Challenging Challenges

Bodies are strange … well, my body is strange.

About 10 days ago my sister-in-law challenged me to lose 2 lbs in 2 weeks, a challenge that I accepted with alacrity. And so I weighed myself at the start and posted the result – 126.8.
So, I worked my ass off (don’t I wish!!) at the gym and, for the most part, ate right and first the scale said 125.6 and then, on Monday 122.4. I couldn’t actually quite believe the 122.4 but it stayed there for 4 days straight so I figured that I could believe it (I even tried to check the scale by picking up a heavy book to see if the scale would move).

And then …

This morning …

128.8! 128.8!

What the hell????

How could I gain 6 lbs overnight?

I don’t even feel bloated. I admit that I have been sick all day but honestly 6 lbs? 6 lbs???

I can’t wait to see what it will be tomorrow.

Aggg!!!!

Ella

Caution: Grammar Police On Patrol Here

If I get on too much of a high horse today please let me know. In fact, I would be happy to have high horse alerts for any of my posts.

I don’t know why I’m back on words again today but I am. I think that it might be because I’m getting older and perhaps more persnickety but I get irritated when people (native English speakers) don’t have even the most rudimentary grasp of their own language.

Now before you say “Hey! You make some pretty glaring mistakes in this blog Missy!” just wait a second while I explain that usually forgive most things but there are a few language mistakes really bug me (don't even get me started on the whole "by accident" / "on accident" topic). Today’s “bug me” topic is the difference between “your” and “you’re”.

First, if you don’t know the difference “you’re” means “you are” and writing “your” in this case just isn’t right. Perhaps it is wrong or snobby or something else of me but it kind of disappoints me with a person who makes this mistake. I don’t assume that they just made a typo although this might be the nicer assumption to make. And, for right or wrong, it drops their IQ in my eyes just a little.

I know that I don’t have the best grammar and I know that I don’t use punctuation that follows the rules sometimes so I am sure that there are people that read my blog that just cringe at my mistakes as I do with the whole your / you’re thing. So, don’t get to thinking that I think that I am all that because I recognize the difference. I just thought that I would comment on it is all (did you like that use of Texas drawly vernacular with the is all?).

Perhaps next week I will blog about the use of sentence capitalization and punctuation in emails – another pet peeve of mine that shows my age!

Have a sunshiny day!

Ella

PS A note to Megara - 122.4lbs baby!!

Wii Tennis Elbow Anyone?

Okay, now this is a bit embarrassing but my arm is sore today from Wii Tennis. Really, that’s just a bit embarrassing, maybe more than a bit. I work out almost every day and today I was almost brought down by the Wii? Sad, Sad, Sad for multiple reasons including the fact that I'm not even very good at it.

Prince Charming and I (emphasis on the “I”) have been knee deep in contractors, public adjusters, etc. this week. We had some good news (some insurance money that we didn’t think that we were getting – big, big YEA!!) and some bad news (there is a huge, huge amount of the bedroom and laundry room walls that need replacing because of some ongoing leaking). We were given some hope (we love, love, love our public adjuster because he may be able to squeeze a few more bucks out of the flood / wind insurance companies) and had a little time to reflect on just how much still needs to be done. Overall though I would have to say that things are looking up and we are grateful.

While I am in the grateful department I want to put in a big plug for my lovely Pumpkin. I am soooooo soooooo sooooo lucky to have a daughter like her. Love you baby!!

I’m working out with Little John tomorrow. Wish me luck although I’m not going to push it by playing Wii Tennis tonight so I might just be okay.

Have a good one!

Ella

Word Woes

Isn’t it funny how one thing can happen and then another linking and then another all in the same subject realm and you keep getting hit on the head with examples until finally you give in and really, really start to think about a topic. In consequence all day today I have been thinking about the incredible power of words.

A friend of mine told me a story (true) about how an ill-thought, ill-spoken opinion comment made in someone’s hearing (they didn’t know that they were overheard but hadn’t tried to hide their comment) that recently lost that person their dream job a decade after the comment was made (one of the interviewers overheard the comment). The commenter will NEVER know that they lost the job because of that comment. All they know is that they won’t get the job. Hmm …

So let’s think about this for a minute. Think about all of the pronouncement-like, judgmental comments that we have made in our lifetime. How many of these comments have bitten us in the ass but we don’t even know it. It may not be as much of an ass biting as the poor schmuck in our example but then again, it may just. The point is … we won’t even know. Or maybe the point is that words are powerful and so guard the “bad” ones or the “bad” thoughts or the thoughtless ones. I don’t know.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am pretty forthcoming with an opinion if asked, and often if not asked. People are very fond of saying “Tell us how you really feel” after I have just “expressed myself” on a subject. I tell it like I see it. If I start guarding my words am I staying true to myself? If I don’t guard them am I willing to live with the consequences of those words? Is it enough to remember this cautionary tale and bide accordingly (whatever that accordingly means to you)?

If we go back to yesterday’s Golden rule discussion it might be good to bring that rule in the mix and add an addendum “Speak unto or around others as you would have others speak unto and around you”.

Would that have covered our commenter? I don’t know that it would have. The commenter was speaking an opinion, their opinion. They just didn’t realize how offensive their opinion was to the person that overheard it. Could the commenter even realize that their opinion in this instance might be offensive? Well, maybe.

Perhaps if we followed a rule that said “Speak unto others only as you would have those words broadcast to the world”. Yes, I think that this might just cover it. If you couldn’t say it to the world at large perhaps you better either keep those words to yourself or be prepared to live with the consequences of those words.

Note: I am not talking about private, in private, discussions with best friends, spouses, your children, siblings, or anyone else that you trust implicitly. I believe that we all need an outlet for unfettered and uncensored opinions. Although, it is also good to still remember the power of those words.

Here’s hoping that your words bring you nothing but joy,

Ella

Nice is Nice

Okay so Megara, my sister-in-law, is writing a bunch of smack talk about our 2lb challenge. Little does she know that all that smack is more likely to give me way more resolve. I’m already down 1lb so right on track … how about you Megara?

Oh oh! Now that I have written that I just know that I will instantly GAIN 2lbs maybe even more. It hasn’t been that long since the Step Class Hi-Five Ankle disaster which resulted in me wearing a brace (see below). Forget everything that I said and, hopefully, I won’t get the sudden and irresistible urge to scarf down gallons of ice cream.

I have been thinking a lot about religion lately, well, to be fair, more about Christianity and Christian-based religions. And, I suppose, to be fair again it isn’t the religions or Christianity that I object to it is the way that it has been practiced, the hypocrisy that I see amongst the practitioners and their leaders. No, that seems too much of a brush stroke. It isn’t everyone, it may not even be the majority, it just seems that way especially when you live in Texas.

I guess that I am tired of people acting all high and mighty wrapped up in their “Christianity” yet not acting in a “Christian” way. Perhaps what I expect is that people who profess to be Christians or be “religious” in whatever is their way be nice, be accepting of others, be accepting of others’ opinions, be tolerant … BE NICE!

This leads me to think about what I always thought that was a Commandment but I think is a Golden Rule instead: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you”. I think that this is a biggie, if not the most important of all the biggies. A Golden Rule in fact. A tiny addition to this Golden Rule that might make it even more golden is if we changed it just a bit to read "Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you". How does this change everything? It makes it even nicer I think. If we all, no matter what religion, lived by either of these I think that the entire world would be a much, much, much better place.

So, if we can’t expect to change anyone but ourselves. We can’t expect to be able to control the behavior of anyone but ourselves. If these statements are true (which I believe they are) then how about each of us try to live by this “rule”. Let this guide our behavior, our actions, our words and then let’s see if it makes our world (even if it is just our immediate world) a better place.

This seems nice to me and I like nice.

Have a very nice day!

Ella

PS To any people actually truly practicing the good tenets of your religion I apologize for lumping you in with the rest. Keep up the good work! You are a rarity.

Project 365 – Ankles Away
This is the new ankle splint that I got today at the doctor’s. Note the sexy pedicure!

Career Change Anyone?

Did you realize that if you want to be a stripper that you have to pay the bar to strip there? Yes, you actually have to pay for the privilege to strip and have guys hoot and holler and drool all over you. You get to pay for the privilege to give some greasy loser with a hard on a lap dance. Boy, there’s the life!

Based on club fees from $40 to $400 per night sometimes you actually owe more money at the end of the night than you took in! And, according to my extensive research (I checked out a couple of websites) fellow strippers can be fairly vicious too – not teaching the newbies, stealing money, stealing lap dances, etc. Apparently, if you can make men think that they have a chance with you then you will probably make money. Pumpkin tells me that of the 60 cases of HIV in Princess Town 18 are strippers. Sounds like it’s a job where you pay and pay.

According to MSN.com more women are getting into stripping as the jobless rates increase. And, while the adult entertainment may not be recession-proof it is recession resistant. So, next time you are considering a career move …

Lotsa love,

Ella

Pick a Plan Any Plan

I have been a very neglectful blogger these past couple of weeks and I do apologize!

I heard something in a book the other day (I love audio books!) that said “Sometimes a plan can stop us from seeing all other options” and it got me to thinking. While this might be a true statement does it then imply that it is a worse solution than not planning?

Perhaps it is just reminding us that while we have made a plan it is a good idea to keep our minds open to options that might come up while we are implementing our plan. I think that it is a very good reminder actually because sometimes we really get locked into an idea that, as it becomes a worse and worse one, we sometimes get more and more stubborn about sticking to “the plan”. Our ownership of the plan gets all wrapped up with our pride and then our minds close down to options.

I admit that I am a consummate planner. Where I differ from many planners is that I come up with plans upon plans upon plans based on all the different contingencies that I can think of. Then I pick my favorite plan or the one that I think makes the most sense and I go with that one. If, even before I get to pick anything, things change I quickly revise all plans and then pick again. Normally, I do that all the way along the course of a plan so that I think that I do end up seeing other options or at least being very open to adapting to changes but sometimes I get ground in for sure. So, definitely, it is nice to have the reminder.

It might be a function of how open or resistant to change that we are. Some people are incredibly resistant to change and so I can see them getting quite stuck on a plan once that plan is in place. Others rejoice in change, sometimes too much, and so then options are all they see and plans never actually solidify into plans which has its own drawbacks for sure.

Whatever way that you are, I think that it is worth taking a few minutes to think about it.

Have a terrific day!

Ella

Project 365 Photo
I don’t even know why I took this picture. I think that it was the juxtaposition of these “animals” and vase that struck me as photo worthy. I love my Frog Prince and the little silly stuffed dog sitting there made me smile (again, don’t know why).

It Was A Dark and Restless Night ...

I love getting my hair washed at the hair dressers (Why does this word not have a possessive apostrophe?). I can almost fall asleep in a pleasant swoon when the hair washer does her job. It is heaven. If I were really, really rich I think that I would create a hair washing “station” somewhere in my humungo house and have someone come and wash my hair at least once a week (wouldn’t want it too often because it might not make it as special although that doesn’t seem to be the case with back rubs which I could get several times a day and they would still be special).

My scale didn’t budge an inch today (not that I really expected it to). I have been a good little eater (although last night I did have a few beers and a few lattes resulting in no sleep for me last night between the caffeine and having to pee every hour). I was incredibly good today and feel quite self-satisfied (although I still haven’t passed the dinner temptations). This week’s step routine is an absolute bitch and I am flailing around in class like I have never taken a class before. Big bummer especially after last week’s Hi Five (premature I guess).

I am a little down in the dumps about the house and dealing with the insurance people again. I will have to put my thinking cap on again to see how I can make it all better or at least better for me.

I am bone tired once again. I am not sure whether it is just that I didn’t get enough sleep last night or what but if this continues I am going to get some further blood work done to see it there is anything sillier happening that I should be aware of.

It is a glorious, albeit windy, day and I think that I need to be outside. I hope that you are also experiencing a glorious day!

Ella

Project 365 plus Challenge

Okay folks here is my weigh-in from yesterday the first day of the challenge. The proof will be in the puddin'.

It's A Brand New Week With A Brand New Attitude

I hate to start off a blog saying how tired I am but OMG I am soooo tired!

Prince Charming and I just watched last week’s Battlestar Galactica and are wondering how the heck they are going to be able to resolve everything in the 2 hour series ender on Friday. I still can’t believe that they canceled that show! When there are shows called Rock of Love Bus and I Love Money that are getting renewed. Sheesh!

I was a much better eater and exerciser today and I spent the better part of the afternoon cutting up veggies so that they would be ready for a quick snack or salad. I even cooked and cut up a package of chicken breast so that I would have some available for lunch this week. I have decided that having good food handy for those times when I just want to grab something will help.

I exercised 2 hours today: 1 hour of cardio and 1 hour of strength. I also walked a few miles in the park with Boop-a-do. Yea! Back on track! Although I was sooooo tired for the rest of the day. I guess that I must not have licked this anemia thing because it just wasn’t that much for how tired I ended up.

I ate great today too: Oatmeal for breakfast, a hearty salad for lunch and a nice sandwich for dinner.

All-in-all a good day! I hope that yours was also.

Ella

PS Megara, I have been taking pictures I just haven’t posted them yet. I will get them uploaded tomorrow.

My Confession

I have a confession to make. I have been eating like an idiot. I don’t think that I have eaten a salad in days. Vegetables? What are they?

Here I am telling Megara to get back on track and I am right down in the mud with her. What a hypocrite!

It is time to start food and exercise journaling again.

So, tomorrow, I will begin and I will post it too for the entire blogging world to see (or at least those of you that read it).

That’s all. I am going to go and clean the junk out of my fridge now.

Have a terrific day!

Ella

A Laugh A Day Makes The Ankle Pain Go Away?

OMG! Pumpkin just told me about the funniest site and I have to share it with you. It is called “F*** My Life” (www.fmylife.com) and is a series of two or three line vignettes where someone is telling you why their life is F***ed up right now. Be warned – this site is a time sink.

Here are a few examples from the site:

Today, I called up the boy I like to ask him on a date. He said “HaHa, that’s a pretty good impression Chris. Next time pick someone less ugly and maybe I’d think this is real.” He thought I was his friend prank calling him. FML

Today, my brother had his fiancé over to meet the whole family. We were having a great time with her, and my mother gushed to her that she was like the daughter she never had. I’m here daughter. FML

Today, I opened my birthday present from my grandfather. It was a map of the USA color coded by regional percentage of available men. FML

Today, I was writing an email to our entire company regarding a fundraiser we are taking part in for children and adults with disabilities. I was rushing to get the email out and hit send before I realized that instead of “Best Regards” I had typed “Best Retards” as the closing line. FML

Okay, you get the idea and hopefully a few laughs. I know that I did.

Today I am nursing my ankle. Karma is still after me. I can’t even Wii on it. Bummer!!

I hope that you have the type of day that doesn’t prompt you to place an entry on the FMYLIFE website,

Ella

Karma's a Bitch!

Okay Blog Readers here’s a funny karma story. Yesterday you might recall that I was bragging on myself just a little bit. Today I fell off the step during the Step class warm-up. At first I thought that I had done some real damage to my ankle but, luckily, it is only a bit hurt and I ended up being able to complete the class after all. It does make me think twice about any future blog bragging though.

“There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life”. This is the content of a banner ad that a group promoting atheism has purchased to put on the sides of buses in Calgary. There is a response ad from someone that says “Heathens Walk Among You. Beware Calgary. God is Not Happy”.

I don’t know which ad makes me more irritated.

The atheists (The Free Thought Association of Canada … I have trouble with the name) say that they don’t want to insinuate that other people’s beliefs are wrong. They just want to make a case for their own beliefs. Why do they have to be so confrontational though? Where is their case? Why not a case for niceness? Why not a banner that reads “We Have One Life to Live. Let’s Live in Peace” or “Let’s Make Our One Life The Best it Can Be. Be Happy “ or “We Are All One People With One Life. Let’s Enjoy It and Each Other”?

And then there is the response ad which shows the petty meanness inherent in some “God”-based religions. Heathens? It sounds so middle ages. Does it show God’s love and care for all mankind? No it is some Old Testament- style warning crap about God’s potential wrath on Calgary. For a bus ad? Puleease! So GOD is going to rain locusts on Calgary because of an ad on the side of a bus? Wouldn’t it have been a little more Christian to have a bus ad that reads “God Agrees. Enjoy your Life!” or “God Begs to Differ. He is Here and Watching Over You” or “God Loves Everyone Regardless of Whether They Believe or Not … Yes That Means You Too Free Thought Association” or something else Nice (and a little tongue in cheek).

I am on the fence about religion mostly because I find that most organized religions have strayed so far from the original good message of whatever God or Prophet or Holy Teachings that that religion started from. Most religions have such an elitist and exclusionary attitude. It becomes such a “My Belief is Better Than Your Belief” nasty thing. It puts a very bad taste in my mouth about religion.

I would rather take the belief that we have one life to live and, therefore, it behooves us to live that life as best we can. I also believe that we should try to live a good life, a nice life, being nice to people, and respecting their thoughts about religion (whatever those thoughts are). Then, if when we die we find out that there is a Heaven, or reincarnation, or 58 virgins (I don’t know what I would do with mine) then all the better! I look at it as a win-win situation … and I’m all for that.

Have a win-win kind of day!

Ella

Hi Five's for Helga

WARNING! This post is going to be a big ol’ Wii testimonial.

When I ordered the Wii Fit I did it because I thought that just having it around and fun might encourage me to exercise just a little bit more, even if it was just 10 minutes extra a day. I thought that it might be fun but mostly it was just to squeeze out a little more exercise, a few more calories burned. Little did I know that it would help me with my brain – muscle coordination and help earn me a Hi-Five in step class.

Yes, you heard it here first I earned a Hi-Five from the instructor in Step Class! I actually have improved so much that I can make it through 1 segment of the routine without a mistake (maybe only once but it is once more than I used to)!

I think that I am the poster child for stick-to-it-ness at a step class. I have been floundering around in that class for over 6 months. When new folks come in and seem lost the instructor always points to me and basically says “look at her, she is still working at it after 6 months but she’s here”. Naturally, they all “get it” in a week or so and execute complicated routines like they were born to it.

Not I. Every new routine is like having to solve one of those math word problems we all hated in grade school. Every new sub-routine is like learning another language. Well, it was like that … Now, I have enough of the “steps” that I can do several in a row without completely being lost and, back to the testimonial, I thank the Wii Fit.

With Wii Fit you have all these “Balance” games that are really coordination games. I actually have graduated to the advanced level on one of them where just a few months ago my Mii hung her head in shame on every game.

My trainer, Little John, has also noticed a difference with my balance and core strength. I don’t know whether it is the Pilates, the Wii, Step Class or a combination. I’m just glad to say that it’s all working … and I am glad to get that Hi-Five! (Can you tell?)

Have a Wii Kind of Day,

Ella

Gimmie an "F"

I had a great discussion with one of my clients today. It was a discussion about fear. He lives with more fear than I think most people live with but we all have a certain level of fear that we deal with.

A super acronym that Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield use with fear is

False (or Fantasized)
Experiences
Appearing
Real

Think about that, and think about the last time you were fearful. What were the facts of the situation? If we look at the facts instead of the fear how does that change the situation? How does that change how you are able to cope with or handle the situation?

Some people, including my client, invent ways to scare themselves (even more) when they are scared to go for / ask for what they want. They scare themselves by imagining all sorts of “fantasized experiences that appear real” and then they don’t actually go for or ask for what they want. They don’t ask for a raise, they don’t leave a job they don’t like, they don’t delegate, they don’t ask someone out, they don’t, they don’t, they don’t.

How have they limited themselves? And why?

What could your life be like if, when you became fearful you acknowledged it and then looked at the facts instead? If you looked at the potential good outcomes and potential not so good outcomes from a less emotional point of view? How do you think that would feel? I can tell you ... it will be GREAT!!!!!

Have a terrific day!

Ella

PS Dorian update: I hired Little John to take me to our regular vet today. She actually laughed at the Cushing’s Diagnosis. It is a bacterial infection like I found online with my original research.

PPS For the life of me I can't get the formatting right today!

We Have Dorian Grey Living In OUR House! Really!

An interesting and productive few days!

Recently Dorian (our impossibly old, old dog) started losing his hair and his skin started turning black. I didn’t think much of it at first because he is fricking OLD, I mean really, really old! I just thought that this might be one of those things that happens to old dogs. It wasn’t until he started to lose a bunch of hair on his back that I thought that it might be something else.

Now you have to understand that Dorian can’t really get into the car by himself anymore and I can’t lift him (even though he is thin as a rail he still weighs 75lbs) so getting him to the vet is a bit of a challenge. So last night we took him to an after-hours vet clinic (they are open from 6pm until 8am) and spent 4 hours there getting Dorian prodded, checked, shaved, and other various indignities performed on him. We came away from that with a potential diagnosis of Cushing’s Disease. Which is pretty good considering. Considering the fact that at 14 1/3 and somehow his body has decided to “get” a disease that produces extra cortisone that is exactly what he needs to fight his arthritis pain.

And this isn’t the first time that Dorian has pulled off some sort of weird healing thing. This summer he had multiple strokes, he couldn’t walk, he was rarely aware of things, we were ready to put him out of his misery and he RECOVERED. He waited until the last day … but he recovered. And he didn’t just recover, he was better than before! And this wasn’t the first time for him. Every time we think that “this is the end” he proves us wrong.

What a good dog!

Have a terrific day and I will see you tomorrow ... promise :)

Ella

I Choose A Ripe Old Age!

Prince Charming and I stopped at Frye’s (Super humumgo electronics shop that I refuse to go into because it is way too ridiculously big and, more importantly, it has a restaurant inside (come on!!!) so they won’t take pets in the store (makes it way easy for me to choose Best Buy which does allow Boop-a-doo in the store)) on our way home from the beach (Wonderful!). I just read that sentence over and it is soooo packed with brackets it is hard to follow … hope that you’re up to the challenge.

Anyway, while I was sitting in the parking log waiting with Boop-a-doo in the convertible (not hardship duty as I had a crossword to tie my brain up around) I saw a couple and their twin toddler girls and it gave me pause. The dad was huge (at least over 300 lbs) and the mom was even bigger (probably upper 300s). The little toddler girls couldn’t be more than 15 months old and were just cute buttons in their little matching outfits. It broke my heart to think that these little girls, so full of promise for the future, are probably going to end up as fat little girls probably sooner rather than later. What made me sadder was that their parents were so big that they probably won’t be around or around and healthy when the girls are teens. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the parents had all sorts of weight-related medical conditions (dare I use the term “Metabolic Syndrome”?) and are probably spending a ton every month on medications.

If we imagine the best that this couple are (is the correct grammar here to say is?) terrific, loving parents that provide a wonderful home for their little girls will they be around to actually see them grow up? And if we imagine that they are currently feeding their toddlers healthy food how long will it be before that changes? Before they are getting too big portions and not enough exercise? Before their diet isn’t all peas and carrots and squash? Where will their good diet and exercise example come from? What will stop them from just gaining and gaining? How hard will it be for them to learn healthy eating habits later? How hard will it be for them to lose their weight before they have their own children? How many medications will they be taking by the time they are in college? It's really scary!!

When I watch the show Biggest Loser and see the young 19 year old who has already lost 120 lbs (YES – 120 LBS of FAT) in 9 weeks and still has at least 100 lbs to go!! (That's him in the picture) When I watch You: Staying Younger and see a couple with 68% body fat, a 49” waist, and blood test levels through the roof. When I go to the mall or a store or a restaurant and see that over 50% of the people that I run into aren’t just overweight but outright fat it just depresses me especially when I see so many young boys and girls, teens, and pre-teens with rolls of fat and obvious weight issues. And it depresses me even more that in Texas people are somehow proud of their obesity. It is somehow validating of themselves as Texans (BIGGER is BETTER) and a way to "weigh-in" with their prosperity. This is a totally fraked (can you tell that I have been watching Battlestar Galactica for 3 days!) up attitude!!!

I know that I have my own body image issues and weight issues. I know that I don’t eat the way that I “should” eat for my best health. I know that I don’t exercise enough for my best health. I know that I don’t take my vitamins regularly and I know that it is damn hard to shed pounds. I know how hard it can be to change habits. I know how challenging it can be to exercise or eat healthy when it is so much easier and “funner” to eat ice cream or chocolates or fried chicken or pizza and sit around with a good book.

It IS challenging! It does take work! But I also know that I work on it! I work on it! And I work on it some more! Every day!

The question that we each have to ask ourselves is “What is our life worth?” Is eating a salad every day worth 5 years of productive life? Is the prospect of being a healthy active 85 year old worth exercising every day? If you knew ABSOLUTELY that eating that fried chicken today would directly result in a heart attack in 5 years would you still eat it? What if you didn’t know which fried chicken (name your poison … it doesn’t have to be fried chicken) would do it?

The biggest challenge is that it all doesn’t seem real, at least to me. I “know” the facts but I can’t necessarily grasp the “reality” of my old age and what that might look like if I eat ice cream today over spinach salad. I guess it all comes down to faith. Do I have faith (backed up by a lot of medical science) that it is going to make the difference? I guess that I do, sorta, kinda … I wish that it was more believable (NO that doesn’t mean that I hope that I get some sort of personal medical issue to “prove” it to me) because it would make it all a little easier.

Perhaps my issue is really that I often look at the food issues as “sacrifices”. Just as with the couple I was trashing earlier I find it a challenge to give up some of the “goodies”. I know, I know! I don’t have to give them all up. I know all those things but it still seems like sacrifices sometimes. I definitely also know that this is an extremely limiting belief. However, sometimes "knowing" something doesn't make you actually choose it or want to.

I will plug away at it all though. I recognize that I have made huge strides towards health and a healthy lifestyle. I recognize that I am making lifestyle changes and little-by-little the small changes that I make every day will gradually make huge changes later. I recognize that ANYTHING that I do to improve my health and fitness is infinitely better than doing nothing. I recognize that this is the only course that I have available to me if I want a long, healthy and productive old age. And that folks makes it ALL worthwhile after all!

Thanks for indulging my rambling today! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it all.

Have a succulent salad-filled day!

Ella

Kicking Wii Ass!

I have decided that Prince Charming and I must be the most boring couple on the planet or is it all middle-aged, long-married people?

Here it is – Friday night! Are we going dancing? Are we going to the theatre? Are we going somewhere to trip the light fantastic?

No.

We are going to get take-out sushi and watch episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Yes, you heard it here first. You might not have suspected it before now but Prince Charming and I are geeks of the 1st degree. Our idea of a good time is to watch TV Sci-Fi (albeit really, really good Sci-Fi).
Prince Charming is taking a nap right now to prepare for the night’s “action”.

OMG!!! What have we become???

I kind of like it though. I don’t really want to go out dancing. I don’t really want to go to the theatre. I don’t really want to go somewhere to trip the light fantastic. What I want to do is just what we’re doing. So I guess that I should thank the universe once again … we are very well matched!

Another reason that I should thank the universe is that in my absence from Wii activity I have somehow improved immensely. I don’t know what the deal is today but I have broken records and kicked Wii ass on the Balance games all day today. I have also done great on the dreaded Hula Hoop (basic not advanced) but struggled with the Rhythmic step (not that I am complaining!). I did so well with the Table Tilt game that I have advanced to Advanced! Me! Uncoordinated little ol’ me!

It is a TGIF for sure!

Have a wonderful TGIF also!

Ella

Happy Drink Anyone?

I can’t believe that I have missed 2 entire days of blogging and that the last post that I wrote contained several rants and poo talk. I apologize to everyone for both. I promise to try not to do that again!

On a brighter note, I have found the “secret” to a successful dinner party (Baptists this may not apply to you)! It is the “Happy Drink”. Yes, the “Happy Drink” or some other cocktail substitute is just the social lubricant to help out one’s dinner party.

So, here are my tips for a successful dinner party –

• Serve a “Happy Drink” when your guests first arrive. Not wine, not beer but some sort of sweet, tasty, easy-down-the-gullet but fairly loaded with alcohol cocktail. Keep pitchers of this “Happy Drink” concoction on hand for further guest lubrication (Naturally, one must also be aware of Drinking and Driving issues so please factor this in to your lubrication efforts).


• Invite a fun and interesting mix of guests and don’t invite more than you have chairs for. The best number is the number that you can sit around your dining room / kitchen / whatever table. You want to be able to sit, sit, sit for ages in one spot and laugh and chat and laugh and chat. When people leave the table to go into another room you risk them leaving … and you don’t want that!! (You can always get them to leave when you as the hostess stand up and move around. Your guests will realize the hour and probably leave).


• Serve terrific and wonderful food and lots of it! If you aren’t a great cook then you have 2 options. The first is to order take out from a good restaurant and then put it all in your own bowls, plates, or platters to look like you did make it (you can admit that you bought it but you don’t have to if you don’t want to). The other option is to delay dinner a long, long time serving Happy Drinks and letting their hunger grow to immense proportions. Believe me, when your guests are hungry enough they will love WHATEVER you put in front of them!

That is my success formula – do you have one? Or do you have a tip to add? I’m all ears! Or is it eyes when it comes in the form of a blog comment?

Have a wonderful day!

Ella

Poo, Spam, and Guilt - Did I Really Have That Many Negatives In This Blog Post?

I was reading today about the woman who swallowed her engagement ring. Her fiancé hopeful put the ring in her Wendy’s Frosty. Instead of her finding the ring, she swallowed it.

This story is hilarious and sad on so many levels.

• I am trying to imagine under what circumstances a wedding proposal at Wendy’s would be romantic. I hope that they met there at least so it has some redeeming qualities.
• Even though she is a skinny little thing now I would be very, very wary. She scarfed that Frosty down so fast and was taking such big spoonfuls that she didn’t even feel the ring?
• Or, maybe I shouldn’t be putting the blame on her for taking too big mouthfuls, perhaps it is because the ring was really, really tiny. Is this mean? Some people don't like big rings. From my point of view though I have to put it as a sad anyway.
• And now for the most obvious one – No matter how cleaned up it is for the next 30, 40, 50 years she is going to know that there was poop all over that ring at one time. I don’t know that I would be able to get past the poop thoughts to love the ring. Maybe the romance of being proposed to in the hospital by an x-ray picture of a ring takes that away. You can think of it in the clean film of an x-ray not the filth of a colon.

IKK!

On a totally other topic I have to admit that I had a little (totally teeny) rant today (besides this one). I was reading Megara’s blog and noticed that she had a comment. I was so happy that someone had commented on her excellent post. Then I read the comment. AKK! (Lots of KK! noises in today’s blog) It was a spam comment. It was some “guy” posting about some other blog and trying to generate business to that other weight loss blog. It was soooo rude. He hadn’t read Megara’s post at all. He didn’t wish her good luck and encouragement (as he was spammily encouraging us to do to this other gal but really was just trying to generate traffic to her blog – she is up for an award which makes her more appealing to get sponsorship) instead he just used Megara. I was so mad. If I could have tracked this ass down I would have sent him a nasty email telling him just what a putz he is. I was thinking about commenting on the blog site that we were being directed to but then I would be giving this jerk just what he wants. Instead I will have to content myself to ranting here (and on Megara’s site of course). Thank you for indulging me.

Before I got all sidetracked with stories of poopy rings and poopy spammers I was going to write about the reproachful “looks” that my Wii Fit Board has been giving me lately. I haven’t been on it in almost a week and OMG it is sitting there in front of the TV looking very accusatory and quite lonely. I don’t know how much more pressure I can take from it. It is haunting! Do you think that all Exercise equipment is like that and that is why we put them in the basement or spare room or somewhere out of our sight? I think that it might be. I seem to remember some pretty strong and accusing vibes coming from an exercise bike that I used to have (shudder). I think that we might have a good horror movie script idea in the making: Revenge of The Abandoned Stair Master may be coming soon to a theatre near you.

Have a Guilt-Free Day!

Ella

PS I was reading this post over and thinking that I was pretty mean in it and fairly negative. This isn't normally like me (I hope). I thought about rewriting it and then I thought "Why"? Maybe I needed to purge a little negativity for some reason. So, there, purged :)

Martinis Anyone?

I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I am still sore from my workout on Friday! Yes, I haven’t wanted to do anything, no Wii, no gym, nothing! I am just happy to be watching Survivor episodes and “thinking” about walking the dog.

I used my “couch” time to plan a menu for a dinner party on Wednesday. I think that it is a good one but let me know what you think.

• Mandarin Martinis
• Angel Hair and Artichoke Frittata
• Micro Green Salad with Almond Vinaigrette Dressing
• Salmon & Rice Wrapped in Pastry w/ Dill Sauce served with Grilled Asparagus
• Skillet Apple Pie w/ Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and Sharp Cheddar Cheese

This is a fun menu for me because they are all new recipes and I think that they go together pretty well. Another advantage of this menu is that a lot of it can be made ahead of time so I will be able to shop on Monday and cook on Tuesday and Wednesday so it will be quite relaxing. That is the best way to cook I think. I know that there are a lot of chefs that love and incredibly fast pace in the kitchen and love the intense pressure. I don’t like that at all. I like to mosey around and listen to my iPod and cook at a “civilized” pace. That is definitely one reason that I could NEVER be on Top Chef or any other speed-based cooking program like Iron Chef … well, that may not be the only reason but it would be a biggie! I don’t know how they manage to bang out some sort of intense appetizer or main course with several components looking and, I’m sure, tasting, as good as anything that you would get in a terrific gourmet restaurant in 20 minutes! Insane!

Anyway, hopefully my guests will enjoy it. I’ll let you know!

Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!

Ella

Feedback Challenge - Are You Up For It?

I have been thinking a lot lately about personal responsibility and how it seems that many people don’t take responsibility for where they are in their lives, what their financial situation is, how their relationships are working or not … well, you get the idea. I believe that it is only when we take 100% responsibility for our lives that we can take 100% responsibility for our lives. Does that make sense at all?

It is sometimes really, really hard to admit that you are responsible in some way for every aspect of your life and situation (okay – I will give you the fact that certain cancers and illnesses, especially genetic ones of course are in no way your “fault”). It is also really, really hard once you do take 100% responsibility for your life because then you know that whatever you do if you aren’t where you want to be that it is because of you and you alone. This can be a bitter pill to swallow especially if you see your “months” (see previous post) passing by like a hamster laps on a twirly wheel (sorry, we were at Petco today).

But that isn’t really what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about feedback. Not any feedback mind you but personal feedback. I have been thinking about one of my clients lately and that got me to thinking about the people currently in the astronaut selection. There are some people who you just know won’t make it even if they have been called for an interview. To be completely cliché: They don’t have “the right stuff”. I am sure that you know friends, co-workers, and family that if they just got a little gentle feedback or, perhaps, some in your face feedback that it might make all the difference to them. They might (BIG emphasis on might) not know that they (fill in the blank) and if they did and if they chose to change that thing they might be happier, more socially acceptable, wealthier, get promoted …

Do you think that you could tell someone the truth if they asked you? Do you think that you could give that person feedback? Do you think that you could ask for feedback for yourself?

That is my challenge to you – Ask 10 people (or more if you want) to give you some honest and direct feedback. You might want to say “If there were one thing that you thought that I could do better or would make me a better person what do you think that would be?” or “If you could improve 1 thing about me what would you improve?” or “Name 1 thing that you would change about me if you had a magic wand?”

As I am the blog author I would request that anyone reading this blog that knows me or has met me or even if you only know me from the blog please answer one of the above questions (directly and honestly even if you think that it is harsh) so that I can get some most excellent feedback. If you are worried that I “won’t like you anymore” (could NEVER happen!) or if you are just worried about being open with your name attached please comment anonymously (create a new user name if it won’t allow you to be anonymous).

Thank you!! I really appreciate it and I am very, very interested to hear your feedback.

Have a super terrific day!

Ella

The Search for The Lost Blog Topic

I’m sorry dear readers today you were to have read the best blog with the best blog topic ever conceived in the Blogging World. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the topic and, thus, the world has forever lost the opportunity for this most wonderful blog.

I didn’t blog yesterday because I was cooking all day. I was cooking soooo much yesterday because I was too busy to cook some the day before and so I had to cram all my cooking into one day. I am not exaggerating when I say that I only sat down for 15 minutes (except for when I was in my car driving to get last minute groceries) from the time that I got up until the time that I sat down for dinner. I was completely wiped by the end of the day. As dinner time approached and Family Night diners started to arrive I became more and more convinced that the entire meal would be crap and that the food would taste terrible; the roast over done, the vegetables bland, the salad dressing too vinegary, the chocolate icing too grainy, and the sorbet too soft. Luckily, culinary disaster was averted and everyone loved the meal. It is the mental and emotional crazies that I go through (and put my friends and family through) when I am cooking for people that helped me decide that I couldn’t continue as a caterer. It is just not worth it. But, Family Night is definitely worth it. I just have to remember to always spread the cooking over multiple days!

An update on my pound weight loss commitment that I made here a week or so ago … I have gained a pound. And, yes, this is a pound that isn’t just a fluctuation pound but one that has endured for 3 whole days! It just pisses me off so much!! And, it makes me want to eat chocolate and butter and chocolate because WHAT THE HELL! Which is what I did yesterday – I just didn’t give a SH*T. And, now that I have had this rant I am going to get back on the good girl bandwagon and go and eat a salad for lunch. I have been exercising and so I am not going to beat myself up about it but I am entitled to be just a little pissed off (mini mini pity party too).

I did my step class today and worked out with Little John and now I am just exhausted. I think that I am going to indulge myself this afternoon and do absolutely nothing except watch some TV and perhaps have a nap. That sounds really good!

Have a super terrific Friday!

Ella

I Had To Read It ... It Was Written on The Bathroom Wall!

Who says that writing on the bathroom walls has to all be trashy? Today it was downright inspirational. Okay, I admit it, it was a classier restroom than normal and the quote was written on a poster but it somehow seems much cooler to just say that it was written on a bathroom wall.

Anyway … long introduction for a short quote. “How you think about yourself is a direct reflection on how you think about life”. Wow, I like that. Do you find it true? Think about it for a second. Does life seem so much better when you like yourself? Do people, circumstances, the future, etc. look better or worse depending on how our thighs, face, personality, etc. looks on any given day? Just something to ponder.

Today I had a great talk with one of my clients about the Demon Monster inside us. Inside everyone lives a Demon Monster; it’s the little self-depreciating voice in our head that says things like “You’re not good enough to (name that action)”, “You’re fat”, “You’re silly”, ‘You will never amount to anything” and blah, blah, blahs like that that make us doubt ourselves and steal our power. Once we start listening to that voice we actually start feeding the Demon Monster our power and it grows stronger and more forceful just as we grow weaker and more insecure. We each have the monster it is just that some of us don’t feed theirs as often (good thing). In the spirit of weight loss I would like to declare that it is time to put our Demon Monsters on a starvation diet! The next time you hear those voices or start feeling that self-doubt take his / her plate away and feed your Power God / Goddess instead. Then check your overall energy level and productivity. Did you notice a difference? I don’t know whether I have explained it well enough or if I am making any sense at all. If not, just indulge me and give it a shot … can’t hurt!

I am about to start cooking for Family Night tomorrow night. Family Night is something that I started a few years ago as an excuse to get together with friends and force me to go and play in the kitchen. I don’t have them often and the cast of characters changes (based on who’s in town) but it is such a delight to have everyone over for great food and terrific conversation. I call it Family Night because we are all far from our families and so it makes sense that we all become each other’s Houston Family and plus it is nicer than calling it just a plain old get together. No, that’s not quite right. These people are really my family in all ways but blood. I know that I could call on any one of them at any time and they would help me if I needed it. I know that I would do the same for them. There is a real comfort in that.

So it is off to make the Mango Sorbet!

Have a demon free day!

Ella

And Months to Go Before I Sleep

Today Pumpkin reminded me of something really important … death is just around the corner. Yes, this is the type of uplifting conversations that often occur between a mother and daughter.

She had a point though. Death is somewhere right around the corner, psychologically at least. She was talking to me about a depressing calculation that she had just done. She calculated the number of months that she still had to live based on her current age and the average mortality age for women (around 78). Now when you think “I have 55 years to live”, 55 YEARS seems like quite a long time because we think of a year being quite a long time. Now when you then say "I have 660 months to live" it just doesn’t seem like that much. I mean, a month isn’t a “long” time and 660 just isn’t that big a number. I mean, February is almost over so that would make it 659. Akkk!

I told her that she wasn’t allowed to do my calculation on 78 because I just don’t believe that 78 is my limit. I asked her to calculate my “months left” on 101. So for me, 101 – 48 * 12 (we are not being super accurate here although I am sure that there is a website somewhere out there that does this calculation for you … accurately) makes 636 months left.

And for my mom we used my Grandmother’s age when she died (84) so she has 84 – 67 * 12 = 204. 204 is nothing! At least it feels like nothing.

What this conversation did for me (besides giving me a blog topic) is to make me more aware of life passing by. Time is short; I only have about 636 months left. Time for me to make the most of it!

Calculate your potential months left and see if it makes you look at time passing any differently. Might change your life … at least what’s left.

Have a super terrific rest of the month,

Ella

Celebrating Happiness

My apologies for not posting yesterday, I have SpongeBob here with The Terminator visiting and baby trumps blog every time.

I have felt “behind” all day long. This is the first I have been home since I left for Step Class this morning and I am heading out again soon. I am so used to having very quiet yet filled days that when I have a guest and visit-filled weekend it throws me off a little even though I love the guests and the visits. I think that what I really need is a nap … perhaps tomorrow :)

Pumpkin gave me a very special gift at Christmas. She made little strips of paper that she wrote really, really nice things about me on and rolled each one up stuck with tape and waiting to be opened. They say things like “You deserve to have everything that you want” and “You can do anything that you set your mind to” and “You have a gorgeous smile” and “You are delightful” and … well, you get the idea. There are 365 of them that she made up and placed in an antique jewelry box. The idea is that I open and read one every day. Instead of doing this I save them for days that I might need a little boost or if I am sick and then I might open 2 or more. It always works. So if you are ever looking for a special gift for a special someone I highly recommend that you take some time and create one of these magic feel-good boxes! It will probably be the hit gift of their year. Thank you Pumpkin!

Prince Charming gets back from traveling tomorrow night. He had the opportunity to fly an F-86 Sabre. The first time he flew it he called me and, with a little boy super excited and pleased voice (and if you know him you know that this outpouring of exuberant emotion is not like him), told me about his flight. I can’t tell you how happy he sounded; how tickled with life. It made me sooooo happy to hear him so happy. Isn’t it terrific when the people that we love are happy? Doesn’t it make your world better? I know it does for me. So here’s to happiness!

And maybe to naps!

Have a happy, nappy day!

Ella

Frauds, Bombs, and Hostages

I am beginning to think that I have somehow transported into an alternate true-crime universe. A bold claim I know but wait and you might just agree with me.

Okay, earlier this week a co-worker at the private dining room that I used to work at emailed me and told me he thought that he was going to be out of a job. While I felt bad for him I wasn’t really all that surprised because in this economy companies that have private chi-chi (I never know how you spell that so I hope that you know what I mean) dining rooms are few and far between (even before these economic times they were) and I wondered how long they would be able to sustain it. Anyway, he told me to Google “Stanford” (go ahead Google them, Allen Stanford in particular)to see why. If you did then you know that I went OMG!!! I mean OMG!!! Then, on Thursday, another chef from the kitchen called me and we had a good gossip fest over it all while he filled me in on all the details (that he knew) and some of the background and told me about the swarm of US Marshalls and OMG!!!!! I mean these are things that happen to “other people somewhere in TV land” not to people I know and to a company that I used to work for and know all the players. Just for the record, I never liked Mr. Stanford (apparently now Sir Allen Stanford, soon to be Sir Prisoner No. 1234 if the SEC and the FBI have anything to say about it) and thought that he was a big jerk (I just didn’t imagine HOW big a jerk).

And now today, just a few short days later, my phone buzzes while I am in the movie theatre (thank goodness that I had remembered to turn off the ringer) and then it buzzes again and about 10 minutes later it buzzes again. Now, normally my telephone is pretty darned quiet so I knew that something must be up to be getting so many calls. I surreptitiously checked my phone and as it was a friend and neighbour and then 2 from Prince Charming I just figured that the dog had gotten out or something like that and that the movie was almost over so I would just check after. Thankfully, until just now, it never occurred to me that it might be something like a fire or something else bad like that but guess what it was. No, you will NEVER guess. I mean it. Well, maybe you might, or you might see it on the news (although I don’t really know if it ever got that big). Do I have your attention yet? Is your curiosity piqued?

My neighbour and husband were calling to 1) make sure that I was okay and 2) since I was and I wasn’t at home to tell me that I couldn’t go home. Nobody was being allowed into the neighbourhood because of a bomb threat and hostage situation. I mean, come on, this is Peaceful Happy Neighbourhood of the Lovely Trees not something that you see on Channel 13! So for 3+ hours our neighbourhood was the hotbed of local TV news (pure conjecture here to make the tale more interesting and important). Again OMG!! Instantly both Prince Charming and I had an idea of where the trouble might be (it wasn’t) and thankfully it wasn’t anywhere near our house (my neighbour was trying to check out where it was and told me that my house was out of the action zone) but still, OMG!!! This is the Peaceful Happy Neighbourhood of the Lovely Trees!

Do you think that I brought all of this on because of my vampire blog or because I said that I didn't really have anything happen to me yesterday so I had to write about something from the day before? Do you think that I am somehow attracting exciting things to me just so that I can write about them in my blog? I just wonder what will happen next! It will have to be pretty darned good to top this week I tell ya.

Have a bomb, fraud and hostage-free day!

Ella

Sent Away to Eat Spinach

I have absolutely no idea what to write about today. I know that there must be tons of stuff to write about and yet for the life of me I can’t think of anything witty and urbane to discuss. Could it be that I haven’t done anything exciting today that tickled me enough to write about? That just doesn’t seem possible. Perhaps I had better choose something from yesterday …

Yesterday, my birthday if you remember, I tried to give blood. I hadn’t known that there would be a blood drive but after my Pilates class I noticed that there was a blood drive going on upstairs. I looked at my watch and decided that I had just enough time to give blood before my birthday lunch if I forwent my shower (I decided that blood donation trumped shower). I filled out the paperwork (glad that I had my reading glasses on me … I can’t believe how quickly I have become dependent on them) and went over to the screening area all the while joking with the staff (it is the same people all the time). I was a little worried that my blood pressure would be too high as I had just exercised but I never would have guessed that I would be denied for … anemia! Yes, me, who as a point of pride has never been turned away from a blood donation for low iron was turned away for just that, and not just low iron, actual anemia!! I was floored. I have always tested as having super iron rich blood. I know that many women get turned away from donating because of low iron but I have never been one of them. I asked whether if I had red meat and leafy greens at lunch it would help but they told me that it would take at least 3 weeks for my levels to come back. Three weeks!!

All of this, and my birthday, have inspired me to 1) be diligent about taking my vitamins (I really suck at that) and 2) review and improve my diet to add iron-rich foods (I bought spinach today and some red meat too!). I am due for my annual physical so I will put it off for a couple of weeks and let you know what the result is.

And if there is anyone out there who would like to donate in my place I would really appreciate it. It is a small thing that we can do but you could save someone’s life today.

Have a super terrific and wonderful iron-rich day!

Ella


PS I did a ton of stuff today all boring and time consuming and necessary (except lunch with a fellow coach which was great) but I want you to know that I did actually accomplish my list today including exercising :)

Vampires and Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to Me! Today is my birthday, my 48th, and I am not sure what I think about that. Why does 48 seem so much “older” than 47? I know that when I am 68 I will be smacking myself upside the head for even having a twinge over 48 but, for today, I can reflect on life and getting older.

Perhaps instead of thinking about that I will think about … being a vampire. Slightly off topic you might guess but you will see that it is actually bang on! I have been reading a set of books lately featuring vampires and other creatures. They are actually quite amusing (Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris) and I have enjoyed them immensely. In them vampires have “come out of the closet” because they now have synthetic blood that is basically as good as the real thing so people are “safe” to be around vampires now. Anyway, in the stories the vampires look how they did when they were “turned”. It got me thinking … oh my God! … If I were “turned” now I would have to live with these thighs and these little chicken-finger hanging down flabby arms for eternity (or until I was staked or got caught by sunlight) and that is just too scary to think about. I mean if there was EVER a reason to get in shape I can’t think of a better one than having to live for eternity carrying around this extra 10 pounds and looking at saddlebags in the mirror each day. Go and look at yourself nude in a full length mirror tonight and just reflect on how happy (or not) you would be if you had to live with your current body for the next 100, 200, 1000 years.

And then I think, is it better to get “turned” at 70 or 80 when you might look like a shriveled old thing for eternity but that you actually get to live for eternity or better to get “turned” at 20 looking amazing but not having really “lived” at all. I still can’t decide. I also have to really think about whether I would take the existing 40 or so years that I have left with all the associated aging issues over getting turned (the quotation marks were starting to annoy me) with my current thighs but getting to live for eternity. It is a tough one (I will let you know when I decide).

Megara (my sister-in-law, if you remember) said that she was ashamed of me (life coach) looking at this issue with such a glass-half-empty attitude. She pointed out that even if I had to live with the extra 10 pounds and the thighs and the flabby tummy that I wouldn’t ever have to worry about GAINING weight. I would never actually look worse than I do now. She was right, of course, that is definitely a consideration. That said, this is MY birthday vampire fantasy and I can look at it any way that I want to, being a life coach notwithstanding! And, that said, I will add it as part of my decision equation.

I would love to hear what y’all (a little Texan there for all y’all) think about this most pressing philosophical issue (of today anyway).

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes, birthday telephone calls, birthday cards, birthday presents, birthday flowers, birthday visits, birthday lunches and birthday dinners. It was a wonderfully great day made even better by all of my terrific friends and family. Thank you!!!

Here’s hoping that your day was even ½ as great as mine was!

Ella

Time Flies When Your Kids Are Growing Up

It is my son Abu’s 26th birthday today. Happy Birthday Abu!! I am so proud of you!!!

I can’t believe that he is 26, I mean … 26!!! How did that happen? I can still hear him singing his little “where is pointer?” song and being so cute and innocent. I know that during his teen years that it seemed like time was standing still (kind of like you imagine time would be in Hell) but overall these 26 years seem to have passed in a blip. Time is funny that way, don’t you find? Day-to-day or hour-by-hour can seem like an eternity or a heartbeat (depending on what you are doing or how consumed you are with doing it) and a minute can seem like FOREVER when you are doing pushups or “the plank” but when you look at 26 years it seems like no time has passed at all.

I have been pretty darned good today if I do say so myself. I went to step class this morning, did over an hour on the Wii, cleaned up the kitchen, did some laundry, ran a few errands, went through my in box, did some filing, organized my bedroom closet, spoke to 2 clients, read my book, wrote this blog, and the day is only 2/3 done! Yeah me!! I would still like to do a bit more in my office, especially dealing with a few things from my inbox.

I am serious about losing this pound. It sounds silly just saying that but as I explained yesterday, 1 pound to me takes real effort. I have been maintaining my weight (with some fluctuation) for the past few months but I would love to make some more progress before I go to the cottage. I know that my body is changing (even if it isn’t reflected on the scale) so that makes me feel good and I know that this is all more about health and fitness rather than a number on the scale. I keep on looking at my body fat percentage which, unfortunately, hasn’t really shifted like I was hoping that it would. I wish that I could get back to Fitness Ridge because I know that I could make some real progress with just a few weeks there. Oh well I will just keep up what I am doing and know that my body will eventually just get better and better and better. That’s the plan anyway.

Here’s to a wonderful rest of your day!

Ella

Reducing Your Debt ... 1 Calorie At A Time

I’m beat! First it was Pilates, then some Cardio, and finally an hour with Little John. Whew! I tell you, you want motivation to work out and eat right … go on a Carnival Fun Ship out of Galveston!

I’m glad I am finally healthy and in one place long enough to get my schedule back. I feel like I have been off track lately and it is time to get back at it. Pumpkin told me the other day that this blog has also been getting off track lately. So, with only minor references to the Ecstasy, I will attempt to get this blog and my life in order.

Thankfully, I haven’t gained any weight over the past few weeks so I won’t have that battle on my hands also. In fact, I have stayed amazingly steady which is both good and bad. I think that it is time that I got serious about taking some of these extra pounds off though. Therefore, I commit to losing 1 pound by February 28th. This doesn’t sound like much of a challenge but it is to me. This is because I will have to exercise it off and then some. This might be the right time to discuss the Debt, Income, and Expense approach to understanding weight loss (the I learned at the Fitness Ridge Boot Camp). I will go through the basics of it and then will do an example.

Accounting Approach To Weight Loss

1. Take the number of pounds that you want to lose and multiply that number by 3500. This is your DEBT.
2. Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in Kilograms (approx).
   Multiply your weight in Kilograms by 24. If you are a woman multiply this number by .9 This is to account for women’s slower metabolism (Sad but true).
   The resulting number is your INCOME. This is the approximate number of calories per day that your body expends just for being.
3. Your EXPENSES are the number of calories that you EAT on any given day.
4. Just like in real life there are only 2 ways to reduce your debt. The first is to spend / eat less (than your income) and the second is to earn / exercise more. When eating less please remember that it takes at least 1200 calories for women and 1400 calories for men to stay safe nutrition-wise. You should not eat less than this on any given day if possible.

My Real Life Example

1. I would like to lose 10 lbs. Therefore 10 * 3500 = 35000 (Debt)
2. I currently weight 125lbs. Divide 125 by 2.2 = 56.82 (kg). 56.82 * 24 = 1364 * .9 (woman) = 1228. (Income)
3. Although I would love to say that I eat about 1500 calories per day I really end up eating about 1800 calories per day on average (Expenses). This means that if I don’t exercise at all I will increase my debt by (1800 – 1228) 572 calories every day which means that, if a pound is 3500 calories, that I will gain 1 pound every 6 days if I don’t exercise. That isn’t good at all!!!
4. So what it means is that I have to burn (through exercise) at least 572 calories EVERY day, 7 days a week, just to maintain my weight. And, in order to lose 1 lb in the next 12 days I will have to burn 572 + (3500 / 12) = 873 calories per day (Additional Income) for the next 12 days. It shouldn’t seem daunting but it is somehow.

I know that this way of looking at controlling or losing weight has helped a lot of people understand either why they have been struggling with their weight loss. It also helps one get a really good idea of what they have to do to lose or control their weight. It becomes concrete. It doesn’t allow for excuses. The numbers don’t lie!

I think that I might have my 873 calories for the day already but I think that I might just put down the computer for a bit and go out for a walk (walking or running burns about 100 calories per mile) or do a little Wii-ing. Can’t hurt to get a little head start!

Other than getting some more exercise I think that I will:

• Call the contractor to set up an appointment
• Call my mom
• Apply for NEXUS
• Call Connie re my visa application
• Read my book
• Unpack from the cruise
• Answer a few pressing emails

Nothing exciting or pressing. I will save that for tomorrow.

Until then, have a wonderful day!

Ella

I Think Calling it Ecstasy is a Bit of a Stretch

I missed you! Yes, I did! And I'm glad to be back and blogging again!!


Have you ever been on a cruise? WARNING: If you have, and you love cruising, please skip the next few blogs as I may say a few things that might offend you. In fact, you can count on it.

Oh where oh where do I start? Okay, let’s start with the embarkation process. Prince Charming and I drop our car off in some faraway lot ($45) and line up with our paperwork (they are VERY worried that you have your paperwork IN YOUR HANDS and READY!!) in the looooong line to “embark”. As we are waiting in this long line (actually moving fairly quickly) we started to look around a bit. It was then that we realized that we didn’t really belong in the same weight class as many of the other embarkers. In fact, it seemed more like we had somehow stumbled into a casting call for the next “Biggest Loser” show. It was then that I started to wonder whether they made an adjustment to the total weight allowance for the ship. Oh, the things that you think about in a cruise line's line :)

I wish that I had taken a picture of the stairs and wallpaper in the main stairways, in fact, of the ship in general. It was the second really, really scary thing. The whole décor felt like something out of an off, off-the-strip cheap Vegas casino. Garish and a little bit seedy everywhere we turned. Think cheap Vegas kitsch but not in a good, cool, retro way. The picture below (I got this from Google images) doesn't do it all justice but may give you a little hint. The only cool part of it was that the decks were labeled “The Lido Deck” and “The Promenade Deck” and we had a “Cruise Director” and our maitre d’ had a cool accent and sounded kind of slimy (as you would imagine your cruise boat maitre d’ to sound – I think). Our own "Love Boat"!


In all fairness, our stateroom was a little better than we expected. And, Dewa, our cabin purser (steward?) was quite nice and seemed always available (I think that his job is to stand in the hall just in case someone needs something). He might also be in charge of making the towel animals that adorned our turned-down bed each night (A How to Make Towel Animals class was offered for a small fee … you could also buy a book ... I wasn't really tempted).

At 6pm we made our way to dinner (Wind Song dining room) and met Miyassa our waiter. Miyassa was from Indonesia and I don’t think that he actually understood English. He nodded a lot and liked it when you pointed to the menu item. Maybe it is just that he didn’t understand MY English. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Although the menu was varied and plentiful the food quality was kind of a cross between Luby’s meets iHop meets McDonalds. Whatever we had that night (all nights) was completely unmemorable.

A combination of Dramamine (Gravol for the Canadians), culture shock, and crap dinner sent us running for our stateroom and the official end of Day One at sea. The saga continues tomorrow!

Have a great one!

Ella

Project 365 - February 12th

This photo was just another clue that we were in for a "Fun" few days at sea. You mean that we were on a "Moving Ship"? Whoa! Who would have guessed? Glad we had this warning! Heavens knows what would have happened if they hadn't told us!

Packing for 12

I just had the BEST news! My friend Robocop will be here next week for the 2nd round of astronaut interviews. She is the most amazing young lady with the most amazing husband (2nd only to Prince Charming) and most amazing daughter. It had looked for a while like she was out of the running for something completely out of her control (well, not really, but bad timing more like) when they changed the rules (I know that they changed them for her!) to allow her to do the 2nd interview. I know that this sounds convoluted to anyone that doesn’t know us (and maybe to a few who do) but just know that this is AMAZING, TERRIFIC, WONDERFUL news!

This happening just goes along with my theory that you can “never say never” even when other people are saying “never”. Maybe I live in an optimistic dream world but I really think that living with a “never say never” and “it will all work out somehow” and other clichés like that is the best way and perhaps the happiest. I can’t speak for anyone else but since I took on a sunnier, glass half full (clichés galore in this post!!) attitude towards life I think that my life is better than it ever would have been. Is this true or is this just the attitude talking?
For those of us that believe in the law of attraction it has to be true. It also helps when things might not be going as well as you might hope at the moment. For me, I think that it helps foster a more can-do way of being. Since I believe that we should “never say never” I probably work at things longer than I might of if I didn’t have that attitude. And then when things “turn out” after all is that because I worked longer at them or just because they would have anyway?
Either way, I believe that I do more and enjoy life more than I would if I had a more pessimistic outlook. Do you know many pessimistic people who succeed at most things that they attempt? Do you see that in most optimistic people? How would you consider your outlook on life and what do you think that it has done or not done for you?

I am leaving in a few minutes to drive down to the cruise ship. I have packed WAY too much stuff (I think that I have at least 4 changes of clothes for each day) and I bet that I won’t wear half of it. As it is only 4 days it is silly to have a giganto suitcase with (get this) 8 pairs of shoes! Oh well, they do allow us 2 pieces of 50 lbs each and I am not even coming close to that! Can you believe it? 2 pieces of 50 lbs each for 4 days! My GOD! It made me giddy with packing freedom and, hence, 1 overstuffed suitcase for me. I hope Prince Charming shows a little more restraint so that we don’t have to take 2 cars!

Oh, I think that I just thought of a few “can’t live withouts” to add to my luggage so I should run.

Have a wonderful day!

Ella

PS Megara ... don't think that you can slack off now. I will be watching!