Mmmm

So lately I have started some new medications. Some days I think I feel better, some days, not so much. Today, is a good day though. One side-effect of these meds is a marked decrease in my appetite. Without giving it much thought, it seems like a fabulous side effect. Weight loss goals finally attainable!! But really, it can be a bit of a bummer. I never really realized how big a role food has in every day life. So many interactions take place around food. That, and I really like food. I would like to eat it thankyouverymuch.

I would love to be thin and toned, but not at the expense of feeling lethargic all the time or on the verge of passing out. So, I've started reading lables. Very closely. It is really something I should have been doing all along, but this kinda forced me into it. I have to get a lot of bang for my buck when I eat. Luna bars and protein shakes have been lifesavers. And today I am grateful for a new discovery...

Veggie burger from Trader Joe's baked in the oven (it was the recommended prep)
Big 'ol dollop of guacamole
Lots of cilantro
Topped off with a couple slices of tomato

We've got protein from the burger without the bad fat of real burgers, good fat in the guac, and maybe a couple vitamins/minerals/whatnot from the rest. And in my humble opinion, it tasted pretty good!

backtracking

I've missed a few days, please allow me to make amends.

I am grateful for the feel and smell of clean laundry coming right out of the dryer. Heavenly. I am currently enamored with all things Mrs. Meyers Geranium Scent. I have the hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets. Its a bit on the spendy side, but the stuff lasts forever. I say its definitely worth it.

I am also grateful for my computer. It does what I want it to do, when I want it to do it. It also has an application called, "Photo Booth" which enables me to show you...

How rockin' I am...

What I look when I am feigning interest...

Or that I am actually a twin... who knew?!

If I'm still missing a couple days, I'll leave you on this note. Now it is time to climb into bed (which I am grateful for) and watch some Arrested Development on Hulu (which I am also grateful for). Have a nice evening folks!

Squeeeeeeze

I am grateful for hugs. Hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs. Then, some more hugs.

Stop Thinking

I am grateful for Solitaire in all its forms. I really think I am.

I put some thought into it... Am I really grateful for something that keeps my mind busy with absolutely nothing of substance? Can I be grateful for a game so monotonous, so addictive, so brain numbing, and so unrelated to "real life"? Turns out, yep, at this point in my life, I am.

I am grateful for Solitaire because it keeps my mind from wandering places I do not want it to go. No, it is not productive, but it is not destructive either... and THAT is a step in the right direction.

Some of the "distraction techniques" I have encountered do no such thing. Taking a bath just makes me think about things I don't want to think about while I'm all wet. Going on a walk just makes me think about things I don't want to think about while wandering around the city. Talking it out with a friend just makes me think about things I don't want to think about while becoming embarrassed and flustered.

So I am grateful for the boring old Klondike, Spider, Tri Peaks, or whatever. Not productive, but more importantly, not destructive.

joining the club

Michael Jackson has died. The guy gives me the heebie-jeevies, but when it comes right down to it, he was absolutely brilliant.

As much as I respect the man for his artistic contributions, I am grateful for the honest comments left by all those fans (or not) of his.

Quotes yes, recognition given... nope. Deal with it :-)

"Due to the fact that Michael Jackson is 99% plastic he will be melted down into lego blocks so that little kids can play with him for a change"

"Does Michael Jackson being dead make Justin Timberlake the new "King of Pop"?"
"I think not. JT is king of Dick in a box."

"No one will be able to forget him for atleast the next few weeks."

"May you moonwalk with Jesus"

"I wonder if the Catholic Church has honored him with Sainthood yet. He can be the Patron Saint of the Bad Touch."

"sometimes i think we're his own personal dancing chickens."

"Caitlin Cummings has found something positive in the death of Michael Jackson: MTV is actually showing music videos again."

"Say what you will about his personal life, but the man could write a catchy tune and dance his bony little ass off."

For the love of Xanax

I am grateful for pharmaceuticals.

Good People

I am grateful for the kindness of strangers.

Yes, there are bad people out there. Yes, I have encountered a few. And yes, because of these people, I am very cautious. I hope for the best and plan for the worst.

If you are a woman and have not read the book, Cunt by Inga Muscio, you should. It can get a bit preachy, but it is worth it. She has some very practical tactics for avoiding/getting rid of unwanted attention- none of which include, "Never go out alone after dark." I find this refreshing.

I am grateful for the kindness of strangers.

I place a very high value on "alone time." I like to experience things on my own. I like to read. I like to listen to music. I like to walk. I like to sit. I like to observe. Odd as it might sound, I like meeting new people.

I find that when I am with people I know, when I am with my friends, I meet very few new people. But when I am on my own, it never fails. I WILL meet someone new. I rarely catch their name, but their stories stick with me and I am forever grateful to them. When I spent a week in California, I met a positively fantastic man at a laundry mat. We spoke for hours, even once our laundry was long since washed, dried, and folded. This time around I met the kindest couple in Port Angeles. They opened a small restaurant in October (She does the cooking, He does the greeting/seating/serving). They were both born in Mexico, her mother was Italian. They have traveled the world together, and were kind enough to share some of their culinary creations with me: a mix of what her mother taught her, traditional Mexican cuisine, and dashes of other flavors she picked up along the way. I came in looking for some free chips and salsa and left stuffed to the brim with both fabulous food and a fresh perspective on All People.

Yes, there are some not-so-nice people out there. But there are also good people. I am simply not willing to let fear keep me from all those extraordinary folks out there.

All this in two days. Imagine.

Change of Scenery

I'm off on a solo outing this weekend. Heading to the WA coast and working my way up the peninsula.

Catch ya on Monday!

It's a process

I am grateful for cilantro. I am swooning over it right now primarily because it grew quite nicely for me on my first attempt at starting it from seed. I also love the color, the smell, and taste. I like that I can go out on our patio and pick a bunch, and in a few days there will be even more. I give it a little and in return it gives me great pleasure.

a while ago

more recently

sorry Thursday, I just missed ya.

I am grateful for songs like this. I adore music. I enjoy a wiiiiide variety of music (as evidenced by the 7,000+ songs on my iTunes), but sometimes it just feels good to listen to a tune on repeat. Today the song was Postcards from Italy by Beirut.

Thanks Mom

I am grateful for my mom. Sometimes she really pisses me off, and sometimes I really piss her off, but when it comes right down to it, I know she loves me and I love her. And that, my friends, is a really nice feeling.

I'm also very proud of her. Two years and counting... she is one strong woman.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

I am grateful for small gestures and quirky comments that come out of nowhere. This morning I was about to leave and when I grabbed my purse, there was a banana in it. I gave James a quizzical look and he simply stated, "I thought you might need a banana today." I accepted, and he was right. I did need a banana today. Yum.

Do you think this counts as one or three? I'll go with three.
-kind gestures
-odd comments
-bananas

Change of Plans

I thought about it, and I do not think it is helpful to list negatives. So scratch that.

Today I am grateful for the big 'ol grin and bear hug I got from Thomas. Thank you, Thomas, you made me very happy.

Pretty sure everyone reading this knows who Thomas is, but on the off chance you do not...

This is Thomas


I babysit Thomas. He is four years old, almost five. He is one smart cookie, and his smile is contagious.

Pros and Cons Day 1

So I have not been in the best of moods as of late. My mom suggested something she once thought was cheesy, stupid, useless, and a waste of time. Turns out I think its cheesy, stupid, useless, and a waste of time, but if it helped her in the long run, why not give it a shot.

Every day, write something down that you are grateful for.

I am changing the rules because at this point I can think of way more things that I hate than I can things I am grateful for. So as a compromise, I am listing one of each. One thing I am grateful for, one thing I loathe. And I will try to be specific. After all, it would be a lie if I said I am grateful for my friends, because honestly, they really piss me off sometimes. Same thing goes for family, a roof over my head, food to eat... sure, great, whatever, but there are things about each of them that drive me crazy. That and its so cliche it makes me sick.

Right now I am having a real hard time staying focused on the positive. As soon as I find something positive I sabotage it by thinking of all its drawbacks. I will try my best not to over-think this little experiment. So here it goes.

I am grateful: for seeing the movie Anvil! The Story of Anvil today. Steve "Lips" Kudlow might be a jerk sometimes, but his attitude toward life is really something to be admired.

I hate: being interrupted. If I am rambling on and on or have lost my focus, jump right in, but when I am trying to tell you something about myself, how I am feeling, what I am thinking... have the courtesy let me finish a sentence.

And thats that. Much less explaining next time. Just the pros and cons of every day.