few ridged nails and a bottle of my fave China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base. I also got a bottle of Seche. While I was there, I found Out the Door top coat. I decided to pick it up and give it a shot, too. And I finally bought a bottle of polish thinner. Goopy polish drives me batty. Now I can deal with it. :D

As I was sifting around, I found the clearance table and snapped up a bottle of Orly Enchanted Forest. It was marked down to $3.99. It was on my want list so I was happy to get a bargain. :D I Also got a couple of hair accessories that were buy one, get one free. They didn't have any French guides so I went to Walgreen's to see if they had any. They didn't. But I ended up getting an eyeliner, a brow gel, a couple of bottles of Sinful Colors polish and some cute nail art decals. Third stop was CVS where I finally found my guides. I went out for three little items and ended up blowing far more money than I intended. I feel guilty. But I also have to admit that I kind of enjoyed myself. It was a nice treat, doing a little shopping that way.

When we got home, we had dinner then I did a fresh manicure. I decided to use Enchanted Forest. It is a pretty, warm deep green. It isn't blackened or vampy. It is clearly green. It is a nice, opaque cream that only took two coats. It was a tad goopy, I suspect it had been sitting a while but it still applied okay. I topped with Out the Door then applied a couple of those cute decals. I used Seche to top the nails I put the decals on.

I am not mad about Orly ridge filler base. It didn't really fill and smooth any more than China Glaze base. And it was kind of a pain in the brisket to apply. Out the Door was also not all that impressive. It dries a lot more slowly than Seche and doesn't have the lovely glossy shine that Seche does. I'll use up the Orly base and Out the Door over time and I won't be re purchasing them. Orly Enchanted Forest. Taken indoors with flash, early this morning. Before a bunch of housework. It still looks as good, this evening. :D This is two coats over Orly ridge filler base and topped with Out the Door top coat. I like the little decals. They were fun and easy to use. :D They are so cute and affordable, I will definitely buy and use more of them. :D

Why is it I always have a pile of housework to do when I have just done my nails? lol I had a busy morning, scrubbed the bathroom, swept, vacuumed, polished furniture. My house is tidy and clean and everything shines. I can take an easy day tomorrow and do a few things I want to get done.

Tomorrow is Tuesday. V returns. Finally! It's been a long time. :D

AaaaaaachOOOOOOOO!!!

Bleargh! It's that oh-so-loverly time of the year, again.

Allergy season.

:P

Ah, the sneezing, the sniffing, the watery eyes that burn and the clogged up throat. Spring has sprung. lol I bitch about my allergy symptoms and I like to feel sorry for myself and mope around about them a bit. I am lucky, tho. My symptoms aren't as bad as many sufferers. They are annoying and can be a bit of a pain in my considerable ass but I don't have them so bad that they interfere with my life, send me to the doctor in misery and require my taking a ton of medication just to function.

Could be worse. :D

I got out, yesterday and did a little running around, went to Sally's and Walgreen's and CVS. Spent too much money on stuff and had a blast doing it. I don't know how I managed it... I went to get base and top coat and French tip guides and ended up buying them and some decorative decals, several polishes, cotton rounds... You know how it goes. :P Sometimes it is just fun to cut loose a little and do something one absolutely shouldn't. Even if it isn't a major bank breaking splurge.

Oh yeah, I also got brow gel and an eyeliner. I am out of control. lol

Happily, tho... I am in control with my eating and how I am feeling. I had a very good day, yesterday. Calories were a tad low again but I still got enough nourishment. I didn't get shaky or light headed or feel hungry or anything so it was all good. 1005.

Brekkie this morning was two cups of coffee and oatmeal and diced pears. Iz'e stuffed. :D

I have green nails.

Piccies later. :D

Eep! Time's a Flying

I don't have a huge amount of time to natter, right now. I slept late, (indulgent and felt soooo good) had a leisurely brekkie of oatmeal, an orange and coffee. My day is off to a good start and I feel good, today. Head is a bit bad of course but that is normal for me. lol I am even keeled and calm. And grateful for it. I had a good eating day, yesterday. Calories landed at 1140. A little under my target but no worries, I figure that the days I come in a little low help to balance the days I come in a little high.

I have to do a fast nail job. My mani is chipping all over the joint. This polish is a beauty but not much of a comer where it regards being long lasting. Blech. I'll not wear this one as often, knowing this. Oh, well.

I have other stuff to talk about but no time right now. I have to get my nails done and get in the shower. I have places to go and a few things to do.

Later. :D

Up to My Eyes

Busy, today. Every time I try to settle in for a little blog love or surfing, I have to do a pile of updates, laundry needs attention, the dog has to go out, Husband has something to talk about, housework needs doing, hair has to be trimmed, shower has to be taken.

*deep inhale*

I think that things have calmed down a little, now. lol

Hair... Chopped three and a half inches of really damaged, previously hennaed hair off. I nearly died, hearing the scissors slicing through my tresses. But it had to go. Growing my hair knowing that it just had to be chopped as fast as it grew was demoralising and I was done with babying it through the endless grow/trim process. It is still below my shoulders but it feels so. Short. And it feels so much better. Now I can just let it grow, let it grow, let it grow. Yep... I am one of those long hair people. Having such short hair for the last couple of years has been really, really hard for me. I want my long hair back. And now, I can just let it grow. :D :D

Today is going well, as far as eating is concerned. I am not overly hungry, today. I had coffee and oatmeal with fruit for brekkie and I just ate a counted serving of mini pretzels. I need to have some lunch, sometime this afternoon. I am feeling a tad shaky and in need of nourishment. I'll get it it in a bit.

Yesterday was good. I landed at 1400 calories for the day. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. :D

My head is still, my mind is calm my thoughts are quiet. I feel in control and level, today. I am aware that I need to have something to eat but I don't feel as if I have to run to my kitchen and stuff my face. I can eat whenever. And I will be fine. I am fine.

What a concept. :D

We are expecting our new dining table and chairs to be delivered shortly. It will be nice to have a nice wood table and four sturdy, new chairs. I was a little bit over using a patio table (that had to be kept forever covered by a tablecloth) and three wobbly, touch them and the backs fall off chairs with cat hair covered butt pads. My cat isn't going to be happy about it... He liked sleeping on those chair seat pads. I am just as happy to get rid of them. I could never get them as clean and hair free as I wanted to. And if I can't clean something to my satisfaction, I am very likely to give it the old heave ho.

I did some updates on my 'puter, today. Flash Player, Adobe Reader, Yahoo Toolbar. HP wants me to download some software updates, too but I fear that one and am putting it off. Sometimes I really hate being a computer idiot. lol My puter still needs to be reformatted. But it will have to wait until we can get someone who knows what they are doing to do the job. No way am I even going to attempt that trick.

My head is bad. I am sound sensitive today and miserable. I can haz new head now, plz?

I chipped the polish on my left middle finger and thought I had repaired it. Now that spot is chipped, again. *sigh* Guess it's time to re do my nails. Maybe I'll do them after the furniture comes.

Almost Forgot!

Da Nailz!

How could I forget the reason a girl lives? lol

Yesterday, I finally got rid of The Ugly Manicure of Doom. Boy, was removing that mess a project. Seriously. It took me half an hour and a pile of cotton rounds ten feet high and gallon of acetone (regular remover wasn't even touching that rock hard mess) or so it felt, to get six nails cleaned off. I was so frustrated and tired of it that I was ready to throw something.

Then I remembered reading on one of the polish blogs I haunt about a technique for removing a hard mani. I made four small squares of foil and soaked four cotton rounds in acetone, pressed the cotton to my nails ans wrapped them tightly in the foil. I wore my "robo fingers" for a few minutes, then using some downward pressure, I slipped them off my fingers. And, *insert angel choir here* the polish slid right off my nails, no effort needed. I was able to use a cotton round a little remover to finish cleaning up and it was just effortless.

From now on, when I do glitter or another hard to remove mani, that will be my method of removal. :D

Robo Fingers. Please forgive my dried out old hag hands. I was playing in acetone and wasn't too worried about lotioning up, at that moment. lol

Fresh, new polish. This is my usual base (China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat) with two coats of OPI Friar, Friar Pants on Fire. A beautiful, warm mid tone red-orange with plenty of gold micro shimmer. Sooo pretty. Topped with Seche. This photo was taken indoors, in sun coming in through my window, no flash. This is the best shot I got and the closest to this truly lovely polish.

Outdoors, in direct sun. I was trying to capture the way this colour fires in the sun but it just came out looking like an orange creme. For some reason, this polish looks like something almost otherworldly in person when in direct sun, the colour comes to life and the micro shimmer sets it on fire. But when I tried to photograph it, it just fell flat. *sigh*

Indoors, with flash. Same problem. It just doesn't photograph well, at all. Especially in strong light. You would think it would be just the opposite.

This was two coats. I should have really done three. Tho it isn't visible in the pictures, I still have a bit of VNL. This polish is a bit thin and flowy and it flowed all over my cuticles. lol I had a lot of clean up to do and this colour doesn't like to be cleaned up. It took me a while. But, I think that the beauty pay off is worth a little extra effort. I don't mind putting in a little overtime for nails that look like this. :D :D Besides, it is a time to just be still, pamper myself and be indulgent. Every girl needs a little of that, now and then. :D

Weirdness

Just so you know, if you are offended by the F-Bomb, I drop it, in this entry. ;)


Strange, it is. How one day I can want to be eating my house down and the next, just completely uninterested in food. I am just putting it down to keep nourished. I feel less hungry when I m less focused on my obsessions. And I am obsessing less when I don't feel hungry. Correlation? Maybe. Or maybe I am just certifiable and the men in white coats are on their way.

It is nice when every waking moment isn't a battle with my head, my urges and obsessions. There is a peace that descends over me. A knowing that everything is okay, that I am okay and that I am... For however long it lasts, normal. It is lovely and singularly strange to me. And I am amazed a bit freaked out that so many people live this way every day of their lives.

And I am filled with envy. And anger. And questions. Questions like, Why not me, too? Why was I born/conditioned to be this way? Why am I one of those who struggle and fight and obsess and do terrible things to myself? Why can't I have that disinterest in overeating, that lack of connection between food and comfort. Why do I turn food into a drug? Why do I abuse myself with it? Hell, why do I abuse others with it?

Huh? Abuse others with food? Oh, yeah. That, "If I can't eat it, no one else will, either" So, I cram it down so that they can't enjoy it and I have just "got rid of it." Or, "I'm angry and hurt by something you said/did or some slight, real or imagined so I am going to punish you by eating everything I can, so that you can't have any." I ask you, just how fucked up is that thinking? Pretty much, if you ask me.

Weirdness. And really wracked up thinking. Just a few of the head games I play, not only with myself.

Calories yesterday were decent. 1725. A little higher than I like, but at my weight, still well within the loss zone. I had a Subway sandwich for lunch and that always drives my calories up a little. (Avocado... Yum!) Every one of my calories were good, quality food, not junk. So, I fueled my body. I didn't feed my needs or do anything harmful. So, it is good. I do need to start schooling my mind and bod to accept lower levels, soon. As my weight drops, my calorie needs will, as well.

One step at a time. I am not going to press too much, all at once. That is a good way to overwhelm myself and drive me right into reactive thinking and eating. Not good.

Finally Did It

Stepped on my scale.

Never mind the fear that as soon as I put any weight on it at all, the glass platform would feel wobbly and shatter under my immense bulk. It didn't. It felt rock solid and didn't even crack.

One fear calmed.

Then the fear of the actual number, it's self.

Yeah, that one was a biggie. 388.6. Shit! I just put my actual weight into writing. I want to throw up. I want to cry. I want to hit delete and run away. I want to go into my kitchen and eat everything in sight, collapse in a heap of misery and then do it all again.

A part of me briefly flashed on the thought that I would rather die than post this horrible truth.

Well, I am typing it and I am still alive. So, I suppose it isn't fatal, after all.

Now I am curious where I was when I started, this time around. Close to 400. I have lost a noticeable amount of fat, so... Yeah. If I have any comfort, it is the knowledge that I am still down from my all time high weight of about 428 pounds in June of 2008. I say about because at the time all I had was a 400 pound capacity dial scale that went round past 400 to give me the weight. I am not sure just how accurate it was at that point, but at that point, who's to quibble.

It was tragically bad.

Still is.

I am so angry with myself that I managed to pile about fifty pounds back on in just about a year. It pisses me off that I have to re lose already lost weight. How frakkin stupid is that? What a waste and a shame.

So, there you have it. The real me. You may run away, if you wish and I wouldn't hold it against you. I know how disgusted so many are by those of us who are that obese and don't want anything to do with us. It hurts, but I get it. And I won't hold it against anyone. No hard feelings, I promise.

I am shaking and I just want to cry. I feel so ashamed and humiliated. But I also feel an incredible sense of relief. This was so hard for me to do. And I did it. Another big step in my program to accept, acknowledge and change. No more hiding. No more denial. No more lies to myself or to my gentle readers. The truth shall help to set me free.

But, dayum! It sure isn't easy. :/

No... I am not going to go into my kitchen and eat myself into a coma. I am going to sit here and read all of the weight loss blogs on my blog roll and the ones waiting in my favourites list to be added to my blog roll. I am not going to turn to food. I am going to turn to all of you, your words, your experiences for comfort and support.

Thank you for being here, in the interwebz when I need you all the most.

The Ugly Lives

I decided to leave the ugly intact for the day as I have delicate nails and too much mani action can be pretty hard on them. I'll likely change it out tomorrow.

That doesn't mean that I like it. lolol


I had a pretty good day, food wise. I am right at 1500 calories for the day and I don't foresee doing any more chomping. The binge urge was a bit of a problem, today but I held out against it. Hopefully, I can be equally successful, tomorrow.

I am still afraid to get on my scale. I know that it is going to be ugly. And I know that I have to face the truth. I am just... It is just easier living in denial. Just get me a barge and call me Cleo.

A Better Day

On track. Under control and came in at just under 1500 calories for the day.

My head is banging and the right side feels as if it is going to collapse and blow out, like Mount Saint Helens. So, I think I will go to bed.

Good night.

Sleep tight.

*hugs!*

Manicure of Evil Ugly

Sometimes something is done that is just deeply, terribly wrong at a very basic level. This manicure is one of those things. lolol

Spring has sprung and I wanted to celebrate with something bright and pink and fun. As I spun my little carousel that holds my polishes, my eyes landed on my bottle of China Glaze Pink Voltage. A bright pink neon creme. I bought this polish last year and tried to wear it once. It was an unmitigated disaster and I can clearly remember angrily wiping this polish off with remover soaked cotton rounds and swearing that I would never open that bottle of enamel, again.

Pain diminishes over time. It is like that gorgeous but excruciating pair of shoes that you just had to have and wore for half an hour before kicking them off and swearing that you will never put them on, again. Then, a year later, you think, they couldn't have really been that bad. And they are soooo pretty! So, like an idiot, you put the shoes on and within half an hour, they are flying across the room as you violently kick them off.

That is what this polish is like. So bright and pretty in the bottle. So heinous on the nails. Three coats carefully applied resulted in VNL, uneven, streaking and a bald spot or two. It dried dull. Not matte. Not semi matte. Just... Dull. Blech! Yuk! Ew! As I looked at my freshly painted nails, I knew I had made a mistake. I was about to remove it. Then I realised it was dry to touch. That is the one redeeming factor of this horror show of a polish. It dries quickly. So I thought, well, maybe a little glitter will help.

Bwahahahaha!!!! I can hear the evil being inhabiting that bottle of neon pink polish laughing at me as I grab a bottle of Pure Ice Once Again. A sheer light aqua jelly with glitter. I began applying the glitter. And things just kinda went from bad to worse. Three coats were needed for even somewhat even coverage. The aqua slightly toned down the ugly of the base colour. But didn't do anything to improve or redeem it.

Pure Ice Once Again isn't my favourite glitter polish. It might be nicer over a prettier base colour.

Maybe.

I didn't bother refining clean up or with Seche. This mani isn't long for this world. It is coming off tomorrow. I'd do it tonight but I am over mucking with it, right now. God, grant me the strength not to peel. I haven't peeled polish is a long time. And I don't want to start now. lol

Want to see the Manicure of Evil Ugly? Surprisingly, this photographed prettier than it is in person. Usually it is the other way around. So, if you look at the photos and think, "What is she bitching about? It isn't that bad." Think of just how ugly a polish job can be and jack it up about 300%. And you will know what this one looks like. lolol

First pic is outside in sun going behind clouds. No flash. My skin looks dry and tight because it is. I hadn't applied any lotion or oil before taking pictures.

This is Pink Voltage alone. Taken indoors, with flash. It actually looks not horrible in the photograph. Don't let the photograph fool you. The index finger and thumb are closer to the actual colour than the other fingers.

My new Spring wreath. I was making my bed, this morning and remembered my storage container in my closet with some flowers and stuff in it. I hauled out an old grapevine wreath form I had, some random silk flowers and my dykes for cutting stems and got to work. A few minutes later, I had this. I took it downstairs and hung it on the front door. (I photographed it hanging on a kitchen cabinet.) It is white "silk" lilacs, daisies, a big daffodil and a few ivy leaves.

Hopefully, the stupid birds will not build a nest in it, this year. I don't want this one ruined. lol

Let the Battle Begin

I am fighting the feeding frenzy monster. I recently had a nutritious and delicious lunch. I am not actually physically hungry. I am just in the mood to graze.

It is so stupid, this mood. I don't need to eat... I am nourished and satisfied. I am not having trouble with negative self talk and I am not bored, angry or sad.

So...

What gives?

Habit, methinks. Just stupid, bad, ingrained habit.

Nasty one, too.

Quitting smoking was easier.

Seriously.

More Giveaway News :D :D

If you are into polish for the fingernails and would like to follow a good blog about it, hit http://nailaddictsanonymous.blogspot.com/2010/03/our-first-giveaway-celebrating-64.html and check it out. They are celebrating a number of followers giveaway. :D

Giveaway From Katie J!!!

http://katiejweightlossjourney.blogspot.com/2010/03/tuesday-giveaway.html

Check it out. :D

Two Words...

Bad day.

That about sums it up. I didn't binge but I made bad choices that didn't do anything to further my goals or benefit my health. I allowed negative self talk to override my determination to do the right thing for myself and it ended out all wrong.

I will do better, tomorrow. I feel like yuk and I don't want that to continue.

My scale came today. I don't yet have the guts to step on it.

*headdesk*

Otherwise, I had a pretty productive day. Got all of my housework done, took care of a couple of projects and so forth. I also washed Son's down blanket. It needed cleaning but the cleaners want over thirty dollars to wash that blanket. Old El Cheapo (me, he he) didn't want to pay it. So, I tossed it in the washing machine with some detergent and a little softener and ran it through the gentle cycle twice. Popped it into the dryer on low for two 80 minute cycles with dryer sheets for even more freshness. It was still a little damp so it is running through another half cycle. When I pulled it out before this last run through, the cover is all lovely and soft and the down is fluffy and light and it smells wonderful. Son will love it. It is a king sized blanket and I just have older regular washer and dryer and they did the job just fine. I always hear that you are supposed to toss clean tennis balls in with down items while they dry, but I didn't have any and didn't really need any. :D

Okay, time to watch 24 with the guys. (Love that show!) I'll check in later or see you all tomorrow.

A Nice Spring Day

And I am on track and things are good. I ate well, stayed in my target calorie range. And I got in some walking, too.

Calories were 1430.

It was a gorgeous day. 72 degrees, sunny and a little breeze. Just right for a little walk and a ride in the car.

Yawn! Tired, tonight. :D

Pictures

I changed my profile picture and added a couple to my sidebar. This wasn't easy for me to do. I am extremely self-conscious and don't like to have my picture taken or to have those pictures seen.

I feel that it is time to get a little more real. Show the "real" me... Let people see the face I see in the mirror, every day. Fat cheeks and rolls around my chin and hanging jowls, dark circles that don't quite want to disappear, no matter how well I try to cover them and all.

The ugly truth. lol

Maybe I'll get totally wasted and take pics of my bod and post them, some time.

*runs away, laughing like a hyena*

Daily Report on This First Day of Spring

Happy Spring, everyone!

I had a good day. Ate well. Ended up at 1523 calories. Could have been a little better but perfectly acceptable. I'll take it.

I didn't binge.

I didn't eat the bag of chips in the pantry.

I didn't engage in negative self talk.

I didn't talk myself into doing something I would regret horribly.

So, yeah. Pretty good day.

My scale still isn't here. *le sigh* Where is it? (whining) It shipped almost a week ago. (whining a little more) Why is it everything I order takes forever to get to meeee? And other people don't have to wait so long? (seriously annoying, obnoxious two year old style whining)

It will get here when it gets here.

Another pretty day, here. Not so much in other parts of this great nation. I really feel for everybody in the upper Midwest who are facing flooding or the threat of it. If any of my readers are in that area, stay safe and dry.

Yawn. I want to sleep. I may hit the sack a little earlier, tonight. (Before midnight???)

Mani of the Moment: China Glaze Lubu Heels

Oh My Gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This colour is Gorgeous!!!!!!!

Seriously.

Gorgeous.

I am in love. The more I wear dark, vampy colours, the more I like them. And today I got as vampy as I ever have. Today, I wore black polish for the first time in my life and I really want to know what the hell took me so long?

I imagine I was looking for this colour. China Glaze Lubu Heels. More than likely the only Lubu heels I will ever own. lol That's okay. I can live with that, as long as I have this beautiful polish for my nails.

This polish is a black jelly, I guess it would be called; packed with deep, deep red fire in the form of fine glitter. To the casual glance, it looks black or deep, deep, deep burgundy. Let light... Any light hit it and the red glitter jumps to the surface and sets this enamel on fire. The effects are mesmerizing. I can't stop looking at my nails.

I have to get a back up bottle of this shade. If China Glaze ever discontinues this shade, I do not want to be without it.

I was a tad dismayed with it, at first. The first coat was thin, grey, uneven and streaky with little glitter and I felt a little nervous. Then coat # two went on and suddenly it started to look black and the glitter began to come to life. By coat # 3 I had the colour that the bottle promised me. And I was happy and all my doubts and fears melted like snow in the Spring sunshine.

I did today's mani with a coat of China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base, three coats of Lubu Heels and a coat of Seche. My Seche is suddenly turning thick and gloopy and so my finish is a bit... lumpy??? kinda looking in spots. Blech! What a time for my Seche to turn. :P

For the heck of it, I decided to post pics before clean up. Yikes! What a mess! But, with tips I have recently learned and practice, the pre clean up mess isn't as bad as it used to be. lol

Indoors, (post clean up, of course.. lol) with flash.

Outdoors, direct afternoon sun, no flash. Look at that dark, deep red fire. :D

Outdoors, in shade. No flash.

Close up, in direct sun. No flash. To show just how magical this colour really is. If you thought that you could/would never wear black polish, I encourage you to try this colour.

Super close up in direct afternoon sun. No flash. The deep red glitter looks like embers from a dying fire, shining softly in a blackened fire pit. (Ignore my awful ridges, please. Those ridges are a result of years of acrylics and harshly ripping them off more times than anyone ever should. Lessons learned. *le sigh*)

So, there you have it. China Glaze Lubu Heels. Off my lemming list and on my nails. :D :D

Celebrate Spring! Paint your nails some fabulous colour that you never thought you would ever wear. :D

Friday Evening

I had another good, on track day. I have enough calories left for an evening snack, should I decide to have one. :D

I am still having to rest my stupid hip. *sigh* It is hell getting old. lol I guess hard core in place walking/marching isn't for me, until I get a bit lighter. I can't have this kind of pain and discomfort every time I try to get a little exercise. I think that walking will be better.

I did get some exercise, today. I broke a good sweat doing housework. Dual benefit... A light workout and a clean house.

Not too much else going on, at the moment. Life is boring. Which isn't an altogether bad thing, I suppose. But it doesn't give me a heck of a lot to write about.

Nails are still good. I'll probably change my polish tomorrow or Sunday. :D

It is still getting down below freezing at night so I still can't plant flowers. It is nice during the day. Warm, sunny and pleasant. A nice change after all the cold. :D

Hongry

You know how it is... You're not hungry, you're hongry. As in "I could eat a horse then fry up the stable as a side dish" hongry. That was me, tonight. I don't know why... I wasn't particularly hungry today, just ate meals and a snack as usual. Then evening hits and so does the feeding frenzy.

Or, it could have been a feeding frenzy. I had dinner, then popcorn and then a big orange. And I drank lots of Crystal light and water. I have finally eaten myself to a stop and I didn't do too much damage. My calories for the day, evening nosh included came in at just under 2000. Not ideal but at my weight, still in the "loss zone".

I hope I have that out of my system for a while. lol

So... Not a slam dunk fabulous day but not a failure, by my definition. I can live with it. And strive to do better.

Good night. Sleep tight.

Another Spring Like Day

Sunny and warm again. I think that will probably be the norm, for a while, now. :D This is Arizona, after all.

Head is a banging, today. I had pinpoint haloing yesterday and things are rocking and rolling, today. Bleargh. It's one of those lovely headaches that plays heck with my vision and makes me type funny. :P

I am on track. A little high, but okay. I tried to go out for a walk but sunlight made my brain implode so I am staying in, instead. Maybe tomorrow.

Migraines suck.

Housework is all done. I just have a load of whites in the dryer and I need to unload the dishwasher. Maybe I'll leave it and let Son do it when he gets home from work. lol

I watched Paranormal Activity today. I had stashed it on my DVR when it started running on PPV and I decided to go ahead and run it, today. Amusing. Good ending. I wasn't nuts about the shaky camera work, that tends to annoy me. But the story, plot and ending held my attention and gave me a few good shivers. I probably won't watch it again. But if you have an hour and a half to blow and want to be amused and get a few light chills, give it a go. :D

Okay, my dryer just buzzed at me and I am typing in Martain. I have fixed fifty typos, thanks to my brain, eyes and fingers all wanting to do fifty different things at once. lol

TTFN and have a great, on track and happy day.

Another Successful Day

I was nicely on track and under control, today. I ate well, got plenty of protein and didn't snack too much. Calories came out to 1405.

I am sore from my exercise but I'll live. And I really need to keep it up. It is important and I need to make it a part of my life.

I received an e-mail letting me know that my scale shipped yesterday. It should be here, soon. Maybe by Friday.

*Gulp!*

lol

I Can't Resist the Sparkle

I think that I have created myself a monster. I had to repair a small chip in my polish on the outer corner of the middle finger nail on my right hand. I don't know how it happened. It was there when I got out of the shower. So, I repaired it and the repair looked acceptable enough. Then I started thinking about how I could make the repair look even better. A thick, glossy top coat? Sure.

Or...

Glitter!!! Yes! Glitter. It would cover any sin, add sparkle and be fun. So, out came the Pure Ice in Don't You Wish. Two coats, letting them dry in between. Then a coat of Seche. I usually hit my nails with Seche immediately but I didn't want to drag a bunch of glitter into the bottle, so I let the glitter coats dry before doing top coat.

I like this. :D It is sparkly and fun and the Don't You Wish looks good over the Frostbite. Almost as if they were meant to be together.

Awww... :P

At present I have... Nine coats on my nails. Nine. It isn't uncomfortable, really. But I do think that it looks as if I am wearing acrylics. lol Should be nice and protective. :D

Anyway, on with the pictures:

Indoors with flash.

Outdoors. Shade, without flash. You can really see the glitter clearly, here.

Outdoors. Shade, no flash. I think that this pic best shows the depth of the base blue (especially on my thumb nail) and the shine of the glitter coat.

Outdoors. Direct late afternoon sun, no flash.

I briefly considered starting a polish blog, but I changed my mind. Honestly, I like having all of my random stuff in one place. :D :D I hope that you all don't mind the chaos. :D

Move It, Woman! :D

Today is off to a good start. It is a lovely day, sunny and even a little warmer than yesterday. I got the old caboose off the sofa and did 45 minutes of hard walking/marching in place. Got my heart rate up, broke a sweat and felt great when I was done. So, the moving has begun. Now I need to continue. I always see a lovely uptick in my weight loss rate when I exercise. It really does work.

So, why haven't I continued? Kept it up and made it to goal. Ah... That, my friend is the million dollar question. I still seek the answer. Am hoping that perhaps I might find it, this time. I can only continue, try and see where it leads me.

To a healthier life, I hope. :D

Geeze. So much to learn. And so many repeated lessons. You'd think I would get it after so long. lolol

Resistance is NOT Futile

Husband and Son had sloppy Joe's with french fries for dinner. I had a Healthy Choice entree, salad and some steamed broccoli. In the grand scheme of things, my dinner was preferable by far.

The fries were in the oven, smelling soooo good.

They came out, all crispy and got salted.

And they smelled soooo good.

I ate my healthy dinner and Husband and Son chowed on those fries and they smelled sooo good.

The rest of the fries sat counter, smelling sooo good.

I stayed in here. On my puter and resisted the siren call of hot, crispy, salty fries.

Whew! I made it past a nasty craving. And didn't cave.

Happy tonight. :D

Calories for today... 1330.

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Man!

I can hang my laundry room shelf all by my myself. :D Yes, I can. Oh, Husband tried to help. He insisted on helping me get my level line drawn. I had to use a tape measure and a torpedo level because getting me a three foot level or a yardstick is apparently just too difficult. *rolling my eyes* Anyway, he brought a drill home for me and did the line then ran back off to work and left me to it. I drilled the holes, inserted brackets, hung the shelf, added the support brackets and wall anchored them in. I now have a lovely, handy, sturdy shelf for my laundry supplies and a few cleaning supplies and so forth.

The shelf is slightly off level. It isn't obvious to the eye, but if you slap a level on it, you can see it isn't true along the length. Oh well. I wasn't going to rip it down and start over. I would have had to repair the wall, re measure and do it all over. And, since you can't see the difference, I am willing to let good enough be. :D :D

I installed the shelf on the side wall, above my dryer. I considered putting it across the wall in back of my machines but there are water and power and vent lines back there. Things with which I would rather not tangle. Especially with a drill. lol

Now I know how to install shelves. I am already thinking of other little projects I could do around here.

I don't need no stinkin' man. Except when I need to borrow his drill. A drill I would keep in a heartbeat if it didn't belong to his employer. I doubt that they would appreciate me gifting myself their property. lol


All of my stuff, laid out and ready to go.

Empty wall space and my supplies on top of my dryer. What a pain in the ass that was! I hated working around all that stuff. I also had laundry baskets on my washer and dryer until I recently finally got my hamper.

My shelf, installed and loaded up. Me so happy! :D And I didn't even chip a nail. :D :D

The drill. I so want to keep it. It's really powerful but easy for me to handle. It is just perfect. I suspect it is also rather expensive. lol

Eating is going well. I am nicely under control and on track. Not having any crazy cravings and getting hydrated, too. My scale still isn't here. I hope it arrives, soon. I look forward to and dread it's arrival. Muahahaha!

Son is off work today. Thankfully, he cleaned his bathroom. Finally. There was toilet breath wafting up the stairs. Ick. :P

It is a beautiful day. Sunny and warmer than yesterday. If this keeps up, I could almost believe that Spring is springing. Only five days to the First Day of Spring. Maybe the groundhog was wrong, this year. :D

Must go put the rest of the laundry away.

TTFN

A Good Day

It was a lovely day, today. Sunny and a little warmer. There was a cool breeze but downright gorgeous in the sun. So much so that when I took my dog outside earlier I decided to grab the loppers and give some stuff that grows around here a much needed haircut. Now, the cottonwood, ponderosa pine and holly-oak all look much nicer and neater. And they are no longer grabbing my clothes and even worse... My hair. And they are no longer hanging over my patio.

I am eagerly awaiting it being warm enough to get to planting. My fingers are itching to get into soft, warm, rich soil and plant flowers. I don't plant food... I am a failure at growing things we can eat. Just ask anyone who saw The Great Tomato Plant Debacle of 2007. lol It was bad. Really bad. And we never speak of it.

But, flowers I can do. Unless they are snapdragons. I love snapdragons. But I kill them. Every time. I don't understand it. They just don't seem to like me. You would think that they were food. lol If I can get a couple of planters large enough, I may see about getting a couple of rose bushes. I would love to try growing roses. I can't plant a bunch of them in the ground as I wouldn't be willing to leave them behind when we leave here. But a couple in containers I could take with me. :) We'll see.

Urg. I am sore. All that lopping is good for the looks of my tree friends and for my muscles; bout damned time I used the muscles that God gave me, wouldn't you think? My arms and shoulders hurt a bit. But it is a good kind of hurt. So, I think I can live with it. :D

I ate well, today. 1537 calories. And good food, so yeah... I am pretty pleased. :D I didn't hydrate as well as I should have, tho. And my feet show it. Swelling sucks. Major goats. It sucks. I have put up with that BS since before I went through puberty. Started on the top of my left foot. Now it is both lower legs, ankles and feet. So. Sick. Of. It. Losing this weight will help that. I suppose I should see a doc about it... So that he can tell me that I need to lose weight, probably. Well, no fucking duh! *rolling my eyes*

Anyhoodleedoodledoo. It was a good day. And for that, I am thankful.

I am listening to pop tart music as I type this. Sometimes a little Katy Perry or Lady Gaga is just the thing a girl needs. Shut up and put your money where your mouth is... That's what you get for waking up in Vegas. Fun. :D

My son was born in Vegas. We lived in Bullhead City at the time but the local hospital wouldn't deliver babies unless it was an emergency. And all of the OB/GYNs in the area at the time were... Well... Things I heard... Don't know if they were true, but I wasn't taking any chances. So, I had an OB in Vegas and that is where I had my son. He is a Nevada native, tho he only spent three days there. lol

More Than This by Roxy Music... Looove this song. Sometimes I play it over and over. I wonder if I could get one of those music playing gadgets to play it on my blog page? Hmmm... Maybe a few other songs, too. I'll have to sift around and see if I can make it happen. :D

I think I got a little sunburn, today. My skin is hot and my face is pink/red. Blech. Burn isn't good for us pale ones, more-so for me. I am trying to get rid of discolouration on my face with retinol, then I go out in the sun unprotected for a few minutes. Should have put on a hat. When will I ever learn?

Manicure day, today. I keep all of my supplies in a cute little Longaberger basket with a multi compartment plastic lining that Husband picked up for me, one day. It is perfect for this purpose. It holds everything I need and it is easy to carry around and small enough to fit nicely on my little side table. :D Contained within are the usual any girl needs for pretty fingers. Remover, cotton rounds, Q-Tips, a mister bottle of alcohol, glass file, base and top coats and clean up brushes and an old wash cloth for blotting off my brushes and to catch little remover and acetone drips. I also have little plastic fruit cups for when I try water marbling. :D



Today's mani is brought to you by the letters C and G. For China Glaze Frostbite. With the usual base and tops. This first pic was taken indoors with flash. I'll tell ya, flash does screwy things to this polish. It must be the shimmer... It totally freaks out my little camera. lol Check it out:

The next two were taken outdoors, no flash in setting sun. This polish photographs a lot lighter than it actually is. I suspect that there are interference pigments in the shimmer that cause this.
If you look at the shadowed part of the bottle, that darker blue is closer to the actual colour. I have a real knack for choosing enamel that is the dickens to photograph, don't I?

I think I am in love with this colour. It is a beautiful royal or sapphire blue. There is a lovely deep translucency to it, tho it isn't sheer. It is almost like jewel toned enamel. This polish also has a shimmer to it. But it isn't a typical shimmer. Or a frost. It's deep, almost hidden. Sunlight and camera flash really make it fire.

This polish is beautiful but it is a bit of a pain in the neck to apply. It is a thin jelly that really loves to flow. I got this coverage in two thickish, runny coats. I should have done three or four and had better control. Clean up was a real biotch, too. By the time I was done polishing but before cleanup, I had enough blue smeared on my fingers that I was afraid I was going to get taken in for murdering a smurf. Clean up took a long time. This polish loves to make it's presence known and to stick around. lol But the colour is so pretty, that I forgive it. Next time I use this polish, I will definitely do multiple, thinner coats and work more slowly. It dried sort of dull. I was expecting much more shine. But after a coat of Seche, I was happily admiring a nice, glass like shine.

Well, I suppose that I have nattered on long enough, for now. I should spell check and hit Publish before this entry gets any longer. Ha ha ha.

Glittah Swatches

My all time very first evah swatch post. :D I am being assimilated into the polish blog collective. He. He.

This is Pure Ice glitter polish. I bought it at Wal Mart for two dollars a bottle. A good deal. :D

From the left, pinkie and ring are Don't You Wish and Spitfire. I applied them over OPI An Affair in Red Square. Both are two coats. From these swatches, I feel that these glitters won't be suitable for on their own use but they will be pretty and fun to go over other colours. Which is just fine with me.

Don't You Wish is a jelly? I guess you would call it? base that has a slight white opalescence and multi coloured glitter. The glitter is a little more sparse and tends to apply a bit unevenly. The base drags a bit, especially on the first coat. I really applied the second coat thick and it went on a bit more smoothly and I got better glitter coverage. This glitter tends to fire gold and blue with some other colours, like a bit of red. It is pretty. :D

Spitfire is a rose and gold with other colours in a clear jelly base. There is no opalescence to the base. This glitter is more dense both in the bottle and on the nail. It applies more evenly and I didn't have any drag, even on the first coat. This one fires more rose and gold with flashes of blue, pink, a little yellow. I like this one a lot. :D

Both of these polishes dried to touch fairly quickly. I applied thick coats and by the time I had shot off a few photographs, both nails were dry to touch, tho still a little dentable for a while.

These pics are with no top coat over the glitters. I am running low on top coat and didn't want to use it up for swatches. :)

This picture was taken outdoors in shade. No flash. Sorry, it is a touch blurry.

These shots were taken in direct sun, no flash. These photos didn't fully capture the dancing scintillation of these glitters in the sunshine. But they come pretty close.

I want to welcome a new follower to my blog! Welcome and thank you for being here. :D :D :D

Under 1000

Yesterday. Just barely. lol

I got a good bit of those calories for and after dinner. I know... Not ideal but still better than eating my stupid head off all day long.

Dinner was a pile of fresh steamed asparagus, a piece of baked chicken and an avocado. Yes, the whole avocado. 345 calories and worth every damned one of them. Sometimes, you just have to have something so exquisitely delicious. And, since I could afford them, I went for it.

And the fat in avocado is good for me.

Yeah!

The fat is good for me.

That's my story and I am sticking with it. lol

I got a little exercise yesterday, too. Shopping and be bopping across parking lots got me out to walk a bit. :D

And any exercise is good exercise.

I have stuff to get done and I have to get ready to go out later... Have tax forms to sign. And I don't mind getting out of this stupid house, either.

Brekkie this morning was two cups of coffee and a container of yoghurt and 3/4 cup of Special K granola. I am happily full and ready to start my day.

TTFN. :D

Mini Polish Haul :D And My Cuuute Kitteh

We were out and about, earlier and I ran a couple of errands. One was to Sally where I picked up a bottle of acetone for cleaning up my manicures. It was on sale and I got a 16 ounce bottle. Should keep me supplied for a while. :D I also grabbed a couple of bottles of China Glaze polish, while I was there. I wanted to get For Audry (loooove that colour!) but all of the bottles looked awful, all separated and just... Nasty looking. So I passed on that shade. I'll pick it up online. I looked at Orly but all they had were pinks, sheers and buffs. Not that I have anything against those shades, in fact I love them. But I have worn subtle polish all my life. And I am enjoying brighter, more daring colours, right now. :D

Then on to Wal Mart or Hell Mart as a friend likes to call it. I got a bag of brushes, a few of which I think will work for clean up. I tested them and my acetone didn't eat the bristles so, we'll see how they work, next mani. If I don't like them, I will pop into Joanne for natural hair filbert brushes. :D I also picked up things like glue sticks, a hamper that was on clearance, a wire shelf for my laundry room, snacks for Husband and Son, Kleenex for my allergic nose, body wash and so forth.

And of course... Nail polish. :D Pure Ice brand. It was in cure, little square bottles and was only two dollars a bottle so I snagged four. Three glitters and a shimmer. I think that the glitters will be pretty over other colours. I looked at the Nicole by OPI but at seven clams a bottle, I had to pass, this trip. I had already spent a little more than I really wanted to. Isn't that always the way? lol

So, here are my new fingertip pretties:

From left to right: Pure Ice Don't You Wish, Spitfire, All Night Long (a new shade) and Once Again (also a new shade). And China Glaze Lubu Heels and Frostbite. I finally have Lubu Heels. I have been lusting after that polish since I first saw it. :D

And, just because he is so darned cute, a couple of shots of my cat, Marley. The face pic is an extremely cropped closeup on his face. I like how it came out softened and slightly pixelated.

And from a little further away. He was rolling in and out of a bar of sunshine coming in through my bedroom window. :D

I have decided not to use Husband and Son's names. Both would rather I not do so and I am going to respect that. They may change their minds at a later date. I will capitalize them, as they are now their names for the purpose of this blog. :D

Eating is going well, today. In fact, I need to get some calories into me. All I have had were a couple of cups of coffee, a yoghurt, a third of an orange and a glass of light juice. Time for a nice, filling, protein packed, nutritious dinner. I am thinking a piece of chicken left over from last night, some asparagus steamed and I have an avocado at just the right moment of ripeness. Om nom nom nom. :D

Scale Ordered

Drugstore . com is running a sale. I ordered a Taylor scale that has a high capacity and has good reviews. And it was ten dollars off. With shipping, it cost me $35.98. Not too shabby. I have paid more for less accurate scales at Wally World.

Guess I can't run and hide for much longer. lol

Just Take Me Out and Shoot Me

Bad day.

Baad day.

Baaad day.

I want to throw up.

I want to go jump off a tall building.

Can't get to the top of a tall building. I am afraid of heights.

Guess I'll just have to wait to die of the bad food hangover I am going to suffer, soon and tomorrow.

*Bleargh!*

I am such a dumbass.

Slaving Over a Hot Stove...

Well, not really.

Dinner tonight is disgustingly easy. Just my speed. :D I tossed a couple of thin sirloins on my Foreman grill, put a few washed and poked potatoes in my micro to quick bake and opened a bag of ready made salad and dumped it into a bowl, washed a few grape tomatoes and put them in on top. Dinner prepared. :D

I am so devoted and talented, aren't I? Muahahaha!

After days of clouds and snow it was clear and sunny and a little warmer today and only a tiny bit of snow remains in deeply shaded spots.

Well, today was tax prep day. I am so pissed. WE OWE!!!! Almost eleven hundred dollars! We barely scrape by. We rent. We drive old cars that we own outright. We don't go on vacations or buy tons of new clothes or eat at fancy restaurants. (Dinner out for us is sandwiches from Subway.) We are a one income household and did I mention that we scrape by? And WE OWE!!!! That is dirty! *I will not go off on a rant about the inequity of the tax system in this country. I will not go off on a rant about the inequity of the tax system in this country...*

Thankfully, we have the money put away. But that is money I really wanted to do something else with. Not get a cashier's cheque and send it off to the IRfuckingS.

I think I am going to go cry, now. lol

In happier news...

I am staying on track fairly well. Some days are great, some a little less so. But no major binging or feeding frenzies. (A real breakthrough for me. I am an epic binger. Remind me to tell you about it, some day.) I am feeling pretty even keeled and positive, at present. So, yeah. :D

I still need to get a scale. I really should know my numbers. Tho I admit that living in fantasy land has it's perks... lol I do know that weight is coming off. My boobs are smaller. A really good thing, let me tell ya. I have a rack that makes Dolly Parton look as if she got steam rolled. So, any smallage of the boobage makes me a happier girl. My body feels smaller and I am seeing shrinkage in the gut and legs and ass. And it feels smaller and "squishier" again.

But I really should get that scale.

And step on it.

And face my demon.

And send it's raggedy ass back to where it belongs.

Seriously!

New Manicure

My poor China Glaze Ruby Pumps manicure finally gave up the ghost and I couldn't do any further touch ups. So, it was time for a change.

Can I just mention here what a pain in the ass removing glitter polish is? It took me forever to get every last trace of that polish gone. I think I need one of those remover jars with the brush thingies in it for getting glitter polish off. Especially since I plan to get my hot little hands on more of them. :D

Today's mani is OPI An Affair in Red Square. A beautiful red with a deep red and gold shimmer. I love this colour so much. It is just stunning. And, like Ruby Pumps, kind of hard to capture the true depth and shimmer and all the different shades that live deep in this polish.

I did the best I could. :D

Indoors with flash.

Outdoors in shade with no flash.

Outdoors in direct afternoon sun. No flash.

Outdoors, direct sun. No flash. This kind of shows the gorgeous shimmer. Kind of.

This mani was done with two coats of China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base, the first coat allowed to dry before the second went on. Two coats of OPI An Affair in Red Square and one coat of Seche. I need to do a second coat of Seche... I'll do it later when I am done for the evening and can just let it dry and cure. :D

Here is hoping for a mani that will last nearly as long as my last one did. :D I was amazed at how long my last mani hung in there, looking good. If I get three solid days out of a mani, I am happy. I think I got a full five, out of the Ruby Pumps. :D :D :D

What is with stupid Blogger? It isn't making my paragraph breaks as it should, again. Gah!!!

Queen of a Frozen Realm

Yesterday, we had snow, rain, more snow and thaw, thaw, thaw. By afternoon the world was wet and running water and my patio was covered in water. By sundown, the skies had cleared, the temperature dropped and my patio was converted to a skating rink. This morning, everything was frozen solid. Except, thankfully, our pipes. lol

The sun is warm, this morning and all of the ice and remaining snow is rapidly disappearing.

I really hope that this is our last hard freeze. I am so over the cold and Winter needs to go away. I need warmth, open windows and soft breezes. Flowers and green leaves and birdies singing. I crave digging in rich, warm earth and baby flower plants and cool, fresh water running coolly over my bare feet. Miracle Gro and gardening gloves. :D

I have housework to get done... My bathroom asks for a scrubbing, my broadloom wants to be vacuumed and dusting is waiting. My dishwasher is full of clean dishes that need to be slotted into their rightful spots and floors are ready for sweeping. Oh, and the litter box needs to be scooped.

But I think I will finish watching The Biggest Loser, first.

Almost Burned the Meat

I can get lost in computer land. Things I am supposed to be attending to can fall by the wayside as I escape into cyberspace. That happened today, after I started hamburger browning for husband and son's spaghetti and meat sauce meat. I was surfing blogs, oblivious to the world around me until the strong scent of very well done beef penetrated my senses and jerked me back to the present.

I went into my kitchen and lifted the lid on the pan, expecting something burned to a crisp and inedible. It was just this side of that. Salvageable and edible. Even more so after it had cooked in the sauce for a good, long while.

Luckily, (sadly???) my husband and son are accustomed to being offered interestingly cooked meals, so this sauce will not come as a shock to them. They will happily pile spaghetti on their plates and dump copious amounts of the sauce over it and eat it with gusto. And I will sigh and thank God that I (barely) dodged yet another culinary bullet.

I don't know why I don't use husband and son's names in this blog. I suppose neither would really mind and let's face it... I highly doubt many people are actually reading this dreck, so privacy isn't such a big issue. And, nowadays, if someone really wanted to find out their names, I imagine that they could.

So, perhaps I will introduce them more fully, soon.

Ta. :D

Cold!!!

"March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."

It is now in full roar.

Today it is cold. See your breath in the middle of the day cold.

Clouds move in and wind slashes and snow pounds down.

Then the clouds break, the sky is brilliantly blue, the sun warms the Earth and the snow begins to melt. The wind calms and it feels as if it is over.

Then the winds pick up and the clouds cover the great, blue bowl of sky and the snow begins to fall, once more.

By Friday it is supposed to be nearly seventy. I think that our local weather needs medication.


I ate like an idiot, yesterday. My caloric intake brushed the 2000 range. It is about 800, already for today. But I am under control. I nearly lost it, earlier. I was in the kitchen, a box of Red Baron pizza slices on my counter, the directions being read. I was all ready to heat those suckers up and inhale them.

Saved by the bowels. Yes, I know. It is actually saved by the bell. And yes, I know... Gross... I had to run to the bathroom. By the time I was out, sanity prevailed and I stuck both huge slices of heat and eat (oh, yeah. I was going to glom both slices. I am just that much of a pig.) pizza back in their box and stuck it back in the freezer. I washed and hulled some strawberries and dumped a little pile of Truvia next to them and had a sweet, cool little nosh, instead. Much healthier and I think I wanted a little something sweet, rather than a lot of fat and salt and calories.

My manicure survives. Sorta. I think I can get another day out of it. Which is good, since I am full on lazy hag mode and don't feel like doing my nails, at this moment. And I can't decide what colour I want, anyway.

Lazy hag mode developed from sleeping until almost eleven, this morning. Yipes. Sleep in much? I mean, I am usually up and done with everything by then. I feel like a guilty sloth when I sleep late. And to me, sleeping late means any time past eight.

I received my tin (huge tin! lol) of German Nivea creme from Smallflower, yesterday. Lovely stuff. It is better, for my skin than the Mexican version. And my skin feels like velvet, today. It felt nice with the other version but it is even better with the German. Imagine that... The same brand but formulated just differently enough that it actually works differently.

Now, how the hell did I manage to do that? Post this entry? I certainly didn't want to... I was just hitting the enter key so that I could make a paragraph break and... Bam! Posted.

*sigh*

Whatever. I can finish this in Edit. How fabulous is it that the Edit function exists? It makes me oh, so, very happy.

I am cold. I think I may make some coffee and fire up my fireplace.

I love my fireplace.

I hope that you are having a lovely day and are warm enough. <3

Things I Like to Chew...

And slurp. :D


Why yes, I am distracting myself with a long, photo clogged blog entry. You see, I am in the mood to chew. And I sooo Don't want to. Even tho I really, really want to. I know. I am certifiable. I am good with it. :D


Seriously, tho. Son left a bag of Bugles on the table and I have eaten three of them. Oh! Crunchy, salty goodness. Bleargh! I am not hungry. I had a good, filling dinner and I am honestly not physically hungry. Not to mention I have hit my upper calorie limit for the day. I am a little over 1600. Mostly thanks to dinner. MIL sent over her horrendously good roast and potatoes and I had some. Didn't go overboard but roast and potatoes and gravy are pretty calorie rich. Add the almost entire bundle of asparagus I added and well... I am actually still pretty stuffed.


But I am feeling peckish. Just as if I want to go in the kitchen, cruise the food storage containment systems and graze. Not a good plan.


So, I am going to bore the living shit out of you, instead. ;) lol


And crunch on radishes. :D


So, I like fruit in my oatmeal. And pre packaged, sugar free fruit is the easiest for me to use in the morning when I am still brain dead and hungry as a bear. It is easier to just pop one of those little cups open, drain out the liquid and dump the fruit into my oatmeal than to peel, core, chop and measure. All while my eyes are blurry and I am hurrying to finish before my kettle boils and praying feverishly that I don't take a finger or two off with my chef's knife. I know that fresh is best. And I do do fresh. But this is just easier and I am a sucker for the easy, sometimes. Not to mention it is one perfect portion. No measuring, no doubt. :D



Nom the fruity goodness. :D



My usual brekkie. Quaker Weight Control oatmeal, Cinnamon flavour, of course! with a little extra cinnamon and the aforementioned fruit. And of course, coffee.

Yum! Cinnamon flavoured oatmeal. I won't accept any other. The banana bread, maple and other flavours just taste too cloyingly, fake sweet and "perfumy". And not in a good way. I like sweet. I like perfumy. (Think perfect, sweet, perfumy cantaloupe. Mmmmm...) But not in my oatmeal. *shudder*

Sara Lee Delightful 130 calorie bagels. Not too shabby for a "diet" food. The texture isn't exactly like that of a real bagel. It isn't as dense, moist and gorgeously chewy. But, on the plus size, these bagels have pretty good flavour. And the texture, while lighter and a little drier and a bit "spongier" than real bagels, isn't bad and I got used to it pretty quickly. The crust is somewhat chewy, so you do get some of that lovely texture. And the size is good, too. Bigger than a mini, smaller than those ginormous bakery bagels. A nice, satisfying, perfect portion. :D I like mine toasted with a bit of buttery spray. And served with a boiled egg and coffee for brekkie or soup for lunch or dinner. :D (I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray.)

Progresso Light Soups. Mmm... What is lovelier than a big bowl of boiling hot, flavourful soup? Satisfying and if served hot enough, takes a good, long time to eat, too. I admit, I eat the whole can. It is less than 200 calories and one serving, half the can just doesn't cut it. *oink* I usually tack on a toasted light bagel or a slice or two of light bread, toasted and sprayed.

Now, light juices aren't all, pure juice. Of this I am well aware. But, they are much lower in calories and that, my friends is a good thing. I was first introduced to the world of light orange juice (beverage... I am saying it here and will not bother to say it, again) by Tropicana Trop 50. What could be better? Orange juice taste and only 50 little calories? Well, I'll tell you what can be better. Minute Maid Light Orange Juice. Oh. My. Lovely.

Trop 50 is good. It is thin. No pulp and tends to tase a bit like artificial sweetener. Not a flavour that is objectionable to me; I have used artificial sweeteners much of my life and am very accustomed to the taste. In fact, I often opt for it, even when I could have sugar. I like Trop 50 just fine and will happily drink a glass of it anytime.

Anytime I don't have Minute Maid Light. This juice is good. A little more orangey-orangey. The sweetness is a little more pronounced and tastes a bit more natural. The juice has a bit more viscosity and... *hear the angel choir* pulp. Sweet, luscious pulp. Lovely. This most closely resembles real, not juice beverage orange juice. Did I mention it is lovely? :D

Coffee. Uh. Huh. Coffee... Nectar of the gods. My sweet, sweet addiction. Caffeine is of wonderfulness. Coffee is the ideal vehicle in which it enters my foggy, sleepy brain. You might ask; If she loves coffee sooooooooo much, why the hell is she drinking instant coffee? Simple answer? I can't kill a teakettle.

Huh?

Well, you see... I am a coffee maker murderer. Seriously. I have killed more coffee makers and espresso/cappuccino makers than anyone on this planet has a right to. After my last coffee maker and espresso/cappuccino makers went tits up on me I gave up. I realised that I have already spent more on coffee makers than Donald Trump has on hairspray and so I determined that going instant would be the best thing to do for the foreseeable future. It isn't really all that bad. Really. Nescafe, my chosen brand tastes decent, for an instant. And when I hit it with fat free half and half and a packet of Truvia, it is even better.

You might have noticed that the label is missing from the jar. Yeah... One of my little quirks. Like overuse of ellipses... I don't like the label on the jar. I don't like the design or the colours so I just unwrap it and toss the label in the trash. I know what is in the jar. No label required. And besides, having a nekkid jar lets me keep a close eye on the level of the coffee granules within, making it easier for me to see when I have to replenish my supply. Can't have me running out of coffee, now. Can we? lol

Truvia. Nice stuff. Different. I have used just about every artificial sweetener one can think of. From that nasty stuff in the 70's to Sugar Twin, to Sweet and Low to Equal to Splenda, (still use Splenda) and now Truvia. Truvia is sweet and has a slight vanilla kind of perfume to it. It is good in coffee, (I find it is better to add it after my f.f. 1/2 and 1/2) and for dipping strawberries. It also tastes better in tea. I use both Splenda and Truvia for different purposes and like them both.

Fat free half and half rocks my happy little coffee slarking world. I am definitely a cream and sugar girl. I don't really like black coffee all that much. Tho I do like iced black coffee better than hot black coffee. Fat free half and half lets me have a bit of richness and creaminess and control my calorie and fat intake. I use a bit more than I should but I make sure to measure and log accordingly. Yes, it uses up a few more of my daily calorie budget but to me it is so worth it. :D

So, there you have it. A few things I heart. This isn't going to be my last "Things I Heart" entry.

This was kinda fun. :D

Whew! I do believe that the crisis has passed. I type at a glacial pace and this whole rambling, nattering thing has taken me a little while. Long enough to let my peckishness fade off into the background. Well into the background. :D

If you got through all of this, I salute you. If you skipped to the end, I don't blame you. lol

ETA: I am sorry for the run on paragraphs. I did paragraph breaks all through my entry. They didn't show up. Went back and edited to add them again. Only part of the post has them. Again. Gah!!! So. Yeah. I am sorry for the blocks of unbroken type. I do know better. Really, I do. For some reason, my blog hates me, tonight.