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.