Beer munchies

Change from beginning of program: + too damn much
Goal: too many to count
Activity: sitting on my ass in meetings
Temptation: everything
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets made: none

The beer munchies are a killer. You know what I mean - you drink beer and get hungry. Because you have been drinking beer, your defenses are down, and you eat more.

It's a vicious cycle. If you don't eat, you feel like crap the next day. If you do eat, you get even fatter.

Ugh.

Kryptonite

Change from beginning of program: +1.0
Goal: 45 to go
Activity: working
Temptation: fudge
Fruit and veg: 2
Bracelets made: 5

Not a good day for my diet. I took the fudge to work, but it was still there in my cell cube. Therefore, I nibbled all day. Fudge is my Kryptonite.

Breakfast: pistachios and fudge

Lunch: nachos with guacamole, plus chips and salsa

Dinner: pistachios and dried fruit

Libations: beer

For the past two nights, I have ridden my bike through the neighborhood and then played on the Wii Fit. Tonight, I worked - on MY time.

UGH.

It's that time of year, and it will be like this through most of April.

Again, I say UGH.

At least I got some bracelets made. And I just might keep these.

Greetings from Moody Gardens

Change from beginning of program: +1.0
Goal: 45 to go
Activity: 18 minutes riding bike + 30 minutes Wii Fit
Temptation: fudge
Fruit and veg: 4
Bracelets made: 4 (+2 last night)

If you are not familiar with the Houston area, today's blog title might not make sense. Let me explain.

Galveston has a wonderful complex called Moody Gardens. The Moody family apparently lived in Galveston and had lots of money, as several attractions are named for them.

I realized today that I live in Moody Gardens. Not the cool attraction in Galveston. The house in Houston where the moodiest man in the world lives with me. You know...the man who says he does not have moods. Ahhh...there are none so blind as those who will not see.

On another note - at the end of the work day, I walked into a coworkers office and the coworker started laughing. I asked if I looked that bad, and he said the I looked really frazzled. His advice: drink.

I followed his advice.

I also made a pan of fudge. And it took a great deal of willpower (and several beers) to not eat the whole damn thing.

Fatal flaw

Change from beginning of program: -.6
Goal: 44 to go
Activity: restringing bracelets
Temptation: DQ Blizzard
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets restrung: 11

My bead obsession hit a snag. I have been making bracelets with stretchy string so that you can slip them on over your hand and not have to worry about a clasp. The directions I read on the internets said to tie knots and then put a drop of glue on the knot. I put the strongest glue I know of on the knot - super glue.

I wore some bracelets. I gave some bracelets away. The bracelets I wore started breaking - at the point where I put the super glue.

I described the problem to a friend at work, and she asked if the super glue was eating through the stretchy string. I did some research on the internets and found that super glue was the problem. It was not eating through the stretchy string, but it was drying like glass. When I stretched the bracelets over my hand, one point on the bracelet would not stretch.

Of course, I had made 58 bracelets before I discovered this problem. I had not yet glued 8 of them, so I need to restring only 50. Of those 50, I had already given away 21.

I had 2 hours of conference calls today. I got 9 bracelets restrung during that time. I got some more done tonight. I have recalled the bracelets that I gave away.

Now I'm giving more bracelets away to testers. I need to determine if just knots (no glue) will suffice or if flexible drying glue is necessary.

Let me know if you want to be a tester.

Oh yeah, and I polished off a bottle of prosecco tonight. After I left the office in the afternoon and drove to Dairy Queen to get a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard. I had been craving that Blizzard since Monday, and it really hit the spot.

A little poem

Beer, beer. The magical drink.
The more you drink, the less you think.
The less you think, the better you feel.
So let's drink beer for every meal.

That's the kind of day I had - I was able to dream up this little ditty while I was baking (and drinking beer) before I started in on the beads.

Manic Monday

Change from beginning of program: -.6
Goal: 44 to go
Activity: seething
Temptation: everything
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets made: 3
Necklaces made: 2

Going back to work after a four-day break was not pleasant...mainly because I did not want to be there. I really need to win the lottery.

The constant buzz of adrenaline made me graze all day. I was craving a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard, but I didn't get one. I just ate everything else instead. I would have been better off breaking down and making the trip to Dairy Queen.

For post-work stress relief, I not only played with my beads but I also made cookies. And I'm still a ball of nerves.

At least I have some new jewelry to show for it.

It's official: Americans are too fat

Change from beginning of program: -1.2
Goal: 43 to go
Activity: napping
Temptation: everything
Fruit and veg: 4

On Friday, I visited my sister and her children in Lufkin. We went to the zoo to ride the train, and found a really long line. The zoo was crowded because it was a perfect day weather-wise and because it was the last day of Spring Break. But the wait for the train was extra long because they were filling up just the first two train cars and leaving the third car empty.

When we finally got on the train, we learned why they were not filling it. We started going up a "hill" - with an incline of less than 5 degrees - and the conductor asked some of the men to get out and push us up the "hill." They did, and we were able to ride the rest of the route without a problem.

What does this say about us as a society? We are too damn fat for the zoo train.

I have thought about that a lot over the past few days. My response? Eating like I'm manic. Can't stop. The only times I'm not eating are when I'm sleeping or playing with my beads.

Babblepalooza

Change from beginning of program: -1.2
Goal: 43 to go
Activity: framing photos
Temptation: prosecco
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets made: 1 + 1 repaired

My first nephew is coming tomorrow for a visit to celebrate his 20th birthday. YEAH! I'm so lucky that he still comes to visit. We're going to see the Rockets on Wednesday, then we'll hang out on Thursday until I drop him off at his friend's house.

Knowing that he's coming for a visit is what is keeping me going. Work is kicking my ass. I attended Babblepalooza part 1 today. Three hours of meetings where the Stooges (aka managers) talk just to talk. Part 2 is tomorrow. After that, I will take two days off. Praise the lord, Cleotis!

I really need a change in my life. Until the change comes, I'll keep my sanity by making jewelry and drinking. And baking. And eating Mexican food.

I fought the weeds and the weeds won

Change from beginning of program: -1.2
Goal: 43 to go
Activity: pulling weeds
Temptation: Indian food
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets made: 3

So...one of my friends (you know who you are) asked if I was becoming obsessed with making jewelry.

Well, yeah.

But there are worse things I could be obsessed with. At least with the beads, I have something to show at the end of the evening. And all of you get beaded goods - like it or not!

Unfortunately, my summertime "hobby" is here: yard work. UGH. It is March, people. March! The space formerly known as my back yard is now a weed farm. Dandelions, some spindly weeds with buds, something that has leaves like marigolds, stinky vines, you name, I've got it. And clover. Lots of clover. Why won't my grass grow as vigorously as the weeds do?

Chocolate chip cookies

I have been making chocolate chip cookies since I was 6 years old. I literally learned to read by reading a cookbook from Imperial Sugar (in Sugar Land, Texas - where my doctor's office is). I had to stand on a chair to reach the counter to make the cookies.

Sometimes the cookies are perfect; other times, they are flat. I have experimented with different ingredients and techniques with varying success.

I read in a magazine last week that using Crisco was the secret to cookies that don't flatten. I haven't used Crisco in years, and I don't plan to start. I had enough of that when I was growing up. The magazine article said that if you use butter and/or margarine instead of Crisco to beat them longer and get more air into the batter.

I then read from Bakewise that the secret to the perfect chocolate chip cookie is to let the dough sit overnight. Better yet, the book says, let it sit for 36 hours - 3 days - before baking.

Come on - how much dough will be left after 3 days. Are you kidding me?

For the batch I made yesterday, I whipped the butter and margarine longer than usual and let the dough sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before baking. The cookies are perfect. So forget 3 days of dough in the refrigerator.

Allergic to meetings

Change from beginning of program: -3.0
Goal: 41 to go
Activity: getting pricked
Temptation: Mexican food
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets made: none...yet

I have spent the last two afternoons being tested for allergies. I went through this 11 years ago, at which time I was allergic to cats, dogs, cows, spring trees, and tomatoes (among other things). I took the shots for 3 years and avoided my Spring and Fall allergy attacks.

Even after stopping the shots, I avoided the seasonal attacks for a few years. But now I'm back to spending several days every Spring and Fall fighting allergies - and losing more often than not. The losses turn into bronchitis and/or ear infections.

I don't have time for that shit.

So I got tested again. Now I'm allergic to cats, mice, hamsters, cockroaches, chicken, rice, and "all" trees, grasses, and pollens. That was the doctor's term: "all." I'm allergic to several other things, including mold but not dust.

The thing I'm most allergic to is meetings. Especially the meetings where we don't decide anything - except that we need to have another meeting. And I've had a lot of those lately. Too many, in fact.

Perhaps that's what drove me to the allergist in the first place.

B day

Be-otches at work.
Blizzard for lunch.
Baked brownies.
Beaded four bracelets, a necklace, and my first set of earrings.
Basketball on TV.
Beer? I wish.

Virtual Monday is just as ugly as real Monday

Change from beginning of program: -1.8
Goal: 42 to go
Activity: making bracelets
Temptation: chocolate
Fruit and veg: 5
Bracelets made: 5

The first day back at work after 3 days off was kinda horrifying. I'm really lucky to have such a good job, but DAMN. Some days the bullshit is just too stinky. And the fun will continue tomorrow.

Bigfoot and I were supposed to go to a free movie tonight, but I came home and said that I just wanted to sit on the bed and play with my beads. It took me until 9:00 to get to my happy spot, but I made it.

You don't even want to know what I ate today. Suffice it to say that if it crossed my path, it went into my belly.

And I'm starting to get worried that "Lost" is not gonna wrap everything up satisfactorily. Only 10 episodes left, but we keep getting new characters every week.

Marshmallow + chocolate = bliss

Change from beginning of program: -2.6
Goal: 41 to go
Activity: making bracelets
Temptation: chocolate
Fruit and veg: 2
Bracelets made: 5.5

Finished the bracelet that I hosed last night and got 5 more done.

I do have a problem with going overboard on new hobbies...I have hundreds of dollars worth of paper and stickers for scrapbooks, and I haven't gotten any out it out to work on in months.

Breakfast: pistachios (yes, I really need to go to the grocery store)

Lunch: Jason's Deli spinach veggie wrap, Baked Lays, two gingerbread mini muffins

Afternoon snack: three Rolos, two lemon Girl Scout cookies

Dinner: shrimp gumbo over rice (and garlic bread) at our favorite seafood restaurant

Evening snack: two Cellas (the last ones for the year, unless by some miracle I find more), pistachios, Russell Stover dark chocolate marshmallow Easter egg

That damn Easter egg was so good that I almost passed out. I remembered why I look forward to the Easter candy all year.

Happy hour

Change from beginning of program: -2.6
Goal: 41 to go
Activity: drinking
Temptation: beer
Fruit and veg: 4
Bracelets made: 3.5

How do you make 3.5 bracelets? Make three. Make a fourth one, but don't finish it because your man is talking to you and you can't concentrate. Take your T-shirt off because you feel like you are going to burn through your skin. Somehow catch the end of the almost-finished bracelet and pull the string out but leave the beads intact, in order, on the beading board.

It was a good day. I managed to piss off two annoying people at work.

Breakfast: pistachios and a pear

Lunch: seafood salad: shrimp, crab, and tilapia over a bed of greens, with cheese and corn salsa

Afternoon snack: two Thin Mints

Dinner: happy hour with coworkers (not the ones I pissed off). Three Newcastle Brown Ales.

Evening snack: spaghetti and marinara with parmesan plus four Miller Lites. One Cella.

It's almost the weekend. Praise cheeses.

Hand-did creations

Change from beginning of program: -2.6
Goal: 41 to go
Activity: drinking
Temptation: wine
Fruit and veg: 1-2
Bracelets made: 5

Breakfast: leftover mashed potatoes, fried up and topped with cheese. 3 Cellas. Great start to the day.

Lunch: Taco Bell - bean burrito and bean tostada.

Dinner: whole wheat tortellini with marinara and parmesan cheese. Most of a bottle of red wine.

My new hobby is making beaded jewelry. I'm making bracelets because they are easy. And I can do it while watching TV or talking on the phone or doing both at the same time.

If you have requests for a certain color of beaded bracelet, let me know.

And how does this sound for the name of my new enterprise (where I'll be showcasing beaded jewelry and notecards): Princess Paisley

I'm considering a subtitle using "hand-did" because it sounds so damn hick.

The story behind "Hand-Did": several years ago, some friends and I saw a sign at a street festival advertising "Hand-Did Jewelry."

Let me know what you think.

Rude people drive me nuts

True story...

One of my coworkers who has been making my life a living hell for months has a birthday next week. She has dropped about a million hints that she wants a tres leches cake (my specialty).

As she drives me freaking crazy, I decided that I would not be baking her a cake.

Today, I took a tres leches in for someone else's birthday. I gave a piece to the woman who has been driving me crazy and said, "Happy birthday, a week early."

Her response - "I don't get a whole cake?

Dead tired

Change from beginning of program: -.2
Goal: 44 to go
Activity: 45 minutes gardening (digging and hoeing)
Temptation: none
Fruit and veg: 5

Breakfast: leftover mac & cheese, pear, Cella

Morning snack: two Girl Scout lemon cookies

Lunch: Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, biscuit

Afternoon snack: small piece of tres leches cake, 3 Musketeers mini

Dinner: whole wheat tortellini with marinara and parmesan cheese, 2 glasses Chianti, Cella

I'm bored to tears with my job. The people there are driving me nuts. Coming home and beating the hell out of banana tree roots felt pretty good. I dug several banana trees up, but more will grow back. My compost pile is huge, and I keep turning it - hoping for some nice soil for the upcoming vegetable garden.

It's February, and I'm already getting tired of yardwork. At least I should sleep soundly tonight.

No wonder I can't lose weight

By age 2, I was on the path to chunkiness. Now the science proves it.

There's a reason I drink

Change from beginning of program: 2.2
Goal: 42 to go
Activity: drinking
Temptation: prosecco
Fruit and veg: 4

There's a reason I drink. It's called WORK.

More specifically, it's attributable to a few people I work with.

Today, they were in full force.

I don't mind work. I don't mind working a lot.

I do mind doing busy work when I could be doing something productive. I do mind doing "exceptional" work and having funding for my projects being given to someone who "didn't follow the rules." (Quotes are attributable.)

Tonight, I planned on doing something creative like my first beading project. Instead, I killed a bottle of wine and watched TV. Don't hate me.

Lost...with prosecco

Change from beginning of program: -3.4
Goal: 41 to go
Activity: watching "Lost"
Temptation: prosecco
Fruit and veg: 5+

Ate a lot today. Most of it was healthy, but it was a lot.

My main drinking motivator was out of the office today, but others were more than willing to step in and take her place.

A bottle of prosecco later, I feel much better.

But if they say that all of those years of "Lost" were some kind of dream, I'm gonna be pissed. Really mad. This is the kind of thing that could get me off network TV forever.

When they canceled "St. Elsewhere," I gave up TV drama. Until "Twin Peaks." When that ended, I gave it up again. Until "Homicide."

Let's face it: I love TV. But those network execs are out of touch with me.

Unlisted

Change from beginning of program: -3.2
Goal: 41 to go
Activity: feeling antsy
Temptation: junk food
Fruit and veg: 2

I have felt sluggish and antsy all day.

I have eaten nothing but crap since Friday.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

Or perhaps it's just Monday, and I'm tired of doing what I do, and I worked from home this afternoon with the plumber, and I just feel like whining.

Yesterday, during my sacred Sunday nap, I got a call from the Bill White for Governor campaign. I like Bill White. I will vote for Bill White for Governor. But I will not tolerate campaign calls on Sunday afternoon.

During our recent mayoral runoff, I got 12 calls in one day telling me to vote for candidate x, y, and z. I said at the time that I would change my phone number before the next election. I just didn't realize that the next election would come so quickly.

The friggin' election is in November. I got this call in January!

Enough is enough, already.

I'm fed up enough to pay to have the number changed AND pay a monthly fee to keep it unlisted.

Now that my rant is over, here is my junk food diary for today. It's no wonder I feel like a slug.

Breakfast: Wheaties Fuel, string cheese, 3 chocolates

Lunch: Bean burrito and bean tostada from Taco Bell. 2 chocolates.

Dinner: Large avocado made into guacamole. Tostitos. Pistachios. Key lime pie. Chocolate chip cookie.

Exercise? Are you kidding? I did have a nice bath before watching "24."

Let's hope that tomorrow will bring a healthier diet. And fewer unsolicited phone calls.

State of my ass

Change from beginning of program: -1.4
Goal: 42 to go
Activity: driving 360 miles
Temptation: Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard from Dairy Queen
Fruit and veg: 2

President Obama gave his first State of the Union address tonight. Therefore, I bring you my first annual State of My Ass address.

Sore. Fat.

You were expecting something else? Sorry to disappoint you, my fellow Americans.

Drove to Austin and back today for a meeting. (hence the sore ass)

Didn't eat much (hence the fat ass), but what I did eat was not the most healthy food. That Indian food has taken up permanent residence in my entrails, and not much sounds appealing. But that Blizzard was good! And it soothed the heartburn for a while.

Bellyachin'

Change from beginning of program: -1.4
Goal: 42 to go
Activity: bellyaching - literally, moaning about how my belly is aching
Temptation: Indian food
Fruit and veg: 3

You know how when you don't eat for a day and lose 4 pounds? Yeah, well, as soon as you eat again, 3 of them come back. DAMN!

Saturday, I spent the day in bed with a very upset stomach. Tuesday, I visit the Indian buffet at lunchtime.

No one ever called me brilliant.

The upside? I didn't eat dinner.

OK, y'all. Enough is enough.

Change from beginning of program: -4.4
Goal: 39 LBs to go
Activity: 45 minutes gardening + 35 minutes with the Wii Fit
Temptation: chips
Fruit and veg: 5

Here's a brief summary of the past several days:

Thursday: Attended a funeral (father of a close friend)

Friday: Attended the military funeral of the person mentioned above

Saturday: Did not get out of bed. Food poisoning or a 24 hour bug? Doesn't matter...it was not pretty. And I literally slept all day. And night.

Sunday: Weak from not eating anything on Saturday. Got a call from a friend telling me that his mother had died suddenly. Funeral is Wednesday.

Monday: My brother called to say that he may be having surgery tomorrow (we'll know more tomorrow). Then a friend called to tell me about how he literally saved someone's life after a suicide attempt and how he is now caring for the person's child.

That's enough drama, y'all.

On a more positive note, I was able to clear out some of the tropical foliage that succumbed to the hard freezes we had earlier in the month. I have a long way to go, but I made some progress.

And the bathroom is complete enough that Bigfoot is out of my hair. I still haven't used the deluxe new tub yet, but I'm hoping to do so soon. I would like to get something for the money and time I spent on this never-ending project.

Driving and sitting

Change from beginning of program: ?
Goal: 4? LBs to go
Activity: driving
Temptation: cheese
Fruit and veg: 2

Woke up in Austin. Went to class until noon. Went to a funeral that was between Austin and Houston. Drove home.

Crap for breakfast. Crap with cheese for lunch. Fried crap for dinner.

Guess what - I feel like crap.

Will tomorrow really be the day the contractors finish up in the bathroom? Or are they just giving me false hope?

Out of the house!

Change from beginning of program: -.6
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: sitting
Temptation: beer
Fruit and veg: 5

When I have to go to Austin, I can't stay home with the contractors. The contractors who were supposed to finish up yesterday. And who won't finish up until Friday. If I'm lucky.

Woke up at 5:00 a.m. so that I could drive 150 miles to a class. In the drizzle. And when I stopped to buy gas, the pump wouldn't work. So my hair just got limper and limper while I was fighting the gas pump.

Sat in the class all day. Twelve hours in pantyhose. UGH.

Got to my hotel and realized that I forgot to pack one essential - underwear. Thank gawd for Target. I was able to get underwear and beer on the same trip.

Breakfast: cherries and part of a kolache between Columbus and La Grange

Lunch: salad (lots of veggies), rice and bean and cheese casserole, coleslaw, apple pie

Afternoon snack: part of a lemon bar

Dinner: PF Changs with old friends. Veggie lettuce wraps, steamed veggies, shrimp, scallops, brown rice, beer

Evening snack: beer

Basketball goodness: Dallas won, San Antonio lost, and Houston didn't play. It doesn't get much better than this.

Purging

Change from beginning of program: -.6
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: recycling Christmas cards
Temptation: fried food
Fruit and veg: 2

Even though the contractor assured me that he would finish today, he did not finish. The bathroom is 98% done, but I want that other 2% completed. I am getting super tired of this. And he can't finish until Friday because I am driving to Austin before the crack of dawn tomorrow for a two-day class.

Oh well...

Since September, I have been going through the boxes and boxes and boxes of mementos that I have saved for most of my adult life. This week, I'm onto the Christmas cards. Some of them are from people I don't remember. Some are from people who are no longer with us. Some are from the dentist.

Do I have issues with pack-rattiness? I think so...

Last night, I sorted and separated the fraction of cards I wanted to keep for whatever reason. Tonight, I tore the fronts off the cards I won't be keeping. I'll send those to an organization that reuses them for new cards. Getting these cards out of the house won't give me a lot of extra physical space, but it is mentally cleansing to get through those piles of cards.

I had a crap breakfast and virtually no lunch. For dinner, we went to our favorite seafood restaurant and I had fried stuffed shrimp and French fries. Why? Because fried food tastes just too damn good.

Oh yeah. I purged only the paper - not the fried food (just in case you were wondering).

Day 13 of the bathroom remodel

Change from beginning of program: -1.6
Goal: 42 LBs to go
Activity: nothing
Temptation: none, really
Fruit and veg: 5+

They started installing tile today. I may actually get my bathroom - and sanity - back this year.

I'm more than ready to cut out for a few days to see Pee Wee Herman.

And next week, I'm going to Austin for a two day class...and that means I will spend one night in a hotel. Alone. With no construction.Ahhhh....

Breakfast: pumpernickel with hummus, whole grapefruit, pomegranate juice, 1 Cella

Lunch: baked kale with parmesan cheese, cherries

Dinner: made tacos for Bigfoot, so I had them too. But I had beans in mine instead of beef. Two tacos (beans, shell, lettuce, tomato, cheese). A bit of rice. 3 bites of pecan pie. I have about 4 bites of pie left, and I'm making it last as long as I can.

Once the Cellas and pie are out of the house, I should start losing. Those are two temptations that I cannot resist.

One...singular sensation

Change from beginning of program: -1.4
Goal: 42 LBs to go
Activity: cleaning the pantry
Temptation: sleep (but I did not succumb)
Fruit and veg: 5

I saw "A Chorus Line" for the first time ever tonight at the Broadway Across America series. My season ticket holder partner, a gay man, was appalled that I had not seen it before. After the show, he told me that his current (sorta) boyfriend didn't know the lyrics to "I Hope I Get It," and that said (sorta) boyfriend could not consider himself a "card carrying homo." I said that the only song I had ever heard from the show was "One." He then accused me of not being a "card carrying homo."

Hello!

He said that as many gay friends as I have, I should know these songs.

(He might have a point.)

But still...

The show was good. It made me remember that my lifelong ambition was to be able to show off my body. If only I had ever had a body worthy of showing off... All of the female cast members stood on stage for over 2 hours in body suits. And they looked good. And they could dance. And sing.

So...if I had a great body, and rhythm, and singing talent, I could be in a musical.

Not. Holding. My. Breath. For that to happen.

Breakfast: 2 slices pumpernickel with hummus, 2 Cellas

Lunch: Brussels sprouts, 1 Cella, 1 glass pomegranate juice

Panic alarm: I'm down to 13 Cellas. And then it's cold turkey until November, when they appear on the shelves again.

Dinner: (with friend described above) - grilled salmon over spinach, some delicious fried onions, and broccolini, surrounded by cream sauce, 2 small slices French bread with olive oil, and about 5 bites of a very dark chocolate dessert. 2 glasses of pinot grigio.

After show libations: 3 beers - to help me sleep

Book reviews: more subtitles

While I am stuck at home with the contractors who are remodeling the bathroom, I have time to read.

Why is it that most books published in this century have subtitles? Or is it just the books I choose? Either way, here are the ones I finished over the weekend:

• Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid by "Dr." Denis Leary. Denis Leary is a funny guy, and he doesn't care who he offends. And he offends just about everyone (except firefighters and stay-at-home moms). His basic premise is that we have more than any other culture in the world, and yet we want to just whine and take the easy way out. I laughed out loud many times.
• Cooking with Heart & Soul: Making Music in the Kitchen with Family and Friends by the late, great Isaac Hayes. Part autobiography, part cookbook, all entertaining. Isaac grew up dirt poor and became a millionaire, but he never forgot his humble beginnings. I have not tried any of the recipes yet, but several looked good. Isaac believed in the power of healthy eating, and he was a vegetarian for a while. The next time my nephew is in town, we are going to try the recipe for Chocolate Salty Balls.
• Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong by Jen Yates. Is it a picture book or a humor book? Or a humorous picture book? Either way, it is funny...because of the pictures. Here is a great example of a blog leading to a book deal. You know, that's my dream - having a blog that leads to a book deal.
  

Check out these books. You'll be glad you did.

Remodeling is not fun

Change from beginning of program: -1.6
Goal: 42 LBs to go
Activity: none
Temptation: beer
Fruit and veg: 4

Have you ever had one of those days where you are busy all day but you don't get much accomplished?

That was my day today.

It's frustrating to not have something to show for my work at the end of the day.

It's frustrating to have the workers in and out of the house, yet to not know when they will arrive or leave.

It's frustrating to have Bigfoot displaced from his bathroom because he is taking over mine. And we have to share. And he does not do well with things out of his routine. (He has even more of a problem with that than I do, and that's saying a lot.)

Both of us are on edge. It's not pretty.

And this is why I drink.

I didn't eat too much today, which is a positive.

Breakfast: Black bean chili Frito pie, 2 Cellas

Lunch: Brussels sprouts, 3 Cellas. I'm on the last box. Thank gawd these things are available only in November and December. Otherwise, I would be topping the scales around 400.

Snack: Baked kale with parmesan cheese. Yes, baked kale. It is surprisingly tasty.

Dinner: Cherries, tomato, sliver of pecan pie. Only one sliver left.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see "A Chorus Line," which I have never seen before. My friend and I will have a lovely dinner before the show. This means I actually need to fix my hair and put on some makeup tomorrow. With all this working from home, I have enjoyed ponytails and a bare face.

Black bean chili Frito Pie

Change from beginning of program: -.4
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: installing ceiling fan (well, actually...holding the light while Bigfoot did it)
Temptation: Fritos
Fruit and veg: 4

If Elvis had been a vegetarian, he might have liked this dish.

He might also still be alive.

But, alas, he has gone on to that great cafeteria in the sky, where today they are giving him all the jelly donuts, fried peanut butter 'n 'nana samwiches, and bacon he can eat. Probably some Twinkies too.

It's good to be the King.

Regardless of what day it is, it is freakin' cold. I know it's much colder in most places, but we are not set up for freezing weather in Houston. I've got citrus growing in the backyard, forcryin' out loud.

Breakfast: Fiber One Pop Tart, 2 Cellas

Lunch: Black bean chili Frito pie - homemade black bean chili (made with NO fat), ladled over Fritos and topped with cheese. The no-fat chili cancels out the Fritos and cheese - right? I had two bowls of that and 4 Cellas.

Dinner: Black bean chili Frito pie (just one bowl), satsuma, sliver of pecan pie.

I received that pie on December 30, and I still have a quarter of it in the refrigerator. Not too bad.

Looking forward to another weekend with the contractors...fun, fun, fun.

Slow Readers Book Club - and unrelated funny video

While wandering around the Fred Flare site, I found another site where they are starting an online book club.

This is very cool.

I have been wanting to get a book club going at work, but no one wants to commit to anything.

This club looks like just the ticket. We have plenty of time to read the book.

Let's do it!

And check out this video. If I weren't such a spaz, I would embed it. But I don't know how. So click on through.

I (heart) Indian food

Change from beginning of program: -.4
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: 45 Wii minutes
Temptation: Indian food
Fruit and veg: 3

I spent 46 minutes on the Wii Fit today and 12 minutes a few days ago, and my Wii age dropped 28 years. Now those are results that I like!

During the three hours of conference calls this morning, I got four sets of notecards made. Guess what everyone is getting for Christmas next year.

Breakfast: black-eyed peas, cherries, 3 Cellas

Lunch: I had planned on eating here while the workers worked on the bathroom. But they were still not here at 11:00, so I met a friend at the Indian buffet. I should avoid buffets, but this one is really good. Lemon rice, pakoras, saag paneer, cabbage, garbanzo beans, naan, soup with a fried non-sweet donut thingy, masala dosa, raita, tamarind sauce

Afternoon snack: 2 Cellas

Dinner: shrimp scampi over angel hair, sliver of pecan pie, beer

Another day down the drain

Change from beginning of program: -.4
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: none, nada, nothing
Temptation: chips and salsa
Fruit and veg: 3

That day and half where I didn't have much to do at work? That's over. I'm behind already. Crap.

Bathroom renovation progress: none. They say they were working on cabinet fronts, but I saw nothing today.

Breakfast: whole grapefruit and 4 Cellas

Lunch: Chuy's with a friend: chips and salsa, mini bean and cheese burrito, some rice, guacamole

Afternoon snack: 2 Cellas

Dinner: shrimp scampi over angel hair, pecan pie

Evening snack: wine (lots), 3 Carr's Table Water Crackers (no flavor whatsover), one Ferrer Rocher

So...another day of eating crap and not exercising. It's only January 6. Will the whole year be like this?

How am I gonna reach that goal with days like this?

The working from home is not working too well. Easy access to food is not a good thing. And I get no exercise. At least when I go to the office I have to walk in from the garage and walk to get water. Here, I stay in a small radius. And I don't bother to wear makeup or decent clothes. I need a routine. I need some discipline. I need to go into the office.

Let's hope the renovation is completed soon. I need for it to be done before I go to LA to see my old pal Pee Wee Herman (next Friday).

Remodeling makes me drink

Change from beginning of program: -.4
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: 30 minutes with the Wii
Temptation: everything in my kitchen
Fruit and veg: 5

Yesterday's grazing caught up with me. Fortunately, I was able to exert a bit more self-control today.

Workers in the house + working from home + a boyfriend who doesn't like workers in the house = antsy Snow.

But we are making progress on the bathroom. And I actually got some work done today.

I got a Listology calendar this year, and I listed my goals for the year:

• Publish the cookbook
• Go to Europe to celebrate the big 5-0
• Make something creative and get it out of the Wii room (formerly known as the junk room) once a week
• Get to my goal weight - and stay there

OK - I wrote them down and now they are on the blog. So I have to make these things happen in 2010. Keep me honest!

A note on getting things out of the Wii room: For years, I have been collecting items and thinking "I can make something with this." Well, the time has come to make something with it. I'm out of room. I'm investing in this house, so I'm not moving to a bigger one. If you have requests for anything made from paper or recycled goods, let me know. My first project is note cards.

Breakfast: black-eyed peas, grapefruit from my tree, 2 Cellas

Lunch: shrimp scampi with spinach over angel hair pasta (an advantage of working from home - I can make a nice lunch), pecan pie

Afternoon snack: satsuma

Dinner: apple, cornbread with butter, 4 chocolate-covered peanuts

Evening snack: white wine

By the way, today's photo has nothing to do with the blog. It's just my nephew cracking me up by wearing my hat.

Why even offer this in sizes S and M?

It's a beer gut shirt, for cryin' out loud.

Grazing...like a cow

Change from beginning of program: -1.8
Goal: 42 LBs to go
Activity: grazing
Temptation: Cellas
Fruit and veg: 2

Working from home is not good for my weight. My well-stocked kitchen calls me. And the Christmas candy is still in there.

Having workers in the house makes me antsy. When I get antsy, I eat.

Today was not a good food day.

Breakfast. Fiber One Pop Tart. Black-eyed peas. 6 Cellas. Pecan pie.

Lunch: Small, but loaded baked potato. 6 Cellas.

Afternoon snack: Parmesan cheese. Cornbread with butter. Apple.

Dinner: Two large slices Pizza Hut Thin and Crispy Veggie Lovers pizza. 2 Cellas. Pecan pie.

They need to finish this work pronto or I won't be able to roll myself to the office.

Book reviews

The latest in my sporadic series of book reviews...

My Amazon reviews are here (if you're interested).

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Wait for the movie. A friend loaned me this book and told me that it was a page-turner. It was indeed a page-turner, but after 500+ pages, I wanted a better ending. The author tied up all the loose ends so, technically, it was a good ending. But I was disappointed by what they found. I was completely surprised by one major twist (good), but I figured out another twist long before it was revealed (bad). It was not a bad book, but it was not the best I have read. A different friend loaned me The DaVinci Code, so I have not ever spent money for a Dan Brown book. I believe that enough other people have spent plenty of money, so I don't feel too bad for the author.

A much more entertaining book was You Better Not Cry: Stories for Christmas by Augusten Burroughs. Full disclosure: I'm a big fan. But even so, this was his best book in a while. His early books were funnier than his more recent works. I like funny. I need funny. This book is funny. And short. And very well written. And I have a signed copy. Check it out.

I need my nap

Change from beginning of program: -1.8
Goal: 42 LBs to go
Activity: napping
Temptation: Mexican food
Fruit and veg: 4

Had to wake up on a Sunday morning to let the contractor into the house to tear up more of the bathroom. My Sunday routine is generally sleep in, eat, nap, eat, go to sleep. I like to stay in my jammies all day.

Not possible today. As I had to get dressed anyway, I actually left the house. My friend and her children just returned from a trip, so we had a chance to catch up over some delicious Mexican food.

Breakfast: whole grapefruit from my tree and a half of a cheese biscuit from Red Lobster

Lunch: chips and salsa, bean and cheese burrito, and salad with creamy jalapeno dressing

I did manage to get in a nap, but it was just over an hour vs. my normal 2-3 hour nap.

Dinner: 2 Cellas and some pecan pie

Yeah, yeah...that dinner was not too healthy. But, hey, it's Sunday and my bathroom is torn up. Gimme a break.

Working from home this week (with the contractors here) is gonna be a challenge. The refrigerator is about 10 steps from my workspace on the kitchen table. Maybe I need to run a few laps around the house when moving from my laptop to the fridge...

Wii Fit Age - 76

Change from beginning of program: -1.2
Goal: 43 LBs to go
Activity: shopping
Temptation: pecan pie
Fruit and veg: 3

Another year, another day of not-the-most-healthy eating.

Got a wake-up shout around 10:00 so that I would drive around town looking for a specific medicine cabinet for the impending bathroom renovation. Spent over an hour driving the truck from Lowe's to Lowe's - with no breakfast and no caffeine. In desperation, I bought a Diet Pepsi (because that's all they had a Lowe's) and remembered how truly nasty Diet Pepsi is.

Lunch: Leftover mac and cheese. 2 Cellas. Black-eyed peas (for luck) and greens (for money). Pecan pie.

I have an entire pecan pie because a wonderful friend sent it to me. I have sent these pies to several people but have never received one. It is truly delicious. And it has 470 calories per piece.

I could have lived my whole life without reading the nutritional info on that pie.

Afternoon activity: Finished reading "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown. After 500+ pages, I was disappointed in what the "secret" was.

Went shopping and found a few too many post-Christmas bargains. I really need to stop spending money like it grows on trees.

Dinner: Chuy's with my brother and his friends. My brother and sister-in-law are in town visiting their friends, and I crashed the party. Ate too many chips (with queso), a chile relleno, and part of a cheese enchilada. And 5 beers (over 3 hours).

Bigfoot hooked up the Wii Fit. It told me that I am obese and that I have the fitness of a 76 year old. OUCH.

My response? I had some more pecan pie.